Zombard the Riddlemancer

In the shadow-draped corners of the mystical realm of Gorgorath, there exists an undead enigma, a creature both feared and sought after by adventurers and scholars alike. This creature, known as Zombard the Riddlemancer, is not your ordinary shambling horror. Zombard is a zombie like no other, for he possesses the uncanny and unsettling ability to speak in riddles. His existence blurs the line between the living and the undead, as he carries the remnants of consciousness wrapped in the decaying trappings of his former life.

Once a celebrated sage and orator, Zombard fell victim to a necromancer's curse, which sentenced him to an eternity of undeath. However, the curse was flawed or perhaps intentionally twisted, for it left Zombard with his love for riddles intact, even enhancing it to supernatural levels. As a result, Zombard's lips, though gray and partially decomposed, are forever bound to utter cryptic puzzles and enigmatic questions that reflect the twisted nature of his existence.

His body, clad in tattered robes that once signified his scholarly status, now serves as a grotesque testament to his eternal state between life and death. His eyes, clouded and pale, seem to pierce through those who dare to approach him, as if judging their worthiness to engage in his riddle-bound discourse. Despite his gruesome appearance, many seek out Zombard, for it is said that he guards secrets of immense power, revealing them only to those who can unravel his mysterious riddles.

Zombard the Riddlemancer roams the haunted moors of Gorgorath, shunned by the living and the dead alike. His voice, a chilling echo of his former eloquence, carries across the misty landscape, enticing the curious and the brave with the lure of forbidden knowledge. But beware, for his riddles are as much a curse as they are a gift, and many have lost their minds trying to decipher the truths hidden within his macabre verse.

Origins and Curse

Zombard the Riddlemancer was not always the ghastly figure known to the inhabitants of Gorgorath. In life, he was known as Bardolph the Wise, a renowned sage whose mastery of language and riddles was unparalleled. Bardolph spent his days within the hallowed halls of the Arcanium, a grand library that housed the world's greatest collection of tomes, scrolls, and ancient scripts. His thirst for knowledge was insatiable, and his ability to solve and create riddles earned him fame and respect.

However, Bardolph's fortune took a turn on the fateful night of a lunar eclipse, when he stumbled upon a forbidden text, the 'Codex Mortem'. Driven by hubris and the allure of arcane secrets, he recited an incantation from the book, unwittingly invoking a dark presence. The shadowy figure that emerged from the text was a vengeful necromancer, long imprisoned within the pages by an ancient spell. Enraged at being disturbed, the necromancer cursed Bardolph with a twisted gift: eternal life through death, and a voice that could only speak the language of riddles.

The transformation was both immediate and horrific. Bardolph's skin withered, his flesh decayed, and his eyes sunk into his skull, yet he remained conscious, trapped in a rotting prison. The necromancer's curse was cruel in its design, as it left Bardolph's intellect intact, forcing him to witness his own degradation and the horror it inspired in others. His name soon became a whisper of fear—Zombard, the Riddlemancer, a being of both dread and desire.

As Zombard, he was exiled from the Arcanium and shunned by those he once called peers. The curse, however, did more than bind him to an undead form; it tied his essence to the land of Gorgorath itself. He became a part of its lore, a guardian of secrets that many believed were keys to power, magic, or immortality. The riddles he spoke were more than mere wordplay—they were fragments of knowledge, prophecies, and arcane wisdom that had been absorbed into his being from the countless texts he had devoured in life.

Many have tried to lift the curse from Zombard, seeking to restore Bardolph the Wise and gain his favor, but all have failed. The necromancer's magic is ancient and potent, woven into the fabric of Zombard's existence. Some say the curse can only be broken by solving the greatest riddle of all, one that Bardolph himself had never managed to unravel, a riddle that holds the secret of life, death, and the space that lingers between.

Zombard the Riddlemancer, eternally bound to speak in riddles of the arcane.

The tale of Zombard the Riddlemancer serves as a dark reminder of the price of knowledge and the dangers of delving too deeply into the forbidden. His existence is a riddle in itself—a puzzle that tempts the brave, the foolish, and the desperate to seek him out and challenge the very limits of their understanding.

Riddles of Zombard

The riddles of Zombard the Riddlemancer are as much a part of him as the very curse that binds his undead form. They are not the idle amusements of a court jester, but rather profound enigmas that intertwine with the fabric of magic and the mysteries of Gorgorath. Each riddle is a key, a piece of a larger puzzle that Zombard is condemned to guard for eternity. They are whispered on spectral winds, carried through the moors and into the ears of those who dare to listen.

Zombard's riddles are said to hold truths about the past, present, and future, and they are as diverse as the ancient texts he once studied. Some speak of the origins of the cosmos, while others hint at the location of hidden treasures or the true names of powerful demons. Many adventurers seek out Zombard not just for the challenge of his riddles but for the rewards they might unlock. Yet, each riddle comes with a price, and the cost of failure is often one's sanity or soul.

The riddles themselves are crafted in such a way that they seem almost alive, changing and adapting to the one who attempts to solve them. A riddle that appears to be about the stars might, in fact, be a veiled reference to the depths of the ocean or the heart of a volcano. The answers are never straightforward, requiring a combination of wit, wisdom, and a touch of the arcane to unveil their true meanings.

One such riddle, known as "The Guardian's Gaze," has baffled many: "Born of the night and cloaked in dread, I have no eyes, yet I must see. To cross my path, you'll play my game, Or locked in darkness, you will be."

Many have interpreted this riddle to be a reference to a location in Gorgorath—a place where one must face their deepest fears to proceed. Others believe it to be a metaphor for the curse of Zombard himself, forever watching with sightless eyes, a keeper of secrets shrouded in the terror of the unknown.

The allure of Zombard's riddles is such that a sect known as the Oracles of the Mists has formed around the phenomenon. These individuals devote their lives to interpreting and solving Zombard's riddles, believing that in doing so, they can unlock the ultimate truths of existence. They are a secretive group, seldom seen by outsiders, but their influence can be felt throughout Gorgorath, as they work tirelessly to decipher the Riddlemancer's cryptic utterances.

An Oracle of the Mists attempting to solve one of Zombard's riddles, as the Riddlemancer looms ominously in the background.

Legends tell of a grand riddle, "The Enigma of Eternity," that Zombard himself is said to guard most fiercely. It is believed that the answer to this riddle holds the key to unraveling the fabric of the necromancer's curse and freeing Bardolph the Wise from his undead torment. But until the day that riddle is solved, Zombard will continue to wander the moors, a tragic figure bound to speak in riddles, challenging all who would dare to unlock the secrets he keeps.