This is Part 4 of the Seeds of Destruction "Unfolding the Lore" series from EQLive. It centers around the Field of Scale, Kaesora, and Kurn's Stronghold:

Field of Bone

The Field of Bone was once a lush and fertile grassland located within the heart of the Sebilisian Empire. It is now scarred by a massive crater caused by a cataclysmic clash of magical energy. The bones of every race on the continent of Kunark litter the ground amidst the sparse vegetation and the ancient ruins of a once grand city continue to crumble and crack in the blistering, unforgiving climate.

The carpet of sun-bleached bones and rubble is the remnant of the great war fought on this open plain between the iksar and their innumerable foes during their empire's peak. It was here where the dragons chose to stage their attack on the iksar in an attempt to end their reign. It is said that the remains of the ancient dragon Jaled'Dar lay in the ruins where the child of Veeshan fell at the hand of Ganak, the last of the iksar emperors.

Under the rule of Rile Sathir, son of Venril Sathir, the iksar had left the dragon lands alone. With the growth of their empire, however, the threat the iksar posed was easy to see. The dragon lords convened the Ring of Scale and argued about how to proceed. Trakanon, the poison dragon, advocated swift intervention on behalf of all races against the iksar. However, he was voted down and the Ring of Scale decided to intervene indirectly.

Trakanon and a number of the younger dragons decided more direct action was required. They conjured a squall at sea that destroyed Rile's warship while the King was onboard. This action triggered a spectacular war amongst the dragons that lasted for almost a half century.

Over the next half century, dragonkind struggled against the airborne iksar army. Rile's son Atrebe succeeded him at the throne but he later perished in one of his own foul, necromantic experiments. After the death of his father, General Ganak acted quickly to assassinate his brothers and rose to the throne of Sebilis, claiming the title Emperor.

The war ended inconclusively over the open fields with an aerial duel between Ganak on his sokokar mount and Jaled'Dar, the leader of the Ring of Scale. Mutually incinerated by magic and fire, the explosion that vanquished both combatants carved out the sunken, destroyed area in the center of the field. Before retreating, the dragons destroyed Ganak's imperial palace within Kaesora and all the hatchlings within it, ending the royal lineage.

Field of Scale

The great war between the Sebilisian Empire and the Ring of Scale marks a high point of focus for the forces of discord. If Norrath's timeline can be corrupted at this point, they could usurp the warlike iksar and integrate them into their world-destroying armies. The iksar would be used as shock-troopers to make first planet fall in the "discord-riders" future campaigns. With this as the goal, a resourceful discord enchanter has been sent through the rift to beguile the iksar leaders with promises of power and conquest and to ply them with weapons powerful enough to defeat the Ring of Scale's dragons.

Even during the war against the dragons, there is a bit of tension amongst the iksar forces. Kurn, warmaster of the iksar military, is holed up in his stronghold working on his own plans for defeating the dragons and has little patience for Emperor Ganak. He remains loyal but feels that while Ganak is a strong leader, he is not aggressive enough and is unwilling to sacrifice enough for victory in battle. Ganak no longer trusts Kurn, if he ever did. This internal struggle has made the battle easier on the dragons than they had expected. But Jaled'Dar does not know why it is that the resistance has been rather weak, and so remains cautious.

Realizing that the critical juncture in time rapidly approaches, forces of discord tempt Emperor Ganak with a dragonbane shield that can deflect dragonfire and Warmaster Kurn with dragonbane defenses by teaching several of the Iksar necromancers how to perform draconic sacrifices to enchant weapons with a deadly dragonbane enchantment. The result is a sizeable squad of elite iksar combatants with the ability to dispatch dragons. These forces will be more than enough to turn the tide of this conflict against the mighty Ring of Scale… unless this corruption of time can be repaired.

Emperor Ganak

Ganak draws much of his power from Cazic-Thule. After two generations of warfare with the Ring of Scale, a war that was started by the radical actions of the more aggressive dragons, Ganak wants vengeance for himself and his royal bloodline as well as for the legions of iksar who have fallen to the Ring of Scale.  

Warmaster Kurn

Kurn will pursue victory at any cost. He has made the watch tower outside the city his garrison and base of operations. It is from here that he commands the iksar legions, at the behest of his Emperor Ganak.  

Jaled'Dar

Eldest and most powerful dragon of the Ring of Scale, his goals include the suppression of the Sebilisian Empire through domination and warfare. Frustrated and enraged, Jaled'Dar is willing to enlist any assistance necessary to assert the rightful dominance of the Ring of Scale. 

Check out this EQLive article for more screenshots.