Linnorm

Category	Lexicon
Type	dragon lore

Linnorms are a species of wingless dragons generally wicked at their core. During the Creation War, a clutch of eggs was stolen from the hatchery of Bruh Kreniik's mate Lissoth. The eggs were transported to one of the realms of Piranoth's Steps and entrusted to a primordial brood mother. Of the five eggs, only one failed to hatch. It remained motionless, frigid, and presumed deceased. It was discarded and left to the scavengers. The remaining four, corrupted by chaos, transformed into a variation of their silver dragon mother. They became the inaugural linnorm dragon sub-types.

During the Abyssal Release (7777 DE - 8777 DE), a vrock named Fesriyes discovered the one unhatched and discarded dragon egg that had fallen prey to abyssal vermin. The demon Fesriyes attempted in vain to open the egg, unable to satisfy his ravenous appetite. Lissoth's fifth egg was impenetrable to physical force or magical means - a trait inherited from its other progenitor, Bruh Kreniik. As word spread of a petty demon wandering with a dragon egg, interested parties dispatched their minions to investigate the situation, ready to seize the egg by any means necessary. Sensing the danger to her last remaining egg, Lissoth sent a missive to Fesriyes. She promised him an escape from the Abyss and passage to Gehenna, on the condition that he protect and bring the egg with him. Fesriyes intended to do so anyway, believing the egg to be a magical item of great power, perhaps even a Dragon Orb. However, Fesriyes hesitated to accept the deal, unsure of whom Lissoth's messenger was serving. Ultimately, he was forced to agree after narrowly evading two separate pursuers who sought to end his life. Fesriyes passed through the gate, but instead of emerging in Gehenna, he found himself in a large, glass-like sphere floating amidst the clouds. Within this sphere, Lissoth and dozens of faerie dragons awaited. They swiftly dispatched the demon, and for a brief time, Lissoth's fifth egg was returned to her side. Alas, the egg could not be kept, as it had been tainted by its extended stay in the Abyss. The egg was then taken to Limbo and entrusted to the care of the entropic dragon, Ingetosh.

On Limbo, Ingetosh was granted the runes to breach the ward on the egg, enabling it to hatch. The egg, having been imbued with chaos from prolonged exposure to Abyssal energies, unsurprisingly gave rise to a linnorm. As the linnorm hatchling matured, Ingetosh struggled to restrain something imbued with such savagery and malice. She bestowed the wyrmling the name Corpse Tearer. At a tender age for a dragon, Corpse Tearer ventured forth on its own and remained unheard of for millennia.

Linnorms found their way to Bal-Kriav during the Thrones War. Those that came through the two great rifts of this conflict were pressed into service, becoming mounts or war machines for either the Cinderfall or Artaxertus empires. Over time, a few managed to escape their captors and fled to the remote areas of Igas or Anubeth. Before the Elemantum Boundary Ward encased these two regions, some linnorms escaped Elemantum altogether, heading to Brucrumus, Denerra, and beyond.

Notable Linnorm

Name	Linnorm Type	Organization	Era
Corpse Tearer			Dawn Era - present
Lantercold	frost	Silithev-Ite's Blood Arrows	First Epoch - Third Epoch