The Darklords of Helgedad Vashna, Lord of Helgedad Zagarna, Lord of Kaag Haakon, Lord of Aarnak Dakushna, Lord of Kagorst Kraagenskul, Lord of Helgedad Chlanzor, Lord of Gazad Helkona Menashga, Lord of Nadgazad Tomogh, Lord of Gournen Unc, Lord of Aarnak Slutar, Lord of Kaag Gnaag, Lord of Mozgoar Shebnar, Lord of Helgedad Taktaal, Lord of Helgedad Zhanshal, Lord of Aarnak Ghanesh, Lord of Helgedad Nhorg, Lord of Gourizaga Mrugor, Lord of Helgedad Xog, Lord of Helgedad Ghurch, Lord of Ghargon Khatellu, Lord of Helgedad

The Darklords claimed a huge area of northwestern Magnamund as their own and turned it into a desolate wasteland. They built eight gigantic city-fortresses in the Darklands, the largest of which was called Helgedad. Historically, the Darklords often allied themselves with the Vassagonians and the Shadakine.

Vashna, mightiest of the Darklords, was proclaimed Archlord in the year MS 3192, following the War of Desecration which bound the Drakkarim nations to the Darklords. Vashna masterminded the War of Desecration and would go on to mastermind many other conquests, most notably the failed conquest of Sommerlund.

In MS 3434 when the Sommlending appeared in northern Magnamund, they pushed the Darklords west beyond the Durncrag mountains and established the realm of Sommerlund in the territory they had claimed. Vashna, enraged by the defeat, unleashed many Helghast upon Sommerlund in what became known as the Helghast Wars from MS 3520 to 3550. However, the Sommlending prevailed, thanks to the magic of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star from the northern port city of Toran.

Still vowing to destroy Sommerlund, Vashna began the Black Muster in preparation for a full invasion. But when the onslaught came the Sommlending together with their allies, the Durenese, held firm against the Darklords. The turning point came at the Battle of Moytura where the Darklord armies were broken and chased all the way south to the Maakengorge. There Vashna was defeated in combat with King Ulnar of Sommerlund, wielding the Sommerswerd.

Following the defeat of Vashna, the Darklords feuded amongst themselves for leadership. Zagarna was the eventual victor and he continued his predescessor's obsession with destroying the Sommlending. In MS 4219 his forces actually laid siege to the Kai Monastery but were defeated by Sommlending archers.

In MS 5050 Zagarna launched another attack on the Monastery. This time, with the aid of Vonotar the traitor, a renegade magician from Toran, Zagarna was successful in destroying the Monastery. However, one Kai Lord survived, a young initiate named Silent Wolf. This oversight would cost Zagarna his life and deny his forces ultimate victory.

Silent Wolf -- who adopted the name Lone Wolf in honour of the massacred Kai -- journeyed to Durenor to fetch the Sommerswerd which had been left in trust with the Durenese following the defeat of Vashna. Upon his return, Lone Wolf slew Zagarna at the siege of Holmgard. Yet another defeat threw the Darklords into another state of confusion. This time, the eventual successor to the position of Archlord was Haakon.

Haakon reasoned that if the Darklords obtained the Book of the Magnakai it would prevent the rise of a new order of Kai warriors. In MS 5055, he had located this lost Kai treasure in the Tomb of the Majhan -- burial place of the ancient rulers of Vassagonia -- and he had lured Lone Wolf to the desert realm with the help of his ally, Zakhan Kimah. Lone Wolf again thwarted the Darklords' plans by escaping from the Vassagonians and subsequently defeating Haakon in combat inside the Tomb of the Majhan.

This time, the Darklords' turmoil lasted several years. Darklord Gnaag became the new leader. As Lone Wolf, armed with knowledge gained from the Book of the Magnakai, set about to reclaim the Lorestones of Nyxator, Gnaag launched a massive invasion of northern Magnamund in order to prevent Lone Wolf's completing his quest. Gnaag was very nearly successful when, in MS 5062, he lured Lone Wolf to the Darklord fortress of Torgar. There, Gnaag cast the last of the Kai Lords into a shadow gate which led to the Daziarn plane.

Gnaag proclaimed the young Kai dead. With Lone Wolf unable to lead the freestate armies, the Darklords marched mercilessly over the lands of northern Magnamund for eight years. Sommerlund itself, having lost the southern province of Ruanon to the Darklords before the supposed death of Lone Wolf, was on the verge of defeat. Only aid from Durenor had prevented her demise. Then, eight years after his descent into the Daziarn, Lone Wolf returned through a shadow gate in the guildhall of the magicians guild of Toran, the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star.

The Darklords were finally defeated on the brink of their moment of triumph. During Lone Wolf's absence the Darklords had begun to venture outside the Darklands for extended periods of time. Normally this was impossible since the air of Magnamund was poisonous to them. However the Darklords' magicians, the Nadziranim, had created devices called tanoz-tukor which allowed the Darklords to breathe the air beyond the Darklands. The tanoz-tukor were powered by a transfusor in Helgedad itself.

In MS 5070, with the help of the Elder Magi, Lone Wolf infiltrated the Darklands, gained entry to Helgedad and destroyed the transfusor. In the process, all of Helgdad was turned to molten slag. The Darklords outside the Darklands died without the transfusor to let them breathe.

The defeat of the Darklords was total, but their legacy lives on in Magnamund. Many of their minions still toil in the remaining city-fortresses of the Darklands. Many adherants to the dark god Naar still lurk in the shadows. Although the success of Lone Wolf and the forces of light brought peace to northern Magnamund, the struggle they waged is by no means over.