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Lore
Lud and Zallen appear to be a saber-tooth tigers. They are two of the seven beasts who served the Ivory King. Each of these beasts was given a specific task. We know of only 3 beasts that remain; Aava, Lud and Zallen. Aava’s task was the guardianship of the King’s beloved child of Dark; Alsanna. Lud and Zallen were tasked with the mercy killing of exiles. From this we know that the beasts were given a broad range of tasks, from protecting life to taking it.
Since the Ivory King was served by 7 of these massive beasts, it indicates he must have been very powerful.
Why there were 7 beasts is unclear. It may be that it is simply a thematic connection to the 7 Daughters of Chaos, as the eventual fate of the Burnt Ivory King seems remarkably similar to the Bed of Chaos (the Witch of Izalith). We are even asked to end the life of the Ivory King by Alsanna, which reflects the request of Quelaana for us to kill her mother; the Bed of Chaos.
Lud and Zallen reside in the Frigid Outskirts of Eleum Loyce, an endless white expanse beset by a near-constant blizzard. These two creatures seem to await any who would wander into their domain. They do not both attack you at once, as they seem confident that Lud, the first to attack you, will be strong enough to deal with any that come their way. That is until you hurt him enough, and Zallen is forced to step in. The two beasts seem to have a bond, as when one is defeated, the other will go into a rage. The appearances of Lud and Zallen are identical to each other, but strikingly different to Aava, the King’s Pet. Lud and Zallen look like they are steeped in Dark. This perhaps explains why they were given a task that drew them so far away from the general populace of Eleum Loyce. While Aava is capable of a sorcery similar to homing crystal soul mass, Lud and Zallen have no such ability, so perhaps some pets were favoured above others or had different abilities.
Lud and Zallen are some of our only clues towards a ‘darker side’ to the Ivory King. They are reportedly under the King’s orders (as each of them was conferred a specific duty), and have been tasked with mercy killing any exiles. The King had a reputation for his great mercy, and we can see here how that idea of mercy has been twisted into cold-blooded murder or capital punishment. Why would the King even need to exile anyone though? Could there have been dissenters amongst the population of Eleum Loyce? Perhaps there were some who did not want to spend the remainder of their life trapped behind the ivory gates, and the King “mercifully” granted their request by expelling them to the frigid, unhospitable and near uninhabitable outskirts of the city. Admittedly, the orders may have come from Alsanna after she inherited the King’s power, possessions and pets, but the idea that Lud and Zallen are “mercy killing” the exiles ties in more closely with what we know of the Ivory King’s lauded mercy.
Theories
Title of theory.
Sources
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