Thief Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Thief Wiki


One click for the brainsick ones...thinking the aboveworld is real place.
~~~~
Two clicks for the Fall of the Kurshok, banished to abyss. No more favored by the Trickster Lord. No more see the sun or sky.
  — Kurshok Texts


The Kurshok are a civilization, species and faction of xenophobic amphibian humanoids who dwell mainly within their ancient ruins under the sewers and streets of The City.

History[]

The Kurshok's history is as old as the Pagans and the Precursors. Their mythology links them to ancient Pagans and claims that the Kurshok followed The Trickster, until they fell out of his favor, as the Kurshok king Gruliac the Great claimed that the Kurshok had surpassed their master and he was mightier than the Leafy Lord himself.

The Woodsie Lord loved the Kurshok, but he could not allow such disrespect to continue. He ordered Gruliac to return the Crown of Power He had bestowed upon him, but Gruliac refused. The Woodsie One then chose to regain the crown by force, and battled Gruliac in a fight of epic proportions, and Gruliac refused to yield even after the loss of his hand. The Woodsie Lord was so angered by the Kurshok, that he commanded the earth to swallow their entire civilization. All but a small number of Kurshok perished in the ensiung calamity, which came to be known as The Great Fall.[1]

The Mighty Kurshok Citadel had been buried deep underground but remained largely intact. The first generation(s) of survivors, led by Gruliac, worked to rebuild this complex and vowed revenge against the Woodsie Lord (at this point referred to as "Leaf Devil"), but over the years their perseverance waned.[2] Most Kurshok came to believe that the "upside world", or the "above world", is not real. Those who believe the ancient tales are excluded from Kurshok society and referred to as "The Brainsick Ones".[3]

At the time of the City's founding the Kurshok had been all but forgotten from history, with only a few myths of a Sunken Citadel left in the Keeper Library. Only the Pagans have had prolonged contact with the Kurshok, and are constantly battling them in order to retrieve the Crown.[4]

Given their proximity and the probable extent of each civilization, it is safe to assume that both the Kurshok Empire and The Lost City were located on the same general location, as their entrances (from the city streets) are on either side of South Quarter. The Kurshok kingdom appears to be much younger, as evidenced by the lack of erosional damage, higher geological placement, and its ties to such modern deities as the Trickster. They are unlikely to have coexisted with the Precursors, at least not without serious border disputes and cultural assimilation, but may have taken after them judging by the similar style of their hieroglyphs (notably the vulture/scale image and the smaller icons in the central square).[5]

Culture[]

The Kurshok used to be a great race of Scholars, Adventurers and Warriors most favored in the eyes of the Woodsie Lord. They were sophisticated, educated and elegant, but since the fall, their culture has lost but all of its luster. It is obvious that the Kurshok once knew how to read and write, but according to Keeper Rafe's journal, they no longer possess that ability. Some of the books in the library suggest that they still have it, although the age of these texts cannot be accurately determined. Some speak of the Great Fall, the Kurshok kings that ruled since the "Chaos Times" came, that the Kurshok Crown awaits until the Kurshok have a true king to offer, and until they learn all that is forgotten. It is unknown when these books were written, but if they were written recently, it proves that the Kurshok still possess the ability to read and write.

The Kurshok certainly existed alongside men, as indicated by the statement "Human and tree bow before him", although their social and political relations with humans are a mystery.

One point of interest is their means of recording time. Despite their total isolation from sunlight or other outside indicators, one of their documents mentioned that king Orpetolia ruled the Kurshok "for 50 but knew nothing", which indicates that there must have been some system of chronology after the Great Fall.[6]

Language[]

I can't believe some taffer went and spilled mead all over this article!
Benny

Reasons: none given.

To meet the Thief Wiki's quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. Please help The Dark Wiki by editing the article or discuss this issue on the article's talk page.


The Kurshok speak and wrote in English, though they have broken speech patterns much like the Pagans. What sets them apart, however, the linguistic importance of clicking and the number of clicks, often times spoken.

From a summary of Kurshok history:

Four clicks for the pride of existence. Five clicks for Gruliac, most favored of all and King of the Kurshok. Three clicks for the vanity of pride. Two clicks for the folly of vanity. One click for the doom of folly.

From a summary of Kurshok Kings:

Count ten for King and Crown. scholar and Kurshok named of Turish, who writes this, will be gone past counting.

From After the Fall:

Three clicks for the Kurshok. Two clicks for our underground home for now.

From Kurshok voice files:

kurshok1: ku1_idle1: Count the telling. Count one for the time in the light, the standing time...(click). Count two for the time in the storm, all broken, all lost...(click click). Count three for the time in the darkness...(Click click click).

kurshok2: ku2_idle1: Count the hatchlings, (click click click). Count one for the molting, until the growth. (Click). Count two for the hungry child. (Click click). Count three to learn the telling.

kurshok2: ku2_idle2: Count the long longago, the burrows, the hatchlings. (Click click). Count each life, so many to count. Count the now, count the empty.

DUNKurshokMissingGuy_001000: m06c0401: (Click, click) Two for the one who is missing.

Kurshok Kings[]

Blood Kings[]

Lesser Kings[]

After the rule of king Merdiac, the Chaos times came, and the Crown awaits a new great king.

References[]

See Also[]

Category:Kurshok Images

NPC's
Standard Guards Sword Bafford Sword Guard · Bafford Front Gate Guard · Bafford Sergeant · Bank Sergeant · Common Sword Guard · Constantine Sword Guard · Gervaisius Guard · Mage Sword Guard · Opera Sword Guard · Ramirez Sword Guard
Bow Bafford Bow Guard · Bafford Front Gate Guard · Common Bow Guard · Constantine Bow Guard · Mage Bow Guard · Opera Bow Guard · Ramirez Bow Guard
Factions City Watch City Watch Guard · Sheriff Bow Guard · Sheriff Sword Guard · Sheriff Helmet Guard · Sheriff Sergeant
Hammerites Hammerite Guard · Hammerite Priest · Hammerite Novice · Hammerite Smith
Mechanists Mechanist Mace Guard · Mechanist Crossbow Guard · Mechanist Priest · Mechanist Helmet Guard · Mechanist Crossbow Diver · Mechanist Mace Diver · Mechanist Frogman · Mechanist Masked Guard · Mechanist Worker
Pagans Pagan Warrior · Pagan Shaman · Unarmed Pagan
Keepers Keeper Elder · Keeper Enforcer · Keeper Instructor · Sparring Partner
Hand Mages Water Mage · Earth Mage · Air Mage · Fire Mage
Criminals Assassin · Thief Bow Guard · Thief Sword Guard · Thug
Creatures Animals Burrick · Cat · Frogbeast · Insect Swarm · Rat · Rust Mite · Spiders (Yellow · Green · Chaos)
Magic Air Elemental · Fire Elemental · Glyph Statues (Gargoyle · Human · Giant Human)
Other Ape Beast · Bugbeast · Crayman · Craybeast · Eyeball Plant · Kurshok · Rat Beast · Tree Beast
Undead Apparition · Cradle Staff · Fire Shadow · Hammer Haunt · Puppet · Zombie
Builder's Children Combat Bot · Mechanical Cherub · Spider Bot · Worker Bot
Non-Combatants Actor · Harmless Apparition · Masked Servant · Nobleman · Opera Guest · Servant · Shrimp
Unused Albino Spider · Clockwork Eye · Ramirez Sergeant · Scurry Bot · Spectre · Sweel · Water Elemental

All items (18)

Advertisement