Editor's Note: This session started with a campaign summary of the last twenty-six sessions to piece together the events that had happened so far.
From the Nethertome of Trask and the Journals of the Faceless One
Long had the
Faceless One toiled in arcane libraries and crumbling crypts, in search of the true history of his divine patron
Norgorber, God of secrets and intrigue. Unlike other deities, Norgorber once walked the earth as a mortal, his origins shrouded in mystery even among the gods. This enigma drove the Faceless One's insatiable quest for knowledge, pushing him to the brink of obsession.
In his relentless pursuit, the Faceless One stumbled upon a dark and ancient text, the
Nethertome of Trask. The Nethertome of Trask was penned by an archmage of Osirion descent named
Trask in -1871 AR during the
Age of Destiny. Trask was said to have explored the ruins of
Xirnakal, a once-thriving metropolis in the Thassilonian Empire known for its magnificent architecture and powerful rune magic. This tome, infamous for its blasphemous content, referenced an even older source: the
Way of the Ebon Triad, which may actually date back to the early days of the Thasslonian Empire.
Within its pages, the Nethertome mentions an entity known as
Malgorath, the Shattered One. Trask details various prophecies found within the Way of the Ebon Triad, hinting at the eventual return of this dread entity. The book speaks of dark omens and hidden rituals that, if fulfilled, could herald Malgorath's resurgence.
The Nethertome suggested that the creation of Malgorath involved the amalgamation of three arcane foci, each having been forged into a powerful artifact. Over time, these artifacts eventually came into the possession of the unholy churches of
Asmodeus,
Norgorber, and
Dahak. The cult of the
Ebon Triad, created to gather the artifacts and ensure the prophecies come to fruition, diverts from their intentions by promoting the misinformation that the overgod will be formed from combining the three gods rather than artifacts from their churches.
The Faceless One realized by playing a crucial role in the birth of this entity, he could unlock all the world's secrets and secure his place in the new order. The arrival of Malgorath would be his gateway to unparalleled power. However, for this Overgod to rise, the conditions must be ripe for the Age of Worms. The tome prophesied that this era could not commence until its harbinger, an undead colossus known as
Descimus, once more roamed the earth.
Two years prior, a cell of Ebon Triad cultists, aligned with the Faceless One, discovered undead creatures infested with peculiar segmented green worms in the hills west of
Ravengro. The Nethertome of Trask mentioned that
Nhamking, an ancient and powerful lich, once conducted experiments in a subterranean cathedral in this very region. The Faceless One’s certainty was reinforced upon discovering one of Nhamking's potent books of necromancy within the holds of the
Church of Pharasma in Ravengro. This book’s presence confirmed that he was indeed in the right place.
Determined, the Faceless One traced the lost laboratory to a cavern beneath an active copper mine managed by a dwarf named
Ragnolin Dourstone. Through a mix of coercion and enchantment, he persuaded Dourstone to carve a clandestine shaft deep into the earth, leading to these hidden chambers. With the passage complete, the Faceless One and his acolytes established their base, discovering a vast marble-lined chamber they named the
Dark Cathedral, along with a labyrinthine complex beyond.
Their nefarious activities soon drew the attention of other devotees of the Way of the Ebon Triad. The first to arrive were warriors of Asmodeus from the
Great Kingdom of Cheliax. Led by the ambitious human cleric
Theldrick, these Asmodeans had been exiled following a failed coup against their oppressive overlords. Their fiendish lineage, tracing back to the powerful entities that once shaped their empire’s downfall, made them formidable allies.
Shortly thereafter, a tribe of
Dahak-worshiping serpentfolk emerged from the Underdark, guided by a drow oracle of Dahak. This oracle, having received visions from one of Dahak’s agents, saw the green worms as an omen of the impending Age of Worms and pledged their allegiance to the Faceless One’s cause.
Hidden within their secret stronghold, the cultists of the Ebon Triad threatened the Ustalav region. The Faceless One, now on the verge of unravelling the final pieces of his dark puzzle, prepared to set his catastrophic plans into motion.
Then the Ruinlords showed up, and everything went to Hell for the Faceless One.
Alfie's Dream
Alfie’s dream began in a serene meadow blessed by Erastil, but quickly turned into a nightmare as the landscape decayed and green worms infested the land. Alfie saw his mother,
Kasama, ensnared by the worms and failing to protect the land as she once did. The dream ended with Alfie himself being consumed by the worms, and he awoke feeling worried and troubled by the warning from Erastil.
Speaking with his mother the following morning, Kasama admitted she had been having dreams too. Erastil was speaking to her for the first time in a long time. She suspected that this crisis had been why Alfie had been given Erastil's blessing. She gave him her longbow, Heartwood, to protect him on his journeys going forward.
Dunner's Dream
Dunner's slumber was haunted by a harrowing vision of battling the cultists of the Ebon Triad in a dark cavern. The dream escalated as green worms emerged from fissures in the ground, consuming everything in their path, culminating in the appearance of an undead colossus named Descimus. The experience left Dunner deeply disturbed and unsettled, with a lingering sense of foreboding about the horrors to come.
Cal's Dream
Cal's dream was set in a vast, dimly lit library filled with ancient tomes and scrolls. In the dream, Cal encountered a drow deity of concealed knowledge and the protector of secrets named
Silthian, the Whisperer of the Hidden. Silthian imparted a cryptic message about Cal's path and its implications for the future. Cal witnessed visions of a drow cleric of Silthian named
Eilistrae, his father,
Torrin, and Elilistrae's brother,
Vaelin. Each vision conveyed a sense of urgency and impending danger, particularly concerning something called the
Codex of Shadows.
Veiled Lotus Monastery
At the Veiled Lotus Monastery,
Dunner was engaged in training with
Therron, the minotaur monk of the Long Death. The peaceful training session was interrupted by the arrival of
Silas the Hunter, accompanied by
Boniface Halbert and
Kullen. Silas sought out the Ruinlords, having heard they trained at the monastery and issued a challenge to prove his team’s worth for the upcoming
Champion’s Games in Tymon.
Silas made it clear that he was assembling a formidable team, backed by Boniface, and intended to compete for the Champion’s Belt. Seeing only Dunner present, Silas instructed him to gather the rest of his party and return, so his team could demonstrate their capabilities and secure Boniface’s backing.
