Bloody Cyst
The Blood Cyst was a large, bleeding hill in the Avernian landscape that, for centuries hid an alabaster fortress containing the Sword of Zariel.
Following the sword's claiming in 1498 by the Lost Star Detectives, the fortress and the surrounding cyst burst, leaving a large crater in its wake. Because of this, the area is sometimes referred to as the Bloody Crater.
History
In 921, the human Yael and the hollyphant Lulu were cornered by a host of demons while trying to escape Avernus with the Sword of Zariel. With no other options, Yael prayed to all the good-aligned gods of Toril, and Lathander answered, channeling his holy magic through Yael and forming an alabaster citadel to protect the Sword of Zariel, with Yael's spirit serving as its eternal guardian. However, Avernus' very landscape rejected the holy intrusion of this temple, and a cyst from the ground itself emerged to cover it. Lulu and many of the rampaging demons, such as Crokek'toeck, were ensnared within the cyst.
The secret of the Bloody Cyst remained for centuries, and its appearance was shalked up to another instance of Avernus' instability before quickly being forgotten. However, the demons of Yeenoghu never forgot what was buried inside, and the demon lord often sent parties to the cyst to try and unbury Crokek'toeck.
In the 15th century, Lulu was pushed out of the Bloody Cyst, emerging again in Avernus. Though her journey was long, she eventually managed to escape Hell, though not before forgetting most of her past due to the waters of the Styx. Nevertheless, Lulu, while traveling with the Lost Star Detectives in 1498, remembered the location of Zariel's Sword and brought her new friends to the Bloody Cyst, where they battled the demons that had been boring into it. The Detectives found the Sword of Zariel, and it was claimed by Alesine Zadava. Doing so destroyed the citadel as its purpose was fulfilled, and the cyst errupted in a violent explosion. The Detectives and the now partially angelic Alesine quickly killed the newly freed Crokek'toeck, returning it to the Abyss.
Now an unoccupied and unassuming crater, it is likely the former resting place of Zariel's Sword is likely to be forgotten by the annals of time.
Type
Crater / Crater Lake / Caldera
Location under
Comments