Discord
Changelog
The Overgod Ao had watched and waited for eons. Balance in all things. And in the end, what must be made must also be unmade...
-------------------------------
The end began with the summoning of the god of strife and tyranny himself: Bane!
Szass Tam had planned the ritual and called Zulkir Maurin Greyhand and their allies, Ihsahn, Tharchion Melody Singer, Kessa Sepret, Kalinda, Azura, Nikos Galambos, Ira Ravenheart Blake, Kalis Kurm, Melaa ShadowRaven, JingJack JermJuke, Karaz Dragonheart, Alice Blackstone, and Craft Windwalker to the plains just east of the Keep of Sorrows. The purpose of the summoning, was to gain the knowledge the gods themselves were only just learning, in how to control magic in a world where the Weave had been irreparably damaged by the death of Mystra.
Only after pledging Thay to Bane and Tam’s service after 1000 years, along with the aid of those assembled, all at the summoning secured his aid. Painful knowledge of how to use magic again flooded through those there, and even the non-magic-users were able to understand and successfully use their many magic items once again.
Now armed with their potent spells, Tam explained that Ythazz Buvaar was very clever, and with his centuries to plan it was only recently have he came to understand the full genius of his design. The Ritual of Unmaking had already begun, and it granted the ability to unmake the whole of existence and remake it as the caster saw fit. But the process was so complex no one being could complete it alone. Buvaar somehow had done it, and with the Ritual started had already started remaking Thay - starting with himself!
Buvaar created himself anew and worked to reshape reality from the Keep of sorrows, while his original self worked to unmake reality from Bezantur. Only by stopping the ritual in both places could his work be undone. To do so, Tam explained that the powerful force with him must go to the Keep of Sorrows and they would use the portal conduit Buvaar himself has created to his nexus in Bezantur, while Tam would remain in the Keep of Sorrows. Only by acting in concert both groups defeat both shards of him in time to disrupt the ritual.
The assault on the Keep of Sorrows went as planned - likely because Buvaar was expecting an attack on Bezantur itself, and quickly the force had cleared it of the most dangerous undead and made their way into the crypts where the portal lay. Fighting through the crypts, they encountered the version of Buvaar in the lower crypt working the ritual there. Szass Tam attacked in full fury, and Buvaar returned in kind with undead swarming around after the remainder of the group.
Rushing past the two archwizards lichs in their terrible spellbattle and further into the crypt, the party eventually found the Portal to the Nexus. Defeating the powerful undead guardians around it, they plunged through and were transported to separate cells within the Crypt of the Vengeful deep below the Bezantur City Tombs. Gathering together those around them forming two smaller parties, the adventurers set off through the crypts to find the one who had been behind their slaver encounter so long ago.
What they found was even worse.
Among the undead of the crypts, they encountered notorious individuals just like them. Some thought dead, long since disappeared, and even those who had apparently retired from the adventuring life have reached their goals: Zephris Kuthra, Sirius Silverlight, Jamie Wolf, Heather E'lin, Vicho Kenthenthir, Juston Alley, Tristella d'Flagellad, Colarinee Willows, Karena Esether'a, Kellen Brightshadow, Victoria Beatrix, Adrian, Slarthy Bartfaust, Luyannah Ash, Maric Bross, Richal Derthur, Grostil Zirelman, Mara Hollows, Aerin Stormbringer, Kaylan, Duston Connors, and Kaiser Signe
Throughout the crypts, they battled these unfortunates who -for reasons that would never be known- had been unable or unwilling to resist the geas and the power of the Vengeful. Several fought against the party eagerly. Others cried to them for release. Eventually though, each was struck down and disappeared in a blast of magic as their souls were drawn to the Ritual Chamber.
As the separate parties final rejoined forces, Buvaar’s words ripped through their minds that just as he could remake himself, he could remake them as easily. As the now-reunited party pushed forward, they encountered alternate versions of themselves. In a terrible and bloody battle that resulted in many bleeding and calling for aid, the force of the anti-Vengeful faced the force of the Vengeful and nearly wiped each other out. Miraculously, perhaps through the aid of some gods, the anti-Vengeful party finally managed to dispatch their alternate selves.
Nearing the final chamber, the combined force finally encountered the Vengeful’s most notorious: Vortar "The Mad" Blood of Tharax, Ryech Voralt, Siucre Voralt, Cain Darkfist, and Uzan Ankara. But Szass Tam, straining to provide one last bit of assistance, worked his will to free the powerful Vortar from Buvaar’s hold - perhaps as his own chance at revenge against the organization that had so embarrassed him. In a rage, Vortar was made the battle decidedly one-side - however it took some time to calm him down enough to stop attacking everyone around him once the other notorious Vengeful were dispatched.
Behind Vortar and his wife, the group reached the Ritual Chamber where on a central dias surrounded by a bottomless pit, Buvaar was in the final stage of completing his ritual. Perhaps more disturbing though was that the Spirits of all those gathered, as well as all the notorious individuals they had fought were surrounding the pit. Vortar rushed the closest spirit who faded away as his sword cut through him. Next to him though, Vortar saw the spirit of himself and as he attacked it in a rage, both were unmade in a burst of dark magic mingled with his draconic heritage.
As both spirits Vortar had eliminated disappeared, Buvaar’s scream of frustration and agony could be heard throughout the chamber even over the sounds of the ritual itself. Now knowing what to do, the heroes rush to touch or attack each of the other spirits and they dissipated, causing a similar reaction from Buvaar as he began to lose control of the ritual. Their own spirits though only they could remove, and as they did so each individual was unmade and ceased to exist but further disrupted Buvaar’s attempt to complete the ritual. Finally, with Karaz Dragonheart redeeming himself and being the last individual to touch his spirit and be unmade, the Ritual spun out of Buvaar’s control and began its unmaking - starting with the demilich and then rapidly consuming everything else around it!
The world had been unmade, but it would not be remade by an utterly dark evil.
There would be Balance as it was remade.
-------------------------------
Those who had sacrificed themselves to stop Buvaar were neither living, dead, or undead. Neither here, nor there - for there was nothing but a faint shimmering white light and darkness. But the voice of Ao spoke through the light and those who had been there at the end heard. They alone.
He spoke of how everything that was made must one day be unmade. Balance in all things must be preserved. Through the selfless acts of those who sacrificed themselves at the end, despite who they may have been before that, when the cycle continued and the world began anew, it would not be molded by the utter evil that was Ythazz Buvaar. It was a risk he had to take, but in the end Balance was maintained as those who sacrificed themselves for the good of all had balanced out the utter self-serving and evil nature of the demi-lich trying to remake the world.
Ao ended by saying that in the new time to come some of them would return, but even if so, they would not remember. The sacrifice they had made, he explained, would perhaps benefit different unknowing souls in the ages to come. Their influence, their presence, would be made known in ways - perhaps large, perhaps small - in those who would come after them. And though they would eventually leave, they would not be forgotten - just as those who came before them and left were not forgotten.
Perhaps they will all meet again. In another time and place...
-------------------------------
The end began with the summoning of the god of strife and tyranny himself: Bane!
Szass Tam had planned the ritual and called Zulkir Maurin Greyhand and their allies, Ihsahn, Tharchion Melody Singer, Kessa Sepret, Kalinda, Azura, Nikos Galambos, Ira Ravenheart Blake, Kalis Kurm, Melaa ShadowRaven, JingJack JermJuke, Karaz Dragonheart, Alice Blackstone, and Craft Windwalker to the plains just east of the Keep of Sorrows. The purpose of the summoning, was to gain the knowledge the gods themselves were only just learning, in how to control magic in a world where the Weave had been irreparably damaged by the death of Mystra.
Only after pledging Thay to Bane and Tam’s service after 1000 years, along with the aid of those assembled, all at the summoning secured his aid. Painful knowledge of how to use magic again flooded through those there, and even the non-magic-users were able to understand and successfully use their many magic items once again.
Now armed with their potent spells, Tam explained that Ythazz Buvaar was very clever, and with his centuries to plan it was only recently have he came to understand the full genius of his design. The Ritual of Unmaking had already begun, and it granted the ability to unmake the whole of existence and remake it as the caster saw fit. But the process was so complex no one being could complete it alone. Buvaar somehow had done it, and with the Ritual started had already started remaking Thay - starting with himself!
Buvaar created himself anew and worked to reshape reality from the Keep of sorrows, while his original self worked to unmake reality from Bezantur. Only by stopping the ritual in both places could his work be undone. To do so, Tam explained that the powerful force with him must go to the Keep of Sorrows and they would use the portal conduit Buvaar himself has created to his nexus in Bezantur, while Tam would remain in the Keep of Sorrows. Only by acting in concert both groups defeat both shards of him in time to disrupt the ritual.
The assault on the Keep of Sorrows went as planned - likely because Buvaar was expecting an attack on Bezantur itself, and quickly the force had cleared it of the most dangerous undead and made their way into the crypts where the portal lay. Fighting through the crypts, they encountered the version of Buvaar in the lower crypt working the ritual there. Szass Tam attacked in full fury, and Buvaar returned in kind with undead swarming around after the remainder of the group.
Rushing past the two archwizards lichs in their terrible spellbattle and further into the crypt, the party eventually found the Portal to the Nexus. Defeating the powerful undead guardians around it, they plunged through and were transported to separate cells within the Crypt of the Vengeful deep below the Bezantur City Tombs. Gathering together those around them forming two smaller parties, the adventurers set off through the crypts to find the one who had been behind their slaver encounter so long ago.
What they found was even worse.
Among the undead of the crypts, they encountered notorious individuals just like them. Some thought dead, long since disappeared, and even those who had apparently retired from the adventuring life have reached their goals: Zephris Kuthra, Sirius Silverlight, Jamie Wolf, Heather E'lin, Vicho Kenthenthir, Juston Alley, Tristella d'Flagellad, Colarinee Willows, Karena Esether'a, Kellen Brightshadow, Victoria Beatrix, Adrian, Slarthy Bartfaust, Luyannah Ash, Maric Bross, Richal Derthur, Grostil Zirelman, Mara Hollows, Aerin Stormbringer, Kaylan, Duston Connors, and Kaiser Signe
Throughout the crypts, they battled these unfortunates who -for reasons that would never be known- had been unable or unwilling to resist the geas and the power of the Vengeful. Several fought against the party eagerly. Others cried to them for release. Eventually though, each was struck down and disappeared in a blast of magic as their souls were drawn to the Ritual Chamber.
As the separate parties final rejoined forces, Buvaar’s words ripped through their minds that just as he could remake himself, he could remake them as easily. As the now-reunited party pushed forward, they encountered alternate versions of themselves. In a terrible and bloody battle that resulted in many bleeding and calling for aid, the force of the anti-Vengeful faced the force of the Vengeful and nearly wiped each other out. Miraculously, perhaps through the aid of some gods, the anti-Vengeful party finally managed to dispatch their alternate selves.
Nearing the final chamber, the combined force finally encountered the Vengeful’s most notorious: Vortar "The Mad" Blood of Tharax, Ryech Voralt, Siucre Voralt, Cain Darkfist, and Uzan Ankara. But Szass Tam, straining to provide one last bit of assistance, worked his will to free the powerful Vortar from Buvaar’s hold - perhaps as his own chance at revenge against the organization that had so embarrassed him. In a rage, Vortar was made the battle decidedly one-side - however it took some time to calm him down enough to stop attacking everyone around him once the other notorious Vengeful were dispatched.
Behind Vortar and his wife, the group reached the Ritual Chamber where on a central dias surrounded by a bottomless pit, Buvaar was in the final stage of completing his ritual. Perhaps more disturbing though was that the Spirits of all those gathered, as well as all the notorious individuals they had fought were surrounding the pit. Vortar rushed the closest spirit who faded away as his sword cut through him. Next to him though, Vortar saw the spirit of himself and as he attacked it in a rage, both were unmade in a burst of dark magic mingled with his draconic heritage.
As both spirits Vortar had eliminated disappeared, Buvaar’s scream of frustration and agony could be heard throughout the chamber even over the sounds of the ritual itself. Now knowing what to do, the heroes rush to touch or attack each of the other spirits and they dissipated, causing a similar reaction from Buvaar as he began to lose control of the ritual. Their own spirits though only they could remove, and as they did so each individual was unmade and ceased to exist but further disrupted Buvaar’s attempt to complete the ritual. Finally, with Karaz Dragonheart redeeming himself and being the last individual to touch his spirit and be unmade, the Ritual spun out of Buvaar’s control and began its unmaking - starting with the demilich and then rapidly consuming everything else around it!
The world had been unmade, but it would not be remade by an utterly dark evil.
There would be Balance as it was remade.
-------------------------------
Those who had sacrificed themselves to stop Buvaar were neither living, dead, or undead. Neither here, nor there - for there was nothing but a faint shimmering white light and darkness. But the voice of Ao spoke through the light and those who had been there at the end heard. They alone.
He spoke of how everything that was made must one day be unmade. Balance in all things must be preserved. Through the selfless acts of those who sacrificed themselves at the end, despite who they may have been before that, when the cycle continued and the world began anew, it would not be molded by the utter evil that was Ythazz Buvaar. It was a risk he had to take, but in the end Balance was maintained as those who sacrificed themselves for the good of all had balanced out the utter self-serving and evil nature of the demi-lich trying to remake the world.
Ao ended by saying that in the new time to come some of them would return, but even if so, they would not remember. The sacrifice they had made, he explained, would perhaps benefit different unknowing souls in the ages to come. Their influence, their presence, would be made known in ways - perhaps large, perhaps small - in those who would come after them. And though they would eventually leave, they would not be forgotten - just as those who came before them and left were not forgotten.
Perhaps they will all meet again. In another time and place...