Discord
Changelog
Thay’s most powerful lich writhed with the power conferred to him through the bright and fiery embrace of The Destroyer’s Ritual. The world slowed and then stopped for an instant. But with the power he had just attained, that instant seemed to stretch on for days. A vision appeared in his head and he was watching his elaborate plan unfold, only this time as an undetectable observer.
The lich smiled malevolently to himself as the story revealed itself and the power continued to course through his body, burning away his mortal shell.
He had long ago learned that the power he sought and the ritual to obtain it was not a myth. From that point forward, he had carefully and cautiously used his leadership position with the Vengeful -a hidden, yet extremely powerful, organization with Thay- to set his plans into motion and ensure those who would help him were brought to Thay.
One betrayal at a time.
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It began with Alzegund the Trader. Or Alzegund the Traitor as his legacy would show.
The lich had deemed it necessary that an outsider to the current Thayan political struggle was needed to ensure his initial plan did not fall into the wrong hands, but yet needed to be someone with enough power to drive it to the next stage. Alzegund the Trader was the Red Wizard’s spymaster in charge of covert operations outside of Thay, and a natural choice then. Not only that, he was one of the primary individuals tasked with finding new individuals to ‘save’ and bring to Thay on behalf of the Vengeful.
His cover as a caravan merchant had provided him ample opportunities to further Thay’s interests outside its borders. It also provided the perfect opportunity for the seed of opportunity to be planted on a bitter wizard nearing the end of his years and perhaps looking for ways to extend them, or finally become his own master. With all the lich’s time outside of Thay, he had studied Alzegund for most of Alzegund’s life and knew how the old man would now react to the bait dangled before him.
He didn’t make it easy though, and Alzegund’s caravan guards had all been killed during the foray into a ruined castle in Sembia to uncover what Alzegund thought were long-lost clues. The lich’s planted clues pointed to a set of four ancient scrolls stored throughout Thay which, when deciphered, would provide directions and guidance to finding a ritual that would give the individual perform it power to command even the Zulkirs if he so choose to stoop to their level - it would give him the power of a god!
Alzegund quickly returned to Thay while the lich then passed word on to the Researchers through Naglatha -Alzegund's protégé- that Alzegund was returning to try and find something of great power. Naglatha, naturally interested in learning exactly what Alzegund was up to offered assistance for his preparations, but his distrust of everyone and everything else -which would eventually be his downfall- prevented him from truly explaining the reasons behind his return home and left him alone and exposed - a fatal combination.
Alzegund however, pressed forward and returned home to Thay. He immediately spoke with his Zulkir, Aznar Thrul, and was granted use of Thrul’s research labs in the dungeons of the Thasselen Central Citadel with the promise that he and his research would not be disturbed so long as Thrul was provided all details in regard to what Alzegund’s research produced. Thrul, in a mistake he was not likely to ever repeat again, took little interest in what his lesser Red Wizard of Evocation was truly researching. If he had, the lich’s carefully laid plans would have taken a severe turn for the worse. Regardless, Alzegund was more than happy to feed him lies and reports of slow progress on the discovery of a new spell.
Upon securing his Zulkir’s support for his vague research, Alzegund began replenishing his caravan guard. As one of the recruiting agents for the Vengeful, Alzegund was one of the primary individuals tasked with identifying strong potential candidates for the Vengeful’s activities. As such, he made sure that a number of new acceptable caravan guards he wished to server him were ‘saved’ from slavers and brought to Thay. Among those he first recruited his first weeks in Thay were Brianna Fraser, Natasha Blackheart, Shana Meyne, Raeyenne Zhi'Nen, Khamsin Nuroch, Natasha Addams, Wersha Slaavos, Ibrahim Jurad, and Shenzi the Gnoll.
At first their tasks were simple enough and they functioned truly as guards. They accompanied him on his caravans within Thay as he verified certain aspects of the Sembian clues with the religions that could do so. He spoke to priests at the Temple of Hoar in the Keep of Sorrows and at the Temple of Nephtys in Murbant.
Around this time Naglatha’s curiosity go the better of her and she approached several members of Alzegund’s guards - Shana, Khamsin, Brianna, and Raeyenne. She explained that both she and Alzegund identified more with the Researcher faction of the Red Wizards - those not interested in conquest, rather than the other main faction of Red Wizards known as the Imperialists - those who wished to increased Thay’s power by conquest. However, Naglatha expressed her concern that Alzegund needed to keep his research in Thay, and that his current activities were causing her to suspect his intentions for whatever it was he was searching for.
It was shortly after this meeting that Alzegund pieced together enough form the initial clues to determine that there were four elemental scrolls which, when used in tandem, would provide a location and method to bypass wards to the ritual he sought.
After the weak or more disappointing of Alzegund’s guards simply up and disappeared or were killed, Alzegund instructed several to retrieve the first scroll he was looking for - the Scroll of Earth. Joined by a newcomer called Luhyannah Ash, Raeyenne, Khamsin, Brianna, Shana, and Natasha were sent to the Alaor Inland Caves. They spent considerable time searching the caves, with Brianna somehow finding the powerful Robes of Sivesh which, in turn, drew her to the hidden location of the Ancient Earth Scroll.
After defeating the Earth Guardian for the scroll and returning it, this confirmed to Alzegund that his efforts were on track. Unfortunately, as with all the scrolls, it was written in an ancient form of Draconic and the directions spread across the scrolls in a way that all were needed to truly read whatever directions and information was actually given on it.
Undeterred by his inability to read the scroll, Alzegund included some very powerful members in his plan that he had already helped bring to Thay long ago and who had established themselves with three very powerful Thayan factions. He recruited Ira Blake; a senior member of the Bezantur Thieves Guild, Cain Darkfist; an officer of the Priador Legion, and Maurin Greyhand; a fellow Red Wizard of Evocation to assist in recovering the Scroll of Fire which he had determined lay in the Abandoned Mines north of Bezantur. The three battled past a number of powerful denizens of the mines, until choosing an inopportune moment to rest in which they were ambushed by several Monks of the Long Death. Fleeing for their lives, Maurin and Cain barely escaped, while Ira remained hidden and continued the search alone. Eventually she found the entrance to a hidden room and returned at a later time with Maurin and Cain.
Upon entering the room they were set up by several Fire elementals and a Fire Guardian of Kossuth. After some difficulty they dispatched all and discovered that the Scroll of Fire had been recovered by the Flaming Brazier faithful many, many years ago.
Alzegund, empty-handed, now had to begin making very delicate plans to infiltrate the Flaming Brazier temple to recover all the necessary elemental scrolls.
However, further study of the Sembian clues led him to the House of Holy Tides on the southern Alaor Isle. On the Isle they encounter Sokaira Helms who they allow to temporarily join Alzegund’s current guard contingent of Brianna, Khamsin, Raeyenne, Shenzi, Natasha, and Shana. Within the house of Holy Tides, the high priest provided water breathing abilities and transported the party to the Flooded Caverns of the northern Alaor Isles at Alzegund’s command. During their explorations of the caverns, Natasha discovered a sentient bastard sword which called itself Enserric. Grateful of being freed from its underwater prison, it led her and the rest of the party to the ancient Water Scrolls location and helped defeat its guardians.
With the return of the Water Scroll, Alzegund also learned that Naglatha was making quiet inquires into what he was researching. Deciding to try and kill two birds with one stone, and begin his treachery in earnest, he enlisted the aid of Khamsin - one of his guards and one who had just failed the Red Wizard Apprentice Trials. Desperate for a second chance at them Alzegund placed his trust in Khamsin in exchange for Khamsin doing his bidding without questions for a chance to redeem himself.
Alzegund disguised himself as a Red Wizard Apprentice working for a nameless Red Wizardess (presumably Naglatha) and had Khamsin bring several of his guards and prospects such as Shana, Raeyenne, Brianna, Sokaira, Shenzi, and newcomers to his plot; Cela Aseph and Rand Gallin. In a roundabout manner they were instructed to begin learning about the Flaming Brazier temple from the disguised Alzegund. This information he would use at a later time with a trusted group of his own spies to infiltrate the temple and try to retrieve the Scroll of Fire.
After receiving this directive, several of the more resourceful recruited spoke with Talon Kelteel, an up-and-coming member of the Bezantur Thieves Guild. In a binding pack with the Shadowlord, which was never called upon, he agreed to retrieve what information he could for them. Talon performed adequately, finding what information he could before his untimely death. The same could be said for Khamsin before his master’s disgust with him ultimately led to his disappearance and presumed death.
Progress slowed at this point, with the disguised Red Wizards Apprentice’s hired mercenaries indiscreetly gathering information about the temple - much of which was common knowledge and not likely to assist with a break-in on the scale Alzegund needed. Alzegund turned to his more powerful allies of Ira and Maurin and it was determined a daring new approach should be taken - the capture and interrogation of a ranking priest of the temple.
While plans were being made and information gathered simply for the capture of the Flaming Brazier priest, Alzegund’s research of the planted clues next turned him to the abandoned and demon-infested tower of Tazal Thaingard on the southern Alaor Isle. Alzegund gathered what mercenaries he could and placed them under the command of Natasha, one of his more reliable guards. She led Rand, Luhyannah, and newcomers Malaclypse, Eliavres, and a strange half-orc called Vortar “The Mad” through the catacombs of the tower and up to the highest room where they discovered a Tanar’ri who first toyed with them -nearly resulting in their destruction-, and then struck a pact with them to destroy the wards around the Scroll of Air in return for being freed from his imprisonment there. The party obliged with, surprisingly, Vortar the half-orc being the only individual able to use the scrolls necessary to free it.
With all but the elusive Scroll of Fire returned, Alzegund made his final preparations for the infiltration of the Flaming Brazier temple and the betrayal of those who would perform it on his behalf. To this end, once again disguised as a Red Wizard Apprentice of a mysterious Red Wizardess, he met with Brianna, Natasha, Luhyannah, Malaclypse, and Rand offering them a princely sum of 10000 talons each to perform the deed. He had found that the General of the Knights of the Drake (the commander of the Fire Drake guards of the Flaming Brazier) had a penchant for a certain prostitute in the Red Embrace brothel. So the assembled party disguised themselves, headed to the brothel and with considerable difficulty managed to fight past the General’s guards, capture and escape with him to the Bezantur Sewers.
Within the sewers the torture of the General was brutal and painful. Alzegund, in his act of true betrayal, captured the actual death of the mutilated General frozen in a crystal ball he used to observe the ‘information extraction’. His intent was to present the crystal ball to the Flaming Brazier temple once his usefulness for those involved ended.
Acting quickly at this point, before the disappearance of the General could be attributed to murder or a hostile, the disguised Red Wizard Apprentice met with Brianna, Natasha, Luhyannah, and Malaclypse once more providing them half of the promised 10000 talons each and then with instructions to infiltrate the temple immediately. Not wanting them to search the vault and discover the last scroll (and perhaps the proof that they were really still working for Alzegund and not a mysterious Red Wizardess), the ‘apprentice’ instructed them to simply set a Recall Stone within the temple’s vault.
Perhaps intentionally, or perhaps not, Brianna and Malaclypse remain safe and out of the actual infiltration as soon as the ‘plan’ (if it could be called that) was put into motion. Natasha and Luhyannah snuck in after a minor disturbance caused by Vortar was arranged. Unfortunately, the ever vigilant Fire Drakes inside noticed that only Natasha had the Flaming Brazier cloak and immediately attacked Luhyannah. After a tough fight in which they dispatched the guards, Luhyannah grabbed a cloak from a dead Fire Drake and they quickly moved further into the temple complex with time against them as it took only minutes for the dead guards to be found.
As luck would have it, they reached the locked Eternal Flame of Kossuth Mythalanir chamber moments before the alarm was raised throughout the temple. Unsuspecting of the intruders standing right before him with the Flaming Brazier cloaks on them as he rushed out, he quickly ordered them to guard his chamber door just as Luhyannah lost her nerve and ran. Mythalanir gave chase after her as she escaped with the use of a Recall Stone. Natasha however, momentarily forgotten, somehow managed to find the Flaming Brazier’s hidden vault and set a Recall Stone to that location despite the powerful guardian there that almost killed her.
With the Flaming Brazier now up in arms, the four conspirators all quickly escaped Bezantur to Thasselen and awaited the arrival of the Red Wizard Apprentice and his mistress there. The Flaming Brazier used the break-in as the cover it needed to avoid any potential embarrassment with its leader of the Fire Drakes being captured and presumably killed while visiting an elf in a brothel. The 10000 talon reward offered was never to be claimed however.
With the main conspirators of the Flaming Brazier debacle in Thasselen, Alzegund took the opportunity to steal the Recall Stone from the less-than-vigilant Natasha while she slept and managed to slip into the temple’s vault and retrieve the Scroll of Fire.
The lich grimaced as he watched Alzegund almost perish in the attempt as well, but then smiled as realization came to him that Alzegund was the only individual to ever successfully raid the Flaming Brazier’s vaunted treasure vault.
With the four elemental scrolls now in hand, Alzegund was able to decipher part of them and discovered yet a fifth “Scroll of the Destroyer”. While this fatally delayed his plans for the betrayal of those helping him, he wisely went to the High Priest Jered Kail of the Temple of Talos in Bezantur and learned of the long forgotten Tombs of the Destroyer in Thasselen. As he made final plans to wrap up all his loose ends, Naglatha did something unexpected to even the lich and made a leap of faith by reaching out to the now extremely vulnerable and confused pawns of Alzegund’s schemes.
After explaining her reservations to those involved with the Flaming Brazier scandal, they agree to assist in recovering evidence of what Alzegund was plotting after one of her bodyguards discovered Alzegund was using the Thasselen Central Citadel dungeons as a base for his research. Braving the horrors of the those dungeons while Naglatha lured Alzegund to a meeting, Brianna, Natasha, Luyannah, Malaclypse, Rand, and Shana retrieved Alzegund’s Journal - a damning piece of evidence for the meticulous Red Wizard.
Now knowing Alzegund’s full intend to betray them to the Flaming Brazier and with Naglatha vehemently opposed to his plan to leave Thay once he retrieved the fifth scroll the party prepared for his betrayal as they awaited word from him they knew would now come. Alzegund though, upon returning to discover his precious journal gone went to hiding and began reaching out to others he had no affiliation with to try and ensure the retrieval of the last scroll did not end in betrayal against him.
His inquires brought Colarinee Willows, a fellow Red Wizard, and Dougy Stoutshield, an Alaor legionnaire to his aid in the Thasselen Crypts, while he was forced to call on the guards he intended to betray (Brianna, Natasha, Luyannah, Malaclypse, and Shana) to ensure he had the talent necessary to find the final scroll. As the five he intended to betray entered the Thasselen Crypts with the intent they would destroy him before he could, they observed a setting sun unlike any they had seen before.
The lich knew this because he was there and watching as they witnessed their last sunset.
Through hordes of undead they battled, discovering the hidden entrance to the Tombs of the Destroyer and fighting through its infested halls as well. Finally, they found an ancient tomb radiating evil. The tomb of Victor, elder of the Coven - the most powerful vampire coven in Thay and subservient to the lich. It was at this point that Alzegund intended his betrayal but those with him struck first. However, in a blast of power the lich revealed himself and freezing the combatants in place.
Disguised as a Hooded Emissary, the lich took the scrolls off the raging Alzegund who was helpless to stop him much less prevent the blast of magic that stole his lifeforce and all his plans in an instant. The lich, discarding the crystal ball with the murder of the Flaming Brazier general, took the five scrolls and left the party still frozen in darkness.
Victor, under his command, entered the tomb and gave the still-frozen guards the option to either remain there and die slowly, or come with him and perhaps die quickly but yet serve a purpose. Unsurprisingly, they all decided to take their chances and went with Victor.
The first part of the lich’s plan had gone well for the most part.
Next, while the imprisoned mortals were imprisoned, the lich -through a considerable expenditure of his power- did what Alzegund alone could not and deciphered the ancient scrolls on his own. They led him to a ruin in the Plains of Purple Dust and gave him the ability to overcome the wards surrounding the tome describing the ritual along with the nearby idol needed for its completion. Through his own ingenuity, he even managed to trick his way past the dracolich guardian of the ritual - Xavarathimius the Everlasting Wyrm!
There he found that Talos, the god of destruction himself, was indeed the power that created the ritual millennia ago. The ritual itself required a powerful combination of magic and a large number of souls and the blood of adventurers and powerful mortals gathered by the Idol of the Destroyer. While the lich had the ability and knowledge to perform the ritual, the problem he found was with the Idol. A powerful rune, which nearly destroyed him, surrounded it and could only be disarmed by the combined efforts of at least 4 individuals. In addition - whoever touched the idol could not benefit from the collection of souls within it. And finally, once the idol consumed all the necessary souls, and the necessary magic to trigger it was performed, it would consume any nearby it with the exception of the ritual master.
As the plan in regard to how this could be accomplished formed in his mind, the lich realized this was also the perfect opportunity to destroy his chief rival who had defeated him one time centuries ago. He now had the perfect use for the imprisoned mortals in Victor’s clutches. New to the Coven, unknown to other vampires, and expendable. Yes, it was indeed time for the final part of the lich’s plan to be put into motion.
Left imprisoned for over a tenday, those involved in Alzegund’s treachery sought to simply surive. Colarinee succumbed to starvation and thirst and died in their cell. It was an inglorious end for one that had once been a favored Red Wizardess of Aznar Thrul during the Salamander War of 1357 DR.
But soon afterward, the survivors were offered the chance and then turned to vampires of the Coven, with Brianna and Natasha the masters among them From among the survivors though, Dougy was sacrificed for the others and his blood became their first meal among the new undead.. At that point, their lives ceased to exist and the laws of the Coven guided them.
1. You will not attack, trick, or betray any other known vampire of this coven.
2. You will not reveal your undeath to anyone, or the undeath of others in this coven.
3. You will not disclose the existence and location of this coven to anyone.
4. You will seek and destroy, with single-minded purpose, anyone not of this coven who discovers your undeath - or you will die trying.
5. You will command any vampires you create to follow these 5 laws of our coven.
Now with his pieces on the board, the lich put the into play by approaching his new vampires again with Victor in tow. He returned the scrolls to Malaclypse after placing a magical trigger on the scroll that would transport any who read it in its native tongue to the Ruins he had recently visited. As he expected, despite the new vampires best efforts, they themselves were unable to decipher them. At his urging they were to continue with their original plan to return to Naglatha and present the scrolls to the Researcher Red Wizards of Thay for further study. Once presented, they were to remain engaged with the attempt to decipher the scrolls and infiltrate the Researchers. To aid in their ability to infiltrate the Researchers, the lich snuck Malaclypse through the Red Wizards Trials which allowed him to get his robes without the typical sacrifice and dangers faced by a true Red Wizard. In addition, he provided the outfit required for Natasha to pose as his stoic Thayan Knight.
The vampires disguises now complete, the lich had Victor inform Druxus Rhym, the zulkir of Transmutation, that he had several new leaders available which would begin the task that had long been awaited - the destruction of the Researcher faction of Red Wizards. Rhym had, at one point, considered himself a Researcher. But the pace at which their work progressed and their unwillingness to do truly collaborate together with what their research provided eventually led him to quit that faction. Now, and secretly on behalf of Szass Tam, he was overseeing the planning and implementation of targeted assassinations which would at first rattle them, then cause panic, and ultimately lead to their gathering in one location for protection. Once in a central location they would be easy to eliminate and, hopefully, pick up the pieces of any unfinished work they may have been involved with.
At least, that was the plan.
Victor arranged for his new vampires to meet with Rhym - an honor for them, but nothing next to what was in store for them. Per his instructions, they were to begin assassinating Researcher Red Wizards in the Priador and below the First Escarpment in the most creative ways possible. Before that however, they needed to meet with Naglatha, who arranged for them to meet Sabass of Thay - powerful enough to be a zulkir himself but in essence the de facto leader of the Researchers.
The vampires convinced Sabass to throw his resources behind deciphering the scrolls, all the while performing the required assassinations of his fellows and working to retrieve the necessary components for him to cast a spell of his devising that would allow him to read the scrolls. Managing to focus Sabass’ attention away from the reports of the dead Researchers he was continually receiving, the party gathered his components and he cast the spell to read the scroll. Upon reading the ward command word out loud, the magical trap the lich set on the scrolls was unleashed. It utterly destroyed the scrolls and transported the party, minus Sabass, to the Lost Valley in the Plains of Purple Dust which led to the Ancient Imaskar Ruins the lich had visited only months before to uncover the ritual.
Now not expecting any connection to the Hooded Emissary, the vampire -anxious to find shelter from the coming dawn- moved through the valley and the maze-like ruins to discover the location of the idol which the lich had to leave behind. Obviously Xavarathimius had no intention of letting them leave with the idol. However the lich correctly guessed that his vampires would figure out how to disarm the ruin protecting it so long as they had a chance. So he created a ruse at that point to draw Xavarathimius away from the about-to-be-devoured vampires and they disarmed the ruin while Luyannah grabbed the Idol of the Destroyer.
Once again, the party of vampires impressed as Luyannah realized that the powerful idol, devised to consume the souls of the undead and ling alike, could be used on the dracolich. Once Xavarathimius returned, engaged that the lich had slipped through his grasp yet again, he immediately moved against the vampires, only to immediately fall to the power of the idol he had protected for those many centuries!
With the dracolich’s spirit in the idol, the lich anonymously transported the party back to Thay.
Now their task was simple - Victor and Selene both instructed the vampires to use the idol to continue to gather souls to it. But even this simple plan almost went awry when Druxus informed Szass Tam of certain problems he had with the way the Priador assassinations had been going. Victor was instructed to bring his vampires before the two of them; however Victor made sure to tell his vampires not to discuss anything about the ritual in front of Tam if others were around...
The vampires, once again honored to meet not only Rhym, but Tam as well, worked out a strategy to complete the assassinations of the Researcher red Wizards, and then set up a base of operations in Eltabbar where Sabass and many of the Researchers had fled. There, they themselves would lead the final attack against the Researchers as Tam thought it deliciously ironic that those Rhym had been displeased with would complete what he had begun.
Once in Eltabbar again Victor met with the vampires as they readied for the final confrontation with the Researchers who were barricaded within Sabass of Thay’s massive tower. With Vortar, the party made their way through the sewers of Eltabbar to the secret entrance that Tam’s spies had discovered some time ago, and entered.
The scale and carnage of the destruction was one of epic proportions. The vampires and their mortal compatriot fought from the lowest dungeons of the tower to the top of it, using the Idol whenever possible to destroy those who stood in their way. The Researchers, no matter how powerful, were no match for the power of the relic. Eltabbar shook that day as blasts of magic and light could be seen from the tower for miles around.
Finally, reaching the top floor, they found Sabass of Thay alone and last standing among the Researchers that had been in the tower. The Hooded Emissary, now so close to completing the ritual, managed to join the party and goaded them into using the idol on Sabass -the soul of an Archmage- which completed it. However, just as the idol was used on Sabass, Szass Tam was either drawn to or teleported to the party as well - now facing his arch nemesis!
The power of the completed ritual washed over all at the top of the tower, capturing the souls of everyone but the Hooded Emissary. However, locked in some type of magical binding with Tam, the final souls consumed, as well as the first, had the ability to lend their strength to either Tam or the Hooded Emissary. Brianna chose to side with the Hooded Emissary, and Natasha, Luyannah, Malaclypse, and Shana all chose to side with Szass Tam.
Xavarathimius, the dracolich first imprisoned in the idol, was also given a moment of freedom and led the attack against the Hooded Emissary within the wildspace of the ritual. The Emissary, now struggling to survive the onslaught of the captured souls that were fighting him, used his sheer willpower to complete the ritual with these final words:
TALOS HEAR ME. I have destroyed in your name.
I have completed your ritual, and I call on you to grant me the power I deserve.
I am Velsharoon the Archmage of Necromancy!
I AM A GOD!!!
With the combined power of Brianna and the souls who lent their power to him, as well as all the others that had been captured which could not fight back, the power of the ritual was unleashed – but not before both Tam and Xavarathimius had managed their escape at the expense and destruction of the souls that had stood against Velsharoon - including Natasha, Luyannah, Malaclypse, and Shana. Only Brianna survived the conflagration of souls.
Although furious at the escape against his oldest foe, Velsharoon’s ritual now continued uninterrupted. Perhaps it was the loss of the two most powerful undead souls the ritual had consumed, or perhaps it was simply due to his necromantic nature, but as the power of the The Destroyer’s ritual began to fade, Velsharoon’s transformation ended and he instinctively knew that had had become a lich.
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Velsharoon, the most powerful lich in Thay, opened his eyes as the ritual began to fade and gazed at the two remaining souls not yet consumed. Vortar, he sent back to the mortal realm as proof and a witness to Tam’s failure. Hopefully Tam would not try to destroy him before his knowledge of his failure was known by all.
Now he turned to Brianna.
“You have done well,” he rasped after a moment “Your purpose for being brought to Thay is complete and I have spared you from the fate and destruction of the others. I knew I did well when I instructed you be ‘saved’ from slavers so long ago.
“Your actions have brought a new god to the Realms. Bards will sing of this tale and your part in it for ages to come. Yet, for your reward, I offer you either the option to remain with me as my first and most powerful, or return to your meager lives - either as undead or a mere mortal.”
Velsharoon closed his eyes once more as the Brianna considered her options. Not surprising to him, she made the smart choice and accepted the power that was offered. Brianna would become the first among his many undead followers - the soon to be powerful and feared Seneschal of the Vaunted.
Szass Tam had escaped his vengeance, but it was a small matter he decided. Velsharoon had used Tam’s very plan against him - harnessing he destruction of the Researchers and Sabass of Thay in the Idol of the Destroyer for the completion of his ritual. Plus, Tam had been forced to personally witness -and been unable to prevent- Velsharoon’s ascension to godhood. That alone was enough.
Yes, he decided, he had become infinitely more important and more powerful than one self-centered lesser lich trying to rule a nation of Red Robed tyrants.
The lich smiled malevolently to himself as the story revealed itself and the power continued to course through his body, burning away his mortal shell.
He had long ago learned that the power he sought and the ritual to obtain it was not a myth. From that point forward, he had carefully and cautiously used his leadership position with the Vengeful -a hidden, yet extremely powerful, organization with Thay- to set his plans into motion and ensure those who would help him were brought to Thay.
One betrayal at a time.
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It began with Alzegund the Trader. Or Alzegund the Traitor as his legacy would show.
The lich had deemed it necessary that an outsider to the current Thayan political struggle was needed to ensure his initial plan did not fall into the wrong hands, but yet needed to be someone with enough power to drive it to the next stage. Alzegund the Trader was the Red Wizard’s spymaster in charge of covert operations outside of Thay, and a natural choice then. Not only that, he was one of the primary individuals tasked with finding new individuals to ‘save’ and bring to Thay on behalf of the Vengeful.
His cover as a caravan merchant had provided him ample opportunities to further Thay’s interests outside its borders. It also provided the perfect opportunity for the seed of opportunity to be planted on a bitter wizard nearing the end of his years and perhaps looking for ways to extend them, or finally become his own master. With all the lich’s time outside of Thay, he had studied Alzegund for most of Alzegund’s life and knew how the old man would now react to the bait dangled before him.
He didn’t make it easy though, and Alzegund’s caravan guards had all been killed during the foray into a ruined castle in Sembia to uncover what Alzegund thought were long-lost clues. The lich’s planted clues pointed to a set of four ancient scrolls stored throughout Thay which, when deciphered, would provide directions and guidance to finding a ritual that would give the individual perform it power to command even the Zulkirs if he so choose to stoop to their level - it would give him the power of a god!
Alzegund quickly returned to Thay while the lich then passed word on to the Researchers through Naglatha -Alzegund's protégé- that Alzegund was returning to try and find something of great power. Naglatha, naturally interested in learning exactly what Alzegund was up to offered assistance for his preparations, but his distrust of everyone and everything else -which would eventually be his downfall- prevented him from truly explaining the reasons behind his return home and left him alone and exposed - a fatal combination.
Alzegund however, pressed forward and returned home to Thay. He immediately spoke with his Zulkir, Aznar Thrul, and was granted use of Thrul’s research labs in the dungeons of the Thasselen Central Citadel with the promise that he and his research would not be disturbed so long as Thrul was provided all details in regard to what Alzegund’s research produced. Thrul, in a mistake he was not likely to ever repeat again, took little interest in what his lesser Red Wizard of Evocation was truly researching. If he had, the lich’s carefully laid plans would have taken a severe turn for the worse. Regardless, Alzegund was more than happy to feed him lies and reports of slow progress on the discovery of a new spell.
Upon securing his Zulkir’s support for his vague research, Alzegund began replenishing his caravan guard. As one of the recruiting agents for the Vengeful, Alzegund was one of the primary individuals tasked with identifying strong potential candidates for the Vengeful’s activities. As such, he made sure that a number of new acceptable caravan guards he wished to server him were ‘saved’ from slavers and brought to Thay. Among those he first recruited his first weeks in Thay were Brianna Fraser, Natasha Blackheart, Shana Meyne, Raeyenne Zhi'Nen, Khamsin Nuroch, Natasha Addams, Wersha Slaavos, Ibrahim Jurad, and Shenzi the Gnoll.
At first their tasks were simple enough and they functioned truly as guards. They accompanied him on his caravans within Thay as he verified certain aspects of the Sembian clues with the religions that could do so. He spoke to priests at the Temple of Hoar in the Keep of Sorrows and at the Temple of Nephtys in Murbant.
Around this time Naglatha’s curiosity go the better of her and she approached several members of Alzegund’s guards - Shana, Khamsin, Brianna, and Raeyenne. She explained that both she and Alzegund identified more with the Researcher faction of the Red Wizards - those not interested in conquest, rather than the other main faction of Red Wizards known as the Imperialists - those who wished to increased Thay’s power by conquest. However, Naglatha expressed her concern that Alzegund needed to keep his research in Thay, and that his current activities were causing her to suspect his intentions for whatever it was he was searching for.
It was shortly after this meeting that Alzegund pieced together enough form the initial clues to determine that there were four elemental scrolls which, when used in tandem, would provide a location and method to bypass wards to the ritual he sought.
After the weak or more disappointing of Alzegund’s guards simply up and disappeared or were killed, Alzegund instructed several to retrieve the first scroll he was looking for - the Scroll of Earth. Joined by a newcomer called Luhyannah Ash, Raeyenne, Khamsin, Brianna, Shana, and Natasha were sent to the Alaor Inland Caves. They spent considerable time searching the caves, with Brianna somehow finding the powerful Robes of Sivesh which, in turn, drew her to the hidden location of the Ancient Earth Scroll.
After defeating the Earth Guardian for the scroll and returning it, this confirmed to Alzegund that his efforts were on track. Unfortunately, as with all the scrolls, it was written in an ancient form of Draconic and the directions spread across the scrolls in a way that all were needed to truly read whatever directions and information was actually given on it.
Undeterred by his inability to read the scroll, Alzegund included some very powerful members in his plan that he had already helped bring to Thay long ago and who had established themselves with three very powerful Thayan factions. He recruited Ira Blake; a senior member of the Bezantur Thieves Guild, Cain Darkfist; an officer of the Priador Legion, and Maurin Greyhand; a fellow Red Wizard of Evocation to assist in recovering the Scroll of Fire which he had determined lay in the Abandoned Mines north of Bezantur. The three battled past a number of powerful denizens of the mines, until choosing an inopportune moment to rest in which they were ambushed by several Monks of the Long Death. Fleeing for their lives, Maurin and Cain barely escaped, while Ira remained hidden and continued the search alone. Eventually she found the entrance to a hidden room and returned at a later time with Maurin and Cain.
Upon entering the room they were set up by several Fire elementals and a Fire Guardian of Kossuth. After some difficulty they dispatched all and discovered that the Scroll of Fire had been recovered by the Flaming Brazier faithful many, many years ago.
Alzegund, empty-handed, now had to begin making very delicate plans to infiltrate the Flaming Brazier temple to recover all the necessary elemental scrolls.
However, further study of the Sembian clues led him to the House of Holy Tides on the southern Alaor Isle. On the Isle they encounter Sokaira Helms who they allow to temporarily join Alzegund’s current guard contingent of Brianna, Khamsin, Raeyenne, Shenzi, Natasha, and Shana. Within the house of Holy Tides, the high priest provided water breathing abilities and transported the party to the Flooded Caverns of the northern Alaor Isles at Alzegund’s command. During their explorations of the caverns, Natasha discovered a sentient bastard sword which called itself Enserric. Grateful of being freed from its underwater prison, it led her and the rest of the party to the ancient Water Scrolls location and helped defeat its guardians.
With the return of the Water Scroll, Alzegund also learned that Naglatha was making quiet inquires into what he was researching. Deciding to try and kill two birds with one stone, and begin his treachery in earnest, he enlisted the aid of Khamsin - one of his guards and one who had just failed the Red Wizard Apprentice Trials. Desperate for a second chance at them Alzegund placed his trust in Khamsin in exchange for Khamsin doing his bidding without questions for a chance to redeem himself.
Alzegund disguised himself as a Red Wizard Apprentice working for a nameless Red Wizardess (presumably Naglatha) and had Khamsin bring several of his guards and prospects such as Shana, Raeyenne, Brianna, Sokaira, Shenzi, and newcomers to his plot; Cela Aseph and Rand Gallin. In a roundabout manner they were instructed to begin learning about the Flaming Brazier temple from the disguised Alzegund. This information he would use at a later time with a trusted group of his own spies to infiltrate the temple and try to retrieve the Scroll of Fire.
After receiving this directive, several of the more resourceful recruited spoke with Talon Kelteel, an up-and-coming member of the Bezantur Thieves Guild. In a binding pack with the Shadowlord, which was never called upon, he agreed to retrieve what information he could for them. Talon performed adequately, finding what information he could before his untimely death. The same could be said for Khamsin before his master’s disgust with him ultimately led to his disappearance and presumed death.
Progress slowed at this point, with the disguised Red Wizards Apprentice’s hired mercenaries indiscreetly gathering information about the temple - much of which was common knowledge and not likely to assist with a break-in on the scale Alzegund needed. Alzegund turned to his more powerful allies of Ira and Maurin and it was determined a daring new approach should be taken - the capture and interrogation of a ranking priest of the temple.
While plans were being made and information gathered simply for the capture of the Flaming Brazier priest, Alzegund’s research of the planted clues next turned him to the abandoned and demon-infested tower of Tazal Thaingard on the southern Alaor Isle. Alzegund gathered what mercenaries he could and placed them under the command of Natasha, one of his more reliable guards. She led Rand, Luhyannah, and newcomers Malaclypse, Eliavres, and a strange half-orc called Vortar “The Mad” through the catacombs of the tower and up to the highest room where they discovered a Tanar’ri who first toyed with them -nearly resulting in their destruction-, and then struck a pact with them to destroy the wards around the Scroll of Air in return for being freed from his imprisonment there. The party obliged with, surprisingly, Vortar the half-orc being the only individual able to use the scrolls necessary to free it.
With all but the elusive Scroll of Fire returned, Alzegund made his final preparations for the infiltration of the Flaming Brazier temple and the betrayal of those who would perform it on his behalf. To this end, once again disguised as a Red Wizard Apprentice of a mysterious Red Wizardess, he met with Brianna, Natasha, Luhyannah, Malaclypse, and Rand offering them a princely sum of 10000 talons each to perform the deed. He had found that the General of the Knights of the Drake (the commander of the Fire Drake guards of the Flaming Brazier) had a penchant for a certain prostitute in the Red Embrace brothel. So the assembled party disguised themselves, headed to the brothel and with considerable difficulty managed to fight past the General’s guards, capture and escape with him to the Bezantur Sewers.
Within the sewers the torture of the General was brutal and painful. Alzegund, in his act of true betrayal, captured the actual death of the mutilated General frozen in a crystal ball he used to observe the ‘information extraction’. His intent was to present the crystal ball to the Flaming Brazier temple once his usefulness for those involved ended.
Acting quickly at this point, before the disappearance of the General could be attributed to murder or a hostile, the disguised Red Wizard Apprentice met with Brianna, Natasha, Luhyannah, and Malaclypse once more providing them half of the promised 10000 talons each and then with instructions to infiltrate the temple immediately. Not wanting them to search the vault and discover the last scroll (and perhaps the proof that they were really still working for Alzegund and not a mysterious Red Wizardess), the ‘apprentice’ instructed them to simply set a Recall Stone within the temple’s vault.
Perhaps intentionally, or perhaps not, Brianna and Malaclypse remain safe and out of the actual infiltration as soon as the ‘plan’ (if it could be called that) was put into motion. Natasha and Luhyannah snuck in after a minor disturbance caused by Vortar was arranged. Unfortunately, the ever vigilant Fire Drakes inside noticed that only Natasha had the Flaming Brazier cloak and immediately attacked Luhyannah. After a tough fight in which they dispatched the guards, Luhyannah grabbed a cloak from a dead Fire Drake and they quickly moved further into the temple complex with time against them as it took only minutes for the dead guards to be found.
As luck would have it, they reached the locked Eternal Flame of Kossuth Mythalanir chamber moments before the alarm was raised throughout the temple. Unsuspecting of the intruders standing right before him with the Flaming Brazier cloaks on them as he rushed out, he quickly ordered them to guard his chamber door just as Luhyannah lost her nerve and ran. Mythalanir gave chase after her as she escaped with the use of a Recall Stone. Natasha however, momentarily forgotten, somehow managed to find the Flaming Brazier’s hidden vault and set a Recall Stone to that location despite the powerful guardian there that almost killed her.
With the Flaming Brazier now up in arms, the four conspirators all quickly escaped Bezantur to Thasselen and awaited the arrival of the Red Wizard Apprentice and his mistress there. The Flaming Brazier used the break-in as the cover it needed to avoid any potential embarrassment with its leader of the Fire Drakes being captured and presumably killed while visiting an elf in a brothel. The 10000 talon reward offered was never to be claimed however.
With the main conspirators of the Flaming Brazier debacle in Thasselen, Alzegund took the opportunity to steal the Recall Stone from the less-than-vigilant Natasha while she slept and managed to slip into the temple’s vault and retrieve the Scroll of Fire.
The lich grimaced as he watched Alzegund almost perish in the attempt as well, but then smiled as realization came to him that Alzegund was the only individual to ever successfully raid the Flaming Brazier’s vaunted treasure vault.
With the four elemental scrolls now in hand, Alzegund was able to decipher part of them and discovered yet a fifth “Scroll of the Destroyer”. While this fatally delayed his plans for the betrayal of those helping him, he wisely went to the High Priest Jered Kail of the Temple of Talos in Bezantur and learned of the long forgotten Tombs of the Destroyer in Thasselen. As he made final plans to wrap up all his loose ends, Naglatha did something unexpected to even the lich and made a leap of faith by reaching out to the now extremely vulnerable and confused pawns of Alzegund’s schemes.
After explaining her reservations to those involved with the Flaming Brazier scandal, they agree to assist in recovering evidence of what Alzegund was plotting after one of her bodyguards discovered Alzegund was using the Thasselen Central Citadel dungeons as a base for his research. Braving the horrors of the those dungeons while Naglatha lured Alzegund to a meeting, Brianna, Natasha, Luyannah, Malaclypse, Rand, and Shana retrieved Alzegund’s Journal - a damning piece of evidence for the meticulous Red Wizard.
Now knowing Alzegund’s full intend to betray them to the Flaming Brazier and with Naglatha vehemently opposed to his plan to leave Thay once he retrieved the fifth scroll the party prepared for his betrayal as they awaited word from him they knew would now come. Alzegund though, upon returning to discover his precious journal gone went to hiding and began reaching out to others he had no affiliation with to try and ensure the retrieval of the last scroll did not end in betrayal against him.
His inquires brought Colarinee Willows, a fellow Red Wizard, and Dougy Stoutshield, an Alaor legionnaire to his aid in the Thasselen Crypts, while he was forced to call on the guards he intended to betray (Brianna, Natasha, Luyannah, Malaclypse, and Shana) to ensure he had the talent necessary to find the final scroll. As the five he intended to betray entered the Thasselen Crypts with the intent they would destroy him before he could, they observed a setting sun unlike any they had seen before.
The lich knew this because he was there and watching as they witnessed their last sunset.
Through hordes of undead they battled, discovering the hidden entrance to the Tombs of the Destroyer and fighting through its infested halls as well. Finally, they found an ancient tomb radiating evil. The tomb of Victor, elder of the Coven - the most powerful vampire coven in Thay and subservient to the lich. It was at this point that Alzegund intended his betrayal but those with him struck first. However, in a blast of power the lich revealed himself and freezing the combatants in place.
Disguised as a Hooded Emissary, the lich took the scrolls off the raging Alzegund who was helpless to stop him much less prevent the blast of magic that stole his lifeforce and all his plans in an instant. The lich, discarding the crystal ball with the murder of the Flaming Brazier general, took the five scrolls and left the party still frozen in darkness.
Victor, under his command, entered the tomb and gave the still-frozen guards the option to either remain there and die slowly, or come with him and perhaps die quickly but yet serve a purpose. Unsurprisingly, they all decided to take their chances and went with Victor.
The first part of the lich’s plan had gone well for the most part.
Next, while the imprisoned mortals were imprisoned, the lich -through a considerable expenditure of his power- did what Alzegund alone could not and deciphered the ancient scrolls on his own. They led him to a ruin in the Plains of Purple Dust and gave him the ability to overcome the wards surrounding the tome describing the ritual along with the nearby idol needed for its completion. Through his own ingenuity, he even managed to trick his way past the dracolich guardian of the ritual - Xavarathimius the Everlasting Wyrm!
There he found that Talos, the god of destruction himself, was indeed the power that created the ritual millennia ago. The ritual itself required a powerful combination of magic and a large number of souls and the blood of adventurers and powerful mortals gathered by the Idol of the Destroyer. While the lich had the ability and knowledge to perform the ritual, the problem he found was with the Idol. A powerful rune, which nearly destroyed him, surrounded it and could only be disarmed by the combined efforts of at least 4 individuals. In addition - whoever touched the idol could not benefit from the collection of souls within it. And finally, once the idol consumed all the necessary souls, and the necessary magic to trigger it was performed, it would consume any nearby it with the exception of the ritual master.
As the plan in regard to how this could be accomplished formed in his mind, the lich realized this was also the perfect opportunity to destroy his chief rival who had defeated him one time centuries ago. He now had the perfect use for the imprisoned mortals in Victor’s clutches. New to the Coven, unknown to other vampires, and expendable. Yes, it was indeed time for the final part of the lich’s plan to be put into motion.
Left imprisoned for over a tenday, those involved in Alzegund’s treachery sought to simply surive. Colarinee succumbed to starvation and thirst and died in their cell. It was an inglorious end for one that had once been a favored Red Wizardess of Aznar Thrul during the Salamander War of 1357 DR.
But soon afterward, the survivors were offered the chance and then turned to vampires of the Coven, with Brianna and Natasha the masters among them From among the survivors though, Dougy was sacrificed for the others and his blood became their first meal among the new undead.. At that point, their lives ceased to exist and the laws of the Coven guided them.
1. You will not attack, trick, or betray any other known vampire of this coven.
2. You will not reveal your undeath to anyone, or the undeath of others in this coven.
3. You will not disclose the existence and location of this coven to anyone.
4. You will seek and destroy, with single-minded purpose, anyone not of this coven who discovers your undeath - or you will die trying.
5. You will command any vampires you create to follow these 5 laws of our coven.
Now with his pieces on the board, the lich put the into play by approaching his new vampires again with Victor in tow. He returned the scrolls to Malaclypse after placing a magical trigger on the scroll that would transport any who read it in its native tongue to the Ruins he had recently visited. As he expected, despite the new vampires best efforts, they themselves were unable to decipher them. At his urging they were to continue with their original plan to return to Naglatha and present the scrolls to the Researcher Red Wizards of Thay for further study. Once presented, they were to remain engaged with the attempt to decipher the scrolls and infiltrate the Researchers. To aid in their ability to infiltrate the Researchers, the lich snuck Malaclypse through the Red Wizards Trials which allowed him to get his robes without the typical sacrifice and dangers faced by a true Red Wizard. In addition, he provided the outfit required for Natasha to pose as his stoic Thayan Knight.
The vampires disguises now complete, the lich had Victor inform Druxus Rhym, the zulkir of Transmutation, that he had several new leaders available which would begin the task that had long been awaited - the destruction of the Researcher faction of Red Wizards. Rhym had, at one point, considered himself a Researcher. But the pace at which their work progressed and their unwillingness to do truly collaborate together with what their research provided eventually led him to quit that faction. Now, and secretly on behalf of Szass Tam, he was overseeing the planning and implementation of targeted assassinations which would at first rattle them, then cause panic, and ultimately lead to their gathering in one location for protection. Once in a central location they would be easy to eliminate and, hopefully, pick up the pieces of any unfinished work they may have been involved with.
At least, that was the plan.
Victor arranged for his new vampires to meet with Rhym - an honor for them, but nothing next to what was in store for them. Per his instructions, they were to begin assassinating Researcher Red Wizards in the Priador and below the First Escarpment in the most creative ways possible. Before that however, they needed to meet with Naglatha, who arranged for them to meet Sabass of Thay - powerful enough to be a zulkir himself but in essence the de facto leader of the Researchers.
The vampires convinced Sabass to throw his resources behind deciphering the scrolls, all the while performing the required assassinations of his fellows and working to retrieve the necessary components for him to cast a spell of his devising that would allow him to read the scrolls. Managing to focus Sabass’ attention away from the reports of the dead Researchers he was continually receiving, the party gathered his components and he cast the spell to read the scroll. Upon reading the ward command word out loud, the magical trap the lich set on the scrolls was unleashed. It utterly destroyed the scrolls and transported the party, minus Sabass, to the Lost Valley in the Plains of Purple Dust which led to the Ancient Imaskar Ruins the lich had visited only months before to uncover the ritual.
Now not expecting any connection to the Hooded Emissary, the vampire -anxious to find shelter from the coming dawn- moved through the valley and the maze-like ruins to discover the location of the idol which the lich had to leave behind. Obviously Xavarathimius had no intention of letting them leave with the idol. However the lich correctly guessed that his vampires would figure out how to disarm the ruin protecting it so long as they had a chance. So he created a ruse at that point to draw Xavarathimius away from the about-to-be-devoured vampires and they disarmed the ruin while Luyannah grabbed the Idol of the Destroyer.
Once again, the party of vampires impressed as Luyannah realized that the powerful idol, devised to consume the souls of the undead and ling alike, could be used on the dracolich. Once Xavarathimius returned, engaged that the lich had slipped through his grasp yet again, he immediately moved against the vampires, only to immediately fall to the power of the idol he had protected for those many centuries!
With the dracolich’s spirit in the idol, the lich anonymously transported the party back to Thay.
Now their task was simple - Victor and Selene both instructed the vampires to use the idol to continue to gather souls to it. But even this simple plan almost went awry when Druxus informed Szass Tam of certain problems he had with the way the Priador assassinations had been going. Victor was instructed to bring his vampires before the two of them; however Victor made sure to tell his vampires not to discuss anything about the ritual in front of Tam if others were around...
The vampires, once again honored to meet not only Rhym, but Tam as well, worked out a strategy to complete the assassinations of the Researcher red Wizards, and then set up a base of operations in Eltabbar where Sabass and many of the Researchers had fled. There, they themselves would lead the final attack against the Researchers as Tam thought it deliciously ironic that those Rhym had been displeased with would complete what he had begun.
Once in Eltabbar again Victor met with the vampires as they readied for the final confrontation with the Researchers who were barricaded within Sabass of Thay’s massive tower. With Vortar, the party made their way through the sewers of Eltabbar to the secret entrance that Tam’s spies had discovered some time ago, and entered.
The scale and carnage of the destruction was one of epic proportions. The vampires and their mortal compatriot fought from the lowest dungeons of the tower to the top of it, using the Idol whenever possible to destroy those who stood in their way. The Researchers, no matter how powerful, were no match for the power of the relic. Eltabbar shook that day as blasts of magic and light could be seen from the tower for miles around.
Finally, reaching the top floor, they found Sabass of Thay alone and last standing among the Researchers that had been in the tower. The Hooded Emissary, now so close to completing the ritual, managed to join the party and goaded them into using the idol on Sabass -the soul of an Archmage- which completed it. However, just as the idol was used on Sabass, Szass Tam was either drawn to or teleported to the party as well - now facing his arch nemesis!
The power of the completed ritual washed over all at the top of the tower, capturing the souls of everyone but the Hooded Emissary. However, locked in some type of magical binding with Tam, the final souls consumed, as well as the first, had the ability to lend their strength to either Tam or the Hooded Emissary. Brianna chose to side with the Hooded Emissary, and Natasha, Luyannah, Malaclypse, and Shana all chose to side with Szass Tam.
Xavarathimius, the dracolich first imprisoned in the idol, was also given a moment of freedom and led the attack against the Hooded Emissary within the wildspace of the ritual. The Emissary, now struggling to survive the onslaught of the captured souls that were fighting him, used his sheer willpower to complete the ritual with these final words:
TALOS HEAR ME. I have destroyed in your name.
I have completed your ritual, and I call on you to grant me the power I deserve.
I am Velsharoon the Archmage of Necromancy!
I AM A GOD!!!
With the combined power of Brianna and the souls who lent their power to him, as well as all the others that had been captured which could not fight back, the power of the ritual was unleashed – but not before both Tam and Xavarathimius had managed their escape at the expense and destruction of the souls that had stood against Velsharoon - including Natasha, Luyannah, Malaclypse, and Shana. Only Brianna survived the conflagration of souls.
Although furious at the escape against his oldest foe, Velsharoon’s ritual now continued uninterrupted. Perhaps it was the loss of the two most powerful undead souls the ritual had consumed, or perhaps it was simply due to his necromantic nature, but as the power of the The Destroyer’s ritual began to fade, Velsharoon’s transformation ended and he instinctively knew that had had become a lich.
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Velsharoon, the most powerful lich in Thay, opened his eyes as the ritual began to fade and gazed at the two remaining souls not yet consumed. Vortar, he sent back to the mortal realm as proof and a witness to Tam’s failure. Hopefully Tam would not try to destroy him before his knowledge of his failure was known by all.
Now he turned to Brianna.
“You have done well,” he rasped after a moment “Your purpose for being brought to Thay is complete and I have spared you from the fate and destruction of the others. I knew I did well when I instructed you be ‘saved’ from slavers so long ago.
“Your actions have brought a new god to the Realms. Bards will sing of this tale and your part in it for ages to come. Yet, for your reward, I offer you either the option to remain with me as my first and most powerful, or return to your meager lives - either as undead or a mere mortal.”
Velsharoon closed his eyes once more as the Brianna considered her options. Not surprising to him, she made the smart choice and accepted the power that was offered. Brianna would become the first among his many undead followers - the soon to be powerful and feared Seneschal of the Vaunted.
Szass Tam had escaped his vengeance, but it was a small matter he decided. Velsharoon had used Tam’s very plan against him - harnessing he destruction of the Researchers and Sabass of Thay in the Idol of the Destroyer for the completion of his ritual. Plus, Tam had been forced to personally witness -and been unable to prevent- Velsharoon’s ascension to godhood. That alone was enough.
Yes, he decided, he had become infinitely more important and more powerful than one self-centered lesser lich trying to rule a nation of Red Robed tyrants.