Information on Tenebrous
The creation of the Tenebrous desert is a much-contended topic among historians and arcane practitioners.
It is agreed that the creation came about approximately 5500 years ago and caused the fall of the Fomorian Empire. The creation is believed to have been engineered by the Fomorians and is connected to an ancient organization called the Cult of the Last Vestige. This is where the agreed upon information ends.
Scholars from Amon have hypothesized that as they did with the Archdevil Ogun, Fomorian summoners may have lost control of a powerful entity they brought forth from another plane. The energy released from this creature breaking its bonds could have created a cascading effect throughout the Fomorian Empire. The Cult of the Last Vestige is thought to have been a cult worshiping various outsiders that sought the release of this powerful being. This theory is supported by evidence that in recent years a cult with the same name has surfaced in Amon. This cult worships demons connected to undeath, such as Orcus, and works towards the release of all fiends bound in Amon.
Shadowcasters from Azul have put forth another theory. They have found evidence that the Fomorians found a magical object in the Umber Reach and brought it back to their empire. They sought to understand and control this object, which they thought was a source of great power. It is believed that it was the Akhetan Truecrafters that caused the creation of Tenebrous. By tampering with this artifact, they unleashed its power uncontrolled, and it seared the Empire from existence. The Cult of the Last Vestige is believed to have been a faction within the Truecrafters and the Last Vestige is thought to be the name of the artifact.
The origin of the name, Tenebrous, is also undecided. Some believe that it is the name of the fiend that supposedly broke free.
Finally, some speak of a mysterious group of people that live near the edge of the Tenebrous desert and venture inside on a regular basis. Rumors say they worship the desert and prophesize it will one day cover the entire world. They call themselves Apostates of Tenebrous. They supposedly hold more knowledge on the origin of the area, but are reluctant to share with outsiders.
The cult worships a being known as the Last Vestige, which they believe is the last divine spark of a long dead (fiendish) god. Unlike the other silent gods, the cult believes that the Last Vestige can be re-awakened as a living god on this plane, thus bypassing the curse against the gods above. They seek ways to do this. They study ways of returning the dead to life or unlife, to give corporeal form to incorporeal beings. The cult in Akek was working on a ritual to create a dracolich. The cult believes the Last Vestige is located somewhere within Tenebrous. The cult has many enemies, one of which is the demon lord Orcus, the Blighted Lord of Undeath. He opposes the Last Vestige as he believes Tenebrous seeks to usurp his throne.
The black sand present in parts of the desert in particular is deadly to life, as it siphons off life-force and disperses it. She isn’t sure what happens to this energy. Either it is dispersed and stored by the desert itself, or it is transported somewhere, maybe the plane of negative energy or maybe the rumored city at the center of the Tenebrous. As the desert is perpetually dark, discerning the black sand from regular sand is difficult. The magical nature of the darkness also inhibits darkvision and all light sources (magical or otherwise) to an area of 20ft (10ft. bright and 10ft. low light). Secca knows that a lesser known cult of necromancers in Ash has succeeded in creating magical goggles that can pierce this darkness. (Game effects: any living creatures on black sand take 1d6 points of damage per round. At 0 hit points or lower, they crumble into ash.) Some areas of the Tenebrous are interwoven with walls of shadow, forming a dark labyrinth. Crossing these walls of shadow drains even more life-force. (Game effect: DC 25 Fortitude save or gain a negative level) Secca knows that certain forms of magic are more effective in Tenebrous and some magic protects against the effects of the black sand. (Game effects: Negative energy spells are always maximized, Class abilities that use negative energy, such as rebuking and controlling undead, gain a +10 bonus on the roll to determine Hit Dice affected. Positive energy spells are impeded. Characters on this plane take a -10 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to remove negative levels bestowed by an energy drain attack. Death ward protects against all the negative effects of the Tenebrous, Protection from Evil protects against the 1d6 damage/round). One of the nomadic tribes that circles the Tenebrous and sometimes crosses into it seems to have found a way to protect themselves from the effects of the desert. They create crystal talismans that offer protection against all the negative effects for a limited time. These talismans cannot be bought outside of the tribe and the secret of their creation is closely guarded. Secca has read descriptions of these talismans (blood-red crystals set into cold-iron neclaces) and suspects they are created from pieces gathered in the Bloodshard Fields. Her research has also revealed that dying in the Tenebrous almost always results in the creation of undead, most commonly wraiths. As for threats she is aware of, Secca has found reports of those few who have returned and knows of the following creatures: - Wraiths (spirits of the deceased) - Ashen Husks (dried out undead bodies of those that died on normal sand) - Forlorn husks (water vampires) - Death scarabs (undead beetles that live near the black sand) - Crawling apocalypse (Kraken like creature once created by the Fomorians as a weapon, now undead)
Known sholars on Tenebrous:
Ut Svalgar (half-gaint male): resides in Ash. Specializes in the historical facts surrounding the creation of Tenebrous. Expert on the Fomorians and their potential role in its creation. Secca Throm (Human female): lives in Azul. Specializes in the magical effects of Tenebrous and its connection to the plane of negative energy. Danos Kassass (Centaur Male): Can be found living in a private compound near Ha-weh. Specializes in the effects of Tenebrous on mortal physiology. Elle Sezzek (Female Lich): resides in Sa-Owu. Specializes in the potential growth of Tenebrous.Cult of the last Vestige
(from the notes found in the draconic library) Founded at an unknown point in history, the cult existed in the Fomorian Empire as well as in Akek about a century ago, and Amon recently.The cult worships a being known as the Last Vestige, which they believe is the last divine spark of a long dead (fiendish) god. Unlike the other silent gods, the cult believes that the Last Vestige can be re-awakened as a living god on this plane, thus bypassing the curse against the gods above. They seek ways to do this. They study ways of returning the dead to life or unlife, to give corporeal form to incorporeal beings. The cult in Akek was working on a ritual to create a dracolich. The cult believes the Last Vestige is located somewhere within Tenebrous. The cult has many enemies, one of which is the demon lord Orcus, the Blighted Lord of Undeath. He opposes the Last Vestige as he believes Tenebrous seeks to usurp his throne.
Secca Knowledge
Secca has discovered that the Tenebrous contains an active link to the plane of negative energy. The area seems somehow attuned to that plane and may even be shifted into it to some degree. Travel to and from the negative energy plane should be easy in Tenebrous and invisible portals may exist, making accidental travel into the plane possible. Secca knows that detect magic, see invisibility and other similar detection spells could be used to detect these portals. The few guides that hire themselves out to venture into the Tenebrous, usually also have a device that can detect these rifts.The black sand present in parts of the desert in particular is deadly to life, as it siphons off life-force and disperses it. She isn’t sure what happens to this energy. Either it is dispersed and stored by the desert itself, or it is transported somewhere, maybe the plane of negative energy or maybe the rumored city at the center of the Tenebrous. As the desert is perpetually dark, discerning the black sand from regular sand is difficult. The magical nature of the darkness also inhibits darkvision and all light sources (magical or otherwise) to an area of 20ft (10ft. bright and 10ft. low light). Secca knows that a lesser known cult of necromancers in Ash has succeeded in creating magical goggles that can pierce this darkness. (Game effects: any living creatures on black sand take 1d6 points of damage per round. At 0 hit points or lower, they crumble into ash.) Some areas of the Tenebrous are interwoven with walls of shadow, forming a dark labyrinth. Crossing these walls of shadow drains even more life-force. (Game effect: DC 25 Fortitude save or gain a negative level) Secca knows that certain forms of magic are more effective in Tenebrous and some magic protects against the effects of the black sand. (Game effects: Negative energy spells are always maximized, Class abilities that use negative energy, such as rebuking and controlling undead, gain a +10 bonus on the roll to determine Hit Dice affected. Positive energy spells are impeded. Characters on this plane take a -10 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to remove negative levels bestowed by an energy drain attack. Death ward protects against all the negative effects of the Tenebrous, Protection from Evil protects against the 1d6 damage/round). One of the nomadic tribes that circles the Tenebrous and sometimes crosses into it seems to have found a way to protect themselves from the effects of the desert. They create crystal talismans that offer protection against all the negative effects for a limited time. These talismans cannot be bought outside of the tribe and the secret of their creation is closely guarded. Secca has read descriptions of these talismans (blood-red crystals set into cold-iron neclaces) and suspects they are created from pieces gathered in the Bloodshard Fields. Her research has also revealed that dying in the Tenebrous almost always results in the creation of undead, most commonly wraiths. As for threats she is aware of, Secca has found reports of those few who have returned and knows of the following creatures: - Wraiths (spirits of the deceased) - Ashen Husks (dried out undead bodies of those that died on normal sand) - Forlorn husks (water vampires) - Death scarabs (undead beetles that live near the black sand) - Crawling apocalypse (Kraken like creature once created by the Fomorians as a weapon, now undead)
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