Kiona's Journal

Abigale was a half elf half fire Genasi and as such had incredible magical powers and was unusually beautiful and smart. Abigale met Niptu at Candlekeep around 1330 DR and they fell in love. The two of them developed spells that were never heard of before. She had an engineering mind that surpassed the best artificers in all of Toril and Niptu was quickly becoming the greatest wizard ever.

Niptu and Abigale were working on a new device that could channel necrotic magic when the Spellplague hit. The device went off as blue flames of the Spellplague shot over their lab. Their device affected both Niptu and Abigale. Niptu was badly scarred but it was Abigale's body that was hit with most of the powerful necrotic spell that would prove fatal. Niptu knew how to reverse the process of course and immediately tried, not knowing the Weave had been destroyed. Seeing his love dying before him and unable to heal her, he worked with her to transfer her brain into a clockwork contraption that she had invented.

It was not his area of expertise and even though he could communicate with her, there were certain portions of her mind that she could no longer access. She still had an amazing intellect for inventions and mechanical devices, but she no longer knew who he was or anything about their relationship or for that matter any of her history. She had no longer had all her emotions or memory, only intellect.

They had yet to marry and Niptu was driven mad by the experience. Everything in his life had come to an end. His love, his passion, his greatness with magic, wiped out in an instant along with his physical good looks. Niptu resolved to find a way to restore magic to the world, but it wasn't for the purposes that he made everyone think. It was to restore the body of his love.

Eventually Niptu did succeed in the utilization of magic during the Spellplague. Although few really understood that the process required the blood of Fey creatures. He couldn't restore the one thing he desired most, and it drove him further to madness and darkness. Abigale's mother knew what happened and she never blamed Niptu, but seeing what Niptu had become she feared what he would do with Abigale's mind, so she took it. Abigale was never seen again.

As for the necrotic device, Abigale’s mother learned that Niptu had "improved the device" but as she had written in her journal, "The device was evil and did unnatural things." She hired a band of thieves to steal the device and hide it in a cavern where it could never be found. For years it was thought to be in the nameless dungeon under Hellgate keep but I believe it's in the Endless Caverns protected by thousands of undead dwarves.
 
We’ve made an arrangement with Grimnosh for safe passage.
….
The protections are in place. Clearly the caverns have been explored and raided and it’s clear that those who die here will become subject to the curse that affected the dwarves. Our Paladin Earl has full confidence that he can keep the undead at bay.
…
The undead are mixed. Some seem to have no idea they are dead and leave us be. Others attack on sight… The place clearly has passageways to the underdark as we have encountered many foul creatures.
…
The Orb was easier to find than we expected, it glows green with necrotic energy and is very enticing to gaze at. It captured the attention of our thief Pip and he suffered a scar that Earl cannot heal. I must treat it with great caution.
…
The dead do not enter the room where the Orb sits. The wards have nothing to do with the orb itself. This has allowed us to rest and evaluate our situation, but Pip’s scar cannot be healed. The orb can be destroyed easily enough with simple brute force but I feel there is much more to be learned. I think it has some sort of sentience within it.
…
It is sentient. I can talk with it, and it can teach me. It calls me...
…
It has taught me much.... The secrets to undeath... my companions are jealous...
…
My companions are no longer any worry. Now I can learn all the secrets the orb has to offer.