recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Sand Sifter

Sand Sifters are aquatic vines that grow across patches of sand and rock in tropical regions.

## Description

A roaming vine, Sand Sifters do much as the name suggests, weaving across beds of sand and proliferating roots around mineral deposits and other sources of nutrition, such as the remains of other animals. Occasionally, they form nodules in their roots around substances they are unable to digest, and thus when exhumed from the sand may be found to have bushels of coins, gemstones or other misplaced treasures woven through their roots.

Every few years, reports of wedding bands, precious trinkets and other personal belongings being found within Sand Sifters and returned to their owners circulate through the commonfolk, to much excitement. Subsequently, a few individuals have grown into the habit of cultivating Sand Sifter vines and casting them into areas of shipwrecks and the like, hoping that they will filter through the wreckage to find the treasure within - not acknowledging that the process typically takes years, if not decades to yield results.
Player Characters - First Campaign

Ahlus is a continent of the unknown, ripe for discoveries mundane and fantastical. Heralds and town criers alike have caught the imagination and attention of a wide variety of individuals and through it they find employment from the wizard Nelenet who has charged them to journey forth to explore.

These are the adventurers that have set forth into this unknown world.
Plucked Pheasant

Plucked Pheasant is a dish popularised by the feasts of the Velenthir Estate.

## Description

Consisting of an entire pheasant stuffed with herbs such as rosemary, thyme alongside other additions like zested citrus and pistachio nuts, Plucked Pheasant is usually featured as a centrepiece in the grand celebratory feasts held most famously in the lands of the Oathsworn of Fall, and in an effort to further impress, is usually served on a bed of its feathers.

Variations on the dish using a wide range of other game birds - such as the ptarmigan that roost around Blinkwind Haven or the partridges that roost amongst the rocky shores of Stalrose Gorge near Lotusbloom Bastion - exist and are readily enjoyed both throughout the territories of the Aethelwald but confusingly, all are still referred to as Plucked Pheasant, which can cause uncertainty in terms of the size of portion being ordered. depending on the bird from which it is made.
Nozac

Nozac was a hobgoblin general in the Legion of the Black Hand.

## Appearance

Nozac moves with a poised grace dissimilar to most hobgoblins, but has proven to be a formidable opponent nonetheless. Nozac possesses a number of masks, but most wears a mask shaped from bleached bone carved into the form of a demon, only adding to the terror of her presence as she darts across the battlefield by means physical and magical alike.

## Personality

Nozac is loyal to her warlord, Rakrun Roam, looking to him for the initial command to attack. Once unleashed however, she is capable of moving quickly and independently to achieve her orders.

## Death

During the assault on Whittengrove in Vluk-Amberlight 3WD, Nozac was slain by Naldri with a *Vicious Mockery* spell.
Marcellus

Marcellus is an awakened hedgehog residing within the Feywild.

## History

Marcellus was first encountered by an expedition party during their visit to Peony Broadlet on their way to the sunken city of Merrai. While most members of the party rested within a *Magnificient Mansion* spell cast by Naldri, the eladrin elf Aenarion instead lingered outside, coming across Marcellus who asks him to help find his bone flute, supposedly carved from the spine of a ferret that greviously irritated him.

Locating it floating within an eddy in the stream with assistance from the tall grass, Aenarion plucked it free with use of his *Mage Hand*, avoiding the grasping vines lining the banks of the water. Overjoyed, Marcellus plays a melody that compels Aenarion into dancing for an hour or so, before heading on his way.
Rinn Zelnolar

Rinn Zelnolar is a moon elf cleric.

## Personality

Rinn is perpetually calm, with an easy smirk and a vicious temper. Confident in her own skills or the quality of her training, Rinn is merciless with those she deems undeserving of her acknowledgement.

## Backstory

Admission to the Academy of Erudition is based on extraordinary abilities or extraordinary circumstances. Rinn had both. Her life in the settlement of Penumbra revolved around the Academy and the Ashevale that they studied and as she grew, watching soldiers struggle against the monstrosities sought to destroy her home. While her family delved deeper into the mysteries of the arcane, Rinn spent her time exploring the Velbalt Plains & entertaining her growing imagination.

One night exploring alone outside a weakened monstrosity slipped past Velbalt in the dark, ambushing her as explored the wastes around the village. The golems found her in the morning surrounded by a pile of ash and bones, surrounded by a tapestry of eyes and hands, drawn into the dirt. Her propensity for divine magic caught the eye of Academy, supporting her in studies as she grew. Now as a freshly graduated member of the Academy, she travels the realm searching and cataloguing for extra-planar threats and traveling to Oxresh every 9-months to track growth of Ashenvale as it inching closer to her home.

## Characterisation

### Basics

* **Height**: 5 ft 1 in
* **Weight**: 95 lbs
* **Current Location**: Pending
* **Education**: Educated at the Academy of Erudition from a young age

### Physical appearance

* **Eye Colour**: Moonstone blue iris, Yellow sclera
* **Hair Colour**: White
* **Skin Tone:** Moonstone blue
* **Build**: Lean
* **Ears:** Elven
* **Distinguishing features**: Her sclera glow like the sun and almost spin like a pool of molten gold.
* **Preferred Outfit**: Long black cendal silk dress, split at the leg, reinforced with a layer copper scale armor. Black leather thigh-high boots and sleeves with an Miniver fur inner lining.
* **Accessories**: Several eye shaped pendants pinned to her dress, a bronze heart necklace which hums faintly upon being touched.
* **Level of Grooming**: Flawless, her hairstyle is constant and her skin never seems to sweat.
* **Other Details:** Skin glows faintly at night

### Behaviour

* **Movement:** Slowly, calmly unless she's in direct combat
* **Finer Details:** Enjoys dissecting and probing the choices made by sentient creatures
* **Quirks:** Tilts her head when thinking or confused

### Speech & Style

* **Talk Speed**: Fluid & slow
* **Style of Speech**: Soft
* **Accent**: Strange...
* **Posture**: Relaxed, almost slouching
* **General Expression:** Confident smirk
* **Do they Gesture?**: Yes, lazily pointing
* **How much eye contact that they like to make?**: Normal
* **Personal Motto**: I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.
* **Speech Impediments**: None
* **Distinguishing Speech “tics”**: None
* **What's their laugh like?**: Soft
* **Describe their Smile**: Confident and calm
* **How emotive are they?**: Tends to be unemotive unless enraged
Muguet's Hut

* Artwork
* Map

Muguet's Hut is a modest house between Amber Run and Melcreek Keep that served as the lodgings of the herbalist Muguet.

## Description

After looking into reports pertaining to the activity of gnolls within the Bristlebacks, Muguet's name was mentioned to Elinor as something of note during her investigations, as well as the location of his hut near the banks of the upper Lotus Run. From the hut, surrounded by a small grove of well-cultivated and tended-to herbal and alchemical ingredients, Muguet produced a number of potions, salves, tonics and other mixtures for sale to passing Atral patrols.

Further still, next to the hut a small but sturdy animal pen housed a trio of Fangor Goats, providing hair for Muguet's clothing and milk for the production of butters and cheeses.

## History

When an adventuring party visited Muguet's Hut in 135WD, Gantul-Whiterose, they found it in a state of disrepair and damage, Muguet and two of his goats dead within, the surviving beast riled up and aggressive - and thus quickly put down by Ódóvir. Positing perhaps a gnoll or giant attack initially, the group shortly after concluded from the presence of Esuridell within the bellies of the goats that the plant's consumption had somehow had a malicious effect on the grazing animals, resulting in significant damage to the property and the death of its owner.

After collecting up a wide range of alchemical and herbal supplies, as well as a number of potions, the group departed north, bound by river for Melcreek Keep.
Roderick Reman

Roderick Reman is a human paladin.

## Backstory

The man before the Lord-General stood Stalwart with a look of measured resolve. His hairs grey and face scarred by experience, tone spoken with conviction

*“I’ve seen it, yes. I’ve seen it every day for the past 30 years. One merely need to look east to see the evidence. In a place where our forefathers faced every machination of magic that the Astedians could throw at them. The knightly houses of Hearthfire, Goldlor, Osvine, Vasseur, Castellan, Alderstaff proved over those years that the ways of Atral held true even against such terrible power”*

His steeled look loosened and his tone hopeful

*“Yet I have also seen what magic can bring, I have studied at the Crimson Blossom, I have experienced using it myself, I have read all the history books present in their library. I have read of the myriad wonders that magic has produced, the great conduit, Aviacrest, Coghearts, the school of the tethered harness, spells and magic for the everyday person. It is a force of progress, and a force of great destruction”*

Hammering his steeled hand in palm, metal against metal. Holding ironed fist tight in his hand.

*“We need to temper it, we need to understand it, we need to discipline ourselves in it’s use. Desperation, recklessness and uncertainty are our greatest enemies, it is what caused the Ashenvale to threaten our lives to this very day despite our greatest efforts at destroying it”*

His gauntleted hand slid from his palm to the handle of his mace, giving the Lord-General a look of steeled resolve

*“I have not made this decision lightly, I am leaving my wife and my birthhome in Ashenwatch behind, I'm going to miss her as will I my grown son and daughter. But I feel I cannot sit around anymore and see it slowly engulf all of us and our families. Action must be taken, the houses of old would not sit around to let our realm decay to outside threats. The Virtue of vigilance dictates we must take initiative to thwart disaster before it occurs. If the answers do not exist here I must find them elsewhere…… With all respect I resign from my duties as Vigil”*
Mycorrhizarael

## The Festering Fate

* Artwork
* Symbol

Mycorrhizarael, also known as the Festering Fate is an Archfey, and as such a being of immense innate power.

## Appearance & Personality

Mycorrhizarael, also known as the Festering Fate is the patron Archfey of the Myconids, as well as all other fungal beings. Most frequently encountered within the Midnight Burrows, Mycorrhizarael's fungal form sprawls far and wide, and it is said the Festering Fate can create a form for himself wherever this mycelial network resides. Though densest within the heightened growth of the Feywild, these connections are said to sprawl across the Planes, allowing the Festering Fate to observe all within his domain and beyond.

When the Archfiend Moloch invaded the Feywild, no fewer that five entities believed to be Mycorrhizarael were slain by the army of devils, only to appear once more - and so it is believed that as long as part of the fungal root system still exists, they can not be truly destroyed.

## Powers & Abilities

Like all Archfey, Mycorrhizarael wields tremendous arcane power owing to their existence effectively serving as an embodiment of the magic of the Feywild. Through extensive networks spreading through the Feywild - and speculated to spread further beyond still - they can transmit information and knowledge quickly and promptly, as well as guide and direct both servants and those fallen to decay and rot like puppets upon a string.

### Charm of the Festering Fate

*This charm allows you to choose, when reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you do so, the charm vanishes from you.*

## History

Upon arrival at Aldagrelithane, an adventuring party encountered Morgaelei explaining to the population of the settlement about the demise of the Wellspring Mare, accompanied by both Ilena and Mycorrhizarael. Mycorrhizrael explained that they intended to return to the Midnight Burrows, from there using their network to guide the efforts of the scouting parties being sent to investigate the occurrence, offering their boon to a number of individuals keen to seek out the information for themselves.

Later, when travelling towards the Timeless Vale, the party passed close to a stretch of marshland, from which a number of corpses - posited by Arnica to have once been fey of malign intent that attempted to assault Aldagrelithane - rose, infested with spores before rooting themselves in place to form rigid and macabre signposts guiding their way. Passing several dozens of the sort over the course of the next stretch of their journey, the adventuring party assumed that the act was the work of the Festering Fate.
Morlet Cascades

* Artwork
* Artwork 2
* Map

The Morlet Cascades are a series of interlinking waterfalls located in the Ironfangs.

## Description

Northeast of the mountain of Ulding's Keep, the tallest peak in the Ironfangs and by extension the continent of Ahlus, the Morlet Cascades are a series of approximately three-dozen waterfalls that coalesce and combine at they tumble down the mountainsides in the valleys between the Ironfangs to the south and west, and the Halmbrae Hills to the north and east.

Much of the contents of the waterways are believed to come from rainfall in the mountains, particularly so clouds travelling east from the tropics of Tourmalini'i, but the absence of rivers and lakes at their base has long confounded casual researchers and travellers. It has been suggested that the caverns in the area may have links to the winding tunnels beneath the Soil and Stone known as the Underdark, but the lack of presence of the races associated with the region - particularly those with a proclivity to raiding colonies on the surface - seems to stand at odds with this theory. Other ideas point at possible connections to the Elemental Sphere, specifically that of regions of Elemental Water, both at the peaks and the bases of the mountains, explaining the scope and scale of water flow. The ambient moisture caused by the mist of the waterfalls has prompted life to flourish in the region, with lush groves scattered throughout the region.

## History

The Morlet Cascades have long been heralded for their beauty throughout the Realms of Ahlus, but likewise lamented for their remoteness and isolation. Others have instead lauded the difficulty with which their visitation brings, faced with either a winding journey by lesser-trod mountain passes through the Ironfangs plagued by the predators of the crags, or braving the Halmbrae Hills through roosting and breeding sites maintained by the Halhomites for sake of their treasured mounts, the Terrorwing.

One such visitor was that Salnia, daughter of Utultar the Sunderer. When she vanished in 299AG on a journey to the cascades, it was believed by the Ivory Emperor that the disappearance was orchestrated with either the giants or dragons of the Ironfangs, having quarrelled with both throughout his reign, a fire and fury that remained unquenched, even after Salnia was later found safe and sound in the forests near Castle Lauhrenia in the Duchies of Tynd with no knowledge of how she ended up there.

In 135WD, a group of travellers took shelter in an old grove shrouded in the mists of the Morlet Cascades, hiding amongst the roots of the trees from a passing winter storm. Their rest proved short-lived, the group chased from the grove by a group of figures made of gnarled bark looming over them, voices like furious bird song. Believing the figures to be possibly related to the briar beast being hunted by the Shiere Knight Enor, a group of adventurers travelled to the Morlet Cascades in 136WD, Onteer-Greencrown, wherein they would instead find the individuals to be wood woads and a treant associated with the Quiet Covenant.
Pilskold

Pilskold is a kingdom built by a stone giants within the Ironfangs.

## Description

A stone giant kingdom located somewhere in the southern tail of the Ironfangs, Pilskold is a settlement of countless entrances hidden upon winding mountain passes and valleys. Their proximity to the dwarves of Mol Boramm often sparked collaboration and conflict alike over the years, but more often than not a silent amnesty of peace existed between the two settlements until the latter's destruction.

Though Pilskold was also affected by the apocalyptic cataclysm, it is believed to have since repopulated by its reclusive founders.
Narvulisk

Narvulisks are fiendish lizard-like creatures known for their petrifying bite.

## Description

Resembling a cross between a grey-scaled serpent and a wolf, Narvulisks are malefic pack animals that delight in stalking their prey unseen, stirring terror and fear with an predilection to playing with their prey through use of both their noteworthy strength and speed before finally afflicting them with their petrifying bite. As a Narvulisk ages, their bite grows increasingly potent.

Although native to many of the Lower Planes of the Wandering Worlds, they are thought to originally hail from Gehenna, but are most frequently encountered bolstering the ranks of infernal armies, whether as mounts for devils, or as fearsome creatures in their own right.

## History

Harric, a gambler seemingly previously associated with the Auvryth Den, lost a sum of gold pieces in a game of Tazim's Bluff to Alwin tlo Hambert, and in punishment was petrified by a Narvulisk under the control and command of Akorrith Auvryth. His petrified remains were subsequently claimed by Moxzi Bluhedd, and carried by Ódóvir Jotunsson back to Amber Run to display in her museum of trophies.
Oroto Notch

* Artwork
* Map

Oroto Notch is a large valley of mountains contained within the southern Ironfangs.

## Description

Nestled deep in the southern jaw of the Ironfangs north of the forest of High Holt, Oroto Notch is a series of highland hills framed amongst the peaks of the mountain range that frames it on all sides. Ruins, thought to be Gawylthlian in origin, are scattered across the crags, though are little more than piles of rubble in most places, reclaimed by patches of hardy trees and other vegetation, long since forgotten from the wars between the Slate-Stone Kingdom and the Empire of Raq and its successor states.

Oroto Notch is populated primarily by three types of humanoid races - numerous tribes of aarakocra that maintain insular lives amongst the peaks, while roaming and settled groups of goliaths and orcs subsist on the lands below them, trading and warring freely.
Mialee

Mialee is a high-elf cleric of Vyra that frequently served as an expedition leader for the Galebreakers before their dissolution.

She is the sister of Lady Ilana of Rydoon.

## History

Born in Rydoon like her sister, both Mialee and Ilana sought lives of adventure and conquest over challenges natural and otherwise, and while her sister settled into place operating the Matron House in Rydoon, Mialee never yielded away from such desires. After meeting Albrich Galebreaker in a chance encounter, she signed on with The Galebreakers and has served as one of their most valuable members since.

She was rescued in the depths of the Ender Temple by an adventuring party in 8WD, where it was reported that she and her employer were captured while prospecting the area for further riches. She wields an enchanted rapier that delivers vicious wounds to unsuspecting foes.
Mitres of Meteoron

* Artwork
* Map

The Mitres of Meteoron are a pair of weather-manipulating towers maintained by the Academy of Erudition.

## Description

Slender and shaped like an inverted pyramid at their tip, the Mitres of Meteoron flank either side of the estuary of the River Lan at Inve's Bay. Working together, the two towers help ward the city of Oxresh against the worst of the vicious storms that are common along the southern coast of the Timberlands.

They were constructed shortly after the establishment of the Pentadel of Oxresh by the Exegetes of the city, and have since caused nearing gales to be reduced into more manageable wind speeds and torrential downpours into steady but amenable levels of precipitation. Public access to the Mitres is barred, who instead must instead marvel at them from a distance as they pass between them by boat, the faint shimmering residue left by their potent transmutative magics visible to the eye on clear days.
Ra-Galthe

5% Dragonborn

3% Tielfling

2% Half-Orc

1% Others

Musical Instruments

Ra-Galthe was one of the Realms of Ahlus.

## History

In a naming convention shared with the Realm of Ra-Larara, Ra-Galthe was one of the nations created by the collapse and fragmentation of the Empire of Raq. Unlike Ra-Larara however, Ra-Galthe remained rather insular in its customs, maintaining traditional nomadic lifestyles in place of opening themselves up to further trade with the Realms that surrounded them.

Despite it, many Galtheraqs made life-long careers as roaming mercenaries, and Ra-Galthe would find itself indirectly involved in much of the Astedian Ascension due to conscription of camel riders as light cavalry in the campaigns against Halholm to the north. The southern Ironfangs are home to all manner of griffon and giant eagle, both of which were sometimes utilised as mounts for Galtheraq scouts - giving them a significant advantage over more grounded foes.

## Society

Maintaining close relationships and rivalries with the Thri-Kreen of Darajan, Ra-Galthe society centred around survival in the sands and mesas of the Shifting Dunes of central Ahlus. It was said that the best chance of any individual seeking to travel through central Ahlus was to find a Galtheraq and pay them thrice that of a typical navigator, for in doing so you would ensure your survival. As such, outside of the borders of Ra-Galthe, the native folk could often be found guiding trade caravans, navigating by the stars come nightfall.

An export of note from the borders of Ra-Galthe came in the form of their musical instruments. On chill arid nights, the warmth of fire and dance alike holds a particular significance to the Galtheraqs, and the diversity of instrumentation is a direct artifact of this. Plucked and bowed lutes, zithers, flutes & other reed instruments, as well as all manner of drums and other percussions - all are highly valued in both Ra-Galthe and beyond. The Scrivener Dhavud came from Ra-Galthe, although at the time of his birth it was part of the Empire of Raq.
Purple Apricots

Purple Apricots are a fruit from the perennial tree of the same name.

## Description

Roughly half the size of the similarly-hued plum to which it is related, once harvested from the narrow branches of their tree, the fleshy drupes of mauve can be enjoyed raw, yielding a large hard-coated seed contained within the easily-bruised brown flesh within. As identified by Hassk, the fruits are naturally both sweet and tart, but contain many of the substrates and compounds commonly used in potions of healing.

## Uses

By blanching the skin and saturating the flesh of the fruit in a temperate brew of base alchemical drafts, purple apricots can be used to create a mixture with equal curative potential as a conventional *Potion of Healing*. Doing so requires a day, as well as 15gp worth of base materials.
Radiant Waymark

## The Radiant Waymark

The Radiant Waymark was a construct of stabilised Conjuration Magic created by Nelenet for the expedience of the exploration of Ahlus.

## Description

Materialising upon the shorelines of the region of Ahlus known as Tourmalini'i, the Radiant Waymark is surrounded by a lush land of jungle, rainforest and mystery. Ancient ruins pockmark the horizon and all manner of creatures dart between the trees and verdant expanses. This region is rich in gemstones, particularly those that give the lands their name.

## Destruction

During the Fourth Battle for Viridell, the Ancient Dragon Irsecrinth in his Tempest Ascendent form destroyed the building housing the Radiant Waymark, thunderously shattering the frame houses the Wayfinder Stones. Consuming them in turn, he then escaped with all eight, before his storm buffetted the rest of the settlement into ruins - leaving few survivors. It would be later rebuilt.

## Faltering

Like the remaining Waymarks, and the Wayfinder Stones as a whole, the magic of the Radiant Waymark faltered suddenly in 49WD, the reasoning defying arcane research since.
Nectarbloom

Nectarbloom is a fragrant flower that blooms in the forest of Weald's Wake.

## Description

Exploding as splashes of colour amongst the browns, greys and greens of the undergrowth, Nectarbloom produces hundreds of tiny maroon and pink flowers that can be pressed to extract a cloyingly sweet fluid. Thousands of flowers are necessary to produce any meaningful quantity, although the groves in which Nectarbloom grows are often filled with all manner of pollinating insects and beasts.

## Usage

The extract of Nectarbloom can be worn as a perfume that grants advantage on all Charisma checks directed at humanoids of CR one or lower, with a single dose lasting about one hour.
Ninlith

Ninlith was a Fomorian King that ruled in the halls of Moorcrown, a Citadel in the Feywild.

He was killed by Aenarion during their rescue mission of Ronan brought them to the citadel during 7WD, Ardor-Amberlight, and then his undead form destroyed entirely at Velenthir Estate during a last stand against the Weald Witch.

## Description

*The bowed chamber was clearly shaped to accommodate the looming frame of the Fomorian King Ninlith, some twenty-five feet tall, though no doubt if not for his warped spine and overbearing warbled chest he would stand taller still. Purple-black veins the width of a man's arm snake across his mauve-purple flesh, a skittish eye watching from each anastomosis in the vasculature. Most striking is the bulging bloodshot eye that consumes nearly a third of the giant's twisted visage, the straining fluid within pulsing and the iris at the centre rapidly contracting and dilating with each passing moment.*

In servitude to his patron, the Glorious Eye, they provided the halls of Moorcrown for the preparations of the ritual, in the process destroying the citadel and sacrificing the strength and might of most of its residents with the growing Abyssal presence necessary to channel the summoning of the Dark Prince Graz'zt.

This servitude is long-standing however, for many years prior he was gifted a crown by the Glorious Eye itself, the artifact that would become known so prolifically through the Feywild as the Moorcrown, that even the original name of the Citadel would be lost to time. His previous crown, a dull affair of simple gold, was melted down and turned into a multi-part torque borne around his swollen goitrous neck.

## Undead Form

Following on from the death of Crooked Dolores Tallowstumble at Dirgevale Crypt at the hands of a group of adventurers, the Weald Witch surmised the group's plans, and so moved swiftly to crush any effort to cause her banishment back to the Domain of Dread intended to be her eternal prison. Wielding the entirety of the forest of Covengrove like a puppeteer, she assaulted Velenthir Estate, bringing with her a vast army of evil fey, trolls, monstrosities as well as both Glaring Freda and Magnhild Juniperspawn.

Glaring Freda was originally absent from the battlefield, in reality hidden within the undead form of Ninlith, hollowed clean of bone and flesh to conceal Kinghazel, a group of banderhobbs and Glaring Freda herself, whom had enchanted Ninlith's bulbous skull into an enchanted flying cauldron. When Arlen called the divine might of his smite down on the undead giant wielding Vanity's Ward, the remaining flesh of Ninlith was incinerated in radiance, revealing Glaring Freda and her minions hidden beneath.
Mask of Zephaniah

The Mask of Zephaniah is a golden facial covering previously owned by the eponymous Zephaniah, a Priest of the Undying Queen.

It was recovered following his death during the Second Battle of Viridell.

## Description

Made of thin gold-plate, the Mask of Zephaniah carries a weight that makes its sustained usage uncomfortable and straining upon the neck and upper back. Nonetheless, it magically shifts its shape subtly to better grip upon the face of its wearer.

## Research

### Completed by Siebern Kuiper

*Mineral to Life, Jewel to Scale. From Gold to Ruby, Silver to Diamond. Flesh to Flame, Fire to Rebirth.*

*The lips on the mask seem to whisper the words, though the metal from which its is wrought moves naught with the declaration. Echoing into the small room in which you curl over the curiosity with the very same eagerness and inquisitiveness, the voices continue further and further, each stanza repeated in unison. Your lips curl as if lifted by an unseen force, the tension in your tongue and the floor of your mouth grows. In your mind you whisper along, then your muscles start to mimic the enunciation. For a passage of time, you lead the chant, then for a few moments more it leads you. The mask warps, melting in the heat of your new-found zealotry and finding renewal itself. Into the form of a golden crown it shifts, the chant grows ever more desperate - but all the while the determination swelters within you.*

*A stark mountain, covered in snow and standing alone against a sea filled with ice. A forest filled with the scent of flowers, circles of three with hands raised in each clearing. A peak, its zenith crowned with ash and a heat within. Tunnels of shimmering crystal, buried beneath unfamiliar hills. A lone island, adorned with a ruined tower reeking of the arcane. Deep caves carved by the hands of those carved from stone, haunted by the spirits of the damned. A grove, filled with thick mist hanging like tears on the wind.*

*Attuned to the Mask of Zephaniah, you gain the following properties:*

1. *Increase your Charisma by 2 points, to a maximum of 20.*
2. *You can speak, read and write Draconic and Infernal.*
3. *You learn the spell Fire Shield, and can cast it once without expending a spell slot.*
4. *While attuned to this artifact, you are vulnerable to radiant damage.*
Pickled Herring

Pickled Herrings are a common food eaten in the Hoarfrost Expanse.

## Description

Originally created to preserve the abundant catches of herring in the waters of the Allreach Sea and Brumal Deep, pickled herrings are typically prepared by brining in urns with vinegar, saltwater, bay leaves, peppercorns and raw winter onions. These are usually then constructed into a roll, the filleted fish coiled around onions, pickles and other fillings and bound in place using a skewer or similar implement.

Pickled Herrings served in this manner are a popular snack served by taverns in the region, although are sometimes exported south for the few select markets present elsewhere.
Olzids

* Artwork
* Symbol

Olzids is an ascended ultroloth, serving as the commander of a fiendish mercenary faction known as the Eternal Phalanx.

## Description

Olzids is a sleek individual, standing just over six foot tall. With mottled green-grey skin, his head provides a few striking features - burning eyes of brilliant orange-red set beneath a heavy brow, and the otherwise featureless facial form. Without nose or mouth, it remains uncertain the means of communication utilised, or indeed how they came to be such a capable spellcaster.

## Recent History

For a time, Olzids was linked with the operations and plans of the Creed of Kaleios, supplying the Creed with all manner of yugoloth mercenaries to augment and bolster their strength. It is presumed that the fee for his services was likely paid for by means of the hoards acquired by the dragons involved, although this is unconfirmed.

Since the collapse of the Creed, it is uncertain where Olzids and the Eternal Phalanx' interests and allegiances now lie.
Emershal

* Artwork
* Map

Emershal is an island within the Corrogo Archipelago.

## Description

Northeasternmost of the isles, Emershal is a relatively flat island surrounded by numerous sandbars, atolls and cays. The waters east of the island are considered to define the edge of the Wavebreaker Reefs, while the waves immediately to the north of the isle also contain a wide number of shallows that provide continuous peril for ships traversing the region. Despite this, those few ships that instead choose to travel to Verdlicay rather than Qol on their journey through the Petal Bay frequently call port on the long yellow beaches of Emershal, taking on water at one of the three freshwater lakes contained within its boundaries.

Despite this, the island itself is devoid of conventional arable land and thus undesirable for colonisation - however fisherfolk are also known to frequent its waters to exploit the bounties of the surrounding reefs.
Ophidian

## God of Malice

* Artwork
* Symbol

Ophidian, known also as It Which Slithers Unseen, the Weaver of Serpents, the Coroner and the Master of Malice is a Greater Deity in Ahlus that occupies a place amongst the Malign.

They are the God of Malice.

## History

Ophidian is the creator of the Lizardfolk and Yuan-Ti, corrupting Aita's dragonborn, humans and elves alike and transforming them into creatures designed in his image. They demand sacrifices be made in their honour, gaining power from violent offerings made by blade or poison alike. In Ahlus, they also takes the role usually served elsewhere by Torog, a fact echoed in Ophidian's other title - It Which Slithers Unseen - they is the patron of assassins, poisoners, slavers, thieves, torturers and dark-aligned alchemists.

## Enemies

Unity between the races is seen as an affront to Ophidian, who delights in turning individuals against each other and sees the sharing of blood and effort between the Principal Races an abomination. Half-elves are of particular abhorrence to Ophidian, and the zealous of Aita, Ilemer and Theamera find themselves targeted by agents of the deity.

## Commandments

* Linger in the shadows until the moment is right, seizing the chance when the opportunity presented is at its greatest. Strike suddenly, then steal away into the gloom once more.
* Predictability and routine make you vulnerable. Make each step unrelated to the last so that none may know your next move. Exploit this in those that are stuck in their ways.
* Revel in the death you deliver. Few things are more beautiful than a soul writhing in agony.
Phongor

## The Ploybreaker

* Artwork
* Symbol

Phongor, known also as the Ploybreaker, is an Archdevil of the Nine Hells.

## Description

The Archinquisitor of the Hells, Phongor finds themselves in direct servitude to the Lord of Nessus, it is said that the Ploybreaker has stopped more plots than there are grains of sands upon all the beaches of the Ahlusian continent.

Devils from across the Nine Hells delight in cabalistic machinations, Phongor is said to delight in unravelling them, carving through intricate conspiracies with his mind and might alike in service to his master. The Lord of Nessus too, has proven time and time again to be a formidable foe to those that scheme and plot against him, but he and Phongor’s history has done little to reduce the amount that move against them - after all, they only need to succeed once, the Lord of the Ninth and his Archinquisitor need to succeed each and every time.

## Appearance & Personality

Phongor, despite his fearsome reputation, was said to appear as a tiefling of average height, albeit with deathly pale skin, vibrantly pink eyes and small charcoal-black horns.
Potion of Nighteyes

Potions of Nighteyes are uncommon magical potions that grant their imbiber temporary darkvision.

## Description

Brewed by means of Alchemist's Supplies using a base of Fundamentum Philtre with dried Wartle and powdered agate, Potions of Nighteyes have found a niche place amongst those working in nocturnal hours, but lacking in the darkvision present in many races. Likewise popular amongst adventurers delving into dungeons, tunnels and forgotten ruins but not wishing to carry a torch or an arcane light, Potion of Nighteyes are a popular alternative to enchanted items such as Goggles of Night.

## Effects

This faintly luminescent mixture appears to reflect any light source directed towards it, similar to a cat’s eye. When you drink this potion, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet, and your eyes magically shed dim light in a 5-foot radius. These effects last for 8 hours.
Mariotta Mossvale

Mariotta Mossvale is a half-elf Atral noble and the current Régysseur of Mossvale.

## Description

The Mossvales are known for two main things - their frequent absences from formal courtly occurrences, and their acclaim as hunters and trackers. Mariotta exemplifies both, shirking noble attire for a well-tailored and seemingly enchanted set of leathers, studded with bronze antlers mimicking part of the symbology used on the coat of arms of her house. Sometimes described as raptatorial, she is quick to judge, and quicker to act, though rarely displays any degree of true ego.

It is remarked that Mariotta would find a way to catch a mammoth in a snare if she sought to, and is recently acclaimed for slaying the Black Dragon known as the Farbreaker within the lands of the House of Silksand in 130WD, as well as hunting renegade demons with the Greater Greensong over the past years. From the former she crafted a bow that shares its source's name, its arrows magically wreathed in the acidic wrath of their origin.

## History

Mariotta, along with a number of other Atral nobles, took part in Khurezolgrax's Sword of Flame hunt, the dragon disguised as Corvyn Quelenneth at the time. At the start of the hunt, Kangaeux and his allies were transported to Eresloth's Grotto, wherein they found themselves set on by darkmantles, cloakers and other creatures native to the stony depths beneath the surface. The group then settled on a plan on fortifying the final approach to the goal, but were ultimately bested by a group of adventurers with aid from the party from the Velenthir Estate despite Mariotta's efforts to restrain Faustus Howell (who was holding the Sword) with a well-placed *Ensnaring Strike*.
Mulberry Mellow

Mulberry Mellow is a wine from the lands of the Tviatini Jungle.

## Description

Created using specific grapes grow in the intense humidity and warmth of the jungles of Tourmalini'i, Mulberry Mellow is a flavourful but soft and easy-drinking red wine with a fruity finish. Alongside grapes, it is customary to include a few Jacu-Jacu berries into the mulch, usually at a ratio of 10:1, the tropical fruit lending a sweetness and floral fragrance most noticeable on the first sip.
Mephistopheles

## Lord of the Eighth Layer of Baator

* Artwork
* Symbol

Mephistopheles, known also as the Duke of Brimstone and the Master of Hellfire, is an Archdevil of the Nine Hells and Lord of the Eighth Layer of Baator, Cania.

## Description

From the citadel of Mephistar, a city carved atop the vast glacier known as Nargus, Mephistopheles seeks quiet isolation to further his interests in the arcane and the Planes alike. Cania reflects this, a wasteland of frigid ice inhospitable even to the majority of devils, save that of the gelugons, to stave off those that would spy and probe into his schemes, plots, gambits and goals.

Nonetheless, Mephistopheles is not truly as segregated as his liege, having been known to offer up inventions and creations to the combatants of the ongoing Blood War, most of which are reportedly related to his mastery over the substance Hellfire, which burns incomparably bright and hot. Mephistopheles' domain of Cania is also the primary source of Infernal Iron, the foremost metal used in weapons, armour and machines of war by the Hells.

## Appearance & Personality

The Lord of the Eighth appears to freely embrace the stereotypes of the Hells and as such is reported to take the classic infernal diabolic appearance. Looming over most creatures easily, he chooses to appear as a toned humanoid with maroon-black skin, fiendish claws tipped with golden nail, bat-like wings and burning white-gold eyes set beneath a set of rams' horns standing proud from long platinum-blonde hair.

Mephistopheles' disposition can be considered as nothing short of exemplary or masterful, and he is generally considered across the Planes as one of the greatest minds in existence, as skilled with military strategy and studious experimentation as he is the arts of deception, seduction and beguilement. Rehabilitated cultists have reported him to be softly spoken, calm and collected in his words, with the utmost wit, reason & self-restraint to each gesture and remark, akin almost to that of a nobleman.
Oil of Shrouding

Oil of Shrouding is a magical substance that prevents its wearer from being arcanely tracked.

## Description

Requiring a number of costly ingredients - including Blue Sentinel, Oorove and a sprinkling of diamond dust, Oil of Shrouding is a means for an individual to render themselves undetectable by creatures attempting to view or examine them from afar, and to remain inscrutable to those nearby. The oil is more of a slime-like gel that a free-flowing mix and possesses a faint ash-like scent mixed with a bubby soap-like cleanliness.

## Effects

This clear substance is thick and gelatinous. The oil can cover a Medium or smaller creature, along with the equipment it is wearing and carrying (one additional vial is required for each size category above Medium). Applying the oil takes 10 minutes. The affected creature is then immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts, and any divination spells targeted at it for 8 hours.
Opaline Weave Butterfly

Opaline Weave Butterflies are a type of flying insect native to the Corrogo Archipelago.

## Description

Capable of growing to possess a wingspan of around a foot, Opaline Weave Butterflies are very large butterflies for their highly ornate gossamer-like wings, which possess intricate and unique patterns of pastel blues and pinks, with a segmented thorax and abdomen typically rose-gold in colouration. They are found in particular density within the jungles of the isles of Gale's Bulwark and High Pakulo, the lattermost being home to a trading port-come-township originally started as to facilitate mercantile interests pertaining to the butterfly.

Although favoured by collectors for both their size and beauty, it is instead the discarded cocoons of the butterflies for which they are particularly pursued. When properly treated, the silks and residues of the cocoon's lining can be used to produce pearlescent fabric blends that possess a glossy white hue in sunlight, but fluoresce when in moonlight.
Mercy's Touch

Mercy's Touch is a highly poisonous grass plant used in the production of Moonlight Sorrow.

## Description

An unassuming flowering grass that matures into a grain somewhere between golden yellow and amber-orange, Mercy's Touch can often be mistaken for commonly-grown cereal crops, much to the identifier's folly, given its highly poisonous nature. To the more astute individual, the plant can be identified by the whiteish bands that form along its stem, found in repeating pairs with a small space between each group.

## Usage

Mercy's Touch is a key ingredient in Moonlight Sorrow, a curious poison that afflicts no effect to a creature that ingests it until the stroke of midnight.
Nightprowler

Nightprowlers are undead creatures wrought from shadow, native to the Shadowfell.

## Description

Creatures of gloom, nightprowlers have no definitive form, able as they are to shift in and out of patches of shadow as freely as one might walk through an open doorway, but when very rarely encountered are described akin to a whirlwind of darkness with numerous grasping claws and a pair of cold, dispassionate eyes that represent merely an absence of shadow in that particular spot, rather than a definitive structure.

Their very touch drains the warmth and life from their targets, culminating in the consumption of a creature's soul should they fall to foul of their strikes.

## History

While trying to gather information on the Soul Slivers, Ealwant Besculus and the Keeper of Whispers, an adventuring party visited the Pillar of Ualune, finding it to be connected to the Plane of Shadow. The tower's replica was found to be infested with Nightprowlers, the split-up party harried also by a Balhannoth beguiling them with their desires, the Nightprowlers eventually slaying the adventurer Velkyn Cormrael, who was revived only through use of *Divine Intervention*.
Nakhelos the Sacrosanct

Nakhelos the Sacrosanct was a supposed ruler from the Realm of Anorcor.

During Ardor-Highreign 3 WD, his tomb was discovered by an expedition party. When they disturbed him from his slumber, he awoke, now an undead creature of naught but malice and hatred. He was destroyed in the Tomb of the Shadowsword when he tried to open one of the the Great Seals of Ahlus.

## Appearance

As described upon the party's first encounter with Nakhelos:

*"Nakhelos stands tall, somewhere between six and seven feet in stature. His form seems only further bolstered by the rich adornments laid upon him. Thick leather, perfumed and sealed with oils is decorated with bands of electrum and bronze, accentuated further by the broad gorget that arches over his shoulders. Between the armour and regalia, wizened flesh hued of ash and alabaster shifts and contracts into a wicked smile of pale teeth stained against a mouth filled with bile. Burning against the dark, eyes of burnt vermillion carry heavily across the room."*

## Abilities

Nakhelos has shown to be a very capable spellcaster, specialising in primarily the School of Necromancy. He served as the most powerful of the three chosen by Rak Tulkhesh to rule, using the Heart of the Prakhutu as his arcane focus and drawing from the lifeforce of the Shadowsword within it.
Moonlit Huntsman

## God of Pursuit

* Artwork
* Symbol

The Moonlit Huntsman is a deity of unknown power or allegiance that maintains followers within the continent of Ahlus.

## History

Little is currently known of the Moonlit Huntsman.

## Commandments

* Revel in every aspect of the pursuit, from the first scent of blood to the trophies taken with victory.
* A capable hunter traps their prey without them even knowing of their presence. A masterful hunter achieves the same even when their prey knows and guards against their approach.
* Waste nothing from your efforts. Every hair, every bone, find a use for all that your have claimed.

## Holy Day

Nothing is currently known of the Holy Day of the Moonlit Huntsman.