Hideno Island

A mysterious island in-between Bisquay and Agnor in Driscoll's territory.

From a distance, the island appeared uninhabited, mostly forested, and had crumbling ruins at the top of a small hill to one side. When the party got close, they were somehow transported partway into the Land Beyond Life. The sea disappeared, replaced by white ground all around. The hill was now topped by a large, pagoda-tiered castle. In the distance, where there was only ocean before, there was now a small town.

Clark was acutely aware that there were three powerful forces anchoring the island in the prime material plane to this place and time in the Land Beyond Life. Using his eyes of the grave, Clark learned some of the history of this place, most of which centred around two brothers and one tragic day.

Having overcome the ordeal and made it back to their own world, the party left a makeshift flag on the beach - formed of a tourist shift from Bisquay tied to a javelin. They then dubbed the place Hideno Island, in memory of the castle that had once stood there.

## The People of the Past

### Hideyori

A powerful paladin who'd sworn oaths to honour his blade, serve the lord of the castle, and to protect his little brother, Hidenori. Through deception, Lord Yasu was able to make Hideyori betray his oath to the castle's lord; Yasu had recently earned the right to the castle and its lands, but kept this information hidden from the paladin. Hideyori then chained himself by his hand to the castle's gate and watched on as the servants, ladies-in-waiting, and even his mother were thrown into the castle well to die. He only acted when his brother's screaming snapped him out of his stupor, cutting his hand off - and thus betraying the sword he'd sworn oaths over - he rushed to the top of the castle but was too late to save Hidenori.

With all his oaths betrayed, the paladin had completed his fall. Black smoke now billowed from the stump of his left hand. He slew Lord Yasu and all his men in turn, even travelling to the town where the army waited to finish the job. When he was done, Hideyori returned to the forest where he had played with his brother so often. He took his own life, only to rise a century later as a death knight when necrotic power washed over the land, animating its dead and freezing the place in time.

Hideyori was the first of the tethers keeping the shroud of the Land Beyond Life over the island in the party's world. With the party finding their way out of the Land Beyond Life, Hideyori's fate remains unknown.

### Hidenori

Hideyori's younger brother and the heir apparent to the castle, having been born to the lord's first concubine. He was fond of dragonchess and mastered the game as a very young age, spending as much time as he could playing with his older brother. When his father was killed in Lord Yasu's company, Hidenori was thrust into the role of lord of the realm at the age of seven. And when Yasu came to the castle with an army, Hideyori told his little brother he would handle everything. All Hidenori was supposed to do was set up the board like always and wait for his return. This promise bound Hidenori, for even after Yasu and his men killed the boy, he arose as a ghost and dutifully tried to set up the board, though his fingers could only pass through the pieces.

The party were able to convince Hideyori to climb the castle to where his brother waited. Pyt was able to help Hidenori play the game despite his ghostly form, and when the game was done, Hidenori's task complete, he was finally able to move on. He left a powerful magic item for the party in thanks.

Hidenori was the second of the tethers keeping the shroud of the Land Beyond Life over the island in the party's world.

### Lord Yasu

An ambitious noble from a long forgotten time who had made enough political manoeuvres to secure Castle Hideki, the castle that was Hideyori and Hidenori's home, as his own.

Yasu was disgusted when Hideyori, of the warrior class, dare look a noble like him in the eye. Yasu tricked the paladin into breaking his oath to serve the castle's lord, having not revealed that he was now the lord until it was too late for Hideyori. Yasu then ordered the murder of all the castle's servants and finally the seven-year-old Hidenori.

Even as Hideyori traced the magical sigils in the air to kill Yasu, the lord could not believe this warrior had the incredulity to look at him.

When necrotic energy washed over the land, Yasu arose as a bodak that stalked the lord's receiving room at the top of the castle.

### Tonoe

Lord Yasu's oathsworn warrior, Tonoe wore gleaming, blue chainmail and stalwartly served his lord even beyond death.

Though the party did not learn the full history of what bound Tonoe beyond life, they did battle with his skeletal form, and Pyt was almost slain by the powerful necrotic smiting this once-oathsworn paladin was capable of.

### The First Concubine

Hidenori's mother.

For a long time, many in the castle believed she was incapable of having a child, so there was much celebration when she did finally birth a son.

Clark watched her going to honour the gods of the land with her son by drawing water from the castle's well and walking it towards the inner shrine.

She was thrown in the well with all the other castle's women when Yasu's army took over.

### The Second Concubine

Hideyori's mother.

When Yasu attacked the castle, Hideyori watched on as his mother was killed. That sorrow bound her in undeath, and when the necrotic energy washed over the land, she rose as a banshee that the party faced as they explored the castle.

### ?

A creature in the perfect likeness of an obsidian effigy to a god the party saw at the castle's shrine. The group met this figure inside an inn in the castle town.

It spoke in cryptic words, but seemed to know far more about some of the party than it should. It accused them of interrupting the final moments of its eternity and determined that there wasn't a suitable worshipper among them.

In the end, it gave no help in getting them out of the Land Beyond Life, but would not offer resistance as they left the inn.

This creature was the third and most powerful of the tethers keeping the Land Beyond Life linked to the island in Driscoll's territory.