The Necrisath

> ***"Evil runs rank through the depths and solitude of the mortal realm. The ringing bells tolling the chimes of death itself."***
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Long ago, before the world became anew, born into a new light, before Thrain threw Taarun into chaos - there were nations developing and lands unfolding. Many nations were built and destroyed, absorbed, or abandoned. Books were written, songs were sung, and all was good. Or was it? Many believe the world's dark history began with a singular source. A vessel of which all horrors resided, the dark laid eternal without a glimpse of the light. Whether to keep the world safe or to bring it to the end of days, this vessel was known as the Necrisath. A book in design, it was nearly 2 feet tall and a foot thick, bound with a dark leathery skin that had never been recognized before. It was sealed shut with a ritual lock, one that required blood to open. Inside of its pages laid the foundations upon which the world's evils were built.

**Khaos**, the vessel of corruption and sin.

**Gogal**, the vessel of the undying.

**Exegus**, the vessel of plague and sickness.

**Heligul**, the vessel of dark and shadow.

With each vessel was a promise of unprecedented and unmatched power, beyond any mortal man could wish to achieve - the power of a god. As to be mortal is to be curious, man's interest in the book grew and grew until it could grow no longer - and the ritual of which to obtain the powers was conducted, and the evil was released. It was the year of 1067 C.E that such an event took place - unknown to the eyes or mortal men, such a ritual would throw the world into chaos and disarray for centuries to come.

The horrors of the Necrisath spewed forth unto the mortal realm, claiming those who summoned them as the practitioners of the vessel, the puppets of which they sought power. A tide of darkness was sent out onto the world, shrouding it's once beautiful and pure lands into darkness and decay, the creatures of the darkest reaches fueled by the power that had come forth. The future of the world was, for once in since its creation, at the brink of collapse.

It was with such a threat that man, elves, dwarves, and even some orcs banded together to defeat the oncoming hordes of evil, throwing aside old rivalries and feuds to ensure the survival of their nations and the progression of their peoples. For many years, countless battles were fought and sieges were waged; towns and villages were lost and millions died or converted into the horrors they fought valiantly to contain. It took nearly 4 centuries for the united forces of mortal beings to force the evil back into its depths or purge it from the land above in hopes that it would never return. When the fighting ceased, peace was short - the races no longer had something to unite against, and soon the distrust spread and they returned to as they had been. As for the evils released? They were beaten back by their united enemies, forced into hiding until the time was right to strike once more. The magics from the Necrisath spread among the world like a silent plague, corrupting its innocence and spreading the influence of evil. Necromancy, shadows and magic of the dark, black magic, ritual sacrificing, and more became apparent, and soon outlawed or considered taboo. Despite their best efforts, the mortal peoples could never return to the world as it had been. So they mourned and moved on. They forgot. But the dark history of the book may soon repeat itself once more, as it is rumored that not all the book’s dark secrets were released; only a sliver of it’s true evil had escaped.

## Vessels and Corresponding Horrors

**Horrors of Khaos** often resemble interpretations of the seven deadly sins; Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. These creatures are the most frequent of the four vessel horrors to be mistaken as humans or other mortal races, but do not be fooled; when a mortal is turned to a vessel of Khaos, all emotion or memory of their previous life is corrupted and erased, becoming a mindless instrument of violence and evil that knows no difference between right or wrong; no mercy for its enemies, and not a second thought upon its actions.

**Horrors of Gogal** are more uncommon than those of Khaos, but they’re considered to be one of the most terrifying of the four. These creatures are the dead, risen from peaceful rest in a powerful, dangerous curse to wander the world once more. They go by many names; Zombies. Draugr. Undead. But they all follow the same, dark vessel and the greater horrors that have been summoned from beyond the grave.

**Horrors of Exegus** are mortal beings infected by the unyielding plagues and sickness from the vessel’s minions and horrors. Instead of dying, those infected are turned to shambling mutants of flesh and sickness; neither alive nor dead, instead a horrible abomination that infects by touch. If the hosts are infected but do not turn, and instead happen to die, the deaths by the sickness simply fuel the Exegus horrors and provide more sustenance to spread the plague magic of their vessel.

**Horrors of Heligul** are similar to that of Gogals’, but without a physical form or appearance. These horrors are known as Phasmic Phenomenon, or Demonic Phenomenon; spirits returned from beyond the grave to haunt the mortal world as malevolent ghosts or demons. Not all phasmic phenomenon are directly horrors of Heligul, but all horrors of Heligul are considered to be phasmic phenomenon.