Acererak, the Devourer

Acererak was a lich who attempted a Ritual of Ascension, but failed, and became a vestige.

## History

Only bards and a few scholars remember Acererak’s name, but many know of the legend of his supposed final resting place, the Tomb of Horrors. As rumors of wealth and magic hidden in this fabled location spread, the tomb became a burial ground for more and more explorers and tomb robbers. In truth, however, the tomb of horrors was not Acererak’s sepulcher at all. It was merely a part of his plan to gain eternal life and command of all undead.

Acererak left behind a diary, and the information it contains combined with the actions of a stalwart few have at last brought the full tale of Acererak to light. In his diary, Acererak wrote that he was born of a union between a human woman and a demon. Despite his hideous deformities, his mother kept him and cared for him until, when he was ten years of age, some superstitious villagers burned down their house. Acererak survived the conflagration because of his demonic heritage, but his mother did not. In his diary, Acererak recalls that incident as the event that propelled him on the path toward necromancy and revenge against humanity.

Acererak became a powerful wizard. As he grew older and saw the specter of death looming, he sought out and completed the ritual for becoming a lich. After he assumed his undead form, his power continued to grow for centuries more. The diary relates, however, that Acererak eventually felt the forces animating his undead body begin to wane. Knowing that final oblivion was near, he decided to build himself a secret tomb. “Only those of the keenest luck and greatest skill will win through to me,” the diary read. “There, they shall receive a magnificent reward for their persistence.”

The diary, the Tomb of Horrors, and the supposed reward were all parts of an elaborate ruse designed to bring powerful adventurers into portions of the tomb that Acererak - by then, a powerful demilich - called his Fortress of Conclusion. In truth, Acererak had devised a ritual that he hoped would merge his consciousness with the Negative Energy Plane through the sacrifice of potent souls. Had he actually accomplished this goal, he could have assumed control of any undead on any plane and gained godlike powers as well as immortality. But the infamy of the Tomb of Horrors drew more than wealth-hungry thrill-seekers intent on gaining the reward promised in Acererak’s diary. Supplicants also came. Necromancers questing for knowledge, seekers of eternal life, and lost souls in search of purpose traveled to the tomb to learn what they could of the dark arts. In time, the supplicants became worshipers, and they stayed to dwell near the object of their devotion. Eventually, a settlement called Skull City sprang up around the entrance to Acererak’s Tomb of Horrors.

During the Fourth Era, some of the heroes Acererak lured to his tomb proved even more powerful and ingenious than he had anticipated. After fighting their way through Skull City and the Tomb of Horrors, they made their way to the demilich’s Fortress of Conclusion. At the last possible moment, they surmised Acererak’s plan and destroyed the artifact that was crucial to his apotheosis. They struck down Acererak and shattered his phylactery.

Normally, such an action would’ve sent Acererak’s soul to the Abyss, but the worship of the Skull City residents lent him a semblance of divinity; his desire to merge with the Negative Energy Plane proved stronger than the pull of the Abyss. Unfortunately for Acererak, souls do not travel to the Negative Energy Plane upon death. Since his spirit had no clear destination, it went to the Void, becoming a vestige divorced from all planes.

## Summoning

To summon Acererak, his sign must be drawn. The summoner must place a gem about the size of a human tooth or eye in the center of Acererak’s seal. The gem is not used up in the summoning process, nor does it move from where it was placed, despite the manner in which Acererak manifests.

If done successfully, the gem placed within the seal appears to float up into the air to the height of the summoner's head. Dust swirls in from the surroundings and up from the ground to coalesce around the gem, forming a yellowed human skull with the jewel as a tooth or an eye. A moment later, other gems wink into being, so that each eye socket and the space of every tooth is occupied by a shining diamond, ruby, emerald, or sapphire. The jewels glow briefly with an inner light, and then Acererak speaks, his dry voice filled with contempt.

## Binding

Binders who bind to Acererak have one of their teeth replaced by a gem. If removed, the gem reverts to a normal tooth, and a new gem appears in its place.

As a vestige, Acererak possesses the immortality he desired but none of the power that should accompany it. If a binder falls under his influence, they evince a strong hunger for influence and primacy. If they are presented with an opportunity to fill a void in power over a group of creatures, Acererak requests that they attempt to seize that power. They might impersonate a missing city official, take command of a leaderless unit of soldiers, or even grab the reins of runaway horses to establish their supremacy.

For all this, however, Acererak grants the binder some measure of magical power due to his connection to negative energy. They can detect and hide from the undead, gain immunities to cold and electricity damage, can paralyze enemies with a touch, speak with the dead, and gain healing from necrotic damage.