The Brothers Etrevion have one of the most infamous and hideous stories in
all the annals of sorcery - and this is the most comprehensive legend available
on the subject that I know of, however euphemistic or subtle it can be on
the true extent of all the delightful horrors. Indeed, there should not be
a single sorcerer who is not familiar with this one man in particular, for
he was one of greatest of the Dark Arts to ever live among the lesser races.
Throughout my varied archeological studies it has become evident that the
majority of the following account is accurate, though there are also parts
that are plainly wrong or were left out due to generality, ignorance, and
fear. While some of it is archaic, it is excellent on the whole. To be
uncharacteristically coy, it shall be left up to you the reader to figure
out which dubious parts those may be... at your own peril. - Lord Xorus
The Legend of the Necropolis of Etrevion is numbered among the tales that
emerged from the devastating Wars of Dominion that ended the Second Era of
Elanthia.
Two brothers from the eastern region of Jaiman set off to join the struggle
and seek their fame and fortune in the early days of the Wars. Of undistinguished
lineage, the brothers realized that the quickest means to power and wealth
was to cast their lot in with the forces of the Unlife. The elder brother,
Bandur Etrevion, was obsessed with the pursuit of esoteric lore and forbidden
knowledge. The younger, Kestrel Etrevion, was a more practical and carefree
sort, a man of action. While Bandur, a gaunt, intense and frail figure, often
envied Kestrel's exceeding beauty, his charisma and courage in battle, the
bond of brotherly love was fierce. Bandur used his black arts and warped
intelligence to take advantage of the chaos that the Wars of Dominion caused
and devoted himself to masterminding
the rapid rise of Kestrel in the ranks of the warriors of the Unlife. Bandur
remained a shadowy presence in the background, gathering dangerous knowledge
and subjecting himself more and more totally to the foul aims of the Unlife.
Kestrel came to be rewarded for his service after a particularly hard fought
campaign (actually pulled from the jaws of certain defeat by Bandur's sorcerous
intervention) with a small territory carved out along the west coast of Jaiman,
along the craggy shores of Darkstone Bay. This is part of the land that forms
the windward edge of the High Plateau in the region now called Elanith. Lord
Kestrel reluctantly left the camaraderie of the battlefield and the exhilaration
of combat to rule this small fiefdom. Although a fair and evenhanded ruler,
his heart yearned for more adventurous undertakings. Kestrel organized the
group of elite warriors chosen from among the best in the land, and formed
a naval fleet whose sole
purpose was to conduct long-ranging and lucrative raids, plundering the islands,
coastal settlements and shipping routes of Darkstone Bay. He ordered fast,
streamlined warships built and equipped and began a series of protracted
sea journeys that kept him away from the kingdom for many months on end.
Lord Kestrel's raids filled the land's royal coffers with much booty, precious
artifacts, legendary holy relics and fabled enchanted treasures. Yet the
kingdom was in total disarray due to his long absences. Although Bandur,
who was left in de facto charge of the territory, had a large and loyal network
of shadowy spies and well-placed informants throughout the land, he was so
immersed in his studies and writings that he did not notice the chaos developing
in the land until it reached the breaking point.
Bandur's obscure quests, hobbies and whims filled his days and nights, giving
him neither rest nor peace of mind. He wrote several widely read volumes
on the ways of the Unlife, including his most famous work, "Servants of the
Shadow: Power through Thralldom." For this work he was recognized by the
College at Karilon and permitted unlimited access to the Library at Nomikos
to continue his research. But, to his everlasting bitterness, his privileges
were revoked when he tripped an enchanted alarm
system and was apprehended trying to leave one of the Library's vaults with
a rare speaking crystal concealed in the folds of his robe. After that, he
occupied himself with eccentric pursuits and vainglorious projects, all seeking
to appease the ever more voracious demands of the Unlife upon him.
He commissioned daring thefts of rare manuscripts, relics and scrolls from
private collections and seats of learning from all the far flung corners
of Elanthia. He depleted the royal treasury with this undertaking, as well
as with the construction of demented edifices and terrifying monuments around
the countryside in homage to the Unlife.
Kestrel's maritime forays took him farther and farther afield from his unquiet
kingdom, and Bandur's depraved obsessions and extravagances caused the citizens
to resent and rebel against the restrictions of civilized, orderly society.
The spirit of the Unlife was strong; it pervaded and corrupted the land and
its influence was felt everywhere. Bands of armed brigands and rogues ran
free, kidnappings and ritual slaughter became commonplace, wild creatures
roamed the towns in search of prey, and enemies
raided the borderlands at frequent intervals. Many fragmented, sinister cults
arose to fill the vacuum left by the deterioration of law and morale in the
land.
Finally, after one particularly gruesome incident (too hideous even to be
repeated here), Bandur's advisors pleaded with him to take some action to
restore a semblance of order in the land. Bandur roused himself from his
arcane pursuits and concluded that something had to be done to surpress the
wanton bloodshed, cruelty and disorder in the land, not for the sake of peace
and tranquility, but more to allow him to continue to exploit it and divert
its resources to the efficient service of the Unlife. He
relentlessly eradicated pockets and strongholds of resistance to central
rule with a dedicated force of well-paid soldiers and an assembly of foul
creatures of his own creation. Once all opposition in the land was crushed,
he formed an official cult dedicated to the worship of the Unlife, which
all inhabitants were strongly urged to join if they wished to keep their
heads connected to their necks for any period of time. The state cult filled
the need of the people for leadership and direction and Bandur thus usurped
the throne of Kestrel, transforming the land into an evil theocracy.
The history of the cult deserves some discussion here. Early in his servitude
to the Unlife, Bandur had pledged himself to the Empress Gosaena, the first
Lord of Lornon to follow the ways of the Unlife. He turned his own bondage
to her into the state cult, which he called The Dark Path. Followers of The
Dark Path engaged in many heinous ritual practices beneath a genteel facade
of prayer. They were ostentatious in their devotions, carrying around long
rosaries of modwir beads and reciting out loud the
Iylari phrase "Gosaena Throk Farok." True followers of the cult of Gosaena
who recited the phrase with fervor and dedication were promised everlasting
existence by Bandur, and after death were transformed by him into various
levels of undead creatures.
While all this was transpiring in the land, Kestrel returned from an extended
sea voyage. Appalled at the condition of his kingdom, and angered at the
seizure of his throne, he exchanged heated words with his elder brother.
Before the dispute was resolved, an outbreak of hostilities along the land's
northern marches called Kestrel and his still-loyal armies away to defend
the borders. Demoralized and brokenhearted, Kestrel failed to vanquish the
foes, and was beaten back to retreat with the few surviving weary and mutinous
troops. In desperation, Kestrel used the Amulet of Summoning which Bandur
had enchanted for him when they were mere lads. Bandur, a formidable channel
for the Unlife, sent minor demonics to drive back the enemy. Once the outside
threat was quelled, the two fell to
arguing violently again in Kestrel's field tent. Bandur, now hopelessly under
the control of the Unlife, slew his brother Kestrel in a fit of possession
and hatred with a Spell of Absolution Pure.
When he came to his senses, Bandur's first instinct was to conceal his terrible
transgression. As the new day dawned, he appeared before the remaining troops
and announced that Lord Kestrel had died during the night of his battle wounds.
He dismissed the pitiful remnants of Kestrel's army, who gladly scattered
and returned to their homes without question. There, in a remote corner of
the land, Bandur created several golems to build a burial mound to hold the
remains of his brother along with some of his few cherished possessions.
Bandur returned to the capital city, consumed with guilt and remorse at having
slain his beloved younger brother. Troubled by evil dreams and ominous omens,
he concocted mind-warping spells and powerful potions to drown his mental
anguish. Nothing helped to ease his mind, and the Unlife fed on him with
unbounded glee as his inner conflict tore his soul asunder. Finally, he could
contain himself no longer.
He returned to the site of his foul deed, and there planned and ordered a
great graveyard and crypt to be built in the wilds. He oversaw the entire
project himself, using magical powers and conjured hordes to complete the
undertaking. He enclosed a large area, the burial mound of his brother forming
the northern perimeter, with high rock walls and a huge gate. Inside the
gate, he commanded a marvelous and perfect crypt to be built. That having
been done, and all the enchantments and magical traps placed around the
graveyard, Bandur installed all his valued possessions, treasured manuscripts
and holy relics in rooms within the crypt.
Finally, he was satisfied that the work was finished according to his grand
design. Now totally mad and in failing health, he returned to the capital
to appear before an assembly of the high-ranking priests of The Dark Path,
who ran the day-to-day affairs of the land. Pronouncing the words solemnly,
"Gosaena Throk Farok", he told them, "There is a place that calls me, where
I must go. My brother awaits me there. Seek me not if you value your lives.
Find me not if you value your souls!"
With that, he uttered a Spell of Returning and transported himself to the
crypt, within the gates of the necropolis he had built. Sealing himself up
in a sarcophagus of his own devising, he muttered a last black spell under
his breath and gave up his soul to the powers that it had been promised to
long ago.
The necropolis has been used over the millennia by the-much-debased line
of descendents of the family Etrevion, and by some unsavory local folk from
time to time. It is also a haunt for intrepid adventurers and predatory beasts.
(Contributor's Note: I have taken the liberty of translating some
of the more esoteric terms found in this document. The first two and fifth
paragraphs make allusions that cannot be accurately translated into the modern
proper theo-history, while some of the other words and phrases are made up
of word parts that would make the text look bulky and awkward should they
be literally translated, or those elements that cannot be accurately derived
into modernity without losing their proper meaning.
I found the older untranslated parchment collecting dust on one of my shelves
while I was sifting through my own written works and have thus put it to
good use; I fail to remember if there was a known author, though it was in
those notable Editions, Volume III Issue 11. My personal preliminary expansion
of the saga is approximately five times as long as this version of the legend,
but then, that is why only I am permitted to view my reference tomes. I have
also toyed with the idea of making footnotes or a full translation with a
commentary picking the story apart, but have since decided that such a design
would take all of the fun and immortal danger out of it for any relatively
neophyte scholars. After all, if they were granted knowledge of everything
within the necropolis, they would be far too afraid to go anywhere near it...
I despise the riff-raff desecrating my Northron Estate. - Lord Xorus)
