Apotheosis of Malevolence

My name is Moetermon, a Guardian of the Cosmos and I am here searching for adventurers who are up to the challenge of stopping an evil well known in these lands - he goes by the name Urtavu. Adventurers from your city may remember him as the Master of the Elements, but after his defeat, much has happened.

In the shadows of his chamber stalked his adopted daughter – the forsaken Githyanki, Darq. She witnessed his demise and patiently waited for his killers to plunder his treasures and depart before gathering his skeletal remains all while making a solemn promise to resurrect her father.

Her quest led her to the Library of Anog'thish where she spent many months researching the knowledge of resurrection. Through the knowledge she obtained from the library, she ventured to Pentir City in search of a sorcerer who to obtain knowledge in alchemy. Rumours of an alchemist by the name of Numnayan echoed throughout the city walls, whom took refuge within the dreaded swamplands. Coercing the powerful Numnayan to joining her cause was an easy task and together they combined their vast knowledge of disgraceful magic and devised a plan to resurrect Urtavu and reign terror upon Arathnos.

To return life permanently to the dead takes the essence of a living soul and one powerful enough to revitalize Urtavu to his former power would take a very strong life force. Through discrete measures, Darq pursued an adventuring party with plans to ambush them in their sleep and imprison their most powerful mage to act as a sacrifice to Numnayan's spell. During the night, while they slept, Darq invoked her extensive arsenal of mind-magic on a very powerful orcish warrior that goes by the name of Raij as he took up night watch. Promises of power and wealth were presented to him in turn for his loyalty and betrayal of his friends. Silently, Darq executed the party as they slept and captured the augurer, Zaphod, for her malevolent purpose. I foresaw this act of treachery all too late, only able to interject before Groo was to be executed. I was able to transport him to the Gateway where he now provides aid to those that seek to right the evil invoked by these evil forces.

After months of being chained up and experimented on, Zaphod succumbed to the evil magic and Urtavu's life was returned by the combined power of alchemy and sorcery conjured by Numnayan. With his life force returned, Urtavu, now a reborn lich, seeked power beyond the elements, but was unsure how to achieve it. Darq informed her father of the ability to reach a power beyond anything fathomable on Arathnos that she read during her time in the library – the ability to harness the power of the cosmos. She explained that to open a gateway to the place would require the heart of the land itself. This led them to the kingdom of Paeror and the woodlands of Trendale.

Conquering one of these countries would be easy with the combined strength of Numnayan, Darq, and Raij, but to conquer both within quick succession would take more. Tulani, outcasted princess of Trendale, was pursued by Raij, who persuaded her to the cause and the promise of her empire to rebuild and rule after Urtavu's destruction was complete. The invasions of Trendale by Tulani, Darq, and their army of torment, and of Paeror by Raij, Numnayan, and their army of fear, were brutal and quick. With the land now in control of Urtavu's forces, the draining of life could begin. First came Paeror acting as the initial source of experimentation. After a few failures, which will ultimately lead to the destruction of the land in time, the draining of essence commenced. Numnayan then taught Darq how to harness the power capable of performing this devious act, resulting in the corruption and eradication of existence within Trendale.

Having the energy of the earth below Trendale and Paeror would not be enough to access the ultimate power, though. Urtavu, himself, approached the legendary Dragon Tribunal, Angkor'Din, in the clouds high above Ryshikannan. Urtavu's new found power was enough to infiltrate the court in the clouds, corrupting Lok'Amenaer, and utilizing his magical prowess to provide enough energy to open a portal to the beginning - the end - the Axis of Time itself.

I implore you, Xantheus, come together and travel to the mountain overlooking the northeastern corner of Pentir Island. I have invoked a passageway between Arathnos and the Gateway of the Cosmos at its peak where I can offer my assistance to venturing to these lands to undo what has been done and defeat Urtavu once and for all.