Reference: text, books, etc found ingame for MS plot

[Ithildur]

To help avoid miscues that might occur from one PC carrying a clue item in their PC's inventory and forgetting to share it, player disappearing, etc. I think it'd be a good idea to post screenies (or type out content) etc that conveys the contents of text items and such that have been discovered ingame AND shared with the majority of PCs involved.

A separate playergroup forum would be useful for stuff like this.


Book carried currently by Aglaril (discovered in Macsheean):

[Ithildur]

Old Damaged Journal (carried currently by Toby, discovered on the dead red robed man):
"I am sure that I can find the secret with just a little more testing, this curse is most useful but....
My attempts have created some rather interesting undead but I have been unable to recreate the process by which the Cursed ones were created....
(..... several lines of blurred text......)
... somehow their creation is linked to that old temple to Myrkul..... tied to the coffins in the crypt...
(..... several lines of blurred text......)
Crave release........ will do anything if you promise them such............................... must show strength...........
simple enough.........R..............................
My lord bids me to disrupt the harvests and farms in this area ... subtley so as to not arouse suspiction.............................
Rain and Sun
Shall be their doom.......
I have set things in motion, the pendulum will be hard to stop later....
(..... several lines of blurred text......)
My dreams of late have been very strange... I cannot tell if my lord is testing me or if some malaise hangs over this place..... my head throbs....
..........................................
(..... several lines of blurred text......)
Tonight I shall attempt to master them yet again"

[Ithildur]

[Ithildur]

[Ithildur]

[Ithildur]

((Note, just in the way of clarification, consider the above content ICly distributed to everyone involved - other than Balkr and illiterate barbarians - by Aglaril. He does carry paper, and quill/ink... and has resorted to making copies. Lots and lots of copies. ))

[Ithildur]

((Aglaril has begun distributing these to involved PCs in the interest of keeping folks up to speed))

The following notes have been scribed in crisp, flowing Thorass script (alphabet used for writing Common speech) on parchments of good quality carefully rolled up and sealed with golden wax:

((unfurl the scroll if your PC has received one from Aglaril ingame))

Spoiler:

Moonshaes - general reminders:
"(Moonshaes) histories are verbal kept alive by the bards, not many written records
Magic is looked upon with fear and loathing by many; Using magic within a town proper is liable to land you in the stocks or worse. Yet they revere their druids and their bards which is the only magic they tolerate well."


Rumors concerning Caer Callydiir:

rumors from Samilla, sister of Bellie the hin dancer/wand maker who owns a shop in Callydiir
Bellie has been missing for some time
redheads being kidnapped... a woman from the temple of Sune missing
the Queen is keeping guards close in case of raiders' attack

Queen Alicia apparently journeyed to Waterdeep a few months back to purchase grains and such for Isles due to poor harvest

MacSheean:

The now deceased Acolyte Jack Black: served in the shrine to Kelemvor for 5 years as records keeper/assistant.
Some notable information from the acolyte:
Red Mist (later known as a Red Death) appeared x months ago ((x depends on how Arri rules IC time relates to RL time))
Undead have been restless in MacSheean for years ever since the area was cursed during the Darkwalker Wars
Jack Black's late mentor wondered if they were somehow connected to the Bloodwarriors
"Bloodwarriors are a vileness created by Kozgoroth the Beast before he was returned to the Hells from whence he came"
"The Cursed congregate on the site where great magic of a vile nature was performed nearly 50 years ago during Darkwalker wars...
it was said that this town was over taken by those that followed the Beast...
some say that the Beast changed men into something 'more' and these in turn sacrificed nearly the whole town in some sort of blood magic and sacrifice to acquire power. The spot has so far defied all attempts to cleanse it."(the site of the old pryre where the sacrifices took place)
"The Beast Kazgoroth, the Earthmother's greatest enemy..."
(the same creature that serves Malar)" ... has also served Talos but I do not know if these things are related... MacSheehan has a very dark history even before the Darkwalker wars from what I have gathered. Few buildings yet remain here only the Old Temple and the Keep still stand... A great army marched with the Beast on its way to Callidyrr, half of them consisting of undead."

Jack Black is now deceased, apparently slit his own wrist after being driven mad by the effect (likely disturbing dreams) of constant exposure in near proximity to the amplified power of the first Discord Stone... when last seen alive he exhibited signs of imbalance, being agitated, uttering things such as 'My Lord/master tests me... the dreams... they show the blackness in ones soul that must be cleaned... my lord judges all...' etc.
Writting (in blood) on the mirror in his bedroom: "Judgment is coming"

The Cursed: a strange form of undead, resistant to many usual weaknesses most undead exhibit such as fire. The ones encountered in Macsheean are skilled warriors wielding blades, some of them skilled enough to be a near match for Aglaril in weapon skill. When defeated in battle they crumble to dust, only to reform again some hours later. They seek above all to be set free from their cursed existence, but seem relentlessly hostile and combative until a Remove Curse is successfully used to set them free, a discovery made by Toby. Currently it's estimated only a handful remain; the rest have been set free.

The first crypt: a chamber (somewhere near or even within Macsheean ruins) accessible through a portal (which blocks undead from access) in a place built like a tower, which in turn is accessible via the well near the shrine of Kelemvor. The cryptlike chamber is filled with sarcophagi, about 20, several broken into and empty, most intact and sealed with silver runes which were glowing when first discovered. Within one of the sarcophagi was found the first discord stone
Note: the portal in and out of the crypt is now damaged, and only functions one way, going into the crypt.

The laboratory:found within the aforementioned tower-like structure. A corpse of a man in red robe carrying the symbol of Talos was found here; the corpse was dry and drained like an empty husk, later discovered to be the result of being fed on by the Red Death. Discovered on the man/in the lab were various tomes and a journal.

The Old Damaged Journal of the red robed corpse: ((see previous posts/screenshots above))


The tunnels below Macsheean, and the Red Death:

Toby had overheard the Red mist entity mentioned above speaking with the Cursed ones, promising them freedom. Apparently the creature used the lure of the promise to gain sway over them, wresting control over them from the man in red robes either before or after killing and feeding upon the man. The mist then seems to have proceeded to use them as guards and to bring it victims to feed upon, though it likely had other goals which thus far are unknown.

Accessible through any one of several wells scattered throughout the ruins of Macsheen are tunnels where more Cursed ones were encountered, including the elites mentioned above. The party was taken unprepared by a group of the elites and driven into retreat, but subsequent and more prepared return resulted in their defeat with a number of them set free by Remove Curse. With the ranks of it's guardians reduced, the Red Mist was vulnerable and when confronted it fled into a tiny crack in the tunnels.

A consultation with a loremaster from the Council of Mages in Caer Callydiir had yielded the possibility the Red mist was a creature known as a Red Death, a thing created when a vampire is slain, but somehow not completely destroyed completely. This was confirmed when the Red Death was finally defeated and a coffin found in the tunnels; the skeletal remains within held a wooden stake through the breast. Writings on the coffin lid indicate a foreign origin, a far off land to the East called Dupar, with this inscription in Dupari: "Hear lies Elder Doom Dalkari ... Church Elder in both life and undeath..."

The vampiric remains have been destroyed by Arizma and company.


The Ruins of the Temple of Myrkul:
Within the ruined temple several discoveries have been made after repeated visits:

The Book on Discord Stones ((AK, would appreciate if you could post the contents/screenies of this as I believe Toby has it))

"... a discord stone...laced with silver, dust and bone
... upon the altar they shall be cast, as they swear
... then word your wish with utmost care, when their..."
980 gold, 20 diamonds, 400 silver.....3 mages of magical nature....and... 12 stones of discord"

The 12 discs:
Upon the surface of the raised platform/altar in the middle of the temple ruins were found (after much time spent searching quite thoroughly) 12 discs inlaid with tarnished silver, with silver lines connecting each to the other; at the center of each disc is a small depression, about the right size to hold one of the discord stones.

Heavy Book of Curses A tome weighing over 100 lbs, apparently had a strong effect over the minds of those examining it, causing them to become obsessed with the book, resulting in uttering things eerily reminiscent of the words uttered by Jack Black "my lord/god is testing me..." etc.

Toby studied this book and learned the following, before being snapped out of a trancelike condition that was overtaking him:

"They (the discord stones) have no effect on the undead...none... They can cause crops to wither... and they can cause storms to rage ... Silver amplifies them... other than their ability to affect dreams... No mundane or magical means can destroy the stones... and they were created in 12...
Quartz will contain their power... if not dreams of loss and failure will come to all within 50 miles of a stone."

The tome was destroyed by a spell from Toby after the examination.

[Analogkid]

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NWN2_SS_040916_140436.jpg (72.53 KiB) Viewed 9470 times

[Ithildur]

((posted for reference later))

[Arianna]

This strange key in the shape of a Ankh, shows snakes as well as upon closer inspection the what looks like the symbol of Isis nearly rubbed way above them

the stylization makes you believe the key is likely around 2000 years old give or take

[Ithildur]

Little Black Journal