The Order of Nightfall is a knightly order which existed prior to the establishment of the Duchy of Aerik. Its members primarily concerned themselves with protecting residents of the region from the death cults which had taken root in the marshlands and the supernatural threats which accompanied them. The order’s symbol was that of an evenly armed cross superimposed over a many pointed star. The sword and shield which Sir Dryvyk currently wields once belonged to a member of the order.
The symbol of a single white skull is that of Nergal (Ossum Mortis), the ancient god of death, the undead, and the underworld. Nergal is widely believed to be a dead god. Many with divine insight claim that the deity was slain by his two sons, Orcus and Set, who sought to claim his supremacy over the realm of the dead for themselves. Despite this, Nergal’s symbol has been encountered by the adventurers numerous times during their explorations of the catacombs. In some instances, the symbol had been drawn or depicted recently.
Orcus (Malum Mortis), the demonic god of the undead, currently shares power with his brother Set, but seeks to see him overthrown so that he may claim rulership of the power of death exclusively. It is his living followers who the party have encountered most frequently within the catacombs, though there is evidence that his cult has suffered some recent setbacks. Until recently, Gamdar, one of Orcus’ agents, was kidnapping individuals from Helix and bringing them to the cult for use as sacrifices. The demon lord’s symbol is that of a ram’s skull.
Set (Jakuul Mortis), the god of serpents, death, and the underworld, is the brother of Orcus. Like his sibling, he covets complete control of the sphere of death. The strongest elements of his cult seem to have originated in the desert lands of the east and south, though it is clear that some of his followers have migrated to the Barrowmoor. It seems that many of Set’s faithful dedicate themselves to the study of necromancy. Certain prominent adherents of the god undergo mummification upon death, a process that enables their later return in an undead state. The party has encountered some mummies of Set along with the sapphire skeletons, undead with jewels embedded in their foreheads, who are able to reform as long as the stone remains intact. The symbol of Set is that of two serpents facing one another.
Both Orcus and Set appear to be in pursuit of an artifact of terrible power which is hidden somewhere in the Barrowmaze. The form of the object is unclear, but it is said to contain the sum of Nergal’s divine power. Recent lore uncovered by the adventurers suggests that the artifact was placed under the guardianship of an ancient dragon who may still reside somewhere within the catacombs.
The sapphire skeleton’s gems apparently contain an imprisoned soul, which serves to animate the lifeless bones. If the stones are taken out of the tombs in an unguarded state, the spirit within them is loosed upon the surface world. These spirits are able to possess living hosts to carry out Set’s ambitions. In the instance that this occurred with the party’s knowledge, two persons that the spirit assumed control of appeared to seek out a map in the possession of Perri Ticklebottom, proprietress of the gambling den The Foul Pheasant. Neither of the possessed were able to obtain the map.
The map sought by Set’s servants reportedly details certain features of an ancient, and reportedly abandoned, temple dedicated to the death god Impurax, a deity primarily concerned with the natural order of mortality and decay. The temple was purged of its priests and residents by soldiers during the formation of the Duchy of Aerik. Rumors persist that the temple is not fully abandoned, some travelers claiming to have seen lights within the structure after dark and having heard chanting within the area.
Varghoulis, an infamous warlord who ruled the moorland in the era before the establishment of the Duchy of Aerik, has been raised as a death knight, an undead warrior of tremendous power. This status was reportedly granted to him by Nergal, the deity he served faithfully in life. While living, Varghoulis was reportedly a ruthless conqueror, clashing with most of those who resided in the region as he sought to subjugate them. Since being awakened in his undead state, the death knight has clashed with the forces of Orcus within the catacombs, besting them in all of the conflicts that the adventurers have become aware of. It is believed that Varghoulis seeks the same artifact of power which Orcus and Set are contending for, though it would seem that the warlord’s ambition is to use the object’s power to somehow restore the god Nergal and see him once again assume rulership of the underworld. Varghoulis recently departed the tombs, his destination unknown, though history records that he once had a stronghold within the marshes. Varghoulis is served by a group of undead knights, called crypt knights in some lore, which appear to be intelligent and capable warriors, even in death. Varghoulis’ heraldic device is that of a skull superimposed over a black rose.
The party came into possession of a potion of undead control. The sorceress Dilemma had inquired if the potion could be utilized to control Lord Varghoulis for a time, in order to question the death knight about his aims. Mazzahs the Magnificent indicated that he did not believe that the potion was strong enough to control the warlord, but stated that it could be used to take control of one of his crypt knights, who might serve as a source of valuable information.
The party have encountered huecuva, gray robed undead whose touch can bring decay, within the catacombs. The huecuva have been actively capturing and executing grave robbers who have entered the crypts in search of wealth. It is not clear who the huecuva serve.
Groups of mongrelmen, who have faced numerous dangers in the marshlands, have taken residence in the catacombs, endeavoring to avoid the dangers which lurk within them. The mongrelmen have not responded to the party’s presence with any form of aggression and appear to have been willing to share information with them during prior encounters.
Within the catacombs, the adventurers have encountered more than one crypt belonging to clergy dedicated to the service of Silvanus, also called the Green Man, the ancient deity of nature and the balance.
Members of the Breldiln clan, a dwarven family revered as heroes by the dwarves of the Moon Peaks, are interred within the catacombs.
Within the tombs, the adventurers located a large crypt in which a number of faithful dedicated to the service of the Briar Queen, an ancient protector of the natural order, were interred. The party found several items of power within the crypt, along with a divinely inscribed tablet which Mazzahs is in the process of translating. The servants of the Briar Queen communicated that she had selected Dax Moonblade and Malivoire to serve as her champions, each of them receiving a magical item formed by the nature guardian’s power.
After overcoming a group of shadows who arose from the bodies of warriors and assassins who had served the god Orcus in life, a message was discovered hidden within one of the corpse’s remains, intended for the hearing of Orcus’ faithful. The message urged the servants of Orcus to seek out and secure an orb brought into the catacombs by a knight in the service of St. Ygg, Guy de O’Veargne. Brother Othar was familiar with the accounts of Sir O’Veargne’s service. Othar explained that the region where the Barrowmaze was ultimately built was known to be a place where the barrier between the planes was thin, a location where creatures from another planar realm could easily cross over into the material world. The followers of Nergal reportedly called on entities from the underworld at this place, referred to in some instances as a pit. Some accounts insist that Nergal himself walked the earth in this area. O’Veargne was given a powerful, holy artifact by the priests of St. Ygg. The church’s accounts refer to the object as a “font”. It possessed the power to close and seal the gate between worlds. Sir O’Veargne and several of his fellow knights ventured into the Barrowmaze to close the interplanar portal, but none ever returned from the expedition.
The adventurers were recently able to retrieve several ancient tomes from a barrow where adherents of Set had been buried. Mazzahs is in the process of studying the books. They may provide insights into the history and practices of Set’s cult.
The adventurers discovered a chamber in which an empty stone basin had been placed near the center, a bronze jug at the foot of the basin. The walls are decorated with life sized depictions of knights standing at guard. Where each knight’s head would be, there is a shallow alcove, each alcove holding a skull. Mazzahs indicated that the basin might have once been used for scrying.
