The Nightriser Compendium: A Look at Undeath in Nebudzznos

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[FONT="Arial Black"][COLOR="Red"][SIZE="5"]The Nightriser Compendium:
A Look at Undeath in Nebudzznos[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT]
[SIZE="1"]by Jawl Highwind[/SIZE]



[SIZE="4"]Page 1 - Introduction[/SIZE]

In the words of Elder Otoroo, this island has many prisons. Few are more obvious and imposing than Nebudzznos. A great Ziggurat, known by some as the Stone Mountain, Nebudzznos was responsible for the incarceration of Netheril's criminal element. Long ago, a cataclysmic event occured which resulted in the fall of Netheril, and in turn led to the fall of Nebudzznos. Now the nights are haunted by undead guardians.

Nightrisers are sentient undead with speech and spellcasting capabilities. Skeletal in appearance, they vary greatly in their combat prowess; some are weak while others are strong. Some are possessed of powerful necromantic magics, while others wield bows with bone-tipped arrows. They tend to fight from ambush positions, preferring to weaken the enemy at range, and are rarely seen alone. Physically, they are difficult to harm without an enchanted weapon. Mentally, they seem fearless and dedicated.

A nightriser may be possessed by a blue light, at which time it speaks with authority. In this way was Galleous Albedos of the Archaeological Society informed on Kythorn 20, 1375 that the Nightrisers would attack the Ziggurat and kill its inhabitants a fortnight after the message. According to Albedos, the Nightrisers have a prophecy about the people who have arrived at the Ziggurat, and it has caused them to make an ultimatum that the people must leave or die.

The Nightrisers have a connection to the man known as Porenius Herasus, a.k.a. Po. This man, who can be seen in portraits scattered throughout the ruins, is a pale and rotund figure of no particular uniquity. However, the Oath of the Nightrisers found within their barracks in the Eastern Ruins reveal that Porenius Herasus had a direct hand in the original creation of the Nightriser faction. I translated and transcribed this text myself during an expedition into the Nightriser barracks, and share it here with you now.

[Oath of the Nightrisers]

"We, the guards and soldiers of the City that nurtures and shelters us, do solemnly offer ourself up to the highest bound duties of service, and willing seek entrance into the Nightrisers.

We seek this unsleeping service to defend when others can not, to protect where others will not. We are the Nightrisers, and great is our duty, serious our purpose. We wish to defend the living, we who are not.

We commend ourselves to this service, the lessons of Porenius Herasus, the endless service that awaits. May the city never fall."

Rumours have existed for some time as to the true purpose of the Ziggurat, although the general consensus is that it was once and remains a prison. Primary amongst the evidence supporting the theories currently in place is mention of a "Warden" that ruled the Ziggurat without opposition. Little is known about the Warden character, but the evidence for his existence is difficult to reject. An example is this translated text from a mysterious chamber hidden within the walls surrounding the Ziggurat.

[Chamber of the Marching Dead]

"Here is a place of punishment, here is a place of justice, here is a place of education. They who were idle in their freedom, shall labour in their death. Here is a place of education. They who were idle in their freedom, shall labour in their death. May fire cleanse them, may work strengthen them. By the authority of the Warden, may this work be done."

The relationship between the Nightrisers and the Church of Jergal is complicated and still not entirely certain, although many current theories suppose that it was one of conflict, fear, and hatred. There are few sources of information about this conflict, and fewer yet are the reliable answers that can be gained. Of the Jergalite clergy that existed in the time of Netheril, there is only one man known to remain; Lotheri Sanq. His journals are also included in this compendium. Lotheri Sanq resides still in the Temple of Jergal. He claims his memory has faded: "A fleeting thing for that I am cursed or blessed by duty. Memory is imperfect, but keeping the archives of Jergal up to their utmost state serves as a memory in itself. I suspect that is the purpose the Lord of the End of Everything had in his eyes for him. Praise his wisdom." Many consider this reference to 'duty', his continued existence even millennia after the time of Netheril, and his pale skin to be evidence of his own undead nature.

The complete truth of the Nightrisers, both their origins and their purpose, is obscured to the knowledge of the Archaeological Society. There may be some who know the truth of the Nightrisers, but at the moment such people are either unwilling or unable to share their knowledge. However, theories abound as to the nature of the Nightrisers. Below you will find two such accounts; the first by Asdon Garlin of the Archaeological Society, and the second by the late Ridush of the same. Your humble editor will refrain from adding her own unnecessary theories to this compendium, and let the collected works speak for themselves.

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Page 2 - Garlin's Theory of the Nightrisers:[/SIZE]

The Theory of Asdon Garlin was one of the first to be devised after the portal became active, and the first to be properly recorded. Although it has an inclination towards dramaticism, with some conclusions being made prematurely, it has generally withstood the test of time and the new information brought before the public. Indeed, even with all we have learned of the Nightrisers in the past weeks, Mr. Garlin's theory could still hold true in every aspect. Mr. Garlin introduces several concepts that are key to the current popular theories of the Nightrisers, the Warden, and the fate of Jergal's Church on the Island of Ymph.

Asdon Garlin begins by laying out the groundwork for his theory. He claims that the Ziggurat was a prison designed to remove the most reprehensible elements from Netherese society. The portal in the Ziggurat was the means by which new prisoners were brought to the prison, therefore making it significantly more difficult to escape. Mr. Garlin goes on to claim that the prisoners of the island developed their own laws and orders out of necessity, and from this rose a figure known as the Warden. He gathered men under him to act as guards and soldiers.

Mr. Garlin, describing the Nightrisers themselves: "[The] Nightriser is a specialized form of undead, one that is destroyed by sunlight." He goes on to explain that this "destruction" seems only temporary, as the numbers of Nightrisers never dwindles despite constantly conflict with the living occupants of the Ziggurat. Evidence suggests that the Nightrisers were the guards of the Ziggurat, and Mr. Garlin theorizes that they feared death enough to undertake the rites that created the undead creatures known as Nightrisers.

In regards to the Warden, Mr. Garlin claims that he was responsible for the Nightrisers. Being that undead creatures created for a purpose other than that of Jergal were considered heretical, Mr. Garlin's theory continues by stating that the man Lotheri Sanq murdered was the Warden himself. "[Lotheri] detests the fact that animation is being used as an escape of death rather than a service of Jergal, and that this fact drives him to murder someone." There is textual evidence to support this claim, as when Lotheri refers to this murdered man in his journal (see pg. 4).

Mr. Garlin's theory is the basis on which many more elaborate theories are developed. Due to his initial exploration of this subject, a wide variety of information has become available. Mr. Garlin currently resides at the Archaeological Society, where he continues this and other fields of study in the name of the Lord of Knowledge, Oghma.

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Page 3 - Ridush's Theory of the Nightrisers:[/SIZE]

Recorded information regarding the life and person of Ridush is sparse, if non-existant. She was an active member of the Archaeological Society, as well as a servant of Kolrath the Targan cleric. Early in the month of Kythorn, 1375, she was reportedly slain, and from that point on all we have left of her is the work she provided in the pursuit of knowledge. Her theories were based on eyewitness evidence and testimony from her associates, who conversed with the Nightrisers and were active in the darker side of the local community. This grants her insights a unique perspective that few, if any, among the Society are able to replicate.

Ridush begins by stating that Porenius Herasus is responsible for the Nightrisers. There was a split in the Nightriser factions along religious lines, where some took to the worship of Targus while others followed Jergal. Despite this, Ridush also claims that the Jergal followers considered the Nightriser heretical and tried to destroy them. Supposedly, the Temple of Jergal was destroyed in retaliation by the Nightrisers, while Lotheri Sanq himself was spared for some unknown reason. It may be due to his own undead nature, or that he was simply able to conceal himself.

In agreement with Asdon Garlin's theory, Ridush states that the Jergal followers worshipped the Lord of the End of Everything out of fear of death. She also states that the Portraits of Porenius Herasus found throughout the ruins are partial evidence that he and Lotheri Sanq were both undead. There may be a closer relation between Lotheri and Po than has been made available through the knowledge given.

Ridush ends her theory with reference to the role Targus' followers played in the final days of living Nebudzznos. She suggests that the followers of Targus used the Nightrisers to start a great war, which resulted in the ideological schism that separated the Nightrisers into two (or more) factions. The evidence supports this theory, in that there is reference to undead worshippers of both deities and that the Nightrisers seem at odds with their own intentions; at times they wish to protect the Ziggurat, while at other times they seem intent on destroying every living being in sight.

Whatever the truth of the separate factions, it is undeniable according to Ridush that this split happened and continues to affect the situation within the Ziggurat. Who knows what amazing insights Ridush could have brought to us, had she lived to continue her work.

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Page 4 - Texts from the Temple of Jergal[/SIZE]

[Undeath]

"The foolishness of those who seek immortality. The foolish of those who see themselves as masters of their own faith. Remember that with each passing moment, our faith has been dictated by the gods and the end of our faith has been dictated by Jergal, himself.

The Undeath is not a gift. It is not a tool. It is only duty. Duty of the Lord of the End of Everything to forever keep track of the living and their demise. Those who seek it for their own gain shall never be sanctioned by the Church of Jergal. Remember this well, Scriveners."

[Journal of Lotheri]

"Even after being abandoned by all of Netheril, I cannot fathom the idea of leaving the brotherhood. It is to I, Lotheri, to continue the work of my Church, even in this place, this... prison...

My Lord, I beg your understanding and your willingness to forgive the acts of the brothers and sisters who are stuck upon this isle with I. Their denial of your power and their constant bickering over their own ascension to godhood... It makes me question our race, My Lord.

It makes me question why the gods have allowed us, mortals, to generate such harmful thoughts as immortality. It is clear to my eyes and the eyes of the Scriveners that the faith of any one must -end- as one cannot fahtom the existence of a 'creation' without the existence of a 'destruction'."

"I hear the heretics. I hear the heretics speak of using the dead as a menial force. That it is simply our destiny to take advantage of whatever forces we have been bestowed and exploit them to no end.

You cannot understand my rage, despite the calmness that you teach us, my rage while hearing this flaunting of all that you taught us made me lose my discipline over this cretin.

There was only one path of action that I could possibly take while faced by this heresy. Murder. To end the heresy with my hands, I would have followed the path of your Hands and strangled the fool while he will have his back turned to myself. This, this I will do for you, My Lord."

[Contract of Prolonged End]

"This is a guideline for those who wish to have a prearranged return from the realm of the Lord of the End of Everything. It is a boon accepted by the Church to return to life the body of an individual in exchange for a sizeable donation (No less than 5000 gold coins).

If a contract of Revivification is signed, the Church will do what it can to find the body of the deceased upon death and return him to the world of the living. Expenses incurred in the recovery of the body shall be paid by the contractor on the moment of his return.

Of course, should the Lord of the End of Everything oppose the return of said-contractor, the donation given to sign the contract of revivification shall be returned to the being's heirs. The Scriveners will always defer to the final judgment of our Lord."

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Death and Undeath feature predominantly in both the past and present of Nebudzznos, and indeed the Island of Ymph itself. The mysteries surrounding the dark forces at work are far from being unraveled, although new information is always being made available. No matter the theory regarding the origins and purpose of the Nightrisers, there is no doubt that they will linger in this place for a long time to come.

~Jawl Highwind