The Shrouded Isles Inquisition

[Aethereal]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="6"][tface=fraktur]The Shrouded Isles Inquisition[/SIZE]

A journey through time and place in the uncovering of mysteries across the Shrouded Isles Archipelago.[/tface]

[SIZE="5"][tface=fraktur]Preface[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]What are the Shrouded Isles?[/tface][/COLOR]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]A new home, a pilgrimage blessed by the Gods, the site where the Apocalypse shall be had or averted, a prison of ancient and dark powers, an unending battlefield, a place of great beauty and intense mystery, small specks of land within the Shining Seas in the far south west of Abeir Toril?

It is all of these things and more, and the answer always varies from person to person.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Place of Knowledge[/tface][/COLOR]

[SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Knowledge is the mover and shaker of all sapient life. Those flickers in your mind that allow you to comprehend this text are an aspect of this realisation. That it is through understanding you become who you are; without knowledge you open yourself to oblivion.

So it is that we look to the knowledge that past lorekeepers of Ymph have accrued and made available to us. This can only take us so far before further questions must be asked. It is at this point where we can no longer rely upon the works of those who came before us to answer all the questions on our mind.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]It is in this vein and in order to fill the void between then and now that [/FONT][/SIZE][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Shrouded Isles Inquisition[/tface][/COLOR][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"] is convened:[/FONT][/SIZE]

• [SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]To answer the questions of life, death, undeath, and existence upon Ymph. [/FONT][/SIZE]
  
  
  
• [SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]To demystify the future by making sense of the past and present.[/FONT][/SIZE]
  
  
  
• [SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]To foster understanding of all things.[/FONT][/SIZE]
  

[/INDENT]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Authored by
Elendaerion Shadowfall

Inquisitor of the Shrouded Isles[/COLOR][/tface]

[Aethereal]

A work never accomplished...

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="5"][tface=fraktur]Chapters:[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]


[INDENT][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]1. Introduction[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]
[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]1.1. The Soul of the Shrouded Isles[/tface][/COLOR]
[/INDENT]
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]2. The People of the Isles[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]
[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]2.1. The Transcendent Conclave
[INDENT]2.1.1. The Order of the Spellguard versus the Transcendent Conclave
2.1.2. Rules of Empire: Your Will be Mine!
2.1.3. A Faceless Empire of Bandits?
2.1.4. The Identity of New Netheril[/INDENT][/tface][/COLOR][/B][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]2.2. The Wyrm Watchers[/tface][/COLOR][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[Aethereal]

1. Introduction

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="5"][tface=fraktur]1. Introduction[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Greetings to all of the Shrouded Isles,

I address you as a fellow citizen and practitioner of Life within this isle, said to host and be the forefront of the end of days. It is my goal to help us navigate through the flotsam and jetsam surrounding us in this shipwreck that is life upon the Shrouded Isles Archipelago, in the hope that each one of us shall find our own way to the existence that was destined to be.

The written manifestation of the Inquisition, these very words, are the result of a dedicated and dauntless investigation of the Shrouded Isles, in its full and glorious entirety. Examined and expounded upon within, is the history of the peoples and places throughout the isles, documentation of the environs and all the denizens found therein, commentary and chronicles of major events that shape the isles, and a collection of lore that falls in between or beyond the aforementioned.

The utmost effort is made to ensure this great undertaking is without bias and that facts are delivered honestly and correctly, such that this compendium of knowledge may benefit all who ever come to call these isles home.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=callig]~Elendaerion Shadowfall[/tface][/COLOR]

[Aethereal]

1.1 The Soul of the Shrouded Isles

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]1.1 The Soul of the Shrouded Isles[/tface][/COLOR]




[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Mortals possess it within them, the Gods inevitably welcome it into their domain, demons and devils lust after it; it is the soul of the Shrouded Isles, it is your soul.

To us it is everything, it defines our path in life, our desired afterlife and yet we live in a place where these things can be denied to us so simply, so easily. It is a currency here like it is in the infinite layers of the abyss and the nine hells, and you shall soon learn just who desires it, just who craves your soul.[/INDENT][/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Maiden, H'Bala[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]The most obvious culprit, H'Bala was long lusted after in the times of Old Netheril, thus her epithet. With her release she now ravages the lands stealing the souls of living and dead beings, twisting them with her nercromantic art into eternal servitude and grotesque shadows of their former selves.[/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Mist[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]It seems that the Mist outwardly opposes H'Bala and this is seen in the protection against the withering it grants in the shrouded lands and the hamlet of Mistlocke. This notion whilst appearing benevolent is bound to the inherently dark reality that it is fuelled by souls.

Seven daughters... seven sons...
Come away from the path... join the Mist...
Join us...
The Mist... is the Mist... is the Mist...
Doom... doom...

These utterances are but a few of the riddles one hears from their mist induced counterparts whilst travelling the Path of Rabbanatha. It is more than just a widely held theory that, souls are trapped within the substrate of this Mist, which is revered, utilised, and feared by many denizens of the Shrouded Isles.[/I][/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Mistlocke[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Mistlocke routinely offers a "Champion of the Mist," who is given in ritual sacrifice, never to be seen again whenever the mists thicken around the hamlet. It is tradition for the soul offered to be selected by a Lottery as designed by the late Lord Mayor, Althus Quilby. [/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Cults of the Mist[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]It is postulated that any soul released from its mortal coil within the Shrouded Isles is subject to coalescing with the Mist. There are a great variety of cults focused around this design of the Mist, those currently known are as follows:[/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Raiders of the Mist[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]These seafaring peoples (humans?) offer the lives of children and women to the Mists to sate it in some primitive rituals of worship. They are not particularly well documented, though their history is tied to all settlements of the living within the Shrouded Isles.[/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Neerix Valashar[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]The mist augur was known to work the Mists, imbibing it like a drug. Whatever connection she had to the mist is superficial, she was most likely just a thrall in service to some being commanding her in her drug addled state. She is mentioned here for the sake of maintaining thorough scholastic records.[/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Numinous Order of Brethren Votarient[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]The Mist is tied closely to this faction who have a long history on Ymph, from the times of Netheril rumour goes. Just in what way they are involved with the Mist remains misterious and shrouded in the secret chants of their monastic order.

The Usurping of Saint Mororn Glaemril from the House of the Triad to the Mist realms of the Numinous Order is a demonstration of the mist-borne soul channelling wielded by this organisation.[/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Necromantics[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]There is rumour that the Mist is used in rituals associated with certain necromantic powers. Zul'Jin Nganga the Chultan of the Bogs may be one such practitioner.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Druids[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]The druids have demonstrated their sacrifice of souls in the creation of plants that are capable of resisting and even opposing the Withering. A prime example is the the creation of the Heart of Life, which consumed the steward-guardian River's life to be brought into being. The Spirit of Marcail within the Wyldwater Circle is another example of how the soul is used to fuel the works of the natural world, in ostensible opposition against the unnatural.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Soul Archive[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]A mysterious device, what it does exactly is not completely known, though much speculation exists regarding it based upon eyewitness accounts. It is currently being used by the Triumvirate of the Transcendent Conclave to punish enemies of the New Netherese Empire and H'Balan cultists.[/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Conclusion[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]It is certain that the Shrouded Isles have a unique interest in the souls of mortal kind. We have seen evidence and support for each and every outlined soul affecting entity, though it is quite likely there are others which have not been documented, awaiting the inquisitive mind to uncover and understand.

Either none are guilty or all are guilty. Any fighting that erupts regarding the souls of the people is motivated by other intentions and this work demonstrates the truth of this. All the living peoples' of this isle are in some way aligned to a soul affecting entity, many are just too stubborn or unwilling to admit to the truth.[/INDENT]

In the light of Reason and the Enlightenment of all,[/I][/SIZE][/FONT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Elendaerion Shadowfall

Inquisitor of the Shrouded Isles[/COLOR]
[COLOR="Purple"]Caliphar of the Transcendent Conclave[/COLOR]
[/tface][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Scribed upon the fifteenth of Marpenoth, 1381 DR.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Aethereal]

2.1. The Transcendent Conclave

[SIZE="5"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]2.1. The Transcendent Conclave[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]



[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="3"][tface=fraktur]The 20th of Eleasis, 1381 DR[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]The first Inquisitorial topic is one that has burned anew in recent times, it is upon the deeds and peoples of New Netheril. I must quip as a scholar of history that it is so absurd that we speak about the fallen and lost Netheril as if it is a common day affair; where else on Abeir-Toril but Ymph, my dear readers? Where else.

To the point, it is clear that the Transcendent Conclave, under the declarations of a New Empire of Netheril, has taken actions which have shaken the foundation of our civilisation.

And we have not been slow to respond.

Clan Aberdenn has come so far as to incite militant action against this conclave of magocratic imperialists, primarily over the issue of Sis Liman; the only widely known trade port on this 'living' side of the island. A place that has been under contention ever since the Second Great Shrouding, a place that shall undoubtedly continue to be a hotbed of political conflict and desperation as long as life exists on Ymph.

As a direct reaction to these events, the Elder Council of Mistlocke is currently and most carefully considering the possibility of exiling all Conclavists and the Imperial Auxiliae along with; a very precarious situation indeed.

This claim upon Sis Liman is only one recent development borne of this mysterious mages' guild agenda, an aggressive expansionist effort that seems to have rested heavily upon the shoulders of a now thought to be deceased Keeper of the Flame, Zeulisad Khanar Murrar. With his passing, what can be expected of this organisation and the will of their enigmatic leader?

I believe that is something we, the people of Mistlocke and Ymph are capable of influencing. Should we push a people into desperation and strike with aggression, what but the very same should we expect in return?

Let us look at their widely declared goals:

• To bring an end to H'Bala and her Withering touch.



• To destroy the Nightrisen and every tainted element of their fallen empire.



• To prevent the blasphemy that was Old Netheril from ever occurring again.



• To maintain the peace on Ymph. (Now defunct?)

Are these not goals that are conducive to our way of life?

Whilst considering these facts, I must provoke the greatest truism of our civilisation:

[INDENT]We are who we are because of the sheer diversity of our people, the Mythallar's indiscriminate nature calls to us, people from all walks of life. The young, the old, the noble, the commoner, the mage, priest, warrior, and scoundrel. [/INDENT]

This fact is both a contribution to our progress as a People by pulling forth ideas and ideals from across Abeir-Toril as it is a severe hindrance by inhibiting cooperation due to misunderstanding and the inherent cultural conflict borne from such a gathering.

Let us not try to believe that cooperation is possible by all people, except maybe in undeath; but that is no way to live. All that I advocate is a desire to understand, and it is so that the Inquisition is born.

Those of us who find themselves outside of our fair hamlet of Mistlocke, whether it be as part of the Wyrm Watchers, the Numinous Order of Brethren Votarient, the Transcendent Conclave, the Stewards of Ymph or even as an outcast residing elsewhere. They, nay we, all share in the simple bond of being alive in a land of ancient powers, undeath, and constant uncertainty.

Who can say why they chose to align with whatever organisation they became a part of; it is undoubtedly all an aspect of the inherent desire for belonging and something associated with these great bodies that revealed to them a way in which they could make the best of their new lives.

Let us find the meaning of all of this, our very presence here, why it was we who were brought here, and not our mother, father or sister.

So, with this first inquiry, I ask you all, what of the Transcendent Conclave?

[INDENT]We have remained passive for too long, it is time to let our voices be heard; spread your opinions of this faction and tell us what you think should be our response, if any, to their most recent affairs, and why.

I further pose inquiry to all current magi, consorts and Imperial Auxilia of the Transcendent Conclave to reveal why they chose to join this organisation and what their own views are on the matter.[/INDENT]

The space below is made available for opinions to be heard and declarations to be made. I shall also accept written missive sent to the Mist's End and will be interviewing individuals where possible.[/I][/SIZE][/FONT]

Because there is no sense to simply isolating oneself away from the isles like the Aberdenn, no sense hunting mere coinage when there is much to do upon these shrouded isles. No sense forever proclaiming an oncoming apocalypse. Apathy is death, after all.

We must reach out and carve what we seek from every forest, every cave and every desert. To survive, the solution is not to hide away behind a barrier of mist. The solution is to rise up, unified under the ideals of something greater. Under the aspirations of someone greater.

The Conclave realises this. New Netheril is the path to something greater than any one man.

New Netheril is hope.

--Executor Julius V. Tarquin

[Aethereal]

2.1.1. The Order of the Spellguard versus the Transcendent Conclave

[SIZE="4"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]2.1.1. The Order of the Spellguard versus the Transcendent Conclave[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]From the Underdark they came, their ostensible goals to recover lost texts and relics of the Netherese Archwizard, Prassix Rijorative. Questions arise as to this being why they truly arose from the depths, this Order of magi who threatened the Transcendent Conclave's monopoly on arcane knowledge upon Ymph and its place as the premier Mages Guild of the Shining Seas.

They spoke of great libraries of lore on all things arcane, of the planes beyond, of a greatness wrought of the Lady of Mysteries gifts, of machines of near limitless power and of advancing beyond simple flesh. Truly, even to we who live in the ruins of ancient arcane empires and in the midst of burgeoning New Empire of Netheril; such offers were laced with a sweetness sublime.

So sweet, that it might just be a lie.

Logic dictates that the Order of the Spellguard partook of a surface expedition either in great desperation or in order to establish a forward investigation of a much grander plan.

With this in mind, I take great pleasure in presenting the clues and revelations of an adjusted script granted to me through the Shadowfall Inquisition![/SIZE][/FONT]

[hide=The Necromancer who broke Mistlocke's back]

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]A public execution is to take place in the Square of Mistlocke. A necromancer named Hjalma Erston, said to be affiliated with the Black Cloaks stands upon the stage, behind him is Musterwoman Selina Franks, with a dagger to the criminal's back and another in her other hand.[/COLOR][/INDENT]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The scene unfolds:[/tface][/COLOR]

Commoner: [INDENT]"Let 'im have some last words."[/INDENT]

Musterwoman Franks: [INDENT]"Speak, Conclavist!"[/INDENT]

Hjalma Erston: [INDENT]"Know, good people of Mistlocke, that I will transcend death. It has no purchase on me. There is no door that may stop him, or guardian that may withstand him. I hope the legacy I leave behind is enough for my revenge, but it does not matter."

"All turns to dust in the end."

"You may kill me now, madame."[/INDENT]

Musterwoman Franks: [INDENT]"Mistlocke, this man before you dies for the foul act of necromany, the abduction and murder of a musterman and the planing of a war on Mistlocke. Watch and remember his fate."[/INDENT]

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Musterwoman Franks brings her dual daggers to Hjalma's throat, slicing his larynx open, which bleeds the accused criminal a slow gurgling death.

...

Shortly thereafter, Antoine Godson, a young candidate vying for the position of Lord-Mayor arrives on the scene, sheathed in magical wards.[/COLOR][/INDENT]

Antoine Godson: [INDENT]"Prepare!"[/INDENT]

Mistlocke peasant shouts: [INDENT]"CONCLAVE MURDERERS!"

"Get out CONCLAVE murderers!"[/INDENT]

Antoine Godson exclaims: [INDENT]"Above, on the tower!"

"It's the conclavist, I can see him! Old Stones tower!"[/INDENT]

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]At this point, eldritch lights can be clearly seen atop the tower of Old Stones. A man, known as Finster Voegal is revealed with an accomplice chanting and channeling a ritual of unknown power or purpose.[/COLOR][/INDENT]

Antoine Godson: [INDENT]"Well, best send a message."[/INDENT]

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]In what can only be seen as hasty decision, Antoine Godson haphazardly launches a fireball at the top of the Old Stones parapets, attempting to disrupt whatever occurs above.[/COLOR][/INDENT]

Female citizen: [INDENT]"That seems... reckless!"[/INDENT]

Male citizen: [INDENT]"That was kinda funny."[/INDENT]

Antoine Godson: [INDENT]"Filthy cultists."[/INDENT]

Musterwoman Franks poignantly adds: [INDENT]"Godson they will only fire back. They got the better position, we had it before."[/INDENT]

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]In response, dark tentacles sprout from the earth between the Caermyn Estate and Market Hall. It is the fourth circle spell of Evard's Black Tentacles, cast by an unknown source atop the Old Stones.[/COLOR][/INDENT]

Antoine Godson concludes: [INDENT]"They must know we will fight back, hm?"[/INDENT]

[INDENT][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]The scene outside dies down. Godson along with a handful of others enter Old Stones.

Yet the fate of Finster Voegal and his apprentice remain unknown.[/COLOR][/INDENT]

[/hide]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]The script above details a scene that seems to have tipped the scales in determining the Council of Elder's decision in banishing the Transcendent Conclave from Mistlocke.

Some could say it was the acts of Finster Voegal that have caused the fracture that now exists in the lines of communication between our fair hamlet and the New Empire of Netheril.

Despite this action taken by Mistlocke, we note that no untoward violence from the Transcendent Conclave has yet occurred against our citizenry despite warning from our incumbent Lord Mayor.

Is this a calm before the storm? Or is the removal of Conclavists and their associated subsidiaries from Mistlocke of no consequence to New Netheril?

Whatever the case, there is an eerie silence, a vacuum of communication which we are all familiar with from the leadership of the Transcendent Conclave. We shall have to await that moment when one of the fledglings acts or issues statement on behalf of their Lord and Master.

Let us remember too that this is a state of being which our leadership has deemed fit, knowing full well that there may be untoward consequences for taking this path.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Finster Voegal: A Spellguard Associate, a Renegade, a Necromancer[/tface][/COLOR]



[Hide=Announcement of Eleasis 22nd, 1381 DR]Unfortunately, Sergeant Nefzen will never read this message. He has, this evening, been felled by a Necromancer of the Conclave whilst executing his duties in the Mistlocke Inn.

This "Imsin" raised her blade not only against the Sergeant, but against myself as Sergeant Nefzen attempted to question this "Finster" on his Necromancy. For the crime of attacking us, and aiding him in fleeing, she was exiled.

The attack in the Mistlocke Inn is an intolerable act of aggression, one for which the Conclave ought to consider making repirations in the least form by turning this man over for justice.

For my own part, I urge the populace to stand strong against Conclave aggression. None have more cause to fear them than I, whom aided the Sergeant in the act of valor for which his life was taken. Yet here I stand, an old man, unafraid of their violence even should it lead to my own death at the hands of some swift, crude assassin.

As a citizen, I urge you Deputy Mayor to consider your allegience to this group which has offered us, and our people, such insult. If this is the action of one man alone, as I suspect the Conclave shall claim it is, then cast him out and deliver him to justice.


AN UPDATE:

The Conclave has issued a statement saying that Finster has acted alone, and is to be considered a renegade. This is an excellent first step towards a clear, and open communication of peace. It should be noted, however, that this statement came whilst openly calling us their inferiors. As proud citizens of Mistlocke, we must recognize this for what it is: an example of their utter disregard for our city.

Citizens, we do not matter to them. We are seen as pawns on the board of Ymph. And if that is to be the case, let us cast them off until such a time as they are willing to treat our city with the dignity and respect it deserves.

-Joe Pleate
Candidate for Mayor[/hide]

[INDENT][FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]I lament the lack of knowledge that remains regarding the Order of the Spellguard Surface Expedition after their number was wiped out.

Although I hold no love for them, nor would I outright shun them, at least not without having a chance to learn more about them. Perhaps it was a mistake for the village to have so quickly reacted negatively to their presence, I cannot say, it all occurred whilst I was within the Mist's embrace.

What I have come to learn however is that Finster Voegal was an associate of the Order of the Spellguard. He was this and perhaps an Imperial blackcloak at the same time, why indeed he may have been the cause of the Spellguard's downfall at the hands of the New Netherese.

After the elimination of the surface expedition, Voegal worked openly amongst the Imperials. It was only after his most devious acts that he was declared renegade by the Conclave.

How a man has managed to wriggle into the cracks of society and influence so much without truly being known is a curiosity, yet not one without precedent upon Ymph. His works seem to have been planned beforehand and have only recently come to light. Animation, spirit binding, murder, and other Unholy acts.

I learn that it is by far and large that Finster Voegal acted of his own accord when he commit his crimes; he is the  only criminal. His associations were a means for him to acquire the foothold he required to launch his devious schemes.

And even if the Transcendent Conclave is not inherently our enemy. I must note that there was no battle between light and darkness that occurred as the Transcendent Conclave destroyed the Order of the Spellguard's surface expedition.

There is one to watch over the surface from the skies above and one that gazes from the darkness beneath, both powers that seek to exert their influence however they can. They are rivals only when they share the same field. And when darkness clashes against darkness, those who are uninvolved are put at risk.

Despite all that we might learn, a dead topic that may aid in understanding our condition must be resurrected. It is the issue of why the removal of the Order of the Spellguard's surface expedition passed without the slightest of afterthought amongst our community?

I understand few of us care for the loss of those who we never properly understood, thought to have been abominations with dark intent. But why was the Transcendent Conclave so strongly opposed to the Spellguard?

Was there somewhere in all of this conflict that we might have truly prospered, to have adjusted the outcome to aid us in our advancement as a civilisation? Did we miss something that should have been abundantly clear?[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

[Aethereal]

2.1.2. Rules of Empire: Your Will be Mine!

[SIZE="4"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]2.1.2. Rules of Empire: Your Will be Mine![/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]



[COLOR="Yellow"][SIZE="3"][tface=fell]"Transcendent Conclave Territory:
 
The Will of the Triumvirate and of the Oracle Razul rules here."[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]Much has transpired since the unveiling of the first chapter of The Inquisition. Most notably our former Lord Mayor, the one who placed the decree of Banishment upon this guild of magi has honourably ended his term of governance. With his successor sworn in and a brand new leadership comes to us a vision.

I am sure that I am not alone in feeling this shift in the air around us; Yea, the winds of Time and Change are nigh upon us. In what way will they flow, however, remains uncertain.

One thing which is certain however, is that zealotry is ubiquitous and this need not be by necessity a bad thing.

Time after time it is witnessed thus: They who stand strongest against something become that which they ostensibly oppose. Darkness turns to light, and the day becomes consumed by the night; this is an eternal plight. Yet sometimes when one muses the centuries, it becomes tired, it becomes predictable... there is no excitement in that which is already known.

And so I oppose, so should we all oppose. Not necessarily though violence or unkind word, not through disobedience or ill informed verse, but through illumination; take that as you will. It is so that I must write of the travesty developing now within these Shrouded Isles. Of an empire in its nascent walking a precarious path, worn steps that inherently rise only to fall; so history has shown us.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][INDENT][tface=fraktur]Demonstrandum:[/tface]

[INDENT][tface=fraktur]Shades of Karsus' Folly, an imperium of hubris.[/tface][/INDENT][/COLOR]

[/SIZE]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]I prepare to leave the lands of the Transcendent Conclave, and as I do, my dear familiar Alleria bestows upon me a magical empowerment. Shortly thereafter we become aware of a presence, it is unseen. I reveal my awareness of this being, and he appears.

He says to me: [INDENT]"Does that bat have permission for spellcasting in the empire's territory?"[/INDENT]

I thought it was a joke, though I treated the question seriously, not knowing the mind of my intimidating interlocutor. He is the one known as Neophyte Tavok Fael'raen, Commander of the Imperial Black-Cloaks. And he did not inquire in jest.

No indeed, the Neophyte informs me that spell casting upon Imperial territory is a most serious crime. He goes so far to tell me that serious crimes are punishable by death and that since my familiar could never have asked for permission, I am to be subject to the punishment.

[INDENT]Was it the drive of greed that overcame this being? Did he desire what meager possessions I carry? Or was he a bloodthirsty creature seeking to sate its devious appetite?[/INDENT]

I ask those questions because I know that he was at least in part confusing what is known and true and outright refused to grant me permission after I sought it. He placed himself in a state of ignorance over the commandments of his own Oracle.: [INDENT]Why did he suggest that spellcasting on Imperial territory was a crime punishable by death, when it is not listed upon the Laws of the New Empire? Why was he so antagonistic?![/INDENT]

I do not need him to answer my questions. His actions speak for himself and his position as the commander of the Black-Cloaks. Combine this with the relatively short and ultimately dark history of this auxiliary wing of the New Netherese and all is revealed.

Under the guidance and establishment of the late Zeulisad-Xigiator this organisation of Black-Cloaks facilitated the rise of criminals such the [SIZE="3"]Minstrel of the Dead[/SIZE], and it seems they do not cease to harbour and encourage enemies of Mistlocke; men more akin to demons and devils than humanity.

I suffer in the place of others through the misdeeds of the treacherous and their ilk, dear reader, to ensure these vile acts are not commit upon you or anyone else.

As such I unveil the commandments that may be read upon the entrance to the canyon above which the floating enclave of New Netheril remains anchored. It is by this that one may be held accountable to New Netheril:[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

[COLOR="Purple"][SIZE="3"][tface=fraktur]The Laws of the New Empire, as Overseen by the Transcendent Conclave[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[INDENT][COLOR="Purple"][tface=fraktur]1) The Will of the Triuvirate and of the Lady's Prophet Razul rules in these lands.

2) No mage may work the weave in the shadow of the Enclave, without the approval of it's number.

3) None who blaspheme the Conclave may pass these lands safely, nor leave them once they have.[/tface][/COLOR][/INDENT]

[Aethereal]

2.1.3. A Faceless Empire of Bandits?

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="4"][tface=fraktur]2.1.3. A Faceless Empire of Bandits?[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

Ser Shadowfall,

I fear there is nowhere else I can go, I do not know what to do or who to tell.

I was assaulted in the forlorn underwood. It was a big man. With a stag-like helmet. He kept screaming "Empire" as he punched us.

He took -all- my coin! I had saved up a lot, too.

I didn't break any of their rules, I don't even know of this Conclave, except for what people in town here talk.

They've already robbed me, I'm not sure on what they will do next!

Please... just... please...something...anything.

-Anonymous

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="4"][tface=fraktur]The antler-helmed pugilist bandit of Empire?[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]Brigandry and bastardry are not conduct befitting of an Empire, a guild of learned men and women. Why are bandits representing an organisation that ostensibly possesses so many noble and appreciable goals?

I pray to the Goddess, I beseech the Lady of Mysteries to intervene over those who should show her the greatest respect. I pray that in their floating temple, dedicated to the Mother of all Magic, wherein resides Her said-to-be Prophet that this path be turned away from.

Just as I dwell in Her earthly temple remaining grounded to reality and the land, I pray that those who levitate in the skies come slowly back down to the sublime heights of reason. To no longer forsake their responsibilities, no longer succumbing to the most base and perverse of activities.

It saddens me to hear the plight of a fresh faced citizen, tormented so at the hands of... I do not even know anymore.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[COLOR="Purple"]

[SIZE="4"][tface=fraktur]Who are you, Transcendent Conclave? What are you?[/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]There is mystery and then there is misery; nothing that is claimed by New Netheril even represents the actions of their membership anymore. I have lost faith, we have all lost faith. Mistlocke had lost faith much sooner than I. I who granted the Empire so many chances to prove their worth to the rest of the Shrouded Isles Archipelago.

I shall not nor will ever blaspheme the Empire nor break any of its Laws for I do not succumb to folly and will ensure respect is given. I lament all that has come to pass and will seemingly continue to do so. Although I am no prophet, I foresee nothing pleasant from the winds of Time and Change ahead without drastic reconsideration on the part of the Empire, New Netheril.

It seems like there is little else to be said, fellows of Ymph. The first chapter of the Inquisition shall conclude on this sad note.

I hope sufficient detail has been granted to allow each of you to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion regarding this organisation.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Aethereal]

2.1.4. The Identity of New Netheril

[SIZE="4"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]2.1.4. The Identity of New Netheril[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]
[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Scribed upon the ninth of Marpenoth, 1381 DR.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]In the last proceeding of this Inquisitorial topic, I mentioned how the Transcendent Conclave had lost its identity. That it had become a meaningless collaboration of mundane, petty criminals, who held no command of magic; the leadership and reclusive mages aside.

Since then the antler-helmed brigand has been identified as one Bill Goram, otherwise known by his self professed epithet of ",Champ." Bill left the Empire, instead turning his filth stained, maggot-brained carcass to the faith of of Garagos and has by now quite likely become a bloated zombie roaming the Withered lands.

In a grand spectacle, the Transcendent Conclave's leadership has made an overture to repossess their image, projecting themselves into our fair hamlet.:

The Triumvirate throne room projected before Mistlocke bridge.

It has been noted well, that the leadership of the Transcendent Conclave, the Triumvirate comprising of the Oracle Razul, Prophet of the Lady of Mysteries; Hyrsicators Zyphaem Faussad, and Thrask Morv, have never in the history of Mistlocke approached the community directly. They have relied upon lackeys, often ill-suited to tasks involving the mind, to run rampant and spread all manner of garbled nonsense.

This pattern was broken upon the evening of the third of Marponeth, thirteen hundredth and eighty first year of the Dales. I for one was significantly impressed, though the sights visited upon us would be terrible indeed. Via spectral projection, using potent magics primarily of an illusionary nature did they come; three thrones before a dark, treacherous device, on the other side of which a pale, broken man shackled and quivering was bound.

This captive man was the one responsible for the Fall of the Enclave, the moment as described by their lorekeeper when the enclave shook above the dread tower, the collaborative betrayal of ex-Zeulisad Maurus Rodagh and H'Bala's final curse erupting from her skeletal, ring-borne finger as she fell from the enclave. Imagine our lives now had this wretched criminal and betrayer of all Life not acted against the Transcendent Conclave those years ago? All those lives in the Dominion and docksland would not have been lost, we could have escaped this island with our lives through Old Port, we would not be withering away, struggling to exist, thirsting for a cure and better days.

I am undecided on whether Maurus, or indeed anyone should ever face the punishment that was inflicted upon him. I can empathise with retribution, the desire to return the favour to this evil, treacherous man; responsible in great part for the fates of all who have fallen to undeath under the Maiden's sway. The fate visited upon him, I almost falter to recount, for it is dark indeed. Those who witnessed it would have felt their own soul weep as the ex-Zeulisad was executed - an incredibly powerful and sinister device began to unravel his mortal coil, tearing at his life's essence until his soul burst out from his still living flesh, leaving only an utterly dead, void eyed husk. His soul given for the thousands he has damned.

After this macabre and to some catharsis inducing display of justice, the Oracle made his announcement directly to the people of Mistlocke. He declares, similarly to as he did shortly after the Maiden's release, that the Transcendent Conclave has spent too long upon the digressing path of diplomatic relations and issues of governmental disputes. He places forth his personal decree that such trivialities are now beyond the New Netherese Empire, that they shall no longer tolerate disruptions to their work; establishing a new focused regimen and agenda based upon their widely stated and previously recounted goals.[/I][/SIZE][/FONT]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="3"][tface=fraktur]The Law and Mastery of New Netheril: [INDENT]No Freedom for the Independent Scholar, Magus, Archaeologist, and Relic Hunter[/INDENT][/tface][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]What the Oracle meant when he stated his Transcendent Conclave's denouncement of diplomatic concerns, that I, as a historian and scholar of the generations, the cycles of sentient life, can reveal is thus:

[hide= A section of the velum is found here, blank and glowing an azure blue, perhaps you might touch it?]

[INDENT][SIZE="5"]"[/SIZE]We shall remove ourselves artificially from a game which all who live in the presence of other nations, factions, settlements, and any manner of sentient community must play by inducing a new set of rules of our own making, reshaping the playing field in our favour.

We shall disregard the laws and regulations of every other settlement and faction and do as we please.

We shall introduce a new set of laws controlling all that was Netheril, including a settlement currently occupied by the Warden and his legion of nightrisen skeletons, who oppose us entirely.

We shall ignore everything and do as we please.

Obey us! Or else your soul shall be shredded and placed within our archives.[SIZE="5"]"[/SIZE][/INDENT]

And should a Conclavist ever follow the Shrouded Isles Inquisition, then I apologise for giving away the game.

[/hide]

Of course, if the Transcendent Conclave is a truly enlightened faction, honestly seeking to recreate the ideal civilisation with laws that prevent the mistakes of Netheril that led to Karsus' Folly. Then I grant unto them my highest respect.

To disregard laws, does not mean one will suddenly turn into a miscreant, it is still entirely possible to remain noble and honourable in bearing whilst doing so.

Simply hold oneself to the virtues of the highest and thou shalt hardly contest any mortal law. Forgive me, however, if such an image is not what comes to mind given the history of New Netheril. As always, the virtuous shall grant a chance to be pleasantly surprised.[/I][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Aethereal]

2.2. The Wyrm Watchers

[SIZE="4"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]2.2. The Wyrm Watchers[/tface][/SIZE]

[tface=fraktur]24th of Eleint, 1381 DR[/tface][/COLOR]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]The second Inquisitorial topic relates to an organisation of auld, who have taken great strides for the living, yet seem forgotten to many of us; aptly summarised in their motto: "Lost in the Woods, We Watch." Well, I shall endeavour to bring our fellow citizens of life to light and reveal exactly what it is they do for us all.

Established by Fabricio Argenti the Cartographer, who charted the isles on behalf of the settlers from Amn, Tetyhr, and Old Port is this organisation of trail blazers, philosophers, questing knights, and honourable free souls. It should not come as a surprise to learn that amongst this faction is a wondrously well kept collection of lore of Ymph, something that seems never to register in the minds of those not part of its number.

It was the Wyrm Watchers who built the towers dotting the landscape of Ymph, small defensible bastions against the various threats of the isle and a guiding light to travellers in the form of the brazier-lit beacons mounted at their summit.

It is they who carved out many of the trails of Ymph, and to this day, the signposts of Fabricio the Cartographer may be found within the Veil leading deeper into the Forgotten Forest.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]But why are they named so: [SIZE="5"][tface=fraktur]Wyrm[/tface][/SIZE] Watchers?[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]


[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]Some uncovered texts from the archives reveal that it is due to the sights from the era of exploration and establishment as the sentry towers were being built. It is said that as the initial work took place, the expedition witnessed the flight of great wyrms or wyverns passing over them. Whatever the case, know that this name holds great meaning.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Times of Quiet and a Time to Return[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]During the War of Succession which erupted in the year 1318 of the Dales, the Wyrm Watchers abandoned their original employers, breaking all ties with the old city, its injustices and bickering. They would retreat into the forgotten places of Ymph, their hidden bastions in the Mist, to be just as the name suggests, forgotten to all but the oldest of living memory and texts hidden away in the shroud.

A day would come to pass decades later, the face of Ymph having changed greatly by the touch of the Maiden, when the Watchers would reveal themselves once more.

The Second Great Shrouding of Ymph would lift itself from the isle, awakening the heroes who had survived the fall of living Nebezzdos and unleashing them upon the hamlet of Mistlocke. And as lost souls gathered, a moot would be called on the twenty fifth day of Hammer, year 1381 of the Dales.

Upon this date, heralded by Varad Zápolya II, supported by elder and last surviving true Wyrm Watcher, Marius Argenti and the Auld Champion, Marcus Cayrn, yet utterly challenged by Hamilcar, chieftain of the Argenti, would the reformation of the Wyrm Watches be declared.

This act would leave a fracture amongst the children of Fabricio Argenti. For in his stalwart refusal, Hamilcar would denounce the Wyrm Watchers and deny the traditions of auld, returning to the Argenti encampment upon the fringe of Mistlocke, stating that none of his people would join the newly reformed organisation.

Varad Zápolya II, appointed chieftain of the Wyrm Watchers would then take his supporters to the Auld Wyrm’s Hearth, to once again resume their sacred cause in service to the Shrouded Isles and the lost King.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Years of the Shrouding: [INDENT]The March of the Auld Champion and the Unending Betrayal[/INDENT][/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]The Awoken of Ymph may not have realised that not all of living Ymph were taken into the womb of the Mist and placed into a stupor of safety and frozen destiny as were they. It is known the Transcendent Conclave would brood their betrayal and disastrous fall amidst the desert, the Numinous Order would stand steadfast against the Lichess from their besieged castle Blackhearth, Father Michael would claim the Governer’s Isle in the name of the Black Sun, and the Nightrisen would repel all but their own from Nebezzdos.

So too did the Wyrm Watchers stand, for not all had forgotten their charge, the wall perimeter their forefathers built around the Dread Tower and their steadfast vigil over the Maiden. It was in those early days of the Maiden’s release that Marcus Cayrn would rise up and rally a great host, numbering four hundred it is said, destroying the undead with such prowess that their remnants were herded inside the gates of the Dread Tower.

It should be acknowledged that the Transcendent Conclave’s conflagration of the Tower and its surrounds may have made this charge easier, it is only logical to think so. This along with both the Nightrisen’s initial assaults from Nebezzdos against the Maiden and Blackhearth’s stalwart hold against besiegement reveal that in strange ways unity of purpose does exist on this isle.

The truth is though, that unity is fleeting and betrayal is the Maiden’s greatest tool. So it would be that the truths of the Withering curse would reveal themselves in a tragic event amongst Marcus’s forward assault; as man became beast, and all turned to undeath. The encampment outside the tower would be inflicted with chaos, those who fought most stalwart, turning first and betraying their fellow soldiers as the entire wilds erupted with the bloodcurdling howls of the undead denizens of the isles.

Such is the history and tale of Marcus Cayrn, thusly named Auld Champion of the Wyrm Watchers. A man who led those few survivors back from one of the first great assaults against the Maiden and remains a figure of opposition against her endless hordes.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]There shall be no Apocalypse; there shall be only a King and a return to the Old Ways[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]Amongst our hamlet of Mistlocke and the Numinous Order of Brethren Votarient is the prophecy of Apocalypse; the beginnings of which shall be realised upon Ymph, and so too shall the isle be the final bastion against it.

The Wyrm Watchers reject this prophecy, they do not believe in it, instead they heed another; that of the King of the Shrouded Isles, one who shall avert all disaster and return the archipelago to sanctity.

It is prophesised that the King shall be crowned within the Last Keep of Mistlocke, this is thought to be a large part of why the Comital War was waged; for the Count of Old Port considers himself the true Sovereign of the Isles and thusly demonstrates the lengths he will go to acquire what he seeks.

There are many rumours on who could be the true King of the Shrouded Isles, the one who shall not succumb to insanity upon his coronation. Amongst the Wyrm Watchers, it is Chieftain Varad Zápolya II and a powerful druidess who leads the mystic charge and directs the coming of this Coronal Salvation.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]Senacherib, Praise-Singer of the Wyrm Watchers[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]A mighty druidess whose power of the natural world and the living guides the Wyrm Watchers efforts in restoring the lands and undoing the grip of the Maiden upon Ymph. Her sole efforts keep the Withering from overcoming the rovers and warriors who fight on behalf of Life against Undeath and pursue the undoing of the curse through the propagation and cultivation of the saplings of Life.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Heart of Life[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]Collaboration between the Praise-Singer and the Stewards of Ymph enabled a great ritual of natural power. Blessed by the life-force of a Guardian of the Stewards, the consensual sacrifice of the enigmatic pacifist known only as [COLOR="PaleTurquoise"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]River[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR], was the creation of The Heart of Life, a plant capable of opposing the Withering; a grand demonstration that Life may yet flourish upon Ymph.

It is the saplings of the Heart of Life which the Wyrm Watchers use to restore the withered lands, although at great personal cost. In order for the sapling to take hold in the blight, it must first be weaned on a source of life, a willing sacrifice from the one who plants it. The plants are then capable of removing the curse from its surrounds. As of this writing, they cannot sustain themselves extensively however and die out before any permanent consecration can take place.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]

[INDENT][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][tface=fraktur]The Old Ways[/tface][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][SIZE="3"]It is heralded that with the return of the King shall a more peaceful, orderly and productive era come upon the Shrouded Isles. Known as the Old Ways, some declare it as a return to  life at its most elegant and simple manifestation. The realisation of such innocence may not be possible and this future seems more of an ideal than anything else.[/SIZE][/FONT][/INDENT]