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The Diamond Throne
Might, Corrupt Mage, Craft Constant Item, Craft Spell Completion Item, Defensive Move, Eldritch Training, Energy Mage (electricity), Modify Spell, Power of the Name, Resistant Spell Possessions: Staff of the magi, +5 ring of protection and spellcasting, bracers of armor +8 , cloak of resistance +5 and displacement (50%), gauntlets of dexterity +6, headband of intellect +6, ring of evasion and spell turning, rod of electricity and lightning, burst boots†, cubic gate, necklace of three wishes, bag of holding (storing a multitude of special components for spells and spell templates) Spell Slots: 54/54/48/48/48/42/36/30/30/24 Spells Readied: All spells listed in Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed except as noted above.
Virdella Tesham “I will tear this silly little universe to shreds to find what I seek.” Although no one knows for sure, the being known as Virdella Tesham claims to be a demigoddess from a distant plane. She says that the plane that the world inhabits is merely a ruse created to hide a powerful “artifact” known as the Hadath, which she seeks. Virdella wants nothing less than the destruction of the universe to get at the Hadath. The Hadath, apparently, is some kind of specific energy sequence hidden within the very fabric of the universe. With it, Virdella could command the power to conquer multiple planes. This energy sequence can only be accessed, however, by dismantling the plane. Virdella is extremely powerful, but she does not have the strength herself to destroy the entire plane. So she waits (time does not seem to be a factor in her dire quest), researches, and studies. Specifically, she is looking for an energy source to tap that will grant her the destructive power to accomplish her goal. At the moment, she is looking into the power cyst the Hanavere Trinity discovered, which allowed them to ascend to godhood. If she could find that cyst, or one like it, the world might be in grave danger. Many learned folk greatly fear an alliance between Havinar Balacos and Virdella. Their terrifyingly genocidal goals would make them a force of concern for every living being. Virdella’s stats are beyond mortal reckoning.
The Chorrim The famous akashic sage Gavran Enchilian once observed, “The only thing that kept the chorrim armies from invading our lands a thousand years ago is that the dramojh were far harder on them than on humanity. If the dramojh had not overcome us, the chorrim certainly would have.” Hundreds of years ago, the chorrim (see Chapter Four) were indeed gathering a massive army (in fact, multiple armies) and readying themselves to swoop down from the
Bitter Peaks like a storm to conquer the realm. However, the dramojh appeared on the scene before the chorrim were ready, and—seeing these militaristic creatures as a greater threat—decimated their armies. Only centuries later did the other races learn of the terrible and bloody battles fought between chorrim and dramojh: battles the chorrim eventually lost. Since that time, the remaining chorrim went into hiding and immediately began planning their revenge and the ultimate domination of all the realm. When the giants came, they resented and feared their power, and greatly altered their invasion plans. Ultimately, though, they believe it was the giants’ victory over the dramojh that will allow them to, one day soon, invade and defeat all other races. Secret chorrim military camps lie throughout and under the Bitter Peaks, as well as in a vast network of subterranean caves and passages—some natural, some created by the chorrim.
The Mysteries The Lands of the Diamond Throne are home to many mysteries yet unsolved.
The Crystal Weavers Long ago, before the dramojh invaded, strange creatures called the crystal weavers dwelled along the Devanian coast. These creatures could weave a special kind of “spun crystal” into anything they desired. Although they could create anything out of crystal—weapons, armor, tools, statuary, and so on—the basis for all their creations was crystal thread no thicker than normal thread. These threads were ultra-strong, however, and could support up to 500 lbs. While woven items are made entirely out of crystal, the crystal weavers could also lace noncrystalline objects with their crystal threads, making the objects much harder and rendering them virtually immune to the passage of time. Although this technique often enhanced wooden objects, it also kept even scrolls and books from that time, well over a thousand years ago, intact and usable today. The crystal weavers disappeared shortly after the coming of the dramojh and—despite rumors and a few alleged sightings in the Elder Mountains—they have never been seen since. Their legacy remains, with crystal-laced items and objects of woven crystal (often considered artwork even if the original intent was functional) highly sought after still today. Wielding a crystal sword or staff is a potent status symbol. Crystal woven objects have a hardness of 30, and 80 hp per inch of thickness. The base price of a crystal woven object is 200 times the normal base price (not counting magical qualities, if any), unless it is a weapon, in which case the crystal object costs +9,000 gp. Armor and shields of woven crystal possess a +2 crystalline bonus to Armor Class,
