The Gaming Journal 03

Cyric – The Dark Sun, Cyric the Vestige

At the end of the novels, the Prince of Lies and Crucible: Teh Trial of Cyric the Mad, I hit upon the idea of a divergence in published canon. I’ve never liked how second edition publications handled the Forgotten Realms. I believed they catered too much to the story telling or the “role” aspect in RPGs and left little to the imagination of the DM, much like what’s occurring with the transition from third edition revised to fourth edition. Cyric was barred from any direct influence on the world of Toril. Effectively, by a divine majority vote, he was banished from the Faerunite pantheon. His departure however was a planned deception on his part. Cyric must obey the vote and sentence imposed upon him by Ao and the majority of the Faerunite pantheon. Cyricists can no longer cast spells above 3rd level. In effect, they can not advance higher than 6th level as a standard cleric nor do they receive no spell bonuses for wisdom scores higher than 19. However, they may add levels as a divine disciple prestige class if they meet the requirements. Divine Disciples have a stronger connection to their deity. However, after 6th level, Clerics of Cyric may add the Ur-Priest prestige class and continue to advance until all ten levels and requirements are satisfied in that particular class.


Cyricists may not be Favored Souls as per the Complete Divine, Pg. 06-10. All Cyricists are Human, Drow, Half-Elf, Half-Drow, Half-Orc, or Tiefling stock.

Cyric fills a role in the Faerunite pantheon much in a way that Loki fulfills this role in the Norse mythology. Cyric is a troublemaker, a fermenter of strife and discord, and finally a psychopath amongst the higher divinity.

Cyric is a psychopath amongst the gods.

A write-up on Cyric as a vestige will appear shortly.

Favored Classes of Cyric
Cleric/Ur-Priest/Divine Disciple, Cleric/Binder

The Nightsong Guild of Mulmaster

Current Activities: Assassination (Minor to Mid-Level), Burglary, Commerce Raiding, Fencing, Influence Peddling, Information Brokering [Political and Economic Espionage], Mercenary/Private Armies, Racketeering (Protection and Theft), and Strong Arm Tactics

The Nightsong Guild (Standard Criminal) Alignments: CN CE LW NE; 100,000 gp resource limit, Membership 150, 2000 paid employees; Integrated, Dues 25 gp/month

Authority Figures: See Below

Associated Classes: Bard or Bard/Beguiler, Beguiler [Arcane Devotee], Binder [Fighter/Knight of the Sacred Seal or Sorcerer/Anima Mage], Cleric/Ur-Priest/Divine Disciple, Fighter [Divine Champion/Nightsong Enforcer/Tempest], Rogue [Divine Seeker/Temple Raider [Complete Divine], Scout, Fighter/Scout [Tempest], Shadow Caster, Sorcerer [Arcane Devotee/Blood Magus/Elemental Savant/Mindbender]

Associated Skills: Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (The Planes), Knowledge (Religion)

Requirements: Recant your old faith in favor of personal power and prestige. Commit one traitorous murder in the name of the Dark Sun and recant your faith in the name of personal power and prestige. Serve the guild willing and obediently, and through assassination and treachery, you’ll advance in station. Do not share guild secrets of affiliations. Any “hit” or score must be approved by the Guildmaster or senior guild member. The Guild takes 15% of the cut. Do not engage in unauthorized scores or activities. TH Nightsong Guild frowns upon this disobedience.

Favored in Guild Benefits: Best black market access east of the Sea of Fallen Stars. You can sell any magical item at 100% of it value and any art object or precious gemstones at 120% of its standard value.

The Nightsong Guild has a tight information network. All knowledge and lore checks gain a +2 circumstance bonus in favor of the character. +3 bonus is granted if the check requires checks in geography, local or religion.

The Nightsong also has access to rare magical items set outside the Weave. They include psionic devices, Binder Seals, Shadow Caster Magics, and Incarnum. Members can also receive training in their preferred class, at half the normal costs, but must apply and swear an oath of loyalty to the guild.

Source Material: The Complete Adventurer, Pg. 60-65, 177-179., Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting Third Edition, Waterdeep – City of Splendors, Pg. 22-23.

Althamadden of the Deceiving Star
- aka Althamadden the Apostate, Althamadden the Nightsong
- Guildmaster the Nightsong Guild of Mulmaster
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Race/Sex: Human Male
Class: Cleric of Cyric/Divine Disciple/Ur-Priest
Levels: 06/02/10 [-18-]
Spell Level/Number: 0th/13, 1st/9, 2nd/9, 3rd/7, 4th/5, 5th/4, 6th/4, 7th/3, 8th/2, 9th/1
Guild Membership: None, actively building his own cult in a hidden location
Str: [-17-][+03], Int: [-19-][+04], Wis: [-19-][+04], Dex: [-14-][+02], Con: [-20-][+05], Cha: [-19-][+04]
Feats: Blooded, Delay Spell, Dreadful Wrath, Iron Will, Reach Spell, Spell Focus [Evil], Weapon Focus [Heavy Flail]

Acolytes:
Ankar Jhaalamist [Human male, NE, Cleric 2nd/Ur-Priest 2nd Level/Fighter 2nd Level/Binder 4th Level] the twice scorned, an exiled cleric of who first saw the destruction of Torm in Tantras during the Time of Troubles. With the demise of that deity, and his conversion to the Helmite code, he has seen atrocities (slavery, purging, theft of cultural treasures) performed in his name of law and righteousness while serving in the Tethyrian restorations. The enslavement of the peoples of Maztica was the last straw. His opinions soon ejected him from the Helmite religion. Finding the Church to be hypocrites and heretics, Ankar is solely converting to chaotic evil causes and often uses violence and blackmail to win what he perceives is his divine right. Sadly, he is the dupe of a mad god. Ankar has also caught the eye of a renegade half-drow.

Sessamithra Olthalhax, a survivor of Ched Nesad, has rejected the teachings of Lolth in favor of personal power. She has provided much revenue tot eh Nightsong Guild any much knowledge of the Underdark and its various cities. Sessamithra is beginning to explore the secrets of the Ur-Priests and is learning to tap into other sources as well. The later being Incarnum. [Half-Drow Female, CE, Cleric of Lolth 5th Level/Ur-Priest 3rd Level/Incarnate 3rd Level]

Henchmen and Allies:
Kro Blackhand [Half-Orc, LE, 5th Level Fighter, 2nd Level Nightsong Enforcer, 5th Tempest – CA] is Althamadden’s leg-breaker and an expert in violence and extortion. Kro loves his job and overdoes the physical aspects from time to time. He’s careful not to murder clients or agents, but accidents happen. Not an overly intelligent individual, he does not “freelance’ behind Althamadden’s back. He has already seen what happens to those who double-cross the guildmaster.

Hathalin Malastar [Helmed Horror - LEoF, LE, with the Fiendish Creature Template– 5th Level Fighter/5th Level Ravager - CW] serves as Althamadden’s hatchetman and enforcer of violence. Abandoned to her death by her Zulkir, The Ur-Priest collected her body and is slowly cloning it. Serving to enforce his mandates, Althamadden in turn he promise to restore this once beautiful Thayvian Knight’s body to the fullest vigors of health. A vow he has promised to keep to some degree. Her battle skills and brutality are horrifically effect and he would hate to see such an effective tool go to waste. Secretly, he has bounded a splinter of her soul to the Helmed Horror in case she in slain in battle again. Hathalin’s preferred symbol in the Marilith before a large blooming blood-red rose.

Mililani Deccubus [Half-Elf (moon) Female, NE, Fighter 2nd Level/Ninja 6th Level/Soul Knife 6th Level – PH/CA/EPH] is the brainwashed clone of a slain Mystran Priestess. Either no longer caring for her past identity, or that it has been wiped clean, Mililani, known as Blood Pearl, eliminates rivals and enemies of Althamadden upon his command. Mililani has a preference for murdering other assassins, smugglers, wizards, sorcerers and other arcane spellcasters above all else. She prefers to drug them and drowned them in portable bodies of water. This psychosis is a shard from her host’s original memory. Two individuals wronged her in the past and it was something she wanted to atone for immensely. She is fiercely loyal to Althamadden. An unusual characteristic, but he can easily replace her.

Weapons and Equipment
Banded Armor of Retaliation +4, Ring of Force Shield, Mace of Sundering +3, Meta-Magic Rod of Quicken Spell, Rod of Force, Wand of Animate Dead, Wand of Contagion, Wand of Dimension Doors, Gauntlets of the Blazing Arc, Amulet of Emergency Healing, Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location, Boots of Speed, 2d4+1 Divine Scrolls containing spells of 1st through 5th levels, and 1d4+2 potions.

Notes: Althamadden learned the secrets of the Ur-Priests as a disciple of the Banished God Cyric, Lord of Murder, Madness, and Lies. Although, an Ur-Priests despises gods and various divine servants, Cyric has covertly “passed” the secrets of Ur onto his followers since his banishment from Toril. They may pilfer his divinity to maintain the faith of the Dark Sun. Although not effectively powerful as Mystra, Silvanus, or Tempus, Cyric is able to maintain his hold on any active divinity through them. They in turn continue to commit murder and collect the souls of the unjustly murdered. Through the expansion of Binders via pact magics, his memory and legacy will never truly fade from Faerun.

Althamadden is preparing for lichdom. The thought of vampirism appeals to his warped mind, but he does not like the idea of being a thrall to Vampire Lord. Such a creature is weaker in his eyes and compared to the power granted him from Cyric. Forcing a covert means of eliminating his future master is a second factor Althamadden must prepare for in a future date.