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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11701 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Mar 2020 : 14:14:39
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Prior to George's writeup in Tyrants in Scarlet, I had written up a history of Ythazz Buvaar and his meeting with Velsharoon long ago. I basically had him as an underling of Thayd. I had him become a lich long ago, become involved with Narfell, then get entrapped in his phylactery. Some of the latter part of this I want to change to fit a bit more into George's writeup (essentially his advancement to demilich being after tinkering with the Athora). I'd also have Thayd now being returned as normal by the red wizards during the uprising, but then HIM being bodily destroyed by interaction with the Athora, as this fits more with some of what Ed's written up about Thayd being something like a Suel Lich. However, I felt it was a decent history to show where Velsharoon may have gotten some inkling on how Mellifleur possibly came about, his ties to Bane, etc...
Ythazz had been part of the original uprising in Mulhorand in -1087 DR by the Theurgist Adept Thayd (put to death -1081). That uprising had been about the god-kings controlling the studies of the wizards of the Mulhorandi Empire. Thayd was killed, but Ythazz was one of the few surviving conspirators who fled. A few years later the Orcgate opened, which threw Mulhorand into yet another conflict (whether Ythazz had something to do with the Orcgate opening is doubtful due to his relative power at the time, however there are rumors that escaped “Thaydists” were involved in the opening of the Orcgates).
After the Orcgate wars, the country of Narfell formed when refugee mercenaries from the orcgate wars returned home. The Narfellians were similar in belief to the followers of Thayd that magical research should be allowed to take its own course. While many of the Narfellians turned to the arts of conjuration and consorting with planar allies for their powers, others turned to the black arts of necromancy. This proved the perfect environment for the young lich, Ythazz, and he gathered a group of like minded spellcasters amongst the Nars. Ythazz was able to secure a small realm for himself along the coast of what is modern day Thesk, from which he trained apprentices in the arts of magical warfare to face off against their enemies in nearby Raumathar. The next few centuries passed in relative peace, with Ythazz spending much time researching and experimenting upon captured subjects to see what new monstrosities he could make. After a time, as with all megalomaniacs, he began to think he was undefeatable, and he convinced his fellow Narfellians that the path to greatness lay in seizing the weakened empires of Mulhorand and Unther.
So, the Nars formed a fleet of ships with the intention of sailing down and capturing the coast of Mulhorand and Unther and from there launching attacks upon the newly formed Raumathari city of Kensten. Unfortunately, the Nars had overestimated the combined power of the elder empires, and the fleet of Narfell never even made landfall. Ythazz was destroyed by the priests of Osiris in a fierce spellbattle aboard his own capital ship. The lich’s phylactery sank below the waves, where it was captured by a powerful sahuagin priest. Without his spellbooks, Ythazz was incapable of challenging the sahuagin to recover his soul’s repository. As a result the sahuagin put the lich into service to his tribe creating magic items that they could use or trade to surface worlders. In return, Ythazz was given access to select spells to study that had been recovered from surface world raids. Over time, however, Ythazz was secretly able to gather an intact spellbook, and using it he was able to find and reclaim his phylactery and escape.
Almost half a century had passed before Ythazz had once again returned to the surface world. He returned to Narfell, only to find that one of his enemy’s apprentices, an upstart named Mellifleur, had laid claim to his tower and all of his possessions. What was worse was that Ythazz recognized that this apprentice’s power rivaled his own, especially without access to the centuries of compiled research which he had left behind for security. So, Ythazz set about rebuilding once again, performing raids against both the Raumathari battlemages and Narfellian Demonbinders in order to recover items of art and books of lore.
Despite being a lich, Ythazz was not a master of necromancy, so he never understood the accident that occurred to Mellifleur a century later. However, being a lich, he quickly understood that one of his former compatriots had suddenly ascended into godhood when he discovered that Mellifleur had become the Lord of Liches. Ythazz, already having disdane for the gods because of his time with Thayd, was repulsed by this idea even further because he had held Mellifleur in contempt. The lord of Liches success galled Ythazz, and he spent the next two centuries and vast sums of money trying to uncover the mysteries behind the ritual. Yet for all his efforts, he found himself none the wiser as to what had been the lynchpin to Mellifleur’s ascension. Perhaps with more time, he might have been able to understand it, but time was not on his side. Karsus’ Folly changed the way magic worked throughout the entire world, and Ythazz found his body destroyed in a conflagration of suddenly released magics. Ythazz found himself entrapped in his own phylactery, and he could not escape.
Nearly a millennia passed before his phylactery was recovered by Chessentan adventurers who didn’t recognize it for what it truly was. Selling the phylactery as an art object, the phylactery came into the hands of a southern necromancer by the name of Velsharoon. The necromancer recognized the “art object” for its true nature, and he sought to unlock its mysteries, eventually succeeding. Ythazz found himself free and indebted to Velsharoon. In gratitude, he offered to teach Velsharoon lost mysteries of the art, and in return the necromancer would educate Ythazz in the more modern magical advances as well as the changes in the world.
While he had been entrapped, the world had changed much. The mystical empire of Netheril had fallen, and from its ashes Halruaa had been born in the untamed lands of the south. The great realms of Narfell and Raumathar had mutually fallen, and the empire of Mulhorand had seen a resurgence with the recovery of Raumathari lands. Ythazz found that Mystra had changed the way magic worked following Karsus’ Folly, and thus many of his great secrets were lost to time. Ythazz felt a need to discover and test the thresholds of the art; and he found a kindred spirit within Velsharoon.
The two great mages formed a secret society of like minded researchers who would test the dark arts, gathering to their banner those Halruaan and Mulan mages who chafed under the strictures of their society. They sought the power of their Netherese ancestors, for they would be masters of the world again. Calling themselves “red wizards”, whether for their focus on blood, war, or just boldness, is unknown now. Some say it was Velsharoon's studies into binding magics which truly turned the Halruaans against their society. What is known is that they performed experimental atrocities that sickened their fellow Halruaan elders when they discovered them. There were minor scuffles that occurred, but the final straw culminated in 827 DR when Omm Hlandrar brought the fight to Velsharoon in fierce spellbattle above the plains of the Shaar. The battle ended in a draw, but Ythazz and Velsharoon decided it was best to move to more secure surroundings.
In the years that followed, Ythazz and Velsharoon and other exiled Halruaan's and discontented Mulan mages formed a small society that would eventually discover that Thayd was not truly dead, but rather entrapped in a strange “place beyond places” and that Thayd could be made to “ride” their minds and share their experience through binding magic (which were rumored to be a secret shared amongst many Theurgist Adepts of old). After performing a ritual of great and bloody magic, they managed to free Thayd from this netherworld, or at least partially, for he was able to take over the bodies of others, but he would slowly burn them out and thus was forced to periodically transfer from host to host. However, with his return, Thayd announced that they would finally claim a homeland of their own. It would be a land where magical experimentation would not be blocked by religious worries or the dictates of a council of arcanists too fearful of discovery.
So it was that they moved to the Priador, a section of Mulhorand which had previously been held variously by Narfellians and Raumatharans. Needless to say, it was a portion of the empire bubbling with rebellion. Ythazz and Velsharoon formed alliances with several new Mulan allies such as the conjurer Jorgmacdon Odesseiron, the necromancer Zhengyi, and the Patriarch of the Tam Family. They also joined with Mulan necromancers from the Mausoleum City of Pholzubbalt beneath Thesk and many Mulan wizards from the League of Samathar along the Wizards' Reach. Working from the shadows, through their lesser red wizards, they slowly gathered disaffected Mulan mages from throughout Mulhorand and Unther as well. Thayd worked his way into the government by seizing the body of a young Osirian priest, working as a spy from within.
It was in 922 DR that Thayd, Ythazz, and the other “red wizards” truly began to work against the Mulhorandi, staging an uprising in the Priador’s capital city of Delhumide. 2002 years after the death of Thayd, Ythazz had finally raised up enough power to strike against the church of Mulhorand with the help of his fellow red wizards. The war was quick, ended in the battle of Thazalhar when the red wizard Jorgmacdon did what the Narfellian conjurers had failed to do, summoning and controlling the demon lord Eltab. The red wizards named the country Thay in honor of the leader whose vision had taken nearly two millenia to achieve.
Of course, Ythazz had been prepared for the assault and the destruction. He was not at all prepared for the rebuilding and consolidation required afterwards. Initially, peace ruled as each mage setup their own demesne amongst the conquered land. But this calm was soon replaced by occasional magical assaults, as each mage sought to eliminate their rivals. Thayd ruled with a lax hand, using his personal Zulkirs, a group of seven loyal followers including Ythazz Buvaar, Ilkrim Hlannadar (better known as “the Dragon-Devoured” a, Jorgmacdon Odesseiron, Velsharoon, Escalthar, and Zhengyi as roaming messengers, enforcers, and assassins, as well as local Justicars in the case of disputes. Then came the betrayal of Ilkrim Hlannadar, better known to Thayan folklore as “the Dragon-devoured,” thanks to Thayd’s swift and ruthless reaction to his treachery. After this betrayal, the number of Zulkirs loyal to Thayd were now merely five.
Then came the day when Thayd disappeared. Some whispered that it had something to do with the “artifact” beneath Amruthar. Others whispered that he'd disappeared along with Jorgmacdon plundering the recently dragon-scorched ruins of Peleveran in search of something known as the wells of darkness. Infighting amongst the remaining red wizards resulted in Council of the Black Star, called by Escalthar atop Laltharr, a bare crag (later blasted to rubble in a spell-duel) in southwestern Thay. During this Council, he announced that he himself would be leaving Thay, but that he would not see it fall to ruins. It was during this council that it was revealed how much influence Ythazz had gained amongst the other Mulan wizards of Thay. They agreed to form a new Zulkirate, comprised of an all Mulan council of Zulkirs. Most importantly, they named Tarabbas Mroound as Zulkir of Necromancy rather than either Zhengyi or Velsharoon, and both wizards were forced to exile themselves from the land which they had helped free.
Having won out against the God-Kings, Ythazz turned once again to his researches. Eventually, he discovered the secret to attaining a higher level of lichdom, transforming himself into a demilich. However, in his time spent researching, Ythazz had committed a grievous error. He had quit watching his underlings. NOTE: Change this to his involvement with the athora changing him to a demilich against his will. Also his entrapment beneath Bezantur would have been after this as well
Ythazz still doesn’t know who sent the golem to entrap his skull within the globe of arandur with its magic-sucking interior. Nor did he know where they transported to afterwards until recently, when the welds on the exterior of the arandur globe began to finally crack. Unfortunately, he finds himself in an area of dead magic, surrounded by numerous constructs, and enclosed within an arandur globe that is attached to a metallic clamp to the floor. Except for a few spells which he has magically “scribed” within the gems replacing his teeth, he is also without his spells. His original phylactery has been destroyed, leaving him with only the soul gems comprising his demi-lich body. However, he is not without hope. The foulness of his presence draws undead to his general area. Most are destroyed for drawing too near. However, some are intelligent enough that they have gleaned some idea of what awaits ahead. Working as his servants, they seek someone who can help them free “the dark one” from his prison, and Ythazz waits for the day that they succeed.
Ythazz Buvarr, Male Human, Mulan Wiz17/RedWiz10: CR 35; Medium Undead ; HD 17d12(Wizard) , 10d12(Red Wizard) ; hp 182; Init +3; Spd 0; AC:25 (Flatfooted:24 Touch:16); Atk +12/7 base melee, +17/12 base ranged; SA: Fear Aura (Su) (DC , Paralyzing Touch (Su) , Trap the soul (Su) ,
Spell-like Abilities Planar Ally, Greater 2/day, Death Knell 27 At Will , Summon Monster I-IX At Will , Alter Self At Will , Telekinesis At Will , Dispel Magic, Greater At Will , Weird At Will , Enervation At Will , Create Undead At Will , Create Greater Undead At Will , Astral Projection At Will , Harm At Will ; SQ: Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Immunity: Death Effects (Ex), Immunity: Energy Drain (Ex), Immunity: Ability Drain (Ex), Immunity: Critical hits (Ex), Immunity: Stun (Ex), Immunity: Fortitude Save-Based Attacks (Ex), Immunity: Paralysis (Ex), Immunity: Reincarnate (Ex), Immunity: Raise Dead (Ex), Immunity: Sleep Effects (Ex), Immunity: Poison (Ex), Resistance: Turn (Ex): +4, Immunity: Death from Massive Damage (Ex), Damage Reduction (Su): 15/Bludgeoning and Magic, Immunity: Ability Damage (Physical Scores), Immunity: Polymorph (Ex), Racial Traits: Undead, Immunity: Cold (Ex), Immunity: Nonlethal Damage (Ex), Immunity: Electricity (Ex), Immunity: Disease (Ex), Immunity: Mind-Affecting Attacks (Ex), Resistance: Sonic (Ex): 20, Immunity: Magic (Ex), Cannot be raised; resurrection works if willing, Immunity: Ability Damage (Ex), Resistance: Acid (Ex): 20, Immunity: Subdual damage, Resistance: Fire (Ex): 20, Phylactery Transference (Su), Perfect Automatic Still Spell (Ex), Immunity: Necromancy (Ex), Negative Energy Heals (Ex), Turn resistance (Ex) +20; AL CE; SV Fort +10, Ref +13, Will +22; STR 6, DEX 16, CON --, INT 47, WIS 25, CHA 39.
Skills: Bluff +44, Concentration +30, Craft (Alchemy) +31, Craft (Calligraphy) +26, Craft (Gemcutting) +21, Craft (Poisonmaking) +23, Craft (Siege Engine) +21, Decipher Script +38, Disguise +19, Gather Information +19, Hide +34, Intimidate +46, Knowledge (Arcana) +48, Knowledge (Dragonkind) +23, Knowledge (Dreams) +19, Knowledge (Forbidden Lore) +23, Knowledge (Geography) +19, Knowledge (History) +38, Knowledge (Illithid Lore) +19, Knowledge (Local - Aglarond) +19, Knowledge (Local - Amn) +19, Knowledge (Local - Anauroch) +19, Knowledge (Local - Calimshan) +19, Knowledge (Local - Chessenta) +19, Knowledge (Local - Cormyr) +19, Knowledge (Local - Damara) +19, Knowledge (Local - Dragon Coast) +19, Knowledge (Local - Elf, Drow) +19, Knowledge (Local - Elf, Moon) +19, Knowledge (Local - Elf, Star) +19, Knowledge (Local - Elf, Sun) +19, Knowledge (Local - Gnoll) +19, Knowledge (Local - Great Dale) +19, Knowledge (Local - Great Glacier) +19, Knowledge (Local - Halruaa) +28, Knowledge (Local - High Forest) +19, Knowledge (Local - Hordelands) +19, Knowledge (Local - Impiltur) +19, Knowledge (Local - Moonsea) +19, Knowledge (Local - Mulhorand) +23, Knowledge (Local - Narfell) +28, Knowledge (Local - Nelanther Isles) +19, Knowledge (Local - Orc) +19, Knowledge (Local - Rashemen) +19, Knowledge (Local - Sembia) +19, Knowledge (Local - Tethyr) +19, Knowledge (Local - Thay) +28, Knowledge (Local - The North) +19, Knowledge (Local - The Sharr) +19, Knowledge (Local - Thesk) +19, Knowledge (Local - Underdark) +24, Knowledge (Local - Unther) +19, Knowledge (Local - Vaasa) +19, Knowledge (Local - Vihon Reach) +19, Knowledge (Local - Waterdeep) +19, Knowledge (Local - Western Heartlands) +19, Knowledge (Local - Wizards` Reach) +19, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) +19, Knowledge (Psionics) +19, Knowledge (Religion) +28, Knowledge (Tactics) +23, Knowledge (The Planes) +28, Knowledge (War) +19, Listen +35, Move Silently +34, Profession (Apothecary) +8, Profession (Astrologer) +8, Profession (Bookkeeper) +8, Profession (Herbalist) +8, Profession (Lawyer) +8, Profession (Mortician) +8, Profession (Sailor) +8, Profession (Scribe) +8, Profession (Siege Engineer) +8, Profession (Tanner) +8, Profession (Torturer) +8, Search +46, Sense Motive +35, Speak Language +6, Spellcraft +90, Spot +35, Use Magic Device +24.
Feats: Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Black Lore of Moil, Blinding Speed, Corpsecrafter, Craft Wondrous Item, Destruction Retribution, Enervate Spell, Epic Spellcasting, Eschew Materials, Fell Animate, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity: Wizard (10th), Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Spell Focus: Evocation, Spell Focus: Necromancy, Tattoo Focus, Tenacious Magic (ELH version), Widen Spell.
Spells Prepared (Wiz 4/9/9/8/8/8/8/7/7/7/4): .
Possessions:
Magic: Wondrous: Headband of Intellect +6 (36,000 gp); Wondrous: Cloak of Charisma +6 (36,000 gp); Wondrous: Boots of Dexterity +6 (36,000 gp); Ring: Protection +5 (50,000 gp); Ring: Spell-Battle (67,600 gp); Rod: Metamagic, Silent, Greater (24,500 gp); Wondrous: Dyrr`s Impervious Vestment (123,000 gp); Wondrous: Boots of Teleportation (49,000 gp); Wondrous: Bracers of spellcraft (+20 enhancement to spellcraft) (40,000 gp); Wondrous: Gloves of spellcraft (+20 competence to spellcraft) (40,000 gp); Wondrous: Brooch of power (5th) (25,000 gp); Wondrous: Darkskull (60,000 gp); Wondrous: Dimensional Shackles (28,000 gp); Wondrous: Ethereal Tapestry (47,520 gp); Wondrous: Gem of Seeing (75,000 gp); Wondrous: Scarf of Spellcatching (belt) (18,000 gp); Wondrous: Shackles of Silence (12,000 gp).
TACTICS: Ythazz normally heavily uses his metamagic feats, but note that due to his improved metamagic feat the number of levels that he has to raise his spells is reduced. He employs the members of his circle to add empower and/or heighten to his spells, to increase their dmg or their save DC’s. In addition, he employs his widen on area effect spells to destroy large numbers of lesser enemies, often employing fell animate to instantly turn the fallen into zombies to serve him. Note also, any undead he creates with his magic have the benefits of his corpsecrafter and destruction retribution feats applied to him (and he often employs such fodder as close support so that when they are destroyed their negative energy explosion actually heals him). Finally, Ythazz will often employ his Black Lore of Moil and enervate spell feats together with empower and maximize and heighten from his circle to create exceptionally powerful effects for use against exceptionally dangerous enemies.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Ythazz Buvaar, Velsharoon, and others
