DMs Only: Sons of Dread

Overview

All mages, to a greater or lesser degree, desire power. But for some that lure becomes an overriding obsession, a goal they are prepared to make any sacrifice to obtain. For these troubled few there is a means to obtain their nefarious ends, though it is a dark path indeed. The Sons of Dread are a secret cadre of wizards presided over by the Lich Lord known as The Dread. They are intent upon the accumulation of ultimate power, regardless of the consequences to themselves or the Wold around them.

• Class: Wizard
• Level: Any.
• Race: Any. Though most are of the noble races, there is an ever growing number of monster races attracted to the Sons of Dread, such as Ogre Magi.
• Alignment: Only those of Evil alignment may join.
• Deity: Any of the Gods of Testing.
• Deed: Candidates must seek out the Sons of Dread and impress them with their ruthlessness and power. Those that fail serve as human sacrifices to Dark Powers.
• Oath: All new members must swear a binding oath to the Dread, the arch Lich Lord who rules the cadre. This oath entails more than simple obedience; members of the Sons of Dread feed their Dark Master with their own life force (see Organization).
• Fee:None.
• Sphere of Influence: Though their powerbase lies to the north of Culverwood, the Sons of Dread have made their presence felt across the Peninsula. Their dark schemes know no national boundaries, they simply go where their craving for power leads them.
• Ethos: 'Death to all that stand between me and Ultimate Power!'

History

Hundreds of years ago a wizard came from the East, settling near Culverwood and Cinnamon Valley and raising a mighty fortress there. He was powerful beyond the dreams of ordinary men, but this was not nearly enough . His lust for power knew no bounds, and as his kingdom spread so did tales of the heinous acts performed by its leader. Torture, dark summonings from forbidden realms and human sacrifice, it was claimed, were the source of his incredible puissance. He soon gained the sobriquet 'The Dread'.

In time an adventuring group, the heroes of their day, rose to stand against him. They led a great army into battle against the forces of the Dread Mage, and though the battle was costly they finally triumphed.

Or so they thought.

The archmage did not die. Desperately close to death the indomitable spirit of the mage clung on to life just long enough to perform one last terrible feat of magic; he transformed himself into a creature of undeath. He became a Lich.

Hidden away beneath the ruins of his castle, tended only by a few faithful retainers he lay in mystical slumber, letting his power grow and his enemies grow old and die. His retainers, who took to calling themselves The Sons of Dread, spent years, decades, ultimately generations feeding their dark master. They fed him on an unending diet of human souls, and their numbers swelled as evil mages joined them, enticed by the whispered promises of power.

In time, and with the completion of a particularly bloody set of sacrifices, the Sons of Dread were able to wake their master from his rest.

His first act was to reward the faithful with knowledge and power. Ultimate Power was everything, he explained. The Dread's own power grew as he absorbed the souls of the living. Now he conferred some of that same power to his followers. Each sacrifice they performed would increase their own power. But in the same act he bound those mages to him, for their life forces now fed their master. If they did not maintain a steady flow of souls they would soon find their own souls feeding The Dread.

Astonishing are the depths of the human soul. Many saw this as a good deal, the chance for true power despite the terrible price. The ranks of the Sons of Dread continued to grow, and soon they were forming into a number of smaller groups.

The Lich's power grew, and in time he was able to renew his plans for expansion. His foul influence began to suck the life force from the earth itself, corrupting that northern corner of Culverwood, the trees twisting, the earth becoming barren and black. The area surrounding his Castle Dread became known as the Dreadlands. Finally he saw his opportunity. He moved against Cinnamon Valley, seeing it thrown into chaos by the murder of its king. But the new ruler, the Jarl, proved to be a brilliant commander. His army was able to hold back the forces of the Dread, defeating a huge undead army at the battle of Strongwind Castle. The Dread took stock, and decided to alter his method of conquest. He was still too weak, he decided. Where sheer might had failed, guile and the amassing of still greater strength would succeed.

NOTE: Gareth enters the Dreadlands with the Gold and Storm Dragons to rescue his father: what happens here? Is this play held in the archives?

NOTE: Where does the information on the disease called The Great Death come from?Details?

His Sons of Dread spread out into the Wold, searching for anything that might bring them greater power, which would in turn feed their master. They allied themselves with various dark powers and gods to this end, first following the newly-awakened Pantheon, and then (when his promises of untold rewards failed to materialise) the Dark Lord Marteaus.

Marteaus told them of his plan to bring about the destruction of this Wold, and the very Gods themselves. In the Wold that followed the Dread and his minions would be rewarded, becoming mage-kings of Marteuas' new Wold. So began the attempt by the Sons of Dread to bring about the end of the Wold.

Their first task was to seek out the Library of Mengor, rumored to hold the forbidden secrets of a thousand dark mages. This they did, distracting the adventuring party sent against them with a plot to destroy Mengor's body, and with it the town of Windhorn Hamlet.

To their surprise they discovered that the Library existed in an extradimensional space, accessible through a portal hidden in Mengor's study. Far from being Mengor's library, it seems the mage had stumbled upon a vast and ancient repository of arcane lore, gathered over the ages by countless long dead wizards from numerous worlds. This portal was moved to Castle Dread, where its contents were carefully studied.

This proved no small task; the library is vast and seemingly ever-changing. However in time they found what they were looking for: in a tome detailing the fabled lands of Koshe Marre they found reference to a device called the Soul Forge. This item could feed on souls, and transfer that power to the user of the machine. This was what Marteaus craved in his planned war on the Gods, but the Dread too saw his path to power in that infernal engine. For the power transmitted to him by his followers could now be increased a thousand-fold.

The Sons of Dread arranged, through nefarious means, for a vast rally to be held in Plateau City's Golden Arena. Here they unleashed the fearsome power of the Soul Forge, and although it was ultimately destroyed by that same band of adventurers who had dogged their steps since Windhorn Hamlet, it survived long enough to achieve its purpose. Marteaus gained enough extra power to tip the balance in his final battle to the death with Domi, whilst the Sons of Dread were supercharged with a power they had never even conceived of. Most simply couldn't handle it, either melting, exploding or bursting into flames. Some were strong enough to contain the power, but were driven irrevocably insane by the experience. Only a handful of those mages present survived, their power vastly increased.

But, as gods and mages died, there was one other who burned bright with raw power that day. Deep beneath his fortress The Dread greedily fed upon the life force suplied him by his minions. Unnoticed in his crypt as the divine and mortal wars of Ascension began, The Dread attained terrifying new heights of power. His decaying body burned away in the bright fires of magical energy, until only his grinning skull remained. The Dread had become a DemiLich.

Since the dawn of the 5th Age little had been heard of the Sons of Dread until rumours surfaced of a school for dark mages in the Red Hills. Here the Sons of Dread had gathered, using the Library to help a mad ex-Fixer of Alemi, Lemmran, recreate the original Soul Forge. Once again the Sons of Dread were leaching life force to grow in power. For a third time the Windhorn Hamleteers thwarted the plans of the Sons of Dread, but the Library and Lemmran were never located.

Many of their number continue to work in secret in the relocated Great Library, hunting for secrets that will augment their power. Others have formed small cadres, and wander the land seeking artefacts that will be of use to their master. Those driven mad have been abandoned to wander the land wreaking havoc wherever they go. Of the Dread himself nothing has been heard. It seems his spirit has left this Plane, exploring the multiverse in his never ending quest for mastery of the Wold and beyond. None can say when he might return. Until that time his jewel encrusted skull sits upon his throne, deep in the crypts of Castle Dread.

His faithful retainers continue his work in his absence, engaged in the ultimate quest; the search for absolute power.

Organisation

The Sons of Dread form small wizard enclaves, typically no larger than 15 to 20 members in size. There are many such enclaves abroad in the Wold, and many more at Castle Dread and in the Great Library. Each enclave is pretty much autonomous, and although cooperation can happen, a degree of rivalry is common.

The discovery of the Library has caused a greater gathering than normal, as more and more members hear rumours of the untold powers waiting to be found inside.

Whilst their master is absent there is no single driving force behind them, and their plans are usually specific to each group.

In the more powerful groups the leader is often an ArchMage (see DMG PrC). These groups will almost always use hired muscle to do their dirty work for them, or to provide a first line of security.

The Dread has a group of eight liches who serve him at Castle Dread, each protecting one of his soul jewels. These liches are his original retainers of old, and are unswervingly loyal to their master. Each is vastly powerful mage in their own right.