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The Black One, Embodiment of Koth
Note: This entire page should be used almost entirely for GMs, and is not public knowledge that any PCs should know without thorough investigative work.
Summary
The Black One is the most powerful NPC on the island of Koth, and secretly bullies or bribes the rulers of Toth into doing his bidding.
History
The Black One planned, in secret, a dark, chaotic ritual that would transform him into a god. However the ritual went wrong, tainting the island with necromantic energy and permanently warping the island’s latent magic. The Black One ascended to his current state, in which he is one of the most powerful hirudo to have ever existed. However, as a result of the ritual, he is bound to the island, and has little power, outside from creating basic physical manifestations of himself.
In the Jaernain year 10059, an adventurer by the name of Hooded Man told the Necromancers that The Black One was protecting them; this caused him to be worshipped as a minor deity. The other gods do not currently view him as a significant enough threat to deal with him.
Motives
The Black One has two primary goals: To break free of the island, and to expand his influence. To do so, he's been hoarding powerful relics and absorbing the minds and souls of various beings for centuries. He is extremely dangerous, and will almost certainly obliterate any adventurers who attempt to destroy his city or tampers with the magical beacons on the island.
Pawns
If an adventurer moves through one of the Black One's obelisks and fails a 6 die power check, they become branded with his mark. The Black One will force the adventurer to bring powerful enemies and creatures (both dead and alive) to the obelisk. After delivery of the tribute, A pool of dark, purple energy will form beneath the body, and they will slowly sink into the pool, never to be seen again.
The pawn must bring an enemy that is at least rate 50 (both dead and alive will suffice) to an obelisk at least once during each Jaernian year, otherwise they will have to start making a Will check. The check starts at one die, and increases by a die every other week. Failing to resist the check will mean that the adventurer is being mind controlled by the Black One, and is too busy collecting tributes to the Black One to go on an adventure.