History Check: Kas and Vecna and your most interesting information about the oni Foundations of Betrayal: Vecna’s near-destruction and rescue that day, so that sorcerer who lies in wait for our caravan. The Elder he could ingratiate himself with his master and put is reading the cards now to see if you spoke the truth. Vecna and Acererak himself in a position to steal Vecna’s darkest, most If not, you may be a guest of the Vistani for quite a “Nearly two millennia ago in a land known as the Fla- powerful secrets. while. I hear that my brother Sergei needs a new naess, the name of the lich Vecna was sung by bards “For a time, Acererak’s plan succeeded. Several target for knife-throwing practice. and cursed by clerics. How did he become a lich, and years passed before Vecna uncovered his general’s “Now, to business. You are correct: I am no mere why did he seek to conquer the Flanaess? You may as deception. But with the prescience of a Vistani, Acer- dancing girl. I am Menodora Zarovan. My clan takes well ask, ‘Why is the Shadowfell dark, Menodora?’ erak saw his doom coming and fled. pride in its matchless knowledge of ancient his- The cult of Vecna teaches that Vecna was cursed by “Vecna’s rage, always a fearsome thing, rose to tory, especially in matters of the arcane. We know gods who were jealous of his power. A monk who new heights. Not only had the powerful mage who the truths behind a thousand myths. Sometimes we raves ceaselessly within his cell in a madhouse swore overcame death been tricked by an underling into share what we know with those who are bold or fool- to me that Vecna confronted his own death and revealing his most closely-guarded knowledge, the ish enough to ask, but this information comes with a imprisoned it in a castle on the gray sands of an alien thief had escaped retribution entirely. Vecna swore price. Tonight I will tell you what you wish to know, world, where it wails in eternal torment. that from then on he would protect all of his secrets giorgio. And one day I will come to you with a request, “As entertaining as these tales are, most sources with a fervor that bordered on religious fanaticism. and you will return the favor. agree that Vecna was a supremely talented wizard While Vecna’s power grew, his obsession with secrecy “Tonight I will tell you a tale of foul acts and fouler who became obsessed with overcoming death when became a literal religion to those who worshipped betrayal. I will tell you how the master of secrets him- his beloved mother died. He conquered villages in him. Among those zealots was a ruthless, cruel sol- self was misled by the warrior he trusted, and by his the Flanaess to use the townspeople as subjects for dier named Kas.” own foolish pride. It is the tale of Kas the Destroyer his necromantic experiments. After hundreds of and the Maimed God, Vecna.” failures Vecna devised a ritual that siphoned power from the planes to animate his lifeless body, giving him immortality as a lich. Imagine: all of those lives Hi sTory CheCk destroyed andSample a soul corrupted beyond file saving, just A character knows the information above with a Theo ZAr VAns because he missed his mother. “There is another question that has puzzled many: successful DC 25 History or Religion check, except The narrator of this “History Check” is a member of why is Vecna obsessed with keeping secrets? That for the involvement of Acererak. A DC 30 History the Zarovan tribe of the Vistani, a gypsy-like people trait goes back to Vecna’s first major assault on a city, or Religion check reveals the Acererak connec- who can cross into the Shadowfell and other when one of his generals—a demonic half-breed mage tion. A separate DC 22 Religion or Arcana check worlds seemingly without effort. The Zarovans named Acererak—rescued Vecna from destruction reveals that the “lich” Acererak is more precisely have a particular interest in arcane history, bizarre by clerics of Pelor. The lich, in perhaps his first act a demilich, whose followers founded the Bleak tales, and esoteric facts. A Zarovan might share of gratitude, allowed Acererak access to the Rotted Academy, a school of magic and religion, directly this information with non-Vistani in exchange for Tower in the upper levels of his keep. above Acererak’s trap-filled tomb. favors, fascinating local legends, or on a whim or “Ah, you recognize the name Acererak. A question a darker caprice. for you then, giorgio: If a crafty hellspawn possessed More information about the Vistani can be found the will to become a powerful lich himself, and was ™ in Player’s Option: Heroes of Shadow , the boxed set willing to take up residence in a massive deathtrap ™ The Shadow fell: Gloomwrought and Beyond , and the called ‘the Tomb of Horrors,’ can you imagine that ® Vistani articles in Dragon 380. he would be content to serve as a mere underling to another mage? No, the truth is that Acererak arranged August 2011 | DR AG ON 4 02 2 History Check: Kas and Vecna k as: Vecna’s and dominating his enemies in combat. Vecna was overcome stronger foes that challenged the lich’s confident of Kas’s loyalty. power. Bloody right hand “Over the years Vecna and Kas talked often inside “Vecna used necromancy to extend Kas’s life, “Have you ever been in a room with a mosquito that the Rotted Tower. They discussed future targets of wishing to retain his trusted weapon as long as pos- you can’t seem to kill no matter how many times you invasion and rumors of recently discovered arti- sible. When Kas’s mortal form had reached the point swat at it? Make that mosquito six-and-a-half feet tall, facts. Vecna also taught Kas to be craftier in battle: when even Vecna’s spells could sustain it no longer, cover it in armor, and give it the cunning of an adder although Kas’s brutality was effective, Vecna’s lieu- the lich fashioned for him a fanged mask of silver, and the strength of a god. That’s Kas the Betrayer. tenant would master more subtle tactics in order to and channeled the energy of undeath into it. By “During the time that Acererak was deceiving wearing the silver mask and accepting its necroman- Vecna, Kas was a human paladin in Vecna’s service, tic embrace, Kas willingly received the dark gift of drawn by visions of blood and a thirst for foes who vampirism.” would challenge his prowess at arms. Years earlier he had pledged himself to a god of death, but Kas soon grew bored with mere death. It was the path to dying that fascinated him and the more violent that path, Hi sTory CheCk the better. Kas wanted to swim forever in a red sea of A character knows most of the information combat. Chaining himself to Vecna’s ambition would above with a successful DC 25 History or Reli- grant his wish—in more ways than he expected. gion check, although Kas will be known only as “While Vecna assembled his forces for what would an extremely powerful vampire lord who is the be his first successful major campaign, he became sworn enemy of Vecna. A DC 30 check reveals intrigued by Kas’s passion for battle, his skill with Kas’s history with Vecna, and a DC 35 check a sword, and his recklessness. He was also enter- reveals the origin of his vampirism. tained by the paladin’s hypocrisy in insisting on a fair fight before he mercilessly cut down his opponents. Sample file Kas rose through the ranks of Vecna‘s followers—by eviscerating them when necessary—to become the Whispered One’s top lieutenant. He gained the name The Betrayal’s True Cause ‘Bloody-Handed’ on the day he led the conquest of “You give me the evil eye? Perhaps you don’t believe Vecna’s birthplace. After the battle, Kas publicly tor- me. Possibly you have heard that Kas became a vam- tured and then butchered an entire family chosen at pire after his famous betrayal, as a result of being random, for no other reason than to torment the city imprisoned in Vecna’s Citadel Cavitius, on an ash- officials who were foolish enough to plea with Vecna covered world so cold that it freezes the very soul. for their citizens’ lives. That is what Vecna cultists quoting from the Scroll “In the heady aftermath of his victory, Vecna of Mauthereign would have you think, unwilling to believed that Kas would remain a reliable weapon as admit that their lord so badly misplaced his trust long as there was blood to be spilled. Oh, he hadn’t twice. But is it so hard to believe that Vecna would forgotten the treachery of Acererak. It was an open choose to turn his most trusted warrior into a ‘lesser’ sore on whatever piece of skin Vecna still had. But undead, in an attempt to satisfy Kas’s thirst for blood unlike Acererak, Kas had no interest in Vecna’s and ensure that he wouldn’t be tempted to steal the arcane secrets: the warrior cared only for blood, steel, greater secrets of immortality? August 2011 | DR AG ON 4 02 3 History Check: Kas and Vecna “As Vecna’s empire grew, the Whispered One while it nurtured rebellion in the vampire’s heart.