Chapter 5 :TomboftheNineGods.........................................................................................................................................................
cererakbuilttheTomboftheNineGods
notonlytohousetheremainsofOmu’s
trickstergods,butalsotoslayinterlopers.
However,fewtodayevenknowthetomb
exists,andthusitremainsanenigma.Rare
arethetaverntalesthatlureadventurers
toitsgates,anditshorrorsremain
undocumentedinthelibrariesof
Candlekeep.Thereasonforthisissimple:
notonepersonwhohasenteredthetomb
haslivedtotellthetale.
HistoryoftheTomb........................................................................................................................................................................
AsthecharactersplumbthedepthsoftheTomboftheNine
Gods,they’lllearnsnippetsofitsgrislypast.
RiseoftheTomb......................................................................................................................................................................
AfterAcererakmurderedOmu’sgods,heenslavedtheOmuans
andforcedthemtocarveagrandtombunderoneofthecliffs
surroundingthecity.Thearchlichdevisedbrutaltrialsfor
eachburialchamber,andsprinkledriddlesandillusions
throughouttodeceiveintruders.Whenthebuildingworkwas
done,hefedhisslavesintothedeathtraptotestitsefficacy.
Thearchlichturnedsomeofhisvictimsintoundeadandflesh
golems,thenlockedtheminsidethetombtoserveas
guardians.Acererakthenresumedhiswanderings.
InAcererak’sabsence,thetombsnaredadventurersfrom
farawaylandsandharvestedtheirsoulstofeedthearchlich’s
phylactery,whichremainedhiddenonanotherplane.Every
fewdecades,Acererakreturnedtotinkerwithhisdungeon’s
traps,addtreasuretoitsvaults,andreapabountyofhoarded
souls.Hisplanarwanderingshaveinfluencedthetomb’s
mishmashofarchitecturalstyles,andhavepopulateditwith
strangeanddeadlymonsters.NourishingtheAtropal...........................................................................................................................................................
Ononeofhisjourneysthroughthecosmos,Acererakstumbled
uponanatropal(seeappendixD).HebroughtittoToril,
ensconceditinthecradleofhistomb,andbeganfeedingit
necromanticenergy,hopingtotransformitintoadeity:one
abletoclaimdominionoverdeath.UnleashedonToril,the
newborndeathgodwouldglutitselfonlifeuntilnonebutthe
deadwalkedtheworld.
Tonurturetheatropal,Acererakneededanuntoldnumber
ofsouls.ThearchlichmadeabargainwiththeSewnSisters,a
covenofnighthagsfearedthroughouttheLowerPlanes.
Seducedbytheprospectofanear-endlesssupplyofsouls,the
hagsjoinedAcererakinhistomb.Withtheirassistance,the
archlichcraftedtheSoulmonger—anecromanticdevicethat
couldreapthesoulsofthedyingfromacrossTorilandfeed
themtotheatropal.LeavingtheSewnSistersbehindas
nursemaids,Acererakabandonedhistombtowatchtheriseof
thedeathgodfromafar.ExploringtheTomb.........................................................................................................................................................................
Tosurvivethetomb’shorrors,theplayercharactersmustcall
oneveryounceoftheircunningandwillpower.