Ahead of the Storm - Day 12

Cauldron, Five Months Ago

Dear Manzorian,

It has now been a full month since I began my search of the lair of Orbius Vhalantru, what he called "Oblivion". This lair, mostly a twisting labyrinth of cylindrical tunnels, tailor-made to fit the size of his hovering orb, has since continued to reveal new secrets to me. Indeed, the discovery I made most recently is what now puzzles me most, and is why I felt I must write this letter to you now, seeking advice. I know we have rarely spoken, but my good friend Scatterspells says that you would be the best person to speak to about this matter.

So yes, after a great deal of searching, I finally uncovered the most well-guarded secret room in Oblivion - none other than a whole other pocket dimension concealed beneath it, which can only be entered by beholders. Thus, it was when I performed a Shapechange upon myself on a hunch, that the gateway was finally visible to me, as my beholder Anti-Magic Ray caused the floor of the center room to shimmer and dissipate, revealing a tunnel heading further downward.

Down in this sub-basement I discovered the most perplexing clue yet about Orbius' plans and intentions: frescoes and murals covering wall upon wall in what appears at first glance to be a strange art museum. Stranger still, when more closely examined, is the fact that these murals appear to have been carved out of the wall by means of a Disintegrate spell. In other words, as unbelievable as the notion first sounds, it seems as though Orbius himself carved out these murals with his own disintegration rays. No easy feat, and something that he must have spent years completing - working day after day, as though obsessed.

More troubling, however, is what they depict: wall after wall bearing large and frightening images of various Demon Lords of the Abyss. Now, demonology is not my specialty, and here I was forced to spend a fair amount of time on research and study, in order to identify the figures in the murals. In the end, I resorted to magical means...

And with the aid of Legend Lore scrolls, I've been able to uncover the names of these depicted Demon Lords, which numbered 17. Here are the names and titles I discovered, in alphabetical order:

1. ADIMARCHUS, Prince of Madness

2. BAPHOMET, Prince of Beasts

3. DAGON, Prince of the Deep

4. DEMOGORGON, Prince of Demons

5. FRAZ-URB'LUU, Prince of Deception

6. GRAZ'ZT, Prince of Darkness

7. JUIBLEX, The Faceless Lord

8. KOSTCHTCHIE, Prince of Wrath

9. MALCANTHET, Queen of the Succubi

10. NEPHILIM, Princess of Subtlety

11. OBOX-OB, Prince of Vermin

12. ORCUS, Prince of the Undead

13. PALE NIGHT, Mother of Demons

14. PAZUZU, Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms

15. SHAMI-AMOURAE, Fallen Queen of the Succubi

16. YEENOGHU, Prince of Gnolls

17. ZUGGTMOY, Queen of Fungi

Of these names, two that obviously strike my eye are those of Adimarchus and Nephilim, the reunited demonic lovers who were brought together by the Outsiders. All this time, it was assumed that Orbius was simply using the planned Planar Junction as a means of gaining power - yet I now wonder if he too was collaborating with those mad Cagewrights such as Embril Aloustinai (also known to some as Uzuki) who were instead seeking to free Adimarchus from his prison? He certainly seemed to have known about both of them, well enough to carve highly-detailed images of both.

And what could be the reason for this entire obsession with Demon Lords?

It seems that there is much more to Orbius's evil plans than the Outsiders and I ever realized. Yet, it fits with his willingness to transform himself into a half-fiend... Which remains the last known trace of his whereabouts...

Yet, I fear that I need to learn much more about these 17 demons and demonesses before I can truly make any guesses as to their connections to Orbius. And this is where I require your assistance, in tracking down a copy of that most famed and infamous of documents pertaining to demonkind.

Yes, Manzorian - I need you to help me track down a copy of the Demonomicon of Iggwilv. I know that many have wasted lifetimes on hopeless pursuits of that book, yet I fear that without it, the answers we need may continue to elude us.

Please, write back to me with a time and place where we can meet to discuss this privately. I am sure you realize the severity of the situation.

Sincerely,

Meerthan Eliothlorn

Leader of the Striders of Fharlangn