Darkon’s Fractured Throne
Hook
Erasmus showed Azalin disappearing during the destruction of Castle Avernus and Darkon breaking into territories controlled by competing powers.
Evidence
- Castle Avernus exploded, split apart, and became frozen.
- Azalin’s physical body dissolved into nothing within the castle.
- Alcio “Baron” Metus appeared as the power over Martira Bay.
- An unidentified noble undead woman commanded a great host around Il Aluk.
- An unidentified fae-like elven woman represented the Eternal Order in the east.
- The King’s Ravens appeared to control another territory.
- Turning gears surrounded the Brautslava Institute.
- Ooru appeared only as a representation of Har’Akir and the world beyond Darkon, not as one of Darkon’s rulers.
- Black Lily has heard that evil stirs beneath Castle Avernus and that the castle is healing itself.
- A note from Black Lily stated that “the phylactery must be hidden in the castle.” The party believes it refers to Azalin’s phylactery.
- The party reached Castle Avernus and saw it split apart yet bound or repaired by luminous webs of stone and light.
- Azalin’s banners still moved there in a wind the party could not feel.
- Bald Kargat vampire Darian Corvrick welcomed the party inside as protected guests.
- A raven speaking for Ebb offered escape from Darkon through the Dark Delvers.
- Allaric Van Stradleheim offered conquest through the Kargatane, beginning with the Eternal Order and Il Aluk.
- Irik Zal’honan offered discovery and truth, declaring that Darkon remembers but does not obey.
- Ignatius and Carver pledged themselves to Irik’s path.
- Different castle rooms display daylight and night at the same apparent moment.
- The party found a magical menagerie whose prisoner Siv claimed to have been confined first by Azalin and then by later captors who transformed him.
- Construct guards still patrol the castle’s bailey walls and upper approaches.
- Irik endorsed using wealth recovered from the upper treasury for the greater good.
- A hidden library beneath the treasury contained accurate records of other domains, including Har’Akir.
- Lower chambers held a sealed cache of coins stamped with Azalin’s face and a massive beast assembled from the dead.
- When Hyskosa tried to scry Azalin, the first vision revealed only darkness and nothingness.
- The same ritual showed Ebbasheyth inside Castle Avernus examining the damage to a tower.
- It also showed Allaric meeting with elder vampires, including Baron Metus.
- A second question about Azalin produced a searching view from high above Castle Avernus rather than another empty vision.
Current understanding
- Azalin vanished during his failed transformation, but the later scrying suggests that his fate may still be tied to Castle Avernus.
- Ebbasheyth and Allaric remain active contenders in Darkon: Ebb still visits the castle, while Allaric is coordinating with powerful vampires.
- The party chose Irik’s path of discovery, but no clear successor has reunited the fractured domain.
Open questions
- What happened during Azalin’s failed transformation?
- Is Azalin dead, displaced, transformed, imprisoned, or somehow watching Castle Avernus?
- Who are the unnamed rulers around Il Aluk and in eastern Darkon?
- What territory do the King’s Ravens control?
- Why is Castle Avernus frozen, and what is healing it?
- Why does time differ from room to room within the castle?
- What role does the Brautslava Institute play in the struggle?
- Did Azalin’s phylactery survive the destruction, and is it responsible for the castle’s healing?
- What obligations accompany the party’s pledge to Irik?
- What are Ebb and Allaric planning, and will they treat the party’s choice as opposition?
Next steps
- Learn what Strahd and the Keepers know about Azalin’s disappearance before choosing whether to return to Darkon.
- Identify the rival powers around Il Aluk, eastern Darkon, the King’s Ravens, and the Brautslava Institute.
- Determine what Irik’s path demands and whether Ebb or Allaric now regard the party as an enemy.