Garthuul the Undying Blight
Garthuul is a rather unique case in the Ringed Enclave, as he did not seek an alliance with the betrayer gods, but instead forced his way into their ranks by magical means. In his previous life, Garthuul was a prodigy of the arcane, casting his first spells only moments after he discovered life. It was as though magic was as natural to him as breathing, as though his body was practically made of magic. With his talents, Garthuul realized that his abilities could bend reality to his command and became obsessed with testing and breaking all of the boundaries of his arcane prowess. It was through his never-ending practice of the magical arts that he singlehandedly developed the art of necromancy, allowing him to break the natural causeways to the afterlife, summon armies of allies to assist him in his research, and even become the world’s first archlich. Eventually, once the Discord was at the height of his reign, Garthuul presented himself and his undead hordes to the Ringed Enclave by casting an intrusive enchantment to forcibly tear out the soul of one of the Discord’s ascended generals and absorb it, therefore allowing him to take the fallen god’s place in the cosmic hierarchy. The Discord was astonished by Garthuul’s audacity, but he was ultimately impressed by his ambition and raw intellectual power, and thus, Garthuul found himself welcomed into the ranks of the Enclave.
The Liberated
Although Garthuul invented the practice of necromancy, many experienced mages throughout history have found more lucrative uses for such abilities. Thus, in order to improve his forces, Garthuul has spent his exile constantly improving his arcane formulas. Recently, he has gained the ability to use his followers as conduits for his own sinister magics, thus turning them into arcane-charged undead soldiers known as the Liberated due to Garthuul’s ideals of breaking the chains of society. These Liberated undead are not only more powerful and intelligent than their average counterparts, but they are also fused with pure magical energy. This connection allows much of them to gain the potential for spellcasting or in some cases, simply discharge arcane power as a natural weapon. Regardless of their abilities, these undead are especially dangerous and exist to carry out Garthuul’s arrogant will.Enemies of the Blight
The philosophies of the Undying Blight are in direct opposition of the Umber Mistress, which makes the two enemies by nature. Garthuul thinks of her as little more than an obstacle in his ascension, but her servants are of great concern to his own designs, and so he seeks to push back her clergy whenever he finds them. However, he considers the Master of Forms to be a formidable rival, as they are the only entity whose magical prowess rivals his own. This animosity came to light when the mage of the Crimson Chariot outsmarted the Undying Blight and defeated him in an arcane duel. This bout ended in the archlich being sealed away in the unbreakable prison realm of Tartarus where he plots his escape to this day.Depictions
Although he once had a mortal form, the nature of this form has been lost to time since all those who know of the Undying Blight know his appearance as a lich. He is a creature of gaunt, skeletal features, curved horns and bony spikes, and crystalline growths filled with cold, necrotic energy. This emaciated body is held together with inky, black sinews and cloaks resembling billowing smoke clouds. He also has numerous clusters of piercing eyes lining his body that flash various glowing arcane sigils. The Blight is also typically depicted with a twisted ebony crown atop his head, signifying the godly position that he absconded with in order to enter the Enclave.Commandments of the Undying Blight
- Death is not the end if your ambition is strong enough. Through focused conviction, even the laws of nature can be bent to your will.
- Exact your plans within the cover of darkness and live in the shadows to keep your secrets. You will not find opposition if your opposition cannot find you.
- With sheer power and intellect, anything is subject to change. If a solution alludes you, do whatever it takes to make one for yourself.
Divine Classification
Deity
Alignment
Neutral Evil
Children
Current Residence
The Frozen Ossuary, Tartarus
Arcana
Blood
Undeath
Lust
Honorary Titles
The Undying Blight
The Sanguine Sovereign
The Prime Lich
The Man Who Conquered Death
Holy Symbol
An arcane sigil topped with an ebony crown
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