Vecna and his Blacktower

“Standing over a kilometre in height, Vecnas Blacktower Dwarfs everything about it, the sun, the horizon, not even the snow capped mountains of Tovag Boragu compare to the cosmic immensity of the Titan that now towers before you.
The 300 story spike crennelated behemoth is undeniably black but yet smooth and reflective like menacing glass. Looking into its mirror surface you can’t help but feel like you’ve been reduced to the reflection and the darkness within is what lay beyond your parallel world.”
Constructed by the High Elf Vecna at the end of a dark age, the Blacktower was conjured from the ground on the site of the ancient Tovag Baragu as a watchtower and monument to the supremacy of the Libirmortiz family.
The Libirmortiz clan were amongst the feuding high elven families of Eradas and like most in Eriador at this time had an unholy intolerance of magic and the Fey. They had invaded Tovag Baragu believing it to be an unholy place of worship and put its tribal worshippers to the sword.
A young Vecna was a born Sorceror within the Libirmortiz clan who had been sent to squire for a knight of the Libirmortiz, at the heart of the accursed Tovag Baragu his master was struck down in combat with one of the primordial dragons that lived there.
Vecna was spared by the serpent who sensed a great power within Vecna. With Tovag Baragu salted with the blood of the Liber Mortiz the serpent took the survivor on as an apprentice and together they built the Black tower from the blackened scorched bones of those that would have destroyed them.
By the time of the great unification the surviving family of Erdos praised Vecna for his commitment to magic and preserving the ancient ways of the Eladrin, a clever lie produced by Vecna to hide his true activities.
The island he had reconquered was taken from him however and instead awarded to the Emperors nephew , though Vecna was allowed to teach and practice magic from his iconic black tower.
In the age of Fey Kings Vecna became the friend and confidant of Correlon Larethian and his wife Abolycne Seldarine, he condoned their secret marriage and supported them when the Emperor denied their marriage as heresy.
Vecna argued that Correlon should become high king and the age of empires should end, this idea was ashued
When Correlon set off in search of the Secret fire it was Vecna who taught him of the flames magical cleansing properties. It was also Vecna who taught Abolycne her druidcraft.
With Correlon gone he was amongst the first to declare his old friend dead rallying behind his Valorian apprentice Lucifer to take his place as king.
Despite having delivered Vhaerhun at birth and knowing the child to be Correlons he lied to the court when Wrath came to claim his birthright.
Vecna then announced that the Dark elves tainted by Gothmaur corruption were ultimately cursed and incurable, forever tainted by a shroud of evil.
This lead to the Elven war of succession and the ascension of the Drow curse.
The Black tower trained almost exclusively Warlocks apprenticed to Vecna and his serpent during the days of the war and its aftermath. These warlocks were known as the scions of Vecna and each member was “purified” by him and made immortal.
Whilst the scions initially believed their immortality was a result of Vecnas blood purification experiments they soon found they had been cursed with a state of undeath, they were made Lich’s bound to the Arch-mage for all eternity, their souls already sold in the name of purity.
In this time the Valinorian war master and king Lucifer discovered Vecnas secrets and utilised them to terrifying efficacy.
In this time the Blacktower has become a Necromantic factory producing warriors for the king Asmodeus reborn. His warriors hid their undeath carefully and destroyed themselves when their usefulness was fulfilled, marching into the sea at the command of their master.
When Lucifer was defeated at the battle of Dragonpass Vecna was the first to suggest his old masters mind had been tainted by the shards of Asmodeus.
Under Oberyeon the Arch-mages role changed to that of a teacher, a position Vecna loathed.
Despite his hatred for the position it proved most useful for the Archmage who used the role to increase his power significantly, within years of the schools founding it was soon accepted albeit liberally into the Circle of eight and partnered closely with the academy of Albion.
Over the years the wizards of the Blacktower were feared and respected globally for their practically liberal use of powerful magic, and their ruthlessness and supernatural inquisitors.
Unlike other wizarding schools the black tower enlisted its students into their militia following their graduation.
Scholars of the tower were forbidden from sharing their secrets with any other magical fraternities and were sworn to serve and obey Vecna forever even in death.
As a member of the circle of eight Vecnas achievements were unparalleled, so much so that the other members grew suspicious, suspecting Vecna was a Lich or conspiring with the forces of evil.
The Academy of Albion hired an ex student of Vecna ‘Tasha Iggwilv to investigate these claims.
Tasha infiltrated the forbidden higher sections of Vecnas study and returned with tomes of Daemonic suggestion revealing the Academies fears to be true.
So began the war of the towers an extra planar conflict between The Blacktower and the wizards of Eort.
The conflict ended in stalemate as the Circle of Eight ultimately concluding that Vecnas potential for evil did not outweigh his contributions to the world at large.
Conflicts did continue however somewhat traditionally as the Academy of Albion and the black tower continued their ancient rivalries.
Occasionally some enterprising adventurer or ambitious spellcaster would attempt to assail the black tower to obtain Vecnas secrets but all would fail besides only the best and bravest who would no doubt be hunted down and killed not long after celebrating their success.
This rivalry became naught but traditional following the treaty of silver of gold following the siege of Dracolith and the slaying of the dragon queen.
A feat only made possible by banishing incantations devised by the Black tower.
The treaty meant that the Black tower was now required by the empress to share its most basic knowledge with the circle of eight and exchange students between them.
The coming of the third age marked the first time none pure blooded elves were allowed to study at the college, in a strange change of heart this move was supported by Vecna who agreed the academy needed to “get with the times.”
In a controversial move marked the death of divine rule Vecna opted for a more technocratic system of hierarchy within the Blacktower and in the surrounding baronys ruled by it.
Vecna would take a step back as Arch mage creating the title of Arch-principalis to take on the duty of educating his students with principals and headmasters assembled for the schools beneath them.
Vecna would then retreat into his studies only emerging once more under the most dire of circumstance.
This did not sit well with the royal imperial family of Erdos who petitioned during the age of Fey kings that Vecna ruled over the school with their ideals of purity in mind.
As penance for this shift in priorities the family of Erdos founded the Black inquisition headed by Vecna, an elven response to the bastardised Oath of the Orthodoxy faith founded in the Middle East.
Vecna married the princess, Mordryn Erdos who succeeded to the throne shortly thereafter.
The Archmage and now Elven Prince, Vecna now took political standing in the seelie and unseelie courts.
Having travelled to Mt Celeste he claimed that he had communed with the courts of the gods and discovered that Correlon had been killed along with the Malekian successor prince Wrath Larethian.
This kickstarted the second and third wars of Elven succession that saw Vecna as a cruel puppet master at the helm of the political struggle.
(Steel coast adventures starts here)
Part way through the second war of succession his wife Empress Mordryn discovered he had plotted to usurp her at the end of the war and declare himself emperor.
Accompanied by the warlord of Malekia Adran Dragoon, the Emerald guard stormed the black tower and slew Vecna using an incantation that would obliterate his immortality.

Type

College / Academy