beating blades diffusing concerns rituals

Oath of the Ancients Legacy

Classes Player’s Handbook (2014)

The Oath of the Ancients is as old as the race of elves and the rituals of the druids. Sometimes called fey knights, green knights, or horned knights, paladins who swear this oath cast their lot with

. TENETS OF THE ANCIENTS The tenets of the Oath of the Ancients have been preserved for uncounted centuries. This oath emphasizes the principles of good above any concerns of law or chaos. Its four central

Charmayne Daymore

Monsters Keys from the Golden Vault

spell fails.A powerful spellcaster, Charmayne had become jealous of the king’s passion and warmth. Longing to possess those qualities, she painstakingly created rituals to drain Jhaeros’s

magic to tear out Jhaeros’s heart while keeping it alive. She then used the still-beating heart as the focus of a ritual to destroy Ghalasine.Fire

Prisoner 13

Monsters Keys from the Golden Vault

her triumph onto her skin. Using ancient rituals, Korda infused many of these artful etchings with the magic of Gauntlgrym’s forges, granting her wondrous gifts. Korda grew too ambitious for

in Dwarvish script on her neck and across her shoulder blades reads, “Endless dreams entombed in stone.” Flames. A roiling storm of brilliant flames covers her back and ribs. Shroud

Arborea

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

, beating the tree-lined paths with heavy winds. The storms pass within minutes and leave behind warm arcs of sunlight filtering through the forest canopy. Music always seems to be playing in the distance

is revealed. The inhabitants of the plane are accustomed to this emotional honesty. Lifelong friends might share a laugh over food and wine, cross blades over a mutual lover, and write songs

Adventure Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

possess those qualities, she painstakingly created rituals to drain Jhaeros’s vitality and charm, and to funnel these qualities into herself. However, the magic only enhanced her greed and jealousy; the

out Jhaeros’s heart while keeping it alive. She then used the still-beating heart as the focus of a ritual to destroy Ghalasine. A spherical void appeared in the sky above Castle Cinis, causing the city

Oath of the Ancients

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Oath of the Ancients The Oath of the Ancients is as old as the race of elves and the rituals of the druids. Sometimes called fey knights, green knights, or horned knights, paladins who swear this

world. Tenets of the Ancients The tenets of the Oath of the Ancients have been preserved for uncounted centuries. This oath emphasizes the principles of good above any concerns of law or chaos. Its

Xulregg

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

itself, called the Firehive, resembles a gargantuan wasp nest with an open top. Aurnozci’s power causes the Firehive to throb like a beating heart, and the nest’s surface is hot to the touch. Halfway up

. A broken Gorewood limb overlooks the opening at the top of the nest. Aurnozci’s servants throw sacrifices to it from this overlook, and the Eye of Aurnozci conducts profane rituals atop a dais on the

Upper City

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer

, therefore, is at high risk of robbery, beating, or worse. Victor Adame Minguez Upper City Random Encounters d20 Encounter 1–6 No encounter 7–10 Harmless interaction (roll on table A) 11–16 Denizens

High House of Wonders 5 1 ochre jelly in a sewer grate 6 Dead Three squad (4 fists of Bane, 3 night blades, and 2 necromites of Myrkul) trying to capture one or more city residents, in the hopes of

Gracklstugh

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

strongholds, afraid to venture out into the streets — even invisibly. Rumors abound of creatures active in the Darklake, and of secret rituals and offerings made to the dark waters to appease them. A

boil. Each side blames the other for recent happenings in the City of Blades and believes it can use the situation to its advantage. Keepers turn up dead, murdered by mysterious assailants, while

7. Halls of Worship

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

precious baubles with oil. The cultists are named Elthimar and Zelaya. They are carefully anointing items that have been plucked from Umbraxakar’s hoard — treasures that will be used in rituals to tether

the shadow dragon’s memories to specific areas of Vanrakdoom. Treasure. The items on the table include three silver bowls (25 gp each), two ceremonial daggers with wavy obsidian blades (75 gp each), a

Life in the City of Blades

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

Life in the City of Blades The duergar are called gray dwarves not only because of the color of their skin, but also because of their drab and joyless lifestyle. While they make no time for merriment

, the duergar have a culture as rich and complex as any other, and nowhere is this so evident as in Gracklstugh. Work never stops in the City of Blades, and the gray dwarves take pride in efficiency

Membership

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

their concerns and ridicule their beliefs, so they expect a low success rate in their recruitment efforts. The group’s carefully crafted recruitment message has its appeal: all your suffering and all the

, and in the formal context of rituals, an initiate might be identified by their new name and brood number: for example, “Aphellis, Initiate of the Twenty-Sixth Brood.” Leadership The leaders of the

Gnolls

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse

war bands seek to soften up foes with surprise attacks and to leave no survivors alive. Gnoll Flesh Gnawer These gnolls eschew the use of ranged weapons in favor of short blades that they wield with

hunger and violent urges. Eventually, they fight among themselves. The survivors devour the flesh of their slain comrades but preserve the bones. Then, by invoking rituals to Yeenoghu (appears in this

Life in the Domains of Dread

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

. Religion In many domains, locals maintain chilly relationships with aloof deities, knowing “the gods” only through hollow rituals and clergy with scant supernatural powers. Conversely, some people

Correspondence In some domains, the residents are aware that realms exist beyond the Mists, but most have little interest in lands beyond their own. The Darklords’ obsessions distract them from concerns

Anatomy of a War Band

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

the remains of their foes using bizarre rituals. A hyena that feeds on such a corpse spawns a gnoll, while other humanoids who join in the feast become cultists of Yeenoghu. Fangs use their claws in

springs into action, its blades and teeth turn it into a whirling dealer of death, able to dash from one target to the next as though it had been shot from a bow. Gnoll Witherlings A war band might go for

Random Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

duergar patrol 13–14 Mad duergar 15–16 Orc mercenaries* 17–18 Slave caravan 19 Steeder handlers 20 Themberchaud Abusive Duergar Guards The characters come upon two duergar guards beating a duergar

adornment’s sake is something duergar society frowns upon, the guards’ violent response was unnatural — a hint of the growing madness festering inside the City of Blades. Deep Gnome Merchant A female

Orcs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

blades, tactical experts who advise their chief in matters of war. Blades lead from the front, wading into combat fearlessly while barking orders at lesser soldiers. A blade knows how to use orcish

gateway to the ancestors. Orcs who die having served the tribe well go on to rituals meant to send them to Gruumsh’s realm. As befits followers of a god who doesn’t speak, hands of Yurtrus remove

Gnolls

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

use of ranged weapons in favor of short blades that they wield with speed and efficiency. In the thick of a fight, they are capable of dashing across the field, slashing and snarling as they run down

violent urges. Eventually, they fight among themselves. The survivors devour the flesh of their slain comrades but preserve the bones. Then, by invoking rituals to Yeenoghu, they bring the remains back to a

Skytower Shelter Locations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

stone, set with a crude gate made of thick lumber and festooned with metal blades. Gaps in the gate allow you to see an unusually tall figure in hide armor standing ten feet behind it and clutching a

wooden bars seal the gate. The blades affixed to the gate and the surrounding barricade make climbing impossible. The goliaths attack anyone who bypasses the gate without Arn’s consent. Nine goliath

The Seldarine

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

his presence is no longer felt. Priest of Corellon Corellon doesn’t expect much from followers — no complex rituals or frequent ceremonies or even regular prayer. Corellon wants them to enjoy life

, Rillifane takes the appearance of an uncommonly tall and strong wood elf with dark skin, handsome features, and twigs and leaves protruding from his hair. In either guise, his main concerns are the

A Detour to Neverwinter

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

particularly convincing about their ignorance, Moguhl and her bandits attack in hopes that a good beating can convince them to tell what they know. Moguhl uses the wererat stat block and wields a +1 shortsword

for free. Entering the Temple Anyone can enter the temple to worship Oghma at a shrine on the first floor. Acolytes and lesser clerics are available to perform rituals for a suitable donation. The

Cultists of the Dead Three

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

into the shadows with ease, or even turn invisible for a crucial moment. Cult Ranks. Low-ranking cultists of Bhaal are called night blades, whom Bhaal blesses with darkvision and superior stealth

master the necromantic arts. Delvers into Lore. Cultists of Myrkul study rituals that allow them to force the souls of the dead into service, compelling them to answer questions and share forgotten lore

Crushing Wave Cultists

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

elemental fire as reckless and short-tempered. Crushing Wave Priest Crushing Wave priests are the fanatical core of the cult. Gathering in secretive cabals, they perform dark rituals to glorify

the death if an avenue of retreat is open to them. Reavers carry shields made of giant crab shells, and the blades of their swords are lined with shark’s teeth. Crushing Wave Reaver Medium humanoid

Monastery Locations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

leading them in various meditations. At any given time, four Sacred Stone monks (see chapter 7) practice with her. Hellenrae’s instruction consists of beating her followers senseless, so the two monks are

, powerful claws, and four eye sockets — but two of its eyes have been put out, and its claws are bronze blades. The creature bellows and thrashes in rage, constantly testing the bars and clawing at the

Faerûn

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

untroubled by the concerns of larger nations. They take great pride in their peaceful coexistence with the elves of Cormanthor, and in their ability to remain largely self-sufficient and autonomous even when

of male spellcasters, known as the Old Ones, create magic items and weave arcane rituals for the witches. Rashemi witches revere the Three, a triumvirate of goddesses they call Bhalla (the Den Mother

Wedding Itinerary

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

shaping a massive mosaic. Not far from the dwarves is a large metallic construct with a terrifying number of appendages ending in blades and saws. It is thankfully unmoving. A female dwarf with sharp

check the vault and report to her if all is not well. This requires borrowing Gorat’s key, which Gorat lends willingly (whether run by a player or not). The mercurial Thunderwind has no concerns that a

Maelstrom Level 2

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

whalebone blades lined with shark teeth. The shields and the weapons aren’t particularly valuable, especially given their weight. A concave wall to the south has a giant-sized secret door set into it. It

cautionary tales about the fall of ancient Ostoria and accounts of the giants’ ancient war against dragonkind. Other stones have prayers and ancient rituals inscribed on them, most having to do with the

D&D Beyond

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