A harrowing descent from the sunlit mesas of Osira into the deepest shadows of the known world, Journey to the Netherveil marks The Sunsations’ fateful pursuit of ancient truth, hidden histories, and lost legacies. Spanning The Sands of Serrakhan, The Barren Badlands, Burned Woods, and The Netherveil, the journey begins with a vision of Ember—the radiant phoenix spirit—atop the Sun Temple and concludes in the peaks of Raven Rock. Along the way, alliances fracture, Talyen begins to change, and the echoes of Malekith, Valekith, and the forgotten gods of Netherveil permeate through the sunsations journey.
Origins & Prelude
The journey began at the Sun Temple, nestled on the southern shores beneath The Serrakhan Scar. There, the Sunsations were visited by Ember, the Archon of the Sun, and prelude to the spirit of Avatar Rozan, who beckoned them to uncover a dark legacy. Their celestial vision revealed a forgotten realm “where all has been long forgotten,” and warned of unrest in Osira. Upon returning from their initial journey, civil disorder stirred in Shariz as High Priest Ishmael (of the Holy Order of the Sun) incited fanaticism, and recent Emris Adventuring Guild discoveries from ancient sand-swept ruins whispered of a cursed land swallowed by shadow.
Compelled by these omens and entrusted by Guildmaster Altair Emris, the Sunsations journeyed north through the Badlands toward the Burned Forest, a once resplendent land annihilated by Malekith himself. Accompanied by Talyen, they would traverse forbidden lands lost to time—and memory. As they left, the Serrakhan Sultanate would weather the Scourge of the Seven Suns...
Descent into Darkness
Their path cut through the ravaged Badlands, fraught with danger from warring factions. The Sunsations encountered the Tumb, degenerated stone-worshippers descended from ancient Njordir, and the re-emergent Kroot warbands. Caught in the tribal blood feud, the Sunsations were forced to choose sides, leading to violent confrontations and the retrieval of cursed relics from the Maw of the Earth.
Entering the Burned Forest (following the trail of Thomm & Bar-Then the Kneebreaker), the Sunsations battled wraiths—specters of sun elves slain by Malekith. The forest was haunted by Leonardo the Unliving, a deranged Vampire lord who sought to transmute living beings into his twisted experiments (see: Ebony Towers Ruin). Eventually, they would trek through the accursed woodlands to the ruined Solir city of Itela, which rest upon the western coastline. At the furthest cliffside, they came upon the The Umbral Gateway, where a great maelstrom of black clouds emanated into the darkened sky. Within this shattered tower, they discovered ancient murals of Avatar Lumina and Avatar Rok, along with a portal to the Netherveil—and Alistair’s Journal, foretelling the rise of a seething shadowy seeking an Ebony Amulet in the heart of The Great Serpent.
Through the Umbral Gateway
Crossing into the Netherveil, the party would trek through an utterly foreign nightmare realm which existed as a sort of 'shadow' of the Prime Plane. Eventually, they would come upon the City of Evernight, ruled by three Shadowlords: Shadowlord Decimus, Shadowlord Mortis, and Shadowlord Nox. Hounded by assassins, admonished by the Order of the Twin Moon, and hustled by the cities cruel enforcers known as the Gloomguard, the Sunsations navigated Evernight’s volatile political landscape.
It was only when they gained favor with Shadowlord Nox, that they could traverse the shadowed city in relative ease. After tracking them down to a seedy inn, Nox entrusted them with a dire task: eliminate the Crimson Hand, twisted Demon-paladins who razed the Ruins of Voldren, for information on the Ebony Amulet they sought.
Infiltrating Arkayne Tower to learn more, they uncovered that Shadowlord Mortis had been replaced by Archshadi Neverus, who vanished, leaving only a vestige depicting the Tribunal of Netheril. Now recognized as shadowlord by the brutish Evernight customs, Neverus’s ascension foreshadowed greater unrest.
The Lost City of Netheril
Their path led to the Floating City of Netheril, once the crowned jewel of the Mytharil Empire during the Second Age, now reduced to a cabal of plotting sorcerers whom vied for the ascension of their fallen archmage - Valekith. There, the Sunsations treated with the Shadi Order, descendants of the ancient Mythar, who offered a deal to help them defeat the Crimson Hand in exchange for help recovering the Hands of Valekith. However, unbeknowst to them, their true plan was to resurrect Valekith by collecting his severed hands, and activating the Soulmonger Crystals beneath the floating city to soul-harvest all the warring parties. The party was taken before the Avatar of Vecna (Neverus), who offered them aid—if they would retrieve his severed Hand from the Crimson Hand and stop Guy the Grateful, now corrupted by the Fell Blade.
Battle of the Four Armies
The following events could be described as death, destruction, and ruination as the Sunsations convinced the Shadowlords to band together with the Shadi Order and storm the Crimson Hand Fortress. Thus, an unlikely alliance was formed alongside Decimus’ Gloomguard, Nox’ assassins, and the necromancers of Netheril. Yet, the confrontation would turn to utter chaos as the Night Mothers Chosen also arrived at the Dread Marshes to partake in the battle (see: Battle of the Four Armies).
To the backdrop of bloody battle and devastation, the sunsations confronted Tarkus, Erwin, Astrid, and Lucius, discovering trophies of their brutal campaigns and learning of their defiance against both gods and death. A climactic battle ended with Lucius wielding Valekith’s Hand, and Guy vanishing into a rift after claiming the Fell Blade’s missing gemstone.
After recovering his severed hand, Neverus betrayed the Sunsations by taking it from them and activating the Soul-Monger crystals, which would consume thousands of souls from all who battles upon the blood-run marshlands beneath the floating city.. This would mark the return of Valekith as he destroyed the Crimson Hand Fortress and forced the Sunsations to flee with the help of The Curator...
Thomm's spirit (released from the sword of Erwin) would help guide the party to a hidden map of Osira, revealing ancient secrets, including the Twin Cities of Itela / Itelion that once joined the Solir of The Sun Realm (in Osira) and the Vanir of Tolria during the Third Age.
The Peaks of Raven Rock
Fleeing the ensuing cataclysm, the Sunsations were taken to Raven Rock, home of the mad and deranged Matron of Memories, guided by her Curator—an ancient black dragon. Within her Museum of Lost Memories, they found Talyen frozen in a crystal block and confronted the Queen, who sought to keep him as part of her collection. Bargaining for his release and the Ebony Amulet in exchange for capturing Shadowlord Decimus to put in his place, the Sunsations would uncover more cursed artifacts and clues to Osira’s radiant past.
Talyen, now increasingly drawn to the Ebony Amulet entrusted to him, began to question his role, torn between light and shadow.
Return to Shariz
Deciding to finally return home, the Sunsations would return to the Emris Adventuring Guild, where the newly installed guild headmaster (Emr1s) revealed parts of his creators (Alistair Emrys / Altair Emris') true nature—a radiant sun elf seeking redemption in recovering the lost history of Osira. In a hidden vault beneath the guild, they received the Dawn Device, a golden runed phylactery (created by Talus) which was capable of entrapping divine spirits such as the Primarchs of the Sun and hopefully tracking Malekith’s essence. Emr1s would then hold a grand assembly introducing a New Generation of Adventurers and revealed that Shariz had begun to bloom again, its streets teeming with life and arcane innovation due to a trade partnership with the East Empire Company.
Legacy & Current Status
The Journey to the Netherveil shifted the course of the Prime Plane's future. It revealed:
- The lost truth of the Sun Realm and Malekith’s betrayal.
- The return of Valekith through the shadow of Netheril.
- Talyen’s moral descent, teetering on the edge of corruption.
- The fracturing unity of the Sunsations as each confronts legacy, identity, and destiny.
With the shadow of Netheril rising and Evernight devastated by war, the balance between realms—light and dark—now hangs by a thread.