The Ghost Nights are a formidable cadre of undead scouts and seekers in service to Van Droth, patrolling the jungle ridges above the valley floor, and occasionally venturing deep into ancient, forbidden ruins and even the outskirts of cities. Their primary duty is to seek and reclaim relics of power associated with the Great Old Ones, channeling their dark purpose back to Van Droth’s necromantic empire. However, on rare occasions, they are also seen infiltrating the fringes of Seregon—a bustling city fortified by ancient wards against supernatural beings. While these wards keep the Ghost Nights from accessing Seregon’s most vital areas, such as the Hall of Records and the city’s libraries, they still manage to leave their mark, haunting alleyways and tempting local book collectors with forbidden treasures and strange currencies.
Mission and Notable Artifacts
The Ghost Nights’ current mission involves retrieving three primary relics of great power that would further solidify Van Droth's influence and ambitions:
- The Hand of Krang – A petrified, powerful relic once belonging to the warlord Krang himself, said to grant its wielder a fraction of his original strength.
- The Teeth of Krang – Sharp fragments imbued with Krang's bloodlust, rumored to allow the bearer to summon spectral warriors bound to Krang's command.
- The Arcane Octad – A broken scepter from an ancient age, with pieces scattered and fiercely contested by serpentfolk and other factions. The Ghost Nights’ undead captains vie relentlessly for these pieces, each one enhancing the wielder’s influence over planar entities.
Beyond these physical relics, the Ghost Nights also pursue a set of tomes known as the Eldritch Keys of The Veiled Ones Vault. This six-volume collection is said to contain the forbidden knowledge to summon servants of Nyarlathotep, an eldritch power far older than most mortals can comprehend. Each volume of the collection is perilous in its own right, unlocking dangerous rites that grow more treacherous and maddening as one progresses through them.
Possessing these tomes would give the Ghost Nights power beyond death, enabling them to summon Nyarlathotep’s twisted minions, subvert powerful beings, and ultimately, deepen their connection to the Great Old Ones.
Ghost Night Captains and Their Leader
Each Ghost Night captain is a fearsome commander with specialized knowledge of forbidden artifacts and eldritch lore, directing the Ghost Nights and reporting to their undead overlord, Xuulreth the Rot-Eyed, the zombie beholder. They work in unison, though their scholarly backgrounds and particular interests often lead them to rivalries as they hunt for artifacts and eldritch lore.
Xuulreth the Rot-Eyed (Zombie Beholder)
- Role: Overseer of the Ghost Nights, Xuulreth commands both the captains and their undead minions, coordinating artifact retrieval missions across the jungle and Seregon.
- Abilities: Each of its eyestalks is imbued with decaying energies, allowing it to strip defenses and drain vitality from would-be intruders. Xuulreth wields supreme authority within the Ghost Nights, enforcing loyalty and punishing insubordination with unfeeling cruelty.
Captain Verilus the Pale – A master necromantic historian and wielder of blood-binding magic. He is relentless in his pursuit of Volume III, The Rituals of Binding, as it would allow him to summon and enslave eldritch entities.
Captain Eluna Moongrave – Formerly an arcane astronomer, Eluna seeks Volume V, The Grimoire of Stars, which she believes will allow her to communicate with the cosmos and channel Nyarlathotep’s far-reaching power.
Captain Rhazath the Withered – An expert in runic glyphs and protective spells, Rhazath covets Volume II, The Vault’s Schematics, which could lead him to long-forgotten caches of ancient magic.
Captain Kael Ithkar – A practitioner of life-draining blood magic, Kael obsessively seeks Volume I, The Whispered Histories, hoping it will unlock knowledge of the Veiled Ones and bolster his influence among the undead.
Leng Rubies and Bartering with the Men of Leng
To further their mission, the Ghost Nights deal in Leng rubies, crimson gems provided by the enigmatic denizens of Leng, a planar race known for their dark motives and cryptic schemes. These rubies are flawless and identical in size, exuding an unnatural, hypnotic gleam. In Seregon, the Ghost Nights use Leng rubies to pay for information and occasionally purchase rare tomes from unsavory booksellers who dare to deal with them. While highly valuable, possession of Leng rubies is often a mark of infamy among knowledgeable scholars, for it signifies ties to the nightmare-fueled Dimension of Dreams and the malevolent Men of Leng.
- Currency of the Dark: Though valuable, Leng rubies carry a curse of association; those found with them are often suspected of dealing with malign entities. Scholars and sages view the rubies with a mixture of disdain and fear, knowing they can lead to ruin.
- Planar Tethering: Some Leng rubies can serve as components for planar travel spells, though their destination is unpredictable. A plane shift spell focused on a Leng ruby might transport users to a location within the Dimension of Dreams—or to Leng itself, if the ruby is attuned to it. This randomness adds to the rubies' danger, making them useful but terrifying tools for planar adventurers.
The Presence of Ghost Nights in Seregon
The wards around Seregon make it challenging for Ghost Nights to enter without notice, but they manage to prowl the city’s alleys, particularly in the dark markets and scholarly circles where Leng rubies and forbidden books exchange hands. Though unable to breach the Hall of Records or libraries due to protective wards, they actively seek unguarded texts and scrolls in less-protected areas. Some locals swear they’ve seen the ghostly forms of the undead scouts drifting through misty streets, only to vanish at dawn. Their influence is subtle yet palpable, a looming reminder that Van Droth’s reach extends even to the city’s heart.
Where their numbers appear, rumors spread—whispers of necromancers and undead zealots in search of items tied to the darkest secrets of the Great Old Ones. Those who encounter the Ghost Nights seldom forget their chilling presence, nor the sinister sight of Leng rubies that carry with them the mark of the Men of Leng.