Telos, also known as the Master of the Iron Sky, was a sleeping primordial located beneath Telos City in Vaasa during the 15th century DR. This entity was the source of the Warlock Knights' power.[1]
Description[]
Publicly, Telos was venerated by the Warlock Knights during the 15th century DR, and some commonfolk believed that Telos was the Knights' enigmatic leader. In truth, Telos was comatose and immobile ever since its arrival on Toril,[1] although its dreams and unconscious thoughts were known by at least some members of the Warlock Knights.[4]
Telos' body was made of ironfell, a magical metal-like substance which would quickly regenerate if it was removed. This material was mined extensively by the Warlock Knights to make their weapons, armor, and distinctive rings.[2]
History[]
Telos arrived on Toril by falling to the Vaasan tundra as a "shooting star" during the Spellplague.[1] The entity's impact created a crater that was a half-mile (805 meters) wide and 800 feet (240 meters) deep,[5] and left Telos in a seemingly permanent catatonic state. The one who first discovered the promordial ended up adopting the title of the Voice of Telos, and founded the organization that would become the Warlock Knights. The Knights soon began to mine Telos's body for ironfell and learned how to siphon its power.[2] In the Year of the Malachite Shadows, 1460 DR, the Warlock Knights used this power to begin a war of conquest across Vaasa,[3] and ultimately seized control of the realm by the Year of the Second Circle, 1470 DR.[6]
At some point in the 15th century DR, Telos City was constructed in the primordial's impact crater, with the Citadel of the Iron Sky built directly over the body.[1][5] This city was the headquarters of the Warlock Knights and the home of the Voice of Telos, and it became the capital of Vaasa as well as the center of a growing religious-like veneration of the primordial.[5]
Worshipers[]
Under the Warlock Knights, veneration of Telos was practiced in Vaasa, and this was the only permissible faith in Telos City.[5] Services were held in the Citadel of the Iron Sky, and a priest-like sect of warlocks called Luminaries, led by the Voice of Telos, presided over the faith and maintained Telosian temples and shrines across the realm.[3]
Despite this veneration, the Warlock Knights' relationship with Telos was decidedly more parasitic than pious. The Knights gained their powers by draining it form the unconscious primordial in order to wield it for their own.[1][2] This was in addition to their extensive harvesting of ironfell as well as a practice of extracting pieces of Telos's soul in order to animate military constructs called shardsouls.[7] By the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, a rift had begun to form among the Knights between those led by the Voice of Telos, who wished to heed the will of Telos as understood through the primordial's dreams, and those led by Knight-Vindicator Mansard Kanaoth, who wished to use the primordial solely as a tool.[4]
It was not unheard of for Warlock Knights to worship Bane secretly in addition to or instead of Telos.[1][8]
Pacts[]
The Warlock Knights tapped into Telos' power with the use of star pacts, of which there were two main types:
The more common pact—known as the Ironfell Pact[9]—was the one used by the Warlock Knights themselves to steal the primordial's power.[1] This pact used ironfell as an important medium, and allowed Warlock Knights to channel Telos's radiant energy through the weapons, armor, and items made from it.[2] The Knights' powers manifested as dazzling or searing light, and were often reminiscent of shooting stars and meteors.[10] Those who took this Pact found themselves unable to divulge secrets about Telos or the Ironfell Council.[9]
Less common was the pact formed by the Nishaadhri, also called the Bound Ones. These were often arcane spellcasters compelled to swear fealty to the Warlock Knights in order to be allowed to practice their Art. In addition, they formed a special pact with Telos which granted them powers more akin to wizards or priests, and the most powerful of these warlocks would be recruited as Luminaries.[2][3] The Bound Ones' powers manifested as glowing purple tendrils.[10]
It was strongly implied that the Voice of Telos had a unique pact with the primordial which granted him seemingly unlimited telepathy, extended his life, and generally bestowed him with sufficient power to rule the Warlock Knights.[2][5]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 188. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 276. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Brian R. James (April 2010). “Realmslore: Vaasa”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dungeon #177 (Wizards of the Coast) (177)., p. 78.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 189. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Brian R. James (April 2010). “Realmslore: Vaasa”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dungeon #177 (Wizards of the Coast) (177)., p. 83.
- ↑ Brian R. James (April 2010). “Realmslore: Vaasa”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dungeon #177 (Wizards of the Coast) (177)., p. 80.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 279. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ M. Sean Molley (August 2010). Tyranny's Bleak Depths (SPEC2-2 P1). Living Forgotten Realms (RPGA), pp. 5, 7.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 M. Sean Molley (August 2010). Tyranny's Perilous Bastion (SPEC2-2 P3). Living Forgotten Realms (RPGA), p. 11.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 277–278. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
Connections[]
Akadi • Bazim-Gorag • Grumbar • Istishia • Kossuth
Miscellaneous Primordials
Achazar • Arambar • Asgorath • Borem • Bwimb • Cirotralech • Dendar • Draunn • Dur-baagal • Entropy • Erek-Hus • Karshimis • Kezef • Maegera • Maram • Nehushta • Petron • Queen of Chaos • Rorn • Telos • Ubtao