Letter 11.5
May. 19th, 2024 10:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lettersfrombel14 Tarsakh 1492 DR
Report for Matron Yasraum Vivalfin, Kyorliindra Vivalfin
Collected by Belantar Vivialfin
In ciphered Elvish, drow-dialect.
My esteemed mother and elder brother:
I have drafted this letter before I expect my initial letter has reached you. If you have magically contacted me since the date written, you will have an updated summary of these results. I have included my full report here, though I advise that the family codes were not intended to cover technical language. Much of it is in cipher, and, thus, inherently less secure.
The precis, if the letter arrives at the same time my earlier one does:
— Observed on the surface, an organization calling itself the Cult of the Absolute. While it had conscripted such humanoids as goblins in its lower ranks, at least one drow was in local leadership. This suggests an Underdark presence.
— Limited intelligence of the Cult’s leadership involves three people. Vague appearance details suggest a male human, female human and male surface elf. This may be disguise or illusion, see below. Of note is that these appear to be distinct identities: the goblins did not observe goblinoids, so is likely not psionic in nature.
— The Cult claims to worship the Absolute, an unknown entity that the cult calls the only true god. The Cult attempted to attack a druid grove centered around Silvanus, potentially motivated by religious fervor. I have reason to suspect our communities would be targeted for the same reason.
— Rather than traditional recruitment, the Cult uses illithid tadpoles, suggesting illithid involvement. Rather than cause ceremorphosis, the tadpoles have been spelled to remain inactive, but linked to the subject’s brain. This allows for the subject to be charmed into seeing the Absolute as a god, despite prior beliefs. The Absolute is also capable of feeding information to her subjects psionically and granting increased psionic powers, though not true divine magic.
— It is likely that the spell can be removed remotely, causing ceremophosis near-instantly. Do not assume an infected individual will show obvious warning signs before the transformation.
— Current species observed infected include a range of humanoids, including those not known as traditional illithid hosts, such as goblins+. At least some forms of intelligent undead may also be affected.
— Illithid tadpoles remain detectable by traditional methods, as far as been observed. They cannot be removed from their hosts non lethally at this time.
I am continuing my investigation as to the spells in place.
Your obedient family member,
Belantar
From the Player:
Report for Matron Yasraum Vivalfin, Kyorliindra Vivalfin
Collected by Belantar Vivialfin
In ciphered Elvish, drow-dialect.
My esteemed mother and elder brother:
I have drafted this letter before I expect my initial letter has reached you. If you have magically contacted me since the date written, you will have an updated summary of these results. I have included my full report here, though I advise that the family codes were not intended to cover technical language. Much of it is in cipher, and, thus, inherently less secure.
The precis, if the letter arrives at the same time my earlier one does:
— Observed on the surface, an organization calling itself the Cult of the Absolute. While it had conscripted such humanoids as goblins in its lower ranks, at least one drow was in local leadership. This suggests an Underdark presence.
— Limited intelligence of the Cult’s leadership involves three people. Vague appearance details suggest a male human, female human and male surface elf. This may be disguise or illusion, see below. Of note is that these appear to be distinct identities: the goblins did not observe goblinoids, so is likely not psionic in nature.
— The Cult claims to worship the Absolute, an unknown entity that the cult calls the only true god. The Cult attempted to attack a druid grove centered around Silvanus, potentially motivated by religious fervor. I have reason to suspect our communities would be targeted for the same reason.
— Rather than traditional recruitment, the Cult uses illithid tadpoles, suggesting illithid involvement. Rather than cause ceremorphosis, the tadpoles have been spelled to remain inactive, but linked to the subject’s brain. This allows for the subject to be charmed into seeing the Absolute as a god, despite prior beliefs. The Absolute is also capable of feeding information to her subjects psionically and granting increased psionic powers, though not true divine magic.
— It is likely that the spell can be removed remotely, causing ceremophosis near-instantly. Do not assume an infected individual will show obvious warning signs before the transformation.
— Current species observed infected include a range of humanoids, including those not known as traditional illithid hosts, such as goblins+. At least some forms of intelligent undead may also be affected.
— Illithid tadpoles remain detectable by traditional methods, as far as been observed. They cannot be removed from their hosts non lethally at this time.
I am continuing my investigation as to the spells in place.
Your obedient family member,
Belantar
From the Player:
Bel has little love for Lolthite culture, but the Absolute is clearly a threat. And he knows he's going to the Underdark, so easier access to networks that can carry a message.
Bel also has opinions on encryption.
It's also going to occur to him that he is a bit of a leak: the Absolute probably can't hear him, but the mysterious Dream Visitor can.
