| The Black Nothing is watching, come closer and learn more of the horrible truth that are Kal Duran. |
| KAL DURAN |
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| Kalduran is the demi-power of Shade Liches in the realms, revered in the City of Shade as an ally of Shar and the way to even greater power! Kalduran, the Lord of Shade Liches, was once a mortal elf (half moon and half drow) who traveled the realms until his demise at the shrine of the Nine in the Shaar. To the elves he is Kal Duran, which translates to the Shine of Long Darkness, a minor diety outside the Seldurine as a god of evil wizards. To the drow he is Nyx Kaldyrnar, revered by a small number of evil surface drow wizards who wish to brave the light of the sun. HISTORY Kalduran is a servant of Shar but was elevated to godhood by Mask in return for a divine favor sometime in the future. Kalduran has long suspected that this favor may he existance expended to resurrect Mask if the Chaos Hound ever kills him as such Kal Duran seeks a way to free himself from Mask's request. (The truth is when Kalduran was first ascended Mask wanted him to be absorbed by Shar and thus have Shar in debt to him). As Nyx Kaldyrnar, he awknologizes Lloth as the Spider Queen but being under the protection of Shar he does not serve her. This both angers and intrigues Lloth who wishes to consume the minor diety. As a mortal Kalduran traveled with the paladin John the Marks, a strange duo since Kal Duran was nearly evil at the time. Kalduran often said his influence on the paladin made the Knight of Torm apathetic and Kal Duran wishes to one day lure his old friend into his service and transform him into a death knight. When first ascended Kalduran asked Mask what his portfolio would be. Mask smirked and said 'Shadow Liches' since Kalduran as a mortal became a Lich and then used a wish spell to turn his undead form into a shadow. Kal Duran scoffed at this saying there couldn't be any other shadow liches in existance and that Kalduran's only follower had given his life so Kalduran could ascend! Mask eyed him with annoyance and noted 'this is one in an ancient tome in Anauroch!' Kalduran cursed him and left to meet his only follower (who by the way didn't like him too much but gave an occasional prayer and offering anyways.) Several years passed as Kal Duran wandered Faerun, trying to convince wizards to turn themselves in Shadow Liches and follow him. In this time the leader of a small town in the Western Heartlands called Triel began following him for a week, until his interest in Kalduran wore off and he picked up some other demi-power. Kalduran did manage to gather a small following as he traveled known as the Cult of Kal Duran. These Cultist were ordered to sneak into the Elvan city of Everlast and build a temple to him under the streets (which was later destroyed). Time passed and what few followers he gathered were either killed, killed themselves or gave him up for some other diety. At his lowest he reportably had no more than three followers, two clerics and a divinerer who he often manipulated. Finally the City of Shade appeared in Faerun and Kal Duran partisoned their Shade wizards. He struck a deal with Shar, giving Mask a slight smile and was allowed to occupy a shrine connected to her temple. He managed to convince several Shade wizards to turn into Liches but began appearing less frequently as before. Now it is said that Kalduran has been swallowed by Shar and only a handful of souls even remember his name. However... With his power growing and fearing that Shar would absorb him he appealed to the Drow and became Nyx Kaldyrnar so that part of him would servive any absorption. Kalduran made a pact with Velsharoon, although he secretly covets his portfolio and did not have the strength to challenge him. Remaining Kalduranist have been given a holy quest, convert followers of Mask to his faith and leave the Lord of Shadows too weak to further flee from the Chaos Hound! As Kalduran he is merely a shadow of Shar but in the light of the Menzoberranzan civil war, Nyx Kaldyras has gained power! Now his power spreads amongst the drow, following him as a demi-power of spellcasters! SHRINES AND TEMPLES There are serveral unholy sites and temples to Kal Duran in the realms; the largest is the old Shrine of Kal Duran in the City of Shade, which is mostly ignored nowadays, built as an offshoot to the Temple of Shar. Kalduranists also consider his mortal abode, the Black Hill of Albroach, a small hamlet south of Skull Crag in the Stormhorns of Cormyr, to be unholy ground and a cleric keeps a shrine there. In the City of Everlast there is an old Temple to Kal Duran that was routed out by Fanor Elmtree. The temple is now empty but elves following Kal Duran often seek this site to peer into one of the pools of dark clairovoyance that Kal Duran placed there (it is said that the Lord of Shade Liches will grant knowledge on a spell of his own design if this is done). Human clerics of Kalduran pray for spells at dusk, when the night overtakes them and as tradition add the monikor Kal to the beginnings of their names. Clerics of Kal Duran as an elf pray at the same time and use the same moniker but seperate it from their full name and often change their name to a more viscoud one. Finally drow clerics of Nyx Kaldyrnar have no formal praying time but also add the moniker Kal in between their first and last names. Clerics of Kal Duran are granted the following domains: Magic, Undead, Darkness and Evil. The Dogma of all aspects of Kalduran is overrun the world with darkness. Corrupt those who follow the dieties of good or kill them outright. Lichdom is the perfect form of existance and will grant eternal life and power. Kal Duran has two avator forms, usually a fading shadowy skeleton of short statue, with one dark purple gem in an eye soccet, that hovers above the ground in a field of darkness that drains out light. To a rare few he appears as a short crooked moon elf with a hawk nose and sinister eyes, one of which is black and the other is dark purple. In this form he has long black hair that does not reflect light and clawed fingers. This second form is said to be somewhat shadowy of late and weak in voice. As Nyx Kaldyras he is seen as a tall drow wizard who's black skeleton can be seen outlined under their flesh. His eyes glow dark purple. The symbol of Kalduran as both human and elf diety is a black skull with the left eye being a dark purple gem. As Nyx Kaldyrnar, his symbol is of a black sun with seven points. |