The Weaver#

Chaotic evil elf wizard and master illusionist who leads the Cult of the Eclipse
Responsible for the tragedy of Shad’s village — he conjured an illusion of Nidhogg so convincing and fearsome that the villagers literally died of fright
His stronghold is a tower in the Feywild, hidden behind a Mirage Arcane spell that makes it appear balanced on a spire at the center of a massive sinkhole — unreachable
Originally not interested in freeing Nidhogg — he thought the dragon’s image would make for a “fantastic illusion” — but his ambitions grew to unraveling the barrier entirely
An 18th-level spellcaster (spell save DC 19) with mastery over illusion magic; his illusion spells function as one level higher than the slot used
Willing to work with Serenity and other agents to further his experiments and cult operations

Philosophy & Motivation#

Driven by the conviction that reality itself is malleable — through illusion, he can reshape truth and domination
Believes the leyline barrier imprisoning Nidhogg is a “false light” born from fear, and that the Order of Seasons blindly tend “a crumbling dam without questioning why the waters rise”
Views the world through the metaphor of a loom — everything is threads that can be woven, unraveled, or re-threaded
His journal documents his evolution from illusionist prodigy to would-be world-shaper: discovering that fear is more powerful than substance, that belief shapes reality, and that “there is no truth but what I weave”
Fascination with fear is not merely tactical — it is his ultimate expression of power

Created an illusion of Nidhogg so horrifyingly realistic that Shad’s entire village died of terror
When interrogated via Speak with Dead, Serenity confirmed the Weaver did this “for amusement”
This atrocity is the emotional anchor of Shad’s personal vendetta against the Weaver
Proved his philosophy that belief shapes reality — an image alone killed an entire community

Leads the Cult of the Eclipse, which seeks to free Nidhogg by corrupting the leyline temples
Taught Serenity the curse ritual she used on the village of Tannis
Created Hollow Thresholds — tears in reality that siphon leyline power and weaken the barrier while pulling shadow creatures into the Material Plane
His intercepted letter to Xolthos confirmed the strategy: “The Shadow Dragon’s freedom hinges on the weakening of the barrier”
Key subordinates:
- Serenity (Night Hag) — field agent who cursed Tannis; defeated by the party
- Xolthos (Black Dragonborn Sorcerer) — herald who proclaimed Nidhogg’s return at the Autumn Court festival; defeated by the party
- Kharvex, the Shadow Caller — cult mage who tested summoning magic at the ancient battlefield; defeated by the party
- Manus (CR 17 Shapechanger) — enigmatic warrior who openly mocks the Weaver and appears motivated by testing himself rather than ideology; stole the Summer Court’s leyline crystal and planted the Bodak in the Spring Temple; still at large

The interplanar barrier imprisoning Nidhogg is anchored by four seasonal leyline temples — one in each court (Winter, Autumn, Summer, Spring)
The Weaver’s strategy is to systematically damage or corrupt these temples to weaken the entire barrier
Leyline temple status as discovered by the party:
- Winter: One of six focus crystals cracked and flickering
- Summer: Breached; two guardian constructs destroyed; one rune crystal stolen by Manus
- Spring: Most heavily corrupted; Bodak planted in crystal chamber; multiple Hollow Thresholds siphoning power nearby
- Autumn: Intact and stable (the only undamaged temple)
Accelerated his timeline — moved the final ritual to the next new moon rather than waiting for the winter solstice

Plans to execute his summoning ritual at the ancient battlefield where Nidhogg was sealed centuries ago
The ritual tears open a portal to the Shadowfell, progressing through phases:
- Phase 1-2: Gathering power, portal forming
- Phase 3: Nidhogg approaches — his whispers can charm creatures, his presence radiates fear
- Phase 4: Breakthrough imminent — Nidhogg’s shadow becomes visible through the portal
During the ritual, he maintains concentration and gains resistance to non-magical weapons — but cannot flee effectively, making him a stationary target
If the ritual completes, Nidhogg would be freed and eternal darkness would reign

His journal, called “Silmirien” (silmi = gleam/light, rien = woven), chronicles his evolution from illusionist to world-shaper
Contains his true name written in invisible ink, visible only under moonlight, in an elven script that “almost sings itself into the night air”
Speaking his name aloud activates a recorded message bound into the journal
The journal is tethered to his soul — if burned, the smoke will call him home, suggesting deep paranoia about being unmade or forgotten

Before his Feywild tower, maintained an elegant elven castle now fallen into ruin
The castle became infused with his magic — mirrors that forced visitors to confront personal fears, an Echo of his own soul bound to the throne room
Contains a hidden underground chamber with an obsidian standing stone and dormant teleportation circle older than the castle itself
A garden of “Living Echoes” — plants and pathways suffused with fading illusion magic showing visions of regret and the Weaver at his loom

Vulnerability to Truth: When affected by True Sight or divination magic, he loses his damage resistances and has disadvantage on spell attack rolls
Summer’s Edge (the legendary blade reforged by the party) can target him through any illusion as if he were visible
Ritual Dependency: Must maintain concentration during the summoning — stationary and exposed
True Name: Speaking it aloud may reveal his location or create a magical connection the party can exploit
Manus’s Disloyalty: His lieutenant openly mocks him and may not defend the ritual