Chaotic evil elf wizard and master illusionist who led 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 was a gothic castle in the Feywild, hidden behind a Mirage Arcane spell that made it appear balanced on a spire at the center of a massive sinkhole — containing a broken loom infused with dark illusion magic and a spectral Echo of his soul
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
Killed at the ancient battlefield by Trius’s Moonbeam spell; the summoning ritual died with him and Nidhogg remains sealed
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
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 mocked the Weaver and was motivated by testing himself rather than ideology; stole the Summer Court’s leyline crystal and planted the Bodak in the Spring Temple; turned on the Weaver in fury during the final battle; whereabouts unknown
Executed the summoning ritual at the ancient battlefield where Nidhogg was sealed under a moonless sky, erecting a fifteen-foot portal pulsed with the same runes from Nidhogg’s original sealing
Advanced the ritual from behind greater invisibility until Shad’s Dawn spell flooded the area with radiant daylight, forcing him into the light; Skreek drove Summer’s Edge home with a Shining Smite, wreathing him in radiant light and stripping away invisibility
Cast Maze to remove Skreek from the battlefield, allowing his invisibility to return and the ritual to advance; the outer ring solidified and the portal swelled into its expanded state
Turned his Shadowweave bolts on Shad, hammering him unconscious — the Arbiter intervened with divine light to revive him
Screamed at Manus as the ritual faltered: “What am I paying you for! This is what we’ve been working towards for so long. It’s time to get serious and earn your keep!”
In a last desperate act, gathered his remaining power and slammed his fist into the earth — reality cracked and a shockwave of pure force detonated outward, staggering everyone nearby; this act of desperation pushed Manus to turn on him in fury
Killed by Trius, who raised her sword skyward and called down a pillar of silver moonlight (Moonbeam) that passed through him like a blade through smoke; his body crumpled to the earth, cold and still
A gothic castle concealed by Mirage Arcane, appearing to balance on a spire above a sinkhole — accessible only to the cult’s inner circle
Contained a broken loom infused with dark illusion magic — a masterwork of his craftsmanship, once capable of influencing perception or identity
His Echo — a spectral remnant of his soul bound to the castle — demanded payment of a soul when the party destroyed the loom; defeated when Slumpet struck the decisive blow from the shadows
His study, hidden behind a tapestry, held his personal journal (Silmirien), a detailed leyline map showing all four seasonal leyline temples and all four Hollow Threshold locations, and notes on the Silmirien soul-tethering spell
The castle was populated with illusions and echoes designed to test intruders
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 mocked him and ultimately turned against him during the final battle when the Weaver’s desperation went too far