Chapter 42 - Death Calls (Death's Reach - Part 1)

With a sound like ravens taking flight, a marut concordant, servant of the Raven Queen, appears in the presence of the party. It appears in the center of the city street, replacing the statue that just moments before adorned the fountain. In Supernal, which every character present hears in his or her native tongue, it says:

"You are honored above all others, for you have earned an audience with the spinner of fate and the patron of winter. She who marks the end of each mortal life would meet with you over a matter of extraordinary significance. Time is of the essence, tarry not overlong in your coming. I leave you with a passage to the doorstep of'Zvomarana, high temple of the Raven Queen and the gateway to Letherna. Whenyou come, come prepared, lest the capriciousness of fate overwhelm you."

The concordant gives the adventurers a bone scroll case with the symbol of the Raven Queen seared into its cap. It holds a ritual scroll of Planar Portal keyed to carry the adventurers to the teleportation circle of Zvomarana. The marut departs as it came, the statue once again in place above the fountain.

The clatter of claws on stone attracts our heroes' attention as riders on large shadow creatures come hurtling into view from two directions. From the north, a gaunt eladrin in black robes and a knight in black plate carrying a blood-red shield emblazoned with a black dragon. From the west, another black knight and a woman with dark crimson skin, leathery wings, and the horns of a devil. Instead of riding, the woman flies. The eladrin points and rasps, "They are the ones we seek. For the glory of the Ebon Riders and the Covenant, slay them all!"

After a short battle, our heroes take the chance to research the many elements of the story about to unfold.

The Ebon riders

A black dragon on a crimson field serves as the symbol of the Ebon Riders. This elite mercenary company consists mostly of heavy cavalry and shock troopers. A dwarf known as Mauglurien the Black Dragon leads the Riders.
Combat magic specialists, such as Ghovran Akti and the cambion Tannerli, are important members of the Ebon Riders. Certain Riders have special mounts.
Ebon Riders fight for the highest bidder, and they've been known to change sides in the middle of a battle if their price is met. They support no great cause, unless that cause is their own.
Rumor suggests that the Ebon Riders are dedicated to evil gods. Numerous leaders among them are undead-possibly even Mauglurien-and the knights and mounts of the group are known to reanimate as undead after falling on the battlefield.
The Ebon Riders forces include death knights, liches, wights, and vampires, many of whom maintain the appearance of living beings. The Riders ultimately serve the cause of Orcus, and they gladly rally to the call of the Ashen Covenant.
The Ebon Riders plan to assault Zvomarana, the Raven Queen's holiest of temples and the gateway to Letherna, the Raven Queen's dominion. Such an attack can only serve the foul purposes of Orcus, and must be opposed at all costs.

Zvomarana

Zvomarana is the Raven Queen's holiest temple. Located in the Shadowfell on the edge of Letherna, the temple features several monumental gates. Beings who wish to petition the Raven Queen must pass through Zvomarana's gates and perform the required rites. Only then can the high priest of Zvomarana open the final portal to the Raven Queen's citadel.
The gates of Zvomarana appear in more than one heroic legend. In most tales, the heroes pass through the Seven Veiled Gates of Fate on a journey to their ultimate destiny. Zvomarana holds only five of the gates-the final two gates are always different and always located in different places. Every story describes Zvomarana as a high place on a mountain, its paths covered in cold mist.

Death's Reach

Death's Reach is a mythical place. It was once a doorway for the souls of the dead that led to an unknown final reward, but primordials corrupted it. They trapped souls there so they could consume them. The gods waged war against the primordials at Death's Reach, but they could not undo what had been wrought. So the gods sealed the place forever, leaving the fallen and the machines of war behind. Some of the abandoned are primordials.
Although sealed, Death's Reach has access points. Although the gods, their exarchs, and beings of similar power can't fully enter the place, mortals can. Furthermore, the gods use doorways into Death's Reach to discard what cannot or should not be destroyed.