(The Vaunted Archmage of Necromancy, the Necromancer, Lord of the Forsaken Crypt, Lord of the Forgotten Crypt, the Lich-Lord, Patron of Evil Liches)

Demipower of Gehenna, NE

PORTFOLIO: Necromancy, necromancers, lichdom, evil liches, undeath
ALIASES: Mellifleur
DOMAIN NAME: Mungoth/Death's Embrace
SUPERIOR: Azuth
ALLIES: Azuth, Mystra, Talos
FOES: Cyric, Jergal, Kelemvor
SYMBOL: A laughing lich skull wearing a silver crown on a solid black hexagon
WOR. ALIGN.: LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE

Velsharoon (VEL-shah-roon) is the Archmage of Necromancy, a demipower who has gathered the study, practice, and practitioners of necromancy and evil liches into his portfolio and who is striving to add general undeath as well. Newly elevated to a divine state, the Lord of the Forgotten Crypt is only beginning to create a cult of worshipers in the Realms. Although many prognosticators, mortals and immortals alike, have predicted the quick destruction of this arrogant necromancer, Velsharoon has played one power off against another, and he has begun to establish himself in the Faerûnian pantheon.

As a mortal, Velsharoon was a renegade Red Wizard of Thay who lived in the Tower Terrible in Soorenar as well as several other abodes. He aspired to the position of Zulkir of Necromancy, but was driven from that land centuries ago after feuding with his chief rival, Szass Tam, and several other powerful Red Wizards. Nearly as powerful as his archrival, Velsharoon spent many decades seeking enough power to destroy Tam and other wizards to challenged his evil machinations, including Halder of Delzimmer, Omm Hlandrar of Halruaa, the Simbul of Aglarond, and Elminster of Shadowdale.

In a very old ruin in the Plains of Purple Dust, southwest of the city of Zindalankh on the Sempharwater, Velsharoon discovered a process laid down long ago by Talos the Destroyer by which a great wizard can achieve demipowerhood. The Vaunted, as the archnecromancer was sometimes pilloried, managed to complete the ritual, which first turned him into a lich, and ascended into the ranks of Faerûn's pantheon with the Destroyer's sponsorship at the end of 1368 DR. (Sages speculate Ao allowed his ascension to provide a balance to the new Lord of the Death's dislike for the undead.)

Velsharoon served the Storm Lord dutifully, if not loyally, for two years before realizing that Talos was forcing him to expend his divine energy at a profligate pace. Unwilling to be worn out like a footsoldier's marching boots, Velsharoon shifted his allegiance to Azuth after forging an alliance of convenience with the Patron of Wizards. Infuriated, Talos railed against his fickle servant, but Azuth, with Mystra's help, backed the Archmage of Necromancy in a bid to redress Talos's encroachment on Mystra's province of magic. After Talos calmed down, Velsharoon made a secret alliance of convenience with the Destroyer, and he now plays Azuth and Talos off against each other. Officially, Velsharoon serves Azuth as the power primarily concerned with one class of specialist wizard-necromancers-much like Savras the All-Seeing serves Azuth as a patron of diviners. Unofficially, Velsharoon continues to aid Talos's quest for perennial destruction by encouraging his followers to unleash their horrible creations on an unsuspecting world.

Azuth remains an unlikely and unhappy ally of Velsharoon, and Talos seems to be biding his time until the Lord of the Forgotten Crypt gets his comeuppance. Kelemvor, the new Lord of the Dead, and Jergal, Scribe of the Doomed, actively oppose Velsharoon as his predilection for black necromancy violates many of their most cherished tenets. Cyric and Velsharoon share a mutual enmity as both seek to acquire a larger portfolio at the expense of Kelemvor. Finally, though they are not yet numbered among his enemies, it is likely that Velsharoon will soon find himself opposed by the myriad powers of nature, by the Triad of law and good (Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater), and by Lathander, the Morninglord.

Velsharoon is a vain, selfish, petty, but very canny power consumed with vengeance, obsessed with experimenting on living and dead beings, and unconcerned with the fates of lesser creatures. In many ways he continues to act like the mortal he recently was, albeit with far greater power at his disposal than before.

Velsharoon's Avatar (Necromancer 25, Cleric 25)

Velsharoon appears as a very tall, gaunt, sallow-skinned, human male whose flesh is as cold as the grave and tightly stretched over his skeletal frame. Velsharoon's thinning black and gray hair straggles down his back in an unkempt snarl. The Archmage of Necromancy dresses in once-grand purple robes that are now rotton and maggot-ridden, and he wears a tarnished silver crown on his head. The Necromancer's eyes are black pits of absolute darkness in which a tiny green flame dances malevolently. He favors spells from the necromantic sphere and the school of necromancy, although he can cast spells from any sphere or school.

AC -2; MV 15; HP 126; THAC0 4; #AT 1
Dmg 1d10+10+paralysis (+10 STR) or 1d6+10 (staff +3, +10 STR)
MR 40%; SZ H (10 feet)
STR 19, DEX 17, CON 16, INT 23, WIS 19, CHA 10
Spells P: 12/11/11/10/9/8/4, W: 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5^*
Saves^** PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 5, BW 7, Sp 4

^*Numbers assume one extra necromancy spell per spell level.
^**Actually PPDM 1, RSW 2, PP 4, BW 6, Sp 1 after a +2 bonus to saving throws vs. spell for a staff of the magi and a +1 bonus to all saving throws from a robe of stars.

Special Att/Def: Velsharron attacks with either his chilling touch, causing 1d10+10 points of damage and requiring that his target succeed at a saving throw vs. paralysis or be paralyzed until the condition is removed magically, or with the Skull Staff of the Necromancer, which he wields in one hand at all times. This legendary artifact has all the powers of a staff of the magi, a greater staff of skulls (see either The Magister or the ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA accessory for the staff of skulls), and a ring of shooting stars (able to use any functions of the normal ring no matter whether indoors or outdoors or what lighting conditions are). The Skull Staff of the Necromancer was crafted by the greatest archmage of the Imaskari. Velsharoon wears a tattered-seeming robe of stars that can act as a robe of scintillating colors when he so wills. His left eye can project a cone of cold twice a day, and his right eye can project a symbol of insanity twice a day.

Velsharoon can maintain any spell from the school of necromancy or necromantic sphere indefinitely after casting it (provided its duration is not permanent or instantaneous). All who view him must succeed at a saving throw vs. spell or flee in terror for 6d6 rouunds. The Necromancer can animate any corpse or skeleton within 1 mile at will. Any undead creature within that radius must faithfully obey his telepathic commands unless they are countermanded by a lesser, intermediate, or greater power or the undead creature is already under control of a being of that status.

Velsharoon is immune to weapons below +2 enchantment, all spells contained in the necromantic sphere or the school of necromancy (except those he wishes to be affected by), mind-affecting, enfeebling, paralyzing, cold, and electrically-based attacks, insanity, petrification, and polymorphing.

Other Manifestations

Velsharoon prefers to manifest as a great, disembodied human skull glowing with red, pale blue, or blue-green flames. Such an apparition appeared in the Skull Gorge following the Battle of Bones as the human troops made their final assault on the goblinoid armies. Although Velsharoon was a mortal necromancer at that time, church scriptures claim that the unholy visitant foreshadowed the Necromancer's impending ascent to the pantheon. Velsharoon can cast any spell or employ any spell-like power through such a manifestation. The phantom, blazing skull is immune to all attacks and apparently is simply an apparition. However, anything or anyone within the radius of the flickering flames suffers 4d6 points of magical fire damage per round. A successful saving throw vs. breath weapon reduces the damage by half.

Velsharoon is served by many forms of undead, both sentient and non-intelligent and both free-willed and controlled. In particular he manifests his will through blazing bones, boneless, crawling claws, dreads, flameskulls, flesh golems, and poltergeists. He is also served by living creatures such as fenhounds and scarab beetles. He is fond of black, purple, maroon, rust-red, gray, and bright and unnatural green gemstones (reminiscent of green slime in hue). These are often held sacred to him, and their discovery is said to denote his favor or presence. The overnight appearance of an adult bloodrose plant is said to herald the impending arrival of Velsharoon's avatar or manifestation.

The Church

CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests, necromancers
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LE, NE, CE
TURN UNDEAD: C: No, SP: No, Nec: No
CMND. UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: Yes, Nec: No

All clerics and specialty priests of Velsharoon receive religion (Faerûnian) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. The DM is encouraged to allow Velsharoon's clergy access to the necromantic spells detailed in the Complete Book of Necromancers.

Velsharoon is largely unknown throughout Faerûn, but in the past year or so many bards have begun to relate fanciful tales of his ascension to audience's seeking to be frightened by stories of horror. Outside of secretive cabals of necromancers, those mortals who are aware of this evil demipower perceive Velsharoon as the lord of liches and a power able to organize the undead against the living.

Cultists of Velsharoon gather in dusty crypts, abandoned mausoleums, and neglected graveyards. The Necromancer has few true temples, but those few which have been constructed are located in ancient catacombs or necropolises and resemble brooding stone mausoleums carved with ghastly depictions of the dead, the dying, and the undead. Fetid air and the cloying reek of embalming fluid waft through such edifices, and undead servitors serve as untiring sentinels. Vast laboratories, crammed storerooms of alchemical supplies, and befouled mortuaries consume most of the space, and few concessions are made toward sleeping chambers, dining halls, and kitchens.

Velsharoon's clergy is composed primarily of specialty priests, known as necrophants, and necromancers. Both groups are represented in roughly equal numbers. About 20% of the Necromancer's clergy are clerics, holdovers from before the Time of Troubles who served Myrkul, the former Lord of the Dead, and who have little interest in serving Kelemvor, the new Lord of the Dead, or Cyric, who briefly preceded him. Novices and acolytes of Velsharoon are known as Pallbearers. Higher ranking priests have titles such as Soul Stalker, Cryptguardian, Dead Walker, Bleeder, Life Leech, Spirit Sepulcher, Seeker of the Seven Truths, and Necromaster. Higher-ranking priests have unique individual titles conferred upon them by Velsharoon himself.

Dogma: Those who are chosen to be the apostles of Velsharoon are an elite fellowship of visionaries worthy of the respect of the common masses and entitled to be held in esteem for their bold excursions to the frontier of life and death. Life and death are the twin faces of eternal existence. To surrender to either one is to resign oneself to obscurity. True power lies in the twilight zone between life and death. By seeking to explore and extend the mortal condition and form-even mortal life itself-knowledge of the world, in all of its infinite complexity, is extended.

Lesser beings cannot understand the importance of the exploration of life, death, and undeath and the philosophical implications of this complex medley. Let no one interfere with the pursuit of such research, for the end result will more than justify the necessary sacrifices along the path. Knowledge is power, and knowledge of life and death brings power over all beings, living and unliving; power that can lift the church of Velsharoon and his priests to dizzying heights.

Day-to-Day Activities: Many priests of Velsharoon spend their days in necromantic research, seeking to understand the faith's collective knowledge of life, death, and undeath. Most have created hundreds of undead servitors, some of them unique. When an undead creation has served its purpose, these self-involved researchers often brand the symbol of their god on its chest and then order it to wander randomly across the Realms. Other priests of Velsharoon are involved in "support" activities for the faith-grave robbing, embalming, teaching, etc. A few of the more congenial low-level priests sometimes cure the minor ills of the populace to bring in funding or worldly supplies for the church and to more easily gather information about its enemies.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: For a relatively young faith, the clergy of Velsharoon have quickly established a large number of holy days and rituals. The faith has yet to coalesce into a homogeneous creed, however, and widely varying rituals are found not only in different temples but within individual temples as well. Nonetheless, one ritual has become fairly widespread.

The Pact of the Everlasting is a special ceremony performed by Velsharoon's priests upon attaining 9th-level (or sooner if they employ an appropriate scroll spell). This unholy ritual involves the casting upon them of a Velsharoon's death pact (as the 7th-level priest spell), as well as numerous other horrible incantations and the foul sacrifice of numerous good-aligned sentients. Prominent theologians of the faith claim that this ritual is merely the first of seven to be revealed by Velsharoon along a path to achieving immortality.

Major Centers of Worship: The Crypt of the Arisen Army is hidden amidst the caverns worn into the walls of the steep-walled valley known as Skull Gorge. The subterranean temple and surrounding city, Necropolis, were founded at the site of one of Velsharoon's mortal abodes known as the Forgotten Crypt, which was built in the form of a grand mausoleum amidst the crypts of an ancient Netherese city. The Cryptskulls, as the clergy of the temple are known, haunt the length of the Skull Gorge and the neighboring Battle of Bones. The have animated a legion of undead to guard the gorge after claiming the entire valley as their domain. They are led by a high-level necrophant, Baron Vjurn Blacktower.

Affiliated Orders: The Order of One Thousand Nightmares is a company of nightmare-riding swordwraiths who haunt the Fields of the Dead. Although the ghostly warriors have battled each other for centuries, Velsharoon's clergy have recently mastered powerful spells enabling them to organize the contentious spirits of the ancient warriors into a necromantic knighthood of nearly 200 undead mercenaries whose ranks continue to grow. The aims of the necrophant masters of this unholy army are unknown, but they surely spell trouble for the Western Heartlands.

Priestly Vestments: Velsharan vestments resemble once-resplendent, rotting wizard's robes. The Necromancer's clergy wear garments of varying colors-any shade except red-but their habits are uniformly of somber hue. Most adorn their vestments with depictions of skulls and bones, but the faith is still young enough that fixed patterns of adornment for the various ranks have not developed.

Adventuring Garb: When adventuring, Velsharan clergy members favor iron-shod staves and cold iron or silver maces which are effective when battling undead. Most eschew armor as too great a burden on their spellcasting abilities, with only the relatively rare clerics of the clergy garbing themselves in conventional protective garb. A typical priest or necromancer disciple of Velsharoon considers an escort of undead servitors as eminently suitable armor.

Specialty Priests (Necrophants)

REQUIREMENTS: Intelligence 11, Wisdom 16
PRIME REQ.: Intelligence, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: LE, NE, CE
WEAPONS: Any bludgeoning (wholly Type B) weapons
ARMOR: None
MAJOR SPHERES: All, creation, healing, necromantic, protection, summoning, time, wards
MINOR SPHERES: Combat, elemental, guardian, numbers, sun (reversed only), thought
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics, plus wizard items specifically suited to use by necromancers (such as staves of skulls)
REQ. PROFS: Healing
BONUS PROFS: Reading/writing (Common), reading/writing (Thorass)

• Necrophants know a great deal about undead creatures and the secret mysteries and intricacies of the human body. This knowledge is separated into two fields: anatomy and necrology. (These fields of knowledge are identical to the anatomy and necrology nonweapon proficiencies from the Complete Book of Necromancers.)

  Anatomy: Necrophants are students of the human form including the structure, function, and location of bones, muscles, organs, and other soft tissues. This skill provides the scholarly foundation for the necrophant's special abilities. This proficiency also comes in handy with certain necromantic spells that require fresh body parts that have been carefully harvested from cadavers. In addition, a detailed knowledge of anatomy can help with both the treatment of disease and the accurate artistic representation of the human body. Characters with the anatomy nonweapon proficiency automatically increase their skill with healing and artistic ability proficiencies (+2 bonus to both ability checks). When checking their necrology knowledge, necrophants make an ability check against their Intelligence score.

  Necrology: Necrophants are well versed in necrology, the lore of undead creatures. When checking their necrology knowledge, necrophants make an ability check against their Wisdom score. Their knowledge may be used to help determine the probable lairs, dining habits, and history of such creatures (no ability check needed). Whenever a necrophant confronts and undead creatures, she or he may be able to specifically identify the creature (discerning between a ghast and a common ghoul, for instance) with a successful ability check. In addition, provided the necrophant makes another successful ability check, she or he recalls the creature's specific weaknesses and natural defenses or immunities. At the DM's discretion a failed ability check (in either of these cases) reveals misleading or even completely erroneous information which may actually strengthen or otherwise benefit the undead creature.

• Necrophants may cast wizard spells from the school of necromancy in addition to priest spells. These spells are cast as if the necrophant were a necromancer of the same level. For example, a 3rd-level necrophant casts wizard spells as a 3rd-level necromancer. Necrophants pray for their wizard spells instead of studying to memorize them, and chosen wizard spells replace priest spells potentially available for use that day. (In other words, the wizard spell occupies a priest spell slot.) Necrophants gain access to 8th-level wizard spells at 16th level and 9th-level wizard spells at 18th level. A necrophant must have a Wisdom of 18 or higher and an Intelligence of 16 or higher to gain access to 8th level spells, and a Wisdom of 18 or higher and an Intelligence of 18 or higher to gain access to the 9th-level spells. If a necrophant is able to gain high-level wizard spells, every 8th-level spell prayed for occupies a 6th-level priest spell slot and every 9th-level spell prayed for occupies a 7th-level priest spell slot. Necrophants are always able to read necromancy spells or scrolls or in wizard spellbooks as if they knew read magic (but studying spells from a spellbook is useless to them). No more than three-quarters of a necrophant's total number of spells available (round down) can be taken as wizard spells.
• Necrophants can cast chill touch (as the 1st-level wizard spell) once per day.
• At 2nd level, necrophants can cast speak with dead (as the 3rd level priest spell) once per day.
• At 3rd level, necrophants can cast spectral hand (as the 3rd-level wizard spell) once per day. Necrophants can cast both wizard and priest spells through a spectral hand, whether it is employed as a granted ability or cast as a spell.
• At 5th level, necrophants can cast animate dead (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once per day.
• At 7th level, necrophants can cast wraithform (as the 3rd-level wizard spell) once per day.
• At 10th level, necrophants can cast gaseous form (as the 5th-level spell) once per day.
• At 15th level, necrophants can cast energy drain (as the 9th-level wizard spell) once per day.

Necromancers in the clergy of Velsharoon have developed analogous wizard spell versions for each of the following incantations. The casting time for the wizard versions of these spells is given in parentheses after the priest version's casting time.

1st Level

Claws of Velsharoon (Pr 1; Wiz 1; Necromancy)

Sphere: Necromantic
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 4 per claw (1 per claw)
Area of Effect: 1 severed limb per level
Saving Throw: None

This spell enables the spellcaster to animate one crawling claw per level of experience. Once created, crawling claws can be directed by the telepathic commands of their creator or given duties similar to that of a skeleton. If any crawling claws are later destroyed, the spellcaster can animate additional severed limbs, but the total number of animated crawling claws can never exceed the caster's level.

The material components for this spell are a number of severed limbs equal to the number of crawling claws to be animated and the priest's holy symbol.

4th Level

Assume Undead Form (Pr 4; Wiz 4; Alteration, Necromancy)

Sphere: Necromantic
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 1 round (1 round)
Area of Effect: The living caster
Saving Throw: None

This spell enables the spellcaster to assume the form of an undead creature, with all of the attendant abilities, for the duration of the spell. By means of assume undead form, spellcasters can turn themselves into any type of undead they are familiar with of 8 HD or less that they could possibly turn if of six levels lower in experience than their current level. Hence, a 7th-level priest could assume the form of a skeleton, zombie, ghoul, shadow, or wight, and an 8th-level priest could assume any of those forms as well as that of a ghast. The only difference in abilities between spellcasters using assume undead form and true undead creatures is that no victims can arise as undead creatures as a result of a spellcaster's attacks while assuming the form of an undead creature. Hence if the spellcaster assumes the form of a wight and then drains all of the life energy levels of an opponent, the opponent does not later arise as a half-strength wight under his or her control.

While in undead form, the caster cannot use spells or employ any other granted powers, spell-like abilities, or other special abilities. Hit points, Intelligence, and Wisdom are unchanged, but otherwise the spellcaster acquires the strengths and weaknesses of the assumed form including immunities to certain spells, if any. Any hit points lost while in undead form are not regained upon reversion to the original form.

This spell does not work for undead spellcasters.

The material component for this spell is a small piece of bone or flesh from the body of a being who is now undead.

5th Level

Gaseous Form (Pr 5; Wiz 5; Alteration, Necromancy)

Sphere: Necromantic, Elemental Air
Range: 0
Components: S, M
Duration: 1 turn/level
Casting Time: 8 (5)
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw: None

This spell enables spellcasters to assume the gaseous form of a vampire. In this state, they are able to disperse their bodies and anything they carry or wear into clouds of elemental vapor, essentially becoming invisible. While in gaseous form, the spellcaster can escape from almost any confinement. Any small crack or hole that allows air to penetrate allows passage by the spellcaster in gaseous form.

No form of attack or spellcasting is possible while in gaseous form, but the spellcasters can flow/fly near the ground at a base movement rate equal to their Intelligence and maneuverability class B. A gust of wind spell or even normal strong air currents blow this spell's user at air speed in the direction of the gust.

In gaseous form, the spellcaster is all but immune to attack. Only magical fire or lightning has any effect, inflicting normal damage. A whirlwind inflicts double damage upon spellcasters in gaseous form.

This spellcaster immediately returns to his original form upon the expiration of the spell duration or by voluntarily ending the spell.

The material component for this spell is a pinch of vampire dust or a vial of air from the Elemental Plane of Air.

7th Level

Velsharoon's Death Pact (Pr 7; Wiz 7; Necromancy, Alteration)

Sphere: Necromantic, Summoning
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: One individual (usually the caster)
Saving Throw: None

This manifestly evil spell is a variant of the death pact spell from the Complete Book of Necromancers. This powerful pact has enabled many "slain" priests to return from the dead and eliminate their enemies. By completing this ritual, a Velsharan priest forges a powerful pact with Velsharoon the Vaunted. The covenant ensures that a chosen individual will survive an untimely death. A Velsharoon's death pact is triggered whenever the protected individual is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points (mortally wounded) due to combat, spell, or accident. In the same round, the subject receives the following benefits.

• The individual (or his or her remains) and all possessions are transported immediately back to a religious sanctuary as if by a word of recall. The location of the sanctuary must be specified at the time of forging the Velsharoon's death pact.
• Upon arrival, the individual receives a raise dead spell (if necessary) and automatically succeeds at any required system shock survival roll.
• Any severed or amputated limbs are instantaneously regenerated.
• The body is cleared of lingering enchantments with a dispel magic (bestowed at caster's level), whether beneficial or baneful, and cleansed of all poisons, diseases, blindness, curses, and insanity.

This powerful spell is not without its costs, however. Forging a death pact is an exhaustively stressful process, drawing the casting priest (and the spell recipient, if other than the caster) into draining audiences with extraplanar powers. As a result, establishing a Velsharoon's death pact ages the caster five years and requires at least one week for complete recuperation for the spell's caster and recipient, during which time the priest cannot cast any spells or engage in any physically demanding activity. Furthermore, when the pact is invoked, the mystical transport and instantaneous healing exacts another toll, this time aging the recipient for five years (if the individual was raised, she or he also loses 1 point of Constitution permanently). This cost can be mitigated through the sacrifice of good-aligned sentient creatures in Velsharoon's name at the end of the spellcasting. For each such creature sacrificed, one year of aging caused by the spell is negated first from the caster of the spell and then from the aging penalty to be applied to its recipient when the spell's activation conditions are met. Finally, for each such creature further sacrificed, the week of recuperation is eliminated for first the spell's caster and then the spell's recipient.

The spell's material components are seven drops each of the caster's blood, the recipient's blood, unholy water, and dew.