“Odd things happen when a wizard dies. His memories and desires echo, and his might doesn’t just fade away, it seeps into the world around him. If Skarn is a product of a wizard’s death and can harness that power, I tremble to think what it may be capable of.”
In the foothills near Greyhaven there sits a forgotten manor, the haunted residence of the late high mage Ithyndrus. Antique trinkets and artifacts lie within its ever-changing walls, but the ravens that watch the manor are insufficient to discourage treasure hunters and bandits. A new guardian has awoken, and dark forces gather to his aid. Left unchecked, the power and size of this creature will never stop expanding. Its potential is limitless, and it must be stopped.
The creature seems to be made from pieces of the manor – ruined table legs and bits of statues, with kitchen utensils for fingers. The creature is larger than yesterday. Tomorrow it will be larger still. No one knows it exists. No one is afraid of it yet. But nothing hides forever, and Skarn only needs to grow.
Skarn’s origins lie shrouded in mystery. Some believe that he has always guarded the manor house, even before the death of the High Mage that lived there. Others suggest that he was unintentionally created from residual magic released by the wizard’s death. Still others would say that the ravens created a new guardian after the passing of their old master. Whether Skarn is a raging monster hungry for power or a misunderstood soul devoted to a lonely cause, all agree that Skarn’s potential stretches far beyond what can be allowed.
Years in the future, scholars will debate the nature and origin of Skarn. Most believe he was unintentional, that when Ithyndrus died, the unfinished construct absorbed part of his life force and magic.
Some contend that he has always been there, watching over the manor even before the wizard arrived. Many who saw him claim it was the ravens. Longing for their lost master, the ravens created another to care for and guard them.
References
- Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition): Manor of Ravens