Hello Travance,
Well, if my research vacation is over then you all get to suffer with me and read my notes.
Back in May, Travance unlocked the door in the Pale Keep, releasing 12 Death Knights out into the world.
In August, Travance was visited by the first of these Death Knights, calling itself the "Tempest Hunter".
This one emanated aberrant chaotic energy as well as aberrant light energy.
It had small eidolons with it that were weak to a variety of energies--when these were slain, they expelled a burst of chaos that attempted to alter everyone around them. If successful, the eidolon soul entered that person, and when the Travancian was slain, a burst of red energy resurrected the Eidolon.
The Death Knight also tried to turn Kanas into an Eidolon when he died near it.
When the Knight dropped, we saw its soul, but energy of an aberrant chaotic nature (specifically red crackling energy--the Crimson Mantle, most likely) yanked its soul away, with the sense that it was still captured.
This red energy that we've seen emanating from the Knight and the eidolons fits with a power(?) originally found in the Pale Keep, the Crimson Mantle. Back in May, Travance stopped Alverez's cronies fom attempting to obtain this power source.
I am not sure what exactly the Crimson Mantle is and how exactly it connects to/interacts with the Death Knights--if anyone else has more information, please share!
One fact we do know is that all of the Death Knights have something red on their person, whether that be a scarf, cape, cloak, etc.
We have confirmed there are 12 Death Knights, and each one of them aligns with a Constellation in the Kormyrian Zodiac.
When in the Pale Keep, Mae Fang recovered 12 statuettes of Death Knights. After the fight, a constellation lit up red on one statue.
This Death Knight called itself the Tempest Hunter, and appropriately, the statue matched the sign of the constellation Aashirya.
Upon further investigation, all 12 of these statues have zodiac symbols on them.
I did not have the opportunity to engage the Death Knight for long, and was not present when it dissipated. If anyone else has further information on the Death Knights, Pale Keep, Crimson Mantle, or anything related to these topics, please share what you know!
I will also be at the Winterdark Ball with my notes, and am willing to sit and discuss then as well.
Thank you for your time and help,
Well, I ended up taking the long route home from Winterdark, and just now saw all these responses.
Thank you all for your information! This is certainly helpful, and I'll be sure to add it to my notes.
One lingering question--does anyone have a good explanation of what the Crimson Mantle is? Is it an energy source? A being? A group? Seth, you might have the most knowledge of it, can you clarify?
Thank you all, and I hope to be in the proper to discuss and share knowledge this upcoming week.
Kes and I were experimenting a bit as we fought the eidolons. Figured if we're going to be fighting the Death Knights at least eleven more times, we should make sure everyone knows how their minions work.
If I remember correctly, this is how the burst of chaos works when they drop: - The burst happens a few seconds after they drop. If no one is around when this happens (we tested to a range of about 15ft), the chaos goes right back into the eidolon and it gets back up at full strength. - If people are around, but everyone resists the altering effect, the same thing happens. - The chaos has to go somewhere else. At least one person has to succumb to the alteration. Once you drop the altered victim(s), the eidolon's soul hovers above them and can be put to rest (certain religious folk were able to do this, I can't remember the details). If you heal their victim before you can free their soul, the eidolon gets back up at full strength, so you have to keep the victim stable but unconscious until the eidolon is fully free.
Our recommendation is to fight one eidolon with a small group, with one person pre-designated to take the chaotic alteration. To be blunt, choose someone you could win a fight against. You should also have a clergy person nearby. When the eidolon drops, have everyone except your volunteer back up out of range, wait until they take the chaos, then smack your volunteer until they're unconscious and don't heal them until your holy person has taken care of the eidolon soul. Special thanks to Elias for volunteering to get chaotically altered, smacked a bunch, and held in stasis for a while, all in the name of science.
- Mina
Whilst we were last in the Pale Keep, I acquired the schematics for the orb which was keeping the Crimson Mantle and associated Death Knights captive. It appears to have been specifically tuned to keep Aberrant Light-aligned beings contained, if that helps. I am still working on developing a component list, if we should wish to trap those particular annoyances again. Please contact me if this is of consequence or if you would like my assistance.
Your ally,
Maen Milesus, Mythril Enclave Arch-Sentinel, the Priest of Visigalis
Yeah. That may be my fault. After the Committee of Metaphysical Affairs acquired the Pale Keep, I was given task to hunt down the Crimson Mantle. In poking around, following lukewarm trails lead me to meet with the Tempest Hunter and the hunting party of Eidolons that followed them.
Many against one, it wasn't looking in my favor and I was forced to retreat. Unfortunately for me, apparently I killed enough of the posse to garner attention. And thus began a process I am unlucky enough to be very familiar with: Recruitment.
After a few days of dodging very persuasive job offers I was able to give them the slip. But then I hear they went looking for me in Travance. Sorry about that. (Good on you Kanas for not taking the job.)
With both your report on its red soul and some findings I came across of my own, I have reason to believe it is still (un)alive and kicking. And it didn't seem the type to give up a prey so easily because some group got in the way. If I had to guess, it's probably still looking for me. The thrill of the hunt cannot be satisfied in undeath I suppose.
Coincidentally, if we're looking to study, and eventually end all of the Crimson Mantle starting with the Tempest Hunter we should probably lay a trap. And I happen to know where we could get some bait. -Seth