Adintech Strategic Alert

Document

Adintech: An Insidious Threat
Strategic Alert (Threat Level 5)
December 17, 2017
From: Arthur "Nails" Kelly and Maxine "Art3mis" Witkey, Rogue Raptor Risk Management (USA/Chicago Office)

Overview

We have evidence of a substantial, existential threat to Earth and the other worlds in the Closeness. If unchecked, this threat could consume us all.

We have coordinated a team of Unbound operatives to uncover this threat. Based on their intel and other sources, we've illuminated a clandestine effort to manipulate many of the paranormal factions of the multiverse into a conspiracy to research and develop a destructive technology. We call it "adintech."

The conspiracy has almost concluded. An adintech construct of inestimable power has been created, with the code name "Black Pyramid." (We are aware of the true name of the construct. However, it's likely that speaking or writing the name has the undesirable effect of attracting the Pyramid's attention.)

The Black Pyramid may be traveling to the Closeness. Should it reach our worlds, it would likely assimilate or destroy all life and matter.

The Origins of Adintech

Adintech was pioneered by illithids during the decline of their empire. They had their own name for the technology, Into'ix'eel, which loosely translates as "[methods/prerogatives] for affixing a [yoke or harness] on a [lesser mind/being] to [harvest/mine] a [useful/usable] substance."

The basic goal of adintech is transferring knowledge and skills from an organic brain into an inorganic device. The device can then be used to access the knowledge and skills. However, the illithid researchers stopped their research because their superiors judged it too dangerous. (Given the dangers and depravity of other illithid research, that judgment is striking.) The illithids tried to destroy all the adintech notes and prototypes, plus any memories of the project.

But some remnants of the research remained at Quarenzend, a citadel in a remote Prime solar system. An alliance of good factions held Quarenzend for much of the 1900s. However, on December 22, 1999, a large army of evil beings, rallied and lead by devils, attacked the citadel in force. Rather than try to seize control, the army engaged and distracted most of the defenders, while one or more elite teams raided the vaults beneath the city. The defenders eventually triumphed over the army, driving them off the world and plane. Nevertheless, the raiders got away with at least some adintech.

The Spread of Adintech

The plundered adintech included "soul burning" and "soul threading." At least two different but connected factions developed functional applications.

First, the League of the Rusted Crown developed "bloodstone" tech. They have been spreading bloodstone creation and use across the multiverse. Bloodstones can be used by arcanists to extend and amplify their own magic, and to power magical constructs (e.g., graven hulks). In either case, using a bloodstone is an act of evil and corrupts the arcanist's soul. When they die, the arcanist's soul belongs to the Nine Hells. This is likely part of what motivated devils to steal and spread adintech.

Second, agents of Nicol Bolas developed "living book" tech. They prototyped this tech by transforming a tree on Amonkhet (named Oskar) into a book, and transforming a human adventurer (named Tundin Zarn) into a book. This research culminated in building the Black Pyramid on Amonkhet. The Pyramid combines bloodstone tech and living book tech with an Amonkhet mineral called lazotep.

We know that Nicol Bolas was building an undead army on Amonkhet as one tool in his grand plan. The Black Pyramid was intended to be another tool.

The Destruction of Amonkhet

When the Black Pyramid was completed (around December 17, 2004), Nicol Bolas or one of his agents activated it. What happened next remains unclear. However, Nicol Bolas is missing, the entire plane of Amonkhet has disappeared, and some Unbound have reported dreams of an entire desert city locked in a kind of terrifying stasis.

Nicol Bolas is known to be an ancient being of extraordinary intelligence, ambition, and confidence. We believe that Bolas built the Black Pyramid believing that he could control it. However, we believe that the Pyramid proved to be uncontrollable. Instead of serving as Bolas' tool, the Pyramid consumed Amonkhet. It may have consumed Bolas as well.

The Pyramid as a Predator

We have found a few, scattered reports of encounters with the Black Pyramid in the Astral Plane over the last 13 years. The Astral is vast and travelers encounter a wide variety of oddities and threats. However, the Black Pyramid has developed a special reputation somewhere between ghost ship and apex predator. We believe that among those who encounter the Pyramid, very few manage to escape. Those who have survived describe the Pyramid as often relentless in pursuing a target, and capable of destroying or assimilating vast numbers of beings and quantities of matter. We have some evidence to suggest that the Pyramid is especially drawn to targets of greater intelligence, paranormal power, and/or technological sophistication.

We believe that activating Palisade has made the Closeness more conspicuous across the multiverse. The amplified barrier of the Breakwater is now shining like a beacon across the planes. While the stronger barrier may keep out most threats, it may also arouse the Black Pyramid's attention.

The Factions Involved

The League of the Rusted Crown played a major role in developing and spreading bloodstone tech, especially on Tessera. Under the leadership of Magara Thistledown (a female halfling wizard) and using a rare artifact called a "soul forge," the League further iterated on bloodstones to develop metabiotic crystals at Ramshead in the Outlands. Metabiotic crystals can force a Change on a humanoid, including altering their race and imbuing them with new knowledge and skills. These benefits come directly from the being who was killed to create the original bloodstone; we call that victim a "soul shadow."

The League's activities on Tessera have been sharply curtailed. This includes the Titan Breakers slaying the dragon Vesperchoke Thorntail and the neogi Violetta. The Shadow Walkers slew Magara Thistledown, and the Unbroken Tide seized Ramshead. The Tide gave the fortress to the Order of the Four Dragon Paths.

Primex played a major role in experiments with metabiotic crystals on Earth, out of the NeoCyclic facility in Iowa and spilling into Chicago. These experiments have stopped and Primex has disavowed the League.

We discovered that Mr. Smith, a dracolich, was one of Nicol Bolas' generals. We still aren't clear on Mr. Smith's true name or history. We'll continue to investigate. RaPT3R Blue slew Mr. Smith, destroying him utterly with divine aid.

Mr. Smith lead a cult on Tessera called the Burning Masks. The cult refers to Mr. Smith as "the Master" and Nicol Bolas as "the Grandmaster." The cult is conducting research and development into mechanically-enhanced undead (or "mechadead"). They were first based in and around the city of Diyun in the Shangon province of Jeralta. They played a major role in a failed rebellion to restore the province to an independent kingdom. The Shadow Walkers stopped the critical coup.

The Masks collaborated some with Astrid Bluegrease, a necromancer with loose ties to Magara and the League. The Burning Masks relocated to a fallen graven hulk called Fortune's Edge in the Frostwall Mountains in the Republic. From there, the Masks collaborated with Primex. The Titan Breakers eventually found and slew Astrid in the Neutral Zone, although they didn't learn about Fortune's Edge.

The Burning Masks' research on mechadead includes enhancing and raising undead beasts such as apes and wild dogs. Their research also includes shadowfringe: the rare phenomenon of a post-bloodstone rage ghost possessing a mindless, undead host (or "husk"). The Masks believe that the Breakwater makes shadowfringe possible (or at least more likely). They believed that Palisade would help in understanding the nature and creation of shadowfringe.

Mr. Smith also had several apprentices, including Vesperchoke Thorntail and Caterina Berrett. Through the Burning Masks and his apprentices, Smith coordinated additional research and other efforts for Bolas' grand plan. Vesperchoke directed the Burning Masks to help with the rebellion in Jeralta. Caterina connected the Masks with Primex. Caterina lead her own shadowfringe mechadead research effort on humanoid subjects, in a secret lab under her family's Chicago airfield.

We believe Mr. Smith had at least one more apprentice. We'll continue to investigate.

Finally, the Nine Hells are behind much of what's happened, directly and indirectly. While bloodstones have brought them more souls, it's unclear whether the devils foresaw or desired the Black Pyramid to run amok. The Pyramid itself seems to be a pinnacle of order. But its creation and subsequent behavior seem to be bringing forth considerable chaos.

The Divines

These matters have been further complicated by the subtle and overt interference by many divine powers, including:

• Bahamut, god (Draconic): Order, Good, etc.
• Corellon Larethian, god (Elven): Sun, Prophecy, etc.
• Erevan Ilesere, god (Elven): Mischief, etc.
• Lusifee, god (Native American): Mischief, Cunning, Deception, etc.
• Luthic, goddess (Orcish): Motherhood, etc.
• Sehanine Moonbow, goddess (Elven): Death & Rebirth, etc.
• Primus, god (Mechanus): Order, Balance, etc.

We've also seen involvement by the Wyrm Princes of the Celestial Circle (i.e., Bahamut's special forces) and the Winter Court of the Feywild.

The Puppeteer

We remain uncertain regarding the full picture. In retrospect, a series of remarkable events lead to the creation of the Black Pyramid and its impending threat to the Closeness. That eventuality may or may not have been planned. Some events may have been coincidences, while others were clearly the work of various factions or divines. However, we can't exclude the possibility that another faction or being is also influencing these matters. For now, we'll call this unknown "the Puppeteer" and continue to look for evidence of their existence and interference.

Conclusion

Based on all of the following, we recommend that R3M prioritize further investigation into these matters. This includes:

• Develop a better understanding of adintech (e.g., bloodstones, metabiotic crystals)
• Continue publicizing the dire risks of adintech; deter, track, and intercept adintech
• Continue investigating the Black Pyramid, including its creation, nature, current location, and possible attack on the Closeness
• Prepare contingency plans for an attack by the Black Pyramid on the Closeness