The Ritual of the Dread Rings

By 1478 DR, Szass Tam's obsession with godhood reached its terrifying peak through the construction of "Dread Rings"—massive, circular fortresses made of obsidian and living bone. These structures were designed as massive necromantic batteries, capable of harvesting the life-force of an entire region to fuel a ritual intended to unmake the laws of life and death. The most notable of these was constructed in the Neverwinter Wood, where Thayan agents sought to use the lingering death-energy of "The Ruining" to power their dark engines.

While the 1478 attempt to "unmake the world" failed due to the intervention of the Zulkirs and a handful of heroes, the Rings themselves were never fully destroyed. They remain scattered across Faerûn as permanent "wells of undeath" that continue to siphoning hope and joy from the land. For your current campaign, the existence of a Dread Ring represents a direct "anchor" for Thayan influence far from the borders of the East, acting as a ticking clock for Szass Tam’s next attempt at apotheosis.

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