The Absolute Crisis

In the Year of Three Ships Sailing (1492 DR), the Sword Coast was nearly brought to its knees by a conspiracy involving an alliance of the Dead Three—Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul—and an enslaved Elder Brain. Known to the public as the "Cult of the Absolute," this faction promised power and salvation to its followers while secretly infecting them with modified Illithid tadpoles. Unlike standard ceremorphosis, these tadpoles were held in stasis by Netherese magic, allowing the victims to retain their form while becoming "True Souls" under the absolute control of the cult's leaders.

The crisis centered on a trio of mortal Chosen: Enver Gortash (Bane), Orin the Red (Bhaal), and Ketheric Thorm (Myrkul). Using the ancient Crown of Karsus, they dominated an Elder Brain and transformed it into a "Netherbrain." The cult's army marched on Baldur's Gate, causing widespread panic and destruction, particularly in the Upper City. The plot was eventually thwarted by a band of infected adventurers who turned the cult’s own weapons against them, either destroying or dominating the Netherbrain and shattering the influence of the Dead Three on the mortal plane once again.

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