A module for Dračí doupě set in the world of Asterion.

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The pages of this module are not stained with the blood of the innocent, even though the undead have claimed more lives on Asterion than any other creature. You won't find a path to absolute power over life here, nor a guide to achieving immortality, though it might seem so to the less attentive among you. It won't even reveal the secrets of life, death, and rebirth, yet everything will revolve around them.

This book is about desire, searching, determination, pain, and sacrifice. It is the age-old human quest for longevity and immortality that has led many mages to the gates of necromancy—opened in hope or despair, recklessly or with careful intent. The effort to spare life from the painful loss of family and friends has led to the sacrifice of ideals of goodness and humility in the name of power over the world's order. Noble goals turned into a lust for power; servants of others became ruthless masters of life and death. Instead of immortality, the first hideous caricatures of life appeared—skeletons, zombies, and ghouls. Just as the means and intentions changed, the psyche and physical forms of the necromancers became twisted. Sanity was replaced by madness, fueled and fanned by the horrific undead from the Shadow World, and a maniacal desire to rule the world and inflict pain. The original idea of helping others was trampled into the dust of the dead earth by the hooves of a knight of doom's horse, and voices begging for mercy were drowned out by the shrieks of banshees.

On the other side of the great game of life and existence stand the Lightbringers. As beings of thought from the Shadow World, they have no desires, and pain cannot lead them astray. Their mission commands them to protect life, civilization, and knowledge. They have failed in this task once before, allowing the undead to come to Asterion. That is why the Glabins, Creins, Araks, and Paladins now sacrifice their lives so that the power of the necromancers does not grow too great and destroy all that is living. That is why they search among humans for the Gifted, who could restore the power they lost in battles with the undead.

Everyone can choose their side, for which they will sacrifice their time, health, life, or even their soul. But the moment of decision usually comes at the least convenient time, and after it, there is no turning back. That is why it is good to carefully consider everything beforehand—life or death, sacrifice or power. No one can ever be fully prepared, but you should try.