Cariousus the Slayer II

Ironically, it was not any outside force, but himself which brought him down from his position. In a fit of anger, he murdered one of his own Standard-Bearers. Enraged at his arrogance and presumption in slaying even the untouchable and unholiest defenders of the Nexus Standard, the dark god Arzaeth, erstwhile patron of the Nexus, expelled him from the throne of the dark castle.

The years after that, if anything, were actually darker. His bloodlust tempered by his expulsion, Carioususs actions became less driven by bloodlust, and more by a cold desire to kill and maintain his favor amongst the lords of Unlife. The corpses piled up still, but in a more efficient, clockwork fashion. It was at this time that the dark god of necromancy, Arithis, named Cariousus his Slayer of the Flesh, pleased at the never-ending supply of corpses which Cariousus created for him to work with.

There were rumors that, at this time, the Slayer, with the patronage of Arithis, was gathering a coalition of Unlife, reaching out to lords of death such as Khalandar, Talex, and Vladimere to form an army of Unlife to sweep across the lands. Whatever the truth to these plans, however, they were put to an abrupt halt by his more abrupt disappearance.

For some years, as a side-project, almost a hobby, Cariousus had been torturing and warping a famous bard by the name of Sereniel Quis (later Sereniel Arnmark), going so far as to physically mangle her form, rendering her an invalid who was unable to play instruments, sing, or even move around with ease. His actions, already recorded in the tome of Sereniel, the Scribe of Truth, will not be entered in detail here; suffice it to say, they were most terrible and foul indeed. After finally breaking her will, he presented to her the head of her husband, Sir Madrion Arnmark, a Knight of the Crown.

It is at this point where once again, fact must give way to conjecture. Right before both of their deaths, it is known and witnessed that Sereniel and Cariousus had a meeting within the undersea palace of the Sea Elven Cay. Soon after, reliable witnesses amongst the citizenry of the Cay claim that Cariousus ran out in a murdering rampage in broad daylight, killing and draining the blood from many sea elves until he himself finally exploded in a cloud of ashes from the rays of the sun. Inside the palace, it was later found, was Sereniels corpse, also drained of blood. Other witnesses claim that Sereniel was seen going down into the Underdark to speak with the illithid Hivemind who was, at the time, Zelvhaeth, Cariousus former archnemesis; he had been promoted to that position. What happened is unknown, and all attempts to contact the illithid have been met by a wall of psychic force.

How and why did such a powerful vampire succumb so quickly

to the sun? In the end, no one knows. Only the illithid Hivemind, perhaps, holds the answer to the destruction of the Slayer of the Fleshand it, for its parts, will not speak. But it is well-known now, at least, that he did, indeed, meet his end at the Sea-Elven Cay, as an era of death and blood receded.