Powers of the Void

The Northshire Abbey archives hold far more than holy scripture and clerical records. Tucked away in a protected wing of the abbey's library was Powers of the Void, a scholarly work regarding shadow and nether energies, presumably penned by the archmage Khadgar. Given the dangerous nature of such research, abbey authorities kept the book heavily guarded and strictly off-limits to casual visitors. This kept it out of the hands of Northshire's local warlock mentor, Drusilla La Salle, who could not loiter near the restricted shelves without drawing unwanted suspicion from the priesthood.

The tome finally left the abbey's walls not by Drusilla's hand, but through betrayal from within. A novice studying at Northshire abandoned his vows to join the Defias Brotherhood, looting several valuable volumes as he fled into the neighboring vineyards. Taking advantage of the thief's opportunism, Drusilla sends promising warlock initiates directly into the Defias bandit camp to seize the tome from their tents. Retrieving the text serves a double purpose: it places dark knowledge into the trainer's grasp and tests whether a novice possess the nerve required to bind otherworldly demons.