Verysa

"The village that was dragged to Hell"

- Superstitions surrounded the mystery of Verysa's destruction



History
An Elf and Human village in The Heartlands, the village of Verysa was a rural community that suffered the devastation of its entire population following a faulty summoning. With its citizens consumed by Demons, the village was completely abandoned by the outside world with few people knowing the true history of its decimation.

(The following events take place during the Consort of Malcontent adventure)
"Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it. Charnago made a life out of it, but now that luck runs out. His, and yours."

- Corelai

Forcibly co-opted by the anti-hero Charnago Sarnazerrus, a group of heroes travelled with him to Versa to stop the rising power of demons in the area. On the journey, the heroes listened to Charnago's account of the events revolving around Verysa's destruction. He explained that the source of the village's destruction was Corelai, a bard and ally of Charnago's who had become seduced by her darker impulses. In an attempt to cast our her irrational, murderous id with magic, Charnago explained that it was in truth her ego that was the driving force of her madness, that she was aware (and complicit) in her actions all along. Defeated by Charnago, Corelai made a pact with Asmodeus, the God of Change, and had proceeded to wipe out the villlage.

Delving into the village to seek out Corelai, the heroes were overpowered by a group of demons lead by the Consort of Malcontent, a champion of Asmodeus himself. Defeated and dragged into the catacombs beneath the village, the demon captors exhibited a strange obsession with Charnago, condemning and torturing him for their mutations while leaving the heroes untouched. Raving that it was Charnago himself responsible for the destruction and corruption of Verysa, the Consort of Malcontent introduced herself as Corelai, the bard of whom Charnago spoke, and explained that it was twelve years prior that a group of adventurers lead by Charnago had attempted to summon the fabled arch-demon Orcus with the intent of defeating him. Instead, their summoning ritual had opened a portal straight into Asmodeus' seat of power, unleashing the full might of the God of Change.

Dragged into the pits of the deranged God, Charnago's friends and the townsfolk of Verysa were corrupted and twisted into monstrous demons -- save for one who escaped, Charnago himself. Each year, Charnago returned to Versa and attempted to destroy the demons that he created, tricking heroes into joining him under the pretence that he was trying to "save his wife" or "niece" or "friends" from the minions of change. But as each year came and went, he failed, and each year he would return on the same day to try again, with a new group of heroes by his side. "Sweetheart, I've come to terms with MY demons, and you don't come close."

- Charnago Sarnazerrus

Intending to humiliate Charnago yet again by casting him out and corrupting his latest group of accomplices, it was then that Charnago sprung his newest trap. Using a series of medallions gifted to his assembled heroes, he summoned and incinerated the shards of Spellplague (a powerful wand which the heroes had hidden for him previously), empowering himself for a climactic battle with the demon hordes. Fighting their way out, the heroes were able to bring the catacombs down on Corelai and the demons of Verysa, crushing them once and for all as Charnago fought with Corelai. As the two combatants engaged in their decade-long fued, it was Charnago (with the help of his assembled heroes) who triumphantly overpowered Corelai, incinerating her and burning her to a charred pile of ash.

Outside the ruins of the once sleepy village, Charnago thanked the heroes for their assistance and pledged himself to their next adventure in compensation for their help.