A line of hooded figures, outlined against the night sky by the full moon,  was ascending the steep mountain pass. They had assembled this night to perform a historic act of magic, the likes of which the world had never seen. 

At least that's what they had told Rel. 

Rel was fairly new to the Order of the Hidden Magi, and as such, was unusually assigned menial tasks, such as the one he was currently employed. His job was to lug the necessary ritual ingredients up the steep mountain pass. 

So, as the hooded order members serenely ascended the mountain, Rel was left to haul packs.  

Eventually, with his thick ceremonial robe soaked through with sweat, Rel ascended the mountain for the last time.

Finally, arriving in the dimly lit ritual chamber, Rel had a chance to look around.

The chamber was a natural cave that had been expanded at some point. A good number of stalactites hung from the ceiling, a number of them so huge that they merged into stalagmites in massive columns. Of these natural formations, a series of pillars were carved out of dark stalactite stone. Running along the edge of the chamber a small waterfall had carved a passage downward into the depth of the mountain. This passage was often used by the Order to dispose of grisly evidence and spent ritual ingredients.

 On the floor of the chamber, surrounded by the nubs of lowly burning candles, was a very complex array of sigils. Despite being an accomplished magus himself, the array made Rel’s head spin just to look at it.

Rel was startled out of his reverie by the sound of a throat being cleared. 

He looked up to see the leader of their cabal, the Grandmaster. The mysterious figure usually remained Masked and silent at all previous meetings, preferring instructions and updates be given through one of the other officers or lieutenants of the order. The Mask of the Grandmaster took the shape of a grotesquely styled skull, hiding his identity which was only known to a select few of the top officers in the Order of the Hidden Magi.

The masked figure cleared its throat once again before the room fell deathly still.

“My fweinds and bwothews of the odew, now that the final bwothew and our newest membew wewl is hewe, we may begin.”  began the figure in a deep baritone.  ( My friends and brothers of the order, now that the final brother and our newest member Rel is here, we may begin )

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 Rel had to stifle a chuckle, when looking around he saw that the other members of the order were enraptured by the speaker.

“Tonight is a Histowic occasion. After many yeaws of toil and Sacwafice, the time is finawy wight to finish what we began many a yeaw ago. “ he continued. ( Tonight is a Historic occasion. After many years of toil and Sacrifice, the time is finally wight to finish what we began many a year ago. )

“Many of you do not know me as anonymity sewved ouw cause wew in the past. But tonight we compwete ouw gweat wowk. Tonight, I need not wowy about what the short-sighted mages or kingdoms may think.” he said as he began to remove his mask. (Many of you don't know me as anonymity served our cause well in the past. But tonight we complete our great work. Tonight, I need not worry about what the short-sighted mages or kingdoms may think.)

“ I am Awch Mage Nefawium Mewevowa, of the house of Mawevowa.” said the archmage.

(I am Awch Mage Nefarium Mallevola, of the house of Mallevola.)

This information was quite a shock to Rel. The archmage was a well-known scholar and headmaster of the great college of Valis. The archmage was known for his controversial experimentation, especially in the field of void logistics and extraplanar rituals. On top of that, the House of  Malevola was a prominent great house in the kingdom of Valorica, the largest kingdom on the continent. The house of Malevola was known to produce ambitious and talented people, as well as its fair share of traditionally evil characters. The last lich that had plagued Valorica was said to have come from the house of Malevola. 

The archmage had a thin angular face with an aquiline crooked nose, his face a distinctly elven origin. He had small, almost black eyes that seemed to pierce into the soul. Rel noted that the archmage seemed not too dissimilar to a predatory bird. 

“My bwothews, tonight, we wiw summon one of the gweat othows who wive beyond the staws. We wiw summon the Hawowed one!”  (My brothers, tonight, we will summon one of the great others who live beyond the stars. We will summon the Hallowed one!)

Cheers greeted this final pronouncement, as the ritual began.

The complex array of sigils on the ground began to glow red as the candles flared high. Arcane symbols began to float off the array and form some sort of structure in the middle of the circle of candles. 

The Arch Mage began to chant in a hollow voice, an incantation that was far too complex for Rel to be able to follow at such a quick pace. Soon, the lieutenants and officers of the order began to add their voices to the discordant chant. 

The hooded figures that made up the body of the order began to file forward in a line to where a pair of figures stood in front of the sigils rising off of the array that was beginning to take the shape of a gate. The gate wardens each held a gold-inlaid, obsidian dagger and a small, silver bowl. 

The line moves forward steadily with each order member cutting their palm with the dagger and allowing their blood to drip into the bowl. As blood from the bowls was splashed onto the slowly forming gateway, the candles flared a bright red. 

As the last participants splashed their blood onto the gate, the chanting rose to a fever pitch. The candle's flames flared high, turning from a mild orange-and-red to a deep, crimson red, washing the chamber in a ruddy light. 

The Arch Mage pulled an obsidian dagger from within his sleeve and splashed his blood on the arch. 

Intoning in his Hollow baritone

“Oh gweat Fathew of the awcane, the wift cawvew, he with the maw of many siwvewy tongues. I Call to you, I Beseech you, I Summon you.”  (-Oh great Father of the arcane, the rift carver, he with the maw of many silvery tongues…)

The candles fared higher still, as the blood coalesced into a liquid veil between the arches.

“ I SUMMON THE HAWOWED ONE!” 

(I  SUMMON THE HALLOWED ONE!” )