Demon of the Black Gate

Rovinkar closed the book.

The creation of the demon was described. He briefly pitied the poor unfortunate that was eternally enslaved. And the demon was named. His inspection of the rest of the library turned up many arcane secrets, and he flipped through notes until he found those of the vizier’s experience with the demon.

His hand wrought notes revealed the story. It was a mere handful of years after the vizier had created the terrible spirit that his creation was put to use. The demon was summoned and directed by the will of the vizier to raze the bastions of the neighboring satrapy of the Ministrals, where they stood at the Pass of Shadow Veils. The bordering kingdom knew the reliance that Tenigra had on the pass to reach the eastern caravan trails, and was excising new taxes, mostly to feed the satrap of the Ministral’s lavish lifestyle. The bastions were razed by the demon in ‘a grande cataclysme’.

“The daemon raged farther and apace than I could reason. I feel myself at the reins of a tempest that carried bold angers. It takes all to restrain the beast, no mistake in word or thought can be tolerated. The name of the demon casts it back. But the boldest will is needed. The most difficult thing is to control my fear, for it is most terrible in its visage.”

The vizier described that at length the demon was again restored to the rock, but not before the pass leading into Tenigra was destroyed. The old vizier regarded his creation and vowed that the demon should never be allowed again from the stone cage.

“I shalt but never attempt it again. I shan’t even attempt to recall the daemon to restore its mortality by the most secret of names, such is the pull of his malice.”

Some would claim it was the earth gods themselves that sought to add their own protections, for shortly after the vizier had jotted his last note and hidden his last clue, the earth trembled, and collapsed the grand viziers tower. Some said that his own magics turned against him. Though the vizier could have buried his work and walked away. “It is what I would have done.” Rovinkar reasoned.

The vizier of long ago documented his work well. It was a month before Rovinkar emerged from the study and only then because his stores had run out. He began preparations to return to the Abyssin, a plot forming in his mind as he packed.

The obsidian could not be touched directly. To the dim-witted, a touch would but disturb the void encasing the demon, at worst giving the demon a soul to locate if it was ever released. But to one with awareness or knowledge, contact could prove fatal.

He spent the next few hours gathering papers and books, as much of the vizier’s library and potions as he could cart away. It would seem that no object or publication was too trivial … any of them had a purpose, else they’d not be there.

There was the fortune in rare jewels. They would be the letters of introduction to Abyssinian society and the ear of the throne. The Abyssinian Empire had grown to the mutual benefit of both state and the religion of the Aramites. Introducing the presence of a wizard would have to be approached diplomatically. In these ages, wizards were not common, most practiced secretly or in the havens of arcane brotherhoods. And the Aramites were vociferous in their declamation of such arts. For the most part because it challenged their hegemony. He didn’t concern himself too much about them. They could be manipulated to his ends as well.

Because the demon was comprised of the elements, Rovinkar would have to study auxiliary writings of air and earth, water and fire. He had thought himself versed, but it was obvious by the vizier’s texts that he had much to learn before he could control the demon. The Zilizanthra, what he had dubbed the ‘book of bones’, was also tricky. Each page had to be examined before it could be touched … powders and inks that could kill or worse … forgetfulness and insanity.