I just received Dragon #341 in my mailbox earlier today. So, here's the breakdown (also, since it's not really an article, to me at least, I'll mention here that the New Releases section talks about the new War Drums miniatures set, which includes Warduke!):
Editorial: Constructing the Future, by Erik Mona - Erik talks about how the variety of golems helps DMs surprise players. He also drops bits about what will be in the June issue of Dragon (the 30th anniversary) - a new "The Wizards Three" article by Ed Greenwood, another "Voyage of the Princess Ark" by Bruce Heard, a new "Gord the Rogue" story by E. Gary Gygax himself. Erik also drops hints in regards to a special limited edition miniature that is, in his words, "going to be Huge."
Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Baphomet, by James Jacobs - This Demonomicon covers the Prince of Beasts. We're given stats for Baphomet, and stats for his aspect, then his goals, his cult, the Thrall of Baphomet prestige class, his minions (giving us full stats for the bulezau and ankashar demons), and his realm (including The Bone Castle of Pale Night, The Fields of Brass, The Lyktion, and The Tower of Science). Sidebars discuss three vile feats from the BoVD mentioned as part of gaining access to the Thrall of Baphomet PrC, Baphomet in the real world, and a new minor artifact called the Brazen Skull.
Spellcraft: The Ties That Bind, by Matthew Sernett - This article gives us insight into Pact Magic, one of the new forms of magic that will be in the upcoming Tome of Magic. Pact Magic works on the basis of forming pacts with vestiges - things that linger beyond reality, somehow still existing, and desiring to return to, or at least influence, the multiverse. These pacts grant the binder supernatural powers, but weak binders will find themselves being used by the beings they sought to tap for power. Sidebars explain the format used to describe vestiges, and the possible taboo of pact magic in a campaign.
This article presents two new vestiges that are not given in the Tome of Magic: Kas the Bloody Handed, and Primus, the One and the Prime. The information on Kas, though interesting, ignores a large part of his D&D history, saying he became a vampire prior to betraying Vecna, and that he became a vestige after being destroyed in that treacherous battle (which runs counter to his appearances in Vecna Lives!, and the various Ravenloft materials on him). The material on Primus, however, takes into account everything regarding the modrons through D&D history, including the events of Dead Gods. For the first time, we know what happened to the modrons after Tenebrous was finished with them, and the in-game reason they're being virtually ignored in 3E.
What is a vestige?
The info on Kas doesn't really contradict anything, but it does refer to the facts vaguely and out of order.
To be more precise:
As Vecna ascended to power on the world of Oerth, armies of the dead rose under his black banner. Among these undead legions emerged the vampire Kas, a shadow of death clad in iron.
Okay, he wasn't a vampire yet, so strike that word. The rest is arguably correct, though I know a lot of people aren't big on Vecna's armies being mostly walking dead people.
It might make a little more sense if he was a vampire, however; that might explain how he survived the battle with Vecna (maybe he turned into mist and escaped!) and continued to remain alive all those centuries until Vecna reconstituted himself.
What few knew, however, was that in some misty realm that even the deities avoid Vecna and Kas somehow continued to exist, locked in an otherworldly battle. For unknown years the archrivals impotently raged.
The "misty realm" is Ravenloft. This bit is accurate, although "unknown years" turns out to be something like two or three.
Eventually, through patient plotting, near-immortal genius, and primordial magic, Vecna shattered his prison and escaped, ascending to godhood and leaving his rival lost in the ether.
Vecna was already technically a god at this point, but he ascended from demigodhood to lesser godhood. Everything else is probably right.
Alzrius, whom Montepierre was quoting, was incorrect that the article made Kas a "vestige" immediately after the battle - he becomes one after escaping from Ravenloft a millennium later.
