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Nightfall

by Sean Meaney

Year AC1020

Early in the month of Nuwmont in the year ten-twenty (A.C.) a dwarf is discovered collecting rocks inside the great crater. Prince Kolland learns that the black rocks are infact a rare diamond. Mining over the next month yields a hundred million gold pieces worth of black diamonds.
A huge black diamond is discovered (400lb, 40,000,000gp) in late Thaumont. The gem known as Nightfall is sent to the capital of New Kolland. Unfortunately it is seized during shipment by the night dragon Synn. In possession of Nightfall Princess Hillsbury is able to now draw on the radiance. Dolores Hillsbury seeks out the vampire prince of Boldavia offering him true immortality.
In a vile process taking several months she draws what little iron exists in his blood from him crafting an artefact: the iron pin of Boldavia. As an immortal bound in artefact form the vampire prince has the ability to possess any who makes use of the artefact other than its creator: Synn. The pin has a single power: wish(100pp). Synn makes use of the artefact wishing all yet unmined black diamonds in the great crater to be transported to her treasure vaults. With ten trillion in black diamonds in her treasure vaults Dolores dispatches a billion gold pieces worth of black diamonds to the Thyatian empire to bribe every member of the senate with twenty million gold pieces in diamonds each into conspiring to remove the emperor of Thyatis. Thyatis is in upheaval. It is known as the bloody summer. Dolores begins buying the absolute loyalty of every organization and society in Glantri.
At the end of summer Dolores Hillsbury provides diamonds to the black dragon Attura sufficient that it may ascend to immortality with one hundred percent success.
In autumn Dolores invites the supreme witch of the Belcadiz clan to dinner and makes her an offer. Dolores will help the witch become an immortal in the form of an artefact. By the end of autumn Dolores has created a new artefact known as the witch's brush. Crafted from a length of bone, a twist of gut, and a hank of hair the witch has become an immortal artefact of entropy as the prince of Boldavia. The powers of the brush are wish(specific): curse (100pp). The witch may possess any who touches the brush (other than the brush's creator Dolores). Dolores sends the witch's brush to the Erewan princess hoping to throw the elves into chaos, and the iron pin of Boldavia is delivered to lord Wutyla in Boldavia.
In early winter Earthquakes, storms, and a volcanic eruption wrack the southern Atruaghin clan lands west of Tenobar. Lesser dragons released from slavery to Attura as the huge green dragon ascends to immortality launch an all-out attack on Tenobar and Athenos raiding the dragonhold of Tharkoria and striking as far as Shireton in the east.
Princess Dolores Hillsbury issues invites to every Glantrian noble to a new year's eve ball.
After a long and lavish party (even by Glantrian standards) at a few minutes before the failure of magic she unveils Nightfall and informs all present of the secret of the radiance to the horror of every member of the brotherhood present. At a moment past midnight Dolores draws on the radiance opening a portal to Alexander Platz allowing guests to depart immediately for their residences in Glantri city. With most of the nobles having departed through the portal for Glantri city and a few choosing to take the long way home Dolores begins drawing on the radiance through the use of the nightfall diamond.

Year AC1021

Absorbing five thousand rad within a half an hour past midnight the nucleus of the spheres explodes unleashing a quake felt across the known world. With the destruction taking the upper and lower broken lands, western Alfheim, much of central Darokin, and southern Glantri along with nearly all of the subterranean realms of the shadow elves and even destroying the dwarven capital Dengar when the pillar of Kagyar shatters and upper and lower Dengar are crushed by a mountain wiping out all but two dwarf clans. The subsidence begins draining Lake Amsorak over eight hundred feet high cliffs.
The disaster permanently ends the power of magic as it is throughout Mystara and cuts clerics off from their immortals for the entire year of ten twenty-one (A.C.).
Synn begins the dark task of harvesting hands from corpses of Glantrian nobles from the rubble of the city of Glantri. She uses the hands to begin crafting a true artefact of entropy known as the altar of earthen hands. This very powerful artefact allows for the creation and control of all forms of undead. At the beginning of summer in ten twenty-one Synn gifts the artefact to the lich Koriszegy allowing the creature to establish control over numerous undead minions in western Karameikos along with a substantial territory taking in fort doom and Luln.
Synn discovers she can grant the ability of spellcraft to Glantrian wizards (those confronting Dolores Hillsbury also find she can take their magic away). The radiant lady becomes goddess of magic in Glantri and the lands known as the ruination.