#cult of verata

[sealpup9]

Im literally the only one in the world who cares about this but the fact that we got Cult of Verata lore from some random book laying on the ground in one of the new Secrets of the Obscure maps is everything to me

[captain-temhote]

Forgot to share drawings of my Cult Of The Lamb Oc.

A Verata Goat who mostly works in farming and Lumber. A little fella she is, probably gonna headcannon her a voice. Unfortunately I can’t find a perfect voice for him, pretty difficult for him rn.

((Colors will be redone, and also design a bit I fucked up on the beard))

[justmaghookit]

5,6, 7, 11, 22, 26

Baldur's Gate 3 Character Development Questions:

5: Dark Urge or no?

Donnie is not Dark Urge but Hilariously i gave him memory problems anyway. [I had no idea that was Durge's deal lmaoo]

6: What companion are you platonically close with?

Shadowheart and Wyll! He really understands Shaz's internal struggle between her desire to do good vs the belief of the cult that raised her. He also just really enjoys Wyll's company, he thinks he's fun to hang out with.

Gale is his best nerd friend who he is a nerd with about arcane studies and ancient mysteries

7: Romantically close with?

Astarion, they both sort of stumbled into it by accident but they end up having a lot in common. It's weird and new for both of them to be with someone and not just used by them.

He had a crush on Karlach but they ended up more like siblings over time, she feels like family.

and then there was his ahem, thing, he had with Raphael, but that was about a decade before the events of bg3

11: Weapon of choice?

He prefers to stay at a distance and cast spells, he used to wield a mace regularly but these day's he's more fond of a dagger.

22: What languages is your character fluent in?

Common, Undercommon, Thieves cant, Infernal and he's dabbling in learning draconic. He can also speak a weird and distinct dialect of deep-speech that doesn't match any recorded lexicons.

26: What animal best represents your Tav?

Verata!

[pyreo]

GW1 (2005) // GW2 (2012)

Kessex Hills (Part 1)

I wonder if the ‘Earthworks’, the name of the centaur camp pictured, along with centaur elementalists always being earth-aligned, is an explanation for the land being flattened between games? In Kryta the hills reach impossible heights to obscure the map edge.

Kessex Peak, as it was formerly known, was one of the most gruelling areas and something of an optional boss level, especially in hard mode when vanquishing. The largest open area has been flooded into a lake, now supporting a human fishing settlement.

Easily the most fun part of the map is the Wizard’s Tower, belonging to an unseen character called Isgarren. The tower has existed for over 250 years and seems to attract persons of magical talent - in GW1 the cliffs by the floating tower are where Verata, a necromancer, runs a cult, and later a warrior boss, Galrath, comes seeking arcane power. It is implied that Isgarren, the current owner, invites townspeople into the tower and turns them into enslaved elementals.

Important to note that these screenshots are not taken at the same location. The Wizard’s Tower has moved between games, shifting east, otherwise it would be walled inside the Dominion of Winds.

“Does the wizard mind that we make money off his notoriety?” “Well, he's never said anything to me about it.” "You've never actually spoken to him, have you?”

[torunwiththewolf]

Jasna Sobol - The Witch of Blackroot Cut: A Profile

Jasna Sobol - The Witch of Blackroot Cut: A Profile Villainess or Victim of Circumstance by Ms. Ava Nolan

Thirty-two years ago, on a bone-chillingly cold Colossus night in the year 1301AE, the residence of Eastern Kessex gathered in a display of vigilante justice. Shouts rang out through the trees, calls for blistering flesh and boiling blood. Acquaintances would be her executioners, the very ones who months to years previous had, in their darkest moments, sought the aid and wisdom of Jasna Sobol. Desperate they may have been, they had nevertheless appealed to Sobol to conduct medical procedures too costly for the common-man. Yet now here they stood before her with jeers and scorn on their venomous tongues. 'Baby-killer' and 'Murderer' they spat in their anger. Defiance and an eerie sort of neutrality warred at her traditional Kurzick features, illuminated in the night as she was by torch-light that soon set ablaze her body bound to a wooden stake. Who was Jasna Sobol? Born into absolute poverty and a life of squalor, Jasna Mira Sobol was the oldest of the three Sobol children, which included a brother, Veselin Darko (1279AE - 1332AE), and a sister, Malina Iva who was immediately, post-birth, placed in an orphanage. Jasna Sobol possessed a dominant personality. Her brother, Veselin, however, was passive and known to be enamored by her. The pair were said to be inseparable. A number of individuals interviewed insinuated they were "unnaturally" close, and yet, Veselin Sobol survived his sister, and her crimes, by thirty-one years to pass only recently, last year, at the age of fifty-three. The informal and poorly conducted "investigation" into Jasma Sobol's charges failed to identify Veselin as a person-of-interest. No interviews were conducted, and his person and premises were never searched. In 1301AE, Jasna Sobol was charged with the following crimes: (1) Offered slapdash abortions to women in need—later declared a ‘baby killer’, (2) Offered paid ‘mercy killings’ by means of poison—later condemned for murder, (3) Corrupted near water sources, but was paid to purify them—later charged with murder, (4) Hiding of and occult use of human remains—later charged with desecration. Cultist or Scapegoat? Locals claim she was a disciple of Verata the Necromancer, a rogue Ascalonian who, after the cataclysmic event known as The Searing, relocated to the Kessex Peaks region of Kryta.

His insatiable desire for knowledge caused him to use forbidden practices to increase the speed of his research on undead minions by kidnapping and experimenting on citizens and wayward travelers. He was thenceforth cast out of The Order, an organization formed to prevent the misuse of necromancy -- a branch of magic that, to this day, is poorly understood by the masses. It is both shrouded in mystery and misconceptions.

The Dark Arts Necromancers draw their power from the sacrifice of blood (often their own) and by communing with the dead. Although they possess the skills to raise our dead relatives, this practice is widely discouraged across Tyria. Instead, necromancers who do summon the dead, and not all can or will, do so by utilizing a variable mixture of flesh, body parts and bones, often of animals, to form undead servants known as minions. Other such skills employed by the necromancer are curses, marks, spectral energy and life-force.

Holding the very power over life and death is a privilege not to be taken lightly, and it is understandable why so many remain wary of necromancy. Due to the sacrificial nature of their methods, Necromancers must practice patience and self-discipline not only to survive but to prevent the abuse and misuse of their power. Rules and guidelines for the practice of necromancy, such as those of The Order, must be strictly adhered and upheld by the current generation of necromancers to prevent individuals, such as Verata, who forge their own dangerous path paved with pain and suffering.

If Jasna Sobol was a follower of the Cult of Verata, where are her fellow cultists? There have been no recent reports, within the Kessex region nor from the Lionguard who patrol the roadways, of any occultist activity in the area. Today Blackroot Cut remains a dangerous swampland and one where the barriers between Tyria and the Underworld have weakened. From open portals, nightmarish creatures such as Aatxe, Shades, fleshreavers and imps pour forth to wreck havoc on the area.

Into the Unknown We may never know the truth behind the case of Jasna Sobol: who she was, what happened and all who may have been involved but such controversial individuals are rarely born. They are made -- by us. They are made by ignorance, and a lack of opportunities. They turn away from the norm to create their own. With the recent discovery of the revenant (made known by the famed charr Rytlock Brimstone) which involves channeling and unleashing the powers of the Mists, and the arrival of Dragonfall, it is imperative that Tyrians not give into the fear of the unknown. We must embrace the magical potential that have been bestowed upon this world and beyond. To quote the Priests of Grenth, “Death is simply another journey."

About the Author: Ms. Ava Nolan ( @torunwiththewolf​ ) A freelance journalist based out of Lion's Arch, Ava Nolan has reported on stories from the front-lines and refugee camps during the Battle for Lion's Arch, as well as, the Tower of Nightmare. She is currently on assignment in the Shiverpeak Mountains covering the Vigil's war against the Elder Dragon Jormag.

[salty-medley]

Just a thing from GW Prophecies

Remember the start ? When we met the different trainers ? Only two of them have their appearances changed after the searing : Van the Warrior and Verata the Necromancer.

Van starts with a quite jovial and chubby look, more like a character you could see on a old naive illustration :

After he looks way thinner, more serious and ready to face a potential danger:

Maybe the result of less beers at the tavern and more exercise ? Weirdly he seems younger too, but as we can’t really see his face it’s probably just an impression .

Verata now ! Verata is one of my favorite NPCs from Prophecies, since the start he has a more developed storyline, and seems to have more attitude too. He’s clearly not a good person but he knows what he wants. At the start he kinda looks like an undead Koga ( from Pokemon for the few ones who don’t see who’s Koga ).

But the surprise after searing ! Great armor, interesting choice of colors, nice haircut and probably a lot of cosmetic surgery and make up . From your random undead to a beautiful vampire ! 

Btw I wonder if it’s the same corpse. I mean we all know what Verata experimented and I wonder if this body couldn’t be another, killed by himself and where he managed to put his soul... After all his cult have a monk as member so why not different experiments with life and dead ?

[rae-nger]

Psst they're talking about the floating wizard's tower near Garrenhoff in Kessex! It was in GW1 as well: a powerful necromancer named Verata (of ascended armor set fame) took the place over and had a cult that we had to clear out. We killed him but I honestly kinda hope it didn't stick and he's the wizard 'Isgarren' the townspeople talk about. Verata was kicked out of the necromancer's guild for experimenting in forbidden magics, and dealing with that sounds like a fun detour from dragons.

Oh right, I remember where it is! And wow that sounds interesting, it's more than a flavor text. Has no one tried to mount up and, say, landed on that castle? Or is there an invisible wall as always?