Rite of Sundering

Rite of Sundering

The Rite of Sundering is an ancient orcish ritual — the only known means of mending the infernal rift (the "wound of the weave") beneath Garmok's Mine in the Mere of Dead Men. Its last keeper is The Ashtongue, the exiled shaman of the old clans.

The Charge

In Session 45, the spirit of Garmok the Chainbearer passed the burden of the rift to Xanphina, naming her "Child of my blood." For centuries Garmok had held a horned devil in spectral chains to keep the rift from breaching, but no mortal hand — not even his — could truly seal it. With his chains broken and his vigil failed, he charged her to seek the one who still listens:

"To mend a wound of the weave, you must seek the one who still listens… Find the Ashtongue, last shaman of the old clans, the one exiled from the fire peaks for seeing too much… There she keeps the last ember of the rite of sundering. Tell her that Garmok Chainbearer failed his vigil. Tell her the chains are broken. Tell her the rift remains open."

Finding the Ashtongue

As he delivered the charge, Garmok's spirit traced a glowing map in the air: a range of mountains, a single winding river, and a crooked tree — "where the bones of the mountain drink the river, where the ash falls though nothing burns." See The Ashtongue.

Status

Active quest. The rift beneath the mine remains open; the Mind Gobbler and other Underdark dangers lie nearby. The party must locate The Ashtongue and learn the Rite to close the breach.