Hall of Black Baccara
Hall of Black Baccara
Embedded Files
"Casserial"
The Rise of The Golden Light and Casserial
Hidden information IC, must be researched through Lore Ticket.
Long before Howling Hills came to be and the House of Thorne created the Hall of Black Baccara. An intangible being known as Casserial scoured the world as Seraphim of Divine Judgment against the Macabre. Casserial claimed to be an instrument of the divine, rendering decrees from the so called heavens themselves. However, his actions did not go unnoticed by others residing in the world. He drew the ire of the other intangibles. Standing against Casserial’s views, they ruled his actions as atrocities against life itself. Too severe, too driven by personal vendetta, and far too dangerous to go unchecked with such power. For this transgression, the Seraphim was stripped of his wings and grace. Cast down to walk the earth among the Macabre and necromancers that he so despised.
Burning with fury from the betrayal of his own species, Casserial formed a zealous faction devoted to purging the earth of unholy entities. This faith based faction was known as the Church of the Golden Light. A militant faith devoted to purging macabre beings and necromantic casters from existence. It proclaimed that macabre beings and other creatures who defied the natural cycle of life and death, were abominations that must be eradicated. As the faith further developed, Casserial slowly descended into madness. Stripping himself of his halo, he shattered the divine relic into 10 shards.
He used forbidden magics, creating what he declared would be seen as the Exalted that were blessed by the Divine. Ten beings infused with shards from his broken halo. These magical hearts (shards), were placed within his most devoted followers. Binding their souls to their bodies and granted them immortality, though immortality itself comes at a cost. The Exalted became twisted echoes of the races they were once before. Become Macabre Constructs, taboo creations that defied their own faith. Yet their purpose was clear: continue the crusade in Casserial’s name.
Centuries passed and battles were fought in Casserial's name. One by one, its said the Exalted fell. The faiths numbers dwindling as the world moved forward in its beliefs. The faith weakening. In one last declaration of his beliefs, Casserial set his eyes gaze upon Howling Hills and the Halls of Black Baccara.
The Sister of Mercy and Fall of House Thorne
Hidden information IC, must be researched through Lore Ticket.
It was the dawn of the 19th century when the Church of Golden Light cast its gaze on the Halls of Black Baccara. They gained word of a prestige House of Macabre known as House Thorne. The Church of Golden light started with a subtle presence. Taking up refuge at the Church down the hill from the Cemetery. Their beliefs spreading like a plague through the denizens of Howling Hills. They blamed the Macabre for the Aberrations. Declaring their existence had brought divine judgment to the world. And the only way to keep the Aberrations as bay was to cast the 'evil' out.
Worried about the growing threat within the City, Count Thorne declared the Halls be sealed and set out into the Night to gather reinforcements. Leaving his beloved Countess and the macabre to seek refuge from the growing storm. Unbeknownst to him, Casserial disguised as a man named Harker Matthews had been waiting. At his command to take advantage of the Count being away, the Sister of Mercy. One of his Exalted, lead a Siege upon the Halls late at night. The battle though well fought by the macabre and House Thorne, was over by dawn. The Massacre caught the City by Surprise. As Dawn broke, smoke rose from the Halls. Corpses piled upon corpses that burned for the sake of 'cleansing' the Evil from the Halls. It was then that Casserial moved on to his next mission elsewhere and the Church of Golden Light settled within the halls with the Sister of Mercy leading the congregation. The Macabre and remnants of House Thorne went into hiding out of fear for being hunted.
Upon his return, Count Thorne was met by a horror of a sight. Taking a guise, he attended mass with his companions to confront of the Church of Golden Light. Only to be met with his beloved Rose's corpse hung above the alter as a reminder of the fate that would befall the Macabre should they make themselves known. In his rage, he departed from mass. Gathering those he'd brought to the City to help the Macabre and those within the City that would appose the Church of Golden Lights views.
Near three months after the Massacre, a second massacre would happen in the Halls. A battle lead by Count Thorne in desperation to avenge his beloved. Lead by his grief, they fought their way into the Halls of Black Baccara to confront the the Sister of Mercy. Dispatching the Church of the Golden Light had been a task, but bringing the Sister of Mercy down came with a terrible price due to the shard of Casserials Halo within her.
"Count Alexander Thorne"
"Countess"
"Gwendalen Rose"
Near three months after the Massacre, a second massacre would happen in the Halls. A battle lead by Count Thorne in desperation to avenge his beloved. Lead by his grief, they fought their way into the Halls of Black Baccara to confront the the Sister of Mercy. Dispatching the Church of the Golden Light had been a task, but bringing the Sister of Mercy down came with a terrible price due to the shard of Casserials Halo within her.
In one last attempted to bring his down, Count Thorne sacrificed himself to forge a prison designed to seal the Sister of Mercy away. A coffin carved with sigils and bound with enchanted chains. As an extra precaution, the Sister of Mercy in her prison was sealed away in a hidden room within the Halls. The documentation of her existence sworn to secrecy by all those that remained. In memory of the Count that the Macabre looked to that sacrificed himself, his body was buried in the Tomb of Sorrows. His beloved in his clutches sealed within a coffin protected by magic to allowed the Count and his Bride to forever find rest. It is warned that any that try to open this coffin will be met with danger. (Submit a Lore Ticket)
Once the dead were laid to rest and the Church of Golden Light dispersed from the City, a dark aura settled over the Halls. A scar left by the history that took place in the former home of House Thorne. While history has proven that some of the bloodline has survived, their authority over the Halls of Black Baccara has long since been abandoned. With time, the Halls once more became a refuge for the Macabre and those the explored the necromantic arts. History was slowly forgotten. For better or for worse..
Though the question still remains. What happened to Casserial and would the Church of Golden Light one day return? Or would they leave Howling Hills in peace after their defeat at the hands of the denizens that call it home?
The Journal of the Explorer
Hidden information IC, must be researched through Lore Ticket.
The identity of the explorer who chronicled their journey into The Hall of Black Baccara has been forever obscured. There were lines of ink furiously scratched across their name, leaving behind a story of heartbreak and mystery. The explorer was drawn to the hall by rumors of a graveyard filled with darker histories, where roses grew from blood-soaked soil.
The journal entry repeated the same phrase over and over in the middle of writings, "I touched it. The light. I touched it". In addition, its spoke of the hall of Black Baccara, referred to alternately as Black Baccara, Black Hall, or The Hall. Coffins lined the corridors, their presence watchful as they dug for hidden secrets within the halls. And there is was, one forgotten secret behind a hidden pathway in the bookcases lining the halls that lead to the Tomb of Sorrows. The explorer speaks of a Coffin sealed with magical chains carved with ancient Runes. In a room filled with an overwhelming level of magic.
It was later discovered the Coffin was not a simple resting place, but a Prison created by Count Thorne himself. It contained a terrible evil. A Lich bound by Powerful Ancient Magic. The Sister of Mercy, a powerful necromancer from the Church of Golden Light. Her power was tethered to a celestial artifact embedded within her: a fragment of Casserial’s halo. This artifact not only granted her immortality but also linked her to Casserial, an angel and self-proclaimed god of The Golden Light. The one who had orchestrated the historical Siege upon the Hall of Black Baccara. Whoms actions let to the Sisters rise and fall. Her existence, even while sealed, echoed the divine warning of Casserial, whose influence was fated to return should a fool awaken the Sister of Mercy.
The Uncovering of the Riddles and the Vision
Hidden information IC, must be researched through Lore Ticket.
As time passed, those brave or foolish enough to seek the secrets of The Hall of Black Baccara began to piece together the riddles and symbols scattered throughout the graveyard and the hall itself. These riddles pointed toward the coffin of The Sister of Mercy, hinting at the steps needed to unlock it. But unlocking the coffin was no simple task. Failing to do so drove many to madness, their minds unraveling in the face of the hall's dark spells.
As more secrets were uncovered, a vision began to surface in the minds of those who ventured too close to the coffin. The vision revealed the Sister of Mercy walking along an overgrown path, making her way toward a burning church. The ruins of Casserial's congregation from the siege that took back the Black Baccara Halls. The vision would shift, to the symbol of the Church of the Golden Light. The connection to Casserial's plan to purge Howling Hills of the Macabre and taboo casters that dared to mess with death magics.
The visions revealed a golden light streaming from a crystal held by a faceless statue behind an altar. This light entered the forms of the worshippers, and as the vision progressed, the figure of Casserial emerged. His voice suddenly spoke in a chorus of voices: “My children, long has it been... your god is still active, and more will rally to see the unnatural purged by the light.” The vision ends with a searing light, and the ominous whisper: "We are coming." It was not just the Sister of Mercy who would return, but also the full wrath of The Golden Light, led by Casserial himself.
The Truth of the Coffin and The Final Riddle
Hidden information IC, must be researched through Lore Ticket.
The Sister of Mercy’s imprisonment was more than a mere containment. Her bindings were a mixture of ancient magic and House Thorne dark arts, forged from the very elements that could weaken her divine powers. But the final riddle, discovered by misled citizens of Howling Hills, hinted at a terrible truth: The Golden Light will return, and the Sister’s slumber will not last forever.
Casserial’s influence, though distant, was always present in the shadows. His whispers, felt through the visions of his followers and the magic tied to his artifact, slowly chipped away at the bindings magic that sealed away the Sister of Mercy.
The light that the explorer had touched, the light that consumed their mind, was the lingering memories of madness left behind by Casserial himself. Remnants of the zealous crusade that once laid siege to the Halls of Black Baccara. And perhaps a promise that the light was coming again, and with it, the terrible wrath of The Church of Golden Light.
Documentation of these visions, journal, and riddles can be found within the Howling Hill Library.
The Opening of the Coffin & A Lich's Offer
Hidden information IC, must be researched through roleplay
On Saturday April 20, 2024, In the Hall of Black Baccara the events of Fight Night unfolded. A ritualistic competition of bloodshed was secretly devised to awaken whatever resided within the coffin and to uncover the secrets that resided within. While many took to the Fight Night cage for blood sport not far from the coffin, two lovers that had been following the riddles and clues decided to secretly break the seal that held the Sister of Mercy at bay. With one phrase, the chains shattered, a dark aura surging through the halls. Creating a wall of magic that sealed the two lovers from the others in the crypt. The Sister of Mercy had risen, and with her rise would come a mercy.
She cast her gaze to the lovers, offering them a choice. A swift death or a chance to kill one another. To her surprise, one stepped forward with an alternative offer. They would allow the Lich to kill them. No fight, no tricks. As long as she let his lover go. Surprised by the selfless act, the Lich agreed to the term. Though, she'd a trick up her sleaves. With one word "Kill' the soul was ripped from the selfless lovers body, the body crumbling to the floor and the dark magic in the crypt dissipating with a wave of energy. When attention turned back to where the Lich had been, the coffin, the chains, and the Sister of Mercy with the lovers soul were nowhere to be seen.
It was thought to be the last anyone would see of the Sister of Mercy. Her actions having left a new sorrow through the Halls of Black Baccara. For not only had Count Thorne lost his beloved at the Sisters hands, but another had been forced to choose who died for the sake of love. Their soul cast into the sisters clutches never to be returned. There would be no happy ending, no rescue for the fallen love. Only the passing of time that slowly caused Howling Hills to forget again.
The Coffin Returns, Hall of Black Baccara Sealed
January 2025
Hidden information IC, must be researched through roleplay
After the tragedy of a lovers death and the escape of the Sister of Mercy, some had been left with the haunting memories of the darkness that had been unleashed. And from that haunting memory soon came the return of the Sister of Mercy. Early January the Coffin reappeared, sealing away the Hall of Black Baccara from any that wished to enter it. This supposedly empty coffins hangs in the Hall of Black Baccara, in the very spot where the Sister of Mercy’s had once been suspended, a constant and ominous barrier keeping the Macabre from coming and going from the sanctuary House Thorne once created.
The Blood Moon & Desmond Thorne. And the Fall of the Church of Golden Lights reputation..
July 2025
Hidden information IC, must be researched through roleplay
As curiosity around the sealed Halls of Black Baccara grew, citizens began investigating its perimeter, eager to uncover the truth behind its sudden closure. In response to this growing interest, a cursed Blood Moon rose over the city, conjured through a dark ritual by the Church of the Golden Light. For three days, the crimson light loomed above Howling Hills, casting a powerful curse that disrupted the minds and spirits of many. Those connected to Necromancy or of Macabre origin were the most affected, falling into unpredictable states of madness, hysteria, and violence.
The city soon found itself in chaos. Whispers of death filled the air. Individuals acted as though their limbs were not their own, and many began confessing horrors, both real and imagined. Amid the chaos, one figure became a beacon of terror. Desmond Thorne, a man believed to have died long ago. Resurrected as part of the Church’s ritual, Desmond returned in a monstrous gargoyle form. Driven by the curse, he became a symbol of fear, intended to turn the city against the Macabre and those who practiced Necromancy. Several citizens lost their lives in the days that followed, and fear gripped the population.
Eventually, determined citizens traced the source of the ritual to the Rosenthorne Graveyard. There, they confronted the cursed Desmond Thorne. What began as a battle soon became an attempt to break the enchantment and save the man beneath the stone exterior. Banding together, some citiznes succeeded in freeing him from his twisted form and, with his restoration, the curse of the Blood Moon lifted from the city.
Following the incident, the RDA launched an official investigation. With overwhelming evidence of ritualistic harm and organized violence, the Church of the Golden Light was formally declared a terrorist organization at the approval of the World Council. Their actions were equated to those of Doom, and all practices of the Church were outlawed within Howling Hills. Now, with Desmond Thorne restored and walking among the living, the question remains: will he be the key to unlocking the Halls of Black Baccara, and if so, what lies waiting behind those ancient doors.
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