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Kaverin Ebonhand of Tantras (also
known as the Butcher of Tantras) is notorious across
the Dragon Reach area. For years he and his thugs
and killers reigned terror down on the city; most of
his crimes are far too egregious to recount. But then,
in 1357 DR, he was finally brought to trial by Artus
Cimber and Sir Hydel Pontifax for ordering the mur-
der of Harper Rallo Scarson.
He was found guilty and was punished by having
his hands chopped off. Since the man who™d actually
committed the murder had already been put to
death, the Lord™s court in Ravens Bluff declared that
Kaverin couldn™t be ordered to the same fate. Just as
his bleeding wrists were about to be tended to, the
mage who™d acted as his attorney grafted two pieces
of obviously magical stone to the stumps; the stones
took the shape of human hands. As his punishment
was completed, he then walked off the platform a
free man. He pointed directly at Cimber and Pon-
tifax as he left, and his intent was clear. The next
three years were filled with Kaverin™s attempts to
gain revenge on Cimber and Pontifax.
In 1360, Cimber and Pontifax caught Kaverin in
the open in Tantras (one of Ebonhand™s few mis-
takes) and killed the man who™d been trying so dili-
gently to do the same to them. Kaverin didn™t perish,
however. He managed to make a deal with the god
Cyric, then Lord of the Dead. In exchange for the
rest of his normal life sowing chaos and strife
(Cyric™s specialty), Kaverin agreed to eternal torture
after his death.
Of course, Cyric didn™t tell Kaverin of the other
condition: every night when he fell asleep, Ebon-
hand would be visited by two of Cyric™s denizens who
would caper about and whisper to Kaverin of all the
exquisite tortures that awaited him in Cyric™s realm.
In the year 1363, Kaverin again confronted Cim-
ber and Pontifax over the ring of winter. Kaverin had
murdered his way to the top of the Cult of Frost, a
little-known group of villains that sought the item
for their own evil ends. The trail took them to the
jungles of Chult and the lost city of Mezro. Sir Hydel
Pontifax was killed during the adventure, but re-
turned to Cimber™s side as an incorporeal spirit who
offered advice and comfort to Cimber.
Kaverin recruited many of the monsters of Chult
to attack Mezro. These creatures included the canni-
balistic goblin-kind, the race known as pteramen,
and the hordes of undead that roamed the jungles
every night.
Before Artus Cimber claimed the ring, Kaverin
Artus Cimber defeated Kaverin™s magical silver
guardian, Skuld, using the powers of the ring, and
then conjured a rapier of ice with which he ended
the life of the Butcher of Tantras. Ebonhand™s
scream had not yet fallen to silence when Cyric™s
denizens appeared to take him to the Lord of the
Dead. Details on the powers of the ring of winter can
be found in the Heroes™ Lorebook.
In order to gain the ring of winter, Artus Cimber
submitted himself to the test of fate of the Chultish
god, Ubtao, and passed it. He was granted the ring,
and with it, confronted Kaverin and his forces.
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O Lord here I stand
Suddenly everthings gone
For all Noldor,
From now on my life is my gift to you
Just lead my fate to the victory of Elves...
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