The Tapestry of Dark Souls

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Also known as "The Gathering Cloth," the Tapestry of Dark Souls was a fell artifact guarded by Brother Dominicand the Order of the Guardians until its destruction[1] in 735 BC[2]. The Cloth served to gather and hold Evil imprisoned. Although seemingly a good thing, the Tapestry was itself an object of dark desire because it imposed a corrupting effect on everyone nearby. It brought out and enhanced preexisting negative emotions and sins to the point that those around it entered states of moral degeneration. Moreover, it had such an alluring, captivating quality that many would steal and even murder to possess it. Those who felt the Calling of the Guardians were the only exceptions.[3]

Beyond mundane thieves and murderers, the Cloth also contained many beings of supernatural evil, such as undead and ycanthropes. Am immensely powerful undead wizard and vampire, Morgoth] was perhaps the most powerful and most evil creature contained within. Yet not every soul held within the Tapestry deserved to be held in there. At least one soul, that of Leith, had resisted its alluring corruption yet surrendered herself to it because of the curse of lycanthropy she suffered indirectly due to the tainted meddling of the Cloth.[4] To potential victims less willing, the Cloth could enfold itself around them and draw them into its weave.[3]

History

The silk for the Gathering Cloth was found by Skya in the Nightmare Lands and collected by her fellow Abber Nomads.[5] The Abber Nomads traded the vast majority of it away to Welse, a Nova Vaasan weaver in Arbora. He wove the silk into the Cloth and [[prideful]ly hung it in his shop. Despite numerous offers to buy it, two theft attempts, the loss of his son Moro, and the begging of his wife Ronae to get rid of it, he refused. After the Tapestry was finally stolen, Welse murdered his other son Geryn for the role he played in its theft. When Welse confronted the thief in Egertus, the thief simply handed it over to Welse with but a cryptic warning. Welse heeded not the warning, and the Cloth claimed him as its third victim.[6] After this event, the thief reclaimed the Cloth, and it disappeared, its whereabouts the subject of myth and legend.[7]

According to some tales, a warlock sought it out to imprison his enemies, paying a small fortune to buy it. Yet, as the wages of sin weighed upon his soul and he felt drawn to it, the warlock payed a fortune to get rid of it that was ten times larger than what he had purchased it for.[8]

Regardless of whatever happened to it prior, the Cloth eventually ended up in the hands of the Guardians. The Guardians of that type were many and powerful[9], yet perhaps a little less wise. They venerated, even worshiped the Cloth. This changed when a powerful wizard[9] named Morgoth upon the orders of his master. Morgoth made it to the Cloth, but he could neither penetrate its magical protections nor protect himself from it.[10] Yet, at least according to Morgoth's testimony, it took him two days to find a way to free all the prisoners of the Cloth. Morgoth and the other freed souls brought the attack the Guardians and the wards that bound them inside the monastery.The Guardians prevailed[11], but at great cost. Only three of the youngest survived, one of which (Mattas) was still in the Order in the timeline of the Tapestry of Dark Souls novel.[9] A prophecy was given, that the Tapestry will be undone by corruption from within, the "corruption" of love.

The disaster brought the surviving monastics to move to a place remote, to Markovia. They passed through Linde near the bordering side of Tepest, staying a night at the Nocturne, before moving onto Markovia. There they resided in seclusion within the warded, fortified monastery in Markovia.[12] A handful of others would join them in time, coming at the behest of the Calling. Meanwhile, in nearby Tepest, the Cloth became woven into local beliefs about the afterlife, that the Tapestry somehow cleansed the world beyond as as a paradise after death.[12]

In 717 BC[13] Morgoth called the outlanders Vhar and Leith from their homeworld to Markovia, depositing near the Monastery in Markovia.


Imprisoned Beings

Beings to known to have been imprisoned in the Tapestry:

References

  1. ↑ Champions of the Mists p. 42
  2. ↑ Domains of Dread p. 17
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tapestry of Dark Souls p. 41
  4. ↑ ToDS p. 86
  5. ↑ ToDS p.1-5
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Weaver's Pride, Tales of Ravenloft p. 251-265
  7. ↑ [[ToDS p. 6
  8. ↑ ToDS p. 34
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 ToDS p. 90-91
  10. ↑ ToDS p. 211
  11. ↑ ToDS p. 212
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 ToDS p. 34-35
  13. ↑ Domains of Dread p. 17 places the events of the Tapestry's destruction at 735 BC. Jonathan (Son of Morgoth) is 17 at the time, which would make 717 BC the year of conception
  14. ↑ ToDS p. 86
  15. ↑ ToDS p. 48

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

Tapestry of Dark Souls - throughout
Champions of the Mists - p42

Tapestry of Dark Souls - cover

Tapestry of Dark Souls - p

Tapestry of Dark Souls, The Tapestry of Dark Souls


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