Caliguworm

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Carwathir Nilduin, today better known as Caliguworm, was born in the outskirts of Andrithiach, capital city of the Melephaeusan Kingdom. His family were farmers, poor, constrained by the system to never be too wealthy. Caliguworm decided to take a position in the civil service, hoping to figuring out this system and perhaps find a way to improve it. This research never amounted to anything, history had proven that the ways of his people were slow and steady, effective at preventing excess through layers upon layers of bureaucracy.

Bureaucracy was ingrained in the fabric of every Andrithiachian, it was the basis of laws formulated by the Gwildath, curbing the Kriavfahliil's natural entropic urges. The colonists that left Kriav for the faraway world of Bal-Kriav, brought the GBC with them. The Andrithiach followed the GBC, just as their ancestors once did at Celanil and where they still do in Gwildath.

- Caliguworm, personal journal, Series 21A, Book 4-1B, Entry 3-D5 - "Control the Natural Urge"

In 918, Caliguworm entered Melephaeusa's civil service. A half century later he was the kingdom's chief explorer. His position became more important in 997 when dangerous magical storms and rogue magical monsters were encroaching on the kingdom's borders; symptoms of the Gulimbor Cataclysm (996 - 1203). The threat of the First Khazarkar Empire also loomed on the horizon. The Khazarkars, led by a cabal of power-hungry arch-mages, were at the time successfully waging two wars, the Conclave War and the Hedrac War. Melephaeusa's Council of Preservation took these things events seriously, seeing the possibility of either becoming a Khazarkar vassal state or worse, laid low by a magical storm or serious environmental change. The C.O.P. tasked Caliguworm with finding land suitable for relocation of at least 50,000 people. On the isle of Gathrot, one of three islands of Necrocrypt, he found "fantastic" re-settlement locations. His view and write-ups of his team's surveys would prove to be not his own. Dark whispers in his sleep, convinced him that Gathrot had everything an empire needed. Caliguworm convinced his superiors that the island, once home to the Abâthigûr, would meet their needs if they had to abandon their homeland.

In 1006, suffering disease, a common malady of Necrocrypt, Caliguworm asked Thasmudyan for something to remove it and protect his weak mortal frame from the region's hazards. To gain this boon, Caliguworm had to carry out a mission against someone attempting to find out why the Borillisk chose Sahuld as a resettlement site. With Thasmudyan behind what Ermikel the Balance calling the Dark Calling, Caliguworm was put into play. Carrying out the whims of his dark god, Caliguworm hired the Realm Stalkers. They were tasked with hunting down and eliminating Ermikel. This work was successfully completed on 3 Bloom 1007. Thasmudyan in turn taught Caliguworm the secrets of becoming a Pale Master.

In 1015, Melephaeusa began the evacuation of the Moredhel valley. The Khazarkar empire was no longer a problem, they had their own problems with the magical cataclysm sweeping across Gulimbor and parts of Azrik.

In 1018, the dark whispers, guided him to the Spire of Molakh-Búle. Once inside, he found the one who had been speaking to him in whispers for the last two decades. It was a young upstart god seeking followers, of the Corralum caste, but still a Khazarkar, named Thasmudyan. He had long enticed Caliguworm, promising fame and success. Of which Caliguworm got more than he could ever imagined, even awarded the highest medal of the kingdom, "Civilization Preserver". Caliguworm now had to fulfill his part of the deal. He was to spread the teaching of Thasmudyan to his fellow Melephaeusans. This did not go well. Melephaeusa's people had no interest in a young upstart god promising eternal existence by becoming an undead. They were also against the practice of necromancy, which Thasmudyan so openly offered. Failing to get worshipers the normal way, Caliguworm went on a murdering spree, raising the slain, slowly forming an army of undead from his own people. These were supplemented with terrors from the bowels of Mulun'nâth and other undead havens, places where things more terrible than mere zombies and skeletons roamed.

On 6 Artifice 1019, Caliguworm give up his life energy for negative energy, changing from mortal to undead, becoming Thasmudyan's first great lich. Thasmudyan also loaned him his infamous tome, the Last Chapter. In the catacombs beneath Phanêthil, he used the rites in this book on the Melephaeusan prince Glóragar. This test subject survived, becoming a Taln'nazân Monarch. This powerful and cunning undead helped Caliguworm bring down the kingdom they once served. Once this work was done, Glóragar went on to prove too dangerous, unpredictable and destructive, so his master and creator had him put down.

In 1039, Caliguworm founded the Cult of Worms. Tasked by Thasmudyan, this organization began training and rounding up necromancers, then set about creating a clergy, training proselytizers to spread the word of Thasmudyan. The Cult of Worms proved most effective in Hells Womb, with cultists infiltrating the ranks of the Kal-Oni clergy, undermining their influence, spreading the practice of necromancy, and turning some into Thasmudyan worshipers.

In 1044, Caliguworm put his minions to work on the Basilica of Thasmudyan. This was to be a great edifice built on unhallow ground, the spot where Thasmudyan left the mortal systems, becoming newly minted Higher Power.

In 1090, unnoticed, Caliguworm murdered Emperor Onkuri Kal-Oni. He then took his guise and position as leader of the Kal-Oni Empire. He grafted the flesh of the former Emperor to his body, then masked his body, voice, and evil aura with dark lore of the Last Chapter.. Caliguworm, now Emperor Onkuri Kal-Oni, took control of the Kal-Oni Empire. Thereafter, the Cult of Worms rapidly grew in power, and with it the influence of Thasmudyan. The Kal-Oni government took a blind-eye to necromantic practices, even approving some schools that taught necromancy.

On 13 Temporal 1092, the Basilica of Thasmudyan is finished. The next day he is made Arch-Cabal of the world Bal-Kriav.

In 1105, the League of Magicks captured the false emperor. He was sentenced to spend eternity in a Hibernation Bay. It is said that the goddess Athena sent her lover, the Solar Ephenon, to make sure that the League of Magicks were capable of carrying out the task.

Nearly a century later, on 6 Brighstar 1200, Uriall-Madiess, home of the League of Magicks, and location of the prison were swallowed up in a rift. It is unknown what happened to Caliguworm, perhaps he still remains in his prison vault under tons of rubble or lost in some nether region.

Caliguworm authored a number of books on undead and necromancy. One of his most well-known is the Grimoire of Living Dead. This book has been re-written since its inception by other master of necromancy, with each cataloging more undead and how to make them.