| Category | Marvels | ||
| Continent | Brucrumus | ||
| Region | Hells Womb, Drarthiel | ||
| Alias | Tânê 8 | ||
| Owner | Pyrmidian Ghouls | ||
| Built | 17 Brightstar 237 LE | ||
| Map |
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Second built of the six Pyramids of Power, this Pyramid of Merioss was built to harness the rays of Merioss and Khâls Forge. With Merioss the more dominant of Bal-Kriav's skies, thus the name. The Lith-Crillion called this place Tânê 8, a research center, one of hundreds scattered across the universe.
Tânê 8 was something special for its builders, the sand giants, they were under the belief that the Lith-Crillion were agents of the gods. For them, these towering edifices were temples. Inside they built dozens of levels, apartments, store rooms, laboratories, chambers that would become artificial environments for its test subjects, others supporting the structure's chief function, researching solar energy, collecting it, and when needed, dehydrating or incinerating targets up to two-hundred miles away.
In the Horgon Era, the Kautha Swamp, once twenty miles away, put two level of the Pyramid underwater.
Like the other Pyramids of Power, the Pyramid of Merioss has secret chambers which serve as teleportation chambers to other Pyramids of Power.
In 1461, the heroes of Black Banner plundered the Pyramid's lower levels. They returned again in 1465, seizing the place in the name of Thasmudyan. Under the Black Tide of Thasmudyan, its great powers made Ugidreth, the Black Tide capital, impervious to naval attacks.
Harnessing the power of the stars, it will burn ships to the waterline, give forth rays so bright that your are blinded, emit dehydrating waves of heat, and if you get through all that, you must face the pyramid's guardians, a Pyrmidian Ghoul legion armed with Night Howlers.
- Bind Izudîm, Syndic of Defense, addressing the Council of Nine - "1468 Black Tide Report"
Like most Pyramids of Power, this one is home to Pyrmidian Ghouls in the thousands. They guard it like a temple. For a time in the Third Epoch, they served the Black Tide in its reign of terror across Hells Womb and into the Lands of Purity. Fortunately for Paradomea, the Black Tide did not make much use of the Pyramid. Its guardians prevented overt measure against their long-time neighbors, even hostile to any who sought to open sealed doors or set-up any type of permanent occupation of the pyramid.
When the undead legions of the Black Tide faltered in the Artery War (1546 - 1554), the Pyramid's guardians shifted their allegiance to Paradomea, turning the Pyramid's deadly rays on the undead hordes holed up in Ugidreth.
In the deeper recesses of the structure, far beneath the surface, is great vault door that gives way the southeastern most terminus of the Great Tradeway.
Black Banner recorded the following bit of information on their exploration of the Pyramid of Merioss. After the Artery War, this laundry list was found in the ruins of Ugidreth. It is now in the Library of Records along with other documents concerning the Black Tide.
Pyramid Observations
- high chances of wild magic surges [1% chance per spell level]
- undead impervious to priestly turning and disruption
- gravity fluctuations
- all inanimate objects radiated evil and magic, though when taken out, most proved to be normal
- temperature in the pyramid averaged 35 degrees F with extreme exceptions in some chambers and corridors
- the stone of the pyramid absorbed magic spells cast into it, and spilled blood was quickly absorbed into the floors and walls
- ceilings are uniform, 20' high, stone doors, and the locks are very complex
- energy rifts for charging Night Howlers
- torches of coldfire: icy-blue flames that radiate extreme cold, yet touching them burns as if it were fire
- an abundance of Ghoul Macrebe poison
- guardians clad in Wraith Stalker armor
- Night Howler weapon caches
- basins holding foul smelling water, which when placed in ceratimus vials becomes potions of Ghast Breath
- Ether Armor, powered by the Pyramid, the stuff is a suit of ghostly gray plate mail, that disappears when you leave the Pyramid
- books on Crystal Weaving
| ST8 | ||||
| Pyramid of Merioss | ||||
| Sâlo Tânê 38 | ||||
| Black Tide | ||||
| Pyrmidian Ghouls |