The Handy Hands Experience
Close friends! Allies! Contract-bound employees! Who generally hangs around the Handy Hands and their business ventures?

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Friends & Family.

• Clone Arnie. A misshapen copy of Arnie made by the Sewn Sisters. 75% handyman. 25% really, really weird.

• Mr. Withers #2. A simulacrum of Mr. Withers, given new employment in Port Nyanzaru. Still working on this 'not-evil' thing.

• Cobbler. Peach's t-rex 'son'. Awakened and fully sentient, tinted pink with big butterfly wings. A sweet boy!

• Feygllyyb. Nakam's celestial griffon companion and mount. Has developed a small taste for Krenko's flesh.

• Agamaya. Bertram's sentient weapon, a former handmaiden of the Raven Queen, now inhabiting King Toloki's former axe.

• Sebastian. A talking chameleon-like lizard, formerly with the Yellow Banner. Apparently only says words that end in '-ion'.

• Strawbundle, Clay-No-Face, and Joho. Three doll-like creations of the Sewn Sisters imbued with the souls of Omuan children, now living in the Handy Hands' house and helping as they can.

• Esmerelda. The Handy Hands' aged and loyal anklyosaurus, closest to Krenko above all.

• Manos. A giant undead skeletal dragon hand found in eastern Chult, strangely attracted to Arnie and often serving as his mount. The journey to the Nine Hells was sadly Manos' last, where an acidic barrage melted the animating necromancy from its bones.
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Hired Hands of their flying flagship Arnie's Flying Helper and touring vessel The Emerald Eye.​

• Gorjok. Old orc blacksmith, grey beard, wild eyebrows. Signed on to be first mate in a late-life crisis of sorts, lusting for the adventurous violence of his youth.

• Bill Ironwood. Albino dwarf fisherman and pescatarian. The ship's cook.

• Eddy. Water genasi sailor, freed by the Handy Hands. Since has joined the crew as bosun and part-time actor.

• Sheila. Lady goliath quartermaster. A little too friendly. An uncomfortably close talker. Also something of a hoarder.

• Jiminyjimjimjiminyjimjimini’jeri the drow, Jim for short. The new ship surgeon. Somewhat ominous, and not not whimsical.

• Timmirith (Timmi) the elf. Former gladiator. Tall, gangly, energetic, and well meaning.

• Crazy Larry the dwarf. Former gladiator. Says little, but her formidable crazy eyes speak volumes.

• Talgali. A parrot-like aarakocra shipwreck survivor, once mad with sea sickness but now better.

 

 

The Nine Hells
Planar road trip time! What weirdos are there to meet in this horrible grand trip to find and save Eku?​

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• Brandi Irlentree. Human woman from Baldur's Gate. Cosplay enthusiast, investment banker... and Arnie's love interest?

• Terry's Terrors. A trio of fiends at The Red Belvedere - a spiked devil janitor, a tiefling dealer, and a pit fiend guard - who are sworn by their Nine Hells superior Terry to help the Handy Hands.

• Windfall. Ostentatious tiefling proprietor of The Red Belvedere. Also apparently a champion of the dragon queen Tiamat.

• Nephetys. Erinyes devil originally met in the Tomb of Annihilation, to whom Eku sold her soul.

• Mad Maggie. Hag leader of the Knucklebones gang. A friendly excitable ole' spinster, if you don't mind a dose of lunacy.

• Mickey. Maggie's flesh golem made out of stitched-together devil parts. A big sweet boy!

• Praetor Kovik. Chain devil leader of the Ninth Remnant gang. Scary, until he was made an idiot and drove off a cliff. 

• Mahadi. Leader of the mobile refuge within Avernus called The Wandering Emporium. Devious as he is charming.

• Burnie. Grandmotherly dragonborn hairstylist at The Wandering Emporium. Good-hearted, and likely more than she seems.

• Mr. Fox. A yugoloth information broker in the Avernus border town of Ribcage. Shares a common glee in foiling Acererak.
   

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The Wilds of Chult
​Chult's interior is an uncharted tangle of rainforests, rivers, swamps, mountains, and more. What allies and enemies lurk within?
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The Bakumora. Distant region of southeast Chult that is experiencing planar instability.

• Treespeaker Fotari. Former leader whose deeds doomed the Bakumora to become a Domain of Dread, and also accidentally enabled facets of Ubtao to grow malignantly. Redeemed, yet resigned to his fate.

• Onyeka. Chieftain of Kayebo. Daughter of the former chieftain, has a tiger companion named Baba.

• Uzoma. Spiritual leader of Kayebo. Cousin to the former chieftain.

• Voshk. Chieftain of Bluefeather Roost. A big ole' pale lizardfolk, gruff yet thoughtful.

• Ouida. Shaman of Bluefeather Roost. Elderly lizardfolk woman, hunched over, wants to eat Nakam (it's a compliment).

• Zindak. Lizardfolk hunter of the Bluefeather clan, led the night siege on Kayebo.

• The Uluu Thalongh. A monster of folklore that possesses trees and devours to sate its eternal hunger. Actually a facet of Ubtao, it grew monstrously in the course of events. Defeated in an epic mech vs. kaiju brawl, its primordial energy dispersed into the ether.

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Roving Persons of Interest.

• Artus Cimber. A laconic adventurer searching for a way to restore Mezro. Bears the Ring of Winter and travels with Dragonbait.

• Dragonbait. A charismatic saurial champion who communicates through whistles and odors. Jovial, loves baby animals, never misses a chance to roast Artus.

• Kek. Former Handy Hand, temporary ex-grung, and spiritual searcher who found peace with existence after being a key player in ending the Death Curse. Now the founder of a tribe of their own, helping others find peace in community.

• Eku​. A motherly jungle guide and secret couatl who became a close friend of the crew. After many expeditions together Eku willingly sacrificed herself, selling her celestial soul to the Nine Hells in exchange for the lives of the Handy Hands.

• Emberon Coalscuttle. Older dwarven leader of a prophetic cult. Kind of a nice guy, actually.

• Miryem Jünd. Archaeologist, warlock, and cultist. Betrayed the Handy Hands long ago, now trying her best to amend for the past.

• Kupalué. Vegepygmy former companion of the druid Qawasha. Now lives with their spawn in Kek's village. 

• Valindra Shadowmantle. Powerful elven lich who leads a Thayan expedition, also searching for the cause of the Death Curse. Highly intelligent. Droll. Could probably kill with a finger. May or may not have a vendetta against the Handy Hands.

• Zagmira. Red Wizard and Valindra's second-in-command. Something's really wrong with her face.

• Samryn. A large tiger raised by dwarves, attracted to Bertram's Belt of Dwarvenkind. Since has returned to the woods.

• 'Beard Chwinga'. It's a chwinga. It lived in Bertram's beard. Since returned to live its best life in the jungles.

• King Toloki. Malevolent champion of Eshowdow. Eventually slain by our heroes, but not before chopping off Krenko's hand.

• Frost Giants. Led by Drufi, a band of frost giants inexplicably searching a sweltering jungle for a thief.​​ Likely would enjoy crushing you, though Thyra seemed friendly enough.

• Rudag. A friendly yet easily spooked cyclops who lives near Lake Luo. Loves a good spa day.

 

Pirates and other Sea Raiders.​

• Winchton Carmichael. Former Handy Hand, gentleman hunter, and the secret alias of 'Laskilar' the Pirate King. Since the defeat of Aremag Winchton finally found peace, venturing forth with family to return to his home in Raven's Bluff.

• Aremag. Massive island-sized dragon turtle, known for shaking down unlucky vessels at sea. A real bastard... but a dead one. Defeated within its own lair by the Handy Hands in a battle that very nearly went the other way around.

• Lovely. Winchton's orangutan sidekick, nursemaid to his daughter Esmerelda, and Cabin Boy. Makes a great spot of tea!

• Wadsworth. Winchton's elderly long-time butler and father figure. Killed by Aremag.

• Grim Ironwood. Albino dwarf villager and cook, brought on crew by Winchton. "Never salt a snake."

• Leirisk. Hobgoblin and former Port Nyanzaru jungle guide, now crew member to the Pirate King.

• Womford Ron. Former Port Nyanzaru dinosaur racer, now crew member to the Pirate King.

• Doomflower. Port Nyanzaru sewer kobold, now crew member to the Pirate King. Killed by Aremag.

• Captain Kraknass. Sahuagin captain of the Dredge, one of the Pirate King's loyal ships. Bitten in half by shark-Peach.

• Ringo. Plasmoid bartender of Reaver's Reef. Totally normal, if you don't mind sentient slime people.

• Zardoz Zord. Mercenary captain hired by Liara Portyr. Has far too much libido for a single person.

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The Tomb of the Nine Gods. A monument to Acererak's terror, and source of the dreaded Death Curse.

• Acererak the Eternal. Destroyer of Omu, creator of the Tomb of the Nine Gods, mastermind behind the Death Curse, and attempted creator of a puppet god. Defeated, escaped, and probably really, really mad.

• Mr. Withers. Superintendent of the "Tomb of Annihilation". Fellow hand aficionado and voiceover enthusiast. Demoted to 'dead' after the Handy Hands discovered his hidden office and workshop. 

• The Sewn Sisters. A malevolent coven of hags based deep within the Tomb, caretaking for an unspeakable creation. Peggy Deadbells, Widow Groat, and Baggy Nana terrorized those who hinder Acererak's goals. The coven fell in a fierce standoff against the Handy Hands in their own lair.

• The Trickster Gods. They're very much real, though in spirit form and trapped in the Tomb!

  • Obo'laka. A nervous and obsessive wreck of a dropbear.

  • Moa. A kind and proper jaculi, yet honest to a fault.

  • Wongo. A manic su-monkey of violence and chaos.

  • I'jin. A hyperactive and skittish almiraj, as fast as they are unreliable.

  • Kubazan. A hulking and fearless froghemoth of great strength.

  • Papazotl. An intelligent and conniving eblis, convinced of their own superiority.

  • Nangnang. A self-serving grung who puts themselves before others.

  • Shagambi. A wise and virtuous kamadan, though reckless in judgement.

  • Unkh. An indecisive flail snail, utterly incapable of making decisions.

• Belchorzh the Unseen. Invisible beholder manager of Level 3. Died from a bad case of the Handy Hands.

• "Larry". A mind-enslaving aboleth as old as time itself, and manager of Level 5. Kind of a really friendly dude! "Other Larry" is a real bastard, though.

• The Company of the Yellow Banner. A fellow band of adventurers, last known missing in the Tomb of the Nine Gods.​ Bravus, Seph, Devlin, Seward, and Lord Brixton have been found dead. Biff Longsteel was found alive, but was soon revealed to be the friendly shapeshifter Nakam. The Starfallen - a spirit ensconced in a lantern - has since been given peace by Peach.

• Lukanu and Zaal. A human and minotaur out of time, once royal guards during the fall of Omu. Freed from their prison until they were killed by the Tomb's hazards and the Sewn Sisters. Tlad, an Underdark emissary, sufered the same fate.
   

Omu. The former de facto capital of Chult, now in ruins and known as 'The Forbidden City'.

• Ras Nsi. The legendary exiled bara of Mezro. Faithful for 4,000 years to an absent god, the fallen paladin has since come to lead the yuan-ti in Omu. He suffers from the Death Curse, but where do his motivations lie?

• Fenthaza. Yuan-ti head priestess to Dendar the Night Serpent. Aspires to lead a coup against Ras Nsi. 

• Sekelok. Ras Nsi's loyal right-hand yuan-ti. Big. Fierce. Utterly incapable of humor. Killed while defending Peach and Kek.

• The King of Feathers. The huge and terrifying apex predator of Omu. May or may not be full of bees. 

• Copper Bell. An elderly but spry tabaxi, living out her final days in Omu pursuing The Great Hunt.

• Orvex Ocrammas. Thayan scribe and Trickster Gods enthusiast, defected from the Red Wizards' expeditionary force to join the Handy Hands. Squished to death by a huge falling block in the Tomb of the Nine Gods.
   

Kir Sabal. Soaring cliffside monastery to Ubtao, and surrounding areas.

• Asharra. The aarakocra leader of Kir Sabal. Also called 'Teacher'. Equal parts wise, clever, and cantankerous. 

• Mwaxanaré. 18-year old heir to the Omu throne. Very good at eye rolling and saying crappy teenager things.

• Na. 6-year old brother of Mwaxanaré. Loves to learn and invent. Wants to be an aarakocra when he grows up.

• ​Reistal. Cleric turned madman druid, a survivor of a doomed expedition. Helped to civilization by the Handy Hands.​

• Queen Zalkoré. Cursed queen of old Omu, forever living in exile at the gardens of Nangalore.
   

Mezro. The ancient holy city of Ubtao, now a flooded expanse of ruins.

• Qawasha. Chultan druid with odd green eyes. An agent of the Emerald Enclave, though associated with the Flaming Fist out of convenience. Passed away due to the Death Curse.

• T'fima. A former bara of Mezro who now roams the ruins as a protector, seeking redemption. 

• Cha. An ancient priest,130 years of age, returned to Mezro for one final pilgrimage to the afterlife.

• Captain Brokenbarrel. ​Goliath commander of the Flaming Fist regiment at Mezro. Not particularly friendly.

• Archivist Edwin. The Fist's senior researcher, driven mad by Mezroan texts. Laid to rest by the Handy Hands.

• Other Flaming Fist in Mezro include Sergeant Jeb, Archivist Thull, and the twin bartenders Jarrick and Garrick.
   

Jahaka Anchorage. A secret hideout in western Chult full of a swarthy coalition of pirate lords.

• Laskilar. Captain of The Stirge. Rakish and charismatic. Made a deal with the gang and apparently retired from the pirate life.

• Zaroum. Captain of The Emerald Eye. Fat and scarred, cordial and ruthless. Killed by Krenko before his own demise.

• Elok. Captain of The Dragonfang. A brutish Chultan, and also apparently a were-boar. Killed by the Handy Hands.

• Bosco Daggerhand. ​De-facto master of Jahaka Anchorage, second only to the presiding ship captains.

• Voltan. Zaroum's goliath first mate. After Zaroum fell he commanded his crew to kill Krenko, his own death soon following.

• Sheila Coppertree. Captive captain of the airship The Star Goddess, freed during the base takeover by the Handy Hands.

• Other captives included the crew of The Star Goddess and the jungle guide Hew Hackinstone.
   

Followers of Vorn. Goblins, grung, dwarves, and vegepygmies all worship the old construct as a demigod.

• Queen Grabstab. Leader of the Biting Ant tribe of goblins in the village of Yellyark. Shrewd and intelligent.

• Snack. A young girl of the Biting Ant tribe. Enthusiastic and disturbingly candid about death in the jungle.

• Dookdook. Yellyark's nilbog jester. Entirely obnoxious.

• King Groak. Leader of the grung of Dungrunglung. Mercurial, domineering, and now totally dead.

• Krr'ook. Dungrunglung's head priestess. Feared her king, but enabled a bunch of Handy Hands to fool him.

• Roark. Captain of the guard in Dungrunglung. Voted most likely to be the village's next king.
   

Camp Vengeance. The fortified remote base of operations for the anti-undead organization, Order of the Gauntlet.

• Commander Undril Silvertusk. Half-orc cleric of the Order of the Gauntlet, and newly-installed commander of the fort. Tough but passionate, and a firm ally of the Handy Hands after their assistance in a military coup.

• Lieutenant Firebeard. Dwarven officer of the Order. Optimistic, an old friend of Undril.

• Lieutenant Salhana. Human officer of the Order. Strict yet intelligent.

• Sister Cyas.​ Head medic of the fort. Kind and compassionate, but overwhelmed by duties.

• Scout Wulf. Half-elf leader of the fort's scouts. Laconic, old friend of Breakbone.

• Scout Bilwata. Chultan human leader of the fort's scouts.

• Ex-Commander Niles Breakbone. Human former senior officer of the Order in Chult. Delusional and increasingly extreme, the Handy Hands organized a revolt to depose the unstable leader.
   

Albino Dwarf Village. A village of unknown name secluded in a deep glade that tries hard to maintain a fierce reputation.

• Del Ironwood. Albino dwarf warrior, brother of Norda. Enthusiastic about both vegetarianism and imaginary cannibalism.

• Norda Ironwood. Albino dwarf tracker and hunter, sister of Del. Very knowledgeable about local flora and fauna.

• Sir Nigel Farnsworth. Clueless anthropologist from Baldur’s Gate. Often insensitive as he mingles with "savages". Large nose, curled mustache, speaks loud and scholarly. Smashing!​
   

The Marid's Whim. A trade vessel turned ship that profited from Chult's draw of travelers, fatefully shipwrecked during a typhoon.

• Captain Brownbottle. Secretly Jetsam Ironbelly, a cantankerous paladin of Umberlee.​ Went down with the ship... or did he?

• Uthrek Hornwood. First Mate of The Marid's Whim. Bearded and imposing, but sociable. Killed by an allosaurus.

• Other passengers included Alvyn, Isi, and Kathra, all of whom met grisly fates after that fateful shipwreck.
   

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Port Nyanzaru

As the only major city in Chult, the colorful and vibrant Port Nyanzaru is the hub of civilization and commerce in this savage land. Ruled by seven wealthy traders known as the Merchant Princes, it entices travelers from near and far with its exotic offerings.

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The Merchant Princes. The de facto leaders of Port Nyanzaru, seven in total.

• Jobal​. The prince of rural tourism. Former jungle guide. Smooth, diplomatic, and intelligent.

• Ekene-Afa. The prince of weapons and armor. Former gladiator,. Gregarious, honest, and not too subtle.

• Wakanga. The prince of magic. A ladies' man and foppish dandy... but is it an act?

• Zhanthi. The prince of clothing and jewels. A stately older woman known for her patience and wisdom.

• Ifan. The prince of domesticated beasts. A grumpy curmudgeon known for stingy deals.

• Kwayothé. The prince of perfumes and alcohol. The youngest Prince, and perhaps not the nicest.

• Jessamine. The former prince of poisons and justice. Reclusive, yet respected. Assassinated by the yuan-ti Salida.

• Ymezra. The new prince of poisons and justice after her mother's death. A shy and bookish young teen.
   

Other Figures of Power.​

• ​Pock-Marked Po. A "Beggar Prince" of Old City. Not good lookin'. Direct but rough, may or may not be a gangster.

• Grandfather Zitembe. Head priest of the Temple of Savras. Elderly, appears to have divination powers.

• Father Spittlesplat. Gnomish head priest of the Temple of Gond. Appreciator of fine architecture and invention.

• Mother Sibonseni. Head priestess of the Temple of Waukeen. Deeply loved; is basically African Lady Pope John Paul II.

• ​Zindar. Gold half-dragon Harbormaster of the city. ​Enjoys using his considerable ability in magic to aid his profession.​
   

Citizens of Interest.​

• Syndra Silvane. A mysterious silver-masked woman living at Wakanga's villa. Revealed to be a powerful mage, a Harper, and intimately familiar the Death Curse. Died from the Death Curse, since resurrected, and returned to the Sword Coast.

• Sachiel. Bertram's grandfather and angel in disguise. Detached and flippant, masquerades as a cleric of Savras, has a habit of enjoying street food. Since has moved on to mind other celestial duties.

• Sneep. Leader of the city's sewer-dwelling kobolds. Hyperactive, hates snakes, obsessed with doom.

• Aazon. Assistant and right hand man of the Merchant Prince Jobal, and person of many talents.

• Ortimay Swift & Dark. Gnomish captain of trading vessel The Brazen Pegasus. Loves a good bar fight.

• Grig Ruddell. Ortimay's burly bearded first made. Quiet fellow, plays a lot of cards with Krenko.

• Vorn. An old clunky prototype construct found and returned by our crew, currently in the possession of Wakanga.

• Nyali. A young Chultan apprentice wizard who looks up to the Merchant Prince Wakanga.

• Kuri. The Merchant Prince Ekene-afa's husband. An artist, kinda hunky, turned on to finger painting by Peach.

• Volo Geddarm. Famous author, esteemed socialite, and apparent total hot mess when he's been hitting the bottle.

• Short Stick on a Tall Tree (Shorty). Tabaxi hot air balloon pilot and scavenger. Cousin to Flask of Wine and River Mist.

• Proprietors:

  • Zaidi. Chultan curator of the Museum of Chultan History. Has a Sword Coastian education.

  • Xorn. Githzerai purveyor of Star Stuff, a shop of fine magical items. Observer of the the cosmos and fine tea.

  • Ogre Jeff. Shopkeep lackey formerly of Victorious Secret, now working at Star Stuff. He can ogre-sell anything!

• Guides:

  • Azaka. Chultan human. Fierce, calculating, and very capable. Now lives with Kek's tribe, revealed as a secret were-tiger.

  • Musharib. Albino dwarf. Covered in tattoos, wields a dinosaur bone maul.

  • River Mist (River). Tabaxi city resident, sister of Flask of Wine. Sly, stealthy, always sees a deal through.

  • Flask of Wine (Flask). Tabaxi tavern patron, brother of River Mist. Lanky, relaxed, speaks with a noticeable lisp.

  • Shago. Native son of the Merchant Prince Zhanthi, Flaming Fist recruit, and would-be guide. Big strong boy full of bravado, yet superstitious.

  • Salida. Chultan female jungle guide. Revealed to be a secret yuan-ti pureblood and agent of Ras Nsi. Tried, convicted, and executed after the murder of Merchant Prince Jessamine.

  • Other guides include Hew, Faroul and Gondolo, Kwilgok, and Eeyal.

• Gladiators of the Grand Coliseum. Krenko's fellow "coworkers".

  • Fronk the half-ogre gladiator manager. Very friendly. Boisterous. Ridiculous French accent.

  • Andermon the goliath. His penchant for philosophy is as large as his pectorals. Killed by King Toloki.

  • "Bone Lord" the bugbear. Too dumb to be a proper rival and bully to Krenko. Killed by King Toloki.

• Wadizi. A girallon cursed to intelligence, and the ship's quartermaster. Killed by Aremag.

• Skeek. Sewer kobold inventor, engineer, and the ship's bosun. Killed by Aremag.

• Juma. A young Chultan medical student and ship's surgeon. Killed by the seafolk crew of the Dredge.
   

The Thundering Lizard. Our crew's dive bar home away from home.

• Crumbeard. Dwarven proprietor of The Thundering Lizard. Aging, burly, jovial. Fairly illiterate. More interested in having a rowdy tavern than running a safe establishment. Yeah brother!

• Rubrik. Crumbeard's brother visiting from afar. He'll charm the pants right off of you. Or steal them when you're not looking.

• Terry. A massive pit fiend of the Nine Hells and Rubrik's hapless drinking buddy. It's a long story.

• Goldie (Golden Morning). Tabaxi cook of The Thundering Lizard. Easily excited, obsessed with cumin.

• Potsie (Pottery Shard). Tabaxi house musician, plays a mean flamenco guitar.​ Abducted by yuan-ti, but later saved.

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Fort Beluarian​

The Chultan headquarters for The Flaming Fist mercenary organization. Well garrisoned and also serving as an outpost for tradesmen and merchants, the fort is a bastion of civilization on the edge of wilderness.

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• Blaze Liara Portyr. Career military woman. Powerful, no-nonsense, and complicated. Partner of former Handy Hand, Winchton, with whom they have a daughter, Esmerelda.

• Castellan Halsdottir. Second in command. Fully loyal and fully dependable.

• Sigbeorn. Head cook of the Fort. An aging former adventurer who continues to help as he can. Don't call him 'Siggy'.

• Ruhl. Chultan dinosaur trainer and utterly ruthless prankster. Big, tattooed, missing two fingers, and a riot to hang out with.

• Other Flaming Fist include Korhie the blacksmith, Shilau the priest, Thaevan the stablemaster, and Jaro the provisioner.

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Organizations
 

• The Ytepka Society. A group of nationalists who strive to preserve the autonomy of Port Nyanzaru. Their symbol is a three-horned dinosaur called a triceratops, most commonly depicted on coins used to symbolize the Society's interests.
   

• The Flaming Fist. The famous mercenary organization from Baldur's Gate. Based out of Fort Beluarian, they seek to pacify the land and profit from lost treasures. The iron-willed Blaze Liara Portyr leads them.
   

• The Harpers. A network of operatives that work to fight corruption and help those in need. They were the first to start investigating the Death Curse in Chult, spurred by the masked wizard Syndra Sylvane.
   

• Emerald Enclave. A widespread group of druids, rangers, and survivalists who seek to preserve natural order by rooting out unnatural threats. They struggle to keep wilderness and civilization from destroying one another. Qawasha is a known member.
   

• The Order of the Gauntlet. An order of paladins and clerics that were quick to establish a front against evil once it became known that undead hordes roam the interior of Chult. They occupy a forward outpost called Camp Vengeance.
   

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History & Legend
 

​The Death Curse.

• A strange curse slowly emerged across the world. The resurrected rotted away. Those who died could not be brought back. Even infants were failing to find life when born. The effects got stronger over time, and the so-called 'Death Curse' quickly became a worldwide pandemic. 

• To Syndra Sylvane, retired adventurer and sufferer of the Death Curse, the list of correlations in Chult were too many to ignore. A land abandoned by its god, undead surging in power and numbers, depopulated from fallen civilizations, and dense wilds rife with places to hide powerful necromantic research? Answers may well be hidden deep in the jungles.

• The Death Curse's source, referred to as the Soul Monger, was triangulated within the fallen city-state of Omu far to the south. The truth was more horrible than anyone knew: The Death Curse was 'merely' a side effect to a grand machination of a multi-planar traveling lich of considerable power. The true cause - a horrific malformed undead god fetus feeding on souls - was finally brought to its end by the heroic efforts of the Handy Hands. 
   

The Legend of Ubtao.

• Many ages ago a powerful entity aided the gods of Toril. Ubtao became a god themselves, and was given Chult as reward. Chult was Ubtao's playground, creating endlessly and watching their creations navigate the maze of life. They built the city-temple of Mezro, and for thousands of years the nations of Chult flourished. 

• Untamed god as Ubtao was, it is said at one point his own shadow sprang forth as a manifestation of Ubtao's dark side. This demigod, called Eshowdow by the Eshowe tribe, was worshiped by some for a time but ultimately defeated by Mezro's baraes.

• Time passed, and Ubtao grew weary of his worshipers' war, greed, and reliance on their god. One day, disgusted with their pettiness and inability to navigate the Maze of Life on their own... Ubtao simply left. Since then, Chult has been a land of wild creation but lacking guidance. The god has not been seen in over 200 years, and Chult has been growing more wild ever since.

• After many apparent coincidences, legends, and entities known to our heroes, the truth of Ubtao's departure snapped into focus. The god did not leave. He dissipated himself across Chult, becoming one with the land in which he hoped for those to explore their maze of life. 'Like' does attract 'like' however, and over many centuries fragments of Ubtao came to manifest as instinctual and emotional manifestations: truth, hunger, bravery, and so on. The Trickster Gods' timing of emerging after Ubtao's departure were no coincidence, for they were nine of these aspects. An unknown number exist, and neither is the intent of Ubtao known. Does the god wish to reform? One day, will they? Or have they abandoned their godly duties to live as one with the land?
   

The Trickster Gods.

• After Ubtao's abandonment of Chult, strong animal spirits embodying certain ideals and attitudes rose to prominence. While not true gods, they fulfilled some aspects of the missing deity and were worshiped in some city-states. Worship continues today in many remote regions of Chult. There are nine in total, each embodying a local Chultan species.

• The heart of worship of the Trickster Gods was the powerful city-state of Omu, but as that nation fell so did its gods. The Trickster Gods were discovered to be real... and real enough to be killed. The malevolent mastermind behind the Death Curse was one and the same as he who conquered Omu, entombing its people's animal gods deep in the same labyrinth that contains his plot.

• It was learned much later that the Trickster Gods were Ubtao, in a manner of speaking, each one a personality trait of the god.

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The Legend of Ras Nsi.

• Mezro persisted for a hundred years after Ubtao's disappearance under the leadership of the barae: the powerful chosen of Ubtao. One of them, Ras Nsi, sought to end a conflict but ended up slaughtering an entire city-state. Branded and banished, and after failed attempts to regain his honor, in shame and hate he raised an undead army to destroy the city that rejected him. As Ras Nsi approached, Mezro vanished, reappearing moments later as ruins. Confused and in despair, Ras Nsi vanished into the jungle and into legend.

• It turns out the legend never faded away. Disgraced and withdrawn, perhaps, but Ras Nsi is very much alive and real. The exiled bara of Mezro now commands the yuan-ti cultists of southern Chult... but to what end it is unknown. He also suffered from the same Death Curse originally thought to be of his hand. A prideful zealot perhaps, but Ras Nsi is not an eater of souls.

• Ras Nsi's undead army still swarms over many regions of Chult. Disorganized without the exiled bara's guidance, they also grew considerably in number due to necromantic amplification of the Death Curse. Disturbingly, it appears that the undead are able to spread their affliction to the deceased, humanoid or not. The hordes' viral nature has surprised even Ras Nsi himself. 

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