Vulsano putters around Anarose's library looking for info on Hatred Island!
+13 to the roll for Knowledge (History) to try to remember general history about Hatred Isle, as well as the root cause of the undead!
+17 to the roll for Knowledge (Arcana) to try to figure out how the island became completely undeadified!
+11 to the roll for Knowledge (Religion) to try to remember more about the founder-centric religion!
+7 to the roll for Search to try to find books related to Hatred Isle!
History < 13 + 13 + 5 = 31>
You find an world history book that mentions a short history of Hatred Island.
1833, 87 years ago: An adventuring band, lead by the lich Bano chances upon a certain sword named Winterer.
1853, 67 years ago: Said adventuring band teleports great armies of intelligent undead into Hatred Island, which used to be called Arclaoth in Elven (which means Golden Rose Gate). The marauding undead cleared out the island within two weeks, killing or enslaving (via vampire thralls, wights, or other methods) every single elf, half-elf, human and orc living on the island.
1854, 66 years ago: The undead rename Arclaoth to Hatred. They announce the sovereignty of their nation.
1860, 60 years ago: Noire blockades Hatred Island.
1861, 59 years ago: Nineteen dwarven cities ally with two goblinoid kingdoms, the nation of Ula, and Noire, invading Hatred Island. This was not only the largest, but also the only alliance of many nations, and perhaps the only non-hostile relations between dwarves and goblins for the past millennium. Strangely, no elf nations participate in this historical alliance. It is speculated that the opportunistic attack of unallied orcs into Myirki was the reason.
1861, 59 years ago: Ula's Paladin squad is exterminated by the forces of Bano. This caused Ula to loose most of its edge. Ula withdraws.
1861, 59 years ago: The supply line is cut off by Bano's forces, in an ironic reflection of the 1860 Noire blockade. Most of the invaders withdraw or are massacred.
The defeat of the mortal forces is mostly due to the following reasons - One, undead do not need supply lines. Two, undead are more tough on average. Three, undead can recruit more troops from the corpses of the living.
1865, 55 years ago: Bano imposes an embargo on all entrance except for Gateway.
1880, 40 years ago: Bano starts losing political power
1894, 36 years ago: The leader position is usurped.
1895, 35 years ago: Bano is no longer seen often in public. No sightings.
Arcana <10 + 17 + 5 = 32>
The island, originally the elven tribe Arclaon's land, was taken by force. Careful orchestrating and tactical success of Bano was the reason it was not taken during the war, and inertia set in after some years. There is no special secret involved.
@Fool
Religions <43>
Same as Rudra. You do know from Vulsano's research that Bano has not been sighted for at least 40 years. Little is known of the religion, as any scholars who attempt to learn by actually going to Hatred Island are reported missing.
Planar <43>
Hatred Island does not seem to have any strong ties to any planes. However, the area as a whole has a weak residue of Baator. This may imply that many devils frequent Hatred Island. This does not make much sense, though, as devils have little incentive to trade with undead beings. Oftentimes, imps are killed outright in their futile attempts to persuade undead to make Faustian pacts. The seductions of pleasure devils are doomed to fail, and demons such as succubi likewise have found it hard to set a foothold in the nigh-impregnable fortress that is Hatred.
The ethereal plane is very disturbed. The evidence suggests a large number of ghosts and/or other ethereal creatures.
There seem to be no permanent gates in Hatred Island.