A brief history of Athalantar:
Founded in 183 DR by Uthgrael Aumar, the "Stag King", Athalantar occupied the area just south of what is now the High Forest. The kingdom, from it's capitol of Hastarl, helped to unite the leaderless farming communities of the area and was well on its way to greatness until the Stag King died in 216 DR. Eventually after much in-fighting between the princes of the realm the eldest prince,Belaur Aumar, took the throne in 218 DR with the help of powerful wizards, later known as Magelords.
In 224 DR, it became apparent that these wizards were the true power behind the throne and once all the other potential claiments to the throne had either been killed or driven from the lands only one prince remained, the youngest, Elminster Aumar. Eventually the wizard Undarl arrived in Athalantar with his dragon and destroyed the village of Heldon along with Elminster Aumar's parents, thus allowing him entrance into the Magelords.
Unbeknownst to the magelords Elminster had survived the destruction of Heldon and in 228 DR was hiding as an outlaw in the Horn Hills. By 240 DR, Elminster returned, now 28, to the capital whereupon he slew both Belaur and the now Mage Royal Undarl (who turned out to be a Malaugrym in disguise). Elminster handed rulership over to the outlaw Helm Stoneblade and left on a journey for Cormanthor. Unfortunately Athalantar was destroyed a century later in 342 DR by an orc horde.
In modern day, Secomber is a small town that acts as a de facto border town between the relatively peaceful Western Heartlands and the more savage North. It sits atop three stone hills on the banks of the southern-running Unicorn Run river and the western-running River Delimbiyr, on the same land, and over a thousand years passed, where Hastarl fell into ruins.
The secret of the five:
In the decade prior to the end of the Magelord's rule, five of their ranks had formed a secret society, meeting and conducting their dark practices under the noses of their fellow wizards. These five, known as the “Veiled Venoms”, developed new spells, poisons, potions, and even experimented with new ways to prolong one's life-force, without resorting to more physically revolting forms of undeath. They took titles fitting of their cabal and spoke them only to each other and their secret texts.
The secrets of the Veiled Venoms were lost in the purge of the magelords from Hastarl. But fearing such an incident, the five left wards on certain tomes and scrolls that would transport them to undisclosed locations across Faerun. The writings contained riddled passages that would hint to their works and their origins. In addition, their spirits were bound to powerful items created by each of the mages. At the time of their deaths, should all of them fall, a piece of themselves would be preserved in the items and then be magically transported away, each to it's own place of safe keeping for the ages.
Shemba the Toad a circlet set with a green and black stone.
Balrazamon the Snake a staff with a coil of ivory running it's length.
Enscendrog the Lizard a necklace resembling a vine with tropical leaves.
Ralkoven the Centipede a leather girdle with a bone buckle and plates.
Grujinda the Scorpion a brass gauntlet with pointed silver fingertips.
Each item on it's own functions as a normal magical item, but prolonged wear produces subtle manipulation of the wearers mind. After a month of exposure to the item, the wearer must succeed on a saving throw vs Spell (with wisdom bonuses for willpower applied) or else become preoccupied with the idea of finding lost magical items. The wearer will receive a supernatural instinct when discovering any information that relates to the history of Athalantar or the Magelords. This is of course the item's sentience willing the host to find the other items of the Veiled Venoms.
The item will try again each month to influence the wearer. Once the item takes hold on the wearer's mind, it will not let go. The wearer will protect the item from interference from others to destroy or remove the item. A dispel magic or remove curse spell will ward off the item's influence for 1d4 days. But as long as the item remains intact and on the same plane as the wearer, it will automatically succeed at reattaching itself to the will of the individual for 2d10 weeks. Regardless, the item will still allow the wearer control of it's powers.
The Real danger comes when one or more of the items are brought within range of each other. Their influence grows stronger when they are near one another, and can influence actions of multiple wearers to whatever ends best help their goal. Two items worn by one subject double the effects of their influence and inflict a + or – 2 in all related saving throws, whichever is in the favor of the items. Three items provide a bonus of 3, etc.
Should all the pieces be united and brought to the ruins of Hastarl, the spectral forms of the 5 magelords of the Veiled Venoms will be free to find suitable host bodies to restart their reign. Likely the victims who brought the items to their burial place will be their first victims. Should they be unhappy with these new forms, they can use their items similarly to a liche's phylactery. Their old physical form ritualistically slain and the spirit enters a new body through the item, and the help of the fellow magelords. (The magelord saves as a wraith against turn undead in this spectral form.)