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Author Topic: The Rise of a Demon (Number of ritual wedding duels: 1)  (Read 50910 times)

Urist Mc Dwarf

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #150 on: February 06, 2019, 12:44:39 am »

You call forth the skull and have it kneel before you. “Rise, my servant. Rise, Kreth Woemaker.” You command, and the newly named demon stands up, the skull grinning hideously. You prepare to claim the sword, sending some of your minions to retrieve it, implanting a message in one of their minds for delivery. While they march off, you lead some more of your forces off to wreak havoc and gain strength.

It does not go as well as you would have liked. You catch twenty or so people, devouring them slowly, letting each one feel the horrific agony of flesh being consumed and souls drawn into you as their very spirit is flayed one layer at a time by whips of vicious essence. But most people have fled north, swelling the town of Canord or traveling still further north, seeking refuge from the sudden storm of slaughter. Frustrated, you return to Dresick as the sword is brought forth by one of the Boneys, carrying it gingerly as tears that cannot fall make its eyelids bulge.
The cripples are brought forth and forced to kneel. The one who was crippled walks out, accompanied by Kreth, who has been…encouraging him to do his part. The man nervously takes up the sword, takes a deep breath, and slowly begins to walk forwards, slashing throats with every step. Crippled bodies lie dead, eyes glazed over as their blood fills buckets and troughs. The howls of those who still live are swallowed by the ecstatic cries of your cultists.

Finally, it is done. The man collapses, panting, and you take up the blade as the blood is gathered and poured into one giant tub before your statue. You immerse the blade, and it hisses, the liquid boiling away. Lifting up the sword, its light still shines, but it is greasy and sickening, and several people, cultists and captives alike, vomit at the touch of the glow. You pick a child from the front of your followers, and thrust the sword through their stomach. Immediately the flesh around it blackens, and pulsing green veins spread away from the gaping wound as skin and muscle begins to rot away, organs turning to mush.

You raise the sword up. Once an artifact of incredible purity that could heal even as it slaughtered, now it brings nothing but plague and rot.

Calmly, you walk out into the fields. Your followers will need to eat if they will serve you, and drawing on Kreth’s strength as much as your own, you send a wave of mutagenic energy out through the crops, making them grow and swell with demonic power. Unfortunately, while they are far more nutritious than any other meal, and will weaken the minds of those who eat them and do not follow you, the crops are twisted, looking to be on the verge of rotting into nothingness. It will be difficult to convince anyone to eat these if they have a choice.

Still, this is more food than any of these people have seen before in their lives. Your cultists move among the captives, and all but twelve of them swear to follow you, including several artisans. Efforts to further improve Dresick or equip your followers will be within your grasp now. And the feast begins, celebrating your glory.

Barrels of whiskey and fermented milk are rolled out of the tavern, goats and sheep slaughtered by the dozen, and the remaining stores of normal food broken out. A random cultist – by chance it is Andrick – is torn apart on the floor of your temple, and the meat distributed among your followers. Men and women perform lewd, depraved dances on tables, even as people reach around them to continue the feast. Hymns of praise rise up into the sky, and every word, every cry, sends a shiver of malevolent pleasure through you. The feast continues for seven days and nights. At last it ends, your followers exhausted. Lethargically they clean up the mess, storing away what little food wasn’t even. Much to their shock, some of the crops are already regrown. Thick tubers practically burst from the ground, and bushes hang heavy with large fruit shot through with multicolored streaks.  You overlook your cult. They have grown in numbers and power, and you have grown in might. Foul energy shoots from your flesh, corrupting the land. Your might grows beyond what this form can take, and you radiate raw evil. You actually begin to create your own evil in small amounts, although this is far outweighed by the amount you lose.

Now what do you do? What do you order your cult to do? And what do you name the sword? Also, how will you use it?

You have also gained greatly in power. Choose a new trait:

Destroyer of Purity
Night Terror
Master of Mutation II
Gravecaller

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chubby2man

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #151 on: February 06, 2019, 07:57:39 am »

Night Terror (But if we could get a short description of each trait that’d be appreciated, otherwise we aren’t sure what we are picking.)

We will investigate Canord, town to the north. Prowl around it’s walls at night, try to penetrate its defenses. Stealth and discovery is our goal here, but if we could rip information out someone’s mind to gain information we should do that.

Our cult should continue to train, artisans should make equipment for troops. I think the ruined castle will make a better future base, so I think working on developing a mobile force is better. Not that I’m expecting much from the cultists.

Name sword the Defilier, we will wield it for now. We can bestow it on a champion eventually, I wouldn’t mind seeing what the sword can do in the meantime.
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King Zultan

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #152 on: February 06, 2019, 08:03:21 am »

Night Terror (But if we could get a short description of each trait that’d be appreciated, otherwise we aren’t sure what we are picking.)

We will investigate Canord, town to the north. Prowl around it’s walls at night, try to penetrate its defenses. Stealth and discovery is our goal here, but if we could rip information out someone’s mind to gain information we should do that.

Our cult should continue to train, artisans should make equipment for troops. I think the ruined castle will make a better future base, so I think working on developing a mobile force is better. Not that I’m expecting much from the cultists.

Name sword the Defilier, we will wield it for now. We can bestow it on a champion eventually, I wouldn’t mind seeing what the sword can do in the meantime.
+1
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Make sure not to step on any errant blood stains before we find our LIFE EXTINGUSHER.
but anyway, if you'll excuse me, I need to commit sebbaku.
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Can I have the sword when you’re done?

Ardent Debater

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #153 on: February 06, 2019, 08:05:59 am »

So we have defiled this sword, so we shall be known as Destroyer of Purity. Every holy shrine, every diligently defiant father, every innocent comely maiden, they shall be shattered, their lifeblood spilt, their innocence wrenched away from them to satisfy the twisted urges of our rabid cultist throngs. So it once was in distant stars, so it shall be with the coming of Klx-Dryklfx!

We shall name the sword Flesh-Feaster, for it ushers in ruinous decay wherever its sickly light shines, and twists the boiling, rancid flesh of the pitiful mortals who dare stand against us. The sword is to be ours, and ours alone for only we are worthy to wield it. However, Kreth Woemaker has done well, and his efforts shall be rewarded. A scythe is to be brought forth, and the ritual of the sword's corruption reenacted in microcosm with however many humans refuse to praise our name, again with an innocent child's death, and again with the bathing of life's blood spilt in unspeakable blasphemy against each of the gods. The scythe is to be dubbed Meat-Flenser, and it is to be given to Kreth Woemaker, so that he may bring rot and ruin wherever he shall go.

It is clear to us that we must capitalize on the element of surprise whilst it persists, and to this end, Kreth Woemaker is to prove himself, by taking 1 merged-man, each of the 13 Boneys, no less than 10 Wisp Wights, and a throng of as many cultists as wish to volunteer. They are to continue reaping the lives of villages nearby, and gathering captives to our citadel in the making. Meanwhile, we shall muster the remainder of our minions along with no less than 40 cultists and advance to the north, ransacking each and every hamlet, village, and homestead in our path to Canord. The mortals are to submit to our worship and join our cult, or have their souls devoured, with a handful twisted into merged-men and wisp wights to replenish our forces. By the time we reach Canord, we should aspire to have no less than 80 cultists, 5 merged men, and 10 Wisp Wights, though 10 and 20 are to be the ideal.

Then we shall lay siege at our leisure, and plan things out as we arrive.

Back in the citadel, we shall task the remainder of the cult with training, and the digging of a moat surrounding the wall. Each seven days they are to recover from their labors in a bout of hedonistic revelry, but all those who refuse to work are to be ham-stringed and bound at the base of the statue, to be feasted on when we return. The artisans are to be given as many resources as they please, and each is to be tasked with fashioning something pleasant to our sensibilities, as determined by Kreth Woemaker. Those who fail are to be consumed by the Skull Demon as a reward for his loyalty, and those who succeed in their black deeds are to be taught the intricacies of infusing Evil into their works, such that they might continue to do so.
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Urist Mc Dwarf

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #154 on: February 06, 2019, 04:51:25 pm »

Master of Mutation II gives you more of a boost to attempting mutations.

Gravecaller makes your undead forces a little stronger and smarter.

Night Terror gives you bonuses when you are attacking under the cover of darkness.

Whenever you do something sufficiently demonic and cool, I give you a trait related to it. And when you reach certain milestones of power, you will get a choice of traits based on the methods you used to gain power. There might be a couple other ways to earn traits...
« Last Edit: February 07, 2019, 02:02:09 pm by Urist Mc Dwarf »
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Ardent Debater

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #155 on: February 06, 2019, 04:59:11 pm »

Master of Mutation II gives you more of a boost to attempting mutations.

Lich Lord makes your undead forces a little stronger and smarter.

Night Runner gives you bonuses when you are attacking under the cover of darkness.

Whenever you do something sufficiently demonic and cool, I give you a trait related to it. And when you reach certain milestones of power, you will get a choice of traits based on the methods you used to gain power. There might be a couple other ways to earn traits...
What about Destroyer of Purity? Increased Evil gain from destroying sacred places, and unspeakable rituals, I'm guessing?
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Urist Mc Dwarf

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #156 on: February 06, 2019, 05:03:50 pm »

Master of Mutation II gives you more of a boost to attempting mutations.

Lich Lord makes your undead forces a little stronger and smarter.

Night Runner gives you bonuses when you are attacking under the cover of darkness.

Whenever you do something sufficiently demonic and cool, I give you a trait related to it. And when you reach certain milestones of power, you will get a choice of traits based on the methods you used to gain power. There might be a couple other ways to earn traits...
What about Destroyer of Purity? Increased Evil gain from destroying sacred places, and unspeakable rituals, I'm guessing?

Yeah, I forgot about that one at first.

Ardent Debater

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #157 on: February 06, 2019, 05:13:19 pm »

Master of Mutation II gives you more of a boost to attempting mutations.

Lich Lord makes your undead forces a little stronger and smarter.

Night Runner gives you bonuses when you are attacking under the cover of darkness.

Whenever you do something sufficiently demonic and cool, I give you a trait related to it. And when you reach certain milestones of power, you will get a choice of traits based on the methods you used to gain power. There might be a couple other ways to earn traits...
What about Destroyer of Purity? Increased Evil gain from destroying sacred places, and unspeakable rituals, I'm guessing?

Yeah, I forgot about that one at first.
In that case, my vote remains as it is. Does Kreth count as an Undead minion, or is he his own category?
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Urist Mc Dwarf

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #158 on: February 06, 2019, 05:31:23 pm »

Kreth is a lesser demon.

Ardent Debater

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #159 on: February 06, 2019, 05:34:11 pm »

Kreth is a lesser demon.
Ah, I was hoping we could get a quote pyramid started I see.
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KitRougard

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #160 on: February 06, 2019, 09:45:49 pm »

Oh, I just remembered, the Boneys are still twisted in form. We should fix that, remutating them into "Reavers" - bone claws, two rows of razor teeth, and eyes that can see even in the deepest black. Yes?
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Ardent Debater

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #161 on: February 06, 2019, 09:58:04 pm »

Oh, I just remembered, the Boneys are still twisted in form. We should fix that, remutating them into "Reavers" - bone claws, two rows of razor teeth, and eyes that can see even in the deepest black. Yes?
I feel slightly improved Boneys aren't worth the effort of expending Evil when we can stack up on the Wisp Wights, but that's definitely something we need to do further down the line.
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chubby2man

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #162 on: February 06, 2019, 10:32:12 pm »

Oh, I just remembered, the Boneys are still twisted in form. We should fix that, remutating them into "Reavers" - bone claws, two rows of razor teeth, and eyes that can see even in the deepest black. Yes?

I think this would be a great future upgrade for the Boneys!

I also think Ardent’s plan for the moat building and feasting is good. However, I think stealth would be a prudent choice while we prepare to take the town. Finding vulnerabilities before we strike will make our first overt move more decisive.
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Urist Mc Dwarf

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #163 on: February 07, 2019, 12:46:21 am »

This power feels glorious, and you want more. You need more, as you feel some of your excess evil draining away. You set about preparing to take the next step, and attack Canord. You take up the blade, naming it Defiler. And then you begin to travel. Even for you, it is a long journey to the north –it would be about three weeks if you took your army. You make the journey in two days.
Flying during the night, you pass over the arid plains, and you can see people’s fear. You can see it in the clustered hamlets you have not visited your wrath upon. The people in them huddle around their fires, fearing the desert raiders they believe responsible, or else have fled north for the safety of Canord’s walls.

You stand on one of the hills that overlook the town, atop a collapsed mine. The town is a haphazard affair with winding, narrow streets and sagging buildings. It is encircled by a low wooden palisade, but much of it – miner’s camps and new housing built by refugees – lies outside it.

There are currently about two thousand people in it, but many are hungry and weak. There are three structures of interest to you in the town. First there is the temple, a large and solid stone structure, with a holy aura stronger than the one in Dresick had. Six priests live in it. Three are genuinely faithful and kindly people, and they will be the most dangerous to you. One is a zealot responsible for the fact that there are no mages or hedge witches in town. The other two are simply going through the motions, and will pose barely any threat.

The second structure is the garrison building. It stands against the northern palisade, atop the highest hill in town. It is a squat building, with thick stone walls and narrow windows. There are about fifty soldiers in it, but they have enough weapons to outfit another two hundred men to serve as militia in times of need. And their commander is apparently a duelist of notable skill, although he also has a reputation as a drunk.

The other important building is the mayor’s residence, in the very center of town. There are twenty town guards who live here, as well as the mayor herself. She seems to be considered a generally competent leader, although she has been having trouble dealing with the panic over the “desert raiders” and the lack of food.

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This is just a quick little update, since we have two plans with roughly equal support, but both had scouting the town as part of them. So I still need votes on a trait and name for the sword, along with what to do now that you know a bit more. If you have any requests for more informatin about Canord, feel free to ask.

Ardent Debater

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Re: The Rise of a Demon(Number of evil skulls: 1)
« Reply #164 on: February 07, 2019, 12:58:48 am »

My vote for Destroyer of Purity and Flesh-Feaster remain. Though Defiler isn't a half-bad name, it feels a bit uninspired. Let's examine the settlement, it's a Mining Town, no doubt, there are certain to be some drinking houses, gambling dens, narcotics nests, or similar dens of depravity. I suggest we attempt a two-pronged attack, by Corrupting the Commander's Dreams and Encouraging Hedonism in the Masses, the former will make converting him into our cult trivial, and the latter will ensure we have a solid foundation to seed a future cult in the community. The priests who fail to uphold the doctrine will be at the forefront of our efforts, we'll subtly erode their sense of morals and have them hold blasphemous sermons reinforcing the pleasure-seeking and sparking strife in Canford. We'll continue this for a week, then fly back to our citadel and see how they've progressed in our absence, to raze another village or three and recharge, as it were.
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