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Author Topic: The Rise of a Demon (Number of ritual wedding duels: 1)  (Read 50891 times)

WyrdByrd

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Summon our most skilled Shapers, and give them access to a small portion of our power so that they can bring Lurrothel back to full strength. (Not as a boon to anyone mind, purely as an energy source if they need it).

I believe we've brought the castle to the appropriate level of terror now. Tonight, we seize it and everyone within.

As the sun sets, we will spend some power to make the darkness around and within the castle heavier and deeper. So dark that anyone standing outside without light will not be able to see their own hand in front of their face, and even a bonfire will barely illuminate for more than a few meters around it. Meanwhile, our army will march on the castle, trusting in the unnatural darkness to blind any watchers on the walls, and await outside the gates whilst we alight in the centre of the courtyard.

The Night-Stalkers will then capture everyone outside and bring them to us. We will lift the darkness from each of them as they arrive, and offer them the chance to serve us or be consumed, noisily. Once the last person has been dealt with, and everyone inside is thoroughly terrified by the sounds of us eating, we will then have the gates opened for our army, lift the darkness enough that they can see, but those within the keep are still blind and they'll secure everywhere but the keep.

We will then repeat the process with out Night-Stalkers with the Keep, slowly advancing on wherever we believe Lord Southbend to be (probably his chambers). Once we find him, we will very carefully extract every memory from his mind. This should give us a wealth of information about the kingdom, the surrounding area, the political movers and shakers, etc. As well as enough information to impersonate him if need be. We will then consume him too, unless he's particularly desperate to convert I suppose. The only other exceptions are any of his family that we find, who we'll keep to one side for later processing.

Meanwhile, the Avar Society and the Ceaseless Consumption will be receive a shipment of resources (5 to Avar, 10 to the Ceaseless Consumption) from our Demonic realm. This should be a bolstering shot to a rather subpar performance recently.  The Society needs to focus on networking and presentation, using the resources to connect with the influential still within Avar and Henord's Crossing: aldermen, burghers,  wealthy scholars, and so forth. Ideally, we make the Society a place that movers and shakers within the Realm would actively seek out.  Once we do so, construction of  a Chapterhouse outside of Avar can begin. As for the Ceaseless Consumption, their boon should be dedicated to planning a grand fair, one that serves not to  terrify the populace, but fascinate and intrigue them.  The Consumption may go about this Festival of Change however they wish, so long as they keep this purpose in mind.  Should they require it, we will even send three Shapers back to  Avar, in order to ease the process. Both cults will be reminded that we will not take further failure lightly.
+1
  In terms of army composition, I think we should  lead with Caliwick and the Deathless knights, before revealing our own forces. Seeing  a figure talked about only in nightmarish legends, flanked by 300 or so  undead cavalry, would be a terrifying experience for anyone.
Instead of consuming them, might it be better to use those that refuse as hosts for the Gresh-Spawn?   this would certainly send a message to those who wouldn't join,  and add to our ranks as well.
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Kashyyk

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We could use the soulless mercenaries in the dungeon for that. I'd like to consume at least some of the defenders at least, to restore some of the power we're going to lose in the assault.
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WyrdByrd

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Fair enough. 
 Forgot to mention this in my previous post: The Doom team we have assigned in the countryside should keep doing what they're doing, and, in addition to the improvements and zombie guiding, they should surreptitiously probe for those with signs of  Priest Potential.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2019, 10:00:39 am by WyrdByrd »
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Urist Mc Dwarf

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It is time for war. Time for blood. Time for slaughter. These foolish mortals may cower in terror, they may cringe at shadows and draw blades for any reason or none, but their banners still fly from the castle towers. They still hunt your servants. Now they shall learn what Canord did, what Avar did, what the Spears of Cavana did. Resistance is futile, useless, and earns them nothing but fear and pain.

The sun sets.

You raise a hand. Darkness flows from your palms like smoke from a fire. Thick and cloying, it slowly spreads forth in a great tide, drowning the castle in shadow.

The spearman marched along the wall, holding his weapon in one hand, his lantern in the other. Nervously, he scanned around him, all around him. Some of those bastards from the Carvers had been looking askance at him, even though he had been on duty when the lad had been murdered. And although people claimed whatever had been responsible for the massacre of the priests had been driven away, he swore he could still see something moving in the shadow when no one else was looking…”That’s odd…” He murmured, noticing his lantern wasn’t giving out as much light as usual. Maybe something was wrong with the oil. He squinted at it, before suddenly realizing how dark it had gotten. And how alone he was. Screams erupted throughout the castle, but he couldn’t see where they were coming from. He couldn’t see anything! The lantern barely provided enough light to see his hand in front of his face. He set his spear, putting his back to the castle wall and holding his weapon up, trying and failing to disguise his trembling. He heard the scuff of footsteps and a familiar voice. “Come, boy, whatever spell this is must be a prelude to attack.” He turned to the sound, felt something strike his head, and everything went black.

Within the keep, chaos reigns. The doors have been closed and barred, torches held everywhere to try and ward off the darkness. A few mage lights drive it back, and between all their efforts, there is just enough light to barely see. Something or someone is pounding at the door. It could be the soldiers who were out in the courtyard, or it could be the demon. Warriors and servants lay sobbing in terror or curl up in little balls, even as their leaders attempt to rally them for a defense of the castle, or an escape, or something.

The courtyard makes the keep look like an island of calm. A few bonfires still burn, and mercenaries cluster around them, their rivalries forgotten in the face of what surely must be an attack. A confused battle is waged in the gatehouse, with no one really sure who is one whose side. And outside the keep, they beg desperately to be let in.

Into this madness, you stride in. Caliwick waves his hand, and the iron-faced wood of the gates draws in the darkness for a brief moment, before collapsing into rust and rot. A few men attempt to flee, and find themselves impaled upon the lances of the knights. Others manage to kneel in time and are left kneeling as your forces advance into the courtyard. Most run deeper into the courtyard, shouting for someone, anyone to come. The demon is here! And his army!

Your Night Stalkers drag people forth, five or six at a time. Most are barely conscious, but they awaken soon enough. And they are given a choice. Usually, as the shadows clear away, one tries to be defiant. They taste delicious. Some, even with that example, still refuse to serve you. Still, about two-thirds of those brought before you join your ranks, staggering away to stand with the rest of the army.
After the Night Stalkers have taken all the easy targets, you begin to approach the bonfires. Here, there is a bit more resistance. Some of the men have blessed spears and swords, and it actually stings quite a bit. But no matter how painful the wounds, they are like mosquitos trying to slow down a dragon. Half join you, half feed you. The men at the doors of the keep, praying to be let in, join you eagerly, frantic to be gone from this darkness and terror.

You kick down the doors, the thick wood shattering from the massive force. There is a pause, then those still on their feet charge at you, with torches and swords and table legs and their bare hands. And your knights charge, lances lowered, hoofbeats pounding on the stone floor, while Caliwick soars above them. Fire rains down, lances run through them, and Desecrator sweeps through them in savage arcs. It is a slaughter, an incredibly one-sided one. You lost a pair of knights. Nearly two hundred men and women died in that hall.

Now you search the halls, scouring them for survivors. You find the servants the Night Stalkers terrorized, lying dead on the ground. You find an infirmary with a few groaning patients who swear to you. And you find the chambers of the Lord of Southbend. You find him within them, lying on his bed, a bottle of wine in one hand and a bottle of nightshade in the other.

Irritating. You head down to the basement and consider offering these slaves to the Gresh-spawn, although the eggs they implant will not hatch.

 Name: Klx-Dryklfx

Time: 7.75 months

Physical Might: 96+6 ( -6 injuries, +15 meals)

Mental Might: ] 96+6 ( -6 injuries, +15 meals)
 Cults

The Ceaseless Consumption
  Members: 7 seducers and 77 peons split among 8 locations, 1 high seducer and 75 peons
  Resources: 0
  Power: 14 (5 spent worshipping you, 3 spent recruiting, 4 spent spreading rumors)
The Avar Society
  Members: 1 seducer, 14 peons
Resources: 0 (+4 “donations”, -4 party)
Power: 2(2 spent throwing parties)
The Bloody Terror Cult in Southbend
Members: 8(5 Night-Stalkers, 3 servants)
Resources: 0
Power: 5 (2 spent making discord, 2 spent spying)

Fortresses
Canord
   Strong walls (45), Deep moat (25), Thorn Wall (25), Weak wards (15), Traps (15) Demonic crops, plentiful mines, Strong aura of domination.
Avar
  Basic Walls(25), Living Ward(15), Demonic Mud Moat (10)

Demonic Realm
1900 Peons
1 Doom-Seer, 2 Doom-Seekers
46 resources (-5 rescuing Lurrothel)
+20 power/week, + 15 resources/week
Demonic Armies
13 Reavers, 2 Doom-Seekers, 50 thralls, 100 zombies in Canord
The Broken – 828 chaff (54 thralls, 441 zombies, 227 skeletons, 17 wisp wights, 89 weeping sores), 583 light infantry (289 Spear-Thralls, 294 Sword-Thralls), 179 heavy infantry (28 Demon-Touched, 109 wisp-wretches, 42 heavy swordsman), 230 ranged (214 Archer-Thralls, 17 slingers), 19 mages (2 Doom-Seers, 17 Doom-Seekers), 334 heavy cavalry( 5 mounted god-slayers, 329 deathless knights), 18 infiltrators (18 Hunters), 33 support (18 Dark Priests, 15 Shapers), 10 siege (8 armored brutes, 2 crushers), 17 incorporeal(17 specters), 180 scouts (rangers), 17 flyers (17 Gresh-spawn) near Southbend
Barrow Bows – 200 scouts (rangers) in between Avar and Southbend
Champions
Kreth Woemaker
   Physical might: 12 (+10 worship, - 8 corruption)
   Mental might: 12 (+10 worship, - 8 corruption)
   Other: Magic Cloak, worshipped by the Barrow Bows

Duthrax Soul-Render, First of the Thrall-Herds
  Physical might: 9 + 1
  Mental might: 5+ 1
  Other: Duelist, skilled commander, zombie horse, Herald

Lurrothel, Weaver of Nightmares
  Physical might: 0.1 (Injuries)
  Mental might: 3(Injuries)
  Other: Necromancer, skilled at wards and dream magic
Caliwick the Arch-Necromancer
   Physical might: 2
   Mental might: 11
   Other: Necromancer, Soulbond, Living Legend

Artifacts

Desecrator
  +6 physical, +6 mental
  Bringer of unholy rot, Reanimator, Focus of Power

Magic Cloak
  Unknown properties

Herald
  +1 physical, + 1 mental
    Inspiring song

WyrdByrd

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Well. That went far smoother than expected.  Did we end up finding anything incriminating in the Lord's chamber? Necromatic tomes, salicious love letters,  hoarded tribute, the like?
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Urist Mc Dwarf

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Lot's of alcohol, some more poison, and a map of the area.

WyrdByrd

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Alright. Anything we didn't know  about on the map?
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Urist Mc Dwarf

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It marks a couple towns you already knew about, but nothing else that’s important/you haven’t conquered.

Weirdsound

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Inspect our new minions. See if anybody is notable or talented. Perhaps we can find somebody suitable to rule the keep in our name or make half demon offspring with.
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WyrdByrd

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If we're appointing anyone to rule the keep, Duthrax would be the obvious choice. He's  a proven commander and leader, but he's also mortal enough to make people relatively  tolerant of his rule. 
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Urist Mc Dwarf

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The stuff about the Avar Society and Ceaseless Consumption will take place next update, I wanted this one to be just a battle update.

Detoxicated

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Bring Back the Lord and make him our undead Slave.
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KitRougard

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I still say we need to heal and mate with Lurrothel.

...And still find out what in the Heavens happened with that fire!
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Scream all you want
They don't understand
Your Comic Sans font
A language of another land

Urist Mc Dwarf

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I would like more of a consensus for what actions to take during the next update.

Also, just to clarify: the Ceaseless Consumption is outside your territory, so it will take some work and time to get resources to them.

Weirdsound

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Bring Back the Lord and make him our undead Slave.

I still say we need to heal and mate with Lurrothel.

...And still find out what in the Heavens happened with that fire!

+1 to these for the sake of concenseous.
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