You will, to focus more on corrupting the Duke. He will surely come around when his prayers to Nokluvgn start giving tangible rewards, and you will be around to ensure he knows of the conspiracies his prayer has protected him from...
The New Way in Nuulyd shall focus on the more important members of the community in recruitment, who will be more able to influence the town to evil in their own right.
+1 and send orders to the first cult as well to keep up the construction projects and gathering of resources but keep four power in reserve to avoid others noticing anything untoward
+1
Get information from the knights before going to the castle, maybe they know about some comrades that would love or deserve to worship us, we will get into the castle with some names and their weakness.
Bring one Wordbearer with us, make the bored criminal wordbearer stay in the city, he knows it better. Make Kate stay in Fellshore making sure our will is obeyed, but make the other wordbearer from Fellshore go to Nuulyd to help we further control the town.
with two wordbearer, and the knights making protection of the temple as a "sacred warrior" they begin the:
Nuulyd control plan:
1. Influential people and the truly desperate/evil.
2. The prison guards, and the desperate/evil.
3. The locked criminals(*), should be easy and the city militia(**)
FELLSHORE: A small village on the shore of Lake Fell, Fellshore recently fell under the complete control of the demon Nokluvgn (see CULTS, NOKLUVGN). It is a fishing village, catching fish from Lake Fell and storing them in barrels for sale at the market in Nuulyd. Lake Fell itself is relatively small as compared to, say, Grand Lake, but by ordinary lake sizes it is... medium. It would be known throughout Jilgalia as the deepest lake around, if anyone ever bothered to measure how deep it is. Who knows what unseen things lurk in those forgotten depths?
Send a specter to investigate this fucking lake.
We have a nice corrupted forest. Why not use its potential?
...discover if the brutewolves can reproduce, i am suggesting it again, if they can, make the maze as their den, let they hunt unlucky travelers...
(somewhat edited for size/clarity)
You press your converted knights for information regarding the Duke's castle, and anyone who may be susceptible to conversion there. They tell you that as far as they know, most of the knights in the Duke's service are relatively pious and honourable men. They have more pleasing things to say about the Duke's other soldiers. A band of mercenaries is kept on retainer, and dwell in their own private barracks in the castle. Your knights refer to them as disgusting, lecherous beasts, treacherous dogs who would betray the Duke the moment someone offered them more money.
With this information under your belt, you command a Wordbearer to follow the Duke's party at a distance, whilst you make a brief detour to the forest.
Though your influence has faded somewhat, the woods still possess a dark aura, not quite the twisted labyrinth you made of it, but still supernaturally easy to get lost in. It seems this has already happened to several unlucky travellers, who found themselves at the mercy of the Brutewolves. Pieces of them still hang in the trees, rotting away, the brutewolves having lost interest in their meal once it stopped feeling pain.
Unfortunately you determine that whilst the brutewolves could breed, their offspring would be ordinary wolves- unless there was some source of evil that could fuel the dark metamorphosis of the unborn pups. However, provided with such a source, the brutewolves could also mate with uncursed wolves and produce brutewolf offspring. You command your minions to hunt in the lands around the wood for travellers, assemble piles of their corpses by the forgotten shrine, and during a full moon, drag other wolves there and mate with them. The evil energy released by the concentration of death and suffering should be enough to ensure that in a few months time, you will have a couple of litters of new minions.
There is no more you can do here, short of creating new brutewolves yourself, but you would rather conserve your energy.
...
Mischa smiles as her horse crests the hill, and Lake Brylib comes into view. The fluttering pennants of Castle Brylib beckon, calling her back to her own private quarters, with her own bed and her own thrice-secured hidden safe. She has had quite enough of travelling for the considerable future, and longs to return to the days where she was free to spend her time studying, only occasionally being summoned to the Duke's side to answer some trivial question about some peasant's cursed plow or whatever. Of course, now she will have a whole new avenue of study- and a whole new reason to be secretive. She smiles inwardly at the thought of her newfound power, and at so little expense. And they said Necromancy was dangerous! The demon had been downright polite, not once attempting to force her into servitude or steal her soul. Helping him out here and there was a pleasure, a fair exchange of services.
Speaking of which, she would have to spend some more time watching the Duke. Apparently the demon was seeking to control him, which suited her just fine. One more soul for Nokluvgn's army, she thinks, then pauses, and reminds herself that she does not actually care about the demon's success. No, she can easily resist the temptation to praise Nokluvgn and wish to further his dark works. It just happens to be the case that the demon's goals and hers align... because corrupting the Duke will help her... somehow? She frowns, trying to remember why she wanted the demon to succeed. There must be a reason.
Still trying to recall her motivations, she rides; through the village of Brylib, ignoring the villagers who bow and scrape as the Duke passes by, over the stream known as Brylib Brook, and crossing the bridge to Castle Brylib, which sits on an island in Lake Brylib. Naming things is not one of the locals' strong suits.
She dismounts her horse and hands the reigns to a stable boy, and follows the Duke into the great hall, where the court has assembled itself to welcome the Duke home. Immediately petitioners step forwards with requests for more funding for this, tax breaks for that, and who-knows-what for the other. She excuses herself and retires to her chambers, not before reminding the high priest that he should retire to his and receive no visitors. She must suppress a giggle as the man who once made it his life's work to berate her for every little thing now mindlessly obeys her commands, walking off in a slightly awkward manner.
The next day she is disturbed from her studies by none other than the high priest. She stands in her doorway confused, until he begins to speak.
"WE ARE COMING. SEE TO IT THAT WE ARE WELL RECEIVED""What do you mean, you are coming?"
"WE ARE APPROACHING THE CASTLE. YOU WILL RECEIVE US AS GUESTS AND PROVIDE LODGINGS FOR MY MORTAL COMPANION""How- what- why"
"SEE TO IT."With that, the high priest falls silent, and his eyes return to their usual blank stare. Fuming silently, she sends him back to his room and gets dressed in her best 'courtly' attire.
There is a surprised murmur as she enters the great hall. The Duke himself looks surprised, and calls for a recess in the case he is in the middle of judging to deal with her.
"Alwiz! What a pleasant surprise. How can I help you?", he says, either acting or truly happy to see her.
Mischa explains that she has some friends visiting and requests that they be granted accommodation. The Duke seems somewhat upset by this request -at such short notice, and with no explanation as to who the visitors are-, but nonetheless orders the servants to prepare a guest room for the wizard's friends. She thanks the Duke, then leaves the hall, heads outside, climbs the battlements, curses as she nearly trips over the 'courtly' dress she is wearing. Bloody awkward is what it is. Upon the ramparts she is greeted by a guardsman, who eyes the parts of her dress she hates the most greedily. She tells him to get lost. He hesitates, but when she conjures up a small fireball in her hand he quickly makes himself scarce.
She waits for an hour on the battlements, before finally two hooded travellers appear on the road. She hurries back down the wall and opens the gate, and acts (yes... acts... definitely acts) happy to see them arrive. She shows them to their room, avoiding the great hall, and once inside, asks politely what the hell they are doing.
"MY MOTIVATIONS ARE NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW. YOU WILL INTRODUCE ME TO THE CAPTAIN OF THE MERCENARIES STATIONED HERE."Of course. That lot are half-way to being demon-worshippers already. They will no doubt be easy converts to the glory of Nokluvgn. She makes her way to the mercenary barracks, and summons the captain. After a dozen or so lewd comments from the assembled 'soldiers', the captain appears. Acting with clearly feigned politeness, he asks what she wants. She explains that someone wants to talk to them. And why should he want to talk with them? "Because", she says through gritted teeth, "I will burn this place to the ground with you inside it if you don't just do what I bloody well say."
The captain comes quietly.
She does not know what the demon and the captain talk about, but she can guess. Something something ultimate power, something something serve me. Whatever they talked about, the captain comes out of the room with a wicked grin on his face, and she detects an aura of evil power about him. Ultimate power indeed. She asks whether it was worth talking to it, to which the captain replies that it has opened up a whole New Way of looking at things for him.
The demon remains in the castle for the next few days, introducing itself to various courtiers and servants, whilst its companion keeps mostly to himself- the runes carved into his skin might have a tendency to offend, after all. She makes the most of a bad situation by quizzing the demon on more aspects of Necromancy. Frustratingly, the demon itself does not seem to be able to explain the finer points of manipulating evil, as it comes so naturally to it. She nevertheless makes some minor progress, actually enjoying the challenge, and the opportunity to experiment with a new skill. Still, she wishes she had some books on the subject... though of course such heretical tomes would be exceptionally hard to find.
After a week, the Duke comes before her, complaining of persistent nightmares. She asks the demon what she should tell him, to which the demon replies
-He should try to find a New Way of praying to the gods, and focus on that.
-He should consult her guest for advice, for he is an expert in the field of dreams.
-It is probably the work of dark forces out to get him. He should seek more security, and not trust even his closest allies.
-He should not worry about a few nightmares. Perhaps eating less cheese before bed would help.
Meanwhile, the demon has been busy working to corrupt the inhabitants of the castle. Besides the Duke, it has focused on
-The mercenaries, deepening their already corrupt nature until they are fanatically loyal to Nokluvgn.
-The Duke's advisers, as that they may whisper more corrupting thoughts into his trusting ears.
-The Knights, as even though they may be pious and honourable, even the most pious man can fall before the sustained assault of demonic corruption.
-The common courtiers, the various people of various jobs that hang around the castle doing something.
-Herself, though she does not realise it. She has grown ever fonder of Nokluvgn, ever more willing to do his bidding without question, ever more cruel and spiteful when dealing with others.
On a stormy night, a spectre appears in her chamber, and recites a cryptic rhyme.
Ancient, forgotten beasts of old
Still slumber in that frigid deep
Their days no more, their tales untold
No longer make they mortals weep
She directs it to the demon's quarters where it was probably intending to go.
Jackpot on that mercenary captain. You lucked out and got pretty much instant conversion.
Not described: cult actions
Name: Nokluvgn
Age: 4.75 months
Physical might: 26 (-1: granted to mercenary captain)
Mental might: 24
Followers:105 (74 villagers, 4 Wordbearers, 11 criminals, 11 rich men, 3 knights (heavily armed), 1 ex-priest, 1 mercenary captain)
Slaves: 12 (4 priests, 1 high priest, 7 guards (armed))
Servants: 10 (4 Brutewolves, two Smokewraiths, one devil-horse, 3 spectres)
Cults: The New Way (Fellshore): Low organization. 76 members in Fellshore (74 villagers, 1 Wordbearer, 1 knight (heavily armed))
Power level: 13
Of which: 4 spent gathering resources, 5 spent expanding the labyrinth, 3 spent training.
Resources: 14
Other: Training is underway (6/30). Thanks to the tunnel network, the cult can act in relative secrecy with only a minimum of unspent power. The village appears totally normal at first glance.
The New Way (Nuulyd): 28 members in Nuulyd. (11 criminals, 2 Wordbearers, 11 rich men, 2 knights, 1 ex-priest)
Power level: 6
Of which: 4 spent recruiting new members
Resources: 1
Other: A successful recruitment feast converts four new members of Nuulyd's high society to their cause.
Champions: Mischa Alwiz: The Duke's 'loyal' companion, now corrupted by the allure of evil.
Physical Might: 1
Mental Might: 6
Knowledge: Magic, basic Necromancy.
Other: A crash course in manipulating evil has taught her the basics of Necromancy. More advanced Necromancy will require considerable study, or the tutelage of another, more skilled Necromancer.
Fortresses: Fellshore: A small fishing village nestled between a small lake and a forest (with mountains not so far in the distance), now undermined with tunnels and chambers forming a twisted maze, lit with smoky torches, where the shadows form strange shapes in the corner of your eyes.
Small tunnel network: increases secrecy of local cult. Being upgraded (25/50)
Small (hidden) altar: A suitable place to sacrifice to you and praise your dark name.
Author
Topic: Demonhood 2 -Number of giant minions lost: between 0 and 3- (Read 143833 times)