You clutch the seductress in one hand and smile.
” So more come. To challenge or to serve…” you muse as you soar through the air, the crow spirit flying behind you and dozens of crows following, cawing loudly. One leads the way, taking you to where it found the people. There are six. Three are familiar, warriors and a shaman of the People of the Scale, tattooed, heavily armed, but their heads hang down in shame and their eyes are full of fear. Good.
The others are strange. They have green eyes that practically glow in the duskiness of the night, and they show no fear, although you sense a faint kernel of unease with them – they know they should have seen animals, but everything has either fled or joined you this close to your home. What is most unusual about them is their weapons though. They are long blades, slightly curved, and made of a crystal that seems to thrum. Only two of them carry the blades.
The third seems to be practically made of them, her skin covered in the crystalline substance. While several patches of skin, scattered randomly across her flesh, are visible, they crystal merges without a seam visible even to your eyes, and if the blades thrum, she screams.
And she sees you far sooner than should be possible. The People of the Scale ready themselves, shaking with barely contained terror. The strangers seem totally unconcerned, but they form a loose circle with the crystal woman in the center.
You land, the crows swirling above your heads,, the seductress shaking slightly but holding her hideous head high. “I bear greetings from the Lord of Beasts, Lord of Scythes, the Greatest of All: Beleth.” She says.
The crystal woman replies.” I come bearing an offer from the Crystal Throne. We have heard of your might, and seek not to conquer you. We ask a tribute of copper, and we offer you our protection and our trade.”
Current form: A mighty man with the head of a bison and vicious, bloody claws. Sitting on your throne once more.
Arms: 23 (Weapon) (Sacrifice and suffering)
Body: 14.5 (Weapon) (Sacrifice and suffering)
Mind: 24 (Weapon) (Sacrifice and suffering)
Magic: 24.5 (Weapon) (Sacrifice and suffering)
Other: Holding Bonebiter, the Bloody Maw. Torturing a spirit
Samana
Arms: 4
Body: 3
Mind: 1.5
Magic: 0.5
Damena
Arms: 1
Body: 1
Mind: 4
Magic: 5.5
Banner
Arms: 2.5
Body: 4.5
Mind: 3
Magic: 0.5
Azen
Arms: 1
Body: 1
Mind: 3.5
Magic: 2.5
2 uncorrupted rouses
94 followers
64 slaves
41 servants( 5 Leplenas, 25 Rouses, 1 Burnwolf, 4 Rockcrushers, 1 Elephanea, 5 Mole-creatures)
1 Seductress
1 Crow Spirit and 1000 crows
Scythes of Beleth
95 cultists
43 power (5 for totems, 18 for worship, 10 for weapons, 5 for mining)
6.5 resources (+1 per week)
Led by Samana and Damena.
The Shade Bastion
Population: 156
Copper mines, watchstalk fields
Defenses: Barricades, terrain, fields of watchstalks
Other: Magical hoop, strangely resistant to corruption. It’s defenses are gone and you can warp its magic as you will.