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[escaped lurker]

Abandoned Acolyte

It would be a lie to say that you are saddened by the untimely demise of your "master" – for you were more or less tortured into joining their nefarious ranks, all just because you had the questionable luck of having a moderate aptitude for the art.
More of a lie though, would be say that you are all that delighted by this parting, for it is quite untimely indeed.

Laid low by the crusaders of the local defenders of faith, the same are now in the process of mopping up your former masters remaining accomplices. That most of them did not voluntarily join their service, of no matter - but their knowledge and practice of the darker arts, all that counts to the zealous slaughterers.

Quite predictably, the loss of their leader has been a major upset for the command structure of your organisation – if a marauding, slaughtering army could be called as that. Instead of backstabbing each other to gain a higher position, the acolytes now share a common goal – flight. Scattering to the winds, getting as far from their would-be-killers, but also their former companions, whose blades might quite likely not take them from the front.

You, are no different. Taking what little troops you had left under your command, you were successful in fleeing the immediate vicinity of the loosing battle, and about now would be a great time to plan ahead, and set out in earnest.

First though, there are some matters to address. Mainly, about yourself;


Your Name & Gender: (Should "Human" not be the mortal race you were born as, addressing it here would also do you well.)

The accursed name of your former Master:

Erdric the Blightcaller was a feared necromancer, and later on, lich. You yourself are thus capable of necromancy, and have the following troops under your command; 14 Skeleton Warriors, 8 Skeleton Archers, 1 Shade-Wraith Your art thrives on the bodies of the deceased, which need to be gathered in great amounts if you wish to produce worthy results.

Arch-Sorceress Meneriva was a feared daemonologue, and later on, fallen. You yourself are thus capable of daemonology, and have the following troops under your command; 4 Fiends, 8 Magogs, 1 Cubusae (opposing your own gender, of course) Your art thrives on nothing less than souls, which need to be gathered in lesser amounts if you wish to produce worthy results.

Ellesariel of Corruption was a feared dread-druid, and later on, monstrosity. You yourself are thus capable of twisted druidry, and have the following troops under your command; 6 Venomous Wolves, 10 Depraved Ravens, 2 Ursine Abominations Your art thrives on life-force itself, which needs to be gathered in ample amounts if you wish to produce worthy results.

[escaped lurker]

One Placeholder, coming right up - you never know when they might come in handy, so I might as well.

[Ragnar the Råsh of Emal]

Name: Arkand Golheim
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Former Master: Arch-Sorceress Meneriva

[Doubloon-Seven]

Name: Ulysses R. Javier
Race: Gnome
Sex: Male
Former Master: Erdric the Blightcaller

[Weirdsound]

Name: Sha'nell of Vine Hill
Gender: Female
Race: Halfling

Former Master: Ellesariel of Corruption

As a Druid, and can survive in harsh places where the Zealots dare not persue, but as a halfling we can leave our forces behind and sneak around the margins of society unnoticed should the need to peacefully engage civilized folk arise.

[Maximum Spin]

Name: Arkand Golheim
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Former Master: Arch-Sorceress Meneriva

+1

[Puppyguard]

Name: Arkand Golheim
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Former Master: Arch-Sorceress Meneriva

+1

+1
Demons are way cooler than druidic critters.

[IronyOwl]

Name: Arkand Golheim
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Former Master: Arch-Sorceress Meneriva

+1

+1
Demons are way cooler than druidic critters.

+1, though it depends on the critters.

[King Zultan]

Name: Ulysses R. Javier
Race: Gnome
Sex: Male
Former Master: Erdric the Blightcaller

+1

[escaped lurker]

It has been maybe a quarter hour since you felt your master fall, the compulsions placed on your soul by her lessening by the second. While you yourself have successfully left the immediate vicinity of the assuredly still-ongoing battle, you have little doubt that your comrades will mostly do the same. You'd wager to have a head-start on at least half the other acolytes, with the acolytes of first and second class – the formerly personal acolytes of Meneriva herself – being worst of, what with standing “safely” in the middle of the assembled army. You don't even pretend to not be amused by that turn of fate.

Inspecting what remains of the troops that were bound to your service, you find while not ideal and certainly not as many as before, you can work with this;

The 4 fiends are all scratched up or nursing lesser cuts, but the demonic warriors should heal just fine given a few hours. Standing two heads above most humans, the red-skinned creatures are natural warriors, their clawed hands and otherwise feral features a match for any two orcs or thereabouts. Besides their muscle, the only redeeming feature of theirs seem to be their crude, but surprisingly witty humour that they let shine through on occasion.

Much less impressive to look at are the 8 magogs, about half a head taller than the common dwarf and encased in overly rough, scarlet scales. Based on their appearance, and the treatment you have seen other demons give them, you'd wager them to stem from the ranks of the common quasit. The servile creatures all have innate talent as mages of infernal fire, but for all you know, besides being complete bootlickers that's all there is about them.

Then there's “Cindy”. Clothed in less than two handfuls of cloth at the best of times, the succubus of questionable alias was bestowed upon you by Meneriva herself, after becoming a rank four acolyte. That the arch-sorceress kept several incubi in her personal service, maybe an indication of her tastes.
All the same, the succubus is without a doubt the greatest demonic asset that you have. Speaking of “assets”.. no, wait. Never mind. Her alluring form would surely draw in any male not minding a demon before himself, though her skill in illusions can easily bypass that later problem. She is also a mind-mage of lesser skill, electing to strengthen or dim feelings that already exist, or intruding upon a mind while it sleeps. You've seen what her kin have done to those less careful – or in some cases, what was given to them as their own personal pets – and complete enthralment lies at the end of that particular journey.

Finding that all is right with your troops, and pointedly ignoring the creative pose the demoness chooses to lounge herself with against a tree, you take some time for further planning.

The landscape surrounding you has been recently named as “The Infernal Hills“, in no short order due to your masters machinations. As the name suggests, the whole place is teeming with infernal energies and lesser creatures of the dark arts, and while it should take you but a day to leave the area, any pursuing crusaders should take at least twice that time, if not more.

For better or worse, the areal around the former stronghold has been greatly depopulated, and mostly so by force instead of flight. While you think it advisable to travel through the long late-autumn nights, picking a clear direction might be just as wise.

Ernevh Ruins
The Ernevh Kingdom once prospered around what eventually became your masters stronghold. You strongly doubt that there are any madmen left living in your former homeland, and all supplies should have long since been looted, too. While you could seek refuge in one of the ruined towns or cities here, dawdling for too long might put you at great risk of being found.

Dint-Axe Cragholds
Formerly a dwarven territory, about as much of the small folks have been killed as they have been replaced. While you have little doubt that they will reclaim their holds in short order, you should have a month or two before they do so. As you played an active part in depopulating the area, the common roads are known to you, and know the rugged area to be rather difficult for any pursuers, especially the cavalry kind.

The Charcoal Jungles
Formerly known as “The Verdant Jungles”, reaching this area would need you to circle around the enemy army - which used the former ernevh roads after passing the ocre expanse. Once inside though, the swamps and what little remains of the treeline, should hide you rather well. What survives of the indigenous animal people that made the jungles their home, should have little reason to enter the area, and pursuers would have to search far and wide for your presence. The often swampy terrain wouldn't only slow down your pursuers though.

Scarlet Badlands
While your master did spent ample effort to spill lives liquid in this area, it was known as such for the colour of its soil since centuries. There is little in the way of vegetation, and the sloping hills offer little cover, but the hostile nature and general lack of water might fend off pursuers all the same. There also might be surviving molekin still, which might bode badly for you if discovered by them.

Ocre Expanse
These salt-flats, fed anew by the seasonal stormfloods each spring, are the worst option by far. Flat as far as the eye can see, no sources of water, and leading whence the crusaders came from; The Free Cities Alliance, several semi-independent city-states mostly nestled along the shores of the local ocean.


Reaches Beyond
Having only seen three maps or so in your life, you are not quite sure what lies outside of the local periphery. Here, is what little you do know;

In the North, or rather, underneath it, lies a nation of subterranean elves. These “stone elves” helped the Dint-Axe dwarves during their war effort, though obviously not enough to sway the tides. In the same vein, the dwarves also employed some contingents of hob-goblin soldiers, who also need to have come from somewhere thereabouts.

In the East, there is said to be a savanna of some kind, home to orcish raiders mounted on lesser drakes. You would also have heard them to worship a true drake or lesser dragon of some kind, who rarely appears in their favour.

In the South, there is obviously the alliance, clustering the coast of the shimmering dunes. How far those stretch, a mystery to you. On that notion, the alliance brought along several contingents of lamias, though they could have shipped those in from even further south, or across the ocean.

In the West, there is barbarous kingdom ruled by tiger-kin, with several other carnivorous kin-races under their employ. Any herbivore animal-kin seem to be treated as slaves, though it is said that humans living in those parts only suffer such fates rather rarely.

In the Ocean, there is the Murrich Insula, a tropical paradise inhabited by aquatic hobbits. About two weeks to a month from the southern coast, it is generally depicted in the best of tunes, though not only do you doubt to be welcome there, how you would even get there would be mayhaps an even bigger problem.

Another Option entirely
You could wait around at one of the outlying forts that your master had built, and try to press lesser acolytes into your service. If your luck runs out though, you might be pressured into the service of an acolyte above your might instead. A gamble, but one that might be worth considering.

What are your plans?
Provided you don't need "further planning".

Spoiler: Arkand Golheim (click to show/hide)

Rank 4 Acolyte of Daemonology
Male Human, 23 years

Health: Fine
Mana: Somewhat drained

Skills:
Advanced Daemonic Summoner
Experienced Ravager
Novice Soul-Enchanter

Equipment:
Travel-Pouch, half full
Food Rations for 8 days
Water Rations for 3 days
Slightly Enchanted Robe (Lesser Spell-Ward)
Sacrifical Dagger, ornamental, spell focus
Tome: Daemons Call, mainly summoning rituals, some spells of ravaging, plus odds and ends of daemonic spells and cantrips

Blood for Power
You are able to fuel your spells with your own blood – a desperate, but effective measure.

Summoners Bond (minor)
You are able to give telepathic commands to those who you have summoned. This is a one-way street, and won't work over distances more than about half a league, and also excludes “Cindy”.

Well, monday could have gone better for me. Enough said. Should adhere to a more timely posting schedule from now on.

[Rockeater]

PTW

[Weirdsound]

Find a ruin nearby to hunker down in for the night, Ideally someplace built from flammable material or surrounded by vegetation so that the magogs may start a fire to cover our escape if need be.

Send Cindy out to the invader's camp in the guise of a common mortal prostitute to gather Intel, and perhaps a thrall or two. They will likely be celebrating their victory, and thus more vulnerable to the craft of a Sucubus than usual tonight. If we can find out how long the army intends to linger in the area hunting for survivors, and where they intend to go next, we will be at an advantage to plan our next move.

Pick a spot within the Dint-Axe Cragholds to meet up with Cindy should we be chased from our hiding place before she finishes her work.

[King Zultan]

Find a ruin nearby to hunker down in for the night, Ideally someplace built from flammable material or surrounded by vegetation so that the magogs may start a fire to cover our escape if need be.

Send Cindy out to the invader's camp in the guise of a common mortal prostitute to gather Intel, and perhaps a thrall or two. They will likely be celebrating their victory, and thus more vulnerable to the craft of a Sucubus than usual tonight. If we can find out how long the army intends to linger in the area hunting for survivors, and where they intend to go next, we will be at an advantage to plan our next move.

Pick a spot within the Dint-Axe Cragholds to meet up with Cindy should we be chased from our hiding place before she finishes her work.

+1

[Rockeater]

Find a ruin nearby to hunker down in for the night, Ideally someplace built from flammable material or surrounded by vegetation so that the magogs may start a fire to cover our escape if need be.

Send Cindy out to the invader's camp in the guise of a common mortal prostitute to gather Intel, and perhaps a thrall or two. They will likely be celebrating their victory, and thus more vulnerable to the craft of a Sucubus than usual tonight. If we can find out how long the army intends to linger in the area hunting for survivors, and where they intend to go next, we will be at an advantage to plan our next move.

Pick a spot within the Dint-Axe Cragholds to meet up with Cindy should we be chased from our hiding place before she finishes her work.

+1

+1

[VoidSlayer]

We should rapidly head north to the Dint-Axe Cragholds then head to the tiger people from there after gathering ourselves and looting what we can.

Do not send the succubus to the crusaders, they no doubt have experience resisting those things if they have been fighting our former master so much.  I would rather keep the succubus with us so she can hide herself and us as normal human/dwarf/elf refugees if necessary.