-Flying into town and killing all who stand against you.
Hey, it worked once, it can work again, right?
Under cover of darkness you move to the mountain overlooking Culloden. From here its defences seem a lot less potent. You can skip the walls, at least. However, you also feel a presence within the town. A virtuous, selfless presence, a mind who thinks only of others, wishing to protect and guide them. Merely brushing against it causes you to flinch- though it only inspires you to hasten the destruction of the town, so that you can eradicate that force of Goodness.
You assume the form of a great dragon. Black wings, with veins of blue fire tracing eldritch runes across their surface, spread out from a central torso the size of a large house. Six legs, each ending in vicious claws, support your head- the head of a dragon, but with scales and flesh falling away to reveal naught but the haunting void beneath. Blue fire burns in your eyes as you let out an earth-shaking roar, half draconian, half demonic, all terrifying.
You plunge down the mountainside as the town below panics, people fleeing for their houses and soldiers desperately trying to grab their equipment. You crash down in the courtyard before the castle, crushing several people beneath your claws, and breath fire in across the city, setting houses ablaze. Again you feel the virtuous presence, this time actively searching for you, trying to stop you. Its efforts are in vain, obviously, but your minions- especially the spectres- are affected quite severely. Only a few spectres manage to join you in the town; the others are swept aside by the overpowering waves of Goodness emanating from within the keep.
Your dragons and elementals pass through the wards, though shaken, and start attacking soldiers and citizens as they run and flee. However soon organised resistance is formed, and the dragons forced to retreat to the rooftops, to shoot fire from a distance, whilst the elementals charge headlong into groups of soldiers wielding consecrated blades, aided by chanting priests, and are quickly dispatched.
The townsfolk are terrified by this invasion- though obviously they were prepared for it, and through numbers and luck and that force of goodness within the keep, they manage to drive off most of your forces.
Ironically, it are the imps- who, affected by the barrier, could barely muster enough energy to fly around- who cause the most dismay. They set fires throughout the city and pull faces at passers by, gibbering in demontongue, driving citizens mad, forcing the guards to deal with both the attackers and the panicking population.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard before the keep, you find yourself facing waves of soldiers, firing arrows dipped in holy water and chanting the names of the gods at you, whilst keeping lose on their feet and fleeing whenever you make to strike back. You kill dozens of them, but suffer many injuries. Eventually you decide that staying is not worth the pain and trouble, and making one last mental assault against the soldiers, you leap into the sky, beating your great wings and calling the retreat.
Come morning, you sit once more upon the mountain opposite the town, picking arrows out of your body and nursing your wounds. Much of your force was slain, and though smoke still rises from a few errant fires, and corpses lie thick in the streets, you can feel the celebrations of the townsfolk from here, for having 'defeated' the great demon. That they dare consider themselves better than you is infuriating- but you must admit, the town is more heavily defended than you anticipated, and well prepared to face a demonic assault. You should leave Culloden for now, and return with a greater force, to teach them the folly of their ways.
So, you
-Fly to Grantown, to make sure Dal'Kahh does not suffer the same humiliation you did.
-Return to Barrspring, and begin preparing a new army at once.
-Rampage through the countryside, so even in their so-called victory these mortals will still have to deal with corruption of their lands.
Hah-ha! You fools! Oh, how fantastic. This is an excellent development, story-wise. Remember, Krlnkir: Mortals may be weak, but there are a lot of them, and there is only one of you. Hubris will be your downfall. ((NOTE: Do not actually remember this as Hubris is an excellent trait for a demon. I am serious. This was the most 'demonic' course of action. That it failed spectacularly does not mean it was wrong.))
Name: Krlnkir Yrlvnt
Physical might: 90 (-20: Injuries)
Mental might: 110 (-10: Injuries)
Other: Corrupter.
Demonic Realm: Akataki and Barrspring. 2000 Peons. Provides 70 Resources per week. +5 Physical Might/week +5 Mental Might/week
Resources: 98
Defences: Considerable.
Demonic Armies: 200 Armed Cultists, 15 Sergeants, 250 Armed Zombies, 80 Skeletal Warriors, 5 Amberärsh Packs, 15 Giant Rat Packs, 45 Spectres, 45 Beastmen, 32 Armoured Sintaurs, 23 Ghouls, 4 Armoured Baneghouls, 3 Black Dragons, 8 Water Elementals, 20 Red Imps, 15 Black Imps, 5 Catapults)
Army One: Lead by Dal'Kahh
200 Armed Cultists, 15 Sergeants, 250 Armed Zombies, 80 Skeletal Warriors, 20 Spectres, 45 Beastmen, 32 Armoured Sintaurs, 23 Ghouls, 4 Armoured Baneghouls, 8 Water Elementals, 15 Black Imps, 5 Catapults.
Army Two: Lead by Krlnkir Yrlvnt
25 Spectres, 3 Black Dragons, 20 Red Imps
Cults:
The Mad Flames: Low organisation. 43 Cultists in the Church of the Flames of Madness. Led by Balthanor the Necromancer
Power Level: 13
Resources: 4 (+1/week)
Cultists: 21 Cultists, 21 Acolytes, 1 Experienced Cultist
Followers of the Tall Man. Very high organisation. 48 cultists in six locations; Dragonsnest, Greywinde, Port Hope, Goldhall, Easthall and Narsis.
Power Level: 8
Resources: 0
Cultists: 48 Cultists
Locations: Dragonsnest, Greywinde, Port Hope, Goldhall, Easthall and Narsis: 8 Cultists each
Missionaries of the Alternate Faith. High organisation. 9 members in two locations.
Power Level: 1
Locations: Noragan (6 cultists), Sal'Sarrin (3 Cultists)
Champions:
Alyshtr Yrlvnt: Half-demon. 3 months old.
Physical Might: 0.5 (note: in an emergency, her demonic powers would protect her)
Mental Might: 2
Other: Red Imp pet (will act as bodyguard, entertain with fire magic and demonic tales), pet slave.
Knowledge: Demontongue, mind-corruption.
Dal'Kahh the Avaricious: Warrior with demonic strength, armed with Darkbarr armour and Barrsdoom.
Physical Might: 10 (+3 Axe)
Mental Might: 4 (+1 Axe)
Equipment: Barrsdoom (Axe; +3 to physical might, +1 to mental might. Inspires friendly troops, causes fear in enemy troops)
Unamed Guard: Former Akataki Guard with aspirations to heroism. Slowly being corrupted.
Physical Might: -1 (Rebellious)
Mental Might: 0 (Rebellious)
Other: Planning and executing futile escape attempts to take his mind off of the hopelessness of his situation.
Balthanor the Necromancer: Travelled to Akataki to join your cause. Has considerable knowledge of magic and necromancy.
Physical Might: 2
Mental Might: 10 (+5: Dark Crystal)
Equipment: Dark Crystal which emanates evil energy (+5 Mental might. Requires basic knowledge of necromancy to use)
Knowledge: Magic, Necromancy. Summoning of Zombies, creation of Ghouls, casting of Dark Bolt, Hypnosis.
Fortresses:
The Church of the Flames of Madness. Formerly Dolnar Asylum, HQ of Barrtal monster hunters.
Mighty Walls (50). Moat (5, slows attackers). Dark Wards (30). Evil Stones (cause illusions and madness to attackers, also act as a second set of Weak Wards(10)). Rampant Spectres (cause madness to attackers. May randomly attack enemies)
Sacrificial Chamber: An excellent location for worship and sacrifice.
Workshops: A large forge and a series of workshops allow cultists to refine resources much more efficiently. Would be more useful with a steady supply of raw materials, but lets the cultists repurpose, recycle, and repair enough to generate a small amount of resources.
Library: A library and series of studies allow cultists to learn the arts of magic. Contains a host of information on both Magic and Necromancy, enabling Acolytes to be upgraded to Experienced Cultists.
Sending Circles: A pair of raised daises, linked to a similar pair in Barrspring, which can send and receive objects given a source of power. Balthanor's Dark Crystal powers the circles.
Author
Topic: Demonhood. -Slumbering for an indeterminate number of Strange Aeons- (Read 237422 times)