The UR's Plan ver 3.0 (added blue imps and other minor changes)
Bassicaly: Rampage through the countryside, so even in their so-called victory these mortals will still have to deal with corruption of their lands
In details:
Plan below is valid for the next weeks\month: (until something decisive happens at Grantown)
Krlnkir Yrlvnt + his army
1) Wage strategical warfare. Destroy infrastructure, food producing, industry, small settlements, travelers, small squads, avoid really big fights:
we just can't leave now, eat their beloved caws, burn their villages, corrupt water, let them starve to death in that damned city.
Use our advantage in mobility to avoid hard fights, it's like war with aviation against someone, who has no effective AA guns (bows and arrows aren't effective).... move from village to village, from helmet to helmet, from field to field, from caravan to caravan, from bridge to bridge, from mountain pass to mountain pass, from boat to boat. Carpet bombing it is.
2) While we rampage create: red imps , blue imps (feel the Ian river with it) , flocks of Hitchcock's birds (corrupt existing wild birds, obviously).
Appearance: mermaidlike, big claws and teeth. Sharp enough to damage wooden ships
Advantages: Fast in water, Swarm attack (like piranhas)
Disadvantages: completely useless on land
3) Carefully learn about that good thing
4) Don't get too close to the city (max 5km)
The Realm
Long term orders:
Transfer resources to the CFM (construction material, firewood, small animals, food) : 10 resources per week
Build a tunnel from Barrspring mines to Akataki: at first 1 meter wide, 1.5 meters high, then expand to 1.5*2 meters, then to, then to 3*2.5 meters, then to 4*3 meters. Use mined out materials for fortifying: 30 resources per week (I suspect it is a very longtime project, but I think it is useful in a long run)
Build slave galleys in Akataki: 10 resources per week
Generic fortifying: 20 resources per week
The CFM
One time orders:
Design and build an "Amberash furnace" (Basically an automatic Amberash creation machine powered by crystal\Asylum itself: 1)open 2) Put animals 3)put firewood, 4)close 5) light it up 6)wait, 7)open 8)get a fresh amberash pack)
After it finished go on to long term orders:
1)Operate Amberash furnace: 1 power per week
2)Upgrade Cultists to to Acolytes, upgrade Acolytes to Experienced Cultists: 6 power per week
3)Research new spells: 6 power per week
other cults
Same as before
Dal'Kahh the Avaricious
1)Commands an operation without our interference or aid
2)Don't do a rush assault thing, methodically weaken the enemy by catapults, tunneling, commando attacks, then start an assault when a good opportunity arise.
3)Be ready to retreat to Akataki if scouts inform him about big reinforcements nearby (week away or closer)
Oh, and keep an eye to the west. Rumblings are beginning to rise from the army that the gods have answered their call and they have sent a being of good to fight you.
(Get the reference?)
Yes, thank you, I get the reference. Iituem, Cerapa, and I are all exchanging notes. For those of you who do not get the reference, shame on you, I'm sure I've linked to it multiple times. One more time:
Divinity
Meanwhile, in Grantown...
The water under the docks churns, rises up. Eight Elementals rise from the river, driven forth by rage. They gather around a small boat used to ferry goods from nearby villages, and as one, blast it with coherent streams of water. The high-pressure water shatters the aging woodwork, and soon the boat is sinking to the riverbed. But before the elementals can turn their anger towards another vessel, lights spring up all around them, as lanterns are uncovered and torches lit. Twenty soldiers- ten archers, ten swordsmen- surround the Elementals, backed up by two priests and a dozen local guards. The elementals snarl- a sound like waves crashing violently into a cliff- and charge. The soldiers swing their swords, dismayed when the steel passes through harmlessly. The elementals have no trouble injuring them- their punches remind of belly-flopping into a still pool from a great height, leaving the soldiers dazed or winded, and the stunned soldiers are hard-pressed to resist when their heads are grasped with wet hands and forced into their attacker's chest, where the process of drowning is hastened by the water actively forcing its way into their lungs. The soldiers fall in droves, and back away, preferring to raise their shields over their swords.
The priests perform a quick blessing upon an arrow, and an archer sends it straight through the head of an elemental- which briefly seems unfazed, but then it collapses, the water it consisted of draining harmlessly back into the river. The other elementals seem briefly concerned, then charge again, but this time the priests bless one of the swords, and after a second elemental falls, the rest are driven back into the river. The nights thereafter, soldiers with consecrated blades watch the docks, and the elementals cannot strike again.
Dal'Kahh takes the failure calmly, rationally, and then slaughters the remaining elementals until only one is left, pinned against a wall by Barrsdoom, and told to get it into its thick, simple mind: DO NOT FAIL HIM.
Though the elemental has barely enough room in its mind to understand anything, the rest of the force is impressed by this display, and works twice as hard to ensure they will not suffer a similar fate.
The town is surrounded, with Sintaurs and Spectres patrolling, although many take the risky choice of fleeing by river- and though archers take some, many more escape- leaving the town only with those desperate enough to stay, and the garrison. Dal'Kahh fires diseased corpses into the town- some of which survive the journey, and cause a little panic before being slain-, and sends black imps tunnelling in under the walls, to steal supplies and whisper madness.
With the town depopulated, rotting corpses lying in the street- rotting corpses which might rise and try to kill you-, and supplies mysteriously going missing from cellars, from whence comes a half heard drunken song the words of which are not human, morale starts to fall. The soldiers thought they were prepared for demonic invasion: evidently not. Dal'Kahh performs a few demonstrations before the walls, marching skeletons and zombies up and down, laughing madly as the defenders quiver, until he judges their morale sunk so low they will pose little threat.
Black imps tunnel into the city at night, take out the guards by the gate, and open it. Armed Cultists walk into the city; by the time the alarm is raised, it is already to late; zombies are brought in to soak up any attempts at resistance, whilst the cultists round up the remaining citizens and take them captive. Dal'Kahh, frustrated at the lack of bloodshed, forces several of the survivors to face him- though it barely slakes his lust for blood. Still; he appreciates that an intact town with living inhabitants is more... useful to his dark lord, and begins the process of converting the wicked, enslaving the neutral, and sending the good back to Barrspring to feed the furnace.
Outlying villages are 'convinced' to join the cause, patrols are arranged, what little damage was done during the siege is repaired, and the temple is defiled and re-purposed as a pyre-house. In no time, Grantown is part of your dark realm.
Back at Culloden, you and your 'army' rampage through the countryside; burninating the countryside, burninating the peasants, burninating all the peoples, in their thatched roof cottages (thatched roof cottages!). But somehow it doesn't feel as... satisfying as it should. Oh, sure, the tortured screams of the dying still fill you with glee, but the usual rush of power is more of a... dribble. People fear you- yes. But they also have hope. Many of the thatched roof cottages are empty; the inhabitants and their possessions taken to 'safety' of the town whilst you rampage. And in the town, there is a spirit of sharing and celebration, as the refugees from the countryside are given shelter by the townsfolk without complaint; food is rationed and shared- they are prepared to sit in that city all winter, laughing- LAUGHING- as you rampage around outside like, and I quote, "An angry child kicking chickens because his parents would not give him candy".
You destroy a few bridges, tear up a few farms 'till they are beyond repair, and slaughter any of the wee coos (little cows) that cross your path- but have not the energy to continue for very long: it isn't worth it if people aren't afraid. You summon a pack of blue imps and send them into the river, but then you leave- you can't stand to stay here any longer. Your spiteful rampage has done you nothing but add insult to injury- and given that the insults in question are thousands of relieved minds being sickeningly nice to each other, the insults themselves cause your powers to wane. You don't actually have bones, but if you did, it would be a lie to say that words could never hurt them.
You return to Barrspring in a foul mood. You slump on your throne and let time pass by. Vague impressions reach you: Unnamed Guard tried to escape again. Your daughter adopted one of the black imps in a manner the imp itself refers to as 'cat-like'. A mechanically inclined cultist has designed some sort of new crossbow-thing which he seeks approval for. You wave him away with a vague answer indicating you do not wish to be disturbed. I believe your exact words were- no, no, this cannot be written down using mortal language. The cultist is now a gibbering wreck, though one of the blacksmiths found his plans and reckons they could probably make it in the workshops of CFM, which have with a (semi)-reliable source of materials started to churn out useful bits and bobs- mostly magical equipment for use in training or research. Their first project- the Amberärsh furnace- was a resounding success, and by carefully luring animals into the asylum from the nearby forest, a steady supply of Amberärsh packs has become available. Balthanor has learnt a thing or two from the acolytes scribbled notes on necromancy, and with plenty of time and energy with which to hone his skills, has become significantly more potent. By his instruction, one of the brighter acolytes has outshone his fellows, and joins the ranks of the Invocators. However, Balthanor notes that not all have the talent required to reach this level alone- a ritual giving the acolyte seeking promotion the mental power required to master the magical arts could be devised... but would be costly.
Dang, Krlnkir. This just isn't your month, is it? First Hubris, then Spite- all very demonic, also very impractical. Culloden will surely be too pleased in themselves to truly fear you or your forces for months to come.
Meanwhile, Dal'Kahh walked up to Grantown, just... stood there, and then they failed so hard on their morale rolls that they could barely fight back.
:/
Name: Krlnkir Yrlvnt
Physical might: 81 (+5 Sacrifice)(-4 Leakage)(+5 Rampage)(-15 Insults)
Mental might: 100 (+5 Worship)(-5 Leakage)(+5 Rampage)(-15 Insults)
Demonic Realm: Akataki, Barrspring, and Grantown. 3500 Peons. Provides 100 Resources per week. +7 Physical Might/week +7 Mental Might/week
Resources: 98 -70 Infrastructure (-10/Week: Sent to CFM)
Defences: Considerable.
Notable features: The Forge-Temple at Barrspring provides weaponry of darkbarr steel- high quality corrupted metal.
Demonic Armies: 200 Armed Cultists, 15 Sergeants, 200 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, 6 Water Elementals, 20 Red Imps, 15 Black Imps, 5 Catapults)
Cults:
The Mad Flames: Low organisation. 43 Cultists in the Church of the Flames of Madness. Led by Balthanor the Necromancer
Power Level: 13 -5 Construction -1 Amberärsh Furnace -7 Training
Resources: 12 (+3/week: Workshops)(+9/week: Received from Barrspring)
Cultists: 20 Cultists, 21 Acolytes, 2 Experienced Cultist
Servants: 1 Amberärsh Pack
Other: 5/16 Training Acolyte to 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: 11 -5 Espionage
Resources: 0
Cultists: 48 Cultists
Locations: Dragonsnest, Greywinde, Port Hope, Goldhall, Easthall and Narsis: 8 Cultists each
Missionaries of the Alternate Faith. High organisation. 11 members in two locations.
Power Level: 2-2 Recruitment
Locations: Noragan (7 cultists), Sal'Sarrin (4 Cultists)
Champions:
Alyshtr Yrlvnt: Half-demon. 3.25 months old.
Physical Might: 0.5 (note: in an emergency, her demonic powers would protect her)
Mental Might: 2
Other: Red Imp pet (fire magic and demonic tales), pet slave, Black Imp pet (metal working and demonic ales).
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: 0 (Rebellious)
Mental Might: 0 (Rebellious)
Other: Broke his leg trying to climb through the mountains, lay in the snow bleeding, freezing, praying for the swift release of death; was rescued when consort smelt blood and went looking for the source, intending to eat it. Did not eat it, as prefers it as a conversation partner, especially now that his broken leg and severe cold means he cannot run away.
Balthanor the Necromancer: Travelled to Akataki to join your cause. Has considerable knowledge of magic and necromancy.
Physical Might: 2
Mental Might: 12 (+5: Dark Crystal)
Equipment: Dark Crystal which emanates evil energy (+5 Mental might. Requires basic knowledge of necromancy to use)
Knowledge: Magic, Necromancy.
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. With the resources sent from Barrspring, the Cultists can use the workshops far more effectively than before.
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, and for a wide variety of spells and rituals to be learnt.
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.
Amberärsh Furnace: A horrific device which industrializes the summoning of Amberärshs. Animals go in, Amberärshs come out.
Author
Topic: Demonhood. -Slumbering for an indeterminate number of Strange Aeons- (Read 237389 times)