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View Full Version : [E6, 3.5] The Four Devil Lords of Menicent



Toy Killer
2013-01-08, 04:51 PM
Introduction:
In my campaign, I have a normal material realm that is blocked off it's positive energy. The players have 10 secessions to find out why, and reverse the process; or the plane will literally sink into a new realm of hell. To make matters worse, the sudden over flow of negative energy is causing the dead to rise and four of the Devil lords of hell are fighting for first stakes of the plane. The high priest of Palor has gone missing, A strange cult is celebrating the sudden turn of chaos and the players are only level 6.


I'm fishing for ideas to personalize four of the Devil Lords attempting to take over the material plane of Medicent. I have the general concepts in mind, but I want the play style between the devil's pawns to feel different to the players. Thank you for any help or advice you're able to give, any clarifications on the plane, campaign or game in general will be put into the Introduction section.

The Four Devil Lords

Aesthline
The Lady of Spite, the Jealous Matron, The Queen Of Hell
Aesthline is spiteful, angry and manipulative. In her strangely contradictory viewpoint (for a devil, at least), she doesn't care for anything that isn't beautiful, yet strikes down anything that could hold a candle to her own beauty. She proudly boasts being an original Devil lord, and indeed could be the eldest devil lord currently. She enjoys simple mutilation and luxury, Vanity and endless discrimination of all forms.

Aesthline doesn't have her own entities the way the devil lords do, as she doesn't care for the excess work; after all, why make beings into existence when so many are dying to receive her attention? She lives for seduction and corruption, and fumes with rivalry. Many imagined slights have gone out of hand, lasting for centuries of planning and plotting.

Aesthline typically employs the likes of spiders, and if legends are to be believed, she created them, but considering her opinion of exerting work, it's not particularly likely. She uses spiders, as they fit her aesthetics perfectly. Hideous, yet they hide themselves in shame, virulent in poison, they corrupt entirely, and complicated webs which take days to make and weeks to bear fruit; Exactly what the Jealous Matron ordered.

Aesthline dabbles in various measures of evil, but none so much as corruption. Lust, theft, gluttony and vanity are toys compared to her corrupting influence. Many Devil lords can barter for a soul and claim a desperate fool in times of strife, but Aesthline makes it an art form, and art she has mastered. Many of her minions don't even realize their servitude until far too late, after years of fighting on behalf of the Jealous Matron in the eternity of Hell.

Of all the Devil lords, Aesthline's forces on hell are the most 'militant'. Organized and tactical, forming legions of troops to invade and occupy the corners of the abyss in controlled fortress and castles built to exemplify her beauty and crush those who would spite her charm. While she is most definitely in control, the organization of her forces are due largely to the corrupted paladins she takes under her wing.

Aesthline is well respected among demons (A corner stone of debate against her legitimacy of being a devil), as demons typically don't care long enough for revenge when a mortal attempts to outwit or swindle a demonic being. Aesthline takes it upon her self to hunt the soul lost by the fool merely out of vanity and to show off her skill. Sometimes, demon lords will consult her in shame, and ask her for her assistance in retrieving a lost soul. Admittedly, gaining an audience with a devil is particularly dangerous for a demon, so this is a rare case in deed.

Souls under Aesthline's command are typically tossed aside as currency for her generals and foremen to have as they please. In fact, slave trade is a great way to describe her treatment.

different ethnicities and varying levels of beauty imply a higher or lower value, and prostitution of those within her ranks is largely expected. She even has a Oubliette vault, which she employs as the center for massive orgies and 'diplomatic' meetings with other devils and demon lords in Hell.

The attention of Aesthline can be brought by declaring or showing off your beauty, selling your body or otherwise using sex for your own personal gain instead of mutual affection, killing spiders (regardless of how small) or outwitting demons in bartering.

Game play for Aesthline's minions
Before anyone mentions it, I know she is a Lloth knock-off. One of the bigger arch questions of the game is weather or not the gods actually exist, and it would feel obvious if Lloth was a devil lord.

I wanted Aesthline's minions to vary between beautiful, Horrid and Spiders. Many encounter's with Aesthline's influence on the world will involve corrupted civilians and citizens of the realm under powerful enchantment spells. I'm even considering a tailored metamagic feat that denies special bonuses to will saves against enchantment spells delivered through bite attacks.

While I don't want anyone to worship any of the Devil lords, we do have a chaotic evil, "Death Metal" bard in the party. and if he were to start worshiping any of the devil lords, I would want it to be Aesthline. In fact, he has a special event for him, that will bring her eye onto him. (A rock off with a Succubus, which, hypothetically, he should win and get a modified Dragonfire inspiration out of.)

Toy Killer
2013-01-08, 04:53 PM
Magnys
The Silent One, The Emotionless One, The Golem Lord
An odd devil lord. While wholly evil, he tends to tip more sternly on the lawful side of things. Uncaring, unfeeling, the origin of the The Emotionless One is questionable at best.

Some say he was a mortal that died while being tortured, who only stood as long as he did by ignoring his emotions. Other say that he is a corrupted agent of the planes of Heaven, whom peered to deeply into the darkness of Hell for too long and doesn't know what to feel anymore.

Magnys is capable of understanding communication, but chooses not to communicate with anyone.

While he is slow in undertaking his endeavors, patiently waiting to set up his plans until his course of actions are largely unstoppable. Like a boulder, slowly marching to it's path, he stands for no resistance, casually crushing it beneath his feet.

Often referred to as The Golem Lord by other Hellish outsiders, Magnys only tolerates beings under his complete and utter control. He doesn't have his own dedicated creations, per say, but he gladly takes outsiders from all over hell and the abyss on modifies them to his personal aesthetic. While few in numbers (Comparatively), his minions are typically modified heavily for the situation they are in. Grafted, mutated, and mindless, Magnys will change their capacities out for what he plans.

An important note, Magnys doesn't respect or seem to understand devotion thrown his way. Cults of Magnys are small and few, but are never targeted to become his minions. The best scenario is he will kill them when they make their presence known, worst scenario is he will pull them apart for core material. Some say it's paranoia, a logical conclusion to fear of Aesthline's minions attempting to infiltrate his creations. However, it's just as likely that he only cares to have minions under his control that did not choose to be his.

Magnys typically blocks out the eyes of his minions. A simple bolted band across the eyes typically works just fine, with an arcane rune floating over their forehead. The eyes aren't taken out (typically) but the eyelids are often removed or nailed open. Some minor undead have the eyes removed and replaced with cold, glowing green flames.

Souls under Magnys's control are immediately put to work. Forges, mines, distilleries, and factories, manned by thousands of souls Magnys has 'earned'.

The Attention of Magnys can be brought by the artificial augmentation to ones own self, upholding law to the point of inhumanity, or knowingly (Not necessarily willingly) ignoring an emotion for what has to be done.

Game play for Magnys's minions
Heavy, heavy use of grafts, Half machine template and Half Golem template. I don't plan Magnys to use traditional tactics, as much as just have largely inappropriate CRs thrown and march them down the line. Letting the players decipher means to subvert them.

I build Magnys's forces akin to 'The Machines' From the matrix and 'The Whole' from the movie 'Virus', and The Machine from the movie '9'. Magnys is the inversion to Aesthline, Aesthline likes to make a being's wills bend her way, while Magnys likes to bend the being, despite the will in the way. He has a little bit of over lay between the other two demon lords, as Bhor is found of upgrading his minions (In fact, they are most notable due to their abilities to buff themselves.) and doesn't mind the use of poison/disease and flight of Karynes. However, neither stealth nor small numerous forces typically appeals to Magnys.

One nifty concept I came up with, was a Half-Machine Elsewhale (Planar Handbook) with the symbiotic template (Savage Species) applied to it numerous times, to allow for a creepy disgusting drop ship of Cadaver Collectors (MMIV). I will post my perversion of the Cadaver Collector later.

Toy Killer
2013-01-08, 04:54 PM
Karynes
The Plague Flock, The
A Devil born against the Elven Saint of Hospice, Acheylla. Legend says they were born of nature initially, and as the twins fed off the positive and negative energies while in

conception, Acheylla pooled the positive energy and Karynes fed off the negative energies. It would make sense as well, as The two are polar opposites, yet of similar measure.

Karynes has a avian Motif, but her's is of crows and vultures, while Acheylla is of doves and eagles. Karynes deals in spreading disease and keeping her victims alive while in pain, while Acheylla is of mercy and treating the sick.

Karynes has a few kinds of species under her divine conjuring, [Kenku, Raptoran] whose job is to prolong suffering and pain in those on the mortal plane. Her kith are prone to dealing with poisons and diseases. Spellcasting Karynesean minions are typically adept at using necromancy at the core of their Magic, although they do dabble in other schools. Cloudkill is a particular favorite (Outside of necromancy), as they are skittish and typically make sure an air route of escape is available. It's a typical adjustment for her minions to raise minor undead with the souls of the bodies etched into the ectoplasmic center as so the souls will feel the torment of their bodies miss-use. Even in death, the souls will still suffer from her presence.

Karynes followers are typically embraced, although wholy mistreated. Typically test subjects at will, it's hard to find a minion without some horrifying disease or mutilation. Many carry cysts (unknowingly or otherwise) that allow Karynes to follow their movements and use horrible spells from afar.

Souls bartered under Karynes's control often face torment of horrifying choices. A particular favorite is starvation, with food held aloft in a cage. The only way to have the food dropped is to allow the mutilation of an arm. Although the souls cannot die, the hunger still rolls within their stomach. Even if the souls are fed, they will only be sated for a few days time, and in the span of eternity, that would only feel as a few, breif seconds within the years of torture.

The attention of Karynes can be brought by the desecration of the dead, the willing (Not necessarily knowingly) poisoning or infecting another person with a disease with no personal gain, or the eating of a corpse without any preparation.

Game play for Karynes' minions
Karynes' minions are skittish, and don't like a frontal fight. They will use invisibility and leave unnerving clues to their presence. I like the idea of using Skull Talisman both aesthetically and for the fact that a cleric could quietly shatter the skull in his hand over a sleeping party member, only for them to wake up and find bone dust and shards over their bed.

Flight will always be an option, and they will not be too lethal of combatants. however, when they take a stand, Fortitude saves will become the most important block of the character sheets.

Karynes is the inversion to Bhor, as Karynes doesn't care for fighting directly at all, which is the divine purpose of Bhor. Karynes does have some small over flow with Magnys, as both will deal with air combat and disease. As for Aesthline, Karynes does love mild illusion spells, but enchantment is almost wholly forgotten, unless it can be used to make someone do something unforgivable (which, shy of dominate, is hard to accomplish. especially at such low levels). Though, both do appeal to particularly dark fae as well.

Toy Killer
2013-01-08, 04:55 PM
Bhor
The Dark Huntsmen, The Carnal Beast
Bhor is a lesser devil lord, by sheer wealth in souls, but by his ability to turn battles in hell, is no smaller then any of the greater devils in Hell. Spreading pain and suffering and strife is his purpose and he fullfils it well. Bhor leans on the neutrility of the line of Lawful evil, and indeed resembles something of a fiendish druid, but he is careful, organized and obsessive with every activity he musters.

Bhor creates beings frequently with adaptablity as his key focus. While he has had many disgustingly effecient works in the past, The Bhorkith race is by far his most diabolical prize.

Capable of ruthless destruction and benign cruelty, the Bhorkith are only limited by time needed to eat the fallen and lay more eggs. Stealthy, intelligent and breeding their own weapons and differences, Bhorkiths are born of slaughter. Further more, many specialized breeds have unique abilities passed by with mere presence alone. The battlefield clicks and snaps when new Bhorkith enter the battle.

The only other constant motif beyond his savage 'children', is the frigid cold. Being the tactician he is, he understands the necessity of the battle of the sky and oft resorts to hail and blizzards to give his forces an advantage.

Since the purpose of Hell is to bring in new souls, Bhor must exert his influence on the mortal realms from time to time, much to his disgust. Instead of deliberately bringing souls under his own control, he will create situations in which the other lords of the lower planes can pick up the desperate and needy behind his wake.

Bhor doesn't care to own souls, and when they fall into his possession, he is very quick to trade them away again for services and to help set up his own agenda.

The attention of Bhor can be brought by surviving deep cold, killing a hungry predator with no intent to eat it, and winning a battle with the odds against you by sheer ruthlessness.


Game play for Bhor's minions
Bhorkith are Kython juveniles, with a special rule that allows them to act similarly to slivers in M:tG, allowing them to give others 20 feet around them special rules. Bhorkith assaults, I feel, are going to become something of a mini-game. Target priority is so strong with the Bhorkith, that players are going to have to step out of their typical mindset of what is available to kill and what Needs to die.

Especially if I let the followers of Bhor learn Bhorkith summoning, to 'tailor' the battlefield a bit. (Fitting in with the Druidic, survival of the fittest mentality of Bhor)

Each Bhorkith mutation is going to bring a positive and a minus to the affected, like the Frost-Blighter that allows them to use a frost breath weapon, while giving them the Cold subtype (And with it, a vulnerability to fire). So, while the party can target the Frost-Blighter Bhorkith, It would make sense to just let the Sorcerer fireball it and those around it.

Others will include one that makes them physically more vulnerable (Lose a hit die), but give them leap charging, and one that makes them more vulnerable (Lose armor class) but gives them a flying speed. Or one that allows them to fire quills, but they lose close combat abilities. And one that just reverberates whatever bonuses it has across the field.

I plan on one granting spell resistance and maybe a couple sorcerer spell slots, but worsens the will save. I'm hesitant on that, because the party doesn't have a lot of 'outsider' friendly will saving throws to throw at the Bhorkith, and it makes the fight a bit one sided with any useful spell I could let the Bhorkith learn in mass.

At first, the Bhorkith will be easily identifiable, by color and appearance. but later, I will release one that allows the Bhorkith to change their colors and identification will require more astute observation.

About mid campaign, The players will get a launcher that allows the summoning of 'off' breeds of Bhorkith that ultimately weaken the group, designed by other devil and Demon lords, to help fight Bhor's march. I want these Bhorkith to be named Blank-born, (I.E. Lead-born Bhorkith, who make all Bhorkith in the area of affect 'Entangled', but they get higher armor, or Graveborn Bhorkith, who make all Bhorkith around them Undead.)

Toy Killer
2013-01-08, 06:29 PM
All done, ready for posting!