Villains and Monsters IV (IC)

The sun rose over the Empire, over the entire world, for indeed, the Empire stretched to the ends of explored lands. The sun rose, turning the sky that unique shade of pink that only dawn brings, and as the sun rose higher in the sky, the blue replaced the pinks and oranges that had lit the darkness.

As the sun crested over the horizon, the capital city of the Empire came to life. The city of Vespera had been carved from the very earth with magic, and buildings stood in grandest splendor, some hundreds of feet tall. In the center of the city stood the Empress’ Palace, a massive pyramid made from seamless gray granite. Steps were carved into each side, and petitioners could enter at the first floor, seeking the Empress for her advice and declarations.

As petitioners entered the ground floor, they would be amazed at the statue work within the entrance. Hundreds of different monsters, depicted in positions of the utmost horror, depicted in such lifelike detail that you could almost expect them to draw breath, to come to life. Among the statues stood many of the Imperial Guard, mostly minotaurs, the personal guard selected by Lord Garth to protect the Empress. They were distinct among the army, with a white sash worn over their blue armor. The minotaur stood motionless, but fewer petitioners feared their wrath than they did the Empress they had come to petition. For all of those statues were no testament to a master craftsman, but a fitting tribute to the rage of the Empress, a mighty medusa who turned creatures to stone on a whim. The capital city was named for her, and all of the length and breadth of the Empire feared her, but standing near the end of the entryway, there was a statue of the one whom all truly feared.

A craftsman had made a simple bronze statue of the Emperor. Seated, with wings folded behind him, an incubus looked out on each petitioner. On his left hand, a large ruby ring resided, placed even on this statue as his symbol. Any creature who wore that distinctive ring acted in the name of the Emperor. The ring, not fitted with any normal ruby, but instead one that pulsed with an inner light, was a symbol feared by all. Any emissary wearing it would be treated with the utmost respect, because agents of Malveris, of the Emperor, would strike with fury any who harmed one wearing the ring. It wasn’t known how the Emperor knew who had harmed his emissaries, but he always knew.

The capital city, the city named for the Empress, the city of Vespera, had been crafted with magic many years ago. In the time since, shops and homes had been built by human and elven hands, by demons and monsters once feared across the land.

Even though time had passed, the War was spoken of with awe, in whispers of reverance. How Malveris and his companions had emerged from a small town, a solace for monsterkind, and had begun to conquer the world. Lord Garth, a might minotaur, had defended the Emperor from every enemy imaginable, and now commanded the armies of the Empire, with his two generals. Skartchin, once a lowly kobold, had served Malveris as a personal servant, and as his magic grew, so did his place within the company; now none save the Emperor and the Empress commanded him. The tiny kobold ruled the Magister’s guild, the union of all magic users, whether wizards, warlocks, or sorcerers. The Magister’s guild controlled passage throughout the Empire, transporting parties, the richest of the merchants, and armies across the empire in a matter of seconds. Though this had once been an expensive process, in these days many could afford it.

The Magister’s guild also served an important purpose, controlling the collection of taxes. While they did not dispense on matters of justice, many understood that a Magister’s justice was final (and often deadly).

The army, led by Lord Garth and his two generals, oversaw policing the lands and were responsible for tracking down offenders of the empire and bringing them to justice. Judgements of law were left up to feudal lords set in place by the Emperor and Empress, but often guilds of merchants and races clamored until they were given sentencing to appease them. Most notable among the laws of the land was the bounty on all dragonkind, where the corpse of any dragon, good or evil, was worth a fortune. Kobolds were exempt from this, as the prime servants of the Magister’s Guild, but many a fool met their death turning in the dragon-kin kobold. The skies, once watched with fear of dragon-kind, had not seen their like in many years.

The mighty city of Vespera sat in the center of the Empire, on the remains of the human and elven kingdoms that had tried to fight the Empire. Near Vespera rested the ruins of cities in both capitals, that remained desolate by command of the Emperor. Although the cities and countries had been conquered, there were still human and elven settlers in the Empire- in fact, they had thrived in the past few years. But those unwilling to bend to an Empire they considered evil, or refusing to give into defeat had set up small enclaves and places of refuge. Here the greatest of the old world’s heroes wait, train, and seek to bring down the Empire.

In a place like the Empire, there was no place for a thieves’ guild. The Empress, an epic thief and the center of many of her own legends, headed the Spetznats, the combined force of all thieves guild left over from the old countries. She ruled them with an iron fist, and used them as a secret police, seeking out dissenters within the Empire. They were called ‘the secret police’ in hushed tones, for all feared to be found by them. The Spetznats answered to none but the highest of the Empire, and ran the prisons of the Empire, making them places few returned from, and none ever spoke of. Those who did hear rumors heard of places of torture and death, where those secrets you did not even know could be pried from your bones.

Religion was common among elves and humans, but for the most part, monsters did not fear the Gods. The Emperor Malveris was enough to fear for most of them, and even those who did not fear him should have known better. Still, there were churches set up for those who desired them, who would give healing for a price. More uncommon were temples to good gods, as those had been destroyed in the War and often were not rebuilt. Worshippers of good gods met in small groups, often in secret, although there was no need for it. Even evil deities had fallen out of favor, with the powerful clerics who had once served Malveris attempted to unthrone him and were destroyed. The remains of their order filled what was left of the temple, as the Emperor had refused to let them rebuild their citadel.

Despite the chaotic and evil origins of the Empire, it was a beautiful day and a time of prosperity. The war to conquer the human and elven lands was long over, and the rebuilding that had taken years was over. The siege of the underground lands, of Dwarves and drow, had taken years, but had brought much treasure, both magical and material, to even the lowest member of the Empire. The dark drow had been conquered, and the stubborn dwarves had bowed under the weight of the Empire, signing treaties of trade and service. Before long, the armies had moved to other planes of existence, conquering even among their denizens who considered creatures of this plane weak things.

In the past years, outposts of the Empire had been set up in levels of the Nine Hells, on the plane of Succubi and Vrock, and outer planes where daemons now feared the name of Malveris and the Empire. All of this war had brought wealth and trade to the empire, and it showed. Magic was common- even the lowest commoner human or elf was not afraid of the mightiest monsters, as the Empire ruled all of them with a fist that allowed no disrespect. Cities had been removed from the ground, and it was uncommon, although not unheard of, for cities to be spotted in the sky, flying from place to place.

In an area of the city, far from the center, the Empress’ palace, or the marketplace, on the edge of the poorest areas of town, there were grates built into the street. This was not uncommon, as the sewers beneath the city needed ready access so that they could be cleaned, and occasionally, they needed to be filled with hunters for Imperial Fugitives. But this grate was special. This grate, if it had been pried open (no easy feat), would have led down a straight shaft for almost a thousand feet, becoming smaller and smaller as it descended, winding downward. This shaft would spilt into left and right, moving air around a gigantic underground complex. This tiny shaft would carry air, but not the smells of home or the feel of sunlight, to the prisons of the Spetznats, feared by all creatures in the Empire.

The prisons, feared by all above and told in hushed voices to small children, served their purpose. Here, information was extracted, plots were uncovered, and crimes were punished. Here they carried out the feared sentences, which rarely meant a quick death, but years of pain, torture and waiting.

The passageway that led to this place was hidden, secret, and often changed. No one knew if it were magic, or simply that there were many passages here, but there was only ever one safe exit at any time. That exit required a key, held by the warden; in this case, a terrible monster who rarely set eyes on the prisoners. The areas that prisoners would have been most aware of was the large main chamber, both the first place and the last place the prisoners would ever see. This large, multi-story chamber, was ringed with torches that gave it an orange-red glow, like the pits of Hell. It was filled with implements of torture, for every size, monster, and race. Often Spetznats would work for hours on a prisoner, torturing but asking no question, only to put the fear into the other prisoners.

On occasion, many monsters were herded into a single large room, allowed to fight, and then weeded out- you were all so chosen. The charges you were arrested on do not matter, as they ALL mean you will never see sunlight again. You have been herded into this small, dank, wet prison cell, with no light, and no hope. The cries of those being currently tortured only lead you to wait, with fear and apprehension, for your turn.

-=*=- -=*=- -=*=-

((This is an extension of the NEW Villian and Monster Campaign thread, so if you're intersted in joining, please read up and ask whatever questions you want here:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89368

As for format questions, start each response with the name of your character in bold, please put actions in italics in the following format: listening: roll (14) + skill (4) = 18, and I'll post the results in my following post.

Other than that, just have fun- I am allowing in-fighting and player killing, but if someone turns into a teamkiller, I'm sure the other monsters will find a way to balance it out. This is a story-driven thread, so have fun!))

-Logain the Evil and Rather Slovenly GM

Bettrin eyed the carnage of the wererat's lair, toeing a corpse with her boot. It might have been the body of her rival- the injuries made it impossible to tell.

Bettrin glanced at the Shadow, waiting for some confirmation that none of the wererats had escaped to carry word of her deed to others. This operation had to be perfect- if anyone could prove her involvement, it would be the end of her career. That would probably mean a trip through her own prison system, which would probably be less than pleasant.

Bettrin toyed with the bauble on her belt- two furred hands sown into a ball. A reminder to these monsters the price of failure. A reminder to Bettrin that things were not always as they seemed. The rakshasa had been useful in guiding the group, but they had worked better under the threat of death than they had under her leadership. The rakshasa had been re-assigned to a department more suited to her talents, and Bettrin had killed one of the thousands of worthless prisoners in her prisons to have this warning made for them.

Looking to her lieutenant, Bettrin nodded. "Alter their memories of this last warren- remove them completely if you're able. I want no witnesses to what was done here."

Bettrin eyed the shadow. It had been a loyal follower, and had completed its duties flawlessly. Touching the ring on her index finger, Bettrin communicated telepathically with the creature. Was the shadow becoming more defined-- looking more like a person, or was that her imagination? "Follow them. Stay with the group, and if they're led back here or figure any of this out, return to me and warn me. In all other cases, I give you your freedom."

Bettrin watched with a grim satisfaction as the wererats were loaded up on small pallets, to be taken back to the prison and incinerated. What souls could be found would be trapped, so that no one outside this room, and fewer than half of them, would be sure what had really happened. Whatever belongings the wererats had held, Bettrin would have confiscated and loaded into the lower rooms- just more junk that no living eye would ever see.

One of the kobolds, a magus loyal to her, finished preparing his spell and nodded to her. "These ones will be... not remembering this."

"Good," Bettrin said levelly, "Take them above ground and dump them in an alleyway. Kill anyone who sees you."

With a hand gesture and a telepathic command, Bettrin led her forces back to the prisons. A snarl of satisfaction marred her beautiful face.

* * * * *

You awake in a deserted alleyway, ladened with treasures you don't remember acquiring, surrounded by people who seem familiar but appear strange and new to you. Your bodies have the scars of healing wounds, but all of you are completely healthy.

Near the mouth of the alleyway lie several street urchins, each one with their throat messily cut. The bodies are not moving, bespeaking several hours since they were killed, but it seems that no one has noticed them yet.

Silence

The shadow waits patiently in the shadows of the alley, overlooking the former prisoners. With luck, they would awake soon. It didn't intend to speak until they did.

Moastuo

One of the smaller figures, a goblinoid, stirred. The first thing he realized was that, judging by his nose, he was NOT in a sewer. The lack of pained screams led to his second realization; that he was also not in a prison. Moving slowly, he wriggles out from under what or whoever was half crushing him, and looked around, shaking some life back into his limbs.

Well this is interesting. How in Baator did we end up passed out in an alley? Last thing I can remember are those infernal sewers...

Kierach

"Wha..." Kierach wakes slowly, clutching her head and sitting up. The first thing she realizes is that she is no longer in the sewers, a fact for which she thanks a number of gods—several of which she had forsaken, and others of which no upstanding angel would have even thought of praying to. Most of the smell is gone, although she is still filthy by most standards. And surrounded by people—things—she didn't really know, although that wasn't as alarming as it ought to have been. "Where is this?"

Silence

The shadow remains hidden, but silently answers after a moment.

Telepathically (to party)
The city. As per the agreement, we have been freed. Although nothing says we won't be captured again if we continue to socialize with corpses.

=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hiding (1d20+5=24)

(Finished leveling character. Bonus to Hide is now +7, for a total of 26)

Moastuo

"So we've got a disembodied voice with us, too? You seem to know what's going on, care to share?"

A he talks, Moastuo looks over his belongings, noting several items he doesn't remember. A ring, with a faint odor of brimstone, and an almost visible hate of those around him. A fancy scimitar, warm to the touch, crafted of some lightweight metal. Strangest of all was the chain shirt. He didn't have any sort of training or familiarity with armor, yet here he was wearing a set. Still, it seemed light enough that it wasn't interfering with his movements at all, though it was most likely useless to him should he wish to change forms.

"The cannibal demons are laughing in the underwastes! Go away now, fly. Yippie!"

Silence

Telepathically (to party)
This isn't really the best time to discuss it. Then again, I don't think I'm in nearly as much danger of being discovered and imprisoned as you are. If this isn't a concern for you, I will be happy to detail what I can. Otherwise, I suggest we move somewhere less incriminating.

Kierach

"Yes, yes," she says, trying to rein back the snap in her voice. "Any suggestions where? Aside from 'in the city', which I can see well enough for myself, I haven't the faintest clue where we are."

Silence

Telepathically (to party)
There's a sewer directly below us. There's a street over there. I prefer the sewer.

-=-=-=-=-=--

[[OOC:What time is it? I'm kind of partial to the dark.]]

Moastuo

"Prefer the sewers? Someone chew your nose off, or are you just crazy like that?"

Silence

Telepathically (to party)
Something like that.