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9am
31/02/2617 - DC
Fall
of the Overlord
A
brief account of his final hours
It was mid-morning
and Ashar was dressed in all his Hellish finery. Once a month he attended
the various Temples to the Underworld Gods,
paying homage to them, acknowledging their rights within Daig but at the
same time enforcing his own supreme will and place as Overlord.
This morning
he had already visited the Temple of Tenkus and Sahri. He had to visit
another dozen before the Day of Daig would be over and as usual, his mind
wandered onto other things. He would appear, go through the motions and
appropriate greetings, stay a while and strike fear into Priests and Priestesses,
then vanish in a display of power, leaving the zealots to curse and plot
in his wake.
But this morning
felt a little different than usual. He had awoken with a strange sense
of completion.
Arriving outside
the High Temple of Akilla, Ashar soon heard the children inside ring their
collossal bell. The Damned flocked about him like so many willowy waifs,
swaying in the torch light and moaning softly. He was used to the attention,
to the endless outpour of emotions.
His assistant,
Cherem'ke, a damned native of Zemestan looked concerned. "There
are no priestess master? Usually they greet you."
"This
morning is not just any morning my friend,"
Ashar said, solemnly. "Things are coming Full
circle."
The Native
gave him a quizzical look.
"Do
not worry Chrem'ke. Go, I will summon you at the next Temple."
"As
you wish master," and with wave of Ashar's
hand, the Native dissolved into mist and was gone.
It was true,
there were no Priestesses. The Temple doors were closed, barred and sealed
with magic. For someone of Ashar's power, it was not hard to see why. Beyond
the Temple trouble brewed like a thick cloud of hissing energy permeating
everything within perception.
Ashar could
hear the tormented cries of the damned, raised in defiance, shouting out
in hatred.
It was a full
blown riot; something Daig didn't see every day. It took a lot to rouse
the damned from their Hellish stupor's; to unite their self-centred sins
into a seething collective.
Yet here it
was, a riot.
Perhaps on
another day Ashar would have left. Perhaps on another day he would have
sent another. But this was no other day. Ashar went himself to see.
Drawn inexplicably
on to survey the scene, Ashar saw hundreds upon hundreds of the damned.
Their shouts troubled him;-
"We want freedom....
we do not want our souls destroyed... what will happen without Hell? Will
we all die forever and never be reborn....?"
The words echoed
in the hearts, minds and upon the lips of the rioters and Ashar knew someone
was behind them, like a puppet master playing with strings. Yet as hard
as he tried to see, the manipulator remained hidden.
Give
him what he wants
10am
31/02/2617 - DC
Ragnek stands before
Abaddon the new Overlord of Daig and would-be King of Hell. Behind him
stand four Hell Knights, themselves a powerful bargaining tool as Ragnek
is only just appreciating.
Abaddon and Ragnek
play the word game, each avoiding direct questions for a while. But Abaddon
soon tires of Ragnek's skilful avoidance and begins stabbing his point
across. "So these Hell Knights are going to
be protecting Rabdag - and you control these Hell Knights,"
Abaddon states.
"Nothing
can truly do that, only the Source guides them,"
Ragnek tactfully answers.
"Do
you know what will happen if these Knights stand guard over Rabdag's Domain?
I'll tell you, all the other demons who haven't the stomach for war will
flock to his banner, hoping to remain safe. His power will grow whilst
mine is diminished in battle. If these Hell Knight's go there, I want him
to publicly proclaim me as rightful heir to Daig. He must announce it himself
!"
Sargon's
push
11.30am
31/02/2617 - DC
Sargon’s army arrives
outside Rabdag’s Dominar. It consists of 15,000 Be’azul
demons (spiked humanoids able to propel their bristles up to twenty feet)
and 1000 Nyrian Hordesman
(with fire breath and stone skin)
Led by Eo’chra,
a Dalbazi major
demon with the ability to cloud minds, the army marches straight up to
Rabdag’s Dominar.
Rabdag’s forces
retreat leaving the Dominar as an open invitation. (Rabdag trusts Ragnek
and expects to see action – in fact he is taking steps to guarantee it.)
Eo’chra’s herald
makes the following announcement ;-
“Rabdag,
Red Lord of Akalar, Master of the meek, corrupter of virtuous flesh, Annash
of the Mind Devourers, Bishop of the E’oli, tormentor of the faithful and
Twisted brother of Kalkatron, Master, Eo’chra – Flayer of Souls, Lord of
Despair, Minister of Infernal Suffering, Custodian of the Inner Dark, Howler
of the Blood Moon, Heart of Morbidity, Mask of the Dark Horizon, Principle
of Lies, Thunder of Hellish Bowels and Eater of Worlds, commands that you
lay your head at his feet."
Ragnek travels
to the Ever-changing rocks, site of a narrow, ten mile long passage between
terrible, clashing, unstable cliffs and shifting, treacherous peaks. Sargon's
army will have to traverse this passage in order to enter Rabdag's Domain.
At the moment, Rabdag's sources are certain Sargon's army is clearing its
way through the Bramble Forest, a living land of barbed, sentient brambles
that trip and suffocate the unwary.

The
Tower of Illion
We
come in peace - all of us
1pm
31/02/2617 - DC
Realizing his mistake,
Ragnek is quickly escorted back to Rabdag's throne room, sounds of exploding
Hell Fire reverberating throughout the Green Citadel. Rabdag is of course
furious and barely able to control his form, sprouting stray feathers and
avian features mid sentence.
In a squeal, the
Demon Lord accuses Ragnek of betraying him. He even raises his taloned
hand but lowers it again as the Hell Knight stationed nearby in its self-made
alcove comes alarmingly to life.
"I will undo this
Rabdag, just calm down. This is a slight oversight. The Knights are seeing
any act of violence, even torture, as a violation of acceptable behaviour.
You must tell your people to cease torturing souls at once if I am to stand
any chance of stopping this."
5 Hell fire Knights.
Ambassador Flain
arrives (known as a bone head to Sargon's
cronies).
Going to try
and summon them into Real World.
Hell Fire Knight
destroys Rabdag's soldier E-lebin called Shelk
(f).
"I remember the
conversation with Prince Abaddon very clearly..." says Ragnek.
"I
believe the word used was "Sanctuary." Well we are seeking Sanctuary from
the war and here within these walls, we will hopefully find it and be able
to share Abaddon's wisdom in peace with those who will listen."
"I'll
give you a %&^%$$ Sanctuary !" Rabdag
screeches.
All deals are
off.
Flain departs
saying, "No doubt you will be hearing from
my Prince's armies shortly, assuming Prince Sargon doesn't visit you first."
Harmony sat doing
embroidery.
Ragnek goes to
Syrene and then down into valley via his bridge. Once there he begins summoning
the Hellfire Knights into the material World as a way of cancelling their
orders and returning them to dormancy.
Summons (6
POW cost each) in Harmony's tranquil farmstead
spot. - 30 POW.
Molten Bolt,
Death Watch, Chaos.
Molten goes off
to destroy the Earth - and all Trees.
Ragnek banishes
the others instantly - as soon as they arrive.
Then banishes
Molten from a distance.
Syrene goes to
lie down and Ragnek joins her. Syrene contemplates the situation in Hell.
She comes to the conclusion that Ragnek's decision to withdraw the Knight's
from Rabdag's Dominar was wrong.
Syrene says "Maybe
you should have followed through - what would have happened if you had
left them there."
Ragnek feels
dejected - he is angry and frustrated that his attempts at involvement
in Hell have fallen through.
Syrene has a
theory on this ; "Maybe it's something as
simple as this. Hell thrives on Evil right? Evil is what makes Hell work.
Well your first reaction was help Rabdag and stop the destruction of his
Dominar - which could be construed as a good deed. Hell doesn't reward
good deeds. If you want to succeed in Hell, you've got to be evil, and
unfortunately Ragnek, you are at heart, a good man."
Hell's iced over
Lake Ge'herrak. As Ragnek navigates his way across Hell to Hannibal. Syrene
fills him in on a little of Darin's history - which she learned from Hannibal
earlier.
Orb starts to
throb - "That's pointless - I could be walking for months," says Ragnek,
putting it back down.
Syrene gives a
big speech about Ragnek's powers.
Sharendayne.
The
Dream Watch of Orin
3pm 31/02/2617 - DC
Ragnek travels back
to Hell using the Soul cord. However he finds it planted in a different
place of the Tower of Illion.
*Note
- When the cord is planted in a personal Hell (like Hannibal's) it isn't
fixed to one geographical location because the nature of the reality around
it is unfixed and subject to change.
Using his recently
acquired ability to create portals and navigate his way around Hell, Ragnek
journeys to the City of Deon to see the Dread lord Sharendayne. At first
he summons Simone
to guide him but she fails, saying "It is
too far my Lord." Even after praying to the
Source, Simone fails, showing that not everyone can travel freely between
Domains.
In the end Ragnek
trusts in the Source and remains focused on reaching Deon himself. The
portal twists and turns, speeding him past a huge graveyard (At one point
a dead man actually makes eye contact and seems to see Ragnek travelling
by).
Eventually Ragnek
appears on the Street of Lazarus
in the City of Persecution itself, Deon.
Crucified high above
him on the walls, birds eat the exposed brains of conscious victims, the
tormented hang upside down, impaled with nails, spikes and shafts of wood
at varying angles. All around him he sees suffering and yet no guards,
no enforcers of Law; the denizens of Deon remain utterly intent on their
own persecution, even disregarding water, bread and other relief bringing
things.
Using another
portal to get closer to Sharendayne, Ragnek appears in an alcove, inside
of a church. A sermon is being conducted nearby by Brother Sorba of Orin,
a long faced man with receded hair.
Behind several
dozen mesmerized damned souls stand three guards of Orin, wearing white
tabbards displaying Orin's black ring. It isn't long before one of them,
Ulensz of Derry, spots the new arrival.
Sorba sums up
his sermon, "So, go forth, kill, maim, mutilate,
lie, cheat, stab thy neighbour, steal hearts, crush hopes. Do all these
things and you shall be spared, for only by doing this can you understand
the true nature of suffering and hope to transcend it."
Ulensz and then
Sorba both try to identify Ragnek by looking at his aura. But Ragnek is
surrounded by too many conflicting powers and wards to make any sense,
leaving Sorba mystified. Sorba calls for Valen of the Inner Ring - one
of the most powerful Dream Watch in the city and but one vessel of the
Gestalt entity Sharendayne.

Valen arrives,
dressed from head to toe in chainmail. He introduces himself to Ragnek
and explains a little about Sharendayne. "We
have been monitoring your actions, in Abaddon's Dominar and Rabdag's. Though
we have not known your intentions, we have watched from a distance and
been standing by, ready to act if you needed us. We are loyal to the Overlord
and just because he has suffered an untimely demise, does not mean that
the plans he had have failed. Faith in those plans endures and we are here
to fulfil them."
Ragnek wishes
he had come to see Sharendayne first and is suddenly filled again with
positive thoughts.
Session
Sun 03/02/02
Valen suggests that
Ragnek accompany him to the Dream Watch headquarters. Security here is
very hi-tech and tight. First Ragnek is brought to the City's Municipal
building where routine paperwork, soul transfers and petitions are placed.
The building is a ten storey structure covered in brown moss and very ancient
in design.
After viewing
the building from the outside, Valen will shift with Ragnek inside. First
stop is a small "holding" cube of spiritual energy that identifies any
incoming spirit. The spirit is then required to enter a six figure combination
on an aura enhanced wheel suspended in the air. Failure to enter the correct
sequence in ten seconds results in lock down and a code yellow alarm.
Once released
from the cube, Valen dons more suitable business attire and leads Ragnek
through the lower levels of the building. There are 60 offices, employing
over 400 staff dedicated to the smooth running of Daig's cities. The staff
are split into six Divisions - Petitions,
Sanctuaries, Discords, Residencies, Reclamation's and Attonements.
Everything is
kept busy by "The Voice,"
;- Valen describes this as "An entity that
sees and hears all within the building. If a worker hears the voice, he
or she has normally done something very wrong and been fired or been promoted.
Either way, the Voice dwells on Floor eleven in a sealed chamber."
The interior of
the Municipal building is accessed via stairs and a lift (with
old fashioned metal grill-work and a lot of noise.)
A guard stands
in the lift at all times. If any Dream Watch enters the lift, the Guard
accesses the lift's hidden functions and transports the lift to the lower
levels.
The lift passes
through 3 scans along the way - a scan for recognized auras, a scan for
unidentified magic and a scan for demonic discord.
"Security
is Blue" communicated via a black ring on
the guard's finger indicates everything is fine. Bill
the guard.
Next stage of
security is passing (one at a time)
through a complete spiritual spectroscope. This empty round chamber with
a gangway across the middle gives a thorough 30 second scan of the individual
and retains this imprint for up to one year. It can then be compared and
used to identify the individual again.
The spirit running
the whole operation is called the Overmind
and appears like a giant bee's next of honeycombed spiritual segments.
Once inside "Division
Seven," Valen introduces him to a few other
"Watchers."
Valen shows Ragnek
the training facility, the combat room, the meditation chamber, the operating
chamber and the Watcher map. "Every member
of the Dream Watch is marked here unless removed because of Covert operations.
It shows location, current health and acts as a long distance communication
platform."
Valen mentions
certain ongoing operations ;-
Operation Fire
Wall - 3 Watchers are deep inside Abaddon's
Dominar gaining intelligence about the Demon Prince's magical protections.
They are in contact with a dissident group within the Prince's Palace called
Scorch.
Scorch are a group of demons who believe that a Demon called Fire
Child is more capable of ruling Daig.
Operation Gold
Hammer - 2 Watchers are in the riot torn city
of Merlyvon attempting to regain the Golden Hammer
of Theops. This hammer used to have pride
of place in the Temple of Nehwen
- A minor Ungmarian Goddess of Twilight. It is meant to provide excellent
protection against transformation magic. Watcher Solen
and Watcher Trey
are infiltrating the Dungeon of Demi-Uz,
a Major Demon of Pollution.
Operation Revenant
- 1 Watcher, Watcher Tanner, is engaged in a cloak and dagger mission inside
Dalmatia's Temple in the Dominar of Piluto, Lord of the Dispossessed. This
is a dangerous mission to gain information about Dalmatia's Sceptre from
an imprisoned Demon there called Yeser-rundof. Yeser-rundof used to work
as a Servitor in Dalmatia's Palace but fell out of favour a few years ago.
Unlike Dalmatia's other servants, who all meet a nasty end, Yeser escaped,
changed his identity and underwent a change of form.
Kevlar
- Female Dream Watch, aged 24. A highly trained spy / assassin, Kevlar
wears pieces of bone armor beneath her Orin tabbard. With black hair, streaked
in white, she cuts a striking figure. Her special skills include Spirit
phasing, invisibility and blur. She can also attack with multiple weapons,
controlling up to 7 with skill ranks of 50 in each. Her spiritual PK extends
up to 55 feet and lifts up to 100 lbs in weight. She can also use this
to help her land safely and increase Dodge by +35%.
Kelt
- Male Dream Watch, aged 40. Kelt stands well over 6 foot and is of heavy
build. He can create multiple spiritual shields that protect equivalent
to 20 AP. He also possesses the Power of Prediction and gets snap shot
visions of the immediate future 5% of the time, or 10% if meditating.
"The
Overlord Ashran is the Messenger of Orin. His words are as those of the
God. Without him, many of these innovations and tools would not exist.
He created this, taking Sharendayne from his mundane existence and showed
him the path to enlightenment."
50 Brothers and
sisters. Valen...
Street of Lazarus
- thoroughfare into city.
Clock tower of
Belzaz - East side.
West side -
towers, Bridge Mea, River beneath is called the Loin - full of floating
dead things. People fish in the Loin for meat and take it to the butchers
/ to eat.
Large Map key
Blue - Field
Agents.
Large blue +
black - Safe houses - and Hq's.
Red - Tagged
Demons / enemies.
Valen introduces
some members of the Daig Dream Watch - Division Seven ;-
Kevlar,
Watcher. SR Longsword 86. SR Small shield 75.
Horbus,
Recruit training, portly, late 40's.
Henrietta,
aged 50, Operation's Keeper.
Randel,
Head - Internal Security - sunken eyes - bald. Monotone voice, pasty skin.
Treme,
m, 6'2", 30's, black skinned, educated, once a merchent.
Lincoln,
Demon Intel. Highly strung, fast speaking, very willing to share.
Ammor,
Demon summoning. 5'5" Suraanese.
Sadaghast,
Spirit tracking. Tall and thin, pale.
Other
FACTS
Dienses
and Drendanye have both been removed from power.
Sire Vorlay the
Damned Architect is a whimpering fool and easy target for the Demons to
abuse. Valen says he isn't worth bothering about. "Some
will have to fall in order for the others to prevail."
Pananga - Warrior
Lord of the Damned. Hiding it out. He is another target for the demons
and very angry at Ashar's demise.
Ragnek's
Employment list.
Ragnek asks the
Dreamwatch to recruit beings with the following abilities and power levels
;
Powers
Teleport, lvl
6.
Erect protections,
8 or 9th level. Magic, scrying or mental attacks - i.e wards.
Detect things,
7th. Minds, people.
Telepaths, 9th
level.
Spiritualism,
6th.
Wizards / Mages,
8th.
Sorcerors / Sorceress's,
8th.
Astral Mages,
8th. |
Combative people
Big tough warriors
3rd
Sneaky people
Assassins, 3rd
Spies, 6th
Crucible of Magic.
Don't have to
be human - variety of demographics.
Not Demon.
Loyal. Personality
- don't mind. |
Ragnek also mentions
the Mengale Elves,
especially the El Vista. "They are good."
After leaving
Deon's Municipal building, Ragnek decides to track down Thuselah and cracks
open a portal. He navigates with the Source's help to a large cavern filled
with screaming souls and hairy ant headed humanoid demons.
The
Demon Exectra
Thuselah has
been captured and taken prisoner by the Demon
Exectra - The Demon cook. Thuselah is being
boiled in a crator of bubbling oil along with a dozen other souls when
Ragnek materialises nearby. A few of Exectra's K'Rikk'k
demons attack him but the Ward against Demonic
Discord causes them damage and they begin
rolling around in pain.
Anti-location,
lock, physical and discord.
Stream of Hell
fire - doesn't destroy it (does
63 points)
Ragnek tries
three times to speak to it to no avail.
More Hell fire
- Stream again - abdomenal area -
Lightning bolt
at its head just to add insult to injury.
The
List of people found by the Dream Watch will include ;-
Zemmis
- A mage - damned for cooking his victims and eating them. Spells like
Firebolt and Fireshield. Lived during the 17th century. Elandian. Aged
51. Also a first class painter of portraits.
Subekar
- A human spiritualist who lived in the 21st century. Able to see through
solid matter and phase himself through as well. A thief and murderor.
The complete list
to come Paul will include 50 names.
Thuselah has
lost his memories and his powers - he has been tortured and is now mentally
unstable.
The
Voice within - "Mini-me."
4.45pm
31/02/2617 - DC
Ragnek and Syrene
start asking more questions of the facet of Ashar residing in Ragnek. During
these questions Syrene becomes increasingly suspicious of the facet's knowledge,
as it seems that no matter what they ask, it has an answer. Sometimes it
pauses for a few moments as if thinking, but then gives some information
on the subject. She decides to test this and asks some very vague and off
topic questions ;- like "Do you know any recipes?"
"Do you know how to weave a tapestry?"
Each time the
facet of Ashar replies "Yes".
In the end Syrene confronts it. "Are you getting
any of this information from another source? Are you connecting to something
outside of our trinity?"
The Mini-Ashar
pauses and then says, "Yes. I am connected
to Arun and therefore connected to the real Ashar."
"Can this connection
be followed or detected?" Ragnek asks.
"No
- it is a divine connection - much as any priest would have with his God.
If a being senses anything they will assume it is you, not something else."
Other
facts given by the Mini-Ashar include ;-
Magnus is now
alive and has been given a new body by Arun.
If Sidhe or Magnus
die they will no longer be simply damned souls in Daig - they will be something
more, but slightly less than a full immortal. They will go to Daig (as
that is Arun's domain now) and be able to
move around freely. However other Demons and Angels will not be able to
fully effect them as they will be phantom immortals - incomplete and slightly
insubstantial. The only way to truly harm them will be if they are linked
with Ragnek in the Triumvirate.
Ashar tells Ragnek
to ask Harmony about "Doors."
After telling
Ragnek and Syrene that Magnus has been given a new body by Arun and is
now alive and no longer damned, Ashar also admits that Arun performed more
than 3 dozen miracles in his short time summoned into the World.
CLOSED HELL
- Individual Souls only, often isolated and self repeating.
OPEN HELL
- A hell shared by a group of Souls. The space where their own private
Hells overlap and form a stronger, larger reality.
FREE HELL -
Un-owned reality - open to any passing souls or demons. Established and
maintained by the Source / World Mind - able to be claimed by the appropriate
being under complicated circumstances.
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