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Kol Korran
2012-04-25, 01:29 AM
in the history of a fantasy campaign i'll be running later there is the staple Grand Evil Beings (not gods, but perhaps close to semi gods in power?) :smallconfused: that once ruled over the known races, used them, tortured them, feasted on them and did what any decent and cliche evil might do.

they were finally defeated (Hurrah! :smallbiggrin:)

But there are echos/ servants remaining (boo! :smallfrown:)

cliche, i know. i never claimed to be original.

however, i don't have any specific evil planned. (i'm having SUCH a block at this... ) i want to pepper the history with some knowledge about these evils, so i can later tie all kind of plot hooks and the like to remains from their influence.

i know there is a book Elder Evils, but i don't have it. :smallsigh:

so do you have suggestions? i made a possible format, but you don't need to use it. looking for at least 5 such Evils.

name and possibly some terrifying (yet catchy) title
Realm of influence, what made it special
perhaps an example or two of atrocities
possible weakness/ flaw
common suggestions of servants/ monsters associated (don't have to be actual stated monster, but a concept)
possible lingering effects till this day?
any other cool and nifty details

(no need to go into much details, this is on the "legend tells us..." level of info)


(searchword: piratewitch)

sol_kanar
2012-04-25, 03:52 AM
This actually remembers me of an idea I had some time ago: a group of Lichs made a pact to reciprocally protect their phylacteries. They spammed a lot of magical protections and gathered them into a single place, then they splitted the world in zones and happily ruled over them (and/or hid inside their area and researched magic to their black evil hearts’ content).

What I think was cool is that they came from very different races and classes: clerics, wizards, sorcerers, bards (!), a dracolich, a devil with the lichfiend template...a lot of variety.

But anyway, here is an idea for a “Greater Evil”. Warning: might be morbid and/or disturbing. It is intended to, but he does some truly horrifying things.

Name: Khallyanaris, Eater of the Unborn / The Red Hunger / The Eternally Hungry

Realm of influence: Dragons, Hunger, Undead
Brief description: Khallyanaris was a Red Dragon that seeked actual immortality. He tapped into lost, obscure knowledge to obtain more power (levels in Ur-Priest) and finally exploited this dark powers to turn into a Vampiric Dragon (template from Draconomicon). By becoming an undead, he stopped aging, but the change greatly improved his natural magical powers (lots of levels in Mystic Theurge). These blessings came with a curse: Khallyanaris had a inextinguishable hunger, that slowly drove him insane.
Atrocities: No food could satiate Khallyanaris’ growing hunger. With an army of ghouls and ghasts, plus lesser Dragons that swore loyalty to him, he easily conquered mortal kingdom after mortal kingdom, and forced the leaders to periodically offer him human tributes. But it was never enough. Eventually, Khallyanaris found out that his curse could be temporarily soothed by unborn children of humanoid races. He started to demand young women only, which he made pregnant with the aid of humanoids he controlled, and kept them prisoners, waiting until the last possible moment to feast upon them.
Descending deeper and deeper in this depravity, he sometimes personally impregnated the women (with magic), afterwards eating his own unborn children; and he experimented even with dragon eggs. Eventually, this was his downfall: when the rumors spread among its own kin, the dragons ganged up on him and finally managed to seal him forever, in an epic (but non epic-level :-)) battle that destroyed many of them.
Weakness: Curse of eternal hunger, vampiric weaknesses
Servants: Undead dragons (not even evil dragons associated with him after the eggs thing), ghouls, ghasts, gravetouched ghouls with class levels, vampires, vampire spawns, other undead related to hunger and eating flesh.
Lingering effects: The Red Curse. When he was defeated, Khallyanaris released a huge amount of magical power, casting a curse on all dragons who challenged him. This curse, known as The Red Curse, is a minor version of his own eternal hunger: it causes a temporary but ravenous insane hunger that lasts between hours and days, and it’s (apparently) randomly triggered. When a dragon is under the Red Curse, he/she will attack even his own kind, and sometimes eat his/her eggs. This is one of the reasons why dragons nowadays live very far from each other, and associate only to mate, and only for a small time; and also why humanoid races no longer trust dragons.
Also, his original lair (now his resting ground), is a natural source of negative power: every creature that dies there will turn into a ghoul/ghast/gravetouched ghoul.
Finally, maybe he was just sealed and not actually killed. But only someone completely mad (or mislead) would try to wake him up, since not only he is unlikely to be grateful, but he is probably going to eat everyone in sight before regaining the minimum control needed to think clearly.

Vitruviansquid
2012-04-25, 04:40 AM
I like using fairies and forest deities as the great evils (thanks, King Arthur: Roleplaying Wargame :smallwink:).

Name: The Sidhe/The Fair Ones/The Breathless/The Forest Folk/The Old Ones

History: The Fair Ones used to rule the land in a "golden age," when everything was bigger, better, faster, and stronger and magic was everywhere. It was also a dangerous and lawless time, as the Sidhe were a violent, erratic race, unable to feel empathy for those they could put within their power. For a long time, the humans and other common races were their slaves, kept to do manual labor that the Sidhe considered beneath them, until the discovery of iron, the touch of which burnt the Sidhe. Following the development of iron weapons and bloody warfare between the known races and the Sidhe, the Sidhe race declined until today, when it's only rumored that some still live in such wild places that no human dares to go.

Why they're scary: The Sidhe are the ultimate aliens. They look like tall, lithe, and incredibly handsome/gorgeous men and women that is both attractive in their perfection and incredibly creepy in an uncanny valley sort of way. Not only do they seem to excel humans in every way (but ironworking), but they are utterly without sympathy or law. If they feel like hurting you, they'll hurt you. In fact, their magical nature means some seemingly universal laws don't apply to them - their hair does not blow in the wind, they can strike longer than their arms seem to reach, and they only seem to eat for recreation.

Atrocities: The Sidhe do things for cruel and inscrutable purposes. Any people that live in any proximity to the Sidhe probably have folk tales warning of the dangers of some brambly forest or thick swamp and the mysterious folk who dwell there. Illnesses, strange disappearances, vivisected corpses left at the edge of town, and other strange and unsettling phenomena are commonly and rightfully attributed to the Sidhe.

Lingering effects: Many powerful magical artifacts, perhaps left in mysterious mound-tombs or in the trunks of old trees, were made by the Sidhe in the height of their power. The magics and purposes of these items are as mysterious as the Sidhe, with some being horribly cursed and unlucky in mortal hands. Bronze swords cursed to slay their wielder, pendants that attract bad luck, orbs that display false prophecies, and so on are all the mortal races can expect from Sidhe items never meant for them to handle, much less wield.

Sith_Happens
2012-04-25, 06:03 AM
The living embodiement of the "under" orientation of a toilet paper roll. 'Nuff said.:smalltongue:

Oracle_Hunter
2012-04-25, 08:39 AM
If you're looking for information, I'd suggest doing a Wiki Walk of the Cthulhu Mythos Deities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_Mythos_deities). A better selection of names, titles and blasphemous form you'll not find :smallbiggrin:

Milo v3
2012-04-25, 08:48 AM
If you're looking for information, I'd suggest doing a Wiki Walk of the Cthulhu Mythos Deities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_Mythos_deities). A better selection of names, titles and blasphemous form you'll not find :smallbiggrin:

I second this. Eldritch Abominations are the perfect evil villians.

QuidEst
2012-04-25, 09:17 AM
name and possibly some terrifying (yet catchy) title
Selessa, of Many Whispers
Realm of influence, what made it special
Despite almost never speaking, Selessa is still remembered for her voice. Her softest murmurs could bend people to her will without them even realizing, and a few coherent whispers could call up the dead. She is associated with silence, manipulation, undeath, and tragedies.
perhaps an example or two of atrocities
She held several kingdoms under her sway for decades. Necromancy flourished, and sacrifices were regularly taken from villages to add to her power. These were never demanded- one of her emissaries would show up in a village, and ask in a quiet voice to the assembled people if there were any volunteers. Somebody would always step forward, unable to resist the emissary's voice. Villages that refused to hold the assembly were left alone, but were always plagued by undead until the emissary's next visit, whereupon any survivors were given the option of assembling again.
possible weakness/ flaw
Her powers are amplified by areas of silence (magical or otherwise), but laughter and song are painful to her.
common suggestions of servants/ monsters associated (don't have to be actual stated monster, but a concept)
Mute cultists who seek to restore her, whisper-bards who practice a lesser version of her art to obtain power, the undead (particularly ghosts and shadows, never banshees).
possible lingering effects till this day?
After many years of reigning behind countless kings and courtiers, a man showed up who managed to make her laugh. She fell in love with him, and he for his part seemed to return her affections. While they were on a journey between two kingdoms, however, he slit her throat in order to end her shadow reign. She dropped to her knees, but did not fall over. Instead, she wept aloud, continuing for a full day and night. The area is now a blasted ruin for as far as her voice could be heard, oppressively silent and overrun by voiceless ghosts and other undead. At the center, the animate body of the man remains, writing out songs in praise of and apology to Selessa. It is from these words and the faint echos of Selessa's voice that the whisper-bards learn their craft.

To this day, it is often possible to reason with any undead in the region she controlled during her life, but only if one speaks in a whisper.
any other cool and nifty details
I think it's nice to leave some positive effect of a villain. Villages might be able to turn away the undead, offering them something in return if they will leave for the site of Selessa's death. Also, not enough bardic villains!

Since she is associated with undeath, there is a definite possibility of getting her back. That's probably what the man is trying to do- find the right words to bring her back. If you want to, he can succeed, stopping his writing and leaving the one song for a cultist or whisper-bard to come along and sing quietly. Otherwise, it makes a nice creepy thing to go on in the background- he's trying every lyrical combination, using eternity to find one the one that works. The undead in the region defend him and attack anybody they hear, but allow those who wish to read the words to pass unharmed, provided they are quiet.

Handy vocab! Threnody: a song, hymn or poem of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person.

Raven777
2012-04-25, 09:56 AM
Var / The First Forged / The Blood Drinker

Realm of Influence: Weapons, War, Aggression

History: As the first men grew and spread across the face of the world, they created many tools to help in their labors. Axes to harvest lumber, hoes to till farmland, picks to work stone, hammers to temper metal, bows and spears to hunt for sustenance. From man's reverence for the tradition of these crafts, many spirits coalesced, who embodied the qualities of the works they associated with. Var is such a tool and the spirit it birthed unto the world: the first sword ever made, the first tool with the singular purpose of slaying other men. In the savage turmoil of the primitive world, Var and the weapons it inspired were bathed in the blood of thousands, the spirit twisting into a ravenous aspect of violence and death.

Lingering Effect: By all accounts, Var the sword was lost or destroyed eons ago, and like all the gods of old, the spirit bound to it seemingly faded into oblivion. But its echo remains. It is said that rarely, as blades grow ancient, passed down from warrior to warrior, quenched with more blood through every generation, a power stirs within them. Someday, when a sword will have equaled the dread legacy of the original, Var will return. Relentless in its thirst, it will empower its wielder into presiding over the last, endless war.

Weakness: Weapons that channel the echo of Var tend to drive their wielders into increasing recklessness and evil, often all the way to debilitating insanity. These weapons are also not more resilient than any other mundane or magical object, and they can be lost or destroyed. But behind the shadows of history, should a single blade kill enough, for long enough...

Plot hooks:

A family heirloom sword has an odd influence over a friendly NPC or a party member....
An evil warlord / aristocrat weapon collector / crazy cultist plots to throw the local kingdoms into a war so that the resulting battles can serve to make his sword more powerful...
A cult or sect of assassins possesses an ancestral weapon that is on the verge of awakening Var, and it must be destroyed before it is too late...
For the first time since the age of the gods, a worthy blade transcends into an avatar of the Blood Drinker. As armies are subjugated under its spell and the world descends into one eternal battlefield, the blade and its wielder must be met in battle and bested or all is lost...

Hyudra
2012-04-25, 10:16 AM
Osiel, Mother-Seed of the Realm Aborted, The Lilu

History: Osiel was a celestial of great power who served as ambassador and messenger to primeval gods in an era before good and evil, when the first planes were being formed. One such deity decided Osiel's exemplary services merited a reward, and she was given a small plane of her own to manage, as well as a share of the materials the other gods had used to create their first peoples. Osiel took some time to begin her plane, to craft geography and plant, shape the people and their culture.

Time and time again, however, she was pulled away from her realm for her duties, asked to help coordinate the various planes and ensure harmony. This was exacerbated by her desire to create something beautiful and exquisite, her attention to detail at the cost of the whole. The clay used to form her people set before they were finished, the breath of life left to go stale. The landscape was left to alternate between the exquisitely detailed and beautiful and unfinished expanses of void - not black, nor white, nor vacuum, but true nothingness.

Realizing she had started something she couldn't finish in good conscience, Osiel pleaded for help, and found it wasn't forthcoming. The other deities had their own responsibilities, their own realms to tend. In a panic, she abandoned her duties as chief messenger, ambassador and coordinator, and shut off her realm from the rest to attend to it. For all intents and purposes, she was forgotten, and only the oldest annals in the more distant reaches of the Astral plane even hint at her full history. Most will know of Ossiel from one Gith text that suggests that it was her error that led to the gods jealously coveting (or even destroying) the ability to create new races, and that the fear over what might happen if someone similarly aborted their own Creation was a factor in dividing the gods and setting them to arms against one another.

Her plane was found again when mortal races began to explore the planes, uncovered by the Gith. They found her people, dubbed them the Lilu. Others who have crossed them know them as the unfinished or the marred, or similar words in various languages. The Lilu alternately call themselves Lilu, Osiel's Children or simply 'The Children'. They expand into the Astral, finding routes into the various planes, where they infect and spread like a malignant cancer.

Some surmise Osiel, in a last ditch effort to close the gaps in her aborted realm, sacrificed herself and melded into her reality.

What are they?: The Lilu, in their various forms, take the appearance of beautiful beings... where they have features. The rest of them are crudely fashioned, lacking even digits like fingers, ears, eyes or noses, with only vague indentations where such things might be. They vary wildly in what features they might have - one might have a formed head and upper body with a litheness and gracefulness that stands a step above even elves, with a centauroid lower body in loose, callow flesh, crude and mottled. Another might be humanoid, with the right side of his body perfectly formed, the other half a mess resembling tumors or roughly molded clay. The degree to which a given Lilu is unfinished varies wildly, with some missing a very minor feature while others might be 95% 'unfinished'. Most cover their 'unfinished' features with ornately worked armor, tattoos tending towards the kaleidoscopic, elaborately braided or swirling, and cloth stitched in intricate patterns.

Lilu don't operate by all of the same rules as other races. A Lilu cannot die from damage to its unformed parts, and anyone facing a Lilu in battle will find the flesh knotted and tough, almost on par with dragonscale (Thus, why armor covering these parts is often more decorative than utilitarian) and impervious to magic. A Lilu always has some natural adaptation that allows it to survive without the body part - a Lilu without a mouth does not need to eat, for example, while one lacking eyes will likely have some form of tremorsense or blindsense.

Above all, the largest concern is that the Lilu can mate with anything and anyone that has a con and charisma score, even creatures that could not normally breed. Their offspring are always Lilu, and successive generations do not 'breed out' the Lilu strain. Lilu prefer to breed this way, as a Lilu born to two Lilu parents has a high (75%+) chance of killing the mother - this chance drops if there are pockets of void nearby (see below), but they prefer non-Lilu parents. Offspring generally retain traits of their non-Lilu parent, and even generations after such a mating, some of these traits tend to resurface. In effect, one in six Lilu will generally have an ability from a random monster in one of the monster manuals, be it a medusa's gaze or a displacer beast's displacement. One in five Lilu are effectively a random monster with the Lilu template.

Lilu do not use vancian magic, and their spellcasters are called 'Heretics'. These heretics prefer to work directly with the key forces of the universe: time, space, the planes, teleportation and summonings. In the absence of a teacher for these arts, Lilu will concede to study and eventually take levels in Ur-Priest, while others favor Warlock.

Lilu are always loyal to other Lilu, seeing each as a close family member. They have zero empathy for other races. They will, however, deign to work with other races when it serves them, often seeking mates or materials in exchange for their military services.

Atrocities: Where multiple Lilu gather, particularly where their cultural magics are worked, they corrode reality and create pockets of void, which can spread over time. The materials the gods have on hand to repair such tears and corrosion are limited (in effect, it's a permanent expenditure of a deity's power, typically a small fraction, but such things add up), and for this reason, even groups of both good and evil gods will band together to stamp out the Lilu, once their gods have managed to sufficiently communicate the threat (be it directly or through dreams). Some Lilu almost always survive such exterminations, retreating to the far realms with their magics or scattering into the astral plane.

Roving bands of Lilu will sometimes sweep over a locale to mass-kidnap children, men and women, to raise them as Lilu and/or for breeding purposes. Others will capture powerful monsters for their chiefs and magi to breed with.

Other Lilu are more subtle. One capable of hiding its 'unfinished' features may seek to find mates and spread their race's influence covertly - seeking out partners and birthing a series of monstrous children. Oftentimes such Lilu will band together when they find themselves in a group of two or more, seeking to coordinate their births and protecting one another as they breed and raise more children. Such groups tend to form independent warbands, with their children as their soldiers.

Lilu spread void as it nourishes them and makes it easier to settle an area. Some view this as an act of aggression on the Lilu's part, attacking the other planes, but it may well be a necessity of survival. When the void reaches a critical mass, Osiel's features sprout in the plane nearby - massive hands larger than mountains, eyes, screaming mouths, all in the same exquisite and beautiful detail of the Lilu's 'finished' features. When Lilu consume an area in this manner - only outlying planes and realms thus far - all doorways and entryways into that realm tend to collapse (whether this is the will of the powers overseeing that realm or something natural) and the realm effectively ceases to be. In some cases, this can affect neighboring planes - a material plane neighboring a plane of elemental fire that was consumed by the Lilu might have their 'sun' go out, or find their realm ravaged by winter storms.

Suggested Creatures
The common Lilu, who have a natural 20% chance to ignore any attack or spell that would affect them. Described in more detail above.
Lilu Hulks, who have a far higher chance to ignore attacks and effects directed at them. Not all are true 'hulking' figures, but they are simply Lilu who are almost entirely unfinished (perhaps requiring a called shot to even damage them).
The Lilu Abominations, the result of applying the Lilu template to a monster. They favor stronger or more useful monsters, including Djinn, Giants, Dragons and Naga.
Far Realms creatures - Lilu will retreat into the far realms when pressured or hunted, and can survive in that eldritch climate, though they do not prefer it. When such bands return to the planes from the far realms, using their cultural magics, they often bring creatures with them, to aid in spreading corruption or simply as weapons/tools.

Lingering effects?: The Lilu spread Void like cracks or gaps in reality. It is nothingness, and coming in contact with it operates much like a disintegrate effect, also serving to fractionally increase the spread of the void. Sound, wind, light and heat also serve to spread the void, though it might be as little as a fraction of an inch every day.

Osiel's features (described above) are generally inanimate after they have finished emerging (though not always silent or passive - Osiel's eyes might stream tears, her mouth could scream eternally, forever at the same pitch and volume) and while not harmless, prove nigh indestructible (as the Lilu's unfinished flesh is), a permanent blight on the plane in question. They appear where Void does, with the most minor effects being the texture of alabaster flesh or spreading patterns like ornately braided or swirling traces of a material that could be metal or hair. The more void, the larger the feature, with some hands, feathers or wings (the more common features) dwarfing mountains. There is no limit to the number of times a feature can appear - a Void-touched region could have a dozen outstretching hands.

Finally, the spread of the Lilu bands generally helps extend the influence of Far Realms beings, as their 'pets' escape or far realms artefacts and objects are left behind to corrupt an area.

Raven777
2012-04-25, 02:33 PM
If you want to go with faes, here's the fae version of the Slender Man I had whipped up back when I was playing a god in a Lords of Creation thread over in the Homebrew forums. The short of it is that my god created the faes by abducting and warping two spirit servants of another god. They were my chaotic neutral response to the other gods' angels or demons or devils. Since they were made as an imitation of mortals and not as an actual mortal race, they had no soul. They were incomplete, uncanny, missing a fundamental mortal trait either emotionally (the Seelies) or physically (the Unseelies), a trait which they preyed upon mortals to feed on, hence faes that fed on love... or children livers.

The Tall Man / The Faceless Man / The Somber Man

If you touch it, it can hear you.
If you hear it, it can see you.
Never look at it!
If you see it, it can touch you.
- Found repeatedly scribbled upon walls in a forest cave -

One of the first two Sidhes to be created, the eldest Unseelie is the misshapen shell of a Fear Spirit. Halfling and Elven legends depict it as a gaunt man with indistinct features, often appearing on a distant ridge or just past a forest’s tree line. Mortals seeing it from afar often mention feelings of unease, ominousness or outright dread, as if something terrible was about to befall them. For this reason, the Tall Man manifesting in this way is usually interpreted as a warning sign or guardian and a clear message that one should turn back.

Few stories of close encounters with the Fae exist. Oral tradition speaks of a growing feeling of being watched or followed paired with strong alteration of pattern recognition triggers. Wind will sound like one’s name being called, movements and shadows will be seen at the corner of the eye, the sensation of clothing, leaves or branches against skin will feel like being touched or grabbed. It is assumed that these sensations are intended to force a person to turn their attention directly upon the Sidhe, enabling it to attack.

The Tall Man can only fully physically manifest once its victim has seen it. All psychological effects will peak to debilitating levels within all beholders, usually incapacitating its prey outright. Against more powerful or strong willed individuals, the creature is also quite capable and willing to enter physical combat. At this point it will show control over shadows and tree branches, manifesting them and its own limbs as far reaching blade or whip like appendages.

Victims are usually discovered strung in trees whole or dismembered, with facial tissue devoured to the bone.

Riverdance
2012-04-25, 03:38 PM
More classic fantasy idea:
Big scary demon prince with big scary demon army is manipulating hobgoblin warlords to build him a portal so he can take over the material plane. PC's don't realize big scary demon prince is behind it until well into the hobgoblin insurgency. There's a lot of room for details here I realize.

Sajach
2012-04-25, 06:14 PM
Name Robin Goodfellow aka Puck
Malicious pranks and general chaos
He was willing to help start a war that could tear the world apart.
Loves pranks and irony to much and might not fight in a smart way if it's not funny.
I'm reading a midsummer nights dream for school in case you haven't guessed.:smallbiggrin:

Malimar
2012-04-25, 07:30 PM
One of the nine(ish) gods in my game is Inglip (http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/inglip). Bit of fluff I had lying around:

"The red-robed priests called Gropagas say Inglip frequently communicates to them in bizarre and unusual ways. Two-word messages spelled out in candle wax, tea leaves, or fire ashes are common, and the Gropagas put a great deal of time and energy into interpreting these cryptic phrases, which they might interpret as instructions to do bizarre and unusual things. It is said in the church of Inglip (called Dectrip) that the long-term will and goals of Inglip cannot be known, so being ever-vigilant for short-term instructions, wherever they may appear, is of paramount importance."

Draco Ignifer
2012-04-25, 07:36 PM
The Ars Goetia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_demons_in_the_Ars_Goetia) is always a good source of inspiration. Go through it, pick a demon or two, take them to their wildest possible conclusion, and work from there. If none of those appeal to you, well, mythology is rife with demons - and even evil gods - which you can twist into something appealing.

SanguisAevum
2012-04-26, 04:33 AM
name and possibly some terrifying (yet catchy) title
Oblivion, Apocalypse, Ragnarok, Cataclysm, Nemesis, The Watcher Beneath, The weeping Herald.


Realm of influence, what made it special
The tales and legends of all the races of the world make reference to the end of the world or the the final battle. Whilst their individual names for it are different, there is wisdom in the stories of old, and the generations of whispers passed from father to son hold a sliver of the truth in them. In aeons past, whenever the gods were displeased with their creations, and despaired at the corruption and mistakes inherent with life itself... they unleashed Oblivion on the world to cleanse it... allowing them to begin anew and re-mould the world to their own liking once more. Time after time Oblivion rose from it eternal slumber in the deepest part of the deepest trench in the deepest ocean and laid waste to the world, scouring the surface it of life so that it's divine masters could try once more to create the perfect world they desired.

perhaps an example or two of atrocities
The gods themselves are loath to reveal their weapon to mortals, for they want their creations to comply with their ideals by choice, and not because of fear of obliteration. Only the oldest extra planar entities can hope to recall even the last time Oblivion rose from the depths, and swept forth all life before it in a maelstrom of catastrophe. How many times this has happened in total is a secret known only to it's Divine Masters.

possible weakness/ flaw
Oblivion is unleased only when the Gods have no other recourse but to wipe the slate clean and start again. When their disappointment in their creation's depravity and corruption outweighs their love for them then, The Apocalypse is unleashed. But... being a weapon of the Gods, and an instrument of their divine will, it share's both their desire for the destruction of the worst of life, but also their unconditional love for the best of it. Oblivion's REAL purpose is to try to ignite that one spark of serenity that the gods desire in their people... if being faced with the end can inspire even just a few individuals to be willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of others, then the seed of the righteous will have been planted and the gods can foster that spark amongst their creations in an effort to erase the evil with good. If the spark takes, and mortals begin to realise the error of their ways and truly repent, then Oblivion is leashed once more, and sent back to it's eternal slumber.

common suggestions of servants/ monsters associated (don't have to be actual stated monster, but a concept)
Sooth sayers, oracles, street preachers. All of them herald the end of the world, brought on by the corruption of mortality. The gods themselves send these warnings through their servants but the divine word of gods is too much for most to bear and so they are ignored or cast out as lunatics. Can someone pick through the mad rambling's and glean the truth in the words, or will mortals continue on their self gratifying path of unknown damnation until it is too late?

Sith_Happens
2012-04-26, 05:24 AM
-snip-

...

.....

.......

RELEASE THE KRAKEN! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SqC_m3yUDU)

:elan:

SanguisAevum
2012-04-26, 06:47 AM
Oh indeed.

Shamelessly stolen :)

:smallcool:

Kol Korran
2012-04-27, 04:31 AM
Name: Khallyanaris, Eater of the Unborn / The Red Hunger / The Eternally Hungry

Dragons in particular campaign were tools *created* by these great evils. however, i think it would use it as a sort of Hunger evil, (hmmmmm.. perhaps the progenitor of the first dragons?) who continued to try and create new "delicaices", including your idea of unborn children (which is a *lovely* piece of lore). it might extends to particular breeds of dragons perhaps, but as a side note, not a major one.

it's a great idea, thanks! :smallsmile:


I like using fairies and forest deities as the great evils (thanks, King Arthur: Roleplaying Wargame :smallwink:).

Name: The Sidhe/The Fair Ones/The Breathless/The Forest Folk/The Old Ones

The Sidhe allready exist in my campaign, existing mostly in their own realm, the Feywild (stolen from 4E) and from time to time breaching to the earthly realm. the elves are in fact fey stolen from that world and twisted over centuries to be servants of some of the great evils i'm trying to name. The Killoren in my world (races of the wild) partly exhibit their nature, though less alien, having more morals.

the Sidhe seems to have no understanding of morals exactly (if i get it right) while the great evils do understand morals, and relish in cruelty and depravity.

thanks you nontheless, it helped shape the fey in my world a bit better.


name and possibly some terrifying (yet catchy) title
Selessa, of Many Whispers


i LOVED this idea. the whisper gnomes in my world are one of the major races, and they are cursed to only speak in a whisper, which might be related?

i like the idea of a more humanoid looking evil, that has direct influence over mind and will. not quite sure what the connection to necromancy is, but it might be a side thing. in this world most of the undead came AFTER the great evils were defeated, but perhaps it could show the early signs?

bards are a major part of this setting, and the idea that song and laughter are hurtful for her might go nicely to explain partly why their tradition rose, and why they are important in society.

i may alter some things to fit the theme of the world better, but i love this idea. many thanks! :smallsmile:


Var / The First Forged / The Blood Drinker


Var is an intriguing concept- war made into an item. however the great evils had a more direct influence on the common races, they enslaved them, fed on them, mutated them and abused them. Var feels to me like a relic from their age, a special creation that might hold some of the essence of a great evil, but not a great evil in itself...

Hmmmm. an idea? what if some of the great evils, before being defeated (or after, not sure) put it's essence into many weapons (a few dozens? hundreds? thousands?) some with more of it's power, some with less, but all trying to exert an influence on the wielder, to act in the vein of the great evil's personality/ desires? :smallconfused:


Osiel, Mother-Seed of the Realm Aborted, The Lilu


Ilove the idea of Lilu, the unfinished/ unformed. Osiel might need to be changed to someone else in my campaign as they were no (known) gods before the great evils fell, but perhaps it might be a special high level minion for the great evils, only with a strange interest and care for detail and perfection, due to which she was awarded some power to create her own creations?

i'm still thinking about the role of Lilu in my campaign but i think they could be a horrific and disturbing reminder of the past- ALL of the major races were created/ subverted/ mutated by the great evils to some degree or another (very few exceptions exist), and that experience is badly imprinted in common history.

the "mating/ breeding" could be a very very interesting campaign point.

not sure about the void cracks creating magic, but some sort of primary, basic magic is definitely in order. i'll need to think about it more.

thanks a bunch!:smallbiggrin:




The Tall Man / The Faceless Man / The Somber Man

If you touch it, it can hear you.
If you hear it, it can see you.
Never look at it!
If you see it, it can touch you.
- Found repeatedly scribbled upon walls in a forest cave -



it fits with one of the Sidhe, and thus with my fey. though not part of the great evils (for reasons, see above) it does add to the world. thanks!


More classic fantasy idea:
Big scary demon prince with big scary demon army is manipulating hobgoblin warlords to build him a portal so he can take over the material plane. PC's don't realize big scary demon prince is behind it until well into the hobgoblin insurgency. There's a lot of room for details here I realize.

the idea is that the great evils themselves are gone. i'm not looking for campaign plots, but rather campaign background and possibilities for areas and encounters and effects to enrichen the world. but thanks.


One of the nine(ish) gods in my game is Inglip (http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/inglip).

... but what is it about? other than communicating in obscure short ways, what is it's purpose? goal? mannerisms? weaknesses? followers? and so on? :smallconfused:


Originally by Oracle_hunter
If you're looking for information, I'd suggest doing a Wiki Walk of the Cthulhu Mythos Deities. A better selection of names, titles and blasphemous form you'll not find


The Ars Goetia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_demons_in_the_Ars_Goetia) is always a good source of inspiration.

i read through a part of it (and the Cthulue stuff suggested earlier). the info here is quite basic, but perhaps i can find something to work with. thanks!

thanks all for the suggestions, they are helpful! do you have any more? :smalltongue:

QuidEst
2012-04-28, 04:52 PM
i LOVED this idea.

D'aww, thanks! Please do let me know how it goes if you use it. X) I love hearing that sort of thing!

In answer to your question, the connection to the undead is that her voice (particularly when used for music) was powerful enough to call forth undead to do her bidding. More along the lines of ghosts and shadows- the sort of undead that might occur naturally on occasion. It could just be me and the stories I've read, but I've always sort of connected the two. There are fairy tales about singing bones, harps made of bone and hair, and other such things. It gives her voice a lot more power- even the dead can't refuse its commands.

Hmm… with regard to the undead showing up later, I can think of a couple approaches. Like you said, she might have been a precursor. That would certainly upgrade her villain cred, if she was the one to invent necromancy. Another possibility is that she simply dealt with the sort of undead that occurred now and again for mysterious reasons- ghosts of drowned women, shadows that had taken on an un-life of their own, perhaps with the addition of skeletons sung into motion with dirges. The other thing I can think of is that she is a much more recent big evil. Maybe not as powerful as the others, but with stronger echoes.

As for the whisper gnomes, I can see gnomes in general being persecuted under Selessa, given their proclivity for music and laughter. Maybe not hunted down, but if one were caught stealing or "disturbing the peace", things would go much worse for them. Perhaps whisper gnomes are descendants of gnomes who swore a vow of silence to get a lighter sentence?

At any rate, I'm glad you like the idea!

I don't have anything off the top of my head for other great evils, but something I like as a nice, twisted surprise is to have a normal looking person, probably well dressed, not saying anything. When he opens his mouth, it's lined with black spider legs, clutching and reaching as if to pull something down his throat. Makes a good "leftover" for some sort of big evil, though. :smallbiggrin:

Crow
2012-04-28, 05:17 PM
The Flagon King

A great king of old, who was so fond of drink, that he bankrupt his kingdom in the pursuit of the brewing of the ultimate ale. His expenditures in the building of breweries, and forcing the people of the kingdom to grow barley and hops (which were then siezed by his minions) were so outrageous, that his closest advisors plotted his death.

Late one night, as the King was deep in his cups, the conspirators struck. With his dying breath, the King cursed his own kingdom, that each drop of ale, mead, port, brandy, and others to touch the tongue of his subjects', would hence turn to sand in their very mouths.

For centuries, the kingdom languished under this curse, until an intrepid band of dwarves travelled to Elysium (or wherever), and retrieved a flagon of the Gods' own mead. Braving the Flagon King's haunted crypt, they poured the draught down his skeletal throat, thus ending the curse.

But the curse still lingers, and the lowliest of alcoholics, those who would sacrifice good drink for the sake of drunkeness (think drinking things like Pruno, prison punch) may wake from their stupor to find themselves afflicted by the curse of the Flagon King.

Other, more sinister fiends, actively seek the return of the curse to the kingdom. Led by mad teetotallers and 'moral guardians', these villans despise drink, and all it represents.

Are you a bad enough dude to save the ale?