Conquest and Famine.

[Elite Hatter]

I'm currently running a game for my players themed on the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse. They have no idea that's the theme and just think they're shutting down random cults to level up. The are currently on the band of Ruin (named after War's horse, cause why not) and it's leader or "champion" is Hercules. The angry drunk from the myth. Not Disney.

For death I am planning a vecna - like character.

But Conquest and Famine have me stumped.

I was thinking a slick, silver tongued, fast talking demon or devil, based somewhat on the Bibles anti-christ, kind of character for Conquest. Idk I'm still open.

And Famine..... I'm lost. I want the cult, and ultimately it's leader to represent absolute taking. As in they cause famine by taking what others have. Possessions, loved ones, good health, their reputations. Literally everything. I was thinking a particularly powerful coven of hags. But again, I'm open.

I should also mention the leaders are not the big bads, they're just..... puppets being invisibly strung along by the 4. Who have been unknowingly bestowed with a microcosm of each of their respective horsemans power and "Domain"


Thanks in advance

[MadBear]

What if Famine's cult seemed like a Hippie commune at first. Cultists are expected to turn over their "worldly" goods in exchange for living together in harmony. But the deeper you look into it, the worse it gets. The cult slowly takes away everything from you. First your possesions, then your time (in expected labor), then your thoughts/hopes/dreams/ect.

The Leader of the cult can be very Zen like. He might even seem like he has really good intentions at first glance.

[pwykersotz]

The answer is clear. The leader is an Orb of Annihilation.

The leader could be a perverse, gluttonous aristocrat who has deceived a large group into giving him all they have because he is some sort of promised individual. The members of the cult could be thieves as well, trying to give him all things to venerate him.

This works well if you take a look at wikipedia:

Of the four horsemen, the black horse and its rider are the only ones whose appearance is accompanied by a vocal pronunciation. John hears a voice, unidentified but coming from among the four living creatures, that speaks of the prices of wheat and barley, also saying "and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine". This suggests that the black horse's famine is to drive up the price of grain but leave oil and wine supplies unaffected (though out of reach of the ordinary worker). One explanation for this is that grain crops would have been more naturally susceptible to famine years or locust plagues than olive trees and grapevines, which root more deeply.[3][19] The statement might also suggest a continuing abundance of luxuries for the wealthy while staples such as bread are scarce, though not totally depleted;[19] such selective scarcity may result from injustice and the deliberate production of luxury crops for the wealthy over grain, as would have happened during the time Revelation was written.[2][6] Alternatively, the preservation of oil and wine could symbolize the preservation of the Christian faithful, who used oil and wine in their sacraments.[23]

[Elite Hatter]

That is an Avenue I never would have considered. Tyvm good sir