Unnecessary Evil

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Details

• Time Played: 2008-2010
• Historical Era: Dawn Age
• System: Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition
• GM: Jason
• Players: Alex (Torn), Hank (Makal), Kate (Ember), Sam (Atrius), Steve (Kosh)

Summary

It was originally supposed to run in a mere 32 weekly sessions, for just over half a year. The extensions were largely due to scheduling delays and unexpected narrative elaborations. The game was designed to run over an internet voice chat service using online game table clients for tactical gameplay. The system was a moderately house-ruled version of 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons. The mode of play was participationist, with elements of player authorship (each player was able to write major portions of the side quests for other characters).

The plot centered around the heroes of prophecy: Atrius, Ember, Kosh, Torn, and Makal, and their quest to defeat the demon-corrupted Emperor of Acrolon, and the goddess of Summer and desire, Lascivia, thus ending the Dark Age.

This campaign involved my first foray into balanced house rules, specific to the campaign. The characters included:

Atrius, the "Late Arrival"

Male Tiefling Wizard, Blood Mage, Null Soul

Backstory

Son of Emperor Horchus, Atrius fled the Empire conflicted between the feelings of genuine love he felt for his mother, Lily (Exarch of Innocence) and his training as an Imperial prince. He joins the Heroes of Prophecy in disguise as Uther Bord, not believing their validity, expecting that he is merely infiltrating them for the glory of the Empire of Acrolon. Little does he know that this is exactly what the Linessa knows to be the case, and his royalty and conflicted history plays a vital role in the prophecy.

Summary and Epilogue

Atrius' disguise as Uther Bord lasted until the crossing of the Great Sea. There he discovered that he was being hunted by The Voice of the Wind and Soulhunter Demons. There were several very close calls and escapes across the ocean, and he was finally captured in Sicaestus. Separated from the party, Atrius was taken back to the Emperor's Isle of Acrolon where he would finally be crowned the new Emperor, though he would become forever possessed by the spirit of the old Emperor in the process. There he dodged this fate, and in the process was able to destroy The Voice of the Wind and save his mother, Lily, from destruction. His sacrifice redeemed the line of Emperor's and Lucidus declared him The Last Emperor of Acrolon. No Null Soul had ever lived as long as Atrius had, combined with the strange circumstances of his death, led to his ascension to become a Strange God.

Epic Destiny

Atrius's epic destiny was through special breeding to create a "null soul": a vessel perfect for indefinite possession, which was the goal of the dark emperor of Acrolon. Null souls who live too long become incredibly powerful (reaching epic levels), but also become very unstable.

Ember, "The Burning Shield"

Female High Orc Paladin of Lucidus, Champion of Lucidus, Exarch of Lucidus

Backstory

Ember tried to live a simple life in a dark age. She kept an inn with her husband and children, until the demons came. They burned her family alive in their inn. What they did to her she does not speak about. Her blood burns with the need for vengeance.

Summary and Epilogue

She became a demigod of Lucidus when she risked her life to save the party from a deadly attack by Shilari. She lent her powerful shield to Kosh and Torn when they descended into the Abyss, staying above to fight in the Third Godswar.

Epic Destiny

Her epic destiny was becoming the Exarch of Lucidus.

Kosh, the "Stalking Darkness"

Male Fire Drakeling Rogue, Dagger Master, Raven Knight

Backstory

Kosh was born to a death-worshipping tribe of fire drakelings on Flamespire isle. There he witnessed one of his own kind, Xidnak, betray the tribe to a demon lord in exchange for some mysterious source of arcane power. Kosh swore vengeance on Xidnak and the demons ever since.

Summary and Epilogue

Kosh met Nexia, and in time talked her out of from her self-torture of killing Anastasia before the Dark Age. In exchange, he became her Exarch. He also exacted revenge on Xidnak, but then reversed that fate and bestowed Xidnak his deepest wish: to become the first of the Dragons Reborn. He was one of the two heroes of prophecy to reach the bottom of the Abyss, thanks to his deathly nature, and kill the Demon Queen - resisting her charms with his complete devotion to the only force greater than Desire.

Epic Destiny

Kosh reached epic destiny by becoming the Exarch of Nexia.

Torn, "The Mangled Man"

Male Human Dust Pact Warlock, Feytouched, Storm Sovereign

Backstory

Torn was an ordinary youth who became swept up in a provincial rebellion against the demons. The revolt was utterly crushed, and Torn was cast into a dungeon for idle torture at the hands of bored demons. Unknown reserves of body and mind allowed him to survive the torments and the exposure to demonic taint. When he was cast aside at last, the Obyrith, exiled lords of the Abyss came to him in visions, offering him a pact. He would be healed and given power, and in return, he would return the Abyss to its rightful masters. Torn accepted.

His mangled flesh was stitched back together, leaving a maze of scars that form occult sigils. His missing eye was replaced with a green, slit-pupiled eye; a gift from his patron, the Oracle of Dust. His fading life was replentished with the chill of the Obyrith, leaving his flesh cold to the touch. He was spirited away, appearing in an unnatural storm beside the sea, where the Children of the Golden Throne found him, just as had been prophecied.

He has since been a driven student, but apart from his work, he does or says little, simply staring at the air with mismatched eyes or tracing his scars with his fingertips. He now answers to the off-color nickname given him by one of his keepers, never having spoken his true name.

Summary and Epilogue

He bested Flex Mission of Missionholme and rested the Claws of the New Lord. He was one of the two heroes of prophecy to reach the bottom of the Abyss and slay the demon queen, resisting her charms with the complete erosion of his humanity and his entirely Strange mind. His village returned to life by the machine in Aeon's lab, Torn left his humanity behind entirely. The affect of the Abyss on his mind made him immune to the whispers of Zhudun. He ate Zhudun, for lack of a better verb, and reached the Locus of the New Lord. From then on he traveled the world acting as a strange harbinger, guide, prophet, and liaison of the Great Ones.

Epic Destiny

Torn's epic destiny was becoming one of The Lost, Strange Gods of The Veil.