|
Just a thought for those wanting to eventually run Savage Tide with their same group of players some day:
Goodly gods use angels/devas etc as messengers or hand-extensions of their will. It is therefore understood that demons/devils are the extensions of evil gods.
If this rings true, then Demogorgon (the arch-nemesis in the Savage Tide path) could potentially be an ally of evil gods and even employed/coerced into working for one.
Thus since Demogorgon resembles a baboon, I have considered using Tongueater and the baboons in Flood season as minions of Demogorgon being used as fodder for the gods that make up the Ebon Triad.
It wont really add a lot of depth for this campaign except for the existance of such a demonic cult which could then help explain other demon influences such as Graz'zt.
Ultimately, however it's a good tie in for Savage Tide since its in the same general locale and the foundation has been staged/set that there are such cultists of the demon prince in that area.
Robert
|
|
Good thinking Robert.
There’s been a faint under-current in my SC campaign that there is or has been a Demogorgan worshipping cult in the Cauldron area ever since one of the PCs began some serious following up of the (false) rumour in Life’s Bazaar that the kidnapped townsfolk were being sacrificed to a two-headed demon lord.
The PC found evidence that some years back Alek Tercival had uncovered a small Demogorgan worshipping cult which seemed to have some connection with an older cult or religion practiced by some of the tribes deep in the jungle.
I also decided that the were-baboons were created by the Yuan-ti of Shatterhorn ages past (who worshipped Demogorgan IMC) – basically they were created in a dark ritual to Demogorgan, to fight against humans, and infiltrate human cities.. They became pretty much extinct at the time when the early Cauldron settlers defeated the Yuan-ti at Shatterhorn.
Since reading the Savage Tide outlines I had a couple of further ideas;
The baboon mask found by Alek Tercival and sold to Tygot has one splintered edge, indicating that it is only half a mask. The full masks (As seen on a wall in Vaprak’s Voice) are double baboon masks, used by an old cult in rituals to Demogorgan.
There could be some ancient wall carvings found in the Kopru ruins depicting Kopru worshipping Demogorgan – you could even have a carving which shows Demogorgan gifting them with Shadow Pearls!
Similar sort of wall carvings in Shatterhorn showing the Yuan-ti worshipping Demogorgan (might need to remove some references to the Yuan ti diety whose name I can’t spell).
Not sure how to communicate this to the players, but the fiendish morkoth in the lake could also be a creature of Demogorgan.
|
|
Good thinking Robert.
There’s been a faint under-current in my SC campaign that there is or has been a Demogorgan worshipping cult in the Cauldron area ever since one of the PCs began some serious following up of the (false) rumour in Life’s Bazaar that the kidnapped townsfolk were being sacrificed to a two-headed demon lord.
Good ideas, Mothman; personally i don't wish to overdo the Demogorgon involvment with SCAP - mostly just a subtle flirting tease of it to set a stage for the upcoming AP. The babboons are enough, and perhaps I'll work in the murals of Demogorgon gifting the pearls.....
Mostly I want to stay away from making his presence too prevailing as it may just create too great of a red herring for the players and really throw them off-track.
Robert
Thus since Demogorgon resembles a baboon, I have considered using Tongueater and the baboons in Flood season as minions of Demogorgon being used as fodder for the gods that make up the Ebon Triad.
Robert
**Spoilers for Age of Worms***
Don't know if this at all impacts what you're thinking of doing, but you should probably be aware that in Age of Worms, we learn that the Ebon Triad is actually a false cult set up by Kyuss to further his own goals. There's obviously power being generated by it, or we wouldn't have the Ebon Aspect (think that's what it was called, can't remember) in Three Faces of Evil, but as I read it there is no Overgod to be created and the three deities involved have nothing to do with the cult.
|
|
Yep.
**** further minor AOW spoilers ****
IMC the group found some coded journal entries in Scaven's lair with references to a colleague called The Faceless One, and some obscure references to the Age of Worms.
Later, the group may discover that Celeste was in the region orginally trying to track down ... i forget his name, Backelard?
|
|
Don't know if this at all impacts what you're thinking of doing, but you should probably be aware that in Age of Worms, we learn that the Ebon Triad is actually a false cult set up by Kyuss to further his own goals. There's obviously power being generated by it, or we wouldn't have the Ebon Aspect (think that's what it was called, can't remember) in Three Faces of Evil, but as I read it there is no Overgod to be created and the three deities involved have nothing to do with the cult.
I was not aware of this; thank you for the insight. Let me ask you this: do the followers (such as Triel) know about this hoax and they're "playing along" to gather more followers? OR are most of those involved in the Ebon Triad ideals merely duped pawns?
If it is the latter, then there's no reason that Kyuss wouldn't continue the ruse by making it appear Demogorgon is aiding their efforts at the evil gods' behest. He can do this by sending ape-like Bar-Lguara demons to aid Triel et al and indicate that demogorgon and his cult is "on the payroll"
Either way, I like the idea of Tongue Eater being a Bar-Lgura OR at the least a babboon half-fiend (Bar-Lgura spawn); but not lyncanthropic; AND the added benefit of tieing in a demonic presence into the scenario - since lets face it, ultimately the SCAPs (all of them) have an overwhelming domonic presence at its heart.
Robert
Agreed. I'm only half way through AoW, but I don't think the Ebon Triad plays much of a part past where I am. So far, none of the Ebon Triad cultists are aware of the true nature of the cult that I remember.