Re: Blackshard 2 - Revenge of the Nethermancers (Chat RP game interest check)
I figured it'd be unique to expand on the NPC bios a bit and do a few new bios based off major characters you have met, as well as the design thoughts behind certain defeated foes you dealt with last session. I need to do a major tweaking to the logs so consider this a bit of extra worldbuilding until then:
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Alita Sunleaf, Faun Fleshcrafter
As far as a wild faun was concerned, Alita had most of what she wished for in life- a quiet part of the Silverpine Forest she called home, a stud of a centaur she found physically attractive and could hilt her all the way, and while he was a little on the rough side his cum was so virile she'd be round with offsprings in no time, right?
Unfortunately, it would be but a few months before the couple realized that Alita was sterile, and the centaur's attitude at this 'waste of flesh' was quite harsh, abusing and raping the faun angrily in an attempt to 'fix' her. Alita couldn't take more of the abuse and lashed out after another rough night with a woodcutter's axe. Seeing the bloody mess she had carved, she fled the scene, only to stumble into a Mountain Thrull hive being taken over by the cultists.
A Broodqueen by the name of Quoria takes interest in the faun, stating they could find a way to fix her infertility, honeying her speech even as she showed a brutality in lovemaking that made even Alita's previous lover seem gentle. The torment continued, but Alita learned of the magics of Fleshcrafting, her mind warping under the treatment and giving her a skiddish fear of Thrull as a result.
When released into the world, Alita was told to seek information resulting in modifying flesh further, to experiment with on Blackshards later to try and improve the original design. Unfortunately for the cult, Alita's original goal was nowhere near upset, and shortly after being left alone she tempted a trio of Centaur brothers with the idea of getting a breeding harem, so she could do her fleshcrafting experiments to fix the issues of the Beastman and Monsterkin monogender and of course her own fertility issues.
The anger she gained from the cult on such 'frivolous' tasks was quite paramount, to the point where at their next meeting Icarus was informed to execute her should she had not worked on her original task. Before that happened, however, Alita was captured by the Royal Crown's Investigation Team thanks to her effective raids with the centaur trio. While still technically a prisoner with taboo magic arts, Alita has proven to show no more malice to them, and a growing annoyance at the amount of distaste for the world the rest of the cult shows to all creatures not a part of their flock.
Kiva ???, Helius Adventurer/Blackshard Knight
Born orphaned on the continent of Kalifer, Kiva spent many years wandering the world before taking up a mentorship with a crotchety old geezer by the name of Brantfort, the old troll teaching her the art of the staff and yet molesting the younger woman at every turn. Through him, however, Kiva learned of the legends following the Nether Cults, and the hidden troves of supposedly tainted wealth that were left alone when the warriors of the Crown hunted them down. Kiva eventually ran away from Brantfort, instead starting to fumble her way through the world via depravity and finding these mysterious vaults- plundering them of their many jewels and priceless metals, Kiva sold them for her own profit, enjoying the delicious life it gave her before the lust of adventure bit her towards another vault.
This changed when she found the cave on Death's Plummet Mound, where she found a massive city-fortress hidden in the earth. Through a lucky set of circumstances, she found a strange shard hidden among a massive treasure trove, planning to have it examined after she took it and more of the valuables. Unfortunately for her, it turned out to be none other than Ashur, the greatest of the ancient Blackshards. While the first few days were an abrasive teamup, the fact that Ashur was alive again quickly drew the attention of Seridus, who quickly sought out Kiva and began manipulating Ashur with promises to rebuild the ancient order she remembered. Kiva was dragged along for the ride, forced to assist Ashur as they started to plunder the Blackshard Vaults, traveling the entire kingdom for their quest.
Eventually, however, Kiva was able to convince the shard that Seridus's intentions were not pure, but by then it was too late- Seridus stole the shards they had assembled and fled, with the plan of using dark magic to combine the shards and revive the great magi, Nethermagus Ateryx. However, with assistance of certain members of Kalifer and full of rage for the betrayal on Ashur's part, Kiva struck back and managed to destroy the previous shards once and for all.
Since then, Kiva has been an outcast, only drawn out of hiding with her partner upon hearing that after all these years, Seridus is not only alive but is once again plotting against the world.
Ashur, Blackshard Armor
In the legends of the previous Blackshard Knights, none was spoken with more fear than that of Ashur, Ateryx's mate and the one blamed for his eventual taking over of the Mondur cults. Unfortunately, Ateryx's mind was a frail one, so when she clad herself in her own creation, the sheer pleasure that warped her psyche was so great that her consciousness and personality actually transferred to the Blackshard itself, creating the personality of Ashur into the mighty battle armor. This Blackshard version of Ashur would act as the last defender of the Nether Cults, and would receive even greater reinforcement and spellwork than any other of the previous Blackshard Knights, but even she was unable to stand the purifying flames of the Wychfire and was forced to recede before she was utterly consumed, leaving the hollow, mindless husk of the real Ashur to burn in the blaze.
As the cultists fled the dying Riftlands, Ashur was carried to the last great temple of Athulia in Kalifer, hidden in a suspended cave in Death Plummet's Mound. Sexual sacrifices were preformed in an attempt to draw out the shard from her hibernation, but none were found pleasing, and attempts were stopped when the capturing and creating of the Snow Elves brought the full fury of the royal armies onto the temple, abandoning it for a century.
Ashur would only awaken when the odd mix of genetics that had made up Kiva piqued her subconscious curiosity, and after greatly feeding on her energy Ashur decided to bond properly to the young adventurer.
While Ashur first viewed Kiva as nothing more than a tool to reform herself, a chance meeting with Ameus would not only inform Kiva of just what Ashur was but also taught Ashur just how improbable her existence in this version of Kalifer would lead her, especially considering the 'great deeds' she had accomplished during the Rift Wars. When Seridus captured Kiva and offered Ashur a chance to rebuild the cults, Ashur was estatic.
Dragging along her host, Ashur doggedly hunted down the Blackshard Vaults, stealthily regaining her old kin, but even then, Kiva's mind tried to fight back, to reason with Ashur that they were being manipulated. With each shard captured, Kiva's empathy began to rub off, to the point where she hesitated before taking the final shard.
It was at this point that Seridus ambushed her, hosing down Kiva with Wychfire and taking the dormant shards, finally revealing her plan on using the Shard's inlaid magical energies of Ateryx to revive him and rebuild the cult into a mighty warrior army to destroy Kalifer and the world. Furious at being tricked, Ashur fought to keep Kiva alive, threatening her own existence to defend her from the Wychfire as Seridus fled, before with Kiva's assistance she worked to hunt down Seridus, find the half-mutated Shards, and destroy them for good.
Since that moment, the partnership that Kiva and Ashur has formed has nearly blossomed into a full sexual partnership, the time spent in hiding having drawn the two separate creatures into a mutual love and lust for each other. Unfortunately, this has been put on hold with the re-emergence of Ashur's most hated foe.
Ameus Kileria, Defiled Shopkeeper
It is no secret that in order to defeat one's enemy, one must understand them. However, the fear of the typical Kaliferian man for the realm beyond one's own is a terrifying thought, as is delving into the forbidden Rift Magic even on a examination and preventive measure. As a result, while the Royal Crown of the Rashiah hosts a great Black Library of this forbidden knowledge, it is stored in the Abyssite town of Bitterwater to keep it from the itchy fingers of humans, put into the capable hands of the Kileria bloodline.
Ameus is the last of this bloodline, running a bookshop over the Black Library since her mother's death. Ameus herself is extremely interested in the Rift War that resulted from this eldrich knowledge, and on a theoretical level is the most well-versed in the contents of this library from her research. While her various writings on the tales of the Rift War are well-recieved, the holds quiet thoughts over how the Rift War itself may have been prevented, or made even less destructive than it had turned out.
Thanks to her experience, Ameus was approached by a young woman, curious about the legends of post-war Cultist activity. Giving some details, the woman left, and Ameus assumed that was the end of it. A few days later, though, the woman returned- distraught, with a living, breathing Blackshard on her flesh. Ameus did her best to console Kiva, and bring Ashur an unedited result of her missing century of life, suggesting simply that these two would be in grave danger should Ashur be discovered by anyone.
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Garus, Gurnold Blademaster and Cult Council Member
After the Rift War, the cultists of Mondur were treated like crap. Garus, one of the generals during the war, was especially villified, as the only reason one of his major campaigns worked was the assistance of one of the Shard Knights, only for it to die when some human soldier manages to stab the man inside through the heart, giving the humanity of Kalifer the opening to dispense the Wychfire.
Blaming this man, Garus sought him out, and with the assistance of many cultists, he drew into combat, fighting with the human in a battle that fueled his bloodlust. Unfortunately, this human was surprisingly strong for even his formidable size and strength, and he may have fallen should one of his werebeast warriors not strike his back, smashing him down. Leaving Halfdan close to death, Garus returned to the cults.
After avenging his honor, Garus began to sink into the politics of his chosen path, pheromone smells getting him a harem to sate his needs and training them as some of the best blademasters in the cult. When outright sieges were required, Garus was called for his years and his skill in the blade and strength.
Bleeder, Blot Armor
Blot armor is a dangerous alternative for the tender touch of a Blackshard- Blots are naturally more aggressive, an apex predator for the Nether and one not for being easily bent to one's will. If a cultist cannot keep the armor subservient, they have the danger of being entirely be taken over by the Blot's own personality and mind.
Such was the case of Bleeder, a monstrous creature who mutated around his host and overtook him, replacing him with a beast completely stewed in madness and destruction. Seridus was the only one who could control him to any degree, and would send him as her chosen executioner should death be required without worry of collateral damage.
Icarus, Helius 'Sunflyer' Cultist and Cult Council Member
Messenger and hunter of the cult, Icarus, as he has come to call himself, is a winged soldier and warrior. with a need for combat on his terms. He knows of the art of golemancy, and has aided the cult in teaching that art to others in it's ranks, as well as used to rapidly scout and report with others. He rarely gets his hands dirty, but the times he does, he is usually never truly alone.
