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gridloreWhat would a good FRPG religion be without the evil faiths? Not much fun! Just like in our world. there will always be those who turn their backs on the light to deal with the Infernal Powers for any number of advantages.
No one but the truly insane worship The Devourer. The Unspeakable Lord offers nothing but madness and final destruction. There have been occasional flares of cult activity during very bad times when the end of the universe might seem like a good option. But for the most part these cults show up, perform a few grotesque atrocities, and are stomped into slime by militant clerics and paladins.
While the End of All Things lurks in his cage at the deepest level of the Abyss, the Abyssmal Planes are ruled by the Lords of Hell, the Demon Lords and Princes who have clawed (literally and figuratively) their way out of the pits to rule over hordes of lesser fiends. Along with the power that comes from their legions and strongholds, the Lords gain power from mortal worshipers. Dark rituals weaken the wall between the Abyss and the material world, and the energy of the material plane strengthens the lord in whose name the ritual was performed. In addition, the more subtle lords try to subvert and corrupt the powerful, for when they finally die and are sent to Hell their shades will be bound to the lord who owns their "contract."
This competition for souls and mortal cults leads to conflict in the Abyss. There are always wars raging between the various Lords, much to the delight of the Unspeakable Lord. For a demon, falling in Hell means losing all the powers accumulated over years of even centuries and finding oneself back in the pits, less than a shade, subject to the sadistic whims of the demons above you. Wars in Hell are fought without mercy or thought of surrender.
In the material world, dark cults tend to be of two types. In civilized lands, such cults form in secret among those who lust for power and advancement. The summoned demon will give small boons in return for promises of sacrifices and and spreading the cult. Demons are notorious for twisting words and betraying their worshipers. Often, a demon will simply grow bored with a coven and plant the seeds of its destruction (in such a way as to cause the most pain and woe to the largest amount of people, of course) for sheer amusement.
The other form of dark cult is that practiced by monstrous cultures and barbarian tribes. Not having heard the word of the Holy Church, these peoples are vulnerable to offers of protection and glory offered by demonic spirits. Monstrous humanoids, twisted by the Great Corrupter, naturally adhere to evil demigods. Orcus and Grummish are the two most common gods found among orcs and goblins. Their cults are as blood-thirty as their warriors, sacrifices of intelligent beings, torture, skull-adorned shaman.. anything that would make a paladin's blood boil can be found in an orcish "temple" space.
OK, one more on divisions in the human church, and I'm done! Comments?
No one but the truly insane worship The Devourer. The Unspeakable Lord offers nothing but madness and final destruction. There have been occasional flares of cult activity during very bad times when the end of the universe might seem like a good option. But for the most part these cults show up, perform a few grotesque atrocities, and are stomped into slime by militant clerics and paladins.
While the End of All Things lurks in his cage at the deepest level of the Abyss, the Abyssmal Planes are ruled by the Lords of Hell, the Demon Lords and Princes who have clawed (literally and figuratively) their way out of the pits to rule over hordes of lesser fiends. Along with the power that comes from their legions and strongholds, the Lords gain power from mortal worshipers. Dark rituals weaken the wall between the Abyss and the material world, and the energy of the material plane strengthens the lord in whose name the ritual was performed. In addition, the more subtle lords try to subvert and corrupt the powerful, for when they finally die and are sent to Hell their shades will be bound to the lord who owns their "contract."
This competition for souls and mortal cults leads to conflict in the Abyss. There are always wars raging between the various Lords, much to the delight of the Unspeakable Lord. For a demon, falling in Hell means losing all the powers accumulated over years of even centuries and finding oneself back in the pits, less than a shade, subject to the sadistic whims of the demons above you. Wars in Hell are fought without mercy or thought of surrender.
In the material world, dark cults tend to be of two types. In civilized lands, such cults form in secret among those who lust for power and advancement. The summoned demon will give small boons in return for promises of sacrifices and and spreading the cult. Demons are notorious for twisting words and betraying their worshipers. Often, a demon will simply grow bored with a coven and plant the seeds of its destruction (in such a way as to cause the most pain and woe to the largest amount of people, of course) for sheer amusement.
The other form of dark cult is that practiced by monstrous cultures and barbarian tribes. Not having heard the word of the Holy Church, these peoples are vulnerable to offers of protection and glory offered by demonic spirits. Monstrous humanoids, twisted by the Great Corrupter, naturally adhere to evil demigods. Orcus and Grummish are the two most common gods found among orcs and goblins. Their cults are as blood-thirty as their warriors, sacrifices of intelligent beings, torture, skull-adorned shaman.. anything that would make a paladin's blood boil can be found in an orcish "temple" space.
OK, one more on divisions in the human church, and I'm done! Comments?
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Date: 23 Apr 2011 23:55 (UTC)Rather than "absolute" evil, something that's evil because it's against humans (perhaps for quite justifiable reasons) or because its got a moral code that differs from the PCs (and "good" game races) on some fundamental point, but one that even if you don't like it, you can be (grudgingly) persuaded that it's just as "right" as the equivalent one in your code.
Not that paladins and most other folks would see it that way.
Makes for lovely dilemmas and some fun roleplaying.
Not sure if your world would have a space for such, but...
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Date: 24 Apr 2011 01:21 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 Apr 2011 04:39 (UTC)I think you meant "end of the universe". I'ma guess you typed 'ned' and then just did whatever spellcheck told you to, huh? :-)