Horrors Teaser 5

8/13/2019 Horrors Teaser 5

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John Harris, William Church, andSerge. W. Desir, Jr.,


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THE B LOR....utternonsense.Theveryideathatadevil

hadassaultedtheplaceisludicrous.Ihavenever

doubtedthatthecreaturethatattackedtheTowersof

VigilanceoutsideoftheBaronyoftheKrineHillsin

Bainlandwas

ademonic

spirit

known

as

abalor.

Thesedemonsareknownbyavarietyofnames.Dur

ingmytravelsacrossthenorth,particularlyinXyl

andCholis,theywereoftenreferredtoasroaring

demons,whileAshturianlorereferredtothemas

mountaindemonsand,lessfrequently,firede

mons(thelatterappellationwasparticularlypromi

nentduringwritingsofTheDarkhold).Noneofthesetermsappearintalesorreligioustextsinthe

VastExpanse(notevenHavenspeak);however,there

arementions

of

manslayer

demons

in

tales

relat

ingtothepresenceoftheDevourerofSouls,Demo

gorgon,duringhiscorruptiveinfluencesintheAsh

MountainsduringtheDemonWars.Giventhedescriptionofthesecreaturesasbathedinthefur

nace,orasoftenasshadowsgivensubstance,I

suspectthattheywereoneandthesamewiththe

roaringdemonsandthemountaindemons.

IwanttobeperfectlyclearwhyIbelievethesevari

ousterms,regardlessoftheprefixoffire,roaring,or

mountain,

indicate

the

same

creature.

Unlike

many

othersthatstudythespiritworld,Ihavelongsince

recognizedthatonecannotexpectconsistencywhere

nonecanpossiblyexist.IfHighSeerMortimonis

correct(andIbelievethatheis),onecannotexpect

orderorbalanceinTheAbyss(letmealsoallowthat

IgreatlydespiseCuratorAllmosgrandiosetitlesfor

thevariousDepthsBelow;hegavefartoomuchim

porttotheseplacesofevil).Iknowthatmanytake

painstopointoutthedifferencesinappearancebe

tweenthesemountain,fire,androaringdemonsand

believethatthesedifferencesindicatedifferentde

monicspecies.Thisisclearlyduetoshortsightedness.

Legendsassociatedwithmountaindemonsreveal

themtobehulking,apelikemonstrositiescoveredin

bloody,foulblackhairwithtalonedhandsandfeet,

withpiercing,starlikeeyesandlarge,bonewhite

horns.Contrastingly,firedemonsarealwayssaidto

appearashugeskeletalcreatures,theirbonesactu

allymadefromshadowwithflamesforfleshor,for

themorepoetictalespinner,muscle.Theroaring

demon,whilebipedal,mixesthefeaturesofamad

dened

lion

or

tiger

with

facial

features

and

coloration

ofawasporsomeotherstinginginsect.Whilethe

legendsandtalesallrelatethatthesevariousde

monictypeswieldswordsofflameorlightning(I

willexpanduponthisinterestingtidbitlater)and

thattheycarrywhips,thosethatpromotetheidea

thatthesearedifferentdemonspointoutthatmany

fiendishspiritsareknowntowieldsuchweapons.

Mycolleagues,infocusingonthetalesalone,are

foolishlyignoringavarietyofimportantfacts.The

mostglaringofthesemissedordismissedfactsisthe

ephemeralnatureofthesedemonicsightings.Almostwithoutexception,suchaccountsareswiftandpass

ing.Likewise,timehassurelycorruptedtheaccuracy

oftheoriginaldescriptionsasbothbardandhisto

rianalikehavelefttheirmark,innocentornot,upon

suchtales.Formypart,Ihaveturnedtoanother

source:images.Duringmytravels,Ihavefoundbas

reliefs,sculptures,frescoes,and(onlyinBurquebain)

muralsdepictingthesecreatures.Indeed,thephysi

caldescriptionsthelegendsrelateallbearout;how

ever,theyalsoallsharedistinguishingsimilarities.

First,the

fire

demons

are

not

the

only

ones

covered

inflames.InastartlinglylifelikestatueIencoun

teredinthedepthsofacollapsedcavenearCholis,I

sawatoweringroaringdemon.Somehow,eventhe

stoneappearedtobeshadowembracedbysilent,

stoneflames.Itborenoweapons,butInotedhowits

armsandhandswereconfigured.(Letmealsosay

thatIwouldnotbesurprisedifthestatuewasactu

allyapetrifiedbalordemon.Aldrasaveanyonewho

isfoolishenoughtoreleasethecreaturefromitsim

prisonmentifIamright.)FrescoesinAshturreveal

theterrible

mountain

demon

as

an

ape

like

beast

withhairmadefromshadowbathedinanimbusof

flame.Italwayscarriesapillarofflamesinonehand

andaserpentinewhipinanother.Thewhipanden

ergyswordimageryareidenticaltothefiredemon

(andthemanslayer,apparently)muralIencountered

duringabriefstayinBurquebain.Thesolefirede

moninthisstartlinglyrealisticrenderingheldabolt

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oflightninginitsrighthand,aboltthatdescended

fromtheskyandscorchedtheground.Intheleft

hand,itcarriedawhipthatlooklikeabarbcovered,

headlessserpent.

I

want

to

point

to

the

nature

of

these

weapons.

De

spite thepopular opinion that these weaponsjust

appear tobemadefromflameor lightning, Iamof

theposition that they truly areflame or lightning.

Further,Ibelievethattheyaremanifestationsofthe

creatures anger, metaphorsfor its desire to cause

burningtormenttoallthings,heldtogethersolelyby

thefoulwillofthecreature.Itisforthisreasonthat

it is almost impossible toprocure a balors weapon

upon itsdeathas theweapon isreallyapartof the

demon. (This isalsowhy thaton therareoccasions

these talesendwith thedemonsdeath, iteitherex

plodes in a blast of soot always when its on themortalcoilorinablastofflamesalwaysintales

associated with battles in The Abyss. )

Mycolleaguesalsodiscountthemannerinwhichthe

legendssaythesespiritsappear.Theyalwaysappear

inareas inwhich there isagreatdealofpassionate

turmoil.Theyrarelyseemtoarriveinareasthathave

strong, beneficentgovernments or even in areas in

whichthereisgreatbenevolentliberty.Instead,they

appear towards theendofgreat socialupheavalsor

elsein

the

midst

of

destructive

riots.

The

legends

suggest that they revel in turmoil and anger, liter

ally whipping others into acts of random violence

driven by rage and hatred. And, if they are not

swiftlydefeated,theylightuponaplaceofauthority,

preferablyaplaceofjusticeormercy,anddesecrateit

before taking it as their seat ofpower where upon

theyperpetuatemoreviolence intheirterritoryand,

inshortorder,beyond.Isuspectthatthesecreatures

do notjust appear towards the end of such situa

tions,butworkinthebackgroundstokingtheembers

ofviolence

and

anarchy,

finding

the

means

to

foment

discontent and aggression in those chafing under

anyauthorityorexcesshappinessandcontentment.

Sometimes they do this through mortal servants,

sometimes through lesserdemons (mostdemonsare

lessercomparedtothese),orelsethroughothermon

sters and spirits. While they lack thepatience and

longtermplanning characteristic of a devil, these

demonshorrifically surpassmortals in lifespan, in

telligence, andpower to release the shacklesof con

formity in lesser creatures...Certainly, theyorches

tratetheseupheavals.

Let

me

also

say

that

I

personally

believe

that

all

of

the sightings of mountain demons in the Deep Sea

areaandthemanslayeraccountsintheVastExpanse

andsoforthallrefertothesamefourorfivedemons.

In other words, I believe that the legendsgrossly

exaggeratethenumberofdemonsthathaveappeared

inDrm.IftheCilidian iscorrectandifthewritingsof Drenicus the Wise are accurate, a single balor

demoncouldeffortlessly terrorizeasinglekingdom;

how much more could dozens accomplish?

Thisbringsmeback to thematterof thedemon the

Sevenencountered intheKrineHills.Thatiswasademon isnodoubt.Thequestion is,Whatdrew it

there?Todate,noonehasbeenabletodiscernifit

was accidentally summoned, awakened from some

slumber, or arrived of its own volition. It did not

attempt to takecontrolof theKrineHills;rather, it

soughttodesecrateanimportantreligiouscenterand

bringanguishandangertothesurroundingarea.It

was swiftlydispatched by theSeven (who, by their

own accounts, were incredibly lucky as they had

accesstoaweapondesignedtodefeatdemons).What

didit

want,

and

is

it

anew

balor

never

before

en

countered?Mysuspicionisthatthecreaturesimply

tookadvantageofasituationanddidnotputmuch

thought into itsactions. Indeed, itsoughtaconflict

and, if the reports I heard are correct, itspresence

alonedidcausesignificantconflictintheKrineHills

and eventually drew Ministerial displeasure upon

thebaronandtheDukeofBarthrod.Thedemonmay

notbetheretowitnessitshandiworkfirsthand,but

somethingtellsmethatitismorethanawareofwhat

itsactionshavereaped.Ido,however,suspectthatit

isanew

balor

and

pray

that

it

does

not

find

the

meanstoreturntotheMortalCoil.

Now, onto the matter of the ultrodaemon...

Excerpt from Spirits of the Depths Below by Xpa theRenown High Seer of the Seers Library in Mandlthe Common Era.

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A reproduction of the Mountain Demon referred to by Xpa theRenow n in his Spirits of the Depths Below by the Well KnownDwarven Painter Lexi Dias of the Burning Crown.


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Balor (CR 20)CE Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Mazza'im)Init+11; Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., true seeing, Perception+41LanguagesAbyssal, Celestial, Draconic, telepathy 100 ft.

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AC35 (+7 Dex, +19 natural, -1 size), touch 16, flat-footed28hp290 (20d8 +200); death throes; DR15/cold iron andgoodImmunefire, poisonResistacid, cold, electricity 10; SR28Fort+22, Ref+19, Will+19

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Speed40 ft. (8 squares), fly 90 ft. (good)Melee+1 vorpal bastard sword+30/+25/+20/+15 melee(2d8 + 13/19-20) and

+1 flaming whip+30/+25/+20 melee (1d4 + 6 plus 1d6 fireplus entangle) and2 wings +29 melee (2d6 + 6) and

gore +29 melee (3d8 + 6 and disease) or;Melee2 slams +31 melee (3d8 + 12) and

2 wings +29 melee (2d6 + 6) andgore +29 melee (3d8 + 6 and disease)Melee+31 touchRanged+26 touchSpace10 ft.; Reach20 ft.Base Atk+20; CMB+33Atk Optionsentangle, Great Cleave, Greater Two-

Weapon Fighting, Power AttackSpecial Actionsdisease, flaming body, summon demons

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Spell-like Abilities(CL 20th)

At will blasphemy (DC 25), deeper darkness, desecrate,detect good, detect law, dominate monster (DC 27),fear

(DC 22),greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus50 pounds of objects only), insanity(DC 25),power word

stun, pyrotechnics, read magic, symbol(all) (DC 27), tele-kinesis(DC 23), unhallow, unholy aura (DC 26), unholy

blight (DC 22), wall of fire (DC 22).1/day fire storm(DC 25), implosion(DC 27).

_______________________________________________

AbilitiesStr 35, Dex 25, Con 31, Int 24, Wis 24, Cha 26SQdeath throes, innate weaponryFeatsCleave, Great Cleave, Greater Two-Weapon Fight-ing, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (slam),

Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Multiattack, Power At-

tack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (telekinesis), Two-Weapon FightingSkillsAcrobatics +20, Bluff +34, Climb +25, Diplomacy+34, Fly +34, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana, planes,religion) +33, Knowledge (geography) +17, Linguistics+17, Perception +38, Sense Motive +33, Spellcraft +33,

Stealth +23, Survival +33, Use Magic Device +31_______________________________________________

OrganizationSolitary or troupe (1 balor, 1 marilith, and2-5 hezrous)EnvironmentThe 666 Torments of The AbyssAdvancement21-39 HD (Large), 40-60 HD (Huge)TreasureStandard coins; double goods; standard items,

plus +1 vorpal greatswordand +1 flaming whip_______________________________________________

Death Throes (Ex):When killed, a balor explodes in a

blinding flash of light that deals 5 points of damage perHD (100 points for an average balor) to anything within 5feet per HD (100 feet for an average balor) (Reflex DC 30half). A balor's death throes appear different depending onwhether the death involved is permanent or temporary, and

each balor's death throes are individually distinctive al-though this has no mechanical effect. This explosion auto-matically destroys any weapons the balor is holding. Thesave DC is Constitution-based.

Disease (Su):A target gored by a balor must make a Fortsave DC 30 or else catch demon fever. The save DC isConstitution-based.

Entangle (Ex):A balors +1 flaming whip entangles foesmuch like an attack with a net. The whip has 20 hit points

and needs no folding. If it hits, the target and the balorimmediately make opposed Strength checks; if the balorwins, it drags the target against its flaming body (see be-

low). The target remains anchored against the balors bodyuntil it escapes the whip.

Flaming Body (Su):The body of a balor is wreathed in

flame. Anyone grappling a balor takes 6d6 points of firedamage each round. This flame never deals damage to the

balor, even those who are not immune to fire.

Innate Weaponry (Su):A balor can reform or recall itsweapons to its hand as a free action. If the balor and theweapons are separated across planar boundaries, the weap-ons fade.

Skills:Balors have a +8 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Summon Demons(Sp):Once per day a balor can auto-

matically summon 4d10 dretches, 1d4 hezrous, or onenalfeshnee, glabrezu, marilith, or balor. This ability is theequivalent of a 9th-level spell.


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THE S KKUThe day was dying.

Across the river-vales of Quasii, evening fell. Bath-

ing the serpentine path of the Wynding River with

blood-red radiance, the sun had sunk from its loftyperch, impaling its darkening eye upon the western

peaks. From the east, shadows slithered, hungrilydevouring the lingering light to cover the lands in

deepening dusk. Fearing the umbral web of night,

warmth fled, leaving the land cold and naked.

Stirring as if caught in a collective shiver, the local

village of Belnor began drawing down for the long,

autumn night. Without the guidance of the light, toil

became treacherous and vain. Farmers and mer-chants alike retreated to their hovels and homes,

anxious to seek sanctuary from the pursuing dark.

Wary of exhausting their winter stores, the locals

miserly stoked their meager hearth-fires, prayingthat their feeble flames would ward off both dark

and chill. Shutters were drawn. Doors were bolted.

Locked inside, the villagers huddled in their private

havens, hoping that night would pass peacefully andthat dawn would come quickly.

However, fear gnawed at their hope. In Belnor and

beyond, the night was long, and the darkness wasnot empty. Things stalked its ebon depths. Things

that were hateful and hungry. While later sages

would call these troubled times the Demon Wars,

the common folk of Belnor only knew them as an-

other harried day and another haunted night in a lifestained by creeping dread.

Like dew, the dread would diminish with the rising

rays of the sun, till the villagers all but forgot theirslumbering terror. However, with each nightfall, the

fear would wake, famished and feral. And to the

horror of the poor souls who dwelt in the village ofBelnor, the night was coming.

The day was dying.

Yet, as if born from the last gasp of the dying light,

a stranger appeared. Traveling from the westernmarch, the strangers path led him away from the

retreating sun and into the darkening gloom. Out-lined by the final rays of the sun, the traveler moved

with a pace that bespoke both fatigue and determi-

nation.

Reaching the outskirts of Belnor, the man paused

under the withering boughs of a gnarled oak tree.

Already succumbing to autumn's touch, the tree had

wept a number of crimson-hued leaves, forming acrackling carpet of red for the stranger. Much like

the tree whose shadow surrounded him, the man

looked haggard and bruised by the hand of time. A

tattered cloak hung about his shoulders, its ragged

corners whipped by the evening wind. Underneath,a tunic hid, emblazoned with fading symbols of

devotion and glory. Well-worn boots caked with the

dross of his journey stood as mute testaments to the

length of the man's travail. An empty scabbard hunglimply at the man' side while a single dagger dan-

gled to its left: a small defense against the dangers

of the deepening dark. Like the old oak tree, it wasapparent that time had taken its tithe from the

stranger. Loss was clearly etched in the gray stubble

of his beard and chiseled in the creases of his skin.

Yet, as with the massive oak, strength had not ut-

terly forsaken the stranger. Behind the veneer ofgrime and gray, a reserve of power and persistence

radiated like a sun hid behind wintry clouds. Peer-ing from the cowl of his fraying cloak, two gray-

blue eyes surveyed the scene, lit by an inner light

undimmed by age or autumn. Deep roots held the

man in place, even as they propelled him forward.

Beneath the folds of his dusty robes, a shimmering

gauntlet gleamed. Invisible power streamed from itssilver-steel. Strength flowed to its wielder. It was

both symbol and source of might. To the learned,

the gauntlet marked the man as a champion, favoredof Celzar, Lord of Lords. However, ignorance

reigned in Belnor, and the steel-clad fist remained

shrouded by tattered cloth. Nevertheless, the powerwas there, hidden, waiting, and biding its time till

its bearer called upon its might.

He would need it; of this, the stranger was sure.

Much as his own strength slumbered behind fraying

fabrics, so too did the might of his enemy wear amask. And so he searched.

Like lances, the man's iron-hued gaze pierced the

sifting shadows of dusk, searching for some clue orsign. For days on end, he had been tracking a foe,

following a scent of evil and corruption. That trail,

sinister and slippery, had led him to the shadow-castvillage of Belnor. Somewhere inside, a dark hearthid, poisoning the village as surely as any pesti-

lence. Silently breathing a hushed prayer, the man

called upon his patron for aid. His senses attuning to

auras unseen by natural eyes, the stranger gazedonce more upon the blighted village, searching for

the source of the spiritual cancer.

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It did not take long. Lingering on the far side of the

village, as if outcast like a leper, a large estateloomed.

Even without his god-blessed powers, the mancould smell the stench of evil. The rancid scent

wafted from the building like a corpse festeringunder a burning sun. His stomach clenched, as his

soul remembered some long digested disease that

refused to die. A bead of sweat forming on his gray-touched brow, the man steadied himself, forcing

down the desire to vomit. Though born from the

light, the man was no stranger to darkness. This was

neither the first time he had clashed with such a foenor the only time he had dealt with such a spiritual

stain. Raised from the cradle to know the goodness

of the Holy Gauntlet, the man's calling to Celzar's

priesthood had come at a tender age in a time ofpeace now dimmed by years of sorrow and sacri-

fice. Since then, the Demon Wars had been waged,

and the gates that held back the feral fiends

unlocked. Terrors had ravaged the land, stalkingboth innocent and guilty. In this waking nightmare,

the man's faith had been forged and his devotion

refined. He was a priest. The Word was his weapon,

the silver gauntlet his shield. His purpose was sim-ple, though all-consuming: purge the wicked and

protect the innocent. His burden was to bear the

wounds of fighting the former while shouldering the

shame of failing the later. Still, his service had not

been without success or reward. Blest to carry oneof his church's most holy relics, the priest had been

found worthy to face one more foe and perhaps to

save another soul from sin. So had his god called tohim; so had he followed.

He had never doubted the divine decree nor its

power. However, arriving at his journey's end, the

man could not help but question if he had thestrength to brave another den of darkness. His body

taxed from the toil of his travel, his aged muscles

groaned in protest, demanding rest. However, thestranger knew that neither Belnor nor himself could

rest until the evil had been purged. Until then, the

will of the spirit would have to succor the weakness

of the flesh. There was no other way but forward;

dawn would not come until night had been felled.

As if sensing the man's thoughts, a bone-seeping

gust breathed through the streets and fields of

Belnor. Its ragged gasp rattled shutters like clackingjawbones even as it greedily tore at the surrounding

trees. On the outskirts, the aged oak reluctantly shed

more of its scarlet leaves. Clutched by the wind,

they scattered like the embers of a dying fire falling

into darkness. Bereft of shelter, the man stoically

braced himself against the wind. The threadbarefabric of his clothes doing little to ward off the bit-

ing chill, the stranger bore his tribulation in grim

silence.

Leaving the failing shelter of the oak tree, thestranger once more resumed his journey. Threading

his way through the surrounding fields, the priest

pressed onward, his gaze riveted upon his dark des-

tination. Out of the corner of his vision, he noticed anumber of villagers picking through the burnt shell

of a building. Situated near Belnor's heart, the cold

ashes left little trace as to the structure's prior ap-pearance or purpose save for a soot-stained sign that

dangled limply from a half-broken chain. While its

once-brightly painted letters had been blackened

beyond legibility, the rough outline of clanking

tankards hinted at the ruin's past identity. Aidedonly by the spitting glow of several lanterns laid

nearby, several of the sifters wore heavy handker-

chiefs around their faces to ward off the chokingcloud of smoke stirred up by their endeavors. The

smoky scent seeping into the air, another gust of

chill wind carried the cloying scent to the approach-

ing priest.

The odor mixing with the scent of evil still gnawingat the stranger's senses, the priest tripped over a

previously unseen sack of dirty rags that cluttered

the dusty path. Barely catching his fall by graspinghold of a nearby hedgerow, the priest steadied him-

self with his gauntleted fist. However, the traveler

was once more caught off-guard as the pile of ragsshifted, revealing the hidden form of a man. Jarred

from his slumber by the priest's collision, the di-

sheveled man jolted. Nostrils flared while a dingyface flushed with a sloppy expression of anger. At-

tempting to quickly rise, the offended man nearlyfell over. Clutching his head with a free hand even

as his other raised a dark-stained jug to his lips, the

man leaned against the shoddy hedgerow for sup-

port. Spilling a bit of bitter-smelling liquor upon his

already stained tunic, the man warily glanced about,

his eyes narrowing as he spotted the priest.

Hoping to avert an unnecessary scene that mightalert his enemy to his approach, the aged man brokethe silence. His voice akin to the sound of a gentle

breeze, the priest spoke:

"Forgive me, my son; I did not see you."

Sneering at the word 'forgive', the obviously

drunken man mumbled back -the anger in his voice

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slurred by both despair and drink, "Nobodys sees

Merrec... Not nos mores... cept when blamins tobe done or rocks to be throwin..."

A familiar mix of pity and disdain welling inside hisheart, the elder priest replied patiently, his voice

mild and merciful, I come neither to place blamenor throw anything at you, Merrec. I am sorry for

disturbing your slumber."

Anxious to disengage himself from the irate man,

the priest moved as if to leave, but stopped. In-

wardly sighing at the delay, his conscience com-

pelled him to linger a little longer in hopes of help-ing a wayward soul.

"Tell me, my son; why do you sleep outside on a

cold night such as this? Have you no home -no shel-ter to escape the chill?"

Anger staining the man's cheeks with a crimson

flush, the drunk appeared ready to snarl out somespite-filled reply only to look away with simmering

shame. Clenching his teeth, the vagrant began to

violently swirl his spirit-filled jug. Starring down

into the dark, spiraling drink, Merrec seemed tornbetween divulging his secrets and drowning them in

the bottle. Whether sniffling from the chill or sti-

fling a wave of repressed tears, the broken man

shook his head in denial, cryptically muttering,

No... home... gone...

Nevertheless, the mans bleary eyes betrayed him as

his gaze wandered over to the dark manor on thehill. At its sight, a bitter wave of emotions washed

over the drunk, causing his hands to shake -though

whether in resentment or dread, the priest could not

tell. Sucking down another swig of spirits, the

drunk looked away with a shiver.

The child of Celzar, however, did not look away.

The priest's iron-blue eyes narrowed as he oncemore fixed his gaze upon the residence. It continued

to radiate evil, wordlessly laughing and taunting

him with its sinister silence. Slowly turning back to

the drunken man, the priest discovered that the va-

grant had noticed his momentary inspection of themanor. Red-rimmed eyes stared with desperate fo-cus, even as Merrecs words revealed his shock and

suspicion.

You can see it -cant you?! I can see it in your eyes

-you know whats in there! Turn round, old man,

turn back. Nothing but darkness there now... death...

you dont know! I heard it -I heard... her... it... shes

the one -she did it, not me! I swear, please...

please... I heard her -it laughing...

His voice becoming increasingly hysterical, Mer-

recs mumblings eventually were drowned out by

the sound of sobbing. Overwhelmed either by his

drunkenness or the demons within, the drunken mancollapsed into a heaving wreck of shakes and tears.

Not willing to let the man drown in his own dark-

ness, the elderly priest stepped forward. Pushingpast the miasma of alcohol that clung to the vagrant,

he placed his gauntleted hand upon the mans shoul-

der, attempting to support the man physically aswell as spiritually. Using his unadorned hand, the

priest gently pulled Merrecs trembling hand away

from his tear-swollen face.

Holding Merrecs damp eyes with the power of hisown pale-gray gaze, the priest spoke once more, his

voice radiating conviction and confidence. Be

still, my son, and listen. What you saw -what youheard- was a demon -a foul being from the nether-

world. I know because I have been sent here to ban-

ish it back to The Abyss from whence it came. Just

as He has sent me here, so to has He placed you

here, een now, that our paths might cross. The

Gauntlet of Holiness has seen your pain and hasheard your cry. Cry unto Him for deliverance, my

son, for He is mighty to save.

Struck with awe and wonder at the piercing majesty

of the strangers speech, Merrec could only stare in

silence. His tongue eventually loosened as the priestrose and released his gauntleted grasp, Merrec stam-

mered, Y-yes, my Lord.

With a mild rebuke, the priest answered,

There is but one Lord, my son, and that is Celzar,Lord of Lords. He alone is worthy of that noble

title. I am but Elleren, His humble servant.

Taking a step back from the tear-streaked man, the

weathered priest glanced towards the hill and its

lurking menace, saying, Here we must part, myson. Each of us has our own fate to fulfill. May we

both bring glory to His hallowed name.

Turning as if to leave, Elleren paused. Looking back

at the form of the kneeling man still clutching his

stained jug, the priest gave one final counsel before

parting, Know this, Merrec: not all demons wear

the shape of scales and fangs. Far more insidiousare those who hide their faces behind mundane

masks, whether it be the facade of a friend or the

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seductive lure of spirits that hide within homes of

ceramic or glass.

Leaving the vagrant to ponder his words, Elleren

resumed his journey. Pressing his way past the sus-picious stares of the soot-covered villagers, the

priest headed straight for the foreboding manor.Glancing up again at the leering source of evil,

Elleren studied the host that sheltered his appointed

foe. Protruding from a stunted hillside like a blackboil, the estate had clearly been built by someone of

significant importance and wealth. As if to keep

away the lessers that lived below, a fence of

twisted timbers surrounded the residence. Furtherisolating the building from the rest of the humble

homes below, the central building was shrouded by

a thicket of holly and apple trees. While the former

were still pregnant with their thorny boughs, thelatter seemed anemic and starved. Their leaves al-

ready decomposing upon the ground, the scattered

apple trees resembled tiny hands begging for deliv-

erance from the cruel cold. Shriveled fruit hunglimply from frail branches, permeating the air with

the sickly-sweet scent of spoiling blossoms and

spreading rot.

Breathing in the foul air, Elleren felt a smoldering

heat begin to burn his lungs and lips. Its unwhole-

some touch kindled long-repressed rage memories

of loved ones slain, enemies who escaped, and so

many other innumerable injustices which fanned theflames of hidden hate. Although tempted, Elleren

resisted. Drawing his sacred gauntlet to his lips, the

priest attempted to purge the scalding thoughts fromhis soul. Pushing past the fence of rotting redden-

wood, Elleren entered the ominous orchard.

Inside, the foreboding signs increased. While the

mold-slick walkway threatened to steal Ellerensfooting, the weed-infested garden repelled any

thought of refuge. Lurking within the blighted

grass, tiny carcasses glutted the garden. Bird hatch-lings, pecked to death by their own mothers, rotted

beside corpses of squirrels and mice. While some

appeared torn apart by the claws and fangs of their

kin, others appeared mysteriously unmolested save

for the indelible mark of death. Regardless, eachcarrion had remained untouched by scavenger orgroundskeeper. Left alone, the grisly carcasses fes-

tered. The gardens withered flora fared no better.

While the rest of the village warred against the in-vasion of autumn, the manor and its courtyard had

already surrendered to the wasting clutch of winter.

Traversing the graveyard-like garden as quickly as

possible, Elleren examined the accursed manor be-

fore entering. While constructed in the latest fashionof Quasii architecture, the residence appeared with-

ered by unnatural age. Windows gaped like bleed-

ing wounds. Shutters, chipped and dangling, resem-

bled peeling flesh. A web of cracks slithered

throughout the exposed foundation, creating a hissof bitter wind. Its door -once proudly displaying the

carved crest of its owners- clung limply to its frame.

At the touch of Ellerens steel-clad hand, the de-

crepit door crumbled into a shamble of splinters.Stepping through the thorn-like threshold, the priest

was swallowed by insatiable shadows.

His sight still empowered by his god, Elleren gazed

into the house. His gray-blue eyes piercing the veil

of darkness, the priest discerned a collection of

rooms filled with defiled finery and furniture. Mil-

dew and foul-smelling fungus smothered the rottingwalls and floorboards. Strange ichor seeped from

the ceiling, and out of the corner-of-his-eye, the

aged child of Celzar swore he saw it slither. How-ever, Ellerens attention was captured by the sound

of sobbing which eerily echoed from above.

Trudging across the cluttered chambers, Elleren

began to scale a set of rot-riddled stairs. Nearing the

summit, the priest caught a fleeting glance of some-thing dark and silent levitating in the air above him.

From the shadow hissed a malevolent snicker. Be-

fore he could respond or take a closer look at thefigure, Elleren was caught by a blast of rending

wind. Tearing him from the stairs, the wind de-

voured the staircase and much of the rooms beyond,vomiting them forth in a hail of scything splinter

and shrapnel. While his bruised body cried out in

pain, the priest was spared from death by a numberof fast-fading enchantments. Wincing with pain as

he pulled himself free from the wreckage, Ellerengazed warily about for his assailant. However, the

hissing shadow had disappeared. Up above, though,

the sobbing remained the pain-wracked pleading

an undeniable call to the servant of Celzar. Throw-

ing off the useless tatters of his cloak, the priest

uttered another prayer. Renewing a number of hismagical protections, Elleren drew upon the Word to

climb an invisible stairway of air. His heavy bootseventually touching down upon the husk of an up-stairs hallway, Elleren hastened towards the source

of sobbing. His divine-blest vision throbbing from

the overpowering aura of evil which radiated from

within the same room, the priest abandoned any

lingering shred of self-concern upon hearing thesobbing become a wailing crescendo of agony ech-

oed by another unearthly scream of hate.

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Exertion and worry birthing a grim layer of sweatupon his brow, Elleren battered down the locked

door ready to face whatever horrors lurked beyond.

Or so he thought.

Inside the room, a young girl sat upon a large bed

framed with reddenwood. Sticky crimson stained

her bedding and covered the tattered remnants ofher night-gown. With pale-blond hair writhing like

enraged vipers, the girls face was a nightmarish

expression of hatred and hurt. Streaks of blood,

dimly reflected by the broken mirror behind her,slithered across her skin. Eyes -terrible serpentine

eyes- stared with unblinking rage. Lit by some foul

inner glow, they gleamed a sickly shade of yellow

reminiscent of urine and pus. From her distortedlips issued a stream of obscenities. So perverse, so

wrong, were the words that Elleren had to con-

sciously will himself not to strike down the child

were she lay. As if sensing his struggle, the de-mented child the thing- turned its gaze upon

Elleren. Deranged, frenetic laughter tore from the

childs throat like a savage animal.

Above her, a woman screamed.

Held aloft by some unseen power, a woman, per-

haps no more than thirty winters old, was nailed to

the ceiling. Her limbs bent back like some malcon-torted spider, the woman was impotently thrashing

as her joints slowly tore from their sockets. Des-

peration and agony warred upon her face, threaten-ing to tear it in twain alongside the rest of her

breaking body.

Amidst the wreckage of the rest of the room, a man

or at least the pitiful remains of man- lay in a cor-ner. Defiled in so many ways as to make it impossi-

ble to discern what had finally killed the man, the

corpse hung impaled upon a childs coat-rack, bra-zenly displayed like some grisly trophy or care-

lessly discarded like a broken toy. Staring in horror

at the corpse, Elleren prayed he never learned how

the man died.

Distracted by Ellerens arrival, the girls vile gripon her victim slipped. The invisible vice slackening

just enough for her to speak, the woman cried out to

the priest, Help us! my daughter, Lyssa, shes n

Noticing the momentary lapse in control, the girl

hissed another stream of curses and, with but a

flicker of will, renewed her hold on the woman

above. Slamming her into the ceiling with suchforce that the rotting wood began to splinter and

crack, the gore-soaked child began to drag the

woman across the length of the room, grinding the

womans back into a bloody pulp. An ugly, scarlet

smear followed in her wake. The screaming re-newed.

Unwilling to let such torment go unchecked, Elleren

stepped forward. Raising his unadorned hand to theheavens, the priest attempted to banish the girls

malevolent power over the woman. Yet, even as he

prepared to speak the words, Elleren felt somethinghorrible trying to crawl inside his head. A sea of

images of spilt blood, mindless slaughter, and rav-

aged corpses attempted to drown out his mind.

Raising his silver gauntlet like a shield, the priest

called upon its holy power to purge the fiendishattack upon his sanity.

Upon seeing the gleaming relic and sensing itspiercing power, the demented child screamed with

incomprehensible rage. Fear quickly replaced by

fury- flooded her serpentine, unblinking eyes. All of

her malice diverted to the priest who dared to wield

such heavenly power in her presence, Lyssa sum-

marily released her hold on the woman. Withoutenergy or ability to break her fall, the woman plum-

meted to the ground like a bag of brittle branches.

The sound of snapping bones, accompanied by an-other wave of screams, filled the air.

Attempting to heal the womans broken skin andsoul, Elleren's prayer was interrupted as Lyssa leapt

off the bed and with but a thought, caused the entire

bed, frame and all, to fly hurtling across the room.While Elleren barely dodged the attack, the crippled

woman was powerless to evade the killing blow.

However, just before the massive frame crushed the

paralyzed woman into an ungodly smear, Elleren

acted. Still prone from his own haphazard leap to

safety, the priest once more raised his gauntlet.

Calling upon the Word, a glimmering, radiantgauntlet -like unto Ellerens but only many times

larger and shimmering with incorporeal light- ap-peared in front of the helpless woman. Catching theonrushing bed in its ephemeral, silver fist, the con-

jured gauntlet struggled to hold back the bed which

threatened to crush the weakened woman. Furious

at the priest's intervention, Lyssa focused all her

hatred into the hurled bed, attempting to overpowerthe conjured gauntlet with sheer spite. At the same

time, Elleren remained resolute in the womans

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defense and poured all his devotion and faith into

maintaining his magic and pushing back the threat-ening object. An intense struggle ensued. Blood

leaked from Lyssa's nostrils. Sweat poured from

Elleren's skin. Her fate caught in the balance, thepoor woman could only feebly drag her broken

body before the pain pushed her over the precipiceof unconsciousness.

The contest continued. Under such inexorableforces, the bed-frame began to crumble. Screaming

another stream of vile, horrific expletives, Lyssa

relinquished the vain struggle, causing the cracking

bed-frame to shatter against the far wall. Throughshowered with wooden shrapnel, the woman sur-

vived.

Livid with boiling rage, the haunted girl's bodyunleashed another primal scream. Behind her, the

already fractured mirror shattered, sending slivers

of glass into her own skin. Heedless of the pain -or

perhaps sadistically embracing her victims tor-ment- the girl's expression became a mask of insane

evil. Twisting her neck at a sickly angle, she

laughed.

Breathing heavily from the physical and mental

exertion, Elleren struggled to rise. However, upon

spotting the unconscious form of the woman,

Elleren felt a surge of hidden strength. Iron will

commanding waning flesh, Elleren stumbled over tothe woman's side. Praying to Celzar that he was not

too late, the priest poured out an invocation of heal-

ing upon the woman's wounds. Flesh reforged.Bones re-knitted. Having stabilized the still-

slumbering woman, Elleren turned to face the ma-

niacally laughing monster.

As iron-blue eyes met serpentine, unblinking orbs,jarring images stabbed into Elleren's mind. In that

horrible instant, the priest could see the soul of

Lyssa -the real Lyssa- squirming inside her ownskin, pleading for release -even if by death. Vile

visions of her possession swarmed Elleren's

thoughts. In the maddening maelstrom came the

insidious hiss of the fiend. It mocked him. He could

feel it, promising to release the daughter and motherin return for his own soul. Punctuating the proffered

pact, the demon erased another memory from the

girl's mind, slowly stripping her of her sanity.

Literally throwing himself away the unblinking

gaze, Elleren recoiled in horror. Even with such a

momentary brush, the aged priest felt soiled. A part

of him hated himself for even knowing that some-

thing so vile could even exist. He could feel its re-

lentless contempt. Cold sweat ran down his bodyeven as his lungs burned. Once more, the child of

Celzar fought back the urge to vomit.

Once more, Elleren resisted. His trembling ceased.

Clenching his gauntleted fist, the aged priest sawhis reflection in its silver steel. In that celestial mir-

ror, Elleren drew strength. Roots of life-long faith

dug deep, drawing upon untapped reservoirs of

strength. Rising to his full stature, Elleren lockedeyes once more with the fiend-in-mortal-flesh.

While the wave of writhing emotions and images

once more attempted to wash away his will, thepriest stood firm. His eyes neither blinked nor wa-

vered.

Raising his silver-shod hand to the heavens, the

man shouted against the maniacal laughter, "Neitherthe girl nor the woman are yours to give, fiend. I

know your lying tongue. I know the truth, and I see

through your lies! I know thee, demon. I name theeasakku! No longer shall you torment these souls!

Prepare to die demon, for your doom is upon you!"

Celestial light streamed from Elleren's upraised fist.

A lance of divine radiance stabbed down at the

fiend, harmlessly passing through the young girl'sskin to directly impale the demon that lurked

within. Screams of hatred -and pain- snaked forth

from the girl's tongue.

The demon was done playing -death alone was its

desire.

Darkness flowed from the fiend, smothering the

celestial light even as it began choking the helplesshost. Uncaring, unblinking eyes gleamed from the

darkness, their slit-like irises an empty abyss. Star-ing at the priest, the eyes attempted to suck his soul

into the endless chasm of dread itself. For a mo-

ment, Elleren felt the threads of his life slipping

away. Breath and heartbeat halted. Only through

sheer conviction did Elleren will himself back into

the land of the living. Blood welled from the edgesof his eyes, obscuring his sight with crimson tears.

But, despite the blinding blood, Elleren's visionremained clear: he had to purge the demon from

Lyssa. Summoning strength, the priest hurled him-

self across the room. Throwing his arms around the

gore-slick body of the girl, both priest, demon, and

host fell to the ground. The demon within Lyssa'sbody thrashed; its tremors rippled through the girl's

flesh, causing arms to flail. Broken nails attempted

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to claw out the old priest's eyes.

But Elleren held fast. Calling upon his god for

strength, the priest mustered all his might to hold

down the girl upon the wooden floor. Spitting inrage at the weakness of its host, the asakku at-

tempted to shout another tirade of vile obscenitieslaced with eldritch power. But Elleren was too

quick. Clamping down the young girl's mouth with

his mailed hand, the priest prevented the demonfrom speaking. Palpable fury poured from Lyssa's

eyes, reflecting the demon's rage.

Shouting with the full measure of his faith, Ellerenattempted to banish the fiend even as it forced

Lyssa to gnash her teeth on the sacred gauntlet, "In

the hallowed name of Celzar, I command you to

depar "

Cutting-off the priest's invocation, the asakku called

upon the Word, hurtling both man and girl across

the room. Impacting against the jagged remnants ofthe broken mirror, Elleren heard something snap in

his chest. Painfully plummeting to the splintered

floor, the priest lost his grip, allowing Lyssa to slink

out of his grasp. Crawling away on all fours, thepossessed child eyed him with undisguised hate.

Coughing up blood, Elleren attempted to rise and

call upon the Word to heal himself; however, the

entire room convulsed as if caught in an earthquake.Timbers cracked; floorboards warped and snapped.

A corner of the ceiling sloughed off like dead skin.

Seized by the unnatural quake, Elleren's prayer wasinterrupted, and the priest was once more painfully

thrown to the ground.

Inside his mind, Elleren could hear the demon's

laughter, mocking him, blaspheming against hisgod.

Reaching past the pain, the aged child of Celzarlunged at the girl. While Lyssa's body attempted to

leap away, Elleren's armoured hand just grasped her

ankle, tethering her to the wounded priest. Once

more, Elleren attempted to exorcise the demon,

even as blood slurred his speech, "In the hallowedname of Celzar, I command you to depart from thisinnocent. Return to The Aby "

Fire. Hungry, hateful flames roared into existence,bathing Elleren in their burning grasp. As if chan-

neling all its rage and hatred, the demon had sum-

moned a font of unholy flames to incinerate the

priest. Elleren felt the flash of heat around him.

Like dry kindling, his priestly robes ignited, burning

his skin like swarming wasps. Floorboards smol-dered. Elleren could smell the smoke, the scent of

his own burning flesh and hair choking him as he

attempted to scream. Trapped in the metal gauntlet,

his right hand seared with pain. He could feel it

shriveling, blackening beyond repair. The pain wasbeyond comprehension.

But he did not let go.

To let go would be death -to let go would, he would

forever lose his hold on the girl and demon within.

Cursing down at the stubborn man, the possessedchild spat a stream of curses even as it conjured

myriad walls of flames.

Smoke obscuring his iron-gray eyes, Elleren some-

how swallowed the pain. He would not relent -notnow, not after all he had been through. Concentrat-

ing against the pain, he called out to his god. Imme-

diately around him and the child, the flames van-ished. His skin still smoldering, Elleren could feel

the demon's fear. He could feel the demon weaken-

ing. Unfortunately for the aged priest, he too was

spent. He attempted to invoke another prayer, to

attempt another exorcism, to call down healing, but

the pain -the pain stopped him. Ashen flesh filledhis mouth; he gagged on smoke.

Sensing the priest's weakness and desperate to getaway, the asakku cried out. Its voice an inhuman

blend of demon and child, Lyssa howled as her en-

tire body convulsed. Her mouth stretching to anobscene size, Lyssa's lips issued a bizarre hissing

noise even as her jawbone cracked. Following

Lyssa's gurgled scream, a red-scaled serpentemerged from Lyssa's grossly extended mouth. Its

tongue flickering outwards, the snake slithereddown the girl's chest and across the floor. Even as

Elleren crushed the first serpent with his boot, four

more emerged from Lyssa's maw. Each climbed up

his legs and arms. One by one, they sunk their fangs

into his scalding skin. One of the serpents latched

onto Elleren's right arm above his gauntlet, writhingback and forth in order to dig its venomous fangs

deeper into his flesh. With each bite, Elleren felt hislife ebbing as the vile serpents' poison coursedthrough his bloodstream. His hand and arm turned

an revolting blue before it began to blacken like

mildew spreading throughout his body. Desperately

trying to remove the imbedded snakes, Elleren felt

even more strength leave him as the Lyssa reacheddown to touch him. While barely grazing his cheek,

Lyssa's foul caress instilled his soul with a bizarre

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numbness and sense of loss. One of the priests last

contingencies flaring to life, Lyssa's touch earned hera blast of blinding light. The retributive surge throw-

ing Lyssa away from the poisoned priest, Elleren

could see the girl land upon her back. Her body laidoddly still as the demon within seemed dazed by the

holy energies. Likewise caught in the heavenly blast,the four serpents shriveled and writhed in pain. One

by one, their blood-red scales melted, leaving only

four lines of broken ash.

Feebly attempting to utter a prayer of healing,

Elleren realized to his horror that nearly all his power

was spent. At best, he only retained enough to tryand finish the exorcism. Crawling forward on his

hands and knees, Elleren could feel his life leaking

out of his body. The poison stabbing his heart as

surely as an assassin's blade, the aged priest reachedout his blackened, burnt hand. In the flickering glow

of firelight, a single finger remained untarnished by

ash and blood. Catching the dying light of the day,

the finger fell upon Lyssa's bosom. Underneath thecelestial steel, the elderly priest could feel the girl's

fragile heartbeat. Burnt tear-ducts shed unseen tears.

His voice a mere smoke-choked whisper, Ellerengave all that he had, all that he was, in one last act of

service, "In the hallowed name of Celzar, I command

you to depart from this innocent. Return to The Abyss

from whence you came!"

As if expunging a sickening poison, Lyssa's stomach

began to tremble. Inside her body, the demon

gnashed in disbelief and desperation. Her back arch-ing in a series of wracking spasms, Lyssa's stomach

distended violently. Blasphemies and curses hissed

from inside the child.

But the blasphemies grew distant. The child's stom-ach shrunk. The spasms subsided.

Lyssa -the true Lyssa- stirred as if rousing from someunnaturally long slumber. Her eyes flickering open

for a mere moment, the young girl found herself star-

ing into the glazing eyes of a stranger. Iron-blue eyes

dimly starred back. A smile -or perhaps a sigh- es-

caped the strangers lips. The last breath escaping thehis pierced lungs, Lyssa heard the man murmur aname with utmost reverence, yet familiarity.

"Celzar..."

Lyssa watched as the light dimmed in the man's eyes

like setting suns. Darkness filled the emptiness.

Attempting to rise, the girl looked around, her head

swooning with confusion and pain. Smoke and firehungrily tore at the edges of the room -her room. Or

at least, what was once her room. Like a half-

remembered nightmare, her mind swam with visions

of carnage and terror. Panic seized the child -tears

streamed down her checks, their rivulets impotentlyattempting to wash away the gore which stained her

skin.

Her wounds pulling her back down to the splinteredfloor, sobs began to clench her body. She tried to call

out -but fear and a secret shame stilled her tongue.

Starring into the empty eyes of the stranger, she letthe yawning darkness take her. She closed her eyes,

praying that the nightmare might end.

The flames stretched forth and crept closer.

Feeling their heat, Lyssa's mother finally stirred.

In the smoke-filled darkness, Lyssa's mother some-how stumbled across her daughter's slumbering form.

Tripping over the stranger who had given his life to

save her and her daughter, Lyssa's mother could find

no words to utter in thanks. While he had healed her

flesh, her soul remained a haunted shell. Cradling her

daughter in her arms, Lyssa's mother numbly left theburning ruins of her home. Somehow, she escaped

the clawing flames. How, she could not say. Mater-

nal instinct drove her like a dumb animal. After allthe abuse, her entire body ached. She tried not to

think. Thinking invited too many terrible thoughts.

Oblivious to all around her, Lyssa's mother -still cra-

dling her unconscious child- stumbled down the de-

caying hillside, blinded to the death and decay whichsurrounded her on every side. Dragging herself till

her legs could no longer carry her and her burden,Lyssa collapsed just beyond the edge of the rotting

fence. In her haunted stupor, she failed to notice the

din of the growing crowd.

They had seen the priest enter the hillside manor.

They had heard the screams. They had seen the fire.Like moths, they approached the flame, their fury

overcoming their fear. By the time Lyssa's motherfinally limped out of the still-burning wreckage ofher home, exhausted to the point of barely being able

to stand, nearly fifty of her townsfolk stood outside.

Her eyes pleading, she looked to the crowd in the

vain hope of finding any shred of mercy from thosehumen that had been her neighbors. In the harsh

glow of the devouring flames, all she saw were eyes

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reflecting doubt, resentment, fear, and hatred.

Dimmed by the darkness, familiar faces were veiledand hidden behind masks of mistrust.

She started stammering, her voice hoarse, "Thepriest -h-he saved us. P-please, can't you see? Can't

you see we're inno "

A heavy ceramic jar sailed through the air. Whether

aimed at the woman or the child, the mother instinc-tively absorbed the blow with her own body. The

ceramic jug shattering against her skin, dark liquor

spilled from it, mingling with fresh blood.

Silence smothered the crowd. Only the crackling

flames above invaded the steely silence. Like the

shards of ceramic which fell from the woman's arm,

the crowd turned to the wounded mother and child.The scent of blood and drunkenness filled the air.

One by one, all eyes focused upon Lyssa and her

mother.

A collective shiver went through the crowd. Like a

taught tether, silence was all that held back the mob

-silence that was straining under the weight of a

hundred eyes of anger.

Something stirred from the back of the crowd. A

dirty, disheveled man, reeking of spirits, raised a

stained finger, screaming out a single accusation,

"Demons!"

Nearly before he hissed the last letter, the mob

awakened. Stones, rocks, and shrapnel became in-struments of murder. A storm of raining death

pelted Lyssa and her mother. Unsatisfied with such

an impersonal slaughter, the mob charged, tearing

apart the woman and child with their bare, blood-

thirsty hands.

Like a crimson tide, it was soon over.

With hands stained a shameful scarlet, none of the

townsfolk could bring themselves to look at the

humen they had killed, nor could they bring them-

selves to look at each other. In near-total silence,

the mob dispersed. Empty shells, they stumbledback to their homes and hovels. Like the ash-strewnruins of their village's heart, the people of Belnor

were dead inside -doubt and distrust had seared

their consciences. One by one, they shuffled back tohomes that seemed less safe, less secure.

Above all, one felt the loss most keenly. He had

returned to his home -the home that he had aban-

doned -the home that had abandoned him.

Unlike the others, the man held no illusions: there

was no shelter from the cold.

His eyes blinded by the raging fire which sur-

rounded him and by the knife of icy numbnesswhich stabbed his heart, Merrec stood still and si-

lent, oblivious to all around him. He was alone.

Yet, amidst the smoldering ashes, something stirred.

Shrouded by the darkness of the night, a shadow

slithered. Twin orbs of sickly shinning lightgleamed behind a veil of smoke. Its gaze eventually

falling on the lonely figure by the fire, the thing

hissed with hate and hunger.

Smoke clawed through the sky, shrouding the heav-ens. Like umbral snakes twisting to form a tapestry

of ebon twilight, the ashen clouds swallowed both

moon and stars. Darkness descended. The night hadcome.

The day was dead.

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Trust is the adhesive which binds together relationshipsand allows families, even societies, to form and stabilize.In the absence of trust, mortals affiliate with each other

grudgingly, if at all. Devoid of trust, such associations thatdo exist often become marred by internal strife and hostil-ity. However even in those circumstances where trust is

present, trust is rarely absolute, and mistrust and fear be-

tween mortals has often led to dire and disastrous conse-quence.

More often than not, these disastrous consequences are thevile fruit of The Abyss, spawned by demented minds anddemonic flesh. Few things benefit The Abyss more thanmortals who succumb to hostility and aggravation.

Stripped of trust, these mortals increasingly spurn good-ness and order as utterly impotent in a Creation where they

perceive everyone is at war with everyone else. Thesebeings with such a warped view soon resemble demons in

mind and deed, if not flesh, as they respond with bloodlustto every slight and precariously balance on the edge of

paranoia. Foremost among The Abyss' means of spreadingthe spiritual cancer of distrust, the asakku are the demonic

i n c a r n a t i o n s o f s u s p i c i o n a n d s t r i f e .

According to certain scholars, asakku are some of the most

recent demons spawned by The Abyss in its unconsciousattempt to corrupt Creation. Despite their comparative age,these demons have so successfully spread discord and

destruction that among many mortal nations and faiths,asakku have become synonymous with demonic posses-sion and the zhedin. Considering how both the ekimmuand rabissu predate asakku, the infamy of this new de-

monic race is all the more impressive-and terrifying. Whilemost scholars believe asakku spawn exclusively inside TheAbyss like other zhedin, scattered reports allege that someasakku have arisen within the Mortal Coil, created in com-

munities ravaged by their abyssal-birthed kin. However,critics of this theory dismiss such reports. They explainthat it is easy to confuse the appearance of asakku being

born from mortals with multiple asakku hunting down the

same host, or hosts, for their own perverse purposes.

Although endowed with an independent measure of de-structive prowess, asakku generally prefer possessing mor-

tals over direct violence, as the former method allows themto simultaneously ruin both their hosts and the communi-ties in which they live. Based upon their instinctive knowl-

edge of the sentiments that birthed them, these demonspossess an uncanny ability to identify the most trusted orinnocent beings within a community, targeting such preyabove all others. In most cases, the initial victims are chil-

dren or community elders. From this initial foray into acommunity's life, asakku then worm themselves into doingfurther damage through working their way close to much

better and more powerful targets, such as any spellcasters

within a community. The best and the most difficult targetsalong these lines for an asakku's subversion are divinespellcasters. Out of potential hosts, they are often associ-ated with communal stability and are the most likely and

capable to exorcise demonic possession. Once an asakkuhas lodged itself in the mind of its final target, it then usesevery possible means of utterly destroying a community

from within. This can include manipulating its host tocommit brutal murders, episodes of arson, or acts of lethalterror. However, in those circumstances when doing such

would be insufficient to cause massive distrust and insta-bility, they can instead cause minor disasters or social dis-ruptions which they can then proceed to exacerbate. Even

when an asakku is caught, a victimized community often

continues to suffer from asakku predation, as these fiendsrelish abandoning their hosts to face the consequences of

their demonic-induced actions while the asakku possessnew victims previously weakened by their depredations.

Unique among those demons who specialize in possession,asakku are considered extremely useful to demons of

greater power than themselves. Many atrocities, demonlords, and demon princes use those asakku that they caneither bend to their will or force into serving them as en-forcers against those who either fall away from their ser-

vice or serve rivals through possessing their loved ones orinnocent beings. Because mortals are often not the bestcombatants in The Blood War, they find comparativelylittle use on the front lines of battle as asakku-host pair-

ings. However, in the more subtle forms of combat be-tween the demons of The Abyss and the rest of Creation,asakku are tremendously gainful to those that can manipu-

late them, as a single asakku in several months' time caneasily rip an entire community apart through judicious useof its possession ability, destructive prowess, and its other

powers to spark mistrust and loathing between the living.Other more powerful demons use asakku as bounty hunt-ers, possessing those that may have initially escaped fromThe Abyss and dragging them back for even more horrific

punishment.

In terms of their personalities, asakku are stubborn, decep-tive, intelligent, and vengeful. They hold grudges for ex-

ceptionally long periods-especially against other demons.While asakku are incapable of possessing other denizens ofThe Abyss, they have no such compunctions or limitationsagainst possessing half-fiends. Many demons that have

opted to use either voluntary or forced offspring in order totry and increase their own presence upon The Mortal Coildiscover previously slighted asakku to be persistent andvicious foes. Asakku are just as hostile towards each other

as they are to other beings, and in certain situations, multi-ple asakku have been known to vie for the power to pos-sess the same mortal. In such situations, these poor hosts

often lose their sanity from having so many vile person-ages competing over their minds and souls.

An asakku appears as a six-foot long serpent with articu-

lated black and green scales and spikes pointed backwards.Wiry and thin, their bodies seem not to slither so much asglide through the air. Although its head is scaled much likeits body, an asakku's face appears vaguely feline and pos-

sess yellowed, unblinking eyes. When an asakku speaks inits true voice as opposed to that of its current victim, itsounds like the voice of a child, yet the words that comeout of its mouth are anything but innocent-and are often

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the exact opposite of such.

Combat:Asakku prefer to prey upon the weak. Conse-quently, these demons often target children as an easymeans of both infiltrating and persisting within a commu-

nity, as the sadistic fiends realize that good-aligned beingsare particularly unwilling to harm, much less kill, a child,

possessed or not. Generally, they prefer to get others to dotheir work for them. Asakku accomplish this throughFevered Imaginings combined with casting morality un-done in order to turn opponents against each other andforcing foes to fight through walls of previously innocent

beings or even better, former allies. If an asakku is cor-nered, it will teleport away as quickly as possible andscheme for vengeance against whoever defeated it. Incircumstances where it cannot immediately escape along

these lines, it will use wall of fireand deeper darknesstoslither away quickly or passwall itself away from thosefoes that could kill it.

Asakku(CR 16)CE Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Malei-

dolon)Init+11; Sensesdarkvision 120 ft., Perception +23AuraFevered Imaginings (30 ft.) LanguagesAbyssal,Common, telepathy (100 ft.)

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AC29 (+12 natural, +7 Dex), touch 17, flat-footed 22;Dodgehp136 (16d8 +64); DR15/silver and goodImmunecold, electricity, fire, poisonResistacid 20; SR24Fort+14, Ref+17, Will+16; Exorcist's Bane (+4 profane

bonus against Exorcism)______________________________________________

Speed40 ft. (8 squares), climb 40 ft.Meleebite +19 (2d6 + 3) andsting +17/+12 (1d8 + 1 and poison)Melee+19 touchRanged+23 touchBase Atk+16; CMB+19Atk OptionspoisonSpecial ActionsConvulse, Exorcist's Bane, FeveredImaginings, Possess Mortal, Seed of Emnity

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Spell-like Abilities(CL 16th)

At will-cyclonic blastSC(DC 22), deeper darkness,greater dispel magic, levitate(self only), hold monster

(DC 23), modify memory(host only) (DC 22),passwall,persistent image, suggestion(DC 21), telekinesis, greaterteleport(self and host), tremorsSC(DC 20), vipergoutSC,wall of fire(DC 21).

3/day-animate objects, blasphemy(DC 24), dread word-BoVD (DC 20), morality undoneBoVD(DC 23),phantas-mal killer(DC 21),probe thoughts(DC 23).1/day-bestow greater curseSC (DC 25), dream castingSC

(DC 23),spread of savageryBoVD(DC 27).______________________________________________

AbilitiesStr 16, Dex 24, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 24SQExorcist's BaneFeatsAbility Focus (Possess Mortal), Dodge, Improved

Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack, Rapid Strike (sting),Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Spell Focus (Enchantment)

SkillsAcrobatics +26, Bluff +26, Climb +22, Diplomacy+26, Disguise +26, Escape Artist +26, Intimidate +26,Knowledge (religion) +23, Linguistics +23, Perception+23, Sense Motive +26, Stealth +26

______________________________________________

OrganizationSolitary or Misery (Asakku and Host)EnvironmentThe 666 Torments of The AbyssAdvancement16-32 HD (Medium)

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Convulse (Su):An asakku that has possessed a victimmay choose to convulse it as a standard action. A con-

vulsed mortal enters into violent, painful spasms whichdeal 2d8 points of damage to the asakku's host, with no

save allowed. However, the true power of the convulsionscomes not from the harm that is done to the host, but to

those beings that hear the constant stream of spiteful ex-pletives and insults that the possessed mortal screams inits agony. Any being within 30 feet that listens to a con-

vulsed victim must make an initial Will save DC 25 inorder to avoid attacking the host of the asakku with thenearest improvised or actual weapons during the first

round. Each round afterwards, those who remain withinthis radius must continue to make an additional Will savein order to avoid taking a -1 penalty against the asakku'sother attacks as their power to resist the asakku is slowlyeroded. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based, and this

is a mind-affecting sonic effect.

Exorcist's Bane (Ex):Asakku are stubbornly resistant tomost attempts to evict them from a host -especially when

such attempts come from good-aligned beings. Accord-ingly, an asakku's power over its hosts exists in the fol-lowing ways:

First, an asakku possesses a profane bonus to its spellresistance and Will saves against spells and special abili-ties intended to exorcise it from a given host. This bonus

increases by +1 per every four HD that an asakku ad-vances.

Second, an asakku can focus all of the feelings thatspawned it against a single being that is attempting to

exorcise them. When this occurs, an exorcist must make aRef save DC 25 or else catch on fire, taking 1d8 points of

fire damage for every 2 HD of the asakku. However, do-ing so weakens the asakku itself, causing it to be ex-haustedand take an additional -1 penalty to its own savesfor the rest of the day after each attempt. Penalties to an

asakku's saves along these lines are cumulative.

Fevered Imaginings (Su):Asakku do far more than in-carnate hatred and mistrust between mortals. In a number

of ways, they literally radiate these negative sentiments in

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a 60 foot radius around them. Most beings around anasakku experience this as a slightly heated feeling, a sen-

sation that the air that they breathe is actually hotter thanit really is even if it is actually cold, or the first flush ofrage and anger at being grossly offended. Individuals that

have previously taken a hostile action (either throughmaking an attempted physical attack, or through casting a

hostile spell) within the area affected must make a Willsave DC 25, or else express every shred of the hiddenmistrust and loathing within their hearts against their

previous target. This forces them to focus entirely onslaughtering the being they have already attacked to ex-

clusion of all other taskings and doing whatever it takes inorder to slaughter them, taking a -1 cumulative profane

penalty to their Will saves against the asakku's other pow-ers each round they give in to their rage. Preventing a

victim of an asakku's Fevered Imaginings from actuallykilling or attempting to injure their given target breaksthis aspect of the asakku's power over them and causesthe penalties to disappear.

Poison (Su):An asakku injects hateful bile into the

wounds that it deals with its stinger, forcing those stung tomake a Fort save DC 25 or else take 1d6 points of Wis-

dom damage as primary damage and 1d6 points of Wis-dom damage as secondary damage 1 minute later.

Possess Mortal (Su):As a full round action, an asakkuthat is immediately adjacent to a potential victim (within5 feet) can attempt to possess it, forcing it to make a Will

save DC 25. Failing the Will save allows the asakku toeither slither up the victim's body and crawl within itshead through an orifice, or leap from the body of a previ-ous victim and into its next target. For the purposes ofdetermining whether a mortal can be targetted, half-fiends

or other beings of half outsider origin are considered to bevulnerable, although the attempted possession of anysingle creature can only be tried once a day.

Possessed victims do not necessarily know that they arepossessed, and most asakku make a point out of immedi-ately modifying the memory of their victims until they areready to reveal themselves in one form or another inside

the victim's mind. Furthermore, asakku within hosts havefull access to their memories and class features, while still

being able to use their spell-like abilities, Fevered Imagin-ings, and Seed of Emnity attacks. Mortals possessed by

asakku appear otherwise normal, do not detect as evil, andcan cross protective barriers against evil creatures such as

protection from eviland magic circle against evilupon a

successful caster level check using the asakku's HD as a

caster level.

If a being is already possessed, an asakku can spend afull-round action to challenge possession of the mortal. Ifthe asakku succeeds in its challenge, it can either exorciseits rival or share the host with another asakku, although

every additional asakku that attempts to share the samebeing causes the afflicted host to take 1d6 points of Wis-dom drain per day. Whenever an asakku competes for

possession of a mortal, the original possessing fiend or

entity must make a Will save DC 25. The saving throw

DC is Charisma-based, and what occurs to the defeatedentity depends on its nature. Outsiders or spellcasters

using spells such as magic jarthat are evicted along theselines are shoved outside of the host and are so over-whelmed by the sheer evil of the asakku that they must

make a Will save DC 25 or else take 1d4 points of Wis-dom and Charisma drain immediately. Evicted undead

materialize (in ethereal form if naturally ethereal) in oneof the squares adjacent to the asakku's host. If the attemptto evict a previous possessor fails, then the attemptedchallenger is forced out and takes the ability drain accord-ingly themselves.

Seed of Emnity (Su):1/day, an asakku can implant aSeed of Emnity into the mind of a being aside from itscurrent host. Targeted victims become slowly, but in-

creasingly, hostile towards those who previously weretheir closest associates. Each time a being affected by thisability gets within 30 feet of one of its former friends, thetainted individual must make a Will save DC 25 or imme-

diately blurt out its mistrust against its former friend.Each time they give in, they take a -1 penalty on their

Will saves against the asakku should they encounter themlater, whether directly or within a host, and furthermore

are treated as one step less friendly in terms of diplomacychecks towards that same being. Upon becoming Hostile,an affected creature must make another Will save againstthe asakku's Seed of Emnity ability or immediately attack

the previous friend with the intention of killing its pastally. Should a victim of a Seed of Emnity kill their former

associate, the asakku immediately becomes aware of themurderer's location and may opt to eithergreater teleportorplaneshiftto the affected creature. Upon doing so, theasakku can immediately attempt to possess the mortal. ASeed of Emnity is never visible, but it can be removed

with the successful casting of a healspell upon the victimbefore it has managed to completely destroy the afflictedcreature. Otherwise, a Seed of Emnity dies on its ownwithin a host after six days.

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Horrors Teaser 5

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