Dance Dance Reclamation!

[Flagg]

So, I'm planning to run a game set in the aftermath of the Scarlett Empress' return. The PCs will be newly exalted Celestials whose previous incarnations were recently wasted by the Infernal hordes.


I'm running on the assumption that the Empress will resume control of the Imperial Manse and use it to quickly re-subjugate Creation, while the Infernals and Akuma go about the finer scale conquest and corruption of the world. Until the Celestial Bureaucracy can stop saying "oh shit oh shit oh shit" and formulate a cohesive response, the gates of Yu-Shan will slam closed like they did during the Contagion.


What I'm looking for are ideas and arguments about what else will go down. Who/what do the forces of Hell destroy outright? Who/what is deliberately spared, and why? What is the Deathlord response? What strange alliances are made? What role do the Lintha play? The Mountain Folk? Lookshy?

 

[Ledaal Kajiri]

Most likely Lookshy, and the rest of the River Province will quickly be embroiled in a bitter war with the forces of such. Considering that they still maintain access to Thousand Forged Dragon silos and other First Age Weapons of Mass Destruction, it seems likely they won't be destroyed outright. However, they may be forced to ally with such forces as Mask of Winters and/or the Walker in Darkness. Considering the strange trend for the Confederation of Rivers to be incompetent in peace, but somehow always manage to pull together in war, it's likely that the battle will be fierce and bloody. Lookshy itself will probably hold out for a good amount of time, but as with past invasions, legions will pass by, and strike into the countryside behind them. Citystates will likely fall. Considering Mask of Winter's true goal is mostly rulership of everything, it's unlikely he will simply stand aside as demonically aided Realm Legions pass by, but he is likely to also somewhat subvert his likely allies, or give aid in a less than complete manner, wishing to see them weakened for his own later plans, while trying to keep his own forces as strong as possible. Still, massive war is only beneficial to him, as it can be used to fuel his own necromantic factories and forces, supplying both raw materials and troops all in one fell swoop. Remaining Exalts of all types may find themselves unlikely allies in the Scavenger Lands, fighting beside eachother.


Meanwhile, it's likely the Lintha will end up unlikely allies with the newly demonically allied Realm, seeking to see Kimberry freed along with the other Yozi. Overall, between the Realm navy and the Lintha, it is likely much of the west will quickly fall. However, there is likely bitter fighting for the Silver Prince's lands.


The North? Probably will suffer some, but really, all told, it may prove to be the land that receives the most respite from battle. The effort to subjugate it is likely too great to be wasted when other lands with a greater return are available.


The South will likely also see danger, but with its states already generally in disarray, and rarely able to set aside differences and ally, it will likely fall quickly. Still, those who flee into the deserts and plains will likely set up a guerilla campaign against the conquerors. Though some states may simply shrug and continue with business as usual, seeing little difference in the changes on the Blessed Island. Chiarascuro in particular has a history of rolling with the punches, shrugging, and doing business with whoever is there...this may not change. If it doesn't, the rest of the South is likely in serious trouble.

 

[Brickwall]

Everything the demonic forces gain control over will completely stop working. Yu Shan will simply have the gods turn everything in Creation against them. The weather will always be destructive and horrible. The enemies of the Infernals will be constantly granted copious divine blessings. The Aerial Legion will strike. And, if all else fails: the Kukla will be released.


The Malfeans will have to subjugate a ton before they can make a direct effort on the Blessed Isle. They're the only ones after Heaven, and will prompt the greatest response. It's seriously something that can't happen without writing out tons of buildup events that secure the Malfean power (more effort than has gone and will ever go into explaining the Usurpation). It's not something that can be done without completely altering the setting, one way or another.


If the Malfeans managed to take over heaven and get the Yozis back in charge, they'd get all the Exaltations from Lytek, so you couldn't pursue that storyline. Unless you were using Terrestrials/Alchemicals. But that's just asking for impossibility.

 

[Tedryn Nist]

Given that Malfeas controls the east I would expect that direction to be seriously messed up. Malfeas out of all the Yozis is the most hell bent on visiting destruction upon Creation. Expect major population centers to be prime targets so Lookshy and Nexus probably get decimated.


Mask of Winters and Walker in Darkness will resist in general and with their Abyssals it's possible for them to put up a huge amount of resistance. Mask of Winters might take the invasion as a chance to try and take over large areas assuming he can make some critical strikes against the Yozis. I would expect the number and size of shadowlands to increase due to all the fighting. FaFL also isn't a Deathlord to take such an invasion lying down so you expect him strike if a good shadowland opens up in the south that he can use as a staging area.


The Bronze faction is likely to take a huge hit when the Realm becomes a corrupted cesspool thanks to the Empress and the Ebon Dragon. I would expect the Gold faction's ranks to swell after this. The Celestial bureaucracy is going to be in tatters as the Yozis tear into the gods and take back the Games of Divinity.


Also will Autocthon and the Alchemicals have any part in this? They may have a unique perspective on the whole situation.

 

[syys]

I would imagine that (apart from Solars, and Alchemicals, if they are around), the only ones who would pose a major threat would be the Deathlords and the Fair Folk. Both have massive resources as well as bases of operation out of the immediate touch of the Empress or Infernals.


Deathlords have allied with the Fair Folk before, they might well do so again. Yozi controlling the Sword of Creation would give a big motivation for Deathlords to send abyssals to sabotage the Sword of Creation. Another Fae invasion might well be in order.


I could also imagine strange alliances between solars/lunars and Deathlords, against the greater (or at least more unified and immediate) evil. After things stabilise, how about a cold war between Deathlords and the Empress? The Underworld and Shadowlands could, ironically, serve as a base for anti-infernalist solars. (Assuming Yu-Shan closes its gates: it would of course make for a better headquarters.)


Another interesting question is whether the Yozi manage to corrupt enough sidereals to be able to use the Loom to their advantage.

 

[Persell]

Kukla. This would be the first target of the Demon hordes. If they can't find someway the keep him (it?) sealed their invasion would be totally moot.

 

[Brickwall]

The thing is, the Kukla didn't exist in the days of the Primordials. It came after the ascension of the gods to Heaven. There's no reason for any Malfean being to know about it. Heaven has secret weapons too.

 

[Tedryn Nist]

Assuming that the Reclamation succeeds and the Yozis are free however I don't think even the Kukla will win. Big, nasty earth dragon versus a bunch of beings greater than the gods I'm going to put my bet on the Yozis. Besides it's made clear that the Yozis have a massive amount of information due to arrogant overuse of demonic servitors. I would honestly be surprised if they don't know about the Kukla's existence.

 

[The zombie cat]

Everything the demonic forces gain control over will completely stop working. Yu Shan will simply have the gods turn everything in Creation against them. The weather will always be destructive and horrible. The enemies of the Infernals will be constantly granted copious divine blessings. The Aerial Legion will strike. And, if all else fails: the Kukla will be released.
The Malfeans will have to subjugate a ton before they can make a direct effort on the Blessed Isle. They're the only ones after Heaven, and will prompt the greatest response. It's seriously something that can't happen without writing out tons of buildup events that secure the Malfean power (more effort than has gone and will ever go into explaining the Usurpation). It's not something that can be done without completely altering the setting, one way or another.


If the Malfeans managed to take over heaven and get the Yozis back in charge, they'd get all the Exaltations from Lytek, so you couldn't pursue that storyline. Unless you were using Terrestrials/Alchemicals. But that's just asking for impossibility.

Heaven can’t do this. Or rather it isn’t in the nature of the gods to abandon there duties in such a total fashion. You will see some deific sabotage but not in the total across the board fashion you’re suggesting. (also your interpretation fails to lead to an awsom story and thus should not be what the GM implements)


As to the Kukla it would loose, but not before doing huge amounts of damage. Kukla is a direct sub soul of a free primordial. Loosing the war made the yozies weaker than they where as primordials. So the Kukla is probably as powerful as the strongest third circle demons. It will probably kill a couple of third circle demons (and hordes of lesser) before enough of them take it on together that it dies.


Edward

 

[Flagg]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Fair Folk don't have a chance against the Realm defense grid. It's the single factor that turned them back from a near-total victory over Creation at the end of the Shogunate.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

This is the first of several posts I'll make.


Also: Kukla fans, stop masturbating. You're dirtying a fine thread.


The only post I can riff off of is Ledaal's. And I shall expand greatly on his post.


Concerning the East/Scavenger Lands:


Lookshy is small shit in the grand scheme of things. As is Ma-Ha-Suchi. If you've read Infernals and Dreams of the First Age, you know of the ...fitting fate that Malfeas wants for goaty. Anyhow, cool shit to happen in the east. The mortals and the Confederation are chump change. Focus on the big players. Walker in Darkness WILL choke a bitch, much more so than his flamboyant counterpart Mask. While Mask parleys, I can foresee Walker slipping his realm of Thorns a Mickey in a power play alliance with Lookshy, grant one Soulbreaker Ord and a Lookshy Thousand Forged Dragon for the survivors/region. Won't kill Mask or Juggernaut (maybe) but it'll keep him weak enough for anyone to begin steamrolling.


The Key to the East is Mount Metagalpos. It's a Titan. A fucking First Age Titan with all of its arms and armor well kept and put away. Someone WILL find out what it is and the race will be ON. Whoever has it, owns that direction, Yozi, DBs, random PCs, gods, Deathlords, whoever. You can not deny this. It's contingent of Thousand Forged Dragons and the factory cathedral and its Eye of Judgment will be more than enough convincing.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

More East: The Forest Witches have connections to the Yozi, they will move.


An intersting plot might involve the shattering of the red seal on the riverbed near Nexus that keeps the rivers of the River Province in check and flowing. Breaking that by any side will kill millions and ruin the entire Province. Right up Malfeas's alley.


Potent artifacts like the Eye may be found in the old, old tombs of Sijan. Why? Because the thing goes where it wants and the tombs in Sijan are older than memory. They also house the actual corpses of the Neverborn, so that'd be an epic plot point.


The West: While agree the Lintha will chant on the sidelines for the Yozi, there's far more that you're missing Ledaal. The pelegials serve Silver Prince's Neverborn master as well and they sit on a trove of sorcerous artifacts and power. They shall assist him and they, combined with the Prince's entire fleet of First Age ships will smash the Lintha and those who try to take the northwestern seas from him.


Brass Leviathan will call open season on everything.


The true Lintha of Refuge, hidden deep in the Western seas, will emerge and be the true heralds of Kimberry's return with their first age artifacts and Solar esque power.


Old Admiral Leviathan will be roused to go to war again. The Inferally twisted Dragon Bloods of the Isle will find a First Age fleet, Lunar, and his beastmen waiting.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

More West: Plentimon holds a great Bet with the Infernal/Akuma commander in the West for the fate of Coral Archipelago.


The South: Ledaal, you've forgotten THE key power in the South.


Five. Metal. Shrike. This thing will fuck worlds over in the South. It cares not who the target it when it moves independent. Cecylene's law will be put into stark contrast with the games of chance it will play. And it will nuke cities, armies, and what's worse, they'll be of either side. Promise you that. It will be it's own third faction in the war in the South.


There is a mild chance that First and Forsaken will come knocking, but it will be late in the game when the Neverborn's prized ghost-akuma can't do much.


The Pentient of the Lap, if activated by wily gods or Solars/Infernals/Abyssals, it'll destroy it's own city if it gets up to rock worlds. See Wonders of the Lost Age, Flagg.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

The North:


Whitewall will be the key to the North. Solars beseeching the Syndics to reactive the prayer manses in the city to get word to the Sun's ear directly. That would possibly wrench him from the Games long enough to maybe (in a dramatically appropriate way, of course, bring aid).


Gethamane is fucked. The Mountain Folk will move as much as they can and even risk the Geas if the Underbroods are motivated by their former masters to unleash Vodak. The war will heat up underground in the North if such a thing happens. If you've got the old North book from 1e, Flagg, it'll give you an idea of that thing can do.


The Lunars will force their hand in the North, even more than the East. More of their propped up Thousand Streams are out there. The Silver Pact will march.


The Bull is a wild card. He'll fight whomever, but Samea is going to find herself greeting the local coven of Infernals about certain pacts she may have with bound demons and how they may be null and void. Especially when they take her head.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Finally, the Center.


Chaos. Fucking chaos, mortals fleeing for their lives as the center grows dark, dark, dark under Ebon's 'kind' ways. The DBs are corrupted, not all, but most. House V'Neef and Mnemon are the worst. The darkness brought on by Ebon has a plus, the Mountain Folk DO get involved and come up, most likely by order of any House Leader. Cathak in this instance. Bringing as many arms as they can to bear. Perhaps, in a fit of pique, say Adjoran, breaks the Geas. The Mountain Folk are free, but quickly learn the hate the twist Yozi have for their creator, Autocthon. The war expands deep underground where the newly freed souls of the Ebon Dragon find new places to cause horror, greed and avarice. The paranoid Artisans find themselves further divided and useless.


Some of the few bastions against the Yozi on the Isle are the temples of the Exalted God of War and the Palace Sublime on the southern coast. Sidereals take to open battle there, taking the Paradox to smite a Third Circle demon.


Here's one. Say this gets too extreme. Gaia goes "no more" and wakes Pasiap and Hesiesh, the slumbering two of the Five Dragons. Earthquakes, inferno, volcanic activity and continent sized hurricanes that the world has not seen since the Dragon King's reign begin as a warning to her brothers and sisters now freed.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

More Center: All but Mount Meru would corrupt for the most part. The Mountain contains the core of the world and the power mechanism for the Defense Grid, even the Yozi would be wary to touch it. That powers the Games as well. Nothing would dare touch it.


Even Ebon Dragon, hater of life, hope, and bonds, wouldn't fuck with it. Perhaps that becomes a rally point for the Center.


Random shit that can crop up anywhere:


The Eye, so nice it must be mentioned twice.


The Autobots. Their quest to reactivate and restore Autochthon could make for an interesting distraction for the Infernal and Akuma as their masters begin frothing in rage to try and kill him.


The intervention of the rogue Primordial in aid OR against his warped kin. His appearance in the middle of a battle with his component souls and divine First Circle progeny would make a dramatic moment. He fights AGAINST the Yozi mainly because they my frighten him even more than the Exalted do.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

A roving house of Dragon Blooded dedicated to Mercury out on a mission in the Wyld since the First Age returns home to find their world shattered and the Yozi free. They rally to aid Creation.


The Dragon Kings, once lost and a fallen race, rise to the occasion with more elders waking and training their young in secret places to raise a straggling, but fierce army for Creation. Perhaps the rogue Primordial can go about forging new souls along with Autochthon to replace their shattered numbers.


Unlikely Alliances: Linowans and Haltans, obvious, but so hard to pull off after centuries of war. The Lunars cement this. They also bring in the Bull's people who had been butchering Linowan and Haltan alike.


Walker and Lookshy. It rings of such good harmony and perfect irony for that prick Mask.


Harborhead and loyalist Realm forces. Ouch.


Bronze and Gold factions. Literally. One of the elders gets his head out of his Great Cursed ass for a moment to realize they're fucked.


The Silver Prince and Leviathan. Fitting, seeing as Silver Prince is the re-incarnation of his old Solar Mate. This would be the time to make amends.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

More alliances: The syndics of Whitewall and Gethamane with overtures to the bellaguered Eagle Eye and his Hslanti. Truly, Hell did freeze over.


Tepet Ejava and the Autobots/Lookshy. Either one. Autobots because they'll be close to her command region in An-Teng. Lookshy because they'd almost be willing to give her the Shogunate if they can solve this shit.


Tepet Ejava and the Lintha/Dukantha. Not the cannibal ones we all know, but the ones from Refuge. The ones who have some damned respect and dignity.


The Varang City States and the people of Harborhead or the Tri-Khans. Mortals can't do shit in this fight, but they can feel special and pretty if they throw aside cultural differences. Throw in Saloy Hin's Eye Hunting Legion and you've got yourself a legitimate faction.


I really could go on and on, but that's all the ideas I've got for now. We'll talk tomorrow so I may have more then.

 

[The zombie cat]

The Silver Prince and Leviathan. Fitting, seeing as Silver Prince is the re-incarnation of his old Solar Mate. This would be the time to make amends.

this is actually said somewhere, i must know. and the silver prince being a death lord wouldn't it he be the (horrifically empowered) ghost of his solar mate.


i am seeing real potential here. leviathan finds out his beloved mate betrayed creation in death. and just starts to deal with the idea. then the unaware reincarnation of the solar exaltation shows up to destroy the evil death lord once and for all.


Edward

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Oh, it wasn't a beloved mate. I'll tell you that. The West book tells more. They're were more hetero-life partners. Except Arkadi (Prince) loved to rape his Dragon Blooded minions. Aren't Eclipses charming? And Leviathan liked boning Arkadi's Solar wife. He just has Lancelot syndrome because he was torn on who to save during the Usurpation and ended up losing both of them. Now he's just emo.

 

[JadedSmile]

let's see, if the infernals won, I would expect the most damage to occur in the north and the east, since adorjan really would like to just make everything living stop and malfeas loves his violence. Perhaps there are some last vestiges of humanity left there... maybe the haslanti league has a nomadic presence that is constantly on the run, and maybe lookshy is beleaguered but still fighting. However, I think both these places would have the greatest death toll since both their Yozi really do just want to kill everything. The South could be a bit of a pickle, since cecelyne is awfully contradictory. I suspect there would be a lot of insanity as the borders between the wild and creation loose their definition. Possibly a fairly high death toll due to the hellish desert conditions and the sorcerous tinkerings of her exalted. However, I don't think it would be as bad as the North or the East. I expect her "might makes right" law to be widespread. I expect the lintha to reign supreme in the West, although there might be some conflict between she who lives in her name and Kimberly for control over the region. I actually think that the center might get off "lightly" as far as the death toll goes, although it may be one of the most utterly corrupt of all the directions. The Ebon Dragon has a subtle touch so he would use mechanisms already in place to corrupt the region... namely his bride and her blood link to her kin. He isn't so much interested in killing everyone so much as ruling over everyone and turning the area into his own little toy box... so torture, rather than death. However, I'm almost positive that all of the Yozi would go to war with each other as soon as creation is conquered since they each have a different goal. Maybe adorjan and malfeas would ally since their goals are very similar.

 

[Quchu]

What would Gaia be doing, anyways? I doubt she'd just sit out on this one. I expect her to do more than just awaken Pasiap and Hesiesh (though as major as that would be.)

 

[syys]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Fair Folk don't have a chance against the Realm defense grid. It's the single factor that turned them back from a near-total victory over Creation at the end of the Shogunate.

That, and the betrayal of Balor. Which is why it would make sense for the raksha to ally with someone who could take out the Defense Grid (aka Sword of Justice).

 

[JadedSmile]

What would Gaia be doing, anyways? I doubt she'd just sit out on this one. I expect her to do more than just awaken Pasiap and Hesiesh (though as major as that would be.)

good question. I honestly don't know enough about her to really hazard a guess. But the Yozi would definitely be hounding for her blood since she betrayed them.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

What would Gaia be doing, anyways? I doubt she'd just sit out on this one. I expect her to do more than just awaken Pasiap and Hesiesh (though as major as that would be.)

Yeah, but they never outline her much. She's an ST toy. She's as much of a lump as the other Incarnae are outside the Maidens.