How would a Demon Queen defend her palace?

[seasong]

The mud doesn't really make much sense unless you've read Brave New World recently .

For a bath scene, perhaps something like...

The Baths of Hell

Styled after a Roman bathhouse, this room is immense and multi-levelled, with short waterfalls marking divisions in the room. The water is further broken into particular pools of water, and ranges from boiling to freezing from pool to pool.

Lava fissures heat the boiling areas, and the walls are carved of ice which slowly melts (producing the freezing cold water). A clever set of water breaks and baffles combines the two sources for any number of temperatures.

As with the Room of Mud, there are revellers here, enjoying the full range of temperatures (a pair can even be seen doing something just beneath the surface of the lava fissure).

Various source streams have different herbs and scents mixed in, which combine along the baffles for varying effect. This is an opportunity for the DM to have spell effects (such as charm or sleep or just Will saves as per the pleasure mud option) for crossing into particular areas of the bathhouse.

The primary purpose of the bath room is the same as for the Room of Mud - to help Anomaly tap some of the power of Lust.

Twist #1: All the revellers are demons. Same as for the Room of Mud.

Twist #2: The revellers are innocents (sort of ); Anomaly provides this place to help her use lust, and she doesn't mind who comes as long as all behave. They could be a Who's Who of interdimensional travellers, or various fey and their friends, or just a variety of unrelated demons who came to blow off some steam. Regardless, they probably won't take kindly to someone who wants to ruin their party.

Twist #3: That ain't water. It could be acid, poison or some flammable substance (with a few quench spells to prevent the boiling areas from igniting). Or it could be some super-catalyst for the rusting process - all armor and weapons touched by it have to make Fort saves or rust instantly.

 

[Lordnightshade]

Oooh! I like that!! Ok, I'm using that... and I think twist #2 is good...

I also like the idea of several pools of blood...

 

[seasong]

I seem to be overflowing today. Apologies for taking up so much of this thread, and I'm not sure this one's even any good .

A quote from Lordnightshade's campaign outline over at the Rat Bastard public forum:

"His (Ire's) victory over Auros, god of Bravery, was bittersweet. In the second before he was killed, Auros hid the secrets of bravery, within the sun. When Ire destroyed Auros, the Sun went with him, and so did the power to harness courage."

Anyway, it gave me an idea.

Church of the Darkest Hour

This room is a devotions room, as one might find in any temple to Auros, but the stained glass windows are dark, unlit from the outside, and only a few scattered candles provide any luminance at all. Further, the statue of Auros is broken, although the remainder of the devotions room is pristine. A few (scale to party strength) golems stand guard around the statue, and will attack anyone who approaches too near.

A silence effect blankets the entire room, making even the slightest whisper impossible.

At the DM's option, this room can be presented as a solemn, respectful silence from Anomaly to the deceased god, or as a tacky symbol of the preachy bastard being shut up. In the latter case, the statue's head may be gagged - removing the gag will also remove the silence effect.

Twist #1: Instead of silence, there is a raucous party going on. The golems, instead of guarding the statue, are serving drinks. How raucous, and how disrespectful, is up to the DM, but could range from ignoring the statue to taking a whizz on it. Alternately, this could be a reasonably respectful Roast (a wake with a party and fond memories).

Twist #2: The room is suppressed in more than just sound, with Anti-Magic Shell, a huge area Sphere of Invulnerability, Darkness, and so on. And the golems are really tetchy about what constitutes "near". Getting out alive may be difficult.

Twist #3: The base of the statue has a secret door, which functions as a shortcut to Love's altar... or a lethal oubliette, from which escape is unlikely.

 

[Lordnightshade]

NICE!! Great idea... I'm glad yer overflowing today Seasong since you are giving me so many great ideas!!

Anomaly actually liked the god of Bravery, he was one man she wanted but didn't ever get to have. He intimidated her with his magnificence.

Auros is basically Kord... same type of philosophy... Perhaps the chamber is still in pristine condition, just a little dusty and dark... a sad reminder of his passing. Perhaps the party will see a single rose placed at the base of the statue of Auros.

 

[seasong]

Anomaly is an anomaly, then? In a "I'm not really bad, I'm just a demon queen from the 69th layer of hell" kind of way? J/K .

Here's a room to re-establish her place as the demon queen.

Suite of Hearts

As the Demon Queen of Lust, Anomaly has a disproportionate number of succubi and incubi working for her, and they "work over" a disproportionate number of men and women in the course of their duties. This room is one of their core resources in Anomaly's realm.

A large room filled with low, round, stone shelves. Each shelf is a three foot tall, five foot wide pillar of marble, with book shelving carved into the sides, and a pool of warm formaldehyde set into the top. A few hardy plants decorate the place, and very comfortable chairs are scattered about. Except for the overwhelming laboratory stench, the room is quite beautiful.

In the pools are beating hearts - one for each lover owned by (or simply associated with?) any given succubus or incubus. The books at the base of each pillar are the succubi/incubi's notes on the various lovers contained within the pool, should someone else need to take over.

Naturally, there will be a fair number of the tanar'ri in the room, and they may fight or flee at the DM's discretion.

Twist #1: If the PCs decide to peruse the books, they should find at least one person that they trust. Now the question is, was the book planted by Anomaly?

Twist #2: One of the pools has the PCs' names on it. This may or may not mean anything. To be especially cruel, you might omit one of the names - the conclusion being that the omitted name is the succubus/incubus in disguise. The person who actually suggested going into hell might make a particularly good choice.

 

[incognito]

Wow, now I know why I have not seen you all in certain other forums that benefit from your attention...

So, Anomaly, a crafty succubus, and the Goddess of Lust, has fallen in love (predicatably) with Eluna, goddess of Love. She also hates her Father, the Goddess of Hate. Becasue she is still a chaotic/evil goddess, she has imprisioned her love, for she truly cannot see the wisdom of if you love something, set it free...

Her plan is to allow the heroes to slay her...but what are her goals?

A) To get the Goddess of Love to return her affections
B) To bring about the downfall of her Father.

Well - it seems obvious to me why she would allow the party to slay her. As seasong suggested, she will be reborn, literally, from the goddess of love, and what mother does not love her daughter?

So what about B)? Well, what father would not want to kill those who had murdered his daughter? Anomaly's thinking is that if the Heroes are stong enough to defeat her, they have a chance of taking on the God of Hate. Anomaly knows of Hate's weaknesses, but her father knows that Anomaly is against him. In her fortress, in various rooms, she has planted items or ideas that will help the players defeat the God of Hate.

When the Players leave the Abyss with Eluna, the God of Hate goes Mad (literally). He not only has had his daughter slain, but he has come to understand that Love is alive. So despite the rist, he is willing to confrot the PCs when it may not be to his advantage.

So what's left - well from your history - two very pissed off dead Gods: Emnity (the old god of Hate), and Auros, the God of Bravery. Per your opening campaign outline, they cannot return to the mortal realm until the skull is made whole.

BUT...and there is always a 'but' Emnity and Auros have found a loophole, for what emotion is realized when you combine Hate and Bravery?


VENGANCE

This can be done in three ways.

1. create a very desireable prestige class that has prereqs like defeating a deity level power. All your characters would want to take levels in it, and it will help them defeat the god of hate.
2. create a powerfull new, focused diety representing vengacnce, and have the party figure out what happened (with clues left by you, or Anomaly, who is seekeing to depose her father)
3. Create an NPC avatar a Lawful Neutral demi-god like outsider - an NPC to help the party, but with a focus on revenge...


And I still like the idea pf the strings of hands feeling up the PCs as they pass through. MAke sure soe of the hands are male, female, human, non human, etc.

 

[Lordnightshade]

Seasong, see the reply I gave you in RBC version of this thread.

 

[seasong]

Got it, and thank you .

When you get this all put together, I'd like to see it. You've got me thinking about a trip to hell for my own PCs.

 

[Lela]

Suite of Hearts

As the Demon Queen of Lust, Anomaly has a disproportionate number of succubi and incubi working for her, and they "work over" a disproportionate number of men and women in the course of their duties. This room is one of their core resources in Anomaly's realm.

*Snip*

Twist #1: If the PCs decide to peruse the books, they should find at least one person that they trust. Now the question is, was the book planted by Anomaly?

Twist #2: One of the pools has the PCs' names on it. This may or may not mean anything. To be especially cruel, you might omit one of the names - the conclusion being that the omitted name is the succubus/incubus in disguise. The person who actually suggested going into hell might make a particularly good choice.

Twist #3: If they reach for a heart, the ghost of the lost soul (or all the souls) flys out, attacking any living thing but avoiding succubi or incubi if at all possible. Other demons are at risk. These spirits scream and beg constantly (a "Please don't send me back" thing going on). They should be crying with relief and terror at the mere prospect of returning to the pool. All this while relentlessly attacking the party.

The incubi might say something like, "You begged for this. Get back in there. (insert campaign/sesitivity specific cursing" The su/incubi simply wack the ghosts with a stick or wip pulled from their belts and the beasts curse and flow back into the water with the traditional "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo."

These ghosts range in power levels from mere pesants to powerful Wizards, Barbarians, ex-Clerics, etc. If one is destroyed by the party it fades into mist (the first one has a look of relief, then suddenly horror). Allow a Spot check (low DC) to notice that one of the hearts is glowing/pulsing again.

 

[Lela]

Got it, and thank you .

When you get this all put together, I'd like to see it. You've got me thinking about a trip to hell for my own PCs.

Yes, if you can please post it or e-mail it to the two of us. Whatever you have typed up anyway.