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<blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 909825" data-attributes="member: 63"><p>Ever since the death of their mother, the Mother of Dreams, the Trillith have been growing steadily weaker. Few now are able to live without physical form, and after their failure to destroy the Torch of the Burning Sky, they have been forced below the surface, into caves where the sun's light never shines. They will soon be gone, condemned to be forgotten in the lifeless depths of the world.</p><p></p><p>But among them still lives a hero, a patriot.</p><p></p><p>Maeceps Jiquus, a Trillith generations old, from the time when his people were true powers. His own name could best be translated Soundless Coercion, but few alive now would understand just what his people have lost, what an insult it is to their legacy that they must wear flesh, like the beastly humans of the surface.</p><p></p><p>Jiquus has a plan, however. A human sorcerer who had allied with the Trillith in their last, failed attempt to seize the surface was a master of enchantment magic. His powers aided their cause, but all sentients, even those among the fleshbound, naturally resist pure control and domination. Their minds either rebel, or crack from the strain. No, true domination was impossible. But it is hard to resist when one is merely nudged, enticed to act as one's base urges would demand.</p><p></p><p>Humankind is a barbarous species. All Jiquus needs do is release their natural rage, and let them slaughter themselves. He already has most of the dead mage's notes; he needs only one book more, and he will be able to perfect his powers of rage. But the last book was lost on the surface, so recovering it may be hard.</p><p></p><p>_____________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p> </p><p>Jiquus was the shadowy villain behind most of the plot of my campaign that I ran from '99 to '01. Though old and physically weak, he was a powerful telepath, able to urge others to do his bidding. The PCs actually started off the campaign delivering this nondescript book to an aging mage who wanted it for potion recipes, and slowly they realized that forces were working against them, trying to steal the book.</p><p></p><p>At first they thought dark Elves were responsible, but Jiquus has merely managed to find a few disgruntled and ousted nobles who were willing to work with him in hopes they'd be able to get their power back. Then they thought a shadowy, wraith-like dragon was responsible, but he was merely the go-between working for Jiquus.</p><p></p><p>Then, they tracked down the mastermind to a Trillith outpost guarding the borders of Trillith territory in the underdark. They snuck in, and were nearly caught, but were rescued by Jiquus, who convinced them that he had nothing to do with the plot; it was actually another Trillith working at the outpost, a biomancer named Trullins Venseng, and Trullins was receiving the aid of some dark Elf in a nearby city. Jiquus had discovered that the book, which he'd managed to recover, did not have the complete text, and that a piece was being kept elsewhere, so he decided to use the PCs to retrieve it for him.</p><p></p><p>Finally, as all good mastermind villains must, he managed to get everything he need for his magical ritual, and he unleashed it in the middle of the dark Elven city (where they'd actually made a lot of friends). It fell to them to fight off the enraging effect, and make their way through a city of maddened, berserking dark Elves to find Jiquus and defeat him. They finally caught up to him and killed off his shadow Dragon minion (and the patsy Trullins, to boot), but most of the party fell prey to the magic's power.</p><p></p><p>Only two resisted, the weak Elvish bard, Harley (and she was little threat in a fight), and Bhurisrava, a Christian priest, who had powerful magic. While Jiquus assaulted Bhurisrava's mind, Harley tried to sneak up. But Jiquus managed to stun Bhur momentarily, and he turned on Harley. He knew that, even if he could stop this small group, he had erred, and would doubtlessly be killed by someone in their enraged city. With every ounce of his mind, he impressed himself upon Harley, trying to purge her from her own body so he could inhabit it.</p><p></p><p>As they struggled psychically, though, his rage powers faded, and the others began to recover, poising to attack. Then, Harley put up her last effort, tensed her mind, and set up a barrier that forced Jiquus back into his body. Harley helped deliver one of many killing blows, and Jiquus was defeated.</p><p></p><p>. . . </p><p></p><p>. . . or so they thought, until, years later, Harley began to act oddly. But none expected it when she turned.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="RangerWickett, post: 909825, member: 63"] Ever since the death of their mother, the Mother of Dreams, the Trillith have been growing steadily weaker. Few now are able to live without physical form, and after their failure to destroy the Torch of the Burning Sky, they have been forced below the surface, into caves where the sun's light never shines. They will soon be gone, condemned to be forgotten in the lifeless depths of the world. But among them still lives a hero, a patriot. Maeceps Jiquus, a Trillith generations old, from the time when his people were true powers. His own name could best be translated Soundless Coercion, but few alive now would understand just what his people have lost, what an insult it is to their legacy that they must wear flesh, like the beastly humans of the surface. Jiquus has a plan, however. A human sorcerer who had allied with the Trillith in their last, failed attempt to seize the surface was a master of enchantment magic. His powers aided their cause, but all sentients, even those among the fleshbound, naturally resist pure control and domination. Their minds either rebel, or crack from the strain. No, true domination was impossible. But it is hard to resist when one is merely nudged, enticed to act as one's base urges would demand. Humankind is a barbarous species. All Jiquus needs do is release their natural rage, and let them slaughter themselves. He already has most of the dead mage's notes; he needs only one book more, and he will be able to perfect his powers of rage. But the last book was lost on the surface, so recovering it may be hard. _____________________________________________________________ Jiquus was the shadowy villain behind most of the plot of my campaign that I ran from '99 to '01. Though old and physically weak, he was a powerful telepath, able to urge others to do his bidding. The PCs actually started off the campaign delivering this nondescript book to an aging mage who wanted it for potion recipes, and slowly they realized that forces were working against them, trying to steal the book. At first they thought dark Elves were responsible, but Jiquus has merely managed to find a few disgruntled and ousted nobles who were willing to work with him in hopes they'd be able to get their power back. Then they thought a shadowy, wraith-like dragon was responsible, but he was merely the go-between working for Jiquus. Then, they tracked down the mastermind to a Trillith outpost guarding the borders of Trillith territory in the underdark. They snuck in, and were nearly caught, but were rescued by Jiquus, who convinced them that he had nothing to do with the plot; it was actually another Trillith working at the outpost, a biomancer named Trullins Venseng, and Trullins was receiving the aid of some dark Elf in a nearby city. Jiquus had discovered that the book, which he'd managed to recover, did not have the complete text, and that a piece was being kept elsewhere, so he decided to use the PCs to retrieve it for him. Finally, as all good mastermind villains must, he managed to get everything he need for his magical ritual, and he unleashed it in the middle of the dark Elven city (where they'd actually made a lot of friends). It fell to them to fight off the enraging effect, and make their way through a city of maddened, berserking dark Elves to find Jiquus and defeat him. They finally caught up to him and killed off his shadow Dragon minion (and the patsy Trullins, to boot), but most of the party fell prey to the magic's power. Only two resisted, the weak Elvish bard, Harley (and she was little threat in a fight), and Bhurisrava, a Christian priest, who had powerful magic. While Jiquus assaulted Bhurisrava's mind, Harley tried to sneak up. But Jiquus managed to stun Bhur momentarily, and he turned on Harley. He knew that, even if he could stop this small group, he had erred, and would doubtlessly be killed by someone in their enraged city. With every ounce of his mind, he impressed himself upon Harley, trying to purge her from her own body so he could inhabit it. As they struggled psychically, though, his rage powers faded, and the others began to recover, poising to attack. Then, Harley put up her last effort, tensed her mind, and set up a barrier that forced Jiquus back into his body. Harley helped deliver one of many killing blows, and Jiquus was defeated. . . . . . . or so they thought, until, years later, Harley began to act oddly. But none expected it when she turned. [/QUOTE]
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