What is your Devil's Due?

[diaglo]

the way devils come to the attention of the world in the campaign depends on what you are doing with them.

i tend to have them summoned by name by powerful casters (or mostly casters who think they are powerful enough). they trick the casters. either by getting a false name to the material plane or by the wording of their contracts when here.

once on the material plane they run amok. sometimes assuming the form of the caster. taking his soul of course. and using his items, status in the community, and other resources...

 

[Piratecat]

The best thing I ever did was have an erinyes marry the father of one of the PCs. They had annoyed her during a trip to the outer planes, so she took the time to divine who they were and where they were from. While the PCs were off adventuring she traveled to their prime, met and charmed a PC's noble father while in human disguise, and settled into the role of step-monster. She amused herself by secretly gambling with local ne'er-do-wells, financing their losses, and having them sign a contract that was full of fine print. It stated that if they couldn't pay the debt when it was called in, they'd have to pay with commensurate assets. . . i.e., their souls.

This was absolutely worth it when the PCs returned, and the son was introduced to his new step-monster... err, step-mother. "We're turning your room into a nursery for our new baby!" he was told. And when they figured out she was a fiend, she was happy to explain the facts of life to them:

1. She could teleport on a whim anywhere she chose to.

2. Consorting with fiends was illegal in this country. By law, anyone caught consorting with fiends would be executed and their estate given to the crown.

3. The 'heroes' certainly couldn't kill her in one round. . . and if they were idiot enough to attack her, she'd simply teleport in front of the king and explain that the PC's father was gleefully rutting with a fiend. She'd then return to Hell with the gamblers' soul-contracts intact, and the PC would lose everything he cared about.

Then she patted them on the head, made tut-tut noises, and said that she'd enjoy being a new mother, since there was really nothing that the PCs could do about her unless they wanted to destroy the one hero's inheritance and doom more than a dozen gamblers to eternal damnation.

The players were sort of at a loss; this was 2e, before any spells that inhibit teleportation, so they had a real problem on their hands. They ended up resolving it through some very clever and heroic sneakiness, but the LG member of the group reported the situation to the king anyways, resulting in an execution and the loss of the estate. It was a bittersweet ending.

 

[diaglo]

They ended up resolving it through some very clever and heroic sneakiness, but the LG member of the group reported the situation to the king anyways, resulting in an execution and the loss of the estate. It was a bittersweet ending.

that's the kinda game i like

 

[Rel]

This came up a fair bit in my last (Faded Glory) campaign.

Essentially, souls are the "coin of the realm" in Hell. They are bought, sold, traded and used in all manner of nefarious ways. They say that the road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions but the roads IN Hell are paved with the souls of the damned. Their moaning faces are eternally trod upon by the minions of Hell where "public works projects" takes on a sinister new meaning. Demons carry around "soul coins" that represent credit in souls that can be drawn upon from the vast stables where the Lords of Hell keep them penned.

When evil doers die their souls are consigned to Hell where they appear randomly, usually to be scooped up by the vassals of one of the Lords who collect a bounty for this service. By entering into an agreement with a fiend, you route your soul directly to their "inbox" rather than it being left to chance. This is usually done in exchange for some sort of service that will benefit you in the mortal realm.

In my campaign, the PC's found themselves accidentally in Hell (long story) and in need of help and shelter. An Erinyes aided them and in the process bedded the party Rogue. He signed his soul over to her as a result. However she sweetened the deal for both of them by providing him with a "black dagger" that would send the souls of all killed with it directly to her. By virtue of him using this blade he could eventually buy back his soul from her.

Of course doing so was quite Evil and he would have to find some way to atone for what he had done eventually or he'd be going to Hell anyway, just not to her specifically. He didn't seem to mind so long as he was able to use this weapon (which was itself a demon and got stronger with use) to destroy evil doers who were his worldly enemies.

 

[LostSoul]

The best thing I ever did was have an erinyes marry the father of one of the PCs.

Sounds cool - this is the type of stuff I want to put into my games.

What would have happened (to the PCs) if they had done nothing?

 

[painandgreed]

They ended up resolving it through some very clever and heroic sneakiness, but the LG member of the group reported the situation to the king anyways, resulting in an execution and the loss of the estate. It was a bittersweet ending.

And that, is why you never allow any LG characters into an adventurer party. They're untrustworthy and always willing to sell out their friends at the drop of a hat.

 

[Piratecat]

What would have happened (to the PCs) if they had done nothing?

She would have harvested as many souls as possible while poisoning the reputation of the PC who had thwarted her. She would have had no reason to betray the father, though, so long as the PCs toed the line. I suppose she would have eventually had her half-fiend love child and arranged things so that he or she would have been the only inheritor of the noble estate. She also would have been working to promote the family in local politics, so that by the time the child would be ready to inherit he would have been a member of an extremely powerful family. That's looking years down the line, of course, but what are years when you live forever?

This was the first occasion I can recall when I thought, "I have absolutely no idea how the PCs are going to get out of this. Let's see what they do." Previously I had always come up with my own solution for whatever conundrums I had flung at them. It was fun watching them surprise me.

 

[Rel]

This was the first occasion I can recall when I thought, "I have absolutely no idea how the PCs are going to get out of this. Let's see what they do." Previously I had always come up with my own solution for whatever conundrums I had flung at them. It was fun watching them surprise me.

Really?! I'd have thought you were an old hand at that. I throw them into situations all the time where I think, "Well, this might completely screw them but I'm sure they'll figure a way out of it." And they usually do.

It's always fun to have them say, "Man! That was brutal and we barely survived. How did you think we were going to handle things?" To which I reply, "I dunno. I figured that you'd probably all die."

The looks on their faces are priceless! And as a bonus they scream, "Rat BASTARD!"

 

[LostSoul]

coolness

That's cool. I'm learning that you have to make "not doing anything" a choice with consequences as well.

 

[Staffan]

I suppose she would have eventually had her half-fiend love child

Eric Noah?