Mission Statement for Demonic Cult? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Mission Statement for Demonic Cult? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Mr. the Hun
10-04-07, 02:21 AM I'm building a campaign arc around a demonic cult, devoted to an ancient, pre-pantheon entity known as Asku, called The Unblinking.

The cult, in the campaign, is searching for the location of The Mask of Asku; an intensely powerful artifact that surges an amount of demonic power so great that it deforms it's targets into hideous behemoths. Now, obviously, the mask is a device that any evil-doer could find uses for. However, in the process of making the cult, I found myself saying "Why?"

Yes, the cult is evil. Chaotic evil, in fact, but I couldn't bring myself to write simply 'Doom and destruction' as their ultimate goal. It functions well enough, but how many power-mad twisted clerics and sorcerers can you really have? It gets tedious after a while.

Thusly, I'm looking for something more original for the cult's purposes. Something not as hackneyed and overplayed as 'ruling the kingdom' or 'wreaking havoc.' I still need them to be in pursuit of the mask, whose functions shouldn't change too drastically, but if you have any suggestions at all, I would appreciate them. Thanks.

-Mr. the Hun
Genevieve_Evernight
10-04-07, 02:39 AM The first thing that came to mind is the most common demon theme I've read of in books...demon in hell wants to gain access to the mortal plane.

It could be that finding the mask is also part of a ritual to summon Asku to their plane so that he can cause a lot of evil chaos. Or Asku has told the cult that the mask will change them into behemoths but it really allows him to take over the body of whoever wears the mask. Thus allowing him access to the mortal plane.

Those are generally what I think of when demonic cults come to mind. They always seem to want to raise a demon and bring him to "our" world. :P
Mr. the Hun
10-04-07, 02:44 AM Asku possessing the wearer of the mask is perfect for what I'm planning on doing later in the campaign, when a capricious orc warlord stumbles over the mask...

However, when Asku returns to the earth, what exactly is his objective? Godzilla-like destruction? Sauron-esque "cover all the world in shadow"? I'm leaning toward deforming the entire world, thus covering it with shadow, but I wonder if there's more depth there.
Genevieve_Evernight
10-04-07, 02:50 AM More depth would be fun...you could try giving Asku more of a back story:

Why did he become a demon?
---Was he a sorcerer who sold his soul? Was he an evil person who fought other demons in hell to become more powerful? Was he born a demon? etc.

What were his goals before becoming a demon?(assuming he wasn't born one)
---Was he an evil tyrant? Was he a spellcaster whose love died and he resorted to evil means to bring her back? Was he clinically insane? etc.

Personally, I like the idea of him being a damned soul that fought and gained power to become a powerful demon lord( or something similar). This gives you a human/mortal backstory to play with.
Mr. the Hun
10-04-07, 03:05 AM That's the tricky part; Asku isn't so much a demon, with a personality and backstory and family, as he is an entity, a force. I want to achieve that Cthuloid feel, but you're right, some sort of backstory...

An ancient god, left out of the pantheon?
Genevieve_Evernight
10-04-07, 03:08 AM I like that too. It gives you some angsty bitterness to play with.

It also gives you a possible reason for him wanting access to earth. He needs people to worship him in order for him to become a recognized god and it's easier to get worshipers if he's there to help his cult of recruiters.

EDIT: Or he wants revenge on the gods/goddesses that left him out and plans destroy all their followers.
Mr. the Hun
10-04-07, 03:22 AM I was thinking revenge. How anti-climatic would it be if Asku finally manages to surface on the real world, and all he does is start preaching?

I'm thinking though, that I like Asku being much less sentient. Perhaps, it's the cult of Asku that thinks he was left out of the pantheon, and thusly they are trying to bring him back, in order to defeat the other gods and destroy the pantheon. Heck, maybe even the cultists have their own personal reasons for hating the current set-up (which is essentially the Greyhawk pantheon, with a Faerun deity thrown in here or there)

I think I like that last option, that Asku, while a horrible demon, is really just the tool of the user. He's extremely difficult to handle, yes, but he's more of an animal, less of a human. He's like a pitbull on a leash; if you know how to control him, you can handle his reins. If you don't, you're in for a ride.

Therefore, the cult is really just a collection of "atheists" or godhaters, who wish to bring the pantheon down for personal reasons, though they hide it behind their "worship of Asku".

How's that?
Genevieve_Evernight
10-04-07, 03:28 AM Good IMO.

It also goes back to your original idea of Asku being a force rather than a being.

What you could do also is make it only the higher up Asku cultitists that know the truth about Asku and the mask. That way you can have fun with all sorts of intra-cult intrigue and politics as well as crazy-zealot-cultists who actually believe Asku is a god whose coming will end the world....blah blah blah.

Or you could have all the cultists know the truth but have what they tell the general populace be more along the lines of the above crazy-zealot. That way the PCs would know the public face of the cult but not the true inner-workings. :plotting:

EDIT: Sorry I keep adding stuff. My DMs like ubber complicated plots like this and I'm my current DM's sounding board for ideas, so I recently got used to thinking this way :P.
Mr. the Hun
10-04-07, 03:42 AM Those are both really good ideas. I think I can wangle them both.

The longer a cultist has been in the cult, the more they begin to realize the truth. The founding members, obviously, realize the truth, though they never speak of it. I see it as being an unspoken understanding between a half-dozen people who had been burnt by religion or the pantheon in some way. The elder cultists have a sense of it, maybe even realize that Asku is more of a tool than a god, while the majority of the cult, the young, fervent members, all truly believe the dogma.

The PCs, however, mostly see the younger members, thus preciptating the idea that this cult is traditionally zealous. As they penetrate higher and higher into it's infrastructure, they slowly realize it's more a vendetta than an obsession.
Genevieve_Evernight
10-04-07, 03:50 AM Yay for complicated doom for PCs...lol.

Sounds like you have a plan. Glad I could be of help.

Feel free to PM me if you want to bounce any more ideas around...this was fun.

And now I must away for my bed calls to me and I needs rise in but a mere 5 hours to go to work :( .

NITE!
Old_School_Overlord
10-04-07, 12:25 PM You mentioned you want a cthuloid feel to Asku, why not just go with it?

Asku slumbers deep underground, at the bottom of a network of caves known as "The Black Gulf of N'kai". No known expedition of outsiders has ever plumbed the depths of this dundgeon, but the Cult of the unblinking eye make periodic "pilgrimages" to visit the sleeping form of their Ancient God.

The cult itself has always existed amongst men, Asku appears in the dreams of those sensitive to his Call - some hear it strongly and are either driven insane or bend to his will, others hear only the whispers and are able to withstand his influence.

(Which eyes do not blink? closed eyes! hence the dream connection.)

Perhaps Asku existed before the current gods came, they cast Asku down and entrapped it forever - but even they cannot slay him. The cult is Asku's hands now, infiltrated into every level of society, every civilisation, every race has those who name him Master.

When there are enough, they will rise up against the followers of the new gods and return the world to it's ancient ruler.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mr. the Hun 10-04-07, 02:21 AM	I'm building a campaign arc around a demonic cult, devoted to an ancient, pre-pantheon entity known as Asku, called The Unblinking. The cult, in the campaign, is searching for the location of The Mask of Asku; an intensely powerful artifact that surges an amount of demonic power so great that it deforms it's targets into hideous behemoths. Now, obviously, the mask is a device that any evil-doer could find uses for. However, in the process of making the cult, I found myself saying "Why?" Yes, the cult is evil. Chaotic evil, in fact, but I couldn't bring myself to write simply 'Doom and destruction' as their ultimate goal. It functions well enough, but how many power-mad twisted clerics and sorcerers can you really have? It gets tedious after a while. Thusly, I'm looking for something more original for the cult's purposes. Something not as hackneyed and overplayed as 'ruling the kingdom' or 'wreaking havoc.' I still need them to be in pursuit of the mask, whose functions shouldn't change too drastically, but if you have any suggestions at all, I would appreciate them. Thanks. -Mr. the Hun
Genevieve_Evernight 10-04-07, 02:39 AM	The first thing that came to mind is the most common demon theme I've read of in books...demon in hell wants to gain access to the mortal plane. It could be that finding the mask is also part of a ritual to summon Asku to their plane so that he can cause a lot of evil chaos. Or Asku has told the cult that the mask will change them into behemoths but it really allows him to take over the body of whoever wears the mask. Thus allowing him access to the mortal plane. Those are generally what I think of when demonic cults come to mind. They always seem to want to raise a demon and bring him to "our" world. :P
Mr. the Hun 10-04-07, 02:44 AM	Asku possessing the wearer of the mask is perfect for what I'm planning on doing later in the campaign, when a capricious orc warlord stumbles over the mask... However, when Asku returns to the earth, what exactly is his objective? Godzilla-like destruction? Sauron-esque "cover all the world in shadow"? I'm leaning toward deforming the entire world, thus covering it with shadow, but I wonder if there's more depth there.
Genevieve_Evernight 10-04-07, 02:50 AM	More depth would be fun...you could try giving Asku more of a back story: Why did he become a demon? ---Was he a sorcerer who sold his soul? Was he an evil person who fought other demons in hell to become more powerful? Was he born a demon? etc. What were his goals before becoming a demon?(assuming he wasn't born one) ---Was he an evil tyrant? Was he a spellcaster whose love died and he resorted to evil means to bring her back? Was he clinically insane? etc. Personally, I like the idea of him being a damned soul that fought and gained power to become a powerful demon lord( or something similar). This gives you a human/mortal backstory to play with.
Mr. the Hun 10-04-07, 03:05 AM	That's the tricky part; Asku isn't so much a demon, with a personality and backstory and family, as he is an entity, a force. I want to achieve that Cthuloid feel, but you're right, some sort of backstory... An ancient god, left out of the pantheon?
Genevieve_Evernight 10-04-07, 03:08 AM	I like that too. It gives you some angsty bitterness to play with. It also gives you a possible reason for him wanting access to earth. He needs people to worship him in order for him to become a recognized god and it's easier to get worshipers if he's there to help his cult of recruiters. EDIT: Or he wants revenge on the gods/goddesses that left him out and plans destroy all their followers.
Mr. the Hun 10-04-07, 03:22 AM	I was thinking revenge. How anti-climatic would it be if Asku finally manages to surface on the real world, and all he does is start preaching? I'm thinking though, that I like Asku being much less sentient. Perhaps, it's the cult of Asku that thinks he was left out of the pantheon, and thusly they are trying to bring him back, in order to defeat the other gods and destroy the pantheon. Heck, maybe even the cultists have their own personal reasons for hating the current set-up (which is essentially the Greyhawk pantheon, with a Faerun deity thrown in here or there) I think I like that last option, that Asku, while a horrible demon, is really just the tool of the user. He's extremely difficult to handle, yes, but he's more of an animal, less of a human. He's like a pitbull on a leash; if you know how to control him, you can handle his reins. If you don't, you're in for a ride. Therefore, the cult is really just a collection of "atheists" or godhaters, who wish to bring the pantheon down for personal reasons, though they hide it behind their "worship of Asku". How's that?
Genevieve_Evernight 10-04-07, 03:28 AM	Good IMO. It also goes back to your original idea of Asku being a force rather than a being. What you could do also is make it only the higher up Asku cultitists that know the truth about Asku and the mask. That way you can have fun with all sorts of intra-cult intrigue and politics as well as crazy-zealot-cultists who actually believe Asku is a god whose coming will end the world....blah blah blah. Or you could have all the cultists know the truth but have what they tell the general populace be more along the lines of the above crazy-zealot. That way the PCs would know the public face of the cult but not the true inner-workings. :plotting: EDIT: Sorry I keep adding stuff. My DMs like ubber complicated plots like this and I'm my current DM's sounding board for ideas, so I recently got used to thinking this way :P.
Mr. the Hun 10-04-07, 03:42 AM	Those are both really good ideas. I think I can wangle them both. The longer a cultist has been in the cult, the more they begin to realize the truth. The founding members, obviously, realize the truth, though they never speak of it. I see it as being an unspoken understanding between a half-dozen people who had been burnt by religion or the pantheon in some way. The elder cultists have a sense of it, maybe even realize that Asku is more of a tool than a god, while the majority of the cult, the young, fervent members, all truly believe the dogma. The PCs, however, mostly see the younger members, thus preciptating the idea that this cult is traditionally zealous. As they penetrate higher and higher into it's infrastructure, they slowly realize it's more a vendetta than an obsession.
Genevieve_Evernight 10-04-07, 03:50 AM	Yay for complicated doom for PCs...lol. Sounds like you have a plan. Glad I could be of help. Feel free to PM me if you want to bounce any more ideas around...this was fun. And now I must away for my bed calls to me and I needs rise in but a mere 5 hours to go to work :( . NITE!
Old_School_Overlord 10-04-07, 12:25 PM	You mentioned you want a cthuloid feel to Asku, why not just go with it? Asku slumbers deep underground, at the bottom of a network of caves known as "The Black Gulf of N'kai". No known expedition of outsiders has ever plumbed the depths of this dundgeon, but the Cult of the unblinking eye make periodic "pilgrimages" to visit the sleeping form of their Ancient God. The cult itself has always existed amongst men, Asku appears in the dreams of those sensitive to his Call - some hear it strongly and are either driven insane or bend to his will, others hear only the whispers and are able to withstand his influence. (Which eyes do not blink? closed eyes! hence the dream connection.) Perhaps Asku existed before the current gods came, they cast Asku down and entrapped it forever - but even they cannot slay him. The cult is Asku's hands now, infiltrated into every level of society, every civilisation, every race has those who name him Master. When there are enough, they will rise up against the followers of the new gods and return the world to it's ancient ruler.