Underdeep Character Creation Thread

[Nomadic]

I'm interested in playing a monster and perhaps expanding it into a full faction at some point in the future.

I was thinking of the monster/leader being an insane kobold tinkerer who has been playing with mixing biology and technology. He has grafted himself into an ever expanding mechanical construct in which he stalks the underdeep in search of stragglers and bodies to experiment on. He has even begun creating full flesh/automaton hybrids which he uses as servants to carry out his will including raids onto the surface for more bodies. Obviously he wouldn't have a stronghold but perhaps a hidden lab of some kind?

[Steerpike]

Kobold biomancer that eventually graduates into a variant Kobold Faction could totally work.  I'm picturing a slightly steampunk type reptilian frankenstein.

[Xathan]

I've got to say, I love this crazy idea. :P

[Nomadic]

For look I was thinking of a gigantic 6 legged bio-mechanical crawler festooned in whirring gears, snapping claws, thrashing appendages adorned with strange tools, all flailing about in a strange dance, the fact that the whole thing continues to function and not fall apart into a heap being a small miracle (think howl's castle if you've seen it or machinarium if you've ever played that). Suspended in the core of the mechanism is an emaciated looking kobold body from which rubber tubes and copper pipes snake, a crazy gleam in its one working eye. The whole thing is loud and huge and bathed in a disturbing green glow. The towering hulk bends down over the shaking body of a lost and frightened dark elf and, with a sudden reptilian motion, one of its appendages snakes out to inject the elf with a paralyzing venom before thrusting it into a cage. Then the lumbering automaton moves on.

[Steerpike]

Post any descriptions of your Captains and Commanders here and eventually I may get around to giving them character portraits.  No promises on the time-line for them, but I'll try to get to everyone's eventually.

[LD]

Cleversmart Kobolds' commanders:

[ic=Mya-He, The Unmentionable]
Mya-He, the Unmentionable
Unmentionable not because Mya-He is a cannibal who has eaten Kobold flesh before, which is acceptable to do when Kobolds have perished, but because he was captured by surface dwellers! Once, on a long expedition to the surface, Mya-He and a squad became separated from a main raiding party and they were trapped in a surface race trap, where he and his fellows lingered. He only survived and remained strong because he and one ally killed and ate the rest of their fellows, then they played dead.

When humans came to fetch the kobolds out of the trap, they were overpowered and the kobolds fled to the realm of the Cleversmarts. Although Mya-He received great shame for being captured by a surface-dweller's trap, he received great honor for having overpowered and escaped from surface dwellers.

He is considered as having great insight into surface dwellers' ways and customs, gathered from overhearing snatches of their conversations and observations of their surface camps. Mya-He is a tenacious kobold, willing to do whatever it takes to survive and willing to sacrifice anyone else to ensure his survival. Shee-Ra places him in charge of the Cleversmart Caverns because most kobolds are afraid of him, and because she knows that he will never figure out how to work the mystery chamber or establish a cult following to overthrow her- he is too hated for that to happen- and he knows that.[/ic]

[ic=Ho-Dor, the Stable]
Ho-Dor, the Stable
Ho-Dor the Stable is a simple Kobold. He is a distant cousin of Shee-Ra and he is a forager at heart.

He dotes on his nephew, whose leg was crushed when he tumbled down the dark slicks of a Dark Elf trap, and now Ho-Dor carries the nephew, Oh-No, around on a howdah that is strapped to Ho-Dor's broad back. Oh-No shoots rocks and other debris at enemies while Ho-Dor the Stable roots himself into the soil and fights with his quarterstaff.

Ho-Dor is a tempered commander who cares greatly for his soldiers. He is also an odd Kobold in that he has no interest in mating or in fertilizing Kobold Eggs. Instead, when he is at rest, he sits and meditates. His soldiers consider him eccentric, but they benefit from his constant attention. If the soldiers need something, Ho-Dor, the Stable, will find it for them.[/ic]

[ic=Hai-Phen, the Shadow]
Hai-Phen, the Shadow
The Shadow knows what few others know, she slinks and spies and comes back with food, news, and dead enemies heads. The Shadow was nearly kicked out of her tribe for being a thief, by the previous Master of All That Is Underground when she stole a precious amulet that belonged to him and sold it to Dark Elves, but Shee-Ra recognized her potential and protected her from his wrath. Hai-Phen owes her life and her allegiance to her Queen Mistress, and she is eager to demonstrate her worth to the Clever Lady.[/ic]

[zcynthr]

Legio I Draco

Image credit to Blanca Martinez de Rituerto (http://dungeonsanddrawings.blogspot.ca/)

History of the Legion
[spoiler]
Report, 10.1.49
We have escaped annihilation at the hands of the elemental spirits of the enemy during a river crossing - much equipment was lost or destroyed, but the spirits of the survivors are bolstered with the knowledge that our standard, the Lion, and the legionary shrine to the Twin Dragons have been preserved. Our unwilling journey has taken us beneath the earth through some uncharted underground passage, and there is little to tell us the full measure of our escape. The only light is from a foul-smelling fungus that appears to be natural to these caverns, and we appear to be alone.

Report, 7.4.49
Never let it be said that a soldier's life is a simple one! In weeks past we have discovered enemies and allies alike, each stranger than the next. Our first attempt to camp in an abandoned citadel in a great cavern filled with glowshrooms (I find no better name than the one the men have given the stuff) met with disaster when the crypts and cellars disgorged a horde of undead barbarians, insensate to heavy blows and howling with hunger for our lives. Ten legionnaires died before we managed to organize a fighting retreat and fall back to a thicket of mushroom trees. Centurion Vorenus says that there are traps among the trees, evidence of thinking creatures, but...

The trapmakers are called kobolds, and some of the barbarian recruits swear that they used to set out milk at night for the beasts as children. They seem impressed that we survived the city and did not blunder into their traps, perhaps we can reach an accommodation in this dark place.

Report, 8.12.49
We have established an encampment with the kobolds, trading our military might for food and shelter against the other creatures that inhabit the deeps. Some of them have begun to mimic our command structure, though assassination and bribery tend to rule who possesses a centurion's crest rather than regular promotion through the ranks. Perhaps we can influence them into further cooperation in stabilizing the region and seeking a way out of this place.

Report, 12.6.47
The kobolds have taken to the worship of our gods as their own. If a senator had told me that I would see a half-size scaled rat-man kneeling and chanting prayers at a Quarthian shrine, I would have called him a liar and an incompetent. Their own god seems to be some kind of mythical beast, a great dragon that burrows through the earth, eating the stone in its way. I call it close enough, and overlook some of the men who have been fraternizing with the auxilia at their ceremonies.

The earthenworks and traps are well-made, surely nothing could succeed in assaulting this camp.

Report, 9.4.43
There are so few of us left now - Tertius, Decius, Brutus, and Marcus each lead a cohort of auxilia while I lead an entirely kobold Legion XIII Gemina. They are our Legion, as we are their tribe. We have lost all hope of return to the surface, if we are indeed not already in the Underworld. All our knowledge is being passed on in the polyglot script that has become our shared language. May the kobolds preserve the honor of the Legion when the last of us men are gone.

Report, 1 Blood 39
Quarthians dead, all. Legion ours, kobold, Legio I Draco now. We preserve standard, shrine - honor is ours and Quarth's. Legions are Quarth, Quarth is Legion – ergo we are Quarthian. We are the dark, we are the steel, we are the teeth and claws of Quartha eterna!
[/spoiler]

The Legio I Draco is a highly militaristic and republican kobold state. Their beliefs remain quite savage, but their underhandedness is filtered through a complicated form of indebted honor maintained out of fierce pride in their faith and steadfastness against the dangers of the Deeps. They hold cautious regard for others beneath the surface, but are wary of anyone who has sold their soul for power such as the undead and diabolists.

Commander of the Legion
Marius Krinak, Legatus of the Legio I Draco
[spoiler]
I Marius, Legate for kobolds who carry souls of Quarth. No one left behind, we cheat the Long Dark by feasting body and soul with departed. Register of Legion is full to bursting, we trade for vellum and papyrus, keep the annals true. Ten years since the Twin Dragons came to us fleeing spirits and demons, safe with us, fighting for their would-be Caesar above, no hope to return. Each battle-death mourned, joined with kobolds, now we are all Legion. Spirit of the Dragons is with us, we are closer to gods with our service.
[/spoiler]

Marius is a veteran of the initial auxilia levy organized by the commander of the XII Gemina, well-versed in legionary tactics and organization. Moderately well educated, he has an average proficiency in the Legion's Latin-kobold argot and a good head for numbers. His true strength lies in military logistics, keeping the encampments running smoothly and the army well-supplied. A certain kobold pragmatism underlies his devotion to the Legion's creed, stipulating that the greatest honor of all is survival. Just as  the Quarthians accepted the kobolds into their command structure so are the kobolds willing to accept other races as auxiliary troops for the time being. Only time will tell if any alliances in the Deeps will hold out over the long term.

[Steerpike]

Looks great!  If you could eliminate the real-world references ("Germans" etc) and replace them with generic ones that would be perfect.

[zcynthr]

Certainly- random fantasy-ish naming conventions are go.

[Polycarp]

Portraits, you say?  Well I might as well make it as difficult as possible!  :wink:

Portraits or no, here are the Glow's VIPs.

[ic=The Florid Reveler]Once a fell warrior of Blackrot's retinue, the Florid Reveler was given a new name and a new purpose by the resurrected Child.  Its form has not been unchanged either, for it has been molded into something more pleasing to the Dream.  Its cap bristles with vicious spikes that phosphoresce warmly, resembling a crown of flames.  It constantly "sweats" a sticky, pestilential red fluid from its knobby hide, mottled with crimson and fluorescent violet.

In its past life, the Reveler was a frenzied killer, ever consumed by the rending of dwarf-flesh in Blackrot's service.  It is consumed by something else now – for when the Reveler wades into battle, lashing violently at everything in reach with half a dozen vicious forked tentacles like the tongues of serpents, its foes see only a blissful and eerie serenity upon its mouthless visage.[/ic]

[ic=The Lurker in the Reverie]The Lurker, too, was once of Blackrot, and it now owes its allegiance both to her resurrected form and the beauty of the Dream.  Its head is a cluster of polypore-like growths, each overlapping another, with oddly-shaped eyes peeking between them at irregular intervals, looking in every direction at once.  At first, one might think the Lurker in the Reverie to be black and colorless, antithetical to the usual aesthetic of the Glow, but a closer look reveals that it not black at all, but a symphony of dark blues and purples that iridesce and flash with brighter hues when the half-light of the phosphorescent fungi of the Lowerdeep plays across its surface.  It stands stock-still, ever watching, stirring only when called upon by its masters – and then the Lurker's limbs of hardened, blade-like chitin go to work.[/ic]

[TheMeanestGuest]

[ic=Tiern, Heir to the Mansion]Tiern was born in Nüln at the height of that city's glory and power. His mother loved him, as mothers do, but she has passed from this world, and so has Nüln. It was a place of beauty and wonder, for the Dwerim had done much to make it so. To walk in the Rose Garden. To stand atop the Tower of Red Banners and look out upon the Great Chamber below as it shone with brilliant light. To dance and sing with a golden dragon from a land far away. He knew not the troubles of the world, as the Dwerim sought to forget them. But the world forgot not the Dwerim, and all the majesty of Nüln would burn and wither. The Dwerim had grown too proud, and in his madness Nír was not alone.

Tiern stood helpless as the city fell, as the Garden burned, as Swide fought to save him. But fire and blood bring swift change to young hearts. They had already taken his city, but they would not take his friend. He took up a fallen spear, its haft slick with gore, and clumsily he thrust it through the belly of an Orc. The Orc moaned as it died, and the noise was sweet to his ear, and so he twisted the spear as he pulled it away. His people were about him then, and they cried wordlessly as they cut into the Orcs, and drove them through the halls, and hacked them apart piece by piece by piece. Tiern ran with them, for the battle lust was upon them all, and they could suffer not a single Orc to live. His soul now knows no peace, and he has made himself anew in battle. Tiern stands ever at the fore of the Dwerimhost, hatred burning in his eyes. But anger and the axe cannot soothe all wounds, and Tiern grows tired before his time. In his heart, in secret, he wishes that the scars might fade from his face, that he might put down his axe and sit in a garden of roses, that he might hear the laughter of children yet unborn, and that someday, someday far away, his friend might at last come back to him so that they might sing another song.[/ic]

[zcynthr]

[ic=Commander of Bloodwatch Post]Tertius Malik, Pontifex Maximus of the Twin Dragons
The third of a brood born to a merchant family, Tertius was gifted to the priesthood during a lean year in the Upperdeep, winning out over several other youths by virtue of a patchwork chimeric complexion.

His strangely patterned hide is snakelike, predominately brown with irregular stripes of albinism from head to foot, the most noticeable of which causes his left eye to be a milky white. Tertius is not visually impaired, but it is believed by the superstitious that his eye lets him see more clearly when performing the rites of remote viewing or peering into the fate of another creature's soul. The weight of his authority weighs heavily upon Tertius - he wears a large golden pectoral in the shape of a roaring lion's head, originally sized for an elven youth.

The College of Augurs elected Tertius to their highest office after the death of his aged predecessor, hopefully leaving the spiritual well-being of the Legion in his capable claws for many years to come.[/ic]

[zcynthr]

[ic=Commander of Stonespire Fortress]
Skarax, Apostate of the First Cohort
Where Skarax walks, other kobolds fall silent until he has passed. Where Skarax looks, kobolds find themselves deserted by even their closest friends and compatriots. Where Skarax rages, not even the gods can save kobolds from utter destruction.

Contracting Ghoul Fever deep within a dwarven citadel broke something in Skarax's mind. He appears to view the ancient ghast's corruption as a divine legacy, passing her unnatural vitality to her slayer. Once the most reliable of Marius Krinak's centurions, the wretched creature began to hide himself from the Augurs each time they swept the troops for disease. He continues to skulk the halls of Stonespire Fortress, growing ever paler and more ravenous even as his mind sharpens from the pangs that are becoming as insatiable as they are unnecessary. Will Skarax complete his transformation, or will his reckless behavior earn him an execution by order of the Legate?

Skarax the Apostate is a large, stoop-shouldered kobold, easily capable of carrying his legionary kit for weeks on end in rough conditions. His hands and face are stained with goblin blood and ashes, and he has blackened the Legion devices once displayed so proudly on his scored and pitted armor. When his claws and teeth are insufficient to destroy a powerful foe, his weapon of choice is a great curved polearm wielded with a fierce cruelty that burns within his near-lidless eyes.
[/ic]

[sparkletwist]

[ic=The Succubi]Beyond even the nightmares of Elves and Men, there is another world of fire and strife, the Abyss. Horrific aberrations run amok, ruled over by ghastly personifications of all of the woes of this dark place; yet, here, even the loftiest rulers are still prisoners of the Abyss itself. They are confined to this place by lakes of fire and by the barriers between planes, but, most of all, they are kept confined to the Abyss by their own endless anguish and rage. They destroy each other, they destroy themselves, and they destroy the Abyss itself, endlessly.

Of course, not every Abyssal creature is exactly the same. They all carry its taint, but some also carry with them the touch of something more lofty that once dared to reach into this foul, foresaken place.

Such is the nature of the Succubi.

Aeons ago, a god of light (whose name has long since been forgotten) tried to redeem the Abyss. He ventured deep within, until he was face-to-face with the dread Queen of the Abyss-- or at least some immensely powerful being of darkness that called itself such. He soothed her pain and rage and spoke to her kindly, and, for the briefest time, she felt love. Eventually, though, as the scorpion stings the turtle, she devoured him and destroyed them both. There is no redemption in the Abyss.

Yet, from that union, the daughters (and granddaughters, and so on down their lineage) live on, each one containing a spark of light from their forefather that tempers the Abyssal horror that also lurks within them, making their forms beautiful and their desires pleasurable.

With that spark of light within her, a Succubus can more easily escape the prison of the Abyss, and most do, at some time or other. They venture out into other planes; however, while they can be taken out of the Abyss, it is not so easy to take the Abyss out of a Succubus. Most Succubi live simple lives of decadent debauchery, thinking only of themselves, seducing and discarding mortals with little care for anything but indulging their own base impulses.[/ic]

[ic=The Seven Sisters]
Theme of the Seven Sisters

[spoiler=Portrait][/spoiler]

The Seven Sisters are not that variety of Succubus.

While they do possess the same appetites as any of their kind, they are far from simple hedonists. Early on, they realized the real potential of a Succubus. Her varied and potent abilities could lead to so many things beyond simple self-indulgence, and the Seven Sisters fully capitalized. (They got plenty of self-indulgence along the way, too, of course...)

For the first millennium of their lives, they gathered wealth and power, cultivated influence, established spy networks, and ruled a sprawling yet secret empire from barrooms and boudoirs. However, all things must come to an end. The Sisters had to coordinate many factions to rule their hidden empire, and these factions grew increasingly divisive and unruly. Sensing a moment of weakness, haughty heroes descended and crushed their ambitions, seemingly once and for all. The Seven Sisters were sent screaming back into the Abyss.

Of course, these Succubi were not about to be kept down. They began making bargains and pacts with the dark powers that be to secure their escape once again. It took them many years, time enough for almost all of their gains in the mortal world to be usurped, but the only truly important thing-- their competence and drive-- remained.

Having finally secured their second chance, they certainly intend to make the most of it...

[ic=Arquenciel Diamant Septena]Arquenciel Diamant Septena is the eldest of the Seven Sisters and the self-appointed leader of the House of Septena; this declaration occasionally causes consternation amongst her younger siblings, but they cannot deny that she nonetheless conducts their affairs with elan and wisdom. Of course, she has the beauty and charms of a Succubus-- silken platinum blonde hair, flawless skin of light mocha, and dazzling eyes that change color with her mood-- however, beyond that, she possesses a natural charisma and grace, as well. She generally prefers to negotiate and manipulate rather than engage in combat, but, should she need to fight, she does so with enthusiasm and spirit.[/ic]
[ic=Chiaroscuro Jayet Septena]Chiaroscuro Jayet Septena is second in age, spawned from the maw of their Abyssal matriarch mere moments after Arquenciel. She shares much of her elder sister's wisdom and pragmatism, but she has a much more cynical outlook and lacks some of Arquenciel's natural charm. She can certainly be diplomatic when necessary, but is prone to sarcasm even then. When alone with her sisters and other trusted confidants, all pretense is dropped, and she becomes quite blunt and foul-mouthed.[/ic]
[ic=Incarnadine Rubina Septena]Incarnadine Rubina Septena easily has the most overtly "demonic" appearance of the seven, with blood-red hair and a set of rather prominent fangs. She is perpetually pugnacious, often preferring to subdue rather than seduce her conquests. In addition, she is prone to sadism beyond even what is usual for a Succubus. Of all of the Sisters, she was perhaps the most at home in the tormented landscape of the Abyss, but even she is glad to escape-- if only to secure new conquests in a wider world. She loves to fight, and believes victory its own reward, particularly when plenty of suffering is heaped upon her defeated opponent.[/ic]
[ic=Verdure Esmeralda Septena]Verdure Esmeralda Septena is bold and adventurous, with a fondness for nature and exploration. She is also quite greedy, believing that every good adventure should result in a healthy amount of loot being taken home at the end. Like her sister Incarnadine, she loves a good fight, too. Instead of winning being its own reward, though, she sees it primarily as means to an end, such as securing a conquest or gaining wealth. Many of her plans are, in truth, outlandish and unrealistic, but she still pursues them with enthusiasm, and is always trying to get her sisters in on them as well.[/ic]
[ic=Caerulea Saphir Septena]Caerulea Saphir Septena is bright and scholarly, with perhaps the greatest intellect of all Seven Sisters. It often falls to her to develop the actual logistical plans to carry out their schemes, a task she performs with flair and enthusiasm. She is usually soft-spoken, but will become quite loquacious when given the chance to discuss or debate a topic she finds fascinating. Fitting her scholarly image, her bright blue eyes are always bespectacled, but the lenses are not corrective-- rather, she has enchanted them with the ability to read and comprehend dozens of mortal and Abyssal scripts.[/ic]
[ic=Wisteria Amethyst Septena]Wisteria Amethyst Septena has a love of couture and a flair for the dramatic, so many who do not look at her closely would simply see a vapid, spoiled playgirl. However, this may be partially true, but Wisteria is actually quite cultured and sophisticated. She is almost as well-read as Caerulea, though she prefers poetry and wordplay to philosophical treatises. In addition, she loves to perform, and is far more outgoing than her bookish sister. As a natural actress, it stands to reason that she is perhaps the most skilled of the Seven Sisters at using her disguise glamours to appear to be that which she is not.[/ic]
[ic=Jonquille Topaz Septena]Jonquille Topaz Septena is the youngest of the Seven Sisters. She is vivacious and playful, always ready with a coquettish smile and giggle, but also possessing a certain innocence about her that many familiar with her kind find somewhat disarming. While she seems to be quite happy-go-lucky, in truth, she is also highly driven. She believes (mostly rightly) that her older sisters do not take her seriously, and she is always looking for the chance to make a contribution to advance the Seven Sisters' goals.[/ic]
[/ic]

[ic=Rituals]Although they are not particularly fond of construction projects, resource gathering, or managing large armies, Succubi can nonetheless make their mark by casting Rituals, complex spells fueled by their Abyssal essence. These Rituals usually are full of obscene exclamations, ecdysiastic displays, and orgiastic frenzies, and are often difficult to distinguish from ordinary Succubus debauchery. However, the dark and sensual magic drawn forth by the ritual has an immediate effect, draining the Succubus of her soul energy and producing a variety of strange and powerful effects.[/ic]

[Raelifin]

Dalashin... what are you doing with that book... You're not about to create another faction, are you?!  :huh: :P