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| Worships: | Agares |
|---|---|
| Strengths: | Forbidden Knowledge, Magic, Power |
| Weaknesses: | Wickedness, Degeneration, Pride |
| Alignment Effect: | Change to Evil |
| Heroes: | |
| Founded By: | Corruption of Spirit |
| Enables: |
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| Shrine: | Stigmata of the Unborn |
| Special: |
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| Type: | Religion |
Mages spent weeks in meditation, exploring the farthest reaches of the ethereal world. The demands of the body were ignored, and they survived sustained only by magic. Their efforts were rewarded, a sentience was contacted, dark and horrible. It whispered secrets into the mages' minds, secrets of necromancy, diseases, sacrificial rites. It promised power in exchange for their blood, and they freely gave it.
Their goals are obvious and the evil undeniable, but what motivates them? I see 3 tiers. The initiate seeks power, more quickly than through the council, and of course with fewer restrictions than any good religion. Later, they have gotten their power, taken their revenge or whatever, but it is quickly coming time to pay the piper, and lest they be taken by the demons they bargained with, they need to find others to fill the ranks. Finally, the very upper echelon serve the same cause as their god--corrupting the world. So that when judgement day comes, Agares and his servants can point to the huge numbers of the fallen and say, "See, Temporance was flawed; my mistakes were not my fault!" So they seek to justify themselves by damning the rest of creation.
Needless to say, they aren't very nice to be around, feeling no remorse for any sort of cruelty or coercion; but this isn't to say that they can't work together towards their goals, even get along. Most do not pursue cruelty for its own sake Though it would certainly not offend them if their peers were, they don't by and large indulge in it for it's own sake as the Octopus Overlords might.
When the Ashen Veil spreads to a new city, the AC is increased by 1 point. Razing Cities with the Ashen Veil present will lower the AC instead of raising it. The Infernals can take over 1 of the best 3 cities with Ashen Veil present without any fight required via their World Spell, Hyborem's Whisper.
Concept art of the desolated lands with the Ashen Veil.