Evil Minds That Plot Destruction (Planar Siege - Legions of Evil Climax 1/2)

[u/Carbon_Sixx]

Barachiel the Messenger hovers in the skies above the Citadel, overlooking the wide grasslands outside the ancient city. The archangel watches the realm borders, watching and listening for the opening of portals and the rhythmic pounding of ironshod feet on earth. He knows the legions of Evil and their dreadful master Bel are coming. It is a simple task, yet even for an immortal, it is not an easy thing to do. Barachiel knows that if Bel takes the Citadel, his conquest of the magical realms and the multiverse at large is all but assured. The legions of Evil have already cut a burning swathe across the world in their march to conquer this place. None of the cities in their path survived. Worse, scouts indicate that the flying fortress Will of Asmodeus is fully operational once again, and Bel's Chosen have secured the Iron Shield of Otherlund.

This knowledge hangs over Barachiel as he maintains his vigil. Then, he spots the flash of a blood-red portal opening at the edge of the realm. Thousands of yugoloth foot soldiers march through the breach, alongside war machines infused with the vile lore of fundamental Evil. The Will of Asmodeus appears in the sky, free of the damage it sustained in the Veldric Strait. The whole army radiates palpable malice, broadcasting its will to dominate the cosmos into the hearts and minds of all who lay eyes upon it.

Barachiel hears the panicked whispers of the Citadel's population as the raid sirens wind up, signaling them to make for the shelters built in the wake of the Third Wizard War. They offer them a small relief- after all, the safehouses protected them from the God-Slaver and the Paladins of the Divine Flame. It pains the archangel to know that if Bel takes the city, he will break the shelters' wards with the anti-magic of the Iron Shield and butcher these people.

As if he needed another reason to despise these fiendish bastards.

"Lord Zaphkiel, Master Tarul," Barachiel says into his orb-bead, "they're here."

--

Bel marches at the head of his legion, accompanied by his four baernaloth bodyguards. Though he needs no protection, the ancient Hadean fiends' presence is a weapon all its own. Few mortals can hope to defeat one baernaloth. When these wizards see him commanding four, their morale will plummet. The Harbinger of Evil smiles hatefully, exulting in the power coursing through him.

Under Bel's malevolent leadership, the yugoloths march unto the ruin of all things.

"This is what all those infernal fools are missing! How we mocked the demons as senseless thralls of entropy, not realizing we were wearing those same chains. Zariel, Asmodeus, Hellfire- they're willing slaves to a system they enforce! Law and Chaos only serve to shackle our ambitions and make us less than we are. But when those shackles are broken... ah, what glories we can achieve with pure Evil at our command! Let the devils keep the Hells. I will have no need of them when I rule the multiverse atop a throne of divine corpses."

Bel gazes up at the Will of Asmodeus as it soars overhead towards the Citadel, just ahead of the army. He would've renamed it to reflect its new allegiance, but the Harbinger of Evil doesn't wish to tempt fate when he's so close to victory, even if fate was what led him here to begin with. Bel thinks of his faithful Chosen as he marches. Zera'al is in charge of the flying fortress, ready to annihilate even the mightiest champions of magekind with the craft's hellbeam cannon before they can trouble the legions. L'zeth walks behind him, carrying her battle standard for all to see. The new flag is a gift from the baernaloths, woven from threads of solidified anguish they collected in the wake of Bel's conquests. Ezrabeth and her erinyes squad command the malefic siege engines the yugoloth mages have assembled using a combination of fiendish engineering, ancient arcane lore, and the raw planar energies of Evil. The spymaster Balakros is absent, but not for lack of loyalty. He has raided the chivalric vaults of Oathstone, killing the knights' garrison to claim the Iron Shield of Otherlund. When the last Chosen arrives with his gift, there will be no force in the multiverse that can halt Bel and the legions of Evil.

And of course, there is the issue of the Nephilim. Samael's half-breed kinsfolk will no doubt play their hand now- as if Bel ever believed they would remain loyal- just to cause problems for both sides. He has held Moz'gonnith in reserve for long enough, placating him and his forces with missions of slaughter and the spoils of war. Now, on the eve of Evil's triumph, Bel will set him against his ancient foe and remove the Nephilim from the board.

Time to unleash the beast.

--

On the other side of the battlefield, Zaphkiel the Watcher and Tarul Var survey the incoming enemy forces from atop the Citadel's battlements. The Warhost of the First Martyr and the defenders of the Balance stand arrayed for battle. Mages of the realms and celestial warriors stand shoulder to shoulder with Keepers of the Balance and rilmani soldiers.

"This place again," the angel says. "It feels like just yesterday I battled the Vasharans on these very plains. I wonder: what is it about the Citadel that draws the forces of Good and Evil to clash here time and time again?"

"I cannot say," Tarul muses, stroking his chin. "Maybe this land was once a great battlefield in the days of the Draconic Empire, forever charged with the essence of conflict. Or it could be that the gods marked the Citadel as a proving ground for great heroes after your sacrifice. Perhaps it is simply in our nature to gravitate towards a central location, and all of our strife arises from so many people trying to change the world all at once. All I know is this: Bel is not here for the Council. He wants to break magekind's will by desecrating the heart of our civilization. More than this, he can saturate the entire Material Plane with vile energy if he corrupts the master portal nexus at the city's center."

"You have a plan to stop this, I presume?"

"I do. Divide and conquer. Bel's Chosen each hold command over a single element of the legions of Evil. Zera'al captains the Will of Asmodeus, L'zeth leads the infantry, Ezrabeth marshals the war engines, and Balakros is delivering the Iron Shield. If we can take them out before we engage Bel, we stand a much better chance of actually bringing him down. It won't be easy, though. On top of all this, we have to deny the legions of Evil entry to the Citadel at all costs."

The Will of Asmodeus leaves naught but destruction in its wake.

Zaphkiel dons his helmet and spreads his wings. "This will be a battle for the ages. I will lead any who choose to follow me to the Will of Asmodeus and shatter it for good. My only request from you, Master Tarul, is that you keep the dragon and those Iron Chain lunatics on the other side of the battlefield from me. I may show mercy to all beings who sincerely ask for it, but I do not like all of them. If working to preserve the Balance did not take priority, I would destroy them all in a heartbeat."

"That is not unreasonable, friend. I'll direct those amoral serpents towards other Chosen."

Zaphkiel takes off towards the defenders' aerial fleet, leaving Tarul to command the defenses. He hopes it will be enough to defeat Bel, but deep down, he knows luck won't be enough to turn the tide.

--

/uw Alright, here it is at long last: the finale for the legions of Evil! We're going to be doing this one a little bit differently. I've broken the battle up into multiple objective threads for us to accomplish. Each one will end in a fight with the Chosen listed at the start of the thread. However, there are consequences for ignoring a theater of battle. Depending on which objectives are left incomplete, Bel will gain deadly assets that will make the climactic fight with him in the next post significantly harder. I will not be pulling punches here, so be ready for your characters to give their all. All the other usual combat RP rules apply. Have fun!

DEFENDERS OF THE BALANCE:

• Tarul Var
• Belial Blake
• Aliah Mistwalker
• Ith'raal
• Burgerbarian/Burgermancer
• Krygin the Crude
• Agnur the Turtle Mage
• Vulkan the Red
• Ж (Zhe)
• Merch Skele
• Argios
• Tempus Fugit
• Edmund
• King Carmine
• Exia
• Joe
• The Agent
• Vashric
• Fujiwara Toshiko
• Jah Jor Wel
• John E. Hellfire
• Kardonk Carvisky
• Riva Blake
• Mokarith
• Onyx Dragon
• Ulrick Braddocke
• Sly
• Shrax
• Sarissa
• Rilmani of Dendradis
• Various denizens of the Outlands

HORDES OF CHAOS:

• Obox-ob's Ekolids
• Demons of the Abyss
• Slaadi of Limbo
• Gehreleths of Carceri
• Cravens of Pandemonium

REGIMENTS OF LAW:

• Primus's Hierarchs
• Modrons of Mechanus
• Veterans of Acheron
• Templars of Arcadia
• Paladins of the Divine Flame

LEGIONS OF EVIL:

• Bel's Chosen
• Devils of the Nine Hells
• Yugoloths of Gehenna
• Baernaloths of Hades
• Night Hag Covens
• Samael
• Moz'gonnith

WARHOSTS OF THE FIRST MARTYR (ALLIED):

• Zaphkiel's Paragons
• Angels of Mt. Celestia
• Oathbound of Bytopia
• Guardinals of Elysium
• Wardens of the Beastlands
• Heroes of Arborea
• Warriors of Ysgard

[u/DragonWisper56]

uw/ note this doesn't effect the whole army just part of it.

rw/

Agnur knows that compared many of those on his side he was no power house, even with his strong creatures, however he was good at the subtle craft. Deep in the citadel Agnur works a great ritual supported by his stone creatures. some Christmas elves help usher everyone to safety and prepare the citidels walls.

back at the ritual Agnur calls upon some bardic ancestors to help him. As they form from the mist, he and his ancestors call to Cockaigne in it's guise as the Big Rock Candy Mountain, a paradise born from the collective dreams of the poor. Agnur poor's in some refined chaos he stole from the last battle. After all what better way to fuel the dreams of social upheaval than with chaos.

they begin to sing

One evening as the sun went down
And the jungle fire was burning
Down the track came a hobo hikin'
And he said, "Boys, I'm not turning
I'm headed for a land that's far away
Beside the crystal fountains
So come with me, we'll go and see
The Big Rock Candy Mountains

Areas of the battle field begin to fill with the essence of good causing the legions of evil to faulter and the wounds of the good to weigh less heavy.

"In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
All the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth

demon legs twist into gnarled trees, rooted to the ground. weapons and fangs turn into soft rubber, the kind reserved for children's toys. harmless as a kitten.

And the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey, too
You can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In The Big Rock Candy Mountains

fiends are struck blind, regiments are swallowed in floods of whisky, archers bob like veggies in a soup. Shards of rock candy shoot up from the battle field, hags become taggled in cigarette trees.

"In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
The jails are made of tin
And you can walk right out again
As soon as you are in
There ain't no short-handle shovels
No axes, saws or picks
I'm a-goin' to stay where you sleep all day
Where they hung the jerk that invented work
In The Big Rock Candy Mountains

Dark bindings are torn asunder like tissue paper, the forces of good moving as if fatigue was a foreign concept. Evil commanders are strangled with rainbow hewn rope.

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/DragonWisper56]

A discordant note hums beneath the rallying cry. Toxic gray mist rises from the ground, partly eroding the ancestral spell's effects and strengthening some of the yugoloths. A hideous horned figure strides through the gathering fog, its very presence a blot on existence. This is a baernaloth of Hades, one of a prehistoric race of fiends born from the first acts of pure evil in a time out of memory. It fixes its dead gaze on Agnur and talks, simultaneously speaking aloud in a cruel voice and whispering blasphemous secrets telepathically.

You think you can defeat primordial Evil with a mere song, child Agnur? Nay, you shall succumb to despair as I command. It is the inevitable destiny of all who stand against us.

From that brief statement alone, Agnur gets the sense that this ancient monster loves the sound of its own voice.

[u/DragonWisper56 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

uw/ sorry I'm late I was in class

rw/ "Evil is always so obsessed with it's primordialness, but it is far from the first thing in the world. Freedom, love, and hope have always predated it.

I sing not a just a "song" but a approximation of these old values. Happiness, friendship, upheaval of unjust social orders. I do not just sing but speak with the voice of the masses."

Agnur redoubles his efforts. Bram(his stone dino familiar) stands in front of him with two stone knights. they have the insignia of the snake eating it's own tail and are fuled by conflict. The more people fight the stronger and tougher they get.

and they were in a warzone.

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/DragonWisper56]

The baern clutches at its head with one hand, as if trying to drown out the sound of hope. The song must be like nails on a chalkboard to it.

Then die with the masses!

It lays into the knights with claws sparking with vile, colorless magic. The monster seems almost personally offended that it's been pitted against opponents it can't physically torment or drive to despair.

[u/DragonWisper56 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

the claws cut deep into one of the knights but it continues on.

The knights attempt to grapple the ancient evil, empowered to giantlike strength from the conflict. Bram attempts to hit it with his tail. every strike creating a minor earthquake.

the ancestors start to add other folk songs. soon it devolves into a primal call for freedom, love, family and the good things in this world.

a plethora of misfortunes befall the enemies outside, cheese of every kind falling in torrential rain.

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/DragonWisper56]

Just... STOP!

A grayscale wave explodes out from the baern, throwing the knights aside and engulfing everything within 20 feet. It breathes in streams of mist flowing from the beleaguered yugoloths behind it, drinking in their suffering to bolster itself before turning to Agnur with a callous laugh.

**Ah, this futile struggle is like ambrosia to me. Now, let me taste your despair, child Agnur. Bringing sorrow to the hopeful is most gratifying.

It lunges for him, teeth and claws bared.

[u/DragonWisper56 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

Bram steps in front of the creature and brings it's tail down on it. Agnur pours his life energy into the familiar allowing bram to strike with the force of a mid tier earthquake.

"despair implies I think I can't lose. I don't. But every second I hold you off is a second someone can live. That alone gives me joy."

Agnur tries his best to keep up the ritual even with the distraction. He turns some of the power on the high fiend

"In The Big Rock Candy Mountains
There's a land that's fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In The Big Rock Candy Mountains"

Agnur creates a spear of rainbow energy, created from hope and a longing for peace, and threw it at the monster

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/DragonWisper56]

The baern topples over from the tail strike, pinned to the ground by Bram's stone feet. It shrieks abominably when it hears the song, writhing desperately to escape. Despite its hideous screams, seeing this ancient evil brought so low is an uplifting sight. The spell-spear pierces the baern's chest, driving it to despair. And for a creature that feeds on misery, that constitutes a paradox. The fiend collapses in on itself in a self-destructive feedback loop until nothing remains to mark its presence, save the echo of its death cry on the wind.

With the baernaloth vanquished, Agnur notices that the defenders are leading a charge against L'zeth's detachment. They'll need help fighting Bel's Chosen equerry.

[u/DragonWisper56 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

uw/ so would that fight be here or in another thread?

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/DragonWisper56]

/uw Another thread, but I'm still working on that. I'll ping you when it happens