[X] [City] Marbleheart
[X] [Race] Human
[X] [Sex] Male

Not sure on name, but we should go for an area which is A) Relatively peaceful (no early adventurers) and B) Allows easy transport anywhere (Marbleheart fits, and as long as we keep corruption and dark deeds on the down-low, we aren't going to face a quick army. If we can use their set-up infrastructure for our logistics, and buy/steal valuable items/materials, we're golden!)

As for the human, let's not choose an orc- they're too interwoven. Let's get an outsider, someone no one will care about, whether they go missing or come to buy things.
 
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Adhoc vote count started by LordPanther14 on Oct 15, 2019 at 8:29 PM, finished with 12 posts and 10 votes.
 
4. The Call and the Heart
Sweetha was a resident of Steelcover, one of the six great cities of the Orcish Greenland. Steelcover was different from the other cities though in the fact that the residents here were no longer part of a clan. The people of Steelcover through illness, injury, or age were in such a state that there were sent to this city for the shamans and the healers to try and restore back to health using the old knowledge. Steelcover bore the title City of Last Resort, for only those that stumped the modern ways which usually meant it was something very new, a mutation of a disease, or something old, triggering a curse, that was the cause.

Sweetha was in Steelcover because she was...

[] Shaman
Gain Trait: Elemental Handler
[] Healer
Gain Trait: Old Tongue Linguist
[] Old
Gain Trait: Retired Badass
[] Slightly Mad
Gain Trait: Easily Corrupted
[] Missing Arm
Gain Trait: Actually Left Handed
[] Cursed
Gain Trait: Reaper's Curse

Sweetha didn't mind living in Steelcover for the main reason that everything was quiet here. In order to help with the recovery of the residents and not disrupt the studies of the healers. It could be a little boring that way but at least Sweetha had never had a bad nights sleep in the city. Until the last couple of nights she would dream that someone was calling her, it was a young woman's voice, and telling her that she had been chosen for a great destiny. Sweetha had thought such dreams of destiny were behind her with her coming to Steelcover but they were happening all the same.

Sweetha considered to one of the shaman or healers on the matter but what could she say besides the fact that she was having a dream that was making it hard for her to sleep. Could be anything from her being the target of some human's spell to having some underdone sausages for dinner causing it. That's why she was originally content to leave the matter alone and continue on her business. That was until she found herself getting in to her bed at the start of the night and waking up to find herself on the border of the city.

Sweetha could have turned around and headed home but if something was calling her than it was best that she find out what it was. She might not have been thinking to clearly she was willing to admit as she continued her journey with out food or water or any sort of supplies but she was stubborn like that. Where she went there were no trails or paths or markers to lay out where she should go but she had a feeling on the inside that she was drawing closer and closer to her destination.

Sweetha's feet were bloody when she found the entrance to a cave system with the sun about to set behind her. Thanks to her natural night vision it was not difficult for her to navigate the interior and after a few more hours she found herself in a natural cavern and in the center was a circular stone set into the ground with glyphs and runes in a language that she was unfamiliar with. Different from any she'd seen in the books.

Sweetha could find no hints as to the stone's origin nor what purpose it served but she knew that it was involved with the dreams and what had called her. She stepped onto the stone and her bloody foot prints began to give off a faint green glow before the writing on the stone floor gave off a more intense glow. The stone cracked underneath her feet and Sweetha let out a cry before she fell into a pit filled with a pulsing malevolent energy. It was fire and water, she felt like she was burning up and drowning at the same time and the pain was so great that she mercifully passed out.

When next Sweetha opened her eyes she was laying on a bed of flowers and moss and a heady perfume filled the air. Sweetha patted herself down but everything appeared to be normal. When she looked around she looked like she was outside in the forest. Standing away from Sweetha was a green skinned human wearing a dress and a tiara with her arm extended with a bird alighting on her hand.

Sweetha asked, "Am I dead?"

The woman shook her head and answered, "No, merely in the process of being reborn. My kind don't usually show ourselves so early but seeing as you're the first of your kind I felt it was best to give you special treatment."

Sweetha said, "Reborn? Into what? Your kind? You're green like an orc but you look slender and small like a human."

The woman said, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am the Dark Goddess of Nature Illana. It is fine if you have never heard of me. I'm a new arrival to this world. The others that will be coming later don't look like me so don't be surprised on that fact in the future. Not that I look like this anymore, more just a preference of how I like to appear to those in my service. I placed the Dungeon Heart and called for you and you answered the call."

Sweetha grimaced, recalling how she had been drawn to this place, and said, "I don't think that I was given much choice in that matter."

Illana said, "As one of the Dark Gods, well that's to be expected. In a little bit you'll be reborn a Dungeon Keeper, power and wealth and minions to do your bidding. The heart and you will be connected and as long as the heart beats you can not truly die. It will be a wellspring of mana that you can harness and control as you desire. You will be able to summon minions to expand your territory and form a bond with those that join you willingly that they will obey your commands."

Sweetha asked, "A wonderful prize, but I'm sure the cost is great too."

Illana said, "True, your price is that your soul is now mine to do with as I please. Should you prove yourself an effective Keeper and the heart is broken I may reward you with another chance but if you don't meet my expectations than an eternity of torment in my domain will be your punishment."

Sweetha said, "You chose me to be this dungeon keeper, a Dark Lord? I am no war chief."

Illana replied, "Perhaps, but you just might be surprised what you can accomplish when given power."

Sweetha was going to reply to that when she felt something.

Thump.

Sweetha grasped her chest, and Illana said, "Looks like our time is up. I've enjoyed this chat but lets not repeat it if we don't need to."

Thump.

Sweetha dropped to her knees and found instead of being in the forest she was back in the cavern, in front of pit where a pulsing green membrane beat in time with her heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Sweetha let out a breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding. She didn't know if she could believe everything that she had heard from that Goddess but despite her proclamation of being a Dark God she had been kind and answered Sweetha's questions. Sweetha could feel a power inside of her which could only be the power of the heart. A spell was in her mind to summon a creature. It took hardly any effort on her part, merely the desire to do it and the spell was cast without the chanting, rituals, or wands she was so used to seeing from the shaman.

What is her basic minion?

[] Imp
[] Vineling
[] Earth Golemette
[] Sprite
 
[] Shaman
Gain Trait: Elemental Handler

Seems easy, but the Dungeon Heart removes the need for spells. What is the benefit? Early understanding of mana channeling?

Retired Badass is a cool idea, but means tiresome struggles from a hero or handicaps from someone injured. Maybe we get someone retired because they're just old, but who knows how long it will take for the Heart to deal with age?

Let's leave the mad for now. This is our first Keeper. Let's not tip our hand if we have trouble finding people willing to take a Dungeon Heart. (AHAHAHA. As if, right?)

[] Sprite

Imps are probably better as a basic work creature, and Earth Elementals are also good. Vinelings were used as assassins, really. Let's have magic-casting spies!

Unless LordPanther14 would be interested in highlighting what each of the minion choices mean? (Hopeful eyes) Not necessary, but that would be cool.
 
[X] Cursed
Let's have becoming a Dungeon Lord actually be a net gain for our little orcling! True, there's a non-zero chance the Reaper's Curse will result in minions randomly dying, but that's what a portal is for!

[X] Sprite
Fairies are cool!

... Though I might be convinced to switch to vinelings. Summoning vinelings is plausibly the first step to getting shamblers, and I really want those adorable shamblers!
 
The healer has the Old Tongue Linguist trait and we are in a library,
I think that being able to read forbidden tomes may help us gain some early magic and tricks.
 
Come on people, let's be cursed!

Let's make whoever placed the Reaper's Curse on our sweet little orc regret their every action as a far greater calamity threatens to swallow the land!
 
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