[X] They call you Five Seconds of Prayer Before Death, for that is what you are to your foes. A warrior without liege lord, you prowl the Makilyth District dealing death to your foes. No evil is safe from your blade. You carry justice in your heart and in your hand. Zayakuth. (Righteousness)
[X] The street urchin. The ragamuffin. Free and unfettered, you are bound by no ties and no tethers. Lack of power is freedom. Do not play the game of thrones, young child. For there, under of eyes of all,you will find safety from the lords who prowl Nivasah. (Subsistence)
We are going to lie, steal, and cheat our way into godhood. As it is the proper way to attain such power.
[x] They call you Five Seconds of Prayer Before Death, for that is what you are to your foes. A warrior without liege lord, you prowl the Makilyth District dealing death to your foes. No evil is safe from your blade. You carry justice in your heart and in your hand. Zayakuth. (Righteousness)
[x] The last surviving priest of the Mayasala District, your brothers have been hunted down and slain by what you do not know. But you still live and serve the angels. 132.72 CROWN THE UNRIGHTEOUS WITH A WREATH OF THEIR OWN SINS has sworn to protect you until his death, but he has already died 71 times. (Faith)
[x] The last surviving priest of the Mayasala District, your brothers have been hunted down and slain by what you do not know. But you still live and serve the angels. 132.72 CROWN THE UNRIGHTEOUS WITH A WREATH OF THEIR OWN SINS has sworn to protect you until his death, but he has already died 71 times. (Faith)
At this point it's rightousness or faith. There are lots of quests where the protagonist is personally powerful, or clever, or in command, and righteousness comes off as power. Faith, faith on the other hand sounds like a quest where we arn't powerful, where we must rely on others. I think that appeals, in some way.
[X] The street urchin. The ragamuffin. Free and unfettered, you are bound by no ties and no tethers. Lack of power is freedom. Do not play the game of thrones, young child. For there, under of eyes of all,you will find safety from the lords who prowl Nivasah. (Subsistence)
The urchins of Nivasah.
The urchins of Fallen London.
The lost, the forgotten, they alone are free.
Free of names and masks and games of the powerful.
In this, there is power.
A conqueror begins a nameless urchin, ready to take a name of his own.
Reach heaven through violence. Seize heaven through slaughter.
[x] The last surviving priest of the Mayasala District, your brothers have been hunted down and slain by what you do not know. But you still live and serve the angels. 132.72 CROWN THE UNRIGHTEOUS WITH A WREATH OF THEIR OWN SINS has sworn to protect you until his death, but he has already died 72 times. (Faith)
[X] They call you Five Seconds of Prayer Before Death, for that is what you are to your foes. A warrior without liege lord, you prowl the Makilyth District dealing death to your foes. No evil is safe from your blade. You carry justice in your heart and in your hand. Zayakuth. (Righteousness)
the only justice in this world comes at the tip of a blade
-Graffiti scribbled on a wall of a building in the Masaiyith District shortly before the Third Wretched Riot
The Sword
Once, in the Makylith district, the Dojo of the Bloody Wind stood. Bloody Wind was a follower of the Road of Clear Thoughts and also a master swordsman. He had once, long ago, served as a retainer of the archon Torrental, who had risen from a lowly warlord to a great and mighty bastion in the political landscape of Nivasah, with almost a hundred lesser archons and their retainers sworn into his service. Torrental was a brute who accomplished his goals through raw force, and Bloody Wind was his blunt instrument of destruction. He had earned a reputation as a powerful swordsman without peer, and went he finally retired from his lords service and built his dojo, hundreds of disciples flocked to learn from him.
The strong man attracts followers, after all, and Bloody Wind was nothing but a strong man. It was rumored that Torrental have even promised to grant any one wish of his, and for a mere unenlightened to eek out such a favor from an archon was the stuff of legends.
In Bloody Wind's dojo, he did not teach the way of the sword. No, rather, he taught the way of the sword, in that meaning he taught his disciplines how to become swords. Sharp, jagged, edged, he taught them how to be wielded by a master to cut down their foes and to use whatever they had to slice through their enemies.
For a while they managed to rule the Makylith District through force. Even archon Saize, who claimed that region as his territory bowed to many of Bloody Wind's demands. His dojo was not taxed, his students were not punished. They roamed as an army ruling through power and fear.
They were strong.
But his teachings in the end were his undoing. His way of the sword required a master. And it was not him, for he himself was a sword, and a sword cannot wield another sword. The archon Telemensce saw opportunity where Saize could not and made a deal with Saize. For his support in his legal suit against the archon Jaggeheid, and the payment of one thousand golden ducats, Saize would turn over control of the Makylith district to him. Saize, who had long viewed the district as a drain on his manpower and a thorn in his side due to the wretched rebel Bloody Wind accepted. It was a good deal for Saize. He foisted off an annoyance on another archon, and managed to obtain support in more profitable ventures.
It was a better deal for Telemensce.
Integrating himself into the movements of small groups of Bloody Wind's students, he managed to take advantage of their empty sense of self, and won over their loyalty. The Road of Clear Thought hollows out its followers, as it is one which most closely aligned with the virtue of Zanisahnya, or ignorance. Those who are true adherents to it, have no thoughts of their own. They are inclined to gravitate to any man with a strong will, and Telemensce was nothing but an archon with a large ambition.
And thus Bloody Wind's dojo was toppled from the inside out. His own students slew him in his grandhall, and Telemensce was propelled into the high courts by a hundredfold multiplication of his military strength.
But, there was one loyal disciple that Telemensce missed that day. With an incomplete training, they stole away into the night and swore revengeance on Telemensce and his cursed army of traitors.
Who was this disciple?
[ ] The Straw Waif. A child who Bloody Wind had taken in from the streets, he was the only thing that she had ever known close to a father. And he was slain, in his own hall by his own students. She would never forgive Telemensce. (Future)
[ ] The Last Brother. One of five students who had grown up together, they had done everything together. They had stayed through Bloody Wind's harsh lessons through the strength of their camaraderie. Now there is only one comrade. (Missing)
[ ] The Monstrous Beast. Strength too mighty even for Bloody Wind to bring to heel. She was a terror, who slew good men and woman without any restraint on his strength. But she had a twisted code of honor, and a mind filled with disgusting self-righteousness. (Delusion)
[ ] The Learned Student. How can someone who is already a sword become a sword? She came to Bloody Wind to find purpose, and never did in any of his teachings. But, once he was dead, she found her path at least. Vengeance. That was her purpose. (Filled)
[ ] The Hidden Heir. A thousand swords meant for him. Stolen. A thousand bannermen meant to fill his service. Stolen. His destiny. Stolen. They stole his rightful inheritance. The angels will help him take it back. Zayakuth. (Inheritance)
[ ] Another student yet lived, and they took up the mantle instead. (Discard the hand and draw anew)
Close run between Faith and Righteousness. But, one voted decided it, and the story falls to the sword. Remember, there is one thing you should remember above all for this character.
You are right. And anyone who opposes you must be wrong.
[X] The Monstrous Beast. Strength too mighty even for Bloody Wind to bring to heel. She was a terror, who slew good men and woman without any restraint on his strength. But she had a twisted code of honor, and a mind filled with disgusting self-righteousness. (Delusion)
[X] The Straw Waif. A child who Bloody Wind had taken in from the streets, he was the only thing that she had ever known close to a father. And he was slain, in his own hall by his own students. She would never forgive Telemensce. (Future)
"I know exactly who you are, and I will hunt you down. I will find you. And I will kill you."
[X] The Monstrous Beast. Strength too mighty even for Bloody Wind to bring to heel. She was a terror, who slew good men and woman without any restraint on his strength. But she had a twisted code of honor, and a mind filled with disgusting self-righteousness. (Delusion)
[X] The Straw Waif. A child who Bloody Wind had taken in from the streets, he was the only thing that she had ever known close to a father. And he was slain, in his own hall by his own students. She would never forgive Telemensce. (Future)
[X] The Hidden Heir. A thousand swords meant for him. Stolen. A thousand bannermen meant to fill his service. Stolen. His destiny. Stolen. They stole his rightful inheritance. The angels will help him take it back. Zayakuth. (Inheritance)
[X] The Hidden Heir. A thousand swords meant for him. Stolen. A thousand bannermen meant to fill his service. Stolen. His destiny. Stolen. They stole his rightful inheritance. The angels will help him take it back. Zayakuth. (Inheritance)
Zayakuth. Oh gods, from beyond the pale, may your wills be done.
Let the direction of Zanisahnya be untainted by the sin of knowledge. May those who may profane it with their learning be struck down by the wisdom that they pursue.
Let the direction of Zanizamba be untainted by the sin of longing. May those who may profane it with their desires by undone by their overpowering wants.
Let the direction of Zanikasaiya be untainted by the sin of emotion. May those who may profane it with their sentiments be brought low by the strength of their heart.
Let the direction of Zanilakameth be untainted by the sin of pride. May those who would profane it with their satisfaction by destroyed by their own adulation.
Grant me strength to swing my blade with righteousness and the heart to see your will done to the end. This I ask of you, my lords.
Zayakuth.
-Battle Prayer of 37.2 LET NO MOUTH PROFANE THE NAME OF GODS
the gods are dead
i am all that is left
-Infernal whisper of the last lord of Nivasah
[ ] They call you Five Seconds of Prayer Before Death, for that is what you are to your foes. A warrior without liege lord, you prowl the Makilyth District dealing death to your foes. No evil is safe from your blade. You carry justice in your heart and in your hand. Zayakuth. (Righteousness)
[X] The Straw Waif. A child who Bloody Wind had taken in from the streets, he was the only thing that she had ever known close to a father. And he was slain, in his own hall by his own students. She would never forgive Telemensce. (Future)
[X] The Learned Student. How can someone who is already a sword become a sword? She came to Bloody Wind to find purpose, and never did in any of his teachings. But, once he was dead, she found her path at least. Vengeance. That was her purpose. (Filled)
[X] The Monstrous Beast. Strength too mighty even for Bloody Wind to bring to heel. She was a terror, who slew good men and woman without any restraint on his strength. But she had a twisted code of honor, and a mind filled with disgusting self-righteousness. (Delusion)
[X] The Straw Waif. A child who Bloody Wind had taken in from the streets, he was the only thing that she had ever known close to a father. And he was slain, in his own hall by his own students. She would never forgive Telemensce. (Future)
[X] The Monstrous Beast. Strength too mighty even for Bloody Wind to bring to heel. She was a terror, who slew good men and woman without any restraint on his strength. But she had a twisted code of honor, and a mind filled with disgusting self-righteousness. (Delusion)
[X] The Monstrous Beast. Strength too mighty even for Bloody Wind to bring to heel. She was a terror, who slew good men and woman without any restraint on his strength. But she had a twisted code of honor, and a mind filled with disgusting self-righteousness. (Delusion)
Quest heavily inspired by KSBD? This should be good times.
Consider: there is no such thing as a sword. (Meti's Sword manual, Kill Six Billion Demons)
[X] The Straw Waif. A child who Bloody Wind had taken in from the streets, he was the only thing that she had ever known close to a father. And he was slain, in his own hall by his own students. She would never forgive Telemensce. (Future)
[X] The Monstrous Beast. Strength too mighty even for Bloody Wind to bring to heel. She was a terror, who slew good men and woman without any restraint on his strength. But she had a twisted code of honor, and a mind filled with disgusting self-righteousness. (Delusion)
[X] The Monstrous Beast. Strength too mighty even for Bloody Wind to bring to heel. She was a terror, who slew good men and woman without any restraint on his strength. But she had a twisted code of honor, and a mind filled with disgusting self-righteousness. (Delusion)
