So, "Good" rules the land. People have become fat and secure in their lives. Time to give the world a bit of perspective. Because Evil always finds a way.
Obviously inspired by the Overlord video game series, you take control of the very first Overlord, guiding him to ascendancy, and charting the path that Evil will take in your wake.
Ah the continent of Elysia. So fresh, so radiant. Where people lived in peace and harmony with one another, the elves, dwarves, humans and halflings all co-existing with beings of magic and wonder. It's a golden age, a time of invention and prosperity, where scholars and sages worked to master the deepest mysteries of magic, that they could better help the common man. All watched over lovingly by the Mother Goddess.
What a fucking load of dragon dung.
The forces of "good" were hardly the great and glorious bastions of morality they claimed to be. The High elves schemed and plotted within their byzantine hierarchies to reach the peak of power, while the Wood elves set up communes in the most resource-rich areas of forest they could, erecting strange formations of crystals and smoking odd-smelling herbs, denying entry to anyone that intended to actually put the natural riches they squatted upon to good use.
The dwarfs were hardly better, misogynistic little squats that practically had beer for blood and hoarded precious metals and gems more fiercely than most dragons. Their women were kept in the home, supposedly not strong enough to do "man's work", cooking and mopping up the spilled ale of their husbands, brothers and fathers when they weren't popping out new bearded little miners.
The halflings liked to play themselves off as being hospitable, free-spirited folk, but one could never tell if they'd wake up missing a few coins after one of the little folk's revels... or simply missing altogether.
And the humans... as much as they all claimed peace and prosperity to the masses, the kingdoms were splintered factions each one looking to get ahead of their neighbors. The "Kingdom of Light" was the biggest cock on the block at the moment, with a highly trained military, actually competent leadership, and several orders of holy Paladins that were able to channel the raw magic of their gods.
Across the way, thankfully separated by the Elven lands, was The Republic. A teeming nest of vipers and treachery that claimed equal representation for their citizenry, but the power tended to end up in the hands of the elites, playing with the common citizens like a cat with a particularly hardy mouse.
There were other smaller fiefdoms and shires of course, and in the northern lands tribes and clans wrung an existence from ice, rock and pine; clawing out their own little places, and then raiding other clans whenever they wanted an excuse to hang a new war banner or "honored weapon" on the wall.
And then there were the fucking magic users. You're fairly certain that a large aspect of being able to directly utilize the raw power of the cosmos, unfiltered through gods, nature or even an iron-clad belief in a certain set of ideas, led to madness and egomania. The maniacs took the laws of gods, men and even physics alike as more suggestion than anything else.
Which unfortunately led to your current situation. You were hanging from a set of chains, feet barely touching the floor enough to hold your weight. Around you was a pentacle, the tang of copper from the freshly procured blood that had been drawn to craft it stinging in your nostrils. Your head was fogged with the cloying scent of the candles set at each point, while the steady bronze glow of a small lump of crystal, about the size of a person's heart, gave you something to focus on besides the muttering of the robed and bearded old coot that moved around the room, checking and re-checking that everything was in place for his "grand experiment". Annnnnd he's talking to you again.
"You're really quite lucky you know. Not everyone can be personally involved in an experiment that will drastically increase our collective knowledge of how infernal and holy magics interact and may be contained and controlled. Why the first set of papers alone on this will..." and now he's off on a tangent using words that you'd need a good dictionary and several minutes to spell, let alone understand. You're not stupid, but you're not a scholar or a sage by any measure. Merely a Noble Scion in disgrace.
You'd thought that it would be an easy bit of coin to help bolster your lean purse. "Sage seeks assistant for general labor. Must be strong and whole of body. Able to read and write preferable but not required. Pay to be negotiated."
You weren't a fool though, you'd gone in prepared. But seeing a kindly-smiling old man, with one somewhat rotund guard at his elbow had lowered your guard. After some preliminary questions, and some back-and forth haggling, he'd given you a grandfatherly smile and uttered a word that tasted like blue and sounded like sunshine.
When you woke up next, it was to find yourself stripped to your skivvies, the "guardsman" revealed as some kind of animated armor with an enchanted facemask. The fucker had taken everything from you, including your-
[][Weapon] Longsword - Balance of offense, defense, power and technical skill.
[][Weapon] Axe - raw power all the way.
[][Weapon] Twin Daggers - fast and dirty fighting.
[][Weapon] Shortsword - technical fighter, good at defensive tactics.
[][Weapon] Hatchet - close in and brutal, go for the kill asap.
(Weapon choices reflect your personal combat bias and tactics.)
You'd liked those clothes too for god's sake! And the bastard had the gall to actually cut them off of you rather than strip you like a civilized kidnapper would. Oh, he's done blathering. Shit.
"I do apologize if there's any discomfort, but I'm afraid some form of sacrifice is needed to entice a demon into the pentacle. You do understand don't you?" You sure as hell did not but the old bastard had gagged you, so the most you could do is level your most lethal glare at him. "Splendid. Let's begin then."
Stumping over to a small lectern, the man began to chant, sonorous incantations that buzzed in your ears and rang through your body. As he chanted, the pentacle began to glow, a deeper more sinister red, the light in the room lowering as torches snuffed out one by one. And was it getting warmer?
As the man's incantations reached a fever pitch, the only light in the room was coming from the candles around you... and the stone in the old man's hands. He walked forward, carefully turning the stone in his hands. As he reached the last tooth-rattling syllable, he gently pitched the rock into the pentacle.
The best expression you have for what happened next was "KABOOM". There's light, heat, sound... you swear you see the distracted expression of a statuesque woman, though she doesn't seem to notice you. This is followed by a vision of a male figure, seated on a throne while twin orbs of darkness and light circle his head, foot propped on knee, chin propped on fist as he contemplates you. "How interesting..." you hear a dark male voice chuckle. "Let the game begin then..."
You awaken to pain. You'd thought you'd known it before, but never has it suffused your very being in such a manner. The prodding in your side isn't helping either. "C'mon, wake up already. I haven't got all day, and there's not exactly much to eat down here."
You groan as you roll over, cracking open your eyes. There's light again, but it's blocked by a shadow. "Oh good, you're alive. Now maybe we can get the hell out of here." Your vision finally swims into focus, and you're left honestly wishing that it hadn't.
It's some kind of brown... imp... thing, staring at you with beady yellow eyes, jagged teeth bared in a grin that's just the wrong side of sane. You lurch to your feet, then groan as your vision swims once more. "What... who are you?" The creature actually stops, and begins scratching its chin musingly. And you can't help but be grateful that the thing is wearing a tattered leather loincloth.
"Well in reverse order... I don't have a name as of yet. Though I think I like the sound of... Gnarl. Yes, yes that will do nicely. As for the "what"... well the only word that pops into mind at the moment is "Minion", sire."
You swear you hear a strange scratching noise at the form of address. "I'm sorry, but... what?"
"Well, I can feel a connection to you my lord, and I really doubt you'd wish a subordinate to call you "hey buddy", so I thought a term of respect was merited. But really my lord, we can focus on the who's and what's and how's later. Right now I'm a bit more worried about the 'where'. This place isn't all that stable." Gnarl indicates the area around you with one clawed finger.
Finally taking note of your surroundings, you're left to gape. The basement cell that the wizard had been preforming his experiments in has been completely trashed. The wizard himself is a charming sooty outline on one wall, the books and scrolls have been burned to cinders, and you're fairly certain that those cracked pillars are not just decorative. Even the manacles that had held you were gone, the hanging ends looking like they'd rusted apart. The only thing left intact in this entire room aside from yourself appears to be the stone, sitting innocently tipped up against a rock. The bronze sheen has lightened somewhat, to more of a dark yellow. Without thinking, you pick it up. Holding it feels... right, somehow, like it belongs to you now. But it also feels... incomplete. Gazing into its facets, you saw your own reflection looking back with a self-satisfied smirk at being alive while that damned mage was dead and dust.
[][Appearance] Option one
[][Appearance] Option Two
[][Appearance] Option Three
[][Appearance] Option Four
[][Appearance] Option Five
[][Appearance] Option Six
Hearing a crack of shifting stone above you brings you out of your musing. Right, foundation crumbling. Time to get out of here. You probably have time to grab at least something from the place before it comes tumbling down, but where to search?
[][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
[][Search] The bedroom, who knows what the old coot may have stashed in there.
[][Search]The kitchen for food and perhaps a stand-in weapon.
Martial - 17: Your father had ensured that you had a good solid grasp of self-defense. Given the fact that he'd been on several campaigns and you're pretty sure had originally been a mercenary from the area of Nordberg, that was a very solid grounding indeed. Stewardship - 20: Your mother had been the Lady Gromgard, heiress to the lands and title of the Gromgard family, and she had made sure that you knew all that there was to running your household. It wouldn't do to simply foist all of the work off on your wife once married, she was adamant that you needed to be able to know how things worked inside and out. Diplomacy - 17: Your mother had been the brains of the family, something your father had actually liked to brag about, but both of your parents had charisma to spare, and they had taught you how to wield your own force of personality to the best of your ability. Intrigue - 18: With the disappearance of your parents, you had had to hone your cunning and ability to see through falsehoods quickly. Baron Cotswold and his wife seemed intent on utterly destroying the Gromgard name and reputation. You would not give them any openings to make it easier. Learning - 15: You had always preferred the practice yard to the schoolroom; but your mother had been adamant that you needed a sound mind to go with the sound body, and your father had agreed with her. You may have done so begrudgingly, but you had learned and learned well. Occult - 14: How to tell dragon spoor from wyverns; how to recognize cursed plants and animals. How to treat a Manticore's sting vs the burns from a chimera. You knew quite a bit of practical lore thanks to your mother, though you were no spellcaster.
The scion of the formerly influential Gromgard family, Edmund is the last of his line so far as he knows. The Baron of Spree has made it his personal mission to wipe out the family, though he takes pains to maintain a semblance of legality. Edmund has a somewhat rounded (albeit truncated) education in worldly matters as well as combat. He's a bit better at the give and take nature of negotiations and diplomacy, able to at least keep an eye open for the hidden knife even as he warily accepts a hand of friendship.
Minion Control - You can apparently give Minions general orders; though they need to use their own initiative to interpret them in finer detail.
Lifeforce Gather - The Stone that's bonded to you seems to be able to take in Lifeforce from creatures that have been killed near it, even things as small as rats. You have no idea what it's doing with that energy.
Magical Gauntlet: A gauntlet with a strange piece of magical stone serving as a centerpiece on the backplate. Can absorb lifeforce and can be used to create Brown Minions.It feels only partially complete, missing the majority of itself somehow.
Gnarl
Martial: 10 (Gnarl may be a small, spindly-looking thing, but there's a shocking amount of power in those limbs, and his agility and erratic nature make him a difficult opponent for anyone that hasn't received proper training.) Stewardship: 10 (Gnarl somehow knows quite a bit about how to organize people and even how to organize a household. He has no idea where this knowledge came from.) Diplomacy: 3 (Gnarl is both blunt and crude, and his idea of a good meal is a roast rat sandwich garnished with spiders.) Intrigue: 5 (Gnarl's mind is surprisingly slippery. He has a knack for seeing how to exploit situations.) Learning: 8 (Gnarl's mind is an agile one, and he's able to absorb information quite readily. He's no dedicated scholar, but he's still a step above most common peasants.) Occult: 9 (Gnarl knows quite a bit about the occult when directly asked. But for some reason he seems to need to actively think about something before the information comes to him, rather than merely remembering. Odd that...)
Name: Selene Faylight
Role: Diplomatic Advisor
Diplomacy Bonus of +17
Upkeep per turn: 100 Gold
Name: Alora Highstep
Role: Martial Advisor
Diplomacy Bonus of +16
Upkeep per turn: 100 Gold
Non-Monetary Assets:
1 Waterbreathing Potion
1 Enchanted Fox Pelt
4 wolf pelts
Stone Warded Safe
Steel Warded Safe (with failing ward runes)
Light Crystal (Can be sold or used as a light source without risk of flame.)
Unsorted Scrolls on the classification of magical creatures.
Scrolls:
The Theory of Divided Unity - seems to be a work on the Mother Goddess and her aspects; as well as how they are tied to the Priestesses. There's an odd seal on the outside that had some sort of blade or razor taken to it in order to obscure and deface it. (Read)
On Blackened Wings - apparently a theoretical work on how the universe is ordered, and what part demons, devils and general evil has in keeping that order in motion. You have a feeling that the Church of the Mother Goddess would prefer to see it as kindling.
A Radiant Trove - This scroll is focused on the types of magical bounty that can be found in the earth. It covers not only useful ores and stones, but also rare magical plants.
Building Tall and Wide- This appears to be a primer on how to properly construct, repair and even expand a castle or keep! A very useful find!
Browns!
Gain +5 to tasks involving attacking or gathering per stack of five. Unique Minions of a certain type are included in the stack unless their bonus is being applied elsewhere that turn.
Unique Brown Minions:
Gnarl (special)
Giblet: +5 to stewardship tasks
Quaver: +5 to Diplomacy tasks
Gash: +5 to Martial tasks
Unique Minions are minions that stand outside the norm of their type. They can supplement a bonus to a roll when their bonus is greater than that of Gnarl as the Head Minion.
[X][Weapon] Hatchet - close in and brutal, go for the kill asap.
[X][Appearance] Option Five
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
[X][Weapon] Longsword - Balance of offense, defense, power and technical skill.
[X][Appearance] Option Four
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
Temp made a quest! No. Not just that... Temp made an Overlord Quest!
[X][Weapon] Hatchet - close in and brutal, go for the kill asap.
[X][Appearance] Option Five
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
Okay, voting for five as it's the most broodish of the bunch, and the least typically shonen of them too.
That being said, I really wanna play up how evil we look. So axe helps there too.
[X][Weapon] Longsword - Balance of offense, defense, power and technical skill.
[X][Appearance] Option Four
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
[X][Weapon] Longsword - Balance of offense, defense, power and technical skill.
[X][Appearance] Option Four
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
[X][Weapon] Hatchet - close in and brutal, go for the kill asap.
[X][Appearance] Option Five
[X][Search] The bedroom, who knows what the old coot may have stashed in there.
[X][Weapon] Hatchet - close in and brutal, go for the kill asap.
We've had Overlords that used swords and axes, so I kinda want to use something slightly different.
Honestly fine with any of the other options though.
[X][Weapon] Longsword - Balance of offense, defense, power and technical skill.
[X][Appearance] Option Five
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
[X][Weapon] Longsword - Balance of offense, defense, power and technical skill
[X][Appearance] Option Five
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
[X][Weapon] Shortsword - technical fighter, good at defensive tactics.
Practical and still a useful weapon
[X][Appearance] Option Five
Looks the most appropriate for the First
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
Might as well see what we can learn...as well as if that crazed Wizard was working with anyone, be good to have some early targets
I hope to keep this quest in my notice, and that we can really Fix this blasted world with some proper Evil, i'm gonna gun for those bastard Elves every chance i get, maybe in-between going after the Mages and Halflings
[X][Weapon] Hatchet - close in and brutal, go for the kill asap.
[X][Appearance] Option Six
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
[X][Weapon] Shortsword - technical fighter, good at defensive tactics.
[X][Appearance] Option Five
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
[X][Weapon] Longsword - Balance of offense, defense, power and technical skill.
[X][Appearance] Option Four
[X][Search] The library, for any maps or useful scrolls that are easily carried (Will not unlock magic, may give world information and other useful tidbits however)
