Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Five Sinister Sorcerers

From the world of the City, here are five wielders of magic to challenge any party of adventurers:

The Algophilist: He’s older than current civilization, and he wants to make you hurt. His mistress is a goddess of pain, dead since the sinking of Meropis. Every tear evoked by her devoted servant, every scream and anguished cry he draws forth from his victims, brings his goddess incrementally closer to raising. Having learned (and suffered) at his goddess’ several hands for seven times seven years, the Algophilist knows numerous and varied ways to get his sacrifices. He can be met anywhere where the shadows make it easier for him to find victims, but he’s discovered a “backdoor” in and out of the alien city that overlaps with Hoborxen and often strikes from there, taking whoever mets his fancy to his sadist’s dungeon demiplane.

Hieronymus Gaunt: Lich and bon vivant (bon mourant?) currently on a world tour of debauchery and mayhem with a gang of followers in a stolen elephant-shaped hotel. In addition to his own sorcery, he's got a store of stolen magic items from all over the world.

Cheroot: Croaker (medicine man) and mugwump of a large hobogoblin tribe in the Steel League. He holds court in a large dump outside of Sunderland where he nightly incites the ‘goblins to ever greater crimes against humans. He wears a worn tophat which has the power to animate anything it is set upon (as long as it stays on it)--and Cheroot can command the animate to his service. The trash heap where he makes his throne is actually a garbage golem which will rise and fight for the shaman if needed.

Tsan Chan: Yianese nobleman, and leader of the Five-Headed Dragon Society crime cult. He rules from the shadows of San Tiburon’s Yiantown, commanding hundreds of axe-weilding soldier-fanatics willing to die at his command. For those who have particularly earned his displeasure, he sends his pet shadow dragon, who swims silently out of the night and drains foes of their very life.

The Unpleasant Woman in the Basement: What she lacks in looks, she doubly lacks in personality.  She squats like a gigantic toad amid the packages, correspondence, and pneumatic tubes in the basement mailroom of a midtown office building in the City. She's been there for fifty years and three building owners.  Those who displease her die in bizarre accidents or by suicide.  Nightgaunts fly at her whim. Scorpions will grow from her shed blood.

13 comments:

Meowlissa said...

Look at you-always with the good stuff :)

Jim Shelley said...

Thank you for this post! I was having some trouble figuring out which character type I would like to play in a City game setting. Tsan Chan is my favorite here, but I think that is because am partial to that name and Slowboat to Yian is one of my favorite posts you've written.

Could I ask you to do a similar post playing on the Rogue or Archer theme?

Porky said...

Yikes. Superb one and all, Cheroot and The Unpleasant Woman in the Basement first among them for inspired darkness. Of the City; certainly not Agrestic.

Unknown said...

Somebody got hit by the nasty stick this morning. "Good" stuff as always. :)

The Angry Lurker said...

Hieronymus Gaunt, I want to travel with him.

Pierce said...

Yeah, Hieronymus Gaunt knows how to be evil in style. Also I'm picturing the Axe Gang dancing from the beginning of Kung-Foo-Hustle.

scottsz said...

Nice work! Definitely using some of these guys!

Jeff Rients said...

These freaks are wicked awesome. But enough about the commenters, I like the sorcerer write-ups as well!

;)

Trey said...

@Meowlissa - I do try. ;)

@Jim - Thanks Jim. That was "Tramp Steamer to Yian", but yeah, I know you dig that one. A better post for PC sorcerer types would be "Magic Men". Maybe I'll do one on more roguish characters. Archers would be quaint as there are plenty of guns. :)

@Porky - Agrestic--now there's a good word. :)

@Risus - I just thought the proverbial devils needed they're due. ;)

@Angry Lurker - Keep a look out for the Elephant. You might get your chance. ;)

@Pierce - He also knows accessories make the outfit--when they're magical accessories. ;) Kung Fu Hustle isn't a bad touchstone there.

@Scottsz - Thanks!

@Jeff - Oh, you! ;)

netherwerks said...

These sorcerers are excellent. Love the Bon Mourant twist on Mr. Gaunt. Any chance that your Yian has any connection to Chamber's Maker of Moons? That would get interesting, and it'd be a great cross-over with Chambers, which would be cool.

netherwerks said...

Actually, Tsan Chan is the best in-joke I've run across in a while...

Trey said...

@NetherWerks - I can always rely on you to catch the obscure references. :) At its most essential level, Chamber's novel suggested the name--and of course, the shadowy rulers of Yian, the Ku'en-Yuinn.

Akrasia said...

"Hieronymus Gaunt"

Yoink!