Better Living Through Modern Chemistry

Begetters of Haagenti

Under the cloak of normality this week’s divine being hides his depravity and need for destruction. So, too, do his followers who -- unlike many worship of the lords of the abyss -- seem completely normal to outside scrutiny. Today we look at Haagenti, the Demon Lord of alchemy, invention, and transformation. I present to you three possible sects of The Whisperer Within.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Haagenti. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Whisper Within. What character do you make?

For more information on Haagenti

Haagenti’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Haagenti’s Archives of Nethys Page

The Society for the Advancement of Discovery

Like Haagenti himself, the members of The Society try to hide under a veneer of propriety. They mingle with the topmost thinkers of every nation to discuss invention and the advancement of science. In truth, they seek to make the most profane of creations in an attempt to unmake the world. They are especially fond of the fabrication of constructs, flesh golems being the favored among them.

The sect itself is comprised of a mix of alchemists and wizards who work in conjunction to make their creations. The creations that can be produced by either alone is not enough for followers of The Whisperer Within. Acceptance into the cult is by invitation only; after a long period of observation, which is why the group keeps up airs and mingles with academia.

The Sons of the Transformed

To many werewolves, they are the pinnacle of what it means to be a lycanthrope. The Demon Lord Jezelda and her followers believe that other werecreatures should be hunted down and killed and have thus created The Werehunters. The Sons of the Transformed are lycanthropes who battle against these hunters. Although they themselves are undeniably evil they fight to maintain their way of life. Even some normally good werecreatures can be convinced to join to preserve their own life.

All of the members of the sect are lycanthropes of one sort or another, except for werewolves. Since they spend a lot of time hunting down those who are hunting them, they tend to be rangers, anti-paladins, and assassins. The group seeks out those who are being run down and by The Werehunters and gives them a choice.

The Bettermen

Better living through modern chemistry, that is the motto of The Bettermen. They seek to make themselves smarter, stronger, and more powerful through the use of alchemical mutagens. The problem is that this leads to psychological deficiencies. Often they become a completely different person when they ingest the chemicals that allow them more power, and often this person is even more cruel, vindictive, and murderous then their unchanged alter ego.

Anyone that has mastered the art of the mutagen can join the sect. Alchemists (especially the beastmorph archetype), mutagen warrior fighters, and mutagenic mauler brawlers make up the core of the sect. The alter egos are usually the one who seek admittance to the group, but eventually, the main personalities come along for the ride.

All things come through science and change to the followers of this dark entity. Who is your disciple of Haagenti? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The Whisper Within? Where does their devotion to this Demon Lord come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has helped you take a closer look at those inspired by the divine, please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon or making a donation to my Paypal. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions.

Moon over Terror

Predators of Jezelda

Monsters prey on the weak and the innocent. Many of them were created by the Mother of Monsters, the Demon Lord turned deity Lamashtu. Some dark creatures like ghouls had their start with a different diviner being. Werewolves got their start from a third Demon Lord. This week we look at Jezelda, the Demon Lord of desolation, the moon, and werewolves. I present to you three possible sects of this foul shapeshifter.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Jezelda. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Mistress of the Hungry Moon. What character do you make?

For more information on Jezelda

Jezelda’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Jezelda’s Archives of Nethys Page

The Werehunters

Jezelda hates all werecreatures that are not werewolves. She is especially spiteful of good-aligned shapeshifters like werebears. The Werehunters are a group who specialize in finding and slaying other lycanthropes.

Members of the sect are carefully chosen; rangers, anti-paladins, and clerics make up the core of the sect. Occasionally an arcane caster will be recruited, usually witches but occasionally wizards. All of the group’s members are werewolves so they can more easily do battle with their prey.

The Moonlighters

The moon itself falls within the realm of Jezelda’s portfolio. Her followers are also some of the most crazed madmen next to the followers of Rovagug. The Moonlighters are a group that thinks the will of their goddess is to make it to the moon. She does nothing to refute this idea.

Casters, alchemists, astronomers, and crafters of all kind want to claim the moon as their own. A few of them have actually made it to the moon but none of them have ever made it back. Speculation among the sect abounds about what these members found, but their research – like much of the notes of the group – is gibberish and almost impossible to decipher, even for other members.

The Nothing

The followers of Jezelda enjoy the open spaces, the places where nothing exists. They hate other sentient beings with a passion and wish to see them all wiped away. They want to make the land as desolate as their souls. To this end, they try to wipe out small villages to let the land retake its place, with the eventual goal of leveling whole cities.

This group consists of mostly corrupt druids. They hate humanity with a passion and want nothing short of the total destruction of all that man has created. The members of this sect spend most of their time in dark secluded forests in the form of an animal instead of in their human guise.

This being’s followers erupt to life and bring something new to the table every time. Who is your disciple of Jezelda? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The Mistress of the Hungry Moon? Where does their devotion to this Demon Lord come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has helped you take a closer look at those inspired by the divine, please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon or making a donation to my Paypal. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions.

All Ghoul Things

Ravenous of Kabriri 

In the depths of the abyss lies necropolis of Everglut, home to the first ghoul. Being the first to devour the flesh of your brother brings with it great power apparently, and today we are going to look at the being that started cannibalism. Kabriri, the Demon Lord of ghouls, graves, and secrets kept by the dead is this week’s divine focus. I present to you three possible sects of the Lord of Ghouls, He Who Gnaws, Kabriri.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Kabriri. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of He Who Gnaws. What character do you make?

For more information on Kabriri

Kabriri’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Kabriri’s Archives of Nethys Page

The Gravedigger’s Union

Members of the Gravedigger’s Union pose as mild-mannered undertakers in small communities around Andoran. Unionized labor is not unheard of in the fledgling democracy, but it is the perfect cover for this group’s true motives. The Gravediggers are highly trained assassins who worship the murder aspect of Kapriri’s portfolio. Their calling card is that their victims are always found in a grave with a wooden tomb marker giving the exact time of their death.

Becoming a member of the Gravedigger’s Union is an honor bestowed, not sought. The assassins are selected from the ranks of smaller cults of the Demon Lord, and the prospective members are trained in both the art of death and funerary. The sect has members that originated from many professions, martial or magical.

The Feast of Memory

Some explorers seek to gain knowledge from scouring the ruins of ancient civilizations. The Feast of Memory plumbs the knowledge of the ancients by ripping it from their cold, dead minds. These grave robbers search ancient tombs for the remains of those who once walked the earth to commune with the spirits. They do so by devouring a portion of the dead person, whether from the canopic jar of mummy organs or a skeleton’s bones crushed into an easily ingested paste.

The sect consists of mostly masters of the necromantic arts, arcane and divine. The sect has some few support staff who assist with actually getting into the hoary tombs, but often the members will just hire on with adventuring parties as a magical backup to achieve their goals. Admittance into the sect requires that one has feasted upon the flesh of the dead with a pack of ghouls.

The Rotters

Of the intelligent undead, ghouls are the most social. They often live in packs in the wild and have even formed vast underground cities in the Darklands and the undead friendly nation of Geb. To the living the flesh of the dead seems vile. However, to the ghouls, differing amounts of rot and decay have a variety of flavors. The Rotters are a sect of ghouls who experiment with corpses to produce differing flavors incurred by degrees of decomposition and manners of burial.

The leader of the sect, a ghoul who in life was named Ulmer Khemt, was a connoisseur of food and wine. He was a vintner of his own wines and brought in chefs from around the world to sate his eclectic palate. It was when one chef failed him and he had the man killed that he tasted his first bit of human flesh. Now he and his Rotters bring new and different flavors of putrefied flesh to the ghouls of Geb.

This being’s followers erupt to life and bring something new to the table every time. Who is your disciple of Kabriri? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to He Who Gnaws? Where does their devotion to this Demon Lord come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has helped you take a closer look at those inspired by the divine, please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon or making a donation to my Paypal. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Facebook, Google +, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for KindleSubscriptions.

Brutal Rays Of Light

Dark Disciples of Nurgal

Illustration by Luis Perez

Not to be confused with the Infernal Duke Nergal, the Demon Lord Nurgal is one of the few evil deities with the sun in his portfolio. Unlike deities such as Sarenrae who represents the life giving nature of the sun, Nurgal represents its brutal and oppressive heat and ability to kill with too much exposure. We know that Nurgal was worshiped heavily in ancient Azlant but not much else about his followers, so let us take a look at three sects of this Demon Lord.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Nurgal. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of the Shining Scourge. What character do you make?

For more information on Nurgal

Nurgal’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Nurgal’s Archives of Nethys Page

Azlant Rising

During the height of the Azlanti civilization Nurgal’s worship was spread far and wide. The sect of Azlant Rising seeks to bring back that lost civilization by returning the worship of the Demon Lord to the masses. Whether there is actually any correlation between Nurgal worship and the rise of Azlant is suspect but that doesn’t stop this sect from pushing that agenda.

This sect began when a now former Pathfinder by the name of Herrod Kalprus found an ancient Azlant library which was attached to a cathedral dedicated to the Demon Lord. His study of the unholy texts corrupted his mind and he began to think of himself as one of the lost Azlanti seeking to rebuild his once glorious empire. He has gathered around him a dozen or so sons and daughters of Azlant who look to help rebuild his empire, even if they have to do it by force.

The Desert Lions

The desert below the land of Geb houses many nomadic tribes who live a difficult life under the beating sun. Many of these tribes are traders and herdsmen, but not all of them live such a peaceful existence. Having to both live with and fear the glaring desert sun the tribe known as the Desert Lions has dedicated itself to the Demon Lord Nurgal seeking protection from its brutal heat.

The Desert Lions is a small and insular tribe, numbering between two and three dozen at any given time. They don’t grow, create, or trade anything of their own. They prefer to take what they need from those who are not under the protection of their demonic patron. Many oases through this lower region of Garund and up through Geb have set up defenses against these raiders. The desert dwarves are a particularly stalwart foe of the Desert Lions.

The Wartorn

The Wartorn are a sect of military instigators. They look for ways to start as many senseless conflicts as possible all over Avistan. Nurgal’s followers are less than subtle and usually use acts of violence to provoke armed incursions. Dressing as members of one military to attack an opposing state is a common tactic. They occasionally work with followers of the Horseman of War, Szuriel, who will use their more subtle nature to sell the Wartorn’s actions, leveraging them into full scale war.

Most of the members of this sect are warriors of some type; fighters, barbarians, antipaladins, and warpriests are most common among them. Status is determined by prowess in battle, although, like many cults of Demon worshipers, their hierarchy is very loose. Acceptance into the group can only happen by proving one’s self in personal combat.

Like the desert sun the Demon Lord’s followers can kill those who forget their power. Who is your disciple of Nurgal? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to the Shining Scourge? Where does their devotion come from? Let me know in the comments.

If the CRB has inspired your next character please consider showing support and become one of my patrons by donating to my Patreon. Looking for more out of the CRB? Then you’re in luck! Google +, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook all have a CRB presence. And if you’re as impatient as I am, have the CRB pushed directly to your Kindle with every new post by signing up for Kindle Subscriptions. The opening illustration was created by a fine artist Luis Perez. You can find him on Twitter, Tumblr, and on Instagram at luisperezart.

With a Frozen Heart - Those Dedicated to Kostchtchie

It’s Saturday and thus time to talk about a god. For those of you who haven’t been a part of my explorations into the religions of Golarion, here’s how it works:

Imagine, if you will, you're creating a character for a group. Your only instruction is that you must be a worshiper of a specific god. You do not need to be a divine casting class, although you can be, but the party’s purpose is working toward the goals of this specific divine being. I'd like not just a race/class combo, but a little bit about why the character would choose to dedicate themselves to this particular deity. Feel free to make up secret or not-so-secret orders within the church, or even sects outside of the church that you think might be interesting. With only this one piece of information that must be true, let your imagination run wild with the rest.

Today's god

Kostchtchie, Choatic Evil demon lord of cold, giants and revenge

Kostchtchie’s Pathfinder Wiki page 

Kostchtchie’s Archives of Nethys Entry 

As we get into what should be the bitter cold of the winter months, except for here in the northeastern United States for some reason, we look to a god of cold. Kostchtchie has been outlined but not as extensively as the major gods, as an important figure in the lore of Irrisen and among the Ulfen people. Many a frost giant has turned from their traditional god to worship this demon, once an Ulfen man, whose hatred of giants was only matched by his hatred of women. But can such a chaotic entity that despises all mortals have organize sects and cults? My answer is yes.

Winter Bear Cavalry

A small sect of disenfranchised men who have been driven from their tribes over a woman, the Winter Bear Cavalry find solace only in the warmth of their mounts. The would-be bear rider feels an itch in his mind as his battered ego draws the attention of Kostchtchie. The demon lord feeds this desire for revenge by promising to help right the wrong of a mere woman turning the supplicant away. Revenge which is granted through dedication to destroying everything Kostchtchie hates.

The rejected suitor can’t just become a member of the bear cavalry simply by being scorned; he must first be initiated. To become one of the ursine riders the supplicant must hunt, fight, and defeat one of the great ice bears that reside in the crown of the world. If he cannot bend the bear to his whim then he was never worthy of the woman he prized anyway. But should he return to the camp of the Cavalry with the wild ice bear in tow, he is accepted as one of the riders.

The Winter Knights

Kostchtchie’s hatred of Baba Yaga and her daughters knows no bounds. The thing that burns hottest in the cold heart of the demon lord is hatred for the witches. Even though he despises humanity many, Ulfen flock to his banner due to the predations of the witch queen and her minions. These Ulfen, all men, are reluctantly given power by Kostchtchie so that they might take the battle to the witches of Irrisen.

The Winter Knights are mainly made up of Antipaladins, inquisitors, clerics, and rangers who are granted their power at the whim frost demon. For a group of hateful, chaotic loners they are surprisingly well organized. Mainly acting as an insurgent group within the borders of Irrisen itself, the Knights do whatever it takes to disrupt the governing body of the winter witch’s realm, even sacrificing their own lives if the gain is great enough.

The Bitter Wind

The Bitter Wind is a small and unique group of Kostchtchie’s followers; four white dragons who have given themselves over to the demon lord and are dedicated to his goal of wiping out mankind. Kostchtchie’s hatred for his former people, the Ulfen, and his loathing for the frost giants whose form he now takes are legendary. The quartet of dragons uses their considerable power in the attempt to wipe out both humans and giants, using the gifts of the deathless frost to lay claim to the lands gained by their destruction.

These four young wyrms have carved out a healthy territory in the crown of the world and are beginning to make moves into both the Land of the Linnorm Kings and the Land of the Mammoth Lords. The dragons especially seek to garner power in the Ulfen territories of the Linnorms, as they consider these pseudo-dragons less than worthy of having an entire region named after them. Kostchtchie seems to be willing to back the lizard’s play, so long as their goals continue to coincide with his need for destruction.

So these are those who dedicate themselves to a god that most likely hates them. Could you do that for power? Who would your follower to Kostchtchie be? What biting frost flows through that character’s veins?