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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A Fighting Chance - The Waking Child by Leanne "Faelinn" Hoffman

Welcome to "A Fighting Chance".  This article series is dedicated to various threats of Realms and how you can become involved.

Threat: The Waking Child
Plot Masters: Leanne Hoffman, Aaron Metzger
Plot Start: 2006

What is the Waking Child?  The Waking Child is suspected to be a demon who has subverted Luna’s avatar and corrupted a race of elves.  These elven cultists worship twisted versions of the gods and go to fanatical length to enforce their beliefs to “save” others from their follies.

The Monsters:
Luna - Our patron and divine guide. Just as the moon changes, so must we. As you push yourself to change, so must we. To this we commit our flesh as canvas. We shall change and grow stronger. “ - Prayers of the misguided

A majority of the cultists that are encountered are High Elves or human converts (garbed as peasants and elves).  Simple farming folk have been forced to join the cause of spreading the false faith of the elves, many of them at sword point.  The human and elven cultists are varied in their abilities to work minor magics (Healing and Channeling). The bulk of cultists encountered are martial fighters employing the use of all weapons and light armor.

Mixed within the rank and often overseeing the cultists are demons (called “Guardians” by the elves, garbed with demon masks).  They are hard to kill and wield both great martial power (great weapons) and magic (“Shockwave” ability that knocks back opponents).

Some higher ranked cultists and priests of the corrupted elves send undead to do their work (white tabards, white make-up or undead masks).  They are not the slow, lumbering dead some have seen, but a faster, mindless enemy intent on their path.  Some of these have been resistant to magic (a use of “Resist magic”) but they are very rare.

Equipment:
Think you're ready to do battle with some demon-controlled elves?  You might need a few things first...

The Guardian Demons of the elves have shown to have acquired weapon immunities and need to be killed three times before they truly die.  A variety of normal weapons (axes, maces) as well as special weapons (silver, magic) will be very useful.  If a Guardian is first hit with a magic weapon it can only be killed by magic weapons.  It will regenerate and a shock-wave (mentioned above) will rejuvenate it.  Now immune to magic weapon, other types will need to be gathered to kill it.

The undead you may encounter are easy to kill, but they tend to swarm.  Make sure your armor is repaired and keep them at a distance with a great weapon or a longsword.

The High Priests are constantly creating new creatures to please the Waking Child and their leader, the rogue Avatar of Luna.  Strange and terrible monsters made out of nightmares are often lurking in the shadows and waiting.  Bring some light because more often than not, there is something hiding in the dark waiting to catch you unaware.

Tactics:
Stealth is one way to get the drop on the cultists.  A single cultist could control a large group of undead.  If you can avoid the nightmare monsters lurking in the dark, you may be able to take out the leader if you are lucky.

Larger demons and constructs require teamwork to take down.  Work together and look for a pattern to combat these foes.   When a Guardian Demon is killed make sure you are ready for it to regenerate and prepare for a shock-wave.  If you’re not careful you might be knocked into a less defensible area.

True servants of the gods might have some insight to what the cultists are subverting.  Keep an eye out for religious pictures, text, or objects.


Who to talk to:

Want to know more?  There are a few people who are at the forefront of this threat.  Try to catch them at feasts or via missives.  Good people to talk to are Iawen Penn of Coventry, Rorin Akanar and Gryfinn DarkWillow of Kalithnos, and Janus Kil’tra of Rua Thar Cinn.  The Library of Ivory also a sparse supply of information about this threat.  Any new information should be shared as it becomes available.

Do you have a threat you want to see covered?  Let me know, so we can give other people a fighting chance.