Beast of the Dark Essence

[Jkeown]

Beast of the Deep Essence

 

Extracted from Meditations upon the Deep Essence by Amataru Zhorne Thuun of Vesh'kaia

 

In my dealings with the creatures of and relating to the magical force known as Essence, I have happened upon repeated references to a thing called the Beast of the Deep Essence.

 

What little I can glean from these texts (which invariably are simply bad copies of one another requiring lexigraphical cladistic skills that I apparently lack) the creatures are Demons, not of other dimensions, but formed of the Essence itself. These beings, variously named "Children of the Immaterium" and the "Harbingers of Saarn" are of the height and shape of a man, but possessed of many features entirely lacking in even the most extreme of the Elven Abominations. Boney spear-like projections of shattered bone that can peirce thick armor, wings of deep purple fire, and legs structured so as to give the creature remarkable leaping ability. Even its whip-like tail is a weapon, the purple flame at the tip can generate a bolt of deep essence strong enough to kill a man.

 

Few are the described encounters with the creatures, as supposedly few, if any, survive such a dire event. One survivor is told of by Ardileen of Ashur, in his otherwise questionable volume "Touching upon the Essence" In it, he describes a third or fourth hand account of a run-in with the Deep Essence Demon, told to him by a care-giver at a roadside inn near Dead Orc, in Saduria.

 

Apparently, the bite of these things can, in a matter of hours, change a victim into one of their own kind. Boney wings tear through the flesh, the second metacarpal develops a jagged spur that erupts through the back of the hand and bristling purple hair grows in, covering the body in minutes. The howling beast then slays all in attendance, and goes out into the night to seek a source of Deep Essence on which to maintain it.

 

Ardileen says the dread critters live on the stuff. That, and sheer carnage.

 

I, for one, don't believe a word of it.

 

Beast of the Deep Essence

 

Player: NPC

 

Val Char Cost

20 STR 10

21 DEX 33

18 CON 16

18 BODY 16

10 INT 0

10 EGO 0

30 PRE 20

5 COM -2

 

5 PD 1

6 ED 2

5 SPD 19

10 REC 4

50 END 7

50 STUN 13

 

8" RUN 4

2" SWIM 0

8" LEAP 0

Characteristics Cost: 143

 

Cost Power

90 Deep Essence Seeding: (Total: 240 Active Cost, 90 Real Cost) HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) (Real Cost: 15) plus Major Transform 6d6 (Victim into Beast of the Deep Essence, Remove Curse or somesuch spell), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Continuous (+1) (225 Active Points); Gradual Effect (6 Hours; -1 1/2), Only If Bite Does BODY (-1/2) (Real Cost: 75)

7 Wellspring of Darkness: Endurance Reserve (40 END, 5 REC) Reserve: (9 Active Points); REC: (5 Active Points); Only near Deep Essence Nodes (-1/2)

67 Deep Dominion: Suppress 10d6, Expanded Effect (All Noble Essence Powers Simulteanously) (+2) (150 Active Points); Double Endurance Cost (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Gestures (-1/4)

36 Bone Spear: HKA 2d6 (2 1/2d6 w/STR), Armor Piercing (+1/2) (45 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4)

10 Child of the Immaterium: Power Defense (10 points)

18 One with the Immaterium: Desolidification (affected by Essence Magic) (40 Active Points); Activation Roll 10- (-1 1/4)

12 Claw: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR) (15 Active Points); Reduced Penetration (-1/4)

31 Deep Essence Bolt: RKA 1 1/2d6, Autofire (3 shots; +1/4) (31 Active Points)

10 Demonic Skin: Damage Resistance (5 PD/6 ED/10 Power Def.)

4 Legs: Leaping +4" (8" forward, 4" upward)

6 Perceptive: +2 PER with All Sense Groups

6 Tail: Extra Limbs , Inherent (+1/4) (6 Active Points)

15 Veiled: Negative Combat Skill Levels (-3 to opponent's OCV)

13 Wings: Flight 10" (20 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2)

Powers Cost: 325

 

 

Cost Skill

25 +5 with HTH Combat

12 +6 with Deep Essence Bolt

3 Climbing 13-

3 Concealment 11-

3 Contortionist 13-

2 Navigation (Other Underground) 11-

Skills Cost: 48

 

 

 

Total Character Cost: 516

 

Pts. Disadvantage

20 Vulnerability: 2 x Effect Noble Essence (Common)

25 Enraged: Berserk Near Noble Essence Sources (Common), go 11-, recover 14-

25 Psychological Limitation: Intolerance of Essence Casters (Very Common, Total)

20 Distinctive Features: Hairy Demonoid with Purple Flaming Appendages (Not Concealable; Extreme Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses; Not Distinctive In Some Cultures)

Disadvantage Points: 90

Base Points: 75

Experience Required: 351

Total Experience Available: 351

Experience Unspent: 0

[Pavanne]

Re: Beast of the Dark Essence

 

Nice pic!

 

But what's "Deep Essence" and all the rest mean??

[Jkeown]

Re: Beast of the Dark Essence

 

Magic in Caleon, my homebrew game, is flavored.

 

Noble Essence is "good" energy; it builds, reinforces and can destroy if applied correctly. Left to its own, an area of Noble Essence becomes natural and beautiful. After a few undisturbed centuries, it can bring a strong man to tears.

 

Dark Essence is "evil" energy; it is the force behind Chaos and Entropy. It hurts and cannot be used to heal in any decent fashion. Where Dark Essence intrudes, life mutates, decays and becomes selfish and sullen. Channellers of the Dark Essence are vile, chaotic beings.

 

Deep Essence is just plain magic. It is not wonderous or chaotic, directed or random. It isn't evil or good; it just ravages and consumes, it may actually be the raw form of magical energy.

 

There are Noble Essence and Dark Essence channelling spells, and theoretically, Deep Essence can be used to cast spells. This has yet to be seen in play.

[tkdguy]

Re: Beast of the Dark Essence

 

Great stuff there.