Hecate

[Panpiper]

Horrifying shrieks pierced the darkness where Hecate hid, tucked in a hollow of the demon tree, that spot which no one dared approach, save the desperate. The marauders were taking their time, torturing and murdering everyone she knew and loved. Hecate shut her eyes, held her hands over her ears, and prayed.

 

She had been born to terrible omens, her name a reflection of the doom that those omens foretold. Her mother cast her out as a newborn, fearing the signs and wishing Hecate dead. But the village wise woman kept her and raised her as her own, training her in her ways. The children were afraid of her, the fears of their parents being contagious. But Hecate was taught, learned, that by doing good works and keeping a smile in her heart, she could slowly win them over. Hecate learned healing and herbs, and helped the people of her village. And over time the village forgot their fears and came to accept her. Hecate had finally arrived at a point in her life when all was good.

 

And then conquerors came. A great evil had arisen, commanding armies of orcs, foul men and fell beasts. Like a plague they marched over the land laying waste to any that resisted, and pillaging everything else. Hecate's village was not spared.

 

The screaming reached into Hecate's soul, she could recognize the voices! "Gods! Please!" Hecate begged in her prayers. She knew magics, she knew the ways of magic, but the only power she had ever trained was healing magic. Now when her need was so dire, when she needed to be able to fight, to save what she could of the people she loved, she was powerless! "Please! Give me the strength." Hecate's will was intense, she prayed sincerely, desperately. And there was that which was listening.

 

The Demon Tree, a portal to things that should not be... *Power Dangles* Hecate's mind reached for that promise. *Temptation* Hecate needed that power. *Price* Yes, of course there is a price. *Great Power* Hecate lusted for that power. *Great Price* And Hecate hesitated. And more screams echoed. "I will pay the price!" Hecate screamed loud!

 

Marauders looked up, a few moved towards the voice they had heard, more victims for the slaughter.

 

Hecate realized what she had done. In this place where she had hidden, that which listened and would respond to prayer was as foul as it was dangerous. She had done a terrible thing, and the price was her soul. But she had at least gotten what she had paid for and she would silence those screams, and replace them with the screams of the plague that despoiled her people.

 

Hellfire exploded amongst those marauders who had come to claim Hecate as another of their victims. Brimstone burned their flesh and left them smoking sulfur in a scorch mark stinking of Hades. Searing flames erupted from Hecate's gestures, flaying all who stood before her as she walked among the ruins of what had once been her home. Her every footstep burned the ground beneath her, tendrils of malevolence taking root behind her, she was shrouded in a flame every bit as evil as it was protective of her.

 

One by one she cut down the last of the marauders. They died shrieking as unholy flames consumed more than just their flesh. And then she was done, the plague was purged, and she extinguished her flames. And turned about, dawning horror that the ruin she saw of her village was more than what the marauders had done.

 

Brimstone flowed upon the earth, noxious fumes rose, plants were twisted into a parody of life, and the corpses of the fallen, those she had slain, seemed no longer men, dead though they might be. She had done this! She could trace where she had walked, where she had blasted, and everywhere she could see that she had left not just a trail of destruction, but also a trail of lasting hell. She had brought hell upon the earth.

 

In shock Hecate walked through her village, almost thankful that there appeared no one alive to witness what had become of her. Her tears were dry as she found the village wise woman, her adoptive mother, had been deeply cut, but still holding to life by a thread. Hecate cut her down from where she had been splayed, and held her hands over the wound. Hecate knew healing magics, she could save at least one of them.

 

And with abject horror Hecate's eye went wide, as what happened was not the soothing, purifying light that she used to manifest as she healed. What happened instead was the blackest of shadow, as a rift was torn in the dimensions and from it crawled a hideous demonic spider. The spider immediately leaped for the exposed flesh, as if it were desperate to eat of it, and buried itself inside of the village wise woman.

 

Utterly aghast at what she had done, almost in a panic, now truly weeping, Hecate fumbled with bandages. She grabbed at what herbs she could find to create salves. Desperately she tried to save her, the last of those she loved. She tried, for hours she tried, and then finally despite her efforts, the last of her village died. And Hecate cried herself to sleep, her head laying upon the corpse of her mother.

 

She was awoken by movement. Her eyes opened. Something moved beneath her. Hecate sat up with a shock! Beneath her was the body of her adoptive mother, the dead body, how could she have felt movement? And then spiderlings crawled out from under the bandages she had put on her mother, demonic spiderlings crawling out of the wounds and leaping into the shadows. Hecate screamed!

 

And the dead eyes of her mother opened! She looked at Hecate, and smiled, a sickly sweet smile, that dripped of something not quite right. "Hecate, my beautiful girl, what a beautiful day it is." Her mother gazed upon the sulfuric clouds drifting over the brimstone outside of the hellish shelter she lay in. And Hecate again screamed, and ran, sobbing into the night.

 

End of chapter one...

 

Hecate

 

10 Str

11 Dex 2

13 Con 3

13 Body 3

13 Int 3

13 Ego 3

15 Pre 5

3 Ocv

4 Dcv 5

3 Omcv

4 Omdv 3

2 PD PD Resistant

2 ED ED Resistant

3 Spd 10

6 Rec 2

30 End 2

30 Stun 5

Total Stats: 46

 

8 "Hades Made Manifest" "A lingering taste of hell remains wherever and upon whatever, this magic has touched." 1D6 Minor Transform: Partial Cumulative +1/2, Any Area +1, Zero End. +1/2, Constant +1/2, Persistent +1/4, Inherent +1/4, Personal Immunity +1/4 (Nature and time will slowly heal the effect.) Linked to Hellfire&Brimstone -1/2, Two hand gestures -1/2, Incantations -1/4, Delayed Phase -1/4

 

35 "Hellfire" *A searing, shrieking rent in space seething with demonic fury, burns with sulphuric flame.* 2D6+1 RKA +1/2 Variable Advantage, Half Endurance (3 End) Linked to "Hades Made Manifest" -1/4, Two hand gestures -1/2, Incantations -1/4, Delayed Phase -1/4

 

33 "Brimstone" "Her own little piece of hell to stand in, as flaming demonic horrors wind and rage about, protecting her." 5PD/5ED Resistant, 5 Point Mental, Power & Flash Defense, Half Damage Reduction Resistant Physical/Energy; Two hand gestures -1/2, Incantations -1/4, Delayed Phase -1/4, Cost Endurance to Activate -1/4, Linked to "Hades Made Manifest" -1/4, Perceivable -1/4

 

10 "Demonic Persistence" 4D6 Healing, Restore Limbs, Resurrection "A demonic spider is summoned that crawls inside the 'patient' and lays eggs. When the eggs hatch one day

later and the demonic spiderlings eat their way out, they heal injury as they leave. Unfortunately, as the 'Hades Made Manifest is active throughout this process, they invariably come back, 'wrong'."Linked to "Hades Made Manifest" -1/4, Two hand gestures -1/2, Incantations -1/4, Delayed Phase -1/4, Delayed Time for Effect: 1 Day -4

 

10 +5 OCV with "Hellfire"

4 +4 Offensive Penalty Levels on Range Modifiers with "Hellfire"

 

Total Combat: 100

 

6 +2 Striking Appearance; Extremely Beautiful, Extremely Spooky

3 Conversation

3 Persuasion

1 Lang: Literate

2 Lang: Orcish

2 Culture Knowledge: Orc Culture

3 Scholar

1 KS: Magic Theory 11-

1 KS: Hell Dimensions 11-

2 KS: Herbalism Int 12-

3 Chirurgeon

2 PS: Healer

 

Total Skills: 29

 

Grand Total: 175

 

Complications:

5 Distinctive Features, Easily Concealed, "Striking Appearance; Extremely Beautiful, Extremely Spooky"

20 Distinctive Features "Magic Use", Extreme Reaction, Concealable (Don't Use Magic)

10 Extremely Negative Reputation, Small Group, "Good' people who have witnessed her magic, but do not know her."

15 Social Complication; Must for all intents maintain a 'secret identity' when outside of evil cultures.