faderift | [Closed] Player Plot: Desire Demon Possession

Entry tags:

[Closed] Player Plot: Desire Demon Possession

WHO: Kain Highwind, Inessa, Anders, Rydia, Bruce Not-Banner and James Norrington
WHAT: Backstabbing, temptation, demon-slaying and bad endings. Kain has come back to the area and brought a “friend”! OOC information is here
WHEN: Forward-dated to September/Kingsway 8th
WHERE: Mountains outside of Skyhold
NOTES: Contains violence, betrayal, eventual character death. Also, there’s no need to keep a specific tagging order, just keep things moving and jump in whenever! :)

It had been a good month so far. Kain had explored a great deal, seen some incredible lands and creatures, and overall gotten closer to clearing his head. He’d started even somewhat enjoying himself as he camped by night and traveled by day, unburdened by other responsibilities. But, eventually, he had to return. He had sworn his loyalty to the Inquisition, after all. He still had his redemption to work toward. So he’d started heading back in the direction of Skyhold.

Unfortunately, he’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time when a rift erupted. He’d started dealing with it… only to get overpowered by a desire demon. The creature remembered him from his trip to the Fade and was ready with temptations that overwhelmed him. Kain couldn’t stop it, not when the demon reminded him of what he truly wanted, deep down… to be stronger than Cecil, to be better overall, well admired and respected… and to have Rosa, all to himself. It was the Rosa illusion that really broke him. His love for her had been his downfall once before, and now it is again, in the worst possible way.

Claiming Kain was all too easy for the demon after that. All it had to do was dive in and take over the reigns. Kain’s mind was weak from his past experiences, all too open to being controlled by another. From there… the demon started testing out the limits of its new form, forcing Kain to do its will, exploiting his abilities alongside its own.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

The reports start coming in as rumors. Death from the sky, they say, and others claim it’s a dragon taking the shape of a man. Whatever the case, this thing is becoming more dangerous to anyone heading toward Skyhold. There are injuries reported. Soon enough, a couple bodies are found of random travelers, with stab wounds indicating a lance was used.

It all sounds a lot like demonic activity… sort of. That’s where the Inquisition comes in. They have to investigate and stop it before any further damage can be done, so a team is assembled and sent out.

There are signs, fortunately, and a trail can be picked up with close observation... Footprints and blood mark a path leading off the main trail, into a forest of towering pine trees. Is the demon just sloppy… or does it want to be followed?

1. Temptations
As the group continues along, they’ll occasionally hear a deep whisper aimed at them, reminding them of what they want more than anything… be it people, objects, or even more abstract things like power… What do you most desire? If you turn back and leave the demon alone, you can have it...

2. Dracolisk
Kain’s dracolisk makes an appearance eventually along the trail, unharmed, but very clearly spooked as it rears up and kicks wildly.

3. Bird
Kain’s parrot shows up further along, swearing up a storm as it flies overhead.

[ooc: This is for the initial setting out and tracking Kain. Feel free to hit up one of the prompts or do your own! Jump around, mingle, work as a group, split up, etc. The demon knows it’s being pursued and will be trying to move them off to a more isolated spot.]

It’s bitterly cold and isolated where the demon has led them. The desire demon has been toying with the group so far, keeping hidden in the trees, occasionally taking advantage of Kain’s jumping power to move around easily. Now, it’s led the group to an open, snowy area, where it intends to finish them off.

“Is a fight truly what you want? Or is there something better I can give you?” the demon says in Kain’s voice, his mocking tone daring the fighters to approach. Even at a glance, something is very off about the dragoon’s overall stance… it’s evident that the desire demon in full control here. Lesser demons surround the area as well, one rage and a pair of terror demons, which are already moving out to start targeting the group. The desire demon moves Kain's lips into an eerie, uncharacteristic smile, pleased with the distraction they'll provide.

Edited 2016-09-01 03:23 (UTC)

The demons are cleared out, the desire demon defeated at last. The battle has been far from pleasant for everyone involved… including Kain, who’s barely clinging to life. His mind is free, but his body is beaten.

A little healing magic ought to help… right???

Upon finally spotting the desire demon in Kain's body, Inessa can't help but recoil, even more pale than usual. Demons and possession...suddenly, she's back in the tower, a frightened child hiding and hoping they don't find her. She swallows hard, trying to push past her terror, as Garahel stands in front of her and snarls loudly.

Oh, Kain. If only they'd known about this earlier, perhaps the ritual that saved Anders could have saved him. Now, it seems...really unlikely. Its questioning finally earns her gaze, full of tranquil fury.

"I want you to die, demon."

Heart sinking, Inessa begins to cast as her mabari charges forward. She centers a Misdirection Hex on the demon in Kain's body, as well as a Vulnerability Hex after that.

Edited 2016-09-01 21:21 (UTC)

"Nug-humper!"

Already tense the further they go, Inessa jumps a little at at that sudden outburst, though a moment later realizes no demon would speak that way. Her eyebrows draw together as she spots the brightly-colored parrot flying overhead. Given that she met Kain when the bird was absent, and it's been in his company since, this is met with no recognition.

"What in Andraste's name...?"

...he recognized that mount.

"Wait a minute," he tells the others before urging his own dracolisk to trot closer towards the other dracolisk. As far as he could recall there was only one other person crazy enough to want a dracolisk of his own. The fact that it had a saddle was a pretty big proof that it did belong to somebody at some point.

He turns back to the rest of the party. "I'm fairly certain this is Highwind's."

"You want to kill them. You want to kill them all." Came the whispers, and James had to roll his eyes, before he stated simply, "Yes. I do. I want to kill every single blood mage who has ever taken another's life. What is new about that?"

And there, the whispers stopped. Then they started again, "You want Ingrid, you want her so bad ..."

"Seriously, you are going to have to do better. That should be clear that I desire the woman I am going to try to marry." James rolled his eyes, flicking the hold off his sword.

He is eying the path of blood, before he spoke quietly, "Okay, this might be something along the lines of a trap ..."

Rydia recognizes animals easily enough so as soon as she sees the drakolisk she knows It's Kain's... and her heart sinks a little.

"Hey, beauty..." She murmurs trying to approach the mount, she spent so many nights in the stables just talking with her as Kain asked... maybe the sound of her voice will be familiar? The magic wand is lowered and the summoner tries to approach the drakolisk, trying not to startle her "It's her, it's definitely her." and hopefully it won't run away.

"Hopefully she just escaped from her stables... maybe she ran away looking for Kain? Could it be?" Think positive, Rydia, think positive!

Good. That's what the demon wants. Luring them off and perhaps using them somehow, perhaps getting rid of them entirely... the farther from help they are, the better. It all depends of course, on how this goes. There's a smirk on Kain's face as the demon wearing it continues slipping quietly through the trees.

It's trying out different targets, probing them, trying to find weaknesses. It continues with this target now, despite his initial resistance. The demon's tone is almost gentle, soothing as it makes its attempt to bargain.

"If you leave me be, I can help you... I can ensure that no blood mage who crosses your path ever lives... Strike a deal with me, and I promise you this."

He lets the other handle the mount, mostly glad that he isn't the one who has to deal with it - just because he (reluctantly) had a dracolisk of his own didn't mean that he was an expert or anything.

Either way, he frowns at her words when she speaks, eventually giving a shake of his head. "If I remember correctly he took... her along." He could easily be wrong, of course, but he hadn't recalled seeing another dracolisk when he was at the stables, so...

This was all rather troubling.

"Excuse me - but you are one of the reasons that blood mages exist. You take their blood and their calling and twist it to your own purposes." James's tone is firm, and disgusted. "So let me simply say - No. Absolutely not. And if you try this again I shall do such harm to you that you will have wished I killed you first."

"Maker's Breath - abomination!" James called out, and made sure to step forward in front of the mages to protect them as his sword came out. He took two steps forward, to put the mages out of his range, before he waved his word out and pulled out with a heavy weapon right away -- Holy Smite, to drain it from energy before he and the mabari charged forward into battle.

Demons were only to be killed, after all, especially when they had gotten this deep.

He slams his staff down, throwing barriers around everyone as he tries not to think too much. Another possession. And they don't have what they'd need with them to field-test the ritual, they don't have anything other than an urgent need to defend themselves.

"You could always leave him, go into a nearby nug or something, if you're asking what we want." It won't. It has power like this. But Anders rarely shuts up and backtalking a demon seems a good cause.

Haste is the next thing he casts, spreading it to their group. "Can we... Is there any chance we can just subdue it?" It might not be good to ask this of any of them. There might not even be anything of Kain left. But he has to try, because he cares.

"I suppose we'll find out!"

If her voice doesn't sound at all confident, well, she isn't. The demon has taken full control, and it's foolish to make any promises when Kain's body is essentially a puppet. But knowing that Anders was freed makes her desperately hope for the same even as the part of her that will always be in Kinloch Hold is inwardly screaming to just kill it as soon as possible.

Whatever Bruce had been expecting, it had not been this.

At first there's the shock as the realization settles in, the reality of what had happened playing across his mind. Even Rifters, it seemed, weren't immune to possession as he had initially thought. Could it be the shard that was the cause? Or were all the Rifters already at risk from them falling through the Rift--

No time to think about it. Highwind - or the now former Rifter who had been once Highwind - goes on the move and everyone acts, including Bruce. He's not a fighter but there're more than enough of them right now so he focuses on something else. With a flourish of his staff Bruce swears a few glyphs onto the ground around the former Rifter. Should the demon land on them it would trigger a large explosion, one that could hopefully be enough to incapacitate him.

Edited 2016-09-03 08:40 (UTC)

Desire demons are dangerous. In his opinion, they're the hardest to deal with because he's always wanted so much more than he's gotten. The whispers are a little less compelling than usual... but only because he's awake.

You can run, they say. This time you can be free. No one will chase you. They're too busy with Corypheus. They might even like it if you left. Look at them, the Templar and Banner. Think of how relieved they'd be if you were gone.

He takes a slow breath, shifting his staff in his hand. Yes. They'd be relieved if he was gone. But Nate wouldn't be. And he can't abandon Kain or Inessa or Rydia.

"You seem to think I want them relieved." Anders' voice is dry.

"Mind the ground, Norrington and Garahel." He tries to pitch his voice so that the demon doesn't hear him, but the two named do. The rest of their party is distance, but the glyphs Bruce has laid down, combined with the Paralysis ones that Anders is now adding, will make close-combat a little tricky.

It's all a little game to play, to the demon. All it has to do is find the right thing to tempt him with and he'll have him. Anders is a good target, the demon decides, watching him for a moment, then moving slowly along to continue working on him for a moment. Mages always are. Though it's been having a lot of fun in this body.

"But isn't that exactly what you want? An end to the fighting... to all of this strife? You would be completely unburdened, as would they. Think how they all look at you... they loathe you. They want you to go. If you leave them all behind, you can start a new life, away from their hatred. You can finally know peace and acceptance."

Templars. The demon laughs, an eerie sound that starts out in Kain's voice, but devolves into a higher pitch by the end, something utterly inhuman. The laughter echoes through the forest.

"All I want is to give others their deepest desires, whatever they may be. No more or less. If it's to harm blood mages, then you shall have this. Isn't there one blood mage you especially wish to see dead? One responsible for killing someone very close to you... Together, we can see that you get your revenge..."

Kain may as well be gone. In truth, he is still somewhere in there, a prisoner in his own body. But he’s buried down so deeply that he has no means to communicate or to fight what’s happening. He can only watch… His worst nightmare is happening yet again, as he’s being forced to watch himself act against his will and harm his allies. All allies who he knows and respects, all of whom he would never wish harm upon. This possession is even worse in some ways than the mind control. Under Golbez and Zemus, Kain could exert a small influence despite being overall their puppet. But like this… like this it’s as if he doesn’t exist at all to the outside world.

He can only watch and pray they defeat him. There is literally nothing else he can do.

The hexes hit, though only the second appears to take effect. Likewise, Norrington’s blade and the mabari each inflict a strike, and the demon is sure to let every pained sound come out in Kain’s voice rather than its own. Just a friendly reminder of who's really being harmed here. But it’s stronger than a human alone could ever be, and the pain feels also quite good, in the body of a reaver.

“I promised you freedom, mage,” the demon retorts at Anders, clearly unamused by his commentary in particular. “It’s still not too late to have it. It’s not too late for any of you…” The desire demon glances around pointedly, eyeing them and probing for weaknesses.

“Let’s test some of this body’s capabilities, shall we?” After it speaks, a red light appears and surrounds the area, a Ring of Pain activated. Then, the Kain-demon springs into the air, using Kain’s power to soar high above. The body certainly responds well to its commands, as it uses Kain’s knowledge and skills to its advantage. As he comes down, he’s targeting Norrington first, aiming the lance downward toward him. Templars are such a nuisance, after all, and it wants him out of the way. When it lands, either way that attack goes, it's already preparing to stab at the next person nearest, using Kain's skills and its own additional strength to its advantage. "If all of you simply give up, no one here has to die. Otherwise, this battle will end in death. One of you... or this human I possess. Either way it ends... you will suffer loss today. Can you truly live with that?"

He has yet to trigger the glyphs, but his new position is bringing him steadily closer to where they lie.

Meanwhile, the lesser terror demons move to attack others in the party, while the rage demon shoots fire bursts in their direction.

Hearing the pained noises in Kain's own voice makes Inessa's heart ache even as she knows the demon is doing this on purpose to make them hesitate. She can't let that contribute to their downfall or the continuation of Kain's own personal hell. So, even as the demon focuses on Norrington, Inessa takes action. She'll cast an Affliction Hex, then summon a blizzard into existence. That amount of chill should subdue the rage demon relatively quickly, and slow down the others.

Garahel remains busy, too. As the dragoon lands and lashes out -and misses, thanks to that hex- the mabari snarls and lunges. Those powerful jaws will close on any part of Kain that he can get, either to cripple him or hold him still for the others to do the same.

James gritted his teeth together, but he didn't look at anything in particular. Giving the demon focus was giving the demon power, and James spent his entire life not giving demons power over him.

"I will get my own revenge without having to go to the darker powers." He stated with a hard tone. "I do not need a demon to find the person I am looking for, creature."

Norrington let out a curse, as Kain - the demon - rose high in the air. He knew something the others did not know - what precisely Kain could do with the broadsword. He shifted his weight back on one heel, lifting his shield up to block the sword as it came slamming down on him.

Then he shifted backwards again, sword up, his green eyes glowering as the other demons moved towards them. He couldn't risk letting off a Dispel before feeling the magic let go around him. He felt his movements speed up, as he shifted forward again towards the Kain demon, and he shouts out to Gaharel, "Hold him, boy!"

That is when Norrington moves in for a pommel smash, then over to hit him with his shield, hopefully to take Kain down to the ground where Gaharel and him can be pinned.

Seeing all of this was almost like a nightmare come to life. Not for the first time Bruce couldn't help but wonder if this was his own eventual fate. A rage demon was different from a desire demon, and his own issues were different, but all the same...

Stop thinking about it. These thoughts weren't going to help now, and there was Highwind to take care of.

Bruce focuses his attention, flinching when he sees the Rifter lunging down so abruptly at the Templar -- Norrington. That strike had a lot of force in it, and that seemed worrying. Taking a moment to focus his own mana he channels a spell that would hopefully give the Templar something of a boost to better match the now-possessed Highwind.

The fight was over.

Bruce can feel himself nearly wanting to keel over from the exertion - his mana capacity was one of the reasons why he was never a fighter, among others - but it wasn't over yet. Highwind was still alive... so perhaps, there was some hope.

Using the staff to support him Bruce makes himself walk over to where the Rifter was lying, huffing a breath as he focuses and tries to draw out whatever that remained inside of him to fix whatever was possible and at least try to pull him out of danger.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 4

[Closed] Player Plot: Desire Demon Possession

Tracking and Temptations

Fiiiiiiiiight!!!

Aftermath (Warning for eventual character death)

no subject

3

2

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

let's get this ball rolling