Good vs Evil

[overbringer]

I'm going to basically just copy/paste Avshar's setting, and then update this post as people offer suggestions.

In a distant land, two kingdoms warred: Videssos and Makuran. They were very different lands, but both honorable and civilized nations. About a generation ago, however, Makuran was invaded and conquered by the barbarian nomad hordes known as Yezd. Makuran now struggles under their new overlords, who have their sights set on Videssos. The most feared general of Yezd is the Wizard-Prince Avshar, who has led Yezd's armies in victory after victory, first against Makuran, and now against Videssos in stinging raids.

The last few months have been quiet, however. Avshar has not been seen along the borders. Rather, he has been seen in Videssos's capital itself, acting as an emissary for prisoner exchanges, arguments over who owns towns on the border, and other such business. He has so far minded his manners enough that he has not forfeited diplomatic immunity, but the Videssian officers and troops are just waiting for an excuse, especially since Avshar saw fit to bring his retinue of "aids", as unsavory a lot as ever there were who are causing no end of complaints amongst the citizens.

With open war on the horizon and an ambassador who's very presence is an open insult, tensions are at the breaking point. The only question is who will snap first.

Comments

[mad_poet]

Despite being Avshar's left hand, Alhazred probably knows to take orders from Ulquiorra as if he was Avshar in the event that the latter's missing. He'll largely be okay with this, but will probably find Ulquiorra a little offputting. He likes despair and futility as much as the next guy does, but it gets to be a little depressing sometimes. Al's a demon that loves life and all.

Overall they probably share strategies and execute them as necessary. It might be a difficult relationship since the two probably reserve a level of respect only for Avshar. But a working one nevertheless.

[charmbuster]

So he's probably going to remind Mimete A LOT of her old boss. JSYK.

[mad_poet]

I haven't gotten to watching Sailor Moon yet, so there isn't much I can say about Professor Tomoe's personality. But yes, he's VERY enthusiastic about what he does.

[charmbuster]

This is a pretty good example.

[unmasked_nihilism]

Makes sense. At the very least Ulquiorra will probably consider Alhazred to be above the status of cannon fodder or pawn that he's likely going to see the more crazed minions as. I wouldn't say they'd be chums or anything, but they'll probably have a relatively cordial working relationship.

[unmasked_nihilism]

Welp. Ulquiorra probably considers Moge-ko a pawn and nothing else, though he might be slightly interested in her ability to drum up that level of despair in her minions. He'll probably consider her methods to be slightly wasteful but useful when it comes time to make an example of somebody... or as a diversion.

[unmasked_nihilism]

But what if the number two minion is also a hot guy? What then?

[charmbuster]

then they make out

or he rebuffs her and she gets yandere

[unmasked_nihilism]

I see.

Not gonna lie, that second one is proooobably the one that's gonna happen.

[1000yearsstoned]

Discord can totally be a team player, if he feels like it. He was a ruler once upon a time, so he knows how to work with others even if he dislikes doing so.

But there's so many interesting toys! He just HAS to inspect them all.

Pfff. They're both creeps to an extent

[1000yearsstoned]

Discord will certainly think that Ulquiorra is intersting... at least for a little while. His nihilism and no-nonsense attitude will quickly bore the chaos spirit. It's hard to have fun when you're destroying the world when someone else is talking about how everything is pointless.

These two are so different in how they deal with things, I honestly have no idea what their relationship will be like apart from Discord messing with him, and probably getting fed up with him eventually.

[unmasked_nihilism]

Yeah, Ulquiorra probably isn't going to have a very high opinion of Discord. He's that particular combination of foolish and wasteful but also too unpredictable and cunning to effectively manipulate. He'll probably do his best to just ignore him whenever possible, really.

However, I do look forward to seeing how Discord will try to mess with him. Teleport a sombrero or a Hawaiian shirt onto him sometime.

[1000yearsstoned]

It'll be a game of seeing who can properly manipulate who.

Oh, he will. If there's something he doesn't like, it's boring people.

[princeofskotos]

Your eyebrows please Skotos.

[charmbuster]

I kind of figured that's what it would be.

[charmbuster]

She is probably Mimete's biggest rival rn, ngl.

[dictator_ko]

I probably should put out this clarification: Moge-ko has no special power to command her horde other than regular old violence and terrorization. Basically, she simply tells them what to do and they obey because they know what'll happen if they don't.

Also, in terms of abilities, she can create a magical force field around herself as well as being in general really good at violence.

[blossominghero]

Tsubomi is the grand-daughter of a famous sorceress named Kaoruko, and she's wanted to do nothing more than follow in her grandmother's footsteps. Unfortunately, she's not the best study of magic, and as such, has been struggling to master her abilities. After training with her grandmother, Tsubomi was sent to study under Dietrich, in order to gain more confidence in her abilities and become more worldly.

Unlike other characters, Tsubomi's story is more or less just beginning. She's enthusiastic, is all about the love and justice, but she has issues with shyness and self-confidence. She's also young and very naive, and hasn't seen much of what the harsher world has to offer.

Plot hooks:
-- Maybe your character knows her grandmother. Maybe your character knows OF her grandmother. I'd be willing to flesh this out with anybody who wants it.
-- People who can test Tsubomi or help her grow as a sorceress would be much appreciated.
-- At the same time, villains might target her as a weak link. But I would like this to lead to eventual growth, not final defeat.
-- Less scrupulous types manipulating or stealing from her might be fun, and would help with being naive.

[princeofskotos]

If Kaoruko was seriously a badass, she probably gave Avshar a headache or two during her career. It's not like he wasn't around, after all. He is not above seeking revenge on her granddaughter to satisfy his own feelings, should he realize who she is.

Obviously he won't kill her outright, for plot reasons, but if anyone was to show her what harshness the world has to offer, it could certainly be him.

[dictator_ko]

Well, basically it is simple: a constant terror of attracting the wrong kind of attention from Moge-ko. They don't dare do anything that might anger her (and those who do tend to die horribly).

[mad_poet]

Yeah he'd be pretty excited over not having kissed a girl either

[have_hat_will_travel]

Idea: Pidonus was someone who was turned by Alhazred. All her horrible nature is basically what he 'taught' her.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Pidonus would definitely be the sort to manipulate Tsubomi towards an end, most likely trying to isolate her from her party and convince her to come to the dark side. (Literal, probably uncursed cookies may be involved.) Terribly unsuccessfully other than maybe a short-lived conflict or two.

Tsubomi's idealism could easily wear down at Pidonus should the demoness be captured, possibly setting up for Pidonus being purified, as well.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Pidonus Marasia was an innocent, beautiful human woman whose town happened to be destroyed by Alhazred. Unfortunately, Alhazred happened to hear her when she, trapped under some burning church wreckage, begged for her life, specifically saying the particularly stupid words "I'll give anything". Alhazred took her up on the offer, rescuing her only to transform her into a Succubus, erasing her memory of her human past and replacing it with a mile-wide sociopathic complex and intensely vain nature.

Pidonus is loyal to Avshar only incidentally; Alhazred, her 'creator', is the one she honestly thinks of as master. Pointedly, though, her methods are particularly nasty even by the terms of Avshar's minions, manipulating the minds of the weak-willed directly through magic, while working to corrupt the strong-willed until she can influence them too. Some get turned over to Alhazred for his experiments, while others are ultimately slain, their lifeforce drawn into her to power her nastier magics. (She refers to the amount of energy consumed by these spells as a "number of souls", however, it's uncertain that she actually claims the soul, stealing it from its honest fate. Certainly, though, the body is left dead.) A signature method of hers is to steal someone's memories and then kill them, magically copying their form and taking their place for some time to lead into a larger scheme.

Possible Hooks:
-- Possibly someone you were close to was consumed by her. If they were significant in their community, perhaps they acted strangely for some time before doing something horrifying and turning out to actually have died days or weeks ago, replaced by the succubus.
-- Possibly you were another survivor of Pidonus' hometown, and recognize her.
-- Most importantly, a major thing I wish to play out is Pidonus ultimately being captured by the heroes, and convinced to allow herself to be 'purified', at least partially restoring her human form and memory. How might your hero or villain be involved in that?

[mad_poet]

There's a chance that her old memories may resurface if given a decent kickstart. Alhazred will make sure they stay buried, of course, but the brainwashing isn't absolute, heh.