Name: Children of Night
Size: 3380
Hierarchy and Culture:
Reth-dekala (translated; Shadow-children/child) are highly disciplined and hierarchical. They do little for individual gain, and they follow the orders of their superiors with unswerving faithfulness. Although they now choose to serve Mother Darks champions, they did not do so without lengthy and explicit oaths that clearly spelled out exactly what the reth-dekala will do for their mistress—and what their mistress must do in turn. In the lowest of social standing and hierarchy of the Night hoard, are the vicious and greedy Vril, who serve the many day to day needs of Erelhei-Cinlu, such as manual labor, maintenance of the city and tower, as well as keeping the Vault clean. They serve in all the duties to dirty for the hands of Uzthys Akeroth's favored children. Most vril are brutally trained as warriors by the nightshades to weed out the weakest specimens.
Then there are the disciplined and honor bound reth-dekala, who serve as bodyguards, watchers, soldiers, and the general fighters of the Children of Night. Reth-dekala serve the role of the enforcers, and general muscle of the Children. They may not be spawns of the mother directly or indirectly, but are seen as he beloved adopted children. Reth-dekala, though, were once mortal humanoids, their long bondage in the abyssal plane and the corruption of Uzthys have transformed them into true outsiders. They require no sustenance or rest, and they do not die unless slain in Aárdu Lyásí. The most unusual feature of the reth-dekala is the foul magical flame that once perpetually consumed their bodies—the remnants of the curse bestowed on their race by their former master. Their lower torsos now simply trail off into a sickening light eating vapor. These shadowy onyx flames smolder here and there all over their bodies, as if the flesh itself is frozen in the midst of some awful disintegration, but the shadows themselves are part of the warriors’ bodies and loosely conform to the shape of the missing trunk and legs. This “shadowfire” combines some of the properties of both acid and darkness, sickening living mortals who come in contact with it.
The reth-dekala think of themselves as a strictly governed order of warriors and champions for Mother Dark. They do not see themselves as an army; they are a brotherhood of knights, and even a common reth-dekala expects to be treated as an overlord and conqueror by any lesser being. The reth-dekala are bound to follow the orders of their superiors, many of these being Nightshades, and they undertake few missions or tasks on the Mortal Plane unless ordered. Most reth-dekala are known as dekarchs; above these are the ur-dekarchs (Translated; mothers-child), the thaumakarchs (favored), and the high thaumakarchs(highly favored). To earn the title of thaumakarch, a reth-dekala or Nightshade must learn to complement its martial abilities with sorcerer spellcasting, so the highest-ranking Children of Night are dangerous sorcerers as well as martial foes. Exacting oaths of fealty and behavior dictate their behavior toward one another, creating a complex hierarchy of fealty and obligation from the common dekarch all the way up to the High Lord Thaumakarch of the Ebony Citadel, who is currently the first Son of Darkness.
The Nightshades, are the direct children of mother dark, and hold most of her favor. They handle the management and organization of The Children of Night, serving as commanders and minor dukes.
History:
Long ago, a race of mortal warriors known as the reth-dekala sold their souls to an infernal power within Aárdu Lyásí in exchange for the power to destroy all who opposed them. For a time, they were the scourge of the mortal world, undisputed masters over the wide lands they had conquered—and when they died, their debt came due and they were enslaved by the archdevil who had aided them. The reth-dekala served their master as fierce warriors, fighting in the endless wars of the lower dark planes, but when the archdevil turned them against their own mortal descendants, the reth-dekala rebelled against their dark lord. The archdevil cursed his faithless warriors, setting in their very flesh the perpetual torment of his corrupt flames—but the reth-dekala destroyed their former master and took his ebony citadel on the iron pits of Aárdu Lyásí for their own. The reth dekala then existed as cursed infernal warriors, eternally tormented by the sorcerous flames that consume but do not kill them. In the time of Uzthys rise to power, she happened upon this Ebony Citadel within the iron pits, which would soon become the Vault of Night. While she did not possess the power to undue the curse upon their mortal forms, she instead reshaped them into new beings, turning them into Nightshades, which in turn caused the flames that ate at their bodies to blacken into shadow fire. Freed from their eternal torment, the reth-dekala swore unyielding obedience to their new mistress. Becoming the first Children of Night, forming the core of her growing army.
In the time that has passed, the reth-dekala still make up the elite fighting core of the Children of Night, which is now supplemented by creators spawned from Uzthys Akeroths herself. The Nightshades are born of her, and from there many Vril have been enslaved to her will.
Military Capabilities:
The Children of Night, thanks to the influence of the reth-dekala, are one of the most well organized demon host among the outerplanes. The warbands of Mother Nights children are typically formed into combat elements of reth-dekala acting a vanguards, with the smallest of these called drokk (meaning "fist"; usually 4-8 reth-dekala strong) supplemented by the luth's (meaning "throwers" and are made up by 2-4 drokk comprised of vril; totaling up to 32 Vril), these contingents support vholk reibe, (meaning "iron Wall" and are often 100 reth-dekala strong) it takes five such vholk reibe's to make a strong luth'ol ( meaning "spear"). Thus, a luth'ol is often made up of 500 reth-dekala, with bands of luth's on the wings as skirmishers and support. A drokk, or fist, who act as vanguards are often armed with large two handed weapons, such as wave great swords, or even two arm bladed scythes. These units, with the aid of vril, aim to disperse enemy formations, thus making way for the heart of the army, the vholk reibe. While rarer sights on the battlefield, nightshades do make a strong presence when present. Nightwalkers march between the gaps between larger reth-dekala formations, using their great reach to help shatter the opposition. While nightcrawlers will often create large pits on the flanks and rear of the enemy host, thus allowing vril units to flank and sow further confusion against the enemy.
The Children of the Night greatest strength is that of their extremely disciplined and fearless reth-dekala, who form the core of the army as super heavy infantry. The vril thus fills the all important niche of light infantry occupying the roles of scouts, raiders, skirmishers, and pursuers. Nightwalkers form a powerful heavy arm of the Children of Night with the support of the reth-dekala, breaking enemy formations where they resisted the efforts of the vanguard forces. The host of Mother Dark thus excel in the rough terrain like those found in the abyss, as reth-dekala can keep cohesion regardless of the ground thanks to their natural ability to air walk. In such environments, and further aided by sorcery such as their darkness ability which allows them to sow chaos and confusion, opening up gaps in the enemy line for groups of elite reth-dekala or nightwalkers can exploit with their often more formidable one-on-one fighting capabilities. With thaumakarchs providing magical support.
The host greatest weakness lies in their complete lack in any real long range missile units, as well as a complete lack of mounted units, and to a lesser extent air units. With most of the warriors within the Children of Night being susceptible to daylight, this limits their range of operation in other planes.
Vril-
These imp-like creatures are imbued with innate sonic ability and can alter the consistency of their own flesh thanks to the malleable power of darkness. Vril were created as shock troops, scouts, and defenders of Erelhei-Cinlu, and they are descended from the wanton sex of Mother Dark's children, so hold a very small trace of her blood. From their masters they have acquired an inherent sense of devious tactics and dirty fighting. If given the opportunity before battle, a vril spends some time observing its enemies to determine what sort of weaponry most of them wield. It then uses its skinshift ability to offset the applicable type of damage before closing to melee. It readies a shriek attack, waiting for enemies to bunch together. A group of vril tries to space those with a powerful Dazing Shriek as evenly as possible through its forward line to create overlapping areas of effect. Once a significant portion of the foes have been dazed, a second rank of vril charges into battle to slaughter as many as possible. Particularly favored vril wield keen or wounding weapons from the Forge of Darkness just for this purpose. If their own position is disrupted or overrun, they attempt to spread out and use their shrieks to deal as much damage as they can to the enemy.
Reth-dekarchs-
A reth-dekarchs contingent might be a single dekarch bodyguard, or a company of such elite battle-champions numbering in the dozens. They usually take service in groups of two to five individuals called fists. In addition to their enforcement work, a reth-dekala is often engaged in various missions, raids, or quests dictated by their adopted Mother of their race in the Tower of Night. A fist of reth-dekala might be tasked with recovering some item of value, seeking out new recruits, or hunting down and exterminating any who pose a threat to Mother Dark. Regardless of its role, a reth-dekala excels in melee combat, and works best if paired with a companion creature that relies on magic or ranged attacks, such as packs of vril. Two or three reth-dekala working together can be quite formidable, since they are highly disciplined and cooperate well, mixing ranged and melee attacks to defeat their foes. In battle, a reth-dekala often uses its air walk ability or its death from above maneuver to avoid battles with “dishonorable” foes (rogues, skirmishers, or minions) and seek out a suitable captain, champion, or commander to duel in melee. It usually hovers about 5 feet above the ground, giving it a significant height advantage. The creature uses its shadowfire blast only when confronting enemy spellcasters or archers who avoid close combat.
Ur-dekarchs-
Ur-dekarchs are the elite warriors of the Children of the night in terms of pure martial ability. Such fighters can easily fight several mortal humans at once with little difficulty. They tend to lead Fist as captains as mortals would understand them. The kiss of Mother Dark has granted them the power to darken a large radius wherever they go, thus granting them both an advantage to other beings who would be blind in this magical darkness, while protecting themselves and brethren from the harsh light of the sun of the Mortal plane.
Nightshades are powerful demons composed of equal parts darkness and absolute evil. Their chilling malevolence hangs heavily about them, along with the smell of an open grave on a winter’s morning. Nightshades can read and understand all forms of communication; however, they communicate with others by telepathy. Each and every true Nightshade was born directly from Uzthys Akeroths, often from coupling with other powerful archdemons.Nightcrawler-
A nightcrawler is a massive behemoth similar to a giant worm, though utterly black in color. A nightcrawler measures about 16 feet in diameter and is often 450 feet long from its toothy maw to the tip of its stinging tail. They often weigh about 155,000 pounds. A nightcrawler attacks by burrowing through the ground and emerging to strike, often attempting to shallow entire men or demons whole. Sometimes, even entire groups. Only eight such creatures are currently known to exist and they serve as the vanguard in any true assault. Although the nightcrawlers might appear to be little more than an immense and frightening vermin, with its centipede-like body and numerous glowing eyes, it is actually incredibly intelligent. When not cleansing the deep caverns of the abyss of life, the nightcrawler spends its time plotting how best to carry out its own private stages of the overall Mother Night plan to expunge untainted life from all worlds, conferring with its undead minions and, when necessary, observing living creatures from afar while invisible to learn about hidden enclaves that its depredations might otherwise have missed. It would be one thing if the nightcrawlers remained in the deep caverns, for these regions are rife with foul life the world is better off without. Yet unfortunately for those who dwell upon the surface, nightcrawlers often crawl up through the tunnels to bring their devastation to the night above. Although they always retreat underground before the first tentative rays of dawn color the eastern skies, they can spread an incredible amount of ruin in the span of a few short hours each night.
Nightwalkers-
Nightwalkers are human-shaped horrors that haunt the darkness of Erelhei-Cinlu. A nightwalker grows to about 20 feet tall and weighs about 12,000 pounds. Nightwalkers lurk in dark areas of a battlefield where they can almost always surprise the unwary, as they move with startlingly little sound despite their massive size. The nightwalker's are exceedingly intelligent foes that makes the best use of all its abilities. It favors using its spell-like abilities to divide and disable its enemies, then closing to melee with opponents it has isolated from their allies. They possess the power to darken 40 feet in absolute blackness regardless of light sources. Worse still they can turn invisible at will, and can dominant the minds of lesser mortals. Their most feared power comes from after they have slain a foe, as those slain by a nightwalker rise again as a new child of the night, utterly devoted to Mother Dark. They remain the most commonly encountered nightshade, always resembling giant-like beings. These powerful foes lead armies of undead and shadow fiends against mortals, but unlike most mortal generals the nightwalker is not content to stand back and observe the battles from safety. The undead-like creature is ever eager to put its tactics and plans to the test itself, and takes part in battles in every possible occurrence save for those that the creature has determined are self-destructive. This is not to say that the nightwalker never sacrifices its troops to gain a tactical advantage—just that these attacks are the only ones the monster feels no urge to participate in directly.
Nightwalkers enjoy inflicting despair before death, particularly by destroying valued objects or murdering loved ones before delivering the final blow to a foe.
Nightwings-
Nightwings are batlike flyers that hunt on the wing. A nightwing has a wingspan of about 40 feet and can weigh about 4,000 pounds. Nightwings prowl the night sky and dive onto their victims. They are all but invisible, detectable only because of the stars they obscure in their passing. They are some of Mother Dark's most favored children, serving as the most powerful of high thaumakarchs. Trained from birth by the most skilled reth-dekala, they serve as generals on any battlefield, telepathically communicating with the rest of the Children of Night while using formidable black magic of their own. These powerful creatures rarely step onto any battlefield themselves. Though they are the least of the known types of nightshade, the nightwing is nevertheless a deadly foe. Nightwings often serve more powerful nightshades, or Mother Dark herself, as aerial support. A nightwing found on the Mortal Plane not in the employ of a more powerful master is typically encountered in rugged terrain where there are numerous locations that can provide shelter when the sun rises. The monsters prefer caves and abandoned buildings for this purpose.
L'VelkynThe Children of Night are the fighting arm of the forces of Mother Dark, however, while their task is the physical enforcement of Mother Dark's power, there exist a small less seen element that is no less important to her goals. The L'Velkyn, or The Unseen in the human tongue, are a special sect of succbi, incubi, and other creatures of darkness who's soul objective is the requisition of human souls and the spreading of corruption throughout the planes. The task of the L'Velkyn are many fold, as they act as spies, moles, assassins, or even scouts for the Children of Night. Those within L'Velkyn are masters of their craft, and are highly independent, unlike the strict hierarchy of the Children of Night.
Nabassu
The demon’s body is tall and sinewy. The head is long, with small horns and ears like a bat’s. Its teeth are practically tusks, set in a mouth that seems too large for its head. Its eyes glow with a hateful yellow light. Its long fingers end in equally long talons, and scales cover its wings and skin. Tufts of black fur stud the tops of its shoulders. The demon’s back and arms are dull black, while the chest and belly are a sickly dirty gray.The nabassu is a gaunt, demonic assassin with strong ties to the undead and darkness. Unlike most demons, it must spend part of its existence on the Material Plane to realize its goals. Nabassus are unusual in that they are the only true demons who are forced to live a significant part of their lives on the Mortal Plane. As a result, these sinister creatures bear a particular hatred for those that dwell there, as if they blame the denizens of the Mortal Plane for the humility of this exile. A nabassu that survives life on the Mortal Plane often lives the rest of its immortal life as a demonic recluse within its Abyssal fortress. Those few nabassus that escape this mental trap often become assassins or spies for Mother Dark, as they have learned from countless decades the art of subterfuge by hiding under the noses of mortals. Nabassu that please her are often granted loyal human slave minions of their own to use as they please. They are capable of camouflage by changing the coloration of its flesh between various shades of black, gray, and brown. They feed off the life force of mortals to become more powerful and mature, possess a death gaze capable of killing weaker minds, and can summon globes of darkness at will. Nabassu are said to be spawns of Mother Dark's lesser children.
Succubi
These creatures are stunning, statuesque, and extraordinarily beautiful, with flawless skin and raven hair. Her form, so tempting, also has an otherworldly side. Large bat wings unfurl from her back, and her eyes glow with sinister desire.Succubi are the most comely of the spawn of Mother Dark, and they live to tempt mortals. A succubus is 6 feet tall in its natural form and weighs about 125 pounds. They serve as spies, primarily, and often position themselves in the ranks of nobility or other high ranking individuals- all the better to further Mother Dark's agendas.
Lilitu
This demon could easily be mistaken for a beautiful woman at a glance, a lithe and graceful figure destined to inflame desire in those around her. A closer look, however, reveals sharp talons, vacant white eyes, and cloven feet, distorting and perverting that beauty into something far more disturbing. Burnt and broken fragments of wings protrude from her back, and her four writhing, ten-foot-long, sting-tipped tails give testament to her ruinous nature.The sly and seductive lilitus are masters of mocking the divine. They infiltrate temples, corrupt priests, and slowly convert their victims to the worship of the demon lord Uzthys. Lilitus subsist on the profane joys of corrupting priesthoods and twisting the worship of the faithful to that of Mother Dark, and it was they who helped give birth to the Merciful Night. Their natures shield them from most forms of magical detection, and their ability to pose as powerful clerics goes a long way toward allowing them to gain an impressionable town’s gratitude. A lilitu is born from the ashes of a slain succubus. The ritual of transformation and ascension to lilitu form is different for each succubus but always involves a decadent and shocking ritual that culminates in the sacrifice of an entire congregation of faithful worshipers who believe they are worshiping a benign deity. The succubus must be able to cast divine spells and must lead the ritual (which is usually disguised to resemble a harvest ritual) to its climax—the burning of the church and its faithful in a fire set from a portal opened to one of the deepest furnaces of the Abyss. Typically, this portal is created by means of a gate (usually a spell cast by the succubus from a scroll). The succubus’s body is consumed in a blast of supernaturally hot fire, but she is reborn from the ashes as a lilitu.
A lilitu spends much of her time in an assumed form, usually that of a specific attractive humanoid who plays an increasingly important role in the local religious scene. Once she has corrupted a particular temple and its faithful to the worship of Mother Dark, she leaves the temple in the able hands of a dominated minion and moves on to her next target. Over time, a lilitu creates a vast network of interconnected cults, outwardly worshiping different deities but in actuality paying homage to Mother Dark. She might need need to teleport back and forth to renew domination's, but eventually her minions succumb to her influence so completely that when they learn the truth about their faith, they accept it gladly. Lilitus regard other lilitus as competition, even if they are working for the same demon lord. A lilitu that learns of another’s proximity turns all her resources to that interloper’s destruction. Lilitus treat succubi with similar disdain, since any succubus can become a lilitu, given time. Most lilitus ascribe to the “kill them before they become trouble” approach to dealing with succubi. Some lilitus have even been known to hire adventurers to hunt down and destroy succubi—they take delight in the delicious irony of a group of do-gooders unknowingly working for an evil greater than that which they are sent to end.
Erinyes
A fierce and beautiful woman, with a statuesque build and flawless skin. She has large, feathery wings and red, glowing eyes. She wields a longsword, and a shining red bow is strapped across her back.Rumor in the Abyss tells that the first erinyes were angels who were taken from Thul Ithílíá because of some temptation or misdeed. Now, the skies of the Abyess are litterered with their descendants. Erinyes serve as scouts, servants, and even concubines for Mother Dark. Unlike other devils, erinyes appear attractive to humans, resembling very comely women or men. They’re not above taking advantage of being mistaken for the Angels that legend says they once were. An erinyes often stands about 6 feet tall and weighs about 150 pounds.
Warcry: “The Night is young and full of terrors!”
