Tag: destruction

#Lore24 – Entry #78 – Fantasy Month #18 – Beast of Bugtussle Bay

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

For what little is known about the fabled Beast of Bugtussle Bay, I can at least gain much pleasure from the name being alliterative.  As the legends go, around a hundred years ago on the offshore Imperial colony situated upon the island of Conerael Cay (mmm, added alliterative appeal!), in the harbor town of Bugtussle Bay (so named for the large insects that had to be fought off when the colony was originally established, some confirmed specimens being man-sized), a terrible creature appeared out of the nearby sea following a battle with a particularly bold group of pirates who attacked the well-defended stronghold.

It is unknown as to whether this creature was awakened by the battle that perhaps took place over its lair, or if it may have been somehow summoned by one side or the other to turn the tide of the battle.  Regardless of what called it, the Beast of Bugtussle Bay, as it would be known, went on a destructive spree the likes of which have, interestingly enough, been seen several times throughout history, but more on that shortly.  In this case, both fleets were decimated, even those who had given up the fight and were fleeing the area, and the town of Bugtussle Bay was ravaged, consumed by fire, the bodies of its defenders left torn to pieces or impaled upon the shattered remnants of the town’s buildings. 

Descriptions of the Beast vary wildly, as those who survived the incident were overwhelmed with a powerful fear from the moment the creature appeared out of the sea, but some features were consistent.  Universally, it was described as tall and bulky, perhaps ten to twenty feet in height, with two great batlike wings and a roar that would freeze the blood with terror.  Additionally, many survivors reported the air to be filled with a black sand that seemed to pour from the creature the more it consumed, even its footsteps leaving behind patches of the substance.  Further descriptions vary greatly, with some saying that it grew larger throughout the attack, some reporting that it attacked with terrible, oversized claws, some indicating that it was instead focused on eating as much as it could with its great, fanged maw, while others reported it toppling buildings with a powerful tail.  Some say it was shrouded in a supernatural darkness, others say it was covered in layers of seaweed and coral that had grown upon it during its long slumber beneath the sea, while others still say the beast was consumed with hellish flames that could sear flesh and ignite structures from thirty feet away.  All who chose to remain upon Conerael Cay after the attack, and those who came after, agree, however, that they were truly blessed that the Beast has, to date, not shown itself again.

Curiously, as I delved into the archives after I had heard the story of the Bugtussle Bay attack, I discovered multiple reports from across the Empire, and even a handful from lands beyond, of a terrifying creature suddenly appearing, seemingly out of nowhere, to leave behind destruction and ruin in its wake, whether it was in a major city or a small, out of the way village.  The descriptions of the creature in these encounters, however, vary greatly, though certain features, such as the wings and flames, occur most frequently, though one is particularly ubiquitous:  the black sand that appears with the creature.  Even the encounters with the creature far from the sea all mention the black sand blowing through the air or piling up wherever the creatures stepped.  There is no pattern that I can discern to these attacks:  no common period of time between sightings, no common triggering incidents, and no information on what happened to the creatures once its wrath had come to an end. 

 

#Lore24 – Entry #66 – Fantasy Month #6 – Demon Lord Suzu’Reitani, Bringer of Calamity

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

 

I was rather curious as to why Felaria had today’s prompt delivered in written form, and my curiosity was quickly sated, for one does not invoke the name of demons verbally, especially those as ancient and powerful as this particular Demon Lord, lest their sight and wrath fall upon you.  That is traditional wisdom, and one must perform the proper ritual to communicate with a denizen of the lower realms (and what a ritual it must be to reach a demon lord), but perhaps it is best not to take chances?

The great Demon Lord Suzu’Reitani, Queen of Succubi and the Bringer of Calamity, thusly named for it was her coming that led to the Great Cataclysm that shook the very foundations of the world some two-thousand years ago.  Though much history was lost following the great upheaval, we do have records that state quite clearly that it was her entry into the world that led directly to the downfall of the kerryn goddess Sarresh and sealed the fate of the kerryns to be forever enslaved, less they cause another disaster that would see the world utterly destroyed.

This of course, like many things in history, is up for interpretation, for there is ample evidence that it was the Elvish Dominion that called forth the demons into the world, though they’ll never admit to such a thing, certainly.  This discussion is for another time, however.

This great demon lord sought to conquer Andyllion and use it as her bastion in her desires to claim the entirety of our realm as her own.  From what is generally accepted, she masterminded the many wars that marred the decades before the Great Cataclysm, using her many daughters to plant seeds of deceit, bending wills to her own devices, and building the great onyx tower that would serve as the beacon for opening a gateway to her domain and allowing her to come through to claim the world.  The true nature of her failure to take the world as her own has been lost in the chaos caused by the destruction of the great gateway tower, but we do know that her destruction in this world is what triggered the Great Cataclysm that reshaped the very surface of the world, toppling nations, destroying countless civilizations, and forever changing the fabric of our world.

The true depths of her machinations are still far from being fully explored, though her legacy has certainly remained.  To this day there are still those whose ancestry can be traced directly to her blood, for all mazoku are descended from her daughters, their demonic features easily marking them as such, as does the fact that they are almost entirely female, with estimates of less than one-percent of the mazoku being male.  Many creatures maintain demonic qualities, for Suzu’Reitani’s taint runs deep, and her kind are known to breed with anything, and true demons are still not unheard of, though full manifestation in the material world is thankfully rare.  However, there are still many cults worshiping demons, some perhaps even dedicated to Suzu’Reitani herself, though such worship is strictly outlawed and must necessarily remain hidden.

Thankfully another true demon lord has not been summoned into the realm, and hopefully none are planning such madness again.  It is the ever-present danger presented by demons, their unmatched capacity for destruction, that orders of exorcists, like that of the Holy Order of Rashnikova, still exist, and are rarely if ever bored.  Those caught worshipping and summoning demons are dealt with harshly, no mercy granted, and none expected, for one who dedicates themselves to such darkness are far too dangerous to be left to their machinations.