With the rise of the New Dark God, Duke Nightmare had to sacrifice many personal freedoms for power. But Duke Nightmare was always instilled with a few key goals that would not stand in the way of any god. First: Duke Nightmare sought blood power. Second: Duke Nightmare wanted to breed a whole generation of evil children that one day would be pitted against one another until only one true scion of Duke Nightmare survived. Third: Duke Nightmare sought a stronghold for protection.
One of the Dracolichs was dispatched to the surface world to terrorize the population and the Dracolich’s lair would serve as another safe house for Duke Nightmare. The Dwarf was made a captain of the Monster Society of Evil, an elite group dedicated to Duke Nightmare, and the Dwarf would serve as an ambassador of sorts for Duke Nightmare. But Duke Nightmare sought to expand his power past the material world and stretch his hand into the extra-planer.
Oh dear reader, once Duke Nightmare had in his possession a lovely necklace that would allow him to travel to the City of Doors. But dear reader, like most things, Duke Nightmare squandered the power and lost the item to the Lady of Pain. But Duke Nightmare did retain a few things: Duke Nightmare was still considered noble. Though Duke Nightmare never could plea for favor from the Lady of Pain a new opportunity awaits.
But dear reader the City of Doors is not where Duke Nightmare starts his extra-planer adventure. No dear reader for that we need yet another story. A story of love maybe?
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The Bedazzlement of a Beast
Place: the throne room of Duke Nightmare’s castle
Characters: DN-Duke Nightmare, K-Kareem, O-Otto the Rake
ACT 1
DN: Ah my former master, Otto, how I do hear about your exploits!
O: Lord Nightmare, you do favor me, but least you forget my brother Salim
DN: No, no. I mean no jest against you or your kin. So where is your other brother? Word came that he intends to fulfill a promise of old
O: That is up to you, I can deliver my brother whenever you would like and where ever you would like. Are you not master of your house? You pick and we will deliver as promised
DN: You make it out like you are brining me something dangerous. What did you do? Capture one in the wild? Have it bound in chains? Think I am going to do the old in-out and be done?
O: No insult to you, I am just keenly aware of your discretion
DN: Hardly master thief, hardly. But be it as it is, just summon your brother and let us be done with this
K: I am here Lord Nightmare and I brining your newest concubine
Succubus: Hail Lord Nightmare
DN: Good, good. Now leave. Escort them to the surface personally
Dwarf: Yes sir
K: That will not be necessary
DN: Oh but it is. One does not just appear in my court. And Otto one does not come with to court without a present
O: I mean no offense…
DN: The next time I will see you, I will have a present for you. One that you will like. Think about that for our next encounter
Dwarf: Come on you two, we got a ways to go
DN: Now what do I have here?
Succubus: I am here to serve. I will provide you a child and your “friend” their has paid me very handsomely
DN: Never talk like that in my presence. You do not know who I am. Yet
Succubus: Yes, of course, but I just saw how you treated them…
DN: Exactly. You do not know me; those two mortals have saved me in several tight spots and always come out on top. And I know this; like I know that they must have given you something real good do come here
Succubus: Yes and now lets get on to the good stuff
DN: Settle yourself; fore I have one question I want to ask you. Do you think you will get out of this alive?
Succubus: What ever do you mean?
DN: After all the dust settles and you think you fulfill your promise. Do you think you will get out of this alive?
Succubus: Do you?
DN: I know I will survive whatever challenge I face: I am immortal. Now I ask you again: do you think you will get out of this alive?
Succubus: I want to
DN: That is the right answer. Now, how do you work for?
Succubus: Red Shroud
DN: Good, that should make this easy on all of us. I am familiar with your master, now will you serve me in guiding me to her court?
Succubus: It would seem I have no choice
DN: Good, I think you are beginning to understand me. How much do you think you can carry?
Succubus: What do you mean?
DN: Think you could carry a tun of grain or wine?
Succubus: I suppose I could carry a tun of wine if it was in a cask
DN: Come, we will carry material supplies for profit along our journey
ACT 2 - Place: the fortress of Broken Reach
DN: Come Succubus, which of these merchants should we deal with?
Succubus: There, that one flies the flag of Lolth
Dark Elf: eh, what do we have here?
DN: I have a tun of wine and sacks of grain
Dark Elf: eh, the wine? That is good! But grain! That is bad!
DN: You must eat it or do I need to talk to another merchant?
Dark Elf: eh, no wait, I will buy both! Give you gold!
DN: Good, I brought scales
Succubus: Now that you made your gold, can we leave?
DN: Do not be in a rush. Broken Reach is known as the place to get any kind of poison to be found on any layer of the infinite abyss
Succubus: Fine, I know someone who you want to talk to
///
Succubus #2: What present surprise did you bring me? What do you want do double up on him? Oh, he looks so strong, this should be fun
Succubus: He is not under my control, I am under his and all we can for was poison
Succubus #2: oh rats, but you could always stay for more
DN: I will take as much poison as this amount of gold will buy
Succubus #2: Aren’t you worried that I could rip you off?
DN: No, I have her
Succubus #2: Good point, what do you want?
DN: Give me a good mix, just tell me how each is used
Succubus #2: Dealers choice? Nice Call, I have few treats for you then
///
DN: Hail Red Shroud. I am the glorious king, Duke Nightmare
Red Shroud: Well meet, Duke Nightmare. What brings you to my humble court?
DN: Humble indeed, to have such luxury in the midst of the Abyss!
Red Shroud: You flattery me, Pazunia is hardly the most treacherous parts of the Abyss
DN: Still, you should let the compliment stand for commanding such a handsome fortress
Red Shroud: Well meet again, Lord Nightmare, your flattery has won me over. What can I do for you?
DN: Very good, but first I want to let you know about the traitor in your midst. The very succubus that brought me hence
Succubus: I do not…
Red Shroud: Silence! Continue
DN: This succubus entered into a deal with a very good friend of mine for this succubus to give me a child. Now do not go blaming my friend, fore it was in their best intentions and my instruction that they sought out such a deal to begin with. But my dear lady, this succubus knew what she could gain and I bet she did not tell you a thing?
Red Shroud: This is true, I was not aware of any deal. But if I could dare my dear Lord Nightmare, what makes this succubus a traitor?
DN: This succubus knew of my heritage and was eager to gain that power and would keep it secret.
Succubus: I honestly do not know of what he speaks!
Red Shroud: I said silence, be you quite or I will have crows eat your tongue out of your very head! Continue
DN: You asked me what you could do for me? Trap this succubus soul in a gem and give it to me
Succubus: No! Listen to me...
Red Shroud: There, take her. Now what do you have to offer me?
DN: I am a personal friend of Firebeard Blackaxe, Malik of the Efferti. I have bested Graz’zt and the witch Baba Yaga in deals. I have slain lichs and dragons. I have the blood of gods running in my veins. Not just one, but several. I serve the Master of the Past and Present. I am a herald to the New Dark God. I am a destroyer of worlds
Red Shroud: I see
DN: I appreciate the gift.
DN (aside): Did you think you would get out of this alive? I think not!
DN: I look forward to your offer
Red Shroud: My offer?
DN: My stud services. I have an Infernal Attorney in the City of Doors. I look forward to your offer
Underling #1: Boss, he is leaving
Underling #2: I do not think the Boss cares
Underling #1: Why you say that?
Underling #2: Boss doing something I have never seen Boss do
Underling #1: Yeah, what that? What you doing Boss?
Underling #3: She is smiling
Underling #2: Smiling, what is that?
Underling #1: Remember when you broke that vase last week? And Tim got blamed? Smiling is what you did when Tim got whipped
Underling #2: Oh that, I have never seen Boss like that
Underling #3: It has been a long time
Red Shroud: You broke my vase!
Underling #2: oh no!
Underling #3: oh, that did not last long
///
Oh dear reader, what did I promise? The adventures, as in plural. Oh dear reader do you have the constitution do deal with another story of Duke Nightmare in different dimensions? Let us make it a quick one.
Duke Nightmare travels from the Pazunia, through a portal in the fortress of Broken Reach. The portal takes Duke Nightmare to the Outlands, the gate-city of Plague-mort. Duke Nightmare hires a guide and travels to the City of Doors. In the City of Doors, Duke Nightmare secures a rental property and hires a lawyer to represent his business interests.
That was pretty quick dear reader. But I wonder what kind of lawyer Duke Nightmare hired? Duke Nightmare did refer to an Infernal Attorney. One would need a good consul when dealing with demons. Duke Nightmare has money to burn and abolitions abound, so Duke Nightmare will probably hire a lawyer like in Scarface or Carlito’s Way and the craziness will ensue.
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