Dicesongs

The Missing

Tags: Monsters

A cautionary tale

The Nomadic tribes of Ertha have roamed the lands since before the written word, settling along the borders of Appel and the Wastelands. They have a rich history rooted in the First Age and continue to struggle against the expanding Kingdom of Appel.

The Missing

A scare-time story passed down by the Nomadic tribes. Children are warned about these creatures as they explore the world, serving as a lesson about the dangers lurking in the shadows. Born from the old gods of chaos, The Missing, a name that sends shivers down the spines of the oldest inhabitants of Ertha, are more than mere bedtime stories for children. They are a dark reality, birthed from the bowels of chaos during the turmoil of the First Age War. Conjured by the ancient gods of chaos, The Missing is the embodiment of pure malevolence, the product of an unholy bio-engineering process that lies beyond the understanding of common folk.

Evil lessons

It was during the early stages of the First Age War that evil, in its insatiable hunger for power, discovered a haunting strategy. The gods of chaos found that prisoners of war when captured and transformed into grotesque first-wave attackers, retained some semblance of their former selves. This unexpected echo of humanity proved to be a potent psychological weapon.

Picture this: a soldier on the front line, preparing for the onslaught of the enemy, when suddenly he comes face to face with “someone they once knew” or worse, “a child of…”. This moment of shock and disbelief, of heart-wrenching grief, was enough to halt the bravest of warriors in their tracks, providing the perfect window for evil to strike.

In this cruel twist of fate, evil found its most potent weapon: exploiting the emotional bonds that tie us together. And so, The Missing was created. They were sent into the night, their mission to capture as many young adults and children as possible. For evil had discovered that nothing struck fear into the heart of a soldier more than the sight of a familiar face, twisted and contorted into an unrecognizable form, charging towards them with lethal intent.

Through this horrifying transformation, evil learned the art of adaptation, of taking what it had and forging it into something more useful, more terrifying. The flesh of The Missing, for instance, evolved to be soft above the elbow, vulnerable to an axe strike that could sever the arm and free the captive, but the forearm grew into a naturally armored vambrace, exoskeletal and spiked, ensuring no prey could escape once caught.

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Voidforge

The Voidforge, the unspeakable birthplace of horrific abominations, lies deep within the mysterious Shadowgate, obscured from the eyes of the world. It is a place where the natural laws of life and death are grotesquely warped and twisted into a relentless production line of monstrosities.

Envision a vast, sprawling, labyrinthine complex stretching into the heart of the Shadowgate. The air is filled with an oppressive, almost tangible darkness, broken intermittently by eerie, ethereal lights of an unknown origin. The walls are lined with the same obsidian material as the Shadowgate, it’s surface pulsating with a malevolent energy that seems to breathe and ripple with an unholy life of its own.

Descending into the lower levels of the Void-Forge, the atmosphere grows heavier, filled with an alien, predatory presence. Here, the process of transforming living beings into abominations begins. Rows upon rows of grotesque machines hum with an otherworldly rhythm, their purpose is as horrifying as it is efficient.

The prisoners, their bodies wracked with fear, are shackled onto these machines. Their screams echo through the cavernous halls as their bodies are slowly and methodically broken down to their base components, their physical forms reshaped and manipulated into grotesque parodies of their former selves. The machines, guided by an inscrutable intelligence, do not merely alter the physical form but also strip away the essence of what makes them living beings, leaving behind empty husks ready for the next stage of their horrific transformation.

The soul-forging chambers are arguably the most horrifying aspect of the Voidforge. Here, the souls of demons, cruel and relentless, are flayed and woven into the husks of the prisoners. It’s a process that defies the natural order of existence, merging two distinct entities into a single monstrous being. The resulting creatures are the perfect instruments of chaos, retaining some of their original personalities and memories, which only serves to increase their psychological impact on the battlefield.

The Voidforge is a testament to the boundless cruelty and perverse innovation of the old gods of chaos. It is a place where hope is extinguished, where life is transmuted into anti-life, and where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur into an indistinguishable nightmare. It is a place where the Missing and other unspeakable horrors are born, forged in the heart of darkness, and unleashed upon the world of Ertha.

Early warnings

The wisdom of the First Ones played a pivotal role in the battle against the grotesque abominations birthed by the Voidforge. As the initial civilization of Ertha, their deep understanding of the world and its myriad mysteries allowed them to decipher the ominous intentions of the old gods of chaos, and the horrific consequences their actions would unleash.

The First Ones had an intrinsic connection to the essence of life and the natural order of things. They perceived the disturbing ripples in the energy of the universe when the old gods of chaos began their horrifying experiments in the Voidforge. Disturbed by these dark currents, they commenced their investigations into the anomalies, soon unearthing the grim reality behind The Missing.

Their early warnings were not mere conjectures, but prophecies based on their acute understanding of the nature of life and the balance of the universe. They foresaw the creation of the Voidforge, a place where life would be twisted and perverted into anti-life warriors. They understood that these abominations were not only a physical threat but also a psychological weapon designed to exploit the emotional bonds between loved ones.

The First Ones recognized the significance of the long hook-claws of The Missing, designed for capture and torment, but also revealing a strategic vulnerability. Their teachings informed warriors of the soft flesh above the elbow, a crucial piece of knowledge that could mean the difference between a successful rescue and a catastrophic loss.

They also provided insight into the twisted biology of these creatures, their lack of the need for smell or sound, their peculiar sensory adaptations, their 180º field of vision, and their nocturnal predilections. This knowledge enabled the people of Ertha to understand their enemy better and develop strategies to counter these nightmarish creatures.

However, the most profound warning from the First Ones wasn’t just about the physical attributes of The Missing or their origins; it was a caution against the loss of humanity, and the slow erosion of empathy and compassion in the face of relentless terror. They warned that the true victory of the old gods of chaos would not come from the physical conquest of territories but from the spiritual defeat of the people, their transformation into beings as devoid of humanity as The Missing themselves.

The teachings of the First Ones thus served as a beacon of light in the overwhelming darkness, a guide for the people of Ertha to navigate the horrors of the First Age War. Their wisdom underlines the crucial need to remain true to one’s humanity, even in the face of the most unthinkable atrocities.

GM Tips

The Missing are more than just monsters; they are embodiments of psychological and emotional terror. To effectively incorporate them into your campaign:

Build Suspense: Introduce The Missing gradually. Use rumors, cryptic warnings from NPCs, or eerie encounters with remnants of their attacks to build tension before players face them.

Focus on Psychological Impact: Highlight the emotional toll on characters. Describe the anguish of recognizing someone they once knew among the abominations, forcing players to grapple with difficult decisions.

Designing Encounters with The Missing

 

Combat with The Missing should feel distinct and terrifying:

Exploit Their Abilities: Use their nocturnal vision and stealthy nature to set ambushes during night encounters. Let them exploit their 180º vision to outmaneuver players.

Expose Their Vulnerabilities: Provide opportunities for clever players to exploit the soft flesh above their elbows. Reward strategic thinking by making this knowledge critical for success in encounters.

Add Emotional Stakes: Include NPCs or even player connections who have been turned into “The Missing,” forcing players to decide whether to save or eliminate them.

 

Incorporating the Voidforge

 

The Voidforge is a powerful narrative tool for horror and intrigue:

As a Dungeon: Use it as a setting for a high-stakes infiltration or rescue mission. The oppressive atmosphere, grotesque machinery, and soul-forging chambers provide an unforgettable backdrop for your campaign.

As a Plot Driver: Introduce storylines where players must prevent its activation, sabotage its operations, or uncover its secrets to halt the creation of more abominations.

 

Leveraging the First Ones’ Wisdom

 

The knowledge passed down from the First Ones offers opportunities for players to prepare and strategize:

Prophetic Warnings: Include ancient texts, artifacts, or visions that reveal critical details about The Missing and their vulnerabilities.

Guided Strategy: Let NPCs or remnants of the First Ones provide insight into countering these creatures, turning the fight into a test of wits rather than brute force.

Moral Lessons: Use the First Ones’ warnings about maintaining humanity to introduce moral dilemmas, such as whether to destroy or attempt to save transformed individuals.

 

Emphasizing Moral and Emotional Dilemmas

 

The Missing are not just enemies; they challenge the players’ values:

Difficult Choices: Present scenarios where saving captured individuals might risk the party’s safety. Explore the cost of preserving empathy in the face of overwhelming horror.

Thematic Consequences: Highlight the gradual erosion of humanity if players resort to violence or dehumanization when dealing with “The Missing.”

 

Creating Campaign Themes

 

Let The Missing shape the overarching narrative of your campaign:

War and Survival: Use them as a symbol of the atrocities of war, reinforcing themes of survival and resilience.

The Cost of Power: Explore the dangers of unchecked ambition and the consequences of playing with forces beyond comprehension, embodied in the Voidforge and the old gods of chaos.

 

Rewarding Player Agency

 

Reward clever strategies and empathy:

Strategic Success: Let players uncover tools, techniques, or weaknesses that give them an edge in battles against “The Missing.”

Emotional Payoff: Provide meaningful outcomes for choices driven by empathy, such as saving individuals from transformation or finding ways to reverse the process.

 

By weaving The Missing into your campaign as a narrative and mechanical element, you can create deeply engaging experiences that challenge players on both strategic and emotional levels. These abominations are not just enemies but symbols of a world teetering on the edge of despair, offering rich storytelling opportunities for your game.

 

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