Thereafter miraculous bounties of river fish and crustaceans came. Moreover, thick brambles sprouted from ruined stumps. Some life came back to the naked trees, flittering through burning evening sunlight. The people were saved. By the following summer the fish were gone; but, brambles bore nuts or fruit each according to its kind. Again, Postcombe's peasants fed themselves well.
In time, Ymōraj completely dominated the steward's psyche. The demon mercilessly tormented his captive's tattered soul. Ymōraj longed to display his proud accomplishment and so called for the Lampton Worm, who came crawling on scaled feet to witness for their master. The summoning left satanic scrawl spiraling around Postcombe Chapel. In reward for good service, the Devil granted Ymōraj leave to corrupt the Lord Marshal.
When Ymōraj led a winter hunting expedition to Tarnish Combe each man brought home three stags. Ymōraj, occupying the steward's body, impressed them all by bagging a snowy white hart. He came to be known as the Hero of Postcombe. While the blight spread like a parasite to Lord Marshal Rhodri's other holdings, the peasants of Postcombe where fed by bartered grain and venison all year long.
Ymōraj attended his landlord at the next Good Friday's Horse Race. Ymōraj begged to be made squire to any vassal knight under the commander. Rhodri refused and sent him back to Postcombe. Each year Ymōraj returned and was sent back home disappointed. Yet all the while the demon planted evil seeds in Rhodri's soul. He cultivated a hatred against neighboring Duke Ulfius. Blood spilt between the two great lords.
One day Ulfius and Rhodri faced each other upon the field. Ymōraj made plain the depths of his treachery by fighting against his former lord. Ymōraj attacked from behind while Rhodri held against Duke Ulfius. The Lord Marshal's men overpowered Ulfius and Rhodri turned to Ymōraj. Afterward, the brains of Ymōraj's host were scattered on the grass underneath the old knight's feet. The Hero of Postcombe was no more. What happened to the demon remains unknown.
Ymōraj's stats beneath the fold.
Ymōraj is a demon from Hell. He exists to manipulate and condemn human souls. He can posses any human who agrees to sell his soul to Ymōraj, a bargain for which Ymōraj will do nearly anything. When possessing a human he slowly overcomes their psyche and will eventually dominate their will. Once dominated, the human soul is dead for all practical purposes; though Ymōraj continues to occupy the living body. There can be no salvation for the victim's soul, ever.
Ymōraj can also possess animals. Oddly, overcoming an animal's psyche takes as long as overcoming a humans (1 week to 3 years, depending on how you intend to use the demon.) Once in control of the animal, Ymōraj will cause much devilish mischief and harm wherever possible. He will do his best to find a vulnerable human and drive them to sell their soul.
He prefers to possess wounded creatures if possible, for he gains immediate dominance upon possessing anyone who has less than full hit points at the time of initial possession. When dominant, Ymōraj can will his host's body to perform as he desires - up to and including controlling normally involuntary movements.
Ymōraj exists to corrupt human souls. He can elicit any non-Christian vice in a nearby person. That person must make a roll against whatever sin Ymōraj elicits. If the roll succeeds, the person succumbs to Ymōraj's temptation and acts in a sinful way. If they fumble, they automatically follow a single command from Ymōraj. Good examples of succumbing to temptation is to plot against a loved one, lash out violently against an innocent, disobey orders of a liege lord, etc.
If Ymōraj possesses a female host, any offspring will be tainted and unholy. Most often Ymōraj will cause the mother to die as quickly as the child is somewhat self-sufficient (~5 years), then will possess the child. The child will nonetheless be completely subservient to the demon.
In our campaign, the battle between Ulfius and Rhodri was at New Year's Tournament in 510. Arthur drew the sword from the stone just as Ulfuis conceded defeat and Rhodri brained the demon's host. The demon possessed Duke Ulfius' wounded horse and fled the field. We'll see who runs across the demonic horse.
- Glory Won: 200 for banishment, otherwise per host glory
- All physical traits and statistics per host, though any weapon skills of the host are lost. If the possessed animal has an attack, Ymōraj can attack as that animal normally would - barring magical attacks.
- The only way to permanently banish Ymōraj is to baptize a living human child to whom he gave birth. Finding out this information may be challenging though, and should be flavored per the campaign. The child must not have ever been possessed by Ymōraj and, if old enough to matter, be willingly baptized.
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