Servant of the Desolation

 

The desire for destruction burns within you, it gnaws at your soul and warms your blood. This flaming desire has brought you in touch with the great force of Desolation, The Cult of the Lightless Flame, The Torturing Flame, Blackened Earth, 'Take All I Have', it has called for you and you have graciously answered.

As a servant of the mighty Desolation, you're called to burn and destroy and eradicate, especially when it means severing life that was meant for better things. The powers gifted to you by almighty Desolation mirrors this, and grants you a stronger ability for it as well.

Use it wisely, and burn bright.

(Taken from The Magnus Archives by Rusty Quill, and edited from the Rakdos Cult Member background)

Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Religion

Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument

Languages: Choose either Abyssal or Deep Speech

Equipment: A golden lighter, a musical instrument (one of your choice), a disguise, a hooded lantern with a wax candle, a 10-foot length of chain coated in wax, a tinderbox, 10 torches, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch containing 10 gp, and a bottle of sweet, red, melted wax.

Spell List

For you, the spells on the Desolation Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

Spell Level	Spells
Cantrip	fire bolt, sacred flame
1st	burning hands, hellish rebuke, searing smite
2nd	aganazzar's scorcher, flaming sphere, scorching ray
3rd	fireball, flame arrows
4th	fire shield, wall of fire
5th	flame strike

The Lightless Flame inside you is more than mere flowery language, it is a literal force of power that will extend into the world as you destroy, and ravish, and defile.

Suggested Characteristics

The need for destruction and a pervasive bloodlust aren't always easy to hide, so expect many people to be on edge. However, the flavor of your flame depends on your own soul.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I revel in mayhem, the more destructive the better.
2	When violence breaks out, I lose myself in violent joy, and it’s sometimes hard to stop.
3	Everything is funny to me, and the most hilarious and bloodiest things leave me cackling with sadistic glee.
4	I derive genuine pleasure from the pain of others.
5	I enjoy testing other people’s patience.
6	I can’t stand it when things are predictable, so I like to add a little chaos to every situation.
7	I throw my weight around to make sure I get my way.
8	I enjoy breaking delicate works of art. And fingers, which are sort of the same.

d6	Ideal
1	Loyalty. My Entity is all that really matters. (Any)
2	Hedonism. Death comes for everyone, so take as much pleasure as you can from every moment of life. (Neutral)
3	Creativity. I strive to find more ways to express my art through pain — my own as well as others’. (Chaotic)
4	Freedom. No one tells me what to do. (Chaotic)
5	Unity. If all the Entities work together, the world will be ours. (Chaotic)
6	Spectacle. People are inspired by the greatness they see in art. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	I have been active in the same town for years, and my local cultmates mean everything to me.
2	I was made for a ritual purpose, and I’m trying to figure out what it is.
3	I’m secretly hoping that I can change the cult from the inside, using my influence to help rein in the wanton violence.
4	I own something The Lightless Flame once touched (it still burns at the spot), and I cherish it.
5	I want to be better at causing destruction than any other member of my sect.
6	I am devoted to Blackened Earth and live to impress them.

d6	Flaw
1	My family is alive, I haven't brought myself to end their lives, and I know i'm judged for it.
2	I couldn’t hide my emotions and opinions even if I wanted to.
3	I throw caution to the wind.
4	I resent the rich and powerful.
5	When I’m angry, I lash out in violence.
6	There’s no such thing as too much pleasure.

Contacts

Within The Cult of Lightless Flame, you will have many allies, and even those who serve other Entities will align themselves with you, when it benefits them.

d8	Contact
1	I recruited someone whose family I targeted, they're taking it well.
2	My sibling and I ran away from home and joined The Cult of Lightless Flame together. We’re very close.
3	A childhood friend of mine is an attendant to Agnes Montague herself.
4	My parents brought me into the guild and taught me my trade.
5	There’s a newer member in the cult who thinks he owes me a favor, and who am I to argue?
6	The master of ceremonies in my troupe is well connected with other troupes.
7	I had a romance with a victim who I keep around for funsies.
8	The Desolation appears to me in my dreams.

d14	Non-contact
1	A servant of The Buried has helped me with disposal, and we keep in touch.
2	The Corruption has eyes on me after I destroyed one of its hives.
3	A servant of The Dark has extinguished my flames one too many times.
4	A Servant of The End follows me around on some kills, they seem to be studying my process.
5	I know a Servant of The Eye who gives me information about my targets.
6	A servant of The Flesh took one of my limbs, hope they like the taste of wax.
7	A Servant of The Hunt keeps tracking me down, our fights have become a fun game.
8	Servants of The Lonely and I have butted heads, they keep taking my targets!
9	A Servant of The Slaughter and I get along famously, we have killed together dozens of times.
10	An old cultmate was taken by The Spiral, so I burn any doors that shouldn't be there.
11	A Servant of The Vast has taken me on freefalls before.
12	A Servant of The Web helps me 'run into' potential victims, but it keeps sticking threads on me.
13	Roll an additional Desolation contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival.
14	I've made a few wax works for The Strangers servants, and they enjoy my company...or my flesh, whatever.