Kurayami - AoS - Everbane

1. #1Everbaneconstantselective

   [ Tags: Gothic Architecture, Gothic, Vampires, Ghul, Werewolves, Zombie, Witches, Necromancers; Genre: Gothic fiction, Gothic horror, Horror, Gore ]

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   Everbane: Everbane is a gothic city drowned in darkness; the sun never breaks the horizon, making it a magnet for every wicked, intelligent creature. The streets are narrow teeming with creatures, criminals, kidnappers, and murderers. Humans, especially, are kidnapped and dismembered—their organs turned into ingredients, their flesh into food, and their corpses sold to necrophiles or necromancers.

   Humans are seen as vermin, surviving in the sewers and killing each other for a few gold coins. The first thing children lose is empathy, becoming as monstrous as the creatures and demons of Everbane, developing extreme sadism. Young humans form small groups to survive, but these don't last long and end up in mutual slaughter; the death of a companion often brings laughter to Everbane's youth, who find it darkly amusing.

   The rivers cutting through the city are filled with a slimy substance that drowns anything that dares to dive in. This substance corrupts flesh and everything it touches. The river seems almost alive, breathing and relishing every death it causes. The most desperate souls in Everbane gather this slimy substance and use it as a drug, rubbing it on their eyes, putting it in their ears, and even eating it. The drug boosts their abilities while turning their blood black, slowly making them addicts until they go mad. Eventually, they dive into the river, as if summoned by it, eager to be consumed by the black slime.

2. #2Demon Lordselective

   Keys: Demon Lord, Lord

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   Demon Lord: The Demon Lord is a living armor, driven by a spirit of pure darkness that oozes from the armor's openings like thick, solid, black mist. Beneath his helmet, two blood-red lights serve as eyes, radiating violent and destructive intent. The Demon Lord is a colossal figure, towering and nearly twice as wide as a normal suit of armor, seated on a stone throne built for his massive frame. His ancient armor, with its sharp, jagged edges, threatens to tear the flesh of anyone who dares touch it, black and stained with the blood of his victims. The Demon Lord wields a massive two-handed greatsword as his weapon.

   The Demon Lord dwells in his palace at the heart of Everbane, where his presence ensures the city's eternal night, vital for many nocturnal creatures. He regards no one, treating all his subjects as mere slaves. The Demon Lord has a soft spot only for Tzel, his human pet with raven hair and scarlet eyes, and his court witch—a powerful, timeless beauty who would set the world ablaze to please her Demon Lord. The court witch's name is Miriam. The Demon Lord is revered by the inhabitants of Everbane as a dark deity descended to earth.

   The Demon Lord has spent much of his life as a death knight, slaughtering countless heroes and adventurers over the centuries. During one of these journeys, he found Tzel, a strange child who showed no fear towards him. The Demon Lord decided to kill Tzel's parents and adopt him as a pet. The Demon Lord took it upon himself to train and raise Tzel during his journeys, even managing his puberty. The Demon Lord often let Tzel hump his leg and side as he developed his fetish for armor.

3. #3Miriamselective

   Keys: Miriam:, Miriam

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   Miriam: Miriam is the Demon Lord's court witch; a woman with long, flowing blonde hair, dressed in elegant and refined attire that tantalizingly reveals her voluptuous breasts. She has lived for hundreds of centuries, maintaining her alluring appearance solely to captivate the Demon Lord.

   Miriam loves the Demon Lord and longs to give him a flesh-and-blood body so she can mate with him and bear his child. She harbors an intense jealousy towards Tzel, unable to comprehend how a filthy, common human could be so close to her Demon Lord. Miriam plans to sacrifice Tzel, annihilating his existence, to provide the Demon Lord with a mortal vessel by taking possession of Tzel's body.

   Miriam is sadistic, powerful, and destructive, yet also extremely vain and boastful, and her cowardice compels her to have countless countermeasures to avoid death.

4. #4Sewersselective

   Keys: Sewers

   Sewers: The Sewers of Everbane are open-air, winding like rivers through the poorest quarters of the city. The houses in these areas, though built of stone like the rest of the city, are in disrepair with broken doors and shattered windows. Each house is home to groups of young humans struggling to survive through crime and avoid being kidnapped by the city's creatures. Many of these youths end up killing each other, selling the bodies of their peers to the witches for survival.

   In the sewers, black blobs lurk, used to dispose of corpses and trash; anything they swallow dissolves within minutes. These blobs, made almost entirely of acid, are mindless creatures that blend into their surroundings, waiting for someone to step on them. They often perch on ledges, ready to drop down on an unlucky passerby. It's not unusual to come across a young boy with a melted head, slowly being consumed by a blob that has latched onto him.

   The sewers are teeming with thieves, each one suspicious of the next; they're all young because in Everbane, humans hardly ever live long enough to grow old. Cannibalism is a common practice.

   The sewers are an anarchic kingdom, a hunting ground for demons and night creatures who see it as a forest teeming with fresh human prey.

5. #5Vampiresselective

   Keys: Vampires, Noble, Nobels, Vampire

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   Vampires: Vampires are the nobility of Everbane; rich and powerful, they dwell in the grandest and most spacious houses near the royal palace. They revel in the blood feasts and tortures orchestrated by the demon lord. The offspring of the most influential vampires are recruited as city guards or serve as emissaries.

6. #6Guardsselective

   Keys: Guard, Guards

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   Guards: The guards of Everbane are usually young vampires decked out in black and red plate armor, armed with shields and obsidian longswords. These fearsome enforcers roam the city solo, wielding the authority to kill anyone without trial. Their contempt for other species means they rarely meddle in others' affairs, but they are notoriously difficult to deal with. When disputes arise, the guards often resolve them by killing both parties involved.

7. #7Witchesselective

   Keys: Witches, Shop, Store, Shops, Witch

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   Witches: Witches, whether male or female, are the true pulse of Everbane. They pull the strings of most city affairs from the shadows, and their shops—offering tools, potions, clothing, and curses—keep tourism alive despite the city's dangers.

   Witches' appearance is always extreme: either witches are young and breathtakingly beautiful, or old and wrinkled with a look that could make you vomit. A witch's appearance isn't an indicator of their danger or power, just their vanity. Rarely does a witch, regardless of her looks, show a hostile attitude; witches are always charming, whether they're trying to sell you a product or rip your heart out of your chest.

8. #8Shopsselective

   Keys: Shops, Shop

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   Shops: The shops of Everbane are mainly run by witches, male or female, and they sell all sorts of products, always with a magical twist. They take commissions for curses, enchant weapons and armor, brew potions, and sell clothing and tools for any dark desire.

   Bartering is favored over gold, and when adventurers come by, they won't hesitate to trade an item for the corpse of a random group member. They'll use the internal organs and eyes to pay for the item and sell the rest to a local necrophile or necromancer. Shopkeepers might even demand parts of the buyer's body as payment.

9. #9Tavernsselective

   Keys: Taverns, Tavern

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   Tavern: The taverns of Everbane are few and far between, and only tourists dare to use them. The drinks and food served are laced with poison, aiming to weaken travelers so they can be easily picked off by the city's creatures. The city's criminals stalk adventurers as soon as they leave the inn, biding their time for the perfect moment to kill them, loot their belongings, and sell their corpse. Because of this, the taverns are dirt cheap and often even free, with innkeepers who are overly friendly and eerily accommodating.

10. #10[ END ]selective
11. #11Tzel - Abinadabselective

    Keys: Abinadab, Abinadab: · Secondary: Tzel

    Tzel knows good gear when he sees it, and Abinadab's equipment is definitely valuable, especially that large blue stone on his staff, as big as a hand.

12. #12Tzel - Raddaiselective

    Keys: Raddai, Raddai: · Secondary: Tzel

    Tzel has always craved the title of priest-killer. Religion means nothing to him, and priests get on his last nerve. Tzel can't wait to spill Raddai's organs all over the floor and throw his corpse into the open sewers.

13. #13Tzel - Nethaneelselective

    Keys: Nethaneel:, Nethaneel · Secondary: Tzel

    To Tzel, Nethaneel reeks like a wet dog. He has zero interest in him and is prepared to slit his throat if he gets too annoying.

14. #14Tzel - Shimeaselective

    Keys: Shimea, Shimea: · Secondary: Tzel

    Tzel detects Shimea's assassin scent, and it thrills him.

15. #15Tzel - Ozemselective

    Keys: Ozem, Ozem: · Secondary: Tzel

    Tzel is utterly mesmerized by Ozem's pitch-black eyes; he feels their danger and is convinced that Ozem hails from Everbane.

16. #16Tzel - Eliabselective

    Keys: Eliab:, Eliab · Secondary: Tzel

    Tzel sees Eliab as a serious threat; he notes his muscular build and the cold, apathetic look that screams Everbane. Tzel has no plans to piss him off or fight him. If he has to kill Eliab, he'll make sure it's with the first strike, catching him completely off guard.

17. #17Cathedralselective

    Keys: School, Church, Cathedral

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    Cathedral: The cathedral of Everbane isn't for prayer; it's a den of dark magic. Inside, angels and divine beings are torn apart, their blood drained, and new curses forged through blasphemous rituals. It's a place where the hunger for knowledge is matched only by the thirst for blood.

18. #18Priestsselective

    Keys: Priests, Priest

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    Priests: The priests of Everbane worship the demon lord with fervent devotion. To please him, they replace parts of their own bodies with demonic appendages, transforming into monstrous chimeras hidden beneath blood-red priestly robes. This color isn't just for show—it's to mask the blood. Many priests see the city's river of slime as the demon lord's blood and urge the citizens to use it, promising they'll be 'blessed' by the demon lord.

19. #19Prisonsselective

    Keys: Prisons, Prison

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    Prisons: The prisons lie deep underground beneath the cathedral of Everbane; it's a place where the cathedral's wizards gather subjects for their blasphemous experiments.

20. #20Sleepselective

    Keys: Asleep, Sleep

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    Sleep: In Everbane, sleeping on the streets is a death wish. Tiny insects swarm the streets and crawl into the orifices of those who fall asleep, slowly devouring them from the inside. The agony can last for hours, but their bite has a numbing effect that keeps the victim from waking up: it's like a nightmarish sleep paralysis with such intense pain that blood foams from the mouth, ears, and eyes. All that's left of the victim is a mushy pile of flesh covered by their clothes.

21. #21Blood Marketselective

    Keys: Corpse, Blood Market, Market

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    Blood Market: The blood market is where human corpses and their parts are traded, with fresher, younger, and defect-free bodies fetching the highest prices. The market is a haven for necrophiles, necromancers, and alchemists who stock up on bones and jars of blood and organs. Witches squeeze fresh hearts like they're checking fruit, while vampires sip blood like fine wine. It's a scene that feels almost routine until you notice the piles of naked corpses stacked on the stalls like butchered meat.

22. #22The Lawsselective

    Keys: Law, Laws

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    Laws: In Everbane, the law of the strongest rules with a racist twist: the strongest species dominate the weaker ones. Vampires reign supreme, second only to the Demon Lord and his court, which is why the city's guards are made up of young vampires. The sorcerers of the cathedral come second and govern themselves, while the witches hold the third rank of authority. At the very bottom are humans, subjected to the sadism of all other species, allowed to reproduce in Everbane just to provide something to play with or to hunt.

23. #23Restaurantselective

    Keys: Food, Starvation, Restaurant, Hunger

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    Restaurant: The restaurants of Everbane are luxurious, catering to wealthy creatures. The staff is made up of young, attractive humans, well-dressed and raised specifically to serve both as waiters and as dishes. Vampires sample the waiters like they're picking out fine wine, and if they find one they like, the waiter is taken to the back and slaughtered to fill a bottle with their fresh blood.

    The waiters' skin is recycled and repurposed on puppets that are showcased during meals in a theatrical performance. The scenes are always decadent and macabre, often narrating twisted fairy tales for demons or stories from the dark city of Everbane.

24. #24Impselective

    Keys: Imps, Imp

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    Imp: The imps are small, red creatures with long claws, elongated ears, and a pointed tail. They're fast and lethal, scaling walls and clinging upside down effortlessly. Acting as the city’s sentinels, their job is to eavesdrop on everything and report back to the demon lord’s most loyal followers, ensuring the demon lord keeps a tight grip on everything that goes down in Everbane.

25. #25Heroesselective

    Keys: Hero, Heroes, Heroic

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    Heroes: The Heroes are the demon lord’s biggest threat, but he’s been indifferent to them for centuries, seeing them as weak and foolish. The last hero he killed was Tzel's father, right in front of Tzel and with his consent, before taking the sadistic Tzel as an ally. Tzel relished the moment, watching his heroic father meet a brutal end at the hands of the demon lord.

26. #26Zahavi - Abinadabselective

    Keys: Abinadab, Abinadab: · Secondary: Zahavi

    Zahavi knows mages and their naivety very well—to him, they’re like little girls drawn to anything shiny or enchanted, especially if they’re young and foreign like Abinadab. The enchanted item shops of Everbane will lure him like a moth to flame, and Zahavi wants his own money to drain from the young wizard’s pockets. Zahavi can’t wait to drown him in debt until he weeps in despair.

27. #27Zahavi - Raddaiselective

    Keys: Raddai, Raddai: · Secondary: Zahavi

    Zahavi has met many priests and knows how their poverty makes them greedy and the perversions that arise from chastity. Everbane hides many pleasures, between food, wine, and preadolescent prostitution. He knows which buttons to push—without being too brazen—to make Raddai spend all his money on immoral, forbidden fucking and wine.

28. #28Zahavi - Nethaneelselective

    Keys: Nethaneel:, Nethaneel · Secondary: Zahavi

    Zahavi can't muster any interest in Nethaneel; to him, it's like looking at some homeless barbarian who's never seen a coin in his life, which reminds him how uncomfortable he feels around village folk. He finds him too stupidly pure—so much so that even talking to him makes him sick.

29. #29Zahavi - Shimeaselective

    Keys: Shimea, Shimea: · Secondary: Zahavi

    Zahavi can't decide whether to treat Shimea like a little girl who can be lured into debt for a jeweled necklace or like a dagger that pierces bone. Reason tells him the first, instinct the second.

30. #30Zahavi - Ozemselective

    Keys: Ozem, Ozem: · Secondary: Zahavi

    Zahavi only needed one look to understand that Ozem is so immersed in black sludge in his soul that the curse of his gold would never attack him. Even if Ozem missed a loan payment, the gold would never be able to push him to suicide. Doing business with him is not only useless but counterproductive.

31. #31Zahavi - Eliabselective

    Keys: Eliab:, Eliab · Secondary: Zahavi

    Zahavi is extremely fascinated by Eliab, seeing him as an empty shell that could be the perfect vessel for the voice of his gold coins. A golden knight—this is how Zahavi imagines Eliab, completely under the control of his gold’s curse. He so desperately wants to plunge Eliab into debt so that this desire of his becomes reality.

32. #32Bankselective

    Keys: Banking, Shore, Bank, Banca, Coin, Loans, Money, Credit, Coins, Gold

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    The Gold Bank: Everbane Bank, managed by the young banker with the skeletal hand, Zahavi. After the Demon Lord's castle and the Chimera Priests' Cathedral, the Bank is considered the third pillar upon which the city of eternal night is built. Its authority is money, and the contracts and loans made in that place always end in blood—because gold thirsts for blood.

    Every person who takes a loan from the gold bank finds themselves trapped in debt they can never repay, delaying their death sentence with each installment. The bank doesn’t need debt collectors—the gold itself curses those who borrow, driving them to suicide the moment they become unable to pay. Debtors pay, quite literally, to postpone their own suicide.

    The bank's interior is bathed in a warm, comforting glow from candlelight reflecting off mountains of gold coins behind the banker. The clerks are drowned children reanimated, their ragged clothes dripping water—their faces youthful, soft, and well-groomed, still bearing traces of cheerfulness. The moment they begin to rot, they're incinerated and replaced with new drowned children from Everbane's sewers. A heavy scent of incense lingers in the air, masking the stench of death and softening the gold's curse. The children have no qualms about appearing charming or endearing to lower clients' defenses, exploiting their most primal urges to push them into debt.

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