The Chosen Of The Void

Thralls, Killers, and would be gods

Disclaimer

A quick disclaimer before I begin this article: The Chosen are some of the primary antagonists of Expedition Demeter. They are by far some of the most important enemies the players will be fighting. They are also rather disturbing and how visceral a GM wants to be is up to them but the various examples provided in this article are made while trying to be as close to PG-13 as possible.
The Chosen can be a particularly brutal group as some of the major Inspirations that went into their creation are serial killers, horror movie monsters, and other things your mother didn't want you to see when you are under the age of 13. If you're going to use them, be sure you understand the players that are playing and what they are more likely to tolerate and what they are not.
On a side note, this article is going to contain a lot of spoilers regarding the overall story of Expedition Demeter. If you want to be a player for the play-testing or in the future, run the game. Be sure to take that in advisement and do what you can to forget the information you read. This is your spoiler warning.
The last thing I want to get into before we begin the article is to explain the GM notes that you will find in dropdowns throughout the article much like this one.
During our first play-test of the game I found it very difficult to handle the chosen the way that I wanted to and it took numerous attempts to use them as intended. With this kept in mind, I will add GM notes drop boxes that detail how to handle them in the RPG setting.

The Chosen of the Void represent the Void Stranger who is the primary antagonist of Expedition Demeter. Like all good villains he doesn't just sit around and wait for the protagonists to come to him. due to the rather long-winded nature of the game and the fact that you can play Expedition Demeter indefinitely if you don't want to end it the Void Stranger will always be actively trying to throw a wrench in your players plans the moment he begins to notice them on till the end of the game. He does this in numerous ways but usually uses one of The Chosen to accomplish his goals. On particularly rare occasions The Stranger will physically manifest itself into one of its many avatars. While The Void will be discussed further in another article as well as The Stranger, this article focuses on the organization of individuals who worship The Void.

by "Bathory" by Madanmar

Bathe in his love

The chosen of the Void are a three-part organization. Each division in this organization serves its own purposes and are radically different and often independent of the others. The members of this particular organization tend to be frightening and in some particular cases unknowable to those who view them. They are mutated and twisted if not physically then mentally. They possess the dread powers of the void and some are demigods in their own right.

The Taken

the first division is referred to as The Taken of the Void, thralls who act as eyes, ears, and mouths, of The Void Stranger himself. They act on impulse and instinct, unable to plan and think. They follow a strict set of rules The stranger himself dictates. They hunt, they kill, they wait, and they watch.
most of the time the taken are organisms of the world but transformed almost beyond recognition. They are tainted by the void and the void has twisted and mutated their forms to becomes something else entirely. The most powerful of the taken often appear as the grotesque combination of organisms that have melded together, bearing features of the forms combined. They often appear decayed with a black liquid coating them and pouring from their wounds. These forms vary widely and each could very well be unique in its own way like a stag that stands on its hind legs with black tendrils reaching for the sky. These tendrils mimic its antlers until they are ready to ensnare a victim. Another reported case depicts a dog like form with many mouths and eyes placed randomly about its ever-shifting body that prowls the swamps of the wailing wood. A human with spider-like appendages reaches to pierce through anything that might be within reach. These and many other forms stand in the way of any who would challenge the void, but they are merely thralls to the void stranger, his children are far worse...

by dr-grizscald on Deviantart

The Children

The children of the void are what the Shamans of the world fear most. They are killers pulled from time and space, placed deliberately by the void stranger into this most crucial time.The Children retain their conscious thought along with the collectors. Their father demands this, for he uses his children to deal with his problems while he focuses on his schemes. He sends them commands through visions and dreams and tells them of what they must do. They do not ask why. They don't even care why.
The Dread Children do as their told for the gifts their father bestows upon them are worth far more to them. They seek to become one with the void completing their labors in hopes they ascend and become one of the collectors. Each of the dread sons and daughters is different. They have their own skills and they have their own methods. The Stranger prefers this. The Countess with her pseudo-immortality bathes in the blood of her victims, Lucy Rotten sings a song of her time, dragging what remains of her victims in a sack full of stones and bones. Father Slaughter carries a rusted razor, reciting sermons of The Strangers glory while he tortures his "Wayward Flock" Something many will take note of when encountering the children is their lack of mutation and corruption. The black ichor of the void can never be seen in their presence. This is likely due to immunity and other powers given by The Stranger.

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by Bogdan Rezunenko

The Collectors

The collectors are the scions of the Void Stranger. They are his favorite children and settle around the world to spread their father's goodwill. A collector is the source for almost all Universal Maladies in the world. A Collector can always be found near ground zero of a malady's area of effect and defends their territory with zealous devotion. They are demigods in their own right. They are no longer who they once were, transformed by the stranger into something that shouldn't exist. No one has ever seen one. They are just as unique as the other divisions, each possessing its own unique elements that make them special. Tiger Lilly wanders her home lazily, searching for food, The Sun Twins dance in the air, their faces aglow with the light of eldritch stars. The Straw Man wanders his plagued land, a scarecrow sowing corruption like seeds.

by BASTIEN LECOUFFE DEHARME

Void Hedrons

Void hedrons are anchors or fetters that keep the chosen stable in this existence. The taken do not have them but the children and the collectors do. They appear as black octahedrons that quietly hum and radiate black mist-like energy. They can be shattered and the form of the chosen it belonged to can now be destroyed. The chosen cannot leave a 30 ft radius of the hedron and often the head-on floats in the air. Hedrons are fairly strong but enough force will shatter them. For collectors however the hedrons serve as the primary source of the malady they cause and are stationary at the center of the malady. When destroyed, the chosen's dread powers cannot be used any more.

by OLga Shell

The Babtism

Becoming a collector is a very painful process. This process is often welcome by the children who worked so hard to reach this point. The void stranger appears before them. He gazes upon them with admiration. He then begins to whisper spinning them around to show them his true form. They listened as they gaze into the void. The black fluid of the Void begins to fill the room submerging them. Their skin burns and it's touch. Once fully submerged they are completely in the void's embrace. If they could scream they would. They suffer pain that would kill if they were allowed to die. The Voice reaches within them. Their organs, appendages, tissue, and bone, their entire form is removed replaced or changed by the void. Old whisper is there, for he loves his children so and he holds them close during their change as if to console and calm them. What emerges is no longer the child. dread son or daughter of the Void is now something else entirely. It often seems that the void actively makes changes that make little to no sense biologically. The baptism is only given to those who complete their labors. Like all Scion, the children must complete a series of tasks to ascend and become collectors. These tasks are chosen and given by the stranger himself and they are specific to each of the dead children. The Stranger chooses these tasks based on the strengths and weaknesses of the children. Each task will challenge their weaknesses and improve their strengths in equal measure. Once the baptism is complete the new phones collector will be given a new task, to spread The Melody of their choice which relates to their Court of choice in a specific area of their choosing.

Further Reading

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