Aslan needs help... again :)

[AslanC]

So I got together with two of my players to make their characters for Star Trek: Genesis. As we talked we decided that instead of them being Starfleet they would be former Starfleet who took the job of running the station for the UFP. The idea being that when the Ferengi, Arven, sold the station there were two conditions, all leases are honored and no Starfleet control.

Should be fun.

Now this got my brain going. I found myself chatting with C. Huth on ICQ. And I decided that my campaign over arch theme will be a dark force from beyond the frontier is inflitrating the Federation, first through the Starfleet ship that is infected and returns to the Federation.

On the planet below Paradise Station is the weapon to defeat the evil, that the players will eventually find to win the day. But it will be like the 5th Element, not a weapon or a force embodied.

Now I need to figure out my evil.

think Shadows from B5, think the planet of evil from 5th Element, think TOS cosmic beings.

Let's kick the can around.

Ghosty? C. Huth? DanG? Anyone?

Help

[Dan Stack]

Well, you wanted DanG, not DanS so I don't know if you want suggestions from this poor, sleep-deprived daddy...

The source of evil... I love incorporating the Cthulhu Mythos in my games. One idea would be to have the dread Cthulhu sleeping peacefully with his cultists trying to awaken him. Though if you are familiar with the mythos, Nyarlathotep might work better - more of an interest in humanity.

Don't know if this one would be evil enough, but you've also got the parasites from TNG: Conspiracy.

There's always Redjac from "Wolf in the Fold" back in TOS - the "inspiration" for Jack the Ripper.

There was a thread a few months ago about Armus from "Skin of Evil". Perhaps he's managed to hitch-hike a ride off the rock he was stuck on.

[AslanC]

Dan S you are always welcome

Honest

Cthulu - Not quite Star Trek enough for me I am afraid... But then I was also not a big fan of the Mythos. Neat stuff, just too weird for me

Redjac - Too homocidal... I need insidious.

Bluegils - I used them in Lexington, so the players would figure it out right away. Was my first thought though

Armus - Yeah I was part of that discussion. I used him too. But his basic idea is good. Evil and suffering gathering. Negative thought taking on form... this is where I am heading with these thoughts I think.

Yeah... thanks Dan

[Lightcastle]

Ok, I'm perfectly willing to hop on here.

From another conversation, I know Aslan is thinknig Shadow Evil here, the Great Evil that is an embodiment and result of our own darkness. (Very Jungian)

We are coming off a war. A nasty war that saw Death and Destruction on a massive scale, that saw Distrust and Deception sewn among old allies and ancient enemies. Racial hatred flourished, Paranoia was king.

So 2 options present themselves. 1 is more like the Shadows from B5... it causes and seeds this sort of behaviour for its own reasons.

Option 2 is more like Armus or other classic Devil figures. It seeds this sort of behaviour because it feeds on it.

If Some...thing has grown strong from Hate and Blood anc Chaos, what is it?

Hey, wasn't there something in TOS --- the glowing evil crystal that turned the Enterprise into a bloodbath ship? Day of the Dove. That thing fed on Fear and Hate. But it was weak, and could be pushed out by laughter.

Maybe this war was enough to make it big and strong?

(It has story potential -- It feeds on hate and fear, it manipulates minds, causes false memories and paranoia. It can transmute matter and heal fatal wounds.)

[The Tatterdemalion King]

Alright... being of darkness, of destruction and entropy and chaos. An 'incarnation of the dark side,' if you will. It exists to feed, or is able to feed, on sentient being's thoughts which are similar to itself (thoughts of anger, hatred, destruction). With these thoughts joined together in a gestalt*, it is able to shape the reality around it.

For you Transformers buffs, Unicron should fit in here somewhere...


next to 'abeyance,' it's one of my favorite words. Even if I don't know how to use it correctly.

[Lightcastle]

I guess part of this is going to depend on how sneaky you want the thing to be Aslan.

I think my evil Crystal thingy was too homicidal for your tastes.

Unless it is restricted by what is beneath the planet?

Actually, you are going to have to have it restricted by what is on the planet below. That's what keeps it indirect and insidious.

So either we make the Dominion war woke it up, but it is still weak.
Or we make it that it is strong, but afraid of what it knows is down there, and won't move openly until it knows the weapon has been neutralized.

[AslanC]

Hmmmmmm...

Lightcastle has given me thoughts... C. Huth has given me thoughts... DanS has given me thoughts...

And they are all evil, evil thoughts...

Mu-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

So it is using its influence over others to try and find the weapon and neutralize it before it strikes...

It begins inflitrating all aspects.

As it grows, planets and worlds closer to it decend into chaos. As they die, it draws their worlds to itself, making a big, broken world of darkness.

Drawing agents to it... causing a massive exodus out of the frontier towards Paradise Station.

Hmmmm...

Mystics being having visions, psionics as well... all drawn towards the final showdown at the new world.

Sound good? Bad? Indifferent?

[Dan Stack]

What about the Pagh Wraiths? I felt DS9 missed out a little by not developing them much beyond EVIL, but there were glimpses that they (or at least their followers) could be very persuasive. "Gee, the Prophets sure helped you out during the occupation, huh?"

Even if the game is far from Bajor it could work - after all any species which lives in (and perhaps built) wormholes isn't going to have a problem with far distances...

[AslanC]

Originally posted by Dan Stack
What about the Pagh Wraiths? I felt DS9 missed out a little by not developing them much beyond EVIL, but there were glimpses that they (or at least their followers) could be very persuasive. "Gee, the Prophets sure helped you out during the occupation, huh?"

Even if the game is far from Bajor it could work - after all any species which lives in (and perhaps built) wormholes isn't going to have a problem with far distances...

Hmmm... not bad.

But I hesitate at tying it into one species religion. But they could come back as part of the reawakening.

Hmmm War of the Prophets part 2.

[Don Mappin]

Originally posted by AslanC
Now this got my brain going. I found myself chatting with C. Huth on ICQ. And I decided that my campaign over arch theme will be a dark force from beyond the frontier is inflitrating the Federation, first through the Starfleet ship that is infected and returns to the Federation.

Well, you didn’t ask for my help, so I’ll just sulk on in and mention that for a nice, stealthy evil empire that could rock the Federation from both within and on the front line, I’d happily steal the Goa’uld from Stargate SG-1. Superhuman slugs in human bodies, back to ‘harvest’ their favorite playthings with a fanatically-loyal army to call upon and massive ships that rival a Borg cube in size.

Yummie.

Then there’s the whole Egyptian pantheon/God angle to play. (“Oh great, we’re being hailed by Set!”)

(Sulks back into the darkness…)

[AslanC]

Allow me to take this moment to extend an invitation to anyone and everyone to please comment on this thread

I didn't realise my wording would make it seem I was being exculsionairy.

I am a bad poster.

I should be punished.

Spanked even.



I mean



Yes that's much better

Okay Don, your suggestion is a good one, but runs the same problem for me as the Pagh Wraiths. Too tied into to Earth and specific mythos. I want somethin that every mythos can identfy...

"The Bolians call it "The Avatar of the Endtime", the Gorns "The Shadow Bringer". Humans call it "The Devil".

I think I will use the Yhatto somewhere in this as well, seems right up their alley.

[Don Mappin]

Actually, I was mostly advocating stealing the concept, not necessarily the names. ("The names have been changed to protect the innocent.")

The concept of the Goa'uld, the Jaffa, the parasite slugs, the oppressive numbers, their being worshipped as Gods (Prime Directive problems, anyone?), and a freaking huge spacefleet with an impressive level of technology to fall back on.

You can gut and redo the whole Egyptian mythos thing and do your own. File off the serial numbers and roll with the concept.

[AslanC]

Okay I like that, but as servents of the Big Bad.

So they come off like the Devils or Angels if you will.

Hmmm... Not bad.

I am going tohave to try and put it all down in a point form at some period.

Keep the ideas coming, I am grabbing bits and pieces here.

So far it is Babylon 5, meets DS9, meets 5th Element, meets SG-1

Hey C. Huth...

5 + 9 + 5 + 1 = 20

[ghosty]

Bad experience with trying to combine B5 and SG-1...in case you forgot...think back to my War of the Gods story arc...I still shudder somethings...

But since you asked for my help lets see what I can do.

Angels and devils are a good way to go...at least in concept...

How about this, when the universe was created, there was a being, a sort of semi-benevolent entity in the Q mould (perhaps he was the first Q).

Anyway, this being was the source of the experiments which created the bulk of the sentient lifeforms in the Alpha Quadrant (at least on their homeworlds, using a common DNA sample...the truth behind the progenators from the TNG episode THE CHASE).

Well soon the "servants" or proginators fall out and a war ensues. The entity chooses to side with one group (for his own reasons) and with his power the opposing side is defeated. This God War is recorded in the anals of numerous worlds especially those who claim a common DNA sample (see THE CHASE).

The defeated are exiled to the furthest flung reaches of space...beyond known galaxy.

Well now they're back. Mascarading as the"good guys" well they are still as beautiful as the Gods the legends tell of.

Okay, I'm freebasing so take what you like and see if you can make sense out of it.

[Evan van Eyk]

Maybe something like V'ger from TMP, only evil. An intelligent probe which had the task to explore space, but somehow learned of humanities more deadly side and decided to take care of them