KoA Chapter 1: Sir Morgoth, Elephant of Absolutes

Prologue

After his failure during the Mushroom Madness adventure, Morgoth feels almost as broken as when he failed to save his village from the Spider Gnolls. He leaves his adventuring group in shame, telling them that he must “Rediscover the tenants of [his] oath, and whether [he is] worthy of following it.” As he does so, a temporal duplicate is made of him and sent to Gaion, unbeknownst to him.   Morgoth hops to a nearby village (now located in the forests of Western Dalterra) during his search for answers on his oath, and witnesses a corrupt city guard department holding unfair power over the citizens they are sworn to protect. Disgusted at the corruption of justice and violation of the oaths they swore, Morgoth has the answers he needs; his oath must change. Before, he swore an oath of vengeance against all who commit injustice against the innocent. But now, he has twisted that oath; he must kill all those who use justice as a tool for control, which from his eyes, are law enforcement. What he has seen in this village for the past week confirms this line of thinking. He walks into the guard barracks and begins his slaughter.  

Combat: Morgoth vs. 10 Village Guards

Initiative

• Morgoth: 19, 26/49 HP, 0/4 1st level slots, 0/2 2nd level slots
• Guards (5/10): 5

Round 1

 

• Morgoth: Walks into the barracks with the Exectuor drawn, then swings at the first guard he sees, slashing him for 6 damage. He then brings it around again, but misses. Cursing his luck, he casts Hunter’s Mark (1st level) on the guard.
• Guards (10): First attacks Morgoth with his spear, but misses. The rest follow suit, dealing 7 piercing and breaking his Hunter’s Mark concentration. The other guards get in position.

Round 2

• Morgoth: “You will never use your power to harm an innocent again!” and swings at his prey, but misses. Frustrated, he swings again, cleaving through with 9 damage and ending the guard’s career. He then swings at the guard on his right, who broke his Hunter’s Mark concentration. He misses, however.
• Guards (9): A far guy charges in with rage, but misses Morgoth with his spear. Morgoth’s flankers on all sides attack, dealing 9 piercing damage to the Elpehant of Justice

Round 3

• Morgoth: Casts Hunter’s Mark (1st level) on the guard who earned it, then cleaves through with his axe for 11 damage and kills him. He looks to the guard in front of him with vengeful malice, then swings his axe at him and marking him as new prey with a special bonus action of justice (almost magically so). He hits for 19 damage, cleaving through the deserving fool and ending Hunter’s Mark
• Guards (7): Surround Morgoth and deal 16 piercing. The other two flank the doors, ensuring the Elephant of Justice can’t leave.

Round 4

 

• Morgoth: Unfortuntatley for the precautious guards, Morgoth has no interest in leaving until every last one of them lies in gory pieces. As such, he swings his mighty axe at the next guard after casting Thunderous Smite (1st level). He misses, but swings again and nat20s the attack, dealing 20 slashing to the guard and exploding him with 7 thunder damage. This damage spreads to the four around him; the point man holds his ground, but the other 3 take the thunder damage and are knocked prone. Fueled by righteous fury, Morgoth stomps on his next victim, dealing 11 bludgeoning and crushing the pathetic policer’s chest beneath his elephantine foot. Roars a mighty elephantine roar.
• Guards (5): Surround Morgoth and deal 23 piercing damage, downing the Elephant of Justice. They hear reinforcements rushing from outside to see what was happening in the barracks, but these sounds are suddenly met with sounds of violence and weapons clashing. The point guard orders two guards with him to investigate outside, while the remaining two (the ones who fell prone before), prepare to bind and imprison Morgoth.

Round 5

 

• Morgoth: Earns 125 XP from the guards he killed, Gets a Death Success
• Guards (2): Successfully bind Morgoth and throw him in the brig, locking it up and heading outside. In their haste, they take his axe, but do not search for his other weapons (the spear, his broken blade, or his might).

A Night in Jail (barely)

  Morgoth rolls more Death Saves (1 fail, 1 success, 1 fail, & 1 success). On the brink of death, justice prevails and Morgoth comes to, he finds his position precarious and unacceptable. With the broken blade he holds, he cuts through his rope bindings and jumps to his feet, seeing that he must now bust through the jail cell. He investigates his surroundings, but isn’t smart so he doesn’t spot any keys. He looks to the lock and tries to open it with his broken blade as a pick, which was a valiant effort but didn’t work. He decides to say fuck it and rip the bars off their hinges, but fails again. Meanwhile, he can’t hear what’s going on outside beyond simple commotion. All of a sudden, Morgoth remembers that he can use magic; he casts Misty Step (2nd level spell) and appears at the door of the barracks. He uses healing hands to restore 25 HP, grabs his axe that was left by the door, then steps out to see 6 remaining guards engaged with 4 bandits, with several guard and bandit bodies upon the ground. Innocent people are about, observing the scene from far and safe areas or hidden away completely. Disgusted, Morgoth casts Bane (1st level spell) on the three guards closest to him, relaunching his fight with them.  

Combat: Morgoth vs. City Guards (6) & Bandits (4)

Initiative

• Morgoth: 20, 19/49
• Guards (2/6): 2
• Bandits (4/4): 7

Round 1

 

• Morgoth: Launches his spear at the farthest guard to his right, which still has the rope attached to it from “Mushroom Madness”. He hits, dealing 9 piercing and grappling the surprised guard. With his second attack, Morgoth yanks the guard, dropping him to the ground with a fatal 3 bludgeoning damage. Morgoth walks up, pulls his spear free of the guard, and wraps up the rope as he puts the spear away.
• Guards (5): Three swarm Morgoth (2 of which were Baned) and all miss with their attacks. The other two engage the bandits, with one hitting for 4 piercing
• Bandits (4): Swarm their guard assailants (or victims), with two hitting one guard for 3 slashing while the other two miss their guard.

Round 2

 

• Morgoth: Feeling the righteous might of his cause more than ever, the Elephant of Justice speaks a prayer of vengeance to his broken blade and casts Magic Weapon (2nd level spell) as he holds his greataxe, granting +1 to attacks and damage. He swings at his prey, dealing 8 slashing. He swings again, but misses.
• Guards (5/6): Morgoth’s assailants strike again, with the farthest left crit failing the second time in a row, earning a vicious opportunity attack from the Executor that does its job perfectly. The point guard lands his hit for 7 piercing. The bandit guards hit their prey for 2 & 5 piercing
• Bandits (4/4): Reperform their duties and hit once on each guard, dealing 7 & 4 slashing and killing the weaker guard.

Round 3

 

• Morgoth: Swings but the point guard deftly dodges his advance. Does manage to hit the other one for 13 slashing, killing him and showing respectful enmity towards the point guard.
• Guards (2/6): The point guard stabs at Morgoth, hitting for 8 piercing. The other guard crit stabs the bandit to his front, skewering him through the neck.
• Bandits (3/4): Execute their guard

Round 4

 

• Morgoth: Feeling some sort of divine inspiration, Morgoth swings at the point guard and crits him, dealing 22 damage and executing him on the spot. Fueled with the righteousness of his kill, Morgoth charges the bandits with two swings, killing one and then dropping the weakened one with his backhand
• Bandits (1/4): Shocked at what he perceives as a betrayal, the bandit swings at Morgoth, but misses.

Round 5

 

• Morgoth: “You are the face of injustice that these guards allow to run rampant through their internal corruption. You are just as guilty as they.” And swings, dealing 7 damage. Sensing the end is near for this criminal, Morgoth wraps his trunk around his victim’s neck and says “Do not worry, your punishment will be swift, and gores him through the neck with a critical tusk gore, dealing 6 damage and skewering the body upon its neck. Morgoth swings his head and tosses the body to the ground, in front of the shocked and scared villagers. He earns 150 XP for his kills.

Aftermath

  Seeing the looks of horror and fear around him, Morgoth addresses the crowd. “Do not worry, humble citizens. I have saved your town from the injustice that plagued it, you are safe from incursion.” An older village chimed in, a Wood Elf elder.   “Safe from injustice, you say? Look around you! The bandits and people like you are the reason these guards are here, the monsters THEY protected us from! These bandits are from a nearby gang that constantly gives our town trouble, and the guards you slayed today were the last of the thin line between our safety and exploitation. Some of the boys you killed were just the latest generation in a long line of brave elves who put their life on the life for our village. And now, you have assured our demise, the gang will overrun our homes and strip us of everything we hold valuable and dear. Even if you desired to stay here for the rest of your life as our protector, you would never defeat them on your own. You have brought the very injustice to our village that you swore to root out, and now, we are more vulnerable to incursion than ever. Are you satisfied with your work?”   Morgoth is stunned, and stammers about seeing the guards abuse them, but it becomes clear that by some sort of Stockholm Syndrome or twisted submission fantasy, the villagers still worshipped these guards. If an elephant’s face could turn white, his did. He realized what he has done; by taking the lives of those whom the villagers considered their protectors and condemning those innocents to certain injustice, he has ironically broken the very oath he swore. Morgoth runs from the village as the villagers express their hate, eventually settling deep in the woods. He makes a hasty camp, but is distracted by what he is trying to process. He suffers a complete mental breakdown, remembering the tragedy of his people by the Gnoll Spiders, his quest of vengeance to bring justice to the world, and the judgement of the villagers from his attempt to help them.   In the night, as Morgoth lies to sleep by a smoldering fire, a dark smoke subtlety emanates from the coals. The smoke creeps over to Morgoth’s trunk, which the Elephant of Justice instinctually inhales. He suddenly hears a dark voice whisper in the back of his mind, “They didn’t treat you fairly, did they? They don’t understand the dangers you were trying to protect them from. Everyone makes mistakes, don’t they? Why should they get to crucify you in this way, when you cared so much for their well being?” Morgoth, in his emotionally distraught state, fails to sense the danger in this line of thinking and agrees with the voice. It continues its whispers, with every word lingering slowly like the smoke from the fire.   “There is only one way to achieve true justice, isn’t there? The people of the village will never be safe, not from those gangs and not from the rest of the world. But if you pass judgement on the village, you can protect them from these horrible fates. End their fear-filled existence, for their souls will be safe in peace within the afterlife. I shall give you the divine strength to complete this ultimate act of kindness, if you will let me.” Morgoth, unable to resist the dark temptation, gives into the voice in his head. With that, the fire completes its smolder rapidly, black smoke billowing from the ashes into Morgoth’s trunk. His body becomes corrupted by the unknown presence, pushing black & red energy through his veins. Eventually, Morgoth rises, almost in a trance of rage, and runs towards the village.  

Combat: Morgoth vs. The Village (30 people)

Round 1

• Morgoth: leaps into the air with surprising strength, billowing demonic smoke in his wake. He brings down his axe in the town square, directly on the chief who ridiculed him. He cleaves him in two and Channels Divinity of Dreadful Aspect. Every villager in the town square within 30 ft is frightened of the Elephant of Justice, who now resembles an Elephant of Wrath. He charges at his next victims, dealing two more attacks and cutting two more villagers down.
• Villagers: Run in fear

Round 2

• Morgoth: Goes on a rampage, amplified by the demonic power possessing him. He makes three attacks, missing one but killing two fleeing villagers.
• Villagers: Run, but four men attack the rampaging elephant with whatever they could find. One hits for 1 slashing damage

Round 3

• Morgoth: Cleaves through three of the four, then glares into the eyes of the fourth.
• Brave Villager: Attacks Morgoth bravely, but it clinks off the elephant’s armor
• Coward Villagers (21): Hide in buildings and run about

Round 4

• Morgoth: “Can’t you fools see? I’m SAVING you from the horrific fates that await! This is justice- no, mercy!. He then grabs the man with his trunk, but the brave villager fights it off, determined to survive. Morgoth shrugs, then angrily brings his axe up through the now dead villager. He then tosses his axe at another villager, splitting him in two as he made it to the door of a hut. Morgoth charges at the door and busts through, finding a terrified woman and her child.
• Woman & Child (2): The mom throws a heavy object at Morgoth, hitting him in the face for 3 bludgeoning. She then shields her child.
• Other Villagers (19): Successfully hide out in the town hall, while the men & women who can fight (5) organize their defense.

Round 5

• Morgoth: “None of you understand the mercy that I offer, none of you accept it. If mercy is not desired…” Morgoth says this last part with a voice that is not entirely his own, “then it will not be given.” He then Trunk & Gores the mom, punches her face in for the kill, then looks to the terrified child on the ground. We see the last of the light in his heart burn out through his eyes, before Morgoth, Elephant of Wrath, raises his foot and stomps the child between it and the hard ground. He then bursts out of the hut, smells the air, then charges at the town hall.
• Brave Villagers (5): Attack Morgoth with righteous fury; one hits and one crits for 11 slashing.
• Other Villagers (14): Hide

Round 6

• Morgoth: Swings furiously, but only kills one villager.
• Brave Villagers (4): Attack Morgoth with hope; one hits for 4 slashing.
• Other Villagers (14): Hidden

Round 7

 

• Morgoth: Cleaves through 2 more villagers; one was cut at the legs, then could only look up in fear as Morgoth relieved him of his head.
• Brave Villagers (2): Attack Morgoth with panic; none hit, and they understand what this failure means
• Other Villagers (14): Whimper

Round 8

• Morgoth: Cleaves through the final two, bursts through the door, and tosses his axe at the one villager he spots. The villager’s face is sliced in two, and Morgoth roars with musthe as he prepares to slaughter the entire room.
• Villagers (13): With no one left to save them, the rest of the scene becomes a horror movie as Morgoth hunts them down hiding spot by hiding spot. All the while, he expresses that “it’s for your own good” (twist of his voice & the demon’s) or “you should’ve accepted my offer of freedom from your oppressive guards” (his voice). Eventually, Morgoth completes his work.

Aftermath

  Morgoth walks from the village, setting fire to several aspects to “cleanse” it of its impurities. He returns to his camp and goes to sleep, strangely at peace with his actions and firmly believing them to be the righteous thing to do. However, this horrific act of mass violence has cemented the truth: the breaking of his oath to pursue a dark ambition as an Oathbreaker paladin.