Ash Noth Versus Glorantha

The thing was huge. Black, greasy hair spilled down its back, and its teeth were stained and mis-shapen. Twisted limbs, flailed dramatically to the sky.

It spoke.

"I AM ASH NOTH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS."

Yorcik waited. That seemed to be all. He looked at his companion, questioningly. Galarath shrugged.

"And?" ventured Yorcik.

The demon frowned.

"AND... I WILL DESTROY YOUR WORLD, PUNY MORTAL!"

"Oh," said Yorcik, shrugging. "Storm Season was quick this year."

"Don't be stupid," replied Galarath, punching his companion playfully in the chest. "It's only Death week. Another five weeks yet."

"But this guy says..."

"Who you gonna believe, some poxy godling out of some scruffy uz netherhell, or me."

"I wouldn't believe you, if you told me the sky was blue. I remember the time you said that..."

"EXCUSE ME."

The two men looked up from their argument.

"Sorry," said Yorcik, grinning apologetically. "Forgot you were there."

"YOU FORGOT I WAS THERE." The demon was getting angry. Well, angrier. "LOOK, I'M HERE TO DESTROY THE WORLD."

"Yeah, yeah, you said," Galarath said, testily.

"WELL, YOU COULD AT LEAST PAY ATTENTION."

"Thing is, see," said Yorcik quickly, "You're early."

"EARLY!" cried Ash Noth, smiting the top of a nearby hill.

"Yeah. Galarath's right. Sacred time ain't for another five weeks. So if you can come back then..."

"COME BACK?"

"We'll do the Summons of Evil, you can appear and destroy the world and we'll do the LightBringer's Quest to recreate it."

"YOU WILL SUMMON ME?"

"Well, yes."

"I DON'T DO SUMMONS. I ARRIVE. YOU COWER IN TERROR. I DESTROY THE WORLD. I DON'T WAIT TO BE ASKED!"

"Well, we don't ask. Not as such. We just summon evil. Whether you turn up or not is really up to you."

"Yeah," said Galarath. "Normally we just get a couple of broo. Most of the lads would prefer that to you," he added, helpfully.

"I WILL NOT BE DELAYED. I WILL DESTROY THIS WORLD. I WILL DESTROY IT NOW."

"Yorcik, you'd better go get the lads. I think we'll need to do the Quest soon."

Behind Ash Noth, dark lines were spreading across the sky. Yorcik turned and fled down the valley, the wind howling at his heels.

"Look, mister destroyer of worlds. This ain't a good idea."

"OF COURSE NOT. YOUR WORLD WILL END. YOU WOULDN'T THINK THAT GOOD."

"No no no. I meant for you. There's ways of doing these things."

"I AM ASH NOTH. I DESTROY WORLDS. I CARE NOTHING FOR ETIQUETTE."

Behind the demon the sky darkened, thick strands streaming closer.

"You really ought to..."

"I WILL NOT WAIT. I WILL NOT DELAY. I, ASH NOTH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS, WILL DESTROY THIS PLACE NOW."

And so saying, the demon raised up his fists and smote the hills on either side of him. The ground shook, and Galarath was thrown from his feet.

The black strands reached Ash Noth, winding round the demon's head.

"WHAT? NO! I AM ASH NOTH!"

As Ash Noth struggled, the strands tightened their grip on him. The protesting figure was drawn deeper into the net, shrinking and fading as he went.

Galarath watched the figure vanish, waited for the last scream to echo and die away. Slowly, he raised himself to his feet.

"Stupid bloody demon," he muttered, then strode down the hill to find out what was taking Yorcik so long.

Notes

I'm a member of the Glasgow University Games Society (GUGS), one of the largest and most active games societies in Britain. A certain amount of cross-fertalisation of ideas happens, and Ash Noth is one of these - the clubs standard world destroying demon. Not my favourite idea, and as for the comment about getting Sandy Peterson to put him in CoC... But, some people find him useful. I guess, at least the name's a bit better than Wakboth...

Some people, of course, take this too far. Someone came up with the idea that all the campaigns run at the regular game night should have a joint scenario. Sort of a 'crisis on infinite earths' deal. Basically, each game in turn would have Ash Noth show up, and destroy the world. The last game going would then have to defeat him, or we'd all start new campaigns the following week. The whole idea feel apart - certainly I never ran my part, and I don't think anyone else did either. However, it got me thinking.

At the time I was running a RQ3 campaign (this was prior to Hero Wars release). What would be the reaction of 'Joe Heortling' to a world destroying demon? After all he's seen the world end every year for his whole life. The result is the above story...

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