Seeking Legendary Monsters (3.5 DnD, lots custom rules)

[ulthakptah]

Question, the +13 insight bonus to special abilities, what all counts as a special ability?

[TheGlyphstone]

Honestly? Whatever you can make a solid argument for. We've been applying it to all sorts of crazy stuff, the only hard limit is that it can only ever apply to a specific thing once.

[Re Z L]

Question, the +13 insight bonus to special abilities, what all counts as a special ability?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/intro.htm#specialAttacksAndSpecialQualities

[PaleEnchantress]

A really good guideline for what we've been allowing is anything that might appear under "Special Attacks" in a creatures statblock. I got +13 ability to my blood drain and Psychic Vampiric touch, but for the psychic vampiric aura I decided i'd rather have it in the DC.

The one thing we decided it didn't apply too was "Create Spawn". It also doesn't apply to basic attacks, though special maneuvers or added effects that your attacks have probably do get it.

Since "Spellcasting" is a quality listed under "special attacks" we got to chose a way to apply it to our magic. Pretty much choosing either +13 DC or +13 CL. Of course sine something like "energy resistance" isn't an attack in any sense of the word we couldnt add it to those qualities at all.

[ulthakptah]

A really good guideline for what we've been allowing is anything that might appear under "Special Attacks" in a creatures statblock. I got +13 ability to my blood drain and Psychic Vampiric touch, but for the psychic vampiric aura I decided i'd rather have it in the DC.

The one thing we decided it didn't apply too was "Create Spawn". It also doesn't apply to basic attacks, though special maneuvers or added effects that your attacks have probably do get it.

Since "Spellcasting" is a quality listed under "special attacks" we got to chose a way to apply it to our magic. Pretty much choosing either +13 DC or +13 CL. Of course sine something like "energy resistance" isn't an attack in any sense of the word we couldnt add it to those qualities at all.

Wow that is highly abuse-able, excuse me while I go take a level of barbarian and add a +13 insight bonus to the str that rage gives...

[TheGlyphstone]

Wow that is highly abuse-able, excuse me while I go take a level of barbarian and add a +13 insight bonus to the str that rage gives...

That's fair. But you'd be, say, choosing to take that +13 increase to Strength over a +13 increase to Con, or a +13 increase to Will saves, or a +13 round increase to the duration of each Rage. It's abusable in an objective sense, but subjectively it's no worse than most other things in play. For example, several characters have levels of Chaos Monk, whose 'Flailing Strike' ability replaces Flurry of Blows, giving 1d6 extra attacks instead of the flat +2 attacks. Those characters have a Flailing Strike that gives them 1d6+13 extra attacks instead.

[avorae]

That's fair. But you'd be, say, choosing to take that +13 increase to Strength over a +13 increase to Con, or a +13 increase to Will saves, or a +13 round increase to the duration of each Rage. It's abusable in an objective sense, but subjectively it's no worse than most other things in play. For example, several characters have levels of Chaos Monk, whose 'Flailing Strike' ability replaces Flurry of Blows, giving 1d6 extra attacks instead of the flat +2 attacks. Those characters have a Flailing Strike that gives them 1d6+13 extra attacks instead.

1d6+12 actually as Flailing strike is 1d6-1 extra attacks.

[TheGlyphstone]

1d6+12 actually as Flailing strike is 1d6-1 extra attacks.

Er, right. That's what I meant.

[PaleEnchantress]

Wow that is highly abuse-able, excuse me while I go take a level of barbarian and add a +13 insight bonus to the str that rage gives...

We are level 30 characters. That would hardly be problematic.

[ulthakptah]

1d6+12 actually as Flailing strike is 1d6-1 extra attacks.

That's still pretty ridiculous. 18 attacks in a round, that's like 3 punches a second.

[PaleEnchantress]

That's still pretty ridiculous. 18 attacks in a round, that's like 3 punches a second.

It is pretty badass, but not as bad ass as having the avatar of Tiamat show up personally to kick your ass and then EATING HER!

That was awesome Glyphstone, I do hope to do the manipulation and subversion equivalent of that level of badass sometime. - Maybe bring Karsus back into reality as my personal slave?

[Kunoichi]

A good way to figure out how to make a character for this game is to first look at what sort of character you'd like to play as, and then see what sort of crazy monster-and-template combination would work best for creating that character.  Do you have any particular character concept or build ideas in mind that you'd like to try out, ulth?

[TheGlyphstone]

It is pretty badass, but not as bad ass as having the avatar of Tiamat show up personally to kick your ass and then EATING HER!

That was awesome Glyphstone, I do hope to do the manipulation and subversion equivalent of that level of badass sometime. - Maybe bring Karsus back into reality as my personal slave?

Don't count my chickens before they've hatched - I still need to get her into range of my army to strip away that prismatic armor spell. But Tiamat, it's what will be for dinner.

A good way to figure out how to make a character for this game is to first look at what sort of character you'd like to play as, and then see what sort of crazy monster-and-template combination would work best for creating that character.  Do you have any particular character concept or build ideas in mind that you'd like to try out, ulth?

This is good advice.

-To use myself as an example, I started with a very basic concept - 'monster who fights with lots of natural weapons'. I initially wanted to use a Kraken as a base, but it had too many Hit Dice - considered an Anthropomorphic Giant Squid, but without the Monster of Legend template (banned) it was too fragile. So I settled on the hydra as a base monster, and started thinking of a slightly larger concept.
-That brought me to the idea of making a world-wrecking destroyer, like the Tarrasque but a hundred times meaner and more dangerous, so I went about looking for templates and classes I could incorporate to make my beast as tough and resilient as I possibly could, while making its ability to fight with its natural weapons even stronger.
-With the mechanics laid out, I needed a story to explain where this sort of apocalyptic hodgepodge came from, and while I won't recount the legend in full here, I came up with the idea of being the Godzilla Threshold for a world already facing apocalypse - an Elder Evil in the end-stages of destroying a world, so the defenders had nothing left to lose by casting Summon Bigger Fish and hoping the world could endure their creation better than it endured the Evil. Naturally, this plan goes Horribly Wrong and the beast they built is even more dangerous and harder to kill.

Put it all together and I have World-Scour, the All-Consuming Inferno, who wants to burn every planet in the universe - and now that it's met Ao and found out there are parallel realities with their own copies of Ragnorra, want to copy itself and burn them too.

[PaleEnchantress]

Don't count my chickens before they've hatched - I still need to get her into range of my army to strip away that prismatic armor spell. But Tiamat, it's what will be for dinner.

Crackers will count your chickens at any place any time!

[Re Z L]

Got a couple other ideas now...  Both use the Incarnate for the Mystic path.

Was thinking either a brawler sort based off of Asura's Wrath (using Swordsage's unnarmed combat variant), or maybe something with the Necrocarnate Prestige Path with a modification that instead of making zombies it makes the Lust-Bound peoples (maybe with some other minor modifications to the class as well).

How to fill up the monster stats is just escaping me though.  For the Asura idea a Stonechild seems like a good base race, but I couldn't find or think of anything beyond that...The Necrocarnate (Lustcarnate?) I haven't put much thought into beyond what I have thusfar, some kind of CG creature maybe even similar in some respects to Kanta (CeruleanSerenity's char), where the Lustcarnate would be more about removing inhibitions rather than simply pleasure.

[TheGlyphstone]

Crackers will count your chickens at any place any time!

The best (worse?) part is I know this isn't a euphemism.

[ulthakptah]

So about this house rule about fighter being gone. Do all those classes listed get the fighter bonus feats or is it just knight, because being lawful doesn't work for this character.

[Kunoichi]

Would the Martial Rogue be an option for you?

[ulthakptah]

No I still need the base attack

[Kunoichi]

Do you need it to qualify for a prestige class, or do you simply want to take 12 levels of a class that gives you full BAB and lots of bonus feats so that you can dedicate the rest of your build to focusing on your spellcasting side?  If it's the former, you might be able to get the necessary BAB score with the right racial choice, or just by taking any racial choice that gives you an appropriate number of racial hit dice and the Otherworldly feat.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Got a couple other ideas now...  Both use the Incarnate for the Mystic path.

Was thinking either a brawler sort based off of Asura's Wrath (using Swordsage's unnarmed combat variant), or maybe something with the Necrocarnate Prestige Path with a modification that instead of making zombies it makes the Lust-Bound peoples (maybe with some other minor modifications to the class as well).

How to fill up the monster stats is just escaping me though.  For the Asura idea a Stonechild seems like a good base race, but I couldn't find or think of anything beyond that...The Necrocarnate (Lustcarnate?) I haven't put much thought into beyond what I have thusfar, some kind of CG creature maybe even similar in some respects to Kanta (CeruleanSerenity's char), where the Lustcarnate would be more about removing inhibitions rather than simply pleasure.

The concept sounds ok, although need check Necrocarnate/Lustcarnate PrC and think modifications. However as note I did edit Incarnate class a bit (not much, just chanced 20th level ability to be more useful basically).

My suggestions though; you could take aberrant limbs template (+2) which gives extra pair of arms which can be shrunk away (basically walk around normal pair and then free action call the rest arms out). It gives you also for free multi-weapon fighting feat. Also I think Prodigy (from same source, also +2) for strength could be fitting also (+2 Str and +4 to all Str checks and skill checks). You got 2 HD as outsider and +4 LA as stonechild, so have 6 levels work with. I can allow stacking the aberrant limb to able conjure two extra pairs of arms (total three pairs like Asura does), leaving just then 2 levels and Prodigy would cover that (or other +2 template).

So about this house rule about fighter being gone. Do all those classes listed get the fighter bonus feats or is it just knight, because being lawful doesn't work for this character.

The Knight class is not bound to be lawful (this case class alignment restriction is loosened up), however you must define a code somekind for your Knight class despite your not lawful. Glyph made decent input for Marauder's Code which basically reversed all normal Knight code stuff (not provide others flanking bonus while you benefit from it, always do lethal damage etc).

[ulthakptah]

I think I will just go with how an ex knight works no code, no challenge abilities. Not going to take more than 4 levels of it anyway. I just wanted 3 fighter feats and full base attack.

[Zaer Darkwail]

What's problem with the code exactly? It all depends on alignment and what concept you want go with a martial champion. Here in below are quick thought various codes what Knight class could follow;

Standard Lawful version

• A knight does not gain a bonus on attack rolls when flanking. You still confer the benefi t of a flanking position to your ally, but you forgo your own +2 bonus on attack rolls. You can choose to keep the +2 bonus, but doing so violates your code of honor (see below).
• A knight never strikes a flat-footed opponent. Instead, you allow your foe to ready himself before attacking.
• A knight never deals lethal damage against a helpless foe. You can strike such a foe, but only with attacks that deal nonlethal damage.

Chaotic

• A knight never carries a shield or item which provides shield bonus (spells+other things different story).
• A knight avoids close combat and uses ranged weapon first before melee weapon, melee weapons as last resort.
• A knight must not leave opportunity to strike a flat-footed foe (seek opportunities to flank or render foe flat-footed).

Neutral (Mercenary)

• A knight always honors written document based contracts and follows the written form of the contract.
• A knight never attacks foe unless his life is threatened or he has been paid for it by someone.
• A knight never betrays a comrade in arms from same mercenary band or group.

In short, you can have custom code with three 'absolute things' which you must abide by (thus give creativity on said matter) and if tight spot comes you can ignore the code in cost of a challenge for the day. But if you want to be ex-knight as a concept; I am okay with that also. I just wanted make clear you could make knight work for your char without being lawful :P. Or 'knight' at all.

[TheGlyphstone]

Or the Code of the Ravager that I created for my Chaotic Evil 'Knight':

Code of the Ravager

-May not grant allies a flanking bonus on attack rolls. The ravager may still claim a flanking bonus itself if an ally is flanking the target.
-May not refuse a challenge of physical strength or martial skill against a worthy opponent.
-May not willingly inflict non-lethal damage on a target who is not helpless.

[Re Z L]

Varuna-Mara the Unbound Sage, Equal of Heaven
CN Medium Outsider (Earth, Extraplanar)
Swordsage 7/Master of the Nine 5 | Incarnate 12
Init +15; Senses darkvision 60 ft
         Spot +30, Listen +36, See Invisibility
Languages Common, Terran, Celestial, Dwarven, Ignan, Elvish, Orcish, Draconic, Infernal, Abyssal, Giant, Undercommon

AC 70, touch , flat-footed
   (+8 Armor Bonus, +5 Natural Armor, +9 Dexterity, +12 Insight, +12 Luck, +11 Wisdom, +3 Deflection)
hp 484 ( 12d8 HD + 288 + 100 from Vitality Belt); Fast-Healing 20; DR 10/Epic
Immune acid, poison
Resist ; SR 37
Fort +30, Ref +27, Will  +30 (+2 vs. Charm and Compulsion)

Speed 90ft

Melee: +53/+47 (+1 for Unarmed/Kukri/Kama/Claw/Handaxe/Greataxe; +3 for Unarmed, +2 for Strike Maneuvers)

Ranged:

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Base Atk +8/+2  Grp +53

Atk Options
    Unarmed Strike Damage 4d6, +20 Str, +3 Enhancement, +20 Luck, +4d6 once per round from Lightning Gauntlets (+11 Wis on Tiger Claw Strike Maneuvers, +2 Strike damage per readied discipline)

    Standard Action
        Unarmed Strike +57; w/Snap Kick +55/+55
        Strike Maneuver +59; w/Snap Kick +57/+55

    Full Round Action
        Two Arms Unarmed Strike +53/+53/+49; w/Snap Kick +51/+51/+51/+47
        Four Arms Unarmed Strike +53/+53/+53/+53/+49; w/Snap Kick +51/+51/+51/+51/+51/+47
        Six Arms Unarmed Strike +53/+53/+53/+53/+53/+53/+49; w/Snap Kick +51/+51/+51/+51/+51/+51/+51/+47

Combat Gear:
   

Abilities: Str 50 (+20), Dex 28 (+9), Con 35 (+12, +16 on Checks), Int 31 (+10), Wis 32 (+11), Cha 21 (+5)

Special Attacks:
    Maneuvers (IL 12th, DC Varies; +13 Insight Bonus to damage or bonuses)
   *Divine Surge
        Crusader's Strike
        *Comet Throw
        Counter Charge
        *Distracting Ember
        Sudden Leap
        Wolf Fang Strike
        Claw at the Moon
        *Cloak of Deception
        *Flashing Sun
        *Flesh Ripper
        Fan the Flames
        Devastating Throw
        *Pouncing Charge
        *Dancing Mongoose
        *Leaping Flame
        *Rabid Bear Strike
        *Ballista Throw
        Desert Tempest

    Stances (IL 12th, DC Varies; +13 Insight Bonus to damage or bonuses)
        Hunter's Sense
        Stonefoot Stance
        Giant Killing Style
        Leaping Dragon Stance
        Aura of Chaos

    Meldshaping (ML 25th, DC 21+Invested Essentia; +13 Insight Bonus to ML, already included)
        Vitality Belt (4 Essentia Invested)
        Planar Chasuble
        Impulse Boots (2 Essentia Invested; Feet Chakra)
        Crystal Helm  (3 Essentia Invested)
        Keeneye Lenses (Brow Chakra)
        Lightning Gauntlets (3 Essentia Invested; Hand Chakra)

    Spell-Like Abilities
        3/Day--Magic Stone (CL 18th); Greater Dispel Magic (CL 15th); Haste (CL 15th); See Invisibility (CL 15th)

Special Qualities:
    Uncanny Dodge (from Impulse Boots).
    Evasion (from Impulse Boots).
    Natural Weapons count as Epic for overcoming Damage Resistance.
    Incarnum Radiance (Su):  Two times per day, as a Free Action, gain 30-foot increase to base land speed for 15 rounds.
    Deflect any ranged attack (including ranged touch attacks) once per round.

Skills:  Balance 15 (+34), Climb 15 (+49), Concentration 10 (+36), Craft 0 (+20), Diplomacy 0 (+15), Heal 0 (+21), Hide 0 (+19), Intimidate 15 (+30), Jump 15 (+49), Knowledge (Arcana) 5 (+25), Knowledge (History) 15 (+35), Knowledge (Local) 10 (+30), Knowledge (Nature) 5 (+25), Knowledge (Nobility/Royalty) 15 (+35), Knowledge (Religion) 15 (+35), Knowledge (The Planes) 15 (+35), Listen 15 (+36), Martial Lore 10 (+30), Move Silently 15 (+34), Profession 0 (+21), Ride 0 (+19), Sense Motive 15 (+21), Spellcraft 10 (+30), Spot 10 (+30), Swim 15 (+49), Tumble 15 (+34)

Skill Tricks:

Feats: Blind-Fight (B), Multiweapon Fighting (B), Improved Unarmed Strike (B), Exceptional Deflection (B), Adaptive Style (1), Dodge (3), Improved Initiative (5), Deflect Arrows (7), Improved Natural Attack (9), Snap Kick (11)

Equipment
Monk's Belt (13000)
Amulet of Mighty Fists +3 (54000)
Ring of Blinking (27000)
Ring of Sustenance (2500)
Ghost Shroud (5000)

Shackles of Unstoppable Might

Base Strongarm Bracers 8000
+2 Strength 2000
+2 to +4 Str 6000
+4 to +6 Str 10000
+1 Armor Bonus 500
+1 to +2 Armor Bonus 1500
+2 to +3 Armor Bonus 2500
+3 to +4 Armor Bonus 3500
+4 to +5 Armor Bonus 4500
+5 to +6 Armor Bonus 5500
+6 to +7 Armor Bonus 6500
+7 to +8 Armor Bonus 7500
Ring of Freedom of Movement 40000
Total:  98000g

Effect:
Make Unarmed Strike as if one size category larger.  +6 Enhancement Bonus to Strength.  +8 Armor Bonus to AC.  Continual Freedom of Movement effect.

500g Remaining

Racial/Template Abilities

Stonechild

• +8 Strength, +8 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
• Size:  As medium creatures, stonechildren have no special bonuses or penalties due to size.
• A stonechild's base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision:  Stonechildren can see in the dark out ot 60 feet.
• Racial Feats:  A stonechild's outsider levels give her one feat.  In addition, stonechildren get Blind-Fight as a bonus feat.
• Weapon and Armor Proficiency:  As an outsider, a stonechild is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields).
• Natural Armor:  A stonechild's tough hide protects her from harm, giving her a +4 natural armor bonus to Armor Class.
• Immunity to Acid and Poison:  Stonechildren take no damage and suffer no ill effects from acid or poison.
• Magic Stone (Sp):  Three times per day, a stonechild can use a magic stone effect as the spell (caster level 3rd).
• Automatic Languages:  Common and Terran.  Bonus Languages:  Celestial, Dwarven, Ignan.
• Favored Class:  Fighter
• Level Adjustment +4
• Outsider (Earth, Extraplanar)

Aberrant Limbs (Arms) x2

LA +4

4 extra arms, each extra pair may be hidden within his primary arms or split from his primary arms as a free action
Multiweapon Fighting as a bonus feat

Prodigy (Strength)

LA+2

+2 bonus to Strength and +4 to all Strength based skill checks.

Paragon Creature

HD: A paragon creature always has maximum hit points. Paragon creatures also gain an additional 12 hit points per HD.

Speed: A paragon creature’s speed triples, for all movement types.

AC: Paragon creatures gain a +12 insight bonus to AC and a +12 luck bonus to AC. They also gain a +5 natural armor bonus (if the creature already has natural armor, use whichever is better).

Attacks: A paragon creature makes all its attacks with a +25 luck bonus on the attack roll.

Damage: A paragon creature gains a +20 luck bonus on Damage rolls for all melee and thrown ranged attacks.

Special Abilities: A paragon creature’s special attacks, if any, all gain a +13 insight bonus, if applicable. The +13 insight bonus may only be applied to a given special ability once.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) or Psionics (Sp): If the base creature has spell-like abilities, it gains +15 to its caster level to use those abilities. A paragon creature also gains the ability to use greater dispel magic, haste, and see invisibility three times per day, even if it did not have spell-like abilities before, at 15th caster level.

Special Qualities: A paragon creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following.

    Damage reduction 10/epic. If the creature already possesses Damage reduction, use whichever is better.

    Spell Resistance equal to the paragon creature’s CR +25. If the creature already possesses spell resistance, use whichever is higher.

    Fast healing 20. If the creature already possesses fast healing, use whichever is better.

    A paragon creature’s natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Saves: The paragon creature gains a +10 insight bonus on all its saving throws.

Abilities: All ability scores are 15 points higher than those of the base creature.

Skills: The paragon creature gains a +10 competence bonus on all its skill checks.

Feats: Same as the base creature, plus one bonus feat.

Swordsage Abilities

Monastery Training (Ex):  Gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat and progress as a monk to determine unarmed strike damage.

Quick to Act (+2) (Ex):  Gain a +2 bonus on Initiative checks.

Discipline Focus (Tiger Claw) (Ex):  Gain benefit of the Weapon Focus feat for the Kukri, Kama, Claw, Handaxe, Greataxe, and Unarmed Strike

AC Bonus:  Add Wisdom modifier as a bonus to Armor Class, so long as you wear no armor, are unencumbered, and do not use a shield.  This bonus applies even against touch attacks or when you are flat-footed.  You lose this bonus when you are immobilized or helpless.

Discipline Focus (Tiger Claw) (Ex):  Add your Wisdom modifier as a bonus on damage rolls whenever you execute a strike from the Tiger Claw discipline.

Sense Magic (Su):  Spend 10 minutes focusing upon a weapon or suit of armor.  If you succeed on a level check (DC 10 + the caster level of the weapon or armor), you can identify the properties of that item, including its enhancement bonus and special abilities.  This ability does not reveal the properties of artifacts or legacy weapons, though it does indicate that such items are significantly powerful.

Maneuvers Known:  12
Maneuvers Readied:  6
Stances Known:  3

Master of Nine Abilities

Dual Stance (Ex):  You can choose to not lose your current stance when you enter a different stance from another discipline.  You may use the benefits of two stances for a maximum of 2 rounds per class level each day, split up as desired.

Perfect Form (Ex):  You initiate your maneuvers with greater fluidity and grace, increasing the save DC (if any) of any maneuver you initiate by 1.

Counter Stance (Ex):  Whenever you initiate a counter maneuver, you can change your stance as part of the counter's action, even if it is not your turn.

Mastery of Nine (Ex):  You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls made when initiating any strike maneuver, and your strikes deal extra damage equal to the number of disciplines you readied maneuvers from at the beginning of the day.

Maneuvers Known:  8
Maneuvers Readied:  5
Stances Known:  2

Incarnate Abilities

Aura (Ex):  Chaotic Aura as the aura of a Cleric.  Soulmelds also radiate an aura of Chaos with a CL of 12.

Detect Opposition (Sp):  Detect Law at will.

Chakra Bind (Crown, Feet, Hands, Arms, Brow, Shoulders) 

Expanded Soulmeld Capacity +1 (Ex):  The essentia capacity of your soulmelds increases by 1.

Incarnum Radiance (Su):  Two times per day, as a Free Action, gain 30-foot increase to base land speed for 3 + Constitution modifier (minimum 1) rounds.

Rapid Meldshaping:  Two times per day, as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, you may unshape a soulmeld and replace it with a new soulmeld.  The new soulmeld cannot be bound to a chakra.

Share Incarnum Radiance:  Share the benefit of your Incarnum Radiance ability with allies within 30ft.

Soulmelds:  6
Essentia:  12
Chakra Binds:  3
Maximum Shaped:  25 or 6
Maximum Essentia Invested:  3+1

Background

Varuna-Mara was not always known by that name, but whatever lowly name he had born beforehand has long since been lost to time and the wearing of the ages.  Similarly the truth of his origin or parentage has long since been turned to myth or legend.  Some say the Stoneborn was birthed in the womb of some primordial earth elemental stew after the blood of a female Deva's womanhood spilled from her nethers into the roiling chaos.  Others say that some lusty succubus had urged the seed from a phallic shaped rock with her enervating pussy and later birthed a stony egg.  Whatever the truth of it, Varuna-Mara was a Stonechild born of auspicious circumstance.

All Stonechildren share one thing in common, a love for challenges and overcoming them.  Varuna-Mara was no exception.  His finely honed body--like some muscled human that had been carved of rough carnelian agate--was tested and retested in combat and other physical challenges as he sought out the most skilled opponents, and the toughest of obstacles.  While many Stonechildren would eventually give up such pursuits to return to the bosom of the earth, Varuna-Mara was never satisfied.  Some he defeated decided to follow him and it wasn't long before the Warrior Sage had his own war band of followers.  He led them with haphazard concern, he was no commander but he was a warrior.  They cut a swathe through the countryside as they went, taking what they wanted and frequently leaving ruin behind.  He began to boast that he was the most powerful being in all the world, and that even the gods quivered at the mention of his name.

The gods, of course, took some offense to the claim, though they ignored it for the time being.

Eventually Varuna-Mara's pillaging took him through a region that was more religious than others, and now temples and churches were more frequently being tainted by his irreverence.  Clerics and the other various denizens and protectors of the temples were often taken prisoner and given over to the roving band.  Some of the lovelier priestesses slaked his own lusts until they were eager to give up their previous gods and goddesses to worship at his feet, so broken by their own lust that they knew only obedience and sex.  Rumblings went out through the heavens--and even in the pits of hell--at what to do about the continued rampage.  St. Cuthbert's temple was the last on his latest string of pillaging, and they holed up in the large temple and used it to rest and celebrate with wine, women, and feasting.  Naturally Law could not abide.  The angered god sent a messenger to the band, an Angelic woman bearing a blade of white fire.  She appeared in the midst of the defiled and destroyed temple, surrounded by the sounds of the various warriors enjoying the company of several broken, lust-addled women and the smells of cooked meats and other delights.  Varuna-Mara had taken up a seat at a slightly raised portion of the temple where he lounged while eating a large turkey leg.  He paid the Angel little mind while she spoke her warning and demanded retribution.  When she had finished her message he instead fought the angelic messenger and subdued her.  The following weeks were spent despoiling her until she met the same lust-bound state of many of the other clerics.

When the former servant of St. Cuthbert had uttered that she had finally given up her former master another band of Angelic servants appeared, much more powerful than the messenger.  While Varuna-Mara held his own against one or two of them they soon overpowered him and subdued him.  For his lawlessness St. Cuthbert sentenced him to imprisonment.  Shackles, specially made for Varuna-Mara, were forged into place onto his wrists leaving no space, no clasps, and no hinges.  The shackles were connected to chains that wrapped around his body and around the Spire at the center of the Outlands.  That was to be his eternal prison.  But Varuna-Mara was not to be imprisoned forever.

Like a volcano he remained stoic in appearance, but within he roiled with fiery rage and meditated on the power of his anger.  His muscles were constantly tensed as he went weeks and months without relaxing them.  One by one his chakras burned from within, glowing with the light of the many souls he had conquered, each point blazing to life one after the other until finally his shackled arms split into two additional sets of arms, appearing like ghostly apparitions before fully solidifying.  His four additional hands gripped at the chains and began to strain against them as the power of the souls swirled around him.  As if bidden by his will they began to flow into the shackles at his wrists and infused them with his indomitable spirit and the power of those that he had slain, or vanquished, or defiled.  Within moments the chains began to yield to his might and he let out a triumphant yell that sent the denizens of the outland scurrying for safety.  With a final snap and the clattering of chain links he was freed, but the manacles would forever be part of him now, an eternal reminder of the attempt to imprison him.

He now travels across the planes searching for a way back to flaunt his new-found freedom in the faces of the gods that had been foolish enough to try and imprison him...