Her magic had backfired; nay, betrayed her in that moment. She had caused more suffering and simply fueled this demon.
This was never what she wanted. Never what she wanted. Never what she wanted. Never what she-
Pearl touched her hands to her face. She smelled salt. She touched her hands to her eyes.
Blood. She was crying.
Blood.
She laughed out loud, but it came out as more of a choked wheeze. Now? At any time, this was not the time for- -Glitch-
"Aunty?"
"Yes?"
"When did he die?"
Sigh. "That's not the right question, Pearl. The right question is when did he go mad."
-Glitch-
Pearl falls to her knees on a cliff as her world burns around her.
-Glitch-
Pearl covered in blood. Innocent blood.
-Glitch-
Pearl, corpses around her, oil glistening on her chest, laughing. Laughing because she finally understood.
-Glitch-
Pearl came to, laying in the sarcophagus. She laughed out loud. She finally knew what Aunty Eliza had meant. What they all had meant. What mama and papa and all of them meant. She had to be strong to survive. No matter the cost. No matter what it took.
Even though she had their blood on her claws. Even though she would do it all over again.
I know I didn't exactly stick with the quests, but I just really wanted to reveal my character's backstory so yeah! Here it is! Enjoy! And please give me some advice, it would be greatly appreciated!
To lose control of ones magic, to lose control of ones self. Essentially, what happens after you try to read the entire oxford dictionary and 24 hours straight of reading later you realize this might not have been the best idea because you're only half way through the book.
Its a custom mechanic. How it works is described on "Pearls Insanity".
"Rommssssss!" The Sarcophagus was shaking as something hit it! Pearl was thrown against a wall of it, but then the sarcophagus stopped moving. She could feel the demons attention leaving her. "Something unexpected must be happening outside!" she thought.
Blather, curled up to a ball was rolling through the catacombs. "BLATHER IS A GOOD BALL! BLATHER IS A GOOD BALL!!!" he was screaming as he rolled down the stairs into a dark cave that lead into some kind of tomb. "BLATHER IS A GO..." but then he crashed into something. Blather lay on the ground, dazed and every limb was aching. But then he spottet something. He had crashed against some kind of chest. But on the chest, there was a creature materializing ...
Kaelen followed the screaming creatureballthing into the dark cave, carefully staying in the shadows, using his shards to look around corners. It was a tomb! In the middle of the tomb was a sarcophagus, in front of it the creature was lying on the ground, but on top of the sarcophagus a demon was materializing!
Uliyana was still undecided. Should she follow the strange creature that had rolled by or should she stay with johanas?
"WHO DARES DISTURB ME?!? THAT SARCOPHAGUS IS MINE! AND MINE ALONE!" The Demon shoutet in a grizzly voice! Around him the ground was turning into some kind of tar and ugly lesser demons appeared out of it.
New Quest for everyone:
Do whatever you think is a good response to this situation and create a card that represents this!
Pearl gasp as her back slammed against the side of the coffin, knocking the air out of her lungs. Screaming sounded outside, and it seemed as if the demon had taken a physical form.
Pearl was, needless to say, angry. Very, very angry. At being trapped in her, forced to endure torture and very bad smells. She had had enough.
As Pearl cast that spell, her world began to crumble into dust. No, it wasnt her world, it was her! The spell backfired and began to turn her into dust! But then, suddenly, the disintegrating effect reversed and restored Pearl.
Outside of the sarcophagus, the demons summoned sufferlings suddenly turned into dust, while the demon itself seemed to be weakened and in pain. With one of his claws he hit the sarcophagus and hissed something that sounded really angry.
It seems that you found a way to reduce the power of this demon. Unfortunately it involves self-destruction, but maybe this will be usefull in some way.
Quest updated for everyone: The Demon is weakened by Pearls spell! This could be your chance for something! But will you use it?Create a card that exploits an enemies weakness!
Flying, lifelink Whenever you cast a spell with mana paid from life, draw a card. {B}{B}: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Activate only if you have paid life this turn.
"There’s a tower for the ambitious, a tower for the noble, and a tower for the damned. I plan to rule them all."
Location Card:
The Catacombs Legendary Land The Catacombs enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a creature card in your graveyard.
{T}: Add {B} or {C}. {2}{B}{T}, Sacrifice a creature: Mill three cards, then return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
"In the depths, ambition rots, and secrets grow wild like vines."
Desmodius’s Backstory: Born of the Plane of Terror’s eternal gloom, Desmodius carved his way up from the deepest crypts of The Catacombs. Whispers of ancient, forbidden powers drew him upward, and now he seeks to ascend the towering hierarchies by any means necessary. Desmodius thrives in the shadows, manipulating the desperate slummers, dabbling with forbidden skyforest magics, and plotting to unseat those who look down from their lofty heights.
As Desmodius was plotting and scheming in his mind for like the thousandth time, to make sure everything would go as planned, since his schemes could easily take a century to unfold, something suddenly disturbed him.
The catacombs "sky" tore up and people startet falling into his world. He could hear their screames and suddenly the air was filled with that one special taste. Blood. Fresh, warm, delicious blood. With bared Vampire Teeth he was drawn towards the source of the fresh blood until he saw some wounded survivors. And on the ground there was a bloody trail leading away from them. Then, suddenly in the distance he felt a powerful burst of magic and as he looked closer there was something white and shiny near that location.
But what should he do now?
New Quest for jpastor:
Chose one and create a card that represents your choice.
- Theres always time for a little massacre. Feed on the wounded!
- That Trail of Blood looks interesting. Follow it.
- Find out more about the magical burst and the white shiny thing.
Choice: Find out more about the magical burst and the white shiny thing.
Desmodius's hunger tugged at his instincts, but centuries of carefully laid plans had taught him that power was worth more than mere sustenance. The gleam of white magic—an unusual rarity in the Plane of Terror—intrigued him. Was it a relic? A portal? Or perhaps a powerful new piece to add to his board of schemes? Whatever it was, Desmodius couldn’t resist investigating.
Card:
Burst of Celestial Radiance Enchantment — Quest
Mana Cost: {1}{W}{B}
When Burst of Celestial Radiance enters the battlefield, exile the top five cards of your library face down. You may look at these cards. Whenever a creature you control dies, you may pay {1}. If you do, return a card exiled with Burst of Celestial Radiance to your hand. If you control three or more white permanents, exile Burst of Celestial Radiance and create Radiant Shard, a legendary artifact token with "Creatures you control have lifelink" and "{T}: Add one mana of any color."
"Curiosity is often mistaken for weakness—by those who lack imagination."
Desmodius tread carefully, his senses sharp. He would find out what this burst meant and, if necessary, claim its power for himself.
Desmodius moved easily through the dark, using his vampiric senses, into the direction were the magic and the shiny light came from.
After a while he discovered that a trail of blood lead into the same direction. That was strange. There was a deeper connection here and that made him only more curious.
He moved down an ancient stair and then he could see it. A cave entrance with powerful magic radiating out of the cave. And in front of the cave a couple was standing and discussing. The woman looked ordinary but the young boy who was with her radiated glowing light. Strange indeed. But what they couldnt see, but Desmodius could, was that someone else was watching them, too, hidden inside a screen of glass shards. Desmodius knew this individual, it was Kaelen, another inhabitant of the catacombs.
But what was even more strange, was this cave. Desmodius knew it too. But for alle he knew this was just an empty ordinary cave with nothing interesting in it.
New Quest for Desmodius:
- Handle this situation however you want and create a card that represents your choice.
Desmodius crouched in the shadows, weighing his options. The boy radiated an unfamiliar power, and the woman's presence felt deliberate, like a guardian. Meanwhile, Kaelen, hidden and waiting, was no fool. Any direct action risked exposure or conflict on multiple fronts. Instead, Desmodius decided to turn this situation to his advantage.
By revealing himself and presenting a facade of helpfulness, he could gain the trust of Uliyana and Johanas, all while subtly setting the stage to turn Kaelen into an ally or a scapegoat.
Card:
Desmodius’s Whispered Offer Instant Mana Cost: {1}{B}{B}
Choose one or both:
Target player reveals their hand. You may choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card.
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap it. It gains haste and lifelink until end of turn.
If you control a Vampire, scry 2.
"All roads lead to me—some are just more painful than others."
Outcome: Desmodius emerged from the shadows, his voice smooth as silk, offering guidance to Uliyana and Johanas while planting seeds of distrust about Kaelen’s intentions. Meanwhile, he silently probed Kaelen’s weaknesses, preparing to either strike a deal or make him a distraction when the time was right.
This way, Desmodius keeps his options open while unraveling the mystery of the glowing cave and the blood trail.
Desmodius appeared out of the dark and with a smile that hid his vampire teeth, he spoke:
"Hello Strangers. I noted the three of you here in front of this cave. But be warned, i sense powerful magic radiating out of this cave. And as this trail of blood on the ground shows, it could be dangerous. I assume the three of you were about to enter it, so im offering my help, since i want to know as well whats going on inside."
Kaelens Shards suddenly stopped floating around and hiding Kaelen and Kaelen met Desmodius with a sharp and angry look, then spoke:
"Ah, my old friend Desmodius. Uninformed as always. I too felt the strange magic, but i was here first. And when that young couple appeared i hid to not scare them. Maybe you dont know this but down here in the catacombs theres monsters like undead, VAMPIRES and even worse creatures. And unless you i already gathered some information. ... Inside that cave is a Demon and an Undead creature and a magical Box!"
Triumphant Kaelen looked at Desmodius.
"But i still appreciate that you want to help us. So, everyone, should we go inside that cave?"
Uliyana and Johanas whispered a bit, then agreed to explore the cave.
New Quest for jpastor:
Your plan somehow worked, but Kaelen is smart and manipulative too and you dont know what he wants. And about those other two you know even less, but they seem like good people.
Create a card that helps exploring the cave:
- Rush into the cave and surprise whoever is inside!
- Sneak into the cave and try to remain undetected!
- Let the others enter the cave first and wait what happens.
Desmodius’s Choice: Sneak into the cave and try to remain undetected!
Desmodius grinned inwardly. A direct assault might expose him, and waiting outside left too much in the hands of others. Stealth was the vampire’s forte, and this was his chance to gather information while maintaining his advantage. By slipping into the shadows and observing, Desmodius could unravel the true nature of the threat—or seize the magical box without the others even noticing.
Card:
Shadowslip Expedition Sorcery Mana Cost: {2}{B}
Choose up to two:
Destroy target non-Vampire creature with power 3 or less.
Look at the top three cards of your library. You may put one into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
Until your next turn, creatures you control gain “This creature can’t be blocked by creatures with power greater than its power.”
If you control a Vampire, you may cast this spell as though it had flash.
"They never hear me coming—until it’s far too late."
Outcome: Desmodius melded into the shadows and entered the cave ahead of the group, his movements silent as death. He used his vampiric senses to assess the situation, scanning for traps, hidden enemies, and the source of the strange magic. With every step, he grew closer to uncovering the secrets hidden within—while remaining ready to pounce if the opportunity arose.
By sneaking in, Desmodius keeps the element of surprise and positions himself to seize control of the encounter.
Pearl listened to the greatly muffled voices from outside, all even more dampened by the labored breathing of the weakened demon. She began to focus. Oil began to seep from in between her fingers, melding with the lining of the coffin, melting it with a loud popping sound as the stone and gold filigree was melted away by the toxic phyrexian oil. Pearl smiled. It was time to change the multiverse.
"No! No, dont do this! You're not supposed to do this now! Stop it!" The Demon growled angry and hit the sarcophagus with his fist and fine sand fell unto pearl. "If you dont stop it you will suffer even more!"
More Sand fell on pearl, but this time nothing had hit the sarcophagus. Fine sand was raining down on pearl from everywhere and slowly, but steady filling the sarcophagus, while it was absorbing the oil.
The Demon fully turned his attention towards the sarcophagus as more sand filled it "Time to feed!" it growled!
New Quest for jpastor:
The Demon is focussing his attention on the sarcophagus. A better moment for surprising the demon will not come.
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Comments
Her magic had backfired; nay, betrayed her in that moment. She had caused more suffering and simply fueled this demon.
This was never what she wanted. Never what she wanted. Never what she wanted. Never what she-
Pearl touched her hands to her face. She smelled salt. She touched her hands to her eyes.
Blood. She was crying.
Blood.
She laughed out loud, but it came out as more of a choked wheeze. Now? At any time, this was not the time for-
-Glitch-
"Aunty?"
"Yes?"
"When did he die?"
Sigh. "That's not the right question, Pearl. The right question is when did he go mad."
-Glitch-
Pearl falls to her knees on a cliff as her world burns around her.
-Glitch-
Pearl covered in blood. Innocent blood.
-Glitch-
Pearl, corpses around her, oil glistening on her chest, laughing. Laughing because she finally understood.
-Glitch-
Pearl came to, laying in the sarcophagus. She laughed out loud. She finally knew what Aunty Eliza had meant. What they all had meant. What mama and papa and all of them meant. She had to be strong to survive. No matter the cost. No matter what it took.
Even though she had their blood on her claws. Even though she would do it all over again.
For the glory of Phyrexia.
Pearl was, needless to say, angry. Very, very angry. At being trapped in her, forced to endure torture and very bad smells. She had had enough.
VOLUME WARNING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkO1AUvk9Y4 (Music)
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/annihilate-30 (Card)
This sounds like an incredibly fun and atmospheric RPG! Here's my contribution:
Character Card:
Desmodius, Towerbound Nightcaller
Legendary Creature — Vampire Warlock
Mana Cost: {2}{B}{B}
Power/Toughness: 3/4
Flying, lifelink
Whenever you cast a spell with mana paid from life, draw a card.
{B}{B}: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Activate only if you have paid life this turn.
"There’s a tower for the ambitious, a tower for the noble, and a tower for the damned. I plan to rule them all."
Location Card:
The Catacombs
Legendary Land
The Catacombs enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a creature card in your graveyard.
{T}: Add {B} or {C}.
{2}{B}{T}, Sacrifice a creature: Mill three cards, then return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
"In the depths, ambition rots, and secrets grow wild like vines."
Desmodius’s Backstory:
Born of the Plane of Terror’s eternal gloom, Desmodius carved his way up from the deepest crypts of The Catacombs. Whispers of ancient, forbidden powers drew him upward, and now he seeks to ascend the towering hierarchies by any means necessary. Desmodius thrives in the shadows, manipulating the desperate slummers, dabbling with forbidden skyforest magics, and plotting to unseat those who look down from their lofty heights.
Let me know if you need tweaks or additions!
Choice: Find out more about the magical burst and the white shiny thing.
Desmodius's hunger tugged at his instincts, but centuries of carefully laid plans had taught him that power was worth more than mere sustenance. The gleam of white magic—an unusual rarity in the Plane of Terror—intrigued him. Was it a relic? A portal? Or perhaps a powerful new piece to add to his board of schemes? Whatever it was, Desmodius couldn’t resist investigating.
Card:
Burst of Celestial Radiance
Enchantment — Quest
Mana Cost: {1}{W}{B}
When Burst of Celestial Radiance enters the battlefield, exile the top five cards of your library face down. You may look at these cards.
Whenever a creature you control dies, you may pay {1}. If you do, return a card exiled with Burst of Celestial Radiance to your hand.
If you control three or more white permanents, exile Burst of Celestial Radiance and create Radiant Shard, a legendary artifact token with "Creatures you control have lifelink" and "{T}: Add one mana of any color."
"Curiosity is often mistaken for weakness—by those who lack imagination."
Desmodius tread carefully, his senses sharp. He would find out what this burst meant and, if necessary, claim its power for himself.
Desmodius’s Decision: Manipulate the Situation
Desmodius crouched in the shadows, weighing his options. The boy radiated an unfamiliar power, and the woman's presence felt deliberate, like a guardian. Meanwhile, Kaelen, hidden and waiting, was no fool. Any direct action risked exposure or conflict on multiple fronts. Instead, Desmodius decided to turn this situation to his advantage.
By revealing himself and presenting a facade of helpfulness, he could gain the trust of Uliyana and Johanas, all while subtly setting the stage to turn Kaelen into an ally or a scapegoat.
Card:
Desmodius’s Whispered Offer
Instant
Mana Cost: {1}{B}{B}
Choose one or both:
If you control a Vampire, scry 2.
"All roads lead to me—some are just more painful than others."
Outcome:
Desmodius emerged from the shadows, his voice smooth as silk, offering guidance to Uliyana and Johanas while planting seeds of distrust about Kaelen’s intentions. Meanwhile, he silently probed Kaelen’s weaknesses, preparing to either strike a deal or make him a distraction when the time was right.
This way, Desmodius keeps his options open while unraveling the mystery of the glowing cave and the blood trail.
Desmodius’s Choice: Sneak into the cave and try to remain undetected!
Desmodius grinned inwardly. A direct assault might expose him, and waiting outside left too much in the hands of others. Stealth was the vampire’s forte, and this was his chance to gather information while maintaining his advantage. By slipping into the shadows and observing, Desmodius could unravel the true nature of the threat—or seize the magical box without the others even noticing.
Card:
Shadowslip Expedition
Sorcery
Mana Cost: {2}{B}
Choose up to two:
If you control a Vampire, you may cast this spell as though it had flash.
"They never hear me coming—until it’s far too late."
Outcome:
Desmodius melded into the shadows and entered the cave ahead of the group, his movements silent as death. He used his vampiric senses to assess the situation, scanning for traps, hidden enemies, and the source of the strange magic. With every step, he grew closer to uncovering the secrets hidden within—while remaining ready to pounce if the opportunity arose.
By sneaking in, Desmodius keeps the element of surprise and positions himself to seize control of the encounter.
Pearl smiled. It was time to change the multiverse.