A new religion has sprung up in a large settlement, a town or city. People are abandoning their old faith and flocking to join the congregation of a man calling himself “Omnus”. The town has recently been under a terrible plague, and many considered the place cursed, but Omnus is rumoured to have provided relief from this, curing the sickness.
All is not well, however. The other religious group in town resents losing followers. Hostility grows between them and the followers of Omnus. The local authorities (city watch, town militia, etc) are stretched thin after recent troubles and can do little to dispel the dark atmosphere. They fear that, should violence break out, they will be unable to prevent people getting hurt. Since Omnus has seemingly broken no laws, they can’t simply arrest him.
You can set up this tension in a few ways:
- Have a shop keeper check whether the party follow Omnus, making it clear that, as a devout follower of a different god, he won’t serve them if they are from Omnus’ chapel.
- Graffiti claiming that Omnus is a devil and his worshippers are sheep might be found.
- A homeless man tells anyone who’ll listen that his wife sold their home and went over to Omnus. She hasn’t left his temple since. (If investigated with the local authorities, they reveal that they’ve met the woman and she is alive and well, if a little “focused” on her devotion.
Making the situation yet more complex is the fact that the plague is still present and Omnus appears to be the only thing keeping it at bay. The severity of the plague should be apparent: weeping sores, bedridden people, businesses closed up as their owners are afflicted, perhaps even a mass grave.
NOTE: Given recent real-life circumstances, be mindful about how such scenes might upset the players at your table. You may wish to remove the plague element altogether. A crop famine, or even a curse of bad luck on the town, would be just as effective.
Escalation and Involvement
The party may choose to ignore the brewing conflict in favour of shopping, other side-quests, or resting. Here are some ways you might choose to draw them in more directly:
- The Inn they’re staying in may come under attack from members of the original religious group in town. The accuse the innkeeper of deserting their faith and, after a few drinks, they have grown angry and violent. NOTE: This will make far more sense as a response if the other religious group are followers of a martial deity such as Torm, Helm or even Bane.
- A protest outside Omnus’ chapel turns into a riot and the party are caught in it.
- The head of the Watch may enlist the players directly to investigate Omnus. Their hands are tied by the law but they’re concerned enough that they’re willing to finance some private investigation (they may ask that the players be discreet).
- If a player, or the party, are members of organisations such as the Harpers Guild, they may be asked by a local representative to look into the matter.
The Chapel
The party may choose to enter the Chapel of Omnus directly and they would be welcome to do so. They will find the place piled with gifts; people appear to be giving their prized possessions to Omnus freely, begging him to take them. He sits on a veritable throne of treasures. Eagle-eyed party members might notice that those at the front of the congregation are near zombie-like in mental state, expressionless as though they have been rendered blank.
Once the daily mass is complete, Omnus retires to his chambers in the Chapel and the congregation leave, with the exception of four worshippers who are considered Incapacitated.
Sneaking into the chapel should also be an option. The chapel could be as large or small as you like but should have the following features, besides it’s main chamber:
- Omnus’ private chambers.
- A crypt, the entrance to which is kept locked. More on this below.
Think about other features it might be fun to include. What religion previously occupied the chapel? Are there signs, symbols or relics of theirs stull visible? If there is a Cleric in your party, you could fuel their motivation by making this a former place of worship for their deity. Perhaps there’s even a hidden treasure that Omnus missed when he moved in?
Omnus
Omnus himself is handsome and charismatic and appears to have his flock eating out of the palm of his hand. He is outwardly welcome to the party but inwardly suspicious of them, something that only a particularly high Insight check will reveal.
In reality, Omnus is a fallen celestial who uses the Radiant Idol stat block. Once a warrior angel of Torm, god of war, Omnus grew obsessed with his own pride and was cast out, arriving on the material plane diminished in power and fearing further retribution. Omnus is still consumed by vanity and pride and wishes to cement his position on the material plane but also to buy himself protection in case his former celestial brethren come calling.
He may have as many as a dozen followers with him during mass, though four of these are considered Incapacitated. The others use the Cultist stat block and defend Omnus until death if combat breaks out.
The Crypt
Behind a locked door and down cold stone steps, players will find the crypt. Here is where Omnus’ true intentions are revealed. Amongst the pillars and the sarcophagi, he has erected a fiendish alter to Dispater and, upon it, is a locked chest containing four soul coins – forged from the souls of those four followers who have given themselves over to him totally. Omnus intends to bargain the souls to Dispater for protection once he has obtained enough.
The crypt is guarded by Wraiths, who attack any player approaching the shrine to investigate. These poor spirits were raised by Omnus via the entombed remains in the crypt and his dominion over them is signified by glowing ethereal chains that tie their forms to the altar. If players sever these chains, the Wraiths vanish rather than fighting, freed from Omnus’s control.
Eagle-eyed player characters may spot markings on the chains in Celestial, hinting at Omnus’s origin.
If the shrine is destroyed, Omnus senses it and arrives ready to fight. He will reveal his true nature as a corrupted, fallen Celestial and attempt to destroy the players before they can ruin the ruse he has set up.
Defeating Omnus
Unfortunately, defeating Omnus is only the beginning. With him gone, the original affliction will return to the town. Someone in town is harbouring a terrible relic, an idol which channels the curse upon the town. This person might be a vengeful commoner, perhaps an outcast who wants retribution for how the townsfolk have treated them. They may be a young Warlock, who is doing this as part of their Fae Pact. Think about whether you would prefer this character to be sympathetic or outright villainous.
In any case, the idol is connected to a Hag Coven from the nearby woods and, should it be discovered and destroyed, they will almost certainly swear vengeance on the party.
In addition, there is the matter of the soul coins recovered from the crypt. The party may seek a way to return the forged souls to their owners, or may even want to spend the coins themselves, which means finding their way to Dis. This is an excellent plot hook for future quests.