Demonic Ritual by Kenya Ferrand
Written by Tony Hoffart
Editing by Jonathan Jacobs
Art by Kenya Ferrand
Background
Geuseppe Fosteur is a prospering spice merchant who amassed a sizable fortune and a small fleet by running exceptionally rare and sought after spices from the southern islands to more temperate climes. His company, The South Ocean Endeavor Shipping and Transport Company, is known throughout the high seas. For a time, Geuseppe’s fortune was not just in business, for he also enjoyed for a time a rich personal life with a devoted wife and five loyal children who he adored above none other.
His fortunes of the heart and of the purse did not, however, last forever.
During what would become his last voyage to meet with the kings of the north, he was informed that his wife and three youngest children had taken mysteriously ill. Geuseppe, who placed his family’s safety first, immediately changed course for his homeland, but in the end did not arrive in time to witness their final, fatal moments. His loss was devestating, but this was not the end his loss.
Only a few short days after the burials, before the soil on their caskets had settled, his eldest son fell ill as well. Such dispair fell onto Geuseppe’s heart that the light within it went out, and in the darkness that remained, a mad otherworldly fury crept into its place. Geuseppe stepped off the brink of sanity that night, and forged a pact with this demon to save his son’s life.
Years have since passed since that fateful night, and only a rare few have seen Guiseppe in the flesh. His business continues to grow, but he does his dealing through agents and by proxy. Today, The South Ocean Endeavor works to ship not spices and luxuries, but weapons for war, illicit drugs, and slaves. His company, through Guisseppe’s leadership, works to further the demon’s agenda: the dissolution of peace and the end of prosperity. The demon agreed that, only through spreading the tools of war, Guiseppe’s son will recover and become strong again. Thus, each time the SOE fuels wars with shipments of weapons, the demon breaths life back into Guiseppe’s son.
Mission
The Endeavor now prospers more than ever, and the demon is careful not to waste it’s power by doing things that would reveal it to the world. The shipping empire is currently supporting kingdoms and businesses who further the demon’s agenda through food shipments, weapons and slave trade, and by serving as an important information network. In addition, Fosteur’s company subtly sabotages those who undermine the demon in a variety of ways, including sending poisoned shipments of spices, smuggling spies into foreign lands, or delivering tainted goods or weapons.
Geuseppe Fosteur is not the most enthusiastic about following the demon, but will continue to faithfully serve in order to keep his son from getting sick. However if the opportunity to guarantee his son’s health forever became available, he would stop at nothing to ensure it.
Structure
The Fosteur South Ocean Endeavor has over two-dozen seaworthy vessels and a half dozen company outposts spread across the world. They have shipping agreements with nearly all nations and any illicit business that might go on usually can be “legitimized” by a few quiet bribes without any undue attention at all.
Since his son’s illness, Geuseppe has taken a less active role in his company’s management. Instead, he has taken to delegating the responsibility to Brackan ValMoren; a suspected cultist of infernal power. Brackan runs the company ruthlessly and competently but lacks true merchant vision. He thus refers to Geuseppe on large decisions and then executes the merchant’s suggestions with cruel efficiency.
The result of this is that the employees of the South Ocean Endeavor show discipline and little insubordination, but are cruel and vicious at any port they end up in. The brothel owners and innkeepers have learned to fear a Fosteur SOE vessel pulling into port. Though the money is good, it comes with more than it’s share of broken furniture and scars.
Hooks
- The player characters manage to catch someone suspecting of spying on a local lord. After interrogating the agent, they discover that the company who smuggled the spy into the country was the Fosteur South Ocean Endeavor, and that they have ships coming in again the following day. The spy was to be expected to deliver his report to one of the ship’s captains.
- After a battle with a small group of demon cultists, the PCs find many of the trademarks of the Fosteur South Ocean Endeavor on various foodstuffs and gear belonging to the cultists. So much so that it’s obvious the Endeavor has been supplying the cult directly. Who else might they be making deliveries to?
- The PC’s through their heroic deeds come across a ritual cure for Geuseppe Fosteur’s son, although they don’t know of it’s significance to the boy. The ritual is previously unknown and the PC’s may not be able to understand it’s true nature without aid, or they may wish to profit by sharing this forgotten magical knowledge with others. Nonetheless, Geuseppe Fosteur finds out about the cure and reaches out to the PC’s in an attempt to procure it either by force or through diplomacy. If the former approach is taken, he pitts his vast resources against the PC’s until he gets the cure. The later way would feature Fosteur repentant for his deeds, while ensuring the demon’s wrath on both himself and the PCs.
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The Fosteur South Ocean Endeavor by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.
