YMMV / The Spine of Night

• Complete Monster:
  • Ghal-Sur, at first an unassuming scholar, is actually an Evil Sorcerer who seeks to obtain the power of the gods. Manipulating the swamp queen Tzod into helping him escape his prison, Ghal-Sur afterwards kills her and takes her powerful Bloom flowers. Becoming the prophet of a large town, Ghal-Sur tricks the town's leader Uruq into helping him obtain more power and his freedom by tasking Uruq to massacre his own citizens. With the gods' power now his after killing Uruq and absorbing his empowered soul, Ghal-Sur launches a worldwide conquest march, laying waste to countless villages throughout the centuries, while keeping captives around as slave labor. After Tzod is resurrected and steals his Bloom flowers, Ghal-Sur hunts her down with the intent of killing her again and continuing his trail of conquest.
  • Lord Pyrantin, the son of a would-be emperor, is a would-be tyrant who has the tribe of Tzod slaughtered in her great swamp. Seeking to expand his own domain, Pyrantin wishes to eliminate all the "uncivilized" peoples there, threatening to torture and possibly rape Tzod when she resists. In return for Tzod scarring his face, Pyrantin has her swamp set alight, intending to kill the people there.
  • Grand Inquisitor Uruq is the iron-fisted ruler of a large town. Separating his town into halves, Uruq denies one half of food and knowledge, keeping their books for himself while allowing his guards to kill any peasant who tries to retrieve them. Allying himself with Ghal-Sur by making him the town's prophet, Uruq regularly hands him women to be killed for their blood. Seeking to obtain complete knowledge and power, Uruq works with Ghal-Sur to start a war between his town's peasants and guards, using all the blood spilt to increase Ghal-Sur's magic. With ultimate power now at his disposal, Uruq tries to kill his remaining guards and all those loyal to him.

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