The ‘Loth Resistance
A Coterie of the Hands of Havoc
As Zepherai Thunderstorms asked more questions about the ‘loths, and gathered more answers, a terrifying picture began to form in her head: Everything led back to the ‘loths. It was something that her cell of anarchists had suspected for a long time. Using faction money, the cell paid some high up mage on their books to analyse the wand, and were amazed to learn it was at least as powerful as an artifact, but wasn’t more than a few months old!
The ‘Loth Resistance, as they have come to be called, work to find the real extent of the yugoloths’ powers and plots, strengths and weaknesses, territory and history. They make use of libraries and laboratories of many sympathisers from both inside and outside the faction, and even of other factions who’re concerned about the possibility of yugoloth domination.
They’ve published several books and pamphlets, anonymously (though it ain’t hard to guess who paid Harys Hatchis to distribute them). The best known of these is “Things You Never Even Knew You Didn’t Know About The Yugoloths”, which contained to following screams:
Things You Never Even Knew You Didn’t Know About The Yugoloths
Ever wondered why the baatezu erinyes and tanar’ri succubus are so similar? Wonder no more, because we have proof that these creatures are actually one and the same; polymorphed yugoloth agents both! That’s right, cutter, the same creature. In their true form they’re called bioloths, look like giant leeches with humanoid hands and faces sticking from their slimy flesh, and their mission in the planes to gather up passion and list from mortal bashers. Why? Because yugoloths cannot feel love. They lost their emotions to the draining effect of the Grey Waste thousands of years ago, and crave any kind of feeling at all. Now they drink distilled pleasure of mortals as an expensive tonic, which the bioloths brew and sell for trapped souls!
Ever wondered why human women are weaker than human men, while drowish females are stronger than drow males? We have proof that the yugoloths have chosen one sex from every race from which they drain the strength at birth. This energy is then used to enhance the strength of yugoloth warriors and the intelligence of their high-ups. They need this energy because yugoloths rise in rank by shedding their skins and entering magical cocoons. We have seen them! They alternate the choice of sexes between different races to throw the scent off their foul doings!
Ever wondered why entropy occurs? Our Sinker friends are convincing in the argument that everything decays, but they do not understand why. We have proof that it is the yugoloths’ doing — they drain the energy from all things to expand in numbers, and this causes rusting and decay, weathering and erosion. They have already drained the Waste to dust, and now they are starting on Gehenna! Whenever a ‘loth has a wicked thought, a mortal catches a disease! When the multiverse is turned to dust then they will be all-powerful!”
Ever wondered why there is so much grey in the multiverse? The colour grey is a ‘loth plot! We have proof that the yugoloths are using the leaching effects of the Grey Waste (the centre of which is where their plot was hatched) to drain the colour from the whole multiverse and render it all evil! Grey is the true colour of evil — the ‘loths spread around that black was the colour of evil and we all fell for their screed! Beware grey objects, for the ‘loths can use anything grey to see through or cast their spells from! We have proof!
Do Not Trust The Yugoloths
They Are More Powerful Than You Think!
The leaflets caused a cross between amusement and panic when they were dumped on an unsuspecting Cage and splashed all over the centre pages of SIGIS. Primes were naturally terrified, but most planars laughed it all off as barmy screed. The wise ones, however, looked just that little bit worried…as implausible as it may sound, a real blood knows that on the planes, anything is possible, and doubly so when the ‘loths are concerned. Shemeshka the Marauder’s reaction is unrecorded, but A’kin shut up shop in protest at the anti-‘loth bigotry that ensued for the following few weeks.
Criticism was levelled at the authors for scaremongering screamer tactics, but a follow-up letter to SIGIS stated calmly that if readers couldn’t bear the truth, they might want to end their lives immediately before the ‘loth plot grew further.
“With Baatezu you know they’ll peel you,
– Arnach “The Fatebringer”, a Hand of Havoc (?)
With Tanar’ri you know they’ll bash you,
But with Yugoloths you NEVER know what they’ll do
And that’s what why I’m peery of ’em”
As for the holes in the Inner Planes, the cell believe that the yugoloths are stockpiling magical items filled with elements specifically detrimental to the other planar races in case their grip of power is challenged; lightning to use against baatezu, acid formed from quasi-elemental salt for the tanar’ri, salt itself to rust modrons, fire to combat rilmani, aasimon and guardinal alike, iron from mineral to use against the eladrin. From the numbers of sightings of ‘loth and rifts in the Inner Planes of late (and considering the sheer size of the Inner Planes), the ‘Loth Resistance are very concerned indeed that the ‘loths are massing magic for something very soon indeed…
While it’s something of an open secret that these cutters are anarchists, it still ain’t something that should be bandied about. Only trusted factols and touts know the dark, and they don’t just let it slip to anyone, just in case the worst might be true. If the ‘loths control all, then it won’t do anyone any good except them, so even the greediest spy wouldn’t be so leatherheaded as to pass on the truth.
See, nobody knows if the yugoloths themselves know of the group. If they do, they ain’t exactly sending assassins to slay them all, which is worrying. If they don’t, then nobody wants to see what happens when they do catch the chant. And the third possibility is too horrible to contemplate, but it’s one the cell knows only too well: If the ‘loths really do run the show as the anarchists claim, surely they set up the ‘Loth Resistance themselves…?
Source: Jon Winter-Holt
