Nocticula
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This article reflects recent canon updates. |
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This page is affiliated with the Nocticula Revision Initiative project. |
| Nocticula | |
|---|---|
| (Deity) | |
| Titles | The Redeemer Queen |
| Adjective | Nocticulan |
| Realm | Midnight's Palette, Elysium |
| Alignment | Chaotic neutral |
| Areas of Concern | Artists Exiles Midnight |
| Worshipers | Artists and exiles (assumed), caligni[1] |
| Edicts | Make art that is true to yourself, protect marginalized artists, punish those who take advantage of offered trust or shelter |
| Anathema | Deny shelter to the desperate, destroy harmless art you don't like, finish a piece of art during daylight hours |
| Cleric Alignments (1E) | [2] |
| Domains (1E) | Artifice, Chaos, Darkness, Travel, Void |
| Subdomains (1E) | Exploration, Isolation, Moon, Night, Revelry, Whimsy |
| Cleric Alignments (2E) | |
| Domains (2E) | Change, creation, darkness, travel |
| Favored Weapon | Dagger |
| Symbol | Moon with a pair of smirking lips and a seven-pointed crown |
| Sacred Animal | Bat |
| Sacred Colors | Blue, white |
| Images of Nocticula | |
Source: Midwives to Death, pg(s). 78f. (1E) Gods & Magic, pg(s). 68 (2E) | |
| Nocticula (as demon lord) | |
|---|---|
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| |
| (Deity) | |
| Titles | Our Lady in Shadow Demon Lord of Darkness and Lust |
| Adjective | Nocticulan |
| Realm | Midnight Isles, Abyss |
| Alignment | Chaotic evil |
| Areas of Concern | Assassins Darkness Lust |
| Worshipers | Assassins, drow, lamyros, rapists and other sexual criminals, shadow-using creatures, succubi, whores |
| Cleric Alignments (1E) | |
| Domains (1E) | Chaos, Charm, Darkness, Evil |
| Subdomains (1E) | Demon, Loss, Lust, Night |
| Favored Weapon | Hand crossbow |
| Symbol | Thorny pointed crown |
| Sacred Animal | Bat |
| Sacred Colors | Black, pink |
| Images of Nocticula | |
Source: Lords of Chaos, Book of the Damned Volume 2, pg(s). 21 | |
| Nocticula (as demon lord) | |
|---|---|
| |
| (Creature) | |
| Type | Outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar) |
| CR | 30 |
| Environment | Any (Abyss) |
| Alignment | |
| Adjective | Nocticulan |
| Images of Nocticula | |
Source: The Midnight Isles, pg(s). 86–87 | |
Nocticula (pronounced nok-TICK-you-lah),[3] the Redeemer Queen, is a goddess of artists, midnight and exiles, and a former demon lord who concerned herself then with the metaphysical qualities of darkness and lust. She excelled in seduction, beauty, cruelty, and sadism.[4][5]
History
Nocticula originated as the first succubus in the Abyss, eventually ascending to become the demon lord of assassins and ruler of her former kind. When Nahyndri, demon lord of gems, prisons and slavery, tried to enslave her, Nocticula killed him in self-defence and discovered that she had the power to kill other demon lords. During her time as a demon lord, Nocticula seduced and killed numerous rivals, effectively serving as a check against their proliferation. With each death, her power grew, as did her conviction to turn against her demonic nature; she eventually made it her goal to become a full goddess and abandon evil alltogether.[6][7][8] Some time after aiding a group of adventurers that later defeated Deskari and closed the Worldwound, Nocticula vanished from the Abyss and achieved her goal, leaving her demonic nature behind and becoming a full goddess.[7][5]
Symbols
Nocticula's unholy symbol consisted of a crown with many points wrapped with prickly vines. She was also symbolised with a demonic rune.[6] Since ascension, her holy symbol is a moon with a pair of smirking lips and a seven-pointed crown.[5]
Homes
Nocticula once dwelt in the House of Silken Shadows within the Abyssal realm known as the Midnight Isles, an island realm shrouded in sensual immorality and eternal darkness.[9] One of her first acts as a full deity was to form a new realm, the Midnight's Palette, in the Boundless Azure Ocean of Elysium near the border with the Maelstrom.[5]
Appearance
When she was still a demon lord, Nocticula appeared as a succubus, wearing her dark hair in a complex style. Her eyes were devoid of pupils, her fingers were tipped with talons, and her feet ended in stony hooves that exuded red-hot, liquid iron. Her batlike wings were covered with glowing runes, and three stinger-tipped tails completed her demonic visage. Like her brother, Socothbenoth, she often shifted her form to meet the deepest, darkest desires of those observing her.[4][10][11]
As the Redeemer Queen, Nocticula has blue or purple hair and a gentler expression. Her new outfit is more complex and less revealing, although she retains her batlike wings and triple tails ending in blades.[12][13]
Relationships
Nocticula is a master at seduction, so much so that even the other mighty demon lords were not immune to her persuasive charms. Her greatest triumph was the seduction and murder of Vyriavaxus, the former demon lord of shadows. His essence was used to form the largest of Nocticula's Midnight Isles.[14] As a result, most demon lords treated her with extreme caution. Despite their stern forbearance, her unearthly beauty also inspired lust and obsession, which tempered their fears.[9][11]
The only exception to Nocticula's distrustful relationships with other demon lords was that with her brother Socothbenoth, with whom she once maintained a relatively friendly, and more disturbingly, frequently incestuous relationship. Socothbenoth eventually grew jealous of his sister's power and attempted to assassinate her, only to be humiliated as she left him broken on the steps before his realm, the Cathedral Thelemic. Socothbenoth was infuriated by how Nocticula disdained his actions and refused to acknowledge him, and feared that he might become her next victim, but this occurrence had not happened before her ascension.[11][8]
Some believe that Nocticula served Lamashtu as her personal assassin in clearing the Abyss of undesirables, but this theory holds no merit when one takes into account that she never threatened Lamashtu's archenemy Pazuzu. Indeed, Lamashtu's cult had recently become far more hostile towards Nocticula's interests, as Lamashtu rightly predicted that Nocticula would follow her as the second demon lord to ascend to godhood.[11][8] Baphomet is enraged by Nocticula.[15]
Nocticula once regarded the nascent demon lord Shamira as both a valued lover, companion, and minion, as well as the closest thing she had to a rival. Nocticula tasked Shamira with governing the city of Alushinyrra on her behalf, answering only to Nocticula and informing her if she needed to intervene in important events.[16] Since her ascension, she left her old realm under the oversight of Shamira. Shamira holds no ill will toward her former mistress, but other demon lords and their cults are eager for vengeance, lest they stray from evil like she did.[5]
Church of Nocticula
Worshipers
As a demon lord
A cruel sadist on one hand and a seductive beauty on the other, as a demon lord, Nocticula was patron to traitors, assassins, and succubi (both literally and figuratively).[4] Assassins' guilds in her service were established in many cities[4] and were constantly at odds with other guilds, especially the feared Red Mantis, often leading to protracted shadow wars. She was particularly popular amongst the drow of Golarion, and was taken on as the patron of House Misraria.[17] She was also worshiped in places of decadence such as Katapesh, Nex, Geb, and certain River Kingdoms.[9][11] Nocticula was also venerated among the Lamyros, a group of Pharasma-cursed creatures that loathe all the gods, and take pleasure in confounding and destroying their mortal servants.[18]
After Nocticula slew Vyriavaxus, the patron of shadow demons, these demons grudgingly transferred their allegience and worship to her.[11][14]
As the Redeemer Queen
Nocticula's followers included a once-heretical sect named the Cult of the Redeemer Queen, whose members rightly believed that their patron was seeking to leave behind her demonic nature and become a goddess of artists, outcasts, and midnight.[6][19]
This was believed by others to be a ruse on Nocticula's part; although these skeptics agreed that Nocticula sought true godhood, they believed that the demon lord sought to become an assassin of gods and seeded rumors of her quest for redemption to hide her true intentions.[6] Likewise, the cult has faced opposition and assassinations from more orthodox worshippers of Nocticula.[19] Nocticula herself seemed to enjoy the strife caused by these disagreements, and granted her once-heretical followers the same magic that she granted to her traditional evil worshippers.[6] In the end, the Cult of the Redeemer Queen was ultimately proven right.[5]
As the Redeemer Queen
Since Nocticula ascended and left her evil ways behind, her followers found themselves faced with a predicament, as she stopped granting divine magic to chaotic evil worshippers. Some followed her into redemption and sought to cast off evil as well, but many more cannot abandon their murderous or hedonistic ways and turned their worship to other demon lords, most often Socothbenoth, Shax, and Zura. In the meantime, the Redeemer Queen's cult has spread quickly, particularly in New Thassilon, and especially among artists, eccentrics, and those who exult in the darkest nights.[20][5] Nocticula's following has also become established in western Varisia and has developed purchase in Nidal, where it has gained popularity among rebels seeking an opposing expression of darkness and the night than the pain and loss embodied by Zon-Kuthon.[21]
Gallery
A portrait of Nocticula.
Nocticula assassinates a demon lord.
References
For additional resources, see the Meta page.
- ↑ Logan Bonner, et al. (2021). Bestiary 3 (Second Edition), p. 41. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-312-6
- ↑ James Jacobs. (2018). Return of the Runelords Player's Guide, Paizo Inc.
- ↑ Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 247. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 232. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 James Jacobs. (2019). Nocticula. Midwives to Death, p. 78f. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-144-3
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Amanda Hamon and James Jacobs. (2013). Bestiary. The Midnight Isles, p. 87. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-585-3
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Robert Brookes et al. (2018). Planar Adventures, p. 205–206. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-044-6
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 John Compton, Adam Daigle, Amanda Hamon Kunz, et al. (2017). Book of the Damned, p. 80–81. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-970-7
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 James Jacobs. (2009). Demon Lords of Golarion. Descent into Midnight, p. 61. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-131-2
- ↑ Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 174–175. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 James Jacobs. (2010). Lords of Chaos, p. 21. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-250-0
- ↑ Greg A. Vaughan. (2019). Rise of New Thassilon. Rise of New Thassilon, p. 50. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-106-1
- ↑ Paizo staff. (2020). Gods & Magic, p. 68. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-202-0
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 James Jacobs. (2013). Demons Revisited, p. 29. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-552-5
- ↑ Sean K. Reynolds. (2013). Baphomet. Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth, p. 75. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-586-0
- ↑ James Jacobs. (2013). Alushinyrra: The Porphyry City. The Midnight Isles, p. 73. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-585-3
- ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2008). Zirnakaynin. Endless Night, p. 51. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-129-9
- ↑ Greg A. Vaughan. (2008). Bestiary. Spires of Xin-Shalast, p. 83. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-041-4
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 James Jacobs. (2015). Ayavah. A Song of Silver, p. 100–101. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-795-6
- ↑ James Jacobs. (2019). Beyond the Campaign. Rise of New Thassilon, p. 79. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-106-1
- ↑ Tanya DePass, James Jacobs, Lyz Liddell, et al. (2019). World Guide, p. 114. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-64078-172-6
External links
- Nocticula (Dungeons & Dragons character) on Wikipedia
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