Story/Arcs/Grand/1

Ice Devil: Xan'Ko (levels 6-10)
A pit fiend An ice devil has received word of a self-sustaining rift with very powerful magic, and aims to take complete control of it for himself his master; when this can't be done via infiltration, he then tries to slaughter the plane's inhabitants in order to raise it from the ashes using the raw magic stored there.

Featured tracks:

 * Placed: The Nightmare Continues, True or False, Slug Poison, Root Canal, Blood Hunt, Dirge of Drakan, The Lord of Vampyrium, Regal, [more TBD]
 * Unplaced: Bad Idea

Ice Devil tactics:

 * reference - http://themonstersknow.com/devil-tactics-greater-devils/

Background

 * Xan'Ko [zan-koh]
 * Powerful devil, tries to take over the dungeons
 * Discovery
 * minion wanders into dungeon network via Elemental rift
 * reports back unable to report back (doesn't have Sending)
 * Exploration
 * Forces way into dungeon
 * Behaves as player, goes between a few dungeons
 * Infiltration
 * minion
 * accepted into Quarters
 * discovers Forum
 * Finds more about merchants
 * reports back (via an unsuspecting merchant, or by bribing a merchant)
 * spy: a "simple merchant"
 * appears in Forum, creates stall, trades as normal

Enter players

 * Information
 * minion
 * goes through dungeons
 * explores main area, explores edges of plane
 * discovers more about Denizens, reports back
 * Subversion, 1
 * minion_2, outclasses previous minion; intended to take some control
 * infiltrates dungeons, accepted into Quarters
 * sneaky communication with minion_1
 * minion_1
 * learns more about multiple denizens, reports to minion_2
 * minion_2 gets close to denizen
 * learns more about the power denizens hold
 * sneakily searches for how it works
 * silently seeks apprenticeship
 * Subversion, 2
 * minion_1
 * tests dungeons, learns more about their nature/resources/weak-points
 * spy
 * to minion_1: asks about Forum boundary
 * minion_1 to minion_2: research
 * rogue
 * infiltrates via Forum, similar to spy
 * spy stays back, rogue aims to infiltrate denizen's office
 * learns about Simul
 * learns about apprentices
 * spy retreats, more planning
 * minion_2 investigates about Simul, INDIRECTLY
 * minion_2 seeks apprenticeship
 * INCIDENT 1
 * rogue detains denizen (NOT Simul), minion_2 asserts succession
 * minion_2 found out (won't be trusted for Cultist-...ship... so easily, or ritual went wrong)
 * Cultists aim to dispatch
 * Can't find lost Cultist
 * Clues for players
 * the players find and free the lost Cultist
 * Infiltration, 2
 * rogue sent back in, charms cultist, hides
 * minion_1 learns more about power
 * tests boundaries
 * INCIDENT 2
 * Simul possessed - ♫ Slug Poison ♫, ♫ Root Canal ♫
 * (this is EXTRA BAD because Simul controls the dimensional folding of the 'Rift)
 * (the players, presumably:) to Putra: "Simul's gone rogue"
 * Putra: (fiercely:) "... WHAT?" *entire composure changes as she leans forward and looks intently, with severe intensity and concern, eyes burning more than normal* "HOW?"
 * Reprieve - ♫ [track TBD] ♫
 * Xan'Ko gains information about Simul's dimensional folding
 * Reckless appearance; "tries" to disrupt main area
 * "defeated"; it seems the threat has been handled
 * Expanding power
 * Xan'Ko seeks to infiltrate domain (minion_1's cultist)
 * creates backdoors
 * Assaults, 1
 * Xan'Ko begins sending in forces to new domain
 * Seeks more points in other domains to send forces
 * "The plane is safe, the dungeons are just getting unruly"
 * Assaults, 2
 * forces break into Nexus via domain (minion_1's cultist)
 * Nexus begins experiencing encounters - ♫ The Nightmare Continues ♫
 * cultist (charmed) makes excuses (to cover for minion_1's goals)
 * INCIDENT 3
 * forces breach into Quarters (NOT players' quarters)
 * Defenders of Arxsec's Rift show up
 * Nothing authoritive; just more residents with Jobs (Defender job)
 * higher-class, non-job residents assist
 * Xan'Ko's minions not at the scene
 * [more TBD: eventually seek total control]

-> Level-up: 8

 * More aggressive efforts - strong underlings begin making appearances
 * Target the denizens
 * (?) Attempt to claim some rooms as strongholds of power
 * [more details/events TBD]
 * Xan'Ko sends powerful underlings, specifically to kill the players (who by now have distinguished themselves as a high-level threat)
 * ♫ True or False ♫
 * attempt fails
 * charmed Cultist sends players to domain (secretly, it's a trap; "I'd like you to investigate there.")
 * Chase - bone devils, in infiltrated domain
 * Flee - ♫ Blood Hunt ♫
 * Hide - ♫ Dirge of Drakan ♫
 * Players discover this may be the source of the underlings
 * Reprieve - ♫ [track TBD] ♫
 * Players reveal infiltrated domain
 * Come back to fight - ♫ The Lord of Vampyrium ♫
 * Twist: players discover minion_1 & rogue, who enter the battle
 * "Xan'Ko's had enough of your meddling." - ♫ [track TBD] ♫
 * [more TBD: after failing full control a few times, attempt destruction & rise from ashes]
 * Back doors widened, in an effort to slaughter all inhabitants.
 * Face Xan'Ko

-> Level-up: 10

 * Players formally recognized - ♫ Regal ♫