You shift yourself briefly to Your Avatar, only long enough to let it let loose a low growl, the mighty ankylosaurus breaking into a run The lizardfolk scattering from its path and clearing a way for it. As your avatar leaves the camp, you inform Sjamn'd to tell the tribesmen to pack and get ready to move to the south. The beast of earth and vines thundering down into the swamp, it's heavy footsteps sending reverberations through the ground. Vines nor muddy, swampy water stop it. You estimate that it will take fifteen minutes for your avatar to reach the fighting lizardfolk. You shift your gaze back to them, watching the battle on-going. The soft slick of sword burying itself into flesh, the ferocious roar of claws meeting cold, hard steel echoing throughout the swamp. The six lizardfolk still stand proudly, their bodies and their blades stained with their own blood and the blood of their foes. A dozen of the chaos-dogs laying across the ground, slain by the warriors.
Still, you can sense the tide of the battle turning, there are just to many for them to defeat without assistance. You extend tendrils of out, burying them into the ground around the lizardfolk. You pour your energy into the earth, twisting it, shaping it and imbuing it with life. It's not enough, you focus further, pouring more of yourself into your creation. You shape the earth within the tendrils, filling it with your energy till you feel yourself feeling faint. The female leader is the first to notice your efforts, taking a step back as the ground beneath her feet suddenly bursts with life, long, thin tendrils of the earth shooting out and burying themselves in the chaos-dogs surrounding them. One of the dogs take several steps to the side, a tendril buried into it's side, that living vine of earth bursting from it's back and burying itself back into the dog, squeals and shrieks of pain escaping it as it quickly becomes riddled with holes. The lizardfolk find themselves backing into each other, the circle tightening, disbelief and shock written across their faces as they watch the very earth they had been standing upon tear into the chaotic foes and rip them apart. At that moment your avatar bursts onto the scene, the several ton beast running at full tilt digging it's front legs into the ground. It's own inertia dragging it's hind legs forward, the beast swinging around. It's massive, jagged rock tail slamming into the remaining dogs with a force equal to several tons of pressure. Gore flying into the air with splatters of the fallen chaos-dogs.
-4 energyYour creation of vines and earth disappearing as the energy that gave it life vanishes. The earthy vines turning into dirt and splattering down on the ground. Silence reigns in the cheering before a ragged, tired cry escapes the defenders. The female leader steps forward cautiously, eyeing your avatar before she speaks, her voice low and soft. "
...You are the speaker of one of those beings yes? Or perhaps you are just a creation sent to aid us...Forgive me great one, I am Selind'a, member of the Sud'kar...Or...Former member I am afraid, I have not seen any others of my tribe since the fall of Ved'on. My warriors and I thank you for your help, I fear that we may have fallen without it. "
Your avatar steps towards the small group, sparks running along it's body as you spill your energy into it. You speak through it, your voice gravelly and deep, "
Worry not warrior of Sud'kar, Your tribe still remains, I have been called forth by the wishes and wills of the swamp and your people. I now look over the Sud'kar...Your wounds shall be healed for the service you have done your people, slaying the foes that have harmed them." Your avatar leans forward, it's snout brushing softly over the bodies of the wounded, the sparks that danced along it's body darting onto to theirs. Their flesh knitting, bones healing and wounds closing as your energy flows over them. Moments later they stand rejuvenated. "
Come now Warriors of Sud'kar, climb upon me and we shall return. We have much that must be done..." The six survivors heed your words and clamber onto the back of your Avatar, with a thought you send it to return back to the village.
By the time your avatar returns to the tribe it is midday, the village is bustling with life. Where only a few days ago the villagers within had been bleak and worried, yet today, they eagerly rushed to complete their tasks. The lizardfolk are bustling with energy, quick at the work. Several were harvesting the fruits you had grown for them and carefully extracting the seeds, yet others were shifting and collecting he tents. A few stood watchful on the edges of the camp, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any of the dangerous beasts that often lurk in such swamps. When your avatar strolls into camp, there are loud exclamations of excitement, several of the tribesman darting towards your avatar. You watch the reunions going on before you hear Sjamn'd speak your name softly, "
You've done well exalted one...I know those markings, they are of our tribe. The warriors of Sud'kar have always been skilled at martial arms, we survived only because of them. When our hometown of Ved'on fell, many of us escaped with our lives only because the warriors held the line to the last lizard. They gave their lives so that we might live ours, Selind'a was the leader in charge of our forces holding the town. She is a competent commander and very skilled with her blade. It is not her fault our home was lost, the one like you from before had abandoned us and left us vulnerable to the Udonii's twisted beasts and magicks."
"
Seklus..." Hearing Selind'a speak, you shift your gaze away from the old shaman and focus on her. Her gaze falls upon you, she must be one of the few blessed with the sight to see beings like yourself. "
I thank you...You've given the Sud'kar hope...I can see it written across their faces...You restored the spirit we had lost. You have my allegiance, and the allegiance of the warriors beneath me. We are honor-sworn to protect the Sud'kar to the last. We are yours to command, as long as you hold the best interests of the Sud'kar at heart."
+5 followers gained!Heroic Unit Selind'a gained!A commotion draws your attention away from Selind'a, one of the warriors that had you had rescued throws his blade to the ground and points a claws finger to the sky. He scowls and hisses angrily, clicking softly before yelling at the sky, "
Seklus! Why should I follow you? Why should I believe the words of your kind? We placed out trust in the words of your kind once before, we had listened to them and it led us to ruin! He abandoned us and left us to be slaughtered! How can I place my trust in a being that might do the same?"
The camp falls silent following the warrior's words. Your followers look amongst themselves, none of them are sure how you'll react to his words. You had been generous and helpful tot he Sud'kar so far but none of them had ever dared to show this kind of outright distrust and hositility to you either.
Moral issue has arisen! Role-playing segment engaged. How do you react to his words? Strike the heathen down where he stands? Reason with him? Abandon him? Some other action I haven't listed?One turn till camp is packed and ready to move.Any other actions you would like to take? Any questions to ask Sjamn'd?Followers:29
Tribesmen:24
Warriors:6
Current energy:5
Energy income:7
Energy upkeep:0
Your Avatar is the physical manifestation of your god in the world. It is one of the very few ways in the game that will allow you to act directly and directly shape the world at your fingertips. Your avatar is special, it grows in power as you do and weakens when you do. Consider it the way a god basically flaunts his power in the world. It can be a weapon of total destruction on the battlefield or something as a simple as a sign of hope to your followers. Actions that effect your Avatar will also directly impact you, while you cannot be killed if your avatar falls in battle, you can expect to suffer a energy loss and it for it to have a heavy, negative effect on your followers. I.E. Can he really protect me if you he cannot even protect himself?
Your Followers are the way your god gains his energy. The more followers you have, the more energy you gain per turn, the more powerful your avatar is. If, for whatever reason your god loses all of his followers, you do not disappear immediately. However, you will suffer a rather hefty -40 energy a turn till you gain a follower. So, while it is not a instant death, I wouldn't be able to see you surviving for long without them.
Heroic Units are strong followers that you obtain from special events in game. They give you a special bonus to certain actions within game that I take into account. They are special units. In the case of Selind'a, she is a exceptionally good leader, lending a morale bonus to any warriors she fights alongside with.