Angel Team: Battle Phase T3TURNTURNTURNLink to Battle Report
Lesimor Infiltration ReportThe chaos in the Fortified Frontier, combined with the efforts of our new Chosen Apostles, has brought a number of (low-ranking) officers into the cult. This gives us a small amount of control over the politics of the region.
The newly recruited officers all reveal that they belong to one of the two factions vying for control over the region. Each of them has warned us about the dangerous lengths their opponents are willing to go to in order to achieve their misguided goals, which could very well see them sign on with the Demon. To increase our control over the region further, we will have to support one of the two factions. There is, of course, only one Good choice, making this an easy decision.
Obviously we will side with
The Hawks: Consider keeping Lesimor safe to be their top priority. Have control over a powerful military machine, but are also stubborn and self-righteous.
The Doves: Consider keeping Lesimor prosperous to be their top priority. Have less control over the military, but are more ready to cooperate with unorthodox elements.
((You have reached 3/5 control. Now you get to choose one of two factions to support. Your opponent will be railroaded into supporting the other. Despite what the text above says, there is not a "Good" and "Evil" option- both are equally viable. Once you have chosen (by the end of this turn), I will write up a fluff explanation of how the chosen faction was the obvious choice. This choice is mainly for aesthetic purposes, though it will have some minor mechanical effects, making certain infiltration methods slightly more/less useful, and slightly changing the rewards for infiltration.))
In other news, despite efforts to stop them, the chaos provided the Demon's followers an opportunity to infiltrate the province. Bootlegger's is being sold, and demonic missionaries have been sighted winning converts.
2/5-->3/5With our operations established in the Lawless Capital, we were able to leverage all our techniques to slow down the demonic cause. Bright Shadow Acolytes, Shadow Walkers, and Song of Soothing were all put to work undermining their efforts (the latter serving to subtly turn the populace away from dark thoughts). So far, this is working well, as Magoc's followers appear to be struggling merely to maintain the control they have.
Meanwhile, Chosen Apostles managed to win us some friends amongst the lesser nobility. Only a few, though, and they are hesitant to throw their lot in with the cult fully. Hopefully with more resources available from the Fortified Frontier next month, we will have more success.
2/5With operatives travelling from the Lawless Capital in large numbers, and Heliel herself aiding operations, we were able to win many converts in the Scholarly Towers, including a number of students from the various colleges. Demonic operatives continue to work their wicked ways in the area, although we have not detected much more activity than previous months.
0/5-->2/5Dolgoth Infiltration ReportWith the Trade City finally open for business (as it were), we make good progress. Minor merchants are roped in to the cult, and more important merchants are at least willing to listen to our Chosen Apostle's messages. In addition, our Shadow Walkers reckon that a few well-placed acts of sabotage could see the (less benign) rivals of our converted merchants go bust, opening the door for us to increase our market share- and thus political voice. Next month, if all goes according to plan, we should have some say in how the Trade City is run.
Our rivals have also managed to secure a foothold in the area, despite our best efforts. If we had had a larger presence in the area, we might've succeeded in stopping them entirely, since they didn't seem to have much Bootlegger's to spare.
1/5-->2/5Though for the most part things are the same as last month in the Ostentatious Capital, the efforts of our Chosen Apostles do see a few new converts won even under the King's watchful gaze. Even if the crackdown continues, with our increased presence in the Trade City, we may make progress here as well.
1/5As in the Ostentatious Capital, our Chosen Apostles manage to win us some converts in the Wartorn Wastes, although our medics- the most effective recruitment technique in this area- are forced to adopt a low profile to avoid awkward questions by political officers.
1/5
It is now the Design Phase. You have two designs.
Heliel: The benevolent leader of your faction, a being of immense power. There is very little they cannot do. Needless to say, they are Unique.
Mundane Units:
Armed Cultists: Equipped with fairly respectable equipment- a well-made gambeson, padded iron cap, sturdy spear, shiny dagger, and a solid shield-, combined with rudimentary training, mean that while these are not elite warriors, they would stand a chance against a real soldier. More importantly, they're cheap and plentiful. Like regular cultists, their dedication (and communal singing) makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Common
Cultist Archers: Cultists who have some experience and training with a bow are valuable assets in combat, harassing the enemy from a distance. Their bows are not high-draw war-bows, but they've received training from experts that renders them better and faster shots- the equal of the average archer in a human army. Also provided with gambeson and iron cap. Like regular cultists, their dedication (and communal singing) makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Extended training programmes also increase the number of archers available, doubling the size of each unit.Uncommon
Acolytes: Cultists who have begun their exploration of the magical arts, studying under the Angel. They can cast any Common spells (unless noted otherwise). Their physical strength leaves something to be desired, but their mental fortitude is even greater than regular cultists. Wear a gambeson, but forgo iron cap. There are not many Acolytes in a unit. Uncommon
Cultist Officers: Featuring a whole two tiers of military hierarchy, the sergeants and captains impart a modicum of organisation upon their fellow cultists. While not massively better than self-organised troops, it's still noticeable. They are distributed amongst all cultist units (eg Armed Cultists, Cultist Archers, Acolytes).
Summoned/Mutated Units:
Bright Shadows: Souls of fallen cultists (or other Good people), empowered with Good such that they may continue to serve in death as they did in life. Invisible and incorporeal, with an uncanny ability to find whatever they are looking for, they make for excellent spies and capable scouts. Immune to physical attack (but not magical attack). Not useful in actual combat. Uncommon
Bright Shadow Acolytes: Bright Shadows with magical potential, who have been further empowered to enable them to utilise such. Their spellcasting ability is rather weak, and they are easier to detect. Nevertheless, invisible spellcasters are nothing to sneer at. Rare
Shadow Walkers: Former criminal types, who found redemption under Heliel, and now serve her cause fanatically. They have been augmented with minor mutations that improve their stealth ability, and are skilled in all manner of underhanded activities. Uncommon
Chosen Apostles: Acolytes with a companion Orator Cherub bound to their souls. The Orator Cherub is a very minor angelic being with mastery of rhetoric, which both provides the Apostle with a script and augments their voice with angelic energy. Rare
Spells/Rituals:
Magic Missile: Known by many names, the simple technique of blasting your opponent with raw Magic/Good/Evil is a tried and true method of making things go away. Efficacy increases with caster's mental might, and decreases with the target's. Common
Major Missile: A more powerful, but also more draining version of Magic Missile. Produces a stronger blast than the standard Magic Missile, but can only be cast a few times (depending on strength) before the user is drained of their spellcasting reserves. The user has a limited ability to direct the missile in flight. Common
Heliel's Love: A very efficient basic healing spell. A slight touch and channelling of angelic love initiates a self-sustaining healing process that can heal up to moderately serious injuries and diseases fairly rapidly. The magic has lingering effects even after healing is complete, leaving the subject healthier and more resilient for a few hours afterwards. Heliel casts this magic automatically on all in her vicinity (unless specifically choosing not to). Common
Mass Heliel's Love: A markedly less efficient variant of Heliel's Love, that affects all targets in a small area (~15 at a time). The healing effect is reduced, to the point where even stabilising moderately serious injuries is a gamble- sometimes doing enough for the patient to survive until more personalised healing can be applied, other times only giving the appearance thereof. It cannot be cast as often as Heliel's Love, but is still Common
Song of Soothing: A spellsong developed to heal and fortify the mind. The song must be initiated by a magic user, but once sufficient numbers are singing along it becomes self-sustaining. Cannot be used by or affect the undead. Common
Refrain of Regret: An inverted version of Song of Soothing. Listeners are compelled to sing along, thereby weakening their minds. This includes friendly targets. It is also not self-sustaining, as continued exposure renders one incapable of lending energy to the music. Common
Infiltration Techniques:
Proselytise: Cultists go forth and spread the Good word, finding those sympathetic to their cause and slowly winning them over. Not the fastest way of gaining converts, as baseline cultists are not expert missionaries, but it keeps the cult growing. Common
Travelling Medics: Acolytes accompany proselytising missions, curing the sick and injured in order to win over the local population. Uncommon
Spy: Agents of Heliel travel the land, seeking secrets, while going unnoticed themselves. Does not directly increase influence, but aids in most other infiltration endeavours. Currently only Bright Shadows are suitable for this role. Common
Exploit Intelligence: Using information gathered by other infiltrators, agents go forth to advance the Good cause while hindering Evil. Covers all manner of activity; theft, sabotage, blackmail, intimidation, even murder- all at the expense of the unrighteous, of course. Not extremely effective due to lack of specialisation, but not bad either. Shadow Walkers are most effective at this. Uncommon
Infrastructure:
Basic Training Camps: Rudimentary facilities, where cultists learn the basics of combat and warfare. Singing is integrated into the training programme, serving to boost morale.
Basic Officer Training: A stumbling, amateurish step towards proper military organisation, the officers trained thus are still better than leaders chosen in the moment.
Military Workshops: A series of mines, smelters, forges and workshops that provide the forces of Good with arms and armour.
Monks of Minos: Half man, half bull, all pacifist. Strong, tough, and capable of channelling small amounts of Good into their strikes, these monks are built for war- but their minds have, over many generations, been honed for peace. Very effective warriors, despite their reluctance to cause unnecessary suffering and their rigid adherence to their brand of martial arts. Fight in tiny squads of 3-4 minotaurs. Uncommon
DARRIN (Combat)Dry Plains:
4/4 |
0/4Mountain Passes:
4/4 |
0/4Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4LESIMOR (Influence)Fortified Frontier:
3/5 |
?/5Lawless Capital:
2/5 |
?/5Scholarly Towers:
2/5 |
?/5XA-NAM (Combat)River Delta:
4/4 |
0/4River Crossings:
4/4 |
0/4Light Jungle:
0/4 |
4/4DOLGOTH (Influence)Trade City:
2/5 |
?/5Ostentatious Capital:
1/5 |
?/5Wartorn Wastes:
1/5 |
?/5
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Topic: Angel Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10 (Read 31828 times)