Angel Team: Revision Phase T10TURNTURNTURNBrain-Soothing Beats (to study/relax/be sane to)
No one's saying the Graduates aren't good at what they do, they're just terrible at everything else. So what if they had a little help? Pioneering angelic musicians have produced a specialized variant of the Song of Soothing specifically tuned to the mental deficiencies of the Graduates. When played in the presence of a Graduate, it effectively smooths over the holes in their cognition and turns them sane so long as they're listening (and for a good while afterwards - the tune's catchy enough that its effects will last for roughly 24 hours if the subject has gotten a good enough 'dose', beginning to degrade after that). With this working to make them actually functional in general society, it's anticipated that the Graduates should be able to leverage their talents in a more direct manner soon enough. The already-existing ones might need some therapy.
Brain-Soothing Beats: Easy: (3+3)+1=7: Superior Craftsmanship
Now I understand what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen nowNow, you could've easily just inserted the Brain-Soothing Beats into Graduates' minds directly, but a cultist threatened to beat you with a stick if you tried. Fortunately, the tunes are catchy enough that they stick around regardless. For everyone but Graduates, the music makes no sense. There are notes missing, the lyrics are jumbled, the beat changes every verse. Yet it seems to slot perfectly into the broken minds of the Graduates, fixing their cognitive problems perfectly. Other than their tendency to hum the nonsensical tune to themselves every now and then, they are totally sane.
With that minor issue ironed out, the Graduates cracked their knuckles and got ready to do some politicking. While their initial training made them decent at it, their time working as Directors seems to have improved their skill, presumably due to experiencing the actual happenings (albeit second hand).
Graduates will now function as intended, engaging in politics on your behalf throughout the mortal kingdoms. So long as the court doesn't break out into a musical, they should do very well.
Oath of Remembrance
The ancestors of the Monks of Minos killed thoughtlessly, without care, in the service of Evil causes. In an attempt to distance themselves from such thoughtless cruelty, they adopted their current system of meditation, nonviolence, and discipline. It has served them well over the years, but now times and circumstances are changing once again. The demon Magoc twists entire legions of its soldiers into inhuman abominations, and the twisted designs of its mind evolve further with every passing day. Though the Monks have assented to perform non-lethal violence in Heliel's service, it may no longer be enough.
Enter the Oath of Remembrance. Designed by elder Monks, senior angelic Acolytes, and collaboration with the Green University, the Oath is based in principle off of ancient magical vows taken by long-gone knightly orders and priests of certain gods who would ordinarily be forbidden from practicing violence. The Oath is essentially a vow that a person can take that charges them to remember and give acknowledgement to those killed by the holder of the Oath. Through supernatural means, they become aware of some characteristic of those they kill - they remember their name or their face or something similar - and compels them to spend time in contemplation of the dead after the fact, acknowledging their redeemable facets and the fact that their death, while a loss of potential Good for the world, is balanced out by prevention of the Evil they were committing.
In practice, this Oath will let the Monks of Minos put their full, considerable might towards annihilating the forces of Magoc, with the price being that they will have to spend time in meditation after battle is concluded. They can put this off if a campaign stretches on, but over time the pressure of the Oath and their guilty conscience will wear on their mind until proper acknowledgement is given to the weight and impact of their deeds. They can never again return to the thoughtless state of their ancient forebearers.
Oath of Remembrance: Normal: (2+4)=6: Above Average
Si vis pacem, para bellumThe Oath of Remembrance is unbreakable, even in death. That is, if a Monk who has taken the Oath dies before performing the rite of Remembrance, their soul will linger for a short time in order to fulfil the obligation (and nothing else; once the rite is completed, the soul departs as normal). Short of death, the Monks must perform the rite once a month, usually taking one or two days of meditation, possibly more or less depending on how violent they have been that month.
With their consciences safeguarded, the Monks are willing to bring their full might to bear on Magoc's forces (they will not join any attacks on mortal armies, but this should not present an issue). They are even willing (in extreme cases) to release some of the long-supressed primal fury they carry with them, ignoring fear and injury in pursuit of untethered destruction- though only as a last resort, for to come back from such a state requires a herculean effort, as well as several weeks of constant meditation to lock it away securely.
With the Oath of Remembrance on hand, the Monks of Minos will be significantly more effective. Their need to meditate will only occasionally slow down an army's progress (in the worst case, they can stay behind to meditate whilst the rest push on).
It is now the Strategy Phase. Choose where to send your Unique units. You may also choose to divert 1/3 of troops in Xa-Nam to capture the Bridge. Also, this:
STRATEGY PHASE CHANGE (TEST):This turn, and possibly only this turn depending on how this goes, you will have the option of providing custom plans for up to two Influence provinces. That is, you may include a brief (a few sentences) plan for your infiltration forces in two provinces. Here's how this'll work:
-Plans can be used to target specific people, places, institutions, be they mortal or those of your enemy- with the goal of eliminating, converting, subverting, whatever.
-Plans can also be used in provinces with 4/5 or 5/5 influence to attempt to change mortal policies in your favour.
-Regardless of your plans, your infiltration forces will continue to perform their basic infiltration efforts. In provinces with no plans, there will be almost no difference in performance (this will not make your infiltration forces worse).
-The exception to the previous rule is in provinces with 4/5 influence. While your infiltrators will continue to build up support for your cult, paving the way for your eventual takeover, they will
not make any attempts to finalise said takeover. In order to reach 5/5 you will have to provide a plan describing how this is to be achieved (eg, will you attempt to replace the faction leader, or convert them? How blatant are you willing to be? What methods are to be employed?).
-No plan survives contact with the enemy- meaning both your rival, and mortal actors. Your infiltrators will do their best, but won't blindly follow your plan if things go wrong- don't worry about them acting stupidly.
-Plans are likely to be more effective with a Champion (or Heliel/Magoc) in the area to coordinate efforts.
-Feel free to ask me whether a plan is valid or not. I will also feel free to tell you if a proposed plan is not valid.
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.
Champions:
The Silver Markswoman: A female archer who was accidentally imbued with the power of light, causing her to glow, granting her improved vision, and increasing her stamina when exposed to sunlight. Wears a hooded cloak when not fighting to conceal her glowing skin & hair. An expert archer, she harmonises with her Sunbow, giving it even greater range and power. Not particularly skilled at close combat, or provided with any special equipment. Unique
The First Warden: The soul of a fallen cultist whose stubborn refusal to stay dead grants an incredible resilience, making destroying his spectral form a temporary reprieve at best. Outfitted with custom full-plate armour and a greatsword, the former imbued with a variety of defensive enchantments, the latter with power-boosting and arcane-fire-generating enchantments. Not invincible, as damage can pass through his armour, eventually forcing him to abandon it- but he can use any discarded equipment that is not tainted with Evil. Unique
Venerated Veteran: Once a commander in the Lesimorian military, who won a miraculous victory that saved the country. Went on to solidify the military as an institution. Famous in Lesimor, and well known elsewhere. Has been made several decades younger by Heliel, but is otherwise an normal human. Charismatic and inspiring, and capable of leveraging his fame to bolster the angelic cause. Travels with a bodyguard. 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. Training in coordination improves their ability to provide ranged support in melee. 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
Sunbow Skirmishers: Archers provided with Sunbows- recurve shortbows enchanted to double the force imparted on arrows, and cause said arrows to glow like the sun in flight and cause burning on impact-, and rigorous training in mobility, allowing them to move around the battlefield extremely rapidly- all but regardless of terrain. Are otherwise similar to regular archers in terms of equipment. Significantly smaller units than regular archers. 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
Angel's Voices: Acolytes who have discovered a song that resonates with their own 'Soul Song', granting them greatly improved magical ability, especially with regard to Spellsongs. They can sing any Uncommon Spellsongs, and cast most other Uncommon spells. No more physically adept than regular Acolytes. Wear white robes sown with golden thread, and wear little white masks over their eyes. 3-4 per unit. Uncommon
Cultist Officers: Featuring a resilient & expansive military hierarchy, Cultist Officers impart a professional level of organisation at every tier, from individual squads to the army as a whole. This allows for more intricate manoeuvres and formations to be utilised, significantly expanding the tactical repertoire of the angelic army. Cultist Officers are distributed amongst all cultist units (Armed Cultists, Cultist Archers, Acolytes, etc).
Apostles of the Minotaurs: Students of moral philosophy and appreciators of the world. Their grasp of deeper concepts has the potential to win over those who appreciate a more intellectual approach. Rare
Graduates: Graduates of the Institute of Intrigue (making them reasonably competent political operatives), who have been augmented with a supernatural memory of local politics (making them very good political operatives), and are babbling lunatics occasionally hum to themselves (which has no influence on their political efficacy). Actively engage in politics to aid the angelic cause. Uncommon
Directors: Graduates who have been given the task of interpreting intel and providing reports based thereon, which they are very capable of doing. Bolster intelligence gathering and political operations.
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
Investigators: Highly skilled, heavily trained, and mutation-augmented detective. Their mutations have the side effect of causing their head to glow when in deep thought. Cooperate with local law enforcement, or operate independently to identify and unmask demonic operatives. Rare
Monsters:
Wyvern Harriers: Large (horse+ size) reptiles, their front limbs are powerful wings that (combined with inherent magic) enable them to fly. They can augment their breath into gale-force winds, though only once every few minutes. Scales provide moderate natural armour, though their wing membranes are vulnerable. Not particularly intelligent. Each 'unit' consists of a single Wyvern. Uncommon
Wyvern Riders: An uncomfortable saddle (for both rider and ride) with simply awful safety, combined with a wyvern's unease at having a rider, render these unlikely to see much use.
Wailing Wyvern: Wyverns are taught to 'sing' a modified version of Antiphon of Apathy using their air-blast magic. This can be used to trigger the Antiphon's demoralising Refrain B, but Wyverns can only do this once per battle due to Refrain A getting stuck in their minds.
Monks of Minos: Half man, half bull, half 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, especially now that the Oath of Remembrance gives them license to unleash their full might (with the reassurance that they will be forced to seek repentance later). Fight in tiny squads of 3-4 minotaurs. Uncommon
Shield Minotaurs: Monks of Minos, equipped with large iron 'Barrier Shields'. The shields are embossed with glyphs, and when planted in the ground project a magical barrier above and to the sides, which blocks/diminishes magical attacks. The barriers last for several minutes before needing to be recharged. Operate in squads of 3. Uncommon
Constructs:
Golem Cavalry: Heavy six-legged cavalry that are devastating on the charge. Less agile and more predictable than a living being, but not by much. Made of ceramic segments inscribed with glyphs to reinforce the enchantments that animate the golem, each with a hard-to-access crystal for power. A simple artificial spirit controls the golem. Deployed in small squads. Uncommon
Spoken Golems: Bizarre golems consisting of eight limbs radiating from a central cylinder (divided into four segments, with two limbs per segment), capable of spinning across the battlefield at a high speed. Suffer from poor control at max speed, and can be a bit clumsy even at lower speeds. Made of higher quality materials than Golem Cavalry, and animated by a more intelligent spirit that can communicate orders to other golems using 'Golemsong'. Each pair is Rare
Spells/Rituals:
Magic Missile: Known by many names, the simple technique of blasting your opponent with raw Mana/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
Heliel's True Gift: A modified version of Heliel's Love that can reverse ageing by 15-20 years. Heliel herself can reverse ageing almost indefinitely. Uncommon
Heliel's False Gift: A modified version of Heliel's True Gift that reverses ageing by 5-10 years for up to a week, after which the magic abruptly ends- very painfully. Uncommon
Heliel's Preservation: A technically functional food-preservation spell. Only works on fresh food, lasts a week, food cannot be consumed until spell wears off, decay sets in quickly after spell wears off, and casting is somewhat energy-intensive. 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
Antiphon of Apathy: A spellsong where the initiator starts Refrain A, which compels the listener to sing Refrain B, which has effects similar to Refrain of Regret. Refrain B, in turn, compels a few listeners to sing Refrain A, perpetuating the cycle. Due to the similarity to Song of Soothing, angelic soldiers are much more likely to sing Refrain A than fall victim to B. However, it does 'overwrite' Song of Soothing, meaning the Antiphon will gradually return angelic morale to baseline levels. Common
Missile in Major Key: An offensive spellsong that unleashes a wave of magical energy at the foe. Cast by three mages singing together. Inefficient, but deadly to those caught by the wave. Uncommon
Morceau in Major Key: A far more powerful variant of MMK that sends forth a concentrated wave of (magical) sound instead of raw Mana. Uncommon
Magical Equipment:
Coins of Cursed Charity: Coins (or other valuables) with a self-replicating enchantment (powered by ambient Good) that gradually curses the holder into being more generous, starting with random acts of charity, and eventually working up to a vow of poverty (in extreme cases). Does not affect individuals with highly Evil souls, but effective against everyone else. Rarity is variable, starting at very rare and gradually becoming more common over time.
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/Angel's Voices 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. Bright Shadows are most suitable for this role (Shadow Walkers can also help). Common
Investigate: More effective information gathering techniques, only suitable for highly skilled operatives. Rare
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
Inquisition: More specialised towards the uncovering and elimination of demonic agents, especially high-value targets. Does little to actively advance the Good cause, but can throw Evil operations into disarray. Rare
Police Cooperation: Operatives work together with local law enforcement, legitimising their takedown of demonic agents while endearing themselves to the forces of order. 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.
Military Workshops: A series of mines, smelters, forges and workshops that provide the forces of Good with arms and armour.
The Bright Forge: A large workshop complex possessed of an angelic genius loci that accelerates production and enchantment. Geared towards producing enchanted equipment.
Export Workshops: A section of workshop space set aside for producing goods for export, especially enchanted items.
DARRIN (Combat)Dry Plains:
4/4 |
0/4Mountain Passes:
4/4 |
0/4Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4LESIMOR (Influence)Fortified Frontier:
4/5 |
2/5Lawless Capital:
3/5 |
2/5Scholarly Towers:
3/5 |
3/5XA-NAM (Combat)River Delta:
4/4 |
0/4River Crossings:
3/4 |
1/4Light Jungle:
0/4 |
4/4DOLGOTH (Influence)Trade City:
3/5 |
3/5Ostentatious Capital:
3/5 |
4?/5Wartorn Wastes:
3/5 |
4?/5