Angel Team: Design Phase T2TURNTURNTURNDesign: Monks of Minos
Minotaurs, a race of beast men created long ago by demons in one of many Angel/Demon wars. They where a man and a half in height and heavily muscled, with the body of a man but the head and legs of a fanged bull. When the war had ended, they where left behind by their master. Many continued their attacks against the humans of the kingdoms, and where killed. Others fled into the wild, and over generations they went feral, becoming naught but another beast. One group however, feeling betrayed by the Demon who created them and enraged at their mistreatment, retreated into the mountains. And in a strange act of rebellion against the purpose for which they where made, they found their own peace.
As beings sourced from evil, and made for combat, they refused the pleasures of life. Wealth, violence, drugs, physical pleasure, all were ignored and refused, first as an act of spite, later as almost a form of religion. They dressed plainly, drank only water, farmed their own food and ate only when needed. When a lost traveler came along, they gave food, drink, shelter, and a map. Over the course of their 'rebellion', they formed a group founded on the ideas of Good. To cast off the sins and temptations that had been molded into them from their very creation.
In their monasteries within the mountains they practice several forms of meditation. Clearing their mind of their worldly desires. Gardening, rythmic breathing, and chanting(which we imagine would integrate well with our singing), were all forms of meditation employed by these Monks. Most interestingly however, was a form of meditation derived from the Minotaurs natural inclination for combat. They developed a unique form of martial art, involving methodical movements and the wielding of long poles, that they call 'Bo Staves', which have become their preferred weapon. This technique is not viable for combat in its current state, being far too slow paced and predictable. However, we will make note of this to see if this combat style cannot be adapted properly later.
Their devotion to Good, and to cleansing themselves of Evil impressed the Angel. And so, she went to meet them in person, to invite them to our cause. Of all beings, they would have among the best understandings of what Demons are like, and why a Demon cannot be allowed to take control of these kingdoms.
Monks of Minos: Hard: (1+3)-1=3: Buggy Mess
As an Angel, you should not be on the losing side of a debate regarding morality. You can feel with every fibre of your being whether something is Good or not. Your judgement is impeccable. You know, with absolute certainty, that if you do nothing, the hideous Demon will lay waste to the realms of man, and bring about an age of suffering that has no comparison to anything mortals have ever experienced. Of course you must be careful not to cause undue suffering in pursuit of victory, but to question the necessity of the war is insanity.
And yet, when the Monks of Minos arrived at your headquarters in the Blessed Desert, and made the case for peace and non-violence, you found yourself unable to convince them of this simple truth. So strong were their convictions, and so calm and reasonable their arguments, that even you felt a twinge of doubt (momentarily, before you remembered what was at stake). After hours upon hours of debate, the best you were able to manage was to get them to agree to stay, that you might try to convince them again- or maybe it's the other way around?
It would be a great boon if you could convince them of the war's necessity, for the monks are clearly powerful fighters. Demonstrations of their choreographed 'kata' show them to be strong, disciplined, and highly skilled (albeit at a form of martial arts that is far removed from actual combat). Though they were once stained with Evil, they have over the years cleansed themselves completely of that corruption, and indeed inverted it; now Good flows through their bodies in a controlled fashion, which they have a basic ability to manipulate- they cannot cast spells, but they can charge their attacks with Good to aid them in smiting Evil beings. With these monks by your side, your victory over the Demon could be attained in weeks.
But.
They absolutely, totally, fanatically refuse to join your armies. Repeated attempts to convince them of the necessity have fallen flat. Their main problem seems to be that they do not believe the Demon would be as destructive as you
know they would be. All things pass, they claim, Demons and Angels alike. They will not break their oaths of non-violence in pre-emptive defence of the world. Indeed, it seems that the only way you could possibly convince them to join your forces is if you could provide hard evidence of Magoc engaging in the sort of unspeakable atrocities you know him to be capable of (his deeds so far do not meet the monks' criteria).
((Translation: design locked until war escalates (3 or 4 turns, probably, possibly less if the demons are particularly successful). You still gained experience that can be used for future projects))
((ALTERNATIVELY, since this is a rather unusual result, I am willing to re-write the results as a more 'traditional' Buggy Mess, if you'd prefer (ie, you get the design, but it's an all-but useless wreck)))
Shadow Walkers
The bright shadows are stunningly effective at information gathering, at least such as things are. However, without a physical presence, they have limited effectiveness in leveraging the secrets they learn. They cannot gather evidence, or speak to people and encourage them to take action to repent. As such, they need assistance.
From among the cultists, there are those who have reformed themselves from the dregs of society. Those who have some skills that they are not proud of and parts of their lives that should have gone differently. Heliel offers them an opportunity to use their ill-gained proficiencies for the sake of Good.
Each Shadow Walker is a member of the congregation who has some skills in guile, sneaking, thievery and infiltration. They are enhanced with the grace of Heliel, allowing them improved agility and quietness. When a Bright Shadow gains some useful information, they partner with a Shadow Walker to make use of it - the Walker will do what needs to be done, be it blackmail or theft or more dramatic measures on those particularly guilty and immovable, or if possible even recruitment, and with the assistance of the Bright Shadow they are very competent at this task. With the secrets gained from the Bright Shadows and leveraged by the Shadow Walkers, our preachers and healers can better spread the word.
Shadow Walkers: Normal: (4+1)=5: Average
Redemption is a powerful force. Those who have walked an Evil path, yet turned their lives around and joined the Good side, make for much more zealous and fanatical converts, for they have seen the darkness first-hand, and know the dangers. When offered the opportunity to use their former skills in pursuit of justice and harmony, they willingly submit themselves to your grace, and are imbued with a modicum of power that may aid in their work.
Now anointed Shadow Walkers, they will serve you well in the shadier aspects of the world. Though none of them were masters of their craft before, their augmentations will improve their ability to move unnoticed, a crucial skill in their line of work. Theft- of things that are not especially well guarded-, sabotage- of fragile things-, blackmail- of those whose reputations are already on shaky ground-, intimidation- of those without enough power to be fearless-, and even murder- of unsuspecting targets- fall within their abilities. Their skills have been combined into a new infiltration technique, 'Exploit Intelligence', which should allow your cultists to move up in society, while slowing the efforts of your rival. A lack of specialisation means that none of these activities will be extremely effective, but decent results are expected.
Shadow Walkers will operate in influence lanes, and should significantly increase infiltration efficacy. Due to the scarcity of those with the requisite skills, they are
Uncommon
It is now the Revision Phase. You have two revisions.
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. Their Power is currently 20.
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 with a bow are valuable assets in combat, harassing the enemy from a distance. They aren't sharpshooters, and their bows are not high-draw war-bows, but they're a good bit better than nothing. Also provided with gambeson and iron cap. Like regular cultists, their dedication (and communal singing) makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. 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
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
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 very dangerous spell... to the user. Produces a stronger blast than the standard Magic Missile, but has the unfortunate side effect of completely draining the caster's energy reserves, knocking them unconscious for ~24 hours. Not usable by Heliel, or other beings animated by Good and/or Magic. 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
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.
DARRIN (Combat)Dry Plains:
4/4 |
0/4Mountain Passes:
3/4 |
1/4Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4LESIMOR (Influence)Fortified Frontier:
1/5 |
?/5Lawless Capital:
0/5 |
?/5Scholarly Towers:
0/5 |
?/5XA-NAM (Combat)River Delta:
4/4 |
0/4River Crossings:
3/4 |
1/4Light Jungle:
0/4 |
4/4DOLGOTH (Influence)Trade City:
1/5 |
?/5Ostentatious Capital:
1/5 |
?/5Wartorn Wastes:
0/5 |
?/5
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Topic: Angel Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10 (Read 32397 times)