Angel Team: Revision Phase T5TURNTURNTURNWailing Wyvern
The Wailing Wyvern is a variant of our Refrain of Regret, rendered in orchestral notes and animalistic screeching so that it can be performed by our Wyvern forces. The song itself is a modification of their traditional airblast, ensuring that it is spread far and wide through the enemy formation. Once unleashed, the song will spread like wildfire through the enemy formation, compelling all their soldiers to sing along and using their energy to spread further. As the song soon drains people of the energy to continue, it will burn itself out rapidly, but not before wreacking havoc amongst enemy morale and the energy reserves of enemy casters.
THe wyvern itself is mostly unaffected, as they can not sustain the airblast, and so can not continue the song.
Wailing Wyvern: Easy: (1+1)+1=3: Buggy Mess (I am truly sorry for your lots)
So, there's bad news and worse news.
The bad news is that modifying a Spellsong to be reproducible by a Wyvern proved to be a lot trickier than expected. It proved doable, but the more subtle control the Wyvern must exert over their airblast decreases the power considerably, to the point where the result is only a bit louder than a shouting human- mind you, humans find singing at shouting volume to be tricky, so the Wyverns can still spread the germ of a song further than an Acolyte or Angel's Voice. Unfortunately, that brings us to the worse news.
While a wyvern cannot sustain the song for very long, it appears there is some form of magical feedback, which causes the brief burst to have a much stronger effect on the Wyvern. While it does not cause them to drop out of the sky (the innate magic responsible for enabling flight evidently not accessible by the music), it does put them into a really dour mood, liable to flee the fight as a result.
It's not a complete disaster, though. Testing shows that the brief burst does affect people in a short range enough to cause them to sing along, and while it will not spread much further, those affected will suffer morale damage and become more vulnerable to mental assault- enough to cause a faltering squad or two to flee, maybe. Wyverns don't like using it, but will use it if directly commanded to, and you believe it could see some use.
The
Wailing Wyvern ability is usable by all Wyverns at no extra cost. It may see use in some situations.
Heliel’s Gift
What would a mortal be willing to give up in exchange for eternal youth? Our medics are poised to find out, as Heliel’s Love is augmented to reverse the effects of senescence, restoring an aged body to its prime. All cultists may request to have the spell performed on them free of charge, so that even the most decrepit of elders may serve Heliel at peak performance. Travelling medics, aided by Chosen Apostles making well-placed introductions in the right circles, will also offer this service to non-cultists from the higher echelons of society in exchange for coin, favours or information. This is to involve a lower potency form of the spell with effects that only last a week at most, ensuring the necessity of frequent appointments (or recruitment into the cult) for patrons wishing to maintain their regained youth.
Heliel’s Gift: Hard: (4+2)-1=5: Average
Mortals are mortal. It's in the name. Nevertheless, your boundless affection for these fallible fools is such that you are willing to grant them an extended (although not indefinite) lifespan.
Modifying the Heliel's Love spell to reverse ageing proves doable, with the new Angel's Voices managing to turn back the clock by up to 15 years without negative side-effects. Beyond that point, the amount of Good required starts to affect the body, potentially resulting in unwanted spontaneous mutations- but 15 years is definitely nothing to sneeze at, and for those willing to take a chance, pushing it to 20 years is doable. Your personal attention to the matter can be applied to undo most negative side-effects, potentially allowing for lifespans in the centuries- although you obviously can't test this in a short timespan.
So far, so good. Unfortunately, making the effects temporary proved to be considerably more challenging. It essentially required a complete redesign of the spell, and even then, the results are not quite what you hoped for. On paper, it works as expected- Heliel's False Gift turns back the clock by 5-10 years, leaving the subject feeling noticeably younger... until the magic wears off after roughly a week, abruptly returning them to their true age. The problem is that while becoming 5 years younger feels strange but pleasant, getting 5 years older in the space of a few minutes borders on excruciating. It is sufficiently bad that many who experience it are unlikely to want to risk experiencing it a second time- and may even resent being put through it in the first place.
In order to avoid this negative feedback, Heliel's False Gift is currently only greenlit for use on people who are extremely desperate, or need just a little more convincing to join the cult proper, so that they can be treated with Heliel's True Gift before the magic wears off.
Heliel’s Gift will provide a minor boost to your industrial capacity (as older cultists become more productive), and a minor boost to recruitment efforts. Due to the complexity of the magic needed to reverse ageing, it is an
Uncommon spell (usable by Angel's Voices).
It is now the Strategy Phase. Choose where to deploy Heliel, and the Silver Markswoman. Choose which faction to side with in the Lawless Capital and Trade City.
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
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
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 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
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 Refrain of Regret using their air-blast magic. This can be used to demoralise dozens of enemy soldiers at once, but the feedback will also cause the Wyvern itself to flee. Wyverns will only use this ability when directly ordered to.
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
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
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/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
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
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:
3/4 |
1/4Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4LESIMOR (Influence)Fortified Frontier:
3/5 |
1/5Lawless Capital:
3/5 |
2/5Scholarly Towers:
2/5 |
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 |
2/5Ostentatious Capital:
2/5 |
2/5Wartorn Wastes:
2/5 |
3/5
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Topic: Angel Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10 (Read 32393 times)