Angel Team: Design Phase T8TURNTURNTURNThe First Warden
Simply joining the cult implies a degree of fortitude and willpower beyond that of your average peasant. It takes a special kind to take up arms in the selfless fight for Good. Our average soldiers are dedicated and devoted, with a level of morale that would make the commanders of regular militaries green with envy. Some of our congregation are so devoted that they serve us beyond death, in the form of Bright Shadows, showing the tenacity of a human soul dedicated to righteous purpose.
Even the Bright Shadows pale in comparison to the First Warden’s tenacity, devotion, and sheer stubbornness.
In life, the man who would become the First Warden had it rough. He grew up on the streets in the Lawless Capital, and committed no small number of sins simply to survive. When he came of age he was shipped off to the Frontier as a soldier, and there he saw more than enough bloodshed and violence. By the time our struggle began, the man was an old soldier, his better years left long behind. He returned to his home in the West on retirement, only to find that his village had been burnt to the ground - one of the first signs of demonic forces stealing supplies to set up their base. He was one of our first recruits, drilling his unit into a well oiled machine of war that was more than the equal of any regular army. He has fought battle after battle in the name of good, even when his age and health should have seen him back in the camp training our soldiers, by sheer stubborn refusal to stay in the back lines.
The most recent battle was his final. Or it should have been. His unit was surrounded, and killed. Man after man cut down. The old soldier was the last of his unit to die, in a bloody rage scything down the inhuman enemy by the dozen. But eventually, even this whirlwind of vengeance died. He breathed his last. His killers turned to the rest of the angelic army, eager to continue the battle.
And they got stabbed in the back.
In the aftermath of the battle, the old soldier’s soul hadn’t even realized he’d died. He didn’t realize he wasn’t supposed to be able to lift the spear he’d possessed. He felt better than he ever had, like all those creaking bones and the slowness of age had melted away. He only accepted his death when they showed him his body. He was brought back to Heliel, who took even more interest in this old soldier than she’d already had. He offered his immortal service, and she accepted, ordering the creation of strong armor and exquisite weaponry to enable his continued service to the cause of Good as the “First Warden”.
----
The First Warden is a combat hero, the ghost of an old highly skilled soldier risen to fight again due to his dedication and tenacity. Lacking his former mortal body, he fights with the full strength of his soul, and that is a mighty strength indeed. The First Warden, being a spirit, doesn’t have to worry about getting tired or requiring sustenance. He also is significantly stronger than an average person, and has decades of experience fighting in order to put it to use.
The First Warden possesses a suit of high quality plate armor, and wields a massive two handed greatsword that cleaves through the enemy like butter. Both are moderately enchanted, the first for durability and the second sharing the fiery enchantment of the Sunbows. This allows the First Warden to be a personal combatant without peer.
His most unique quality, though, is his sheer stubbornness and hatred of the demons, and how that manifests in his spiritual form. Namely, his sheer, stubborn refusal to stay dead. While he can hardly win a battle on his own, he fights without regard for his own safety because even when his spirit should be dispersed, it returns after a short time ready to fight again. And again. And again. This allows him to stay in the fray as long as he has suits of armor to possess and weapons to use.
The First Warden: Normal: (3+4)=7: Superior Craftsmanship
Stubborn souls refusing to go into the afterlife (or wherever it is that souls go after death; the topic is debated, as while souls can be recalled to the mortal plane, they are incapable of remembering where they went, other than that it was very different) is not unheard of. A strong spirit with unfinished business will often linger on the mortal plane; those who had spellcasting abilities or a particularly strong will may even be capable of significant interaction with the world. Such 'natural' ghosts may be empowered by an Angel/Demon, further augmenting their strength, and to have such shades/spectres haunt physical equipment is also not unheard of. What is unheard of (to your knowledge) is a natural ghost being as physically strong as they were in life (if not stronger). Yet here you have the First Warden.
Perhaps the Warden was able to absorb large amounts of ambient Good into his spirit before his death. Perhaps he possessed an inhuman degree of stubbornness, unlike any human before him. Perhaps his death coincided with some freak release of natural magic. Perhaps a combination, or perhaps something completely different. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter- some things are destined to remain mysteries.
The First Warden may well be harder to kill than you are- which is saying something. It appears that his soul is indestructible (which raises the fascinating question of what would happen if you or the Demon were to try consuming it, but one that will have to go unanswered for now), and capable of empowering itself with Good without your intervention. Even if his ghostly form is destroyed, a fragment will always remain, capable of rapidly relocating to a suitable location to reform, a process which typically takes a minute or two. On top of this, the Warden's mental resilience is also top-notch; mental trauma barely seems to affect him, such that where lesser spirits would be daunted by repeated violent destruction, the Warden can soldier on with grim determination.
His only limitations are the need for equipment- which is not much of a limit, as any equipment that is not tainted with Evil will do-, and the need for a source of Good to reform. Fortunately, your armies are portable reservoirs of Good, as every cultist has soaked up small amounts whilst training in the Blessed Desert. Therefore, so long as your forces are on the field, the First Warden will come back again and again- though he will be forced to retreat if the rest of the army does.
While the Warden is capable of using any non-Evil equipment, you opted to provide him with custom armour and weaponry to further enhance his combat strength.
Your smiths and enchanters were ecstatic to finally have a task where they could go all-out, and go all-out they certainly did. The Warden's armour is made of celestial iron (chunks of iron that fall from the sky, said to be gifts from the gods) collected from the depths of the desert, forged into a suit of full plate, augmented with bands of gleaming brass in which are seated sigils carved of precious stones in many colours. While the appearance is stunning, it is not purely ornamental, as the sigils anchor and enhance the suite of durability-enhancing enchantments placed upon the armour. These include: an enchantment that bolsters the already sturdy iron such that it requires twice the force to dent; an enchantment that generates a barrier around the armour that blocks magical attacks (similar to that projected by Barrier Shields); an enchantment that reinforces the Warden himself, empowering his ghostly form (slightly); and a weak but versatile ward against malicious magical effects of all kinds (eg curses that weaken the target in some way). Devising these enchantments and layering them all onto a single piece of equipment without adverse interactions pushed your enchanters to their limits, and required the full attention of the Angel of the Forge as well as yourself- but it was worth it.
The Warden's greatsword, like his armour, is made of celestial iron, the hilt embellished with brass and precious stones. Two enchantments are weaved into the weapon: one that lends strength to the wielder, allowing for a more powerful swing; the second engulfing the blade in righteous golden flames, whose arcane heat will burn both mundane and magical substances, especially those tainted by Evil.
Together, this equipment will make the First Warden a terror on the battlefield, all-but impervious to lesser weapons, and able to cleave through foes like stalks of wheat. It will not make him invincible, of course, and in fact damage can still be dealt to his spirit while the armour stands, meaning the Warden may be forced to abandon his armour if overwhelmed. In this case, he can pick up fallen equipment to rejoin the fight- making him less effective, but by no means ineffective. In most cases he will try to recover his equipment and re-possess it (assuming it has not been damaged too severely), and obviously if the battle is won the equipment can be retrieved and hammered back into shape. (If the battle is lost, it will take the rest of the month to recreate the equipment)(Due to the infusion of Good, neither the sword nor armour will do the Demon's followers any good except as scrap metal)
Deployed to the battlefield, the First Warden is likely to have a greater impact than you would (though you are more well-rounded, and capable of adapting to a variety of circumstances, meaning in some situations you would have the advantage). As a combatant, he can single-handedly turn the tide of battle, as well as bolstering the morale of those around him. It should be noted that the Warden is, at heart, a footsoldier, and should not be expected to provide much strategic assistance.
The First Warden is unlikely to be helpful in infiltration, and should therefore only be deployed in combat lanes.
The
First Warden is obviously
Unique.
Investigators
The rain beat down on the cobblestone like Magoc's followers beat down on the innocent. Three men stand on a porch huddled together to avoid the worst of the rain.
Investigators: Easy: (1+4)+1=6: Above Average
You're a loose cannon, Heliel. You get results, but you're off the case. Hand in your badge and, uh, crossbow.
You were slightly offended when a cultist suggested that forcibly rewiring Investigators' brains might not be the best way forward- you've had practice, what're the odds of things going wrong a third time?-, but you agreed to a more ordinary enhancement to their abilities. The Investigators receive a mutation that enhances their analytical ability and memory. There is a relatively minor side effect of the Investigator's head glowing when engaged in deep thought, a phenomenon that is easily disguised during the day or in well-lit spaces, and avoidable in the dark by simply not thinking too hard.
In addition to their mutation, Investigators are hand-picked experts at their role already, and receive additional training so as to help them make the most of their new gifts, rendering each one a master detective. A little training with the Monks of Minos also grants them surprisingly effective self-defence skills, which should let them defeat armed attackers with no or improvised weapons.
Investigators will serve as intended, both embedded and unembedded, using both their own skills as well as information received from your other operatives to identify and unmask demonic servants. This will surely endear them to local law enforcement, while serving to bring the Demon's followers into the light even as Shadow Walkers strike from the dark. Their activities are codified as "Police Cooperation" and "Investigate".
Investigators will make working alongside local law enforcement considerably more effective, and make things harder for demonic operatives engaged in shady business in all influence provinces. The mutations, training, and natural skill required render Investigators
Rare.
Investigate represents their specialised information-gathering activities, and is
Rare as only Investigators can handle it.
Police Cooperation represents techniques for contacting law enforcement, and is
Uncommon, indicating that other agents can also use these techniques to cooperate.
Golem Cavalry
While mounted and mobile elements are usually considered an essential part of warfare, the terrain of our war against the Demon is broadly speaking not all that suitable for cavalry - the mountain passes and river deltas provide few flanking routes and are unwieldy terrain for traditional horse-mounted knights and the like. Moreover, against the demonic hordes, traditional mounts would be incredibly vulnerable to both fear-inducing magics and mutagenic alchemy, potentially turning against rider and the army as a whole. These concerns are as much a worry for the Demon army as our own - and thus, if one side were able to gain the use of cavalry while the other did not, the results could be devastating. But what living being would be able to resist those concerns? Well, who said it had to be a living being?
The artificers of the Bright Forge have been hard at work in conjunction with the military workshops to create our new mobile forces. The new units will be golems, artificial beings sculpted of clay or stone into shape, and then animated by the magic of enchantment, with Heliel summoning a spirit into the vessel to control it. The constructs are crafted to the best quality we can manage in numbers, with careful attention to joints and weight distribution for stability and range of motion. While constructs can be any shape - and indeed, some are already laying plans for different golems for different environments - as the baseline unit until we can devote more resources to this avenue, the artificers decided to model them after certain kinds of insects, featuring six legs and the ability to go on four and use the front two to fight once battle is joined.
The role of the golems is essentially to play hammer to the main force's anvil; due to the enchantments on the construct, the golems are deceptively fast for their material and shape, and their unusual shape allows them to work well in rough terrain. They are tough and strong, and a charge into an enemy's flank can be a devastating blow - although they don't work quite as well in a head on charge, admittedly.
Golem Cavalry: Hard: (1+2)-1=2: Utter Failure
In principle, this can work. Probably. You think.
In practice, however, animating golems proved a step too far for your artificers. The enchantment needed to make the stone or clay flexible would fail sporadically, causing it to crack. Which was not a huge issue, as the team responsible for designing the limbs and the team responsible for creating a control scheme for said limbs suffered some miscommunication, with the result that the golems can not even begin to walk. Even if they could walk, it would not last very long, as tests performed at the start of the project to determine how much magical energy the golems would need were done with scale models, and unfortunately none of the cultists assigned to the project had heard of the square-cube law. And somehow the issue that consumed the most time was an intense debate amongst the artificers regarding minutia of the golem's final appearance.
As a result, your artificers have nothing to show for their efforts, except for a few non-functional statues and some notes regarding the principles of golem-creation- which should at least make future attempts easier.
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.
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
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).
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 (making them utterly useless political operatives). Uncommon
Directors: Graduates who have received no mental healthcare, but have been given the task of interpreting intel and providing reports based thereon, which they are capable of doing without having to talk about non-political matters. 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 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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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:
3/4 |
1/4Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4LESIMOR (Influence)Fortified Frontier:
4/5 |
2/5Lawless Capital:
3/5 |
3/5Scholarly Towers:
3/5 |
4?/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 |
3/5Wartorn Wastes:
3/5 |
4?/5
Author
Topic: Angel Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10 (Read 32337 times)