Demon Team: Design Phase T2TURNTURNTURNProposal: The Obsidian Spire (High Effort)
Magoc has begun walking It's path towards twisting and bending humanity to It's will. It is a mighty demon to be sure, yet It's followers show a significant degree of mortal ineptitude that could compromise It's plans and provide cracks for the blessed Heliel and her forces to take advantage of.
Heliel's cult was well-trained and well-equipped. They had specters as scouts, proper officers, and workshops. Healers allowed them to crash upon It's own followers as waves upon the sands, withdraw, and crash once more. While Magoc's followers have a clear penchant for the more subtle arts, the art of war has proven to be just out of their mortal grasp. And so it is that Magoc harnessed it's energy to pull a massive black tower from the earth itself.
The Obsidian Spire is a manifestation of Magoc's will. The sleek, black tower, seemingly carved from a single piece of stone, will grow and expand as needed. Currently it juts above the rest of The Forgotten City as a monument to Magoc's power, the sun and moonlight reflecting off of it's seemingly edgeless surface. In the center of the Obsidian Spire and running the entire length from top to bottom (and beyond that) is a magma vent filled to the brim with molten rock and constantly spewing smoke and ash. Within it and ringing around the magma tube are three distinct sections (from the inside) with separate roles.
The Black Library is where the nerds scholars and scribes study and write. It is the base of the Obsidian Spire and is itself dozens of meters tall. Shelves ring around the walls filled to the brim with books and tomes pulled from the aether filled with arcane and ancient (to the mortals) knowledge. Centered around the warm walls of the magma vent are the Inscription Tables, where those who would study and utilize magic, alchemy, and the Language of Inception are able to work and research. Librarians, shadows tied to the Obsidian Spire as much as the Spire is tied to Magoc, watch over the mortals and provide It with up-to-date information on the progress of the scholars there. Librarians will tend to the scholars, guiding them to books that may aid them in their current pursuit, whatever it may be. They are very proud though, and will drain the life of cultists who show them, the Spire, or Magoc disrespect.
The Caster's Chamber rests below the Black Library, accessible by one of four stairwells positioned along the outer wall at the four cardinal directions. While the Black Library is fairly open, the Caster's Chamber is a series of winding hallways and individual rooms where the magically inclined can acquire more practical training. The rooms do not have roofs, and instead are open to allow the Manifested the ability to observe and train the cultists trying to work magic. Manifested are fragments of Magoc who have bodies unlike their Librarian kin, but are still tied to the Obsidian Spire as they are. Manifested train larger numbers of Cultists at once - the individual rooms are more to contain accidents than anything else. This chamber is also a couple dozen meters tall.
The top of the Obsidian Spire (and will remain so - additions to the Spire are seamlessly added between floors) is The Crucible. It is here that Magoc's warriors train, having to first combat the stairs upward and then practice their martial arts while completely exposed to the elements. Cultist Warriors are forged here. As with the other areas of the Obsidian Spire, the Crucible is watched over by entities of the Spire known as Magots. They bear a remarkable semblance to Magoc, though they lack the horns and smile, and speak in common tongue. They utilize their fraction of Magoc's combat prowess to improve his warriors. The Cultists who train here must endure wind, rain, and the everpresent blinding smoke and ash (dependent on the direction of the wind), all the while avoiding either inner or outer edge lest they fall to their deaths. This makes situational awareness as much of a priority as a sharpened blade.
As Magoc's influence spreads and It's power grows, so too will the Obsidian Spire, until it pierces the very heavens itself. A war has begun, and while the Angel Heliel has landed the first blow, it is Magoc who will strike the last.
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So a summary of what I want it to do so Nuke doesn't need to guess because it's definitely not 100% clear in the write-up.
-A badass tower
-General boost to knowledge and skill with the infernal arts as well as the mortal art of Alchemy
-Increased magical capabilities in and out of combat among our spellcasters
-A badass tower
-Unit: Cultist Warriors, Cultists who've been broken and reforged to fight more effectively for Magoc in less than ideal conditions
-Multiple types of summons (that are bound to the tower and so cannot currently be used) that provide experience for both incorporeal and physical manifestations with a wide spectrum of skills
-A badass tower that can be modified through designs or revisions depending on the scope of the addition.
Sidenote, the Library could be a nice lure for those nerds in that tower nearby.
The Obsidian Spire (High Effort): Ludicrous Very Hard: (1+3+
1)-2=2: Utter Failure (oof)
So, here's the thing. Making a tower/volcano hybrid sounds pretty cool. Very demonic.
However, one must be careful when doing so to not accidentally disrupt the local geological stability, pissing off Dorael (the god of, amongst other things, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions). Divine retribution, in the form of a volcanic eruption channelled through the spire, shattered the under-construction structure and doused the surroundings in molten rock and scalding ashes. Only the good fortune of the tower being situated on a different slope from the part of the Forgotten City which your cultists call home saved you from utter destruction.
Whoops.
Well, at least the effort was not entirely wasted; though the spire was not fully furnished yet, plans were being drawn up for the multiple institutions to be housed within, and while those are obviously shelved for the moment, you should have a slightly easier time developing them in the future.
It is now the Revision Phase. You have two revisions.
Magoc: The diabolical 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: Being equipped with only a rusty dagger, a spear, and a wooden shield, combined with their lack of training, mean these are not elite warriors- they'd lose a one-on-one fight with a real soldier-, but they're cheap and plentiful. Their shield and tabard are emblazoned with demonic runes that assault the mind with dark temptations and demands to worship Magoc. Like regular cultists, their dedication 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 designed for hunting, not piercing armour, but they're better than nothing. Their tabard matches those of the Armed Cultists. Like regular cultists, their dedication makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Uncommon
Mutamist Sprayers: Cultists carrying a tank of mutagenic liquid on their backs, connected by hose to a pump-and-nozzle contraption that sprays the substance over the battlefield, creating clouds of mist that induce random mutations in those exposed to it, as well as vastly boosting aggression. The range is pretty anemic, though, and the effects are temporary. Their tabard matches those of the Armed Cultists. Uncommon
Acolytes: Cultists who have begun their exploration of the magical arts, studying under the Demon. 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. Their tabard matches those of the Armed Cultists. There are not many Acolytes in a unit. Uncommon
Teachers of Magoc: Acolytes who specialise in the use of the Language of Inception. They primarily accompany missionaries and aid in late-stage conversion with their scrolls of dark scripture. Uncommon
Summoned/Mutated Units:
Misfits: A small band of mutants. What kind of mutants? Who knows! Cultists who consumed CMD and spun the wheel, ending up with some sort of beneficial mutation. Not much stronger than regular cultists, but kinda freaky, so that's fun. 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
Magical Equipment:
Chaotic Mutagenic Draught: A random assortment of alchemical ingredients, infused with Evil, chucked together and processed into bottles of unusual liquids (usually brown, though). Consumption can have one of a wide range of effects, from nothing at all, to death, to moderately serious mutations. Used by infiltrators to cause havoc. Uncommon
Bootlegger's Bounty: An Evil-infused liquor produced by Magoc's followers. The taste is said to be sublime, to the point where many become addicted after a single shot. Comes in a trademark black bottle with red label, very classy. Sales are used to fund the cult's projects. Common
Bootlegger Barrel Bombs: Kegs of Bootlegger's that explode when struck by magic of sufficient force. Somewhat unreliable. Uncommon
Infiltration Techniques:
Proselytise: Cultists go forth and spread the Evil 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
Bootlegger Club: A recruitment method specifically aimed at addicts of Bootlegger's Bounty, promising a stable supply of the liquor to reel in new members. Very effective. Uncommon
Language of Inception Graffiti: Demonic runes, drawn in blood, subconsciously impart their message onto those who view them. Painted on the walls of human settlements, they subtly steer the population towards evil. Common
Infrastructure:
Draughtsmith: An eclectic laboratory where a handful of fledgling alchemists develop a variety of potions to augment and stabilise demonic mutations.
DARRIN (Combat)Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4Mountain Passes:
3/4 |
1/4Dry Plains:
4/4 |
0/4LESIMOR (Influence)Scholarly Towers:
?/5 |
2/5Lawless Capital:
?/5 |
1/5Fortified Frontier:
?/5 |
0/5XA-NAM (Combat)Light Jungle:
0/4 |
4/4River Crossings:
3/4 |
1/4River Delta:
4/4 |
0/4DOLGOTH (Influence)Wartorn Wastes:
?/5 |
2/5Ostentatious Capital:
?/5 |
1/5Trade City:
?/5 |
0/5
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Topic: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10 (Read 42764 times)