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[NUKE9.13]

If we want to summon a walking fortress later, our Magic champion can help with that.

Please don't expect a Champion whose schtick is absorbing knowledge to actually grant you a bonus to all fields. The Obsessive Scholar's skillset would not assist in the creation of a gigantic animated fortress.

[TricMagic]

I had assumed he was a caster, and if we had a spell to summon a walking fortress creature he could cast it if sent to the battlefront.

[Kashyyk]

It isn't a spell to summon a castle, it is a unique monster, that ,happens to be a castle. Big difference.

[TricMagic]

I find it a bit boring really. A castle monster seems a bit weak, even if nothing developed so far can really destroy it. Though I don't think we've had a defensive fight since the Sunbows were introduced, so those might have more luck. Not like they can miss. And Major Key is now a thing too.

Note that if that does gain traction, we are going to have to choose which alchemy project is getting the bonus. (Frag for me.)


Also, a spell to summon a walking fortress, vs a unique monster design to make one. Both would serve as mobile fortresses, though the latter would be more powerful, balanced by being unique compared to the chance of a Rare spell.

Summon: Tortoise Bone Castle
Through the use of magic and necrotic energies, a link is made to the realm of the dead, summoning a mass of bones. These bones from the Tortoise Bone Castle, a walking fortress that can carry a large number of troops, as well as settle at a location. Due to being undead, there is also a magic at work that makes it capable of floating across terrain and shooting it's own bones that make it up at attackers, making it a very powerful summon. This doesn't allow true flight however, as the floating must be powered. It's very difficult to actually kill, since it is a mass of bones, but killing the caster(s) will disrupt it.

[NUKE9.13]

I'm providing a bit of feedback on proposed Unique designs:

Unique designs are generally easier than mass-producible designs.

The Obsessive Scholar would be a Hard design. It's basically just a body-snatcher. As a High-Effort it would be Normal.

The Brewmaster would be an Easy design. Nothing groundbreaking, mostly just remixing existing tech into a Champion. (Very Easy as High Effort)

Ruina is a terrible name, and would be a Hard design. You don't have much experience with the sort of stuff involved, but a giant earth elemental is not rocket science.

The Dream Eater would be Very Hard. Also not something you have much experience with, with the added difficulty of being very hard for the enemy to fight.

The Walking Fortress would be Hard. Similar to Ruina (perambulating rock), less flexible, but more resilient.

[TricMagic]

Elemental Missile

With the work towards Manipluar Missile, it becomes clear that simply blasting raw energy around is inefficient. The elemental versions of it fall under a few categories.

Fire Missile turns the use of magic into fuel, for the traditional fireball effect. The better the spell casting, the higher the heat and/or larger the shape. Generally forcing more energy into it makes the missile larger, but harder to tame. Taming it makes the heat within that smaller space go up.

Wind Missile is a spiraling type, focused on piercing force and cutting winds when it destabilizes. What  changes with better spell casting is radius of the destabilization effect and power. More energy inside means a larger range when it destabilized, more concentrated power means the spell and resulting cuts have more strength behind them.

Ice Missile focuses on a certain magical effect, acting more like a liquid when it hits a target, covering what is hit and freezing them. Better spell casting means a greater splash radius and stronger freeze. More energy means greater splash radius, more concentration means stronger freezing ability.

All three can be described as greater power vs greater control when scaling their effects. Though the basis behind them is changing raw evil energy into elemental energy of a specific type, fire, wind, and ice. All three work with Manipluar Missile, though it is recommended to only pick one to focus on for the time being, adding other elemental variations as time goes on.

[NUKE9.13]

Demon Team: Design Phase T8
TURNTURNTURN

Frag

Our alchemists have been toiling away to replicate the widespread success of Bootleggers, and they think they’ve finally succeeded.

The components that make up this particular concoction solidify once properly cooked, requiring it be broken apart and crushed into a fine blue powder - hence the name Frag, short for Fragments.

Frag’s peculiar concoction affects people differently based on their openness to the flow of magic. Those without inherent abilities with magic feel invigorated in both mind and body. Creativity and response times are increased, and a calming feeling washes over their being, allowing greater focus. Those with magical ability feel the same calming wave, and experience an immediate increase in both magical potency and control.

Both magical an nonmagical users become addicted to the feelings of power and perceived intelligence that Frag provides. Frequent users see light permanent mutation in the form of a soft blue glow in the whites of their eyes.

Frag is best used as an inhalant through nose or mouth, but any means of ingesting will have an effect on the user. It is sold in chunks in a nifty attractive royal purple bag with a silver-colored drawstring. Frag is produced for distribution among our forces and sale to those interested in buying. Free samples are provided for the Scholarly Towers.

Frag: Normal (+1 Bonus): (1+3)(+1)=5: Average
The Draughtsmiths were eager to get cooking once again. The goal was not complicated, and made easier by notes taken during experimentation with CMD. Along with a few pointers from your malevolent self, they were able to churn out a working product in good time.

The end product feels awkward to the touch (according to the Draughtsmiths), and has an unpleasant taste- it tastes like the sound of nails on a chalkboard. Fortunately, the 'rush' it produces should override the unpleasant sensation for most users- but it is unlikely to be as popular as Bootlegger's Bounty. Trials indicate that consumption is best performed by heating the Frag, then inhaling the vapours that are released- this reduces the unpleasant taste, and causes the effects to manifest faster. Acolytes will be provided with simple pipes designed to aid in consumption. Other methods of consumption also work- mixture into drinks (Frag exhibits no negative reactions with alcohol), straight up eating it, snorting powder, or even injecting it (though the needles required are extremely rare and expensive).
The primary effect of Frag is that it increases the flow of Magic through the user's body. All humans- even those without the ability to cast spells- absorb/release Magic from/to their environment. The natural flow of Magic through the body is important for a variety of reasons, but for your purposes the key thing is that a higher flow rate makes for more vivid emotions/experiences, and a stronger affinity for spellcasting. Thus, consuming Frag leads to the user feeling things more intensely and reacting more quickly- a surreal experience, especially on higher dosages. Spellcasters will also definitely notice their improved abilities.
Extremely high dosages of Frag can cause Magic to flow too quickly through the user, overloading the body and fraying the soul, leading to a decline in physical and mental health. Additionally, consistent use of Frag can cause adaptation to a higher Magic flow, resulting in users feeling sluggish and uninspired when not under the effects.

Needless to say, the production of Frag would not be possible without the usage of dark rituals. The finished product contains small amounts of Evil, which could raise questions amongst those capable of detecting such things.

Frag is a reasonably effective performance-enhancing substance, primarily useful for boosting the efficacy of mages, but also a viable recreational drug for mundane folk. Production is sufficiently involved to render the end product Uncommon. Acolytes and Warcasters will see improved performance in and out of combat. Sales will provide a moderate revenue stream. _{sideeffectsmayincludedizzinessshortnessofbreathanddeath}

High-Effort Champion/Monster Guy: The Obsessive Scholar

Magic is a field that draws many to it for just as many reasons. Few master a single art, fewer master multiples, and fewer still find a solution to the questions or problems that drew them to magic in the first place. The Obsessive Scholar's singular focus was but one question he oft asked himself - "Why?" He infuriated his peers during his studies in the Scholarly Tower, pestering them over the most minuscule detail, driving them to explain everything back to the creation of the realms themselves. No answer proved thorough enough for The Obsessive Scholar.

He was an esteemed guest of many a court, sharing his knowledge in exchange for free access to any library in the realm. He pored over tome after tome, flipped thousands upon thousands of pages, scoured every line, word, and letter or symbol in every text and scroll. Still on occasion he found himself able to ask "why?" and come up with no answer. The Obsessive Scholar learned of ancient ruins now brought to life by some demon cult, and heard rumors of the impressive stores of knowledge this cult held in it's grasp, so of course he had to see it for himself.

He was impressed when he'd arrived, but The Obsessive Scholar soon grew frustrated. Alchemy was interesting but the Cult of Magoc had a basic level of knowledge that only scratched upon ancient tales of the power of that Art, and with their very limited library of spells there was even less for him to work with. Indeed, The Obsessive Scholar grew maddened by yet another disappointment and sought after knowledge of the demon Magoc itself. He demanded the demon answer each and every question until The Obsessive Scholar was satisfied. Magoc, amused by this conjurer of cheap tricks, presented itself before him and offered a challenge: if The Obsessive Scholar asked a question Magoc could not answer, The Obsessive Scholar would be free to take the entirety of the wealth of the cult in order to fund his ongoing search for more, with Magoc working as a demonic aide. If The Obsessive Scholar could be satisfied however, he would eternally work as a slave to Magoc, forced to give up his search for knowledge in order to act as an extension of Magoc's will.

One should not need a summary of a face-off between a curious mortal and a demon in it's prime, especially when the demon is one who is skilled with words. The Obsessive Scholar asked questions for days on end, and Magoc would provide empty answer after empty answer. Magoc strung The Obsessive Scholar along with a line of questions so long and cyclical that The Obsessive Scholar didn't realize until too late that the question he was halfway through asking had already been answered, and when he tried to quickly come up with another question to recover from his stumble, he realized with fright that each question he could summon forth in the moment had already been answered.

In the moment that he faltered, Magoc claimed victory, damning The Obsessive Scholar to an eternity of servitude. The Obsessive Scholar vanished in a blast of noxious black fumes.

What came to be in a ritual chamber beneath the ruins was something more than The Obsessive Scholar ever dreamed he would be. His mind was sharper than any mortal mind, capable of grasping and focusing the most complex of magics. His body was turned completely hairless, and all of his features erased from his physical form. His skin seemed to run smoothly across the entirety of his body, with naught but two slits for his eyelids, two for his nostrils, and one for his mouth. His eyes themselves are a pitch black, and his skin a porcelain white. These features play into his abilities granted by Magoc.

The Obsessive Scholar cannot shapeshift freely as Magoc can. Instead, The Obsessive Scholar must embrace someone he wishes to take the form of. They are absorbed and broken down by his flesh, not only granting him the ability to change into them at will, but also granting him all of the target's knowledge and memories up to the point of absorption. The process is fast and leaves nothing of the person's body itself behind.

The Obsessive Scholar is meant to be a Magic Champion.

The Obsessive Scholar (Champion)(High Effort): Hard Normal: (3+2+4)=7: Superior Craftsmanship
You do not know everything. Far from it. But you can fake it, and that's what really matters.

The Obsessive Scholar would've made a powerful ally, before his death. Oh, yeah, he died. Humans can't survive being disintegrated, turns out. Fortunately, death is not always an obstacle to you and your followers. In the case of the Obsessive Scholar, his spirit was sufficiently fanatical that even without your assistance, he would've likely become a powerful spectre. As is, you bound his restless soul to a construct of flesh fuelled by Evil, creating what could be considered a Wight- an immortal spirit bound to an immortal body, limited only by the need to gather Evil to maintain its unnatural state.
As a result, where the Scholar would've once made a powerful ally, he now makes for an ally of unprecedented magical might, immune to the normal limits that restrict mortal mages. This is before getting to his ability to absorb others, which only renders him more potent.

The Scholar's absorption ability is not unbounded. For complicated magical reasons, it can only be used once a day. The Scholar also has to power through the target's magical defences- the natural ones that all humans have, and any extra ones added by mages. He is somewhat vulnerable during this process, which is not a problem when facing a random peasant (whose defences will not last more than a second or two), but may pose a challenge when facing more headstrong figures (especially powerful mages). In riskier cases, it is recommended that the Scholar (or allies) first disable the target, preventing them from disrupting the process.
Once the defences are down, the absorption is almost instant. One moment there is a creepy monster holding on to a human, the next there is only what appears to be the human (but is in fact the monster), not a trace of the original person left. The disguise is incredibly effective: the Scholar almost perfectly replicates the appearance, the personality, the memories, and- to a lesser extent- the magical aura. The change in said aura is hard to notice, and even harder to peg as proof of the Scholar's takeover, as magical auras can change for a whole host of reasons. The main weakness in the perfect disguise is that the Obsessive Scholar will eventually need to absorb Evil to sustain himself, which- unless the person he is disguised as is a necromancer- is unlikely to be a normal course of action. Fortunately, he can go up to five days without, which should be enough time to find an opportunity to sneak off to perform the appropriate rituals.
Running out of Evil will cause the Scholar to revert to his default appearance. Sustaining damage will accelerate the consumption of Evil.

The Scholar brings with him a vast collection of spells (although many of them are highly esoteric and of little practical value). His most powerful are unsurprisingly divination-type spells, but he is certain to have a spell for almost any situation- unfortunately all reliant on traditional mortal Magic, and thus unsuited for use by your own mages (who cast using a combination of Magic and Evil, which makes for easier and more powerful effects).
Additionally, the Scholar can cast any spell in your arsenal (unless otherwise stated), with significantly greater power and finesse than Acolytes or Warcasters.

When deployed in an infiltration role, the Obsessive Scholar will primarily assist in information gathering (by absorbing knowledgeable people) and the control of local institutions (by absorbing important people). He will also assist in the planning and coordination of other operations, increasing their efficacy.
The Scholar may also be deployed in combat, where he will serve as a tactician and spellcaster. If he was deployed in an influence province the previous month, he will bring the guise & skills of a resident with him into battle (a powerful warrior from the Wartorn Wastes, a battlemage from the Scholarly Towers, a rogue from the Lawless Capital, etc).

The Obsessive Scholar is obviously Unique.


It is now the Revision Phase. You have two revisions.

Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)

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.


Champions:
The Obsessive Scholar: An undead being with the ability to absorb the appearance, memories, and personality of victims. Obsessed with knowledge. A powerful spellcaster, with a considerable repertoire of (especially divination-type) mortal spells in addition to being able to cast all of Magoc's spells. Physically relatively weak, albeit hard to kill. Needs to absorb Evil to survive. Unique


Mundane Units:
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- and further enhanced by studies in the Warcaster's Keep. Their gambeson matches those of the Light Uruks. 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
   Keepers of Desire: Acolytes given a creepy white mask, nice clothes, and a club & dagger, and told to protect the cult's infiltration assets. They are not especially well trained, however. Uncommon

Warcasters: Graduated Acolytes, with a greater aptitude for the magical arts, who have undertaken intense study in the Warcaster's Keep. They can cast any Common or Uncommon spells (unless noted otherwise), and more effectively than regular Acolytes. In addition to their magical training, they have found time to practice the arts of command and close combat as well, making them effective leaders and passable fighters. Provide improved leadership to Acolytes (one per unit). Wear a black leather coat/cloak & stupid felt hat, and carry a sword.
   
   
Summoned/Mutated Units:
URUK: A cultist who has undergone Cultist Baptismal Indoctrination. Submerged in a muddy pool of mutagenic muck for an hour, they emerge with a strikingly distinct appearance, improved strength and toughness, and most importantly, the ability to cast a pre-programmed spell two or three times an hour. Their spellcasting strength is lower than acolytes, but they can in principle cast any Common spell. They do not modify rarity, although unit sizes are slightly reduced.

Light Uruks: Equipped with a one handed weapon, a solid spear, and a sturdy kite shield- all made with steel-, make these remarkably well armed warriors (considering their ubiquity). A steel cap with nose/eye-guard and a padded gambeson provide decent protection. They have received enough basic training to reliably match a real soldier. They are plentiful, as well as being stronger and tougher than most humans. Their shield and gambeson 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

Heavy Uruks: Light Uruks who survived previous battles, provided with a mail hauberk in addition to their other equipment, making them substantially more resilient. They are specialised in tight formations. Uncommon

Uruk Archers: Uruks who have some experience with a bow are valuable assets in combat, harassing the enemy from a distance. They aren't sharpshooters, although they wield well-made recurve bows, and have a quiver full of steel-tipped arrows, making them fairly effective. Their increased strength slightly improves their archery as well. Their gambeson and helm match those of the Light Uruks. Like regular cultists, their dedication makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Uncommon

Mutamist Sprayers: Uruks 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 poisons those exposed to it, as well as vastly boosting their aggression. The range is short, and the effects are temporary. Their gambeson and helm match those of the Light Uruks. Uncommon
   Mutamist Globadiers: Globadiers carry a satchel of glass flasks filled with the same mutagenic compound as the Sprayers, which they can sling (using a sling) at the enemy, where they shatter and unleash large clouds of the mist. Carry less of the compound than Sprayers, but have much greater range.

Uruk Commanders: Mean, tough, with a basic understanding of tactics, Uruk Commanders instil a modicum of order and discipline, while also being capable combatants themselves with their exclusive Blood-Drinker sword and partial plate armour (including a helmet with a nice red crest). They are distributed amongst all Uruk/CHAD units. The use of basic Coordination Drills gives them more options for commanding their underlings.

Misfits: A small band of mutants. What kind of mutants? Who knows! Uruks who consumed a Mutagenic Draught or two and spun the wheel, ending up with some sort of beneficial mutation. Not substantially stronger than regular Uruks, but somewhat more effective, and kinda freaky, so that's fun. Uncommon

Devil-Crows: Crows infused with a small amount of Evil, increasing their natural intelligence slightly, and making them subservient to Magoc and his followers. They are larger than an average crow and have an unnatural red glint in their eyes, but are otherwise hard to distinguish. They are capable scouts and spies, having sufficient vocabulary to convey at least a decent summary of what they have seen. Murders of Devil-Crows may be deployed in battle to harass the enemy, in limited numbers. Common
   CHADCrows: Larger, meaner, enhanced Devil-Crows. Their sharpened talons and beaks make them a deadly threat, especially when working together. Typically operate in small murders. Uncommon
   Pale Crows: Albino crows, with increased intelligence enabling them to perform more complex tasks, and lead the other crow types. They are also capable of seeing invisible magical beings, and damaging/destroying intangible magical beings. Uncommon

CHADS: Tall, intimidating mutants, suffused with Evil and Alchemy. They are stronger, tougher, and faster than even a well-trained regular human. Their every waking moment is consumed with thoughts of violence, at which they excel, although they are less well suited to intellectual pursuits. In their arms they wield either a sturdy two-handed hammer or a one-handed axe and a massive tower shield (both weapon options are of the Blood-Drinker variety), while their bodies are clad in sparse steel plate armour. Operate in small units. Uncommon

Consorts of Desire: Beautiful, enticing mutants, imbued with Evil and Alchemy. Aside from being breathtakingly attractive, these men and women have the ability to share their own enhanced hedonistic senses with those around them, making all of life's guilty pleasures seem that much more enjoyable, and making life seem grey and meaningless when they depart. Unrepentant hedonists, they insist on a high standard of living. 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
   Manipular Missile: An upgrade to Magic Missile, allowing for magic density to be increased or decreased. Denser missiles have slightly increased range and piercing-power, less dense missiles arc downwards and have decreased range/damage. Uruks can only be programmed with one 'mode' of casting at a time. 

Ethereal Armament: A simple cantrip that can conjure any inanimate object the caster desires, with certain limits. Casting time depends on the complexity of the object and the caster's familiarity. Duration of magic depends on mass of object, and number of concurently summoned objects. Common

Dumb Drunkard's Detangibiler: An unusual spell that briefly turns the caster and up to two passengers intangible. Casting takes some time, but can be held at the edge of activation for an extended period. Uncommon


Magical Equipment:
Mutagenic Draught: A carefully selected assortment of alchemical ingredients, infused with Evil, chucked together and processed into bottles of unusual liquids. Comes in three varieties; a beneficial-mutation type, a detrimental-mutation type, and an actually-poison type. Used sporadically 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
   
Blood-Drinker Blades: Weapons (need not necessarily be bladed), engraved with demonic runes, enchanted to 'drink' the blood of injured foes, 'feeding' the wielder to bolster their vitality and stamina. Provided to certain units.

Frag: A light blue crystalline substance, best used by inhaling vapours released by heating. Increases the flow of Magic through the user, resulting in intensified sensations and an improved spellcasting ability. Contains a small amount of Evil. Somewhat addictive. Provided to casters to improve their performance, and sold through criminal contacts as a revenue source (which is moderately lucrative). 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

Temptation: Consorts of Desire ply important figures with luxurious pleasures, enticing them into a frenzy of indulgence. Once enthralled, the target is recruited into the cult, or otherwise persuaded to cooperate with the demonic cause. Rare

Mediocre Guarding: A not-especially effective attempt at protecting infiltration assets, hampered by slapdash planning and a lack of training. Nevertheless, any guards is a lot better than no guards, and the efforts are not inherently suspicious. Common

Leverage Criminals: Methods of taking control over existing criminal organisations, and having them work for the cult. Criminals can be encouraged to spy, kill, destroy, guard, steal, or smuggle on the cult's behalf- at which they are not as effective as a more zealous cultist could theoretically be, but it's definitely better than nothing. Also provides minor revenue stream. Effective rarity depends on local crime rate.


Infrastructure:
Draughtsmith: An eclectic laboratory where a handful of fledgling alchemists develop a variety of potions to augment and stabilise demonic mutations.

Warcaster's Keep: A facility for magical education, including a large library of forbidden knowledge that entices reckless scholars to visit.

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

DARRIN (Combat)
Dry Plains: 4/4 | 0/4
Mountain Passes: 3/4 | 1/4
Rice Terraces: 0/4 | 4/4

LESIMOR (Influence)
Fortified Frontier: 3?/5 | 2/5
Lawless Capital: 3?/5 | 3/5
Scholarly Towers: 3/5 | 4/5

XA-NAM (Combat)
River Delta: 4/4 | 0/4
River Crossings: 3/4 | 1/4
Light Jungle: 0/4 | 4/4

DOLGOTH (Influence)
Trade City: 3?/5 | 3/5
Ostentatious Capital: 3?/5 | 3/5
Wartorn Wastes: 3?/5 | 4/5

[TricMagic]

Divine Point

A divination spell, made by the Obsessive Scholar and some assistants to find persons of interest. It's a simple ritual that requires 3 participants, and can be used to divine the location of predefined target(s). Like angelic armies, or infiltrators. It does so through trajectory, taking the three locations the spell is cast, and returning a point where the target(s) are. Additional casters can help to refine this.

It is a useful spell for determing information on an enemy's location, though the main flaw is that the farther what you are looking for is, the more space between casters is needed. Placing rspellcasters around the edges of a circle, meanwhile, is a good way to find anyone hiding inside a city. And if all else, it can also determine the general direction you need to go to find a target due to how it works. It should be noted it is designed to find living beings, not objects, but the Obsessive Scholar's wide knowledge of divination spells makes it work well enough, absent certain anti-divination spells.

[Kashyyk]

That went pretty well. Can't remember if we had any revisions planned already, so have some suggestions:

Currently the military hierarchy is pretty flat, (Magoc > Commanders/Warcasters > Everyone else), so when mutiple Commanders are in one place a substantial amount of ego measuring takes place, with a fluid hierarchy depending on experience, personal combat prowess, physical size, relative unit strength and arrogance in varying degrees.

Instead, we shall formalise it a little. Each front will have a designated Warlord, responsible for the direct management of the army and being the one who must go to Magoc/other-military-champion for orders. They will have final say on seniority order for the rest of the Commanders. If a Commander feels they have been incorrectly judged, they may make a formal challenge for restitution, and if successful, they will have earned the position they challenged for. The Warlord position is naturally available for challenge. A challenge consists of a small mock battle (where a casualty rate higher than 20% is frowned upon) between equal numbers led by the challengers. Their solders may come from their own unit, and/or from the unit of another Commander with permission, ensuring that a modicum of social skill is required of our senior military officers.

As the Heavy Uruks are the experienced cream skimmed from the Light Uruk crop, so are the Shocktroops selected from the Heavies. Veterans of multiple deadly battles, the Shocktroops are clad in the same half plate as their Commanders, and are all armed with large two handed weapons, such as hammers, swords, pikes and halberds. These superheavies are ideal for securing a battle line, forcing a gate or cutting their way through enemy troops like a scythe through wheat.

Frag gives a pleasant rush to the user and a boost to our casters, but it's combat utility for our rank and file is a little underwhelming, thus a new form known as Spike was developed. This version, a deep purple shade, instead drives the magical flow into the users muscles, giving a surge of strength and stamina instead of opening it up to the senses and skilled manipulation. When ingested via one of the more direct routes (such as direct consumption or snorting), it should be usable in combat as a quick pick-me-up and source of second wind, as well as a way to maximise the vendor by deleting application until just before it's needed.

[TricMagic]

Magic Missile Barrage

A modification to the base spell allows for spellcasters to form a constant barrage of missiles from the same spell. This is mostly done by refining the pure raw mass of evil into a coherent structured spell, then sending magical energy into the spell to produce one missile after another. Less cost per missile, though no damage upgrade, but very efficient. Once the spell is cast, the hand takes on a glow, and sending energy is all that's needed. Compatible with Manipular Missile, but requires the style to be chosen ahead of time. Can be cast to both hands, or allow another spell to be cast, as once the spell is active, it's no issue keeping it active so long as you have magical energy to spend.



Magic Arrow
Finally moving past the raw magic stage, Magic Arrow is a concentrated spell structure meant to improve upon Manipular Missile. Put simply, the spell actually has a spell formula developed. Magic Arrow is a mass of solid magic, which along with reducing waste energy, also improves it's destructive power. They can either be fired straight ahead, or on a curved trajectory overhead. Note that both are equally powerful, unlike Manipular Missile, though lobbed Arrows are slower to arrive due to traveling a larger distance than those fired straight. Like Magic Missile, they also explode once they've stopped.

[Man of Paper]

Frag Dens
Built into the backrooms of established cult fronts, Frag Dens are underground (occasionally both figuratively and literally) locations where trained cultists administer "proper" amounts of Frag and provide the basic comforts and care for those who utilize the substance. While Frag Dens are meant primarily as a means of bringing in and observing potential recruits as we corrupt them both body and mind, they also act as a business. While Frag can be sold everywhere, Frag Dens sell the product (at the highest quality available) and charge a small fee for use of rooms, food and water service, and medical attention should it be necessary. Consorts also occasionally make rounds at the Dens, especially once a good (which in this case means evil) recruit is found.

Uruk Warlords (1): MoP
Frag Dens (1): MoP

[TricMagic]

Gush

The magic user's power is uncapped, limits removed. The duration is short, and can result in the death of the user if overused, but allows their spells to be fueled by the entirety of their magical energy, for a short time. It's risky, but the user's abilities with magic during this time is well worth the risk.

[flazeo25]

Leisure la schemes
With the ever growing demands for bootleggers and with introduction of our newest product of frag we needed places to cater to our customers desire. So utilizing our criminal networks and cult methods we formalize our clubs and criminal networks by renovated abandoned warehouses, influences change of existing owners for bars and such until we we enough to places to form Leisure dens. Each leisure den would sell out bootleggers and frags, as well as offer free samples to potential customers and those who recruit others for us, also on offer are carnal pleasure from of consorts if the customers were well paying if they were around at the times. Only best quality goods are served there in vibrant and well stocked dens.

Pests Blight
Using process we have used on Devil-crows and repeatedly refined onto it's other variants are cultists set about experimenting by infusing small amounts of evil into vermin they found in places around the foodstocks and including our own cults dens what was mainly found were rats which would undergo it for potential usages mainly acting as swarms for distractions or inflitrations as vermin can go where no normal person may go, one cultists even had not so bright idea to infuse such methods into various strays of hounds they came across for war purposes.

Uruk Warlords (2): MoP, Flazeo25
Frag Dens (1): MoP
Pests Blight (1): Flazo25

Edit; Added pest blight.

[Happerry]

Hell-Rats
Based off the techniques used in the creation of Devil-Crows, the Scholars at the Warcaster's Keep have adapted said methods to infuse rats, instead of crows, with elemental evil. Like the Crows, this will make the rats smarter and meaner, fit for using as spies and scouts in urban, or other appropriate, landscapes and able to be deployed in highly distracting swarms in battle. If there are rats in the walls, then let the rats work for us.

[TricMagic]

Uruk Warlords (2): MoP, Flazeo25
Frag Dens (1): MoP
Pests Blight (1): Flazo25
Hell-Rats: (1) TricMagic
Magic Arrow: (1) TricMagic