Demon Team: Design Phase T9TURNTURNTURNSoulfang Jaguars
Magoc's influence is corruption absolute. Nothing within his realm can evade his twisting gaze and grasp for long, intentionally targeted or not. The latter is the case with the Soulfang Panthers. Magoc's corruptions of the jungle, and the introduction of his cultists, ate away at the natural habitat of the local wildlife. Feeding off of the corrupted land, prey animals found themselves in turn corrupting their predators upon consumption. Prey would not last long in these changing and increasingly hostile environments however, and the jaguars of the jungle, empowered by darkness and emboldened by hunger, struck out at stray cultists. The darkness swelling within these animals was not satisfied, and in turn neither was their hunger, but with the corruption of evil often comes change and opportunity.
A number of jaguars, altered by the passive local Evil and their new diets, found their appetites whetted not just by the body, but the mind as well. The beasts fangs penetrated flesh and spirit both, and their saliva containing a toxin that coated their teeth to permit the spiritual assault, with a side-effect not unlike getting shit-faced drunk should it enter an open wound, and a painful rash otherwise. These Soulfang Jaguars were frightening to behold at first, their bodies unnaturally larger and stockier than the natural jaguar's, and these semi-intelligent beasts were rumored to have taken down a number of CHADs before drawing Magoc's eye.
Magoc was not one to practice turning the other cheek, or letting bygones be bygones. It's besting by a lesser being sat as poorly with it as one could ever imagine, and these beasts seemed as good an opportunity as any to bite back.
The Soulfang Jaguars were acquired by cultists and treated with an alchemical bath. Meant as mounts for Uruks, the beasts are quite large and packed with muscle, and it is expected that they will be temperamental but ultimately tameable and trainable.
Soulfang Jaguars: Hard: (3+2)-1=4: Below Average
“He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount", they say, but why would you want to? Riding a tiger is awesome. Nothing could ever go wrong!
The Haunted Jungle has its fair share of deadly fauna, both natural and eldritch. The prowling jaguars were deadly enough before your Evil energy reinvigorated the jungle's corrupting nature- the freshly mutated Soulfang Jaguars were indeed deadly enough to take down seasoned hunters with ease. Fortunately, there is only one kind of animal stupid enough to walk into a demon's lair without invitation, so the ferocious felines did not cause undue disruption to the Forgotten City itself, though they did do a number on hunting parties and other small groups of travellers. Once the threat was identified, you were able to take control of the beasts and summon them before you, their tainted minds naturally following your commands. Unfortunately, the Soulfang Jaguars were not large enough to carry an Uruk. So it was off to the Draughtsmiths with them, where they were treated to a medley of mutative mixtures.
So far, so good.
Except that the already mutated jaguars, when exposed to additional Evil, proved challenging to keep stable even with alchemical assistance. The Draughtsmiths did their best, and were able to alleviate a lot of the issues, but the end result is not everything you had hoped for.
Soulfang Jaguars are big enough and strong enough to carry a rider into battle- albeit a lightly armed one. Their saliva can intoxicate mortal foes, and damage purely spiritual beings as well. However, neither their teeth nor claws are especially effective against armour- they should be able to tear through the angelic gambesons relatively easily, but metal armour probably ain't happening. In terms of durability, their fur and thick skin ensures it will take more than a few glancing blows to take them out of the fight, but they must rely primarily on agility to avoid the enemy's attacks. Most importantly, they are not just a little temperamental. It takes a very strong will just to keep them from shaking off and eating their rider, and a stronger will still to direct them to do anything they don't want to do. So charging into a line of spears- forget about it. Attacking a weak flank, maybe, maybe not, depends on how they're feeling at the time. Picking off fleeing foes, or sweeping through poorly positioned skirmishers, that's definitely doable. At least they have a degree of pack mentality, so individuals usually won't go off on their own.
Riding a jaguar is not super comfortable, requiring considerable concentration- not helped by the poor quality 'saddles' involved. The jaguar-riders will forgo a shield, as they need to hold onto the reins with one hand at all times, using their spear to prod at nearby enemies. Frankly, you don't expect them to do much damage; they're mainly there to control the jaguar itself, to which end they are hand picked for their strength of will. They are put through a 'rigorous' bonding exercise with their future mount, which reduces the chance of the jaguar turning on them in battle to a measly ~10%.
Soulfang Jaguars are somewhat unpredictable, but on balance should serve as passable light cavalry forces, effective against light infantry and skirmishers. Due to a somewhat limited supply of the wild kind (& a slow rate of reproduction in captivity), combined with the alchemical effort and training needed to bring them up to spec, they are
Uncommon, and will be deployed in smallish units.
Our allies in the Fortified Frontier complain about a lack of support. Our colleagues in the Trade City complain about a lack on business opportunities. Our peers at the Scholarly Towers complain about a lack of Magical Knowledge. Let it never be said that Magoc ignores others. Indeed, he always listens. He's just rarely inclined to do what you want unless it also benefits him. Anyway, I digress.
Leaning on our knowledge from the Blood Drinker Blades, a mage can consume a portion of life force (using blood as a transfer medium) to 'modify' a subject. This life force can be taken from the caster, the subject or even a third party, although in each case the caster will need comfortable access in order to draw the blood and then manipulate it. Thus blood thralls of many stripes are possible, be they slaves, death row criminals, or even captured enemy combatants. It would be substantially more difficult to use an 'unwilling donor' if they are not controlled, so we can't expect anyone beyond Magoc to be able to pull that off.
The simplest form of this spell is to restore the subject to their base state. Also known as healing. Wounds, sickness, mental fatigue, all can be recovered from with a suitably sacrifice in blood.
However, not everyone wants to be merely restored. Some want to be something more. A more talented mage can use life force to enhance a subject's physical and mental abilities, and even restore their youth, although naturally this is more costly, and needs renewal to maintain its affects. You can live forever as the epitome of perfection, if you're willing to regularly sell another's life in place of your own.
Touch of the Hemophile: Normal: (3+3)=6: Above Average
You are not copying Heliel. You would've come up with this idea without her. So really, she's the one who copied you in the past. Shut up.
Your experience creating the Blood-Drinker Blades was helpful in the creation of this spell, as several elements could be reused. Indeed, the Warcasters and OU scholars wouldn't've broken a sweat if you were merely going for a healing spell. Tacking on eternal youth was just the thing to make the project interesting for them. To ensure Acolytes would be able to cast the spell, you made a simpler version that focuses purely on simple healing, and an advanced version that has the complex magical structure needed for youth restoration.
The basic Touch of the Hemophile is a pretty simple case of moving vitality around. As you know, blood is an effective vector for life force, and with a mage controlling the transfer, a high degree of efficiency is possible. The recipient receives about 85% of the life force siphoned from the donor, which is even more effective than it sounds thanks to the caster directing the energy to specific areas of the body (eg highly injured areas, leaving lesser injuries to heal naturally, or prioritising stabilisation until more blood is available). The plan to use thralls as a source of blood on the battlefield hit a slight hitch, that being a lack of thralls- you have slaves, of course, but you lack the means to corral them to the front lines effectively. Fortunately the bodies of the dead or dying usually still have some vitality that can be siphoned (the living move around too much), and in the worst case scenario a caster can sacrifice one wounded soldier to heal several others- or even use the recipient's own life force, moving it from healthy parts of the body to injured areas (though this is an edge case).
The more advanced 'Higher Touch of the Hemophile' ((name can be changed if desired)) has all the functionality of the basic version, adding the ability to target 'deeper' vitality. One can consider things like wounds and most sicknesses 'surface' damage; they are not affected by- nor do they affect- the deeper vitality that governs lifespan. The details don't really matter, though. The point is that Higher Touch of the Hemophile can be used to draw the 'youth' from a 'donor', and siphon it into a recipient, giving them increased reserves of 'youth'.
There is a problem. 'Surface' vitality is easy to get at, easy to move around. 'Deeper' vitality is harder to pry from the body, and harder to add to the body. Consequently, where healing with Touch of the Hemophile is highly efficient, restoring youth is notably inefficient. In fact, in order to cause a noticeable increase in a customer's youth, the donor has to be brimming with it (mid-to-late adolescence, ideally), and following the procedure, the donor... well, let's just say that killing them is a kindness. Now, this is not a moral quandary- you are a demon, this is literally what you live for-, but it is somewhat of a logistical one. Voluntary donors are not feasible, and questions may arise if you just start grabbing them off the street. It is not an insurmountable issue, but it is an extra cost, which cuts into the profits generated by selling the service.
At least the results are pretty good. An ideal donor can knock 10 years off of a customer's apparent age, while the 'surface' vitality provides an immediate pick-me-up. You expect to be able to charge a premium to those with the requisite lack of scruples- be that a premium in terms of money, or in terms of political support.
Touch of the Hemophile is an effective means of providing healing to your forces. The magic requires a degree of finesse, which makes its use by Uruks infeasible, but it is
Common so Acolytes can cast it.
Higher Touch of the Hemophile will serve as another source of revenue and/or favours, albeit in a limited form due to the impracticalities of widespread distribution. Due to the increase in both power and finesse required, it is
Uncommon.
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.
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.
Uruk Warlords: Highest-ranked Commanders in Magoc's army. Oversee the hierarchy of other Commanders, bolstering their efficacy by ensuring the most capable rise to the top at the expense of the least capable. Also plan strategy.
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
Monsters:
Soulfang Jaguars: Jet-black felines large enough to carry an Uruk into battle. Their saliva is toxic, damaging the soul of those bitten (physical flesh is not prerequisite to being bitten by them). However, they are somewhat unreliable. Operate in smallish units. Uncommon
Spells/Rituals:
Magic Missile: Known by many names, the simple technique of blasting your opponent with raw Mana/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 concurrently 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
Touch of the Hemophile: An effective healing spell that uses blood as a vector to siphon vitality from a 'donor' into the target. Requires some concentration and a mostly-unmoving donor. Common
Higher Touch of the Hemophile: A more advanced version that can, in addition to healing injuries and sickness, restore youth to the target- at the cost of the life of a young 'donor'. 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 Mana 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 Frag Dens as a revenue source (which is quite 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.
Frag Dens: Impressively secure locations where those with the coin to spare can enjoy a carefully administered dose of Frag in peace. Increase revenue from Frag sales, make recruitment easier, and provide safehouses for other operatives to fall back to. Uncommon
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.
DARRIN (Combat)Dry Plains:
4/4 |
0/4Mountain Passes:
4/4 |
0/4Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4LESIMOR (Influence)Fortified Frontier:
3?/5 |
3/5Lawless Capital:
3?/5 |
3/5Scholarly Towers:
3?/5 |
4/5XA-NAM (Combat)River Delta:
4/4 |
0/4River Crossings:
2/4 |
2/4Light Jungle:
0/4 |
4/4DOLGOTH (Influence)Trade City:
3?/5 |
3/5Ostentatious Capital:
3?/5 |
3/5Wartorn Wastes:
3?/5 |
4/5
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Topic: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10 (Read 42725 times)