Demon Team: Design Phase T2TURNTURNTURNMasters of Rites (uses Wealth Token)
Masters of Rites are members of the cult trained to be skillful orators familiar with the funeral rites of the various cultures of the region. These ornately-dressed slaves mortals go forth across the land offering their services to those who have lost friends and family recently (old age as the cause is avoided), and at little to no cost to themselves! Masters of Rites prepare the bodies according to custom and host the proper ceremony (and log the location for potential retrieval later). During said ceremony is where they act out their larger purpose: utilizing their ways with words, Masters of Rites offer their own sermon in place of whatever standard there may be.
This sermon is custom-written for any party present for the ceremony and asks them to remember. Remember who it was that cause this unfortunate loss (hence why they avoid the olds). It reminds them they can do something about it. Sure, said entity that "caused" that loss might always be one in opposition of the Cult, and that "something" they could do might incidentally promote our agenda in the area, but that's just a coincidence.
Since people are dying all over the place at this time, we aim to have the Masters of Rites relatively accessible wherever they may be needed, but not too numerous.
Masters of Rites: Normal: (4+4)=8: Unexpected Boon
It's amazing what a fancy robe can do for you. Black cotton, silver thread stitching: tastefully sombre, high quality without being ostentatious. With robes like these, anyone would look respectable.
Let's start with the basics; oration and familiarity with local funerary customs. This is something that some of your cultists took to like fish to water, as they were seemingly fascinated with the topic even before you brought it up. The Masters of Rites are thus capable wordsmiths, who know the appropriate rites for dealing with the dead across the region; from the Satrapy to Thpenos proper, the length of Xyrania, and even the customs of Chegitha and the Silver Empire. Combined with their elegant attire and free services, their popularity is assured. Indeed, tentative trials saw them swamped with customers.
Their ability to weave messages into a funeral sermon is flawless- even a devout Xyranian would find no theological flaws with their speech, yet the incitement to Remembrance and Vengeance is potent. Even in cases where the death was largely blameless, the bereaved can be driven into hatred of nearly any group the Master of Rites chooses.
Now, the other thing. See, when we were trialing their services in Xyrania, the local priesthood found out about it. A delegation showed up at the building the Masters were using as a temporary base. They assumed they were screwed- that they'd done something to betray their lack of faith, and that the entire operation might be over before it truly started.
Instead, the priests deeply thanked them for their services, and
begged them to also take on the operation of local graveyards, catacombs, charnel houses and the like. They barely gave us a chance to refuse, more or less handing over the keys and legging it. It seems that in the region dealing with the dead is not considered the most salubrious occupation, and the priesthood only do so with reluctance. When we tentatively approached a Thpenian priest about the subject, they gladly did the same. In both cases, the priesthood will pay the cost of maintaining the facilities, so it won't even cost us resources.
So, uh, you now own most cemeteries in Xyrania and Thpenos. While some of them are visited, many are not, and nobody'd notice if a corpse or thousand went missing. For that matter, it is unlikely anyone will complain if you recruit the ghosts lingering around these facilities. You needn't necessarily use the dead directly either, but could also siphon the deathly energy into some other project.
(+2 Catacomb Tokens)Masters of Rites will increase the level of malicious feelings in Influence provinces, and give us plausibly deniable means of sabotaging opposing groups. Their training takes some effort, but resources have already been set aside for their robes and equipment. They are
Uncommon, unit size 10.
Soul Magi
The Buried Capital was home to many, many civilizations - and every passing day Our cult uncovers more and more of it. One layer was discovered to contain the ancient tombs of an Evil cult who sought ways to preserve themselves long past death, being taught by the Demonic patron of their age. In one way, the Cult of the Eternal Soul succeeded. Their tainted souls remain, far more intact than those of their servants and soldiers and citizens in many higher levels of the Tell. But while their souls remained, their bodies still rotted. As their kingdoms crumbled, they had their decaying husks embalmed and sealed such that they might one day rise again.
That day arrived - and We saw use for them. The Cult of the Eternal Soul had their mummified bodies reanimated. Their own Evil was drawn to Nar-Carok's and they swore loyalty in exchange for this revival, and will now seek to use their spellcasting in the name of the Demon. While few in number, each Soul Magi is a highly capable caster. The great spells of old were lost along with their original Demon, the Soul Magi are no less capable of learning new magic for their unliving condition and will be eager to help create new wicked sorceries.
In addition to generally having more skill than average due to experience, the Soul Magi use the lessons of their old ways to channel magic through Soul Gems. These gems, pure crystals and gemstones filled with souls, can have their contents expended to dramatically boost the power of a spell well beyond it's natural limitations - a Magic Missile becomes akin to a catapult of magic, a thunderbolt creates a lightning storm. Each Soul Magi carries a number of these on them at all times, furnished by the expenditure of a Wealth Token to get the super high quality gems needed to power their most grandiose (and some might say excessive) spells. These Soul Gems are best filled on the battlefield - the heightened emotions, hate, fear, excitement, and more makes for better fuel for the gems.
[TLDR: Mummy mages, intended to be rare in exchange for power and endurance. Use soul-gems for the occasional mega-boosted spells, but have a set rate at which they can use them.]
Soul Magi: Ludicrous: (3+2)-3=2: Utter Failure
The Cult of the Eternal Soul were an ambitious lot. Their ambition paid off, however- their mummified remains were uncovered intact, with their slumbering souls still coherent and connected to the desiccated husks. It is an impressive feat of preservation, indicative of a keen grasp of necromancy. Though the 'Soul Gems' embedded in their staves and regalia had decayed beyond repair, you were able to source replacement stones from a merchant who sensibly refrained from asking questions, restoring their gear to theoretical functionality.
Theoretical being the operative word. See, the Soul Magi are clearly intact, just waiting to be revived... but you can't figure out how to revive them. In addition to being ambitious, they were also rather secretive, and didn't exactly leave behind step-by-step instructions for the rituals required to punctuate their eternal slumber. You tried some obvious things: pouring Evil into one of the corpses (it eventually exploded); pouring Evil into a set of regalia (it eventually melted); sacrificing a couple of cultists to fill the Soul Gems (without the enchantments active, the souls just bled out). Translating the inscriptions on their sarcophagi proved challenging, and in the end it just turned out to be their names, titles, and a list of accomplishments in life.
There is clearly great potential here. While the exact means of operating their Soul Gems is unclear, you can tell they could greatly empower many kinds of spellwork. Even just examining the traces of preserving magic on the mummified corpses could teach you a lot about creating and maintaining complex undead, and while the Magi souls are in stasis, if you were to eat one it might give some insight into ways of improving your spellcasters. And, of course, you could always try again to revive them- you've already replaced the Soul Gems, so it wouldn't cost you more resources, and by process of elimination you are bound to figure it out eventually. If you had some other source of ancient knowledge (or, say, a vast repository of potential undead that you could use as testbeds or a source of energy), it would probably make it easier as well.
For now, though, you have nothing to show for your efforts.
It is now the Revision Phase. You have ONE revision, that may be split into two Emergency Fixes.
Nar-Carok: The diabolical leader of your faction, a being of immense power. There is very little he cannot do. Needless to say, he is Unique
Champions:
The Vampire Lord: An ancient Vampire, unearthed from the Buried City by Nar-Carok and his cultists. Relatively weak during the day, but comes to unlife at night as he rampages through enemy camps, though his stamina is limited. He is also familiar with the general behaviour of nobility, making him a decent director (but not actor) in Influence provinces. Unique
Vampiric Thralls: Retainers of the Vampire Lord, who have been fed a small amount of his blood. Though alive, they inherit most of his strengths and weaknesses (at a lower intensity). They serve as extensions of his will, acting in his stead in Influence provinces and providing backup in combat. They cannot travel separately from their Lord. Unit Size: ~20
Mundane Units:
Cultist Spears: Being equipped with only a rusty dagger, a makeshift 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. Like regular cultists, their dedication makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Unit Size: ~50 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. Like regular cultists, their dedication makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Unit Size: ~25 Common
Acolytes: Cultists who have begun their exploration of the magical arts, studying under their demonic patron. 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. Unit Size: ~25 Uncommon
Cultist Missionaries: Cultists with a modicum of charisma and subtlety, sent forth as emissaries of their eldritch master. Unarmed and untrained, they serve no role in combat. Unit Size: ~10 Common
Masters of Rites: Cultists wearing elegant black robes trained in funerary customs of the region. They offer free funeral services, but weave inflammatory messages into the accompanying sermon, driving attendees to seek revenge for the fallen in ways the Masters encourage. They have also been given local cemeteries to manage by the priesthood. Unit Size: ~10 Uncommon
Summoned/Mutated Units:
Those Who Remember: Skeletal warriors, driven to return to the battlefield by relentless hatred of all things Good. They wield two-handed weapons and sometimes wear decaying ancient armour. Suffused with burning hatred and animated by the amalgamation of warrior souls, they are remarkably skilled and agile, as well as being quite strong. They are more vulnerable to magical damage, and are lacking in self-preservation instinct. Unit Size: ~50 Uncommon
Those Who Recall: An even more hateful variant, charging into combat unarmed, intending to leap into the middle of enemy formations where their overflowing hatred will cause them to self-destruct (explosively). May be set off prematurely by ranged damage. Unit Size: ~10 Uncommon
Ratmen: Rats living in the Wastelands, who mutated over time through a process of "Survival of the Skittish" into short, humanoid... Ratmen. They wear home-made bone 'armour' and wield a mixture of scavenged small blades. Unit Size: ~100 Common
Skitterpriests: Zealous followers of Nar-Carok whose screeching sermons drive their brethren into a frenzy that mitigates their inbred cowardice. Command units.
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
Novice Ward: A very simple magic barrier that will reduce the impact of attacks both mundane and mystical. Won't last long, but can be useful in a pinch. Common
Dark Seduction: A simple spell that causes the target to have an improved opinion of the caster, ranging from undying devotion to a twinge of approval, depending on the strength of the caster and resistance of the target. Will also slowly taint the target's personality if used repeatedly, and cause brain damage. Common
Dark Empathy: Sort of an inverted version that enhances the caster's emotional receptiveness, and giving them a weaker but aura-based Dark Seduction effect. Also causes brain damage, so use is limited to a few minutes a day. Common
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, but it keeps the cult growing. Common
2 Catacomb Tokens (can be used in any project involving the undead or deathly energy)
THPENOS (Influence)Bountiful Quarries:
2/5 |
1/5Gridlocked Polis:
1/5 |
1/5Restless Satrapy:
1/5 |
3/5CHEGITHA (Combat)Sheltered Fjords:
8/8 |
0/8Rolling Hills:
0/8 |
8/8Deserted Urbs:
0/8 |
8/8XYRANIA (Influence)Pirate Haven:
2/5 |
0/5Schism'd Capital:
1/5 |
1/5Raiders' Roost:
1/5 |
2/5WESTERN PROTECTORATE (Combat)Windcarved Mesas:
8/8 |
0/8Vast Steppe:
2/8 |
6/8Pestilent Marshes:
0/8 |
8/8
Author
Topic: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T6 (Read 17447 times)