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Author Topic: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T6  (Read 17455 times)

chubby2man

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T2
« Reply #105 on: May 03, 2022, 06:04:17 pm »


Quote from: DesignBox
Masters of Rites (Wealth Token) (1): Twinwolf
Hateful Bows:
Soul Magi (Wealth Token) (2): Twinwolf, C2M
Ritual of the Sun Murderer(1): C2M
Suneater Circle (High Effort):
Ratmen Skirmishers (Wealth Token):
Mind Crush:

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Man of Paper

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T2
« Reply #106 on: May 03, 2022, 06:10:19 pm »

Quote from: DesignBox
Masters of Rites (Wealth Token) (2): Twinwolf, MoP
Hateful Bows:
Soul Magi (Wealth Token) (3): Twinwolf, C2M, MoP
Ritual of the Sun Murderer(1): C2M
Suneater Circle (High Effort):
Ratmen Skirmishers (Wealth Token):
Mind Crush:
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Powder Miner

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T2
« Reply #107 on: May 03, 2022, 06:12:01 pm »

Quote from: DesignBox
Masters of Rites (Wealth Token) (3): Twinwolf, MoP, Powder Miner
Hateful Bows:
Soul Magi (Wealth Token) (4): Twinwolf, C2M, MoP, Powder Miner
Ritual of the Sun Murderer(1): C2M
Suneater Circle (High Effort):
Ratmen Skirmishers (Wealth Token):
Mind Crush:
da mume
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Rockeater

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T2
« Reply #108 on: May 04, 2022, 02:58:08 am »


Quote from: DesignBox
Masters of Rites (Wealth Token) (4): Twinwolf, MoP, Powder Miner, Rockeater
Hateful Bows:
Soul Magi (Wealth Token) (5): Twinwolf, C2M, MoP, Powder Miner, Rockeater
Ritual of the Sun Murderer(1): C2M
Suneater Circle (High Effort):
Ratmen Skirmishers (Wealth Token):
Mind Crush:
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Damnit people, this is why I said to keep the truce. Because now everyone's ganging up on the cats.
Also, don't forget to contact your local Eldritch Being(s), so that they can help with our mission to destroy the universe.

Knightwing64

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T2
« Reply #109 on: May 05, 2022, 06:44:48 am »

Quote from: DesignBox
Masters of Rites (Wealth Token) (4): Twinwolf, MoP, Powder Miner, Rockeater
Hateful Bows:
Soul Magi (Wealth Token) (6): Twinwolf, C2M, MoP, Powder Miner, Rockeater, Knightwing64
Ritual of the Sun Murderer(1): C2M
Suneater Circle (High Effort):
Ratmen Skirmishers (Wealth Token):
Mind Crush (1): Knightwing64
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NUKE9.13

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T2
« Reply #110 on: May 06, 2022, 03:40:42 pm »

Demon Team: Design Phase T2
TURNTURNTURN
Masters 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.



Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Tokens (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)
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Man of Paper

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #111 on: May 06, 2022, 07:42:49 pm »

The Ancient Rites (uses a Catacomb Token)

As is inscribed on a tablet within the Buried Capital, "nihil sub sōle novum" - there is nothing new under the sun. Even today's various funerary rites and superstitions regarding the dead have the most ancient roots, and we have the capacity to follow these roots as deep as they go.

Utilizing our wealth of bone- and ratmanpower we were able to map out and then excavate a culturally significant tomb related to the priesthood that came before. The walls, perfectly preserved in spite of time, are marked in hieroglyphs detailing the proper rituals for preparing and treating priests who reach the end of their days. Of note is the section of the preparatory ritual in which the vitals of the priest were removed and stored in canopic jars. A second step also took place that the keen, modern magical mind would identify as trapping the bound soul of the priest to their own soul gem. The heart was then removed and replaced by the priest's soul gem. By utilizing a modified reversal of this process we can release and rebind the souls of the Soul Magi to the magi, reanimating these ancient mummies and allowing the Prideful creatures the opportunity to continue perfecting their skills with our backing.

The specific ritual involves cracking open the mummy's torso and filling it with the dusted remains within their canopic jars, making sure the soul gem is surrounded if not covered by the ash. An incantation is spoken while the ash is lit. The fire from the ashes burns a bright green but does not spread and burns out quickly. Once the fire burns out the soul gem glows with an inner fire of its own as the soul within "awakens". The final step requires the removal of the soul gem, breaking the binds keeping the priest's soul trapped and freeing both the soul and the gem for proper use by the Soul Magi.
« Last Edit: May 06, 2022, 08:15:32 pm by Man of Paper »
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Knightwing64

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #112 on: May 06, 2022, 08:16:31 pm »

Does that count as a emergency fix?
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Man of Paper

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #113 on: May 06, 2022, 08:26:05 pm »

Definitely not.
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Knightwing64

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #114 on: May 06, 2022, 08:40:56 pm »

Wouldn’t it be better to improve them before we awaken them? I mean, we can also do that later but…
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Man of Paper

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #115 on: May 06, 2022, 08:42:31 pm »

There's nothing to "improve" yet
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Knightwing64

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #116 on: May 06, 2022, 08:54:50 pm »

There's nothing to "improve" yet

True. I give you this win…. FOR NOWWWWW!
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chubby2man

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #117 on: May 06, 2022, 11:41:45 pm »

The Bearers of the Magi (Uses a Catacomb Token)

Perhaps the dead dream still...

While still slumbering and torpid to our attempts at awakening them, perhaps we can scavenge some use out of their skill and knowledge.

We anoint our strongest acolytes in energy gathered from graveyards and tombs, drenching them in the stench of death. Thus so perfumed, they don an circlet of bronze set with a soul gem. They then beseech one of the souls of the mummified magi, coaxing them gently into the soul gem. Th circlet tightens painfully around the forehead of the chosen acolyte, soul gem pressed into the skin. The nearby life of the wearer, in combination with a potent mixture of death energy, should draw the Magi from a deep slumber into a fitful one, bringing flashes of insight and perhaps a small part of them into the land of the living. The chosen acolytes then become known as the Bearers of the Magi, wearing proudly their circlet.

While a crude use of the one of these rarified souls, and not quite awakened from their slumber, part of the skill and craft of these ancient sorcerers leaks through the bond between soul gem set in the circlet, improving the casting of their spells, and allowing them to cast somewhat more complicated spells as well. If a Bearer falls in battle, the circlet can be recovered and the soul either returned to stasis or bonded with another as needed.

(Intended as a "one step up" from our basic acolytes. Also not in love with the name, was originally thinking of calling them the Gifts of the Magi, but that might make a badass spell name in the future so don't really waste it on some jumped up acolytes)


Edit: Aiming for an Uncommon Rarity. Lore reason why? While the mummified magi may be Rare, it is easier to bind one of their sleeping minds than bring one back to full unlife.
« Last Edit: May 08, 2022, 02:10:49 pm by chubby2man »
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Knightwing64

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #118 on: May 07, 2022, 09:06:22 pm »

Hmmm. I’m thinking that we go for awakening the soul magi because I already know that the angels are probably making some sort of combat unit/spell because of how last time went so we would probably need some heavy hitters. But, I would fine with the acolyte enh.
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Twinwolf

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Revision Phase T2
« Reply #119 on: May 07, 2022, 11:38:54 pm »

Hmmm. I’m thinking that we go for awakening the soul magi because I already know that the angels are probably making some sort of combat unit/spell because of how last time went so we would probably need some heavy hitters. But, I would fine with the acolyte enh.
I feel like that's the kind of concern you raise in the design phase and not the revision phase. We don't really have much else revision-level to do combat wise.
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Of course, Twin is neither man nor woman but an unholy eldritch abomination like every other Bay12er. The difference is they hide it better.
Quote from: Caellath on IRC
<Caellath>: Twinwolf, your thirst for blood has been noted.
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