Demon Team: Design Phase T4TURNTURNTURNCryptarii
The deeper one digs into the city, the more one learns just how alive it is. Beyond the strata of the ratmen, below the chambers of the Cult of the Serpent, yet another species has come into being and learned from those that came before.
Roaches, much like the rats above, have been twisted by generations of total immersion in an Evil, violent environment. Their people grew many times their original size thanks to the unrestricted growth and plentiful food for the omnivorous creatures. Their society, while complex, is fragmented, very, very prone to corruption, and vulnerable to the influence of outside powers, and so we have stepped in to make something out of these freeloaders.
The military of the Roachkin is centered on a core of heavy infantry - The Cryptarii. Cryptarii are hooded roaches that stand slightly shorter than a man on their four rearmost legs. They represent the majority of forces used by each magistrate overseeing the various realms of the Roachman Empire, and are trained to fight in tight formations due to the environment they grew up in. While technically unarmored, the chitin on the Cryptarii is thick and resistant to physical blows. The hood of the roach does come over the top and around the sides of the head, but the face is left open, so a metal mask is worn for protection.
In order to combat the protection of Cryptarii fighting against their own, each Cryptarii is trained to use a spear made of a hardwood-like material from flora growing in the subterranean environment tipped with a sharp iron point. The spears have a small crescent beneath the head to act as a blade catch and to prevent overpenetration of an opponent and the potential loss of their primary weapon. The Cryptarii supplement their spearfighting by using gladius blattidae up close - short swords made for thrusting but still capable of cutting. In addition to these weapons, a large squared shield is held in the off-hand for extra protection.
Cryptarii: Hard: (4+4)-1=7: Superior Craftsmanship
Not only time is odd, in the depths. Space itself seems to be improbably contorted. To be sure, the Buried City was large, and spanned many centuries, so extensive catacombs make sense. But the Roachman Empire is... too big.
It should not be that big. It should not be that old. It should not be.Oh well. It's probably nothing to worry about! Ahahaha!
When you first broke through into the tunnels of the Roachkin, your miners encountered formidable resistance- a hundred well-trained Cryptarii quickly converged on the breach and sent them packing. Still, they could not stand up to a determined assault by your august self and your mighty legions, being especially vulnerable to magical assault. You figured they were worth more alive than dead, though, so you sent a peace offer- serve you for eternity, and in exchange you wouldn't kill them all. Good deal, right?
The Roachmans did not think so. Turns out the hundred Cryptarii were just a local garrison of Limitanei. When the local Magistratus showed up with two-thousand Cryptarii and a variety of Auxillia, a change of tone was in order. Fortunately, the Roachkin are fundamentally Evil, so they were receptive to negotiations with a Demon. After some discussion, a deal was struck with the Magistratus. You will provide him with some surface resources (easily missed), a trio of Soul Magi and a squad of Acolytes to teach the Roachkin magic (also easily missed, and definitely not bound to backfire at some point), and a one-sided alliance where you will aid the Magistratus if he becomes involved in a civil war (which you have no intention to actually adhere to- if your 'ally' is attacked, that would just be the perfect opportunity to stab him in the back). In exchange, he will provide you with a contingent of Cryptarii to serve in your armies. Despite their mercenary nature, their loyalty should not pose an issue- they're not likely to defect to your rival, and they are disciplined and determined enough that they're unlikely to flee until things seem hopeless. (For reference, the surface resources, while highly desirable in the depths, are from your perspective the equivalent of the cost of training and equipping a unit of Cryptarii yourself)
A Cryptarius's chitin provides the equivalent of thick leather armour- it can still be pierced by a cultist's spear or arrow, but that requires a good hit, and the chitin will mitigate the damage, making Cryptarii significantly more resilient than Cultist units (though by no means invulnerable). Their metal face mask provides some extra protection, and looks kinda cool with those circular grill-visor things. Their spear is of a higher quality than a cultist's, being better balanced, sturdier, with better armour penetration. Their gladius is similarly well made, and serves them well in a scrum. The rectangular shield provides solid cover from ranged attacks, and presents an almost flawless shieldwall in tight formations.
However, their impressive equipment is only half of their appeal. Cryptarii are well trained, outshining cultists in almost all areas of combat- skill at arms, formation fighting, discipline, endurance, and tactical decision-making. They equal cultists in terms of morale, and are somewhat inferior in terms of magic resistance (due to cultists being more resilient than the average human, not due to Roachkin being especially weak)(also, for spells like magic missile, their natural armour and shield more than compensate). While a Cryptarius should not be expected to rival an elite warrior, they can easily hold their own against cultist spears without breaking a sweat. I mean, they can't break a sweat, they're insects. But even if they could, they wouldn't.
There is one potential weakness to the formation fighting of the Cryptarii- flanking attacks. In the depths, they fight in cramped caves and narrow tunnels, where it is usually possible for a battle line to stretch from one wall to the other. As such, their formation is designed to fight a foe in front of them, not one attacking from the sides or rear. However, your Magistratus 'ally' took this into account, and graciously ensured that those Cryptarii sent to you are trained in the art of the 'Pillbug Formation', allowing them to quickly adopt a circular formation, resistant to attack from all angles. Remarkably, they are able to maintain this formation while moving (albeit slowly), as their four legs allow them to scuttle in any direction.
Cryptarii are resilient, well-equipped, well-trained infantry, with the potential to form a solid core of any battle line. Thanks to a favourable deal with a Roachman Magistratus, their cost is more manageable than if you trained them yourself, though still higher than that of Cultist Spears. Unit Size: ~30
Common
Hound Spiders
Among the menagerie of creatures deep in the layers of the Buried City are massive creatures with 8 limbs, shelled exoskeletons, beady eyes adapted to even the pitchest dark, and mandibles: giant fucking spiders. Among these features, however, are not included spinnerets; the giant spiders that we have encountered in the Buried City actually appear to be derived from the humble wolf spider, a hunting spider that moves at night and uses its eyesight and agility to directly chase down and attack prey rather than spinning webs. By any account, this doesn't actually make much sense; if any type of spider were to "naturally" mutate, guided along by Evil into the form best for hostile survival in a place like the Buried City, wouldn't it be something like a web spider or trapdoor spider that could best take advantage of the dark, cramped spaces? Some cultists have hypothesized that, in the temporal tangle that is the Buried City, these creatures were actually cultivated for use as cavalry by other inhabitants (are they still down there?), and the spiders encountered now are their wild descendants. Nonetheless, with these spiders discovered, the opportunity arose for us to use them - and use them we are.
However, an issue does present itself; spiders are really not exactly intelligent beings, and they do not want to interact with us unless they see us as food, normally. We have a way of solving this, though: ancient soldiers are not the only creatures with shards of souls left within the Buried City. We have found shards of the souls of the humble dog, ancient companions of mankind through even the hell and fire and apocalypse of angelic wrath - and we can merge them with our spiders to instill their intelligence and loyalty, which we put to use by bonding each spider with a (well-trained) rider.
The spider provides a mount that is extraordinarily fast and agile, extremely perceptive in both night and day, and that is able to handle terrain well. It theoretically has a venomous bite, but it isn't actually able to deliver this very efficiently, better able to kill smaller mutated bug-creatures the size of dogs in the Buried City with it than actually fight moving, armed opponents; instead, if the mount itself has to fight, given that it is a very fast spider the size of a horse, it is best suited just batting aside foes with its bulk and limbs. Instead, the spider's value comes in providing truly superlative maneuver and tracking during night harassment and vanguard actions, getting its rider where the rider needs to be without the constant guidance of the rider, following enemies, evading them when needed, and working well with its rider. As for the rider (saddled between the cephalothorax and abdomen), each rider is one of our more elite (and less arachnophobic, for that matter) archers, given an altered form of our Hateful Bows. The enchantments in these Hateful Bows don't flow into the user, meaning the strength and rate of fire increases don't take effect, but the bow's arrows sure do still want to seek the enemy - which means it's a lot easier for the rider to strike targets at night (especially if they do us the favor of, say, backlighting themselves) or fast-moving targets. The bow is also recurved, to attempt to make up for the lack of supernatural strength-enhancement in the bow through mundane construction.
The Hound Spiders (and their riders) are intended to be Uncommon, and present both in day vanguard actions and night harassment actions, however as this does take a toll on the supply of bonded spider-rider pairs, they do appear in significantly fewer numbers during the main combat.
Hound Spiders: Ludicrous: (3+4)-3=4: Below Average
Will there come a day when you have seen everything the Buried City has to offer, and you actually have to start making things yourself rather than dig them up? Perhaps, but today is not that day.
Also, let's not worry about the chronology of these spiders. Just because the Roachman Empire employs
extremely similar spiders as mounts for auxiliary cavalry, doesn't
necessarily mean that the wild spiders come from an alternate timeline in which the Roachkin died out and their spiders went feral. Let's also ignore the claims that many of the tunnels the spiders were found in should by all rights intersect with Roachkin tunnels, yet no such connections exist- that the only way to get from one to the other is to go via the higher layers.
Step one: catch giant, vicious, fast, cunning, and dark-adapted spiders in a twisting maze of tunnels. Uh... yeah, about that. Doable? Yes. Easy? No. Easier than mutating regular spiders manually? Maybe slightly. Every single spider caught is a chore, and often costs the lives of one or two cultists. Fortunately, they are potent mounts, so the sacrifices are not in vain.
Step two: infusing spiders with shards of dog soul. Tricky, since animals tend not to have the sort of attachments that might cause their meagre souls to linger, but fortunately you don't actually
have to use ancient souls. You can just extract the souls from living dogs, who have succumbed to your corrupting influence and are eager to be of use to your dark cause, having no objections to their souls being fused with giant spiders.
Step three: riding spiders. Surprisingly simple, at least compared to the other steps. With their freshly pliable souls in place, the spiders usually accept a rider with little fuss, and they are intelligent enough to learn to follow commands quickly.
Step four: recurved bows. You were able to source some examples, which after some trial and error your crafters were able to reproduce. They're not amazing, but they can be used from spiderback, which is what matters.
Step five: firing bows from a moving spider. Not as easy as it sounds, and it doesn't sound all that easy. Trying to pull a bow back whilst balancing on a jostling spider can easily go wrong, so the riders adapt by not drawing the bow back as far- which naturally reduces the range and impact somewhat. Furthermore, even with the tendency of arrows to veer towards targets, the accuracy is pretty shoddy. If you don't care about hitting targets, the range is between cultist-archer-range and magic-missile-range; the
effective range is below magic-missile-range.
Hound Spiders are giant spiders that are possessed of night vision, agility, a decent burst of speed (about the same as a Drakegull- less than a fast horse), and are pretty good at handling rough terrain. They also have decent close combat ability, though they will hopefully have little cause to use it. Their riders are able to harass foes at range, which is a powerful combination, even with lacklustre ability. Due to the difficulty in acquiring wild specimens and the training the riders require, they are only available in small numbers, but even a handful could have a significant impact. Unit Size: ~8
Uncommon
It is now the Revision Phase. You have one revision (which 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
Gem of the Daywalker: A Soul Gem, attuned to the Vampire Lord, that he can fill with souls of his victims. This reservoir of power can then be used to alleviate his weaknesses, most notably sunlight. He can also manually draw extra strength from the gemstone, though this is inefficient.
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
The Impossible Thief: [I stole my own description. I'm great. Best thief. I can steal literally anything.] Unique
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
Hateful Bowmen: Archers wielding Hateful Bows- imbued with fragments of hate-filled souls, improving range, power, and accuracy (as the arrows will make slight adjustments in flight towards hated targets). The archers fire faster as well, although this comes at the expense of overexertion, meaning they take longer to recuperate after a battle. Unit Size: ~20 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.
Soul Magi: Ancient spellcasters, revived- undying souls inhabiting a mummified body. Their magic is many times more potent than that of Acolytes, and they can cast Uncommon spells. Their physical forms are quite resilient, but this relies on a steady stream of Evil souls. Other souls can also be drawn into their Soul Gems to boost the power of their magic further. Unit Size: ~15 Rare
Cryptarii: Humanoid roaches, possessed of natural chitin armour (the equivalent of thick leather), and are trained to fight in tight formations with their spear, gladius, and rectangular shield. Unit Size: ~30 Common
Hound Spiders: Giant wolf spiders, captured from deep beneath the Buried City, imbued with dog souls to make them obedient. Fast, agile, and possessed of night vision. Ridden into battle by Hateful Bowmen wielding compact recurved bows (albeit not very good ones). Unit Size: ~8 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
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
Agony of the Soul: A powerful damage-dealing spell. An orb of lightning is fired at Magic Missile range, which upon impact causes major damage, then chains to nearby entities (preferably Good ones) dealing less damage with each jump. When empowered with a Soul Gem, there is an additional effect of 'soul-thunder', wherein the tortured wailing of the consumed souls emanates from the point of impact, fraying the souls of those in the vicinity. Uncommon
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
Funeral Services: The default activity of Masters of Rites (not usable by others). Free funerals, with provocative sermons that steer the audience towards Evil. Uncommon
New Age Recovery Centers And Rehabilitation Of Kin: Counselling centres that allege to provide support to the bereaved, which allow the Masters of Rites to focus their manipulation on specific targets, enabling them to direct their thoughts and actions more effectively. Uncommon
1 Wealth Token
Minor Harmonising Bonus (Federalists)
Theatre & Philosophy Bonus (Impossible Thief)
THPENOS (Influence)Bountiful Quarries:
3/5 |
2/5Gridlocked Polis:
2/5 |
3/5Restless Satrapy:
2/5 |
3/5CHEGITHA (Combat)Sheltered Fjords:
8/8 |
0/8Rolling Hills:
0/8 |
8/8Deserted Urbs:
0/8 |
8/8XYRANIA (Influence)Pirate Haven:
3/5 |
2/5Schism'd Capital:
2/5 |
2/5Raiders' Roost:
2/5 | [color=red3/5[/color]
WESTERN PROTECTORATE (Combat)Windcarved Mesas:
8/8 |
0/8Vast Steppe:
6/8 |
2/8Pestilent Marshes:
0/8 |
8/8
Author
Topic: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T6 (Read 17410 times)