Turn 2 Design ResultsOur nation has always looked to the sea. Our greatest ruins are here, along the shore. We are their inheritors, and we will once again rule the waves. But first, there is war on land. We have never been fond of using masses of close-grouped heavy infantry to bludgeon through all our foes. Formations are not of great usefulness onboard ship or in rugged terrain, and our home has few regions of anything that might be remotely considered even ground. Thus, we use some elite heavy units and many lighter armored soldiers capable of fighting anywhere. The first to be reborn of this flexible multi-pronged strategy are the fabled Anath Aithrim Peltasts. They marched to war under the banners of the Princes of the huge coastal fief of Anath, and carried the fearsome Aithrim, throwing-spears enchanted to cut through any armor and fly further than any human could ever manage. While our craftsmen cannot match the skill of our ancestors, we wish to inspire our soldiers nonetheless, and so the unworthy bear lofty titles once reserved for greater heroes.
In order to compete with the two threats we're faced with, our Hunters need to go. In order to make that happen, we're using our access to cheap iron to field iron armor and weapons of reasonable quality. Each soldier carries a standard infantry spear of about 8ft length, a set of javelins for skirmishing, and an iron leaf-bladed short sword for a backup weapon. For armor, they carry an iron helmet with iron scale aventail (a tail of flexible armor mounted to the bottom of a helmet that covers the back of the neck and, in later times [but not here], the everything below the mouth), a wooden shield (in the thureos style, AKA an oval), and some body armor made of tough cloth with portions of overlapped iron scales attached to the outside of the cloth covering the shoulders, upper chest, and right arm. This armor scheme protects the areas of the body that are vulnerable to arrow fire or strikes that pass over the shield, but doesn't use as much metal as a full-torso armor set and also protects the striking arm which may have to reach out past the shield. The shield arm, of course, doesn't need armor.
Peltasts function as medium infantry and are meant to make up the majority of our forces. They are more maneuverable than heavy infantry and do not rely on tight formations, and are thus capable of maneuvering around broken terrain. They bring extremely dangerous ranged weapons, military discipline, and armor that is very capable at resisting arrows to our lineup. Their role is to be the main class of soldiers for our army, breaking enemy skirmishers and harassing heavier units before assaulting their flanks.
[Normal] 5 + 2 = Average
Reasonably equipped, the Anath Aithrim Peltasts are the first step to recreating our Legendary Army of Old; and a revolution in how we conduct warfare in the present. Though the Peltast's armor is light; accomplishing that by focusing the protection onto a few areas means that the protection is still effective in spite of being made of mere wrought iron; and their armament of a long spear, sword, and javelins renders them a flexible combatant, even if they obviously have a bias towards skirmishing over pitched combat. And skirmishing is how their training was focused, to strike at an enemies flanks and harassment while heavier units hold the line, exploiting broken or rough terrain if they can.
Of course, given how these units are currently our heaviest, the line-holding duty will fall onto those who manage to receive magical hardening for their gear.
With the cheapness of iron combined with their rather sparse armoring, they are [Common]; obsoleting our Hunters. Unless you still see potential in them.
In ancient days, the distant region of Scilari provided our great people with soldiers as tribute, as did other regions. These "auxiliary" soldiers filled roles that were at the time considered unfit for "proper" soldiers to fill. Cavalry were not generally used by our soldiers, as taking horses onboard ship is not an easy task, nor can you carry many aboard a ship. Archer, mage, and infantryman were the preferred roles for our own soldiery, as they were useful in every situation our armies could find themselves. However, in the open field, cavalry was, and is, a powerful weapon, and Scilari from their open plains were one of our chief sources of cavalry.
Scilaria is no more, and those ancient days are gone. Horses, however, still roam across a few regions of our homeland, and we still need cavalry. And in these days, we realize that cavalry, archer, infantry, or mage, to serve our people is what matters. So a few of our people have taken up the role of cavalry again, and the name of the Scilari, most perhaps not even knowing the origins of the word. They wield composite bows similar to those found amongst our Karrik foes, and wear our linothorax-style cloth armor. They also wield a short spear, though they mostly skirmish with the enemy and harass their formations during battle, before chasing down the enemy fleeing the field or covering friendly retreats. A padded helmet and oval-shaped shield complete their equipment and give them moderate protection.
With the Fall; many things were lost. Some say the greatest thing lost were our most steadfast allies, the Scilari; for the wonders can be rebuilt, but the dead are truly gone and lost. And with the Fall, the Scilari exist only as memories....
[Normal] 6 + 6 = UNEXPECTED BOON
Or so we thought... Several generations ago; a group of travelers arrived in our lands from the south. Taken initially as one of the many tribes of the Karrik, these travellers were generally held at arms length, and were not to be trusted... Until they identified themselves, and regaled us with tales that only a Teluran or a Scilari could know... Scilaria is no more, it's lands decayed into yet another portion of the Cursed Wastes, but its people endure.
In the generations since then, the Scilari refined their arts, so that they would be ready when the time came for their assistance to be needed. Indeed, it is hard to find a finer horsemen
or an archer than a Scilari; and forget about one who exceeds them in both! And though being on a moving horse does spoil aim a bit, the Scilari maintain a good degree of accuracy doing so. And their stint as being a tribe of the Karrik seems to have given them a seemingly unnatural affinity for traversing hazardous terrain. 'You had to learn, or you would die'; is the common answer to any questions about how they did so... Though already reports have came in about how they 'lost their touch'. Still, following a Scilari through the Steamspout Slopes is significantly safer than trying to navigate it on your own.
Though the Scilari lament not being able to speak with their ancestors (for their shaman died shortly before they reunited with us); they are certain that they are smiling upon them, for upholding the ancient alliance. And though their still nomadic nature made them slow to rally and get to the front, they are eager to make up for lost time...
They are [Uncommon]
Hunter - Sporting a simple bronze spear and basic padded clothing; this improvised soldier may not be the best equipped or trained, but they are willing to fight to reclaim your nation's glory! They also have a simple sturdy stick as a sidearm. [Common] [Obsolete?]
Anath Aithrim Peltast - Sporting an iron long spear and a sword as a sidearm, these peltasts are armored with scale armor covering the upper body where the shield does not reliably cover. Competent at crossing broken ground and skirmishing with their javelins. [Common]
Slinger - The humble sling may not be the most impressive of weapons, but a strip of leather or rope is a cheap and serviceable armament. Their ammunition follows suit, being scavenged stones they find in the field. [Common]
Scilari Auxilaries - Our Ancient Allies who had a phase as a Karrik Tribe; these horse archers are very adept at navigating hazardous terrain, and are decently accurate with their bows. Lightly armored with a linothorax, padded helmet, and shield. Has a spear. [Uncommon]
Spellwright Initiates - These men and women are practitioners of the Noble Arts of the Arcane. Their talent is rather limited and unspecialized, however. Can utilize Common Spells [Rare]
Simple Raft - This piece of Naval Technology is really rather simple; being a series of logs tied together. Crude, but can keep its few passengers dryish. Usually. [Common]
Arcane Sparks - With a flourish of the arm, a series of small magical sparks surges forth, exploding on contact. They only have about the same potency as a large firecracker though. [Common]
Arcane Bolt - A stronger spell that's still basically a lump of mana thrown at the target. Much more potent than Arcane Sparks due to higher mana concentrations, though is rather inefficient. It is capable of killing a man instead of maiming at best, however. In spite of its cost, Lesser Magic Users can utilize it, though not all are capable. [Uncommon]
Harden Object - Through Enhancement Magic, magic is imbued into an object, improving its hardness to a great extent. However, the spell is imperfect, and the magic will drain out of the enhanced object, and as it does so, so too will the enhancement fade in effectiveness. A botched casting can shatter an object or lead to excessive brittleness, although it is an incredibly difficult spell to screw up.
As such, our (Magic Users) will go around, enhancing the equipment of our troops before battle. Though with the rarity of (Magic Users), and the skill with which they possess, only a small fraction of our armies equipment will be Enhanced. Obviously, elite units will be prioritized.
[Common]
Electrified Grasp - With a surge of enhancement magic, the user electrifies their hand. A potent spell; though a dangerous one. If the spell is miscast, or the caster has the slightest lapse in focus, or if they are not prompt in discharging the lightning through touching something the spell will backfire into the caster. Even with a proper casting, the caster's hand will be temporarily left numb and mildly paralyzed, making repeat castings in a short period of time very difficult.
[Common]
Structural Grasp - With a touch, this spell maps out a small object and deposits the knowledge gained directly into the casters mind. Concepts too advanced for the caster will fade away from memory in short order. In addition, the spell has difficulty parsing magics on an object, only granting vague impressions. Can be utilized to better effect by a [Specialized] caster.
[Common]
Song of Iron - A not quite permanent enchantment placed upon a forge to assist in the smelting of iron. Fuel hungry due to consuming the heat to help sustain the enchantment. Requires semi-frequent attendance from a Spellwright to prevent the magic from 'going senile' and doing unexpected (and likely disastrous) things. The iron so produced is of worse quality than fine bronze, and more resistant to being enchanted, but is cheaper.
-Study into the failure states of the enchantment should assist in preventing similar endeavors from suffering the same fate
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Topic: West Side, Embers of the Past Turn 2 Revision Phase (Read 4920 times)