Angel Team: Design Phase T3TURNTURNTURNLiquid Light Elementals- Redux
The Bottled Sunlight has proven itself. It is a masterful work of craftsmanship and magic. It only makes sense to expand our work with the substance. This is done with the creation of a type of angelic being known as a Cherub, which appears as a small, translucent, gelatinous creature with a shining bright heart at its center and a visible brain. When these Cherubs are inserted into the substance they essentially become a solid Core that can control a substantial amount of the Liquid Light to form a body larger than that of a man. In these new bodies the Cherubs form a sort of 'golem' of Liquid Light. The Liquid Light Elementals tend to take on a sort of standard form that they keep their shape to. Trending towards simple shapes with six to eight similarly simple limbs, the standard forms the Liquid Light Elementals take are often reminiscent of various sorts of crustacean and cephalopod in their broad structure, though outliers exist.
Being made of Bottled Sunlight, the Liquid Light Elementals carry many of its properties. However, the Cherub stabilizes the body, preventing it from evaporating, which also reduces the effectiveness of their abilities. A Liquid Light Elemental can heal, but not as quickly as Bottled Sunlight. It can melt away Evil based beings with its touch, but not to the same potency. Even the amount of light they give off is closer to the fully bottled form of Bottled Sunlight than the released form. And yet regardless, they are still a living mass of the closest thing yet achieved to solid Good. Their bodies are able to shift are rearrange to allow strikes at greater distances than their form would otherwise allow.
They do have two core drawbacks however. First is that their core is the key. Should the Core be destroyed their bodies will merely fall apart into a mass of Bottled Sunlight. Similarly, parts cut off of their bodies will lose the stability provided by the Cherubic core and begin to evaporate as normal, meaning they cannot fully restore themselves from injury without Bottled Sunlight from another source. Secondly, is that they are simply very costly to make, in that they either require time taken away from producing bottles of Bottled Sunlight, or the expenditure of said bottles themselves, making their numbers inversely proportional to the amount of Bottled Sunlight we field.
Wealth Token: Yet it doesn't have to be this way. If we were to invest some of the resources we've acquired over the course of the war so far, we could create a second facility for Bottled Sunlight production. We could then dedicate this entire facility solely to the production of additional Liquid Light Elementals, thus mitigating their low numbers to an extent.
Liquid Light Elementals- Redux (uses Wealth Token): Normal: (2+1)=3: Buggy Mess
Arrogance and pride are, if not outright Evil, certainly feelings that can draw one towards it. However, righteousness and self-confidence are totally on the level.
So, yes. You stick a Cherub in a vat of Liquid Sunlight, it can form a sort of Liquid Light Elemental; an autonomous body of the Good-infused substance, capable of causing serious damage to Evil-aligned beings (and anything in their vicinity). Moving and fighting does burn through the Liquid Light, but just moving from place to place doesn't need to consume a prohibitive amount. Doesn't
need to. However... the Cherubs you have created for the purpose... do not believe in being subdued. For them, it is their
duty to bring the light of Good to the whole world, not just a single battlefield. They do not exactly refuse to dim their light- rather, they seem incapable of understanding the request. Why would you want them to withhold the glory of Good from the world?
Thus, the only economical way to deploy Liquid Light Elementals is to transport the Cherubs in a 'hibernating' state, and drop them into a barrel of Liquid Sunlight shortly before battle begins. Of course, this has several significant drawbacks. First, the process (inserting the Cherub into the barrel through a one-way lock, waiting for it to wake up and assimilate the liquid, then opening the barrel to let it out) takes about twenty minutes- not a very long time, but it means they are not able to help fight off ambushes, and somewhat extends how long it takes to set up for a pitched battle. Second, transporting the large barrels of Liquid Sunlight is a challenge, requiring dedicated carts (pulled by donkeys) that move slower than your regular forces, and can't as easily traverse rough terrain. Third, the Cherubs refuse to get back into the barrel, so they can only be deployed once before needing to be resupplied (eventually the Cherub will burn off all the liquid, whereupon it will enter stasis and can be collected for transport). Fortunately, the Elementals last almost 12 hours, so there's no worries of them burning out during a battle.
The end result is at least decent. Much stronger than a human, with a greater reach, a single sweep of a tendril will leave several enemy Cultists with broken bones. They move at a moderate speed, slightly slower than a Cultist, but can build up quite a lot of momentum, giving them a decent charge impact. They are awful at dodging, but hitting their Core is tricky due to the size of their 'body' relative to the Core, and cutting off a 'limb' results in it quickly burning up in a burst of light that will likely leave the attacker dazed.
Using extra resources, a dedicated facility for producing the Liquid Sunlight used by the Elementals was established, so their numbers are decent.
Liquid Light Elementals are logistically problematic, but decent combatants. Unit Size: ~15
Uncommon
The rich and powerful are always looking for curiosities amd artworks to show off their wealth, taste and culture. The latest is an offering from the far north, transported at great expense and requiring constant care and attention. These items are carefully cultured pieces of coral, still alive and mutated to regularly change its shape and colour in appealing ways. Whilst this is not obvious when watching, each day will have a new and tasteful form.
When placed in a salt water aquarium and accompanied by schools of fish, the latent enchantments activate. The aquarium and its inhabitants form a perfect, beautiful community that blessez any who observe it with a growing desire to form a Good, loving community of their own. One the disciples of Muu are so very happy to provide.
Corals of Community: Trivial: (4+3)+2=9: Unexpected Boon
What even is coral? Is it a rock? A plant? A rock-plant? A plant-rock? I mean, obviously it isn't an animal. Well, you'll find out whilst mutating it.
[...]
Turns out it's an animal.
Suffice to say, this went quite well. Rather than mutate bits of coral individually, you were able to create self-propagating Community Coral, which thrives in the waters around Tendril Village (further afield, the ambient Good is not as high, and the Coral will not grow as quickly). The Coral can be easily harvested in large quantities, and transported with surprising ease- it can survive for a week in a sealed barrel of seawater, quickly refreshing when exposed to sunlight again. If you wanted to, you could sell it for a pittance, and still break even. However, this would ironically reduce the efficacy, as it being too common would make it less appealing to the upper classes. So the price is inflated and the supply constrained, making it just about affordable for middle-class folk, and an appealing novelty for the wealthy. This also means it is a nice source of income for your cult.
((+1 Wealth Token))The effect is mesmerising, in a literal sense. Being around the Coral not only inspires the customer to do Good and seek Community, it directly renders them susceptible to suggestions by your agents. While not able to make people act in direct opposition to their own desires, it can be used to convince them to do things they are unsure or ambivalent about, or at least buy time for missionaries to give their pitch.
There's another thing- all this extra Coral. As production far outstrips sales, you had to find something else to use it for. For example, the Forge of Cleansing. Dry (dead) Community Coral, as it turns out, is quite suitable for processing in the Forge; easily worked, with the end result being harder (but less flexible) than bone-wood-amalgam. It has the ability to absorb Good better than regular materials, making it an ideal candidate for enchanting.
Corals of Community provides an excellent inroad into converting the upper classes throughout Thpenos and Xyrania. To enhance the appeal to the wealthy, it has been made
Uncommon.
The Good Doctor
After The Merchant handed the Truesilver Extract over to us, Muu spent much time mulling over how to use it; that is, until a cane rapped on the Town Hall door. The Mayor opened the door to see a Wasteland Doctor huddling under the awning. Ushered in, the doctor hangs up their heavy coat, and puts their doctor's mask aside. The older woman and her partner were working late one night when some thing appeared out of the shadows. Her partner stabbed it with a silvered scalpel and distracted it so she could escape. Shaken by the experience, she had spent the past few months engrossed in bestiaries searching for what attacked her. She managed to narrow it down to a vampiric thrall, but she couldn't piece together a why or how. That is, until a nice man in a completely nonsuspect robe came and had a chat with her. Finishing her story, The Good Doctor pledged her service to Muu and offered to apply the alchemical knowledge, that working around the wastes requires, on working with the Truesilver Extract.
... 1 part ground kolakea leaves, solution turned dark purple. 1 part yiha fish spinal fluid, solution turned gray. 1 drop Truesilver Extract, solution turned silver with a reddish tinge. Left to steep in bottled sunlight for 5 minutes. The only thing left to do was inject the volunteer. First the subject's wrinkles faded (encouraging sign). Then their graying hair turned bone white (not as encouraging). Their skin turned equally stark white (uhhhh). By the time their irises turned red we realized we may have made an error. So here's the good: their strength, agility and speed have been pushed past human limits. Their endurance and durability have also been improved to a lesser extent, though the truesilver in their veins is activated by "seeping animating force," most commonly another's blood. Furthermore, their eye mutation seems to have given them the ability to track evil, their eyes taking on a shadowy glow whenever they use this ability. More neutral aspects include their blood turning a silvery color that glows a pale blue when exposed to air. The inside of their mouth also glows faintly. Now uh, onto the bad. Their memory has been heavily fragmented, and they seem to have lost all of their medical knowledge, save their skill with the scalpel, though she retains a burning hatred of vampires (without quite knowing why) and knowledge of everything that goes bump in the wastes. Her personality has also become much more... mercurial on the whole, though her quietness on the hunt means it's not as noticeable there. Overall, she simply needs armaments to be sent into the field.
Fortunately, we happen to have turned a master swordsmith to our side. Unfortunately, after some incident his conscience is too troubled to allow him to smith. By sending some of our excess wealth to a specific orphanage, we've eased his conscience enough to forge one last blade. He inquires what sort of blade the doctor wants and she requests for a sabre. The swordsmith begins by working the remaining truesilver into the steel. While shaping the blade itself he expertly includes micro-serrations. Their use becomes apparent when he adds the enchantments, the first pulls the "animating force" out of whoever gets struck, and the second is a simple sharpness enchantment, combined this means, for example, that an unfortunate demonic cultist struck by it would become a blood fountain as they are cut down. Against a more mutated opponent, such as a ratman, the effect is much more dramatic, if unnecessary to kill such a frail creature. Finishing up, he decides a "hand-and-a-half" handle provides the versatility needed in a monster-slaying blade. A couple cultists come to check on him after a few days of silence. They stumble on his corpse clutching the sheathed blade. Strong enchantments require power to make, and the swordsmith had burned away his soul for it. The cutler who had to follow that up decided to ape some of the milder qualities, though his knife had to make do with traditional silvering, and his serrations were much larger, making the blade something of a swordbreaker, and his enchantments, done by an acolyte, were noticeably weaker, it's still a good blade.
The two cultists hand over the blades to The Good Doctor. She pulls the sword from its sheath, and it shines a pale blue in the light. With the swordsmith gone, she names it "Moonlight" in his stead.
The knife does not get a name.
Deciding to stick around and watch her practice forms, they see while she may not be a master sabrist, she is certainly an expert. Looks like all that time (and money) she had to spend with the "high meisters of the noble science of defence" paid off, not that she remembers either. The cultists do note that she seems to think the swordsmith talks to her through the blade, but Muu believes this may be true, and the stable influence he seems to provide means we won't touch it.
Oh right, armor. We didn't make her any. She wears her old wasteland doctor outfit, though we have given her a bandolier of bottled sunlight, likely to prove useful on the battlefield and triage tent.
The Good Doctor (uses Truesilver Extract): Normal: (3+4)=7: Superior Craftsmanship
Anyway, that's how I lost my medical license.
-A completely unrelated doctor.While her origins are somewhat suspect, and none of your cultists have seen her before (and so have no idea who might've sent her your way), the Good Doctor's skill and knowledge were unquestionable. Unlike certain people, you are not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her proposed use of the Truesilver Extract sounded promising, so the appropriate resources were provided. The subsequent transformation... well, she never actually described the intended results in great detail, so maybe it was supposed to happen?
The Good Doctor is strong, fast, and agile, for sure. She has the strength to punch through two shields at a time, before getting to her weaponry. She can keep pace with a galloping horse (although not a
literal galloping horse, as she has developed a slight fear of horses, and so would not want to run alongside one). She can dodge the attacks of four Cultist Spears striking simultaneously from different angles, and while more skilled foes may be able to touch her, it is unlikely they will manage more than glancing blows. Her stamina and durability, while less dramatic, are also beyond the norm- and she can absorb blood or similar vital substances to reinvigorate herself and heal injuries. She's definitely not a vampire though. Definitely.
While the formulation of salves and tonics seems to have left her, her skill at surgery remains top-tier, allowing her to perform life-saving operations at an incredible speed. More importantly, she
fights with surgical precision- every strike is perfectly aimed, with exactly the right amount of strength, in order to either one-hit-kill or deal maximum damage. This is aided by her instinctive ability to detect weaknesses, even on foes she has never seen before. Through a sort of specialised telepathic link, she shares this knowledge with allies around her, causing the 'weak spot' on enemies to (appear to) glow.
Her sword Moonlight, though sadly the product of a now departed genius (who didn't leave many notes behind), is inhumanly sharp and aids in her blood-absorbing ability. Against non-human foes (eg mutants, undead, etc), it will drain their vitality with even greater efficiency. Her unnamed knife provides a curious form of protection, capable of blocking strikes by a variety of weapons- long enough for the Good Doctor to either get out of the way, or strike back with Moonlight.
She also has an upgraded version of Bottled Sunlight. The contents are the same, but instead of string, the bottles are secured by a leather bandolier. Wow!
The Good Doctor is an adept tracker (both in a mundane sense, and in her ability to detect supernatural beings instinctively), and is well suited for locating and eliminating demonic units moving apart from the main host (such as vampires). In open combat, she is best suited for fighting more powerful foes (ideally non-human), as her strength is somewhat wasted against chaff. Thanks to her ability to absorb the vitality of slain foes, she has considerable staying power as well. Following a battle, she can provide surgery to a small number of injured soldiers, potentially restoring them to combat-readiness.
While less useful in Influence contexts, she can serve to seek and eliminate demonic agents, disrupting Nar-Carok's operations in an area.
Incidentally, she is somewhat nervous about literal moonlight, and refuses to go outside when both moons are full- fortunately a rather rare event, unlikely to present a major issue.
The Good Doctor is a very powerful fighter, especially lethal versus powerful non-human foes. She is obviously
Unique.
It is now the Revision Phase. You have TWO revisions, in light of the extra design.
Muu: The benevolent leader of your faction, a being of immense power. There is very little she cannot do. Needless to say, she is Unique
Champions:
The Good Doctor: Venturing forth with her trusty sword Moonlight (and an unnamed parrying dagger), with traces of Truesilver flowing through her veins, the Good Doctor strikes with surgical precision at enemy weak spots, absorbing their vitality (she's definitely not a vampire). Her sword is especially potent versus non-human foes. Unique
Mundane Units:
Cultist Spears: Reasonably equipped with an iron dagger, a bone-wood-amalgam shield, and bone-wood-shaft iron-tipped spear, though still lacking training. These are not elite warriors- they'd usually 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 angelic 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
Summoned/Mutated Units:
Sea Servants: Deceased cultists, returned to unlife by the grace of Muu. Their mind and soul bound to a hivemind, their body strengthened and transformed into a more tentacle-y version. More vulnerable to damage than humans, but heedless of pain and danger. Used both as labourers and warriors. They are more effective in the presence of Muu, as she can control the hivemind (and a limited number of individual bodies) directly. Unit Size: ~100 Common
Drakegulls: Sea gulls, on a much bigger scale. Three-piece beak, extra eyes, sporadic tentacles, claws on both feet and wingtips. Ridable by cultists, who direct the beasts in battle. Very hungry- will sometimes stop mid-battle to snack on a corpse. Too heavy to fly, though they can glide. Unit Size: ~20 Uncommon
Liquid Light Elementals: A self-propelled mass of Liquid Sunlight, bigger and stronger than a human. A Cherub forms the core of the Elemental, and only by destroying said core will it fall for good. Unfortunately, the Cherubs burn with righteousness, and refuse to dim their light, meaning they must be transported in stasis, and introduced to large barrels of Liquid Sunlight prior to battle. Unit Size: ~15 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
Ymis Ward: A simple magic barrier that can reduce the impact of attacks both mundane and mystical- or be tuned to focus on one over the other. However, the physical and arcane versions cannot be used in the vicinity of each other. Won't last long, but can be useful in a pinch. Common
Magical Equipment:
Bottled Sunlight: Sunlight, infused with Good, in liquid form. Can serve as a light source (either extremely bright but short-lived, or quite bright but lasting an hour), applied directly as first-aid (with risk of mutation), or thrown at enemy troops where the concentrated Good will burn Evil beings. Uncommon
Infiltration Techniques:
Proselytise: Cultists go forth and spread the Good 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
Worms of Muu: Parasitic/symbiotic worms that produce a worsening malaise unless the host engages in Good-producing acts. Worm will starve if deprived of Good for a week. Encourages good behaviour in a community, and causes the affected to be drawn together by exuded pheromones, forming strong bonds between Good-aligned individuals, who will easily trust angelic operatives while being extremely hard to lure into Evil. Uncommon
Gadflies: Individuals willing to die for a cause, trained in rhetoric and infused with emotion-amplifying hexes that trigger on death. They deliberately seek to be executed for standing up against evil, using the spectacle as an opportunity to give an impassioned speech that is amplified by their death. Even if they are killed before giving their speech, the hexes will still cause a significant swelling of sympathy for the Gadfly and their cause, even amongst the embittered. Unit Size: 1 Rare
Corals of Community: Mutant coral, harvested from the waters around Tendril Village, sold as a decoration for aquariums (targeted at the wealthy). Being around the Community Coral will instil a desire to do Good and find a community, as well as rendering the customer susceptible to angelic suggestions. Uncommon
Infrastructure:
Forge of Cleansing: A magically-enhanced forge, where specially blessed water is used to make materials malleable (instead of using heat). This allows for greater use of metals, as well as the use of more exotic materials such as bone. Infrastructure
3 Wealth Tokens (of which 1 loaned)
THPENOS (Influence)Bountiful Quarries:
2/5 |
1/5Gridlocked Polis:
2/5 |
2/5Restless Satrapy:
1/5 |
2/5CHEGITHA (Combat)Sheltered Fjords:
8/8 |
0/8Rolling Hills:
2/8 |
6/8Deserted Urbs:
0/8 |
8/8XYRANIA (Influence)Pirate Haven:
2/5 |
1/5Schism'd Capital:
2/5 |
2/5Raiders' Roost:
1/5 |
2/5WESTERN PROTECTORATE (Combat)Windcarved Mesas:
8/8 |
0/8Vast Steppe:
4/8 |
4/8Pestilent Marshes:
0/8 |
8/8
Author
Topic: Angel Team - Chiaroscuro 2 | Design Phase T6 (Read 20272 times)