Angel Team: Design Phase T3TURNTURNTURNChosen Apostles
Another attempt at making convincing speakers was made. This time, Heliel granted her Apostles with a charismatic aura, one that would bring the attention and respect for passers by, and favor on words they speak.
A previous attempt at speakers failed due to an overload of information, and so a method was devised of solving it. Heliel would fashion a cherub and bind it to the apostles’ soul, and fill it with all the oratory information that Heliel possesses. The cherub, bound in the soul of apostle, would recieve information through the apostles senses and then produce a script for the apostle to read. The cherub is invisible to mortal eyes, but to those who can peer into the supernatural realm the cherub appears to be a halo of light above the apostles head.
The apostles have talents in healing magic, and use them to heal the sick.
In practice, the apostles go to an area and receive information from an advance team of ghosts, operatives and other missionaries. They then go to public places to heal the sick and preach about doing good deeds and being good people. They will also go and help important officials if they or their family is sick, and advise them if someone has betrayed them. They are also willing to call out bad behavior publicly in order to get someone better suited into place. They are willing to become martyrs for the cause, but often use the knowledge from the covert operatives to stay a step ahead.
Chosen Apostles: Normal: (2+4)=6: Above Average
After the unfortunate blunder of two months prior, you concluded that humans are an imperfect vessel for your heavenly message. Augmenting your apostles with an angelic companion- even a rather low-class one- proves much more effective. The
Orator Cherubs are incapable of independent action, but are possessed of a phenomenal ability to compose speech and augment their host's oratory skills. They take the form of a faint ring of light over the host's head, practically invisible in daylight, but somewhat noticeable in the dark. Though weak, their form is largely immaterial, meaning physical attacks are unlikely to destroy them (at least before killing the host). Magical attacks are more effective, with a moderate-strength magic missile sufficient to incapacitate them.
The
Chosen Apostles, augmented with their new companion cherubs, are eloquently loquacious wordsmiths, whose mundane words alone would be enough to sway the minds of many. Their words are not mundane, however, as they are charged with tiny amounts of Good, giving them greater weight- not enough to convince people that the sky is green, but enough to get them to consider the possibility.
They have the same magical repertoire as regular Acolytes, including healing.
Chosen Apostles will increase conversions, sway public sentiment, and manipulate powerful people with their speeches. They have no combat utility. Due to the somewhat complex process of binding an Orator Cherub to an (Uncommon) Acolyte, Chosen Apostles are
Rare.
Music is something that has become a symbol of pride and unity among our cult. Through the communion of our voices, the worries of the world seem further away and duller. All a placebo, of course; but it doesn't have to be. One acolyte with a tendency to lead our choirs developed the means to weave magic into the song. By doing so, the ultimately minor magical potentials of our cultists can be pooled together to help in fueling this magic, reducing the strain on the choir master in maintaining the effect; though of course it will need someone actually competent at magic to set up the spell-song.
While the 'Song of Soothing' has no exact set words, they nearly invariably sends a message of healing, community, of being a shoulder to cry on for those hearing, and, for the times when discretion isn't mandated for the situation, that Heliel will always be there for us, no matter our troubles. Again, so far, only placebo; this is where the magic comes in: anyone hearing the spellsong who isn't irrecoverably tainted by Evil will experience feelings of calm and serenity, that tomorrow will be a brighter day. It will give them increased mental health and fortitude to help them move past their problems. These effects are, quite frankly, relatively minor; right up until the point that they start singing along, where they will be hooked into the spell and indeed their magical potential added to the effects; though even if said potential is non-existent, they will still open a path for the spellsong to affect them directly, amplifying the effect to be much stronger. While said connection should naturally fade eventually once singing stops; it should persist for a time.
All in all, a magic to not only bolster the spirits of our soldiers, but also those of the people as well.
Song of Soothing: Hard: (4+4)-1=7: Superior Craftsmanship
Legend has it that music was accidentally created by the god of light, Tokchoko, when he taught a blind man to see with his ears. The blind man saw the natural rhythm of the world, and recreated it with his voice, singing the first song that- according to legend- had the power to bend the world in strange ways. There are no reliable records of such a song in the modern era- but why let that stop you?
Whether or not the legend is true, you and your acolytes have managed to weave magic into music, providing at the very least an imitation of the First Song's power. It may not control the tides or command the winds, but it does affect the mind in a clearly magical way.
The 'Spellsong' you have created proves extraordinarily easy to sing. People who have never heard it before claim to remember the tune, and can sing along after a few bars. Starting the song requires an investment of energy, but once enough people are singing along it is more or less self-sustaining.
Composers have already proposed a variety of other possible songs, but for now you focused on a single implementation, designed to improve the mental fortitude of those affected. Testing with captured scraps of the Demon's heraldry show that the Song of Soothing can quickly cure those afflicted by the twisted runes, although it is less effective when said runes are still visible- still reducing the effects, but not eliminating them.
It is projected that creating new spellsongs will not pose as much of a challenge, although preliminary work does indicate that not all magic works well in a song format; it is most suited to magic that manipulates living things or the classical elements of Air and Water, and is less effective when affecting things with no life or rhythm, including the undead and the classical elements of Fire and Earth.
Song of Soothing will be used by both your armies and infiltrators. In military context, it will bolster the morale and mental defences of those singing along. It can be used during battle. In infiltration, it will aid conversion slightly, and make the population more resistant to dark temptations and wicked thoughts. The magic required to start the spellsong may be considered
Common, although Bright Shadow Acolytes cannot use it.
It is now the Revision Phase. You have two revisions.
Heliel: The benevolent leader of your faction, a being of immense power. There is very little they cannot do. Needless to say, they are Unique. Their Power is currently 20.
Mundane Units:
Armed Cultists: Equipped with fairly respectable equipment- a well-made gambeson, padded iron cap, sturdy spear, shiny dagger, and a solid shield-, combined with rudimentary training, mean that while these are not elite warriors, they would stand a chance against a real soldier. More importantly, they're cheap and plentiful. Like regular cultists, their dedication (and communal singing) makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. 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 not high-draw war-bows, but they're a good bit better than nothing. Also provided with gambeson and iron cap. Like regular cultists, their dedication (and communal singing) makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Uncommon
Acolytes: Cultists who have begun their exploration of the magical arts, studying under the Angel. 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. Wear a gambeson, but forgo iron cap. There are not many Acolytes in a unit. Uncommon
Cultist Officers: Featuring a whole two tiers of military hierarchy, the sergeants and captains impart a modicum of organisation upon their fellow cultists. While not massively better than self-organised troops, it's still noticeable. They are distributed amongst all cultist units (eg Armed Cultists, Cultist Archers, Acolytes).
Summoned/Mutated Units:
Bright Shadows: Souls of fallen cultists (or other Good people), empowered with Good such that they may continue to serve in death as they did in life. Invisible and incorporeal, with an uncanny ability to find whatever they are looking for, they make for excellent spies and capable scouts. Immune to physical attack (but not magical attack). Not useful in actual combat. Uncommon
Bright Shadow Acolytes: Bright Shadows with magical potential, who have been further empowered to enable them to utilise such. Their spellcasting ability is rather weak, and they are easier to detect. Nevertheless, invisible spellcasters are nothing to sneer at. Rare
Shadow Walkers: Former criminal types, who found redemption under Heliel, and now serve her cause fanatically. They have been augmented with minor mutations that improve their stealth ability, and are skilled in all manner of underhanded activities. Uncommon
Chosen Apostles: Acolytes with a companion Orator Cherub bound to their souls. The Orator Cherub is a very minor angelic being with mastery of rhetoric, which both provides the Apostle with a script and augments their voice with angelic energy. Rare
Spells/Rituals:
Magic Missile: Known by many names, the simple technique of blasting your opponent with raw Magic/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
Major Missile: A more powerful, but also more draining version of Magic Missile. Produces a stronger blast than the standard Magic Missile, but can only be cast a few times (depending on strength) before the user is drained of their spellcasting reserves. The user has a limited ability to direct the missile in flight. Common
Heliel's Love: A very efficient basic healing spell. A slight touch and channelling of angelic love initiates a self-sustaining healing process that can heal up to moderately serious injuries and diseases fairly rapidly. The magic has lingering effects even after healing is complete, leaving the subject healthier and more resilient for a few hours afterwards. Heliel casts this magic automatically on all in her vicinity (unless specifically choosing not to). Common
Mass Heliel's Love: A markedly less efficient variant of Heliel's Love, that affects all targets in a small area (~15 at a time). The healing effect is reduced, to the point where even stabilising moderately serious injuries is a gamble- sometimes doing enough for the patient to survive until more personalised healing can be applied, other times only giving the appearance thereof. It cannot be cast as often as Heliel's Love, but is still Common
Song of Soothing: A spellsong developed to heal and fortify the mind. The song must be initiated by a magic user, but once sufficient numbers are singing along it becomes self-sustaining. Cannot be used by or affect the undead. Common
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, as baseline cultists are not expert missionaries, but it keeps the cult growing. Common
Travelling Medics: Acolytes accompany proselytising missions, curing the sick and injured in order to win over the local population. Uncommon
Spy: Agents of Heliel travel the land, seeking secrets, while going unnoticed themselves. Does not directly increase influence, but aids in most other infiltration endeavours. Currently only Bright Shadows are suitable for this role. Common
Exploit Intelligence: Using information gathered by other infiltrators, agents go forth to advance the Good cause while hindering Evil. Covers all manner of activity; theft, sabotage, blackmail, intimidation, even murder- all at the expense of the unrighteous, of course. Not extremely effective due to lack of specialisation, but not bad either. Shadow Walkers are most effective at this. Uncommon
Infrastructure:
Basic Training Camps: Rudimentary facilities, where cultists learn the basics of combat and warfare. Singing is integrated into the training programme, serving to boost morale.
Basic Officer Training: A stumbling, amateurish step towards proper military organisation, the officers trained thus are still better than leaders chosen in the moment.
Military Workshops: A series of mines, smelters, forges and workshops that provide the forces of Good with arms and armour.
Monks of Minos: Half man, half bull, all pacifist. Strong, tough, and capable of channelling small amounts of Good into their strikes, these monks are built for war- but their minds have, over many generations, been honed for peace. Very effective warriors, despite their reluctance to cause unnecessary suffering and their rigid adherence to their brand of martial arts. Fight in tiny squads of 3-4 minotaurs. Uncommon
DARRIN (Combat)Dry Plains:
4/4 |
0/4Mountain Passes:
4/4 |
0/4Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4LESIMOR (Influence)Fortified Frontier:
2/5 |
?/5Lawless Capital:
2/5 |
?/5Scholarly Towers:
0/5 |
?/5XA-NAM (Combat)River Delta:
4/4 |
0/4River Crossings:
3/4 |
1/4Light Jungle:
0/4 |
4/4DOLGOTH (Influence)Trade City:
1/5 |
?/5Ostentatious Capital:
1/5 |
?/5Wartorn Wastes:
1/5 |
?/5
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Topic: Angel Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10 (Read 32408 times)