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theironjef posted:I've actually been thinking for a while about doing the larger books with the format of "The 10 Worst Things about :" so that the funny stuff doesn't get drowned in the muck of explaining what are generally really boring resolution rules and XP tables and stuff. "You won't believe the 10 shocking things we found in this OGL book!"
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Jun 29, 2015 18:26
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II The watermarking is from the PDF, that's not going away. We get our explanation of Cygnaran history from Professor Gertrude Wickens of Corvis University. Caspia, once Calacia, stood thousands of years ago as the center of civilizaiton in the Midlands against the Molgur barbarians. They brought stability and commerce to a region of war and bloodshed. The Thorians of the west were the intellectual powerhouses of their age. Cygnar descends from the Thorians and Midlanders, and it is just as much a bastian or reason, morality and civilization. In 202 AR, the Corvis Treaties brought a brief era of peace and prosperity, giving rise to Cygnar and its borders from the Thornwood and the Dragon's Tongue River in the north to the Broken Coast and Gulf of Caspia in the south. It was expansive and fertile, and also full of wilderness, like the Wyrmwall Mountains, the Gnarls or the Thornwood. Cygnar's wealth was only achieved by hard work and determination. The peace could not last, for the people of the new lands of Khador and Cygnar had been long rivals since the days of the Khardic empire. The kings of Cygnar have often been both warriors and sages, most notably King Woldred the Diligent. He was the fourth king of Cygnar, before the royal bloodline was firmly established, and his rule was hotly contested. Still, he was the first great king, who laid a solid foundation for the succession. He had to fight after the death oif his father, King Benewic II, in the Colossal War, a great clash that foresaw the modern nature of warfare. The colossals that overthrew the Orgoth were used as weapons against each other. Woldred led a coalition of Cygnar, Ord and Llael to defeat the conquering Kahdorans, forcing them to accept the harsh terms of the Disarmament Conferences of 257 AR, which dismantled the northern colossals and established the Colossal Guard, preventing Khador from waging war for another 40 years. In 287 AR, Woldred voluntarily dismantled Cygnar's own colossals after skirmishes with the trollkin of the interior demonstrated their inherent vulnerabilities. Their maintenance costs were too high and the Colossal Guard could not be sustained. This gave rise to the modern warjacks, smaller but still formidable constructs that could better negotiate a battlefield. Woldred's final act was the Woldred's Covenant, reforming the Cygnaran laws of succession. Each king could abdicate the throne and choose any successor, with primogeniture applying only if other terms were not provided. The Temple of Menoth, still the state religion despite dwindling numbers, supported this only on the condition that the priesthood had the exclusive right to witness and notarize each king's terms. The Morrowan faith was dominant among the population, but Menites were still a political and spiritual force in the capital. Woldred's unexpected death in 289 AR kept his terms of succession from being found, though the Menites insisted they'd been drafted. Within a fortnight, his nephew Malagant the Grim seized the palace with a force 500 strong, claiming the throne. The Temple of Menoth refuted his right to rule and named him usurper, and so Malagant had more than 200 Menite preists arrested and hanged. In 293 AR, Malagant proclaimed the Church of Morrow the official religion of Cygnar and dissolved all Menite governmental authority, much to the delight of the people. He was seen as a beloved champion of the faith by all but the Menite minority. However, the growing strife led the Khadoran Queen Cherize to start a border war from 293 to 295, when she suddenly vanished. Malagant died soon after, and both were surrounded by rumor suggesting that the Queen had relied on dark cultists and forbidden gods. Her successor, Quen Ayn Vanar V, was merely five years old, and so was overseen by Lord Regent Velibor, who led an aggressive expansionist campaign. However, Khador struggled with its own tribal natives on the periphery, particularly in the forests and hills, and the tribes assembled in one last, great alliance. Velibor met with them, convincing the horde that the south, notably Ord, had riches to be gained. He planned to send his own forces in their wake. It might have worked, if not for the Siege of Midfast in 305 AR. Captain Markus Graza, a Morrowan champion, singlehandedly defeated the barbarian chieftains, holding them off until reinforcements could arrive and sweep them from the field. The Khadorans, howevere, were left unharmed and kept fighting for another decade, seizing both Ordic and Llaelese land, including the city once known as Radahvo, now Port Vladovar. In time, it would become a vital city to the Khadoran Navy. A formal alliance was sealed between Llael and Cygnar, but not Ord, which remained neutral. For a hundred and fifty years, Cygnar then dealt with simmering tides of religious conflict. The Menites sowed unrest, vilifying the Morrowans and denouncing them as heretics, despite attempts at appeasement. Many innocents on both sides were killed. But it was nothing to the rift that would tear Caspia in two in 383 AR. It had always been a haven for Menites, and their charismatic leader, Visgoth Sulon, called for a pilgrimage to rally to him. Menites in their tens of thousands gathered, and Sulon named himself Hierarch of the Faith, seizing control of the eastern half of Caspia, pushing out any non-Menites. Unaware of the organized nature of the 'rioters,' the Caspian watch tried to disperse them, but the pilgrims rose against them and slew over 300 guards. This ignited the Cygnaran Civil War of 482-484. The Menites razed the river distrcits of Caspia in the fighting, and theb attles were so fierce that even the normally restrained Morrowan priests and defenders joined the fight. The capital might have burned were it not for the death of Sulon, which destroyed Menite morale and allowed for peace. High Prelate Shevann, head of the Morrowan Church treasury and a woman of foremost honesty, came forth as the spokeswoman for King Bolton Grey V, entreating Sulon's successor, Visgoth Ozeall, to end the violence. Eventually, the Protectorate of Menoth was created, temporarily ending the strife. The Menites were given an expanse east of the Black River and the entirety of eastern Caspia, named Sul in honor of Sulon. They were given right to govern as they sew fit without interference, and it was understood that they were nominally Cygnaran and subject to disarmament and taxation. Five years later, King Grigor Malfast led the nation through frowth not seen since the days of Woldred. Steamjacks became more common, and Cygnar became wealthy once more. At his side was his most rusted vassal, Archduke Vinter Raelthorne II, who was instrumental in implementing Malfast's plans. The Raelthornes had been kings before, and their blood dated back to the ancient kings of Calacia. Without Vinter II, Malfast would have wasted most of his funding poorly. The Khadoran king, however, was Ruslan Vygor, a misanthrope who envied Cygnar's riches. He gathered the greatest army yet seen, invading in late 510 AR to conquer Llael. He knew this would force Malfast to respond with warjacks and riflemen, but the invasion was a ruse. Vygor personally led the greater force of his army straight into the forest, to take key Cygnaran territories unopposed, razing a path two hundred miles long through the Thornwood, later known as Warjack Road. If not for Fellig scouts, Cygnar would have been caught entirely unprepared. Soldiers were hastily raised to meet the army at the Dragon's Tongue as the army sent to Llael turned back. The Battle of the Tongue, in 511, was one of the bloodiest battles in Cygnaran history, and the river was barely held. More warjacks were lost than in any other battle in all of western Immoren, and only recently has the count been exceeded. It took decades to replace and repair the weapons lost in the four-month Thornwood War, which ended with Vygor's death on Vinter Raelthorne's blade. A few years later, Malfast fell ill and drafted terms to hand the crown to Vinter. In 515, he was crowned king. Vinter II wruled prudently, priding utilitarianism over all. He was known as the Stone-Faced King, surviving two assassinations and earning a reputation as a master sorcerer and great leader of men, with no patience for religion. In 439, the crown went to his son, Vinter Raelthorne III, who filled his coffers by heavy taxation in order to bolster the navy and fund privateers to seize the sea from pirates. Many hated him for his demands despite his success, and he became known as the Stoneheart. He was stern and non-nonsense, trusting no one around him. He had no use for priests or the court, looking only to his own mind. He was not widely praised, but he did enrich and strengthen Cygnar, putting debtors to work. Many died, but the kingdom prospered. He had two sons, Vinter IV and Leto. When Vinter died, some say suspiciously, in 576 AR, Vinter IV became king. He was a paranoid tyrant, of dark and violent temper. He hated the Church of Morrow for no reason any could fathom, and he saw enemies everywhere. He set up a network of spies and secret courts, ruling by terror and murder. The people wanted reassurance that the government was protecting them, believing that those taken in were dark sorcerers rather than innocents. The Scharde Invasions of 584-588 hardly helped, as black ships emerged to send raiders into unsuspected villages, bent on slaughter and pillage. Graves were despoiled and corpses stolen to feed the Nightmare Empire of Cryx, but counterstrikes ended only in death. For years, the survivors related the stories of King Vinter the Elder leading battle personally, always at the front. Both Vinter and Leto fought in this war, driving the Cryxians from Cygnar, and so the people came to accept more readily King Vinter's tyranny. Prince Leto, however, watched his brother and was appalled. He tried to mitigate his brother's tyranny by good works, and he was a pious PMorrowan, a friend to Primarch Arius and nearly a priest himself. This played a role in the eventual Lion's Coup of 594, a decade after the battles against Cryx. Leto was named Warmaster General, and he filled the army with the most pious and noble officers he could find. They would be instrumental in his coup, including Magus Arland Calster, now head of Caspia's Fraternal Order, Kielon Ebonhart IV, heir to the Norther Midlunds, Alain Runewood, heir to the Eastern Midlunds, and the war hero Commander Adept Sebastian Nemo. They fought through Castle Raelthorne's east wing. Vinter, whatever his failings, was the finest swordsman laive, practically invincible, and he slew scores of Leto's soldiers himself, bearing the sword of his grandfather, Kingslayer. In the end, he stood alone, all his allies defeated, refusing all surrenders. Leto could not match him, and Vinter gave him what might seem a fatal wound. However, somehow, in the next moment, Vinter was disarmed and Leto's wound had vanished. Most say that it was Morrow's intervention via Primarch Arius. Leto declared himself king, casting Vinter into the royal dungeon, but he had secret allies, who tok Leto's wife, Lady Danae Cresswell, hostage. Leto released Vinter, but his queen was never seen again. Vinter escaped in an experimental airship, rising out of reach of his pursuers, but he was caught by the wind and drifted east, over the Bloodstone Marches. Leto was crowned in a grim ceremony, and Vinter was put to trial in absentia and stripped of all of his Cygnaran rights. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to death, if he returned. Leto abolished the Inquisition and led Cygnar in an age of unprecedented growth for the next decade. However, Cryx began striking at the shores, and skirmishes with the Protectorate's zealots began to escalate. The war truly began in 03 AR, when Corvis was invaded by the skorne from across the Bloodstone Marches, led by Vinter Raelthorne IV. Somehow, he had survived and led an army across the deserts to strike at Cygnar. Fortunately, the skorne were driven off, and some say Morrow himself sent ghostly soldiers of King Malagant to aid the battle. Corvis was recused and the skorne withdrew for a time. Leto considered a preemptive strike against the enemies of Cygnar, but chose not to attack Cryx or Menoth for fear of high casualties. Khador, meanwhile, hatched new plans of conquest, massing against Llael in the hopes that Cygnar was too busy to help. Some say Llael's own prime minister betrayed them, for the country fell rapidly - mere days. Cygnar rushed to the defense, getting caught up in desperate battles at Redwall Fortress and the Llaelese capital, Merywyn. Khador took the country like a flood, slauthering citizens and raizing the city of Riversmet. The entire war was a mere six months before Llael's nobles surrendered. That was when the Menites rose in full defiance, attacking Caspia under Hierarch Garric Voyle's direction. Cryx, too, launched an attack on the Thornwood, filling it with the living dead and assaulting the city of Highgate with pirate attacks. The Cygnarans have been forced to isolate Cygnaran Menites for fear of treachery, especially after the rise of the Harbinger, who has united the Menite faith. Allegedly, merely seeing her can turn a formerly rational Menite into a zealot for the cause. The Cygnarans attacked Sul, breaching its walls and sweeping in, but they were faced with a year of bitter street fighting before being repelled. Caspia was invaded by Voyle's army, and Leto led the battle himself, but was grievously injured. The tide was only turned at the gates of Castle Raelthorne, where Voyle was killed. The Menites carved a swathe of destruction through Caspia, and it has not yet recovered. This has been the darkest year in all of Cygnar's history, with trench fighting against Khador, which has taken Northguard and the Thornwood, constant fights against Cryx and Menoth, and new battles against the Skorne Empire on the eastern border, while the trollkin in the interior have risen to harass the trains. Next time: The faces of Cygnar
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Jun 29, 2015 18:36
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All I can think of is that there's a whole nation of people devoted to that weird artichoke liquor.
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Jun 29, 2015 18:49
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Halloween Jack posted:All I can think of is that there's a whole nation of people devoted to that weird artichoke liquor. Oh yeah, Cynar! One of the many disgusting aperitifs that europeans use to make sure their drinks don't taste any good.
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Jun 29, 2015 19:09
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theironjef posted:Oh yeah, Cynar! One of the many disgusting aperitifs that europeans use to make sure their drinks don't taste any good. Bah humbug. Drinks that actually taste good are for dandies.
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Jun 29, 2015 19:12
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theironjef posted:Oh yeah, Cynar! One of the many disgusting aperitifs that europeans use to make sure their drinks don't taste any good. Hey, look. I'll pilot a giant robot for the honour of the Republic of Campahri.
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Jun 29, 2015 19:22
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Halloween Jack posted:Hey, look. I'll pilot a giant robot for the honour of the Republic of Campahri. As a Galliano, I'm stuck being represented with like 5 solos in the mercenary faction.
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Jun 29, 2015 19:29
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II Lieutenant Allister Caine is a graduate of the Militant Order of the Arcane Tempest, which generally expects a great deal of control over its students. When they signed on a former hoodlum, they had no idea what they were getting, or that he'd singlehandedly pioneer gunplay as a strategy of war. Caine's ability as a warcaster was revealed accidentally during his gunmage training, and his instructors were pretty relieved because it meant getting him off their hands quickly. Even with Leto himself urging him to enlist, Caine was not a good student, looking instead to fight. After his graduation, he went back to his hometown, Bainsmarket, and was imprisoned for the murder of a gangster, which he never bothered to even deny doing. Rumor has it that the army had to step in to get him out of trouble, and that black mark has never really faded. Despite his skill, his ego and irreverence make him hard to get along with, and he quickly got a reputation as a loner, drifter and scoundrel, frequently seen in the seedy border bars. He enjoys slumming it and showing off his unmatched gun skills for coin, and often ends up sleeping in jail cells. His drunkenness, womanizing, swagger and insubordination all keep him from advancing, and in fact he is the only warcaster in recent memory to lose his captain's rank just weeks after his promotion for conduct not befitting an officer. Despite all that, though, he is a peerlessly determined soldier, particularly when outnumbered, and his skill has kept him his commission. He has an uncanny knack for finding trouble, and often trouble that letsh im neutralize key threats to Cygnar - it's almost as if something is guiding him to these trouble spots. Caine's entire gimmick is guns, using guns, teleporting around using guns, blessing guns and shooting lightning. His Feat, Maelstrom, lets him shoot guns at everyone even slightly nearby by jumping into the air and doing a pirouette, shooting wildly.  Captain Victoria Haley is a resolved and heroic woman, born in the fishing village of Ingrane. Her parents were humble, enduring much to provide for Victoria and her twin sister, Gloria. It was a simple yet happy life, and would have remained so if not for Cryxian raiders. The girls were but five years old in 584 AR, when raiders from Scharde landed on the docks. Their mother had barely time to shove the girls in the cellar before the Cryxians came to their home, and Victoria had to watch her mother's murder through the floorboard cracks. She hid in a dark corner as Gloria was spotted and dragged away, never to be seen again. Nothing but dark memories remain of Ingrane, now a place of shadow and icy winds. The survivors headed for the town of Ramarck, and Victoria was fostered in a Morrowan abbey nearby. She was treated well, but they tried to curb her budding magical power, believing it unhealthy. At 13, she fled, making her way to New Larkholm and work assisting a fishmonger. It was during her time there, near a laboring steamjack, that her warcaster talents appeared, and she caught the eye of the military. In the army, her power was fostered and unleashed. Two years later, age 20, she finished her arcane training and joined the army. Captain Victoria Haley especially hates the Cryxians, and she will hurl all of her great power against them. She has attracted the attention of the warwitch Deneghra, and the two have faced each other several times so far. All Haley wants is to kill as many Cryxians as possible, but she can never kill enough to balance what happened in Ingrane. Haley doesn't really have a gimmick - she can counter spells, scramble warjacks and support her buddies with lightning and shields. Her big trick is training her soldiers in a special tactic so that once a battle she can give a command and have them all attack an additional time.  Commander Coleman Stryker was but 19 when Leto took the throne. He fought in the Lion's Coup, and though he started out on Vinter's side, in the end he was instrumental to Leto's success. He was born a hotheaded sorcerer, wanting little but to be a hero. His passion was tempered by experience and the mentorship of Sebastian Nemo. Under Commander Adept Nemo's tutoring, Stryker mastered spells and his ability to control warjacks. They obey him with unnatural precision, and he had none of the uncertainty of other fresh warcasters. He was even able to tame and control the ornery Ironclad nicknamed Ol' Rowdy, which fights alongside him to this day. He was quite proud to hit full warcaster rank, having come a long way from his early induction the darker path set for him when the Lion's Coup first began. However, under Nemo's guidance, his course was realigned and he became a champion of Cygnar. He is committed to proactive hunting of the enemy, and he knows that sometimes, sacrifices have to be made for Cygnar. His dedication has seen him rise meteorically through the ranks, and Leto has called him the nation's finest young battlefield leader. Stryker sees himself as just another soldier, and his age can lead some to believe he hasn't really earned his rank, but he has experience beyond many older generals, and he goes to great lengths to keep his men alive. His gimmick is primarily built around shooting magical attacks and keeping his dudes protected by magic armor. His feat is the ability to channel his arcane powers into a protective shield over his entire army for a little while.  The Charger is the most-produced light warjack in history, an old reliable for its versatile armaments. It's just over eight and a half feet tall, weighs just over two and a half tons and is armed with a dual cannon and giant battle hammer, which allows it to work reliably in melee and ranged capacities. It's the favored jack of most journeyman warcasters, and it's an imprvement over its predeecessor, the Talon, which also had the compact steam engine and potent pistons that allow the Charger to move at shocking speeds. It's had upgrades to the leg and hip for greater articulation, allowing faster reaction time. The gun reloads itself by taking advantage of the recoil to reload the second barrel.  The Lancer is larger, at just over 9 feet tall and 3 tons. It's reliant on the arc node (and before that, the arcantrik relay), a modern tool that allows a warcaster to channel spells through the warjack itself. For years before the Lancer was made, Cygnarna warcasters bemoaned the lack of any arc node-equipped modern chassis. The field had been pioneered by the JAvelin and Arcane of earlier years, but neither performed adequately. After several Cryxian victories, Leto pushed Warmaster General Turpin to develop a better arc node platform. The Lancer is built on a modified Charger chassis, with an emphasis on survival and defense, using the heavy spear to keep enemies at bay and a shield equipped with a potent shock field that can burn out attacking warjack cortexes on contact. These have made the Lancer one of the most valued light 'jacks in the Cygnaran arsenal.  The Sentinel is only eight and a half feet tall, but three and a quarter tons. It's the first Cygnaran warjack ever to be armed with a chaingun, and its job is simple: mow down infantry. Those who close with it are no safer, however, because the powerful assault shield, which allows it to smash enemies and guard nearby allies.  The Cyclone is a heavy warjack, coming in at just over 12 feet tall and weighing six and a half tons. It is armed with a pair of chain guns refined from the older counterparts on the Sentinel, with smoother cycling and less likelihood of a jam. The guns have been nicknamed the Metal Storms, as they tear foes apart quite literally in a hail of smoke and lead. Even better, they're attached to the arms rather than held in the hand, so the 'jack has full use of both hands for locks or throws. Thanks to its suppressive fire, the Cyclone has given Cygnaran commanders a tool to support sweeping advances, allowing them greater ability to choose when and where they engage the enemy. Next time: More Heavy Warjacks and troops.
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Jun 29, 2015 19:44
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II The Defender is a solid heavy, just over 12 feet tall and six and a half tons. Its job is simple: range. It is armed with an exceptonally long-range and accurate cannon known as the heavy barrel, a deceptively simple-looking device with a rapid reloading mechanism and stability enhancers allowing for accurate and rapid fire over immense range, aided by custom targeting protocols in the highly advanced cortex. The Defender's other hand is taken up by a shock hammer, an electrified weapon meant to disable enemy cortexes. The design's a significant evolution in Cygnaran tactics, designed after the battles under Vinter III in which generals wanted more accurate and long-range firepower. It's based on a modified Ironclad frame.  The Ironclad is 6 tons and a few inches over 12 feet. It was designed in the 550s, during a large update of Cygnaran military machines. Earlier weapons used principles started in common laborjacks, but the Ironclad was designed from the first as a weapon. It has a significantly advanced and sophisticated cortex, allowing for finer combat performance. It also wields the potent quake hammer, allowing it to fight effectively even when surrounded by smashing the ground itself and sending foes tumbling. The Ironclad only needs one hand to use that powerful too, too, so it can make a go with wrestling moves if you like.  The Arcane Tempest Gun Mages are the elite gunfighters of Cygnar. Over the past two decades, they have trained pistol-attuned sorcerers to harness their unique abilities in war, focusing arcane power on their ammunition via their magelock pistols, crafted from an expensive steel alloy to be response to arcane force. They inspire confidence in other Cygnaran troops, thanks to their reputation for masterful accuracy and pyrotechnics. Only a few are born with the talent for gun magic, and only recently did Cygnar decide to organize their formerly secret fellowship of duelists into the Arcane Tempest, allowing them to give the gunfighters discipline and loyalty. Even a gun mage must earn the right to wield the magelock and wear the uniform, after all. They're very powerful gunmen, able to snipe from long range, blast foes to bits with lightning shots and more.  Field Mechaniks exist because even in the best of times, poo poo breaks. And battle? Not the best of times. Any failure of technology could mean defeat for Cygnar. That's why they train the mechaniks, who carry parts and tools into battle. There's never enough gear, because any single piece could be the linchpin of a battle. And that's also why mechaniks keep the gobber bodgers around. Gobbers love tinkering more than anything, and while they don't get paid well at all, they find the work itself immensely rewarding, even when shot at. Still, they are also infamous for tossing aside their tools and diving for cover when danger comes near.  The Cygnaran long gun has always been the backbone of Cygnar's forces since its invention, even back when they were muzzle-loaders. Breechloaders only made it better, and the modern crank-operated revolver rifles have improved things even further. Preloaded replacement wheels are easy to substitute even in battle, allowing for near-constant fire. The long gunners are the majority of Cygnar's army. Once, they were only seen in small squads supporting the main line, but now they man the garrisons and guard the borders as the face of Cygnar.  Stormblade Infantry wield the most advanced mechanikal weapons Cygnar has. Leto started the program under his brother's rule, handpicking each storm knight and forging them into the best fighting unit of Cygnar, mixing ancient tradition and modern weapons. They wield the storm glaive, a weapon that mixes sword combat with electrical power. Essentially, the blade holds a lattice of conductive material to direct the energies from the storm chamber, and in proper hands it can even shoot lightning. Each sergeant wields a modified storm glaive, designed to synergize with the glaives of the unit to amplify each other. Stormblades use armor that insulates them against shocks and current, allowing them to fire off without fear.  Cygnaran Trencher Infantry have a great reputation for grit and endurance. They're always on the front lines, and they've been called gravediggers, as they are often last off the field. They take and hold ground, the bravest of all Cygnaran troops in their willingness to defend any land with their lives. They die pretty often, and all they have is a long bayonet, a heavy rifle and some smoke bombs. They began as an experiment to see if hard training could turn even callow youths into hardened warriors, and the training of a trencher is harsh in the extreme, with veterans often called back to teach the next generation. Once a Trencher, always a Trencher.  Most warcasters spend a good amount of time as Journeyman Warcasters. Many have been soldiers for a long time before finding they had the talent and need to work hard to master their new skills. They practice on disarmed warjacks and can eventually earn the right to command an old, often battered 'jack in battle. By Strategic Academy tradition, each journeyman must serve a full tour under a veteran warcaster before graduating. In wartime, that means vital lessons while avoiding death, and a chance you don't survive. Journeymen are juicy targets, after all, because of their potential. Still, only real combat is enough to forge someone into a solid warcaster rather than some naive fool who can shoot magical blasts and move a 'jack around. Next time: The glory of Menoth!
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Jun 29, 2015 22:34
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Just Dan Again posted:I remember a lot of odd workarounds in that system to make it line up with what they'd written in the Warmachine sourcebooks. TONS of prestige classes to reflect pretty integral parts of the overall storyline (with all of the pitfalls of 3rd edition prestige classes), as well as some extremely weird healing rules to explain why people don't get healed all the time in the tabletop game.
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Jun 29, 2015 22:42
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II This bit of history is given to us by Grand Scrutator Severius. For as long as man has worshipped, man has worshipped Menoth, the Creator. All that is belongs to Him, and He may reclaim it as it suits Him. Humanity did not have it easy, for Menoth wished to strengthen them by trial. Tribes arose, wandering for millenia and learning to survive. They did not realize that, in growing stronger and more worthy, they fought the ancient foe of Menoth, the Devourer Wurm. It is known that Menoth gave the knowledge of fire, stonework and agriculture to the worthy, and the first and greatest of the worthy whose names are known was the man Cinot, to whom Menoth gave the True Law inscribed in stone, the Canon, at Icthier. By Menoth's favor, the first priest-kings arose to rule lesser citizens, and each man know his place. Menoth's covenant ensured obedience to the True Law. Thus was born the Temple and the Sacred Flame, an imperishable fire in every temple, uniting all humanity with Menoth's promises. However, men are like children and easily go astray. After millenia, the tribes broke apart and men forgot their places. They fell to false idols and ancestral worship rather than the way of Menoth, and some even betrayed the world by worshiping the Devourer Wurm, the Beast of All Shapes, who is the great foe of Menoth. Lesser gods arose, allowed to exist only by the benevolence of Menoth, and those who were led astray forgot to praise Him. It took Menoth some time to notice, for time is as nothing to Him. When He did, He was angered, but he chose not to destroy His creation. Instead, he sent the Orgoth to test humanity, as a lesson on what happened when man lost his faith. Menoth allowed the Rebellion to succeed in order to give them a second chance. The priests rebuilt the temples and spread the word of Menoth, and some chose to listen while others did not. The worst of these were the Morrowans, a dangerous but popular faith. The only more wretched god was Morrow's sister, Thamar. They were seduced by his easy teachings, requiring no discipline or adherence to the True Law. They were tolerated, so long as praise was given to Menoth, but this was too indulgent. Man is, after all, lazy. Weak. Under Woldred the Diligent, the right of Menites to oversee the passing of the crown was made law, as Woldred understood that the priesthood should be given to recognize a just and worthy king. However, heretics plotted against the Menites, and the usurper Malagant toppled the rightful order by removing the priesthood from power and replacing them with the more amenable Morrowans. He even murdered hundreds of priests, his blasphemy going unstopped by the people. This was a sign of how far Cygnar had fallen. The Menite priests fought in court when they should have fought in the streets with blades. Menoth was displeased by how His people turned away, and so, He sent Sulon. Sulon was a visionary, the greatest mortal leader since the priest-kings Khardovic and Golivant. He quickly rose to be Visgoth of Caspia, and he called for a pilgrimage of the faithful to his side. He organized those who came, initiating scrutators and training them as knights, warriors and war priests. Knights Exemplar and others willing to take up arms were called from their posts and temples to join Sulon. They chose the City of Walls as their place to stand, for it had been Calacia, birthplace of Golivant. It was holy ground. By 482, Sulon stood atop the ancient Great Temple of the Creator, his army prepared. Eastern Caspia had become the largest temple to Menoth in the world. On the holy day now called the Birth of Sulon, he donned new vestments and became the first Hierarch since the coming of the Orgoth. The Khadoran visgoths were too proud to acknowledge this claim, but all those gathered embraced Sulon as leader. He banished all remaining unbelievers, to make room for the faithful, but he was overly indulgent - he let them leave in peace. They would soon take arms against him. The heretic puppets of Cygnar's court and their Morrowan master sent soldiers to disrupt the holy gathering, a transparent ploy to assassinate Sulon. He knew it would come, and so he had his army send them to Urcaen, and the fury of the righteous was unleashed. The battle destroyed the city's bridges, and it s two halves were barricaded against each other. The battle lasted two full years, to test the faith of the righteous. Sulon fell in battle in 484, for it was Menoth's will that the Hierarch should join Him, having done enough. The Menites stood down, remembering the death of Sulon with a holy day of silence. Shortly after, King Bolton Grey V sent an emissary to Visgoth Ozeall, Sulon's second, and the conflict was ended. The land to the east was given to the Menites to rule, and the Cygnarans lied, claiming they would not impose political will over this Protectorate. They gave up the holy land of eastern Caspia, and the Menites renamed it Sul, to free themselves of names tied to Cygnaran title. The land they were given was bitter and hot, but hardship is the coin of Urcaen, as Sulon said. Within the Protectorate, a theocracy was formed, dedicated to service of the True Law and the Creator. Of course, taxes would need to be paid to Cygnar, but that was a small price for control over their own destiny. They were forbidden a standing army, but given permission to raise what was needed to defend their realm from the eastern tribes, and that would be the seed of the Protectorate's military. Many came forth from the walls of Sul to settle the new land and win it from the wild. It was not easily worked, but Menoth provided for His children. It was difficult, but rewarding. Ancient relics of Icthier were unearthed from its ruins. The Idrian tribes attacked again and again, always rebuffed. The greatest clash came in 504 AR, far east of Sul, when the Menites marched on the 'city' of Imer, the greatest the Idrians had. Menoth's hand struck the earth as a sign, an immense earthquake that destroyed the city walls but left the faithful untouched. And so, the Menites realized, slaughter would serve far less than conversion. The Idrians were ignorant, but they recognized the hand of the divine. The majority of the tribes converted on the spot. It did not end the battles - that would take decades of bloodshed - but it began the conversion of the Idrians. They brought numbers to the Protectorate as well as capable warriors. Imer was remade into a modern city, and the diamonds of the Marches were discovered, ready to be sold to the heretics who valued them so highly, given the Menites the wealth needed to prosper in their lands without the tax collectors realizing what they did. It was also the Idrians who revealed the oil of the wastes, which the Menites refined into the weapon named Menoth's Fury under Hierarch Turgis. Oil itself is useful for the forges and hearths, and when refined, it became a potent weapon, roaring like the wrath of Menoth when it touched air. Fifty years after the Protectorate's formation, Vinter Raelthorne III was made King of Cygnar. He taxed the Menites mercilessly, starving the people even after the diamonds were given. Tensions rose, and after his death in 576, the crown went to his corrupt son, Vinter IV. He was a deserved plague on Cygnar, and this allowed Menoth's church to gather strength in secret. The transfer of the title of Hierarch has always required some turmoil and a good deal of time - it was eighteen years after the death of Hierarch Turgis before Ravonal became Hierarch, and only eight years after his death to the next. The Synod selects the new Hierarch, but it takes time and deliberation. Garrick Voyle rose from the chaos to their attention, becoming the latest of the great Hierarchs. In 588 AR, Voyle seized his title and forced those few who opposed him to see the error of their ways. It was miraculously clear how right a choice he was, for the text of the True Law had emblazoned itself upon his skin. Voyle raised the Protectorate to new heights, relocating the capital to Imer and ensuring that they acquired the warjack cortexes they would need, and the tools to make more. He instituted the Vassals of Menoth, who kidnapped foreign mages to turn their unholy skills to the purpose of the church, and found the ways to bless their output with Menoth's favor. At last, when Leto overthrew his brother, it was time once more to turn attention towards Cygnar. They waited for Cygnar to be surrounded by foes, but in the last year, the greatest sign was found: the emergency of the prophetess and oracle foretold in the Canon. She is the Harbinger of Menoth, the embodiment of His will and speaker of His voice. She arrived in Imer before the Synod and gave her blessing to Voyle's crusade and his work with the hidden factories and mages. Now, the Protectorate will finish what Sulon began. They will convert and conquer all lesser faiths, and even the estranged Khadorans will recognize the Harbinger and return to the fold. We then cut to the writings of Visgoth Juviah Roven responding to the above. Severius, it seems, led an army that would become the Northern Crusade, after he was told of a vision from the Harbinger, who revealed that an imminent threat was rising in the Thornwood. The Harbinger herself went to war, with Severius at her side. Deep in the Thornwood, long a bastion of the Devourer Wurm, the Harbinger and her army faced darkness incarnate, of which even Juviah cannot write. It took place in a ruined Orgoth temple, however, that had been site to many atrocities. During the battle, the Harbinger gave up her own life to thwart a plan that threatened Urcaen itself. Her body was returned to Imer for burial, despite all dangers to the journey, but Menoth showed His will. He gave Hierarch Voyle the power to return the Harbinger to life. Hundreds of thousands witnessed this miracle as the Northern Crusade marched on. Severius would not be dismayed, even by the loss of the Harbinger. He razed the heretic town of Fisherbrook and obliterated the Morrowan monastery outside Fellig, marching into Llael. Eventually, he even reached the fort-town of Leryn, which he took and sanctified as the northern bastion of Menoth. In Sul, a great attack on Caspia was prepared in 606 AR. However, the Cygnarans achieved the impossible - they breached the holy walls of Sul. The Menites underestimated them, and many died that day. Still, the Great Temple was protected. The battle lasted a full year, reversal upon reversal. At last, Cygnar was pushed out of Sul, and the Menites invaded Caspia. They were unable to totally defeat the Cygnarans, however, and Hierarch Voyle knew he had to go personally. Voyle fought his way to Castle Raelthorne itself, but at last he reached his limit, and Menoth took him home. The Menite army withdrew in grief, but had reclaimed Sul. Severius returned to speak of how the Menites are best with a strong leader, and it was unanimously decided: for the first time, a new Hierarch could be chosen immediately. It was to be Severius. The Crusade continues. Next time: The heroes of Menoth!
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Jun 30, 2015 00:00
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theironjef posted:I can dig it, but Jon don't know from Final Fantasy, so he'd probably be confused and irritated. Actually, that's generally my favorite kind of show. Motherfucker, I have played almost every Final Fantasy game outside the very latest ones. Don't you throw me under the bus because you're too lazy to read a large book of stupid crap.
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Jun 30, 2015 00:28
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Grnegsnspm posted:Motherfucker, I have played almost every Final Fantasy game outside the very latest ones. Don't you throw me under the bus because you're too lazy to read a large book of stupid crap. poo poo, really? What the hell am I thinking about then? I could have sworn I was the Final Fantasy guy and you were the... something else guy. Can we just agree that neither of us wants to read that 1400+ page mattress with text on it?
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Jun 30, 2015 01:01
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Oh yeah, I'm not saying we SHOULD read it. Just that if we did I would be enraged and saddened for entirely different reasons. That reason would be a total lack of Blitzball. I mean, come on. We can all agree that's the best thing to come out of any Final Fantasy game, right?
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Jun 30, 2015 01:06
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II He is the High Reclaimer, the leader of the Reclaimant Order that assists Menoth in destroying, returning souls to help him in his wars in Urcaen. Even the other Protectorate Orders are worried by them. They keep their iron masks bolted shut when outside the cells in which they eat and sleep. They say nothing after taking their oaths - ever. Even their prayers are silent. The High Reclaimer rises above the rest, channeling Menoth's power with ease and hurling forth burning ash and flame. He has been given the title of High Reclaimer for his absolute unity with Menoth's will. He is the first Reclaimer to have warcaster talent, as well. He wielders the ceremonial torch Cremator, kept fueled by a constant supply of Menoth's Fury. It is a potent enough weapon to tear through 'jack armor as if it were flesh, and anything it touches burns. Those who march alongside the High Reclaimer know his will without being told it. He meditates and exercises ceaselessly, fasting to make his skin like iron. None are safe from being reclaimed for Menoth, and it is said that Menoth whispers to him in his prayers, telling him the names of those that must die, friend and foe alike. Failing him, of course, always means reclamation. His gimmick is setting people on fire. Everyone, his side or the other side. And his feat? He can resurrect the dead, calling on Menoth to send some souls back to keep the battle going.  High Exemplar Kreoss (first name: Mikael) is a leader of the Knights Exemplar, a devoted example of Menoth's will in the form of man. He is Khadoran by birth, motherless in childhood and aspiring to be one of the Order of the Wall, a guardian of the people, after his father became conscripted for labor for his debts. The work overwhelmed him as he tried to raise Mikael, and so he gave Mikael to some Protectorate pilgrims in the hopes of a better life. They took the boy back to the Protectorate, and Mikael channeled his pain from seperation into his quest to perfect himself. He became a priest, where he found heathens robbing a holy crypt. Enraged, Mikael beat them to death with his bare hands, then realized his place in life was as a Knight Exemplar. They soon invited him to join, and he rose quickly. He was effective at stamping out heretics and blasphemers, dedicated to setting the wayward on the right path. He has killed many for being unworthy of the gift of life. His concentration is unmatched, both as a leader and a warcaster, and a mere touch with his holy blade can dissolve magic. He is a living legend in the Protectorate, and one whom the leaders of the faith count on. He doesn't have too much of a gimmick - he can set folks on fire, end magic, buff his guys, that kind of thing. His Feat is that he can call on Menoth's wrath to knock every enemy even a little close to him over.  Grand Scrutator Severius is one of the scrutators - the internal affairs of the church, who police their own clergy. He is the greatest of them, and was given command over the entire military of Menoth. He has singlehandedly converted thousands as the unofficial ambassador of the faith, and in fact he's been banned from Khador for converting too many people. (Banned by Khador, that is.) Since the Protectorate got more aggressive in its crusades, his focus on conversion has turned towards the villages he conquers. Severius loves battling the enemies of the faith, and he brings his 'jacks to life with the same fervor he holds. He is a master strategist, and he plans for the long game. The very, very long game. He plans to, eventually, return the world to its state at the dawn of time, as Menoth intended. (He knows he will die before this is complete.) Age has sapped his strength, but his holy power makes up for it. Magic seems to wither against him, and he can slip into someone's mind with a single word. If he chooses, Severius can recite the Litany of Menoth so powerfully that it rends the connection between warcasters and their heathen warjacks, shutting down all arc nodes nearby for a few minutes. (This is, in fact, his Feat.) His gimmick? He can take control of enemy units and have them join his side for the rest of the game, and he likes buffs and debuffs.  The Redeemer is big for a light 'jack - nearly ten feet tall and nearly 5 tons. It is, well, an artillery piece, armed with explosive rockets. It was designed as a long-range weapon, carrying vast amounts of explosives and a rig to launch them with, the Skyhammer. Using technology developed for the Repenter's ignition systems, it can use its engine-heart to ignite the rocket propellant and fire it off. It is not, however, especially accurate, so it's more for taking out wide areas. In the early decades of production, it was mostly deployed against Idrian holdouts who refused to convert, but has more recently been turned to war with Cygnar and other foes. Its explosives are designed to create lots of shrapnel, which is really good at making wounds that don't heal properly or which kill outright. If it has to fight in melee, it has been thoughtfully given a big mace.  The Repenter is almost ten feet tall and four and a quarter tons. It is outfitted with a crude, unrefined supply of the weaponized oil known as Menoth's Fury, since they have so much of it. Originally meant as a border police unit, it set trespassers on fire. When it was designed several decades ago, it was given a three-headed flail and a flamethrower arm, you see - at first, just a pipe with an igniter attached to a pump and reservoir. Newer versions have a fanning spray nozzle and refined propellant systems to shoot the flaming oil further, and the latest version skips the external igniter in favor of venting the heartfire of the engine into the fuel. The morale-destroying impact of the flamethrower is just as important as the damage it does, as those without strong faith in Menoth fear burning alive.  The Revenger is a little over nine and a half feet tall and almost four and a half tons. The idea was that the reach of the prayers of the faithful had to be extended, and Menoth had managed to capture a few Cygnaran Javelin 'jacks, using their arcantrik relays to aid their research. They reverse-engineered the things into the arc nodes used in the Revenger. While celebrated today, their origin was highly controversial at the time, since it was based on Cygnaran tech. The mechaniks ended up using the same procedures used to sanctify warjacks, purifying the device by prayer as they rebuilt it into a 'divinity node.' The visgoths took it as a divine sign of favor. They gave the thing a halberd, then developed a potent repulsor shield to protect it, using holy runes that hurl back anything that is struck by the shield. This gives the Revenger the power to keep potent foes out of range - very handy, especially against slower enemies.  The Crusader is a heavy 'jack, twelve feet tall and weighing a full 8 tons. It was designed after the civil war, in secret, using Khadoran cortexes and Cygnaran parts scavenged from the field. The Crusader was the greatest of their early designs, a massive 'jack covered in heavy armor and armed with a giant mace. The chassis came from the time of Hierarch Luctine, who used it to subjugate the Idrian tribes. The development of Menoth's Fury only made it more potent, allowing the creation of the Inferno Mace, which is superheated and can tear through almost any armor. Plus, it only needs one hand to wield, so it can punch, too!  The Templar is over twelve feet tall and weighs almost eight and a half tons. It's the embodiment of the simple Protectorate philosophy of overwhelming force. Its iron flail is immensely powerful and hurls enemies around, smashing right through shields and armor and chasing them as it goes. When Hierarch Caltor Turgis reunited the Temple in 535, he broadened the Protectorate's borders and ordered the building of the Tower Judgment, with the first Templars made to guard it. It was so isolated that they didn't even need to disguise the warjacks as laborjacks, and so the shield and flail meant for the Templar are bold and impressive. Now, they are a common sight among the ranks. Next time: The armies of God.
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Jun 30, 2015 01:15
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Grnegsnspm posted:Oh yeah, I'm not saying we SHOULD read it. Just that if we did I would be enraged and saddened for entirely different reasons. That reason would be a total lack of Blitzball. I mean, come on. We can all agree that's the best thing to come out of any Final Fantasy game, right? I was born a Triple Triad man and I'll die a Triple Triad man.
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Jun 30, 2015 01:33
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Re-reading through Returners and trying to find time to make some write-ups about it, all the glorious nonsense doesn't come from loving up Final Fantasy lore. It comes from all of the percentages-of-percentages and trying to figure out the somehow-nearly-impenetrable way CT works. It's truly a work of... Well not art, but something.
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Jun 30, 2015 02:50
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Yeah, you guys should read the other Final Fantasy RPG, FFd6. It even has rules for Blitzball! I've been thinking of doing a F&F write up for it but I haven't found the time
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Jun 30, 2015 02:59
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II The Vanquisher is 12 feet tall and nearly ten tons. It's one of the most recently designed Protectorate 'jacks, originally made in the late 590s in secret. It's not a very subtle machine, though - it's armed with an immense flail capped in a 'blazing star' - a sort of giant spiked ball. It smashes things with the blazing star, and when it can't hit them in melee it turns to its flame belcher. The flame belcher is a cannon that fires a shell that bursts in impact. Inside the shell is a refined form of Menoth's Fury, which ignites merely on exposure to air. It burns hot enough to melt metal, though it burns out relatively quickly.  The Choir of Menoth is all part of one of the Protectorate's big problems: tehcnically pseaking, all the mechanikal tools they use are inherently blasphemous to Menoth. Hierarch Luctine found a way to sanctify these arcane machines via purifying prayer, and their success in battle has been taken as a sign of Menoth's favor. The Choirs are sent to accompany the 'jacks that have been blessed, further empowering them by holy chant. They are led by devout warpriests chosen from among those believed most likely to have the talent for controlling warjacks. They then use an ancient canticle to reinforce the bond between warjack and warcaster. Their prayers can turn aside bullets, unravel spells or divinely guide a warjack's weapons. It takes perfect concentration to achieve these chants, and that's the one job the Choir has. (Well, they also get to hit people with sticks, but if it comes to that they're not having a good day.)  Deliverers are armed with the same Skyhammer rockets as Redeemers. They were once a niche auxiliary unit until Hierarch Voyle decided to reform the military. Redeemers are long-range artillery, and that has a real use on the modern battlefield. Plus, they're cheaper to replace than warjacks, so you can use a lot more of them. Early units fired self-propelled explosives by hand, using a length of wood to light the fuse and send the rocket off. Most of the time, the rockets landed in enemy lines before exploded, but sometimes they'd detonate early or land too soon. The Protectorate developed reinforced cylindrical tubes that could be aimed with more control. Even so, only the most devoted become deliverers, given it means going into battle carrying vast quanities of explosive. (Also they're still not the most accurate weapons.)  By treaty, The Protectorate could not have a standing army...but they'd never lack for volunteers. Holy Zealots are those volunteers, willing to use any weapon to serve the cause. They were secretly trained in combat by the clergy, then given locations of weapons caches if they needed to fight. Even after the need for secrecy ended, the system remained in place, because it was effective. Protectorate citizens can do whatever they like, so long as they're ready to fight when claled. To bolster their faith, the priests will lead the zealots in combat, giving sermons and leading them in prayer, to protect them from magic or to guide their blows. Should a priest fall in battle, one of the zealots will take up the prayers as well, though without the power behind them. Oh, and they gave these guys fire bombs as well as maces.  The Knights Exemplar are the weapons of Menoth. They wear blessed plate armor engraved with protective wards, and that armor can stand up to most things. The sound of their relic blades unsheathing is a sacrament. Their true power, however, comes from their divine gifts. The more of their brethren that die in battle, the stronger they become, fuelled by righteous anger. The first time they took up arms as a large force was during the Cygnaran Civil War, at which point there were no more than a few hundred of these holy warriors. Now, they number in the thousands.  The Temple Flameguard are the vigilant guardians of the temples. Sulon created the order as it is known today by conscripting Menites leading up to the Civil War. The temples had always had armed guardians, but the Flameguard were the first to be unified in instruction and discipline. Their armor and garb are meant to be impressive, and they protect both temples and holy sites, ensuring the sacred flames remain burning. In return, they are given indulgences and favored status, as well as comfort for their families. The Flameguard never stop training with their seven foot spears, the hafts of which are full of Menoth's Fury, which is piped into surface vents on the barbed tip and ignited by a trigger mechanism in the base. In battle, they drip oily fire and can cause terrible wounds. Since the time of Sulon, the stated purpose of the Flameguard has increasingly been used as a justification for training a military. Over time, they have become elite infantry, the first and last line of defense. They are a living wall that protects the clergy.  The Paladin of the Wall is the embodiment of an ideal. These paladins, however, are often at odds with the ruling scrutators, and the Order of the Wall has a turbulent past. Its enrollment periodically dwindles to near nothing, only to surge back in times of turmoil to reassure the population that Menoth is not just wrath, but also protection. They have served humanity since the first words of the Canon of the True Law, bastions of stability when the wilderness threatened. The wall of their namesake is not just one wall, but any barrier that was ever made to shield a community. The Paladins prioritize mercy and protecting the innocent even over orders. The priests say this is a sign that they lack obedience, but the Paladins prefer to protect the flock rather than drown them in blood, and they believe even the wayward can return to the path of Menoth, which makes them well-beloved by the people. They are armored in tempered steel and trained to hold against any foe. There is little more difficult to harm or move than a Paladin of the Wall, and their Firebrand swords erupt in holy flame when they strike, a sign of Menoth's favor. For every soul saved by a paladin, however, two are lost to the tortures of the scrutators. The paladins cannot be deterred in protecting the faithful, however, believing that it is their function in Menother's temple. If that means endless sacrifice, so be it. Next time: Mother
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Jun 30, 2015 03:32
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I really like the asthetic of the Elven faction in Warmahordes, but they're basically the grand prize winners in the "Doing stupid poo poo that will probably doom the world because it's better than sitting on our asses waiting for oblivion" contest.
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Jun 30, 2015 04:05
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Kurieg posted:I really like the asthetic of the Elven faction in Warmahordes, but they're basically the grand prize winners in the "Doing stupid poo poo that will probably doom the world because it's better than sitting on our asses waiting for oblivion" contest. The Trollbloods take that prize, actually.
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Jun 30, 2015 04:44
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fool_of_sound posted:The Trollbloods take that prize, actually.
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Jun 30, 2015 04:47
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Kurieg posted:Oh? How so? They're the only faction book I don't have yet. Their high war-chief unleashed the axe of the local equivalent of ragnarok, and their highest shaman not only woke the dire trolls (prophecized to bring doom), but their progenitors, the mountain kings, which were so destructive that Dhunia herself put them to sleep.
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Jun 30, 2015 04:51
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quote:This is another one of those cases where the fact that taboos are the only measure of an Avatar kind of makes things a little hinky...30% is actually fairly high as far as Unknown Armies skills go...that's enough to know how to drive a car well (the default is 15%), use a computer, a smartphone and maybe even know a thing or two about mechanics or marksmanship. In fact you could own and use high-tech items every day without violating the Savage's taboo...heck I could potentially qualify as a Savage and I make every effort to never leave the city if I can help it. The Savage could make their living as an internet blogger and streaming "lets play" videos from their PS4. And unlike Avatars like The Mother, the Savage's powers are not exclusive to its role, being mostly combat/athletics buffs. I'm gonna go with 'feature, not a bug' since this allows your Ted Kacyinski style neo-primativist bloggers and gun-nut survivalists, though I'd rule that to really break through you need to throw that all away. But Into the Wild style rich kids can still go Savage: And I don't think people play Avatars with the idea of gaming the system that much!
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Jun 30, 2015 05:30
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II Khador's history is written by Kommandant Grezko Autonovich. Once, before the coming of the Orgoth, most of western Immoren was ruled by the Khardic Empire. They united the Kossites, the Skirov, the Umbreans, the Ryn and the Tordor, and they were on the brink of taking over the entirety of Immoren when the Orgoth arrived. The Khards were the ancestors of the Khadorans, and that rule is the right of Khador. The Orgoth defeated them, using sorceries and weapons against which there was no defense, but the Khards fought them hard for their victory, sending many to Urcaen. Had all the other nations fought so hard, the Orgoth would never have won. They ruled for generations, and it was the Khards who suffered worst under them as punishment. Still, they endured, for their spirit could not be broken. It is true that the Iron Fellowship, the first rebellion, took place in Cygnar. It failed utterly. The Tordorans and Thurians were crushed at the Battle of the Hundred Wizards, and so were the Llaelese Army of Thunder. It was not until the Khadoran horselords that the first true victory was won in 147 AR. They destroyed the first Orgoth city, razing it utterly and wiping its name from history, so that none might recall it. Then they seized the city of Korsk back from the Orgoth. The Orgoth fought as best they could, using terrible engines of metal, flesh and fire, but Korsk never fell, as it has never fallen since. Inspired, the other nations joined with Khador to form the Iron Alliance in 160 AR. The other nations pretend, however, that the Council of Ten ruled united, that there was no treachery. They lie. The southerners feared the strength of the Khadorans, and they spoke poison to the Rhulfolk, convincing them to aid in the making of the colossals, but only to build them in Caspia, and they isolated Khador. The Rhulfolk agreed, for they have always feared the horselords. When the Khadorans learned of this, they secretly duplicated the colossal plans and prepared hidden factories in Korsk to make their own. After all, it was Khador that invented the steam engine, and Khador that is finest at technology, even without the aid of the Rhul. In 188 AR, however, either the southerners or Rhulfolk betrayed them to the Orgoth, having discovered the factories by spying. The Orgoth brought an immense army of inhuman warriors against Korsk, but the Motherland itself awoke, conjuring a terrible winter. The wind and snow trapped the Orgoth, and they died by the might of Khador itself. However, the Korsk factories were destroyed. The Khadorans, exhausted by the ordeal, chose to help the Council of Ten despite their treachery, for the Orgoth were the greater threat. The Caspian colossals attacked the Orgoth in 191 AR, with aid from Khadoran generals. By 198, a final push was organized that risked all for victory. The ORgoth fled, destroying the land behind them in the Scourge. At last, they fled across the sea andvictory was head. In 202 AR, the Council of Ten met in Corvis. They debated and debated, and overruled the reinstatement of the Khardic Empire, instead choosing to use the boundaries set by Orgoth provinces. The Khadorans were forced to agree, losing much of their land to Ord and Llael, once the Tordor and Ryn. They never forgot this taking of what was theirs. And it soon became clear that Cygnar had manipulated this to turn Ord and Llael into buffer states, puppets of the Caspian kings. Much blame does lie with the Khadoran representatives, who agreed to this, but they had few choices. Strength had to be rebuilt. After decades, however, the men of Korsk learned that there were no surviving heirs of the first councilors - perhaps a sign of Menoth's approval of Khador's respect for the law. After all, by the wording of the treaties, they no longer had any hold. None who had agreed to them yet lived, nor did their descendants hold power. In 242 AR, King Lavash Tzepesci sent forth a call for all loyal Khadorans to return home from other lands. They had spread to earn money and learn skills, but had not forgotten their loyalty. They returned home - and most important were the arcanists, who cut their ties to the Fraternal Order of Wizardry and, in 243 AR, formed the Greylords' Covenant. They brought magic back to Khador, along with modern weaponry, including the knowledge of cortex construction, allowing Khador to at last build its own colossals. By 250 AR, a mighty army had been built, and for 7 years, the colossals warred on the southerners. It took all three nations coming together to defeat them, and though in the end the colossals were dismantled, Khador had proved its might. In 293 AR, Queen Cherize renewed the struggle against the southern foe. She was a strong but strange leader, calling on the strange savage tribes of the Tharn to aid her. They proved insufficient, due to the taint of their bestial god. Cherize vanished mysteriously in 295 AR, and the battle continued under Lord Regent Velibor, who represented the throne while the child-queen Ayn Vanar V grew up. These Border Wars were fought by steel, cannon and the first warjacks, which were an important part of the Khadoran army, particularly around Ravensgard and the Ironfields in 300 AR. In the years to come, they reclaimed much land from Llael and Ord. In early 305 AR, an alliance of barbarian tribes came down from the mountains, the last tide of savagery and heathen tribes that never joined Khador, though some did descend from the once-great horselords. Lord Velibor saw they could be used, so he convinced them to seek treasure in Ord. However, the men of Midfast proved themselves to stand above the other southerners, enduring against the colossals, the barbarian horde and even the Khadoran army that followed them. It almost worked, but divine will stood against them. It was clear that only a true royal leader of Khador could do it, not a regent. This is the will of the gods. Even Khador recognizes the might of the Tordoran named Markus, perhaps descended from Khadoran blood. He led the defense of Midfast alone, challening the chiefs of the barbarian tribes to single combat. It lasted an entire week, and despite all wounds he continued on. It was only after the last champion was beaten that he succumbed to death, and by then, the Ordic reinforcements had arrived just as Markus ascended to join Morrow. It was a true miracle, witnessed even by the Khadorans. Still, it cost Khador nothing but pride. Lord Velibor was ambitious, and that does not always serve, especially in those that lack royal blood. When Ayn Vanar V came of age, se decided we had done enough for a time, and she called for peace in 313 AR. Khador had taken Port Vladovar and many lands, so it was time to grow and build. Port Vladovar would become the heart of the Khadoran navy. Sadly, the lands taken from Llael were lost in the negotiations for peace. At the time it was believed that they had lost most of their resources in the Orgoth Scourge, and the ruins were left to the Llaelese. It is then that the Umbreans began to cause trouble. They were part of the Khardic Empire, former horselords, but they became divided in the peace negotiations, for the land given to Llael was home to thousands of Umbreans, a proud and patriotic people who loved their land. In letting them go, it gave the otherwise meek Ryn allies, true Umbrean warriors. The Ryn helped the Umbreans, rebuilding Old Korska into the city of Laedry, winning over the hearts and minds of several Umbrean lords and confusing their loyalties. While many remained loyal to Khador, almost as many claimed to be Llaelese. Some say what came next was peace for Khador, but there is no rest for soldiers. The Cygnaran Civil War began, though in Khador Morrowan and Menite work side by side. Even the rise of the Harbinger of Menoth has not lured away too many Khadoran Menites, who are Khadoran first. In any case, Cygnar could not do this. King Ruslan Vygor was a devoted Menite who hated the Cygnar, and who claimed, perhaps mad or perhaps rightly, to be the reborn Priest-King Khardovic. He saw the Civil War as an opportunity, and in 511 he gathered Khador's forces, carving the Warjack Road through the Thornwood towards Corvis and facing Cygnar's army at the Dragon's Tongue River. They refused to fight directly, evading Vygor and bombarding the army. Thousands died in the battles, and scores of warjacks were lost. What sealed the loss, however, was the betrayal of the Ironbear mercenaries, who were to protect the flank. They abandoned it, bribed by coin, and Vygor fell in battle. Even in defeat, however, many would not give up the fight. The Fifth Border Legion swore vengeance, and for them, the Thornwood War has never truly ended. They are constantly vigilant. Then came the crowning of Queen Ayn Vanar XI, who helped to usher in a new era with the aid of her mentor, Lord Regent Simonyev Blaustavya, toady Great Vizier Blaustavya. He was a giant of a man who did much to strengthen Khador while Ayn Vanar grew to adulthood and took the crown. It was he who pioneered the railway that connects Khador's cities, who helped build factories and ironworks. He laid the foundation for Ayn Vanar. People may have been uncertain when she took the thrown at 18, in 587. They were unsure if they could trust the young queen, but it soon became clear she was no meek and content sovereign. She spent her early years strengthening the nation and military further, purging the corrupt and self-indulgent from High Kommand and replacing them with more faithful servants. She loved her people fiercely, and so she bridged the divide between Morrow and Menoth. She was a pious Morrowan, but convinced the visgoths of her deep reverenvce for the Creator as well, giving both faiths a voice on her councils. She grew the army and armed it well. All of this was to ensure the nation stood with her when she initiated her plan of conquest. When Khador attacked Llael's border in 604 AR, they were utterly unready. There is no finer example of Khadoran military genius. It was a three-pronged assault on Laedry, Redwall Fortress and Elsinberg. Many try to cheapen the victory by denying tha the Llaelese army was a worthy foe. True, they could not match Khador, but they were valorous and strong. The Umbreans fought hard and well for them, and Cygnar sent many warjacks with great weapons. It was an immense battle, and but for Khadoran genius it might have lasted years. Still, in a bare few months, the capital, Merywyn, was conquered and its prime minster had surrendered. Some few rebels clung to the dream of recovering Llael, fleeing east. They are but a minor inconvenience. The harder job is reintregating the Umbreans, who have been infected by Llaelese lies for centuries. Still, even the Ryn will soon learn their life and new culture are far superior. History was made when Ayn declared that she no longer ruled the kingdom of Khador, but the Khadoran Empire. The battle was not, of course, over. Cygnar pushed back, but Khador chased them from Llael and besieged them at Northguard and Fellig. Cygnar held fast, but they were bled unrelentingly, and after years, the border fortress Northguard fell to Khadoran cannon. The Thornwood was seized, though Cygnar still hopes to reclaim it. Enemies are at every turn - rebels, Cygnarans, strange monsters from the frozen mountains and the western coasts. Worse, the fanatical Sul-Menites have been trying to undermine Khadoran sovereignty with their Harbinger. Menites through Khador have begun to flock south to witness her, abandoning their lloyalties. The empress has been forced to be harsh to prevent treason, making an example of any who would forsake their vows. The hierarch of the Protectorate is, after all, a foreign sovereign, not just the head of the southern Menite faith. Searing fealty to him and Empress Ayn both cannot be done. Fortunately, the majority of Khadoran Menites are loyal. Now, Khador rises, to defend and fight for the Motherland and to continue the grand and ancient tradition of war. Next time: Lots of red.
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Jun 30, 2015 15:21
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Wizards Presents: Races and Classes Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Other Classes Barbarians - Mike Mearls Here Mearls recalls an instance of his Barbarian character rolling a crit with a greatsword, killing an enemy, then critting on the follow-up Cleave attack to kill a second enemy. 'The words "I rage" are a great part of D&D' The direction they had intended for Barbarians is to give them many different forms of Rage, rather than just a single generic Rage. As well, they want the relationship of Barbarians and Druids to be similar to that of Paladins and Clerics: the latter are the heart, but the former are the violent speartip. As well, they've moved the "weapon tricks and mastery" solely into the Fighter's Powers, so Barbarian Powers are going to be more feral, brutish, direct. quote:On a historical note, my playtest barbarian character used a rage ability called lightning panther strike to move across a dungeon chamber and chop down five skeletons in one round. He also had an unhealthy tendency to follow up strikes from his axe with a quick bite attack. Barbarians are more feral and, well, angrier, than ever. All that stuff might not make it into the final draft, but that’s the direction we’re headed. Bards - Logan Bonner quote:A master of artistry and social grace, a bard is a leader who wields magic both dramatic and subtle. Harnessing a natural talent for creativity (be it song, painting, dance, or oratory), a bard draws magic from otherworldly patrons that admire the bard’s work. This is fundamentally different from the relationship other spellcasters have with their power sources. A bard is not a subservient worshiper like a cleric, nor does he bend forces to his will like a wizard. The relationship between a bard and his patrons is one of mutual respect, and the magical gifts given cannot be taken away. Very little here on mechanical design, apart from the fact that even at this junction they knew that they wanted the Bard to be in the Leader role. Druids - Mike Mearls quote:The druid presents an interesting problem for D&D 4E design, in that the class in 3E covers so much ground. Is the druid the guy who summons monsters? Is he the guy who transforms into monsters? Is he a spellcasting healer like a cleric? Many gaming groups consider the D&D 3E druid one of the most powerful classes in the game, and for good reason. The druid does a lot of things well, though it takes an experienced player to see and fully utilize the possibilities inherent in the class. Some interesting admissions here from Mearls - Druids were one of, if not the most, powerful class in 3E, but at the same time the versatility that they had in 3E leaves them rather unfocused going into 4th Edition. Mearls then elaborates that the team decided that where they wanted to take the Druid was as a shapeshifter: other classes already do the spellcasting thing, and other classes can (eventually) do the monster summoning thing, but only the Druid can turn into bears and elementals, so that's what they wanted the 4th Edition Druid's core to be. As we'd eventually see in the final product, Druids can Wild Shape much more often than they could in 3rd Edition, and the idea presented here was that they'd choose which animals and forms to take much the same way that other classes would select maneuvers, spells and other abilities, and then they'd only get a token number of utility and ranged attack powers to use outside of their Wild Shapes to give them something to work with when they're in humanoid form. Monks - Logan Bonner This section is, like the Bard, similarly thin on details: quote:In battle, no one is faster or more agile than the monk. After darting across the battlefield, a monk can execute rapid maneuvers that send his opponent flying, knock it to the ground, or stun it into submission. A monk’s defenses are also strong—an awareness of his own body and his surroundings lets a monk avoid attacks, and he can channel his ki to heal his own wounds. Paladins - James Wyatt Here the designers says that while the concept of the Paladin is very cool, the actual execution is not: quote:In practice, I hate playing paladins. They live somewhere between the fighter and the cleric, but they get none of the bonus feats of the fighter and none of the cool spells of the cleric. The direction they want to take the Paladin is similar to what they've done with the Barbarian: whereas the Fighter accomplishes his Defender role with martial skill, and the Barbarian accomplishes his Striker role with Nature's fury, the Paladin as a Defender gets the job done through divine power. The armor and the weapons are more of a channel, rather than the actual tools of the trade. Further, a Paladin is going to have different Smites that have different functions, in yet another parallel to how Barbarians won't just be using a single generic Rage anymore. Finally, the designers intended on making Evil Paladins a "normal" occurrence. Rangers - Chris Sims Mostly lore-based descriptions again, although it mostly confirms what we already know: Rangers will be a Nature-flavored Striker, they can use the bow or the dual-wielded weapon on equal terms, and they're going to have mobility-emphasizing powers. Sorcerers - Mike Mearls Here Mearls says that Sorcerers were a challenging class to design for in 4th Edition because they used virtually the same spell list as Wizards, except they had spontaneous casting, but now that spellcasting is radically different, they don't have that distinction to kick around anymore. So instead, they tinkered more with the idea that Sorcerers tap into magic in a way that's more innate and raw than how Wizards do it. quote:Not only do sorcerers in 4E use different spells, but they utilize a different method of spellcasting. Swordmages - Richard Baker Baker talks about how the the Role + Power Source model makes it easier to slot-in class concepts that might otherwise have been harder to find a niche for, and that the Swordmage is a good example of using the different Role + Power Source combinations to create a class that D&D has never really seen before. Whereas the Fighter is a Defender that defends using Martial skill, and the Paladin is a Defender that defends with their Divine faith, the Swordmage is a Defender that uses Arcane magic to accomplish their mission. Instead of heavy armor, they wrap themselves in wards and spell-shields, and instead of smites from a deity, they channel elemental energy through their blades to deal damage. It's also an inversion of the Wizard insofar as this is a class that's expected and supposed to go toe-to-toe with monsters, even as they use the same magics as a Wizard. Sidebar: Feather Me Yon Oaf! - Richard Baker quote:I often use placeholder names in feat and power design until I figure out exactly what I want to call something. For example, in Book of Nine Swords I came up with a Tiger Claw power I simply called Tear His drat Head Off. But the single most egregious example from the Orcus design process was the warlord rally I called Feather Me Yon Oaf. Basically, the warlord uses the power, and everyone in the party gets an immediate opportunity to yank out a missile weapon and shoot the target creature the warlord designates—in other words, “shoot that guy for me” or “Feather me yon oaf!” Warlords - Richard Baker Here Baker says that the original idea for the Warlord came from the Marshal, which was a class from 3E's Miniatures Handbook, but where the Marshal was a 3/4 BAB class that mostly projected different auras to provide small numerical benefits, they wanted the Warlord to have a more fleshed-out set of Powers, and for those Powers to have a more direct impact than a +2 bonus to various rolls. quote:The warlord does not rely on magic; he is a martial character. The leadership qualities of a warlord vary, but they’re all from his own personal power. As a final note, this emphasis on Warlords granting mobility and positioning seems like an outgrowth of the Marshal: it was the Marshal's key special ability to be able to grant an ally an extra Move Action 1/2/3 times a day. Next up: The Three Tiers of Adventuring
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Jun 30, 2015 15:48
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II None really know the parentage or past of the immense Orsus Zoktavir, the Butcher of Khardov. One day, he just appeared in Korsk with two old warjacks, demanding to join the army. He was sent to the Orgoth fortress-turned-industrial city Khardov, which would be his only home. He was soon given a command on the souhtern border. He became notorious in 587 AR when a village north of Boarsgate Keep announced it was going to withdraw from Khador to join Ord. ORsus crushed this 'traitorous rebellion,' charging them during a parley and slaughtering the militiamen who were negotiating. Halfway through, they surrendered, but he kept killing. His men tried to restrain him, so he killed them, as well. Eighty-eight warriors were dismembered that day, at the Boarsgate Massacre. Word soon spread of the Butcher of Khadrov, and ultimately it became a matter for Queen Ayn Vanar. She absolved Zoktavir of all blame, condoning his action as that of any true patriot. Most of her kommanders guessed her intent: by parading her new weapon against dissent, she made everyone too afraid to speak or act against her. It worked - everyone knew then she would be a strong monarch. The Butcher is now an embodiment of both her strength and the consequences of treachery. Younger warcasters view him disdainfully and do not understand the leniency he is given, while more traditional warcaster like Vladimir Tzepesci see him as only a weapon. Orsus Zoktavir wields the axe Lola, rumored to be named for a dead lover. He wears a modified suit of steam-pwoered armor shaped from the hull of a warjack, and he is a terrifying one-man wrecking crew, the Khadoran face of war. His gimmick? That's easy. He smashes things. He smashes things real good. His Feat lets him drive his soldiers to a blood frenzy, improving their damage for a while.  Kommander Sorscha (of the Krattikoff family) was only 13 when she decided she wanted to be a soldier like her father. Later that month, he died in the massacare at Boarsgate, at the hands of Orsus Zoktavir. Two years later, she lied about her age and joined the Winter Guard. She fought against all odds, fueled by the iamge of her father's death. She did three consecutive tours at the border, fighting Llaelese mercenaries and Cygnaran soldiers. She proved her tactical skill and was made an officer - a lieutenant. She advanced quickly to Kapitan and then Kovnik. A warcaster named Torisevich valued her opinion over all others and took her as an aide, perhaps sensing her gift for warcasting. She had already had sorcerous talents, but had hidden them for fear of being called a witch. Her potential surfaced when Torisevich died in an ambush and she was forced to fight alone. She fell, and the world froze - literally. Her enemies around her were encased in frost, and she was able to reach out to the dormant warjacks, reactivating them by mimicking her kommander's methods and sending them against her foes. Days later, she stood before the queen, showed her powers and was sent to train under Vladimir Tzepesci. In that year, they fell in love, having a brief romance before duty took her away. Since then, she seems to have become bitter, pouring her strength into battle. Only in the rare presence of the Dark Prince does she warm up, but only briefly. She claims there is no room for warmth or comfort, but many believe her fate cannot be broken from that of Tzepesci. Her gimmick is ice. Lots of ice. Her feat is that she can, one a battle, freeze any enemy not immune to cold in place for a while.  Vladimir Tzepesci, the Dark Prince can trace his line back to the noble horselords of ancient Khador. The Tzepesci are one of the old ruling families of Old Umbrey, the last of them to remain. A millenia ago, they were governors of Old Korska before it fell, and they even ruled Khador for a time. The name still resonates deeply with the eastern Khadoran peoples. Vladimir is the Great Prince of Korskovny Volozkya, one of the eighteen great houses of Khador, but he reprsents so much more. The ruling families of Umbresk and Gorzytska owe him fealty by old oaths, and his influence is enough for some to think he wants the throne. He is of a noble and ancient lineage, and a prophecy delivered to the Tzepesci kings of old foretells a great doom for Khador when the Tzepesci line is ended. Those who know it call him the Dark Prince, and men fear his gaze. He is a man of few but powerful words. He was born for war, and he has led many campaigns as a brilliant tactician and master warcaster. He is a nearly peerless swordsman as well, killing weaker foes in an instant and lingering to test his skill on the strong. He proudly wears the ancient plate of his forebears, once worn against the Orgoth by Prince Buruvan Tzepesci. He has trained other warcasters, and it's no real secret that he had a relationship with Sorscha Kratikoff, which ended abruptly and changed her. There is some speculation that he turned her aside for her low birth, but those who know him cannot believe such a thing and think it must be far more complicated than it seems. Whatever the case, Vladimir is determined to stay true to his legacy, to be strong and faithful even if it means giving up happiness. Some say his adherence to ancient tradition is just vanity, but for him, it is a defining code. He is respected for what he has done, but some say the time of Tzepesci is over, and that he is just an unpleasant reminder of bygone days. They anticipate the day he dies and his family treasures are claimed for Khador. His gimmick? Buffs. He buffs himself and his allies, fights in melee with his dual blades Skirmisher and Ruin, and he can call on his feat to force his 'jacks to expend extra effort in movement briefly.  Khador doesn't do light 'jacks. The Berserker is as heavy as they come, nearly 11 feet tall and almost 8 and a half tons. It is the oldest Khadoran warjack still in service, and among the oldest used in any modern nation. Some say that is proof of Khadoran engineering genius and the timelessness of their weapons. Berserker cortexes, however, have become unstable since their first manufacture over a century ago, and they're prone to charge without orders when near combat. They are legendarily bloodthristy machines, and when critically compromised, they explode in a massive concussive overload. Those who know how to use them find them immensely brutal and useful engines, armed with a pair of giant axes. Their propensity for mindless violence and tendency to explode are actually rather useful in the right context, after all.  The Decimator is just over 11 and a half feet tall and nearly 10 tons. It was designed to annihilate armored targets, using the immense cannon known as the Dozer. It's got a revolving chamber housing giant ammo, which tends to send anything that it hits flying, even if it doesn't immediately get destroyed. In close combat, it uses a giant ripsaw to shred enemies. The Decimator has been used extensively in recent years to assault supposedly impregnable fortifications. It does really, really well at that.  The Khadoran advancement of 'jacks has always been slow, mostly because they get built to last, like the 11-and-a-half foot, 9-and-a-half ton Destroyer. Various iterations of it have served as siege-assault weapons for almost a century, particularly in the First Thornwood War. Its current design hasn't changed in almost 70 years, and the series dates back to 480 AR. Its arms are antiquated - a simple axe and bombard cannon - but it's performed quite well against Cygnaran fortifications, and in 537 AR the cannon was improved, making the Destroyer the centerpiece of the Khadoran war engineers. It is most famous for ists bombbardments, but it's no less dangerous in closer combat - the iron-plated chassis is very tough, and the axe is strong enough to remove limbs from warjacks.  The Juggernaut is proof that bigger is better. It's over 11 and a half feet tall and weights 9 tons. The Juggernaut is brutally efficient, a giant wall of plated armor. Fewer are made today than in past decades, but they can take all kinds of punishment and get rebuilt or repaired without issue. Some Juggernauts have been serving on the front for more than a century. The current Juggernaut weapons and chassis date back to 516 AR, but the original chassis was designed in 465 to replace the Berserker. The Juggernaut forms the basis for most modern Khadoran warjacks, combining powerful steam engines with as much armor as it could be made to carry. Inspired by the Greylords Covenant, the Khadoran Mechaniks Assembly created an ice axe for the Juggernaut in 517, which encases targets in a layer of ice, making them seize up. EVen a glancing blow can freeze a warjack in its tracks. And the free hand lets it wrestle a little! Next time: Khadoran power!
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Jun 30, 2015 15:55
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So, my friend finally put the full version of his rpg up on drivethru: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/151897/Les-Terres-dAmarande--Le-Guide-et-Compagnon. I intend to do a full review for this thread as soon as I get a copy (my copies of the game are all outdated older versions).
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Jun 30, 2015 15:55
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Warmachine Prime Mk. II The Marauder was designed to smash 'jacks and buildings, armed with a pair of pneumatic rams. While originally meant for siege warfare, their ability to smash and hurl around 'jacks proved more useful. The thing is over 11 and a half feet tall and more than 10 tons, but can easily shove around ten tons of enemy warjack with no difficulty. The design was made by a mechanik named Targh Fedro after observing stonemasons at a quarry. He replaced a laborjack's arms with battering rams and nearly brought down an entire rock face in one blow. He took the design to the military to use with the Juggernaut chassis, and its power astonished everyone. Any warjack can smash into someone at a full charge, but the Marauder doesn't have to move to do it. With the power of its ram pistons, it can hurl lesser machines through walls with ease.  Even a Khadoran 'jack can be damaged, and in the field, it's up to the Battle Mechaniks to get them moving again. They are patriots as much as any soldier and often have to weather the worst fire to do their jobs. Most are former Winter Guard and general older than average soldiers. They're just as much at home smacking people with their immense wrenches as repairing 'jacks. They are led by the mechanik chiefs, who will do their jobs even while grievously injured, often repairing their own bodies with makeshift mechanikal limbs.  Khador is full of Orgoth ruins, and the Greylords Covenant discovered the infamous fellblades in one of them, full of dark magic that comes alive when they're wielded. The Doom Reavers are those unfortunate enough to wield them, listening to the homicidal whispers of the blades and, inevitably, going mad and lashing out with berserk fury. The crown decided to, you see, strap these swords to criminal soldiers, chaining them to the blades and using their mad urges in battle. They can only nominally be controlled, though Khadoran wizards have done their best to restrain them. They undermine morale of even the most veteran soldiers, but they've earned their share of bloody victory. So long as they work, they'll keep getting used even with the argument that fellblades are too dark and dangerous to have been unleashed.  The Iron Fang Pikemen are proud warriors, able to go toe-to-toe with warjacks without fear. They are part of an ancient spear tradition, once used to fight bears and later evolved by the Khards into pikemen to face the horselords. Now, they use their powerful shields and explosive-tipped pikes to face warjacks, blasting through armor with ease. Their immense shields and heavy armor are notoriously hard to pierce with small arms fire, and they are trained to live in their armor like a second skin, even able to sleep in it. In battle, they move like a machine of death, forming impenetrable walls. Their fraternal bonds are legendary - once you join, you swear a blood oath to forget your old life and live for your fellow soldiers, your country and war itself.  Because warjack cortexes use materials rare in Khador, the Mechaniks Assembly long sought ways to supplement them. In 470 AR, Jachemir Venianminov came up with the solution: transforming men into the steam-powered Man-O-War Shocktroopers. The suit of armor warn by a man-o-war imbues the wearer with nearly the strength, durability and protection from the elements that a warjack enjoys. There's drawbacks to wearing a giant steam-powered battle suit, though. Men-o-war are susceptible to heat stroke, exhaustion and occasional horrible death by steam leakage. Still, they are proud of their tradition and never complain or ask for comfort. The shocktroopers wield immense annihilator blades, able to split light warjack armor with a single blow. They are also trained in the use of the shield wall, but their shields are also armed by powerful short-range cannons, though the shock troops prefer to relyo n their blades. Only the most steadfast earn the right to become men-o-war, though many seek the chance. After all, it's not every day a man gets to pretend to be a warjack.  The Widowmakers are the elite scouts and snipers of Khador, and they are national heroes. The standards to join their ranks are the hardest of all specialist forces in the Khadaron army, and only those with the greatest skill with a rifle are taken. They are a merit-based corps, and open to anyone, of any blood. Their oversized hunting rifles are extremely accurate, able to take apart enemy warjacks with a few well-placed shots. Killing a man? That's even easier. Their main job is to take out officers to cause chaos in enemy ranks. They frequently go ahead of the main battlegroup and are only noticed because officers abruptly fall over before the gunshot is heard. They also support strategic withdrawals to keep the wounded from being captured...or to kill the wounded if they are. After all, a true patriot knows it's better to die of a bullet than to be tortured. Widowmakers know that fear and hatred are part of their job. Officially, they are not used in domestic conflict, but rumor has it that they've been employed to take out dissenters, rabble-rousers and corrupt nobles. They expect little charity if captured, and Cygnar generally hangs them without trial.  Every Khadoran boy of 17 is conscripted into the Winter Guard Infantry. Women can also join, but are discouraged if they are mothers or caring for children. Some Winter Guard are police forces patrolling towns and cities, while others fight on the front line. Increasingly, people look to them as protecotrs against unexpected threats. Their equipment has changed only slightly since they were founded so long ago - their battle axes are strong and useful for mundane tasks as well as killing people. Their main weapon, though, is the blunderbuss, a powerful if rather inaccurate firearm that can shoot a heavy slug right through warjack armor. The southern nations prefer rifles for their range, but the blunderbuss definitely packs a punch, especially in concentrated fire. They're cheap to make and their ammo is easy to produce, so they don't strain the budget much, either. The Winter Guard are the majority of the Khadoran military and are the core of every garrison or sizable combat force. Their training is designed to get them ready for battle as soon as possible, and so far, Empress Ayn Vanar has been able to maintain a constant flow of reinforcements affordably by running many Winter Guard training camps, from the largest complex in Volningard to the rural outposts near Uldenforst. Through their training, they learn patriotism and bravery more than anything else.  The finest Khadoran hunters and trackers become Manhunters, at home in the hostile wilderness. They are masters of camouflage, working as scouts and assassins if paid well enough. They often accompany recon teams of Widowmakers and Kossites to strike from behind enemy lines. You wouldn't think big muscleman with dual axes would be stealthy, but they really are, and they're very efficient killers. Hiring them is an old, old army tradition, and their value has been exploited in many wars. They are paid quite well for their work. There's rumors of manhunters who love the hunt too much, who give in to their animal urges and the euphoria of murder. They often have track records good enough to offset the rumors, though - there's no one better at chasing an enemy down. Next time: FOR THE DRAGONFATHER
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Jun 30, 2015 16:21
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Afterthought 9 - Tolerance and So On went up late last night. It's a discussion on the evolution of how games have handled or ignored LGBT stuff, then we answer a million questions and go over the results of our dumb poll (spoiler alert: I win all the good ones).
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Jun 30, 2015 16:25
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Grnegsnspm posted:Oh yeah, I'm not saying we SHOULD read it. Just that if we did I would be enraged and saddened for entirely different reasons. That reason would be a total lack of Blitzball. I mean, come on. We can all agree that's the best thing to come out of any Final Fantasy game, right? Anyone remember that FFX d20 game were everyone in the main party got turned into a class? And were all the prestige classes are Blitzball teams? bathroomrage posted:Re-reading through Returners and trying to find time to make some write-ups about it, all the glorious nonsense doesn't come from loving up Final Fantasy lore. It comes from all of the percentages-of-percentages and trying to figure out the somehow-nearly-impenetrable way CT works. It's truly a work of... Well not art, but something. I really have no idea what they were thinking when they came up with that needlessy granular percentile skill system. Or why they turned that one wolf dude from FF5 and 6 into an entire race. I wonder if they ever got sued by GW over those pauldrons. Also, those mechs are pretty boss. fool_of_sound posted:Their high war-chief unleashed the axe of the local equivalent of ragnarok, and their highest shaman not only woke the dire trolls (prophecized to bring doom), but their progenitors, the mountain kings, which were so destructive that Dhunia herself put them to sleep. Oh, I'm sure it will be alright.
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Jun 30, 2015 17:24
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Doresh posted:Oh, I'm sure it will be alright. Well the character holding it is supposed to be super duper double doomed, but PP won't ever pull the trigger on killing him or resolving a story, so yeah, probably.
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Jun 30, 2015 17:25
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theironjef posted:Well the character holding it is supposed to be super duper double doomed, but PP won't ever pull the trigger on killing him or resolving a story, so yeah, probably. So he's nonhuman Elric?
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Jun 30, 2015 17:33
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Doresh posted:So he's nonhuman Elric? Elric is nonhuman Elric! I think he's a LisaBonetian, or from Melmac or something. edit: Hah! I kill everyone and then me!
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Jun 30, 2015 17:37
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I just looked him up on battlecollege and that is one loving ridiculous axe.
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Jun 30, 2015 17:59
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theironjef posted:Elric is nonhuman Elric! I think he's a LisaBonetian, or from Melmac or something. Right next to the Myurrmurrdurr.
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Jun 30, 2015 18:06
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Privateer Press posted:Madrak knew that the cursed weapon Rathrok would destroy him, but he willingly took it up to save his people. Now the ancient axe threatens to overwhelm him. Though it wins Madrak victory after victory, Rathrok's grim power condemns those the chieftain would save. Madrak sees no other hope for his people's survival, however, even though those he protects have come to call Madrak the "World Ender". Even though he's totally gonna die someday you guys, he's like so doomed while he wins all these battles and never even gets hurt (seriously his gimmick is that he's really hard to put damage on) oh there's a Reckoning a coming (oh no wait we already had a book called Reckoning and he didn't die in there)!
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Jun 30, 2015 18:09
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Doresh posted:I wonder if they ever got sued by GW over those pauldrons. Let me introduce you to Epic Vlad.  theironjef posted:Even though he's totally gonna die someday you guys, he's like so doomed while he wins all these battles and never even gets hurt (seriously his gimmick is that he's really hard to put damage on) oh there's a Reckoning a coming (oh no wait we already had a book called Reckoning and he didn't die in there)! Well it does kill a troll warrior model near him whenever he gets damaged. So he's causing the doom of his race every time someone pokes him with a stick.
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Jun 30, 2015 18:11
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So Vlad's a vampire right? A secret vampire? I mean, it's about as blatant as it can get without waving a flag that says "VAMPIRE HERE"
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Jun 30, 2015 18:13
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Kurieg posted:Let me introduce you to Epic Vlad. Can he even see something with his head turned that way? unseenlibrarian posted:So Vlad's a vampire right? A secret vampire? I mean, it's about as blatant as it can get without waving a flag that says "VAMPIRE HERE" He doesn't sparkle.
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Jun 30, 2015 18:14
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