PART 2: COMBAT GUIDE: Ok, so I've gone over all the combat recently and came up with this general guide to character power. Keep in mind that, at the start, ONE feral could threaten a member of the group. Obviously after 4 years I've allowed a certain amount of power creep into the system, since it makes sense that we'd be getting tougher over time. Each race has clear advantages and disadvantages and as far as I know canonically only the line of dragon kings were ever meant to be more powerful because of their darkness abilities, which I have been trying to gimp for Neon to bring her down to everyone's level. 1 feral: At this point no party member should struggle against a single feral, since their true strength is in numbers. However, they can't be casually pushed aside like a child either, and due diligence is necessary in combat to win every time. • seraphim - a base level spell should be capable of killing or otherwise incapacitating a feral without much effort. Such a level spell can be cast in rapid succession without much fear for fatigue, but would generally fail to penetrate armored opponents. However, at close range a feral has the speed and strength to quickly injure a seraphim that isn't on their guard. • daeva - daeva are the most vulnerable to attack from a feral due to their lack of armor or ranged weapons. That makes them no less capable. Your average daeva should be capable of deftly dodging the straightforward feral's attacks indefinitely, as well as kill or incapacitate with a well-placed strike. Obviously more work is required against larger feral, but that just gives you a further speed advantage. • human - humans share the seraphim's weakness to direct attacks from feral and the daeva's lack of flight, but their most basic inventions are more than capable of compensating. A simple rifle can down a feral at great distance, a basic shield can block the feral's swipes, and a regular sword can kill and maim them in a single strike. Higher quality gear obviously fares much better in combat, especially when it comes to speed, but it still fundamentally something any human could make on the fly. many feral: Many feral is defined in this context as roughly 5 feral attacking a single target. While group combat may involve dozens if not a hundred ferals, realistically no one player would have to deal with more than 5 at a time, unless it is specifically mentioned that the group is being swarmed. • seraphim - with a wave of their hand and a whisper to the winds a seraphim can make quick work of a group of ferals without threat of personal injury. Performing such moves in rapid succession is tiring, to say the least, and would drastically reduce their ability to perform in melee combat until they have recovered. Over the course of a long battle such "group clearing" moves could be used about 5 times, more if protected to remain stationary. In rapid succession a mage could cast perhaps 3 before being unable to cast again until the end of the battle • daeva - your average daeva has the speed to outmaneuver even 5 ferals attacking, but must take great care to not get surrounded such that attacking while defending is likely not possible. However, as with one feral, regular strikes should be sufficient to kill one at a time, making the battle more drawn out, but no less possible. A daeva can go through a number of groups like this without becoming particularly fatigued. However, battle damage will occur via scrapes and scratches in such a prolonged encounter and medical attention is preferred to prevent prolonged bleeding or infection. Failure to pay attention to your surroundings may also leave you cornered, vulnerable, and in great danger without assistance. • humans - as before, humans lack the magical prowess or raw speed and power to deal with a pack of ferals on their own. However, a well timed explosive can certainly mimic the seraphim's explosive magic, and a suit of armor is more than sufficient to protect against the attacks from ferals. In such an environment a rifle would be little use, but with a little ingenuity and enough ammo a stationary gun could be constructed for rapid-fire defense. Your regular sword might find itself stuck in a corpse in these situations, so a sharper blade or multiple weapons is preferred. a small army: This is either a seemingly endless swarm of feral or a large group of soldiers. No player individually should be able to fight off an entire army, but if they're desperate enough they might be able to barely scrape by with their life. • seraphim - a seraphim, naturally weak to close combat but unable to fight off so many opponents at once, has no chance of surviving an extended melee assault. However, with a bit of time and a great deal of magical energies they can unleash the raw power of the elements in a concentrated area (be it a cone effect, a summoned elemental, etc) to kill all those within the radius. Doing so requires great concentration, time to cast, and completely exhausts the seraphim's magical reserves. It should ideally be performed while a group has yet to scatter and always when you can be protected by allies. • daeva - Daeva have quite the challenge ahead of them. They lack the AoE destruction of the seraphim or the protective power of invention of the humans. Instead, they must channel their inner animal to its fullest, going into a rage capable of killing and tearing into multiple ferals or soldiers at once. The battle would be savage, bloody, and near fatal, but possible. A daeva in such a fight would be standing, just barely, in a puddle of his blood and the many bodies of his enemies, on the verge of passing out from blood loss. • humans - a human most likely lacks the offensive power to take out an entire army, but with the right tools and materials he is more than capable of building an armor or vehicle where he could reside, safe from harm for an extended period of time. Armed with bombs, gas, all manner of weapons, and a plan, a human may escape such an encounter unscathed, if not perhaps a bit shorter on coin. However, the longer such a battle rages the more his weapons break and his defenses are pierced... meaning time is of the essence if he is to see the dawn. Beyond this, you can assume that any "tough" enemies can be soloed at roughly the level of effort as a large number of feral. Bosses, regardless of race, will always provide a very tough fight in a 1v1 situation and should be treated as if you're fighting an entire army. A victory should be possible by fighting smart and coming prepared, but expect to take heavy, perhaps permanent, damage without taking it on with others. In rare cases I will explicitly specify that an enemy or group of enemies is far too powerful for any single member to take out, and a group effort will be required to survive without heavy losses. In addition, keep in mind the races have these 3 non-combat advantages: • seraphim - natural, tireless flight and magic aptitude • daeva - enhanced senses (sight, smell, touch, etc. Whatever your species specializes in) • humans - the natural intelligence and ingenuity to build machines to emulate most anything the other races can do... to a point. In regards to combat damage, we DO have healers, but even they fatigue and run low on magical reserves. At full strength they can reattach limbs or mend holes, but not in rapid succession. Recovering from blood loss can be temporarily overcome with herbs and remedies, or potions, but proper recovery means resting and time. The most efficient use of our healers would be to mend open wounds, which can occur in large quantities. Letting half the party bleed out to reattach one guy's arm might not make sense depending on the level of injuries and healers. In other words... don't assume we can always escape battle and healbot back to full health. Magical reserves take about as long to fully recover from empty as a marathon runner after a race. In short time you'll have enough reserves to defend yourself, but it will take a couple of days before you're really at full strength again. Attempting multiple "board wiping" moves in battle should put you in a near-dead state that requires immediate attention and lots of rest before you should even consider throwing anything bigger than a single feral killer. Daeva heal quicker than the other species due to their physical nature. Wounds close within a few hours and broken bones, if set, can recover in a week instead of a month without magical or alchemical assistance. This effect can be copied by a human's potion, but likely with heavy drawbacks (explosive shits, for example) THE STORY THUS FAR: Departing on an expedition to find a cure for feralism, it wasn't long before the party was forced to respond to the cries of help from an outpost being assaulted by ferals released from a pit, or illegal underground feral fighting arena. Having eradicated the ferals in the immediate vicinity, they attempted to track the remaining ones. Ultimately this led to what seemed like safe haven in a city ruled by the daeva noble Malum. Although his true intentions seemed less than good-natured, it was the party that struck first, revealing a larger plot and crippling the city in the process. After spending months repairing the city and returning stability to its people, the party once again ventured forth, following leads that would eventually take them to Malum's master, the daeva-hating tiger Renji, who masqueraded as a priest in a small village. His plot to unleash a false feralism into the world had to be stopped, and in the process a number of party members nearly died as an army of artificial ferals sieged the group holed out in Renji's church. In their pursuit of the mad tiger, they became trapped in a strange, ancient labyrinth filled with magic and technology far beyond that of any of the three races. Having killed Renji and recovered an infected party member, the group was surprised to find a stockpile of weapons and ammunition emblazoned with King Aaron's seal. Although beginning as a diplomatic mission, things quickly turned sour when Neon's feral brother Drak crashed the party, revealing a potential weak link in the royal lineage. King Aaron, having always hated the Daeva, took the opportunity to declare war on the Daeva race, and the party was forced once again to fight for their lives as they escaped the city, losing one of their greatest fighters in the process. Now Queen, Neon turned the party's attention towards Adalrich and the Seraphim council, hoping to prevent them from joining the humans in declaring war. Traveling by boat, they were attacked by a Kraken and human soldiers. Their ship sunk and party wounded, the group was forced to take shelter in an isolated wolf village, whose antiquated practices and traditions nearly cost them the life of one of their own as they were forced to hunt him down in a bizarre ritual. Not long after, in perhaps their first real stroke of luck, the party was able to acquire safe passage to Adalrich, where they currently reside. They have only days to convince the council to remain neutral in the coming war, and take advantage of the Seraphim's vast stores of knowledge to perhaps find a fresh lead in their seemingly hopeless quest to find a cure. The Council of the Righteous: The Council of the Righteous consists of 6 seraphim that have taken a lifelong oath after having proven themselves capable, knowledgeable, just, and above all, else even-handed. They rule by decree, a unanimous decision necessary for all important matters. Little is known about their personal lives, or even their childhood, as all prior information on their pasts are stricken from record upon being appointed. Even their birth names are cast aside, replaced by a title suitably representing their calling. Nevertheless, their time in the public eye is more than enough to divine their general disposition, and their stance of foreign relations is well documented, as all discussions of merit are recorded and stored in the great library for transparency. For this arc, we have one goal: prevent all out war. The council, due to our delay at sea, has already come to the unanimous decision that the threat of feralism has become too great to sit idly by. However, they have NOT determined the seraphim races' official course of action. Human diplomats dispatched by King Aaron arrived just one day before the group and have been lobbying heavily for seraphim support to eradicate what they proclaim to be a threat to all. I've listed below the council members, their roles, and the general information known about where they stand on the issues. As a party, I will allow you to collectively decide when we wish to approach the council and make our case. An official vote will be held three days from our arrival at the capital, although we can also do so sooner. You are all free to take on whatever tasks you feel is appropriate to try and win over each member. I will leave it up to the individual to approach whoever they want and solicit information. Get to know your target, find out what they like, dislike, etc. Many of them can be won-over, but not all of them, and it IS possible for someone to piss them off and push their decision in the wrong direction as well. Adalrich is a wonderful place filled with a great variety of experiences, so expect a variety of challenges to match that. Of course as a character you're always free to back down, change targets, or talk to other group members for assistance. Once you engage a council member it isn't a "success or fail" sort of situation, and there may be multiple ways to approach the situation, but as already stated there IS a time limit of 3 days, so we can't just poke and prod them until all love us. Our actions, be they success OR failure, will directly impact how the following arc is handled, so tread carefully, and good luck. I think you'll enjoy this arc. I'll keep this chart updated as we progress and post it in the OOC/IC as necessary. Council of the Righteous: Name ____________Duty_____________________Disposition___________________ Known Alignment ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Justica (F)______Keeper of Law_________________Stern________________________Pro-human Munus (M)______Master of Defense _____________Paranoid______________________Pro-human Macto(M)_______Master of Foreign Matters_______Aloof_________________________Neutra l Verum (F)______Keeper of History_______________Curious_______________________Pro-daeva Libertas (F)_____Ruler on Sovereignty____________Neutral ______________________Unknown Vates (M)______Keeper of Stories________________Friendly_____________________Neutral Ardal (M)______High Councilman_________________Anxious______________________Unknown Notes: --Justica and Macto have an active hatred for Shade --Vates is extremely old and rumor has it he may be retiring soon, leaving his seat open --Ardal is an unofficial member, and although his vote is counted towards matters his primary duty is to oversee the council as an observer in preparation for the day he may one day take his seat at the head of the council. --Munus is good friends with Hagumi's family --Verum was the only seraphim Raha seemed to openly respect, which in Raha terms means he didn't actively look down on her as often and vocally as possible. --Although the council technically acknowledges the daeva monarchy, they believe it is a poor method of leadership and that rule by lineage too often leads to poor leaders at the people's cost --Sel has contacts with Justica and Macto, both of whom were at least partiall swayed by the seraphim's words --Hagumi also has a good reputation with Munus, Macto, and Verum CS TEMPLATE: Name: Nickname: Species: Age: Hair Color: Hair Style: Eye Color: Skin Color: Height: Body Build: Clothing: Physical Quirks: Background: Extra: THE CAST: Name: Queen Dralina Blazion Nickname: Neon Species: Dragon Daeva. Age: 20. Hair Color: Blood red with black streaks. Hair Style: Goes down to just above her buttocks, usually free, but occasionally in a ponytail. Rather smooth, but curls around the edges. Bangs down to her nose, covering up her eyes for the most part. Eye Color: Green. Skin Color: Pale. Height: 5''11 Body Build: Slim, with little muscle. Clothing: Wears a segmentata (straps of armor in the form of a chestplate tied at the front) of hardened, crimson dyed leather with silver buckles over a longsleeved black shirt. Identical "plated" crimson leather forms her shoulderpads, going down her arms to just above her elbows. Crimson leather gauntlets, with black fingerless gloves covering the rest of her hand. The leather appears once more on her legs, just beneath her knees to form leg armor over the front and strapped at the back over a pair of black leather boots. She wears a thick black long-sleeved shirt underneath the armor, looking like silk but sturdier. Thick, slightly loose black leather pants adorn her legs. Adorning her waist are two black leather belts, criss crossed over eachother to form and "x" at the front and back, with small pouches for carrying supplies. On her shoulders, over the leather shoulder pads with a silver chain at the front, is a black, thick fur cloak. When combat gets particularly intense, she is able to form armor out of her shadows that can further protect her from harm. Black wisps of shadow constantly dance along the armor's edges, forming tendrils that can lash out if necessary. Physical Quirks: Although she looks human most of the time, she can summon black dragon wings, tail, claws, etc., in any order, or transform into an anthro dragon, or full dragon. Although her long pointed ears and fanged teeth always stay no matter what form. Has a red orb hanging from her left ear, and a scar across her face from the bottom of her left eye, across the bridge of her nose, and to her right cheek, with a smaller one on the top and bottom in parallel. (Like something with three claws slashed her face). Weapons: Carries a small hunting knife and the cursed longsword Skullsplitter, a remnant from someone lost to feralism Background: Neon started the expedition with the intent of finding her twin brother Drak, whom had fallen to feralism but was publicly proclaimed dead. Although it wasn't known at first, Neon was the daughter of King Raha and heir to the daeva throne. After many dead ends and false leads, she was forced to fight and kill her father to protect Drak, only to watch him perish at the hands of the human army. Now the official queen of the daeva monarchy, she continues to skirt her responsibilities as ruler, preferring instead to strike out and continue to search for a cure while her childhood companions tend to the kingdom in her stead. Extra: Has trained rigorously in the shape shifting of her forms, being able to go from anywhere to human, to full dragon, and anywhere inbetween. Was a born a twin. ------------------------------ Name: Torva Pectoris Nickname: Torva Species: Wolf Daeva Age: 25 Hair Color: Dark Gray, with streaks of black Hair Style: Long and ragged. Unkempt but clean. It goes down to around his lower back, and while he generally lets it hang free, sometimes he'll tie it into a ponytail to keep it from getting stuck on branches Eye Color: Sky Blue Skin Color: White, but tanned from years in the sun. Mostly covered by hair. Height: 6'3" Body Build: Tall and muscular. His muscles are toned, but not huge, as he's built for speed and not strength. Clothing: Torva dresses in simple farmhand attire. His shirt is a loose fitting tan cotton with cutoff sleeves. He wears simple brown pants and generally goes without shoes. In the event that he has to go into town, he generally wears simple pauper's shoes and trades in his shirt for a plaid long-sleeved shirt. A basic belt holds his pants up, with loops on the pants generally used for tying objects to, like a money bag. Physical Quirks: An injury during his journey has caused him to become unable to transform fully into a human, leaving him looking at-best like a werewolf. Weapons: Generally fights bare-handed, although he is capable with a simple bow and arrow when hunting. Background: Torva grew up the poor son of a Daeva in the moutains north of Xerxes. His father preferred his family stay away from others, instead focusing on being self-reliant. As such, Torva spent much of his childhood learning to farm, fish, and hunt. Now an adult, he followed in his father's footsteps and built his own home outside of town, venturing in once a month for supplies. A lifetime of hunting and hard work in isolation has turned in an honest, if not somewhat ignorant, man. This is only complicated by the fact that his father went feral when he was just 18, leaving a mark on his family name that he cannot escape. As such, Torva has finally decided that the world is not working hard enough to find a cure, and has packed up and set out for town to discover for himself exactly why his people are afflicted so. After traveling with the group for so long, he has fallen deeply in love with the Seraphim Hagumi, and together they continue to search for a cure and fight through the intolerance that such a pairing will create. Extra: A lifetime of injuries living alone in nature has made Torva a capable field medic. Unfortunately, he is more a hunter and tracker than a fighter, and while he is more than capable of defending himself, can't quite match the skill of a soldier, and certainly not the destructive power of a mage.