[hider=THE PRINCE OF PAIN] Name: THE BEAST OF BATTLE, THE CAESAR OF CRUSH, THE SHOGUN OF SLAUGHTER, THE KING OF THE RING: IIIIIIAAAAAAOOOOOOO! (Iao, pronounced EYE-AY-OH) Titles: Archon of War and Battle, Ark of War, Begatter of Armies, Champion of Roses, Minister of Might, Bulwark of the Battlefield, Balwark of the Battlefief, Winner of Wars, Bringer of Battle, The Slumbering Soldier., The Scholar of Slaughter, The King of Fight, MASTER OF MUSCLE, HERCULES OF HUGE, GLADIATOR OF GAINS, PROVOST OF PROTEIN SHAKES, WRESTLER OF WEIGHTS, BANDITO OF THE BUFF. Type: Archon of War Rival: Appearance: Once a hulking mass of iron, muscle and divine flame, now a sleeping old man of hulking mass of iron, muscle and divine flame. He rests ironically peacefully on a velvet bed of red, his many weapons cluttered about his sheets as he awaits a true challenge to awaken him from his warriors slumber. His skin is a deep scarlet, said to be stained from the blood of his enemies. When awake he stands nine feet tall and when not covered head to toe in his trademark armor he is dressed extremely simply in woolen whites to contrast his deep red body and bulging mass. His face is wrinkled and long shocks of cloud white hair hang from his scalp as well as his chin, with two eyes the color of the sun burning from the center of his intimidating visage. His nose is flat, and his lips in a frown, and his chin is square, and cheekbones high and pronounced. His body is well sculpted, and a prime example of a perfect balance between bulk and agility. Despite his massive frame and impressive gains he moves swiftly on his feet (and sometimes his hands) in a way that is almost unbelievable to the eye. When enraged, or feeling the heat of the battle, his entire body erupts in a divine flame of burning white. His hair is thrown around his head in a wild crown and phantom arms appear from his torso to aid him in battle, they too being masters of every form of martial art imaginable. Personality and Drive: While boisterous and loud, much like the horn of war, he is also subtle and clever in his own right. He represents the two sides of a war very carefully, being a sharp mind as well as a sharp blade. He can be defined as robust, wise, loud, and intimidating, but also strategic and pragmatic. He searches for a true opponent in his dreams. He is a renown champion of strategic board games and games of wit off the field, to the point some claim he can read minds. He loves riddles and games of thought as well as those that test his cat like agility and monsterous strength. He believes in a balance between the perfect mind, and perfect body, considering it an art. He is always up for a challenge. When not in his slumber he is perfecting this art, and his discipline, and when in his slumber, he is perfecting his mind and his machinations towards the ultimate perfection. History: One of the first two Archons ever to serve under Mother Night, he and his counter part, the Archon of Shadow, helped carve the very Empire you now live in. After many conquests, and defeating many warriors of legend in glorious mortal combat, he found himself unchallenged and weary of the ease he was witnessing when cutting through even the most glorious legends. His boredom grew unbearable, and no number of challengers or battles broke this spell. Eventually he fell into a warriors slumber, only to awake when prompted with an appropriate challenge. Luckily before he fell asleep he had thousands of children in an early attempt to create his own army with his own personal hammer and anvil. His favorite thirty children grew up to be his heroes and now, his administrators while he slumbers. His eldest, Ai, heads this bureaucracy. Armaments: Scepter of Slaughter- This mighty weapon is Iao’s signature arm and usually held in his left. It is a mighty blade of indistinct length and weight, it’s clever power the ability to change into whatever weapon is desired of Iao, and it’s blade, point, and blunt able to slice, pierce, or crush anything before it. The Axe of Freg- The axe of Iao’s right hand, lent to him by Freg. This mighty Axe is five feet tall and well over 100 pounds of destruction. Iao holds it and uses it skillfully in one hand, the weight seeming to not impact his swings and parries. The axe itself is considered one of mass destruction and can turn the tide of any battle, as it’s runed blade causes fiery explosions on impact, helping control any area. It is rumored to be so sharp, that it slices even your very soul. Armor of Attack- Mount/Other: Pain- Pain is Iao’s mighty steed. She stands at fourteen feet and is the color of soot and ash, and in total is a pegasus. Her eyes burn the color of Iao’s and her hide a strong as iron. She does not fear battle, but welcomes challengers similarly to her master. When not being used to plow through entire armies, Iao will sometimes fly her well above the enemy only to leap off of her and directly into the center of the fight, or even as a surprise. The Battle-bed: This is a simple mahogany and velvet bed fitted with arms, a parasol like hood and even curtains. It can be carried by eight at once, and usually is. It is used as an ark of battle while Iao sleeps in it, often paraded around during a massive battle. Just his presence on the battlefield engorges his troops with amazing strength and power. It is rumored to be extremely comfortable and has claimed the lives of many tired servants who touched it, unknowing of its alluring softness. Discipline: -Stromism Stromism is a unique discipline that is difficult to acquire without proper training by experienced Stromists, and even then to master it s a rarity, as it does not have a completion bracket and is always improving. Stromism in simple terms is the creation of a perfect body, perfect mind, and a perfect unity between the two to create the means to perform feats otherwise deemed supernatural or magical. A true Stromist can not only pull from his own source of body, mind, and spirit but also from his ancestors and relatives, calling forth their passed strength to increase their own, or speed, mental capacity, and so on. Some extreme Stromists, such as in the case of Iao, even have a mental link with their living family and not just the dead. Some notable and common feats of the stromist is body enhancement to help leap incredible distances, lift unliftable objects, create massive amounts of will and restraint, call forth the spirit to enhance your body, and even add force to your own voice. Some Stromists can even grant their own power to another, or even in extreme cases call forth fallen Stromist ancestors to fight side by side as a shade. A Stromist shies away from dulling their senses and therefore tends to not drink alcohol or take substances. However, a classic Stromist exercise is to attempt to heal ones own wounds or strains through sheer will, to which the masters even succeed, having taken such tedious control over every inch of body, mind and soul. This perfect control over perfect balance couples with the ability to absorb and release further powers allows for a wide variety of enhancements, making the options near limitless in regards to the body, spirit and mind. A great example (albeit one not attained by anyone else as of yet) is Iao’s own warriors slumber, to which he does not hunger, thirst, or age, and while fast asleep, he is completely aware of his surroundings at all times and in complete control of himself. A fun side effect of Stromism is that as an added bonus to your own discipline, you can also gain extra power from the cumulative generations of Stromists in your family before you, as they are able to grant your their own Stromist spirit and strength. This leads to many specialized Stromist soldiers painting thanks to their ancestors on their shields. [hider=Iso’s explaination] Iso-Yesterday at 12:50 AM [img]https://img.gifamerica.com/2fd33110f5084f4417c85629a6e39505_armstrong-fma-gif-fma-gif-armstrong_300-224.gif[/img] PASSED DOWN FOR GENERATIONS [/hider] [hider=Khan’s Comments] Lich Khan-Today at 1:53 PM I now picture Iao running into battle, and before clashing, countless children who had lived and died come back as ghosts at his side. aLovingFather-Today at 1:53 PM He is never without an army Lich Khan-Today at 1:53 PM Bad ass [/hider] [hider= A note] you could hypothetically (as a powerful master of Stromism) get your throat cut open while meditating and using your will, keep your blood from spilling and close the wound. It's a common test for masters to cut themselves in various places while in deep meditation to practice body will Also a test for lesser Stromists is to ingest a lot of alcohol and using will, sober yourself Stromism is a pretty open field. [/hider] Abilities: Absorbs the strength and martial ability of each defeated enemy, his mere presence empowers his army beyond human means. [hider=What Khan doesn’t want you to know about the Archon of Shadow] Lich Khan-Today at 1:09 PM Having to be emotionally unattached. Plus having few children running around. Kind of lonely but at least his has the Shadow Hand. aLovingFather-Today at 1:10 PM Was that a masturbation joke? Lich Khan-Today at 1:10 PM No... But I can see how one would think that. aLovingFather-Today at 1:10 PM Kind of lonely but at least his has the Shadow Hand. Lich Khan-Today at 1:10 PM That's the organization of his spies and assassins XD aLovingFather-Today at 1:10 PM Who jerk him off apparantly Lich Khan-Today at 1:11 PM The closes thing he has to children/family. aLovingFather-Today at 1:11 PM THAT'S SICK [/hider] [/hider] [hider=Military under Archon Iao] The military of the north functions through a few different branches and levels of command. Due to the Empire’s restrictions on the Archon’s ability to control an Exarch’s military, the northern forces can accurately be split into two main categories, the Archon forces, and the smaller but at the freedoms of the Exarch to organize*, Exarch forces. In the North, the Exarch forces while at the will of the Exarch by coincidence most of them use a legionnaire system. Further information on Exarch armies in the north should be found under the appropriate Exarch page, and the remainder of this will be about the Archon forces of Iao. [hider=*note] Despite free will laws on an Exarch’s right to form whatever military force they wish to organize for the good of the realm, Iao’s court does have a minister of Overseeing, who reports on Exarch armies to the court, discusses organization and even provides advice from higher offices to the Exarchs. [/hider] The Iaon Military is broken into three branches not counting the Exarch branch: The Stromist Vanguard, The Iaon Auxillaries, and The Iaon Navy. Every branch is lead by a General who answers to Ai, except for the Stromist Vanguard which is headed by Ai nad has their own generals. [center][b]Assimilation forces[/b][/center] The branched military works alongside a propaganda and good of the state force. This force is an agency under the Minister of Propaganda and is responsible for spreading the news of victories, the great rule of Iao, and other things that shed the Empire in a great light as well as Iao. Another duty of the PaGotS task force is to convert foreign powers and assimilate foreign citizens both before and after wars. Assimilation forces are often sent to foreign areas pre-war to avoid war in general and often provide very tantalizing offers to citizens, nobles, and tribal leaders, if they were to join the Empire without a fight, such as an indeterminant tax break for a select period, bonus’, a payoff, or other social benefits. Assimilations forces often recruit for the military straight out of foreign areas known to have troubles with another, and often advise them and use them for the upcoming war to lessen the use of Imperial troops if they can not outright just assimilate the area first. It is very much a carrot and stick policy, whereas those who comply to assimilation are subject to various benefits and stability (higher up even keeping offices), while those who defy the assimilation tend to face drastic punishments and could even lead to war. Each assimilation through war and battle is unlikely to ever be the same, as Iao and his son Ai are careful in planning the best way to take a place through assimilation tactic and ultimately all out war far before the foreign power knows what’s going on. A clever example was when the Propaganda task force sent out two treatises of benefits (in return for assimilation) to two neighboring tribes. Iao knew one tribe would not take the deal, and he knew the other one would be hesitant if the first tribe didn’t take it. So the day after the treatises were sent, the defiant tribe was obliterated in a sudden ambush, giving the second tribe the right about of push to make the deal. Not all assimilation practices end up being violent, but some do. To win a war without fighting is extreme excellence in warfare in the eyes of Iao, and if that fails, minimize input but obtain maximum output where necessary. [center][b]The Stromist Vanguard[/b][/center] Contrary to popular belief in the actual fighting tactics of Iao, not every war and not every battle is fought with a massive army, in fact, the Stromist Vanguard is a prime example of the use of small numbers to take big victories. They can often be described as a special operations force broken down into specialized units, all of which are Stromist. They can take many forms and are perfectly adaptable to most situations, as Iao prefers his entire military to be, knowing not every battle is the same. Whether he is using them as the hammer in a hammer and anvil tactic alongside larger armies, or using their increased mobility due to small size to sneak far behind the front and attack from an angle never expected, or as a powerful ambush tool to in essence assassinate an entire unexpecting warband headed by the one leading the resistance. In every sense of the idea, they are the perfect blade for chopping off the head of the snake, or being the final straw on the camels back, to even just being the single tool used to snuff out any flame of resistance. When a big bad army is needed however, and sometimes it is when small tactics fail, the vanguard can quickly link together to form an army that could block out the sun due to a unique rank and file system that does not sacrifice utility for specialization while maintaining the unique specialization that the vanguard is known for. [center][b]The Rank and File System[/b][/center] The rank and file system is a very unique feature of the Stromist vanguard and from it revolves numerous ranks and organization features. The entire system revolves around a rotation system, which starts at recruitment. At recruitment the soldier to be is inspected and tested by councillors who are usually Dusk rank, meaning they are honorably retired soldiers who chose to remain in the Vanguard as councillors, trainers and to aid in other helpful mentor positions. The inductee is tested on many things both physically, mentally and spiritually to determine the inductees starting branch, or the branch they will begin their career in, once recruited and given one out of seven of the branches to start out in, they are known as Dawn rank, or rotation zeroes. The following rules about the rotations and ranks applies to six out of the seven branches, excluding the Staff of Mercury which has it’s own system outside of the Rank and File System (except for this inductee testing stage) which will be touched upon in it’s own segment. A dawn begins their journey as a rotation zero in one of the seven branches, for the sake of simplicity we are going to assume they started out in one of the six regular branches (excluding Staff of Mercury, the only nonregular branch), the six regular branches are the Avil of Eden, Hammer of Jupiter (formally known as the allied cavalry), the Suns of Mars, Shades of Pluto, Saturn’s Rangers, and the Fallen Stars. Each branch has its own sizes for basic units but follows the same organization pattern. The Dawn/Rotation Zero joins a party, or the smallest workable unit in the branch, such as the ten person parties of the Anvils of Eden which make up a larger group which in turn make up a larger group and so forth. A basic party consists of Dawns but also higher ranks, such as rotation ones and rotation twos, rotation twos and up (or appointed by merit) are called Advisors and play an important part in the rotation system as each party has at least two Advisors and one Lead Advisor (the superior ranking leader of the party who reports to the Commander (Rotation 10 at least or appointed by merit) [Commanders lead ten parties in something known as a Battle Unit]) A rotation is a rank achieved by being either rotated to another on of the six branches or promoted directly up in your own branch through the sheer ability you bring to your party. You are deemed ready to move onto the next branch (or up if the branch you are currently in is deemed your niche) by the advice of your advisors when the councillors come to evaluate you every year, that or you are promoted due to merit. Most Vanguard Soldiers have fought in many if not all six branches before getting a niche declared, as in to say, declaring the branch they are most suited in to continue promotion specifically for that branch. Example: A soldier is inducted into the Stromist Vanguard and after passing his tests the councillors deem he is most fitted to start his rotation as a Sun of Mars. He joins his party under the command of a Rotation four Lead Advisor and two Rotation two Advisors, he himself being a Dawn Rotation Zero accompanied by another Dawn Rotation Zero and five Rotation ones. After a significant battle his fellow Dawn is merited by bravery and sheer skill to be Rotated automatically to rotation one and to remain in the Suns of Mars since he is too valuable in the branch (rarity for rotation 1-6), meanwhile a year is up for one of the Rotation ones and by the advice of the advisors and decision of the Councillors he is to remain a Rotation one and remain in the branch until he improves on his flaws. A year has passed and the initial soldier, a Dawn Rotation Zero is ready for his evaluation. By the praise of the advisors the councillors agree it is time to rotate the Dawn, earning him rotation rank one and his movement to the Hammer of Jupiter. Having the skills of a Sun of Mars he quickly merits himself a Rotation and rotates to the Anvil of Eden. then eventually to the Shades of Pluto, then the Saturn’s Rangers and the Fallen Stars, until he has rotated across all branches. He may now (as Rotation 6 Cycle 1 [Cycle is achieved by completing full rotation across all branches] by the resume of his record choose the branch he was most fitted in to become niched (this can be revoked later on) or he can opt to try for Cycle 2. This happens every completed cycle. A cycle 5 is known as a Eclipse and are the bane of all enemies of the nation. Being a master in every branch five times over, an Eclipse tends to go on to be a General under Ai himself or opts to be a wrecking machine called for personally when the going gets tough. Often a Cycle 5 is allowed to keep his Golden Eagle he rode with in the Fallen Stars. A great example of an Eclipse is Ai and his half Brother Errocas, who both rose so quickly through the rotations by merit they both achieved full rotation 30, cycle 5 in less than thirty years, in fact at such an unnatural rate Errocas is only 24, six years younger than the allotted time for someone to naturally become Full rotation cycle five eclipse. A quick rundown: A dawn joins a party with at least two advisors, they all are lead by a Party Leader, or head Advisor who answers to a Commander who leads ten parties, Commanders answer to a Lieutenant who controls ten commanders, a lieutenant answers to a general who controls five lieutenants, all General answer to Ai, there is a total of seven Generals. [center][b]Anvil of Eden[/b][/center] It is important to note that while the Stromist Vanguard is indeed named after the crushing amount of Stromists present in the branches, it is not strictly for Stromists and so long as an individual can reach the branches criteria, the councillors don’t care how you got there for the most part, be it through Stromism, pure skill and genius, or another magical potential. This of course means that some branches are easier on and more accepting of non Stromists than others, while some are near impossible to be apart of while not a Stromist and certainly near impossible to rotate in. The most common branch that non-Stromists rotate to, and the most common starting branch or Stromists and non Stromists alike is the Anvil of Eden, seconded by the Hammer of Jupiter. The Anvil of Eden is the most common starting branch and consumes a large amount of rotations as the branch is a staple to any confrontation. The branch focuses on a large variety of scenarios but it can be whittled down to a few basic (and general) functions: Confrontation (large/small/open/closed/defense/offense/siege/besieged), Logistics (be it building forts or taking them down), and backbone fighting (taking the brunt of assaults and defenses). Like all Branches the Anvil’s have aspects and specialities that make them different and unique from the rest and add certain skills to any cycled soldier. The Anvil soldier focuses on cohesion with others as well as battle adaptability in an open confrontation, meaning the troops work close together in a variety of battle scenarios that tend to be open conflict. Because of these criterias and scenarios the troops have to meet they have some functions up their sleeves. Similar to the legion system, the Anvil’s do have a column and rotation based (cohort) fighting style for large open scale battles, complemented with maneuverable thrusting swords, large shields, and armor piercing javelins, despite this, that’s where the similarities end. Due to the party system, the parties can be linked and unlinked accordingly and to the appropriate size of the battle to the tens of men, and including in their cohesion and formation training is a flexible adaptability training. In this specialized training by the councillors the troops learn to not only effectively use their legion kit, but one other to improve adaptability in case the face of the war changes to remain always on top in open battle. The first kit being the legion kit, the second being an assault (nicknamed the Hero's assault) kit, where each soldier is armed with a favored weapon to fight unmatching for the duration of the battle to better increase chances of disrupting new enemy formations and scoping weaknesses, battles in the assault kit are normally short and reserved for testing armies where the legion kit would most likely fail. Due to increase training and stress on perfection, the assault kit works wonders with types of battle formations the legion kit is incapable of such as blob and dissolve tactics of sundering tight enemy lines. Luckily the training of both kits are so similar that only the added stress of learning tactics and formations a regular legion wouldn’t learn is the only added factor to the lengthy training of a good Anvil soldier. In addition to these two open battle kits, the Anvil’s are also responsible for building fortifications (just another reason for their name) in between battles and logistic strategy points. This allows for fortified retreat as well as quick recovery, not to mention the added bonus of having workable forts in enemy territory. Because of their quick ingenuity in building, this cohesive force is also very well suited for building engines and other tricks to take down enemy fortifications. A lot is requested from an Anvil, including amazing march times, quick logistic resupplies and the ability to rotate mid battle. However, this all scratches the surface as they are still Stromist Vanguard and therefore have more requested of them. In line formations the front lines of the Anvil’s quickly remind their enemies who they are, as the Stromist powers favored by the Anvil’s are the community powers and shared strength. Stromist energy flows like a river through the ranks of the Anvil’s, hardening the skin, strengthening the bone, steeling the resolve, and pumping the muscles full of energy. The more Anvil’s channeling energy, the larger the effect to the point that from the enemy point of view, they indeed face a massive Anvil of Stromist Perfection. During Assault kits, the weapons even seem to benefit as their wielders begin to channel wild Stromist energy into the weapons for brutal effects. Some fallen tribes even claim that during assaults and legion advances, powerful thunderous claps boomed from the Anvil’s as they marched forth, disrupting enemy lines with waves of energy, knocking over tribesmen before the clash even happened, and out right instilling a great fear as Iao’s name was chanted over the explosive sounds. Should Iao himself be in the battle bed with his Anvil’s, the collective Stromist power tends to be devastating and perhaps not even walls could stand at the sheer power. In short, both armies of tightly trained soldiers, hordes of scattered champions, and tall city walls have fallen before the ever changing, ever adapting face of the Anvil’s and their mighty power to always be one step ahead. Another point to be made is that this is simply only the first branch of Seven. [center][b]Hammer of Jupiter (formally the Allied Cavalry)[/b][/center] [center][b]Suns of Mars[/b][/center] [center][b]Shades of Pluto[/b][/center] MORE TO ADD The Shades of Pluto are a very special branch that sees most of its new recruits being pulled from the Anvil of Eden and Saturn’s Rangers (and vice versa). Not described in the Rank and File section is a very special cross training regime all branches go through in which valor victorians of other branches as well as their councillors and dusks go into different branches to teach niche and specialized soldiers skills from other branches to further help the elite advantage of the Vanguard, especially when Niches out do Cycles as they normally do. This is important because the Shades of Pluto are not only some of the largest cross branch trainers alongside the Suns of Mars, but also the branch that works very closely with most other branches. The Shades of Pluto specialize in fighting fights on battlefields completely unexpected or hardly fought on, for example, at night. Using Stromism the Shades of Pluto are trained in night vision and night combat, and doubly trained in flanking and urban combat. Because of smaller unit sizes, the Shades of Pluto often either attach to a larger unit as specialized arms in case of need, as counter moles in other branches, or undergo special missions required of small units with a specialization in urban or infiltration warfare. Some common tasks the Shades of Pluto often see are leading night time raids, counter attacking besiegers, sapping, maintaining the integrity of other branches (counter-spies and counter-moles etc) disrupting cities and siege defenders, heading unexpected assaults (such as on encamped armies) as well as tidying a city, fortress, or region so that by time a larger army comes through, it will be an easy conquest. Because of their need for discretion and small sizes, the Shades of Pluto often train their bodies to limit sounds and unnecessary movements, as well as hone their senses to supernatural levels along side their ability to fight ferociously in single quiet combat. A very famous use of the Shades of Pluto was when months before a targeted city was besieged by Iao, the shades quietly swelled the municipal ranks with their own as sleeper agents while running nighttime raids on figure heads that would create the most unification among the enemy. The night the siege began, the Shades sprung into action and on a moonless night lead an all out invasion of the city, both the element of surprise, the careful pruning, and the strict advantage the Shades had in the dark all came down at once and toppled the confused enemy who hadn’t a chance to even see what had hit them before the flag of Iao was being hung over the keep’s gates. In short these highly trained commandos are equipped with the skills and tools necessary to disrupt and kill from the inside out and pave the way for the other branches. These specialized troops are renown for their ability to destroy any organized resistance in the form of fortification or encampment, and when that fails, they can at least fight where no ordinary soldier can see. A Shade of Pluto is often compared to a snake with the head of a lion, quiet and waiting, and when the time is right, it strikes with the ferocity of any champion warrior. With the Shades of Pluto around, that group of merchants you just let in might have actually been a full scale assault in a simple blank package. [center][b]Saturn's Rangers[/b][/center] [center][b]The Fallen Stars[/b][/center] One of the more unique branches of the Stromist Vanguard is the Fallen Stars, starting rotation of Iao’s son, Jericho. The Fallen Stars are unique in that they work both high in the sky and on the ground, but never start on the ground. This is considered the most dangerous branch to rotate into and save a few amazing exceptions, no non-Stromist has ever rotated through it at the branches full potential. In the branch there are three primary jobs, those that ride in comets as per described in the next section (usually by non Stromists), those that pilot the Great Golden Eagles, massive creatures large enough to pluck a wyvern from the sky and eat it in a gulp, and then there are the Fallen Stars themselves. The Eagles are important to note as they are massive both in size and importance. While their combat capabilities are not questioned, the Fallen Stars opts to keeping them out of the line of fire due to how rarely they breed and produce more eagles. They are given a pilot who is usually a Fallen Star in training or a non Stromist trying to cycle through, and often protected in flight by accompanying comets, and by sheer altitude. The birds tend to fly over key points at extreme heights, to the point the pilots tend to wear thick winter clothes, even in hot battle zones, and while the pilot stays on the bird's neck to pilot, and comets cover the flanks, the Fallen Star(s) ride on the back. As the bird flies above the key point, be it a battle zone, a city, or any other area that is required of the Fallen Stars, the special soldiers on the back jump off from the bird. Most people do not start in the Fallen Stars and fewer still ever become the soldier named the Fallen Stars right off the bat due to the nature of the job. These soldiers are to use all their stromist ability as they plummet from unimaginable altitudes, causing bright colored streaks through the sky as they fall. As they approach the ground their abilities reach paramount and a pure spiritual blast of their will explodes around them in a bright white flash, saving them from the deadly collision and causing mayhem and panic in the drop zone. These specialized troops are then tasked with (if they dropped into the middle of enemy ranks) glorious single combat. As much as the Anvil’s fight side by side, these air dropped soldiers are trained to use weapons such as flame lashes and long swords to aid them in a fight of numbers against them. Due to the extreme tasks of the Fallen Stars, successful ones are known to be some of the most terrifying single warriors to ever face, if you even orientate yourself after their impact. In short these troops are used to disrupt enemy lines, fortifications and otherwise spread panic and death. Should you be fighting Iao’s Stromist Vanguard and notice streaks in the distant sky, know that whatever the streaks pointed at is already Iao’s. [center] Comets [/center] The Iaon air troop branch of the military is unique indeed. While most nations and factions ride around on massive wyverns and griffins, the Iaon Military has a unique ace up their sleeve: creatures known as the Comets. What is best described as green man sized blobs, Comets are a unique creature found floating above massive meadows or small forests in bobbing swarms. By some unknown means these permeable blobs float above the local flora, undergoing autotrophic processes such as photosynthesis (at such a rate that allows an exothermic body temperature. The strange creature has two noticeable features on what is otherwise a blank blob of strange flesh: a anterior cap and a posterior mouth. Their anterior is armored with a super thick calcium bone cap used for self defense as well as for ramming (flight speeds reaching over 60 mph). When ramming does not work the creature usually resorts to it’s namesake feature, and completely ignites in flames as it flies around like a tiny comet. The second noticeable feature is the posterior mouth, a strange cavity used to digest soft rocks and rotting corpses or otherwise bone piles through the use of highly acidic acids produced as a mucus in the stomach cavity past the mouth cavity. It is clear the comet used to be carnivorous before slowly beginning to rely on autotrophic means of energy, and the mouth cavity has become vulnerable to a few exploits sought out by comet riders, the unique soldiers who climb inside the comets and wear them as flaming flight suits in battle: and that is the exposed nerve endings. By climbing into a tamed comet’s mouth the pilot is in control of the comet entirely by stimulating the nerves present in the mouth cavity, giving the pilot control over flight and the self defense flame mechanisms. In large battalions the comets are usually armored more on the anterior crest while the pilots flood the skies and even skillfully weave through trees and close to the ground in swarms of comets, leaving the enemy bewildered and obliterated all in one. [center][b]The Staff of Mercury[/b][/center] [/hider] [hider=Feats of Iao] [/hider] [hider=Quotes about Iao] Lich Khan - Today at 11:32 PM I assume if a band of zombies attacked a garrison that had some of Iao's children there he would not take that sitting down? aLovingFather - Today at 11:33 PM Well, actually he'd take it laying down Lich Khan - Today at 11:33 PM XD [/hider] [hider= Holding] [b]Holdings[/b] Name: Doma Type: Doma is also known as the bullseye city or the ringed hill, as it in actuality is a massive green hill surrounded by pastures one one side and extends all the way to the shore on the other. Around the base of the hill is the city of Doma (which then stretches to the shoreline) and at the very peak past the Stromist gardens is the Tower of Iao. This was once the site of a major tribal community as well as a massive battle. Culture: Doma has a very jingoist society but also extremely cosmopolitan due to the melding of various cultures both conquered and assimilated through peace. From Southern Heartland, to Far west and cold north, you can find every culture available to the Empire mixing here in an explosion of art, theatre, music, food, and other pleasantries. Here Iao is hailed as the king of the North, and even the bringer of unity to his greatest fans who flock around his statues to discuss politics. Kids here run free, but only after morning lessons at the Gymnos, where the rich hire tutors for their children to be well versed in rhetoric and even strategem, while the poor settle for public speakers, yamming about theories and philosophies. All of which however, as welcome to train with the city guard in physical regiments. A famous attraction of Doma are the riddle houses, personally sponsored by Iao. Here you can unwind with any mix of fine cuisine and take part in casual board games and riddles with those of similar intellect. Feasts are common among all classes of the city, and districts often throw elaborate parties to celebrate one of the many holidays admiring one of Iao’s victories and steps towards unity. Physical displays, dances, games and challenges are abound in these festive times and only matched by their intellectual counterparts! Description: The main ring around the hill is the oldest district and split into a north, west, east, and south, with a long expanse coming from the eastern district to eventually link the city with its shoreline ports. This expanse houses five more districts up unto the shore and goes on for miles. Around the original four districts (the ring districts) is a stout wall with accompanying bastions that was an improvement from the previous settlements defenses while the expanse districts remain open and ever growing. While lacking in notable feats of fortifications, the city instead funnels most of its money into local social programs, infrastructure and in the local economy, making it a very desired place for both workers and northern businessmen to take residence. (not counting the flocks of locals who prefer the security provided by the city and its personal champion, Iao.) The hill itself is privately owned by Iao, and it is dotted with government buildings and barracks making it heavily guarded, with only guests by invitation allowed up into the Stromist Gardens (past the barracks). The Stromist Gardens is a massive maze of plants that lead up to the tower, and it is said that only one of Iaon Blood can pass these trees and only in the correct order if uninvited. The tower is grand and can be seen from far away. It is a plaster white and extremely thick and well decorated with the symbols of Iao. Not many know what it looks like inside but this is where Ai and the slumbering Iao reside. To the west is a massive expanse of farmland and pastures, where farmers are overjoyed in the great demand of their products in the city to the east and the food supplied compliments the fishing ports. Surprisingly, the most lucrative trade going on in Doma isn't so much done with other established cities of the Empire, but rather with the locals, who now have a faucet to the luxury of the Empire (from imports) as well as a secured way to save items and money in municipal banks, food storage, and many tradesmen and tools. Its very north location makes it one of the sole faucets of these securities and luxuries for miles, reducing competition incredibly and boosting local economy. Laws: (What are the unique tenets or laws you have established in your province?) Military: (What kind of system does your hold use to raise troops? What about their training? What kind of units could you call on? Remember this is grimdark high fantasy, So if you want pegasus knights or wyvern riders go for it.) [/hider]