Well, kinda. The tip of the spear would start out fighting its way to the surface and then attempt to drive deep into adventurer territory in an effort to break their strength and sow discord behind their "lines" through subterfuge, assassination, and seeding areas with amplified monsters. I may even add a mechanism that would allow the growing of living dungeons.
The follow up groups would start taking less guarded forts and other places that Adventurers rely on for safe fall back points.
Way later, if it ever gets that far, there would be a large scale army clash that would be tailored to drawing out vast numbers of adventurers and cropping their numbers drastically.
The victory condition that stands now would be the reduction of the adventurer population by 98%. Non-adventurers are not even a necessary target at present.
I have to admit, I had not actually intended the race war paradigm that ended up forming. So, I may restructure that part or abandon it entirely. I'm sticking with the monster PCs though.
Speaking as a relatively disinterested observer... I recommend not placing yourselves in a position where these trolls would be trusted with your backs... ever. So... I recommend that you keep your civilization and give them a quick lesson in threat neutralization.
Also, troll leather could make for quite a bit of armor... given the creature's sizes.
This is, at present, little more than a setting and grand plot. Yet, I am curious as to whether it sparks interest here or if it really has potential.
This is a world in which the people are guided by a pantheon of gods. Human, Elf, and Dwarf alike dwell in the good graces of their respective deities. Over all of the Pantheon reigns the "Lord of the Pantheon". This god has decided that the people have earned an age of peace and prosperity. Thus, at his command, the limited numbers of those blessed with the powers of adventurers were increased until a full 60% of the people were so strengthened.
With such overwhelming numbers bearing the blessings of the pantheon, it was a simple matter for the people to sweep the world clean of all opposition. It was a short war indeed. The populations of all other races have been driven from sight, often into the deepest of the world's dark places or to total extinction. Yet, these too have their faith and a god to look to. And now, in these desperate times, their prayers have been heard.
After uncounted ages of slumber the first god of the world, the Patriarch, has awakened at last to the wails of his diminished and suffering creations.
In the beginning, the first god of the world had believed that life had no need for higher intelligence. Greater harmony and balance could be maintained without such a rebellious influence. His deity offspring rejected this decision and secretly wrought their own creations, arrogantly crafting them as parodies of what they saw as their father's flaws.
In the nature of the Dwarves, they created a depiction of the Patriarch's stubbornness and resistance to new ideas.
In the grace of the Elves, they crafted a reflection of his pride and talent for provoking envy in others.
In the limitations of the Humans, they forged a portrayal of his short-sightedness and desperate greed for power and authority.
The Patriarch was enraged when he discovered these creations, not only because of the insults that they represented but because his children had made champions from them. Imbuing selected individuals with their blessings, the younger gods had made adventurers and let them loose to slaughter the Patriarch's creatures without any regard for the harmony of the world. But, his wrath was not enough to deter them.
The younger gods banded together with the strongest of their champions and drew the Patriarch down to the world before doing battle. Concerned about the damage that the battle could cause, the Patriarch held back the full might of his power and was defeated. Poisoned and grievously wounded, he fell into the deepest of the world's dark places. Once there he slipped into a deep sleep from which, it was thought, he would never awaken.
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You were born in the darkness of a vast cavern system beneath the world's tallest mountains. Here, the magic that creeps out from the core of the world is strong and grows into crystals where its mother ore comes close to touching the air. Surrounded by this pulsing power and engulfed by the needs of a savage and desperate survival, you have evolved. No longer are you simple creatures with only fang and claw to aid you. Now, magical powers and physical abnormalities enhance you and your kin. But, these are still nothing compared to the powers of the adventurers who dwell above and hunt the upper levels of the caverns, ever seeking more of your kind to kill.
The Patriarch has awakened in the deep.
He has heard the piteous cries of your dying ancestors and kin.
The world is about to change.
Through the darkness drifted a soft voice, warming even the coldest stones.
"My poor creatures. Your perfect world has been stolen from you. The harmony has been rent asunder. Even my love for you was turned to aid the usurpers. I thought that I could protect you. But, now I must place the burden on your tiny and limited strengths. To you, those with the greatest potential, I grant that intellect that has made the adventurers so destructive. I furthermore grant that your powers shall increase and become more diverse with your intent."
"You shall bear the burden of breaking the momentum of the usurpers and their champions. You must be the tip of the spear that I shall thrust into their foolish pantheon. But, know that you will not be alone. When your eyes first gaze upon the light of the sun, moon, or stars I will give you further guidance and also choose another of your kind to follow in your tracks that the burden might not be too much to bear for you."
These words were the first thing you fully understood. You know yourself now and you know your purpose. Your wounded god has called for your aid and given you unprecedented gifts. What will you do now? Will you seek out the others, hidden among the many and varied species that exist savagely in the dark? Will you desperately lunge toward the surface in search of your destiny? Will you seek a way to go still deeper toward the depths where the Patriarch lies and the source of all magic in the world?
For the first time, the choice is yours. Choose with wisdom and cunning for your foes are numerous, entrenched, and strong.
Species list (Will be expanded and altered as time goes on.) Species{Subspecies-Description} -------------------
Slime {Ooze- No internal structures, low viscosity, capable of possessing, wielding, modifying, and preserving a corpse} {Jelly- Dense, heavy, viscous, denser nucleoid structure, blunt and fire resistance, cold and electrical vulnerability} {Pudding- Larger average size, lighter, strong redundant membranes, rapid healing, piercing and slashing and cold resistance, fire and acid vulnerability}
Wisps, as a species, are a combination of a loose association of material and a dense concentration of magic. As such, they don't cast spells. Magic is a natural part of their physiology. As such, each race of wisp has its own natural magic type.
Dancing Lights use illusion because manipulating light and color with magic is as natural for them as lifting a finger. There is no casting process to speak of. If one tried to create a direct attack spell with light then it would require training much like learning how to use your hand in place of a knife.
Shifting Mists use conjuration because taking alternate forms and changing shape is more natural for them than those attributes are for the other two varieties. Conjuration should not be confused with summoning. The two are distinct and most conjuration is for direct attack or defense. I will clarify further below.
Glittering Clouds use Evocation because their nature is the most simple and volatile of the three varieties of wisp. Their magical nature is likewise clean-cut and direct.
Conjuration, for the purposes of this roleplay, can be likened to casting the Fireball spell. The caster conjures a volatile concentration of elemental fire which is then thrown or willed to strike a given target or explode at a given location. This spell does not work underwater due to the fact that the conjured elemental fire is drowned immediately upon materialization.
Evocation, for the purposes of this roleplay, can be likened to pyro-kinesis. It is the magical manipulation of existing natural energies. Magic energy is converted into thermal energy at a target point. Depending on the target material, this may produce a flame, steam, an explosion, or any other side-effect of a localized thermal spike. Notably, so long as the target is in sight, this version of evocation cannot be blocked.
The tip of the spear, aka the players, would start out fighting its way to the surface and then attempt to drive deep into adventurer territory in an effort to break their strength and sow discord behind their "lines" through subterfuge, assassination, and seeding areas with amplified monsters. I may even add a mechanism that would allow the growing of living dungeons.
The follow up groups would start taking less guarded forts and other places that Adventurers rely on for safe fall back points.
Way later, if it ever gets that far, there would be a large scale army clash that would be tailored to drawing out vast numbers of adventurers and cropping their numbers drastically.
The victory condition that stands now would be the reduction of the adventurer population by 98%. Non-adventurers are not even a necessary target at present.
I have to admit, I had not actually intended the race war paradigm that ended up forming. So, I may restructure that part or abandon it entirely. I'm sticking with the monster PCs though.
Grave Trench was feeling his inexperience, not just the brief snagging sensation of a knife catching his side, though his armor mitigated the actual damage. The powerful kick would have hurt a lot more if he hadn't landed on something slick. He slid when the blow slammed into him.
So this was PvP. Sudden death battles that are decided in an instant. This was what most people in Gun Burst Online logged in for. It was no wonder that he was feeling the pain already. He had been holding back, approaching this like it was a dungeon crawl. There was no time for long range planning and excessive precision. He needed to cut loose if he was going to have even a slight chance of being an asset to his team.
The slide had given him distance, but not much. He was facing a close combat specialist in close quarters while other enemies could be closing in to support. He thanked his paranoia as he rolled to his feet and lunged into a sprint, dashing suddenly in a straight line along one of the assembly lines.
He wasn't against monsters this time. He knew that the players who saw this move would assume that he was trying to gain distance to use his rifle again. He knew that they were right. He was gaining distance. But, that isn't all he was doing.
This was far enough. He faked a stumble, falling into a roll as he dropped two small items that rolled into the shadows. He wasn't sure if this would work here but he was pretty sure that his opponent just might underestimate him, given how this fight had been going so far. The two objects were dud grenades, a cheap drop from many dungeons that popped like small fireworks with sparkles in several colors. They also looked identical to normal frag grenades. They wouldn't kill his opponent. But, a little fireworks show could add just the right kind of chaos to a situation that was already full of the wrong kind and a distraction at the right moment could prove critical.
He also switched weapons... twice if everything went okay. The first switch was timed with the moment that the duds would go off and would involve letting his rifle drop to hang from its sling as he spun around and drew his backup piece. Two of the hand cannon's 14mm rounds would tear through the air toward the first target he could line up, hopefully SHOUSUKE. If he confirmed a target then the moment the second shot left the barrel, he would use the other part of his quick draw skill to return the weapon to its holster with extreme speed and whip his P-bolter off his back.
If his enemy was more than 100 ft. away and alive then he would bring the weapon into line with the load bearing supports for the robotic arms that lined the assembly line beside him. The bolts would easily tear through the supports of the assembly line and bring it crashing down in his enemy's path. A swift and agile person would not be likely to be pinned or injured by such an attack but it would probably force them to evade, slowing their advance and allowing him a better chance to follow up with well aimed bursts of potent plasma, hopefully doing enough damage to bring this fight to a favorable end before Grave Trench could be out flanked by other enemies.
He knew, above all, after marking his location so vividly with a high power weapon, he would be on the top of many people's target lists. Whether or not this method succeeded in bringing down his attacker, he would burst into a dash to put as much space between him and this location as possible before the proverbial fan threw more fecal pudding in his general direction. He had some slim hope that he would be spotted by friendlies before foes.
Red Gypsy