User blog:Ilniaj/The Warriors of the Gods

Most legions of heroes will attach themselves to a specific country but not these, in fact, they are not a full faction but many and are often opposed to each other. What they do share are similar ways of fighting and warfare. Armed and armored in divine steel, these servants of the gods possess inhuman strength granted to them by their holy patrons. These chosen warriors draw the gaze of the gods as they fight in their name and with great victories come mighty rewards, potent gifts and even immortality. Though the path of the gods can lead to a destiny greater than most mortals can comprehend, for most it will result in quick insanity and death. Regardless of a hero having a great destiny or dying early and unremembered, it is a life well-lived for how can there be any life better spent than towards a divine purpose? These armies each fight for a patron god and the gods Enyo, god of bloodshed; Thoth, god of magic; Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg, god of diseases; and The Fallen God, goddess of pleasure; have their forces exclusively take this form but some gods will also have armies that take this form as large numbers of heroes come together to form a crusade in service of their god or goddess.

When these armies form, their enemies tremble. Every unit they field is very durable, can hit incredibly hard and are highly skilled in combat. Warrior per warrior, the basic troops of these armies can easily defeat or at least hold their own against the elite of other armies. However, ranged options are limited and tactical subtlety is lacking so these armies can be predictable. Armies that take this form are few but in the darkest of times, when the races that serve the gods are at risk of being destroyed and no man, elf or dwarf has not suffered the hardship of battle, all armies will resemble this one as few people have not fought for their life and many have awoken potential within that would not be found in times of peace.

The Warriors of Enyo are consumed with a violent rage and the constant need to shed the blood of their foes. Every day where blood has not been shed is a day wasted. What an army of them requires most is enemies, for each day that passes causes tensions to rise in the ranks, until they turn on their allies or each other. Despite their bloodthirst, these worshipers do show a sense of twisted honor. They fell their foes through battle only, show respect to other warrior’s whether ally or enemy and will even give under-equipped foes weapons before attacking.

Thoth is a master of arcane magic and his champions will find themselves gifted with strange powers. Because of their relationship with magic, they are more difficult to harm than an equivalent, subtly and unconsciously pulling on the strands of fate so that arrows miss by a hair and sword strikes glance off their armor. Mages benefit even more from Thoth's patronage, gaining a natural capacity to manipulate magic and can even consciously direct the course of fate.

The armies that march to war in Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg's name are repulsive indeed. They are marked with a variety of disgusting afflictions such as clusters of warts and buboes. Their skin may be leathery and resilient or torn and bleeding. A cloud of fattened flies and a miasma of pestilence follows them everywhere they walk. But not all is grimness and squalor among the foot soldiers of Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg, for the favored openly rejoice in their deity's approval. So it is that the hosts of the Plaguelord stride to battle with the exuberance of a carnival, their armor painted in the grisly palette of sickness, phlegm-choked laughter echoing across the battlefield as they bring their deadly gifts ever closer to the foe.

The glittering warhosts of The Fallen God are marvelous to behold. The warriors are vain beings who take as much pride in their appearance as in their abilities, honing their bodies until they are as deadly as any blade. As many are hulking brutes as are lithe and agile sylphs but all are beautiful to behold. These warriors strive for perfection in their combat skills, shunning the simple rage and fury of Enyo's followers and instead focusing on becoming efficient fighters. In combat, they are majestic to watch, their beautifully crafted strikes defeating foe after foe. They prefer to debilitate and capture rather than slay so that they may bind the defeated and haul them back to their base of operations.

Most armies of this kind are dedicated to Enyo, Thoth, Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg or The Fallen God as heroes dedicated to other gods will tend to attach themselves to a specific country. Despite that, there are armies of this kind that focus on serving other gods. Though they lack the killing power of the servants of Enyo and The Fallen God and the resilience of servants of Thoth and Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg, they are iron-willed. It is impossible to make them panic or terrify them and even the most uneven of combats will not break them, such is their faith.

Clad in baroque armor and rich furs, Lords tower above even other champions, who are but feeble children by comparison. Regardless of their individual abilities, they are without exception unstoppably powerful warriors, combining the strength of a rhino with the speed of a darting snake. The Lord's abilities are enhanced further with gifts from his patrons, for none save Archangels enjoy more favor in the eyes of the gods. Seeking ever more glory, a Lord will test themselves against the most accomplished of the foe’s warriors, a forbidding challenge echoing across the field. Those brave enough to accept are briefly saluted before being cut down for few can stand against a Lord without inviting their doom.

An Exalted Hero striding to war in full battle armor is a sight to strike fear in even the most embittered veteran. One is equal to a score of lesser warriors upon the field of battle. An Exalted Heroes natural hardiness is increased still further by the rewards amassed on their quest for glory. Exalted Heroes frequently seek out others of their kind to engage in ritual combat, especially those with rival patrons. When they clash, they duel like gladiators with the full force of whatever weapons they have available. When a victor emerges, bloody but triumphant, they will take a trophy from the foe. The most skilled are bedecked with trophies from many such duels, not only against their rivals but also the warrior elite of other armies. With each victory, the champion becomes ever closer to becoming a Lord and gaining whole armies to command and apotheosis within reach.

The champions who seek mastery over magic are known as Sorcerers. Their god rewards them for their diligent study, and they may one day achieve apotheosis. A word and a gesture from a Sorcerer can strip the flesh from a man's bones, force a monster to murder her beloved or cause a unit of soldiers to burst into flame. The Sorcerers in these types of armies aren't just scholars but skilled fighters that aren't easily cut down in melee combat. They have been known to wield all 9 facets of Arcane Magic but also wield Dark Lore’s in relation to their patron god. The Sorcerers of Baoht Z'uqqa Mogg use magic to pervert and corrupt nature, inflicting hideous diseases, twisting the bodies and causing delirium in their foes. More subtle are the practitioners of the Lore of the Fallen God, who use mind-altering illusions and spells of domination. Enyo uses simple and direct spells, either meant to kill the foe with bolts of magic or make others better at killing. Thoth Sorcerers can channel the raw power of magic, unleashing mutating flames that rip apart the enemy in a blaze of iridescent power.

Should a Champion survive the endless battles while still finding favor in the eyes of their gods, they may attain the ultimate reward for their decades of dedication. Their patron will elevate the Champion to their side as an Archangel, a being of godlike power. They are mighty beyond compare, lordly creatures of awesome might. There are few who don't seek this metamorphosis where they shrug off their mortal shell and become a being of divinity but for every champion who roars their triumph as a newborn Archangel, untold thousands perish on the field of battle or simply fail to gain the acclaim necessary before their mortal form breaks down. Archangels are vast in stature, their gigantic forms twisted into new shapes. They wield powerful magic items and strange abilities and the variations between these beings are uncountable. Nonetheless, it is common for the Archangels to retain their intellect and memory. Some are awesome warriors full of martial discipline and pride. Others are master magisters with the ability to reshape reality itself. Others are peerless marksman, wielding bolt throwers like crossbows or small cannons like rifles or enormous bows. Upon ascending most Archangels go to heaven, leaving the world behind so that there is room for others to attain greatness. Sometimes, an Archangel is sent back to the mortal world to serve as the commander of a faithful army. At other times, a newly transformed Archangel continues to lead their followers who view their leader as a demi-god, which is not far from the truth. In fact, some of the oldest and most powerful Archangels are worshiped as deities becoming local gods for villages, tribes or even countries, acting as an intermediary for their patron deity.

While these armies have many heroes, they are followed by bands of Marauders, warriors who have not yet proven themselves worthy of the blessings of the gods. Outside of battle, they serve as the support for the heroes, assisting them in caring for war beasts, helping maintain their equipment and other needs that an army has. Inside of battle, they fight alongside the heroes, and while unable to match the heroes in power, these aspiring heroes are skilled fighters and provide the numbers that the heroes lack. Marauders fight with axe, blade or flail and their favorite tactic is to charge in great howling mobs towards the foe. They have little fear, for they know they fight under the scrutiny of the gods and that cowards are beneath notice. Some Marauder units are hunters equipped with bows, javelins or throwing axes. These Marauder Hunters serve as ranged support for a warband or army and their ambushes are often the first of an attack.

The first warriors to blood their blades in these armies are usually the mounted outriders called Marauder Horsemen. They range ahead of the main army, galloping around the battle line and cutting off any chance of escape. When an enemy inevitably flees the onslaught, it is these horsemen that run them down. These horsemen jink and change direction as one, able to steer their steeds with the subtlest of movement in the waist and knees so that both hands are free for weapons. Some of these groups favor bows, javelins or throwing axes that thud into the enemy, the horsemen twisting around to engage yet more victims as they gallop past. Others prefer the rush of melee combat, charging forth with spears or flails. Some will even use both.

When the Marauders take to their war chariots, they fight with even more ruthlessness and fervor, slamming into enemy lines with bone-shattering speed, hurling enemies in all directions from the sheer force of the impact. The chariots utilized by the Marauders are like those used by the heroes, pulled by strong steeds, with spinning scythes forged to their wheels, and a spike-covered chassis to cause maximum bloodshed in a charge. The weapon of choice for the Marauder charioteers is the mighty halberd, providing ample damage output when the chariot is forced into close-up combat situations.

Warriors are those men and women of great skill who have left their homes to fight for the gods, inevitably becoming a figure of fear and awe to those they leave behind. Such gifted men and women are said to tread the path of the gods and head in search of glory and power. Every Warrior prays that their god will one day choose them as a Champion. As a Champion, the Warrior receives further rewards, perhaps even the ultimate reward of apotheosis, for there is nothing a god can't do and no favor they cannot grant. Warriors are awesome fighters of unmatched prowess, their skills honed over the years by constant battle. Their strength is inhuman and their bodies as tough as the iron mountains. They are grim, silent figures able to trudge for weeks through the thickest blizzard and densest jungle without slowing pace. When roused for battle though, he becomes a roaring unstoppable force. Arrows and bolts patter from his armor like hailstones upon a glacier as he strides forward. The thrust of spear and halberd are deflected contemptuously, and the lifeblood of his foes spatters his armor with each swing of his weapons.

Knights are among the ultimate fighting warriors. They are feared throughout the world as merciless butchers capable of turning the course of battle with a single charge. They are towering brutes atop powerful steeds, rider and mount clad in the thickest plate. Each one of them carries a shield and great lance. The splendor of their wargear extends to their banners which are impressive sights and often enchanted with magic. Even their frightful reputation is a weapon, crippling those who would stand against them before a single blow is struck. Many Knights were nobles or chieftains before devoting themselves to battle and they still regard themselves as the best of their kind and consider themselves superior to even other heroes. They bow to none save perhaps a Lord or Archangel, and even then, they will not dip their banner, for their collective pride is the equal of their martial prowess.

The most successful warriors ride to battle upon mighty Chariots, crushing the foe beneath iron-shod wheels and running them down with flashing scythes. A heavy Chariot at full speed is a devastating weapon, combining a bone-splintering impact with the flailing hooves and fangs of the creatures pulling it and the hacking and slashing of the warriors on board. Its sole purpose is to deliver an unstoppable force to a weak point in the enemy battle line, slicing apart those before it and scattering the rest in panic and disarray. Unlike the comparatively flimsy wooden chariots of other lands, these Chariots are wrought of black iron and weigh so much that once they have gathered pace, nothing short of a castle wall can stop their charge.

There is little subtlety to the machines of death used by these armies, but the Gorebeast Chariot is among the most brutal. A Gorebeast Chariot is a massive construction of hell-forged metal, giant beast and jagged blade, ridden to war by some of the most powerful warriors in the world. Few foes can muster the courage required to stand before the thunderous charge of one of these murderous war machines, and those foolish enough to do so are torn apart by monstrous jaws, cut to pieces by keen-edged halberds, or crushed into the dirt beneath heavy, iron-shod wheels. Gorebeast Chariots are even heavier and sturdier than ordinary Chariots. No normal beast would have the strength to pull such a massive instrument of war, and they are therefore pulled into battle by a Gorebeast – a muscular creature renowned for its violent temperament.

There are those among the Warriors who bear the favor of the gods more so than their fellows. Known among their kind as Chosen, their frames are swollen with power. A Chosen could, at first glance be mistaken for a normal Warrior. Should the observer approach a little closer he would notice that the Chosen stands taller and broader than his fellows and his armor more ornate. The Chosen lead by example, fighting not as commanders but as elite warriors and champions. In this way the Chosen hope to attract yet more of their master's favor and ascend to the ranks of the truly exalted. They advance unflinchingly through black powder firestorms, hails of arrows and punishing artillery volleys, their purposeful tread never faltering as they march ever closer to their prey. Battlelines have buckled and broken at the mere prospect of a unit of Chosen closing in upon them, blades raised so that the methodical butchery of the foe can begin.

The Varanguard are the elite Knights of The Fallen God and other gods who form this kind of army. Each Varanguard was once a Knight but through the experience of countless battles, have grown even stronger. Their mounts have swollen with divine power, becoming of prodigious size and strength. Many of them ride to war with great lances designed to impale and tear their foes. A smaller number wield magical hand weapons, each bearing a small measure of power. Regardless of the form or hexes inscribed on these weapons, they are all enchanted to be more powerful than ordinary weapons of their kind. Like an avalanche of steel, the Varanguard smash into their foes, scattering bodies before their charge. Under the iron-shod hooves of their steeds and blades of the weapons, enemies are reduced to ruin.

Skullcrushers are unsubtle warriors who revel in battle and live only for shedding blood. Only those Knights who devote themselves utterly to the Lord of Slaughter and offer a great number of skulls are destined to become one, for they are living engines of death and carnage. Anything foolish enough to stand before them is destined for a short and brutally violent fate, for Skullcrushers are without mercy and they leave only a trail of broken bodies and spilt gore in their wake. So favored are these murderous knights that they have been gifted with Juggernauts to carry them to war. These massive mounts are made of living metal and pure rage, dealers of untold destruction who grind their foes beneath steel sinews and brass hooves. As formidable as a Knight is, when mounted upon a Juggernaut, he is nigh unstoppable. As the blood-crazed knights bellow their battle cries, their fearsome mounts snort steam and paw out divots in the earth before stampeding towards the ranks of their prey and flattening anything in their way. The knights themselves are no less brutal, hacking their opponents apart with axes and cleavers, or else running them through with jagged lances.

A Fatemaster is an elite Knight dedicated to Thoth. To attain this rank, a warrior must not only show bravery and martial skill but intelligence, cunning and quick-thinking. Like all of Thoth's followers, they dress in elaborate armor and clothes, combining as many colors and patterns as imaginable, but favoring the basic twisting interwoven designs which reflect the twisting flows of magic. As a reward for this service, they are gifted mighty boons, an ensorcelled hand weapon, a shield, full plate armor and a Disk of Thoth. These discs bear their rider into battle, giving them a unique perspective on the movement of armies and enabling the Fatemaster to better strike down important targets. In battle a Fatemaster streaks into the fray, leaving behind a wake of dismembered corpses – the gruesome aftermath of precision strikes and swooping dives from their bladed Disc.

Some warriors of Baoht Z'uqqa Mogg choose to undergo a rite known as the feast of maggots. Swearing an oath upon a site of repulsive corruption, they allow a Sorcerer to drop a maggot into one of their wounds. This maggot sets to work, chewing through the champions flesh until it bursts into two more identical maggots. If left unchecked, the maggots will consume the host within 7 days. To avoid this fate, the host must seek out the worshipers of other gods and infect them with the same curse. Finally, if the half-devoured champion succeeds in infecting 77 victims, the insects cease eating and congeal into muscle and fat, bulking him out with putrid might. At the same moment a terrible droning fills the air and a Rot Fly approaches, sent as a reward. Mounting his new stead, the champion becomes a Pusgoyle. Droning bands of Pusgoyles form the vanguard of Baoht Z'uqqa-Moggs army, swooping in low with their scythes swinging. Between the powerful blows of the Pusgoyles and the lashing limbs of their mounts, such a band of aerial cavalry can shatter a battleline in a single charge.

Divine Archers are keen-eyed marksmen, heroes chosen from the ranks of hunters, scouts and similar. They are masters of ambush and guerilla warfare, clearing a path for the main force by gathering information and slaying enemy scouts. Divine Archers prefer to fight their battles at range, their longbows do not fire ordinary arrows but mystical bolts of white-blue flame that set flesh afire. Yet they shirk not from close quarters combat, whether charging knights, rampaging beasts or frenzied berzerkers. With precise aim and steady hearts, they loose arrows until the foe is full upon them draw their spears and step into the fray.

Divine Courtiers are the highest ranking of the Divine Archers. Not mere courtiers as their name suggests but elite leaders sworn to live or die in service of their god. They are paragons, as peerless in artistic pursuits as they are in the bloody business of battle, equally capable of playing music to entertain their liege as they are at striking down assassins with a spear or shooting marauding Beastwomen with their longbows. Only those with great natural gifts are chosen, the most talented singers and musicians, the most beautiful, the fleetest and most graceful, but above all the most loyal. Divine Courtiers are warriors of rare power, being skilled with all manner of weapons. To serve as one is a great honor. It is most commonly bestowed upon those Divine Archers who have many times proven their swiftness with blade, precision with bow and loyalty to the gods.

There are many heroes around the world and even more candidates who aspire to become heroes. The Ophanim is a type of angel whose job is to track these countless candidates and heroes and judge whether they are worthy of becoming a hero or a gift to be made stronger. Most depictions of Ophanim have them as multiple wheels surrounding a fire with eyes on the outside of each wheel. While this is part of thier form, what tends to be neglected is what appears to be a shrine that the Ophanim is sitting on and the shrinebearers carrying it. While they all appear to be separate parts, they are actually all part of the Ophanim itself. It is rare for an Ophanim to appear in battle but when it does, all nearby fight all the harder for the judge itself is watching them. Since an Ophanim's attention is always divided, a Shrinemaster directs it. As well as more permanent changes that take too long to be a use in the middle of a battle, the Ophanim can give followers of the gods temporary blessings, making them more effective through more than just making warriors more determined.

Many of these armies will bring Warhounds to battle. Warhounds are faultless trackers and once they scent blood only their master can get them to abandon the chase. A hunt of Warhounds is a fearsome sight indeed and few live to recount it. On the field of battle, these beasts are released to intercept the forward element of an enemy army, for their sense of smell is as acute as their instincts to kill. Whether trained to rip apart their targets or to drag them back, they are highly effective at hunting down and pouncing upon enemy skirmishers and scouts.

Giants are monstrous humanoids, as tall and strong as 10 men and a prodigious appetite for food, violence and alcohol. Giants are loud, coarse, violent and often stupid, but they can lay waste to whole regiments when the mood takes them, smashing foes with fists and crude clubs and crushing them beneath their massive feet. Due to their power, an army will eagerly accept them. The bulk of giants fight with a club and keep a sack, barrel, or some other container to stow their dubious "loot" in. Giants are wildly unpredictable foes. Though intelligent enough to recognize friend from foe, they struggle with the concept of obeying the orders of anything smaller than itself. Sometimes they lash about with their clubs, while other times they'll pick up smaller opponents and stuff them into a secure (if small) place to be sold to the monsters later or hurl them back into the fray. Their ability to casually pick up and toss away fully armored knights lingers long in the minds of those who've had to fight them.

A Dominion is an angel resembling a bipedial cannon with two weights attached to its arms that it uses to anchor itself when it fires or attack when engaged in melee. In battle, these arcane engines heave crackling blasts of energy through the air into their targets. These creatures are guided rather than crewed by a team of Marauders, who keep the angel raining magical fire on the foe rather than rampaging towards enemy lines. However, even then, the Marauders can fail to direct and constrain the Dominion and when it rushes forward, they have no choice but to follow. There is another risk to the task of managing a Dominion, if the crew displease it then it might smite the crew, leaving itself unmanaged.

The horses ridden by Knights are as strong and fierce as their riders. No normal horses are these but blessed by the gods just like their riders, granting them strength, needle-like teeth, intelligence and loyalty. These steeds are often protected by thick plates of metal barding. Few ordinary horses can match a Heroes Steed in battle and as such, they are highly prized. However, only heroes can ride them, a foolish thief who attempts to steal one will likely be bucked off and crushed under its hooves.

As a hero grows stronger, his mount grows as well. Some will transform into Pegasi or Sleipnir but others simply grow bigger and stronger. The changes these Angelic Mounts undergo can be extensive, sometimes to the point where it's unrecognizable from the horse it once was. The ground itself is blessed or purified by their stride, the air around them shimmers with divine energy and their roars can send shivers down the spine of the bravest of monsters. Only the most trusted and brave may ride one for an Angelic Mount is intelligent and benevolent and do not allow the unworthy to ride them.

Discs of Thoth are mounts gifted to Thoth's favored servants. Coruscating with magical force, discs hover above the ground, skimming gently forwards upon the winds of magic. Swift and deadly, these are most favored by Sorcerers for allowing them to swoop around the battlefield with unfettered ease. When the warriors of Thoth march to war, the proud Sorcerers drift above them on floating discs, raining magical fire upon their foes while keeping out of reach of their spears and swords. The discs themselves are far from defenseless, lashing out with bolts of magical fire or manifesting whirling tentacles or ripping claws to flash at enemies that get too close.

Juggernauts are massive armored creatures that are part beast and part enchanted metal and sinew. Mighty beasts of groaning iron and brass, they stand taller than a man, riveted and clad in sheets of metal. They are forged in dark flames and bound with dire runes, their primordial rage barely held within a shell of metallic muscle and bone. The most favored champions ride upon them. The charge of the Juggernauts causes the ground to tremble and the protection afforded by their armored bodies ensures that the rider can plunge into the thickest of enemy formations, slaying all about him without fear of reprisal. Few can stand before such an unholy union of warrior and unnatural mount trampling into their midst.

Fallen Steeds and strange bipedial beasts that are sometimes gifted to particularly successful disciples to her. It has a long, sinuous body that writhes sensuously as it speeds across the field of battle. The Steed's eyes possess a disarming, intelligent quality, though it is little more than a beast, acting purely on the whims of the god from which it was created. A whip-like tongue flicks constantly from its mouth, tasting the Winds of Magic and seeking out the souls of mortals as a natural beast senses odor on a drifting breeze. These beasts skitter and bound across the battlefield at astonishing speed, springing on the unwary and cutting them down with lashing cuts from their narcotic-laced tongues.

Those high in the favor of Baoht Z’uqqa-Mogg are often borne to war upon repulsive palanquins, their diseased bulk squashed into thrones of decaying metal and rotten wood. Baoht Z’uqqa-Mogg's champion sits upon the throne and commands awe and respect from the lesser warriors under his command. Very few champions are considered worthy of a palanquin and those that are must be favored warriors indeed. The palanquins are conveyed by a great mound of giggling Baohtlings, diminutive mites which hatch from the manifestations of Baoht Z’uqqa-Mogg's choicest plagues. Other than the virulence of the plagues and poisons it carries, an individual Baohtling has little power. Nonetheless, squabbling masses of Baohtlings that bear palanquins to battle are so numerous that they have the strength not only to carry the most corpulent of Baoht Z’uqqa-Mogg's champions to battle, but also to drag into the dirt any foe foolish enough to assail him. If their charge is attacked, the Baohtlings will fight viciously to protect him, gnashing and biting the enemy with filthy but sharp teeth and clambering up legs to get at soft, vulnerable bits. Unlike other Chaos mounts, they also make for very good company, assuming you like the merry burbling of Baohtlings.

The greatest mount a Champion of the Gods can obtain is an Opinicus. Opinicus were made in the previous age in imitation of the griffons, the most significant difference being that they have the front legs of the cat they resemble, rather than the claws of an eagle. Since their creation, many Opinicus have escaped into the wild, becoming integrated into the local ecosystems. Opinicus swoop down on their prey, screaming war cries as they come. They continue to attack until no opponent is left moving. Survivors of Opinicus attacks often have dreams of being hunted down and rent limb from limb for years afterward. Despite being large and monstrous creatures, Opinicus have reputations as noble beasts and loyal beasts. This is in part due to their proud and regal bearing – Opinicus are not ravenous and frenetic like Manticores. Instead an Opinicus strikes with swift and precise grace, its motion poised and controlled. Yet this elegance in no way undermines its deadliness, for an Opinicus is more than capable of using its claws and razor beak to rip a foe apart. Feral Opinicus are canny creatures and expert hunters, able to anticipate their prey's every move. Once a target has been spotted, an Opinicus will relentlessly stalk it, waiting days if need be for the correct moment to strike. The ear-splitting shriek of a diving Opinicus is highly feared and has been known to send entire armies ducking for cover, lest one of their numbers be the beast's chosen quarry. A patiently hand reared Opinicus can be trained to bear a rider upon its back, making a formidable and loyal mount that can even be taught to anticipate a wide range of commands.