User blog:Ilniaj/Heroes of the Order

What is a Hero
The first thing to do is clear up the problem of semantics. In this world, there are two definitions of hero; subjective and objective. The subjective definition is someone of great moral character who displays their strong skill, courage and bravery in the face of danger and adversity. The objective definition is someone empowered by the gods to do their work in this world. As such, heroes that are talked about in this text can range from upstanding paragons (chivalrous knights) morally ambiguous (most inquisitors), utterly despicable (the bloodletters of Enyo) or of a strange moral code (upholders of Osiris).

 ==The Creation of a Hero == Many countries have different traditions regarding how heroes are created. Lescatie almost exclusively reserves the position for royalty (though there are many unofficial channels for becoming one). Other places base the position on ability or rank such as the rituals for becoming one being performed after a promotion in a country's military or priesthood. Less structured systems have some kind of unofficial milestone that must be passed or the boons may be granted based on the god viewing the recipient as being ready or having earned it. Sometimes, both worthiness and a ritual are required. Though the hero's ability to carry out the ritual is usually also a mark of their worthiness.



Even after reaching the title of hero, there are still many more boons that a hero may receive and their skills and abilities still have a lot farther to go. Particularly high ranking heroes can receive some more exotic changes that are more diverse than the general strength, speed and toughness increases that come from first becoming a hero.

 ==Heroes between Fighting == There isn’t constant fighting in the world so many heroes will have long periods where there is no fighting happening or whatever fighting that is happening is too far away to reach before it ends. However, they must still occupy themselves so that their skills stay sharp and their god doesn’t strip them of their strength for being idle. Groups that were formed as a defensive force will go back to their patrol routes and protecting their citadels, ready to be the first line of defense if an attacks arrives. A good deal of heroes become knight errants when there isn’t a war to fight, wandering travelers who go either alone or in small groups to right wrongs, help the helpless or any other goal wherever they travel, only congregating together in large groups whenever there is a campaign to be fought. Maguses, captains and other studious heroes will return to their barracks and towers to continue their studies, often in preparation for the next war. Heroes with a more morally neutral code will serve as mercenaries to fill their stomachs and occupy their time.



Former Heroes
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Generally, becoming a hero is meant to be a lifelong endeavor. However, with a few exceptions, it is rather easy to quit just by saying that they shall leave the profession. There are many reasons that one might do so such as wanting to settle down and have a family, being crippled, wanting to focus on other duties, getting tired of fighting and vast other reasons.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In infamous cases, this may be due to betrayal. Since heroes are all strong beings, male ones tend to be pursued by monsters who are looking for strong mates while female ones captured by monsters will get monsterized. This often results in the monster being killed since heroes tend to be stronger than monsters of equivalent skill. Being captured and corrupted by monsters or falling in love with one almost always leads to their augmentations being stripped immediately. Many such “fallen heroes” can survive this but ones with the more extensive changes such as poisonous skin, acid blood or a burning body will get killed without the required secondary abilities that prevent these augmentation from consuming the bearer. This isn’t a problem for heroes who leave the life for reasons other than betrayal since the gods tend to be more careful with how their powers are removed. Despite being fallen, much of the strength of these people belong to them which tends to come as a very nasty surprise to their former subordinates that try to kill them for being traitors.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Types of Heroes
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Knights
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">These are most commonly thought of when legends speak of heroes. Brave individuals in nearly indestructible armor and riding valiant steeds striding toward their foes to face them in the glory of close combat. They tend to wear the heaviest of armor, only donning lighter suits due to differences in fighting style, technology, environment or available resources. Knights are most well-known for fighting on a horse but they are also capable of (and some prefer) fighting on foot. The physical divine augmentations also apply to their steeds. Horses ridden by them tend to gain an omnivorous appetite, sharpened teeth and bony spikes on their bodies. Renowned and experienced knights have moved beyond horses to more exotic and powerful beasts, steeds of divine origin or their former horse, augmented by the gods into something far stronger.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Duelists
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Unlike the knights who devote themselves to general combat the duelist has a more precise role, the challenging and slaying of enemy leaders. They tend to be lightly or un-armored, fight on foot and are focused in one on one combat unlike the more generalist knights who focus on fighting against groups of enemies. In the few cases where they do wield ranged weapons it is very close-ranged in use such as pistols or throwing weapons. Most of the time, a Duelist type hero is attached to a regular military unit and is meant to challenge any leaders that are in the opposing army, the intention being to either kill the leader or force them to back down and humiliate them in the eyes of their troops if the opponent doesn’t accept and hides behind their forces. When multiple duelists form together into a group, their individuality tends to turn them into a skirmisher unit. Since skirmishers lack the mass to properly dislodge or disrupt ranked forces, they tend to either guard the flanks of larger main infantry groups, kill off isolated units or guard important ranged units like war machines from infiltrators and flankers.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Captains
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Captains are an unusual type of hero. While all other heroes gain abilities that make it easier to kill opponents a Captain’s abilities are supportive in nature. To be specific, they are capable of commanding men better on average than an ordinary person. This usually takes the form as a kind of aura that transfers the Captains mental qualities to the people he is commanding such as stubbornness in the face of adversity, calm emotions, their own zealotry or mental discipline. In other cases, they gain a more active ability to affect their troops such as a booming voice that inspires the wrath of his troops or a kind of mental control that allows his forces to easily make complex military maneuvers even in the chaos of battle. Despite lacking the killing strength of other hero types, they are not to be underestimated in a battle. These heroes tend to reach their position from being a highly experienced veteran in a conventional military and as such they are more skilled in combat then the men they command, being able to amply contribute to a unit as either a fighter or a marksman. Despite terming them “Captains” in this document, this hero type accompanies many different military ranks and has the same role no matter which army they fight in or what the position is named instead.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Priests
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Priests are similar to captains in that they support regular forces. The key difference is that while a captain improves the discipline and will of who he leads, the priests will imbue his followers with zealous fury or martial prowess, making them more dangerous opponents in a direct rather than an indirect manner. Priests are (with a few exceptions) not slouches in combat either, they can even cast divine magic that channels the might of the gods. Though such spells are weaker than the ones a genuine mage can use, this does allow them a lot more flexibility in their abilities.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Inquisitors
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“My symbol. A seemingly innocuous thing but with it I can slay kings, raze cities and muster armies” - an Inquisitor on his badge of office.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The Inquisitors are shrouded in secrecy, the unknown enforcers of religious practices. Their job is simple and if done perfectly, unappreciated; seek out monster infiltrators, heretical traitors and other hidden threats and eliminate them. To better serve this goal, they are glib speakers, resistant to corruption and possess knowledge and senses of the magical arts. Their knowledge allows them to sense corruption and monsters around them, they can even see through more-advanced disguises given enough time. In recent centuries, the number of inquisitors has been rising since the monsters engage in secret wars more often than overt ones ever since the ascendance of the current demon lord. An inquisitor can sometimes be expected to venture into demon realms and other monster-friendly places pretending to be a supporter. From there, they can find out about monster plots and gather information to be sent back and acted upon by fellow inquisitors. When fighting, Inquisitors seem to have a curious preference for gunpowder weapons and can be expected to keep a pistol on their person at all times. The ranks of the inquisition have always had a high turnover rate, fighting a secret war is unappreciated by its very nature and few, if any have a clear conscience since they often have to slay people whose only crime was being deceived or corrupted through no fault of their own.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Assassins
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Assassins are fast and skilled close ranged skirmishers, the spies and infiltrators of a crusading army. When alone, they function in a similar manner to duelists on the battlefield, but have the exact opposite methods, either surprising their target from an ambush or pretending to be an ordinary soldier somewhere in the battlefield and attacking when this takes them close to an opponent. Unlike Duelists they are offensive in nature when in small groups, their service as infiltrators allows them to kill off important enemy ranged units before they can deal too much damage to an army they fight. In the midst of battle, their roles are easiest because though the enemies are alert, there are dozens of other things to worry about which allows assassins considerable maneuverability. When outside of the battlefield, they’ll try to harass and sabotage opponents, poisoning supplies, damaging war machines, stealing equipment and plans and killing leaders. Experienced assassins will have their body become a weapon allowing them to run energy down a blade after a stab in order to guarantee a kill with it or poison a blade by licking it. They have even been known to take advantage of the lustfulness of monsters by trying to seduce them so that they can stick a blade in her back or move poisoned saliva into her mouth.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Archers
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The close-ranged counterpart of the assassins. While assassins can only fight at close range with very limited non-melee capabilities (usually either throwing weapons, pistols or handbows), a Archer will use a long-ranged weapon to harm opponents from afar. Despite the name, this can be any weapon of similar range such as a handgun or crossbow. These men and women are adept infiltrators just like assassins and can put a projectile into an opponent from distances comparable to war machines. Their senses are enhanced as well, allowing them to hear someone’s heartbeat from far away, smell an opponent's scent on the wind or listen in on a conversation from across a plain. Their shooting abilities are also improved by this, depending on the group they can enchant their shots to burn enemies or phase through armor, aim exactly at something vital or have quick hands that allow them to put down shots quicker than any normal person. Despite being ranged focused an Archer type hero is still a better melee combatant than the average soldier, which has been a very bad surprise for those who have managed to get close to them.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Therianthropes
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Heroes dedicated to a god with a sacred animal will sometimes be granted the ability to transform into a mix of a humanoid body and the form of that sacred animal. Sometimes, this transformation is permanent while others will have this be a temporary change that can be undone at will. Foolish people have claimed that these people are kin to the monsters that infest our world but with their change into nubile female forms this accusation has pretty much disappeared. Therianthropes tend to be massive creatures that stand almost twice the size of a man. The weapons they use are scaled up versions of what humans use or natural ones that come with their new form. They are one of the most dangerous type of heroes with impressive skill and a very physically powerful and resilient body. A single one can take on several low/mid capability monsters and win.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Mages
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Mages tend to be a prideful bunch (and many have the power to justify their ego) and because of that, eschew most of the god granted strengths that other heroes make use of. That being said, heroes from specific places have traditions that prevent this pride from hampering them and are granted blessings that improve their ability to fight in a magical duel. This could be a simple attunement to magic that makes it easier to cast spells but sometimes is resistance to magic that grants an advantage in such a duel. Due to focusing more on their studies, mages tend to be worse fighters than even ordinary humans but there are exceptions. Cultures with a martial tradition have their mages train in the art of combat as well, meaning their usual weakness of being physically frail is not present. These heroes will accept more extensive blessings from their god and because of that, can easily match most foes in one on one combat.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Guardians
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Sometimes, a hero wishes to continue to serve even after death but doesn’t have the capabilities to be granted Archangelhood (see below). The secrets of a kind of necromancy have solved this problem, by binding the souls of fallen heroes to a sacred place, that hero can continue to guard it long after his physical body has crumbled to dust. Depending on the nature of their binding a Guardian’s new body is either an ethereal presence in a similar existence to a ghost or is able to build themselves a new body out of the materials from the sacred place. These heroes have much of the skill from when they were alive though whatever body has been created for them tends to be weaker than the flesh and blood one they had as a hero. Nonetheless, these are much harder to “kill” than ordinary heroes since simply destroying the body they have will not guarantee that you have sent them to the reincarnation cycle, they will either reform themselves given time or fashion a new body from the land they are bound too.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Archangels
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Particularly capable heroes who have managed spectacular feats are granted apotheosis, becoming mighty archangels. Upon attaining the position of Archangel, they gain a new, powerful body and their soul is made resilient enough that it can survive the destruction of the body without immediately passing into the reincarnation cycle. An archangel stands on average, two to three times the height of a man. Since they’re of the kin of the gods (though much weaker) they can change their forms, walking in a skin nearly indistinguishable from mortals when it serves them and transforming into a mighty colossal when they need to fight. Many Archangels have become worshipped as minor ancestor gods. ==<span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Heroes Sworn to the Demon Lord and Monster Heroes == <p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In theory, the demon lord does have the power to create a similar system of empowered humans and monsters, however, she instead prefers to intersperse such blessing throughout her people meaning that though the monsters generally don’t have elite units that are as powerful as order heroes their rank and file is much stronger than the Order’s rank and file. There are a few exceptions to this rule however but that is for another document.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;">

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In a few cases, monsters and Incubus have decided to pursue the role of heroes. There are two types of monster/Incubus to consider in this circumstance, those who were born as such or turned at a very young age and those who were unwillingly turned in their lifetime. Those who have had that happen to them may still maintain their faith and loyalty despite their forms and minds being twisted, continuing to fight for mankind with as much zeal or more than they had before.