User blog:Ilniaj/The Amazon Military

Wild tales abound of the tribes of fierce warrior succubi living within the New World continent of Lustria and the Jungles of the Southlands. The Amazons as a people were once humans and while their views on gender relations were and are different from the rest of the world, they would still worship the same gods, gave birth to both boys and girls and would fight and survive the attacks of monsters. This changed with the ascension of the current Demon Lord who conquered them, converting them all into a strain of Succubi. Now, rather than a human people that fought for the survival of humanity, they raid human societies, capturing men to be fathers of their children.

Before their monsterization, the Amazons had a practice of Husband Kidnapping where a woman would abduct the man they wish to marry. As time went on, the practice devolved into a symbolic gesture, where a woman would chase a man she is engaged to be married to in a ritualized kidnapping. When the women of their society were monsterized, the practice in its original form was revived and expanded as the Amazons must now capture men from other societies as they are unable to birth men on their own and lack the ability to disguise as humans in order to seduce men that a typical Succubus possesses. By necessity, this made them a warlike people and when the steady trickle of trespassers seeking the riches of Lustria and the Southlands cannot sustain them, they organize "Flower Wars" raiding settlements of humans for men to marry, the armies formed for a "Flower War" can appear in many lands due to the teleportation magic used by monsters. Every Amazon serves in the military from the age of 18 (though their military training began years ago) and is not considered an adult woman until she marries. In the event that she captures a man to marry before the age of 18, she'll be considered an adult no matter how young.

The Amazonian military is based around striking from cover of their densely overgrown lands and then retreating before an enemy can react. The Amazons are incredibly quick in their forested homes, able to move swiftly where other armies would flounder. Only the Wood Elves and the Beastwoman can move swifter in such lands. The weaponry they wield allows them to strike a foe very hard in both melee and at range, but their armor lacks similar advancement and their near human constitution lacks the resilience that other races such as Dwarves, Beastwoman and Orcs enjoy, which is why they try to avoid direct encounters whenever possible. All of the Amazons are perfectly trained for jungle and forest combat and their surprise attacks have defeated many an army. When guerilla tactics won't work such as when opponents have fortified their positions, the Amazons will use the massive reptilian warbeasts they have trained. These strange creatures can carry the heaviest of war machines and even unequipped, can break fortifications and formations.

The ancient Lizardmen left behind many ruins filled with strange and powerful artifacts. These strange beings appear to have placed the majority of their constructions while they walked the world in Lustria and the Southlands as that's where the majority of their ruins can be found. Humans try to gather these artifacts to recreate and learn their secrets and the Amazons are no exception. Since the Amazons are fortunate enough to have settled where these ancients placed the bulk of the ruins, they have access to the most of these artifacts. While Gremlins are the only ones today who are able to master the ancients technology and are tight-lipped of the full secrets held within, the Amazons have learned as much as they can, even being able to create their own versions of the ancients equipment, though usually without fully understanding the underlying principles.

The artifacts that the Amazons use come in a wide variety. While the strongest among them are reserved for the leadership, there are many arcane items and weapons that are common enough for the elite units to wield in bulk. Sunstaffs are long tubular stick with one end hollow. Wielders can use it to discharge a beam of energy akin to the rays of the sun. Claws of the Ancients are made from a strange metal that is impervious to age and corrosion. When it's powers are unleashed, the blades glow hot and can cut through armor as if it were paper. Sun Gauntlets resemble a black powder pistol. When pointed at an enemy, it unleashes a burst of energy like a Sunstaff, but can also be used to in melee combat to make magically imbued strikes. The last among these is the defensive Moon Amulet. When activated, it projects a shimmering protective field of energy around the wearer making it harder to target them at range or even deflecting ranged attacks.

Those Amazons who show magical proficiency or male magic users that are married to an Amazon are all part of a Magocracy that intertwines all of Amazon society. They are rather like a monastic order; novices live closeted lives, only acquiring responsibilities as they get older and wiser. Magic users are identified from birth through a series of signs and rituals and once they reach the age of five, they are taken from their parents to be raised and taught by other people gifted with magic. Upon reaching the age of 15, the apprentice is assigned to a military regiment (if female) or settlement (if male). In both cases, they must attend to whatever needs that require magic to be met. Upon serving for five years, they are elevated to join the higher ranks being taught more secrets. The women of this magocracy are skilled fighters as well as potent magic users. They have been observed using the Lores of Light, Life, Beasts, Heavens, Shadow and a secret Arcane Lore known as the Lore of the Serpent.

The commanders and strongest fighters of the Amazon military are Matriarchs and their subordinate Mistresses. Mistresses are veterans that have participated in dozens of war parties, are skilled in fighting with a variety of weapons and are granted powerful magic weapons to wield. Matriarchs and Mistresses are in charge of the defense of Amazon settlements, sacred places, frequently used paths and routes through the jungle, connecting major villages or a temple and of course, the borders of their lands. This duty ranges from the simplest task, like inspecting the camouflage and weapons of a departing patrol up to intricate planning of defensive strategies or raids. However, whenever there is a big operation, there will always be at least one magic user to provide magical assistance.

Amazon Warriors form the core of their armies, every woman is trained in the ways of warfare at a young age. It is said they are taught to use a sword and shoot a bow before they are taught how to walk. Once they have married, an Amazon is expected to have at least one child. Even married amazons will join raids in order to assist their peers in finding husbands of their own. Amazons are fierce fighters. Clothed in the flayed lizard-hide, many bearing animal-headed masks, they are a fearsome sight. Some dye their hair in myriad colours reminiscent of the exotic birds of the jungle, and raise it with resin and sap to mimic a bird's crest. Should the need arise, every Amazon woman could be mobilized and form an effective combat force. Amazon warrior women regiments are incredibly flexible - capable of fighting with a bow as well as with spear and sword. Being able to cover long distances in the jungle in a time where most intruders manage to march only a few miles, the Amazons are masters of setting up ambushes and then to vanish into the thick foliage only to choose their next field of battle.

Those of the Amazon Warriors who display particular affinity for the jungle may be selected by the local matriarch and trained in the ways of reconnaissance, taken from the natural hunters and jungle trackers in the Amazon villages. Piranha Warriors are the eyes and ears of the Amazon Army. Using their superior skill they range ahead of main army, noting troop movements and making deadly sniper attacks with their javelins or blowpipes. These masters of guerrilla warfare prove invaluable to the Amazon army. Piranha Warriors are known for their exceptional speed and agility. These stealthy and resourceful women are organized into loose teams and maintain the perimeters of Amazon cities and outposts from their perches high in the jungle canopy. Able to respond quickly to any incursion, Piranha Warriors often form the first line of defense for an Amazonian village. These prized scouts are also dispatched far ahead of the vanguard of an Amazonian army to assess enemy combat strength and to harass supply lines and disrupt enemy communications. The Piranha Warriors prefer ranged weapons and are often found ahead of an Amazon war band. They are the only Amazons to use a great seashell horn to warn their allies of approaching enemies.

All Amazons, learn about weaponry and warfare as part of their basic education. However, only the best students can progress to becoming Eagle Warriors. To be considered an adult, an Amazon must capture a man to marry, to enter the Eagle Warriors, an Amazon must assist three of her peers in capturing men for them to marry and be married or assist four of her peers in capturing men to marry if she is still looking for the proper husband. Warriors gaining promotion into the ranks of the Eagle Warriors have previously specialized in one particular weapon type, as is the way of Amazonian training. It is likely that this favored weapon remain a warrior’s weapon of choice after promotion, though increased status may give greater access to more advanced weaponry, like the Artifacts of the ancients. These fighters wear great colorful headdresses made of eagle feathers and costumes that enhance their military bearing. Because they are unarmored and unencumbered, they are able to move quickly. They are the fast, light troops of the Amazon armies, quickly pouncing on enemies. Being trained on using an intricate language of bird cries, with each member of a war party having an individual pitch or type of shout, the Eagle Warriors are able to communicate right next to the enemy without being spotted. Thus, the Eagle Spirit that leads them can nominate a target and lay out an ambush plan. Many a foe has wondered about the heightened avian activity in his surroundings shortly before being ambushed by an Amazon war party.

Another rank of Amazon fighter is the Jaguar Warrior, who is more heavily armed and armored than the other warriors. The Jaguar Warriors are considered to be the all-out fighting troops and full time warriors. The brute force of the Amazon army, they wear Jaguar skins over their heads with their faces peering out beneath the jaguar mouth. An Aspiring Jaguar Warrior must hunt down a wild jaguar and then work the prey's skin into her armor. The Jaguar Warriors are known for their exceptional strength and combat prowess, and they are well respected for their vicious fighting style.

Amazon culture places a great emphasis on zeal and courage in battle. The less well-adjusted or unbalanced of Amazonian society embrace these ideals with a frightening fervor and passion. There is a peculiar sect within Amazon society called the Koka-Kalim that attracts the most bloodthirsty, unhinged members of the population. These sisters are feared and revered in equal amounts. These women are worshipers of Ares (though sadly, this can cross over into the worship of Enyo), imbibing drugs and engaging in mental exercises to work themselves into a warriors frenzy, turning them into very ferocious opponents. The Koka-Kalim are perhaps the most frightening warriors in the Amazon Army. These wild women drive themselves into such a mad frenzy of hatred and blood lust that they are both a threat to themselves, their own side and the foe. These mad women are banded together into an unruly mob – and then pointed in the direction of the enemy. These women are known as being as fierce and relentless as the Witch Elves of Naggarond. The chilling yells of Koka-Kalim as they rush headlong into their enemies have driven many a shaken foe from the field of battle.

The Jungle Stalkers are famed warriors who have developed a great skill with the bow, but even greater skill in stealth and scouting, either leading units of Piranha Warriors or forming units of their own. It was said that the best of them can strike 3 targets in a row with a blast from their Sunstaffs. Their reputation as ranged masters precedes them and whenever they join an Amazon army, the other warriors will keep an eye on them, eager to know if their reputation is unfounded. Few have been disappointed. Jungle Stalkers wield bows with Poisoned Arrows or even Sunstaffs. The poison they used is a potent paralytic that they aim for the non-vitals of their enemies. A warrior thus poisoned and not rescued by his fellows can easily be stripped of his armor and weapons and taken back as a prisoner of war. Moving swiftly through the jungle canopy, these well-trained rangers are able to kill enemies quickly and break enemy morale under a barrage of well-aimed arrows.

One of the most formidable units possessed by the Amazons are the Totem Guard, bodyguards to important individuals and some of the greatest warriors among the Amazons. Totem Guardians often wear ceremonial face masks and are rarely unequipped. As powerful as they are in physical combat they are also expected to be educated, though most of this education is on the theories of strategy, tactics and improving combat technique. They paint their faces with vivid colors to show their ferocity and are renowned for not taking a backwards step in combat. Other than forming an elite guard, they also have an important duty, guarding the inner sanctums and sacred vaults of the magocracy. Equipped with great halberds or even the artifacts of the ancients, these elite infantry are renowned for never taking a step back against the foe.

The Amazon Huntress is the mistress of the jungle, an Amazon who has spent years along the border ensuring that their realms remains safe. The Amazon Huntresses have for years guarded the approaches to their lands, carefully monitoring the border and tracking down trespassers. They will track and notify the local authorities of those violating the borders. Of great assistance to the Huntresses are the Jaguars that the Huntresses have trained and are their constant companions. The Jaguars that are their companions are either abandoned cubs or cubs that have lost their mother that the Huntress raises as if she were their mother. As the Amazon continues her duty to protect the borders from any intruders, her Jaguar companion grows, learns and adapts to this new lifestyle of hunting and fighting alongside the woman. Eventually, when the Jaguar is full grown and the bond between the Amazon and her companion has reached a depth only perhaps experienced by the Wood Elves and their steeds and falcons, the Jaguar would let her mount on its back. This very special event ties these two entities together forever and only death can part this bond. From now on, the Amazon has reached the status of a Huntress. The Amazon will now patrol the borders, hunt and fight from the back of the Jaguar, the two becoming more accustomed to this new way of living together each day. When the time for war comes, the Huntresses will gather together to fight alongside their kin, riding to battle on top of their trusted companions. This creates a powerful shock force.

The Southlands and Lustria aren't solely dense jungle, these lands have also been known to have vast plains. Residing in these plains are Culchan, huge flightless carnivorous birds with strong legs and necks and a head resembling a parrot. These creatures are extremely fierce but can be used as mounts if hand-reared. They nest in immense mounds made of sticks, branches, leaves, and whatever else they can scavenge, with each nest used by a large group of Culchan. This makes it the more difficult for any Amazon party to snatch away some eggs because there is always at least one bird near the nest mound, casting a watchful eye on the nest, ready to let out a cry of alarm as soon as any would-be egg thief might dare to approach. Culchan riders serve as excellent fast-cavalry, faster than Jaguars, the riders will pelt opponents with arrows before dashing away to avoid the foes counter-attack.

The elite heavy cavalry of the Amazons are cold-one riders. A Cold One is a rapacious predator and pack hunter, this behavior allowing a group of them to bring down creatures many times their size with some of their number snapping at their quarry and the rest encircling and surrounding the unfortunate victim. Cold Ones can be broken to the saddle, and are used cavalry mounts by the Amazons. However, breaking them in this way tempers their normally savage nature, and although still ferocious compared to most mounts, it leaves them dull-eyed and sullen compared to their wild cousins. The Cold One Riders are among the deadliest of cavalry, as they bound forwards into combat. When they charge, the mount leaps forwards, embedding their deep and razor sharp claws into their unfortunate prey, as the rider tries to aim her spear to maximize the impact. When the Amazon army is fully arrayed for battle, the Cold One Rider will often take position at the extreme flanks. As the enemy advance upon the main body of the Amazon army, the Cold One Riders begin a wide flanking maneuver. As the enemy close on the Amazons’ main battle line the cavalry will burst forth, smashing into the foe's exposed sides.

Horned Ones are a variant of the Cold One, far rarer but faster and less dull-witted. Horned Ones in the wild nearly always become the leaders of Cold One packs due to their comparative intelligence and quick-wittedness. Their bellowing infects other Cold Ones with aggression, making the whole pack into even fiercer fighters. When these vicious beasts are ridden into battle, the Horned Ones' natural aggression and hunting instincts are well served. Horned Ones are only ridden by the Amazon leadership, the Matriarchs, Mistresses and Priestesses as it is appropriate that a leader of Amazons ride a leader of Cold Ones. A Horned One can't be broken to the saddle, it must be raised from an egg by its rider.

Terradons are large flying reptiles that have haunted the skies above the jungles since the prehistory of the world, dwelling in the high crags and the jungle canopy, hundreds of meters above the ground. Their keen eyesight can pierce the gloom of the jungle, enabling them to spot their prey at great distances. In the wild, Terradons drop rocks onto the eggs of gigantic reptiles or creatures with horny shells such as giant turtles to crack them open to eat. The Amazons have exploited this ability by training the Terradons to glide into battle clutching rocks to drop onto the foe. These Terradon riders are exceptionally useful in battle, flying ahead of the main army and scouting the position of the enemy. Amazons riding them launch javelins and arrows at the foe.

For sheer aggression, Ripperdactyls are in a class of their own, making them far more difficult to tame than Terradons. These ferocious creatures are reptilian predators who hone their instincts by attacking everything they see. Upon sighting something that moves, Ripperdactyls will dive towards it in packs, smashing into their foe to tear it apart. No one can tame a hatched Ripperdactyl, even stolen eggs are dangerous, as one hatched in captivity would attack the first thing it sees. Training one takes a year and is a painful and arduous process, the Amazon that does so will have many scars to boast about by the end of the process if she survives. The Amazons who survive the bonding attempt with the Ripperdactyl are truly the most capable and bold of warriors. Once mounted, they forgo Javelins and bows as the mount cannot be stopped from diving towards the enemy, instead carrying shields and spears.

The Bastiladon is among the most heavily armored beasts in the world, second only to a transformed Elder Wurm. It is a walking fortress, covered in rock-hard bony skin and further protected by iron-like plates, a natural armor so dense it is capable of thwarting the bite of a Carnosaur. After shrugging off or ignoring the foes attack, an enraged Bastiladon will launch its own assault, attempting to stomp opponents into a bloody pulp or smashing the foe with it's enormous mace like tail. Because of its nigh impenetrable armour, there are few predators in Lustria that will dare to attack a Bastiladon. Such formidable protection, however, does come at a cost, for the Bastiladon is a lumbering and ponderous creature, slowed down by its own dense weight. When driven to war, a Bastiladon will often carry a war engine on its back, either a Revivification Crystal, that causes friendly people nearby to rapidly regenerate wounds or a Solar Engine that invigorates friendly people or release a burst of energy that blinds and disables the foe.

Stegadons are among the largest of all the deadly creatures that reside in the jungles. They are bulky creatures whose heads are covered by armoured crests, out of which project massive horns. Their tails are heavy and often clubbed or barbed, and can be swung with devastating force at anything that tries to approach them from the side or behind. Even the largest of predators will think twice about confronting a Stegadon, and few are so foolish as to assault it head-on, for Stegadons are potent foes, hardened scaled protect their tough hides, and they shed arrows and spears as easily as they weather falling rain. Stegadons are herbivorous creatures but will charge any creature of an equivalent size that intrudes on its territory, its heavy frame unsuitable for flight. Since the earliest days, the Amazons have used Stegadons as beasts of burden, to smash roadways through the jungle and to drag huge blocks of stone for buildings. They are also used for devastating shock attacks in times of war, and to add serious fighting heft to far-ranging ground patrols. They reared by a group who will stay with them throughout their lifetimes, and the Stegadons grow to be very protective of the women they have known since they hatched. Large howdahs are attached to the beasts' backs, and from this protected vantage point, the warriors riding it can hurl a storm of poison-tipped javelins in battle and fire huge arrows from mounted great bows. Stegadons may be used as a Mount for a Matriarch alongside a few handlers.

The most ancient Stegadons have enormous horns, tipped with sharp metal barbs. The hides of these Stegadons are thicker and their tails more heavily clubbed. These are invariably the toughest and strongest of all Stegadons. They outlive an Amazon by far and a single Stegadon might have had generations of handlers. Ancient Stegadons have a wider variety of weapons on their back than younger ones. While it's possible they might have a giant bow, they have also had an array of blowpipes that fire a cluster of darts or an Engine of the Ancients, which possess mysterious powers to protect allies nearby, control the flows of the winds of magic to make them easier to manipulate or smite the foes with rays of energy. Only veteran magic users and the handlers of the beast are allowed to ride an Ancient Stegadon.

A Matriarch might ride a Carnosaur, lethal bipedal lizards that stalk the darkness beneath the high canopies of the primordial jungles, the ultimate hunters within the lands. They are giant predators, reaching over thirty feet from snout to tail when fully grown. Carnosaurs have massive jaws, filled with daggerlike teeth that can rip huge chunks of flesh from larger prey and crunch through anything that walks, rending bone, flesh or steel in equal measure. So large is the Carnosaur's mouth that it can swallow man-sized prey whole. Carnosaur eggs are highly coveted and they are difficult to raise, only the most powerful of Amazons can keep the beast under control.

The most common mount of the leadership, so available that the lesser leaders can ride them is the nearly blind Troglodon. The Carnosaur might be more ferocious, but it is also easier to avoid. The Troglodon, on the other hand, stalks its prey with a frightening stealth. If the Troglodon deems it is not close enough to dart out and bite its foe, the beast resorts to fouler tactics. With a hideous, hissing whistle, the Troglodon draws in breath that it then uses to project its toxic bile outwards. Although moderately short in range, this liquid fumes release a noxious paralyzing poison and it sticks to those it attaches to, allowing it to better track its foe.

Of all the reptilian nightmares that inhabit the jungle-shrouded continent of Lustria and the Southlands, Dread Saurians are one of the most feared. The spiked fins on a Dread Saurian's back brush the top of the jungle canopy as they move, the massive beasts constantly searching for prey when active. Once found, their gigantic, snapping crocodilian jaws can tear apart an adult Stegadon in a welter of blood. Immense creatures, larger than the towering Carnosaur, Dread Saurians are few in number and sacred and the fury of each that prowls the jungles is moderated only by the arcane power of the collars that bedecks them. Without these, not even the most magically capable Amazon High Priestess can hold their hunger in check. These ceremonial titans bear the most precious relics from the ancient days, items of power left behind by the Ancients, and the power of these artefacts makes them all but indestructible on the battlefield as they charge forth wreathed in flame or with skin as hard as stone.

One of the most rare and enigmatic creatures to be found in the world is the Coatl. Sporting a long, sinuous, snake-like body, a Dragon's head and massive feathered wings, the Coatl is more than just an unlikely accident of evolution. The Coatl are highly intelligent, and are powerful mages, and are said to have the power to alter the jungle around them to draw invaders away from the sacred places in which they dwell, and into the leech-infested swamps surrounding them. When the Coatl makes an appearance, it generally leaves few witnesses, but those few fortunate enough to have lived to tell the tale mention a terrible force of nature that is able to call upon the ancient mystical power that permeates the jungle. The Coatl is said to appear from the skies upon a thunderous wind, churning the jungle canopy and stirring the undergrowth to a frenzy. The skies darken and the jungle shifts, and the invaders are soon helplessly disoriented, lost within a swirling maelstrom of magical aspect. At this point, the Amazons invariably launch their own attack, and it's normally all over pretty fast for the foolhardy invaders.