Zondros Military

## Common Knowledge

Combatants in the many wars fought across Orelisle’s eastern hemisphere may be familiar with Zondros’ advanced and powerful military. Denizens of Zondros (or mercenaries from Cliffhaven, or barbarians of Zondros) have likely even served in that military at some point or another.

## Further Description

The Zondronian military has the cutting edge of technological advancement combined with dogged determinism and vengeful drive of its populace. The elves of this army benefit not only from a long line of military discipline but also the resources of an all Elven spanning Empire. This results in a populace that is willing to wage a total war of attrition with an enemy that can and has costed her one out of every four of her cherished sons and daughters before.The Zondronian army is quite possibly the most drilled and regimented High Elven army in existence with the dedication, cultural collective mindset and ability to train a professional and standardized army that meet the exacting requirements of their stations. Every Zondronian High Elf is a proficient caster, an intelligent and at least outwardly professional individual that can live up to the demands made upon their character. Having been forced to start anew with exilement, the Zondronian army combines tens of thousands of years of military excellence with the recent years of combat pragmatism to form a potent and specialized force of destruction. If managed well, any threat on the Orelisle continent will eventually meet its end via a rain of arrows, artillery, martial and magical prowess guided by eternal Elven vigilance.

Zondros is a country blessed with natural borders and easily defendable terrain freeing up troops that would have to hold an otherwise deadly passageway and instead can leave a token force that can man pre-planned defenses. While the population’s psyche is directed inward and isolationist, that leads to inward recollection and self-reflection which brings harmony and focus among its people that allow them to deal with any outward external threat with the calm mind of an indifferent martial master. The country has been on the sputtering downward spiral of defeats with its rival Koda for the better half of the millenia, yet still its forces find solace in knowing that fewer and fewer Drow tricks will work on a High Elf. Professionally trained, experienced and adequately armed, the Zondronian soldier will lay down their lives to protect the very existence of their nation and their people. Recently crowned High Queen Taarlae Crevecouer will lead the fight that Queen Camilla Fateburn has given up in the desert, in the fields in the cities and in the hills; fighting for every piece of dirt, every piece of lost land that they call home. While Zondronian diplomatic efforts focus around internal harmony to topple, intimidate or bypass any external foreign efforts, leading to heroic and collective changes in environment, social mores and psychology. While the outside world watches, the Zondronian Elf claims their birthright; to change this malevolent *Pax Maelstrom* and turn it into an Elven Dominion, one blood soaked arrow at a time.

## History

### Killing a Progenitor

Historical texts indicate that the Zondronian military has felled progenitors deities.One such Progenitor was an infamous Elder Mokumokuren by the name of ‘Edenven’ that was a sentient many-eyed mythical monster that survived throughout the ages. Born in 5,193 to what is said to be the malaise of murderers whose final quarry escaped them, it hunted down those of magical properties and killed them, adding their eyeballs to its porous skin.  It formed a cult around itself, called ‘The Illuminated Ones’ that gained traction in Zondros, Marza, Kha, Daris, any country that it laid its eyes upon. Its cult’s following ebbed and flowed with the big tragedies that occurred during the warring factionalization of the period.  Since 7,224, the same year the Plains Elves of Zondros suffered the 100 Tragedies, a year round catastrophe of various things such crop failures, unexplained disappearances and mysterious magical malevolence and anomalies throughout the Zondronian Countryside. Attributing this haunted year to itself and its power, it steadily grew in believers who were mostly Human, Plains Elf or High Elven of origin through intimidation, and offering to leave those who appeased it, alone. For those who Edenven favored greatly, it disposed of their enemies in gruesome ways, but always taking their eyes for themselves. It’s reign of terror was boasted by Edenven to last over a hundred years but in truth, lasted longer. It’s powers of all-seeing scrying grew over time and every hero sent to stop it, was slain, redirected or gave up. It traveled throughout South-East Orelisle until finally in 8,224 the monster was stopped; a cursed 1,000 years after the 100 Tragedies.

The Heroes to do this was a High Elven Army led by Astral Ascendent, ‘Tylowile Wassen’ whose Bamboo Bombardiers was crucial in delaying the inhuman creature from disrupting a vital ritual to cast the beast into the Void. Volley upon volley of iron shells mined from the bountiful earth of Marza erupted from the ranks of the Bombardiers, an entire section of the Fade Forest cut down to give them the bamboo needed to launch their attacks as the Eyes of the Mokumokuren struggled to predict and evade or disintegrate every such projectile at it. For every eye that closed from physical damage, another three opened but the volume of wrath-fire and precision shot, led to its downfall as the ritual casted its beaten body into the Void.

Some say Edenven died from the magical impact the ritual gave it when it was thrust back into the void. Others say it watches still from the Great Beyond, planning its revenge to this day. And yet still others state that while Edenven may have died, it reincarnated as something more terrible and more wrathful. It will come when 100 more Tragedies in the Zondronian countryside herald its arrival and reign with terror for a thousand more years.  [Most likely outcome, it got hit by a Planar Wall hard enough that it died.]

## Structure

### Core Forces

#### Elves At Arms

+ Commissioned Officer, Medium Morale, Counters Spells, Competent Fighters with Jians/Daos or Qiangs/Jis, Upgrades with Zhanmadao Anti-Cavalry Two Handers, Iron-Ribbed Umbrella Shields.

Elves At Arms are the front-line specialists of any Zondronian expedition force. Supposedly composed of all ‘volunteers’, these sometimes conscripted individuals have high patriotic fervor to defend their homes from external and internal threats, once their training is done. Trained in barracks called ‘Waystone Dojos’ these elves are taught to fully encompass a fighting style to not only mastery but perfection. Waystone Dojos can be as little as a small practice shed filled with straw dummies, an instructor and an open field or as intricate as the military academies in Zondros or Dourdawn that sport lavish materials, facilities and research that always cusps innovation and ingenuity. Instructors inspect the aptitude and potential of each candidate who are trained in general combat and a multitude of styles before choosing to specialize in a combat style at the advice of an instructor. The path to perfection is such that Elves At Arms come to forget their general training in most weapons as they come to hone in one. If by chance, they show such an aptitude for learning and retaining multiple styles to an acceptable degree then they might qualify for the Pathfinder corps. Common paths include hand to hand combat with Dao’s or forming impregnable walls of steel with Ji’s as well as anti-cavalry duties with the fearsome Zhanmadao Horse cleaving two handers. If equipped with a one handed weapon, the budget sometimes allows for these individuals to be equipped with the fast acting Iron(Steel I guess...)-Ribbed Umbrella shields, that pop out from the wrist in a clockwork mechanism fashion. They are light and made with flexible bamboo that bends easily but does not break and ‘stitched’ with metals to fold into one’s wrist as the plates overlap each other.

Every Elf is expected to know or have on their person some form of magical countermeasures. This expectation of magical proficiency is such that magic is not taught at the military level but rather on the civilian level or even homeschooled.

They wear cacti and steel reinforced gambesons which are light and durable enough to withstand solid blows and let in a cool breeze. The colors are designed in white and yellow which is sometimes blinding enough in the desert fields, although political necessities may change uniform attire. Each Elf At Arms is a group of warriors on their own, fighting with extreme precision, speed and finesse that dissuades even other professional soldiers from a charge. Such is their ability that those falling prey to a disadvantage combat scenario, I:E, Swordsmen charging an Elves At Arms spear elf line will find themselves doubly impeded in the engagement. Even for the foolhardy or stupidly brave, they soon find that courage and raw skill is no match for uncaring, efficient discipline and maneuver. In dire situations, those untrained or recently drafted, such as the 30 year trainee groups, are formed into reservist lines that are sent to relieve unfavorable engagements so that more professional and trained soldiers can regroup for the counter-attack.

Elves At Arms are led by a noble Elf ‘Commissioned Officer’ from 2nd Lt. to Major. These individuals are sometimes peasants who rise above their position by displaying extraordinary valor, becoming ‘Esquires’ 2nd Lt. Others find the position by being in a line of military excellence within their noble family. Whatever the case may be, after they graduate from a Zondronian officer program, they have grasped the fundamentals of maneuvering, tactical awareness, and leading by example. They are often formidable warriors by either blade or strategic acumen but most often both.

Officially, the political paramilitary units that are formed are considered off-branch subunits of Elves At Arms despite their unofficial training and methods and are buecratically considered ‘militia’ and lower than official army members although in practice that may not be the case.

#### Elven Bowmasters

+ Eagle-Eye, High Morale, Counters Spells, Competent Fighters with Daggers, Longbow Archers, Upgrades with Gore-Bow (Limb-Wound + 3 Count Stun), Shield-Bow, Pixiu-Bow (2000meters or 1.24miles range), Camels, Fire Arrows, Malady Arrows

It is no mystery that Elves are good with the bow. Stereotypes, stories exaggerated to myths and the occasional prodigy who lives up to said myths are reasons why Elves are known to be amazing shots. The truth is thus. Man’s primal weapon is a spear in which he can stab or throw to mix close quarters fighting with a way to engage from afar. For Elves, life is too precious to risk in close quarters fighting without massive advantages and so, from very early on they’ve chosen to fight from afar. Elves as a race have refined that craft so much so that arrows guide their will as surely as a stab to the heart. This craft of bow making and the art of archery has come far since the days of splitting Elvic communities. A modern Elf of this art can perform feats of marksmanship that the line between skill and magic blurs. For Zondronian Elves, mastery of the art is only the beginning to perfecting it. In a military perspective, it is known that all Elves worth their weight can draw a bow, but there will never be enough bows for every Elf. It is by necessity that only the best form the bulk of Zondros’ bowmaster divisions.

An Elven Bowmaster is handpicked during Zondronian archer trials that are a month in length and usually take place in the military academies. Rangers from far and wide, from the cities to the towns to sleepy hamlets and even quieter hovels and hermits do individuals flock to the banners of these trials. Only the best form the bulk of the armies bowmaster divisions. The first test is to hit a selection of targets from various ranges with above 90% accuracy to lower the crowds of recruits. Only the top percentile of individuals of this category are selected to even begin the pre-selection process of deciding if the Elf’s character, skill and fortitude are up to Bowmaster standards. Once the military committee accepts, then these individuals begin the rough and arduous journey of becoming Bowmasters. Once the first week is over, the training and pruning of recruits begins. It is rumored that the levels of stress, trials and expectations placed on the recruits lead to 60% of the 80% drop out rate. The other 40% is from medical conditions and attrition recruits suffer from the training itself, although this is just a well-circulated rumor. This has never been confirmed or denied from the Zondronian government as the three weeks of training are under secrecy; led by known Old Guard Headsman members and recruits often have conflicting accounts of the training itself. What is known is that once the training ends, Bowmasters have learned many new tricks on top of extreme proficiency and they seek to hone their craft to perfection.

The bows themselves are as impressive as their wielders; each one a near master-crafted, handmade piece of art that speaks of terrible fury. The Zondronian government, in its infinite wisdom, sought to expand that fury and undertook years of funding to produce terrifying weapons known as the ‘Arcane Trio’.

The Gore-Bow, as its name implies, is a monster of a Longbow with a normal draw weight of 177 pounds but when ‘activated’ compounds the drawing force to 273 pounds. The released ‘Buck-Horn’ arrows used in conjunction with the Gore-Bow has enough force to tear limbs straight off or pierce even the thickest of armors or scales. Such is the force that trolls and other such large creatures have been shown to become stunned or even stumble downwards from a few to even just one well placed shot from the Gore-Bow. The strength and precision needed to even land a shot is reserved only to the Bowmaster divisions who, even with their skill, draw penalties with accuracy with each use. The maintenance of such a weapon is high, with hours of cleaning and repairs needed to keep the draw strength in the bow from fading or breaking apart entirely. The repair of the weapon itself is simple but the arcane enchantments used in increasing the draw strength requires a small magical ritual to be incanted, lest the weapon fluctuate with accuracy or worse, implode from magically kept force.

The Shield-Bow was the first produced of the Arcane Trio and mass produced in such quantities that it’s considered less of a mystical object and more of a mundane mechanical necessity.  The Shield-Bow is a standard upgrade for any dedicated archer who seeks to ply his craft in the midst of melee or for extra protection for an unexpected enemy ploy that brings the fight to them. The Shield-Bow is really two weapons, a shield and a bow, crafted separately and then expertly melded together with interchangeable parts. The exact blacksmithing techniques are a state-guarded secret and so far, only Zondronian smiths have ever successfully produced the weapon. Many dwarves and drow attempts have been made in reproducing the magic item but eventually the ludicrous costs as well as the unassured place the weapon would hold in either of their armies has led them to abandon the project for now. It is believed that magic is used in its creation or at least previously unknown alloys that are used to bind the weapon but nothing has come up to public knowledge. Only certified smiths know to produce the weapon although its maintenance is a well-known ‘secret’ among holders of the weapon; Elven or not. On the field, it gives archers much needed time when a cavalry charge hits them or additional cover for archer vs archer field fights. Many Bowmaster heroes have valiantly sacrificed themselves or their weapons to blunt or dissipate lethal projectiles from harming others.

The Pixiu (Pronounced Pee-Cee-U) Bow is the last Arcane Trio created and arguably the most complicated one to maintain, create and deploy. The Pixiu Bow is a wind-element-enchanted bow fitted with an optics sight that’s also used by Zondronian Captains out on sea. The enchantment increases the range on the bow by ludicrous amounts and it is said that the wind itself guides the arrow upon the clouds before striking down upon an enemy. These are the least produced bows out of the Arcane Trio and as such, only the best of the best ever lay their eyes upon one. It is said that such archers are never seen on the battlefield, for they hide among shrubbery or other such cover to deploy their cumbersome and camouflaged bow atop a faraway hill or they deploy on other such places with a good line of sight such as airships or mounts ‘leagues away’. They aim their weapon after sighting a target from a mile away and let loose after careful deliberation of wind speeds and trajectory and afterwards they must relocate for the sharp retort from the bowstring and the glowing after effects of the enchantment makes their location known. It is said such sharpshooters are able to ward off evil itself with their all-seeing bows.

They are primarily used by ‘Eagle Eyes’ who are the best sharpshooters the entirety of Zondros have to offer and are legends by talent alone. They are the first to shoot in an archery line, often killing an enemy commander within the first seconds of an engagement as the bowmaster volleys clean up the rest. The ‘plain to see’ assassins of the army, they are terrifying not because of their officer appearance or the flagpin of their country etched on their hearts, but because these are normal elven men and women who are brushing close to archery perfection. It is a simple thing, to let loose an arrow and to drive it deep into an enemy but the Eagle-Eyes turn that simple act into an inevitable one. For most melee oriented targets on the battlefield, they are put into a helpless state as they are methodically picked off one by one under a storm of steel. Eagle-Eyes are a rare sight and lead bowmasters to battle. They are highly prioritized by any sane or competent commanders for, if they left unattended, they pick apart the strength of front line, rear line or even reserve forces from their positions. In rare occasions that necessitates the approval of the Queen, Director General or other high ranking military official, the Eagle-Eye Officer Corp can form into teams of ideally 15 called a ‘Convocation of Steel.’ These units form in dire emergencies and when the highest levels of accuracy are needed for matters of life and death.

Due to the size and emphasis of the bow in their equipment, they are issued daggers for quick and cheap self-defense. It is assumed that if an enemy charge has reached the Bowmaster’s feet, then something, somewhere went terribly wrong or the shieldbow users had to pull emergency frontline maneuvers to save a collapsing infantry pocket. Even under pressure, the Bowmasters have decent chances of embedding arrow on arrow upon a foe until they meet their demise. The arrow types they use are standard issued Cacti arrows which is sometimes dipped into crude oil to produce a fire effect or dipped into biologically hazardous pus generated from desert diseases from the Labyrinth of Malady. Although most regional individuals have been immunized from the pox of the Labyrinth, the sheer infectiousness of the disease and the influx of foreign troops has seen it mutate into different strains. The cure has already been found but it goes for a hefty price for a middle income family. For a besieged soldier in a fort with no access to outside supplies, this would mean eventual, painful death or a slow and brutally taxing recovery process.

#### Plains Elves Citizen-Soldiers

+ Commissioned Officer, Militia, Poorly Trained, High to Low Morale depending on campaign distance from Zondronian Plains, Counters Spells, Spearmen, Improvised Equipment, Competent Fighters with Bows. Upgrades with Crossbows, Cold-Iron Lamellar Armor, Fire Bolts, Malady Bolts

The Plains-Elves are the workhorse of the High Elven cities in Zondros. The food they produce on the plains feeds the hungry bellies of the urban dwelling and stuck-up individuals who live lives of comfort far from the toiling of these men and women. Having worked the plains of Zondros for generations, their culture is a blend of the bureaucratic efficiency found in the cities and the remnants of cultural pockets in the Peaceland Commonwealth. Their affinity for secluded lives that are unburdened by the noisy, politically charged chaos associated with the cities are infringed upon constantly by their bureaucratic masters. Some take to raiding parties as a means of livelihood as well as a means to strike back to a system that attempts to keep them complacent, obedient or insignificant to its more traditional citizenry. This all changes during emergency events such as war. Forced conscription laws dictate that every family contributes manpower to the effort and the duties include battlefield infantry services. When called upon like this, the Plains Elves are reluctant but answer the call; for the fees, disciplinary measures and shame wrought upon their families would be too much to bear for the long years to come.

The Citizen-soldiers are recruited when the armies of Zondros are hard-pressed for manpower and the need to fill in the ranks needs to be taken by quantitatively superior options. These individuals who frequently speak of peace art taught the ways of war regardless. Using hastily crafted spears that are sometimes homemade by the soldiers themselves, they dissuade any flanking enemy from charging headlong into the sides of other specialized General Army units. Their tunics and gamebesons have been improvised and sometimes not enough spears are produced so that they are forced to use farming equipment to compliment their arms.

The Plains-Elves Citizen Soldiers are not all Plains-Elves, citizens or even trained enough to be considered soldiers but they all do have one thing in common: a yellow piece of adornment with the symbol of Zondros etched upon it. The Citizen-Soldiers are comprised mostly of farmers who take what meager belongings they have and are sent to the frontlines. During a battle, their unprepared minds leave them open to the horrors of war and fill their hearts with the ever increasing desire to flee back home but a sufficiently rousing speech and tactical numerical superiority can buy a commander much needed time. Their role in the battlefield is thankless but necessary as they are the ones who inflict and receive the most immediate losses against cavalry units.

When an army or brigade of citizen soldiers are close to a supply line, they are given the option of replacing their spears and farming equipment for crossbows. The crossbows offer the citizen soldiers a ranged attack for engagements although the range is lower for conventional bow users. The crossbows are fitted with durable hinges that provide it with an extra ‘kick’ for the bolt which offsets its maintenance and range deficiencies. They are even sometimes given oils and allowed to use biologically hazardous materials to add extra destructive power and lethality to their bolts. The crossbow is seen as a double-edged sword among the soldiers themselves as the consensus among the public is that crossbows are for the woefully incapable or incapacitated who are otherwise unable to use master the short or longbow like incapable humans. For citizen soldier veterans, the sneers and jests mean nothing when compared to the extra support and versatility of the equipment.

Off the battlefield, they undertake duties most associated with a defensive garrison. Preparing archery kill zones, moving and maintaining barricades, manning archer towers and maintaining public order is all the duties of a Citizen-Soldier and for their efforts they are sometimes recognized and even treated as an equal by not only their peers but by their superiors as well. This usually affords a renowned regiment with special Cold-Iron Lamellar Armor. These cold-iron plates are stacked underneath a vest of leather armor which grants some measure of protection against enemy fire arrows (I think that’s what cold-iron does.) as well as blunt or slashing damage.

The citizen soldiers of Zondros are given their basic training by commissioned officers who also lead them into battle. These newly commissioned posts are seen as an affront for any respectable High Elf as the ‘peasantry’ as they are known among the Officer corp are associated with bad morale, bad equipment and bad taste for being led by the Officers. Most traditionalists among Zondronian Military Command consider citizen-soldiers to be the arrow-fodder in an engagement but the truly resourceful will recognize them for their versatility and their anti-cavalry aptitudes. Younger officers will invoke the Plains-Elves sense of religion in the Water Goddesses Chilko and Yesive to motivate their troops to greater acts of heroism as well as to acquire fame and prestige. The bulk of Forlorn Hope units originate from Citizen-Soldier stock as well.

#### Pathfinders

High Morale, Caster, Tracks Hidden Units, Competent Fighters With Everything, Counters Spells, Upgrades with  a Pay Raise (Please.) Shield Bow, Spotting Monocles, Cartographer’s Gear, Extra Set Of Weapons.

The Pathfinders are one of the ‘Special Forces’ groups and face of Zondros. They are the first impression the people of Orelisle or even Temporis gets of the newly resurgent empire; for better or for worse.

The path of being a Pathfinder is a peculiar one as instead of being a role that can be mastered given time like Elves-At-Arms or Bowmasters, the applicants are taken in at the unsure age of their teenage years for their aptitude to adventuring. They are brought in to be academically trained in the now named Crevecoeur military academies in traditional explorer skill sets, mindsets and gear sets. They are a precious Elven resource that is cultivated instead of recruited and although out of commissioned applicants are not unheard of, they face a higher barrier to entry to the academies as their age will be a detriment to them as drill instructors will expect them to compete, if not outshine their peers.

The profession of a scout is their mold, their regimental lifestyles crafted and refined to lead them to devote everything to learning a new skill for the betterment of themselves and by extension, the State. Pathfinders are trained to be Jack of all trades in combat styles and to be proficient in the usage of nearly every weapon in the armoury of Zondros so that when they face a foe they will always be able to counter them in some form or another. Archery, melee, poisons, magic, and more are all within the self-sustaining inventories of the cut off, and isolated Pathfinder units. In the cases where they join a decisive battle they are the units that relay enemy strength composition and suggest weaknesses to commanders as well as performing last minute mobile defense units as emergency weapon experts to crisis zones on the battlefield. When a spearline is being countered by swords and shield men or the cavalry needs bowmen to draw the attention of an enemy halberdier line, the troops call the Pathfinders. When the main advance of an army needs to quicken or take a shortcut through unfamiliar terrain, it's the Pathfinders who give them the home field advantage. When a point needs to be taken and elite shock troops are required to tackle any foe, it’s the Pathfinders who the Generals call upon. In particular, they are adept at killing or at least holding off enemy commanders in open battle so that more precious units can retreat or other ‘Killing Blow’ units can be freed up for a strategic maneuver. If the need arises, due to their unparalleled ‘feel’ of the battlefield, they can take limited command of local forces and direct as they see fit with approval of a higher officer or even act independently in the extreme circumstance.

In many stories they are often romanticized as the survivors of a deadly advance, tasked to some suicidal objective or as last ditch defenders holding off the most powerful of foes so that others can escape or come back to support them. In particular is the stories of a Legendary Pathfinder group ‘Kaktos’ who held off an enemy advance by covering every portion of the combat triangle and holding a small crossing point on a bridge during a summer offensive. The Drow tasked with taking the bridge tried brute forcing it with swordsmen only to be repelled by three high elves with spear, bow, and axe, among many other weapons at their disposal and the Drow who took the smart option of swimming across the river to the other side to flank them froze solid, as the mage of the group prayed to the Goddess Yesive for her aid. The race of the mage in question is uncertain but the Plains Elves all but formed consensus that they were one of them. Finally, the last Pathfinder utilized unknown magic to convince the Drow messengers tasked with reporting the battle that the endeavor was won, only to have the Drow coming to cross the bridge get ambushed by a waiting Zondronian regiment.

The modern Pathfinder has much to live up to as they are expected to follow in the footsteps of these heroic figures as they seek to emulate their cunning, resourcefulness and martial prowess. In peace time they are given missions usually reserved for true adventurers; to explore the greater lands beyond the borders of Elvendom while keeping the respect and dignity of their stations and to report back what they find to Headquarters. In particular they are to report any Elven settlements and to resolve conflicts resourcefully and possibly with no strings attached to clues that lead to Zondronian involvement.

They are equipped with chainmail, platemail, compasses, sextons, matches, maps, no less than 3 different weapons and most importantly their wits. They wear a uniform similar to the Elves-At-Arms personnel, but due to their relatively low numbers, great craftsmanship care is taken to make the armor competitive to unique or rare pieces of equipment. Whatever they take to the field, the Pathfinders are expected to maintain, replenish or even replace. They operate behind enemy lines or even in unknown lands if the mission dictates it.

A 2nd Lt. Fierston Dirrenis, K.I.A, 10,018, Service Number [Redacted] was one of such a unit and can be considered a relative average for them.

### Artillery Forces

#### Bamboo Bombardiers

Bamboo Cannons, 8/8 Crew + Artillery Officer, Medium Morale, Anti-Large, 270 Degree Arc, Slow-Moving, Solid cased projectiles. Upgrades with Hollow Cast Iron Shells (Kaboom), Solid Iron Cast (Wall Breaking, Dragon Scale Breaking), Poison Dust Devils (AOE poison)

Bamboo Bombardiers are the frightening explosive jelly specialists of the Zondronian Artillery Corps. Using quick to build bamboo cannons, they place ship-ready sized cannonballs loaded with blasting jelly to be launched in coordinated volleys of hard-hitting fire. When mythical creatures of absurd magical or mortal power comes marching on the mundane matters of the mortal world, the Bamboo Bombardier emerges from their guard posts with a steely cold gaze and advanced mathematical aiming calculations.

These individuals are engineers who design or at least maintain weapons for the Zondronian war effort and are craftsmen first instead of soldiers. They rely on their cunning, and mathematical skills in aiming their weapons of war to barrage a foe into submission before the rest of the army picks off what is left. The list of their targets is endless: Necromancers, Dragons, Progenitors (Although known as Legendary Mortals or other designations in Zondronian military terms), Legendary Creatures, Massed Formations of Infantry, Monstrous Creatures or Automata, Structures such as Forts, Ports and Airships (with variable accuracy) and even ships off a coastline who are close or docked, range permitting.

The Bombardiers are constantly sent to the Fade Forest to find patches of bamboo that they then fletch and refine by embedding a smaller version of the cast iron cannons used on Zondronian Galley ships into them. The overall structure is smaller and less reliable but easier to make and maintain as bamboo is a common and easily replenishable resource. The bamboo stalks needed are noted to be a bit bigger than other variants which allows for the ship sized cannonballs to enter and to be fired with ease. If none of these ‘Giant Bamboo’ can be found then lesser and more easily acquirable bamboo will be used and crafted together to form the cauldron pieces and wheels used to transport the artillery piece. The resource is so light and and replenishable that the Bamboo Bombardier corps are known to keep multiple spare bamboo cannons in case during a battle a cannon-piece wears down or is destroyed by enemy action. Their only limiting factor is that their ammunition is not so light and requires a semi-complex loading sequence which makes them vulnerable to return fire or a dreaded cavalry charge.

The Bombardiers wear light, mobility in mind gambesons that are weaved with fire-resistant fibers for their constant duties in anti-artillery roles that see them pitched against Kodan Fire Carts.

They are led by the most mathematical and tactically inclined Artillery Officers who take initiative in moving the units around the battlefield where the Generals may need them the most, or to evade skirmishing units who see them as a high value target.

The Bamboo Bombardiers use standard smaller ship-sized cannonballs that are hollowed out to ease transportation in trajectory and speed. The shattered iron breaks apart ship hull and bones quite easily although the area of effect is small when compared to vehicle variants. It is a standard, all around effective ammunition type that doesn’t stand out too much on its own but in massed formations is a terrifying prospect that has left its mark on the dreams of Drow over the generations. The Uroboros Tower has invented other ammunition types over the centuries such as the Hollow Cast Iron-Heat Shells that are injected with specially treated, chemical mixtures to delay an explosion once shot out from the cannon. This Iron-Heat shell is especially deadly to enemy infantry or lightly armored targets who will be hit by a burning explosive mixture on top of the devastating concussive force when the cannonball arrives and shatters.

Solid Iron Cast shells are what their name implies; solid shells of metal that holds such tremendous concussive force that fortified structures or armor are shattered by the impact. Drow fortifications have had their walls break down around them under volleys of these shells and even scales on the most formidable Mundane Dragon have been shattered apart by one such blow. The amount of blasting jelly needed to get the projectile to lethal velocities is great and thus the loading times on these shells are less than adequate to fit the usual reloading standards. However, when the beleaguered Zondronian generals sees the amount of power contained within each shell, they’ll change their tune almost immediately and ask for more.

Sometimes a structure needs to be taken quickly and intact such as a beloved Fort, an enemy ship or a strategic area needs to be denied to an enemy but little manpower needs to be devoted to the task. That is where the Poison Dust Devil shells come in. Poison Dust Devils are created from Hollow cast shells similar in make and production value to the Iron-Heat shell but instead of an explosive and dangerous to handle mixture, it replaces the quick burning materials with an even faster noxious chemical compound that chokes the life of all who breathe in the poison released upon impact. The Hollow Cast shell itself is imbued with a minor druidic spell that whisks the poisonous fumes around in a tempest that catches even those relatively far away or downwind from the strike. Such is the lethality of the resulting ‘Dust Devil’ that those whose lungs and veins do not burn up from the poison will have their armor rust before their reddened eyes and eventually their skin tarred from an acid-like effect. An entire ship can be cleared out by one or two of these devastating volleys if given enough range or precision as all the inhabitants scramble to abandon the ship than stay inside the poisonous clouds.

They may wear gas masks occasionally but the masks themselves are experimental and have such a rasping, artificial sound.

The alchemical mixtures are a closely guarded Zondronian secret yet Kodan poisoners have mimicked separate effects of the Poison Dust Devil and could theoretically craft their own if given the time and resources, although the delivery system would most likely revolve around traps or other creative delivery methods.

### Dedicated Spellcasters

#### Astral Ascendants

Amazing Morale, Counters Spells, Terror Causing, Artifact: Staff of Starlight, Unique Spells:

Examples: Magical Suppression (Target’s enchantments are suppressed for a 50 Count as well as unable to cast spells.) Magic Missile Storm/Tempest/Monsoon (1-2-3 Silver Damage in a 10-20-30ft Radius), Convergence (A ritual effect is either minimized or intensified for a 100 count.) Clarion’s Dazement, (For a 50 count, the target is unable to use skills). Mana-Blood (Utilize a spell-slot to decrease damage taken by a strike by the tier’s amount.) Aegis (Touch a player, they are now immune to all spell effects for as long as you are touching them.) Pick one. Upgrades with: Situation Specific Artifacts, Mana Potions x2, Camel Mount

Astral Ascendants are the fancy titles given to the eccentric Arch-Mages of Zondros. They are the ‘Creme de la Creme’ of casters for the Elven nation and requisitioning just one is a clear strain of both resources, desperation and in some cases supply lines due to their voracious appetites for tomes, knowledge and material for their experiments. Each Ascendant is a precious national Elven resource that has been carefully cultivated throughout the millennia and all of them can be considered heroes in some form. They are described by their enemies as ‘mana conduits with a faulty leak’ and ‘half-cooked 6th (4th?) tier level spells unto themselves’ that wait to be unleashed upon a foe like dams of magic that are overflowing. These descriptions are all the worse a critic can say for the capacity of destruction from a coven of Astral Ascendants borders on a national emergency for enemy nations. Their raw power combined with their skill at weaving spellcraft, rituals and terribly destructive artifacts means that the resources devoted to taking down these individuals are considerable. If left unchecked, entire countrysides will be molded and shaped by the power of an Astral Ascendants skill.

The Astral Ascendants are all hand-picked for their extraordinary magical abilities among a nation of magic casters. Each of their stories of acquiring their magical power is unique but all of them have undergone intense studying and certification programs or on-field testing to evaluate their considerable abilities. They then enter an apprenticeship under an Astral Ascendent and once the master finishes stating all that they care to share and the apprentice chooses a topic to endlessly devote themselves to, they too become Astral Ascendants even if in name only. The ones to take to war are the Apprentices who have shown mastery over their craft by casting (with the aid of artifacts and their brethren in specialized arcane communes of the high hundreds) 4th tier magic of a type and to reliably be called upon to cast it.

In civilian life, they lead fairly normal lives as professors, head researchers, mana conduits and more, but when called up for military service they become hurricanes, tsunami’s and earthquakes of magical potential. Each Astral Ascendant has familiarized themselves with arcane magic tomes that have been painstakingly scavenged from the world’s ruins and with the specialized knowledge only acquirable through an Elven lifespan, have reliably developed ways to cast unique spells that are normally barred from normal magic casters.

In war this translates to awe-inspiring and terrible displays of power. Even when going against multiple casters in a mage duel, Astral Ascendants have developed skills to weave in and out of range of magic and redirect, counter, or outright evade enemy spells. In return they deal wizardry power that is said to rival and sometimes even exceeds that of Dragons in some cases. Astral Ascendants are known to have the ability to summon storms of seemingly sentient silver or being able to predict a ‘wave’ of magic throughout the world to increase a ritual’s effect through their own infusion of mana or be able to break down an entire formation’s line through incredible area of effect spells. Their mana reserves and spells are terrifying to behold and would be the first and last line of defence against opponents of equal or greater magical casting capability.

They often serve in an advisory capacity to Zondronian generals as their magical insight and experience with mundane matters such as war can lead to the advantage needed to overcome the foe. Such is the respect and awe of their knowledge and abilities that they sometimes command entire armies of their own when the situation calls for it.

Astral Ascendants wear mana-infused robes of silk that breathes easily on a hot desert day or retains the Elf’s body heat even when on top of the peaks of the Aegis. Their armor is enchanted with sigils and runes of protection that grant the robes durability as hard as dwarven steel yet gives the wearer the mobility they need to cast their magic or relocate quickly. The designs on the robes are hand-painted by the illustrious craftselves of Zondros who pour their soul into designing a dress or a robe that will become a national treasure into itself hundreds of years into the future.

Astral Ascendants all hold a Staff Of Starlight which serves as their sign of office and close combat weapon. It is a Silver-crafted, Celestially attuned artifact that acts as the Astral Ascendants focus.The small mana ball infused into the center of the star shaped pike-like focus mimics the appearance of the star-light panoramic view of the Celestial Plane. The ritual process to create a Staff Of Starlight is complicated and volatile and in previous eras, any failure in an Astral Ascendants ritual would cause this small mana ball to implode on itself in a Celestial explosion and bring forth a rift of unrestrained ritual celestial mana that would decimate an area. This is because a Unique Spell enchantment is embedded into the silver staff that the Astral Ascendant learns to use over the course of their training.

(Mechanically, it allows you to cast the Unique spell on top of training as well as serving as their Celestial Focus.) Many believe this is why Astral Ascendants go mad over the years as they put their ears to their Staff to get even just a hint of a hint to uncovering the answers to their research or an unknowable formula that unlocks the properties of untamed magic.

Due to their long lifespans and the incessant urging of the Zondronian governments from the past to in perpetua, they have developed reasonable combat ability from practice stretched from hundreds of years. Any would-be hero who thinks that getting into stabbing range of an Astral Ascendant as their win condition will soon be met with crushing blows to their torso and limbs honed with accuracy to disrupt joints and rupture veins to cause internal bleeding. The Arch-mages of Zondros have lived too long and have too much research to do to die to mere stabbing.

#### Zondronian Spellsingers

+ Viceroys of Life or Viceroys of Death, Medium Morale, Near-Instantaneous Casting, Lores of Healing/Wizardry/Death

Unique Skill: (Spellsong: Skill: For the next 50 count you may quickcast a tier 2 or lower spell at double the mana cost.\*Maybe 25 count ready action?\*). Upgrades with Mana Potions x2, Camel Mounts

Spellsingers take magic and mold it into an art form rather than an academic endeavor. Despite their names, they do not have any bard or psionic training but rather adopt life and/or death magic. These individuals get their names by their own mix of rapid-casting offensive abilities honed through months or even years of practice on and off the battlefield. They can cast both low tier Celestial and up to medium tier Death spells to save the day by either eliminating an enemy under a salvo of death-causing spells or swoop in as the saviors of their brethren as they breathe life into their lungs with one blazing fast incantation at a time. They do not have the raw magical might of the arch-mages or the academic learning of more traditional wizards but they make up for that with a duelist mentality with spell incantations.

Since all Elves of Zondros have formal magic training, these individuals are civilian contractors who specialize in rapid dispersal of offensive magic and as a backline, mobile medical corps that can deter attacks on their own or on wounded personnel. There are military trials to weed out any elf who figures that just a simple heal spell would qualify them as a medical personnel. Most hospitals, medical facilities and magically attuned Life/Death individuals can offer their services and personnel as they are already adept at casting quickly to save lives and thus are the bulk of trial applicants.

They are so good at forming magical incantations that it is said the magic itself struggles to keep up with forming in tune to their calls. The only off-set of this terrifying ability is that they increase their speed with mana so they run out of their mana reserves at an increased pace on top of the spell itself. They also must ‘prepare themselves’ mentally and may end up using the mana for increased spell casting speed without even casting a single spell if their targets are not within range. (Spellsong: Skill: For the next 50 count you may quickcast a tier 2 or lower spell at double the mana cost.\*Maybe 25 count ready action?\*)

In the past Kodan Battle-Bards and Spellsingers would duel in arguments laced with incantations in a game called ‘Draconic Scuffler’. There is a bell, a timer and points awarded on accruing honor or besmirching your foe with taunts and boasts. The first to a set number of points or to kill their opponents with lyrics laced with magic wins.

Almost humorously, this game is sometimes dramatically played whenever the two sides meet on the field of battle, but all notions of honor are discarded in the race to kill the other.

Officially, they are the General Army’s medical corps although their offensive capabilities have not slacked off in the slightest. Whether their specialization lies in the Lores of Healing, Death and/or Celestial they all have medical training to tend to battlefield wounded and are often put in the reserve or at least secondary lines where their abilities will be protected. Their aptitudes can easily fill both roles. The ability to perform as ‘shock’ magical units is necessary on a battlefield where Drow fire upon medical personnel for the ‘logistical benefits’.

They wear noticeable medical uniforms adorned with a light leather gambeson that can barely block a daggers width as well as large medical bags filled with supplies. Medical surgeries such as amputations are rare as that is the benefits of a magically attuned race but should the need arise due to depleted mana reserves, then that option is still available although it would be detrimental to Zondronian morale. Magic is clean and relatively painless, surgeon’s tools and dirt for bandages is not.

The Spellsingers are led by a Viceroy of Magic who has an officers rank and coordinates the Spellsingers to triage or evacuate wounded and the dead. Their duties include picking up, sorting and looting friendly bodies after a successful battle and with a bodyguard unit, killing or capturing enemy prisoners. The Viceroy is a hurricane of spells, although the weakness of the Spellsingers are quite apparent with them: If left to their own devices, they would prioritize battlefield glory over tactical choices and misuse their mana for achievements best left to true front line fighters.

They also get called Spell ‘Slingers’ by the layman.”

### Political Troops

Zondros is a politically fractured country with distinct political parties that developed their own militias and culture over the long years of turmoil and on and off civil and external wars. These militias are all recruited in the event of an external threat that wishes to impose its will upon the nation. This cannot be ignored and unites the political effort of the Elves into one united front. These political troops are all classified as ‘Elves-At-Arms’ in Zondronian logistical and army records, yet their unique doctrines and colorful equipment facilitates their distinction by both Zondronian General Army Officers and Kodan War Council Members.

#### Syndicalist Soldier

+ Squire/Knight of the People, High but unstable Morale, Counters Spells, Fire Specialists, Militia. Upgrades with Incendiary Equipment, Relics (Incendiary, Radiant, or Healing Magic Items.)

Syndicalists believe that labor in the hands of the union makes the state and people strong. In warfare these politically charged Elves-At-Arms militia units fight war as a committee. They agree to a plan in a war union and act upon it with personal initiative.

They use craftsmen and farming tools as often as military equipment due to ‘shortfalls in production’. While that line is the official stance taken by bureaucrats, its suspected that privatization in Monarchal Zondros leads to ‘accidents’ in logistical upkeep with Syndicalist units. Rumors have it that they get the short straw for equipment because of their hostile position to the Crown’s power. They make up for this by unionizing some war department craft guilds and using incendiary devices to augment their magic with a lethal alternative to save their mana. These incendiary devices include molotov cocktails and their derivatives, Dust explosion conflagrators, Fireball Staffs, Magical Lava-Lobbers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampulomet replace black powder with blasting jelly and magical fire munitions. I believe all the parts are reproducible without dedicated industrialized materials and can be smithed. It is -NOT- a machine gun. It lobs vials at a slow rate of fire.) which encases a small area in molten rock that acts as a long lasting magical fire. (Expensive, 1 fire 5ft until dispelled. Firewall but 5ft) and a good old fashioned explosive jelly coated seed slingshot. (Artifact, 1 fire damage, 5ft)

Due to their inability to be directly led by common officers they are usually tasked with guerrilla tactics such as pre-battle sabotage, skirmishing, and area denial. While such disobedience would amount to treason for any other army, their effectiveness and unique skill sets gives them some lee-way to ‘reinterpret’ orders to maximize their own fighting effectiveness. Only orders from a common officer can be disregarded in this way however, and any lip given to a ‘real’ ranking officer such as a General would be met with floggings, hangings or worse.

The syndicalist militia stylize themselves after a Knight order with three ranks; Yeoman, Squires and Knights. Yeoman are the Non-commissioned officers of the group and also include subcategories that include the rank and file militia.

Squires of the people are military assistants to the paladins and lead their militia group for their paladins in absentia. Their leadership extends to forming the Unions that form military plans and tactics as well as making impromptu war plan adjustments.

Squires use their Paladins backup weapons as their main equipment such as Longswords and Greatswords and occasionally bring magical items known as Relics that often have a radiant, healing or combustive effect. These relics all hold some folk tale origin story about them that also coincides with Syndicalist values.

The Knights hold the highest ranks and are developed like an officer corp for the militia as well as being the toughest troops the Syndicalists can offer; with both Radiant damage and heavy armor backing up their fiery words and Astral magic. These Knights rarely take to the field but if they do, they take the positions that their Squires hold. These Knights of the people are the leaders of Unions or intelligentsia leaders for the ideology. They also are the only individuals to have a modicum of cohesion and military discipline.

Syndicalist Soldiers are known to have Fusee-Accelerators (Flare-Gun) for signalling attacks or retreats on the field. If materials are lacking then a special ritual ‘light’ spell can be enchanted on a glass orb to produce a sparkling and radiant red light instead. Syndicalist soldiers have low organization and haphazard attack tactics at times and may seem indecisive in a strategic sense but they fight with high morale which means that even if they commit to a poor plan, it will not fail due to cowardice. This morale stems from the ideas of equality and economic freedom that is visible in all forms of Propaganda that leaves Press St. and fills the mind of the militia units even as their eyes tell them about the horrors in front of them.

These units specialize in pitched urban combat where their autonomy helps in the chaotic nature of street to street fighting as it forces individuals to become their own generals and make decisions on their own once cut off from a syndicalist officer or high command. Their preferred targets are cavalry and unarmored infantry as well as flammable battlefield targets such as battering rams and wooden siege towers.

Detractors comment that the Syndicalist Knight order is nothing more than a criminal mafia that unionized. They say that their followers lap up the idealism from their Union think tanks and fetishize the power that the Squires and Knights have. What they cannot deny, however, is their willingness to fight and die for the country in a literal blaze of glory.

#### Democratic Demolisher

+ Elected Officer, Medium Morale, Militia, Stagger Resistant, Unarmed Capable Combatants. Upgrades with: The Stalwart Tome: Unbreakable morale and immunity to mind effects for a 50 count, Chi-Flow, Shield-Bow, Shields

Demolishers are the sure-footed martial arts warriors that act as the Elves At Arms militia for the Democrats. They utilize fighting techniques developed during times of weapon scarcity such as Zondronian Spacial Arts. u. When they are armed with Elves-At-Arms equipment, they prefer shields and short-ranged weaponry combined with a defensive oriented fighting style.

Their tactical doctrine revolves around ‘aggressive defense’ in which a valuable point is taken and pioneers set up defenses that force an attack on the position. A hill with archers, a setup watchtower observation post and a highly visible officer are all tantalizing targets to take down for enemy troops but they will soon find that the tenacity of the defending soldiers is more than their match. In general terms, it means that an unusual position is taken up by a defender which is in reality a trap or a cunning deployment of army assets that operate outside a normal zone of defense that will incur disproportionate casualties to an attacker and that usually allows for a swift and crushing counter-attack. This is usually at the cost of actual entrenching the position in a defensive manner for more mobile reserves.

The Democratic Demolishers elect their own officers from normal academically trained officers or from their own political officer ranks who go through the same training as regular line Elves At Arms officers but with more loyalty to party rather than country. They are picked out for their defensive aptitudes and their capability to bring decisive action among the troops. Morale and cohesion is tighter among these units, so much so that a strong brotherhood develops. It is not uncommon for troops to be willing to die to the last man under certain circumstances.

Their war doctrines revolve around foreign and domestic spy rings, sieging, and inciting unrest or revolution. Having minimal opportunities for acquiring weapons in strict weapon controlled Zondros, they use the training fields to harness their inner selves and become their weapon or use kamas and wooden staves.

They use this inner Ki as well as their magic to demolish a foe and return the external influences to their own version of inner harmony. In the case of magical mental attacks, an officer can recite a militia unit specific Stalwart Tome, that reinforces the wills of the surrounding troops with each magically laced incantation. These incantations form from the spiritual bonds each soldier writes in the magical tome with a specialized ritual and are then recited by the officer in charge. It is this magic item that forms the mental wall to withstand armies of 10,000 strong Driders, break the cursed commands that choke an Elf’s reasoning and the courage to sacrifice when no one else will. It provides the spirit to go with the well-practiced blows of a Demolisher and acts as a second, more personalized standard for the troops of the Democratic Coalition.

#### Monarchical Martial Master

+ Guard Captain, High Morale, Counters Spells, Duelists, Uses Longswords/Short Swords, Honorable Swashbuckler or Guardian Skills. No Pocket Sand. Blind fighter. Upgrades with Parrying Dagger, Shields, Camel Mounts

Stance-Users

Choose 1:

Wrath Stance: Declare ‘Wrath Stance, Plus 1 Damage!” Do one more point of damage with your strikes. You lose 1 wound cap before going down.

Willow Stance: Declare ‘Willow Stance, Magic Strikes!’ Your strikes are now magical through Ki energy (Chi-Strikes) but you are now vulnerable to ranged attacks which go through armor (but not magic armor) and cannot dodge, parry or evade them.

Blade Dancer Stance: Declare ‘Blade Dancer Stance! Weapons Invulnerable!’ Any strike or magical effect that would affect your weapons does not take effect through Ki magic. Spell projectiles with an AOE effect such as Kaboom are nullified. Projectiles that hit the blade and ricochet off and hit you have no effect. Take double damage from all sources. If an effect would Mortally Wound you, you are instead Dead.

Upgrades with Greatswords, Shields, Camel Mounts

The Monarchical Martial Masters are the premier infantry taken from the Armed Vigilant Guard police force or other highly loyal forces. These individuals have High Elven and Plains Elves in its unit composition and hypothetically other extremely capable individuals from more unique races can join their ranks. They take in higher trained infantry units or sometimes promoted Citizen soldiers and volunteers from noble houses with a long military tradition. Above their dedication to the country and their skills, is their loyalty to the crown that must be unquestionable. Showing no outward favoritism from generals, they use the same equipment as Elves at Arms.

The difference between normal Elves At Arms units is their training. that they are sure-footed weapon masters who use offensive martial arts and stances (with weapons) to demolish foes. They have nothing unique about their fighting style except that they are efficient at what they do and are considerably more melee-oriented than most with Ki-infused effects. They use common fighting techniques like dodging, parrying, disarming, all with vigor and steadfast upholdance to their morale and state. Whereas Democrats, Syndicalists and National Populists, all use special magics or tools to gain the advantage, the Martial Masters have no need for that because they can win just fine with sword and shield in arm and their tactics or stances to fall back upon.

These Stances, ‘The School of Martial Trees’ is the training that separates Elves At Arms from true martial supremacy. Crafted by Chi Masters over the centuries, these advanced techniques offer benefits for the manipulation of one’s Chi energy to produce magically similar effects at the cost of Chi deficiency in parts of the body that confers a weakness. For those skilled in the martial weaponry, the benefits outweigh these weaknesses that can be compensated with skill. The most common stances are the Wrath stance which emphasizes power over endurance as the Chi sapped from the users life force empowers their strikes. The Willow stance confers magical strikes at the cost of being a projectile magnet and the Blade Dancer stance which destroys projectiles cleanly along the blade and magically nullifies spellballs by redirecting the effect with Chi along the blade or in cases where it affects the equipment, rechannelling the effect to the individuals Chi essence which takes the blow. It also increases the speed of blows taken, increasing an enemies’ damage. A commander would use each stance for different battlefield situations for optimal effect.

They do not do fancy sweeps or somersaults, nor do they look good fighting, but out of all the forces, they will statistically win more fights than most barring outside interference, such as dirty tactics and underhanded ploys. The Martial Masters know their craft honed from the battles of centuries of warfare and can face off against any foe. Such is their skill that even when blindfolded or blinded, they can sense the aura of a foe’s killing intent and fight on normally. They are often used to encircle a foe, protect distinguished archers and break through a line.

They are distinguished with a Guard Captain who leads them into battle or oversees their policing efforts. Rogue ‘one man warriors’ who take it upon themselves to fight against the Zondronian country with dirty strategies like infiltration, subterfuge or even attacks on civilians, would be hounded day and night by the ever-vigilant eyes of the Guard Captain and her retinue of troops.

When the fights done and the battle won, these are the troops that are usually relegated to form a military police unit to quell rebellion and restore order and law. They are the symbol of Elvendom, a symbol of oppression by their foes and the paternal or maternal guiding and guarding force for the populace.

#### Zondronian Penal Battalion

+ Nationalist Non-Commissioned Officer, Unbreakable Morale, Frenzy, Immune To Mental Status Effects, Competent with Crossbows, Greatswords. Upgrades with Camel Mounts, Acid Charges

Prisoner soldiers have been a concept that seems good on paper, but only recently (by High Elven standards anyways) been made effective through the unique skill sets of the Headsmen. Prisoners are often rife with discipline issues, and only the most hardcore or previously military serving of these cowards can actually handle the stress of combat. Many people equate purse-snatchers to cutthroats but that is simply not the case; that is until the formation of the Headsmen Zondronian Penal Battalions. The Headsmen, hard-pressed to give up their own ranks for the constant churn of casualties that war creates, offers an alternative that's hard to turn away for the prospecting Zondronian General. They offer a Forlorn Hope unit that will never break, will not question orders, nor will they ask for a promotion as well as never having their relatives cry over them when they die in combat.

The secret to these ‘miracle’ units is of course, Psionics. By utilizing secret Psionic rituals to dominate a client’s mind, these individuals are allowed to repent for their crimes in the battlefield until their service is up. Their service usually ends only with their death but (in)famous exceptions do occur where a prisoner is let go; often in the middle of enemy territory and with their memories wiped of their service.

Not all Penal Battalion squads are created equally however. Penal ‘Conscript’ squads are the aforementioned unfortunates who usually consist of Drow prisoners of war, those hopelessly incapable for reintegration for society’s laws and customs such as Death Row inmates, the occasional Headsmen political rival caught doing a crime, thrice-interned drug users and other ‘expendable’ individuals as seen by the Overseers of the Headsmen.

Penal ‘Battalion’ squads are an officer rehabilitation unit that undergoes ‘voluntary’ service for a perceived failure on the battlefield. An ill-timed rout, giving the enemy information due to torture and gross incompetance are but the most common of the many items a cadet or officer can commit to land themselves in the loving arms of a Penal Battalion Overseer. However, due to the Battalion’s extraordinary efforts and heroism that isn’t necessarily forced by the domination magic, their organization name and likeness is in use as the poster child for these types of prisoner troops overall. The commission for the officers is immensely more lenient than the conscripts and the Generals see these individuals as particularly worthwhile. The officers’ superior training compared to the common soldier makes a kind of ‘crack’ elite unit that can be used to screen the enemies’ frontline or to undergo a particularly dangerous mission that merely throwing bodies cannot hope to solve alone.

They are led by a Headsmen-affiliated ‘Nationalist Non-Commissioned Officer’ who is very often a person regarded by the inner members of the Headsmen party to be reliable and up for promotion in their own ranks. This officer has the ‘controlling binds’ to the unit’s domination magic ritual and uses it to inspire or force troops to greater acts of heroism. They’re trained similarly to regular lined Zondronian Officers except they have a preference to stay in the back in an elevated position to direct their forces more readily. When it seems that a Penal Battalion unit is breaking from casualties, the officer teleports out to reduce the chances of being captured himself. He can activate a focusing stone that ‘frenzies’ the troops under his command so that they fight on even on the brink of total unit collapse.

Finally, they are given assault oriented weapons such as crossbows or greatswords to swat away the opposition under fast loading fire or oppressive reach. When a fortified position needs to be taken, they are given special and very dangerous to handle charges filled with a stronger and more precise acidic alchemical charge used by the Bamboo Bombardiers to inflict heavy acidic destruction upon structures or enemy war material. This charge is in a satchel-like miniature alchemical lab that holds the chemical components in stasis until readied by an accompanying apothecary or officer. Then when the satchel is activated, the components come together, liquifying everything including the satchel itself until the mixture runs itself out and leaving gaping acidic holes in objects. Missions such as infiltrating the enemy camp to destroy chariots or liquifying a V.I.P boat during the night are examples of occasional missions for the Penal Battalions. They wear a darker tinged uniform than the regular soldier to more readily distinguish themselves so that they cannot integrate themselves as another unit to escape punishment.

#### Warlocks of Justice

Amazing Morale, Immune To Mental Effects, Duelists, Warlock Spells, Upgrades with Camel Mounts

Warlocks of Justice are the muscle of the Headsmen political party and hold distinguishable rank and clout even amidst the outer Zondronian society. They were previously known as ‘Arbitrators of Justice’ until the Fel wars of recent years. They are all proven individuals for their character, their strength and their fealty to the party that is only supplanted by that of their desire to see their country reach the heights of glory it once held and will hold again by their power. Their pacts to give up a portion of their seemingly immortal soul is the cost for their newfound power and they use it to devastatingly terrifying effect on the battlefield.

Whispering green flames of hellish fire, forms crafted by demons, and martial ability to kill anything in a verdant, fiery inhospitable scape of death is the calling cards for these individuals. They are even more frightening in that they take the call of loyalty one step further by willingly allowing themselves to be dominated by Nex Carnatius or some other high ranking party member or General, they can unlock their full potential in battle without worrying about petty concerns or fear. They do, however, have a morale that can be shattered, and that is the willingness to offer their life in a certain situation. They can, and sometimes do, ask their ‘commanders’ via a quickly casted message scroll to spare their lives in an endeavor if they wish to live and fight another day so that their skills may not be needlessly wasted.

This does not happen often as even scores of Draegloths fall before the wrath of the Warlock and in their fever pitched haze of malice and monstrous blows, they may fall completely for the battlefield blood being split around them.

In their previous incarnation as Arbiters they are the premier duelist specialists of Zondros that can very well handle a section of infantry by themselves and come out on top on a consistent basis. They used technological advancements and tools to cut an edge against their opponents, like pepper-spray like items, caltrops and the woefully ‘shocking’ imported weapons from Marza. In both incarnations, they pride themselves on a deep, unshakable sense of honor, as well as mastery over diplomacy and warfare in every form. They value precision and focus in life and on the battlefield these qualities become laws entirely unto themselves.

They wear reinforced Cold-Iron Lamellar Armor which allows them to cast freely without being inhibited by the bulky armor of commanders and to grant them even greater resistance to the flames of war.

### Special Units

#### Camel Cavalry Corps

+ Commissioned Officer, Medium Morale, Inspires Terror to Horses, Upgrades with Camel Armor

These once exclusive pack animals are used to ferry goods, and is the logistical work-horse (work-camel?) of Zondronian supply lines. These animals are durable, hardy, surprisingly fast and naturally rancorous in the thrust of melee. These surprisingly intelligent creatures have a beastial cunning in regards to warfare. They have been trained to perform all sorts of jobs within the logistical corps of Zondros. When a pack of camels are requisitioned for front-line duty, then the foes of the Elven nation need to beware as these beasts take no foul behavior from their owners and certainly not from strangers.

The cavalry riders who own these proud beasts are Elves At Arms soldiers trained in the usage of lances, spears, scimitars, bows or even other more conventional weapons if the camels are used in a troop transport role.

They may be upgraded with shaffrons that armor the camel at the increased cost of maintenance and strain on the animal but transform it into a terrifying armored battering ram that bites and spits.

There are many opportunities for valor as a cavalry Elf as they reduce a routed foe to a fraction of his supposed strength or cause almost instantaneous panic and routing with a well disciplined charge.

Camels, little known fact, are superior to Horses in long distance races and close competitors in short distanced ones. In a cavalry charge, they are no less ferocious and may spit and bite the opponent as a flurry of lances or scimitars from the rider takes care of the rest.

The old battlefield adage holds true even all these millenia later: the most terrifying thing an infantryman can experience is the sight of cavalry barreling down on him.

They are led by an academically trained commissioned officer who specializes in mobile warfare, flanking actions and the dreaded cavalry charge to sweep up, rout or delay a foe. The most ‘normal’ of the entirety of Zondronian forces, they take on threats that would be considered bizarre by Greater Orelisle.

Driders, Giant Spiders, Death Worms, Werewolves, Minotaurs, Giants, Trolls, Ogres, Swamp Witch-Ravens, and more are on the kill list of the Camel Riders. Enemies that would sap the morale of even the most stalwart of footsoldiers will find that the Camel Riders are their equal if not superior in destructive prowess.

The most impressive feat of the camel riders is their ability to form a 12 Elf lance formation charge that can impale multiple foes in one go.Up to three enemies can be impaled in this manner before the weight of the lance becomes too cumbersome to carry with foes. In an optimized best case scenario where the Camel riders are positioned against the rear line of infantry units, they can acquire the sought after ‘Triple-Dozen’ maneuver where the entire enemy line is instantly shattered from horrendous losses, impaled three men per lance; and sometimes more if the enemies are feeble like goblins or other fodder. This achievement separates the chaff from the wheat in the Camel Rider Corps as only the most battle hardened, and coordinated rider groups in an elite or at least tactically superior army can hope to achieve one or even multiple instances of this maneuver.

### Vehicles

#### Illuminated Archway

Crew 4/4 + Paladin of the People, Medium Morale, AOE Light Spells,

Upgrades with Horse Armor,

Illuminated Archways are horse drawn chariots with a magical magnifying glass positioned on top that stores and then unleashes a heavenly smite upon a foe. It uses a mechanical synergy similar to the Arch-Mages ‘Convergence’ Spell in that it amplifies the power of a spell by using glass to intensify magical Radiant light. The resulting blast vaporizes enemies in a blinding holy light that scorches the very ground. This blast can blow holes and set fire to airships, dragons except red dragons, reinforced fort gates, and collapse Drow ambush tunnels.

The horses are imported from the plains to the North and West and are bred for their resilience and speed in the desert weather as well as their ability to move a tremendously heavy chariot with a magical artillery piece mounted on top of it. Camels were tried but seen as too slow to move the Archway and other beasts of burden tired too quickly. If the horses are significantly hardy, or more are used to compensate for the added weight, then armor would be adorned onto them for increased protection at the cost of mobility.

The weapon is crewed by 4 Ouroboran tower interns with or without a so called Paladin Of The People who can speed up the Light spell incantation. The spell incantation is a small, verified ritual that produces a searing light effect that gets amplified through a container that stores magical energy. It can only store it for a limited time so the incantation is usually done right before one of the interns sights the magnifying lens onto a target. When the intern lets loose a lever, the resultant energy is unleashed through multiple stages of amplification, each more complex than the last, which strengthens the hit but reduces the blast radius. The actual firing of the weapon onto a target has been described “As if the heavens themselves spiraled into a moment in space and time… and then unleashed its fury in a straight, unyielding path.” The mechanisms are delicate and need to be reset after every move or firing solution. There is no hiding this unit even in forested areas as the illumination and intricate ‘radiant presence’ it emanates when it begins to store energy would reveal not only its existence but that of any allies as well.

It’s use as a shock unit has been debated by Zondronian High Command as it would be possible to mount spikes on the wheels and adapt its use as a makeshift chariot but the usage of such an expensive piece of masterwork craftselvesship as a battering ram would be appalling to friend and foe alike.

The Illuminated Archway is a Zondronian Superweapon and as such it is only used during a crisis that threatens considerable Elven life or when significant political clout is leveraged to bring sure victory on a regular battlefield.

Only two have been lost so far on official records. One captured by an overwhelming Drider response when used to attempt to collapse the Golden Spider Web Cave and the other self destroyed by interns moving through South-Eastern Zondros in enemy captured territory when the horses were killed by disease. The Drow have refute these claims, and they themselves claim at least over 75+ confirmed and official kills over the course of their rivalry with Zondros and report even bigger alleged numbers in their records.

A significant note is made on the entry of the Archway in official but top secret Zondronian records. Fel magic would deliver similar results despite the diametrically opposite alignment in magic.

#### Ouroboroan Interns

+ Commissariat Officer, Pioneers, Low-Tier Magic, Daggers, Low Morale.

Rehired after the immediate battle of the Liberation of Zondros, these interns have been waiting to try out their pent up ideas underneath the Drow occupation. With blank checks for approved projects, the Ouroboroan Interns work tirelessly on their personal creations to turn the tide of battle. Utilizing research ships, on field studying and city reports and analyzing Drow tactics, they create prototypes to advance the war effort through either direct weapons manufacturing or civilian production. A ‘commissar’ political officer makes sure they stay within line and don’t go mad with their power when they create a breakthrough and to supply their Interns with necessary equipment to support their war machines or war constructs.

Sometimes they are called upon the field without their compensating machines and technological prowess to instead research a new find or to engineer bridges or battlefield defenses. In the thick of fighting, they often rely on their natural magic and parrying dagger paperweight to protect them long enough for other units to save them.

### Navy

#### Troops

##### Dourdawn Marines

High Morale, CQC Specialists, Can swim, Armed with Rapiers/Sabers (Arming Swords), Billhooks (Spears), Upgrades with: Crossbows, Ear Plugs, Fusee Accelerators

Dourdawn marines are rough and ready sailing soldiers in service to the sea-worthy settlers of Zondros’ premier naval harbor. Their predecessors are the original inhabitants of the naval port that has been elevated into a city a few years after the liberation of the Zondros city from the Drow for both their contributions to the victory of the war and their valuable strategic positioning. These elven men and women chose to be exiled on floating merchant ships that were converted from archaic warships and gambled on life in the open sea than in the vast desert, Now their descendents have been trained and taught the valuable lessons learned doing those tough years. They’ve become hardy seamen who cut their teeth on sirens, Giant Sea Monsters and albino whales as they are resourceful in the face of dwindling supplies and stalwart in the fight against Kodan and Calahayan pirates.

They are a rare terror on the battlefield for once they get over their land sickness, they are known to take and hold any position no matter the cost. There status as underdog elite is well deserved as they often taken coasts and ports of the underground river system or are the first to secure a beachhead as they show a level of aggression in unknown territory that surpasses that of Pathfinders.

These troops occupy a peculiar role in the Zondronian nation as they have non-traditional weaponry of sabers, rapiers, and special spear-hook bows used to bind two ships together for boarding actions. Dourdawn marines can fight on shaky boat to boat fighting as well as pirate hunting and sea patrols in open ocean or down rivers. They use Fusee Accelerators to signal statuses in friendly or enemy ships or to ignite a ship that may fall in the hands of the enemy.

Sometimes when they operate in the Siren Sea, the interns of the Ouroboros Tower manage to craft cork ear plugs for them that block out the noise of their tempting songs. To communicate, they use hand signals or spells while they get out of hearing range of what is most likely certain death for those unaware.

#### Vessels

##### Dour D-Class Galley Ship

The pride and joy of the Zondronian navy, Dour D-Class Galley Ships are the bane to pirates and Kodan ships alike. Standing on the sea with an intimidating 165ft in length, their five square-rigged masts with Zondronian iconography sails herald flooded hulls and drowned bodies.

Dour galley ships are armed with bamboo or iron-cast cannons with full core or hollow core ammunition types similar to the Bamboo Bombardiers. Full core breaches the hull of a ship to cause damage and flood the occupants while hollow core breaks upon impact and releases multiple shards of iron into the unfortunate sailors. The front of the galley is equipped with a ram that is sometimes adorned with iconography of the Captain’s favorite sea animal or merfolk hero or other fetish (the secondary definition) item. At a whopping 300-700 tons, the force generated by a favorable wind, wind magic and the honest labor of the rowers allow for the ship to sometimes bash its opponent into its seagrave.

When the ship has run out of ammunition, or when the occupants of a rival ship have been reduced to a fraction of their size, then the mariners will board and capture the ship with crossbows, spear-hook bows used for hunting sharks, swordfish and other sea life and sword arm. This feat is relatively easy as the Dour ship holds 100 or more Elves in its sea-service and enough cargo space to either hold supplies or 100 more soldiers in the confines of its hull. As the Kodan-Zondros War continues into seemingly perpetuate, certain countermeasures are installed in some models of the ship. Some copper sheathing is used to defend against the wear-down of mold and sea-life that degrades the ship as well as to defend against the fire volleys of the Kodan Fire-carts.

While formidable, the Dour galley ships are by no means invincible. The sides, rear and vulnerable command center are all easy targets for Kodans or pirates and the ship can be caught in a bad wind that will slow its speed to a crawl and leave it open to mass fire or have its quarry harass it in a game of cat and mouse. While Dourdawn has a system of coastal defenses that include naval Palisades, beacon towers and forts, a cunning foe can still swoop in during the dark and light an unsuspecting crew’s ship aflame or catch a ship that’s traveling in the night unaware. As it stands, the Dour galley ship is adapted with Dourdawn/Marzan or Daris wood and imported teak from trade emporias. The bottom of the ship is flat with no keel and the horseshoe-shaped stern is equipped with a high poop deck. The leeboard prevent the boat from slipping sideways in the water and their narrow water lines allow them for brief portions of speed in just moderately well conditions. However, their regular sailing speed, at an unimpressive 4-6 knots, is at the relative average for ships in its class. In the case of flooding, certain sections of the ship contains bulkheads which can slow down or stop flooding by isolating a compartment and pumping the water out or into another compartment. With a compass and water wheel in hand, a captain can navigate the open sea with only a small to moderate chance to getting lost at extreme depths away from land.

When the time comes to engage the Kodan navy, it becomes a hectic game of whoever can deal the most hull damage through force or fire or sheer will before the encompassing, uncaring ocean swallows up the loser whole and their remains picked at by the sneering sirens abroad.

##### Jin-Class Scout Submarine

When one looks to the sea, one only glimpses at the surface of an unknowable infinite expanse that even the Sirens of the Sea have not completely explored. It is both a grave and bountiful harvest but it contains so many secrets for the traveler. What it was lacking was the ability to hide in it. That is, until the invention of the Jin-Class Scout Submarine. Although a submerged vessel has been thought of and conceptualized in the centuries beforehand, it was only relatively recently, in 6,744, that funding was allocated to their construction. A naval oriented Ouroboran Intern, a Jin An, was the first Zondronian to make a trip from Dourdawn, down the Chilko to halfway across the Covenant road with his rowers in a day and undetected underneath the river ways. This completely submerged boat consisted of a watertight hull with waterproofed leather and only sprung two leaks during the unfortunate accidents against river rocks. Following the success, the application for undetectable surveillance vessels became apparent and an order of a pack of three were placed. By 7,214, the Jin Submarine was a common reconnaissance unit in Zondronian seas.

While cumbersome and needing to be submerged by hand, the scout submarine offers a virtually undetectable source of information gathering for the naval spy. The crew is given quicksilver barometers to determine depth and alchemical and magical mixtures to produce breathable air and given snorkels in the case of water breaches or exhaustion of mana or supplies. The scout submarine carries 6-8 oars embedded into the hull of the sub, with 16 passengers on board to row, write down intelligence and manage air supplies. The depth of the scout submarine is only 12-15ft but this is more than enough to be all but invisible in the open sea; especially when the submarine is coated in sea camouflage. There are tales of resourceful crews hiding their submarines in kelp which gives the vessel the appearance of floating debris and is so effective that a broken and beached submarine was used as firewood by a raiding party of Drow who suspected nothing of what they were burning. Militarily, the submarine does not offer any real combat options aside from reconnaissance. The Captain takes notes and records enemy fleet disposition and relays it to the Zondronian fleet within monocle distance and with messenger scrolls. He has to surface the sub and look around to spot the navy which makes the submarine vulnerable to detection and attack, especially if they surface at an inopportune time.

They are prized escape vehicles as they can extract V.I.Ps with ease and can be used by small teams of Pathfinders as a mobile headquarters post out on the sea if they don’t mind re emerging into the open air to be seen and detected while they sleep at night. The crew often takes non-perishable food, extra purified water (or a mage who can produce such an effect) and card or board games for long assignments to stave off sea madness.

If a scout submarine is detected by either magic or intuition, then the crew can defend themselves by any boarding actions by resubmerging and escaping or defending themselves with limited crew weapons like hand crossbows and daggers. Most likely, the enemy of the submarine crew is not hostile sailors but rather monstrous sea creatures who mistake the vessel for a snack or rocky outcrops that can breach the hull or damage a rudder beyond repair.

#### Leaders

##### Admiral Wang Fang

Admiral Wang Fang is one of the leading naval theorists in Zondros. Wang Fang was born into a merchant family in Zondros and spent his youth as a sailor in his family’s merchant fleet. He directed and maintained the ship’s supplies and put in the elbow grease with his crew through many encounters on the High Seas such as Sirens, Pirates and Sea Monsters. When his wealth accrued to that which rivaled the Drow nobility, he used his power to buy a flotilla that was used in an exploratory/merchant role. Some Zondronians escaped the exilement by signing up on his city fleet expeditions and for some time during the conflict, they were at sea, making their fortunes by selling foreign goods up by Dilghao to the most Southern portion of Orelisle by the Dwarves to even forming small diplomatic relations with the countries of the West Coast. When they arrived back in Zondros, they had acquired enough to form Dourdawn into a bustling port city from the military harbor it once was.

During the war, Admiral Wang Fang has position his fleet against Drow raiding ships in the underground canals in the Underdark to Siren subjugation in the sea to even leading an expedition East where he was saddened to only return home with a colossal squid and empty hands and empty ships with their crews killed by the predators of the sea.

Post-war, Admiral Wang Fang is saddened that the human nation Dilghao managed to get to an uncharted island past the world line before his country. Now as one of the leading officers for the Zondronian General Navy, he focuses his time on inventing or polishing new doctrines for protracted sea battles and new theories for possible air-sea assaults. He is 688 as of 10,018 and can be said to be a Dourdawn native despite his birth in the desert city. Little can be said of the elf, other than that he is passionate about the mysteries of the sea and that through his efforts, he’s saved countless lives from exposure and predation, jump started a naval commerce that is a bedrock of the nation and presider of Zondronian projection of hard and soft power. Although his days as a roving band of refugees on merchant boats are over, he still retains the experience and contacts needed to form a moving, breathing city fleet trade emporia. Dourdawn has many sailors who are descendants of the crew of his voyages and many see him as their very own Taarlae Crevecoeur although this enthusiasm hasn’t spread to much outside that city.

### Air Forces

#### Iron Maiden Airship ATOS-Class (Aerial Take-Off Ship)

Currently the only ship of its kind, it is the Flagship of the Zondronian Air Forces. ‘The Iron-Maiden’ brings the might and wrath of the Elves of Zondros from the heavens themselves. While technically an aerial unit, they are coordinated by naval units and commanders who have the most flexible doctrine of ‘sea and air’ capabilities. The interns and research teams of Ouroboros utilized captured Galkadorian concepts and pieces of specimens as well as ‘a blank check’ with funding to create the newest addition in the armed forces of Zondros.

Like the Dour class ships, the airship requires a staggering 125 men to operate at peak efficiency. Although it can keep more men or supplies in its cargo hold. The Iron Maiden uses wind runes, and mana fuel sources to keep afloat in a complex and ongoing magical process akin to a continual ritual. The armament of the Iron Maiden is all over the place as the doctrine for air combat has not been dictated yet by the country’s leadership. As such the Iron Maiden is testing captured Kodan Fire Carts, elongated cannons, Illuminated Archway Lens, and air dropped kunais as possible weapons for both air to air and air to ground combat viabilities. While it’s arsenal is impressive, it suffers from not being able to strategize on one thing effectively. Stealth is not a possibility as the sails shimmer in a magical after effect that illuminates the aircraft at night and calls attention to its form during the day.

Hypothetically, the Iron Maiden can still sail on water although it’ll be slow and vulnerable to fire as the ship is primarily aerodynamic and only coincidentally buoyant. The individuals who fly this ship are among the best sailors Zondros can offer and the resources on the ship is likened to that of a small town for the exclusive use of the top brass in the Zondronian General Army. Strategies that determine the fate of the nation are discussed and debated over in the hallowed halls of the crew quarters.

Another ship a ‘Severe Lack Of Diplomatic Solutions’ has been planned but delays, resource constraints and interservice rivalry over funding and the new role the airship will play in the army as well as its design for future models, has inhibited its construction.

There was talk of a dedicated aerial strike force with hang gliders and parachutes but that individual didn’t live long enough to vouch that idea.

### Neutral Units

#### Werebeast Mercenaries

+ Alpha Wolf, Vulnerable To Silver, Regenerates, Rending, Tracks Hidden Units, Terrifying

The Werebeasts of Temporis are known to be a bit of an enigma to the Elves of Eastern Orelisle. While the werebeast settlements deep in the forests are hard to come by and generally do not disturb the populace, there have been reports of the occasional maulings on the borders during Full Moons. When the Werebeast mercenaries of Temporis are sated or look to find coin rather than their next meal, they offer their gifts to the highest bidder.

A Werebeast offers all manner of services to their fearful employers who would do well to make use of such volatile weapons of pure carnage. The resumes of a werebeast goes only as far as there senses but this alone is enough to cover the often exorbitant costs of hiring them.

The eyes of a Werebeast is said to see movement from over 500m away amongst even the heavy foliage of the Fade Forests. More disturbingly, it is said that they are able to discern the exact race and equipment their prey are using, often sizing up a foe before they even realize they are being watched by hungry, ravenous eyes. The only downfall is that these eyes are said to glow a deep, viscid crimson in the dark and scare off prey that follow their flight instincts extremely closely.

Their noses track all manners of creatures from as small as the Kodan Earthworm to as large as the Griffons of the Aegis as the curse of the Moon forces their senses to almost mythical heights. The Werebeasts can identify the trail of the most coordinated false flag operations of stealth of the Zondronian Pathfinders and plot a course to the most elusive Drow Assassin attempting to make their escape and even sniff out some magical concealments. It is a double edged blade however as the slightest annoyance or overpowering scent in an area can mask creatures in a display of ‘pungent dazzle camouflage.’

The furry ears of a werebeast are often the only indicator that belies these cunning creatures. Those finely tuned instruments are able to perceive even the muffled sounds of a small bunny climbing over the leafy remains of an autumn oak. To the werebeast it is as loud as snare taps that are trampling on the killing grounds of an apex predator. When the kill realizes its situation and starts panicking, its breath gets more ragged with despair. It’s body will begin to betray itself as the realization that it is entering its last moments begins to register and panic sets in. The heart will become deafening in its own ears, a song of dread that infects any nearby. The Werebeast will listen to this sickly song to determine a foe’s status as it closes in to silence their drum of defiance once and for all.

After corning a foe, they barrel down upon their enemies as the pack surrounds, harries and ultimately kills in a flurry of scrapes from claws as hard as steel and armor piercing bites that rips open chain mail to allow saliva drenched teeth to quarry into arteries and snap marrow.

When the coin is particularly good or when the opposition of the Werewolf packs conglomerate into a formidable herd that relies on numbers to keep them safe, the Alpha of the Pack arrives. These individuals are the prime of their pack and leads their members to victory in the hunt, time and time again. Their diets allow them to be bigger in size than their comrades and they take on qualities associated with dire animals, such as big, ill-tempered brutes that are quick to anger and quicker to kill. They fight with a ferocity seen only in the cruel hearted, calmingly brutal state of nature found in the most inhospitable locations in Orelisle. They take up these qualities as their own and on the battlefield sow such a massacre that the bards of the elves scream in their sleep when recounting such a horrible song of slaughter.

They truly encompass the word supernatural as they take on nature’s magnificent form and corrupts it into exaggerated forms of the hunter and hunted.

Even if armed with Blessed Silver or other enchantments that act as the last prospect of survival for a mortal beset by such a foe, they are still at significant risk of being overwhelmed by their sheer power.

It is said that some of these Were-creatures hold a deep hatred for the Undead and Necromancers of Zondros for some inflicted grudge made upon them eons ago.

The ears and fur are sought for by alchemists who wait for these creatures to die a natural (and often gory) deaths to fill their cauldrons of an exquisitely exotic ingredients.

#### Cliffhaven Dwarven Mercenaries (Urist’s Own)

+ Major, Medium Morale, Dwarven Equipment, Strong, Tunnelers,

Deep in the Southern Mountains Homes in the recesses of Cliffhaven lies the poor Cliffhaven kingdom of the Dwarves. Isolationist by nature, they spend most of their efforts on crafting art out of their habitats. Overtime these soft-natured individuals become seasoned tradesman in the art of transforming nature’s bounty on the shore and what few poor quality gems they can mine into flawless displays of landscapes, sculptures and media that tells of the emotional or spiritual travels of the artist. Such is the prize of these unique insights into the minds of their peers that noninterference is a core expression of their identity. However with growing militarization by the Council of Health and Safety, the livelihoods of the Dwarves are at risk. With increasing quotas, less leisure time and the ever present eye of ‘The Watch’, some dwarves take up arms as sellswords and military businessmen. The freedom of mercenary work is a cherished act of self-determinism but this path so often conflicts with their foes. To keep their livelihoods intact, the Cliffhaven Mercenaries fight with gusto and enthusiasm to please their stickler masters.

The Mercenaries mostly fight under the seashell banner of ‘Urist’s Own’, a somewhat sanctified band of Cliffhaven’s military forces who fight the Zondros/Kodan war for the highest bidder. ‘Urist’s Own’ enjoys privileges that other non-state actors enjoy such as the ability to surrender and enjoy reasonable treatment. Usually they are conscripted to fight alongside their captors, their original employers and then amongst the survivors of their band all in the same week, and in extraordinary yet not uncommon cases, in the same battle. They will not receive payment for this however and many choose death before giving up their hard-fought remittance. The Council of Health and Safety publicly discourages sellsword work, with a fear of spilling the conflict further and further South. This is overlooked as the economic trade of either Koda and Zondros are too vital for the barley self-sustaining dwarves to give up.

Not all mercenaries join under the banner of Urist’s Own however as specialized heroes or non-dwarven soldiers of fortune flock to the warfare to either test their skills or for their next meals. Due to the racist natures of both armies, they all fall under Dwarven leadership out of respect and trust for their capabilities.

Often the army of 10-100k strong warriors find themselves split up into 1000 Dwarf strong chapters which go on to be hired out individually depending on their skill sets and experience. The more experienced and versatile, the exponential their cost is. It is with regret that Dwarven greed has seen some cases of chapter fighting against chapter in the war, and the sense of unity that once bonded the Dwarves of Urist’s Own has eroded into petty squabbling and rapacity for their next payment of coin.

A chapter of Dwarves is led by a Major who sometimes heeds the call of battle in particularly notable engagements or at the request of their employers who require an extra guiding hand in managing the extra bodies around the battlefield. Dwarven Majors shoulder the burden of managing the supply lines for their chapters and accepting responsibility for the actions of the men under their command. They must directly accept any request made from Cliffhaven over their temporary masters at pain of death and must find enough bodies to fill the ranks to an acceptable degree to continue the desperately needed installments that are never paid in advance. Debts are common among the ranks and officers and most of the after battle looting and pillaging is made by the men-at-arms of the ‘Urist’s Own.’

The fighting prowess of the Mercenary bands are not underestimated by either side as they are often the last ditch efforts in an attack to overrun a position or the stalwart and haggard defenders of the hope of an exhausted and routing army. There only falling grace is that their dedication hinges upon a fragile allegiance to a hypothetical payment. It is often said by both armies that the only fighting equal to an elf is a dwarf and their short, strong statues are nothing to scoff at, in secrecy or overtly. Whereas elves fight elegantly and with a grace and precision likened to a surgeon cutting out a tumor, the dwarves prefer the blunt force trauma of their weapons. It is commonly seen that warriors would fall to just a single, devastating strike from a dwarf half their size but quadruple their martial prowess.

The equipment of the mercenary bands vary wildly but due to standardization mandates of the armies for ease of supply lines, all materials are at least Dwarven in nature and often a separate supply chain is made for these mercenaries. It is harassed by the opposing armies with risk, for the very same supplies they are destroying might be for the ever decreasing would-be allies of tomorrow.

Not all mercenaries participate in the frontlines and more often than not, the hired help are directed to carry supplies traded from Cliffhaven to the battlefields of the Apotheosis Desert and beyond. Few choose to take up the blacksmithing trade and craft weapons of war for the Elven strife, the churn of battle scraping material faster than men in some cases. Rarer still are those few individuals who’ve impressed the Elven high commands and are recruited for their ingenuity and set out to enact their masterful plans or develop some doomsday weapon of destruction that will turn the tide favorable for the richest bidder.

With the ending of the conflict near, the richest among these men will wish to return home and continue to live quiet lives, content that they secured a future for themselves and their families and won't have to continue earning currency that revolves around slaughters.

#### Apotheosis Death Worm

Terrifying, Shock Cavalry, Tunneler, Natural Flame, Unnaturally Tough, Living Metal, High Morale, Upgrades with up to 5 Beastmasters

Apotheosis Death Worms are elemental flame worm beasts of mythological legend. It is said that the first Death Worms were the spawn of the Great, many named beast of the Apotheosis that burrows and shifts underneath the sands to this day. These man sized earthworms have been captured by diligent teams of Beastmasters who prowl the sands of the Apotheosis as their hunting ground. It may take up to a week of dedicated tracking to determine a viable path to tread to meet these beasts or just one unlucky hour of an encounter filled with wrathful fire and a burrowing varmint hell-bent on the would-be hunter’s death.

Once captured, the Elven Beastmasters must commune and bind the Death Worm into a pact that varies among Beastmasters and the temperment of the Death Worm. These beasts are ill-mannered and cantankerous and will gladly take off a limb of their captors if given the chance. Held into specially prepared cages that are heat resistant, the Beastmaster will use a mixture of honey or vinegar tactics to break in the beast’s will. Among the more notable and efficient processes are pouring ice-cold water down the back and around the eyes of the beasts, laying the beast out in the cold nights of the desert and only bringing it in near a warm fire when they behave, feeding it exotic ores or alloys, bringing in healthy mixtures of soil for it to nest in, massaging the beast with flame resistant magics and materials and the favorite of the Elves, talking to it. It has been noted that while the worms might be considered simple in nature, they are somewhat wiser than the average human and understand just a little more than they may seem to be able to let on.

After the arduous journey to make the connection between beast and master, the Death Worms are trained to perform battlefield maneuvers that were previously thought impossible without the aid of pioneers or automatons. These include tunneling pathways underneath the enemy to either ambush them or allow free movement for infantry units behind who utilize these caverns to facilitate impromptu flanking maneuvers, striking hard behind fortified enemy lines to cause havoc and soaking unbelievable amounts of damage. Of utmost importance is teaching the beast who the enemy is, and classes of enemy identification will be more important than battlefield training as their have been many cases of these beasts revolting and fighting against their would-be owners.

The natural body of these worms are made from consumed ores that become molten due to the natural body heat of the Death Worm and as such its carapace is likened to a constant stream of lava that sweats with shifting metals. The natural attack behavior for these creatures is to spring up and then burst forth in a violent explosion of energy towards a foe where their natural drills demolish an enemy so utterly that the caskets for their funerals will be closed and the dirge held in silent somber for their condition. The only downsides to these creatures are their high cost to train and maintain and the fact that once the beastmasters are out of a certain radius, they are unable to reign in the exact actions of their charges.

The Beastmasters, usually one for one with their elementals of war, sometimes have a manpower deficit and are forced to economize on their personnel. The beasts will instead be goaded into being the first to fight in a battle and held as far away from friendly lines as possible. The wiser Death Worms who rout after a disastrous battle are known to return to the wild but the experience of their traumatic domination will bring them to essuriently seek out the Elven enemy that caused them so much pain in their lives.

The Beastmasters themselves wear light chainmail at best and usually carry whips and small short swords as personal defense weapons to keep their beasts or adversary in check. It is known that in desperate situations they are grouped in with the other ‘non-frontline’ units and forced to push ahead in a last ditch effort to capitulate the other side when the battle reaches end-game stages and both sides scramble units into the fray.

## Further Information

* Cliffhaven
* Dwarves
* High Elf
* Incarnation
* Koda
* Were-Beast
* Zondros