Enlightened Conclave

**Dev. Status** | Conceptual

*"Oh, what will you do now, my blue-eyed son?*

*Oh, what will you do now, my darling young one?*

*I’m a-going back out ’fore the rain starts a-falling*
*I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest*

*Where the people are many and their hands are all empty*

*Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters*

*Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison"*

- "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall", Bob Dylan

## At a Glance

 **Basic Look** | Classic Asian architecture

## Background

### Fin

The end of the World. Since Millenia, it's a question that has filled the minds of the people, much speculation has been done about it, countless ways everything we know could be ended forever and how could we save ourselves from our fate. Some Christian Dominionist sects talk of the Rapture, where the chosen fathful shall be spirited away to heaven before the Tribulation begins. Norse mythology tells of Ragnarok, a climactic battle that shall result in the deaths of some major gods and the subsequent immersion of the world in water. A few even attempt to relate the end of the Mayan Long Count at December 21, 2012 to other possible eschatological scenarios. Fortunately, despite many claims to the contrary, it never actually comes, countless doomsayers have come and gone, but the world keeps turning, the people keep on doing their lives. At least, that's how it used to be.

The Chinese Civil War was a conflict of unprecedented brutality in human story, an escalation of conflict never before seen, where it seemed all logic and compassion had suddendly vanished, two sides blindly bent on an unending quest for mutual destruction, ravaging everything on it's wake. It is no surprise that the most spiritually inclined amongst the chinese people started pointing out this as a signal that this loss of value for human life is sure sign that we're coming close to the end of times. Though the chinese authorities, regardless of side, quickly aprehended and dealt with these troublemakers, some still managed to spread their word, living in too remote villages to be aprehended in time, moving too fast to be captured. Soon enough, people, refugees and believers alike, began to flock to the monasteries, seeking solace, seeking peace, seeking salvation.

**And then the Bombs fell.**

Many, countless people were killed, true, but surprisingly, many actually did survive the worst, the monasteries too remote, too high, too far, not worth the effort to bombard such peaceful people, better to be left to their own devices. Peace, at long last, had won.

Won what though? The Apocalypse had sure come, there was nothing to live for anymore, nor anything left to live from anyways. This signaled the start of the *quest for solace*, the people needed to consult their spiritual leader, see if there was a sliver of hope in this bleak world.

There was, he answered, and the doors were opened.

### The World Beyond our World

Turns out, Lhasa **did have** tunnels that led to a subterranean world, whether these were a recent creation, bunkers built to resist the worst the war to end the world or older, actual pathways to the sacred kingdom, it wasn't said. However, the Tunnels extended far below anyone could ever expect, far below anyone could ever imagine, and certainly, wide enough as to house all the believers.

What was left to do now though? The answer was simple. The message had been sent, the world has we knew it isn't anymore, it's time to ascend, transcend, as an united group, to a higher realm of existence, time isn't something they could spare any longer however, the process had to be accelerated, somehow.

Technology thus begun to be applied to the ancestral teachings, sacrilege perhaps, but desperate times call for desperate measures. New drugs were tested, cybernetics crudely implanted on volunteers, questionable concoctions brought by people who possessed more desperation than knowledge. Despite all setbacks, progress was made. A hundred and one small steps were done, and suddenly leaps were coming, huge, amazing leaps. The shackles of reality were put away, gravity was no longer a problem, the innermost fire was no longer a simple metaphor, mind had power over matter. The prison of the body was about to have a riot. However, the inner demons had also been awoken.

### Karmic Justice

For people dug far too below, far too away, and there were those who were waiting in the shadows, and they didn't like what they saw. The fight was intense, if brief, the deeper vaults sealed, but for how long?

Then, there was the overworld, for the face of the landscape was changed, yes, but life kept going on, despite everything, soon enough, the Conclave was discoverd, at first it was a refreshing sight, survivors from the worst humanity had to offer that came offering a hand of peace, but with the blades behind their backs. The ways of the Master simple weren't compatible with the designs of the Middle Kingdom, and the man of the south did little better in offering protection in solitude, they plotted, they envied, they murmured between their teeth, they wanted their newfound powers foor them, and there was nothing a disorganized band of monks could do about it.

They were wrong.

The last refuge of the world suffered critical moments, assailed from up and below, they were surrounded, and options were rapidly running out. If they had to endure, they had to delay their own plans for their very survival. After all, self defense was always an acceptable behavior within their doctrines.

However, times had changed, sticks and stones could no longer hurt their enemies, not when they brought demons of metal and doomsday to their very doorsteps. They had to up the ante. Countless methods were found to weapon their new findings, a man could as easily lift himself as others, the body is the playing of the mind and, with enough training, there was no menace in this world, as big as it could be, that could bring down someone who wouldn't dare to move.

## Gameplay Mechanics

### Build Mechanic

The Conclave Citadel is the single structure from which every unit comes from, starting from Students, Awakened, Ascendant, and finally Enlightened. However, other support structures, of which they have four tab replacing the barracks, factory, airfield, and naval yard, can be built Soviet Style, with no cooldown, over the map.

### Temples

Replacing the barracks, factory, airfield, and naval yard used by other factions. The Temples are special support structures used by the Conclave to help their forces fight. Split between four types of temples, each chanting a psychic boosted mantra that buffs them and their allies, and debuff their enemy at higher levels:

**Defense:** Listening to the mantras of protection. Conclave forces gains a boost to their already strong armour and increased speed. Conversely some Temples will reduce their opponents armour and speed when in the range of their mantras.

**Offense:** Listening to the mantras of aggression. Conclave forces gains a boost to their attack and rate of fire. Conversely some Temples will reduce their opponents damage and attack speed when in the range of their mantras.

**Healing:** Filled with the more pacifist monks, and chanting the mantras of health. Conclave forces within will have their wound healed and morale restored. Conversely some Temples will reduce their opponents health and drain their morale.

**Protection:** Unlike the other three these temples are filled with outer disciples, people who swore to fight for the Conclave but lacks psychic powers. These warriors, armed with melee weapons and crossbows/bow and arrow will fight any enemy forces in their domain, protecting the Citadel and holding off the enemy for the Conclave to arrive. Some temples even have warriors who debuffs or knock back the enemies they fight.

### Tiering System

Most Conclave units have no secondary, instead using the slot to upgrade to a different, superior type of unit that should allow to cover most roles in battle via meditation and cultivating, this comes at a cost, however. The first is that the unit must be heroic, since you need to be a master before you can learn again (the good news is that these heroic upgrades transfers to their new form), and it takes time for the unit to complete their training during which they are vulnerable.

### Stupas

One of the few Structures the Enlightened Conclave possesses is the Stupa. Here, Scrolls are kept. As a Conclave unit gains experience, this total experience adds to a total tally, which can then be used in the Stupa to purchase various upgrades that can affect your units in a multitude of ways.

## Conclave Cultivators

### Awakened

Once a Student has proven themselves for further training they are raised into the Awakened. Here they will receive the necessary surgery and cybernetics to further tap into their psychic powers.

### Disciple

Once an awakened has cultivated their psychic powers they are raised into the ranks of the discipled. At this rank the disciple can, through the use of a specially made prayer room, form giant psychic constructs of chi, wielding weapons sized up to their constructs. And, for all intent and purpose, are the “vehicles” of the Conclave.

### Enlightened

Only when the Disciple has learnt to control their emotions and let go of earthly possessions do they become Enlightened. And now with nothing holding them to the ground they have achieved flight.

## Behind the Scenes

The Conclave takes mythology about underground people, gives it heavy Buddhist flavoring, and heavy doses of post-human craziness and the Wuxia/Xianxia, shounen, and kung fu movie genre.

 **Detailed Information** | TBA