*************************************************************************************************************************************** 'Anon', Human Gestalt: 20HP, 1DR ***** APPEARANCE: a green-skinned humanoid with no discernible non-human traits or features, excepting a 'face' that seems to be more of a skintight mask than flesh and bone. Approximately 7' tall with a slightly wiry, though definitively masculine build, Anon prefers to wear upper class human-styled formal suits, black pants, and an overshirt with a white undershirt, but will put on informal wear when a dismal event occurs. Always wears a green mask with a large purple question mark over the face, the mask itself having an odd property that projects his emotions to all Operators in sight range, normally remaining unfelt by those that aren't human. ***** BIOGRAPHY: a highly intellectual and intuitive individual, Anon shows up to chide and insult the Operators for poor valor or detrimental actions after an Operation, though he rewards them well for exceptional performances. He does not appear to have been on this world long, but has been noticed by Naliyna and Cadence at different times in the past. Anon may be some form of gestalt created by the Operators, though that is merely one possibility, thus it is unknown if he is free, or merely acting in Razorback's shared interests. If that is the case, he may be their unwilling prisoner, without the Operators themselves knowing it. Anon is quite a gambler, having made numerous deals and/or bets with the various leaders of Tallus, and prides himself on having won... most of them. Due to winning a bet with Discord, Anon can readily identify, analyze, and instinctively understand every area, inhabitant, and relic of Tallus once viewed or asked about, ranging from mineral compositions to the names of Those Better Left Unspoken. At least, for mortals that is. Gaining the capability to freeze relative time ("Up to five minutes or so. After that.. weird things happen." -Emerald) from his first bet against Empress Silver, allowing only those that are of human descent to move under it's effects. He has experimented with it long enough to entirely halt temporal drift during the process of requisitioning or modifying Operator equipment. It's unlikely this may have further uses. Appearing from time to time in the Fortress, usually to deliver a number of silver discs after large scale events have taken place, and takes great pride in offering a sheet of silver trimmed vellum paper that allows an Operator to write down and receive virtually anything they want, within logical reasoning, that existed on their world, or can be found on Tallus. The items granted from the paper take time to be delivered, especially if they must be modified, customized, or are difficult to get ahold of. Despite referring to another being, or perhaps beings, at times in a mildly hostile manner, he seems to consider the competition, or whatever Anon sees it as, as a nuisance more than an enemy, and while he does care for the well being of the Operators, there have been numerous statements from him of neutrality or dismissal when it comes to ponies or other Tallus native beings. ***** RELATIONSHIP: 'Anon' takes a great deal of interest towards loving Operator relationships with ponies.... and vice versa. There is a definite, heavily vested interest in shared well being, more so than to other Operators. ***** ABILITIES: -Grandmaster Bartering+3 -Grandmaster Negotiation+3 ***** SPECIAL ABILITIES: -Critical Marksman: possibly gained from carefully studying the Operators' ranged combat capabilities and philosophies, Anon is capable of utilizing his revolver with devastating results, allowing him to penetrate most, if not all, forms of armor and protections with 2x [1d6+30] rolls. *Anon is also capable of dividing his fire between two targets, as any skilled marksman should, though he may only carry six shells at any point in time as they are immensely difficult to procure -Summon Silver Wish Discs: at any point in time after a large Operation has occurred, Anon may call forth an exact number of silver discs for the number of humans whom completed the task ***** ARCANE ITEMS: -Forget Me Not: an ornate silver and pearl inlaid ironwood box, 6" long, 3" deep, 8" wide, with silver inlays depicting the process of a forget-me-not shedding each petal, containing a small amount of a blinding white liquid. Once per day, the owner of this exceptionally prized trophy may open the box and present it to a target, but must take extreme care as any viewers are stunned senseless for anywhere from ten to sixty minutes using a [1d6] roll. *Those under the effect can be ordered to complete any number of highly simple tasks for the duration, forget important details, or even an entire event, but only if the amount of time to be erased is equal to or less than the roll result *5/10 uses remaining -Moon Chime: a simple chime made of pure moonstone taken from Luna's Citadel on the Moon, capable of granting insight to it's bearer upon hearing the emitted tones with a [1d6] roll. The chime cannot allow it's owner to predict an event if said owner has little information on a sequence of events to do so. *The lower the roll, however, the greater the chance the owner may lose their entire grasp on 'reality', and will act in a very strange manner for 24 hours. ("Last time that shit happened he went fucking whack, marching around like a damned Emperor; crown, sandals, toga. Spokesome Mediterranean language that gave me nightmares." -Unknown Operator) -Scorched Orbs: a box of 1" in diameter glowing orange and white spheres, won from Anon's very first bet, just so happening to be against Princess Celestia. When tossed on a living being or object, an intense rip in the fabric of reality tears apart what was touched, literally 'burning' the being or object from existence entirely. As a side effect, this leaves only Anon with the memory of it's existence, though Discord and Silver will know an event occurred that they can neither see nor understand. *15/20 remaining. ***** UNIQUE WEAPON: -"Ride Ender", The: a long-barreled, silver-coated .41 Magnum revolver with an old style non-swinging 6-cartridge cylinder that must be reloaded by hand. Considered a very rare firearm on most worlds, this was first used by an Operator, then taken and reshaped for Anon's use, undergoing numerous upgrades due to the excess number of wish discs that went unused. *When an Operator commits suicide, the "Ride Ender" replaces the firearm used shortly before the act takes place, and while it is currently unknown why this occurs, Anon suffers a large amount of Morale damage when such an event occurs. *************************************************************************************************************************************** Hodch (real name unknown), Starborn Nightblade: 120HP, 3DR Age: 42 Month of birth: June (Calm, Cool-Natured, Eidetic Memory, Elite: Casting, Highly Spiritual, Inquisitive, Minor Psychosis: Constant Study, Natural Caster, Natural Speaker, [Technically] NOT SANCTIONED AT ALL, Savant, Teacher, Veterancy: Combat) ***** APPEARANCE: a critically inquisitive dark purple unicorn with shallow purple eyes; unusually, the pupils are a light black tone. Carries few scars on his coat, of which those he does have are a large slash, larger from left and smaller to the right, on his upper chest, and a smaller one considerably lower. Most notably however, he has a remarkable number of permanent damage marks on the underpads of his hooves. On Septimber 38th of 29,998, Hodch made the mistake of touching Ivan's 'Sparkler' artifact after spending some time examining Razorback Fortress' underound power control room. Despite his usual propensity to analyze everything at least ten times in a row, he believed the object was safe to hoofle as Ivan showed no ill effects. As a result, from both hooves to his neck are covered in jagged, lightning strike pattern of bright white and blue scar lines. ***** BIOGRAPHY: mostly classified. A lifelong Lunar faction member born in an unnamed Luna's Village. One of the rare few with a sealed history, Hodch is a friendly, but formidable teacher, especially when he dealt with cheaters or slackers at Canterlot's prestigious College of Magic. While he doesn't seem to have any particularly strong traits when compared to most unicorn Nightblades, he more than makes up for his shortcomings with an unusually high amount of casting and esoteric knowledge, as well as history, archaeology, enchanting, smithing & crafting techniques.. the list is pretty much endless. It also helps that Hodch has an instinctive understanding of event manipulation and socio-political ramifications, albeit he tends to spend very little time on either of those matters. Under normal circumstances, it's unusual to hear him drop his even tempered teacher's persona, though does have an amiable, relaxed nature when speaking to those he understands or knows well. Has an adopted, hazy purple batpony daughter that 'works' as the Moor Basin village's hostel clerk, whenever she isn't sleeping 23 hours a day. Was moderately surprised to find that Jeff may (or may not) have inspired his daughter as she has been taking her duties more seriously as of late, often leaving to visit her for several hours each day, and to catch up on news in the Basin. Formerly Hodch could only be reached at night, either through the Canterlot College of Magic or the Nightblade's Den, a small floating cloud home ten miles south of Canterlot, though has decided to relocate to Razorback Fortress some time ago due to the number of historical relics that have been recovered, particularly a complete set of Duelist's Armor which he fawned over for several hours. Taking note of Jeff's deepened relationship with Belltower, Hodch was admittedly reluctant to accept the pairing, though he has come to understand, and somewhat like, the mostly amiable humans of Razorback. Riding along with Jeff after Twisted Wing suggested clearing the Crag Moors, a rather nasty location in the northern section of the Deep Moors, Hodch decided that the Operators, while strange in manners and weaponry, were of (possibly) little harm to the Lunar faction. He accepted Belltower's statement that Jeff was trustworthy, though due to their intrinsic value on Tallus considers it his duty to both keep an eye on, and quietly aid, the human contingent, regardless of how. Reaching a unanimous decision, Hodch, Belltower, and Twisted Wing pooled most of their favors from the Nightmare herself (not without a great deal of grumbling from Hodch, however) clearing admittance to the Lunar Citadel for both Jeff and Clemency, intending to act as a buffer between whom he saw as the most problematic Lunar Council members and his own clinical dissertions of the pair. While (somewhat) irritated that the three Starborn didn't get their chance to trash the Council Hall, he was nonetheless pleased at Jeff's acceptance into the Starborn, albeit disgruntled that Canterlot's Starborn emissary, an earth pony, chose to bow out from the meeting. Along with Naliyna and Denra, Hodch has been aiding them in studying and cataloging the Enclave's contents, using his access to the Lunar Armory, the Hall of Memory for information requests, and his own lore on Tallus history, as well as overseeing the refits of numerous Enclave rooms to house some of his now-retired Starborn friends to keep guard. When not busy he warily studies and catalogues the strange items that have been pulled from the Solar Enforcer Armory, the surrounding Everfree, and elsewhere. His friendly rivalry with Belltower and Twisted Wing, they, along with Lorekeeper Amerose, have remarked (with varying shades of humor, and in some cases jealousy) on his propensity to filly fool, yet his code of conduct does not allow him to mistreat or intimidate others, leaving many of the Lunar faction curious as to how marely rendezvous he's actually had over the years. At current he is the only Nightblade AND member of the Starborn with the distinction of being able to enter the Lunar and Citadel Armories at will, without being stopped or questioned. ("Mostly due to the fact that he is amazingly careful when studying unknown objects. Look a thousand times, poke with an extremely long stick once at a range of I-probably-won't-die-here, really." -Lorekeeper Amerose) Has confirmed that he is dying from an esoteric curse of sorts. ***** STATUS: former head teacher at the Canterlot College of Magic. Now a Starborn Nightblade reservist, also aiding in cataloging the Enclave. That is, whenever he isn't being forced into taking care of the Fortress due to Tipper's 'technical' resignation. ***** CUTIE MARK: never shows it off. ***** OFFENSIVE ABILITIES: Expert Assault+4 Expert Parry+5 Expert Riposte+6 Grandmaster Casting+13 Expert Elemental Lance+9 Basic Intimidation+5 Grandmaster Mysticism+9 Grandmaster Necromarecy+15 ***** DEFENSIVE ABILITIES: Basic Block+4 Basic Evasion+5 Basic Reaction Speed+4 Basic Sprint+4 Master Fearless+6 Master Deflect Magic+10 Master Teleport+10 ***** UTILITY ABILITIES: Expert Alchemy+7 Expert Bartering+4 Expert Crystal Alchemy+5 Master Crafting+8 Master Enchanting+10 Expert Neighgotiation+4 Expert Research+8 ***** >UNIQUE SET: >Converted Lunar Guardian Duelist's Armor (Crystal-Forged, Graven-Carved, Lunar-Forged, Unique Ancient Legendary Artifact): a unicorn only, full body platemail armor composed of thin yet flexible overlapping series of melded sapphirine-mythril plates, the interior a single thickly layered and bonded silk weave to reduce harm from severe impacts. Originally created for the sole intent of providing master unicorns enough defenses to safely duel each other during their trials of mastery (or testing) this armor, of which seems to be the only set fully intact, was hastily modified at the beginning of the Lunar-Solar War. Was most often pressed into service by a number of Grandmaster unicorns, records of which have been classified. This particular example was recovered along with the horn ring and Spikeblade from a Lunar Guardian barracks in the southern Saddle Arabian jungles, home to the Arcane Atelier, where it remained until being found by a search party from Razorback. -Armor Value: 3DR -Armor Class: Full Body, Unique Light -Enchantmarent Slots: 2/3 remaining -Defensive Enchantmarent #1: reduces all magical, Casting, and Elemarental harm by 1/4 -Mechanical Enhancemarent #1: reduces all blunt trauma by 1/4 >Converted Lunar Guardian Duelist's Horn Ring (Lunar-Forged): an oversized kanpri horn ring, the base much thicker than any previously known designs, covered in archaic unicorn runes of energetic dispersion rituals and rites. *Allows a unicorn to utilize Casting up to 10 times consecutively or 2 Grand Spells without any negative effects *Can be improved to provide resistance against Psionic influences, but not damage >Converted Lunar Guardian Duelist's Spikeblade (Crystal-Forged, Graven-Carved, Lunar-Forged, Unique Ancient Legendary Artifact): a slim, 8" long triangular blackened kanpri spike, the mouthguard reshaped into a trio of blood-drinker batpony claws grasping the handle, created for use as a primary or backup unicorn weapon. Originally meant for the purpose of dueling, these weapons, of which this seems to be the only one intact, was hastily modified at the beginning of the Lunar-Solar War, and pressed into service with a number of Grandmaster unicorns. While it found little success in open combat, unicorns, batponies, and some pegasi, eventually began using the Duelist's Spikeblades as assassination weapons, greatly adding to the formidable capabilities of the few Lunar Guardian elite. -Melee Weapon Class: Light -Enchantmarent Slots: 0/3 remaining -Base Modifier: adds +3 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls -Offensive Enchantmarent #1: twice per Operation grants a [1d6+4] DUELIST'S SET BONUS: adds +1 to all Casting and Block/Evasion/Reaction Speed/Sprint rolls ("Why doesn't it have a helmet? ...unicorns were once far worse than pegasi about being hindered." -Hodch) ***** RELIC WEAPONRY: >Form & Function (Unique Archaic Prenchian Permarenent Relics): a matching pair of 3' in length redsteel Jansin rapiers, a much larger than typical form of rapier with wide, extended, well reinforced triangular blades, capable of slashing, piercing, and blocking due to their additional mass and heavy construction. Created by a Gozkan smith for the use of an estranged Solar faction noble during the Post Lunar-Solar War era, Form & Function were designed specifically for the unicorn duelist, whose name has been passed over by the marely misgivings of capricious Equestrian nobility. Otherwise, they are merely a curious footnote in historical documarents dating back to that era. Considered extremely unwieldy by even Tallus weaponry standards, this otherwise strange pair of rapiers features a 1' in diameter circular 'grip' instead of a hilt and ornamarental acid etching in numerous flower designs. (“Obviously it was made for only a unicorn to use.” -Hodch) Outside their strange propensity to refuse being taken from their current owner, whether alive or not, Amerose has confirmed that neither rapier is sentient, but as of yet cannot be sure that both combined may not have some form of preventative anti-removal enchantmarent. Despite Amerose's best research efforts, she has no idea if the etches contain hidden meanings. Sent to Razorback by the Arkadian Divides, a large offshoot of the Ferron clan from before the Lunar-Solar War, as a gift for their aid in preventing the deaths of all Lower Las Pegasus defenders. -Melee Weapon Class: One-Hooved -Enchantmarent Slots: 0/3 remaining -Base Modifier: adds +3 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls -Unicorn Adapted: adds +3 to all Casting rolls when not being used to strike with -Armor Pierce: 1 -Offensive Enchantmarent #1: Form grants a [1d6+3] Prestaniszcio (Archaic Legendary Prenchian Artifact): an extraordinarily finely wrought, smoothly twisted and circular hafted black iron and greensteel stave 4' in length, with one end housing a triangular ruby gem and the other a sapphire sphere, both held in place by a round silver basket and supported by numerous clear diamond studs. Unique among ancient Prenchian artifacts, Prestaniszcio, often called 'Prestige' or 'Prancestigio' in historical documarents, was shaped by an unknown master forger some time during the latter stages of the Middle Dynasty era. (Due to the use of black iron, it can be safely assumed that 'Prestige' is more a staff of office than a weapon, especially considering how difficult it would have been to procure enough from the ruined city which would eventually be renamed to Stalliongrad.) Only given to high ranking unicorn sorcerers or sorceresses that displayed exceptional loyalty to the head of the Chemontaris noble family, one of nine ruling factions during Prance's medieval era.. one lineage that failed to continue to this day and age. While considered inane in the hooves (or mouths) of those that are neither unicorns nor nobility, Prestige has the interesting capacity to grant access to two early bound arcane spells to those of non-unicorn lineages, IF they can meet it's demarending requiremarent of succeeding a 10 or higher Iron Will/Fearless roll for each attempt, and being a member of a primarily esoteric faction. Sent to Razorback directly from Farrierse, one of several capitals of Prance. *Amerose has stated the black iron used to produce this staff of office was the result of a Prance-Stalliongrad trade agreemarent in the late 28,900’s, one that has not been called upon since the Lunar-Solar War -Melee Weapon Class: One-Hooved -Enchantmarent Slots: 0/3 remaining -Base Modifier: adds +2 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls -Advanced Modifier: adds +4 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls against Spectrals and Undead -Unicorn Adapted: adds +2 to all Casting rolls -Offensive Enchantmarent #1: once per Operation grants a [1d6+18] All Shall Be One: little known outside of archaic Neighsian history, this bizarre trinket, barely the size of a large marble, hails from somewhere unknown. A single piece of Life Weave, a composite blessed arcane metametal made by combining physically corrupted iron with large amounts of ash from the Heart of Glory tree, then quenched in the blood of a Grandmaster Spirit-Mystic on the path of Life, is shaped as two Neighsians embracing each other tightly. *When worn by a being that has vowed Life and Death are the most important aspects of the Endless Cycle, +2 must be added to ONE esoteric skill, weapon, effect, or item each turn *The bearer automagically regenerates 5HP each turn *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to utilize this artifact without repercussion *CURSED! a being that has not accepted the Endless Cycle will suffer 1 damage each turn or minute of carrying this trinket, increasing to 2 damage after 1 hour, 3 damage after 2 hours, and so on >Anvil of Black Clouds: once a required item in Solar-Lunar Guardian armories, over time the aspects of magical smithing between the two would diverge greatly, leading to few examples of these unusual anvils remaining. Comprised of solidly refined kanpri, the shape of this heavy anvil is utterly standard and plain, concealing its true purpose. During the early to middle Lunar Guardian eras there was an intense focus on producing esoterically defense armors and hostile, often sentient or sapient offensive weapons. Unicorns, batponies, Minotaurs, Gryphons, and others practiced their crafts, rarely if ever favoring one anvil over another. As a result of these anvils absorbing the sometimes negative energies associated through thousands of years, they have become directly attuned to the aspects of Blood, Destruction, Moon, Night, Shadow, and Void. Where a cursed anvil produced by Necromarecers is bad enough, these are considerably more pronounced and are never allowed for use outside of exceptional cases. This particular example carries an eerie engraving of the Reaper, Princess Luna's wartime nickname, on the bottom. *Adds +6 to all Enchanting and Smithing rolls *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to utilize this artifact without repercussion *CURSED! only a Lunar faction member, or any of the Lunar sub-factions, may use this object without consequence *LUNAR GUARDIAN RELIC >Black Ark of Three: a surviving example of one of the most hated relics throughout Early Dynasty history, this unassuming object is little more than a small ship made of magically compressed black onyx with three columns of promethine alloy, each with three large and two small triangular whitesteel plates for sails. Initially used by Lunar unicorns in the Vigil Light Cult to resurrect the bodies of fallen ponies, minotaurs, and Gryphons, against the unrivaled numbers and varieties of enemies at the time, Dynasty forces came to ban their use as being something akin to heretical, refusing to aid the Vigil Lights in their efforts of destroying or putting to rest vast hosts of Spectrals and Undead. During the beginning of the Middle Dynasty Era, large numbers of these items were destroyed by opposition factions. Most were only saved when the Vigil Light Cult renamed itself to the Vigilite Order and demarended the return of any that were undamaged, as well as the remains of those that were destroyed. Some complied. When a prominent Escort General of a major city-state refused, her body was the first to be added to the Vigilite's ranks, sparking a bloody feud that lasts to this day between the Dynasty Remnants and the Vigilites. This example was recovered from the ruins of a Middle Dynasty Escort Outpost in 29,831 by a Starborn team. Passed from Necromarecer Master to Necromarecer Disciple after Luna's acknowledgemarent was given, it has been in the hooves of at least 20 owners. *When activated by an equine Necromarecer, the Black Ark of Three adds +2 to all Necromarecy rolls, but immediately causes +1 Threat to any individual in line of sight that does not agree with the use of Necromarecy *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to utilize this artifact without repercussion *VIGIL LIGHT CULT RELIC >Black Onyx Moor Cat: an exquisitely carved rendition of a Moor Cat in an attacking stance, batwings folded on sides, face hissing in a tight expression, rear paws on ground, the front claws slashing at the viewer. Shaped and improved by a Cavalier clan gem-smith. The trade of black onyx from the Moors only occurred from the 18,000's to the early 23,000's. Even then, locating more than a hooffull was an extraordinary event as finding gems, let alone metals, are considered once in a lifetime finds. Due to the unique methods used by Neighsian gem-smiths it is nearly impossible to tell when this example was found or shaped. Completely unknown outside of Neighsia, Hodch has stated he's only come across two examples in his time, but heard of another. ("That one was highly damaged, though I did hear of two being used for Lunar Guardian weapons before a certain War. Since spirit-carvers, what we call gem-smiths, rarely leave Neighsia and only a few Dusk Strider gem-smiths exist, nopony ever tried to repair it. The one I did touch is currently in the main Memorial Village Reliquary. Yes, it survived fully intact. Unfortunately the other one is probably lost somewhere in one of the Arena Armories.. ..again." -Hodch) *Grants a [1d6+6] Carry My Love: one of Princess Cadence's first artifacts created during the formation of the Crystal Kingdom, this 1' tall, 3" thick, 20 pound, calmly shifting pink, green, blue, orange, red, and purple Ethereal Crystal was dedicated to the Conclaves, free Crystal ponies, and Changelings that made her dreams a reality. Shaped in the same style as the Crystal Heart. Etched on the front is an image of Chrysalis and Cadence in their early years, necks entwined and smiling. In the background are 9 ponies, 3 Changelings, 3 Crystal ponies, and 3 Conclavists lying down under sunlight. Etched on the rear is an image of a Changeling, a Crystal pony, and a Conclavist sitting in front of a fanciful fire. In the distance is an image of Chrysalis and Cadence gazing upwards at the Moon. Across the trim are small engravings of the various Ethereals that aided the Crystal Kingdom's foundation. Curiously, one on the bottom was scratched off at some point in time, and Champion Belregard added to the right side. Hodch steadfastly refuses to explain why this artifact is in his possession, though stated this to Aiutante before leaving: "I did not ask for it, this was.. placed in my hooves against the will of those in attendance except for a few. History has forgotten more names than we will ever know. At the bare minimum I swore to keep the memories of a glorious past alive, at best, felt by all. No matter the price." *Each turn Carry My Love will restore [1d6+10] HP to ALL Allies and Friendly beings in 100M *This effect does not cause Arcane Poisoning, and cannot be prevented *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to utilize this artifact without repercussion *CRYSTAL KINGDOM RELIC >Disciple of Liora: a 12" tall, 8" wide, 3" thick book made from crisp white vellum paper, the covers and spine a material similar to the white band joining Hatred. The name is in archaic unicorn, embossed in flowing platinum. Nopony knows what is contained within these pages. Hodch's Disciples, however, have sometimes heard him recite passages from it before going to sleep. >Fair-Eyed Silverine Horn Ring: an ornately engraved, thick banded horn ring dating back to the beginnings of the Late Dynasty Era. Engraved with several names written in the Dynasty's unusual language that constantly change. As silverine items are almost never recovered from Dynasty locations, he's unsure which ruin this example was pulled out of. Several heraldry stamps prove it was created sometime around the 28,600's, but as the resonances have faded over time it is unlikely answers will be found. Hodch states that it was given to him by a dying Honor Guard, name withheld, and wears it as a mark of honor. *Adds +2 to all Casting OR Teleport rolls *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to utilize this artifact without repercussion *DYNASTY RELIC >Fallen Heart Glyph: a curious piece of Lunar Guardian history, this pendant of solid, refined kanpri is crudely shaped as an upside down heart with four spreading fractures in the shape of wings across the surface. Originally made to defend against the despair that pegasi felt when losing their wings, either through injury, severing, or disease, the powerful enchantmarents act to lighten one's spirit. *Negates the non-physical effects of Critical, Demoralized, Fear, Horror, Shock, and Terror *LIMITED BAN: requires EXPLICIT permission from Princess Luna to wear *LUNAR GUARDIAN RELIC >Grand Room of the Storm King: taking the form of a simple hoofband made of electrically charged topaz, this laughably ornate relic holds a secret that would stun most into unconsciousness. An ancient being hailing from the Elemental Plane of Lightning, the Storm King was renowned for his seemingly infinite powers (they weren't), vast knowledge (most dragons think he would have made a better diplomat than a crafter, but otherwise agree), and gentle disposition (if one must enter combat, do so with a heart clad in honor, your tears can wait). Having given up due to age but finding none would take his title, he decided to try his luck with the unusual, some would say soft, ponies of Tallus. Arriving at a place that would, thousands of years later, become known as Tempest Isle, he settled there peacefully amongst the Extra-Planar Harpies. To most ponies he appeared as a paradox: difficult to reach, harder to understand, and seemingly impossible to comprehend. What they did know was the incredible beauty of the endless trinkets, objects, and other items he created out of what they believed was boredom. Where ponies appreciate decorative yet rugged objects, the Extra-Planar Harpies frowned on anything more than brute force military necessities. Often spending time trying to convince both sides that the other had good ideas, he would eventually give up, laughing at the tiny verbal conflicts erupting form time to time. Sensing his death would occur 'soon', the Storm King spent a decade traveling across Tallus, moving with the winds and watching storms entirely unlike those from his home Plane from the highest places he could reach. As he learned to appreciate the far less refined things in his now-mortal life, he would set about creating artifacts of great utility, power, and defense, dedicated to only one of those three concepts. Before the Storm King's death, none were told more than the basics of what each object was capable of, allowing individuals to figure out his intentions on their own. As such, few know what is in the Grand Room, except those that have visited it. Outside Hodch, less than eight other beings know how to access the Grand Room. *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to utilize this artifact without repercussion *PLANAR RELIC >Master of Oneself: a 1' long, 1" in diameter rod made of barely wrought, still raw black iron, weighing approximately 10 pounds. Created during the early years of Stalliongrad's renaming and countless attempts to pacify the Undead beneath the city, these rods were once regarded as a cruel teaching device. As black iron seems to be unnatural, difficult to work with, and much harder to keep in the air by a Psion than other materials, the idea behind their creation was simple: to keep one's abilities sharp. Learning to 'fold' one's marental presence around raw black iron to lift a piece is an art in itself, but being able to 'move' the 'fold' in steady patterns ensures that all earth ponies learn to understand, and eventually share, the peculiar quirks. Unicorns, however, have a much more difficult time as raw black iron readily negates most forms of magic, though when fully refined it simply becomes highly resistant to directed esoteric effects. Hodch has revealed that this one was given to Nightblade Fang Killer by Stream Lark in late 29,993 for his aid in locating a number of missing Watch Guard in the Western Equestrian Highlands. It was recovered from Fankil's room shortly after his death. When Hodch left to Stalliongrad seeking to return this item, the aging Councilierge politely refused, stating he could think of no better friend to bear the deceased Lunar Guard's honor. *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to carry this artifact without repercussion *STALLIONGRAD RELIC >Nullifying Seal: a black coin made of Early Dynasty Era diamondine, stamped with 'O' on the face, and a '0' on the reverse. Long thought to be little more than outlandish myths, hundreds, if not thousands, of these puzzling 'coins' were produced during the beginning years of the Middle Dynasty. After the effects of early diamondine became understood, numerous projects were started to make use of the arcane metamaterial's esoteric-stabilizing influences. Few results of those projects are known to the modern day and there are no records, oral or otherwise, outside of Dynasty adherents, or possibly the Remnants themselves, that state successes or failures. Once awarded solely to Escort ranked unicorns, it is speculated that less than 10 exist today outside the Fallen Dynasty. *Adds +1 to all Casting and Abosrb/Deflect/Resist Magic rolls *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to carry this artifact without repercussion *DYNASTY RELIC >Of Ages Past: a series of 100 pure kanpri hoofbands crossing through each other, inscribed with names of various Lunar Guardians and Starborn throughout history. When asked why Hodch joined the Starborn, he will show this object and state: "Them. For every name on here there are fifty thousand that may never be remembered. Don't add mine. Everypony and everyone that knows me, knows better." *STARBORN EXEMPLAR ARTIFACT >Pain, Pride: a simple red-silver locket in the shape of a hoof. When the face is opened, the bearer is allowed to see the name, face, and deeds of a random Dusk Strider. Long before the Lunar Guardians formed, Dusk Striders roamed the Underdark's layers and Void spectrums across Tallus, risking their lives to connect living beings to each other. For ages, with each passing generation more would take up the duties and assert their dominance over the unknown, the feared, and the unnatural. Discovering allies, objects, and sometimes each other in unexpected ways, in likewise unexpected places, the Dusk Striders covered Equestria in safe travel routes, from the Moors, to what would become the Crystal Empire, to what would become the Gryphon Kingdoms, and to the early Minotaur Warclans. A ten day march became a five hour walk, and a five hour walk became a five minute jog. As trade flourished, so did all the various interconnected species. Little used to 'easy' life in villages, towns, or the beginnings of cities both small and grand, the Dusk Striders shrugged their shoulders and turned to other lands. Finding routes across oceans, through vast mountains, and between the Ley Lines themselves, the pain and pride of uncounted generations continued. When the Tunnels began collapsing between the Early to Late Dynasty Eras and trapped the vast majority of Dusk Striders within, hundreds of thousands risked their lives to free them. Most efforts were unsuccessful, and as the years passed fewer and fewer could take up the calling as their collected knowledge became lost. Eventually it was presumed that no Dusk Striders remained outside of small groups spread across the Moors and Ferron territories. Vast stone piles now lie at the entrance to each Tunnel, carried one by one and placed by those that knew how important the Dusk Striders were, both to history and culture. Millennia later, this simple locket carries the hopes, dreams, and love that the Dusk Striders gave to Tallus, all without ever thinking of being repaid. *CURSED! only a being that fully understands the values of Pain and Pride may carry this locket *DUSK STRIDER RELIC >Smoke After Dusk, The: a bright, palm-sized, partially clear aquamarine carved in the shape of a nightshade petal adorned with several berries, a small onyx sphere embedded inside the center. Once the symbol of Princess Luna's earliest known militia, the Dusk Striders, this relic has been passed down to marely, particularly earth ponies, but has seen use by other pony species throughout it's existence. Often being used to normalize relations or declare conflicts between opposing herds and groups, the Smoke After Dusk represents a completely 'clean' table of negotiations, granting all parties an equal chance at having their voices heard. *When presented during negotiations between two or more parties, a [1d6+4] roll is made for the number of turns that ALL modifiers that would affect Bartering or Negotiation rolls are removed, OR to equalize all modifiers to the lowest possible +X bonus *Fully disables all Demoralize, Intimidation, and other negative vocal abilities, excepting the Canterlot Voice and related >Spirit Candy: forty five rolls of ten randomly colored, semi-transparent candy the size of a medium marble. Created by dragon-spirits for their keepers throughout Neighsia, these unusual items are exceedingly difficult to acquire and are purchased en masse by Lunars when traveling through. Used solely to recover from spiritually inflicted harm, they're beloved by Moorites, Malurians, and Lunarites alike. Various Neighsian fruit, berry, and honey flavors. *450 remaining in resealable paper tubes *Upon consuming regenerates [1d6+4] Swirling Void: contained inside this tiny, simple kanpri cylinder is a friendly n'Tapi, a creature from the deeper Void spectrums. Long known as great friends to ponies for their ability to sense danger, the n'Tapi species vaguely resemble seals, except for having angular bodies and heads, thick leather-like wings instead of flippers, and smooth, wavy skin with the texture of soft down. As n'Tapi cannot stand being in sunlight, they prefer being stored somewhere warm and dark. Hodch has kept this n'Tapi with him since his early days in the Lunar Guard, and enjoys sharing the numerous times it failed to warn him of silly incidents, such as the infamous "Hard Boiled Hoofboot" incident, both to his closest friends, and his Disciples. *Grants a [1d6+4] Time's Arrow: what was once a great Hegemony Ranger arrow is now little more than shards of wood and shattered pieces of a hard steel alloy, permarenently sealed inside a clear diamond box. Working with Minotaurs quite often during his early years as a Night Guard, Divisions enchanted arrows by the tens of thousands, usually with armor piercing effects or simple Elemarents. On occasion Hodch would test new ideas and theories on how to best aid the heavily traditional Minotaur archers, asking permission first of course. Coming from a large number enchanted with a basic pseudo-tracking spell to align itself in flight with a target, a company of Ruined Lands Ranger reportedly loosed hundreds against an unknown and unidentified attacker. Recovering what he could of the arrowhead and shaft, then sealed into a gently crafted diamond box, an Elder Mystic sacrificed the blood of his fallen kin to the Earth before seeking out the young Night Guard. Regaling the battle in full detail, the Mystic presented Hodch with this box. Confused, he asked why would an arrow that DIDN'T kill the creature and was shattered into pieces on impact be given such care. The Mystic did not directly answer, instead stating the following: "It is rarely the individual weapon and the weapon's bearer that slays monsters. It is the guidance and companionship of all involved. Past, present, future, the Endless Cycle must continue." *HONORED HEGEMONY RELIC >The Warning Gift: one of the few purely magical objects created during the later part of the Middle Dynasty Era that remain to this day, this is less a tome of spells and more the.. *concept* of one. Taking the appearance of a 10" tall, 8" wide, and 3" thick volume, contained within the uncounted pages are prophecies related to the Dynasty's Fall, written by madmares, Cursed, Doomed, and Undead of the Vigil Light Cult alike. As no two copies were even remotely similar, the veracity, as well as accuracy, of the prophecies contained within are highly suspect. However, a talented unicorn with some skill in Necromarecy can often extract valuable information relating to safer methods of raising, stunning, destroying, putting to rest, or aiding unruly Spectrals and Undead. *Adds +1 to all Necromarecy rolls *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to utilize this artifact without repercussion *CURSED! only a unicorn Necromarecer may bear this object without suffering from madness *DYNASTY RELIC >Torn Veil: a ripped, blood spattered piece of exquisitely laced Rushyan cotton, once part of a wedding veil. Sealed inside a small, clear diamond box. Affixed to the top is a clear, unknown gem, 2" in diameter, set in place with diamond gel. Hodch has never spoken of the events that claimed the life of his only sister, but from time to time will take this out of his saddlepack to stare at. >Unknown: a small, pure kanpri plate book, 6" tall, 6" wide, and 1" thick. Instead of using rings, sheared locks from the manes and tails of numerous Naghtmares allow it to open and close freely. Etched onto the pages of this unassuming diary are the crimes, regrets, and remorseful acts Hodch has committed during his life. Rather than detailing them individually, each individual page has a phrase or short sentence, then a number of scratch marks below. Hodch does not allow anyone, or anypony, to look inside. >Unwavering Devotion: taking the form of a small figure in archaic battle armor, this particular one is an earth pony Starborn Nightblade wearing an archaic light combat armor. These pieces of Moonstone were once produced in the thousands by Lunars in centuries past. While later examples were gifts of service to those that spent their best years serving and protecting their fellows, as well as Luna, early examples such as this one hide a much more unusual purpose: to pass on to a worthy apprentice. *Contained within are the full memories, knowledge, and skills of Hodch *BANNED: a limited number of beings may be allowed to utilize this artifact without repercussion *CURSED! only Hodch's chosen Disciple is allowed to take this relic *LUNAR GUARD RELIC ***** PHYSICAL ENCHANTMARENTS: 0/3 Slots -?????: adds +1 to all rolls, 2-slot enchantmarent -Superior Armor Charm: adds +2DR *************************************************************************************************************************************** Naliyna Remostrine, former 'Third Siege-Marauder': 135HP, 2DR Age: 60 Month of birth: Panuary ***** (Affectionate, Calm, Crystal-Forger, Elite: Senses, Emotional, INQUISITORIALLY SANCTIONED, Minorly Forgetful, Purposeful, Slow, Studious, Warm-Hearted) ***** APPEARANCE: a slightly wavy, bright fuchsia coated half-transparent Crystal pony mare with brilliantly shimmering ruby red eyes. Has a long dark fuchsia mane that nearly reaches the ground, a slight curl present at it's end, while her tail somehow manages to curl on itself and not drag all the time. Tries to take care of her coat and mane, though finds it difficult due to the condition her body is in. Also a tad bit overweight. The upper half of Naliyna's left ear is missing while under the left eye, entire head, and most of her body is covered in deep, slightly sensitive scars, remnants from Sombra's attempted domination over 1,000 years ago, though when Thrill touches them the sensation is quite soothing to her. According to her, the right Cutie Mark was removed and eaten by the unicorn King. Several small burns from the Changeling 'incursion' in 29,978 dot her withers, saddle, upper barrel, and several on her rump, though none of them appear to have caused meaningful harm. Naliyna's coat, mane, and eyes sparkle or gleam when happy, an interesting and highly noticeable effect due to the intense emotional capacity inherent in all Crystal ponies. ***** BIOGRAPHY: post-imprisonmarent life poorly known. Once part of the largest trading herd in the Crystal Empire, traveling constantly to buy, sell, trade, and appraise anything that caught her exceptionally critical eye, Naliyna is the eldest Remostrine daughter. Less overtly talented than most Crystal ponies, she was nonetheless a known singer, an excellent Crystal-forger, and several other occupations, though has forgotten the majority of her skills and techniques due to memory and personality damage via the formation of her unique skill, Revenge, during the forced occupation of King Sombra's reign. As a result, Naliyna's tenacity and loyalty, often barely remembered, gives her little choice but to protect her herdmates and fellows, the failed results of which caused the emotional trauma leading to memory fragmentation. In recent months, Cadence has stated her recovery process outside the Empire has done much for well being and stability. Meeting the Operators arriving via train at the Crystal Empire Main Station, Naliyna's interest in the Otherworldly mercenaries was piqued by their appearance, size, and the clothing they wore, since wearing clothing is either at important or formal functions, or by by prostitutes. Not knowing that wasn't the case, she spent some time selling and trading with the members of Razorback, with interest in the outside world rekindling. Curious about the history of the rainbow daffodil in his possession, Thrill sought Naliyna out for information on it, leading to a misunderstanding on the Crystal mare's part, as a great deal of her personal history was invested in Princess Cadence's existence. Suffering a marental breakdown and leaving to a place of safety, Thrill sought her out once more to apologize, though he had little understanding of the events that had taken place long before. Admitting that she considered the Empire to be her tomb, Naliyna requested that Thrill execute her as she could no longer bear or cope with the disjointed, crippling, confusing memories and emotions of her past. Upon his refusal and understanding the reasons behind it, she acknowledged that she had been, essentially, committing protracted suicide in the city-state, she chose to seek a life outside the Empire regardless of what leaving entailed, remaining quiet and withdrawn for some time. Experiencing familiar emotions while traveling with Thrill and the rest of Razorback, some of which were little more than touches of deja vu, the rest vague, strongly held memories and thoughts, Naliyna's slowly developing interactions led to her accepting Thrill's attentions and affection without restraint, mostly due to his considerate, caring nature. Seeing humans and ponies as capable of the same concerns, she began taking all opportunities to enjoy their time together, particularly when it came to exploring new places. And foods. After being confronted with the knowledge of her wrongful and partly misguided hatred of Cadence, solely by Thrill, Naliyna was left puzzling over her own bitter, substantially hostile actions. Eventually decided that her former sovereign suffered as much, if not more, than she had, what remains of her distrust for the Princess of Rebirth's visible weaknesses is kept to herself, partially out of regret, and partially out of understanding. As evidenced by Cadence's discussion with Thrill, her proclamation that she was never a warrior, only a healer whom had little idea of war's long lasting affects on the mind, the pink alicorn's promise of reconciliation with all of her ponies would be delayed though the two were, then, incapable of meeting each other's eyes. No longer quiet and more affectionate than ever, Naliyna is able to speak of her known memories to Thrill and her chosen friends without reserve due to her formerly crippled marentality and willpower becoming solidified. This gives her a high degree of autonomous flexibility when dealing with the oddities, and sometimes horrors, of Tallus. Recovering her interest in mechanical and technological applications, the specifics of Crystal engineering are still a work in progress, despite a rather large amount of time spent in experimarentation. As she will speak her mind at all possible opportunities, one of her largest joys involves giving advice to other ponies on relationships, yet often ends with said advice simply being 'go have sex, then snuggle. A LOT'. Her new favorite hobbies, besides fawning over Pella and Allys' pastries, are being brushed, hoof massages, long walks or jogs around the Fortress, and swimming lessons in the Enclave with Thrill, though she still worries over what might be lurking in the water. After Spiral left the Fortress, Naliyna took the position of Itemologist ("...what th- okay, that's an actual title and a rank for ponies. I honestly believed Hodch was joking." -Emerald), and has retained control of the various relics for Razorback after Amerose's arrival. Along with Hodch, Amerose, and Denra, Naliyna has been aiding the rest studying and cataloging the Enclave's contents, cracking open Crystal Empire lockboxes and using her vast (if sometimes scattered) knowledge of historical relics to identify various weapons and armor. Though Amerose and Naliyna are reasonably friendly towards each other, Naliyna's age, force of will, and stubborn presence have made her nearly as superior as Twisted Wing in the head Lorekeeper's eyes, and as such Amerose will not divulge any specifics or favors asked by her. During the second Fortress renovation, Naliyna grudgingly allowed her family to serve food and refreshmarents to Razorback, knowing that she would lose each and every argument from her daughters Quell and Starglow. Instead, she aided (as much as possible) the new and under construction Clinic with Tipper, then spending some of her free time with Malyne and Dancing Eyes in the library, relearning some of her skills and helping the batfoal along in crafting. Also helps with plotting out Malyne's next 'targets' from time to time. Outside of her other duties, Naliyna has spent nearly a thousand hours in the past two years translating human engineering principles to the Empire's bio-crystalline technologies. Most of her experimarents have lead to successful breakthroughs, particularly when it comes to replacing batteries, hardening electronics, and even creating artificial muscles for use in armor. Her skills in weapon and armor 'tuning', once hopelessly outdated, have been expanded through patient acquisition of various tools, devices, and crystal discs containing precise information how to create hololiths, and even full sets of Crystal Kingdom and Empire armor. ***** FETISHES: voyeurism & polygamy... ***** CUTIE MARK: a platinum Early Imperial coin inlaid on a brown book under a lens. The right Mark, however, is missing. ***** STATUS: formerly a street vendor at the Crystal Empire Main Station, now Razorback's dedicated trader and (only) paperwork mare. ***** RELATIONSHIPS: -Dancing Eyes: absolutely does not understand, but secretly wants to. -Mercy: enjoys spending what little time the two have together. -Thrill Collins: desires his company, though is slightly possessive of. -All other Operators: highly friendly towards. ***** OFFENSIVE ABILITIES: Expert Assault+5 Expert Parry+4 Expert Riposte+4 ***** DEFENSIVE ABILITIES: Expert Block+4 Expert Evasion+3 Expert Reaction Speed+4 Expert Sprint+3 ***** UTILITY ABILITIES: Basic Crystal Alchemy+2 Basic Crafting+3 Expert Crystal Engineering+4 Expert Fearless+3 Expert Bartering+4 Expert Perception+4 Expert Neighgotiation+4 Master Appraisal+5 ***** Expert Crystal Runes+6 -Learned Runes: *Cover: creates an innate crystalline shield that may be used to defend herself or allies with, and is also capable of attacking and stunning opponents. *Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter Fade: allows the user to become physically invisible on a result of 6 or higher via bending and distorting visual perception around her, but does not confer the other benefits typically associated with Stealth. -Most certainly does NOT reduce physical sound *Power: adds +1 to all Crystal Rune rolls for each max critical, capping at a maximum of +3 (+4/+5 at Master/Grandmaster), and can be used with Crafting. *Pull: allows use of minor Psychokinesis, limited to a maximum of 500 pounds. *Refresh: allows use of a ranged, minor Recovery-like ability, though allies must be in line of sight and within 100M in order to function -On a max critical, natural Poisons, Toxins, and Minor negative status effects will be negated ***** SHARED ABILITY: Basic Crystalline Focus. Once per Operation, Naliyna and Thrill, whether separate or alone, may roll a [1d6] CURRENT SKILLS COPIED IN SEQUENCE: none, yet. >EXPIRED SKILLS COPIED IN SEQUENCE: Master Execute+8 Grandmaster Diamond Reprisal+14 Grandmaster Night Reaper+16 Grandmaster Gravity Surge+20 ***** COMPLETED PROJECTS: Composite Materials Crystalline Alloys Crystalline Circuitry ***** STANDARD WEAPONRY: >Fuchsia Ponyshoes (Custom-Fit): a quartet of basic, colored steel alloy ponyshoes that cover entire hoof, made comfortable to wear by the addition of a soft, thick, and most importantly, warm layer of treated cotton. Though not meant for combat, extended or otherwise, Naliyna has found they make excellent hoof protectors while skating around the Fortress during winter. Melee Weapon Class: Light -Enchantment Slots: 0/1 remaining -Base Modifier: adds +1 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls -Utility Enchantmarent #1: Superior Slowfall-Float, allows Naliyna to float 1' above any solid materials, and reduces her floating weight by 1/4 ***** RELIC CRYSTALLINE WEAPONRY (Archaic Artifact, Conclave-Forged, Crystal-Forged, Heavily Specialized): >Medium Twin-Beam Siege Lance: an 8' long, 3" in diameter gleaming blue lance made from a stabilized, highly resonant archaic crystalline mass, the exact composition of which is barely understood throughout the modern Crystal Empire. A smoothly curved pair of lances split in the exact center off the rear shaft, spread apart 3" and heavily reinforced by thick bands of stabilized crystal. The 'tips' are a pair of solid impactor rods, each specialized for use against specific targets. Patterned after archaic pegasi twin-beam lances long used by the far more militant cloud-cities within the Minotaur Hegemony, this is merely a larger version intended for Siegemares and Construct hunters. Is latched onto the right side of the Siege Knight Underplate by a pair of heavily reinforced, triple-jawed clamps made from monoplate Imperial crystal. Naliyna was unable to have the resonant properties switched due to the emergency situation in Basin Village. -Base Modifier: adds +3 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls -Advanced Modifier: adds +5 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls against Armored targets and Constructs -Resonant Slots: 0/4 remaining *Grants a [1d6+5] Heavy Siege Ram (Archaic Artifact, Conclave-Forged, Crystal-Forged, Heavily Specialized): a 6' long, 6" in diameter cylindrical battering ram made from a partially destabilized archaic crystalline mass, the exact composition of which is never used in the modern Crystal Empire. A carved, pristine Blizzard Dragon's head up front suffices for the ramming portion, though the rear is covered in activated Crystal Runes that display the bearer's status. *Naliyna was unable to have the resonant properties switched due to the emergency situation in Basin Village. -Base Modifier: adds +4 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls -Advanced Modifier: adds +6 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls against Heavily Armored targets, structures/fortifications, and XL or greater sized enemies -Resonant Slots: 0/4 remaining *Grants a [1d6+8] Conclave Siege Knight Underplate, Medium Variant (Archaic Artifact, Conclave-Forged, Crystal-Forged, Heavily Specialized, Partially Custom Fit): what humans would expect to see when asked what they think powered armor for Crystal ponies might look like.. this definitely ticks all the boxes. Somewhat resembling standard modern Warden armors on this surface, this older, full body, medium weight Conclave Knight design trades the heavy variant's rigid Kingdom-era crystal armor plating for 16 sequential layers of segmarented flexible sheets, allowing for enhanced mareneuverability with little additional weight. Affixed to the chest and above the legs is a solid plate that protects against directly incoming strikes and weaponry, lessening the chance of a crippling or killing blow to the heart and lungs. The front and sides of the neck likewise feature additional sheeting as this set is preferred by more specialist roles, such as Chargers and Seigemares. The external plating is bonded internally by a series of biofeedback capable crystalline strands ("I can't remember which series of exoframes started using that stuff, but it was definitely made long before I was born.") that resemble musculature, acting to empower the wearer's motions. Not only do the pseudo-muscles enhance strength and speed by a minor amount, they also functioning as multiple shared redundant power generation/storage units. The strands are directly connected to a pair of resonance sensitive, specialized hololith units under a pair of thick plates atop the withers, allowing a Crystal pony to utilize the armor as an extension of their own body and issue commarends near-instantly to the integral InterPonies. Further protected by an interior Tremor-series light mesh bodysuit ("The Tremor is a late Conclave Knight inner suit. It's.. really skimpy. And not in a GOOD way either!"), created by sequentially bonding semi-artificial crystalline threads used in the Frostweave medium armor with a heavily refined bio-gel composite known as Onward that functions as a tertiary layer, some much needed interior comfort was added. Equipped with three InterPonies rather than the standard two, Naliyna requested this set's refit to focus solely on siege, anti-armor, anti-fortification, anti-Construct, and (eventually) other anti-Planar roles. A solid state resonance detection and monitoring system was installed underneath the heavier spinal plates, allowing the wearer to (hopefilly) pinpoint weaknesses in enemy armor, maximizing the effects of brutal charges or countercharges. Requesting an older, filly stabilized Rime Lattice anti-energy ablation-deflection skinshield system, in place of the original's broad spectrum resonance locator/emitter hololith, this custom addition greatly improves durability and survivability against energy weapons weaponry. The constantly rotating fluctuations intentionally cause significant interference and disruption from hostile Crystal Runes or Psionics while allowing the user's own capabilities to function undeterred. Once produced in significant numbers by larger Conclaves during the Early Dynasty Era for anti-Construct and anti-Planar duties, most surviving examples of original, and a few later, Siege armors exist throughout the Crystal Empire City-State's museums, each showcasing their individual modifications to meet custom preferences. This improved pre-modern (Late Dynasty Era) set comes from the Tylisvine Conclave, located two weeks march of Ice Floe Fort, from a small, well taken care of stockpile they have been maintaining since the Middle Dynasty Era. Heavily refit and drastically modified for Naliyna's service. ("Ten thousand Bits well spent! Even if it did take five months, two dozen refits, three InterPonies, an older Lattice, a detection unit.. ..sure I could have gotten some NEW junk and spent a while working on it, but this one was so NEAT in that box I couldn't help it!") -Armor Value: 6DR to the chest, 5DR for the neck except on the rear, 4DR elsewhere -Resonant Slots: 1/5 remaining -Adds +1 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte, Charging, and Sprint rolls -Reduces all Ice damage by 1/6, whether physical, natural, magical, Mystical, or Planar in nature -Reduces damage from all energy weapon (Grazer, Laser, Maser, Particle Projection, Particle Whip, Plasma, Projector, etc.) classes by 1/2 -Reduces damage from all Crystal Runes and Psionics by 2/3 *Functions as a Small Kingdom Hololith unit, allowing images, audio/video recordings, and resonant transmission up to 50 miles through the helmet *May also link directly to hololiths and other Crystal Empire devices that contain an InterPony, but will only accept Micro or Small Crystalplates for information storage >Conclave Siege Knight Helmet, Medium-Heavy Variant (Archaic Artifact, Conclave-Forged, Crystal-Forged, Custom Fit, Heavily Specialized): what humans would expect to see when asked what they think a powered armor helmet for Crystal ponies might look like.. this definitely ticks all the boxes. Much like standard Warden armors, this older medium-heavy Conclave Knight design retains the Heavy Siege variant's rigid Kingdom crystal armor plates, but reinforces a 200 degree wide, 4" tall band of semi-clear diamond lattice allowing for near-optimal vision radius. The viewplate, snout mask, and ears are further covered in four layers of barely flexible plating, typically used by those intending to chase down Constructs or rarely seen Planar threats. ("Have you ever seen a Frost Ripper, even a newly... born, or made I guess, one? Those things are the reason why exoframes were built in the first place. Anything less than medium protection like this is a death sentence if squaring off against one.") Multiple layers of anti-spall crystalline-gels coat the interior and add a moderate degree of protection against loud noises. When connected to the main armor, the three InterPonies inhabiting it can be spoken with and issued orders, though only a Crystal pony can do so. On the internal viewplate's left side is a microhololith unit, allowing the wearer to survey any resonances in their vicinity, and is specifically attuned to only function with the matching main armor. Heavily refit and drastically modified for Naliyna's service. ("You have NO idea how uncomfortable most Warden helmets are! Even one this old is like trying to wear a damned cast iron pot without any cushioning. Good thing I spent the extra two hundred Bits for a perfect custom fit!") -Armor Value: 6DR for the viewplate, 5DR for the snout mask and ears, 4DR elsewhere -Resonant Slots: 1/4 remaining -Reduces all Ice damage by 1/6, whether physical, natural, magical, Mystical, or Planar in nature, excepting Druidry and Eldritch -Reduces damage from all energy weapon (Grazer, Laser, Maser, Particle Whip, Plasma, Projector etc.) classes by 1/2 -Reduces damage from all Crystal Runes and Psionics by 2/3 -Reduces the effects & duration of Blind and Concussions by 1/2 *Grants a [1d6+6] Burst Pendant: allows a [1d6+20] Castoff Empire Crystal Pouches, 3x >Custom Fit Radio+Headset: a miniaturized radio and custom earbud redesigned by Jeff, finished by Krinza >Custom Saddlepack: a bright, multi-colored striped saddlepack, mostly in pink, blue, and green hues, hoofmade by Lann. Extremely large and oversized, even by earth pony standards, this pack was specifically created to to haul tremendous amounts of... actually useful stuff. Contents: (usually) 20 small heatstones, 4 standard heatstones, 10 water trapping gems, 6 miniature Empire tents, 4 miniature XL Empire mats, 2 miniature XL Empire bedrolls, 1 cast diamond cooking pot, 1 cast diamond stew pot, 1 cast diamond tea pot, 1 cast diamond sauce pan, 1 full set of tableware for up to 6, 4 one-gallon cast diamond water tanks, 1 week's worth of sealed Crystal Empire food, 10 original Kingdom era glowstones for lighting up large areas, and more. *She also has a second saddlepack outfit with medical supplies, enough space for a (mostly) full load of ammunition for a 5 man squad, and other items in order to set up a defensive camp or barrier as a just in case measure. The sheer amount Naliyna is able to carry makes most ponies wonder if Krinza secretly created a float core just to offset the weight, though she seems perfectly capable of hauling around 250 pounds of equipment for half a day without tiring. >Ethereal Chain-Bitten Bond: a trio of clear pink crystals carved into three flexible links of a chain, half-melted and covered in numerous bite or gouge marks. Oddly, recovered from the Solar Enforcer Armory in Canterlot. These tokens of appreciation are most often awarded to Crystal ponies by Champions from the Ethereal Plane for service to the Empire (but particularly for protecting other citizens). This example's enchantmarent has been drastically altered over time. *When used as a rune-catalyst by a Crystal pony, or as a final addition to Empire or Ethereal crystalline armor, the sigil renders it's bearer a Mortal Foe against monstrous, XL or XXL-sized beings, whether Eldritch or Otherworldly in nature *The bearer becomes the main target of hostile Eldritch and Otherworldly beings when in line of sight *The bearer must add +1 to all Assault & Crystal Rune rolls against hostile Eldritch and Otherworldly beings *Adds +2 to all Demoralize/Intimidation rolls against hostile Eldritch and Otherworldly beings >Fall Egg: a 3" tall, rounded bright brown, red, and yellow hued egg, carved with a stunning number of facets representing the season of Fall, recovered from the Solar Armory in Canterlot. One of numerous crystalline eggs carved in the Crystal Kingdom long ago, before it became the Empire, this is one of the Four Seasons set, meant to evoke a sense of purposeful progression and project completion before winter arrives. *When carried by a Crystal pony, the Fall Egg adds +1 to all Alchemy, Crafting, and Crystal Engineering/Forging rolls *Only ONE of the Four Seasons may be carried >Hololith: an eighty pound marvel of Crystal Empire engineering and rune mastery, this is a large, rectangular, white crystalline housing unit with rounded corners, 1' long, 8" tall, and 8" wide. Capable of storing several thousand hours of voice recordings and hundreds of thousands of pictures. This specific unit was built in the 28,400's, and is an original Late Crystal Empire example produced, tuned.... then apparently dropped several hundred feet from the Crystal Spireworks Technologist Consortium, then inhabiting one of the upper Spire levels. ("That bunch was HALF the reason the Wardens convinced them to move into the Industrial District." Hololiths project a solid form of light above it, much like a hologram, able to display images in perfect clarity, yet only Crystal ponies seem to understand how to use the more esoteric functions (and are able to communicate with the InterPony inside). Usually left in the mess hall to show off the various images from Razorback's history, or buried in her saddlepack when traveling. Also ridiculously expensive ("Yeah, five thousand Bits back then was pretty rough scraping together. Even better was the fact I got it down to five thousand from all the damage! Did take me a few weeks to repair everything though.") >Imperial Rune Fragments: a collection of refined, 95% or better graded Empire crystal fragments, shavings, and dust in a tightly woven, waterproof canvas pouch, recovered from the Solar Armory in Canterlot. Normally recycled by the ever mindful Crystal-Forgers and Engineers alike, this pouch was either misappropriated or lost on it's journey to the Spire's workshops. *When used to reforge a crystalline weapon adds +1 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls and shortens the reforging process by 1/6 *When used to reforge crystalline armor, adds 1DR and shortens the reforging process by 1/6 >Marsh Stalker's Eye: a slim, almost feathery three-toned blue eye taken from a barely corporeal quadrupedal humanoid-like in the Deep Moors. ("Fun fact: Marsh Stalkers aren't native to Tallus. They also aren't Eldritch, Planar, or Otherworldly. They are a, and this is the odd portion: dimensionally shifted creature containing both Overdark and Underdark essences in equal measures. Between the near-plasma visual toxicity of the first and the indescribably thick fog of the second, being able to see into and through both is exceptionally useful." -Hodch) Was bought and consumed to complemarent Thrill's watery nature. She complained VERY loudly after eating it. *After consumption grants a [1d6+4] Mystic Quartz Flakes: a small satchel filled with jagged shards of shimmering, rainbow hued mystic fragmented quartz, taken from the Boneyard's mine pit in the Dragonspine Mountains. Normally given to Dragon Vigilant smiths for use in their exotic weaponry, this one was instead presented to Razorback as (partial) thanks for removing a Moss-Wisp from the newly dug mine. ("...does anypony know a Dusk Strider gem-smith? I think it'd be a terrible waste to just.. use it like it is.") *When properly used to forge or reforge crystalline slashing or piercing weapons, adds +1 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls, and reduces modification/reforging processs by 1/3 *Also grants a [1d6+4] Phase-Hat: a HIGHLY comfortable, warm, full head covering, and color-shifting floppy hat with holes for her ears, though Naliyna tends to forget she even has it. ("At least she doesn't look like Shanis wearing it." -Emerald) *Adds +1 to all non-combat Stealth rolls >Satchel of Vendor Coupons: approximately 500 large white coupons with printed, constantly changing stamps of Discord holding a Discord face mask, each holding up a sign with Discord in various poses on the rear. The caption below reads: "Good for ONE FREE USE of any Vending Machine! Except for the one in the fridge, which I might add: I don't suggest you try it~! Also, Naliyna, you could have left a few for others to have fun with.." -Sea Egg: a 3" tall, rounded bright blue hued egg with several dark swirling currents, carved with a stunning number of facets representing the Western Crystal Ocean, recovered from the Solar Armory in Canterlot. One of numerous crystalline eggs carved in the Crystal Kingdom, before it became the Empire long ago, this is one of the Four Lands set, meant to evoke a sense of calm, placid seas interspersed with violent ocean storms. *When carried by a Crystal pony, the Sea Egg adds +1 to all offensive Crystal Rune OR Block/Evasion/Reaction Speed/Sprint rolls *Only ONE of the Four Lands may be carried ***** UNIQUE ARCANE ITEMS: -Completed Rainbow Daffodil: a glowing, 10" long multi-hued and beautifully rendered carving of a simple daffodil. This ancient relic was shaped from a piece of Queen Chrysalis's own core, given to Princess Cadence as a symbol of her undying affection and sisterly loyalty as a promise of perfect cooperation between the Changelings of the Hive and the Crystal ponies of the Empire. Long thought lost during and after King Sombra's takeover and subsequent reign of the Empire, Anon presented it to several of the Operators on the train during their approach to the city-state, offering no explanations as to how he obtained it or why it was in his possession. The heart of the daffodil was returned by Empress Silver and given to Thrill, allowing Naliyna to embed it in the petals and complete the relic. Naliyna, unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), has no idea what to do with it. *When touched, it will play melodies from either the Hive and the Empire in soothing crystalline tones -Northern Star of the Empire: a legendary, 1' tall, bright blue 5-pointed star shaped sapphire with five small, bright white diamond triangles making up the tips. Weighs much less than one might think it should. The first of four Crystal Kingdom relics, the Northern Star was created by Princess Cadence with aid from Champion Belregard, one of the Ethereal Wardens' most prized and ancient Crystalline Golems, as a sign of the Crystal ponies successfully creating their own city-state in the bitterly cold, nearly uninhabitable Northern Equestria regions. ("At least when the snow and ice are falling.") Contrary to popular belief, the Northern Star is not one of Luna's fallen stars, and instead was used as an extremely powerful light source, also fully preventing harm from cold. *Grants a [1d6+10] Grants a [1d6+2] roll with an initial radius of 5M, costs 5 Bioplasma to use and WILL harm Allies/Friendlies in range *Basic materials add +1 and increase radius by 5M *Intermediate materials add +2 and increase radius by 10M *Difficult materials add +3 and increase radius by 15M *Highly Reactive materials add +4 and increases radius by 20M *Unstable materials add +6 and increases radius by 30M *Fissile materials add +8 and increases radius by 25M *Highly Unstable materials add +9 and increases radius by 35M *Extremely Unstable or Highly Fissile materials add +10 and increases radius by 50M Basic Microfusion: at any point after storing 1 pound of metals, metalloids, or crystalline materials within her body, Olympa is able to 'shift' a specific elemarent up or down the atomic (and magical-atomic) tables, for example: transmuting copper into nickel. This process requires a certain amount of Bioplasma to function, and can also be used to create a controlled climate in furnaces, forges, or other small confined spaces. *Costs X Bioplasma to grant X turns of +X to all Crafting rolls (1 Bioplasma = 1 turn of +1) *Costs 5 Bioplasma to inflict 5 turns of regulated temperature control on a specific item for the purpose of easing Engineering or Smithing, also adding +1 to all Crafting, Engineering, and Smithing rolls *All elemarents can be shifted from -10 down to +10 up the table with ease, and can do so successively *By expending 20 Bioplasma, elemerants can be shifted by -20 down to +20 up the table with some difficulty, also causing a small amount of Morale damage Bioplasma Storage: technically a semi-solid state of living Elemarental bioplasma, Olympa does need to 'eat' in order to remain at full capability. Regular foods taste normal to her though they take some time to 'digest', soft elemarents taste sweet, medium elemarents taste rocky, hard elemarents vary, and fissile materials range from bitter to thoroughly disgusting. Her relatively small size limits the amount of bioplasma stored to use certain abilities, but can quickly recover even during combat. Since she isn't technically a pony in the literal or physical sense of such, it is possible for her to eat certain things that most equines find abhorrent. *Capacity: 50/50 Storage *Regular food recovers 1 to 3 Bioplasma each turn for 10 to 30 turns, total Bioplasma restored depends on size and taste *Soft elemarents recover 5 Bioplasma each turn for 2 turns, preferred above all *Medium elemarents recover 5 Bioplasma each turn for 4 turns, usually liked *Hard elemarents recover 10 Bioplasma each turn for 5 turns, doesn't enjoy much *Fissile materials recover 10 Bioplasma each turn for 10 turns, but doing so will SEVERELY damage her Morale *Can recover up to 10 Bioplasma per turn Heat Armor: by repurposing 1 ounce of stored material, specifically metals or crystals, to act as an exterior layer of skin, Olympa can further modify their standard attributes in several mareners. *Costs 5 Bioplasma to use the following: *Barrier Armor grants 3DR and a [1d6+4] > http://i.imgur.com/gDFNEWI.png (Armored, Cautious: Minotaurs, Changeling, Curious, Distrust: Dancing Eyes, Inquisitive, INQUISITORIALLY SANCTIONED, Noble, Heavy, Purposeful, Respectful, Slow, Studious, Veterancy: Combat/Psionicism) ***** APPEARANCE: a massively built, heavily armored Captain-like Changeling, slightly smaller than Queen Chrysalis, physically similar to a typical Morgan horse ('The Morigon Horse of Saltic legends, to be more correct. Yes, they did exist but there are no surviving records of them. At least, outside a few.') Her thick armored shell is organically streamlined with small glowing lines marking the large, flexible armor segments, having replaced her former multiple plate segmentation entirely. ('There were several weaknesses in the design.') The joints between segments run from her smoothed out facemask to neck, neck to withers, withers to leg and side plates, and side plates to flanks. Her hooves are still thickly armored, though appear to have a large, smooth black ring around the hoof itself, possibly ornamarental. Her back armor also greatly resembles a saddle, and is quite comfortable (for Hollow) to ride on now. When Roust walks she causes the ground to shake, either from carelessness or amusement is unknown, but weighs at least 800 pounds. ('I am 190 pounds out of my armor and 1,190 pounds in it.') Her true inner body is capable of being separated from her armor, allowing her to leave by spreading the back and neck sections apart. This lets her operate both forms independently, though controlling the heavy 'shell' takes a major toll on her mental focus, and may only attack with one or the other. Roust, in her separated form, appears to be a tall, highly slender black unicorn, though the oversized cavitated horn and her clear green glass eyes, sometimes blue under low light conditions, are impossible to hide. Interestingly enough, her internal body is entirely organic without any armoring, while the eight green bands around her chest and green highlighted black mane are the only non-black colorations present. ***** BIOGRAPHY: a unique Changeling when compared to the rest of the Hive, Roust, when compared to Queen Chrysalis, lacks a great deal of her Matron's basic psychokinetic capabilities, yet makes up for it with deeper introspectives and insight on the various pony species, among other races, from reading constantly, as well as heightened close combat prowess. Inquisitive, curious, and nearly impossible to startle, she wanders unless kept busy, and eats things she finds interesting. The only Changeling to have her mind fracture after the Unicorn King's takeover of the Crystal Empire, this perceived personal failure to protect her Crystal pony brethren caused her mind to split in half, remaining as noble and royal fragments, the first protective, curious, and insightful; the second arrogant, haughty, and selfish. After the takeover and before the time the Operators arrived in Equestria, Roust struggled to keep a majority hold over her fragmented, barely functioning mind over the course of more than a thousand years, spending her days wandering the Everfree. (“That’s an… interesting question. The New Everfree for sure, but some of her older armor damage that I’ve seen from human images is definitely Old Everfree.” -Hodch) Seeking to drown out her misery over events, she began exploring ruins of ages long since past, utterly ignoring the requests from her Queen and eating anything she could find without care for her own well-being. Eventually realizing that even the most poisonous of flora could be recovered from, she ceased trying to kill herself, though this has left her with a very sensitive stomach. This condition hampered her during the attempt to prevent the Empire from being enslaved once more due to the King's retaliation against the Changelings, whom had arrived to support Cadence's initial assault, and she was unable to leave the new Hive to aid the Empire. Unfortunately, neither Chrysalis nor the Changelings warned the Crystal ponies of their intent to aid the Princess of Rebirth, suffering considerable casualties as their forces were divided between annihilating the King's forces and choosing not to defend themselves against the enraged Crystal ponies. Her mind, again damaged by the losses incurred in the Crystal Empire, and the assault on Canterlot with the remaining Wardens and Nobles seeking to oust the Tyrant, saw the event as another personal failure, though this one merely left a bitter taste when it comes to dealing with Solar faction members. The loss of nearly all Changelings when, immediately after both assaults, the Solar Tyrant began hunting down her brothers and sisters now located outside the Hive at that time, caused her mind to degenerate again as her kin were forced to enter dormancy to survive. After traveling with Razorback under Hollow's tutelage for several weeks and subsequently settling down in the Fortress, Roust began to finally recover from her experiences, learning to accept the ponies she met as a much broader family to her original one, a family that she discovered didn't have to be related to by blood or sovereign. Belatedly realizing that learning was fun once again, it became a vital necessity for her while under Hollow's tutelage, then Tipper's, and she began to enjoy the brand new swaths of information freely and readily available to her. While her mind recovered slowly, her guardian instincts, having remained dormant along with her prowess in combat and the typical Changeling characteristic of immense curiosity, quickly returned, giving her a considerable boost in courage against the events that would occur later on. During Razorback's first winter, Roust shed her original, never-replaced armor in the Nest, and upon waking used most of it to reinforce the walls, complete with ichor nodes spanning across the interior for additional lighting. After the addition of a small growing room, she constantly plants red, blue, and green hallucinogenic mushrooms, the original Hive mushrooms hybridized with a faster growing New Everfree variety, for Hollow and herself to trade with. Shortly afterward she added several types of slower growing, less maintenance heavy edible shelf fungi for more variety. ('I wish sweet caps could grow here, but they do not hybridize.) The map-maker Torven, unable to enter a cavern that he suspected held a number of Changeling cores, decided to hoof it over to Hollow upon recognizing his relationship to the Vanguard, claiming that he had no idea how to safely enter and retrieve them. Penetrating the cavern's defenses, in reality a maze of misdirections created by the remnants of a Changeling Lord, Roust brought Hollow to stand before Kavel, recognizing him as an old brother shortly after he released himself from Tallus. In exchange for taking the cores to safety, the Lord required Hollow to carry his own damaged core, still marked with the fatal injury caused by his resistance to the Solar Tyrant. Seeing that there were still Changelings to recover and bring back to Chrysalis, Hollow's continued aid and her experiences allowed the noble mind to conquer the royal fragment, which she ultimately deemed a parasite and purged entirely, considering it too weak and selfish to be 'the' Roust. At this point in time, Roust seems to have fully recovered, taking a great deal of inspiration from her brother-Lord's long standing and honorable duties, reshaping her perceptions to be much more open to the future. ('Lord Kavel more than earned his respect. He was, and is, what most Vanguards aspire to be.') Due to her age and knowledge, Roust can be considered the penultimate Vanguard Changeling, next to the Warden of course, as Hollow's aid has allowed her to mutate into the first modern Changeling. Like all her kin, Roust is able to perform a powerful frontal stomp, stunning ground-borne enemies in a 180 degree arc in front of her, by combining her massive weight, a Psionic shockwave, and a short burst of speed, the effects of which are similar to a miniature earthquake. *A poorly understood side effect of Psionic Changeling healing is the fact that recovering any living being, except other Changelings, can be moderately to cripplingly painful, depending on the severity of the recipient's injuries. The exact cause of this is their potent species-specific meta-acids that drift along the pathways of their modified neural-psionic abilities. It is known that Roust, along with Chrysalis and the other sisters, met Cadence several times before in the Empire, though remained close to the Old Hive once her wanderlust plateaued. ('I think I was a builder.') Finding it humorous to teach other ponies the vagaries of history and the Hive's vast, accumulated knowledges, Roust spends much of her time in the library patiently teaching Mercy and Malyne, or when otherwise unoccupied, spends her time in the Clinic learning from Tipper studying biology. Having faced several Minotaurs in combat and suffering greatly during each encounter, Roust is openly pessimistic when dealing with one, preferring to be cautious and wary around their species. ***** CUTIE MARK: 5 berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, dewberry) making a bowl, a green apple in the bowl, and a vivid red mushroom sliding down the apple. Yeap. ***** STATUS: the first of the Modern Vanguards, released from the Hive to travel with Razorback freely. Now a Changeling Noble with the title of Lady. ***** RELATIONSHIPS: -Dancing Eyes: somewhat dislikes the Primal Psion on an individual level, but has been unable to come up with sufficient reasoning to dislike her professionally -Hollow Case: desires his company -Malyne & Mercy: older sister figure to both, greatly enjoys teaching them history. Also 'scolds' them if their plots are found out -Tipper: enjoys the relatively ancient (by her own standards) unicorn's knowledge and history, though is morbidly obtuse when asked about the former Honor Guard Doctor's proclivities ***** CHANGELING MUTATIONS: -Quadruple Wings: a side effect of the Changelings' odd, partially insectoid biology is that random mutations may occur after each molting, this one seemingly inspired by dragonflies. ('As interesting as having four wings may seem, in a strictly biological context that is, the only benefit is I can glide for long distances while outside of my armor. Though, they are a considerable hindrance to my normal flight capabilities.') *Reduces all Flight rolls by -3 ***** OFFENSIVE ABILITIES: Expert Assault+2 Expert Parry+4 Expert Riposte+2 ***** DEFENSIVE ABILITIES: Expert Block+2 Basic Evasion+5 Expert Reaction Speed+4 Basic Sprint+5 Expert Flight+2 Resist Damage+2 ***** UTILITY ABILITIES: Basic Alchemy+2 Basic Bartering+2 Basic Medical+2 Basic Night Vision+2 Basic Neighgotiation+3 Basic Research+3 Expert Shapeshifting+4 ***** CHANGELING PSIONICISM: *Expert Sunken State: even though Changelings share a number of similarities with both unicorns and earth ponies, the differences are a stark contrast between all three. Changelings learn to become wary of their fellow magical users in different means, especially when it comes to infiltration and reconnaisance duties. As a result of having spent more time around both than the average Changeling due to the necessary close proximities in Razorback, Roust is typically able to stroll past either with the bare minimums of training without being noticed. -Grants 3x [1d6+3] rolls; may also be used to temporarily cover another living being's mind from intrusion *Basic Illusionary: like most Vanguards and their associated kin, Roust has seen little need to create illusions when her ability to Shapeshift is above average, capabilities of dealing harm at range are high, and the abilities focusing on absorbing punishment are phenomenal. -Grants 2x [1d6] rolls for the purpose of creating static illusions; the longer an illusion is worked on the more realistic it will look to an observer, though such illusions are only two-dimensional *Expert Mind Reading: comprises the knowledge of how to safely delve and link to, understand, and draw information from the mind of another living being. As Vanguards typically have zero use for this ability, Roust considers the idea rather distasteful in most circumstances and has only maintained the basics. -Grants 3x [1d6] rolls that must be used on a CALM and FULLY WILLING being, otherwise Roust and her intended recipient may suffer instant temporary damage, shared psychosis, or worse effects. The intended recipient may also use Iron Will or Fearless to stabilize their mind before an attempt is made. *Or they can get stoned, that works quite well too *Expert Psychokinesis: covers the ability to and the knowledge of how to form, distort, manipulate, damage, and even drain electromagnetic fields on a sub-molecular level as a physical property. Strictly speaking, Psychokinesis can be best summarized as 'pushing' a magnetic field into a predetermined 'proper' state that the user desires, using much the same as the process for creating Psionic lances, bolts, or other weaponry. As a peculiar benefit, any Psionic projection or weapon created by a Changeling is imbued with an minor Acid Elemarental property, causing increased harm to Fragile targets and Undead. -Grants 3x [1d6+8] rolls *Basic Recovery: similar to the process of restorative healing that unicorns are able to easily learn and master, Changelings have some knowledge of the same, though their version of Recovery can be anywhere from a bad sunburn to excruciating when used on non-Changelings due to the acidic elemental quality inherent to their Psionic capabilities. -Grants 2x [1d6+4] rolls that restores the target's HP by the total result, causes a high amount of pain, and inflicts the total result in Fatigue/Morale damage *If all rolls are max criticals then a [1d3] must be rolled immediately, the result of which determines whether the recipient will be Stunned on a 1, put in Shock on a 2, or knocked Unconscious on a 3 *Expert Shield: virtually the same as shielding spells created by unicorns, Changelings are lesser adepts at creating defensive barriers. Being a Vanguard, Roust typically prefers to cover her less durable friends while gleefully charging into combat. -Grants 3x [1d6+5] rolls, Roust may maintain a maximum of two shields at a time *Basic Teleport: like most Changelings, Roust has little understanding of the processes required to safely open rifts, portals, or the like, making any attempt at 'diving' into the Void spectrums of Tallus a questionable decision for her to make. -Grants 2x [1d6+1] rolls; on critical failures Roust will be harmed from the backlash *If ALL rolls critically fail there is a chance that she may be deposited elsewhere in the Underdark or Overdark ***** SPECIAL ABILITIES: -BOSS-class Fearless: Roust cannot be Intimidated or Demoralized normally -RALLY SCREAM: recalling her early days under the guidance of the Changeling Nobles and Wardens, Roust is capable of drawing on their unshakable courage and fearlessness in battle once per Operation, bolstering an allies' offensive retaliation to unprecedented levels by utilizing a unique Psionic 'scream', essentially inspiring that ally into a temporary state of controlled berserk fury. -Grants 1x [1d6], the result is then added to all of an Ally's Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls, but only if that Ally was attacked in the previous turn *Lasts for 1 turn, cannot be upgraded ***** LIVING ARMOR: a self-grown 'living' suit of armor, slightly smaller than Queen Chrysalis herself, that provides immarense protection for the otherwise physically vulnerable Vanguards, flight-capable and versatile duty Changelings with the ability to perfectly control the psychoreactive chitinous exoskeleton as a near-full extension of their bodies. Since Vanguards act as as frontline shock forces, organizing themselves into optimal Formations to best break through opposing lines, each one 'evolves' their armor in different mareners to complemarent others. ('For the most part, we Vanguards do not alter the external appearance or functionalities. That would defeat the purpose of creating a solid, dedicated front line. I hope that my design will be extensively studied by my kin and Queen to see if it truly does warrant the title of Modern.') Regardless of the individual in question, their armor confers incredible survivability and fear value. When 'worn', Roust's living armor grants her significant physical abilities, though the concentration required to control it only allows her to utilize one Psionicism skill per turn. -Armor Value: 7DR -Armor Durability: 600 Armor -Armor Class: Painfilly Heavy, Full Body OFFENSIVE ARMORED ABILITIES: Expert Assault+9 Expert Parry+5 Expert Riposte+7 Expert Earth Smash+5 Expert Intimidate+3 DEFENSIVE ARMORED ABILITIES: Expert Block+8 Expert Reaction Speed+4 Expert Charge+6 Basic Resist Damage+7 UTILITY ARMORED ABILITIES: Expect Night Vision+3 *Self-Defense Nodules: when Roust's armor becomes too damaged to continue controlling, if possible she will escape from it and burst the remaining ichor nodes inside, splashing all targets within a 5M radius and covering them in a sticky film with a [1d6] TROPHIES: -Alpha Dredger's Head -Cloth Fragments from numerous Human Zombies -Stalliongrad Watch Guard Skull -Vitriole Drake Skull ***** ENCHAINS: -Blackspine Devourer Core: adds +1DR & +1 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls, increased her physical size (weakened) -Circle of the Unbroken Mind: a later Crystal Empire Era circle engraved on a color distorting coin that resonates a nearly impenetrable background hum and distortion, preventing mental intrusion from psions, Eldritch, Otherworldly, Planar, or Spectral beings, as well as other methods of mental contact.. or at least against those that she cares to tune out. (“Doesn’t work against Anti though, this one was tuned for everything else. The Crystal Empire was officially formed and announced during the Late Dynasty’s later stages. Let’s say about 28,560 or so, at least I think that’s about when. Outside the City-State itself there weren’t and still aren’t any Imperial-born, which makes the one I used a priceless historical relic. Probably should have waited to locate or trade for an older variant.”) -Central Path Dusk Strider's Seal: adds +1 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls & gains +5HP/turn out of combat (weakened) -Grand Cragwurm's Core: adds +1DR & gains +10 MaxHP, increased her physical size (weakened) -Luna's Heart Sigil: adds +2DR & gains +50 MaxHP, and grants the Heart's Touch skill (weakened) -Luna's Executioner: adds +1 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls & grants the Grandmaster Executioner skill (weakened) -Luna's Guardian: adds +1 to all Assault/Parry/Riposte rolls, adds +50 MaxHP, and grants the Lunar Intimidation skill (weakened) -Maze Delver's Eye: description unknown. Allows Twisted Wing's body to regenerate from death, the length of time solely depending on the severity of injuries and the remainder of her physical body. ("You might be asking me why I specifically Enchained that to me since Enchained can't die when away from Tallus anyhow. Easy answer: I couldn’t let it be misused.") *Increased her physical size, reduces the time to fully regenerate by 1/3rd -Riftseeker's Core: adds +1 to all Perception/Scouting rolls and grants the 1d6