Elemental Warriors

Those who use elemental magic to fight.

Note: Go to Elemental Rogues for Pirates and Bandits, which are both rogues and warriors. Note also that the marinario and taglimar are nearly identical. One is merely legal and the other not.

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Brucimazza

Type: Heavy

Brucimazze are warriors who wield elemental magma, which they shape into maces and armor.

To become a brucimazza is extremely difficult, as one must commune with the power of magma and lava. This requires engaging with these dangerous substances. Though there are many volcanoes in the Talunese region, there are few people capable to safely engaging with them. Unless the brucimazza is of a species that is resistant or immune to heat, they will not be able to become one without serious damage to their bodies. This does not stop them.

Many elemental communities living in the shadow of the major volcanoes of the area are devoted to the volcanoes, either as subjects of worship or simply as the center of their lives. The brucimazze train for years to be strong enough to even get close to the lava flowing out or in the caves nearby; eventually, they start to sleep near it, using magic or special cloth to block out the noxious gases. They always have a mentor training them and watching over them, but eventually, they must commune with the heat and the lava on their own. This requires years of practice and communion, escalating eventually to touching it. Most try this before they are ready and lose part of their bodies, but some few manage it. Regardless, they keep trying until they can manage it. Once they do, they perform a ritual of ash, smoke, acid, gases, and lava that burns their entire being. If they are worthy, they are unharmed by this final ritual - if they are friends of nature - but if they are not, they are too injured to try again.

A successful brucimazza gains the following abilities to start:

• Magmamazza: they create a mace out of magma which they can wield safely. It hardens until they will it to heat up.
• Igneous armor: solid igneous rock forms a full plate armor that they wear.
• Sulfuric breath: they can unleash a cloud of sulfuric acid gas (only once without recharging in a volcanic bath) in a 25' cone.
• Ashen flesh: any flesh or limb lost during their training is replaced by solid but malleable ash.
• Lava walking: they can walk on molten stone or metal without harm.
• Smoke form: they can, thrice without recharging, turn themselves and their armor and weapon into smoke.
• Tephra roar: they can, once without recharging in molten lava, roar and unleash a blast of tephra.
• Self eruption: if they sacrifice themselves, they can erupt like a small volcano and obliterate everything within 1,000'.

Brucimazze are criminalized in the imperial core, feared for their power, unless they register with the local governments and turn in their maces while in city limits. Very few ever work for the imperials.

PRO +3 ATH +1 STR +4 AWA / WIL +2 PRS -2 STH -1

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Marinaio

Type: Naval

Marinaii are naval warriors attuned to the seas. They gain magic of elemental water by communing with it directly. They submerge themselves in the seas, tying an iron jug to their bodies to weigh them down, letting the waters fill their lungs, and release themselves to it. Members of their crew are there to help them if they fail, but if they succeed, engaging in a deep trance while drowning, they become one with the waters. They are trained for years to learn how to do this, and many are severely injured in the process. Only the most devoted choose this path.

The marinaii work for elemental communities, witches, or even imperial powers at times, though the latter is very rare and difficult for them to pull off without harming nature or the seas. They use their abilities to enhance their sailing or improve their ships and boats, weaponry, and defenses. Because so much of their magic requires touching the waters, many of them are practiced in hanging off the side of the vessel while others do the sailing. They carry iron jugs of water called acquaferro to pour out and use, which they need even if they are using their touch to alter bodies of water. They must always have the jug on them to use their magic. If they are wielding their abilities with the acquaferro, they cannot mix water types within it, only using water from the sea with which they are bonded.

Some abilities may include the following:

• Shift current: their touch makes the current beneath their vessel turn, slow down, speed up, or reverse.
• Turbulent wake : churning the waters in the wake of the vessel with their hands creates a disruptive, dangerous wake that others must take precaution to sail through.
• Rising swell: striking the water with a fist will create a large wave that heads off in the direction of the strike.
• Diluvian wall : pouring a gallon of water out around them creates a flood going in all directions, waters rising 6" per round, leaving only a circle of 10' of dry ground around the tagliamar.
• Wateredge: running their water along the edge of a blade will sharpen it and give it elemental energy.
• Seafriend: if they dive into the waters of the sea, they can speak to the first three animals they see. They can repeat this once day, finding different animals each time.
• Seafarer's rush: if they swim behind the ship and push it, they create a powerful current that pushes it faster.

Marinaii tend to sail together in large naval crews. They only differ from tagliamari in that they are legitimized and work mostly defensively for their communities.

PRO +2 ATH +3 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL / PRS / STH +1

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Matriadoman

Type: Morrigan

A matriadoman is a woman or non-man chosen by Mother Shem herself to be a protector of the natural world, empowered by elemental chaos. They are never cis or trans men (who may become different kinds of warriors of elemental chaos in other parts of the world), and always, an aspect of their quests and roles are to fight patriarchy to reawaken people's connections to Mother Shem.

There are a few ways to become a matriadoman. One is to be a different kind of elemental warrior who is later recruited to become one, losing their old abilities and becoming one with elemental chaos. Another is to be a mundane warrior recruited in the same way. Another is to be attuned to elemental chaos and then choose to become a warrior. And finally, some people are transformed almost entirely by accident because of the power of elemental chaos. Regardless of their path, they must prove themselves worthy by submerging in the waters of elemental chaos - called tehom or anumun - and face the creation of the universe and remain sane.

If they do this, they begin having visions that lead them on a series of quests, each quest transforming them. After six quests, each one involving fighting industrial or infernal powers, they fully tranform and gain their magic. The quests are always different by individual, but the results always involve bodily, emotional, mental, and metaphysical changes. To wield their powers, they must consume anumun, which gives them points of elemental chaos to wield.

• Chaotic vision: they can look into the primordial depths of the universe to gain insights into reality. It allows the player to ask the GM a specific question, then roll a d100 to see how useful the answer they get is. On a roll of one, it is cryptic and strange and perhaps useless, and the closer it gets to a 100, the more useful and clear the answer will be. Some questions may be off the table as per the GM's discretion. The cost varies by roll, 1 point per every 5 they get on a roll (a 1-5 is 1, 6-10 is 2, etc.).
• Scattering voice: they can shout, laugh, scream, or otherwise make a loud noise that cause an entropic ripple that teleports every living thing within 10' of them to random locations within 100' of them. Each target rolls a d100 to determine where they end up (the higher, the better the positioning). This costs 30 points.
• Entropic wave: a wave of elemental chaos erupts from the matriadoman, costing 60 points, causing everyone within 50' of them to decay, rolling their STR against a power of 19.
• Primordial memory: the matriadoman connects to their primordial ancestors and gains deep wisdom. This costs 12 points per 30 seconds of connection, during which time they can draw on their primordial ancestors' powers, skills, or knowledge. Max of 3 minutes.
• Mother's wrath: if they use all 100 of their points, they may connect to Mother Shem herself and unleash her full might at will. This will take the matriadoman's life.

Part of their quests is always to find an elemental weapon and armor to wield. These need not necessarily be chaotic, but they will never be of natural law.

PRO +3 ATH +3 STR +2 AWA +2 WIL +2 PRS +1 STH /

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Ponene

Type: Fencer

A fencer who wields elemental lightning as their foil.

A ponene gains this power via rituals of weather magic. The learning process involves attuning to nature, specifically to different forms of weather, by meditating in them, using various ingredients including animal parts, plants, and special rituals to better attune to it, and by learning special spells (kept in ancient books called synnegrims). After years of study, a ponene must dance under a thunderstorm with their weapon and perform a ritual to capture lightning in their sword. If they succeed, they then practice for years to perfect their wielding of it. Wielding it eventually uses it up, so they must seek out and absorb lightning every so often. Many store multiple bolts to be ready.

Ponenes are protectors of nature. They are often chosen for specific foes or tasks by the weather elementals in an area, or invoked by local groups who seek a champion to fight for them. Their powers blend the weapon arts of the empires and colonies with the magic they have forbidden, making them the choice for when a noble or member of high society is an enemy to nature.

The gain some of the following abilities. Other abilities may be possible. Consult the GM.

• Lightning foil: their sword pulses with lightning, giving it a damage rating of 21/27/33/39.

• Rapid riposte: the ponene can move with lightning speed to riposte, gaining +9 on a single counter attack per combat.

• Shocking parry: if the ponene parries an attack, they can send a shock through their weapon if the opponent is using a metallic weapon, causing stun at a power of 22, once per combat.

• Dazzling feint: the ponene can create a dazzling lightning flash to feint at an opponent, giving themselves +3 or high die the following round to hit.

• Thunderous beat: if they choose to use a beat to start a combat (tapping the opponent’s weapon to signify the start of a duel), they can unleash a peel of thunder that makes the opponent lose their next action.

• Electric lunge: on a lunge, the ponene can spike the electrical energy in their weapon once per combat and give another +6 to the damage caused.

• Static disengage: they can disengage from an opponent by sending a shock of static electricity through the blades, giving them high die on disengagements.

• Cloud step: they may retreat from a battle by vanishing into a dark cloud.

• Ominous advance: if they advance on their opponent, it has the feel of an approaching storm, giving them +3 to intimidate.

Ponenes favor speed to strength, and they often have training in the ruling class’s traditions of fencing and dueling.

PRO +3 ATH +3 STR +1 AWA +2 WIL / PRS +1 STH +1

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Snail Knight

Type: Mounted

Warriors who ride giant snails.

To become a snail knight, one must be attuned to and able to speak to mollusks, especially snails. To do this, one must spend a long time with mollusks. A snail knight is trained from a young age to be a protector of animals and the natural habitats of mollusks. When they are old enough, if they are friends to mollusks and nature, they are taken by their mentors to spend time with mollusks of any sort, but usually the giant snails they will come to ride. They must then spend a year and a day bonding with them, after which, one of the mollusks will speak to them. The mollusk will give them a series of strange tasks, and if they perform them and are deemed worthy, they will be visited by the giant snail that will be theirs to ride.

Snail knights serve elemental communities. They are scorned by imperials and never serve them, though some become mercenaries. Snail knights gain the following abilities:

• Molluskspeech: they can speak to any mollusk.
• Shell armor: they can transform any armor they are wearing into snail shell armor, which they can hide inside to sleep a magical, restoring sleep.
• Slime trail: their mount can leave a gooey slime trail that is either slick, sticky, or poisonous, but never more than one at a time.
• Poisonous ooze: snail knights are immune to the poisons of their giant snails and can smear it on their weapons.
• Spiky shell: if their armor becomes fully shelled, it can grow spikes.
• Radula lance: they can turn their lances into a spiky, tongue-like radula.
• Alluring gaze: snail knights can extend their eyes out on stalks and gaze into someone's eyes, making them temporarily charmed.
• Portentious swirl: they can make their eyes into a swirl and spot strange portents.
• Slow cycle: they can attune to a long-period cycle of a celestial body and wax and wane with it.
• Vertical walk: they can walk up walls and other vertical barriers.
• Harvester bite: they can bite any edible vegetable and melt it.
• Retracted rest: if they sleep in their shell for a week and a day, they will restore their bodies from any disease or injury, but each time they do this, it gets harder and harder.

To address the mollusk in the room: giant snails move slowly compared to horses but are still fast enough for a reasonable combat. Giant snails can be land, freshwater, or sea snails, but not more than one at a time. Snail knights must be 6' tall or shorter, as no giant snails can fit someone much larger than that.

PRO +3 ATH -1 STR +3 AWA +1 WIL +1 PRS -1 STH -1

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Tizzonguer

Type: Warrior

Tizzonguers are warriors of flame, of wildfire, of the fires of war. They draw power from burning and destruction, from elemental flame as a weapon, not as a natural force, and they do so by rituals of self-immolation, sacrifice, and violence. They do so, though, in the name of making war on the polluters and colonizers. They are usually outlaws or resistance fighters, though some in the Talunese cities have enough reputation or are hidden enough to function in society.

To become a tizzonguer, one must perform the three rituals of the fires of war: the Ritual of Fiery Combat, the Ritual of Razing Flame, and the Ritual of the Burning Heart. Each of these requires facing the fires themselves, wielding them, and risking one's life. If they survive, they gain many abilities.

• Burning brand: the commonest ability is making their weapon a burning brand.
• Heartsflame: the ability to turn the blood in one's veins into fire, warming oneself and burning away any emotional effects.
• Razing roar: a ferocious warcry that gives the tizzonguer the power to hurl fire at a structure within 40', setting it ablaze.
• Burning touch: the ability to make one's flesh extremely hot, burning anyone who touches the tizzonguer, including melting or burning their weapons.
• Firebird flesh: the ability to make one's flesh like that of a firebird, recovering from wounds rapidly.
• Flamecat form: the abiliy to turn into a large cat made of flame to fight as.

Tizzonguers usually serve elemental communities, but many are mercenaries or in service to imperial powers, trying to walk a fine line of remaining loyal to nature and the empires.

PRO +3 ATH +2 STR +1 AWA / WIL / PRS / STH -2