> > It must be friday. :)
>
> POETS day, after all. And madmen :)
Actually, it was still Thursday for me.
> Any battering Rams?
Presented for your delectation, the cult of Kylkarak, Breaker of Walls (Battering Ram subcult of YT) and the ram Harfendrak, present at the siege.
The ram Harfendrak is Rhino-headed, rather than Ram, but hey...
Was there any consensus on the walls? Are they turf/oppidae/hillfort types, or curtain walls? Is there room to get a ram to them (other than up a ramp) or are the gates the only real target for a ram? I didn't see anything on Wiki (though I might not have been looking in the right place...
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Kylkarak is a great 10-legged, ram-headed daimon captured and tamed by Yanafal Tarnils during his life before the Ascent of the Goddess. He is now worshipped as a subcult of Yanafal Tarnils, siege engineers specializing in battering rams.
Entry Requirements: Sponsorship by a priest of the cult. Strong 12+
Religion or Homeland: Lunar empire, subcult of Yanafal Tarnils.
Abilities: Assess Fortifications, Build Battering Ram, Devotee of Kylkarak
or Initiate of Kylkarak, Mythology of Kylkarak, Strong, Soul Vision.
Virtues: Patient, Unstoppable
Affinities and Feats:
Breaker of Walls (Break Stone, Deflect rock, Find Weak Spot, Resist Fire,
Shatter Wood)
Secret: Call Kylkarak: The hero may create new battering rams and infuse
them with the power of Kylkarak. Each new ram becomes the manifest body of
one of kylkarak's children.
Other Side: Kylkarak now roams the Fields of Conflict outside Yanafal's New
Fort.
Disadvantages: Only battering rams created with the Call Kylkarak secret can
benefit from Kylkarak magic. Subject to the Lunar Cycle.
Devotees who learn the Secret of Kylkarak are promoted to the post of Captain-Priest, the leader of a ram crew. The senior Captain-Priest at a siege directs all other rams and is the point of contact between the cult and the general conducting the siege.
There are currently seven Rams in the cult, and three captain-priests. Each ram is manned by a senior Devotee (Ram Captain) or Captain Priest, several other devotees, and a crew of at least 25 initiates swing the Ram as directed by the captain. On the march, the ram is carried only as the great copper head of the ram - the body of the ram is built on-site with native woods (some disassembled ram bodies have been used when the cult is to march to places with little or mo indigenous wood). Most rams are wheeled and must be pushed into position by initiates; but one, the great Harfendrak, is able to walk on it's own ten legs.
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Harfendrak Door Knocker
First there is a wall, then there is no wall
Common Names: Hard heads, Two strokers
Form: Military unit, based around the battering Ram
Typical Homeland: Lunar Empire
Cultural Context: Siege engineers
Ideology:
Look and Feel: Serious, hard-working, hard-playing construction-gang.
Purpose: To spread the word of the Goddess among the unbelievers, by
knocking their walls down.
Headquarters: The band is sent out form the main Kylkarak temple at
Kalvostos, in the Silver Shadow
Reactions: The band is seen as an asset by commanders who are faced with a
siege. Even the typical foot soldier in the Lunar army does not envy the
initiates of the cult, who are at the forefront of the danger zone in a
siege.
Resources
Leader: Jarad Two-blows, who directed Harfendrak at the siege of Runegate
Fort and shattered the main gate with only two swings of the ram.
Renowned Members: none
Membership: Two additional devotees, 30 initiates of Kylkarak.
Other Contacts: The band is a valued member of the Lunar military and the
cult of Yanafal Tarnils.
Organization
Jarad Two blows is the captain of the ram, a Captain-Priest of Kylkarak.
Below him are two devotees of Kylkarak, and then the ram crew.
Membership Keyword
Entry Requirements: Be a worshipper of Kylkarak, or willing to join the
cult. Jarad must approve the addition of any devotee.
Skills taught: As Kylkarak; Brawling
Typical Personality Traits: As Kylkarak, Proud.
Magic: Blessing Song of Kylkarak
Guardian
The ram Harfendrak is the guardian of the unit, as well as the primary focus
of it. Harfendrak has the head of a rhinoceros and an armored shed covering
his ram. Due to special enchantments, Harfendrak is able to move under her
own power.
Method: Manifestation
Form: Rhino-headed battering ram with eight legs
Communication: Harfendrak only speaks to Jarad. Everyone else only hears an
unearthly bellow.
Guardian Requirements: Harfendrak must be newly painted before every
campaign. Members of the band must never handle Iron. The crew must sing The
Blessing Song of Kylkarak as they swing the great ram
Functions:
Defense Function: Impervious Skin 12w3
RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has
done what he has done.
- Richelieu
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