Mythological beings: In this world, there are many mythological beings one can find - Chimeras in Greece, Shedu in Babylonia, Frost and Fire Giants in Scandinavia, and so on. You may want to organize an expedition to try and capture these monsters, to negotiate with them, or to destroy them...or, perhaps, they will find you.
Certain mythological beings may carry Artifacts, objects (sometimes Earthly, sometimes...not) of great power that can be claimed from their cold, dead bodies. They may grant their wielder magical powers, they alone may contain magical powers, or they might kill anyone who touches them the wrong way. In any case, one should take great caution when handling them.
There are three types of special mythological beings, two of which you can only get once you have hit 100% Faith and one that will randomly wander the map. They are the Archangels, the Dark Lords and the Four Horsemen.
Only the Four Horsemen - some say agents of divine retribution, others say escaped demons from Hell, and still others say are creatures from a whole other dimension - act anything like normal mythological beings; you can organize an expedition to kill them, negotiate with them or drive them out of the area. Unlike other mythological beings, they are always on the move and will eventually leave their starting area. The Four Horsemen care not for the struggle between Heaven and Hell, and will freely join factions aligned to either side...for a heavy price, of course.
Mythological beings may have Special Abilities. These come in two flavors; Passive abilities, which are always active, and Active abilities, which must be activated with a direct order.
Archangels:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...ael-angels.jpg
Archangel Michael
The Prince of Angels, Angel of War, 'Sword of God' and one of the greatest of the Peerless One's servants. His name asks the rhetorical question 'Who is like God?'. Michael is the fourth creation of the Peerless One - after the Archangels Metatron, Sandalphon and Helel - and is the commander-in-chief of the Heavenly Host. During the War in Heaven, it was Michael who commanded the loyalist forces against Helel's rebels, and it was Michael who defeated the fallen Angel of Light in single combat. Now, Michael is one of the chief guardians of Heaven, always standing guard at its gates and making quick work of any demon who tries to break into the Celestial Realm.
Magic:
Lightning - Tier 3
Light - Path of the Paladin - Tier 3
Special: (passive) Fortitude - any army the Prince of Angels is attached to will never rout, instead choosing to fight to the last man, unless explicitly ordered to retreat.
(active) Arsenal of Heaven - the Angel of War opens up Heaven's bottomless arsenal, bombarding the enemy army with Heavenly swords - meant for angelic use only - that can slice through any Earthly object. However, as Michael is an angel of honor, he will never use the Arsenal of Heaven to target civilians, and so this is a combat-only ability. Usable once per summoning.
Artifact: First Sword - the first sword created in the history of the universe, allegedly forged by the Peerless One Himself and used by the Angel of War to vanquish Helel (the future Scarlet Serpent) on the last day of the War in Heaven.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...changel-08.jpg
Archangel Gabriel
The chief herald of the Peerless One and Angel of Prophecy, responsible for granting the power of prophecy to mortals and interpreting their visions. His name means 'Strong Man of God'. During the War in Heaven, he defeated the future Dark Lord Astaroth in single combat and led the charge into the rebels' right flank near the end of the War, sealing their defeat. Now, he wanders the Earth in search of someone worthy of receiving the gift of prophecy...
Magic:
Earth - Tier 3
Light - Path of the Savior - Tier 3
Special: (active) Voice of the Peerless One - the Herald of the Peerless One Above All Others can use his commanding voice to prevail in challenges, usually by commanding the opponent to surrender or kill themselves. The outcome will be decided by this random dice roller - anything but a 6, and the targeted character resists his command; land a 6, and they do what is asked of them. Usable only once per summoning, and only in duels.
Artifact: Quill of Heaven - a magical quill that was used to write the laws of the universe and of the Celestial Realm.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...el_raphael.jpg
Archangel Raphael
The chief healer of Heaven and Angel of Miracles. His name means 'God Heals'. Raphael can heal any wound, no matter how severe, and may even be able to restore life to the dead; naturally, he played a major role in the War in Heaven, where he kept the loyalists' casualty lists as small as possible. Now, he remains in Celestial Realm, healing the angels wounded in their Eternal War with the Infernal Realm.
Magic:
Water - Tier 3
Light - Path of the Savior - Tier 3
Special: (active) Call from Heaven - the Angel of Miracles calls a dead named character down from Heaven, resurrecting them for 3 turns (1 & 1/2 years) before they are returned to the Celestial Realm where they belong (assuming they don't die again before that). Will work only once per summoning.
Artifact: Staff of Heaven - a staff that can heal any wound, no matter how severe, and even bring the dead back to life.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...rjak/Uriel.jpg
Archangel Uriel
Another Heavenly general, subordinate to Michael and Angel of Judgment. His name means 'Fire of God'. During the War in Heaven, Uriel personally smote Belial and Andrealphus, and together with Michael he attacked Helel himself; however, Uriel was defeated and forced to retreat by the fallen Angel of Light. After the War in Heaven, he served as the first guardian of Eden, driving Adam and Eve from Paradise at the point of a flaming sword. Now, he serves as the chief judge of Heaven, deciding who is worthy to live in Paradise and who deserves to rot in Hell.
Magic:
Fire - Tier 3
Light - Path of the Paladin - Tier 3
Special: (active) Holy Flame - the Angel of Judgment engulfs an entire region in a Holy Fire that does not burn out until he commands it to, inflicting 15% damage to an opponent's economy (out of battle) or horrendous casualties on their army (in battle). Usable once a turn.
Artifact: Flaming Sword - an unbreakable sword, forged from Heavenly metal and always on fire.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s..._Alegion-2.png
Archangel Camael
Yet another Heavenly general, sworn to Michael and Angel of Visions. His name means 'He who sees God'. During the War in Heaven, he locked swords with Arioch, and later attacked the rear of the rebel army in the last days of the War. Later, Camael was sent, together with Gabriel, to bring word of the loyalists' victory over Helel and his rebels; as a result, he had the honor of being one of the very few beings in existence to gaze upon the Peerless One and not die instantly. Now, he grants visions to worthy mortals, though it is up to Gabriel to interpret them.
Magic:
Air - Tier 3
Light - Path of the Paladin - Tier 3
Special: (active) Farsight - the Angel of Visions reveals the location of any one artifact or mythical being (up to and including the Pale Rider) to Camael's controller. Usable only once a turn.
Artifact: Eyes of the Enlightened - eyes that have seen the glory of the Lord, and so can see through lies and solid objects.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...Angel_of_D.jpg
Archangel Azrael
The Angel of Death and one of the most powerful - and most mysterious - of the Archangels. His name means 'Whom God helps'. During the War in Heaven, he racked up the highest body count of all the Archangels, and it was said that even Helel feared him. Azrael is a hermit, constantly deliberately avoiding the other Archangels and answering to only the Peerless One, and so almost nothing is known about him. However, what is known about him is that he likes his job perhaps a little too much, and that whenever the Peerless One needs something done that even the other Archangels are a little reluctant to do, He sends Azrael.
Magic:
Earth - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Shadows - Tier 3
Special: (active) Death's Call - the Angel of Death simply commands a targeted character to die. The outcome will be decided by this random dice roller - anything but a 6 will mean the character overcomes the Angel of Death's command, a 6 means they succumb to his will and drop dead. Usable only once per summoning.
Artifact: Great Scythe - a scythe that can cut through anything and that does not just kill anything its blade touches - it erases them from existence.
Four Horsemen:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...te-Horse-L.jpg
White Rider
The first of the Horsemen. He rides a white horse, wears a golden crown adorned with all the precious stones of the Earth, and wields a bow. The White Rider, representing Conquest, is easily the most arrogant of the Four - he will never bow to even the Peerless One and the Fallen Morningstar, will attack as soon as he feels that he has been offended and cannot even begin to comprehend the idea that anyone may disagree with him. He was last sighted in the Levant.
Magic:
Air - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Destroyer - Tier 3
Special: (passive) Commanding Crown - the Crown of Conquest commands the respect and obedience of all who gaze upon it. A province the White Rider is appointed an administrator in will become more productive, bringing its economic output to 5%. If the Rider is instead attached to an army, the army becomes harder to rout; if the army reaches breaking point in a battle, once again, we turn to the random dice roller - a 1-3 means the army will still rout, a 4-6 means the army holds and fights to the death.
Artifact: Crown of Conquest - a golden crown adorned with every kind of precious stone on the Earth, said to instantly command the respect of any who gaze upon it.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...heRedHorse.jpg
Red Rider
The second of the Horsemen. He rides a red horse and wields a sword eternally stained with blood. The Red Rider, representing War, is the most violent of the Horsemen - it will take a lot of effort just to convince him not to decapitate everyone in sight, and even more effort to get him to consider joining your faction. He was last sighted in Italy.
Magic:
Fire - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Destroyer - Tier 3
Special: (passive) Berserker - the Red Rider's bloodthirst is contagious, and any army he is attached to becomes a horde of berserkers who will never rout, no matter how bad the odds are - and never retreat from battle even if directly ordered to do so, either.
Artifact: Sword of War - an eternally bloodstained sword made of an unknown metal that can cut through anything.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...ck-Horse-L.jpg
Black Rider
The third of the Horsemen. He rides a black horse and carries a pair of scales. The Black Rider, representing Famine, is the greediest of the Horsemen - he is the one most open to monetary payments, either to stay his hand and keep him from starving your people for no good reason or to get him on your side. He is, however, the least violent and physically weakest of the Four. He was last sighted in Greece.
Magic:
Earth - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Destroyer - Tier 3
Special: (active) Spread Famine - the Black Rider magically hoards all the resources in an area, knocking out between 10 and 15% of the targeted faction's economy (again decided by the random roller) and adding half the spoils to his controller's economy. Usable once every three turns.
Artifact: Scales of Famine - a pair of weighing scales forged from an unknown metal, indicating the way bread would be weighed in a famine.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...-palehorse.jpg
Pale Rider
The last and mightiest of the Horsemen. He is a skeletal being who rides a pale horse and carries a scythe. The Pale Rider, representing Death, is the most mysterious of the Four Horsemen - nearly nothing is known about him, save that he is the mightiest of the Four, wields a replica of the Archangel Azrael's Great Scythe and takes great pleasure in mass murder. His location is unknown, as he is constantly on the move and never stays in the same place for more than a day.
Magic:
Darkness - Path of the Shadows - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Destroyer - Tier 3
Special: (active) Death's Call - the Pale Rider simply commands a targeted character to die. The outcome will be decided by this random dice roller - anything but a 6 will mean the character overcomes the Angel of Death's command, a 6 means they succumb to his will and drop dead. Usable once every four turns.
Artifact: Great Scythe - a scythe that can cut through anything and that does not just kill anything its blade touches - it erases them from existence.
Dark Lords:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s.../beelzebub.jpg
Beelzebub
The Lord of the Flies and right-hand insect of Darkness. Beelzebub was Helel's lieutenant before the Fall, and during the War in Heaven he slew Abdiel and Salaqiel before he was defeated by Camael and Gabriel. Now, as a Dark Lord, Beelzebub commands the insects of the world. He can swarm an area with flies and locusts, command his minions to devour entire cities and - when he goes to war - lead an army of flies so large that they blacken the sky.
Magic:
Earth - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Destroyer - Tier 3
Special: (active) Fly Swarm - the Lord of the Flies summons a massive swarm of demonic insects that blacks out the sun. In a battle, this monstrous swarm will naturally have negative effects on the enemy's morale and make their casualty lists longer; outside of battle, they will destroy the enemy's crops, knocking out 15% of their economy. Usable once per turn.
(passive) Terrify - the Lord of the Flies is already naturally terrifying, and even more so when he uses his power to try and break the wills of mortal men. An enemy army (even one with a character that possesses Fortitude) targeted by this ability must take a 'courage test' - the random dice roller. if the die lands on anything but a 6, the army resists the Lord of the Flies and holds; if the die lands on a 6, the army breaks and routs in the face of the Right Hand of Darkness.
Artifact: Wings of the Lord of the Flies - two giant fly's wings, marked with the skull and crossbones. It is said that the sound of these wings flapping can summon a horde of devouring insects.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...ls_ps3_002.jpg
Belial
The 'Dark Fire' and a chief lieutenant of the Serpent. Belial was a good friend of the Fallen Son of the Morning before the fall, and during the War in Heaven he defeated Tahariel and Lemuel before Uriel got to him. Now, he is a master of fire, like his archenemy Uriel - he can call down black fire from the sky to consume his enemies whenever he feels like it, or just kill his opponents by breathing a jet of black flames at them. He presently guards Hell's gates with Arioch.
Magic:
Fire - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Destroyer - Tier 3
Special: (active) Evil Flame - engulfs an entire region in an Evil Fire that does not burn out until Belial commands it to, inflicting 15% damage to an opponent's economy (out of battle) or horrendous casualties on their army (in battle). Usable once per turn.
Artifact: Fire Sac - a sac in this Dark Lord's throat that contains the fuel for his black flames.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...baalberith.jpg
Bael
Another Dark Lord. Unlike the other Dark Lords, he was once a god created by men, but was defeated by the Archangel Michael, literally demonized and thrown into the Pit. He is obsessed with revenge and regaining godhood, and to that end he will work with the Fallen Morningstar (who he once considered a poser) and the other Dark Lords. As of now, he is eternally watching the Fertile Crescent, waiting for a chance to return to the surface world and get his revenge...
Magic:
Air - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Destroyer - Tier 3
Special: (active) Drag from Hell - the fallen god drags a named character back from Hell, effectively resurrecting them for 3 turns (1 & 1/2 years) after which they must return to the Netherworld - assuming they aren't killed a second time on Earth. Usable only once per summoning.
Artifact: Crown of Baal - a crown fit for a god, retained by Bael when he was thrown into Hell.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...jectHybrid.jpg
Flauros
The commander of the Legions of Hell. Flauros once served alongside Michael as a general in the Heavenly Host, but joined the side of Helel and took his entire army with him at the outbreak of the War in Heaven. He was later defeated in single combat with Michael, and now hungers for a chance to fight him again. As of today, he remains the commander-in-chief of Hell's legions, and is waiting for the hour of the Final Battle between Light and Darkness...
Magic:
Water - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Destroyer - Tier 3
Special: (passive) Fortitude - any army the General of Darkness is attached to will never rout, instead choosing to fight to the last man, unless explicitly ordered to retreat.
Artifact: Sword of Hades - once a glowing sword of Heaven, its blade has been corrupted beyond recognition and it now serves only the most evil of creatures.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s...gonRider02.jpg
Astaroth
A Prince of Hell, almost as powerful as Beelzebub. Astaroth was the most handsome of the angels before his Fall, and even after the defeat of Helel's rebels in the War in Heaven he remains the most human-looking of the demons. He is a shapeshifter, able to assume the shape of a beautiful man or woman and to conceal his presence from all but the most perceptive angels, and so serves as Hell's chief spy on Earth. In battle, he rides a great dragon, a gift from the Fallen Son of the Morning himself.
Magic:
Lightning - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Shadows - Tier 3
Special: (passive) Shapeshifter - the Fairest of All Demons can use his melodious voice and shapeshifting ability to serve as a near-undetectable spy, who cannot be traced without an exhaustive investigation (RP) or the presence of a nearby Archangel.
Artifact: Dragon - this beast from Hell can reduce large forests to ashes in seconds with its fiery breath, fly over oceans in a matter of hours and scatter armies with a swing of its great tail. It was a gift to the Dark Lord Astaroth from the Scarlet Serpent himself.
http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/s.../demon_gfx.jpg
Arioch
One of the guardians of Hell's gates. Arioch was the first demon to join Helel's rebellion, and the first to be literally demonized and thrown into the Infernal Realm by the angels after their defeat. He is one of the mightiest of the Dark Lords, his body count second only to Beelzebub's and the Scarlet Serpent's. He now vigilantly guards the gates of Hell with Belial, just daring the angels and their human allies to try and storm them.
Magic:
Fire - Tier 3
Darkness - Path of the Shadows - Tier 3
Special: (active) Poisonous Bite - the Guardian of Hell attacks a character with his poisonous fangs. The outcome will be decided by this random dice roller - anything but a 6 will mean the character either avoids his fangs or survives the deadly poison, a 6 means they succumb to the poison and drop dead. Usable once per summoning.
Artifact: Fang of Arioch - a fang of the Dark Lord Arioch. The fang is highly toxic - its poison can kill whoever was unfortunate enough to be stabbed or bitten with it in seconds, and even worse it can penetrate solid rock.
Artifacts: Many objects belonging to gods and monsters alike are scattered throughout the world. These Artifacts of great power are sought after by many adventurers, and jealously guarded by their owners. To get an Artifact, you must first organize an Expedition to find them, then work to secure them (this often means you will have to fight their Guardian, unless you can find a way to peacefully convince them to give it up).
Once you have secured an Artifact, you can equip any named character with it. Note that an Artifact can be broken in the middle of a battle, stolen by another faction or lost if its holder is killed.
Some sample artifacts:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:Greece:
Aegis - shield of Zeus and Athena
Trident of Poseidon - trident of the Greek god Poseidon
Chariot of the Sun - the chariot driven by the Greek god Apollo
Bow of Apollo - the bow used by Apollo
Helmet of Hades - a helmet of the Greek underworld, said to make its user invisible
Middle East:
Chariot of Fire - a flaming chariot used by angels to carry the living to Heaven
Golden Apple of Discord - a golden apple made of gold and engraved with 'For the Fairest'
Ark of the Covenant - the container of the Ten Commandments
Cup of Jamshid - a cup said to contain an elixir for immortality
Trumpet of the Apocalypse - the trumpet an angel will sound to signal the beginning of the Apocalypse
Ireland:
Gae Bolg - the spear of Cuchulainn, made of a sea monster's bones
Lúin Celtchair - the flaming lance belonging to Celtchar mac Uthechar
Caladbolg - two-handed sword of Fergus mac Roich, said to be powerful enough to cut off the tops of trees
Fragarach - sword forged by the gods, said to cut through any armor and give its wielder command over the winds
Claimh Solais - 'Sword of Light' belonging to Nuada, head of the Tuatha de Danann
Germany & Scandinavia:
Mjolnir - the magic hammer of Thor
Balmung - the sword used by Siegfried to slay the dragon Fafnir
Dáinsleif - a cursed sword that will take a life every time it is drawn
Tyrfing - another cursed sword that will eventually lead to the death of its wielder
Gungnir - the magic spear of Odin
