Battle Realms Serpent Clan

Peasant: "Toil all night, slave all day-to rise from the muck, 'tis the only way." Tier: n/a Rice Cost: 0 Water Cost: 0 Melee: Piercing Missile: n/a Weakness: all Strength: none Training: none Innate Abilities: Building, Repairing, Training, Gathering Resources About: The peasants of the Serpent clan are industrious workers, no matter how menial their tasks; fear of the boot and the lash ensures their devotion to duty. Yet each secretly dreams of someday being the lord who holds the whip and shouts the orders. BATTLEGEAR none

Fan Geisha: "Most believe we live only for the pleasure of our guests. Few realize that those guests live only at our whim." Tier: n/a Rice Cost: 30 Water Cost: 30 Melee: Cutting Missile: n/a Weakness: none Strength: Magic, Fire Training: Bath House Innate Ability: Healing: The Fan Geisha can sacrifice stamina to heal another unit or herself. About: The Fan Geisha are, in some ways, the strongest and most resilient members of the Serpent Clan. Day after day, they must tend to the whims of the disorderly, ill-mannered Serpent army, appeasing drunks and soothing the egos of braggarts, merely in order to survive. Though beautiful, the Serpent Geisha tend towards a certain hardness of character. They are not reluctant to enter battle; in fact, many prefer the duties on the battlefield to those in the bathhouse. Their deep knowledge of physiology and psychology allows them to efficiently heal wounds. They also wield their razor-edged metallic fans with surprising agility and strength. These weapons may appear fragile and delicate, but often prove fatal to enemies who underestimate them; this is true of the Fan Geisha as well. BATTLEGEAR Dark Pact : The Fan Geisha are on comparatively good terms with the Thieves, with whom they find a practical outlook similar to their own. From their stolen tomes of magic, the Geisha can learn to barter with a minor demonic spirit that protects her allies from harm in exchange for a portion of her life force. Razor Fans : The Metal Shop can weave spells around the Geisha's fans so that they do not merely spill, but actually drink their victims' blood. When these dark weapons bite into flesh the life they consume heals the wounds of nearby allies.

Swordsman: "Before I was given my blade, I had nothing in this wretched world. Now taste its edge, and my triumph!" Tier: 1 Rice Cost: 30 Water Cost: 30 Melee: Cutting Missile: n/a Weakness: none Strength: Fire Training: Tavern Innate Ability: Evasion: Projectiles are much less likely to hit the swordsman when he is running. About: A wise Serpent daimyo knows that ferocity and cunning are quickest to grow in the downtrodden and naturally violent. Accordingly, most of their Swordsmen are recruited from the loudest, most arrogant bullies their taverns can offer. Their experience in chaotic alehouse brawls lends them several talents, including a useful knack for dodging flying objects while running. Peasants who injure noblemen in such brawls are offered the "blade's choice:" take up the sword in the noble's service, or die by his sword at dawn. BATTLEGEAR Mugging: Unsurprisingly, many Swordsmen have friends in the Thieves' Guild. From them, they learn to snatch precious belongings from their enemies in the heat of combat. Glass Sword: The Metal Shop employs arcane techniques that fuse glass with steel, forging these exquisitely deadly blades. They inevitably shatter on impact, but a single brutal stroke may slice a man's torso in half.

Crossbowman: "The sound of an enemy screaming in agony is always sweetest from a safe distance." Tier: 1 Rice Cost: 30 Water Cost: 30 Melee: Piercing Missile: Piercing Weakness: none Strength: Magic, Fire Training: Sharpshooters Guild Innate Ability: Full Recovery: The Crossbowman can regenerate health up to 100%. About: Serpent tacticians view the traditional longbow as a cumbersome relic requiring excessive training, not to mention strength that would be better spent on the front lines. They much prefer the crossbow: easy to handle and quick-firing, its bolts swill strike with considerable force. An effective Crossbowman's training time is measured in days, not weeks. Crossbowmen are usually selected from the ranks of the wiry and fleet-footed: those whose natural tendency, when confronted by a beefy warrior, might be to run rather than fight. In numbers, even novice Crossbowmen can be a deadly menace to seasoned warriors. BATTLEGEAR Weakness Bolts: These darts are a favorite tool of the Thieves' Guild. They bear tracers of a rare alchemical poison that brings a swift chill to the muscles, rendering enemies defenseless. Phosphorous Bolts: These flares employ chemicals used by the Metal Shop in many other processes. They are tremendous aid in scouting and illuminate distant targets admirably.

Musketeer: "What? Afraid of a little thunder, child? Hide beneath your bed, lest my thunder strike you dead." Tier: 1 Rice Cost: 30 Water Cost: 30 Melee: Blunt Missile: Explosive Weakness: none Strength: Fire Training: Alchemist Hut Innate Ability: Instant Hit: His normal missile attack never misses. About: Musketeers are, without a doubt, the haughtiest of the Serpent's fighting ranks. Proud of their costly weapons and the training it takes to fire them accurately, they tend to strut about the barracks in a way that does little to endear them to the other troops. Yet few dare openly mock their self-important bravado. One's skill with a blade means little to a man who can kill you with the twitch of his finger, and the proud Musketeers rarely miss. Although their guns punch through armor and flesh with frightening efficiency, they are also cumbersome and suffer from a slow rate of fire. In truth, Musketeers deserve credit for the courage it takes to reload such a weapon in the heat of battle. However, if they were more warmly regarded by the bladesmen who defend them, they would probably live longer. BATTLEGEAR Sniper Scope : Always the innovators, the artificers of the Thieves' Guild employ rare and costly glasswork in these much-prized scopes, feared especially by enemy cavalry. These scopes allow Musketeers to strike distant targets with devastating accuracy. Blast Shot : The Metal Shop reinforces a musket's barrel with steel alloys, allowing it to fire explosive charges instead of mere shot. These can wreak havoc amongst close-packed foes.

Raider: "Carry away what you can and burn the rest, boys!"

Tier: 2 Rice Cost: 60 Water Cost: 60

Melee: Fire Missile: Fire Weakness: Cutting Strength: Blunt, Magic, Fire

Training: Tavern / Alchemist Hut
Innate Ability: Ambush: The Raider gets no line-of-sight reduction in forests.
About: Life amongst the Serpent is not easy, and there are some who - by virtue of laziness, misfortune, or general unpleasantness - find no craft or trade by which to earn a living. These embittered men often become cruel Raiders, whose trademark is to pillage remote towns by night, then set them ablaze to distract pursuers. Spying out enemies through tangled forests is second nature to a Raider.
Intelligent Serpent generals find uses for such men, pressing them into service in exchange for pardoning their crimes. Brandishing torches and lanterns, they are unsuited to single combat, but matchless at reducing enemy fortresses to cinders.

BATTLEGEAR Brushfire: Raiders are vicious fighters and plunderers, but not always brilliant strategists. The cunning ones frequently become professional Thieves, learning to set brush fires in rice fields and forests that destroy precious resources and further cover their tracks. Caltrops: The Metal Shop manufactures these wicked four-pointed stars fashioned so that one spike always points up. Pursuers intent on revenging themselves upon Raiders, and careless of the ground beneath their feet, are likely to find themselves crippled for life.

Bandit: "He who sacrifices himself is an idiot. There may be honor in death but there is far more profit in life."

Tier: 2 Rice Cost: 60 Water Cost: 60

Melee: Piercing Missile: Piercing Weakness: none Strength: Fire, Explosive

Training: Tavern / Sharpshooters Guild
Innate Ability: Looting (targetable): The player will get a "pick-up" cursor over fresh corpses. Clicking on the corpse, the player will gain a percentage of the cost of that unit.

About: On the field of battle, there is more than one way to achieve greatness. Veteran Bandits shun the tedious practice, rigorous self-discipline and strict honor prescribed by the ancient masters of the martial arts. Yet they have seen more death, spilled more blood, and survived more combat than all but the greatest Samurai. The secrets of their longevity: never turn your back on a breathing enemy, never fight a stronger foe, and never take prisoners.
The Bandit's swordsmanship is chaotic, unpredictable and furious, especially when he finds himself cornered, and with his long experience in living off the land he never fails to scavenge a few ounces of food and water off a fallen foe. His skill with the crossbow is also fearsome, and he knows just where to place his shots in order to cripple his foes with pain.

BATTLEGEAR Stealth: If he wishes to work a bit harder as he travels, a Bandit can make himself all but unseen as he moves. Paralysis Darts : The Metal Shop can coat the Bandit's ammunition with a quick-acting poison. It causes no lasting harm, but swiftly induces painful, intense muscle spasms that render an enemy helpless.

Cannoneer: "Defeat me? Ha! You couldn't survive a blast from this beast if you were carrying it yourself."

Tier: 2 Rice Cost: 60 Water Cost: 60

Melee: Blunt Missile: Blunt Weakness: Blunt Strength: Explosive, Fire

Training: Alchemist Hut / Sharpshooters Guild
Innate Ability: Pass-through Damage: The Cannoneer's shots go through enemies and buildings, damaging all it passes through.
About: Where the Serpent Musketeer is arrogant and disliked by his fellow troops, the Cannoneer is respected and feared. Hauling tremendous cannons fashioned from solid tree-trunks and pig iron, these massive men of few words lumber about the battlefield stoically, though few others could even lift their burdens. These cannons fire heavy iron shot with such force that they often kill several men at once as they rip through terrified and scattering enemy ranks. Practically one-man siege engines and usually knowledgeable in the ways of masonry, lone Cannoneers have been known to demolish granite fortifications in mere minutes.
At close range, the Cannoneers thrust and bash their ponderous guns, ripping flesh and shattering bones. Yet, burdened as they are, they are unable to parry or dodge enemy strikes, and thus require infantry support to be truly effective.

BATTLEGEAR Smoke Bombs : The crafty Thieves' Guild has long used small smoke bombs to generate confusion during their daring escapes. These larger versions are a recipe for battlefield chaos. Mines: These compact explosive charges, available at the Metal Shop, are forced deep into the ground by the cannon's blast, where they sleep harmlessly until awakened by the hapless footsteps of an enemy.

Ronin: "Life is a dark forest where beasts must kill to live. In such a wood, it is better to be a tiger than a man."

Tier: 3 Rice Cost: 90 Water Cost: 105

Melee: Cutting Missile: n/a Weakness: Explosive Strength: Cutting

Training: Tavern / Sharpshooters Guild / Alchemist Hut
Innate Ability: Cursed Swords: When the Ronin loses all his hit points, he thrusts his swords into the ground, leaving them behind for a short time. The swords cause nearby allies to do more damage, while nearby enemy damage is reduced.
About: In every age and nation, there are wise men of heroic strength: those whose swords shine in the nightmares of a hundred widows, and whose martial arts skills are no longer quite human. So it was with the samurai of the Dragon, and so it is with the Serpent Ronin: dark mirrors of their ancient counterparts, rejecting the samurai's code of honor as weakness, yet honing their talents to just as keen an edge. Such men make deadly foes, on or off the field of battle.
In combat, Ronin wield a pair of razor-edged katanas, reasoning that their unholy proficiency with two blades will strike fear into those who cannot brandish one with equal force. In order to master this complex fighting style, they train only with blades, disdaining the Samurai's bow. When one of these hardened veterans perishes in battle, his accumulated ferocity and bitterness curses the very place of his death, while spurring his allies on to vengeance.

BATTLEGEAR Blood Bond : The Thieves' Guild is not considered a scholarly group, but they do have access to certain volumes of dark sorceries. Using these, a strong-willed Ronin may enslave another's soul to his own. Such a Ronin finds himself invulnerable to harm, as his wounds are magically transferred to his helpless slave's flesh. Yin Blade : When plated with certain alloys of iron and blood in the Metal Shop, the Ronin's katanas gain the ability to suck the very life force from their victims. This replenishes the health of the Ronin, and increases the mystical Yin force available to his master. Necromancer: "Enjoy your terror while it lasts. In my realm, you shall plead for death as you now please for life." Tier: n/a Rice Cost: n/a Water Cost: n/a Melee: Magic Missile: n/a Weakness: Fire Strength: Cutting, Piercing, Blunt, Explosive Training: 4 Ronin are sacrificed at Necromancer's Throne in order to summon the Necromancer. Innate Ability: Raise the Dead: The Necromancer raises nearby corpses into zombies. Costs stamina and the zombies slowly lose health. About: This mysterious, fiendish being must be summoned by the deepest profanity of which the Serpent is capable. He heeds mortal voices only when flattered by the construction of a Necromancer's Throne, a structure beneath which are entombed skulls of the innocent. Afterwards, four strong-willed Ronin must submit to a ghastly ritual sacrifice, in token that the Serpent's strongest bow before his might. Only after this appalling sacrifice of men and materials will the thing called the Necromancer commence his slaughter of the living. If the Necromancer is difficult to summon, he is almost certainly impossible to banish. Disdaining melee combat as beneath his dignity, he prefers to conjure lesser demons from the pits of the damned to slay his enemies. These ordinarily take for as fearless Spirit Warriors. He may also send such spirits into the bodies of the fallen, creating Zombies who know only the raw need to kill. BATTLEGEAR Summon Spirit Warrior: After consuming the souls of warriors, a necromancer can summon a Spirit Warrior at the cost of stamina. The Necromancer can only summon three at a time. Spirit Warrior: "Long live the Serpent!" Tier: n/a Rice Cost: n/a Water Cost: n/a Melee: Magic Missile: n/a Weakness: none Strength: Explosive, Magic, Fire Training: Summoned by the Necromancer. Innate Ability: none About: Traditionally minions of darkness, they now find themselves under the employ of the Serpent Clan for as long as the Necromancer chooses to serve it. BATTLEGEAR none Budo: "What are you looking at?" Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 400 Water Cost: 200 Yang Points: 1 Melee: Blunt Missile: n/a Weakness: Cutting Strength: Blunt Training: Keep Innate Ability: None. Budo has plenty of endurance from working too many hours into peasant beating routines on the Serpent rice fields. He has more endurance than any other human being. About: Budo is a peasant overseer, a large man who is always seen with a barbed whip in his hand and a look of low cunning on his face, early in his career he was the target of multiple accusations of torture, wanton beatings, and callous murder. Naturally the Serpent lords saw the limitless potential in this rising star. Budo's cruelty and stupidity became a perfect tool in the hands of men like Lord Shinja. Any province where Budo was put in charge would reliable have the hardest productivity and lowest crime-rate in the known world - albeit also the highest rate of peasant deaths. After a while the simple threat of placing Budo in charge meant a ten percent jump in the harvest. BATTLEGEAR Slave Driver : At this point in his career, Budo doesn't have to beat people to death quite so often - a mere crack of his whip sends peasants scurrying into faster action. Shinja: "Only strength - and the willingness to use it - can preserve us." Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 250 Water Cost: 250 Yang Points: 1 Melee: Cutting Missile: n/a Weakness: Explosive, Fire Strength: Magic Training: Keep Innate Ability: Ye of Little Faith: Takes very little magical damage. About: Lord Oja's death left a power vacuum and no one more eager to fill it than Lord Shinja. Were it not for the pierce personal loyalty of his rival Otomo inspires, surely he would now rule the entire land with his brand of pragmatic justice and ruthless efficiency. N one loves Lord Shinja, but no one can deny that he keeps order and has helped preserve the Serpent Clan in difficult times. In person Shinja is an undeniable force, charismatic, coldly intelligent and utterly without fear. No one has ever crossed him and lived to tell of it, beyond a babbled confession in a chamber deep beneath Serpentholm. He despises talk of the old Dragon clan, and considers honor to be a sadly obsolete concept. In all things he is a realist, and magical attacks have been known to quail and dissipate under his skeptical gaze and indomitable will. BATTLEGEAR Intimidation: Shinja's reputation of ruthless justice precedes him in battle, weakening the strongest warrior's blows. For any who strike him will know that he will remember and, sooner or later, pay it back a hundredfold. Utara: "Share my bed, share my sorrow." Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 300 Water Cost: 150 Yang Points: 2 Melee: Piercing Missile: n/a Weakness: Piercing Strength: Magic Training: Keep Innate Ability: Pleasure and Pain: When Utara takes damage, nearby enemies get momentarily stunned. About: Anyone who believes the geisha arts are a harmless business of strewing flowers and strumming tunes should meet Utara. In appearance she resembles a normal geisha of great beauty, but she incarnates the dark side of their practices - she is a seductress, a poisoner, and possibly insane. At four, Utara was orphaned by bandits and adopted by local geisha. She proved an apt pupil, delving into medicine and other arts. One day she disappeared from the bathhouse, leaving dead a dozen Serpent raiders - by all accounts men not unlike those who had killed her parents. A few years later she reappeared as one of the strangest weapons in the Serpent Clan's arsenal. BATTLEGEAR Song of Sorrow: When she wishes Utara can sing a strange, keening song, borne of her tragic past and thirst for revenge. None can hear it without risk to their life and sanity. Vetkin: "I'll fight to the death any man I can't outrun." Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 150 Water Cost: 400 Yang Points: 1 Melee: Piercing Missile: n/a Weakness: Blunt, Fire Strength: Piercing, Explosive Training: Keep Innate Ability: Sprinting: He loses no stamina when he runs. About: Opinions about Vetkin, Lord Garrin's chief aide, fall into two camps some say a useless wastrel who lazes around the keep, flirting with chambermaids and admiring his tattoos in the mirror. Others claim he's the cleverest man in the province, controls all the accounts and makes himself wealthy while Lord Garrin is busy in the field. Vetkin is a young slender man blessed with good looks, quick on his feet and well-trained in the twin sai he carries. He never seems to lift a finger, but each year he wins the Harvest-day foot-race. Rumors of a dark past never seem to touch him - a wink and a ready smile always seem to banish any doubts about his loyalty. BATTLEGEAR Bravado: Vetkin isn't tall or strong, but his looks and charisma make him seem like a hero from the old tales. When he tries, Vetkin's dashing displays seem to suck the energy right out of his foes.