Battle Realms Dragon Clan

Peasant: "Honor belongs to the lowly, as well as to the great." 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: Dragon Clan peasants are a simple lot; in floppy hats and rough spun tunics, they work ceaselessly to harvest the necessities of life. Yet each knows that his toil keeps the Clan alive as surely as the bright blades of the samurai, and that he too may someday become a warrior. BATTLEGEAR none

Geisha: "A soft touch and a crystal voice may inspire more men than all the banners under Heaven." Tier: n/a Rice Cost: 30 Water Cost: 30 Melee: Blunt Missile: n/a Weakness: none Strength: Fire Training: Bath House Innate Ability: Healing: The Fan Geisha can sacrifice stamina to heal another unit or herself. About: The Geisha of the Dragon Clan are no simple courtesans. Talented musicians, graceful dancers and engaging storytellers, they keep the gentler arts of the Dragon alive even during the bloodiest wars, and remind its warriors of the fine ideals for which they struggle. Nor are the Geisha timid or fearful of battle. In times of great need, they take the field alongside the Clan's fighting men, using their understanding of the human form and ancient mystical arts to heal even the most grievous of wounds. It is in their natures to ease suffering, not inflict it; although agile and lithe, they cannot stand against a hardened warrior. Fortunately, there is never a shortage of fighters willing to defend them. BATTLEGEAR Sacrifice: The most ancient magic of the Geisha draws her spirit itself from her body, suffusing nearby allies with power and restoring them to perfect health. Only meditation at the Dragon Shrine grants a Geisha the wisdom and courage to perform such an awesome spell, and none have ever survived its casting. Fire Shield: By learning the secrets of the Fireworks Factory, a Geisha may project her passion as a rolling cloud of flame about her body, scorching all those who draw near enough to do harm.

Spearman: "I am the weapon. My naginata is merely an ally." Tier: 1 Rice Cost: 30 Water Cost: 30 Melee: Piercing Missile: n/a Weakness: Magic Strength: Fire Training: Dojo Innate Ability: Due to the length of their spears, Spearmen are immune to the effects of height in combat when they are attacking melee opponents. About: Dragon Clan peasants who show an aptitude in close-quarters fighting begin their training with the humble spear. From the dojo master, they learn the foundations of the martial arts: strength, speed, and poise. Opponents who pay attention only to the spear are often surprised when a Spearman lashes out only with his hands and feet in sharp, accurate strikes. The spear is not the quickest of weapons although its reach helps when assaulting foes on higher ground. Nor is the spearman the most skilled of fighters. However, his training is simple and adaptable, forming the basis for the more advanced techniques of the Dragon. BATTLEGEAR Stun Strike: Spearmen who spend time in meditation at the shrine may learn to strike with such speed and force as to render their opponents helpless with pain. Whirling Spear: When the Fireworks Factory fuses black powder with a spear, the result is a whirling terror that sprays nearby foes with a shower of stinging sparks.

Archer: "When seen by the hawk, the rabbit's life is ended. When my arrow flies, my enemy is already dead." Tier: 1 Rice Cost: 30 Water Cost: 30 Melee: Blunt Missile: Piercing Weakness: none Strength: Fire Training: Archery Range Innate Ability: Stoic Calm: If the Archer has full stamina, his first shot does double damage, draining a bit of his stamina. About: Those who train as Archers of the Dragon Clan - usually peasants with a gift for hunting - must possess many talent, the least of which is incredibly keen vision. Far from being weaklings or cowards, Archers must possess great strength of arm to draw their enormous bows, and great strength of will to hold steady as the enemy bears upon them. As long as they remain rested and calm, Archers' arrows strike with otherworldly force. However, this deadly proficiency comes at a price. A Dragon Archer never panics or abandons his weapon, and his mighty bow makes a poor staff. Nor can he wear armor, lest it interfere with his delicate aim, or numb him to the changing winds. A lone archer on the battlefield is in a precarious situation indeed. BATTLEGEAR Zen Arrows: At the Shrine, an archer may literally become one with his weapons. This allows him to glimpse the area surrounding his fallen arrows. However, he must remain perfectly still to maintain such focus. Fire Arrows: The Fireworks Factory manufactures flaming arrows that quickly reduce buildings to ashes. These tiny torches are more infuriating than dangerous to the living.

Chemist: "Let my foes perish in sulfur and smoke; for them, the underworld will hold no surprises!" Tier: 1 Rice Cost: 30 Water Cost: 30 Melee: Blunt Missile: Explosive Weakness: Blunt Strength: Fire Training: Alchemist Lab Innate Ability: Healing Herbs: The natural healing rate of allies near the Chemist is increased when the Chemist is idling. About: Some peasants, though quick of mind and keen of eye, just aren't cut out for the traditional battlefield. These often become chemists, learning to turn nature's humble herbs and minerals into healing salves and beautiful fireworks. Both talents have their wartime uses, as the Chemist devises screaming rockets to rain upon his foes, or employs his medicines to speed the healing of nearby allies. Chemists are eccentric lovers of pyrotechnics, not study fighting men; they stand little chance in a toe-to-toe fight. Yet their unorthodox weapons and giddy, cackling enthusiasm for explosives has unnerved more than one battle-hardened Ronin, and turned the tide of more than one battle. BATTLEGEAR Mandrake Spores: Chemists who meditate at their shrine will gain certain herbal secrets. This soporific powder lowers enemies' defenses, lulling them until they struggle to keep awake. Star Burst Rockets: A lone Chemist in his laboratory may craft dangerous rockets. A Chemist with a Fireworks Factory at his disposal is like a mad child in the Land of Flaming toys. Dragon Warrior: "The Dragon lives in me, teeth and claw and bone. Dare you then, to wake a Dragon?" Tier: 2 Rice Cost: 60 Water Cost: 60 Melee: Cutting Missile: Magic Weakness: none Strength: Fire, Magic Training: Dojo / Archery Range Innate Ability: Inspiration: Allied units within range of the Dragon Warrior do more damage. Happens only when he's attacking. Units can only be affected by one Dragon Warrior (non-stackable). About: The Dragon Warrior is the purest incarnation of the Dragon's ferocious spirit. Disdaining armor, he fights bare-chested without fear, protected only by his lightning reflexes and the silver arm-guards that represent his pride and honor. His sword slices through the air and his enemies without hesitation, its tempered steel matching the steel within. Even his allies taste the courage of the Dragon and fight more fiercely when he leaps into action. So complete is this fighter's embodiment of rage that he can project it through his blade, striking enemies from afar. Still, he prefers to defeat opponents up close. It is simply his way. BATTLEGEAR Chi Shield: by meditating at his patron's shrine, the Dragon Warrior learns to balance his anger with inner peace, thus attaining the Dragon's invulnerability to harm - for as long as he can focus on peaceful thoughts, and resist the urge to attack. Flame Sword: The masters of Fireworks can imbue the Dragon Warrior's sword with an affinity for searing flames. In battle, his inner fire does the rest. Kabuki Warrior: "Care you, good lords, for an amusing show? Allow me to show you your doom." Tier: 2 Rice Cost: 60 Water Cost: 60 Melee: Magic Missile: Magic Weakness: Blunt, Magic Strength: Fire, Explosive Training: Dojo / Alchemist Lab Innate Ability: Entertainer: The Kabuki Warrior can juggle orbs of energy, entertaining peasants to encourage them work faster and more efficiently. About: The Dragon Clan has always understood combat to be an art: passionate, inventive, and beautiful. None understand this better than the Kabuki Warrior, whose skills with illusion and the blade meet in a flowing aesthetic of death. He is a master at luring his opponents into deadly errors, and strikes in close with steel, or at a distance with a deadly magical powder. Yet his lust for battle never diminishes his lust for life, and his sleight-of-hand is ever a source of simple entertainment and joy to the peasantry. Kabuki is an art of extravagant balance, and the Kabuki Warrior is a balanced combatant, quick and flexible, neither cautious nor foolhardy. Few care to face him in combat; the threat of humiliation is, perhaps, worse than the fear of death. BATTLEGEAR Stardust: Through meditation ad the Shrine, the Kabuki Warrior learns his secrets of illusion; this sparkling dust leaves missile-using opponents dazzled and unable to aim accurately through its cloud. Flashpowder: Originally a tool of the stage magician, flash powder's ability to leave enemies staggering and blind is magic enough for the battlefield. Powder Keg Cannoneer Tier:: 2 Rice Cost: 60 Water Cost: 60 Melee: Blunt Missile: Explosive Weakness: Cutting Strength: Blunt, Fire Training: Alchemist Lab / Archery Range Innate Ability: Purifying Salt: The cannoneer will throw salt to ward off bad spirits and any units nearby will receive half damage from the next attack they recieve. About: Dragon tacticians disdain firearms as crude and inflexible: Foolish weapons borne only by fools. On the other hand, they have long recognized the usefulness of artillery on the battlefield. The result of this duality is the Powder Keg Cannoneer. These elite fighters spend half of their time training with their unique weapon, a small cannon that launches kegs packed with gunpowder. The other half is spent eating, for - considerations of strength aside - it takes a man of immense proportions to withstand the recoil of such a cannon. The very best Cannoneers are former sumo champions; one may still see them salting the ground to ward off evil spirits and ensure their safety, just as they once did in the wrestling ring. The sight of a crew of tremendously fat men lumbering towards the battlefield, has, on occasion, incited jeers and laugher from foolish opponents. The laughter stops when cannon charges begin tearing apart buildings as easily as men. BATTLEGEAR Indirect Fire: The cannon is difficult to handle accurately even at close range. Yet, with meditation (and a double charge of gunpowder), the Cannoneer learns to fire far beyond the bounds of sight - anywhere an ally can shout and be heard. > Shrapnel Keg: Cannoneers and Chemists get along quite well, and the demented geniuses of the Fireworks Factory take special delight in assembling flesh- and bone-shredding novelty. Samurai: "I am the Dragon's honor, and nothing more. You are nothing at all." Tier:: 3 Rice Cost: 90 Water Cost: 105 Melee: Cutting Missile: Piercing Weakness: Explosive Strength: Cutting Training: Dojo / Archery Range / Alchemist Lab Innate Ability: Seppuku: The Samurai commits seppuku (suicide) when he is defeated, releasing his spirit and damaging all nearby enemies. About: On the field of battle, there is no greater force than the Samurai. Ferocious as tigers, wise as Dragons, they are brilliant tacticians as well as supreme warriors, defending the honor of their Clan above all else. Clad in gleaming steel plate, the Samurai are masters of bow and blade, wielding both with all the power and subtlety of the ancient masters. Few can stand against such a force. It is said that, even in death, a true Samurai never tastes defeat. When overmatched by hordes of enemies, the Samurai always chooses to disembowel himself rather than fall to an enemy's knife. Such courage releases a storm of righteousness that devastates the Samurai's enemies even as he passes serenely into the next world. BATTLEGEAR Yang Blade: At the Dragon Shrine, the Samurai's blade is blessed with the ability to perform heroic deeds, adding to the glory and mystical power of his Clan with each stroke. Dragon Skin: The Fireworks Factory can treat a Samurai's armor so that, when he focuses his mystical powers, it renders him entirely immune to all missile weapons. However, it takes great concentration and stamina to transform steel into the Skin of the Dragon. Arah: "My thoughts move, my arrows fly… one and the same." Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 250 Water Cost: 100 Yang Points: 2 Melee: Cutting Missile: Piercing Weakness: Blunt/Fire Strength: Piercing, Explosive Training: Keep Innate Ability: Deadly Accuracy: Her arrows are launched with greater velocity than normal arrows, being more likely to hit the target and do more damage. About: Arah is an archer without peer, and her skills overshadow even the Dragon Clan archers of old - her arrows move with a speed, accuracy, and force that terrify her foes. Flying from the oversized longbow she carries, they punch through armor and bone like stabbing spears. She traveled to this land from elsewhere, having met Kenji during his long exile. Somewhere in their shared past is a bond that links them, a blood debt or point of honor that led her to follow him home. A tall, slender woman, her manner is distant and cold, but for now she fights for the Dragon with all her heart and soul. BATTLEGEAR Sight Beyond Sight: Arah has long since achieved the unity with her weapon that all Dragon archers pray for. When she wishes she can let an arrow become an extension of her mind through which she can sense the landscape. Garrin: "Mud, gore, screaming horses… fight on!" Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 500 Water Cost: 250 Yang Points: 2 Melee: Piercing Missile: n/a Weakness: Explosive, Magic, Fire Strength: Cutting Training: Keep Innate Ability: Bracing: Garrin is immune to the height advantages of other melee units. About: Garrin worked his way up from stable boy to cavalry general through matchless skill and tactical brilliance, and men who served under him still speak with awe at his exploits on the battlefield. Even after he became a general and strategist he still took the field alongside his men, armed with a lance and grim determination. Garrin loves to beat the odds, and his cunning and stubbornness make the difference even against taller or higher-placed foes. BATTLEGEAR Call Horse: Garrin's years in the stables and on horseback have enabled him to summon wild horses at will. When he uses this skill, the nearest free horse will come running to him. Kazan: "Fat, flammable, and dangerous to know." Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 400 Water Cost: 150 Yang Points: 1 Melee: Blunt Missile: Fire Weakness: Piercing, Blunt, Magic Strength: Fire, Explosive Training: Keep Innate Ability: Fire Wielder: Huge armor bonus against fire and explosive damage. About: Kazan is one of the four Elemental Brothers of the Serpent Clan, a monastic fighting order now scattered. Kazan the Fire Brother, however, is still very much with us, wandering the land, drinking, and lighting things on fire. In turbulent times he occasionally joins up with a traveling circus troupe, where his huge size and boisterous disposition appear less conspicuous to hostile eyes. And in most contexts, Kazan is quite conspicuous indeed - he is a huge man, enormously fat and invariable drunk on the poisonously strong brew he carries with him in a pumpkin-sized gourd. In a fight it is usually the closest thing at hand and he swings it to deadly effect. Fires is his friend and element, and as such poses little danger to him - explosions and other fire and do little harm to his tough hide. BATTLEGEAR Flame Breath: Kazan's beverage of choice is flammable as well as intoxicating - when provoked he'll light and spit it out, to ignite anything or anyone within reach. Otomo: "Fight not for me, but for the sake of your honor. Should you fall, others will remember this day as your greatest." Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 300 Water Cost: 100 Yang Points: 1 Melee: Cutting Missile: n/a Weakness: Explosive, Fire Strength: Cutting, Blunt, Magic Training: Keep Innate Ability: Battle Leader: While Otomo is fighting, nearby allies slowly regain stamina. About: When the last son of Tarrant's line died, it fell to his chief ministers to keep order in the land - of these, the most beloved by the people was Otomo. Where Shinja ruled through strength and fear, Otomo inspired loyalty and bravery in his followers through fairness, wisdom and honorable behavior. His enemies deride him as weak and soft, but anyone who has faced him in battle knows the opposite - his very presence seems to put strength into his allies. In him, it is whispered, something of the old Dragon Clan survives. BATTLEGEAR Battle Cry: At desperate moments, Otomo can call upon his warriors with a mighty cry, and the very sound of which causes their blows to fall with redoubled vigor. Tao: "Perhaps you mistake the part for the whole." Tier: Zen Master Rice Cost: 150 Water Cost: 400 Yang Points: 1 Melee: Blunt Missile: n/a Weakness: none Strength: none Training: Keep Innate Ability: none About: This enigmatic mercenary has been observed wandering the land for at least forty years, perhaps far longer. He travels alone and simply, seldom mounted, carrying only a long staff and a small sack of rice, sleeping in barns or under the stars. He is described as tall and slender, speaking little, never giving trouble. Those foolish or desperate enough to bother him have seen that he is lightning quick on both attack and defense. He seldom enlists in any struggle for long, and may work with Serpent as well as Dragon. He claims to serve neither yin nor yang but only a balance between them. Most mysteriously, he has ties to both monk and ninja organizations, and seems to share some of both their traits. BATTLEGEAR Reversal of Fortune: Tao is deeply tuned to the balance of things. Anyone dealing harm to such a being will see a portion of it returned to them, for Tao stands at the center of all forces and fates.