I decided to make a couple of alternative themes for the upcoming Steel Elves, since I think it would be nice to not have two different Elves in the game and to not duplicate the “SE” abbreviation (SE being the removed Sludge Elves). I also think that Attractivitis is quite weakly themed as of now.
I’m not feeling too strongly about either of my designs, hopefully they would at least make the devs consider other options beyond yet another kind of the fair folk. Descriptions can certainly use some extra work by someone more proficient with writing and stuff :).
Celestial Ape (CA)
A magical being from a distant, hard to reach plane of Pandemonium. On rare occasions Celestial Apes visit other planes as diplomats, envoys and sometimes as treasure hunters.
Celestial Apes perform a special naming ritual for the weapons they use, which grants some limited sentience to a weapon and simultaneously binds it in servitude to the Ape. They are also masters of an unusual fighting style, where they wield two one-handed named weapons at once.
Celestial Apes are extraplanar creatures deeply infused with translocational energies, and when startled they sometimes instinctively warp the space around themselves, which can transport other creatures closer to the Ape.
Extra notes:
- Very distinguished and uptight, they are basically nobles from a parallel realm.
- Some extra +apt in Staves/Tloc/Summ for flavour and some dual-wielding enhancer fun, maybe -Evoc/Invoc/Necro apt to compensate.
- Potential extra flavour: +Will on levelups (extraplanar), extra piety on worshipping Evil and Good gods (envoy/diplomat angle, oppositional gods try to ally with a neutral third party).
- Name is a bit cumbersome, maybe something similarly sounding with real ape/monkey species can be used instead. Like Gibho (Gi), Horangu (Ho/Hr), Bokobo (Bo) etc.
Clayborn (Cl)
A fully artificial creature, created by alchemists in a bid to mimic a living being as closely as possible for modern transfigurational science. Clayborn are produced by placing a crystal power core in a specially prepared clay homunculus. They possess a sense of self, are avid learners and value personal freedom above all else.
Clayborn deeply respect all things created for a purpose, including weapons, and have an innate, albeit limited, ability to communicate with them. They have a signature fluid fighting style, wielding a weapon in each hand.
Unfortunately the magic contained in Clayborn’s power core occasionally flares up when they encounter other beings, which results in minor translocational effects, that instantly bring said beings closer to the Clayborn.
Extra notes:
- Self-replicating alchemical androids, with all the relevant sci-fi tropes your heart might desire.
- Bloodless and/or unbreathing for flavour. No other special resists, they are normal living things for all intents and purposes.
- Potentially some -apt for Shapeshifting/Tloc/Throw, +apt for Alchemy/Earth/Evoc.
- Potential other names: Bloodless (Bl), Madefolk (Ma), Homunculi (Hm).
