Post by hachiko on Sept 14, 2022 19:46:13 GMT -8
LAMB of the One Who Waits
The Coziest Woodlands 👑 CULT OF THE LAMB
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Motto: "Abide by my blade, and I shall reward you in kind."
Allies/Friends: their flock, the charitable souls of Li, people who clean.
Enemies/Rivals: Rivaling denominations, dissenters, the ex-communicated.
Backstory: The Lamb lived most of their life unconcerned with the trivialities of law and doctrine. They were happy to live the simple way. Fish, pick berries from the bushes, and live off the land — as any other lamb would. In those far-off days, when the sun shone brightly, getting brambles stuck in their wool was their biggest concern. That all changed when the woodlands west of the river began to grow dim. No sunlight. Thick canopies of leaves grew supernaturally fast, obscuring swathes of land from prying eyes. That place became known as the Darkwood. Rumor around the stream was that sinister elements, nefarious animals with unknowable intentions, would form into packs. These packs would wear strange robes, kidnapping animals from the other side of the woods, forcing them to dress similarly or suffer a terrible fate. Lamb never believed these stories. They dismissed them as fables, dreamed up by parents to make their children behave. Lamb was too old to indulge in them, yet, they were always cautious to steer clear of the stream at night. There was always a part of them that heard whisperings from the woods. Some nights, they saw shadows dart and weave between the trees. One night, when a fateful moon rose, it was not enough to sit idly by and simmer in uncertainty. Gripped by the outrageousness of these stories, Lamb set out to find the truth.
—which is how they found themselves on the alter steps of the Cult of Leshy. Lamb could not confirm the small details; the idea that these cultists had yellowing teeth or bright red eyes. It was hard to see the color of anything with a bag over their head. Their hooves would be shackled together. Their back, prodded by an iron, scorching hot. For a moment, Lamb convinced themselves that this was the end. As cultists removed the bag and chanted for sacrifice, Lamb found themselves lost. Astray. Physically present, walking that grassy aisle toward their executioner, but mentally? They were gone. Adrift, they floated across the vast blackness of the starry night sky. Their eyes found one star, then the next, knowing they would be frolicking among them soon. Before they knew it, the cultist had brought Lamb to heel. A heavy axe weighed above their head. But in that instant. That fleeting moment between then and the hereafter, Lamb felt a star calling to them. They looked up, and... Well, the rest is history. (Link to wiki.)
Appearance: Lamb is an androgynous, anthropomorphic sheep. They are about as tall as the forum-canon Animal Crossing or Sonic the Hedgehog cast members but shorter than most other combatants. Their most distinguishing features are their coat of pillowy-soft wool and their hands, which comprise themselves of hoof-like digits. Lamb wears a cloak. Clasping their cloak together is a comically-large bell. Lamb removed the tongue of the bell (or "clapper") so that it would no longer make noise. Nobody on Li has ever seen Lamb without their crown. While not an aesthetic detail, it is worth noting that Lamb does not use their voice to speak. Instead, they use a form of telepathy that comes from the crown, resulting in a multi-layered sound. (👑 Much like the voice from this clip of Prince of Egypt.)
History On Li: Lamb did not end up here on accident. Much like that fateful night in the forest, something called them to Li — or so they believe. When followers ask, Lamb says that Narinder entered Li long before they did, and they used their divine authority to spread the wings of their faith into this new space. However, Narinder never communicated any of that to Lamb. At least, not directly. Instead, it was a star. The same one that Lamb found when looking up from that dreadful alter in Darkwood. One night, when Lamb returned from a crusade, they spotted that star high in the sky. Then, the next thing they knew, they were here; an interloper with a crown and a powerful conviction. There were no more woods, no more alters, and no more crusades. However, that wasn't going to stop them from spreading the faith.
On Li, Lamb maintains a commune where other displaced travelers can eat and rest their heels. Lamb speaks of a modest stretch of land, between Harvest Acres and the infected brambles beyond, dutifully kept by those in Lamb's service. Here, though, Lamb is not so adamant about everyone attending mass and believing in their faith. As long as they help tend the fields, they will always have a warm meal in the morning and a fluffed pillow at night. Lamb does not engage in much fighting: only as much as they need to do to protect their land and the faithful. However, since Lamb's institution is frowned upon by the locals, they must occasionally venture out and make enough money to keep their people from being displaced. Most of their income goes to their bordering neighbors. Pennies to keep them quiet. Questing is dangerous business; requiring Lamb to use all of their curses and cunning to keep the peace.
Primary Attacks: Crown of Cruelty
For their primary attacks, Lamb transforms their crown into various weapons used throughout their crusade. These weapons utilize Medium and Heavy strikes and have a chance to deal Disabled on stats relevant to the type of injury each instrument can administer. Given the magical nature of the crown, all attacks in this category are made using WIS. (With the exception of "Crown Headbutt.")
Crown Headbutt: The Lamb attempt to headbutt the enemy with their pillowy-soft wool. The damage is negligible. [Light STR, 1-2 %.]
"When I said 'use your head,' I did not intend for you to take it so literally..."
Martyrmaker: Lamb attempts to incapacitate the enemy with a strike from the Crusader's Blade. Lamb's attack has a 20% chance to Disable a single target's STR or DEX. Lamb must declare ONE (1) to Disable BEFORE rolling. [Medium WIS, 9-10%. 1-turn cooldown.]
"Stalwart companion to the wandering warrior."
Crownbreaker: Lamb attempts to brutalize the enemy with a strike from the Warmaker's Hammer. Lamb's attack has a 20% chance to Disable a single target's INT or WIS. Lamb must declare ONE (1) to Disable BEFORE rolling. [Heavy WIS, 20-22%. 2-turn cooldown.]
"Splinterer of skulls."
Special Attacks: Minister of the Old Faith
For special attacks, Lamb utilizes their unique relationship with the One Who Waits to inspire allies and unnerve foes. These do not require Lamb's crown. All one requires is an earnest heart and a little faith. Utilizes CHA.
Path of the Righteous: Target an ally; call the name of an attack. If the targeted ally lands that attack before Lamb's next turn, it deals an extra [Lamb's CHA Score (20)]%. Should the targeted ally initiate the called attack but fail to land it (either by failing a roll or being otherwise inhibited) — heal the targeted ally by [CHA Modifier (+5)]%. If Lamb's target chooses not to initiate the called attack by name, "Path of the Righteous" has no effect. [CHA. 3-turn cooldown. Recoil: 3%]
"You need only give your word, and they will obey."
Strike of the Crown: A restorative projectile, launch it at a single ally from up to 30 ft away. Heals 1d8+[Charisma Modifier (+5)]%. If intercepted by an enemy, heal as listed, but also Disable that enemy's CON until Lamb's next turn. Cannot target self. [CHA. 2-turn cooldown.]
"Embrace the crown and your sins will be forgiven."
Divine Blight: Target an enemy with at least one (1) active debuff. Roll to cure all debuffs on that target. [Use CHA against 12+# of turns (remaining duration)] Then, for each debuff cured, deal [Lamb's CHA Modifier (5)]% to all enemies within a 15 ft radius. This attack may not cure more than 5 debuffs. Cannot target self. Cannot target allies. Cannot cure special debuffs as applied by bosses or questlines. (However, these debuffs still count toward the total number of "debuffs" Lamb may roll for when calculating damage.) [CHA. 3-turn cooldown.]
"Flames of cleansing burn thrice as bright."
Final Smash: The One Who Waits, Unchained
Against Lamb's will, the fifth bishop breaks their chains and emerges from the ground, their mere presence guarantees Fear/Horrified in all fighters (including Lamb) within a 15 ft radius. Everyone makes a INT save. If one rolls 14 or higher, this move deals 25%. If failed, it deals 40%.
Other Info
Content Warning — Cult & Religious Trauma: I realize that themes touched upon by this title (and, indeed, this character) may be triggering to users affected by religious trauma, including those who keep close family who suffered similar issues in the past. To briefly address concerns: I, by no means, want to make light of your human experience. Whatever you have dealt with, and whatever you think of the themes expressed in this writing, you are valid. I am glad you are still here. By applying this character, I commit to holding space for you. If you ever ask me to edit sensitive content out of my posts, I will do it. I do not need to know why. I will not ask why. However, as someone similarly affected by religious trauma, I am always willing to lend an ear. 😊
A few clarifications: "Cult," as used in this application, refers to a young faith without legitimization from a larger theological group or text. It does NOT refer to a coercive or exploitative new faith, NOR does it refer to a group advocating for pseudo-science or political terror. Think of "cult" in the sense that some may refer to the "Cult" of Dionysus in late Rome or Gnostic Christianity at the turn of the century. A "cult," here, refers to a young religion, and not anything else.
Any other concerns about the subject matter of this app should be directed to my Discord DMs. (忠犬ハチ公 (🐕)#9164) I promise I'll understand!
Last Edit:
Sept 15, 2022 13:33:17 GMT -8 by hachiko
