Highest discipline

Overview

As a consequence of the Unmade trove, the Citadel Guard of Urizen developed a number of special techniques tied to a cyclic understanding of the magical energies flowing through the world. Originally, this cyclic magic moved through six different techniques, one each season, before returning to the start. The cycle was begun during the Winter Solstice 379YE, appropriately enough with the technique of the Bond of Tears. The power originally cycled through all six realms, but during the Autumn Equinox 382YE the eternal Sadogua "ate" the Night stage of the sequence as part of a boon offered to General Nicassia, permanently removing it from the sequence.

A year later during the Autumn Equinox 383YE, the magicians of Urizen determined that it would be possible to take control of the cycle. Through powerful ritual magic and the use of ilium they remade the cycle, granting the army the new quality of Highest Discipline which allows the general of the army to choose which technique to employ at any given time rather than being bound to a magical cycle.

This quality incorporates all the benefits of the magic quality.

Highest Discipline

• The army can use enlightened scrying, winter's mantle, onrushing storm, irresistible spear or raise the glass labyrinth once each per year

The ilium-infused mage armour and mage weapons allow the Citadel Guard to bring their magic to bear during a military campaign in unique ways. This quality does not alter the ability to use the General as conduit for delivering magic, nor their ability to gather crystal mana when undertaking arcane consolidation. No other army in the world possesses mastery of these techniques, and some of them are risky to employ. As such there may be unexpected interactions between the five techniques and the power of enchantments, curses, or even the actions of other armies.

In any given season the general may employ one technique, but each technique can only be employed once each year. The pool 'resets' in Summer each year - the season where a new general of the Citadel Guard could be appointed.

Technique of the Celestial Key

• Resonance of the Day Realm
• Allows use of the Enlightened Scrying order when defending

Day resonates strongly with the symbols of divination and revelation. Even the merest apprentice beginning their journey to magical masters learns first how to divine the nature of magic before ever they touch it. There are few secrets hidden to the great masters of the Day realm. With this technique, binding the resonance of day to support the art of gathering and sorting information, the magi of the army can accumulate an awe-inspiring amount of intelligence in a short time.

Enlightened Scrying

• Defending Order
• The army generates a map of the territory they are in, which is added to the wiki and becomes common knowledge.
  
• Casualties inflicted by this army are decreased by a fifth.
  
• The ability of this army to defend territory is decreased by a fifth.

Employing the Technique of the Celestial Key, this defensive order uses the power of Day magic to divine extensive details about the territory within which the army is campaigning. It creates a map of the territory that details regions and terrain, and is suitable for scrying. It does not include settlements or fortifications, nor provide the level of detail achieved with a spy network. The map effectively makes the target territory one that any Imperial magician can use divinations such as Eyes of the Sun and Moon to gain information about.

Technique of the Bond of Tears

• Resonance of the Winter Realm
• Allows use of the Winter's Mantle attacking order.

Winter resonates with symbols of cruelty and survival. It preserves, but for all great powers of the winter magic there is a cost to be paid. At the same time that magic averts harm to the Citadel guard and allows them to press forward, their suffering falls on the allies of the army who take the injuries that might otherwise have crippled Urizen magicians. The technique is of limited value unless there is another allied army present to take any losses the Citadel Guard might otherwise suffer.

Winter's Mantle (Attacking Order)

• The ability of this army to conquer territory is increased by a fifth.
• If the army is fighting alongside any allied army, then all casualties received by this army are divided up between the other allied armies

Winter preserves, but not without a cost. With powerful enchantments, the Technique of the Bond of Tears allows crippling injuries to be averted – but those wounds must still be suffered by someone. The army can afford to press forward to victory, secure in the knowledge that for a short time at least any losses will fall on their allies rather than themselves.

Technique of the Transcendent Claw

• Resonance of the Spring Realm
• Allows use of the Onrushing Storm attacking order.

Spring resonates with symbols of destructive energy unleashed, with both storms and natural erosion by plants and weather. By channelling this resonance, the walls of a fortification can be overwhelmed either by a slow green tide or with devastating weather phenomenon.

Onrushing Storm (Attacking Order)

• The army must be attacking a region - that is in a territory that contains a named fortification - or else the order defaults to cautious advance. The fortification need not be in the region being attacked, and this order will not cause it to be involved directly in the campaign.
• All casualties inflicted by this army are directed at the named fortification.

With the Technique of the Transcendent Claw, the army damages and potentially destroys a fortification; it is especially powerful in that it can be used from a distance – the Citadel Guard do not need to engage the fortification and can indeed be involved in a campaign in an entirely different part of the territory.

Technique of the Mountainous Ascent

• Resonance of the Summer Realm
• Allows the use of the Irresistible Spear attacking order.

Summer resonates with symbols of prowess and triumph. This technique allows the army to identify key strategic objectives, and helps to secure those objectives, allowing the army to quickly establish safe camps. At the same time, summer magic is used to infuse temporary fortifications to grant them extra strength, providing tactically significant locations which can serve as centres from which the army to expand outwards.

Irresistible Spear (Attacking Order)

• The army suffers no penalty to victory points generated to capture a region which is not adjacent to a controlled region in the same territory.

With the Technique of the Mountainous Ascent, Summer magic is employed to strengthen and supports the army allowing it to swiftly establish a beachhead in a new territory, or to make an unexpected strike deep into enemy controlled areas.

Technique of the Coiling Chain

• Resonance of the Autumn Realm
• Allows use of the raise the glass labyrinth attacking order

Autumn resonates with symbols of travel, communication, and binding. Channelled and focused, magicians warp synchronicity and serendipity to interfere with the command structure of opposing armies, impeding their ability to coordinate. The lingering effects of the magic warp the ability of enemy soldiers to move away.

Raise the Glass Labyrinth (Attacking Order)

• Opposing armies or navies may only move one territory in the season following the one in which this order is taken.
• The number of casualties suffered by this army are increased by a fifth.

Employing the Technique of the Coiling Chain, this attacking order weaves autumn magic around opposing armies, entangling them with a barrage of curses that interfere with the chain of command in subtle ways. It also creates a cumulative warping of chance that makes it difficult for them to withdraw or advance, but also requires the soldiers of the army to move into dangerous locations increasing the risk of casualties