#055 - Soldier of the Damned

[Diogenes the Cynic]

SOLDIER OF THE DAMNED

Name: Soldier of the Damned
Aliases: Soldier of Misfortune, Legion of the Dead, Failures of St. Jude, Warriors of Demise, Bloody Magpies,

Sphere: Regal Necropolis and The Great Undercroft (often travel between both of these places)
Tier: Regular (though some are elite status)

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Spoiler:

Marching across the demonic wastelands of Inferis lies an army of powerful warriors clad in the armor of ancient past and wielding weapons of mighty strength and power. Many bear the arms of a mighty legion of warriors; soldiers under the command of an Imperial Eagle. Some bear the armor and standards of crusades past and long forgotten. Some bear the arms of a Confederate Soldier, muskets and all, while others wear the uniforms of wars never finished, still bearing the M16s they died shooting. The most recent among them wear the white, blood-spattered robes of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, their bodies shattered and bloody from explosive death and their mouths in the permanent grimace of holy vengeance.

All of these warriors have one thing in common; to those who fought alongside them, to those who watched them leave their motherlands' shores, never to return, these people fought for a noble cause. Many of them indeed believe they did fight for a cause worth sacrificing for, and for that their appearance of noble dignity still remains. For the few that see them marching in the distance, some would say that they indeed were the noble warriors seeking to bring justice upon the demon, the heretic, and the unjust within Inferis.

The few that actually do know of these warriors and their fate know that they are, in fact, the most tragic of the fallen. They are the Soldiers of the Damned; those who died fighting for a lost cause - a cause gilded with trust and misleading words though truthfully leading to the demise of the righteous. Almost all of them have that in common; that they served what they were led to believe was a just cause, and though they fought in the name of God, King, and Country, in the end they came to realize what they were fighting for too late. These are the ones who looked upon the hand of Jude, Saint of Lost Causes, and turned it aside out of pride and shame. They now spend the rest of eternity marching between the realms of war and bloodshed, seeking to cleanse their damned souls upon whatever they find of worth, be it demon or mortal.

Abilities: Soldiers of the Damned bear the weapons and armor of their timeline, though it is enhanced by their own mystical energy of false righteousness. For many this power depends upon the one being fought; some bear the armor and weapons of a Roman Legion, and thus bear protection impervious to ranged firepower but clumsy and slow and open to magical destruction. Others bear the encased shielding of a Crusader, perfect against the damning witchcraft of Inferis but useless against ranged firepower (if a Bodkin point can pierce French armor you know it's useless against ranged). Some bear the lances and devastation of a musket and are clad in Confederate uniforms. Others bear the helmet and reverse swastika of the German 3rd Reich. Some even bear the M16 and uniforms of the Vietnam War. The most recent bear the white robes of Islam, and while appear unprotected they have no desire save to cast themselves upon the enemy as living bombs, exploding upon contact.

Miscellaneous Notes: - Unlike other demons, Soldiers of the Damned swear no allegiance to any of the Hell Princes, though they do bear the Blood Crow upon their standards as their mascot
- Soldiers of the Damned are sentient, but when approached they are silent and refuse to speak, instead choosing to attack without war cry or a bark of order to their fellows. If they do speak, it is in a way no one can understand
- Soldiers of the Damned are hostile to everyone, mortal or demon, and take no discretion on killing either one
- It is believed that they will stand before the gates of Hell as the last line of defense during Armageddon, though they will inevitably fail. It is their predestined final act of redemption and honor
- It is rumored in Inferis that Judas Iscariot could have been their leader at some point, though this is not conclusive, given that Judas was never specified as being a warrior (he was Jesus's treasurer, after all)