THE BESTIARY

[Jill Valentine]

Approvedededed C:

[echidna]

Name: Tacticians

Class: Ravener profession

Appearance: Tacticians wear a metal headdress of interlocking plates called a mantle, unique to each one. The purpose of this headgear is to distinguish them, and offer some additional protection from the head. No two are exactly alike as each tactician makes their own when they are recognized as such by the Mother.

Job: Support, to aid in organization of the Brood.

Temperament: Tacticians are warriors of the mind, given to serious and stern mindsets due to the gravity of their role and the faith their mother places in them. It is a trust - a promise they keep that they will protect their brothers and sisters. Betrayal of the mantle holds... Terrible consequences. The burden is great.

Emotion for them is the enemy - their pain, their rage, their joy, it can do harm to their brethren at the wrong moment, weaken their resolve, and compromise their decisions. For this fact, they must stand aloof and clear their mind of distractions.

Abilities:

Mind of Iron - All Raveners have an inborn psychic talent, but the profession of the Tactician demands their will be honed to a knife's edge, and their thoughts to be made of iron. Tacticians resist mental influences and deceptions, capable of truly superhuman displays of willpower and self control.

Pylon of the Brood - It is their burden to keep their kin safe when mother is not there to protect them. Tacticians are vested with the ability to bridge the gap of senses as the firstborns and their mother does and focus the Brood. It is a skill - more experienced Tacticians can manage greater numbers and maintain clarity of thought.

Castle of Thought - as the Tactician sees through he illusions and lies around him, so too can he show his kin the truth. His area of control - the extent of his perception and those in his charge - can draw on his strength of mind in this manner.

Warrior's Muse - in the heat of battle, a second can make all the difference. By focusing on pain, a Tactician can deliberately dilute their own perception of time and shut out other sensations. One well thought out plan could save lives!

Clairvoyance - with the eyes and ears of those in his charge put properly into perspective and interpreted, a Tactician can form and project a mental picture of the whole as a three dimensional thing that can be easily and intuitively understood by those receiving it.

Marker - Tacticians can actually show ideas and express thoughts in the Clairvoyant image they project, making execution of plans so much simpler and severely limiting the possibility of mistakes.

Compromised Thought - its a gamble, introducing emotions into the mix of a clairvoyant image, but anger especially can be a powerful tool at the right moment...

Weaknesses:
Tactician is a sacred trust between mother and child that they will safeguard their kin. Donning the mantle is a sacrifice - it means they give up the right to leave their kin behind, the freedom to bear out their heart, and perhaps most significant, the right to have strong emotional attachments that could compromise them. None of that is 'law' as such... But it is a kind of code. Only one has ever failed in this task, and the fate that befell him was severance from the Brood - it meant his death, in the end as he took his own life. The stakes are just so much higher!

In practical terms, a Tactician gives up a lot of combat ability as well to wield the mental powers they are entrusted with - the concentration required is phenomenal, and hedges out almost anything else. Ideally, they are standing still and doing nothing else.

[Monobindi]

Looks good! Approved.