//------------------------------// // Threat Primer // Story: Letters from a Fascinated but Frustrated Scientist // by Andoriol //------------------------------// To Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Cadence Revised Threat Primer Submission By Emeris Fillson Okay ladies, I have come to the conclusion that our knowledge of the various threats to Equestira are well known, but that this knowledge is spread thin and in various esoteric forms and is completely useless. Herein is a consolidation of as much information as I’ve gathered. I know there’s more out there, but this is what I’ve been able to gather and confirm myself. I recommend having this copied and given to all of our special ops and higher-ups that actually deal with this. Attached is my suggested coding system so that field operatives can call in their situation quickly an easily. Fae Code: Nightmare Sub-Coding: Winter (Winter Court) , Summer (Summer Court) , Waking (Unknown Court, in Equestria) , Forgotten (Unknown Court, in Aether) Creatures of dreams and nightmares, the native residents of the Aether. They are the ones that threaten dreams and nightmares. They are not all malevolent, but are almost all dangerous simply due to being outside of what could be expected of sane beings. They normally subsist by consuming dreams and memories. This is normally alright as they nibble at the edges of dreams, they’re what make dreams fade as you wake. The problem is when they cconsume more of a sentients memories, emotions, and eventually soul. The Do-Nots Make Deals Insult Use Emotional Magic on them (it empowers them almost as much, if not more than it harms them) Praise Celestia or otherwise use her name (Praise Luna instead) Game-Plan Find out why it’s there and, if benign, try to get it to leave. Even if it’s benign or even helpful, Fae aren’t supposed to be in our world. If malicious, kill with extreme prejudice. If ponies are being drawn into the Fae Lands, we are not allowed to go there and interfere. You’ll almost certainly be on your own and you’ll probably die. Just try to seal off the way they’ve been luring ponies in. If you can catch them in our world, exterminate with extreme prejudice. If you can’t catch them in our world or they’re clever and start taking out your team, call for backup, specifically request Princess Luna directly. Code Lunar Nightmare Green. Strengths Great at finding loopholes Able to enter and manipulate dreams Varies depending on the Fae. Weaknesses Cold Iron Concentrated Moonlight Varies depending on specific fae. Cannot tell falsehoods (Do not allow this to mislead you, they can tell fiction and mislead you very well, they just cannot tell outright falsehoods) As a general rule, if it’s brightly colored, freeze it. If it’s dark or in shadow, light it up or light it on fire. Structure There are two courts of the Fae, the Winter and the Summer Courts. While any particular fae may not be heavily aligned with one side or another, during war all Fae will choose a side. There are no truly neutral fae. The Summer Court deals with warmth, growth, passion, mania, light, earth, and fertility. Their Queen is Titania, lady of Fire and Light and Green. The Winter Court deals with cold, death, logic, dementia, paranoia, darkness, wind, and wasting. Their Queen is Deiusa, lady of Wind and Darkness and Blood. Luna used to head her own Court, the Night Court which represented mortals. But with her time on the moon, her Court has dissolved. While it’s reforming, this is causing considerable strife in the Aether and we’ll be dealing with a lot of Fae acting up while loyalties change around. Notes Hobs hate light Trolls don’t like soap Goblins are fucking stupid, but usually very numerous, don’t assume you’ve got them all Kobolds like their traps Dopplegangers are a thing. If one of your buddies acts weird, touch them with your standard iron nail in your kit subtly. If they don’t like it, capture and interrogate with extreme prejudice. Wendigos, while rare, are powerful fae of cold. Their "demon" title is a mislabeling. They are damaged by harmony and friendship and love, but they are powerful masters of ice and hatred. Iron nails are your friend here If you ask a Fae what it is, it will usually try to dodge the question. Summer Court will usually try to use extremely flowery and pompous language, Winter Court will normally try to turn it back around on you. Fae only need to abide by deals when asked it and they acquiesce three times! Asking less does not bind them to it any more than you or I would be, but asking more is a grievous insult! Don’t do it! Even if you’re getting a permanent pass for them not to harm you, don’t ask a fourth time! They will go out of their way to cause you as much pain as possible through every loophole they can find! And if not you, then your herd, your family, your friends, anything you care about that isn’t covered. Demons Code: Hell Sub-Coding: N/A Natives of Tartarus, these are some of the most potentially horrifying and dangerous beings you’ll encounter with any regularity. Great evils and monsters are sealed there, and the term demon can refer to either the slave races they have spawned in their imprisonment or the great evils themselves. The term is also applied to powerful beings that have no relation to the above beings but are imprisoned in Tartarus. The Do-Nots Make Deals Extended Interaction Panic Game-Plan Exterminate with extreme prejudice. Demons can normally be determined by their smell and the nauseating feeling they normally have. If it smells like sulfur, it’s probably a demon. Generally, exterminate with extreme prejudice. If you have reason to believe it’s been summoned, restrain it and try to trace its origin. Otherwise, blast the bastard. If it’s possessing things then it’s a summoned spirit and can be harmed by Iron, same as a Fae. Otherwise default to Harmony magic if you have access to it. Holy, Light, and Order magic are also safe bets. Strengths Some are Reality Warpers Unusual physiology (Don’t assume you know where their vital organs are, even the things like their brain) First and Second Circle Demons are truly immortal, as fundamental concepts you can only banish them and render them unable to be summoned for a length of time. Causing permanent harm to one of them is effectively impossible. Third and Fourth Circle Demons tend to be able to regenerate from even the smallest scraps of flesh and blood if they are not harmed with a material, magic, or item that bypasses their healing. Weaknesses Silver Harmony Magic Binding Agreements Holly Wood (Common weakness, not a guarantee) Cold Iron (Common weakness, not a guarantee) Necromantic Magic Properly formed Circles Structure Back when the world was formed, there were the Titans, beings of such primal power that it boggles the mind. Their primary form is the soul of a fundamental concept of reality and is so massive and powerful that it has multiple souls. Each of these souls is also a physical being and so powerful and metaphysically heavy that it has multiple souls of its own. The mightiest being is the Titan, or the Zeroth Circle Demon. These are the World Forms that form the metaphysical core of Equestria. Some of them chose this fate, others were bound to it by force, but the Titans form the core of Equestria and their bodies are Tartarus. You will never encounter one of these beings, their minds are so vast and different from our own that it’s like comparing us to a gnat. It’s just not a fair comparison. The souls of the Titans are known as First Circle Demons. The First among their peers. These are beings of immense power, and tend to be comparable to Discord. They are the personification and embodiment of some force or aspect of existence, for example: Zeus is the primal force of storms, and Lucifer is the personification of vice. The souls of the First Circle Demons are the Second Circle Demons. These are actually relatable and tend to have understandable personalities, but are still extremely powerful. For scale, the Princesses operate at about the power of these Second Circle Demons. These include beings like Aeres, who cannot be defeated in war, and Asmodeus, the bringer of lust. Then there are the “natives” of Tartarus, the Third Circle Demons, the Created Races. These are species or individuals of power on general, higher than that of the average ponies’, but not significantly so. These are what one classically thinks of when they think of Demons. Wendigos are theorized to have been these kinds of beings. Finally, there are the Fourth Circle Demons, these are the animals and beasts of Tartarus, they are metaphysically similar to Third Circle Demons, but are stupider, weaker, and vary greatly in size and function, being little better than beasts. Notes Demons can lie! They will lie! They can't go against a bargain though, nor can they lie about the terms of a bargain. And their true name will give you power over them even without name magic. Demons love music, but hate Heartsong. Engaging in Heartsong near a demon is an almost surefire way to send it into a murderous rage. But by contrast, few demons from the lowest to the highest will turn down a chance to dance or join in when given musical accompaniment. There are two forms of demons in our world: Manifested: The form of the demon comprised of ectoplasm, it is functionally similar, but is fundamentally different from Escaped demons. They can be banished with sufficient damage (reducing them to giblets works well here) and are definitely vulnerable to Cold Iron. This is the most common form of demon as they slip through the cracks of Tartarus in spirit form or are summoned as such. Escaped: The actual physical form of the demon in our world. Much harder to kill, not necessarily vulnerable to Iron. No time limit and generally free reign. These are unable to assume spirit form but are not bound to follow their word. Common Demons Erymanthoi, the blood apes. Think gorilla only twice normal size, blood red, and harder to kill. They’re obsessed with killing things. They can slip into our world at places of great bloodshed where blood magic has been used. Agatae, the beautiful wasps. Standing about eight decahooves tall at the base of the wing joint, these wasps appear to be made of multicolored and constantly shifting gemstones, their wings flowing rainbows. Their name is extremely appropriate as they are astoundingly beautiful. Their stinger is the size of a sword though. They are very intelligent, but very strange and are prone to fits of mania. When the sight of beauty fundamentally changes someone, an Agatae can find its way into Equestria. Decanthropes, the body snatchers. In truth, it is a warty green strip of disgusting flesh only about a hoof wide and a decahoof long, resembling nothing more than a detached, gangernous tongue. Its true form is rarely seen though as it worms its way into the flesh of a living being, coils around their organs and takes control of them. It can possess others that have contact with the primary host by either injecting them with its toxin through its hosts fluids (Kissing or intercourse are common methods) or by transferring between them and allowing residual poison in the vacated hosts body to control it. So long as its poison is in a body, it can control them even at a distance of five magnahooves. A single Decanthrope can produce enough poison to control approximately ten hosts continuously. The hosts can be spotted by how their eyes do not reflect light. They like to perform with their host bodies, but these performances are unsettling and inspire dark emotions. A Decanthrope can enter Equestria when a being survives being hung for three days. Luminata, the deer that hunt. While it appears to be a large albino buck at a distance, up close it is revealed to be a writhing mass of tendrils. They like to hunt any game by luring it away from civilization, getting it lost, and then engulfing it whole. They are strong and tough and immune to blunt trauma. Oak, ash, and rowan trees are their bane and even a leaf from one of them will burn upon contact. Your standard kit should contain an ash switch for this reason, just as griffons who hunt alone carry. They come through far more often than anyone is comfortable with as they actively seek ways into Equestria. They prefer hunting griffons though. Makarios, the street of wonders. Less an individual, but rather an entire bazaar that is in truth one Second Circle demon. There will be several identical looking merchants offering a wide variety of impossible goods. The demon itself is pleasant and nice and helpful, but it is a businessdaemon. It bargains in dreams and souls and memories and fragments of self in return for impossible and amazing goods. Powerful love potions, poisons made from hate, dragons tears, and woven sunlight are but a few examples. Any bargain made in the bazaar, no matter how bizarre, is binding. The goods themselves are the threat, as Makarios has no morals or concern about the consequences of the goods it parlays. It only wants to give ponies what they want and get paid in bits of self. All deals are final. Makarios can be banished simply by asking it to leave by name, but tracking down all of the goods it has brought about is imperative; it is suggested to try and bargain for a list of the deals it has made in this journey to Equestria. Loki. A powerful demon of lies and bargains. He is one of the rare First Circle Demons able to enter Equestria with any regularity. He likes making bargains and deals. Any time a wolf eats a snake after being bit by it, he can stride forth into Equestria. He is brilliant, devious, and manipulative. But he is not a major threat. Do not engage. Alert the Princesses to his presence and avoid conversing with him. His most common form is that of a dull green pony in resplendent emerald robes with golden armor, his helm having two swept back horns, but he is a master shapeshifter and can assume almost any form. “Monsters” Code: Encounter Sub-Coding: N/A These are the natural creatures of Equis that happen to be big, mean, and dangerous. These are the cockatrices, the hydras, the giants. The Twilight Guard will generally not be called on to deal with these creatures, that’s the Solar Guard’s job. The Do-Nots Kill Indiscriminately. They’re a part of the ecosystem, if not a pleasant one for herbivores. Game-Plan Restrain it, determine that it’s not possessed or another form of being masquerading or otherwise in the shape of a natural being, then get a hold of either the Solar Guard or a local animal control representative in order to determine further courses of action. Strengths Varies Weaknesses Sharp things Heavy things Stabby things Hot things Cold things Enchanting things Structure N/A (Hopefully) Notes Read your damn “Possible Dangerous Creatures” primer if you want to know more. Elementals Code: Maelstrom Sub-Coding: Blazing (Fire) , Flowing (Water) , Growing (Wood) , Crystal (Earth) , Thunderous (Lightning) , Zephyr (Wind) , Eldritch (Unknown) Manifestations of the souls of the various aspects of the world. They vary from unimaginably intelligent to barely sentient at all and their shapes vary wildly, but they can be identified by the elemental or natural theme to their forms. They will always have some form of theme going on for their element or the area they represent. If it doesn’t show any other signs and has an elemental theme, it’s a safe bet it’s an Elemental. The Do-Nots Kill Indiscriminately Offend Game-Plan Stop it from rampaging with restraint if possible, then try to determine what’s making it be a threat before resolving the problem. An Earth Pony (or Zebra) and a Unicorn get the best reaction when negotiating with most Elementals, with the exception of Air Elementals, for which a Pegasus and Unicorn are best. If you have a Kelpie squadmate, have one of them talk with any Water Elementals. Generally it is ponies or other living beings damaging the ley-lines of the area or disrupting the natural order. This isn’t always the case though, and a number of Elementals are incapable of speech (or the complex thought required for speech) so aren’t able to communicate what the problem is. Strengths Direct Elemental Control Difficult to truly put down as they’ll oftentimes reform unless the structure giving them form is destroyed Weaknesses Their opposing element Damaging the source of their existence (poisoning a lake that has spawned an elemental for example) Structure There are some local courts of Elementals where the sentient Elementals congregate and agree upon policy, but there is no general, consistent structure to Elementals. Notes Common Problem Elementals: Dogs of Unbroken Earth: Forests that have never had their trees cleared or other places of life where beings have never lived. They like meat and milk but hate any encroachments of civilization. They have long brown fur that has moss, twigs and mud entwined with it, their eyes glow red or green depending on their mood, they stand one to two decahooves at the shoulder, their howl causes glass to shatter, and copper and tin to tarnish. They are associated with Earth. They are dangerous and bad, they’re basically impossible to avoid a confrontation with if settlers are in the area. They have no specific bane, fire and wind are more effective than other attacks though. Plants are their weapon, and any roots will attempt to trip you and any thorns will attempt to stab in vital places like the eye, neck, or major joints. Not to mention that they’re big and dangerous on their own. Huraka: Bears that stand 4 to 5 decahooves at the shoulder, their eyes are shining gold, their fur as soft as a cloud, and their breath continuously steams from their mouths. They are the Elementals of the major winds that course through Equestria. Their breath destroys deception and illusions. Undead Code: Corpus Sub-Coding: Bloody (Vampires) , Scripture (Lich’s) , Wrapped (Mummies) , Spectral (Ghost or Wraith) This refers to any self-mobile corpse or disembodied soul. They are thankfully rare, and the former is almost impossible to find ‘natural’ manifestations of outside of Vampires. There exist several broad categories of undead. Zombies. The most basic corporeal undead. It’s a body animated by a necromantically created impulse (essentially a simple created soul that’s not built around living processes). They are powered by flesh and blood, ideally of the living, but they can burn their own flesh to keep going, this is the reason for their accelerated decay. Ghouls. A more advanced Zombie, and a potential natural creature unfortunately. Their motive power comes from a semi-sentient to fully sentient spirit, possibly a full on ghost or demon that has bonded itself to a corpse the same way a soul is bonded to a living body. Their brain and heart are the anchors of this soul to this body. They are similar to zombies, but rather than patchy self-consumption that a zombie does, they instead appear malnourished and wasting away. They oftentimes have poisonous touches, a foul oder, and are vicious, malicious, and intelligent. Vampires. Arguably the pinnacle of corporeal undead. They feed directly on the life force of their victims rather than purely the flesh. They oftentimes appear perfectly normal and even ageless. They possess a number of powers. They are a full (if corrupted) soul bound to unliving flesh, efficiently converting its own blood into motive energy. They are very strong, fast, and tough, possessing an almost absurd healing factor provided they are fed. A fully realized vampire also possesses special abilities of some form or another, such as a mist form, shapechanging, an enthralling gaze, or other such abilities.They can be created in a number of ways and it is a popular way for beings to seek immortality. They are particularly vulnerable to the sun due to their over-active healing factor. Fire negates their healing factor, as does silver, gold, and salt. Their heart is the soul’s anchor to the body. They are primarily created when a living being is drained of all of its blood and, while its heart is still beating, feeds on blood (whether willingly or not). Normally requiring either a vampire’s intervention or blood magic to achieve this. After this, the newborn vampire quickly regresses into a near childlike state as their soul starts to tear away from their body and reform, attempting to consume their own body to fuel the transition. Unless immediately fed, newborn vampires often appear as Zombies. After feeding on a significant amount of fresh flesh and blood, the newborn vampire’s soul begins to properly re-anchor to the body, causing any obvious wounds or decay to begin to seal up and restoring a portion of its sentience. In this state the now Fledgling vampire resembles a Ghoul and operates much like one. Upon feeding sufficiently that their soul is “properly” re-anchored to their form, their body achieves a semi-ageless appearance and they begin to gain powers. These powers are gained by staying well fed for extended periods of time, allowing the soul to develop additional tricks with which to use the power it has. As such, older vampires tend to be stronger than younger ones. When created by another vampire, the created vampires are bound by blood magic to obey their creator. However, there is no such compulsion when created by magic. If the Matriarch vampire is killed, any Fledgling or weaker vampires die. But any fully realized vampires that were in her coven are freed to do as they please. Mummies. A way to extend life after death. It involves the binding of the soul to the internal organs and then placing them in sacred jars. The body is then preserved, normally wrapped with special linen. There is nothing to prevent the rot of the mummies body other than the preservation techniques used on the body upon creation. They are more common in Saddle Arabia. The danger of a mummy is in their place of burial, as they are often created as a way to protect mass graves or the graves of royalty. The entire grave/structure is built to empower the mummy and restore it. This works best for mummies as their forms can handle intense self-enhancement magic without damage, and they cannot truly be killed until their internal organs are destroyed. The grave they inhabit will normally rebuild the mummies body if it is damaged or destroyed. Lich’s. Spellcasters that have extended their life using magic by in some way separating their soul from their body. They always have an item of some form (this is commonly a book, but can be any single item, even a building) that contains their soul. They must gain life force in some fashion. Either by direct feeding as per other undead, or by converting mana into life force. Those that convert mana to life force can usually subsist entirely on their respired mana, but their body slowly decays and they often take to absorbing mana from other sources. They commonly resemble zombies, but their spellcasting is oftentimes well beyond what normal ponies can ever achieve. You’ll rarely find a Lich that’s less than an Eighth Degree Master of Necromancy and an overall Sixth Circle spellcaster. Unless their Phylactery (the item which contains their soul) is destroyed, most Lich’s will reform given time. Additionally, if there is more magic within or on or infused into their Phylactery, the Lich’s body also possesses these abilities. For example: A lich with a kettle as its Phylactery infuses limited self-repair magics as well as greater toughness and strength into the kettle. The lich’s normal body will heal quickly and be far tougher than it should be at all times. Lich’s normally protect and zealously guard their Phylactery for obvious reasons. They have no true weaknesses other than sunlight and salt. Ghosts. The remnants of the souls of a being lasting after its body is destroyed. Any living thing can leave a ghost provided its soul is strong enough. They are incorporeal, physical attacks not utilizing silver or salt will pass right through them. Magic has a better chance to work, but is not a guarantee. They are not inherently hostile! Attempt negotiations first if feasible. They are able to, in order of ascending required power: Possess objects, create frost, move objects, possess corpses, create icicles, drain life, possess living beings, empower possessed objects/beings. Wraiths. An incorporeal soul focused around a specific emotion, similar to a ghost but almost always hostile. Wraiths tend to be stronger than Ghosts due to their focus and are accompanied by a distinctive chill. They can inspire their core emotion in those around them as well. Virtue magic is your friend here. Shades. A being that deliberately and methodically turned themselves into a Wraith. They are in many ways similar to Wraiths, but tend to be a more powerful manifestation, retaining some aspects of their original abilities. Additionally, Shades feed off of the emotion that is at their core, gaining strength from it and are often able to assume a corporeal form provided enough power. Virtue magic is extremely effective against them. The Do-Nots Give it blood Get bit Get touched Assume it’s down for the count. Game-Plan For corporeal undead, capture and trace if feasible. Otherwise exterminate with extreme prejudice then trace to its source. Salt its body after destruction/redeath. For incorporeal undead, figure out why they’re here and address the issue if possible. If malicious, exterminate with extreme prejudice. Virtue and Light magic are your friends here, salt it. For a Lich, determine the location of its Phylactery (the object in which it has bound its life force, normally a book, though there are exceptions) and destroy it. Salt is useful against the body of the Lich, but sunlight is normally useless. Assume an extremely powerful spellcaster and plan appropriately. For vampires, find the progenitor and kill them, use the ashes to trace any of its spawn that are still alive and do the same. Sunlight, pure water, and salt are your friends here. Blood magic is a good weapon against weaker vampires, but fully realized vampires will shrug it off. If they’re displaying powers other than strength and speed, don’t bother. Strengths Hard to kill No meaningful physical weak points Tend to be disease ridden Can have a death-touch that causes a necromantic poison to spread through a ponies mana-flows. This disconnects the soul and motive life force from the body. Use concentrated sunlight to cauterize the wound/area if possible. Can sap strength Feed on flesh and blood to power themselves Weaknesses Silver Gold Salt Concentrated sunlight Structure Corporeal undead tend to serve a necromancer. Vampires and Lich’s being exceptions. Lich’s tend to be powerful necromancers in of themselves and are very dangerous spellcasters. Approach with caution. Vampires tend to congregate in covens or flocks around the oldest, their progenitor, which has power over those it has spawned. Killing the progenitor will destroy the weaker vampires (those without higher thought functions yet), but not the sentient ones. Notes Sunlight accelerates the decay of undead considerably. They will either hide during the day or go on killing sprees. Abominations Code: Disaster Sub-Coding: As per Elemental While technically, an Abomination is an Elemental, they are on such different scales as to not matter. They are the manifested souls of concepts or things so massive and powerful that they are almost protodeities and are oftentimes malevolent. Imagine the deific spark of the sun or the moon without a pony holding it, now imagine if it was angry. That’s an Abomination. They are thankfully rare, and most of them are sealed up absurdly tight since every living being out there doesn’t like them. But they are all unique and terrifyingly powerful. The Do-Nots Wake them up Let them loose Attempt direct confrontation without multiple Ninth Circle Masters. Game-Plan You’ll know when you encounter an Abomination. If you have not been called in to fight one (in which case you will be briefed), your first course of action is to call for backup. Code Twilight Disaster Green if the Abomination is threatening to break free (even if you think you can have it sealed back up) Code Twilight Disaster Violet if it is free. Code Twilight Disaster Ultraviolet if it is free and approaching or near a settlement. Attempt to determine what it is the manifestation of and then react with power accordingly, focus on slowing it down or crippling it. This is not a permanent solution, but will give back-up time to arrive. Strengths Raw power. Immortality. It’s basically impossible to truly kill these things. They’re the manifestations of the Frozen North, of the Badlands, of the Magma Fields, of Shattered Time. You would have to destroy their source to truly kill them. Weaknesses Their opposing element. Structure N/A Notes These are all unique, you’ll have to make it up on the fly as you go. Outsiders Code: Emeris Sub-Coding: N/A This is a catch all term to cover the beings which come from outside reality and do not follow the same laws of physics. At my core, I am one of these beings, wrapped in a shell of powerful Harmony magic from Equestria itself to allow me to operate on normal physics. For example: According to Celestia, in my natural state I am constantly dark yet radiating light, I cast no shadow, and I am more magic resistant than pure iron among other things, with light and shadow magics simply passing straight through me as if I don't exist. The Do-Nots Assume anything Game-Plan Call for backup. Specialists are best to handle these kinds of beings. Figure out what rules the thing operates with on a basic level and exploit them if you must. Some cannot be killed because they have no concept of death (Like killing a rock, you might destroy it, but it's not really "dead"), thus the specialists. Avoid confrontation and proceed with caution as much as possible. Strengths Unknown / Varies Weaknesses Unknown / Varies Reality Calcification Structure Unknown / Varies Notes Unknown / Varies ProtoDeities Code: Ascendant Sub-Coding: Corpus (Necromantic Ascension) , Hell (Demonic Ascension) , Nightmare (Fae Ascension) , Maelstrom (Elemental Ascension) , Horror (Unknown Ascension Method, appears imminent) , Fear (Unknown Ascension method, appears non-immediate) , Eldritch (Known Ascension Method, not otherwise categorized) These are beings which are on the cusp of ascending to either godhood or something similar. A pony about to become a crystal lich. A griffon about to become a demon. A seapony about to become an Elemental of a Tsunami. They are powerful, they are unique, and they are dangerous to the point that they must be put down. The Do-Nots Allow them to force a confrontation in their specialty. You will lose. Game-Plan Call for backup. Code Eclipse Ascendant Blue (or higher). Figure out what ritual they are using to ascend and shatter it, ideally in a way that harms them. Once this is accomplished (and only then) do you go after them. This is because sometimes the ritual is contingent upon their death or can operate even without them being alive. Stop their ascension, then kill them. Strengths Raw power Near invulnerability (source varies) Weaknesses Focus. Most are monomaniacally focused on one form or another of power and if you can confront them in a situation where this is useless you take away much of their power. Structure N/A Though they may have minions or supporters to watch out for. Notes N/A Deities Code: Deus Sub-Coding: N/A This category refers to beings like Discord. I’ll sum it up now: Know when you encounter one and if you do, run. They tend to be beings directly connected to powerful Leylines of some form or another and as such have so much raw power that it’s not even funny. Do not engage. The Do-Nots Engage Attempt to seal Attempt to stop Taunt Manipulate Control Do the Cha-Cha-Slide With Game-Plan Call for backup (discretely if you must). Code Eclipse Deus Ultraviolet. Strengths Are you fucking serious? I related them to Discord for a reason. They are out of your league. Weaknesses The Elements of Harmony. That’s about it. Structure N/A Notes Seriously, do not engage. Call for backup. Run. Talk with them if you can to slow them down. First term indicates the branch of forces addressed or called for ease of routing. Any second portion will indicate further specifics e.g. - Lunar Shadowbolt, Solar Dawnguard. Second term indicates the nature of the situation or threat. If more specific information is available, it will be preceded by a sub code e.g. - Blazing Maelstrom (Fire Elementals), Bloody Corpus (Vampires). Third term indicates the threat level. The fourth, optional term indicates any further details or requested actions. There may be multiple terms added after the core three terms. Additional terms should likely be added, these are merely the ones I've come up with. First Term Term - Meaning Lunar - Nightguard Solar - Royal Guard Zephyr - Skyship Navy Whirlpool - Waterborn Navy Equis - Police Forces Eclipse - All Forces Second Term Term - Meaning Waylaid - Bandits / Criminals Encounter - Natural monsters Corpus - Undead Dream - Fae Maelstrom - Elemental Hell - Demonic Purrfeather - Griffon Labyrinth - Minotaur Doppleganger - Changeling Wyrm - Draconic Disaster - Abomination Emeris - Outsider Ascendant - Protodeity Deus - Deity Third Term Term - Meaning Infrared - Update on Situation Only Red - Mild Concern Orange - Serious concern Yellow - Mobilize backup /put on call Green - Send backup, mobilize forces Blue - Send Immediate backup Lavender - Send immediate backup, mobilize additional forces Violet - Send Immediate Elite military backup, mobilize extensive forces Ultraviolet - Extreme Threat, send Elements of Harmony and/or Princesses Fourth Term Term - Meaning Aftermath - Send cleanup crews Codex - Extensive info to come Fim - Negotiations started Circle - Casualties taken Spearpoint - Aggressive actions in process Keep - Fortifying position Wandering - Requesting Orders Robin - In retreat Birdseye - Scouting Snafu - Situation as expected Fubar - Situation beyond expectations G.D.M. - Situation lost, raze current location, friendly fire expected I apologize if this isn't as entertaining as most of my letters have been Princesses, but these things are scary and we need to deal with them as efficiently as possible. None of them are really going away either. While the average cop or soldier doesn't need to be informed about these, the special forces do, and it'd be a good idea to give most soldiers and cops a basic understanding of what a demon, fae, undead, and elemental are in case they need to call in for backup. And seriously, if I have to go on one more mission where I have to explain all of everything about the threat to every individual I'm working with, I'm going to do something drastic. ... Probably enchant all of your favorite public chairs to make very loud, nasty, wet fart sounds whenever you and only you sit on them or something similar. Best wishes, Emeris Fillson P.S. - Seriously, get this spread out to the special forces at very least. It can't just be the Broken Horns that has this information.