| “ | Thunderous, a marching bastion, the Brigand stands as the most formidable and fervent defender of the Swarm. The Blood and remains of its fallen foes over the course of eons of constant warfare embellished its physique and melded into a sturdy shield—impenetrable. The protection defense is only massively reinforced by the endless desire to unleash Trial, endless hunger for sagacity, harnessed by the Swarm to use in their sacred conflict against the reality itself. | „ |
| ~ A description of Brigand |
| “ | You stand as a Brigand. Time-honored warrior elite. The menacing framework of the Swarm. You are the end of countless foes.
|
„ |
| ~ Unknown |
Summary[]
The Brigands are a caste of Swarm, a species from Crestseal. They are a morph of the Swarm species. Being the third morph, they are above both Drudges, the first morph, and Varlets, the second morph.
When the first Swarm came to being, they gradually established morphs of themselves—an immutable hierarchy that can only be challenged through successful Trials. Upon birth, each Swarm is born as a Drudge, and those capable enough will rise to a Varlet, and those even more capable will rise to a Brigand, through successful Trials and gathering of sagacity.
The Brigands are a widespread, third, and highest morph of the Swarm, comprised of individuals who have surpassed the morph of Varlet and utilized their amassed sagacity to morph themselves into this formidable class. They constitute the core and ruling class of Swarm, forming their superior warriors, builders, and commanders. Vigorously shielded and equipped, Brigands are formidable warriors for Swarm's war against reality itself. These highly capable class of warriors are frequently capable of engaging and even surpassing powerful Cavils, Yekks, and all other kinds of opponents they may combat. Equipped with their blades, defenses, and rifles, a Trial unleashed by a legion of Brigands can signify calamity to entire worlds, earning sagacity and homaging to their superiors.
There also exist Riven Brigands, which are Riven variants of the Brigand. They are mostly identical to regular Brigands but possess standard Riven capabilities, they also gain access to Assailing, which allows them to do double damage with each subsequent attack that hits the target, similar to a combo.
Powers and Stats[]
Tier: At least High 7-A to Low 6-B, up to at least 6-B to High 6-B. High 6-A at their peak | At least High 7-A to Low 6-B, up to at least 6-B to High 6-B. High 6-A at their peak
Key: Swarm Brigand | Riven Brigand
Name: Brigands, varies for individual names
Origin: Crestseal
Gender: Varies depending on the individual
Age: Varies, usually at least a hundred years old (It usually takes around a century for even the most capable Swarms to gain enough sagacity to morph into a Brigand), up to millions of years old (Oldest Brigands were likely present during Swarm's early wars against other species of Crag and first expansion, which was millions of years ago)
Classification: Human, Swarm, Elite Swarm, Brigand
Powers and Abilities:
- Phanon Control (Partial, Scale Variable, at least 120, Full at their peak)
- Superhuman Physical Characteristics
- Law Manipulation (Dagger Dogma is defined as one of the principles of Middlescape, its effects on reality are far more potent than those of the Rulemakers)
- Immortality (Types 1, 2, and 3; Swarms have endless lifespan allowing them to survive even fatal injuries such as decapitation indefinitely, and can heal their wounds as long as they gain sagacity or and receive Homages through Dagger Dogma)
- Regeneration (High-Mid; Brigands can repair themselves after being cut to hundreds of pieces via sagacity/Homages they can gain through Dagger Dogma)
- Reactive Power Level (All Swarm abide by the principle of Dagger Dogma, which allows them to grow more powerful by engaging in Trial; acts of violence, devastation, and particularly killing)
- Self-Sustenance (Types 1, 2, 3; Swarm subsist off of Trial alone through abiding Dagger Dogma)
- Power Absorption (Through Dagger Dogma, all Swarm can gain powers of all those they kill)
- Acausality (Type 2; Swarm are Nonlogical due to their connection to the Nether Gnats. Nonlogical beings, at their most basic, are singularities and wholly detached from their past and future)
- Curse Manipulation, Disease Manipulation and Pain Manipulation (Swarm can utilize Sufferstrike which curses their targets and causes them to be infected by a disease that causes immense pain on a Kernel scale)
- Statistics Amplification (As a Swarm, Brigands constantly receive Homages from their underlings and thus grow stronger)
- Dimensional Travel (Swarm utilize Pathfinder to travel between Tumults. Powerful Swarm and Sublime Swarm can venture outside of a Scape or to different Scapes)
- Fragrance Manipulation, Camouflage, and Stealth Mastery (Swarm can utilize Whispershade, allowing them to control their body outline, color, and scent, can make it so that they have no scent, allowing them to sneak up on their enemies)
- Acid Manipulation, Adhesive Manipulation and Corrosion Inducement (Swarm produce Swarmgoo, a highly sticky, acidic, and corrosive substance)
- Limited Fusionism (Swarm can fuse with and inhabit each other's bodies, though only if all parties agree to do so)
- Summoning (Swarm can Summon other Swarm; Brigands can summon several of the Varlets under their command, who themselves can Summon dozens of Drudges under their own command. Sublimes and high-ranking Brigands can summon several of the lower-ranking Brigands under their command)
- Explosion Manipulation (Can launch explosive blasts with Swarm Bomber)
- Durability Negation and Spatial Manipulation (Can cut and pierce through space with Swarm Chopper)
- Deconstruction (Can atomize targets with Swarm Dispenser), Forcefield Creation (Can manifest a forcefield around itself with Swarm Shield)
- Flight/Spaceflight (Swarm can do battle in outer space and fly in it)
- Martial Arts and Mastery of Melee and Ranged Weapons (Verseduelists exhibit exceptional expertise in various different combat arts including wrestling, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and sambo to the point of knowing and fully mastering every single application of these combat arts and knowing everything these arts can ever be used to achieve. They also are very proficient across various combat disciplines involving close-ranged weapons like swords and spears, as well as proficiency in marksmanship with firearms and rifles the same way)
- Afterimage Creation (Miragestriders can leave numerous afterimages that look identical to confuse and disorient)
- Enhanced Senses, Extrasensory Perception and Non-Physical Interaction (Sensethrusters have heightened senses allowing them to sense smallest details down the size of atoms, and can sense clearly from kilometers away, can interact with and harm unphysical phenomena such as emotions, smoke, shadows, as well as beings of Contour)
- Body Control and Natural Weaponry (Morphforgers have atomic control over their own physique, allowing them to manifest weapons out of it and mitigate blunt damage by readjusting)
- Sound Control, Instinctive Action, and Acrobatics (Hypermobility, All-Terrain Mobility, Self-Momentum, Surface Running; Mentalweavers can instinctively react to incoming attacks by dodging or blocking and launch a counter attack even when no longer alive, capable of performing hundreds of rapid jumps and flips both in-ground and in the air, move through any terrain and glide in the air with maximum efficiency, move in a way that is not affected by air friction to perform instant full-speed movement without acceleration, and move in a way that makes no sound)
- Analytical Prediction (Precogazers can attain a clear insight into the movements of their targets by simply looking at their present state)
- Information Analysis (Fullreaders can accurately glean information about individuals or objects, decipher their capabilities, combat methods, and their present intent with seemingly as little effort as a mere gaze, and prepare to counter what they were able to glean to the best of their abilities)
All prior
Plus:
- Immortality (Type 5; Riven exist in between lives and deaths)
- Mind Manipulation, Fear Manipulation, Madness Manipulation (Type 3; Riven cause the Riven Craze via their mere presence on any being that can perceive it. Causing malfunctions in the mind as well as eventual fear. Prolonged exposure to a Riven's existence can result in insanity and destruction of one's mind)
- Existence Erasure and Void Manipulation (Riven spread the Riven Rot wherever they go, erasing the reality around them and leaving total absence, a field of unreality, as reality itself wails and shrinks away from Riven Rot)
- Radiation Manipulation (Riven Rot is very radioactive)
- Status Effect Inducement and Statistics Reduction (Riven Rot can cause blindness and distort other senses such as sense of touch, hearing, and balance, as well as lowering the strength of those it affects), Sound Manipulation (Riven can unleash Riven Cry via their screams which is a scream that is so intense that it can fracture plastics and induce the bursting of blood vessels)
- Damage Boost (Riven Brigands can do double damage with each attack that hits the target via Assailing)
Resistance to Analytical Prediction (Precogazers can resist Precogaze of those comparable to themselves), Information Analysis [Fullreaders can resist Fullread of those comparable to themselves), Subjective Reality, Precognition, Retrocognition, Causality Manipulation, Power Mimicry, Duplication (Yekks cannot emulate Nonlogical beings). Immunity to Soul Manipulation (Swarm do not have souls)
All prior Resistances plus Resistance to Existence Erasure, Void Manipulation, Madness Manipulation (Type 3), Radiation Manipulation, Status Effect Inducement, Statistics Reduction (All Riven are unaffected by the effects of the Riven Craze, Riven Rot, and Riven Cry, of both theirs and others), Pain Manipulation (Pain and suffering is a pleasing euphoria for the Riven), Madness Manipulation, Mind Manipulation, Fear Manipulation (Riven exist in an unending state of euphoria, being unbound by the boundaries of life and pain, where no fear, inhibition, worry, emotion, or burden clings to them)
Attack Potency: At least Large Mountain level+ (Most basic and newly morphed Brigands have the assignment of Rank 4 at the very least and can easily defeat dozens of the most powerful Varlets at once) to Small Country level (Older and more experienced Brigands have the assignment of Rank 3 at least), up to at least Country level to Large Country level. Multi-Continent level at their peak (Even more elite Brigands have the assignment of Rank 2 to Fresh Rank 1, and at their peak, they can defeat Qeneral-rank Yekks) | At least Large Mountain level+ to Small Country level, up to at least Country level to Large Country level. Multi-Continent level at their peak (Riven Brigands are generally comparable to their non-Riven counterparts, with rare examples of being superior or inferior)
Speed: Subsonic movement speed with Relativistic reactions and combat speed (Even the most basic Brigand is superior to most capable of Varlets)
Lifting Strength: At least Pre-Stellar, likely higher (Even the most basic Brigand is superior to most capable of Varlets)
Striking Strength: At least Large Mountain level+ to Small Country level, up to Country level to Large Country level. Multi-Continent level at their peak | At least Large Mountain level+ to Small Country level, up to Country level to Large Country level. Multi-Continent level at their peak
Durability: At least Large Mountain level+ to Small Country level, up to Country level to Large Country level. Multi-Continent level at their peak, higher with Swarm Shield (Swarm Shield can block attacks that can severely damage or defeat the user) | At least Large Mountain level+ to Small Country level, up to Country level to Large Country level. Multi-Continent level at their peak, higher with Swarm Shield
Stamina: Superhuman. Brigands can keep fighting and remain active for weeks to months, even years in some cases. Infinite through the Homage method, can continue acting indefinitely as long as they can gain homages, or draw sagacity
Range: Standard melee range. Several meters with Swarm Chopper, Hundreds of meters with Swarm Bomber and Swarm Dispenser. Interdimensional with Pathfinder
- Swarm Bomber: Swarm Bomber is one of the kinds of Swarm weaponry. It is a mid-range weapon, with an effective range of around 300 meters. This weapon can launch explosive bullets which can cause highly destructive explosive blasts that can cover a large area. Usually an explosion. Usually, an explosion can cover up to 30 meters all the while maintaining its damage output at a maximum
- Swarm Chopper: Swarm Chopper is one of the kinds of Swarm weaponry. It is a close-range weapon. It has two versions, one is a long blade, and the other is a battle axe, depending on the preference of its wielder. It can be used as a conduit for increased chopping capability, allowing users to cut and pierce space itself, and any foe that exists in that space. Swarm Chopper can cut the space up to 7 meters away from the user.
- Swarm Dispenser: Swarm Dispenser is one of the kinds of Swarm weaponry. It is a long-range weapon, with an effective range of over 3 kilometers. This weapon can launch dissolving bullets which can cause the dissolving of any target it hits. The bullets, upon hitting the target, the bullet dissolves and causes atoms to separate from one another, eroding the target. The bullet has this effect up to at least 20 centimeters around the area of its impact.
- Swarm Shield: Swarm Shield is one of the kinds of Swarm weaponry. It is a defensive weapon and can either be directly used to block attacks or manifest a forcefield around the user to form an all-encompassing protection for a brief time. It is strong enough to block attacks that can severely wound or defeat the user and still not be damaged by it.
Intelligence: Above Average. Brigants are the most elite and capable members of the Swarm and are leaders of it. Their entire life has been warfare in which they never tasted true defeat and won to ascend into a Brigand.
Standard Tactics:
This frequently relies on the particular Brigands, but Brigands are often mid-to-long-range combatants, choosing to keep some distance between themselves and their targets. They will fire their Bombers or Dispensers while using Whispershade to keep disguised or Swarm Shield to protect themselves if detected and attacked. This tactic is especially used by lower-ranking Brigands, while higher-ranking ones prefer more up-close combat. Their behavior, strategies, and decisions may change depending on what insight they can gather on their enemies with their Precogaze
More or less the same as regular Swarm Brigand, but can make use of innate Riven abilities in tandem with other abilities on some occasions, especially high-ranking ones, such as utilizing Riven Rot Control to throw it alongside launching bullets, or engulfing it with their Choppers for more devastation
Weaknesses: Swarm can be starved off if unable to Trial to sustain their Larva, though this can take a long time, otherwise None notable
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
- Swarm: Swarm are a species, and have access to innate abilities
- Dagger Dogma: Dagger Dogma is a signature Method and core philosophical doctrine of the Swarm which they abide by. It is also a principle of Middlescape and affects reality in a similar way to Rulemakers do, but innately far more potent. It dictates that persistence is only possible through passing successful Trials, which are often described as acts of violence, devastation, and especially killing. Through abiding by this doctrine, a Swarm can gain sagacity through successful Trials to grow stronger as well as heal their wounds as long as they can gain more sagacity. They do not need anything else aside from successful Trials to sustain themselves. Dagger Dogma also allows the user to steal the powers of those they kill, even if it is not a true death, as per its doctrine they still prove the superiority of the Trial of their own and thus are deemed more worthy of those powers, this extends to not only specific Methods but also knowledge and memories. Those who are more proficient with Dagger Dogma are capable of preventing having their powers stolen even after their death, be a true death or a false death, as Evyren, Hosnatul, and Zetharath are capable of preventing each other from gaining the powers of their own despite having killed one another countless times and growing serrated through it.
- Homage: Established by Evyren, this is lower-ranked Swarm paying Homage, a portion of the power they gain from Trial to higher-ranked ones. As a Sublime Swarm in charge of an entire Covern, Evyren receives an enormous amount of Homages that not only strengthen her but can also heal her further
- Resilience: Swarm are highly resilient and can survive and remain functional even when cut into many pieces
- Sustenance: Swarm do not need to eat or breathe as long as they can Trial, as they subsist off of Trial alone
- Sufferstrike: Swarm are capable of cursing their targets with their strikes even if these strikes don't properly connect, causing them to be affected by various ailments. These ailments, while initially starting weak, can build up and eventually cause extreme pain to the point of driving the cursed to end themselves. The build-up of the curse's ailments are even slower when Swarm uses it on a target stronger than themselves.
- Whispershade: Swarm, by utilizing Whispershade, can control the texture, color, and scent of themselves, or completely erase their scent. This allows them to sneak up on their enemies, with capable Swarm being able to sneak up on crowded rooms of enemies and not get noticed until they wish to be noticed
- Swarmgoo: Swarmgoo is a highly acidic, corrosive, and sticky material Swarm produce through their elbows and mouths. The purpose of Swarmgoo is unknown though it might be a pheromone. Swarm can weaponize it by spiting it to their targets
- Body Fusion Swarm can fuse and reside within the bodies of each other. This however is limited to other Swarm, and only if they allow it.
- Pathfinder: Swarm are capable of traveling through different Tumults within the Middlescape. Powerful Swarm and Sublime Swarm can venture outside of the Middlescape and to other Scapes
- Summoner: All Swarm can summon other Swarm to aid them in battle, while it usually takes some time and generally they can only summon those in the command of their own, who are always weaker than themselves; Brigands can summon Varlets under their command, and Varlets can summon dozens of Drudges under their command.
- Proficiency: Swarm are highly proficient and battle-hardened masters of warfare as their entire history is war. They are masters of several different Proficiency Paths
- Versaduelist: Verseduelists exhibit exceptional expertise in various combat arts to the point of knowing and fully mastering every single application of these combat arts and knowing everything these arts can ever be used to achieve. They also are very proficient across various combat disciplines involving close-range weapons, as well as extensive knowledge in marksmanship with various weapons/abilities
- Sensethruster:Sensethrusters have exceptionally heightened senses. They can perceive their surroundings down to an atomic scale, and usually in a radius around them. They can perceive sounds and sights from kilometers away. They can see, interact with, and harm unphysical phenomena such as smoke, shadows, and beings of Contour as if they are solid or physical
- Morphforger: Morphforgers have extensive control over their own physique down to an atomic level. These characters can alter their shape considerably, conjure weapons out of their body, and even partially counteract blunt force damage by readjusting their structure.
- Mentalweaver: Mentalweavers can effectively control their bodies like puppets guided by their mind rather than conventional movement. For these individuals, the thought of moving is the same as moving itself, and there is no delay between the mind and the body. This allows them to perform hundreds of rapid jumps and flips both in-ground and in the air, move through any terrain and glide in the air with maximum efficiency, move in a way that is not affected by air friction to perform instant full-speed movement without acceleration, and move in a way that makes no sound. They can also innately react to any incoming attack by dodging and launching a counterattack, even when no longer alive or conscious
- Miragestrider: Miragestriders can manifest numerous afterimages with their movement that perfectly replicate their own form, creating a perplexing and disorienting effect on opponents.
- Precogazer: Precogazers have exceptional clarity and understanding of their surroundings, they can not only gain clear insight into the physical movements as well as incoming attacks that do not require physical movement on the fly but can also predict the possible intent of their targets before they even have that intent simply by looking at their present state once
- Fullreader: Fullreaders can accurately glean information about individuals or objects, decipher their capabilities, combat methods, and their present intent with seemingly as little effort as a mere gaze, and prepare to counter what they were able to glean to the best of their abilities
- Riven psychology: Rivens, due to the nature of their existence, also possess distinctions in their mind, behavior, and thought. Rivens generally are stripped of their wills. They constantly experience euphoria, where all things, especially orders from their masters, are just pleasing to them. Pain, worries, and responsibility are nothing but a pleasing sensation for the Riven. They are never stressed nor do they suffer
- Riven Craze: A Riven's mere presence is enough to cause malfunctions in the mind as well as eventual fear in all those that can perceive it. Prolonged exposure to a Riven's existence can cause insanity and eventual destruction of the Mind
- Riven Rot: Riven Rot is a type of gaseous, blue-ish substance that partially colors and is also leaked out of a Riven's body in the form of a smoke or vapor. Riven Rot is very toxic and radioactive. Can affect senses to cause blindness and cause malfunctions in other senses such as balance, touch, and hearing, as well as can weaken whatever comes into contact with it. And most significantly it can gradually erase the reality around it by causing it to shrink away from itself, leaving behind a field of unreality, along with any substance it comes across. All Riven are unaffected by Riven Rot. Riven Rot only has these effects in several meters (up to ten meters) of the Riven it is being exuded by.
- Riven Rot Control: While most Rivens unconsciously exude Riven Rot and are unable to control it, thus making it not very effective and lacking range. Some Brigands—especially high-ranking ones among the Brigands—can utilize it and weaponize it better. They can control the Riven Rot vapor, liquefy or solidify it, and fuse it with their other abilities to use it more effectively
- Riven Cry: Screams of a Riven activates Riven Cry, which is a scream so intense that it can fracture material such as plastic and harm blood vessels on any target near a Riven (up to 30 meters)
Note: This profile only indexed the general stats and abilities of Brigands which every Brigand possesses. Certain individual Brigands will have more abilities that are not listed here, especially if they are named and have their own profiles. Such stats are not included here due to not being a universal standard for Brigands as a whole.
Others[]
Notable Victories:
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches