Phin Scardaw
Troubadour
So I've arrived at a point in my story where a battle is about to take place between two factions of Elfs (Enhanced Life Forms - an acronym which I've yet to better but am not entirely happy with) which are essentially genetically engineered humans who have superhuman powers.
The magic system is very simple: there are god-like Sylphs who created the mana back when they first shaped the Five Realms of the Rion; the mana is a force which people can tap into by using the Songs also created by the Sylphs (the Songs are essentially spells that anyone can cast). Since the Elfs were created, they made Forges in which new Songs could be made, and so there is a new order of Songs, which humans cannot use. These are much more powerful.
So now I have these two forces about to face off, but this is no conventional battle! They don't just have to charge a battlefield and rely solely on swords and arrows. In fact, almost anything can happen - and this sort of strains the imagination, which is why I'm asking for some ideas.
This is what I've got so far:
The Elf Knights attack in traditional combat formation: nine Elfs link together so that the effects of the Songs they sing will affect their group. Six will fight with weapons while three others sing Songs (one sings an offensive Song, while two others sing to repel attacks). Obviously the most debilitating attack for such a group to suffer would be to lose those who sing, as they are vulnerable and vital. Fortunately, an Elf slain can be replaced by another in the group who steps in to sing.
The Dark Elfs are much more insidious: they attack with vim, but often fall back to where they've set traps for the Elf Knights. For example, there are land-mines or gas bombs or hidden tripwires they set up with Songs or magic items which, when triggered, cause those in the blast-radius to suffer total amnesia (thus forgetting all the Songs they know) or to turn to stone, or to be caught in a field of increased gravity/slowed time in which they cannot fight.
I know there are lots of basic attacks that can be fun (like elemental attacks: fire, water, etc) but what I'm hoping for is something more original, genius in fact (seeing as how these beings are all geniuses with faculties that we can barely imagine). I'm trying to think outside of the box in a lot of ways, too - not just the actual attacks themselves, but with complex strategies that include really involved contingency plans.
For example: if you wrote of battalions that could take to the sky as individual fighter pilots and with a single command could dive underground, barrelling through the earth itself where they could reform for a surprise attack, how would your commanding officers put such soldiers to use in their stratagems?
So far trying to envision the battle has been the mental equivalent of biking fast down a steep hill littered with rocky gravel, and the speed I reach makes my eyes blur with tears from the wind so that I can barely see what's about me. I believe the battle will occur at a high speed, with many separate kinds of attacks being launched simultaneously, and I think that such a conflict couldn't last for more than thirty minutes.
Scribes, I implore your aid! All ideas and suggestions are welcome - but I reserve the right to interject humour if I see something that strikes me as silly!
The magic system is very simple: there are god-like Sylphs who created the mana back when they first shaped the Five Realms of the Rion; the mana is a force which people can tap into by using the Songs also created by the Sylphs (the Songs are essentially spells that anyone can cast). Since the Elfs were created, they made Forges in which new Songs could be made, and so there is a new order of Songs, which humans cannot use. These are much more powerful.
So now I have these two forces about to face off, but this is no conventional battle! They don't just have to charge a battlefield and rely solely on swords and arrows. In fact, almost anything can happen - and this sort of strains the imagination, which is why I'm asking for some ideas.
This is what I've got so far:
The Elf Knights attack in traditional combat formation: nine Elfs link together so that the effects of the Songs they sing will affect their group. Six will fight with weapons while three others sing Songs (one sings an offensive Song, while two others sing to repel attacks). Obviously the most debilitating attack for such a group to suffer would be to lose those who sing, as they are vulnerable and vital. Fortunately, an Elf slain can be replaced by another in the group who steps in to sing.
The Dark Elfs are much more insidious: they attack with vim, but often fall back to where they've set traps for the Elf Knights. For example, there are land-mines or gas bombs or hidden tripwires they set up with Songs or magic items which, when triggered, cause those in the blast-radius to suffer total amnesia (thus forgetting all the Songs they know) or to turn to stone, or to be caught in a field of increased gravity/slowed time in which they cannot fight.
I know there are lots of basic attacks that can be fun (like elemental attacks: fire, water, etc) but what I'm hoping for is something more original, genius in fact (seeing as how these beings are all geniuses with faculties that we can barely imagine). I'm trying to think outside of the box in a lot of ways, too - not just the actual attacks themselves, but with complex strategies that include really involved contingency plans.
For example: if you wrote of battalions that could take to the sky as individual fighter pilots and with a single command could dive underground, barrelling through the earth itself where they could reform for a surprise attack, how would your commanding officers put such soldiers to use in their stratagems?
So far trying to envision the battle has been the mental equivalent of biking fast down a steep hill littered with rocky gravel, and the speed I reach makes my eyes blur with tears from the wind so that I can barely see what's about me. I believe the battle will occur at a high speed, with many separate kinds of attacks being launched simultaneously, and I think that such a conflict couldn't last for more than thirty minutes.
Scribes, I implore your aid! All ideas and suggestions are welcome - but I reserve the right to interject humour if I see something that strikes me as silly!