December Release Preview
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December marks the end of the year, and our 58th collection to date. This month we're deep in the swamps of the Mikata Wetland where the entrance to the hidden Barrow Realm of the Uragakure lies. This hidden ninja village formed by rogue Hanzaki salamanders is a sanctuary for those who have run afoul of the powerful Ryujin axolotl dragons. Though the Ryujin is the adult form of a Hanzaki, they are powerful and cunning magical beings, jealous of their territory, and want to limit the number of Hanzaki who can ascend to as few as possible. This is not terribly difficult, as it can take thousands of years for a Hanzaki to amass enough energy to ascend (not to mention political clout), but the Ryujin have been tightening their hold on their Hanzaki spawn for some time now. The Uragakure takes in those who object to the Ryujin's iron grip on Hanzaki life, and they seek to spawn their own Ryujin and create a new territory of their own.
Within their Barrow Realm, they have found some allies in the Amagaeru, frog-folk with a strong sense of justice (and adventure). Together, they continue stealing supplies and Hanzaki eggs to grow their numbers, as well as disrupting Ryujin operations and being a general thorn in the side...
We have a wonderful mix of Throwbacks this month, with Esmar, Boondaburra Diplomat and her two bodyguards Ishu & Goru, an adventurous Giant Pack Snail, and Hanarin, Hanzaki Ninja (Fan) who could help fill out the ranks of this month's ninja crew!
As always, our bases and terrain are sculpted by Kittifizz and Calrais, with concept art from Paul Ferret. We're slowly making our way through formatting the stats and have recently added June 2024, which is available through the link in the Patron Download Links post. In the meantime, Conflux Creatures has been drawing up the most recent stats in a new format, which we'll start to use for September 2024 stats.
If you're interested in knowing more about the Mikata Wetlands amphibians, check out the lore in the CobraCompendium: https://bit.ly/3om6snO
There is a listing of all the models and collections at the end, but I think the easier way is to look through our https://shop.cobramode.com store, which shows all of the collection graphics by year. You can also buy your monthly bundles (and a massive Mikata Wetlands Pack) there using your patron discount code 👀
Here's this month's Lore:
The Uragakure, derogatorily referred to as “The Minnows”, are a rogue Hanzaki resistance group with a secret base of operations. Made up mostly of runaway Hanzaki who object to the heavy-handed rule of the Ryujin, they have been building up their numbers by stealing Ryujin eggs and hatching new, unsanctioned Hanzaki in order to form their own independent society. The Uragakure are lead by Hatsue, a legendary hero amongst Hanzaki who has escaped from the ruling Ryujins’ clutches several times through a mix of cunning and guts. Her activities as a rebel leader have lead to successful resource raids on Ryujin territories, the freeing of political prisoners and those marked for death by the Ryujin, and general disruption of Ryujin machinations. It is rumored that Hatsue is now being gestated as a Ryujin, in order to bring about her dream of making the Uragakure a truly independent territory within the Mikata. Of course, the existing Ryujin want to stop this at all costs, as this will destroy the delicate balance of power and politics they have set up over hundreds of years. Wary of losing power, influence, and territory to a young upstart, they are actively hunting down the rogue Hanzaki with the intent to exterminate them.
Hareto - Hanzaki Ninja (Sword and Spear)
Hareto is a free-spirited Hanzaki warrior who mostly fights on the back of his Diplocaulus mount. Skilled with both sword and spear, he’s a swamp ambush specialist who bursts out of the reeds to take down his enemies, as well as chase them down in difficult-to-traverse wetlands. Though his speed is greatly increased by his mount, he himself is no slouch at slithering through both water and vegetation. He joined the Uragakure not out of a strong sense of ideals, but because of the thought of adventure and a new frontier.
Diplocaulus
With its distinct spade-shaped head and overall flat body, the Diplocaulus makes for a great mount in the mud-and-water environs of the Mikata Wetlands. Able to cut through the water, float on top of mud and quicksand, and scramble through tangled vegetation, it’s the ultimate all-terrain vehicle. Their brains are extremely primitive however; while they can be trained as effective mounts, they can, at times, have surprisingly delayed reactions to common stimuli like danger or food and thus are not good at protecting themselves or their riders.
Hayato & Hanae - Hanzaki Ninjas (Water)
The twins Hayato and Hanae were hatched and raised in the Uragakure, unlike many of the older Hanzaki who are runaways from Ryujin societies. Born to the hidden swamp, they were trained in the secret water manipulation techniques developed by the rogue Hanzaki who reside there. The source of their power is the Barrow Realm in which the Uragakure have hidden their base of operations, rather than Qi accumulation and manipulation (the source of power for Ryujin). This playful brother and sister duo typically fight hand-to-hand, enhancing their attacks with water magic.
Ryujin Chrysalis
When a Hanzaki is ready to ascend, it creates a chrysalis around itself and begins its transformation. The chrysalis form has a limited awareness and few defenses, relying mostly on a hard, translucent shell to protect the metamorphosing Hanzaki inside. Typically a transforming Hanzaki has gathered enough resources or power to have others protect the chrysalis during transformation. The metamorphosis period can last for several years, depending on outside conditions and the strength of the Hanzaki.