June Release Preview

Just like that, it's June! It feels surreal that we're at the half way point of the year already, and I want to thank all our Patrons for sticking with us for another exciting release. I know I wax poetic about it every month, but we truly appreciate every single one of you. I think it's important to acknowledge how awesome and supportive our community is, not just to Erin and I with CobraMode, but also with each other in the Discord and around social media. I'm really proud of the little enclave we've built, and I hope people will keep joining the Discord and sharing their prints, paints, dioramas, kitbashes, 3d models, art, and whatever fun projects they're working on! And of course sharing your work on social media never hurts ;) Erin and I love seeing paints of every level, from beginner to pro - it never gets old to see how everyone has their own take on a model and brings it to life in their own way! From kids painting their first ever mini, to grizzled veterans like Dewbug, we want to see your paints.

If you're not part of the Discord yet, you can follow this link to the public channels: https://discord.gg/ZbyZejsz7T

Maybe June just puts us in mind of bugs? This month's release is all about the Fidelium, mothfolk who use biohacking to meet all their needs. They shun the use of magic, unlike their cousins and enemies, the Noctuoidea. They (rightly) blame magic and the pursuit of more power for the catastrophic destruction of their ancient society and goddess, and the many centuries of suffering that came after. Remaining loyal to their goddess Divalia, they refuse to use her Barrow Realm, or the Barrow Realm of any dead god, nor do they mine her corpse for precious metals as the Noctuoidea do. However, their leafpunk spirit does manifest in some surprising and unsettling ways...

The shady Fidelium Shaman, Siridia, might sell you an illicit potion with some unconventional effects, while Dysphania, Fidelium Monstrosity, is full of rage against the Noctuoidea and has already mutated her body almost as far as it will go. Acheron, Fidelium Assassin has chosen some specific mutations for his profession, specializing for stealth and speed. But Vireo, Rubus, and Foli are all-natural beetle folk who are allies with the Fidelium, peacefully farming fungus and tending to their deadfall villages.

Our gorgeous bases and terrain pack was sculpted by Calrais and Kittifizz this month, with concept art by Paul Ferret. I've fallen behind on the stats formatting again, but we do have April Stats waiting to be formatted while Conflux Creatures works on May and June.

Throwbacks this month are the Bell Sentry Tsukumogami 4 pack, Acharya, Noctuoidea Mage, and Sommos Calongo 5 pack:

I'm still uploading all the models for this month, so please be patient as I get everything up!

You can read the full lore for the CobraMode Universe in the CobraCompendium, which also has a full listing of all our collections: https://bit.ly/3om6snO

Here's this month's Lore:

Acheron, Fidelium Assassin

Like most Fidelium, the Assassins have unique and specialized mutations related to their professions. Acheron’s sleek bio-armor is both lightly protective and shaped to scatter sound, an important adaptation against the Pteropodea Batfolk. He also has adaptations to conceal his pheromones from other Mothfolk, making him nigh invisible in the dark. His weapon of choice is a long, chitinous saber, a swift weapon suited to the open understory of the Twilight Forest. Acheron himself is solitary and strange even for a Fidelium, having taken his mutations farther into insect territory than most. 

Siridia, Fidelium Shaman

Fidelium Shamans, while recognized as the official guides of The Transformation (a process in which one imbibes various mutagenic decoctions), have no official overseeing body in their society. Some Shamans are, shall we say, safer to deal with than others. Siridia has a track record for producing some stunning and extraordinary mutations for her clients, but with great success comes great risks - when her procedures are botched, the results can be quite unpleasant or even fatal. Still, for certain mutations that are experimental, less popular, or unknown, she is one of the only Shamans who is willing or able to guide them. Her knowledge of herblore is quite extensive, and her experimentation with different decoctions has given her quite a lot of valuable (and secret) insight which extends into creating potions, tonics, and temporary mutations for boosting strength, stamina, or other physical attributes and senses. 

Dysphania, Fidelium Monstrosity

While Fidelium are very comfortable with body modification and mutation, most do not go to such extremes as Dysphania has. Her deep hatred of the Noctuoidea led her to seek power at any cost, which brings us to her current form. Transformations of this extent are often uncharted territory, with varying levels of unpredictability. Though Dysphania sought to create a heavily armored and strong body, she unfortunately retained her mostly natural torso. Her lower body however, has extremely thick double layered armor, including a wing case for extra protection. Sacrificing ease of flight for weight and power, she can still fly short distances but is not a nimble flyer. Still, on the ground she has surprising speed for her size, and a single strike from her sharpened legs can impale a Noctuoidea. Dysphania is not forthcoming about why she despises the Noctuoidea so much, but suffice it to say that she will go to any lengths to destroy them.

The Antenari

The Antenari are beetle folk who create elaborate villages inside the gargantuan deadfall and stumps found in the Twilight Forest. They farm fungus of all kinds on the outer layers of their buildings, and are known for their superior woodworking craftsmanship. Allies of the Fidelium, they seek to preserve the forest and resent the Noctuoidea’s pursuit of their former glory. They see cities and industrialization as intrinsically tied to the downfall of Divalia which devastated the region so many years ago. 

Vireo, Rubus, and Foli, Antenari Folk

These three are just regular Antenari that can be found in any village in the Twilight Forest. Not really possessed of any particular skill, they mostly help out with the fungus farming and spend the rest of their days exploring and goofing off.