| Altar of Light | |
| |
| Faction |  Order of the Talon
|
| Unit Type | Support |
| Designation | Amphibious Vehicle |
| Prerequisites | Reliquary |
| Secondary Ability | Deploy/Pack up |
| Cost | Unknown |
| Production Time | Unknown |
| Veterancy Upgrade(s) | -Increase stunning AoE, decrease deploy time (vet) -attack deals flame damage, further decrease deploy time (elt) -Steath detection (her) -Buffs allies (div) |
| Dev. Status | Conceptual |
| Country of Origin | |
| Forged by | |
| Key Features | »Collapsible tower »Telescope lenses »Talon Steel mirrors »All terrain chassis »Suntan lotion (spf 300) |
"Kneel before the Altar of God!"
- Templar Jean-Paul Boudreaux
Tactical Analysis[]
- The Eyes of God: Using a combination of mirrors and lenses, the Altar of Light can see over vast distances once set up, allowing the Talon to keep track of their surroundings.
- See The Light: The Altar can also be used offensively, by carefully adjusting the mirrors to project blinding light over a small area to incapacitate most infantry and vehicles caught in the glow until the Altar switches to a new target or gets destroyed. Like a flashbang, it can also force out occupants when shining on garrisoned buildings.
- Just A Wandering Priest: The Altar is designed to be taken down easily for transportation. Its steam powered carriage is capable of traversing difficult terrain and the tower can be re-erected in just about any environment. Despite its vast tactical potential, the Altar of Light cannot deal any damage on its own... by default.
- Lighting The Way: With time and practice, its crew can take down and set up the Altar in much less time, and are gifted with better equipment and holy artifacts, from a magnifying glass, special lenses that illuminate those trying to hide, and finally a stencil that shines an inspiring image, allowing them to take on enemies on their own or provide better support for their brothers and sisters.
Operational History[]
Ironically, the Altar of Light, as the Order of the Talon call it, has its origins in a mundane device: the heliograph, favoured by Talon cells operating in the desert as a means of communication between cells and strike groups. The Order devised a combat obelisk-like heliograph tower that could be rapidly assembled in the field, then disassembled and moved to allow a force on the move to stay in contact with other Talon forces. As time went on and technology improved, so did the design behind the heliograph, allowing Talon forces to stay in contact over much longer distances and in detrimental weather conditions. The conversion of these mundane towers to weapons didn't occur until the First World War when a cell in Greece, greatly threatened by a Cultist attack, ordered its heliograph set up and rigged for maximum range transmissions, then aimed directly at the enemy forces. It had been hoped that the heliograph would blind or at least unsettle enemies at such relatively short ranged. The results were beyond the cell's imagining: the light not only stun the cultists on foot, but also poured into their vehicles through vision silts, making it impossible for pilots to drive or for gunners to shoot with any accuracy.
Since then, the Talon have reluctantly embraced radio as a more efficient means of communication still, but the heliograph towers are still a common sight among Talon cells at war. Now, however, the Talon makes no pretense about their function: redesigned for power rather than efficiency, they have earned the apt, if euphemistic, designation as "Altars of Light".
