Tonight on Deadliest Fiction, our war on homelessness continues as we pit hardened, well-traveled adventurers against an endless conquering horde! Prepare for a dark fantasy battle for the ages as the Darkest Dungeon Heroes. mercenaries, soldiers, and explorers, defend their home from a vicious horde of Tarkatan Warriors, the merciless shock troops of Shao Kahn's army! We'll compare their weapons, skills, and abilities, all to answer the ultimate question...
WHO...IS...DEADLIEST???
Intro[]
Tarkatan Warriors[]
| “ | There is no victory without the Tarkata.
— Sheeva
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” |
A brutal, war-liked interspecies cross between humanoids and Netherworld demons, the Tarkata were a violent people drawn to strength, quickly falling into the service of Shao Kahn after he conquered them during one of his many campaigns. The Tarkata proved to be effective soldiers for Kahn's forces, serving as his primary underlings and shock troops during his invasions, and he even used the DNA of one as part of the creation of his daughter, Mileena. During Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm, the Tarkatans, bolstered with arms provided by the Black Dragon clan, easily overwhelmed the realm's defenders, but were forced to retreat after the death of Shao Kahn at the hands of Raiden.
In the aftermath of the invasion, the Tarkata allied themselves with Mileena, who had deemed herself Empress, during the ensuing power struggle for control of Outworld. They suffer a crushing defeat to Kotal Kahn's forces and are forced to retreat after the death of Baraka, their leader. The Tarkata continue their fierce loyalty to Mileena as she attempts to overthrow the new Kahn, though she is ultimately defeated and executed by D'Vorah. As punishment for their betrayal, Kotal ordered a genocide of the entire species, leading to the extinction of the Tarkata until Baraka, was resurrected by Kronika, and agreed to work alongside a similarly revived Shao Kahn in return for his people being brought back.
Darkest Dungeon Heroes[]
| “ | Fan the flames, mold the metal; we are raising an army.
— The Ancestor
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” |
A long time ago, a wealthy man, seeking to grow both his influence and wealth, began to excavate and explore the various dungeons and catacombs that filled his estate. The man's experiments grew more dangerous, more depraved, and he piece by piece sold his soul, conscience, and sanity as he uncovered more and more horrors. This corruption spread to the lands surrounding the estate, bringing suffering and misery unto it's inhabitants, and as the man began to realize the severity of his actions, he dug too deep and unearthed the Heart of Darkness, an eldritch entity that is the dark heart of the world itself, sealed away in the darkest dungeon of the estate. Horrified, and with vengeful townspeople at the gate, the man killed himself.
Years later, the man's descendant arrived at the estate to claim their inheritance, and began hiring mercenaries to clear out the various dungeons as they oversaw repairs to the town. The dungeons were vicious and brutal, and many of the mercenaries, pushed to their physical and mental limits, perished, but ultimately the expeditions proved a success, with the heir acquiring more wealth and renown as they learned the depths of their ancestor's depravity.
As they reached the height of their power, the heir finally challenged the darkest dungeon, sending their greatest soldiers to confront both their ancestor, reduced to a spiritual puppet, and the Heart of Darkness itself. After a vicious battle, the heroes triumphed, seemingly destroying the heart and saving the world from it's corruption, and the estate celebrated their victory. However, in their revelry, the heir discovered the horrible truth: the Heart of Darkness can never be destroyed, only delayed, and the family lineage is doomed to battle it forever. Stricken with madness from the revelation, the Heir killed themselves, following their ancestor's footsteps into becoming a spirit that haunts the estate.
Weapons, Powers, and Abilities[]
Tarkatan Warriors[]
| “ | We are Tarkatans! We will fight! We will taste human blood!
— Tarkatan Warriors
|
” |
Weapons and Equipment:
- Superhuman Physicality: The Tarkata are noted for being infamously difficult to put down in combat and are generally faster and stronger than many of the various races throughout the Realms, which made them a valuable asset to Shao Kahn in his conquests.
- Arm Blades: The signature weapon of the Tarkata, Tarkatan Arm Blades are extendable/retractable three foot long blades that Tarkatans can extend from their arms at will. Despite their crude nature, the blades are both incredibly sharp, piercing armor and slashing fully grown humans to pieces, and fairly durable, capable of matching with steel weaponry and fighting robotic foes without any signs of damage. Tarkatans are also able to fire off a mid-range projectile by the slashing the blades together, creating a spark.
- Fangs: Tarkatans also possess long, sharp teeth, strong enough to crack open a human skull with a bite, that can be used for close-range attacks, though most Tarkatans generally preferred to fight with their blades.
- Skilled Martial Artists: While not quite as honed or dangerous as their leader, Baraka, the Tarkatan fighting style is a mix of Silat and Hung Gar, martial arts meant to be animalistic in nature, emphasizing swift strikes, grapples, and the usage of weapons in tandem with one's martial arts.
Darkest Dungeon Heroes[]
For this mission, the heroes will be split into two teams, each undergoing their own mission.
Team A[]
| “ | A mighty sword-arm anchored by a holy purpose. A zealous warrior.
— The Ancestor
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” |
Raised by an abusive, devout father, the Crusader attempted to put his troubled past behind him as he settled down, taking a wife and raising a child, only to jump at the call to join the Crusades. Starting as a lowly soldier without even basic armor to his name, the Crusader ascended the ranks to become a skilled leader of a small army and victor of many battles. However, the weight of his actions during the Crusades hung heavily on his head, and upon his return, he abandoned his wife and child, choosing to continue fighting evil rather than settle down with a family he barely recognized.
The Crusader functions as an effective tank, buffing and healing themselves whilst drawing enemy attacks and dealing high damage with attacks of his own.
Weapons and Equipment:
| “ | I am invincible! I am anointed by the Light!
— The Crusader
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” |
- Greatsword: The Crusader's penultimate sword on his upgrade chain, the Greatsword deals high damage with a 6% chance of a critical hit on every strike while also slightly boosting his speed.
- Plate Armor: For protection, the Crusader wears a set of plate armor, which increases his chances of avoiding attacks and boosts his overall health.
- Paralyzer's Crest: A small crest worn on his armor, the Paralyzer's Crest increases the Crusader's chance of stunning an enemy with his attacks but decreases his chances to avoid attacks.
Skills and Abilities:
| “ | Praise the Light!
— The Crusader
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” |
- Smite: The Crusader's standard attack, it has a high chance of hitting foes and does an additional 25% damage against Unholy enemies such as undead or demons.
- Holy Lance: The Crusader charges forward, attempting to impale an enemy on his blade while he also moves to the front of the team formation. Holy Lance has a 10% chance of a critical hit while also dealing an additional 15% of damage against unholy enemies.
- Battle Heal: The Crusader heals a small amount of damage to a target of their choosing (including potentially themselves).
- Bulwark of Faith: The Crusader marks himself as a shield of faith for his allies, encouraging enemies to attack him while reducing his damage taken by 20%.
| “ | There is power in the Blood, for those with the fortitude to pay the price.
— The Ancestor
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” |
A member of an extremist faction of the Church, the Flagellant believes in absolving sin through punishment, of both the self and of the enemy. Dressed in little beyond rags and chains, the Flagellant traveled from town to town, encouraging non-believers to unleash their worst upon him and see the strength he drew from the suffering inflicted. Little is known about his mysterious past, save for his history with a Vestal of the Church that he violently tortured, an act that seemingly led to his expulsion.
The Flagellant is unique in that, unlike his allies, he encourages taking damage, with his abilities, accuracy, and chance to land a critical hit receiving significant boosts as his health gets lower and lower, with his allies getting healed once he finds himself near death, while his attacks deal heavy, stackable Bleed damage, a status effect in which the enemy loses health every turn.
Weapons and Equipment:
| “ | Only in pain can one find enlightement.
— The Flagellant
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” |
- Bloodthirsty Flail: The penultimate weapon of the Flagellant's upgrade path, the Bloodthirsty Flail has a 5% chance of a critical hit with every attack while also slightly increasing his speed.
- Martyr's Flesh: As the Flagellant's strength grows, so does his resistance to pain, giving him a higher chance to avoid attacks while increasing his overall health.
- Punishment Hood: A special hood for the Flagellant to wear, the Punishment Hood gives him an additional 20% chance to inflict Bleed on an enemy while also boosting his damage by 15% if his health falls below 40%.
Skills and Abilities:
| “ | First the sacred wound, then the purifying salt, then the holy stitch.
— The Flagellant
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” |
- Punish: The Flagellant's basic attack, Punish has an 8% chance of a critical hit while also having a very high chance of inflicting Bleed on an enemy, dealing Bleed damage for several rounds while also decreasing their ability to avoid further Bleed effects by 20%.
- Rain of Sorrows: The Flagellant violently lashes out at multiple enemies, dealing damage with a 5% chance to land a critical hit while also having a high chance of inflicting Bleed and decreasing Bleed resistance by 30%.
- Exsanguinate: The Flagellant unleashes a devastating attack against an enemy, dealing massive damage by hitting them in the chest so hard it disrupts their heart. The attack has a 6% chance of landing a critical hit while also dealing high Bleed damage for a short time, whilst also healing the Flagellant for 35% of his health and reducing both the strength of his healing attacks by 25% and his overall speed. The attack is powerful, but can only be used once the Flagellant's health has dipped below 40% and only three times per battle.
- Suffer: The Flagellant marks himself, inviting enemies to attack him, reducing his Stress and decreasing his chances to die from an enemy attack while also taking on any Bleed/Blight (basically poison damage) status ailments the party has taken on.
| “ | Elusive, evasive, persistent… Righteous traits for a rogue.
— The Ancestor
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” |
A talented bandit and robber, the Highwayman made his living preying on the stagecoaches that traveled the roads, striking in the dead of night, killing the guards and passengers, then slipping off into the shadows with the loot. Things changed for him when, during a routine job, he reflexively fired into the coach, only to discover that he had struck a woman and her child, killing them. The incident deeply disturbed him, and he joined the expedition team as a way of atoning for his crime.
The Highwayman's skillset is dealing heavy damage over time, staying on the move while gunning down or slashing enemies with lethal precision.
Weapons and Equipment:
| “ | Didn't see that coming, did you?
— The Highwayman
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” |
- Fluted Pistol, Sharpened Edge: The penultimate upgrades for the Highwayman's pistol and knife combo, the Fluted Pistol and Sharpened Edge has a 8% chance of landing a critical hit while also boosting his speed.
- Bandit's Overcoat: The penultimate upgrade to the Highwayman's coat, it increases his ability to avoid attacks while also increasing his health.
- Stalwart Buckle: A special belt buckle, it increases the Highwayman's chances to critically hit by 5% while also increasing the stress he takes over time in combat.
- Sharpening Sheath: A special sheath for his knife, the Sharpening Sheath increases the Highwayman's chances to land a critical hit on a melee attack by 7% and the chance to inflict Bleed by 5%, but at the cost of slightly lowering his speed.
Skills:
| “ | No shot shall miss the mark while I aim it!
— The Highwayman
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” |
- Pistol Shot: The Highwayman opens fire with his pistol, dealing damage to a specific target with a 7.5% of a critical hit while also dealing 35% more damage to "Marked" (effectively designated targets) enemies.
- Open Vein: The Highwayman slashes a foe with his knife, dealing damage with a chance to inflict Bleed.
- Grapeshot Blast: The Highwayman opens fire with a burst of grapeshot, hitting multiple enemies and increasing their chances of taking a critical hit by 6%.
- Tracking Shot: The Highwayman takes a moment to focus himself and hone in on targets, enabling him to target any hidden or stealthy foes while also increasing his accuracy, damage, and critical hit chances for the duration of the battle.
| “ | A sister of battle… Pious and unrelenting.
— The Ancestor
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” |
A nun with an intensely repressed upbringing under a strict clergy, the Vestal was entrusted with a crucial task: stand watch over a sacred flame and never let it die out. Unfortunately, a couple making love in a garden adjacent to the temple caught her eye, and she was too overwhelmed by the sight to notice the flame dying out until her superiors found her standing by a dead flame. As punishment, she was locked away and violently tortured for her impure thoughts and failures. Throughout her tortures, the Vestal remained a believer, vowing to not abandon her desire for love, a faith that was seemingly rewarded when a mysterious light came to her cell and gave her the power to slay her captors. In her escape, the Vestal discovered that her fellow sisters had been locked in their rooms and left to die as punishment for associating with her, leaving her consumed by self-hatred.
A classic cleric, the Vestal primarily specializes in healing spells to support and buff party members while also having a variety of direct combat options of her own.
Weapons and Equipment:
| “ | By the holy Flame, I shall persevere!
— The Vestal
|
” |
- Gilded Mace: The penultimate upgrade to the Vestal's mace, the Gilded Mace has a 4% chance of landing a critical hit while slightly increasing her speed.
- Silk Robes and Hardened Plate: The penultimate upgrade to the Vestal's armor set, the Silk Robes and Hardened Plate increase her health and ability to dodge attacks.
- Youth Chalice: A special chalice that increases the Vestal's HP by 20% while decreasing the damage of her attacks by 10%.
- Tome of Holy Heal: A magic tome that increases the strength of the Vestal's healing abilities by 25% while decreasing her HP by 15%.
Skills and Abilities:
| “ | You shall suffer as I have!
— The Vestal
|
” |
- Divine Grace: The Vestal gives a specific party member a concentrated burst of healing, restoring their health.
- Divine Comfort: The Vestal heals the party as a whole, giving them all a smaller amount of healing than Divine Grace but with the trade-off of healing everyone rather than a single target.
- Illumination: The Vestal hits an enemy with a burst of focused magical light, ending any stealth effects they might've had while also decreasing their chance to dodge attacks by 20% for a short duration.
- Judgement: The Vestal calls down a bolt of lightning to strike her enemies, dealing damage with a 7% chance of a critical hit while also slightly healing herself in the process.
Team B[]
| “ | This man understands that adversity and existence are one and the same.
— The Ancestor
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” |
A kind, beloved ruler of a faraway kingdom, the Leper's misfortune began when they paid a visit to local beggars, giving them food and aid in an attempt to assuage their suffering, and hugged one in a moment of pity. Unfortunately, the beggar had the beginning stages of leprosy, a disease they passed onto their king. Struggling with the illness and reduced to hiding his appearance from his subjects, the Leper nonetheless continued to rule his kingdom to the best of his ability. This drew the ire of his advisors, ambitious and power-hungry men who began plotting against him. They attempted to assassinate him, only for him to outplay them, revealing that he refused to abdicate as a test of their loyalties, and subsequently kill them all in retaliation. With his treacherous advisors taken care of, the Leper stepped down from the throne, then took to traveling across the world, hoping to do as much good as he could in the time he has left.
The Leper is one of the heaviest hitters in the group's employ, dealing and tanking heavy single-target damage at the cost of lower accuracy and slower movement speed than his fellow party members.
Weapons and Equipment:
| “ | My sword, my trusted ally, unphased by my aspect.
— The Leper
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” |
- Masterful Executioner's Sword: A large broken greatsword, the Masterful Executioner's Sword is the penultimate weapon of the Leper's upgrade chain, dealing high damage while increasing his critical hit chance by 4%.
- Bronzed Chestplate: The penultimate armor set upgrade for the Leper, the Bronzed Chestplate increases his health while increasing his ability to avoid attacks.
- Fortunate Amulet: A special amulet of protection, the Fortunate Amulet increases the Leper's accuracy by 8% and his chance to score a critical hit by 3% while also increasing the amount of stress he takes over time.
- Healing Amulet: An amulet that increases the strength of healing received by the Leper by 20%.
Skills and Abilities:
| “ | The tide rises. And the tide falls.
— The Leper
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” |
- Chop: The Leper swings his greatsword at the enemy, dealing high damage with a 6% chance to land a critical hit.
- Hew: The Leper makes a sweeping attack, hitting two enemies at once for high damage.
- Withstand: The Leper draws the ire of his foes, marking himself while also decreasing damage received and giving him a 30% increase to resistance from all status effects.
- Solemnity: The Leper heals himself or an ally, restoring a moderate amount of health and slightly decreasing their stress level.
| “ | Barbaric rage and unrelenting savagery make for a powerful ally.
— The Ancestor
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” |
A member of a warrior tribe living deep in the woods, the Hellion joined her fellow warriors in an ambush on an invading army. Initially eager to prove herself, the Hellion grew afraid as the knights cut down dozens of her kinsmen and ultimately ran and hid, ignoring the screams as the ambushing party was slaughtered to the last man. She was left the lone survivor and returned to the scorn of the grieving widows of the village, who shamed her for her failure and cast her out. She was reduced to a wandering mercenary, and eventually found her way to the Estate, where she joined the group in hopes of finding a worthy battle in which she could find her redemption, through victory or sacrifice.
The Hellion fights best when she's on the frontlines, tearing through enemies with strong, but exhausting attacks and focusing entirely on raw damage output and forcing foes to bleed, with her attacks doing extra damage against bleeding foes.
Weapons and Equipment:
| “ | Blood and fear mingle on the breeze.
— The Hellion
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” |
- Battle-Tested Glaive: The penultimate upgrade of the Hellion's upgrade chain, the Battle-Tested Glaive has an 8% chance of landing a critical hit while also slightly increasing her speed.
- Master-Sewn Leather and Furs: The penultimate upgrade of the Hellion's armor, the Master-Sewn Leather and Furs increase her ability to avoid attacks while also greatly increasing her health.
- Double-Edged Pendant: A special pendant, the Double-Edged Pendant increases the Hellion's health by 15% but lowers her resistance to being stunned.
- Bleeding Pendant: A blood red pendant, the Bleeding Pendant increases the Hellion's chance to inflict Bleed by 15%.
Skills and Abilities:
| “ | I will FEAST on your HEART!
— The Hellion
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” |
- Wicked Hack: The Hellion lashes out with her glaive, dealing damage to an enemy with a 7% chance of landing a critical hit.
- Barbaric YAWP!: The Hellion lets out a mighty roar at the enemy, potentially stunning them in their tracks, leaving them open to attacks, but also decreasing her own damage and speed for a brief amount of time. She can use the YAWP! three times per battle.
- Adrenaline Rush: The Hellion channels her rage to power through her injuries and exhaustion, clearing the Blight and Bleed status effects, massively increasing her damage and accuracy for a short amount of time, and healing a small amount of damage.
- Bleed Out: The Hellion throws everything behind a powerful attack, dealing high damage with a 9% chance of landing a critical hit and a high chance of imposing heavy Bleed damage for a short amount of time, but decreasing her damage by 20% and reducing her speed.
| “ | To fight the Abyss... one must know it.
— The Ancestor
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” |
A renowned and experienced scholar of arcana and dark magics, the Occultist dedicated his life to his research, traveling the world in search of forbidden knowledge and power to enrich himself. His journeys brought him to a land far away, where he found an abandoned temple covered in occult scripts. Following his research, the Occultist completed the ritual, summoning an entity from beyond the void with which he struck his pact. The entity, amused by his efforts, gave him incredible power, but at a price: vowing to claim his body and soul when it saw fit. Haunted by his encounter, the Occultist found his way to the estate and joined the fight, using his dark gifts to combat evil while continuing to investigate his mysterious patron, the very Heart of Darkness.
The Occultist functions as a support caster, damaging and debuffing enemies while also healing his allies with his spells, with the unstable nature of his pact meaning that each spell's effectiveness varies wildly from moment to moment.
Weapons and Equipment:
| “ | Behold! The unquenchable fire of the stars!
— The Occultist
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” |
- Scholar's Skull: The penultimate upgrade of the skull that serves as the focus for the Occultist's pact with their patron, the Scholar's Skull gives the Occultist a 9% chance of landing a critical hit while boosting his speed.
- Antiquarian Robes: The penultimate upgrade for the Occultist's robes, the Antiquarian Robes boost his health and ability to avoid attacks.
- Evasion Incense: A special incense that increases the Occultist's ability to avoid attacks but slightly decreases his overall speed.
- Sacrificial Cauldron: An enchanted cauldron, the Sacrificial Cauldron increases the Occultist's damage by 20% but increases the amount of stress taken.
Skills and Abilities:
| “ | Such dark power... Would that it were truly mine.
— The Occultist
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” |
- Abyssal Artillery: The Occultist summons a mass of writhing tentacles to attack enemies at a distance, dealing damage with a 3% chance of a critical hit. It also deals an additional 22% damage to Eldritch enemies.
- Weakening Curse: The Occultist places a curse on the enemy, dealing a small amount of damage with an 8% chance of landing a critical hit and decreasing their damage output and resistance by 10% for a short amount of time.
- Wyrd Reconstruction: The Occultist uses his dark magic to patch together his ally's wounds, healing them for a varying amount of health but with a small chance of inflicting Bleed on them.
- Vulnerability Hex: The Occultist targets a specific enemy for punishment, dealing a small amount of damage with an 8% chance to land a critical hit while also marking them and greatly decreasing their ability to avoid attacks.
| “ | A champion markswoman — keen for a new kind of challenge.
— The Ancestor
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” |
A renowned sharpshooter, the Musketeer was moments away from claiming another victory when her target shifted into the form of an eldritch eye, gazing deep into her soul. Shaken, she missed her shot, costing her the trophy and humiliating her before her competitors. The loss left the Musketeer with a deeply shattered sense of pride, and hoping to avenge the loss, she began traveling in search of the entity that cost her the victory, with her investigation bringing her to the Hamlet. Eager for a shot at revenge, she offered her skills to the team.
The Musketeer's fighting style is built around ranged combat, sticking to the backlines during a fight and lining up powerful shots against high priority targets.
Weapons and Equipment:
| “ | The thrill of the hunt clears my mind!
— The Musketeer
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” |
- Marksmen's Musket: The penultimate upgrade of the Musketeer's weapon chain, the Marksmen's Musket has a 9% chance of landing a critical hit while also slightly improving slightly increasing her move speed.
- Medalist's Vest and Cloak: The penultimate upgrade of the Musketeer's armor, the Vest and Cloak greatly increase her HP and ability to avoid attacks.
- Medic's Boots: A special pair of boots that enhance the strength of the Musketeer's healing abilities by 33%.
- Bull's Eye Hat: A hat that functions as a good luck charm to the Musketeer, increasing her accuracy and giving her an additional 5% chance to land a critical hit, but decreasing her ability to dodge attacks.
Skills and Abilities:
| “ | Another one for the bag!
— The Musketeer
|
” |
- Aimed Shot: The Musketeer fires on a target with her musket, dealing damage with an 8% chance to land a critical hit. Aimed Shot is extra effective against marked targets, dealing an additional 80% damage with an 11% chance to land a critical hit.
- Call the Shot: The Musketeer marks a target, also decreasing their ability to dodge attacks for a short amount of time.
- Buckshot: The Musketeer fires on multiple enemies with a special buckshot round, dealing damage with a 5% chance of a critical hit and a chance of knocking them back.
- Patch Up: The Musketeer takes a minute to do some provisional first aid, healing a small amount of health for themselves or an ally and increasing the strength of any healing skills received by 20%.
Scenario[]
Finding their way from Outworld through a portal summoned by the estate's dark energy, a Tarkatan horde engage in a series of violent raids on the estate, killing townsfolk and stealing several precious artifacts powerful enough to maintain the portal. As the Tarkatans launch a final assault in an effort to destroy the town, the heroes launch a daring counter-offensive, with some staying behind to hold the line while a small group ventures into the Weald to steal back the artifacts and seal the portal.
- Tarkatans win if:
- They successfully kill both Team A and Team B.
- The heroes win if:
- Team A successfully repels the horde and Team B manages to steal the artifacts.
- Tie if:
- Each side completes one objective but not the other. (For example, Team A repels the Tarkatans but Team B fails to acquire the artifacts.)
The match will be set on the grounds of the Estate, with Team A launching a defense of the Hamlet while Team B ventures into the Weald to find the artifacts. The Hamlet is a small, mostly quiet settlement that serves as the Heroes main base of operations, with a forge, church, tavern, brothel, and training ground among it's locales. The Weald is a stagnant, overgrown forest, home to bandits and an infestation of hostile fungi that has spread through the entire woods.
The Hamlet will be assaulted by 80 Tarkatans, while the Weald will be defended by 40.
- The match will be set during the events of Darkest Dungeon and prior to the events of Mortal Kombat 9.
- Voting closes July 23rd.