Happy Sunday wargamers! We’re pleased to show off the next concept for our sci fi skirmish wargame, The Icarus Project – The Praesidian Spirit Warrior.

Praesidian Spirit Warriors

Among all positions in the Praesidian Republic, none are more revered than that of the Spirit Warrior. Spirit Warriors are keepers of the faith, and responsible for the spiritual guidance of the race.

The Great Spirit

The Praesidian people are somewhat of an anomaly compared to most other races. They are one of the few species that still practice the same religion across the entire race. In a time where technology is so prevalent, most races and individuals have little need for faith, but the Praesidian people are still fervent believers in the Great Spirit.

The Great Spirit is made up of the energy of each and every creature that has died. Each death adds to the Great Spirit in some way, and Praesidian culture teaches individuals to embrace the end and their reuniting with the Spirit.

According to Praesidian teachings, the Great Spirit is made up of two aspects, one good, and one evil. The Praesidians believe that the good face of the Spirit has no physical embodiment, but that the evil face does indeed have a physical form; though theories on what that form could be differ substantially.

Phase Walkers

Galactic travel is possible by the Light Gates, massive portals connecting two points in space that allow ships to pass from one point to the other in almost no time at all.

It is widely accepted that the Praesidians are responsible for the construction of the original Light Gates, as they the only race that knows how to build them.

Praesidian Spirit Warriors have adapted the Light Gate technology into a small, portable system that can be worn. This allows them to phase between two points over a relatively short distance. This ability adds both to their combat effectiveness, and also their status as almost mystical beings.

However, because they are not shielded by the thick armour of a space craft, phasing through the void between two points does have lasting effects on the Spirit Warriors. The most notable effect is that after a time, the Spirit Warrior’s eyes change and seems to resembled galaxies and constellations. No one knows the exact reason for this, but the most popular theory is that it is a kind of after image that is burnt onto the individual’s eyes.

Prolonged exposure to the void is thought to possibly lead to madness, and there have been multiple documented cases of Spirit Warriors losing their minds and speaking of the horrors they have seen while traveling through the void.

The Praesidian Spirit Warrior is another outstanding piece by our artist, Daniel Comerci. We wanted the Spirit Warrior to take inspiration from warrior monks, as well as tribal shamans, and still fit with the rest of the race. I think Daniel has done a wonderful job. The flowing lower robes tie the spirit warrior with the graceful style of the Birthing Mothers, while the armour and cloak tie him into the rest of the race. I’m particularly fond of the body paint markings, markings which form part of a ceremony to help the Spirit Warrior feel more in tune with the Great Spirit.

If you’d like to learn more about these mystical warriors, and how they perform on the battlefield, be sure to head over to the blog and check out this week’s post.

Until next time, be wonderful to each other, and happy wargaming!