As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

[CYOA] Seven Wizards for Seven Apocalypses: Now with an ending slapped on

17810121329

Posts

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    Who do?

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    I 4 ?-Guide the baby's destiny, but leave it for the peasant to raise because that is what peasants are for (15 mana - Not guaranteed success) Fortune

  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    E4% - Fortune
    Visit the parents, offer to raise the child as our apprentice.
    Do not mention the previous apprentice.

    see317 on
  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    G4L (because I don't have a pound key on my keyboard) Fortune

  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    G 9 militia (discrider suggestgion or $ if cant)fortune

    zekebeau on
  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    F 4 % Fortune

    jakobagger on
  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    Last time we investigated a haunting, we got a crystal, so I think it is worth it. Even if it just turns out to be old man Jenkins scaring away the nobles with a mask.

  • wiltingwilting I had fun once and it was awful Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    Mojo, are things gained at the beginning or end of turns? Specifically, does mana for the turn get added to our pool before or after combat?

    G 9 Militia $/Discrider's Peasents Fortune

    Envoy to New Thett, Investigate the Mine, Kidnap a defenceless infant (Mojo really wants us to have an apprentice, I guess)

    Although maybe we should send an envoy AFTER we clear out the mine?

    wilting on
  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    @wilting lets not send cinder's in alone, it might help to have some extra fodder, meatsheild, protection with us.

  • CelebrimCelebrim Registered User regular
    G 4 £ Fortune

    I'd like to learn more about New Thett to see how best to play these 2 off against each other. I would have preferred to go personally but the research could use more of a kickstart.

    Kidnapping the child, to hopefully create a Muppetmancer.

    I was expecting the "bad stuff" from the crystal to be something like Arbiter Shades getting through, that pull seems more ominous.

  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    I bet if we had fused with the crystal and let it eat our soul, we'd be able to pull mana without making a check (but likely very bad other things would have followed).

  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    Does Cinders have the patience to tend to a baby? I don't think so. Leave the wiping up of various noxious orifices to those who brought the squalling thing into this world. Maybe we can invite them to stay in the tower and raise the thing while we're manipulating their child's energies.


    G 9-skeletons (discrider's suggestion) Fortune


    I say bring the skeletons, because what if it's just a case of cave gas asphyxiation?

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • Void SlayerVoid Slayer Very Suspicious Registered User regular
    I-8-£-Mana

    Let's gather as many apprentices as we can under cover of our vent, train them then have a secret army of mages! Why not!

    I think going places personally to help scout for apprentices would be a good idea.

    He's a shy overambitious dog-catcher on the wrong side of the law. She's an orphaned psychic mercenary with the power to bend men's minds. They fight crime!
  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    zekebeau wrote: »
    I bet if we had fused with the crystal and let it eat our soul, we'd be able to pull mana without making a check (but likely very bad other things would have followed).

    This actually raises some questions... Vulcanus was born of the shard that was stuck in our shoulder, and tried to consume/fuse with us. Since we broke free of that and took control... can it no longer do that in Vulcanus form? I want to know if we can fuse Vulcanus with someone and end up with a living conduit for the power of our fragments that is completely obedient (since, being bound to Vulcanus/our fragment, they would obey our will directly)?

    Steam: Polaritie
    3DS: 0473-8507-2652
    Switch: SW-5185-4991-5118
    PSN: AbEntropy
  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    I think we found our next study subject.

  • wiltingwilting I had fun once and it was awful Registered User regular
    If we did that with the baby, would that mean we wouldn't have to look after it? I forgot about that part, when I voted.

  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    wilting wrote: »
    If we did that with the baby, would that mean we wouldn't have to look after it? I forgot about that part, when I voted.

    Teen wizards these days. Always taking on apprentices without thinking of the consequences!

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • RoonieRoonie Registered User regular
    G 4 £ Fortune

  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    The mine being 'haunted' from around the time we arrived means it is likely one of the other mages.

    Based on the vision, the Servant of the Bound God dude was in a dark cave-like place, so it might be him. Also based on the description I think he might be the 'undying' wizard, since he seemed to be making a 'confusing god' out of people (possibly New Thetti miners).

    Seems like a dangerous dude, potentially.

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    Turn 17

    Decision G 4 £ : Cook goes to New Thett, experiments happen, pretending to be the goblin king
    Bonuses: +10 Fortune, +1 Mana

    Things
    Mana: 27 [+11/turn]
    Fortune: 2/50 [+1/turn]
    Growth: 8/10 [+2/turn]
    Peasants: 9
    Population: 15
    Shelter: 25
    Food: 25
    Resources: 4 [+1/turn]
    Silver Pieces: 92 [+1/turn]
    Study: 13/25 Summoning [+2/turn]

    The Obsidian Tower
    Fused shards: Foreseen, Loyalist
    +11 mana / turn, +1 resource, / turn, +1 growth / turn, +1 study / turn, +1 fortune / turn
    [Ashvent] - Prevents scrying in the region
    [Scholar's Hall] - Allows research, +1 study/turn

    Glassalia
    [Fertile Farm] = +25 food
    [Glass houses] = +25 shelter
    [Lumber yard] = +1 resource / 10 peasants / turn)
    [Tavern] = +1 growth / turn
    [Scouting] = Difficulty 15 check when exploring to uncover additional bonuses

    Individuals & Armies
    Cinders, The Foreseen Lavashaper
    Combat: 5 dice, 4+ strength [Lucky] [Wizard] [Ranged(short)]
    Equipment: Vulcanus
    Vote bonuses: +1 Mana or +1 Fortune per vote

    Militia [5 Peasants]
    Combat: 2 dice, 7+ strength, [Swarmfighting]

    Skeleton Warriors
    Combat: 2 dice, 8+ strength, [Hard to kill]

    The Apprentice, Geomancer
    Combat: 2 dice, 6+ strength [Adaptable] [Wizard]


    Sanders, The Magma Wyrm [adds +25 to fortune threshold. Improves fortunes]

    Ingvar's Machine [Imprisoned]
    Combat: 3 dice, 5+ strength, [sluggish]

    [Adaptable] During a round, one positive trait of the target is cancelled
    [Lucky] One reroll per round
    [Ranged(short)] Make one attack without retaliation before melee
    [Wizard] Must spend 1 mana per round or lose all but one dice
    [Swarmfighting] +1 on rolls when targeting an enemy targeted by another ally
    [Hard to kill] If beaten in combat make a difficulty 8 check. On success the unit is not destroyed
    [Sluggish] Only rolls dice every second round

    Artifacts
    Vulcanus
    Grants Ranged(short) to the bearer
    Intelligent(?)

    The Archive
    Reflections on the twin shards and their ultimate connection to the artifact once known as The Weir
    Lowers difficulty of drawing by 2
    Increases output of drawing by +1/dice
    Increases mana income by +1 / turn
    Allows shard fusion/destruction

    A detailed consideration of the entities which lurk below and how to effectively bind them into perpetual servitude

    Diplomacy
    The Drowned Lady: Caldeot, the town by the Drowned City
    Relations: Respectful and amiable

    Sultan Ofan: New Thett, the merchant hub
    Relations: Besotted

    Nephroditi: The Bonemancer Wanderer
    Relations: Business-like
    Trade route: +1 silver piece / turn

    Selin:The Spirit-Weaver
    ???

    Axiom: The Fistcaster Loyalist
    Relations: Hatred
    Missing an arm
    Shardless

    Ingvar: The Instigator Mechano-Sage
    Relations: Unknown

    Summary
    After a few moments, the elder sibling stopped her tirade against the infant and sulkily loped back to the conical houses of Glassalia. She rocked the baby as she did so, which surprisingly seemed to calm it more effectively than threatening to give it away to possibly fictional entities. Still, it had peaked the interest of Cinders. She'd see the possibility of Potential and she was sure that if she took the baby into the Obsidian Tower she would be able to ensure that it did develop. She would have a new apprentice.

    Night came and Cinders was able to creep into the home of the new family undetected and take the sleeping baby. A few minutes later she was deep within her own magical laboratories, setting the sleeping child down on a padded bench. She adjusted various mysterious looking instruments and then began the process. Waves of warm coloured light, magic energies that had carefully been filtered, surrounded the child. Slowly, its eyes began to flutter and it awoke. For an instant it looked like it might start to cry and scream but at once the cloud of energy snapped into an opaque grey shell. And that was that. For the moment anyway. Already the lines of fate were being adjusted and realigned. An utterly mundane life was becoming something so much more useful.

    Thoughts of how the peasants would react to the theft of a child were beneath Cinders and they barely crossed her mind as she retired for the evening. As she understood it, the common folk were adept at few things outside of spawning.

    She approached Cook early the next morning and directed him to return to New Thett, but to establish some kind of diplomatic relations with the town as he had done at Caldeot. After that it was time to return to her own work. The egg-shaped opaque mass containing her next apprentice remained unbroken, it hummed softly as she ran a hand across it. As far as she could tell the process was coming along quite nicely. Her mind turned to the problem of how to effectively call and bind a wider variety of servants. Sanders had been relatively simple, the magma wyrm had just happened into the ideal location while Cinders was still charged with that burst of energy the shard had given off when it was first cleaved from The Weir. But she'd find a way. There was life down there, and it should be working for her rather than swanning about in molten stone.
    [+6 study from the roll]

    Cook returned a few days later, and he brought riches with him.

    The three men arrived on fresh horses the size of which Cinders had never seen before without magical experimentation being involved. They also had a wagon packed full of exotic spices, rich perfumes, weird idols of unknown gods and a fairly considerable amount of literature. Their arrival in New Thett had not been warm. The gate guards had demanded payment to allow them into the city and openly laughed when Cook explained he was here to extend the hand of friendship from the Wizard Cinderella. Acquiescing to paying the toll, Cook and Arcbeth had spent several hours attempting to be granted an audience with anybody with even a hint of seniority. Little by little they had escalated through a bureaucracy of celestial proportions until finally they were allowed to meet with the youngest bastard of the Sultan Ofan. A few minutes later they were meeting his royal highness, ruler of Thett new and old, the most exalted Sultan Ofan of the pure and true Murad tribe bloodline. At the same time, every servant, guardsman and official who had delayed Cook and Archbeth's audience was being tied to the walls above the main gate as punishment. By the time Cinders' envoys left, the crows had stripped most of the flesh from the two dozen bodies up there.

    Sultan Ofan had heard rumours that a bewitching Sorceress had taken up residence somewhere near his lands. He was overwhelmed by the honour. An endless parade of concubines, fine wines, strange fruits and unpleasantly filled little dumplings were brought out for Cook and Arcbeth to sample. The feast lasted for hours. And then there was dancing. Possibly too much and certainly overly choreographed dancing.

    During their audience, they learned a great deal about New Thett and the Thetti people. Once, the land was filled with various nomadic tribes, which were only united by their once-every-eleven years attendance at a gathering known as the Thett. Representatives of the tribes from more than a hundred miles around would come and engage in politicking, trade and most important of all games of skill and strength that would establish a tribe's place in the complex inter-tribe social web. This continued for several hundred years. Over time, the site of the Thett became more and more developed and a few members of certain groups stayed there between gatherings in order to better prepare for the festival. This was Old Thett. Old Thett was almost entirely destroyed by the great war. A war with sorcerers, walking gods, dragons, heroes with swords taller than themselves, talking bears and so on. The Sultan's description of the past was very fanciful. New Thett was founded shortly after that war as the land around had been ruined. In desperation the various tribes were forced to band together and trade for their essentials. And that was the beginning of the modern Thetti, trading capital of the entire world.

    Individual Thetti mostly still kept their allegiances to their old tribes and this was reflected in the diversity of culture throughout the town. Each had their only ancient system of religious beliefs although these had generally evolved with the transition from nomadic to settled life. The Sultan also knew of another pair of mages in this world now. From his description it was undoubtedly Nephroditi, but the bonemancer now travelled with another, one named Selin, The Spirit-Weaver. His description of the Caravan of Bones also made it out to be some scores of wagons now, although clearly the Sultan was a man prone to exaggeration. He approved of the pair, and was dismayed that they rarely took him up on his hospitality when they passed through his town.

    It was almost noon the next day before Cinders' messengers were able to extract themselves from the Sultan's warm attention. He insisted that Cinders should call in any time that she was in the area, or even if she was not in the area she would be welcomed with both arms. He was enchanted by the idea of hosting wizards within his palace. To entice her he packed a wagon with gifts and sent it along with Cook. Chief amongst those gifts was a sizeable collection of ancient texts from his personal library. He insisted that these dated back from before the great war, to the last age of magic.

    The collection of papers that arrived within Cinders' tower was almost entirely junk. There was one exception. A small hexagonal marble tablet. It held a spell, but it was also very oddly enchanted. Any attempt to decipher the magic would almost certainly destroy it. Still, despite that, there was undoubtedly a lot that could be learnt even if the hosted dweomer was lost.

    [Fortune event. +5 growth as word spreads throughout New Thett. +50 silver pieces. And some exciting magical scripture]


    Decision Time
    (A letter, a number, a symbol from each option and then and specify Mana/Fortune for your vote bonus)

    Peasant action:
    A*: Build houses (shelter for 25 peasants) (costs 15 resources)[/s]
    B*: Build a farm (+20 food) (Costs 15 resources)[/s]
    C: Build a ship (allows contact with Drome and whaling) (costs 100 resources)
    D: Scout the mainland [specify southwest, south, east]
    E: Establish a trade route with Caldeot/New Thett (specify which) (+1 silver piece / turn) (costs 10 silver pieces)
    F : Send a spy to Caldeot/New Thett (specify which) costs 1 peasant, 10 silver pieces and 1 silver piece / turn)
    G*: Raise militia (produces a [Militia] unit, costs 5 resources and 5 peasants)
    H : Work a double shift on the sawmill (produces 5+1d6 resources)

    *requires choosing option 1 due to a lack of resources

    Cinders action:
    1: Help the peasants (Pay 2x resource cost in mana and 0 resources on build, or pay 5 mana on production to obtain +1d8 resources) [Make sure the peasant action chosen makes sense]
    2: Try to draw more mana from the crystal shards (difficulty 11: Success gains 3d8+3 mana, Failure is bad)
    3: Construct a mana focus (costs 50 mana. Reduces drawing difficulty by 3 and adds +1d8 to drawing)
    4: Accelerate the experiments (costs 3 mana to obtain +1d8 study)
    5: Call for an audience with Nephroditi (costs 3 mana)
    6: Boil the lake to expose the drowned city (costs 100 mana)
    7: Attack/Annex Caldeot/New Thett (choose one and specify units)
    8: Personally travel to New Thett to accept the Sultan's hospitality (specify any units to accompany Cinders)
    9: Investigate the mine (specify any units to accompany Cinders)
    10: Release the automaton and follow it to the tundra and Ingvar's reunion (specify units)
    11: Muse quietly on your throne (effectively a turn skip)

    Magical tablet action
    £: Activate the unknown spell held within the tablet (it's a mystery)
    $: Study the tablet, thereby destroying whatever it was intending to do but gaining magical insights (+1 study / turn)

    Mojo_Jojo on
    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    D(SW) 4 (Pound) Mana

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    wilting wrote: »
    Mojo, are things gained at the beginning or end of turns? Specifically, does mana for the turn get added to our pool before or after combat?

    The start

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    Can we establish trade with both cities on the same turn if we have the necessary resources? Or is it a one or the other thing?

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    I'm happy to let both happen at once

    Mojo_Jojo on
    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    D(SW) 9 (skeletons) (Pound) Fortune

    Casting an unknown spell from an unknown school with unknown consequences sounds bad, would rather study it. Delmain convinced me, risky moves and luck, that is how we roll.

    And the point someone raised that the mine likely has the bound god dude makes me hesitant to investigate before we've summoned any lava creatures. Just cannot make up my mind today.

    zekebeau on
  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    But it's from a fortune event

    I'm gonna trust that it's awesome.

  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    E(both),9(skeletons), £, Fortune

  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    D(south) 9(skeletons) £ Fortune

    It might be risky, but we are the Foreseen! Don't let a simple thing like common chance stop our will.

    Mojo, you've got two H options. I don't think any of us are picking either this turn, but still.

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • AnialosAnialos Collies are love, Collies are life! Shadowbrook ColliesRegistered User regular
    E(both)-4-$ +Fortune

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    Bursar wrote: »
    [
    Mojo, you've got two H options. I don't think any of us are picking either this turn, but still.

    That alphabet is a harsh mistress

    Mojo_Jojo on
    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    zekebeau wrote: »
    And the point someone raised that the mine likely has the bound god dude makes me hesitant to investigate before we've summoned any lava creatures.

    Granted, it might be another one of our fellow students. But Axiom was the only one who was trying to stop us to begin with; the others were all with us on the Weir escapade that caused this whole mess. I don't think we're likely to get into a fight before we at least get to make a stab at diplomatic relations with any of the others.

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • CelebrimCelebrim Registered User regular
    E(both) 4 £ Fortune

    I'd like at least one more unit available before we go spelunking. The tablet is another tough call, but I'll side with mystery.

    We are getting a decent silver stockpile, so learning to merge lavamancy with bonemancy might be worth it if we want to buy more units, for our next research choice.

  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    E(Both) 4 £ Fortune

  • wiltingwilting I had fun once and it was awful Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    Thanks Mojo!

    E (Both) 4 £ Fortune

    wilting on
  • RoonieRoonie Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    E(both) 9(skeletons) £ Fortune - spelunking FTW, maybe we can find diamonds! Wait wrong game...

    Roonie on
  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    E 4 £ Fortune

    Steam: Polaritie
    3DS: 0473-8507-2652
    Switch: SW-5185-4991-5118
    PSN: AbEntropy
  • TipharethTiphareth Registered User regular
    D(sw)8$ - Fortune

    I don't think we are ready for the mine yet, let us complete our current research first?

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    Turn 18

    Decision E 4 £: Trade routing, experiments and exciting mystery magic
    Bonuses: +10 Fortune, +1 Mana

    Things
    Mana: 36 [+11/turn]
    Fortune: 13/50 [+1/turn]
    Growth: 0/10 [+2/turn]
    Peasants: 12
    Population: 18
    Shelter: 25
    Food: 25
    Resources: 5 [+2/turn]
    Silver Pieces: 73 [+3/turn]
    Study: 17/25 Summoning [+2/turn]

    The Obsidian Tower
    Fused shards: Foreseen, Loyalist
    +11 mana / turn, +1 resource, / turn, +1 growth / turn, +1 study / turn, +1 fortune / turn
    [Ashvent] - Prevents scrying in the region
    [Scholar's Hall] - Allows research, +1 study/turn

    Glassalia
    [Fertile Farm] = +25 food
    [Glass houses] = +25 shelter
    [Lumber yard] = +1 resource / 10 peasants / turn)
    [Tavern] = +1 growth / turn
    [Scouting] = Difficulty 15 check when exploring to uncover additional bonuses

    Individuals & Armies
    Cinders, The Foreseen Lavashaper
    Combat: 5 dice, 4+ strength [Lucky] [Battle Scholar] [Wizard] [Ranged(short)]
    Equipment: Vulcanus
    Vote bonuses: +1 Mana or +1 Fortune per vote

    Militia [5 Peasants]
    Combat: 2 dice, 7+ strength, [Swarmfighting]

    Skeleton Warriors
    Combat: 2 dice, 8+ strength, [Hard to kill]

    The Apprentice, Geomancer
    Combat: 2 dice, 6+ strength [Adaptable] [Wizard]


    Sanders, The Magma Wyrm [adds +25 to fortune threshold. Improves fortunes]

    Ingvar's Machine [Imprisoned]
    Combat: 3 dice, 5+ strength, [sluggish]

    [Adaptable] During a round, one positive trait of the target is cancelled
    [Lucky] One reroll per round
    [Ranged(short)] Make one attack without retaliation before melee
    [Wizard] Must spend 1 mana / round or lose all but one dice
    [Swarmfighting] +1 on rolls when targeting an enemy targeted by another ally
    [Hard to kill] If beaten in combat make a difficulty 8 check. On success the unit is not destroyed
    [Sluggish] Only rolls dice every second round
    [Battle Scholar] +1 study / round and +1 study on a natural 10

    Artifacts
    Vulcanus
    Grants Ranged(short) to the bearer
    Intelligent(?)

    The Archive
    Reflections on the twin shards and their ultimate connection to the artifact once known as The Weir
    Lowers difficulty of drawing by 2
    Increases output of drawing by +1/dice
    Increases mana income by +1 / turn
    Allows shard fusion/destruction

    A detailed consideration of the entities which lurk below and how to effectively bind them into perpetual servitude

    Diplomacy
    The Drowned Lady: Caldeot, the town by the Drowned City
    Relations: Respectful and amiable

    Sultan Ofan: New Thett, the merchant hub
    Relations: Besotted

    Nephroditi: The Bonemancer Wanderer
    Relations: Business-like
    Trade route: +1 silver piece / turn

    Selin:The Spirit-Weaver
    ???

    Axiom: The Fistcaster Loyalist
    Relations: Hatred
    Missing an arm
    Shardless

    Ingvar: The Instigator Mechano-Sage
    Relations: Unknown

    Summary
    Inside the sphere a tiny image of Cinders' old cell was visible. It had been searched thoroughly by the Masters now, but due to her lack of possessions the only sign of this was a few library books that had been rearranged, her bed linen on the floor and her tableclock was flying on its side. The contraption was not worth a great deal and it occasionally lost a few minutes here and there, but it had been precious to the lavashaper once. It spoke of her old life, and the time before she had been at the Institute. Not that those days had been the best of times by any stretch. Sentiment was not something that she felt often, but she was keenly aware of it now.

    Axiom had called figments of Arbiters through just one shard of the crystal. Surely with two she could manage to recover her clock. Her arm plunged through the warm metal surface. A hazy blue tendril of energy extended through on the opposite side and coiled around her clock. Snapping her arm back, she could suddenly feel the lacquered wood in her hand. It had worked. Looking down, she saw that the process had been far from flawless though. The glass face was warped and twisted, as was the wood. The whole thing gave the impression of having been heated into a semi-liquid state and then plunged into ice water. Strange that it still ticked.

    Vulcanus grumbled and left Cinders alone holding the clock. She'd not even noticed it had been watching her with the shard. It was a strange one that Vulcanus, but then what should she expect from a living weapon?

    She returned to her laboratory. Work on the summonings was progressing. Every day she spent in her studies felt like tenable real progress. Similarly, the opaque shell containing her next apprentice had grown considerably now and started to very slowly rotate around its long axis, a little more than one revolution for each day. The marble tablet was laid out on the bench before her. Now Cinders picked it up and seized by sudden curiosity. She allowed the trapped spell to complete itself.

    Very little obviously happened in response. The tablet itself looked near identical to the casual observer, only detailed scrutiny showed that is was now inert and useful only as a paperweight - which meant it was utterly useless given her predilection for engraving stone tablets rather than using ink and paper like some common clerk.

    How disappointing. Cinders rose, and ascended to her throne room to inspect her subjects. The peasants were busy welcoming yet more new arrivals, farm labourers by the looks of them. This pleased her enormously. Similarly, the wagons were being loaded to begin formal trade with both Caldeot and New Thett. It was all progressing very well indeed, but the burning twists of fate down in the heart of the world were filled with disquiet. The flow of the world never ceased and as she expanded she became more and more vulnerable. Worse, she could read the signature of Axiom looming once again in her future. Some insect landed on her neck breaking her stream of thought. She swatted it absently, before it could bite her or inject its eggs beneath her skin. It collapsed into a disgusting spot of wetness and chitin.

    The act made her stop in her tracks. Moments later she was down on the sands of the beach boiling the dog-sized crabs that scuttled around the rocky coves within their shells. She could feel a trickle of new understanding as each one hissed and spluttered. A smile spread across her face. This was the power of the tablet. If only she could find a worthy opponent.

    [Cinders is now a [Battle Scholar], +1 study per (combat) round and +1 study for each 10 rolled]
    [-3mana, +2 study from experiments]
    [-20 silver for two trade routes]
    [Growth event + 3 peasants]
    [Axiom event on turn 20]


    Decision Time
    (A letter and a number and specify Mana/Fortune for your vote bonus)

    Peasant action:
    A*: Build houses (shelter for 25 peasants) (costs 15 resources)[/s]
    B*: Build a farm (+20 food) (Costs 15 resources)[/s]
    C: Build a ship (allows contact with Drome and whaling) (costs 100 resources)
    D: Establish the mercantile guild (costs 50 silver pieces) (+ (1d4-1) [lowest of resource/silver piece total] / turn)
    E: Scout the mainland [specify southwest, south, east]
    F : Send a spy to Caldeot/New Thett (specify which) costs 1 peasant, 10 silver pieces and 1 silver piece / turn)
    G: Raise militia (produces a [Militia] unit, costs 5 resources and 5 peasants)
    H : Work a double shift on the sawmill (produces 5+1d6 resources)

    *requires choosing option 1 due to a lack of resources

    Cinders action:
    1: Help the peasants (Pay 2x resource cost in mana and 0 resources on build, or pay 5 mana on production to obtain +1d8 resources) [Make sure the peasant action chosen makes sense]
    2: Try to draw more mana from the crystal shards (difficulty 11: Success gains 3d8+3 mana, Failure is bad)
    3: Construct a mana focus (costs 50 mana. Reduces drawing difficulty by 3 and adds +1d8 to drawing)
    4: Accelerate the experiments (costs 3 mana to obtain +1d8 study)
    5: Call for an audience with Nephroditi (costs 3 mana)
    6: Boil the lake to expose the drowned city (costs 100 mana)
    7: Attack/Annex Caldeot/New Thett (choose one and specify units)
    8: Personally travel to New Thett to accept the Sultan's hospitality (specify any units to accompany Cinders)
    9: Investigate the mine (specify any units to accompany Cinders)
    10: Release the automaton and follow it to the tundra and Ingvar's reunion (specify units)
    11: Muse quietly on your throne (effectively a turn skip)

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    E(SW) 9(Skellingtons) Fortune

    I am still somewhat of the opinion that exploring the cave might not be wise, but we should know what's in there before Axiom comes back.

    Wait... unless.

    Mojo, combat can take multiple rounds right? So if we go into the cave and get in a fight, we could be missing when Axiom reappears?

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    Turns are what happen when you vote

    Rounds are what happen in combat

    I am not trying to make you guys do optimisations here so a turn can contain infinite rounds

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
Sign In or Register to comment.