We're at 16 people now, and have one farm, and we're due to get some more people soon. Let's not have our entire town dedicate themselves into a standing army!
If we take the husband with us on an official visit to Drome, it'll make us seem more legitimate as a world power instead of yet another upstart wizard from across the sea. And take some fire monsters, because obviously.
GNU Terry Pratchett
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
Turn 29
Decision G 3 5: Envoy to Drome and then a two-for-one special on a mana focus and smoulderlings because I've been negligent Bonuses: +4 Mana, +7 Fortune
Mitel the husband
It is not clear what he achieves
[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
[Armoured N] Unit has N armour that are lost in place of dice
[Obscuring]: target rolls one fewer dice (cannot reduce dice rolled to fewer than one)
[Deadslayer]: Makes a difficulty 8 check each round. On success deals a dice of damage to a random bonemancy enemy unit
[Distracting]: All target rolls are made at -1
[Aftermath]: Each turn, make a one dice attack against a random enemy unit other than the current target
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
Allows Smoulderlings and Elephantites to be summoned
Of the interplay between bonemancy and lavashaping: Flaming skulls or smouldering corpses?
Grants [Wizard] units [deadslayer] ability
On the origin of Vulcanus by means of ethereal selection, and the sub splintering of the world crystal]/i]
Grants Cinders [Aftermath]
Allows construction of the Shardforge
Makes Vulcanus loyal
Diplomacy
The Drowned Lady: Caldeot, the town by the Drowned City Relations: Offended Spy in place: Undetected (-1 silver piece / turn) Military: 13 dice at 6+ strength all with [Armoured 1/2]
Trade route: +1 silver pieces / turn SUSPENDED DUE TO SIEGE
Sultan Ofan: New Thett, the merchant hub Relations: Family Spy in place: Undetected (-1 silver piece / turn) Military: 20 dice at 7+ strength [15 currently besieging Caldeot]
Trade route: +1 silver pieces / turn
Tzo'lin: The Undying Pious servant of The Bound Giant Relations: Hostile
Ingvar: The Instigator Mechano-Sage Relations: Unknown
Talen: The other one
Axiom: The Fistcaster Loyalist
Summary
Cinders bid farewell to Cook and the Galleon. She reflected that the man was probably glad to be back faring the seas, albeit possibly somewhat less comfortable with his rather uncertain destination. An uncertain destination containing a rival and somewhat put out wizard. Everything hinged on just how much control the pious mage had taken over Drome itself. For the moment their fortunes were uncertain, entwined with the boiling lines of Tzo'lin himself.
The magical potential surrounding each of them, and their growing strength was making destiny increasingly challenging to read. It was simple enough for a peasant toiling in the field far from the obsidian tower, but even those toiling in the fields of Glassalia were warped and uncertain. The molten heart of the world shifted and shuddered in new directions that the lavashaper was not able to understand.
[Envoy from Drome should return next turn]
To distract herself Cinders returned to her shard, that dull silver sphere which had once consisted of her own burning coal and Axiom's quartz. She looked deeply and was rewarded with visions of life within The Institute. Or at least the pieces of it that had ended up in the particular dimension that she now presided over. The mages within were conducting all manner of rituals, but by locking away magic they had made themselves impotent. She smiled at their antics, but this visit was not just to visit the personal zoo contained within. Today she was going to extend her control over the crystal.
The walls around her shifted and drew in closer. Talons of stone and metal reached down. Where they met the pedestal they merged with it leaving no visible breaks or seams. The sphere was wrapped inside a solid web of greys and blacks and slowly they began to glow a dull orange. Tendrils of elemental lava now held the shard. Should she turn her hand to it again Cinders would be able to withdraw a far greater amount of power. And at a reduced risk.
To test her power Cinders called forth another shoal of Smoulderlings. Her army was truly vast now, easily the rival of Caldeot or New Thett and hopefully more than anything the other wizards had managed to raise. They came easily, torn from the heart of the world and deposited at the heart of Glassalia before scattering around the perimeter of the settlement. When she had first called forth the Magma Wyrm she had had to place a physical collar on the beast to ensure her command. Now, such things were wholly beneath her. She called and they obeyed. As it should be.
[Mana focus constructed and Smoulderlings summoned]
By creating the mana focus, Cinders had come to a realisation about the nature of power. The Weir becoming broken had spread magical energies across the world, and even the most ordinary of her followers influenced that flow of mana. They just did so in an undirected and naive manner. There was an analogue to the focus that would allow them to direct some of that tower toward her.
If they expressed their devotion to her in the form of art, anything from statues in her honour to festivals celebrating her past triumphs, then they could achieve a modicum of focus and channel their power into her own reserves. And in doing so they would become far more useful than they ever might have before.
[Tzo'lin will destroy his crystal and reawaken his god on turn 35]
Decision Time
(A letter, a number and your vote bonus)
Peasant action:
A: Build houses (shelter for 25 peasants) (costs 15 resources)
B: Build a farm (+20 food) (Costs 15 resources)
C: Scout the world [specify direction] Construction an article of devotion [specify the form] (+1 mana / turn) (costs 15 resources and 15 silver. Cannot be paid for in mana) E: Go whaling (difficulty 5 to avoid losing 1d6 peasants, produces 5+1d6 silver pieces) Galleon is busy
F: Train Glaivekin (2 dice, 7+ strength with [swarmfighting] and [ranged(short)]), costs 5 resources and 5 peasants)
G: Have the peasants work a double shift (produces 5+1d6 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 8: Success gains 4d8+4 mana, Failure is bad)
3: Accelerate the experiments (costs 3 mana to obtain +1d8 study) 4: Summon Smoulderlings (produces a [Smoulderling] unit, 4 dice, 6+ [Obscuring], costs 40 mana)
5: Summon an Elephantite (produces labour equivalent to 15 peasants, costs 30 mana and 1mana/turn) 6: Cast the spell of the statues (costs 100 mana) 7: Boil the lake to expose the drowned city (costs 100 mana)
8: Attack Caldeot/New Thett (choose one and specify units. If you're attacking Caldeot, specific which side you're fighting on)
9: Have your spy in Caldeot attempt to sabotage the town's defenses (difficulty 10)
10: Release the automaton and follow it to the tundra and Ingvar's reunion (specify units) 11: Travel to Drome incognito to find and end Tzo'lin (specific units) Galleon is busy 12: Travel to Drome personally to establish diplomatic relations (specify units to take with you) Galleon is busy
13: Muse quietly on your throne
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
I'm thinking a statue in an abstract style that looks like it could have been made of lava that depicts our early victory over Sanderson, built over the spot that we sent him back down into the ground.
Like this style
Delmain on
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jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
D(This is a bronze statuette. All craftsmanship is of the highest quality. It is encrusted with iron and studded with obsidian. On the item is the image of Vulcanus the crystal shard and Axiom the Fistcaster. Vulcanus is striking down Axiom. The artwork relates to the killing of the fistcaster Axiom by the lavashaper Cinders in Glassalia at turn 20.)8(All - Caldeot) - Fortune
We have insulted Caldeot and repairing those relations would be too expensive, let us help the sultan conquer it. Then all he needs to do is die, and it will belong to us.
Tiphareth on
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CindersWhose sails were black when it was windyRegistered Userregular
D [Tiphareth's Dwarf Fortress Masterwork Statue, with more inlaid gems/glass] 8[All][Caledot(New Thett's side)] +Fortune
We haven't heard back from Caldeot and if are spies think they are offended we probably won't. We need to put an end to local hostilities before heading across the sea and this seems the quickest way. We have enough mana for the fight so I don't think we need to draw this turn. With 7 more fortune we might have a fortune event help us resolve the siege quickly as well.
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AnialosCollies are love, Collies are life!Shadowbrook ColliesRegistered Userregular
D [Tiphareth's Dwarf Fortress Masterwork Statue, with more inlaid gems/glass] 8[All][Caledot(New Thett's side)] +Fortune
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jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
A statue is just a thing, bound to one place and liable to be destroyed. A poem can be copied, recited in different places, etc and can't be destroyed except by like, mind magic or something
Cinders, The Foreseen Lavashaper Combat: 5 dice, 4+ strength [Lucky] [Battle Scholar] [Wizard] [Ranged(short)] [Deadslayer] [Aftermath] Consumable Black lunacite: Prevent enemy wizard rolling dice in first round and rolls at -1 in the second Equipment: Vulcanus Vote bonuses: +1 Mana or +1 Fortune per vote
Mitel the husband
It is not clear what he achieves
[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
[Armoured N] Unit has N armour that are lost in place of dice
[Obscuring]: target rolls one fewer dice (cannot reduce dice rolled to fewer than one)
[Deadslayer]: Makes a difficulty 8 check each round. On success deals a dice of damage to a random bonemancy enemy unit
[Distracting]: All target rolls are made at -1
[Aftermath]: Each turn, make a one dice attack against a random enemy unit other than the current target
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
Allows Smoulderlings and Elephantites to be summoned
Of the interplay between bonemancy and lavashaping: Flaming skulls or smouldering corpses?
Grants [Wizard] units [deadslayer] ability
On the origin of Vulcanus by means of ethereal selection, and the sub splintering of the world crystal]/i]
Grants Cinders [Aftermath]
Allows construction of the Shardforge
Makes Vulcanus loyal
Diplomacy
The Drowned Lady: Caldeot, the town by the Drowned City Relations: Offended Spy in place: Undetected (-1 silver piece / turn) Military: 13 dice at 6+ strength all with [Armoured 1/2]
Trade route: +1 silver pieces / turn SUSPENDED DUE TO SIEGE
Sultan Ofan: New Thett, the merchant hub Relations: Family Spy in place: Undetected (-1 silver piece / turn) Military: 18 dice at 7+ strength [13 currently besieging Caldeot]
Trade route: +1 silver pieces / turn
The Senate: Drome, the plague-ridden city state Relations: Hatred of all wizardry
Tzo'lin: The Undying Pious servant of The Bound Giant Relations: Hostile
Ingvar: The Instigator Mechano-Sage Relations: Unknown
Talen: The other one
Axiom: The Fistcaster Loyalist
Summary
There was no time like the present to put the mana focus to use. Cinders placed the palm of one hand upon that smooth metallic orb and called forth the power it contained. The response was like a volcanic eruption. For a moment the lavashaper herself burst into flames and became a living elemental avatar. It was brief but exhilarating. Something she absolutely wished to try again in the neat future. The focus was working perfectly. Energy poured out without her even feeling the pull on her own identity that had been present before the focus was in place.
As she drew the power Cinders could feel a little more of the pieces of the Institute within the shard. And in doing so she found a strange absence. Instinctively she coiled around it and pulled. It came surprisingly easily. As the flow dwindled, Cinders reopened her eyes and looked down at the chunk of void she held. She knew exactly what it was. She had read about it back when she was an apprentice. Black lunacite, a remnant of the Dead Moon. She had not actually believed that it was real. It was a negative material and even now it resisted the lavashaper. Which was for the best, if it made real contact then it would rob Cinders of a good chunk of her own energy.
If a war was coming with her fellow mages, then this was a very potent weapon: For a few seconds it would nullify all of their abilities leaving them weak and useless.
[Drawing. Check passes +24 mana. Nobody loses any pieces of their soul!]
[Fortune event yields Black lunacite. In the next combat with an enemy wizard involving Cinders, the wizard does not roll any dice on the first round and suffers -1 on all rolls in the second round]
Cinders carried the little piece of nothingness up to her study. There she found her apprentice working quietly on some cantrip involving floating spheres of liquid. Misty was making excellent progress. Despite her dubious elemental affinity, the rainbringer was no longer a novice in any respect. Finally, Cinders had a true apprentice. And that meant it was time for Misty to start earning her keep. It was time to find a task for her.
The experience of training a second had started some internal processes within Cinders that were now producing their own crystalline output. It was obvious really - she could construct her own mages' college. Cinders did not need to create peers, she needed servants. And that was a much more straightforward proposition. A little rote learning and some minor injections of magic and she was sure she could train the peasants in the crudest forms of lavashaping. They wouldn't be true wizards but they would be able to wield magic in battle.
In Glassalia, a new construction was under way. A somewhat abstract construction of iron accented with flakes of glittering obsidian. It represented Cinders herself in her moment of triumph of over Axiom. A flat disc, Vulcanus, was held aloft ready to be driven down into the weaker mage. Not quite how it happened but a fitting tribute. Vulcanus himself seemed to enjoy it immensely and flitted this way and that around it as he admired his own image. Although he did appear to now be attempting to converse with the sculpture. While the living weapon was useful, he was not particularly smart.
Still, the statue was working. The latent mana of the villagers was being fed into her own reserves. A small trickle, but a steady one.
[Devotion constructed, +1 mana / turn]
A twitch in fate made her turn around. There was a vessel on the horizon. Her vessel. Cook was returning from Drome. She met her most trusted peasant on the stone pier as he clambered down the narrow gangplank with practised ease. She had even elected to allow Mitel to accompany her on a whim. Cinders was actually growing fond of the dim little man. Perhaps one day she would even find a use for him. Perhaps. Cook dropped to one knee before his master and waited in silence for permission to speak.
His news was not good. Drome was under quarantine and no boats, ships, yachts, skiffs, swimmers or canoes were being allowed in or out. The entirety of the Drome Royal Navy was ensuring that nothing could slip by. Cook had ordered the galleon alongside one of the perimeter ships and briefly spoken with the naval captain there. Plague had come to Drome and the population had been quite literally decimated in just a few days. A very strict border had rapidly been established once the King and the current senate had been evacuated. Rule was now coming from one of the city state's border forts to the north. The best physicians from all around were in attendance but as near as could be reasoned the only solution was to let the sickness burn itself out. The current speculation was that it would take at least one good winter to ensure all trace of the plague was gone.
Any person attempting to leave or enter the city was to be fired upon by the fleet. The fleet of Drome was not only large, it was very well equipped. While the galleon now owned by Cinders had a pair of small cannon for mostly ceremonial purposes, the weaponry on the assembled frigates was rather more serious looking. Cook had attempted bribery, both in an effort to bypass the cordon and to find any holes in it. He had come up short on both accounts. The best bet would be to decamp to a small rowing boat at night and attempt to weave through unseen. A practise not especially suited if Cinders wished to send any of her more attention-drawing minions along.
Worse still, the senate was being quite vocal in laying the blame for the outbreak with the witchcraft which had been reported on the southern continent. It was clear that Tzo'lin had managed to keep himself somewhat hidden somehow. There were only rumours around various bodysnatching practices, most of which seemed to suggest some cabal making a home in the old smuggling caves below Drome proper. Nephroditi was known to the ship's captain. By his account a 'carnival-witch' had been driven off from their gates by the Royal Guard. Drome did not tolerate the evils of magic. In fact it seemed that witchcraft had become a very popular crime, with dozens of public drownings taking place in recent weeks.
Wisely, Cook had not advertised his allegiance to Cinderella and had been allowed to return back from whence he came.
As she returned to Glassalia proper, word arrived from the spy in Caldeot. Several of the commanders within the Thetti army had been assassinated. It was just a few men but this was a hammerblow to the assembled mercenaries. The Order of the Drowned were preparing to make their own counter-attack. All inhabitants of the town were being armed in preparation regardless of military might or experience. A desperate move, but probably better than slowly being starved out.
On cue, a second message arrived. This came from Mitel's father. The Sultan was preparing to order his forces to end the siege and directly assault Caldeot. The message let Cinders know that the Sultan would be honoured if she would like to send any of her own forces to aid the effort. The messenger had not waited for a response before riding out.
[Caldeot seige will be resolved next turn with or without input from Cinders]
[Tzo'lin will destroy his crystal and reawaken his god on turn 35]
Decision Time
(A letter, a number, a symbol and your vote bonus)
Peasant action:
A: Build houses (shelter for 25 peasants) (costs 15 resources)
B: Build a farm (+20 food) (Costs 15 resources) C: Build the College of Wizardry (allows magma cultists to be trained, +1 study / round) (costs 50 resources and 25 silver) Construction an article of devotion [specify the form] (+1 mana / turn) (costs 20 resources and 20 silver. Cannot be paid for in mana)
E: Scout the world [specify direction]
F: Go whaling (difficulty 5 to avoid losing 1d6 peasants, produces 5+1d6 silver pieces)
G: Train Glaivekin (2 dice, 7+ strength with [swarmfighting] and [ranged(short)]), costs 5 resources and 5 peasants)
H: Have the peasants work a double shift (produces 5+1d6 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 8: Success gains 4d8+4 mana, Failure is bad)
3: Accelerate the experiments (costs 3 mana to obtain +1d8 study)
4: Summon Smoulderlings (produces a [Smoulderling] unit, 4 dice, 6+ [Obscuring], costs 40 mana)
5: Summon an Elephantite (produces labour equivalent to 15 peasants, costs 30 mana and 1mana/turn) 6: Cast the spell of the statues (costs 100 mana) 7: Boil the lake to expose the drowned city (costs 100 mana)
8: Attack Caldeot/New Thett (choose one and specify units. If you're attacking Caldeot, specify which side you're fighting on)
9: Have your spy in Caldeot attempt to sabotage the town's defenses (difficulty 10)
10: Release the automaton and follow it to the tundra and Ingvar's reunion (specify units)
11: Attempt to discretely bypass Drome's blockade to find and end Tzo'lin (specify units)
12: Assault Drome's blockade, and then continue on into the city to find and destroy Tzo'lin (specify units)
13: Muse quietly on your throne
E(W - The hole in the ocean)
8(Caldeot: with New Thett against Caldeot - All except both Glaivekin squads)
&
Fortune
We gave Caldeot an chance to swear us fealty in exchange for protection, even though New Thett gave us the hand of the first in line for the throne. I say we take them out, and return to plotting the early death of the current Sultan of New Thett.
As for the peasants, I don't particularly want to go back to double-shifting them, and we can build a college next turn with the resources already set to come in. I say we check off an exploration and see what it was.
Mojo, for Drome, is there no way we can sail to a point of land nearby and march to the city instead of trying to run the blockade?
E: Forgot to specify forces
Delmain on
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jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
edited January 2016
E(S - the Castle) 8(Caldeot. Fight for New Thett against Caldeot. Forces: everything except 1 glaivekin unit) % Fortune
E(W - The hole in the ocean)
8(Caldeot: with New Thett against Caldeot - All except both Glaivekin squads) $
Fortune
We gave Caldeot an chance to swear us fealty in exchange for protection, even though New Thett gave us the hand of the first in line for the throne. I say we take them out, and return to plotting the early death of the current Sultan of New Thett.-seconded
Mojo, for Drome, is there no way we can sail to a point of land nearby and march to the city instead of trying to run the blockade?
E: Forgot to specify forces
Yep. You'll need to scout some of that coastline first though
Cool, we should probably do that tomorrow (since its just too late to change the votes today)
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wiltingI had fun once and it was awfulRegistered Userregular
I'd say the best thing would just be to sneak in. Attacking will only serve to annoy Drome; both attacking and sneaking lead to us taking on Tzo'lin without our full forces. Might as well preserve those forces and not start a fight. Tzo'lin can't have too much of an army if he is in hiding, and we have the thing that will make him miss a round. Ultimately this is a matter for Wizards, not armies.
Posts
We're at 16 people now, and have one farm, and we're due to get some more people soon. Let's not have our entire town dedicate themselves into a standing army!
If we take the husband with us on an official visit to Drome, it'll make us seem more legitimate as a world power instead of yet another upstart wizard from across the sea. And take some fire monsters, because obviously.
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
Nah, everyone has just been consolidated.
Decision G 3 5: Envoy to Drome and then a two-for-one special on a mana focus and smoulderlings because I've been negligent
Bonuses: +4 Mana, +7 Fortune
Things
Fortune: 43/50 [+1/turn]
Growth: 3/10 [+3/turn]
Peasants: 6 (effectively 21)
Population: 16
Shelter: 25
Food: 25
Resources: 52 [+7*/turn]
Silver Pieces: 73 [+2*/turn] [Trade route with Caldeot suspended]
Study: 7/50 Lavashaping [+2/turn]
Husbands: 1
*+1d4+1 to lowest total
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
[Mercantile Guild] +1d4-1 / turn to lowest of silver pieces or resources
[Shardforge] = + 1 resource / turn
[Mine] = +2 resources / turn, +1 silver / turn
[Scouting] = Difficulty 15 check when exploring to uncover additional bonuses
[Galleon] = Allows whaling and sea movement
[Mana Focus] = +1 draw dice, -3 to draw difficulty
New Thett
Spy = -1 silver pieces / turn, +1 to mercantile guild
Caldeot
Spy = -1 silver pieces / turn, +1 to mercantile guild
Individuals & Armies
Combat: 5 dice, 4+ strength [Lucky] [Battle Scholar] [Wizard] [Ranged(short)] [Deadslayer] [Aftermath]
Equipment: Vulcanus
Vote bonuses: +1 Mana or +1 Fortune per vote
Skeleton Warriors
Combat: 2 dice, 8+ strength, [Hard to kill]
Smoulderlings
Combat: 4 dice, 6+ strength, [Obscuring]
Smoulderlings
Combat: 4 dice, 6+ strength, [Obscuring]
Glaivekin [5 Peasants]
Combat: 2 dice, 7+ strength, [Swarmfighting] [Ranged(shorted)]
Glaivekin [5 Peasants]
Combat: 2 dice, 7+ strength, [Swarmfighting] [Ranged(shorted)]
Runed golem
Combat: 5 dice, 7+ strength, [Armoured 2]
Misty, The Ivory Apprentice Rainbringer
Combat: 3 dice, 6+ strength [Distracting] [Wizard] [Deadslayer]
Sanders, The Magma Wyrm [adds +25 to fortune threshold. Improves fortunes]
More Smoulderlings [protecting trade caravans]
Ingvar's Machine [Imprisoned]
Combat: 3 dice, 5+ strength, [sluggish]
Elephantite x1
-1 mana/turn
15 peasants of labour
Mitel the husband
It is not clear what he achieves
[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
[Armoured N] Unit has N armour that are lost in place of dice
[Obscuring]: target rolls one fewer dice (cannot reduce dice rolled to fewer than one)
[Deadslayer]: Makes a difficulty 8 check each round. On success deals a dice of damage to a random bonemancy enemy unit
[Distracting]: All target rolls are made at -1
[Aftermath]: Each turn, make a one dice attack against a random enemy unit other than the current target
Artifacts
Grants Ranged(short) to the bearer
Intelligent(?)
The Archive
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
Allows Smoulderlings and Elephantites to be summoned
Of the interplay between bonemancy and lavashaping: Flaming skulls or smouldering corpses?
Grants [Wizard] units [deadslayer] ability
On the origin of Vulcanus by means of ethereal selection, and the sub splintering of the world crystal]/i]
Grants Cinders [Aftermath]
Allows construction of the Shardforge
Makes Vulcanus loyal
Diplomacy
Relations: Offended
Spy in place: Undetected (-1 silver piece / turn)
Military: 13 dice at 6+ strength all with [Armoured 1/2]
Trade route: +1 silver pieces / turn SUSPENDED DUE TO SIEGE
Sultan Ofan: New Thett, the merchant hub
Relations: Family
Spy in place: Undetected (-1 silver piece / turn)
Military: 20 dice at 7+ strength [15 currently besieging Caldeot]
Trade route: +1 silver pieces / turn
Nephroditi: The Bonemancer Wanderer
Relations: Business-like
Trade route: +2 silver pieces, +1 growth & +1 resource/ turn
Selin:The Silver-tongued Spirit-Weaver
Relations: Friendly
Tzo'lin: The Undying Pious servant of The Bound Giant
Relations: Hostile
Ingvar: The Instigator Mechano-Sage
Relations: Unknown
Talen: The other one
Axiom: The Fistcaster Loyalist
Summary
Cinders bid farewell to Cook and the Galleon. She reflected that the man was probably glad to be back faring the seas, albeit possibly somewhat less comfortable with his rather uncertain destination. An uncertain destination containing a rival and somewhat put out wizard. Everything hinged on just how much control the pious mage had taken over Drome itself. For the moment their fortunes were uncertain, entwined with the boiling lines of Tzo'lin himself.
The magical potential surrounding each of them, and their growing strength was making destiny increasingly challenging to read. It was simple enough for a peasant toiling in the field far from the obsidian tower, but even those toiling in the fields of Glassalia were warped and uncertain. The molten heart of the world shifted and shuddered in new directions that the lavashaper was not able to understand.
[Envoy from Drome should return next turn]
To distract herself Cinders returned to her shard, that dull silver sphere which had once consisted of her own burning coal and Axiom's quartz. She looked deeply and was rewarded with visions of life within The Institute. Or at least the pieces of it that had ended up in the particular dimension that she now presided over. The mages within were conducting all manner of rituals, but by locking away magic they had made themselves impotent. She smiled at their antics, but this visit was not just to visit the personal zoo contained within. Today she was going to extend her control over the crystal.
The walls around her shifted and drew in closer. Talons of stone and metal reached down. Where they met the pedestal they merged with it leaving no visible breaks or seams. The sphere was wrapped inside a solid web of greys and blacks and slowly they began to glow a dull orange. Tendrils of elemental lava now held the shard. Should she turn her hand to it again Cinders would be able to withdraw a far greater amount of power. And at a reduced risk.
To test her power Cinders called forth another shoal of Smoulderlings. Her army was truly vast now, easily the rival of Caldeot or New Thett and hopefully more than anything the other wizards had managed to raise. They came easily, torn from the heart of the world and deposited at the heart of Glassalia before scattering around the perimeter of the settlement. When she had first called forth the Magma Wyrm she had had to place a physical collar on the beast to ensure her command. Now, such things were wholly beneath her. She called and they obeyed. As it should be.
[Mana focus constructed and Smoulderlings summoned]
By creating the mana focus, Cinders had come to a realisation about the nature of power. The Weir becoming broken had spread magical energies across the world, and even the most ordinary of her followers influenced that flow of mana. They just did so in an undirected and naive manner. There was an analogue to the focus that would allow them to direct some of that tower toward her.
If they expressed their devotion to her in the form of art, anything from statues in her honour to festivals celebrating her past triumphs, then they could achieve a modicum of focus and channel their power into her own reserves. And in doing so they would become far more useful than they ever might have before.
[Tzo'lin will destroy his crystal and reawaken his god on turn 35]
Decision Time
(A letter, a number and your vote bonus)
Peasant action:
A: Build houses (shelter for 25 peasants) (costs 15 resources)
B: Build a farm (+20 food) (Costs 15 resources)
C: Scout the world [specify direction]
E: Go whaling (difficulty 5 to avoid losing 1d6 peasants, produces 5+1d6 silver pieces) Galleon is busy
F: Train Glaivekin (2 dice, 7+ strength with [swarmfighting] and [ranged(short)]), costs 5 resources and 5 peasants)
G: Have the peasants work a double shift (produces 5+1d6 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 8: Success gains 4d8+4 mana, Failure is bad)
3: Accelerate the experiments (costs 3 mana to obtain +1d8 study)
4: Summon Smoulderlings (produces a [Smoulderling] unit, 4 dice, 6+ [Obscuring], costs 40 mana)
5: Summon an Elephantite (produces labour equivalent to 15 peasants, costs 30 mana and 1mana/turn)
6: Cast the spell of the statues (costs 100 mana)
7: Boil the lake to expose the drowned city (costs 100 mana)
8: Attack Caldeot/New Thett (choose one and specify units. If you're attacking Caldeot, specific which side you're fighting on)
9: Have your spy in Caldeot attempt to sabotage the town's defenses (difficulty 10)
10: Release the automaton and follow it to the tundra and Ingvar's reunion (specify units)
11: Travel to Drome incognito to find and end Tzo'lin (specific units) Galleon is busy
12: Travel to Drome personally to establish diplomatic relations (specify units to take with you) Galleon is busy
13: Muse quietly on your throne
I'm thinking a statue in an abstract style that looks like it could have been made of lava that depicts our early victory over Sanderson, built over the spot that we sent him back down into the ground.
Like this style
We have insulted Caldeot and repairing those relations would be too expensive, let us help the sultan conquer it. Then all he needs to do is die, and it will belong to us.
This is our mana focus for you.
It's where we vote to decide what you'll do.
Where you are a lava mage, terrible to behold.
We haven't heard back from Caldeot and if are spies think they are offended we probably won't. We need to put an end to local hostilities before heading across the sea and this seems the quickest way. We have enough mana for the fight so I don't think we need to draw this turn. With 7 more fortune we might have a fortune event help us resolve the siege quickly as well.
My specific proposal was epic poetry, so like the Iliad
Which was kind of designed to be sung or at least chanted
The Avatar guys were very on point in their research.
The Water Tribes weren't just Inuits either
Decision D 2/8: Devotions and tie-break roll... drawing!
Bonuses: +0 Mana, +6 Fortune
Things
Fortune: 0/50 [+1/turn]
Growth: 6/10 [+3/turn]
Peasants: 6 (effectively 21)
Population: 16
Shelter: 25
Food: 25
Resources: 47 [+7*/turn]
Silver Pieces: 60 [+2*/turn] [Trade route with Caldeot suspended]
Study: 9/50 Lavashaping [+2/turn]
Husbands: 1
*+1d4+1 to lowest total
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
[Mercantile Guild] +1d4-1 / turn to lowest of silver pieces or resources
[Shardforge] = + 1 resource / turn
[Mine] = +2 resources / turn, +1 silver / turn
[Scouting] = Difficulty 15 check when exploring to uncover additional bonuses
[Galleon] = Allows whaling and sea movement
[Mana Focus] = +1 draw dice, -3 to draw difficulty
[Devotion] Statue of Cinderella striking down Axiom= +1 mana / turn
New Thett
Spy = -1 silver pieces / turn, +1 to mercantile guild
Caldeot
Spy = -1 silver pieces / turn, +1 to mercantile guild
Individuals & Armies
Combat: 5 dice, 4+ strength [Lucky] [Battle Scholar] [Wizard] [Ranged(short)] [Deadslayer] [Aftermath]
Consumable Black lunacite: Prevent enemy wizard rolling dice in first round and rolls at -1 in the second
Equipment: Vulcanus
Vote bonuses: +1 Mana or +1 Fortune per vote
Misty, The Ivory Apprentice Rainbringer
Combat: 3 dice, 6+ strength [Distracting] [Wizard] [Deadslayer]
Skeleton Warriors
Combat: 2 dice, 8+ strength, [Hard to kill]
Smoulderlings
Combat: 4 dice, 6+ strength, [Obscuring]
Smoulderlings
Combat: 4 dice, 6+ strength, [Obscuring]
Glaivekin [5 Peasants]
Combat: 2 dice, 7+ strength, [Swarmfighting] [Ranged(shorted)]
Glaivekin [5 Peasants]
Combat: 2 dice, 7+ strength, [Swarmfighting] [Ranged(shorted)]
Runed golem
Combat: 5 dice, 7+ strength, [Armoured 2]
Sanders, The Magma Wyrm [adds +25 to fortune threshold. Improves fortunes]
More Smoulderlings [protecting trade caravans]
Ingvar's Machine [Imprisoned]
Combat: 3 dice, 5+ strength, [sluggish]
Elephantite x1
-1 mana/turn
15 peasants of labour
Mitel the husband
It is not clear what he achieves
[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
[Armoured N] Unit has N armour that are lost in place of dice
[Obscuring]: target rolls one fewer dice (cannot reduce dice rolled to fewer than one)
[Deadslayer]: Makes a difficulty 8 check each round. On success deals a dice of damage to a random bonemancy enemy unit
[Distracting]: All target rolls are made at -1
[Aftermath]: Each turn, make a one dice attack against a random enemy unit other than the current target
Artifacts
Grants Ranged(short) to the bearer
Intelligent(?)
The Archive
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
Allows Smoulderlings and Elephantites to be summoned
Of the interplay between bonemancy and lavashaping: Flaming skulls or smouldering corpses?
Grants [Wizard] units [deadslayer] ability
On the origin of Vulcanus by means of ethereal selection, and the sub splintering of the world crystal]/i]
Grants Cinders [Aftermath]
Allows construction of the Shardforge
Makes Vulcanus loyal
Diplomacy
Relations: Offended
Spy in place: Undetected (-1 silver piece / turn)
Military: 13 dice at 6+ strength all with [Armoured 1/2]
Trade route: +1 silver pieces / turn SUSPENDED DUE TO SIEGE
Sultan Ofan: New Thett, the merchant hub
Relations: Family
Spy in place: Undetected (-1 silver piece / turn)
Military: 18 dice at 7+ strength [13 currently besieging Caldeot]
Trade route: +1 silver pieces / turn
The Senate: Drome, the plague-ridden city state
Relations: Hatred of all wizardry
Nephroditi: The Bonemancer Wanderer
Relations: Business-like
Trade route: +2 silver pieces, +1 growth & +1 resource/ turn
Selin:The Silver-tongued Spirit-Weaver
Relations: Friendly
Tzo'lin: The Undying Pious servant of The Bound Giant
Relations: Hostile
Ingvar: The Instigator Mechano-Sage
Relations: Unknown
Talen: The other one
Axiom: The Fistcaster Loyalist
Summary
There was no time like the present to put the mana focus to use. Cinders placed the palm of one hand upon that smooth metallic orb and called forth the power it contained. The response was like a volcanic eruption. For a moment the lavashaper herself burst into flames and became a living elemental avatar. It was brief but exhilarating. Something she absolutely wished to try again in the neat future. The focus was working perfectly. Energy poured out without her even feeling the pull on her own identity that had been present before the focus was in place.
As she drew the power Cinders could feel a little more of the pieces of the Institute within the shard. And in doing so she found a strange absence. Instinctively she coiled around it and pulled. It came surprisingly easily. As the flow dwindled, Cinders reopened her eyes and looked down at the chunk of void she held. She knew exactly what it was. She had read about it back when she was an apprentice. Black lunacite, a remnant of the Dead Moon. She had not actually believed that it was real. It was a negative material and even now it resisted the lavashaper. Which was for the best, if it made real contact then it would rob Cinders of a good chunk of her own energy.
If a war was coming with her fellow mages, then this was a very potent weapon: For a few seconds it would nullify all of their abilities leaving them weak and useless.
[Drawing. Check passes +24 mana. Nobody loses any pieces of their soul!]
[Fortune event yields Black lunacite. In the next combat with an enemy wizard involving Cinders, the wizard does not roll any dice on the first round and suffers -1 on all rolls in the second round]
Cinders carried the little piece of nothingness up to her study. There she found her apprentice working quietly on some cantrip involving floating spheres of liquid. Misty was making excellent progress. Despite her dubious elemental affinity, the rainbringer was no longer a novice in any respect. Finally, Cinders had a true apprentice. And that meant it was time for Misty to start earning her keep. It was time to find a task for her.
The experience of training a second had started some internal processes within Cinders that were now producing their own crystalline output. It was obvious really - she could construct her own mages' college. Cinders did not need to create peers, she needed servants. And that was a much more straightforward proposition. A little rote learning and some minor injections of magic and she was sure she could train the peasants in the crudest forms of lavashaping. They wouldn't be true wizards but they would be able to wield magic in battle.
In Glassalia, a new construction was under way. A somewhat abstract construction of iron accented with flakes of glittering obsidian. It represented Cinders herself in her moment of triumph of over Axiom. A flat disc, Vulcanus, was held aloft ready to be driven down into the weaker mage. Not quite how it happened but a fitting tribute. Vulcanus himself seemed to enjoy it immensely and flitted this way and that around it as he admired his own image. Although he did appear to now be attempting to converse with the sculpture. While the living weapon was useful, he was not particularly smart.
Still, the statue was working. The latent mana of the villagers was being fed into her own reserves. A small trickle, but a steady one.
[Devotion constructed, +1 mana / turn]
A twitch in fate made her turn around. There was a vessel on the horizon. Her vessel. Cook was returning from Drome. She met her most trusted peasant on the stone pier as he clambered down the narrow gangplank with practised ease. She had even elected to allow Mitel to accompany her on a whim. Cinders was actually growing fond of the dim little man. Perhaps one day she would even find a use for him. Perhaps. Cook dropped to one knee before his master and waited in silence for permission to speak.
His news was not good. Drome was under quarantine and no boats, ships, yachts, skiffs, swimmers or canoes were being allowed in or out. The entirety of the Drome Royal Navy was ensuring that nothing could slip by. Cook had ordered the galleon alongside one of the perimeter ships and briefly spoken with the naval captain there. Plague had come to Drome and the population had been quite literally decimated in just a few days. A very strict border had rapidly been established once the King and the current senate had been evacuated. Rule was now coming from one of the city state's border forts to the north. The best physicians from all around were in attendance but as near as could be reasoned the only solution was to let the sickness burn itself out. The current speculation was that it would take at least one good winter to ensure all trace of the plague was gone.
Any person attempting to leave or enter the city was to be fired upon by the fleet. The fleet of Drome was not only large, it was very well equipped. While the galleon now owned by Cinders had a pair of small cannon for mostly ceremonial purposes, the weaponry on the assembled frigates was rather more serious looking. Cook had attempted bribery, both in an effort to bypass the cordon and to find any holes in it. He had come up short on both accounts. The best bet would be to decamp to a small rowing boat at night and attempt to weave through unseen. A practise not especially suited if Cinders wished to send any of her more attention-drawing minions along.
Worse still, the senate was being quite vocal in laying the blame for the outbreak with the witchcraft which had been reported on the southern continent. It was clear that Tzo'lin had managed to keep himself somewhat hidden somehow. There were only rumours around various bodysnatching practices, most of which seemed to suggest some cabal making a home in the old smuggling caves below Drome proper. Nephroditi was known to the ship's captain. By his account a 'carnival-witch' had been driven off from their gates by the Royal Guard. Drome did not tolerate the evils of magic. In fact it seemed that witchcraft had become a very popular crime, with dozens of public drownings taking place in recent weeks.
Wisely, Cook had not advertised his allegiance to Cinderella and had been allowed to return back from whence he came.
As she returned to Glassalia proper, word arrived from the spy in Caldeot. Several of the commanders within the Thetti army had been assassinated. It was just a few men but this was a hammerblow to the assembled mercenaries. The Order of the Drowned were preparing to make their own counter-attack. All inhabitants of the town were being armed in preparation regardless of military might or experience. A desperate move, but probably better than slowly being starved out.
On cue, a second message arrived. This came from Mitel's father. The Sultan was preparing to order his forces to end the siege and directly assault Caldeot. The message let Cinders know that the Sultan would be honoured if she would like to send any of her own forces to aid the effort. The messenger had not waited for a response before riding out.
[Caldeot seige will be resolved next turn with or without input from Cinders]
[Tzo'lin will destroy his crystal and reawaken his god on turn 35]
Decision Time
(A letter, a number, a symbol and your vote bonus)
Peasant action:
A: Build houses (shelter for 25 peasants) (costs 15 resources)
B: Build a farm (+20 food) (Costs 15 resources)
C: Build the College of Wizardry (allows magma cultists to be trained, +1 study / round) (costs 50 resources and 25 silver)
E: Scout the world [specify direction]
F: Go whaling (difficulty 5 to avoid losing 1d6 peasants, produces 5+1d6 silver pieces)
G: Train Glaivekin (2 dice, 7+ strength with [swarmfighting] and [ranged(short)]), costs 5 resources and 5 peasants)
H: Have the peasants work a double shift (produces 5+1d6 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 8: Success gains 4d8+4 mana, Failure is bad)
3: Accelerate the experiments (costs 3 mana to obtain +1d8 study)
4: Summon Smoulderlings (produces a [Smoulderling] unit, 4 dice, 6+ [Obscuring], costs 40 mana)
5: Summon an Elephantite (produces labour equivalent to 15 peasants, costs 30 mana and 1mana/turn)
6: Cast the spell of the statues (costs 100 mana)
7: Boil the lake to expose the drowned city (costs 100 mana)
8: Attack Caldeot/New Thett (choose one and specify units. If you're attacking Caldeot, specify which side you're fighting on)
9: Have your spy in Caldeot attempt to sabotage the town's defenses (difficulty 10)
10: Release the automaton and follow it to the tundra and Ingvar's reunion (specify units)
11: Attempt to discretely bypass Drome's blockade to find and end Tzo'lin (specify units)
12: Assault Drome's blockade, and then continue on into the city to find and destroy Tzo'lin (specify units)
13: Muse quietly on your throne
Misty speciality:
£: Destiny [+1 fortune / round]
$: Knowledge [+1 study / round]
%: Civics [+1 growth / round]
&: Terror [+1 dice]
8(Caldeot: with New Thett against Caldeot - All except both Glaivekin squads)
&
Fortune
We gave Caldeot an chance to swear us fealty in exchange for protection, even though New Thett gave us the hand of the first in line for the throne. I say we take them out, and return to plotting the early death of the current Sultan of New Thett.
As for the peasants, I don't particularly want to go back to double-shifting them, and we can build a college next turn with the resources already set to come in. I say we check off an exploration and see what it was.
Mojo, for Drome, is there no way we can sail to a point of land nearby and march to the city instead of trying to run the blockade?
E: Forgot to specify forces
8(Caldeot: with New Thett against Caldeot - All except both Glaivekin squads)
$
Fortune
8(Caldeot: with New Thett against Caldeot - All except both Glaivekin squads)
$
Fortune
8(Caldeot: with New Thett against Caldeot - All except both Glaivekin squads) $
Fortune
We gave Caldeot an chance to swear us fealty in exchange for protection, even though New Thett gave us the hand of the first in line for the throne. I say we take them out, and return to plotting the early death of the current Sultan of New Thett.-seconded
8(Caldeot: with New Thett against Caldeot - All except both Glaivekin squads) £
Fortune
Yep. You'll need to scout some of that coastline first though
Cool, we should probably do that tomorrow (since its just too late to change the votes today)