Battle Phase
Turn 6 BattleThis season is a grand success led by our hero, Lady Adiva and the might of our generals. The fortifications produced by our Earthmover's Order helping to deal with many difficulties we have been suffering from. That is the good news, which brings us to the problems of the new equipment deployed by the Loji.
The greatswords of the enemy are composed of magic from at least two different systems. Likely Chanting and something else. They cut with unsurpassed weight through anything we can put in their way. Glancing blows have a tendency to propel what is struck away with greater violence than can be explained by simple weight. If the Jarls did not fight alone there is little hope we could match them in close quarters. Perhaps worse, the new shields their army is equipped with show a similar level of enchantment. In a more traditional fight, we would have been shoved easily from the field.
Finally, the armour and coordination displayed by their rank and file allowed them to shrug off the effects of our Dreadmonks until their plans could be thrown into disarray. We must expect that the Dreadmonks role will be largely relegated to strikes from ambush and for chasing away an already defeated foe.
It is now Winter, Turn 7
Discovery Phase| Loji(0/4) [+2 Mana] |
| Foothills(0/4) | Fields(0/4) |
| Low Passes(0/4) | Forested Hills(0/4) | Forest(0/4) |
| Arcanis(0/4) [+1 Ore] | | | Jungle(2/4) [+1 Mana Suppressed, Regrowth 3] |
| High Passes(4/4) [+1 Ore] | Hills(2/4) | Forest(4/4) |
| Mountains(4/4) [+1 Ore] | Savannah(4/4) |
| Iqua(4/4) [+2 Mana] |
Resources: Land 3, Ore 2, Mana 2, 1 Hint Token
Iqua: Land 1, Mana 2
Savannah: Land 1 (Weather Suppression 4, Regrowth 3)
Mountains: Ore 1, Drilling 1
Forest: Land 1
High Passes: Ore 1
Rune Skills are a measure of your nation’s understanding of the Runes. They are measured as Unskilled, Apprentice, Adept and Master. You cannot make use of Meanings or Elements until you have at least an Apprentice level understanding of them.
Simple Meaning
Ward - Apprentice
Form - Mastery - Mana Discount, Life
Attack - Adept - Mana Discount
Shape - Apprentice
Control - Apprentice
Complex Meaning
Life - Apprentice
Terrestrial Element
Water - Mastery - Alchemy, Shadow
Wood - Apprentice
Air - Adept - Chanting
Fire - Apprentice
Earth - Mastery - Geomancy (Path to Golems), Primal
Celestial Element
Shadow - Apprentice
Primal - Unskilled
Discoveries are magical effects you have discovered that you can put to practical use inside Designs.
Alchemy
Ward(Wood), Form(Water), Attack(Air) - Swan’s Black Blood
A poison that attacks the blood of the victim, making them more susceptible to bleeding as their blood does not clot properly.
(Water Mastery) This poison produces an excess of the Water Element.
(Form Mastery) The use of the Form Meaning governs the blood.
Ward(Earth), Form(Water), Attack(Fire) - Black Dragon’s Lethargy
A poison that attacks the blood of the victim, devouring their vitality. Victims are fatigued for the months it takes to make a full recovery.
(Water Mastery) This poison produces an excess of the Water Element.
(Earth Mastery) In combination with the second Rune this poison attacks the Fire Element.
(Form Mastery) The use of the Form Meaning governs the blood.
Shape(Earth), Form(Earth), Ward(Earth) - Earth Elemental’s Fortifying Elixir
This white elixir aligns the blood of the drinker with the element of Earth. A chanter who drinks this elixir, will find it easier to manipulate Earth mana when speaking. This should allow them to speak Earth aligned chants for longer before exhaustion becomes a problem.
(Earth Mastery) 1st+2nd Rune combination has Primal side effects. 2nd Rune Earth alignment makes it easier to chant due to blood being targeted. 3rd Rune associated with Elementals.
(Form Mastery) The use of the Form Meaning governs the blood.
Form(Wood), Form(Fire), Form(Shadow) - Green Ghost Flame Paint
This recipe congealed into a liquid that gradually dries out storing its mana for later use. The green paint never stops burning with a ghostly flame of the same colour.
(Form Mastery) The nature of this paint is largely driven by element order, with Shadow being related to Ghosts.
Ward(Earth), Form(Water), Ward(Fire) - Black Dragon’s Coursing Elixir
An elixir that aligns the imbriber’s blood with the Water element. The drinker will be filled with vitality, becoming more energetic and less affected by things that would sap their energy.
This elixir cures and protects against Black Dragon’s Lethargy.
(Water Mastery) The Water element in this position causes this elixir to align the drinker with the Water element.
(Earth Mastery) 1st+2nd Rune combination has Fire side effects.
(Form Mastery) The use of the Form Meaning governs the blood.
Ward(Fire), Form(Earth), Life(Water) - Blood Hydra’s Recovery Potion
A potion that flushes the drinker with regenerative energy. Wounds will close more rapidly and the drinker will be able to sustain larger amounts of blood loss before an injury becomes serious.
(Water Mastery) This element affects the nature of the entity associated with the recipe. Water calls to Leviathan creatures of our legends.
(Earth Mastery) Earth blood assists with clotting.
(Form Mastery) The use of the Form Meaning governs the blood.
Wood->Air - Fizzle (Froth)
Earth->Fire - Fizzle (Sets)
Alchemy Secrets
Records - The use of alchemy to record a chant for later speaking.
Using alchemical paint it is possible to contain the meaning and element behind a chant in a written form. Those who read the symbols out loud, can draw the magic of the paint into themselves forming the chant set down in the record. Writing records of a particular chant requires access to one or more paints that can represent the elemental makeup of the chant.
Recordable Elements: Wood, Fire, Shadow
Scrolls - The use of alchemy to create a spell for later casting. Uses alchemical paint.
Spell Elements: Wood, Fire, Shadow
Spell Engine - The use of alchemy to activate a spell without the presence of a caster. Requires an alchemical recipe that matches in some way with the spell circle to be used.
Chants
Ward(Wood), Form(Air), Attack(Shadow) - Reinforcement of Cutting
This chant grants a target enhanced ability to cut for the duration of a battle. This supernatural sharpness can render a punch capable of stabbing holes in an enemy. Wielding an already sharp blade such an individual could cleave through armour.
(Form Mastery) The Form Meaning has no effect here.
Attack(Wood), Control(Fire), Form(Shadow) - Reinforcement of Fear
This chant inflicts a target with fear. This supernatural fear will cause the target to run from danger or otherwise cower in fright. As the fear is only inflicted on a single target, we suspect that this chant would be very exhausting to use on the battlefield.
(Form Mastery) The Form Meaning has no effect here.
Control(Earth), Ward(Earth), Shape(Water) - Spike of Mud
A chant that concentrates mud into a spike before projecting it forwards away from the speaker. The hardened mud has some amount of mass behind it and thus is capable of causing damage on impact. Once it has struck the target the spike breaks, spreading mud all around the target area.
(Earth Mastery) Spike can be concentrated for a more piercing impact.
Form(Earth), Attack(Earth), Ward(Earth) - Spike
Speaking the pure Earth Element allows the earth itself to rise up as spikes. The spikes are permanent changes to the ground the chant influences. The ground affected extends forward in a line to medium range.
(Earth Mastery) Can reshape the earth to take any spikey form.
(Form Mastery) The Form Meaning enables this Chant to be combined with other chants. See the Chain-Chant Secret.
Chanting Secrets
Elemental Distillation - The use of chanting to enhance the alchemy process by using the correct set of words.
Using a chant with matching Elements to a known Alchemical recipe enables a different recipe to be imbued with both associated powers at the cost of double the expenditure of mana.
Available Distillations
Reinforcement of Fear->Green Ghost Flame Paint
Spike->Earth Elemental’s Fortifying Elixir
Chain-Chant - The art of chaining chants to allow a chanter access to multiple chants. Requires the use of the Form Meaning at the start of each Chant after the first.
Chanted Spells - The careful application of Meaning to a chant to transmute it into a Spell. Requires a spell and matching chant with all Meanings to be at least at the Adept level.
Geomancy
Form - Ignitor
Attack - Terminator
Ward - Terminator
Form(Wood), Ward(Shadow), Attack(Fire) - Blooming Shadow turns to ash.
Creates a static shield of darkness blocking line of sight.
Third Rune fizzles.
Form(Earth), Attack(Earth), Shape(Water) - Crushing Hand, turns to mud
The spell circle rumbles as the earth shakes. A great hand raises from below and grasps the caster before tightening its grip.
Third Rune fizzles
Earth Mastery
Form(Earth) builds the effect at the activation point, in this case the spell circle. Spare mana strengthens the spell.
Attack(Earth) delivers a blunt attack at the position the spell is located.
Water Mastery
Shape(Water) ought to have transformed the effect into something resembling rain.
Geomancy Secrets
Chain-Spell - The art of chaining spells together to create a more complicated whole. Requires the use of the Form Meaning at the start of each spell after the first.
Lady Adiva Shrivastava (d4), Experience: 10
Daughter of the Noble House of Shrivastava, an upstart family by the standards of those who claim to descend from the time of the first Goddess War. Adiva has earned her place in the officer core with skilled leadership as an archer, setting an inspiring example for those who follow her.
Elite Units
Blademonks: An order of chanters dedicated to calm contemplation of the Reinforcement of Cutting chant and its use in battle through the use of their blades. They have mastered the use of their chant to cut only what they wish cut.
Dreadmonks: An order of chanters dedicated to mastery of the Reinforcement of Fear chant and its use in battle with the aid of their terrifying masks. Some of those who pass the trials these monks test themselves with possess a berserk strength and suicidal resolve, choosing to fight on the frontlines as inspiration for their allies.
Mire Monks: An order of chanters dedicated to the mastery of Spike of Mud in combination with Black Dragon’s Lethargy to splatter their enemies with poison. They are filled with a relentless energy always active and moving.
Earthmover's Order: Dressed in simple white robes, this order of chanters are dedicated to the Spike chant and the many ways it can be used to prepare the battlefield to give the best advantage to their allies as well as themselves.
Mundane Equipment
Sabre: A single-edged blade that favours cavalry combat over infantry combat. Requires training to wield, one-handed.
Cheap (Land 2, Ore 2)
Spear: Essentially a dagger on a long stick. Very cheap, requires minimal training to use. Can be used double-handed, or single handed with a shield.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1)
Pike: A longer spear, the butt has a bronze spike for embedding in the ground when defending against a cavalry charge. The pike is best wielded two-handed without a shield. This design is well balanced with a leaf-shaped blade of iron.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1)
Hands-Free Hardened Shield: A smaller shield with a metal spike in the centre. It has a strap that allows the shield to be hung around the neck and handled a little with the shoulder. This allows it to be used by soldiers whose hands are otherwise occupied with two-handed weapons.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1)
Padded Armour: Very cheap, just layers of cloth, but doesn't protect against much. Well ventilated in hot conditions.
Cheap (Land 1)
Songbow: A medium bow with draw strength greater than our normal composite bows. They are not practical to use while riding a mount.
Cheap (Land 2)
War Horn: A musical instrument made from a ram’s horn used to communicate over a distance. Used to deliver orders and sound the alarm in the event of an attack.
Cheap (Land 1)
Saddle + Bridle: Equipment for riding beasts of burden. Unfortunately, with the lack of horses on the island, this has limited utility.
Cheap (Land 2)
Magical Equipment
Symphony Quiver: These quivers contain a variety of arrows each envenomed with a poison known to the Iqua.
Swan’s Song Arrows: Wounds inflicted take longer to heal.
Dragon’s Song Arrows: Victims are sapped of energy, running short on stamina.
Expensive (Land 1, Mana 3)
Swan Pike: A pike with a poisonous blade. The venom is a milder version of the Swan’s Black Blood used by the Swan’s Song Arrow. Notably the blade flexes a little, allowing it to cause wounds even when the blade is blocked.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1, Mana 1)
Dragon Pike: A pike with a poisonous blade. The venom is a milder version of the Black Dragon’s Lethargy used by the Dragon’s Song Arrow. Notably the blade flexes a little, allowing it to cause wounds even when the blade is blocked.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1, Mana 1)
Flamequencher Cloak: This dull black cloak is tainted with Black Dragon’s Lethargy. It is able to provide some limited additional protection against arrows and bolts. The primary value of the cloak is that it protects against fire.
Cheap (Land 1, Mana 1)
Moonlight Sabre: Compared to the traditional sabre, this one has a longer blade and a hand and a half grip allowing it to be wielded one or two handed. It is made of iron that has been dipped in Earth Elemental’s Fortifying Elixir. This has turned the metal white and hardened it comparably to steel.
Cheap (Land 2, Ore 2, Mana 2)
Living Bloodblade: When drawn these blood red greatswords are in constant motion, there bearer’s filled with restless energy. As they master blade’s fighting style their blows grow ever more vicious and relentless.
Very Expensive (Land 2, Ore 3, Mana 5)
Moonlight Chainmail: Interlinked riveted iron hoops that have been dipped in Earth Elemental’s Fortifying Elixir. Very effective against most weapons.
Cheap (Land 2, Ore 2, Mana 2)
Scroll of Fear: Words written in ghostly green flame enable any individual to speak the Reinforcement of Fear chant for a season. These scrolls are passed out to the soldiers of Iqua.
Cheap (Land 1, Mana 0)
Scroll of Blooming Shadows: A single use scroll that can be unfurled into a mat. It bears a circle made of words in ghostly green flame. Once activated a black flower blooms covering the area in darkness.
Cheap (Land 1, Mana 3)
Marching Brew
A black elixir that glows malevolently darkening room a little in close proximity to it. Our troops love it. This elixir aligns the drinker with water and fills them with vitality.
Cheap (Land 1, Mana 2)
Healing Brew v2
A blood red potion that speeds healing, but does nothing for scars. Soldiers take it on the battlefield to recover from injury.
Cheap (Land 1, Mana 2)
Midnight Shield: A more fire resistant version of the standard shield it has more or less replaced it in use by our soldiers.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1, Mana 2)
Chanter’s Sanctuary: A retreat that is the center of learning for the Blademonks, a place of calm contemplation away from the normal concerns of everyday life. Here the Blademonks focus on the twin mastery of blade and cutting chant. An act hindered only by their lack of worthy blades and the fearsome cutting power of their chant.
National Expense - Infrastructure
Civil Mageineering Corps: A gathering of non-combat trained chanters who contribute to the war effort by drilling for ore with the aid of chanting and alchemy.
National Expense - Selectable Infrastructure (Applies a Drilling value to a selected location, takes four turns to produce a result.)
Author
Topic: Rune Race: Iqua Thread (Read 16811 times)