Turn 4.1 - Year 1 of the Zethean Calendar: Somewhere during the 2nd Month
ZETHE
Players: Eversor, Azarian, and Ashuri-Zagos.Distance is the distance from the Capital. Traveling in distant regions will consume supplies.Distance 0:---Latze Plain--- (Controlled)
---Greenvud Forests--- (Controlled)
---Parabes Mountain Range--- (Controlled)
Distance 1:---Ergant Forests--- (Neutral)
---Unnamed Swamps--- (Unknown)
---Unnamed Wasteland--- (Unknown)
---Several Unknown Regions--- (Unknown)
Distance 2:---Unnamed Coast--- (Unknown)
---Bamli Forest--- (Neutral)
---Swamps Nunsung--- (Neutral)
---Several Unknown Regions--- (Unknown)
Eversor the Animated Armor
Azarian the Thoughbeast
---Ergant Forests---
Savagery: High
Magic: Moderate
Dominant Group: Basilisks competing with Devourer Worms
Resources:
- Food
- Mana-rich Water
- Low Quality Wood
-"Fruits of Life" (Rumor)
-"Spring of healing water" (Rumor)
-"Silver Amber" (Rumor)
Special Location:
-None known
Joint Expedition: Ergant ForestsEversor nods, having heard Azarian's plan. "It shall be done."
Once his warriors are ready to move, Eversor will march with Azarian to the Undine's Spring to make sure its inhabitants are safe.
"Such a compromise can be reached. Pick who you will send as an envoy to the king to finish working out the terms, and I will take them to meet the king."
having no reason not to trust them for now, Azarian would request an envoy from them for the return trip to Zethe once the month was over
planning with Eversor
"The basilisk tribes local to the forest are willing to take a diplomatic approach to things, but I would like to ensure the safety of a group of Undine inhabiting a spring in their territory. If you would go forth and secure them safe passage for evacuation, the battle against the devourer worms shall be a simple task of subjugation afterwards."
Protecting the Undine
Azarian would go to see the spring that the Undine were inhabiting, if any of them still lived. Evacuating them would be the priority lest their contributions be completely nullified by their extinction from the forests. He brings the controlled devourer worm with him to use as a defender for himself and any forces eversor designated to aid him.
Expedition: Undine Protection and EvacuationEversor: Force projection and intimidationDifficulty: a Hard Task (difficulty 12)
Trait Used: Bone-Chilling Aura (+2)
Bonus:
- Azarian's Prior Investigation (+2)
- Undead Corps (+1)
Attribute used: Strength (4)
Roll [5d6]: [17] + 5 -Success-
Using the paths scouted by Azarian's intelligence corps, the undead troops under the command of Eversor reached the Undine's Spring in a swift and efficient manner, cutting down any hostile obstacle foolish enough to block their path. Eversor and Azarian thus arrived to the desolate and abandonned Spring of the Undine which the Basilisks had retreated from in a hurry, honoring their word. Here was waiting the familiar Undine that Azarian had rescued several days prior, along with a group of its brethren who had returned upon hearing the Basilisk had left: Azarian had contacted them earlier to offer them Zethe's protection, which they accepted unconditionally.
Only amounting a dozen, they were the only survivors who escaped during the Basilisk attack.
Protected by Eversor and his warriors as well as the ever-watching agents of Azarian, the Undine were moved to a safer place without a hitch. Neither the Basilisks nor the Devourer Worms manifested themselves during this operation, too intimidated by this unknown undead force which appeared all of a sudden. The animated armor and the thoughtbeast were unanimous, however: this would not last, and the threatened groups would manifest themselves soon enough.
+ Special Location added: Undine Springs
+ Undines rescued
Azarian Diplomacy (Mission): Basilisk EnvoyThe emerald scaled Basilisk accepted the proposition, still trembling from the pressure of your magic.
"It will be done, we will send you an envoy in the coming days."[This Mission will be resumed at the end of the 2nd Month]
Command Slots: 3/3 [No Morale Penalty]
- Eversor's 1st Skeletal Soldiers Battalion (1CP)
- Eversor's Elder Undead Survivors Squad (1CP)
- Eversor's Forlorn Undead Knights Squad (1CP)
Command Slots: 0/3
Control Slots: 0/4
Away on leave time:
- Azarian's Harpy Reconnaissance Squad (1CP)
- Azarian's Flying Occuli Surveillance Squad (1CP)
- Azarian's Parabes Mountain Ogres Squad (1CP)
Ashuri-Zagos
---Zethe: Fortress-Capital Tartarus---
Savagery: Medium
Magic: Medium
Dominant Group: None
Resources:
- Rare Ores (Nigredine, Albedine)
- Rare Plants (Cleridea)
- Mana
- Stone
Points of interests:
- Fortress-Capital Tartarus: an ancient fortress carved inside the mountain.
- Underground Ruins (Labyrinth, 3 levels unlocked): the vast underground complex sleeping underneath Tartarus.
- Cleridea Field: a hidden flower field at the peak of one of the mountains.
- Temple to Ruen: a hidden temple in the Cleridea Field, dedicated to an unknown god.
Ashuri-Zagos pushes on! Needing neither food nor sleep, the awe of this fledgling nation is enough sustain the Bronze Lord's inorganic vessel. His spark burning bright in the face of their hopes and dreams, for this is but the first of the many wonders that Ashuri-Zagos will gift upon the nation of Zethe! However, he makes sure to not get to lost in plans of the future, the journey of a thousand steps begins with one, and the first step is nearly complete.
Ongoing Project (Mission): All roads lead to TartarusDifficulty: a Very Hard Task
Attribute Used: Intelligence (2) and Leadership (1)
Bonus: Inspired Workers (+1)
Project Progress: 12/20 (Phase 3)
Next Milestone: 20
Roll [4d6]: [9] + 1
20: Third Milestone reached. Phase 3 completed. Project Completed!It is said that in the final days of the project, one could see a burning flame in the eyes and movements of all those involved. This was the first series of events that would eventually give birth to the Zethean idiom "To have bronze hands and flaming eyes" used to tell of someone they work with passion and can overcome any challenge.
To complete the project, Ashuri-Zagos taught to the Zetheans of the way to turn earth and water into stone through simple alchemical processes. The dirt roads toward Latze, Parabes and Grenvud thus progressively turned into paved roads, allowing for an incredible ease of movement between the regions and pushing forward the development outside the capital.
For his incredible feat, a great feast was scheduled for the end of the month. And before that, the King of Zethe himself summoned Ashuri-Zagos to congratulate them and speak of the future of Zethe.Project Progress:Phase 1: 20/20 Phase 2: 20/20Phase 3: 20/20Zethean Paved Highways completed
Opportunity: Suggested Assistance (Continued)You got to know more about your three promising aides during the times spent working and learning together. They were known among the workers as the Bronze Disciples.
For the Nameless Wasp, her time spent with you and the others had been enlightening and helped her develop a proper sense of individuality which she started to acquire after leaving her distant colony. She asked that you give her a name, you who she looked up to the most. It also seemed the Wasp was a rare individual among her species whose role was to accumulate knowledge and learn for her colony. With her perfect memory and handling of numbers she had worked as your accountant, never missing a single grain from her reports.
Edzuin-Yoof showed levels of empathy rarely found among the fierce Bartoros, and the way she could resolve conflicts made her an excellent candidate at management. The units put under her charge showed the greatest results without negatively impacting the health of the workers as her mere presence motivated others to surpass themselves.
The Nameless Golem had taken upon the name of Strange, after repeatedly being told "You are strange" by his coworkers. Indeed the Clay Golem Strange thought in bizarre ways, his mind working very differently from others. His outlook on everything was outlandish and puzzling, but he always found a solution to the problems he faced. He often mused about philosophical topics, and it was always a pleasure to converse with him.
Command Slots: 3
- None yet
Aides:
- Nameless wasp-like monster
- Edzuin-Yoof, Bartoros
- Strange, Clay golem
RAIRANOS
Player: NevermoreDistance is the distance from the Capital. Traveling in distant regions will consume supplies.Distance 0:---Dragon's Spine Mountain Range--- (Controlled)
Distance 1:---Gurmong, Land of Spears and Rifts--- (Neutral)
---Outer Mountains of Rairanos--- (Neutral)
Distance 2:---Onduum, the Greater Rift--- (Unknown)
---Several Unknown Regions--- (Unknown)
---Cenegreons, the Scorched Hills--- (Unknown)
Distance 3:---Gerus, the Gigantic Nation--- (Hostile)
---Several Unknown Regions--- (Unknown)
---Racles Villages--- (No Contact)
[/quote]
Nevermore the Ravenfolk Lich
---Dragon's Spine Mountain Range---
Savagery: High
Magic: Medium
Dominant Group: Dragons
Resources:
- Ores
Points of interests:
- Dragon Graveyard: the resting place of the Dragons of lesser stature.
”Jotul I think it’s time for the Dragon King to see my citadel and to show him I am worthy to be a Honorary Dragon, he’ll even be pleased to see his traitorous son and becoming a trophy in the fortress. I want to talk a bit about philosophy since your an incredibly powerful magical user like myself, the talk of always eventually and inescapable death. You see I understand all Dragons have a value that they never want to die, the desire of immortality. Becoming a Lich was an effort to circumvent death but I have seen a new light, the destruction of all life.
While currently that is fixated on Mortals and monsters who challenge the kingdom of Rairanos, this unique form of hatred even though I have lost the ability to express emotions had made me become like the Reaper when interacting with the living, the hatred of seeing mortals think they have control over themselves and to think their civilizations will endure the test of time. Call it the Nihilism in me. I understand however if you want to keep the mortals and lesser monsters as slaves to the draconic kingdom.
As for a request, I’d like to see you utilize your magical powers in the creation of the a teleportation circle between the Bone Keep and Mount Rairanos, powerful enough to transport dragons. For the ease of quick transportation and to bring the Dragon King here. You are always welcomed to stay here if needed.
One last mention, but I would also like to visit your lair, the reason to see how powerful you are and what I could bring to add to your hoard. A comparison of power I think would be fair.”
Request Jotul to create a teleportation circle, if busy at least a request for the Dragon King to come to Bone’s Keep, between the Bone’s Keep and Mount Rairanos for the circles. As well as permission for a visit to his lair at a later time.
Work on raising the dragons with magical energy, but when doing so make them more… aware and self-autonomy compared to the rest. Fill them with the hatred of living targets that aren’t dragons, as well the magic for them to shoot a breath of necromantic energy that burns flesh/a absorbs the creatures soul. The lesser dragons will help as physical laborers as needed.
Opportunity: Necromancers Philosophies
You conversed and debated with Jotul for hours without break until eventually the sun was starting to set on Bone's Keep. This was the first time the two of you had such an deep and long conversation, and for you how long had it been since you spoke to such lengths with a kindred soul? Although Jotul didn't share you visceral hate for all life, his views weren't incompatible with yours.
"I believe that all necromancers are motivated by a desire to surpass life and its limitations. This is not something the others understand, isn't it? Whether they are a Dragon or a Giant, their eyes are all clouded by their own husk of flesh... Although I do not hate life as much as you do, I do despise it. I always did, though I first I merely pitied it... but ever since I surpassed my own flesh I realized what a curse life was instead. In that sense yes, all life would be better off eradicated and replaced by a new way to surpass the old."The Black Dragon looked at the skull of the fallen Dragon Prince.
"Although it would be all for naught if we ended up like this fool. Our kin must still act obediently to the living who surpass us in numbers and power. For now at least. Ah someday... hmm, I never really told anyone that, but I dream of a true kingdom beyond life. An eternal kingdom of immortals, no matter their race or provenance. I am unlike the other foolish Dragons whose arrogance blind them to the talent and potential of races they will look down and call lesser. Arrogant fools all, there were times I was ashamed to have been born a Dragon."Thinking about something, Jotul suggested you do not show the skull.
"It may be better to keep this skull hidden away. The Dragon King could see this as a sign of defiance, especially since the Royals don't want to be reminded of the existence of this failure of a prince."Then hearing from your various requests, he nodded. He would try to do something about the Dragon King and see that a teleportation circle be carved to connect Bone's Keep to Mount Rairanos.
"I never did show you my lair didn't I? How rude of me, let me amend my mistake right away!"Opportunity: Jotul's Lair
Jotul took you to his lair, hidden away in a split mountain of the Dragon's Spine a fair distance away from Mount Rairanos. In a great cave bathing in a pale violet light emanating from great torches of magical flames was hidden a great crypt overseen by the statues of two massive dragons.
"Welcome to my humble abode. I found this secluded crypt when my scales were still pink and merely restored it. It was a long time ago."As expected of the base of operations of a great Dragon, the hallways and rooms were massive in size, dwarfing the Bone's Keep already extravagantly large interiors. The vast majority of these rooms went unused, and the tombs of its occupants had not been desecrated. Deeper in the amenaged crypt were rooms used by Jotul to experiment. He unveiled to you in a room filled with dense magic a great Dragon corpse the size of Jotul held in an acceptable position by some magic. Upon closer inspection, the corpse was in a state of deep sleep.
"Where you specialized in the raising of the dead and the manipulation of the soul, I specialized in the limits of life and the nature of death in order to obtain an undying and invincible body. What you can see here is the result of my works, a vessel to house my immortal soul. Although this one is inferior to my current body, it is still quite capable but did it take a long time to grow."Still strolling in the vast hallways, Jotul expanded a bit on the nature of his necromancy.
"The core of my magic is to use life or unlife as a fuel to force my target in my preferred direction. At first I could only use the life of others, but not so long after I learnt how to do the same with unlife: the two forces are very similar in nature after all."He conjured a dark purple flame from his fingertips.
"My own flames, which I honed for warfare until my breath could burn at the very life or unlife of my enemies. The Giants call it the Decaying Flames, which I am very proud of. Its principle lies in the nature of dragon breath combined with my necromantic arts."Putting out the flame with a snap, Jotul turned toward you.
"I hope I could show something interesting. Being specialized in eradication, I never really took the time to focus on raising or creating much apart from the a better body."Magical Project: Improved Undead Dragons
Difficulty: a Hard Task
Attribute Used: Magic (4)
Skill Used: Master Necromancer (+2)
Roll [5d6]: [23] + 2
[Phase 1 skipped by using Dragon Husks]
[12: Milestone reached]
[Phase 2 completed]
Using the Dragon Husks as a base, you kept trying to improve the risen Dragons. You wanted something greater, stronger. It needed to be cunning, to possess the breath of the Dragons, all the while hating all forms of life. Energy consumption be damned, you first wanted to see how far you could push these meager bones. After much sleepless days (not like you needed sleep) and trial and error, you managed to rise your first prototype of an Undead Dragon.
Taking inspiration from Jotul's breath, you had granted it a necromantic breath able to damage the living. Although a pale imitation, it was still quite effective. And as planned, the first Undead Dragon was filled with bottomless hate for the living. It seemed to cloud their limited judgement at times, but they could overall function without always needing orders unlike the Lesser Dragon Husks.
Needless to say, this Undead Dragon's energy consumption was ten times that of a Husk.
Nevermore has raised an Undead Dragon (Prototype)!
Undead Dragon Squad
Command Points: 2 (Reduced to 1 for Nevermore)
Upkeep: Unlife energy+
Size: o
Integrity: o o o o
Morale: o o
Combat Rating: 10
Special Traits:
[Autonomous Raised Undead] - Unable to fight without an Upkeep source
[Hate of all life] - Will never rout against living beings
Special Abilities:
[Necromantic Breath] - +2 Combat Rating against living beings
Project Progress:
Phase 1: 12/12 (Husks)
Phase 2: 12/12 (Improved Undead Dragons)
Command Slots: 1/3
- Lesser Dragon Husks Squad (1CP)
UNNAMED SLIME HIVEMIND
Player: It that OozesDistance is the distance from the Capital. Traveling in distant regions will consume supplies.Distance 0:---Unknown potentially forested region--- (Unknown)
It that Oozes
---The Slime Swamps---
Savagery: High
Magic: Low
Dominant Group: Slimes
Resources: None known
Points of interests:
- The Breeding Pool: the place of the swamp where slime to water ratio is the highest.
It that Oozes
It that Oozes decided to distance itself from the voice for the time being. While it was of interest, its thoughts seemed to be fundamentally different from what It that Oozes was accustomed to. Perhaps it should try again at a later time when it learns a bit more about things like emotions. In the meantime, It that Oozes had something that vaguely resembled an empire to attend to.
What really had It that Oozes suspicious, was the fact that the newer iteration of itself was left out of the conversation. This indicated that the voice was not, in fact, part of the hivemind!
---Neighbouring Forest Colonization---
The Neighbouring Forest area seemed like an obvious place to try expanding to. It had the food, and while already inhabited, the locals did not pose a danger; or at least not a large enough danger to register as a problem.
The forces that would be committed to this task would be one Slime Battalion, and the second iteration of It that Oozes. The second iteration is to be given full authority over the battalion, and may return whenever it deems it appropriate to do so. The objectives for this mission would be:
- Establish a functional breeding pool, or discover a reason why one should not be established.
- Additional scouting of the region.
- Determine how well Major Slime Nodes can communicate with eachother while 1 region apart. It didn't work with ordinary slimes, but a Major Node might be a different story.
- Provide opportunities for slimes to differentiate into variants beneficial for survival in a forested region.
---Slime 'Recruitment'---
The Slime Relay squad performed sufficiently in its first scouting mission. It that Oozes wanted to have at least one more squad of such slimes for the purpose of scouting additional territories. In addition to this, it was likely that the slimes would have a permanent presence in the Neighbouring Forest. This meant that it would be viable to increase the population at the Swamps; as it was still able to support a Legion. The goals for the current turn 'recruitment drive' would be:
- Develop a second Slime Relay Squad.
- Develop an additional squad worth of normal slimes.
---Differentiation---
The Runner Slime Squad appeared to be a slight improvement over the standard slime. It was unclear if it still had the same potential to differentiate further or not. One Squad worth of slimes would be differentiated to Runner Slimes.
The Macrophage Blob variant was a bit more dubious. While the combat advantages were clear, it seemed twice as hard to control and four times as hard to feed than the standard variants. This did not seem like it would be immediately useful.
The Merger Slime Squad appeared to be mostly unsuited for combat, but the idea of a slime superstructure was a novel one, which gave It that Oozes an idea so One Squad worth of slimes would be differentiated to Merger Slimes
---Protoslime Commander X Merger Slime Experiment---
The Protoslime experiment did not progress to the point where it could produce a viable Hivemind Node, but it did produce multiple slimes with somewhat increased mental potential. Perhaps they could be consolidated? It that Oozes would try gathering up the Protoslime Commanders and assemble the Merger Slime Squad to create a sort of 'shell' around a group of them and connect them to eachother. It that Oozes wasn't sure this would work, but it was worth a try.
Opportunity: A Call from the Hivemind
Snapping back to reality, you decided to ignore the voice for now. There was too much you didn't know, and you had Slimes to manage!
---Neighbouring Forest Colonization---
Once the scouting team had returned, you convened with yourself to work toward the next step of the plan. The Other that Oozes assumed direct control of a Slime Battalion and left for the Neighbouring Forest.
Further Scouting
Difficulty: an Easy Task (4)
Attribute Used: Intelligence (0)
Traits Used: None
Bonus: Battalion +1
Roll [1d6]: [2]+1
The Other that Oozes started gathering information about the Neighouring Forest as soon as it had reached it with the battalion. Whether it was a good or bad thing, no new information of interest was discovered. Maybe this location had already given up all its secrets, or maybe you needed to explore more. The Slimes did make some mildly bad encounters with wild beasts, but nothing a wave of slimy death couldn't overcome.
The connection with the Other that Oozes was pristine and perfect, but you started noticing that being far away from you, the Other that Oozes was slowly starting to truly be an Other as it saw and experimented things you didn't. You made a mental note for this.
---Neighbouring Forest---
Savagery: Medium
Magic: Unknown
Dominant Group: Unknown
Resources:
-Yummy Fruits
Special Location:
-None known
Recruitment: Slime Differentiations
In this round of slime differentiations, you first directed the winning slimes to differentiate a Merger Slime Squad. You had plans for them already, and set them to work.
It that Oozes acquired 1 Merger Slime SquadMerger Slime Squad
Command Points: 1 (Reduced to 1 for It that Oozes)
Upkeep: Food-
Size: o
Integrity: o o o
Morale: x
Combat Rating: 1
Special Traits:
[Hivemind]
[Mindless] - No morale
[Slow Metabolism] - Reduced Food upkeep
Special Abilities: None
Controlled Differentiation:
Difficulty: a Hard Task
Attribute Used: Leadership (4)
Trait Used: Slime Hivemind Major Node (+2)
Roll [5d6]: [16] + 2
[12: Milestone reached]
Satisfied with the results of the Slime Relay Squad, you directed the differentiation of new undifferentiated slimes into a second Slime Relay Squad.
It that Oozes acquired 1 Slime Relay SquadRight as you needed it, the breeding pool bubbled and an entire Slime Squad emerged, fresh and slimy.
It that Oozes acquired 1 Slime SquadExperiment: Protoslime Commander X Merger Slime Experiment
In an attempt to create a Hivemind Node, It that Oozes gathered the Protoslime Commanders together and put them in an incubation state within a superstructure formed by the Merger Slime Squad. The incubating ball of slimes was left to its own device, and it would take several weeks before something worthy of note would occur...
[Results will appear at the End of the Month]
Command Slots: 8/9
- Slime Regiment (3CP)
- 1st Slime Squad (1CP)
- 2nd Slime Squad (1CP)
- 3rd Slime Squad (1CP)
- 1st Slime Relay Squad (1CP)
- 2nd Slime Relay Squad (1CP)
(Special)
- Protoslime Commander
- Merger Slime Squad (1CP)
Command Slots: 1/9
- Slime Battalion (1CP)
SHALFAR
Player: AeonDistance is the distance from the Capital. Traveling in distant regions will consume supplies.Distance 0:---Mirage Valley of Shalfar--- (Controlled)
Aeon the Phantom Beast
---The Mirage Valley of Shalfar---
Savagery: Civilized
Magic: High
Dominant Group: Djinns and Scorpidians
Resources:
- Food (Fruits)
- Mana
Points of interests:
- The Palace of the Scorpidians: the luxurious and extravagant palace of the Scorpidians.
- The Gold Spring: a spring from which comes forth golden magical water, rich in magic and said to grant longevity.
(Ouch, todays dice rolls have been horrid.)
Nothing Here. I suppose I should investigate the orange spring next, assuming this Agent of Drought didn't dry it before they left.
Aeon climbs out of the hole to look into it. It's a question of if this trip was a complete wash.
Investigation (Mission): The Pool of Pale Orange Water
Difficulty: an Easy Task
Attribute Used: Magic (2)
Trait Used: None
Roll [3d6]: [16]
[4: Milestone reached]
[8: Bonus Milestone reached]
[12: Bonus Milestone reached]
Bonus Luck Roll: [2] -Passable-
Bonus Luck Roll: [2] -Passable-
Quite unsurprisingly, the pool was now gone after the passage of Drought whose magic lingered still. You cusped the orange sand, letting it flow back to the ground. There was truly nothing left here of interest.
[Opportunity: Panic at Shalfar]
You returned to the inner areas of the Mirage Valley which had been overtaken by a storm of panic as all springs had suddenly ran dry. Distraught Djinns and Scorpidians attempted to dig new wells, but their futile actions never seemed to bear fruits. From afar you could see even the ducts of the Scorpidian Palace had run dry, a neverseen before sight.
You wondered, was the Gold Spring also affected by the passage of Drought?
Command Slots: 0/1
None for now
Author
Topic: Rise of the Monstrous Kingdoms (Read 8877 times)