Lady Zirae spends the season studying Space/Time magic. A slave present during one of Thranduil's study sessions collapsed into unconsciousness in a flash of darkness. He soon began to babble about formless tentacles, darkness so pure it shone, and then began speaking an incomprehensible tongue no elf should be capable of vocalizing before going into a coma. The wizardess is disturbed.
Ardrek makes great progress on conjuring a divining stone. Sirra gives a few helpful pointers for creating the stone, but can't help much with the bulk of the project. The divination spells aren't mixed, so there is plenty of room for improvement increasing the efficiency. (There is a cost to activate it for 24 hours. You may freely meditate to monitor the rock as many times as you want during this time. You may currently only be monitoring one rock at any given moment, and will be completely disconnected from your own senses for the duration. There's some disorientation on switching view points. You may spend time training to improve these.)
Daniel switches to researching a spell to paralyze his foes. He begins to understand the basic principles of elementalism.
Sirra continues to improve the amount of stone she can get out of any given amount of mana, although the spell will take an hour to cast (Up to 0.5 mana per cast). She spends some time collaborating with Ardrek, but neither helps the other much.
Thranduil continues working on his animal dreamwalk spell, and another worm is brought for him to test on. He determines that the worms don't have dreams. The rangers will bring him something more intelligent to test it on when they can be spared.
Lady Zirae decides to teach Jamgeon more about Mind Blow, allowing him to research his own offshoot of it. (Up to [2.0]. Please decide on how your character spent this turn improving it with your next turn.)
Albrecht makes minor success. The spirit is now able to lift light objects for a short period of time, or exert a moderate amount of poorly concentrated force.
Patrolling rangers sight a small group of unknown dark elves leaving Medea's Stiletto with a few heavy bags. They track them for a few weeks, where they eventually disappear into a cave, at which point Lady Zirae's rangers return. They do not believe they were discovered.
Lady Zirae will send up to two volunteering apprentices to lead the follow-up patrol. This could be quite dangerous if the new group is supporting the Conspirators, which she considers likely. Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering are the primary goals. Finding and making contact with potential supporters are of tertiary concern, after getting out alive and not aggravating the situation. Volunteers should have some time for their own research if they are not unexpectedly delayed. (Please state why you should be chosen, if you wish to go.)
A few more civilians die in squabblings.
Tivoryn's Conspiracy, lesser faction in Exiled Wastes
Low-mid intel. Small coalition of dark elven nobles. No magical capabilities.
Exiled Wastes Contested
Intel: Low
Morale: Fair
Influence: Unknown (46% of Medea's Stiletto) vs (42%, Tivoryn's Conspiracy)
Population: 3213 known, 4% annual growth
Military strength:
48 rangers (Irregulars/archery/stealth/infiltration/trained)
200 levy shortbows (Regulars/trained)
300 levy swords (Regulars/trained)
Lower-class levy
Prosperity: 12 known
Mana: 8 known
Conjuration
Conjure Stone(0) [2.0]. Converts mana into perfect 1m3 cubes of stone. Created cube slowly expands into full size into a ritual circle directly in front of the caster. 10m^3 per mana.
Efficient Conjure Stone(0) [3]. 15^3 per mana.
Conjure Weapons(2) [1.00] Creates weapons based on caster's knowledge. Takes three hours to cast. May arm 1 human-sized person per 0.1 mana. Maximum of 5 weapons per cast.
Conjure Potable Water(1)
Divination
View Object(1) [2.00]. The caster may view (sight only) a location through an object. Monopolizes one divination slot. Meditation to view the object may be done from anywhere. Enchantment costs 1 mana. Initializing viewing costs 0.1 mana, and allows viewing for the next 24 hours.
Enhanced Hearing(1). Probably functions as View Object, but with sound.
Conjure Divining Stone(2Conj/0Div) [2.00] Works as Conjure Stone, with View Object and Enhanced Hearing cast on it. Spell remains on largest chunk, and requires at least a quarter of the original block. Casting costs 2.1 mana. Initializing viewing costs 0.2 and allows viewing for the next 24 hours. 2 divining slots.
Elementalism
Cloak of Shadows(1)
Paralytic Shock(1)
Mind
Muddle Senses(1) [2.00] Slightly blurs vision and dampens hearing. Requires continued line of sight with target while casting. 20 feet range with 30 optimal. Lasts two minutes. Costs 0.2 mana.
Stealthy Muddle Senses(1) [2.57] As above, but the target has a harder time noticing that their senses have been impaired.
Mind Blow(1) [2]. An illusory headache incapacitates the weak, and causes distracting pain to others. Requires a few seconds of eye contact on a target no more than 30 feet away. Optimal range is 20 feet. 0.1 mana per cast.
Lesser Zirae's Mind Blow(1) [3.00]. An illusory headache incapacitates the weak, and causes distracting pain to others. Requires line of sight; 30ft max range with 20ft optimal. Costs 0.1 mana.
Zirae's Mind Blow(1) [3.78]. An illusory headache incapacitates the weak, and causes distracting pain to others. Requires line of sight; target's face must be distinguishable to the naked eye. 0.1 mana per cast.
Tame Animal(1) [2.00] Forces an unintelligent animal to see the caster as alpha. Aggressive animals may test if the caster is still alpha. Expires after random period without contact. Costs 0.3 mana.
Animal Dreamwalk(2)
Soul
Incorporeal Manifestation(1) [2] An hour-long ritual summons the spirit of a sentient if roughly a third of its body is available. The body must be preserved. It's possible to call random spirits with a modeate success rate. The spirit knows what it did in life. The spirit is not compelled to cooperate with the caster, rapidly fades if it leaves the ritual circle, and cannot interact with reality save for whispering and entering dreams. Spirit may remain as long as they wish, if sufficient mana is in the circle. 0.5 mana to cast, 0.1 mana per week upkeep.
--------------------
Race: Nomad (+economic stimulation)
Magical Schools:
Conjuration [0.21]
Metamagic [0.05]
Mind Magic [0.29]
Soul Magic [2.97]
Space/Time [0.11]
Other magic skills:
Soul Sense [0.70] (Fairly close proximity, disembodied only, moderately difficult)
Mundane Skills:
Knife fighting [1.00]
Spells:
Conjure Stone [2.0]
Mind Blow [1.0] {3}
Partially Corporeal Manifestation [2.80]
--------------------
Race: Dark Elf (+subterfuge)
Magical Skills:
Conjuration [0.14]
Metamagic [0.05]
Mind [2.41]
Space/Time [0.07]
Mundane Skills:
Animal lore [1.00]
Knowledge: Bows&Arrows [2.06]
Spells:
Conjure Weapons {1}
Conjure Stone [2.0]
Mind Blow [2.0] {3.0}
Tame Animal [2.03]
Animal Dreamwalk [1.88]
--------------------
Race: Dark Elf (+subterfuge)
Magical Skills:
Conjuration [0.15]
Metamagic [0.13]
Mind [1.97]
Space/Time [0.12]
Mundane Skills:
Knife fighting [2.11]
Stealth [2.02]
Spells:
Conjure Stone [2.0]
Muddle Senses [2.57]
Mind Blow [2.80] {3.0}
--------------------
Race: Human (+social)
Magical Schools:
Conjuration [1.19]
Divination [2.63]
Metamagic [0.13]
Mind Magic [0.31]
Space/Time [0.03]
Magical Skills:
Divination Focus [0.85] (2 slots)
Mundane Skills:
Social [1.00]
Spells:
Conjure Stone [2.00]
Conjure Divining Stone [2.22]
Conjure Weapons {1}
Mind Blow [1.0] {3}
View Object [2.07]
Maintained spells:
Rock by hidden entrance: 1 divining slot
--------------------
Race: Lizardwoman (++amphibious infiltrations)
Magical Skills:
Conjuration [1.34]
Space/Time [0.06]
Divination [0.15]
Mind Magic [0.59]
Metamagic [0.05]
Mundane Skills:
Knowledge: General <Medieval> Weaponry [2.35]
Perception [2.01]
Spells:
Conjure Weapons {1}
Conjure Potable Water [0.99]
Efficient Conjure Stone [3.46]
Enhanced Hearing [0.31]
Mind Blow [1.0] {3}
Race: Lizardman (++amphibious infiltrations)
No magical training
Mundane Skills:
Archery [2.10]
Infiltration [1.07]
Scouting [1.22]
Stealth [2.06]
Unarmed [1.02]
-------------------- [2/5] +50% research remains.
Race: Halfling (+Economic stimulation)
Magical Skills:
Conjuration [0.06]
Elementalism [1.05]
Space/Time [0.04]
Mundane Skills:
Knife Fighting [1.08]
Stealth [2.00]
Spells:
Cloak of Shadows [1.36]
Conjure Stone [2.00]
Mind Blow [1.0] {3}
Paralyic Shock [1.00]