Empress of SoulsName: Emeraldithine Weavewarper
Race: Drider
Traits:
Toxic Fangs: Creatures human sized and smaller generally suffer near instantaneous paralysis and inevitable death when exposed to your venom. Larger creatures will also suffer, possibly in a fatal manner, but may remain in the fight for some time.
Extra Limbs: You have four arms and four legs. This is a serious boon to potential equipment load out and wrestling ability.
Natural Climber: You never have to roll to climb unless you are particularly encumbered, injured, distracted, or on a spectacularly smooth surface.
Modified Spinnerets: You have enchanted your body to produce magical silks, as well as to have a higher yield than the average Drider. Each day you may produce two units of Drider Silk or one unit of special silk. Your daily output is doubled if you stay in one spot and avoid any serious physical activity. The special silk types you can make are as follows: Steel-Silk can be woven directly into steel quality weapons or armor. Trap Silk reacts violently and corrosively with any non chitinous organic matter. Oil Silk can be woven into a near friction-less surface and is also a great fuel source. Heavy Silk has a density three times that of lead, and can be used in place of any heavy metal in most alchemy reactions.
Skills:
High Master Magical Theorist
Master Bio-Mage
Master Ego-Mage
Great Omega Mage
Novice Ritualist
Novice Tectonic Mage
Novice Enchanter
Novice Conjurer
Novice Summoner
Novice Brewer
Novice Entropy Mage
Not Heat Mage
Not Alchemist
Not Essential Mage
Master Sneak
Great Diplomat
Great Grappler
Professional Researcher
Professional Clothier
Novice Sword User
Novice Shield User
Personal Inventory:
Fitted Chitin Extra-Exoskeleton
Scribe's Kit
Mage's Loom (Turns thread or silk into cloth with little effort. No bigger than a loaf of bread)
Sewing Kit
Slade Short Sword of Non-Encumbrance (All the power and weight of Slade for your foes, none for you)
Steel-Silk Shield of Reforming (Gradually repairs itself, even from a state of near total destruction)
You avert your eyes as you haul a heavy chest of books across the third floor. An altar to the Prime Balrog is a frightening thing to one who knows what it is. The Prime Balrog is one of the nine great demon lords worshiped by the deep races, and it is not one that is particularly friendly to Drider kind. The drow, in days past, would often round up and slaughter Drider Broodmothers to appease this particular beast.
As an object of worship, you know the Prime Balrog is interested bloodshed and drowish superiority, but little else about him. Your education was torn between books of magical theory and wrestling your siblings on the brood-web; Higher powers were and are of little concern to you; Although some Drider engage in Demon Worship, most prefer to exalt their broodmother. Some of your sibblings serving under Emfangrin and former apprentices have fought alongside or against the deep forces before, and may know more of their religious practices and artifacts than you.---
Evening 1:Deciding to agree with Archer's terms relating to a prospecting run, you ask Emfangring to meet up with him and split up the squad accordingly. These negotiations go smoothly. The Orc, it would seem, isn't too demanding, and is willing to travel with just the three Twin-Snipers. You don't blame him either; With their expertly dual wielded Drider Vertical Crossbows, the Twin-Snipers are the best mundane soldiers your brood has to offer. The Tectonic Mage informs you that he will depart tomorrow afternoon after scanning the tower itself.
Your brother leaves the Smasher Trolls and half the Squire Slaves behind to watch over you, and departs at once. You are informed that he intends to scout out the slot canyon and whatever is beyond the cavern entrance for a few days, before reporting in and going right back out to visit some of the other sights in the immediate area. After that, you suspect he will have to pull his squad back together and do some hunting to keep the civilians sustained while they set up their farms.
---
Day 2:Archer's scan of the basements brings in some bad news; There are indeed two other basement floors blocked off by the sealed door, but on the other side is some sort of self substaining and likely dangerous tectonic spell. You are able to get the Orc to spill a few useful details that, such as the strange's magic's power level, pitch, and rate of repetition, that might help you research the situation.
Deciding to also agree with Jorgen, you promise that you will help with his apprentices. You find that he has already made preparations to depart, and will only be taking one apprentice, the elf, with him. Both him and Archer are gone shortly after noon.
You hold an evening assembly of everybody still present, at which the apprentices are informed that you intend to test up to six of them for latent potential in the Bio, Ego, and Omega magics, and that apprentices who volunteer to help Rivialia set up her gear will be given greater priority for getting into the tests. As expected, this boosts the Steel of Steel's manpower greatly.
---
Day 3:Your library is unpacked and ready to go early in the morning.
You manage to 'run into' Marelflare, the Imp with some talent for heat magic, alone on the tower stairs, and indulge her in a conversation in attempt to gain some insight on her nature.
(Judge of Intent =
Pass)
What you find is not terribly impressive. Marelflare is almost completely lacking in ambition, and although she is clearly very bright, also seems a bit deficient in the common sense and free will departments. You know enough about imps to know that most of them are flowing over with mischievous energy, so you suspect that Jorgen must have used ego magic to mold her into a better apprentice. Or one of his students; If Mareflare is the victim of a mind tinkerer, who ever worked the spell was unsubtle and clumbsy enough to cause a good bit of collateral damage.
Day 4:Emfangrin makes a brief stop at the tower to report back on the first leg of his adventure.
The Slot Canyon itself is quiet and peaceful, with no signs of any wildlife larger than mountain goats and bobcats.
Using their Drider gift for climbing, some of your brother's men explored the various peaks and upper slopes around it, and they made some interesting discoveries. A Roc's nest sits on a nearby cliff, and it looks to have been in use as recently as this spring. It is probable the great bird will return following the snow and the thaw, and when it does that it might make itself a pest.
Another one of the Drider Scouts claims to have seen a cable of sorts connecting a small peak with a cave on a nearby slope. He didn't investigate further because he thought it might be a small gnomish settlement, and gnomes are famous for trapping their territory.
Following their visit to the peaks, the scouts then squeezed through the entrance to the caverns. They did not stay long enough to find out for sure, but Emfangrin suspects he knew where on the map of the underworld he was.
"I think your slot canyon connects with the lands of Shogun Rugonuld, beyond the chirping pass. The wildlife looked about right for it anyway."You frown. This does not tell you much. The Drugar Lord Rugonuld's lands are a bit of an enigma; The only way to reach them from the lands where the Drow and Drider live is through the chirping pass, a narrow stretch of underground land home to enough giant cave cicada to drive most travelers insane. To the best of your knowledge, Shogun Rugonuld would be aligned with his emperor and the rest of the deep forces, but since his lands are sparsely populated and naturally well protected, he might not have much of a military presence.
Still, it is not all bad news. The lands of the eastern Drugar Empire are home to a good handful of highly marginalized tribal civilizations, who you might chose to align with or otherwise exploit if you don't simply cover up the hole.
His report delivered, your brother and the siblings under his command depart once more, this time to visit the civilized and inhabited sites in the immediate area.
Day 5:Rivialia finishes getting her gear set up just before noon. Rumor has it that her apprentices plan to have a party in on the first basement floor to celebrate tonight. These rumors are confirmed when a rather angry Archer returns from his prospecting trip.
"That fecking ungrateful statue's apprentices just stole three whole barrels of orcish grog from one of my apprentice's daughters! They roughed er' up too! Are you going to do something about it, or do I 'ave to?"You speak coward well enough to know he is really saying 'please something about it, I don't want too.' After letting the Orc vent for a bit, you manage to change the subject and get him talking about his prospecting trip.
"Lots o' tin in these hills. I have a few ideas of where I can start digging fer it. We'd have ta use it ourselves though. I was told by a passerby that the local imperial general already has a well established mine using war prisoners as cheap labor. He already has export contracts set up with anybody nearby who would need the stuff.""I also took the liberty o' checking out that barren patch of soil the general wanted us to put a town on. Turns out we would not have been the first if we went that way. Think I found evidence of some sort of old settlement there. Brought some relics back... they look like bits of glass o' something. I have an apprentice who knows archeology, I'll have em look at it in a bit.""Lastly," The continues,
"I found something a bit more recent on a trail above the slot canyon. An Old Mage's Shovel; Found it in a used up tin pit. The seat and controls are a bit small, must o' been built for gnomes or something, and the propulsion is dead, but it looks mostly intact. I should be able to get it running again if I can find a power source. Then I can do some heavy dirt moving without needin to poop myself out with magic." Tin and Relics are not the most intresting finds, but it is a start.
Westward Tower:Roof: Unclaimed, Single Aged Catapult
Floor 7: Unclaimed
Floor 6: Claimed by You, Emeraldithine's Magical Libarary
Floor 5: Unclaimed
Floor 4: Claimed by Rivialia
Floor 3: Unclaimed, Altar to the Prime Balrog
Floor 2: Claimed by Archer
Floor 1: Unclaimed
BF-1: Claimed by Jorgen
BF-2: Unclaimed, Sealed Door
Other Assets:(Competent Apprentices can be expected to successfully use at least one sort of magic on demand)
(Experienced Apprentices can be expected to use at least one sort of magic on a level at or approaching that of a Journeyman Mage. Experienced Apprentices can be promoted to Journeyman; You are entitled to promote an apprentice at will, but there are complicated politics behind the act. Will Explain Later if you guys explore the possibility)
(Apprentices marked with a * are apprentices that you have some sort of relationship with, and get a bonus to working alongside. At the start of the game, these are your former apprentices, that you were forced to transfer upon taking control of the tower)
Jorgen Pails, Pelvis of Truth
Known Notable Skills - Ego Magic
Home Location - Westward Tower, Unclaimed Floor
Underlings -
Competent Drider Apprentice x1 (Ego Magic)*
Competent Human Apprentice x1 (Ego Magic)
Marelflare, Competent Imp Apprentice x1 (Heat Magic)
Drider Apprentice x2*
Drow Apprentice x1*
Human Apprentice x9*
Imp Apprentice x2
Elf Apprentice x1
Thoughts/Ideas/Complaints: Jorgen will be gone for at least another three and a half weeks. You commentary from him until then.
Archer Wargeater, Erector of Walls
Known Notable Skills - Tectonic Magic
Home Location - Westward Tower, Unclaimed Floor
Underlings -
Experienced Orc Apprentice (Tectonic Magic)
Competent Drow Apprentice x1 (Ego Magic)*
Drider Apprentice x2*
Drugar Apprentice x1*
Orc Apprentice x16
Human Apprentice x6*
Thoughts/Ideas/Complaints: I used to purchase soul batteries from Omega Mages to run my heavy equipment. Perhaps you can help me find something to power the old digging machine I found. If not, I may have to make a run to the human city in the not so distant future. - Please don't let Rrivialia's apprentices strut around mugging my civilians!
Rivialia Unclank, The Steel of Steel
Known Notable Skills - Enchantment
Home Location - Westward Tower, Unclaimed Floor
Underlings -
Competent Drider Apprentice x1 (Omega Magic)*
Competent Dwarf Apprentice x1 (Enchantment)
Competent Dwarf Apprentice x1 (Entropy Magic)
Drider Apprentice x3*
Silk Troll Apprentice x2*
Dwarf Apprentice x3
Human Apprentice x2
Automated Sapphire Golem Apprentice x1
Thoughts/Ideas/Complaints: All my gear is online... Now I just need something to do with it. - If I can get some of the travelers to part with their wagons, I can start doing some woodwork now. I'm thinking about putting together a large wood golem so that we have at least something impressive on the first floor of the tower.
Emfangrin Weavewarper
Known Notable Skills - Crossbow, Wrestling, Spear Use, Survival, Leadership
Home Location - Undecided
Underlings -
Drider Twin-Sniper x3
Drider Skirmisher x10
Silk Troll Claw-Render x8
Silk Troll Smasher x8
Silk Troll Squire Slave x25
Thoughts/Ideas/Complaints: Emfangrin is gone. He should be back within the week.
Wagon Train
Known Notable Skills - N/A (Will be unlocked once a leader arises from the settlers following your party)
Home Location - Undecided
Underlings -
192 Able Bodied Workers
57 Young
24 Infirm
Group Resources
Emeraldithine's Magical Libarary, Charts, Tables, Blackboards, and other Theoretical Magic Supplies x1
Rivialia's Wizardly Supplies x1
Drider Silk x2
Steel Silk x8
Thoughts/Ideas/Complaints: No leader to have thoughts or speak for the others...
The World:Glimersands (2 Weeks Travel): An elven forest retreat at the edge of the desert. Good place to import food, potions, and fantastic raw material from. Home to a breeder's guild headed up by the Elven Archmage Gwyndlyn Skyfire
Ironhawks (2.5 Weeks Travel): A dwarven fortress high in the mountains. Great place to import metals and finished goods from. Home to a Powder Sciences Guild headed up by the Gnomish Archmage Tippi Boomer
Riverflats (3.5 Weeks Travel): A heavily overcrowded human city. Decent place to sell or buy just about anything, and good place to recruit new apprentices. Home to an Assassin's Guild headed up by the Goblin Archmage Langly Bloodfrevor.
Law of the Lake (1.5 Weeks Travel): The closest Wizard's Tower to Westward. Presently held by the Lake-Hag Archmage Toothfin and her coven.
The High Towers (2 Months Travel): Where the Council of Overmages and the House of Archmages meet. Your position grants you the right to representation in the lower chamber, so it may be wise to send somebody to look out for your interests there eventually.
(Less than Two Days Travel): Jorgen claims that there is a dwarven Hillocks in the area, that can be found by following the worn down road that run near the tower.
Broken Mage's Shovel (Less than a Half Days Travel): A run down digging machine, likely of gnomish origin, that Archer suspects he can fix.
Canyon Village (Half Hour's Travel): Where the families of the tower's apprentices live. See the Wagon Train entry in the last tab for more details.
Drugar Lord Rugonuld's Lands (Half Day's Travel): The underground domain of a minor Drugar Warlord... Or so your brother says.
Potential Gnomish Site (Half Day's Travel, Fliers or Climbers only, potentially boobytrapped): A site that one of Emfangrin's men suspects of being a gnome home.
Potential Dig Site (Half Hour's Travel): Archer is looking into this...