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:
Cocooned Goat Soul
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)
To play along, you would have to build your diplomatic corps their own HQ. On the bright side, you could easily send Emfangrin to round up some of your more silver tongued siblings to staff the place, although doing so would mean a long journey for him...---
Evening 5:You decide to get to the truth of the mugging for Grog Case, and one by one call in the participants. Starting with the victim.
(Judge of Intent =
Roll Kept Secret)
The young Orc Woman is slightly injured, and you find it hard to read her face through the wall of tears she puts up; You can't rule out the fact that it could be a ruse. When she names her attackers, you begin to doubt her story. She claims that five of the Steel of Steel's apprentices, including two dwarves, two silk trolls, and your sister and former apprentice Malfang burst into her home, demanded she sell her grog, some of the last barrels of booze in the entire wagon train, which she was saving for her upcoming wedding, for a pitiful handful of copper. When she declined, she was savagely beaten by the trolls while the dwarves and Drider carried off their liquid prize.
The Marks on her could be from the claws of a silk troll, but they are pitifully shallow. If the trolls had truly given her a 'savage beating', it is unlikely that she would still be alive, much less able to climb to your floor of the tower. Having heard her out, you then call in the accused.
(Judge of Intent = Roll Kept Secret) Malfang would fit right into her accusers story; This particular younger sister of yours, although a fairly talented Omega Mage, is also a troublemaker with a love of booze and little respect for others. Her story is a bit different. She claims that she and the Silk Trolls knew the Orc had booze, and visited her to try and negotiate a purchase for the planned party tonight. The negotiations went poorly, and the Orc was somehow offended by one of the offers, and attacked her guests, at which point Malfang ordered one of the Silk Trolls to pin her down, and another to simply take the Grog as damages for the assault. Your sister shows you a few freshly clean and bandaged dagger wounds on both herself and the trolls to make her point, but you note of course, that the existence of the wounds doesn't prove who started the violence.
After years of being your apprentice and a lifetime of being your sister, you do not doubt Malfang is skilled at lying to you, so you cannot be sure if she is telling the truth. The fact that none of the other accused speak much, and offer simple 'yes' or 'no' type answers to corroborate Malfang's story when addressed, is also fairly suspicious. Your sister's version of events also fails to include the two accused dwarves, who deny ever being at the crime scene.
You call Rivialia next, and she has little to offer save for the fact that she claims the dwarves in question were with her at the time of the incident. Due to the artificial and non-expressive nature of her form, the Journeyman is impossible to read through mundane means, and you know that most wizards would gladly lie through their teeth to keep an apprentice out of trouble. You've done it before, usually on Malfang's behalf...
As you are not sure if you can trust any of the witnesses in question, you decide to put off acting on the matter for the time being. For now, you confiscate the barrels of Grog, and announce that you intend to do some research and hunting while you meditate on the issue, before announcing either your decision or the next step of the investigation.
Day 6:You spend the morning in your library, looking into a few matters. First and foremost you figure out how to make an efficient Soul Battery out of a single animal and the resources you have at hand or could easily acquire. Eventually you come up with a blueprint. It calls for a soul, a couple types of specialty silk, an Omega Mage to beat the soul into submission, a Heat Mage to provide initial ignition, and an enchanter to keep the whole construct held together. You file the blueprint away for now. You are not sure if approaching Rivialia to do something for Archer's benefit would be a good idea after he had just publicly accused her apprentices of assault.
With that out of the way, you turn your attention to whatever is lurking on the third basement floor. You first dig out your most recent copy of the
Council's Encyclopedia or Wizarding Towers, and look up the previous deans of Westward. The last two, as it turns out, both practiced Tectonic Magic. The Dwarf Nervill Cray,
The Grand Gambler, was more interested in interior design than magical studies. He had the whole place decked out in gold, silver, platinum, and even supernatural metal decorations (all of which have clearly since been looted by the deep forces), and once the place was prettied up to his satisfaction, he resigned as dean and moved onto his next project. You note that Nervill was still alive as of three years ago when your volume was published, so you might be able to get in touch with the council and track him down. Following Nervill, control of the tower passed to Gleana,
the Ocean Star, a powerful sapphire dragoness who decided a Wizard's Tower would be a safe place to raise a clutch of eggs. She hasn't been heard from since the Deep Forces took the tower, and it is assumed that she met her end in defense of the tower.
Cross-referencing this information with the details Archer gave you about the magic down there, you are able to narrow it down to two likely suspects. The first is a Midas Chamber, a room designed to turn any matter that enters it into some precious metal or another. Usually Midas Chambers use a specific material as a key, and any being in contact with such a key will not be converted. The other possibility is a crude attempt by Gleana's spirit to resurrect herself or one of her children through matter absorption; In that case, any solid unenchanted material that enters the area will be broken down and absorbed by the dragoness's spirit. Any sapphire would then be used to reconstruct the body of a dragon, and anything else would be scattered across the spirit world at random.
Of course, it could be something else entirely; Neither former dean kept good records on their activities and journeymen, but there are only so many spells that fit the parameters that Archer Gave you, so you feel the odds of it being one of those two are greater than it not being so.
---
Come afternoon you decide to set out and hunt. By hunt, of course, you mean tail the Twin Snipers as they hunt so you can trap the soul of their kill, as although you are good at sneaking and fighting, tracking prey is a skill that eludes you.
As you travel, you chat your elder brother Scurryfingers up about the Altar. Fingers, as he is often called, is one of your mothers oldest children, and as such one of the few who actually fought for the Deep Forces before defecting. He is a quiet and grim person, and rumor has it that his heart was somehow broken when he defected. You are always a little cautious with him; The only reason why somebody of his age and skill wouldn't hold a greater position within the brood would be if his sanity or loyalty were in question.
He informs you, matter-o-factly that he knows the proper ritual to ensure safe removal the altar, but that he could instead re-dedicate it to a high demon lord who would be of more use to a Drider brood mother.
"Getting the endorsement of the Tricker Quizoloph or the Prime Succubus would be a boon to somebody in your position sister. I once courted a potential future brood mother who was a high priest to the demons, and she taught me a few rituals..."You are unsure if you agree with his assessment. Divine Magic is not officially recognized by the council, but on the other hand many priests simply report themselves as students of ritualism, and fit right in. You also suspect openly worshiping the enemy pantheon would bring about trouble, but nobody said that you had to worship openly, and the perks of a patron 'deity' might outweigh whatever hits to the reputation you might take.
Inquiring further, you grimace a bit when you learn that both the deactivation and re-dedication rituals call for the fresh corpse of a sentient creature. This is only a minor annoyance, however; Silk Trolls are such a thoroughly dominated race that they consider dying at the hands of a Drider to be the highest honor one can receive.
Your attention is quickly brought back to the matter at hand when the Twin Snipers pick up the trail of a mountain goat. After thirty minutes of silent tracking, Fingers is able to spot it, and put a bolt in its brain from fifty yards.
You rush forward, and quickly weave a trap for the soul using some of the regular Drider Silk you brought along with you. Within five minutes, the spirit of the animal is contained. You order the goat be brought to Riviala's floor of the tower for further processing, the Twin Snipers scoop the dead animal up, and the four of you return to the tower.
-1 Unit of Drider Silk
+1 Cocooned Goat SoulWestward 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
(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 -
Malfang, 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. - You are not seriously considering punishing my apprentices for a crime they didn't commit, are you?
Emfangrin Weavewarper
Known Notable Skills - Crossbow, Wrestling, Spear Use, Survival, Leadership
Home Location - Undecided
Underlings -
Drider Twin-Sniper (Including Scurryfingers) 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 x1
Steel Silk x9
Thoughts/Ideas/Complaints: No leader to have thoughts or speak for the others...
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...
High Efficiency Single Soul Battery:
-Requires One Contained Soul
-Requires One Unit of Heavy Silk
-Requires One Unit of Steel Silk
-Requires Omega Magic
-Requires Heat Magic
-Requires Enchantment
Author
Topic: (TSG) Reclaim a Wizard's Tower! (Read 23153 times)