Topic: (SG) Rise of the Smith Lord (Read 20778 times)

Madman198237 · « **Reply #120 on:** July 17, 2017, 04:49:40 pm »

Feat-o-vision?

Also, propose a clandestine alliance for now. Perhaps see if they can do something good-public-relations-y.

We might need to figure out a means by which we can convince their goddess to NOT go all homicidal-genocidal-sky-i-cidal on, well, everything.

10ebbor10 · « **Reply #121 on:** July 17, 2017, 05:30:59 pm »

Quote

We might need to figure out a means by which we can convince their goddess to NOT go all homicidal-genocidal-sky-i-cidal on, well, everything

Well, all she wants is to have the sky, so we merely need to create workd largest copying machineand duplicate it.

Dopl · « **Reply #122 on:** July 17, 2017, 05:34:33 pm »

Could we try to sense a feat, perhaps we could make this god an artifact to allow it to be above ground once again, but we'd need some garuntee it wouldn't go berserk and try to bring ruin once freed

Madman198237 · « **Reply #123 on:** July 17, 2017, 05:43:04 pm »

An artifact THAT ludicrously powerful? We could probably direct her every action at that point... Maybe some form of metallic construct (Think Bronze Colossus, except smaller because we don't have THAT much time or metal)?

Mithras · « **Reply #124 on:** July 17, 2017, 06:40:11 pm »

It is very worth being friendly to these people, whilst their god wishing to bring the sky underground is a problem it is as intractable as the problem presented by the drow.

In the meantime friendliness can be expressed in enquiring how we can help them, and how we can benifit each other. It is also worth asking about the Eastville Drone. Has this conversation softened our husband's stance at all?

omada · « **Reply #125 on:** July 17, 2017, 08:51:29 pm »

I spent the last hour reading this.

and WOW

PTW till i think in something to help the hivemind.

Weirdsound · « **Reply #126 on:** July 18, 2017, 04:44:38 pm »

"If one could count many secret alliances are formed beforehand,
one could know how messy a potential war will become."

--The Collected Writings of All-Lord Ukareem the Silver

Smith Lord Aurora Wordfire, Refuge Queen of Silent Hammers, Empress Consort of the Southernfrost, and Queen Consort of Bedlamb and the Marble City

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Refuge City of Silent Hammers

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"I suppose you folk might not be as bad as they say you are," you concede after several seconds of silence, "I can think of but one counterargument to anything you have said: You claim to follow Maygrunzil's will out of pity, but you should instead be perusing her best interests. Perhaps I can help with that. My own powers and abilities have recently increased substantially... If your faith would allow it, I might be able to solve your goddesses' problems myself."

"What?" Cloudthief asks, shocked but clearly not appalled, "that sounds like hubris to me. How would you accomplish that."

You raise your hand for silence, and touch the World Weld to search for feats. Sadly you are disappointed, as nobody in the area save for yourself and your husband are responsible for any great deeds. Of course, nothing is stopping you from just using one of your own feats to make an artifact for somebody else. "By making an artifact of course. One to grant her a new body, or at least break the curse on her spirit. Pride is not hubris if you can back it up, and I am the greatest mortal smith to ever walk the realm."

"Y-you could do that?"

You nod. "It might take some expensive and time consuming trial and error, but I'd make it happen. To break the curse, I'd want as many different curse resistant substances as possible: Sanctified Ashes, Wood from Elf Holy-Trees, the various alloys and forms of silver, ect. To make a body, I'd likely need Maygrunzil's remains. Either way, it would help greatly if somebody could temporarily condense your god's presence into one space, so that I might detect her great deeds and inscribe them on the artifact."

"The burial site of our goddess lies in the basement of Vile Dawn Keep, a Feather Fortress in the Eastvile ruled by Grand Priest Hikkgale, who is far more fanatical in her hatred of surface dwellers and desire to steal the sky than I am." Cloudthief explains, "I would doubt she would want anything to do with the ruler of a surface kingdom, even a first digger. I will gladly run your proposal past the fortress-wide committee on doctrine and heresy next time they meet. If they agree it is acceptable, I should be able to condense Maygrunzil's spirit for you to study."

The two of you idle discuss the matter for several minutes. The conversation ends with both parties intrigued but non-committal. Eventually the conversation moves on to helping each other in a more mundane fashion.

"First and foremost," you explain, "I intend to take land of the Beetle Queendoms. Would you be interested in a clandistine alliance between your fortress, my kingdom, and the Greatwalls Alliance of my husband Scholar-King Emscythe. We could use these halflings you know so well as a go-between."

The Grand Priest pauses for a second. "Emscythe is your husband? I... I'm not sure an alliance with him is possible. I think we are technically at war even. His vassal, Boulder King Crabsdrugar of Dark Hill City, has attempted to invade my fortress on several occasions. On his last attempt, my forces captured two of Crabsdrugar's sons, who in a moment of weakness I *may* have ordered tortured to death before sending their heads back home to father."

"That... complicates things," you admit, "but the Scholar-King is head over heels in love with me, and if he tells his vassal to stand down, I doubt the Boulder King would have a choice in the matter. If I sorted this matter out for you, would you aid me with the drow?"

"Of course, Smith Lord." Cloudthief agrees, "Although I would prefer if you could handle the situation quietly. I think part of the reason the Beetle Queens don't target my fortress very often is because it gives Emscythe and his boneheaded mooks something other than them to attack."

The topic then moves to the Eastvile Drone, who Couldthief claims to know very well. "I... I think the two of you would be amazing allies. He despises the Drow, and keeps a collection of magical artifacts. Right now his current project is an attempt to repair a trident of gold that he claims once belonged to a storm giant who fought against creation at the beginning of time. If I send word that you would be interested in helping with the repairs, he would likely seek you out."

The meeting lasts a bit longer, and a few other interesting points come up:

-The Feather Drugar of Diamond Cliffs possess a proper trade depot and fleet of wagons. Attempts to trade with them grant your workers x3 Carrying Capacity.
-The Feather Drugar have a large excess of Kimberlite, a form of rock that yields artifacts with powers related to finding things of value.
-If you can promise them housing and protection from religious persecution, Grand Priest Cloudthief will send you 3 LU of young educated Drugar who could use some time on the surface to study the sky and meditate on Maygrunzil's absence on the surface.

How do you Proceed? Is it time to move on to the next tribe? Or do you still have more to discuss here?

IronyOwl · « **Reply #127 on:** July 18, 2017, 05:18:11 pm »

I'd like to accept his offer of young drugar, but we can only house them if they fit into non-highborn housing. Protecting them shouldn't be a huge deal, we'll just give them goblin escorts.

Otherwise I think we're done here.

crazyabe · « **Reply #128 on:** July 18, 2017, 10:45:48 pm »

Quote from: IronyOwl on July 18, 2017, 05:18:11 pm

I'd like to accept his offer of young drugar, but we can only house them if they fit into non-highborn housing. Protecting them shouldn't be a huge deal, we'll just give them goblin escorts.

Otherwise I think we're done here.

+1 to That, with the possibility that we mention how the drow's demonic masters are planning "Something which will make him and his goddess's plans useless." before we leave.

Dopl · « **Reply #129 on:** July 19, 2017, 02:22:04 am »

Quote from: IronyOwl on July 18, 2017, 05:18:11 pm

I'd like to accept his offer of young drugar, but we can only house them if they fit into non-highborn housing. Protecting them shouldn't be a huge deal, we'll just give them goblin escorts.

Otherwise I think we're done here.

+1
Also ask him to send word that we are willing to help in the repairing of the artifact, and he said he could gather the gods presence? So perhaps that could be done before we leave

Weirdsound · « **Reply #130 on:** July 19, 2017, 03:20:11 pm »

"The prophecy of embers is a mostly forgotten art,
first wielded by the Fire Giants who opposed creation.
Today it is only practiced by a handful of Red Dragons,
although some diggers will swear that one of their own,
Smith Lord Wordfire, can read the cinders as well."

-Methodologies of Divination, by Overdruid Alderoot

Smith Lord Aurora Wordfire, Refuge Queen of Silent Hammers, Empress Consort of the Southernfrost, and Queen Consort of Bedlamb and the Marble City

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Refuge City of Silent Hammers

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You agree to protect the young acolytes from religious persecution, and Cloudthief promises to have them ready to move into Silent Hammers by the beginning of next month. Although you are strongly tempted to ask the Feather Drugar to condense their god's presence, or to accept their offer to contact the Eastvile Drone on your behalf, you can tell Ukareem is becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the meeting, so you decide to call it off.

"I think that concludes our business for today. I leave you in peace and friendship... and also with a warning; Beware the demonic masters of the drow. The prophecy of embers has revealed their plans to me, and what they seek to achieve will render the plans of your goddess futile."

With that, you rise to depart, leaving a dumbfounded audience in your wake.

---

"What in the nine hells was that about Aurora?" Ukareem demands halfway down the long flight of stairs out of the fortress.

"I just wanted to scare them a bit," you explain, "I read your face, and could tell you thought something was off."

"Scare them a bit?!?!? Scare them?" Your husband rants, "yeah. I read that priest. He was lying through his teeth when he told you they were 'doing the minimum' to steal the sky. But I also read you! You were not bluffing or making something up, but sharing a deep and genuine fear! What in the nine hells was that about?"

You blink. Clearly your dwarven husband is no fool. "You think I would leave my isolation without a serious reason? I saw... something... in the embers. Something sinister and apocalyptic. But the prophecy was vague, so I don't know exactly what the drow intend to do or how they intend to do it, only that our one hope is a united digger race to stand against them."

The Emperor of the Southernfrost falls silent, pondering the gravity of the situation, so you continue. "Listen. I ask you to not to repeat any of this for now. I'd rather not the Drow and Demons know I am on to them quite yet. I chose you as my husband because I thought you would have the honor to accept your share of my burden, and the skill to help lighten it, but I didn't wish to trouble you with any of this until after I had more concrete information. So, for now, please carry on as if we never had this conversation, okay?"

Ukareem remains silent, but nods in stoic understanding.

---

The party travels back in the direction of Axeltax for five days, at which point the Donna's men pick up wagon tracks which they begin to follow. After two days of this, the tracks lead you into a narrow canyon.

"Opal Elves very paranoid." Donna Sherry abruptly announces, "They know me, but not you. They ambush us here. Talk to me. If they think I use your soldiers to make trap for them, they kills us all. Once I talk them into not kills us all, they take us away to meet leaders. Good plan, yes?"

"What?" Brother Anders exclaims, "No! Bad plan! No! Are you out of your hobbit mind? You are betting the lives of a first freaking digger and a legendary emperor on your talking ability? I have half a mind t-"

"Umm... Guys," Butts in Corporeal Shit-Fang, one of the higher ranking and more intelligent goblin conscripts in the escort party, "Movement on the canyon rim. Looks like Crossbow Elves. Might be too late not to go with the Hobbits plan here."

No sooner than the words are out of the goblin's mouth do at least 400 masked elves appear on either side of your party in narrow canyon. Their leader calls out to Donna Sherry in drowish, who calmly responds in the same language. What follows is five tense minutes of conversation you cannot understand. Ukareem chimes in on several occasions, apparently he speaks drow as well.

Eventually some agreement is reached, and the soldiers on both sides lower their weapons. You, Ukareem, and Donna Sherry are all beckoned foward and blindfolded. You are made to walk blind and uphill for about 45 minutes, before you are instructed to stop. The blindfolds are removed, and you find yourself standing in a small side canyon, well illuminated by glowing fungi, with the Opal Elf leadership and about 50 of their guards.

"I hope you forgive my abundance of caution in getting you here, Smith Lord," Explains a particularly tall and wispy looking specimen in perfect dwarfspeak. Her skin is a sickly green and her head completely bald, but other than that she appears no different from the standard drow. "By law of the Beetle Queendoms, my people are slaves. Worse than dirt. They find the very thought of us making a living without them, much less a profit, to be utterly abhorrent. There are many who would take my life, or worse, my wealth."

She approaches with an outstretched hand, "My name is Truffle Jial, Princess and Coinkeeper of the Free Opal Elves of the Trollish Wastes. I must apologize for my unfamiliarity with digger lore, but if Donna Sherry makes you out to be a big deal, I believe her. Some sort of legendary smith is it? I could use you... to make myself and my clan wealthy, and the Beetle Queens miserable."

The Princess offers a wicked chuckle, "Now tell me friend, how do you wish to use me?"

You take a second to pause, and activate the World Weld in search of usable feats. This time you are suitably impressed. Each of the two male elves standing behind Truffle has a feat of their own.

The shorter of the two has thick purple hair and is almost built like a digger rather than a drow. The World Weld identifies him as having successfully broken into the palaces of 10 of the 14 Beetle Queens, and stolen 7 Drowish artifacts in these heists.

The taller Opal Elf catches your attention even without the World Weld's help as strapped to his back is a Blunderbuss, a type of rare artifact made only by the late first digger Ovusal Blam the Powder Lord and his descendants the Soot Sprites which harnesses the power of sulfur to spit storms of deadly metal. The World Weld identifies this elf as possessing two feats; He produced children with a Beetle Queen and had them declared legitimate in spite of their inferior blood, and he managed to hold the Storm Dragon Varriebreath hostage until it turned over its hoard as ransom.

Dopl · « **Reply #131 on:** July 19, 2017, 08:22:13 pm »

Ok so I just got a stupid idea, create an artifact from the feat of holding a powerful being hostage, and use troll bones in crafting it, to create body that holds the feathered drugars God within it, trapped, but able to move. It'd be an improvement over being stuck in the dirt, and if a mask lets us influence the decisions of mril Minda, imagine how much control we would have over the God of we chose to exert out will on it as it is entirely trapped within!

Also what qualities would dirt grant an artifact if used? Maybe we could loophole the curse of the body is made purely earthly materials, we would need to study the curse some to find if that's possible before taking the time though

IronyOwl · « **Reply #132 on:** July 19, 2017, 09:43:43 pm »

Quote from: Weirdsound on July 19, 2017, 03:20:11 pm

"I could use you... to make myself and my clan wealthy, and the Beetle Queens miserable."

The Princess offers a wicked chuckle, "Now tell me friend, how do you wish to use me?"

What a coincidence, we want to use you for the same thing!

We should probably just explain that we're seeking to expand into and claim the Trollish Wastes and its peoples, harass the drow, and eventually conquer them entirely. The more useful she is to us in these endeavors, the more favor she can expect. If she wants to swear fealty to us outright and can justify the expense, we'd even be willing to extend our protection so her people don't have to huddle in the cliffs.

Also mention, of course, our ability to forge lesser artifacts at will. Mentioning Mril-Manda's exploits would be impressive, but give away that we can track artifact bearers, at least in the long term to anyone performing sufficient detective work. So I'm in favor of keeping silent on that note.

For more specific business, we're open to trade and could use a loan. We're still getting on our feet, so we're suffering a shortage of materials and wealth to buy materials with. As diggers, once we get started there will be no stopping us, however.

VoidSlayer · « **Reply #133 on:** July 19, 2017, 09:56:29 pm »

We could also use a friendly drow clan who might be able to usurp the beetle queendoms in our name and become our vassals. With our armies backing them up even if the drow settlements lie in ruins and dwarven settlers move in, the Opal elves will still come out better off, rulers instead of slaves.

Mention the blunderbuss artifact and the one who created it as proof of our knowledge at least. If they do not want to give us a loan maybe they would buy an artifact from us, or accept an artifact as part of the loan deal?

Dopl · « **Reply #134 on:** July 20, 2017, 01:46:23 am »

Agreed on the name drop, I think we should offer these elves allegiance, even if they are drow...wait, did the embers tell us a specific drow race that would bring about the end, or just that it would be drow...if we don't know, it might be smart to only be allied short term and not make an artifact, instead just making good ordinary gear to arm their forces and ours in the battle against the queendoms

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Author Topic: (SG) Rise of the Smith Lord (Read 20778 times)

Madman198237

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10ebbor10

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Dopl

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Madman198237

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Mithras

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omada

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Weirdsound

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IronyOwl

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crazyabe

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Dopl

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Weirdsound

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Dopl

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IronyOwl

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VoidSlayer

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Dopl

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