Revision
Stillborn SteelHammered from regular steel without the taint of Wind or Fire, Stillborn Steel is hammered into weapons and equipment while a Chanter continuously uses Wind of Stillness on the piece of metal being forged. During the repeated heatings, hammerings, and the quench, the metal is constantly under the effect of an Earth-derived Chant. The precision of the work is aided by the reduced speed with which things happen to the metal, while the magic of the Chant seeps into the metal itself, producing, we hope, interesting effects based on the presence of magic.
Normal: 5
This light blue metal has a strange weight to it. An invincible momentum, as though things made of Stillborn Steel were much heavier than they are. Weapons made of Stillborn Steel can be unwieldy to get moving but strike with great power. Armour enhanced with Stillborn Steel is any more resilient than normal steel, but will resist being moved by the blows of an enemy. In spars, our soldiers report finding normal blows easier to endure when wearing Stillborn Steel and weapons made of the stuff seem harder to parry and deflect.
Dreki FangsCrossbow bolts made entirely of Fire Steel, with razor-sharp heads and no fletching, bearing the Air Phasing inscription. Activating the inscription just before firing prevents the bolt from subsequently interacting with air. Such bolts are hence guaranteed to fly without deviating from their expected course, vastly increasing the accuracy of shots, and the absolute lack of air resistance enables them to fly much further than conventional bolts. One could, in fact, fire straight through a headwind or a turbulent storm and still expect to strike true. In addition, Air Phasing will cause the heat generated by the bolt to rapidly build up, delivering a searing bite to struck targets. Wicked barbs lining the shaft (placed with a blatant disregard for aerodynamics) make the bolt incredibly difficult to remove once it has penetrated its victim.
Crossbowmen armed with Dreki Fangs are provided with an insulating leather glove to protect their flesh whilst handling the hot metal.
Normal: 4
The Dreki Fangs function largely within our expectations. Once the Air Phasing inscription has been activated the crossbowman needs to discharge the bolt before enough heat builds up in the crossbow frame but this is largely still plenty of time. Activation does require the crossbowman to make contact with the bolt, so a lot of wielders naturally prefer to reload and fire immediately rather than waiting to synchronise their shots. The barbs along the shaft are on one side to ensure a clean release from the crossbow. In flight, this can cause the bolts to roll and swing. Extended tests of a bolt indicate that eventually the Steel melts disrupting the inscription at which point the bolt will shatter or perhaps splash is the correct term. The time needed to achieve these temperatures means that this phenomenon will not occur during the flight time of the bolt. Tests on animals indicate that the correct response to being struck by a Fang is to cut the bolt out as rapidly as possible and then worry about patient survival. A quick death would be merciful.
The main limitation is the ability of our crossbowmen to aim accurately at distant targets and the pull of the earth as all things must return to it. Arcing the shot can extend the range further of course, but that further increases the difficulty of judging the correct point to aim at.
Cost: Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1, Mana 1)
It is now Spring, Turn 4
Battle PhaseClouds gather at the direction of your Stormcrown Tongues, filling the skies of our enemies with water. Select two lanes to push.
Mundane Equipment
Longsword: A double-edged blade and a cruciform hilt. A versatile weapon capable of cuts, slices and thrusts. Requires training to wield, can be used one or two handed.
Expensive (Land 2, Ore 2)
War Axe: Can be used as a tool in a pinch, this is a single-handed weapon that does well against heavily armoured foes. Can be used with minimal training.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1)
Pavise Shields: Metal reinforced, wooden shields designed to be worn on the back to protect a crossbowman while they reload their crossbow.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1)
Northman’s Shield: A round wooden shield with a metal spiked boss. This shield is reinforced with metal around the edges. These shields are carefully painted with unique designs to help identify the hero who wields it.
Cheap (Land 2, Ore 1)
Brigandine Armour: Strips of Windforged Steel cushioned by wool and linen on both sides. Only the vital organs are protected with Steel in order to keep costs low. Cloth gloves and hood help to ensure that every part of the body has at least some protection.
Cheap (Land 2, Ore 1)
Improved Scale Armour
An expansion of the traditional armour of our officers, this armour includes a conical helmet with cheek guards, greaves and bracers. The scaled shirt is lengthened to cover the upper arms and the knees.
Expensive (Land 2, Ore 2) | Discounted: Cheap
Light Crossbow: Based on the bow and mounted horizontally on a frame. Powerful, but reloading is slow and dangerous. Each crossbow has been standardised, allowing even lesser skilled crafters to build a functional weapon of war.
Cheap (Land 2)
Medium Crossbow: A larger, steel reinforced crossbow. This crossbow has a metal stirrup and claw reloading method. Improved bolts allow for greater effectiveness against armour. It also has a superior range compared to the light crossbow.
Cheap (Land 2, Ore 1)
Standard: A flag used to identify units and maintain order in battle.
Cheap (Land 1)
War Cart: A four wheeled cart used to carry crossbowmen to battle. Unfortunately the lack of horses on the island leaves it unusable at the moment.
Expensive (Land 3)
Magical Equipment
Cone of Chill: A chant designed for the many; allowing them to chill the enemy, sapping them of their strength.
Cheap (Land 0, Mana 1)
Dreki Fangs: A barbed bolt of Fire Steel inscribed with Air Phasing. These crossbow bolts heat up in flight to deliver dangerously accurate and lethal strikes out to long range.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1, Mana 1)
Wind Cart: A four wheeled cart with a hollow cylinder in the back. This cart is designed to be crewed by a Chanter who is capable of propelling the cart at walking speed using a variant of the Wind Chant.
Expensive (Land 3, Mana 1)
Windforged Steel: All metal equipment has been improved with access to Windforged Steel. It has a blue colouration.
Fire Steel: This red coloured steel gives off constant heat.
Stillborn Steel: This light blue coloured steel seems to carry an unnatural weight.
National Expense - Infrastructure
Windforges - Development: 2, Investment: 0/4
Built around the smelteries for Windforged Steel, the Windforges house blacksmiths and apprentices of the Voiceguard to learn together how to produce the finest equipment in large quantities.
Provides a discount to the cost of one design.
Current Design: Improved Scale Armour
National Expense - Selectable Infrastructure (Takes x turns to increase Development where x is present Development level multiplied by 2)
Temple of the Voiceguard: A training ground for the Voiceguard, Chanters trained to use simple cantrips to support our troops in battle.
March: A cooling wind to make an army’s journey easier. (Wind)
Smoke: Obscures the battlefield with smoke. (Spike of Smoke)
Poison: Gathers poison from the local area to douse our weapons. (Gathering of Poison)
Ember: To set fires. (Wind of Embers)
Hellfire: Pillars of flame descend on the enemy. (Wind of Flame)
National Expense - Infrastructure
Stormcrown Fortress: A defensive location positioned to defend the route to the mountains. The Stormcrown Tongues train and work their magic there to change the weather. Should it be besieged they shall instead turn their powerful magic upon their attackers.
National Expense - Infrastructure