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[Rockeater]

The Three Styles: (3) NUKE9.13, Happerry, Rockeater

I'm not sure about your idea for the recepie, but it does look possible

[Talion]

Revision Phase

The Three Styles

We fear that the Blademonks' strictly choreographed sparring will not prepare them for the rigours of actual combat. Therefore, in conjunction with our finest warriors- and the Blademonks themselves-, we have devised new methods that will better train them for battle.
Henceforth, Blademonks will learn three 'styles'; Chantless Blade, Guarding Blade, and Killing Blade.
Chantless Blade, as the name suggests, involves fighting in a manner that does not rely on Reinforcement of Cutting. It focuses primarily on swords, but the use of spears, or no weapons, will also feature. This form shall be practised most often, as it most closely resembles real combat- before surpassing conventional methods, one must understand them. Non-Blademonk warriors may be brought in to aid in Chantless Blade training.
Guarding Blade will most closely resemble their current training regime, as it shall feature a dedicated attacker, and a dedicated defender. The defender is to learn how to use Reinforcement of Cutting to defend themselves; to slice through spears, swords, and whatever else an attacker may throw at them. To avoid injury during training, Guarding Blade will focus on defence only, and will not delve into counter-attacking.
Killing Blade will, like Chantless Blade, be (usually) practised without chanting. Wooden training swords are used, and fighters will wear padded armour across their body. The goal is to perform strikes that would be lethal in as efficient a manner as possible. Blocking is not allowed, as in actual combat, RoC-enhanced strikes could not be blocked. It is hoped that the focus on efficiency will reduce the number of swords a Blademonk will go through in battle, although this is not the top priority.
In actual combat, Blademonks will of course use a combination of these styles as suits their circumstances. Lessons brought back from combat may be integrated into the training program to improve future performance as well.

Normal: 5

The Blademonks training has advanced leaps and bounds since the introduction of the three styles. The use of soldiers from the rank and file of the army has done much to break down bad habits caused by the initial training strategy. Chantless Blade style Blademonks are the equal of any soldier and with the aid of the Guarding Blade none can stand against them for long.

Testing of Reinforcement of Cutting in preparation for the Killing Blade style has revealed two paths forward, both viable. In the first path the practitioner extends the heavy cuts performed using the Guarding Blade to directly target the enemy, killing them with a single powerful blow. The second path calls for the use of many light strikes. When empowered by Reinforcement of Cutting these light strikes are still capable of disabling a limb or killing with a strike to the head. On the heavy path stylists more quickly damage their blades in exchange for a more rapid victory, where as on the light path a stylist will draw out the battle attempting to avoid striking at heavily armoured areas. Some of our Blademonks prefer one path over the other and some will use both depending on the situation.

It is now Spring, Turn 0 Battle Phase

Resources: Land 2, Ore 1, Mana 2, 1x Hint Token

Spoiler: Heroes (click to show/hide)

Lady Adiva Shrivastava (d2), Experience: 3
Daughter of the Noble house of Shrivastava, an upstart family by the standards of those who claim to descend from the time of the first Goddess War. Adiva has earned her place in the officer core with skilled leadership as an archer, setting an inspiring example for those who follow her.

Elite Units
Blademonks: An order of chanters dedicated to calm contemplation of the Reinforcement of Cutting chant and its use in battle through the use of blades. Unfortunately they have yet to truly master their chant, causing blades to break under the pressure of their magic.

[NUKE9.13]

So, there is the option of using the hint token right now to figure out what recipe would work best for metal strengthening, and then doing the relevant experiment in the next discovery phase, leaving us on track to create stuff in the design phase. In other words, spend the hint token on something like this:

Metalworker's Alchemy: We know that quenching metal in an alchemical recipe using the rune Form(Water) results in the metal inheriting some of Water's flexibility. It stands to reason that using a recipe that contains Form(Earth) would serve to strengthen the metal instead. (We also suspect we should not use Attack(Fire) unless we want to induce brittleness). However, if we want to create equipment that rivals Loji's Windforged Steel, we should endeavour to concoct the most effective quenching recipe possible. Thus, we shall conduct studies into the matter with haste, to determine which combination of runes will work best for our purposes.

I'm sort of in favour of this, even though it would mean missing an investigate action in the discovery phase; like I said, better metal is always good.

Hint Token
Do not use:
Metalworker's Alchemy: (1) NUKE9.13

[Rockeater]

Hint Token
Do not use:
Metalworker's Alchemy: (2) NUKE9.13, Rockeater

[Talion]

Battle Phase

Core Turn 0 Battle

In the mountains to the north, the high passes are clear allowing our scouts to advance. We have caught sight of fabled Arcanis or at least so we believe. For where the ruins should be lies instead a terrible darkness. None can see a way to pass into the ruins without testing it and we fear to tread blindly. In the night we saw strange flashing lights in green, blue and white. What followed was a well-organised ambush. Arrows poisoned with alchemy, that left those struck with a terrible chill. Tribesmen appearing out of the darkness armed with short spear and shield. Without our Blademonks we would likely not even know that much. For amongst the scout groups attacked, it is only those who counted a Blademonk in their number that were able to repel the assault. Fur armoured tribesmen proving no match for the Chantless Blade style. We suspect we may have struck some with arrows, but the only corpses left behind were those slain by the monks. One who we suspect was a squad leader of sorts carried a talisman, with strange marks glowing with mana. We have not been able to get it to do anything nor decode the foreign language of these primitives.

At last, we have met the Loji zealots in true battle and though the battle was trying, we are victorious. Our pikes prove their strength, pressing the enemy back and preventing them from striking us in close quarters. Our Blademonks also performed well, showing their superiority in close quarters battle against the best of the axemen of Loji. Though many died in the process, lacking as they are in defenses.

The advantages of Loji instead lie in their crossbow trickery. Able to outlast our archers with their shields and armour. Their strange carts also represent a serious threat as mobile if slow cover.

The jungle is no fit place for soldiers. It is a battlefield filled with trickery and ambush and our troops lack the support needed to press forward here. Perhaps we were just unlucky with the number of ambushes we blundered into, but it seems the enemy is already well equipped to do battle here. Perhaps if our Blademonks were trained as hunters, they might stalk the enemy more effectively.

It is now Summer, Turn 1 Discovery Phase

Spoiler: Lanes (click to show/hide)

Loji(0/4)
Foothills(0/4)	Fields(0/4)
Mountains(0/4)	Forested Hills(0/4)	Forest(0/4)
Arcanis(0/4) [+1 Ore]	|	Jungle(0/4) [+1 Mana]
High Passes(4/4)	Hills(4/4)	Forest(4/4)
Mountains(4/4)	Savanah(4/4)
Iqua(4/4)

Resources: Land 2, Ore 1, Mana 2, 1x Hint Token

Spoiler: Rune Skills (click to show/hide)

Rune Skills are a measure of your nation’s understanding of the Runes. They are measured as Unskilled, Apprentice, Adept and Master. You cannot make use of Meanings or Elements until you have at least an Apprentice level understanding of them.

Meaning
Ward - Apprentice
Form - Adept - Mana Discount
Attack - Apprentice
Shape - Unskilled
Control - Apprentice

Terrestrial Element
Water - Mastery - Alchemy, Shadow
Wood - Apprentice
Air - Adept - Chanting
Fire - Apprentice
Earth - Apprentice (Path to Golems)

Celestial Element
Shadow - Apprentice

Spoiler: Discoveries (click to show/hide)

Discoveries are magical effects you have discovered that you can put to practical use inside Designs.

Alchemy
Ward(Wood), Form(Water), Attack(Air) - Swan’s Black Blood
A poison that attacks the blood of the victim making them more susceptible to bleeding as their blood does not clot properly.
(Water Mastery) This poison produces an excess of the Water Element.

Ward(Earth), Form(Water), Attack(Fire) - Black Dragon’s Lethargy
A poison that attacks the blood of the victim, devouring their vitality. Victims are fatigued for the months it takes to make a full recovery.
(Water Mastery) This poison produces an excess of the Water Element.

Ward(Wood), Form(Air), Attack(Air) - Fizzle (Froth)
Caused by mixing the first Rune with the second.

Alchemy Secrets
Records - The use of alchemy to record a chant for later speaking.

Chants
Ward(Wood), Form(Air), Attack(Shadow) - Reinforcement of Cutting
This chant grants a target enhanced ability to cut for the duration of a battle. This supernatural sharpness can render a punch capable of stabbing holes in an enemy. Wielding an already sharp blade such an individual could cleave through armour.

Rune, Meaning(Fire), Meaning(Shadow) - Path to Induce Fear

Chanting Secrets
Elemental Distillation - The use of chanting to enhance the alchemy process by using the correct set of words.

Spoiler: Heroes (click to show/hide)

Lady Adiva Shrivastava (d3), Experience: 4
Daughter of the Noble house of Shrivastava, an upstart family by the standards of those who claim to descend from the time of the first Goddess War. Adiva has earned her place in the officer core with skilled leadership as an archer, setting an inspiring example for those who follow her.

Elite Units
Blademonks: An order of chanters dedicated to calm contemplation of the Reinforcement of Cutting chant and its use in battle through the use of blades. Unfortunately they have yet to truly master their chant, causing blades to break under the pressure of their magic.

Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)

Mundane Equipment
Sabre: A single-edged blade that favours cavalry combat over infantry combat.  Requires training to wield, one-handed.
Expensive (Land 2, Ore 2)

Spear: Essentially a dagger on a long stick. Very cheap, requires minimal training to use. Can be used double-handed, or single handed with a shield.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1)

Pike: A longer spear, the butt has a bronze spike for embedding in the ground when defending against a cavalry charge. The pike is best wielded two-handed without a shield. This design is well balanced with a leaf-shaped blade of iron.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1)

Wooden Shield: Couples well with a spear, cheap, easy to replace.  Works best in heavy melee. Can be used with minimal training.
Cheap (Land 1)

Hands-Free Hardened Shield: A smaller shield with a metal spike in the centre. It has a strap that allows the shield to be hung around the neck and handled a little with the shoulder. This allows it to be used by soldiers whose hands are otherwise occupied with two-handed weapons.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1)

Padded Armour: Very cheap, just layers of cloth, but doesn't protect against much. Well ventilated in hot conditions.
Cheap (Land 1)

Chainmail: Interlinked riveted iron hoops. Very effective against most weapons.
Expensive (Land 2, Ore 2)

Songbow: A medium bow with draw strength greater than our normal composite bows. They are not practical to use while riding a mount.
Cheap (Land 2)

War Horn: A musical instrument made from a ram’s horn used to communicate over a distance. Used to deliver orders and sound the alarm in the event of an attack.
Cheap (Land 1)

Saddle + Bridle: Equipment for riding beasts of burden. Unfortunately, with the lack of horses on the island, this has limited utility.
Cheap (Land 2)

Magical Equipment
Symphony Quiver: These quivers contain a variety of arrows each envenomed with a poison known to the Iqua.
Swan’s Song Arrows: Wounds inflicted take longer to heal.
Dragon’s Song Arrows: Victims are sapped of energy, running short on stamina.
Very Expensive (Land 1, Mana 5)

Swan Pike: A pike with a poisonous blade. The venom is a milder version of the Swan’s Black Blood used by the Swan’s Song Arrow. Notably the blade flexes a little, allowing it to cause wounds even when the blade is blocked.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1, Mana 2)

Dragon Pike: A pike with a poisonous blade. The venom is a milder version of the Black Dragon’s Lethargy used by the Dragon’s Song Arrow. Notably the blade flexes a little, allowing it to cause wounds even when the blade is blocked.
Cheap (Land 1, Ore 1, Mana 2)

Chanter’s Sanctuary: A retreat that is the center of learning for the Blademonks, a place of calm contemplation away from the normal concerns of everyday life. Here the Blademonks focus on the twin mastery of blade and cutting chant. An act hindered only by their lack of worthy blades and the fearsome cutting power of their chant.
National Expense - Infrastructure

[Detoxicated]

Lets go for a fire earth based rune for our arrows. Trying to create bomb arrows will give us advantages to break through their crossbows armor and shield while also becoming a threat to bands of enemy soldiers.

[Happerry]

I think we should investigate the Shape meaning so we can actually use it, because I'm betting that we'll need it to make better metal types.

[NUKE9.13]

I'm still thinking we use the hint token for info. I considered that we might need Shape, but we aren't really shaping the metal, just quenching it after it has already been shaped.

Lets go for a fire earth based rune for our arrows. Trying to create bomb arrows will give us advantages to break through their crossbows armor and shield while also becoming a threat to bands of enemy soldiers.

Keep up mate, Dragon's Lethargy already uses Fire and Earth. It'll take more than that to make exploding arrows. Besides, our problem is our defences, not our arrows being ineffective.

Hint Token
Do not use:
Metalworker's Alchemy: (1) NUKE9.13

[Rockeater]

Hint Token
Do not use:
Metalworker's Alchemy: (2) NUKE9.13, Rockeater

[NUKE9.13]

So, we could really use more votes- whether you're for or against. If we get enough votes for, the hint token should get resolved immediately, and we can do the rest of the discovery phase based on the outcome. If people vote against, we can drop the hint token for the moment, and do something else. Either way, we get to move along.

[Happerry]

Vote
Investigate Shape Meaning: (1) Happerry
Hint Token
Do not use: (1) Happerry
Metalworker's Alchemy: (2) NUKE9.13, Rockeater

[NUKE9.13]

Alright, well, it seems more votes in favour of Metalworker's Alchemy are not forthcoming. So, how about this instead:

Runic System Experiment (Chant): Attack(Wood), Control(Fire), Form(Shadow)
(My thinking here is: Attack(Wood)=grow, Control(Fire)=control emotion, Form(Shadow)=fear)

This is an attempt at getting Induce Fear. If we aren't going to be deploying better armour this turn, we'll need something else if we don't want to lose the Jungle. We unlock this chant this phase, then we can design chanters to use it in the design phase.

E: Rockeater indicated his support on Discord (and would vote himself but is on his phone)

Discovery Phase
Investigate Shape Meaning: (3) Happerry, NUKE9.13, Rockeater
Hint Token
Do not use: (1) Happerry
Metalworker's Alchemy:
Runic System Experiment (Chant): Attack(Wood), Control(Fire), Form(Shadow): (2) NUKE9.13, Rockeater

[Rockeater]

I confirm that

[NUKE9.13]

Another vote from Discord. By the way, if you aren't on the Discord cos you've never used it before, try it- it's very simple.

Discovery Phase
Investigate Shape Meaning: (4) Happerry, NUKE9.13, Rockeater, BBBence1111
Hint Token
Do not use: (1) Happerry
Metalworker's Alchemy:
Runic System Experiment (Chant): Attack(Wood), Control(Fire), Form(Shadow): (3) NUKE9.13, Rockeater, BBBence1111

[Talion]

Discovery Phase

Investigate Runic Component: Shape Meaning
An unusual rune, the shape varies; spheres, cubes, and pyramids are all valid. Each face is marked with an indented double wavy line symbol.

Hint Token: Runic System Experiment (Chant): Attack(Wood), Control(Fire), Form(Shadow)

New Chant Discovered: Attack(Wood), Control(Fire), Form(Shadow) - Reinforcement of Fear
This chant inflicts a target with fear. This supernatural fear will cause the target to run from danger or otherwise cower in fright. As the fear is only inflicted on a single target, we suspect that this chant would be very exhausting to use on the battlefield.

It is now Summer, Turn 1 Design Phase

Spoiler: Rune Skills (click to show/hide)

Rune Skills are a measure of your nation’s understanding of the Runes. They are measured as Unskilled, Apprentice, Adept and Master. You cannot make use of Meanings or Elements until you have at least an Apprentice level understanding of them.

Meaning
Ward - Apprentice
Form - Adept - Mana Discount
Attack - Apprentice
Shape - Apprentice
Control - Apprentice

Terrestrial Element
Water - Mastery - Alchemy, Shadow
Wood - Apprentice
Air - Adept - Chanting
Fire - Apprentice
Earth - Apprentice (Path to Golems)

Celestial Element
Shadow - Apprentice

Spoiler: Discoveries (click to show/hide)

Discoveries are magical effects you have discovered that you can put to practical use inside Designs.

Alchemy
Ward(Wood), Form(Water), Attack(Air) - Swan’s Black Blood
A poison that attacks the blood of the victim making them more susceptible to bleeding as their blood does not clot properly.
(Water Mastery) This poison produces an excess of the Water Element.

Ward(Earth), Form(Water), Attack(Fire) - Black Dragon’s Lethargy
A poison that attacks the blood of the victim, devouring their vitality. Victims are fatigued for the months it takes to make a full recovery.
(Water Mastery) This poison produces an excess of the Water Element.

Ward(Wood), Form(Air), Attack(Air) - Fizzle (Froth)
Caused by mixing the first Rune with the second.

Alchemy Secrets
Records - The use of alchemy to record a chant for later speaking.

Chants
Ward(Wood), Form(Air), Attack(Shadow) - Reinforcement of Cutting
This chant grants a target enhanced ability to cut for the duration of a battle. This supernatural sharpness can render a punch capable of stabbing holes in an enemy. Wielding an already sharp blade such an individual could cleave through armour.

Attack(Wood), Control(Fire), Form(Shadow) - Reinforcement of Fear
This chant inflicts a target with fear. This supernatural fear will cause the target to run from danger or otherwise cower in fright. As the fear is only inflicted on a single target, we suspect that this chant would be very exhausting to use on the battlefield.

Chanting Secrets
Elemental Distillation - The use of chanting to enhance the alchemy process by using the correct set of words.