A reminder that the Nation name vote is still going on.
Design ResultsA basic magic which uses mana going into an object to map it. It only takes a little, but returns plenty of
information, and can be scaled up to scan a building, or the earth around you. Good for Enhancement, as you
know how much to put in without causing the weapon to break afterward. Likewise can be used to prevent
ambushes and/or find the enemy's weight on the earth/object.
Note that basic magi can only scan small objects like weapons or gear. But the effect can be scaled up based on the user's ability with the spell.
[Normal] 1 + 1 = Utter Failure
Let me tell you the story of one of the Spellwrights, Ionos. Ionos was the developer of the Structural Grasp spell. It was a thing of wonder, with but a touch, Ionos could achieve total and perfect understanding of whatever it was he touched... But Ionos's mind was consumed by Pride and Ambition, and he reached for the ruins of ages past... Some say that in that very instant he gained Total Clarity of the workings of old... And that it overwhelmed his mind, so great were our Ancestor's Skills. Ionos is now a mere shadow of before, his shattered mind placing him below even small children in mental capability...
PRE-GAME SNAKE EYES REROLL! 2 + 3 = Below Average
Thankfully, while Ionos didn't teach anyone his magic, he did keep notes, and while the spell we put together from said notes isn't as Grand as Ionos's, it still functions. Granted, while the Structural Grasp works at mapping an item and depositing the knowledge in the casters mind, it does not grant inherent understanding. In addition, it seems to have difficulty grasping onto magics placed upon an object, giving vague impressions instead of the precise knowledge it normally does; though mayhaps these flaws are for the best, considering Ionos's fate....
The Spell is [Common]
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Remade and inspired by the myths of what we could do so long ago, this is an enchantment worked onto a forge or firepit. Fueled by the energy of the flames and activated by the song, this spell causes the fire to bend, ever so slightly, to the smith's will. Metal worked in such a forge finds itself just a bit easier to shape, the products just a bit less likely to break. In such forges, we are capable of producing iron without needing the backbreaking work of hours to hammer it into wrought iron first. The fire seems to slowly, but steadily, leech the impurities out all on its own.
Because the enchantment is fueled by the fire, these forges tend to require a bit more fuel than your average smithy to actually heat up and stay hot, but the tradeoff is that the enchantment does not require a magic user to continually refresh it and restore it.
We aren't sure why it requires a song instead of a perfectly reasonable command word, but we're pretty sure the smith-turned-Spellwright who invented it was just a little more obsessed with the myths he was taking inspiration from than he was perhaps letting on.
[Hard] 4 + 2 - 1 = 5 = Below Average
Our first foray into Permanent Enchantment, Ironsmithing, and Basic Pyromancy was wrought with difficulty, but not without fruit. First and foremost, sadly, we failed at permanently Enchanting the forges, while siphoning the flames to fuel the enchantment worked, the one prototype that seemed to be perpetual was too cold to cook food with, nevermind smelt metal. In addition, those with a less intense siphoning enchantment but compensated with excessive fuel seemed to eventually, well, 'go senile' in that they seem to lose track of what they're meant to do; one left nothing but Pure Slag, another left the coal intact, yet a third somehow managed to turn the charcoal back into typical wood. And we aren't mentioning the many that simply exploded or forgot where they were suppose to siphon heat from. Irregardless, we do have working forges, and though they'll need maintenance from a Spellwright, they're self-sufficient enough to not need constant magical supervision/recalibration/recharging.
The iron itself isn't that special, indeed, it's inferior to our finest bronze, and most distressing it appears to be less receptive to magical enchantment... Still, even with the forges needing magical attention, the ore is much more plentiful, and as such equipping massive numbers of soldiers in iron should be a more reasonable proposition than using bronze. It may not be the revolution some hoped for, but a foundation to reclaiming our lost glory it still is.
In unrelated, but still mildly odd news, is that Ionos had a tendency to stick around the forge that eventually became the one that we decided was best, and absolutely refused to approach any of the ones that eventually exploded....
Hunter - Sporting a simple bronze spear and basic padded clothing; this improvised soldier may not be the best equipped or trained, but they are willing to fight to reclaim your nation's glory! They also have a simple sturdy stick as a sidearm. [Common]
Slinger - The humble sling may not be the most impressive of weapons, but a strip of leather or rope is a cheap and serviceable armament. Their ammunition follows suit, being scavenged stones they find in the field. [Common]
Spellwright Initiates - These men and women are practitioners of the Noble Arts of the Arcane. Their talent is rather limited and unspecialized, however. Can utilize Common Spells [Rare]
Simple Raft - This piece of Naval Technology is really rather simple; being a series of logs tied together. Crude, but can keep its few passengers dryish. Usually. [Common]
Arcane Sparks - With a flourish of the arm, a series of small magical sparks surges forth, exploding on contact. They only have about the same potency as a large firecracker though. [Common]
Arcane Bolt - A stronger spell that's still basically a lump of mana thrown at the target. Much more potent than Arcane Sparks due to higher mana concentrations, though is rather inefficient. It is capable of killing a man instead of maiming at best, however. In spite of its cost, Lesser Magic Users can utilize it, though not all are capable. [Uncommon]
Harden Object - Through Enhancement Magic, magic is imbued into an object, improving its hardness to a great extent. However, the spell is imperfect, and the magic will drain out of the enhanced object, and as it does so, so too will the enhancement fade in effectiveness. A botched casting can shatter an object or lead to excessive brittleness, although it is an incredibly difficult spell to screw up.
As such, our (Magic Users) will go around, enhancing the equipment of our troops before battle. Though with the rarity of (Magic Users), and the skill with which they possess, only a small fraction of our armies equipment will be Enhanced. Obviously, elite units will be prioritized.
[Common]
Electrified Grasp - With a surge of enhancement magic, the user electrifies their hand. A potent spell; though a dangerous one. If the spell is miscast, or the caster has the slightest lapse in focus, or if they are not prompt in discharging the lightning through touching something the spell will backfire into the caster. Even with a proper casting, the caster's hand will be temporarily left numb and mildly paralyzed, making repeat castings in a short period of time very difficult.
[Common]
Structural Grasp - With a touch, this spell maps out a small object and deposits the knowledge gained directly into the casters mind. It does not inherently grant them the understanding to parse this knowledge. In addition, the spell has difficulty parsing magics on an object, only granting vague impressions.
[Common]
Song of Iron - A not quite permanent enchantment placed upon a forge to assist in the smelting of iron. Fuel hungry due to consuming the heat to help sustain the enchantment. Requires semi-frequent attendance from a Spellwright to prevent the magic from 'going senile' and doing unexpected (and likely disastrous) things. The iron so produced is of worse quality than fine bronze, and more resistant to being enchanted, but is cheaper.
You've made good time, Scholars, time still remains for some minor work before our armies march forwards to reclaim our birthright! You have 2 Revisions.
Author
Topic: West Side, Embers of the Past Turn 2 Revision Phase (Read 5261 times)