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Author Topic: Counsel of Wizards  (Read 5156 times)

chubby2man

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #30 on: February 12, 2024, 11:03:23 pm »

Rituals, Connections, Sources, and You!

Rituals are your big workings of magic, permanently changing the world. The scope of what you can achieve is vast, but not always predictable or controllable.

A strong, successful ritual needs four things. The Magic, the Source/Sacrifice, and the Connection to the Object you are working a ritual on.

As a wizard, you have access to the flow of magic, that power which allows reshaping of the world. No more needs to be said here, you have power enough for most rituals.



The Source/Sacrifice. This refers to what you are taking a quality from, a metaphorical counterbalance to what you are trying to achieve. You are sacrificing the potential of a thing to bring about the actual. Magic always demands a price, and as a wizard it is your responsibility to find payment. Magic can be fickle in demanding a price when left to its own devices.

A life is of course a classic payment, but you should not rush to the knife at the first opportunity. A wedding band could be sacrificed to reinforce the bond between two things. A dragon's scale to grant impossible hardness. A wizard's eye to gain knowledge.

Sometimes you can use your subject as the Source, refining away “impurities”. Removing one’s fear to strengthen their resolve, would be one example.

No all rituals need a source. Offensive magic, bringing ruin and dismay, often does not need such, relying on the harmful effects of the magic itself. In such cases, however, the Connection is most important.



Connection is how you "connect" your ritual with the Object of said ritual. Physical distance is a big one, the closer you are the stronger the magic. In lieu of being physically present, having a piece or body part of the Object is valuable as well, allowing a Connection to form so that the magic might flow. A lock of hair can be used, or a favored piece of jewelry. The more Connections you layer, the easier the magic will flow.

Rituals are an art. A sometimes expensive art as well. You can expend Trust to have your allies gather reagents for you. Keep in mind the effectiveness of your ritual can depend greatly on the Sources and Connections you gather. A blessing on a kingdom would be far more effective with a king as a sacrifice than a random peasant.


And remember wizards, these are guidelines, not rules! Some rituals won’t need a Connection, and sometimes you won’t need a Source. Go with what feels symbolically good!



Will add to second post, also added a section on Trust there.


Also! Putting a bounty on making a map of Panem! Feel free to put them where you want, but coastal nations should be on the coast, and rivals probably close together. Reward will be a free spell to your spellbook! Does not have to be fancy at all. 
« Last Edit: February 12, 2024, 11:33:04 pm by chubby2man »
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Glass

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #31 on: February 13, 2024, 12:03:10 am »

What defines the 'perfect chair'?

"Invokana?"

Naturally, one must be able to sit in it. After all, this is the purpose of chairs. A chair that cannot be sat in is not a chair at all. At best, it might be a desk.

"Hello? Magus Invokana?"

However, it must also be possible to cease sitting in it, as the purpose of the chair is not to be sat upon forever. Even that most regal of chairs, the throne, is intended to be vacated from time to time.

"Do you think she can hear us?"
"...try knocking maybe?"

So we come upon the most basic qualities a chair must have, and which should presumably be perfected in order to produce a 'perfect chair': the ability to sit on it, and the ability to stop sitting on it.

*Tunk tunk tunk*

"Hmn? Come in, come in."

The doorknob jiggled, locked. Invokana waved a hand, and the latch audibly shifted open.

Two hunters - one human, the other elven - carefully walked into the room.
"We, ah, brought the teeth and claws and such?"

"Ah, that. Excellent, excellent. Bring it here, bring it here." She swept her notebook to the side, pulling a small diorama forest to the center of her desk.

"...what is that?"

"Essential for the ritual, I assure you. Modeled after a particular clearing at the approximate center of the Riverwood. I have left some corresponding totems there as additional Connections, matching those in the model. Thank you, thank you. Do you wish to watch?"

The hunters shared glances.
"...sure?"

"Wonderful, wonderful." As they watched, she sifted through the collection of animal parts that they'd acquired; it took a moment, but it became clear that she was keeping exactly one sample from each species. "Yes, yes, this should work, this should work... excellent." She held a vaguely-purple claw up to the light. "You retrieved a claw from one of the waldtier? You have done well, done well indeed. Yes, this will be useful."

After 95% of their haul was swept aside, uncared for, the arcaness seemed to focus upon the few items retained. A myriad small tools arose from gods-knew-where and began flitting about the ivory trinkets, engraving them with symbols and images barely visible. Then, they were placed in a circle within the diorama clearing, surrounding a selection of pillars.

"Silver knows the magic as the iron knows the land, aurum knows the kingdom as the cuprum knows the hand..."
Oh boy. She was chanting.
"...oak and ash and thorn will sing of nature's wild grace, red in tooth and claw within the forest's dark embrace.
All in one, oh Riverwood, grant unto our blades, the fearsome beasts' ferocity that you have ever bade,
For what are we but beasts of yours, implore to know your own, as foreign things would take from you, bring ruin to our home.
"

Gods of the forest and skies, all the damned runes were glowing. And it looked like some of the light was shining out of the arcaness' hood, not just into it.

After a few more minutes of unintelligible magic words, the glow subsided.

"Hmn... yes, yes, I think that should work. Excellent, excellent." A moment. "Oh, you're still here, right, right. Ah, the trees within the diorama were made from shavings from trees around the country in order to increase the narrative Connections to the nation as a whole, and the intention here was to Sacrifice some of the power and danger of the present plague of beasts to imbue into our soldiery and their weapons- where are you going? I thought you wanted to know how the ritual worked?"

The hunters were already running out the door.
They were not paid enough to deal with the really high-grade magic.
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Glass is, as usual, correct.
Yep, as ever, I bestow upon Glass the expected +1
I'm gonna say we go with whatever Glass's idea is.

Quarque

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #32 on: February 13, 2024, 02:45:38 am »

Lettia did the right thing to ask Mumo for help. Those Krovians clearly need to learn a lesson. And Mumo can show you how! Mumo will smash them very hard.

While waiting for the update, Mumo had one of those days. A day when Mumo remembered.

Mumo remembered, Lettia wants diplomatic ties. Aha! Lettia good at making things. Mumo must teach Lettians make bludgies. Lettians help Mumo smash Krovia into diplomatic tie!

Mumo remembered ritual. Aha! Lettians also make wardrums. We do Krovia diplomatic smashing ritual! Music and meat and everything.

Then Mumo remembered quest. Mumo become good person.
Aha!
We do good diplomatic smashing ritual!
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Maximum Spin

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #33 on: February 13, 2024, 10:46:53 pm »

The historical society of Panem presents:
CHARTA PANEMIS


Stars represent capitals where appropriate (eg, not decentralized confederations or forces of nature).
Borders not following rivers are drawn dotted, except around Sifeewan because I didn't want to go back to fix it.
The double line represents the wall built to keep the Drylands tribes (and the Aagonese states, which I imagined occupying a transitional part of the Drylands since the land is poor there) out of the Gruggunium Empire.
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Quarque

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #34 on: February 14, 2024, 02:39:19 am »

It is a nice map. If this one is accepted, it does implicitly translate Sifeewan to Vatsia (West of Lettia) and Krovia to Rotten Lands (East of Lettia), while I was assuming the opposite. Mumo is attacking Sifeewan, in any case.

The description of Lettia didn't mention an ocean separating them from their western neighbours, but if another wizard conjures an ocean in between, it forces Mumo to engage in actual diplomacy and ask the democratic administration of the Gruggunium empire for permission to cross their lands for the special diplomatic ritual.

So I would have to change my first turn and do that. In the meantime preparing for the ritual by getting the production of bludgies and wardrums online.
« Last Edit: February 14, 2024, 02:58:45 am by Quarque »
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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #35 on: February 14, 2024, 03:41:32 am »

It's a strait. Lettia probably has boats.
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Quarque

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #36 on: February 14, 2024, 03:43:35 am »

ah ok

it really is a lovely map
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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #37 on: February 14, 2024, 03:50:23 am »

ah ok

it really is a lovely map
For the record, I actually did check where you said the two nations were. The problem is that I forgot which way east and west are. You might as well imagine the map has been mirrored due to unknown religious traditions of the Panem Historical Society.
Or you could negotiate with a1s to quietly switch the directions in the sheet and pretend they were always that way. I'm good with either option.
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Sudurandom

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #38 on: February 14, 2024, 07:29:03 pm »

Quote
Rita Lin
Spoiler: Wizard: (click to show/hide)



It had taken forever, two weeks of searching, but Rita Lin had finally found people who would help her with her quest. The Gruggi called things silly names, but they were kind of toad like so that was probably a good sign.

But their sheep were getting sick and dying. Rita Lin had to do something about that. She remembered when her friend was sick, and her parents wouldn't let her play with them so she wouldn't get sick.
That was the solution, make the sick sheep go away and the healthy sheep would stay that way. Rita Lin had been folding space to travel, with a little work it could be used to move sheep.

Action: Create Spell
Foldspace Portal: Space is folded to bring two locations together, and a portal is opened between them allowing travel over great distances with a single step.

If I get the free spell for map making, then perform a ritual:
Sacrifice: A percentage of the sick sheep.
Connection: Toy sheep made from the wool of as many sheep as possible across the country.
Intent: Make the sheep healthy by opening a foldspace portal under any sheep that is or becomes infected, moving them far away. (To the skies above our rivals maybe??)

Rita Lin stood in her tower room surrounded by knit lambs. White for the healthy ones, black for the sick. As she sang the necessary spells, she skipped among the toys picking up the ugly black ones and tossing them out the window. This was a good ritual. Not only would it help the Gruggi, but she'd be left with lots of toys for her room.
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chubby2man

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #39 on: April 07, 2024, 10:07:45 am »

Wizards Turn One

(A Wizard is never late, but they are definitely never early!)

Spring is in the air, and the nations stir themselves.

Old Lizzy successfully researches “Harness Lesser Elemental Exemplar: Woodriver" on harnessing the elemental potential of Woodriver River. The spell will require standing in the river for an hour while casting the spell for the first time, though afterwards it takes only a minute to summon again from anywhere.  This grants an immense amount of energy and water at a moments notice, but could have devastating impacts on any nearby waterway.

The Kingdom of the Blue Sea encourages logging settlements in the forests of Riverwood, skirmishing has broken out on the border.


Myrkul Borath successfully researches “Build Structure as Intended”, requiring only the blueprints and resources. The structure will be built, and the magic is not particularly discriminating from where it takes the resources required.

The Dwarves have begun discussion of where they would like to build their forts.


Mumo leads an attack on Sifeewan! Their main city lies high in the sky, but their magic rocks lie on the ground! Mumo smashes their defenses at the head of a troop of Lettian soldiers.
+1 Trust, +1 Magic Floating Rocks


Gort leads a raid on the Free States of Aagon. The minor city Reese’s walls just seem to miraculously collapse to pieces in front of the raiding army of orcs. The return to the republic much richer, and a looted altar in tow.
+1 Trust, +1 altar of Reese with priests


Wavernly Wose gathers a moot to hear the (mostly dead) peoples to decide the future of the Rotten Lands. The opinions are vast and varied, but there are a few options that emerge. 
1. Acclaim a Lich King to lead them.
2. A democracy in which every sentient of the Rotten Lands would have a vote in what to do.
3. Let them all die and return the land to nature (the dead can also be depressed).
+1 Trust If an option is not chosen, it will be randomly decided. You can modify any of these options as you wish.


Haukr Loptulfr sets off among the tribes. He learns they (6) greatly desire to unify in the face of growing nation states, but deciding who and how to lead is greatly up for debate. Above all food and lands are greatly contested, for everyone knows the Drylands are not enough for every tribe to be satisfied.
+1 Trust



Aywen Ayes successfully makes a Fish-Lord invincible! Well, any damage is reflected onto the doll and lasts until the doll falls apart   In any case, Aywen gains the trust of the lord.
+1 Trust .


Fariler successfully makes the spell “Great Illusion”! It can create a flawless illusion of either many beings or a great creature. (Does not include dust clouds, footprints, etc.)



Horilorkius trains the military of Sifeewan in secret black arts. They are feeling vengeful towards the nation of Lettia for their raid on their magic stones.
+1 power, +1 Trust


Teleniar successfully binds a group of soldiers into their armor, and applies enchantments to their armor to make them super soldiers. There was not much time for research left, all Teleniar was able to determine that 4 of the seals are related to the classical elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air.
+1 power, +1 Trust , +1 Armored enhanced soldiers


Jonathan successfully studies the dwarves with a spell, revealing their mining operations. They are methodical, using a grid pattern to search for veins of precious metals. The depths of their mining enrages the giants. They call for a gathering to discuss their response to this outrage.

The monolith demon solemnly swears that he is definitely redeemed, but can only prove it if you release him from the monolith.
+1 Trust


Invokana successfully uses a ritual to imbue weapons of the Forest Guard with the ferocity of beasts! With enhanced vigor and strength, the Forest Guard are stronger than ever before. However, long term use may lead to excessive hair growth and hunger for raw meat.
+1 Power, +1 Trust, +1 Enchanted wild weapons


Rita Lin successful creates the Foldspace spell in a fit of inspiration! This allows the creation of teleport portals between two locations. Rita Lin calls for wool from across the country to perform a ritual to teleport sick sheep away from the country (at the cost of a few of the sick sheep). There are a few minor reports of people ending up in surprising places, but nothing too concerning as of yet.
+1 Trust more trust to be gained later if proven to reduce the plague.


Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)
Map chosen was made by Sudorandom, thanks to both Sudo and Max Spin, who both get a free spell (Sudo using theirs already).



Open to posting next actions! Rituals using materials in your county can be done that turn, but if they involve other regions or are particularly time intensive they may require an additional turn to perform.

Don’t forget to include and update your nation sheet!
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Crystalizedmire

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #40 on: April 07, 2024, 10:30:30 am »

Fariler leads an army to invade Anebris. She casts a greater illusion a greater illusion of a dragon and offers the surrending city the option to surrender.
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Maximum Spin

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #41 on: April 07, 2024, 01:20:33 pm »

Haukr Loptulfr quickly determines the logical course of action - if nobody can agree on how to rule a united coalition, a new ruler must be created from the synthesis of all the tribes' opinions.
Therefore, Haukr researches a new spell (using the free spell bonus) while calling together representatives from all the tribes for a grand parliament. The purpose of the spell is simply to allow the tribal leaders ritually to sacrifice their own sovereignty to animate a golem, made from materials donated by all the tribes equally, which will make the hard decisions so nobody else has to, according to the principles with which the representatives imbue it during its creation. Each tribal representative will offer a list of his tribe's preferred governing principles, the entire group of representatives will vote on the approval of each one, and the golem should integrate those principles according to their proportion of approval, resolving contradictions according to appeal to underlying premises where possible, to achieve the practical best outcome for every tribe. At least, that's how it should work in theory. Haukr also designs the golem chassis with the intention of functioning as a kind of battle tank, to whatever extent is possible with the available materials.

Haukr decides to name the spell "Spawn More Overlords".
(Don't worry, I know this is quite a large undertaking, I assume there will be complications.)
Quote
Haukr Loptulfr-Max Spin
Spoiler: Wizard’s Goal: (click to show/hide)

Red Drylands- Unite the tribes.
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Kashyyk

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #42 on: April 07, 2024, 01:54:54 pm »

Push for a combination of Options 1 and 2: Craft 13 Talismans, and bestow them upon the 13 most influential Lords of the Rotten Lands. The holders of these Talismans will be known as High Lords, be equal members of the Coalition, and have the responsibility of governing the Rotten Lands as a (mostly) unified body. Of course politics may cause the Rotten Lords to disagree, or for the Talismans to change hands, but with the gentle guidance of a Wizard, Nature will ensure the Land will survive.

Speaking of nature, it is time to restore it. Life and Death are equal parts of the cycle and so it must be rebalanced. Wavernly spends the season finding loci of power in the Rotten Lands, and formulating a great Ritual to seed the Rotten Lands with life. It'll no doubt take many seasons to come to fruition, but so too does the mighty oak. Life, Death, and Unlife will be equal spokes in the wheel of Nature.

Spoiler: Wavernly Wose (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Rotten Lands (click to show/hide)
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Megam0nkey

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #43 on: April 07, 2024, 02:32:12 pm »

Old Myrkul waddled in and sat at the great meeting with the dwarves. As they gathered, discussing plans and buildings and ancient grudges and the banning of buying or selling Pig Leather Hammocks, the mage asked some questions. What would make you guys happy, what could be done to achieve a better life? What do you lot need? He was writing down the answers, what the dwarves desired, and where they planned to build, and as he led the meeting productively along from the shadows, as it neared it’s end, he said. “Well…I can certainly help with all of that…infact, gather the materials to your projects and blueprints close to the aquifer, and I’ll prove how much I’m here for you!”

Once the dwarves had gathered what they needed near the location of the aquifer (it was mostly already there, they were having troubles building these structures afterall), the wizard came out, and drew a circle of salt around the materials, picking up the blueprints. Angling the magic to create them where they were supposed to be, and using the salt circle to draw its attention to the materials, both also the closest of what was needed over here…he knew afterall, that magic tended to be lazy…he muttered the words, and spun society over the sea.


Action: listen to the pleas of the Dwarves and hear what they desire, then fix the problem I’ve prepared for to impress with my new spell!

« Last Edit: April 07, 2024, 08:31:38 pm by Megam0nkey »
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Egan_BW

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Re: Counsel of Wizards
« Reply #44 on: April 07, 2024, 08:14:15 pm »

Old Lizzy who isn't old at all but is a Lizzy gets delivered a letter by a deliverer-person who is a person who delivers letters and maybe other things. Lizzy reads the letter with her eyes for a long few hours before remembering that she's supposed to be reading the letter which she was delivered by the deliverer-person so she quickly skims the letter and sees that it says blah blah riverwood blah blah military skirmishing done by military skirmishers whose job it is to skirmish with military skirmishers, blah blah blah blah maybe immanent war so naturally Lizzie starts making a Spell. A Spell designed to specifically target the weakness of the people of the riverwood which is a wood with the riverwood river in it, which is that Lizzie is pretty sure they're all squirrels, and squirrels are basically the same thing as humans who aren't dead, and something that humans who aren't dead are very weak to is being crushed by massive forces, crushed into TINY BITS OF PASTE, which is something that alive humans who aren't dead are particularly weak to on account of the fact that it makes them dead and it makes them start being a kind of goo more than being a human that's alive. Lizzie who is alive ruffles quickly through her desk for anything she could use for a couple hours before she remembers that she should find something to help with making a new spell to crush the riverwooders who are alive so she checks the floor of her cabin which is tall and made from big stones and finds a spell which is on a scroll which is really not the spell itself at all it's just a scroll which has the spell on it which isn't really the spell itself it's just the representation of the thoughts and feelings of the spell which exists far far up in the sky itself but Lizzie who is the Dame of the Blue Ocean finds the spell and sees that it needs a second half so she calls the delivery-person on the telephone and asks for a scroll which is blank and doesn't have a spell on it so that she can write a spell on it rather than asking for a scroll which already has the spell which would honestly save her a lot of work but sometimes you just need to do a little writing to ease your mind of the crushing guilt of murdering your entire bloodline.

So anyways Lizzie starts to write a spell which is Utilize Harnessed Elemental Exemplar: Smoosh a Bunch of Dudes (or ladies or horses) which fits into the back of a spell which harnesses an elemental exemplar for the sake of mass murder through blunt forces, generally requiring that the harnessed exemplar be some sort of blunt and smashing element, like water or rocks.

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It is good to choose your battles. It is better to choose your wars.
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