Sight False and True

Thirteenth Day of the Third Month 294 AC

Although you had mostly sent your mother to Vahar to oversee the study of texts to which you had been given access to following the Expedition's passing through, you find yourself relieved for her diplomatic expertise. As you read through the first half of the latest report, you find yourself contemplating what would be a fitting fate for all the trouble they brought. Mind-numbing boredom or gut wrenching fear, maybe a touch of both? Sothoryos can provide both, and more to the point it can provide more productive direction to the mages' ambition. You make a further note to assure them that the assignment is only temporary until the waves from the incident on Vahar have settled.

The Mysteries of East Complete 18/12

Your final note is to have your mother quietly monitor the religious festivals for the use of magic to prevent any misunderstandings that might arise later on from the faith using undeclared magic in a Imperial jurisdiction. It likely will not be a concern, seeing as observed cases were all major rituals on the island itself, but there is no reason to take needless chances.

Looking beyond the incident to the lore acquired for the Scholarum, you are pleased to see scrolls and tomes of realms beyond the narrow sea, and maps finer than anything you could simply buy in port. By far the most fascinating discovery is that of an intact ritual that allows illusory warding of a land in a way that seems almost fey-like in effect, though according to your mother there are are no fey in the Sharn's realm, save those of the sea that pass as the wind takes them. The second ritual is less widely useful, allowing one to tap into the lingering presence of even the most faded specter to learn more of how they might be exorcised. The inquisition will get some use out of it, perhaps the Lawmen, too.

Chart and Map Collection Improved to 'Excellent Quality for the coast of the Jade and Summer Seas' where applicable.

Common Lore:
Knowledge Geography +2
Knowledge Arcana +1
Knowlege Mathematics +4

Rituals:
Labyrinthine Wilds

School
illusion (glamer); Level 5

CASTING
Casting Time 50 minutes

Components V, S, M (the bones of local wildlife carved into divining runes and daubed in specially treated wildlife blood worth 2,000 gp), F (a compass using a highly sensitive magnetic needle worth 10,000 gp), SC (at least 4 and up to 10)

Skill Checks Knowledge (geography) DC 30, 2 successes; Survival DC 30, 3 successes
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./character level of the primary caster)
Area a 2-square-mile region/character level of the primary caster
Duration permanent (D)
Saving Throw Will disbelief (if interacted with); Spell Resistance no

Backlash The primary caster gains 1 temporary negative level.
Failure All casters gain 2 temporary negative levels and are permanently blinded (the blindness is a curse effect, and it can be removed with remove curse and similar effects).

EFFECT
The primary caster must prepare for this ritual by walking a path along the outer edge of the desired area—an act that likely takes longer than the ritual casting time. As the primary caster walks this path, she must periodically mark the area with tiny runes. Once the primary caster returns to her starting point, and assuming the area she outlined is less than 2 square miles per character level she has, the actual casting of the ritual can begin. At this point, all casters cross the threshold to enter the region and then begin following a series of erratic paths, each using the material component divining runes as they wander aimlessly. Completing this ritual creates a powerful obfuscating effect, affecting creatures entering the area surrounded by the primary caster's initial walk.

The area within the border becomes an illusory replica of the local terrain that is difficult to navigate. In order to successfully travel to a desired location within the labyrinthine wilds, a creature must succeed at a DC 20 Intelligence check or a DC 30 Survival check. Success at this check allows a creature to reach its destination as normal. Failure at this check indicates the creature (and any allies it guides) spends 2d6 hours traveling along the path, only to return the starting point with no memory of its wanderings and fatigued from the journey.

Voice of the Damned

School
necromancy; Level 4
Casting Time 30 minutes
Components V, S, M (a blade worth 150 gp and a parchment), SC (up to the Intelligence modifier of the primary caster)

Skill Checks Diplomacy DC 31, 2 successes; Intimidate DC 31, 2 successes
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one neutralized haunt
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance no

Backlash All casters take 1d6 points of Constitution damage.
Failure All casters take 1d6 points of Constitution drain.

EFFECT
The caster rouses the lingering consciousness of a neutralized haunt. Upon the ritual's completion, a spirit resembling the entity that empowered the haunt manifests before the caster and scrawls a message of 25 words or less onto the provided parchment, using the caster's blood. This message provides a cryptic clue regarding how to permanently destroy the haunt, acting much like the information granted by a divination spell, except that there is no chance that the information will be incorrect because the haunt hopes to end its suffering.

All things told, you are satisfied with the fruits of this excursion. Nothing of great worth or secrecy was unearthed, but then you had not expected them to be. Every new insight, every flicker of lore, is more than you have possessed before, and lore unlike gold can be shared without being diminished.

What next?

[] Write in

OOC: Really short again though this time as much for the fact that it is a natural break point as it being really late for me. Rolls for the lore were middling across the board if anyone is wondering. Not yet edited.
Here's an edited version of the chapter, @DragonParadox.
 
Current Library:

Additions courtesy of Vahar:


Updated Library:
Common Lore:
Knowledge (Alchemy) +25
Knowledge (Arcana) +34
Knowledge (Architecture) +27
Knowledge (Autohypnosis) +2
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +29
Knowledge (Economics) +24
Knowledge (Geography) +28
Knowledge (History) +47
Knowledge (Law) +19
Knowledge (Martial Lore) +6
Knowledge (Mathematics) +26
Knowledge (Nature) +24
Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) +17
Knowledge (Psionics) +24
Knowledge (Religion) +30
Knowledge (The Planes) +25
Knowledge (War) +27
Profession (Trade) +5

Bound Tomes of Knowledge (For ritual use): Religion and Planes +10
I'm always hoping to push the History bonus higher. Eventually we'll uncover the true history of Planetos.

[X] egoo
 
Do we have any idea what some of the other libraries of Westeros would have as bonuses? Because by now I'd assume that we have a much better library than any other polity, but it'd be neat to see what the citadel's library bonuses are.
The library of Castle Black at the Night's Watch should by all rights have a library comparable to those of the Great Houses, like the Starks in Winterfell, the Baratheons in Storm's End, etc. The Citadel on the other hand we have no sense of scale for.
 
That is going to drag into the next month anyway.
Ah, so we are not getting the people we assigned to halpign to be there in time for the CoS-ritual, then?

Alright, thanks for finally clearing stuff up, then.
I was honestly confused about that.

Kinda shitty to be without our overwhelming Air Force tho...
Oh well.

I'll plan the defense of the Snare for the ritual later today.
Let's hope Burny's attention won't be too split between the two Fey polities to kill them both ded.
 
Ah, so we are not getting the people we assigned to halpign to be there in time for the CoS-ritual, then?

Alright, thanks for finally clearing stuff up, then.
I was honestly confused about that.

Kinda shitty to be without our overwhelming Air Force tho...
Oh well.

I'll plan the defense of the Snare for the ritual later today.
Let's hope Burny's attention won't be too split between the two Fey polities to kill them both ded.
We can probably call them back for an ominous airshow over King's Landing.
 
Ah, so we are not getting the people we assigned to halpign to be there in time for the CoS-ritual, then?

Alright, thanks for finally clearing stuff up, then.
I was honestly confused about that.

Kinda shitty to be without our overwhelming Air Force tho...
Oh well.

I'll plan the defense of the Snare for the ritual later today.
Let's hope Burny's attention won't be too split between the two Fey polities to kill them both ded.
That we wouldn't have the Ymeri forces available for the CoS was always assumed to be the case though.
 
Dire llamas would be amazing.

They need a spit breathweapon to spit in everyone's faces.

Found this randomly due to someone rating a past post when we were dicussing native american civiliazion expys, and I feel the need to post this:

 
Found this randomly due to someone rating a past post when we were dicussing native american civiliazion expys, and I feel the need to post this:

I've seen something similar, but with a camel. IIRC, it had a .50 cal machine gun mounted between its humps.

And to think, people once only had to watch out for the llama/camel spit. Now there's hot lead to worry about, too.
 
Last edited:
That we wouldn't have the Ymeri forces available for the CoS was always assumed to be the case though.
I wouldn't be here, bemoaning, if it was.
Since it's not even the dozenth time I bring up the stuff, it's clear enough that much of the thread had the same idea, else I would've been corrected by now.
 
I wouldn't be here, bemoaning, if it was.
Since it's not even the dozenth time I bring up the stuff, it's clear enough that much of the thread had the same idea, else I would've been corrected by now.
On my end it was more that we don't quite need the entire airforce to conquer Westeros. It's Westeros. Once the Court of Stars is killed off we've just got the Lannisters as the last bastion of resistance, and that's not exactly a Golden Company level fight.
 
On my end it was more that we don't quite need the entire airforce to conquer Westeros. It's Westeros. Once the Court of Stars is killed off we've just got the Lannisters as the last bastion of resistance, and that's not exactly a Golden Company level fight.
You misunderstand the misunderstanding.

I assumed we'll have the Airforce by the time we do the CoS ritual (literally tomorrow IRL or one day after, it seems in the light of this news).
Apparently we won't, because Ymeri-kicking goes for longer than this month, meaning I read the chapter where Mel outlined the guesstimate on time wrong.
Or Burny rolled shittily, whatever.

We will have our Airforce and the few people we've sent alongside almost certainly by the end of the 4th month, when we'll start the Reconquest.
It's just that I assumed we'll get to see which of our ships exploded before I start assigning people here and there to defend the ritual site.
 
You misunderstand the misunderstanding.

I assumed we'll have the Airforce by the time we do the CoS ritual (literally tomorrow IRL or one day after, it seems in the light of this news).
Apparently we won't, because Ymeri-kicking goes for longer than this month, meaning I read the chapter where Mel outlined the guesstimate on time wrong.
Or Burny rolled shittily, whatever.

We will have our Airforce and the few people we've sent alongside almost certainly by the end of the 4th month, when we'll start the Reconquest.
It's just that I assumed we'll get to see which of our ships exploded before I start assigning people here and there to defend the ritual site.
I also thought we would have the full air force available for the ritual. I guess we'll just make do with what we've got on hand.
 
I wouldn't be here, bemoaning, if it was.
Since it's not even the dozenth time I bring up the stuff, it's clear enough that much of the thread had the same idea, else I would've been corrected by now.
Well, I kept cautioning you that this was an extremely optimistic idea of yours, but I just stopped after a while since I could no longer be bothered.
 
Well, I kept cautioning you that this was an extremely optimistic idea of yours, but I just stopped after a while since I could no longer be bothered.
Frankly, I don't remember seeing a single post on the matter from you, nor anyone else.

I don't discount selective blindness and general amnesia from the realm of possibility as the cause, but pls give quotes.
 
Frankly, I don't remember seeing a single post on the matter from you, nor anyone else.

I don't discount selective blindness and general amnesia from the realm of possibility as the cause, but pls give quotes.
Excuse me, but my desire to dig for such is pretty much nil.

Maybe I'm also conflating this with all the other planning misconceptions I kept having to correct over the last months.
 
On my end it was more that we don't quite need the entire airforce to conquer Westeros. It's Westeros. Once the Court of Stars is killed off we've just got the Lannisters as the last bastion of resistance, and that's not exactly a Golden Company level fight.
We thought Westeros could be conquered with a handful of assassinations and a sternly worked letter right up until we tripped over the CoS. I think it'd be wise to treat them as capable of hunting us until we prove that they can't instead of the reverse.

Obviously we shouldn't go crazy with it, but it'd be wise to go in from a position where we have everything we can spare available during the invasion.

I expect the Chosen to pull some crazy shit out of their hats at the very least, and for the Lannisters to have made some really bad deals with people they shouldn't be in a room with at all.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if I'd we got tag teamed by a diabolic dragon monster and a celestial hit champion slayer hit squad, with mid CR fey remnants as back up dancers.

It shouldn't be unmanageable, but I doubt it'll be shrug worthy either.
 
Back
Top