Remove ads

Age of Ice and Blood: A Pathfinder System Heroic Fantasy Quest

Voting is open
Reader mode
[X] If Marcella or her crew are attacked, we will shoot them from the safety of the deck and be ready to repel any that fly close enough.
-[X] Although we will avoid attacking the Elementals unless they attack us first, we will attempt to rescue sailors who have fallen into the sea.

this I can get behind
 
Remove ads
Sorcerous Substances
  • Informational
    • Sorcerous Substances ​

    -From the Notes of Zaia of Alexandria​

    It might seem a trivial matter to speak of metals even the most noble in such a book at this. While the tongue of the alchemist is quick to extol gold for its purity and steel for its bright face and coal for the fire hidden in the darkness I do not speak of these substance from obscure and esoteric concerns, but what can be only the most practical understanding of the metal.

    Gold is the metal of eternity, of all things and in all places eternal as it drinks the sun and casts it back into the eye of the beholder as flame of greed. Ne'er shall you see gold made less than what it is. Now bronze is a thing of two natures, copper red as blood and tin that is black as night and that makes it meet for the substance that would send so many warriors into their own great night while iron of which steel is made is the blood of the earth and the gift of he skies all at once. Harder it is to mold into pleasing shape but when it is as fine a blade as any of bronze of it is wrought. I have seen in Damascus swords so fine in their forging that one could see almost the ghosts of flames in their forging. It was then as a young man that I came closest to believing claims of sorcery for such beauty must surely have been the work of wizards

    Now there is True Iron or Cold Iron that which was never touched by earthly flame and it has virtues against those spirits which are of the earth and dwell in the deep places. It's color is grey that comes nearer to black when it is touched by sorcery as the spear quenched in dragon's blood is for the thing seems to become more itself when it is given power, nearer perhaps to that Ideal Form of which Plato spoke, but even that is not the subject of this aside

    Silver is the most conductive to the ether of the human soul, the metal of the moon and thus of great use to all manner of magicians, in silver mirrors see the Priest Kings of the South and with silver blades the Hunters of Orinilu hunt that which they count unclean but few if any among their number know why. While it does not tarnish easily it does tarnish if left for long in sea water which is the domain of Ikomi, it is a metal at once noble and mortal, the metal of aspiration rather than of divinity. So I have read in the tongue of spirits writ in living flame and so I have heard from the mouth of one who has been practicing these arts for a long while. Of it are forged the works of magic both easiest to make and most fickle and it is oft the bane of the near-man, the half man, the shapeshifter and the damned which under its power are carved one nature from the other. The healer in me might hope that this would cure the accursed, but a blade does not so easily excise this sickness, most would perish under blades of silver. I have further heard though not seen with mine own eyes that there there is a purer silver which is light as the morning due and hard as iron, forged by the tinker fey of the deep earth which is called Mithral in their tongue.

    The next substance upon which I would draw the mind of the reader is again one which I have not seen with my eyes or touched with my hand, but which I am told is sometimes traded among he river-folk of the north. Whence it comes none of those intrepid folk come to speak with us know for sure, only that it travels on long paths down the rivers of the east before it pours into the sea alongside amber and furs, tin and dies. Clear as glass it is yet it shimmers in the eye and sings a soothing song in the mind. I suspect that this may have lain a long time in a place of calm and meditation and drawn some aspect of it... though it could not have been ever peaceful for glass is forged in fire.

    Finally is a thing that is not metal, but wood, the dagger which the girl Inge had taken for herself is remarkable in being able to channel the power of the earth that flows though the ley-lines and thus strengthen her invocations beyond what she could do along. Metal does not metal grow, but though the right spell might not dead wood be made to thrive what marvels might of that he made?

    OOC: A bit more musing on special materials from the local alchemist, hopefully interesting and perhaps informative on where you might find some stuff.
     
    Last edited:
  • Informational
    • DragonParadox said:
    Sorcerous Substances ​

    -From the Notes of Zaia of Alexandria​

    It might seem a trivial matter to speak of metals even the most noble in such a book at this. While the tongue of the alchemist is quick to extol gold for its purity and steel for its bright face and coal for the fire hidden in the darkness I do not speak of these substance from obscure and esoteric concerns, but what can be only the most practical understanding of the metal.

    Gold is the metal of eternity, of all things and in all places eternal as it drinks the sun and casts it back into the eye of the beholder as flame of greed. Ne'er shall you see gold made less than what it is. Now bronze is a thing of two natures, copper red as blood and tin that is black as night and that makes it meet for the substance that would send so many warriors into their own great night while iron of which steel is made is the blood of the earth and the gift of he skies all at once. Harder it is to mold into pleasing shape but when it is as fine a blade as any of bronze of it is wrought. I have seen in Damascus swords so fine in their forging that one could see almost the ghosts of flames in their forging. It was then as a young man that I came closest to believing claims of sorcery for such beauty must surely have been the work of wizards

    Now there is True Iron or Cold Iron that which was never touched by earthly flame and it has virtues against those spirits which are of the earth and dwell in the deep places. It's color is grey that comes nearer to black when it is touched by sorcery as the spear quenched in dragon's blood is for the thing seems to become more itself when it is given power, nearer perhaps to that Ideal Form of which Plato spoke, but even that is not the subject of this aside

    Silver is the most conductive to the ether of the human soul, the metal of the moon and thus of great use to all manner of magicians, in silver mirrors see the Priest Kings of the South and with silver blades the Hunters of Orinilu hunt that which they count unclean but few if any among their number know why. While it does not tarnish easily it does tarnish if left for long in sea water which is the domain of Ikomi, it is a metal at once noble and mortal, the metal of aspiration rather than of divinity. So I have read in the tongue of spirits writ in living flame and so I have heard from the mouth of one who has been practicing these arts for a long while. Of it are forged the works of magic both easiest to make and most fickle and it is oft the bane of the near-man, the half man, the shapeshifter and the damned which under its power are carved one nature from the other. The healer in me might hope that this would cure the accursed, but a blade does not so easily excise this sickness, most would perish under blades of silver. I have further heard though not seen with mine own eyes that there there is a purer silver which is light as the morning due and hard as iron, forged by the tinker fey of the deep earth which is called Mithral in their tongue.

    The next substance upon which I would draw the mind of the reader is again one which I have not seen with my eyes or touched with my hand, but which I am told is sometimes traded among he river-folk of the north. Whence it comes none of those intrepid folk come to speak with us know for sure, only that it travels on long paths down the rivers of the east before it pours into the sea alongside amber and furs, tin and dies. Clear as glass it is yet it shimmers in the eye and sings a soothing song in the mind. I suspect that this may have lain a long time in a place of calm and meditation and drawn some aspect of it... though it could not have been ever peaceful for glass is forged in fire.

    Finally is a thing that is not metal, but wood, the dagger which the girl Inge had taken for herself is remarkable in being able to channel the power of the earth that flows though the ley-lines and thus strengthen her invocations beyond what she could do along. Metal does not metal grow, but though the right spell might not dead wood be made to thrive what marvels might of that he made?

    OOC: A bit more musing on special materials from the local alchemist, hopefully interesting and perhaps informative on where you might find some stuff.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Zaia really speaks to my inner science nerd. For all that he has learned of Alchemy and through that actual magic, I imagine that a simple high school chemistry book would rock his world.

    I'm glad to see confirmation of both Mithral and Voidglass existing in this setting. They're very expensive materials to purchase and work with, but they bring more options to the table, especially when used as armor.
     
    Goldfish said:
    Zaia really speaks to my inner science nerd. For all that he has learned of Alchemy and through that actual magic, I imagine that a simple high school chemistry book would rock his world.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Yeah, the thing about alchemists is that they did not have the scientific method nor the kind of systemic view of the world that eventually grew out of that. They knew a lot of stuff about what happened when X substance hit Y substance , but they had little notion of the underlying processes, hell even the notion that all matter is on some level made of the same basic building blocks could have been alien to them.
     
    Vote closed.
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Apr 25, 2022 at 5:05 PM, finished with 35 posts and 9 votes.
    • [X] If Marcella or her crew are attacked, we will shoot them from the safety of the deck and be ready to repel any that fly close enough.
      -[X] Although we will avoid attacking the Elementals unless they attack us first, we will attempt to rescue sailors who have fallen into the sea.
      [X] Shoot them from the safety of the deck and be ready to repel any than fly close
    Click to expand...
     
    Remove ads
    Arc 14 Post 7: Storm Song
  • Threadmarks
    • Storm Song ​

    Twenty Fourth Day of Elnu-Hamba (Elnu Descendent), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)

    "Hold!" the calls goes out from Antonio even as the sailors rush to the deck to man the arcane crossbows and to grasp their own bows, and 'hold' you bid the men of the Fellowship also, bows strung and arrows at the ready, but as the foe descends on the longship's port and starboard, tossing men like rags in its winds, not an arrow is shot nor a spell is cast.

    "Get them out of the water!" That is Zaia, holding his hand to guard his eyes against the sea spray.

    Thus ropes are cast and encouragements shouted to those swimming towards the ship until it seems the ropes start casting themselves as the Marcella understands her place in all the chaos. Shelter, sanctuary... but all the while the clouds do not come close. Where the devil is Ohun?

    Nowhere in sight can you spot his winged form, nowhere the man who aught to be the leader of this sorry host. Men die by the dozens, by the scores, flung tither and yon. You see one grizzled fellow you had shared a long table with not three days past impaled on the splintered remains of the ship's mast while another who does not look to be much more than a boy is flung against the side of the Marcella so hard his head cracks, leaving a trail of blood all the way down into the frothing waves.

    "It's a slaughter...." Your grip grows painful on Durendal's hilt.

    "Not entirely, they can be hurt with common bronze," Esha says, halfway between whisper and shared thought. "It is only that wind does not bleed, but it can come undone." She points over Tom's shoulder to where a dozen Anwa warriors, all with axes or warhammers, had surrounded one of the spirits, standing against the buffeting gale well enough to deal blow after blow until with a whistling like the winter wind on barren stone it is gone.

    But it is one and they are many.... already two ships had their decks practically swept of their sailors and it does not look like the foe is minded to stop. It is then that a call comes from above, half eagle's shriek half warcry. Ohun had come and he is asking for your aid.

    "He says to shoot them out of the sky!" Swift Pebble says looking up at the bird whose feathers are the same shade of grey a the old man's beard. That's him, you would recognize him no matter the guise, but before you can do more than glimpse him he is out of the reach of Swift Pebble's mind voice and you have to decide once and for all if you will fight or not

    "Why are the damn things staying clear of us?" you hear Antonio asking as he struggles with the helm to stay out of the path of a wreck floating without heed on the bloody waters.

    As though in answer the ship groans under your feet, an almost musical sound... no, not 'as though', Marcella has understood her captain and she has answered. The spirits do no want to fight her, but you doubt that hesitation will extend so far as staying clear once arrows begin to fly.

    What do you do?

    [] Fight the elementals
    -[] Write in how

    [] Try to talk
    -[] Write in how

    [] Keep to your current course, this is not a battle you can win

    [] Write in

    OOC: I hope you guys do not mind the similarity of the votes, but with Ohun actually asking you to fight as well as an understanding that you will not be targeted otherwise the situation has changed somewhat.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Damn, I don't want to do it, but at this point it would be OOC for Roland not to give what aid he can.

    Fingers crossed this doesn't go too poorly.

    Plan incoming.
     
    Okay, here's what I've got. Ya'll see anything that needs adjustment or that could help?

    [X] Fight the elementals
    -[X] Roland will determine targeting priority for the airborne Air Elementals. Whichever one he shoots at within range, everyone else with a bow or crossbow among Marcella's crew will do the same.
    --[X] Roland will use his Encouraging Roar maneuver as a Swift Action (+2 Morale bonus to attack and damage rolls for himself and all allies within 30 feet for 1 round), then target the nearest Elemental he can see. He will then take a Full-Round Action to regain use of his Encouraging Roar maneuver. During that round when he is re-centering himself, our ranged attackers will continue firing upon the originally targeted Elemental unless it is slain. On the following round, Roland will use Encouraging Roar, again targeting the same Elemental unless it has been destroyed, which will prompt him to select another nearby target, repeating this tactic as time and the situation permits.
    --[X] After the first ranged salvo, while Roland is re-centering himself to prepare to use Encouraging Roar again, Antonio will take the opportunity to form a Mindlink with Marcella if he hasn't already.
    --[X] Zaia will first drink his Mutagen (+2 Natural Armor, +4 CON, -2 CHA) and a Shield extract. If he has time, he'll then drink his Bomber's Eye and Targeted Bomb Admixture extracts before attempting to hit any Elementals with his bombs, always being careful not to throw them where Marcella or her crew could be injured by them.
    --[X] Inge will cast Mage Armor on herself then on Zaia. After that, she'll focus on using her Guidance cantrip and Fortune Hex on the ranged contingent to aid them where possible. She'll only use her Snowball spells to defend herself and her allies if they come under direct attack by the Elementals. The first time she needs to use her Snowball, she'll first use her Guiding Spirit power as a Swift Action to improve her chances of hitting her target.
    --[X] Esha will use her Twilight Barrier as a Swift Action, then cast Mage Armor on herself. She'll then use her staff to cast Shield on herself. After preparing, Esha will follow Roland's lead, firing her staff's 8th level Magic Missiles (4d4+4 Force damage) each time the targeted Elemental is within range (180 feet). If the battle goes on so long that her staff can no longer fire Magic Missiles (after 4 separate castings), she will fall back on using her Ray of Frost cantrip for attack purposes, reserving her Blindness spells for emergencies.
    --[X] Tom, Wanderer, and the rest of our men will make ready to defend the ranged attackers and repel Elementals who attack the Marcella. Our net-wielders will forego using their nets in this instance, instead using their short swords. Any sailors we've rescued from the sea who are able and willing to fight will be under Tom's command for this purpose.
    --[X] Silver will position himself nearby where he can defend Roland and our mages should they come under attack by Elementals, but he'll otherwise try to stay nearby rather than moving about the deck to attack Elementals that come upon it to attack the crew. His size and the potential chaos on deck during the attack could make things worse.
    --[X] Ripper will stay near Inge, protecting her if she is in danger.
    --[X] Swift Pebble and her fellow Otter-kin will stay out of the way while facilitating communication between everyone aboard. Their small stature makes them especially vulnerable to the Air Elementals and their presence on deck would be more of a distraction for the defenders than a hindrance for the enemy.
    --[X] Marcella will prioritize helping her crew over random Anwari sailors, and if she is able she will do what she can to fend off any Elementals who approach too closely.
     
    Last edited:
    silvanknight said:
    @Goldfish what should Silver do? Also should Antonio use Mindlink or should he focus on attacking with his crossbow/the +1 crossbows from the wizard?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I don't really think there's anyone for him to Mindlink with at this time and place that would be worth the action. That's assuming he's already used the power to Mindlink with Marcella. Just in case, I'll add him Mindlinking with Marcella to my plan.

    I was including him with the ranged attack contingent. Between his personal crossbow, the two enchanted auto-crossbows, our five archers, then eight sailors with shortbows onboard, and Roland, that's 17 attackers focus firing on an Elemental, plus Esha launching small swarms of Magic Missiles while her staff has the charges for it. Even with Roland's Encouraging Roar bonus and all of that firepower, we'll be lucky to be able to kill one of the Air Elementals within 2 rounds. I don't know how long we'll be able to keep that up before we get attacked in melee, but hopefully it will be long enough to thin their numbers out a bit so that we don't get swamped.

    Silver's bulk doesn't really lend itself to fighting on deck, but he can try to ward off attacking Elementals. I'll add that to my plan.
     
    Whose idea was it recently to have Roland use his Encouraging Road maneuver to buff allies then spend a Full-Round Action to regain the ability to use again in the following round? I figured we would use that tactic eventually, but not nearly so soon. This really is an ideal situation for it, though.
    Snowfire said:
    Time to feed Best Ship some air elementals. I wonder…if we feed her enough will she fly?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I would be happy with just having her sails always full of wind as needed, but flight sure would be nice.
     
    Last edited:
    At last, time for us to actually use our longbow!
    I never thought I'd see the day… at least, not for another few arcs.
     
    [X] Goldfish

    It's a pity that we hale not mass version of Touch of the Sea. It would be handy.

    Also, @Goldfish , we have that Zentragt horn. Maybe we should ready it?
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Voting is open
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top