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The Rim and the Hammer (Exalted/Warhammer Quest)

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The Froggy Ninja said:
Hm. I assume we've got the second or third degree of Geomancy, considering we're a genius specializing in thaumaturgy whose city's continued existence is predicted on the functioning of a manse, even if I didn't get the chance to make it our first age lore specialty right?
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You have as much geomatic lore as would be expected of a skilled thaumaturge, which in this case is second degree.

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Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Nov 12, 2022 at 6:18 AM, finished with 36 posts and 12 votes.
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Prelude Part 3: Words with the Wingless
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    • Words with the Wingless ​

    Season of Earth Probably, Elsewhere

    In face and stature the man Bron resembles more a man of the west than of the north, he does not have the palor nor the vivid colors of hair and eye that many of your people share, though it is hard to keep your gaze upon his face or meet his eye given that which he lack. It is not that you had not seen Wingless before, painted onto pottery, set in mosaics, carved upon the freezes in the Plaza of the Hidden Moon. You can even seen then in recordings from before the Usurpation preserved in imperishable essence, but this was not paint, nor marble, nor illusion, but a man of flesh and blood before you, young and hale perhaps by the measure of his folk, but to you he seems lacking, at worst crippled, at best unfinished, as though some lazy sculptor had lain down his tools too soon. The instinct to look at his wings to see if he is restive, to judge by the state of their grooming how he had passed his time as a prisoner leaves you looking instead at the mirrored wall over his shoulder and meeting only your own gaze.


    Yet you are not wholly unprepared for the hour, by the grace of Mela upon you never can you be wholly unprepared for a first meeting, first of all the patterns of essence that you had learned to weave. So you do not tip your left wing a little forward to mark that you speak with truthful heart as you would have done meeting a young trapper or warrior for the first time, instead you look him up from his boots to the top of his brown haired head as if you were looking to buy the furs he came in and snort questioningly. "So, you're Bron. I would have thought you would be taller for all the trouble you caused."

    Some part of you is wondering furiously what height has to do with anything. Does this lot of barbarians have a height based social order? But you had learned to trust your instincts, on first meeting.

    As Sage translates and the man seems to relax a touch and smiles. "Doesn't tale a tall man to shoot a bow high sky jarl. Just a sharp eye and a strong arm. Some men scoff at bows and call them a weakling's weapon, but you can't throw a bearded axe that car now can you?"

    Talking to Bron: 63 + 10 (Diplomacy) + 20 (Charm) = 93 (2 Degrees of Success)

    It is uniquely bizarre to talk to the man. On the one side he is as rough-hewn as a mountain's face, such that even Cunning Sage of Serendipity finds herself calling out his cheek and she is no great proponent of decorum, but on the other side of the coin it quickly becomes clear that the Skorlmlings maintain not even the most distant memory of the Old Realm or the Deliberative. To him you are a sorcerer, by which he means those who deal with the wyld which rankles... though not as much as.

    "Sure and I thought you were all rashka come for my heart. I'm glad you are just beastmen."

    Sage gives you an apologetic look for translating that.

    Cultural Issues: 41 + 10 (Diplomacy) = 51 (Success)

    "I shall say this once because you speak in ignorance!" you snap, your anima rising in cutting wings around you. "I am no creature of the Wyld, no servant nor creation of theirs. We were given wings by the will of the Sun's Chosen and Chosen of the Petitioner of Clouds Accordant to the Call of Battle are we who stand in this chamber with you!"

    The barbarian flinches, though his gaze does not drop. Ignorant he might be but not a coward.

    "You are the children of a god?" he asks after Sage had translated your words.

    "We are the heirs, far-distant of the great dragon Mela," you try to simplify the explanation as much as you can

    After a moment the man inclines his head and apologizes for disparaging your bloodline with seeming sincerity so you grant it and move on to more productive matters, like why he is here and the other fellow is not. Apparently 'Hrolf' is very pious and would not want to do anything that might be considered treason to the tribal god.

    "Are there many who would see having dealings with us that way?" you ask. "How might they be overcome that they should meet then in strength but not as foes?"

    "You broke the mountain, took mountain away, don't know how, don't want to know seid-lore, no offense meant. Ulf will never have peace with you while he has blood in his veins and the strength to carry an axe. Better to kill him between the willow rods than face him in battle with many warriors at his back."

    Surely he can't mean... He does, of course he bloody does. Why wouldn't a wyld-addled barbarian think a fight to the death is the only way to solve differences.

    And yet you only have the word of one man, you do not think he is lying, but he could be mistaken. Barbarians or not is it wise to start your first meeting with someone by challenging their spirit-speaker to a duel to the death?

    What do you do?

    [] [MEETING] Challenge the shaman to show your power

    [] [MEETING] Try to overawe the tribe with Charms and Sorcery such that they would not dare go to war against Sezekan

    What sorcery do you possess for the occasion?
    (Choose Four Spells)

    Write in (List of Spells)

    OOC: I have been struggling to find an online list with all the spells of the Emerald Circle and the above is the best I could do, but it is not all in there. Feel free to pick Emerald Circle Spells from any official Second Edition Source, but if you choose something not on there either include the description or the source and page number so I can copy the description over for people who are unfamiliar with the system.
     
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    • From the list in that source I'd say the best option to start with is summoning elementals. We can prep by pulling a decent number in on month long bindings and show up with a scary honor guard.
     
    [X] Plan Broad Utility
    -[X] Emerald Circle Banishment
    -[X] Summon Elemental
    -[X] Emerald Circle Counter-magic
    -[X] Death of Obsidian Butterflies
     
    A very simple spell for any sort of combat:
    BURNING EYES OF THE OFFENDER
    Cost: 10m
    Target: Caster
    The sorcerer's anima ignites in a colorless fi re that refracts and magnifi es the hues of her Exaltation. Sorcerers without animas (such as God-Bloods) radiate a blank, white brilliance. All who gaze upon the sorcerer weep uncontrollably, their eyes stung by her blazing halo. This spell imposes an internal penalty equal to the caster's Essence against all attacks against her that originate within 100 yards, whether the sorcerer's DV applies to such an attack or not. It does not affect allies standing next to her. Opponents who are blind or who avert their eyes do not suffer this penalty (but see Exalted, p. 152, for info on attacking blind). Moreover, combatants who close their eyes run the risk of incoming attacks being considered unexpected attacks (see Exalted, p. 155). The (Perception + Awareness) roll to avoid unexpected attacks receives the normal -4 penalty for being blind, of course. The sorcerer may dispel Burning Eyes of the Offender as a refl exive action
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    Very useful option for seeing through all lies or illusions, particularly since we are new in this world and know little of Tzeentch and his kind:
    FUGUE OF TRUTH
    Cost: 10m
    Target: Caster
    The sorcerer casts this spell after meditating in a lightless, soundless place for one hour. He attunes himself to truth and the fl ows of Essence, rather than the tricks that sound and light play on the senses. The meditation enables the sorcerer to see through illusions, to resist glamours, to avoid enchantments and to perceive what is concealed, whether they are things or purposes. This trance-like state grants four extra successes to all Perception-based rolls to perceive illusions, see through disguises, read motivations (see Exalted, p. 131), and when rolling to fi nd or notice hidden things. Moreover, the sorcerer gains a perfect defense against normal, Manipulation-based social attack rolls, for he sees through the cleverest persuasions. Supernatural attempts to control the caster's mind can be resisted with a refl exive (Perception + Integrity) roll, diffi culty of the would-be controller's Essence. Success indicates the sorcerer ignores this effect as well. While the trance lasts, however, treat the sorcerer as stunned (see Exalted, p. 153) for taking physical actions. His stupefi ed and distracted demeanor also infl icts a -1 external penalty to all social rolls. Fugue of Truth ends if the sorcerer botches a roll, is wounded, loses consciousness (including going to sleep) or voluntarily chooses to release it. This spell can be countered only during its casting. Once the trance begins, the effect is entirely within the mind of the sorcerer.
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    That plus Emerald Banishment and some Summoning (Demon or Elemental) should make a good start.
     
    [x] [MEETING] Challenge the shaman to show your power

    [x] Plan: Useful spells
    -[x] Demon of the First Circle
    -[x] Ritual of Elemental Empowerment
    -[x] Emerald Circle Counter-magic
    -[x] Summon Elemental

    Ritual of empowerment allow us to enchant objects with some useful properties. Counter magic speaks for itself. And taking both summons spells, for the broad utility. Deamons are more useful overall as the spell last an entire year 400+ days in creation, while elementals only last a month 28 day. And demons have a lot of utility summons over elemental, like the Frimin which can replace mundane iron tools, weapons, armor production with their powers. Or Neomah which can be used for rapid breeding and domestication of animals. But elementals have their own advantages in that we can cast if more then once a day just take 4 hours.
     
    [X] Plan Prince of the Earth
    -[X] Emerald Circle Banishment
    -[X] Summon Elemental
    -[X] Emerald Circle Counter-magic
    -[X] Wood Dragon's Claw
     
    [X] [MEETING] Challenge the shaman to show your power
    -[X] Death of Obsidian Butterflies (Emerald Circle). Exalted, p. 217. Calls forth a cascade of obsidian butterflies over a football-field-sized area.
    -[X] Emerald Countermagic (Emerald Circle). Exalted, p. 218. Counters or wards against a Emerald Circle or lower magic.
    -[X] Calling the Gulls with Beaks of Steel (Emerald Circle). Outcaste, p. 94-95. Conjures up a horde of birds with steel beaks to attack the sorcerer's enemies. Good vs. sailing ships.
    -[X] Summon Elemental (Emerald Circle). Exalted, p. 219. Summons an elemental for a single task or a month's service.

    So what i'm thinking is cast counter magic ward on ourselves then attack with butterflies, if the shaman beats them attack with birds, if the shaman beats them, then it is time to summon a elemental to play with him. As for what elemental, well that depends on what the shaman used to clear the butterflies and birds. He uses fire? Summon water elemental. He uses Air? Summon earth elemental. ect.
     
    Hellteddy said:
    So what i'm thinking is cast counter magic ward on ourselves then attack with butterflies, if the shaman beats them attack with birds, if the shaman beats them, then it is time to summon a elemental to play with him. As for what elemental, well that depends on what the shaman used to clear the butterflies and birds. He uses fire? Summon water elemental. He uses Air? Summon earth elemental. ect.
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    Summon elemental takes 4 hours to cast.
     
    [X] [MEETING] Challenge the shaman to show your power

    [X] Plan Foundations of Magic
    -[X] Emerald Circle Banishment
    -[X] Summon Elemental
    -[X] Emerald Circle Counter-magic
    -[X] Burning Eyes of the Offender

    We have no combat-charms, so a bit of combat-sorcery is the least we need to fight an actual Shaman.
     
    Spell Suggestions
    Here are a few spells from the White Treatise.

    Commanding Presence of Fire (The White Treatise p40)
    Project a firey image of the caster which can be seen and heard out to seven miles. Lasts at least 1 minute, up to 20 provided the caster's stamina lasts. Used for impressing large groups or commanding a battlefield.

    Dragon of Smoke and Flame (The White Treatise p43-44)
    Create a serpentine guide that can infallibly lead the caster to any specific location well known to the caster. Alternatively, the sorcerer can bid the guide to seek a destination with a specific desired property, such as water (or ore deposits). Lasts for a day or until the destination is reached whichever comes first.

    Spirit Sword (The White Treatise p61)
    Create a soul sword. The blade strikes only spirit and does not interact with mundane equipment.

    Spoke the Wooden Face (The White Treatise p61-62)
    Turn a tree into a conduit for long-distance communication. The sorcerer carves a likeness of their face into a living tree. Thereafter the sorcerer may concentrate to see and hear from the carved image's point of view and speak through its mouth. The sorcerer can have as many wooden faces as they wish.

    Virtuous Guardian of Flame (The White Treatise p68)
    Create a flying sword of flame automaton that protects the target from attack. Lasts until the sun next crosses the horizon.
     
    Earth-Destroyer said:
    Exalted sorcery is to be blunt shit at combat. Running up, and punching a guy will take him down faster and easier then casting a spell. And surprising somebody with a dozen immaterial demon bodyguards will do more then any spell will.
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    I know that, in general.

    But we still don't have any combat-relevant charms and are currently deciding to get into a mage-fight.
    So something to blind and awe our foes seems very relevant.
     
    [X] Plan Utility and Delegation
    -[X] Emerald Circle Banishment
    -[X] Summon Elemental
    -[X] Emerald Circle Counter-magic
    -[X] Fugue of Truth
    Frankly, being able to no-sell any sorcery by the Shaman (or any bound spirits) will likely be enough for us to beat the Shaman anyway, even before getting into the benefits of having a scale or so of Jokun Warriors, if such bound spirits are allowed.
     
    Artemis1992 said:
    I know that, in general.

    But we still don't have any combat-relevant charms and are currently deciding to get into a mage-fight.
    So something to blind and awe our foes seems very relevant.
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    Even if we where going up against a Solar, a battle between sorcerers comes down to who has better/more summons. Also we are Marital 15 which is very good.

    Why I want both summons spells both for the utility, and breath of powers available to us. Elementals have a sever downside in that most cannot de-materialize.
     
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    Summon Demon is incredibly useful.

    Not just for combat, but for everything, including making new god-blooded and making Exaltation more likely.
     
    Elementals are much less useful out of combat compared to demons. Demons offer much more utility off of the battlefield. More importantly Summon demon can target exeptional demons like a Bloodape that can teach a MA style. Not to mention that Task bound demons keep at a task until it is done. Like say clear all the orks out of a dwarf stronghold.
    Nemoh: Can mass breed animals, be used to trigger a population boon in our Air Folk, and even raise the chance of kids exalting.
    Aalu can make silk. For use by our people or to trade.
    Demjin: Are excellent miners.
    Naneke: Can be a source of more spells
    Agatae: are great flying steads and have short ranged teleportation.
    Firmin: Can mass produce tools for the workshop or farming as good as iron, alongside weapons and armor. Basic making any villages we take over very productive.
    Vitriol elemental are under demon summoning: Useful for scoring clean a place of ork spores.
    Perronele: are a decent armor
    Sesseljae: Excellent medics.
     
    Here's another nice spell, translation and social enhancer:

    THE SACRED TONGUE
    Cost: 10m
    Target: Caster
    The Eternal Word belongs to no known language but is recognizable as a word of power in all tongues. Upon casting this spell, the sorcerer invokes that word and shapes the Essence of this spell into a mask of dusky gold that covers his ears and the lower half of his face. When the caster speaks, the lips of the mask move to convert his words to the strange, echoing cadences of a mystic language. Everyone who hears the caster understands his words, though no one could mistake them for mundane speech. Likewise, the mask translates words spoken by others into the Sacred Tongue so the sorcerer can understand them. The power of this spell gives the sorcerer's words some minor magical power in and of themselves. When he makes a social attack using The Sacred Tongue, the MDVs of his listeners decrease by one. Other people treat the sorcerer with respect, awe and fear. This spell lasts until the sun next crosses the horizon or until the caster dispels it.
     
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