Wait, has Xor evolved into a full beholder, or is he still just a beholderkin with far more levels than would be sane in a normal d&d game?
 
Alright so we have a heavy consensus on what we are going to dazzle the Yi-ti empire with. What do you think we should try to get from them. I know books, ancients manuscripts and anything shiny
will be a thing but do we have any other desires? Any wants?

Knowledge, mostly. Unless they have interesting materials like that Asshaii shadow silk, there is nothing of inherent value that they can provide that we cannot get elsewhere. I think I'm being fully accurate in that statement, too, since we can even buy silk from somewhere else, and even have our own silk producer.

I imagine we will buy anything interesting they might be selling, but my instincts tell me they are similarly hoarding anything even a little magical for their own purposes. Which would be smart.

That we're selling VS at all is part of what will make this expedition tremendously lucrative. You can't just materialize that from thin air... until we do exactly that. Which is going to have as massive a return as our trades in the Opaline Vault or Armun Kelisk.
 
No, Yrten just has an imperfect understanding of beholder lore. You will notice his wizard did not freak out. Not only is Xor smaller but he also has his central eye so he can't be a beholder mage.
@DragonParadox, can Xor evolve? Because that would be super neat. Extra eye stalks would be amazing. More item slots! :D
Knowledge, mostly. Unless they have interesting materials like that Asshaii shadow silk, there is nothing of inherent value that they can provide that we cannot get elsewhere. I think I'm being fully accurate in that statement, too, since we can even buy silk from somewhere else, and even have our own silk producer.

I imagine we will buy anything interesting they might be selling, but my instincts tell me they are similarly hoarding anything even a little magical for their own purposes. Which would be smart.

That we're selling VS at all is part of what will make this expedition tremendously lucrative. You can't just materialize that from thin air... until we do exactly that. Which is going to have as massive a return as our trades in the Opaline Vault or Armun Kelisk.
I want recruits. Monks, various martial artists, etc.

Also, paper. All the paper.
 
No, Yrten just has an imperfect understanding of beholder lore. You will notice his wizard did not freak out. Not only is Xor smaller but he also has his central eye so he can't be a beholder mage.

Does that mean Xor might eventually evolve? Say, when he maxes out Beholder of Wonders? Or is that a 20th Level kinda thing?
 
Also, I wanted to show up at the Fist of the First Men to offer the giants a Large Valyrian Steel Greatsword (+2), a set of Large Reinforced Segmented Adamantine Fullplate (+1), a PfE Ring, and a Healing Belt. It's high time we recruited them.

Are we sure those Giants are Large and not Huge?

Knowledge, mostly. Unless they have interesting materials like that Asshaii shadow silk, there is nothing of inherent value that they can provide that we cannot get elsewhere. I think I'm being fully accurate in that statement, too, since we can even buy silk from somewhere else, and even have our own silk producer.

Besides the above, Rice is a priority and probably various Teas.
 
My main goals are all the knowledge, especially engineering, paper, arts and bureaucracy, then of course profitable trade gods and lastly recruits. @Wheel of time might finally get his monks.

Though I certainly wouldn't mind a chance to stat up a monk myself...

Edit: Mulberry trees, silkworm eggs, tea, porcelain production...

There is so much swanky stuff we can find in a China analogue.
 
Last edited:
I find this halirous, but I am seriously asking: what, to say... A efrrti noble is more terrifying. Viserys with his cloak, or xor, looking like a "beholder mage" ? :D
[/I]
@DragonParadox

Basically, does xor get a bonus +10 to intimidate to people who hit just the exact dungeoneering roll to get it slightly wrong? :D
 
@DragonParadox, can Xor evolve? Because that would be super neat. Extra eye stalks would be amazing. More item slots! :D

Does that mean Xor might eventually evolve? Say, when he maxes out Beholder of Wonders? Or is that a 20th Level kinda thing?

Technically yes but with the focus on advancing by class it would have to be a level 20+ posibility.

Good night guys, see you tomorrow as we move on to extra-planar trade.
 
@DragonParadox, for the record, I think the Yi-Ti vote is settled.

@everyone, maybe use the night to plan the festival in detail?
Adhoc vote count started by Azel on Jan 16, 2019 at 5:41 PM, finished with 179 posts and 14 votes.

  • [X] Plan "We come in peace. Shoot to kill!"
    -[X] Yi-Ti Bureaucrats:
    --[X] Make them gear bodies for now in exchange for their services. Keep them at arms length from research not related to themselves, government information and other vital areas.
    -[X] Yi-Ti Expedition:
    --[X] Participants:
    ---[X] The Hunters Moon and crew (Moonsong, Theon, Asha)
    ---[X] The Queen Rhaella and crew (Diana, Lothos, various Leshy, six Advanced Druid Seaweed Leshy, Little Valyrians, etc)
    ---[X] Valeana and Dawnfyre
    ---[X] Nuri
    ---[X] 2x Large Galleon, 6x Medium Galleon, 6x Small Galleon
    ---[X] 16x Advanced Druid Creature Lotus Leshy // with our new production run, I want one of them on every ship for buffs
    ---[X] 3x Erinyes
    ---[X] 6x Verdant Wolf
    ---[X] 6x Giant Fungal Darkenbeast
    ---[X] 12x Minotaur Fighter, organised in two squads
    ---[X] a few Bulabar and human shipwrights for repairs on the way, aided by the Leshies Shape Wood spells
    ---[X] 1x Herald
    ---[X] 2x set of Elemental Wyrmlings
    ---[X] 48x Lesser False Ravens for comprehensive scouting (We have several hundred now) // 3 per ship
    ---[X] 16x Greater False Ravens for scouting, spying, and coordinating Lesser Ravens // 1 per ship
    ---[X] 1x 5th level Wizard
    ---[X] 1x 4th level Wizard
    ---[X] 1x 5th level Archivist
    ---[X] 1x 4th level Archivist
    ---[X] 1x 5th level Sorcerer
    ---[X] ask Yrael if he has some Archons who want to come along, especially Codex Archons or maybe a few fighters
    ---[X] Breath Taker and Blight's Bane will be invited to join
    ---[X] at least 32x Triton warriors
    ---[X] as many traders as the Tritons want to send with the expedition
    ---[X] 2x Colossal Advanced Fungal Manta Rays
    ---[X] 2x Whispering Brazier // if we deal with Devils, better have backup communication
    ---[X] 16x Inquisition members to keep a lookout for Devils
    ---[X] 32x unofficial Inquisition members that will secretly monitor the fleet for infiltration
    --[X] Cargo:
    ---[X] 1 million IM in luxury tade goods // filling up a whole fleet with fancy shit is expensive, but so will the profits be
    ---[X] 200,000 IM in gold, for purchases, bribes and tribute // we will most likely need to offer tribute to the Azure Emperor
    ---[X] 300 pounds of Valyrian Steel weaponry
    ---[X] bring a copy of the celestial lore Yrael gave us, as a small glimpse of the great library of SD and as a personal gift to the Jade Emperor (on top of more substantial bribes)
    ---[X] goods to take:
    ----[X] alchemical goods, exotic woods, steel goods, fine clothing and jewelry made in the Stepstones
    ----[X] Tyroshi dyes and pear brandy
    ----[X] pelts and exotic woods from the North and the Wall
    ----[X] Myrish glass wares
    ----[X] Ibbenese wale products
    ----[X] some amount of Tolosi saffron
    ----[X] Nathene silk
    ----[X] sea silk and pearls from the Tritons
    ----[X] exotic fruits and pelts from our holdings near Sothoryos, especially Painted Lizard skins and feathers
    ----[X] gems and rare metals from the Plane of Earth
    ----[X] luxury materials from the Plane of Air
    ----[X] Summer Island goods like chocolate
    ----[X] Fey goods from Braavos and Lys
    ----[X] Fire Whale gems
    --[X] Route:
    ---[X] from SD, go towards the Basilisk Isles and stop there to take up the remaining goods and fresh provisions
    ---[X] sail on for a stop in Vahar, Port Moraq and Zhabad in that order
    ---[X] sail on to Yin
    --[X] Other Preparations:
    ---[X] take all Raise from the Deep scrolls currently in stock, to keep ships afloot if they risk to sink
    ---[X] take the Dragonbane spear along we got from the limp noodle, just in case
    ---[X] take 16 of the water-elemental-spheres the Nereid gave us along, so that the ships can easily navigate the unknown waters
    ---[X] lend one Wayfinder to the fleet for navigation
    ---[X] make a generous sacrifice to Yss and the Merling King for a blessing and Divinations for the fleet
    ---[X] the fleet should be sent off during the festival with much fanfare
    ---[X] if Maelor and Xor are done with their tasks by then, they will go along with the fleet
 
@DragonParadox, can Xor evolve? Because that would be super neat. Extra eye stalks would be amazing. More item slots! :D

I want recruits. Monks, various martial artists, etc.

Also, paper. All the paper.
We don't want Xor to evolve. If he became a normal Beholder, he would have to put out his large central eye to continue practicing magic, and that's kind of a big thing for Beholders. There's a reason Beholder Mages are extra insane.

Xor is fine just the way he is. His central eye is pretty neat, too. Rather than continuously generating an Antimagic cone, he can use it for Spell Turning.
 
I find this halirous, but I am seriously asking: what, to say... A efrrti noble is more terrifying. Viserys with his cloak, or xor, looking like a "beholder mage" ? :D
[/I]
@DragonParadox

Basically, does xor get a bonus +10 to intimidate to people who hit just the exact dungeoneering roll to get it slightly wrong? :D

I'm going to say the potential for a Beholder Mage is scarier, not only because they are immensely powerful but because they are generally insane.
 
My main goals are all the knowledge, especially engineering, paper, arts and bureaucracy, then of course profitable trade gods and lastly recruits. @Wheel of time might finally get his monks.

Though I certainly wouldn't mind a chance to stat up a monk myself...

Edit: Mulberry trees, silkworm eggs, tea, porcelain production...

There is so much swanky stuff we can find in a China analogue.

Isn't silk's source generally kept a secret from foreigners, or really even the common people (to better keep it a secret)?

They definitely wouldn't export the source of their wealth. It would be less rare and they would see less traffic for it.

Granted we don't even need that, we just need to research the Naathi larvae some, and figure out how to expand production of that so that it becomes a real competitor instead of a niche product.
 
I'm going to say the potential for a Beholder Mage is scarier, not only because they are immensely powerful but because they are generally insane.
If they were just insane...

Usually they are insane, racist, insanely racist, racially insane and have god-complex that makes Tiamat look like a soft-spoken lady.

I would rather try to have a civilized chat with an Elder Brain then with a Beholder Mage.
 
Isn't silk's source generally kept a secret from foreigners, or really even the common people (to better keep it a secret)?

They definitely wouldn't export the source of their wealth. It would be less rare and they would see less traffic for it.

Granted we don't even need that, we just need to research the Naathi larvae some, and figure out how to expand production of that so that it becomes a real competitor instead of a niche product.
Firstly, I would love to start some generous gene-splicing in the Fungus Forge to improve the yield from silk production and for that it would be beneficial to have multiple species around.
Second, the Naathene silk worms turn into their murder-butterflies, so making those safe or having a safer alternative would be great.
Thirdly, we have the likes of Garin, Glyra, Moonsong, Nuri, Aradia and Maelor on our payroll. Why should we care if they want to share their silkworms?
 
Last edited:
If they were just insane...

Usually they are insane, racist, insanely racist, racially insane and have god-complex that makes Tiamat look like a soft-spoken lady.

I would rather try to have a civilized chat with an Elder Brain then with a Beholder Mage.
And they're racist against all other Beholders. Super, super racist...
 
Back
Top