While yes he could be capable of surviving I am saying it would take a miracle because of the Ash Storm coming this way. Now if he manages to get out of that, which is unlikely considering how close it was is chances go way up. But my point focuses more on. the general inhospitability of the land as well as the devastating ash storm. I am fully betting on it doing fire damage that pierces immunities. Yes after the fire storm his chances go up...if he survives relatively unscathed anyway.
He might also have either a scroll of Planeshift or Teleport or a way to use his new body's SLAs.
He just had to leave the ship as a cloud to get out of the Teleport-warding on it.
In fact, since his master was a Sorcerer with limited spellslots, it wouldn't be strange if he had scrolls or a staff of Teleport.
He might also have either a scroll of Planeshift or Teleport or a way to use his new body's SLAs.
He just had to leave the ship as a cloud to get out of the Teleport-warding on it.
In fact, since his master was a Sorcerer with limited spellslots, it wouldn't be strange if he had scrolls or a staff of Teleport.
In that case wouldn't it be wiser to just leave Valyria then? Why stick around there when leaving it would probably be a much better idea? Just teleport/plane shift back to a safe place no?
While yes he could be capable of surviving I am saying it would take a miracle because of the Ash Storm coming this way. Now if he manages to get out of that, which is unlikely considering how close it was is chances go way up. But my point focuses more on. the general inhospitability of the land as well as the devastating ash storm. I am fully betting on it doing fire damage that pierces immunities. Yes after the fire storm his chances go up...if he survives relatively unscathed anyway.
We don't know if it's going to hit exactly here, we weren't willing to bet that it wouldn't, but we stopped the fleet before it got to where the storm was predicted to hit, and then there's the fact, that what is a great threat to flying ships, is not necessarily that dangerous to someone hiding in a cave.
In that case wouldn't it be wiser to just leave Valyria then? Why stick around there when leaving it would probably be a much better idea? Just teleport/plane shift back to a safe place no?
I honestly thought he would if he was capable of it. I am just ruling out the idea of him surviving in Valyria as easily as Tarrangar suggests. Or at least trying to. Not that it really matters considering that we are going to try to divination beacon or summon him probably.
We don't know if it's going to hit exactly here, we weren't willing to bet that it wouldn't, but we stopped the fleet before it got to where the storm was predicted to hit, and then there's the fact, that what is a great threat to flying ships, is not necessarily that dangerous to someone hiding in a cave.
Again that requires him to find a cave to hide in or some structures to hide behind and even then for all we know there aren't any. It could all be flat land below us. Or hills. And even if he does find a cave what's to say there isn't something living in it to ambush him. We don't know. But even with all that I wouldn't give 50/50 odds on survival. More 40/60 odds.
Hell maybe? I mean there is no guarantee the Archmage will let the possession of his student go and survival in Valyria, even by the most optimistic numbers, isn't very likely. It could always go to Hell via planeshift and keep his head down. Of course the reprisal of discovery is also there but Hell is big and maybe he can hide in its labyrinthine structure. Still better than Valyria I imagine.
Hell maybe? I mean there is no guarantee the Archmage will let the possession of his student go and survival in Valyria, even by the most optimistic numbers, isn't very likely. It could always go to Hell via planeshift and keep his head down. Of course the reprisal of discovery is also there but Hell is big and maybe he can hide in its labyrinthine structure. Still better than Valyria I imagine.
He's an Asura not a devil, personally I think his best chance is to leave Valyria by foot/flight, the rest of the Material plane is an excellent place for him to lie low, and see if his new body wont allow him to gain class level.
He's an Asura not a devil, personally I think his best chance is to leave Valyria by foot/flight, the rest of the Material plane is an excellent place for him to lie low, and see if his new body wont allow him to gain class level.
He's an Asura not a devil, personally I think his best chance is to leave Valyria by foot/flight, the rest of the Material plane is an excellent place for him to lie low, and see if his new body wont allow him to gain class level.
Asuras do live in Hell...granted they also live in the Great Beyond but also in Hell. As for the latter well let's agree to disagree because you won't convince me and I won't convince you. As a note next turn or vote, whichever is more convenient, I will vote to hunt him down. Fuck letting him get stronger even if he lives.
So I have this stupid idea that I can't get out of my head I wanted to get the threads opinion on, just so it'll leave me alone.
The inevitable forge is busted right? There are no natural order police running around and axis(?) presumably can't replace the facility or repair it.
We have both war forged and the ability to toss up new fungus forces with help from the old gods. Could we design biomechanical constructs that fill the role of inevitable law enforcement, then go to the organization that fielded them and negotiate to become their new provider?
We could set up a deal in which we own and operate the forge in exchange for the HD required to build the constructs they want plus some percentage for our own use. We'd get exotic creatures to draw templates from, HD to build things, and influence over extraplanar law enforcement. If we can build a shit ton of them and get them up to max capacity we could become really important in the grand scheme of things. That kind of influence allows for a lot of opportunities.
Bonus; the sheer scope of the problems facing the cosmos and hunt now means they'll likely get shipped to the true problem zones in the outer planes. It'd directly help with that problem, and we wouldn't have to deal with them messing with us.
Adhoc vote count started by Duesal on Sep 10, 2019 at 3:03 AM, finished with 128 posts and 10 votes.
[X] Cleanup Time -[X] Loot Distribution --[X] Ships ---[X] Give all the ships to the Shaitan, but with the understanding that we would pay for their repairs and elemental rebinding so the elementals aren't continuously tortured (or finding new oath-bound elementals if the current ones refuse the deal). Ask that the Shaitan lease all six ships to us for a suitable length of time (a decade would be ideal), along with helping us crew them. They would still technically be in service to the Opal Throne, but under our nominal control. ----[X] We ask that our own shipwrights and budding enchanters from the Imperium help out with rebuilding to get trained in the higher techniques so we can start doing this ourselves (especially learning how the ships function in dead gravity zones), and we ask for books the Shaitan might have on ship-building techniques. //OOC: Given that ownership of all six ships is being given to the Shaitan, getting knowledge of how they work isn't a big request. --[X] Weapons ---[X] Claim all the Automatic Dragonslaying weapons due to the use you could have for them soon ---[X] Ask for one example of the Force-Launchers and the Disintegration Throwers for your researchers to study --[X] Mundane Loot ---[X] Claim the Great Brass Seals for the planned ritual in the future ---[X] Establish a museum in collusion with the Djinn using the art seized from the Efreeti and the Asura to educate people of both foes ---[X] Split the rest of the Asura's collection three ways ---[X] Make it clear we intend to share every piece of tactically relevant intel we recover from the Efreeti Mage book and the Asuras (this will mainly be troop movements, plans for future expeditions throughout the Spheres, the plots of the Grand Sultan and the Grand Vizier, etc.) -[X] Offer the Cyromancer Djinn Archmage and your powerful subordinates who needed the call for this fight enough cash for the loot of a single CR 20 encounter. --[X] Give Siduri that ornate necklace wrought of gold and black pearls she was eyeing.
-[X] Use Scribe's Binding on the soul of the Efreeti Mage and use the usual spells to quickly read the book and get the following:
--[X] Get a list of the Efreeti Mage's spells that can potentially be learned from the book
--[X] What was the Efreeti's goal in Valyria?
---[X] And how did they even find out about it?
--[X] What treasures do they know the locations of in Valyria and how did they plan to reach them? More to the point, what stops the Grand Vizier from simply teleporting there and running off with whatever they were after?
---[X] Learn what contingencies where in place for that particular expedition (immediate retaliation force, the Grand Vizier himself showing up, etc) and whether or not we need to be gearing up for round two.
--[X] What ongoing or dormant plots is the Efreeti Mage aware of that would be of interest to us or our allies?
--[X] Get any and all relevant military information the mage knows -- fortress locations, army movements, logistics, the locations of key personnel, the locations of enemies who could be persuaded to work with our alliance, etc.
--[X] What research projects are the Grand Vizier and his apprentices working on?
--[X] Where is the Grand Sultan at in his quest for godhood, and what different methods has he tried so far and which ones is he currently pursuing or considering pursuing?
--[X] What deal does the Brazen Throne have with Asuras in general? Are they being recruited en mass or was this a special circumstance?
--[X] What are the abilities of the Grand Vizier and his other apprentices? What vulnerabilities do they have?
---[X] Further extract any and all intel that could be of use to the Living Brass Forge scheme or the intelligence agencies of the Shaitan and Djinn
--[X] What would his familiar do with his body given the chance?
--[X] Get every last outsider name the Efreeti Mage knows (from Fiends to Efreeti)
---[X] In particular get the name of the familiar that managed to escape -- also ask if it has any means available to have its nature changed and render its true name useless
--[X] Before the Asurendra was slain he said, "Strike me down and you shall draw the eye of He whom you most fear, little idol." Does the Efreeti Mage know the details of this statement? -[X] Interrogate the Asurendra trophy --[X] What is the name of the Asurendra? --[X] Get the names of the fiends the Asurendra is aware of, along with what type of fiend they are and where they are --[X] Before he was slain, the Asurendra said, "Strike me down and you shall draw the eye of He whom you most fear, little idol." What, exactly, did he mean? --[X] Who are the Asuras at war with currently and where are the major fronts? --[X] What is the nature of his deal with the Efreeti? --[X] Are there more archfiends colluding with the Brazen Throne? If so, what are their natures (what type of outsider) and where are they stationed? --[X] Identify the Asurendra's loot
-[X] Interrogate the captured Upasunda Asura
--[X] Get her name
--[X] Get what true names she knows
--[X] See what she knows about the various plots woven among the Asuras, Efreetis, and Devils
--[X] See what she can tell us of her former master in particular
--[X] See how viable she could be as a potential recruit
After discussing the matter with those of your companions interested in matters of state and war you decide to claim none of the efreeti ships but instead offer them to the Peerless Empire with the understanding that you can charter them for use once their battle damage had been repaired, a process during which your own shipwrights and enchanters would be able to observe. A request that is readily accepted for while the binding of willing higher elementals is dependent upon ancient sacrosanct pacts of the Opal Throne the artificing involved is not a secret, being after all part of even trading ships launched from the docks of the Opaline Vault and elsewhere.
Additionally you claim all the Brass Seals in anticipation of the ritual that will hopefully help deal a crippling blow against the Brazen Throne, as well as examples of each type of main armament. The deck launchers which seem to have been specifically designed to hunt dragons you claim in full, interested in both their ability to fire without the need of a crew and the bolts themselves which even Amrelath allowed were 'unpleasantly effective'.
"Maybe we should pretend to sell those to Tywin Lannister in disguise," Dany jests later as the two of you, Ser Richard, and Malarys linger in the lavishly appointed silver and ebony officers' tea house waiting for approval for the deal to come from the palace.
"Any why would 'we' do that, Your Highness," Ser Richard asks in a flat tone that cannot quite hide the glint of amusement in his eyes.
"To see the look on his face when the deal falls through?" your sister asks innocently. "Call it an nameday present..." she trails off like a child begging for a favorite treat.
You shake your head and laugh at her antics. "I'm sorry Dany, but you are going to have to think of a better reason than that."
"That is not a 'no'." she notes.
Malarys clears his throat before the thread of thought can continue. "Crafting a hall to exhibit efreeti depravity using the art and furnishings we have obtained during the raid is certainly an interesting notion, but I suspect working with the djinn might prove somewhat difficult for the Office of Works and the Office of Culture."
"Well then, it's best they smooth out any concerns on a minor project like this rather than something with a higher investment on both sides," you reply simply before turning your eyes to the rough accounting of talismans, scrolls, potions, and other minor works of magic that had been recovered from the captured fleet. Nothing you would care to claim for its own sake, but coincidentally roughly as much as seems fair to distribute among your vassals for their aid in the battle, not that you are going to ask them to scramble over the pile of valuables like brigands after a robbery. Other than a few trophies and keepsakes all of it is to be sold to cover the payments you are making now in full and in coin.
Ships Chartered
Weapons:
1 Force Launchers (as previously encountered)
13 Automatic Dragon-Slaying Deck Weapons
1 Disintegration Casters (difficult to remove)
Mundane Treasure:
25,000 Great Brass Seals: Ship funds and liquid wealth
8,000 Great Brass Seals: Sellable art after museum and three way split Efreeti Treasure turned into a Museum
***
Then you set about reading a most illuminating tome seemingly bound in scorched leather with a clasp of blood-red gold, its pages thin enough to cut the hand... and oh how Hazram's spirit within wishes it could cut you. "It was bluffing..." you snort, drawing Dany's curious eye. "The asura," you clarify. "Nothing was coming for us upon killing it, our 'friend' the sorcerer is quite certain of that. It apparently matches the seer's nature to weave such lies and threats into its prophecies."
More to the point however you learn there is thankfully no plan to reinforce the expedition should it be lost. It had been something of a gamble from the start, playing upon lore gained from Hermetia's mad uncle and efreeti spies who had been slipping into the world since the signing of the Concordant. The main purpose of the expedition had been threefold: map out any major fraying of the planar boundaries to allow for later exploration and exploitation, gain the aid of the greater spirits and wraiths of the wastes be it by alliance or compulsion, and secure valuable texts and artifacts.
The specific path taken had been entirely Hazram's choosing after he had learned of the great mines that bore ever deeper beneath the Fourteen Fires. His reasoning had been that such tunnels would provide both easy to hide portals, valuable arcane reagents that would help cement the ruse that this was an expedition to some of the remoter parts of the Plane of Fire, and access to some of the oldest and strongest spirits in the broken lands.
Alas for him he had not expected to contend with what you recognize as the influence of the Fifteenth: maddening wails in the night and surges of wild magic that almost forced the expedition to abandon one of its ships. The realization that you might 'owe' the Fallen God the fact that the efreeti had not achieved their goal before Siduri had even come to you is an odd one, but you easily set it aside in favor of more immediate concerns, the name of the treacherous familiar alongside that of every other high ranking efreeti and fiend in the service of the Brazen Throne that Hazram knew of.
Unfortunately, in his pride, the sorcerer had never considered the question of what his familiar would do with his body should it managed to possess it and you have no way of sharing the news in his current form, a book is something to be read, not written in.
Thus you turn to more productive matters, the plots and studies of the Grand Vizier that might be of interest to you or your allies. You immediately copy down the deployment figures for powerful mages as well as the speculation as to why certain mages might be deployed on certain battlefields, actionable information, though only in the short term. Of far greater concern is the hint of an efreeti project to birth large numbers of twisted div not from genie captives, as has been done in the past, but by the torture and ritualistic killing of thousands upon thousands of genie-blooded, something a trio of asurendra including the seer you had slain had shown great interest in, adding their own soul-craft to the task.
Your victory over Valyria had at least slowed that particular horror, though when you share the information with the shaitan and djinn spymasters both themselves determined to see that the project does not see the light of day. As busy as you are you offer to help, at least in principle, but the offer is graciously declined.
"The raid upon the Living Brass Forge is already a great task for you to undertake with so little support," Mahuroos Tepani, present only in a spell-summoned voice, says plainly. "We would not ask you to fight all our battles. What you have found is enough... more than enough," he adds grimly.
Speaking of the raid you did not discover much of the inner workings of the Forge, for it was never one of Hazram's concerns, but you at least now have the name of the Keeper of the Keys, the Lord of Silent Screams... or as his fellow efreeti high mages call him, much to his frustration, Ahrim the Doorguard.
Dany giggles as you recount the detail. "Maybe we can use that against him, pride makes for a good leash if one can grasp it."
"Is there anything to be found there about the Great Sultan's attempts at ascension, or his present powers?" Malarys interjects.
"No, he was quite leery of the subject, though I have a sense that his master the Grand Vizier is not. There are hints, only hints mind, that the Grand Vizier might be subtly sabotaging his lord's plans."
"And so the apprentice decided to wisely not walk between the hungry dragon and the pit of fire," Malarys nodded.
What do you do next?
[] Continue with the interrogations
-[] Write in
[] Travel to Lys and deal with the intrigues of the Goblin Market personally
[] Write in
OOC: I know I did not cover the whole vote, but the update was getting really long and somewhat rambling.
So I have this stupid idea that I can't get out of my head I wanted to get the threads opinion on, just so it'll leave me alone.
The inevitable forge is busted right? There are no natural order police running around and axis(?) presumably can't replace the facility or repair it.
We have both war forged and the ability to toss up new fungus forces with help from the old gods. Could we design biomechanical constructs that fill the role of inevitable law enforcement, then go to the organization that fielded them and negotiate to become their new provider?
We could set up a deal in which we own and operate the forge in exchange for the HD required to build the constructs they want plus some percentage for our own use. We'd get exotic creatures to draw templates from, HD to build things, and influence over extraplanar law enforcement. If we can build a shit ton of them and get them up to max capacity we could become really important in the grand scheme of things. That kind of influence allows for a lot of opportunities.
Bonus; the sheer scope of the problems facing the cosmos and hunt now means they'll likely get shipped to the true problem zones in the outer planes. It'd directly help with that problem, and we wouldn't have to deal with them messing with us.
To me, this sounds like "We have access to Aurane Waters, why not use it as a template to create better Aurane Waters and flood the multiverse with them"
If we get access to the forge, we steal and reverse Engineer it, we are not giving a source of endless robots to people who have show themselves to be utterly incapable of managing them.
If Axis ever had a claim to "protectors of time and space" that claim is gone, the bitter taste of Ash a reminder that they proved themselves no better than those they oppressed in their quest for order, let us remember them as failures and their legacy serve as a warning story.
the name of the treacherous familiar alongside that of every other high ranking Efreeti and fiend in the Service of the Brazen Throne that Hazram knew of.
[x] Continue with the interrogations
-[X] Rephrase your question, where would his familar run to if he managed escape
with something valuable.
-[X] Ask about his Master, his fellow apprentices, their powers and specializations.
I'm going to need a little while longer to think on the numbers since it's a bit more complicated than X Efreeti. I need to think up where these people are in the apparatus of the Brazen Throne
I'm going to need a little while longer to think on the numbers since it's a bit more complicated than X Efreeti. I need to think up where these people are in the apparatus of the Brazen Throne
Asuras and fiends are why I was gunning for in that, really - feel free to take your time, I'll just need that for next month's summoning sheets, not now.
Wait, @DragonParadox, they didn't know about the Valyrian Steel Spikes? This wasn't a fetch quest, just a scouting expedition? I thought they were after special reagents.
The specific path taken had been entirely Hazaram's doing after he learned of the great mines that bore ever deeper beneath the Fourteen Fires. His reasoning had been that such tunnels would provide both easy to hide portals, valuable arcane reagents that would help cement the ruse that this was an expedition to some of the remoter parts of the Plane of Fire and access to some of the oldest and strongest spirits in the broken lands.
Ahh so what he wanted was an outpost to use to further expand and exploit the region...well can we use that plan? We would have to use flesh forge creatures but could we do it?
