[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
An Empire of Bronze and Scales
- Thread starter TheBoredMan
- Start date
- Fantasy
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
Wohoooo! We are back baby! I am SO HAPPY that this quest is back alive and KICKING!
Wohoooo! We are back baby! I am SO HAPPY that this quest is back alive and KICKING!
[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
Since you are coming back to this quest can the negatives of the Path of the Warrior be off set by a Stronger Connection to the Slann because they learn more about humans meaning that they can keep their meager magic once we get a sync rate of like 50% and also get a powerful body or have the opposite happen where we get the Blessed body but keep our current level of physique after we get up to 50% sync rate with the Slann so that we avoid the consequences and it will just happen latter?
Hey mate
Well, I apologize if perhaps I did not make it too clear from the beginning, but I always intended for Adrian to walk either the path of a warrior or caster, both being mutually exclusive. Xlataquallek will have to increasingly draw on his knowledge of the Slann or Saurus physique to improve Adrians body for a single path. I have prepared two seperate evolution paths with their own decision tree in either case.
But to answer your question, yes, if the rest of you guys don't mind, then I can make it so that after a sufficient connection strength, he can retain the current magical abilities he has now, meagre as they are. I can also make it so that, if in the future, he gets the chance he can improve them by studying magic on his own. He will have to do it the old fashion way like any other human mage, which means painfully and slowly. In return, if he chooses the path as a caster, later he can get the opportunity to learn how to possess a lizardman individual and control them in physical combat.
Let me know if you like that or if i should just stick to my original plan, where you cannot eat your cake and have it too 😊
- Location
- Africa
is he also stuck with the limits of a human spell caster if he studies the old fashion way ? , like he is presumably immortal as far as life span goes and he has direct access to the knowledge and guidance of a first generation Slann mage priest attaining high magic should be a matter of when not if plus with the slann directly connected to his soul and able effect it he should be immune of developing arcane marks keeping him from being locked into one wind
so in short , could the MC with time and effort master all 8 winds of magic one at a time then make the leap to high magic ? what with him having the guidance of a first gen slann which is de facto the best possible teacher a mage could get directly wired into his mind and soul
- Location
- USA
I imagine the path of the mage involves changes to the body just like path of the warrior but the changes are those that let you channel multiple winds at once. So basically both make changes and the changes cannot be stacked so instead you go with some magic and all the physical might or all the magic and some physical might since we have done the first step of each.
wolfemaster01
Sanity in Madness
[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
- Pronouns
- highness
I love the idea that slann turn themselves autistic so they can ignore things they don't care about to better focus on magic.
- Location
- Australia
[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
- Location
- Centro Italia
[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
- Location
- Belgium
[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
Glad to have found this quest.
Glad to have found this quest.
[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
Turn 3 - Results
New
[X] Plan: Setting the Stage for Improvement
[X] – Maria and an adviser – Maria is smart but she is simply too young to do this job alone. She needs someone with experience to help and teach her. If Adrian presses upon her that she is in charge and to always act in the interest of the city, then he will just have to trust her.
Maria watched in stunned silence as Konrad tore into the meal like a man possessed. Fruit vanished into his mouth, followed by thick slices of grilled fish and charred lizard meat. Yet he remained oddly courteous through it all, pausing between bites to dab at his mouth with a ragged, overused handkerchief, and murmuring apologies through mouthfuls of flesh.
"I beg your pardon, my lady" he said after draining a cup of fruit juice, voice hoarse but civil. "The rations your noble brother gave me, kind as they were, barely kept me from gnawing my own fingers."
Maria nodded slowly, unsure what to say. She had not even touched her own plate yet, watching in a mix of amusement and quiet unease. She couldn't help but wonder what he'd looked like before the captivity and the hunger. With that kind of appetite, he must have been huge. A merchant quite literally grown fat on trade now starved down to sharp cheekbones and sunken eyes, yet still devouring enough for three men.
There was something dignified in it though. A ruined yet proud man reclaiming some small piece of his past, one bite at a time. She realized she had been staring when Conrad coughed into his hand to catch her attention.
"Pleasant as this meal is, might I inquire into the nature of my invitation here?"
Maria straightened unconsciously at the question, embarrassed her fascination had been noticed. She had been preparing herself for this meeting for hours, only to be completely thrown of guard by the mans inhuman appetite. She scolded herself mentally and swore she would not let herself get distracted again.
"I have recently been graced with a new position. My brother has appointed me to act in his stead as lord of the human population of the city." She said, trying to make it sound as if it was something she had wanted.
It certainly wasn't. Despite her early trepidations, Maria found their new life here truly wonderful. The old concerns of her brother never coming home, where their next meal would come from and if they would freeze over the winter, were all gone. She spent her days observing the lizardmen go about their work in wonder. She went exploring in the ancient rooms, swimming in crystal clear pools or tried to decipher the meaning of beautiful stone carvings that decorated the walls in the inner pyramid.
When Adrian told her, that he wanted her to take charge of the Tlan-Huan, the "new tribe" translated from the lizardmen tongue, she had first been confused. When Adrian then explained the new tribe was how the lizardmen referred to the humans, she had thought he was joking. When it became clear that he was perfectly sincere, her instinct was to refuse. This was not some empty position. Lives depended on it, and she was fourteen years old for Sigmas sake. It was still absurd to her. But Adrians arguments had been sound in her mind. She was the only person he could completely trust and in truth, she was proud that he put so much faith in her. She knew she could not just keep doing nothing and more than anything, she wanted to prove to him and to herself, that the faith was not misplaced. Adrian had been sensible though and insisted she get an adviser. Hence her meeting with Konrad now. He was the only one there with any sort of experience in the field of managing people. All the captains and first mates of boarded ships had not survived the fighting. She had no doubts he would accept the position she was offering, but she wanted him to have the right impression of her. That was what this meeting was for.
"Forgive me for asking, my lady" Konrad said with a raised eyebrow after her announcement. "But is that not your brothers duty? Most will expect the lord of a city to, well, act as its lord."
"My brother has other important tasks that occupy him. One of which is ruling the lizardmen. They are impressive beings, but they need constant directing" Maria retorted coldly. It was a partial lie. In truth the lizardmen needed very little direct control but she did not want the others to know that. When a lord appointed someone in their place, it was usually either because they were getting too old, mentally inept or because they spent their time in debauchery and had no interest in ruling. Maria wanted no such rumours to spread.
"They really do obey him then?" Conrad asked, glancing at the two stoic saurus warriors guarding the door to the atrium they sat in.
"Completely." Maria assured him, glad she wasn't the only one here who was a bit nervous.
"I see." He murmured to himself, clearly debating whether he entirely believed that. "I would dearly love to hear how that might have come to pass."
"Another day perhaps." Maria smiled at him. That was something she didn't really understand herself either. "I should like to return to your first question of why I invited you here."
"Of course, my lady" he said, remembering himself. "Please forgive my lack of manners. I am still plagued by the rigors of the journey here."
Before Maria could continue a massive shockwave blasted through the room, sending plates and food flying everywhere and shaking the walls so violently dust drizzled down small streams.
"What in the name of all that is holy was that?" Conrad wailed in panic as he gripped the stone table.
"That, was my brother." Maria answered irritated as she brushed of chunks of spilled melon from her lap. "He really should warn me before he does things like that."
"What do you mean your brother did that?" Conrad demanded, no longer holding to any decorum. "What just happened?"
"I told you; my brother has other tasks that occupy him. You'd best get used to things like this happening if you are to work under me." Maria said, standing to straighten her dress. "Or even live in this city I suppose."
Conrad looked at her like she had lost her mind. Maria found it refreshing to see such a human reaction to what she had grown used to by now. She certainly wasn't alone here anymore and smiled sincerely for the first time in the meeting.
Together the two would undertake the monumental task of building up a new society from nothing.
Maria is put in charge of the new tribe. She is responsible for technological research. Konrad Dornberg added as adviser: + 20 to trade action rolls. + 10 to diplomatic action rolls. - 10 to integration rolls.
[X] - Repair Great Pyramid - The great pyramid in the center of the temple city has fallen to ruin. It is the heart of the city's connection to the geomantic web. Before any attempts to reconnect with the great web can be performed, the pyramid must be minimally restored. Effect: Repair great pyramid. Raise condition level from ruin -> inferior. Allows basic spawnings. New actions unlocked.
[X] - Restore Kroxigor Spawning Pool – The kroxigor pool is cleared of rubble, however it was damaged to a greater degree than the others. To repair it would require the old walls of the pool to be dug up and re-carved. Effect: Allows for spawning of kroxigors if all other conditions are met.
[X] – Create Human Facilities – The ancient temple city was designed for natives of Lustria to live within. Humans have different wants and needs which must be accommodated. Repurpose a part of a ruined district to establish a market square, bath houses, a courthouse and a medical facility. Effect: Increase the public order with human population. Increases human population capacity. Allow for an internal economy to develop. Benefits technological research.
Like ants devouring an animal, skinks crawled over the great pyramid, their bright scales flashing in the sun as they darted between cracks and scaffolding. They moved with tireless purpose, hauling stones, mixing lime with crushed shell, and chiselling away at millennia of damage and wear. Below them, the massive shapes of kroxigors laboured in near silence, hoisting entire slabs of stone into place with brute strength, their thick tails sweeping dust from the worksite with every slow, deliberate step. The air was heavy with the scent of wet stone and sunbaked clay. Inside the great pyramid, humans were doing their part too. Clearing rooms piled with rubble and helping with whatever construction tasks Xura had deemed simple and low risk enough, that it could be trusted to unskilled hands.
Adrian himself was overseeing the repairs at the very peak of the central pyramid. All that was going on below was nothing more than a reinforcement of the pyramids stability, to ensure it could support the structure at its zenith. Whatever force had razed Quatzl to the ground, had done a thorough job. They knew what infrastructure had been critical, the spawning pools and the pylons, which they had dedicated the most effort to destroy. There wasn't a single pylon left standing in the city, a fact Adrian had decided to begin remedying immediately. He had begun with the most critical component of all. The core pylon. Any traces of the original had been carried off so Adrian had been forced to create a new one, carefully following Xlataqallek's instructions.
The tip of the pylon had been the most challenging part. Adrian had overseen a team of skinks as they carved out a truly massive chunk of the right type of stone from a mountain side nineteen miles away. It took nine tries before they managed to carve one that satisfied Xlataqallek's countless minute criteria. After that, more than thirty kroxigors had been required just to carry it back it Quetzl in one piece, where Adrians own work could finally begin. A dense layer of glyphs covered its entire surface, all designed to contain the massive energies that would be channelled through it. Adrian had even been forced to melt down a good chunk of the gold coins he just so recently got his hands on. The metal was absolutely essential for its stability and conductivity, the slann had assured him, though it still stung Adrian to spend such a fortune on it. Gold ran down the surface of the spire formed tip in perfectly straight lines. Beautiful and geometrical. A testament to the craftmanship of the skinks.
Despite the enemies great effort, they could not ruin the two most important factors, that made the city so valuable. Firstly, it was placed at the exact intersection of four different leylines. You would not know it from looking, but the great pyramid in the center of the city had been built with incredible precision, carefully placed so that its zenith hit the critical junction of energies perfectly. Secondly, they had not destroyed the internal workings of the great pyramid. Adrian had been shocked to learn that the lizardmen may have built the city, but the great pyramid was placed here by the old ones themselves. Not created here. Placed here. Despite everything he had seen, Adrian still found it impossible to believe Xlataqallek's claim, that the core of the pyramid was in fact a metallic vessel that could actually move.
The top of the pyramid was finished days before, save the final and most important piece. For a few terrifying moments, nine kroxigors balanced the newly fashioned tip over the center pylons flat top. Heaving and grunting, they had to balance it with outstretched arms, as Adrian tried to direct them so that they would place it in just the right spot. When he finally did allow them to put it down, it was with a thump that sent dust flying. In the same instance an electric roar could be heard. The entire pyramid shook for a few nerve-racking seconds before everything went quit again. It looked as if nothing had changed but Adrian saw the extraordinary processes taking place behind the veil. The structure was stirring. Life flowing through its veins of strange metals again.
"Extraordinary" Adrian whispered unknowingly to himself. He could feel the effects personally. The roiling chaotic sea that was always behind his eyelids since meeting the slann, had calmed just a bit. The four great rivers of energy were still clashing together at their fulcrum, sending out swirls of uncontrolled energy, but it was less now. Torrents of it was syphoned off, feeding a hunger that had been denied for far too long now. The city was finally waking up.
In between working on the pylon, Adrian spent his time direction the repairing of the kroxigor spawning pool. There was only one but it was far larger than the ones he had been working on before, and it had been the most damaged out of all of them. They had not just damaged the glyph markings and filled it with rocks and dirt. An entire wall of the great pool had been heaved out of the ground somehow. It lay smashed into a thousand pieces, very few of which Adrian could salvage. It was a tedious process to carve out an entire new wall and lower it into place but once that was done, the rest came far easier this time. Aqueducts were already positioned to fill the great pool already and with the restoration of the connection to the geomantic web, Adrian could already feel the power thrumming beneath his feet.
Elsewhere, construction continued as it had for more than a year now. Lines of lizardmen and humans carrying rocks and debris both to and from construction sites were everywhere. With Maria serving as a translator, the skinks had taught human representatives how to make the cement like paste they used to bind stones together. How to cut the stone with the least amount of effort and how to stack them into a stable structure. Maria thought it had gone surprisingly well, though Konrad was not surprised. The memories of captivity were still fresh in their mind and the skinks provided them with a steady supply of quite excellent food. Meat and especially fruit was a luxury in the empire, which was their whole diet now. That went a very long way to endear them to their new reptilian neighbours. Of course, the constant presence of cold eyed saurus warriors watching over the streets, certainly did not encourage them to make trouble neither.
Maria had also been pleasantly surprised at how easily they agreed to help with the construction efforts. She had been dreading the moment to ask them, fearing the work of hauling stone was simply too similar to the back breaking labour of slaves. But when she told them the new structures were for themselves to live in and use, they had gladly started.
With the lizardmen's aid, new buildings were shooting up daily and with them, many started taking up their old professions. Adaptions had to be made of course. Leather workers had to learn how to work with alligator skin and butchers had to learn how to slaughter a monitor lizard. It wasn't exactly like the empire again but it was a start and it went a long way to help them see this as a more permanent home.
The new district would be called Southkeep.
Great pyramid repaired and improved from ruin -> inferior. Connection to geomatic web established. General spawning now possible.
Kroxigor pool repaired. A condition for kroxigor spawning is met.
The human district, Southkeep, has been created. Public order among humans increased. Human population capacity increased 5000 -> 7500. Human professions and economy are developed resulting in +1 technological action point.
[X] - Geomantic Web - Adrian has gained a surface knowledge of the working of the geomantic web and how its pylons function. He has yet to even begin grasping some of the deeper mysteries of its incredible power. Further bestowal of knowledge is needed. Effect: Adrians gains knowledge required for the higher spawnings and communions with other slann. Raises his knowledge from minor -> adept. Further construction is needed before additional actions unlocked.
[X] – Kroxigor Spawning – Adrian gains the knowledge of glyphs required to direct the energies properly through the kroxigor spawning pools. Effect: Adrian gains the knowledge required for kroxigor spawning. Further construction is needed before additional actions unlocked.
He drifted through the void between thought and form, where time moved like still water and stars hummed in forgotten tongues. There, the world below revealed itself. Not as jungle and mountains but as a vast lattice of luminous energy. It pulsed like a living tapestry, woven from veins of jade fire and golden strands of fate. Lines of raw power, older than memory, older than life, arched from temple to temple, humming with the music of creation. Some threads thrummed with strength, bright and sharp, others flickered weakly, knotting in ways that should never have been. Critical nexuses were missing. Others were frayed with corruption, working to undermine the delicate web rather than support it. But the great warding kept its form. As it always had and always would.
In that moment, he did not think, he simply was. An eye of calm in a roiling sea of divine mathematics. He moved without moving, drifting along the currents of intention, feeling where the weave held taut and where it sagged under the weight of disorder. There was no need for words. The web spoke to him in colour, in rhythm, in pain. The sheer amount of information he was receiving was astounding but he was not troubled. Greedily drinking the knowledge, intoxicated by it.
And beneath it all, deep and distant, it was there. Weakened and almost forgotten, but it was still there. The heartbeat of the Great Plan. It pulled at him, irresistibly. His connection to it was so much greater than a mortal being could possibly understand. Illusions of love, hatred, loyalty, obsession and any other emotion were nothing compared to it. It was deeper than the greatest devotion. It was everything. It was his essence itself.
He dove down. Wanting to hear it closer. Wanting to read the tapestry behind it all and understand what exactly he must do.
In an instant everything shattered. The web was gone. The music was gone. There was darkness and then, blinding light. Sensation flooded in as an unbidden tidal wave. Flickering lights and shadows. He wanted none of it. A world of flesh and stone and dry breath came crashing back around him. "No!" He roared, but he was not sure how. "Take me back!" He demanded, but there was no answer.
As the moments passed, the world came more and more into focus. The flickering lights and shadows were his vision, spinning with his waking spasms. Reality pressed on him. He was in a stone room. He was surrounded by panicking skinks, some restraining his arms others frantically trying to communicate with him.
He looked down at himself as if he just became aware that he had a body. There were smears of blood on him. On his arms and his shirt. He must have hurt himself in his spasming but not badly, for there was no pain. With that realization, his memories came back to him. He was Adrian. This was Quetzl. He was—
Reality would be denied no longer and the rest of his senses followed. A wall of noise greeted him and not the feeling of pain, but of thirst. It pressed on him like a suffocating pressure. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth like sandpaper. His throat felt as though it had been scraped clean by stone. He tried to swallow and felt nothing but grit. Only then came pain.
He tried to shift and every part of him protested. His limbs were held firmly by the skinks, but he could feel how brittle they were. So weak. There was no strength in them, only the ache of long disuse.
He tried to speak.
"Wa— "
It came out broken. Not a word, not even a sound. Just a cracked exhale. He coughed, or tried to, but even that failed. None of the skinks reacted. His head lolled to the side, the world spinning softly, like he was floating through heat.
He tried again.
"Water," he rasped.
He did not know if they heard but the cacophony of sound did seem to change. He could not verify it though. The vision that had so violently forced itself back to him, was fading away now. The light dimming and shadows blending into each other.
A hand touched his shoulder then and a cup was pressed to his lips. The water was warm as blood, but it was life itself. He emptied the cup and another was offered immediately. He drank and drank and drank, until it threatened to come up again. He was calming down now. Breathing heavily, he waved the skinks away. Stepping back, they stood in a close circle around him. Adrian to tried to stand himself but stumbled. A ripple went though the skinks. Every inch of their being wanted to tend to him, but they were physically unable to disobey a direct order. After a few tries, he finally managed to steady his wobbly legs underneath him and he stood. Just then, his personal guard lead by Mor-Tlax entered the inner chamber and Adrian cursed to himself when he recognized the figure among them. In their ignorance of what to do they thought to fetch Maria. She would not be pleased with him. The moment she lay eyes on his bedraggled form; she let out a scream in surprise. Adrian lost his concentration for a moment and fell right back to the ground again.
It took weeks for Adrian to fully recover from the ordeal. Xlataqallek had intended to introduce Adrian to some of the more complex workings of the geomantic web and that part had gone beautifully. The strengthened connection allowed for a deeper way of teaching. For just a week, Adrian had seen and experienced the world as Xlataqallek does. The knowledge and understanding he had gained this way, was far greater than any he could have achieved by simply having knowledge forced into his brain as before. What the great slann had not truly considered, was the nature of Adrians body. He was neither Slann nor Saurus, to remain motionless for months or even years at a time. His body needed sustenance, which the slann had simply forgotten to consider.
Adrian had very nearly died but in truth he did not begrudge the slann its error. The experience had taught Adrian much about the geomantic web, sure, but he had also gained a greater understanding of the nature of the being, which he was so irrevocably bonded to. When it viewed the world as it did, how could physical limitations possible be something it truly understood? Xlataqallek's understanding of reality was flipped, even when he had been alive. To him, the Aethyr was the real world, and this physical one was the dream. One he could peak into, but never entirely understand nor be truly a part of. Adrian had realized a truth that should have been obvious all along, but he only understood now. He was just as strange to that unfathomable being as it was to him.
During his time of recovery, Adrian spent his days carving and re-edging the glyphs and runes of the kroxigor pool. The ethereal walkabout Xlataqallek gave him was apparently quite taxing for him. Their souls had simulated a merging, however briefly and superficially. As Adrian needed time to physically recover, the slann needed time to spiritually purify his own being, which meant his attentions were mostly focused elsewhere. In that interim, Adrian began the laborious process of manually repairing the spawning pool. After the saurus and skink pool repairs, it really wasn't that difficult anymore. He could connect the movement of ethereal energy with physical glyphs now, which made it almost effortless for the slann to communicate them. It was as if he had learned to speak a language with the runes and he simply needed to repeat the sentences Xlataqallek fed him.
The problem was that it was still far too difficult to delegate. A single mistake and the entire pool would fail horrifically, with mutilated abominations being all that could be created. Even with his expertise, Adrian still needed the constant supervision of Xlataqallek.
There were 20 pools in total, Adrian had fixed 17 of them. Xlataqallek classified the pools as minor and major. There were 8 minor skink and saurus pools respectively, all of these had been repaired. Then there was the major pool of kroxigor spawning which he had just repaired. As for the yet functioning ones. Each group of the minor pools circled around a major pool of their own kind, which Adrian still had not managed to repair yet. Xlataqallek had impressed it upon him, that without the energies of the geomantic web flowing, even he could not simply repair them from memory. And at the center of the great spawning chamber itself was the crown jewel. A primordial spawning pool. By far the largest and oldest off those in the room. Carved personally by Quetzl. Like the slann, the first saurus warriors had been produced in the bowls of the old ones great star vessels. It was from this pool however, the first saurus warrior had been successfully spawned. All the others were mere copies of this one. When Xlataqallek spoke of it, Adrian had noticed for the first time a hint of reverence in his mental messages. The slann had not even allowed him to go near it yet.
When the work was finally done, Adrian viewed it with great pride. The shallow pools represented more than a year of hard work and suffering for him. As he mentally pressed the activation rune that allowed energy to flow into the room, it was all worth it.
The chamber pulsed with life as long-dormant glyphs lit up along the walls, their patterns flaring in sequence. They drank up the power flooding in, like rain on desert sand, not nearly enough to satisfy their greed but enough to awaken them. As the energies flowed into the basins an extraordinary process took place. They were filled with still water one moment, and the next, a roiling, greenish, luminescent broth. The temperature shifted. The air grew thick with the scent of minerals, damp earth, and ozone. Within the pool, bubbles formed, not from heat, but from life. Adrian stared in absolute fascination at one of the saurus pools as the energies converged in small vortexes within it. As he watched, they transitioned from ethereal energy into physical mass. Shapes curled beneath the surface like eggs in a womb, first indistinct, then resolving into the familiar embryonic coils of saurus kind. Hours passed in sacred silence as the soup thickened around them, feeding, shaping, accelerating. When at last the surface broke, the first saurus emerged slick and steaming, eyes opening for the first time. Fully grown, fully formed. Ready to serve.
Adrians understanding of geomantic web improved from minor -> adept. Stronger connection strength needed before further improvement. Greater spawning pools can now be repaired.
Adrain obtains knowledge required for basic kroxigor spawning. Kroxigor spawning now possible.
[X] – Iron working – Amongst the new citizens there are a few smiths and a blacksmith. They all insist that before anything more advanced can be made, they must create the very basic tools and facilities for extracting iron from iron ore and reshaping it. Effect: The very basic of iron working are possible. Unlocks new actions.
A large new forge was commissioned. When Maria had asked Konrad about who they should put in charge he did not hesitate.
"Ayla is the one." He spoke. "No doubt in my mind"
"Ayla?" Maria replied, clearly surprised. "A woman?"
"And a blacksmith" Konrad had answered, clearly a bit amused. "Is that a problem?"
"No, its just... That's a bit unusual in the empire." Maria hesitated and continued. "From what I know, we have several smiths among our new citizens. Did you know her before all this?" She asked, clearly wondering why Konrad would recommend her so immediately.
"No, I did not know her, my lady." Konrad admitted but with a serious edge he continued "But the trade of a merchant is at its core one of people, not numbers. I built my fortune on my ability to know who to trust when I meet them."
"You mean the fortune you lost" Maria could not help but challenge him a little. She knew his ship had been attacked and boarded at sea. A druchii fleet was one of the fastest things on the water. Empire ships, impressive as they were, simply had no hope of outsailing them. He had been helpless.
"Aye, I lost it. Even the best merchant must gamble every time he sets sail. Sigma was not with me that day." He replied solemnly "But I have always picked the right man for the right job. And trust me, she is the right man for this."
Maria hadn't known what to expect when she first asked for the blacksmith. She had seemed friendly enough when she first greeted her. Short brown hair and kind eyes with no trace of hostility. Then Maria had asked her about why she chose her profession and the air between them had frozen. Ayla stood with arms folded and sweaty from hauling rocks, jaw set like iron, daring Maria to question her place.
"My father taught me," she said flatly, before Maria could even ask. "Didn't have a son." There was bitterness there, old and sharp. Maria guessed it was not the first time her competence had been questioned.
"Are you any good?" She asked in a friendly manner, refusing to be put off.
Ayla narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I am very good. Why do you care?"
Maria smiled. "Excellent. I might have a job for you then"
The task of building the forge itself was left to the lizardmen. Konrad and Ayla had worked out a set of plans for the architecture, which the skinks tried to follow to the best of their ability. In the meantime, Ayla along with a squad of three other smiths, did their best to make a few sets of simple tools to be used for iron working. The skinks unfortunately, were little help in this department. Skilled as they were, they only knew how to rework the softer metals and they showed no inclination at all to learn how to work with iron. By the end, Ayla was confident they could extract iron from raw ore. Luckily finding a source of that proved little trouble. It was something there was plenty of in Lustria and for some reason it was hardly mined.
After months of labour, the new forge stood ready.
Maria couldn't help but admire the magnificence of the forge itself: wide, deep, and built with a kind of rough grandeur. With only a portion of it lit, a great circular hearth stood central in the room. Designed in a way that allowed many dozens to work around it at the same time, whilst one person could oversee the work.
She stood just beyond the forge's heat, watching the work going on inside. Ayla move through the smoke haze in a brisk manner. Her soot-darkened face was streaked with sweat, hair tied back in a rough knot, sleeves rolled past the elbow. She barked instructions over the clang of hammers, her voice sharp and sure as she guided her new apprentices in the shaping of crude iron nails. There were 16 of them, the first of the volunteers to be future blacksmiths. The new stone building echoed with each strike, its bare walls already starting to blacken and pulsing with heat. It was primitive, yes, and for now barely suited for soft iron but that would change. The skinks had done beautifully.
"They're improving," Ayla said between orders, glancing at Maria with a tired but proud look. "Still slow, and still ruining half the batches, but they're starting to listen."
Maria nodded, arms crossed, her gaze drifting to the firelit shapes in the shadows. "We'll need more than nails, eventually. Armor, weapons… steel."
Ayla gave a snort. "Then we'll need real bellows, real tools, and real blacksmiths." She said, glancing at her hard working, yet clumsy apprentices.
Maria didn't argue. There was a long way to go. But something about the rhythm of hammers gave her a strange kind of hope. Primitive or not, this was a good beginning.
"We will get there." She answered, turning to leave. "Have faith in this place"
Basics of iron working are now unlocked. New action unlocked.
[X] – Enforce public order – The humans are not like the lizardmen. They do not dedicate their lives to a higher purpose but live for themselves. They have their own wants, needs and desires, which might go against the great plan. Despite the benefits his master assures him the human bring, Tlektip wish to ensure they do not cause any disturbances that might hinder the great plan. Effect: Human quarters in the city are tightly patrolled. Greatly reduces any chances of negative human incidents.
Tlektip did not like the new inhabitants of the city. He had fought humans on a number of occasions in the past. They were savage, greedy and untrustworthy. But now, his exalted master had taken the form of one and despite his distaste, the very notion of questioning his mage-priest ruler was unthinkable to him. It was not his place to contemplate the deeper meaning of the great plan. It was his job to enforce it. If the lord had deemed this the path forward, then he would struggle until the end of the world to follow it.
That did not mean, he would allow incaution. With so many unreliable new elements in the heart of the city, his masters safety was more important than ever. He would not tolerate disorder to descend, no matter how important the humans were to the great plan. On his order, saurus warriors patrolled the streets, day and night, particularly in the human areas.
Luckily there had been very little need for intervention. The humans seemed to mostly concern themselves with the construction of their part of the city. On very few occasions had the saurus been forced to step in and those had been the humans fighting among themselves. Unable to understand what was going on, the saurus had been instructed to simply separate the struggling parties and then fetch one of the new human guards.
Tlektip was unsure about the future, but for now, the public order amongst the humans was acceptable.
No negative incidents of human disturbances occurred.
[X] - Defenders Summoning. An empire is a people. Without workers, hunters and soldiers the empire is nothing. Call for servants of the great plan. Effect: Causes additional migration of lizardmen to the city. Summon a range of 3.000 to 10.000 lizardmen. Potentially increases construction and military actions. Roll for amount, 30% for scar-veteran, 20% for skink priest, 10% for old-blood, 0% for great beast of any kind. Effectiveness is reduced with each use.
[X] - Stronger Connection. The soul bond that attaches the two required a near godlike knowledge of magic and souls. Strengthening it, is a far easier task, but it will consume significant power. All the magic that Xlataqallek uses through Adrians body is transferred through the bond. Its strength has great effect on the actions performed with the slann's power. It also causes the souls to fuse further, meaning that the coldblooded nature of Xlataqallek will begin to affect Adrian. Effect: Strengthens bond between Xlataqallek and Adrian. Increases connection with 2.
There was no warning, but Adrian could feel it begin. The tension in the air, the low, rising hum beneath the skin of the world. Adrian sat cross-legged in the heart of his still ruined star chamber, eyes shut in contemplation. Sweat beaded on his brow, but not from the heat. It was something deeper. The magic stirred, and he felt it now, not like a sudden shockwave as before, but like the shifting of streams beneath his feet, movements just out of sight. The veil had thinned since the last time. His connection now stronger than ever. He could feel the motions this time. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he caught glimpses; threads of force winding across jungle and sky, ancient symbols spinning in slow, deliberate orbit. It was more than sensation, he was seeing the very first hints of structure. Xlataqallek was moving through him again, still overwhelming and indecipherable, but not unseen. Vast intent was building. Like a tide drawing back before the wave.
Then, as before, the release and the shockwave that follow. A boom that could not be heard by human ears but felt in the shaking of the world around them. It continued outwards touching the land for hundreds of miles.
Far from the temple, the jungle shifted.
Leaves that should have been still rustled without wind. Animals fell silent in their burrows and birds took flight in startled silence. Slumbering beasts stirred in the distant canopies, unsure why.
The call had gone out again. No one heard it with ears, but they felt it. Every cold-blooded creature with even a drop of the Old Ones' design felt that subtle tug at their soul. For most, it was almost it was almost imperceptible. A momentary disturbance but nothing more. For others, it was irresistible. They did not know who called. But they remembered what it meant to answer.
Adrian awoke hours later with a throat like dust and the weight of something immense pressing down on his thoughts. He felt drained, like a man who had screamed in his sleep without knowing it. But already they were arriving.
They came not with fanfare, but in silence. One at first, a skink with a bone-tipped spear, eyes darting warily until he was greeted by his own kind already there. The skinks welcomed the newcomer with enthusiasm, clapping him on the back and immediately beginning the process of introducing him to his new place there. Then a trio came, and the scene repeated itself. Later still came saurus warriors, many with scales faded with age, eyes like stone under a thundercloud. They passed through the temple's broken walls with neither ceremony nor hesitation. No greetings. No pledges. Just a nod of recognition towards their kind who already inhabited the city. Acknowledgement of a shared purpose that need not be mentioned aloud.
By the third day, the count had swelled. Dozens more arrived by the hour. A slow trickle of purposeful shapes moving through the jungle like small streams to a lake. Adrian watched from a carved ledge, aching and exhausted, as they filed in. He felt like this had become his entire life these days. The slann casting some great magic through him and then him having to recover from it. Things were changing though. The city grew by a visible pace. He marvelled at what it might one day become.
30% chance of scar-veteran
Required: 70 Rolled: 92 – Success!
20% chance of skink priest.
Required: 80 Rolled: 62 – Failed!
10% chance of old-blood.
Required: 90 Rolled: 14 – Failed!
Summoned lizardmen warriors: Range of 3.000 – 10.000.
Rolled: 61 -> 7.242
3.432 Skinks, 3593 Saurus warriors, 217 Kroxigor, 1 scar-veteran.
The golden rope trembled in the void, a flickering thread of soul and heat suspended between worlds. It had grown but not nearly enough. Xlataqallek hovered in the Aethyr, an unblinking presence of vast, cold intellect, narrowed to a single strand in the infinite weave. Slowly, deliberately, he poured his essence into it. Arcane pressures started building, layer upon layer, until the rope began to glow like a branding iron pulled from a sacred forge. The individual threads, once loose and irregular, writhed in place before twisting into tighter, more complex braids. Each strand shimmered with refined purpose, slowly moving from crude carriers of energy into lines of structured command, capable of carrying impressions, sensation and glimpses of will rather than just information.
As the transformation continued, new filaments formed around the connection, delicate at first, trailing lights like spider silk, then thickening, congealing, until the rope swelled in girth and radiance. It pulsed now, visibly alive as Xlataqallek poured his essence into it. Adrian's thoughts were clearer to him, his emotions easier to temper, his instincts slower to rebel. The bond was stabilizing. Strengthening. But to Xlataqallek, it was still primitive.
This was not what he needed.
He longed to move beyond this tether of gold and light, to reshape the connection into something worthy of his true form. A construct not of thread, but of living pattern, a conduit vast enough to carry true intent and force. But the soul could not bear it. Not yet. The human was too fragile, his soul still just an ember in the void, his flesh ill-suited for the weight of what must come. A single misstep would rupture the bond completely. Tear it from the weave like a malformed glyph, wasting the chance he had gambled everything on. So, he waited.
The golden rope brightened one last time as the final layer settled into place. It was thicker now and stronger than before. But still so small. Xlataqallek observed the thread as one might study an embryo meant to grow into a warrior. Promising, but inadequate. For now, he would tolerate the limits. But the next evolution was inevitable. Necessary. And he would be ready when the time came.
A summoning for all defenders of the great plan has been issued. The lizardmen in the city swell. Effectiveness of summoning is reduced with 30% for subsequent summoning.
Connection between Adrian and Xlataqallek had increased from 4/100 -> 6/100. Effectiveness of slann magic increased. Further strengthening is needed before additional actions unlock.
Total spawning capacity: 2.513
20% added to saurus spawnings given Xlataqallek alignment.
Current distribution:
Skinks: 1.385
Kroxigors: 75
Saurus: 1.043 + 249 = 1.292
Total spawnings: 2.752
Total current population:
Skinks: 5.027 + 1.385 + 3.433 = 9.845
Kroxigors: 349 + 75 + 217 = 641
Saurus: 4.755 + 1.292 + 3.593 = 9640
Humans: 3.811
[X] – Maria and an adviser – Maria is smart but she is simply too young to do this job alone. She needs someone with experience to help and teach her. If Adrian presses upon her that she is in charge and to always act in the interest of the city, then he will just have to trust her.
Maria watched in stunned silence as Konrad tore into the meal like a man possessed. Fruit vanished into his mouth, followed by thick slices of grilled fish and charred lizard meat. Yet he remained oddly courteous through it all, pausing between bites to dab at his mouth with a ragged, overused handkerchief, and murmuring apologies through mouthfuls of flesh.
"I beg your pardon, my lady" he said after draining a cup of fruit juice, voice hoarse but civil. "The rations your noble brother gave me, kind as they were, barely kept me from gnawing my own fingers."
Maria nodded slowly, unsure what to say. She had not even touched her own plate yet, watching in a mix of amusement and quiet unease. She couldn't help but wonder what he'd looked like before the captivity and the hunger. With that kind of appetite, he must have been huge. A merchant quite literally grown fat on trade now starved down to sharp cheekbones and sunken eyes, yet still devouring enough for three men.
There was something dignified in it though. A ruined yet proud man reclaiming some small piece of his past, one bite at a time. She realized she had been staring when Conrad coughed into his hand to catch her attention.
"Pleasant as this meal is, might I inquire into the nature of my invitation here?"
Maria straightened unconsciously at the question, embarrassed her fascination had been noticed. She had been preparing herself for this meeting for hours, only to be completely thrown of guard by the mans inhuman appetite. She scolded herself mentally and swore she would not let herself get distracted again.
"I have recently been graced with a new position. My brother has appointed me to act in his stead as lord of the human population of the city." She said, trying to make it sound as if it was something she had wanted.
It certainly wasn't. Despite her early trepidations, Maria found their new life here truly wonderful. The old concerns of her brother never coming home, where their next meal would come from and if they would freeze over the winter, were all gone. She spent her days observing the lizardmen go about their work in wonder. She went exploring in the ancient rooms, swimming in crystal clear pools or tried to decipher the meaning of beautiful stone carvings that decorated the walls in the inner pyramid.
When Adrian told her, that he wanted her to take charge of the Tlan-Huan, the "new tribe" translated from the lizardmen tongue, she had first been confused. When Adrian then explained the new tribe was how the lizardmen referred to the humans, she had thought he was joking. When it became clear that he was perfectly sincere, her instinct was to refuse. This was not some empty position. Lives depended on it, and she was fourteen years old for Sigmas sake. It was still absurd to her. But Adrians arguments had been sound in her mind. She was the only person he could completely trust and in truth, she was proud that he put so much faith in her. She knew she could not just keep doing nothing and more than anything, she wanted to prove to him and to herself, that the faith was not misplaced. Adrian had been sensible though and insisted she get an adviser. Hence her meeting with Konrad now. He was the only one there with any sort of experience in the field of managing people. All the captains and first mates of boarded ships had not survived the fighting. She had no doubts he would accept the position she was offering, but she wanted him to have the right impression of her. That was what this meeting was for.
"Forgive me for asking, my lady" Konrad said with a raised eyebrow after her announcement. "But is that not your brothers duty? Most will expect the lord of a city to, well, act as its lord."
"My brother has other important tasks that occupy him. One of which is ruling the lizardmen. They are impressive beings, but they need constant directing" Maria retorted coldly. It was a partial lie. In truth the lizardmen needed very little direct control but she did not want the others to know that. When a lord appointed someone in their place, it was usually either because they were getting too old, mentally inept or because they spent their time in debauchery and had no interest in ruling. Maria wanted no such rumours to spread.
"They really do obey him then?" Conrad asked, glancing at the two stoic saurus warriors guarding the door to the atrium they sat in.
"Completely." Maria assured him, glad she wasn't the only one here who was a bit nervous.
"I see." He murmured to himself, clearly debating whether he entirely believed that. "I would dearly love to hear how that might have come to pass."
"Another day perhaps." Maria smiled at him. That was something she didn't really understand herself either. "I should like to return to your first question of why I invited you here."
"Of course, my lady" he said, remembering himself. "Please forgive my lack of manners. I am still plagued by the rigors of the journey here."
Before Maria could continue a massive shockwave blasted through the room, sending plates and food flying everywhere and shaking the walls so violently dust drizzled down small streams.
"What in the name of all that is holy was that?" Conrad wailed in panic as he gripped the stone table.
"That, was my brother." Maria answered irritated as she brushed of chunks of spilled melon from her lap. "He really should warn me before he does things like that."
"What do you mean your brother did that?" Conrad demanded, no longer holding to any decorum. "What just happened?"
"I told you; my brother has other tasks that occupy him. You'd best get used to things like this happening if you are to work under me." Maria said, standing to straighten her dress. "Or even live in this city I suppose."
Conrad looked at her like she had lost her mind. Maria found it refreshing to see such a human reaction to what she had grown used to by now. She certainly wasn't alone here anymore and smiled sincerely for the first time in the meeting.
Together the two would undertake the monumental task of building up a new society from nothing.
Maria is put in charge of the new tribe. She is responsible for technological research. Konrad Dornberg added as adviser: + 20 to trade action rolls. + 10 to diplomatic action rolls. - 10 to integration rolls.
Construction
[X] - Repair Great Pyramid - The great pyramid in the center of the temple city has fallen to ruin. It is the heart of the city's connection to the geomantic web. Before any attempts to reconnect with the great web can be performed, the pyramid must be minimally restored. Effect: Repair great pyramid. Raise condition level from ruin -> inferior. Allows basic spawnings. New actions unlocked.
[X] - Restore Kroxigor Spawning Pool – The kroxigor pool is cleared of rubble, however it was damaged to a greater degree than the others. To repair it would require the old walls of the pool to be dug up and re-carved. Effect: Allows for spawning of kroxigors if all other conditions are met.
[X] – Create Human Facilities – The ancient temple city was designed for natives of Lustria to live within. Humans have different wants and needs which must be accommodated. Repurpose a part of a ruined district to establish a market square, bath houses, a courthouse and a medical facility. Effect: Increase the public order with human population. Increases human population capacity. Allow for an internal economy to develop. Benefits technological research.
Like ants devouring an animal, skinks crawled over the great pyramid, their bright scales flashing in the sun as they darted between cracks and scaffolding. They moved with tireless purpose, hauling stones, mixing lime with crushed shell, and chiselling away at millennia of damage and wear. Below them, the massive shapes of kroxigors laboured in near silence, hoisting entire slabs of stone into place with brute strength, their thick tails sweeping dust from the worksite with every slow, deliberate step. The air was heavy with the scent of wet stone and sunbaked clay. Inside the great pyramid, humans were doing their part too. Clearing rooms piled with rubble and helping with whatever construction tasks Xura had deemed simple and low risk enough, that it could be trusted to unskilled hands.
Adrian himself was overseeing the repairs at the very peak of the central pyramid. All that was going on below was nothing more than a reinforcement of the pyramids stability, to ensure it could support the structure at its zenith. Whatever force had razed Quatzl to the ground, had done a thorough job. They knew what infrastructure had been critical, the spawning pools and the pylons, which they had dedicated the most effort to destroy. There wasn't a single pylon left standing in the city, a fact Adrian had decided to begin remedying immediately. He had begun with the most critical component of all. The core pylon. Any traces of the original had been carried off so Adrian had been forced to create a new one, carefully following Xlataqallek's instructions.
The tip of the pylon had been the most challenging part. Adrian had overseen a team of skinks as they carved out a truly massive chunk of the right type of stone from a mountain side nineteen miles away. It took nine tries before they managed to carve one that satisfied Xlataqallek's countless minute criteria. After that, more than thirty kroxigors had been required just to carry it back it Quetzl in one piece, where Adrians own work could finally begin. A dense layer of glyphs covered its entire surface, all designed to contain the massive energies that would be channelled through it. Adrian had even been forced to melt down a good chunk of the gold coins he just so recently got his hands on. The metal was absolutely essential for its stability and conductivity, the slann had assured him, though it still stung Adrian to spend such a fortune on it. Gold ran down the surface of the spire formed tip in perfectly straight lines. Beautiful and geometrical. A testament to the craftmanship of the skinks.
Despite the enemies great effort, they could not ruin the two most important factors, that made the city so valuable. Firstly, it was placed at the exact intersection of four different leylines. You would not know it from looking, but the great pyramid in the center of the city had been built with incredible precision, carefully placed so that its zenith hit the critical junction of energies perfectly. Secondly, they had not destroyed the internal workings of the great pyramid. Adrian had been shocked to learn that the lizardmen may have built the city, but the great pyramid was placed here by the old ones themselves. Not created here. Placed here. Despite everything he had seen, Adrian still found it impossible to believe Xlataqallek's claim, that the core of the pyramid was in fact a metallic vessel that could actually move.
The top of the pyramid was finished days before, save the final and most important piece. For a few terrifying moments, nine kroxigors balanced the newly fashioned tip over the center pylons flat top. Heaving and grunting, they had to balance it with outstretched arms, as Adrian tried to direct them so that they would place it in just the right spot. When he finally did allow them to put it down, it was with a thump that sent dust flying. In the same instance an electric roar could be heard. The entire pyramid shook for a few nerve-racking seconds before everything went quit again. It looked as if nothing had changed but Adrian saw the extraordinary processes taking place behind the veil. The structure was stirring. Life flowing through its veins of strange metals again.
"Extraordinary" Adrian whispered unknowingly to himself. He could feel the effects personally. The roiling chaotic sea that was always behind his eyelids since meeting the slann, had calmed just a bit. The four great rivers of energy were still clashing together at their fulcrum, sending out swirls of uncontrolled energy, but it was less now. Torrents of it was syphoned off, feeding a hunger that had been denied for far too long now. The city was finally waking up.
In between working on the pylon, Adrian spent his time direction the repairing of the kroxigor spawning pool. There was only one but it was far larger than the ones he had been working on before, and it had been the most damaged out of all of them. They had not just damaged the glyph markings and filled it with rocks and dirt. An entire wall of the great pool had been heaved out of the ground somehow. It lay smashed into a thousand pieces, very few of which Adrian could salvage. It was a tedious process to carve out an entire new wall and lower it into place but once that was done, the rest came far easier this time. Aqueducts were already positioned to fill the great pool already and with the restoration of the connection to the geomantic web, Adrian could already feel the power thrumming beneath his feet.
Elsewhere, construction continued as it had for more than a year now. Lines of lizardmen and humans carrying rocks and debris both to and from construction sites were everywhere. With Maria serving as a translator, the skinks had taught human representatives how to make the cement like paste they used to bind stones together. How to cut the stone with the least amount of effort and how to stack them into a stable structure. Maria thought it had gone surprisingly well, though Konrad was not surprised. The memories of captivity were still fresh in their mind and the skinks provided them with a steady supply of quite excellent food. Meat and especially fruit was a luxury in the empire, which was their whole diet now. That went a very long way to endear them to their new reptilian neighbours. Of course, the constant presence of cold eyed saurus warriors watching over the streets, certainly did not encourage them to make trouble neither.
Maria had also been pleasantly surprised at how easily they agreed to help with the construction efforts. She had been dreading the moment to ask them, fearing the work of hauling stone was simply too similar to the back breaking labour of slaves. But when she told them the new structures were for themselves to live in and use, they had gladly started.
With the lizardmen's aid, new buildings were shooting up daily and with them, many started taking up their old professions. Adaptions had to be made of course. Leather workers had to learn how to work with alligator skin and butchers had to learn how to slaughter a monitor lizard. It wasn't exactly like the empire again but it was a start and it went a long way to help them see this as a more permanent home.
The new district would be called Southkeep.
Great pyramid repaired and improved from ruin -> inferior. Connection to geomatic web established. General spawning now possible.
Kroxigor pool repaired. A condition for kroxigor spawning is met.
The human district, Southkeep, has been created. Public order among humans increased. Human population capacity increased 5000 -> 7500. Human professions and economy are developed resulting in +1 technological action point.
Slann research
[X] - Geomantic Web - Adrian has gained a surface knowledge of the working of the geomantic web and how its pylons function. He has yet to even begin grasping some of the deeper mysteries of its incredible power. Further bestowal of knowledge is needed. Effect: Adrians gains knowledge required for the higher spawnings and communions with other slann. Raises his knowledge from minor -> adept. Further construction is needed before additional actions unlocked.
[X] – Kroxigor Spawning – Adrian gains the knowledge of glyphs required to direct the energies properly through the kroxigor spawning pools. Effect: Adrian gains the knowledge required for kroxigor spawning. Further construction is needed before additional actions unlocked.
He drifted through the void between thought and form, where time moved like still water and stars hummed in forgotten tongues. There, the world below revealed itself. Not as jungle and mountains but as a vast lattice of luminous energy. It pulsed like a living tapestry, woven from veins of jade fire and golden strands of fate. Lines of raw power, older than memory, older than life, arched from temple to temple, humming with the music of creation. Some threads thrummed with strength, bright and sharp, others flickered weakly, knotting in ways that should never have been. Critical nexuses were missing. Others were frayed with corruption, working to undermine the delicate web rather than support it. But the great warding kept its form. As it always had and always would.
In that moment, he did not think, he simply was. An eye of calm in a roiling sea of divine mathematics. He moved without moving, drifting along the currents of intention, feeling where the weave held taut and where it sagged under the weight of disorder. There was no need for words. The web spoke to him in colour, in rhythm, in pain. The sheer amount of information he was receiving was astounding but he was not troubled. Greedily drinking the knowledge, intoxicated by it.
And beneath it all, deep and distant, it was there. Weakened and almost forgotten, but it was still there. The heartbeat of the Great Plan. It pulled at him, irresistibly. His connection to it was so much greater than a mortal being could possibly understand. Illusions of love, hatred, loyalty, obsession and any other emotion were nothing compared to it. It was deeper than the greatest devotion. It was everything. It was his essence itself.
He dove down. Wanting to hear it closer. Wanting to read the tapestry behind it all and understand what exactly he must do.
In an instant everything shattered. The web was gone. The music was gone. There was darkness and then, blinding light. Sensation flooded in as an unbidden tidal wave. Flickering lights and shadows. He wanted none of it. A world of flesh and stone and dry breath came crashing back around him. "No!" He roared, but he was not sure how. "Take me back!" He demanded, but there was no answer.
As the moments passed, the world came more and more into focus. The flickering lights and shadows were his vision, spinning with his waking spasms. Reality pressed on him. He was in a stone room. He was surrounded by panicking skinks, some restraining his arms others frantically trying to communicate with him.
He looked down at himself as if he just became aware that he had a body. There were smears of blood on him. On his arms and his shirt. He must have hurt himself in his spasming but not badly, for there was no pain. With that realization, his memories came back to him. He was Adrian. This was Quetzl. He was—
Reality would be denied no longer and the rest of his senses followed. A wall of noise greeted him and not the feeling of pain, but of thirst. It pressed on him like a suffocating pressure. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth like sandpaper. His throat felt as though it had been scraped clean by stone. He tried to swallow and felt nothing but grit. Only then came pain.
He tried to shift and every part of him protested. His limbs were held firmly by the skinks, but he could feel how brittle they were. So weak. There was no strength in them, only the ache of long disuse.
He tried to speak.
"Wa— "
It came out broken. Not a word, not even a sound. Just a cracked exhale. He coughed, or tried to, but even that failed. None of the skinks reacted. His head lolled to the side, the world spinning softly, like he was floating through heat.
He tried again.
"Water," he rasped.
He did not know if they heard but the cacophony of sound did seem to change. He could not verify it though. The vision that had so violently forced itself back to him, was fading away now. The light dimming and shadows blending into each other.
A hand touched his shoulder then and a cup was pressed to his lips. The water was warm as blood, but it was life itself. He emptied the cup and another was offered immediately. He drank and drank and drank, until it threatened to come up again. He was calming down now. Breathing heavily, he waved the skinks away. Stepping back, they stood in a close circle around him. Adrian to tried to stand himself but stumbled. A ripple went though the skinks. Every inch of their being wanted to tend to him, but they were physically unable to disobey a direct order. After a few tries, he finally managed to steady his wobbly legs underneath him and he stood. Just then, his personal guard lead by Mor-Tlax entered the inner chamber and Adrian cursed to himself when he recognized the figure among them. In their ignorance of what to do they thought to fetch Maria. She would not be pleased with him. The moment she lay eyes on his bedraggled form; she let out a scream in surprise. Adrian lost his concentration for a moment and fell right back to the ground again.
It took weeks for Adrian to fully recover from the ordeal. Xlataqallek had intended to introduce Adrian to some of the more complex workings of the geomantic web and that part had gone beautifully. The strengthened connection allowed for a deeper way of teaching. For just a week, Adrian had seen and experienced the world as Xlataqallek does. The knowledge and understanding he had gained this way, was far greater than any he could have achieved by simply having knowledge forced into his brain as before. What the great slann had not truly considered, was the nature of Adrians body. He was neither Slann nor Saurus, to remain motionless for months or even years at a time. His body needed sustenance, which the slann had simply forgotten to consider.
Adrian had very nearly died but in truth he did not begrudge the slann its error. The experience had taught Adrian much about the geomantic web, sure, but he had also gained a greater understanding of the nature of the being, which he was so irrevocably bonded to. When it viewed the world as it did, how could physical limitations possible be something it truly understood? Xlataqallek's understanding of reality was flipped, even when he had been alive. To him, the Aethyr was the real world, and this physical one was the dream. One he could peak into, but never entirely understand nor be truly a part of. Adrian had realized a truth that should have been obvious all along, but he only understood now. He was just as strange to that unfathomable being as it was to him.
During his time of recovery, Adrian spent his days carving and re-edging the glyphs and runes of the kroxigor pool. The ethereal walkabout Xlataqallek gave him was apparently quite taxing for him. Their souls had simulated a merging, however briefly and superficially. As Adrian needed time to physically recover, the slann needed time to spiritually purify his own being, which meant his attentions were mostly focused elsewhere. In that interim, Adrian began the laborious process of manually repairing the spawning pool. After the saurus and skink pool repairs, it really wasn't that difficult anymore. He could connect the movement of ethereal energy with physical glyphs now, which made it almost effortless for the slann to communicate them. It was as if he had learned to speak a language with the runes and he simply needed to repeat the sentences Xlataqallek fed him.
The problem was that it was still far too difficult to delegate. A single mistake and the entire pool would fail horrifically, with mutilated abominations being all that could be created. Even with his expertise, Adrian still needed the constant supervision of Xlataqallek.
There were 20 pools in total, Adrian had fixed 17 of them. Xlataqallek classified the pools as minor and major. There were 8 minor skink and saurus pools respectively, all of these had been repaired. Then there was the major pool of kroxigor spawning which he had just repaired. As for the yet functioning ones. Each group of the minor pools circled around a major pool of their own kind, which Adrian still had not managed to repair yet. Xlataqallek had impressed it upon him, that without the energies of the geomantic web flowing, even he could not simply repair them from memory. And at the center of the great spawning chamber itself was the crown jewel. A primordial spawning pool. By far the largest and oldest off those in the room. Carved personally by Quetzl. Like the slann, the first saurus warriors had been produced in the bowls of the old ones great star vessels. It was from this pool however, the first saurus warrior had been successfully spawned. All the others were mere copies of this one. When Xlataqallek spoke of it, Adrian had noticed for the first time a hint of reverence in his mental messages. The slann had not even allowed him to go near it yet.
When the work was finally done, Adrian viewed it with great pride. The shallow pools represented more than a year of hard work and suffering for him. As he mentally pressed the activation rune that allowed energy to flow into the room, it was all worth it.
The chamber pulsed with life as long-dormant glyphs lit up along the walls, their patterns flaring in sequence. They drank up the power flooding in, like rain on desert sand, not nearly enough to satisfy their greed but enough to awaken them. As the energies flowed into the basins an extraordinary process took place. They were filled with still water one moment, and the next, a roiling, greenish, luminescent broth. The temperature shifted. The air grew thick with the scent of minerals, damp earth, and ozone. Within the pool, bubbles formed, not from heat, but from life. Adrian stared in absolute fascination at one of the saurus pools as the energies converged in small vortexes within it. As he watched, they transitioned from ethereal energy into physical mass. Shapes curled beneath the surface like eggs in a womb, first indistinct, then resolving into the familiar embryonic coils of saurus kind. Hours passed in sacred silence as the soup thickened around them, feeding, shaping, accelerating. When at last the surface broke, the first saurus emerged slick and steaming, eyes opening for the first time. Fully grown, fully formed. Ready to serve.
Adrians understanding of geomantic web improved from minor -> adept. Stronger connection strength needed before further improvement. Greater spawning pools can now be repaired.
Adrain obtains knowledge required for basic kroxigor spawning. Kroxigor spawning now possible.
Technological research
[X] – Iron working – Amongst the new citizens there are a few smiths and a blacksmith. They all insist that before anything more advanced can be made, they must create the very basic tools and facilities for extracting iron from iron ore and reshaping it. Effect: The very basic of iron working are possible. Unlocks new actions.
A large new forge was commissioned. When Maria had asked Konrad about who they should put in charge he did not hesitate.
"Ayla is the one." He spoke. "No doubt in my mind"
"Ayla?" Maria replied, clearly surprised. "A woman?"
"And a blacksmith" Konrad had answered, clearly a bit amused. "Is that a problem?"
"No, its just... That's a bit unusual in the empire." Maria hesitated and continued. "From what I know, we have several smiths among our new citizens. Did you know her before all this?" She asked, clearly wondering why Konrad would recommend her so immediately.
"No, I did not know her, my lady." Konrad admitted but with a serious edge he continued "But the trade of a merchant is at its core one of people, not numbers. I built my fortune on my ability to know who to trust when I meet them."
"You mean the fortune you lost" Maria could not help but challenge him a little. She knew his ship had been attacked and boarded at sea. A druchii fleet was one of the fastest things on the water. Empire ships, impressive as they were, simply had no hope of outsailing them. He had been helpless.
"Aye, I lost it. Even the best merchant must gamble every time he sets sail. Sigma was not with me that day." He replied solemnly "But I have always picked the right man for the right job. And trust me, she is the right man for this."
Maria hadn't known what to expect when she first asked for the blacksmith. She had seemed friendly enough when she first greeted her. Short brown hair and kind eyes with no trace of hostility. Then Maria had asked her about why she chose her profession and the air between them had frozen. Ayla stood with arms folded and sweaty from hauling rocks, jaw set like iron, daring Maria to question her place.
"My father taught me," she said flatly, before Maria could even ask. "Didn't have a son." There was bitterness there, old and sharp. Maria guessed it was not the first time her competence had been questioned.
"Are you any good?" She asked in a friendly manner, refusing to be put off.
Ayla narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I am very good. Why do you care?"
Maria smiled. "Excellent. I might have a job for you then"
The task of building the forge itself was left to the lizardmen. Konrad and Ayla had worked out a set of plans for the architecture, which the skinks tried to follow to the best of their ability. In the meantime, Ayla along with a squad of three other smiths, did their best to make a few sets of simple tools to be used for iron working. The skinks unfortunately, were little help in this department. Skilled as they were, they only knew how to rework the softer metals and they showed no inclination at all to learn how to work with iron. By the end, Ayla was confident they could extract iron from raw ore. Luckily finding a source of that proved little trouble. It was something there was plenty of in Lustria and for some reason it was hardly mined.
After months of labour, the new forge stood ready.
Maria couldn't help but admire the magnificence of the forge itself: wide, deep, and built with a kind of rough grandeur. With only a portion of it lit, a great circular hearth stood central in the room. Designed in a way that allowed many dozens to work around it at the same time, whilst one person could oversee the work.
She stood just beyond the forge's heat, watching the work going on inside. Ayla move through the smoke haze in a brisk manner. Her soot-darkened face was streaked with sweat, hair tied back in a rough knot, sleeves rolled past the elbow. She barked instructions over the clang of hammers, her voice sharp and sure as she guided her new apprentices in the shaping of crude iron nails. There were 16 of them, the first of the volunteers to be future blacksmiths. The new stone building echoed with each strike, its bare walls already starting to blacken and pulsing with heat. It was primitive, yes, and for now barely suited for soft iron but that would change. The skinks had done beautifully.
"They're improving," Ayla said between orders, glancing at Maria with a tired but proud look. "Still slow, and still ruining half the batches, but they're starting to listen."
Maria nodded, arms crossed, her gaze drifting to the firelit shapes in the shadows. "We'll need more than nails, eventually. Armor, weapons… steel."
Ayla gave a snort. "Then we'll need real bellows, real tools, and real blacksmiths." She said, glancing at her hard working, yet clumsy apprentices.
Maria didn't argue. There was a long way to go. But something about the rhythm of hammers gave her a strange kind of hope. Primitive or not, this was a good beginning.
"We will get there." She answered, turning to leave. "Have faith in this place"
Basics of iron working are now unlocked. New action unlocked.
Military
[X] – Enforce public order – The humans are not like the lizardmen. They do not dedicate their lives to a higher purpose but live for themselves. They have their own wants, needs and desires, which might go against the great plan. Despite the benefits his master assures him the human bring, Tlektip wish to ensure they do not cause any disturbances that might hinder the great plan. Effect: Human quarters in the city are tightly patrolled. Greatly reduces any chances of negative human incidents.
Tlektip did not like the new inhabitants of the city. He had fought humans on a number of occasions in the past. They were savage, greedy and untrustworthy. But now, his exalted master had taken the form of one and despite his distaste, the very notion of questioning his mage-priest ruler was unthinkable to him. It was not his place to contemplate the deeper meaning of the great plan. It was his job to enforce it. If the lord had deemed this the path forward, then he would struggle until the end of the world to follow it.
That did not mean, he would allow incaution. With so many unreliable new elements in the heart of the city, his masters safety was more important than ever. He would not tolerate disorder to descend, no matter how important the humans were to the great plan. On his order, saurus warriors patrolled the streets, day and night, particularly in the human areas.
Luckily there had been very little need for intervention. The humans seemed to mostly concern themselves with the construction of their part of the city. On very few occasions had the saurus been forced to step in and those had been the humans fighting among themselves. Unable to understand what was going on, the saurus had been instructed to simply separate the struggling parties and then fetch one of the new human guards.
Tlektip was unsure about the future, but for now, the public order amongst the humans was acceptable.
No negative incidents of human disturbances occurred.
Power of Xlataqallek
[X] - Defenders Summoning. An empire is a people. Without workers, hunters and soldiers the empire is nothing. Call for servants of the great plan. Effect: Causes additional migration of lizardmen to the city. Summon a range of 3.000 to 10.000 lizardmen. Potentially increases construction and military actions. Roll for amount, 30% for scar-veteran, 20% for skink priest, 10% for old-blood, 0% for great beast of any kind. Effectiveness is reduced with each use.
[X] - Stronger Connection. The soul bond that attaches the two required a near godlike knowledge of magic and souls. Strengthening it, is a far easier task, but it will consume significant power. All the magic that Xlataqallek uses through Adrians body is transferred through the bond. Its strength has great effect on the actions performed with the slann's power. It also causes the souls to fuse further, meaning that the coldblooded nature of Xlataqallek will begin to affect Adrian. Effect: Strengthens bond between Xlataqallek and Adrian. Increases connection with 2.
There was no warning, but Adrian could feel it begin. The tension in the air, the low, rising hum beneath the skin of the world. Adrian sat cross-legged in the heart of his still ruined star chamber, eyes shut in contemplation. Sweat beaded on his brow, but not from the heat. It was something deeper. The magic stirred, and he felt it now, not like a sudden shockwave as before, but like the shifting of streams beneath his feet, movements just out of sight. The veil had thinned since the last time. His connection now stronger than ever. He could feel the motions this time. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he caught glimpses; threads of force winding across jungle and sky, ancient symbols spinning in slow, deliberate orbit. It was more than sensation, he was seeing the very first hints of structure. Xlataqallek was moving through him again, still overwhelming and indecipherable, but not unseen. Vast intent was building. Like a tide drawing back before the wave.
Then, as before, the release and the shockwave that follow. A boom that could not be heard by human ears but felt in the shaking of the world around them. It continued outwards touching the land for hundreds of miles.
Far from the temple, the jungle shifted.
Leaves that should have been still rustled without wind. Animals fell silent in their burrows and birds took flight in startled silence. Slumbering beasts stirred in the distant canopies, unsure why.
The call had gone out again. No one heard it with ears, but they felt it. Every cold-blooded creature with even a drop of the Old Ones' design felt that subtle tug at their soul. For most, it was almost it was almost imperceptible. A momentary disturbance but nothing more. For others, it was irresistible. They did not know who called. But they remembered what it meant to answer.
Adrian awoke hours later with a throat like dust and the weight of something immense pressing down on his thoughts. He felt drained, like a man who had screamed in his sleep without knowing it. But already they were arriving.
They came not with fanfare, but in silence. One at first, a skink with a bone-tipped spear, eyes darting warily until he was greeted by his own kind already there. The skinks welcomed the newcomer with enthusiasm, clapping him on the back and immediately beginning the process of introducing him to his new place there. Then a trio came, and the scene repeated itself. Later still came saurus warriors, many with scales faded with age, eyes like stone under a thundercloud. They passed through the temple's broken walls with neither ceremony nor hesitation. No greetings. No pledges. Just a nod of recognition towards their kind who already inhabited the city. Acknowledgement of a shared purpose that need not be mentioned aloud.
By the third day, the count had swelled. Dozens more arrived by the hour. A slow trickle of purposeful shapes moving through the jungle like small streams to a lake. Adrian watched from a carved ledge, aching and exhausted, as they filed in. He felt like this had become his entire life these days. The slann casting some great magic through him and then him having to recover from it. Things were changing though. The city grew by a visible pace. He marvelled at what it might one day become.
30% chance of scar-veteran
Required: 70 Rolled: 92 – Success!
20% chance of skink priest.
Required: 80 Rolled: 62 – Failed!
10% chance of old-blood.
Required: 90 Rolled: 14 – Failed!
Summoned lizardmen warriors: Range of 3.000 – 10.000.
Rolled: 61 -> 7.242
3.432 Skinks, 3593 Saurus warriors, 217 Kroxigor, 1 scar-veteran.
The golden rope trembled in the void, a flickering thread of soul and heat suspended between worlds. It had grown but not nearly enough. Xlataqallek hovered in the Aethyr, an unblinking presence of vast, cold intellect, narrowed to a single strand in the infinite weave. Slowly, deliberately, he poured his essence into it. Arcane pressures started building, layer upon layer, until the rope began to glow like a branding iron pulled from a sacred forge. The individual threads, once loose and irregular, writhed in place before twisting into tighter, more complex braids. Each strand shimmered with refined purpose, slowly moving from crude carriers of energy into lines of structured command, capable of carrying impressions, sensation and glimpses of will rather than just information.
As the transformation continued, new filaments formed around the connection, delicate at first, trailing lights like spider silk, then thickening, congealing, until the rope swelled in girth and radiance. It pulsed now, visibly alive as Xlataqallek poured his essence into it. Adrian's thoughts were clearer to him, his emotions easier to temper, his instincts slower to rebel. The bond was stabilizing. Strengthening. But to Xlataqallek, it was still primitive.
This was not what he needed.
He longed to move beyond this tether of gold and light, to reshape the connection into something worthy of his true form. A construct not of thread, but of living pattern, a conduit vast enough to carry true intent and force. But the soul could not bear it. Not yet. The human was too fragile, his soul still just an ember in the void, his flesh ill-suited for the weight of what must come. A single misstep would rupture the bond completely. Tear it from the weave like a malformed glyph, wasting the chance he had gambled everything on. So, he waited.
The golden rope brightened one last time as the final layer settled into place. It was thicker now and stronger than before. But still so small. Xlataqallek observed the thread as one might study an embryo meant to grow into a warrior. Promising, but inadequate. For now, he would tolerate the limits. But the next evolution was inevitable. Necessary. And he would be ready when the time came.
A summoning for all defenders of the great plan has been issued. The lizardmen in the city swell. Effectiveness of summoning is reduced with 30% for subsequent summoning.
Connection between Adrian and Xlataqallek had increased from 4/100 -> 6/100. Effectiveness of slann magic increased. Further strengthening is needed before additional actions unlock.
Spawning and growth results:
Total spawning capacity: 2.513
20% added to saurus spawnings given Xlataqallek alignment.
Current distribution:
Skinks: 1.385
Kroxigors: 75
Saurus: 1.043 + 249 = 1.292
Total spawnings: 2.752
Total current population:
Skinks: 5.027 + 1.385 + 3.433 = 9.845
Kroxigors: 349 + 75 + 217 = 641
Saurus: 4.755 + 1.292 + 3.593 = 9640
Humans: 3.811
Welp, we seem to be doing OK, though I can't help but think the more lived in the city looks the more curious eyes we will draw and in Lustria most curious eyes are raiders.
- Location
- Australia
Good progress overall.
@TheBoredMan Regarding the Path of the Warrior and the Blessed body; is the plan for the quest that we eventually make a choice between the two or will a third option reveal itself as we increase the connection?
And question on Blessed body it says "higher order magic" does that mean High Magic or are we still stuck with Aqshy?
@TheBoredMan Regarding the Path of the Warrior and the Blessed body; is the plan for the quest that we eventually make a choice between the two or will a third option reveal itself as we increase the connection?
And question on Blessed body it says "higher order magic" does that mean High Magic or are we still stuck with Aqshy?
- Location
- Africa
if we could still do all eight winds without risk of insanity or dhar but no high magic , I say go for it otherwise we best wait for a better option
The spells of a higher order for now, simply refer to more advanced Aqshy magic. But as for the future, the potential is near limitless. There are plenty of paths to explore. It depends on how far you are willing to go though. How much will you let Adrian's body and soul transform in return for power? On the other hand, the stronger his body and soul, the more he can resists the influence of Xlataqallek's nature on his mind.
I leave it to you to decide just how human you want Adrian to remain. And how you define that humanity
Without giving too much away, I will say this though, since I see people asking. Whether you choose the path of mage or warrior for Adrian, you should consider the other path mostly lost. Though there will be future opportunities to explore both paths in special events, it will be in a limited fashion.
If you choose the path of the warrior, Adrian will not lose his mage talent but he will forever just be an ordinary human bright mage.
If you choose the path of a mage, then Adrian will never be a physical fighter (though the point you put into his phyiscal strength will not be wasted.) There will be future opportunites for him to be a warrior in a different way, but again, this will be in a limited sense.
Of course, irregardless of the path you choose, Xlataqallek will still cast magic through Adrian!
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Honestly...I feel like going warrior strong both in mind and body so that his sense of self will remain.
I do not think it is necessary to be a warrior to maintain his sense of self, there are parts of his life that the Slann simply does not and cannot understand while also being useful enough that he would not wish to remove them. Just look at this turn. If Adrian weren't here the lizardmen would never have gotten iron.
- Location
- Australia
The Warrior path seems more interesting to me but the Blessed body seems more optimal practically.
As the host for the soul of a slann the Lizardmen are never going to want him at the front of battle and generally would be better in the back anyways so Blessed Body would boost the soul, make him a mage which tactically the lizardmen will want, and will allow the strengths of the Slann magic to be better realised.
On the other hand the Warrior path allows us to play up the physical vessel role and allow us to do what would never be normally allowed for a slann. It also would fit in very well with our Slanns saurus speciality.
It's a matter of interesting vs practical for me.
I think I'll end up choosing Blessed in the end though. We are a mage-priest let's play that role.
As the host for the soul of a slann the Lizardmen are never going to want him at the front of battle and generally would be better in the back anyways so Blessed Body would boost the soul, make him a mage which tactically the lizardmen will want, and will allow the strengths of the Slann magic to be better realised.
On the other hand the Warrior path allows us to play up the physical vessel role and allow us to do what would never be normally allowed for a slann. It also would fit in very well with our Slanns saurus speciality.
It's a matter of interesting vs practical for me.
I think I'll end up choosing Blessed in the end though. We are a mage-priest let's play that role.
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While iron tools will prove quite usefull, how do we plan to prevent them from corroding in this hot humid climate?
We might be able to preserve our iron tools in the city where we can maybe control the humidity inside buildings, but that would limit the uses we can get out of iron tools. Our we could try to simply slow down the rust by being very strict on putting tolls back into storage whenever they aren't being used.
Making weapons seems ill advised as they cuiqly rust out in the jungle, but maybe we could make some iron arows, darts and javlins for defence as we could simply put them into storage until they are needed.
We might be able to preserve our iron tools in the city where we can maybe control the humidity inside buildings, but that would limit the uses we can get out of iron tools. Our we could try to simply slow down the rust by being very strict on putting tolls back into storage whenever they aren't being used.
Making weapons seems ill advised as they cuiqly rust out in the jungle, but maybe we could make some iron arows, darts and javlins for defence as we could simply put them into storage until they are needed.
By making rust-resistant steel would be my bet. We have the knowledge of a Slann mage priest in our skull, we just need to figure out how to fish out the right bits of material science and then apply them as his mind-set does not allow.
- Location
- Australia
I mean I feel like it's well with the capabilites for us to discover stainless steel. Not easily but the Slann know a lot so I'd be surprised if they couldn't figure it out.