[X]: Revification Crystal
From the Hidden City (Warhammer Lizardmen Temple-City Quest)
- Thread starter CuttleFish2.0
- Start date
- Fantasy
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Solar Engine
Revification Crystal would actually be better imo, but this is for testing purposes, and it gets it out faster, so lets do that first.
Revification Crystal would actually be better imo, but this is for testing purposes, and it gets it out faster, so lets do that first.
So glad sombody else said that....
Hold, up. Nobody said that before... I'm disapointed.
Well glad somebody said that. yeah, we need some easy task to polish out the teething issues
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huh, neat vote been going on... always fun to see difrent points of view.
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Vote closed
CuttleFish2.0
Friendly neighborhood cuttlefish
- Location
- Seattle, Washington.
Vote Closed, Revification Crystal won.
Hahh! this was a close one! Well, now we have to make the best of it. At least we do not have to guild trip the dragon now.
A question: how is reparing the damaged crystals going, to go down with deep forges?
As for new developments... We gonna HAVE to spend some time contemplating Gods of the warmbloods.
Until then, we gonna need a song for cristal making.
A question: how is reparing the damaged crystals going, to go down with deep forges?
As for new developments... We gonna HAVE to spend some time contemplating Gods of the warmbloods.
Until then, we gonna need a song for cristal making.
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I usually read the chapters to this.
Deep Forges: Growing Pains
CuttleFish2.0
Friendly neighborhood cuttlefish
- Location
- Seattle, Washington.
Revification Crystal
II, 1066, 2, 5
Overhead the sun crested the horizon, casting long fingers of sunlight across the temples, barrios, plazas, and pools of Zlatlan. Pennants of brilliant green and carmine red snapped in the chill morning breeze as Rheameninthys and the others of her retinue completed their morning prayers to the Everqueen and Isha; the scent of roses mixed with an earthy undertone of a pile of damp leaves. Looking out over the banister at the city spread out before her, so different from the cities of the other Kingdoms which she had seen.
Zlatlan was a place of tightly controlled energies, of superb order overlaid by a frantic spirit. It was in its way worse than the court back home, even more tightly restrained and sedate; and yet there was something beneath that surface, a waiting savagery that she had never seen unleashed. Even the inhabitants, aside from the slann like Wik'keer'mal, only ever seemed half a step away from barbaric violence.
While the others set about clearing the incense and idols and offerings, she pondered the strange twists her life had taken.
Back in the Court of Averlorn, Rheameninthys had always felt more than a little… out of place.
Too quick to take offense and too sharp in her retorts. The pricking thorn in the soft grassy bed of Her Serenity's court; Yvr— Her Serenity had declared an Age of Healing for Ulthuan, for the world. Neither had any need of someone whose manners had too much of the ythanor arvan in them.
Amidst the court she had strange dreams, dark ones; a bleak forest, towering oaks and birches, their leaves fallen away as a howling wind whipped through the bare woods and set them creaking and groaning like a chorus of mocking laughs. Rhea always woke chilled from those dreams, despite the sheen of sweat that always accompanied them. She had not dared speak of them to anyone, not even her fellow handmaidens, and yet she had somehow always felt that Her Serenity had known.
First, when she had been sent here, she had believed it was because Her Serenity wished to send her away; to fling an ill omen far from her presence. An unworthy thought.
Her Serenity was beyond such petty concerns.
It had taken years, decades, for Her Serenity's purpose to begin to make itself clear and much of still was beyond Rheameninthys, but she believed she was beginning to see its shape.
Those dreams which had so plagued her had become infrequent during her time in Zlatlan… all but disappearing. She went months without waking in a cold sweat, fading memories of groaning laughter and shrieking winds haunting echoing in her mind; though in recent months they had returned, though now they were different. Now a soft, whispering wind quieted the creaking boughs and bright rays of sunlight warmed her chilled flesh.
Even awake, Rheameninthys felt a pull drawing her attention north east. Farther than any of her hunts had ever taken her over the horizon, that whisper called out to her from beyond her dreams.
What maps she had been given, by Zille'mi at her request, had been scattered with curious blank spaces where details had been left out. But none lay in the region she thought the pull was coming from. Her blood hummed with the need to go and yet a voice from her heart urged her to wait, so far she had heeded the latter, but she did not know how much longer she could wait.
Shaking off her thoughts Rheameninthys began to turn away when her eyes caught movement on the avenue below— not so strange, Zlatlan rarely ever grew so still as the cities of Ulthuan even in the dead of night, but this was different. Not the usual traffic of the temple-city. Marching down the paved stone was a column of saurus, the kind she most often saw guarding the slann and the upper levels of the temples. Temple-Guard. Half a hundred, set in three neat lines surrounding a large ark of polished and painted wood and gold trim, carried on a pair of poles hefted by two of the hulking brutes called kroxigor, bedecked in ceremonial gold; two lines of twenty temple-guard to either side and five marching before and behind. Priests in feathers, their clawed hands clutching staffs shimmering with the magic of the stars and heavens flanked the ark as well.
All other traffic fled before the silent procession, scattering down smaller avenues or into adjacent plazas as the column marched closer. Sunlight glinted off the gold-trim of their tall rounded shields and dangling plates of bronze armor, and made the black-stone of their serrated halberds shimmer.
Day 25 Caxuatn's Season, 11647
Xilot watched the reliquary settle against the floor with a quiet clack as the temple-guards set themselves in a loose arc facing towards the points of entry into the chamber. Gif'a-Gahb approached the other two priests— whose names the artisan-priest did not know, and held a brief conversation before they opened the side of the reliquary, revealing three Sacred Plaques.
Held to wooden stands by strips of tanned carnosaur hide and gold clasps each Plaque was five hands high and three wide of polished gold-alloy etched with hundreds of tiny glyphs, characters, and geometric designs. Energy danced beneath their surface. Prismatic ripples flowed across them, in their wake etchings shifted and rearranged themselves like a flock of birds twisting and turning through the sky.
Only twice before had Xilotl seen a Sacred Plaque in the flesh, singular. To see three together all at once was a great occasion, a blessing few save the temple-attendants charged with guarding the deep vaults or the attendants to slann like Gif'a-Gahb would ever be granted.
Hundreds were held in the temple-vaults of Zlatlan, but to risk them beyond the temples themselves was not something done lightly.
As Gif'a-Gahb and the other priests brought them forward, flanked by half a dozen temple-guard, and set them upon a plinth, against the tetrahedral surface at the center. Xilotl took a step forward, then stopped and glanced at the priests.
Gif'a-Gahb gestured them and Mai'xon forward and all three began examining the Plaques.
While they focused intently upon the gold surfaces before them the other two priests gathered a small escort of temple-guard, just five, and the two kroxigor and left with the reliquary. Left behind were the other forty-five temple-guard, who would remain as the first rotation of semi-permanents guards over the chamber. Some moved set themselves as the chamber entrance, while others patrolled its outer edges and still others posted themselves at points with clear lines of sight over either the entrances or the Sacred Plaques.
Thin etched lines formed bisected models of both a Revification Crystal and Solar Engine, tiny glyphs annotated the figures; clarifying dimensions, angles, thicknesses, compositions, and dozens of other details. Lines of glyphs and runes beside them illustrated the aethyric process of their operation, the form and shape of the sub-arrays and secondary-spells, matrices within matrices, that allowed them to perform their functions.
More well studied than most Sacred Plaques these three still contained more information than could be understood in the span of a few years. Before their eyes they shifted with every moment, entire stretches of glyphs expanding and contracting like flowers opening at the break of day to soak in the light of Chotec. Details revealed or hid themselves without lessening the underlying meaning. Responding to fleeting thoughts and errant musings.
Xilotl watched in fascination as the entire schematic for the Solar Engine shifted, the crystal diagram rotating away to reveal several figures detailing the exact dimensions of the cradle into which the Engine fit. Specific alloy compositions and forging stages replaced details on cut angles and wall thickness. Mountings and fittings for mating the fire-control surface to the bottom plate and upper cradle appeared, dozens of blown up sections appearing out of the golden surface to illustrate the finer aethyric flows from control surface to the main crystal through the cradle and down into the moderating and shaping nodes in the lower plate, then up (and down, there were flows from both directions) to the firing crystal at the front.
Important information, but not yet critical. Constructing the cradle was the simplest part of making either a Solar Engine or a Revivification Crystal, hardly requiring anything beyond the sorts of tools Zlatlan had had shortly after Chupayotl sunk.
In an instant those diagrams were replaced again by some illustrating the construction of a Revivifcation Crystal.
Not simple cut aways this time, but a series of nested wire-schematics separate into a long line of progressively smaller sections at a thought. Just less than four dozen individual chambers spread throughout the nearly meter long crystal, the smallest of which was barely centimeters long and the largest of which they could have fit most of their heat into. Extending out from the center of the crystal in pairs and trios and quartets; they were connected by three separate systems of channels. Viewed as a whole they resembled frozen hearts of crystallized amber, linked by slim arteries.
Each schematic was time stamped with a period of days, months, or years. From the smallest, taking only days, to the largest taking more than a decade.
Another thought exploded the space between two stages into yet more stages, time ranges of days and weeks showing for these substages. The more Xilotl thought, smaller the stages became until the artisan-priest was looking at two schematics only hours apart, the differences between the two measured in tenths of millimeters of growth. Cavities in the crystal through which supercooled, ghyran saturated water would eventually pump in a cycle mimicking a heartbeat, were marked with the placement of glyphs and geometries along the curving outerwalls.
Only minute differences showed at that level of separation, but by scaling back a little they became much more noticeable— dozens of new glyphs and several centimeters of new geometries appearing at a time.
Timing the exact point at which to stop one stage of crystal growth so that the necessary etching work could be done would be its own process. Balancing the need for reasonable growth in the crystal lattice with having ready access to the chambers and channels that needed to be etched into would be fine. Especially in the latter stages. For the first few stages of growth and etching the limiting factor would simply be the size of the crystal itself, realistically only one artisan-priest could work on the etching the necessary glyphs, lines, arcs, and geometries until the crystal was of a certain size and the first few chambers and channels in the crystal were oriented such that access to them would not be much of an issue.
But as the crystal grew the arrangement of channels and chambers became more complex, chambers were oriented along axes that meant that some sections would have to be etched through smaller and smaller openings as the stages progressed. Channels began to overlap, leaving walls that were very thin, meaning very delicate etching work. Some of the glyphs and geometries could be formed during the growth process but doing so would stretch how long the crystal spent in the growth vat as it took more fine manipulation of the telekinetic control surfaces involved in the shaping and growing process. Minimizing how much of the work was done that way was much better.
Gif'a-Gahb looked up from the Sacred Plaque before them, and for a brief instant as Xilotl considered the fluid forces involved at the end stages the forms and figures on the Plaque flickered to show a thinner, more needle-like crystal surrounded by a spiraling structure before settling again on the familiar shape of the Revivification Crystal.
"Optimal breakpoints of initial growth stages for aethyric saturation are at twenty-one, forty-five, and sixty-seven days."
"Days twenty to twenty-four are a critical growth cycle for the lattice," said Mai'xon after a moment.
Xilotl considered, the first chamber only began to appear at day fourteen, and would not be fully enclosed until day thirty, "Days twenty to twenty-nine represent an acceptable work period for significant etching progress."
"First break point at day twenty five?" Gif'a-Gahb suggested. They nodded and the priest gestured to one of the scribes seated beside them, who marked down the dates, "No objections to breakpoints at Forty-five and sixty-seven days?"
Mai'xon shook their head and Xilotl followed suit a moment later.
"Very well. Next potential breakpoint at— "
Day 31 Caxuatn's Season, 11647
Wheels turned and rope slid through hooks as the enormous obsinite and bronze-gold plate slowly lowered towards the top of the seven meter tall growth vat. In the center, held by thin metal prongs was a small piece of quartz crystal. Cut to resemble the final shape of the crystal.
Long poles worked by pairs of skinks kept the lid from swaying too far from proper alignment until it settled on top with a loud clack, guided into place the last few centimeters by teams of skinks at five points around the rim of the ellipsoid vat. A brief rush of air from between the lid and the vat signaled the system being sealed.
Next to the vat stood a pair of large vessels, one towering barrel reaching nearly to the ceiling and another much smaller one set next to it that stood on high legs, each made of beaten bronze. Pipes ran from each barrel to a junction and then to the vat itself.
While the larger contained simple water, distilled to remove impurities, the smaller vessel was a high concentration solution of water and certain alkali metal compounds. Enchantments on the connection of the pipes to the vessels controlled the rate at which both were fed into the vat, creating an alkali solution that would increase the solubility of the quartz mass of quartz crystal left in the bottom of the chamber. Once the appropriate temperature gradient was achieved the rest was simply a matter of controlling how and where the particles of crystal were deposited and the arrangement of the lattice they formed.
Over the next several minutes the interior of the vat was filled with the solution and then with a groan and a flush of magic the crystals studded along the outside lit up from within. Glowing softly at first they began to take on a cherry hue.
At the same time, the temperature of the room too began to rise, the persistent chill that came from such open chambers at such depths fading away as the surrounding stone and earth insulated the chamber. Within a few moments another set of enchantments switched on, keeping most of the heat from leaking away from the vat. At last the solution within the vat began to rise towards the appropriate temperatures.
Xilotl and Gif'a-Gahb and Mai'xon all stepped up onto the stone pedestals built up out of the floor, their floors covered in polished domes of glass and crystal, surrounded by circles and arcs of bronze that formed a complicated constellation of interconnecting points.
Chamon reached up from the pedestal they stood on, a tendril of magic seeking Xilotl. They met it with a tendril of their own and the two strands of chamon instantly became one. Sensations and feelings beyond mortal reckoning flooded their mind— telling them where individual molecules of metal were within the solution, how the temperature gradient shifted and changed as the solution rose up the vat, where each particle of crystal was, and how they could move each and every one of those. It was akin to suddenly have a whole new set of limbs attached, with the appropriate instincts to go along with them
Though these instincts did not only tell the artisan-priest and how much pressure they were applying, they whispered the secrets of crystal growth spoken in bond angles and valence shell radii. Up their spine came the tingle of other presences… in an instant Xilotl recognize Gif'a-Gahb and Mai'xon, two more sets of limbs apart from theirs dancing through the solution. Touching particles and molecules.
Day 56 Caxuatn's Season, 11647
What came out of the growth vat twenty-five days later was no bigger than a closed fist, smaller still than that. It could be held in one hand. Several small lines arced their way across its surface along with two pockets no larger than the claw of one finger on Mai'xon's hand.
After cooling and being thoroughly washed the crystal was brought to a nearby workspace where the architect began to work. Though it had been many centuries since he had etched stone themselves, much less crystal, but for this first attempt he would not allow anyone else. Using a combination of acids and certain specialized hysh spells that generated intense (if short ranged) beams of light they began to etch the required glyphs and patterns into the crystal.
Day 64 Caxuatn's Season, 11647
More than a week later the crystal returned to the vat chamber, the tiny channels and chambers now filled with the first of many arcane arrays.
Day 4 Yuxa's Season, 11647
When next the crystal emerged it had nearly doubled in size and was now just about fist sized. Each channel had grown to the same size as the groove between two scales on saurus' arm and the void in the crystal was now just barely smaller than the claw on one finger. This time there was only one chamber to be etched.
It would take another week before it returned to the growth vat.
Day 37 Chotec's Season, 11649
It was day ninety-five by the growth of the crystal. Four more cycles of growth and etching had passed since the crystal was roughly fist size, it had now grown to be slightly smaller than a skink's head. From top to bottom, much less in length.
That was roughly a tenth of its full size. With each cycle the area that needed etching increased dramatically, which meant that each cycle took longer, the last one had taken nearly two seasons to complete. Simply put, it was becoming too much work for Mai'xon alone to complete all the etching in a reasonable time frame— fortunately once the crystal was a little larger he would not have to work alone.
Another pair of hands and eyes on the task would dramatically reduce the time each etching cycle took. At some point three artisan-priests would be able to work on the crystal at one time, though that was several more cycles of growth and etching away, the crystal would need to be more than twenty centimeters across, or another two-hundred days of growth. Twice as long as it had had so far.
Soon enough Mai'xon and Xilotl would both need to move on to other duties, Gif'a-Gahb had already needed to move on to dealing with the coming end of the decade which had delayed work for more than a season as another priest familiarized themself with operating the growth vat. Learning to shape the telekinetic planes that gave shape to the crystal and how to guide the deposition of new crystal onto the existing surface such that the macroscopic structure of the crystal conformed to the required dimensions was no easy task.
Mai'xon had struggled mightily with it and he was well experienced working in the dark, with little to go on. But that was with the usual physical sense— sometimes influenced by his aethyric-senses, but never guided by them alone. Shaping the crystal was something akin to grabbing polished glass beads with muddy hands in the dark, trying to arrange them into some regular shape without spilling any. He had lost count of the number of times some part of the crystal had finished forming under his supervision only for Mai'xon to realize that part of the crystal lattice on some joint or edge was misaligned, or some part of the crystal had actually grown beyond specifications.
Using the telekinetic planes to shave away precious millimeters of crystal was time consuming, but no less so than having to cut it away himself before etching. Much less having the whole crystal crack the first time it was used.
Notes: No vote this time, up next will be Counting Heads.
- Location
- A bed
Got to say I love your description of Lizardman Magi-Tech.
Hopefully Rheameninthys can hold out for until turn 21. Really want pre-divine metaphysics. But needs must if the Hydra fight goes well might move starting the Wood Elves to next turn.
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Those descriptions are nerd paradise, thank you greatly. Gotta say thou, was not expecting third instalment on Deep Forges. Certanly welcome them but still suprised.
Glad to see Rhea warming up to her post, sure we are weird but man, is it fun to see all the interactions. Do wonder what we'll find outside of the hydra actuall...
Would certanly be neat if spirits played cool. not going to hope for salamanders, my poor heard was teased too much with turtles.
Would be nice is Vohlu managed to contribute, as unlikely as that would be. Do hope they are doing well.
Glad to see Rhea warming up to her post, sure we are weird but man, is it fun to see all the interactions. Do wonder what we'll find outside of the hydra actuall...
Would certanly be neat if spirits played cool. not going to hope for salamanders, my poor heard was teased too much with turtles.
Would be nice is Vohlu managed to contribute, as unlikely as that would be. Do hope they are doing well.
On the subject of the vohlu, I felt like posting some potential art of what they could end up looking like after interacting with Zlatlan's residents enough.
I'm really looking forward to the longer turns so we can eventually have proto-Mayans/Aztecs (Vohlu) fight proto-Egyptians (Nehekara). It's going to be epic and visually stunning. I don't know if the Nehekarans had any contact with other human civilizations at the time who were not just tribals living in caves and barely more advanced than beastmen. Incidentally, one of Setra's titles was Dismisser of the Warrior Queens, which may be a reference to the amazons.
mhmm... Amazons? Not imposible. Chance of actually meeting them first and making friends with them? Not high not terrible. still rooting for them. If they do grow close with Vohlu however... Vik will want to keep notes of genetic progression.
Best I got is some AI looking helmet bro.
As for Nehecarians, would hope that by the time they meet they be peers, then the Nehecarian egocentric nature of city-states would work against them, allowing Vohlu to win one grand city at a time. Starting with KA-Sabar, forcing a peace treaty, refortyfing Plains of Tusker while growing into Southern Kingdoms of the Beasts. Till another Setra-wanna-be breaks the acord and does not give up till Charred Valley is lost to them, effectivly cuting of quarter of their territories. straight up WW1 Great Britain wake up call... or rather Romans meeting Brits situation.
It all depends if morons start using dark magic or frolicking with dark gods to get US involved.
Not a fan of those images, too influenced by paranormal. Approve of the idea behind it but have to agree its hard to find a good image.
Best I got is some AI looking helmet bro.
As for Nehecarians, would hope that by the time they meet they be peers, then the Nehecarian egocentric nature of city-states would work against them, allowing Vohlu to win one grand city at a time. Starting with KA-Sabar, forcing a peace treaty, refortyfing Plains of Tusker while growing into Southern Kingdoms of the Beasts. Till another Setra-wanna-be breaks the acord and does not give up till Charred Valley is lost to them, effectivly cuting of quarter of their territories. straight up WW1 Great Britain wake up call... or rather Romans meeting Brits situation.
It all depends if morons start using dark magic or frolicking with dark gods to get US involved.
May be good times, till then, be good if they figure out how to fish.
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The prophecy is not really about the Vohlu. It about humans being forced south, and into the arms of chaos to survive.
Actually the best thing we could do is nothing to the early Nehekara. And instead setup the Vohlu to absorb the displaced population, and assimilate them into their culture, to get a good population boost to come online faster.
Actually the best thing we could do is nothing to the early Nehekara. And instead setup the Vohlu to absorb the displaced population, and assimilate them into their culture, to get a good population boost to come online faster.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Just loved this description of crystals creation, makes it all the more satisfying to see advancements
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
I dunno, it could be Chaos Dwarves?
Not really, no. Way too far out. They would have to trave THROU Karaz Ankor. Also humans turning to dark gods in time of desperation is nothing new. Its how Lady of the Lake an Widow of Kislev were born after all.
Sadly we do no have the means to fully deal with it. At least we may offer alternative, but that depends on Nehecarans.
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The second age, huh... neat
A good reminder why we can do stuff that Lustria can't. They do not have the manuals.
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Counting Heads: Planning
CuttleFish2.0
Friendly neighborhood cuttlefish
- Location
- Seattle, Washington.
II, 1063, 1, 61
Korianelle fidgeted in the sweltering heat— more appropriate for the season of Sun than Frost, tugging gently at the bottom of her gambeson as she moved to try and pry an uncomfortable fold of fabric that clung stubbornly to her under arm. To no avail.
Despite the alterations, magical and material, they had made to their dress over the years they still somehow managed to get pinched and wedged and stuck to odd places. It was the heat and humidity of this gods damned continent. Most days, when she wasn't standing guard outside their embassy, she went about in little more than a thin shift just to deal with the baking heat.
Some of the others cast off all propriety and disrobed entirely during the worst of the year's heat. Only within the confines of their sanctuary of course. Not that the ismuon would have cared, most of them went about nude as the day they were born. Which had made it difficult at first not to think of them as savage creatures— but with heat like this, Korianelle had to admit she would have preferred being able to go about as they did.
But, as much as Lady Rheameninthys trusted Lord Wik'keer'mal, none of them felt comfortable going about unarmed and unarmored about the city.
Perhaps that made them poor guests… though it was not as if the ismuon had made an effort to welcome them. What little social life the city had was of their own devising and most often involved invited captains of the ships that put into port, those that dared brave the city itself. Now it also included those of House Nadraion, but the ismuon were poor conversationalists at best.
Korianelle had only ever been able to get a handful of words out of any of them, and she had deigned to learn their tongue.
Granted she only knew a few words, and getting the sibilant esses and zees and suchlike correct was a trial most of the time. Still they might have shown some appreciation by offering her more than curt mono-syllabic replies.
At least their warriors seemed able enough. Seeing off a Waaagh without significant casualties proved that much, though Korianelle doubted their estimates of the size; the brutes could damnedably hard to count even in clear terrain and little of the land around the city was what she would describe as 'clear.'
Some extra muscle in dealing with this hydra would be welcome. From everything those of the company who had past experience hunting the beasts said their numbers were a little low for the task. Another four dozen bodies or so would allow Lady Rheameninthys and the other senior Sisters to focus their strikes better to bring it down.
Day 61 Chotec's Season, 11644
Fifteen warmbloods wandered into the plaza by the eastern barracks in a loose formation, errant strands of their 'hair' fluttering in the slight breeze, at their head Rhemeninthys strode with the confidence of long experience. Qu'Qu-Kor wondered how they moved in all those thick layers of cloth and armor, how they kept the long lengths of their 'hair' from interfering in battle; the humans at least had tight, curling hair that could be better controlled.
"Lady Rheameninthys," they said in greeting, offering a short bow.
She reciprocated his bow, "Qu'Qu-Kor," she straightened again and glanced over their shoulder to the barracks beyond, "We have seen these often from a distance, but never up close."
Watching her for a moment they tried to puzzle over the comment. Ought she have been given the opportunity to inspect the barracks? Lord Wik'keer'mal had never suggested it.
Atahuinqua had said that Avelorn was a place of gentle forests and peaceful meadows, not much given to the practices of war in the way of the elves. Granted they had never seen any save Rheameninthys herself go about unarmed. Saurus were not given to tending gardens and corralling beasts, or whatever duties it was the warmbloods of Avelorn spent their time at. Battle and war were their trade.
"Do you desire an inspection?"
Rheameninthys startled at, blinking back at them for a moment before she gathered herself again.
"Ah, no. Some other time… perhaps after this hunt."
Qu'Qu-Kor nodded, making a note to inform the Scar-Veterans and chiefs of the barracks to prepare. It was better. Most of the skinks and saurus assigned to the eastern section were currently either out on patrol or atop the walls, with a few months or weeks to prepare a more sizeable complement for a proper inspection.
In fact, it might be better to extend the inspection across the city. Zlatlan had not marshaled anything close to a full muster in near a century and drills of individual bands and squadrons could only do so much, even for saurus.
"Yes. Come, we have much to discuss."
Leading the warmbloods past the plaza, and past the main barracks buildings, they came to one of the muster fields behind (or in front of, depending on one's approach) the barracks. In the distance the walls loomed.
Gathered there were fifty temple-guard and a full cohort of skinks, all especially chosen by Qu'Qu-Kor for this expedition. Watching over them as they drilled, sparred, and checked over the supplies was Lord Wik'keer'mal, his palanquin aglow with a faint green shimmer and buzzing with the familiar sounds of bees. As they approached the slann looked their way and a wide smile split his broad face.
"Dear Rhea," he called, lifting a hand.
"Wik'keer'mal," she replied warmly as she came to a stop, the rest of the companions stopping just behind her, still in loose formation.
Qu'Qu-Kor came to rest beside the slann's palanquin and turned to face the warmbloods.
"Well, you can see what force we have assembled for your hunt."
"Have any of their number hunted a hydra before?"
Shaking his great head, Wik'keer'mal, said, "No. Such beasts we have encountered in service to the Enemy, during battles, any that haunted this continent were culled long before any here were spawned."
"I see," Rheameninthys frowned, "I and Lyandrya have, but the others have not."
"Then you shall be our guides. What do you know of the creature so far?"
"Juvenile, most likely, as it has not yet begun to lay waste to all it sees.So far it wanders near the headwaters of the great river to the south, amongst the low mountains there— "
"The Yuatek," Wik'keer'mal said.
"Near the headwaters of the Yuatek, where a number of cave systems are located. Thyanire was the one who first spied the signs," she waved over one of the fifteen, a younger warmblood with dark brown hair and the same slim litheness of all elves.
"Lady, Lord," she bowed to Rheameninthys and Wik'keer'mal in turn, "I was tracking the signs of harpies, hoping to spot their nest so that the pests could be culled. At first I did not think the devastation anything more than another sign of the same harpies I was tracking, but then I found the tracks; each two handspans wide, followed by a thick slithering track. And the smell— " she shuddered and paused a moment, holding her hand to her mouth.
"Hydra venom has a scent of rot and sulfur," explained Rheameninthys. "Foul."
"It is as Lady Rheameninthys says, Lord," Thyanire continued, "Though at the time I thought it was naught but a wyvern perhaps."
"You discovered it was not."
"C- yes, Lord, with a well placed shot," she patted her bow, "Wyverns may be weakened enough for even a single warrior to fell. And with proper positioning, even a failed shot is no great risk. So I chose my hide carefully, high amidst the canopy of a tall, venerable grandfather where my cloak would shield me best from view, downwind of the tracks.
"And there I waited for three nights…eating from my ratios and drinking sparingly from my waterskin till on the fourth night it finally returned and it was obvious that it was no wyvern. From beneath the mountains it came, slithering and hissing and snarling as it uprooted smaller trees and bushes and stuffed them down its five gullets. Perhaps twice as tall as your man there," she pointed to Qu'Qu-Kor, "There was not a sound save for its feasting and its stomping. I sat frozen in that tree for hours, until the sun began to peak back over the horizon and the beast fled against the darkness below the mountains. I made all haste back to inform Lady Rheameninthys."
"And I began to plan to bring it down immediately, hydra do not grow overly quickly but it is not wise to let them fester long."
"True for many things in this world," Wik'keer'mal said, then clapping his hands together, "Let us plan our strategy then."
"I had intended to harry it from afar with our bows, weaken it, before Lyandrya and I closed in for the kill; with your aid, this will only be easier."
"Qu'Qu-Kor," rumbled the slann, "Your thoughts?"
"Reasonable, Lord. Temple-guard to pin the beast, skirmishers to harass and weaken with venom darts. Myself, Lady Rheameninthys, and Lady Lyandrya to deliver the killing blow."
"Hydra are resistant to most poisons and venoms," Rheameninthys said, her countenance apologetic but certain.
Many things were in Qu'Qu-Kor's experience, but with enough weight of fire anything could be made to feel the sting of the darts skink skirmishers carried. Though; there were other options. Caxuatn's Venom. Or some of the heavier blow pipes sometimes mounted on elder stegadon.
"Moreover, " she continued, "The… robustness of their flesh is famous. We must either wear it down over much time or deal heavy blows quickly."
There were a number of ways to deal with all those issues, but the size of the expedition would limit what could be brought. Stegadon and bastiladon would slow down the hunt through the mountainous terrain, and likely alert the hydra to their presence much earlier, neither were subtle creatures. Neither greatbow nor Solar Engine nor Revification Crystal could be brought along.
But those great artifacts and weapons were not the only tools of the Old Ones granted to their Servants. In war it was not practical to bless weapons with the powers of the Old Ones, for the blessings lasted only weeks and could not be done in great numbers; a hundred or so warriors with blessed weapons was rarely enough to turn the tide of battle. Especially not when foregoing those hundred blessed weapons could mean another thousand warriors on the front line or two or three priests able to smite the enemy with their spells. Or even another two or three weapons hundred permanently enchanted with lesser effects.
For this though, with the knowledge to prepare and a smaller company, they were ideal.
Weapon Blessing (Choose ONE)
[][BLESS] Chotec - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the blazing fires of Chotec, slowing magical regeneration
[][BLESS] Caxuatn - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the deathly touch of Caxuatn, inflicting wounds upon the spirit of those they strike
[][BLESS] Itzl - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the ferocity of Itzl, granting them extra bite, and the arms of those that wield them swifter reactions
[][BLESS] Potec - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the heat of forge of Potec, allowing them to hit like the hammer of the Old One and stymy magical regeneration
[][BLESS] Uxmac - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the whispering winds of Uxmac, allowing those wielding them to better coordinate with each other
Equipment (Choose TWO):
[][EQUIP] Bola/Weighted-Nets
[][EQUIP] Foothold Traps - perhaps five or six appropriately sized devices could be made before the expedition leaves
[][EQUIP] Caxuatn's Venom
[][EQUIP] Mounted Blowpipes
[][EQUIP] Small Greatbow - experimental attempt to miniaturize the greatbow, only three exist; slow to fire but with high penetration versus blow darts.
[][EQUIP] Write-In: With QM approval only.
Notes: Bit short this week. Comments, critique, etc.
Korianelle fidgeted in the sweltering heat— more appropriate for the season of Sun than Frost, tugging gently at the bottom of her gambeson as she moved to try and pry an uncomfortable fold of fabric that clung stubbornly to her under arm. To no avail.
Despite the alterations, magical and material, they had made to their dress over the years they still somehow managed to get pinched and wedged and stuck to odd places. It was the heat and humidity of this gods damned continent. Most days, when she wasn't standing guard outside their embassy, she went about in little more than a thin shift just to deal with the baking heat.
Some of the others cast off all propriety and disrobed entirely during the worst of the year's heat. Only within the confines of their sanctuary of course. Not that the ismuon would have cared, most of them went about nude as the day they were born. Which had made it difficult at first not to think of them as savage creatures— but with heat like this, Korianelle had to admit she would have preferred being able to go about as they did.
But, as much as Lady Rheameninthys trusted Lord Wik'keer'mal, none of them felt comfortable going about unarmed and unarmored about the city.
Perhaps that made them poor guests… though it was not as if the ismuon had made an effort to welcome them. What little social life the city had was of their own devising and most often involved invited captains of the ships that put into port, those that dared brave the city itself. Now it also included those of House Nadraion, but the ismuon were poor conversationalists at best.
Korianelle had only ever been able to get a handful of words out of any of them, and she had deigned to learn their tongue.
Granted she only knew a few words, and getting the sibilant esses and zees and suchlike correct was a trial most of the time. Still they might have shown some appreciation by offering her more than curt mono-syllabic replies.
At least their warriors seemed able enough. Seeing off a Waaagh without significant casualties proved that much, though Korianelle doubted their estimates of the size; the brutes could damnedably hard to count even in clear terrain and little of the land around the city was what she would describe as 'clear.'
Some extra muscle in dealing with this hydra would be welcome. From everything those of the company who had past experience hunting the beasts said their numbers were a little low for the task. Another four dozen bodies or so would allow Lady Rheameninthys and the other senior Sisters to focus their strikes better to bring it down.
Day 61 Chotec's Season, 11644
Fifteen warmbloods wandered into the plaza by the eastern barracks in a loose formation, errant strands of their 'hair' fluttering in the slight breeze, at their head Rhemeninthys strode with the confidence of long experience. Qu'Qu-Kor wondered how they moved in all those thick layers of cloth and armor, how they kept the long lengths of their 'hair' from interfering in battle; the humans at least had tight, curling hair that could be better controlled.
"Lady Rheameninthys," they said in greeting, offering a short bow.
She reciprocated his bow, "Qu'Qu-Kor," she straightened again and glanced over their shoulder to the barracks beyond, "We have seen these often from a distance, but never up close."
Watching her for a moment they tried to puzzle over the comment. Ought she have been given the opportunity to inspect the barracks? Lord Wik'keer'mal had never suggested it.
Atahuinqua had said that Avelorn was a place of gentle forests and peaceful meadows, not much given to the practices of war in the way of the elves. Granted they had never seen any save Rheameninthys herself go about unarmed. Saurus were not given to tending gardens and corralling beasts, or whatever duties it was the warmbloods of Avelorn spent their time at. Battle and war were their trade.
"Do you desire an inspection?"
Rheameninthys startled at, blinking back at them for a moment before she gathered herself again.
"Ah, no. Some other time… perhaps after this hunt."
Qu'Qu-Kor nodded, making a note to inform the Scar-Veterans and chiefs of the barracks to prepare. It was better. Most of the skinks and saurus assigned to the eastern section were currently either out on patrol or atop the walls, with a few months or weeks to prepare a more sizeable complement for a proper inspection.
In fact, it might be better to extend the inspection across the city. Zlatlan had not marshaled anything close to a full muster in near a century and drills of individual bands and squadrons could only do so much, even for saurus.
"Yes. Come, we have much to discuss."
Leading the warmbloods past the plaza, and past the main barracks buildings, they came to one of the muster fields behind (or in front of, depending on one's approach) the barracks. In the distance the walls loomed.
Gathered there were fifty temple-guard and a full cohort of skinks, all especially chosen by Qu'Qu-Kor for this expedition. Watching over them as they drilled, sparred, and checked over the supplies was Lord Wik'keer'mal, his palanquin aglow with a faint green shimmer and buzzing with the familiar sounds of bees. As they approached the slann looked their way and a wide smile split his broad face.
"Dear Rhea," he called, lifting a hand.
"Wik'keer'mal," she replied warmly as she came to a stop, the rest of the companions stopping just behind her, still in loose formation.
Qu'Qu-Kor came to rest beside the slann's palanquin and turned to face the warmbloods.
"Well, you can see what force we have assembled for your hunt."
"Have any of their number hunted a hydra before?"
Shaking his great head, Wik'keer'mal, said, "No. Such beasts we have encountered in service to the Enemy, during battles, any that haunted this continent were culled long before any here were spawned."
"I see," Rheameninthys frowned, "I and Lyandrya have, but the others have not."
"Then you shall be our guides. What do you know of the creature so far?"
"Juvenile, most likely, as it has not yet begun to lay waste to all it sees.So far it wanders near the headwaters of the great river to the south, amongst the low mountains there— "
"The Yuatek," Wik'keer'mal said.
"Near the headwaters of the Yuatek, where a number of cave systems are located. Thyanire was the one who first spied the signs," she waved over one of the fifteen, a younger warmblood with dark brown hair and the same slim litheness of all elves.
"Lady, Lord," she bowed to Rheameninthys and Wik'keer'mal in turn, "I was tracking the signs of harpies, hoping to spot their nest so that the pests could be culled. At first I did not think the devastation anything more than another sign of the same harpies I was tracking, but then I found the tracks; each two handspans wide, followed by a thick slithering track. And the smell— " she shuddered and paused a moment, holding her hand to her mouth.
"Hydra venom has a scent of rot and sulfur," explained Rheameninthys. "Foul."
"It is as Lady Rheameninthys says, Lord," Thyanire continued, "Though at the time I thought it was naught but a wyvern perhaps."
"You discovered it was not."
"C- yes, Lord, with a well placed shot," she patted her bow, "Wyverns may be weakened enough for even a single warrior to fell. And with proper positioning, even a failed shot is no great risk. So I chose my hide carefully, high amidst the canopy of a tall, venerable grandfather where my cloak would shield me best from view, downwind of the tracks.
"And there I waited for three nights…eating from my ratios and drinking sparingly from my waterskin till on the fourth night it finally returned and it was obvious that it was no wyvern. From beneath the mountains it came, slithering and hissing and snarling as it uprooted smaller trees and bushes and stuffed them down its five gullets. Perhaps twice as tall as your man there," she pointed to Qu'Qu-Kor, "There was not a sound save for its feasting and its stomping. I sat frozen in that tree for hours, until the sun began to peak back over the horizon and the beast fled against the darkness below the mountains. I made all haste back to inform Lady Rheameninthys."
"And I began to plan to bring it down immediately, hydra do not grow overly quickly but it is not wise to let them fester long."
"True for many things in this world," Wik'keer'mal said, then clapping his hands together, "Let us plan our strategy then."
"I had intended to harry it from afar with our bows, weaken it, before Lyandrya and I closed in for the kill; with your aid, this will only be easier."
"Qu'Qu-Kor," rumbled the slann, "Your thoughts?"
"Reasonable, Lord. Temple-guard to pin the beast, skirmishers to harass and weaken with venom darts. Myself, Lady Rheameninthys, and Lady Lyandrya to deliver the killing blow."
"Hydra are resistant to most poisons and venoms," Rheameninthys said, her countenance apologetic but certain.
Many things were in Qu'Qu-Kor's experience, but with enough weight of fire anything could be made to feel the sting of the darts skink skirmishers carried. Though; there were other options. Caxuatn's Venom. Or some of the heavier blow pipes sometimes mounted on elder stegadon.
"Moreover, " she continued, "The… robustness of their flesh is famous. We must either wear it down over much time or deal heavy blows quickly."
There were a number of ways to deal with all those issues, but the size of the expedition would limit what could be brought. Stegadon and bastiladon would slow down the hunt through the mountainous terrain, and likely alert the hydra to their presence much earlier, neither were subtle creatures. Neither greatbow nor Solar Engine nor Revification Crystal could be brought along.
But those great artifacts and weapons were not the only tools of the Old Ones granted to their Servants. In war it was not practical to bless weapons with the powers of the Old Ones, for the blessings lasted only weeks and could not be done in great numbers; a hundred or so warriors with blessed weapons was rarely enough to turn the tide of battle. Especially not when foregoing those hundred blessed weapons could mean another thousand warriors on the front line or two or three priests able to smite the enemy with their spells. Or even another two or three weapons hundred permanently enchanted with lesser effects.
For this though, with the knowledge to prepare and a smaller company, they were ideal.
Weapon Blessing (Choose ONE)
[][BLESS] Chotec - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the blazing fires of Chotec, slowing magical regeneration
[][BLESS] Caxuatn - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the deathly touch of Caxuatn, inflicting wounds upon the spirit of those they strike
[][BLESS] Itzl - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the ferocity of Itzl, granting them extra bite, and the arms of those that wield them swifter reactions
[][BLESS] Potec - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the heat of forge of Potec, allowing them to hit like the hammer of the Old One and stymy magical regeneration
[][BLESS] Uxmac - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the whispering winds of Uxmac, allowing those wielding them to better coordinate with each other
Equipment (Choose TWO):
[][EQUIP] Bola/Weighted-Nets
[][EQUIP] Foothold Traps - perhaps five or six appropriately sized devices could be made before the expedition leaves
[][EQUIP] Caxuatn's Venom
[][EQUIP] Mounted Blowpipes
[][EQUIP] Small Greatbow - experimental attempt to miniaturize the greatbow, only three exist; slow to fire but with high penetration versus blow darts.
[][EQUIP] Write-In: With QM approval only.
Notes: Bit short this week. Comments, critique, etc.
2 hour Moratorium
Always awesame to have some outside perspective. And man, Elf really do not do we with adapting to being ignored. That's hilarious.
The bit with Barrios inspection had me craking, so unexpected, so in charater for QQK... really looking forward to possible future where a child is being adopted by one of those automatons, with shenenigans to follow.
Venom might be cool, not what we developed it for, but COULD be usefull
Can mounted blowpipes be deployed stationary? like an LKM?
A proto Baliste are always a win...
Man, good update. Thanks Wordsmith.
The bit with Barrios inspection had me craking, so unexpected, so in charater for QQK... really looking forward to possible future where a child is being adopted by one of those automatons, with shenenigans to follow.
one of those for me
I see foothold traps and I'm thinking Giant Bear traps...
Venom might be cool, not what we developed it for, but COULD be usefull
Can mounted blowpipes be deployed stationary? like an LKM?
A proto Baliste are always a win...
Man, good update. Thanks Wordsmith.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It is definitely interesting, the perspective from a non-Lizardman.
[X][BLESS] Potec - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the heat of forge of Potec, allowing them to hit like the hammer of the Old One and stymy magical regeneration
[X][EQUIP] Bola/Weighted-Nets
[X][EQUIP] Small Greatbow - experimental attempt to miniaturize the greatbow, only three exist; slow to fire but with high penetration versus blow darts.
[X][EQUIP] Bola/Weighted-Nets
[X][EQUIP] Small Greatbow - experimental attempt to miniaturize the greatbow, only three exist; slow to fire but with high penetration versus blow darts.
Just for clarification is our weapons being blessed or will the Elves weapons be too
CuttleFish2.0
Friendly neighborhood cuttlefish
- Location
- Seattle, Washington.
Just those of the temple-guard, the elves weapons are already plenty magical.
[X][BLESS] Potec - Bless the weapons of your temple-guard with the heat of forge of Potec, allowing them to hit like the hammer of the Old One and stymy magical regeneration
[X][EQUIP] Bola/Weighted-Nets
[X][EQUIP] Small Greatbow - experimental attempt to miniaturize the greatbow, only three exist; slow to fire but with high penetration versus blow darts.
[X][EQUIP] Bola/Weighted-Nets
[X][EQUIP] Small Greatbow - experimental attempt to miniaturize the greatbow, only three exist; slow to fire but with high penetration versus blow darts.