There are elven quarters in like...four major cities. And then Athel Loren and Lorelorn. So even if we don't buddy up with Asarnil we still got options.
There are elven quarters in like...four major cities. And then Athel Loren and Lorelorn. So even if we don't buddy up with Asarnil we still got options.
Being a dragonmage has its drawbacks. The dragon is young, eats a lot, is terrifying, and draws attention which forces your employers and enemies to adjust accordingly. You don't send a dragon for missions that require even a whiff of sublety.
Yeah, 'mercenary dragon mage' sounds like a cakewalk until you find out how much upkeep a dragon requires. I mean never mind a hoard, the food and lodging requirements alone... So y'know, upside, you have a dragon, downside, you're going to be taking the jobs that warrant a dragon in order to pay the bills.
Yeah, 'mercenary dragon mage' sounds like a cakewalk until you find out how much upkeep a dragon requires. I mean never mind a hoard, the food and lodging requirements alone... So y'know, upside, you have a dragon, downside, you're going to be taking the jobs that warrant a dragon in order to pay the bills.
Additionally, we have enemies in Ulthuan with far reach and, well, it's very easy to track the two Asur in the Old World going around with a dragon. Maybe we can get a dragon later, as a treat. But I'll pass on being such an obvious target starting out.
The forefathers of the elves learned the arts of magic at the feet of the Old Ones, and some scholars suggest it is what they were physically designed for by their creators. Indeed, it cannot be denied that they possess an innate affinity for spellcasting that goes beyond merely an extended lifespan to spend on studying its intricacies. Innately attuned to magic, they are able to anticipate its ebbs and flows better than any other race, but equally impressive is their resistance to allowing the chaotic energies of the Aethyr to twist them. Where human wizards easily warp to suit their chosen Wind, elves are able to resist such changes far better, and even the most eccentric of them usually develop little worse than mild afflictions of the mind.
In the millennia since, they have continued to develop their knowledge and create new branches of learning, combining the Winds of Magic in different methods that best suit their needs as each kingdom developed into its own. Despite the pre-eminence of Saphery in the field of magical research, all of the ten kingdoms possess their own unique tradition not found anywhere else. By tradition, they are open to any who has the talent- indeed, the greatest mage of the modern era, High Loremaster Teclis, was born of Cothique, not Saphery. Even so, students are sworn to a magically binding oath against revealing certain secrets of their craft to outsiders- a precaution that serves the cause of inter-kingdom rivalries, but also acts to shield them from the Druchii, who eagerly covet any advantage they can reap.
[] Dragon Mage of Caledor The Dragon Mages pursue perfection through the raw power of destruction, and none are more powerful or destructive than dragons. Although their aggressive and quick-tempered nature makes them ill-suited to Winds other than the primal rage of Aqshy, these warrior-mages are nonetheless held to be beacons of hope by the Asur, for they possess an innate affinity for dragonkind and can stir the Sun Dragons of Caledor from their ageless slumber.
-Mastery of Aqshy, but heavy penalties to trying to learn any other Winds
-Can cast while armoured
-Bonus to Diplomacy with Dragons, penalty with everyone else
-Penalty to Dispel attempts
-Substitutes all starting troops for a Sun Dragon
[] Skinshifter of Chrace The Skinshifters are a strange and unnerving breed of mages, for they pursue martial perfection by abandoning the fragile elven form behind. Masters of shapeshifting magic, they see animal forms as mere stepping stones towards true mastery: assuming shapes that previously only existed in their imaginations.
-Ghur/Ghyran
-Bonus to Prowess
-Penalty to Diplomacy
[] Starfire Mage of Avelorn The Starfire Mages pursue perfection by wielding the cold flames of Order that burn away the taint of Chaos. These fires are weapons of immense precision, capable of annihilating that which the mages would see destroyed, while their allies will only be invigorated by the flames that wash over them.
-Hysh/Ghyran/Aqshy
[] Archmage of Saphery The archetypical exemplars of elven magical supremacy, the Archmages pursue perfection by seeking to follow the teachings bestowed unto their ancestors by the Old Ones, and mastering the art of High Magic. It is said that Qhaysh, the art of wielding every wind in harmony, is limited only by the caster's skill and power, capable of miraculous feats of magic. But learning such secrets is the journey of a lifetime even for an elf and one that only begins at learning to grasp each individual wind, thus forcing would-be Archmages to neglect other pursuits in favor of the arcane.
-Moderate in all Winds
-Dabbling in Qhaysh
-Advancing High Magic is slow and hard, especially without access to the White Tower
-Penalty to stats other than Magic and Learning
-Reduced starting resources/troops
[] Burning Shadow of Nagarythe These scions of the Shadowlands pursue perfection by seeking to balance the burning rage of vengeance with the cold patience of the void, able switch between extreme mental states at will. Peerless guerrilla fighters, they slip through the shadows to the position where they can inflict the most damage before unleashing their wrath, and then disappear into the night.
-Aqshy/Ulgu, but not both at the same time
-Bonus to Intrigue
[] Wardbearer of Yvresse The Wardbearers pursue perfection through the ancient adage that defence is the best form of offence. Yvresse has been beset by many foes in its long history, and have mastered the art of protective magics, from summoning shields of energy to warding off all manner of creatures.
-Hysh/Chamon
[] Kinspeaker of Ellyrion The Kinspeakers pursue perfection by eroding the barrier between the Self and the Other. Forging telepathic links with their allies and their steeds, they coordinate them into a unified fighting force greater than the sum of its parts. This tradition also offers darker paths, but those who walk down one must take great care not to be drawn too deep into it.
-Ulgu/Shyish
[] Mistweaver of Cothique The Mistweavers pursue perfection by wielding the oldest and most natural ally of the Asur; the sea. Weather-wizards par excellence, they manipulate the forces of nature to do their bidding, summoning lightning storms to devastate their enemies and choking mists to conceal their movements.
-Azyr/Ulgu/Ghyran
[] Wind-Imbuer of Eataine The Wind-Imbuers pursue perfection by eschewing the delicate spells favoured by other traditions, and instead imbuing their magics into liquid. Yet their powers are no lesser than those of their rivals, each potion infused with potent magical effects of deadly and beneficial nature alike.
-Moderate in all Winds, but doesn't actually cast any spells, instead imbuing them into potions
[] Geomancer of Tiranoc Geomancers pursue perfection by tapping into the magic that runs right under their feet. Tiranoc is a sunken realm, sundered by Malekith's insane ambition, and its people have laboured endlessly in attempts to raise the lands they have lost from beneath the waves. Consequently they are Ulthuan's foremost experts in Geomancy, manipulating not only the leylines beneath the ground but the soil itself, earth and stone responding to their command as if it were their own limb.
-Ghyran/Hysh
[] Loremaster of Hoeth The Loremasters pursue perfection by neglecting no aspect of knowledge. They are masters of every field, from history to swordsmanship to art to magic. While some would say that this leaves them spread thin, the Loremasters contend that theirs is the natural path for beings as long-lived as the elves, versatile and able to adapt to any situation.
-Dabbling in all of the Winds
-Bonus to all stats
-Can cast while armoured
[] Smith-Priest of Vaul The Priesthood of Vaul pursue perfection by honing their craftsmanship to a level others can only dream of, capable of creating magical artefacts of unmatched splendour. Ritualistically blinding themselves in reminiscence of their patron God, they acquire sight beyond sight through magical means.
-Aqshy/Chamon
-Bonus to Learning
-Penalty to Diplomacy
-In case anyone's curious, the option that was incompatible with Exile was Priest of Asuryan.
-The kingdom-specific traditions don't necessarily lock you into having been born in that kingdom, but it might take some explaining.
Just for the record, you totally can swap out your starting troops for other shinies later. If you want to play a one-elf wrecking crew, it doesn't have to mean being a Dragon Mage.
Just as a note, while I fully understand why you'd want to implement it this way, what Loremasters are actually supposed to be is prodigies who kind of turn up their noses haughtily at battlefield magic, preferring to master grand rituals to grapple with the heavens. Quite why GW chose to write them up as such for a tabletop wargame I couldn't say, but there you go.
While this doesn't have much actual combat ability, being a mix of Elden Ring perfumer and poisoned-wind globadier sounds like a fun game-play paradigm to me.
