Winning Vote said:
[X] Plan The King's Ring and Three Dragons, Revision Attempt: The Black Sun
Snorri & Karstah
-[X] Prod for Prod 1 Snorri AP ✓
-[X] [Difficult] Revise Coronation Gift Pt. 1: 0 AP ✓
-- New Combo: Master Rune of Expurgation [T4 Voidstone], Rune of Gazul, Rune of Gazul's Flame. This ring is a band of brightest white Adamant, and inserted into one half of the band is a wall of black flame carven from obsidian in such detail and cleverness that it appears to move. Hidden within the flames is the Master Rune of Expurgation, its glow making the obsidian fire seem to writhe with golden edges. Above this homage to Gazul's domain the other half of the band is inset with beaten gold that shimmers like Grungni's treasures, as if some bright land is hidden behind the wall of flames and shimmers through it. The Runes of Gazul and Gazul's Flame are hidden amidst this gold, empowering the Master Rune against Evil. A horrifying Black Sun summoned from the Underearth as punishment for a great evil.
-[X] [Simple] Coronation Gift pt 2, Build Mizpal Zharr. (Wear Skarren/BA/Zharrgal): 3 Snorri AP ✓
-[X] Monolith Mastery Pt.1 2+1d2 Prods ✓
-[X] Chimaera Autopsy 1 Research AP ✓
-[X] Drakk Rearing: 1 Snorri + 2 Karstah AP ✓
-[X] An Even Better Smelter: 2 Karstah AP ✓
-[X] Understand the Master Rune of the Eagle-Eyed: 0 AP ✓
-[X] Compress the Brotherbound Combo. 0 AP ✓
Retainers &
-[X] Way to the Stones 1 Retainer AP ✓
-[X] Expedition, Aiding Dorden 1 Retainer AP ✓
-[X] Retainer Reconfiguring. 1 Retainer AP ✓
--[X] Change Numbers: Add 120 members, taking them to 240 total.
Orders
-[X] Order: T4 Radiant Pegasus Blood ✓
[X] [Drakk:] Allow Grimgal to begin learning magic ✓
[X] [Social:] Skarri, preparing for a presentation to King Gloin ✓
[X] [Social:] Lorna, combing over Khazagar's library ✓
[X] [Letters:] Knowledge about Eastern Markets [Standard, Insightful] ✓
[X] [Patreon:] Thulgrim Saltbeard ✓
(Peerless Production: 95,47,96, DC 40)
(Thungin's Brilliance: 88 +15[Omake] =103, DC 80)
(Voidstone Availability: 99 +15[Omake] =114, Overflow: 29 +14 =43)
━<><><>< 460 A.P. ><><><>━
"Personal standards higher than Everpeak is tall, and a willingness to put herself at risk to meet it. Aye she's definitely taken it after you," Yorri comments from off to the side, eyes examining the Smelter quietly as he speaks.
"Aye," you whisper back, not taking your eyes off the Smelter either.
Karstah has exceeded your expectations.
Sextupling a single Smelter's total capacity, and effectively tripling the rate of production for Adamant while minimizing the number of reagents needed? It required Adamant to do it, an expensive amount, but one it could recoup in as short as twenty years under the right conditions.
It was as if Thungni Himself had seen it fit to grant her some measure of His own insight.
You do not stifle the upwelling of pride you feel as the enormity of your heir's accomplishment fully settles in your mind. You've more than half a mind to toast her success with some of the good stuff and boast about it to anyone unfortunate enough to be around you for the next year or more.
Now.
If only she could be awake for you to tell her that.
Karstah had pushed herself to near her breaking point, staying awake just long enough to let the Hearth Guard outside her workshop know she was done before slipping into unconsciousness. That had been a harrowing sprint to the temple, but the worst of your fears had been assuaged after the Valayans got their hands on her. The priestesses told you there were no immediate concerns for her health in the long term, and that she needed a few months, but preferably a year or two, of rest before committing to more strenuous activity. They did, however, do their their level best to impart the understanding that you really ought to stop Karstah from doing this to herself more than was necessary.
They aren't anywhere as good at the implication of violence as Moira was, but you didn't need fear to follow their advice.
You nod, and the Hearth Guard on either side of you move forward to begin hauling the Smelter to its future home, grabbing lengths of chain that had been attached to the straining wheeled platform it currently rested on.
"The Brotherhood will be thrilled by this," Yorri continues casually, watching Karstah's creation disappear down the corridor.
"They'll be sending her their best ale by the keg load," you agree.
You'd make sure of it, as well as point all due credit to her as you could.
"What now my student?" Your teacher asks.
A sigh escapes your lips.
"We prepare for my heir to wake up of course. She deserves quite the celebration after all."
━<><><><==><><><>━
Mizpal-zharr is delivered to King Gloin without fanfare, only a few grunts, and within an appropriately decorated container. You're not in the mood for a ceremony or anything like that right now, instead you simply drop it off in his office and depart with only a grunt to mark your passing when he wishes Karstah a speedy recovery. Walking out of Gloin's office, the sight of you makes the small line of petitioners waiting outside the King's door mumble and bow respectfully as you pass. All save the familiar face of one Skarri Dolgisson, too busy looking over a stack of papers and rubbing the main braid of his beard anxiously to be aware of his surroundings it seems.
"Young Dolgisson," you greet gruffly, "What brings you to the Royal Hall?"
The sound of your voice seems to snap him out of the trance he's put himself under. He blinks in surprise, looks up at you, and scrambles to bow without losing his grip on the papers in his hands.
"Elder! Ah, well we'll be presenting a report to his Highness in a few moments on the viability of Thunder Wing and I's project." he rises out of his bow just a bit flustered. "Well, it's supposed to be we, not sure where Thunder is to be honest."
Now that
is a surprise.
"All the way to the King is it?" You cross your arms. "It's been no more than fifty-five years since I saw you scramble out of Menlinwen's abode with that Elgi book, and you think you're both ready to bring your idea forward to the King?"
To your silent approval Dolgi's eldest does not wilt under your glare, instead nodding firmly and staring back at you with a familiar steely resolve in his eyes. There's that same bullheadedness that let his father get through both his Journey alive and earn his wife's affections.
"Aye Lord, there's merit to the idea, mad as it sounds. Thunder Wing and I can prove it if we're given the opportunity."
You notice, but pay no mind to more than a few petitioners occasionally glancing over at the both of you, unable to help overhearing the exchange occurring scant centimeters away from them.
Hmph.
You have places to be, but at the same time you know this won't cause much of a delay.
So In that moment you decide to offer a small kindness and help Dolgi's boy out, and if that way satisfies your own curiosity that was simply good fortune.
"Oh? Do tell Beardling. Millennia of Dwarf tradition, and five centuries of Kraka Drakk's own preferences are not so easy to dislodge after all," you challenge, fixing him with a properly chastising stare.
Skarri rightfully reckons that King Gloin can find the use of a heavily armed mounted warrior easily enough, after all it isn't hard to think of something for several hundred pounds of heavily armoured Brana with an equally equipped Dwarf atop their back to do in a battle, but that alone would never be enough to sway your people. But Skarri knows that too, so he presses on the other avenues. A good amount of the reticence against riding, aside from a lack of tradition, stemmed from the fact that a Dwarf could not trust an animal as much as his own two feet. The same could not be said for the Brana, who bled and died alongside you in during the Siege, whose own Ancestor risked life and limb to buy Kraka Drakk precious time to prepare for Kholek, and whose kind were acknowledged and trusted by Grungni, Valaya and Whitebeard to be true and reliable. What's more, such a partnership would be beneficial to both mount and rider and not yet another burden your people would ask of them; the Dwarf was given greater mobility aye, but the Brana was given a companion to guard their back and provide greater options in battle.
But the point Skarri presses most of all, his words rife with honest and fervent belief in it even, is that having a group of partnered Brana and Dawi such as this was the penultimate symbol of each race's commitment to the other.
You gave them speech, they gave your people information.
Their Ancestor tore out His own heart, and yours gave Their Blessing.
King Otrek gave them sanctuary during the Catastrophe, and so they gave their lives in defense of your home.
His father and a few others crafted them armour, and they gave him protection in turn.
Morgrim gave them their aerie, and so they fought and bled and died in wars they had no reason to join.
With that much history together, the next logical step is a group that represents the fruits of that alliance more fully than even your own Hearth Guard. A group of paired Brana and Dawi to show that together the sum is greater than its individual parts. Because Skarri cannot envision, nor wish for anything less than absolute trust between the individuals who commit to this path. To train, fight and if need be,
die together just as any proud Dwarf would alongside their most trusted companions.
He does not necessarily disappoint, but you aren't entirely sure you approve either. Many young men and women have strode forward, bright eyed and optimistic about the changes they propose, but most of them fail. You cannot say for certain if Skarri will sway Gloin, but you doubt that the King's approval would matter to him. If he didn't end up getting the King's blessing you quietly reckon that he's in too deep to step back, and more likely he and Thunder Wing would go out on their own to see that vision made reality.
S'what his father would do anyway, and if nothing else the boy's argument all but cements that he is indeed Dolgi's son.
You offer him a neutral grunt for the effort and continue on your way.
Time would tell if Skarri would sway Gloin to his point of view, and that decision was out of your hands.
Sides, you've dawdled long enough you reckon.
━<><><><==><><><>━
You read over the letter quietly as you sit beside Karstah's bed, a cup in your other hand.
Finding the time to read Rorek's nonsense, let alone reply to it, is something of a challenge these days. And while your letters aren't anywhere as bad as his, no doubt your correspondent suffers from a similar time crunch considering the massive undertaking the rest of Izril is committing itself to. While he wasn't an architect behind it, Rorek was quick to profit from it from what tavern talk and rumour managed to travel its way up here tells you.
The topic of the past few letters from your fellow Runelord were answers to some of your inquiries about the eastern market, and while he's nowhere near as comprehensive as he was with his previous letters, it's interesting reading nonetheless.
An emerging market compared to the established routes of the Old Holds, the Eastern Holds nonetheless boasted near equal amounts of trade as those same Holds. Largely because they seemingly sat on some of the greatest mineral wealth known to your people outside the World's Edge, having the potential to challenge the Old Holds given enough time, Rorek suspects. The only thing holding them back was their lack of population and the dearth of food that only exacerbated that problem. Much of the east's wealth was eaten (ha!) up paying for food brought in by caravans, usually from Eight Peaks, at rates that still seemed downright criminal to you.
A price they pay without a second glance though, at least according to Rorek. Trading food for eastern ore and gemstone was one of the biggest sources of wealth for several upcoming merchants and their Clans, one that Rorek obviously had allied himself with, your brother included. That information in itself wasn't wholly new to you though, you knew that Kraka Drakk and your Clan partly benefited from it already for one thing. Jorri had convinced a few cousins to run a secret route through Vlag to Uzkulak, trading Northern sheep and goats for goods not commonly found in the Peninsula, a route so profitable that not even you know the exact path he found.
It was also something that Rorek also seemed aware of given how he complains about your brother keeping that route hidden from him too.
Still, there were a few interesting tidbits you learned. Despite the great wealth pouring in from the east Rorek tells you most caravans don't make it past Uzkulak in the North or Barak Zharr, the chosen name of Thori Rorrison's domain, to the south. While traders apparently receive a good deal of genuine politeness and hospitality from the Eastdwarfs, its apparently draped in a layer of standoffish and cold interaction. From what the merchants tell Rorek it's something like a curious mix of reticence and silence about personal matters. It doesn't dissuade the merchants from trying to make inroads into what could conceivably become one of the largest markets in the coming centuries, one big enough to possibly disrupt the southern trade network even, but it slows them down a great amount.
The merchants think its out of a sense of overly cautious business acumen and understandable desire to keep the source and access to their wealth as secret as possible, but you and Rorek know better.
They treat betrayal as a disease out there, and many of them see themselves as afflicted with it, your fellow Runelord comments.
Before you can travel down that particularly sad path in your mind, a rustling to your right draws your attention.
Karstah's woken up.
You watch her face scrunch up in preparation before she blearily opens her eyes to the world, gaze already darting back and forth as your heir takes stock of her situation.
"Ten days," you tell her, answering the question likely on her mind and drawing her eyes to look at you.
She closes her eyes.
"Drink?' she croaks out.
"Can you raise your arms?"
Karstah scrunches her brows together in thought for a second before offering you a soft nod.
Returning the gesture with a nod of your own, you pass over a tankard and quietly watch as she chugs down its contents in a few thirsty gulps. Not wasting time to even wipe the foam off her lips, Karstah begins to speak.
"The Smelter—"
"Is in fine condition. Rest."
Another, more hesitant, nod.
The two of you sit in silence.
"You did good, better than good even." You begin, not looking at her, "I doubt any more than a single hand's worth of Dawi could achieve what you've done."
Karstah doesn't speak.
"I am proud of you," you continue, forcing what you have believed for centuries out of your mouth and into the open, "I could ask for no better heir."
You muster the courage to turn to look Karstah and find her blank eyed stare greeting you.
"Drink?" she finally stutters out.
You grunt in amusement and pass a second tankard her way.
━<><><>< 461 A.P. ><><><>━
"The Under-inns eh?" you repeat back, letting the idea settle in your head, "Clever."
Magna nods, taking a sip of her drink while members of Clan Winterhearth hustle to move crates worth of supplies around the two of you.
It had been a surprise to see Magna taking Jorri's place for this delivery, but she had put your small worries to rest with her explanation. Much as Jorri enjoyed being here to hassle you for this and that whenever he came to deliver a fresh batch of supplies recent years have made taking those trips untenable. Now the king's share of his time was understandably spent fulfilling the charter of his new Guild, something that actually required Jorri to travel far more than he already was.
See Jorri's ingenious plan, as Magna tells it, was to co-opt the numerous individually and Hold run Under-inns and turn them towards a greater purpose. A massive interconnected series of both above and underground inns and waystations that would criss-cross the breadth of the Karaz Ankor. By having a reliable and predictable means of resupply individual Dawi would feel and be far safer should they choose to travel down the Underway, needing only to carry coin rather than a hefty amount of supplies, the same went for the merchant caravans that plied their trade through the underground highways, being able to carry more cargo than before, secure in the knowledge that they could resupply at the coming Under-inn.
Course that was the end point, and nowhere near feasible in any short amount of time. Jorri was well aware that vision was the work of generations, so he's focused in on the more foundational aspects of the Guild; its formal structure, leadership, the standards and expectations for what a proper Under-inn should, at minimum, be expected to have and the like. That, according to Magna, had taken the better part of two decades, and now he's moved on to capturing the existing market by personally going out and speaking with individual proprietors and even the Kings of various Holds about putting their Under-inns under the umbrella of his Caravaneers Guild.
"If they weren't already, his hair must've gone snow white from the stress of it all," you muse.
"The boys certainly got their first grey streaks earlier than expected," Magna tells you, "but it's worth it."
"Hah! Fame, fortune, and founding an entire Guild? I'm sure Jorri's tears are a fifty-fifty mix of regret and joy these days, no matter what he says to the contrary."
"Too busy to cry," Magna snarks with a shake of her head, "but you aren't entirely wrong. I certainly miss our monthly dinners. Now all my children are in some corner of the Karaz Ankor trying to lighten their father's burden while my husband is running himself ragged trying to pile more onto himself. A damn mess to manage it all, but someone has to."
"Let me know if you need anything Magna, and I'll see what I can do on my end, a poor brother I'd be if I left Jorri out to dry," you offer, turning your head a smidge to tut critically at a beardling trying to show off by carrying two crates of ore.
"Oh we know, its already enough of a struggle to get that blessed fool to share what little he's passing off as it is, but I'll be sure to remind Jorri a bit more forcefully later." Casually turning to stare at another young Dwarf to get him to help his struggling relative. "Now much as I'd like to chat over a few pints Snorri there's business with King Gloin I have to go over on my husband's behalf. So was there anything you wanted to say before I went about my way?"
You rub your beard thoughtfully before grunting as a thought comes to mind.
"You mind sharing what your folk know about the eastern markets Magna? I need to corroborate a few things I've learned recently," you tell her.
"Give me ten days and I'll have someone come over with it," your in-law replies, "Region's locked up tighter than a Greybeard's coin purse half the damn time, but people need to eat and they want to make gold same as anyone else in the end. Now if that'll be everything?"
"Aye that's it. Send Jorri our well wishes Magna," you confirm.
"And ours to Karstah."
━<><><><==><><><>━
You keep an eye on your heir, glancing back every so often to make sure she isn't falling behind.
If Karstah has anything to say about it she's keeping it to herself, quietly skulking behind you.
As per the priestesses orders she isn't to commit any strenuous activity until they give the go ahead, so you're carrying both bags this year as a compromise for allowing her to come along.
Truth be told you don't really need to sneak around, anyone who's lived in the Hold for more than a year is up on the take by this point but secrecy had long since stopped being the point.
T'was tradition to sneak, and so sneak you shall.
The silence of your journey is broken up by an innocuous question as you pass by a particularly rowdy street brawl.
"Has Grim spoken to you recently?" Karstah whispers, low enough that no one else would be able to hear it over the sounds of shouting Dawi.
You look back at her and shake your head.
"She wakes up, leaves for training, and comes back like clockwork. Why do you ask?"
"Caught her staring at a few things." She replies, falling back into silence as the two of you walk far enough past the street brawl.
Silence's reign is brief however.
"Like what?" you prompt, walking past a tavern whose occupants had entered into a round of the Gold Song loud enough to escape the thick oaken front doors.
"Ancestor Badges, your armour, even asked for medical tomes. She likes speaking to you, so I figured I ought to ask."
You nod in understanding.
"That is strange, but she hasn't brought it up to me at all, no. With the Brana and Menlinwen to watch, and what she's been taught, I doubt it's anything dangerous. Foolish, maybe, but not dangerous."
Grimgal has taken to her training with a level of focus that you can compare to some of your more hermit-like colleagues. You're understandably reliant on Menlinwen and the Brana tutors Grimgal learns under for reports on her progress, and they certainly say she's learning at an accelerated pace, but you have yet to see the fruits of that labour. Course you never expected to, obviously, learning wasn't done in a timespan as short as a decade, and you doubt
Khazagar was the sort of place a mage could cast magic all that easily. You should know, you designed the array of Warding Runes yourself, and by design you really meant slapping them anywhere and everywhere.
"One can hope," Karstah mutters,not entirely convinced.
Neither of you say anything until you reach the Temple of Valaya, reaching the top of the steps where a priestess and a few attendants are waiting for you.
"Lord Klausson, Lady Snorrisdottir," she greets with a bow, "the Temple thanks you both for your donation."
You grunt while Karstah offers a silent nod, and hand off the bags to the waiting acolytes.
A small thrum of amusement fills you at the sight of their surprise as they are left with the full weight of the bags.
Runes of Stacking ya see.
Without another word the two of you turn back and disappear down the steps, the sound of grunting acolytes and quiet exasperation marking your departure.
━<><><>< 464 A.P. ><><><>━
Taking after you more than you'd like, Karstah takes the effective ban from a forge as an excuse to busy herself with more simple research instead.
Not exactly breaking the rules the priestesses put under, but twisting them enough that they do give her very pointed words about making sure she actually
rests.
Even with those restrictions however, it doesn't take her long to finish and then submit her findings on the mysterious needle and thread you passed to her all those decades ago.
The first discovery Karstah made was that the needle was itself a sort of gate. Poking and prodding with a demarkated length of stiffened string let her figure out that there was a large internal space that could accessed only through the needle's eye. That alone would be interesting enough, but was at the same time not entirely novel to you. After all the Elven book on
Ulgu made passing mention of similar phenomena capable by wielding the Quicksilver Wind, but had made it clear that was the realm of mages far further along their training than its intended reader was.
No, what drew yours and Karstah's imminent attention was how it seemed to interact with thread run through the needle's eye. The best guess the two of you can come up with is that the thread is actually going in and out of that internal space as its used, and it was in that moment that the needle was adding onto its total overall length. Karstah thankfully went through the effort of testing the limits of this strange ability, and the results are surprising.
First off, structurally speaking the material is a near perfect match to the original fibre used, but unsurprisingly the more finely made the fibre the less the needle could stretch it out in the same time frame. Put another way, it needed more time to add the same length of fine, Master-made wool compared to some beardling's roughshod attempt at it.
Secondly, the thread itself could mimic the visual differences of the fibre as well, with the same issue of time arising the more ornate and alternately colored the fabric was. A length of all red was faster than a multi-coloured string, and a deeper, richer red longer than a light pink.
But it was in that testing that Karstah discovered something of far greater import.
Unspooling a length of particularly thick colored wool showed Karstah that the color did not run the whole way through for the added fabric, reaching just deep enough to match but not completely as if it were dyed properly. Instead the outer facing strings were colored, while internal layers remained clean. What that meant was that your heir had inadvertently also discovered just what the magic did to elongate the fabric. The wool, and likely every other string you put through that needle, was being lengthened at a set interval, elongating the constituent fibers rather than simply spinning in additional material. Which may be why that the effect didn't seem to work when too much thread was pulled through too quickly, there simply wasn't enough time for it to do its job. Lending credence to that theory was that the rate at which it added fabric lined up fairly well with the rate a half competent seamstress could do a basic stitch.
These facts taken together with the engravings along the needle itself leaves you with the impression that this wasn't so much a tool whose main purpose was meant to create infinite thread, but more to stretch out an existing spool as much as possible. You can't say for certain if this was a luxury or not, but regardless of its craftsmanship, especially the dexterity to carve such intricate art onto something so small as a sewing needle is to be commended.
To be left in the cold darkness of some Fimir Matriarch's personal chambers, or worse upon one of their worktables was a poor fate for both them and their wielders.
━<><><><==><><><>━
Of course Karstah wasn't the only one making discoveries.
The past few years have been a much needed calm after how hectic things have gotten recently. While life for the wider realms has been anything but, you focus what free time you have between furthering your understanding of the Monoliths by cross referencing what you already knew with whatever else you could poke out of Yorri and the lore the Elves gave as payment for your assistance with their project.
If you come away from this with anything, its that having proper Windsight would eliminate much of the guess work you're dealing with right now.
Still, no use whinging over spilled ale.
While the Elves don't give you a five step manual on how to build a Monolith of your own, they inadvertently provide something far more valuable.
Context.
Information not only about the nature of the existing Monolith network, from how the stones interacted with each other to the types of function they could be capable of, but also information on natural Leylines and how both they and the network interacted with each other. On its own that would be more than enough to make you happier than a prospector striking Gromril, but with what you know from Master Yorri you actually end up making more significant progress than you expected to.
You're nowhere near actually making a Monolith yourself, but everything you've been learning so far does has done its level best to impart a very important lesson to you.
Magic is far safer in motion than it is stagnant.
And you think you can use that.
━<><><>< Khazalid Trivia ><><><>━
Mizpal Zharr - Obsidian Flame
━<><><>< Gain ><><><>━
Snorri
- +3 Progress to Drakk Rearing, new totals:
[Cost: 15/?? actions]
-- Since discovering their various interests, the point of teaching and interacting with the siblings has since shifted from letting them tolerate and survive in Dwarf society, to helping them enjoy and thrive within it.
-- They'll begin moving in to their new abodes when the need actually arises, which isn't for a few decades more if their current rate of growth holds out. Grimgal especially.
-- The siblings grew in length by 5 meters this decade, in addition to that they've been undergoing several other physiological changes. Lengthening and hardening spines, increased venom potency, and oddly their claws growing more flexible and dexterous as well. If they suffer from any pains from such rapid growth they don't share, even Izgrom.
-- Grimgal 27m by 464 A.P.
--- Alternates between pestering Menlinwen or the Brana for tutelage in
Hysh and disappearing into the wilderness for days to train on her own. You trust her not to get herself in trouble, or atleast only get into an amount of mischief she can get out of on her own.
--- Shard Wyrms aren't known for their sexual dimorphism, but it does exist. Compared to her brothers Grimgal does have a smaller head relative to her size for instance. Its slight, and Grimgal's so much bigger than her siblings that it's impossible to notice without taking measurements, but it exists.
-- Zharrok 22m by 464 A.P.
--- Continues his smithing training without complaint, having just moved past the fundamentals into more advanced manipulation and techniques. More importantly he's finally figuring out ways to manipulate metal with
Aqshy after poking one of the Caledorian Archmage's apprentices.
-- Izgrom 22m by 464 A.P.
--- Has begun preparing for a long term delve in a few years, specifically a year long delve into the western tunnels beyond the point that even the most experienced prospectors have gone. To your knowledge, those old goats are a secretive lot.
- Prod for Prod complete!
-- +3 Yorri prods.
- +(4 {Prods] +4)[Way to the Stones] =8 Progress to Monolith Mastery Pt. 1, new totals:
[Cost: (24 -18) =6 actions]
- +2 Progress to The Mind of Things Pt. 6, new totals:
[Cost: (20 -2) =18 actions]
- +1 Progress to Extra-sensory Pt. 1, new totals:
[Cost: (16 -1) =15 actions]
- +1 Progress to Chimaera Autopsy, new totals:
[Cost: (4 -3) =1 action]
- New Combo compressed! Brotherbound
-- New Rune understood!
Master Rune of Fraternity
-- +2 Progress to The Mind of Things Pt. 6, new totals:
[Cost: (20 -2) =18 actions]
-- ???[0/???] > [1/???]
- New Rune understood! Master Rune of the Eagle-Eyed
-- Determining how Runes decided where the user or target ended and began isn't new to you, but in reviewing this Rune's particularities help you think of a few other ways of tackling the issue.
-- +1 Progress to Extra-sensory Pt. 1, new totals:
[Cost: (16 -1) =15 actions]
-- Mind for Constructs [4/15] >
[5/15]
- New Rune/Combo unlocked!
--
Master Rune of Fraternity, Complexity: 0, Necessary Ingredients: [T2] Grimnirzan: User and nearby allies have greatly increased martial skill and improved coordination, they are all innately aware of their comrade's abilities and status for the duration of the battle while in range.
--
Combo, Underworld Flame [Master Rune of Expurgation, Rune of Gazul, Rune of Gazul's Flame] Upon activation the user selects themselves, an ally or enemy as the target. If friendly they are protected by a shell of
Hysh infused flames that absorb a set amount of magic. If an enemy they are immobilized by burning chains. In either case enemies in a radius around the target are caught alight by heatless flames that burn both their corporeal form and the magic that maintains them. The flames continue to burn even after the enemy has left the radius, and can only be snuffed out by dispelling them. Especially effective against the undead.
--
Combo, True Adamant Maker: [Master Rune of Purification, Rune of Vigorous Furnace, Rune of Forgeflame] Can transform Gromril into Adamant. Can only be inscribed on Adamant.
- Coronation Gift Pt.2 complete!
--
Legendary Creation of Note, Mizpal Zharr: The ring's body is made of pure Adamant, half of the width is a field of black fire made from miniscule obsidian shards, contrasted by the gold background opposite to it. The gold's surface was carved into the image of a cavern with a cave opening in the distance that rays of light emerge from, illuminating the terrain. By speaking the word "Zharr," the ring activates, creating an area around the chosen target that will either protect or enchain them in a magical shell, while setting any magical entity or construct, especially the undead, around them alight with Hysh infused fire. Burning both their bodies and the magic that animates them.
---
Combo, Underworld Flame [Master Rune of Expurgation, Rune of Gazul, Rune of Gazul's Flame] Upon activation the user selects themselves, an ally or enemy as the target. If friendly they are protected by a shell of
Hysh infused flames that absorb a set amount of magic. If an enemy they are immobilized by burning chains. In either case enemies, especially Undead, in a radius around the target are caught alight by heatless flames that burn both their corporeal form and/or the magic that maintains them. The flames continue to burn even after the enemy has left the radius, and can only be snuffed out by dispelling them. Especially effective against the undead.
---
Touched by the Earth
---
Touched by the Storm
---
Echoes of the Anvil: Aqshy, Chamon and Hysh especially are more easily drawn to this item than what would be usual.
---
Soul of the Earth
---
Trollbane: Trolls instinctively fear this work, the phantom sensation of flame and smell of cooked flesh hits those within melee range of the wearer.
---
Chaosbane: The Hysh around the ring is repugnant to entities of disorder.
-- Peerless Production
[6/?] > [9/?]
-- Voidstone retained!
-- +1 Standing with Karaz-a-Karak, new totals:
Karstah
- An Even Better Smelter complete!
--
Gain Greater Dragonblood Smelter [Produces x6 bars of Adamant/Turn (Already Includes Adamant Bonus)]
--- Pushing the practical limits of just how efficient Karstah can make its design and array, the Greater Dragonblood Smelter is the absolute bleeding edge of Adamant production as understood by the Brotherhood of Dron.
--- Requires
x10 [T4] Adamant, x1 [T4] Voidstone] to be built.
---
A Rune of Siphoning or equivalent magic rich environment is required to produce as rapidly as the current Dragonblood Smelter, otherwise it can only make 5 bars every 2 turns or make 3 bars every turn.
--- Produces
x1 [T2] Dragon Essence a turn.
---
Combo, True Adamant Maker: [Master Rune of Purification, Rune of Vigorous Furnace, Rune of Forgeflame] Can transform Gromril into Adamant. Can only be inscribed on Adamant.
-- +70 Favours with the Brotherhood of Dron, new totals: (calculated below)
-- Productivity Like One Other
[5/15] > [8/15]
-- Mind for Metal
[4/9] > [10/9]
- Mysterious Mystery Spindle complete!
-- The needle is made of another mysterious alloy whose composition gives it an outsized level of strength and durability for its size and width compared to anything short of Gromril.
-- A bit of clever experimentation using a length of foreign twine has allowed Karstah to discover that the needle's eye is connected to a pocket of space where whatever mechanism that allows it to extend the length of thread is occurring. To the naked eye this additional thread is indistinguishable from the original, but more careful examination reveals a few peculiar differences.
-- +2 Progress to The Secrets of Storage Pt. 2, new totals:
[Cost: (14 -6) =8 actions]
-- +1 Progress to The Fixing of Things Pt. 2, new totals:
[Cost: (14 -1) =13 actions]
--- Mind for Metal
[10/9] > [14/9]
--- Master of the Odd
[6/15] > [9/15]
Retainers
- +1 Progress to Expedition, Aiding Dorden, new totals:
[Cost: (3 -2) =1 retainer actions]
- Way to the Stones complete!
-- +4 Progress to Monolith Mastery Pt.1 (calculated above)
- +120 to Retinue cap, new total: 240
- +9 Master Engineers recruited, new totals: 30
- +6 Hearthwarden Rangers recruited, new totals: 40
- +2 Longbeard Miners recruited, new totals: 10
120 +17 = 137/240
Khazagar
- There was a bit of a stir when a southern Runesmith from Karak Drazh came by and went on what you could only call a shopping spree of sorts. Over the span of a few short years he wheeled and dealed his way through several Snorrist Runesmiths to trade knowledge of a few Runes he knew in exchange for their own Runelore. Nothing prohibits that of course, but the brazenness to which he did it, and the fact that he targeted those who claim to align themselves with you has a few tongues wagging. Not quite judging them like some would a maiden who danced with a suitor one time too many, but tutting and grumbling about this being the expected outcome. For their part, those involved seem happy as a clam, and have already begun spreading the
Rune of Shifting Steel and
Rune of Binding Form to others who meet their standards. You
may want to look into that.
- Ornsmotek Runesmiths that brave coming here rather than to
Vragni's institution have a habit of not returning to their home. Either staying here, or moving on to another Hold. You aren't surprised, but its still just a smidge upsetting. Man's the one escalating your disagreement into the very split he crows you are causing.
- In less sad news the contests being hosted in Khazagar are finding larger and larger crowds of potential patrons and participants. Several high ranking Dwarfs from the region, excluding Ornsmotek, have walked away with Runecraft while their makers have earned themselves more clients. Gloin is particularly happy, as three annual contest winners this past decade have made
three potent [T3] weapons he has happily claimed, either to hand off as political gifts or use as fitting rewards for noteworthy youths as he saw fit.
Orders
- +1 [Tier 4] Voidstone, arriving
Turn 56
- +1 [Tier 4] Radiant Pegasus Blood, arriving
Turn 59
Favour and Standing
- +70 Favours with the Brotherhood of Dron, new totals: Favours 70
- +1 Standing with Karaz-a-Karak, new totals: Standing 1
Trait(s) Gained/Upgraded
Snorri
Peerless Production
[6/?] > [9/?]
Karstah
Master of the Odd [6/15] >
[9/15]
Mind for Metal [14/9]
> Master of Metal [5/12]:
Every 2 research actions used for [Metal] Runes, and all geological material add 1 extra progress. If 3 research actions, instead add 2 extra progress. Work with all Gromril tiers will be improved.
Productivity Like One Other
[5/15] > [8/15]
━<><><><==><><><>━
AN: Mer Chrimus. Its very late, but I hope you enjoy it. Oh and don't forget to C&C. :^)
