Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
Actually, we picked the weak start that would have had us become really strong if we got things right.We picked the weak start last time, I'll be damned if we don't pick it again.
The Lighthouses and the Pit (Fantasy Mage Quest)
- Thread starter occipitallobe
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
- Location
- Straya
Currently the votes sit as follows:
Pit Scavengers - 7
City Orphan - 6
Villager - 4
It's pretty close, so I'll leave it open for a few more hours, or until one side gains a clear advantage - whichever comes first.
Things I would say, based on analysis.
Firstly, all starts are roughly equal in power, and have roughly equal potential for long-term power growth. An Artifact is a pretty big deal (you might get 'drastically weakens Darklings', or 'allows you to use your magical skills at 10x power for ten minutes at the cost of exhausting yourself for the day', you're unlikely to get something as weak as 'shoots a fireball'), and obtaining one is notoriously difficult. However, physical fitness really matters, especially if you don't go for a magical school related to mobility. Likewise, weaker magic isn't a small deal in a world where survival isn't easy.
Secondly, don't discount any skills. They're all good. Combat skills are crucial for a non-combat mage (enchanting items is a lot better if you know how to use them well), and survival skills are amazing for anyone who's magic set doesn't lend themselves to sneaking, hunting, and hiding to sleep - and doing so very quietly and inconspicuously. The world is a barren, terrible place where strangers are feared and monsters roam with impunity, and a mage is still vulnerably while asleep.
Magical knowledge is also excellent - even in the face of extinction, human beings are politicking, backstabbing dicks. Knowing what others can do (and that knowledge is guarded jealously) pays.
Lastly, a trade sounds pretty basic, but actually offers a lot of synergy. This is not a rich world filled with great markets - swords and shields are valuable items, and quality ones are valuable even for a mage. Basic smithing, fletching, scribing, etc, is high utility.
Pit Scavengers - 7
City Orphan - 6
Villager - 4
It's pretty close, so I'll leave it open for a few more hours, or until one side gains a clear advantage - whichever comes first.
Things I would say, based on analysis.
Firstly, all starts are roughly equal in power, and have roughly equal potential for long-term power growth. An Artifact is a pretty big deal (you might get 'drastically weakens Darklings', or 'allows you to use your magical skills at 10x power for ten minutes at the cost of exhausting yourself for the day', you're unlikely to get something as weak as 'shoots a fireball'), and obtaining one is notoriously difficult. However, physical fitness really matters, especially if you don't go for a magical school related to mobility. Likewise, weaker magic isn't a small deal in a world where survival isn't easy.
Secondly, don't discount any skills. They're all good. Combat skills are crucial for a non-combat mage (enchanting items is a lot better if you know how to use them well), and survival skills are amazing for anyone who's magic set doesn't lend themselves to sneaking, hunting, and hiding to sleep - and doing so very quietly and inconspicuously. The world is a barren, terrible place where strangers are feared and monsters roam with impunity, and a mage is still vulnerably while asleep.
Magical knowledge is also excellent - even in the face of extinction, human beings are politicking, backstabbing dicks. Knowing what others can do (and that knowledge is guarded jealously) pays.
Lastly, a trade sounds pretty basic, but actually offers a lot of synergy. This is not a rich world filled with great markets - swords and shields are valuable items, and quality ones are valuable even for a mage. Basic smithing, fletching, scribing, etc, is high utility.
- Location
- Virginia
[X] You are an orphan of one of the Three Cities. Brought up in an fearful environment where many were kicked out of the city on their majority, sent to seek the nearest Lighthouse or die in the attempt. Your people have faced sieges by the Darkling Hordes in the past, and likely will again. As an orphan, you will gain few useful skills, but the Three Cities are the world's greatest concentration of mages, so you will know more about them. Unlocks city choice in the next post. Some basic knowledge about mages gained (lore only, no actual magic ability). Low combat knowledge.
- Location
- Straya
City Orphan and Pit Scavenger are 50-50! In the interests of moving things along, the next vote can be a tiebreaker.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
I advocate Villager over City -
The reason why is that having Bad Combat forces us to have Combat magic to compensate; And the ability to trade and diplomance is quite good, though somewhat secondary.
With a Villager vote, I do expect that we can become an itemcrafter build, which is quite safe, in my opinion - We can stay awaayyyyyy from dangerous places.
The reason why is that having Bad Combat forces us to have Combat magic to compensate; And the ability to trade and diplomance is quite good, though somewhat secondary.
With a Villager vote, I do expect that we can become an itemcrafter build, which is quite safe, in my opinion - We can stay awaayyyyyy from dangerous places.
chocolote12
A Penguin Flailing Against The Keyboard Of Life.
[X] Pit child.
- Location
- A Place Miserably Bereft of Cats
[x] City Orphan
[x] Villager
Kinda think there should be more time allowed for folks to decide on whether or not they want to play corruption quest for a second time. The vote was otherwise split between whether magic or combat was more significant, but judging by how many village and city voters expressed that they didn't want to deal with corruption, there should be some leeway.
Didn't y'all already vote on the last page?
[x] Villager
Kinda think there should be more time allowed for folks to decide on whether or not they want to play corruption quest for a second time. The vote was otherwise split between whether magic or combat was more significant, but judging by how many village and city voters expressed that they didn't want to deal with corruption, there should be some leeway.
Didn't y'all already vote on the last page?
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- Location
- Straya
Urgh, darn it, coming back to two votes and a tie means I'm less inclined to move forward. This is a fair argument, but this is also a considerably less impactful choice than character creation was in Vorstallen. If people are concerned about this, though, maybe I should leave it for longer. I might write up a little about the various magical schools instead.
The first time round, there were much larger differences between character builds - having high Channeling versus high Intelligence basically determined a *lot* about your character, and you could choose a bunch of massively impactful things right from the get-go. Here, it's a straight debuff traded for skills (you can train up skills over time, but it'll take time away from mastering your magic), but the playstyle remains fairly similar - low Channeling in Vorstallen meant you couldn't be an effective combat wizard, but none of these choices really close any doors. All schools of magic rely on magical strength to a reasonably similar degree, and minmaxing is much harder (I'm also planning on there being a lot more survival situations, so players can't look at the long-term and simply optimize for that).
The main difference, and the one I want to leave open for a lot longer will be schools of magic. The first few choices are buffs/debuffs, skills and other minor choices, whereas the first major part of the quest will be played with access to only one school of magic (and possibly longer, depending on choices). In that regard, maybe I'll leave this choice open a little long and talk about some schools of magic and lore, and give the villagers a chance to see which way they want to fall.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
I'll admit my personal preference tends toward "Buff Self Into The Stratosphere, Crush Things" rather than "Squishy Wizard", if just because hostile magics can be dodged or resisted, but self-buffing tends to be fairly reliable.
- Location
- A Place Miserably Bereft of Cats
I agree personally, but I think that shoring up a combat skill weakness with combat buffs and fireballs and so on is probably less hard than purging corruption and dealing with weakened magic.
Personally I like the Villager too. Having a mundane trade is neat and flavorful IMO. But I'm guessing that choice of city will give some neat flavorful character stuff too.
Doesn't seem up-to-date. I shifted my vote recently too.
Manual count gives:
City (Umi-san, Epicrandom, Veekie, LostMyToucan, Shard, Wingstrike96, Kingofbooks, Stormgear) - 8 Total
Village (Kalrotix, Sickul, Barondoctor, Shard, Stormgear) - 5 Total
Pit (Childish Chimera, Neptune, Chocolate12, Vsh, BunnyLord, Cornix Argentus, Hannz) - 7 Total
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Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
What makes you think you'll have that choice, and that others won't bring combat to you?
- Location
- A Place Miserably Bereft of Cats
The same can be said for meandering through the wilderness. The worst kind of death is a slow debilitating fall to starvation. Or being suddenly set upon by literal bears.
@occipitallobe if there's still a tie, chose the backstory you'd enjoy writing the most. It's a serious consideration in any quest.
The Red Lighthouse
- Location
- Straya
Delving deeper into the book, you flip until you find a gorgeous picture of a white stone lighthouse, rising hundreds of metres above the ground. At the top shines a great red light, so bright the source cannot be seen. The Red Lighthouse. You've never seen it, of course. You turn the page, and beneath a brief sketch of a warrior shooting an arrow that splits into a hundred lies the text.
The Red Lighthouse is the Lighthouse of Rosolin, and most mages in Rosolin gain powers from that Lighthouse. It offers three schools of magic, and tends to find itself mediated by anger. Those who are angry by nature gain the powers of Air, and become Breathtakers. Those who are calm gain the powers of the mind, and become Mindscours. Those who sit in-between are given the powers of the Longshot, the supernatural archery that defends the walls of Rosolin.
Every person to leave the Red Lighthouse as a mage leaves with one of these three powers. In the Age of Shadows, it was said Mindscours were common. Now, Rosolin sends its weak and indigent to die in the Lighthouse, and Mindscours are few indeed. My personal theory is that the calmest do not now survive on the streets of Rosolin. Calmness requires prosperity and training, and Rosolin cannot sacrifice its calmest to the Lighthouse. They become scribes and administrators, warriors and traders.
I of course do not know the true depths of these powers, but I have seen much in my travels. A Longshot is not merely a better archer, but can perform feats with the bow that are impossible for an ordinary person. Arrows can split into one, or many, striking down foes in their ten or hundreds. I have seen an arrow shot by one of the Longshots during the Siege of 2711 carve a Grandspider in half, slicing a creature that stood twenty feet tall into two still-moving, still-killing pieces.
I know little of the Mindscours, and know only two things. Firstly, that their magics do not work on the Darklings. Other human beings are vulnerable to them, but they cannot read the memories or dominate the minds of humanity's true foe. Secondly, that they learn with preternatural skill, able to steal the mundane skills of others as a thief might steal a purse.
Lastly are the Breathtakers, the masters of Air. Able to carry themselves for some distance on a friendly wind, or blow enemies to the ground with a great thunderclap in the air, they dance across the battlefield with ease. They move from one place to another in an instant, using wind to direct the arrows and bolts of their allies. Still, their power is ill-suited to direct confrontation, and it takes time and effort to gather the winds.
The Red Lighthouse is the Lighthouse of Rosolin, and most mages in Rosolin gain powers from that Lighthouse. It offers three schools of magic, and tends to find itself mediated by anger. Those who are angry by nature gain the powers of Air, and become Breathtakers. Those who are calm gain the powers of the mind, and become Mindscours. Those who sit in-between are given the powers of the Longshot, the supernatural archery that defends the walls of Rosolin.
Every person to leave the Red Lighthouse as a mage leaves with one of these three powers. In the Age of Shadows, it was said Mindscours were common. Now, Rosolin sends its weak and indigent to die in the Lighthouse, and Mindscours are few indeed. My personal theory is that the calmest do not now survive on the streets of Rosolin. Calmness requires prosperity and training, and Rosolin cannot sacrifice its calmest to the Lighthouse. They become scribes and administrators, warriors and traders.
I of course do not know the true depths of these powers, but I have seen much in my travels. A Longshot is not merely a better archer, but can perform feats with the bow that are impossible for an ordinary person. Arrows can split into one, or many, striking down foes in their ten or hundreds. I have seen an arrow shot by one of the Longshots during the Siege of 2711 carve a Grandspider in half, slicing a creature that stood twenty feet tall into two still-moving, still-killing pieces.
I know little of the Mindscours, and know only two things. Firstly, that their magics do not work on the Darklings. Other human beings are vulnerable to them, but they cannot read the memories or dominate the minds of humanity's true foe. Secondly, that they learn with preternatural skill, able to steal the mundane skills of others as a thief might steal a purse.
Lastly are the Breathtakers, the masters of Air. Able to carry themselves for some distance on a friendly wind, or blow enemies to the ground with a great thunderclap in the air, they dance across the battlefield with ease. They move from one place to another in an instant, using wind to direct the arrows and bolts of their allies. Still, their power is ill-suited to direct confrontation, and it takes time and effort to gather the winds.
- Location
- Lasha Tumbai
Well, Mindscours and Breathtakers both seem neat. (So do Longshots, but I prefer the other two)
@occipitallobe - Indigo's gone boom, so we're probably not going to get to choose that as a school of magic - how likely is an indigo-related artifact?
@occipitallobe - Indigo's gone boom, so we're probably not going to get to choose that as a school of magic - how likely is an indigo-related artifact?
- Location
- Straya
No lighthouse had ever gone out before the darkening of the Indigo Lighthouse, at least within the memories and writings of those that remain.
As the stories tell it, the sea receded, and the land came forth. From the sea came humanity, rising out of the waves and stepping onto the land. They built towns and villages, cities and towers. Before too long, though, the Darklings came, eager to consume and destroy humanity. Flooding onto the land, they drove humanity to the brink. The greatest mage of the era, or perhaps she was a goddess, used great magics and great wisdom to raise seven Lighthouses on the edges of the land, light too great for the Darklings to bear. They retreated into the sea.
Though these are only stories, if any true records remain of those vaunted days, they are concealed within the Pit.
- Location
- Straya
Inserted tally
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
Inserted tally
Character Creation - City Choice
- Location
- Straya
It does look like Orphan is the winning option.
Please note that the cities guard their Lighthouses, and have a general compact not to allow orphans from other cities into their own. While you can enter your own City's Lighthouse, or travel to an unclaimed one, picking Rosolin will lock out out of the Yellow and Green Lighthouses, picking Everett will lock you out of the Red and Yellow Lighthouses, and picking Madalgia will lock you out of the Red and Green Lighthouses. This will not effect you if you happen to somehow enter a second Lighthouse as a mage.
This is to pare down the choices a little before you pick a first school of magic, rather than simply presenting eighteen overly complex choices.
The footsteps came back, and you quickly hid the book away once more as the door swung open. Father Matthias stood there, shaking his head.
"I know you like to read, but come out! Listen to the sermon, speak to your fellows. After all, this is the greatest city in the world! This is..."
[ ] Rosolin, City of Ten Thousand Bows
Rosolin is the smallest of the Three Cities, boasting a population of a mere thirty thousand. When the population rises much above this, the Darkling raids intensify, and if it were to hit as many as thirty-five, the city would face a siege of tremendous power. As such, the young in the city who do not earn a place to stay are sent to the nearest Lighthouse, where most die. On occasion, one travels across the Shadowlands to the Violet Lighthouse, and returns with other powers.
Being so distant from the other two Cities, and so close to the Shadowlands means Rosolin is poor and small, but the Longshots and Breathtakers who defend its walls are without peer, and it is rare a raid does any real damage.
Living in Rosolin gains you magical knowledge regarding Longshots, Breathtakers, and Mindscours. Archery magic, air magic, and mind magic, respectively. This will enable you to better combat these mages, and you will be able to learn some useful spells if you happen to join one of these schools of magic. You will not be able to enter the Green or Yellow Lighthouses at first.
[ ] Everett, City of Eternal Green
Everett is the most defensible of the three cities. The Green Lighthouse brings Alchemists, who concoct explosives, healing flasks and the like, trading with the other Cities and with the surrounding countryside. The Vineweavers of Everett grow great plant walls, and fruits fall from the many trees grown within its gentle embrace. If the explosives and plants fail, then the Coldhands of Everett create great spears and blades of ice, driving the Darklings back as the last line of defense.
Safer than Roslin, Everett supports a population of forty-five thousand, though it faces many more raids as a result. At fifty thousand, it faces sieges and the like, and sends its orphans and unneeded youngsters to the Green Lighthouse, though some choose to strike off on their own, and enter the Blue.
Living in Rosolin gains you magical knowledge regarding Alchemists, Vineweavers, and Coldhands. Concoction magic, plant magic, and ice magic respectively. This will enable you to better combat these mages, and you will be able to learn some useful spells if you happen to join one of these schools of magic. You will not be able to enter the Red or Yellow Lighthouses at first.
[ ] Madalgia, City of the Three Trade Walls
Truly the largest of the Three Cities, Madalgia has a population of seventy thousand. Its distance from the Shadowlands allows it to support this, and its position between the other two Cities sees it trade with the other two, as well as send expeditions into the Pit for Artifacts. By far the richest, Madalgia often suffers from raids and even sieges.
However, it has perhaps the most useful magics. The Shaderunners do not defend the city, but slip between villagers and cities, carrying messages and useful Artifacts, trading in things the cities need from one another. The Spellthieves travel with them, able to steal (though more often pay for) useful magical effects that they can bring to bear for the city's defense later on, and the Glimpses peer into the immediate future, ensuring any attack is deflected by the city's mundane forces. However, with the stealth of the Shaderunners, Madalgia is able to better enter the Pit than any other city, and uses Artifacts to defend their walls, as well as sneaking groups of aspirants to the Orange Lighthousee.
Living in Madalgia gains you magical knowledge regarding Shaderunners, Spellthieves, and Glimpses. Stealth magic, effect-appropriating magic (a Spellthief can absorb and store a magical effect and use it later, though this requires another mage to cast for them), and precognition magic (certainly not Worm-level though) respectively. This will enable you to better combat these mages, and you will be able to learn some useful spells if you happen to join one of these schools of magic. You will not be able to enter the Green or Red Lighthouses at first.
Please note that the cities guard their Lighthouses, and have a general compact not to allow orphans from other cities into their own. While you can enter your own City's Lighthouse, or travel to an unclaimed one, picking Rosolin will lock out out of the Yellow and Green Lighthouses, picking Everett will lock you out of the Red and Yellow Lighthouses, and picking Madalgia will lock you out of the Red and Green Lighthouses. This will not effect you if you happen to somehow enter a second Lighthouse as a mage.
This is to pare down the choices a little before you pick a first school of magic, rather than simply presenting eighteen overly complex choices.
The footsteps came back, and you quickly hid the book away once more as the door swung open. Father Matthias stood there, shaking his head.
"I know you like to read, but come out! Listen to the sermon, speak to your fellows. After all, this is the greatest city in the world! This is..."
[ ] Rosolin, City of Ten Thousand Bows
Rosolin is the smallest of the Three Cities, boasting a population of a mere thirty thousand. When the population rises much above this, the Darkling raids intensify, and if it were to hit as many as thirty-five, the city would face a siege of tremendous power. As such, the young in the city who do not earn a place to stay are sent to the nearest Lighthouse, where most die. On occasion, one travels across the Shadowlands to the Violet Lighthouse, and returns with other powers.
Being so distant from the other two Cities, and so close to the Shadowlands means Rosolin is poor and small, but the Longshots and Breathtakers who defend its walls are without peer, and it is rare a raid does any real damage.
Living in Rosolin gains you magical knowledge regarding Longshots, Breathtakers, and Mindscours. Archery magic, air magic, and mind magic, respectively. This will enable you to better combat these mages, and you will be able to learn some useful spells if you happen to join one of these schools of magic. You will not be able to enter the Green or Yellow Lighthouses at first.
[ ] Everett, City of Eternal Green
Everett is the most defensible of the three cities. The Green Lighthouse brings Alchemists, who concoct explosives, healing flasks and the like, trading with the other Cities and with the surrounding countryside. The Vineweavers of Everett grow great plant walls, and fruits fall from the many trees grown within its gentle embrace. If the explosives and plants fail, then the Coldhands of Everett create great spears and blades of ice, driving the Darklings back as the last line of defense.
Safer than Roslin, Everett supports a population of forty-five thousand, though it faces many more raids as a result. At fifty thousand, it faces sieges and the like, and sends its orphans and unneeded youngsters to the Green Lighthouse, though some choose to strike off on their own, and enter the Blue.
Living in Rosolin gains you magical knowledge regarding Alchemists, Vineweavers, and Coldhands. Concoction magic, plant magic, and ice magic respectively. This will enable you to better combat these mages, and you will be able to learn some useful spells if you happen to join one of these schools of magic. You will not be able to enter the Red or Yellow Lighthouses at first.
[ ] Madalgia, City of the Three Trade Walls
Truly the largest of the Three Cities, Madalgia has a population of seventy thousand. Its distance from the Shadowlands allows it to support this, and its position between the other two Cities sees it trade with the other two, as well as send expeditions into the Pit for Artifacts. By far the richest, Madalgia often suffers from raids and even sieges.
However, it has perhaps the most useful magics. The Shaderunners do not defend the city, but slip between villagers and cities, carrying messages and useful Artifacts, trading in things the cities need from one another. The Spellthieves travel with them, able to steal (though more often pay for) useful magical effects that they can bring to bear for the city's defense later on, and the Glimpses peer into the immediate future, ensuring any attack is deflected by the city's mundane forces. However, with the stealth of the Shaderunners, Madalgia is able to better enter the Pit than any other city, and uses Artifacts to defend their walls, as well as sneaking groups of aspirants to the Orange Lighthousee.
Living in Madalgia gains you magical knowledge regarding Shaderunners, Spellthieves, and Glimpses. Stealth magic, effect-appropriating magic (a Spellthief can absorb and store a magical effect and use it later, though this requires another mage to cast for them), and precognition magic (certainly not Worm-level though) respectively. This will enable you to better combat these mages, and you will be able to learn some useful spells if you happen to join one of these schools of magic. You will not be able to enter the Green or Red Lighthouses at first.
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