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  1. - Top - End - #121
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    First off, it's "Saala.". The double a comes first. Second, I love the monologue. It neatly encapsulates Arrusif's view of the events. However, this should in fact be Arrusif's view, and not necessarily the reality. Aqua, for example, would hardly want "nothing to do with [him]," although she would shy away from an Inter-Mind war. (She cites the fact that such a war would blow the lid off the switch, causing widespread mistrust of the Minds at best and revolt at worst, not to mention that Obsid has Arrusif's people (and the nomon) held basically hostage, which Arrusif would ignore). Third, I'm not sure how Dekon wouldn't see Arrusif being driven to use the unadulterated power of the sun, although he may see it as impossible. Fourth, the whole point of the rehabilitation was to avoid the "shambling horror"-ness of lichdom.
    1) I'm bad at names with multiple sets of vowels
    2) Arrusif always seemed like a guy who just had one. bad. day. Reality didn't really factor into his thoughts post-lichification
    C) Aqua probably would have helped in a more sneaky sneak way had Arrusif not stormed off. Saala agreed, but thought Arrusif was too rash and impulsive/maybe not recuperating as well as they hoped. And Dekon always felt kind of mellow to me, so maybe the calm way he tried to talk to Arrusif felt like condescension to the lich. I'm not sure Arrusif would have told them about his "Sun" plot though.
    D)...no wait...
    4) I think Lichification is like alcoholism: You're never "cured", but always "recovering". The laundry list of horrible that Arrusif got gobsmacked by when he woke up probably didn't help much.
    5) Pears. I hate pears!
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    1) I'm bad at names with multiple sets of vowels
    2) Arrusif always seemed like a guy who just had one. bad. day. Reality didn't really factor into his thoughts post-lichification
    C) Aqua probably would have helped in a more sneaky sneak way had Arrusif not stormed off. Saala agreed, but thought Arrusif was too rash and impulsive/maybe not recuperating as well as they hoped. And Dekon always felt kind of mellow to me, so maybe the calm way he tried to talk to Arrusif felt like condescension to the lich. I'm not sure Arrusif would have told them about his "Sun" plot though.
    D)...no wait...
    4) I think Lichification is like alcoholism: You're never "cured", but always "recovering". The laundry list of horrible that Arrusif got gobsmacked by when he woke up probably didn't help much.
    5) Pears. I hate pears!
    Somebody's been watching old Doctor Who eps.

    In order:
    1)It's no big, it's just that I can't help thinking of a plushie-sized beaconfish spawning every time you make that typo. (by the way, I will change that to something more terrestrial and non-earthlike when I think of it)
    2) Yeah... maybe more like a bad week.
    C) There's also the problem of how would Arrusif go about killing the Mind, and I don't think Aqua would have been able to help all that much. "sneaky sneak" methods would have been half intel-gathering, half stalling tactic, which Arrusif in his current state of mind would not like at all.
    D/4) I guess. The point is if he doesn't concentrate on keeping his motions alive-looking, he starts jerking around like a marionette. Also, he can cast consistent illusions in his sleep (with such a negligible amount of energy that he can cast them continuously), but if he doesn't devote some part of his mind to controlling it directly, he starts looking like the Happy Mask Salesman.
    5) I don't really like them either. Once they get the least bit ripe they get mushy and tasteless.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-07-18 at 10:03 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

  3. - Top - End - #123
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    C) There's also the problem of how would Arrusif go about killing the Mind, and I don't think Aqua would have been able to help all that much. "sneaky sneak" methods would have been half intel-gathering, half stalling tactic, which Arrusif in his current state of mind would not like at all.
    I think Arrusif would have first thought, "Kill it with fire", considering his specialty. He might have been in that state of mind where just blowing up the Nexus would have been good to him. Alternatively, Aqua's sneaky plans would have also employed the creation of a much grander lattice-thing than what was used to store Arrusif. Like, had Arrusif just let Aqua finish her idea, they would have had a soul-trapping device to rip Obsid from the Nexus with. Then the Four Minds could've blasted his ancient corpse until it stopped twitching.

    D/4) I guess. The point is if he doesn't concentrate on keeping his motions alive-looking, he starts jerking around like a marionette. Also, he can cast consistent illusions in his sleep (with such a negligible amount of energy that he can cast them continuously), but if he doesn't devote some part of his mind to controlling it directly, he starts looking like the Happy Mask Salesman.
    That's just great. Add to the pile of suck he's got going on. He's stuck with illusions as his best power (assuming every fireball he throws threatens to catch his vines on fire) and if he's not paying attention he starts hobbling down the street like Horror-Pinocchio. And we wonder why he went Supervillain?
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  4. - Top - End - #124
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Remember what I said back in the official history post? About how Arrusif was an illusionist human mage? Illusions were always his primary power. Now, however, it's just that trying to channel anything more dangerous than a candle flame causes his arms to develop veins of charcoal. Also, Arrusif was D-E-D dead in the interim. There was no storage, there was just "the soul left, then the soul was called back by a goblin and tied into the body and the fish tank phylactery." As for the uncanny valley-ness of Arrusif's costume, there might have been a learning curve, especially after he reawoke, but by the time the players come on the scene, he just needs to remember to breathe visibly.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    There was no storage, there was just "the soul left, then the soul was called back by a goblin and tied into the body and the fish tank phylactery."
    I've forgotten now, where's the fishtank? I remember you mentioning it, but I now have a hilarious image of a skeleton dragging a fish tank behind him, huffing as he goes.
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  6. - Top - End - #126
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    I've forgotten now, where's the fishtank? I remember you mentioning it, but I now have a hilarious image of a skeleton dragging a fish tank behind him, huffing as he goes.
    Dekon has it. As long as the enchantment on it works and Arrusif's memories get stored in it as they happen, distance shouldn't matter. (Again, this was a Mind-cast spell, like Saala's teleport pad) As for character justification, Dekon basically kept it for old times' sake, and convinced Arrusif (somehow) to leave it behind.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

  7. - Top - End - #127
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Dekon has it. As long as the enchantment on it works and Arrusif's memories get stored in it as they happen, distance shouldn't matter. (Again, this was a Mind-cast spell, like Saala's teleport pad) As for character justification, Dekon basically kept it for old times' sake, and convinced Arrusif (somehow) to leave it behind.
    Maybe it's hidden in Dekon's library under a mountain of defensive spells. How big is the tank? At a certain size Dekon could have it as a wall in his throneroom "for decoration", a gift from Aqua...
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Maybe it's hidden in Dekon's library under a mountain of defensive spells. How big is the tank? At a certain size Dekon could have it as a wall in his throneroom "for decoration", a gift from Aqua...
    Technically, it only needed to be the size of a human brain, but Aqua made it larger so the neuron-eddies would be easier to work with. To the Earth human's eye, it would resemble a large covered Grecian kylix (itself not unlike a large goblet) or a lidded spoutless soup tureen, except made entirely of glass and with beacon-jellies and horn coral instead of edibles. (It, or an illusion of it, would be hidden in plain sight on the staircase up to Dekon's throne room (specially-designed display cases lit by glowing mushroom), along with several other elaborately described gifts from the Minds. Among these: A compass that points north and towards Saalarann's physical location, a brightly jeweled and decorated set of robotic beetles from Obsidia, The fish tank itself, and a "chess" set made of ebon'a and whytestone, a seemingly mundane treasure of Dekon's that belonged to him and Arrusif back in Alabas, among many, many others. (NOTE: Should probably think up a game for the schemers at Alabas to play, but would like to distance it from chess somehow. My current thought is "Stratego, but the players build their armies from a common pool rather than having identical ones, on a hexagonal rather than a square board.")
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-07-20 at 10:28 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

  9. - Top - End - #129
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    (NOTE: Should probably think up a game for the schemers at Alabas to play, but would like to distance it from chess somehow. My current thought is "Stratego, but the players build their armies from a common pool rather than having identical ones, on a hexagonal rather than a square board.")
    Hmmm. Does it have to be a fully-thought-out game? Or can it be a "they play a sort of chess game. No, you don't know the rules. No, no one wants to tell you how to play. Because you smell funny."

    I'm thinking something like Chinese Checkers, only there needs to be an elemental theme, like there are four sets of pieces, and they operate under different movement rules. Like "A Water piece can capture a Fire piece if it occupies the same space," but "A Fire piece cannot be taken by a Water if it shares one or more sides with another Fire piece". So, a Fire player tries to keep his pieces together, because a Water player can wreck him good like firefighters taking care of a small fire as opposed to a huge one.

    Likewise, "Air pieces repel Water pieces, forcing the Water player to move his pieces at least one space away." But then "An Earth piece may capture a Water and replace it with a new Earth piece (like a plant absorbing water)". "A Fire piece may take any Earth piece, as Water takes Fire." "Air can move Fire like it can move Water, but it cannot move Earth."

    You get a set number of pieces per "Mage", basically a Queen-style figure that works like a general piece. So if we have a 1 Player Per Element system, it's all about using your "Mages" to combine their "Spell Pieces" into huge, mega formations. But in a system where you can mix and match "Mages", it becomes a highly tactical game. For example, one player might have a Fire and a Wind Mage, and that allows him to burn Earth pieces while repelling Water pieces.

    Oooooh!!! They can be two different styles! People in Riven (Rivein? Rivien?) prefer the "Freelancer Style", while people from the Mind-Cities focus on "Mind Style".

    Thoughts?
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Hmmm. Does it have to be a fully-thought-out game? Or can it be a "they play a sort of chess game. No, you don't know the rules. No, no one wants to tell you how to play. Because you smell funny."
    Not necessarily, it just feels like a cop-out to say it's fantasy chess. Also, at your handwave.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    I'm thinking something like Chinese Checkers, only there needs to be an elemental theme, like there are four sets of pieces, and they operate under different movement rules. Like "A Water piece can capture a Fire piece if it occupies the same space," but "A Fire piece cannot be taken by a Water if it shares one or more sides with another Fire piece". So, a Fire player tries to keep his pieces together, because a Water player can wreck him good like firefighters taking care of a small fire as opposed to a huge one.

    Likewise, "Air pieces repel Water pieces, forcing the Water player to move his pieces at least one space away." But then "An Earth piece may capture a Water and replace it with a new Earth piece (like a plant absorbing water)". "A Fire piece may take any Earth piece, as Water takes Fire." "Air can move Fire like it can move Water, but it cannot move Earth."

    You get a set number of pieces per "Mage", basically a Queen-style figure that works like a general piece. So if we have a 1 Player Per Element system, it's all about using your "Mages" to combine their "Spell Pieces" into huge, mega formations. But in a system where you can mix and match "Mages", it becomes a highly tactical game. For example, one player might have a Fire and a Wind Mage, and that allows him to burn Earth pieces while repelling Water pieces.
    I like it, but I think what could really sell it as a game originating in Alabas (like chess originated in Arabia, as I recall) is that the pieces are upside-down, which allows for a bluffing metagame. The exception to this is the mage, which is a towering figure clearly distinct from the "Spell" pieces.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Oooooh!!! They can be two different styles! People in Riven (Rivein? Rivien?) prefer the "Freelancer Style", while people from the Mind-Cities focus on "Mind Style".

    Thoughts?
    My first thought is: Why doesn't Freelancer Style have two Mages, which may or may not have the same element, while Mind Style restricts the player (regardless of number of mages per player) to one element. Alabas style, by contrast, is one mage, one element, one player.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Riven (Rivein? Rivien?)
    Chooo?

    It's Revien, by the way.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    I like it, but I think what could really sell it as a game originating in Alabas (like chess originated in Arabia, as I recall) is that the pieces are upside-down, which allows for a bluffing metagame. The exception to this is the mage, which is a towering figure clearly distinct from the "Spell" pieces.
    I like the idea of the game originating in Alabas, and the image of the towering mage piece is wonderful with that connection in mind. Perhaps then in Alabas they use one Mage piece and then many different Spell pieces that are kept face down so the opponent can't see the element. So it's "Secret Chinese Checker Stratego".

    My first thought is: Why doesn't Freelancer Style have two Mages, which may or may not have the same element, while Mind Style restricts the player (regardless of number of mages per player) to one element. Alabas style, by contrast, is one mage, one element, one player.
    I thought Freelancer style was a good name for a variant using multiple Mage pieces working together, sort of how Revien represents all the Minds and their elements, and how the Freelancers use people from every city. I originally thought that Mind Style should reflect the fact that each Mind was a master of a different element.

    Now I'm thinking, Mind Style and Alabas Style use One Mage piece per player, while Freelancer uses multiple ones with reduced movement. In the former two the game ends when someone claims the Mage, but in the latter capturing one mage just eliminates one element from the field of play. Freelancer style could use 3 Mages and 3 elements, Mind style uses 2 mages and 2 elements, and Alabas uses 1 mage, but 3 elements.
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  12. - Top - End - #132
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    I thought Freelancer style was a good name for a variant using multiple Mage pieces working together, sort of how Revien represents all the Minds and their elements, and how the Freelancers use people from every city. I originally thought that Mind Style should reflect the fact that each Mind was a master of a different element.

    Now I'm thinking, Mind Style and Alabas Style use One Mage piece per player, while Freelancer uses multiple ones with reduced movement. In the former two the game ends when someone claims the Mage, but in the latter capturing one mage just eliminates one element from the field of play. Freelancer style could use 3 Mages and 3 elements, Mind style uses 2 mages and 2 elements, and Alabas uses 1 mage, but 3 elements.
    You mean Mind style is 1 mage, one element, one player, and Freelancer is 2 mages, 2 elements, 1 player? To set it apart from Alabas style, which has one mage per player but many elements? (The pieces are not "Spell" pieces in Alabas style, but "Slave". One of the many things changed about the game when it was brought to Almantha).

    My first thought on how to change the mage piece's movement in Freelancer style was change it from "1 queen" to "2 kings" (to use earth chess terminology). However, my second thought was "2 kings does not equal 1 queen!" So, my current thought is that they are 2 bishops instead, and can move any diagonal distance, for four out of 6 directions (lateral directions are much less useful on a hexagonal board, when a certain piece can also choose to advance or retreat while retaining the lateral direction). Also, the variants for each element need to be altered slightly so that they can work with pieces that are hidden from the opponent until activated.

    EDIT: I just had an idea about elf culture: ebon'a is only ever used for defense. Armor, shields, fortification, never a blade. Any blades that are made from ebon'a are considered deeply taboo, assumed to be cursed, and objects of revulsion.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-07-21 at 11:45 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    However, my second thought was "2 kings does not equal 1 queen!" So, my current thought is that they are 2 bishops instead, and can move any diagonal distance, for four out of 6 directions (lateral directions are much less useful on a hexagonal board, when a certain piece can also choose to advance or retreat while retaining the lateral direction). Also, the variants for each element need to be altered slightly so that they can work with pieces that are hidden from the opponent until activated.
    How creeped out should I be that you guessed "Bishops", the exact same piece I was thinking? The Alabas Mage should move as many spaces as it wants, while the Mind Pieces should be restricted to...four, let's say.

    EDIT: I just had an idea about elf culture: ebon'a is only ever used for defense. Armor, shields, fortification, never a blade. Any blades that are made from ebon'a are considered deeply taboo, assumed to be cursed, and objects of revulsion.
    Sounds good. Elves shaping up to be pacifistic? I think there should be someone, either rogue assassin types or perhaps a slightly more...official group that use ebon'a weapons. For example, perhaps the PCs end up on the wrong side of someone working close to Dekon who's a bit zealous, and a couple of elves try to jump them with ebon'a weapons later. How cool would it be for the players to expose him, and watch Dekon just absorb the guy into his branches?
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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    How creeped out should I be that you guessed "Bishops", the exact same piece I was thinking? The Alabas Mage should move as many spaces as it wants, while the Mind Pieces should be restricted to...four, let's say.
    Sure, why not? It sounds a little underpowered at first, but it's easier to understand than "can only go as far as a Spell piece in the same line as it," which was my next thought.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Sounds good. Elves shaping up to be pacifistic? I think there should be someone, either rogue assassin types or perhaps a slightly more...official group that use ebon'a weapons. For example, perhaps the PCs end up on the wrong side of someone working close to Dekon who's a bit zealous, and a couple of elves try to jump them with ebon'a weapons later. How cool would it be for the players to expose him, and watch Dekon just absorb the guy into his branches?
    Pacifistic, yes. Stupid, no. It's only the ebon (that's the non-elven name for the material) weapons that get such a strong reaction, mostly because the trees in question are believed to have sacrificed everything to become ebon'a (using them as implements of murder is therefore considered an insult to both the victim and the tree itself). Almost anything else is fair game, although they do try to avoid (with all reasonable measures) an outright lethal attack. However, given that taboo, it feels difficult to justify an assassin cult that wouldn't just use poisoned wood or something. Also, such an assassin division shouldn't be official - I have difficulty believing Dekon wouldn't just kill them all after they ceased to be useful, especially if they used ebon weapons (Again, Dekon's a being-formerly-known-as-elf, and thus hates ebon weapons with the ire of any of them, although he recognizes their utility as a smear tactic).

    EDIT: Also, how do you make accented letters in this system? the a in ebon'a should have an aigu on it, and I've been making do with the apostrophe.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-07-22 at 09:22 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    At this point, however, I'm thinking way too hard about the practical problems of running a battle royale school for Russian assassins, so I think I'll leave it there.
    In my posts, smilies generally correspond to my expression at the time. As an example, means "huh?" and "Hmm..". Also, "Landis" is fine.

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    Default Re: The Minds of Almantha

    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    However, given that taboo, it feels difficult to justify an assassin cult that wouldn't just use poisoned wood or something. Also, such an assassin division shouldn't be official - I have difficulty believing Dekon wouldn't just kill them all after they ceased to be useful, especially if they used ebon weapons (Again, Dekon's a being-formerly-known-as-elf, and thus hates ebon weapons with the ire of any of them, although he recognizes their utility as a smear tactic).
    I meant that if there was an evil Elf (there's gotta be one) who was perhaps sociopathic and didn't care about using ebon'a and who was a member of high Dekonio society, high enough to work as Dekon's "clean-up man" for when people find out things they shouldn't and Dekon isn't close enough to handle things himself, it could be an interesting adventure. The players get chased by an order of assassins who have been trained to use ebon'a weapons, while trying to clear their names and expose the whole fiasco to Dekon. The evil elf could justify himself by believing that he's doing Dekon's will (whereas in truth he's just mad and hears the echos of his own deluded thoughts, ala Vorbis). Dekon can't be looking in on every single elf in his city, all the time, can he?

    Also, how do you make accented letters in this system? the a in ebon'a should have an aigu on it, and I've been making do with the apostrophe.
    I have no idea. Try google translating a word that has an accent, like niña and then copypasta the ñ. Eboña, if that's the right accent.

    And just realized you meant ń. So, ebońa.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    I meant that if there was an evil Elf (there's gotta be one) who was perhaps sociopathic and didn't care about using ebon'a and who was a member of high Dekonio society, high enough to work as Dekon's "clean-up man" for when people find out things they shouldn't and Dekon isn't close enough to handle things himself, it could be an interesting adventure. The players get chased by an order of assassins who have been trained to use ebon'a weapons, while trying to clear their names and expose the whole fiasco to Dekon. The evil elf could justify himself by believing that he's doing Dekon's will (whereas in truth he's just mad and hears the echos of his own deluded thoughts, ala Vorbis). Dekon can't be looking in on every single elf in his city, all the time, can he?
    No, he can't, but I'm still not certain why Dekon would trust someone with the red flag of "sociopathic enough to weaponize the traditions surrounding eboná." (Again, why doesn't he use normal wood, or stone, or imported metal? All of these would be easier and less obvious to obtain than unrefined eboná, not to mention that the very fact that you will need to craft this blade outside elven territory (or with an amount of secrecy bordering on paranoid schizophrenia)) The evil elf could think that he's doing Dekon's will, sure, but as a serial killer, not in the capacity of a professional hitman.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    I have no idea. Try google translating a word that has an accent, like niña and then copypasta the ñ. Eboña, if that's the right accent.

    And just realized you meant ń. So, ebońa.
    I just googled "words with accented a" and got something. Also, it's eboná, not ebońa.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    I just googled "words with accented a" and got something. Also, it's eboná, not ebońa.
    Well, as long as the mystery is solved, eh? Anything next?
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    Well, now that you mention it, a Dark Brotherhood-esque assassin's guild might be good as an anti-Freelancer Guard. It needs to be secret, however. I'm thinking Keyser Soze/House Dimir levels of secrecy, the "I don't believe they exist" type of secrecy. Oh, and irredeemably evil and assholish. Arrusif was driven to madness, and has the whiff of sympathetic background. These guys... shouldn't. Stuff like laughing about killing otherwise innocent victims, for coin. Stuff like killing outside contacts when it comes time to reimburse them and feeding them into woodchippers to cover their tracks. They'd make a nice mid-level antagonist, especially if the players get contracted to track them down and exterminate them, by Arrusif, as a 2nd-act climax campaign.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
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    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Well, now that you mention it, a Dark Brotherhood-esque assassin's guild might be good as an anti-Freelancer Guard. It needs to be secret, however. I'm thinking Keyser Soze/House Dimir levels of secrecy, the "I don't believe they exist" type of secrecy. Oh, and irredeemably evil and assholish. Arrusif was driven to madness, and has the whiff of sympathetic background. These guys... shouldn't. Stuff like laughing about killing otherwise innocent victims, for coin. Stuff like killing outside contacts when it comes time to reimburse them and feeding them into woodchippers to cover their tracks. They'd make a nice mid-level antagonist, especially if the players get contracted to track them down and exterminate them, by Arrusif, as a 2nd-act climax campaign.
    A haggard Freelancer near retirement hires the party to help him catch the perpetrators of a series of mass-murders he's been investigating for forty years. These were carried out by the assassins, but only ballooned in numbers because of "witness cleanup". Then...
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    after a failed ambush nearly kills the players, the officer appears to be killed by the assassins for getting too close. The party is put back on the trail by a disguised Arrusif, who may also be anarchistic like these guys, but considers himself far more noble. They discover that the Freelancer officer was really a mole the whole time, using his position to eliminate up and coming Freelancers who might be a threat, and may even be the assassin leader. The players are asked to stop him by Arrusif.


    And then basically awesome happens up until Arrusif takes something from the assassins that he needs for his ritual thing and takes off, thanking the players all the while.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    A haggard Freelancer near retirement hires the party to help him catch the perpetrators of a series of Disappearances he's been investigating for forty years. These were carried out by the assassins, but only ballooned in numbers because of "witness cleanup". Then...
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    after a failed ambush nearly kills the players, the officer appears to be killed by the assassins for getting too close. The party is put back on the trail by a disguised Arrusif, who may also be anarchistic like these guys, but considers himself far more noble. They discover that the Freelancer officer was really a mole the whole time, using his position to eliminate up and coming Freelancers who might be a threat, and may even be the assassin leader. The players are asked to stop him by Arrusif.


    And then basically awesome happens up until Arrusif takes something from the assassins that he needs for his ritual thing and takes off, thanking the players all the while.
    Fixed that. Remember, they're so secret people don't believe they exist. At best, they might be remembered by an assassin cult that flourished in Alabas, but was believed to be exterminated during the war. EDIT: It's otherwise the perfect quest outline.

    Also, I figured out a name for the artificial moon: Moxen. And the beginnings of a calendar: Moxen makes a complete orbit around the real moon (don't have a name for that moon yet) every week, and months are derived from the real moon, like on Earth. (In fact, the number and length of the months are surprisingly Earthlike, but that is of course subject to change). The "weekends" are when Moxen is hidden behind the real moon.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-07-24 at 08:23 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
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    For the calendar: First, we have the week as mentioned before. It's going to be an 8 day week, with three days with Moxen behind the moon, one when it's to the left, three in front, and one when it's to the right. 8*52=416 days in a year (if such year is comparable to our 52 week year). However, that seems a touch long from my perspective. 8*46=368 seems better, but you get into trouble when calculating seasons (11.5 weeks/season) and then splitting those weeks into months and days. Thoughts?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    For the calendar: First, we have the week as mentioned before. It's going to be an 8 day week, with three days with Moxen behind the moon, one when it's to the left, three in front, and one when it's to the right. 8*52=416 days in a year (if such year is comparable to our 52 week year). However, that seems a touch long from my perspective. 8*46=368 seems better, but you get into trouble when calculating seasons (11.5 weeks/season) and then splitting those weeks into months and days. Thoughts?
    Hm. I don't see how it becomes difficult to split seasons into 11.5 weeks. It seems like longer weeks add up the difference. I would, however, suggest that one day during the weekend not be a true rest day. The first day of the 3-day weekend should be a half day where everyone has a big community lunch and goes home early. Some work gets done, and then the weekend starts. I only say this because otherwise it is always a very long weekend.

    Also: Did you know that people who live to 121 lose about a year due to the extra 3 days from our calendar?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Hm. I don't see how it becomes difficult to split seasons into 11.5 weeks. It seems like longer weeks add up the difference. I would, however, suggest that one day during the weekend not be a true rest day. The first day of the 3-day weekend should be a half day where everyone has a big community lunch and goes home early. Some work gets done, and then the weekend starts. I only say this because otherwise it is always a very long weekend.

    Also: Did you know that people who live to 121 lose about a year due to the extra 3 days from our calendar?
    The problem is getting the 11.5 weeks/season to play nicely with a mostly consistent month size. If you do four weeks, then one come up half a week short, which spills over into the next season, and so on. Not helping matters is that 46 is only divisible by two (without going into decimals of course). Agreed on the first day of the 3-day weekend being a half day.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
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    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    The problem is getting the 11.5 weeks/season to play nicely with a mostly consistent month size. If you do four weeks, then one come up half a week short, which spills over into the next season, and so on. Not helping matters is that 46 is only divisible by two (without going into decimals of course). Agreed on the first day of the 3-day weekend being a half day.
    Or there could be 11 Weeks of 8 Days each Per Season. 11*8= 88 Days a Season. 88*4= 352 Days in the regular year. Here we are off by 368-352= 16 Days. Then in order to match everything up, there should be two, Week-Long Festivals during the Winter and Summer Solstices, considered separate from the regular months.

    On that note: Seasons should be split into months in a 4-3-4 stagger. "Early Spring Month" is four weeks long, "High Spring" is three weeks long, and "Late Spring" lasts four more weeks. Need better names.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Or there could be 11 Weeks of 8 Days each Per Season. 11*8= 88 Days a Season. 88*4= 352 Days in the regular year. Here we are off by 368-352= 16 Days. Then in order to match everything up, there should be two, Week-Long Festivals during the Winter and Summer Solstices, considered separate from the regular months.

    On that note: Seasons should be split into months in a 4-3-4 stagger. "Early Spring Month" is four weeks long, "High Spring" is three weeks long, and "Late Spring" lasts four more weeks. Need better names.
    The only problems I can see with that setup (and they're more nitpicks than anything else) is that a) the Solstices need to reliably fall between two months, otherwise it awkwardly cuts into a month and b) two seasons always get an extra week than the other two. (4+3+4=11, 3+4+3=10).
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
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    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    The only problems I can see with that setup (and they're more nitpicks than anything else) is that a) the Solstices need to reliably fall between two months, otherwise it awkwardly cuts into a month and b) two seasons always get an extra week than the other two. (4+3+4=11, 3+4+3=10).
    Huh. I don't know how that happened. It might not be a problem though. Do they even have 4 seasons? It could be that the years are split in the minds of the people as a Summer and Winter Cycle. This complicates things with the 4 Minds and the usual accompaniment of elements to seasons.

    Unless of course the various Mind relationships are well known enough for people to combine them. Obsid and Dekon are represented by Summer, partly for the heat, and partly for the harvest. Salaa and Aqua represent Winter...because water and air make cold? Winter could be monsoon season. Just throwing out ideas. Thoughts?
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    But these seasons existed before the Minds, and are a natural part of the Therinosian biosphere. That's the problem with tying them to the Minds - renaming the seasons after the gods is a touch presumptuous of you. (Renaming the Gods after the seasons is a bit less strict, but in this case the Gods are around to take issue with this rebranding).

    On the Month calculation discrepancy; It doesn't really matter, the midseason month could always be 3 weeks long (thus bringing it exactly up to 11 weeks/season) or we could continue bashing our heads against our respective desks. It doesn't really matter until we get to the nitty-gritty of timing events down to the day. If that ever becomes necessary, which it may or may not. (Probably not.)

    Actually, I had an Idea on what to do with those two extra weeks. Why don't we have it such that this two-week festival bridges the gap between years? So the first week would be in the past year, the year would change Midnight on "Sunday" of the first week, and then the second week would be the first of the new year. The Winter and Summer Solstice festivals can stay, but they'd only be one day, or a weekend. Days of Black Sun (Total eclipse) and Hollow Moon (Total eclipse+Moxen pointed at Therinos), of course, would be (respectively) feared as momentary loss of connection to everything around and celebrated as an influx of the purest magic one can get without burning. The trail of the latter would be well-trodden with travelers, while the trail of the former would be shunned due to (for lack of a better term) heebie-jeebies. EDIT: Oh yeah, and momentary power drain and (in the worst cases) loss.
    Last edited by Landis963; 2012-07-27 at 06:00 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    But these seasons existed before the Minds, and are a natural part of the Therinosian biosphere. That's the problem with tying them to the Minds - renaming the seasons after the gods is a touch presumptuous of you. (Renaming the Gods after the seasons is a bit less strict, but in this case the Gods are around to take issue with this rebranding).
    Julius Caesar renamed July after himself, and August after Augustus Caesar. During the French Revolution, there was a new calendar made up to completely replace the old. Calendars change, and sometimes ego is involved. Plus, it may have been Obsid's idea...

    The Winter and Summer Solstice festivals can stay, but they'd only be one day, or a weekend. Days of Black Sun (Total eclipse) and Hollow Moon (Total eclipse+Moxen pointed at Therinos), of course, would be (respectively) feared as momentary loss of connection to everything around and celebrated as an influx of the purest magic one can get without burning. The trail of the latter would be well-trodden with travelers, while the trail of the former would be shunned due to (for lack of a better term) heebie-jeebies. EDIT: Oh yeah, and momentary power drain and (in the worst cases) loss.
    I like this, although I wouldn't go with calling it Black Sun, if only to avoid Last Airbender references. Perhaps Shadow Sun, because of the dimming that occurs. I like Hollow Moon, but I feel like I've heard it before. I don't know what to do with that.

    But I do like the loss of magical power during a solar eclipse. You could have it where two armies once fought, and the less magically dependent one attacked during a solar eclipse to win. The Lunar Eclipse, I feel, should be split into two events. In the first, the Lunar Eclipse, the moon's vanishing interferes with magic, increasing the likelihood of mishap. The Moxon + Eclipse would be the huge power boost. I'd actually say that it shouldn't be taboo to perform a ritual that channels this power, simply because there's very few spells that require such power, and none of them would be known by anyone other than the Minds. Such an eclipse would be the time when experimentation hits the high water mark, since the various universities would love to get ahold of a power boost even for one night.
    Last edited by Ninjadeadbeard; 2012-07-27 at 07:15 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    Julius Caesar renamed July after himself, and August after Augustus Caesar. During the French Revolution, there was a new calendar made up to completely replace the old. Calendars change, and sometimes ego is involved. Plus, it may have been Obsid's idea...
    Perhaps I should make my beef clearer. Renaming months, yes. Renaming Seasons, no.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    I like this, although I wouldn't go with calling it Black Sun, if only to avoid Last Airbender references. Perhaps Shadow Sun, because of the dimming that occurs. I like Hollow Moon, but I feel like I've heard it before. I don't know what to do with that.
    A quick Google search tells me that it (Hollow Moon) the name of a pseudoscientific "theory" that basically says that there is a huge underground space inside the moon. Why not "Day of Hidden Sun" or something? Keeps the Sun/Moon contrast, gives a touch of a theme to it (two-syllable words that start with H)

    Quote Originally Posted by Ninjadeadbeard View Post
    But I do like the loss of magical power during a solar eclipse. You could have it where two armies once fought, and the less magically dependent one attacked during a solar eclipse to win. The Lunar Eclipse, I feel, should be split into two events. In the first, the Lunar Eclipse, the moon's vanishing interferes with magic, increasing the likelihood of mishap. The Moxon + Eclipse would be the huge power boost. I'd actually say that it shouldn't be taboo to perform a ritual that channels this power, simply because there's very few spells that require such power, and none of them would be known by anyone other than the Minds. Such an eclipse would be the time when experimentation hits the high water mark, since the various universities would love to get ahold of a power boost even for one night.
    Yeah, that's basically what I said (re: the Lunar eclipse messing with magic and the Moxon + Eclipse amplifying it). I do like the idea of a solar eclipse leading one side to victory over another. Maybe... maybe we can work that into the Alabas war. How's this: Arrusif and several Freelancer teams cross the seas and infiltrate Alabas. Arrusif receives a Sending (or similar spell) that informs him of the upcoming eclipse, thereby putting a clock on any subterfuge and takeover. The Freelancer leader sends out his men to cause trouble and rally the nuli behind their cause, while Arrusif selects a few to sabotage the network of magic nexi blanketing the supervolcano in a very specific way. The nuli who can't fight are given some guard (mostly the eldest/most experienced sons whose fathers are preparing to overthrow the nobles, plus some Freelancers) and evacuated, while the rest go into guerrilla warfare, supplied by the Freelancers, who themselves turn or kill other nobles as sabotage. The nobles's armies (also mercs, but more thuggish than the Freelancers) are channeled into a specific field, where the nuli, they were told, would face them in fair combat. The nobles get to the field early, they think. Cue the eclipse, cue the nuli pouring out of the trees, cue the slaughter. Meanwhile, Arrusif's team sets the network of nexi to fail dramatically the next time the nobles try and use it. Of course, they've been trying to tap into it since their armies were slaughtered, so as soon as the eclipse passed (Arrusif getting as many of the nuli as possible into the evacuation boats in the meantime) the nobles gathered up a surge of energy from their many, many nexi and cast it out at them - or they would if all of the nexi in their realm hadn't immediately shattered into shards as soon as they tried to channel. Then the rumbling started, and Arrusif frantically warning the air mages to channel as much wind into the sails as possible, while doing his part to channel the blast away from their fleet.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic View Post
    I want to create a world that is full of possibility, and one of the best ways to handle it is by creating a bunch of stories that haven't yet been finished.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Landis963 View Post
    Perhaps I should make my beef clearer. Renaming months, yes. Renaming Seasons, no.
    Let me rephrase that...what if the culture of Almantha only recognizes two seasons? Like they roll late Spring, Summer and Early Fall into Summer, and Late Fall, Winter and early Spring are just Winter. I seem to recall the ancient Greeks treating seasons in a similar way.

    A quick Google search tells me that it (Hollow Moon) the name of a pseudoscientific "theory" that basically says that there is a huge underground space inside the moon. Why not "Day of Hidden Sun" or something? Keeps the Sun/Moon contrast, gives a touch of a theme to it (two-syllable words that start with H)
    Makes me think of The Moon Princess stories from Edgar Rice Burroughs. Yeah, Hidden Sun, Hidden Moon, and Triumphant Moxen sound good (maybe not the last one but whatever).

    Maybe... maybe we can work that into the Alabas war. How's this: *snip*
    Sounds great. Arrusif could have also manipulated the Nexi to be much more efficient in energy consumption so that when the Solar Eclipse wore off the sudden power surge caused the Nexi to overcharge. When the next Alabasan tried to touch that power...BOOM.

    I now have the wonderful image of a line of desperate wind mages blasting their sails while Arrusif panic-mutters, "Must go faster must go faster must go faster must go faster must go faster must go faster must go faster..."
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