Difference between revisions of "Arcana: Iron and Magic"

From Sphere
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(28 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 5: Line 5:
 
:Void - exploration and sea/skymanship
 
:Void - exploration and sea/skymanship
  
−
[[File:Arcanamap.png|Preliminary map of Arcana|thumb]]
+
==The World==
 +
[[File:Arcanamap.jpg| thumb| Map Outline.  Thule is top-right, continents proceed clockwise.]]
  
−
==The World==
 
 
'''[[Arcana: Threads of Religions]]'''<br>
 
'''[[Arcana: Threads of Religions]]'''<br>
 
'''[[Arcana: Schools of Magic]]'''<br>
 
'''[[Arcana: Schools of Magic]]'''<br>
 
'''[[Arcana: The Alfar Empire]]'''<br>
 
'''[[Arcana: The Alfar Empire]]'''<br>
  
 +
===The Continents of Arcana===
 +
 +
====Thule====
 +
The smallest continent of Arcana, Thule is a cold, windswept land dominated by rugged landscapes and boreal forests.  Only visited by the Alfar during the Late Imperial period, it was never truly conquered and many small 'barbarian' kingdoms here were never exposed to the advances of Alfar civilization.  During the Succession War many raiding bands set out from Thule to both trade and pillage in equal opportunity; most of these fell on the northern shores of Lemuria, though a few reached Mu.
 +
 +
More recently, Thule became the seat of last holdouts from the Necromantic War.  Their summoned ice giants and Jotun armies easily swept the local defenders before them and decades later, as the tide turned against them the necromancer-lords of Thule set their defenses for an invasion that ultimately never came.  With the necromantic powerbase already shattered and the so-called Alliance of Light splintering after years of grinding advance, the Council of Lothlorian could not pull together the needed forces to force more than a token invasion and in 5203 the Alliance officially disbanded.
 +
 +
As a result, Thule remains under the control of several necromancer-lords to this day, though as they conspire against each other and whatever paranoid delusions they increasingly harbour, their grip on Thule loosens.  As for the inhabitants of Thule, surprisingly little has changed.  Lacking the powerful defenses and armies of Lemuria or Atlantis, they were walked over with few scuffles and soon began paying taxes to the distant sorcerors that they now called Lord.  Many other small kingdoms simply surrendered, and to this day more than half of Thule's 'civilized' land remains in the hands of these princes and kinglets who have began to learn from and conspire with the necromancer-lords.
 +
 +
====Lemuria====
 +
The largest and most populous continent of Arcana, Lemuria has a varied climate, ranging from torrential chaos jungle fringing the far north-west to warm and dry 'mediteranean' along the western and northern coasts, with the inland ranging from grassy plains to savannah to outright desert, climatically seperated from the northern coast by a range of mountains.  The southern coast is often dry and the eastern continent tends towards hilly or mountainous, with misty forests and sharp winters.  The island of Oyvind is almost entirely submerged in the Great Roar and is continually wracked by devatating storms and high winds.
  
−
===The Essence Gates===
+
Conquered by successive Alfar rulers during the Early Imperial period, Lemusia is rich and cosmopolitan and believed to be the origin point for a number of races, including the Midgar and Uruk.  It enjoyed millenia of civilization and as a consequence even the notoriously barbarian Uruk that hail from Lemuria tend to be urbane and polished.  Unfortunately, the Succession War hit Lemuria hard and the former Imperial Provinces fall into dissaray, spawning dozens of major nations and hundreds (if not thousands) of lesser ones.  Lemuria was also the site of the largest number of battles during the Necromantic War, and many areas are still poisoned or irradiated by the bizzare and terrifying weapons of the war.
−
In the distant past, long before recorded history, the vast network of Essence Gates were constructed.  These arcane and enigmatic constructs of high magic span Arcana, shortening the distances between places hundreds or thousands of miles apart to just a footstep.  They take the form of immense standing stones of almost indestructible materiel inscribed with ancient runes and placed in linear chains sometimes approaching a quarter-mile long.  Each Essence Gate is attuned to one and only one of the five Essences; Ether, Force, Life, Matter or Void.  When active, their mana flares correspond to the following colors in order; White, Blue, Green, Red, Violet.  Any given Essence Gate can connect to any other gate of the same Essence.  At any given time a gate will typically be open to between three to six different gates, though this can vary immensely depending on the location.  The skills required to magically determine the destination of a specific gate opening is relatively easy to learn and no serious traveller will fail to both learn how to do this and acquire a gate map.  Actually opening a gate requires more skill, but is something almost every halfway-competent mage learns.
 
  
−
The magical gate is both two-way and double-sided, and can be compared to a door or window between two distant locations that instantly swap the locations of those who walk through them.  If one walks into the left-hand side of one gate, one emerges at the right-hand side at the other.  Likewise, going in the right-hand side will see one emerging from the left-hand side at the destination.  Most gates managed by merchants or other officials will encourage using one side as an 'in' and the other as an 'out', to minimize confusion.  Opening a new gate window can take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour or more, depending on how long it has been since the last connection; the longer since the last connection was made, the more time it takes for the gate window to open.
+
====Mu====
 +
The origin of the Alfar Empire, Mu is a sinious continent covered in rugged jungle in the north-east, fading to the perfectly-manicured Alfar forests that make up much of the south.  Ancient cities dot this, built and maintained in aesthetic harmony with nature.  Belowground the vast warforges of the Alfar lie, banished out of sight but ready to once again produce the myriad technomagical weapons of the Imperial troops.
  
−
It was inevitable that Essence Gates would become key links for both trade and war, and indeed it was upon both of these that the Alfar Empire drew its power.  Cities are often found near gates, connected to them via the ancient Alfar roads. However, there are the clear security issues involved with gates and most sensible lords have surrounded them with walls and other fortifications designed to bottle up any invader in killing zones.  For this reason attacks through gates are quite rare and are often combined with other actions.  Instead, standard military doctrine has armies travel to distant gates in uninhabited lands and then marching overland to their eventual target.
+
The Imperial Provinces of Mu were never broken up like those of Lemuria; it remains too close to the capital on the shores of the Mare Veris.  The lords of Mu continue their centuries-old schemes and conspiracies to put their favored candidate on the vacant Imperial Throne, broken only by the fifty-year Necromantic War.
 +
 
 +
====Rutas====
 +
The 'Dark Continent', Rutas was originally visited during the Early Imperial period, though it was only truly conquered during the Late Imperial.  Geographically it has vast expanses of jungle and swamp in the center of the continent; while host to potentially lucrative expeditions for the strange plants and animals here, the native life is very dangerous.  To add to the draw, the center of the continent is also home to many ancient ruins that predate the Alfar Empire.  Even today these jungles have been poorly explored and the inhabitants of Rutas generally live on the uplands that wind around the outer edge of the continent where the climate is far more agreeable.
  
 
==The Rules==
 
==The Rules==
 +
 +
To start, all nations have a total of 200 points to spend exclusively on Domains and a further 200 points to be spent on any area of their choosing, such as races, extra domains and military forces.  Military forces are purchased at 1 point = 250 Gold.  For this purpose consider 1 Mana or 1 Adamantium to be equal to 1 gold, 1 Books to be 5 gold, 1 Horses or Beasts to be 10 Gold and 1 Levistone to be equal to 25 Gold.
 +
 +
[[Record of Changes]] - Things that have been changed that are probably important.
  
 
===Races of Arcana===
 
===Races of Arcana===
 +
The cost in points is to unlock a given race; normally one per nation, though Highborn races can have additional Baseborn races at a cost of +10 points per race.  They may then be assigned to any domain as desired.
 +
 +
 +
The ancient Alfar had names for most of the races they encountered, while these have either fallen out of use or undergone permutation, they are still widely used.  The Alfar term is in brackets.
  
 
====Baseborn Races====
 
====Baseborn Races====
  
−
Humans
+
Humans (Midgar)
 
:The generic
 
:The generic
 
::Racial Alignment:  None
 
::Racial Alignment:  None
  
−
Orcs
+
Orks (Uruk)
 
:Originally tribal, some are now civilized.  Can be green, brown or red.
 
:Originally tribal, some are now civilized.  Can be green, brown or red.
 
::Racial Alignment:  Matter
 
::Racial Alignment:  Matter
Line 36: Line 58:
 
::Mage units are weaker
 
::Mage units are weaker
  
−
Goblins
+
Goblins (Ruk-Tai)
 
:Surface ones are mostly in isolated regions, underground ones are angry.
 
:Surface ones are mostly in isolated regions, underground ones are angry.
 
::Racial Alignment:  Void
 
::Racial Alignment:  Void
Line 42: Line 64:
 
::Infantry units are weaker
 
::Infantry units are weaker
  
−
Dwarves
+
Dwarves (Devgar)
 
:Short guys that like beer and live in underground halls.
 
:Short guys that like beer and live in underground halls.
 +
::Cost:  20
 +
::Underdark Race
 
::Racial Alignment:  Force
 
::Racial Alignment:  Force
 
::Infantry units are tougher
 
::Infantry units are tougher
 
::+25% to all Mine output
 
::+25% to all Mine output
 
::-1 Common draft
 
::-1 Common draft
−
::Underdark Race
 
  
 
Beastfolk
 
Beastfolk
 
:Catgirls and furries, oh my!
 
:Catgirls and furries, oh my!
 +
::Cost:  5-20
 
::Racial Alignment:  Void
 
::Racial Alignment:  Void
 +
::May chose one Beast ability at 5 points, 2 at 12 or 3 at 20.
  
 
Lizardmen
 
Lizardmen
−
:Primitive reptilian humanoids that come in two distinct types.  One inhabits the deep deserts far from civilization, the other ('Frogmen') inhabit wild swamps.
+
:Primitive reptilian humanoids that come from the deep deserts far from civilization.
 +
::Cost: 5
 +
::Racial Alignment: Life
 +
::Infantry units are faster
 +
::May buy Lizard Wastes
 +
::Immune to attritionary effects of Wastes and Lizard Wastes
 +
::May not build Mechanical units
 +
 
 +
Frogmen
 +
:Primitive reptilian humanoids that come from the deep deserts far from civilization.
 +
::Cost: 10
 
::Racial Alignment:  Life
 
::Racial Alignment:  Life
 
::Infantry units are faster
 
::Infantry units are faster
−
::Immune to attritionary effects of Wastes
+
::Immune to attritionary effects of Marshy Wastes
−
::+1 to Common draft in Wastes
+
::Marshy Wastes produce +1 food, and +2 Common Draft
 +
::May not build Mechanical units
  
 
====Highborn Races====
 
====Highborn Races====
 
Noble races can 'buy' Common race Domains to represent feudal (or enslaved) underclasses.
 
Noble races can 'buy' Common race Domains to represent feudal (or enslaved) underclasses.
  
−
Elves
+
Elves (Alfar)
 
:Fuck'n pointy-ears
 
:Fuck'n pointy-ears
 +
::Cost: 20
 
::Racial Alignment:  Ether
 
::Racial Alignment:  Ether
−
::Bow and Mage units are more powerful
+
::Ranged and Mage units are more powerful
 +
::Wilds generate +1 Food and +10 Mana
 +
::May buy Elven Wilds
 
::All Common draft halved
 
::All Common draft halved
  
−
Dark Elves
+
Dark Elves (Dokkar)
 
:Underground Elves
 
:Underground Elves
 +
::Cost: 20
 +
::Underdark Race
 
::Racial Alignment:  Ether
 
::Racial Alignment:  Ether
−
::Bow and Mage units are more powerful
+
::Ranged and Mage units are more powerful
 +
::All Noble and Mage units reduce Mana upkeep by 5
 
::All Common draft halved
 
::All Common draft halved
−
::Underdark Race
 
  
−
God-Blooded
+
God-Blooded (Asgar)
 
:Humans with a touch of ancient god in their bloodline
 
:Humans with a touch of ancient god in their bloodline
 +
::Cost: 25
 
::Racial Alignment:  Life
 
::Racial Alignment:  Life
 
::Infantry and Mage units are stronger and tougher
 
::Infantry and Mage units are stronger and tougher
 +
::All Noble and Mage units reduce Mana upkeep by 10
 
::All Common draft halved
 
::All Common draft halved
  
 
====Monster Races====
 
====Monster Races====
−
Monster races require GM approval to play.
+
Monster races require GM approval to play. All Monster races cost double to raise and upkeep (discounting equipment)
  
 
Draconians
 
Draconians
−
:Mutated dragon eggs.  They're angry
+
:Mutated dragon eggs, one of the more unpleasant by-blows of the Necromantic War.  They're angry
 +
::Cost: 40
 
::Racial Alignment:  Matter
 
::Racial Alignment:  Matter
 
::All non-mechanical units are tougher, breathe fire and fly
 
::All non-mechanical units are tougher, breathe fire and fly
 
::May not use Horses
 
::May not use Horses
  
−
Trolls
+
Trolls (Jotnar)
 
:Big green regenerating guys
 
:Big green regenerating guys
 +
::Cost: 40
 
::Racial Alignment:  Void
 
::Racial Alignment:  Void
 
::All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
 
::All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
 
::All non-mechanical units regenerate
 
::All non-mechanical units regenerate
 +
::May not buy Cities
 
::All drafts halved
 
::All drafts halved
  
 
Dryads
 
Dryads
 
:Half-plant, half-human physical tree spirits.  Insular.
 
:Half-plant, half-human physical tree spirits.  Insular.
 +
::Cost: 40
 
::Racial Alignment:  Life
 
::Racial Alignment:  Life
 
::All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
 
::All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
−
::All mechanical units are grown, not built
+
::All mechanical units are grown at Wood Nodes, not built (see below)
−
::Wilds generate +1 Food
+
::Wilds generate +1 Food and +20 Mana
 +
::May buy Elven Wilds
 +
::May not buy Countryside
 
::All drafts halved
 
::All drafts halved
  
 
Iron Dryads
 
Iron Dryads
 
:What happens when you put a Dryad grove in an iron smelter
 
:What happens when you put a Dryad grove in an iron smelter
 +
::Cost: 40
 
::Racial Alignment:  Force
 
::Racial Alignment:  Force
 
::All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
 
::All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
−
::All mechanical units are grown, not built
+
::All mechanical units are grown at Fire Nodes, not built (see below)
−
::Wilds generate +20 Mana
+
::All units reduce Mana upkeep by 5
 +
::Wilds generate +25 Mana
 +
::May not buy Countryside
 
::All drafts halved
 
::All drafts halved
  
 
Revenants
 
Revenants
 
:Self-willed undead from the Necro War.  May not look like zombies or skeletons.
 
:Self-willed undead from the Necro War.  May not look like zombies or skeletons.
 +
::Cost: 25
 
::Racial Alignment:  Void
 
::Racial Alignment:  Void
 
::All non-mechanical units are tougher
 
::All non-mechanical units are tougher
 
::All units have certain magical resistances/immunities
 
::All units have certain magical resistances/immunities
 +
 +
 +
Dryad growth rules:  As almost everything Dryads make is grown and sculped from living trees, they do not need the raw materiels or manufacturing sites that other races do.  They may pay Adamantium costs in Mana and can construct mechanical devices at the appropriate node - normally Life-aligned, but Iron Dryads use a Force-Essence permutation.
  
 
===Domains===
 
===Domains===
 
'''[[Arcana Domain Customization]]'''
 
'''[[Arcana Domain Customization]]'''
  
−
Domains are what make up your nation, the real estate so to speak.  They are where your people live and work and have a very real effect on your national character.
+
Domains are what make up your nation, the real estate so to speak.  They are where your people live and work and have a very real effect on your national character.
  
 
'''Domain Limits'''<br>
 
'''Domain Limits'''<br>
−
A nation may have up to 12 domains without any problem, however past that there is a surcharge of +10 points per additional domain.  In the turbulent times after the Necromantic War, few large states exist.
+
A nation may have up to 12 domains without any problem, however past that there is a surcharge of +10 points per additional domain.  In the turbulent times after the Necromantic War, few large states exist.  A Domain can have at maximum two mines/quarries and one of every other type of site.  As such a Mountain domain can have a Keep, a Town and two Gold Mines, but not a Keep, a Town, a Gold Mine, a Levistone Quarry and an Adamantium Mine.
  
 
Countryside
 
Countryside
Line 162: Line 218:
 
Demesne
 
Demesne
 
::20 points
 
::20 points
−
::Produces 1 Food, 100 Gold and 100 Mana
+
::Produces 1 Food, 100 Gold and 250 Mana
 
::Adamantium, Levistone
 
::Adamantium, Levistone
 
Underdark
 
Underdark
 
::15 points
 
::15 points
−
::Produces 1 Food, 50 Gold and 50 Mana
+
::Produces 1 Food, 50 Gold and 125 Mana
 
::1 Common Draft
 
::1 Common Draft
 
::Adamantium, Gold
 
::Adamantium, Gold
 
::Very Defensible
 
::Very Defensible
 +
::Beasts
 
::Is associated with another Domain
 
::Is associated with another Domain
 
Underdark Lightfield
 
Underdark Lightfield
 
::20 points
 
::20 points
−
::Produces 3 Food, 50 Gold and 50 Mana
+
::Produces 3 Food, 50 Gold and 125 Mana
 
::2 Common Draft
 
::2 Common Draft
 
::Adamantium, Gold
 
::Adamantium, Gold
 
::Defensible
 
::Defensible
 +
::Beasts
 
::Is associated with another Domain
 
::Is associated with another Domain
 
Underhaven
 
Underhaven
 
::25 points
 
::25 points
−
::Produces 50 Gold and 150 Mana
+
::Produces 50 Gold and 375 Mana
 
::Adamantium, Gold
 
::Adamantium, Gold
 
::Very Defensible
 
::Very Defensible
Line 188: Line 246:
 
====Sites====
 
====Sites====
 
Sites are geographical entities that are relatively small; cities, castles, nodes, etc.  They must be placed in a Domain.
 
Sites are geographical entities that are relatively small; cities, castles, nodes, etc.  They must be placed in a Domain.
 +
 +
Fortifications
 +
:Many militarized borders have large walls, or else frontier fortifications.  The practice has waxed and waned over the millenia, but dates back to the early expansion of the Alfar Empire.
 +
::10 points
 +
::Must be seized and captured before the associated Domain can be conquered.
  
 
Keep
 
Keep
Line 193: Line 256:
 
::30 points
 
::30 points
 
::Requires 1 Food and 100 gold
 
::Requires 1 Food and 100 gold
−
::Produces 100 Mana and 10 Books
+
::Produces 250 Mana and 10 Books
 
::2 Noble Draft
 
::2 Noble Draft
 
::Must be seized and captured before the associated Domain can be conquered.
 
::Must be seized and captured before the associated Domain can be conquered.
Line 207: Line 270:
 
::50 points
 
::50 points
 
::Requires 5 Food
 
::Requires 5 Food
−
::Produces 1000 Gold, 100 Mana and 30 Books
+
::Produces 1000 Gold, 250 Mana and 30 Books
 
::6 Common Draft, 1 Noble Draft
 
::6 Common Draft, 1 Noble Draft
 
::Production sites for all Mechanical units.
 
::Production sites for all Mechanical units.
Line 214: Line 277:
 
::50 points
 
::50 points
 
::Requires 4 Food
 
::Requires 4 Food
−
::Produces 700 Gold, 200 Mana and 30 Books
+
::Produces 700 Gold, 500 Mana and 30 Books
 
::5 Common Draft, 1 Noble Draft
 
::5 Common Draft, 1 Noble Draft
 
::Production sites for all Mechanical units.
 
::Production sites for all Mechanical units.
 
::Must be sited in an Underdark Domain.
 
::Must be sited in an Underdark Domain.
−
Horse Ranch
+
Paddocks
−
:While any old nag is more than sufficient for a country bumpkin to pull his turnips to market, a knight demands a proper warhorse.  These are large, strong, well-fed and often ill-tempered beasts.
+
:A proper site for rearing and keeping horses that typically includes stable buildings and fenced-in lands.  Also tends to be a hub for experts in matters of training and equipment.
 
::10 points
 
::10 points
 
::Requires 1 Food
 
::Requires 1 Food
−
::Produces 25 Horses
+
::Produces 30 Horses
−
Monster Ranch
+
Stockades
−
:Some warriors are perfectly happy with a proud stallion for their mount, but some prefer something a bit more ''exotic''.  Perhaps with the ability to breath fire, or fly through the air, or simply be fifty feet tall.
+
:A fortress-like site with well-built walls and enclosures intended to keep dangerous or simply huge creatures which are brought in from the wilds to be trained or otherwise conditioned.  Naturally it is a focal point for hunters, trackers and woodsmen.  The occasional escape tends to motivate average folks to keep well away, though.
 
::10 points
 
::10 points
−
::-1 Common Draft
+
::Requires 1 Food, -1 Common Draft to the domain it is in
 
::Produces 25 Beasts
 
::Produces 25 Beasts
 
Wizard's Tower
 
Wizard's Tower
Line 235: Line 298:
 
:Gold (or other similar precious materiels like silver and gems) need to be laboriously extracted from the earth to enrich the local lord.
 
:Gold (or other similar precious materiels like silver and gems) need to be laboriously extracted from the earth to enrich the local lord.
 
::10 points
 
::10 points
−
::Produces 200 Gold
+
::Produces 250 Gold
 
Adamantium Mine
 
Adamantium Mine
 
:The reddish, incredibly tough metal known as Adamantium is prized across Arcana.  While it makes excellent armor and weapons, it is one of the few substances (and by far the most available) that can be used to construct the frames of Guymelefs.
 
:The reddish, incredibly tough metal known as Adamantium is prized across Arcana.  While it makes excellent armor and weapons, it is one of the few substances (and by far the most available) that can be used to construct the frames of Guymelefs.
 
::10 points
 
::10 points
−
::Produces 25 Adamantium
+
::Produces 250 Adamantium
 
Levistone Quarry
 
Levistone Quarry
 
:Levistones are chunks of Arcana's rock that have become so infused with mana that they can ignore the grip of gravity.  In some select areas these can be quarried and then floated to the shipyards where they become the keel of skyships.
 
:Levistones are chunks of Arcana's rock that have become so infused with mana that they can ignore the grip of gravity.  In some select areas these can be quarried and then floated to the shipyards where they become the keel of skyships.
 
::10 points
 
::10 points
−
::Produces 1 Levistone
+
::Produces 10 Levistones
  
 
====Nodes====
 
====Nodes====
Line 250: Line 313:
 
::50 points
 
::50 points
 
::Ether-Aligned
 
::Ether-Aligned
−
::Each Air Node provides 500 Mana
+
::Each Air Node provides 1250 Mana
 
::Increases non-Node mana by 5%
 
::Increases non-Node mana by 5%
 
Fire Node
 
Fire Node
Line 256: Line 319:
 
::50 points
 
::50 points
 
::Force-Aligned
 
::Force-Aligned
−
::Each Fire Node provides 500 Mana
+
::Each Fire Node provides 1250 Mana
 
::Reduces Mana cost of Constructs by 10%
 
::Reduces Mana cost of Constructs by 10%
 
Wood Node
 
Wood Node
Line 262: Line 325:
 
::50 points
 
::50 points
 
::Life-Aligned
 
::Life-Aligned
−
::Each Wood Node provides 500 Mana
+
::Each Wood Node provides 1250 Mana
−
::Increases Wilds draft by +1
+
::Increases Wilds and Marshy Wastes draft by +1
 
Earth Node
 
Earth Node
 
:Often taking the form of ridiculously rugged mountains that are fairly bursting with precious gems and ores, Earth Nodes are the foci of the geomantic forces of Earth magic.
 
:Often taking the form of ridiculously rugged mountains that are fairly bursting with precious gems and ores, Earth Nodes are the foci of the geomantic forces of Earth magic.
 
::50 points
 
::50 points
 
::Matter-Aligned
 
::Matter-Aligned
−
::Each Earth Node provides 500 Mana
+
::Each Earth Node provides 1250 Mana
 
::Increase Gold income by 5%
 
::Increase Gold income by 5%
 
Water Node
 
Water Node
Line 274: Line 337:
 
::50 points
 
::50 points
 
::Void-Aligned
 
::Void-Aligned
−
::Each Water Node provides 500 Mana
+
::Each Water Node provides 1250 Mana
 
::Increases City and Keep drafts by +1 each
 
::Increases City and Keep drafts by +1 each
 
Spirit Node
 
Spirit Node
Line 280: Line 343:
 
::50 points
 
::50 points
 
::Spirit-Aligned
 
::Spirit-Aligned
−
::Each Spirit Node provides 500 Mana
+
::Each Spirit Node provides 1250 Mana
  
 
=====Unique Nodes=====
 
=====Unique Nodes=====
Line 322: Line 385:
 
===Military Units===
 
===Military Units===
  
−
'''[[Arcana: Advanced Unit Design]]'''
+
'''[[Arcana: Unit Design]]'''
−
 
 
−
====Infantry====
 
−
 
 
−
'''Peasants'''<br>
 
−
In times of dire need, (or when they're rebelling) slaves, peasants, and criminals can be quickly arranged into something resembling a fighting unit. The process of "arming" and "drilling" them costs only a couple gold and unlike most other units, can be done practically anywhere that's inhabited. Unless magically controlled however, peasants tends to be poorly motivated, and always have to make do with the worst equipment and training. Their raw availability however, means they often make up the bulk of poor armies in times of war and if your cities and castles fall, these are all you'll have if that.
 
−
:Training Cost: 0 Gold
 
−
:Upkeep Cost: 1 Gold
 
−
 
 
−
'''Militia'''<br>
 
−
Formations of medium infantry are an excellent balance of low price, reliability, power, and mobility and inevitably form the backbone of most armies. If armed with spear and shield, they will defend well against cavalry, swords and shields allows them to efficiently kill at or under their weight, whilst arming them with heavier weapons makes them credible against more heavily armored opponents.
 
−
:Training Cost: 0 Gold
 
−
:Upkeep Cost: 4 Gold
 
−
 
 
−
'''Men-at-arms'''<br>
 
−
Many local lords do not rely entirely upon levies of local peasants and burghers for defense, preferring to keep a number of trained soldiers on permanent retainer.  These are colloquially known as Men-at-arms.  Drawn from the laboring classes, men-at-arms are often former militiamen who have distinguished themselves in battle.  Hardened veterans who have often fought in many battles, men-at-arms are both more skilled and more disciplined than regular militia, making them invaluable as the core of any expanding levied army.
 
−
:Training Cost: 25 Gold
 
−
:Upkeep Cost: 4 Gold
 
−
 
 
−
'''Knights'''<br>
 
−
As much of a social class as a military roles, knights are trained since childhood to be warriors and soldiers and are always found at the center of an army or the vanguard of an attack. Trained to be deadly opponents on foot or on horseback they are accustomed to wearing heavy armor.  Often in peacetime they will act as a King’s enforcers, in which capacity they tend to be even more lavishly equipped than the norm.  Coming mostly from the minor nobility, knights cannot just be drafted by any king with gold in his coffers and take a lifetime to train.  During peacetime knights will often act as tax collectors, halving their gold upkeep.
 
−
:Training Cost: 100 Gold
 
−
:Upkeep Cost: 20 Gold (10 when not mobilized)
 
−
 
 
−
====Beasts====
 
−
 
 
−
'''Giants'''<br>
 
−
An ancient race of enormous humanoids, giants have drifted among the smaller races of Arcana for millennia.  Several times the height of a human or elf and commensurately strong, Giants stereotypically interact with the ‘littles’ as stoneworkers or foresters.  When roused to war though, or hired on as immense mercenaries, they can make devastating addition of any force.
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Training Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 
−
 
 
−
'''Monstrous Cavalry'''<br>
 
−
An ancient race of enormous humanoids, giants have drifted among the smaller races of Arcana for millennia.  Several times the height of a human or elf and commensurately strong, Giants stereotypically interact with the ‘littles’ as stoneworkers or foresters.  When roused to war though, or hired on as immense mercenaries, they can make devastating addition of any force.
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Training Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 
−
 
 
−
====Machines====
 
−
 
 
−
'''Scout Striders'''<br>
 
−
By far the most common warstrider design, few nations are without at least a handful of these mechanical warriors piloted by their best warriors.  Conventionally they are armed with immense swords, hammers and giant-sized bows, though many lesser lords will lavishly equip their most loyal squads with a variety of exotic and lethal weapons.
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Construction Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 
−
 
 
−
'''Knightstriders'''<br>
 
−
A natural progression of the time-tested Warstrider concept, 'Knight' Warstriders are stronger, tougher and more responsive than conventional infantry Warstriders.  Unsurprisingly they require sophisticated construction techniques that few nations posess.  Due to their relative cost and rarity, most Knight Warstriders are well-equipped with magical weapons, conventional swords and bludgeons being a waste of their superior abilities.
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Construction Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 
−
 
 
−
'''Siege Striders'''<br>
 
−
Seen as sluggish and uncouth but nonetheless occasionally useful during the long centuries of the Alvar Empire, Siege Warstriders proved far more popular with the squabbling warlords of Chora in the tumultuous Warring States period and see common use to this day.  Their strength and armor, much greater in scope than basic Infantry Warstriders makes them perfect for wading into the very strongest enemy formation, battering down walls or carrying heavy artillery.
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Construction Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 
−
 
 
−
'''Golem'''<br>
 
−
In simple terms, a golem is a warstrider that needs not a warrior to guide its actions.  Few are those who possess the skill to enchant these impressive war machines to life.  Fewer still are those who survive fighting them, as cold iron feels no pain, and knows no mercy.
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Construction Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 
−
 
 
−
====Skycraft====
 
  
−
'''Air Boats'''<br>
+
===Magic===
−
Air Boats are small propeller-powered dirigibles with a cabin slung underneath, capable of carrying a couple dozen passengers or several ton of cargo.  They are most often used as couriers or scouts, or else to transport small quantities of high-value items. 
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Construction Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 
  
−
'''Air Galley'''<br>
+
'''[[Arcana: Mages and Magic]]'''
−
Nothing more than upscaled Air Boats, Air Galleys are significantly larger applications of the same design principles.  Like Air Boats they are rarely armed and overall make fairly poor combatants.  However, they are reasonable efficient merchantment.
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Construction Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 
  
−
'''Skyship'''<br>
+
[[Category:Arcana]]
−
Skyships are a step up from Air Boats like how Warstriders are a step up from Knights.  Built around a floating Levistone boulder, they can rapidly sail between the shells.  Equipped with multiple artillery cannons, they can also hold a squad of warstriders or similar-sized cargo.
 
−
:Requirement:
 
−
:Construction Cost:
 
−
:Upkeep Cost:
 

Latest revision as of 17:47, 11 October 2009

Ether - magical power and knowledge
Force - magical application
Life - trade/diplomacy and personal development
Matter - order/bureaucracy
Void - exploration and sea/skymanship

The World

Map Outline. Thule is top-right, continents proceed clockwise.

Arcana: Threads of Religions
Arcana: Schools of Magic
Arcana: The Alfar Empire

The Continents of Arcana

Thule

The smallest continent of Arcana, Thule is a cold, windswept land dominated by rugged landscapes and boreal forests. Only visited by the Alfar during the Late Imperial period, it was never truly conquered and many small 'barbarian' kingdoms here were never exposed to the advances of Alfar civilization. During the Succession War many raiding bands set out from Thule to both trade and pillage in equal opportunity; most of these fell on the northern shores of Lemuria, though a few reached Mu.

More recently, Thule became the seat of last holdouts from the Necromantic War. Their summoned ice giants and Jotun armies easily swept the local defenders before them and decades later, as the tide turned against them the necromancer-lords of Thule set their defenses for an invasion that ultimately never came. With the necromantic powerbase already shattered and the so-called Alliance of Light splintering after years of grinding advance, the Council of Lothlorian could not pull together the needed forces to force more than a token invasion and in 5203 the Alliance officially disbanded.

As a result, Thule remains under the control of several necromancer-lords to this day, though as they conspire against each other and whatever paranoid delusions they increasingly harbour, their grip on Thule loosens. As for the inhabitants of Thule, surprisingly little has changed. Lacking the powerful defenses and armies of Lemuria or Atlantis, they were walked over with few scuffles and soon began paying taxes to the distant sorcerors that they now called Lord. Many other small kingdoms simply surrendered, and to this day more than half of Thule's 'civilized' land remains in the hands of these princes and kinglets who have began to learn from and conspire with the necromancer-lords.

Lemuria

The largest and most populous continent of Arcana, Lemuria has a varied climate, ranging from torrential chaos jungle fringing the far north-west to warm and dry 'mediteranean' along the western and northern coasts, with the inland ranging from grassy plains to savannah to outright desert, climatically seperated from the northern coast by a range of mountains. The southern coast is often dry and the eastern continent tends towards hilly or mountainous, with misty forests and sharp winters. The island of Oyvind is almost entirely submerged in the Great Roar and is continually wracked by devatating storms and high winds.

Conquered by successive Alfar rulers during the Early Imperial period, Lemusia is rich and cosmopolitan and believed to be the origin point for a number of races, including the Midgar and Uruk. It enjoyed millenia of civilization and as a consequence even the notoriously barbarian Uruk that hail from Lemuria tend to be urbane and polished. Unfortunately, the Succession War hit Lemuria hard and the former Imperial Provinces fall into dissaray, spawning dozens of major nations and hundreds (if not thousands) of lesser ones. Lemuria was also the site of the largest number of battles during the Necromantic War, and many areas are still poisoned or irradiated by the bizzare and terrifying weapons of the war.

Mu

The origin of the Alfar Empire, Mu is a sinious continent covered in rugged jungle in the north-east, fading to the perfectly-manicured Alfar forests that make up much of the south. Ancient cities dot this, built and maintained in aesthetic harmony with nature. Belowground the vast warforges of the Alfar lie, banished out of sight but ready to once again produce the myriad technomagical weapons of the Imperial troops.

The Imperial Provinces of Mu were never broken up like those of Lemuria; it remains too close to the capital on the shores of the Mare Veris. The lords of Mu continue their centuries-old schemes and conspiracies to put their favored candidate on the vacant Imperial Throne, broken only by the fifty-year Necromantic War.

Rutas

The 'Dark Continent', Rutas was originally visited during the Early Imperial period, though it was only truly conquered during the Late Imperial. Geographically it has vast expanses of jungle and swamp in the center of the continent; while host to potentially lucrative expeditions for the strange plants and animals here, the native life is very dangerous. To add to the draw, the center of the continent is also home to many ancient ruins that predate the Alfar Empire. Even today these jungles have been poorly explored and the inhabitants of Rutas generally live on the uplands that wind around the outer edge of the continent where the climate is far more agreeable.

The Rules

To start, all nations have a total of 200 points to spend exclusively on Domains and a further 200 points to be spent on any area of their choosing, such as races, extra domains and military forces. Military forces are purchased at 1 point = 250 Gold. For this purpose consider 1 Mana or 1 Adamantium to be equal to 1 gold, 1 Books to be 5 gold, 1 Horses or Beasts to be 10 Gold and 1 Levistone to be equal to 25 Gold.

Record of Changes - Things that have been changed that are probably important.

Races of Arcana

The cost in points is to unlock a given race; normally one per nation, though Highborn races can have additional Baseborn races at a cost of +10 points per race. They may then be assigned to any domain as desired.


The ancient Alfar had names for most of the races they encountered, while these have either fallen out of use or undergone permutation, they are still widely used. The Alfar term is in brackets.

Baseborn Races

Humans (Midgar)

The generic
Racial Alignment: None

Orks (Uruk)

Originally tribal, some are now civilized. Can be green, brown or red.
Racial Alignment: Matter
Infantry units are tougher
Mage units are weaker

Goblins (Ruk-Tai)

Surface ones are mostly in isolated regions, underground ones are angry.
Racial Alignment: Void
+1 to all Drafts
Infantry units are weaker

Dwarves (Devgar)

Short guys that like beer and live in underground halls.
Cost: 20
Underdark Race
Racial Alignment: Force
Infantry units are tougher
+25% to all Mine output
-1 Common draft

Beastfolk

Catgirls and furries, oh my!
Cost: 5-20
Racial Alignment: Void
May chose one Beast ability at 5 points, 2 at 12 or 3 at 20.

Lizardmen

Primitive reptilian humanoids that come from the deep deserts far from civilization.
Cost: 5
Racial Alignment: Life
Infantry units are faster
May buy Lizard Wastes
Immune to attritionary effects of Wastes and Lizard Wastes
May not build Mechanical units

Frogmen

Primitive reptilian humanoids that come from the deep deserts far from civilization.
Cost: 10
Racial Alignment: Life
Infantry units are faster
Immune to attritionary effects of Marshy Wastes
Marshy Wastes produce +1 food, and +2 Common Draft
May not build Mechanical units

Highborn Races

Noble races can 'buy' Common race Domains to represent feudal (or enslaved) underclasses.

Elves (Alfar)

Fuck'n pointy-ears
Cost: 20
Racial Alignment: Ether
Ranged and Mage units are more powerful
Wilds generate +1 Food and +10 Mana
May buy Elven Wilds
All Common draft halved

Dark Elves (Dokkar)

Underground Elves
Cost: 20
Underdark Race
Racial Alignment: Ether
Ranged and Mage units are more powerful
All Noble and Mage units reduce Mana upkeep by 5
All Common draft halved

God-Blooded (Asgar)

Humans with a touch of ancient god in their bloodline
Cost: 25
Racial Alignment: Life
Infantry and Mage units are stronger and tougher
All Noble and Mage units reduce Mana upkeep by 10
All Common draft halved

Monster Races

Monster races require GM approval to play. All Monster races cost double to raise and upkeep (discounting equipment)

Draconians

Mutated dragon eggs, one of the more unpleasant by-blows of the Necromantic War. They're angry
Cost: 40
Racial Alignment: Matter
All non-mechanical units are tougher, breathe fire and fly
May not use Horses

Trolls (Jotnar)

Big green regenerating guys
Cost: 40
Racial Alignment: Void
All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
All non-mechanical units regenerate
May not buy Cities
All drafts halved

Dryads

Half-plant, half-human physical tree spirits. Insular.
Cost: 40
Racial Alignment: Life
All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
All mechanical units are grown at Wood Nodes, not built (see below)
Wilds generate +1 Food and +20 Mana
May buy Elven Wilds
May not buy Countryside
All drafts halved

Iron Dryads

What happens when you put a Dryad grove in an iron smelter
Cost: 40
Racial Alignment: Force
All non-mechanical units are much stronger and tougher
All mechanical units are grown at Fire Nodes, not built (see below)
All units reduce Mana upkeep by 5
Wilds generate +25 Mana
May not buy Countryside
All drafts halved

Revenants

Self-willed undead from the Necro War. May not look like zombies or skeletons.
Cost: 25
Racial Alignment: Void
All non-mechanical units are tougher
All units have certain magical resistances/immunities


Dryad growth rules: As almost everything Dryads make is grown and sculped from living trees, they do not need the raw materiels or manufacturing sites that other races do. They may pay Adamantium costs in Mana and can construct mechanical devices at the appropriate node - normally Life-aligned, but Iron Dryads use a Force-Essence permutation.

Domains

Arcana Domain Customization

Domains are what make up your nation, the real estate so to speak. They are where your people live and work and have a very real effect on your national character.

Domain Limits
A nation may have up to 12 domains without any problem, however past that there is a surcharge of +10 points per additional domain. In the turbulent times after the Necromantic War, few large states exist. A Domain can have at maximum two mines/quarries and one of every other type of site. As such a Mountain domain can have a Keep, a Town and two Gold Mines, but not a Keep, a Town, a Gold Mine, a Levistone Quarry and an Adamantium Mine.

Countryside

Cultivated fields interspersed with small forests, creeks, etc.
10 points
Produces 2 Food and 100 Gold
3 Common Draft
Horses

Wilds

Deeper forests of virgin oaks and old-growth cedar.
5 points
Produces 50 Gold
1 Common Draft
Somewhat defensible
Beasts

Hills

Rolling hills, often with small woodcutting or ranching operations. A popular site for gold mines, both collapsed and non-collapsed.
10 points
Produces 150 Gold
1 Common Draft
Defensible
Adamantium, Gold

Mountains

Tall, snow-capped peaks with the occasional high pass and raging river.
5 points
Produces 50 Gold
Very defensible
Adamantium, Levistone, Gold

Wastes

Deserts, swamps or tundras. Not nice places to be, but they make great borders.
1 point
Attritionary
Beasts

Demesne

20 points
Produces 1 Food, 100 Gold and 250 Mana
Adamantium, Levistone

Underdark

15 points
Produces 1 Food, 50 Gold and 125 Mana
1 Common Draft
Adamantium, Gold
Very Defensible
Beasts
Is associated with another Domain

Underdark Lightfield

20 points
Produces 3 Food, 50 Gold and 125 Mana
2 Common Draft
Adamantium, Gold
Defensible
Beasts
Is associated with another Domain

Underhaven

25 points
Produces 50 Gold and 375 Mana
Adamantium, Gold
Very Defensible
Beasts
Is associated with another Domain

Sites

Sites are geographical entities that are relatively small; cities, castles, nodes, etc. They must be placed in a Domain.

Fortifications

Many militarized borders have large walls, or else frontier fortifications. The practice has waxed and waned over the millenia, but dates back to the early expansion of the Alfar Empire.
10 points
Must be seized and captured before the associated Domain can be conquered.

Keep

Large fortified castles, complete with forges, smithies, bowyers, enchanters, ridiculously giant cannons, early-warning scrying pools and a rickety wizard's castle.
30 points
Requires 1 Food and 100 gold
Produces 250 Mana and 10 Books
2 Noble Draft
Must be seized and captured before the associated Domain can be conquered.
Maintains 25 gold/month of units free of charge, so long as they remain in the Domain.

Town

Vital cogs in a nation's economy, Towns are home to thousands of people. Like Keeps, they are home to various craftspeople and specialists.
10 points
Requires 1 Food
Produces 200 Gold and 10 Books
2 Common Draft

City

Much larger than Towns, Cities are centers of commerce and production. It is in Cities that the most powerful and amazing weapons and magics are crafted.
50 points
Requires 5 Food
Produces 1000 Gold, 250 Mana and 30 Books
6 Common Draft, 1 Noble Draft
Production sites for all Mechanical units.

Underhold

Even the denizens of the Underdark build cities, vast halls full of the myriad different tasks of civilization.
50 points
Requires 4 Food
Produces 700 Gold, 500 Mana and 30 Books
5 Common Draft, 1 Noble Draft
Production sites for all Mechanical units.
Must be sited in an Underdark Domain.

Paddocks

A proper site for rearing and keeping horses that typically includes stable buildings and fenced-in lands. Also tends to be a hub for experts in matters of training and equipment.
10 points
Requires 1 Food
Produces 30 Horses

Stockades

A fortress-like site with well-built walls and enclosures intended to keep dangerous or simply huge creatures which are brought in from the wilds to be trained or otherwise conditioned. Naturally it is a focal point for hunters, trackers and woodsmen. The occasional escape tends to motivate average folks to keep well away, though.
10 points
Requires 1 Food, -1 Common Draft to the domain it is in
Produces 25 Beasts

Wizard's Tower

Large, tall, possibly crooked and glows a faint greenish-yellow-purple at night.
10 points
Produces 50 Books

Gold Mine

Gold (or other similar precious materiels like silver and gems) need to be laboriously extracted from the earth to enrich the local lord.
10 points
Produces 250 Gold

Adamantium Mine

The reddish, incredibly tough metal known as Adamantium is prized across Arcana. While it makes excellent armor and weapons, it is one of the few substances (and by far the most available) that can be used to construct the frames of Guymelefs.
10 points
Produces 250 Adamantium

Levistone Quarry

Levistones are chunks of Arcana's rock that have become so infused with mana that they can ignore the grip of gravity. In some select areas these can be quarried and then floated to the shipyards where they become the keel of skyships.
10 points
Produces 10 Levistones

Nodes

Air Node

Often the sites of continual lightning, rain, snow and other more unusual atmospheric phenomenon. A flare at an Air Node can send storms across a continent, providing much-needed rain - or ruining crops.
50 points
Ether-Aligned
Each Air Node provides 1250 Mana
Increases non-Node mana by 5%

Fire Node

Archetypically a bubbling volcano, though vast fields of bubbling mud or geysers is not uncommon. More rarely, Fire Nodes can be twisted spires of rocks, dispersing raw energy into the air - or those venturing unwisely close.
50 points
Force-Aligned
Each Fire Node provides 1250 Mana
Reduces Mana cost of Constructs by 10%

Wood Node

The vibrant energy of a Wood Node imbues the local forests with unnatural vitality, turning them into vegetative battlegrounds of constantly-growing trees, creepers and other flora.
50 points
Life-Aligned
Each Wood Node provides 1250 Mana
Increases Wilds and Marshy Wastes draft by +1

Earth Node

Often taking the form of ridiculously rugged mountains that are fairly bursting with precious gems and ores, Earth Nodes are the foci of the geomantic forces of Earth magic.
50 points
Matter-Aligned
Each Earth Node provides 1250 Mana
Increase Gold income by 5%

Water Node

Endless fonts of crystal-clear water that fades to the deepest indigo above their unknown depths, Water Nodes are sources of pure water, even when they are found in an ocean.
50 points
Void-Aligned
Each Water Node provides 1250 Mana
Increases City and Keep drafts by +1 each

Spirit Node

It is difficult to define a Spirit Node with any certainty, save that those who unknowingly travel through them will find fires not shedding heat, no animals to hunt and enigmatic dreams that can never be properly recalled.
50 points
Spirit-Aligned
Each Spirit Node provides 1250 Mana
Unique Nodes

The Sun

Ether/Force aligned

The Clouds

Force/Life aligned

Yggdrasil

Life/Matter aligned

The Core

Matter/Void aligned

The Skies

Void/Ether aligned

The Sea of Chaos

Ether/Life aligned

The Heartsforge

Force/Matter aligned

World's End

Life/Void aligned

The Font of Creation

Matter/Ether aligned

The Grand Flow

Void/Force aligned

Resources

Horses
Warhorses, in specific. Needed to equip any unit with Warhorses.
Adamantium
A crucual component in making Guymelefs.
Levistone
What keeps skyships in the air.
Books
Mages need books.
Common Draft
Commoners are the bulk of any military, coming from various lower classes.
Noble Draft
The nobles are the priviledged few of titled birth, typically forming the hard core of a Lord's military.

Military Units

Arcana: Unit Design

Magic

Arcana: Mages and Magic

Retrieved from "https://swiki.fancruft.com/index.php?title=Arcana:_Iron_and_Magic&oldid=8150"