Covenant Cost Saving Items (updated)
This is a collection of items our Covenant has to reduce its yearly cost. Some replace the requirement to purchase consumables while others improve maintenance. This only includes items which see widespread use throughout the Covenant. Some individual buildings possess specific enchanted items which reduce the yearly expenditure and those are listed in the post for that building.
Buildings
These items are designed to reduce the maintenance cost of the many buildings in the Covenant. They work by allowing craftsmen to repair damage without having to use replacement material. Even when additional material is required, waste from the Covenant workshops can often be used. A side effect is that our buildings often appear to be made from a single piece of material, without seems or gaps.
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Mystic Metalworkers Tool x2
MuTe, Level 20, T/M/P, Base 4 "Metal to Clay", RDT 2, U/Day +10
These are large clipped triangle hand chisels, with a brass handle. When activated, metal being touched by the blade of the chisel takes on the constancy of viscid clay for a round. This allows cracks to be fixed, additional metal to be added, excess to be trimmed off, and in general allows far easier work. Used by the craftsmen who maintain the Covenant. -
Mystic Stoneworkers Tool x8
MuTe, Level 15, T/M/P, Base 3 "Stone to Clay", RDT 2, U/Day +10
These are large clipped triangle hand chisels, with a stone handle. When activated, stone being touched by the blade of the chisel takes on the constancy of viscid clay for a round. This allows cracks to be fixed, additional stone to be added, excess to be trimmed off, and in general allows far easier work. Used by the craftsmen who maintain the Covenant. -
Mystic Woodworkers Tool x8
MuHe(Te), Level 20, T/M/P, Base 4 "Plant to Clay", RDT 2, U/Day +10
These are large clipped triangle hand chisels, with a wooden handle. When activated, wood being touched by the blade of the chisel takes on the constancy of viscid clay for a round. This allows cracks to be fixed, additional wood to be added, excess to be trimmed off, and in general allows far easier work. Used by the craftsmen who maintain the Covenant.
Consumables
Material for burning (used in cooking, heating, and lighting) are often one of the largest single expenses behind food. Effects which generate material for burning or replace the need for it by generating heat and light can lead to significant cost savings.
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The Firewood Rack
CrHe, Level 30, T/Moon/G, Base 2 "Create Processed Wood", Size 1, RDT 6, 24/Day +5
A large folding metal rack, of the type for holding firewood. It consist of four parts hinged together, each 5 paces long and nearly two wide. When setup and the command word spoken, it will create 100 cubic paces of split and dried oak firewood stacked within it. Each piece is roughly a pace by a hand in size and normally one or two of the Covenants porters will distribute it as needed about the Covenant.
[Notes: It can generate over 21 cords of firewood per activation, over 506 cords per day. Enough to support several thousand households. Covenant is never short of firewood.] -
The Alder Smokewood Rack
CrHe, Level 20, T/Moon/G, Base 2 "Create Processed Wood", RDT 6, 1/Day +0
A mid-sized folding metal rack, of the type for holding firewood. When setup and the command word spoken, it will create 10 cubic paces of split and dried alder firewood stacked within it. Each piece is roughly a pace by a hand in size.
[Notes: It can generate over 2.1 cords of firewood per day. Enough to keep a dozen or more smoke houses going full time. Commonly used to smoke seafood and poultry.] -
The Beech Smokewood Rack
CrHe, Level 20, T/Moon/G, Base 2 "Create Processed Wood", RDT 6, 1/Day +0
A mid-sized folding metal rack, of the type for holding firewood. When setup and the command word spoken, it will create 10 cubic paces of split and dried beech firewood stacked within it. Each piece is roughly a pace by a hand in size.
[Notes: It can generate over 2.1 cords of firewood per day. Enough to keep a dozen or more smoke houses going full time. Commonly used to smoke beef and pork.] -
Magical Oven x12
CrIg, Level 20, P/C/I, Base 5 "Create Heat", RDT 1, MC +5, 24/Day +5
As found in Covenants, p. 51. Our version is modified with a lever on the side of the oven which determines how much heat is generated, from warm to red hot. Not all of them are the same size, with four of them being large bread ovens and the others scattered about the Covenant in locations in which much bulk cooking is done. They handle the high volume production, while wood from "The Firewood Rack" is used for small volume or individual cooking. -
Magical Lantern x76
CrIg, Level 9, P/S/I, Base 3 "Create Light, Torch", RDT 2, Constant +4
A shuddered lantern of brass with a basalt stone in the middle where the wick would normally be. A commodity item within the Order, these shuddered lanterns generate light as bright as a torch when fully opened. The light shines from the stone and the amount released can be controlled by manipulating the shudders. The number listed here is made up of the copies used in individual covenfolk for use in their homes and about the Covenant. Many of the buildings listed below will include additional copies specific to that building. -
Magical Street Lights x47
CrIg, Level 9, P/S/I, Base 3 "Create Light, Torch", RDT 2, Constant
A hand span (6") sphere of quartz with a brass base (including small piece of basalt) and silvered top third, mounted on poles one or three paces high to match their installed location. These have replaced the Magical Lanterns completely for use as street lights and illumination in the Portal Gardens. The silver reflects their light to the lower two thirds of the sphere, providing slight directionality to their light. Some are lightly colored and thus do not produce white light. -
Magical Accent Lights x18
Cr(Re)Ig, Level 19, P/S/I, Base 5 "Create Light, cloudless day", RDT 2, Constant
A flat brass plate with a glaze of quartz, many are mounted in wooden frames allowing adjustment. All of the light they produce is focused in a cone out of one face. They are used to accent and highlight things in the Covenant, such as the fountain in each Portal Garden.
[Notes: The number listed is the total owned. I am not breaking down the number by individual locations since it would involve editing all over the place.] -
The Eternal Flame x5
CrIg, Level 19, T/S/I, Base 4 "Create Fire, +5 damage", RDT 3, Cosmetic 0, Constant +4
A small basalt stone enchanted to always produce a (low intensity) fire from its top,
it has the cosmetic effect of forming the signs of the Hermetic Arts within its dancing flames.
[Notes: Two are found in the Temple, with one of those in 'The Living Flame'. The other three are in the Portal Gardens, positioned in brazier between the Portal Stones.] -
The Commendable Fireplace x5
CrIg, Level 20, T/C/I, Base 4 "Create Fire, +5 damage", RDT 2, MC +5, 24/day +5
An ornate black iron fire grate, upon command it will produce a 1 pace (low intensity) fire from its top. Thanks to the Covenant's location, this is often all of the heat required to heat a room on cooler days and if a fire is wanted for aesthetic reasons its heat can easily be countered by opening windows and vents.
[Notes: None of these are found in the Council Hall, Great Library, or Vault. Those are protected by an item which extinguishes flame. Instead they are found in Elric's Tavern, the Travelers Inn common room, the Medicus, the Roman Baths annex, and the Turb Barracks.]
Provisions
While it is possible to create food with magic, a far simpler approach is to aid in preserving it. Spoilage can easily account for as much loss of food as consumption depending on the environment and how it is stored.
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The Chilling Stone x4
PeIg, Level 29, T/S/R, Base 4 "Chill", RDT 5, Constant +4
A hand sized slab of marble, placed in a large stone room, one per inhabited level of the Regio. They serve much the same as deep cellars or storage under cold running water did, making everything in the room cold though not frozen. Primarily used for short term storage and chilling beverages, the forth one is used in a room setup near the butchers for dry aging meat. -
The Freezing Stone x4
PeIg, Level 34, T/S/R, Base 5 "Strongly Chill (freeze water)", RDT 5, Constant +4
A more powerful version of the above item, these actually cause the entire room to be cold enough to freeze water. One per inhabited level of the Regio, with the fourth specifically for the butchers on the 2nd tier. These are used to create ice and longer storage of meats.
Inhabitants
While technically these could replace some inhabitants, they are used by the Covenant to enhance productivity and show off its wealth. Replacing simple labor with enchanted devices when you have a massive Covenfolk population sends the message that you have Vis to burn.
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The Motivated Plow, Refined x2
ReTe, Level 20, T/C/P, Base 2 "control unnatural", RDT 3, MC +5, Unlimited/day +10
A tweaked version of the item found in 'Covenants' (p.52), this version can be used an unlimited amount of times per day. This completely removes the need for draft animals to plow, as well as allowing weeks worth of mass labor to be done by a handful in a day. Since the climate of the Covenant allows two grow seasons for some crops and year round for others, this greatly enhances production. -
The Animated Broom x5
ReHe, Level 30, P/C/I, Base 10 "Animate", RDT 1, +1 Complex, MC +5, 24/day +5
An ornately carved broom made of a woven blend of different woods, when activated it will animate and clean the directed area. It will collect all rubbish in designated areas. One assigned to the outside of the first three tiers, with the other two in the Council Hall and Temple.
[Notes: Halfway between 'Bookstand of Hespera' (follow around) and 'Tireless Servant' (simple lab task) in Complexity, it is capable of sweeping up large areas independently.] -
The Animated Server x2
ReHe, Level 30, P/C/I, Base 10 "Animate", RDT 1, +1 Complex, MC +5, 24/day +5
A tall and narrow table (think drink table) of an ornately cared woven blend of different woods, when activated it will ether follow the activator or slowly circle around the room until empty before returning to be refilled. When someone steps up to it, it will pause to allow anything carried to be taken. These are moved about as needed for parties. -
The Dumb Waiter, Refined x1
ReTe, Level 40, T/M/G, Base 20 "500 paces", RDT 3, 24/day +5
A tweaked version of the item found in 'Covenants' (p.52), this version has an increased range allowing it to reach from Elric's Tavern to all the inhabited buildings in the Covenant. The item itself is a large table with an AC slot, capable of sending up to 10 cubic paces (way overkill) to any AC location within range. Commonly it is used to send food to the Council Hall and parties, saving the difficulty (and possible spills) of transporting it across the Regio.