In my spare time, i.e. when not playing Ars, i play D&D (amongst other things).
I know, i know. Forgive me, its the world you see, i love the background. Of course the magic system sucks, of course the combat is silly. I just love the background.
The setting i tend to play in has a history that includes flying cities. Very chic. I, in my ilde musings, decided to work out how hard it would be to make a flying city in Ars.
Turns out its not actually that hard.
Firstly, our ambitious magus acquires/creates a globe of crystal about the size of a mans head. This requires 36 pawns of vis to open. Since IMS we have the 3* magic theory to open HR, this would require a magic theory of 12. High, but not ridiculously.
So, 36 pawns of vis and one season later we put this effect into it.
The flying mountain
(Base 3, +1 stone, +1 touch, +2 sun, +9 size)
ReTe 65
+1 for 2 casts a day
+3 environmental trigger (sun up and sun down)
Total level = 64
Cost = 7 pawns of Rego or Terram vis
This keeps our lump of rock flying all day and night.
Next effect is this
Move the flying mountain
(Base 3, +1 stone, +1 touch, +1 conc, +9 size)
ReTe60
+5 Item maintains concentration
+2 for 3 uses a day
+3 for a linked trigger
Total level = 65
Cost = 7 pawns of Rego or Terram vis
This lets us move our lump of rock around at about human walking speed. To move the rock you have to put your hands on thew globe and mentally give the command word as well as give it the directions mentally. This uses a linked trigger (see below)
Next comes
Unraveling the fabric of Vim
Stops any vim spell of level 60 or lower from affecting the crystal globe.
(Base 40, +2 sun)
PeVi50
+1 for 2 casts a day
+3 environmental trigger (sun up and sun down)
Total level = 54
Cost = 6 pawns of vim or perdo vis
This protects our magic item from some joker trying to dispel the effects.
next up is
Unraveling the fabric of Terram
Stops any terram spell of level 60 or lower from affecting the crystal globe.
(Base 40, +2 sun)
PeVi50
+1 for 2 casts a day
+3 environmental trigger (sun up and sun down)
Total level = 54
Cost = 6 pawns of vim or perdo vis
To stop someone from simple destroying the globe with Terram magic.
next up is a trap to stop someone joyriding off with our flying city.
Firetrap
Spell uses the linked trigger spell to determine whether the target believes he is authorized be in that room or not. Subjects that do not believe they are authorized to be in the room take +45 damage from the crystal globe as it immolates them.
(Base 40, +1 touch)
CrIg45
+10 unlimited uses
+3 linked trigger
Total level = 58
Cost = 6 pawns of creo or ignem vis
And the linked trigger for both the movement and trap effects.
Linked trigger for the movement and firetrap effects
(Base 15, +1 touch, +1 conc)
InMe25
+5 item maintains concentration
+1 for 2 uses a day
Total level = 31
Cost = 4 pawns of mentem or intellego vis
Now thats the Globe full and levitating our base, upon which our city will be built. Not that at size +9 its a cone about 1.5 kilometres across and 0.75 kilometres down.
Now to get that amount of stone the obvious thing to do is chop off the top of a mountain. Since my saga is based in the Stonehenge Tribunal, i suggest Ben Nevis. It is 1.3 kilometres high which is more than adequate.
So a ritual to slice the top off a mountain.
Decapitation of the Earth Titan
PeTe60
(Base 4, +3 sight, +1 part, Size +8)
This spell slices the top off a mountain. In and of itself it is not much use, but when the crystal globe is set into the (now severed) mountain top, it allows that cone of stone to be levitated into the air and flipped upside down, creating a flat mesa (the bottom of the cone) to build on. The mountain becomes flat topped and anything nearby is likely to suffer terribly from huge amounts of earth, dirt, trees and such like being thrown everywhere.
So there you have it (unless my maths are bad). One flying, inverted mountain top with a flat plain that you can now build a city upon. Just remember to stick some seriously meaty wards around the globe.[/b]
Better than the firetrap. But yeah, it is cool if you like high fantasy. In fact, given the capabilities of the OoH I am quite surprised that flying castles are not more common in the official setting. prevents a lot of problems of dealing with earthly stuff.
