Silly but fun

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]

Something to prevent people from walking to the sphere and smashing it with a hammer would be good as well :wink: 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.

Cheers,

Xavi

I quite agree with Xavi on all counts. Particularly for Verditii with Elder Runes ... yep, should be more flying castles, ships the size of cities, and undersea villages.

A Old Verditius with Elder Runes and also deep into Hermetic Architecture could do your flying mountain in his sleep (and probably would!).

-K!

Netheril is a nice thing about the Forgotten Realms. That and the Underdark. People around here, however, tend to frown rather darkly at one whenever one mentions it... Mythic Europe is more acceptable :slight_smile:

I've never been overly fond of Hermetic Architecture.. .. sure.. you could enchant a castle or a mountain directly to fly.. but.. why?.. why not just have an item which makes it fly.. then if you break that castle, you can just use it on another ^^

I always imagined that hermetic architecture has a lot to deal with auras, basically. So you could create your magical castle in a level 10 aura and make it fly keeping the 10 aura. Otherwise, Finding really strong auras in the sky might get complicated.

Cheers,

Xavi

That's true, have to admit, I forgot about the aura bit.. don't have the book on hand at the moment, so I'm curious.. do the magic aura's granted by hermetic architecture stack and such?

Basically wondering if you say, enchant the flying mountain with a level 5 aura, and then enchant the wizards labs with more to bring them up to 10.. tho even if they didn't stack, I suppose you could still do that, but it'd just take more effort with the labs.. .. would be quite nice though :slight_smile:

If it was just about enchanting truly big things, FS, I'd agree. But flying castle/mountain/boat/whatever plus level 10 aura in the lab (thus limiting Warping of the help) plus some lab bonuses due to perfected shapes and so forth equals me leaning towards Xavi at this point.

However, IMO, the followers of the Mystery of H.A. are the ones likely to solve the "How do we create magical regiones," question for the Order. Outside the mystery, I would say that solving that question would be an Hermetic Breakthrough. Inside, I can be talked into making it "only" a Major.

So, make the mountain fly, give it a +5 aura, create a regio, and then give it a +10 aura. Truly a stupifying accomplishment. Definitely High Fantasy.

All of that warping is a great way to build your army of flying monkeys. Now if the covenant can get a 1000 bell hop outfits they will be set. :laughing:

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Oooo. And creating a sun durationn breeze that smells of poppies so as to trap your victims. Can forget that.

Oh... flying monkeys...

Bring in the Munchkins! :laughing:

I think the fact that Flying Castles are a touch obvious...

Think how far away you care see a Boeing 747..... Most Castles/Manor Houses would be of a similar size and far less streamlined...

Kings and Barons may start asking awkward questions when floating covenants start turning up on their borders...

Let them ask, what can they do about it?

Flying castles would change the power dynamic of medieval europe. The magi, ruling from on high with such a blatant symbol of power could draw the lords to their service.

Only thing to worry about is a pesky miracle bringing your castle down. Which is why of course, you'd want to weaken and destroy the church.

I would say probably pray for said pesky Miracle. Pray lots.

Equally they could starve the Magi. It's one thing to get the castle to fly, it's another thing to keep them fully stocked.

A

You say that, but once you get to that power level, line-of-sight teleportation spells to steal harvests and beasts aren't impossible. And invisible flying mounts aren't hard to come by either, even in a low-fantasy setting. You might have to make your own, mind.

Makes you wonder why the order HASN'T tried to rule the world.

A

Dominion. Crusaders and Priests with True Faith and Relics. Pious Magi.

Angels.

You know, ... God.

-Ben.

All of which, barring the last, can be dealt with with effort and coordination. The last granted humans free will and doesn't intervene much, save to grant gifts to a few chosen and act as inspiration. The real reasons the Order hasn't conquered the world are simple:
a) They can't cooperate. If you get three magi together, there'll be five opinions on what to do next. Magi fight like weasels, even over the most trivial things.
b) The paperwork. Ruling the world eats up labtime.

Pride ⇒ Fall

Especially with flying castles.

I think what's being missed here is the cost of opening a Castle to enchantment. Wouldn't that use a huge amount of vis and require insane magic theory score?