Runefists don’t work magic the usual way. Instead, they take a Major rune as a Stance, and six lesser runes, two marked as strikes, two marked as blocks and two marked as movements. They work with the GM to work out a static ability for each of these rune-manoeuvres. However, their true strength comes from the fact that, in combat, they can take multiple manoeuvres per turn, both combining the bonuses and the runes into powerful combat actions, with the stance acting like an Anchor. i.e. Air Stance + Lightning Strike + Rock Block would give a bonus to dodge (From air stance), a chance to attack (From lightning strike) and a bonus to Parry (From Rock Block) in addition to allowing a cool Air + Lightning + Rock rune effect.

Mimics simply use whoevers ability they’re mimicking at the time, though more detail will be needed on screwing with other peoples runes

A word on Anchors- All mages anchor their spells to the Great Runes, but not all mages can use them. The ability to anchor a spell to a rune does not equate to the ability to use that rune itself. Archmages, and people who have mastered many great runes, are said to anchor their spells to the True Rune itself.

I’m off to labs in about half an hour, so I’m going to be doing prep for the time being, and then working for three hours after that, but when I get back, I plan to do some old man stories about geography, politics, religion and various rumours, legends and superstitions of the lands.

For now, a general Mosaic thread. Post ideas, comments, or whatever.

Old threads:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2550678/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2616123/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2655109/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2801636/ (Short thread, mixed with Eurid)
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2815797/

Yay! Mosaic! I've gone completely in love with this setting.

In the end of the last thread, I had made a few prospective characters to explore the setting and also use as models for some thoughts on mechanics. I'll repost them here to see if they spark any discussion. I've been experimenting with some different basic rule systems for the General (Physique, Reaction, Intellect, Essence) and Magical Attributes (Life/Death, Matter/Energy, Knowledge/Faith) as well as Form modifiers (levels of Mastery, complexity and more), but I choose not to ramble about that just yet.

Character 1:
Apprentice Bufalas
Class: Glyph Carver

Sigur Bufalas is a student at the Bufalas Mercantile School, studying Utilitary Magic with focus on Labour Animation. He is a specialist in the field of Golems, and is an apprentice to Foreman Valkur of the Uldur & Finnster Shipping Company. In addition to his studies at the School and his apprenticeship, he is employed to maintain the Dockhand and Sailor Golems the Company owns.

Known runes:
Greater: Matter
Major: Men
Minor: Blessing, Body, Courage, Destiny, Men, Ocean, Wounds

Forms:
“Mend” A: Matter, Wounds
“Focus” A: Matter, Courage
“Endurance” A: Matter, Destiny
“Swift Travel” A: Matter, Ocean, Wind
“Mend Body“ A: Matter, Body, Wounds
“Create Minor Helper” A: Matter, Men, Body, Blessing

>>2842415 Bufalas Mercantile School -> Belda Mercantile School

Character 2:
Gust Molatu
Class: Sigilist

Adrienne Molatu was born in Malix, but moved with her family to Belda as work became scarce in the lower regions. After moving to the city, she learnt she had an affinity to rune casting and was admitted to study at the Nautical University, quickly learning key runes for weather manipulation - a skill in high demand in the naval city. She currently works as a junior mage at the Uldur & Finnster Shipping Co., working under several senior mages to maintain favorable weather around the company’s vessels.

Known runes:
Greater: Energy
Major: Air, Water
Minor: Blessing, Heat, Light, Ocean, Rain, Wind

Forms:
“Warmth” A: Energy, Heat
“Illuminate” A: Energy, Light
“Breeze” A: Energy, Wind
“Lightning Strike” A: Energy, Lightning, Light
“Steady Drizzle” A: Energy, Wind, Rain
“Torrential Rainstorm” A: Energy, Water, Wind, Rain
“Strong Guiding Wind” A: Energy, Air, Wind, Blessing

Character 3:

Lieutenant Marq Dolor
Class: Graven Blade

Formerly of the Royal Army, Lieutenant Dolor is now retired to a life as a would-be adventurer and runesword-for-hire. Having studied under the finest military instructors, he is a formidable example of a New Royal Graven Blade, and seldom hesitates to mention this to people on either side of his shield. Recently he has found himself living part of his dream of adventure - seeing foreign shores, but has found himself disappointed in his Beldan employers that rather see him guarding their various cargos than engage in bar fights or noble quests. Marq's magical training focused on self-enhancement, and he generally uses the forms on his equipment to make himself more resistant and steadfast in a battle.

Known runes:
Greater: Life
Major: Augmentation
Minor: Blessing, Body, Courage, Stone

Forms:
“Aegis” A: Life, Blessing
“Fortitude” A: Life, Body
“Bravery” A: Life, Courage
“Grit” A: Life, Stone
“Inner Strength” A: Life, Blessing, Courage
“Wall of Granite” A: Life, Augmentation, Stone
“Immutable Foothold” A: Life, Courage, Stone

bump for EF thread

I've been following these threads for a while and I'm interested in making a Sigilist. Hmm...

I really hope you're not going with generic class names in-game. That whole idea was pretty cool. Particularly the Order of the Red Veil.

>>2842721
We can have both like this:

Template Fighter
Class: Shadow Warrior of the Midnight

Template:Fighter
Class: Defensor of the Ghost Fire

and so on...

Since you and Xaras seem to have the fluff side of this totally handled, EF, how about whenever you come back, you give us a rundown of what you have set about the mechanics, so the more math-minded of us can give a hand there?

Specifically:
1: Maybe go over the base stats for each character again, and what they effect? Body and Essence are all I remember.
2: Any preferences as far as how combat should run? With all you've said so far about this being a rules-lite/description-heavy system, I imagine you want a more cinematic style to the battle, but any ideas you have as to exactly how it breaks down would be appreciated.
3: Is the game focused more on tactics, or lucky dice rolls?

Anxiously awaiting your return, man.

This Epic-level Form allows its user to bump a thread to top position, or rend the world asunder, depending on intent.

>>2842781

Base stats:
Body: Physical might and endurance
Reaction: Physical speed and agility
Intellect: Mental processing power and memory capacity
Essence: Imagination and social skills

Current model is unisystem combat, which varies between three roll (To hit, location, damage) and five (To hit, dodge, location, damage, armour), though if that could be reduced it'd be good. Combat is very lethal. a good sword stroke will kill you, a blast of fire will hurt you no matter who you are, assuming you don't repel it somehow.

Tactics. With a D10 and skills and stats on a 1-6 scale, more often than not you will succeed on your roll. its more about planning and being imaginative with your rune use than stacking modifiers and hoping for a lucky roll.

Also, i've been informed its movie night at the bar, and someone has purchased a box-set containing every monty python movie and episode ever made... So, additional stories may be delayed. Only starts at 8 mind you, so i have a little time to get stuff done.

>>2843201
My idea for the magic system has been to use a balancing scale based on the Greater Runes (inner circle in OP), where a Form generally being Anchored to the character's strongest magical stat.

So, you'd probably get or roll a number of points to distribute among the magic stats - perhaps one roll or set number per Greater Pair (Life vs Death, Matter vs Energy, Knowledge vs Faith). The successes of Forms would then be tied to your rolls agains the Anchor stat.

To make these choices more important, I've also been toying with the idea of letting characters make resist rolls to magical effects based on the spell's anchor. It'd mainly be a way to defend oneself against casters, as I imagine they'd be pretty lethal from the start. It might also give way for pretty awesome magical duels with spellcasters lobbing lightning and death back and forth rather than just vapourizing each other.

As a note Xaras, i'm taking the geography you wrote and the stuff i wrote and attempting to splice it together. How does one large continent, with a great bay and a lopsided archipelago at the east side sound?

Ah, only a day until the Faire. Splendid. You’ll forgive me if I save my best tales for that grand festival, but I’ll tell you of our lands, as a way of earning my bed for the night.

At the Center of our land, As much as any can guess, lies Amenai, the jewel of the desert. Its a truly grand city, stretching across many miles, and beautiful to look at. The glass roofed towers can be seen from a hundred miles away, and the Monument of Logr is a true marvel. It stands two hundred feet tall, covered with runs, and from its wide base the greatest river in the world flows. Thats what makes Amenai so great, among the desert cities. Its infinite water source. Rumour has it that the merfolk have their own city beneath the monument, in a vast sea beneath the sand.

One of the strangest things in the city is the Shifters quarter. It looks like a giant sand dune, but the inside is like a giant tent, with the sand on top as an illusion. They set it up next to the city as a trading post, and have wondrous goods from all over the continent, although you can never be sure how they came by them. Cunning folk, the shifters.

Spreading out you have the Necklace of Amenai, a string of lesser cities in a rough circle around it. The nomads and traders constantly circle that ring, buying or selling at each new oasis. The shifters are present there too, buying and selling as much as the rest, although you always get the feeling you’ve been ripped off after the deal is done.

Scattered through the desert are great artificial mountains of stone, miles high and smooth sided. They bear no mark of runes, but its impossible to think they were made by hand. Some say ancient giants must have built them, but their race died before man ever set foot here. All I know is that few have dared to enter them, and fewer have returned alive, and none have returned with their sanity. Dangerous places my friends, dangerous.

North and south, and in thin bands to the east and west, lie the great plains. In the south, they’re quite verdant, with the steppes playing host to many herds of animals, while the north is a little more barren, and life is harder. Each great plain is ruled by the horse lords, the Genkhan to the south and the Nakee to the north. Both are very respectful of the centaurs of course, who roam both great plains freely, and without respect for boundaries.

Of the two, the Genkhan are more aggressive. If it wasn’t for the Centaurs, they’d be constantly at war with each other. But the southern centaurs, while passive compared to their northern brethren, have an odd method of enforcing peace. Namely, by slaughtering those who make war with bow and javelin. So far, this has kept the Tzeng relatively safe from the hordes, though skirmishes and raids still occur.

The Nakee are very strange. They almost worship the centaur, following their migration routes, at an acceptable distance of course, and living so close to their horses you’d think they wanted to be unified with them. There may be method to their madness mind you, for the centaurs always seem to know where the other animal herds will migrate, and thus give the Nakee great cause to use the hand axes they’re so fond of.

I’ve heard rumours that once every few seasons, many tribes of centaur gather at certain places, and take counsel. I heard a man say he heard their singing, wilder and more beautiful than any song of men. Then again, he may have must been mad.

Both of the horse peoples raid the slightly more civilised folks, the Janxi of the north and the Tzeng of the south. The Janxi are master stonemasons, and their bloodscribes are some of the strongest in all the land. They are a ruthless people. I’ve seen a Janxi shaman sacrifice a virgin girl to the god of fire, and incinerate an entire village with the power of her willingly given blood.

The Tzeng are just as strange. They live in paper houses, and use paper for nearly everything. Even money! They even work runes onto paper, and carry them as marks of office or useful implements. They have entire schools where Glyph Carvers are taught the use of ink, and how to correctly mark such complex forms with the odd brushes they always use. Give me a quill any day.

Again, to the north, the Oster live. A dour people, but strong and hardy. They live in the evergreen forests, mountains and the iced over plains, and work a living out of the metal to be found in the mountains. Some say they have dealings with the hillfolk, for their skill at crafting runic machinery surpasses all others. Then again, they keep themselves to themselves, so maybe they have even darker dealings we don’t know about.

The southern forest is warmer, and is the realm of the Yaropans. A hundred tiny kingdoms, each with its own language and history, constantly fighting and warring due to the quarrels of its petty aristocracy and tinpot kings. Mind you, they have an odd skill for archery and a surprising degree of skill with bodyform runemagic. Many skilled runefists and somats have found their way out of those warm woods. Some say its due to the influence of the forestfolk, but from how the Yuro’s act, they’re just as scared of ‘em as the rest of us.

[Deviating a bit from your earlier work Xaras, but I really like the idea of one titanic continent. However, is it okay if I adapt it into a large, disjointed peninsula, curving into a great bay?]

East of the desert lies the great bay, which holds the remains of the ancient Njords. One little archipelago and the surrounding islands are all that remains, although mercy upon any who goes there uninvited, and doubly for Ordii, what may be the greatest city in the world, even taking into account the beauty of Amenai. The vaults there hold all the secrets of the ages, and then more some, but very few ever peer into their depths. Perhaps that’s for the best, for dark tales abound as to the end of the Njord, as well you must know.

The area between the peninsula and the bay is the realm of various sea tribes, who fish or trade along that long and broken coast. However, among them, the worst were the Goti, whose tyrannical lordship of the seas was broken several decades ago, although no one knows exactly why.

North, around the border of the Oster, and also to the deeper southern coasts, the Veste rule. They are said to be the remnants of the old Njord, fallen from wisdom. A terrifying folk, they see death as victory, and sail the seas in seek of it. However, they are an honourable folk, and some tribes are fair and true. Others are barbaric and mad. When one of their ships comes across the sea towards you, be wary, for they may be your end.

At the utmost frozen north, where even the Veste quail to go, are the ice-halls of the Ini. Masters of runic magic of cold, they walk through blizzards untouched, and have lived in vast cities of ice for generations. The only trouble is that all their magic is worthless further south, but then again, relatively few seem to wish to journey away from their beloved ice.

The western coast plays host to the strange and decadent states, with many names, but called the Cities of Marble by most. They make great use of it for temples and stadiums, and even paving streets! They indeed are an odd folk, with an odd propensity for Mirrors to arise from their population.

Farther south, lies the great jungle. Hot at its heart, but cool at the borders, it holds many peoples, so many sometimes its hard to tell how many truly dwell in its heart.

Ah well, that’s my telling done for now. The history of this land is more my forte than the nations, but that’s a general idea. Of course, there’s many little places like your own, without ruler or strict culture, living on the borders of life, and more power to you! Now, pass me that ale...

Now, to get a cup of tea, then come back and realise how badly I've fucked up. Writing in this state of brain is not a good idea...

Not bad. Not as good as earlier works, but by no means bad.

>>2843358
I dunno, the countys you make up arn't always bad...
Provided your idea of a "Nation" is a dictatorship of economicaly incapable cyborgs ruled by a madman with no ability to prioritise.

And I'm back, because fucking retards decided it was more fun to watch LA confidential than Monty Python. So, fuck them.

Anyway, quick bump to see if anyone's got new ideas.

>>2843822
Python > everything

Also, I'm sketching a new map based on your ideas. I'll see if I can make it digital when it's finished.

Attention all wikifags, there is work to be done

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Mosaic

Needs general updates, links to previous threads, uploads of the rune diagrams, etc etc etc.

I suck at Wiki, so i'm not touching it.

So the horsemen who revere the bow and spear-weilding centaurs use axes? How does that work off the back of a horse, and why don't they follow their Horselords with efficient weapon while on horseback?

Axes are best used hewing trees, not on the plains?

Where are the Island Nations? Primative tribes of Humans who, in the absence of metal to facilitate the advance of technology, have learned to use the most fundemental runes of Nature to build living Houses from Trees or something.
May Cannibals too. Can't have a good Supercontinent without Cannibal Islands.
Well, either that or Giant underground caves.

>>2843953

From what I can tell, Nakee = native americans (Axes = tomahawks) and Genkhan = Mongols. Two different horse-tribes, two different weapon setups. However, perhaps we should help lower the ignorance by suggesting alternatives to the shitty weapons suggested? i.e. spears, composite bows, cavalry sabres etc

>>2843958

I like the idea of threats around the main continent to keep everyone centralized...a la cannibals or the classic "thar be sea monsters" .

>>2844027
Why not have Real Sea Monsters...
Maybe someone, long long ago etc, combined a Rune of Life with a Rune of Oceans and accidentaly made a beast of Living Water or something.
Now it surrounds the land, girting every coastline, a great monster of living salt wind that turns calm seas to Meat Mincers whenever any fool a'trys to sail apon it.
That way the Seafareing guys can Dominate world Trade cause their the only ones who can navigate Via the oceans.

>>2844073

...Oddly enough, that is really similar to an idea i had ages ago. Its awesome though, so i'll use it to some extent.

>>2843969
>>2843953

Sorry for being vague. I don't know much about native americans or mongols (Yes, those are the sources) and so bullshitted out my ass. If anyone more knowledgeable would like to write some shit for them, please do so.

>>2844027
>>2843958

Cannibal islanders is a good idea. I will contemplate it.

"Yarr, Tis quite a Tale to be SurArrr.
Twas many a yarr ago, I be Sailing round the NArrthern coast, my ship a laden down with precious Metals and Silks. Ah, was quite a HArrd.
The Seas wArr calm that day, Calm do ya heArr me, not a wave nor even a ripple to be seen. Like a great piece of fine blue silk, thats how I've always said she should be.
Well, as I were saying, we were rounding the coast, a'heading for the nearest hArrbor, when a great wind blew across the sea, a'strikeing our sail a full to the mizzenmast.
Or whatever ye landlubbers call it, its a damn sail either way, Yarrr.
Me and me crew, we ain't seen no clouds or nutin, so we were just a'wondering where such a mighty Gust be comming from, when the first wave stuck our hull. Rocked the whole ship it did, from side to side like a the Tits on an old barmaid, har har har.
Narr offence meant mam, I likes em Squishy I does.
Me and me crew, we wArr a tumbling everywhar, backwards and forwards and sidewards we was, but them waves, they just kept a'comming out of nowhArrr.
Me mate, ol Jim was his name, He a'managed to grab the wheel and tried to put us steady.
Fine sailor he was, fine man too. Damn shame, damn shame.
Well, it didn't work on the entirely, but I managed to get to me feet, first time in all my yArrs at sea I felt so sick lads. I stumbled to thArr rail, trying to see if there was a Starm commin. Well, thArr was. Just not the kind I be used to.
Damn, Damn Shame."
[Damn, Posts too long.]

[The story continues]
"First, I thought it was just the sea again, great expance of blue, far as I could see...Problem was, I looked up for the sky, it was still thar.
Wall of Water lad, Wall of water. Biggest Fuckin wave I ever did see.
What? Narr, wern't really a wave. I merely call it so as to stimulate your imagineings boy. Real waves, well, they crash down don't they. Might have been better for us that it did, I recon we could have made it from that.
But this one, it just stood there, blocking ma whole view. And I do mean ma whole view lad, for when I looked behind me, twArr there as well. Twas...surrounded we wArr, yarr, that be the wArrd.
What? Get to the point? I'd smack ye lad, were I not so damned drunk I don't know which of yar heads to hit.
What do you think happened lad? Fell on us it did. From all around, a great whoosh of water, like a great Rain but all in one great lump.
Not spread out in little drops is what I mean lad.
And yeh, yeh, I suppose I was like a wave. Eventualy. What I'm saying is it didn't fall right aw...
Whose damn story is this you little Scumbucket!!
Right, as I war sayin, it fell on us. Broke our mast right away, split the deck a'Clean in Half. Me mate, well, I can only hope it was a quick death really. I imagine it wArr, that mast was a Damn heavy thing to fall on ye like that.
[Fucking word Limit]

[Yarr, I digress]
"Whole crew, dead, in so few moments lad. Everyone ye know, gone into the depths, a sunk under ye own ship. Ya don't know the horrors lad. I recon, were not for the drink, I'd have died in me dreams many a year ago lad.
As twas, Ah managed to grab ahold te a piece of wood and float ashore. I kno a few of them Rune thingys, made fresh water from the brine and soforth. Ended up on one of them Islands of the coast.
Which one? Damned if I kno, I left as soon as I could.
Damned Leaf-wearing savages a'tried to roast me. I tell ye lad, them island dwellers, they got no civilisation. Yarr, couldn't tell a nice beef dinner from a cows cock dripped in Beer
Speaking of which, Heres ma Lunch"

>>2844362
>>2844347
>>2844330

...I'm not sure how to react. Cool, yet... wierd

Hey, wait a minute...

Is that you, Random Caps Guy?

>>2844111
Mongols: "It is worth dwelling with this crucial element in the Mongolian military concept; the relative independence of both the individual soldier, the units and their leaders. Each of these had to be able to participate in major coordinated efforts, but each soldier or unit must also be capable of independent existence and action."

http://www.coldsiberia.org/monmight.htm

Guys an asshole, but may know what he's talking about. Weapons listed would be the recurve bow (strong, compact, hit and run tactics) with the sword pictured as a close-up weapon. They dressed in Silks (stops arrows) with leather and wool over for warmth and further protection. Sword is essentially a very curved sabre.

So how does runic divination work?

>>2844644

Just like all other divination. Whatever the GM feels like telling you.

Several questions here.

What are the statistical modifiers for each player race? Also, stats for other creatures?
How will the health system work?
Do the characters' nationalities have any numerical effect, or is it just for the sake of roleplaying? (ex: "My character is one of the Veste, and he's convinced that he's a descendant of the Njord.")

Here's a quick and dirty outline of the continent with places named. It'd be cool to have a proper drawfag make a neat fantasy map of it if Earthflame approves the general look.

nice stuff

bump b4 bed

>>2845008
That continent looks a great deal like one i nuked off the surface of a planet before in one space based campaign.

I haven't finished reading all the threads yet, so this may have been covered...but if the True Rune Grants godliness, yet gods are described by a lesser rune...isn't that somewhat recursive?

>>2846117

Well, the Gods have control over certain spheres...they're Gods because they understand and can use the True Rune, along with understanding of all the others.

>>2845008
put a mountain range between the desert and whichever ocean is upwind on the prevailing winds.

>>2845008
also don't put jungle and tundra next to each other it makes no sense.

though I guess you could have the tundra be very high altitude on a large plateau.

ITT?

>>2846340

i understand that gods use the true rune...whats bothering me is this: gods are masters of the True rune, and therefore all of creation, but they are described by the Gods rune, which is only a fragment of the True...so this means the mastery of the True rune = a fraction of the True rune?

basically, i am confused as to what the "Gods" rune encompasses. the whole recursion bit doesnt make any sense, so im guessing that wasnt intended, but i cant think of what should be there instead.

>>2845008

I'd give it a whirl if no one else wants to. Might be a fun change of pace from working on ArtifIce.

Morning /tg/

>>2846392

I remember seeing an ice-jungle on an old TV documentary... Walking with Dinosaurs, that was it. Couldn't it be something like that?

>>2846447

The current gods haven't mastered the true rune, just one of the great runes. They're like D&D gods, immensely powerful, but limited in certain ways. However, if anyone mastered the true rune, they'd become a true god, with ultimate mastery over all things.

*Boot to the ass*

Front page. Now.

>>2847619
So it's like the difference between "gods" and actually being totally omnipotent.

>>2847619
If you mean the Antarctic forest, that wasn't an "ice jungle". At the time, Antarctica wasn't as cold as it is now. It was just a very cold forest.

I'm back, and bumping this.

Any more fluff regarding the Red Veil?

>>2846661
Go wild with mountains and rivers. The only thing I've imagined is having a nile-like river running through the desert (and through the city Amenai) and ending in the bay. It would be how the old Njord spread all the way into the desert, and later how civilization spread from Amenai to all corners of the world.

And i'm back for the afternoon, and have nothing better to do for the next couple of hours

>>2848828

Not as current, but give me a little time and i'll try to cook something up.

While were at it, any other ideas for organisations etc in the world?

I'm thinking the Mirror conspiracy has to be part of it, possibly some groups of humans who are friendly with the non-human races to a degree, maybe even some race-traitors who work against humanity, and the cult who hide the Un-runes and try to bring around the end of all things...

I don't think a jungle fits the feel of the setting, really. A thick mysterious redwood forest could be better.

>>2849105

You got a point. Africa/south america/australia can be set aside for now, perhaps an additional continent to be expanded upon at some point.

bampu for my waifu

Here's a snippet of writefaggotry from a story I'm penning:

"A spray of brackish water washed over the dark wooden deck as the ship dug into a wave. Sails thrashed in the violent winds, and the fir deck-hands worked to catch the wind in the cloth before the ship drifted off-course. Adrienne mumbled curses at the storm as a splash of the water came over her face and interrupted her Form again. The ink of her thin spellbook - more a pamphlet really - had started to run down the page, but it didn’t matter much as she knew the runes already."

>>2848828

The red veil is the barrier of blood, between flesh and divinity, between peace and war, between life and death. The Order has vowed to be both its agent and guardian, following the will of the gods and ensuring the world is maintained. So great the piety of the priests, they would rather see their lifeblood all spent than allow the world to be cast into peril, or the accursed dead be allowed to walk free.

On that note, we need some idea of afterlife. Apparently ressurections are possible via amplification of the life rune, but what actually happens to souls?

>>2848080

Repeating this sentiment. Needs more work. Where are you Earthflame? Give us delicious fluff.

Nerudite Order of Mages

The royal mages of Njord are all members of the Nerudite Order, a group of religious magicians rumored to control the greatest repository of magic outside the black towers of Ordii. The Order was born from the rune users that helped found the city Nerud after the fall of the Old Empire, and several Emperors of the Second Empire were members of the powerful group. In past years, the Order has engaged in politics of power, maintaining the old mindset of the Njord to spread their influence through mastery of the Runes. With the fall of the Empires and the spread of knowledge and civilization over the lands, the Order’s approach has become less and less effective, forcing them to take a more manipulative role to further their schemes.

Amenai Merchant’s Guild
One of the oldest and most influential forces in the world, the Guild was a principal force in the spread of civilization and knowledge of the runes to distant lands. The Njord founded their Empire, spreading organization and enlightenment over a quarter of the world, but among the small empires that arose in the wake of their fall, none managed to resume the spread of civilization - except the Guild. In their travels to distant lands, the merchants of Amenai encountered many budding cities and tribes, such as those that are now known as Oster, Jangxi, Tzeng and the Marble Cities. Knowledge of the runes was exchanged for the establishments of the trade routes that have helped Amenai for generations to become the most prosperous city on the face of the continent.

The Merchant’s Guild has used its powers of adaptability and business acumen to get a finger in every pot, a man in every company and eyes on every royalty and archmage within their great grasp. While they have few aspirations other than filling their coffers, they are known to exert powerful economic incentives or embargoes whenever someone threatens their revenue.

The Thousand Silver Faces
A name that brings terror when spoken among mages, the Silver Faces are assassins with a legendary ability to eliminate even the most potent and prescient wizards of the world, and have a reach as far and wide as humanity has spread. Their deadly work of the Silver Faces strikes the princes of Amenai or the icy tribes of the Ini with no discrimination, and no-one knows the reasons for their actions.

The fact that the group consists mainly of Mirrors is suspected among those that have investigated them, and their schemes leave little imprint on attempts at divination. Some are convinced that the Silver Faces are a component or head actor of the mysterious pattern that the Mirrors seem to play a part in. Perhaps they are even the directors of this chaotic symphony.

>>2846411
The Black Buzzards
A group of mercenaries formed by a small regiment of Yaropan soldiers, the Black Buzzards have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the political landscape of Njord, where they have found an abundance of young Graven Blades that yearn for adventure and war. The group has recently found itself operating with a generous sponsorship from the Amenai Merchants Guild (through a number of other organizations) and, though the Buzzards still take on other contracts, the guiding hand of the Guild is felt through their growing ranks, and some members feel that the group's neutrality is faltering.

I passed quickly through the engraved marble arch, draping a towel loosely around my waist. The bathhouse was, as always, lively in the morning, steam obscuring the multitude of bodies, tattooed hands, arms bearing patterned rings or heavy golden bracelets that hummed quietly with the Mosaic power in them. I passed the crowd quickly and entered one of the small chambers in the back, laying on the heated slab and relaxing in preparation for massage.

The girl entered quietly; I didn't raise my head to look at her. Gawking at servants is a simpleton's practice, and besides, this bath was dedicated to Vereina. Her girls were always veiled.

I felt her hands touching my back, the beginning of a caress that flowed through my muscles like fire, relaxation spreading as a gust of wind. I mentally traced her movements. She was constructing a pattern... A very familiar pattern!

With a sharp movement I turned to face her, grasping her wrists. She twitched, but her eyes were sharp behind the veil.

"You're a Somat, by the Gods! Scribing my back! Didn't think I'd notice? Are you even registered? Do you know the punishment in this city for practicing magic without a license?"

The Viskro
The Viskro are a small group of Goti that left Njordic lands during the age of the Second Empire, abandoning the lands that they had been granted by the old Emperors and returning to their ancestral ways of travelling across the lands. They travel with animated forges, ancient smithies that were built during the Old Empire’s reign and later made to walk by the Carvers of the Viskro, and thanks to these magical forges the Viskro and many other Goti tribes are famed for the quality of their weapons and suits of armor.

>>2850271

She shook her head. "I meant you no disrespect, Lord... I just do what I do to help my clients relax. I meant you no harm, I swear!" Her voice shook. Was it sincere innocence, or fear, or both? Or was it a calculated ruse?

I released her hands, and she drew back. "Very well, then. I take it you've no license for your work?" Again, a headshake. "Right. Fortunately, I happen to be a Magistrate in the city council. Just come to the agora building in the center and ask for Burinas Wymd and I'll help you with the paperwork. And now," I climbed off the slate, "I think this session is over. Thank you for your services." I left a silver coin in the jar at the door as payment; no need to make the poor girl feel even more rejected. Assuming a confident stride, I left the chamber for the wardrobe room, to get dressed and begin the day properly.

A pleasant wind caressed my face as I stepped out onto Forvix Street, and began the long climb to the agora on the top of the hill and my offices. The air was warm and sweet, fragrant with the aroma of spices from the Samum Quarter, the Shifter ghetto on the left, allowing me to forget the smell of garbage and rot from the labyrinthine alleys of Lupine's Row to my right. Stalls along the street were selling amulets, most inscribed with runes, Mosaic-charged patterns or cheap imitations of them. Some even had the feel of true power inside them. I made a mental note to have the Guild's patrols inspect those stalls later. But pleasant as the walk was, I still could not rid myself of the nagging feeling left in me from the encounter with the Somat girl.

Wonderful fluff! Keep up the good work!

Sorry for not posting anything myself, i've been somewhat derailed upon finding out several real life concerns are rather more imminent than they seemed. Hopefully i'll be able to finish with them in short order, and actually get to something useful.

Belda Mercantile School
Founded by a local government after the collapse of the Second Empire, on incentives by the Amenai Guild to help develop regional trade. The Mercantile School hosts lectures in a myriad of fields not restricted to trade and the administration thereof, and has grown to be considered one of the most respected magical academies of the east coast.

I have nothing meaningful to contribute, so instead I'll just go bump in the night.

Needs more volcano's

Ancient Njord

When the Old Empire unleashed their forbidden magic in the very end of the Magic Wars, it shattered the work generations of magicians. As the cataclysm struck, ancient seals protecting the low lands simply faded, allowing the sea to undo their great work. The Imperial City was spared from the floods, but in the ensuing riots, pillaging and wars of reclaiming, it was reduced to rubble and still stands on a lone island in the archipelago. The only remaining faction of power was the amazing monastery of Ordii and the great city surrounding it, and it was there the remaining mages and Graven Blades retreated to weather the storm. While the fractions they left behind rebuilt and warred, the Ordii worked silently to secure anything of value from the old cities and took it to the vaults of the monastery to be kept from prying eyes.

There still exist a number of small settlements along the coast and in the old archipelago that claim to be of straight Njordic heritage and that do their best to avoid outside contact. These hamlets are home to rumors of dark rituals and research into the magic the Old Empire wielded to destroy an entire nation, and even the warmongering lords of the Second Empire tried to steer clear of their lands.

>>2851555
Scenario Idea

Ghosts of Cataclysms Past

The PCs journey to the ruins of the old Imperial City to find a forgotten artifact holding knowledge of the ancient magic that the Njord used to bring the entire world to its feet. They journey there by boat, getting to witness the destruction the Njord brought upon themselves (the city is an island in itself, with the suburbs laying beneath the waves - they will sail straight in among spires and streets), as well as face the wildlife that is working on reclaiming the ruins. Among the crumbling walls there might also be some degenerate remnants of the Old Empire, eking out a living among streets-made-canals and empty windows.

As they get closer to their goal, the PCs will have to enter the catacombs (navigating crumbled water-filled tunnels! yay!), where they face the things unleashed in the cataclysm - undead! Skeletons, ghouls, zombies, the usual grunts. In the end they reach their goal and stand face to face with an Emissary of Ordii, out to get the same artifact as the PCs.

“I see you managed to get through my ancestors...” he says, and grins.

The Kingdom of Njord

As the Second Empire collapsed, a feeling spread among the Njordic lands that perhaps claiming the entire world wasn’t necessary to lead a decent life. In the Great Chamber of the Imperial Palace in Nerud, Kings, Lords and Representatives of the major principalities in what had once been the core of the Njord Empires gathered. It was decided to reforge the realm for a united culture with which to face the budding civilizations that Amenai had opened the gates to. The king of this new Njordic Realm has since been elect from a number of regional representatives, ensuring that the interests of the cities and their peoples are prioritized above all else. It is not a position of tremendous power, but to the people of Njord, it is celebrated when compared to the ranks of oppressive Emperors the country has seen.

Earthflame, I was thinking about starting on a rough calendar to frame a world timeline. I have no idea what sort of timeframes we're looking at, though. How long would you say passed between the fall of the first empire to present-day setting? How long did the Old Empire last? The Second Empire?

It seems like the coming of the Njord acted as a catalyst for civilization throughout the world, so a date close to the founding of their civilization would act as Year 0. Then I suppose they would take a few centuries to establish themselves, grow, splinter and collapse. So, say 500-700 years of the Old Empire, 100 years of strife, 200-300 years of the Second Empire. That's about a millennium of history to play with.

The Mimic concept is really lacking. If no system, then at least some fluff? Anyone?

>>2852871
i keep starting on something, but i really want to play a mimic (i enjoy 'JUST AS PLANNED' potential), so my fluff keeps coming out all mary sue :<

Bump for more mimic.

"Wow! It's like it doesn't weigh anything!" the young man screamed, with the enthusiasm os somone ten years younger.
"It's simple really," the dark-skinned stranger said, with a heavily phlegmed accent. "It's a combination of the Air rune," he pointed to a symbol on his bicep, "and the Body rune," pointing again, this time to smaller rune on his abdomen. "I can reduce the weight of any object one-hundredfold!"
"Cool! I wanna be a Runemarked when I'm older!" The stranger let out a thick chuckle at the comment, and put his shirt back on. This town was too quiet for a bounty hunter to make any profit, but the stranger had some money left over from previous criminals, so he bought a quick drink at the inn across the street and a room to retire for the night. If he was lucky, a bounty would pop up tonight, and he could grab the man in the morning. But it was real unlikely, so he made plans of heading to the hamlet north of here the next morning.

>>2853182
The stranger awoke to a din in the front hall around midnight, and nearly flew down the stairs, looking for a fight. And there he was, some scrawny little punk, holding a small sword to a resident's throat and searching his coinpurse. "What're you, the Goddamned mayor?" His face lit up as he saw how much money the man had, and only caught his, "No, sir," out of the corner of his ear. "Well, damn! You must be a bigger crook than me!" He began to laugh at his own joke.
"Buddy, you picked the wrong inn," the stranger hacked through his near indecipherable accent. His shirt was already off, and he was readying himself for a fight.
The thief slit the man's throat and turned to face his new target. "Really? 'Cuz it seems to me I've picked the perfect inn!" He pulled off his shirt, revealing tattoos identical to the stranger's, same location, same position.

>>2853193
"By Sannindi..." The stranger was caught off guard, but, as per usual, refused to let anything catch him off guard. He pulled his arm back, and readied the most powerful fireball he could muster. He was mad, seeing that innocent man die built a rage inside him that he could not quell. He threw his arm forward and... well, nothing.
"Looking for this?" The pale man snickered, showing the powerful blaze burning around his arm. No further words were said, just the pale man smiling and letting the spell fly.
The next morning, nothing would be found but a local noble with a slit throat and a charred body. People would blame the Runemarked, maybe start a manhunt for someone they'd never find. The best part, though? No one will ever suspect the pale teenager living next door, the one with no tattoos, the one with no knowledge of Runes. He was just a kid, a delinquent albeit, but there's no way he could use a Fire rune... Right?

>>2853070
I am brainstorming. Here are a few ideas, some of them contradictory:
Mimics can copy any rune effect currently being used, subject to some kind of skill roll.
Mimics steal *everything* about the effect, up to and including how powerful it is. If they're fighting a street punk, their powers are as weak as his. If they're going up against the greatest duelist in the world, they've got whatever tricks he uses.
Mimics could be limited to their own personal skill level. Do they even have to understand the rune being used, or can they use it with no knowledge?
Why can they copy runes? What makes them special? How far away from the rune they're copying can they be? People would naturally fear them, I think. The more powerful you are, the more you have to fear.
Can they cancel out the runes by erasing the copy?
They should have a decent set of non-runic abilities. Some kind of dirty fighting. Not as good as a dedicated warrior, but enough to stand a chance in a fight even when it's just knives.
If the original runes go, the copy goes with it.
The most important thing to making this a fun class is going to be the ability to both turn your enemy's strength against him and to copy the strongest effect the party has going on. Yet it must also be limited. From what I've learned in gaming, the most valuable thing in combat is actions. If he has to hold his action to copy effects, it makes combat extremely dangerous against multiple opponents - he won't be able to react if there isn't anything to copy. Might make for good balance. Maybe.

>>2853212
Range should be level based, same as copying abilities. ie, a Level 5 Mimic copying a Level 3 Sigilist has Level 3 Sigilist powers. A Level 4 Mimic copying a Level 6 Runemarked has Level 4 Runemarked powers.

>>2853299
Then they're always weaker or as weak as their opponent. Maybe a small set of "just Mimic" abilites that only they can use? Buffing allies casting or interrupting enemies.

Why is this on Page 7?

>>2853206
>The stranger was caught off guard, but, as per usual, refused to let anything catch him off guard.

Wat?

Good morning /tg/

>>2853212
That sounds like a pretty sensible timeline to me. Not so much time we'll get bogged down in history, but enough to make it interesting.

>>2852315

Interesting ideas. I must contemplate them.

earthflame, i think you put >>2853212
and
>>2852315
backwards.

>>2850271
>>2850308
MOAR

>>2854401

...Posting right after waking up is obviously not a good idea. Thank you for correcting me.

so. an attempt at mimic fluff. the increasingly poor grammar represents increasing intoxication.

"Yes, i was one of the palace guards. Hell, I'm lucky all they did was drum me out and revoke my certification, after what happened. Two men, that's all it took for those damn mimics to kill one of the best guarded people in this city.

Magistrate Muunil was his name, and he was one of the most corrupt and unfair bastards I've ever had the displeasure of guarding, but a job's a job. Anyway, I was there standing watch when the constabulary hauled in the night's catch of penniless wretches to be framed. The magistrate's working his way down the line of runes chains, handing out sentences, "arson: guilty. theft: guilty.", pssh, probably covering for his own contacts. anyway, where was I... oh yeah..."

"So, he's halfway done, when suddenly the runes on the shackles on the two men at the end burst with light and fragment, and the chains drop away from them. Now, we guards were, well, off guard, but we're no slouches either, so we all charge in for these guys. I got tossed out right quick, flighty Mirror laid a hand on my chest, and suddenly my rune of strength didn't work so good, almost dropped my warhammer right on my own foot. I look over, and the damn thing is shining silver on HIS arm... and then he punched me clean across the room. I DID see what the second Mimic was doing from my place on the floor, though...

The Mag, he'd been trained as a graven blade years ago... sick thing, too. loved executions, as the executioner. Anyway, he had this greatsword, 5 feet of runed steel, with a swirl of minor runes around a huge unmodified rune of decay in the center on EACH side. So the Mag swings it at this wiry little mirror, and the little guy freaking CAUGHT it on a bare hand and tossed it aside. And when the blood cleared, he had one of the greatsword's decay runes on each of his hands. The first, he amplified and used to turn the old Magistrate into a pile of grey bones. The second, he used to put a hole in the back wall, clean through a foot-thick wooden wall.

Now, the first one got all stabbed to death holding the guards off, but we never did catch the second. Scariest thing I saw there, though, was the eyes of that first Runemirror. he'd kept his eyes down the whole 'trial' until the chaos hit, but once he look' up... absolute devotion. He died willingly and sold his life dearly, to help kill one bad man in one half-backwater tradeport. Creepy as all get out, and I can't think of nothin' else that he could be but one of them Silver Faces.

So, anyways then. you said somethin' about a few more of rum and a job really far away from even the rumors of those fanatics?"

bampu

>>2853212
Personally, I think Mimics should be subject to a skill system - preferably the same as the other classes (to actually make them playable). However, you're right in that they don't actually understand the runes and forms they are copying, so the attribute system might need a tweak.

Regarding the source of their powers, my concept for them is that they were created by the Form that destroyed the Old Empire - a runaway group of runes that the mages didn't understand, but still tried to use (I imagine they used un-runes, but that they are now guarding all knowledge of those forms) in an attempt to - perhaps - destroy the Bodyforms. The runes to destroy and counter magic went on a rampage and caused the Cataclysm. A few months later, the first Mimics were born.

Archive up (someone got it up before me without saying so): http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2842176/

GOTO PAGE 0

Odd concept to consider:

Mimics are, essentially, reality hackers. Analogous to the matrix, when Neo saw through the "graphics" into the code, Mimics are those who have seen past the pale image of reality, and see the truth. Everyone and everything isn't only described by runes, they are runes. Runes are all things, and all things are unified by the runes. They, themselves, are advanced and complex runeforms, and through this knowledge they can warp runic reality.

>>2856033
Sounds accurate, but what's more important is that they don't understand the abilities they have. They are linked to the very essence of the runes, the reflective force that allows the runes to mold reality and vice versa. They are shards of a divine mirror, that the Old Njord shattered unwittingly by working with dark magic, and though they can sometimes sense this greater belonging they don't understand it or the source of their powers.

I don't want to cause a detour just yet, but after the core setting is done, I strongly suggest you do a x100 years later setting, which is full on victorian-esque runepunk. it would be awesome.

>>2856175
A GM could make this runepunk with minor modifications. The Goti are nomads with magical walking cities. Machinery could perform amazing feats with the amount of energies the runes can bestow, and even the Old Empire, the first proper civilization, had powerful siege engines. You could even have AI and transhumanistic conondrums with golems and people pushing the boundaries of the flesh by using runes and artificial enhancements.

And I'm back for the afternoon.

>>2856218
>>2856175

This has massive potential. I already feel a supplement coming on. But first, the core game.

>>2854744
>>2854741

Very awesome. Very awesome indeed. Its quite odd, being a person whose creating a setting (Or at least taking part in the creation) and yet still thinking "What's the secret?" while knowing we have yet to make it up.

Also, i love tot see the way Mirrors are shaping up. they've gone from a relatively bland addition to what seems to be one of the most interesting classes.

What we need right now is a ruleset. I don't feel qualified to produce one, since I know like... 2 rulesets, but I hope someone with a bit more expertise can help out.

Really, the system isn't that complicated. A few basic stats and modifiers is all.

>>2856376

As I recall, several Anon's posted saying they were working on a ruleset of some sort. Perhaps we will soon be inundated with ideas?

More random brainfarts:

Ruins of Old

While it is generally agreed that the Njord brought civilization to the world, it is also said in the chronicles that the runes were already here when they arrived. The great pyramidal monuments of stone that loom in Amenai, the dark citadels that gaze out from the ragged black cliffs of the Veste coast and the mysterious sealed towers that litter the landscapes of Tzeng and distant Jangxi all tell of a hidden history of our world, a group of forebears that have left our world to leave no trace of their lives other than their impenetrable monuments. Some say that the Old Empire pillaged an ancient culture’s ruins to form the basis of the magic that allowed them to dominate the world, and a few even suggest that the dark runes that led to the downfall of their civilization came from a dark discovery by the Njord’s mages.

The Ordii have ensured that whatever secrets the Njord had are kept behind locked doors and away from prying eyes. Perhaps it is a sacrifice they have made to keep the young nations from repeating age-old mistakes, perhaps they are simply trying to rebuild their libraries to once again attempt to master the dark runes.

If that is the case, only one thing is certain: They will spell destruction onto the world and themselves.

In terms of an actual game system, I think we first have to establish what we want out of it. Do we want to make it very general, like the Storyteller system, where most things are left to the GM? Do we want it very tactical and proscriptive, like d20? Do we want it fast and lethal, like Deadlands? Do we want static classes with runes as skills, or do we want class as a template and abilities and runes as things to be bought with character points? There are a lot of questions to be asked.

>>2857132

System so far:
Four major Stats:
Physique: General physical might and endurance
Reaction: Physical speed and agility
Intellect: Mental might
Essence: Emotional understanding and creativity

Stealing mechanic (1d10+stat+skill) from Unisystem, Runes is split into six different skill/stats (Not as big as stats, more important than most skills), one for each major branch of the rune tree.

As for what i want the system to be, relatively rules light, but crunchy enough to allow semi-realistic gameplay, relatively class-free (Classes define rune use, nothing more), lethal combat (A good hit with a sword might just kill you).

>>2857152

I like the core (unisystem) mechanic. What will life be like? HPs? Wound System like Shadowrun?

Also, lets say a sigilist creates an offensive spell and casts it. What does he need to do?
1. Declare what combination of runes to do something.
2. Pass essence (creativity?) test?
3. Some sort of spell check...maybe that and essence test combined?
4. Some sort of opposed check against the target (defensive abilities matter here)
5. Roll for damage. Does Intellect boost damage? What boosts the hit?

Just some random thoughts

>>2857241
Samefag here. Just reread the opening comment by EF on this thread. the "essence/creativity test" would only be for ad-hoc spellmaking. The presets would get a bonus in ignoring this step?

Also, mimics could somehow be able to generate white-noise for other casters? would be a fairly unique skill and would be a good debuff to enemies.

>>2857241
The casting process as I envision it for a Sigilist:
0. Produce a few forms for a spellbook. Discuss them with the DM to decide effects.
1. Decide what form to cast.
2. Pass Anchor test (roll against the attribute used to anchor the spell)
3. Affected creatures can make opposed Anchor rolls to resist effects.
5. Apply effects of form.

>>2857249
Essence tests could be used to alter the interpretation of a form to use an existing spell for a different result (the spell "Mend" could be reinterpreted as "Break").

>>2857339
>>2857283

...Did you read the OP?

He suggested a system incorporating both forms and spontaneous magic. Whats wrong with that? Why play silly buggers with reinterpretation?

Also, hasn't free form, on the spot magic been one of the main selling points of this game from the beginning?

>>2857423
Yes, I read the OP. I've also been working on the underlying mechanics of the magical system for a few of these threads.

Personally, I feel that preparing spells beforehand is more interesting and less complicated than using runes "on the fly". For a spontaneous magic system to work with the sheer number of components available to the setting, you would either end up with discussions on interpretation and game-breakyness in the middle of an encounter, or need a system with fixed properties for all runes (something I really wouldn't want).

The physical creation of forms and defining them together with the group is a major selling point for me, and though I can certainly see minor effects (using only single runes) being called through essence checks, I think more complex casting with such vague components will bog the game down.

I tend to be in the favour of freefrom casting being at least an option. You wouldn't be able to hit particularly complex or powerful effects, and it'd cost more, but an element of flexibility is always useful and sun. plus, it'd lead to fun problemsolving and such. As for arguments etc, players and GM just need to reach an agreement on whats reasonable, and that doesn't sound too hard.

Also, an idea I had- Runefists can cast "normal" types of spells in a manner like Somats, via Kata's. the disadvantages are increased power cost, casting time and the impossibility of concealing what your doing (The runes are obvious in your movements).

Boot, front page, etc

You've finally made me take a names, xaras and Earthflame. I'm >>2857241 and >>2857249

>>2857544
freeform casting definitely has to be in as it is the basic idea of the runes. Maybe a compromise in the form of a set bonus for "preset" spells?

I'd love to roll up a rune carver tinkerer...he wanders the world with a cart and mule, tossing firebombs for defense and selling growth stones (A: Matter. Growth, Rain) and detailing glasses (A: Matter. Scrying, Scrying, Secrets, Details). I'd also keep a small stock of novelty rain tarps (A: Matter. Rain, Ocean, Wind) . Would be fun to give to an enemy :)

..would Achor: Healing. Sickness Rebirth Body on a long-lasting cookie make a medicinal cracker?

>>2857958 ..would Achor: Healing. Sickness Rebirth Body on a long-lasting cookie make a medicinal cracker?

I'm not sure how Intent works for Glyph Carvers, but pretty much, yes.

>>2857958

You're awesome.

Welcome to the team.

Also, i need sleep. Goodnight /tg/.

I've been looking through the rules for "All Flesh Must Be Eaten" to get a grip on the Unisystem, and it seems perfect for what we're building. Good pick, EF.

aquired a few of the rulebooks as well...will devour and be back later...off to get those orks ready for this weekend's RTT...

A: Air. Light, Heat, Lightning Runecrafted into hilt of sword. Did someone say, "Lightsaber"?

i've posted anonymously a few times already here, but as long as the namefags is coming out of the woodwork, what the heck.

anyway, whilst riding back from today's edumacations, i had an idea on how mimic powers could be arranged that would actually have a hint of balance to it. (all thoughts generated without any information at all on unisystem.)

so, from what EF stated so far, Mimics basically have three ability trees: abjuration, enhancement, and reflection.
(from the fluff that's written, reflection includes theft of runes as well.)

so, abjuration and enhancement are opposites of each other, they make runic magicks harder or easier to use and less/more effective.
i was thinking that to balance this, the most basic state would be to generate a field of it that covers a set area based on the Mimic's power (level?) that applies to ALL runes, friend and foe, which would be a very easy roll to cast. the more the Mimic tries to direct and focus it, (down to a specific area, or just specific people in an area), the harder the rolls get to cast or maintain it.

the other thing is reflection and theft of prepared runes from casters around them.
i actually hadn't thought about reflection at all. can someone else handle that? :<
but theft, i had some thoughts on. firstly, the mirror makes some sort of roll against his opponent's mastery of the rune he's trying to steal. on a success, the margin of victory (EX: success by 4) controls how long the mimic can use the stolen rune before it fades and he has to go steal more. for the power of this, i was thinking that this is a mimic's primary method of hurting people and they should be god at it, so maybe the power of the stolen runes counts as an average of the powers of the mimic and the original owner?
(or even the sum of those levels, if you want mimics to be OMGHAX. i dunno.)

so. thoughts. i has them sometimes.

>>2858855
oops, and i forgot. mimics should be able to understand the runes that went into casting a spell or creating an effect almost instinctively.
this way they can know which target they want to go rune vamp out of a group of opponents.

bump for awesome and epic

Also:

Anchor: Death, body, wounds, decay, heat.
a feverplague. you has it.

Anchor: knowledge, mind, sickness, decay
cthulu madness tiem!

Anchor: Faith, blessing, courage.
CHAERG

Anchor: Life, wounds.
cure light wounds.

Anchor: matter, light.
greater make object shiny

An excerpt from the Beastiary to bump this for the night:

The Undead

Figures of campfire horror stories and fairy tales, the undead are considered to be little more than legends my most inhabitants of the lands. Contrary to this belief, they very much exist - byproducts of badly-understood dark magic or runaway resurrections. Magical Guilds try to contain the problem and exterminate any known undead with extreme prejudice, fearful of the dark arts that must have spawned them. The location known to harbor the most walking dead is the ruins of the Imperial City of Old Njord, the epicenter of the indubitably forbidden spell that laid waste to an entire land, but the fact that new ghouls rise from their graves at a steady rate has kept scholars of the dark runes occupied for years without yielding any explanation.

Those with knowledge of such things suggest that the Ordii are still trying to master the terrible forms, unleashing more and more darkness unto the world, while others say that whatever dark gate the Old Njord opened in the Cataclysm has yet to be sealed, if it is not already too late.

that was fun. i'll do some more.

Anchor: Death, wounds, body, decay, air.
Necrotic cloud!

Anchor: Energy, fire, lightning, men.
Laser beam eyes.

Anchor: Matter, air, rock, smiting, fire.
meteor stooooorm!

Anchor: Knowledge, mortality, wounds, men
boneshatter blow.

Anchor: Faith, banishment, smiting, energy.
im'ma firing mah...

Anchor: Death, mind, destiny
vision of doom.

yeah, i'm done for now,

fuckballs i think im 6 or 7 hours behind you guys.

>>2847619
this still doesnt totally make sense to me. if a god is defined as one who has mastered a great rune, this seems to suggest that a lesser rune (the Gods rune) can fully describe a great rune AND the beings who wield them, not to mention theres still direct recursion between the Gods rune and the Faith rune. so unless im missing something, i would suggest this fix: change "Gods" to "Spirit". you could also change "Man" to "Flesh" or something if you like, to illustrate the dualism of the natural versus supernatural.

also, you indicated that youd prefer a relatively classless system? i noticed that the classes have a lot of overlap in their use of runes. both the rune dancer and rune fist activate their runes through their bodies; the graven blade uses runes inscribed on his armor and weapons, whereas the rune carver is inscribing runes onto objects; etc. i was thinking that you could separate rune use by method of delivery: speaking the names of the runes, inscribing and activating runes on objects, and "drawing" the runes through body position and movement (i dont know how mirrors would play into this). then youd have to decide how these differ, as well as their synergies with each other. then characters would essentially take levels or ranks or something describing how much they have mastered these three methods. additionally, you could also describe something separately to add more specifics rituals to these (like sacrificing blood for the blood scribes). but ultimately, these are all available for mixing and matching to make unique characters that cast runes in their own ways.

:D

>>2859975

lol. shows how much i actually post here. my thanks.

More rune spells:

A: Life. Healing, Rock, Rebirth
Repair Building

A: Death. Water, Smiting, Ocean
Drown Target

A: Energy. Augmentation, Body, Sickness
Disease Immunity

>>2859991
np. anyway, in response to your point on gods, in my opinion...

there aren't really 'gods' per se, so much as there are humans that ascended to immortality and glowyness through the sheer power of their runic knowledge. They became a 'god' (though i think that something like 'exarch' describes them better) through utter mastery of a great rune that their new form embodies, empowers, and is powered by. knowledge, even use of the Gods rune in this process is totally optional (but, you know. it might help.) Were a being to exert this same mastery over the True rune, then they'd be a damn GOD who could take all the other 'gods' and bitch slap their semidivine asses all over the place.

the Gods rune itself seems to me to be more of an appeal for use of supernatural power, like the 'gods' have, blessing and smiting.likewise, the Men rune has the powers of men, destiny and courage.
(though perhaps the nonhumans might replace the men rune and make their own?)

>>2860130

right, i understand that the gods are basically ascended rune users, but the point is what IS "supernatural"? runic magic itself is a supernatural force (at least, thats what i would assume with magic), so it seems somewhat redundant to invoke "supernatural" with any rune; isnt it all supernatural anyways? if the gods are ascended men, then wouldnt that mean that the Gods rune is basically a powerful Men rune? thats the problem in my mind, redundancy and/or recursion.

>>2860200
okay, so lets define it as the rune that defines the supernatural feats *unique* to gods. (same with men)

so, if we look at it that way, all the runes, even Men, embody/conduct/somethin'er'other the supernatural powers unique to that thing, which by definition cuts down on the recursion that plagues you.

Once more, for emphasis: The 1D4chan page needs some lovin'.

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Mosaic

>>2860633
Runecrafts!
Goggles augmented with Light for darkvision!
Object augmented with Water, Heat and Secrecy for veil of fog effect.
Combine for a "SUCK MY DICK" effect.
Dagger augmented with Wounds and Healing for a weapon that does the opposite of damage. "The Dagger of Friendship" to anyone who plays Oblivion.
Coffin augmented with Decay and Body for preservation.
Gloves augmented with Augmentation for EXTRA AUGMENTINESS!

Good morning /tg/, I can see you've been very busy. Great work though. This setting is shaping up wonderfully.

>>Earthflame !98PcYIvlCI 10/20/08(Mon)08:26 No.2842176
>>Earthflame !98PcYIvlCI 10/23/08(Thu)02:07 No.2861322

wow, this thread survived 19000 other posts in other threads.

oh yeah, anyway. quick question.
does current ideas on runed items (graven blade's blades perhaps included) require an anchor rune as well?

i appreciate the idea that the anchor of the rune provides the finished spell with purpose, but if they were unanchored, it would be fun to be able to use runes on your items as one last modification to a spell you memorized normally

example: cast Anchor: Matter, energy, earth for an earthquake spell, modified by a Fire rune glove into lava eruption.

basically using runed item slots as a secondary rune slot. (though perhaps any spell cast with them could be reduced in power because of your lack of mastery?)

>>2861539
and finishing my own orphaned thought...

on the other hand, an amulet of augmentation and faith with no anchor... what is that supposed to do?

so. systems question concluded.

lol dead thread.

>>2861539

Its undecided whether runed weapons and equipment require an anchor. it'll need some thought...

Perhaps the item itself could act as an "Anchor", i.e. giving the spell purpose.

As for items modifying spells, it sounds like a good idea, but it'd need a lot of limitations. it sounds like something that could be abused.

>>2861550

Well, if you use the "Item as anchor" idea, presumably it augments your faith in whatever the amulet represents, or possibly augments others faith in you whilst you wear the amulet.

Anyway, i'm off to lectures. I may post intermittently throughout the day.

So will we be seeing walking/flying/swimming cities?

>>2861758
I like the item as anchor idea.

>>2861776
I think we already have a walking one. Could be wrong, and can't be bothered to check.
Also, ba-dump.

>>2861789
hm. i officially support the item anchor method after some though, as Versatility is Good here.

a sword with a rune of decay could wither what it stabs, where a shield or amulet with one could protect the holder from necrotic magics, and a satchel with one could prevent food inside from going bad.
runes, bags of uses, versatility, good!

Unanchored runes would be in common use, especially among regular people. A farmer might plough the growth rune into his field, confer strength to his gloves, and use the decay rune as mentioned to protect his harvest.

This would be peanuts for our characters, who would be quite able to cast minor and major runes unanchored. The power and direction of such magic is quite weak compared to the influence the anchors allow.

Hmm... I had a thought. How about only the prewritten forms used Runic Anchors, giving them additional power at the cost of flexibility, while everything else used a purpose, or possibly an object defined purpose, which while being more flexible, diminished power since it had less runic power behind it.

>>2863103
That's pretty much what we've got.

Also: I've updated the wiki a bit. http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Mosaic

Needs more Bump-punk.

I'm wondering if the Oster or Veste should be renamed. I kinda named the Veste for being settled in the north-western (West = Vest in nordic and german languages) parts of the first map I produced. The name works as a tribal name with no directional implication, but with the introduction of the Oster (Ost = East) the directionality seems enforced, and wrong.

I have tentatively named the region north of Jangxi "Tzibir" (Tzar/Sibir), since the Oster sound like a slavic/russian group. On a similar theme, they could be renamed something like Rossti, Astric, or Morosk.

I can't really be bothered to read back through this whole thread (Or god forbid ask Earth directly) So I don't know if Something similar to this has already Come up...

But what about a really hot desert (like hotter than the Sahara) where the Inhabitants Never speak outside their homes (because the sun would evaporate the Moisture from their Mouths) and so Communicate entirely using Runes?

>>2864279
goddammit, random caps guy. just stop doing that.
also, there is a desert in this setting, but it isn't that bad.

>>2864279
The wiki has most of the more-or-less decided stuff posted.

Regarding the idea, I'm not sure why anyone would use the runes for everyday communication. Using inherently magical script as a general alphabet or sign language would be problematic as you actually tap into conduits of power that you don't understand. Sure, with great power investments you might be able to send telepathic messages, but it seems horribly inefficient to have to draw a complicated form just to ask Jeff to pass the ketchup, when you could just as well develop an ordinary sign language.

>>2864289
What, No Deserts? Hmmm...
One Sec...

What About Now?

Note That Every Word In This Post Is Capitalised.

>>2864320
ah, i see my reverse psychology did the trick.

>>2864320
Ehm...

>>2864289 there is a desert in this setting

>>2864338
Sorry, Meant to say "Deserts Hot Enough?".
¬.¬ Oddly enough, the Random Capping seems to be subconsious, whereas purposefully Leaveing all the Caps out or Capitalising them all takes Effort...

>>2864319
Also, if it were that easy to Invoke a rune without understanding its Meaning, it would Happen all the Time. Childs doodles, accidental scribbles, Sticks falling into a Pattern, etc.
And Communication via Runes is quite easy (I belive I suggested a Rune of Communication in a much earlier thread). Just use scrying and Mind on a piece of Paper or somesuch and Rip it into strips. They can display whatever message your thinking at the time, and duplicate over all the pieces.
Its better than haveing Your tongue crack from Dehidration.

>>2864362
Perhaps it could work. The concept itself is interesting, and I can certainly see it in use by shroud-swept Bedouin traders, the Ini or people that might have built a dorf fort in a volcano.

>>2864414
Psychic Paper could also have acted as one of Amenai's trumph cards in establishing trade routes with other nations, acting as a universal translator of sorts.

>>2864446
"Hey, Asif"
"Yeh Abdul?"
"What the fuck is that blue box over there?"
"Fuck knows, lets steal it"

Suddenly, I had an image of a whole new class/skill. A class that should be called distorter, twister or bender (kiss my shiny metall ass!).
Now, an adept of this technique meets an enemy, says KAZAM and
>a sword with a rune of decay
rrrighty - decays! Or
>Goggles augmented with Light for darkvision!
begin shining through the darkness like a toilet on fire!

>>2864516
Perhaps a Runetwister...

Also, Has anyone taken the time to Remake the rune Circle Picture yet? It was only intended as a prototype

>>2864516
Mirrors/Mimics can modify the effects of runes and forms, so would definitely be able to do what you describe.

Something strange happened so repostin'.

>>2864551
I thought that they're able to *replicate* other's spells not *change* them.

>>2865114
Well, there haven't been any in-depth discussion on the classes in this thread, but they're usually listed as having abilities to change Forms - ranging from disruption and destruction to augmentation and co-casting.

And I'm back, which calls for the traditional bump.

However, I'm both slightly inebriated, giddy after a great UA session (Going from 0 to 4 failed unnatural with no hardened in two sessions? Great fun) and rather tired, so don't expect that many posts, or the posts themselves to be particularly insightful.

>>2865387
Good to see you, Drunkflame.

Not much going on at the moment, other than me mucking about with the 1d4 wiki. I might try working a bit with the Unisystem to make some 100% characters and try them out in different situations.

Don't know if you're interested in another character idea, but this one sort of made it itself. Musicians, using instruments connected to runes. Essentially, each note on their instrument represents a rune, and sharps, flats, chords, and songs are combinations of singular runes or rune-chains that build up to titanic proportions. The longer they play, the longer and more powerful the chain will be, but they're limited to the runes on the instrument and if they get interrupted before the end of the chain, or before a proper break point, the unfinished chain could spiral awesomely out of control.

>>2865980
Meant character class, there.

>>2865980
Basically sounds like the kind of bodyforms the Somats use, but through an external object in this case. I imagine they'd play pretty much the same.

After looking at some seriously deranged art by Wayne Barlowe, I have inspiration for a completely batshit dark wizard. We'll see how that works out in the morning. Night, folks.

Up you go a bit.

These threads give me hope. /tg/ still has a soul...

Morning ass-kick.

*goes to look for actual content to put here rather than bumps*

>>2860111
>>2860693
Namefag coming out of the Anonymous closet. And taking credit for these. Add my name to the Wiki, so I can feel special.

>>2868852
Welcome to the team, I'm no Gordon Freeman.

Bump and short term departure notice. I'm going to be gone from now, till about 5PM Monday. Have fun with Mosaic until then, I hope to see lots of great new ideas.

Things go bump in the night

I don't have time to read another Mosaic thread right now, but I'll assume everything is going swimmingly. Good Luck EF

working on a new Rune Chart, bumping so thread stays where i can find it.

>>2871943
i fail at photoshop and have to go, here's what i have so far.
one slab of computer generated rock, with lines on it, blah blah blah.
if someone else could put the runes and text on this it'd be much appreciated (i can't get the text thingy to work in photoshop)

lol, forgot image. am smrt.

Allright. I've been playing about with some numbers, and I think I've landed on a decent model for working out basic modifiers to casting rolls. It'd follow a formula like this:

X=A+M-C

X is the modifier to the roll
A is the value of your anchor stat
M is the value of combined mastery you have of the runes involved. Mastery would range from something like -3 to +3.
C is the complexity of the form. I tried just adding one to complexity per rune involved in the form, but a character with decent skills invested in his runes would make big spells simpler than small ones. Because of this, I'd suggest an exponential increase to the complexity penalty (anchor+rune: 1, two runes: 3, three runes: 6).

As an example, suggest we have Golem-maker Apprentice Bufalas trying to use the "Create Minor Helper" form - a spell he is still struggling with. The form is anchored in Matter (his attribute for Matter is 4), and involves the runes Men, Body, Blessing. He has studied all of these, and has a +1 mastery bonus for each. His total bonus is 7. The Form involves three runes other than the anchor, totalling 6 in complexity penalty.

He thus has a basic bonus of +1 (meaning he'd have to roll a 9 to make it work). If he's not pressed for time, he could probably add to the bonus with extensive preparations or use of magnification techniques (special carving techniques, magical artefacts, etc).

Bump.

holy shit lots of things to read on this thread. im lazy, so ill just bump and not read it all

bump

Can spell books or scroll equivalents be a story, poem, etc. with strong imagery to tie enough understanding of the runes being cast? With my understanding of the way that the runes are used, this sounds like a way for at least an essence based character to cast.

Such as a Priest of the Red Veil chanting parables of the strength of the righteous and the weakness of the faithless to his flagellant followers who literally whip themselves into a frenzy and the blood they spill used to fuel the enchantment.

*Sigh*
*Boot*

>>2873983
I would have thought the Priests would be the more peaceful side of the Order. They sit in church healing the weak and the sick and all that crap, and kick the shit out of people if they try to break stuff.

The guys who shed their own blood and smear it on themselves, they're the Knights and Crusaders, the warriors of the church.

>>2872124

Looks good so far.

Also, apart from the six main rune skills, would there be a possibility of getting skill in Runes[Merfolk] or somesuch? I realise we haven't got runecharts for the various races yet, but I think some custom racial runes, even if not a full chart, could be very interesting.

I posted a lot about this in a previous thread, with each race having a single main rune which defined their nature (The Other "Joy", the Centaurs "Freedom") and then two paths, one positive, one negative. My idea for the Other was one sadistic, dark path, getting joy from another's pain, and the other was just making people really happy (Although, if you think about it, it could still be used for some really nasty things).

Holy shit old thread. Also, pure win.

Glad your setting developed, Earthflame. Persistence paid off for you.

...A five day old thread?

Is that even possible?

>>2875378
/jp/ had one. Granted, it was about sticking it into a little girl, but that's par for the course.

This one is infinitely better.

>>2873983
Spell books are just for the character to remember what runes go into the Form, what the Form can do, etc. A poem would be an interesting way for a Somat to remember its moves, but wouldn't fill any function other than remembering what runes go where.

>>2875148
Personally, I think the rune chart we have is pretty much it (except the dark runes) in terms of magical components. I think the non-humans should have their own ways of casting, though - like singing for the Others.

>>2875508

I dunno, some inhuman aspect of magic might be interesting. Using a different method of casting sounds fun, but if they had additional magical aspects (Not runes, but a concept with magical power, like a rune) it would make it very interesting, as well as making going up against Non-humans unpredictable and strange, as they call on aspects and concepts the humans don't even have runes for.

Also, what happened to free runes? Are they dropped or still hanging around somewhere? And how would free runes relate to anchors?

>>2875596
Ah, I didn't know about the idea for free runes. After going through some old threads I think it could be acceptable to let the other races have a few special runes of their own...

Bump for week-long thread!

>>2877742

This won't last a week. We've only got a couple more posts before autosage

I'd love to see a quick runthrough of any planned dice mechanics. I had a few ideas for a system of my own, but I never get anywhere with my own projects, so it'd be interesting to possibly contribute to this one.