There is a secondary Dragon Line of Earth passing through the edge of the Inner Sea, a circle repeating the primary Dragon Line in the Realm in the Blessed Isle. It passes through the south of the north shore and is thus south of Nowhere, but since it is a secondary Dragon Line wherever any other Dragon Line intersects it, a disturbance is created and Essence flows into the environment creating more powerful Demesne. These demesnes are automatically level 2 or above. Since there is another secondary Dragon line that runs through the Inner sea, a Water line, there are plenty of tertiary lines branching off it that cross the Earth line. Additional tertiary Dragon lines also cross here. In the stretch of this Earth Dragon Line, there are four level three Demesnes and three level two.
Level 2 demesnes
Earth 2, Solar 1. Solar*
Earth 2, Fire 1. Earth
Earth 2, Water 1. Earth
Level 3 demesnes
Earth 2, water 1, fire 1. Earth
Earth 2, solar 1, air 1. Solar*
Earth 2, water 1, fire 1. Earth
Earth 2, fire 1, air 1. Earth
* remember Celestial Dragon lines count twice for the purposes of determining demesne aspect and manipulation of the environment can push a demesne one way or another in the case of ties.
Most of this region was last in regular habitation in the mid to late Shogunate era, but before that it was a heavily populated First Age region. Most of the Demesnes of this area were capped with Manse and used to power a lot of the technology of the area. Many of these manses were created by Solar Geomancy Engineers and so most of these manses survive to this day, but many of the lower level demesnes were capped by Terrestrial Engineers and therefore required maintenance. Many of these Manses suffered degradation and either collapsed or exploded in e years after the Shogunate. All the demesne and manses of this area are in wilderness that has not been disturbed for nearly eight hundred years.
Level 2 Manse, Solar aspect
The two story, round building at the center of is clearing, has been built of white marble alternated with crystal panels. The crystal is slightly taller than the marble giving the building an appearance of fortress with battlements. The marble segments of the walls are pierced each with a single tall slit window that starts just ten feet from the bottom and continues to almost the top. There are numerous statues of great warriors standing in heroic poses fighting off Creation's enemies; the worked metal on the statues is positioned precisely to reflect the light of Dawn through the various window slits in the walls. The rest of the grounds are fashioned in such a way as to make a direct approach to the building impossible while on foot. The interior of the Manse is in fact only one level with a flat roof behind the remaining ten feet of the wall. The interior is fully lit during the day through the windows and the crystal walls and at night as the interior walls glow with a gentle red light. There are four rooms in this Manse, three identical outer rooms that each take a third of the outer wall and a central chamber in the center that includes the stairs to the roof and the entrance to the Manse and the Hearthstone. The central room connects to the room on the side at the one o'clock position. The outer rooms connect counter clockwise from there. This Manse was one Daw Caste's Summer getaway cottage in the first age. The walls of the manse have a subtle repulsion affect that keeps all things of one or less essence away from the walls. Humans, animals and insects avoid this manse. Hearthstone affect, adds two dice to a join battle role (not join debate) and allows an awareness check if owner is conscious to avoid surprise, difficulty of opposing essence.
Level 2 Earth demesne
This section of the forest has grown over a demesne. The plant life here is unusually large and well grown. There is lush grass and trees everywhere and varieties of plant life that belongs far to the south. The ground here is constantly warm and the ground never freezes. When it snows, the snow melts here first and the air is alway warmer here. There is an overwhelming feeling of lethargy in this area. Any creature that stays in the area for longer than an hour must make a stamina check difficulty of two or fall asleep. Any sleeping creatures must make another check a day later to wake up, losing on die for every day that they have slept here. When the creature runs out of dice, they die having slept themselves to death and their bodies sink into the ground over a day. Those bodies gradually turn to white jade over a years time. If one should wake from their repose, they are completely refreshed and do not need to sleep again until twice the time they were asleep passes.
Level 2 Earth demesne
A stream from the nearby mountains drains into this valley. The ground is spongy and is water logged, no plants grow here but reeds and red irises. The ground here is treacherous as the ground appears solid but is actually more of the consistency of water. Only the lightest of treads has any hope of passing through this fen unscathed, everything heavier than a reed or a small iris sinks beneath the surface. There is one exception large quantities of white jade do not sink, about the amounts that are in Superheavy Plate. The Red irises are unique to this fen. If they are dug up with a pure white jade shovel in Resplendent Earth, on a new moon, they can be added to artifacts to make them more buoyant in water.
Level 3 Earth Demesne
The forest here is always filled with mist, even on the coldest days. The smell of brimstone permeates the air. Large blocks of cracked marble lie erratically through the woods, remains of a massive explosion. The closer to the smell that one gets the more twisted and fouled the vegetation looks until it slowly dwindles to nothing. The forest is replaced with a field of bubbling puddles, the source of the stench. The puddles are filled with massive yellow crystals that are growing from the pools. Most of these crystals are made. from silicone and sulphur, but a few of them have at their core yellow jade. It is hard to tell which ones and the stench is really bad as there are poisonous gasses mixed in with the less noxious gasses. Anything that needs to breathe will suffer environmental damage from exposure to the fumes. Stamina + resistance with a difficulty equal to the number of hours spent in the gasses. Failure results in loss of consciousness and unless removed, death. Exalted may use charms to ignore the effect, if possible. If the crystals are not opened within the gases no yellow jade will be found. Yellow Jade will be found with five successes on a craft roll (craft Earth)
Level 3 Solar Manse
The cliff of this escarpment overlooks the artificial lake. The blowing wind picks out the postmarked sides of the limestone walls creating eerie sounds. A gap in the cliff wall looks directly towards the setting sun. In that cleft mirrors and crystals reflect that setting sunlight into the building within. The walls of the crevasse are part of the manse and the third wall I made of hollow Adamantine tubes of different bores and lengths. As the wind passes over these tubes more haunting melodies arise, and the tubes glow with essence. The interior of the manse is a natural amphitheater with the essence focus on the podium in the front. From the seats any sound can be heard from the podium and no sound from the audience will reach the podium, this is not a magical effect but due tho the masterful construction of the space. The holder of the Hearthstone is granted three successes on any singing performance roll and three dice bonus on any speaking performance.
Level 3 Earth Manse.
This squat building is mostly underground. Beneath the artificial lake there is an underground cave system. The caves were discovered before the lake flooded. Pipes were installed and machinery was put in place and the lake created. The pipes took the water in and purified it and sent it to town on the lake and into the county side for crop irrigation. The apparatus is still functioning but the exit pipes have been blocked by sediment and debris. The only things that need to be done are to repair the pipes and place the hearthstone into the socket. The hearthstone otherwise provides a three dice bonus to all craft rolls.
Level 3 Earth Demesne
Situated in a lonely mountainous spur the region seems devoid of all plant life. No moss and no lichen grows here and all rain seems to be blown away instead of landing on the rocks. Snow seems to land elsewhere as well. Like the effects on the weather, spending time here and meditating allows the person to see their values in a new light. In game terms, each complete day of meditation in this spot allows the character to refresh restore damaged intimacies on a roll of Compassion + Integrity, with a difficulty of the damage to that intimacy. Alternatively, with a Conviction + Integrity roll the character may change or alter an intimacy, with a difficulty of the power of the intimacy - damage. A botch on any of these rolls results in a mental derangement.
No comments:
Post a Comment