Effects for Buildings

These effects allow the construction of buildings within the volcanic crater, or are required to make the buildings habitable.

One strategy is to create a series of stable islands in the lava (using the Seeds of Earth enchanted items), upon which Mystic Towers (see ArM5, page 153) can be raised. The towers are cooled by Cold Marble Slabs, and Fumarole Vents ensure that the air inside the towers is safe to breathe. An alternative approach is to use the Repulsion of Earth effect, which causes a tower to float. A tower created near the volcanic crater can then be floated and pushed out over the lava lake; the floating tower will still need to be made habitable by Cold Marble Slabs and Fumaroles. A third strategy is to create buildings made from molten lava itself, using spells such as Tower of Lava.

In addition, the Repulsion of Earth and The Heart That Could Move Stone effects could obviously be the basis of a flying covenant. For another technique that achieves the same goal, see the chapter on the Flying Castle of Thomae in Legends of Hermes (page 122). If the same method were applied in a volcanic setting, precautions would have to be taken to protect the materials of which the flight disk is comprised.

PeIg 34

Pen: +0, constant effect

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

This marble slab, about a pace across, is activated when it is hung above the entrance of a building, and it chills the building. Normally, this would make continued occupation of the building intolerable; however, if the building is in a very hot location (such as a volcanic crater), then the cooling provided by the marble slab cancels out the ambient heat and makes the building habitable. This effect targets a base-sized Structure and is thus sufficient to affect a structure similar in size to a Mystic Tower (see ArM5, pages 113 and 153). Larger structures will require a larger Cold Marble Slab effect.

The chilling effect is not sufficient to cool anything very hot, such as lava, that happens to be in the building. However, it is sufficient to cool the air that is heated by the lava.

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun +3 Structure; +4 constant effect)

Required Lab Total to invest effect: One Season (68), Two Seasons (51), Three Seasons (46), Four Seasons (43).

Fumarole Vent

PeAu 44

Pen: +0, constant effect

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Room

This enchanted item is a vent that is placed over a window in a room. The fumarole vent destroys the toxic properties of the air passing into the room, in the same way that a Fumarole Mask does (see earlier). This allows people to freely breathe in a room that is in a building constructed in (or very near) a volcanic crater, or on a river of lava.

As the effect uses the Hermetic target Room, to target the air passing into the room, only one vent is required even if the room has multiple openings. However, if a building has multiple rooms it requires a vent in each room. A version of the vent

with a target of Structure could be invented to protect the entire building.

(Base 15, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +2 Room; +4 constant effect)

Required Lab Total to invest effect: One Season (88), Two Seasons (66), Three Seasons (59), Four Seasons (55).

Repulsion of Earth

ReTe 34

Pen: +0, constant effect R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Structure

This feather encased in amber is an enchanted item that is activated by being brought over the entrance to a stone building. When active, it causes the stone building to float several paces above the ground. If the effect ends (by the item being removed, for example), then the building crashes to the ground. This may cause significant damage to the building.

A Finesse Roll against an Ease Factor of 9 must be made if the building must be torn from its foundations. If the roll is failed, then any subterranean (i.e., basement) levels of the building are damaged and rendered unusable. This does not affect the upper levels. This effect targets a base-sized Structure and is thus sufficient to affect a structure similar in size to a Mystic Tower (see ArM5, pages 113 and 153). Larger structures will require a larger Repulsion of Earth effect.

Once it is floating, the building can be moved. However, the building is still incredibly massive and so it requires an enormous amount of force (or magic such as The Heart That Could Move Stone) to move. The building cannot be pushed by an individual, normal strength man, nor will it blow away in the breeze.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +3 Structure, +1 effect stone; +4 constant effect)

Required Lab Total to invest effect:

Seed of Earth

MuAq(Ig)(Te) 59

Pen: +0, constant effect

R: Touch, D: Sun, T: Part

When this small piece of volcanic rock is thrown onto molten lava, it solidifies a portion of the lava, creating a roughly circular island about 80 feet across and 50 feet deep. The seed itself is buried 25 feet down, in the center of the island. As the effect has a constant duration, the island is stable and suitable for building structures upon. If the seed is removed, dispelled, or destroyed, then roll a stress die; this is the number of rounds that the island remains until it dissolves back into the lava. The Ignem requisite is for cooling the island.

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 Part, +6 Size, +1 Ignem requisite, free Terram requisite ; +4 constant effect)

Required Lab Total to complete project, as lesser enchanted item: 118

The Heart That Could Move Stone

ReTe 25

R: Touch, D: Diameter, T: Structure

The caster can move stone buildings with incredible force. This usually causes the stone building to collapse, as it is torn from its foundations. Anyone inside takes +10 damage from the falling structure.

However, if the building is floating (through the Repulsion of Earth effect, for example), then the character can push the building to a new location. Characters inside the building when it is being moved must make Dexterity rolls against an Ease Factor of 6, each round, or lose their footing. Unless special precautions are taken, laboratories inside the building are disrupted by the movement, which ruins any laboratory activities being conducted that season. It takes a season to reorganize a laboratory disrupted in this way.

Required Lab Total to invent spell: One Season (50), Two Seasons (38), Three Seasons (34), Four Seasons (32).

Tower of Lava

ReAq 50

R: Touch, D: Momentary, T: Part, Ritual This spell sculpts a tower out of hot bubbling lava. The resulting tower is solid and rigid, but if its foundations remain in lava, then the tower will dissolve back into the bulk within a day. The Part target is required, because the spell does not use all the available lava.

The tower is about the same size and dimensions as the one created by the spell Conjuring the Mystic Tower (see ArM5, page 153). A Finesse roll against an Ease Factor of 15 is required to ensure that the tower is well made; failure means that the lava takes a solid but malformed shape.

(Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Part, +6 size, +3 elaborate design)

Required Lab Total to invent ritual: One Season (100), Two Seasons (75), Three Seasons (67), Four Seasons (63).

Solidity of Stone

MuTe 45

R: Touch, D: Moon, T: Individual

This spell changes a mass of stone so that it has the unnatural property that it does not melt, even when heated to tremendous temperatures. The purpose of this spell is to prevent a building created out of molten lava (like that created by Tower of Lava) from dissolving back into the bulk lava.

Obviously, this spell must be cast every month otherwise the tower will melt and collapse.

The stone will still be hot, even if it is solid. So, a building protected like this will need to be cooled (or inhabited by characters immune to heat).

(Base 4, +1 Touch, +3 Moon, +4 size, +1 affect stone)