Dim/Hearthstones
Dim's Stones
- back to HearthStones.
Essence Seed
Manse •••••, Solar Trigger: Socket / Full Immersion in soil
As the Solars command the mightiest of magics and charms, so too are their Hearthstones in splendor and power. The Essence Seed seems to be nothing more than a perfect egg of translucent orichalcum, with a soft white light burning in it's center. Closer inspection reveals the light to be a miniature replica of the Sun. The Essence Seed has two functions:
First, when socketed into an item composed of orichalcum, the Essence Seed increases the Essence score of the character by one for the purposes of Charm and Sorcery Effects. His Essence pool is not increased.
The second function is more dramatic. First, the Essence Seed must be placed into a hole in the earth no deeper than a foot and be buried there. This must be done at first light. From then until the next sunrise, a grand palace will grow from where the seed was buried. The structure is enormous; a footprint of some half a million square feet. Crafted of white marble, granite and orichalcum, it is a testament to architecture. Grand staircases, dining rooms, guest suites, kitchens, and more comprise it's structure.
Orchards and gardens of stone and water ring the palace's perimeter. The plants contained within provide fresh fruit and grains for up to 20 people, and will produce at the maximum bounty without diminishing. Weather patterns will be altered as to be pleasent, even during incliment seasons.
At the palace's center lies an eight sided veranda open to the sky. The veranda's floor is a shallow reflecting pool from which rise elegant columns of orichalcum and several low islands of marble. Upon a central island lies a low pedestal of orichalcum. Upon this pedestal begins to grow a Hearthstone, another Essence Seed. For a year and a day the new Seed accumulates power, after which the stone may be plucked from its pedestal and used as normal. As soon as the stone is removed the Manse begins to fade. Within a week all plants will have died, and within a month all that will be left will be a random scattering of cracked granite monoliths.
One need not take the Hearthstone as soon as it is grown; the Manse will remain as long as the stone is not removed.
The palace is a level Three Manse, with the only exception being that it can only generate another Essence Seed as its only Hearthstone. To deal with excess Essence, the palace generates 10 servents. Resembling golden shadows of smoke, they follow all commands of the owner and anyone he deems as his guest.
Comments
I realize how horribly broken this is. I just wanted to get my ideas down before I forgot them. Expect trimming, balancing, etc. in the next few days. --Dim
Hmm... maybe a raise by 1 Essence dot, which, like the effects of Five Ordeals Odyssey, doesn't help you learn Charms and the like. I like the palace thing, though, and a suggestion there: The palace needn't crumble so long as the Hearthstone stays in place. (it's a dang cool stone, so I doubt it will just sit around unused.) - willows
Okay, Essence Seed Stone now increases Essence by one dot for the purpose of Charms and Spells. Additionally, I toned down the level of the Manse from 5 to 3. Finally, the Manse stays as long as the Hearthstone is not moved from it's pedestal. I'm also planning on making a few more InstaManse-style artifacts, but not nearly as powerful. --Dim
It seems really bizarre that you need to commit motes to the hearthstone to attune it. No other stone I can think of requires this. The "portable Manse" idea is interesting and original, though. \\ _Ikselam
Thanks for catching that. It was from the first draft that I ment to erase. --Dim
Very nice. I like it. - Quendalon
Ooooh. I'm so asking for this Hearthstone in my next game. :) -Dissolvegirl
Okay, in theory, I like this stone a lot. It is rather powerful, but hey, if a Storyteller allows it, then I guess it goes. My only problem is a purely logical one. A Hearthstone needs a Manse to focus Essence into it. If the pallace created by this stone crumbles, there is no longer a Manse there, and so the stone would become non-functional. Also, Manses must be built atop Demesnes, taking advantage of the natural Essence flow that's already there. -ambroseCollector
