Look upon my works, ye mighty... (my players stay out, please)
Olaf the Stout
Hero
I'm sure someone's already mentioned this but this place sounds a lot like the Dubai of the modern world. I'd have a look at some of the things that they are doing there for ideas. Things like ski slopes in the desert can be done if you have enough money and technology (or magic in this case).
The wonders of the world serve as a good source of inspiration as well.
I imagine that everything in the city would be incredibly opulent, with several things done for no purpose at all, other than to show off how rich the city/ruler is.
Olaf the Stout
The wonders of the world serve as a good source of inspiration as well.
I imagine that everything in the city would be incredibly opulent, with several things done for no purpose at all, other than to show off how rich the city/ruler is.
Olaf the Stout
Dr_Ruminahui
First Post
Build a giant load stone. Its big, and square, and attracts every metal object for miles around to it - the bigger it gets, the further its reach. Which has necessitated much rebuilding within the capital, as even a lone nail has the potential of being pulled loose to become a lethal projectile.
Perhaps the Emperor thinks that if he builds it big enough, it will pull Moradrin out of the Earth at which point he can force the god to give him endless riches.
Or, it could be part of the pull-the-moon-from-the-sky that was suggested before... love that one.
Perhaps the Emperor thinks that if he builds it big enough, it will pull Moradrin out of the Earth at which point he can force the god to give him endless riches.
Or, it could be part of the pull-the-moon-from-the-sky that was suggested before... love that one.
falcarrion
First Post
monoliths of justice
You have two monoliths with magical symbols on it.
One monolith is for the planiff and one is for the defendent.
They each place one hand on the monoliths.
The planiff then states his accusetion. If the defendent is guilty he takes 10pt shock damage. If the defendent is not guilty the planiff takes 10 pt. of shock damage.
You have two monoliths with magical symbols on it.
One monolith is for the planiff and one is for the defendent.
They each place one hand on the monoliths.
The planiff then states his accusetion. If the defendent is guilty he takes 10pt shock damage. If the defendent is not guilty the planiff takes 10 pt. of shock damage.
Potemkin villages
This reminds me of czarist Russia, the idea of Potemkin Villages.
Potemkin village - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
These were allegedly fake facades of settlements, built to impress the czar (from a distance) about the burgeoning population and wealth of his new conquests (of what was actually wilderness).
The term is also applied to "demonstration" villages in Soviet times, etc., where you show the emperor/visitors how great life is for the actors . . . I mean serfs . . . and how much they love the emperor.
You could even have colossal matte paintings along the route he travels, to enhance the view of the Great Forest -- which some tricky courtier secretly had turned into lumber, etc.
This reminds me of czarist Russia, the idea of Potemkin Villages.
Potemkin village - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
These were allegedly fake facades of settlements, built to impress the czar (from a distance) about the burgeoning population and wealth of his new conquests (of what was actually wilderness).
The term is also applied to "demonstration" villages in Soviet times, etc., where you show the emperor/visitors how great life is for the actors . . . I mean serfs . . . and how much they love the emperor.
You could even have colossal matte paintings along the route he travels, to enhance the view of the Great Forest -- which some tricky courtier secretly had turned into lumber, etc.
Dandu
First Post
I don't mean to be a downer, since some of the ideas proposed are great for the image of an insane and decadent monarch, but they raise at least two questions:
1. Where is the magic for all of this coming from? In DnD 3.5, for example, while turning convicts into statues sounds cool... but the rationale is that it's easier than sculpting... which is untrue because there are lower level (ie, more plentiful) spells that do the exact same thing. Flesh to Stone is a 6th level sorcerer/wizard spell. Fabricate is a 5th level sorcerer/wizard spell. Stone Shape is a 4th level sorcerer/wizard spell.
Sure, you have to get rock there, but it's easier to get rock and magically turn it into a statue than using tons 6th level spell slots per day.
(Note: This problem can be resolved by having a Gorgon, such as Medusa, working for you. Other examples of this problem are not necessarily so easily resolved.)
2. If there are people powerful enough to execute these insane projects, how come they haven't disposed of the monarch, either though assassination or mind control? My experience is limited to DnD, so please bear with me, but if I was a spellcaster capable of casting enough 6th level spells to turn a sizeable portion of the criminal population into statues, rending an inbred aristocrat inert would be a piece of cake.
I am aware that other gaming systems are not like DnD, but I feel the points may come up in them as well.
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There are advantages to being the power behind the throne rather than being on the throne.
Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
A darker turn:
The emperor "causes" the sun to rise. Unfortunately, he's sometimes a late sleeper, and on those mornings when he isn't up early enough to "beckon the sun" steps must be taken to reinforce his vanity. People must pretend that it's still dark by staying in bed, keeping dark shades drawn, et cetera, until the morning bells sound. Folks caught violating these rules are severely punished.
There is a monthly lottery. Folks must buy a ticket and have their names inscribed on potsherds or some such thing. At the end of the month, the emperor honors a child by letting him or her pull the winner's name from the pot. Amazingly, due to the blessings of the gods, the emperor wins every month and thus keeps all the money. Of course, it's rigged, and so the honored child (who knows the emperor's name wasn't on the potsherd) is taken away, supposedly to live a life of idyllic peace. Actually, all of the children are imprisoned on barges. Once a barge is full, it is sent out to sea and sunk, thus destroying the evidence.
Both of these come from Gabriel Garcia Marquez's frightening [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Autumn-Patriarch-Perennial-Classics/dp/0060932678]The Autumn of the Patriarch[/ame].
The emperor "causes" the sun to rise. Unfortunately, he's sometimes a late sleeper, and on those mornings when he isn't up early enough to "beckon the sun" steps must be taken to reinforce his vanity. People must pretend that it's still dark by staying in bed, keeping dark shades drawn, et cetera, until the morning bells sound. Folks caught violating these rules are severely punished.
There is a monthly lottery. Folks must buy a ticket and have their names inscribed on potsherds or some such thing. At the end of the month, the emperor honors a child by letting him or her pull the winner's name from the pot. Amazingly, due to the blessings of the gods, the emperor wins every month and thus keeps all the money. Of course, it's rigged, and so the honored child (who knows the emperor's name wasn't on the potsherd) is taken away, supposedly to live a life of idyllic peace. Actually, all of the children are imprisoned on barges. Once a barge is full, it is sent out to sea and sunk, thus destroying the evidence.
Both of these come from Gabriel Garcia Marquez's frightening [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Autumn-Patriarch-Perennial-Classics/dp/0060932678]The Autumn of the Patriarch[/ame].
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The_Warlock
Explorer
A couple of things:
Fabricate and stone shape still requires you to make an appropriate craft check. The most life-like statue will be one of a live person. Not many mages seeking power or prestige focus on Craft: Sculpting.
Between charming monsters with stoning abilities and metamagics which increase the number of targets of a spell, and perhaps even alchemical creations - you can speed up the process to meet the emperor's nearly impossible demands. This is not to say that thousands of sculptors aren't used as well - but if mages across the empire engage in a systematic stoning of unwanted population - they might actually meet this month's quota.
Also, just because the emperor is a potentially inbred, decadent, dissociative incompetent doesn't mean he isn't protected. From what little backstory PCat has shared, many many many prior emperors were capable, and most likely magically astute.
The current emperor probably controls multiple powerful magic items, or even artifacts, that are tied to his bloodline or rightful position. Hell, the capital city or imperial palace might BE an artifact. Great magics from a bygone age likely limit the ability of assassins and attackers to easily kill him. And similar magic items are likely required for mages in service to him, which equate to a geas or similar, which causes even these powerful servants to accede to his whims.
That doesn't mean they can't manipulate him with words and actions. Either they can be a power behind the throne, or they perform the ludicrously expensive demands of the emperor, while intermediaries work to find how they can lawfully depose him to become the emperor themselves, or at least find the loopholes in the various methods set in place to protect his august presence.
So, if the GM asks for projects that literally shoot for the moon, then you shoot for the moon! (We are, after all, just giving ideas, he can mold them as appropriate to the amount of magic/expense he sees fit for his world)
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