Expansion
When a City-State becomes an Empire
As a society expands geographically and numerically, the ability of her government to directly serve the desires of the people consequently diminishes. This is especially true in an era of poor communication, slow travel, and wild lands around most civilized areas. To understand the downsides of expansion, Culture and the Expansion Penalty are the two most important factors, as is Overpopulation, their inverse counterpart.
Culture reflects the social cohesion of a collection of cities. By and large it is unimportant, but it becomes increasingly pertinent as clans and kindreds become geographically sundered from each other - meaning societies that prioritize this cohesion may flourish, while others may quarrel or even fall into violence or fragmentation.
Once a City-State founds its fourth settlements, its citizens begin demanding culture - arts, luxuries, and the other things which make life worth living. Culture is measured on a per-city basis, and has direct impacts on the running of that city. It has several different tiers which are calculated based on the level of culture available to the average citizen in a city. Note that bonuses and malus stack with tiers above or below Neutral.
Glorious: 2+ Culture Surplus per Citizen | +1 Wealth from every Urban District, +Morale of Soldiers
Impressive: 1+ Culture Surplus per Citizen | +Morale of Soldiers, +1 Stability per Citizens
Mediocre: 0-1 Culture Surplus per Citizen | No effect
Uncivilized: Default State | -10 Stability in city, adjusted towards 0 as Culture rises towards net 0
Failing: Neighboring Settlement has better Culture Tier | -1 Stability per Citizens, -1 Wealth per Citizens
Dire: Neighboring Settlement has Culture Tier difference of 2 | -1 Stability per Citizens, -Morale of Soldiers, 10% Chance of Rebellion per turn
Ruinous: Neighboring Settlement has Culture Tier difference of 3 | -1 Stability per Citizens, 20% Chance of Rebellion per turn
The
Expansion Penalty is similar, but unrelated to other city-states. Every settlement added to your city-state, either through foundation or conquest this era, generates negative Stability at a rate which increases as your city-state expands. The first will suffer a -2 Malus, the second -4, the third -8, and so on. This can be minimized with technology, but never reduced entirely to zero.
Overpopulation is the other side of the coin, caused by a lack of expansion. For every Citizen above 3000, a settlement suffers -1 Stability and has a steadily increasing chance of negative population events every growth period.
Arcana
Being the usage of forces magical and immaterial
Note: "Enchantment" refers to the time of a Scholar - whereby they still generate Knowledge towards Innovation or Learning, but may not operate a District or harvest from a Land while enchanting.
The School of Runecrafting
Source: Material Toughness
Exertion: Engraving
Channel: Integrity
Rune of Activation: Cast on Ranged Weapons, imbues their projectiles with an explosive effect gifting +100% damage. | 2 Skystone, 4 Stone, 4 Enchantment
Rune of Preservation: Cast upon a Granary, doubles effect | 6 Stone, 2 Enchantment
Rune of Health: Allows Runic Obelisk of Health
[Runic Obelisk of Health | 5 Labor, 12 Stone, 4 Wealth, 2 Enchantment | An additional Peasant is born in this city during Population Growth, one per city | Urban or Rural (II)]
Rune of Growth: Cast upon a Garden or Farm, gives +1 or +2 Food to Construction, respectively | 8 Stone, 1 Enchantment
Rune of Warding: Complex Rune. Cast on Soldiers, decreases casualties by 50% in the first round of melee combat. 12 Stone, 4 Enchantment
Rune of the Wild: Complex Rune. Cast upon Region, allows the transplanting of Tree Resources. Cast upon Orchard, +1 Food, +1 Forest Resource. | 12 Stone, 2 Fuel, 4 Enchantment
Rune of Secrecy: City-States without the Rune of Secrecy must spend 5 more base Scholar-Turns to copy Advancements if Archives are closed
Rune Linkages: Allows Complex Runes, Tier II Runecasting
Copper Runecasting: Substitute Copper for Stone in Runes at a 1:3 Ratio, rounded up
Iron Runecasting: Substitute Iron for Stone in Runes at a 1:5 Ratio, rounded up
Rune Channeling: Amplify Rune Effect by 50% for x2 Enchantment Cost
Geomantic Runes: Runic Enchantment may be substituted for Geomantic Enchantment
Runes of Slaughter: Runic Enchantment may be substituted for Blood Ritual Enchantment
Runeforging: Industry may be substituted for Enchantment in the School of Runecrafting
The School of Electromancy
Source: Environmental Electricity
Exertion: Ritual
Channel: Electricity Access
Tesla Forging: Allows creation of Teslanite Weapons (Wealth III, Industry I, Teslanite) - Iron equivalent
Lightning Loop: Utilizing an Enhanced Electromantic Forge to cast Electromantic Attunement only consumes 2 Charge
Lightning Acceleration: Allows creation of Coilbows (Wealth III, Industry II, 1 Teslanite: +100% Ranged Attack, 20% Armor Piercing) | 3 Enchantment, 1 Charge to create - must be recharged after combat.
Electromantic Attunement: Cast upon Copper, transforms it into Teslanite | 4 Charge, 1 Enchantment
Electromantic Storage: Allows Electromantic Forge
[Electromantic Forge | 6 Labor, 4 Copper, 4 Wealth, 2 Enchantment | Stores up to 4 Charge, gains 1 Charge per 2 Years on Coastal Regions | Urban or Rural (III)]
Electromantic Entrapment: Enhancement to Electromantic Forge - [Stores up to 8 Charge] - 4 Teslanite, 1 Enchantment
The School of Blood Magic
Source: Life Energy
Exertion: Sacrifice
Channel: Reshaping
Lesser Sacrifices: 20 Food may be substituted for 100 Citizens in Blood Magic, up to once per Paddock in a settlement.
Flesh-Ghouls (Kraalen): Cast on 25 Soldiers, transforms them into Kraalen (May not carry weapons, resist injuries, immune to disease, ++Speed, ++Lethality, may not be demobilized) | 100 Citizens, 1 Enchantment
Bone-Shaping: Cast on 25 Soldiers, adds Modifier: Bonewarped [Intrinsic Bronze Armor, stacks with other armor] | 100 Citizens, 2 Enchantment
The School of Geomancy
Source: Earth Tides
Exertion: Edifices
Channel: Energy Transfer
Power Point Mapping: Inspects an explored region for Power Points. Amount revealed depends on luck, and type of region. | 2 Enchantment, 2 Wealth
Secondary Power Points: Further divines a region, discovering 1-6 additional Power Points. | 6 Enchantment
Leyline Mapping: Inspects an explored region for Leylines. Amount revealed depends on comprehension and type of region. | 4 Enchantment
Power Focusing: Required for Tier II Geomancy.
Geomantic Imprinting: Requires for Tier III Geomancy. Allows other Exertions than Edifices.
Geomantic Animation: Allows the construction of Golems. Golems: 4 Labor, 5 Stone, 10 Wealth, 4 Enchantment, 4 Power Stones | Golems may work as a Peasant, but consume one Enchantment every turn. | Requires Geomantic Imprinting
Arcane Sustenance: Requires a local Power Point or Leyline Intersection. Summons five Food from thin air | 2 Enchantment
Geomantic Entrapment: Leeches the Geomantic potential of a Region into trammeled stone. Unlocks Shrine of Power
-Shrine of Power: 5 Labor, 8 Wealth, 4 Enchantment | Consumes 2 Stone to produce 1 Power Stone every turn, which may be substituted for Enchantment or stored for future use. Takes up a Power Point in a region.
Gem Imbuing: Intensifies the usage of trammeled earth tides in Geomancy. A rite which consumes 2 Power Stones and 2 Enchantment, producing 1 Power Gem. Each Power Gem contains 5 stored Geomantic Enchantment, and is useful for Tier II Arcana.
Geokinesis: Enables the exertion of geomantic force to allow a caster to convert large regions of dirt and rock into steam, great for clearing land. Unlocks Shrine of the Earth
-Shrine of the Earth: 6 Labor, 10 Wealth, 8 Enchantment | At the cost of 2 Enchantment, provides 2 Labor per two years to a Construction. Takes up a Power Point in a region
Geomantic Sight: Allows the construction of the Seat of Seeing - +1 Stability per Power Point in a Settlement
-Seat of Seeing: 10 Labor, 5 Wealth, 2 Industry, 6 Enchantment | Allows instantaneous communication between two Seats of Seeing, greatly increased Raid Defense. Requires Power Point. Urban or Rural (I)
Geomantic Inspiration: Allows construction of the Obelisk of Vigor
-Obelisk of Vigor: 15 Labor, 10 Wealth, 4 Industry, 8 Enchantment | Allows Workers in this District to conduct two tasks. Requires Power Point. Urban or Rural (I)
The School of the Outsider
Source: Planar Access
Exertion: Planar Devouring
Channel: Alteration
Shadow Ash Invigoration: Converts 1 Granite to 4 Shadow Ash at the Temple of the Outsider, once per two years | 2 Enchantment
Eldritch Construction: Unlocks the Temple Annex [5 Labor, 5 Wealth, 4 Industry Size (II)]: Converts 1 Granite to 2 Shadow Ash when adjoined to the Temple of the Outsider, once per 2 Years at the cost of 2 Enchantment
Shadow Breath: Imbues 100 Soldiers with the Shadow Breath power, allowing them to avoid sight for two rounds of combat once a month | 6 Enchantment, 2 Shadow Ash upkeep
Ethereal Weapons: Imbues 100 Soldiers with Ethereal Weapons, granting them a 20% Armor-Piercing bonus | 14 Enchantment, 6 Shadow Ash upkeep
The School of Sol
Source: Solar Radiance
Exertion: Discipline
Channel: Imbuement
World Wonders
The Forbidden Palace: An immense palace complex of the Celestial Monarchy of Zhai Cheng, the Forbidden Palace is both a fortress and a seat of power combined, cowing all those who might threaten the Shao Dynasty, and notable for sparking a golden age of reason and philosophy.
Cost: 15 Labor, 25 Wealth, 8 Industry, 20 Stone | Stone Fortress, Superior-Quality Housing for 500 Citizens. +1 Civic Point. Golden Age begun for ten years. Size IV
The House of Wisdom: A great library where the works of the civilizations around the River-People of the Machaka are gathered for scholarly study, the greatest collection in the known world. It stimulated a burst of technological advancement, and its use as a reference work by the philosophers and natural scientists of the Machaka has led to many breakthroughs.
Cost: 12 Labor, 13 Wealth, 9 Industry, 10 Stone | Immediate Breakthrough. Doubled Research from two Scholars in this settlement. Size IV
The Citadel of the Sun: A geomantic construct, smithy and redoubt combined into one, the Citadel of the Sun looms over even the tallest bell-towers in Kharbarinth of the Deepkin. Utilizing enchanted lensing to focus the power of the very sun into a single point, and the confluence of a local power point, the Citadel can project a burning beam which immolates men over many leagues of distance, or heat ore to melting in an instant of even the most formidable potency.
Cost: 20 Labor, 30 Wealth, 25 Industry, 5 Enchantment | Unlocks Arcane Smithing. Grand Stone Fortress with Sunfire Projector Unique Weapon. +1 Civic Point. Size IV
The Temple of a Thousand Pillars: A vast place of worship raised over the ancestral Four Pillars of Corvus, the Temple has many niches where outlanders may worship their own gods, though the Four hold a place of prominence in the hearts of the Corvidians. This grand edifice is a place of wonder, and many outlanders look better upon the Corvidians for allowing them their own places of worship in such a majestic building. Reduces Advancement Learning time from friendly cities to eight years. Greatly increases morale of local or allied soldiers defending Corvus and the Temple
The Grand Souk: Many are the merchants who ply the streets and rivers of Stalheim, come to trade for the wealth of the City of Iron. Over the years, and due to great efforts on the part of the local Warden, the markets and money-changers of the city have congregated in one place, where anything under the sun may be bought or sold - gold, spices, fine clothes, dyes, gems, and even the rare and outright illegal, if you know where to look. These pillared and tapestries streets and halls stretch throughout much of Stalheim's city center.
50 Labor, 50 Wealth, 25 Industry, 50 Timber, 25 Stone | +1 Civic Point. Allows internal Trade Posts, and transferring 2 Resources per Deepkin settlement to another settlement within ten regions of the Grand Souk. +5 Wealth per 2 Years
(Upgrade) 2 Resources -> 5 Resources, +2 Wealth per affected Settlement
The Spire of the Sky: A great geomantic construct, taller even than the Citadel of the Sun, the oculary of the Spire utilizes a scaled up version of the Seat of Seeing to allow those of strong sorcerous will to gaze across many leagues and into the depths of the earth, divining the secrets of the world from their eyrie. Immense quantities of Skystone transmute the power of the swaying and the vibration of the wind over the tower into the energy for this consuming rite.
60 Labor, 100 Wealth, 20 Industry, 10 Enchantment, 20 Skystone | +1 Civic Point. May either gradually conduct a remote-sensing Expedition, or study technologies from known civilizations as if their Archives were open. 200 Scholars maximum.
Everpyre: An immense inferno and furnace, as large as an entire city district, the Everpyre fulfills the curious function of both temple and foundry for the people of Forgefend. Linked mystically to the ley-lines which crisscross the world, its voracious maw consumes immense quantities of flammable materials, transmuting them into sorcerous energy which is transmitted to nearby workings.
40 Labor, 50 Wealth, 50 Industry, 20 Coal, 10 Enchantment | +1 Civic Point. May convert up to 10 Fuel into 10 Enchantment or Industry, available to settlements within ten regions of the Everpyre.
The Temple of the Outsider: A dark place of fires, shadows, and cool gray stone, the Temple is where those who no longer believe in the mighty of the River alone make their obeisance. They call on a dark power, the Outsider who waits beyond the world, for succor and aid, granting him in their worship a portion of the faith he craves, and sacrificing the very material nature of the world for infinitesimal amounts of his strength.
25 Labor, 20 Wealth, 20 Industry, 10 Granite | Grants 10 Void Ash upon completion, and slightly empowers the Plane of the Outsider. Unlocks Shadow Ash Invigoration. Size (IV)