Resources for Exalted Second Edition
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By Flagg
Submitted on 07 Dec 2006 at 09:36:36 AM ESTLast updated on 07 Dec 2006 at 09:40:10 AM EST
Level 5 Artifact
Tael steadied his mount. He raised his spyglass to meet the dark shape looming ominously in the sky. As the distant object came into focus, his jaw slackened. The hand-rolled tabacco leaf he’d been puffing on fell from his lips, landing in his lap with a plume of glowing ash. Tael hardly noticed; his attention was devoted totally to the awful wonder he now beheld.
It was a fortress, easily the equal of any he had seen in the Threshold, and it was airborne! Even from this distance, Tael could see that its stone ramparts were bristling with weapons, and its pennants, snapping briskly in the wind, bore the unmistakable colors of the Realm.
It was coming his way.
The scout continued to stare, agape, ignoring the fidgeting of his horse. He watched the monstrosity’s slow approach, casting its gigantic shadow across the plains, and was transfixed by his near disbelief. Finally, the smoldering ember which had been burning a hole through his pants met flesh. The surprise of pain snapped him sharply back to his senses.
Muttering a curse, he slapped at his leg, extinguishing the burning ash. He fumbled the spyglass, but left it lying where it landed in the tall grass. Grabbing the reins and bringing his mount to a swift about-face, he dug his heels vigorously into its sides, urging it towards speed.
The Bull must be warned, and right quickly at that, he thought. Tael wasn’t quite sure what the Realm’s flying castle had in store for Kaneko’s army, but he’d be willing to bet even money that it was very, very bad news.
A military wonder of the First Age, Dragonsreach Strongholds were developed to ensure rapid domination of enemy territory. So named for their ability to swiftly extend the forces of the Old Realm to nearly anywhere between the Elemental Poles, these flying fortresses allowed the armies of the Deliberative to move in quickly and unexpectedly, land in a strategic location (or directly on top of the enemy’s camp!), and instantly deploy large amounts of troops and weaponry into the very heart of their enemies’ lands. If a particular location came to lose its tactical significance, or became troublesome to defend in the course of warfare, the fortress needed only take to the air and fly away.
Otherwise resembling a standard citadel of First Age architecture, a Dragonsreach Stronghold is capable of flying over half a mile in the air, at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour horizontally. Ascent and descent are slower, however, at a maximum speed of five mph. This flight ability requires no less than four level five hearthstones to function. Without these magical power generators, the structure is rendered stationary.
The vast amounts of blue jade imbued into its stone exterior lend the Stronghold a total invulnerability to non-magical weapons. Against essence-powered attacks, and weapons made of one of the Five Magical Materials, the walls have a soak of 30B/25L, requiring 50 levels of damage to destroy a section large enough for a grown man to squeeze through. For every 100 levels of damage inflicted, the Stronghold loses 5 mph of air speed. At 1,000 levels of damage, the structure becomes too compromised to sustain flight, and will plummet like a million-ton weight if currently airborne.
However impenetrable, these hulks are hardly maneuverable, requiring several minutes, and a successful Wits+Sail roll (difficulty 3) to perform any change of course greater than 20 degrees. While a smaller airship could easily sail circles around a Dragonsreach, few vessels of this size possess sufficient armaments to be a serious threat. Piloting the structure requires specialized training by a character with a minimum Sail rating of 5.
While possessing no additional offensive or defensive ability innately, the fortress is large enough to easily support dozens of the most powerful of fire cannons and implosion weapons, as well as an entire wing of troops, with full supply and support staff.
The Solar Deliberative once fielded three of these juggernauts for each cardinal direction, though only one, The Hammer Cerulean, is known to survive intact in the Age of Sorrows. Part of the Realm’s arsenal, it is used only in the direst of circumstances, as the Dragon-Bloods do not possess the technology to properly repair it. On the occasions when it does fly, it is usually accompanied by an escort of 5-10 smaller airboats, both to defend the Stronghold, and to relay messages back to central command.
Historical records speak of three others that were still operational in the days of the Shogunate, though these were all thought to be lost in the battles with the Fair Folk during the dark days of the Contagion.
Legends persist of an even greater wonder: a city-sized floating platform capable of transporting a dozen legions or more. However, this mighty weapon was destroyed, along with the Solar who built it, in the years of warfare which ensued from the Usurpation.
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