Age of Dragons: Scholar-Sage
Age Of Dragons: Main Page -> Age Of Dragons: Lifepaths -> Scholar-Sage
Contents
Overview
An Academic Point
"...a butterfly, of the order Lepidotera, though specifically it is Hesperia argentia, or silver moth, as we can see from the silvering on his pectinate antennae. It is easily mistaken for the grey iron moth, though we can see from its horn-shaped genitalia that it is indeed argentia and-"
Impatient to get to the point, the warmaster interrupted Words-Remembered.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure the sexual organs of insects are fascinating, but I believe I was asking you about more pressing matters, vis a vis arcane solutions to our current situation."
The situation the warmaster was speaking of was that the Ascendancy's mortal armies had invaded the region.
An entire barony had crumbled under the surprise appearance of an orcish legion, that had seemingly managed to march across a vast expanse of Kalarni desert undetected, and was now pillaging the domain at the edge of the Arrantian City-States. The invasionary force formed a beach-head, and that beach-head could have a profound impact on the greater war.
"It is an academic point I admit," continued Words-Remembered, "but an important one at that."
"I fail to see..." started the warmaster, but it was the scholars turn to interrupt.
"Indeed, you fail to see. Which is why you need my help. You imagine that I can summon some arcane force to decimate the enemy army... and indeed I could."
"Then do so."
"But what then would you do about the remaining nine-tenths of the invasionary force? No... I can help you far more with thought than with magic. Consider this... the silver moth is not usually found in this area. Its normal ecological pattern is to boom in population every three centuries or so some seventeen leagues north of here, then for populations to follow the tricentennial storm front as it sweeps along the edge of the Kestrel Hills. If they are here at this time, then the storm front has been changed, and I can only surmise that the weather has been magically manipulated somewhere in the region to the north here..."
The war-master was listening silently now, so the scholar continued.
"If we look at the map of this region, we can see that overt attempts to create rainclouds over the Kalarni desert to the north-east would have been noticed from a great distance, especially from the Citadel of the Mother's Sword. So we must presume that instead additional rain must have been created here, along the so-called 'scorpion path'. Water here would have eliminated the titular scorpions, who are of course not animals but guardian demons of an earlier age. Thus, a route not usually available..."
"..is where we will find the orcish supply line," finished the warmaster, smiling.
Words-remembered smiled and nodded. Attention to detail, a little knowledge and observing a butterfly could change the course of a war. Sometimes, the academic point was the important one.
The Scholar-Sage Lifepath
Knowledge is power. In the case of draconic scholar-sages, this is often literally true as study leads to the mastery of powerful sorceries. It is unsurprising that many outside this Lifepath regard this as the Scholar-Sage's true calling: to master magic.
However, a true Scholar-Sage knows that the mastery of magics is a mere side effect of diverse learning and represents only a fraction of useful knowledge. A draconic mind is capable of incredible feats of applied thought, deep philosophy and academic mastery. While a mortal has only mere decades to study, the dragon has centuries, and is has the advantage of far greater intelligence as well.
To the Scholar-Sage, to waste this gift of superior sophis is an insult to to their own potential and a rude denial to the world of the gifts of thought that might be formed through a millennium of study.
Lifepath Powers
The suspires on this path are provided as examples of spells that might be mastered by a Scholar-Sage. The player and GM can collaborate to create substitution spells of equivalent power if desired.
Concentrated Study
- Experience level required: 50
- Activation Cost: Always on, no cost.
- Keywords: Discipline;
The Scholar-Sage must first learn how to learn. With this Discipline in place he gains +1 dice on any Sophis rolls relating to learning new information, memorising or study.
Unity of Spoken Word
(Example Perception-Level Hierarchomancy spell)
- Experience level required: 150
- Activation Cost: 1 Arcane Energy
- Keywords: Suspire; Hierarchomancy;
- Hierarchomancy spells cannot be cast by Chaos-aligned Dragons.
When this spell is cast, the Dragon draws a circle on the ground and inscribes runes in the ur-draconic language within it. Within this circle anybody and everybody can hear the spoken words of anyone else in the circle in their own native language, regardless of what language is being spoken.
The Small Death
(Example Low Level Necromancy spell)
- Experience level required: 150
- Activation Cost: 1 Arcane Energy
- Keywords: Suspire; Necromancy;
- Necromancy spells cannot be cast by Life-aligned Dragons.
When this spell is cast, the Dragon moves close to and exhales on a target, which immediately dies. This suspire can only affect a target of Soma, Pneuma and Sophis of 1 or less. If used in combat, it counts as a Battle Action that can only be used at zero range, but which does not require an attack roll.
Surge of Pleasure
(Example Low Level Autarchomancy spell)
- Experience level required: 150
- Activation Cost: 1 Arcane Energy
- Keywords: Suspire; Autarchomancy;
- Autarchomancy spells cannot be cast by Order-aligned Dragons.
The dragon blows arcane energy invisibly towards a target, who momentarily feels a small surge of pleasure, somewhat less intense than orgasm but comparable to the satisfaction from fine food or a cool drink when thirsty. The target is unware of having his emotions manipulated. A favourite trick of scholar-sages is to have a victim experience pleasure with an activity not usually considered pleasurable, and thus cause cognitive dissonance.
Lifepath Resources
Archive Access
- Experience level required: 25 years
Personal Library
- Experience level required: 200 years
Apprentice
- Experience level required: 500 years
Archive Master
- Experience level required: 750 years
