With the Runed Age corebook releasing next week, we’re bringing you another array that will help you in your first days in the metropolitan madhouse that is Middelburg.
This week we give you the Mock Turtle array.
Notation: Create a Dome of Stone ten times as wide across as the array that excludes Cold.
Description: Sometimes you need to lie low for a while; sometimes you just need to disappear for the moment; and sometimes you just don’t have a safe place to kip down for the night. For all those times, people turn to the Mock Turtle for a little bit of sanctuary in times of trouble. It keeps you dry, it keeps you warm and it keeps you protected. Just don’t light a fire inside your might well end up being mock turtle soup.
There are a few things to note with the Mock Turtle array. The first is the connection between the Dome and Shell runes. Ordinarily, Dome does not in fact create a dome; it creates a solid half-sphere of whatever you want. This clearly won’t work with the Mock Turtle as there won’t be any place for you inside it. This is where the Shell rune comes in. It restricts the effects of the array to a thin wall around the edges of whatever shape rune you are using; in this case the Dome rune. So with these two together, you get a nice little stone dome to hide within.
Second thing to note is the Large rune. Large makes the effect ten times greater than the size of the array, so be careful how small you draw the array or there won’t be enough room for you inside. A 20cm diameter array will create a dome 2 metres across and 1 metre tall, the perfect size for a one man tent. You could even fit two or three in there if you cuddle close.
Lastly, note how it excludes cold. This means that the stone dome will exclude all temperature that is less than what the dome is currently. In short, it can’t get colder than what it already is. This is perfect for those winter nights, but remember the body heat of anyone inside will slowly raise the dome’s temperature, meaning it will exclude even more more colder temperatures. This will create a positive feedback loop where the dome will get warmer and warmer and warmer. The upside to this is that you never have to light a fire or create a warmth array as the dome will heat up all by itself. The downside is that, eventually the dome will get too hot for anyone inside to survive. The Mock Turtle isn’t a permanent solution, only a temporary escape from the world.