A Simple Transaction Reaction: 1463 words.
Every story spoken has been spoken before.
The boy from Earth stumbles into another realm. A world of wonder and magic, suffering beneath the Tyrant's cruel yoke. The boy becomes a man, the man becomes a hero, the hero defeats the Tyrant, and all live happily ever after. So destiny has decreed.
The Hero's Journey, manifested at it's most blatant as a Isekai narrative. At least it doesn't seem to have been Light Novel harem trash.
But the Tyrant is not so easily overcome.
He is wise to destiny's tricks, greater than destiny's stewards. He sets the world spinning to the direction of a new master. Destiny falters; only causality remains. And mere causality does not suffice a hero from coddled Earth to stand against the Tyrant.
"the world spinning to the direction of a new master", Huh. Did they need a man on the inside, so to speak, or did the Tyrant contact them independently for help? Are they naturally opposed to destiny-like effects, or did they spend power to break the wheel of fate? Many questions abound.
He also seems to have killed "destiny's stewards", whomever they were. They must not have been particularly strong, if the Tyrant could get rid of them. Maybe his sponsor is just overwhelmingly better?
The hero fails, time and again. The people of the world suffer for his impudence. He loses an arm, an eye, half a lung, all the natural vigor of his youth. The companions with which he journeyed become a procession of the dead. His quest, prophesied as the dalliance of a season, becomes a grim slog of years.
Wow, the Tyrant actually broke prophecy with his usurpation, that must have scared them shitless.
Now, without the buttress of Fate, our Hero suffers the reality of war.
There is no certainty of victory; barely any chance of it. But the hero's heart is full of hate, and it is much too late to stop.
Last quest, it was said that even when hope falters, hatred can find a way. It seems a lesson the Hero as learned as well. With all that he has already sacrificed. how can he just walk away?
He learns from his enemy. Mirrors the monster's unmerciful cunning, turns to those forbidden arts his long-dead mentors warned him against. Finds in them, at last, an arena in which his talent exceeds his adversary's.
Insert your favorite Linkin Park song here.
The effects of going of script, it seems. Was realizing the Hero's potential for the forbidden arts part of the master's plan for this world? Maybe I'm just reading to much into it; they didn't seem to intervene in the Tyrants defeat either (well, as far as we know).
Years more of preparation, to realize the power that talent portends. Time bought dearly with the blood of his allies, a patchwork insurgency of the desperate and condemned. In sparse moments, the hero and his surviving companions carve out a life for themselves, stealing what joy they can. The long, bitter path of his journey trudges towards culmination.
More than ever, it seems the struggle against the Tyrant totally consumed his life. Even his attempts to divert away form it are begrudging. To think this was originally the dalliance of a season...
Even considering his earlier mistakes, he is stronger than most, to continue on despite everything. I guess being chosen as the Hero was not totally without merit.
One final sally against the Tyrant. As before, their powers are unevenly matched. But for the first time, that imbalance is in the hero's favor.
And yet even that is not enough. The gap in power does not suffice to overcome the gulf of skill still between them. There is no more time. There are no more chances.
~~
I've tried so hard, to lose it all
in the end, it doesn't even matter~~
The killing stroke descends. The hero's final companion throws herself into its path. The hero becomes a widower.
The world wasn't ready to to give up it's chew toy without a final kick in the balls, it seems. That is awfully (in)convenient for the Hero for a world supposedly given to cold causality, I must admit.
In the Tyrant's implacable guard, a momentary opening appears.
Burning selfhood like tallow, the widower mounts one final onslaught. In his eyes there is no more victory, no dreams more of failure or success. Only the enemy which must be destroyed, no matter the cost.
Wow, even the Tyrant was shocked enough about what happened to lower his guard. Definitely implies something more then mere causality was going on.
The widower prevails. The Tyrant is no more. The peoples of the world celebrate their liberation. Joy and adulation rain upon their silent champion, who stares ahead unblinking.
After the parade the widower buries his wife and their unborn child. It is eleven years to the day since he arrived in this world.
Apparently they just decide to go ahead with the celebrations despite the Hero being in an obvious state of shock? That's kind of cruel.
And yeah, this is peak suck right here. Again, what unfortunate circumstance, it's almost like somethings is laughing from above.
Crippled by the effulgence of that final strike, the widower is a pale shadow of his prior self. But in the eyes of the people, he is still the hero that was; their protector, their shining knight, their salvation, howsoever delayed though it may have been. And, with the passing of seasons, a glimmer of hope arises in the hero's heart. That, though the cost was ruinous, more than he could bear, there was good in the world still waiting to be fostered.
Man who lost all hope finds a bit of hope that he didn't even know he had. Or is this just his method of coping? It's still healthier than most, even so.
Freedom, Justice, Truth. In time, democracy. A society with the power and wherewithal to be organized around its highest ideals, rather than brute necessity. It is what they would have wanted - and if he no longer wields a hero's strength, still he has a hero's influence.
How naive. Those in control of the structures of power seldom desire it's destruction. Trying to change the system through peace alone is like going gambling into a casino with a desire to take down the house.
But the world did not sit idly while he mourned. The kings and dukes who fought aside the hero have filled the vacuum of power left by the Tyrant. And they are content with the system at hand. Theirs is a society of nearly faultless structure, stably and evenly arranged. Their yoke is light, the people are fed. Is that not justice? There is no place here for the instruments of modernity, much less its frivolous ideals.
Why does the Lion concern itself with the opinions of Sheep, huh? Also lol, "evenly arranged"; for who? They don't seem to make an argument from Divine Right, which is a bit surprising, but maybe expected given what they've been through; they lost the guidance of destiny for cold causality. Instead, they seem to have a more Hobbeisan view; as long as the Leviathan keeps the peace, the world is fine.
The hero is not dissuaded. Too many have died for him to surrender this dream. In that resolve the nobility see the beginnings of a Tyrant by a different name. They act. Treachery achieves what all the overlord's power could not: the hero undone at last. Discarded by those who had no more use for him.
Again, naive. Instead of trying to build power independent of them and force their hand, it seems he stayed inside their centers of power. He might as well have walked into a nest of vipers.
And so, he outlived his usefulness. Had he employed the same pragmatism and grim determination against them as he did with the Tyrant, it's likely thing would go rather differently...
In the hero's final moments, despair and hate raging equally across his heart, comes a being with the form of a man, offering vengeance in the form of a bargain.
The being is power beyond measure, beyond the hero's wildest reckonings, the solemn steady heartbeat of all creation, the sword by which all stories would end.
Uaaaa, You're so cool, Odyssial-sempai!
The heartbeat of all creation, huh? Is the Accursed that vital to the continuation of the multiverse? Things are much worse than I thought, or more likely, worse than anything our feeble mortal minds can possibly conceive. Kind of makes pick more Curses to help him out, though we are already past that point in the vote.
"Are you the-"
The man cuts him off with an upraised hand. "No, I'm not the Devil, nor am I associated with any that claim to be him. There will be no souls, no contracts, no signing in blood. My offer is that of a simple transaction. I am bound by countless Curses, leaving me greatly diminished, a thin figment of what I once was. Take up a portion of my burdens, and in exchange receive a fraction of my power."
Man, he just has this shit canned by now, huh? Seram got a much more involved introduction, though I guess he was just chilling and not in what would otherwise be the final moments of his life. Maybe it's just a matter of Seram having more conpatibility.
Power enough to escape this world, or remake it. This he understands without speaking. Even knowing this, he can not help but dislike the being. If this Accursed one had deigned to act sooner, could his wife and son have been saved?
But it had not, and mere dislike means nothing.
Interesting to see someone rationalize way the Brand of the Wretched. Sadly, if the Accursed could do whatever he wanted, he would not be the Accursed.
What else is there to say?
"I accept."
Amusing to see the same sentiment that was expressed by Seram, though through vastly different circumstances. Was there ever anyone who actually refused his offer, I wonder?
Mournfully the being closes its eyes. "So be it."
"If you wish only to survive," it continued, "I will grant you a modest portion of my burdens, and power enough to be free of this realm and its shackles. But if you seek vengeance against the powers truly responsible for your suffering here, then you must take on a far more onerous burden. In exchange, you will receive the power of unbounded progression, growth without limit or surcease."
I suppose that is an explanation as to why Seram was not offered to be a Combat-type Cursebearer; there's no need if he's so compatible that he can be a Progression type with one Curse.
[ ] Freedom - The eyes of the Accursed open. The ghost of a smile plays across his face, almost too quickly to catch. "Perhaps the wiser choice. Be careful which burdens you undertake; they will accompany you for eons to come. Go, enjoy your freedom. You've earned it."
*Become a Combat-type Cursebearer, granted immense personal might at the cost of 2 Curses.
*Yours will be power sufficient to crack planets and shatter nations, to drown the oceans themselves in ash, blot out sun and stars, the fire and impact of a nuclear bombardment as immaterial as rain against your skin.
*Your power will include some means of travel between worlds, allowing you to depart this wretched realm.
*Unless you decide otherwise, relatively comfy quest of nation-building, adventuring & slacking off.
*Perhaps the best revenge is living well.
-Granted power will not grow naturally.
-It is unlikely you will ever discover the truth behind your suffering, much less avenge yourself upon its architects. But the strings are cut, you are a puppet no more. Forget them, and live on.
Ahh, the retirement option. I can't say the Hero hasn't earned it, but it rankles to just leave this plot thread dangling. Tons of immediate power and, well, Freedom. The Accursed is happy, hypocritically so but still. These self-sacrificing types sure are a bother.
[ ] Vengeance - "...If that is what you wish."
"If you survive, no power will be beyond you. In time, there will be no blade you cannot sunder, no force you cannot rout, no foe you cannot ruin, no throne you cannot claim. Take care that you do not become that which you despise."
*Become a Progression-type Cursebearer, granted the potential to attain power beyond all reason through ingenuity and effort, at the cost of the Geas of Indenture, the Apocryphal Curse, and 2 additional Curses.
*Receive only a modest boon of power to start, but you will almost certainly grow rapidly.
*The Geas will take you away from this place, to a world more conducive to your growth, though no less dangerous.
*Should you survive the trials to come, you will almost certainly grow strong enough to plumb this realm of its secrets and overcome its true masters.
*Some say the best revenge is living well. They are lying to themselves. One can strive to live well regardless, but there is no true substitute for revenge. No substitute for doing unto them what they did unto you, for passing sentence upon their richly deserving selves. King or noble, brazen masters or hidden ones... it matters not. When the hour arrives at last, there will be no justice here. Only vengeance.
-Limited initial power
-Forced to take a large number of Curses
-Including the dreaded Apocryphal Curse
Vengeance. Terror. Shadow and Flame.
It's sweet as heck, what can I say? Five Curses is a bargain for unlimited progression. It's a harder path, for sure, but it's one whose ambition is worthy of it. To be great, one must travel a path that befits that greatness.
[ ] The Geas of Indenture - Mortgage your future to pay for the present? The term of your service shall be no less than 937 octillion years. Immediately you will be transported to another world and given a task to complete. Nearly every task will fall into one of two forms: you will be required either to kill a predestined 'Chosen One' of some kind, or to conquer some amount of territory.
You will be granted full discretion in the completion of your tasks and there is no penalty whatsoever to slacking off provided you complete your mission within the generous time window allotted. Assassination tasks typically have a 100 - 500 year window, while conquest tasks usually have a 1,000 - 10,000 (or greater) year window, depending on the scope of the territory in question. Should you complete your mission early, you may choose to vacation in your current world for up to 10 more years before departing to the next task. Your assigned tasks will always be within your given capabilities to achieve. Failure to complete your task within the time window will result in death. You will not be assigned tasks that are totally abhorrent; assassination of a well-meaning hero is about as bad as it gets.
Ah, yes, old reliable. Great for a character with not too much attachment to his initial world or who is not inclined to connect with the worlds he visits. Though, as said in the original quest, the length of the Indenture would eventually wear most users down.
[ ] The Decimator's Affliction - You will naturally absorb the total fundamental life force of the realm you currently inhabit at a rate of 10% per year. Area affected is exceptionally large and scales with your own power; a weak Progression-type might only affect half a continent, while a Combat-type would affect an entire solar system. In the absence of sufficient life force, you will begin to bleed essence, losing components of your powers, skills, identity, memories, and ontological veracity at a proportional rate. Though there are many paths of mitigation available, none of them are pleasant or easy.
Be the Wound that Walks, or or slowly leak ourselves out of existence. Practically free if you don't care for the world around you or/and are a generally terrible person. Surprisingly, easy to mitigate, though that might just be because otherwise the Accursed would have made the Multiverse a wasteland by now.
[ ] Affliction of Slumber - A curse of the body. No matter how powerful your physical form becomes, you will require at least sixteen hours of sleep every twenty-four hours. Missing even a single hour will result in severe physiological consequences. If enemies consistently interrupt your sleep, you will find yourself near-constantly disoriented and enervated. Your waking hours are the very stuff of life. With this choice, you surrender half your conscious existence, your very presence in the world, upon the altar of a Curse.
Another returning one, though still one that's incredibly painful. If you value time at all, one of the worst choices. Even the comfy plan dropped this.
[ ] Brand of the Champion - It is the champion's remit to solve problems, to answer the call of heroism wheresoever it should arise. The champion stands unconquered but alone. Everyone you interact with aside from a select few individuals will refuse to assist you, even in trivial ways, unless you perform some inane or perilous task for them first. Even if all conventions of morality, duty, or good sense would impel them otherwise, they will simply find it unthinkable to aid you without due recompense. The difficulty of tasks is usually equivalent to the degree of assistance you request, though not always.
There is no escaping the Brand, even the Accursed is affected by this, but if you are calling in a Primary Remittance that hinges on his intervention, such as Three Wishes, the tasks he assigns you will be moderately difficult at most.
Supposedly a Curse that has it's impact overrated, though I can't see how this would be anything less than aggravating. You will either have to constantly manipulate people into doing what you want without having to ask, or have your every interaction become incredibly mercenary. Would quickly inspire cynicism is most people, I suspect.
[ ] Doom of the Tyrant - You absolutely refuse to submit to, or even acknowledge the legitimacy of, any rule, custom, law or authority above your own, unless that authority is at least as powerful as a specific instruction from the Accursed himself. Your ability to operate within the context of any organization you are not unequivocally in charge of is utterly crippled. Diplomacy is a laughable dream.
Enemies that are aware of this can provoke you via reverse psychology, though this can only cause you to attack them - you aren't compelled to do the opposite of whatever they order. This Curse comes pre-mitigated in that it does not affect the Accursed, but is very difficult to mitigate further.
It's inadvisable to take this alongside any Brand effect if you intend to ever work with others. Example:
You request a subordinate do something for you -> They refuse until you collect 20 bear pelts -> You refuse to acknowledge the Brand's legitimacy, as it is not greater than the Accursed -> You are unable to ever get your 'subordinate' to do anything
A Curse with quite a lot of memetic potential, I must say. Questers like to (imagine themselves to) be fiercely independent anyway, so I understand it's popularity. I think being unable to work in hierarchically inferior positions might even be a explicit draw for some.
[ ] Doom of Lunacy - The large majority of your power (75%) is sealed within a monstrous battle-form that forcefully emerges under conditions of extreme duress. You may voluntarily enter this form, but doing so causes you to go absolutely berserk, attacking without regard to friend or foe until everything in your vicinity is destroyed. Affected area scales with your power, but is always very large. Anyone who perceives the form is afflicted by terror and hatred as if by a Brand-type Curse; all but the most stalwart of allies will turn upon you in the face of it.
This Curse can be only be effectively mitigated by one means. Very occasionally you will encounter certain individuals that are highly compatible with you in some way. It is highly likely that any such individual(s) will be substantially weaker than you in most regards. In their presence the Doom will begin to shift to the Geas of Lunacy, if you do not suppress the change. The Geas of Lunacy does not limit your power in any way, but afflicts you with an unhealthy level of devotion to the individual in question. Their happiness and safety are certainly more important than your own and you will find it difficult to refuse even their slightest whims. It is always surprisingly difficult to augment their power beyond its natural rate of progression.
The Hulk Curse. Terrible for Vengeance, okay for Freedom. Chance to become yandere later. Not something I would think to be very effective in restraining the Accursed, but maybe it's just there for completion's sake.
[ ] Plenary Brand - Like a blazing sun, the radiance of your power is wholly unconstrained, and the shadow of your potential looms perilously, a pall over reality that is impossible to ignore. The truth of your essential nature is broadcast without concealment or pretext. Even if it would normally do so, this effect will not cause others to like you more.
You automatically attract the attention of everyone who perceives you, and your rough capabilities are made apparent to them, to whatever degree they can reasonably comprehend. Disguise is impossible, your nature is blindingly obvious, and enemies so informed of your abilities will act accordingly. Snip Progression-types in the bud with overwhelming strength, retreat and attempt to outscale Combat-types, etc. One of a Cursebearer's greatest strengths is the ability to grow in power undetected by the mighty; anonymity is very often the greatest defense. With this Curse, enemies will never overlook or forget the severity of the threat you pose. Even ostensible allies will likely foment contingency plans.
The Plenary Brand overpowers any forms of stealth or misdirection you might attempt. Furthermore, in any situation where it is remotely reasonable to do so, all enemies will focus their efforts on defeating you first.
Unlike most Curses, the strength of this Brand slowly increases with time. Unless efforts are paid towards mitigation, your mere existence will eventually sear ten billion impressions of yourself into the minds of your allies, rendering them comatose, while your enemies become monomaniacally determined to end you.
This seems like someone's wish to become a celebrity made through a Monkey's Paw. Also will literally kill people unless we keep feeding it power. Ironically it seems most similar to Decimator in that regard.
[ ] The Apocryphal Curse - "May you live in interesting times."
The challenges this presents will usually not be beyond your ability to overcome, but very occasionally you will be forced to dig deep and discover whether you are truly worthy of the Accursed's mantle. Remember: the greater the reprieve, the more terrible the chaos that follows. "Better to be a dog in times of peace, then a man in time of war."
*Counts as 2 Curses. Don't take it unless you have to.
Protagonist Curse. Not much to say, really. We usually don't want to live the lives of the people we read about.
[ ] The Regalia - A crown and throne of stars.
A combination of Remittances. While it lacks in focus, it presents its recipient with an arsenal of superior versatility. A practical choice that focuses on minimizing risk and mitigating downside.
*Fortune: Once, upon your death or suffering of an unacceptable loss, you may rewind the relevant timelines up to one hundred years, though not to any point before you became a Cursebearer. All Cursebearers will retain their memories of the period rewound. Triggers unprompted if you die unexpectedly.
*Force: You will acquire a modest but useful superpower synergistic with your existing capabilities.
*Favor: Choose one additional Lesser Remittance.
*Wild: Copy any one of the above effects, making new choices for the copy.
Any powers granted by Remittances are scaled to your current power unless otherwise noted. A Combat-type Cursebearer would receive a greater boon than a starting Progression-type, though the latter might need it more...
The first Remittance, and it's a grab bag. Nothing astounding, but nothing useless either. it's mild nature is what most makes me disinclined to it, frankly.
[ ] The King's Scepter - Power, plain and simple.
The scepter represents temporal power, power over the world. Shallow though it may be, immediate power represents more than just safety in the moment. Certainly you can't train if you're dead. But power in the moment is also leverage to face stronger foes, to reap greater rewards, to provide greater space for optimization, more resources with which to accelerate your training.
Taking the Scepter all but guarantees you won't be snuffed out before you get a chance to advance, and accelerates your growth curve by giving you the leverage to take risks.
*The Accursed will grant you a mighty power, broad in remit and scope of action and well-suited to your nature. If you are a Combat type, the power granted will be of formidable scale. If you are a Progression type, the power will be optimized to grow with you.
I would be more excited for this if we didn't pick a very similar option in the original. I can't say many things about it really, just that it's been done before.
[ ] Three Wishes - Your heart's desire.
The Accursed will grant certain of your requests. Do not squander his favor. Substantially mitigating your Curses or otherwise exceeding the Accursed's high expectations will recharge some fraction of either the Least, Lesser, or True Wishes depending on the scale and magnificence of your achievement.
Least Wish - You may wish for anything you could accomplish given a year's worth of effort, knowing what you know now. For example, "Improve my parameters as if I trained with my current methods for a year."
Lesser Wish - You may wish for most anything within reason, though it may not excessively surpass your current power level or that of the reality in which you currently reside. For example:
"Improve my parameters as if I had trained in a reasonably optimal manner for a human lifetime, without any of the negative side effects thereof."
"I wish for a superpower well-tailored to my current situation." Its general power level would be below that of the King's Scepter.
"I wish this enemy were dead beyond the possibility of recovery" would work on a greater variety of enemies than "I wish for this enemy to become my loyal servant."
Resurrection, time travel, social and political power etc are all within the realm of possibility, though each has limits.
True Wish - You may only employ the True Wish defensively unless the Accursed feels you have earned it. Earning it is very difficult. Used defensively, the Accursed will decisively resolve even the direst of situations in your favor. This is as good a guarantee of safety as exists in creation, for no entity you encounter in your travels will be even remotely capable of challenging the Accursed. The elder horrors of the omniverse could turn their unbridled might against you, but sheltering under his aegis you would not feel so much as a breeze.
Used proactively, you may wish for anything, and the Accursed will grant it if it is in your best interests.
Invoke this power with care, for the Accursed does not grant a favors of this scope for all but the most incredible of achievements. Most Cursebearers only get one.
The most versatile request by far, and one the Hero can out to immediate use for his happiness. Really, you need a strong justification for anything other than this.
[ ] The Sword That Ends The World - Accursed blade.
Access the Praxis, the Accursed's personal casting style. A style of magic that emanates completely from the self, relies completely upon the self, and is developed completely by the self. Advancement in the Praxis depends little on talent, much on effort and self-sacrifice. A dream of fairness, defiant against an uncaring universe. And power enough, in time, to make the universe care.
The Praxis is renowned for its limitless potential and complete omni-dimensional reliability. Where all other magics fail, the Praxis operates with unerring consistency. It excels at inflicting and preventing harm, but struggles in matters of renewal or restoration. This Remittance only access to the Praxis, but only Combat-type Cursebearers will start with skill in its application. Unlike the other Primary Remittances, this Remittance offers no immediate power to a Progression-type Cursebearer.
The shiny to end all shinies. The option I advocate despite all reason, or rather, reason does not impinge on the ideal. If it is the world against the ideal, it is the world that is wrong, after all. I want it because of what it represents and means to our character. We have been edged on this long enough, I think.
Companion: Gisena Allria, the Nullity Sorceress
Physical **
Social ****
Mental ****
On the brink of her execution by a mighty foe, the Nullity Sorceress employed a novel and highly risky application of her powers to tear a hole between realms. Nihilistic, cunning, and disarmingly vivacious, she is an exceptionally talented technologist and socialite. Beautiful, and fond of using her charms to tease, manipulate, and frustrate friend & foe alike.
Modestly superhuman strength, speed, constitution, appearance, and quickness of thought. Her Sorcerous Graces allow her to nullify, negate, or weaken a very broad range of supernatural effects, or, in theory, aspects of reality. Well-suited to Curse mitigation. Not immune to the Brand of the Champion, not compatible with the Doom of Lunacy.
The first Lesser Remittance example. Antimagic, some superhuman attributes, knowledge of tech, etc. Considering all those things pale in comparison to journeying with Gisena, I wonder why this costs anything at all.
Artifact: Hunger
A ring of power, two thin bands of black surrounding a band of blood-red. When worn, it merges onto the finger, unable to be removed. The user's appetite for all the visceral pleasures of life is notably sharpened, increasing motivation and drive but with the obvious side effects. Indestructible as far as you can tell.
Dramatically reduces the benefits of training, but explosively increases rate of progression during active conflict. An active Cursebearer would progress many times faster in total.
Hah, a mini Veil of Mara. Skip training montages, go fight directly! Bad with Lunacy, I don't need to say, though it might be good with Slumber, since we wouldn't have time to train anyway.
Upgrade: Accursed Favor
Forgo a Lesser Remittance. Causes the Accursed to like you slightly more. Benefits uncertain, can be taken multiple times.
By default you have one Lesser Remittance, but you can acquire more in the following ways:
Can be one of the most powerful options on offer, but what we never use is by definition useless. It's just too broad and intimidating.
