Fanwork#2985 Words
Reaction: "Age and Treachery"
When I first saw it, I'd been worried the chapter title was a sign of the Apocryphal Curse somehow making us stumble upon an old monster that would offer us an impossible choice. We've even gotten a Pearl from our last fight! Talk about Zang Kong-induced PTSD. Even after defeating him quite decisively - our minion's merits are our merits, right? - he still continues to haunt me far beyond the bounds of his quest.
Alternatively, it could have been a lich, a veritable embodiment of the title phrase! If Prolessarch could visit this Realm, why not other liches? And we do like our liches so much. Not enough to choose them over waifus, but it's a solid second place! We should probably be thankful there wasn't a lich waifu on offer last quest, or it would have turned into some kind of voting singularity that led solely to pleasing our new mistress.
He awoke steadily from slumber, the high sun of noon creeping into his eyes through a giant's upraised fingers. Below was the chirping of birds and the slow, drawling hum of cicadas, trees creaking slightly in the breeze.
Mm, sometimes I like to sleep in on weekends too, though sadly my merely mortal body is incapable of doing so until noon, even if I stay up late. Hunger is likely much more exhausted than that though, as most would have given up and fallen down long before this point, so he deserves some rest.
Slowly, the Armament above him flexed its fingers, steam pouring from countless apertures as it rose clumsily to its full height. From this distance he could clearly see how badly diminished was the weapon's current state: the errant, too-pale flickering of runes stenciled on its flesh; the choking, muffled retort of its damaged mechanical systems; and even the bone-deep weariness reflected in its stance.
Poor Verschlengorge, barely hanging on after being exploited by Letrizia so ruthlessly, yet still as loyal to anime-girl as ever. He doesn't complain, doesn't break down, he even gave us a cool title! What's not not like about him? He's perhaps a bit more resource-intensive than most mechs, but I'm sure there are plenty of acceptable targets for his Decimation in this verse.
Too bad Gisena seems barely interested in the Armament despite professing being such a technological genius. Is it because he's german and she's french? That's why, isn't it, I expected nothing less from those xenocidal Joanian Sorceresses.
You and me both. Though he'd slept in, he was nowhere close to fully recovered from yesterday's exertions. His physical body felt fine, perhaps even stronger than before, infused with a portion of the King Fish's thrashing vitality. The wound in his side stung sharply as he raised himself up with his elbows, but it was a brisk sharpness, jolting him awake.
It sometimes feels like we're running on one of those magical levitating stone bridges hanging over an abyss, with flagstones crashing down behind us as we inject ourselves with increasingly potent drugs to stave off exhaustion and try to outrace them. It has already been noted by the questers that we found ourselves on some kind of death spiral after tiring ourselves out excessively, but I do wonder how long we can keep this up.
But his powers of spirit, what Letrizia called his Astral Rank, was badly depleted still. It was a dull, hollow exhaustion, a blankness of the marrow, his soul's sharpness worn down to a nub.
If we squeeze down any further, I fear we might risk inadvertently starting up those forbidden arts and burning even more of our self. There's always more power to extract, the only question is if we can afford the price.
"Good, you're awake." Gisena came into view, a pale, fatigued cast to her features. Without pausing she unleashed a Tide of Nullity into the open air, then turned and threw another.
For a moment I thought it was her version of fireworks to celebrate our awakening, because that's just something I can see her doing. But her tired expression made it pretty clear that Apocrypha once again decided to be a bitch and throw something else at us. Doesn't it ever get bored of messing with us? Silly question, I know, its entire job is making things 'interesting'.
"What's going on?" Fighting through the hollowness, he sprang to his feet, the Forebear's Blade appearing his grip.
"We've got incoming," Gisena said, briefly wiping sweat off her brow. "Some kind of portal, but not an Astral effect. And they're persistent, too! Hundreds of attempts over this past hour."
Oh, I missed this on the first read-through. So their portals don't depend on the Astral Realm? Must be one of the Gamer powers or some other outlander ability then, because I thought the locals use Astral for their teleportation.
Maybe the effect exploits the confused nature of the Voyager Realm's space to be maximally efficient, because one would hope hundreds of teleportation attempts would get too expensive to bother after a while otherwise.
Too bad these people can't take a hint.
"You should have woken me," he said, coming to her side.
She shot him a cheery smile, with only a hint of strain. "Nope! Both you and Zea were out like a light! And you need your rest most of all, whereas I'm positively brimming with energy!"
I think she made the right choice here. It's not like we could have helped her with Nulling the portals or done much to prepare without knowing anything about the opposition, especially in our current Exhausted state. So giving us a chance to recuperate so we can restore some of our battle efficiency was objectively the correct decision.
Maybe she was also hoping they'd get bored of trying to bore a hole through space or expend their resources on the attempts. Obviously she'd underestimated their stubbornness. Still, she does make me feel sorry, I'm so used to her expressing a mostly positive attitude lately that seeing her diminished is uncomfortable.
"I'm operational," Letrizia's voice boomed from Verschlengorge, testily flexing a hand. "Or as close to it as we can be in this state."
Versch can still bite, what more do we need from best mech?
"I suppose it's too much to hope they'd give up," Gisena said. "And running won't do us any good if they have portals. Well, if they're dying to see us, how about we grant their wish?"
Wow, seems they've truly gotten on her nerves, I have forgotten how Gisena can get when sufficiently provoked. This is the same Sorceress that decided to go out in a blaze of Nihility when at the end of her rope. We've seen the nice side of her so far, but our enemies aren't so lucky. Maybe we'll even get the chance to see her amputate someone else's powers one day!
"We'll talk about this later," he growled, advancing upon the now-forming portals. Fuck these so-called interesting times.
"I await your commendation eagerly!" she responded.
Is this going to be our next vote after all this is finished? Will we have to decide whether she was right to let us rest? As I said, objectively I think that was the correct decision to make in our current circumstances, but it won't always be true - a Nightmare Praetor without the opportunity to prepare loses half his battle power - and emotional issues complicate this issue even further.
There was no more time for talk as the shimmering blue portals finally gained a semblance of solidity. Scarce had the outline of their occupants appeared before he ducked, avoiding the chest-height Tide of Nullity that Gisena fired into the occlusion.
The first intruder appeared with a baffled shriek, the magic of her armor smothered under Gisena's assault, and he swiftly followed up with a pommel-strike to her sword arm, bone splintering under his enhanced strength.
With every fight I regret not picking that Null Resistance when we met even more. We would have had more trouble scoring pluses and our relationship would have generally been somewhat worse, but we would have steamrolled most our fights if she didn't have to be careful about where she aims.
The combination of Nullity and our strength is just plain unfair sometimes. We
must find some way to enhance Gisena, be it with further Coalescences or simply by making her faster, which might do even more to enhance her danger level than any other improvements.
Hmm, we could try to find some way to improve our physical parameters in a way that doesn't depend on magic in the meantime. So far we've been mainly getting Accretion improvements, presumably because it's the most thematically appropriate and efficient path to power, but I sometimes miss Seram's ability to advance his stats independently of his abilities. Ah, the vagaries of picking Hunger as our Lesser Remittance and means of advancement.
Though they'd ambushed one, the full party had materialized successfully: one man, a mechanical construct, and two other women, all outfitted in rugged armor with an assortment of faintly glowing artifacts.
So we're worthy of sending adventuring parties against us after slaughtering that pirate miniboss? And properly outfitted too, with a robotic minion to boot! I'd be almost envious if we weren't carrying legendary Artifacts around ourselves.
"Took 'em long enough," the man whined, eyes sweeping the party. "The fuck? They didn't say anything about adds. You guys deal with those, the monster's mine."
This was the moment I realized the world hated us and that I hated it right back.
What kind of fucked up set of circumstances would produce people that believe this is any sort of game?! At least some of them must be brainwashed to some extent, because I have trouble believing four such idiots could gather together and survive long enough to become challenging for us.
Seeing this sort of behavior outside games is far more obnoxious than I could have ever imagined.
"Yes, my lord!" Spoke the others, even as Hunger pulled the first intruder close and plunged his blade into her sternum. A swift stroke brought her life to an end as the remainder of the party advanced on him.
I wonder if she had an important role and we'd gotten lucky by killing her given how close the rest of the battle was, or if she was just that weak. They don't seem to react to her death whatsoever, which isn't that surprising for crazies that think this is a game, but still soured my opinion of them even further.
Also, is he an actual lord like the members of our party, or just the sort of pretentious prick that likes being called that?
The male leapt forward with a thump of displaced air, his blade glowing brilliant blue before it unleashed an arc of energy into Verschlengorge's direction. Too slow to evade or block, the Armament took the blow across the torso, leaving a great smoldering gouge in the plating on its chest. Hunger frowned.
OK, that's impressive. Probably only worked because Verschlengorge is running on fumes, but we're even worse off, so we don't want to get hit by that. Can't be certain Sky will defend against this attack properly, given that the guy doesn't appear very mundane.
Then the attackers were upon him, a nymphlike woman wielding an elaborate sword and a cool-eyed blonde who covered her with crossbow fire. The construct attempted to rush past, targeting Gisena single-mindedly, but he intercepted it easily as null bolts rained down around them. None of them seemed particularly concerned about the loss of their first companion.
Smart, letting the robot that is presumably least influenced by Nullity target her. I hate smart enemies.
"We must disable the mage," the construct groaned, bronze armor clanking as it traded blows with him. Its internals held up poorly against the power of ruin, scars of riven metal opening at each point of contact.
...Or maybe they're just clueless, thinking our anti-mage is an actual mage and sending their tank against her. Too bad for him delicate and complex parts fare poorly against Forebear's Ruin.
"I'll give the orders, mercenary." The swordmaiden said frostily, ducking back to avoid another volley from his Sorceress. "But I do agree. Beth, as we practiced?"
So they're not one group and the robot is just a hireling. Was that why they didn't care about the first woman's death, because she was just a mercenary too? Pretty cold-blooded of them in that case.
...Still, they're seriously arguing about who is in charge in the middle of battle?
Anyway, I'm not sure I want to know what kind of ridiculous battle formations these gaming addicts practiced.
The swordswoman was a striking beauty, her features haughty and regular, crimson hair and pristine blue eyes, though plain in comparison to Gisena. Her companion, 'Beth,' was shorter and mousier, wearing a hood to cover her golden locks.
Certainly, anyone without supernatural enhancements to APP would find themselves lacking in comparison to Gisena! Such is the power of
findross, to make things as their idealized versions ought to be. I shudder to imagine how the effect of
findross infusion would compound with the Hero's own Accretion-optimized appearance. Is someone truly a Tyrant if people love them at first sight? Imperia would surely approve!
"Sure," Beth nodded. The two women withdrew.
He took the opportunity to pressure the construct, accepting a blow against the Evening Sky to slice open the thing's neck. It reeled, stumbling backwards, but before he could finish it the crossbow wielder appeared overhead.
Either their coordination is truly shit or they don't care about this robot guy whatsoever. In hindsight I kind of regret we weren't able to capture him, since he seems less annoying and was just a hire, but what's done is done.
...Also, we should take note of their tactic and try the same when our Pressure is restored and we can do some ranged attacks of our own. Nobody looks up, especially when they're distracted by a giant robot biting at them!
"Nice!" Shouted the swordmaiden as her ally fired, several powerfully enchanted bolts hurtling towards Gisena. The Sorceress dipped and weaved, emitting a wave of dispellation, but was caught in the arm. Gisena whimpered but wasted no time, snapping off the bodkin tip and pulling the bolt free. She drew Letrizia's sidearm and began to return fire.
Yeah, Gisena is no frail maiden, she's seen some shit during the wars against the orcs and elves. They're still getting payback for hurting her though. Hopefully the bolts weren't poisoned.
Growling, he hurled his blade at the midair archer and pounced on the golem, kicking off its chest to propel himself skyward. Beth contorted wildly to dodge his thrown sword, then spun with languid grace to evade Gisena's fire, heedless of leverage or gravity.
Yer a decade too early t'engage th' Hero in aerial battle, young'un.
You might have some fancy tricks on your side, lass, but there is one thing you forgot in your youthful enthusiasm...
But she did not see the Forebear's Blade hurtling back as he recalled it to hand.
She gave a startled, hapless shriek as the sword-fragment embedded itself in her side. An instant later he reached her, clothesline to the solar plexus driving her to the earth. Before she could recover his fist rained down with haymaker force, ending her life.
...the boomerang always comes back, bitch. Seriously, what did she think would happen after she made herself into such an obvious target?
Glad to see that tactic employed to great success! It's not a proper Hero if he hasn't used his weapons in a wildly inappropriate manner at least once.
Slow. He was too slow, his instincts numb. He was caught in the flow of the world, instead the rock against which it broke. Had he been anywhere near fighting form, an opponent of this level would never have been allowed to hurt Gisena, and the golem would already be carven scrap.
To be fair, Apocrypha likely wouldn't have sent these scrubs against us if our Pressure wasn't so exhausted, not on their own like this at least. And Gisena getting hurt is going to become an increasingly common occurrence, I'm afraid, once our enemies notice just how dangerous she is.
But what was the point of dwelling? Nothing to do but fight on. His ring pulsed, feeding him with strength from the intruders he'd felled.
Hmm, it hadn't happened so far and we've always done it after the fights were finished, but it should theoretically be possible for us to do mid-battle enhancements as long as we keep killing. Seram could do this at least, and Hunger is even better suited for it.
He pulled free the Forebear's Blade and moved to once again interpose himself between the construct and his Sorceress, but a howl of stark grief stole his attention.
"ELIZABETH!" Screamed the redhead, her eyes wet with tears. "You- you bastard. You'll pay..."
I think I lost it at this point. Not only do they treat us as if we're mobs they can target at will, but they also act as if we have no right to fight back and killing them in self-defense is some sort of heinous crime. All while not even blinking an eye when that first woman died! What the hell is
wrong with them?!
She began to tremble, hair rising in an invisible wind. Furiously he pushed past the golem, unwilling to let her complete whatever technique -
Slow. A moment too late he reached her, and by then her eyes had snapped open, infused with amaranthine energy. She blurred, tearing into him, Celtic knot of her sword pulsing as it pressed against his cloak of stars. Her blade sang as it moved, a mournful hum that intensified steadily, increasing her own speed until she dissolved into a whirlwind of slashing strokes.
"My name is Seralize vi Esterarc. And I am your end, monster. It's not about the money or even the glory. I'LL AVENGE HER IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!"
How many times had he proclaimed similarly, when faced with the Tyrant's cruelty? Had he sounded so ridiculous? The fact that she was distracted by her monologue was the only reason he was able to keep her at bay.
On the one hand, I wish someone taught her talking isn't a free action. On the other hand, it works in our favor, so go on, Serri! Tell us how you really feel!
I know there are parallels to the Tyrant, but this is far too undignified for me to take them seriously. Just how far is the Apocryphal Curse going to go in its attempts to mock us? Will we be the target of another prophecy, this one targeting us this time? Will it decide that one hero isn't enough and send them by the dozen against us? Are we going to meet a replica of our dead wife next, and have to kill her personally?
Seriously, fuck Apocrypha.
Gisena tried to assist, darting to the side, probing for an angle. The badly-damaged construct doggedly followed her, forcing her to disengage.
The force of Seralize's hatred was as a palpable thing. It suppressed his initiative and lent unnatural sharpness to her blows. Her sword fell upon him from all angles, grazing neck and cheek, nicking his ear, scraping against his forehead to send blood into his eye. The Evening Sky lent his flesh the same impossible resistance he'd faced against the pirate captain, else he would have died threefold in one exchange.
Yeah, really glad we bought ourselves some protection when it was offered. It gives us a much greater margin for error. Would have been nicer not to make the mistakes that landed us in these circumstances in the first place, of course, but sometimes a man gotta fish.
Was he any better than the Tyrant, in the end? Was vengeance alone a goal worthy of all this?
No need to worry about morality, we're perfectly capable of acting as a substitute for your conscience, Hero! Just look at how well Nameless turned out, surely nothing can go wrong with this approach.
He jumped back slightly, resignation coming over his features. There was not much left in him, but if he exerted all he had, could he reach her, just this once?
"I get it," he said, looking his would-be murderer directly in the eye. "And I'm sorry."
She nodded bitterly. "As it should be."
Is it strange that I didn't for a moment believe he'd given up? Guess someone who doesn't know Hunger as well as us might fall for the trick.
With a final vengeful roar, she thrust forward, the gleam of her blade like a falling star. He made no move to intercept, stepping into the blow, taking it into his side, all but collapsing on her.
As the blade sprouted from his back, she let out a grim, tremulous sigh of catharsis, then began to pull her sword free for the finishing blow. The weight of his cloak was like a leaden mantle around them.
And experience once more tells. Thinking an enemy giving up and that the fight being over just like that is plausible and that she can relax, she completely deserves what follows.
Still caught in that impromptu embrace, she was unable to evade when he stabbed her in the spine. The Evening Sky billowed and swarmed, holding her longsword in place to prevent further damage, blanketing them and smothering them, gentle dying of the light. Grimly he twisted his blade, cutting flesh and spirit, fell energies severing body from mind, soul from essence. A mortal wound.
Strike a thousand times, or strike one blow that tells.
That was
very satisfying after her self-righteous spiel. Diminished Hunger might be, reduced to a mere fraction of what he'd once been, but he'd fought the Tyrant for a decade and forgotten more things about fighting and deception than she had ever learned. I really liked his style here.
"Hate..." she rasped, blood flecking his cheek. "I... hate you..."
He closed his eyes. "I know."
He tore free the Forebear's Blade and cut off her head.
Hate can sustain you when there is nothing else left, but impotent hate is quite a pitiful thing to behold.
Age and treachery, the Tyrant had told him once. Against such forces as that, what was the vigor of youth? Merely the purposeless guttering of an over-bright flame.
Hmm, we're getting some more delicious background info. Not truly surprising that the Tyrant liked to monologue, but it feels like... more. Perhaps the Tyrant was truly trying to kill the Hero, but he might have also seen him as a worthy opponent if he conversed with Hunger about such matters.
By walking into her strike, controlling the angle, he'd directed the blow down the path of his existing wound, minimizing the damage. Still, the pain was intense even under the soporific numbness of the Evening Sky. She'd widened the cut broadly and managed to nick his intestines. Not a wound that would trouble him much, if he were at full strength. As it was...
Ugh, more wounds for the list. Hopefully we'll find a way to heal ourselves at some point, or Accretion is going to run itself ragged trying to make a walking mess of bloody scars look attractive.
Letrizia screamed in pain, and his head snapped around to take in his companions.
Gisena had worn down the construct, which looked to be on its last legs, though she'd taken a nasty scrape from its claws. Verschlengorge was tottering, brought to one knee by the onslaught of bright blue energies hounding it.
Oh, so the robot was magical after all, what a shame. And for shame, Versch, losing to this pretender! Where is your pride as the most powerful Foremost Armament?!
...then again, pride might have caused him to explode, so maybe this is for the best.
Letrizia's opponent nodded to himself as he struck, his eyes steady and calculating, baiting her into an overhead swing before darting sideways to target the joints. Even the Armament's cockpit was exposed, smoke rising steadily from its insides. As he fought, the intruder spoke, an incessant stream of affirmational nonsense mixed with strange jargon.
"C'mon Ber, you've got this. Patterns are down solid. One last phase and it's payday. Just gotta do like you do, only it's real life. Done it a hundred times..."
I would suspect him of being another Cursebearer with the Brand of the Wretched if I didn't know the Accursed has standards. I hate him a little more with every word that comes from his mouth.
So what, he'd been trained against Verschlengorge in simulations? Maybe he'll try the same against us next time and discover just how hopeless trying to predict our growth curve is.
The last invader spared a glance for them, and briefly paused in shock to see his companions scattered and lifeless. His body was not bare of wounds either; cuts and burns covered his skin, and his left shoulder was one enormous bruise, though compared to Verschlengorge he seemed able and hale. He leapt back, dodging a translucent wave from Gisena, scanning the three of them rapidly.
"Even Sera? She's allowed to die? Shitfuck. Should have known an Astral Lord would try to fuck me, no matter how shiny the prize." He mumbled to himself, sword raised in a guard position. "Assess."
Is she an important NPC from his point of view? Some kind of prophesied heroine? Would have fit what we've seen so far. Hey, maybe we'll get a legend for murdering heroes at some point! Certainly we could cut our enemies with the sheer irony.
Hunger frowned. It almost sounded like this guy had come from Earth, or a realm like it. Not that it mattered at this juncture. Gently extracting the now-dull steel of Seralize's longsword, he prepared to advance on the man. Warmth from the ring on his finger, sending power down his arm. Warmth from the wound as well, leaking strength down his side.
And we don't even get to engage in traditional adventuring behavior and loot the sword! Thankfully Hunger has our back and won't let the fight be in vain.
I wonder if the guy comes from some outside world or the local Terra. If the Foremost could create a whole dungeon Realm, why not leave behind mechanisms for people to play in it, right?
Idly he wondered if he could actually defeat this man. He was getting light-headed. Convincing Seralize had taken too much out of him.
"Information not found..." the intruder whispered, eyes going wide. "System, what the fuck is this? Some kind of hidden boss bullshit?"
No, just your friendly neighborhood Cursebearer, come to fuck up your orderly day. We can totally take him! Especially if we tank up on all the power we've absorbed.
Evading another Tide of Nullity, their enemy shook his head. "Fuck it. Gotta bail, come back when I'm higher level. Hey, fuckwad!"
He pointed his sword at Hunger, its flat the cold, unending blue of a cloudless sky. "You're dead, okay? All of you. No one kills my... friends and lives to talk about it. See ya."
Nice pause there, asshole. Shows how much you really value them.
And sure, you're always welcome, mister walking bag of experience.
So saying, he launched a torrential strike directly at Letrizia's cockpit, a sky-furrowing wave of blue that devoured the land as it traveled. Hunger and Gisena both moved to intercept, but even her focused Nullity only diminished the attack.
Panting in exhaustion, the invader gestured listlessly again. A portal of the same color quickly engulfed him.
Haah, of course he targets Letrizia to escape. I'm not even surprised or angry about that, it's a valid tactic.
Hunger hurled himself at the remnants of the attack, cloak fully spread, managing to divert it off-course, though his arm was seared very nearly to the bone. Gisena approached quickly, holding her bleeding arm.
Oh no, now we'll have to endure 'armless jokes till we heal our arm up fully! Good thing we can swing the Blade with our teeth.
"Check on Letrizia," he grunted, collapsing. "I'll be fine."
"On it!" Gisena said, running her fingers gently over his shoulder before sprinting for the Armament.
Letrizia was hurt, her left side marred by burns. Gisena carefully set her down on the grass and opened the medical kit. The young duchess whined, twisting away from her ministrations.
"I can stabilize her," Gisena began worriedly, "but she won't be in any fit state to travel. What do you think we should do?"
While it's quite sad Letrizia got injured, some part of me is a bit glad about the opportunity to stay longer in the Voyaging Realm. Things are much simpler here and the Tyrant's Doom much less annoying than it's going to be when we reach civilization.
---
Last time the winner was [X] Sleep In. I'm still calculating the winner of the long-term planning vote, but it was a 25 Arete option so it's not particularly relevant for this post.
Given what he said, this particular enemy ('Ber?') wouldn't be returning for some time. Therefore...
[ ] Recuperate - Rest for now until the Exhausted and Tired conditions clear, then continue onwards without diverging from the plan. It's likely you'll outscale this particular enemy without any special actions. Don't get distracted and focus on your own Progression.
[ ] Press the Attack - By analyzing magical remnants, Gisena should be able to discern the origin point of the enemy's portals. Take over Letrizia's care while she does so, then prepare to hunt this foe with all due haste. He has powerful magics of his own and some form of... video-game based 'system' to manage it. A threat like that must be pursued to its conclusion. Rest until the Exhausted condition clears and then begin the hunt.
[ ] Hunt for Healing - Your battle hasn't given you any abilities that would help you heal Letrizia. Strike out into the wilderness until you kill something that gives you the capability. Navigation will be difficult in your state, but you've some power remaining from your recent victories. A risk, but one you're willing to bear to ensure that Letrizia recovers unharmed.
No good options here, frankly. Unsurprising since we've painted ourselves into a corner by bringing the Hero to the brink of exhaustion and beyond. Recuperate is the most self-focused priority, Press the Attack continues in the vein of dealing with Apocryphal threats decisively like we did with that pirate, and Healing focuses on our comrades, though there are always nuances and combinations with different options that could change a choice's meaning.
Would personally like to finish this Ber guy, but I can understand why people don't want to take further short-term risks.
---
You are currently at 61% Health and 84% effectiveness. You are Exhausted again. Choose 2, or 3 if Fury is picked. You have 5.9 Arete.
[ ] Forebear's Blade - Echo of the Forebear - Cloud-shadow of the Forebear's might. Legendary strength and speed, and the resilience to exert them. Can be taken multiple times. [+Might, +Agility]
[ ] Evening Sky - Opalescence - The soft light of evening before which all attacks falter. Improves defensive parameters. [+Protection]
Our mainstays that we'll continue seeing for a very long time. Strange that Hunger doesn't offer something similar, but maybe it's too focused on utility.
[ ] Hunger - Ring of Blood - 2 Arete. Wielder fully recovers health with [Might's Repose], can use [Ring of Power] to restore health, though inefficiently.
-Do note that [Ring of Power] cannot be effectively used while Exhausted, so this will not heal Letrizia in the short term. It will heal your near-incinerated arm when you sleep, however.
Frankly, I'm not too impressed. Yes, it heals us and even lets is heal others once our Pressure has recovered from its current state, but it just doesn't call to me. It's as if the Ring tries to fit the square shape of Feast into the round hole of Slumber.
[ ] Evening Sky - Amaranth Star - 2 Arete. Swift fury of vengeance unshackled, and its unremitting resolve. Exhausted and Tired Conditions are 25% less severe. [+++Agility]
Now this is interesting. Not just the option itself that would grant us greater speed and allow us to restore some freedom of action despite our Exhaustion, but further evolutions it could unlock for Evening Sky. Would we get stars with their own abilities? Might become quite powerful if we manage to get a good synergy between them going.
[ ] Hunger - Scent of Prey. A single drop of blood will set predators to swarming. When hunting a target, gain an instinctual sixth sense for its distance and bearing. Existing knowledge may yield superior accuracy. [2 picks]
-For example, 'Ber,' the human swordsman who wields blue energy and constantly mutters to himself, would yield a more accurate bearing than 'A creature I can kill to develop healing capabilities for Letrizia,' though the latter would at least give you a vague direction.
A fairly good pick, it would not only give us much better tracking abilities, it can help us find persons of interest, might allow us to scout opponents in battle, and could give us an additional sense to help get past illusions.
Though some people can probably hide from it and it has some limitations, so caveat emptor.
[ ] Feat - Age and Treachery. Gain +.25 Rank. [2 picks]
I
really liked this characterization from the update. The Rank gain is kind of secondary in comparison to the name in light of that. Maybe we'll also be able to evolve it into a proper Legend if we continue in this vein.
[ ] Forebear's Blade - What Rains May Come. To strike at him would arouse his disdain. To strike at his loved ones, would arouse his ire. Once per month, transfer wounds caused by the hand of another from an ally to yourself. Reverse wound penalties, except from those inflicted by your own hand. [3 picks]
Both a healing option and one that improves our battle efficiency massively, at the cost of more wounds. But Forebear's options have been the foundation of our battle efficiency so far and has some of the coolest options, so I'm willing to see where he'll take us.
Thread Participation has yielded a bonus. Please choose one:
[ ] Coldly Calculating - +.75 Arete
[ ] Fury - +1 pick above
[ ] Wolf Moon - 'Ber' becomes a valid target for A Hunger, Sated.
Too bad an additional pick is so useful, Wolf Moon would have been a neat prize for this debacle and Arete options seem to fall by the wayside much like BP options did so often in EFB.
