The Solitary Moon Reaction (1036 Words)
"Just what is its purpose?" Hunger murmured, staring at the impossible edifice before them. From this vantage point his eye pierced shadow and cloud, perceiving a small encampment in the valley below that seemed half bazaar, half staging grounds. It was perched atop the only path that lead to or from the Temple at this angle, though the map indicated that the Temple's primary entrance was far around to the valley's other side. Though he couldn't make out details, the outpost seemed fairly teeming with adventurers and magi, tamed or summoned monsters touted openly in the streets.
Hm. The adventurers chose to make their camp well away from the entrance to the Temple. Perhaps there is some sort of danger at the entrance for people who are not invited? They're also not guarding the entrance at all... I think there has to be some reason for it. Something about the entrance.
"Very droll," he scoffed, but smiled slightly. "If you've nothing to add, we'll circle around to the main entrance and attack the problem in the morning. I feel there's great danger in this place, but great potential too... if we can see it through without substantial losses, I'm confident we'll overmatch the blue swordsman when we meet next."
Gisena nodded. "As I'm hopelessly out-Ranked, I'll defer to your supernal judgement!"
"Actually," Letrizia chimed in, eager to contribute on matters related to her hobby, "While Miss Gisena may not be able to use her Rank proactively, as a magically potent being it's likely she still has one! A sort of 'defensive Rank' that protects her to an extent from hostile actions by those with Pressure. Most magical beings have some form of astral shadow, and great magicians will have a stronger one, though not to the extent of one who actively develops their Rank."
"That matches my own theorizing!" Gisena exclaimed. "I am pretty great, after all."
Interesting. A possible path of advancement for Gisena? I recall we were told Accretion would be the best for generating Findross, maybe Gisena can figure out some manner of rank advancement that pushes forward her sorcery? Maybe the theory behind that is what we skipped out on by healing the robot. Ah well.
"Anyway," he indicated the valley ahead. "There's an encampment of adventurers in the upcoming terrain. Letrizia, we'll circle around to the main entrance of the Temple. With a bounty on Verschlengorge's head and my own Curse-related limits, any sort of confrontation could go poorly, especially if they turn out to be stronger than us. Perhaps I'll meet a smaller contingent in the Temple itself and we can gather information that way."
He'd reaped a formidable bounty of strength from the monsters they'd slaughtered on the way here, and acquired a few new tricks as well. Still, he preferred to hold them in reserve for now. Physically he was the mightiest he'd been since arriving in this world, but something told him the Temple was deadlier. Anyone who could survive a prolonged venture inside would more than pose a threat to him, let alone his companions.
Nice dodging of what exactly he picked up over the last few days Rihaku. Anyway, I'm not sure if we should take this as confirmation of the dangers of the encampment or not. It's framed as speculation on Hunger's part. We may have missed out on some potential good things by skipping the camp, but I think the Arete gain is worth it.
...If the adventurers find out we sneaked past them and went right into the Temple they may be angry at us for taking loo without registering or making our intentions clear or something of that sort. A thing to keep an eye out for.
Huh, a thought occurs: What if the reason that nobody was at the Temple itself was that none of them could get the doors open? Maybe the Temple was recently discovered and it's obvious there's good loot within, but no-one has managed to find a way in yet? Bah, speculation.
The Temple was situated in an enormous plain, its porcelain claws towering to mountainous heights, but around that central expanse the terrain varied mightily. There was thick, mist-suffused woodland more jungle than forest, rocky outcroppings and unadorned grasslands, even stretches of arid waste bare of vegetation or fauna. On Verschlengorge's shoulders they traveled comfortably above it all, and could enjoy the meandering scope of their far-ranging voyage in relative ease.
Would that I'd had a giant robot when running from the Tyrant. And some means of hiding it...
Giant robots are good civilization, this is known.
Gisena came to sit beside him, luxuriantly stretching slender legs and toes in the cool air of evening. In the pale glow of the moon she seemed ethereal, languid and inescapable, and his peaceful reverie was thoroughly interrupted. He eyed her blearily, resentful of the distraction.
"Cheer up! It's a pleasant evening. Your cloak thinks so too."
...How can she tell? Does the Evening Sky change in some way based on the weather? Does it match the actual sky? The cloak is not really described here so I'm wondering how Gisena came to her conclusion. Is she just making things up or does our artifact react to things?
She pointed upwards. "It's a clear, cloudless night! You can perfectly see the moon."
He followed the direction of her hand to witness the bright orb of the moon clutched precisely within the Temple's spires, mantis-thin fingertips grasping and ready to pluck.
He grunted. "Either we're viewing it at the perfect time and angle for things to align, or..."
"The temple is manipulating space and time," Gisena finished cheerfully. "The moon, poor thing, always appears to be in its clutches! It can't be that the spires are moving, or it'd look different from other angles."
Temple is creepily groping the moon. Sounds ominous. We knew this place was bad news already though. I wonder what the purpose of this whole structure is.
Gisena hummed. "I agree! But there's something comforting about it as well. It reminds me of a girl I used to know. So sharp and clear and cold! A dear friend. Probably gone now, and the rest of my home as well. Or will be, soon."
"How fatalistic. Your society isn't set up to resist the 'hero' of your world?"
She shook her head, her smile wan and soft. "Nope. They're pretty much doomed. Even if I were there to warn them, it wouldn't help."
"I'm sorry. My... friends sacrificed themselves so we could overcome the Tyrant. It was a close thing. Far too close."
She laid her head against his shoulder, the feather-touch of her hair trailing against his bare arm. "There are some things we just have to accept, hm? Maybe it won't always be so."
"Hmph. Well said."
Gisena backstory that most of us knew already. Gisena's being pretty intimate with this physical interactions here - could the fair maiden have fallen for our rugged seeker of vengeance? She's a tease, but in the context of this moment it doesn't feel like teasing, the topic of conversation is too serious. It's nice to see the two of them becoming closer, but if Gisena is feeling anything romantic she might run into a little problem. Are we going to have to decide if Hunger is willing to try romance again? Geez.
One day, the power of Progression would allow him to see through his ambition. Bring them all back, and keep them safe once more. But he dared not give voice to that uncertain hope. Even in his heart there was a fragility to it, thin-sketched delicate whisper of a dream, as if exposing it to the real would see it dispersed by a passing breeze.
Gisena said nothing more, simply squeezing his arm in affirmation, and they carried through the rest of their journey in silence.
Don't worry Hunger, as long as we don't get you killed you'll make that dream reality! Shame about that first part though.
As the moon began to descend, the soft blue glow of morning limned the horizon. The Temple's claws ceased their transposition, as if allowing moon and stars to slip free its grasp and slowly tumble into the dawn. The light of the sun was austere and heavy, heat without warmth, illuminating the stark wasteland sea that surrounded the Temple's frontal facing.
A single avenue of shining tile cut through that bare expanse, the Temple's central promenade which featured heavily on the quicksilver map, broad enough to invite a marching army - or to deploy one. Surprisingly there was no activity, human or beast, upon the promenade. It was as thoroughly deserted as the earlier outpost had been bustling.
The towering gates were shut, dark blue steel upon which countless distorted moons were carefully engraved. Here was a sharp ellipsoid, gleaming with purest silver; there an orb covered in diamondoid patterns of blue slate and dusted with cobalt.
They stared down the entrance from a distance. Gisena's emerald eyes observed it piercingly. Immense as the gates were, they were almost tiny against the titanic mass of the Temple. The curve of its central dome was like the skull of the world itself jutting free; a hundred cities could shelter under that ivory sky with abundant space for all.
Ok, so more ominous imagery regarding the moon. The Temple also seems to be adversely affecting the weather if the Sunlight feels bad, and the wasteland surrounding the entrance could mean that the Temple is inimical to life. I wonder if the desertion is bad enough that we'd bleed Essence if we were here while the Decimator was active.
The entrance is completely deserted. Echoing my earlier thought about there being some reason the adventurers are all a ways away. We probably want to keep our party away from here when not dungeon delving.
The gates being covered with distorted moons... Hm... What with the moon-groping spires earlier and this, I'm thinking the builders of this Temple did not like the moon.
Oh, and the place is apparently big enough to contain a hundred cities. How did we get all the way around this place in half a day? Space warping probably. Anyway, this place is so huge there's got to be a lot of stuff in it. Plenty of loot even if we have to share with adventurers.
"No need!" Gisena finally said. "I think it'll let you through. Perhaps only you, but I could carve a path with my Nullity as well. There's an aura around the temple gates. The closest thing it resembles is that of your ring."
He glanced at the red-black band on his finger. Either this was spectacular coincidence or something strange was afoot. The ring of power had come from the Tyrant's finger, from a world and a universe entirely separate from this one. What did it mean for magic of its nature to be present here?
Then again, the residents of this world had quantified the magic of Rank which he'd wielded in the previous realm. Perhaps it was not so large a coincidence as it seemed.
Temple is connected to the ring somehow. Ring is associated with Hunger and devouring, War, Blood, and Passion. Also altering reality. Maybe the Temple is meant to symbolically devour the moon? Given that this is the Voyaging Realm, perhaps the local moon has magical power which the Temple is meant to siphon away, perhaps powering the various "False Moons" in the temple name and depicted on the doors? The idea reminds me of the Stranglethorn advancement, the way the Temple is described as grabbing the Moon with its spires makes me think of strangling thorns imagery.
Now, why would the Temple specifically let us through due to the ring? Is it meant to bait in people who meet the requirements, or are we somehow being mistaken for something that's allowed to enter?
Also, Gisena is not allowed in, but she can force it. Interesting. If we take Immortal Regiment is she going to sneak in? That makes me a bit apprehensive, what if the Temple objects to someone not chosen being allowed in? On the other hand, she'll have better protection then we do.
He shook his head. There was trepidation, fear of the unknown, fear that for all his preparations and newly bolstered strength he would still be inadequate to the conquest of this place. But there was no room for doubt or hesitation in his mind. The Accursed had granted him the power of Progression, growth unrivaled in this world or any other. He would trust to that power, and to his long years of experience, to see this task through.
This task and every other, until that whisper of a dream became reality.
"Letrizia," he said, "Remember what we talked about. And find a good location to hide and secure Verschlengorge. If I can leave after venturing inside, I'll return every day to check on you if feasible."
"Find something worthwhile," Letrizia replied, "Good luck!"
As he walked forward the gates shuddered and began to open, groaning clench of steel like a monster's exhalation. They moved only briefly, leaving the tiniest hairline crack in that wall of colossal blue, just enough for one human to fit through without touching the steel of the doors.
OK, Letrizia's going off to hide. Good, I don't want her near the entrance.
[ ] Aggressive - Charge forward seeking the greatest rewards. Do not abandon intelligent decision-making, but employ tactics as to prioritize the acquisition of powers and treasures. What are you here for if not the wholehearted plundering of wealth and might? It is not within you to yield or become lesser, even in the face of malice such as this. Rise higher and greater than ever before. Meet the immensity of the challenge with the blazing star of your own spirit and will!
+Increased chance to acquire valuable resources or power
+10% increased damage and Arete gain within
+Vastly improves chances of Rank gain from encounters.
+Obviously, it's quite risky, though you do have Second Stage...
+Could recklessly trigger the Tyrant's Doom and create unnecessary conflicts if there are adventurers within
+You will still make tactically sound decisions where possible, but you will also push yourself as you have been all this time.
+A good old-fashioned red option.
Go for the good stuff. Straightforward and high-reward. Also cooler blurb, "Meet the immensity of the challenge with the blazing star of your own spirit and will" is great. I want to vote for it for that alone. Also, when this says +10% increased damage, is that damage too us or damage done by us? Also, vastly improved chance of Rank gain is really good, if we can win the first few challenges we can snowball rank gain and get better and better odds of winning.
[ ] Conservative - Favor cautious, thorough explanation and withdraw in the face of unusual effects that he (or party members, if available) cannot intuit an understanding of. Do not provoke creatures, if any exist, into fights, and check regularly for traps and other dangers. If possible, exit the Temple frequently for breathers. This may requiring staying in the general vicinity of the doors. Reduces [I am the Danger] bonus to 5%.
+You don't need effectiveness bonuses nearly as badly if you carefully pick and choose which encounters to trigger.
+Do I even need to argue for this approach
+Maximize survival% by taking this and every other survival-relevant bonus
The boring but safe option. Maximized survival but loses effectiveness. No chance of crazy snowballing. But we're already taking a risk by being here, maybe we don't want to take further risks.
[ ] +.1 Rank - The will to go on.
[ ] Ring Affinity - What does this do? Perhaps it might be important.
[ ] Absolute Focus - Lose your next 2 Arete. Gain an additional 10% effectiveness bonus within the Temple, which can be increased up to 20% depending on quality and quantity of future discussion, tactics etc. Stacks with the inherent bonus that discussion and tactics can provide.
Ring Affinity... A mystery box, but I think it might be one worth taking. We know the ring and the Temple are similar or connected somehow. Not a fan of spending more Arete, it loses out on Arete we could spend in the Temple! +.1 Rank is generic but still good, each increase makes further increases better. If we go Aggressive more rank will be more valuable since it increases our snowballing ability.
. Extremely was the "Very Scenic Route". 
