A Simple Transaction I
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
- Original
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Yo guys, Apex is so close to being competitive. Imagine if we could get 2 synergistic magic focused 7 cost options. That would be an insane, utterly absurd level of immediate power to explore the Temple with. And it even works with our currently winning choice of action, unlike Sword. Don't you want some more of those tasty, tasty Rank ups? Wouldn't you like to see some other defining advancements?
Being one of the better options for a maybe suicidal choice doesn't make that choice any less suicidal. He's already told us that we can't keep taking this level of risk sustainably, let's actually try find out what we're walking into before we decide to YOLT it.
Being one of the better options for a maybe suicidal choice doesn't make that choice any less suicidal. He's already told us that we can't keep taking this level of risk sustainably, let's actually try find out what we're walking into before we decide to YOLT it.
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[X] Strong Sword-Arm
[X] Push in Further
[X] Root and Branch
[X] Don't Bring Gisena
Sword-Arm + Push is my preferred combo if R&B isn't going to take it. This kind of comprehensive engine of destruction needs to be put through its paces, not bumbling around talking to no name bums. I've also gone off grabbing more magic systems the more I thought about it, I was never a huge fan but it's less appealing than ever after considering the builds.
If push wins I think our first goal should be to see if we can find the Giant Knights main base if they have one. They clearly have the ability to communicate and send reinforcements so there's a decent chance there's a larger stronghold coordinating all that, where we might find more information about the land or treasure. We already have a decent idea about how they work so would probably be better suited for taking on stronger versions of them rather than most unknown enemies.
Really though Stranglethorn still seems the best pick overall, boosting Gisena's tankiness enormously improves her utility while giving more chances for to her grow as well. Right now she's basically sidelined in most cases where we'd actually need her, rather than just think she's handy to have around. I think this isn't going to be conducive to her overall growth rate due to lack of excelling on her part. If the next update is one of the wide range of scenarios where she's even moderately relevant to success I think it immediately becomes the best choice. If not then it takes only a couple of experience picks of stats before it becomes and stays competitive.
[X] Push in Further
[X] Root and Branch
[X] Don't Bring Gisena
Sword-Arm + Push is my preferred combo if R&B isn't going to take it. This kind of comprehensive engine of destruction needs to be put through its paces, not bumbling around talking to no name bums. I've also gone off grabbing more magic systems the more I thought about it, I was never a huge fan but it's less appealing than ever after considering the builds.
If push wins I think our first goal should be to see if we can find the Giant Knights main base if they have one. They clearly have the ability to communicate and send reinforcements so there's a decent chance there's a larger stronghold coordinating all that, where we might find more information about the land or treasure. We already have a decent idea about how they work so would probably be better suited for taking on stronger versions of them rather than most unknown enemies.
Really though Stranglethorn still seems the best pick overall, boosting Gisena's tankiness enormously improves her utility while giving more chances for to her grow as well. Right now she's basically sidelined in most cases where we'd actually need her, rather than just think she's handy to have around. I think this isn't going to be conducive to her overall growth rate due to lack of excelling on her part. If the next update is one of the wide range of scenarios where she's even moderately relevant to success I think it immediately becomes the best choice. If not then it takes only a couple of experience picks of stats before it becomes and stays competitive.
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- Location
- USA
By the same token, Rune King is better if we are closer to buying a magic system. We could advance it fast enough that it could be a real factor in completing the Temple!
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
So I did some blurbs for the alternate universe scenario where we hailed the Temple of the False Moon outpost and managed to get in with them well enough to hire mercenaries. The General Zeratus one you may have seen earlier is reused with a couple of tweaks. Last time Zeratus's blurb was too small and irrelevant to even warrant indexing.
Word Count including Zeratus: 1306 Words
Word Count excluding Zeratus: 1166 Words
After one near miss with a Doom of the Tyrant fueled violent incident necessitating some creative salvaging on Gisena's part, you and Gisena have successfully hired mercenaries from the outpost outside the Temple of the False Moon! You may choose two Mercenaries, if a mercenary with high loot demands or The Tokusatsu Refugee is chosen you will only hire one.
[]The Sensitive - A radical negative utiltiarian and martial artist, Sophia Vasiliadis has made multiple forays into the Temple of the False Moon and came back alive attempting to free the suffering thing she believes exists within, but lacks the right combination of power and/or wits to discover the deepest secrets of the Temple. This woman will salve the suffering of others regardless of the cost to herself. The compassion that comes through in your discussions with her is simultaneously inspiring and horrifying.
Magic System - Void Hand - A martial art favoring manipulation of shadows and void, leading to extreme stealth capabilities and respectable but not overwhelming offensive skills via shadow/void constructs and martial arts
*Low Loot Demands, is in this to free the suffering thing she thinks is imprisoned beneath the temple
*Will do everything in her power to kill you, regardless of the cost to herself, if she becomes aware of Decimator's Affliction
*Strong Understanding of the dungeon
*Can hide you from enemies until you regenerate
*Her utter lack of sadism encourages her to kill by surprise, quickly and painlessly. She has little patience for showboaters and sadists.
*Has some extent of Genre Savviness
[]The Icesmith - 'Vodka Moonrise' is an eccentric maker of supernatural ice-sculptures down on his luck, he has debts to pay after some kind of disaster involving a refrigerator shaped like a giant shark and is willing to go into the temple with you to pay them off. Any combat background this man may have had has lain fallow for some time. Primarily a utility caster but may prove relevant in a pinch if his talk of electric jellyfish turns out to be something useful.
Magic System - Ordinalism - He is a 9th rank Ordinal Purist, favoring water and air elementalism, along with Construct
*Low Loot Demand, has debts to pay
*Too Crazy to care about pesky things like Decimator's Affliction when there's art to be made
*Can Fly and Breathe Underwater
*Can provide any physically possible tool
*Elemental Immunities mean you can fire non-cursed blade wind in his direction without hurting him
Build(9th Ordinal, Ordinal Purist):
1. Shield
2. Construct
3. Elements(Air)
4. Elements(Air, Water)
5. Elements(Air, Water, Wood)
6. Elements(Air, Water, Wood, Fire)
7. Construct
8. Elements(Air', Water', Wood')
9. Elements(Air'', Water'')
1st Attainment - Elemental Substitution(Can Manifest Elemental Effects through constructs)
[]The Luminous Knight - Elena Katsaros looks like a Knight on the run from something. Given the guilty look on her face you suspect that whatever she's running from is her fault. Her panopoly seems to involve a sword, a diadem, and a suit of glowing symbiotic armor, and her pressure is stronger even than yours. That's all you can tell.
Magic System - Accretion - Her astral Rank is 5.2
*Moderate Loot Demands
*Moderate Risk of Doom of the Tyrant induced personality clash
*Sword Skills exceed yours
*Easy Light source for better or worse
*Can heal you to some extent, though she is not powerful enough to restore your arm and eye
[]The Autodoc - Descendance is an immortal uploaded into a clockwork automata covered in incomprehensible diagrams, he is a healer of some significant power adventuring in search of going even further beyond his current status. His cultural background seems far removed from anything you recognize, and he is somewhat fixated on keeping everything in his perception of order. The worst that can happen is he abandons you... right?
Magic System - Holy Geometrics - A magic system of extreme versatility with strong esoteric defenses and utility capabilities, its esoteric attack capabilities however leave something to be desired.
*Moderate Loot Demand, as powerhungry as you are
*Will not care about Decimator's Affliction but some risk of Doom of the Tyrant induced personality clash
*Literally unkillable without extensive research and prep work
*Will resurrect you or a dead party member... once
*Capable of translating any spoken language for you
*Middling Combat skills
*Willing to restore your arm or eye if he doesn't need to use his resurrection power
[]The Cornucopia - A skilled violinist with superhuman cognition, she is an extremely long range combatant with a penchant for transmuting her enemies into vegetation. She is also an environmental radicalist, fond of using her abilities to rehabilitate zones of extreme magical damage or mundane pollution. She is a clash between aggressive benevolence and radical environmentalism, still seeking a resolution to certain contradictions in her ideals.
Magic System - Ordinalism - She is a 9th rank Ordinal Purist, favoring the Examine, Seeker, and Overwhelm Ordinals
*High loot demands, activism is not cheap.
*Can in theory be convinced not to kill you if she learns about Decimator's Affliction. Whether or not that's possible in practice...
*Strong Anti-Stealth capabilities and Long Range Esoteric Attacks
*Quintessential Glass Cannon
*Another nutcase who sacrifced their name for power
Build(9th Ordinal, Ordinal Purist)
1. Seeker
2. Seeker
3. Examine
4. Seeker
5. Examine
6. Examine
7. Seeker
8. Overwhelm
9. Overwhelm
1st Attainment(Judge's Eye) - When examine perception is distributed entirely in the direction faced, Examine may pierce stealth effects.
[] The Eternal Marshal - Preserved by alchemical techiques and the energies of the Astral Plane, General Zeratus would like to begin work on restoring their former empire posthaste after being cast into the future, and has resorted to dungeon crawling and mercenary work as a means of acquiring the necessary capital. The sharpness of his blade almost rivals your own, in spite of him being a walking anachronism.
Magic System - Solar Alchemy - A utility based magic system with strong matter transmutation and conceptual manipulation abilities
*High Loot Demands, empire building is not cheap
*Upgrades all mundane equipment acquired
*Formidable Sword Skills, even by your standards
*Capable of permanently augmenting you and your companions physical capabilities
*Reminds you uncomfortably of the Tyrant
*High Risk of Doom of the Tyrant induced personality clash, long term association is ill advised
[]The Tokusatsu Refugee - A man in a strange and horrific living suit wearing an large eyed insectile mask approaches you, "I could sense your power from over here. Listen, you're a cut above the rest and I'd be happy to help you loot the temple, you'd just need to help me with something afterwards. So how about it, Cursebearer?" As you are now, you have no business trifling with this man. Even at the height of your former power, you suspect it would be a close fight.
Magic Systems - Ordinalism and Vitalism - He has attained the 12th Ordinal, favoring Nightmare, Shield, and Fire/Metal Elementalism. He has also developed a Vitalist edifice to integrate Nightmare with his body.
* Is willing to aid you in the temple in exchange for a favor from a Cursebearer instead of loot, enforced by Oathsworn and payable upon dungeon completion.
* Is powerful enough to hold you to your word even without the collateral
* Flexible Ethics, unlikely to be bothered by Decimator's Affliction beyond pragmatic concerns
* Has access to dimensional tunneling
* Strong Esoteric Defenses, only the Power of Ruin attached to your sword gives you a chance of hurting him at all
* Strong Martial Arts Skills
* What is he powerleveling you for?
Build(12th Ordinal)
1. Shield
2. Conjure
3. Elements(Metal)
4. Elements(Metal, Fire)
5. Elements(Metal, Fire, Earth)
6. Elements(Metal', Fire')
7. Shield
8. Oathsworn
9. Nightmare
10. Nightmare
11. Nightmare
12. Nightmare
1st Attainment(Phoenix Jumpkick) - When combining fire elementalism with jumpkicks, they gain broad-spectrum armor piercing abilities.
Word Count including Zeratus: 1306 Words
Word Count excluding Zeratus: 1166 Words
After one near miss with a Doom of the Tyrant fueled violent incident necessitating some creative salvaging on Gisena's part, you and Gisena have successfully hired mercenaries from the outpost outside the Temple of the False Moon! You may choose two Mercenaries, if a mercenary with high loot demands or The Tokusatsu Refugee is chosen you will only hire one.
[]The Sensitive - A radical negative utiltiarian and martial artist, Sophia Vasiliadis has made multiple forays into the Temple of the False Moon and came back alive attempting to free the suffering thing she believes exists within, but lacks the right combination of power and/or wits to discover the deepest secrets of the Temple. This woman will salve the suffering of others regardless of the cost to herself. The compassion that comes through in your discussions with her is simultaneously inspiring and horrifying.
Magic System - Void Hand - A martial art favoring manipulation of shadows and void, leading to extreme stealth capabilities and respectable but not overwhelming offensive skills via shadow/void constructs and martial arts
*Low Loot Demands, is in this to free the suffering thing she thinks is imprisoned beneath the temple
*Will do everything in her power to kill you, regardless of the cost to herself, if she becomes aware of Decimator's Affliction
*Strong Understanding of the dungeon
*Can hide you from enemies until you regenerate
*Her utter lack of sadism encourages her to kill by surprise, quickly and painlessly. She has little patience for showboaters and sadists.
*Has some extent of Genre Savviness
[]The Icesmith - 'Vodka Moonrise' is an eccentric maker of supernatural ice-sculptures down on his luck, he has debts to pay after some kind of disaster involving a refrigerator shaped like a giant shark and is willing to go into the temple with you to pay them off. Any combat background this man may have had has lain fallow for some time. Primarily a utility caster but may prove relevant in a pinch if his talk of electric jellyfish turns out to be something useful.
Magic System - Ordinalism - He is a 9th rank Ordinal Purist, favoring water and air elementalism, along with Construct
*Low Loot Demand, has debts to pay
*Too Crazy to care about pesky things like Decimator's Affliction when there's art to be made
*Can Fly and Breathe Underwater
*Can provide any physically possible tool
*Elemental Immunities mean you can fire non-cursed blade wind in his direction without hurting him
Build(9th Ordinal, Ordinal Purist):
1. Shield
2. Construct
3. Elements(Air)
4. Elements(Air, Water)
5. Elements(Air, Water, Wood)
6. Elements(Air, Water, Wood, Fire)
7. Construct
8. Elements(Air', Water', Wood')
9. Elements(Air'', Water'')
1st Attainment - Elemental Substitution(Can Manifest Elemental Effects through constructs)
[]The Luminous Knight - Elena Katsaros looks like a Knight on the run from something. Given the guilty look on her face you suspect that whatever she's running from is her fault. Her panopoly seems to involve a sword, a diadem, and a suit of glowing symbiotic armor, and her pressure is stronger even than yours. That's all you can tell.
Magic System - Accretion - Her astral Rank is 5.2
*Moderate Loot Demands
*Moderate Risk of Doom of the Tyrant induced personality clash
*Sword Skills exceed yours
*Easy Light source for better or worse
*Can heal you to some extent, though she is not powerful enough to restore your arm and eye
[]The Autodoc - Descendance is an immortal uploaded into a clockwork automata covered in incomprehensible diagrams, he is a healer of some significant power adventuring in search of going even further beyond his current status. His cultural background seems far removed from anything you recognize, and he is somewhat fixated on keeping everything in his perception of order. The worst that can happen is he abandons you... right?
Magic System - Holy Geometrics - A magic system of extreme versatility with strong esoteric defenses and utility capabilities, its esoteric attack capabilities however leave something to be desired.
*Moderate Loot Demand, as powerhungry as you are
*Will not care about Decimator's Affliction but some risk of Doom of the Tyrant induced personality clash
*Literally unkillable without extensive research and prep work
*Will resurrect you or a dead party member... once
*Capable of translating any spoken language for you
*Middling Combat skills
*Willing to restore your arm or eye if he doesn't need to use his resurrection power
[]The Cornucopia - A skilled violinist with superhuman cognition, she is an extremely long range combatant with a penchant for transmuting her enemies into vegetation. She is also an environmental radicalist, fond of using her abilities to rehabilitate zones of extreme magical damage or mundane pollution. She is a clash between aggressive benevolence and radical environmentalism, still seeking a resolution to certain contradictions in her ideals.
Magic System - Ordinalism - She is a 9th rank Ordinal Purist, favoring the Examine, Seeker, and Overwhelm Ordinals
*High loot demands, activism is not cheap.
*Can in theory be convinced not to kill you if she learns about Decimator's Affliction. Whether or not that's possible in practice...
*Strong Anti-Stealth capabilities and Long Range Esoteric Attacks
*Quintessential Glass Cannon
*Another nutcase who sacrifced their name for power
Build(9th Ordinal, Ordinal Purist)
1. Seeker
2. Seeker
3. Examine
4. Seeker
5. Examine
6. Examine
7. Seeker
8. Overwhelm
9. Overwhelm
1st Attainment(Judge's Eye) - When examine perception is distributed entirely in the direction faced, Examine may pierce stealth effects.
[] The Eternal Marshal - Preserved by alchemical techiques and the energies of the Astral Plane, General Zeratus would like to begin work on restoring their former empire posthaste after being cast into the future, and has resorted to dungeon crawling and mercenary work as a means of acquiring the necessary capital. The sharpness of his blade almost rivals your own, in spite of him being a walking anachronism.
Magic System - Solar Alchemy - A utility based magic system with strong matter transmutation and conceptual manipulation abilities
*High Loot Demands, empire building is not cheap
*Upgrades all mundane equipment acquired
*Formidable Sword Skills, even by your standards
*Capable of permanently augmenting you and your companions physical capabilities
*Reminds you uncomfortably of the Tyrant
*High Risk of Doom of the Tyrant induced personality clash, long term association is ill advised
[]The Tokusatsu Refugee - A man in a strange and horrific living suit wearing an large eyed insectile mask approaches you, "I could sense your power from over here. Listen, you're a cut above the rest and I'd be happy to help you loot the temple, you'd just need to help me with something afterwards. So how about it, Cursebearer?" As you are now, you have no business trifling with this man. Even at the height of your former power, you suspect it would be a close fight.
Magic Systems - Ordinalism and Vitalism - He has attained the 12th Ordinal, favoring Nightmare, Shield, and Fire/Metal Elementalism. He has also developed a Vitalist edifice to integrate Nightmare with his body.
* Is willing to aid you in the temple in exchange for a favor from a Cursebearer instead of loot, enforced by Oathsworn and payable upon dungeon completion.
* Is powerful enough to hold you to your word even without the collateral
* Flexible Ethics, unlikely to be bothered by Decimator's Affliction beyond pragmatic concerns
* Has access to dimensional tunneling
* Strong Esoteric Defenses, only the Power of Ruin attached to your sword gives you a chance of hurting him at all
* Strong Martial Arts Skills
* What is he powerleveling you for?
Build(12th Ordinal)
1. Shield
2. Conjure
3. Elements(Metal)
4. Elements(Metal, Fire)
5. Elements(Metal, Fire, Earth)
6. Elements(Metal', Fire')
7. Shield
8. Oathsworn
9. Nightmare
10. Nightmare
11. Nightmare
12. Nightmare
1st Attainment(Phoenix Jumpkick) - When combining fire elementalism with jumpkicks, they gain broad-spectrum armor piercing abilities.
Nah, it sucks dick. You know why?
Because it lacks Rank~
With Apex we can get both Rank boosts and magic. We get 0.2 Rank now, we get magic system for 7 Arete, we get additional 0.25 Rank from Dominion and then we just save and get Prominent too before final boss fight. Instead of being 4.1 Ranklet you become 4.8 RankCHAD. Then you Rage Form and slap people with your massive Rank rating.
Remember folks, there are two kinds of builds - those that take Rank and those that suck.
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Rihaku
The Internet
Hm, but the Blade winds are also infused with the power of Ruin!
Now that's a bizarre Attainment! With conditions that specific, it'd probably be considerably more powerful, maybe something like "broad-spectrum conceptual defense penetrating abilities" comparable to the mid-grade Counter Series! Nice omake overall!
But then you wouldn't be able to afford another synergistic option like Pitiless Maw!
[X] Search for Humans
[X] Apex
I'm thinking about what happens if we run into another worm with Gisena in tow, and I don't think stranglethorn and vanguard will suffice. Big Con simply isn't enough to protect her from that kind of threat, but rank and stats might be.
To tell the truth, I think Sword is probably best to safeguard Gisena in the short term, and Stranglethorn for her and Letrizia in the long term. The ability to turbo-murder anything that looks at you funny is damned handy. The reason I'm going Apex is thatI see it as a solid second choice for safety.
I'm *really* greedy.
[X] Apex
I'm thinking about what happens if we run into another worm with Gisena in tow, and I don't think stranglethorn and vanguard will suffice. Big Con simply isn't enough to protect her from that kind of threat, but rank and stats might be.
To tell the truth, I think Sword is probably best to safeguard Gisena in the short term, and Stranglethorn for her and Letrizia in the long term. The ability to turbo-murder anything that looks at you funny is damned handy. The reason I'm going Apex is that
I'm *really* greedy.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
Thanks for the info. Basically, the guy was a huuggeee fan of Kamen Rider, and his attainment is meant to enable him to use this in any conceivable combat situation.
Fanwork#2275 Words
Reaction: "Cutting Through"
...Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not trying to imply anything. But, maybe, perhaps, by some chance, is it possible that Hunger (oh yeah, there's that name too) is trying to tell us something?
Probably that we need more Rank. Yes, sounds about right.
Of our body there would be nothing left, either because our flesh doesn't reappear if we die in our wraith form, or because the wurm's acid would have long dissolved us. Maybe the Blade and Ring would have survived the experience, yet even if Gisena managed to follow the trail, an encounter with the worm would have only meant death for her!
But all is well that ends well.
Have I mentioned how great Rank is? Well, there's this onepyramid scheme secret society cult friend group I've been introduced to, and it's been great so far! The benefit package is supposed to be pretty amazing, though so far I've only been pumping investments into it. But very soon it'll pay off, I'm sure!
Should we retreat, someone else is undoubtedly going to reap the benefits of the Temple! While it isn't guaranteed to be Ber or another potential enemy of ours, with Apocrypha so obviously involved in this debacle from the outset, we can be sure the consequences won't be anything good.
We've been pushed to the edge of our forbearance, but surely there are more untapped resources to be found!
Hmm, that's a problem someone mentioned previously. When our power is us, when our legend and history guides our power, just how free are we to deviate from it? And what happens if we do, does it become a double-edged sword that turns against us? Could such an act possibly injure our Astral shadow and decrease our Rank, temporarily or even permanently?
And on further consideration, is this why we sometimes get Arete or even Rank for reckless actions? We reinforce our legend with significant actions that conform with it and thus our power grows.
They still set my teeth on edge when I think about all the shit they've put the Hero through and I'll decisively vote for getting our revenge when the time comes, but their actions did produce quite a likable character. Except for the Tyrant's Doom, but luckily its effects don't reach beyond the fourth wall.
looks at our color scheme
...Jedi. Most certainly a Jedi. Anyone saying otherwise can talk to our sword.
And if he really wants to, crafting is apparently also an integral part of advancing in Rank, though our Hunger Ring is quite unhelpful in this regard, to put it lightly. Even trying to do it as part of some risky venture to involve Progression is unlikely to help, as crafting is typically a prolonged process and can't be sustained solely by bursts of enthusiasm. But who knows? With the Accursed's help we might yet find a way.
I think I'll cut my losses here and stop it with the puns before the text starts bleeding red.
But as they say, he who dares wins! Or dies in case of unlucky dice rolls. That's not us though. Right?
It might also get us magic! What's not to like?
You know, approval voting doesn't feel right for this one to me. I prefer Apex, so I should just vote for Apex instead of trying to juggle things. Sucks for Rune King tobe cut down before its time lose, but we can't chase after every shiny.
[X] Search for Humans
[X] Bring Gisena
[X] Apex
Reaction: "Cutting Through"
When all one has is a sword, everything starts looking awfully cuttable. Are we perhaps ranging further and further into the murky depths of edgelordism? Let me think, we're an AVENGER that lost enough body parts to make a pirate proud, we like living on the EDGE and flirting with danger, we're burdened with terrible CURSES that make social interaction and just not killing everything in general fairly challenging, and as a crowning jewel, we regularly KILL OURSELVES for power.
...Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not trying to imply anything. But, maybe, perhaps, by some chance, is it possible that Hunger (oh yeah, there's that name too) is trying to tell us something?
Probably that we need more Rank. Yes, sounds about right.
The wurm fight felt much more fast-paced, but that sensation probably stems from how action-packed and how close we were cutting it to those final few percent of health. We nearly died, and our companions outside wouldn't have even known! Maybe they would have guessed that something happened if we didn't appear after a day as promised, and Gisena might have tunneled through the Temple's wards with her magic, but by then there would be little to no clues to follow.
Of our body there would be nothing left, either because our flesh doesn't reappear if we die in our wraith form, or because the wurm's acid would have long dissolved us. Maybe the Blade and Ring would have survived the experience, yet even if Gisena managed to follow the trail, an encounter with the worm would have only meant death for her!
But all is well that ends well.
Seems like the Temple knows when to back off, because if he met yet another monster after a day like this, Hunger would have no trouble at all summoning the Form of Rage and putting the surprise guest to the sword. Though it was probably more Rank than luck, assuming they can be easily distinguished.
Have I mentioned how great Rank is? Well, there's this one
For now the moon-sign only needs a single day to be filled, but I wonder if that is going to change with the phases of the moon. I'd say that was the pessimist in me speaking, but the Temple hasn't shown itself to be a place of happy fun times so far. We must cut quite a sorry figure after this venture into the hunting grounds, our flesh abandoned to the winds and our spirit worn down by the day's struggles.
How could we escape from the Temple when we haven't even had a chance to employ our cutting wit against our fellow adventurers yet! Though it's true we've made quite the haul and could cut this trip short without losing much, does that sound like the man that defeated the Tyrant, drove off a Gamer, slew a pirate, and most importantly of all, caught the King Fish?
Should we retreat, someone else is undoubtedly going to reap the benefits of the Temple! While it isn't guaranteed to be Ber or another potential enemy of ours, with Apocrypha so obviously involved in this debacle from the outset, we can be sure the consequences won't be anything good.
We've been pushed to the edge of our forbearance, but surely there are more untapped resources to be found!
Live by the sword, die by the sword, eh? A dangerous philosophy to ascribe to, but it's not like we've done much to fix this, rather the opposite. Hunger is not a brainless idiot that can only advance, but there are just some things he doesn't have in him, like retreat in the face of the unknown. Some call it cowardice, some prudence, but I suppose as a Hero isn't cut from the same cloth as normal people.
Hmm, that's a problem someone mentioned previously. When our power is us, when our legend and history guides our power, just how free are we to deviate from it? And what happens if we do, does it become a double-edged sword that turns against us? Could such an act possibly injure our Astral shadow and decrease our Rank, temporarily or even permanently?
And on further consideration, is this why we sometimes get Arete or even Rank for reckless actions? We reinforce our legend with significant actions that conform with it and thus our power grows.
The Hero has been cut down to size more than once and learned that sometimes there is no chance of victory, no last-minute power-up or lucky break that would tilt the odds in his favor. In some sense I'm grateful to the Hidden Ones for the fact they removed destiny from play, as a Hero reliant on it to succeed would be far more obnoxious to read about.
They still set my teeth on edge when I think about all the shit they've put the Hero through and I'll decisively vote for getting our revenge when the time comes, but their actions did produce quite a likable character. Except for the Tyrant's Doom, but luckily its effects don't reach beyond the fourth wall.
I don't know whether the Ring's connection the Temple is an edge we have on our competition or a Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. It's probably something unique to us, since we aren't seeing anyone else wandering around this exit, but whatever the case, it's undoubtedly suspicious. Yet in the end it is our Ring, torn from the Tyrant's cold fingers after a bitter victory. I'm inclined to trust it.
They were having a picnic! Without us! Well, I guess we deserve that after going off on our own adventure, but still, how daring of them to exclude us. Or did Gisena's genius calculate when we were likely to join them and arrange things this way? That might dull the edge of our wrath.
At some point I'll have to cut my losses and admit that there is some major chemistry going on between the two. But that day is not today! She's clearly just worried for a friend, and he's not trying to appear strong in front of his crush at all. Comrades, allies, companions, that's all they are!
Oh my god, this is getting into memetic hazard territory, that's how mind-meltingly cute she is. Was she the one to cook the fish? Because in terms of danger eating Gisena's cooking is little different from our earlier dance on the razor's edge and they don't seem dead yet.
I can't even be mad at her for taking advantage of Hunter's ironic suggestion, that's how adorable she is. No wonder Gisena wanted to immediately adopt her! She is most certainly a cut above the rest when it comes to cuteness.
Have we actually told them about our wife? They know the backstory, but how free have we been with the details? Because it looks like Gisena wouldn't care either way and is willing to indulge Hunger, no matter how rough around the edges he is. Has Hunger's gap moe managed to capture her heart so swiftly?
Mm, Hunger could try summoning the Rod of the Ages or even the Mondo Bait from the nether and go looking for a nice spot. With our current power surely a monster of similar magnitude would be little different from a fish on a cutting block! We can't let Apocrypha sour fishing for us forever, it's one of the few hobbies Hunger enjoys.
I don't know, being able to bore a hole into reality's walls and cast oneself into the Void doesn't sound very boring to me. But yes, on the surface of it her ability to make everything 'normal' doesn't seem to exciting when compared to the wondrous abilities the Forebear's Blade, the Hunger Ring and the Evening Sky have to offer. There's something to be said about the effectiveness of specialization though.
Like a light saber! Should we manage to regrow our arm, we'll need to use something as a weapon for our off-hand, and what better than an elegant weapon, for a more civilized age? Rank's effects are in some ways similar to how Force users bend the world in their favor, so we're already halfway through to becoming a...
looks at our color scheme
...Jedi. Most certainly a Jedi. Anyone saying otherwise can talk to our sword.
Oh, cut it out already, the sweetness levels are reaching dangerous levels. Should I just stop pretending this is anything but what it looks like?
Well, they say the pen is mightier than the sword, so maybe Hunger could write down and spread his legend for some sweet meta points? One need not produce something material to have a positive effect on the world.
And if he really wants to, crafting is apparently also an integral part of advancing in Rank, though our Hunger Ring is quite unhelpful in this regard, to put it lightly. Even trying to do it as part of some risky venture to involve Progression is unlikely to help, as crafting is typically a prolonged process and can't be sustained solely by bursts of enthusiasm. But who knows? With the Accursed's help we might yet find a way.
What else is he supposed to do? Even ignoring the fact that the Curses aren't just going to leave him alone should he let up, what about the Hidden Ones? Should he just turn swords into plowshares and forget what they did to him, the unbearable price they asked of him without giving him a choice? That's just not in the cards.
I would say the Hero is more deserving than many others. Besides, how would one determine who is and isn't appropriate? In the end it might come down to the Accursed's incisive judgement, and if he thinks the Hero is up to the task, he must have his own reasons for believing it.
I can only hope the sword-light is a sign of good things to come.
I think I'll cut my losses here and stop it with the puns before the text starts bleeding red.
Right now the countdown is still ticking and Apocrypha's return looks far off, but this state of affairs isn't going to persist for long. I suspect we'll start panicking and accelerating our actions the closer the date inches towards the deadline.
Knightly Adventures II: the Murderblender Edition. Whichever option we pick, we're overleveled for these guys, probably too much for any tactics on their part to help unless we act stupidly. Well, they might still lure a stronger monster to us if we push them too much, so it's not all sunshine and daisies.
I think this is the first time I see option colors impact the game so directly. A very rewarding option, counterbalanced by the fact that we've already been nearly killed multiple times even in the kiddie zone, so ranging further won't look good for our life expectancy.
But as they say, he who dares wins! Or dies in case of unlucky dice rolls. That's not us though. Right?
The green, friendly, healthy option of finally seeking out our fellow humans in order to ruthlessly exploit them for all they are worth and then thoughtlessly toss them aside. We're sorely lacking information about anything in the Temple, and with Gisena's help and our increased safety margin this should be more manageable.
It might also get us magic! What's not to like?
To bring Gisena or not to bring Gisena, that's the question. She would be quite useful in a variety of situations. Even in combat she's still far from useless, rendering enemy magics useless as long as she can target them.
Sharp of Eye lost before the race even started, so this is mainly about Rune King. In retrospect it's unsurprising that it was offered, the lost eye is too strong a connection to Odin's legend. Still, given how it stems from the Forebear's Blade, I'm getting more and more curious about the guy. Did he have some connection to Earth himself? Perhaps wandering it as a Northern God once upon a time? We might yet find out if we continue down the path of the Blade's advancements.
It gives Rank, it saves Arete, it makes us go faster. What more does an option need to become automatically superior to all others? Especially in this Temple where looking for stuff or people and avoiding danger is such critical capabilities for our survival?
Sword hard, sword fast, never stop swording... and then hit them with a sucker punch when they least expect it! It's no Apex, but what it does it does well. And that is hit people with our sword.
A powerful option overall, as expected of a Defining Advancement. It also lets us take Gisena deeper into the Temple, though I'm not sure that is such a good idea. Still, advantages are always accompanied by disadvantages, and it's not like any non-Apex options are perfect, so 2 Arete and the hit to effectiveness seem like a fair price for what it offers,
You know, approval voting doesn't feel right for this one to me. I prefer Apex, so I should just vote for Apex instead of trying to juggle things. Sucks for Rune King to
[X] Search for Humans
[X] Bring Gisena
[X] Apex
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
...Tell you what. I'm willing to ditch Rune King for pure Apex if you do and additionally you agree to support some sort of magic-focused option such as Philosopher's Wreath or Gardener's Hallow at some point in the future.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
Tally incoming:
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Rune King also has a decent contingent of mid to high investment posters strongly opposed to it, which would end up lowering our total Arete generation over all if they leave due to that. Gotta keep that retention up if we're to go the distance. Meanwhile, Apex has two things everyone can agree on: El Stats and El Rank.
Agreed.
[X] Search for Humans
[X] Bring Gisena
[X] Apex
- Location
- Omniverse #1345
I swear to support wreath an approved equivalent when you wish me to. Arguments included.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
Here's my speculation on what kind of build Gisena would take if she somehow learned Ordinalism. (Word Count: 451 Words)
1st Ordinal - I think she'd take Seeker. There's a legitimate chance she'd be benefiting enough from Undying Vanguard to consider the Shield Ordinal superfluous
2nd Ordinal - I think She'd take Construct, she's always been fixated on technology so making arbitrary tools with what's essentially a Green Lantern ring suits her
3rd Ordinal - I think She'd take Construct again, that or some kind of elementalism due to wanting to see how the people with non-antimagic powers live. She'd probably go for something like wood or metal for the crafting applications. She wouldn't need examine given how her magical analysis powers are already enough to spot our curses and recognize what they do.
4th Ordinal - She's already got dispelling, and I don't see her being interested in mind control. Odds are she takes another round of Elementalism or construct.
5th Ordinal - If she took one of the ones on offer this round, it'd probably be Augury, given she knows about the Apocryphal Curse and is still traveling with Lord Hunger. Otherwise It'd be another round of Elements or Construct.
6th Ordinal - I can see her learning Lance, It's pretty versatile. Hyperpowerful cutting energy precise enough to etch semiconductors? But it'd be just as plausible for her to take and/or reduce an elements Ordinal or take another construct.
7th Ordinal - A realm of her own where she can mess with the laws of physics as she pleases and create whatever luxuries she wants if she gets good enough? Fark yes she'd take Terrascape.
8th Ordinal - Overwhelm is like Terrascape only more permanent, if she doesn't take another round of Terrascape, she takes Overwhelm.
9th Ordinal - Gisena doesn't seem that interested in the design of magical rituals and I don't see anything that would drive her to take Nightmare, odds are she takes Terrascape.
10th Ordinal - She goes for another round of Terrascape, Vindicate is too much like her own powers, and I don't see her being interested in competing with people for the right to wield Valor.
11th Ordinal - I bet she'd take Terrascape, at this point she'd probably be capable of pulling off some utterly nasty feats of physics manipulation in her personal world. If for some incredibly unlikely reason she didn't take Terrascape, she'd take Wyrd because of conceptual immutability being extremely compatible with the sheer magnitude of her ego.
12th Ordinal - We don't actually know what Radiance or Revenant does, we never got far enough in Gardens of Enoch to find that out. So I'm just going to say she takes Terrascape and has some truly ludicrous physics and utility bullshit to pull off if she reaches this level.
1st Ordinal - I think she'd take Seeker. There's a legitimate chance she'd be benefiting enough from Undying Vanguard to consider the Shield Ordinal superfluous
2nd Ordinal - I think She'd take Construct, she's always been fixated on technology so making arbitrary tools with what's essentially a Green Lantern ring suits her
3rd Ordinal - I think She'd take Construct again, that or some kind of elementalism due to wanting to see how the people with non-antimagic powers live. She'd probably go for something like wood or metal for the crafting applications. She wouldn't need examine given how her magical analysis powers are already enough to spot our curses and recognize what they do.
4th Ordinal - She's already got dispelling, and I don't see her being interested in mind control. Odds are she takes another round of Elementalism or construct.
5th Ordinal - If she took one of the ones on offer this round, it'd probably be Augury, given she knows about the Apocryphal Curse and is still traveling with Lord Hunger. Otherwise It'd be another round of Elements or Construct.
6th Ordinal - I can see her learning Lance, It's pretty versatile. Hyperpowerful cutting energy precise enough to etch semiconductors? But it'd be just as plausible for her to take and/or reduce an elements Ordinal or take another construct.
7th Ordinal - A realm of her own where she can mess with the laws of physics as she pleases and create whatever luxuries she wants if she gets good enough? Fark yes she'd take Terrascape.
8th Ordinal - Overwhelm is like Terrascape only more permanent, if she doesn't take another round of Terrascape, she takes Overwhelm.
9th Ordinal - Gisena doesn't seem that interested in the design of magical rituals and I don't see anything that would drive her to take Nightmare, odds are she takes Terrascape.
10th Ordinal - She goes for another round of Terrascape, Vindicate is too much like her own powers, and I don't see her being interested in competing with people for the right to wield Valor.
11th Ordinal - I bet she'd take Terrascape, at this point she'd probably be capable of pulling off some utterly nasty feats of physics manipulation in her personal world. If for some incredibly unlikely reason she didn't take Terrascape, she'd take Wyrd because of conceptual immutability being extremely compatible with the sheer magnitude of her ego.
12th Ordinal - We don't actually know what Radiance or Revenant does, we never got far enough in Gardens of Enoch to find that out. So I'm just going to say she takes Terrascape and has some truly ludicrous physics and utility bullshit to pull off if she reaches this level.
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
- Location
- Omniverse #1345
By that token we might as well save the arete and get the One Ring, since that increases our overall advancement by an order of magnitude!
To prevent Rune King from winning I sacrifice Root.
[X] Apex
[X] Strong Sword-Arm
[X] Push in Further
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[X] Push in Further
[X] Dreadnought - Echo, Dreadnought's Bearing
-[X] Rune King
[X] Strong Sword-Arm
A bit of last-minute treachery, since Sharp of Eye's chances are roughly on par with the proverbial snowball in hell at this point. Rune makes a valid argument for the Rune King that in the very long run, mere impossibility's nothing to a Progression-type Cursebearer. But if we're ever going to get there we have to survive the Temple, then the Human Sphere itself, and all the Geas-imposed tasks to come. Intelligence is a godstat second only to Rank; To Shatter Heaven applying to all magic is honestly ridiculous. There are worse aesthetics than a nigh-invulnerable warrior mage. If we encounter the Noble Praxis, we'll be wishing we took it.
[X] Dreadnought - Echo, Dreadnought's Bearing
-[X] Rune King
[X] Strong Sword-Arm
A bit of last-minute treachery, since Sharp of Eye's chances are roughly on par with the proverbial snowball in hell at this point. Rune makes a valid argument for the Rune King that in the very long run, mere impossibility's nothing to a Progression-type Cursebearer. But if we're ever going to get there we have to survive the Temple, then the Human Sphere itself, and all the Geas-imposed tasks to come. Intelligence is a godstat second only to Rank; To Shatter Heaven applying to all magic is honestly ridiculous. There are worse aesthetics than a nigh-invulnerable warrior mage. If we encounter the Noble Praxis, we'll be wishing we took it.