Scarlet Legion
Rihaku
The Internet
Scarlet Legion
Burgeoning under the weight of all they'd consumed, the two of them stumbled and Gisena gracefully strode into their suite to recover from the feast. It was an elegant series of rooms, sparsely decorated yet opulent. Swooping calligraphies and handworks of glazed porcelain decorated the walls, while the doorknobs and countertops were carved from lucent jade; a single bonsai shedding cherry blossoms graced the entrance hall. The austere refinement of clean lines and floors contrasted with the plush extravagance gracing every surface liable to human touch. Their room looked out onto a small courtyard of textured stonework and peach trees, beneath which plunged the unspoiled slope of the mountain, its harrowing incline revealing the city beneath in all its glittering splendor. The windows were presently open, bare to the icy wind of the high mountain, but small runnels of Elixir water framed the room entire, their delicate steam warding off any imprecation of the cold.
Hunger reached out and grabbed a peach from a branch sagging under its fresh, ripe weight. It was delightful, the sun-bright sweetness of its flesh contrasting with the frost-dusted texture of its skin. This, nonsensically, was closer to eating a fish off one's own line. He smiled.
In a nonsensical show of solidarity, Gisena and Letrizia decided to delay their enjoyment of the public baths to the next night, stating they didn't want Hunger to be left out.
"We'll just enjoy the waters in the suite! Besides, there're magical experiments to be done!" Gisena stared at him through the distorting glass of one of Letrizia's vials.
"What are we even paying for if you're not going to use the hot springs?" Hunger grumbled.
"It'll be all for naught if we don't use them together," Gisena said dramatically, laying her hands against her chest. "And that would be the greatest loss of all. Why not enjoy the spring water in our room today? There's no point in you bathing as a ghost, so just think of it as an incentive not to get your physical form killed tomorrow!"
"But then... how would I know I trained my hardest?" He raised his eyebrows.
Letrizia smacked him on the shoulder. "You joke now, but continue along this path and in a few months that's what you'll really believe!"
He looked blankly at her. "It is what I really believe."
"Moving on," Gisena said lightly, "Isn't this even better, sampling the full gamut of experiences? One night in the room, one in the baths."
"I want to try awakening my Element first!" Letrizia said. "If I'm a mage, will the Voyaging Realm still try to stop me from extracting you? There's surprisingly little literature on this."
"What are you going to do if it does try to stop you?" He looked around. "We're hardly prepared for an apocalypse."
"My bodyguard will protect me!" Letrizia declared. "At the rate your strength is growing, that shouldn't be too unrealistic, right?"
"Perhaps. But can your country afford to pay those rates?"
"That's hardly my problem!" She turned up her nose. "Though, I am hoping to have Verschlengorge repaired before then. Maybe we can find a magus capable of doing it, or we can just incrementally heal him up with your Ring. It's been strange to be the one protected these past weeks. I've been dying to show you guys what we can really do!"
"...Speaking of Verschlengorge, where is he parked?"
"The separatists are looking after him. Don't worry, they know better than to call down the wrath of the Empire. In normal cases the greater Empire doesn't really have the Armaments to spare for small rebellions like this one, but that clemency would swiftly cease if they were brazen enough to steal actual Armaments!"
"It's all right, they're appropriately terrified of her station," Gisena assured him. "The privilege of nobility!"
He rolled his eyes. "Onwards then. Let me have a look at that blood."
"Magic~ magic~" Letrizia clapped her hands happily. Gisena put on a brave smile, but there was just the barest flicker of emotion in her eyes, bitter perhaps at the thought that, though there hardly was a more talented Sorceress, her powers would only ever allow her to unmake what was wondrous, drag down the supernal into the grey mundane. So brief he could have imagined it. Hunger said nothing.
The process of unlocking 'High Elementalism,' Gisena theorized, ought be shockingly trivial for someone with access to the Ring of Blood. He merely had to heighten a few obscure properties of the target's blood, and then when exposed to a sufficient quantity of apex-grade Elixir Water they would naturally awaken to their Element.
He supposed any magical system with steep and obscure requirements would not have arisen organically in an otherwise mundane society of settlers. As far as Gisena'd seen, the waters of the spring were both temporary and wholly unique. Perhaps the settlers had merely gotten stupendously lucky, or some agent had caused them to stumble upon the springs.
"Okay, let's do this!" Gisena cheered. "Ready, hun?"
He placed a hand on Letrizia's head, focusing intently. The Ring of Blood responded to his intentions and would never accidentally harm an ally, but this was complex work still, operating on a number of esoteric sanguine qualities that only existed in trace amounts under standard conditions.
Letrizia blushed, but stood stock still, the very picture of stoic determination.
"Okay, that should do it." He raised his hand. "I'm maintaining the enhancement now. Go."
Gisena and Letrizia quickly ran into the master bathroom, and he heard the low crash of onrushing waters as Gisena turned all the high-powered faucets of the bath to full blast. A (presumably) torrential blast of water struck Letrizia.
"Is this really necessary?" Letrizia yelped. She gave a brief shriek of embarrassment. "Miss Gisena!!"
"Hm? My dress is wet too, and I'm not even getting new magics out of this!"
"I liked this school uniform!"
"But isn't it the uniform of separatist scum?"
"Any reaction?" He yelled into the room.
Gisena's head popped out. "Yup, it's working perfectly! A little too well, actually. She's absorbing all the magic in the waters, so we'll have to maintain a constant flow. This should be ultimately be a good thing. The more magic she absorbs, the stronger the elemental catalysis reaction, and the more impressive her eventual Element will be! It may take a few hours. Will you have any trouble keeping her blood enhanced for the duration?"
"A few hours?!" Letrizia screamed. "I don't wanna get all pruney! Eewww..."
He frowned. "The blood augmentation shouldn't be a problem. And considering how much we paid, water use really shouldn't be an issue, but they might inquire and object. That would be my primary concern."
If they did, it might activate the Tyrant's Doom, leaving him no choice but to defy them.
Gisena shrugged, stepping out. Gently she gathered her damp hair and squeezed it out onto a towel. "It's for a good cause. Well, we still have some money, right? Maybe I'll step outside and bribe the desk staff, ensure their high-ups never get a good look at this particular oversight? It would be a shame if they tried to impose some meaningless rules on us and you were forced to kill them all!"
"I wouldn't have to kill them," he grunted. "I'd just refuse to stop using their water, which might escalate into the use of force, which might force me to kill them all. But that would be on them."
"So, you're not going to let me steal your money?" Gisena pouted.
"If the Sovereignty's currency is so important to you," he said magnanimously, "then you may have it, no need for false pretenses. Don't think this erases your earlier debt, however."
"I would never dream of it!" Gisena happily took the money and returned a few minutes later, having secured the cooperation of the desk staff.
Many tedious hours later, it was finally done.
Letrizia emerged, body swaddled in a pink terrycloth robe. "Guhh... I'm completely shriveled and I don't feel any more magical at all."
"Give it a night, dear." Gisena examined her curiously, eyes green and bright. "The Element is definitely percolating. It has yet to take form!"
Letrizia yawned, swaying slightly. "Okay, Miss Gisena. I'll... give it a shot..."
Gisena caught her and shot Hunger a smile. "Looking forward to doing this yourself tomorrow?"
"What about you? Is Sorcery the only path for one of the Maiden's followers?"
She shook her head. "I already know which Element this process would give me. Sad to say it would be totally redundant! Perhaps the Maidengrace is too prescient, or simply too powerful to countermand..."
"Perhaps I'll forge you an artifact that does something novel. Save us from death another nine times and we'll call it square."
"Only nine?" Gisena giggled. "So I can expect something tomorrow?"
"How conceited... after we're safely finished with the Temple, maybe. But you'll have to work extra hard to earn it."
She flashed him a salute. "Aye-aye, captain!"
They retired to their chambers for the night. As usual, Hunger fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He was awoken the next day by Letrizia.
"HOLY SHIT, I CAN DO MAGIC!!"
"...Ugh." He blinked open his eyes. It had definitely not been nine hours.
"I'M A WIZARD, HUNGER!"
---
[X] Sharpbright and [X] Stay and Train were the winners.
Though Gisena didmost much of the work, the intellectual challenge and somewhat pressing stakes (limited time, failure could damage Letrizia) of this intellectual pursuit did result in some Advancements for Hunger!
You have 2 picks and a bit over 10 Arete.
[ ] Fierce Quickening - The absurd violence of Blood unleashed. Let all that falls within its dominion be spilled, if it be in service to the Ringbearer. Adds [++Agility, +Wits] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.
[ ] Vigor Itself - The primordial might and glory of Blood resplendent. Let all who witness its form tremble, and be subject. Adds [++Might, +Charisma] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.
[ ] Augment Dominion: Blood - The world-wielding will of the Ring.
Treat the wielder's Rank as if it were (.5 Low/.25 Medium/.1 High) higher for purposes of the [Ring of Power] effect applied to the Blood domain, increasing its potency and versatility. Repeatable, but costs 1 more pick each time.
[ ] Exalted Spirit - 2 Arete. Conjunctional [Hunger, Evening Sky]. Mind made vigorous as the body. Gain +Int, +Wits, +Wis, +Cha, -Heartlessness, while in a form with physical blood. Allies under blood enhancement gain +Int, +Cha. Blood enhancement requires physical blood.
[ ] Sublime Transfusion - 2 Arete. The restorative vigor of blood willingly given. The wielder may donate his blood to another in order to heal them. This applies regeneration at a rate triple the wielder's own, and this healing effect is treated as if possessing conceptual potency a full Rank higher than the wielder's baseline, minimum 7. Even organisms of different species can be revitalized through such means.
[ ] Ennobling - 2 Arete (2 picks)
Ambition's work is conducted atop the shoulders of giants. Raise up one's servants to appropriately towering stature.
The process of comprehensive elevation of all positive attributes of the blood. Applied continuously over a long period, boons may become permanent and expand in scope, enhancing all qualities of the target and their future offspring. Applies up to +++All Stats to the target, Lifespan improves by fourfold. Elevates the target by .5 Rank to a maximum of 3.5. Does not work on yourself or on species whose native Rank is higher than 4.5.
Effects become permanent after a few weeks focused on a single target, or a few years focused on a small population. Further Advancements may improve both the scale and speed of augmentation. With a thought, the original bestower may retract any boon so given, so long as they possess the Ring of Blood.
[ ] Evening Sky - Philosopher's Wreath - 7 Arete (2 picks)
The twilight hours are a time of contemplation, growth of mind and spirit. Perhaps there are more things in earth and heaven than are dreamt of in one's philosophy. But that may not always be so.
They for whom the heavens themselves are aegis and raiment, these are the hours to speak - perchance to dream. And in dreaming, grow strong beyond the imagining of mortal men.
[+Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma]
Select one magic system which you have personally encountered and which is no greater than the Noble Praxis. You may use that system to the limits of your Intelligence or applicable Attributes, developing any appropriate qualities within reason, but this may no more than double your overall advancement. Alternatively, you may improve an existing magic you possess under the same conditions, hastening your rate of advancement in that art by [Intelligence x 100%] and substantially increasing both the variety and the conceptual potency of effects available to it.
Allied mages with which the wearer dialogues extensively find they may develop novel applications of existing abilities and steadily grow in knowledge & power with effort, independent of their own paradigm. This can no more than triple their overall level of advancement, but any progression done on their own will raise this cap. Should said mage no longer be allied, the wearer may strip this power at will, like a dream dissolving at break of day.
---
What did Hunger focus on in his Edeldross training? He will develop somewhat in all areas, but this is the primary target of his training.
[ ] Magnitude - Improves the magnitude of the +All Stats buff and the strength of blasts and barriers created. Simple, yet undeniably effective.
[ ] Control - Improves the tightness and consistency with which he can direct Edeldross in all forms, allowing for more precise buffs on both self and allies, as well as better placement of effects. May unlock more complex applications of Edeldross.
[ ] Experimentation - Focus entirely on developing a specific pseudo-grace maximized to augment Hunger's physical capabilities. This will operate seamlessly in addition to the Edeldross +All Stats buff, but will override that buff where its benefit is greater. Estimated Chance of success: ~70-80%, can be improved with participation. +Gisena.
---
Everything did not go perfectly! The patreon will be up tomorrow, though!!
Burgeoning under the weight of all they'd consumed, the two of them stumbled and Gisena gracefully strode into their suite to recover from the feast. It was an elegant series of rooms, sparsely decorated yet opulent. Swooping calligraphies and handworks of glazed porcelain decorated the walls, while the doorknobs and countertops were carved from lucent jade; a single bonsai shedding cherry blossoms graced the entrance hall. The austere refinement of clean lines and floors contrasted with the plush extravagance gracing every surface liable to human touch. Their room looked out onto a small courtyard of textured stonework and peach trees, beneath which plunged the unspoiled slope of the mountain, its harrowing incline revealing the city beneath in all its glittering splendor. The windows were presently open, bare to the icy wind of the high mountain, but small runnels of Elixir water framed the room entire, their delicate steam warding off any imprecation of the cold.
Hunger reached out and grabbed a peach from a branch sagging under its fresh, ripe weight. It was delightful, the sun-bright sweetness of its flesh contrasting with the frost-dusted texture of its skin. This, nonsensically, was closer to eating a fish off one's own line. He smiled.
In a nonsensical show of solidarity, Gisena and Letrizia decided to delay their enjoyment of the public baths to the next night, stating they didn't want Hunger to be left out.
"We'll just enjoy the waters in the suite! Besides, there're magical experiments to be done!" Gisena stared at him through the distorting glass of one of Letrizia's vials.
"What are we even paying for if you're not going to use the hot springs?" Hunger grumbled.
"It'll be all for naught if we don't use them together," Gisena said dramatically, laying her hands against her chest. "And that would be the greatest loss of all. Why not enjoy the spring water in our room today? There's no point in you bathing as a ghost, so just think of it as an incentive not to get your physical form killed tomorrow!"
"But then... how would I know I trained my hardest?" He raised his eyebrows.
Letrizia smacked him on the shoulder. "You joke now, but continue along this path and in a few months that's what you'll really believe!"
He looked blankly at her. "It is what I really believe."
"Moving on," Gisena said lightly, "Isn't this even better, sampling the full gamut of experiences? One night in the room, one in the baths."
"I want to try awakening my Element first!" Letrizia said. "If I'm a mage, will the Voyaging Realm still try to stop me from extracting you? There's surprisingly little literature on this."
"What are you going to do if it does try to stop you?" He looked around. "We're hardly prepared for an apocalypse."
"My bodyguard will protect me!" Letrizia declared. "At the rate your strength is growing, that shouldn't be too unrealistic, right?"
"Perhaps. But can your country afford to pay those rates?"
"That's hardly my problem!" She turned up her nose. "Though, I am hoping to have Verschlengorge repaired before then. Maybe we can find a magus capable of doing it, or we can just incrementally heal him up with your Ring. It's been strange to be the one protected these past weeks. I've been dying to show you guys what we can really do!"
"...Speaking of Verschlengorge, where is he parked?"
"The separatists are looking after him. Don't worry, they know better than to call down the wrath of the Empire. In normal cases the greater Empire doesn't really have the Armaments to spare for small rebellions like this one, but that clemency would swiftly cease if they were brazen enough to steal actual Armaments!"
"It's all right, they're appropriately terrified of her station," Gisena assured him. "The privilege of nobility!"
He rolled his eyes. "Onwards then. Let me have a look at that blood."
"Magic~ magic~" Letrizia clapped her hands happily. Gisena put on a brave smile, but there was just the barest flicker of emotion in her eyes, bitter perhaps at the thought that, though there hardly was a more talented Sorceress, her powers would only ever allow her to unmake what was wondrous, drag down the supernal into the grey mundane. So brief he could have imagined it. Hunger said nothing.
The process of unlocking 'High Elementalism,' Gisena theorized, ought be shockingly trivial for someone with access to the Ring of Blood. He merely had to heighten a few obscure properties of the target's blood, and then when exposed to a sufficient quantity of apex-grade Elixir Water they would naturally awaken to their Element.
He supposed any magical system with steep and obscure requirements would not have arisen organically in an otherwise mundane society of settlers. As far as Gisena'd seen, the waters of the spring were both temporary and wholly unique. Perhaps the settlers had merely gotten stupendously lucky, or some agent had caused them to stumble upon the springs.
"Okay, let's do this!" Gisena cheered. "Ready, hun?"
He placed a hand on Letrizia's head, focusing intently. The Ring of Blood responded to his intentions and would never accidentally harm an ally, but this was complex work still, operating on a number of esoteric sanguine qualities that only existed in trace amounts under standard conditions.
Letrizia blushed, but stood stock still, the very picture of stoic determination.
"Okay, that should do it." He raised his hand. "I'm maintaining the enhancement now. Go."
Gisena and Letrizia quickly ran into the master bathroom, and he heard the low crash of onrushing waters as Gisena turned all the high-powered faucets of the bath to full blast. A (presumably) torrential blast of water struck Letrizia.
"Is this really necessary?" Letrizia yelped. She gave a brief shriek of embarrassment. "Miss Gisena!!"
"Hm? My dress is wet too, and I'm not even getting new magics out of this!"
"I liked this school uniform!"
"But isn't it the uniform of separatist scum?"
"Any reaction?" He yelled into the room.
Gisena's head popped out. "Yup, it's working perfectly! A little too well, actually. She's absorbing all the magic in the waters, so we'll have to maintain a constant flow. This should be ultimately be a good thing. The more magic she absorbs, the stronger the elemental catalysis reaction, and the more impressive her eventual Element will be! It may take a few hours. Will you have any trouble keeping her blood enhanced for the duration?"
"A few hours?!" Letrizia screamed. "I don't wanna get all pruney! Eewww..."
He frowned. "The blood augmentation shouldn't be a problem. And considering how much we paid, water use really shouldn't be an issue, but they might inquire and object. That would be my primary concern."
If they did, it might activate the Tyrant's Doom, leaving him no choice but to defy them.
Gisena shrugged, stepping out. Gently she gathered her damp hair and squeezed it out onto a towel. "It's for a good cause. Well, we still have some money, right? Maybe I'll step outside and bribe the desk staff, ensure their high-ups never get a good look at this particular oversight? It would be a shame if they tried to impose some meaningless rules on us and you were forced to kill them all!"
"I wouldn't have to kill them," he grunted. "I'd just refuse to stop using their water, which might escalate into the use of force, which might force me to kill them all. But that would be on them."
"So, you're not going to let me steal your money?" Gisena pouted.
"If the Sovereignty's currency is so important to you," he said magnanimously, "then you may have it, no need for false pretenses. Don't think this erases your earlier debt, however."
"I would never dream of it!" Gisena happily took the money and returned a few minutes later, having secured the cooperation of the desk staff.
Many tedious hours later, it was finally done.
Letrizia emerged, body swaddled in a pink terrycloth robe. "Guhh... I'm completely shriveled and I don't feel any more magical at all."
"Give it a night, dear." Gisena examined her curiously, eyes green and bright. "The Element is definitely percolating. It has yet to take form!"
Letrizia yawned, swaying slightly. "Okay, Miss Gisena. I'll... give it a shot..."
Gisena caught her and shot Hunger a smile. "Looking forward to doing this yourself tomorrow?"
"What about you? Is Sorcery the only path for one of the Maiden's followers?"
She shook her head. "I already know which Element this process would give me. Sad to say it would be totally redundant! Perhaps the Maidengrace is too prescient, or simply too powerful to countermand..."
"Perhaps I'll forge you an artifact that does something novel. Save us from death another nine times and we'll call it square."
"Only nine?" Gisena giggled. "So I can expect something tomorrow?"
"How conceited... after we're safely finished with the Temple, maybe. But you'll have to work extra hard to earn it."
She flashed him a salute. "Aye-aye, captain!"
They retired to their chambers for the night. As usual, Hunger fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He was awoken the next day by Letrizia.
"HOLY SHIT, I CAN DO MAGIC!!"
"...Ugh." He blinked open his eyes. It had definitely not been nine hours.
"I'M A WIZARD, HUNGER!"
---
[X] Sharpbright and [X] Stay and Train were the winners.
Though Gisena did
You have 2 picks and a bit over 10 Arete.
[ ] Fierce Quickening - The absurd violence of Blood unleashed. Let all that falls within its dominion be spilled, if it be in service to the Ringbearer. Adds [++Agility, +Wits] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.
[ ] Vigor Itself - The primordial might and glory of Blood resplendent. Let all who witness its form tremble, and be subject. Adds [++Might, +Charisma] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.
[ ] Augment Dominion: Blood - The world-wielding will of the Ring.
Treat the wielder's Rank as if it were (.5 Low/.25 Medium/.1 High) higher for purposes of the [Ring of Power] effect applied to the Blood domain, increasing its potency and versatility. Repeatable, but costs 1 more pick each time.
[ ] Exalted Spirit - 2 Arete. Conjunctional [Hunger, Evening Sky]. Mind made vigorous as the body. Gain +Int, +Wits, +Wis, +Cha, -Heartlessness, while in a form with physical blood. Allies under blood enhancement gain +Int, +Cha. Blood enhancement requires physical blood.
[ ] Sublime Transfusion - 2 Arete. The restorative vigor of blood willingly given. The wielder may donate his blood to another in order to heal them. This applies regeneration at a rate triple the wielder's own, and this healing effect is treated as if possessing conceptual potency a full Rank higher than the wielder's baseline, minimum 7. Even organisms of different species can be revitalized through such means.
[ ] Ennobling - 2 Arete (2 picks)
Ambition's work is conducted atop the shoulders of giants. Raise up one's servants to appropriately towering stature.
The process of comprehensive elevation of all positive attributes of the blood. Applied continuously over a long period, boons may become permanent and expand in scope, enhancing all qualities of the target and their future offspring. Applies up to +++All Stats to the target, Lifespan improves by fourfold. Elevates the target by .5 Rank to a maximum of 3.5. Does not work on yourself or on species whose native Rank is higher than 4.5.
Effects become permanent after a few weeks focused on a single target, or a few years focused on a small population. Further Advancements may improve both the scale and speed of augmentation. With a thought, the original bestower may retract any boon so given, so long as they possess the Ring of Blood.
[ ] Evening Sky - Philosopher's Wreath - 7 Arete (2 picks)
The twilight hours are a time of contemplation, growth of mind and spirit. Perhaps there are more things in earth and heaven than are dreamt of in one's philosophy. But that may not always be so.
They for whom the heavens themselves are aegis and raiment, these are the hours to speak - perchance to dream. And in dreaming, grow strong beyond the imagining of mortal men.
[+Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma]
Select one magic system which you have personally encountered and which is no greater than the Noble Praxis. You may use that system to the limits of your Intelligence or applicable Attributes, developing any appropriate qualities within reason, but this may no more than double your overall advancement. Alternatively, you may improve an existing magic you possess under the same conditions, hastening your rate of advancement in that art by [Intelligence x 100%] and substantially increasing both the variety and the conceptual potency of effects available to it.
Allied mages with which the wearer dialogues extensively find they may develop novel applications of existing abilities and steadily grow in knowledge & power with effort, independent of their own paradigm. This can no more than triple their overall level of advancement, but any progression done on their own will raise this cap. Should said mage no longer be allied, the wearer may strip this power at will, like a dream dissolving at break of day.
---
What did Hunger focus on in his Edeldross training? He will develop somewhat in all areas, but this is the primary target of his training.
[ ] Magnitude - Improves the magnitude of the +All Stats buff and the strength of blasts and barriers created. Simple, yet undeniably effective.
[ ] Control - Improves the tightness and consistency with which he can direct Edeldross in all forms, allowing for more precise buffs on both self and allies, as well as better placement of effects. May unlock more complex applications of Edeldross.
[ ] Experimentation - Focus entirely on developing a specific pseudo-grace maximized to augment Hunger's physical capabilities. This will operate seamlessly in addition to the Edeldross +All Stats buff, but will override that buff where its benefit is greater. Estimated Chance of success: ~70-80%, can be improved with participation. +Gisena.
---
Everything did not go perfectly! The patreon will be up tomorrow, though!!
