- A Simple Transaction -
- I -
Every story spoken has been spoken before.
And we're back with another Rihaku quest! Finally, it's that time of year to engage in voting debates, ship-to-ship combat and the ever-increasing accumulation of S A L T as the questers devote their time and efforts to building argument power all as Rihaku unleashes
sick blurb after
sick blurb upon us to devastate the coalitions of Lore Legionnaires, Waifu Worshippers, Red Option Rebels, Muscle Militants and Magic Maniacs, a endlessly churning cauldron of salt and fanworks coalesced in the form of a story-game played on an internet forum!
Truly the ultimate form of intellectual conflict!
More seriously, glad to have Rihaku back and writing again, especially after having concluded Even Further Beyond in a pretty great fashion in my opinion. Shame that the web serial idea didn't seem to work out though, I was kind of looking forward to reading that (wasn't super interested in the snippet he posted though, except for Hai Long's name - Hail is a pretty cool name) Hope he considers transitioning more into writing some kind of novel or web serial format, because the most compelling thing about these quests for me is the DEEP LORE and intricately diverse settings Rihaku crafts, so I kinda wish for a more consistent story that isn't affected by voters so we can have more overall development of the universe's concepts.
Like, I loved Terrascape and found the Ordinal Spiral to be the coolest magic system in that quest and I don't regret going HAM on getting more Ordinals because even now,
4 years later, I find myself still thirsting for more Ordinal information but it would have been better to explore the setting and other magic systems. Having both
depth and
breadth, y'know (also, did'ya catch that stealth Depth reference to Conjoining, I'm great with puns
). Vitalism was quite intriguing but because we didn't really dive into it, we couldn't get more information besides some ambiguous mystery about people dying when they share data about their Edifice. I would have liked to read Arthur's story as a first-year that explored Ordinalism, Vitalism and Conjoining in equal measure while unraveling the mystery of Enoch. It would have been something akin to a weird mix between Harry Potter, Battle Royale and heightened with the supreme cool of Rihaku's fight scenes and extensive lore.
Man, that dream still seems so beautiful. A real novel focused on Terrascape and going in a different direction than the quest is right up there on my Rihaku-writing wish list, behind only the Praxis (!) and the full list of 26 Ordinals. But, hey, it was still a great quest and its following successor, A Simple Transaction, did establish the workings of a greater Rihaku omniverse so quests are still a pretty good medium for learning more about this stuff.
Also, dang, just thinking back makes me also kind of wish for a longer Even Further Beyond story just to explore the Labyrinth Empire more. Though, I'd probably regret it fairly shortly after because xianxia is a truly a double-
edged sword composed of awesome and cringe. And insanely long passages on pill-refining cultivation, which on balance, makes me think we dodged a bullet there.
Back to this quest though!
The boy from Earth stumbles into another realm. A world of wonder and magic, suffering beneath the Tyrant's cruel yoke. The boy becomes a man, the man becomes a hero, the hero defeats the Tyrant, and all live happily ever after. So destiny has decreed.
Anyway, the return of Rihaku! Once more, we embark into the story of a Cursebearer. Going with a Hero protagonist this time huh, gives me warm flashbacks to Seram and Control's totally awesome adventures. Wonder if this guy's story turns out well, how could he fail with Fate on his side?! Primeva would have been a tricky one to overcome if the thread did generate like 50 Beyond Points to completely devastate the story before it even really became a contest between Nameless and Spring, so the Hero should be able to win pretty comfortably here, right-
But the Tyrant is not so easily overcome.
Oh crap. Guess this Tyrant is more of a real Final Boss than some random overpowered light novel protagonist's generic nemesis. I mean, Tyrant with a capitalized 'T'!? That just smells of bad news!!
He is wise to destiny's tricks, greater than destiny's stewards. He sets the world spinning to the direction of a new master. Destiny falters; only causality remains. And mere causality does not suffice a hero from coddled Earth to stand against the Tyrant.
The hero fails, time and again. The people of the world suffer for his impudence. He loses an arm, an eye, half a lung, all the natural vigor of his youth. The companions with which he journeyed become a procession of the dead. His quest, prophesied as the dalliance of a season, becomes a grim slog of years.
Oof. The Tyrant seems to becoming from the Control vein of power, a devastatingly insightful villain that has taken hold of the world entire in his battle against the Hero.
That the Hero even survives is a pretty great feat! Being able to fight time and again... it kind of feels like some kind of Fate might still be in play, safeguarding the Hero so that he may yet grow strong enough to overcome the Tyrant even as his companions fall in his place.
Losing an arm... man, Rihaku really is intent on continuing the chain of 'protagonists with asymmetrical arms' huh. We started with who? Ishida, then Seram, Arthur and now this guy? Well, it's a pretty cool theme and striking visual trait so I'm all of it. The Hero lost a lot of his body though, we're not even through the prologue and he's already taken like 2 Curses of Maiming!!
It is interesting that his quest was supposed to be just a 'dalliance of a season' though. EFB kind of made me paranoid every time I see the word 'season', so now I'm thinking the Hero was some kind of version of the Elven Hero with the Rubicon sent to some variation of the Labyrinth Empire to help out one of the Fates before the Overlord of the era somehow did something to unbalance the contest. Doesn't really fit though, cause the Fates were the protagonists of the contest and the isekai-ed guy was the villain.
There is no certainty of victory; barely any chance of it. But the hero's heart is full of hate, and it is much too late to stop.
The Hero's path is a grim one, a long walk into the darkness as he acquires power to overcome the Tyrant. Vengeance truly is the best motivator to increase one's power level and crush your enemies. Liking this story-beat so far.
He learns from his enemy. Mirrors the monster's unmerciful cunning, turns to those forbidden arts his long-dead mentors warned him against. Finds in them, at last, an arena in which his talent exceeds his adversary's.
Years more of preparation, to realize the power that talent portends. Time bought dearly with the blood of his allies, a patchwork insurgency of the desperate and condemned. In sparse moments, the hero and his surviving companions carve out a life for themselves, stealing what joy they can. The long, bitter path of his journey trudges towards culmination.
No, Hero, you were the Chosen One! You were supposed to bring Balance to Magic, not take up the Dark Arts!
Interesting that the Hero has such a strong talent for forbidden magics though. If that was the primary source of his potential and the real reason he was summoned to fight the Tyrant, why would his mentors dissuade him from following that path? But perhaps this is just an expression of the 'Dark is Not Evil' trope, that's a pretty common justification for a protagonist's weird powers.
Dang though, this really paints a grim picture of the Hero's adventure. The classic hero's quest is usually a bright one where the party liberates villages from the villain's iron grip but this reads much more like the diary of a war-weary guerilla fighter that is nonetheless committed to the total destruction of his foe. A sobering image perhaps, but a compelling one.
One final sally against the Tyrant. As before, their powers are unevenly matched. But for the first time, that imbalance is in the hero's favor.
The climatic clash! Hero vs Tyrant, round ??!! But this time, the Hero is not quite an underdog, much more a rival than a mere pest. With the sacrifice of so much of his own body, of his fellow comrades, of the innocents felled by the Tyrant, with the attainment of the fell powers derived from the forbidden arts, perhaps this will prove enough for the Hero to finally win!
And yet even that is not enough. The gap in power does not suffice to overcome the gulf of skill still between them. There is no more time. There are no more chances.
The killing stroke descends.
But Destiny is broken. At the hands of the Tyrant was Fate shattered. And the Tyrant is not so foolish as to allow his own defeat.
The hero's final companion throws herself into its path. The hero becomes a widower.
In the Tyrant's implacable guard, a momentary opening appears.
And yet, even with the destruction of Fate, the bravery and sacrifice of his companions may allow the Hero to grasp victory.
Burning selfhood like tallow, the widower mounts one final onslaught. In his eyes there is no more victory, no dreams more of failure or success. Only the enemy which must be destroyed, no matter the cost.
The widower prevails. The Tyrant is no more. The peoples of the world celebrate their liberation. Joy and adulation rain upon their silent champion, who stares ahead unblinking.
The Hero has conquered the Tyrant. At last, a journey of years, concluded with the final destruction of his enemy, no matter the cost to his self, no matter the cost to the world, no matter the cost of his comrades.
I will find a way, always. Words borne by previous protagonists, a determination shared by heroes and villains in the Rihaku omniverse alike, an overwhelming will to attain victory even from the jaws of defeat. But does victory bring relief to the Hero or merely compound on his regrets?
After the parade the widower buries his wife and their unborn child. It is eleven years to the day since he arrived in this world.
Crippled by the effulgence of that final strike, the widower is a pale shadow of his prior self. But in the eyes of the people, he is still the hero that was; their protector, their shining knight, their salvation, howsoever delayed though it may have been. And, with the passing of seasons, a glimmer of hope arises in the hero's heart. That, though the cost was ruinous, more than he could bear, there was good in the world still waiting to be fostered.
Freedom, Justice, Truth. In time, democracy. A society with the power and wherewithal to be organized around its highest ideals, rather than brute necessity. It is what they would have wanted - and if he no longer wields a hero's strength, still he has a hero's influence.
Oof. Both wife and child dead. Having long burned away his youth, vigor, the very stuff of life itself in order to attain an ash-flaked victory. But the Hero still remains past the pyre of his most brilliant moment. And with the defeat of the Tyrant, perhaps the world that had been scarred by that villain could heal and grow past the losses inflicted upon it. The Hero could make the world left behind by his fallen comrades, the world his wife had sacrificed herself for, a world worth living in and a world which vindicated both the efforts of the Hero and his companions.
One day at a time, into the golden forever.
But the world did not sit idly while he mourned. The kings and dukes who fought aside the hero have filled the vacuum of power left by the Tyrant. And they are content with the system at hand. Theirs is a society of nearly faultless structure, stably and evenly arranged. Their yoke is light, the people are fed. Is that not justice? There is no place here for the instruments of modernity, much less its frivolous ideals.
Yet, reality rarely aligns with the ideal. Those who the Hero fought for may be grateful for his sacrifices, thankful that his endeavors have saved their society, but their gratitude is far outweighted by greed and more corrupting by far, the desire for stability - the sin of stagnation. Against such a force, mere ideals and the dream of a better world will pass upon the dawn of a new day, an endless procression of people awakening only to continue to slumber in indolence.
The hero is not dissuaded. Too many have died for him to surrender this dream. In that resolve the nobility see the beginnings of a Tyrant by a different name. They act. Treachery achieves what all the overlord's power could not: the hero undone at last. Discarded by those who had no more use for him.
The fate of those separated from others is to be rejected by them. The Hero may have been great once but only the Tyrant before him was so great a figure. In this world of mortals that had been long ruled by a capricious god, could the nobility chance the ascension of another divinity? Even if that man had saved them, men would prove themselves to be deceitful creatures in time. Thus, to preserve themselves and save their society, it could only be just to kill the Hero.
The Hero had fallen twice after his battle with the Tyrant. First, when his body and self was burned away, leaving only a thin figment of a man behind. Second, in the eyes of society, when he failed to adhere to the rules they had set forth and meekly take on the role they assigned to him. In that regard, perhaps it was only natural that the world turn on him.
In the hero's final moments, despair and hate raging equally across his heart, comes a being with the form of a man, offering vengeance in the form of a bargain.
The being is power beyond measure, beyond the hero's wildest reckonings, the solemn steady heartbeat of all creation, the sword by which all stories would end.
But even when the world has turned against them, there remains someone above.
The Accursed.
The Plenary Brand seems to be working here, exerting its powers to truly reveal the Accursed's nature - ovewhelming power that transcends mere excellence. Hmm, but that kind of thematic and these words seem vaguely familiar. Who was someone that was also called the Accursed? Who was someone whose themes were that of unyielding willpower and power which surpassed even Solar Excellence. And wouldn't you know it, that guy also carried a sword too! It was the Sword of Ten-Thousand Endings, the weapon of a man known by the denizens of the Wyld as the End of Stories.
If the Plenary Brand is to show the Accursed's most fundamental nature, that being of supreme power who surpassed all others in Creation and that carried a sword which ends all stories, the logic seems clear. This man must be the same man who held Ambition and was known as Odyssial, the Most High.
"Are you the-"
The man cuts him off with an upraised hand. "No, I'm not the Devil, nor am I associated with any that claim to be him. There will be no souls, no contracts, no signing in blood. My offer is that of a simple transaction. I am bound by countless Curses, leaving me greatly diminished, a thin figment of what I once was. Take up a portion of my burdens, and in exchange receive a fraction of my power."
Man, now that we've entered the second Cursebearer quest, it's pretty funny that the Accursed has recited his spiel enough to automatically be able to counter any questions about him being the Devil. Actually, it's kind of interesting that most Earthling bring up the Devil straight-away when they see the Accursed. Maybe the Accursed dresses in like a
really snappy suit or has such
infernal fashion sense that he has to be the Devil
Power enough to escape this world, or remake it. This he understands without speaking. Even knowing this, he can not help but dislike the being. If this Accursed one had deigned to act sooner, could his wife and son have been saved?
I see the Brand of Wretch exhibits its dread power once more, a fearsome effect capable of making even one as disinclined to reality as Seram hate him on sight. The Hero expresses that same disgust here, though muted with the loss of his self anyway. Huh, in that regard, you could kind of overcome the Brand of the Wretched's effects by two ways: completely ignoring other people or just interacting with people apathetic enough as to not care despite the Brand's effects. Something to think about.
But it had not, and mere dislike means nothing.
What else is there to say?
"I accept."
Mournfully the being closes its eyes. "So be it."
Another Simple Transaction concluded! The Cursebearing business of Accursed Incorporated truly is a flourishing industry!
Interesting that the Accursed expresses some emotion here, maybe he's sympathizing with the Hero. After all, Odyssial did go through a pretty horrific war where he no doubt lost many of his comrades as well.
"If you wish only to survive," it continued, "I will grant you a modest portion of my burdens, and power enough to be free of this realm and its shackles. But if you seek vengeance against the powers truly responsible for your suffering here, then you must take on a far more onerous burden. In exchange, you will receive the power of unbounded progression, growth without limit or surcease."
[ ] Freedom - The eyes of the Accursed open. The ghost of a smile plays across his face, almost too quickly to catch. "Perhaps the wiser choice. Be careful which burdens you undertake; they will accompany you for eons to come. Go, enjoy your freedom. You've earned it."
*Become a Combat-type Cursebearer, granted immense personal might at the cost of 2 Curses.
*Yours will be power sufficient to crack planets and shatter nations, to drown the oceans themselves in ash, blot out sun and stars, the fire and impact of a nuclear bombardment as immaterial as rain against your skin.
*Your power will include some means of travel between worlds, allowing you to depart this wretched realm.
*Unless you decide otherwise, relatively comfy quest of nation-building, adventuring & slacking off.
*Perhaps the best revenge is living well.
-Granted power will not grow naturally.
-It is unlikely you will ever discover the truth behind your suffering, much less avenge yourself upon its architects. But the strings are cut, you are a puppet no more. Forget them, and live on.
Also known as the choice for quitters!
The vile option of those Balancebros that give up the Red Option in pursuit of 'safety', 'comfiness' and 'less risk of death'. Cowards, I say! Death or glory should be the motto of every quester and to turn away from the infinite potential of Progression is to give up on the game before it starts.
In all seriousness though, an interestingly risk-averse option. Perhaps the better option in the long-run, given that the Hero has to take on 2 Curses already simply to become a Combat-type Cursebearer. His affinity for the Accursed probably isn't that great on a metaphysical level then, since Seram's purity of body and soul let him become a Progression-type with only 1 Curse. In reality, I might be inclined to this option in some of my more cowardly (sane) moods, but I don't feel the Hero is the kind of person to simply pursue freedom. He is a man that sacrificed his very self to attain victory, to simply take this easier path out - seems like a rejection of his own story. In that way, perhaps it is only inevitable he take up the cause of Vengeance...
[ ] Vengeance - "...If that is what you wish."
"If you survive, no power will be beyond you. In time, there will be no blade you cannot sunder, no force you cannot rout, no foe you cannot ruin, no throne you cannot claim. Take care that you do not become that which you despise."
*Become a Progression-type Cursebearer, granted the potential to attain power beyond all reason through ingenuity and effort, at the cost of the Geas of Indenture, the Apocryphal Curse, and 2 additional Curses.
*Receive only a modest boon of power to start, but you will almost certainly grow rapidly.
*The Geas will take you away from this place, to a world more conducive to your growth, though no less dangerous.
*Should you survive the trials to come, you will almost certainly grow strong enough to plumb this realm of its secrets and overcome its true masters.
*Some say the best revenge is living well. They are lying to themselves. One can strive to live well regardless, but there is no true substitute for revenge. No substitute for doing unto them what they did unto you, for passing sentence upon their richly deserving selves. King or noble, brazen masters or hidden ones... it matters not. When the hour arrives at last, there will be no justice here. Only vengeance.
-Limited initial power
-Forced to take a large number of Curses
-Including the dreaded Apocryphal Curse
The Red Option and thus objectively, the best option!
The Apocryphal Curse is concerning, the Hero has to take on freaking
5 Curses (!!!) just to equate to the power Seram got for 1 Curse. Jeez, maybe being a virgin for 30 years in exchange for phenomenal cosmic power is the ultimate example of delayed gratification being the wiser option in all fiction ever. Memes being the foundation of the Rihaku omniverse is both funny and terribly appropiate...
Back to Vengeance, this feels like the most appropiate choice for the Hero. Infinite potential filtered through the lens of unbound Progression so as to one day allow the reckoning of the so-called Hidden Ones who so crossed him. Those beings beyond linear time should fear even now, during the mere genesis of a Cursebearer, for these are their words:
Even should all creation rise against you, rise higher that you may strike them down. Even should the tides of the universe gather to oppose you, show them a universe that can live free of tides. Even should every path in every world be barred against you, still you will find a way through.
Though the Hidden Ones are currently beyond him, still the Hero will find a way.
Always.
---
The choice came upon him, knowledge of the Curses appearing unbidden in his mind. All could be mitigated with time and effort, though it would take increasingly heroic efforts to overcome more than a modest fraction.
[ ] The Geas of Indenture - Mortgage your future to pay for the present? The term of your service shall be no less than 937 octillion years. Immediately you will be transported to another world and given a task to complete. Nearly every task will fall into one of two forms: you will be required either to kill a predestined 'Chosen One' of some kind, or to conquer some amount of territory.
You will be granted full discretion in the completion of your tasks and there is no penalty whatsoever to slacking off provided you complete your mission within the generous time window allotted. Assassination tasks typically have a 100 - 500 year window, while conquest tasks usually have a 1,000 - 10,000 (or greater) year window, depending on the scope of the territory in question. Should you complete your mission early, you may choose to vacation in your current world for up to 10 more years before departing to the next task. Your assigned tasks will always be within your given capabilities to achieve. Failure to complete your task within the time window will result in death. You will not be assigned tasks that are totally abhorrent; assassination of a well-meaning hero is about as bad as it gets.
The classic Curse! Vanilla in terms of Curse flavors! Get power now in exchange for consigning your soul to an eternity of quests ove a period of time that is quite literally incomprehensible to the human mind. No real impact to us questers since this pretty much just tosses us into an interesting setting with little immediate downside though pretty brutal if you were the actual Cursebearer. Sure, it's fine now, but what about a million years later? Fourteen billion years later? Seventy-five quintillion years later? Such an extreme length of time is the span of multiverses, not the temporal remit of mere universes let alone the candle flicker of a mortal's insignificant existence.
[ ] The Decimator's Affliction - You will naturally absorb the total fundamental life force of the realm you currently inhabit at a rate of 10% per year. Area affected is exceptionally large and scales with your own power; a weak Progression-type might only affect half a continent, while a Combat-type would affect an entire solar system. In the absence of sufficient life force, you will begin to bleed essence, losing components of your powers, skills, identity, memories, and ontological veracity at a proportional rate. Though there are many paths of mitigation available, none of them are pleasant or easy.
Mm, now that's a Curse I can groove for! Push the problem away and onto the universe instead of yourself! Tremendous value! A universe-annihilating superweapon and a trivial burden on the Cursebearer himself. More seriously, if we don't choose to mitigate this Curse, it'd be pretty bad. It completely cedes any moral high-ground we could have in any position to our enemies, because they can truthfully say that our existence is literally a life-destroying malus on the universe. That would be terrible... because we couldn't moralize against foes in social combat! A huge staple of the protagonist's arsenal stripped away from us, a most grievous cost indeed!
[ ] Affliction of Slumber - A curse of the body. No matter how powerful your physical form becomes, you will require at least sixteen hours of sleep every twenty-four hours. Missing even a single hour will result in severe physiological consequences. If enemies consistently interrupt your sleep, you will find yourself near-constantly disoriented and enervated. Your waking hours are the very stuff of life. With this choice, you surrender half your conscious existence, your very presence in the world, upon the altar of a Curse.
Thread: Ew! More sleep?! How terrible! How could we ever vote for something that minimizes our training time! No way, are we picking this! *Insert no sleep / training synergy here* *Insert time magic / training synergy* This is objectively Worst Curse!
Seriously, why does no one just pick this Curse up? I voted for it in AST Zero and it would have worked perfectly with Seram and the Praxis. We wouldn't even have needed to get involved in combat immediately cause only the Geas threw us into danger straight-away. Shame that we didn't go that route... Well, it still remains one of my favored picks though it doesn't go well with Vengeance's extreme danger levels. Most definitely the Curse I would take for myself though. Phenomenal cosmic power in exchange for needing to sleep 16 hours?!! Instant Deal!
[ ] Brand of the Champion - It is the champion's remit to solve problems, to answer the call of heroism wheresoever it should arise. The champion stands unconquered but alone. Everyone you interact with aside from a select few individuals will refuse to assist you, even in trivial ways, unless you perform some inane or perilous task for them first. Even if all conventions of morality, duty, or good sense would impel them otherwise, they will simply find it unthinkable to aid you without due recompense. The difficulty of tasks is usually equivalent to the degree of assistance you request, though not always.
There is no escaping the Brand, even the Accursed is affected by this, but if you are calling in a Primary Remittance that hinges on his intervention, such as Three Wishes, the tasks he assigns you will be moderately difficult at most.
So... Life: The Thrilling Game of Sidequests? No way, not going to spend this quest hunting for bear asses. Miss me with those collection achievements.
[ ] Doom of the Tyrant - You absolutely refuse to submit to, or even acknowledge the legitimacy of, any rule, custom, law or authority above your own, unless that authority is at least as powerful as a specific instruction from the Accursed himself. Your ability to operate within the context of any organization you are not unequivocally in charge of is utterly crippled. Diplomacy is a laughable dream.
Enemies that are aware of this can provoke you via reverse psychology, though this can only cause you to attack them - you aren't compelled to do the opposite of whatever they order. This Curse comes pre-mitigated in that it does not affect the Accursed, but is very difficult to mitigate further.
It's inadvisable to take this alongside any Brand effect if you intend to ever work with others. Example:
You request a subordinate do something for you -> They refuse until you collect 20 bear pelts -> You refuse to acknowledge the Brand's legitimacy, as it is not greater than the Accursed -> You are unable to ever get your 'subordinate' to do anything
Sick AF. Stop being the obedient Hero and become the ultra-badass that defies all laws because 'I AM THE LAW'!! If we were playing Seram, I would have a 100 percent went for this so we could drop
sick puns with our surname. Honestly, I think this Doom synergizes pretty well with the quester's tendencies anyway. We rarely agree with established rules and organizations anyway, while not swear a vow to forever stick it to the man? Would cut out a lot of the hand-wringing and voting debates.
Though, this kind of sucks if we aren't powerful enough to declare 'I am the Law!' It'd be pretty lame to just defy everyone and then get shot by the equivalent of a world's police for obstruction of some kind of pointless rule. I'm optimistic we would grind enough power levels to obviate such restrictions quickly enough though, so I'm still leaning in this direction for Vengeance Curses.
[ ] Doom of Lunacy - The large majority of your power (75%) is sealed within a monstrous battle-form that forcefully emerges under conditions of extreme duress. You may voluntarily enter this form, but doing so causes you to go absolutely berserk, attacking without regard to friend or foe until everything in your vicinity is destroyed. Affected area scales with your power, but is always very large. Anyone who perceives the form is afflicted by terror and hatred as if by a Brand-type Curse; all but the most stalwart of allies will turn upon you in the face of it.
This Curse can be only be effectively mitigated by one means. Very occasionally you will encounter certain individuals that are highly compatible with you in some way. It is highly likely that any such individual(s) will be substantially weaker than you in most regards. In their presence the Doom will begin to shift to the Geas of Lunacy, if you do not suppress the change. The Geas of Lunacy does not limit your power in any way, but afflicts you with an unhealthy level of devotion to the individual in question. Their happiness and safety are certainly more important than your own and you will find it difficult to refuse even their slightest whims. It is always surprisingly difficult to augment their power beyond its natural rate of progression.
For people that like the thematics of losing control but aren't willing to admit they want to be a furry and become a badass werewolf. Gimps our power level terribly so no interest from me. Also, obsessive devotion to people? Miss me with that waifu shit
[ ] Plenary Brand - Like a blazing sun, the radiance of your power is wholly unconstrained, and the shadow of your potential looms perilously, a pall over reality that is impossible to ignore. The truth of your essential nature is broadcast without concealment or pretext. Even if it would normally do so, this effect will not cause others to like you more.
You automatically attract the attention of everyone who perceives you, and your rough capabilities are made apparent to them, to whatever degree they can reasonably comprehend. Disguise is impossible, your nature is blindingly obvious, and enemies so informed of your abilities will act accordingly. Snip Progression-types in the bud with overwhelming strength, retreat and attempt to outscale Combat-types, etc. One of a Cursebearer's greatest strengths is the ability to grow in power undetected by the mighty; anonymity is very often the greatest defense. With this Curse, enemies will never overlook or forget the severity of the threat you pose. Even ostensible allies will likely foment contingency plans.
The Plenary Brand overpowers any forms of stealth or misdirection you might attempt. Furthermore, in any situation where it is remotely reasonable to do so, all enemies will focus their efforts on defeating you first.
Unlike most Curses, the strength of this Brand slowly increases with time. Unless efforts are paid towards mitigation, your mere existence will eventually sear ten billion impressions of yourself into the minds of your allies, rendering them comatose, while your enemies become monomaniacally determined to end you.
Our SWOLE is automatically displayed to everyone on the planet! Fear us, for our power represents the end of worlds! Unless we're a pitiful Progression-type in the early stages of their career... Awesome aesthetically but it needs to be planned around so that it works well. Also, blinds and drives our companions insane... a disadvantage or a bonus? I'm of two minds about it, lol.
[ ] The Apocryphal Curse - "May you live in interesting times."
The challenges this presents will usually not be beyond your ability to overcome, but very occasionally you will be forced to dig deep and discover whether you are truly worthy of the Accursed's mantle. Remember: the greater the reprieve, the more terrible the chaos that follows. "Better to be a dog in times of peace, then a man in time of war."
*Counts as 2 Curses. Don't take it unless you have to.
Interesting times! Sign me up! I was getting tired of life anyway. Death or Glory! As a card-carrying member of the Red Option Rebels, I'm obligated to vote for the most insane options where possible. Goes with Vengeance automatically, so not much of a concern since I'm pretty focused on the willpower and vengeance-themes of the Hero.
---
But alongside those burdens came power, the Remittances of the Accursed that he had paid so dearly for:
[ ] The Regalia - A crown and throne of stars.
A combination of Remittances. While it lacks in focus, it presents its recipient with an arsenal of superior versatility. A practical choice that focuses on minimizing risk and mitigating downside.
*Fortune: Once, upon your death or suffering of an unacceptable loss, you may rewind the relevant timelines up to one hundred years, though not to any point before you became a Cursebearer. All Cursebearers will retain their memories of the period rewound. Triggers unprompted if you die unexpectedly.
*Force: You will acquire a modest but useful superpower synergistic with your existing capabilities.
*Favor: Choose one additional Lesser Remittance.
*Wild: Copy any one of the above effects, making new choices for the copy.
Any powers granted by Remittances are scaled to your current power unless otherwise noted. A Combat-type Cursebearer would receive a greater boon than a starting Progression-type, though the latter might need it more...
The Balance option. Fair in all respects but not excellent in any particular one of them. Interesting to me in the sense that it comes with respawn / time-looping powers which I'm a fan of, but reactive abilities just don't do it for me personally speaking. Also, we milked the heck out of the Star themes with the Diagram in EFB, so I'm giving this a pass. Let's move on.
[ ] The King's Scepter - Power, plain and simple.
The scepter represents temporal power, power over the world. Shallow though it may be, immediate power represents more than just safety in the moment. Certainly you can't train if you're dead. But power in the moment is also leverage to face stronger foes, to reap greater rewards, to provide greater space for optimization, more resources with which to accelerate your training.
Taking the Scepter all but guarantees you won't be snuffed out before you get a chance to advance, and accelerates your growth curve by giving you the leverage to take risks.
*The Accursed will grant you a mighty power, broad in remit and scope of action and well-suited to your nature. If you are a Combat type, the power granted will be of formidable scale. If you are a Progression type, the power will be optimized to grow with you.
Game of the Year redux, with To Shatter Heaven included as free DLC! Honestly, these are the most boring options offered in Rihaku-quests in my opinion. I'm rarely interested in the one-note superpowers these kind of options give, his magic systems tend to have a more interesting conceptual foundation that draws my eye instead. Not terrible by any means, but my least-desired of the bunch.
[ ] Three Wishes - Your heart's desire.
The Accursed will grant certain of your requests. Do not squander his favor. Substantially mitigating your Curses or otherwise exceeding the Accursed's high expectations will recharge some fraction of either the Least, Lesser, or True Wishes depending on the scale and magnificence of your achievement.
Least Wish - You may wish for anything you could accomplish given a year's worth of effort, knowing what you know now. For example, "Improve my parameters as if I trained with my current methods for a year."
Lesser Wish - You may wish for most anything within reason, though it may not excessively surpass your current power level or that of the reality in which you currently reside. For example:
"Improve my parameters as if I had trained in a reasonably optimal manner for a human lifetime, without any of the negative side effects thereof."
"I wish for a superpower well-tailored to my current situation." Its general power level would be below that of the King's Scepter.
"I wish this enemy were dead beyond the possibility of recovery" would work on a greater variety of enemies than "I wish for this enemy to become my loyal servant."
Resurrection, time travel, social and political power etc are all within the realm of possibility, though each has limits.
True Wish - You may only employ the True Wish defensively unless the Accursed feels you have earned it. Earning it is very difficult. Used defensively, the Accursed will decisively resolve even the direst of situations in your favor. This is as good a guarantee of safety as exists in creation, for no entity you encounter in your travels will be even remotely capable of challenging the Accursed. The elder horrors of the omniverse could turn their unbridled might against you, but sheltering under his aegis you would not feel so much as a breeze.
Used proactively, you may wish for anything, and the Accursed will grant it if it is in your best interests.
Invoke this power with care, for the Accursed does not grant a favors of this scope for all but the most incredible of achievements. Most Cursebearers only get one.
Truly, a grand power. Having the Accursed's phone number... what more could a Cursebearer ask for?! In all seriousness, it's just too nebulous of a power for me to seriously support and spending Wishes on reviving people or things other than our own personal power aren't particularly appealing to me. Though this would work well with Freedom, the Hero is a man who strives towards Vengeance and upon that solemn path, his most crucial ally is simply power itself and nothing else.
[ ] The Sword That Ends The World - Accursed blade.
Access the Praxis, the Accursed's personal casting style. A style of magic that emanates completely from the self, relies completely upon the self, and is developed completely by the self. Advancement in the Praxis depends little on talent, much on effort and self-sacrifice. A dream of fairness, defiant against an uncaring universe. And power enough, in time, to make the universe care.
The Praxis is renowned for its limitless potential and complete omni-dimensional reliability. Where all other magics fail, the Praxis operates with unerring consistency. It excels at inflicting and preventing harm, but struggles in matters of renewal or restoration. This Remittance only access to the Praxis, but only Combat-type Cursebearers will start with skill in its application. Unlike the other Primary Remittances, this Remittance offers no immediate power to a Progression-type Cursebearer.
P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S P R A X I S
Whew, lost my head for a second there. I don't even know why other people look at other options, The Sword that Endes the World is the only magic we need, the only power we should acquire and the only waifu we should devote ourselves to? Need power? The Praxis shall provide. Need defense? The Praxis shall provide. Need companionship? The Praxis shall provide, poorly. (Also, seriously? C'mon, we're in these quests to enjoy power escalation, right?)
More seriously, I just really want to pull back the veil of DEEP LORE and the Praxis is probably the biggest shiny in the Rihaku omniverse in terms of lore information. Shame it shall lose for the third (!!!) time...
---
Lesser Remittances will be chosen after your Primary Remittance is selected. They include choices such as companions, objects of power, slight upgrades to your Primary Remittance and so on. It would be unwise to rely on them for safety in the short or medium term.
Please first vote for your favored combination of [ ] Freedom / [ ] Vengeance, Curses, and Primary Remittance.
Example Lesser Remittances:
Companion: Gisena Allria, the Nullity Sorceress
Physical **
Social ****
Mental ****
On the brink of her execution by a mighty foe, the Nullity Sorceress employed a novel and highly risky application of her powers to tear a hole between realms. Nihilistic, cunning, and disarmingly vivacious, she is an exceptionally talented technologist and socialite. Beautiful, and fond of using her charms to tease, manipulate, and frustrate friend & foe alike.
Modestly superhuman strength, speed, constitution, appearance, and quickness of thought. Her Sorcerous Graces allow her to nullify, negate, or weaken a very broad range of supernatural effects, or, in theory, aspects of reality. Well-suited to Curse mitigation. Not immune to the Brand of the Champion, not compatible with the Doom of Lunacy.
Artifact: Hunger
A ring of power, two thin bands of black surrounding a band of blood-red. When worn, it merges onto the finger, unable to be removed. The user's appetite for all the visceral pleasures of life is notably sharpened, increasing motivation and drive but with the obvious side effects. Indestructible as far as you can tell.
Dramatically reduces the benefits of training, but explosively increases rate of progression during active conflict. An active Cursebearer would progress many times faster in total.
Upgrade: Accursed Favor
Forgo a Lesser Remittance. Causes the Accursed to like you slightly more. Benefits uncertain, can be taken multiple times.
By default you have one Lesser Remittance, but you can acquire more in the following ways:
*Each additional Curse you take beyond the requirements grants 3 Lesser Remittances
*The Regalia grants 1-2 Lesser Remittances
*Thread Participation (see below)
Obviously, the best option is to cash everything in for Accursed Favor, the ultimate currency in the Rihaku-questing multiverse! Like, did you see the man's Patreon? It costs $120 for 1 Accursed Favor!! What kind of insane exchange rate is that?! I mean, I know that the Accursed is pretty much a loan shark, but still have some standards! Stop extracting the salt and tears of the poor voting quester-based just for such a pittance. In retrospect, we should stocked up on some Favor given the real-world exchange rates... would have been more economical in the long run.
Also, now that I think back, Gisena kind of provokes mixed feelings from me. I remember her as being that vaguely interesting companion in A Simple Transaction but now I recall more clearly the fact that she destroyed half of our Amplitude magic and I begin to feel the gradual stirrings of salt. I know that Orm Embar was more leery of Jeanne and her superhuman competence at the time, having just come from the devastating wrought upon by Arthur by Imperia's feminine wiles (or catering to Arthur's foot fetish) but perhaps the true danger was from Gisena, who now threatens the consumption of 28 Arete... truly, the worst foes are those who sneak up on you unnoticed!
