A Simple Transaction I

The Ultimate Price

The last few hours had been a whirl of activity; they'd consolidated control over a full nine-tenths of the Inner Ring, with many of the last holdouts falling to his direct assault. The activity had reminded him of his Geas task and the vast swathe of time it portended: fifty years to rule, twenty-five hundred years the limit, and that vast span less than an eyeblink compared to the full scope of the Geas itself, nine hundred thirty-seven octillion years of service. He'd been shaken from his contemplations by the arrival of Aeira and Gisena herself, the latter at last complete with her meditations.

Her evolution into self-proclaimed 'High Sorceress' had certainly augmented her powers; there was a nearly-tangible current of findross in her wake, a shimmering presence of something greater than mortal life. There was a capricious yet graceful quality to even her slightest movements, her beauty now almost cruelly captivating, every feature unbearably shapely and clear. Her sparkling green eyes caught him and she winked, daintily skipping over as the troops of House Alynne watched.

"Hey hun, did you miss me?" She asked sweetly, arms behind her back.

He frowned. "Stop showing off, we've got a Ring to save. Is that going to be permanent?" He nodded towards her aura of findross.

"Aww," Gisena pouted, extending her arms and twirling around. "Can't a girl celebrate just a little? I haven't had a makeover in ages! We've been traveling in such grueling conditions, too. And you needn't worry about the aura, it's just a side effect of my transformation! Should go away in a couple hours."

"Yes yes, you're the fairest of them all," he said dryly, forcing himself not to be distracted by her now-transfixing exquisiteness. He had parlayed with Lords and Ladies of the Fae that were nearly as beautiful, though that had been at the apex of his former might.

"Good, praise me more," Gisena said happily, coming around to take his arm. "So hun, what's the plan? Have you met any of the big, bad, Immortals mentioned in Aeira's papers?"

"No," he shook his head, "You're going to deal with them for me."

"Hm? I've just shown up and I get handed all the work?"

"That's right. It's the reward for a job well-done."

Gisena giggled. "Then I suppose I can't complain. I did ask you to praise me more!"

Aeira was apparently too flustered to say anything to either of them, taking instruction quietly and acknowledging their directions with a shaky nod. With the Immortals entrenched in the tiny Innermost Temple, Hunger would wrap himself in a shell of dense edeldross and transport Gisena to one of the outlying buildings on the border of the Innermost. From there she would unleash her Ultimate Nullity, the "Plan B" that had wiped all wonder and magic from the world. With her powers recently enhanced, the radius of effect would be more than enough to cover the Innermost Temple - and a good fraction of the Inner as well. No Immortal would escape the effect.

He expected to lose the Evening Sky temporarily, even with his maximal edeldross output, but the Immortals should suffer far more greatly than he. Aeira would cloak them in shadow before they went; none expected her Element to overcome the perspicacity of the highest Immortals, but every bit could help.

Initially all went as planned, his edeldross cocoon and the cloak of Evening below both withering before Gisena's onslaught, but leaving his body untouched. With not a moment to waste, he sped towards the Innermost at forty times the speed of sound, a lightning blur springing unimpeded towards the final prison of the Ring.

At last it came into view, the charge he'd pursued with unswerving determination these past weeks: caught, in artful symmetry of the Temple itself, within the pale ivory fingers of a precisely-manufactured vise, each point of contact alight with crackling agony, spilling siphoned power in thunderous bolts.

Surprisingly, two Immortals still stood, their powers undepleted by Gisena's attack. One man and one woman standing unfortunately close to the Ring. The man was dressed in plain tunic and pants with rainbow wisps fading about him, while the woman was clad in more conventional plate, bearing a broadsword whose steel flashed clarion blue. If Larissa's description was correct, these were Evangeline Worldkeeper and Quiet Sten, two of the mightiest Immortals, though she hadn't expected either to withstand the bomb of Gisena's Nullity unscathed.

Without hesitation they leapt at him, swiftness nearly the equal of his own. The man hunched forward like a dog taught to kill, his limbs colossal, barrel-like arms near twice the width of Hunger's own. He was a broad bear of a man, though he stood only half a head taller, nowhere near the old marshal's stature who had confronted him at the boundary of the Inner Temple. The woman tacked to the side, sword held defensively, examining Hunger's figure with a critical eye. Buoyed by the imminent prospect of its kin's rescue, his Ring flared crimson, and he felt their blood falter and tremble before him. Let it be enough.

He feinted at the man, committing hard to an attack on the breastbone; then switched last-minute to half-sword, shifting the angle of his strike down towards the man's groin. His opponent reacted with admirable speed, stepping sideways to avoid the cut, but Hunger released his Blade with his left hand and punched him in the face. The Power of Ruin infused in his strike left a crater of splintering skin and bone, but Hunger's own fist rebounded harshly, bones shattered by the terrible sharp tenacity of his opponent's flesh. It was like punching a cliff crag of pure adamant; and though his foe seemed equally surprised that the Ringbearer had hurt him, Hunger fell back, jaw gritted in frustration.

He knew his time was limited. It would not take long for the other Immortals to recover their powers as the Groundskeeper had. He had to finish these two great threats and steal their strength before then.

Only brief instants to think as his hand healed. Neither opponent had used their Soul Evocation; Gisena's attack had at least disabled that. He might be wrong but he was doomed anyway if that were the case.

Going for the Ring was too risky while it was flanked by both defenders. They clearly wanted him to duel Quiet Sten, so it was best to take out Evangeline first. The Forebear's technique had not failed him yet; he could only hope it would suffice to cut through these final guardians. But best not to rely on uncertainties when possible. He leapt backwards again, blade lashing out to send sword-winds screaming across the bare chamber of the Innermost. In all directions they curved and hummed; impossible for a foe of equivalent speed to intercept them all. The intent was clear: at least one enemy would have to close the distance or be worn down at range.

Evangeline clicked her tongue. Quiet Sten spread wide his arms and charged into the mass of the blade projections, the swarm scoring his torso but failing to deal more than superficial damage. Evangeline leapt back and parried with her blade, each sword-wind carving a tiny but perceptible nick into that clarion saber. A single stroke made it past her guard and slipped beneath her armor, carving a broad deep line through her lower torso.

And then Stenallon was upon him, blotting out all sight, hands crooked like claws as he descended like a falling sun. Hunger blasted the ground with edeldross, hurling himself back and away, bouncing off the curved chamber wall to spring towards Evangeline. Sten bellowed in rage, leaping with thunderous strength straight upwards to intercept him.

Shit. The man was so strong that even a slight twitch of his foot sufficed to propel him at awesome speed. He'd waited until Hunger was midair to spring his trap.

No time for fancy work. Hunger struck one-handed with the Forebear's Blade directly at Sten's center of mass. Swiping with a single paw, Sten tore Hunger's arm off at the elbow, and reached out with his other hand to trap him within a crushing grapple.

As expected. Hunger recalled the falling Forebear's Blade towards his left hand, summoning it point-first into Sten's right kidney. With the same gesture he conjured a last-ditch wall of edeldross: far from enough to withstand the charge but sufficient to break Sten's momentum. The grapple fell short and Hunger recalled his Blade again, driving and twisting it in Sten's obdurate flesh as the weapon sought its master.

Evangeline had by this point recovered some portion of her Soul Evocation; she pointed at Hunger and bright bolts of gold issued forth from her finger to strike at him. Where they touched, they seared and boiled his flesh, scouring down to the bone. But that bone remained untouched, and free of Sten's reach Hunger fired another burst of edeldross, propelling him like a missile into Evangeline. She hopped back, dodging the impact crater, but the Ring of Blood brought him unnatural resilience. Recovering in an eyeblink he simply leapt forward, jamming the razor-sharp shard of his amputated elbow into her chest wound. Hobbled by that same wound, Evangeline could not dodge, choosing instead to skewer him on her brilliant flashing blade; the metal parted Hunger's flesh easily, punching clean through his shoulder, but force of that magnitude could hardly stop him now. Finally in knife-range he slammed his forehead into hers, shattering her face; sent reeling, she did not see the Forebear's Blade tear itself free of Sten and leap contentedly into Hunger's left hand.

A battle of two extremes. Sten with overwhelming strength and fortitude but whose technique and instincts were rusty, and Evangeline whose wits and blade were quick but could not match Hunger's own physicality. Just as the battle would be over if Sten grappled him, so too was it over if Hunger grappled Eva. He hooked her leg with his own and brought them to the ground, shrugging his shoulder back to prevent her retrieving her sword. Blindly she struggled but his strength was by far the greater. Whipping them to the side he dodged Sten's last desperate charge and brought his Blade around to cut through Eva's neck. Its edge flashed harrowing blue as it slid across her jugular; one clean stroke to take off her head. The Ring of Blood pulsed only once in triumph, as if reminding him that this battle was not yet complete.

Hunger leapt back as Sten extricated himself from the chamber wall. Assessing himself, he finally realized that his Ring was still with his severed right arm; though diminished, he could feel its presence strongly. Was this a general property of the Ring or merely its depth of resolve to save its sibling? Perhaps their connection had grown so that, like the Forebear's Blade, it could come to him when called?

Hunger smirked to himself as Sten faced him again. No, the Ring was not the Blade; it held a different sort of power and could not affect the world in so gross a way. Sten glared at him with eyes devoid of hate; gray obligation filled those dull eyes, a tireless duty that had never once wavered.

It was no easy thing, to bear a Ring, but far harder still to contain one unwillingly. And yet he could not bring himself to pity this sad thundering jailer. This was the chief architect of the Azure Ring's torment. He would pay nothing less than the ultimate price.

---

The winner was [X] Evangeline Worldkeeper.

Hunger's power over blood is weakened with the Ring of Power severed from his body, but Sten is half-blind and eviscerated, his eye and lower torso cored by the power of Ruin. The other Immortals are beginning to recover. The Ring of Blood cannot maintain its vehemence forever; eventually Hunger's blood-based enhancements will start to falter as his external influence has.

Even so, Evangeline's defeat has lead to a considerable rise in strength. Choose 3 picks below. You may spend up to 9 Arete (currently ~6.8). Arete spent but not generated will lead to Debt, with 2 or more leading to instant death.

- 0-pick options -

[ ] Hero-Defeating Stance - A Martial Stance of the Forebear. ++Might, ++Agility, +Wisdom, +0.2 external Rank. Halve the effects of enemy Rank if it is greater than your own. Halve the effects of being outnumbered, if you are outnumbered. This Stance is permanently active until switched for another [Enemy]-Defeating Stance. A pre-requisite for Foe-Defeating Stance. You may have [Rank/2, rounded down] Stances active at one time.

This is the only stance that can be recommended to swap Guile-Defeating Stance out for in your current situation.

- 1-pick options -

[ ] Forebear's Blade - Echo of the Forebear - Cloud-shadow of the Forebear's might.
Legendary strength and speed, and the resilience to exert them. Can be taken multiple times. [+Might, +Agility]

[ ] The Ring of Power - Dominion - 2 Arete
A ring of power does not exert influence casually. It has its own will, its own preferences, and if that will should be inseparable from its owner's, its sway thereby shall be greater for it.

The available domains for Hunger are: War, Passion

[ ] The Ring of Power - Preeminence - 7 Arete

It is no small thing, to master a ring of power; and for those few who have braved that height, at its peak they shall only glimpse the true jewel which lies even further beyond.

Choose a domain you have already purchased. While acting within its purview, double its effective Rank modifier and gain +All Stats. You may select this advancement multiple times, choosing a different domain each time.

The available domains for Hunger's Preeminence are: War, Passion

[ ] 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.

[ ] The Ring of Power - Hateful Might - Conjunctional [Forebear's Blade]. For whom death is too kind; curdle the blood and shred the soul's essence. Requires Preeminence: Passion.

Against foes for whom Preeminence: Passion is or would be active, the Power of Ruin applies to their blood and soul directly, twisting and corroding the design of their body and ravaging unprotected spirits. Those without immense superhuman will or other esoteric protections will find themselves quickly deteriorating before the character's strikes. Physical durability matters not, though those without corporeal blood are only partially affected.

[ ] 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.

[ ] Evening Sky - Opalescence - The soft light of evening before which all attacks falter.
+Protection, improving defensive parameters.

[ ] Evening Sky - Iridescence - 2 Arete - The sharp light of the stars before which all malice is lessened.
+Protection, +Charisma. Expands the range of effects subject to the Evening Sky, allowing it to passively weaken almost all forms of magic. Even Nullity itself can be once withstood before the Sky recedes. Requires Opalescence.

[ ] Evening Sky - Pearlescence - 7 Arete - Woe unto they who would stand against the bearer of Evening, for all the stars in heaven are their enemies, and the moon above as well.
+++Protection, and the protection granted by the Evening Sky now automatically scales to its wearer's power; effectively, the wearer is granted an additional Experience modifier whose output is automatically applied to the Evening Sky. Requires Iridescence.

[ ] Feat - Knife - 2 Arete. Adds .15 Rank, .2 with Uttermost.

- 2-pick options -

[ ] Honing - 2 Arete - The swift sharp blade that frees blood from body. Requires 3x Fierce Quickening (presently have 2x).
+++Agility, ++Wits. Add half your Wits to your Intelligence for purposes of combat.

- 3-pick options -

[ ] The Ring of Power - Avenger - 7 Arete - Power to exact the ultimate price.
When opposing an enemy that has severely wronged either himself or one of his kin, double the wielder's physical Attributes and halve enemy Luck, Wisdom and Protection. The latter effect may be resisted. In addition, every attack, physical or social, that the wielder successfully lands, is considered a critical hit (triple effectiveness) against such targets. Can be upgraded into Blood Price for 21 Arete.

[ ] Forebear's Blade - Headsman - 7 Arete - Who passes the sentence...
Seals the ability to launch blade projections and blade-winds. While the Forebear's Blade is as light as it ever was to the wielder themselves, its effective mass is multipled tremendously for other purposes. In addition, the Blade casts a shadow of potential around its wielder, impossibly increasing the margin of error for deflection.

+++++Strength, ++Int (Combat), ++Wisdom (Combat), ++Wits
Double the value of Str +s for use of the Blade
+50% to the value of AGI +s when blocking and parrying
+.2 Defensive Rank when blocking and parrying

---

Finally, what strategy to pursue against Sten himself?

[ ] Age - Cut him down as the span of years ought have.

[ ] Treachery - Talk him down - or attempt to drive insane. Physical force is his domain, but your mind is the stronger.

---

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