A Simple Transaction I

Forefront

Letrizia glanced down at her recipe book and carefully stirred the pot once more. The rich, savory scent of deep-stewed potato-and-bone broth wafted up to meet her. Taking a cautious sip from her spoon, she winced at the heat and pursed her lips thoughtfully.

What was she doing, cooking unassisted? With a flare of nebulous energy she immersed her form in personal Pressure, focusing it outwards in torrents upon the pot. Because she did not intend it to tip over it did not, and inspiration struck like sudden lightning. Yes, a pinch of that spice and a dash of this one and then a fine dusting of salt & pepper - that would do the trick! She stirred in the swirl of condiments, added a few cubes of freshly diced Elixir-fed steak, then put lid on pot for it to slowly simmer. No searing necessary with this recipe, the core feature was sumptuous meat that fell apart in clumps and melted swiftly in the mouth. Contentedly she inhaled, taking in the delectable odors of their upcoming meal.

She just knew Lord Hunger was going to love this soup! He always had a soft spot for clear, fragrant broths.

Yet without food to serve as distraction, her gaze was pulled to the Temple once more. Letrizia glowered. The damned thing was like a magnet for her attention, moon clutched helpless in its grisly claws. Lord Hunger had sped off so suddenly, and a few hours later Gisena and Aeira had departed as well, leaving her alone as usual in the cockpit of her Armament. Verschlengorge was with her, of course, but it just wasn't the same as company of her own kind. She was used to the swiftly changing tides of the battlefield, but wholly unused to doing nothing in response. Was it not her obligation to stride forth into anarchy and bring order by fist and maw? All her instincts screamed at her to act, to seize glory and thereby protect the tenuous vantage of her house...

Her stomach fluttered as she thought of the countless trials and dangers Lord Hunger must be facing in the Temple. How many times had she done this now, waiting powerlessly besides while the others delved deeper for power ever-increasing?

Maybe this was what mission control felt like, Letrizia thought, and smiled wanly. She would have to buy Yui a gift of some kind before they departed the Voyaging Realm. Maybe a magical plushie to add to her collection? The crown jewel of stuffed joys!

She shook her head. Best to be focused on the here and now. Her shining hour was just on the horizon! Lord Hunger had grown terribly strong in these past two weeks, his frenetic pace unceasing even when he'd declared them to be on vacation. Soon Verschlengorge would be healed and they'd depart for the City once more. She would prove herself to be worthy of inclusion right alongside Aeira and Miss Gisena!

Vigorously she pumped her fist and channeled her Element again, hair fluttering in summoned wind. The sharp bright sword that brings physical law to heel. She would master it, force it to acknowledge her as wielder, and stride then across sky and stars - not merely as that sacrifice, the Devouring Armament's Pilot, but as Arch-duchess Letrizia von Artriez, Hero of the Empire!

Verschlengorge cleared his throat. Letrizia patted it happily. She adored her Armament, it was her greatest ally and friend, but everyone knew its appetite was insatiable, for foe and friend alike. Such were the things with which one put up for the company of one's friends.

[ ] Oops, the Soup - Letrizia knocked over the soup while in the midst of her Sharpbright-empowered fantasies. No soup for you. [+1 Arete, Letrizia is sad, Verschlengorge is amused]

[ ] Peerless Grace - Letrizia coincidentally effortlessly dodged the soup, as a properly-trained pilot and ballroom dancer ought! Soup for Hunger, should he live. [Verschlengorge is bored & hungry]

---

[X] Treachery has won, please choose one of the following for your final build going into the battle with Sten:

[ ] The Avenger - The nature of reciprocal debts is this: pay back friendship and enmity both ten times over. As friendship unanswered will soon lie fallow, so too do wrongs unavenged invite further exploitation. The obverse face of the cycle of vengeance is the gormless victim upon whom injustice heaps endlessly. This man subjected the Ring your sibling to exhaustion without surcease, an unending forced march that would be torment by the first day, let alone the millionth. Let him reap even a fraction of what he has sowed. Dismember him in mind and body until his shattered husk can resist you no longer. All shall know that to profane a Ring is a crime beyond reckoning, and fear the consequences thereof.

*Avenger (3 picks, 7 Arete)
*Exceptionally powerful when it can be invoked, granting enormous physical speed and strength alongside a truly devastating critical hit frequency.
*Good synergy with Stats when active, doesn't restrict future build options much
*Does not yield any benefits when inapplicable, but 2 Arete cheaper than other builds!
*Will likely be inapplicable 70-80% of the time, fair warning
*The very safest option, though only modestly safer than The Blade

[ ] The Eminence - Let this insect be destroyed. We do not recognize him; neither the form of his self nor the strength of his dignity can persist in the wake of our judgement. Torment of a Ring is tantamount to atrocity. Let him be twisted until not even a scrap of his selfhood remains; until he is no husk but a horror grotesque, a scream without a mouth as the Ring was for so long; let all his direst fears come to pass and then be a thousand times surpassed by the transfigurations we shall inflict upon him. Only then will satisfaction be paid to the Azure, who was bled so cruelly and for so long by this gnat of a being.

*Dominion, Preeminence: Passion, Hateful Might (3 picks, 9 Arete)
*The dread power of hateful might which twists one's foes into a cruel and powerless mockery of themselves, their blood curdling like spoiled milk, their essence rotting out from under them
*A horrible way to go that should only be reserved for one's direst foes, if that
*A single spectacular burst of cruelty may placate the Azure Ring, reducing its future hatefulness
*That said, hatefulness can be reduced in other ways
*Builds towards Ruling Ring, though you are unlikely to get Ruling Ring anytime soon
*Though chances of success are pretty good, the riskiest of the options here

[ ] The Blade - Let this business be done with. Quickly, cleanly. Complete the objective and go; dwell not on the past which is beyond your power (yet) to change, but cut onwards and through into the future. Sever the Ring from its tormenter, its tormentor from his life, and the profits of that torture from the society he upheld.

This reckless hate is beneath your dignity, Azure. You are a Ring of Power, not some mewling simpleton of mortal span. Eternity lies before you; why dwell on enemies already buried? 'Slays Keeper, ruins town, and beats high temple down.' Let him be one hero more whom time has felled; let that be enough.

*Knife, Fierce Quickening, Echo of the Forebear, Hero-Defeating Stance - 3 picks, 9 Arete
*A strong, safe build that offers comprehensive power in both the present and the future, though obviously weaker than the Avenger while Avenger is active.
*Versatility of Rank, point-effectiveness of AGI in your current situation, and synergy with Crimson Flare
*The build that raises the best foundation for the mid- to long-term, though the influence of any one decision point is relatively small
*Reduces hatefulness but not by as much as The Eminence. Aims for a quick, clean kill or surrender.
*Great chances of success, but not guaranteed.

---

While victory is likely no matter which build you pick, it is still not certain for 2/3rds of the builds. That said, in order to avoid an overly complicated vote in the event that you do win, please now decide on Hunger's disposition towards utilizing the Azure Ring:

[ ] Let It Rest - While he will assign it a Ringbearer, there is no imminent need for massive amounts of power. Whatever energies it can spare in the course of its 'psychological' recuperation will be harnessed, but care will be taken to strain it minimally.

*Massively reduces hatefulness
*The Ring will provide roughly 5 Arete worth of benefits to Hunger personally, and an initially modest but steadily scaling amount to its Ringbearer.
*The Azure Ring will mostly be silent, but grateful. Perhaps the rivalry of past Ages is a matter not to be conducted endlessly, but rather to be risen above...

[ ] Ruler & Vassal - Rescue for leal service, that was the bargain and he shall see it fairly enforced. Freed of its unnatural vise the Ring Azure will be entirely capable of exerting its energies to a typical degree without undue suffering. A Ring's psychology is not a man's; the agony inflicted by Plerion's vise dealt not true lasting damage to Band or Jewel. Let it do as it promised and offer the full complement of powers in commission for freedom from harm.

*Modestly reduces hatefulness
*The Ring will provide roughly 7 Arete worth of benefits to Hunger personally, and an initially modest but quickly scaling amount to its Ringbearer. In time the difference between an active and resting Ring will reveal a large gap in effective capability.
*The Azure Ring will see that relations between it and the Crimson are right and proper, fairly conducted as agreements should be. Neither laxity on part of the vassel nor malice on part of the superior ought be accepted.

[ ] Subordination - Take what is yours and show no mercy, as no mercy was shown when Azure reigned across far epochs past. There is no room for sentiment in the game of naked power played between Rings. Superior and subordinate, master and servant: that is all you can or ever will be. Mistake not the light hand for weakness, or the heavy for cruelty - such things are the product of a human mind and irrelevant to the dealings of Rings.

*Hatefulness unaffected
*The Ring will provide roughly 10 Arete worth of benefits to Hunger personally with additional benefits over time. These benefits will be specifically calculated as to maximally increase Hunger's power in a synergistic fashion. For example, a free 7 Arete Advancement combined with a 3 Arete discount towards the Evening Sky 25-Arete option of your choice.
*The Ring will provide an initially significant and rapidly scaling amount of power to its Ringbearer, though some small fraction of its hateful nature may come to infect its wielder. Those skilled in the magical arts, or possessed of superhuman Will and cleverness, can throw off this influence and stand vigilant against it.
*It will be made clear to the Azure that there is only one Lord of the Rings, and he does not share power.