A Simple Transaction I

The Platinum Expanse

It was a pale, cloud-wreathed morning, the wind sharp and brisk. It blew without mercy or respite, carrying tufts of frost-tinged mist across the shorn-flat stone on which they stood.

Hunger's coronation was, at his vehement insistence, a plain and unadorned affair, the ceremony itself taking no longer than fifteen minutes atop the carven peak of Elixir Mount. Without room to host the crowds seeking attendance, it was displayed via holocaster drone to the overspilling hordes below. His crown itself was a band of grey platinum adorned by a single well-cut diamond. In contrast, Gisena's accession as Princess Regent was as full of pomp and circumstance as a fairy daydream; her tiara of misted silver glittering with jewels like frozen starlight. Pale white, lilac, amethyst and azure, like a constellation brought to heel they shined furiously atop her brow.

"Let's hope this doesn't inflate your ego as grandly as it did the ceremony budget," he murmured as he finished crowning her.

"But I thought that already reached its maximum size?" Gisena blinked innocently at him.

He scoffed, seating himself back on his - throne. "Just look at all this. You never know when things might proceed beyond, and further beyond, all reasonable expectation."

"Maybe if you aren't a genius!" She smirked cheerfully. "I enchanted this one myself. All shall love me and despair!"

"Yes, I'm sure you'll be a wonderful role model for aspiring oppressors everywhere."

"I exist to serve. Such is the duty of a Princess Regent!"

"Serving one's own ends is the purpose of every politician. Don't pretend to be special."

"You wound me. Do I truly need to pretend?"

"You seem to enjoy it."

"Aww," she grinned and laid dainty fingers over his own. "You know me so well... Your Majesty."

After the interminable ceremony concluded, they set to work revising the constitution of the Sovereignty, focused on creating a stable, just, and prosperous society. Their time was limited, and, desiring to maintain the legitimacy of a continuous structure, Letrizia's deep knowledge of Imperial law was crucial to the endeavor as a whole. Aeira, Aobaru and certain handpicked officials were charged full of Edeldross and tasked with assembling an interim government.

Ultimately they were amending an existing document, based on principles of empire that had survived centuries in this far-flung cosmos. Much could be retained or slightly adjusted, but the existence of the Elementalists - spontaneous magicians whose chief asset was their vast, nigh-uncontrollable destructive power - posed a unique challenge for the codifiers.

As the Elementalists represented both a volatile internal faction and the majority of the Sovereignty's military might, a delicate balance had to be struck. They had to instill a sense of responsibility for an Elementalist's vast powers without resorting to the direct conscription of the earlier regime. Almost every Elementalist represented an outlier risk capable of single-handedly depopulating anything from a single structure to the entire Kingdom. Those rare Elements associated with defense and restoration had to be carefully stewarded lest the civilization boil over from a few disgruntled magicians.

Even with the full might of his expanded Rank and all the speed he'd retained from the Forebear, Hunger was driven near-to exhaustion in the following days, as the wholesale reconstruction of an entire state occupied his complete attention.

Much of rulership was unpleasant decision-making between alternatives neither of which was clearly preferable: disputes on legalese and ownership between factions both of which held a somewhat-legitimate claim; minutia and clarifications of legal policy that could nonetheless affect thousands; and all the countless edge cases that any broadly sweeping law was bound to spawn in a modernized society such as this.

Gisena, of course, took to the matter with indefatigable cheer, remarking that their Kingdom was easier to manage than the territories she'd ruled as a noble in her old Realm. She gushed over the convenience and reliability of modern communications technology and was happy to do the intellectual heavy lifting on matters of great complexity.

Those disputes too thorny or too critical to be handled by their Edeldross-boosted staff had to be resolved by Hunger or Gisena themselves, and quite a number filtered up to their level as his officials sought a frame of reference for the intent of their monarch in the few days he would be present. Luckily there were no incidents provoking the Tyrant's Doom, the sheer force of his presence sufficient to deflect any serious attempts on his authority.

"It's a bit concerning," he frowned, tugging at the Evening Sky. Ever since Larissa he'd been worried about becoming a genuine cognitive hazard to those around him. Afterwards he'd mastered Edeldross to a vastly greater degree, the suffusion of that element naturally improving his charisma as it did every other attribute. The Cloak of Evening further magnified that power, bringing it to the point where even casual pronouncements could incite disturbing levels of fanaticism towards his person. But cloak and Element both contributed too greatly to his personal competence for deactivation to be practical, especially in light of the Apocryphal Curse...

"You'll get used to it," Gisena assured him, "People get bored of staring at even the mightiest of Sorceresses, given enough time. It may take years, but you'll need this power given the Curses you bear!"

It was unquestionably useful for avoiding the Tyrant's Doom, but it would be preferable to modulate his power somewhat, activating the higher reaches of supernal presence only when he so desired. Else it would be difficult to pass undetected, to say nothing of the consequences for those who interacted with him regularly.

Gisena and Letrizia had the wherewithal to withstand his influence. They were possessed of much experience in supernatural matters and comprehensively enhanced by their own arts. Aeira and Aobaru did not wield magics nearly as wide-reaching, and, for all their ability, had until recently been reasonably sheltered high school students.

It was a matter he would have to address sooner rather than later. That this capability was a tremendous boon and net positive did not mean he - and the society he governed - was obliged to endure the side-effects, if they could be avoided.

"Things are stabilizing here," he tapped the throne thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should remove ourselves from the situation as quickly as we can. It'll be good to get a head start on the Decimator's Affliction."

"Well, they don't exactly have matters well in hand," Gisena said, sorting through documents. Her standards were more exacting than most. "But they're probably capable of muddling along, and what more could you really ask for? Our underlings need to learn how to manage without me, the sooner the better!"

"Maybe you're right," he mused, "it does seem like your ego has reached maximum size. But I won't begrudge you for that, since you've worked so hard lately."

She could easily have refused the labor of reforming Sovereignty into a Kingdom to spend the time Artificing instead. In truth they'd had no particular obligation to these people, and taking up the reins of the Kingdom would consume some of their attention even with the structures they'd set up. Had it been to appease the popular will alone, Hunger would have refused. Why had he agreed? Re-litigating the failures of his past? Not that alone, though he wouldn't deny it had played a part.

Gisena preened. "When do I not? Perhaps I'm a genius of hard work as well!"

"Yes, good job. Let's go take a vacation to kill things."

"So violent! Are these the vicissitudes of kingship?"

"Nothing inspires patriotism like war."

And so, not desiring a fanatical cult of personality, Hunger resolved to finalize the affairs of his new Kingdom as quickly as possible, and planned to venture into the Voyaging Realm once more. Hopefully he would find some enemy capable of shrouding its presence, of dimming majesty's halo so that its bearer could cease to draw attention wheresoever he wandered.

---

[X] Constitution with [X] The Elementalists has won. The Kingdom's current performance is Adequate, though Hunger remains overwhelmingly popular. Performance may improve as people become more accustomed to the laws.

Which option does Hunger pursue on the trip to the Walls of Myth? Shadowcord alone can render him stealthy, but he specifically requires an effect that allows him to interact with others without overwhelming them.

[ ] Sky Veil [7 Arete] - Just as the sky emblazons one's majesty, so too can it do the inverse, serving as a curtain drawn against the solar blaze of superhuman will. In addition to allowing the wearer to voluntarily decrease his Charisma +s in increments of 25% (without affecting associated Attributes like Protection from Vigor Itself! A rare trait), it also increases Protection by +++++ and AGI by ++. Allows the Evening Sky to disguise its appearance, taking on the semblance of the morning or noonday sky, or even of an ordinary cloak - much as it may despise such diminishment. Unlocks stealth- and disguise-based Advancements, including Conjunctional effects with Aeira.

*With the power of disguise comes the power, to scam...
*May provoke a certain individual. But you can probably take him. Right?

[ ] Vanquisher Halo [7 Arete] - Superhuman Charisma isn't actually a problem. One can always introduce hard sensory filters like dense Shadowcord or literal fortress walls between oneself and those one does not wish to affect, especially given skillful intermediaries such as the Princess Regent. No, better to specialize, become the mailed fist to her velvet glove, especially when venturing into a realm of mythic war. Req. Triumphal Gleam. +20% Rank gain, +++++CHA, Adds your Charisma to your Strength, negates all penalties to Charisma, even self-inflicted ones.

*A Halo-type Advancement. Rare.
*Really strong in fights and removes your Charisma penalty from Uttermost.
*Hunger will abandon the idea of reducing his Charisma. It is a silly idea anyway.
*You can also take an Echo.
*SORD. PRETTY.

[ ] Honing [2 Arete] - The ability to voluntarily reduce one's Charisma can be pursued after the Opalescent Tower falls. In the meantime the priority must be combat strength, which Honing excels at for cheap. And it'll unlock further Blood Advancements!

*Haven't you delayed this long enough?

[ ] Just Take Echoes - Take 2 Echoes of the Forebear. It's cheap and effective.

Given the importance of good Elementalist stewardship, Hunger has one final decision to make before departing for the Walls of Myth. With what structure should the Elementalists of the Elixir Kingdom be organized?

[ ] Without Form - Elementalists will be free to use their powers as desired, though violations of the law will be prosecuted to its full extent. Voluntary training and advisory bodies will exist for Elementalists, with a certificate of completed training privileging access to many Elementalist-only perks such as advanced commission into the military, favorable insurance rates for contracting work performed via Elementalism, authorization to use one's Element as a mercenary or privateer, and so on and so forth. Training will emphasize the responsible usage of power and the delicacy of the balance by which Elementalists exist within, and are supported by, the society around them.

The administration of these training programs, the dispensation of Elementalist-related benefits, the organization of elite Elementalist-only special forces, and the protection of Elementalism-related rights shall be directly overseen by the Crown Office, headed by those officials demonstrating both exceptional competence and loyalty to throne.

*Somewhat risky, but social pressure and incentives can do most of the work of a policy, so long as the culture supports it. 'Not being destroyed by a rogue Elementalist' is a great incentive for people to support a culture of care towards these immense powers.
*Slightly increases occurrence rate of Super Elite-tier Elementalists comparable to Aobaru in potential.

[ ] Agents of the Throne - There will be one clear delineation between those Elementalists who are trained, evaluated, and eventually accepted as Agents of the Throne and those who are not. Agents receive all Elementalist-specific perks as well as further honing by the most skilled of Elementalist trainers, and are actively placed in an environment emphasizing performance, mental stability, and loyalty to the throne.

Non-Agents are free to use their powers for commercial purposes but not towards violent ends, as per a much more forgiving version of Regimentation, below. Powerful and useful Elementalists will be strongly incentivized, though not required, to join the ranks of the Agents. Education and social policy will be structured so that the position of Agent is highly desired and prestigious.

*Fairly safe and personally beneficial to Hunger. You may come up with a different title than Agent if desired.
*Highly increases production of Elite-tier Elementalists capable of performing independent missions.

[ ] Regimentation - While mandatory conscription will be barred, the unlicensed use of an Elemental power shall be illegal outside of certain specific circumstances (emergency self-defense, etc). The power of High Elementalism is simply too great to leave wholly unchecked; each can be considered no less deadly than a fully armed low-grade Armor Prototype, which represents a concentration of force that conventional policing would be hard-pressed to overcome.

Increasing levels of licensure (each accompanied by moderate to significant degrees of training and evaluation) will be applied such that the use of an Element for personal, commercial, political and military applications will be strongly regulated. This uses a similar system of training and incentives as Without Form, but causes such training to be mandatory rather than voluntary for any who wish to use their magics. Access to certain high levels of licensure will be granted only to those individuals with sufficient mental stability, competence, and loyalty to the throne.

*The safest option, almost guaranteed not to blow up the Kingdom by the time you return.
*Useful if you just don't want to worry about the Elixir.

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