A Simple Transaction I

A Solemn Reprieve

Vote Update time!

Uniting with their errant companions, the party was able to hold out until the day of the new moon, and earn themselves a brief & solemn reprieve from the horrors of Dien's campaign. Yet when time resumes it flow, the Hero's exponential growth shall continue unabated. It falls upon Hunger and his allies to emerge from Evening's Realm with the tools and abilities to overcome this monstrous puppetmaster, lest the universe entire end up bridled by its strings.

Hunger has not been idle in the weeks leading up to re-unification, of course! He has continued at the same relentless pace which drove him in his original world - harried from one desperate redoubt to another, staying just inches ahead of the Tyrant's pursuit, cultivating just enough in the way of prowess, allies, equipment or resolve to remain doggedly alive despite the hail and thunder of the Overlord's fury. Unceasingly he has sought further development, power enough to rip Dien Bravo from its throne and cast it down into irretrievable oblivion.

And his efforts have borne fruit, somewhat. Hunger has developed Breaker of Suns - Supreme Commander and the Refinement of War. Power enough, at the very least, to demonstrate his absolute tactical superiority over even the mightiest of Dien's creations.

Refinement of War - 1 + 7 Praxis picks / 25 Arete, Req. Refinement of Purpose, Refinement of Quickness or Prowess, Refinement of Battle

The caster for an instant embodies the supreme war-making version of themselves, triumph distilled and made incarnate. Extremely draining, for emergency use only. Like a controlled Shattering Blow.

*Apply half the numerical benefits of the Refinement of Battle, and half the ISH elevation of the Refinement of (Quickness/Prowess), to the character's Might, Agility, Wits, Prowess, Luck, Protection, and Wisdom (Combat) for one action or brief sequence of actions. Does not stack with the benefits inherent to the pre-requisites of this Advancement.

-If possessing Attainment of Quickness: Highly Draining, apply 7/10ths the benefits and elevation instead.
-And possessing Attainment of Battle: Duration increased to "one full exchange of blows or the equivalent," apply full benefits and elevation instead.
-And possessing Attainment of Purpose: Unlocks Subordination of War

Supreme Commander [Special Advancement]

Upgrades Conquerer's Nimbus, appending the following ability:

*The character is master of every battlefield, all-seeing general whose omnipresent strategies are as conclusive as they are inescapable. Wheresoever word spreads of the character's feats within a conflict, the character's Rank is as well. With fame enough it is as if he were physically present at the site. At its greatest, this may encompass the entire theatre of said conflict regardless of scope. Now at last does the reach of his Astral gravitation come to match its force, so long as there are subjects - or enemies - to bear witness. The terror and despair of an overmatched foe are just as potent a catalyst as the admiration and trust of one's partisans.
*Note that the effectiveness of Rank normally falls off with distance. Properly utilized, this Advancement allows the character to wage war at nearly unlimited scope, as one-many army and occupying host; war across whole realms and realities, connected or disjointed, fending off infinite fronts so long as his exploits are known.
*The character's projected Rank reaches full intensity with one epic feat, three notable feats, or a steady pattern of moderate but impressive feats of martial achievement. This is relative to the context of the conflict; what may seem epic to inland barbarians is trifling to the Foremost, for example.

---

Even with Adorie's assistance, Hunger cannot use Refinement of War very often. Having very briefly employed it against Dien's legions, his first few days within the Realm of Evening will be spent recuperating - not merely from the exertion inherent to the technique, but from the ruthless pace he has subjected himself to these past weeks.

Afterwards, the task of finding Dien - or of fortifying the Human Sphere sufficiently to resist his pernicious work - continues apace. Hunger has somewhat over 54 Arete. What shall he spend his efforts and ingenuity upon?

You may choose up to two. If you think of appropriate strategies, you may write-in options targeting Aobaru, Aeira or Letrizia's advancement as well. For example, purchasing Sublime Fulcrum with the Legendary Template to be applied to Aobaru could drastically elevate his relevance in both present and future conflicts!

[ ] Strife Without End - The destiny of those afflicted with the Apocryphal Curse is battle without surcease. What others may call a reprieve from war, Hunger recognizes as an opportunity to train further. Hunger will generate a substantial number of picks (fed into Echoes) this Pillars effort, and may also spend his Arete on both normal and Praxis Advancements appropriate to the picks generated. 1- and 2-pick fights are readily achievable within the Realm of Evening; 3-pick fights are possible but dangerous.

*Staying ahead of Dien's advancement curve requires constant effort on Hunger's part. Fortunately, so long as Hunger maintains his lead he has little to personally fear from the depredations of the Surgeon, and so far the compounding effects of his interlocked Advancements have kept him well above the Foremost Shard.
*Gives you the opportunity to spend picks & Arete on Advancements for Hunger himself, including some Praxis techniques.
*Even without this, Hunger will still train to some degree, picking up a modest number of Echoes.

[ ] Barricade of Myth - The Walls of Myth have sheltered Nilfel from diminishment and external ills for time immemorial. Perhaps there is some way to offer that fortified seclusion to territories that Hunger conquers? He is, after all, Nilfel's Champion, and bodyguard to its queen...

Unlocks Hail the Queen. Hunger will need to succeed in a 3-pick fight to acquire the Advancement. ++Adorie Mental Stability; she's so relieved to be finally helping!

Hail the Queen [3 picks, 28 Arete] - Req. November Sky - Winter Wonderland, Spare the Innocent, Oath of Winter

Wheresoever the snow touches, that is her domain.

Grants a further +++++All Attributes to the Queen and Champion of Nilfel, and tremendously expands her power of rule. Elevate her Social Attributes by one half-step along the Infinite Singularity Husk.

Further, reality itself respects the surety of her dominion; the law, written or fundamental, is hers to reshape as she wills. Nor is she bound to the finitude of her existing territory: lands annexed into her domain can be equally warped to her purpose.

The bearer of the Oath of Winter may re-configure the metaphysics and fundamental phenomena of her territory to a degree. Lands conquered or bartered for, or which otherwise fall under her legitimate dominion, are immediately subject to this effect the moment that power is secured. The preconditions for legitimacy are strict; ostensible rule does not suffice, only the true power of a de facto monarch can establish such totality of influence. A governor may administer such territories in her place, so long as their role is contained to the execution of her overriding policy.

Lands under her rule may be subject to any number of ordinary societal laws, as well as up to three supernal Decrees. Access to a Decree-effect is profoundly influenced by its thematic suitability to the kingdom in question; a criterion that takes into account the nation's history, customs, culture and holistic factors. In general, the broader and more supernatural the Decree, the lesser its strength of enforcement, though specificity does not yield additional power past the point of reasonableness, save when it targets the Champion of Nilfel. There is no special benefit to overlapping Decrees. Decrees are applied with equal strength over the entirety of the Queen's dominion, unless she uses a Decree to specify otherwise. It is difficult and time-consuming, but possible, to modify or replace Decrees once issued.

By default, the strength of an suitable Decree is equal to that of a Ring of Power exerting an appropriate secondary domain with effective Rank equal to the Queen's. A thematically resonant and highly focused Decree might wield strength equal to a primary domain at one level of Rank above the Queen's own, while an exceptionally broad and outlandish Decree with no thematic connection might use half the Queen's Rank or less. All who reside under the wreath of such a monarch hope that she will use her power to benevolent ends, rather than towards the creation of a more perfect tyranny - that is, unless she Decrees otherwise.

Example - some presently accessible Decrees for Nilfel:

It is always winter in Nilfel, and Nilfel is winter's land; any foe or ailment that seeks to besiege it shall be bled of its vigor until frozen in stasis. Strength: Queen's Rank.

The Champion of Nilfel is its unwavering aegis. So long as he stands, any external ill that seeks to afflict its peoples shall find its every incursion blunted, its every design turned to naught. Strength: Queen's Rank.

The Champion of Nilfel, when fighting upon its soil, surges with indefatigable vitality and terrific force of valor, exhibiting unprecedented strength in battle. Strength: Queen's Rank. Grants a bonus to combat effectiveness equal to the Ring of Blood at that Rank.

The Fonts of Myth shall be turned to this purpose: that no plague or contagion of Foremost design may afflict the Nilfellian peoples. Strength: Queen's Rank +1, Primary Domain, but consumes the output of the Fonts of Myth.

The Champion of Nilfel shall be a mighty magus and sorcerer, empowered by the land to effect feats both subtle and encompassing. Strength: Queen's Rank. Grants the Champion access to a 'Sorcery' Ring Domain with effective Rank equal to the Queen's.

[ ] Critical Mass - Time to fight fire with fire; findross with findross; Foremost with Foremost. Dien Bravo is not the only genius who can scale, and the realm of the sciences has ever been the domain of the Makers. Show him the glory and the power of their aspiring champion, their genius without weakness or equal. Hunger will spend substantial time exerting his influence over the Realm in order to accelerate and augment Gisena's Grace research and creation efforts.

Unlocks Mythology Halo. Hunger will need to succeed in a 3-pick challenge to acquire the Advancement.

Mythology Halo [3 picks, 28 Arete] - Req. Ring of Artifice, Renaissance Woman, Feat: Orb

To match the Foremost is the destiny of a sorceress. To exceed them, is the feat of a genius.

A Halo-type Advancement.

Gisena Allria gains +300% All Attributes and may merge three of her Graces into a Halo, a ring of patterned light at her back which manifests effects of surpassing scale and eldritch complexity. The exact suite of effects created depends on the Graces employed in the merger.

The Halo is a semi-physical object, purest information imbued with purpose and substance. It is only somewhat more durable than the Sorceress herself. If destroyed, it must be recreated in a process of immense intellectual effort. During its absence the Sorceress will be deprived of its Attribute bonus and lose access to its constituent Graces. The Halo's existence is maintained by the Artifice domain; destruction of the Ring of Artifice would cause it to slowly unravel, with eventual consequences of similar scale.

Example Halos:

Halo of Singularity - Auspex Temporal, True Perfecting Blade, True Nullity. The bearer constantly exudes a world-state paradigm whereby all effects beyond the baseline capabilities of one's form can only be achieved by skill or technology, but the potential of the latter is wholly unbound.

Renaissance Halo - Evoker's Panoply, Grace of the Glaze, Maiden's Whisper. The bearer loses access to the component Graces, but may through this Halo manifest any two Graces she has encountered, and may alter the manifested Graces every twenty-one hundred hours. The strength of these manifested Graces will not massively exceed that of her mightiest native Grace.

[ ] A True Reprieve - Actually take some time to rest beyond the first few days. The demands of the hour are great, but if Hunger will not steal what moments he can while the hourglass itself is stilled, when will he ever take the opportunity? His lead over Dien is substantial; now is time to mitigate the stresses of accruing that lead, before any cracks in his psyche grow from fine spiderwebbing to extravagant flaw.

+Mental Stability to Hunger and the party as a whole.

[ ] Full Throttle - Mighty as Hunger is, he has been intentionally crippling himself. The cause was worthy: Gisena's party may not have survived Dien's attentions without the bulwark of Novakhron's sheer might. But the time has come to concentrate that power, that it might be leveraged fully in exterminating the Surgeon. For this enemy there can be no peace nor mercy, no honorable exchange of blows: only annihilation, total and unremitting, at the hands of the Dog of War.

Get in the robot, Hunger.

*Hunger will train to use Novakhron seriously in battle, substantially increasing his overall power at the cost of reducing Aobaru to a support character once more.
*Unlocks various Novakhron- and Piloting-related Advancements. You may want to see them even if you don't end up investing a lot of Arete here!
*The stellar manipulation afforded to an Armament covers a range of effects far beyond mere kinetic destruction...
*You may also gain some insight into what Dien may have done to augment Etrynome!

---

If you'd like to discuss the quest in real-time or just chat, you're welcome to join the AST Discord!

A huge thanks to all my subscribers on Patreon! The amount of support has been truly incredible! Subscribers receive access to patron-exclusive content, such as the Blurb Library, early updates, Discord roles, Wishes, commissions, and bonus chapters.