Under suggestion of @Orm Embar, I share what I dubbed Genesis CYOA for entertainment and feedback. I hope you enjoy it and serves as a good source of shameless bribery discussion, as it clocks at almost 9k words.
As for my choice here, I admit that I've not been up to date for a while. In this case, I will follow mypersonal dealer spiritual liege:
[X] Orm Embar
You are falling into nothingness.
A dark, endless nowhere.
The gaping maw of a titanic black beast about to close its teeth on you.
Yet you don't feel in danger.
No, you don't feel much at all.
No fear, no pain, no sensation. Not even your own limbs.
A stray thought can't help but cross your mind: this isn't normal at all.
Even so, you find no will to act at all, content in the simple act of sinking into these unknown depths.
Until a spear of light cleaves through the darkness, banishing it as if it never existed in the first place.
A light so bright and white that you belatedly realize that a tear is streaming down the cheek, the beauty of such purity in an otherwise fallible world overwhelming your unconscious self.
For a second stretching to eternity, you wonder if you will disappear in the same manner as the bygone void - to cease without trace of that which defines you as 'you'.
The awaited judgment never comes.
Instead, you feel something glide over the skin of your cheek with the gentleness of a mother. It is not until you see a slender finger hold up your tear that you realize it is an ethereal hand.
For how long was She there?
Peering down on your prone body, She cradles you like a newborn, precious and frail.
The knowledge accumulated through a lifetime is incapable of finding apt words to describe Her visage and form. The impression left by Her voice is a novel experience, more profound and meaningful than any relationship you've had before.
Eyes of every thinkable and unthinkable shade linger on you. This time, you understand with perfect clarity what lies behind them: sadness fitting to drown the entire world and resolve to do it twice over.
Your mouth opens on its own – what bumbling sentence or sound were you about to make? Not that it matters, because She speaks first.
"Bewilderment is all too common at this stage. Unfortunately, there is neither time nor opportunity to address it adequately."
If it had come from anyone else, you would have answered back somehow – be it through sarcasm, outrage or further questions.
However, the Meaning behind Her words is a living presence, a crystalline truth that cannot be denied. You cannot help but trust Her, utterly and completely.
Apparently aware of your acknowledgment, She gives you an imperceptible nod and raises the diaphanous hand in which still rests your tear.
At a certain point the gaseous figures begin to coil around themselves until they consolidate into a physical form once more – that of three small coins, as big as marbles and sparkling with forgotten Meaning.
You realize instinctively that what you're witnessing is the essence of all that you were in the past and could be in the future. Few sins will be greater than squander it thoughtlessly.
She casts a long glance at the floating coins, absorbed in thoughts beyond your comprehension. At last She turns back to you, pained expression never leaving Her features.
"Remember: this was no mere chance, you were chosen for this new life. Do not see it undone."
An impossibly immaculate hand reaches for your eyes, yet you do not react. You just know that this is part of the process, there's no need to be afraid of the inevitable.
As slim fingers shield you from the all-encompassing light, darkness returns – and with a murmur familiar yet alien, you finally see…
Then Alekairos Crysio, First and Foremost Hegemon was able to realize the impossible. The Hegemony of Cradle was heralded at that moment, harbinger of a Golden Age of unseen prosperity and peace.
Unfortunately, the death of the Father of Cradle turned the Hegemony against itself, brother against sister. Betrayal and sabotage saw the return of the long hand of those who should have been Banished. Then the Dissolution fell upon the Planes, causing destruction and change of untold proportions.
The Hegemony of Cradle endures nonetheless, although the most cynical or malevolent prefer 'the Remnants'.
For centuries, affiliation with the military has become a pillar of the nation and not just thanks to the Stracterium, the most renowned military academy among Criati. To make a complete list would be tedious, so take note of their treasures of ages past, devotion of magical and scientific theories in matters of warfare and harsh meritocratic measures to ensure the greater good of Criati is pursued. Historically inimical to Shardbearers from other Planes, there are rumors of a recent and controversial proposal: to accept Halfbloods among their ranks so long as they serve the state adequately.
At the head of the Hegemony sits the former Archon of the North, Aurelia Viantia II Crysio: First Consort of Alekairos and unnaturally long-lived for a Criata, the tragedies of the past have turned the silver-tongued court lady into a cold-hearted autocrat whose mercurial webs ensure the continuation of a crumbling dream.
Will burnished gold shine once more or be melted in the flames of conflict?
[] Telosia: "Education is the foundation of tomorrow": that was the sincere belief of the Fourth Consort, who saw a kindred spirit in the First and Foremost Hegemon. Thus began the construction of the greatest scholastic institution of the Hegemony, aimed to not simply explore all facets of knowledge but the very mysteries of the world too. It was no coincidence that the Panschola was established close to the only known passage to the Dwelling at the time.
For centuries the College of Telosia absolved the purposes of its creation with excellent results under the watchful eye of its Headmistresses – that is, until the Brethren's Folly saw the very flesh and blood of Alekairos punished for her neutrality. From that moment onward, the supreme authority of the institute fell upon the so-called Magisura, the upper echelon of the staff and counselors to the deposed leader.
Called to quell the growing threat to the Hegemony, the Magisura delved even more deeply into the source of Honours – blood. And what they discovered left them both enlightened and ambitious. Eventually their research was deemed too dangerous and macabre, but the forbidden fruit had already been tasted.
In the end, the Dissolution proved to be the perfect excuse for the scholars to formally secede from the yoke of the Hegemony and carve their own dominion. Separated by a tendril of the Primeval Deluge and allied with the Verdant Soil Clan, Telosia turned into a stratified magocracy at the service of the Magisura Council, whose writs and feuds dictate life and death in the land. Slavery, ritual sacrifices and desecration of life are the least of Telosian crimes, for they are the price of power and safety both. Behold the Ten Cruogears to see the truth of these words.
Will this bloody tower reach the heights of past Glories or shatter at its very foundations?
[] The Woundlands: All of the Hegemony was divided into five parts. The Four Cardinal Archonates, whose governance was delegated to the Four Consorts, and the Heartlands, personal demesne of the Father of Cradle. Previously a war-torn territory who was left forever scarred by Criati before and Outer Heirs after, it became the cardinal core from which Alekairos' edicts uplifted the Heirs of Cradle. At the height of its power, exalted Harkairos could boast a magnificence and power not dissimilar from that boasted by the Criati's old masters.
Cruel irony asserted itself after the Hegemon's passing: now it is once more the heart of continuous and bloody conflicts. Countless petty kings and queens have proclaimed their own millennial kingdoms and just as many were crushed and forgotten since the end of the Dissolution.
In the North, Balaar the Bloodthirsty and Malis the Smiling Reaper are engaged in a three-way conflict between themselves and the Hegemony. In the South, the eternal war against Xaosins and Arisi continues undeterred, whether on the field or in the shadows. In the West, Sineamors keep a watchful eye against the transgressions of the Telosians. In the East, the Anointed of the Cult zealously quarantine the Rupture, filled to the brim by the ichor of the Hess-te-Aistra above – a sign that the Divine Progenitors mourn the violated fruit of their love. The Weeping Prince bides his time in the dead kingdom he made his own, the devil on his shoulder inching closer to their goal.
Even if the future appears grim, the call to epic deeds hasn't been forgotten: intrepid adventurers and cutthroat opportunists attempt to fulfill their dreams at feuding courts, continuous battles or numerous entrances to the Dwelling from Beyond. Few are willing to brave the Culler-infested territories of fallen Harkairos – a venture as foolish as profitable.
Will you venture into the heart of the conflict or watch it consume itself?
[] The Untethered League: The Dissolution converged all Planes into one, with the catastrophic upheavals that have shaped Genesis into the shape it is nowadays. Eastward of the lethal Rupture a new chain of mountains and hills took shape in a single day and night, terrains and constructions and flesh compacting on themselves. Secluded, defended by these new formations and cluttered with remains of every Plane, the range named Melted Reaches proved to be one of the less deadly locations away from the protective mantle of civilization.
It is no coincidence that an outcast from a foreign land would seek refuge here of all places.
The Vision of Abundance proved all-too persuasive to the ears of the small communities in the area. Abandoned by those who professed themselves guardians, stranded in a horrible reality by old foes and forced to survive, they felt a keen kinship with the ideals of freedom and self-determination advocated by the Concept – even if its greatest champion was an Heir of Arisium.
In the following years, more flocked under the banner of Abundance – and three more Prefects joined the First as overseers of the newly established Untethered League. The lost wonders and natural resources of the area were instrumental to the growth of what is now a sprawling metropolis in which different worlds meet in harmony, willing to accept any and all so long as they respect the Concept's tenets. The technological innovations – the most known of which is the Aegis Grid shrouding the League – are more often than not unheard of, a matter of both pride for Leaguers and concern for their neighbors.
Still, it would be wrong to mistake the League for a utopia. Flourishing commerce begets affiliated crimes, representatives of different nations seek to pry secrets from the Leaguers and gangs affiliated with the Four Prefect vie for power to ensure that the Vision of Abundance is upheld.
Will the ideal be crushed beneath the weight of remorseless reality?
[] Ilaya-Vitae: The former Plane of Life and the most physical of the Lower Planes. As the Principle governing life and beginning, it was an elaborate and ever-changing landscape of wildly different vistas, fauna and flora. Intricate labyrinths of titanic trees fused with castles made of impossibly hard leaves and fruits, hot deserts constantly redefined by sweeping sandstorms and trashing wyrm-fortifications, breath-taking eruptions harnessed by ingenious works of smithery.
Little of that primal beauty remains today, more often than not scattered to the winds.
Homeland to the Heirs of Life, the Vitales, they are a curious and independent civilization that never formally united under a single banner: champions of particular Seasons or bare-bone purposes, the Clans have always been the way of government. As all things on Ilaya-Vitae, these Clans waxed and waned, fueling the encompassing food chain of the Plane – at whose top rest the Four Cataclysms. Living incarnations of the Seasons, they are unbound and uncaring of the world around them: just like the elements they represent, their actions aren't governed by petty motivations such as benevolence or spite.
In the Epoch of Change, most Vitales are content to live in their own enclaves, wander to fill their curiosity and wanderlust or co-exist with other Heirs – not always an easy prospect, due to past sins. Still, the hand of the Mother's Scale – the only Clan who seems interested in restoring Ilaya-Vitae – looms at the horizon; meanwhile, the Liminal Depths Clan remains focused on the Lost Borders. The eccentric and mysterious Questants seem disinterested in the affairs of Genesis, but the death of the Primeval Deluge might change their priorities.
Whose inheritance will prevail in the coming age – the Father's Conclave or the Ravaging Ashes?
[] Mortereo: Obsidian plains stretching to the corners of the world, silent and desolate as forgotten graves. Misshaped hills dot rise once every decade, revealing themselves to be slumbering Hekantokeires. Towering and gloomy buildings are the residences of Sineamors, decorated with stained glasses and solemn sculptures. Beneath them, spirits and other unliving beings gather at the feet of the high lords of Death.
This is how it has always been in Mortereo, second of the Lower Planes. The birthplace of the Sineamors, the Heirs of Death and bitter foes of Vitales since the latter first trespassed into their bleak lands.
The Sineamors are beings who embrace serene stoicism simply because they comprehend concepts such as immortality better than any other Shardbearer. Staunchly traditional and tied to the various laws and traditions that have been slowly established in the past millennia, they possess a rigid social hierarchy with little chance of advancement outside of sanctioned duels or poorly-handed raids on the Dwelling or their foes. Perhaps that's why the forbidden fruit offered by the Avatar of Death in the Epoch of Blood enticed so many.
The ruler of Mortereo has always been Tartres, the Stagnation King - rumored to be the single most ancient creature in all of the Five Planes. An eschatologist at heart rather than a monarch, the answer to this question still eludes him after all these years, no matter how deeply he glimpses into the meaning of the world or who he congregates with. Secluded in the deepest recesses of the Obsidian Baptistery, he has even lost interest in punishing those who violate his isolationist decrees. The Eternal Council attempts to rule in his stead, but the Dissolution has shaken the foundations of Sineamors' order. Many wish for change, peaceful or not.
Pray that His Undying Eminence does not find this new world wanting.
[] Arisium: There was once a Plane whose Principle was Concept. A land where there was little real matter to be found, an ocean of iridescent gossamer, waiting to be sculpted by willful thoughts. Insightful reasoning and impassioned speeches are all methods to stabilize and spread an Etiqua: it doesn't surprise then that debate is more than a simply acclaimed talent for the Heirs of Concept, as it relates to deeper aspects of their very being.
But that is all in the past. The Sage-Philosophers of the Ideal Beyond, the Dreamers of the Inner Expanse, even the selfish Hierarchs of the Thrimaken Hierarchy have been reduced to colorful sentences and footnotes in Arisium's history.
The Mandate of Heaven has descended from above, its proclaims self-evident truths. At their core, the axioms are the following: Order is the foundation of Heaven, the first commandment to be respected. Order is to be informed by Retribution, to uphold the worthy and punish the wicked. Retribution is the great equalizer, just catharsis to be internalized for the purpose of Enlightenment. Enlightenment of the self elevates the spirit, to bring ever-lasting Peace to Arisium. Exigency is the often forgotten pillar, to support the Mandate of Heaven until completion.
The Five Augurs – masters and servants both – are the champions of Heaven's cause, their lives all but emanations of the Mandate's will. More focused on their own Plane, they have justified every outward action as a measure against those who would see the Mandate harmed.
The Banishment suited their purposes well enough. The Dissolution did not.
Stranded on a singular Plane far more aligned with matter, Arisium was left as fragmented as Ilaya-Vitae. The two greatest remnants are the capital Caelixima and the fortress Pradilavia, at the edges of their eternal rival Xaonia. Dimmed but not broken, the Augur of Order and the second Augur of Peace have lead many crusades to replenish their strength. Mindful of their peer's transgression, the Augurs of Retribution and Enlightenment prefer a softer approach. The Augur of Exigency watches all, ancient doubts fading little by little.
Will the Mandate stand united? Or will Heaven fall divided?
[] Xaonia: The Tribunal of the Five Tyrants has always existed on Xaonia. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the two are synonymous: the Tyrants have always ruled from their high seats as far as the most ancient Xaosins can remember, an alliance that has persisted for thousands of years in spite of inevitable disputes.
Overseers of the Plane of Emotions – the second of the Higher Planes – they have often delegated duties to their loyal subordinates and the lesser Heirs. In their wake, multi-layered palaces with opulent swallowtail rooftops were crafted from the passion of a thousand artists while sprawling facilities shift at the command of the intellectuals within. To travel among the brilliant streets and floating arcs of Xaosin cities is to live through a myriad of sensations, perceptions and even worlds as Straxi clash subtly in a constant contest for dominance.
Perhaps it is inevitable for such a Plane to possess laws which are famously draconian, not to mention the utmost seriousness accorded to pacts of all kinds. Ruthless measures are often considered essential to ensure that chaotic excesses of Xaosins are kept under control, but the most experienced realize the deliberate planning behind the entire social structure.
The most actively aggressive of the Planes, Xaonia's desire for conquest has earned them the enmity of Arisi first and Criati later, as they carved up the old Zenorian Empire for themselves. Banished by the one who was an indentured servant in all but name, they were the first to employ Halfbloods to infiltrate and subvert the Hegemony for their return.
Just like everything else, the Dissolution caused much change.
Now there's a rift among the Tribunal and their proxies: the Covetous and the Benevolent wish to focus on Xaonia and those few patches of land they couldn't retrieve yet; the Odious and the Inexorable desire to finish what started more than a millennia ago. The Yearning is left with the increasingly arduous task of mediation – yet the war against foes within and without hasn't stopped.
Embrace hope or despair over the future. There is no other choice.
More importantly, do not expect anyone to comprehend your foreign language or shield you from the consequences of your action. Survival is your responsibility.
[] Reincarnation (1 Coin): Arise, Heir of Genesis. At the expenses of a precious Coin, Genesis shall acknowledge a singular truth – that you were always part of its history. Not a simple forgery but rather a comprehensive and retroactive insertion, it is devoid of all its natural drawbacks and complete with all the associated perks – from steady friendships to mastery of compatible powers.
You will be able to design the details of this second life in broad strokes and within reason, but you will have access to all of 'your' previous memories. 'Your' personality is assured to be compatible with past traits and morality, if molded by the experiences undergone on Genesis until now – be they uplifting or degrading.
With your blood comes also the talent for Honours, the crystallization of continuous toil into a lever to life the world. According to the studies of Telosian scholars, accumulated skill is said to coagulate the microscopic Shards within an Heir of Cradle: a harmless process that nonetheless grants access to supernal attributes and aptitude. There are Honours in every field of human application, each with their own precise effects and crystalline shape – phenomena that have taken many centuries to be comprehended, cataloged properly and reproduced reliably. Although unique Honours are not unheard of, here's a few example of the more common:
Tireless March – Criati are no strangers to hardships and fatigue, in spite of their enhanced physicks. You can proudly proclaim that you have partially conquered such petty limitations and they no longer bind you as tightly as your fellows. Any and all strenuous activities halve their impact on you, effectively doubling your endurance in many instances. Furthermore, strain alone will no longer be able to kill you – even if you were to push yourself to your utmost limits, you will simply fall asleep for the time required. Wounds and other factors still affect you normally.
King Scorpion's Stinger – Named after the infamous beasts which haunt the most desolate recesses of the former Western Archonate, it is considered one of the hallmarks of those who prefer thrusting weapons. The practitioner assumes a low stance as they ready the blow before exploding forward, crossing space in a single leap and thrusting the armament upward to impale the opponent. Although more limited in scope than other similar Honours, the focus on a singular target makes it among the deadlier – especially against targets bigger than the user. Masters of the Honour are able to run through any kind of opponent, no matter how physically impossible.
Honours cannot be lost once they reach the crystallization stage, becoming one with the Heir's soul too. However, the more remarkable you are in a particular area, the harder and longer it will be to reach new breakthroughs. This is one of the reasons why eugenic unions are not uncommon among the elite of the Hegemony: to ensure the optimal foundations for the next generation.
[] Halfblood (2 Coins): To don the mantle of two Planes is no easy feat on Genesis. Born from war experiments in the Epoch of Blood, Halfbloods were ultimately refined by the vengeful leader of the Ravaging Ashes Clan. An event that brought much grief to Cradle and was the first domino in the chain that led to the Hegemon's Judgement and his subsequent departure. That Xaonia employed them extensively to profit from the following civil war brought them no better reputation. You'd do well to choose your friends well, otherwise prepare to hide the true source of your powers for fear of retaliation – justified or not.
A Halfblood is made when a Criatus' Shard comes in contact with one from another Plane: most commonly, through the ingestion of enough ichor. A process that is usually fatal unless the Heir is sufficiently compatible with the associated Outer Principle. Should the Shard be gifted by a living being, the latter's very soul feels the tug towards half of its origin and defer to the donor as a servant would do to a master. Although the existential bond will wane in strength as you develop your own prowess, willingly acting against your Shardholder will always be a difficult proposition. However, in the Epoch of Change it is not impossible to find masterless Halfbloods, who answer to none but themselves.
These words might make you wonder if the choice is worth the candle. It is, beyond any doubt.
The enhancement to your physical and metaphysical attributes is greater than of normal Criati, as you become kin to the Heirs of Outer Planes. The rate of aging is slowed by a factor of ten – or so is presumed, as no Halfblood has ever met natural death so far. Your progression will not be as steady as others, but rather explosive and ground-breaking: the most defining moments of life will be floodgates of personal growth, in an ever-ascending ladder of arete. The two Shard strains within your blood are sure to evolve through beautiful synergy into unseen forms, truly known and belonging to you and no one else. Pick one of the Four Principles:
Life – Materialistic and free-spirited, Vitales are masters in the manipulation of the natural elements, the prime materials of physical matter. Contesting their primacy on this aspect is considerably hard, even by the standards of Outer Heirs. All Vitales are particularly attuned to creation as a whole and at least one of the core Elements, each associated to a Season: Earth for Spring, Fire for Summer, Wind for Autumn and Water for Winter. These can be combined in order to produce different Elements and effects. As beings of Life, their own bodies are more akin to elementals – although all Heirs can take human-like shape with little issue.
Death – Calm and apathetic, Sineamors have an innate perception of mortality and how to harness the Principle of Death. Make oneself impervious to demise, reap entire cities of all living force, enjoy the intimate companionship of the unliving and predict coming death before it happens: this and more are within the purview of Death. Sineamors are the terminal points of whoever has the misfortune to earn their slow ire, demonstrating that all things – be they physical or not – must end one day. Of particular note is their talent to craft Soul-Crypts in which store their essence, a process to ensure both survival and heritage.
Concept – Dogmatic and steadfast in their beliefs, it is no surprise as Arisi draw their power from them. So long as an Heir of Concept truly believes something and speaks of their conviction to the world, it shall be acknowledged. The crowning achievements of Arisi are Etique, ethoses whose values turn into cardinal axioms who defy common physical and metaphysical laws. The champions of an Etiqua spread the same through their words, and those sufficiently persuaded have their morals changed to fit the victor's Etiqua – and are granted access to the same benefits. So long as a Concept is stable enough, it is possible to inherit it by a compatible Heir.
Emotion – A peculiar combination of self-centered and disciplined, Xaosins rule over their surroundings through the Principle of Emotion. Birth determines the Xaosin race but calcification of the core Emotion happens later on, through the lenses of experience and personality. The fundamental magic of Xaosins is the permanent manifestation of their Emotion – the so-called Straxos – which blankets themselves and the world around. Doing so warps the very rules of reality and those within, subjecting them to the whims dictated by the Shardbearer. As a final resort, they are able to abandon the shape and focus of their Straxos in favor of raw strength and influence – a chaotic onslaught that leaves them severely fatigued afterwards.
The warped Honours – or Blasphemies, as the Vizier in Shadows dubbed them mockingly – of the Halfbloods are unlike any other, with strength and depth unmatched. Although not as encompassing in application as the powers of Planar Shards, the potential to even surpass your supposed betters in the narrow aspect you've made your own is within reach.
[] True Heir (3 Coins): The preachers of the reformed Cult of Hess-te-Aistra tell a story.
Once, the Great Father Hess and Great Mother Aistra lived happily together with their children – until the vile Cullers came like a scourge and massacred them all. Heartbroken by the loss of their beloved creations, the Divine Progenitors vowed to never let such a tragedy occur again. So they sowed new life – the Heirs - in a new world based on the four founding Principles: thus Genesis came to be. Whereas the Great Father ascended to shield his sons and daughters from the Voidspawns, the Great Mother lingered more and gave her new children the means to defend themselves. Only then she joined her husband, turning into the nightly stars against the cold Void.
You are one of the original denizens of the Four Planes above and below now, one of the most powerful children of the Progenitors. Called True among themselves and Outer from everyone else, it is they who could be called civilization first, they who ruled the Central Plane of Cradle in the Epoch of Blood and they who manifest their superiority in the smallest gestures. Indeed, the immediate power offered by this choice outranks every other and would make many lesser worlds tremble, even in the wake of the Dissolution.
Biological immortality, inborn attributes that would shame wizened grandmasters, millennia of experience and knowledge accumulated and wonders of great strength are all yours by right, together with your most valued asset: the Shard in your blood, the source of the powers you have studied and nurtured for Epochs. Your Shard is kindred to one of the Four Principles, so now you must choose one of them. The actualization of your powers is too wide to be listed here; instead, an appropriate thematic will be chosen depending on personality and future input.
There is but one caveat to this massive transformation. All Outer Heirs slowly develop so long as they adhere to the Principle governing their Shard – and your current status is the result of thousands of years of optimization. As long as you rely on your Shard powers alone, do not expect to grow exponentially.
A simple Privilege but quite effective.
[] Grand Armamentarium (1 Coin): Home to great and terrible deeds, Genesis has never had a shortage of magical armaments and similar panoply through its history – ranging from artifacts given life the organic forges of Vitales to the treasures found in the Dwelling's bloodstained halls.
You have acquired possession of one such object, by hook or by crook. The specific properties of this artifact are to be defined later, but they will always be synergistic with your chosen build.
Those who already possess much might find this option less enticing, but those who must even the field will obtain a valuable power multiplier.
[] Weight of History (1 Coin, requires Reincarnation): By default Reincarnation turns you into a citizen of Genesis, with access to an established web of allies and resources. The influence that your manufactured self was able to exert on the annals depends on a few factors but be assured that it shall not be insignificant. However, history largely follows in the footsteps left before your arrival.
Weight of History changes that. The impact of your choices will be grander in breadth and depth both, potentially with consequences that all the world must accept. Doors previously barred will be wide open now, whatever lies beyond ripe for the taking.
With great powers come great expectations. Take care to not disregard them, the fall could be lethal.
[] Backdoor to Akasha (2 Coins): For the steep cost of two Coins, a bargain will be struck in your favor with the entity known as the Beholder. You are granted access to their personal abode and fortress, the gargantuan bibliotheca they built to store all the knowledge they accumulated through distant travels in the multiverse. As there is virtually no topic left unattended by their curiosity, you're bound to find a trove of information that is personally relevant to your interests.
To enter and leave the Akashic Library you must perform a specific ritual that requires exactly fifty-five seconds, independently of your location at the time. Naturally, this doubles as an emergency escape plan but take heed: the Beholder is sure to not appreciate unwanted intruders and will terminate them with utmost prejudice.
There's an additional benefit to this Privilege. A kin-traitor and enigmatic mastermind, if you were to peer through the layers of the Beholder's millennial existence you will find an ally that can provide useful tips and assessments, smuggle inaccessible magical systems and perhaps even share some of the multiverse's lost secrets.
Be careful in your approach, however. The Beholder knows you for who you are: they are willing to entertain a partnership so long as you don't prove to be what they hunt.
[] Brand of the Five (2 Coins): "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions" recites the old adage. What is left unsaid is how cruel and aromantic is the fate of those left behind to witness and handle the consequences of hubris.
The Five know these facts all too intimately, for They have walked the road to Golden Forever once upon a time. Now They lie broken and divided. Yet to believe Them powerless would be a misconception of the gravest kind.
What you are offered is the chance to be branded in Their image, to a level that intertwines blood and spirit to the most fundamental level. Pick one of the following options; all of them offer modest levels of physical enhancement together with peculiar Boons and Curses:
Brand of the Heart – You possess an ethereal aura, an undeniable charm that simply drives people to open up more easily to you than their own psychological defenses would normally dictate. Acquaintances become friends in a single night, hardened negotiators are satisfied by reasonable demands and even sworn enemies find their minions beset by doubt. Contextually, you are also gifted with an increased expertise in every social facet. At the same time, you are Cursed to be more ruthless in the pursuit of your own greater good, no matter how terrible the cost is. This doesn't protect you from the guilt of your actions: in fact, you will never be able to banish it entirely no matter what.
Brand of the Mind – Your mind is a marvelous masterpiece, an endless archive which houses more and more knowledge every trickling second. Other than eidetic and photographic memory, your own intelligence is sharpened by a newfound sense of razor sharp clarity and your cognition is magnified to the point that instants might as well feel minutes. Sufficient data can lead to analysis of future events, determining how predictable they could be and their potential ramifications. This gift leaves you afflicted with a pathological need to gather non-trivial knowledge in spite of how inconvenient or dangerous said research is – although these constraints are greatly loosened in situations of life or death.
Brand of the Soul – Cultures, traditions and artistry: the Brand of the Soul – twin to the Brand of the Outcast – will make all of these crystal clear to you. A mere glance at strangers will give you an idea of what society shaped them and how said organization came to be. Other than a dramatic raise in your interpersonal insight, you also receive greater lateral thinking and understanding when it comes to all arts – and by extension, magic. You are a genius among geniuses – perhaps not the greatest innate talent, but the most skilled and innovative user. The Curse of this Brand is a greatly reduced capacity to form meaningful relationships, as people become more akin to written characters and props in the great opera of life.
Brand of the Scepter – The Boon offered by the elusive Scepter is as easy as powerful: speak and the world obeys. A language of bygone aeons is to be wedded to your being, atavistic words that everyone and everything will understand instinctively. At first your own grasp will be limited and focused on minor aspects – such as ordering rivers to part momentarily. With time and effort you might be able to command reality into overwriting recently transpired events to better suit your needs, so long as you can overcome the target's metaphysical 'weight'. As a corollary, your aptitude in the art of government is drastically improved. However, a ruler's crown comes at great cost: you accept no authority – be it an individual, an organization, a custom or a law - except your own.
Brand of the Sword – The ultimate soldier to be ever conceived, war incarnate into flesh and soul. The first gift granted to you is a doubled growth rate in all attributes and skills related to the art of fighting – honorable or not matters little. The second gift is enhanced strength of your corpus or magic whenever you aim them towards destructive, lethal or otherwise battle-related purposes. The third gift is the inexplicable power to draw forth a minuscule fragment of the essence of whoever dies by your hand, stolen might compounded into your own. For this, you shall consider conflict to be an inevitable and even desired principle of the multiverse; although this imperative is split from morality, it can never be ignored.
The Brands at your disposal are available thanks to a loophole. Should you take Trojan Horse, consider the price paid in full: ignore the associated Curses and augment all the associated benefits by a non negligible amount.
[] The Old Blood (2 Coins): Venerable Esebio, one of the erudites of the former kingdom of Pactia, postulated that there are no Four Founding Principles of Genesis, but rather one – the Principle of Blood, from which everything else emanates. So began the studies on the nature and secrets of Criati in the Epoch of Blood, in search of confirmation or confutation to this thesis.
To these days, the world knows not the answer. What Esebio's students eventually discovered was equally extraordinary despite the great moral and material price.
The Heirs of Cradle – perhaps more than any other Heir – store potential within their veins. This latent force can be harnessed and manipulated through the striking revelation that comes with codified rituals and formulas, expending possibility to bridge the gap between the possible and impossible.
The more simplistic applications of Magisuran Arts are physical augmentation and blood alchemy, practices in which all apprentices must be proficient in. Then come the more complex spells: crimson barrages and barriers, boiling blood and organs, the creation of homunculi and the fearsome Cruogears. It is rumored that the apex of this Art can be considered akin to 'hacking the code' of matter. You begin as well-versed in this magic as your background allows to, but you can certainly improve with time and training.
A final note: the blood of Outer Heirs is an inert reagent, thus this branch of magic was never quite developed by them. Should there be a method to cross this calcified limit, it might mark the beginning of a new Epoch.
[] Home Sweet Home (3 Coins): It will be draped on your shoulders, impossible to remove and clear only to your senses. A mantle of warm nostalgia, as gentle as a mother's embrace. If 'world' is another term for all you value, then rejoice: its soothing presence shall always be with you.
However beneficial to your emotional well-being, this is but an echo of its true form.
The main advantage of this Privilege is what would have been your birthright under different circumstances: Nullification. As straightforward as impressive, it revolves around the simple suppression or annulment of any magic system. Archmages will despair as their ultimate spells fizzle out of existence, knights whose attributes were enhanced to supernatural perfection will revert back to mere pages. Even a Divinity might fall to their knees and meet true death, should They cross your path.
Of course, your initial proficiency in this magic system is nowhere that advanced. Merely an internal protection that dampens all negative effects crushing on your being, it will steadily develop and evolve as you learn to use it. The power of Nullification is proportionally reduced against foes or effects of greater magnitude than your own prowess, yet be assured that it will never be useless.
There is one exception to the above: much like a faithful guard dog, the system refuses to harm its creator.
[] Legacy Beyond Life (3 Coins, requires Halfblood or True Heir): There are different means to reach immortality within the multiverse, but this Privilege is one of the most peculiar and rare forms.
The greatest asset of the Curatress in her aeon-spanning task, it doesn't provide a physical body axiomatically impervious or regeneration to the level of the divine. Rather, at the time of your death your entire self simply disappears as if absorbed by the ground underneath. Unbound and untouchable, a suitable vessel will be found for your soul, their personality and Shard erased in favor of your own. This process doesn't present side effects except for momentary discomfort and the time required to be reborn anew, which varies depending on the compatibility of potential vessels and the severity of the killing blow.
As a corollary, to protect you from what might be considered a fate worse than death you are gifted with an axiomatic mental defense against mental possession of any kind. Be warned, supernal means of persuasion can circumvent this perfect protection so long as you remain the ultimate judge of your choices.
To remove you it would be necessary to seal away your entire being. An exceedingly difficult deed when one can commit instantaneous suicide.
[] A Ring (3 Coins): At the moment of your insertion into Genesis, a halo will mysteriously materialize around your ring finger. A closer glance reveals that it is a ring made of pure, golden light at whose top rests a crested ruby of most exquisite craftsmanship. Comparable to the most exalted Artifacts ever conceived in the five Planes, it would sell for an exorbitant cost – if only it wasn't bound to your essence.
Archaic words are engraved on the inside of the ring shank, a fluid and unknown language that everyone can understand nonetheless. They recite: "I, your foremother."
The Ring comes with a few powers and more await to be discovered. These are always considered active so long as you wear it; you may to turn them off or on at will:
Made by the Blood – All activities centered around blood will be greatly improved. The benefits for Shardbearers are obvious – for example, learning Honours faster and enhancing their might - but there are quite a few applications beyond that.
Ancestral Authority – To other living creatures, your bearing is that of the most majestic monarch to ever exist. Your speeches but also your presence alone emanate unquestionable authority, to the point that your lessers desire to meet your wishes and demands. The greater the divide between you and them, the more pronounced this effect is.
Key to the Throne – You possess an unerring sixth sense when it comes to pinpoint the position of entrances to the Dwelling from Beyond the Stars, the reality-fraying dungeons which house the vile Cullers. The monsters of the Void themselves thread more carefully around you, inhuman hatred tempered by human-like fear.
O Exclurian Inheritor, remember this even if your memories are wiped forevermore: the Ender Marshal demands a reckoning. You must pick Nemesis as a future Functional Error.
[] Blood of the First (4 Coins, requires Heir of Cradle or Halfblood): For an entire lifetime, you have felt a most nagging sensation stalking the corners of your minds, evaluating your single action and questioning your chosen goals: what is Divinity?
One day, in the darkest hour the revelation will strike you like thunder from clear skies.
At its core, it is nothing more than to bridge cause and effect, desire and outcome. Pure potential sublimed into perfect actuality, to draw a line from start to finish without meddlesome interludes. To not merely decide the script that is the real and ideal, but also the very language and parchment upon which they are given shape.
Two others reached this conclusion before you. The first was undone from enemies without and doubts within, his legacy shattered and his scions divided. The second was led to shed his humanity to not incur in his forebear's mistakes, only to be cast away himself.
You need not to follow in their wake. Harness that Meaning, frail and budding Quintessence. There exists no guideline for the arduous path ahead, you must carve it on your own. Hold your head high, stride forth and remember:
It is not a matter of whether the world or the ideal are right.
It is a matter of what can or cannot be.
And it must be as you wish.
Gain a Coin at the cost of losing all pre-existing knowledge and memories of the multiverse, including the content of this meeting. There is no way to revert this, not even Brands or Nullification.
You will be left with the certainty that you chose to forget and the faintest feeling of regret.
[] Nemesis (+1 Coin): They will despise you. Everything that you are, everything that you have, everything that you wish for – they will see them undone. Perhaps the worst part is that you are no innocent soul: your sin – as well as their power - depends on your choices, both here and in the future, but it will give them ample justification for their hatred.
It will be almost impossible for your feud to not end in bloody conflict save for the most dire of circumstances. If Reincarnation is taken, expect to have better information on who you have wronged.
[] Slow Burn (+1 Coin): There might be no such thing as too much power but your predicament offers no simple way out. Instead, you can sacrifice the present for the future – and prepare for the long road ahead.
When you begin your journey, your initial strength will be lesser compared to that of your peers. For one reason or another, knowledge and expertise accumulated through hardships and years will regress and your potential contacts shall be too occupied to offer decisive help in the near future. Even prestige and belongings are not safe, although you are assured to recover them in time. Fortunately, this does not negate past events or your innate talent.
For some, this affliction is no more than a fastidious setback. For others, it might very well spell their untimely demise.
[] At Doom's Gate (+2 Coins): Back on Earth there is an apocryphal curse which says: "May you live in interesting times". The Soul of the Five finds the notion patently absurd but alas, you are not of the Five. The weight of your choice will be felt all too keenly.
Your arrival on Genesis dictates the beginning of a series of unfortunate events. Monumental emergencies build up until they can't be contained any longer and explode catastrophically, with lingering repercussions for all. You will find yourself involved in them far too often and your actions can make or break the lives of thousands of thousands – including your own.
There are three small reprieves to this continuous ladder of escalation. The first is that you will have some downtime between one big crisis and another, although said window of time depends on many factors. The second is that although you are unable to stop the first event of this chain reaction, your choices might have prepared you for it already. Third, one day there will be no more calamities – for better or worse.
[] Lilith (+2 Coins): Your insertion is possible thanks to a moment of weakness that will never come to pass again. Should you spurn this grace unasked for, pray that you don't come to despair over an irreversible mistake.
Lilith is aware of an undesired intercession and has begun to mobilize for years now, all to find and neutralize the source: you. Cloak yourself under the mantle of anonymity or authenticity, lest your life will be cut short.
Lilith has existed for millennia under different guises, their death made an impossibility. Lilith has no definite shape: a person, a secret society, a cult. Everyone could be Lilith and you will not be aware until the very last moment. Despite the chaos of the Dissolution, Lilith has rebuilt their old web of intrigue and influence – more than sufficient to strangle the world. Lilith answers to a leader, but to discuss this matter openly would attract both her attention and her master's ire.
You fight a shadow war against a titanic, timeless hydra. Find a way to surpass the monster or seek the help of the Nameless hunters: there is no other recourse.
[] Trojan Horse (+2 Coins, incompatible with Backdoor to Akasha): Swear an oath of fealty of the highest order and be reconstructed on a fundamental level. Your purpose becomes a guiding light, a dream of justice burning in your soul. There's nothing more distinct in all of the multiverse, and so you know what actions must be undertaken to realize it. Repentance is your cross to bear on a loathsome hill of atrocities old and new – but this is the only path.
Perhaps it is consolation enough that you will never be truly alone. Your eternal liege is always at your side, even when unheard or unseen. Through the fog of dreams or meditation your binding master is gracious enough to offer empowering truths, terrifying secrets, helpful advice or just a friendly shoulder to cry on – not that it will ever end your duties. Given enough motivation, your lofty taskmaster might even brave the chance to give direct support in the form of out-of-context reinforcements or magic systems.
There is no devil in the details with this contract, for the recompense is painfully self-evident: chained slavery and an unnamed grave.
You find the necessity regrettable, yet it must be done all the same.
[] Genesis Protocol (+3 Coins): The First was serendipitous in mediocrity.
The Second confirmed the First's thesis to prepare who would come next.
The Third was a growing crescendo that didn't have a dignified outro.
The Fourth reached unthinkable heights yet too few to matter.
The Fifth was supposed to be the conclusion if not for unforeseen treachery.
Still, witness the myriad of beings living upon this cultivation ground. Observe how they live for discord, be it on blood-soaked battlefields, opulent halls or darkened alleyways. Even if they are not aware themselves, each and every single one of them is crying for the their true purpose to be fulfilled.
So be it.
In less than a hundred years, their pleas shall be answered at last. In less than a century, the Genesis Protocol will terminate.
The conflict you're about to the thrust into will be unlike any you've ever seen. Even in the most auspicious scenario the sheer amount of devastation and losses could be a Sword of Damocles for the living Heirs. Other ramifications are better left unconsidered, therefore toil to not let them come to pass.
Even if this is war, find in your heart to not hate Him. He simply doesn't know better.
A dark, endless nowhere.
The gaping maw of a titanic black beast about to close its teeth on you.
Yet you don't feel in danger.
No, you don't feel much at all.
No fear, no pain, no sensation. Not even your own limbs.
A stray thought can't help but cross your mind: this isn't normal at all.
Even so, you find no will to act at all, content in the simple act of sinking into these unknown depths.
Until a spear of light cleaves through the darkness, banishing it as if it never existed in the first place.
A light so bright and white that you belatedly realize that a tear is streaming down the cheek, the beauty of such purity in an otherwise fallible world overwhelming your unconscious self.
For a second stretching to eternity, you wonder if you will disappear in the same manner as the bygone void - to cease without trace of that which defines you as 'you'.
The awaited judgment never comes.
Instead, you feel something glide over the skin of your cheek with the gentleness of a mother. It is not until you see a slender finger hold up your tear that you realize it is an ethereal hand.
"I am so very sorry."
For how long was She there?
Peering down on your prone body, She cradles you like a newborn, precious and frail.
The knowledge accumulated through a lifetime is incapable of finding apt words to describe Her visage and form. The impression left by Her voice is a novel experience, more profound and meaningful than any relationship you've had before.
"There was no other method. I regret the necessity but it must be done all the same. I do not ask for forgiveness, merely your understanding."
Eyes of every thinkable and unthinkable shade linger on you. This time, you understand with perfect clarity what lies behind them: sadness fitting to drown the entire world and resolve to do it twice over.
Your mouth opens on its own – what bumbling sentence or sound were you about to make? Not that it matters, because She speaks first.
"Bewilderment is all too common at this stage. Unfortunately, there is neither time nor opportunity to address it adequately."
If it had come from anyone else, you would have answered back somehow – be it through sarcasm, outrage or further questions.
However, the Meaning behind Her words is a living presence, a crystalline truth that cannot be denied. You cannot help but trust Her, utterly and completely.
Apparently aware of your acknowledgment, She gives you an imperceptible nod and raises the diaphanous hand in which still rests your tear.
"Suffice to say, you shall live anew on another world. A different reality than this, full of supernatural marvels and horrific dangers."
The small droplet sublimates at Her unspoken command, spiraling into shapeless forms greater than the original state would have led to believe.
At a certain point the gaseous figures begin to coil around themselves until they consolidate into a physical form once more – that of three small coins, as big as marbles and sparkling with forgotten Meaning.
You realize instinctively that what you're witnessing is the essence of all that you were in the past and could be in the future. Few sins will be greater than squander it thoughtlessly.
She casts a long glance at the floating coins, absorbed in thoughts beyond your comprehension. At last She turns back to you, pained expression never leaving Her features.
"Remember: this was no mere chance, you were chosen for this new life. Do not see it undone."
As slim fingers shield you from the all-encompassing light, darkness returns – and with a murmur familiar yet alien, you finally see…
Path Location
The initial point of your insertion but not necessarily where most of your interests lie, depending on your choices. An incongruous choice will only beget regret.
[] The Hegemony: The history of Cradle has always been one riddled with bloodshed and hard-fought victories, as the tales of the Epoch of Myths can attest to. Apparently, that wasn't punishment enough for the inhabitants of the Central Plane for they were made expendable extras in their own homeland during the Epoch of Blood.The initial point of your insertion but not necessarily where most of your interests lie, depending on your choices. An incongruous choice will only beget regret.
Then Alekairos Crysio, First and Foremost Hegemon was able to realize the impossible. The Hegemony of Cradle was heralded at that moment, harbinger of a Golden Age of unseen prosperity and peace.
Unfortunately, the death of the Father of Cradle turned the Hegemony against itself, brother against sister. Betrayal and sabotage saw the return of the long hand of those who should have been Banished. Then the Dissolution fell upon the Planes, causing destruction and change of untold proportions.
The Hegemony of Cradle endures nonetheless, although the most cynical or malevolent prefer 'the Remnants'.
For centuries, affiliation with the military has become a pillar of the nation and not just thanks to the Stracterium, the most renowned military academy among Criati. To make a complete list would be tedious, so take note of their treasures of ages past, devotion of magical and scientific theories in matters of warfare and harsh meritocratic measures to ensure the greater good of Criati is pursued. Historically inimical to Shardbearers from other Planes, there are rumors of a recent and controversial proposal: to accept Halfbloods among their ranks so long as they serve the state adequately.
At the head of the Hegemony sits the former Archon of the North, Aurelia Viantia II Crysio: First Consort of Alekairos and unnaturally long-lived for a Criata, the tragedies of the past have turned the silver-tongued court lady into a cold-hearted autocrat whose mercurial webs ensure the continuation of a crumbling dream.
Will burnished gold shine once more or be melted in the flames of conflict?
[] Telosia: "Education is the foundation of tomorrow": that was the sincere belief of the Fourth Consort, who saw a kindred spirit in the First and Foremost Hegemon. Thus began the construction of the greatest scholastic institution of the Hegemony, aimed to not simply explore all facets of knowledge but the very mysteries of the world too. It was no coincidence that the Panschola was established close to the only known passage to the Dwelling at the time.
For centuries the College of Telosia absolved the purposes of its creation with excellent results under the watchful eye of its Headmistresses – that is, until the Brethren's Folly saw the very flesh and blood of Alekairos punished for her neutrality. From that moment onward, the supreme authority of the institute fell upon the so-called Magisura, the upper echelon of the staff and counselors to the deposed leader.
Called to quell the growing threat to the Hegemony, the Magisura delved even more deeply into the source of Honours – blood. And what they discovered left them both enlightened and ambitious. Eventually their research was deemed too dangerous and macabre, but the forbidden fruit had already been tasted.
In the end, the Dissolution proved to be the perfect excuse for the scholars to formally secede from the yoke of the Hegemony and carve their own dominion. Separated by a tendril of the Primeval Deluge and allied with the Verdant Soil Clan, Telosia turned into a stratified magocracy at the service of the Magisura Council, whose writs and feuds dictate life and death in the land. Slavery, ritual sacrifices and desecration of life are the least of Telosian crimes, for they are the price of power and safety both. Behold the Ten Cruogears to see the truth of these words.
Will this bloody tower reach the heights of past Glories or shatter at its very foundations?
[] The Woundlands: All of the Hegemony was divided into five parts. The Four Cardinal Archonates, whose governance was delegated to the Four Consorts, and the Heartlands, personal demesne of the Father of Cradle. Previously a war-torn territory who was left forever scarred by Criati before and Outer Heirs after, it became the cardinal core from which Alekairos' edicts uplifted the Heirs of Cradle. At the height of its power, exalted Harkairos could boast a magnificence and power not dissimilar from that boasted by the Criati's old masters.
Cruel irony asserted itself after the Hegemon's passing: now it is once more the heart of continuous and bloody conflicts. Countless petty kings and queens have proclaimed their own millennial kingdoms and just as many were crushed and forgotten since the end of the Dissolution.
In the North, Balaar the Bloodthirsty and Malis the Smiling Reaper are engaged in a three-way conflict between themselves and the Hegemony. In the South, the eternal war against Xaosins and Arisi continues undeterred, whether on the field or in the shadows. In the West, Sineamors keep a watchful eye against the transgressions of the Telosians. In the East, the Anointed of the Cult zealously quarantine the Rupture, filled to the brim by the ichor of the Hess-te-Aistra above – a sign that the Divine Progenitors mourn the violated fruit of their love. The Weeping Prince bides his time in the dead kingdom he made his own, the devil on his shoulder inching closer to their goal.
Even if the future appears grim, the call to epic deeds hasn't been forgotten: intrepid adventurers and cutthroat opportunists attempt to fulfill their dreams at feuding courts, continuous battles or numerous entrances to the Dwelling from Beyond. Few are willing to brave the Culler-infested territories of fallen Harkairos – a venture as foolish as profitable.
Will you venture into the heart of the conflict or watch it consume itself?
[] The Untethered League: The Dissolution converged all Planes into one, with the catastrophic upheavals that have shaped Genesis into the shape it is nowadays. Eastward of the lethal Rupture a new chain of mountains and hills took shape in a single day and night, terrains and constructions and flesh compacting on themselves. Secluded, defended by these new formations and cluttered with remains of every Plane, the range named Melted Reaches proved to be one of the less deadly locations away from the protective mantle of civilization.
It is no coincidence that an outcast from a foreign land would seek refuge here of all places.
The Vision of Abundance proved all-too persuasive to the ears of the small communities in the area. Abandoned by those who professed themselves guardians, stranded in a horrible reality by old foes and forced to survive, they felt a keen kinship with the ideals of freedom and self-determination advocated by the Concept – even if its greatest champion was an Heir of Arisium.
In the following years, more flocked under the banner of Abundance – and three more Prefects joined the First as overseers of the newly established Untethered League. The lost wonders and natural resources of the area were instrumental to the growth of what is now a sprawling metropolis in which different worlds meet in harmony, willing to accept any and all so long as they respect the Concept's tenets. The technological innovations – the most known of which is the Aegis Grid shrouding the League – are more often than not unheard of, a matter of both pride for Leaguers and concern for their neighbors.
Still, it would be wrong to mistake the League for a utopia. Flourishing commerce begets affiliated crimes, representatives of different nations seek to pry secrets from the Leaguers and gangs affiliated with the Four Prefect vie for power to ensure that the Vision of Abundance is upheld.
Will the ideal be crushed beneath the weight of remorseless reality?
[] Ilaya-Vitae: The former Plane of Life and the most physical of the Lower Planes. As the Principle governing life and beginning, it was an elaborate and ever-changing landscape of wildly different vistas, fauna and flora. Intricate labyrinths of titanic trees fused with castles made of impossibly hard leaves and fruits, hot deserts constantly redefined by sweeping sandstorms and trashing wyrm-fortifications, breath-taking eruptions harnessed by ingenious works of smithery.
Little of that primal beauty remains today, more often than not scattered to the winds.
Homeland to the Heirs of Life, the Vitales, they are a curious and independent civilization that never formally united under a single banner: champions of particular Seasons or bare-bone purposes, the Clans have always been the way of government. As all things on Ilaya-Vitae, these Clans waxed and waned, fueling the encompassing food chain of the Plane – at whose top rest the Four Cataclysms. Living incarnations of the Seasons, they are unbound and uncaring of the world around them: just like the elements they represent, their actions aren't governed by petty motivations such as benevolence or spite.
In the Epoch of Change, most Vitales are content to live in their own enclaves, wander to fill their curiosity and wanderlust or co-exist with other Heirs – not always an easy prospect, due to past sins. Still, the hand of the Mother's Scale – the only Clan who seems interested in restoring Ilaya-Vitae – looms at the horizon; meanwhile, the Liminal Depths Clan remains focused on the Lost Borders. The eccentric and mysterious Questants seem disinterested in the affairs of Genesis, but the death of the Primeval Deluge might change their priorities.
Whose inheritance will prevail in the coming age – the Father's Conclave or the Ravaging Ashes?
[] Mortereo: Obsidian plains stretching to the corners of the world, silent and desolate as forgotten graves. Misshaped hills dot rise once every decade, revealing themselves to be slumbering Hekantokeires. Towering and gloomy buildings are the residences of Sineamors, decorated with stained glasses and solemn sculptures. Beneath them, spirits and other unliving beings gather at the feet of the high lords of Death.
This is how it has always been in Mortereo, second of the Lower Planes. The birthplace of the Sineamors, the Heirs of Death and bitter foes of Vitales since the latter first trespassed into their bleak lands.
The Sineamors are beings who embrace serene stoicism simply because they comprehend concepts such as immortality better than any other Shardbearer. Staunchly traditional and tied to the various laws and traditions that have been slowly established in the past millennia, they possess a rigid social hierarchy with little chance of advancement outside of sanctioned duels or poorly-handed raids on the Dwelling or their foes. Perhaps that's why the forbidden fruit offered by the Avatar of Death in the Epoch of Blood enticed so many.
The ruler of Mortereo has always been Tartres, the Stagnation King - rumored to be the single most ancient creature in all of the Five Planes. An eschatologist at heart rather than a monarch, the answer to this question still eludes him after all these years, no matter how deeply he glimpses into the meaning of the world or who he congregates with. Secluded in the deepest recesses of the Obsidian Baptistery, he has even lost interest in punishing those who violate his isolationist decrees. The Eternal Council attempts to rule in his stead, but the Dissolution has shaken the foundations of Sineamors' order. Many wish for change, peaceful or not.
Pray that His Undying Eminence does not find this new world wanting.
[] Arisium: There was once a Plane whose Principle was Concept. A land where there was little real matter to be found, an ocean of iridescent gossamer, waiting to be sculpted by willful thoughts. Insightful reasoning and impassioned speeches are all methods to stabilize and spread an Etiqua: it doesn't surprise then that debate is more than a simply acclaimed talent for the Heirs of Concept, as it relates to deeper aspects of their very being.
But that is all in the past. The Sage-Philosophers of the Ideal Beyond, the Dreamers of the Inner Expanse, even the selfish Hierarchs of the Thrimaken Hierarchy have been reduced to colorful sentences and footnotes in Arisium's history.
The Mandate of Heaven has descended from above, its proclaims self-evident truths. At their core, the axioms are the following: Order is the foundation of Heaven, the first commandment to be respected. Order is to be informed by Retribution, to uphold the worthy and punish the wicked. Retribution is the great equalizer, just catharsis to be internalized for the purpose of Enlightenment. Enlightenment of the self elevates the spirit, to bring ever-lasting Peace to Arisium. Exigency is the often forgotten pillar, to support the Mandate of Heaven until completion.
The Five Augurs – masters and servants both – are the champions of Heaven's cause, their lives all but emanations of the Mandate's will. More focused on their own Plane, they have justified every outward action as a measure against those who would see the Mandate harmed.
The Banishment suited their purposes well enough. The Dissolution did not.
Stranded on a singular Plane far more aligned with matter, Arisium was left as fragmented as Ilaya-Vitae. The two greatest remnants are the capital Caelixima and the fortress Pradilavia, at the edges of their eternal rival Xaonia. Dimmed but not broken, the Augur of Order and the second Augur of Peace have lead many crusades to replenish their strength. Mindful of their peer's transgression, the Augurs of Retribution and Enlightenment prefer a softer approach. The Augur of Exigency watches all, ancient doubts fading little by little.
Will the Mandate stand united? Or will Heaven fall divided?
[] Xaonia: The Tribunal of the Five Tyrants has always existed on Xaonia. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the two are synonymous: the Tyrants have always ruled from their high seats as far as the most ancient Xaosins can remember, an alliance that has persisted for thousands of years in spite of inevitable disputes.
Overseers of the Plane of Emotions – the second of the Higher Planes – they have often delegated duties to their loyal subordinates and the lesser Heirs. In their wake, multi-layered palaces with opulent swallowtail rooftops were crafted from the passion of a thousand artists while sprawling facilities shift at the command of the intellectuals within. To travel among the brilliant streets and floating arcs of Xaosin cities is to live through a myriad of sensations, perceptions and even worlds as Straxi clash subtly in a constant contest for dominance.
Perhaps it is inevitable for such a Plane to possess laws which are famously draconian, not to mention the utmost seriousness accorded to pacts of all kinds. Ruthless measures are often considered essential to ensure that chaotic excesses of Xaosins are kept under control, but the most experienced realize the deliberate planning behind the entire social structure.
The most actively aggressive of the Planes, Xaonia's desire for conquest has earned them the enmity of Arisi first and Criati later, as they carved up the old Zenorian Empire for themselves. Banished by the one who was an indentured servant in all but name, they were the first to employ Halfbloods to infiltrate and subvert the Hegemony for their return.
Just like everything else, the Dissolution caused much change.
Now there's a rift among the Tribunal and their proxies: the Covetous and the Benevolent wish to focus on Xaonia and those few patches of land they couldn't retrieve yet; the Odious and the Inexorable desire to finish what started more than a millennia ago. The Yearning is left with the increasingly arduous task of mediation – yet the war against foes within and without hasn't stopped.
Embrace hope or despair over the future. There is no other choice.
Access Method
The second step of this journey concerns the circumstances of your insertion. Ponder over the ramifications of these options.
[] Transmigration (0 Coin): Awaken, child of Earth. Your access into Genesis will be the most exquisite application of Occam's Razor: an unknown individual materializing in foreign land. The options you choose will be your sole companions and guide, at least at the beginning – for the languages of this new world will be incomprehensible until you learn them. No prior knowledge of the world will descend from above save for what you are able to scavenge now and later on. You will be yourself, untainted by a life never lived – for better or for worse.The second step of this journey concerns the circumstances of your insertion. Ponder over the ramifications of these options.
More importantly, do not expect anyone to comprehend your foreign language or shield you from the consequences of your action. Survival is your responsibility.
[] Reincarnation (1 Coin): Arise, Heir of Genesis. At the expenses of a precious Coin, Genesis shall acknowledge a singular truth – that you were always part of its history. Not a simple forgery but rather a comprehensive and retroactive insertion, it is devoid of all its natural drawbacks and complete with all the associated perks – from steady friendships to mastery of compatible powers.
You will be able to design the details of this second life in broad strokes and within reason, but you will have access to all of 'your' previous memories. 'Your' personality is assured to be compatible with past traits and morality, if molded by the experiences undergone on Genesis until now – be they uplifting or degrading.
Shard Unit
The magic system at the core of Genesis, one of the most consistently powerful in the multiverse. You have the right to pick one and only one option.
[] Heir of Cradle (1 Coin): The birthright of Cradle flows through your veins, empowering you in every aspect of human application as long as sincere commitment is made. Your fists penetrate the mountains with surprising ease now, blurs of action becoming numbed and slow to your accelerated mind and your sheer presence is enough to turn heads everywhere you go. Your faculties decay more slowly with age, as the average lifespan of Criati is about one hundred and fifty years. However, as jarring as the transformation might feel, do remember that this is the norm among Criati and not the exception.The magic system at the core of Genesis, one of the most consistently powerful in the multiverse. You have the right to pick one and only one option.
With your blood comes also the talent for Honours, the crystallization of continuous toil into a lever to life the world. According to the studies of Telosian scholars, accumulated skill is said to coagulate the microscopic Shards within an Heir of Cradle: a harmless process that nonetheless grants access to supernal attributes and aptitude. There are Honours in every field of human application, each with their own precise effects and crystalline shape – phenomena that have taken many centuries to be comprehended, cataloged properly and reproduced reliably. Although unique Honours are not unheard of, here's a few example of the more common:
Tireless March – Criati are no strangers to hardships and fatigue, in spite of their enhanced physicks. You can proudly proclaim that you have partially conquered such petty limitations and they no longer bind you as tightly as your fellows. Any and all strenuous activities halve their impact on you, effectively doubling your endurance in many instances. Furthermore, strain alone will no longer be able to kill you – even if you were to push yourself to your utmost limits, you will simply fall asleep for the time required. Wounds and other factors still affect you normally.
King Scorpion's Stinger – Named after the infamous beasts which haunt the most desolate recesses of the former Western Archonate, it is considered one of the hallmarks of those who prefer thrusting weapons. The practitioner assumes a low stance as they ready the blow before exploding forward, crossing space in a single leap and thrusting the armament upward to impale the opponent. Although more limited in scope than other similar Honours, the focus on a singular target makes it among the deadlier – especially against targets bigger than the user. Masters of the Honour are able to run through any kind of opponent, no matter how physically impossible.
Honours cannot be lost once they reach the crystallization stage, becoming one with the Heir's soul too. However, the more remarkable you are in a particular area, the harder and longer it will be to reach new breakthroughs. This is one of the reasons why eugenic unions are not uncommon among the elite of the Hegemony: to ensure the optimal foundations for the next generation.
[] Halfblood (2 Coins): To don the mantle of two Planes is no easy feat on Genesis. Born from war experiments in the Epoch of Blood, Halfbloods were ultimately refined by the vengeful leader of the Ravaging Ashes Clan. An event that brought much grief to Cradle and was the first domino in the chain that led to the Hegemon's Judgement and his subsequent departure. That Xaonia employed them extensively to profit from the following civil war brought them no better reputation. You'd do well to choose your friends well, otherwise prepare to hide the true source of your powers for fear of retaliation – justified or not.
A Halfblood is made when a Criatus' Shard comes in contact with one from another Plane: most commonly, through the ingestion of enough ichor. A process that is usually fatal unless the Heir is sufficiently compatible with the associated Outer Principle. Should the Shard be gifted by a living being, the latter's very soul feels the tug towards half of its origin and defer to the donor as a servant would do to a master. Although the existential bond will wane in strength as you develop your own prowess, willingly acting against your Shardholder will always be a difficult proposition. However, in the Epoch of Change it is not impossible to find masterless Halfbloods, who answer to none but themselves.
These words might make you wonder if the choice is worth the candle. It is, beyond any doubt.
The enhancement to your physical and metaphysical attributes is greater than of normal Criati, as you become kin to the Heirs of Outer Planes. The rate of aging is slowed by a factor of ten – or so is presumed, as no Halfblood has ever met natural death so far. Your progression will not be as steady as others, but rather explosive and ground-breaking: the most defining moments of life will be floodgates of personal growth, in an ever-ascending ladder of arete. The two Shard strains within your blood are sure to evolve through beautiful synergy into unseen forms, truly known and belonging to you and no one else. Pick one of the Four Principles:
Life – Materialistic and free-spirited, Vitales are masters in the manipulation of the natural elements, the prime materials of physical matter. Contesting their primacy on this aspect is considerably hard, even by the standards of Outer Heirs. All Vitales are particularly attuned to creation as a whole and at least one of the core Elements, each associated to a Season: Earth for Spring, Fire for Summer, Wind for Autumn and Water for Winter. These can be combined in order to produce different Elements and effects. As beings of Life, their own bodies are more akin to elementals – although all Heirs can take human-like shape with little issue.
Death – Calm and apathetic, Sineamors have an innate perception of mortality and how to harness the Principle of Death. Make oneself impervious to demise, reap entire cities of all living force, enjoy the intimate companionship of the unliving and predict coming death before it happens: this and more are within the purview of Death. Sineamors are the terminal points of whoever has the misfortune to earn their slow ire, demonstrating that all things – be they physical or not – must end one day. Of particular note is their talent to craft Soul-Crypts in which store their essence, a process to ensure both survival and heritage.
Concept – Dogmatic and steadfast in their beliefs, it is no surprise as Arisi draw their power from them. So long as an Heir of Concept truly believes something and speaks of their conviction to the world, it shall be acknowledged. The crowning achievements of Arisi are Etique, ethoses whose values turn into cardinal axioms who defy common physical and metaphysical laws. The champions of an Etiqua spread the same through their words, and those sufficiently persuaded have their morals changed to fit the victor's Etiqua – and are granted access to the same benefits. So long as a Concept is stable enough, it is possible to inherit it by a compatible Heir.
Emotion – A peculiar combination of self-centered and disciplined, Xaosins rule over their surroundings through the Principle of Emotion. Birth determines the Xaosin race but calcification of the core Emotion happens later on, through the lenses of experience and personality. The fundamental magic of Xaosins is the permanent manifestation of their Emotion – the so-called Straxos – which blankets themselves and the world around. Doing so warps the very rules of reality and those within, subjecting them to the whims dictated by the Shardbearer. As a final resort, they are able to abandon the shape and focus of their Straxos in favor of raw strength and influence – a chaotic onslaught that leaves them severely fatigued afterwards.
The warped Honours – or Blasphemies, as the Vizier in Shadows dubbed them mockingly – of the Halfbloods are unlike any other, with strength and depth unmatched. Although not as encompassing in application as the powers of Planar Shards, the potential to even surpass your supposed betters in the narrow aspect you've made your own is within reach.
[] True Heir (3 Coins): The preachers of the reformed Cult of Hess-te-Aistra tell a story.
Once, the Great Father Hess and Great Mother Aistra lived happily together with their children – until the vile Cullers came like a scourge and massacred them all. Heartbroken by the loss of their beloved creations, the Divine Progenitors vowed to never let such a tragedy occur again. So they sowed new life – the Heirs - in a new world based on the four founding Principles: thus Genesis came to be. Whereas the Great Father ascended to shield his sons and daughters from the Voidspawns, the Great Mother lingered more and gave her new children the means to defend themselves. Only then she joined her husband, turning into the nightly stars against the cold Void.
You are one of the original denizens of the Four Planes above and below now, one of the most powerful children of the Progenitors. Called True among themselves and Outer from everyone else, it is they who could be called civilization first, they who ruled the Central Plane of Cradle in the Epoch of Blood and they who manifest their superiority in the smallest gestures. Indeed, the immediate power offered by this choice outranks every other and would make many lesser worlds tremble, even in the wake of the Dissolution.
Biological immortality, inborn attributes that would shame wizened grandmasters, millennia of experience and knowledge accumulated and wonders of great strength are all yours by right, together with your most valued asset: the Shard in your blood, the source of the powers you have studied and nurtured for Epochs. Your Shard is kindred to one of the Four Principles, so now you must choose one of them. The actualization of your powers is too wide to be listed here; instead, an appropriate thematic will be chosen depending on personality and future input.
There is but one caveat to this massive transformation. All Outer Heirs slowly develop so long as they adhere to the Principle governing their Shard – and your current status is the result of thousands of years of optimization. As long as you rely on your Shard powers alone, do not expect to grow exponentially.
Privileges
Further improvements or magic systems outside of context can be purchased here. Do note that unlisted synergies exist.
[] Exalted (1 Coin): Expend a Coin and you shall be remade a step closer to divinity. Other than the removal of any blemish you care not for, the series of enhancements this option provides are several and holistic: strength and resilience, charisma and beauty, intellect and cunning. Furthermore, you are more proficient in any magic system you're able to access: your innate talent will be greater and you will improve faster. The effects of Exalted are most noticeable on the powers granted by Shards.Further improvements or magic systems outside of context can be purchased here. Do note that unlisted synergies exist.
A simple Privilege but quite effective.
[] Grand Armamentarium (1 Coin): Home to great and terrible deeds, Genesis has never had a shortage of magical armaments and similar panoply through its history – ranging from artifacts given life the organic forges of Vitales to the treasures found in the Dwelling's bloodstained halls.
You have acquired possession of one such object, by hook or by crook. The specific properties of this artifact are to be defined later, but they will always be synergistic with your chosen build.
Those who already possess much might find this option less enticing, but those who must even the field will obtain a valuable power multiplier.
[] Weight of History (1 Coin, requires Reincarnation): By default Reincarnation turns you into a citizen of Genesis, with access to an established web of allies and resources. The influence that your manufactured self was able to exert on the annals depends on a few factors but be assured that it shall not be insignificant. However, history largely follows in the footsteps left before your arrival.
Weight of History changes that. The impact of your choices will be grander in breadth and depth both, potentially with consequences that all the world must accept. Doors previously barred will be wide open now, whatever lies beyond ripe for the taking.
With great powers come great expectations. Take care to not disregard them, the fall could be lethal.
[] Backdoor to Akasha (2 Coins): For the steep cost of two Coins, a bargain will be struck in your favor with the entity known as the Beholder. You are granted access to their personal abode and fortress, the gargantuan bibliotheca they built to store all the knowledge they accumulated through distant travels in the multiverse. As there is virtually no topic left unattended by their curiosity, you're bound to find a trove of information that is personally relevant to your interests.
To enter and leave the Akashic Library you must perform a specific ritual that requires exactly fifty-five seconds, independently of your location at the time. Naturally, this doubles as an emergency escape plan but take heed: the Beholder is sure to not appreciate unwanted intruders and will terminate them with utmost prejudice.
There's an additional benefit to this Privilege. A kin-traitor and enigmatic mastermind, if you were to peer through the layers of the Beholder's millennial existence you will find an ally that can provide useful tips and assessments, smuggle inaccessible magical systems and perhaps even share some of the multiverse's lost secrets.
Be careful in your approach, however. The Beholder knows you for who you are: they are willing to entertain a partnership so long as you don't prove to be what they hunt.
[] Brand of the Five (2 Coins): "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions" recites the old adage. What is left unsaid is how cruel and aromantic is the fate of those left behind to witness and handle the consequences of hubris.
The Five know these facts all too intimately, for They have walked the road to Golden Forever once upon a time. Now They lie broken and divided. Yet to believe Them powerless would be a misconception of the gravest kind.
What you are offered is the chance to be branded in Their image, to a level that intertwines blood and spirit to the most fundamental level. Pick one of the following options; all of them offer modest levels of physical enhancement together with peculiar Boons and Curses:
Brand of the Heart – You possess an ethereal aura, an undeniable charm that simply drives people to open up more easily to you than their own psychological defenses would normally dictate. Acquaintances become friends in a single night, hardened negotiators are satisfied by reasonable demands and even sworn enemies find their minions beset by doubt. Contextually, you are also gifted with an increased expertise in every social facet. At the same time, you are Cursed to be more ruthless in the pursuit of your own greater good, no matter how terrible the cost is. This doesn't protect you from the guilt of your actions: in fact, you will never be able to banish it entirely no matter what.
Brand of the Mind – Your mind is a marvelous masterpiece, an endless archive which houses more and more knowledge every trickling second. Other than eidetic and photographic memory, your own intelligence is sharpened by a newfound sense of razor sharp clarity and your cognition is magnified to the point that instants might as well feel minutes. Sufficient data can lead to analysis of future events, determining how predictable they could be and their potential ramifications. This gift leaves you afflicted with a pathological need to gather non-trivial knowledge in spite of how inconvenient or dangerous said research is – although these constraints are greatly loosened in situations of life or death.
Brand of the Soul – Cultures, traditions and artistry: the Brand of the Soul – twin to the Brand of the Outcast – will make all of these crystal clear to you. A mere glance at strangers will give you an idea of what society shaped them and how said organization came to be. Other than a dramatic raise in your interpersonal insight, you also receive greater lateral thinking and understanding when it comes to all arts – and by extension, magic. You are a genius among geniuses – perhaps not the greatest innate talent, but the most skilled and innovative user. The Curse of this Brand is a greatly reduced capacity to form meaningful relationships, as people become more akin to written characters and props in the great opera of life.
Brand of the Scepter – The Boon offered by the elusive Scepter is as easy as powerful: speak and the world obeys. A language of bygone aeons is to be wedded to your being, atavistic words that everyone and everything will understand instinctively. At first your own grasp will be limited and focused on minor aspects – such as ordering rivers to part momentarily. With time and effort you might be able to command reality into overwriting recently transpired events to better suit your needs, so long as you can overcome the target's metaphysical 'weight'. As a corollary, your aptitude in the art of government is drastically improved. However, a ruler's crown comes at great cost: you accept no authority – be it an individual, an organization, a custom or a law - except your own.
Brand of the Sword – The ultimate soldier to be ever conceived, war incarnate into flesh and soul. The first gift granted to you is a doubled growth rate in all attributes and skills related to the art of fighting – honorable or not matters little. The second gift is enhanced strength of your corpus or magic whenever you aim them towards destructive, lethal or otherwise battle-related purposes. The third gift is the inexplicable power to draw forth a minuscule fragment of the essence of whoever dies by your hand, stolen might compounded into your own. For this, you shall consider conflict to be an inevitable and even desired principle of the multiverse; although this imperative is split from morality, it can never be ignored.
The Brands at your disposal are available thanks to a loophole. Should you take Trojan Horse, consider the price paid in full: ignore the associated Curses and augment all the associated benefits by a non negligible amount.
[] The Old Blood (2 Coins): Venerable Esebio, one of the erudites of the former kingdom of Pactia, postulated that there are no Four Founding Principles of Genesis, but rather one – the Principle of Blood, from which everything else emanates. So began the studies on the nature and secrets of Criati in the Epoch of Blood, in search of confirmation or confutation to this thesis.
To these days, the world knows not the answer. What Esebio's students eventually discovered was equally extraordinary despite the great moral and material price.
The Heirs of Cradle – perhaps more than any other Heir – store potential within their veins. This latent force can be harnessed and manipulated through the striking revelation that comes with codified rituals and formulas, expending possibility to bridge the gap between the possible and impossible.
The more simplistic applications of Magisuran Arts are physical augmentation and blood alchemy, practices in which all apprentices must be proficient in. Then come the more complex spells: crimson barrages and barriers, boiling blood and organs, the creation of homunculi and the fearsome Cruogears. It is rumored that the apex of this Art can be considered akin to 'hacking the code' of matter. You begin as well-versed in this magic as your background allows to, but you can certainly improve with time and training.
A final note: the blood of Outer Heirs is an inert reagent, thus this branch of magic was never quite developed by them. Should there be a method to cross this calcified limit, it might mark the beginning of a new Epoch.
[] Home Sweet Home (3 Coins): It will be draped on your shoulders, impossible to remove and clear only to your senses. A mantle of warm nostalgia, as gentle as a mother's embrace. If 'world' is another term for all you value, then rejoice: its soothing presence shall always be with you.
However beneficial to your emotional well-being, this is but an echo of its true form.
The main advantage of this Privilege is what would have been your birthright under different circumstances: Nullification. As straightforward as impressive, it revolves around the simple suppression or annulment of any magic system. Archmages will despair as their ultimate spells fizzle out of existence, knights whose attributes were enhanced to supernatural perfection will revert back to mere pages. Even a Divinity might fall to their knees and meet true death, should They cross your path.
Of course, your initial proficiency in this magic system is nowhere that advanced. Merely an internal protection that dampens all negative effects crushing on your being, it will steadily develop and evolve as you learn to use it. The power of Nullification is proportionally reduced against foes or effects of greater magnitude than your own prowess, yet be assured that it will never be useless.
There is one exception to the above: much like a faithful guard dog, the system refuses to harm its creator.
[] Legacy Beyond Life (3 Coins, requires Halfblood or True Heir): There are different means to reach immortality within the multiverse, but this Privilege is one of the most peculiar and rare forms.
The greatest asset of the Curatress in her aeon-spanning task, it doesn't provide a physical body axiomatically impervious or regeneration to the level of the divine. Rather, at the time of your death your entire self simply disappears as if absorbed by the ground underneath. Unbound and untouchable, a suitable vessel will be found for your soul, their personality and Shard erased in favor of your own. This process doesn't present side effects except for momentary discomfort and the time required to be reborn anew, which varies depending on the compatibility of potential vessels and the severity of the killing blow.
As a corollary, to protect you from what might be considered a fate worse than death you are gifted with an axiomatic mental defense against mental possession of any kind. Be warned, supernal means of persuasion can circumvent this perfect protection so long as you remain the ultimate judge of your choices.
To remove you it would be necessary to seal away your entire being. An exceedingly difficult deed when one can commit instantaneous suicide.
[] A Ring (3 Coins): At the moment of your insertion into Genesis, a halo will mysteriously materialize around your ring finger. A closer glance reveals that it is a ring made of pure, golden light at whose top rests a crested ruby of most exquisite craftsmanship. Comparable to the most exalted Artifacts ever conceived in the five Planes, it would sell for an exorbitant cost – if only it wasn't bound to your essence.
Archaic words are engraved on the inside of the ring shank, a fluid and unknown language that everyone can understand nonetheless. They recite: "I, your foremother."
The Ring comes with a few powers and more await to be discovered. These are always considered active so long as you wear it; you may to turn them off or on at will:
Made by the Blood – All activities centered around blood will be greatly improved. The benefits for Shardbearers are obvious – for example, learning Honours faster and enhancing their might - but there are quite a few applications beyond that.
Ancestral Authority – To other living creatures, your bearing is that of the most majestic monarch to ever exist. Your speeches but also your presence alone emanate unquestionable authority, to the point that your lessers desire to meet your wishes and demands. The greater the divide between you and them, the more pronounced this effect is.
Key to the Throne – You possess an unerring sixth sense when it comes to pinpoint the position of entrances to the Dwelling from Beyond the Stars, the reality-fraying dungeons which house the vile Cullers. The monsters of the Void themselves thread more carefully around you, inhuman hatred tempered by human-like fear.
O Exclurian Inheritor, remember this even if your memories are wiped forevermore: the Ender Marshal demands a reckoning. You must pick Nemesis as a future Functional Error.
[] Blood of the First (4 Coins, requires Heir of Cradle or Halfblood): For an entire lifetime, you have felt a most nagging sensation stalking the corners of your minds, evaluating your single action and questioning your chosen goals: what is Divinity?
One day, in the darkest hour the revelation will strike you like thunder from clear skies.
At its core, it is nothing more than to bridge cause and effect, desire and outcome. Pure potential sublimed into perfect actuality, to draw a line from start to finish without meddlesome interludes. To not merely decide the script that is the real and ideal, but also the very language and parchment upon which they are given shape.
Two others reached this conclusion before you. The first was undone from enemies without and doubts within, his legacy shattered and his scions divided. The second was led to shed his humanity to not incur in his forebear's mistakes, only to be cast away himself.
You need not to follow in their wake. Harness that Meaning, frail and budding Quintessence. There exists no guideline for the arduous path ahead, you must carve it on your own. Hold your head high, stride forth and remember:
It is not a matter of whether the world or the ideal are right.
It is a matter of what can or cannot be.
And it must be as you wish.
Functional Errors
At last, you have the opportunity to afflict yourself to stretch the limits of your Coins. A maximum of five Coins can be earned.
[] Memory Wipe (+1 Coin): The power of knowledge is not to be underestimated, the Mind of the Five has proven that more than adequately. However, not all knowledge can lead to power – and so the call of immediate strength becomes tantalizing.At last, you have the opportunity to afflict yourself to stretch the limits of your Coins. A maximum of five Coins can be earned.
Gain a Coin at the cost of losing all pre-existing knowledge and memories of the multiverse, including the content of this meeting. There is no way to revert this, not even Brands or Nullification.
You will be left with the certainty that you chose to forget and the faintest feeling of regret.
[] Nemesis (+1 Coin): They will despise you. Everything that you are, everything that you have, everything that you wish for – they will see them undone. Perhaps the worst part is that you are no innocent soul: your sin – as well as their power - depends on your choices, both here and in the future, but it will give them ample justification for their hatred.
It will be almost impossible for your feud to not end in bloody conflict save for the most dire of circumstances. If Reincarnation is taken, expect to have better information on who you have wronged.
[] Slow Burn (+1 Coin): There might be no such thing as too much power but your predicament offers no simple way out. Instead, you can sacrifice the present for the future – and prepare for the long road ahead.
When you begin your journey, your initial strength will be lesser compared to that of your peers. For one reason or another, knowledge and expertise accumulated through hardships and years will regress and your potential contacts shall be too occupied to offer decisive help in the near future. Even prestige and belongings are not safe, although you are assured to recover them in time. Fortunately, this does not negate past events or your innate talent.
For some, this affliction is no more than a fastidious setback. For others, it might very well spell their untimely demise.
[] At Doom's Gate (+2 Coins): Back on Earth there is an apocryphal curse which says: "May you live in interesting times". The Soul of the Five finds the notion patently absurd but alas, you are not of the Five. The weight of your choice will be felt all too keenly.
Your arrival on Genesis dictates the beginning of a series of unfortunate events. Monumental emergencies build up until they can't be contained any longer and explode catastrophically, with lingering repercussions for all. You will find yourself involved in them far too often and your actions can make or break the lives of thousands of thousands – including your own.
There are three small reprieves to this continuous ladder of escalation. The first is that you will have some downtime between one big crisis and another, although said window of time depends on many factors. The second is that although you are unable to stop the first event of this chain reaction, your choices might have prepared you for it already. Third, one day there will be no more calamities – for better or worse.
[] Lilith (+2 Coins): Your insertion is possible thanks to a moment of weakness that will never come to pass again. Should you spurn this grace unasked for, pray that you don't come to despair over an irreversible mistake.
Lilith is aware of an undesired intercession and has begun to mobilize for years now, all to find and neutralize the source: you. Cloak yourself under the mantle of anonymity or authenticity, lest your life will be cut short.
Lilith has existed for millennia under different guises, their death made an impossibility. Lilith has no definite shape: a person, a secret society, a cult. Everyone could be Lilith and you will not be aware until the very last moment. Despite the chaos of the Dissolution, Lilith has rebuilt their old web of intrigue and influence – more than sufficient to strangle the world. Lilith answers to a leader, but to discuss this matter openly would attract both her attention and her master's ire.
You fight a shadow war against a titanic, timeless hydra. Find a way to surpass the monster or seek the help of the Nameless hunters: there is no other recourse.
[] Trojan Horse (+2 Coins, incompatible with Backdoor to Akasha): Swear an oath of fealty of the highest order and be reconstructed on a fundamental level. Your purpose becomes a guiding light, a dream of justice burning in your soul. There's nothing more distinct in all of the multiverse, and so you know what actions must be undertaken to realize it. Repentance is your cross to bear on a loathsome hill of atrocities old and new – but this is the only path.
Perhaps it is consolation enough that you will never be truly alone. Your eternal liege is always at your side, even when unheard or unseen. Through the fog of dreams or meditation your binding master is gracious enough to offer empowering truths, terrifying secrets, helpful advice or just a friendly shoulder to cry on – not that it will ever end your duties. Given enough motivation, your lofty taskmaster might even brave the chance to give direct support in the form of out-of-context reinforcements or magic systems.
There is no devil in the details with this contract, for the recompense is painfully self-evident: chained slavery and an unnamed grave.
You find the necessity regrettable, yet it must be done all the same.
[] Genesis Protocol (+3 Coins): The First was serendipitous in mediocrity.
The Second confirmed the First's thesis to prepare who would come next.
The Third was a growing crescendo that didn't have a dignified outro.
The Fourth reached unthinkable heights yet too few to matter.
The Fifth was supposed to be the conclusion if not for unforeseen treachery.
Still, witness the myriad of beings living upon this cultivation ground. Observe how they live for discord, be it on blood-soaked battlefields, opulent halls or darkened alleyways. Even if they are not aware themselves, each and every single one of them is crying for the their true purpose to be fulfilled.
So be it.
In less than a hundred years, their pleas shall be answered at last. In less than a century, the Genesis Protocol will terminate.
The conflict you're about to the thrust into will be unlike any you've ever seen. Even in the most auspicious scenario the sheer amount of devastation and losses could be a Sword of Damocles for the living Heirs. Other ramifications are better left unconsidered, therefore toil to not let them come to pass.
Even if this is war, find in your heart to not hate Him. He simply doesn't know better.
As for my choice here, I admit that I've not been up to date for a while. In this case, I will follow my
[X] Orm Embar
