A Simple Transaction I

[Rihaku]

High Glades

Returning to civilization, Hunger collected Gisena before making his way to the bounty office. It was time to collect on the Rotspawn he'd killed, though the harvest of power from the creature itself was payment enough in his mind.

"What an odd creature," Gisena remarked, poking gingerly at the decapitated head.

"What's odd about it?"

"Hm?" She raised a finger to her lips. "I can think of a few things! This specimen decided to go hunting for exotic monsters after declaring he'd take a vacation. He then pushed himself so hard that he was slain, returning as a pale wraith to present the trophy of his mutual-kill to a society of strangers!"

"Sounds normal to me," he demurred. "I've always heard geniuses were very adaptable. Failing to pick up on a consistent pattern of behavior, perhaps you're losing your touch."

Gisena laughed. "I'm too distracted by all the wondrous technology around! I haven't even had time to complete my meditations..."

"Speaking of which," she continued, "Letrizia asked us to find a Hot Springs resort to stay in. I did some digging and these two look the most promising. What do you think?"

She fanned out a pair of pamphlets, one for a starkly modernist resort, the other a decadent eastern-style villa.

"This one," he pointed at the latter. "What else are we going to spend the money on?"

"Fair enough," Gisena said, walking around to his other side. "Oh, your arm's growing back! First your sword and then your arm, I see you have your priorities in order!"

"Would any man choose otherwise?" He deadpanned. "But yes, I slew a monster with four arms. That seems to have granted enough power to overcome the Tyrant's curse and repair my one. I was lucky. It was considerably stronger than I expected."

"Congratulations!" Gisena clapped. "Now we just have to fix your eye, lung, liver and heart and you'll be good as new!"

"...There's nothing wrong with my heart."

"Heartbreak's a serious condition, you know? And extravagant luxury is just the remedy. Never leave home without it!"

The bounty office paid out a generous sum for the Rotspawn's head, noting that it was the first Primary-grade Rotspawn downed in months. Their overawed desk staff beseeched Hunger to campaign against the Rotbeast itself, but he refused.

"Turning down a battle? Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Gisena placed a palm on his forehead as if to check for fever.

"We've got other priorities; the Temple comes first. Slaying this Rotbeast might be the work of an afternoon, or it could take weeks and months. Targets that big are usually well-fortified or they'd be hollowed out by opportunistic predators."

"A sensible precaution! Perhaps the creature you killed was also a genius?"

"Given all the things you've claimed a genius can do, I'd be surprised if the category included anyone besides you."

"Aw! You always know just what to say." Gisena hugged his arm cheerfully.

"Speaking of which, how did Letrizia's infiltration mission go?"

"She snuck in and pretended to be a transfer student during their lunch hour. It worked well, at least until she got caught! But there weren't any serious consequences. Even out here, provoking the Empire by detaining a duchess would be a bad idea!"

"The Empire hasn't even bothered sending a team to retrieve their Armament."

"That we know of," Gisena nodded, "But the separatists don't know that! Why risk making an enemy of the Artriez dynasty over something so petty? The magics here are basically an open secret anyway."

"I haven't heard anything, or seen mages at the front."

"That's what you have us for! Most of their mages are children, teenagers at the oldest. They practice the manipulation of semi-conceptual forces called Imaginary Elements. The children have given themselves the somewhat presumptuous title of 'High Elementalists.' The Rotbeast began its incursions around when their first Elements manifested, so it's quite a controversial topic!"

"Weren't you planning to call yourself a 'High Sorceress' after completing your meditations?"

"Well yes, because I've earned it!" Gisena pouted. "There aren't even any normal Elementalists for these kids to place themselves above!"

"Matters of self-proclaimed sorcerous nomenclature being of utmost priority to the intellect of a genius like yourself. Even above battlefield fashion, apparently."

"Don't tease me on this," Gisena's pout intensified, tears shining brilliantly in her eyes. "I've worked hard..."

"Hard work doesn't deserve to be teased? I'll remember that," he said, with the tone of a man marking down his ledger.

"Good!" Gisena chirped, skipping ahead with playful grace. "Now, let's go see the resort. I can't wait to spend your money on such frivolous magnificence!"

"Who said you were going to? The room will be for me. You may hunt your own Rotbeasts if you'd like to chip in for a suite."

"Don't worry, I'll earn my keep! We'll have Letrizia expense it for us when we get back, so it's really the Empire's money!"

"I'll take your statement on credit, but if it falls through then you'll owe it all back, with interest."

"Naturally!" She raised two slender fingers. "Maiden's honor!"

The resort itself was a traditional Eastern-style enclave carved into the mountain at the heart of Elixir territory. Deep within the towering stone was a spring of mystical water heated by geothermal flows. The core pools in which this water accumulated had the highest magical purity, and each five-star Elixir resort held a direct tap to this most pristine of reservoirs. Rumors abounded as to the source of the magic, but according to Gisena, who'd studied a sample of the water, it was a spontaneous manifestation the likes of which occurred from time to time in the Voyaging Realm.

"I wonder what they'll do when it runs out?"

"The water or the magic?"

"The magic. It looks like it'll last for maybe... sixty more years? It'll peak in strength within the next five and decline steadily afterwards. It's strongest on nights with a full moon. We have waning gibbous, which is the third-most optimal condition..."

"Such analytical prowess."

"Only the best for my favorite creditor!"

The Kaguya, their chosen residence, was considered the most premier lodgings in the entire Sovereignty. Such luxury did not come cheap, but Hunger had little attachment to the currency of this minor nation.

Letrizia met them on the tram up to the hotel, excitedly expounding on the magic system she'd discovered while Gisena examined every detail of the tram itself.

"It's called High Elementalism and each kid has their own unique element, with physical and sometimes magical properties! I asked and they said anyone young enough has a chance to develop it by bathing in the hot springs." Letrizia fidgeted excitedly.

"I also got you blood samples from a couple of the stronger mages." She tossed her hair, expression smug. "Boys are so easy to manipulate."

He soberly reached out a hand, taking the vials. "Gisena. I fear our charge may be taking the wrong lessons from this experience."

"Hm?" She looked up from the now-exposed circuitry of the tram's computer. "Oh, yes. Letrizia, don't manipulate boys for gain, or at the very least, let them down gently when you're done."

"Teaming up on me," Letrizia huffed, crossing her arms. "After all the good work I did!"

"Think about it from their perspective," he said sternly. "How would you like it if you were infatuated with someone who only wanted to use you for your blood?"

"H-hmph! I can't help if they're throwing themselves at my feet!"

"A capable Armament pilot lacks even this amount of discipline? I'm surprised."

"F-flattery will get you nowhere! Besides, y-you're one to talk about lacking discipline. How come you're in ghost form again?"

"That's a lack of wisdom," he answered sagely, "not of self-control. I only endangered my own heart, not those of your innocent classmates. And I got my arm back, so it was completely worth it."

"T-they're not even my real classmates!"

Famished after a long day of hunting, espionage, and technological research, the three of them set about immediately to the food service, where a sumptuous repast awaited. Before them were bright crimson shells of freshly steamed lobster set atop a fountain of golden garlic-butter sauce; crisp egg cakes perfectly warmed and daubed with truffle glaze; hand-pressed nigiri artfully arranged with rice-grains glistening like pearls; thick cuts of opulently marbled steak seared openly on the fires; crystal-chilled fruits like jeweled fists translucent; and a cornucopia of lesser fares each superbly executed, containing ingredients of impeccable freshness. It was a vast, indulgent, omnivorous feast and Letrizia sighed in delight, wandering from station to station, hands folded as if in a dream.

Hunger ate steadily but tirelessly, powering through with superhuman constitution to sample each delicacy in turn, while Gisena cheerfully mooched from their plates, slowly talking the food-addled Letrizia into paying for it all. Delightful as it all was, however, there was still something missing, some inexplicable element that rendered it less than totally satisfying.

Hunger paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. Ah, that was it. Though he'd indirectly hunted for it, he had not caught this meat himself. For all its joys and wonders, this commercial fare just wasn't the same as consuming a fish off one's own line.

---

Two days at the resort and then it's back to the Temple for Hunger & Co. What is his general strategy for dealing with the Inner Temple?

[ ] Farm, then Clear - Challenge those in the Encampment to duels; if victorious, proceed to attack the Middle Temple until Outrider patrols are exhausted; if victorious, proceed to attack the Inner Temple. Combat will hone the edge of his prowess in his new magic.

May theoretically encounter useful allies
Chances can be improved by tactics

Hunger's estimated risk assessment for the first stage:
*60% chance of uneventful victory
*20% chance of challenging opposition (enter battle or 1+ conditions)
*20% chance of potent opposition (enter battle or 1+ major conditions)

[ ] Offensive Bias - You've dithered long enough. Cut through.

Discounts Once and Future by 1 Arete
+5% Effectiveness in battle, improves Rank gains from battle.

Hunger's estimated risk assessment:
*40% chance of uneventful victory
*15% chance of potent foe (1 major condition)
*35% chance of peer-level foe (enter battle)
*5% chance of overwhelming foe (enter battle)
*5% chance of stupendously dangerous foe (enter battle and prepare to die)

[ ] Stay and Train [-1 Arete] - Though it physically pains him to do so, it's best to get reasonably familiar with his new powers before challenging the Temple. Letrizia's hangers-on are more than willing to spar with Hunger, and by wagering days of service he can mitigate the penalty for non-lethal sparring. May also represent an opportunity to recruit more manpower, though the ethical considerations are potentially fraught...

*Letrizia's new friend group is mostly composed of juniors and seniors, aged 17-18. Too young for war in Hunger's eyes, and support positions are difficult to make feasible given the nature of 'High Elementalism.' That said, there are those among them who possess Elements of incredible utility.
*You can get more party members by having them run away from home to join you.
*Hunger is considerably more adept at controlling his Element than he otherwise would be.

---

What is the Imaginary Element of Duchess Letrizia Artriez?

[ ] Sharpbright - The sharp bright sword of will that brings mere physical law to heel! A focused form of Pressure itself that allows Letrizia to improve her effective Rank in situations where being "sharp" or "bright" would be relevant. Both literal and metaphorical interpretations fall within its remit. With sufficient control, Letrizia can even permanently increase her actual Rank by such means, though this is a slow and arduously difficult process...

*Doesn't work if she tries to buff other people, though she can still fight on the same side as other units with Rank
*Reaching the apex of Low Rank is trivial, reaching the apex of Middle Rank extremely difficult, and anything involving High Ranks involves legendary levels of mastery
*Allows her to advance her research into the nature of Pressure and Astral Rank!

[ ] Exavolt - A tremendously versatile and staggeringly powerful energy that would actually be relevant in combat even at your scale. Combining broad varieties of electromagnetic force with the concept of excessive scale, this would allow Letrizia to easily defend herself in combat from the Astral Beasts currently attacking Verschlengorge, and can eventually develop into wide-ranging control of magnetism, visible light, gamma radiation, microwaves, and so on.

*Substantially increases Verschlengorge's effective firepower
*While many noncombat applications are possible, almost all require extensive mastery to pursue
*Far more capable in physical combat than an equivalent level of Sharpbright

---

If all goes well, the Patreon should be up tomorrow! Finishing the bonus content has been tough with this pace.

 

[Rihaku]

Scarlet Legion

Burgeoning under the weight of all they'd consumed, the two of them stumbled and Gisena gracefully strode into their suite to recover from the feast. It was an elegant series of rooms, sparsely decorated yet opulent. Swooping calligraphies and handworks of glazed porcelain decorated the walls, while the doorknobs and countertops were carved from lucent jade; a single bonsai shedding cherry blossoms graced the entrance hall. The austere refinement of clean lines and floors contrasted with the plush extravagance gracing every surface liable to human touch. Their room looked out onto a small courtyard of textured stonework and peach trees, beneath which plunged the unspoiled slope of the mountain, its harrowing incline revealing the city beneath in all its glittering splendor. The windows were presently open, bare to the icy wind of the high mountain, but small runnels of Elixir water framed the room entire, their delicate steam warding off any imprecation of the cold.

Hunger reached out and grabbed a peach from a branch sagging under its fresh, ripe weight. It was delightful, the sun-bright sweetness of its flesh contrasting with the frost-dusted texture of its skin. This, nonsensically, was closer to eating a fish off one's own line. He smiled.

In a nonsensical show of solidarity, Gisena and Letrizia decided to delay their enjoyment of the public baths to the next night, stating they didn't want Hunger to be left out.

"We'll just enjoy the waters in the suite! Besides, there're magical experiments to be done!" Gisena stared at him through the distorting glass of one of Letrizia's vials.

"What are we even paying for if you're not going to use the hot springs?" Hunger grumbled.

"It'll be all for naught if we don't use them together," Gisena said dramatically, laying her hands against her chest. "And that would be the greatest loss of all. Why not enjoy the spring water in our room today? There's no point in you bathing as a ghost, so just think of it as an incentive not to get your physical form killed tomorrow!"

"But then... how would I know I trained my hardest?" He raised his eyebrows.

Letrizia smacked him on the shoulder. "You joke now, but continue along this path and in a few months that's what you'll really believe!"

He looked blankly at her. "It is what I really believe."

"Moving on," Gisena said lightly, "Isn't this even better, sampling the full gamut of experiences? One night in the room, one in the baths."

"I want to try awakening my Element first!" Letrizia said. "If I'm a mage, will the Voyaging Realm still try to stop me from extracting you? There's surprisingly little literature on this."

"What are you going to do if it does try to stop you?" He looked around. "We're hardly prepared for an apocalypse."

"My bodyguard will protect me!" Letrizia declared. "At the rate your strength is growing, that shouldn't be too unrealistic, right?"

"Perhaps. But can your country afford to pay those rates?"

"That's hardly my problem!" She turned up her nose. "Though, I am hoping to have Verschlengorge repaired before then. Maybe we can find a magus capable of doing it, or we can just incrementally heal him up with your Ring. It's been strange to be the one protected these past weeks. I've been dying to show you guys what we can really do!"

"...Speaking of Verschlengorge, where is he parked?"

"The separatists are looking after him. Don't worry, they know better than to call down the wrath of the Empire. In normal cases the greater Empire doesn't really have the Armaments to spare for small rebellions like this one, but that clemency would swiftly cease if they were brazen enough to steal actual Armaments!"

"It's all right, they're appropriately terrified of her station," Gisena assured him. "The privilege of nobility!"

He rolled his eyes. "Onwards then. Let me have a look at that blood."

"Magic~ magic~" Letrizia clapped her hands happily. Gisena put on a brave smile, but there was just the barest flicker of emotion in her eyes, bitter perhaps at the thought that, though there hardly was a more talented Sorceress, her powers would only ever allow her to unmake what was wondrous, drag down the supernal into the grey mundane. So brief he could have imagined it. Hunger said nothing.

The process of unlocking 'High Elementalism,' Gisena theorized, ought be shockingly trivial for someone with access to the Ring of Blood. He merely had to heighten a few obscure properties of the target's blood, and then when exposed to a sufficient quantity of apex-grade Elixir Water they would naturally awaken to their Element.

He supposed any magical system with steep and obscure requirements would not have arisen organically in an otherwise mundane society of settlers. As far as Gisena'd seen, the waters of the spring were both temporary and wholly unique. Perhaps the settlers had merely gotten stupendously lucky, or some agent had caused them to stumble upon the springs.

"Okay, let's do this!" Gisena cheered. "Ready, hun?"

He placed a hand on Letrizia's head, focusing intently. The Ring of Blood responded to his intentions and would never accidentally harm an ally, but this was complex work still, operating on a number of esoteric sanguine qualities that only existed in trace amounts under standard conditions.

Letrizia blushed, but stood stock still, the very picture of stoic determination.

"Okay, that should do it." He raised his hand. "I'm maintaining the enhancement now. Go."

Gisena and Letrizia quickly ran into the master bathroom, and he heard the low crash of onrushing waters as Gisena turned all the high-powered faucets of the bath to full blast. A (presumably) torrential blast of water struck Letrizia.

"Is this really necessary?" Letrizia yelped. She gave a brief shriek of embarrassment. "Miss Gisena!!"

"Hm? My dress is wet too, and I'm not even getting new magics out of this!"

"I liked this school uniform!"

"But isn't it the uniform of separatist scum?"

"Any reaction?" He yelled into the room.

Gisena's head popped out. "Yup, it's working perfectly! A little too well, actually. She's absorbing all the magic in the waters, so we'll have to maintain a constant flow. This should be ultimately be a good thing. The more magic she absorbs, the stronger the elemental catalysis reaction, and the more impressive her eventual Element will be! It may take a few hours. Will you have any trouble keeping her blood enhanced for the duration?"

"A few hours?!" Letrizia screamed. "I don't wanna get all pruney! Eewww..."

He frowned. "The blood augmentation shouldn't be a problem. And considering how much we paid, water use really shouldn't be an issue, but they might inquire and object. That would be my primary concern."

If they did, it might activate the Tyrant's Doom, leaving him no choice but to defy them.

Gisena shrugged, stepping out. Gently she gathered her damp hair and squeezed it out onto a towel. "It's for a good cause. Well, we still have some money, right? Maybe I'll step outside and bribe the desk staff, ensure their high-ups never get a good look at this particular oversight? It would be a shame if they tried to impose some meaningless rules on us and you were forced to kill them all!"

"I wouldn't have to kill them," he grunted. "I'd just refuse to stop using their water, which might escalate into the use of force, which might force me to kill them all. But that would be on them."

"So, you're not going to let me steal your money?" Gisena pouted.

"If the Sovereignty's currency is so important to you," he said magnanimously, "then you may have it, no need for false pretenses. Don't think this erases your earlier debt, however."

"I would never dream of it!" Gisena happily took the money and returned a few minutes later, having secured the cooperation of the desk staff.

Many tedious hours later, it was finally done.

Letrizia emerged, body swaddled in a pink terrycloth robe. "Guhh... I'm completely shriveled and I don't feel any more magical at all."

"Give it a night, dear." Gisena examined her curiously, eyes green and bright. "The Element is definitely percolating. It has yet to take form!"

Letrizia yawned, swaying slightly. "Okay, Miss Gisena. I'll... give it a shot..."

Gisena caught her and shot Hunger a smile. "Looking forward to doing this yourself tomorrow?"

"What about you? Is Sorcery the only path for one of the Maiden's followers?"

She shook her head. "I already know which Element this process would give me. Sad to say it would be totally redundant! Perhaps the Maidengrace is too prescient, or simply too powerful to countermand..."

"Perhaps I'll forge you an artifact that does something novel. Save us from death another nine times and we'll call it square."

"Only nine?" Gisena giggled. "So I can expect something tomorrow?"

"How conceited... after we're safely finished with the Temple, maybe. But you'll have to work extra hard to earn it."

She flashed him a salute. "Aye-aye, captain!"

They retired to their chambers for the night. As usual, Hunger fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He was awoken the next day by Letrizia.

"HOLY SHIT, I CAN DO MAGIC!!"

"...Ugh." He blinked open his eyes. It had definitely not been nine hours.

"I'M A WIZARD, HUNGER!"

---

[X] Sharpbright and [X] Stay and Train were the winners.

Though Gisena did most much of the work, the intellectual challenge and somewhat pressing stakes (limited time, failure could damage Letrizia) of this intellectual pursuit did result in some Advancements for Hunger!

You have 2 picks and a bit over 10 Arete.

[ ] Fierce Quickening - The absurd violence of Blood unleashed. Let all that falls within its dominion be spilled, if it be in service to the Ringbearer. Adds [++Agility, +Wits] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.

[ ] Vigor Itself - The primordial might and glory of Blood resplendent. Let all who witness its form tremble, and be subject. Adds [++Might, +Charisma] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.

[ ] Augment Dominion: Blood - The world-wielding will of the Ring.
Treat the wielder's Rank as if it were (.5 Low/.25 Medium/.1 High) higher for purposes of the [Ring of Power] effect applied to the Blood domain, increasing its potency and versatility. Repeatable, but costs 1 more pick each time.

[ ] Exalted Spirit - 2 Arete. Conjunctional [Hunger, Evening Sky]. Mind made vigorous as the body. Gain +Int, +Wits, +Wis, +Cha, -Heartlessness, while in a form with physical blood. Allies under blood enhancement gain +Int, +Cha. Blood enhancement requires physical blood.

[ ] Sublime Transfusion - 2 Arete. The restorative vigor of blood willingly given. The wielder may donate his blood to another in order to heal them. This applies regeneration at a rate triple the wielder's own, and this healing effect is treated as if possessing conceptual potency a full Rank higher than the wielder's baseline, minimum 7. Even organisms of different species can be revitalized through such means.

[ ] Ennobling - 2 Arete (2 picks)

Ambition's work is conducted atop the shoulders of giants. Raise up one's servants to appropriately towering stature.

The process of comprehensive elevation of all positive attributes of the blood. Applied continuously over a long period, boons may become permanent and expand in scope, enhancing all qualities of the target and their future offspring. Applies up to +++All Stats to the target, Lifespan improves by fourfold. Elevates the target by .5 Rank to a maximum of 3.5. Does not work on yourself or on species whose native Rank is higher than 4.5.

Effects become permanent after a few weeks focused on a single target, or a few years focused on a small population. Further Advancements may improve both the scale and speed of augmentation. With a thought, the original bestower may retract any boon so given, so long as they possess the Ring of Blood.

[ ] Evening Sky - Philosopher's Wreath - 7 Arete (2 picks)

The twilight hours are a time of contemplation, growth of mind and spirit. Perhaps there are more things in earth and heaven than are dreamt of in one's philosophy. But that may not always be so.

They for whom the heavens themselves are aegis and raiment, these are the hours to speak - perchance to dream. And in dreaming, grow strong beyond the imagining of mortal men.

[+Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma]

Select one magic system which you have personally encountered and which is no greater than the Noble Praxis. You may use that system to the limits of your Intelligence or applicable Attributes, developing any appropriate qualities within reason, but this may no more than double your overall advancement. Alternatively, you may improve an existing magic you possess under the same conditions, hastening your rate of advancement in that art by [Intelligence x 100%] and substantially increasing both the variety and the conceptual potency of effects available to it.

Allied mages with which the wearer dialogues extensively find they may develop novel applications of existing abilities and steadily grow in knowledge & power with effort, independent of their own paradigm. This can no more than triple their overall level of advancement, but any progression done on their own will raise this cap. Should said mage no longer be allied, the wearer may strip this power at will, like a dream dissolving at break of day.

---

What did Hunger focus on in his Edeldross training? He will develop somewhat in all areas, but this is the primary target of his training.

[ ] Magnitude - Improves the magnitude of the +All Stats buff and the strength of blasts and barriers created. Simple, yet undeniably effective.

[ ] Control - Improves the tightness and consistency with which he can direct Edeldross in all forms, allowing for more precise buffs on both self and allies, as well as better placement of effects. May unlock more complex applications of Edeldross.

[ ] Experimentation - Focus entirely on developing a specific pseudo-grace maximized to augment Hunger's physical capabilities. This will operate seamlessly in addition to the Edeldross +All Stats buff, but will override that buff where its benefit is greater. Estimated Chance of success: ~70-80%, can be improved with participation. +Gisena.

---

Everything did not go perfectly! The patreon will be up tomorrow, though!!

 

[Rihaku]

Subtle and Quick

Letrizia was indeed capable of wielding an Imaginary Element. Her control and manifestation of 'Sharpbright' allowed her to manipulate a specialized form of Pressure, effectively increasing her Astral Rank. Direct control allowed her to focus the effects of Rank upon the world, creating avenues of influence unavailable to average practitioners. Though it had little immediate application, it was a power with nearly limitless potential.

He was happy for her; it aligned perfectly with her research interests and disposition, even if the combat applications would remain modest for the immediate future.

"This is so cool," Letrizia squealed, showing Hunger the slight distortion that passed through the air when she concentrated her Pressure on a nearby tree. It swayed slightly, creaking in the sudden breeze. A peach fell from its branches to land upon the grass.

"Don't be wasteful," he admonished her, opening his window to grab a peach. "Here, eat."

"You have it," she said cheerfully, "I gotta stay focused on this!"

"Turning down food." He shook his head sadly, biting into the peach. It was delicious. "You've changed, Letrizia. Leaning magic has changed you. I always feared this would happen."

"Hmph! The esoteric arts come through mastery of the self, after all." Playfully she turned up her nose.

"So, how powerful is your Pressure now? ...Care for a spar?"

"N-no!" Letrizia stopped, looking a him exasperatedly. "You know how that would turn out! My Pressure's not even as powerful as yours. Even if it were, your strength and speed are way superhuman. That wouldn't be an interesting fight at all!"

"Too bad," he threw away the peach core. "What about your lunchtime friends? Know any High Elementalists that would be interested in training with your bodyguard?"

"Maybe if you handicapped yourself," she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, I can think of one or two. But I thought you didn't get much from training, and only got stronger from fights with real stakes?"

"True," he replied, "But it doesn't have to be life or death. Wagering time or even large sums of money can work, though it's much less efficient. Why don't you go round up some interested parties while I awaken my Element this morning? Arrange some duels for tomorrow. I won't actively use my other magics and I'll limit my speed and strength. I'll kill some Rotspawn this afternoon for cash to pay out."

"You think you can beat experienced High Elementalists after only one day of fighting, without using your other powers?" Letrizia smiled. "Rather cocky, aren't we? Okay, I'll do it. But only because you've been such a good bodyguard lately."

"If you want a cut, you can say so. We agreed on thirty percent, right?"

"I-I don't care about this place's money! It's all illegitimate separatist roleplaying anyway!"

He looked around their opulent quarters. "If yesterday's meal was a roleplay, I wouldn't mind a re-enactment."

"G-go awaken your Element already! Then we can be wizards together."

"If you insist."

Patting her lightly on the head, he walked into the master bathroom, pulling the Evening Sky into the form of a towel. Turning on the faucets, he made the proper adjustments to his blood, settling in for a long wait...

Gisena dropped by at around the third hour.

"Oh, you're not pruney at all. A privilege of the destined hero, perhaps?"

"Of a sort." The Forebear's Blade granted him supernatural endurance, which apparently applied even to circumstances as mundane as this.

"Looks like your Element is percolating nicely. Should be done in about twenty more hours."

"Perfect. More time to think."

"Aw, you're no fun! You're actually done now, want to go fight some Rotbeasts?"

"Who do you think you're fooling? I can see the Element in my blood just fine. Go play with your toys."

"Yes sir!" Gisena winked. "Though, if you miss me too badly, come and find me in the library!"

At around the fifth hour he finally emerged, his body fully saturated by the magic of the waters. It was the work of a moment to dry off and dress. He headed down to the generously-stocked hotel library where Gisena was immersed in various technical manuals. She waved happily at him.

"We should buy some of these books and keep them in Verschlengorge! Such excellent reference texts."

"You mean to say you can't read and memorize them all in one day? Apologies, I thought you were a genius."

"But I love these books!" She clutched one to her chest. "I just want to protect and save them."

"We all have to make sacrifices," he said grimly. "They would distract you from completing your meditations to become a High Sorceress. That could be life or death in the Temple."

"Aw, you're so thoughtful." Gisena smiled brightly. "Well, if you're so concerned for my well-being, I suppose I can give these up. Kind of like getting Letrizia to eat her veggies!"

"Disgusting. I'd much prefer-"

"Eating fish? Maybe one that you caught yourself? Well, mentally speaking Letrizia's still a growing girl. It's necessary for her self-discipline!"

"Is that so? Well. If a genius said it, it must be true."

"Now you're learning!"

Leaving her to her work, he quickly arrived at the border and engaged the Rotspawn. As with Letrizia, it had taken a few hours for his Element to come in. At first it was tentative, unformed, a bright purposeless warmth bubbling up in his chest. He sensed that it was some kind of augmenting effect, colorless but welcoming, like the radiant glow of a hearthfire or the sun veiled by clouds.

He called forth a surge of it, bathing himself in that nameless translucence. Swiftly he felt his mind sharpen and body grow stronger, the powers of his self and soul tuned like a violin-string towards a more perfect expression. It was a powerful and comprehensive enchantment, hopeful and clean...

For a moment he paused in consternation, having expected something bleaker, a power more in line with his other abilities. What did it mean that his personal Element had manifested in a form like this?

No point getting distracted in battle. He would ask the girls their opinions later. Though he felt his Element was capable of much more, for now he focused on its core augmenting function, deciding to master that aspect before splitting his focus. Compounding its power with his blood enhancements and the superhuman force of the Forebear's Blade would be the surest path to further growth.

A small contingent of guards followed him into the mist, apparently intent on spectating in case he slew another Primary. With the Forebear's technique, his new Element, and his second arm returned to him, the strength of his blows was simply incomparable to before. Rotspawn fell like wheat before the scythe. Even the obdurate mist of the deep swamp began to recede before him, deprived of the populace upon which it seemingly relied.

He took a break to experiment further, taking in the idiosyncrasies of this new power. He could summon forth the Element in great blasts and torrents, crudely shaping it into walls or other forms. To experience its benefits, one had to be immersed in the Element itself, which meant stepping into those (harmless) blasts and walls or centering them on himself.

He launched a blast at a group of Rotspawn, which sprang upon him with unusual vigor, employing clever feints with uncanny coordination. Interesting.

Repeating the experiment, it appeared that any being who touched the Element was indiscriminately augmented. Friend or foe, it didn't matter, this power desired to uplift all things, or at the very least not to bring them harm.

Therefore he had to be careful where he fired. He could launch a blast perpendicular to the ground, then leap into that blast to launch blade-winds, but melee combat would be tricky without further practice. Frustratingly the Element refused to come forth except in massive quantities; target discrimination was quite difficult.

Unfortunately, no suitable challenger emerged this time, even as he cut down Elites by the score. Previously it had taken two or three blows to slay even one, but now they fell in droves to a single slice. It was almost boring.

He sprinted into the depths of the swamp, outpacing the retreat of the mist, gathering Rotspawn about him like the eye of some inestimable storm. Only when they were packed so densely as to crush one another did he finally stop. Setting his feet, he brought his Blade around in a single full-bodied strike, weight and furious momentum as if swinging for the fences, and with a terrible crack of thunder laid earth and sky bare around him.

The force of his blow tore great fissures into the earth; the wind howled into the sudden vacuum of his wake; like the aftermath of a great tempest the world went quiet and still. Rotspawn like cut daisies fell slowly back to earth, pulverized and obliterated by that ruinous force, piling high atop each other like impromptu battlements.

Behind him, the guards began to cheer wildly, whipping off their caps and waving them in a frenzy as the few remaining monsters began to rout. Whether out of animalistic fear or tactical prudence, the Rotspawn had broken, at least for today.

Still no viable opponent emerged. Perhaps that was to be expected. Hunger shrugged and departed the battlefield.

He walked back to the border, collected his murderer's wage and returned to the city after, dismissing the guards who importuned him to drive to the Rotbeast itself. Their vocal adulation only served to remind him of previous victory parades, though the crowds then who'd cheered the Tyrant's death had been so much louder and more joyous still...

Arriving at the hotel, he convened the party in his room to discuss the day's events.

Hunger dropped a thick bag of Sovereign currency and gold plates on the table. "They gave me a bonus for exceptional work. They want us to stay."

"I recruited some prospective duelists!" Letrizia said, opening her hand-written journal to a densely notated page. "There are some really interesting Elementalists in my class. I think you'll have fun sparring tomorrow!"

"I'm touched by your diligence, both of you." Gisena wiped a single tear from her eye. "I slacked off the whole day, but you guys more than compensated!"

"And now our due reward," Hunger deadpanned. "The hot springs at last."

---

[X] Vigor Itself and [X] Control were the winners. Hunger will become competent at self-buffing (without including enemies) and basic blasting / shielding, before the benefits of Control are applied. Hunger has earned another 12 currency units today.

Who does Hunger focus his conversation on during the hot springs visit?

[ ] Focus on Gisena - ++Gisena, reveals the conditions for Gisena's EFB-equivalent, +Mental Stability.
[ ] Focus on Letrizia - +Letrizia, discounts Super Juggernaut Undead Chimera by 1 Arete, +Information.

Letrizia has befriended the wielder of one exceptional Element, who along with some other classmates will attend the sparring tomorrow. Choose below:

[ ] Fullmight - This boy seems to be crushing hard on her. How unfortunate for him! Though his buffs don't stack with those of Edeldross, he's highly experienced at using an indiscriminate buffing Element. There are all sorts of buffing-specific tips and tricks he can give you, making him the best of all available trainers, though there wouldn't be much point in recruiting him.

[ ] Roilweft - This taciturn boy wields impressive mastery over space and chaos, but his crippling social anxiety and drastic lack of self-confidence make it difficult for him to communicate with others. Difficult to recruit without socially steamrolling him, as basically every kind of approach would qualify as steamrolling. Almost inevitably doomed to ostracisation or exploitation in his current society. Still, the utility of his powers is undeniable, and he would be a great help infiltrating the Temple, moreso than any other recruit. [Costs 2 Arete to recruit]

[ ] Shadowcord - This soft-spoken girl is diligent and quietly professional. Her power makes her an unparalleled assassin and duelist among Elementalists, and she cares primarily for money. With her family's blessing, she has decided to strike out into the Voyaging Realm upon her age of majority, seeking fame and (mostly) fortune. She would be a competent sparring partner (with handicaps) and valuable ally, capable of cloaking the entire party (even Verschlengorge) in attention-deflecting darkness, and performing various feats of aural magic with her synesthesial Element. [Mercenary; costs 7 currency / month to hire]

---

Finally, after the spar. Now that Hunger's familiarized himself with his new capabilities, it's time to decide on his approach to the Temple proper.

[ ] Methodical Onslaught - Clear out the Middle Temple until it's trivial for you, if not interrupted by higher-level foes. Recruit from the Encampment to get some cannon fodder. Then move to breach the Inner.

[ ] Infiltration - Pretend to be interested in their offer of recruitment and see if your power will grant access to the Inner Temple. Gather information, perhaps even perform a few missions for them to size up the Inner Defenses before striking when they are weakest. With Edeldross improving your Charisma, Wits, Wisdom and Luck this has far better chances of working than previously. +Information.

[ ] Write In - You may write in a plan. Detailed and carefully considered plans may offer better odds than the default options. Much is possible!

---

The patreon is up! As is the first bonus content - a look at some possible Special Advancements! There will be another bonus content update tomorrow!

 

[Rihaku]

Fleeting Respite

It was a cool, clear, cloudless night, the moon pale and bare like carved crystal, crown-jewel of the skies presiding over the winds and realms beneath. They crunched through the snow-frosted path to reach the public baths, expansive panels of richly oiled wood towering menacingly to shield the occupants from onlookers.

"Let's get a private pool," Gisena said, flipping the jeweled key on her wrist. "There are some reserved for suite holders only!"

"Suddenly shy?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Of course!" Gisena clasped her hands meekly. "I'm just an innocent maiden, after all..."

"I'd like a private pool," Letrizia said, eyes darting to and fro. "You never know when there might be perverts lurking about."

"Fine, lead the way."

They entered a smaller pool inset to the side. Though thick wooden panels obstructed horizontal vision, the panels facing outwards could be lowered, allowing bathers to take in the view. Below them was the serene darkness of the mountain outside giving way slowly to the jewel-fire glow of the city beneath. It was a breathtaking vista, and Hunger spent a moment simply absorbing the sight before leaning the Forebear's Blade against a wall, then entering the bath.

Gisena pushed Letrizia in, then daintily slid in herself, carefully gathering her hair to twist into a water-resistant bun. Letrizia surfaced angrily, sputtering, and lashed out with a wave of water and Pressure that Gisena effortlessly dodged. Pouting, Letrizia sank beneath the surface, blowing bubbles at the two of them.

"Stupid nullification aura, let my Pressure through..."

Gisena turned to him. "What do you think of our swimsuits, hun? Rather fetching, if I do say so myself!" Hers was a two-piece bikini of pale violet, with lace-like patterns adorning the sides.

He grunted. "Is all your clothing the same color as your hair?"

"Pretty much!" She splashed over to him, leaning onto the stones beside the pond. Looked out at the city, a slight smile graced her features. "It's hard to find shades that go well with purple. You're welcome to expand my wardrobe if you'd like..."

"Maybe after you pay off your debt," he remarked, slumping forward and briefly closing his eye. The waters held a steady, intense heat that felt almost as if they were massaging his muscles, gentle warmth that pervaded through to bone and marrow.

"Aw," Gisena brushed playfully against him, hauntingly beautiful in the moonlight. "Sure I can't take out another line of credit?"

"It would be inadvisable. Debt can crush even a genius."

"But money is just a social construct!"

Letrizia swam over, nose upturned haughtily. "Miss Gisena, I still haven't forgiven you! Lord Hunger, do you want to review sparring partners for tomorrow?"

"Oh my, the wrath of a duchess!" Gisena winked at him. "Her fury knows no bounds! I'd best retreat before she turns truly serious."

So saying, she dove and emerged on the opposite side of the pool, sighing contentedly as she lounged against the stones.

"Only if you don't call me a lord. Now, sparring partners. Is your notebook waterproof?"

"I don't need it!" Letrizia said cheerfully. "Now with my Element enhancing my Rank, the information I need comes easily to mind with just a quick review."

"I'm proud of you."

She preened. "Well, i-it's not that big a deal. T-this is just kids' stuff compared to what I'll ultimately be able to achieve."

They discussed tactics and likely opponents both for the spars themselves and the potential recruitment to follow. Hunger was uncertain if their party wanted another member to look after, especially one that would need to be protected as nearly all Elementalists did, but couldn't avoid the fact that the Elements she described had undeniable utility in breaching the Temple.

"So, tell me about your own Element, Hunger! You said it helped you beat the Rotspawn today, but what does it actually do?"

"It's a force of indiscriminate enhancement that applies to anyone immersed within. As far as I can tell, it works on all faculties of body and mind, on foe as well as friend."

"Interesting!" Gisena appeared next to Letrizia, who startled as if jolted. "Fire a bolt? I'd like to take a look."

"I can't really fire bolts..." Hunger said. "The smallest blast is still the size of a car."

"Cars are fascinating!" Gisena replied easily. "It's translucent force, right? No one will notice!"

He loosed a blast at them. Letrizia cowered slightly before she exclaimed in awe, looking at her palms as if they held the secrets of the universe. Gisena adopted a contemplative expression before smiling smugly.

"This almost feels like findross!" She said. "Incredible, I think this is a precursor substance to actual findross itself. Blast us again, I want to test a theory..."

Shrugging, he did so. In response she raised a palm, intercepting his blast with her own Nullity.

"As I thought. The energy isn't being nullified - that is to say, the power of Nullity isn't rendering this Element mundane. Instead, they're actually cancelling each other out! I think this contains the parts of findross that uplift and restore, elevating the mundane to the supernal. In a sense, it can be considered the opposite of my own power!"

She scooted happily over to him. "It's just as I said earlier. We're a perfect pair!"

"Hm..." Letrizia thoughtfully tapped the side of the pool. "Your Element's pretty cool, Lord Hunger, even if it's not as good as my Sharpbright. If it really is related to findross as Miss Gisena says, maybe we can call it edeldross? The prefix 'edel-' refers to ennobling or improvement, especially in the context of something traditionally bad becoming good. Don't you think it suits you?"

"A fine name, but do I come off as evil?" All of his current panoply had been Abducted from one villain or another. The Forebear's Blade, the Ring from the Tyrant; even the Evening Sky had belonged to that pirate captain, though in a diminished form.

"Yep," Letrizia said obliviously, "but don't worry, it's kinda cool! And I'm sure no one would mistake your intentions once they see your work!"

"I don't know," Gisena said. "I've seen plenty of Paladins and Knight-Captains with that color scheme, or at least similar ones! I'm sure people would mistake you as a hero if you smiled more."

"That part of my life is finished. I'm done with taking on requests for strangers with no expectation of reward."

Letrizia looked slightly disappointed. "But isn't that the best part of heroing?"

They discussed his choice of wardrobe for several minutes more, to his moderate dismay. Tired out from overusing her Element, Letrizia eventually trailed off, mumbling to herself as she slowly fell asleep.

"I'll carry her back," Hunger volunteered, but Gisena laid a soft hand against his arm, eyes gentle and green.

"Let her rest here for a bit. The waters may help with her Elemental exhaustion."

"..."

"What?" She swirled around to face him directly, crossing arms beneath her cleavage. "You don't believe me?"

"...Are you trying to make her pruney again?"

Gisena giggled. "Maybe I want you to carry me instead! You have two arms, so there's no excuse to skimp out on a full princess carry."

"Hmph. I do owe you one for the Magus fight. Here to our room is a pretty short stretch. You okay with that?"

"Good point!"

She leaned back, raising one pale, slender foot out of the water. "Perhaps you can give me a massage instead?"

"You slacked off the whole day, why do you need a massage?"

She gently kicked water at him, which the Evening Sky obligingly deflected. "Why not? It's a continuance of my relaxation!"

"Fine. Come here."

The next day they set out bright and early, though the hotel staff did their best to have them stay, even offering free nights if he would but fight the Rotspawn again. Despite the tremendous economic value of their proposal, Hunger had to deny them, though he didn't rule out attacking the Rotbeast if they happened to pass through this region again. Their vacation was drawing to a close - one last bit of training against Letrizia's classmates, and he would make for the Temple again.

They'd gained much from this trip; in many senses it had been more productive than attacking the Temple directly. But every day delayed was unnecessary suffering heaped upon the Imprisoned Ring. Hunger would see to its rescue as soon as possible; other paths were unacceptable to him.

---

[X] Infiltration with [X] Shadowcord has won. Gisena's Relationship EFB will be revealed later!

Choose a bonus:

[ ] +1 pick below
[ ] +1 re-roll during Infiltration
[ ] +.75 Arete

From sparring with the (temporary) (false) classmates of Letrizia, Hunger receives 1 pick, or 2 if the appropriate bonus was chosen above. Choose wisely, this may or may not be your last chance before infiltration attempts begin!

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

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

The available domains for Hunger are: War

[ ] Fierce Quickening - The absurd violence of Blood unleashed. Let all that falls within its dominion be spilled, if it be in service to the Ringbearer. Adds [++Agility, +Wits] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.

[ ] Augment Dominion: Blood - The world-wielding will of the Ring.
Treat the wielder's Rank as if it were (.5 Low/.25 Medium/.1 High) higher for purposes of the [Ring of Power] effect applied to the Blood domain, increasing its potency and versatility. Repeatable, but costs 1 more pick each time.

[ ] Exalted Spirit - 2 Arete. Conjunctional [Hunger, Evening Sky]. Mind made vigorous as the body. Gain +Int, +Wits, +Wis, +Cha, -Heartlessness, while in a form with physical blood. Allies under blood enhancement gain +Int, +Cha. Blood enhancement requires physical blood.

[ ] Sublime Transfusion - 2 Arete. The restorative vigor of blood willingly given. The wielder may donate his blood to another in order to heal them. This applies regeneration at a rate triple the wielder's own, and this healing effect is treated as if possessing conceptual potency a full Rank higher than the wielder's baseline, minimum 7. Even organisms of different species can be revitalized through such means.

[ ] Vigor Incarnate - 2 picks, 2 Arete. The glory of Blood triumphant. Let those who would stand against him cower, or be undone. A simple but exceptionally powerful option.

Adds [+++Might, ++Charisma] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions.
Add your Charisma to your Protection.

[ ] Edeldross Adept - 2 picks, 2 Arete. Conjunctional [Ring of Power, Evening Sky] Through a surge of genius, Hunger vastly accelerates the growth of his proficiency with Edeldross.

*Substantially improves the effects of Hunger's Edeldross training session, increasing Magnitude to +30% and imparting significant bonuses to control. He can now consistently form barriers, blasts, and basic shapes (spear, sword, boxing glove) from Edeldross.
*Hunger can now maintain close to 100% uptime on basic self Edeldross enhancement.
*Unlocks advanced Edeldross enhancement, a time-limited technique that increases his effective Magnitude by half again.
*Doubles the rate of pseudo-Grace creation in the future. This benefit is unique to the Advancement.

[ ] Evening Sky: Shadowlord - 2 picks, 7 Arete. It's rare that such conjunctions occur, but the cloak of Evening has unusual affinity for the Elements of shadow. By absorbing the power of an Element willingly offered, some of its attributes may be infused into the wearer.

*+30% AGI, +30% Manipulation
*Gain +++++++Stealth, ++++Theft
*Weave of Silence: Immune to sound- and music-based attacks.
*Attention-Deflecting Shroud: +Protection from the Evening Sky now adds to Stealth.
*Assassin's Grace: 100% Critical Strike chance when performed from ambush.

*In exchange for paying Shadowcord a kingly sum of money, she will agree to let Hunger absorb her Element. This is not a permanent reduction; her ability to summon it will return slowly over the course of two years.
*Needless to say it's far more effective to have such capabilities present in Hunger himself than to rely on relatively-weak external sources
*Consumes one additional day as you farm the money needed.

---

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[Rihaku]

Promenade of Glories: II

Who was the individual assigned to handle the R-type calling himself "Lord Hunger?"

[ ] Gondar Hrsillimas

Gondar Hrsillimas is a man on a mission. Not only did this presumptuously-named "Lord Hunger" brutally dismember his apprentice and slay his best (and only) friend, he has all but disappeared from the Temple environs, presumably on some form of training trip. Given his demonstrated speed of advancement (or hidden powers), this can only bode poorly for the society in the Temple. The Inners have always favored a passive strategy, their well-regimented lives of luxury leaving their minds feeble and lax. For all that the administration is worthless, however, ten million innocent lives are at stake. Gondar can do nothing less than his utmost; to forsake his path would be unconscionable dereliction of duty. Now that Chief Coordinator Thran has passed the matter of the R-type to him, he will do what he does best: hunt.

Gondar is hostile, but socially inept. He could be convinced of your sincere desire to defect, but would not be happy about it. This will bias him against you; he will shoot first and ask questions later. Unlike the others, Gondar will not wait for Hunger to return to the Temple; he is actively hunting you within the Voyaging Realm, and depending on how much time you spend outside, may ambush you while you are traveling.

*Rank 4.5
*Defensive Rank
*Physical Parameters: Slightly superior AGI, vastly inferior STR and CON compared to Hunger.
*Soul Evocation: The Arrow. Gondar is an unparalleled master of the ranger arts. His skill with a bow is second to none among all ten million souls of the Temple's civilization. He is a terrifyingly proficient tracker, hunter, marksman and survivalist. His arrows can produce countless offensive exotic effects; rare is the foe he cannot fell in one shot, though none of these individual effects can match Vanreir's thrust in potency.
Enthusiasm: Fanatical. Gondar is determined to end your life.

[ ] High Marshall Avecarn

The world-weary High Marshall served seven decades in the outriders before finally retiring to the Inner Ring. A mighty warrior and tactician beyond compare, he is resentful at being summoned out of his now-idyllic life to steamroll some uninteresting R-type. That the Council considers itself unquestionable does not mean it can expect the enthusiasm of its hunting hounds when it would deny them even basic knowledge of the entity they face. He suspects, perhaps rightly, that the Council's divinations were defeated by this R-type's protections and they have decided to drop the hammer, employing massive overkill in lieu of more direct solutions.

Avecarn wishes only to get this over with as soon as possible. He would much rather be tending his gardens and spoiling his grandchildren than have anything to do with you. His expansive experience and formidable Rank make him difficult to deceive, however.

*Rank 6.5
*Active Astral Rank
*Physical parameters: Generally below Hunger's. A battle would not be as suicidal as your respective Ranks would indicate, though his Soul Evocation, below, does further advantage him against beings of lower Rank.
*Soul Evocation: The Administration. While he fights best alongside a group of underlings, Avecarn has a broad and deep enough well of effects to comport himself well in personal combat. Order and hierarchy in all their forms are his weapons. Authority equals asskicking, after all.
*Enthusiasm: Minimal. If he can be convinced of your sincerity, motivated reasoning would ensure he would have no problem accepting that you've turned your coat. One does not grow to be a solider of Avecarn's age by taking undue risks in battle. Who is to say you do not have some sort of trump card that could narrow or overcome the apparent harrowing gap between you?

[ ] Selune vi Tries [Cost: 4 Arete]

As you may have guessed from her name, Selune is actually a very, very distant cousin of your very own Letrizia von Artriez! She is excited to meet another member of her family, especially from Outside - and positively ecstatic to witness their family legacy, the legendary Devouring Armament, in action herself!

This is her first major assignment. She politicked herself onto the post due to going stir-crazy from the circumscribed lifestyle of an Inner Temple heiress. Though she is powerful for her age, her techniques are unrefined, having never been exposed to the fires of true battle. Surely this misunderstanding between Hunger and the Temple can be quickly resolved now that she's on the case!

Selune somewhat resembles Letrizia, though her Soul Evocation grants her superhuman Appearance and Manipulation. She thinks Hunger is totally awesome and could be convinced to escort him past all manner of security checks, waving off the concerns of her fellows by virtue of her Council-granted privilege. Selune sits the Council as a junior member and her authority cannot be countermanded by any Outrider, bureaucrat, military commander, or non-Council nobleman or woman.

If unselected, the vi Tries family does not exist on the Council of the Inner Temple. They may not exist at all...

*Rank: 3.5
*Bodyguard's Rank: 5
*Defensive Rank
*Physical parameters: vastly below Hunger's, but her bodyguard is almost a match for him.
*Soul Evocation: The Lunar. Selune possesses superhuman grace and shapeshifting capabilities, and can call upon a number of moon-based evocations to blast, banish, confuse or disorient her foes.
Enthusiasm: Friendly. Selune could care less about stuffy concerns like Temple security. She will no doubt be exceedingly distraught if her easily-proffered trust is betrayed. Should her suspicions be roused, her superhuman social instincts will ferret out deception instantly, but she is far too careless to be overmuch concerned at this juncture.

---

The winner was [X] Edeldross Adept, though this vote was very much closer than it looked. A number of good arguments & omakes were made for Shadowlord.

Long-term Planning!

You may choose one of these Advancements or Advancement Plans to unlock and deposit 1 Arete in. If 0 picks are required, Snap Purchasing is permissible.

[ ] The Ring of Power: Crimson Flare - 25 Arete. (0 picks, but requires Chief Dominion)

Call'd the ring in direst hour;
Azure's brethren faces turned.
Yet came the Lord its cause to flower;
then saw its keepers, to ruin burned.

Forgotten not, the debt of Time
when all its kind had turned their backs;
Not Hunger ring, its steed to ride,
brought Temple low, rapine and sack.

And debt unpaid shall not abide.

The crimson jewel blazes with a hallowed, piercing light, its glory to outshine sun and stars, all made abject by its presence. This is attainment of a height that disdains mere power, the Jewel of Blood unveiled in truth.

Elevates the wielder's Rank by a variable amount [Currently: to 5]
+2 Rank for purposes of wielding the Chief Dominion.

If the Azure Ring is saved:
Further increases the scope, power, and control of the Chief Dominion, beyond even the limits of the Ruling Ring.*
Obsoletes and refunds: Augment Dominion: Blood, Sublime Transfusion, Ennobling
The Azure Ring will submit to the Crimson in the next contest of primacy.

*Example effects: Individuals can be Ennobled in hours, small populations in days, large populations in months. Levels above Ennoblement can be researched and acquired, potentially without Arete expenditure. Verschlengorge can be healed to Rank 6 in hours, to Rank 7 in days, to Rank 7.5 in weeks. Enemies of Rank 4 or lower can be rendered comatose with a gesture; those of merely equivalent Rank (5) would suffer crippling disadvantage.

[ ] Evening Sky: Silver of Evening - 25 Arete (1 pick)

Inset in the crown of evening is a star of purest edeldross; its wearer becomes swift as nightfall after the sun's passing, beautiful as the naked stars, and sacred as midnight itself. For all spheres of magic in Evening reside: its wearer their master, and champion besides.

Double the Magnitude of present and future Edeldross enhancements.
+100% to the value of AGI and Charisma +s
+1 Defensive Rank
Once per sidereal month, perfectly defeat any one hostile effect to which the wearer would otherwise be subject. Applied against a Curse, grants two stages of mitigation for one day and one night. May apply even to the Doom of the Tyrant.

[ ] None: Do not invest Arete into long-term planning right now. You simply need every Arete you can spare.

---

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[Rihaku]

Force of Nature

They convened at an Elementalist training grounds the next day, Letrizia alongside her ostensible classmates and Hunger with Gisena. The grounds themselves were no more than a rectangle of densely packed dirt, but there was an almost celebratory air to the proceedings - the high schoolers gawked at the two of them, turning to bombard Letrizia with questions, while Gisena set up a one-person cheer section.

Letrizia temporized, deflecting the interrogation with a mysterious flip of her hair, then began to explain the rules of engagement. There would be one warm-up and one serious match per challenger. At stake was, on part of Hunger, both a considerable sum of money and a substantial amount of time; on the part of the students, a massively smaller sum.

All involved understood that the main objective was to familiarize Hunger and Letrizia with their Elements; to facilitate this, a bonus payment would be made at the end, amount depending on Hunger and Letrizia's own assessments as to how they performed. Letrizia had assured the children that Hunger would score them generously.

"Alright, guess I'm up first! Nice to meetya, mister! Heard you killed a lot of Rotspawn yesterday." The first contender was a loud-mouthed redhead by the name of Aobaru, whose Element of Vigorflame could increase the strength of an person or object up to a set point, after which it caused them to explode. He was notable for his iron control over the Element, capable of inducing explosions seemingly without the intermediate step of strengthening his foes.

Hunger carefully set aside the Forebear's Blade and walked to the center of their makeshift arena. Aobaru offered him a fist bump which he neglected to return, but gave the boy a nod of acknowledgement.

"Er... okay! Well, you've got a buffing-type Element like me, right? I've got some tips and tricks I could show ya."

"That's right."

"Hm... okay, so if yours is anything like mine, it helps anyone that touches it, which is the main problem. You've got enemies in melee that would love to steal your buffs and equalize."

"Exactly."

"I've got a couple ways around that... but telling you would be boring. Best if I just show ya."

Hunger smirked. "Be my guest."

They retreated to opposite sides of the arena, and the first spar began. Aobaru immediately launched a pillar of Vigorflame at the ground, which bounced up and struck his body: the quantity of Element summoned was no less, but by focusing it into a vertical emission, enemies outside touch range would fail to benefit. Clever.

Hunger immediately tried the same, even as Aobaru rushed him. The boy was a surprisingly capable warrior but no match for Hunger's speed. He dodged the child's strikes, blasts, and grapple attempts easily as he tried to figure out how to make the pillar technique work. His first attempt had merely sent Edeldross into the ground, hurling himself skyward. Subsequent attempts spilled out into an explosive dome, nothing like the precisely controlled column of energy that Aobaru had manifested.

He frowned. Perhaps the warm-up spars were a mistake. The stakes were so low his Ring was unsatisfied. No power to be gained from such conflicts.

He fell to a hundredth of his normal speed and finally the boy caught up. They briefly exchanged blows and Hunger allowed the boy to prevail, hopeful it would entice more tricks out of him when they fought the second time.

"Well done. I concede."

The boy looked shocked for a moment before an overjoyed expression came across his features. "Holy shit, I won! I beat the Reckoner!"

"The Reckoner?"

"Yeah, the Reckoner of Rotspawn! It's what we've been calling you, Lord Hunger."

With mental reflexes capable of tracing a bullet in mid-flight, Hunger stopped himself from cringing. This... was a good thing. Notoriety could only improve his Astral Rank when he accomplished substantial feats, though he suspected his fight against the lesser Rotspawn did not qualify. "I see. An interesting name."

"Wo-hoo! Go Lord Reckoner!" Gisena called from the sidelines. From somewhere she'd produced white cloths that she and Letrizia had tied as headbands. His name was written on them in bold red ink. "Good match, have a drink?"

He rolled his eyes and took the proffered water. "It was a tough match, but I'm confident I can come back in the second round."

Aobaru was walking boastfully among his compatriots, fielding them questions with indifferent aplomb. "No big deal, I'm sure he was holding back like, massively..."

"Why'd you throw the match?" Letrizia pouted. "I had good money riding on you, Lord Reckoner!"

"Oh yeah? Is it for the warm-up or the fight itself?'

"Both!" She grumbled.

"I see. Then, if you don't want to lose the rest, I suggest you drop both parts of that title when addressing me in the future."

"H-hmph! Whatever you want. 'S not like I think it's cool or anything..."

"Good." He smiled, took another sip of water and returned to the field.

Before Aobaru returned, Hunger spent a long moment in contemplation. The Ring would disqualify any contest that was insufficiently challenging or lacked real stakes. In that event, he couldn't use his full power, or even one-tenth: the greater his chance of actually losing, the more quickly he would learn. One-fiftieth power ought to give him an edge while still retaining that essential element of risk. If he miscalibrated, so be it. Even this method would likely fail if he repeated it too many times against a given opponent. Luckily there was quite a variety here.

Aobaru walked back from the stands, his cocksure swagger replaced by serious determination. "Alright, let's do this. I've got a month's worth of part-time wages on the line, so don't expect me to go as easy as I did previous."

Hunger nodded, taking a low stance. As Letrizia's arm fell to indicate the match's beginning, Hunger immediately sprang forwards, catching his foe in a grapple before he could fire anything. He then emitted a thunderous blast of edeldross, saturating them both; with his speed and strength much the superior of his enemy's, the absolute difference in parameters merely grew. If Aobaru attempted to summon any of his own Element, Hunger could defeat him with a submission lock fairly trivially. His Ring flared slightly, a steady trickle of power which he fed into his mantle, willing it to increase his proficiency with Edeldross.

Before Aobaru could tap out, Hunger released him and withdrew to the edge of the arena. That had worked well, but it was a tactic to be kept in pocket against a physically inferior opponent. For general use he needed to master the pillar technique.

"That... was fast..." Aobaru said shakily. "Hm, guess you could beat me at any time, so my only chance is to get a great bonus. Alright, well, I think I see the problem in your technique."

"Oh?" Hunger waited patiently.

"Yeah. Looks like you have a force-based Element. Usually those can be solidified into a semi-inert state. While inert, they'll lose most of their unique properties and act as a generic solid. What you really want to do is form a lip of solidified Element at the bottom and sides of your blast. That way it'll bounce off the earth and hit you instead of seeping in or spreading everywhere. Why don't you give it a shot?"

"This isn't fair, you're getting all the instruction bonuses yourself!" Another boy heckled from the sidelines.

Aobaru made what appeared to be a rude gesture in response.

"I learn best under pressure. Take me out while I'm attempting it."

"Are you sure? I mean, that's-"

"Yes, and don't hold back. Otherwise it won't work as well."

Aobaru leapt forward, streams of fire launching him at radically higher speed. Hunger barely ducked out of the way, forming a frantic shield of edeldross that deflected the boy. Ah. The solidified edeldross that he used to make shields. That was what the kid was talking about. If he produced a thin amount to contain the pure Edeldross, the "pillar" technique was much simpler.

He fired downwards again and was gratified to feel a nearly-vertical column of his Element surrounding him.

"You've got it. Sheesh, that was fast," Aobaru panted, 'spent' after going all-out. Hunger raised an eyebrow. The kid was a good actor, but had a ways to go before he could fool Hunger. "Alright, the next level is density control. The pillar technique's good if you want to fire off a blast to buff one of your companions, but for solo buffing you really need to master density. Almost all buffing Elements have greater effects at higher density, so if you can compress an orb of it and hold it in your chest, you should see some noticeably improved effects. The boost will be strongest wherever you hold the orb, but should radiate out to the rest of your body."

"How do I compress it in the first place?" He frowned.

"Well, the best way is to just summon it compressed. Takes a few tries but that's the safest to avoid enemy-buffing. You have to summon lots of Element at one time, right?" He called forth a torrent of flame. "But there's nothing saying you can't summon a lot of Element in one space, as long as your fundamental control's good enough."

Aobaru gestured with his open palm, summoned an orb of searing brilliance. "Like this!"

He swiftly launched the orb at Hunger, following up with a spirited charge. Hunger ducked the orb but felt a line of boils form along the exposed side, the flesh bubbling up as if on the verge of eruption. Terrifying.

He attempted to do as his opponent had done, summoning an orb of concentrated edeldross. Though his sphere was much larger than his enemy's palm-sized orb, still it ended up considerably smaller than the tank-sized blasts he normally produced. Tucking it into his body, it melted seamlessly into his chest; a steady, glowing warmth that vivified and exalted every fiber of his being.

Firing wide columns of Edeldross to deflect his opponent's attacks, Hunger charged in again, only to be forced back as Aobaru finally stopped holding back. The boy produced a broad, deep wall of livid fire, crackling golden tongues stretching full to sky. Aobaru emerged from the wall similarly coated in flame, a set of densely focused orbs whirling about his head. One by one they flew at Hunger, who was forced to endure two blows to the leg and one to the torso, flesh rupturing raggedly as it exploded.

Shocked at the gruesome display, Aobaru faltered a moment, and Hunger sent him to earth with a quick chop to the back of the neck. He placed his palm gently but menacingly upon the boy's head. "Do you yield?"

"Uh, yeah, I yield. Holy crap that was hardcore. Do you just like, not feel pain?"

With the spar over, his other magics were unsealed. Hunger quickly repaired his wounds. "I do, but you learn to ignore that in combat. Perhaps my sense of pain has dulled over time."

"Jeez. As expected of the Reckoner, I guess. You're pretty cool for an old guy!"

"..."

Aobaru got up. "Anyway, there's one stage of enhancement beyond even density, but I haven't mastered it yet. We call it suffusion. You create a highly-dense construct of your Element in the exact shape of your body, and move it exactly as your body moves. That gives the heaviest augmentation of all, even better than just saturating yourself with a pillar of highly-dense Element, but it's really hard and requires continuous maintenance. The orb method is a lot stabler."

Interesting. He wondered why that was. Intuitively, a 'highly-dense pillar' ought to offer the greatest exposure possible to one's Element. Perhaps it was psychokinetic in nature, some aspect of the concentration itself focusing the Element's effect? "Good to know. Thanks."

"Hey, don't thank me. Just pay me well! I gotta make up for this lost lunch money." Aobaru grinned cheekily and handed over a pitiful sum.

"YEAH!!" Letrizia cheered wildly. She fired off a column of Pressure into the air. "I'm the best! I love gambling!!"

After that came a succession of considerably less impressive 'High' Elementalists, though Hunger's self-imposed restrictions nearly caught him out from time to time. Nonetheless by the end of the day he had gained an impressive competence in Edeldross manipulation without having lost a single (real) bout. Happily he paid out the students' bonuses, and was just about to leave when one final student arrived at the grounds.

She was a girl of about Letrizia's age, pretty and slender but not as tall as the Armament pilot, with eyes of dark violet in a similarly dark outfit. In her left hand she carried a slightly curved sword in a scabbard of polished wood. Her dark hair was drawn up in a ponytail spill of ink, stark contrast to her unhealthily pale skin. Her stance was light, alert; a fighter of professional skill, despite her nervous demeanor.

"Hope... I am not... too late," the girl said shakily, as Letrizia came over to greet the newcomer.

"Aeira!" Letrizia said happily. "I didn't think you'd be able to make it. Did your parents give you permission?"

"Ah, yes." Aeira replied. "It took much of the night, and today as well, but they have finally agreed to allow me to become a mercenary!"

She bowed deeply to Hunger, and then to Gisena. "Lord Hunger and Lady Allria, please permit me to travel alongside you! Letrizia has informed me of your mission and I would bring much in the way of novel capabilities. My Element, Shadowcord, dims light and deflects attention, allowing me to cloak you from detection even against automated systems. I am also a capable fighter with the sword, and can defeat most Sovereignty Armors in direct combat."

"Fascinating," Gisena remarked. "The information-theoretic implications of that attention-deflecting ability..."

"Aeira's really strong!" Letrizia gushed. "Maybe not as powerful as you, Hunger, but we could really use her stealth capabilities, and we've got plenty of money left over to pay her! Her family could really use it, and she can definitely take care of herself!"

---

The winners were [X] Ring of Power: Crimson Flare and [X] High Marshall.

[ ] Fine - She can guard Letrizia while you're away, and the outrageous output of every experienced Elementalist means she can even cloak Verschlengorge from detection. Perhaps it'll even work on Astral Beasts? If necessary, she may also be able to take the field against some weaker foes, or support Hunger from a distance with supplemental stealth. [7 Currency units / month]

[ ] Unacceptable - Proficient as she might be, it's nowhere near safe for her to adventure with the likes of you. Hunger is a Progression-type Cursebearer, Gisena is a (soon to be) High Sorceress with an extremely powerful and broad anti-supernatural defense, and Letrizia is a superweapon pilot. There's no room for an ordinary High Elementalist among your ranks, no matter how talented. [+.8 Arete, +1 pick to upcoming Experience]

---

As you will likely be facing the High Marshall soon, you may wish to pre-buy Stances, ensuring availability for the entire encounter. He outranks you significantly and has a powerful Soul Evocation. An abundance of caution would not be remiss here; Rank gaps of such size are dangerous to contest directly.

Tactics can also help, of course, but his Rank makes him difficult to deceive. You have 18.7 Arete with 1 put towards Crimson Flare.

[ ] Maximum Safety - Buy Hero-Defeating Stance and Guile-Defeating Stance (below).
*Combines high Charisma with a Rank nullification effect, vastly reducing the effectiveness of his greater Rank upon yours. Safest social option.
*Hero-Defeating Stance feeds into Foe-Defeating Stance, whereas Guile-Defeating Stance feeds into All-Defeating Stance. Not very synergistic in the long run.
*Expensive, but minimizes death %.

[ ] Somewhat Safe - Buy Guile-Defeating Stance and World-Defeating Stance (below)
*Both feed into All-Defeating Stance, so this is considerably more efficient than the above at the cost of reduced safety.
*You can only have two Stances active, so it won't make sense to buy Magic-Defeating Stance with this arrangement until you can afford All-Defeating Stance or have 6 Rank...
*Still expensive.

[ ] Kinda Safe - Buy Hero-Defeating Stance.
*It's not really that safe, but way better than Maximal Greed.
*Hero-Defeating Stance is almost always pretty good.

[ ] Maximal Greed - Don't buy anything.
*You will probably get rekt. He's 2.2 Ranks higher than you, literally everything you do will experience massive pushback from the universe itself.
*However, getting rekt does not mean you will necessarily die. You might still be able to retreat and limp away.

Guile-Defeating Stance - 7 Arete

A martial stance of the Forebear. Where comes the craven, who by shadowy pacts, scheming and circumstance seeks to undermine the wielder's unquestionable authority, they will find that age and treachery have already usurped that domain, and were lying in wait all the while. There can be no power behind the throne but he that sits the throne itself, if that sovereign is wise enough to adopt this stance of the Forebear. A pre-requisite for All-Defeating Stance.

++Wits, ++Wisdom, ++Charisma.

+2 Rank, ++++++++Manipulation for purposes of detecting, subverting, and overcoming hidden schemes, illusions, and deceptions. Apply the Power of Ruin against such efforts if hostile to the wielder. Be it a rapier feint or the meticulously calculated plot of eons, all forms of mistruth are laid bare before the Forebear's gaze.

World-Defeating Stance - 7 Arete

A martial stance of the Forebear. Forces natural and premeditated; forces unnatural and obscene - it matters not to the cause of the Forebear, whose march is steady and inevitable, carrying all before it. A billion realms brought to heel and countless more razed to ash, systems of the world in kaleidoscopic arrangement and all bent to his will. Meaningless as escape may be, more futile still is dissent: an enemy is just a future subject, and though they may forget the face of their fathers, the Forebear's visage is burned indelibly into their spirits.

If the user possesses all of the other [Type]-Defeating Stances, upgrades into All-Defeating Stance.

+.2 Rank, ++Luck, ++Intelligence, ++Protection

++++++Protection further against environmental harms, including from incompatible or hostile physics and metaphysics.
*Shelters wielder's powers from suppression or negation, even that resulting from a lack of magic or magical structures within the world.
*5x Power of Ruin against non-supernatural foes or phenomena beyond a human's ability to defeat.

---

Thanks to all my subscribers on Patreon! The amount of support has been utterly amazing! Blurb Libraries I and II, featuring upcoming blurbs, and The Star Forges of Plerion, featuring future quest content, are now available to patrons. Even more content coming soon!

 

[Rihaku]

A Wind Full of Knives

"Fine," Hunger said, after a moment's thought. "If you've thought through the logistical implications, you can come with us, though we won't provide any guarantee of safety. This path is dangerous and will only grow more so."

He would trust Letrizia's judgement on this matter, at least for now. The young duchess was in many ways naive. It was sometimes hard to remember that she was a veteran warrior entrusted with her nation's greatest superweapon. He believed she had the wherewithal to consider matters objectively when truly serious decisions, like this, came about.

"Thank you so much!" Aeira bowed again, even more deeply than before. "Yes, I have set up an account for an escrow company into which you can deposit funds now and remotely. The money will be released to my family on a time-delayed basis, assuming you intend to pay upfront with cash, and returned to you if my service is not satisfactory. One of my classmates has an Element that allows for limited-throughput communication across the Voyaging Realm. It's not totally reliable, but we should be able to get signal at least one day in ten. That will also enable me to slowly navigate back to the Sovereignty if we must part ways. I can bunk with Letrizia and will bring my own supplies in terms of food and toiletries."

"You're prepared, that's good. We'll finally have someone responsible on the team." Hunger smiled lightly.

"That means she'll have to rein us in, hun!" Gisena grabbed his arm playfully. "How shocking! Now what will we do for fun?"

"Training," he deadpanned. "Speaking of which, Aeira, would you care for a spar? If I win, you'll give us a 10% discount, and if I lose, we'll double your pay."

Aeira made a startled noise and raised her hands. "I-I am sorry, but I do not think I can accept those terms. Even though you are being unconscionably generous, my family needs this money and I cannot accept anything less than the asking price."

"Hm." Hunger frowned slightly. "I hate to pry, but may I ask what your family is using the money for? If there are any points of leverage against you, we need to be informed in advance. We're trusting you to watch our backs against foes that are very capable and resourceful, often with varied supernatural capabilities."

Letrizia bit her lip. "Shoot. I hadn't considered that..."

Aeira smiled gently at her. "It is fine. Yes, my family is greatly in debt to government of the Elixir Sovereignty... we used to be on the founding council, but my grandmother and grandfather made several critical errors in business, wiping out our fortune and exposing us to our rivals. The back taxes alone have been crippling... All my life, my mother and father worked tirelessly to extricate us from debt, but their political enemies ensured they would never hold high station. However, I do not believe that such petty affairs in so remote a society as ours would hold much interest for your enemies."

"I see." There were a few ways such a vulnerability could come to bite them down the line, but it seemed unlikely for now. Something to keep an eye on, but it wasn't disqualifying. The main issue would be... "Your friend, who allows you to communicate across the Voyaging Realm, how does her Element operate? Do you trust this person?"

"Yes, absolutely." She nodded. "Her Element manifests only partially in the physical realm. The other half is bound not by space, but by emotional association. Only if we trust each other mutually and implicitly would the function work correctly."

"And she is diligent enough to keep you regularly updated on matters here?"

Aeira nodded again.

"In that case, welcome aboard." He reached out a hand for her to shake. Hesitantly, Aeira extended her own, pausing in the midst to remove her fingerless gloves. Her grip was firm but rigid, palms sweaty. Anxious beneath the mask.

"I know it may not seem like much to you," Aeira said, smiling timidly. "But this is truly a small fortune for my family. It will make our interest payments much more bearable. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you again!"

"Don't thank me. Just carry your weight," Hunger admonished gruffly, but returned her smile with one of his own.

"You did it! I'm so proud of you!" Letrizia leapt over and grabbed Aeira in a hug.

"Mhm!" Aeira nodded happily.

They set out on their journey to the Temple once more. This time Verschlengorge was blanketed in a cloak of silken shadow which, if one were not looking specifically for him, diminished the salience of his presence in one's mind. It was an odd effect, the colossal machine seeming almost to fade into the background... not invisible nor inaudible, but unimportant, like a cliff or hillside, the clangor of his movements like construction noises far away.

This was the power of Aeira's Element, Shadowcord, which could be garrote or spear or binding weave; an assassin's Element which, aside from its attention-negating properties, also enhanced the agility of its wielder and nulled all sound by touch. Killer and victim would conclude their business in absolute silence, unnoticed even in busy crowds.

Gisena welcomed their newest party member warmly, though Aeira seemed powerfully intimidated by the superhuman Sorceress, unable to raise her voice above a whisper when addressing Gisena directly. Most of the time, Aeira stayed with Letrizia in her cockpit, the two teenagers chatting happily about Imperial society and the differences in its Elixir offshoot.

"That poor darling," Gisena smiled sadly, sitting alongside Hunger on Verschlengorge's shoulder. With the aid of Aeira's shadow, the number of Astral incursions targeting Verschlengorge had indeed decreased, though oddly not to zero. Thus there was no pressing need for comprehensive surveillance from its shoulder-side staff.

"She looks up to you," Hunger said, "She just can't express it very well."

"I know," Gisena replied airily, "But if it's that bad now, just think how tongue-tied she'll be after I finish my meditations! And your own force of presence has been steadily increasing as well. Soon it'll be difficult for either of us to speak plainly with ordinary people."

"Needs must," Hunger said. "The Apocryphal Curse will not stop escalating, so neither can we." This small sliver of inhumanity was a trifling price in the face of vengeance, though it did unsettle him slightly. But what was to be done about it? He frowned. Perhaps there was something to be done.

"Though," he continued, "as the Nullity Sorceress, one would think you would be most equipped of anyone to bring us back down to earth."

"And surrender this beautiful visage?" Gisena gasped. "I would never do that to you. Worry not, my captain, I could hardly bear to deprive you for even a moment! The teeming masses shall just have to withstand it."

Was she referring to the reduction of her presence, or his own? Down either path lay a trap, and if called out directly she would feign obliviousness, thus framing his observation as paranoia. Hunger shook his head amusedly.

"You're too clever for your own good, Gisena. What if you applied that genius to actually finishing those meditations of yours?"

She idly kicked a slender leg, leaning against his shoulder. "I can't, Aeira took the spot in the cockpit I was using to meditate! Don't worry, I'll be finished up and completely evolved by tomorrow morning, ready to help you take down the Temple. So enjoy my delightful presence while you can!"

"Good. You can keep watch while I take a nap."

Already they could see the Temple at far remove: the towering spires of its moon-clutching claw, the ivory swell of its dome against the wavering blue horizon. As before, they would have to navigate around to reach the front gate, a trip of several hours more. Hunger leaned back, settling in for the final leg of their journey.

Soon, he promised mentally, addressing the imprisoned Ring, willing his own to act as conduit. He did not know if the Rings could actually speak to one another, did not know if it was merely a futile gesture, but sought to offer whatever hope he could: the strength, perhaps, to resist for one day more, to deny its exploiters whatever power it could, here in this final hour. One way or another, your suffering ends soon.

---

The winner was [X] Fine. In light of your new Arete total, the build vote will be concluded below.

You have about 27 Arete. You may spend up to 28 with Arete debt.

[ ] Forebear's Blade: All-Defeating Stance - 28 Arete

Woe to he who would presume to resist the Forebear, for neither spell nor song nor storm of swords would find purchase against his impervious guard. Bowed kings, bowed wizards, bowed warriors of legend and worlds themselves, for there was no chance of triumph without knowing the form of victory, and to stand against the Forebear was to know only defeat. Consumes and replaces its pre-requisite stances.

+++++All Stats
5x Power of Ruin against all targets.
Powers deriving from the Forebear's Blade are perfectly defended from nullification of any kind, even that stemming from a lack of fundamental metaphysics.

All-Defeating: All external effects natural or supernatural which would harm, impede or negatively alter the wielder must contest the amplified Power of Ruin or be destroyed before reaching the wielder. Effectively the character automatically applies an incredibly powerful conceptual-level counterattack against all hostile effects.

In practice, this mitigates all Curses as per Magic-Defeating Stance and renders the character nigh-immune to most forms of harm, as all attacks are intercepted by an imperishable well of ablative Ruin. Only the mightiest of effects can even hope to pierce through, and often with severely reduced outcomes. Even the effects of enemy Pressure are largely nullified unless that Pressure is substantially mightier than the wielder's Pressure and Power of Ruin combined.

Holy Shit: To stand against the wielder is to know only defeat. The wielder's enemies know when they are beaten. Double the wielder's Charisma and Manipulation against characters individually weaker than him. Innate awareness of the character's strength penalizes any attempts to form organizations or conspiracies opposed to him.

*In light of this capacity, Hunger will pursue a military-based strategy against the Temple, discarding his earlier plans. Events such as this occur sparingly if at all, but changing circumstances are inescapable, and needs must.
*Hunger can defeat Avecarn with only moderate difficulty and has decent odds of soloing the entire Temple himself.
*A highly synergistic build: You've taken lots of +Might (and +Willpower, and the Stance grants both), which is multiplied by Edeldross, which scales the power of Ruin, which is quintupled by the stance, which reflexively opposes all hostile effects. Hunger becomes a nigh-invincible juggernaut for his power level, and his offensive might is tremendous due to that Ruin itself. He can safely focus on developing esoteric capabilities with Cut Through.
*There are situations where one might prefer to have Guile-Defeating Stance instead of All-Defeating Stance, and taking the latter does consume the former.

[ ] The Ring of Power: Crimson Flare - 25 Arete. (0 picks, but requires Chief Dominion)

Call'd the ring in direst hour;
Azure's brethren faces turned.
Yet came the Lord its cause to flower;
then saw its keepers, to ruin burned.

Forgotten not, the debt of Time
when all its kind had turned their backs;
Not Hunger ring, its steed to ride,
brought Temple low, rapine and sack.

And debt unpaid shall not abide.

The crimson jewel blazes with a hallowed, piercing light, its glory to outshine sun and stars, all made abject by its presence. This is attainment of a height that disdains mere power, the Jewel of Blood unveiled in truth.

Elevates the wielder's Rank by a variable amount [Currently: to 5]
+2 Rank for purposes of wielding the Chief Dominion.

If the Azure Ring is saved:
Further increases the scope, power, and control of the Chief Dominion, beyond even the limits of the Ruling Ring.*
Obsoletes and refunds: Augment Dominion: Blood, Sublime Transfusion, Ennobling
The Azure Ring will submit to the Crimson in the next contest of primacy.

*Example effects: Individuals can be Ennobled in hours, small populations in days, large populations in months. Levels above Ennoblement can be researched and acquired, potentially without Arete expenditure. Verschlengorge can be healed to Rank 6 in hours, to Rank 7 in days, to Rank 7.5 in weeks. Enemies of Rank 4 or lower can be rendered comatose with a gesture; those of merely equivalent Rank (5) would suffer crippling disadvantage.
*Hunger will try diplomacy first before moving onto combat
*He can offer them much, though it would still be a difficult task to sunder Avecarn from his civilization: stability is worth more than promises written on wind, and Hunger does not really have much interest in taking care of the Inner Temple society.
*Good odds in combat, very good odds of survival.
*Build towards the Trinity Special Advancement.

[ ] Renaissance Woman - 28 Arete

Not merely a genius of one generation, nor of one era; hers is a greatness of mind and spirit that arises perhaps only once in the lifetime of a species. All-conquering talent that bestrides all fields and masters them beyond compare: only this genuine polymath can be said to embody the complete essence - the true quintessence - of humanity in the Maiden's image. Only so exalted a paragon can glimpse the mortal facings of Heaven's Lathe and depart with mind unshattered.

A singularity of findross births a Sorceress. A meta-singularity of findross, births a Maiden.

*Gisena immediately acquires the Maiden-level Graces: True Perfecting Blade, True Nullity, and True Quintessence.
*Gisena, through observation of the mortal-perceptible components of Hunger's Progression, replicates the effects of the Lesser Remittance, Retinue, for up to one cardinality of infinite escalation.
*True Perfecting Blade: Massively improves Gisena's STR, AGI, CON, WITS and APP. Her physical parameters are modestly superior to Hunger's own. Her Wits and Appearance are tremendously superior to Hunger's own. Parameters will continue to increase over time.
*True Nullity: Gisena applies the effects of Grand Nullification upon all of Hunger's Curses; her nullity strikes with absolute force. This may improve over time.
*True Quintessence: Gisena is treated as if possessing the Total Eclipse Advancement.
*Her outrageously superhuman Appearance, Charisma and Wits can be classified as a high-grade memetic hazard, making infiltration of the Inner Temple quite trivial.
*Does not build towards a Special Artifact Advancement but also does not commit you to a path.

---

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[Rihaku]

Interlude: The Star-Forge

The Encampment of the False Moon. A riotous whirl of sandstone facings and colored tents, teeming with moon-mad adventurers whose desperation and fearsome need for distraction have birthed one of the foulest dens of sin and iniquity to mar the Voyaging Realm. Among the vaudeville festivities and direst-hour purveyors of food and lodging lie those few mighty peddlers whose business is neither fare nor fortune but power itself.

Sigil and secret, objects of power or sentimental value to the Residents Within - these are their stock in trade, among them a cache of papers distributed by the Ministry of Information For the Inner Ring. Secured by supernatural locks and surrounded by guardian spirits, the contents of these bloodstained pages are known to few within the Encampment itself. Do the peddlers fear the loss of their prey, should the true sophistication of Inner Temple society be made known to them? Or are they merely content to hoard and bask in their hidden knowledge, lording it over the ignorant?

But the party was ignorant no more, for Aeira was able to secure these on a brief excursion to the Encampment. She made no attempts on the greater, more heavily guarded treasures within, noting that Lord Hunger seemed content with the current state of his panoply, and having no wish to call down mightier contingencies than she'd already provoked. Still, the lithe assassin made little secret of her satisfaction at having given her pursuers the slip, though she was shocked to find Hunger dissatisfied at the lack of enemies to subdue. The information within is neither complete nor entirely decipherable, but its contents are illuminating nonetheless, especially should Hunger wish to infiltrate the Temple in person. Though he will never be bound to obey their customs, still it is better to be aware of them, so that evasion is possible.

- The Star-Forges of Plerion -

CONFIDENTIAL - GRADE O-5 AND ABOVE ONLY
FOR DISSEMINATION TO OUTRIDERS PROMOTED TO MARSHALL-CLASS AND ABOVE

From the Sayings of Plerion:
Ignorance is no excuse for disobedience; nor liberty, for disorder.

Named for their long-deceased inventor, the Star Forges are crucial to the stability and prosperity of our regimented Inner Ring. The dome of blue that surrounds the Ring appears impenetrable to outsiders, but within you shall find it is near-wholly transparent, reflecting both daytime and evening sky in mirrored harmony, with night on the outside become day within.

You have likely long wondered at the purpose of the Star Forges whose auditory emissions are deflected into the Middle Ring. Crystallized possibility can be extracted from the stars of the False Heavens, tearing them from the nighttime sky to forge into numinous energy, which can then be repurposed for any number of applications. Empirical observation has long confirmed that extraction via star-forge is the most efficient and least unpleasant means of exploiting the priceless Treasure at the Heart of the Temple, though many have raised the obvious question: what happens when the stars run out?

To which the Council notes that the number of stars in the night sky is very nearly innumerable, and the current rate of extraction will see our civilization through for many millennia to follow, far beyond the circumscribed lifetime of any Inner Resident save the Immortals themselves. While the visible eye may not be able to perceive every star, our mighty astronomical arrays have indeed confirmed that the blanket of seeming darkness above is home to countless stars below the range of human perception.

Fewer, more heretical minds have proposed a different question - what if the Forges were turned to the harvest of the moon itself? The Council, as befits its dignity, has not seen fit to answer so ludicrous a query. Star-stuff suffices to power all but the most esoteric applications of Inner Ring society, from power and lighting to the time-twisting Calendar Engine and even the carefully regimented Dimensional Vortex upon which the Inner Ring sits.

Marshall, imbibe dutifully the information contained above, and take heed as to the tenor of questions that the Council will and will not countenance. Such is crucial to your harmonious existence within our Inner Ring.

- At Temple's Heart -

CONFIDENTIAL - GRADE O-7 AND ABOVE ONLY
FOR DISSEMINATION TO NATIVE-BORN RESIDENTS WITH AWAKENED SOUL EVOCATIONS OF MILITARY GRADE

From the Sayings of Plerion:
No False Moon is this, but the anchor of the world itself! Come now into mine grasp, that my descendants may flourish evermore.

It is well known that the Treasure at Temple's Heart is the source and guiding light of all magics practiced by its attendant civilization. As the vast majority of practitioners are Soul Evokers, an understandable confusion arises: will the Light of one's Soul itself be extinguished should the Treasure ever be depleted?

The answer is more complicated than a simple affirmation or negation would reveal. Rather, without the Treasure's empowering light, most Soul Evokers would be incapable of directly manifesting their own Light in so concrete a manner as they do nowadays, with all but the mightiest relegated to effective mundanity.

This would be only one of the many catastrophic consequences to follow if the Treasure were ever to depart its hallowed perch, but rest assured that its longevity as a power source is effectively infinite! That is why the treasure must be impenetrably defended, not only by the citizenry of the Temple, but by the Immortals of the Council themselves, whose imperishable might is the sole and necessary justification for their continuance beyond the prescribed lifespan of one thousand years.

Do not envy them their eternal vigilance, and mourn not your finite hours, for it is by their tireless regard that the Treasure which shelters us all is kept secure for the generations to come. Theirs is not a privilege but a duty, no reward but an onerous and ceaseless burden, which is why any Councilor elevated to the Rank of Immortal is stripped of all commissions and departmental roles, and their voting power further cut by half.

While Inner Ring residents benefit from regular exposure to the Treasure's directly refracted glow, Middle Temple outriders must make do with the second-hand light that emerges from their Sigils. The worthy are elevated to join us, but do not concern yourself with pity for the other residents of the Middle Temple. Existence itself is a boon to them who live beyond the prescribed ten million. They are defended in large part by our largesse, with a not-insignificant fraction of our star-stuff re-directed to power the Ritual Grounds.

- Ritual Grounds: Maintenance Report e79#CXXXXVI -

CONFIDENTIAL - GRADE C-3 AND ABOVE
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, HONORED COUNCILOR
MEMETIC CENSORSING ACTIVE (The third line is burned off and barely readable, replaced by a series of runes which glow like dull embers)

Groundskeeper Prelairn is missing in action, assumed slain at the nexus of a high-valence anomaly in Sector X. Forensics indicate magic-negating power of up to Class S was deployed at the epicenter, roughly five meters from the last recorded transmission of his Sigil. Tiller Wurm activity is substantially reduced in his absence; the Wurms are agitated for lack of their 'father.'

Knight formations have been disrupted in Sector X, presumably by the same Incursion which slew Prelairn. Preliminary divinations reveal cognitohazard status - Marshalls Farseer and Oracle were burned out, and Marshall Vicissitude slain, by the (assumed) entity's ontological perimeter. Further divinations are not recommended at this time. Speculated typing: S-type 35%, O-type 41%, X-type 11% (!), R-type 14%. NOTE: The irony that Sector X should produce the first potential X-type is not lost upon us. Given the defenses in place we can only speculate as to the apparent coincidental nature of this Incursion, but more deliberate machinations cannot be ruled out. Caution is recommended until further information becomes available.

UPDATE: Patrol activity in Sector X-M has revealed four Incursions of notable strength in this period, including two R-types and Fairbright. We now believe the chance of X-type incursion to be <.1%. For details, please reference patrol log c43#MMXI. Further information is beyond the scope of this report.

Given these and many lesser disruptions in Ritual activity, containment efficacy has fallen calamitously, down 8% in the last 72 hours. Recommend re-commissioning of Star Forge #27 to begin extraction of sub-quadrant F5 to compensate. We have informed the Chief Coordinator that incursion activity may spike as uncontained Power is released into the greater Outside. In light of this limited containment breach, termination or subversion of all major Incursions is the utmost priority. Recommend that High Marshalls Administrator, Capacitor and Wyvernford be elevated to Alert status. We again petition the Council to review the Immortal Deployment Act.

As always, time burns.

Your faithful servant,
Crowelenarch

---

The winner was [X] Crimson Flare by a hair. This was a hotly contested vote and could easily have gone to any of the three options given the early turnout and high quantity of arguments made.

What was the focus of Aeira's training?

[ ] Stealth - The classic. The power to go undetected opens up enormous avenues of possibility for the enterprising operative. Improves survival rate during reconaissance, extraction, combat and many other missions. Improves the effectiveness of Vershlengorge's stealth cloak, and that of stealth cloaks given by Aeira to others. Does not substantially improve the resistance of Stealth cloaks to high-density blasts of Nullity. Grants +++Element Magnitude, ++Element Control, +++Agility, ++Wits.

Bonus: None. Stealth is the default arrangement for Aeira.

[ ] Combat - The assassin. This involves not only direct martial expertise but all aspects of the killing arts, including a poisoner's expertise and the logistical peculiarities of infiltration and murder. With this specialty, her control over the raw physical component of her Element improves to the point where it's safe and relevant for her to contribute in combat as an ambush / buffing asset. Also improves her rate of growth overall, making it feasible for Aeira to keep up with Hunger if properly supported and invested in. Grants effective +Progression (Combat), +++Element Control, +++Agility, ++Might.

Bonus: Antitoxin - Aeira's comprehensive understanding of Voyaging Realm-native plant life allows her to produce the cure to Hunger's damaged liver. Healing is slow, but even a first-stage treatment reduces all penalities (and amplified damage) by half.

[ ] Business - The support. Instead of focusing solely on her skills as a mercenary alone, Aeira studied the dismal science in an attempt to better understand and possibly extricate her family from its dismal situation. While this isn't immediately relevant, it would substantially improve her value to Letrizia as a magus-advisor in the Human Sphere, providing a form of long term income that isn't as vulnerable to abrupt termination as her current line of work. Grants +++Wisdom, ++Intelligence, ++Charisma.

Bonus: Apocalypse Later - Vastly reduces the risks of taking Aeira out of the Voyaging Realm. Without this, complications will almost certainly ensue.

---

You guys are at 7.4 Arete! Would you like to buy a Stance? Your chances against Avecarn are quite good without one, but not guaranteed.

[ ] No - S A V E.

[ ] Hero-Defeating Stance - Does not build towards All-Defeating Stance, but the best for your current situations. Improves both diplomatic and combat outcomes, all but guarantees survival in combat. Improves Rank, physical stats, effective Defensive Rank and odds against multiple opponents, all great qualities to look for in an Advancement!

[ ] Magic-Defeating Stance - Somewhat improves combat outcomes in most scenarios. Lowers Apocryphal risk in the long run. Grants superior defense against most esoteric attacks, useful in potential future engagements, and improves synergy with Gisena in battle.

[ ] Guile-Defeating Stance - Strongly improves odds of diplomatic victory. Somewhat relevant in combat against intelligent opponents.

Thanks to all my subscribers on Patreon! I am continually surprised and elated at the increasing support. Patrons received early access to the first two parts of this update, as well as patron-exclusive content throughout the month! There will be even more patreon-exclusive content tomorrow!

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[Rihaku]

To Battle's Close

Soon, he promised mentally, addressing the imprisoned Ring, willing his own to act as conduit. He did not know if the Rings could actually speak to one another, did not know if it was merely a futile gesture, but sought to offer whatever hope he could: the strength, perhaps, to resist for one day more, to deny its exploiters whatever power it could, here in this final hour. One way or another, your suffering ends soon.

He hadn't expect an answer of any kind, so Hunger startled when the Imprisoned Ring replied: first a trickle, then a steady stream, and finally a torrent of numinous power, transgressing space and time, raw potential like a livid thunderbolt flowing into the blood-red jewel of his own Ring. Crimson flared and blazed, a star risen from earth, such fearsome majesty that he staggered to contain it, the power of the jewel threatening to overcome and unbalance the Ring as a whole.

Gisena sheltered the girls as he forced down its catastrophic might, compressing that all-piercing radiance until it was safely contained. Now the jewel glittered with translucent fire: final remnant of the Imprisoned Ring's defiance, all its hope and joy of life, all its remaining will to resist, given over to him.

The Call of the False Moon faded from his mind, and he knew instinctively that it had faded from every other. This was the final sally of the Imprisoned Ring, one last desperate act of trust when all else had failed.

Hunger closed his eyes, frowning.

"You're our only hope."

How many times had they told him that in the campaign against the Tyrant? That he was it, that there was no other, that if he shirked his duty, or faltered, or failed, then it simply would not be done - only misery everlasting for the peoples of the world, clawing feebly at the yoke as it tightened and tightened.

It seemed he was not free of such duties. Perhaps would never be free. People fell into the patterns of their lives because of what they were good at. This was what he'd done all his life; was it such a surprise to have duty thrust upon him once more? Moreover, for something he intended to do anyway.

Even so, fuck these so-called interesting times.

He understood the sorrow of the Imprisoned Ring, the depths it must have been driven to, not only to ask a rival for aid, but to beg, and to invest everything in that begging. He understood its shattered pride, the egregious disgrace of its situation, the sheer hollowing agony of its every moment.

For that reason he did not resent the Ring for casting this burden upon him. The power it had gifted him would make its salvation easier. But he would freely resent the universe, and the Apocryphal Curse that guided it, until the end of his days.

No, he shook his head. Until he overcame them both. That was the promise of Progression, after all. Live, and grow strong. So long as he took care of the former, it would ensure the latter.

Live, and rescue the Ring, and grow strong.

He rose from his seated position. "There's no way they didn't notice that. Tomorrow morning may be too late."

Lucky that Aeira had gotten them the intelligence she had. He could only hope his present strength was enough to deal with the Immortals of the Temple. The Imprisoned Ring had given him little choice.

Gisena laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Hey. This isn't your responsibility, no matter how it may make you feel. You can still walk away. Always."

He smiled bitterly. "That may be the smart thing to do. And likely the wise thing as well. But only one of us here is a genius. Find me when your meditations are complete."

So saying, he leapt off Verschlengorge, making for the Temple directly.

The gift of the Imprisoned Ring had tremendously augmented his own Chief Dominion. Blood rushed and thundered in his ears, an ocean of awareness that stretched for miles: vein and capillary, pulse and heartbeat were naked to him, from the birds in the air to the beasts of the earth, and all the humanity of the Encampment in-between. It was a deluge, too much to process, and he hurriedly tamped it down, focusing the power as it solidified, directing it into his immediate vicinity alone. A greater concentration of power was more suitable to his purposes.

He accelerated, world a watercolor blur. There was the Temple.

In through the gates, then quickly across the grasslands, up over the mountains and into the Middle Ring. Edeldross-infused, he pushed forward, faster than he'd gone before, the accumulated power of recent days like thunderheads gathering in his wake. Outriders tried feebly to intercept. Those who could not keep up were ignored, the others slaughtered. The Inner Temple loomed, dome of matte blue like still deep waters, a globe stripped bare of land.

A man strode out to meet him, a solid brick wall of muscle, his face creased and cragged, hair streaked with gray. He wore a uniform of gray and black, a marshal's baton strapped to his side, eyes like coals flecked with bronze.

Hunger flared his Ring and felt the man's blood quail before him, even as the greater portion stood strong. Even with all his newfound powers, this would not be an easy fight.

He stopped, addressing the man directly. "Care to live more than a thousand years?"

The man chortled, a low, bleak rumble. "Hah! Ask me again in seven centuries."

No urgency. Unfortunate. "You people must have known this day was coming."

"Confident, aren't you?" The man frowned, eyes darting to Hunger's finger. "Maybe that's justified, you've got a Ring all to yourself. Some might say it's greedy to go looking for more."

"Are you going to pretend ignorance of what's inflicted on your own?"

"A Ring is not a person," the man shook his head, frown deepening. "Seems you've forgotten that, or maybe never knew it in the first place. Fail to master it and it will master you."

"Perhaps," Hunger shrugged. "But that doesn't justify what your society has done. Let your Ring rest at last. Turn it over voluntarily, or help me secure it, and I can empower you and yours with my own."

Again the man shook his head. "Sorry, kid. I've got a family that depends on that thing to live. Putting everyone's lives into only your hands? That's not happening."

And so Hunger struck, the power of his Ring pressing down upon his foe, blue of true reality outlining his Blade as it descended with cataclysmic force. The marshal reacted quickly, interposing his baton, but could not resist the power of Hunger's cut, and lost half his hand before he twitched out of the way. A spike of fired Edeldross adjusted the vector of his charge, stifling the marshal's evasion. The Forebear's Blade pierced through his foe's shoulder even as the man howled, plunging his free hand through Hunger's guts.

Meaningless. With the elevated Ring of Blood such wounds were nearly immaterial. He clenched the muscles of his core, trapping the man's arm for an instant, and twisted his blade downwards, carving through shoulder and breast. The marshal grunted, blood seeping from his mouth as he fell to a knee. With a desperate surge of energy he exploded backwards, tearing his shoulder free of the trapped arm, extending the distance between them.

Relentlessly he pressed the attack, pouring blade-winds towards the retreating figure, sharpness like a humming shrike screaming towards him. The marshal twisted, inhaling deeply, accepting a blow to the chest in order to counterattack, a roar of pure stygian force that upturned the earth in its wake. Ripping free his foe's embedded arm, Hunger hurled it at the blast, deflecting enough of the energies that he could weather the remainder with the Evening Sky, though the cloak was torn to bits around him.

This battle was nearing its end. A seal of blood closed around the hole in his torso, while his enemy's wounds bled liberally, a ceaseless arterial spray. Still the marshal rallied, lunging at him, a second Pressure-infused bark ripping through Hunger's remaining blade-winds, driving towards a final confrontation.

But there was no room here for honor, no spirited duel of ideals. Hunger dove to the side, focused shamelessly on evading, simply falling back and giving wide berth to the marshal's dying rampage, his magnificently pointless death-throes. The Jewel of Blood did the rest.

Mighty as the marshal was, greater than Hunger in Astral strength, he was not Vanreir whose body was as a blade. This was a champion among men, with all a mortal's failings. Liter by liter the marshal bled out until not even the iron wall of his Pressure could stand him upright any longer. He fell, eyes blank, his blood and his life expended utterly in service of his nation, and Hunger did not look back.

---

The winner was [X] Guile-Defeating Stance with [X] Combat.

Onwards.

[ ] Cut - The state of disarray and relative confusion induced by the Imprisoned Ring's final surge of volition will not last much longer. While the defenders are still poorly-organized, push for the Treasure At Temple's Heart. With the surge of power gained from the marshal's defeat, bring an end to this at last. +1 pick below.

*The defenders are scattered and disorganized. Many Immortals and relevant combatants may be at home or otherwise occupied. Free the Ring and finish this.

[ ] Foment Rebellion - These Immortals are likely a tier above even the marshal, in which case Hunger cannot be confident of his odds even against one, much less a group. Attack, but do so in a way that demonstrates your power and the inevitability of your victory. Secure what allies of opportunity you can from the repressed, the downtrodden or the merely resentful.

*Your intelligence reports have revealed the potential cracks in Inner Ring society. It would be a shame not to exploit them and improve your odds of victory in the long run.
*Lose the momentum of your sudden assault and be virtually guaranteed to oppose the full complement of Immortals gathered in their place of power.
*As you have the Guile-Defeating Stance, the chance of your collaborators successfully betraying you is low.
*Prolongs the battle enough for Gisena and Aeira to join you, though this may endanger them.

---

You have 2 picks, or 3 if Cut was chosen, and about 3.2 Arete.

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

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

The available domains for Hunger are: War, Passion

[ ] Fierce Quickening - The absurd violence of Blood unleashed. Let all that falls within its dominion be spilled, if it be in service to the Ringbearer. Adds [++Agility, +Wits] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.

[ ] Augment Dominion: Blood - The world-wielding will of the Ring.
Treat the wielder's Rank as if it were (.5 Low/.25 Medium/.1 High) higher for purposes of the [Ring of Power] effect applied to the Blood domain, increasing its potency and versatility. Repeatable, but costs 1 more pick each time.

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

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

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

[ ] Vigor Incarnate - 2 picks, 2 Arete. The glory of Blood triumphant. Let those who would stand against him cower, or be undone. A simple but exceptionally powerful option.

Adds [+++Might, ++Charisma] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions.
Add your Charisma to your Protection.

[ ] Ennobling - 2 Arete (2 picks)

Ambition's work is conducted atop the shoulders of giants. Raise up one's servants to appropriately towering stature.

The process of comprehensive elevation of all positive attributes of the blood. Applied continuously over a long period, boons may become permanent and expand in scope, enhancing all qualities of the target and their future offspring. Applies up to +++All Stats to the target, Lifespan improves by fourfold. Elevates the target by .5 Rank to a maximum of 3.5. Does not work on yourself or on species whose native Rank is higher than 4.5.

Effects become permanent after a few weeks focused on a single target, or a few years focused on a small population. Further Advancements may improve both the scale and speed of augmentation. With a thought, the original bestower may retract any boon so given, so long as they possess the Ring of Blood.

[ ] Feat: Shameless - +.25 Rank (2 picks).

Yields +.325 Rank with Uttermost bonus.

[ ] Forebear's Blade - What Rains May Come. (3 picks)

To strike at him would arouse his disdain. To strike at his loved ones, would arouse his ire. Once per month, transfer wounds caused by the hand of another from an ally to yourself. Reverse wound penalties, except from those inflicted by your own hand.

Chief Dominion (Blood): You are treated as if benefiting from the highest qualifying wound penalty received this fight, even if said wound is healed.

[ ] The Ring of Power - Arisen Blood (7 Arete, 3 picks)

Blood learns swiftly how best to be spilled.

While at full HP, benefit from the following:
+++++Protection
+++++Agi, Might, Wisdom (Combat)
All Attacks deal double damage, stacking multiplicatively
You are treated as if in a form with corporeal blood, even if you would otherwise not be.

---


Thanks to all my subscribers on Patreon! The amount of support these past days has been completely stunning! Patrons receive access to patron-exclusive content, including early updates, Discord roles, and bonus chapters. Blurb Library III was released today!

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[Rihaku]

The Provinces, Roused

The winner was [X] Foment Rebellion by a heavy margin with [X] Vigor Incarnate by a hair. Hunger's hunt was exceptionally successful (rolled a 97!), granting 3 additional picks and 1 additional Arete, though no single enemy yielded more than 2 picks.

What was the nature of the potential allies Hunger encountered? Choose one. The options unchosen may not exist in-universe.

[ ] The Silver Horde - Those who near the end of their allotted span are placed under heavy surveillance, their ability to organize gradually curtailed and denied the light of the Ring. This greatly-suppressed band of malcontents-by-necessity has found each other in the chaos and would like nothing more than to overthrow the regime that mandates their death. Their motive is purely (enlightened... ?) self-interest, but they will fight ardently all the same, for their very lives are literally at stake.

Combat Strength: Modest. Denied the light for some years, their powers are on the wane.

Cost: 0 picks. Hunger did not have to waste any time picking up this force. They found him and volunteered.

*You get what you pay for. Literal geriatrics are only relevant due to their Soul Evocations.
*They can maybe distract one or two Immortals temporarily.
*Modest knowledge of the Inner Ring.

[ ] Who Walked Away - Even in the sheltered Inner Ring, there are those who discovered the truth of the Ring's torment, especially among they who have had extensive contact with former Outriders. While most were capable of ignoring the moral implications of the Call, some principled individuals could not help but take a stand. They were swiftly crushed and imprisoned, but Hunger diverted his hunt to open these holding cells, releasing these idealistic dissenters. While many are barely better than chaff in the face of the Marshalls, they are lead by Lady Aristeia Fairbright, whose might even contained was the stuff of legend. Though her powers have been drained by the Council's horrific experiments, she remains a force to be reckoned with, capable of matching a High Marshall in single combat.

Combat Strength: Significant. Aristeia Fairbright is only moderately weaker than Hunger himself. Blood enhancements can augment her significantly. Her followers are useful for causing general pandemonium, though they are hesitant to employ violence against the innocent. One or two might be Marshal-level.

*Another f**king Fairbright
*Very good value for what you pay
*Fairbright Bloodline can buff Hunger, temporarily increasing his own effectiveness in combat as well
*This squad of naive fools is focused on doing what's right to an almost impractical degree, but Hunger can respect that. +Mental Stability.
*Minimal knowledge of the Inner Ring, but a few strategically valuable pieces of data.

Cost: 1 pick, 1 Arete.

[ ] Larissa of House Alynne - Mighty House Alynne has been marginalized by recent maneuvers in the Council. Their leader, Lady Larissa, was enraptured by Hunger's brooding magnetism and threw in with him after some convincing. In a fit of opportunistic spite they have raised the flag of rebellion alongside Hunger's incursion. Though she is not personally formidable, Larissa Alynne commands House forces numbering dozens of Marshals, as well as High Marshal Wyvernford and two additional Soul Evokers of equivalent power used to conduct off-the-books operations.

Combat Strength: High. High Marshal Wyvernford alongside the remainder of the Alynne forces might be a match for one to two Immortals on their own, should they receive blood enhancement. Additionally, House Alynne is well-acquainted with the infrastructure of the Inner Ring and would be most suited of the allies on offer to organize an evacuation in the event of Dimensional Rift destabilization.

Cost: 2 picks. Convincing Larissa was not difficult, but it was time-consuming, and not killing Wyvernford leaves Ring-granted power on the table.

*An option unlocked by having 10+ Charisma
*Setting a bad example for Letrizia
*Larissa might get clingy before she is inevitably crushed by Gisena
*House Alynne can spearhead reorganization in the wake of the Ring's departure, making exfiltration smooth and easy, and civilian casualties minimized
*Extremely in-depth information of existing Inner Ring defenses, including (outdated) tactical data on some of the Immortals themselves.
*They also know where the Temple's cache of precious metals & other resources is located, and can save them in time for the Rift. Plenty of currency for everyone!

---

You have 3 picks and ~6.1 Arete, minus any picks and Arete spent above. You may spend up to 2 extra Arete, entering Arete Debt if the amount generated does not cover that. As a reminder, you should only take Augment Dominion: Blood if you want to save the picks now and spend them later, as it does not stack with Crimson Flare's Rank bonus to Blood manipulation. Note that the high number of available Stances means you may not necessarily need picks here to get a substantial improvement in combat strength.

- 0-pick options -

All Martial Stances cost 7 Arete.

[ ] Magic-Defeating Stance - A Martial Stance of the Forebear. Grants high-grade defensive effect nullification against all hostile effects of supernatural origin, and quintuples the power of Ruin for purposes of cutting through enemy magics. Mitigate all Curses an additional half step beyond the first. This Stance is permanently active until switched for another [Type]-Defeating Stance. One of the pre-requisites for All-Defeating Stance. You may have [Rank/2, rounded down] Stances active at one time.

[ ] World-Defeating Stance - A martial stance of the Forebear. Forces natural and premeditated; forces unnatural and obscene - it matters not to the cause of the Forebear, whose march is steady and inevitable, carrying all before it. A billion realms brought to heel and countless more razed to ash, systems of the world in kaleidoscopic arrangement and all bent to his will. Meaningless as escape may be, more futile still is dissent: an enemy is just a future subject, and though they may forget the face of their fathers, the Forebear's visage is burned indelibly into their spirits.

If the user possesses all of the other [Type]-Defeating Stances, upgrades into All-Defeating Stance.

+.2 Rank, ++Luck, ++Intelligence, ++Protection

++++++Protection further against environmental harms, including from incompatible or hostile physics and metaphysics.
*Shelters wielder's powers from suppression or negation, even that resulting from a lack of magic or magical structures within the world.
*5x Power of Ruin against non-supernatural foes or phenomena beyond a human's ability to defeat.

[ ] Weapon-Defeating Stance - A martial stance of the Forebear. He who would presume to wield force of arms against the Forebear dooms himself to inescapable plight, and well-deserved. No blade that crosses the Forebear's can help but shatter before its unbound might; neither fist nor bolt nor meteor strike can impel its steely aegis. A pre-requisite for All-Defeating Stance.

+++++AGI, +++++Might
5x Power of Ruin to sunder, intercept or destroy all weapons, natural or constructed
+++++Protection against all weapons, natural or constructed

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

- 1-pick options -

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

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

The available domains for Hunger are: War, Passion

[ ] Fierce Quickening - The absurd violence of Blood unleashed. Let all that falls within its dominion be spilled, if it be in service to the Ringbearer. Adds [++Agility, +Wits] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.

[ ] Augment Dominion: Blood - The world-wielding will of the Ring.
Treat the wielder's Rank as if it were (.5 Low/.25 Medium/.1 High) higher for purposes of the [Ring of Power] effect applied to the Blood domain, increasing its potency and versatility. Repeatable, but costs 1 more pick each time.

[ ] Exalted Spirit - 2 Arete. Conjunctional [Hunger, Evening Sky]. Mind made vigorous as the body. Gain +Int, +Wits, +Wis, +Cha, -Heartlessness, while in a form with physical blood. Allies under blood enhancement gain +Int, +Cha. Blood enhancement requires physical blood.

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

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

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

- 2-pick options -

[ ] Forebear's Blade - Iron Maelstrom - 2 Arete - In the storm of war he was as a cloud-piercing pillar.
+++Protection, ++Might to yourself and your allies so long as you stand undefeated. Extremely useful in group combat. Unlocks additional options.

[ ] Heartpiercer - 7 Arete - Blood tells. The Ringbearer listens.
+++CHA, ++AGI, +++++Strength. The wielder embodies the glory of blood, and the savage beauty of its dominion sets hearts to beating. He gains an unusual affinity for striking weak points, and his bloodsense is refined to the degree that he can predict the movements of his enemies by the shifting of their capillaries. Grants a major effectiveness boost in physical or romantic duels (1v1) against beings with corporeal blood, and a minor bonus in physical and romantic conflicts of any kind against such beings.

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