A Simple Transaction I

[Rihaku]

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[ ] Pathway to Idyll [7 Arete]

The lambent draping of the Evening Sky unfolds and billows in a dream-stoked wind; unbound by the lunar whim, become again the wavering noren to a place of wonder and grandeur unspeakable, the indigo terraces and night-traced valleys of Evening's Realm. Starshine like dewdrops gleams through clouds of pellucid haze: here, there is no strife, only rest, only joyous recumbence beyond the furthermost dreamings of men.

*The Realm of Evening may now be accessed once per night, though it cannot be used for training or its augmentative reagents imbibed. Regents whose purpose is purely curative may still be used. The user may depart at will or be automatically ejected an instant before noon the next day.
*Accessed in this way, time passes normally within the Realm as compared to outside.
*May be used to evade an otherwise undodgeable attack. This is not a perfect defense in that the wearer must still be able to react to the attack in question.
*Substantially improves the wearer's ability to shape the Realm of Evening for recreational purposes, improving effective Charisma (while hosting guests within) and Mental Stability (over time).
*The user may still access the Realm via the method outlined in Pillars of Creation, and remains eligible to cultivate the lasting benefits thereof - training against foes of escalating intensity, and access to medicinal plants of deific stature and potency.
*A nigh-unassailable (at this scale) and tremendously opulent redoubt within with to spend one's nights.

Upgrade:

[ ] Perchance to Dream

...

[ ] Sword in the Stone [25 Arete]

Downthrust the wielder plunges his blade into a stone, tomb or anvil of appropriate size. Buried halfway it stands immovable; an unyielding edifice of rule, pillar and testament to the inexorability of his reign, and its iron righteousness. So sheathed, it becomes a tool not of war but of governance - and if its talents should be poorly tuned for that purpose, it upends such deficiencies through sheer weight of power. Its presence is an echo of his will and his signature, fairness resolute and unmerciful judgement, redounding to the very boundaries of his territory and beyond.

No force may tear loose sword from stone; neither curse nor conquest, nor passing of eons, nor death of the wielder and extinction of his line may sunder blade from sheath until the hour of reckoning is come. Invincible and unbridled it stands, the sharp perilous tower whose graven-stone memory is the saga of ages.

Only a ruler of whom he would approve may pull loose the blade, calling again the Forebear's Implement to war. Rue the day such a calamity is unleashed upon an unsuspecting multiverse, for the remit of the Forebear is resolve without limit, and power without bound.

...

*Hour of Reckoning: To defy him is hubris; to assault him is folly. If the wielder is forced to take up his Blade by the unforgivable action(s) of an external aggressor, double the effects of Once and Future against that opponent.

 

[Rihaku]

The Platinum Expanse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You seem to enjoy it."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Nothing inspires patriotism like war."

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

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Haven't you delayed this long enough?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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[Rihaku]

The Shadow of Nilfel

With matters stable in the newly-minted Elixir Kingdom, they set out for the Opalescent Tower: himself, Gisena, Aeira, Aobaru and Letrizia within Verschlengorge, to much fanfare and weeping of departure in the glamour-decked streets of the capital. To sate the Curse of Decimation they had to venture far, far into the depths of the Voyaging Realm - past meadows and fields of pastoral idyll, past sky-harrowing summits of lands drenched in snow ever-melting, past brine-stiff glaciers atop which entire civilizations scrabbled for the runic clusters that promised life; past lands surreal and prosaic, ripped from fable or fever-dream, into the true depths of Realm's Heart where the air itself was laden with mythic portent and the sky grew pale and limned with gold.

"It's amazing..." Letrizia voiced. Verschlengorge stared at the thin golden circlet above. "The Outer Halo itself. We must be only a couple thousand light-years from the Realm's center."

She paused. "Um... few who venture this far have ever survived."

Hunger followed her gaze. "This thing is supposed to surround the entire Realm. Why is it most visible from the center?"

Verschlengorge shrugged. "Who knows, it's Foremost stuff. We still haven't figured out how the place even moves. Maybe the answers lie just over the next horizon!"

Gisena stood, diaphanous elements of her dress blowing gently in the breeze. "How exciting! Is this where all the best magics are kept? Perhaps we'll be able to pick a few for ourselves!"

"That's right," Letrizia said. "Well, supposedly. Most of the operatives sent towards this place don't ever reach it, and those that do rarely come back. But I have faith in you, Miss Gisena! Surely with your powers of Nullity we will be safe even here."

"Says the operator of the giant robot," Hunger interjected. "I've healed Verschlengorge to the limits of my Ring's ability. Were the Sovereignty- ahem, Kingdom's, technicians insufficient to the task?"

"They tried," Letrizia mused, Versch shifting jauntily with its arms on its hips, "But their tech is behind the times, and anything Armament-grade never makes it to the civilian market anyway. We're still combat-ready, but I wouldn't put us up anything anything that could threaten you directly!"

"No kidding," Aobaru shivered. "Your combat strength is scary, Hunger! If it took someone of your power to bring down the Rotbeast, no wonder we never stood a chance. Those blue rune things still freak me out whenever you do them. It's like I'm seeing the naked face of reality itself..."

"I know what you mean," Aeira said blankly, pupils shrunken in fearful reminiscence. "And whenever he almost hits us with that Power of Ruin thing. I imagine my flesh flaking and crumbling to dust..."

"You'll face enemies more terrible than that," Hunger replied gruffly, "And wish they'd only 'almost' hit you... But training will take a break, now that we're in dangerous territory. Stay vigilant for true foes instead."

"Aww," Gisena wrapped her arms around his. "You can't be too gentle with the kids, darling! Who knows if they'll grow up spoiled, too soft and fearful for this cruel Voyaging Realm..."

"That's your job. I'm the good guy. Perks of being a mouthpiece king."

"If you're supposed to be my mouthpiece, may I control what you do with that mouth?"

"You must show due deference to your sovereign. And discipline the kids whenever needed."

"Yet another burden thrust unmercifully upon your Princess Regent! Oh, how I long for the carefree days of yore!"

"You said your job was easy enough. Think of it as the reward for a job well-done."

"You'll have to praise me much more for that to qualify as a reward..."

They arrived at last at the Walls of Myth which encircled their destination realm. The Walls seemed a nigh-impassable barrier: semi-translucent battlements reaching limitlessly skywards and spanning to the horizon, their wavering distortion-surface thick with runes of golden azure. Raw magic, sheer conceptual weight seeped from the surface of the walls, a heady denseness of reality that stultified mind and spirit, Pressure more comprehensive than even that of Astral Rank.

He would have leapt at the chance to stay for a day and examine the Walls in their entirety, digging deep into the magics enfolded into their construction, but their objective lay beyond this and they had no time to dawdle. The Decimation Lens guided them to a gatehouse, manned by a company of men in glimmering plate, their stature great with eyes of dusky gold. These their party accosted and paid for passage with a hefty sum of platinum, riches sufficient to retain both their Elementalist mercenaries for years.

"What's the purpose of your entry here?" The guard-captain stared him down with astute eyes.

"Tourism," Hunger replied, without so much as blinking.

The captain nodded, as if this were ordinary enough. "Staying in Nilfel or venturing to the Lesser Kingdoms?"

"It's my first time here," Hunger explained. "We saw the Walls and couldn't help but look further."

"Aye, that used to be more common," The captain smiled. "Most wanderers these days haven't the wealth, or the wherewithal to withstand the Walls. Tour the Alizarin Falls if you get a chance, they're beautiful this time of year. Good luck to you."

"And you," Hunger nodded, and the party made their way through. Surprisingly the portcullis was accommodating enough even for an entrant of Verschlengorge's stature, high enough that the Armament strode through with headroom to spare.

"I'm surprised the Tyrant's Doom allowed you to pay," Gisena mused as they left earshot of the gatehouse. "You've no concern for their authority in enforcing the borders?"

He nodded. "Commercial transactions seem to be all right as long as I don't find them inherently objectionable. We could have overcome the guards, but I'm not certain about the scale of their reinforcements. They were utterly unconcerned with our bringing Verschlengorge inside. Even if they're not aware of an Armament's nature, for a bio-mechanical giant of that size to inspire no trepidation whatsoever... We were lucky that the captain didn't probe further. "

"Lucky, or good?" Gisena giggled. "He certainly took a shine to you. Perhaps he saw something of himself in that gruff, war-weathered exterior!"

"Perhaps he did," Hunger shrugged. "Many are partial to those like themselves."

"Not I," Gisena brightly declared. "Rival Sorceresses are only a threat!"

"How ruthless," Hunger raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have any sympathy at all for your cute underclassmen?"

"I prefer to crush them beneath my heel," she replied lightly. "Such is the prerogative of a Princess!"

The Realm of Myth sprawled before them, vast valleys of perfect green interlaced with roads of mottled white stone, resilient yet curiously comfortable to the stride. Enormous redoubts of brighter, gleaming stone dominated every hill and outcropping, manned by lean-limbed soldiers armed with pike and bow, their arsenals brimming with barely-leashed magics. Some drilled in the open atop their shining walls, formations crisp and faultless, the skill of their duelists fantastical, a blur to the mortal eye. Hunger observed it all with a carefully appraising eye.

Each of the common infantry here could be hero or mercenary in the outer realms, and well-respected for their weaponry and magical skills. Even the least captains among them could be as kings outside, carving out lives of splendor and luxury with their martial agility alone. Was it discipline or condescension that caused them to stay their post? Or was life here, even as one soldier of millions, still truly preferable to the comparative desolation outside?

"There's much we don't know," Hunger said, flipping the Forebear's Blade. "I'd hoped we'd simply be powerful enough to destroy the Tower, fend off any response and leave, but that's looking increasingly unlikely at this juncture. We'll need at least some semblance of a plan."

He was confident in his chances against their soldiery so long as overwhelming numbers did not come into play, but seeing the diligently-manned towers and keeps across every mile of infrastructure made clear the validity of that concern. Worse, he'd glimpsed no examples yet of their greatest champions, or of any mages whose purpose was not primarily military. If these were the troops they could afford to flaunt, what was the calibre of their true trump cards?

After some hours of travel, they came upon a flourishing city beside a vast, thundering waterfall. From their vantage here they could see the true enormity of the society before them. The Opalescent Tower itself could be seen faintly on the horizon, a shimmering speck of sky-folded stone plunging upwards as if in challenge to the Walls themselves.

The city was no less than the Tower in magnificence, a metropolis spanning the whole field of vision, bustling humanity with no end or declination in sight. Even the common folk lived in artfully-composed houses of wood and stone rising dozens of meters; enormous semi-pyramidal temples and offices of state loomed hundreds of stories above those, white-against-grey like thunderheads bridled and shaped to their purpose.

The people were cheerful enough, their markets prosperous and brimming with exotics, yet there was a slight tinge of fear to their interactions, plastic smiles imperceptibly strained. But far eclipsing that fear was a quiet pride, the deep-seated confidence of a people that had been lord and master of all they surveyed since time immemorial. Here, the Voyaging Realm itself had been tamed and brought to heel.

"Holy shit," Aobaru said breathlessly. "There must be billions living here. Tens of billions, maybe."

Hunger nodded grimly. "Let's hope that Tower isn't critical to their way of life."

---

[X] Agents of the Throne won by a landslide, and [X] Sky Veil by a nose. Time is of the essence. If any society here were to be capable of detecting the Decimation, it would be this one. Only a few days remain.

You have 14.2 Arete.

[ ] The Direct Route - With the powers of disguise afforded by the Sky Veil, perhaps speed and audacity will suffice where methodical diligence will be outdone. Make for the Tower aggressively with your presence suppressed and the Evening Sky dimmed into an alternative form, then escape with a wholly different comportment after the deed is done. Your companions lack such powers of disguise and will not be able to directly assist you, but you can travel much faster alone anyway. It's a good thing Aobaru's Vigorflame augmentation lasts a full rising and setting of the sun. Aeira's Shadowcord should also persist long enough to give you an edge.

*Simple and efficient. Cut Through.
*You don't know how long it'll take to bring down the Tower itself, or what foes you may provoke in the process
*Ignore political considerations in favor of a military / stealth victory

[ ] The Scenic Route - There is much of interest to be explored here, and a few days can be a small eternity to one of Hunger's speed and prowess. Best to gain an understanding of the various factions that may arise to the defense of Tyrant or Princess before venturing to the Tower itself. Perhaps you'll be able to discover some information on the nature of its construction as well, the sky-stone reminiscent of your own Evening Sky.

*Probably safer, but could cut it close if the Tower proves difficult to destroy. Still, you've some experience at destroying vast foes, and wield the Praxis itself...
*Maybe if you can get Princess (or Tyrant) on-side, any concerns of your decimating their populace can be accounted for without either side resorting to violence, which would surely be injurious to both.
*May defray or mitigate risks in combat by successfully playing politics.
*May potentially acquire powerful Artifacts or other potent magics. If so, +1 Arete to be spent only towards Artifacts or magics encountered in the Realm of Myth.

[ ] Entrench - The power of Progression is yours. Do not seek the easy path, for effort alone comprises the path of discipline, and the fruit of discipline is strength. New horizons of power are visible to you; ensure your sword is their match. Let they who would challenge the Forebear's Blade witness an echo of the Forebear's might, for even realms such as this would kneel to his like.

*Send your companions to gather information while you study the blade and Gisena works on Artifice. It doesn't matter if you go over time if you're powerful enough to solo this realm.
*Kind of a dick move, but whichever path safely mitigates the Decimator's Affliction is ultimately the best for all involved. Given your current strength its radius would precipitate an ecological disaster if unleashed for too long. A few extra days here is a small price to pay, and these people have more life to give than most.
*+Heartlessness, +Forebear Lore. Gisena may produce an Artifact.
*Praxis training point. New Praxis techniques will be available.
*+1 pick at next Experience spending point.

[ ] Write-In - You may write-in specific tactics for either option above or propose your own plan. There is much that can be done to more efficiently allocate your assets.

Would you like to buy All-Defeating Stance? The resultant powers (especially +++++All Stats and Holy Shit) could be exceptionally useful in either the Direct or Scenic routes - 5x Power of Ruin and +++++Luck would certainly help you fell the Tower and escape with lower chances of detection, while +++++Charisma, Manipulation, Intelligence, Wisdom, etc would be enormously potent in the political sphere. Purchasing now ensures that Hunger will have the increased Attributes available for all tasks going forward: get the most value out of your Arete!

[ ] Become All-Defeating - Power now secures not only safety, but a more comfortable vantage for reaching greater heights.
[ ] Save - S A V E

---

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[Rihaku]

Smoke And Miren

Miren, the City in the Valley, City of Splendor, Capital of Nilfel and All Lands Surrounding, spread before them as an ocean of gleaming white stone, carven terraces its shoals and looming Temples its crested waves. Cautiously they waded into the shallows of that ocean, leaving Verschlengorge, cloaked in reams of attention-deflecting Shadow, parked just atop the shore.

The porcelain gleam of faultless stone lent the boulevards an air of the fantastical, though the tide of humanity within engaged in affairs no less pedestrian than that of the open-air market. Hunger was impressed by the variety and quality of the goods on display; here were delicacies and sumptuous spreads of seafood that outclassed even the Kaguya's in vivacity and savory appeal. They stopped at Letrizia's insistence before a street-vendor's stall to pick up a local specialty: raw cuts of lightly-marinated fish alongside strips of caramel-brushed dough, individually dip-fried in fragrant oils to a shimmering, bubbling sheen.

Gisena daintily picked a cube of fish off the plate, popping it into her mouth. "Goodness. Perhaps we should conquer this realm as well! Up for it, hun?"

Letrizia nodded enthusiastically as she bit into a dough-strip, tearing it viciously loose. "Mmhm!"

Hunger went back to the vendor for seconds. The man accepted his platinum-based coinage without batting an eye, and they discussed briefly the hawker's life and economic outlook. He'd been a solider in the Royal Guard before retiring from a grievous wound to the knee some six decades ago. Now he ran this stall as a matter of personal enthusiasm, wishing only to bring to the next generation the savory street-fares of his youth. He complained about the haughtiness of the present aristocracy, engorged on pride and war, and bemoaned the imprisonment of their beloved Princess Adorie.

As for Hunger's currency, the man waved off his concerns. Their financial unions offered fee-less conversion of precious metals into credit, and tourists were rare enough nowadays that he didn't mind the hassle.

Sensing slight trepidation behind his air of insouciance, Hunger declined to press the man on political matters of Tower and Princess, instead returning to their table to resume the feast. Despite its position as a vendor stall, the furniture outside was spotlessly clean, tastefully crafted from sturdy white oak, the joints seamlessly locked and all surfaces curiously devoid of imperfections.

"It's enchanted," Gisena said, crossing her legs languidly. "As is most everything in this place! The food is magic, the walls are magic, the ground is magic, even the very air is magic!"

She pouted. "What's a poor Nullity to do? My Bolts won't reach but fifty yards with all this mythos everywhere intervening."

"Um," Aeira smiled encouragingly. "I am sure you will figure something out, Miss Gisena. You are exceptionally capable and adaptable to every situation!"

"Aww," Gisena hugged Aeira tightly. "You're too sweet. With companions so wholesome as this, Hunger might have to lose his perpetual scowl!"

He'd had other companions, once, and sometimes as bright and ebullient. But they had all departed now, and only he remained. Sometimes he wondered at the peculiar timing of it, the lives of his companions spent like ablative armor, even in the absence of the Fates. Had the Tyrant failed to exterminate every remnant, or was that the elusive hand of the Hidden Ones in play?

"Hey, keep eating!" Letrizia stuffed a dough slice into his face. "You paid for it, after all."

He frowned. "This is all going on your bill in the future. I'm simply fronting the currency."

Letrizia blanched as he took a mouthful of dough. "And here I thought you were treating us to a meal... this stuff is kinda expensive, isn't it?"

He finished his food before responding. The texture was astonishing - crisp on the outside, a fluffy interior, yet still with a substantial chew - and complemented perfectly by the flavor of the oils.

Hunger cleared his throat. "Nothing's inexpensive here. Even with our platinum reserves we may start to run low if we spend profligately for a month or two."

"I hope Versch is okay," Letrizia worried her bottom lip. "Usually he at least has some technicians to keep him company. I'm not sure how I feel about leaving him all alone..."

"I could return to check up on him," Aeira volunteered. "It feels... not entirely professional to simply be sitting here and enjoying a meal at your expense while my services are being paid for."

Aobaru continued to eat steadily and without comment, except to remark that the food was really incredibly good. Shameless.

Finally they were all thoroughly satisfied and proceeded with the slow, tenuous work of gathering information without drawing undue attention to themselves. In this they were greatly assisted by Aeira's Element, though she seemed slightly miffed at being confined to the position of support magician alone. Hunger sympathized with her thirst for action but couldn't in good conscience deploy her as an operative against guardsmen trained to Mythic standards.

Further into Miren, it was clear that not all shared the street vendor's Royalist sentiments. The Lord Protector who had decapitated the royal family now held its sole remnant in protective custody, but was still well-respected among large fractions of the populace for his pragmatic cunning and his expansionistic foreign policy. Much land had been won, and new peerages awarded, under his newly-crafted doctrine, and the future promised limitless glory for the core residents of this burgeoning Empire.

Many felt that Nilfel had risen to its furthermost apex under his stewardship, with colonies and tributary states far-flung across the Realm of Myth. One street hawker they spoke to heaped praise on the Lord Protector for finally utilizing the extensively-funded military of the city-state, which for centuries had sat in diligent but wasteful vigilance upon the city's borders. Her son, she noted, had languished under the iron non-aggression of House Mirel, but the Lord Protector's conquests had turned him into a vanquishing captain, and commander of eight reaving-squads. She was but a young grandmother of eighty, with seven full centuries of life before her, but felt that the Protector's reign of a decade had accomplished more than the seven of Mirellian rule before them.

Little was known about the Opalescent Tower, save that it had been erected by the Royal House of Mirel about twenty centuries ago, and had been the subject of much magical experimentation under prior Kings. Most thought of it as a historical monument, a symbol of national pride but with no pragmatic purpose, and were uncertain why the Protector had chosen to house (or imprison) the Princess within.

They reached the foot of one enormous Temple, a trapezoidal slab of dusky stone rising mountainously above the bustling mundanity surrounding. Filthy smoke belched in endless torrents from serried rows of precisely-cut rectangular windows. The building facade was half in the midst of construction, old-fashioned murals and colorful glaze being steadily tiled over by steel-wrought iconography in sepulchral hue. Gray-robed magi manned the scaffolds, examining the newly-imparted cladding, summoning potent divinations with brusque, artless gestures.

"There's supposed to be a library in this place," Gisena mused, consulting a bamboo-bound guidebook she'd picked up at a corner shop. "It should have enough publicly-accessible information to orient ourselves politically on the fallout of destroying the Tower..."

Hunger accosted a man walking by. "What is going on here? This building seems out of place compared to the fine architecture surrounding."

"Ah," The man perked up. "Outsiders, are you? We don't get many who can afford to tour our city these days. Yes, this used to be a Hall of Arulothel, the Patron Spirit of House Mirel. But the Lord Protector's faith is of Claumngor the Grey Shadow, an altogether more productive deity. The Lord of Smoke and Toil rewards his followers well, unlike the useless Patrons of yesteryear! When finished, this site will produce arms and armaments fit to equip ten full legions a year. You're welcome to take a look! All who labor assiduously are welcome in the Halls of Smoke."

"I'll pass," Hunger said. "Sounds too judgmental for me."

The man wished them well and departed cheerfully, smugly shaking his head at their heathen obliviousness. Letrizia looked askance at the renovated Temple. "Is it just me, or does this Lord Protector guy seem kinda... stereotypically evil?"

"It is the Realm of Myth," Hunger observed. "Our storybook cliches may constitute their cycles of history."

"He's probably not all bad," Aobaru protested. "Yeah, it looks ugly, but there's nothing wrong with hard work! If the Hall wasn't doing anything useful, it would be a lot of real estate for the state to simply waste. They've got a nice society, but the overcrowding's pretty bad. Can you imagine living next to here knowing that all this land is being used for a glorified monument? My brothers-"

"Hmph," Letrizia huffed. "So it's true what they say. Where there's smoke, there's fire!"

"You can't condemn a guy just because he seems stereotypically evil," Aobaru frowned. "What about Lord Hunger himself? Is the Power of Ruin something that a classical hero would use?"

"Lord Hunger doesn't seem evil!" Letrizia shouted, arms akimbo. "You take that back!"

"Frankly, I don't care," Hunger said, "Though I'd prefer not to ally with the Lord Protector, either side is fine so long as we get to destroy the Tower. Given his grip on power seems stable, we might have better luck among the Royalists. There's simply more we have to offer them, and they're less likely to be concerned over the Tower's destruction if it means their figurehead's liberation."

---

The winner was [X] Scenic Route.

[ ] A Compact of Kings - It's only natural that one Royal would support the claims of another! Seek out the Royalist Faction and see if they would be willing to part with the Opalescent Tower in exchange for their Princess' liberation. Outnumbered, outgunned, the majority of the population deceived and turned against them - reduced now to a fringe minority - but if the cliches of fable are truly the levers of history here, that simply means their eventual triumph is all but guaranteed!

*Starts the Royalist route. You may change routes when presented with data of sufficient import.
*Should not the House that first shepherded Miren to glory, and reigned in peace for centuries without number, rule rightfully in the city they founded?
*You may need to overcome certain trials in order to be accepted within the counsel of the Royalists. They have been largely driven into the shadows by the Lord Protector's power, and open support is rare even if rebellious sentiment festers in certain provinces.
*+Letrizia Relationship, +Aeira Power

[ ] Work From Within - The Lord Protector commands the near-absolute loyalty of the fearsome Nilfelian military. His influence pervades society on every level, from the (new) priesthood and landed aristocracy to the common man and woman on the street. With such a formidable grip on the Miren populace, this shadowy figure will be difficult to directly challenge, much less dislodge. But he is known as a reasonable man, and there is almost certainly something Hunger could offer him in exchange for the Tower's non-existence.

*Starts the Protectorate route. You may change routes when presented with data of sufficient import.
*A Royal family that grew out of touch with the desires of its populace was overthrown by a calculating demagogue. Such things happen, and not necessarily to a state's detriment. Why not take advantage while you can? You have other concerns, responsibilities in lands far from here.
*An overall more straightforward and less difficult path. All you have to do is gain an audience and offer the Lord Protector something worth more than the Tower. Efficient!
*+Aobaru Relationship, ++Aobaru Power

Regardless of the route chosen, there are many ways to work yourself into a faction's good graces:

[ ] The Martial Way - Hunger will pose as some form of mercenary or traveling vagabond whose craft is violence. With the Royalists heavily outgunned and the Protector's forces engaged in territorial expansion, there is high and present opportunity in Miren society for a strong sword-arm. Challenges are likely to be martial and potentially dangerous.

*Will yield picks from combat if the stakes are sufficiently high. High Experience gain.
*Learn more about the martial composition of the Realms of Myth
*Plays to Hunger's strengths, but companions (excluding Gisena) may find it hard to keep up, though Aobaru's buffs are always helpful.
*Letrizia can pilot Versch, of course! Though whether you'd want to use him in the open is uncertain, given that Hunger is considerably more powerful in a direct fight.

[ ] The Political Way - As the King of a territory with mages in great supply, Hunger has sufficient standing to simply introduce himself as the envoy of the Elixir Kingdom. While this may not guarantee anything like diplomatic immunity, it's likely to shift any challenges towards the social/political arena.

*Take advantage of Hunger's immense CHA and Gisena's adroit skill at social maneuver, though your enemies may be no less capable and experienced than in the Martial Way.
*Less personally risky to Hunger's life and safety. +Gisena.
*Letrizia and Aeira are more able to assist. Letrizia has experience acting as a noble, though less than would be expected for a high-ranking Lady of her age given her mecha-piloting profession, and Aeira is of course an expert in all fields of skullduggery!

[ ] The Esoteric Way - As Gisena said, even the very air is magic here. A Progression-type Cursebearer can flourish in any system and under any challenge. Why not put aside the Blade for a moment and take up the pen? Surely there are magical arts here which could synchronize well with Hunger's existing arsenal, and the services of a powerful magus are if anything even more valuable than those of a physical combatant.

*Hunger will need to design his training regimen such that he isn't handicapped by the Ring.
*Many powerful schools of magic exist in the Realms of Myth, though some (often the mightiest) suffer diminished functionality beyond its Walls.
*Highly versatile magics potentially up for study. You have 1 Arete for such purposes...
*Somewhat unfocused - Hunger has plenty of arts to pursue already, including the Grace Development and the Sword Praxis.

You're pretty much still around 17 Arete, so keep that in mind when making spending plans going forwards.

---

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[Rihaku]

Cloud-Shadow's Key

The winner was [X] Compact of Kings with [X] Martial Route. A closely-fought vote!

Hunger and his party have decided to pursue the path of the Royalists. While it will be a difficult and fiercely precipitous route to navigate, at least it offers far lower chance of moral compromise. Fortune seems to have favored the itinerant Cursebearer; as if responding to the Pressure of the Walls themselves his own Rank has hardened and stratified, become denser with its influence more encompassing. Guided by this supernal threnody he found his way to a most auspicious lead...

[ ] The Princess Herself [2 Arete] - In a twist of fate, the vendor Hunger first spoke to was secretly an influential espionage asset of the Royalist faction, with connections capable of putting the wandering champion directly in touch with Princess Adorie. Secreted into the Opalescent Tower by means of a spatial passageway, the party are able to directly observe the sky-folded stone of this cloud-piercing bastion and plumb its depths through the power of their Ring-borne insight.

*Princess Adorie benefits from inherently high Rank due to her royal status within the Realm of Myth, only half a step below Catherine herself. Compassionate but not unpragmatic, talented in most aspects of rule, and superhumanly adept with voice and quill, nonetheless she somewhat lacks staying power in combat for a woman of her Rank.
*Combat Mission: Assassinate the Protector's flunkies which are patrolling the passageway. While they are presumptive elites, the kingdom's finest troops have all been deployed to the front lines. On a success, grants you...
*Jackpot! Grants access to the Tower swiftly and without fuss.
*Though she is skilled in many professions and well-learned in the history of her Realm, she lacks real-world experience. However, she is versed in many secrets of the Opalescent Sky itself.
*A capable and perspicacious leader for the realm of Nilfel, should she be instated.
+/- Spare the Innocent: Can be trusted to oversee your Voyaging Realm conquests without the prospect of corruption or usurpation. Apocryphal Curse will ignore Realms so administered and target you directly.

"I hope you'll forgive that my thinking's a bit ivory-tower. I've spent my whole life with my head in the clouds... An unfortunate condition I just can't seem to shake!"

[ ] Lord Eruntael - High Magister Eruntael is one of the few Royalists still to retain a position of relative power in this the Lord Protector's realm. Entire legions of Nilfelian might have been mustered from his ancestral lands, leaving his yeomen low on manpower but his influence great indeed for a man of his political views. Two full Legions garrison his personal lands while three are deployed within the army's First Expeditionary Force, a veteran legion group that is typically thrust headfirst into the teeth of the fiercest resistance to Nilfellian rule. While casualties have been somewhat severe, the soldiers that survive such repeated sallies are battle-hardened veterans whose resentment of the Lord Protector is greater than most.

*Can grant detailed tactical and strategic information about Nilfellian army forces and the scale of power needed to oppose them meaningfully, or overturn them completely.
*The Lord Protector cannot afford to purge him without losing a substantial percentage of his elite forces and inciting the prospect of open rebellion.
*Though his views are unfashionable, he's well-regarded enough among the nobility that the aristocracy would not support his removal from official position or title
*Combat Mission: A straightforward skirmish or battle to prove your worth to the High Magister. Pretty easy for one of Hunger's might.
*Can provide resources for quicker (+200%) Artifice development if necessary
*Existing forces at the head of powerful hero-units like Hunger, Gisena and Verschlengorge can achieve much even against superior odds, though one must be cautious of the enemy's heroic stable as well.
*A rather verbose individual, but a deeply philosophical ruler whose heart's usually in the right place.
+/- Is of lower Rank, but much greater personal power, than Princess Adorie

"Nilfel was a shining beacon; now we are common oppressors. And yet the will of the common folk is drawn to the 'Lord Protector.' Have we wisdom enough to credibly say that they have merely been seduced by his honeyed promises, and thus are now justified in overturning his reign? Or is this simply the true brutish face of human ambition? The problem hounds me daily, yet the suffering of my men and their conquered vassals grow more intolerable by the hour..."

"If treason is the only recourse, I would rather my name be stained with dishonor, than the tabards of my men with blood."

[ ] Shard of the Arcanist [10 Arete] - Pale, shallow remnant of she who once raised the Arcanist's Walls. The blood of the Builder Caste ran through her veins, but this specter is a mere fragment of the glory that once was Foremost among all peoples and territories of this shattered, fraying universe. Even so reduced, she could unmake all the Lord Protector's armies as easily as lifting a finger... if she could somehow be convinced to intervene. What say you, Praehihr? Dare you venture into the haunted halls of the Final Vestige in search of wisdom beyond reason, and power beyond madness?

*Combat Mission: The insane chromatic monstrosities which patrol the Final Vestige. Very difficult to overcome.
*Unstable and animalistic, her mind as broken as the imperium of her people.
*Incredibly dangerous to approach. Fuck up and you will be slain.
*None have returned from explorations deeper than one floor into the Final Vestige.
*Get her onside and all your problems here are solved!
*Can potentially teach you epic magics and powers of the Foremost, including the very arts by which the Walls of Myth were born.
*You can spend Arete on Advancements, such as Once and Future, to make yourself more powerful and this mission safer.
+/- Normally this mission would be absurd, but Hunger and Gisena theoretically have the social Attributes necessary to somewhat converse with her.

"Of course... the Implement! We shall consume it, and become worthy shadow of She-Who-Was-The-Arcanist! Surrender him to Us and She shall engineer you into Her own Implements... honor beyond measure for ilk of your stature..."

---

Aeira's element is evolving, perhaps due to consistent exposure to multiple Elements with perfecting, refining and enhancing effects, or perhaps for altogether unrelated reasons! Choose the form of her new Element:

[ ] Greater Shadowcord - As if responding to its caster's will, the Element re-purposes itself to better suit her desires. Slightly weakens the power and intensity of shadow cloaks placed on others, but massively increases the ductility, range, tensile strength, and overall durability of the Shadowcord Element itself, and dramatically improves the degree of Agility and Stealth enhancements granted to the caster.

*She still can't fight on Hunger's level directly, but she would be a capable bodyguard or independent asset for the others in most situations.
*A bad matchup against Aobaru (who can just spam massive AOEs and has his own huge Attribute buffs) means she's still not quite his superior in one-on-one duels.

[ ] Superior Shadowcord [2 Arete] - Cloaks of shadow placed on self or others now grant two discrete Stealth bonuses: a flat bonus proportional to the caster's power, and a percentage bonus proportional to the target's overall power. Massively increases Shadow-cloak utility for purposes of Stealth, though still not to the degree of a dedicated Stealth specialist of equivalent power to the target, assuming the target is as powerful as Hunger.

*Dramatically improves her effectiveness at her current main 'function.'
*Aeira will be somewhat displeased that her power has evolved in this direction.

[ ] Advanced Technique: Shadow Puppetry [2 Arete] - Twined strings of shadow can now manipulate the caster's body directly, acting as nerve and muscle-fiber rolled into one. Allows Aeira to reduce the effects of wound penalties on herself by 75%. She may now apply Shadowcord's bonus to her Strength and Protection, and her burst Stealth (for purposes of assassination or quick thievery rather than, say, surveillance or prolonged skulking) is substantially improved.

*Compared to Greater Shadowcord, makes her a more efficient assassin as opposed to a direct fighter.
*High Might and situational Stealth make her adept at dealing large bursts of damage undetected, while Protection & wound penalty reduction help her escape after her target is felled!

[ ] Complete Technique - Shadow Mastery [7 Arete]

Hunger and Gisena will actively help cultivate Aeira's developing talent, spending a considerable amount of time and effort on training in days to come. Grants all the above techniques and evolutions, including any synergies or interactions inherent to the set, then further increases all bonuses by an additional 100%. For example, Greater Shadowcord increases the magnitude of her AGI bonus by a great deal, while Shadow Puppetry applies that bonus to Strength and Protection as well, and then all three bonuses are doubled. She gains both enhanced Stealth, and further enhanced burst Stealth for exceptionally effective assassination technique!

*Aeira becomes a vastly more capable support magus and individual combatant, in both open warfare and operations-based conflict
*Unlocks True Shadowcord.
*Unlocks Threnody Sorceress.
*She can do it all!
*Aeira will be happy. ++Aeira Loyalty, +Aeira Potential (Elite -> High Elite). Aobaru will be inspired by her and their rivalry will escalate in earnest, increasing his own power and skill in response! +Aobaru Power.

---

Well, Hunger & Gisena rolled really well this time, and consequently have unlocked some ultra-premium options! Choose well, for the opportunities presented here may be difficult to acquire otherwise!

Hope you enjoyed the update! I now have a Patreon - Subscribers receive lots of patron-exclusive content, including early updates, Blurb Library, Discord roles, and exclusive time-limited bonus chapters. A huge thanks to existing subscribers, the amount of support has been absolutely breathtaking! Even more content is coming to patrons soon, with another time-limited bonus chapter later this week!

If you'd like to discuss the quest in real-time or just chat with the questers, you're welcome to join us on the AST Discord! We encourage substantive posts still to be made in the thread, and shitposting within the Discord.

 

[Rihaku]

The Contest of Kings

Some RL stuff has delayed the story component of this update to tomorrow (should be fairly early, maybe 7-8 EST), but that's hardly important in the face of our favorite part of the game... build votes!

[X] The Princess Herself and [X] Shadow Mastery were victorious.

Having braved the treacherous passageways of the Empyreal Shroud and thus invested the Opalescent Tower, Hunger has attained mastery of the very font by which Myth suffuses the Voyaging Realm. Power comes rarely without a price, and the price of this conquest was steep; the rewards munificent enough to rob the sting from all but the most grievous of losses, yet loss of such magnitude is not beyond the capacity of this enemy to inflict...

At what price power?

[ ] Dearly Departed - The Lord Protector's trap is sprung. A hidden guardian of immeasurable power sees a boon companion felled, and in the fearsome clarity of vengeance Hunger awakens to strength inconceivable. In many ways the most brutal of defeats, and yet also with a clear finality; the wound is made, the bone is set, and now healing can begin without the shadow of further menace.

*No future consequences beyond the nigh-irreversible death of a companion.
*Either Aeira (75%) or Letrizia (25%) will fall.
*The remaining companions reaffirm the strength of their bonds to each other and to their common purpose. +Relationships, -Heartlessness.

[ ] Runes of Mastery - They shall fall to neither blade nor bane, no matter what rains may come. For the King stands before them, and so long as his blade stays aloft, all may shelter within the shadow of his aegis. The King, fights harder than anyone else. The King, stands stronger than anyone else. The King, gives more of himself than anyone else. Only then do they acknowledge him, as King! For greater than any spear or shield or army of men is the shining ideal; and only he who embodies that ideal may become the Once and Future King.

*Burns away Hunger's ability to regenerate his wounded eye and lung beyond the scope of anything short of a True Wish, and inflicts horrific unhealable scars across parts of his face and body. -----Charisma, --Willpower, -2 Arete, Scars of Myth.
*No further consequences.
*Aren't you happy, hero? You saved them all.

[ ] Chains of Fate - The hero awoken before his hour. Beware, for the direst of all hunters has been loosed to exterminate him. In seeking to deny your fate, take care lest you unleash that which could plunge all that you care for into annihilation.

*Infused by the primordial wellspring of Myth, Aobaru awakens to his role as the Chosen One. This does not grant him any additional power, only responsibility... to see the Voyaging Realm saved and returned to the fullness of its glory.
*A being will be dispatched to eliminate the Chosen One before he completes his mission. This being has the potential to rival your power, even at its fullest expansion. Should this being succeed in their geas, you will arouse the deathly ire of the Apocryphal Curse, triggering Apocryphal Onslaught.

---

And what was the fruit of your labors? You have about 29.8 Arete and two picks. You may select one of the following. Choose carefully; your decision here will influence Hunger's attitude towards rule.

[ ] Once and Future I [23 Arete] - The power of Kings is no slumbering frivolity that dwells meekly within the personage, awaiting only destiny's call to awaken and adorn its bearer in triumph everlasting. No: it is a hard-fought, hard-won power, bitterly extracted from trials of abject cruelty. Only the coliseum of the uncaring world can confer the painful experience that makes a sovereign worthy of his crown; only its unending travails can carve away the mortal man to leave the King behind.

Channel a fraction of the Forebear's true might, and glimpse a small fraction of his true history. +1 Astral Rank, applied externally after all other factors. Does not raise the difficulty of improving Rank. +2 Astral Rank in matters military.

*Source: From Within.
*Bonus: Dearly Departed - Iron Conviction. +++Willpower, unlocks The King Stands Alone for 3 Praxis + 1 Ordinary pick. Hunger will be determined to avenge himself upon the Lord Protector. Unlocks [Once and Future] II.
*Bonus: Runes of Mastery - Rune King. Unlocks Dreadnought's Bearing for 7 Arete + 3 Ordinary picks. Unlocks What Rains May Come for 3 Ordinary picks. Unlocks [Once and Future] II.

[ ] Companions of the King [5 + 25 Arete] - A hero out of myth deserves a company of legends, but what foremost company could withstand the Forebear's presence itself? No mere shadow these; not his callously-refracted light, but true champions of power everlasting - for a King must have his Knights.

Requires Undying Vanguard, which can be purchased for 5 Arete and 0 picks. The character may ignore the other requirements for this Advancement during this experience spending point. You may designate up to five companions each of which is treated as possessing active Rank no lower than [Your Rank - 1]. This includes your base Rank as well as any permanent external modifiers to general Rank. Once designated, a companion cannot be replaced until they are slain beyond the possibility of recovery; take care that you do not raise up a Mordred or Lancelot.

So long as you are accompanied by a given anointed companion, your teamwork is effortless and masterful; you both receive +10% All Stats. The exploits of your companions redound on your own mythic history; receive +20% Rank gain for each companion anointed, so long as they are either directly assisting you or participating in tasks of legendary import. These effects can both stack. Finally, so long as even one companion is alive, you can always be revived from death via an incredibly difficult ritual.

*Source: From Connections
*Bonus: Dearly Departed - Never Again. Discounts Once and Future I by 5 Arete.
*Bonus: Chains of Fate - Font of Legends. +Int, +Cha, +Wits, +Luck.
*Obviously massive synergy with a given companion whose Element itself commands Pressure...

[ ] The Tears of Winter [25 Arete, 1 Panoply Slot] - The Crown Jewels of Nilfel are myth crystallized and spun into sharpness and light; they are pinnacle treasures beyond mere power or worth, transcendent droplets of pure creation rained down from the empyreal. Yet what is the value of a treasure, no matter how priceless, for a House that has lost the wherewithal to wield it, and the position to display it forth? Thus they are given to you, to rest in a Princess' crown, or a Duchess' necklace of jewels.

You may give the Tears of Winter to any titled noble with the power to wield them; channeling your own Accreted Pressure through the jewels to empower yourself and their bearer. Valid targets are Princess Regent Gisena I, Duchess Letrizia Artriez or Princess Adorie IX.

The Tears grant ++INT, ++APP, +AGI and +0.3 Rank to both bearer and beneficiary. Their dominion includes: ice, cold, rulership, intellect, calculation, beauty, finesse, quickness, overwhelming power, the season of Winter, grandeur, truth, and purity. In addition, they grant unique bonuses depending on the character they are granted to:

Gisena Allria - Shared Dominion. Gisena may wield the Domain of Blood, and yourself the Domain of Time, as if it belonged to your respective Rings and had been activated via Chief Dominion, including benefits from [Color] Flare advancements already purchased. This would grant Hunger fairly substantial power over Time, and Gisena comparable power over Blood, vastly increasing their effectiveness in combat and otherwise.
Letrizia Artriez - Proxy Implement. Letrizia Artriez now counts as a Praehihr for purposes of operating Verschlengorge, the Devouring Implement. Upgrades Sharpbright to True Sharpbright, massively increasing its power and utility in every scenario.
Adorie Mirellyian - Trueheart Phial. Doubles the Attribute and Rank bonuses provided by the Tears of Winter. Guarantees Adorie as a companion if desired (starts with +++++Adorie). Adorie's bloodline allows her to absorb and resist existential diminishment; empowered by the active Tears of Winter, she reduces your Praxis Exertion to 1/4th its previous level.

*Source: From Princess Adorie, given as payment to secure her kingdom from the Lord Protector's tyranny
*Bonus: Runes of Mastery - King and Crown. Refunds 2 Arete from the Feat: Crown.
*Bonus: Chains of Fate - Journey Into Myth. +2.5% Direct Apocryphal Mitigation.

[ ] The Opalescent Tower [25 Arete] - That which is long united, must divide; that which is long divided, must unite. Fold the Opalescent Tower into the Cloak of Evening and return the Cloak of Sky to its uttermost glory, the Empyrean Mantle restored at last. Requires Sky Veil.

Grants ++++++++++++++++++++++Protection, ++++++++++Charisma, and perfect modular control of Charisma and Charisma bonuses granted from the Cloak of Sky. Grants three Signs of the Empyrean Mantle, each a spell of tremendous power with manifold applications for adventurer or sovereign. You will vote on the exact Signs taken later, but example effects include: swift transport across the entirety of the Voyaging Realm, indomitable protection against enemy Rank or esoteric effects, mastery over weather and light, or the summoning and recall of powerful Astral denizens.

Upgrades all Evening Sky Advancements of 25 Arete or higher.

Silver of Evening: AGI and CHA to +120%. Increases perfect defense usage to once / week.

*Source: The Opalescent Tower.
*You will have to find another source of Decimator mitigation
*No Bonuses from path chosen above.
*That's a lot of Protection.

---

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[Rihaku]

Gird For Battle

Hunger mulled over his options. Ultimately it seemed likely that the Royalist faction would be far more permissive in their attitude towards the fate of the Tower. They were in dire straits, while the Protector was essentially secure in his power. There were abilities Hunger could offer the man, meritorious service or the use of potent magics, but he had no way to knowing whether such services would - or even could - outweigh the Tower's value in the Protector's eyes. Profit decoupled from risk at certain levels of attainment; for an autocrat with effectively absolute control, simply minimizing disruption could matter far more than expanding the scope of his conquests.

The Royalists, on the other hand, would be desperate for victory from any quarter; thus willing to pay a desperate price. Assuming they had forces sufficient to be worth allying with, they were probably the better option of the two, and certainly the more ethically palatable.

"Well," Hunger said. "Since we ourselves are royalty now, it would only serve our purposes to defend the rights and privileges of our fellow monarchs. How easily power corrupts."

"Power is merely utility!" Gisena replied. "You'd only have been corrupted if you turned into a tyrant."

"Aren't I already one?" He raised an eyebrow.

"If that's your intention, you're doing a poor job of it!" she teased.

"Pffh," Aobaru protested. "Of course she'd say that, you've surrounded yourself with yes-men and women! A King, a Princess, a Duchess, a mercenary and a squire. Who could oppose you in the strength of your own court?"

"Maybe so," Hunger said. "Or perhaps I am merely a small fish in an even smaller pond. Nothing more than a frog in a well. For what is the trifling might of my Kingdom compared to the majesty of peerless Nilfel?"

Letrizia snickered. "These people do seem a bit full of themselves! Even compared to imperial nobility, they've had it easy. It must be nice to live in a land totally saturated by magic..."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Gisena said, frowning. "The magic of myth promises glory, but danger also. It simply doesn't offer power without commensurate cost."

They set out in search of the Royalist inner circle, Hunger allowing his Rank to guide him in the absence of any solid leads. Despite the numerous and powerful magics in their arsenal, they lacked an easy means of information-gathering besides the roundabout method of Gisena's Artifice. He'd prioritized raw power and comprehensive defense over more utility-focused magics, which had served him well in battle but caused them to somewhat flounder here.

Eventually he found himself back in front of the stall where they'd eaten. Midday cast gleaming sunlight down across the white stone of the city, a haloed iridescence rising off the Miren expanse. But a breeze of the east wind was equal to that challenge, carrying heat away before the glow of the sun became a glower.

The fish-vendor's stall now enjoyed bustling patronage, workers of all professions wrapped around the tiled sidewalk in patient anticipation of his marinade and dough. Yet the hawker waved Hunger over immediately when he saw him, pushing a tray of completed snacks into his hands.

Ignoring the envious glares of the customers, Hunger feigned aplomb as he took the food in hand. The vendor had greeted him convivially, and clasped his forearm to pull him close as if they were old war-buddies:

"I'd been looking for you. You're a mercenary, aren't you? You and your party. This trip isn't just for tourism."

Hunger played along, but kept his words noncommittal. "Anybody could be a 'mercenary' for the right job at the right price. It's not so much a calling as a vocation of circumstance."

The man chuckled. "Well said. I'd expect little less from a hero whose Pressure weighs so heavily upon the world. I've a job, if you'd be willing to hear it. And the reward would be no less than a prince's ransom!"

Hunger raised an eyebrow. Keen senses, to detect the Pressure that Hunger usually kept carefully restrained. Though, his power had grown swiftly in recent weeks, perhaps beyond his ability to effortlessly control. "You need help serving your overburdened customer line?"

The vendor laughed again, waving him off. "Nah, let them wait. The anticipation is half the joy of eating! No, I confess to being a patriotic sort, and the state of Nilfellian commerce is so execrable these days. No concern for customer service, only the ceaseless churning-out of watered-down product, substitution of diligence for inspiration. That's why the genuine work is so hotly demanded! I'd like to reach the whole nation if I could. Feel free to eat, it's on the house. Think it over? I promise it'll be wholly worth your while."

Briefly Hunger felt the counterweight of the vendor's own Pressure, a gesture of sincerity. Formidable, only two or three steps below his own. This was a soldier capable of singlehandedly felling cities, well comparable to the Nilfellian captains he'd witnessed on patrol at the Walls. Power tightly clasped, feigning weakness, but Hunger had no doubt this man's 'knee wound' only bothered him about as much as his own injured lung. It wasn't a meaningless wound, but no insult of such meagre severity could unmake a warrior of capacity such as this.

Convenient as it appeared to be, Hunger had no intention of falling into the clutches of Nilfellian secret police. Though his Rank rarely steered him wrong, it was prudent to be cautious when plotting against a nation populated by formidable magi. He ate carefully as he strolled around the city, tracking down the others before finally returning to the hawker's plaza.

As they heartily consumed a second lunch, Hunger consulted Gisena on the matter.

"I don't think he works for the enemy," Gisena said thoughtfully, "And he doesn't have any unusual magics active. But it's best to be cautious nonetheless! Just because neither of us can sense any duplicity doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Let's consider the worst case. What if this is some form of trap, perhaps even an unwitting one? Do you have any wonderfully devastating powers you could pull out of a hat?"

"A few," Hunger admitted. He grew fastest when exposed to direct conflict, but there were powers he could tap into that were less affected by the Ring's out-of-battle dampening. The might of the Forebear was chained within his Blade, even its shallowest remnant sufficient to bring this world and all its denizens effortlessly to their knees. If he could somehow tap the true harmonics of that essence, rather than just skimming its cloud-shadow...

But that was something to be reserved for utmost emergencies. It was no trivial thing to assume a fraction, even a sliver, of the Forebear's mantle.

"A few," he repeated firmly, "But it is as you said. The magic of myth does not offer power without commensurate cost."

Gisena tapped her chin. "In that case, I think it's our best lead! We didn't really have a plan besides relying on your Pressure and this is what it gave us. If it's not enough, we'll just have to pull out all the stops! Maybe I can awaken to some secret powers as well?"

"What a terrible plan," Hunger shook his head. "If only we had some kind of genius around to ensure our plans were good!"

"A genius is still limited by the nature of her implements! I'm sure I could build you a Royalist Lens if we had half a week to spare..."

"And take away my scouter?" He clutched the Decimation Lens protectively. "I know your Truth-scanning has only limited bandwidth. Mitigating the Decimator is a highly productive function."

"In that case," Gisena said cheerfully, "I suppose we're relying on a food-stall vendor to connect us to the forces of the Princess!"

"I suppose we are." Hunger squared his shoulders and returned to the hawker.

The man gave him a weathered smile. "So, what did your better half say?"

"We like your food and believe in your vision. Let's bring genuine inspiration back to this nation again. I suppose we'd be some flavor of public relations consultant?"

"You read my mind! Yes, that description fits perfectly."

After he finished with the lunch rush, the vendor lead them through twisting corridors of older construction. They walked for nearly fifteen minutes - a fairly long distance given the superhuman capabilities of all involved - to reach a dilapidated wooden door overgrown by a trellis of vines.

Gisena blinked, eyes green. "Spatial magic, and powerful. Rather more formal and concrete than most of the energies here!"

The vendor nodded. "The Lord Protector thought he'd closed all of these passageways, but there's a few that only the tower staff and garrison knew about. This'll take you straight to the Princess and the Opalescent Tower itself. She can make our case better than I ever could. Go on, she knows to be expecting you."

Aobaru scoffed. "Why should a King wait on the whims of a princess? My teacher's way more important than this girl. Let her know we'll be through when we're well and ready!"

"A king?" The vendor blinked slowly. An amused smile crept up his face. "Traveling so far from his kingdom? Well, I suppose stranger things have happened. You will find a stalwart ally in Nilfel, your majesty, should you restore our princess to her rightful crown."

"Is there something wrong with a King waiting on the whims of a Princess?" Gisena asked innocently, looking at Aobaru. "Shouldn't princesses exist to be spoiled and pampered by kings?"

"What you two get up to on your own time is your business," Aobaru said. "Don't involve me in that stuff!"

"We are supposed to be incognito," Hunger observed dryly. "Though I appreciate your enthusiasm in standing up for me, squire. And despite your total lack of operational awareness, you are correct. Kings exist to be figureheads to be spoiled by Princesses, especially Princesses Regent, who do all the paperwork for them."

"How repressive!" Gisena pouted. "You're doing a better job of being tyrannical already!'

He shrugged. "Practice makes perfect."

---

The vote update will be tomorrow in the late afternoon or evening. If you generate (or have generated, I haven't finished reviewing all the omakes) enough Arete to purchase two or more of the options, we may have to shift some things around to make sense. In that event it will be a consolidated build vote (individual options) rather than combinatorial, as you'll also have to vote on strategy going forward!

---

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If you'd like to discuss the quest in real-time or just chat with the questers, you're welcome to join us on the AST Discord! We encourage substantive posts still to be made in the thread, and shitposting within the Discord.

 

[Rihaku]

The winner was [X] Chains of Fate. You have 51.4 Arete. Given the leading options in the previous vote, Hunger's attitude towards his royal position has been solidified.

Hunger's philosophy of Rule: Who Dares, Wins

Hunger does not see kingship or official station as imparting any especial duties towards the ruled; rather, he continues to be propelled by his existing values, without any additional loyalty to his subjects beyond those dignities he would extend to any populace. This is not to say he is a demanding taskmaster, or that he sees people themselves as only means to an end; merely that he sees the position of King as no different to his powers derived from Blade or Mantle - tools of purpose that exist to enact his designs.

He is opportunistic and may frequently do what is best for the world or for those he cares about (including himself) rather than what is best for the nation. He has a (perhaps justifiably) high opinion of his ability to navigate dangers, even in the face of changing circumstances. His greatest strengths as a ruler are his adaptability and cool under fire; his greatest weaknesses are his recklessness and greed. The bold and capricious temperament of a King who, with two days left on the clock, risks the well-being of billions to seize an opportunity - confident in his ability to neutralize the threat in the time he has remaining.

Select your Advancements. The first option will de-emphasize this characterization, the middle option will keep it as-is, and the last option will emphasize it.

[ ] King and Court

Once and Future I + Companions of the King [53 Arete].

If Aobaru is the chosen of myth, then let it be as he said. Who can challenge the King in the strength of his court? The Forebear's mantle looms in the eyes of his foes as a portent of doom inescapable, but to his allies it is the aegis under which all their peoples shelter. Manifold are his glories, and their slightest refraction sufficient to raise up champions among men.

Raises your Rank and immediately grants elevated Rank scaling with your own to your trusted allies... a powerful combination that allows for far greater scope of action across the cosmic chessboard of the Voyaging Realm. As this option fully intends to mitigate the Decimator's Affliction by destroying the Tower, both the strengths and weaknesses of the chosen characterization will be diminished. Good synergy with Once and Future; an additional +40% All Stats works well with +++++All Stats.

*Greatly improves the durability and effectiveness of all your party members
*Once and Future offers immense power, but your Rank will overshoot your stats, meaning that enemies your peer in Rank will tend to have higher stats - an Armament all full power has not only tremendous Rank but also incredible stats backed by the greatest bio-engineering that the Foremost could achieve at scale. They are also armed to the teeth with strategic-level weaponry appropriate to a star-faring civilization of ten thousand systems.
*Having +40% All Stats would help greatly with that.
*An additional +80% Rank gain would augment your future Progression. Rank will continue to be an uphill climb and Hunger needs all the multipliers he can get to maintain some semblance of rapid advance into the High Ranks.

[ ] All Under Heaven

Once and Future I + The Opalescent Tower [48 Arete]

With the Forebear's might comes the Forebear's dominion, and this callow universe shall kneel like any other. The Opalescent Tower shall be seized, its numinous fire grasped and embedded into the Cloak of Sky until all the Empyrean sits the King's shoulders, and why should it be otherwise? With power such as this, Hunger shall stride forth and put his Curse to the sword, for the King at hunt is swifter than all the winds, and inescapable as the sky shining down.

*Great immediate power and potential. Spends the least Arete of the options, potentially leaving room for All-Defeating Stance in the near or medium future.
*A powerful hybrid build that combines Rank with social and defensive stats.
*Grants access to Empyreal Signs which offer potent magical effects.
*Though he only has two days to find a solution, Hunger has immense power with which to pursue the task. Still, he will need to find a solution quickly, Rank alone is unlikely to suffice. The Empyreal Signs can overcome the tyranny of distance in the Voyaging Realm, but are unlikely to offer a direct solution to the requirements of the Huntress' Moon.
*Overwhelming power and majesty will allow Hunger a realistic chance to deal with the Lord Protector directly, if he so chooses.
*You should really get Iridescence to take advantage of those Evening Sky Protection +s.

[ ] Eye of the Storm

The Tears of Winter: Adorie + The Opalescent Tower [50 Arete]

Why settle for the Princess' abode alone? Claim the crown jewels as well; for while she lacks the power to enliven them, Hunger has no such limitation. Being a gracious ally he will encourage her to use them directly, as mere ownership suffices to confer considerable benefits. With the treasures of this land forthrightly plundered, sky and storm both will yield to the Winter King, who darkens their door like a looming thunderhead, the force of his strike like a star fallen to earth, and the fury of his ire like a blizzard fit to drown the sun at noon! Now is the time to lay claim to all this land can offer in preparation for opposing the Tyrant that stands at its helm. Leave no stone unscoured in the ceaseless quest for advantage, so that in time you may visit devastation upon your enemies and see them laid broken before you.

*The weakest of the options in immediate strength, being .2 Rank weaker in general matters and 1.2 Ranks weaker in matters military.
*Still a very respectable power increase, and manifold opportunities for future advance.
*Grants increased INT, Apocryphal mitigation, and reduced Praxis exertion alongside the benefits to general capability.
*Wielding both the Jewels and the Fortress of House Mirellyian, the snows of winter clasped to the endless sky, Hunger will gain the Title [King of Winter] upon completing Once and Future I.
*Naturally he must be accompanied by its final scion as well. It would be rather unkind to take possession of her Artifacts without looking out for her well-being.
*Recruits Adorie Mirellyian as a companion. She is an exceptionally capable administrator, orator, lore-master and vocalist, and would be happy to run your territories for you or help you research further Empyreal Signs.
*She's somewhat of a liability in combat, so will need bodyguards or some other means of defense.
*Exceptionally greedy, the only option that has worse than even odds against a Nilfelian Legion in a straight fight. However, the Lord Protector himself is considerably weaker than a full Nilfelian Legion as well. There are plenty of more circuitous routes to the victory you seek.
*Very potent in the long term, but you'll need to both deal with the Lord Protector and figure out some means of Decimator mitigation quickly. Enhances both Hunger's recklessness as well as his nerve under pressure.

 

[Rihaku]

The Empyrean Spread

You guys just love giving yourselves build votes! There may be a story update tomorrow, it will partially depend on my schedule as well as how fully resolved this vote is. Let's hope Gisena doesn't have to bail you out yet again; how embarrassing would that be!

The winner was [X] Eye of the Storm. You have awakened 3 Signs of the Empyrean Mantle, whose domain is all magics entire; sun and moon and stars and the unblinking void beneath. King of Winter, do you have enough signs?

First Sign

First Sign: Fleet Advance - Like swift-footed Hermes he outpaces the sunbeam, racing to the furthermost reaches of sky. Where the heavens touch, there is the King of Winter, and none subject to the turning of seasons may hope to forestall his advance.

[ ] Fleet Advance [Noonday Sky] - Speed perpetual as a messenger-god, and devastating as a god of war.
Synergy: Mirellyian Bloodline - Ordination of Quickness. By engraving its runes upon the Forebear's Blade, permanently gain +0.2 levels of speed along the Infinite Singularity Husk. Does not stack with Refinement of Quickness, which Tears of Winter: Adorie does already discount...

Casting time: Five minutes
Duration: Up to 72 hours
Cooldown: Until Next Noon

Grants effortless linear flight and improves travel speed in atmosphere by 1000%, applied after all other multipliers. Difficult maneuverability makes combat applications limited; interruption dispels.

[ ] Nightmare Flight [Evening Sky] - As sudden and total as the onset of night.

Casting time: Fifteen minutes to charge
Duration: Once charged, persists up to 24 hours or until used
Cooldown: Until Next Evening

The caster and up to four additional individuals immediately teleport to any location under the same sky. The location must be familiar to the caster. Can pierce wards created by lesser magics. The Empyreal Signs sit only modestly below the Royal Praxis in potential power, though such is difficult to realize...

Can act as perfect defense against attacks of insufficient range / area or spatial penetration, should the caster react in time. Allows the traversal of far greater distances in the Voyaging Realm than the Noonday version of this sign.

Second Sign

[ ] Second Sign: Indomitable Dominion [Noonday Sky] - Like Apollo resplendent he sunders all darkness, magnificent and untouchable as the sun unbridled.

Casting time: Five heartbeats
Duration: 24 hours
Cooldown: Until Next Noon

Massively extends the caster's resistance to hostile esoteric magics or supernatural phenomena of specific effect (broad-scale magics like Rank are minimally effected). The more dangerous the effect, the greater the resistance. For example, a power that slows the caster by 50% might only be reduced tenfold to 5%, while a power that instantly slays the caster might deal 2% of his total maximum Health in damage instead. Can, if desired, instead be granted to another target in the caster's vicinity at the time of casting.

Does not work on Curses.

OR

[ ] Second Sign: Bastion of Myth [Evening Sky] - Ineluctable and unconquerable as a neutron star; merely to approach is to be bent into his sway. Hostile gravitation finds little purchase against such deeper might.
Synergy: Hero-Defeating Stance - Doubles the effects of Hero-Defeating Stance in all parameters. Hostile Rank greater than the caster's has its respective difference halved, then halved again. Increases Rank by a total of +0.4 (does not stack with Once and Future). Discounts Once and Future by 2 instead of 1. Grants additional commensurate Might, Agility, and Wisdom.

Casting Time: Instant Upon Acquisition
Duration: Permanent

Third Sign

[ ] Third Sign: Break of Storm [Vast Empyrean] - If the Sky itself is laid across his shoulders, what amounts the defiance of thunder or cloud?

Casting time: Fifteen minutes
Duration: 1 Solar Year or until dispelled
Cooldown: 1 Solar Month

Alters the weather over a target area no larger than one million square miles. The caster may specify virtually any weather within the bounds of the climactic environment; a perpetual Category 5 hurricane over a desert is perfectly acceptable but total saturation of tornadoes and lightning strikes over every square inch of terrain would not be. His directives may be calculated or broad; faultlessly convenient weather for every occasion may be conjured, or precisely deconstructed patterns of rain and cloud to terraform specific plots of land.

The caster may simply direct the weather to defend, enhance, and in all ways support the populace of an area, greatly improving quality of life therein and making incursion impractical for those invaders incapable of shrugging off bone-bleaching sunstroke and cataclysmic defensive storm. An area so blessed for years continuously will slowly accumulate +All Stats % for those regularly living within, to a maximum of +50% All Stats.

The caster may dispel this effect at will.

[ ] Third Sign: Supreme Enclosure [Evening Sky] - The Luna Conquerer extends his reach, and within his grasp finds clutched a minion or servitor from beyond the arc of the physical.

Casting time: 1 hour
Duration: 1 Lunar month or until dispelled
Cooldown: 1 day after dispellation

Summons an Astral Entity of Rank no greater than the caster's own, minimum 7. The entity is incapable of directly harming the caster but is otherwise free to act, unless binding negotiations are entered into. If so, then both caster and entity will be bound to said conditions by the power of this sign; the summoned entity is by default unaware of this, but sufficiently powerful or capable entities may have means of making themselves aware. Entities can be dispelled by slaying them, or by waiting out the duration of this spell.

The summoned entity will tend to be useful for the caster's current short- and medium-term purposes, but this is not always the case. Their powers, tendencies and skills can vary wildly. Take care that you do not call forth what you cannot put down.

[ ] Third Sign: Pennants of Daybreak [Noonday Sky] - Dawn spilling forth like thunder become light, treachery's hour dispersing like a fearful mirage, only unmerciful glory left in its wake.

Casting time: 8 hours to charge. Up to five charges. For each Charge existing, increase casting time by an order of magnitude.
Duration: Charge persists indefinitely; activation lasts until sunset
Cooldown: 1 Solar Year

The Pennants of Daybreak offer power unimaginable, though only for a modest span. A single Pennant planted is a sigil of supreme radiance, the unfurling glory of morning given form; three is the supernova fury of a star's final defiance, power enough to scour worlds and systems from existence. Five unbound can shatter Realms and whole dimensions, the raw stuff of reality like molten taffy before such light and heat. All aspects of the caster's magical and physical strength are augmented when the Pennants of Daybreak are at last set free. At Hunger's level, a single Pennant would at minimum grant the equivalent of +1 External Rank for the duration of its activation.

The Pennants of Daybreak allow the caster to contest foes massively beyond his own power, but only for a limited time, and at an enormous cost in opportunities... Still, their application to a Bearer of the Apocryphal Curse could not be more obvious!

 

[Rihaku]

The Lion Before Winter

They bid the vendor farewell and stepped into the passageway, the trellised door creaking ominously shut behind them. The passage was dim and poorly maintained, light skirling off the periphery of one's eyes like will-o-the-wisps, darting and shifting as they moved.

"What is that?" Letrizia complained, blinking her eyes shut to drown out the disorienting movement of the light.

"Spatial magic," Gisena explained quietly. "It's an artifact of how heavily space is compressed here. The builders must not have been very skilled, or they could have compensated for the effect!"

"Or they simply didn't care about the help," Hunger said.

"Come now, would you attribute so uncharitable a posture to the royal family of Mirellyian?" Gisena teased. "Are you not both royalty, bound by honor and common interest to defend each other's rights?"

"That doesn't obligate me to like them," he observed. "Case in point, my Princess Regent is fond of causing me frequent vexation."

"You could just not play along," Aobaru said helpfully. Gisena's eyes glowed faintly emerald in the shadow as Aobaru lit an illuminating flame. For a while they walked in silence.

No longer after they reached a fork in the path, the left side caved-in, the right blocked by a shimmering waterfall. Hunger glanced at Gisena, who stepped forth, already examining the rightwards juncture.

"It's... a domain," she frowned. "The territory of some supernatural creature, with wards of shielding and divination. The vendor didn't mention anything like this. Think it's a trap?"

"Possibly. And the other side?"

"Wholly mundane, except for the usual magics."

"Halt," came a voice from the right, and Hunger felt a fell energy shiver down his spine.

A beast padded forward, a female lion with eyes of kaleidoscopic pink and grey, the sigil of an inverse E across her forehead. She stopped at the waterfall boundary and observed them with keen intent, the Pressure of her Astral presence like a curtain thrown across the world. The Forebear's Blade trembled greedily in his hand.

A worthy opponent at last. Since he'd killed the Rotbeast it'd had nothing but scraps. The Doom of the Tyrant flared within him. He would not be commanded by this creature, this monstrous beast. Not now, and not ever.

Gisena stepped back politely, but Hunger pressed forward, blue of the Praxis already materializing across his blade's edge.

The creature took a step back. "Please. I do not wish to harm you. Were we to battle, neither of us would escape unscathed. In actuality I come bearing a gift for one of you."

Hunger stopped, tide of the waterfall sheeting and humming over the edge of his blade, its supernal sharpness splitting the ward-magics down to their core.

"The Lord Protector summoned me to intercept you," The creature said. "But I see now that our mutual opposition would be folly. So long as the Chosen One travels alongside you, our interests are aligned. I, too, would see this Realm restored to its former glories."

It stared at Aobaru. "Come forth, Chosen One. Allow me to take a look at you."

"Not too far forward," Hunger said casually. "Don't let it lunge at you."

"Chosen One? Me?" Aobaru said dumbly, coming to a halt half a handspan behind Hunger.

"The legacy of the Builders lives on within you," the lioness explained. "Only you can re-activate the control array located at Realm's center. Power beyond the uttermost imaginings of your presently-mortal mind, should you prove worthy to hold it. But you are not awakened yet... Your potential lies curiously dormant. The hour of destiny has not yet come for you. I could change that, awaken what slumbers within. It would be a gradual transition, and you may attract dangers beyond your personal capacity to handle, but your friend the Praehihr should keep you well in stead. He seems eager for a fight, regardless."

"That sounds pretty amazing," Aobaru said cautiously, "But how do we know that any of what you're saying is true? This... this is crazy. Why me?"

"An accident of circumstance," the lioness shrugged. "Or perhaps something deeper. I would have you awakened to your potential. That is the only price I request for the safe passage of your entire party to the Princess' Tower... and the information I bear on the Lord Protector himself."

"I'm surprised at your latitude of action," Gisena commented. "He summoned you, but you wriggled very adroitly out of those bindings! Yet you don't resemble any of the Astral denizens I've met at all... I wonder where he got you from?"

"A place halfway between here and there," the lioness nodded, nudging the supernal blue of Hunger's blade-edge. Her muzzle came up fully against the cutting blue, and yet she was not cut.

His eyes widened. A being from somewhere along the gradient between this base reality and the true fundament beneath. Did it inhabit the same realm he'd ventured into to strike against the Rotbeast? What was the Lord Protector that he could call upon such a creature?

"I'll do it," Aobaru said. "If it gets us past you without having to fight, and also gives us intel on this Lord Protector guy... it sounds like a good deal to me. What do I have to do?"

"Nothing," said the lioness. "Simply stand there."

There was an instinct in him to halt this, to have the boy re-consider the precipitous course to which he'd agreed, but Hunger stilled himself. Much as he'd like to intervene, it was ultimately Aobaru's choice. That he personally had suffered from his stint as hero of destiny did not mean the boy was doomed to the same. Certainly not if he had anything to say about it.

The lioness gently stalked forward and laid a paw against Aobaru's hand. There was a brief flare of magenta light and Aobaru gasped.

"Whoa. I- whoa..."

"Now then," the creature continued, "As I have turned wholly against my summoner, we have limited time before the terms of my conjuring result in my inevitable banishment. Your chief priority must be the defense of the Chosen One; with the forces arrayed against him you can scarce afford further distractions. I cannot see your full intentions but I assume you will not be deterred from your opposition of the Lord Protector. In your current state you have very little chance of opposing him directly."

She paused and trembled, cracks like splintering stone forming across her back. Through them peered a light of unearthly paleness, like the sun filtered through clouds.

The lioness licked her lips and continued. "He is owed many favors by the foremost entities of this Realm of Myth. That said, you are a Praehihr and capable of progression beyond limit... look into the armamentarium of Mirellyian dynasty. They harbor artifacts that would work perfectly with your style of magic. The Tower itself is forged of the same material as your incomplete Cloak of Sky. Marshal your powers quickly and seek aid from the legions of House Eruntael. You may be sheltered against many divinations but your companions are not. The next entity he sends against you may lack my raw potency, but will be more finely-tailored to-"

At last the lioness could continue no further, the speed of her disintegration hastening until with a thunderous crack the fissures overtook her entirely. Like pulverized stone she shattered, leaving only fragments and dust behind, and the waterfall receded steadily, becoming an intermittent dribble.

"Well," Hunger blinked. "That was a lot to take in." They had underestimated both the speed and the resourcefulness of this Lord Protector. Had they been forced to fight, would he have won here?

"Whoa..." Aobaru said once more, before snapping out of his reverie. "That... was..."

"Care to share with the class?" Letrizia said archly.

He rubbed his brow. "I can't really describe it with words. She showed me a little bit of what the Voyaging Realm used to look like, millions of years ago. I think it - the section I saw - was some kind of amusement park."

"An amusement park?" Aeira said slowly.

He shook his head. "I know how it sounds. But I don't mean that in a frivolous way. They took amusement very seriously. The being we just met, she used to be part of their analogue to a petting zoo. A protector and companion for the kids that were dropped off while their parents and older siblings went on the rides."

"And she wants her job back?" Letrizia guessed. "Even after millions of years. Wholly committed to her purpose, just like Verschlengorge. The Foremost sure knew how to make 'em."

"Okay, roller-coaster tycoon," Hunger said amusedly. "We know you've got to revive the dilapidated park, but did you get any tactically useful information from this glimpse? What were the Foremost like? Were they humanoid in appearance? Did they display any unusual capabilities? Any hints as to the nature of the forces coming for you?"

"Nothing on that last one," Aobaru shook his head. "It was wild. There were dimensions involved that I can't really describe, and I don't know if it was purely metaphorical, but they looked like humans to me. More or less regular humans, though some of them had some pretty sick mods. Elf, orc, kind of like the stuff you'd see in Voyaging City but way more refined."

"Speaking of Voyaging City," Letrizia mused, "I really should be getting back... it's no hurry though! I want to stay with you guys and develop my Element as much as I can!"

"Unconcerned with matters imperial?" Hunger raised an eyebrow.

Letrizia pouted. "Just let me have this, okay! It's nice to be free, even if I'm just following you guys around. Besides, there's no place safer than next to my bodyguards!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Hunger turned to Aobaru. "I've been involved in the Chosen One business before. It never goes as trivially as they say. We'll do our best to make sure you have it easier than I did, but be prepared for severe adversity. When we're done here I'll tell you a bit about what I went through. It's not something I'd wish upon any but my worst enemies."

"Don't set yourself up as some sort of mentor figure," Letrizia said worriedly. "Those are almost always fated to die!"

"Fate promises many things," Hunger said bitterly. "It rarely delivers. And if it wants a piece of me, I would welcome the opportunity."

---

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