The Shadow of Nilfel
Rihaku
The Internet
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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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
---
If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider subscribing on Patreon! Subscribers receive lots of patron-exclusive content, including early updates, Blurb Library, Discord roles, and bonus chapters. A huge thanks to existing subscribers, the amount of support has been breathtaking! Even more content is coming to patrons soon!
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.
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