And here's a reaction:

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

The edge of the Realm is in the center, but if you leave the Realm then you can examine it via spaceship from the outside.

I tried to write a bunch of stuff here but this is melting my poor brain.

They arrived at last at the Walls of Myth which encircled their destination realm. The Walls seemed a nigh-impassible 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.

We haven't even reached Rank 10 and Rank is already called out as being for scrubs, oh boy. Perhaps if we reinforced our Rank with runes the same way this wall was, like runes of golden Acrodross and deep blue Praxis? Just need to find a way to alter the fundamental nature of our Rank to incorporate more powerful concepts than mere infinite strength. Maybe this is what a shroud looks like, and once we manifest our own we can carve runes into it?

"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.
...
"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 even the Armament strode through with headroom to spare.

This is not the first Armament to come visiting here for tourism, they built the gates big enough to accomodate him and let him in with no issue. They almost certainly recognize Versch, he's absolutely ancient and has a long history.

No requirement to disable his weapons. No concern or care about bringing him in. These guys are absurdly confident and it's making me very, very nervious.


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?

I was thinking it was fear that kept them at their posts, fear of the tower.

Towers have a long lineage in fantasy. Sauron's tower. Steven King's Dark tower. The Tarot Tower card. Rapunzel in her tower. Wizards and towers and power and magic and princesses are all things that go back a long way to human prehistory, to stories like the heaven-defying tower of Babel. Given the depth and complexity the most that I can say about this tower is that it's trouble.

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.

Normally this is where I'd ask if the walls are meant to keep the tower safe from the world, or the world safe from the tower. But given how casually the guards let in a (potentially) Rank 10 Armament who knows. What even is the point of walls if you let Rank 10 dudes just wander right in?

Please don't tell me the walls are here to keep us escaping and it's another trap, after the Temple my heart just can't take it.

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.

I was wondering if the Tyrant here was a well-meaning Cursebearer with the Geas of the Wretched. Well maybe it is a Cursebearer with that Curse, but it would seem that they're also a regular asshole and tyrant as well, independent from any curses that may or may not exist.

"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."

"My belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators".

...

It's the Temple 2.0, bigger and better in every possible way. Instead of a couple of Fairbrights it's a nation of them. Instead of a handful of lazy immortals it's active armies training endlessly with superhuman skill. Instead of temple walls we can cut through it's these magical rune-enhanced walls. Instead of a nation that kills all comers they're so confident in their strength that they welcome in anyone who shows up. And to make it even worse, I'm sure that at some point the Apocrphal will start contributing as well.

Interesting times ahead.
 
Depending how the tower works we could literally walk up to it, Thorn it a few times, then run off. If destroying it is within our use limit...
 
I am sated. Let penance begin.

The Arcanist is singular. And lidless. What the fuck does that mean. Any cool wizard could go without sleep or blinking, why note it? Other than Sauron references. Aaand now I'm looking for deeper meaning in Gisena's Galadriel quote, that's too deep, go back.
Perhaps the Tower's sentient and possesses a Soul Evocation? The Arcane is merely the exotic and unknowable - that sounds like the epicenter of a place of myth if I've ever heard it.
 
More questions for engagement!

If you were offered

[ ] Talon

A long, raking talon of yellowed ivory, stained with blood on its lower side and warm to the touch. Upon slaying an enemy of notable strength, the body can be processed to yield an amount of wealth, resources, or relevant equipment commensurate to the power of the foe. If the bearer is in particular need of food, water, or shelter, slain foes become more likely to provide an appropriate resource. Can break, but can repair itself from a sliver by feeding on a notable foe's blood. Intimidating if worn.

for 7 Arete, would you take it?
 
Yeah, the people and magic here seems fucking strong...I am starting to suspect we are going to need Praxis to contend with them...rank alone might not be enough.
 
More questions for engagement!

If you were offered

[ ] Talon

A long, raking talon of yellowed ivory, stained with blood on its lower side and warm to the touch. Upon slaying an enemy of notable strength, the body can be processed to yield an amount of wealth, resources, or relevant equipment commensurate to the power of the foe. If the bearer is in particular need of food, water, or shelter, slain foes become more likely to provide an appropriate resource. Can break, but can repair itself from a sliver by feeding on a notable foe's blood. Intimidating if worn.

for 7 Arete, would you take it?
Duh?

Lesser remittances are worth far more than 7 arete.
 
The Walls of Myth were explicitly called out as structures worthy of comparison to the works of the Foremost, so I would definitely not say 'capable of fighting off a vastly diminished Armament' is beyond these people's ability.
 
How many hits from Thorn would it take to utterly destroy the Tower?
Artful Thorn - When this rune is executed, briefly afterwards the practitioner's attack is guaranteed to cause a truly meaningful wound if it lands, no matter the scale of the enemy or the inapplicability of his weapon. Even a beast the size of a multiverse will be equivalently impaired to a human's losing of an eye or hand. At this level, only works on coherent enemies (can target the Rotbeast, but not "all Rotspawn"). Increasingly draining.
I guess however many times a human could take the equivalent hp loss to the loss of a hand or eye. At least four, you can live without either. Feet=hands, ish. 6. Then the arms and legs as whole should only be four, being less useful without the hands and feet. Then you get to the fun stuff, assuming they haven't bled out yet.

But it's "impaired" rather than "damaged," and the Rotbeast was on the way out after only 4, so 14 is almost certainly too high an estimate.

Assuming the Tower counts as an enemy that can be wounded. Or that the Sky is coherent. Might need a bit more training to get it to fit.
 
But it's "impaired" rather than "damaged," and the Rotbeast was on the way out after only 4, so 14 is almost certainly too high an estimate.
Rotbeast would have died in 5.

Assuming the Tower counts as an enemy that can be wounded. Or that the Sky is coherent. Might need a bit more training to get it to fit.
Tower should count as an enemy that can be wounded - it works on objects. The coherence may be an issue, but I suspect by the fact it works as a decimator target it is coherent enough.
 
If Winter Moon was offered at this juncture for no picks and 2 Arete, would you take it?

Between the ring training debuff and the fact that we're apparently speed-running this story Winter Moon by itself is useless. It's only worth taking if everyone else is willing to invest enough arete and picks to develop it into something useful.

If you were offered [ ] Talon for 7 Arete, would you take it?

Hunger has two panoply artifact slots left and I'd prefer to spend them on a magical eye and that Armament being born from the Armament fish. So no.
 
[X] The Scenic Route
[X] Become All-Defeating

Diplomatic victory is a go! We may end up destroying the Tower and still making everyone's lives better, how cool is that!
 
Okay... would you take it for 25 Arete?
With Artifice, I think raw material hax would be worth it. But we already want pillars- but we can't take stuff out.

I'd personally say yes, but petulantly. Because Talon is stinky and should feel bad and exploding enemies into drop items is just... I'm sure I'd get used to it, but it'd drag me out of the fantasy a bit.
 
Remember:
*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.
With ADS we get truly massive amount of Social power and competence, which is amplified by our build as a whole, and then again by Holy Shit. It makes overwhelming Social victory a real possibility and, thanks to Sky Veil, we don't worry about Charisma fallout!

We've taken Sky Veil, so might as well go out. Talk Through!
 
"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..."

The character interactions and quipping between these two is definitely my favorite part of the entire quest.

Though I am also entertained by Gisena's growing thirst (or at least, frequency of innuendo based humor) as Hunger's charisma goes up.

That said, we really "need" to social the least appreciated party member, who has probably contributed the most to Hunger's power curve: the giant robot that gave him the Praxis book. I'm thinking ripping off the top of the Sovereignty's mountain to make a lake size hotspring for it to relax in is "clearly" the best idea and will have no negative repercussions at all.
 
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This is my last tally for the night, I think. I've got work tomorrow.
Adhoc vote count started by DkArthas on Aug 3, 2020 at 4:18 AM, finished with 89 posts and 18 votes.
 
[X] The Scenic Route

I think the risk we incur rushing in without a plan is riskier than decimation. If we screw up destroying the tower then battle and death are likely. Running out of time may not happen, and if it does happen it's not clear that death and battle will follow immediately.

Most likely outcome of decimation turning on is they'll blame it on Versch. He's ancient and legendary and should be recognizable as the decimating Armament to everyone who knows anything, and also there's 100% chance his arrival was logged and recorded. It's entirely possible they'll figure it out and send a team to kill or deport us within seconds, but it's equally possible that it'll take them a few days to determine that the decimation is active.

Not going to vote on the stance yet. Both OaF and ADS are good enough that it's not clear which one is better, and depending on arete income we might be able to get OaF now.
 
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If you wish to go through the Scenic Route, consider taking ADS! It gives us Luck to find serendipitous meetings, Int/Wis/Wits competence boost to make good decisions, Cha/Man/Holy Shit to rule social encounters(without turning into walking meme thanks to Sky Veil!), Curse Mitigation, Ruin defense which allows us to resist magic and, of course, great deal of power to leverage as we see fit.

It would make that choice vastly more productive.
 
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