- Location
- Earth
This is the exact opposite of daijoubu
A Simple Transaction I
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
- Original
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Daijoubu? More like DIEjoubu, amirite?
Cloud-Shadow's Key
Rihaku
The Internet
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.
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.
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Zampano
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
- Location
- Simping for DSB
[X] The Princess Herself [2 Arete]
[X] Lord Eruntael
[X] Shard of the Arcanist [10 Arete]
[X] Greater Shadowcord
[X] Superior Shadowcord [2 Arete]
[X] Advanced Technique: Shadow Puppetry [2 Arete]
[X] Complete Technique - Shadow Mastery [7 Arete]
[X] Lord Eruntael
[X] Shard of the Arcanist [10 Arete]
[X] Greater Shadowcord
[X] Superior Shadowcord [2 Arete]
[X] Advanced Technique: Shadow Puppetry [2 Arete]
[X] Complete Technique - Shadow Mastery [7 Arete]
Tyrant_Rayne
Probably Not Evil… Maybe
- Location
- Canada
[X] The Princess Herself [2 Arete]
As we've all learned sometimes you have to spend to save. As for arcanist it's... no. Just no. I care not for... whatever her name is so I'll just go ahead and skip that vote.
As we've all learned sometimes you have to spend to save. As for arcanist it's... no. Just no. I care not for... whatever her name is so I'll just go ahead and skip that vote.
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Enohthree
Hypersane
The Implement is Vershe?
No.
Dammit, so many good options and frustatingly the ones I want cost Arete. Fuck. How many Arete do we have now?
Rihaku
The Internet
You don't know! After all, Hunger wouldn't even hear these blurbs IC unless he chose the option associated with them.
TBF, the presumptions reads as we fight her guards and talky-diplomacy her.
Still nuts.
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
So, the first question: Are we doing the crazy thing? In retrospect, I really enjoyed the Moon Temple Arc, except for the parts where mage gang lost build votes. However, the quest ending would be very bad. Not a fan of that.
Second question, are we giving Aeira the premium treatment? Making her into a top-level asset would be quite nice, we'll need those eventually if we want to delegate stuff. Probably should not do this with Suicide Mode though.
Third question, if we're not going full Moon Temple, do we want to join up with the Princess or the Lord? I'm partial to the Princess myself, we're here primarily to kill the tower and going straight to the objective appeals to me. We may also get Evening Sky upgrades out of the deal.
Second question, are we giving Aeira the premium treatment? Making her into a top-level asset would be quite nice, we'll need those eventually if we want to delegate stuff. Probably should not do this with Suicide Mode though.
Third question, if we're not going full Moon Temple, do we want to join up with the Princess or the Lord? I'm partial to the Princess myself, we're here primarily to kill the tower and going straight to the objective appeals to me. We may also get Evening Sky upgrades out of the deal.
Projectile
Thinking of Rabbits
- Location
- USA
no
I can probably be talked down from spending on Aeira. But not on the Princess, Eruntael is cool but why faff around when we can get into the tower right now? Well, for XP, but thats not enough for me in this situation.
[X] The Princess Herself [2 Arete]
[X] Complete Technique - Shadow Mastery [7 Arete]
Remember that with Skyveil we have access to conjunctional advancements with Aeira. Shadow Mastery is really tempting right now.
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
F U C K
Was that why her family was overthrown? Great rulers and everything but they just can't stop making godawful puns every other sentence. No wonder the Lord-Protector could usurp them, he was just following the will of the people.
Duquette7
I am Fire, and I am Rain
[X] Shard of the Arcanist
[X] Greater Shadowcord
A new temple to grind upon, new foes to test our self against, and maiden fair trapped far beneath the earth and in need of rescue, what more could we wish for?
Plus Foremost Lore, Magic, Ect, ect, ect.
[X] Greater Shadowcord
A new temple to grind upon, new foes to test our self against, and maiden fair trapped far beneath the earth and in need of rescue, what more could we wish for?
Plus Foremost Lore, Magic, Ect, ect, ect.
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We do have the Least Wish to bail us out, but I feel that relying on it like that is a little bit against the spirit of Aab's intent.
Projectile
Thinking of Rabbits
- Location
- USA
Damn, I forgot that. You convinced me to vote for the option I was already voting for even more.
I can now probably not be talked down from spending on Aeira.
- Location
- US
[X] The Princess Herself [2 Arete]
[X] Greater Shadowcord
I mean, the 7-Arete option is definitely good, especially since it raises Aeira's potential and gives +Aobaru Power, but have you also considered that we're really really close to OaF?
We've delayed it for long enough, I think, so we probably should take it while it's within reach. After all, it'll be crucial for Ber.
[X] Greater Shadowcord
I mean, the 7-Arete option is definitely good, especially since it raises Aeira's potential and gives +Aobaru Power, but have you also considered that we're really really close to OaF?
We've delayed it for long enough, I think, so we probably should take it while it's within reach. After all, it'll be crucial for Ber.
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ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
NGL kinda tempted by those epic foremost magics. However, we perhaps have had enough bad decisions for the entire quest. We nearly got killed by the Tyrant Beast that one time, going into something that probably has a higher then 10% death chance is unwise.
Those Foremost magics though...
I'll just have to content myself with Evening Sky upgrades from the tower. Perhaps we can come back to the Shard of the Arcanist in the distant future when we've leveled up a bunch more. Unless there's a big surge of votes for Shard from heavy Omake contributors, I don't think I can justify going for the Shard of the Arcanist now.
Those Foremost magics though...
I'll just have to content myself with Evening Sky upgrades from the tower. Perhaps we can come back to the Shard of the Arcanist in the distant future when we've leveled up a bunch more. Unless there's a big surge of votes for Shard from heavy Omake contributors, I don't think I can justify going for the Shard of the Arcanist now.
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Rihaku
The Internet
You are indeed close... so why not take Lord Eruntael and Greater Shadowcord instead? Full S A V E gang is a worthwhile proposition!
