...Well. Crap. I still, unambiguously, believe that Exaltation + Grace is better than Favor. Grace is the better mitigation, and Exaltation is the better immediate power. But I don't believe Exaltation has enough omake power for it's 14 votes to beat Defers 23, and we need some form of immediate power so we don't burn Grace immediately. So, I guess...
[X] "I wish for the Seraph's guidance."
[X] "I wish for the Seraph's favor." (2 Wishes)
[X] Night's Ambition
How many people voting for Reprieve or Favor are willing to compromise on Junior's Exaltation? I would be fine with swapping over to that option (from Reprieve) if there's enough people on both Favor/Repreive to go along with me.
E: I'd want about 10 voters total willing to swap.
<X> Stay. If Ruby sticks around Bellgone as they experiment, they could share their developments with the locals, and maybe even benefit from the limited research into grammometry the Bellgoneans have already done. There's food, there's people, and there's interesting work to do. Being side-tracked by doing errands for the locals could be annoying, but it's only that, an annoyance.
Is Syfor contemptuous of Ruby specifically, or the Archmagi as a collective? Either way, my (low effort) vote for this has to be...
<X> Stay. If Ruby sticks around Bellgone as they experiment, they could share their developments with the locals, and maybe even benefit from the limited research into grammometry the Bellgoneans have already done. There's food, there's people, and there's interesting work to do. Being side-tracked by doing errands for the locals could be annoying, but it's only that, an annoyance.
You went to the trouble of naming all these characters, we should stick around long enough to see if they are going to be friends or enemies!
With Ruby's privileged perspective, they know that it's sort of both? Syfor is old enough that he actually remembers the last couple times that Archmagi have visited, and while Ruby is certainly different from the one's he's met before, they are no less prone to, in his mind, disgusting personal excess and general disrespect for the order of society (him being at Bellgone's local peak certainly, only culturally outranked by archmagi, certainly doesn't have anything to do with it /s).
<X> Stay. If Ruby sticks around Bellgone as they experiment, they could share their developments with the locals, and maybe even benefit from the limited research into grammometry the Bellgoneans have already done. There's food, there's people, and there's interesting work to do. Being side-tracked by doing errands for the locals could be annoying, but it's only that, an annoyance.
ok, I have some time again! this should be 27/109 I think.
First of all, I'll start by saying this. This is probably the first vote in which I'm REALLY against the winning plan.
I wanted Aggressive. I wanted... well, NOT Form of Rage.
Sadly I got everything I didn't want.
I hoped for an aggressive and rapid exploitation of the temple, win compounding upon win, leveraging superior offensive power and a raised efficiency (both from the "I am the Danger" and possibly from the "give up 2 future arete for extra 10 to 20% efficiency", which would have reduced the risks and made the aggressive stance...well, not suicidal.
Well, It happens. Maybe the coming updates will convince me it was better my favourite plans lost. I doubt it, but it's certainly possible. It has happened before after all.
Still I'm annoyed at Form of Rage winning. It's just so situational! I wanted something more reliable/always available than a power up we con only use when we've died twice already!
I suppose, at the very least, that I'll get to read the description of Final Form soon enough. It's not the praxis, but I was a bit curious.
The moment he stepped across the threshold, the doors boomed shut behind him. Uncanny speed, given how reluctantly they'd opened. He examined the gates for any latch or release mechanism, but there were none. Instead there was a sigil of a moon unfilled which hung over where the handles would be. Perhaps the gates could only open once a night, or worse, once per lunar month. He hoped it was not the latter. The gates were magnificent pieces of art and it would be a shame to destroy them.
Before him was a vast marble entrance hall, part forum and part antechamber, flanked by carven pillars that rose skyward to the opalescent ceiling some ten stories above. The chamber was well-lit by enormous braziers of dark gray, each the width of three men around. The braziers housed crackling bonfire-flames that exuded the warm merriment of a cherished hearth, upright and proud as if boasting to the visitor of their mighty hospitality. There was no one else, no signs of life, not even stray vermin.
He began to walk. Onwards and forwards the entrance hall crept, half a mile or more in length, until slowly the marble bricks of the wall and ceiling began to fade before him. Bricks increasingly hung unsupported in the open air, a patchwork caricature of wall through which the blue of an unfamiliar sky shined through. As he walked further the entire hall bowed open, thinly populated "walls" and "ceiling" curving up and away, yielding to grass and sky.
This was a wholly different landscape from that outside the Temple, a vast grassy plain whose sun was gentle and bright, a paradisiacal sweetness in the taste of the breeze. His ring hummed and he dropped into a crouch, sword held before him, but no enemies emerged. Instead the hum only intensified, a low mournful keening that steadily worsened over time.
Something was calling to him, a will that was not quite an entity in its own right, but which nonetheless was suffering greatly. It begged for an end to its torment, to the great depth of exhaustion to which it was interminably forced, each scraping-away of essence like a screw driven endlessly deeper. It promised vast and bounteous power to whosoever tore it free, or merely put an end to its wretched existence.
He stepped forwards, in the direction of the call, and the hum lessened. He stepped backwards into the antechamber and it worsened. Suspicious.
so the temple seems to also (maybe mainly) be a prison for some kind of entity. The obvious question is, Is this entity good, evil, neither or both? And, maybe even more important, can we trust it not to suddenly try to kill us if we help it?
Now that he was aware of it, he doubted the not-quite-scream of the Calling would desist even if he left the Temple. Perhaps Gisena would be able to dispel it, though his instincts told him that the Call itself could not be faked, could in fact be nothing less than the truth. There really was something deep in this Temple whose essence was being drawn upon endlessly, and which suffered terribly for it.
The power of his ring was modulating the Call, clarifying its message while reducing its intensity, rendering it more comprehensible and bearable as well. Strange. The ring had never exhibited such powers.
But the Call was a distraction nonetheless. Best to resolve this matter before he faced the blue swordsman again. With the gate closed behind him, he would proceed forward. He'd return after nightfall to see if the doors would open, and cut them down only if they remained closed.
Having slain thousands of monsters on their path to the Temple, he was stronger and faster than he'd ever been in this world, and many times tougher as well. And if forced to the absolute brink, there was one final card he could now play, power that transcended flesh and spirit alike.
He grimaced. The thought of it reminded him too much of his final blow against the Tyrant, an uttermost exertion of the self. The consequences of its use should not be quite as severe, but... he would use it only as a last resort. Only if all else failed.
Well, except Barest Cust. saving Arete NOW was not really a good choice in my opinion, but I'd rather have more power all the time than just a last-resort power-up, especially seeing what's its nature.
He'd walked only a few minutes before coming upon a creature, a shadowy giant in gothic armor with an enormous blade sheathed against its back. As it sighted him it rose from the hill on which it was situated. It moved with a ragged exhalation, creaking of disused metal and the slithering of chainmail against plate. Without warning or preamble it attacked.
Despite its towering bulk it was fast, gray thunderbolt of smoke and force whose opening blow split the air as he ducked. Plunging his own blade into the monster's chest, he sprinted around the side to avoid the follow-through of its tremendous strike. Then calling his blade to him he stabbed its leg, where in a normal man its hamstring would be. The shadow-knight was unimpeded, nimbly leaping away, preventing him from hugging the inside of its reach.
Somehow I'm imagining some kind of Dark Souls Boss. shadowy figure, giant blade, faster than its bulk would suggest... It certainly would fit there pretty well.
...And now I sort of want to go back to that game again! My pc suddenly started going at 15 fps just when I reached that cool wolf boss with the first one, and I barely tried the second one!
He pressed the attack, an onslaught without hesitation or mercy, blade winds in a ghastly flurry tearing into its armor and through whatever passed for flesh beneath. Still it showed no signs of concern, barreling forward with terrible, redoubtable speed, its arm lashing out to grab him as he dodged. Caught in its armored claw he struck out wildly, seeking to sever the limb, focusing his energies to perform a spirit-rending stroke, but before he could finish he was dashed against the ground, pulverizing strength that tore muscle and cracked bone. Power enough to reduce an ordinary man to a blood-handed smear upon the grass. The protection afforded by his cloak had kept him alive, but only just. Every inch of his opponent's armor was imbued with ferocious might, magic that tore at the star-stuff of his shroud and thinned its impervious weave.
Unrelenting, it whipped him around to smash him into the earth again, but he ignored the damage, single-mindedly focusing on its arm even as its crushing grip splintered his ribs and broke open his torso. At last he carved through that Herculean wrist, extricating himself from its hand as it fell free. The knight withdrew, its enormous sword held in a warding position, slowly backing off as he charged forward, broken body shrieking at the imposition when they clashed. Diverting the force of the blow, he whirled and sprang up the monster's arm, sprinting across its armor as his blade lashed to and fro, launching blade-winds that spun and buzzed in circles around them, searching for any point of weakness.
The knight struck him with the tree-trunk stump of its wounded arm, hurling him from its shoulders and into the hard-packed earth of the hill, even as his blade-winds descended, striking joints and gaps in the armor, preventing it from finishing the job. His body now ruined beyond repair, he quickly slew himself with a blade-projection and emerged as a being of spirit, dashing around to flank the knight with renewed vigor. A series of blade winds struck it in quick succession, each widening the wound that the previous opened, until one at last struck true and erupted out its other side, dark grey blood in an arterial spray as it found the creature's heart.
At last the monster seemed to quail, falling to one knee, palm upraised as if to plead for mercy. He approached it warily, but as he neared its stance tightened, lunging forward to crush him within its embrace. But his body of spirit was a lighter thing than flesh, and he darted easily out of the way, twin projected thrusts striking its heart as it passed.
Rather craven for a creature with the appearance of a knight. He leapt back, unleashing several further blade-winds to cover his retreat. Bleeding out, its tremendous vigor at last exhausted, it was unable to close the distance again, and slowly he whittled it down until at last it fell defeated to its knees. Taking no chances, he carved away with projected strikes at its chest until he could see its exposed heart, and finished it. Its essence destroyed, the armor fell inert, toppling slowly to pieces as the smoke within dissipated. There was a low, sepulchral boom as it perished, shock of force and sound like a tower-bell's final knelling.
..I can't help but think/feel that another build would have better been able to deal with this, not needing to resort to our second stage.
With Immortal Regiment we would have had a tanky Gisena at our sight (though, admittedly, this left Letrizia more vulnerable).
Murderer's Panoply had higher stats (++ strenght and + agi) and thousand cuts, which would have likely led to a quicker resolution.
The Forbidden was certainly weaker in terms of offensive, but all the extra protection would have likely allowed us to take bigger risks in the fight without... well, dying, and we would have more than likely outlasted our foe.
I'm probably being a bit too salty, I know. After all we didn't know just what kind of enemy we'd have met first, and admittedly the Rage Form has the highest survivability of all...
Discontentedly he surveyed its remains. Fresh power surged within him from the ring, but he could not bring himself to be pleased with what had just occurred. The monster-knight had been his superior in strength and speed, though only by a modest margin. What rankled was that it had forced him into his wraith form so easily, and its was only that form's superior agility that had carried the day. Had he been a being of flesh alone, this would likely have been the end.
Movement on the horizon. Perhaps called by the death of their comrade, more ghostly knights had appeared, a dozen or more bristling with weaponry: curved blades and heavy pavises, pick-axes and enormous hammers, ballistas wielded as siege-crossbows, their cruelly barbed bolts glinting in the noonday sun.
One angled its crossbow upwards and fired, the bolt landing soft inches from his foot. He withdrew.
Fleet of foot and light of body, his ghost-form easily outpaced the clanking mass of his pursuers. Soon they disappeared over the far horizon as he returned to the antechamber-hall. He set himself down on the marble tile and looked out upon the idyllic fields. Hours more before nightfall, when he would test the gates once more. What now to do?
...ok, maybe conservative was the better choice, though I still maintain that an aggressive build could have taken them, especially if we immediately got to use the power-ups from this one kill.
[X] Bright Vanquisher with [X] Conservative and [X] +.1 Rank was the winner. What is your next course of action?
The Call of the False Moon imposes a -.25 Rank penalty on you when you travel outside the Temple, and a -.1 Rank penalty inside the Temple when you do not intend to rescue the False Moon. The power of your ring has attenuated it significantly; you can scarcely imagine how aggravating it would be to defy the Call without its unnatural aid.
yeah, my least favourite combinations, I already ranted enough about it. I have to wonder, if we didn't pick the ring as our remittance just how bad would have things been? Would we even have had a chance to find and challenge the temple?
Probably not, actually. We would have just been too underleveled without the massive growth multipliers we have.
[ ] Pick Off Stragglers - If successful, will add +1 pick to your next Experience spend. Now that you're aware of their fighting style, further engagements should proceed more smoothly, especially as you've grown in power after slaying the first. Locate and destroy other isolated knights. Do not engage monsters of other kinds, if found. Much time will be consumed in travel to find knights and evade their reinforcements, but this task should not be overly risky.
[ ] Vanquish The Pursuers - Momentum is key and you cannot afford to waste time. Though the first knight's reinforcements have lost your ghostly trail, you're fairly certain you could find them if you so desired. Engage and attempt to destroy them with the power you've gained from the first. Even should you fall, you would arise as a being of thunder and light, power enough to scour these giants from the earth and erase the fell shadow of their passage. If successful, will re-establish [I Am the Danger] and add +2 (!) picks to your next Experience spend.
ok, we got the third form, we might as well take advantage of the extra safety net it grants. combine it with some good power-ups from the first knight and we can do this.
[ ] Wait and Hope - Meditate in the antechamber and hope the doors open tonight. Maybe Gisena can dispel the Calling, which would prevent you from being bound to this Temple. [+1 Arete as you review past battles and tactics[
[ ] Look for Others - Perhaps some sort of... adventuring party, with specialists covering separate relevant areas of expertise, would be helpful in venturing further. Wield your Pressure to call such a group to you. Anyone so affected would likely be substantially weaker than you, but there's no helping that. Any form of aid or support would be helpful in these circumstances, though the Doom of the Tyrant looms large.
[ ] Brute Force - Fuck yeah. Double Echo of the Forebear. There's simply no substitute for the power of muscles, be they physical or spiritual in nature. Raw speed was the answer to these things, speed and the striking power to reach their armored hearts.
[ ] Peerless Shroud [2 Arete] - Opalescence + Iridescence. With every plate and greave of their armor infused with destructive runes, greater coverage against magical attacks is a priority. With the power of the Evening Sky heavily augmented and attuned to the tenor of their magic, you should be able to weather the majority of their attacks with impunity. It'll also make you more terrifying to oppose, should you run into any other adventurers here.
[ ] Slayer Knell - Conjunctional [Evening Sky + Forebear's Blade]. Upon slaying an enemy of a particular type, gain increased damage and overall effectiveness against other enemies of that type. A substantial immediate boost, plus a small permanent boost that stacks indefinitely. After slaying roughly one hundred peer-level opponents of a type, you would murder them in a single blow and dance untouched around their attacks. More powerful enemies yield more effectiveness per kill.
[ ] Swift as Death [2 Arete] - Gain +++++Agility, +Willpower in Second Stage only. Substantially improves your powers of phasing in Second Stage, allowing you to evade most corporeal attacks. Second Stage now restores its own health completely within one hour, though returning to corporeal form still takes a day and nighttho.
This is pretty interesting. Slow health regen while we're a ghost, and massively improved agi (and a bit of will). It would certainly work with a Vanquish approach.
[ ] Buy Undying Vanguard [5 Arete] - You may purchase Undying Vanguard for 5 Arete, as you have already bought its pre-requisite for 2 Arete. This does not take a pick and can be included with other options. However, you're not even sure if you can open the gates at this point. You're pretty sure you can cut through them, though who knows what the consequences of that would be...
that's the "strenghten allies" option, right? I don't think it's a good pick right now. We're alone after all.
Yeah, I think I'd go with Vanquish The Pursuers, combined with either Slayer Knell or Swift as Death, probably Swift as Death really (though Peerless Shroud works too, and might give us some more survivability than Slayer Knell in case we meet a differen kind of enemy).
I dunno, I feel like Form of Rage did its job. Namely, it let us take a number of risks that we otherwise never would have taken (seriously some of those Temple fights had ridiculously high death chances) and we ended up rolling well enough to not need FoR. It effectively gave us a safety net for our stupid risk-taking. And then we exchanged it for a more accessible form of power once in was less needed.
I'd say Form of Rage was a good purchase, even though we never used it. Philosopher's Wreath, Murderer's Panoply or especially Forbidden might have been better, but they might not have. Without FoR, we might have never gone for the more difficult fights, resulting in a slower progression rate, and given we barely finished the Temple before Apocryphal kicked back in... That might have gone poorly. Imagine if the Apocryphal had been able to drop a proc on us during the Averncarn or Sten fights.
1) Given that it's "ace in the hole" kind of ability, it's very hard to generate value out of it
2) It's not reliable, meaning that you can neither really trust it nor you can use it aggressively
3) Its not actually that strong even if does proc
#1 is general downside of such abilities, but #2 and #3 is what makes it bad. Its not bad because it fills a specific niche, but because it's numbers are just not good enough.
<X> Stay. If Ruby sticks around Bellgone as they experiment, they could share their developments with the locals, and maybe even benefit from the limited research into grammometry the Bellgoneans have already done. There's food, there's people, and there's interesting work to do. Being side-tracked by doing errands for the locals could be annoying, but it's only that, an annoyance.
More magic is good, and if Ruby foregoes opportunities for the risk of either bothering people or Martyr procs they'll miss a lot of goodies!
I liked it and remain disappointed that we didn't explore more alternate form powers.
In general, I'm skeptical of any claims that a voting option that won a vote was actually unpopular, much less widely unpopular. It was the most popular option at one point. As for trading it away later on, if we judged every power by whether voters would be willing to trade it in for a powerup we'd probably end up with only a handful of powers left. Trading in boring old powers for shiny exciting new ones is inevitable.
But of course in this case even when Form of Rage was traded away it was NOT because everyone decided to ditch it. Uttermost only barely won.
This was an intensely hard-fought vote. You guys now have an impressive 4.3 Arete! Please remember that the apparent downsides from these options are almost never as bad in actual play as they can sometimes be portrayed in arguments; all Defining Advancements are still beneficial upgrades to an overwhelming degree.
[X] Uttermost is the winner of the build vote. [X] True Maiming is the winner on the Condition front.
kinda ironic, I feel like people would like a power that gave us a 5% chance of an extra life more than one that gave a 95% chance, because the former wouldn't be counted on
"Nonsense!" Haeliel waved him off, looking brightly around the room they occupied. "What matters power in the true consideration? A mere quirk of circumstance; just as greatness without kindness is nothing to be commended! And there's no need to be so formal here. You can just call me Big Sis Haeliel!"
As a sidenote, I almost broke my neck from the whiplash that came with Haeliel going from "BE NOT AFRAID" to "Call me Onee-sama" within the span of a single paragraph.
Yet another DSB CYOA (a Persona Build this time) that ballooned out when I noticed that Combat Types get to pick 15 "keyword advancements" from the Ferocity magic system. I had a build idea that combined a plant mage with various growth and defensive upgrades, so I tried to write 15 interesting utility & Power totems. They need some editing for consistency & might need to be more (or less?) powerful... but the fun part was writing them, not balancing them
Dedicate Crane of the Winding Circle (The Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce)
Combat Type
Requirements: 1 Crowning, 1 Major, 1 Lesser
Background: Crane is the First Dedicate of the Winding Circle's Air Temple. He spearheaded the frantic research effort to find a treatment for the Blue Pox, a semi-magical plague that erupted in Emelan's capital city of Summersea. Crane is an experienced researcher and benefits from in-depth knowledge about the principles of both academic and ambient magic. Crane's abilities come from his affinity with plants and growing things, and his success comes from a keen insight into the scientific method. Crane's experiments using Greenhouses to promote cultivation of rare medicines year round have established him as one of the premier medical minds anywhere on the Pebbled Sea.
Crane expects competence from the people working for him, and during the Blue Pox Plague held his lab assistants to an even higher standard. He is not without compassion, but his focus is on results: winning an argument, finding a cure, or healing his friend are all goals worthy of the full force of his intellect. Crane has an extensive formal education, but he respects intelligence wherever he finds it.
Raised as a noble before taking Vows to the Living Circle religion, Crane's pride sometimes makes him difficult to work with. His duties as a Dedicate of the Air Temple (and, as a mage, an Initiate of the Living Circle religion) keep him fully engaged with the community, despite a natural inclination to barricade himeslf in a library or a laboratory.
Crane's mental and spiritual suitability to be a Cursebearer is relatively high: a lifetime of good works honoring a higher power with selfless acts is praiseworthy, especially in contrast to the birthright of indulgence and luxury that Crane abandoned when he took his Vows. However, Crane's physical suitability is very poor: he is an ivory tower academic to his core. When the Accursed offers him the chance to become a Combat Type Cursebearer, Crane hesitates briefly at the prospect of brawling like a common thug. Ultimately, he reverts to the habit of fighting hunger, ignorance, and poverty in accordance with his Vows to the gods of the Air, Asaia Bird-Winged and Tuhengri Stormlord.
Inherent Ability: Green Mage - Ambient Mages draw power from the world around them. The gift of ambient magic comes from an affinity to some craft or creation: threads, forges, carpentry, painting, and dance all have a spark of creation that an Ambient Mage can grasp. The same spark can be found in the natural world: stone, magma, fire, wind, weather, lightning, the tides themselves... Green Mages pull strength from plant life. Power can be stored in meticulously cultivated gardens, or set loose like Spring Untamed, allowing combat-relevant acceleration of growth and manipulation of plant characteristics. Plant based medicines can be massively improved, and other more esoteric effects can be achieved with proper preparation. Ambient magic is compatible with the arcane principles revealed by Academic investigation, but relies on external power rather than the Mage's own wellspring.
Crowning:
Curse of Hubris
Major:
Brand of the Champion
Affliction of Slumber (+3 RV)
Plenary Brand (+3 RV)
Minor:
Doom of the Sailor
Sign of the Twins (+1 RV)
Brand of the Chaste (+1 RV)
Doom of Judgment (+1 RV)
Primary Remittances:
Cups:
Monastery / Steeple
Strength: Wands (7 RV)
Ferocity (Scrimshaw {Fox, Phoenix})
Crown & Thorns (Spirit {Corsage[INT]}
Lesser Remittances:
The World
The Sun
Hierophant
Hanged Man
The High Priestess
Curse Complications:
Hubris drives Crane to take on dangerous challenges, which arrive in a steady stream provided by every conversation under the Champion's Brand. The Sign of the Twins guarantees that Crane has competition for these tasks. The Plenary Brand advertises Crane's Crowning Curse during every negotiation, dramatically increasing the difficulty of tasks that might be required under Brand of the Champion and providing a key vulnerability for even the most underpowered Twin competitors to capitalize on. Judgment circumscribes the immediate mitigation strategies for Brand of the Champion: no drugging strangers with pheromone manipulation or withholding medicines as a bargaining chip.
I see this Curse loadout as a more lucrative, self-inflicted Apocryphal Curse. Crane will rarely be ambushed with "interesting times," but he will set himself one intellectual (or dangerous) challenge after another. The Doom of the Sailor, the Affliction of Slumber, and the Brand of the Chaste are all artificial handicaps to interfere with Crane's ambitions. Where before Crane was experimenting with growing tomatoes in the Winter, now he might set himself the task of replicating the living metal trees of Daja Kisubo, liberating the Emperor's underappreciated Bonsai collection, or hybridizing the imperial herbs of Namorn's Empire... Any one of these feats would secure the status of Great Mage in the eyes of history. Doing so with half of his waking hours stolen away, without leaving the coast, and while watching out for betrayal or tragedy stemming from every unrequited paramour... that's a challenge fit for a Combat Type Cursebearer!
Remittances:
Crane's existing magic makes him an excellent candidate for Wands (searching for synergies between systems) and for Cups (enjoying time and space to scale up an arsenal using available systems). Taking additional curses to pay for Cups is made more appealing by the other Lesser Remittances on offer: The World and the Hanged Man both benefit from a safe and secure permanent address. Cups provides 25% mitigation for Curse effects within Crane's domain, which pairs with High Empress to allow meaningful conversation and recruitment of disciples through Hierophant. The Sun is a massively powerful domain to unlock for a plant mage, and the artifact itself provides a flashier combat ability than Ambient Mages in this universe can usually swing on short notice
A 6 foot tall Cups Cursebearer could claim a sphere with diameter up to about 70 miles. That's a bigger footprint than the Houston Metropolitan Area. Assuming 2 acres of farmland can feed one per person per year, the High Empress' cult could live on about 7 square miles of arable land. An initial claim with a diameter of about three miles would have plenty of space to feed everyone. The circumference of such a territory claim would be about 9 miles, which would allow one guardsman every 60 feet if the Outsider Cult has 800 out of 2000 members serving in the military. The colony could be self sustaining, so long as they set up near the coast (to avoid Doom of the Sailor complications). There are also plenty of local citizens that might be happy to join up!
After a single day spent establishing his fort, Crane would be able to activate The World, an oaken staff that suffuses the countryside (and Crane himself) with additional energy. This augments the natural energy that Crane has access to via the power of any growing thing within his range. This improved quality and vitality also applies to the various disciples of the Outsider Cult living nearby. This 'quality' effect further compounds on the fort's +5 WIS for each resident.
The most important element of the Cups remittance is the steeple: considering the Plenary Brand makes stealth impossible, why not lean into it with a visible warning that directly targets trespassers' perceptive power? What makes Steeple even better for the Plenary Brand is that the Primary Remittance targets trespassers, specifically. Regular residents are not snared by the Tower's perceptive effect. Besides the Curse synergy, the Tower improves Crane's magic and the Clerics' miracles! It's great.
This steeple is a perfect place to set up Crane's (guarded!) bedchambers: wearing the noose of the Hanged Man for his 16 hour sleep cycle will dramatically improve Crane's rate of magical advancement. Doing so while in a Tower that increases power and freedom of supernatural abilities stacks one benefit on top of the next! One thing that other Hanged Man builds have neglected is the important step of removing the noose when you are done being paralyzed. Crane can achieve that level of fine-control with grasping vines even at baseline, let alone while boosted by his Tower.
Other than sleeping while paralyzed, Cups' Steeple has a powerful synergy with Wands. The abilities offered by Ferocity (Scrimshaw) are improved by ritual consecration of various totems. Crane's chosen affinity is the Phoenix, which should be invoked from high up in the open sky. Meanwhile, boosting the power of a Fox totem's den primes Crane to fulfill his oath of loyalty to his Hierophant disciples
Hierophant is normally pretty challenging to bring online while laboring under the Brand of the Champion. The first Disciple should be approached while inside the fort (for 25% curse mitigation + 5 wisdom) to secure Brand of the Champion mitigation for future recruitment offers. The Steeple's ability to increase freedom seems like a good way to allow Crane to teach his disciples the fundamentals of Ferocity magic, fulfilling the "nurturing" part of his oath.
The last component of the build, Crown and Thorns, is an obvious selection for a plant mage. Crane is used to fertilizing plants with elements of his own spirit, and can use mundane plants as an almost infinite well of energy to replenish any expenditure of his own power. Similarly, the stipend of power from The World gives Crane a secondary source of existential replenishment. This allows him to feed [Spirit] to the Crown without much concern. The massive growth to his [Corsage] will supercharge his INT stat. Getting +INT, +%INT, and later +ISH(INT) allows academic research into other power boosting methods. In canon, aligning ambient magic with the knowledge of academic mages ultimately makes both disciplines more powerful. That cycle can reinforce and build on itself to improve the Cult's Fate based miracles, or to enrich and perfect the materials for each successive tier of Animal Totem.
Finally, the domain of THE SUN is unlocked by the artifact The Sun. Even setting aside the considerations of Rule and Majesty, giving a plant mage conceptual ties to the Sun seems like a win button. The fact that Crane can singlehandedly fortify and hold a larger territory than modern day Houston makes the rulership domain important too. The Circle universe is relatively low powered, so The Sun's coronal ejection might be the most powerful blasting power available in universe. (That's not to say there are no threats: the combat curses used by the various Empires involve truly nasty reality warping and mind control / weaponized stockholm syndrome.)
...
After all these synergies are combined, Crane's abilities are very formidable. Crane can invoke the flashy abilities of the Sun, summon his Phoenix totem, or more subtly lean on the cleverness and civilization-wide utility of the Fox. He fuels his intellectual growth with spirit energy drawn from the surrounding countryside as well as a direct stipend from a Lesser Remittance (The World). He enjoys massive +Magic Advancement during his sleeping hours, and can compound this effect by sleeping or crafting totems at the top of his Tower. I haven't even touched the 15 (!!) keyword advancements that come from Ferocity...
Crane also has the backing of a society, which is very important in the Circle universe because ambient mages draw their strength from craftsmanship and creation. Steeple's curse mitigation makes it possible to recruit new residents (despite Brand of the Champion) and possible to live with friends (despite Plenary Brand). The entire society will have +5 WIS, progressively greater miracles from the High Priestess, and a major (permanent) blessing once per year. When led by a supernaturally intelligent and charismatic figure, even a small society could completely remake the world.
Ferocity Keyword Advancements (Fox and Phoenix):
Fox Totem Mastery: For each distinct type of Fox Totem created during a lunar month, the caster receives ++WIT, ++MAN for the following month.
[1] Fox Totem: Straw - Quantity: Many, identical - Bundles of straw, wrapped in burlap and carefully hidden in a home's pantry or larder. When someone who has eaten from that pantry is in danger, an illusory fox will manifest and provide a distraction or point towards a path of escape. +WIT, ++MAN for the purposes of evading or escaping danger. This effect does not activate for those who consider themselves enemies of the caster.
[2] Fox Totem: Wood - Quantity: Few, each must be unique - Tree trunks carved or whittled into the likeness of a fox. After a long soak in a ritually consecrated oil bath, the Crafter may quicken totem to lifelike movement by providing a single instruction. The simpler the task, the more likely a totem is to succeed. With certainty Totems can find, fetch, or bury items that the Crafter knows about. With high probability Totems can track, distract, or harry living (individual) mundane targets within 100 miles of the Crafter, or steal an item whose location is known to the Caster. With very low probability, teams of three or more Totems might be able to slay a mundane soldier, or a single large horse. Quality of Totems depends on properties of reagents used, but all have powerful innate resistance to physical and magical harm. Totems must use a unique combination of Wood type & Ritual oil components.
[3] Fox Transformation: Fall Colors - In a ritual of moderate complexity, the caster paints and then enshrines a small stone fox idol within their home. On days when the caster makes an offering of fresh berries to their shrine, the caster may shapechange at will into the form of a (mundane) fox with +++++AGI and +++MAN(evasion).
[4] Fox Amulet: Mischief - The caster carves a small piece of wood into the shape of a fox's skull. When worn as an amulet, the caster can prick a finger on the skull's 'teeth.' For the next day, receive +++WIT and +++MAN towards any plot or plan whose intended outcome has no fatalities. While active, the caster's eyes and teeth are transformed to be noticeably more vulpine. This amulet can be used twice before needing to be replaced. Only three amulets may be worn by a person at once. Counts as a Fox type amulet.
[5] Fox Amulet: Autumn Charm - The caster crafts a charm bracelet from collected evidence of the forest's hunters: owl pellets, scavenged skeletons, bits of fur or feathers left behind after a meal. When confronted with a mundane environmental hazard (cold, heat, storms, thirst, poison) the wearer may crush the charm bracelet to summon an illusory spirit fox which will guide them to the nearest mundane shelter or remedy. The distance that the spirit fox is able to travel and the complexity of the solution suggested depends on the wearer's own abilities. A mundane human who crushes the bracelet might be led to a sturdy tree that will not be hit by lightning, while a Chosen Hero might be led to advantageous terrain for a dramatic cliffside confrontation with any pursuers. Only three amulets may be worn by a person at once. Counts as a Fox type amulet.
[6] Fox Totem: Bronze - Quantity: One - The only reagent needed to craft this totem is a crucible of molten bronze. During a single moon cycle (from one new moon to the next), the caster must spend a cumulative total of twenty one hours under the moonlight meditating on the nature of the Fox while keeping the metal in liquid form. At the end of the 21st hour, the metal casts itself into a masterwork statue as pictured by the Caster's mental image. Thereafter, the bronze statue comes alive every night the moon rises. It can communicate with the caster and will obey direct commands, but operates independently. The totem's net total of mental stats and physical are comparable to the caster's own, but shuffled according to the caster's understanding of a fox's essential nature during the ritual. Assume that the Bronze Fox Totem operates with roughly +150% AGI, -50% MIGHT relative to the physical parameters of Dedicate Crane.
[7] Phoenix Totem: Wood - A properly carved Phoenix Totem may be ritually burned to (briefly) summon a flame spirit in the form of a phoenix. Such flame spirits lack the history of true Phoenix, but gain power from their impermanence. A flame spirit could confer a single Sun-themed blessing, burn through a single magical protection, intercept a single targeted spell, or helpfully cauterize a single mortal wound.
Alternatively, the totem may be broken into pieces before burning to sanctify a flame and reify an instance of the undying flame. This imparts considerable metaphysical weight to later stages of a magical working involving that fire.
[8] Phoenix Totem: Bronze - A Bronze Phoenix Totem must be a masterwork of sculpture, with every individual feather and claw rendered with lifelike accuracy. It must then be treated with enchantments and oils to prevent it from melting. When the totem is placed into a ritual flame by the caster, whosoever kindled the fire immediately gains hugely improved mobility allowing flight, super speed, teleportation, and even rudimentary temporal manipulation. Beneficiaries sprout flaming wings from their shoulders and are wreathed in a shimmering haze of heat. A Phoenix Totem causes fires to burn so hot that the bronze is utterly melted after only an hour.
[9] Phoenix Ritualism: Syncretism - Familiarity with the dignity and deference owed to a Phoenix allows the caster to initiate a transformation invoking one of the Phoenix's keywords. With the appropriate ritual, a caster may light a fire and burn a Phoenix Totem to manifest the feathered wings and burning aura of a Phoenix. Gain one of the following benefits for the duration of the fire when burning a Wooden Totem (instead of calling a Flame Spirit):
++++++++++Prot and double your Protection against Magic,
+++++AGI and double the effects of AGI +s,
+++++CHA and double the effects of CHA +s,
+++++WIS and double the effects of WIS +s.
Gain one of the following benefits for the duration of the fire when burning a Bronze Totem:
double the metaphysical weight of all actions within the [Fire] domain,
double the metaphysical weight of all actions within the [Regeneration] domain,
[10] Phoenix Totem: Gilding - During times of plenty, the Phoenix glows resplendent with health, wealth, and happiness. Add fuel to the fire by gilding Wooden Phoenix Totems. The metaphysical potency of flame spirits or phoenix transformations is massively increased in proportion to the monetary value of the Phoenix Totem itself. Magically appropriate woods, ritual oils, time spent by artisans pouring over every detail of the totem before its burning day all adjust this value. Moreover, for every gilded phoenix totem that the caster burns, gain a permanent ++CHA or ++AGI (to whichever stat is lower).
[11] Phoenix Totem: Hallowed Ash - Live and learn, die and learn some more. Knowledge and experience with the components and byproducts of ritual fire allow for the handling of magically potent Hallowed Ash. When reagents fertilized with Hallowed Ash are included in fire rituals, the metaphysical weight of the ritual's effects is dramatically increased. Hallowed Ash is also a powerful reagent in its own right.
[12] Phoenix Amulet: Burning Day - No mere jewelry or pendant can capture the power of a phoenix in flight. However, a Green Mage is familiar with the burning growth of spring and the power of growth untouched by blade or frost. Sculpt a seedling into a lifelike effigy of a bird in flight, and wear it as an amulet. The seedling can be kept alive with a small but steady trickle of Ambient magic, and allows translation of ambient magic into the domain of the Phoenix. Burn the seedling with Green Magic to achieve either of the following effects
* transformation for a single instant into the form of a phoenix with full regenerative abilities. This is enough to heal nearly any mortal wound.
* transformation into the form of a phoenix with full flight and pyrotechnical abilities, until the next sunset. This is a dramatic increase in raw firepower and mobility
[13] Phoenix Invocation: The likeness of a phoenix is the flickering of a fire. Prominently brandishing a Phoenix totem of any during open combat provides +++++AGI and doubles the effect of each AGI +.
[14] Phoenix Amulet: Roost (Conjunctional Advancement with The Sun) - A filigree amulet of a style matching the lesser remittance The Sun, the totem takes the form of a torc worn around the neck. Once, the wearer may slice their palm upon this piece of jewelry when swearing an oath. The caster then benefits from ++++++++++CHA when negotiating with the recipient of the oath. Each oath so sworn contributes to a subtle but permanent transformation towards the form of a phoenix.
Breaking an oath comes with a dramatic inversion of the transformations: fledgling feathers revert to scales, a beaklike nose withers away like a snake, and so on. Additionally, all +CHA become 10% smaller (per broken oath).
[15] Phoenix Invocation: Cycles Within Cycles - The growing season strives with the cost months in a recurring pattern. Each spring, rebirth triumphs over the temporary death of winter. A bountiful spring is the proper refutation for its dismal predecessor. The caster constructs a Flawless Totem of the Phoenix in order to provoke the manifestation of a True Phoenix. In every consecutive year where the caster ritually celebrates the vernal equinox, all existing Gilded Phoenix Totems collectively store enough power for a one second manifestation by a True Phoenix.
The presence of a True Phoenix can turn back death or turn ruin into rebirth. It concentrates the Sun's presence into a powerful aura of growth and healing that lasts long after the True Phoenix departs. Alighting for even ten seconds on a given perch would infuse the surroundings with power equivalent to a least wish spent entirely on behalf of strengthening the principle of [Regrowth] on a continental scale.
Note: This incentivizes storing as many Phoenix Tokens as possible before each spring. That way, burning each token eats up a smaller percentage of the 1 second of energy needed to manifest the True Phoenix!
Note: I really wanted to swing some High Priestess / Star synergy because they both invoke fate, but The World was a more persuasive long-term boost. I'm not sure that Star's ability to "lighten mental burdens" can stand up to giving a plant mage a conceptual link to THE SUN ITSELF. Plus, the Ferocity system's Phoenix unlock themes nicely with THE SUN for a meaningful jump into Rihaku-verse tier powerlevels.
Dropping Hubris and taking Despair + The Star might work from a mitigation standpoint. However, Crane is introduced as such an arrogant jerk that reinforcing the reader's first impression with Hubris as a Crowning Curse seems narratively much more interesting.
Also: The Fox totems felt a little weak so I added some +STATS to encourage a player to at least explore finding a use for each different totem. Totems as written are meant to be mutually exclusive but I kind of just started writing different powers that might be related to totems. I didn't do a ton of editing for the 15 (!) keyword advancements.
