Also, it works the best with Adorie's Bodyguards. Now she has Hunger as Rank 10 champion and four other Rank 9 soldiers which actually makes sense.
Exalted Battle Array makes sense in terms of Piracy. Adorie's tour of the Human Sphere doesn't have a clear reason to exist, but if she goes and claims acquires several Armaments for the national Defense, it will make sense for her Champion to be able to pilot / utilize all of them at once.
 
I'm too conflicted to vote, given that I can't decide decide between Companions or November, so instead I'll ask the thread a question.

So, in my Omakeverse, I've established that the Curse Broker passes around Colors in hopes of getting more Mythic Coins out of people. However, extremely long periods(by mortal standards) will pass before he shows up for repeat customers, so the Colors largely fade into myth for the average person, to the point you're unlikely to be recognized outside of the big cities even if you use Violet or Gold, nevermind Red, as well as the average person finding 'Red' kind of... unimpressive for such an impressive power, given that a lot of the people who actually have their Colors will just call their Color by itself, rather than the Emperor or Lustrous titles. Further, they've taken on mythologized names. I'm thinking King's Blood for Red, Weapons of Wealth for Gold, Oak of Ages for Green, and Wind of Death for Violet. Red causes a red luminosity in blood and wounds of it's holders, and the massive amount of power users can amass with incredibly speed for a non-Cursebearer, so they tend to end up in positions of power, and Colors will, on rare occasion, pass along a bloodline. In addition, the fact that Red amplifies other Colors is one of it's more well-known attributes, so it's regarded as the 'king' of Color Magic. Gold can make just about anything, but it's ability to make entire legions of Gold soldiers is what it's most well-known for beyond noble circles, who know about the ability to forge Mythic Coins. Green is known more for it's wisdom boost and sleep-related side effects than the physical ones, so it's frequently associated with old wise sages and hermits. Violet's ability to gain power from death and it's comparatively major speed boost relative to strength is a facet that the stories emphasize. Do these names sound alright, and what name would you guys give Blue for it's mythologized name?

Hm, now I have some Advancement ideas. 348 Words.
 
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Reaffirming:

[X] True Champions: Fisher King + Companions of the King. 37 + 6 Arete, 2 + 1 picks

"One strong dude" just isn't that interesting a narrative.
It's just not one strong dude though. Gisena will soon be able to catch up on her own, Letrizia will also be relevant once we fix her Armament and November Sky actually makes Adorie quite relevant on our level since she has higher rank than us and will no longer need to worry as much about her shitty physical stats.
 
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It's just not one strong dude though. Gisena will soon be able to catch up on her own, Letrizia will also be relevant once we fix her Armament and November Sky actually makes Adorie pretty relevant on our level.

I've been promised people catching up before and it's never been followed through. Since it's what I want to read, I'm going to actually, y'know, vote for the option that progresses towards it.
 
1. A build for those who just want to restore the Fathomless Depths. Basically, take Final Scion and then focus on powers that will allow survival & escape from the Pit.
Ancient comes with not only Litanal power but artifacts that could've been crafted with it, so you can improve your odds by specifying your loadout. We can posit the existence of a priceless treasure called the Scholar's Scutum: one part symbiote, one part armor, one part portable fortress, an enclave akin to an Armament's Shroud within which the Ancient can freely fold the intervals of space. Partially organic and bound Reciprocally to its creator, consequently capable of being repaired from your Coin reserves in either form, with sixty-six layers of increasing durability that ablate away and release an apocalyptic payload of curses and raw banishment in the process.

Add that to a free-floating frame you can use to anchor/accelerate the Voyager's portals, and I do believe that does the trick. Congratulations, you've made the mythical Salt Water build viable at least in the short term. Appearing from nowhere as the impossible Final Scion of a paradigm long-broken is bad enough. But to also fulfill their age-old ambition and fly free of the coop, in the very first moments of your existence? Imagine the indignation, the sheer incomprehension!
2. A build for those Scions of Water who want to rebuild the Garden and also don't mind a large risk of catastrophic failure in the first minutes or hours of existence.
Originator's usually a very good combination of potential and early-game safety, since being butchered and burned doesn't even begin to faze its regeneration. Doubly so, with Water compounding it. Unfortunately, the Priestess' burst damage and conceptually potent anti-healing powers are a hard counter, so this build dies without rolling the equivalent of 95+ on a d100. If not to the initial flurry, then to lingering wounds or one of her extrusions that managed to hitch a ride out of the Pit with you.
3. The full grudge match build, unmarred by ethical compromises, for those who are determined to de-extinct all the many traditions that have been consigned to the flames of war.
Tax shelters have a totally different meaning in the Dominion! Quite an attractive carrot, for recruiting a certain class of Litanist; Six help the Harvestman who comes looking to collect on back taxes from a Labyrinthian Scion in his place of power. Lacking Litanies there is a shame, but you can access many of the same synergies by tapping more altruistic monastic Reinforcer orders, like the Clement Sodality. The Church of Our Lady of Reciprocity would also aid you if they can be convinced of your cause's moral weight, though COLOR's involvement may come at the cost of your control. Sensing steadily rising Water levels from within the Dominion is quite... concerning, for the General and accomplices, however. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.
5. Greed. Unmitigated and utterly amoral Greed. Starting outside the Dominion increases the Orbs received from Dreams of Distant Fire, without compromising on protection thanks to the Unbroken Oath. Dissent on a Unified Earth can come in many forms. Though martial strife may eventually be required, violence is only one song for the unheard.
Hm, the Voyager's Authority isn't so fickle. Though it'd have happily Acknowledged the Traveler, you are the mantle's current bearer for good or ill, until death do you part. It's possible for it to be torn from your shoulders, but that's reserved for scenarios like an Ancient Reaper somehow pinning you down for a dedicated working designed to steal it. Worrying about usurpation with Water's valid, since Waterbearers anointed by you can develop compatibility sufficient to challenge you for control of the paradigm (this is what they had instead of elections, back in the good (?) old days). But the Final Scion enjoys a considerable advantage in such contests, and Oathbound builds have the Hand in their corner.

The Hand's objectives in the Unification-verse are complex. He would prefer to avoid removing the reigning Councilors from play (especially Hans, their technopath) but cultivating disaffected Divisives with relevant powers to manage Dissident is fine. Exploiting Expression has to be done carefully given the phenomenon's origins, preferably through proxies or black budget research projects like the one that produced the Prometheus Engine. The Fingers implanted with multiple, synergistic Expressive souls aren't quite metastable yet, but he's working on it!

As for the emotional consequences of throwing in with the Hand, you wouldn't be wracked with guilt to the point that it would impede your effectiveness. It'd be fine to, as the Tyrant sometimes says, "regret the necessity." But if you take the Oath, your new priorities shine as clear and abject truth in your mind's eye. When you're optimizing for one thing at all costs, everything else in your life is a sacrifice you might be called on to feed to the fire. Whether you identify with your own past would depend on your beliefs about identity. The Hand doesn't personally consider his pre-Oathtaking self to be him in any relevant sense. At this point, it's such a small fraction of his overall experiences anyway.
I didn't really catch any puns. Elucidate, o mysterious voice in my head?
There are a fair few buried in the CYOA: Water's current ethos, seeds of civilization in the Garden, temporarily sap your stamina, the snake-themed Envy scaling, and so on.

Thanks for the builds! I really do enjoy reading people playing with and theorizing about this cosmology. Now to belatedly bring this post back on-topic.
Also, just how paranoid was the Maiden to put so many restrictions on her Graces? There's ordinary Nullity, there's True Nullity, there's Glazed True Nullity, there's whatever is gated behind Sealing Protocol Level II... seems like either she had very concrete ideas about the level of power she would allow her Sorceresses or (since they could get access to the Sealing Protocols) there was more afoot there.
It's interesting that the Grace of the Glaze was allocated to Lady Porcelain, who headed up the eponymous faction concerned with policing Sorceress overreach and preventing them from overriding mortal politics. Fitting, since it's actually the first of her Sealing Protocols. Feels like someone might start mentioning the bird of Hermes any minute now...
Make Whole only works on Losses in the past year.
This is a good point, though Glaze might loosen that restriction. I wonder if we can resurrect Daylian with it, since Rihaku implied his hubris got him killed recently. Does Hunger know of the alternative sponsors? Haeliel was so helpful to him that it'd be nice to pay that favor forward.
 
So, do we actually know the Ranks of everybody who isn't Adorie, Hunger, or Versch? That'll be very relevant to know how much of an immediate power-up it is to grab Companions. The option notes Gisena will be able to push out an additional Grace for 6 Arete if we take it, but says little about Aerie, and Letrizia's Sharpbright will make weaponizing her Rank very easy, but Aobaru's Element isn't so compatible.

On the other hand, Companions is as much about ensuring Gisena, Letrizia, Aobaru, Aerie, and Adorie can keep up with us as the more immediate power-up. It might be interesting to see an Armament pilot with Rank greater than their Armament, and even in the near-future, a Shroud from both pilot and Armament will be incredibly nasty to deal with.

You know what? I've convinced myself.

[X] True Champions: Fisher King + Companions of the King. 37 + 6 Arete, 2 + 1 picks
 
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On the other hand, Companions is as much about ensuring Gisena, Letrizia, Aobaru, Aerie, and Adorie can keep up with us as the more immediate power-up. It might be interesting to see an Armament pilot with Rank greater than their Armament, and even in the near-future, a Shroud from both pilot and Armament will be incredibly nasty to deal with.
From the kids only Letrizia has active Rank(due to SharpBright) and it should be somewhere around early Mid Rank (again, due to SharpBright making getting there trivial at first). Aobaru, Aeira and Gisena have passive Rank.

For the Armament Pilots, Hunger is basically the pilot of Versch with a Rank that exceeds it. Companions is good for the bodyguard narrative as four Rank 9 bodyguards with the leader being Rank 10 is a nice story.

Exalted Battle Array makes sense in terms of Piracy. Adorie's tour of the Human Sphere doesn't have a clear reason to exist, but if she goes and claims acquires several Armaments for the national Defense, it will make sense for her Champion to be able to pilot / utilize all of them at once.
The cops are onto you and all of the companions fuse into one being. The police arrives and instead of the crew of the "Hungering One" sees some sort of hideous mutant and stops bothering us.

We do not. All we have is a floor of 1.5.
Letrizia's element described that reaching the apex of low Rank is trivial so at least Rank 3
 
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I wonder if we can resurrect Daylian with it, since Rihaku implied his hubris got him killed recently.
...I've suggested this. multiple times, if you count discord. Problem is Hunger doesn't know about him, and most people don't seem enthused about it. come on, he could feed the cloak like never before! and the general strategy of 'use make whole to revive the strongest Cursebearer which it can revive which died within the last year with a slight preference for deaths that were longer ago within that range' is valid even without knowing daylian exists. Cursebearers are pretty powerful. plus, if it's a progression-type who decides to stick near us out of gratitude, that's like Gisena's retinue effect, but better. all at the cost of just one use of a major grace!
 
I...think I can answer a few of these without any issue. But just in case, @Orm Embar let me know if I must nuke something.

Anastasia is the name of Lady Reinforcement, one of the Six Seat as the name implies.
Calibraxas was a particularly talented - ridicolously so - Reaper with an idealistic streak a mile wide. The kind who objected to the Taxation policies of Lord Reaper as he found immoral to treat humanity as glorified chattel to be Reaped away for eternity.

It didn't help that Lord Reaper is a man who dedicated a lot of effort in establishing Reaping as a necessary aspect of the Dominion and carving his name as 'The One You Do Not Fuck With'.

Eventually things reached a breaking point and he challenged Lord Reaper for his Seat.

Lord Reaper still keeps a personal vintage named Challenger's Folly in memory of the outcome of said battle.
I don't know enough about what they can do, honestly.
The post Orm made has arguably a more direct description of the Litanies than the one I had, but who am I to not shill for such a beautiful system?

Reinforcement is all about creation. You can enhance yourself or allies through years of chanting to transhuman levels, you can create the (generally) best Artifacts, build great public works or fortresses of doom, uplifting animals into personal Kajius - you can even create super cancer to infect whatever fool steps in your way. It is arguably one of the most versatile Litanies, but if I had to find a drawback is that its major effects tend to be slower than other Litanies. Sure, you can Reinforce yourself to throw ground-breaking punches in a pinch, but you're better off elevating your physical corpus to that level in the first place.

Reaping is all about diminishment instead. It has two broad aspects, although they can intersect with one another - Cursing and Harvesting. The former is the most destructive application - with it, you can eventually do cheery things like Cursing an entire world to die in atrocious sufferings in the span of one hour. Harvesting deals with stealing from others...well, almost anything you wish. Want someone else's beauty? Sure! Enemy has secret info you want? Reap them from their memories! Want to excise your own tiredness? A word and you're fresh as a vampiric daisy! Most Attributes are stored as appropriate Coin which can be traded or used to enhance oneself. While some powers/skills/etc. are harder to Reap, generally speaking few things can't be harvested.

Revelation is broken as fuck powerful, if narrow in scope. It deals with post and precognition, mental enchancements to truly bullshit levels, counter illusion and create prophecies that ensure everything goes according to plan. If you like Orwellian dystopias, this is the Litany for you. While Revelation is by no means impossible to defeat, it has perhaps some of the most obviously broken applications amongst Litanies - the package of Cognition + Fate weaving is potent indeed. However, the biggest issue of Revelation is that it works great in conjunction with other Litanies, but it has quite a few shortcomings on its own - if you can foresee your death but can't punch it in the face, you are kinda fucked anyway.

Reassurance is the opposite of Revelation in a sense - whereas Revelation peers into the truth of the world, Reassurances obfuscate the same in whatever lie the Litanist wishes. Reassurance has a lot of varied and rather weird powers, even by the standards of Litanies - but that is expected when you tell the world a lie and it believes your words. Every Reassurer chooses a Theme he adheres to, and changes reality according to said Themes - and in turn, he becomes more and more tied to their own acting. The greatest expression of this Litany is creation of an Enclave - a territory so steeped into your lies that most changes to reality become permanent. Powerful but requires commitment to whatever Theme you choose.

Reciprocity is the Litany which exploits connections. Not mere spatial connections - for example, teleportation or swapping places - but metaphysical ones as well, such as emotions or relationships. Binding others, fusion-dancing, sharing of power to reach greater heights, esoteric defenses to divert negative effects, body-surfing...it is a Litany that requires a bit of creativity to be truly outrageous, but it has a wide array of applications. If you want to have a life as a devilish lawyer who suckers people into bad deals, you should heavily consider it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Lady Reciprocity is also the religious leader of the Dominion - religion and communion go along well, after all.

Repulsion is the last but not least Litany. There's not much I can say about this Litany - not because out of personal dislike, but simply because it is the most straightforward. Denial made manifest in offensive waves of disruption or defensive walls, erasure of the concept of distance or space, perhaps even banishment outside of reality if one is willing to go full MAD WIZARD. Arguably, the most important use is to repulse wounds or negative afflictions - even death is not beyond a Repulsor's grasp, but depending on the Litanist's prowess there are limits to this.
 
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These Enhancements were unlocked as part of Hunger's ascension as a King, by taking control of a Realm via his Cloak, by killing an Armament as important as Procyon, by his reignition of the Fonts of Myth, a feat of legend, and finally by his Astral Rank, sufficient to contest an Armament at it's height.

King's Blood. 25 Arete - 2 Picks.

It is expected for a king and his descendants to be wise and mighty both. Frequently, this is untrue, but the myth persists, and noble bloodlines are often prized. This is a power that is meant to enhance one's blood to the level one who rules should be at, a King's Blood. Unlocked by Hunger's kingship and power over Blood, he can inherently supercharge his blood, increasing his Quickening effects immensely. Further, his blood's inherent mystical significant transfers a small fraction of his power to his Second Stage. This remedies a major weakness somewhat, though an opponent not crippled by the effort of bringing him to that point will still find him a far easier kill. In addition, he may deem others worthy of a fraction of his Blood-related boons, though each person it is shared with dilutes his blessing.

Doubles Quickening-related Stat bonuses. 10% of Stat bonuses carry over to Second Stage.
Hunger may designate others as 'subjects' where his Blood is concerned, and they may receive up to 25% of his Quickening bonus, though the effect is diluted with each subject.
All enemy Blood effects must directly contest Hunger's mastery of Blood, as the king will brook no dissent from his Blood. This allows even Afflictions and Curses to be mitigated, should they directly affect his Blood.

Weapons of Wealth. 25 Arete - 2 Picks.

The concept of total war involves treating an entire nation, people, geography, industry, and economy, as part of the enemy and thus valid targets. This is the only means by which one may effectively fight a true master of Weapons of Wealth. The more the wielder owns, the better they become in wielding this effect, to the point it is generally only useful for the rulers of a land or business empires of trans-dimensional scale such as Disney. Though it can only be used to create weapons. Even defensive barriers are off-limits, save for shields as technically counting as weapons. Thus, the user can become a one-man army if they rule a prosperous kingdom, but in the hands of your average citizen, it would be difficult to make more than a knife. Unlocked by taking possession of something of immense value.

The user is never truly considered disarmed unless they've been divested of all significant wealth. Given Hunger's possession of the Forebear's Blade, Ring of Blood, and Cloak of Evening, which in turn extends to the Realm of Evening, this is very unlikely. This doesn't provide any direct bonuses to the user, their skill with the weapons created is unchanged. However, since everything is devoted to the weapons, they can accomplish truly ridiculous conceptual and magical effects. Wounds that never heal, blades that heal instead of harm, weapons with elemental effects, weapons that allow the user to steal attributes from their opponents, staves that absorb enemy magic, etc.. Ironically, this power can be said to be a weaponized, if you'll pardon the pun, form of the old adage 'If you have enough money, you can buy anything.' as sheer versatility of weapon-based effects are immense. Still, they all retain the caveat that they cannot directly improve the user. No bolstering casting ability, no increasing durability, skill, strength, or learning speed.

Mostly a versatility boost. Gisena will need some time to build up a wide variety of effects, and this will allow Hunger to fill the gap until then. It's main downside is exactly as described: it does not do anything but create weapons which cannot directly enhance Hunger. Though his companions are free game. Aobaru could be granted gauntlets that bolster his flames, Aerie a dagger that enhances stealth, Adorie a staff that can convert combat power into rulership, or the reverse. Though, Hunger will need more riches for the last. For the asking price, it doesn't offer much power. On the other hand, constructs persist until Hunger dismisses them, and his 'maximum MP' in regards to casting with this ability is the only limiter on the number of weapons he might create. Thus, he might outfit an entire legion with special weapons for little cost beyond a few moments apiece.

Oak of Ages. 25 Arete - 2 Picks.

It is frequently said that elders are wiser, and their advice should be listened to. In some realities, age will confer Astral might, or directly increase the parameters of an artifact. These things can be made true for a user of Oak of Ages, as age will confer both power and wisdom. Still, it takes literal ages to build significant might in this fashion. However, this is a baseline improvement, and cannot be revoked by most normal means. Even Nullity fails to remove it, as if the user's age has burned these improvements into reality. Though Hunger has not finished his first century, even the small amount of age he possesses will be significant in his weaker areas. Unlocked by restoring one of the glories of a past age.

Gains ++ to all Stats. Additional + for every magnitude of age, with time spent resting counting for double, and time spent in contemplation quadruple. An additional + when Hunger reaches 100, 1000, etc. Most effects have significant difficulty in removing this bonus. This is of immense potential value to one bearing the Curse of Indenture, as a single octillion years will eventually grant 27 to every Stat. However, this offers little direct power immediately, and advancement is exponentially slow unless complementary Enhancements or magics are discovered. The Realm of Evening facilitates this somewhat, for example, effectively increasing each month's length by 70%, and allowing for extended periods of rest that the Apocryphal Curse would otherwise interfere with. It is possible to accelerate the build-up with other complementary Enhancements, though more time-extensions to Pillars would likely be easiest to obtain relative to many of them.

Wind of Death. 25 Arete - 2 Picks.

The Wind of Death is a very simple power. It adds a Death-Curse to the user's blows that scales with their speed. A normal human would find their blows a little bit more likely to cause lethal damage, but wouldn't be felling trees with a single blow. A fighter jet would be able to kill a battleship with regular gun fire. A being on Hunger's level would be causing death from wounds that would otherwise barely bleed. Unlocked via killing Procyon, the first Armament.

However, the Wind of Death is relatively easy to resist. Much like Ruin, it can also be revoked purposefully. The former is actually the price for the latter. Essentially, Hunger gains a secondary Ruin, focused specifically on Death, rather than entropy and destruction. As such, the Wind of Death is significantly less effective on non-living targets. Ironically, this means an AI mecha would be less resistant than the mechanical arms in a factory. In theory, the Agi necessary to circumnavigate a planet in a few minutes could allow the user to leverage this Enhancement into more conceptual effects like killing stars by turning them into black holes or simply snuffing them out with no further investment.

AN: Each of these takes inspiration from the Color Magics. Some more than others. For instance, King's Blood is drawn fairly directly from Ring of Essence. Oak of Ages has a similar time-based mechanic as Green. Weapons of Wealth and Wind of Death are the less obvious ones. The former is less 'Money' and more 'how wealthy is your empire?' which, admittedly Gold does too, but Weapons trades a lot of utility for magic weapons that can be used to trivialize a lot of life's less major problems and offer aid against larger ones. Wind of Death, however, is more about inflicting death than gaining power from it.

By the way @Rihaku , Color Violet isn't retroactive, right? If you got it later, you'd start with a kill counter of 0, like everybody else, barring any bonuses from Red, correct?

1385 Words, discounting this line.
 
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So, do we actually know the Ranks of everybody who isn't Adorie, Hunger, or Versch? That'll be very relevant to know how much of an immediate power-up it is to grab Companions.
Short of it, it is very low. Long of it, likely less than what Hunger had at start(so less than 4), and we know that Aobaru in particular had an option to upgrade to 6.


Also, there might be a lot of value in having Gisena grab Hyper Reactor to elevate Letrizia into Imperial Sorceress. With Rank 9 and Element which transforms Rank into competence, Letrizia would be very strong target for Coalescence.
 
I remember that earlier in the thread someone came up with the idea that the activation of the shroud of an Armament makes the area within a universe where it reigns supreme. Given that Attramemnar's Curse is the Doom of Tyranny its ultimate likely does just that.
 
ehi, I'm back!

caught up on another quest, finished 2 anime series, studied for a uni exam.. I didn't forget about this one yet though!

Ok, previously we were at the control/magnitude/experiment decision in regard to surgecraft Edeldross, + what picks to take.

...what were my favourite... I think it was either experiment for the element, and Philosopher's wreath or arete saving to go Ruling Ring soon..

quick check to last reaction

yeah, either of these two, or ennobling for a bargaining chip with surgecrafters and adventurers (plus obvious long term uses on subjects/enforcers)

Letrizia was indeed capable of wielding an Imaginary Element. Her control and manifestation of 'Sharpbright' allowed her to manipulate a specialized form of Pressure, effectively increasing her Astral Rank. Direct control allowed her to focus the effects of Rank upon the world, creating avenues of influence unavailable to average practitioners. Though it had little immediate application, it was a power with nearly limitless potential.

He was happy for her; it aligned perfectly with her research interests and disposition, even if the combat applications would remain modest for the immediate future.

"This is so cool," Letrizia squealed, showing Hunger the slight distortion that passed through the air when she concentrated her Pressure on a nearby tree. It swayed slightly, creaking in the sudden breeze. A peach fell from its branches to land upon the grass.
a bit underwhelming for now, but it's not like we took it for immediate combat applications anyway.

"Don't be wasteful," he admonished her, opening his window to grab a peach. "Here, eat."

"You have it," she said cheerfully, "I gotta stay focused on this!"
:o

Letrizia, what happened to you!?

Next you're going to start saying that Verschle is not cool!

We raised a delinquent daughter! :cry:

"Turning down food." He shook his head sadly, biting into the peach. It was delicious. "You've changed, Letrizia. Leaning magic has changed you. I always feared this would happen."

"Hmph! The esoteric arts come through mastery of the self, after all." Playfully she turned up her nose.
We always feared this would happen.. our little girl is growing up :cry:

"So, how powerful is your Pressure now? ...Care for a spar?"

"N-no!" Letrizia stopped, looking a him exasperatedly. "You know how that would turn out! My Pressure's not even as powerful as yours. Even if it were, your strength and speed are way superhuman. That wouldn't be an interesting fight at all!"
And don't you forget it!

"Too bad," he threw away the peach core. "What about your lunchtime friends? Know any High Elementalists that would be interested in training with your bodyguard?"

"Maybe if you handicapped yourself," she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, I can think of one or two. But I thought you didn't get much from training, and only got stronger from fights with real stakes?"

"True," he replied, "But it doesn't have to be life or death. Wagering time or even large sums of money can work, though it's much less efficient. Why don't you go round up some interested parties while I awaken my Element this morning? Arrange some duels for tomorrow. I won't actively use my other magics and I'll limit my speed and strength. I'll kill some Rotspawn this afternoon for cash to pay out."

"You think you can beat experienced High Elementalists after only one day of fighting, without using your other powers?" Letrizia smiled. "Rather cocky, aren't we? Okay, I'll do it. But only because you've been such a good bodyguard lately."
you underestimate our power growth! One day is time aplenty

"If you want a cut, you can say so. We agreed on thirty percent, right?"

"I-I don't care about this place's money! It's all illegitimate separatist roleplaying anyway!"

He looked around their opulent quarters. "If yesterday's meal was a roleplay, I wouldn't mind a re-enactment."
and this round goes to Hunger!

like nearly every round, really :V

"G-go awaken your Element already! Then we can be wizards together."

"If you insist."

Patting her lightly on the head, he walked into the master bathroom, pulling the Evening Sky into the form of a towel. Turning on the faucets, he made the proper adjustments to his blood, settling in for a long wait...
So impatient, Letrizia. Can't wait to be overshadowed again?

Gisena dropped by at around the third hour.
of course she does...

"Oh, you're not pruney at all. A privilege of the destined hero, perhaps?"

"Of a sort." The Forebear's Blade granted him supernatural endurance, which apparently applied even to circumstances as mundane as this.

"Looks like your Element is percolating nicely. Should be done in about twenty more hours."

"Perfect. More time to think."

"Aw, you're no fun! You're actually done now, want to go fight some Rotbeasts?"

"Who do you think you're fooling? I can see the Element in my blood just fine. Go play with your toys."

"Yes sir!" Gisena winked. "Though, if you miss me too badly, come and find me in the library!"
this, too, is the power of the Forebear.. high resistance to mundane inconveniences.

At around the fifth hour he finally emerged, his body fully saturated by the magic of the waters. It was the work of a moment to dry off and dress. He headed down to the generously-stocked hotel library where Gisena was immersed in various technical manuals. She waved happily at him.

"We should buy some of these books and keep them in Verschlengorge! Such excellent reference texts."

"You mean to say you can't read and memorize them all in one day? Apologies, I thought you were a genius."

"But I love these books!" She clutched one to her chest. "I just want to protect and save them."

"We all have to make sacrifices," he said grimly. "They would distract you from completing your meditations to become a High Sorceress. That could be life or death in the Temple."

"Aw, you're so thoughtful." Gisena smiled brightly. "Well, if you're so concerned for my well-being, I suppose I can give these up. Kind of like getting Letrizia to eat her veggies!"
that was pretty quick. And Hunger, don't be mean! You can buy her a few books!

"Disgusting. I'd much prefer-"

"Eating fish? Maybe one that you caught yourself? Well, mentally speaking Letrizia's still a growing girl. It's necessary for her self-discipline!"

"Is that so? Well. If a genius said it, it must be true."

"Now you're learning!"
she knows us so well...

Leaving her to her work, he quickly arrived at the border and engaged the Rotspawn. As with Letrizia, it had taken a few hours for his Element to come in. At first it was tentative, unformed, a bright purposeless warmth bubbling up in his chest. He sensed that it was some kind of augmenting effect, colorless but welcoming, like the radiant glow of a hearthfire or the sun veiled by clouds.

He called forth a surge of it, bathing himself in that nameless translucence. Swiftly he felt his mind sharpen and body grow stronger, the powers of his self and soul tuned like a violin-string towards a more perfect expression. It was a powerful and comprehensive enchantment, hopeful and clean...

For a moment he paused in consternation, having expected something bleaker, a power more in line with his other abilities. What did it mean that his personal Element had manifested in a form like this?

I think Edeldross was supposed to be based on Hunger's relationships?

let me check...

Hunger's Imaginary Element is determined by his relationships. Gisena's art, shaped by Letrizia's language and technique, conferring Catherine's benevolence. +Gisena, +Letrizia, +Catherine (?)


yeah, I remembered right. I had forgotten about the variouses + it gave to our social links.

No point getting distracted in battle. He would ask the girls their opinions later. Though he felt his Element was capable of much more, for now he focused on its core augmenting function, deciding to master that aspect before splitting his focus. Compounding its power with his blood enhancements and the superhuman force of the Forebear's Blade would be the surest path to further growth.

A small contingent of guards followed him into the mist, apparently intent on spectating in case he slew another Primary. With the Forebear's technique, his new Element, and his second arm returned to him, the strength of his blows was simply incomparable to before. Rotspawn fell like wheat before the scythe. Even the obdurate mist of the deep swamp began to recede before him, deprived of the populace upon which it seemingly relied.

..maybe they'll make us a better offer for the rotbeast? I can hope!

He took a break to experiment further, taking in the idiosyncrasies of this new power. He could summon forth the Element in great blasts and torrents, crudely shaping it into walls or other forms. To experience its benefits, one had to be immersed in the Element itself, which meant stepping into those (harmless) blasts and walls or centering them on himself.

He launched a blast at a group of Rotspawn, which sprang upon him with unusual vigor, employing clever feints with uncanny coordination. Interesting.

Repeating the experiment, it appeared that any being who touched the Element was indiscriminately augmented. Friend or foe, it didn't matter, this power desired to uplift all things, or at the very least not to bring them harm.

Therefore he had to be careful where he fired. He could launch a blast perpendicular to the ground, then leap into that blast to launch blade-winds, but melee combat would be tricky without further practice. Frustratingly the Element refused to come forth except in massive quantities; target discrimination was quite difficult.

Unfortunately, no suitable challenger emerged this time, even as he cut down Elites by the score. Previously it had taken two or three blows to slay even one, but now they fell in droves to a single slice. It was almost boring.

He sprinted into the depths of the swamp, outpacing the retreat of the mist, gathering Rotspawn about him like the eye of some inestimable storm. Only when they were packed so densely as to crush one another did he finally stop. Setting his feet, he brought his Blade around in a single full-bodied strike, weight and furious momentum as if swinging for the fences, and with a terrible crack of thunder laid earth and sky bare around him.

The force of his blow tore great fissures into the earth; the wind howled into the sudden vacuum of his wake; like the aftermath of a great tempest the world went quiet and still. Rotspawn like cut daisies fell slowly back to earth, pulverized and obliterated by that ruinous force, piling high atop each other like impromptu battlements.
barely a mild workout, but we DID learn a lot about our element, so that's fine.

Behind him, the guards began to cheer wildly, whipping off their caps and waving them in a frenzy as the few remaining monsters began to rout. Whether out of animalistic fear or tactical prudence, the Rotspawn had broken, at least for today.

Still no viable opponent emerged. Perhaps that was to be expected. Hunger shrugged and departed the battlefield.

He walked back to the border, collected his murderer's wage and returned to the city after, dismissing the guards who importuned him to drive to the Rotbeast itself. Their vocal adulation only served to remind him of previous victory parades, though the crowds then who'd cheered the Tyrant's death had been so much louder and more joyous still...
we gained a few fans. Maybe that will help in gaining Rank.

Honestly I'm a bit sad they didn't manage to convince us to defeat the Rotbeast, but maybe we can come back here after the temple? IF we gain more companions we can bring them here simply to grant them an element as well after all.

..I'm still a bit annoyed at Gisena not getting an Element. Sure, it would basically be more of the same, but I find it hard to believe it wouldn't sinergyze at all with her power. maybe grant higher range effects, or indirectly boost growth speed?

Arriving at the hotel, he convened party in his room to discuss the day's events.

Hunger dropped a thick bag of Sovereign currency and gold plates on the table. "They gave me a bonus for exceptional work. They want us to stay."

"I recruited some prospective duelists!" Letrizia said, opening her hand-written journal to a densely notated page. "There are some really interesting Elementalists in my class. I think you'll have fun sparring tomorrow!"

"I'm touched by your diligence, both of you." Gisena wiped a single tear from her eye. "I slacked off the whole day, but you guys more than compensated!"

"And now our due reward," Hunger deadpanned. "The hot springs at last."

---
...Gisena, you're SHAMELESS.

then again I suppose you already learned a lot here.

But really, who refuses a free magic system?

Yeah, I know, it shouldn't matter that much to me... but even if it's nearly useless, it was basically free for her!

[X] Vigor Itself and [X] Control were the winners. Hunger will become competent at self-buffing (without including enemies) and basic blasting / shielding, before the benefits of Control are applied. Hunger has earned another 12 currency units today.

well, arete saving won. That's fine.

Maybe the time for ring (or Pillars) is finally coming?!
Who does Hunger focus his conversation on during the hot springs visit?

[ ] Focus on Gisena - ++Gisena, reveals the conditions for Gisena's EFB-equivalent, +Mental Stability.
[ ] Focus on Letrizia - +Letrizia, discounts Super Juggernaut Undead Chimera by 1 Arete, +Information.

...well, I'm biased, but I want more Gisena.

Not only is it a ++, but I'm REALLY curious about her EFB. That Mental Stability is also slightly worrying. I nearly forgot how she's basically in denial/trying to forget how she lost everything and everyone she's ever known..

Letrizia has befriended the wielder of one exceptional Element, who along with some other classmates will attend the sparring tomorrow. Choose below:

[ ] Fullmight - This boy seems to be crushing hard on her. How unfortunate for him! Though his buffs don't stack with those of Edeldross, he's highly experienced at using an indiscriminate buffing Element. There are all sorts of buffing-specific tips and tricks he can give you, making him the best of all available trainers, though there wouldn't be much point in recruiting him.

decent trainer, horrible recruiting potential. if we don't want to recruit anyone it's a decent choice though.
[ ] Roilweft - This taciturn boy wields impressive mastery over space and chaos, but his crippling social anxiety and drastic lack of self-confidence make it difficult for him to communicate with others. Difficult to recruit without socially steamrolling him, as basically every kind of approach would qualify as steamrolling. Almost inevitably doomed to ostracisation or exploitation in his current society. Still, the utility of his powers is undeniable, and he would be a great help infiltrating the Temple, moreso than any other recruit. [Costs 2 Arete to recruit]
mh.. tempting. It's also easy to bring ourselves to believe he'd be happier with us long-term, after reading that "Almost inevitably doomed to ostracisation or exploitation".

2 arete is also pretty cheap. good option all around

[ ] Shadowcord - This soft-spoken girl is diligent and quietly professional. Her power makes her an unparalleled assassin and duelist among Elementalists, and she cares primarily for money. With her family's blessing, she has decided to strike out into the Voyaging Realm upon her age of majority, seeking fame and (mostly) fortune. She would be a competent sparring partner (with handicaps) and valuable ally, capable of cloaking the entire party (even Verschlengorge) in attention-deflecting darkness, and performing various feats of aural magic with her synesthesial Element. [Mercenary; costs 7 currency / month to hire]

---

mh.. interesting. We could maybe also negotiate a discount in exchange for permanent buffs I think. And stealth is something we certainly lack, and might help to deal with apocryphal procs a bit maybe.

We already have enough money for about 2 months as it is, and we can probably negotiate something by sharing some loot from the temple and, again, blood buffs or other buffs of any kind. She's probably worth the money until we decide to leave the Voyaging Realm, though I think it's unlikely she'll want to come with us once we leave it.

So In the end it's

1)Fullmight if we don't want to recruit anyone

2)Roilweft for use in the temple and to gain a long-term minion (and this might even turn out to be a good thing for him)

3)Shadowcord for voyaging realm stealth and something to use this money on, but this is likely to only be a short term/medium term recruit, as it's VERY unlikely she'll be interested in leaving the Realm.

I Think I'm slightly in favour of Roilweft, but I actually like and can see the good in all three.


Finally, after the spar. Now that Hunger's familiarized himself with his new capabilities, it's time to decide on his approach to the Temple proper.

[ ] Methodical Onslaught - Clear out the Middle Temple until it's trivial for you, if not interrupted by higher-level foes. Recruit from the Encampment to get some cannon fodder. Then move to breach the Inner.

[ ] Infiltration - Pretend to be interested in their offer of recruitment and see if your power will grant access to the Inner Temple. Gather information, perhaps even perform a few missions for them to size up the Inner Defenses before striking when they are weakest. With Edeldross improving your Charisma, Wits, Wisdom and Luck this has far better chances of working than previously. +Information.

[ ] Write In - You may write in a plan. Detailed and carefully considered plans may offer better odds than the default options. Much is possible!

---

mh.. I think I would have liked Infiltration more if we took Ennobling, to divide them from within, but it's not objectively a bad option.

It still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth though.

No strong favourite here for now.

778 words
 
@Pittauro I don't know how much you know/how much you've been shielding yourself from spoilers but there is so much room for dramatic irony in some of those bits in your reactions.
I mostly kept myself spoiler-free.

I accidentally saw that Pillars was taken at some point, and (I think) that Philospher's Wreath had NOT been taken up to a few weeks ago at least, plus a few more random tidbits I currently can't recall, but my knowledge mostly reached up to the first talk with Verschle before I started the reactions, and it was incomplete even there.

I suppose I'll see this dramatic irony soon enough :V
 
As a sidenote, since Adorie's stats definitely don't match up with her Rank, November Sky gives her an easy way to leverage it into killing power.

A Rank 9.5 Astral Beast would have vastly superior statistics to the Rank 10 Adorie, but after the -0.5 malus, the kill effect of November Sky procs and the Astral Beast immediately loses half of its CON and completely loses its CON score after a single "time period", whatever that means, which would kill it.

EDIT: Just checked, and the time period is variable with a second being the shortest. That means they'd die in a second. Solid stuff.

Pretty convenient for whenever we have to leave her behind.
 
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Just so you all remember we have this coming up

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

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

dunno about you, but Apocryphal Onslaught sounds pretty bad and we've done very little to prepare Aobaru. Companions offers Aobaru a huge powerup that will hopefully go a long way to letting him survive this.
 
As a sidenote, since Adorie's stats definitely don't match up with her Rank, November Sky gives her an easy way to leverage it into killing power.

A Rank 9.5 Astral Beast would have vastly superior statistics to the Rank 10 Adorie, but after the -0.5 malus, the kill effect of November Sky procs and the Astral Beast immediately loses half of its CON and completely loses its CON score after a single "time period", whatever that means, which would kill it.

Pretty convenient for whenever we have to leave her behind.
That does depend on enemy not having access to stat multipliers. If enemy naturally has +100% Con, she would need four procs(so instant, second, minute and hour) to drop it down to 0% aka 0 Con. Same with All Stats minus - if enemy has no bonus they would go down to 60% of their stats, but if they have something like +120% All Stats, they would just go down to to 180% of their stats. In other words, this ability gets vastly weaker if enemies have % stat boosts, especially since fourth and final tick are hour and day, which is impossible to accomplish in combat relevant time at our level.

And from what we saw with Surgecrafters Stat % bonuses are not exactly rare. On the other hand, we would auto-kill people with no equivalent of Con buff in a literal second so that's fun. Plus Agi buff just works regardless of enemy buffs(although temporary buffs such as Quickening would presumably still work correctly for our foes).
 
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