Rihaku
The Internet
Current vote count?
Something that Hunger literally does in this update!
Something that Hunger literally does in this update!
A Simple Transaction I
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
- Original
I see we've embarked on a path of no return. Let's hope we don't get addicted to stabbing ourselves.
- Location
- Australia
I personally think it's the settings Rihaku writes, and the style he writes them in. Our enemies are always so strong and so proud that it just feels appropriate to try punching up.
Besides, i'm not sure if it's a consequence of the board's decisions, but Rihaku protagonists always have that little edge of madness. It never feels stupid to do stupid things because it's usually in character
- Location
- Australia
[X] Shine Bright + Second Stage
I just have to see what we're like when we're trying to exercise diplomatic leverage
I just have to see what we're like when we're trying to exercise diplomatic leverage
Ugh, as-expected of the forum dice roller. Only question now's whether we want Shine Bright to get our allies healed as fast as possible or if we want to gamble on Pristine Star helping us recover from whatever just happened.
Oof, that's a real ten percent of the time it happens every time outcome.
Inserted tally
Inserted tally
- Location
- Rivendell
[X] Pristine Star + Second Stage
Let's save some Arete here - Letrizia will heal in time and she's not really useful in combat right now anyways, what with Vesch being significantly more damaged than he was before.
Let's save some Arete here - Letrizia will heal in time and she's not really useful in combat right now anyways, what with Vesch being significantly more damaged than he was before.
Last edited:
Wolf Moon
Rihaku
The Internet
Wolf Moon
Letrizia was hurt and they had no means of supernatural healing. Gisena as well, though not so profoundly. His own state was nothing to envy; the charred husk of his arm could barely maintain its grip on the Forebear's Blade. Despite all they had lost, there had been gain as well. He was beginning to better understand the power of Progression that manifested in him, the lens through which it channeled his growth.
With each enemy beaten he grew in power. He could use that power to spin away parts of that enemy's legacy, taking them for his own. The jackal-dragon had given him a dragon's longevity. The King Fish, its furious might. The pirate captain's armor had become his cloak of stars. Already some fraction of Seralize's speed had invested him, reflexes heightened to keening sharpness.
That wasn't all. He could direct that power towards an existing aspect of his panoply instead, enhancing the Blade's destructive might or his Evening Sky's protection.
If he could find a beast with the power of healing and harvest its strength for his own, Letrizia's left side could be mended. She would not suffer the horrific pain and permanent damage of her burns. It was more than worth the risk.
"Watch her," he told Gisena. "I'll find something that can heal."
"All right," Gisena said quietly. She laid a hand on his own. "I'll keep her safe. Don't push yourself too hard, hero."
He smiled. "Look who's talking. Next time, just wake us up instead of spending an hour blasting away at the empty air."
"And interrupt your beauty sleep? I couldn't bring myself to do that. But don't worry, all I'm going to do is sit here and wait! The very picture of restraint and poise." She winked.
"Good."
He sped off, tacking past the lake and into the wetland mire beyond, past the murk and gloom of woods thick with rot, the sea-brine estuary wind stinging his nose and cheeks. Deep in the swamp he felled creature after creature, cleaving stringy muscle and shell-sloughed carapace in pursuit of his monstrous grail. This was not blind ambition: the murder of Seralize had restored a portion of his Rank alongside his speed, and he willed now the same world that had given him the Lake produce a monster worth the killing.
After an hour's steady slaughter it finally appeared, roused by commotion or simple deprivation of prey. A sinuous fusion of direwolf and alligator, its fangs ivory knives, its flesh living stone, with a tail of corded muscle half again its length. Ghostfire flickered in its eyes, and every wound he struck seemed hollow and inconsequential, the flesh separate from the animating force.
But the Forebear's Blade could pierce more than physical flesh. As it asserted itself with an indolent swipe, confident in its invincibility, he plunged his blade-shard into the soft meat beneath its shoulder-plates, channeling fell power to bleed mind and spirit directly. At this the beast finally reacted, yowling in surprise and anguish. He backed away, evading its retaliatory swipes with newly-bought speed, and darted around the back to strike another gap in its armor with the same technique.
Slowly and piteously it fell, deathless strength yielding to the attrition of the Blade. As he took its heart, its ghostflame resilience passed into the ring, an unearthly light that bound essence and corpus together. The knowledge came to him: those who bathed in its glow would recover even from grievous wounds, as whole in body as they were in spirit.
But a few days ago he'd speculated about continuity after death, persisting as a being of spirit so long as his artifacts survived. He'd expected such an achievement to be the product of years, but perhaps if he focused it into the Blade, most deeply connected of all artifacts...
Yes. He and the Blade were one. So long as it persisted, he could survive even decapitation as a semi-physical wraith, though he'd remain vulnerable to physical harm. The fulsome density of ghostfire that animated his "corpse" would restore his body in a matter of hours, leaving him healed and rested upon resuming human existence.
He plunged the Blade into his heart, assuming the state willingly, eager to test its bounds and limitations. Ghostfire flickered, emerging from his body like an unfurling flower. A pale simulacrum of his right arm filled out the seared and skeletal husk of its physical presence. His left, cleaved away by the Tyrant's own blade, did not appear at all, nor did his missing eye.
The ghost-flesh was light but also effervescent, incapable of exerting quite as much force as his true body. But that was also its strength, capable of phasing momentarily through solid matter at a substantial cost in stamina. That it required the temporary death of his body was a major inconvenience.
Nonetheless, it was good enough. This would work. By his wraith-form's light he navigated the gloaming dark of the swamp, returning swiftly to the shores of the lake. Gisena waved at him from a distance. Swift as an evening wind he billowed across the lake's surface, too light and fast for gravity to drag beneath, and reached her in the span of a breath.
"Oh my." Gisena looked down forlornly. "Are you Hunger's pale shade, come to bid us a final farewell?"
"Only because I can't tolerate your company any longer. My new life as a ghostly adventurer beckons."
"Poor Letrizia. Better for her to think you dead, than abandoned so abruptly!"
"You won't guilt me out of this." He dropped to a knee, laying a semi-corporeal hand against her forehead.
"...How is she?"
"Alive," Gisena said, "and blissfully unconscious on my lap, as you can see. It's supremely comfortable, as I said! Jealous?"
"Should I be?" He raised an eyebrow.
Gisena giggled. "I hope your current state's not permanent!"
"Me too," he deadpanned. "But the light it gives off will slowly heal Letrizia, and that's all that matters."
As if in response, Letrizia mewled quietly, curling up in Gisena's lap, charred flesh crinkling softly. Her pain assuaged by the ghostfire's light, she did not awaken.
"Hmph," she brushed a finger against the wraithflesh, marveling at it semi-corporeal state. "You'll have to be careful in battle. Your very person is vulnerable to dispellation now."
"Worse, I'm constantly just a little bit cold," he remarked. "Maybe I'll switch back in the morning."
"The conquering hero's return," Gisena smiled softly. "I'll have to think of a proper reward."
"So long as it's not your cooking."
"Maybe I'll make you something! Would you prefer a bouquet of flowers? A triumphal wreath, some laurels for you to rest on?"
"Flowers would be wonderful, thank you."
"Great! I know just the prettiest arrangement," she raised a finger perkily. "Look forward to it! You'll wake up literally smelling of roses."
"I can hardly wait."
---
The winning vote was [X] Mire Wolf with [X] Pristine Star, [X] Second Stage. You are suffering the Condition: Chill of the Grave: Perhaps a bit too eager to pierce the curtain between life and death. -5% effectiveness to all actions for 1 month.
With Letrizia stable, the threat of the blue swordsman looms large. Rest is required, of course. Hunger is exhausted still. But that leaves 28 more days of Decimator-free existence. With the crucial window of portal investigation fallow, you've run low on leads for Ber's location. What now to do?
[ ] Make For Civilization - Your Rank having been augmented by recent efforts, you can navigate the Voyaging Realm nearly as well as Verschlengorge himself. Though the Tyrant's Doom afflicts you still, at least your Decimation is absent. Morally it's a good idea to take care of any civilized business in this window. Logistically, civilization confers the power of multitudes to solve your problems. Perhaps there are new magics you could acquire, items of power to equip Gisena and Letrizia with (your arsenal being full), even supplies to repair the Armament?
You'll let Gisena do most of the talking, so as not to provoke your Doom.
*Wide range of outcomes, available options will be determined by a combination of thread participation, fanworks and random chance.
*Low-Medium Risk, Moderate Reward is the likeliest outcome
*Potentially outfit your existing party members, and acquire new party members!
*Can sell your giant pearl for lots of money
*You can't reach Letrizia's civ, so you're looking for native societies.
[ ] Hunt - Power flows from the tip of a sword. For you, that's quite literal.
*Available targets will be determined by a combination of Rank, pertinent abilities, thread participation, fanworks and random chance.
*Variable Risk, high reward to risk ratio
*Kill cool monsters and take their (ability to?) shit
[ ] Temple of the False Moon - The message in a bottle yielded a map, its surface writ with silver-shimmering ink. Quickly it began to discorporate in the oxygen of the naked air. Though you've sheltered it with the Evening Sky, it slowly continues to disintegrate. The silver ink shifts with the Voyaging Realm, tracing a path to the Temple of the False Moon, within which treasures beyond all reason are promised.
Instinct tells you that this is a trap. But the most alluring traps carry the most valuable bait.
*Very high risk, extreme reward
*You will be able to somewhat influence the outcome, including mitigation of risk, via tactics & thread participation now and later. Intelligent decision-making and sound strategy will be the key to victory, so risks can be dealt with.
*To Boldly Go: Taking this option will grant 2 Arete and defray activations of the Apocryphal Curse for two weeks.
*You have Gisena to dispel any magical defenses, and your own form which can now persist even in the face of death. How bad could it possibly be?!
*You are not Exhausted anymore and no longer suffering from any wound penalties, so it's literally now or never with the map disintegrating.
Thread participation has yielded a reward. Choose carefully, a consistent strategy here can pay dividends:
[ ] +0.5 Arete
[ ] +Letrizia
[ ] +1 pick during next Experience spend
Letrizia was hurt and they had no means of supernatural healing. Gisena as well, though not so profoundly. His own state was nothing to envy; the charred husk of his arm could barely maintain its grip on the Forebear's Blade. Despite all they had lost, there had been gain as well. He was beginning to better understand the power of Progression that manifested in him, the lens through which it channeled his growth.
With each enemy beaten he grew in power. He could use that power to spin away parts of that enemy's legacy, taking them for his own. The jackal-dragon had given him a dragon's longevity. The King Fish, its furious might. The pirate captain's armor had become his cloak of stars. Already some fraction of Seralize's speed had invested him, reflexes heightened to keening sharpness.
That wasn't all. He could direct that power towards an existing aspect of his panoply instead, enhancing the Blade's destructive might or his Evening Sky's protection.
If he could find a beast with the power of healing and harvest its strength for his own, Letrizia's left side could be mended. She would not suffer the horrific pain and permanent damage of her burns. It was more than worth the risk.
"Watch her," he told Gisena. "I'll find something that can heal."
"All right," Gisena said quietly. She laid a hand on his own. "I'll keep her safe. Don't push yourself too hard, hero."
He smiled. "Look who's talking. Next time, just wake us up instead of spending an hour blasting away at the empty air."
"And interrupt your beauty sleep? I couldn't bring myself to do that. But don't worry, all I'm going to do is sit here and wait! The very picture of restraint and poise." She winked.
"Good."
He sped off, tacking past the lake and into the wetland mire beyond, past the murk and gloom of woods thick with rot, the sea-brine estuary wind stinging his nose and cheeks. Deep in the swamp he felled creature after creature, cleaving stringy muscle and shell-sloughed carapace in pursuit of his monstrous grail. This was not blind ambition: the murder of Seralize had restored a portion of his Rank alongside his speed, and he willed now the same world that had given him the Lake produce a monster worth the killing.
After an hour's steady slaughter it finally appeared, roused by commotion or simple deprivation of prey. A sinuous fusion of direwolf and alligator, its fangs ivory knives, its flesh living stone, with a tail of corded muscle half again its length. Ghostfire flickered in its eyes, and every wound he struck seemed hollow and inconsequential, the flesh separate from the animating force.
But the Forebear's Blade could pierce more than physical flesh. As it asserted itself with an indolent swipe, confident in its invincibility, he plunged his blade-shard into the soft meat beneath its shoulder-plates, channeling fell power to bleed mind and spirit directly. At this the beast finally reacted, yowling in surprise and anguish. He backed away, evading its retaliatory swipes with newly-bought speed, and darted around the back to strike another gap in its armor with the same technique.
Slowly and piteously it fell, deathless strength yielding to the attrition of the Blade. As he took its heart, its ghostflame resilience passed into the ring, an unearthly light that bound essence and corpus together. The knowledge came to him: those who bathed in its glow would recover even from grievous wounds, as whole in body as they were in spirit.
But a few days ago he'd speculated about continuity after death, persisting as a being of spirit so long as his artifacts survived. He'd expected such an achievement to be the product of years, but perhaps if he focused it into the Blade, most deeply connected of all artifacts...
Yes. He and the Blade were one. So long as it persisted, he could survive even decapitation as a semi-physical wraith, though he'd remain vulnerable to physical harm. The fulsome density of ghostfire that animated his "corpse" would restore his body in a matter of hours, leaving him healed and rested upon resuming human existence.
He plunged the Blade into his heart, assuming the state willingly, eager to test its bounds and limitations. Ghostfire flickered, emerging from his body like an unfurling flower. A pale simulacrum of his right arm filled out the seared and skeletal husk of its physical presence. His left, cleaved away by the Tyrant's own blade, did not appear at all, nor did his missing eye.
The ghost-flesh was light but also effervescent, incapable of exerting quite as much force as his true body. But that was also its strength, capable of phasing momentarily through solid matter at a substantial cost in stamina. That it required the temporary death of his body was a major inconvenience.
Nonetheless, it was good enough. This would work. By his wraith-form's light he navigated the gloaming dark of the swamp, returning swiftly to the shores of the lake. Gisena waved at him from a distance. Swift as an evening wind he billowed across the lake's surface, too light and fast for gravity to drag beneath, and reached her in the span of a breath.
"Oh my." Gisena looked down forlornly. "Are you Hunger's pale shade, come to bid us a final farewell?"
"Only because I can't tolerate your company any longer. My new life as a ghostly adventurer beckons."
"Poor Letrizia. Better for her to think you dead, than abandoned so abruptly!"
"You won't guilt me out of this." He dropped to a knee, laying a semi-corporeal hand against her forehead.
"...How is she?"
"Alive," Gisena said, "and blissfully unconscious on my lap, as you can see. It's supremely comfortable, as I said! Jealous?"
"Should I be?" He raised an eyebrow.
Gisena giggled. "I hope your current state's not permanent!"
"Me too," he deadpanned. "But the light it gives off will slowly heal Letrizia, and that's all that matters."
As if in response, Letrizia mewled quietly, curling up in Gisena's lap, charred flesh crinkling softly. Her pain assuaged by the ghostfire's light, she did not awaken.
"Hmph," she brushed a finger against the wraithflesh, marveling at it semi-corporeal state. "You'll have to be careful in battle. Your very person is vulnerable to dispellation now."
"Worse, I'm constantly just a little bit cold," he remarked. "Maybe I'll switch back in the morning."
"The conquering hero's return," Gisena smiled softly. "I'll have to think of a proper reward."
"So long as it's not your cooking."
"Maybe I'll make you something! Would you prefer a bouquet of flowers? A triumphal wreath, some laurels for you to rest on?"
"Flowers would be wonderful, thank you."
"Great! I know just the prettiest arrangement," she raised a finger perkily. "Look forward to it! You'll wake up literally smelling of roses."
"I can hardly wait."
---
The winning vote was [X] Mire Wolf with [X] Pristine Star, [X] Second Stage. You are suffering the Condition: Chill of the Grave: Perhaps a bit too eager to pierce the curtain between life and death. -5% effectiveness to all actions for 1 month.
With Letrizia stable, the threat of the blue swordsman looms large. Rest is required, of course. Hunger is exhausted still. But that leaves 28 more days of Decimator-free existence. With the crucial window of portal investigation fallow, you've run low on leads for Ber's location. What now to do?
[ ] Make For Civilization - Your Rank having been augmented by recent efforts, you can navigate the Voyaging Realm nearly as well as Verschlengorge himself. Though the Tyrant's Doom afflicts you still, at least your Decimation is absent. Morally it's a good idea to take care of any civilized business in this window. Logistically, civilization confers the power of multitudes to solve your problems. Perhaps there are new magics you could acquire, items of power to equip Gisena and Letrizia with (your arsenal being full), even supplies to repair the Armament?
You'll let Gisena do most of the talking, so as not to provoke your Doom.
*Wide range of outcomes, available options will be determined by a combination of thread participation, fanworks and random chance.
*Low-Medium Risk, Moderate Reward is the likeliest outcome
*Potentially outfit your existing party members, and acquire new party members!
*Can sell your giant pearl for lots of money
*You can't reach Letrizia's civ, so you're looking for native societies.
[ ] Hunt - Power flows from the tip of a sword. For you, that's quite literal.
*Available targets will be determined by a combination of Rank, pertinent abilities, thread participation, fanworks and random chance.
*Variable Risk, high reward to risk ratio
*Kill cool monsters and take their (ability to?) shit
[ ] Temple of the False Moon - The message in a bottle yielded a map, its surface writ with silver-shimmering ink. Quickly it began to discorporate in the oxygen of the naked air. Though you've sheltered it with the Evening Sky, it slowly continues to disintegrate. The silver ink shifts with the Voyaging Realm, tracing a path to the Temple of the False Moon, within which treasures beyond all reason are promised.
Instinct tells you that this is a trap. But the most alluring traps carry the most valuable bait.
*Very high risk, extreme reward
*You will be able to somewhat influence the outcome, including mitigation of risk, via tactics & thread participation now and later. Intelligent decision-making and sound strategy will be the key to victory, so risks can be dealt with.
*To Boldly Go: Taking this option will grant 2 Arete and defray activations of the Apocryphal Curse for two weeks.
*You have Gisena to dispel any magical defenses, and your own form which can now persist even in the face of death. How bad could it possibly be?!
*You are not Exhausted anymore and no longer suffering from any wound penalties, so it's literally now or never with the map disintegrating.
Thread participation has yielded a reward. Choose carefully, a consistent strategy here can pay dividends:
[ ] +0.5 Arete
[ ] +Letrizia
[ ] +1 pick during next Experience spend
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[X] Shine Bright + Second Stage
Might as well bet on healing Verschlengorge.
Edit: Ninja'd. By the update, no less.
Might as well bet on healing Verschlengorge.
Edit: Ninja'd. By the update, no less.
[ ] Hunt - Power flows from the tip of a sword. For you, that's quite literal.
[ ] +0.5 Arete
I'm thinking this is my preferred vote. Maybe if we didn't have that effectiveness malus I'd be more keen on the temple, as is though I'm a bit reluctant. Civilization feels a bit too slow ramping to be appealing right now.
[ ] +0.5 Arete
I'm thinking this is my preferred vote. Maybe if we didn't have that effectiveness malus I'd be more keen on the temple, as is though I'm a bit reluctant. Civilization feels a bit too slow ramping to be appealing right now.
Apocrypha: There are times when I don't even need to do anything! What a nice guy, making my work easy for me.
Or maybe the Temple is simply sufficiently interesting. Ignore the warnings about bad outcomes.
- Location
- Rivendell
[X] Temple of the False Moon
[] Hunt
[X] +1 pick during next Experience spend
Not sure about which of Temple/Hunt to pick, but heading off to Civilization seems like a terrible idea right now. We have no mitigation for the Curse of Tyranny, and we have an upcoming fight with an opponent who Rihaku said is a match for us in our current state, and who has short-term growth potential that could equal or even be greater than ours!
[] Hunt
[X] +1 pick during next Experience spend
Not sure about which of Temple/Hunt to pick, but heading off to Civilization seems like a terrible idea right now. We have no mitigation for the Curse of Tyranny, and we have an upcoming fight with an opponent who Rihaku said is a match for us in our current state, and who has short-term growth potential that could equal or even be greater than ours!
Rihaku
The Internet
You do have a considerable amount of Arete that could be expended at a spending point to improve your chances! Power compounds upon power, after all. And Hunting is not as efficient as it would be with Scent of Prey.
Well, we did kill that Fish for this...
[X] Temple of the False Moon
[X] +1 pick during next Experience spend
Time for some extremely risky spelunking! We missed out on the tomb of the dead gods last quest, but not anymore!
[X] Temple of the False Moon
[X] +1 pick during next Experience spend
Time for some extremely risky spelunking! We missed out on the tomb of the dead gods last quest, but not anymore!
Literally untrue in Hunger's case!
At least we might be able to snag Form of Rage soon, as a safeguard against whatever lunacy lurks within the Temple.
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
=
what a fucking power move
Also, how much Arete do we have currently?
Talace
It must be raining somewhere else!
[X] Temple of the False Moon
[X] +0.5 Arete
Well, now seems like a better time to take risks. No more exhaustion, no more wound penalties, and the opportunity to accumulate 2.5 Arete. The very high risk is concerning, so I'm a bit hesitant to vote for this. Will be more sure if we can come up with tactics, will be less sure if we can't.
[X] +0.5 Arete
Well, now seems like a better time to take risks. No more exhaustion, no more wound penalties, and the opportunity to accumulate 2.5 Arete. The very high risk is concerning, so I'm a bit hesitant to vote for this. Will be more sure if we can come up with tactics, will be less sure if we can't.
- Location
- Australia
[X] Hunt
[X] +1 pick during next Experience spend
I think this is the best option.
Hunt promises high reward to risk ratio, meaning we do well for ourselves however much risk we're willing to take on.
If we wanted to, we could probably even take on something very high risk for rewards roughly equal to what we'd get for pursuing the Temple. If we don't want to, we can scale up with lesser rewards in relative peace.
That said, you all know me. I'm more than happy to go for the Temple.
[X] +1 pick during next Experience spend
I think this is the best option.
Hunt promises high reward to risk ratio, meaning we do well for ourselves however much risk we're willing to take on.
If we wanted to, we could probably even take on something very high risk for rewards roughly equal to what we'd get for pursuing the Temple. If we don't want to, we can scale up with lesser rewards in relative peace.
That said, you all know me. I'm more than happy to go for the Temple.
It's closed, the winning votes are typically posted right before choices at the end of an update. Pristine Star won this time; we heal people by ghosting them.
Talace
It must be raining somewhere else!
We were a tad below 6.2 Arete before fighting the Mire Wolf and spending on Second Stage... we should be at around 4.2 plus whatever Arete we've accumulated since then.
We could get up to 2.5 here, so we'd be able to purchase a 7 cost ability true. It would be nice to get a bit more out of the fish as well. Ber seems like the most pertinent reason to go for it though, an unproductive hunting trip could leave us helpless. This is also the most likely route to increased rank, which is the core of our build at this point. Eh, I'll think about it.
It's like, you know this is a bad idea. The option doesn't even try to hide how much of a bad idea it is. It even casts Moon into doubt!
But the only way the option could be more attractive is if it had 'Evil' in its name or something.
But the only way the option could be more attractive is if it had 'Evil' in its name or something.