Crossworld Arena CYOA
Hello, plaything! How would you like to be a part of a game?
Haha, don't worry about answering - the question was rhetorical. It's happening whether any of you like it or not. The Sovereigns are bored, and your world has been chosen to be our latest piece of entertainment. What can we say except you're welcome!
Oh, you want to know my name? How quaint. Such a freight of metaphysically-dense meaning would obliterate your mind like a rotten pumpkin. In a thermonuclear explosion. Still, if you simply
must have something to call me... oh, let's go with Nix.
The game is simple. We're going to splice your world - you actually call it 'Earth'? how
pedestrian - with a number of alternate, more
interesting versions of itself. Yes, yes, admittedly 'more interesting' than this drab little ball of mud with nothing to speak of is a low, low bar to clear - but I think you'll find our splices sufficiently spicy to make your times more interesting, as they say. This is to set the stage for the game. You can't have a properly exciting game in a dull arena, after all!
At the same time, 1,000 individuals will be non-randomly chosen from all across this 'Earth' (ugh) to be players in the game! You, lucky thing, get to be the first of them, though the rest will be chosen within an objective nanosecond after you finish equipping yourself. I can see from rifling through the memories stored in your wet little brainmeats that you're familiar with some stories about that tedious killjoy, the Accursed. Good, that will make parts of this explanation easier.
The prize in this game is simple. If you win (there is no prize for second place, so don't even ask, but as generous beings we
will let you keep all the powers you choose here even if you fail to win), then the Sovereigns will pool their power to grant you a boon on par with one of the Greater Wishes the Accursed sometimes grants as part of one of his silly little Remittances. Think of it as about halfway between the Lesser Wishes and True Wishes he more typically offers in those little packages of his.
Honestly, what does he think he's doing with those Remittances and Cursebearers, anyway? If our Curse was that easy to overcome, we'd never have bothered placing it on him in the first place!
Ah, but I digress. What was next? Oh, yes, how to win the game. I'd explain in detail, but it's not like your primitive little monkey brain could actually grasp the real rules. So in brief, you win by being the most entertaining! You can expect the criteria for entertainment to be, from your perspective, arbitrary, unfair, and opaque. But take your best guess! The sight of you fumbling at it might actually win you points in and of itself after all. And, just since you're my favorite, I'll give you a little hint. Clashing directly with other Chosen will almost
always win you points. Hm? What do you mean, that sounds like something all the Chosen would get told? Well, I suppose the other Sovereigns certainly might - we almost all enjoy watching lesser beings claw at each other for our favor, after all. It's the main reason why we enjoy this format! The game will be played for exactly 100 years - no more, no less. Then we'll tally up all your points and grant the winner their prize.
To assist you in this, you may select various powers and enhancements from the options to follow.
You have 12 Picks, 4 Further Beyonds, and 2 Even Further Beyonds to spend on these options.
(OOC: Also, just since Nix happens to like you, you can ask one (1) question about any aspect of this CYOA that Nix will answer in-character; amusing or insightful questions are more likely to receive a useful and salient answer)
Splices
I mentioned that we'd be splicing some more interesting alternates of your drab little world in, didn't I? Well, good news! As the first player chosen, you may select one splice per sector of your world to enhance. This isn't actually optional, so it would also be accurate to say you
must select one splice per sector to enhance. You may think that the first player getting unilateral authority to decide this is arbitrary and unfair to everyone else, and you would be correct. Just be happy it's working in your favor this time - it won't always.
All splices will be present regardless of your choices, you're just selecting which ones to make worse. It's not all bad news, those. At your discretion, you may spend a Further Beyond (or 4 picks) on one of your enhanced splices to bend it to your favor. You may
only spend a Further Beyond on a splice if you've chosen to enhance it. As the only one empowered to select a splice to enhance, you are also the only Chosen who will be able to spend Further Beyonds in this category. Everybody else just has to live with it.
[1 Even Further Beyond] Splice Savant: You must select a second splice to enhance in every sector. When you do so, gain 1 "free" Further Beyond that may only be spent on an enhanced splice in that sector.
Asian and Pacific Sector
Neo-Tokyo, the Awakened Future
Neo-Tokyo is a transplant from a future Earth in which magic awakened at the same time as technology was rushing forward. If you think Shadowrun, you're about on the money, though the strength of the magic and the tech are both dialed up by a factor of about 5. They're still not very compatible with each other, though, much as in Shadowrun. Powerful mages' associations and biologically and cybernetically enhanced megacorporate supersoldiers abound here. Japan instantly becomes a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: Technology improves to the point that it's not just producing highly advanced cybernetics and weapons, it is producing Gundam-level Mobile Suits. Access to these is tightly restricted, and if you somehow took one without permission you should expect massive and concerted retaliation. On the magical side, a Great Dragon awakens in the nation. All Great Dragons are thousands of years old, superintelligent, more magically powerful than any human archmage, fabulously wealthy beyond belief, and at least as physically powerful as a Category III Kaiju. They may select favored mortals to become Dragon's Disciples and gain their backing and a fraction of their power in exchange for doing their bidding. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be a megacorporate CEO and/or a senior Dragon's Disciple. They also have an interest in the wellbeing and power of their nation of origin, and their role in its politics increases the nation's aggression by a factor of at least 2.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] A Weapon to Surpass Metal Gear: Gain access to a powerful Mobile Suit as an independent actor, which is stronger than a 'standard' Mobile Suit by a factor of 10. Possession of this suit will not provoke ire or retaliation from anyone, but will likely attract attention from many who wish to control its power and/or duplicate its technology, including an offer to become a Dragon's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...). With the correct abilities, you may be able to enhance it further.
Shenzhou, the Divine Land
Qi Cultivation becomes commonplace in China. 12 powerful and numerous Sects are instantly spliced in throughout the land. Gaining admittance to these Sects is heavily restricted and difficult even for Chinese citizens and impossible for outsiders, and stealing their secrets without permission will attract furious retaliation from the entire Sect and all their allies. The least of these martial cultivators is easily on par with an expensive megacorporate supersoldier from Neo-Tokyo. Masters, and still more Grandmasters, are rare as hen's teeth but the least of them is easily on par with a Mobile Suit. China instantly becomes a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: the power of Qi Cultivation is enhanced from high-Wuxia levels to low-Xianxia levels. Sects each focus on a Path which incorporates from 1-3 "types" of Qi in various ways. Grandmasters become even rarer, but can easily devastate a city singlehandedly, and with concerted effort can devastate entire nations if not continents alone if not effectively opposed. Lesser levels of advancement are advanced proportionately from their non-enhanced version. A Great Dragon awakens in the nation, with the same general characteristics (including the increase to national aggression) as before. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be a Sect Leader (you may assume they possess Master or Grandmaster strength in Qi Cultivation as such), and/or a Dragon's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Fortunate Son: Instantly secure a place for yourself as a well-favored Inner Disciple in a powerful Sect with a Qi Path of your choice. You will enjoy the Sect's protection and assistance, but will also be expected to serve its interests. You will have a talent for cultivating the Qi of your chosen Path that exceeds that of a normal talented cultivator by a factor of at least 2. With the correct abilities, you may increase your Qi Affinity for this Path still further. Your talent affects not just your rate of progress, but also your theoretical upper limits. With sufficient progression, expect to attract an offer to become a Dragon's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...).
Land of Ten Thousand Gods
The Hindu gods of India return to take a direct hand in the nation. Each of them selects at least one Avatar (a former mortal empowered with a fraction of the god's power) to represent their interests and beliefs. No outsider has a chance of being selected. While these are significantly less numerous than the Qi Cultivators, even the least of these Avatars exceeds the power of a non-enhanced beginning martial cultivator by a factor of at least 2, and more commonly at least 5. The Avatars of the greatest gods, while few indeed in number, exceed the Masters and Grandmasters of Qi Cultivation by a similar margin. The favor of a greater god is a fearsome thing indeed. One should also not underestimate the capacity of the creations of an Avatar of a creator or crafter god to advance technology for the nation. India instantly becomes a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: The Avatars are enhanced to hold the same general power ratio to hypothetical enhanced Qi Cultivators that non-enhanced Avatars hold to non-enhanced Qi Cultivators. A Great Dragon awakens in the nation, with the same general characteristics (including the increase to national aggression) as before. They are not opposed to the Hindu Pantheon and may choose to cooperate if it serves their interests, but neither are they affiliated with it per se. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be the Avatar of a powerful god and/or a Dragon's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Brahmin: Become a mid-level Avatar of a Hindu god of your choice. If you have enhanced conceptual affinity with your god from other options or if you successfully advance your gods interests, you may be able to earn a greater share of their power. It's not unthinkable that with enough success, you might slip over the border and be considered a lesser god yourself rather than a mere Avatar (other options may use this splice as a reference, but this specific possibility is unique to this splice). You may potentially attract an offer to become a Dragon's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...). This is not compatible with becoming an Avatar of any other god.
Pacific Breach
Tell me, have you ever seen a movie called 'Pacific Rim'? Yes, it's similar to that. An extradimensional breach opens at the bottom of the Pacific, and periodically spawns Kaiju into your world. These are universally bent on the destruction of all life and civilization native to this world, including the splices. They are utterly untameable by any means. They begin as intermittent spawns of Category I Kaiju, which may potentially be brought down even with the current conventional military technology of your world, albeit not likely swiftly or costlessly. Over a span of time measured in the low number of decades both their spawn rate, size, and combat proficiency will advance much as in the movie - though as hinted at there, even the Category V Kaiju are mere shadows of the true warforms to come. Worse, unlike in the movie these have no pretense of being purely scientific beasts, but are explicitly magical. From Category II and up they may have abilities related to an Element (no more than one Element per Kaiju). These abilities are related to those mentioned in the Elements category, but more narrow in scope - albeit also sometimes surprising in manifestation. From Category III and up they may, rarely, express powers related to a Conflux Element, though they still have only a single Element of their own.
The method employed to destroy the Breach in the movie will not work, and the Breach is
highly resistant to any and all other attempts to close it. Attempting to garrison or trap the Breach itself will immediately convert the trickle of Kaiju into a flood until the defenses are all destroyed and for one very bad week thereafter; if the defenses are nevertheless successful at holding them back for a full year, the breach will begin to steadily expand in size. Any defenses that fall in will be instantly destroyed. The spawn rate of Kaiju will be
permanently increased proportionate to how much the Breach expanded before all the defenses were destroyed. The Breach is not to be fucked with lightly. No one else will receive this warning from us, not even other Chosen - feel free to try to warn the governments and other interested powers of the world yourself, if you think it will do any good.
Enhanced: The base spawn rate and rate of progression in strength of the Kaiju are both doubled. They also begin as Category II Kaiju rather than Category I.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Who's a Good Boy?: Did I say the Kaiju were utterly untameable? Never mind, that doesn't have to apply for
you. Immediately gain a Category III Kaiju of your very own, irrevocably bound to you by a psychic link. Expect this to attract a great deal of attention, whether positive, negative, or neutral, from basically anyone who has a reason to care about an individual having their own pet giant monster. With the correct abilities you may be able to enhance your Kaiju further.
European and Middle Eastern Sector
Glittering Albion
It has been said that the King shall return in Albion's greatest hour of need, so that might as well be now. Yes, the Pendragon himself has come to deliver fair Britannia from her troubles! Britain becomes a land of myth and legends, ruled by the Immortal King and filled with Knights wearing suits of magitech armor greatly enhancing their abilities. Think half Round Table, half Iron Man in terms of abilities. Wizards, sorceresses, and fae likewise populate the land. As a land of legend, narrative logic can apply here. This is both one of the most powerful and most treacherous forms of magic in your land - if you can stay on the right side of the story, the very threads of fate themselves shall empower you and bring your enemies low, and the objective facts of the conflict will struggle to overcome such a disadvantage even if they are greatly in the opponent's favor. But slipping to the wrong side can be all too easy, and your failure or death may be all but preordained at that point. Britain instantly becomes a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: The King instantly gains access to his full Round Table from legend, with any pesky issues of loyalty from the stories already resolved. Their abilities exceed those of 'standard' Knights by at least an order of magnitude. In addition, the King's old advisor awakens, and Merlin joins the court of Avalon once more. He is uncommonly durable but otherwise his physical abilities are nothing to speak of. However, his magical prowess exceeds even that of the Great Dragons by a considerable margin, and his experience and cunning are at least their equal. He has the same effect on the nation's overall aggression as a Great Dragon, and he may take Apprentices to share his magical knowledge with. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be on the Round Table or an Apprentice of Merlin's.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Defender of Camelot: Gain immediate induction onto the Round Table, complete with a complementary suit of armor that will put your abilities on par with the other members even without any other abilities. The correct abilities may enable you to enhance this suit further. If you have sufficiently interesting magical abilities from other options, Merlin may offer to take you as an Apprentice (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...).
Arrival of the Aesir
The gods of the Norse return to take a direct hand in their peoples' affairs. They can and do each select a minimum of one Avatar as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods, with power equivalent to a mid- to high-rank deity's Avatar from that splice. No outsiders have a chance of being among their number. Lesser heroes, magical beasts, and magic-users also fill the land, as in the most magical legends of old. In particular, Runic enhancements empower arms, armor, and baresarkrs to superhuman levels. These enhancements are not necessarily incompatible with modern technology. Scandinavia immediately unifies and becomes a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: The gods' Avatars are enhanced as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods. A Great Dragon awakens in the nation, with the same general characteristics (including the increase to national aggression) as before. They are allied with the Norse Pantheon. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be an Avatar and/or a Dragon's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Apprentice Aesir: Instantly become a mid-level Avatar of a Norse God of your choice. As in Land of Ten Thousand Gods, conceptual affinity and/or successfully advancing their interests may earn you a greater share of their power. You have a non-negligible base chance of attracting Odin's attention as a potential pupil, even without being his Avatar. You may also potentially attract an offer to become a Dragon's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...). This is not compatible with becoming an Avatar of any other god.
Gods of Empire
The Greco-Roman Pantheon return to take a direct hand in their peoples' affairs. They can and do each select a minimum of one Avatar as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods, with power equivalent to a mid- to high-rank deity's Avatar from that splice. No outsiders have a chance of being among their number. Lesser heroes, magical beasts, and magic-users also fill the land, as in the most magical legends of old. These lusty gods have a pronounced tendency to sire Demigods who are likely to evince power on par with at least mid-rank Avatars, and who may progress further in divine rank as they build their own legends and cults. Italy and Greece immediately unify and become a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: The gods' Avatars are enhanced as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods. A Great Dragon awakens in the nation, with the same general characteristics (including the increase to national aggression) as before. They are allied with the Greco-Roman Pantheon. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be an Avatar or Demigod, and/or a Dragon's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Champion or By-Blow: Instantly become a mid-level Avatar of a Greco-Roman god of your choice. As in Land of Ten Thousand Gods, conceptual affinity and/or successfully advancing their interests may earn you a greater share of their power. Alternately, become a Demigod. Your initial power is similar, but the Pantheon are neglectful parents at best and you will not benefit from their support as a more directly useful Avatar would; however, you can also potentially progress your Divine Rank over time by building your own legend and cult. You may also potentially attract an offer to become a Dragon's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...). This is not compatible with becoming an Avatar of any other god.
Sons and Daughters of the Prophet
The Caliphate is reborn! While so-called "conventional" magic use is not permitted for the faithful (though, notably, these restrictions are not necessarily enforced on tolerated religious minorities, such as e.g. the Coptic Christian community in Egypt), conventional science, alchemy, and djinn-binding flourish and bring great power and prosperity. Indeed, these are some of the only advancements in technology that are fit to rival those of Neo-Tokyo, and may be put to similar use in enhancing agents or operatives. Unlike the magic of Neo-Tokyo, these enhancements are fully compatible with enhancements derived from alchemy. All lands outside of Europe that were ever previously held by a Caliphate or Turkish empire immediately unify and become a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: A Djinn Sultan awakens in the land, with lesser physical strength but otherwise comparable characteristics to a Great Dragon (including the increase to national aggression). They are in direct and willing service to the Caliph, and command a host of djinn of their own. They may select favored mortals as a Djinn's Disciple; in addition to knowledge and support from the Djinn, he will also arrange for his disciples to enter into a willing binding with a Djinn or Greater Djinn (dependent on his subjective assessment of the disciple's suitability as a partner and the availability of potential Djinn partners) akin to his own relationship with the Caliph. No one who is not in favor with the Caliph can hope to be chosen as a Disciple. One of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be a Djinn's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Djinn-Partner: Instantly become a Djinn's Disciple under highly favorable contractual terms (though you should still expect to, at minimum, be expected to take no action that is actively against the interests of the Caliphate). This includes your binding being to a Greater Djinn of your choice. The Greater Djinn have a combination of physical and magical capabilities that are easily on par with a Master with the characteristics of enhanced Qi Cultivation. If you possess abilities that synergize with the Djinn's own (e.g., a fire mage being bound with an Ifrit) then you can receive the benefit of their dedicated personal tutelage in accessing the uttermost of what those abilities are capable of.
African Sector
Aspects of Olodumare
The Orisha return to take a direct hand in their faithful's affairs. They can and do each select a minimum of one Avatar as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods, with power equivalent to the various levels of Avatar from that splice. No outsiders have a chance of being among their number. Lesser heroes, magical beasts, and magic-users also fill the land, as in the most magical legends of old. All systems of magic or supernatural propitiation derived from Orisha worship are greatly empowered. Notably, this extends to syncretic forms such as Santeria or Voudou that may be practiced in the Yoruba diaspora or by those influenced by them; expect some upheavals from this shift across the Atlantic on top of the local effects. All lands of the Yoruba faith in Africa immediately unify and become a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: The gods' Avatars are enhanced as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods. A Great Dragon awakens in the nation, with the same general characteristics (including the increase to national aggression) as before. They are allied with the Orisha. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be an Avatar and/or a Dragon's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Voudou Avatar: Instantly become a mid-level Avatar of an Orisha of your choice. This includes access to the secrets of Voudou. As in Land of Ten Thousand Gods, conceptual affinity and/or successfully advancing their interests may earn you a greater share of their power. You may also potentially attract an offer to become a Dragon's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...). This is not compatible with becoming an Avatar of any other god.
Wakanda Forever
What, did you think it was only
ancient myths that we could use as the basis for splices? Modern ones are surely just as valid - the Pacific Breach ought to have already been enough for you to realize that, honestly. This splice places a small but immensely technologically advanced nation in the heart of Africa; their technological developments greatly surpass even those of Neo-Tokyo and the Caliphate, but are reliant on their finite supplies of a surpassingly rare mineral with unique properties that they jealously monopolize. They are also capable of producing biologically-enhanced supersoldiers in smaller numbers. Their culture is largely insular and they are unlikely to share any of this lightly - and will react with immense retaliation to any thieves. They are a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: The Wakandans have figured out how to use their restricted technologies to further enhance their supersoldiers, giving them a level of physical prowess that is less that of the Black Panther and more that of the Hulk in the MCU. They retain their full intelligence and are more than capable of employing weapons and other equipment derived from advanced Wakandan technology as force multipliers. All members of the Wakandan royal family and their royal guard have received this level of enhancement. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be among their number.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Yibambe!: Receive instant induction into the royal guard as a naturalized Wakandan citizen, regardless of your actual origin. This includes full authorization to use and study Wakandan technology, including access to their mineral stockpiles for your studies or creations. With the correct abilities, this access alone can be easily as valuable as the more direct boosts in power from other options.
Children of Unkulunkulu
The deities of the traditional Zulu and other Nguni peoples return to take a direct hand in their faithful's affairs. They can and do each select a minimum of one Avatar as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods, with power equivalent to the various levels of Avatar from that splice. No outsiders have a chance of being among their number. Lesser heroes, magical beasts, and magic-users also fill the land, as in the most magical legends of old. All lands inhabited by Nguni peoples immediately unify and become a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: The gods' Avatars are enhanced as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods. A Great Dragon awakens in the nation, with the same general characteristics (including the increase to national aggression) as before. They are allied with the local pantheon. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be an Avatar and/or a Dragon's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] The South (of Africa) Shall Rise: Instantly become a mid-level Avatar of a god of your choice. As in Land of Ten Thousand Gods, conceptual affinity and/or successfully advancing their interests may earn you a greater share of their power. You may also potentially attract an offer to become a Dragon's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...). This is not compatible with becoming an Avatar of any other god.
American Sector
The First Nations
The various surviving tribes of North America find their traditional religions, magics, and folktales have all been reified. Heroes, magical beasts, and magic-users fill the land, all drawn exclusively from Native backgrounds. No outsiders have a chance of being similarly empowered by this. The artifacts and powers thus produced are something of a blend of the capabilities of a number of other splices; the artifacts are roughly on par with Runic equipment, the god-chosen are akin to the lesser tier of Avatars, and the magics cover a range from the magics of Neo-Tokyo to effects similar to Djinn-binding. All told, this produces something of a "jack of all trades" cultural powerset.
Unlike most similar empowerments, there is more than one way this can pan out - in the first scenario, the tribes may unify in a tribal confederacy and secede from their former nations, creating a new global superpower that effectively splits the former United States and Canada in half. In this scenario, it is likely that the more Yoruba-influenced portions of the southern United States and Caribbean shall also use the power granted by the side effects of
Aspects of Olodumare to similarly secede and confederate. In the second scenario, if the current powers-that-be in those lands can reconcile themselves to the drastic shift in power dynamics rather than stubbornly resisting, the tribes may content themselves with a thorough renegotiation of the social contract that governs them. And again, the Yoruba-empowered sections of the population will largely follow suit in that case. In this case, both forms of empowerment would be combined with the full material resources, creating a global superpower which is notable even by the standards of the (many) other global superpowers newly entering the scene. Which scenario ultimately plays out will likely owe much to the influence of the Chosen - although, other more fully-formed superpowers in the world may have preferences for a more divided or united America as well.
Enhanced: All aspects of this cultural empowerment are enhanced by a similar factor as the increase in power from non-enhanced Qi Cultivation to enhanced Qi Cultivation. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be among the foremost beneficiaries of this enhancement.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] The Hand That Tips the Scales: Why not Zoidberg you? You also instantly become one of the foremost beneficiaries of this empowerment. As an addendum, please note that the position this grants you also greatly enhances your ability to tilt the scales on the outcome of this scenario, should you be so inclined.
The Gods Demand Blood
The Aztec Pantheon return to take a direct hand in their peoples' affairs. They can and do each select a minimum of one Avatar as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods, with power equivalent to a mid- to high-rank deity's Avatar from that splice. No outsiders have a chance of being among their number. Lesser heroes, magical beasts, and magic-users also fill the land, as in the most magical legends of old. The gods also instruct their faithful followers in the arts of Blood Magic, a form of magic that can derive tremendous power from acts of sacrifice. The land once called Mexico - now reborn as Aztlán - immediately subsumes Central America and becomes a global superpower with a national interest in asserting its dominance and hegemony.
Enhanced: The gods' Avatars are enhanced as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods. A Great Feathered Serpent awakens in the nation, with the same general characteristics (including the increase to national aggression) as a Great Dragon. They are allied with the local pantheon. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be an Avatar and/or a Serpent's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Red Harvest: Instantly become a mid-level Avatar of a god of your choice. This includes access to the secrets of Blood Magic. As in Land of Ten Thousand Gods, conceptual affinity and/or successfully advancing their interests may earn you a greater share of their power. You may also potentially attract an offer to become a Serpent's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...). This is not compatible with becoming an Avatar of any other god.
Gods and Ancestors
The Incan Pantheon return to take a direct hand in their peoples' affairs. They can and do each select a minimum of one Avatar as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods, with power equivalent to a mid- to high-rank deity's Avatar from that splice. No outsiders have a chance of being among their number. Lesser heroes, magical beasts, and magic-users also fill the land, as in the most magical legends of old. In addition, the gods immediately grant their faithful the power of Reincarnation, allowing them to, with practice, draw upon the skills and power of their past lives. This will also enable them to carry forward an appreciable portion of their current power should they perish and reincarnate.
Enhanced: The gods' Avatars are enhanced as per Land of Ten Thousand Gods. A Great Feathered Serpent awakens in the nation, with the same general characteristics (including the increase to national aggression) as a Great Dragon. They are allied with the local pantheon. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be an Avatar and/or a Serpent's Disciple.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Glorious and Golden: Instantly become a mid-level Avatar of a god of your choice. This includes access to the power of Reincarnation. As in Land of Ten Thousand Gods, conceptual affinity and/or successfully advancing their interests may earn you a greater share of their power. You may also potentially attract an offer to become a Serpent's Disciple (but beware of the terms of your contract if you choose to accept...). This is not compatible with becoming an Avatar of any other god.
Hearts of Darkness
Vampires are fun, right? I'm so glad you agree, because your world has them now! They share many of the abilities of Stoker's myth and other European stories - regeneration, strength, agility, thematically appropriate magics such as limited shadow magic and mesmerism, immortality, enhanced senses, and the ability to cultivate power by consuming the blood of others - but none of those weaknesses. They are more comfortable in darkness and are nocturnal by preference, but the sun does not harm them in the slightest - just for example. Their origin has more in common with vampire bats than with coffin-dwellers, but they are capable of appearing quite entirely human when it suits them. They may make more of their kind either by natural procreation or by infecting humans - in the latter case, the new spawn will be entirely under the thrall of their sire for at least the next hundred years. They do require a regular supply of human blood, which in practice caps their numbers at a sustainable predator-to-prey ratio even in ideal circumstances. They claim no lands, and all of them - moving in shadows, they subvert and parasitize societies rather than seeking to rule openly. It is rumored that their origin lies in the deepest, darkest depths of the old Mayan-ruled jungles of Central America, and may in fact have something to do with that society's (seeming) extinction.
Enhanced: The average power of vampires is increased to be on par with enhanced Qi Cultivators, though just as with Qi Cultivators the numbers of true Master and Elder vampires are very few in comparison to the numbers of their lessers. The First Vampire and his Elder Council awaken. The First Vampire possesses strength and prowess to rival a Great Dragon, his Council can each rival a Master or Grandmaster Qi Cultivator, and he and his Council know secrets of Blood Magic that no one else outside the Aztec faith can lay claim to. They may share at least some of them with worthy disciples. At least one of your rival Chosen is guaranteed to be on the Council.
[4 Picks or 1 Further Beyond] Born in It, Molded by It: Immediately become a Master Vampire, with all the powers and prerogatives of said. With the correct abilities or good luck in drawing the First Vampire's favorable attention, induction onto the Elder Council can be within your reach.
Powers
Phew! Those splices sure were a lot, weren't they? You might be worried about being able to stand out, or even to survive, in such a newly interesting world - or if you aren't, you should be, silly thing.
But not to fear! That's what this section is for. Just remember, all 999 other Chosen will have access to the same options here - more or less, at least. Yes, that still includes any Chosen who were already empowered by the splices you chose to enhance.
Body
A few powers here which may help you to at least survive. Most of them aren't too impressive on their own, frankly.
[1 Pick] Adamant Skin: Gain the ability to instantly transmute your skin to an immensely durable metal at will. Your sense of touch is somewhat deadened in this state, but otherwise it has no drawbacks and can be effortlessly maintained indefinitely. While in this state you also have about 10 times the strength of a normal human in good shape, for whatever that's worth to you. At least you won't be dying to random shrapnel?
[2 Picks] Mutant Healing Factor: Gain a healing factor on par with the fictional Wolverine, generously interpreted. This healing factor has no weaknesses or vulnerabilities, but if every cell is obliterated you won't be coming back. This has no inherent protection against getting effectively spawncamped, either.
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[1 Further Beyond; requires Mutant Healing Factor] Supreme Healing Factor: Gain the ability to regenerate from any group of your cells at least the size of a single joint of your little finger - no matter how long ago it was separated from your body. Yes, this means that you can cut off the endjoint of your little finger and drop it wherever you go (or hide them, or store them in maximum-security bank vaults, or whatever), and if anybody ever kills your main body you can regenerate from any of them as long as they weren't destroyed in your absence. You can also terminate the existence of your main body at will if you ever find yourself trapped or spawncamped. This upgrade turns killing you from a simple if non-trivial exercise in overcoming your regeneration into an obscenely frustrating game of whack-a-mole for your enemies.
[2 Picks] Supersoldier: Gain enhanced strength, enhanced agility, enhanced senses, and enhanced healing all at least 5 times the normal human baseline for an exceptional athlete in the prime of their life. If you already have an enhanced baseline from something else, this is still multiplicative with that, albeit at reduced efficiency with the reduction increasing proportionately to the degree of the prior enhancement of your baseline before plateauing at a 1.5 multiplier. Gain automatic expert-level proficiency with all weapons and armor, period. Gain genius-level insight into individual and squad-level tactics.
[1 Even Further Beyond] The Good Doctor: Gain a body of pure and near-infinite energy. If you've seen Dr. Manhattan do it, odds are good that you can do it too. Learning to master all your abilities effectively may be a non-trivial project, however. ...What? I said
most of them weren't too impressive.
Elements
This category is a little different. Only one element can be purchased with Picks, as no elemental attunement wants to share metaphysical space with another. Instead, each additional element you choose will cost 1 Further Beyond as you must transcend this natural limit. This will also increase the base power of each element you have access to by 1.5 and also grant you access to their conflux element, which will be stronger than the base power of a normal element by a factor of 2. This increase is fully multiplicative with each additional element you purchase. Fear the elemental archmage who wields them all, if you know what's good for you.
[3 Picks] Air Element: Gain mastery over air, and something of its nature (when it suits you). Command gale-force winds with a flick of your wrist, and whip up hurricanes with concerted effort. Gain the lightness and agility of the wind itself at will. Mastering flight with this element will be a truly trivial exercise.
-Earth Conflux Element: Sandstorm: Flense your enemies to the bone with airborne flecks of
any earthen material your Earth element can produce - you aren't actually limited to sand. Want to flay your enemies with a storm filled with razor-sharp shards of magically-active obsidian? Have at it! Or here's a fun fact for you: did you know that white phosphorus is
technically derived from elements found naturally in the Earth's crust? War crimes really are the best party trick when you're entertaining.
-Fire Conflux Element: Lightning: You simped for Azula, didn't you. Don't worry, we won't judge. I mean, in the literal sense we'll judge all of you Chosen, I'm just saying we won't laugh at you any more than normal. Lightning has unmatched attack speed and armor penetration among all the Elements, and is an excellent single-target damage source as such.
-Water Conflux Element: Plasma: Oh, did you think this conflux belonged more to Fire? Look up the fuel used for nuclear fusion some time. Plasma has no advantage in attack speed relative to Fire and is even more likely to cause collateral damage, but its sheer attack power is unbeatable.
-Wood Conflux Element: Zephyr: The element of life will help you find the life in the winds - you can summon, communicate with, and potentially even bind pre-existing wind spirits in a manner similar to Djinn-binding. The Four Winds themselves can boast power on par with any Greater Djinn, though gaining their attention is a challenge - gaining their service, still more so. Rather than the normal multiplicative increase with additional elements, instead your bindings are enhanced by the ability to imbue properties and abilities of your other elements into your bound spirits.
[3 Picks] Earth Element: Gain mastery over the earth beneath your feet, and something of its nature (when it suits you). Summon forth pillars or spikes of stone with the most casual effort, or sink beneath the earth to traverse unseen by any above. With sufficient practice and mastery, producing magical materials
sui generis that endure long enough for combat purposes is within your reach, though they will decay rapidly afterwards. This is also a great advantage for locating natural deposits of such materials, of course, which suffer from no such limitations. This can be a priceless boon to any crafter. You may also gain the solidity and durability of the earth at will.
-Air Conflux Element: As above.
-Fire Conflux Element: Magma: Gain the ability to produce gouts or moats of molten stone (or metal, or etc.) at will. This grants you the active area denial that Earth and Fire each lack on their own, as well as a very nasty source of direct damage.
-Water Conflux Element: Mud: Oh, don't make that face - it's
magical mud. It isn't just soggy dirt - it can metaphysically directly sap the stamina, strength, and speed of any foe caught in it (or to a lesser extent even touched by it), regardless of whether mud is actually a meaningful physical obstacle to them.
-Wood Conflux Element: Living Stone: Have you ever looked at stone golems in fantasy and thought "those seem neat"? Well then, why not make your own? Alternately, this living, regenerating stone can be incorporated as a part of the enhancements you create with the Wood element.
[3 Picks] Fire Element: Gain mastery over fire, and something of its nature (when it suits you). Summon forth gouts and bursts of flame for massive area of effect damage, or concentrate it into tightly-packed lances of fire for harder targets. No matter how much you practice the latter you'll never quite match the damage of Plasma, though. Gain the momentum of a spreading fire at will, or inflame the passions in the hearts of yourself or others.
-Air Conflux Element: As above.
-Earth Conflux Element: As above.
-Water Conflux Element: Napalm: Make your fire into something that
clings. You can produce rivers or torrents of this just as easily as water.
-Wood Conflux Element: Living Flame: This is one of the nastiest damage-over-time effects any element can produce. Your fire doesn't just cling like something that's sticky, it will wrap itself around your victims like a living thing that hates to be dislodged and wants nothing more than to burrow into them. You can also enhance Magma with these properties, if you have it. It's difficult to produce in major quantities, though - unless you also have Napalm, in which case it flows as easily as water. Look forward to swiftly earning a title as the Walking War Crime whether you want to or not.
[3 Picks] Water Element: Gain mastery over water, and something of its nature (when it suits you). Summon floods or jets of water with ease, or full-blown tsunamis with some more effort. Obviously, water breathing and unmatched underwater traversal goes without saying. If you want to hold the world's shipping hostage, this is the element for you. Gain the slipperiness of water at will.
-Air Conflux Element: As above.
-Earth Conflux Element: As above.
-Fire Conflux Element: As above.
-Wood Conflux Element: Poison: Here it is, the other contender for nastiest damage-over-time effect that an element can produce. While Poison does not possess the voracious rapacity of Living Flame, it more than makes up for it in sheer insidiousness. You can kill someone with Poison, and they won't even know they're dead for a week. Destroying nerves, blood, and flesh in a combat-relevant timeframe is also entirely feasible, of course. If you want to contend for the title of Walking War Crime too, consider picking up Air so that you can distribute clouds of poison gas.
[3 Picks] Wood Element: Gain mastery over the element of life. Tremendous health, excellent regeneration, and messianic-level healing of others all come standard. With practice and concerted effort, enhance living things to a supernatural degree (yourself potentially included). To take the humble domesticated dog as an example, with a single week's effort you could raise a pack of them to the level of magical Temple Dogs, or with a month's concerted effort raise a single dog to the level of a Category I Kaiju. Or if you'd rather be Poison Ivy and focus on plants, that's an option too. Your supernatural enhancements do require regular maintenance to endure, or they'll gradually decay back to baseline. There's a limit on how far you can enhance something from its natural baseline as well. The number and level of enhancements you can maintain at once, and the theoretical upper limit of your enhancements, can improve with both power and practice. The great weakness of the Wood element is that on its own, it has no direct damage options at all.
-Air Conflux Element: As above.
-Earth Conflux Element: As above.
-Fire Conflux Element: As above.
-Water Conflux Element: As above.
[3 Picks and 1 Even Further Beyond; requires at least 1 standard Element] Void Element: This element stands outside everything, including the normal multiplicative effect of purchasing additional elements. Instead, the consuming power of the Void grants you access to the effects of the Rite of Absorption from the Ordinal Spiral for any foe slain by your other elements. The enhancement gained from Absorbing slain foes need not be limited to Elemental magics, if you possess access to others. Some elements grant you access to servitors of various kinds; when they kill enemies, they may either channel the power to you or imbue it in themselves, at your discretion. Don't underestimate the power of this element to supercharge your progression, especially in a world as filled with other supernatural combatants as this Arena.
Magics
This section is for non-Elemental systems of magic. Don't underestimate the versatility or power of these options. Finding effective synergies may be more of a project however, at least in some cases; in others they may be outright obvious.
[4 Picks] Diagrammatic: Gain initiation into the magics of the Diagram School. You gain an affinity for Diagram magic and a natural understanding of how to develop it. To refresh your memory, this is a relatively resource-light school that can be learned with only the proper materials and sufficient intelligence, and mastered in only decades. It possess superb versatility: Teleportation, transmutation, divination, and other such wizardly magics. A great force multiplier if you have a non-magical power source. The School is also truly adroit at countering other schools of external magic, an advantage that may be highly useful in the present Arena.
-[1 Further Beyond; requires Diagrammatic] Diagrammatic Master: Gain your first three Signs immediately, with one Diagram per sign unlocked.
[4 Picks] Well-Versed: Gain access to Perfect Storm OR Second Fiddle, and one other Verse of your choice from the selection presented in the
Furthermost Reaches CYOA. If you do take Second Fiddle, the Hero will always be another Chosen, effectively making it next to impossible for you to win the Arena. Alternately, gain access to three Verses of your choice from this selection, but none of them may be Perfect Storm or Second Fiddle. This includes the potential to unlock further Verses through study and practice as described in that CYOA.
-[1 Further Beyond; requires Well-Versed] Thoroughly Well-Versed: Gain access to all Verses from the selection in the Furthermost Reaches; you can leave Second Fiddle out of this at your discretion.
[4 Picks] Bright Spark: Gain the abilities of a powerful Spark, as per Girl Genius. In other words, the capacities of a highly capable mad scientist. The abilities of a Spark scale with intelligence, with their available material resources, and with the preexisting base of scientific knowledge they have to draw upon. Developing your abilities as a Spark will itself serve to increase your intelligence at a modest but steady pace. With only medieval-era technological knowledge, a powerful Spark may still be capable of producing biologically immortal supersoldiers (base physical abilities roughly one-half of the Supersoldier body, and one-quarter of the Supersoldier body's other abilities) who only become stronger with age, albeit with a highly non-negligible mortality rate for the creation process. With modern-day knowledge, a Spark may produce a functional set of fully armed power armor even if locked in a cave with a box of scraps. With the knowledge and resources of this thoroughly spliced Arena...
well. Let the heavens tremble.
[4 Picks] Deadly Sinner: Gain a suite of abilities themed around the 7 Deadly Sins. Initially you may bring forth the power of only one Sin at a time, but with sufficient practice and advancement manifesting more than one Sin at once will become feasible. Be forewarned: the more you make use of a Sin's abilities, the greater the influence that Sin will have on your personality. At first it may be little more than the proverbial devil on your shoulder, but prolonged and sustained use will see it sink into the roots of your personality like ink into parchment. Overuse may bring about physical and metaphysical exhaustion, as well. The initial activation of a power is draining in particular. The powers are broadly as follows.
*Lust: You want, and you are wanted. Any being that is capable of feeling attraction to any other being, or may become capable of this in future, will find their ability to express any form of overt hostility to you utterly vitiated while you are mantling the Sin of Lust. In exchange, Lust... lusts. Hedonistic indulgences and distractions become significantly more tempting to you.
*Gluttony: You hunger, and your hunger fuels you. You may call upon a portion of the powers of any foe you have previously slain or vanquished while mantling Gluttony. If you have overpowered an enemy, you may hold them in an extradimensional space inside yourself, neither living nor dead, and your ability to employ their powers is increased by an order of magnitude while you hold them thus. Yes, you're basically an edgy version of Kirby. In exchange, your desire to
consume is increased, and your hunger becomes a yawning abyss that can never be truly filled.
*Greed: If Lust is want and Gluttony is hunger, then Greed is
obsession. While you mantle Greed, pick one Obsession. You may pick different Obsessions between different activations of this ability, but cannot change it during an activation. This can be a particular school of magic, or a non-magical sphere of activity such as warfare or invention. Your abilities within the realm of your Obsession are multiplied. In exchange, you find it more and more difficult to turn aside from your Obsession for any reason, whether that reason be practical or moral.
*Sloth: ...Is there even really a point to this? To anything? Sloth asks the question, but expects no answer. You gain the power to weaponize apathy itself against your enemies. Their motivation withers, and even their abilities become more sluggish and unresponsive to their will. In exchange, the vitiation of apathy will taint your life as well.
*Wrath: You. Are.
Anger. You gain a rage-powered warform with a base power level akin to that of the Hulk from the MCU. This enhancement stacks with, and with sufficient expertise is multiplicative with, any other physical enhancements you may possess, especially if they are explicitly themed around war or violence. In exchange, high-level thought in this form will be challenging, at best, as your mind is clouded by the constant tides of your animalistic rage. These unpredictable surges of anger will increasingly intrude into your normal life, as well.
*Envy: Envy is, in a sense, the great equalizer. If you mantle Envy in any contest in which you are objectively the inferior, your opponent will be weakened and you will be strengthened until you are roughly on par. This equalization operates without fail regardless of any other factors, and will persist for so long as you can continue to mantle Envy. However, it is not instantaneous, and if the gulf between you is too great then your foe may strike you down before the scales can be evened. In exchange, you find it increasingly difficult to ever rest or find contentment or happiness so long as you believe that any person in the world is your better in any respect or capacity.
*Pride: People are fallible and weak, but Pride is invincible. As you master your ability to mantle Pride, gain increasing degrees of metaphysical immunization to harm itself. In exchange, Pride will enhance your arrogance. This may taint both your interpersonal relationships and your ability to exercise objective judgment regarding yourself and your own abilities.
-[1 Even Further Beyond; requires Deadly Sinner] Deadlier Savior: For you, who has gone Even Further Beyond, you find that each Sin shows you a corresponding Virtue that balances it. Lust, balanced with Chastity. Gluttony, balanced with Temperance. Greed, balanced with Generosity. Sloth, balanced with Diligence. Wrath, balanced with Patience. Envy, balanced with Gratitude. And lastly, Pride, balanced with Humility. This metaphysical and conceptual balancing immediately enables you to mantle the powers of all 7 Sins simultaneously at will, and with minimal side-effects or exhaustion, even with prolonged usage.
Miscellany
Here, we find the powers that don't quite fit in elsewhere. Don't overlook these options, however. Some of the best choices of all can be found here. Including a certain one personally proffered by none other than your bestest bestie, yours truly!
[5 Picks] Magical Girl: Gain access to a Magical Girl form, complete with an uninterruptible transformation sequence accompanied by personalized theme music. Your transformed form is always a young girl, regardless of your normal age and gender. While transformed,
all your attributes and other powers are enhanced by a factor of at least 5. As you practice and master this form, that enhancement factor may potentially increase. This is fully cumulative with any other multiplicative effects your powers may have already benefited from.
In exchange, all your powers also gain a fitting Magical Girl spin on them; for instance, an Elementalist may find that their Living Flames are all bright pink and in the shape of dozens of interlinked heart shapes. Become the Magical Girl of War Crimes! Or if an Elementalist has already produced servitors with e.g. the Living Stone or Wood elements, they will also be enhanced by a factor of at least 5, but will gain copies of your own Magical Girl outfit. Maintaining your Magical Girl form is physically and metaphysically draining however, in much the way that strenuous physical activity is for a non-enhanced individual. But just like a normal human can potentially develop the ability to maintain such strenuous activity for hours at a time with focused effort and dedicated training, the same can be possible for you.
You will also gain an appropriate Magical Girl familiar that accompanies you at all times, even when untransformed. They always have the form of some small animal with exaggeratedly adorable features, and can fly regardless of whether that is normally possible for that type of animal or not. They have no combat potential of their own whatsoever, but have a limited ability to heal you (and only you) and are nearly indestructible by even the greatest force. If they ever were destroyed then you would irrevocably lose access to all your Magical Girl abilities however. They may also provide truly salient and useful advice or insight on occasion, but will usually maintain a constant running commentary whether they have anything especially pertinent to say or not. Their voice is the most over-the-top cutesy voice you can imagine, and no known force can alter this in the slightest. If you ever die but your familiar does not, they will inevitably perish of a broken heart within a week.
-[1 Further Beyond; requires Magical Girl] Super-Duper Ultimate Magical Girl: Gain access to a Limit Break Magical Girl form. Under conditions of extreme duress, when you are genuinely on the brink of defeat, you may unlock a secondary Magical Girl form with enough determination and willpower. This will prompt a second uninterruptible transformation sequence with alternate theme music, ending in an "evolved" version of your normal Magical Girl outfit (you may find you lose a couple-few square feet of coverage in exchange for PAULDRONS or the like; such is the life of a Magical Girl). Your Limit Break form enhances all your powers by a factor of at least
15 rather than 5. It also instantly restores your stamina and any other magically-relevant resources to full, and strikes fear and dismay in the hearts of any enemies who witness this, no matter how incongruous this reaction may be with your actual appearance. After you have unlocked your Limit Break form for the first time, it becomes theoretically possible to train to activate it at will, though this is highly difficult and tricky to train.
-[1 Further Beyond; requires Magical Girl] Incubator: Gain the ability for your familiar to unlock a Magical Girl form for others, at a base rate of once a year; with time they may be able to increase this to once per six months, but no further than that. There is no need for the target to be either young or a girl prior to becoming a Magical Girl. They will gain a familiar of their own, but this familiar will not be an incubator. You gain no inherent ability to control any Magical Girl you create, and by their nature they tend to be highly resistant to any other form of magical control that could compel them to act against their nature or beliefs. Choose your accomplices wisely, lest they become a liability rather than an asset. If you have also taken Super-Duper Ultimate Magical Girl, then at your discretion your created Magical Girls may also have the potential to unlock a Limit Break form in the same manner outlined in that option.
[2 Further Beyonds] Archive of Infinite Arsenals: Gain a sapient soulbound artifact that is, at base, capable of spontaneously manifesting a magically-enhanced version of any conventional weapon, any number of times. These are less durable and somewhat less powerful than a properly-enchanted weapon, however. Any magical artifact you gain sufficient battle data on will be added to the Archive's library of weapons it can manifest for you, with the same limitations relative to the "proper" version of it; fighting alongside the artifact being used, sparring against the wielder, borrowing it for a fight yourself, or even friendly sparring can all contribute to the necessary level of battle data. The Archive can also physically store any number of magical weapons you possess in your soulspace and produce them at will for you; if broken they cannot be resummoned until properly physically repaired, however.
In addition, the Archive possesses utterly unparalleled insight and knowledge in weaponcrafting, and is a truly invaluable aide to any such endeavors on your part. This is true for original creations, but it shines even brighter for replicating the abilities of weapons it has successfully added to its weapons library. In such a case, replicating the weapon and/or its unique capabilities is less a matter of painstaking reverse-engineering and more a matter of simply working from a complete blueprint.
All of the above is true for
any level of magical artifact; Odin's own Gungnir (just for example) is fully as subject to this as the creation of any mortal smith is.
As a more advanced ability that may require work and investment to unlock, the Archive may be able to recognize golems or other mindless battle constructs as "weapons" for its purposes as far as archiving, storage, or replication is concerned. In addition, at your discretion (or if you are incapacitated) the Archive may be released to psychically pilot such a construct. In this case, the Archive uses its body to fight with matchless skill on par with the most incredible weapons masters known, and can employ all its other abilities on behalf of its puppet body as well as still doing so on your behalf at the same time.
As a sapient artifact the Archive does have a personality of its own, and it hungers to see its abilities and crafted weapons used in true battle. The only thing that can effectively distract it from this is weaponcrafting, but it will still wish to see these creations put to the test. Prolonged periods of peace and inactivity will move it to restlessness that with time may verge on insubordination, and "restricted" combat such as sparring will provide only very limited amelioration of this. It doesn't necessarily care about killing anyone per se, but it wishes to see its creations used to triumph in battle where nothing is held back.
If you have taken Magical Girl, then at your discretion you may incorporate the Archive into your familiar instead. This combines its personality with your familiar's (the appearance and voice remain entirely that of your familiar, however), and in combat it functions in the same manner as the Archive piloting a golem. This overrides a familiar's normal state of having no combat potential of its own.
[1 Even Further Beyond] Return by Death: Gain the ability to, upon death, return in time to a point far enough back to potentially alter that outcome, with full knowledge of everything that transpired the last time. No one else will remember anything. This seems simple enough on the face of it, but in practice it is a protection that makes any other form of immortality or protection virtually redundant. Even if it takes you a thousand tries, you can thread the needle to transcend any scenario that is even theoretically resolvable - and with the right choice of other abilities, that should be virtually anything. This does nothing to reduce the physical or mental pain you may suffer in your "failed" timelines however, so don't discount the toll this may potentially take on your mentality. Still, the ability to walk a Golden Path where you make the perfect choice with the perfect timing at every turn is not to be underestimated. This does not inherently protect anyone besides you, so take care that those you care for do not suffer irrevocable consequences in the course of your victory. Sufficiently savvy or well-informed enemies may be able to deduce you have this ability or something like it, even if they cannot directly perceive it.
[1 Even Further Beyond; or, 1 Further Beyond if you have taken Interestinger Times under Terms and Conditions] Sponsorship Deal: Gain access to the protection and assistance of none other than yours truly! With this you shall truly lead a Charmed Life; the very threads of fate shall twine around you to deliver you opportunity and victory at every turn. This is protection and providence on par with being on the right side of the Narrative Magic of Albion at all times, without the treacherous possibility of falling to the wrong side of the story. In addition, gain the ability to ask one (1) question directly of me, Nix, every year of the contest! Don't underestimate the power of being able to gain information and insight from a supreme being with a Sovereign's-eye view of the whole state of the Arena.
Of course, this
is implicitly founded on the expectation that you will continue to be interesting to watch over. If you became boring... well, it would be just
awful if I became unhappy with our deal, wouldn't it?
Terms and Conditions
A staple of such setups, here you can find certain conditions or effects you can agree to in exchange for - what else - more power.
[+4 Picks] Heroes Don't Kill: You may never willingly kill anyone. You may not rules-lawyer this with angles like "I won't kill you but I don't have to save you"; willingly allowing somebody to die still counts as a breach. Any other rules-lawyering you may come up with is similarly disallowed. Deliberately maiming someone in a manner they can't normally heal from also counts as rules-lawyering. You gain a significant white knight complex (hah, or dark knight as the case may be - get it? you get it). If you ever breach this condition, even by accident, you will suffer extreme and debilitating mental damage that will not be easily recovered from and will likely shape your behavior going forward.
-[1 Pick] Naturally Nonlethal: Ameliorate this by gaining a high level of natural insight into exactly how to pull your punches so as not to accidentally kill any given foe. This nonlethalness is modestly supernaturally enhanced. This extends to any minions or servitors under your command. Gain a high level of natural insight into designing and creating effective methods of restraint and incarceration to enhance your ability to non-lethally deal with irreconcilable foes on a long-term basis. Gain a moderate bondage kink, or moderately strengthen a pre-existing bondage kink.
[+1 Further Beyond] Fated Rival: One other Chosen will be selected to specifically be your personal rival. Your fates will be intertwined, and you will be cursed to oppose each other at every turn. Your rival will always be able to at least roughly match your own progression. If either of you is ever threatened by death at the other's hands, narrative protection on par with the Narrative Magic of Albion will be applied to forestall this. This protection will only be lifted at the very end of the final year of the contest. If your rival is ever threatened by death for unrelated reasons, they will gain the same protection; this protection is never lifted, as they refuse to die at anyone's hands but yours. If they ever manage to die anyway, a new rival for you will arise within a year.
[+1 Even Further Beyond] Interestinger Times: You remember how I mentioned that your pre-existing familiarity with the Accursed's Cursebearers would make parts of this explanation easier, right? Well, while your whole world's times have become interesting thanks to our lovely splices, this option will make your own personal times
extremely interesting by roughly replicating the effects of the Apocryphal Curse! The effects of this will never jeopardize the survival of the Arena as a whole, but don't mistake that for a limit on its escalation; instead, this version of the Curse will simply refine its precision sufficiently that even its escalating levels of power will keep the devastation sufficiently constrained.
11618 words total.
A/N: I really want Perfect Merger to win, so I figured I should put my mouth where my marker is and contribute both omake power and Arete towards that option! This is my very first CYOA ever, so feedback is very much appreciated, especially on balancing.
