Dealers Choice
(Short, sweet, made with Birdsie assistance, for I am a TERRIBLE writer)
"Well, what a day you must be having."
Darkness. A marrow-deep silence, aside from the cheerfully amused voice.
With them, naturally, came confusion and fear. Where are you? What is happening? Why can't you see or feel anything, even your own limbs?
"Oh, right. You'll be having issues with the effluvial perceptions you're accustomed to. First experiences with being incorporeal are disorienting as a rule of thumb. Frankly, your soul managing to survive your universe's destruction and making it here… If I were not scornful of the word, I'd have said that's an impressive turn of chance."
The destruction of what? Your mind reels at the revelation, an unfurling of everything you've known. Somehow, the realization you don't have a body takes a backseat when compared to the knowledge that everything you've known is dead.
"Oh, yeah. Your entire universe doesn't exist anymore, nor does any timeline in which
[You] exist. Unfortunate, but nothing you can do about it, unless…"
Unless what? You whisper the words, inasmuch as one can whisper here.
Despite your lack of eyes, body, or even the physical framework for your mind to be running on you can feel something approaching, an outstretched golden hand made out of flickering energy, that feels more real and solid than anything you've ever known before you've even touched it.
"Want to make a deal?"
Details
You're a soul in a being (mostly) beyond your comprehension's office. This has the benefit that as you are being formed you will be able to decide on the physical details of your form, although at your Dealer's insistence, this basic feature is locked into being firmly within the human limit.
As a method of edifying what you can get from this being, it has decided to put it into a context more easily understood for you, one almost suspiciously familiar.
A simple CYOA format, where you will begin with an allowance of
4 Coins.
YOUR NEW WORLD!
"I can't rightly call myself an honest Dealer if I kept you here or just send you off into the Void now could I? So we're going to decide on your new starting home together!"
[ ] Venlisia - Venlisia is what some people would call a 'classic fantasy realm with legal distinctions.' A world populated by elves, humans and dwarves, goblins and minotaurs (although you are recommended to avoid the feral ones,) angels and gods, dungeons and demon lords. Genericity itself! For the most part, at least.
For you see, the world itself has undergone a dimensional imbrication of sorts - it has connections to a stunning number of other worlds, the conjunctions thereof introducing new species and elements to reality with stark regularity. It has persevered only through the blessings of its myriad Deities, who act as preservers of the world in the face of this chaos. For a prospecting adventurers, Venlisia is replete with possibilities: visit Highpeak where Giant Raelif, the defeater of countless dragons and Demon Lords rests; prowl the Ringed Woods, full of Rotted abominations; or embark to Surrassia, where the animal-folk of the east pay homage to fallen Deities.
[ ] Earth 2030 - A world of heroes and villains. Each morning, the news speak avidly of caped men fighting on the streets, tossing massive fireballs or firing death rays on each other as if this were the simple order of things. It seems, indeed, that it is - and that everyone has grown accustomed to what an outsider may label madness. From the 1940s and onward, this Earth's had all of that and so much more.
Underneath the classic scenario of frivolous madness and weekly carnage between demigods lie terrifying implications. How can a world with so many genius scientists, some capable of shifting into animals, not solve the comparatively simple issue of cancer? How can a world whose scions can turn water into abundant food or air into housing suffer from hunger and homelessness? Do not let these ideas bother you. Do not even think of them. Just enjoy the sight of a smiling man wrapped in tinfoil defeating a dinosaur.
[ ] Final Frontier - A binding Deal commands me to offer you this as a location, although I cannot recommend the choice itself.
The Frontier is a universe where humanity is steadily wasting away, under assault by alien invaders and the Madness of the stars. The dead are imbued into machines, essence and spirit preserved as they walk once more in colossal bodies of steel, acting as warriors and stewards for those who still endure in flesh. A downward trend seems to rule all the affairs of the remaining mortals. It won't be long now before the last of the lights are snuffed out.
Whether you intend to visit this location as a pathway to other parts, or as a permanent resident, I recommend caution: one can always reverse a negative trend, but it's also easy to be swept aside by the storm that causes it. It's an unkind world.
[ ] Rodeo High - A workmate of mine has created this world, as one of his more benevolent contributions to the multiverse. I am personally not a fan of its aesthetics and contents - in fact, I personally find them rather repugnant - but to each their own.
To offer a sincerely unbiased opinion: if you are content with an existence on a world seemingly forever stuck in a state reminiscent of your Earth's 'Wild West' culture in combination with common highschool musical tropes and bits of mysticism, this is a serene and restful living place, and definitely one I could recommend as such.
However, you should beware, as unlike most, the universe of Rodeo High is neither easy to leave nor access. To move either way, you'll have to battle its creator. They'll certainly go easy on you as someone who's embraced one of her passion projects, but nonetheless you should expect him to prove a challenging and Chaotic foe.
Powers/Magics
"All sorted on where you're at? Great! Now, here's the part where you pick your - drumroll please - goodies! Still depressed about every variant of you dying? Fair. Sorry… Also, fair warning, although you can acquire many of these across your potential adventures, some of them are extremely incompatible, I'm smoothing over a lot of edges."
[ ] Summon (1 Coin) - Welcome to the bottom of the barrel, you're welcome to fish.
To be more accurate, welcome to Summoning - a system of magic so simple and uncontrived even idiots can do it for cheap. It ranks among the simplest applications of dimensional magic that could ever exist, essentially sending out a packet of mana into the wide multiverse, snatching an object and bringing it back. Simple, until you realise that this magic doesn't discriminate at all. It could just as easily summon a literal pebble as accidentally pull an entity living at the centre of a black hole.
Now, to address the dangers, your Summoning shall be tweaked to make it a little more Orderly. Expect yourself, like its greatest practitioners, to be able to put up to four parameters on your line as you cast it out. As a bonus you'll be receiving a variant of an [Observe] Skill that functions solely on beings or items you've summoned… mostly so you don't end up putting on something extremely cursed, which happens quite often.
[ ] Super-Powered (1 Coin) - Choose a superhero or villain.
You now possess a C-Tier version of their ability or its exact inversion - instead of Professor X's telepathic might, you can act as a psychic blank that nullifies such powers; instead of the Flash's overwhelming speed, you can extrude a field that slows the entire world. Expect your power to not exceed street-level to begin with. However, your potential is entirely unbounded: over time, with training and effort, you can attain the same heights as your predecessor, or even exceed their level entirely.
[ ] Goblinization (2 Coins) - At will, you may create a wholesale Goblin.
He will be named Girst, because he is the first. He will do everything you tell him to, and he'll love working for you. Why, he loves it so much he's practically splitting at the seams! Literally too. When Girst runs up against a problem or task he cannot complete for you, he will split into two visually identical goblins, with the second being more suited to the task it was spawned as the result of, with its name matching the task but with G at the start.
Need an astronaut? Could take a few iterations but eventually you'd have Gastronaut. Want a practitioner of eldritch rites? Well… it'll take a while but your hyper-competent cult will be there for you with its youngest and most powerful Gultist. Be aware Goblins are a real species out there, it's only this specific Girst and his brood that shall be unerringly loyal and full of worship towards you. Others may think of you as… weird, for hanging around with Goblins all the time.
[ ] Goddess' Warrior (2 Coins) - Sometimes, dirty work needs to get done for the world to be a safe place. For that purpose I will connect you directly to one of the Venlisian Pantheon. From now on, you'll draw strength, power, and skill from them like their champions do.
All Paladins experience a physical advancement surpassing the peak-human level. Bonuses from specific Deities can raise you above this standard. Be aware you will likely be asked to actively promote their worship even though you are acting as a Paladin rather than Archon.
If you wish, you may switch to a different Goddess over the course of a full month-long transition, while still retaining your previous Deity's benefits. Going back and forth between these sisters will likely annoy them immensely even if your power will not be cut off lightly.
Leyu, Domain: Day. You will experience massive physical buffs during the day, mainly towards strength and endurance. You shall gain an internal reservoir of stored luminescence that will steadily be mixed with divinity to fire out as scorching beams. Sunstroke will not ever effect you and you cannot be blinded. You will feel a need to defend those weaker than you.
Cydis, Domain: Night. You will experience massive physical buffs during the night, mainly towards your speed and coordination. You gain perfect night vision and your need to sleep is reduced to about two hours each week. You may clump darkness and form it into constructs not exceeding your body's volume. You will feel a need to wear darker and edgier clothing.
Amie, Domain: Mending. You gain a healing factor potent enough that losing a limb is more of a momentary inconvenience; capable of starting a swing, losing your arm, and ending the swing with the nascent skeleton of your arm still able to land an impact. Equipment you have shall maintain itself and automatically renew to a pristine condition. You can share your healing factor in a positively and negative fashion; to cure the wounds of others, or afflict someone with cancer or speeding along bodily processes to cause starvation. You will feel a need to prove yourself if fighting alongside companions, and the colour red is now nicer to your aesthetic sensibilities.
Karvi, Domain: Hunting. You can mark a being as your prey. With this, you learn its strengths and weaknesses, from minor allergies to precisely which scale on its body is weakest. The extent and detail of information scales to how thoroughly you tail your prey. You receive a massive boost to your stealth, stalking and tracking. You have a sense for making weapons work more effectively than they should, both through skill and a supernatural reinforcement effect. You will feel a desire to keep trophies of victories.
Palli Lay, Domain: Performance. You can shapeshift immediately into any remotely humanoid bodily arrangement. You become a supernal actor and liar, exceeding the capabilities of your Earth's best. You gain access to story-based illusion magics, in that the more you tell a story and make it seem real, the more realistically and thoroughly the target will experience your illusion across all senses. You will feel the need to show off.
Proven, Domain: Truth. You receive a danger sense on the level of feeling the direction and type of danger a few seconds in advance with a small bit of mental guidance on how to avoid it. You can tell when somebody is lying, always. People instantly know and believe when you are telling the complete honest truth. You feel a great dislike towards liars.
Aquia, Domain: Ocean. You no longer need to breathe underwater, with your swim speed becoming comparable to a speedboat. You gain hydrokinetic abilities that are sufficient to lift a shipping container's worth of water and control it with milimeter precision. You may exert control over the water in another being but they will be able to fight against your control via willpower and supernatural energies they contain. You know perfectly how to command any naval craft. You will feel minor discomfort when not near water.
Yethin, Domain: Sky. You gain a flight speed comparable to about five times your natural running speed, you can hold your breath as long as you'd like. Over the course of several hours you can gradually change the weather, unless in combat or severe need, in which the changes are rapid to the point of being able to strike a foe with lightning with a few seconds' leadup. Any attack you commit barehand or with a purely wooden implement will hit with equal additional force purely of a cold, lightning, or vibrational element.
[ ] Ghost Out Of The Machine (2 Coins) - Although the pilots of the Final Frontier were forced into possession of a mecha, it would be inaccurate to say that all they went through was pointless. Some ask, why put souls into a machine when an AI could control it as well, if not even much better? The difference is qualitative, as every pilot's soul Awakens to their Ghost.
You'll experience a similar Awakening of your Ghost. From now on, you can abandon your mortal vessel at will and return as easily. In the state of abandonment, you are a non-corporeal entity, fully intangible and untouchable by all forces and instruments, even gravity only exerting a minor effect on you.
While traversing the world as a spirit, you have access to your Ghost - a fanciful term for a unique expression of [You]. This isn't necessarily what you'd like or want, and may in fact reveal unpleasant truths you might rather not confront, but it's what you'll have. You cannot access it while embodied within your mortal vessel, unless the power's entirely mental, such as enhanced cognition or a danger sense. However, if you are possessing an inanimate object, not only can you access your Ghost's abilities, but you find them massively enhanced.
Sample Ghosts:
*Marri Kerrington was a serial killer forcefully drafted into the Draugr Knights after being caught exsanguinating her victim. As pilot of mecha Sanguine, named as such for her Ghost's ability of minor hemokinesis with a specific emphasis on absorbing the blood controlled to repair and enhance her mecha.
*Steven Rechton was a man with severe social anxiety who feared so much as leaving his home for work due to a fear of interacting with his coworkers. He was drafted as the 'pilot' of a simple broadsword to be wielded by a proper Draugr Knight, with the blade under the power of his Ghost being unnoticeable to anybody but the individual holding it.
[ ] The Rotted Countenance (4 Coins) - No mere force of decay, you shall access the truth: that time unmakes all things.
You receive the ability to inflict a Rot that will weaken, decay, spread and corrupt at your will across nearly any medium. Administered as a side effect of the Howling's presence, it once spread across land, sea and sky; turning the waters hungry, the ground thirsty and the skies dead. It has consumed entire worlds; from the simplest lifeforms, to the soul of a Deity, may she rest in peace, for those Rotted are not necessarily dead.
You can eventually learn to Rot even lifeforms and transform them into grave facsimiles of their selves. Indeed, such is the birth of the Dullahan species across the multiverse and the start of one of the much more dangerous strains of lycanthrope. Keep a firm grip on this power, though, because it is the nature of the Rot to spread.
Benefits
"Here's some stuff that's just handy outside of being direct abilities!"
[ ] Gotta Have ID (1 Coin) - Need a background? Sorted, with a little retroactive editing wherever you go. You'll seem like you were always there, not with all your abilities, of course, but you'll start out with full identification as needed, moderately comfortable housing accommodations (a minimum of the equivalent of the first four months' rent paid off) and should you wish it, a set of background memories of your new 'life.'
The last part is optional as previous customers have been discomforted by new memories, even when they're firmly not overtaking any portion of your actual mind.
[ ] Just A Touch Of Fate (1 Coin) - Nothing other than the simplicity of luck itself to carry the day; a shroud of fortune wrapped about all of your endeavors. Comprehensive and constant, you'll find yourself substantially and noticeably charmed, although not to an unreasonable or unbelievable degree. However, for all of its utility and comfort, this alone will not save you from a world-destroying threat.
[ ] A Not So Simple Map (1 Coin) - Never again shall you lose yourself. Receive a map, self-updating to within one hundred kilometres of wherever you are. It can be dismissed, disappearing into some dimension where it'll be safely stored. Anytime you summon it you can command it to give directions to anywhere within ten kilometres of somewhere you've already been, across all dimensions, should a possible path exist. Except my office, I don't like doing repeat deals.
[ ] Gift of Ares (2 Coins) - Sacrifice the future on the altar of the present. Receive the ability to 'spend' your accumulated power for an immense, incalculable boost that lasts for scant instants. Your overall level of sophistication suffers, but for those few moments, you are an ascendant comet: a Deity walking amongst mortals. While active, even an ability as simple and innocuous as control over tinfoil could become so empowered as to reliably seal away one of the world's most powerful supervillains.
[ ] Potent Potential (2 Coins) - Choose now: a vast improvement to your advancement speed in one of your abilities, or an order of magnitude's worth of might to how powerful it is to start with. Multiple purchases of this can be made but not for the same ability.
[ ] Simulacrum Of A Fool (2 Coins) - Damn, you knew this sack of shit?
For 2 Coins, a second soul may be salvaged from your universe: one of the few that understands how this ontology works. Heh, from their perspective, they even created me.
[ ] Mechanical Assistance (2 Coins, Requires Ghost Out Of The Machine) - A mecha created to suit your abilities and desires. It'll have all of the space-faring capabilities, weapons, and aesthetics you'd expect, including a ranged and melee weapon. There'll be much temptation to abandon your flesh behind for the consistency of metal, and the feeling of piloting one of these Knights is often quite… illuminating.
[ ] Get Out Of Hell Free Card (2 Coins) - Exactly what it says on the tin, you get this limited edition gold with black trim card put into your soul, where upon your death, once each year you are allowed to say "No!" and simply not die that time, returning to within fifty metres of your death at full health, all injuries and illnesses fixed. As a physical card this can be withdrawn from your soul and gifted to others, be aware they are not required to give it back.
[ ] Universal Blueprints (2 Coins) - Ahh, this is the blueprints of your original universe at the exact moment of its destruction. No guide how to make it, or how to realise it, but with this you could truly bring everybody you personally know back. No soul copy or shitty 'are they the same person or just a recreation?' style of questions, either. This is the genuine article.
[ ] Phone A Friend (Variable) - Ah, I see - you wish you weren't alone in your dire situation.
Although your friends and family are but stardust in some outer void, an exertion from me can accomplish this one miracle for you. Just once, I'll do it for you. Choose a single person you know or knew and they'll be brought here and now with me, with the number of Coins you spend being how many they get to play with. No drawbacks for them though.
Drawbacks
"Not satisfied with your money huh? Fair, well I can make things a bit worse for you for a little extra on the side?"
[ ] What Was I Doing…? (+1 Coin) - You lose all knowledge of the wider multiverse you might have including this entire conversation and deal, only knowing that you suddenly have your abilities and anything provided by them.
[ ] Accusations (+1 Coin) - You will find yourself plagued by a constant barrage of negative news, bad rumours and overall terrible PR, no matter what.
You can convince people you personally interact with that these aren't true or you can provide undeniable evidence that you couldn't have done whatever you're accused of, but there will always eventually be another story told that will spread like wildfire.
[ ] Lizardman News! (+1 Coin) - To classify this as a drawback is almost impolite to the people at the Lizardman news station. Still, it is accurate to call it annoying.
From now on you have signed away your right to privacy, with Lizardman News filming you at any moment you aren't in the bathroom, with a full filming crew that is intangible and invisible to everybody but you surrounding you at all times. They'll only ever talk to you, mostly to ask questions in the manner of an annoying reporter. You should expect these to often be quite rude and insensitive, to the point they'd genuinely ask why you're sad if you're crying over your best friend's body right after he died in your arms.
[ ] Breakdown (+2 Coin) - If there's anybody who can understand breaking down from the mental stress of it all, it's me, but… I do thank you for taking on this portion of my stress going forwards, it's rare my customers actually do me a completely benevolent favour. This is going to utterly suck for you however.
[ ] First Of The Line (+2 Coins) - Sergeant Slayer, the First, is revitalised to his youth (now no longer aging even), his power not waning even slightly despite its ordinary function. He's back, he's feeling great… and he has a real hate-on for you in particular, he believes you'll finally be the good fight he's looking for and he's going to put his all into finding you, breaking you and fighting you to the death.
[ ] Porpolean Invasion (Requires Earth 2030) (+2 Coins) - A onetime drawback, this will ensure that you spawn merely a minute away from the largest invasion of the Porpolean people that's ever occurred. Their Army of the Sea is filled with superhuman warriors and tacticians. The Generals even possess lesser superpowers, such as pyrokinesis and cryokinesis. And for once, their Unkillable King shall be riding to war with them.
[ ] Company Property (+2 Coins) - You're just a cog in the Machine, a piece of research material cut loose… whichever world you choose expect to Spawn initially trapped and imprisoned by an organisation that wishes you to remain in that position so they can destructively test how you work. Should you escape they will chase you until your end or their own.
[ ] Following Calamity (any location except for Venlisia) (+3 Coins) - One of the six Demonic Lords of Venlisia will incarnate at a location nearby you every six months. Which one you get is random, but be aware they will remember previous incarnations and defeats and can learn from them. Of the Lords you will most likely get Stinger often and Hive least often as the least and most powerful of the lot respectively. But as some dead gods can attest, even the weakest is still a force to be reckoned with.
[ ] Eyes On You (+3 Coins) - Oh shit I thought I had the fucking door closed-!
Who's this? Well, hope you're interesting, for your sake…..Shit, good luck with that, I can't really help you on that front. Dangerous to even explain.
[ ] Opposition. Always. (+3 Coins) - Another survived your world. They know that it was ended because of you. They will be offered power equal to your own to Oppose you.
[ ] On The Court At High Noon (+4 Coins) - At 12:00 or the closest equivalent of each and every single day from now on, you will have unimaginably terrible luck for the next ten minutes. This may sound simple and decently avoidable, but don't underestimate how bad things can become. Yours shall be the king of all misfortunes; an anti-luck so terrible it'll draw airplanes out of the sky to strike your building due to sudden malfunction. This is only mildly counteracted by a Touch Of Fate.
DLC
"Well, well, well, what have we here? Can't believe I almost didn't notice these stuck to you… I really am slipping."
[ ] The Second Words (Birdsie) - The worlds and all within them can be called a story, and you my wonderful survivor from now on will find yourself not quite a full on writer, but you will find it within yourself to read the words around you and through an exertion of mental effort make edits. You will find it easier to edit things to be similar to their original state rather than wholesale changing it and the degree of mental complexity will vastly hamper your efforts, with the target noticing what you are attempting to do. Changing a pencil to a pen or a bus to a truck is far easier than changing a pc into a supercomputer and immensely more possible than turning an ant into a fly.
[ ] An Apprenticeship Holiday (Questionable) - How lucky! You find yourself with a massive affinity for magics, a tour guide and a teacher for the next two years, a Purple eyed person who wears a gem around their neck at all times, no matter the world will be there to greet you at the moment you drop into your chosen first stop, he will ensure that while you are travelling companions your drawbacks will be at the very least mitigated, he will teach you as much as you're willing and able to learn and by golly he will show you as best a time as he can on your journey!
[ ] Crimson Bloodline (Lealope) - You… can control blood? And you're more physically fit with elven features? And why are you missing a heart? Why is this showing up as such an omniversal threat…? Oh well, beggars can't be choosers I suppose, free is free, so take this "gift" and… I don't know, I guess I have this old sword for you, barely enchanted at all. Oh and uh… here's a freely summonable chair! See how it's all red and crimson and cool… looking? Okay look, it amplifies your powers when you sit in it okay? I'm trying here!
[ ] Direct Line To Destruction (DaBoyz) -
WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS?! Ahem… apologies. Might have gotten a bit surprised at you having a direct connection to… That. And such a stable one too… how is this even possible? Hope you don't mind if I keep a bit of a closer eye on you with this one, I'm Immensely curious how it's here.
[ ] Towering Key (Gabriel) - Oh, an omniversal travel hub in the form of a tower that doesn't contribute to creative breakdown, that's very neat! Don't mind if I just Yoink that… oh but this wouldn't be fair if I didn't also give you something for that idea that was imprinted on your soul, so you my fine friend will get a key! . . . IT'S NOT UNDERWHELMING OKAY! You can put this key in any door, anywhere and it will lead you into this towers atrium, there you will find of course a path towards every other door within the tower as any other visitor who would enter would, but you shall also find a rather simple rules list, where you can enforce settings on the towers internals. Don't want certain beings in? They'll never find a door, want to make time flow a bit different inside? You can go to a factor of four either side. Want a specific scent to permeate the entire tower? Sure. Want a guardian for when you're not here? They will be eternally constrained to the tower, but you can do it. Fair warning, the more complex the change the longer you're going to have to spend finding the righ
t buttons to press.
[ ] Goblin (Genericname) - Huh… why did I rescue a Goblin? Well… go on with your deal I guess… uh… take this Free replicating name tag for your "kids" I suppose...
TFW no DLC even though I made the best build back during the prototype...Oh well. Might as well just repost The GIngularity regardless.
