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A Simple Transaction I

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Genhack said:
What would happen if one used Sever the Limit on a Ring of Power? Broaden ones particular domain even further? Allow the Ring to be connected to a Virtue or Vice? Just make it more powerful somehow?
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I recall asking this question on discord, it can definitely elevate your rings power to compare to a sin/virtue ring.

Edit: You could also plausibly use sublime fusion to get some kind of 2 domain ring,though something like lesser clarity may be a lesser domain instead of a full domain.
 
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Genhack said:
What would happen if one used Sever the Limit on a Ring of Power? Broaden ones particular domain even further? Allow the Ring to be connected to a Virtue or Vice? Just make it more powerful somehow?
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It's a really interesting option, I was playing around with the idea of a Litanical Ascension sublime fusion of the ring of power plus the Dawn power for giga magic. It's tempting to take sever the limit but like the wind is suicide so.
 
OctarineShrike said:
I recall asking this question on discord, it can definitely elevate your rings power to compare to a sin/virtue ring.

Edit: You could also plausibly use sublime fusion to get some kind of 2 domain ring,though something like lesser clarity may be a lesser domain instead of a full domain.
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Mmm, was thinking of a sortve divine crocodile/Water Dragon build by taking Ring of Water and Fetters, then using Sever the Limit to enhance the spiky dragonfruit into some kind of Claymore esque town-toppling shapeshifting monster.

But, the option to upgrade the Ring itself is very tempting....
 
Posting some choice descriptions for comment - Too much? Too little? Hopefully this is not a faux pas.

Grand Ordination CYOA
The ingredients:
Hallowed Gift Basic Description:
Narrative Justification: "The story of my life is an adventure book not yet fully written, and I will be the one who wields the pen."
Metaphysical Benefit: The awareness of the story that governs one's life, in the vein of a "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style branching narrative, with the perspective as the main character.

Litanial Accession Basic Description: As CYOA option.
The Litanial Accession part of this power provides the expression of the story on reality.

The Result: Choosing My Own Adventure (CMOA)

General Principles
  • As Hallowed Gift is a power that the Authority of Hallowed Lore awakens in the user, CMOA is sourced and strongest in ontological proximity to the user - when altering reality to ensure that the user is 'in character', according to their values and beliefs, and in scenarios/stories that strongly resonate with them, the power of the reality warping can be potent, retroactive and/or permanent.
  • Conversely, when the user performs actions that they normally wouldn't do or have never been established to do ('uncharacteristic' or 'out of character'), or that creates a story that does not resonate with them, CMOA's power is weak and often temporary.
  • When trying to affect someone or something with hardly any relation to their story, the power available is virtually non-existent.
  • Beings of greater metaphysical weight than the user are unlikely to be directly affected, and are highly likely to be aware of CMOA acting on their surroundings.
  • As with Litanial Accession, CMOA does not grant inherent skill; it will be up to the user to develop and practice their power, and master the writing of their own story to learn how the Page, Quill and Bookmark are best used.
The Page
The one who wields the book can read the pages. The Page is the immaterial record of events that have happened in the user's story and could happen. The user can flick through ahead along the branching paths of their CYOA-style adventure, and look back, reading about events as seen from behind the fourth wall. It makes it clear what meaningful choices can be made to reach further into the CYOA-style story.
Weakness: The record cannot contain information about events that are not involved in the user's story.
The Page primarily corresponds to the Litany of Revelation.

The Quill
The power to re-write a scene's details inside the frame of the existing story, and cause events to occur according to literary devices, tropes, or genre.
Weakness: The new scene must still follow the narrative conventions of the story of the user's life so far. The Quill loses power when used to re-write a scene in narratively unlikely scenarios - for example trying to change the genre of the story so far. Narrative devices can only be used in situations where they are appropriate. They often (but not always) need preparation - like setting the scene, foreshadowing, training montages, and so on - to create an effect with a narratively consistent pay-off later.
The Quill uses effects corresponding (collectively) to the Litanies of Reaping, Reinforcement, Reciprocity, Repulsion and Reassurance to impose the desired result on the universe around the wielder - synchronicity occurs, enemies fall, unlikely fellowships are made, artifacts or treasures are created in order to be found at the right moment, villains exhibit various flaws that become their undoing, the hero fights on and triumphs despite impossible odds, and so on.

The Bookmark
To put a bookmark in a Choose Your Own Adventure novel is to note a point of reference to which one may return. This is effectively a 'save point' power which the user can return to.
Weakness: User must be careful of where, narratively, they place the bookmark - being caught in a loop or in a series of events where there is only one outcome is possible. The bookmark cannot be repositioned anywhere other than 'now' - in narrative terms, in the page they are currently on.
The Bookmark primarily corresponds to the Litany of Repulsion to undo that which has been done.
During an eclipse, the moon controls what sunlight reaches reaches the world, however briefly. The concept of this tower is about obscuring and controlling one's internal power. Gain surpassing ability in mundane stealth, and the ability to hide or close off one's internal wells of might.
Typically used to prevent detection by power-detecting magic or senses; also used to choke down on one's power to restrain it if it runs wild, or close the valve and prevent magical parasites from draining or feeding on the user's power.
A transportation magic used to transpose two 'things' in space, instantly swapping their positions. It is known on some worlds as Griftknack or Pebble Trade, for its use in pickpocketing, legerdemain and con jobs, but is perfectly usable for snatching the sword out of an enemy's hand and replacing it with empty air.
The hard rules are that the user needs to be aware of the position of the two things that are to be swapped, and deals only in 'whole' solid objects. Limits on range, scale or number of objects, size discrepancy between two transposed objects, and so on, can be bent based on the user's skill.
The main advantage is it can be very subtle and very fast to cast - often triggered with only the flick of a finger hidden in a sleeve or the wink of an eye. Most lay users only bother mastering the transposition of items no larger than a wallet or coin purse; those who study it seriously can use it to transport people or the contents of whole rooms. Great masters are said to have swapped the locations of castles and armies in wartime.
Improved agility, coordination, some durability and a toolbox of low-power supernatural abilities inspired by the protagonists of the Dishonored games.

Dealer's Choice
[P] Venlisia
[P] Super-Powered (C-List Dr Strange)
[P] Just A Touch Of Fate
[P] Get Out Of Hell Free Card
Not a lot to say, really.
Rodeo High would have been a nice change of pace, but having to battle its creator to leave - even if they pull their punches - is not high on my To Do list.
 
So I've been mulling over continuing my silly little series of making the strongest Essentialism build in every Ormulum CYOA, but honestly as I only have ItO left to do I realise that it's just supplies a power level so high it's kinda pointless in what way you want to become the best Essentialist.

So here are some builds, first off one for the trend of "evil" builds that I missed by like several days.

A Deal With The Angel​

[ ] Threshold (+3 embers)

[ ] Clerical Error (4 embers) - Lemrasil, Sovarus, Claphion
[ ] Heroic Destiny (1 ember)
[ ] Chosen One (2 embers) - Clerical Error [Enthrallment]
[ ] Seraphic Countenance (3 embers)

[ ] Three Wishes*3 (+3 ember)
[ ] Hamartia (+1 ember) - Greed
[ ] Phylactery (+1 ember) - Wrist-watch
[ ] Ark's Golden Gloom (+2 embers)

​
INT. DAY: OFFICES OF THE ANGEL - THE SUMMER 10 YEARS AFTER BECKONING

Looking toward the staircase, we can hear the footsteps of SULEVAST'S LACKEY before he actually rises into view. He is a small man, very dark, with curly black hair. But wiry, and tight and hard, and obviously very dangerous radiating enhanced magical abilities. He is greeted at the head of the stairs by SOVARUS, who takes his hand and shakes it, introducing himself. For a moment, there is a complex of handshaking quite formal, and whispered respectful introductions. Finally, SULEVAST'S LACKEY is taken into the ANGEL's Mithril paneled office; the two principals are introduced. They are very respectful of one another. Folding chairs are brought in by CLAPHION, and soon they are all sitting around in a circle; the ANGEL, SULEVAST'S LACKEY, SOVARUS, CLAPHION, LEMRASIL, and OZERIN. The ANGEL, dressed in an immaculately cut Heath Dragon suit dress is the radiates a gentle kindness though surrounded by her associates, whereas SULEVAST'S LACKEY has brought no one. Throughout all that transpires, however, it is clear that this scene is between two person who know value: SULEVAST'S LACKEY and THE ANGEL.

SULEVAST'S LACKEY: My Captain's business is reaving, we have a fleet, augmented troops in the Ark, ready to go into action. Our profit gathering methods are as safe as these things can be, about six per cent loss. The risk is nothing, the profits enormous.

THE ANGEL: Why do you come to me? Why do I deserve your generosity?

SULEVAST'S LACKEY: We need a five million Merke of Essences in salts...more important, We need an ally who has people in high places; a partner who can guarantee that if we are chased, we would have a place to dock and resupply. Be our partner.

THE ANGEL: What percentages for my church?

SULEVAST'S LACKEY: Thirty per cent. In the first year your share would be 20 million Merke; then it would go up.

THE ANGEL: And what is the percentage of the Hand?

SULEVAST'S LACKEY nods toward CLAPHION.

SULEVAST'S LACKEY: My compliments. We'll take care of him from our share.

THE ANGEL: So. I receive 30 per cent just for finance and safe bastion. No worries about operations, is that what you tell me?

SULEVAST'S LACKEY: If you think five million Merke in cash is just finance, I congratulate you Angel.

There is a long silence; in which each person present feels the tension. THE ANGEL is about to give her answer.

THE ANGEL: I said I would see you because I've heard you're a serious man, to be treated with respect... (pause) Your offer interests me.

Her words are felt around the room.

THE ANGEL: I'll give you my reasons. I have many, many friends in higher places. Luckily, after our earlier commodifying of afterlife and treaty with Arranor we have a lot more resources at our disposal. We can expect to be a majority stakeholder in Pleroma by the end of the quarter.

SULEVAST'S LACKEY takes a breath.

THE ANGEL: The way man makes their business is my business. Your proposition is very alluring, I'm sure your Captain would know something about the desire to increase profit margins.

SULEVAST'S LACKEY: Are you not worried about security for your million?

THE ANGEL: No.

SULEVAST'S LACKEY: The Hand will guarantee your investment also.

This startles SOVARUS; he blurts out.

SOVARUS: The Hand family guarantees our investment?

SULEVAST'S LACKEY hears him first, and then very slowly turns to face him. Everyone is the room knows that SOVARUS has stepped out of line.

THE ANGEL: Young people are greedy, but they have no manners. They speak when they should listen. But I have a sentimental weakness for my spirits, and I've spoiled them, as you see. But your master will hear later from me.

SULEVAST'S LACKEY nods, understands that this is the dismissal. He glances one last time at SOVARUS. He rises; all the others do as well. He bows to THE ANGEL, shakes his hand, and formally takes his leave. When the footsteps can no longer be heard:

THE ANGEL turns to SOVARUS.

THE ANGEL: Sovarus, never let anyone outside the family know what you are thinking. I think your brain is going soft from all that comedy you play with that Queen Arabelle.
​

​
I'm sorry, I'm suffering from terminal brainrot.

In terms of downsides, I fully intend to work with Sulevast until I inevitably betray him to access to the multiverse through him. I like Bath Kol, so I am happy to listen to my CEO's desires, everything else is just a bonus. Even the phylactery! It reminds me that after all, time is money.



For my second build, i decided to do something more comfy.


A Long Journey With A Friend
​
[ ] Arranor (+3 embers)
[ ] Practice (1 ember)
[ ] Viscerality (2 embers)


[ ] Chosen One (2 embers) - Practice (Can Be Applied To Magic Systems)
[ ] Kandata (2 embers)
[ ] There and Back Again (2 embers)

[ ] Memento (1 ember) - Relaxing Headphones

[ ] Three Wishes*3 (+3 ember)
[ ] Hamartia (+1 ember)
[ ] Phylactery (+1 ember) - Relaxing Headphones
[ ] Ark's Golden Gloom (+2 embers)

Sometimes, you don't have to be the hero of the multiverse, the conqueror of the hierarchy. Sometimes it's okay to go on an adventure to try your best and rehabilitate one person, one person who never truly had a chance to enjoy...existence?

That's right, it's Adventure Time with Questionable and Zoran! The Headphones with my beats will be doubly magically enhanced to provide calmness, clarity and the ability to focus on the present. Immediately they will go to Zoran, I just hope his Labyrinthian sensibilities fit with my sporadic playlist. Oh and also it's my one weakness, he's in charge of defending that.

I don't really have a long plan for this, I was gonna start in Arranor because I know from a trick by Birdsie that you can create a ludicrous amounts of Salts from labyrinths. Zoran and I will befriend Denlah by providing his nation with the resources he needs, while I learn more Essentialism when me and Zoran aren't going around being tourists, doing Bath Kol's quests or letting the minotaur listen to my boring life before coming here with my relaxing music in the background.

With some of the magics I plan to gather across our trip around Pleroma, provided we survive all of Bath Kol's quests, fight off some Litanical marines we will go onto the street and continue our trip to the end of the street for Zoran.

I hope that, with enough time and Practice, I will be able to reach with Viscerality and my array of other magics and heal Zoran down to his second aspect. He was Beckoned just like, it's time for him to get his reward.

I don't know if you can make some recover from being from the pit, but you've got to at least try don't you?
 
What's the Second Aspect? I know the First Aspect is probably the soul or maybe the Hun souls or something in that vein, but if the second isn't just 'the body' I'm not sure what's up with it.
 
HoratioVonBecker said:
What's the Second Aspect? I know the First Aspect is probably the soul or maybe the Hun souls or something in that vein, but if the second isn't just 'the body' I'm not sure what's up with it.
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The First Aspect is what you might label a being's true soul. It reincarnates and holds stored memories of each incarnation. It's what Daylight shines on to make you remember your past. To a large extent, it's the Aspect from which Expression extrudes outwards to affect reality. It's what you burn as fuel to become an Arrant Incarnation.

The Second Aspect is the seat of the mind and spirit. It's what holds about ninety-nine percent of your magics. It's what holds your true consciousness. It's what decides Primacy. When you wear a Ring of Power, the process of clarifying its domain causes the Second Aspect to swell and leak down to your Third, enhancing it.

And the Third is your material body in this material world. Hence Third Impact being a huge explosion.
 
Mad Science​

[ ] Sublime Fusion [-14 Coin] - First Aspect + Second Aspect
[ ] Sever the Limit [-1 Remittance] - Fused Aspect
[ ] Ring of Power [-50 Coin] - Fused Aspect
[ ] The Undying King: Deathless [-20 Coin] -
[ ] Drawback: Charitable Works [+20 Coin] -
Credit: 84 1
Debit: 84 1

The idea is pretty simple, fuse your first and second aspect, sever the limit of your fusion, create a Ring of Power that expresses and defines the new Unified Aspect you created. Between your Ring and Aspect you can both grow and define it's nature. Get Deathless because dying is for lesser scientists and it should synergize with a unified Mind, Spirit, and Soul.

What does this do? No one knows, but you're about to find out.

Edit:

Since I'm already making wildly reckless Ormulum builds, here's a second one.

I Just Think She's Neat​
[ ] The Iselgradis Encystment -
[ ] Goetic Magic (1 ember) -
[ ] Demarcation (2 embers) -
[ ] Clerical Error (2 embers) - Bath Kol
[ ] Silent Springs (1 ember) -
[ ] Heroic Destiny (1 ember) -
[ ] Chosen One (2 embers) - Clerical Error
[ ] Pinion Feather (1 ember) -
[ ] Three Wishes (+3 ember) -
[ ] Hamartia (+1 ember) - Sloth
[ ] Phylactery (+1 ember) - Pinion Feather
[ ] Ark's Golden Gloom (+2 embers) -

Credit: 10
Debit: 10

Apply Chosen One to Clerical Error, to strengthen the reciprocal nature of Clerical Error: Bath Kol may now draw on and benefit from our magics and benefits.

This provides Bath Kol the comprehensive regeneration of the Silent Spring, and access to both less taxing Goetic Magic in combination with Demarcation. Given her own nature as the Dawn, which separates Night from Day, this is either useful or redundant. Either way, even if she receives modest benefits from this, you should be able to call on her contacts with Goetic Magic, and screen divination effects with Demarcation.

Since Clerical Error benefits from proximity to one's deity, we also pick up one of her Pinion Feathers, which also allows another method of communion and temporary summoning. I suspect, though cannot be sure, that a combination of Goetic Magic, Demarcation, and breaking the Feather could permanently summon Bath Kol into the world much, much earlier than expected -- this would probably kill you, though.

If this build cannot deal with the Ark, it can probably hide in the encistment, build up more there, then have Bath Kol compel then to leave via geas. Sloth may be similarly circumvented via mind control, demarcation, or tailored blessings.

This build is almost certainly very inefficient at translation Embers into Bath Kol Utility (BTU), Heroic Destiny may be pointless, Silent Springs may be more profitably exchanged for a contact in the Silent House, having the Administrator of Forge Realm Aleph under her thumb may be more useful than a cleric, etc. However, since all I know about the Ormulum is derived from two canon and one AU cyoa there's only so much to work with!

In universe, of course, this build would just ask what she'd prefer.
 
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qwolfs said:
[ ] Sublime Fusion [-14 Coin] - First Aspect + Second Aspect
[ ] Sever the Limit [-1 Remittance] - Fused Aspect
[ ] Ring of Power [-50 Coin] - Fused Aspect
[ ] The Undying King: Deathless [-20 Coin] -
[ ] Drawback: Charitable Works [+20 Coin] -
Credit: 84 1
Debit: 84 1

The idea is pretty simple, fuse your first and second aspect, sever the limit of your fusion, create a Ring of Power that expresses and defines the new Unified Aspect you created. Between your Ring and Aspect you can both grow and define it's nature. Get Deathless because dying is for lesser scientists and it should synergize with a unified Mind, Spirit, and Soul.

What does this do? No one knows, but you're about to find out.
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Huh, not even I can predict what the fuck this'd do. It'd probably be pretty good, though? Maybe? Give you near-infinite Primacy / magic resistance, or something?
 
It seems a new Page is required, so who am I to refuse?

[ ] Normal Mode:
[ ] Strategos [7 Points, 1 Seal] - Solar
[ ] 3: Jackpot.
[ ] 7: Perchance.
[ ] 9: Arcane.
[ ] Reflection [2 Seals] -
[ ] Exponential [4 Seals] I - III: Save Slots

Credit: 07P 07S
Debit: 07P 07S
Pick up a solid reflection, Realm or Gamer, for example, then scale as a solar from there. Or be an idiot, and become Abbadon, the armless failure.
qwolfs threw 4 10-faced dice. Reason: Binding Casino Rolls: Total: 28
9 9 9 9 7 7 3 3
 
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I've been thinking that the CYOA genre is most effective when it can hint at a setting with some depth. But the lions share of discussion is always about the magic blurbs.

Since R released (most of) the powers first, I wonder if the setting details here will spark even half of the discussion as draft 0.9? The lull in thread activity will make it hard to tell what's really driving engagement though.
 
I thought I'd try a Gravity and Electricity master build for Out of the Infinite Morning. Heres two versions.

Basically the point of these builds is to become a gravity and space focused self-fortification user in conjuction with the EM spectrum control of Fulminance for having 2 fundamental forces at my command. My opening move is to start huffing space salts to build that affinity in self fortification regardless of build. For the greedier option, Ark's Golden Gloom's time delay combined with being likely to get 2 of my heroic destiny benefits before he shows up mitigates that strongly I'd imagine. Chosen One Self-Fortification is for More Gravity Control. Seraphic Countenance is for the power boost/Immortality, and the Iselgradis Encystment combined with Roderick's Testment should give me a shot at reaching Agartha.


Basic Low Greed Concept:

Drop Zone: The Iselgradis Encystment

Self-Fortification(1 Ember)
Essential Salts(1 Ember, Space)
Fulminance(1 Ember)

Something Greedier:

Drop Zone: The Iselgradis Encystment

Self Fortification(1 Ember)
Essential Salts(1 Ember, Space)
Fulminance(1 Ember)
Chosen One(Self-Fortification)(2 Embers)
Roderick's Testament(1 Ember)
Heroic Destiny(1 Ember)
Seraphic Counteance(3 Embers)

Ark's Golden Gloom(2 Embers)
3 Wishes(1 Ember)
Hamartia: Greed(1 Ember)
Twilight(3 Embers)
 
Learning more about the Foremost will be interesting. One wonders how much they knew of what would come for them, and whether it would be possible to slip past the grasp of their Fate.
 
Pseudopod said:
Posting some choice descriptions for comment - Too much? Too little? Hopefully this is not a faux pas.
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It's quite alright! Posting blurbs is a long and storied tradition in this quest. Your choice would significantly narrow down the scope of the Litanies, but that's hardly the worst choice when you have the full fruits of the multiverse on offer. Having them progress intuitively may well be worthwhile.
 
Zampano said:
I've been thinking that the CYOA genre is most effective when it can hint at a setting with some depth. But the lions share of discussion is always about the magic blurbs.

Since R released (most of) the powers first, I wonder if the setting details here will spark even half of the discussion as draft 0.9? The lull in thread activity will make it hard to tell what's really driving engagement though.
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Mm, it's an unfortunate tendency. On the other hand, getting the full scope of Plunging Drawbacks would open up substantially more builds. A completed Sword in combination with the Shogun's Emblem, claiming the Title of Cyberneticist, becoming a lesser echo of the Arcanist, etc.
 
qwolfs said:
Apply Chosen One to Clerical Error, to strengthen the reciprocal nature of Clerical Error: Bath Kol may now draw on and benefit from our magics and benefits.
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I thought about a similar build myself. There is always a greater power, so why not get that power on speed dial! Her requirements may be onerous, but maintaining some kind of connection even after your duties are discharged could be quite valuable.
 
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