That depends entirely on the curses you take. If you don't have any that will bring you into conflict with others, you're probably fine just taking things chill from the start.
A Simple Transaction I
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
- Original
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
I wonder how much power Vindicate has for Curse Mitigation purposes? We reach 10th Ordinal we start taking that for curse mitigation perhaps? Or does that give people too many Imperia flashbacks?
Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The thing is, I don't think we needed to take risks at all. Being a Progressor means we'll rapidly scale up so long as we make the slightest effort; in light of that, we'd be better off just minimising the risks we take and taking options that provide a decent amount of power immediately, at least until we're secure. Instead, we've been so focused on greed and maximising potential that we've almost died repeatedly.
I think both during and after the Temple, we should learn to chill out a bit and focus on surviving. Let's save the death or glory options for times that actually deserve them, like if huge numbers of people are in peril or our companions are at risk.
If it can mitigate at all, then probably around first tier, same as Gisena.
Last edited:
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
Sounds about right. We'd probably need like, 17th Ordinal minimum to have any hope of further mitigation.
- Location
- Rivendell
Shh, if you don't acknowledge it we can pretend it never happened.I saw that, @Bilbo Baggins . Your foolishness has brought the curse of the dice gods upon us.
Cutting Through
Rihaku
The Internet
Cutting Through
Even possessed of superhuman strength and speed, putting down the wurm was the brutal work of an hour, and digging free of its underground tomb several long minutes more. His wraithflesh was wreathed in sickly-gray acid burns, and the contours of his ghostly outline had grown faint and uneven, but in the end he'd prevailed, reaping a solid bounty of power from his victory. He could only hope that no further monstrosities intercepted him on his way back to the antechamber.
Luck, or perhaps merely the wariness of the Temple denizens, was with him this evening, as he returned to that marble-lined hall without further incident. For all that he was badly injured, it had been a singularly productive day, and in the morning he would be whole and hale again to start anew.
Hunger made his way past the comforting radiance of the braziers, up to the great gates which barred his way out, and saw that the moon-sign hung upon the steel was nearly filled. He sat down on the unyielding tile, basking in the antechamber's welcoming warmth, and allowed himself to slip briefly into reverie.
He was torn on whether their coming to this Temple had been a mistake. The inhabitants of this unnatural place were fearsome opponents, well beyond his own level at the start of the day, and it was only by grit, cunning, and the all-killing power of his Blade that he'd prevailed today. Would it be wiser to retreat, despite the impairment of the false moon's Calling, content with the strength he'd gained today?
Perhaps. But it was not within him to yield so easily. A decade of stubborn insurgency against the Tyrant had seared his psyche with hatred and determination in equal measure. He was fully aware of that, but felt no need to change his essential nature. To give up now merely because the threat was dire would be a refutation of everything he was, the personal legend that comprised his supernal shadow, his much-vaunted "Astral Rank." Faced with a threat like this, he could only rise to the occasion or die trying. To cut through, even if the problem could not be cut.
But that did not entail a wholesale rejection of strategic thinking. That he had resolved to finish the matter was one thing; how he chose to go about it was another entirely. In his war against the Tyrant there had been countless fewer sallies than withdrawals, countless fewer triumphs than bitter retreats.
The moon-gauge on the doors had come full. He rose, and raised his hand to the ponderous gates, ring-light blazing. As if in response to his will, deep gears whirring in the walls, the doors opened with a click, revealing the empty plain beyond, bathed in the light of the stars. He stepped out, and the Calling intensified, strobe of the humming with nearly-painful urgency. Grimacing, he put it out of mind and walked forth.
Letrizia was parked several kilometers away, in a small outcropping next to a grove of rugged, sinewy trees. She and Gisena were having a mid-evening picnic, ration bars illuminated by campfire and temple-grasped moon.
"You're hurt!" Gisena rose, coming to his side. He'd wrapped himself in the Evening Sky to conceal the worst of his wounds, but perhaps there was no hiding from her Sorcerous sight.
"It's manageable," he dismissed, waving off her concern. "More importantly, I'm hungry. Do we have any fish left?"
"Just a little!" Letrizia said, taking a thin sliver of smoked meat from the picnic basket. She stared at it pleadingly, as if willing it to multiply before her plaintive gaze.
"Barely a mouthful," he scoffed. "Shall we split it?"
"Okay!" Letrizia delightedly cut the meat into thirds, quickly swallowing her own portion. She smiled contentedly, luxuriating in the taste. Faintly salivating, a forlorn expression crossed her face as she remembered there was no more.
"Say aaaah, hun!" Gisena teased, sandwiching her portion between finger and thumb and presenting it to him.
He raised an eyebrow. "If you're offering."
He ate it swiftly, before she could retract or protest. King fish meat was too valuable to be wasted.
Gisena giggled. "So greedy! How do things taste in spirit form?"
"It's not greed, but Hunger," he shrugged. "And they taste mostly the same. A bit lighter, more delicate. The ghostflame is replicating the effects of my physical body, or I would be mostly incorporeal."
"Hmm, how boring."
"You're one to talk about powers that are boring, Miss Nullity Sorceress."
"It's Lady Nullity to you, Lord Hunger!" Playfully she huffed, turning her face. "And I'll have you know, I don't need powers that are wondrous to make something extraordinary!"
"I believe you." He said, looking up at the stars. "If we live through this, then someday, you'll make great things."
"Aww, you!" She hugged his arm, laying her head on his shoulder. "I like this ghostly form of yours. It's much nicer than your real body!"
"As you said. I'm vulnerable to dispellation right now."
Would he be able to build great things as well, one day? Or had the funnel of his experiences shaped him only into a destroyer? It was an illogical fear, now that the power of Progression was open to him. But for some reason he couldn't quite shake it. Even having gained this power, most of what he'd done with it was to make himself a more perfect killer. And if the greater part of that had been necessity, still there'd been the element of desire as well. The power to hurt others was also the power to protect them; that was one lesson of countless that Blade and Tyrant had imparted to him.
Was that enough to justify strength of such magnitude, turned only to the power of murder? In his old Earth they'd feared the power of the atom bomb, a weapon so terrible as to threaten the end of war. Had the weight of that threat succeeded, or had they only destroyed themselves?
Half a day ago the giant knights had been peer-level opponents. Now, having killed maybe a dozen of their number, he was their unambiguous superior. That was, as the Accursed had promised, growth beyond his wildest dreams, power beyond all reason, progression without plateaus or bottlenecks, the endless perfecting march against which neither law nor obstacle could stand for long. He was unaccountably lucky to have been chosen, unaccountably graced, but what did it mean for the Accursed to believe that power such as this was appropriate for him?
The hour was late. His body was weary, be it flesh or ghost. In the embrace of his cloak which mirrored the heavens above, he drifted off, dreaming of sword-light.
---
[X] Return to the Antechamber, has, obviously, won! The build vote has gone to consolidation below. What is the plan for tomorrow? 11 days of Apocryphal-free traversal remain.
[ ] Sweep the Outskirts - No need to move on too aggressively. Though you don't gain much from the knights anymore, it's clear there are greater creatures in the area immediately beyond the antechamber that you've yet to outscale. Until you are confident you've conquered the outskirts, there's no reason to push on unduly. And if you kill enough knights, surely you'll progress at least a little more... [+1-2 picks during next Experience spend, tactics help]
[ ] Push in Further - Cut through, even if it cannot be cut. You will resolve this matter of the Calling as soon as humanly possible. There is a difference between discretion and cowardice. One can eschew the latter while keeping the former in mind. Else how could it be the better part of valor? [+0.5 Arete, +0.1 Rank, +?% chance of high-level Artifact, compounding advantage for each non-build red option further taken, tactics will help]
[ ] Search for Humans - Now that you've grown significantly in overall strength, it should be safer to interact with other humans even with the Doom looming over you. Worse comes to worst, you can always drive them off. It would interesting to get some context for this place, learn how the Calling affects those without a Ring of Power, and be made of aware of any traps you've not foreseen. [+?, +information?, tactics will help]
As you're stronger now, you're confident you can keep Gisena safe against most of the monsters in the outskirts. You may bring her with you if you choose [ ] Sweep or [ ] Search, and will automatically bring her with you if a choice with Undying Vanguard is selected.
[ ] Bring Gisena - The power of dispellation, and a shrewd lady of the nobility whose social maneuvering may bring you advantage yet.
[ ] Don't Bring Gisena - Letrizia won't be as bored! [+Letrizia, +0.1 Arete]
What was the shape of the power he gained from the hill-eater wurm? You're at 8.75 Arete, an impressive sum! All plans spend 7 Arete except for Apex, which spends none at all. Choose carefully, your decision here may determine the future of your strategy...
[ ] Dreadnought - Echo, Dreadnought's Bearing
-[ ] Rune King
-[ ] Sharp of Eye - But see below.
*Massively increases durability and resilience to physical status effects
*Importantly allows you to fight at somewhat optimal effectiveness while Exhausted, and nearly allows you to ignore Tiredness.
*In your current situation, Rune King would be recommended, as Sharp of Eye spends too much of the option's value on restoring an eye rather than metaphysical power. +Intelligence and +Wisdom are also more pertinent to more situations. However, if you wish to purchase Sharp of Eye anyway, I won't stop you. Rune King pays dividends in the short-medium term, while Sharp of Eye offers relatively less, in exchange for the eye itself.
*One of the two recommended configurations for a warrior-mage strategy
[ ] Apex - Double Echo, Apex
*Saves your Arete to purchase some form of magic system in the short term, whether Chief Dominion, Azure Moon or Philosopher's Wreath.
*By focusing on physical prowess and Rank, gains a well-rounded bonus to most actions that leaves it at least somewhat competitive in terms of power with most other options here. Likely to get magic the fastest of the options.
*The highest Agility option here. High Rank provides a formidable Form of Rage.
*The second of two recommended configurations for a warrior-mage strategy.
*The long-term benefits of compounding magic systems can hardly be overstated.
[ ] Strong Sword-Arm - Echo, Ruinous Valor [Zweihander], A Thousand Cuts
*Incredible destructive might and tactical versatility
*Passively improves melee-combat in three compounding ways: increased Strength, increased Power of Ruin, and Fell wounds applied to each strike
*Restores the hero's left arm and hand, allowing for many maneuvers hitherto-thought impossible...
*Advantages in both the martial realm and without
+/- Can take Gisena in a princess carry...
*As unarmed attacks can now utilize the Fell-Handed Stroke, can kill the fuck out of many enemies before they have the chance to do much.
*Vulnerable to enemies that it can't kill the fuck out of due to lower overall stats.
*Recommended for a pure combatant or warrior-lord strategy.
[ ] Root and Branch - Stranglethorn, Undying Vanguard
*Powerful long-term potential at the cost of reducing your AGI/growth
*Yields a truckload of raw STR and CON to compensate
*Good versatility and sustain with Undying Vanguard
*Vulnerable to fast enemies or enemies with overwhelming physical might
*Suffers a minor (-5%) penalty for 1 day due to how badly you were wounded the previous day
*Can Establish yourself in virtually any context, growing ever more difficult to resist or dislodge with time, though the effect is slow.
*Recommended for a warrior-lord strategy.
Even possessed of superhuman strength and speed, putting down the wurm was the brutal work of an hour, and digging free of its underground tomb several long minutes more. His wraithflesh was wreathed in sickly-gray acid burns, and the contours of his ghostly outline had grown faint and uneven, but in the end he'd prevailed, reaping a solid bounty of power from his victory. He could only hope that no further monstrosities intercepted him on his way back to the antechamber.
Luck, or perhaps merely the wariness of the Temple denizens, was with him this evening, as he returned to that marble-lined hall without further incident. For all that he was badly injured, it had been a singularly productive day, and in the morning he would be whole and hale again to start anew.
Hunger made his way past the comforting radiance of the braziers, up to the great gates which barred his way out, and saw that the moon-sign hung upon the steel was nearly filled. He sat down on the unyielding tile, basking in the antechamber's welcoming warmth, and allowed himself to slip briefly into reverie.
He was torn on whether their coming to this Temple had been a mistake. The inhabitants of this unnatural place were fearsome opponents, well beyond his own level at the start of the day, and it was only by grit, cunning, and the all-killing power of his Blade that he'd prevailed today. Would it be wiser to retreat, despite the impairment of the false moon's Calling, content with the strength he'd gained today?
Perhaps. But it was not within him to yield so easily. A decade of stubborn insurgency against the Tyrant had seared his psyche with hatred and determination in equal measure. He was fully aware of that, but felt no need to change his essential nature. To give up now merely because the threat was dire would be a refutation of everything he was, the personal legend that comprised his supernal shadow, his much-vaunted "Astral Rank." Faced with a threat like this, he could only rise to the occasion or die trying. To cut through, even if the problem could not be cut.
But that did not entail a wholesale rejection of strategic thinking. That he had resolved to finish the matter was one thing; how he chose to go about it was another entirely. In his war against the Tyrant there had been countless fewer sallies than withdrawals, countless fewer triumphs than bitter retreats.
The moon-gauge on the doors had come full. He rose, and raised his hand to the ponderous gates, ring-light blazing. As if in response to his will, deep gears whirring in the walls, the doors opened with a click, revealing the empty plain beyond, bathed in the light of the stars. He stepped out, and the Calling intensified, strobe of the humming with nearly-painful urgency. Grimacing, he put it out of mind and walked forth.
Letrizia was parked several kilometers away, in a small outcropping next to a grove of rugged, sinewy trees. She and Gisena were having a mid-evening picnic, ration bars illuminated by campfire and temple-grasped moon.
"You're hurt!" Gisena rose, coming to his side. He'd wrapped himself in the Evening Sky to conceal the worst of his wounds, but perhaps there was no hiding from her Sorcerous sight.
"It's manageable," he dismissed, waving off her concern. "More importantly, I'm hungry. Do we have any fish left?"
"Just a little!" Letrizia said, taking a thin sliver of smoked meat from the picnic basket. She stared at it pleadingly, as if willing it to multiply before her plaintive gaze.
"Barely a mouthful," he scoffed. "Shall we split it?"
"Okay!" Letrizia delightedly cut the meat into thirds, quickly swallowing her own portion. She smiled contentedly, luxuriating in the taste. Faintly salivating, a forlorn expression crossed her face as she remembered there was no more.
"Say aaaah, hun!" Gisena teased, sandwiching her portion between finger and thumb and presenting it to him.
He raised an eyebrow. "If you're offering."
He ate it swiftly, before she could retract or protest. King fish meat was too valuable to be wasted.
Gisena giggled. "So greedy! How do things taste in spirit form?"
"It's not greed, but Hunger," he shrugged. "And they taste mostly the same. A bit lighter, more delicate. The ghostflame is replicating the effects of my physical body, or I would be mostly incorporeal."
"Hmm, how boring."
"You're one to talk about powers that are boring, Miss Nullity Sorceress."
"It's Lady Nullity to you, Lord Hunger!" Playfully she huffed, turning her face. "And I'll have you know, I don't need powers that are wondrous to make something extraordinary!"
"I believe you." He said, looking up at the stars. "If we live through this, then someday, you'll make great things."
"Aww, you!" She hugged his arm, laying her head on his shoulder. "I like this ghostly form of yours. It's much nicer than your real body!"
"As you said. I'm vulnerable to dispellation right now."
Would he be able to build great things as well, one day? Or had the funnel of his experiences shaped him only into a destroyer? It was an illogical fear, now that the power of Progression was open to him. But for some reason he couldn't quite shake it. Even having gained this power, most of what he'd done with it was to make himself a more perfect killer. And if the greater part of that had been necessity, still there'd been the element of desire as well. The power to hurt others was also the power to protect them; that was one lesson of countless that Blade and Tyrant had imparted to him.
Was that enough to justify strength of such magnitude, turned only to the power of murder? In his old Earth they'd feared the power of the atom bomb, a weapon so terrible as to threaten the end of war. Had the weight of that threat succeeded, or had they only destroyed themselves?
Half a day ago the giant knights had been peer-level opponents. Now, having killed maybe a dozen of their number, he was their unambiguous superior. That was, as the Accursed had promised, growth beyond his wildest dreams, power beyond all reason, progression without plateaus or bottlenecks, the endless perfecting march against which neither law nor obstacle could stand for long. He was unaccountably lucky to have been chosen, unaccountably graced, but what did it mean for the Accursed to believe that power such as this was appropriate for him?
The hour was late. His body was weary, be it flesh or ghost. In the embrace of his cloak which mirrored the heavens above, he drifted off, dreaming of sword-light.
---
[X] Return to the Antechamber, has, obviously, won! The build vote has gone to consolidation below. What is the plan for tomorrow? 11 days of Apocryphal-free traversal remain.
[ ] Sweep the Outskirts - No need to move on too aggressively. Though you don't gain much from the knights anymore, it's clear there are greater creatures in the area immediately beyond the antechamber that you've yet to outscale. Until you are confident you've conquered the outskirts, there's no reason to push on unduly. And if you kill enough knights, surely you'll progress at least a little more... [+1-2 picks during next Experience spend, tactics help]
[ ] Push in Further - Cut through, even if it cannot be cut. You will resolve this matter of the Calling as soon as humanly possible. There is a difference between discretion and cowardice. One can eschew the latter while keeping the former in mind. Else how could it be the better part of valor? [+0.5 Arete, +0.1 Rank, +?% chance of high-level Artifact, compounding advantage for each non-build red option further taken, tactics will help]
[ ] Search for Humans - Now that you've grown significantly in overall strength, it should be safer to interact with other humans even with the Doom looming over you. Worse comes to worst, you can always drive them off. It would interesting to get some context for this place, learn how the Calling affects those without a Ring of Power, and be made of aware of any traps you've not foreseen. [+?, +information?, tactics will help]
As you're stronger now, you're confident you can keep Gisena safe against most of the monsters in the outskirts. You may bring her with you if you choose [ ] Sweep or [ ] Search, and will automatically bring her with you if a choice with Undying Vanguard is selected.
[ ] Bring Gisena - The power of dispellation, and a shrewd lady of the nobility whose social maneuvering may bring you advantage yet.
[ ] Don't Bring Gisena - Letrizia won't be as bored! [+Letrizia, +0.1 Arete]
What was the shape of the power he gained from the hill-eater wurm? You're at 8.75 Arete, an impressive sum! All plans spend 7 Arete except for Apex, which spends none at all. Choose carefully, your decision here may determine the future of your strategy...
[ ] Dreadnought - Echo, Dreadnought's Bearing
-[ ] Rune King
-[ ] Sharp of Eye - But see below.
*Massively increases durability and resilience to physical status effects
*Importantly allows you to fight at somewhat optimal effectiveness while Exhausted, and nearly allows you to ignore Tiredness.
*In your current situation, Rune King would be recommended, as Sharp of Eye spends too much of the option's value on restoring an eye rather than metaphysical power. +Intelligence and +Wisdom are also more pertinent to more situations. However, if you wish to purchase Sharp of Eye anyway, I won't stop you. Rune King pays dividends in the short-medium term, while Sharp of Eye offers relatively less, in exchange for the eye itself.
*One of the two recommended configurations for a warrior-mage strategy
[ ] Apex - Double Echo, Apex
*Saves your Arete to purchase some form of magic system in the short term, whether Chief Dominion, Azure Moon or Philosopher's Wreath.
*By focusing on physical prowess and Rank, gains a well-rounded bonus to most actions that leaves it at least somewhat competitive in terms of power with most other options here. Likely to get magic the fastest of the options.
*The highest Agility option here. High Rank provides a formidable Form of Rage.
*The second of two recommended configurations for a warrior-mage strategy.
*The long-term benefits of compounding magic systems can hardly be overstated.
[ ] Strong Sword-Arm - Echo, Ruinous Valor [Zweihander], A Thousand Cuts
*Incredible destructive might and tactical versatility
*Passively improves melee-combat in three compounding ways: increased Strength, increased Power of Ruin, and Fell wounds applied to each strike
*Restores the hero's left arm and hand, allowing for many maneuvers hitherto-thought impossible...
*Advantages in both the martial realm and without
+/- Can take Gisena in a princess carry...
*As unarmed attacks can now utilize the Fell-Handed Stroke, can kill the fuck out of many enemies before they have the chance to do much.
*Vulnerable to enemies that it can't kill the fuck out of due to lower overall stats.
*Recommended for a pure combatant or warrior-lord strategy.
[ ] Root and Branch - Stranglethorn, Undying Vanguard
*Powerful long-term potential at the cost of reducing your AGI/growth
*Yields a truckload of raw STR and CON to compensate
*Good versatility and sustain with Undying Vanguard
*Vulnerable to fast enemies or enemies with overwhelming physical might
*Suffers a minor (-5%) penalty for 1 day due to how badly you were wounded the previous day
*Can Establish yourself in virtually any context, growing ever more difficult to resist or dislodge with time, though the effect is slow.
*Recommended for a warrior-lord strategy.
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- Location
- US
[X] Strong Sword-Arm
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Oof. Nice.
Can we approval-vote in this quest?
Can we approval-vote in this quest?
Rihaku
The Internet
You can, but your true voting power will be diluted. If you vote for two options, it'll count as half a vote for each, in terms of number of votes, argument and omake power, etc.
- Location
- Pindorama
[X] Sweep the Outskirts
[X] Root and Branch
We can be many things, mage, thief or warrior; but being a lord is part of our actual mission in this place. Thus, lordly upgrades are well suited to us.
[X] Root and Branch
We can be many things, mage, thief or warrior; but being a lord is part of our actual mission in this place. Thus, lordly upgrades are well suited to us.
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Rihaku
The Internet
So easily bribed by fish...
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
It's not the fish, it's the banter.
EDIT:
I'm serious. Damn, that banter.
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Lealope
Not yet invincible
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Sweep the Outskirts
[X] Apex
[X] Strong Sword-Arm
[X] Don't Bring Gisena
I think minimal risk for a decent amount of power should be our default policy from now on. Save Arete, spend it on a magic system and then see to exploring further. It doesn't even sacrifice long term potential since we'll have access to interactions between the two systems and we all know how strong those can be from EFB.
Suited to our mission but not suited to our immediate circumstances or short to medium term goals. We need power to survive and carve out a niche for ourselves before we can think about securing it.
[X] Apex
[X] Strong Sword-Arm
[X] Don't Bring Gisena
I think minimal risk for a decent amount of power should be our default policy from now on. Save Arete, spend it on a magic system and then see to exploring further. It doesn't even sacrifice long term potential since we'll have access to interactions between the two systems and we all know how strong those can be from EFB.
Suited to our mission but not suited to our immediate circumstances or short to medium term goals. We need power to survive and carve out a niche for ourselves before we can think about securing it.
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- Location
- US
That's a fair point. Besides, I do like Vanguard, so while the loss of some AGI does hurt, boosting up our companions takes the edge off.
[X] Sweep the Outskirts
[X] Root and Branch
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- Location
- Pindorama
Double Strength and Constitution is not enough? Plus bringing Gisena along? That is quite a lot of power, arguably the most power on offer, for both short and long-term.
- Location
- Earth
Hmm, with WOG clarifying the effectiveness of Sharp of Eye vs Rune King more, I'm giving Rune King consideration but I'm more attached to the warrior-lord path. Zweihander was my initial favorite, but Stranglethorn later became my second choice and now that I don't find Sharp as appealing anymore, I'll roll with this for now. Plus, this option automatically Sweeps and Brings Gisena due to the Undying Vanguard selection, which are both also things I want.
[X] Root and Branch
[X] Root and Branch
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Rihaku
The Internet
Clearly you've never had the fish.
Mm, Establishment in such a context would probably take too long to become useful. It's mostly something that'll help during timeskips and the like. The large stat modifiers are more relevant in this case.
Well, it definitely doesn't sacrifice long term potential! It's one of the long-term options, after all!
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
[X] Push in Further
[X] Apex
[X] Don't Bring Gisena
Take all the ranks increasing options, and we're in a strong position despite not spending Arete. Then we can grab some magic next update. If Apex falls too far behind I will switch to Dreadnought.
[X] Apex
[X] Don't Bring Gisena
Take all the ranks increasing options, and we're in a strong position despite not spending Arete. Then we can grab some magic next update. If Apex falls too far behind I will switch to Dreadnought.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
She had already successfully bribed me with the banter before the fish showed up. You can't buy what you've already paid for.
The fact she would give up the fish despite that just raises my opinion of her even more!