Three in one as a desperate bid to increase Omake power. Sorry for the early alert; I misclicked. 1466 words.
[ ] Dread but Dreaming - A force of nature more than a man, but perhaps that is for the best. With power such as this, the dream of a society aligned to his ideals is not so far away. But even if it's what they would have wanted, would it not be even better to have - them - back? Perhaps he recoils from even their memory. To face them would be too much. Sleep beckons, its insensate span anesthetizing the soul. Disturb not he who lies dread but dreaming, for he means you no harm. His task is done, and these long slow eons are not durance, but requiem.
-[ ] Keep the Plenary Brand, gaining 3 more Lesser Remittances.
-[ ] Drop the Plenary Brand, removing the risk of it exposing your Curse-related weaknesses.
*Safely explore the Praxis. Begin with a considerable basis in its techniques.
*When you are ready to act, do with the power what you wish
*Can advance in power naturally by studying the Praxis
*Difficult to integrate into proper society, may have to make your own
*Somewhat underwhelming long-term prospects due to Slumber. Compared to the other options, it takes a while to get things done.
Freedom
Affliction of Slumber, Tyrant's Doom, Plenary Brand
The Sword That Ends The World
Interesting Lovecraft allusion. Ironic, to have the sword that ends the world be wielded by the man broken by it. No immediate goals, no aim, no ultimate objective. A plan that aimed to acquire the Praxis as safely as possible. However, I don't think the Praxis is an art of safety., but one of will. Why would we be compelled to toil and sacrifice, dreaming as we would be?
[ ] The Forsaken Mask - To enjoy the freedom you've earned, it's best not to take Curses that would be too much of a burden. The Doom of Lunacy may restrict your power, but the Plenary Brand makes your true strength apparent, and the threat of power is often as effective as its application. With the power to return those lost to you, a simple and unambitious life beckons. That said, it would be unwise to bare your true mien around child or wife. Even if they have the strength of spirit to withstand its abhorrence, they lack the strength of body to survive its rage. Woe betide he who would drive you too far, for your power unmasked is the doom of worlds.
*A comfy life with your child and wife
*Though it's obvious you have it, it's highly risky to actually unleash your power
*Difficult to train it as much of your capacity is sealed by the Doom, but easy to fit into society
*If you can find a compatible Lunacy target, such worries would be reduced
*A highly synergistic build. Three Wishes is the best Remittance for the Plenary Band, Combat-type the best Type, Doom of Lunacy the best accompanying Curse.
Freedom
Doom of Lunacy, Plenary Brand
Three Wishes
The vote that tried to get an happy ending, or at least the closest thing we could get. Surprisingly, my second choice. Comfy quests that limit possible actions and guide the players on narrative rails are a majority on this site; one of the reasons I like Rihaku's quests so much is the amount of freedom of action he gives us, with every vote being important and having potent ramifications. There aren't any no-brainers here.
Despite that, I think it was the most IC of the options, and definitely the most "healthy". Healthy people don't change the world, but as they say, the world ends with you. Maybe changing his world would have been enough.
[ ] Vendetta - He did not volunteer for service, he was compelled. And his enslavers have betrayed and discarded him. So much for heroism. So much for ideals. So be it. Aside from his benefactor, he stands alone. Until the architects of his ruin lay broken beneath his feet, he will know neither peace nor rest. If Justice is five fingers made a fist, then Vengeance is a blade held aloft. Let it be their sword of Damocles.
Tremble, traitor gods and traitor kings. For the hour of reckoning is nigh, and the price of your hubris is blood.
-[ ] Remittance: The Sword - This option is undeniably powerful in the long-term if he can survive the first Geas world, but dramatically increases the effective danger of the first world in a way that is difficult to mitigate with Lesser Remittances. Note: if the hero dies early, which is very possible with this build, the quest will end and I do not intend to make a new quest for a while. In either case the hero's story will be over.
-[ ] Remittance: The King's - There are more ways than one to gain power quickly. Having existing power to leverage is one of the more reliable, and safer too. There is much to be said for immediate strength when one takes a combination of Curses as aggressive as this. One need not wield the sword that ends the world in order to shatter heaven.
Vengeance
Decimator's Affliction, Tyrant's Doom
The Sword That Ends the World / King's Scepter
*Unapologetic EDGE. If you like Baenlixnaire so much, why don't you be him?!
*A dangerous combination of Curses, but not overly restrictive outside of social situations
*You'll have to decide whether to aggressively mitigate the Affliction, spending time and effort, or to let it run, conserving your power to prepare for the Apocryphal Curse
*Unrestricted Progression married to purity of purpose will yield incalculable might in time.
*To be clear, while the hero will be obsessed with vengeance and consider it his foremost priority (can you blame him?), he will still be a functional human being capable of making human connections. This option will not turn him into a caricature.
Maximum power, greatest Edge; naturally, the winning option. Very reasonable if one frees oneself from the mental shackles that the purpose of a life is to pursue happiness. Sometimes, changing the world to your designs is worth any pain. This is something that the Hero learned well; when hope and idealism fails, hate can carry you. Given what he suffered, the life he lived, isn't this the most natural choice? He had a life of idealism before, one that was dashed upon the rocks. How can he return to it?
[ ] Balance - The temptation of respite is strong. But his companions, his child, cannot go unavenged. Perhaps he can find it in himself to forget the hidden ones and let their depredations go unanswered. But that is the coping mechanism of the powerless, a squandering of the opportunity, so unthinkably precious, that has been presented him. What then is the path that balances humanity with satisfaction, safety with power? If impairment in certain arenas is the only cost of this strength, then he will consider it power bought cheaply, so long as long as his own decision-making is not compromised.
Vengeance
Affliction of Slumber, Champion's Brand
Regalia
*Turn every social interaction into a simple transaction. It's safer that way.
*With efficiently conserved power and Regalia granting two instances of perfect time travel, well equipped to deal with the Apocryphal Curse in the short to medium term. Time travel is not just safety, but power - optimal knowledge of all secrets and circumstances that can be exploited to one's favor. With foreknowledge, the upheaval that characterizes interesting times can bring opportunity as well. Chaos, ladders, etc.
*Curse selection does not provoke enemies, so will likely encounter fewer and less dangerous foes in the first place
*Can still rely on those select individuals immune to the Champion's Brand to do things for him, but a Progression type can eventually do most things himself
*Slumber is a crippling affliction, but all Curses are crippling. Speed of Progression is still immense and he can still interact rationally with society, potentially hiring guards.
*Perhaps he will never profitably benefit from accelerated time, but the effort that would have been paid towards that endeavor can be spent on the next best thing.
*Such is the nature of unbounded Progression in every field.
Milquetoast compromise option that forsakes evocativeness for practicality. Its defeat was inevitable. The image of a thing is often more influential than the thing, after all. It picks the two most annoying Curses too, even if not the most crippling. The option doesn't even mention the additional Lesser Remittance and the moderately strong power, probably because that's not very attractive and distances the text from the focus it is trying to present. Lacking focus was always Regalia's main weakness in my opinion.
Now, onto the native magic systems!
[ ] Battle Mastery - At first glance a simplistic art, yet few are more sophisticated at their core. The power of battle magic appears almost shockingly literal: techniques of sword and fist sporting superhuman might, orbs and shields channeling stupendous energies, summoned beasts who charge fearlessly into battle. All the mainstays of a hero's arsenal are present, but their implementation cleaves conceptual lines with a precision that bewilders and frustrates. How can a torrent of lightning that vaporizes a giant leave the surrounding greenery unmarred, save for a cosmetically significant singe mark?
How can a technique of bodily resilience grant superior resistance to harm without affecting one's health or the texture of one's flesh? How can a technique sufficient to propel the hero in a sixty-meter leaping charge fail to generate enough force to break down a wooden door? How can a spell of healing restore one from the brink of death yet have no effect on maiming wounds? The values of the system seem orthogonal to physical reality or common sense, and yet prioritized over both.
Mastery comes not only from cultivating its spells and techniques, but from clever exploitation of their confounding results. Lateral thinking is key. You need to scale a wall, but only wield a spell which summons a horde of skeletons that mindlessly attack a single target? Target the wall and use the skeletons as a makeshift ramp. Need to carve a statue? Animate a pile of marble into the weakest tier of golem so that it counts as a foe, allowing you to shape it with offensive spells. Polymorph passengers into helpless frogs so that your ferry can fit more, lowering the fares for all!
*Leaps, charges, strikes, sweeps, stances, orbs, bolts, cones, blasts, shields, fields, auras, lances, and other active effects distinguished by their kinetic and spatial parameters
*Extremely efficient at what it does; no extraneous power is wasted on combat-irrelevant effects, and even the most destructive effects unleashed at point-blank range will leave allies and bystanders untouched. Does eventually cap out, though many effects retain their utility; reducing damage taken by 99.8% is frequently relevant.
*Recombination of techniques allows for surprising versatility for the quick-witted and sharp of mind.
*Forbidden Art: Spirit Mastery. The hero learned to burn his own fundamental essence in order to magnify the power of his techniques, but he burned so much during the final confrontation that he has lost even the knowledge to attempt this.
The most practical of the options, but a hard cap is hardly attractive when paired with unlimited progression. It also lacks the panache of the other two systems, mostly coming off as a D&D pastiche/parody. Shenanigans by exploiting RAW seems to be a feature of this system, but a system that requires lateral thinking to realize its fullest potential is consequently one of the most effortful to utilize. Would be a total trainwreck in a normal quest that doesn't just implement clever stratagems if it was explained and discussed, but not voted for. Trying to corral people would be a nightmare, and the arguments spawned by debating whether an action would work or not would be excruciating.
[ ] Seven Seals - The magic of the world was evocation of the self, the light of the soul made manifest. Each who had awakened to the light could offer their own unique capabilities, but few were as versatile and encompassing as this. The power to Seal can broadly be thought of as the inverse of reification: a flame becomes the character for 'Fire'; an onrushing torrent locked into a picture of itself. But this is an ability whose applications well exceed mere storage and containment. Not only can attacks from one foe be captured to be released against another, the nature of things sealed can be intensified through addition or fundamentally altered via combination. One may lack the equipment to meld fire with stone, but far easier to combine the character 'Fire' with the character 'Stone.'
And stranger effects than this are possible for a true master of the art: drawing upon sealed reserves without unsealing them; sealing and combining concepts; safely converting one's self into a seal, thereby to reside halfway into the Realm of Forms!
*An extremely versatile ability that allows for countless permutations
*Seal and redirect enemy attacks or convert any convenient form of quickly moving mass-energy into attacks; contain and constrict the abilities of foes; channel intensified sealed strength for superhuman attributes, seal one's own tiredness, or even become a being of pattern more than form and sear yourself across the span of reality!
*The first two Seals are easy to learn. Each subsequent level represents a rapidly escalating leap in difficulty. Progress will be relatively slow compared to other disciplines.
*Forbidden Art: Fifth Seal. The hero can no longer recall any details of the Fifth or higher Seals.
My current vote. Seems inspired by Naruto seals, or at least an interpretation of them. Only my second favorite art; more evocative than Battle Mastery by far, I still like Accretion more, Nobilis trash that I am. Still, current circumstances force my hand. Unlike Battle Mastery, seems to provide an entrance to doing conceptual bullshit, which is always a plus. It can empower allies as well, which I think is unique among the three arts unless Battle Mastery's aura stuff has some. Don't know how relevant it will really be if Sword wins, but hey.
[ ] Accretion - A farmer's boy. A sword of fable. A perilous quest. Death or glory.
A form of symbiosis between wielder and object, integrating shared experiences, mythic archetypes, accumulated legendry and personal craftsmanship. The result is a being greater than the sum of its parts, not a man wielding a sword but Arthur with Excalibur, the blade closer to his being than his own sword-arm. That deep conceptual weight, wearing a groove in reality's current, permits the slow unfurling of impossible feats as a product of that partnership.
The power of Accretion is rarely replicable and never easily defined. Its greatest masters turn the tides of battle simply by taking the field, their presence an inexpressible radiance, sharp light beyond sense or reason, that erodes the existential basis of those who would oppose them. You will find them at the crux of fate, the critical point of inflection; there does that power reach its apex, starshine become a blazing sun, light and fire and fury as to bring the world to its knees.
*A power that is somewhat agnostic to the strength of one's foes. Battle Magic will never deflect a supernova; a master of this art might, though they'd have near equal difficulty deflecting a tank shell.
*Operates on a level beyond physical causality. With few exceptions, does not enhance physical parameters at all.
*With time and many shared tribulations, some of a union's powers may become relatively consistent and explicable. For example, the hero wears a suit of dark grey plate, and nothing may slay him short of annihilating the armor entire.
*Forbidden Art: Abduction. The forceful seizing of another's armament, inconsistent in applicable and terribly risky, as aspects of the prior wielder may impose themselves upon you. The hero stole into the Tyrant's Catacomb and emerged bearing the sword of the Tyrant's progenitor. That blade now lies broken, and with it its wielder.
Very, very reminiscent of Nobilis Treasure; especially the part where a supernova and a tank shell would be equally effortful to parry. Like Treasure Miracles, they seem to triumph over merely "mundane" efforts entirely, though unlike with Miracles I'm sure they are neither powerful nor imperious enough to count every other magic system as "mundane". Still, conceptual prevalence of this type is very hard to ignore. I'm not sure if like with Treasure, this power can include people as well; The examples here and later given imply not, though there is some grey area in having your own lands be count towards this.
Onto the Lesser Remittances!
[ ] Gisena Allria, the Nullity Sorceress
Physical **
Social ****
Mental ****
On the brink of her execution by a mighty foe, the Nullity Sorceress employed a novel and highly risky application of her powers to tear a hole between realms. Nihilistic, cunning, and disarmingly vivacious, she is an exceptionally talented technologist and socialite. Beautiful, and fond of using her charms to tease, manipulate, and frustrate friend & foe alike.
Modestly superhuman strength, speed, constitution, appearance, and quickness of thought. Her Sorcerous Graces allow her to nullify, negate, or weaken a very broad range of supernatural effects, or, in theory, aspects of reality. Well-suited to Curse mitigation. Can continue to advance by attaining Coalescences.
The best combatant on offer, though that's not saying much. Her narrow focus gets us a mitigation right off the bat, and if we power her up with Retinue and/or Accretion, can basically be a mitigation bot for us. Her comparatively high social ability is also very relevant in mitigating Doom of the Tyrant all by itself. Wrap all that in a waifu package, and her popularity is utterly unsurprising. The most "frontloaded" companion in a sense; what you see is what you get.
[ ] Ceathlynn "Catherine" of Amarlt
Physical *****
Social * / ***
Mental **
Considered a failed prototype in the Amarlt family's disavowed eugenic super-soldier program, Catherine was relegated to the role of a lab assistant in the Astral Exploratory of her nominal House. A high-energy rift experiment gone wrong displaced her in space and time. Hurled centuries into the future, she is now the sole pureblooded inheritor of the Amarlt lineage, the main branch having long consumed itself in a fiery internecine war.
Though she possesses peak human reflexes, agility, kinesthetic sense, bodily coordination and melee combat skills, lacking any supernatural abilities she is little more effective than most humans against soldiers armed with guns. However, virtually any form of supernatural augmentation or equipment would act as powerful force multipliers for her. For example, she has an astonishing talent for piloting advanced weapons systems. Reserved and timid, she has not yet found her self-confidence in social situations, though she displays implacable will in the pursuit of any mission assigned.
Timid maiden with a tragic backstory and incredible talent for combat and not much else; a blatant ripoff of Suizhen. Probably offered thanks to her incredible popularity last quest. The "late game" option; pure potential, all of it unrealized. Implied to be of the world we're going to, which means there's a high chance it's a Scifi or Science Fantasy setting or even a Post-Apocalyptic one. Later implied to meet quite a tragic fate if we don't choose her here; as the last pureblooded scion of an ancient noble house, I suppose such misfortune is expected.
[ ] Prolessarch [2 Remittances]
Physical **
Social ***
Mental *******
A lich who studied under a legendary Great Sage, the easy-going and adventurous Prolessarch completed a powerful spell which allowed him to traverse the void between dimensions. Though he has lost the vast majority of his magics in the process of powering his immortality, he still possesses a keen analytical intellect capable of insights well into the superhuman range. A human supremacist and somewhat set in his views; the topic of elves is one of the few issues that can rouse him to anger.
A masterful researcher into all forms of supernatural power, his prodigious intuition allows him to grasp foundational insights with startling frequency. Though this is perhaps less relevant for abstract systems such as Accretion, it will certainly be a boon for other systems you encounter. Though his undead frame is no faster than a well-trained human, it possess a corpselike resilience and the ability to drain the life essence of sapient beings. Possesses functional immortality; he cannot be killed until all trace of his memetic legacy is erased from the universe. Able, convivial, a fiercely loyal friend, a monstrous and unwavering foe.
Unconcerned with the vast array of magical powers he has lost; confident in his ability to acquire temporal power when needed, though it bores him.
"Easy come, easy go, hm? Now tell me more about this 'Astral' Exploratory of yours!"
Speaking of things that were incredibly popular last quest, a Diagram Lich! Despite losing the vast majority of his temporal power, the most potent and valuable attribute of a Diagramist reamains; that is to say, his prodigious mind. Has some combat utility with his immortality and Drain effect; but not much. Would eat most magic systems for breakfast, not only relevant in our own progression but in deciphering the secrets and weaknesses of enemies as well. Plus, we might even get a formidable powerhouse if we ever convince him to get of his lazy ass. Are all Diagram geniuses lazy bums?
[ ] Hunger
A ring of power, two thin bands of black surrounding a band of blood-red. When worn, it merges onto the finger, unable to be removed. The user's appetite for all the visceral pleasures of life is notably sharpened, increasing motivation and drive but with the obvious side effects. Indestructible as far as you can tell.
Dramatically reduces the benefits of training, but explosively increases rate of progression during active conflict. An active Cursebearer would progress many times faster in total. You don't have to wear it yourself.
Dramatically boosts skills that can be used in combat while harshly penalizing ones that can't. Since a lot of people read Rihaku quests for the cool fights and the cool combat powers, not something unattractive, especially after the little fights and lots of training of EFB. The increased drive and pleasure is noted to be helpful for our character as well. I guess self-medication is not always bad. Don't know why we'd give it to someone else unless we pick Retinue, but I guess the option is there.
[ ] Talon
A long, raking talon of yellowed ivory, stained with blood on its lower side and warm to the touch. Upon slaying an enemy of notable strength, the body can be processed to yield an amount of wealth, resources, or relevant equipment commensurate to the power of the foe. If the bearer is in particular need of food, water, or shelter, slain foes become more likely to provide an appropriate resource. Can break, but can repair itself from a sliver by feeding on a notable foe's blood. Intimidating if worn.
A way to get the material benefits of society without participating in it; an obvious benefit to someone with Doom of the Tyrant and potentially makes acquiring minions redundant. Best taken with Scepter, since we actually need to kill things to proc it. Has minor benefits in corpse disposal and intimidation. Better for Seals than Accretion; for the latter is works best with few objects of power while the former can be use to alchemise things from the drops, especially if is boosted by Scepter.
[ ] Forebear's Blade
Reforged shall be blade that was broken.
Accretion - Infused with a spark of Accursed power, the blade slowly repairs itself as you progress, assuming a new form well-suited to the character and strengths of its master. As your power grows, so too shall its form be refined, become ever sharper and mightier without limit.
Seven Seals - The Soul Evocation of the chosen hero was Imprisonment, the power to seal. This blade extends, reinforces and magnifies the power of the soul, vastly enhancing the unique affinity of its wielder. Those struck by its edge can be sealed with far less resistance, while energies striking its flat are easily imprisoned. Seals draw by its point hearken as if cut into the primordial clay, becoming easier to comprehend and more potent in function. Increases effectiveness of Imprisonment on Curses.
The Accretion version is a bit of a mystery box; not much to say. The Seals version is the closest thing to an "immediate power" option this vote has, and makes Seals exceptionally viable in mitigating Curses, making it valuable for both Sword and Scepter. We have also a confirmation that we could use the Blade to awaken Catherine's Soul Evocation, and there's a chance we can awaken Gisena's too. If we want to pull conceptual fuckery with Seals as early as possible, we should probably take this.
[ ] Retinue - You may designate up to five members of your Retinue. Each reduces your rate of Progression by 25% multiplicatively. Each advances in their primary area of specialization with Progression one-fourth the potency of your own. Needless to say this is an outrageous and irreplaceable boon. Retinue companions are easy to add, costly to remove.
Your Retinue companions may with a short ceremony voluntarily pledge loyalty to any member of your retinue or yourself. This axiomatically prevents that character from betraying the one to whom they have so pledged. Breaking a pledge is possible but is always time-consuming, obvious over any distance, extremely onerous and afflicts the forsworn with a particularly ironic flavor of the Apocryphal Curse centered upon themselves. Pledges can be voluntarily released by mutual agreement in a less time-consuming process.
You may pledge loyalty to Retinue companions as well. Pledges may be mutual or not, mutual pledges may be simultaneous or not. You must add a character to the Retinue before pledges (from or to) can be made.
Absolutely crazy if used with the right people. If we picked this, Hunger and Intensify, we could still benefit from massively boosted progression while gaining allies capable of exploiting synergies we wouldn't otherwise have access to. We can also use this as a bargaining ticket, thought it is far less advisable. Unfortunately, it will likely be used so that our waifus can catch up instead. The pledges are a very useful function as well; we won't get a better guarantee against betrayal than the assurance of the Accursed himself.
[ ] Intensify - Sharpens and narrows the domain of your Primary Remittance.
*The King's Scepter - Substantially increases power level at the cost of non-combat versatility. Better fulfills its function of initial security and leverage, but scope of action is less broad.
*The Sword - Substantially increases rate of progress and overall effectiveness of the Praxis, but prevents you from ever employing any other supernatural arts. The jack of all trades cannot overcome the master of one.
Absolute suicide for Sword; instantly renders us a cripple. With Scepter, it can be very attractive, especially together with Hunger. If we use Scepter to enhance our magic systems, Seals would likely be hurt more than Accretion, due to the latter only enhancing a few things anyway. Can be used to counteract Retinue, which makes a good combination.
[ ] Relinquishment - For each decade of service as a Cursebearer, gain one week of freedom from your Curses. Your burdens will be transferred to volunteering Cursebearers for that time. You are free to travel even with the Geas but must be back before the week is over. You may improve the term and frequency of Relinquishment by mitigating your Curses more.
Amazing if we survive the decade. Literally removes all restraints on our behavior for a week. Less good with Decimator, since the week won't be very relevant to its effect, but that may change given certain forms of mitigation. Since this gets more powerful the more Curses we have mitigated, extremely potent with the Seals version of Forebear and Gisena. I'm actually surprised the "maximum mitigation plan" has Retinue instead of this, since there are other was to improve Gisena's power.
[ ] Accursed Favor
Forgo a Lesser Remittance. Causes the Accursed to like you slightly more. Benefits uncertain, can be taken multiple times.
A Mystery Box! There could be anything in here! It could even be a boat!
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