The only way we can get the 2 picks options and given how good they are it's no surprise this option is the only game in town at this point.
[ ] +1 re-roll during Infiltration
Would provide a very useful layer of security but some of the 2 picks options also considerably increase the chances we have of pulling of our infiltration without complication. So it's not very surprising that nobody is voting for this.
Would get us that much closer to getting an EFB but generally getting an extra pick is better than 0.75 Arete and in this circumstance the 2 picks are so good that this never really stood a chance.
[ ] Forebear's Blade - Echo of the Forebear - Cloud-shadow of the Forebear's might.
Legendary strength and speed, and the resilience to exert them. Can be taken multiple times. [+Might, +Agility]
As good as this was early on, with our blood buffs and all the other great options we get these days, this is completely outclassed at this point.
[ ] The Ring of Power - Dominion - 2 Arete
A ring of power does not exert influence casually. It has its own will, its own preferences, and if that will should be inseparable from its owner's, its sway thereby shall be greater for it.
The available domains for Hunger are: War
.25 Rank in combat is certainly not bad and advance us towards the Ring, a dangerous path but one that many in the thread are interested in threading. It does get in the way of us picking a 2 picks, though...
[ ] Fierce Quickening - The absurd violence of Blood unleashed. Let all that falls within its dominion be spilled, if it be in service to the Ringbearer. Adds [++Agility, +Wits] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions. Can be taken up to 3 times.
[ ] Augment Dominion: Blood - The world-wielding will of the Ring.
Treat the wielder's Rank as if it were (.5 Low/.25 Medium/.1 High) higher for purposes of the [Ring of Power] effect applied to the Blood domain, increasing its potency and versatility. Repeatable, but costs 1 more pick each time.
They're blood buffs, they're good and cost no Arete. Can't be taken with a 2 picks, though.
[ ] Exalted Spirit - 2 Arete. Conjunctional [Hunger, Evening Sky]. Mind made vigorous as the body. Gain +Int, +Wits, +Wis, +Cha, -Heartlessness, while in a form with physical blood. Allies under blood enhancement gain +Int, +Cha. Blood enhancement requires physical blood.
I still want to pick this at some point, it's just so good! But, realistically, that will have to wait for after we complete the Temple. It just doesn't do enough for us right now.
[ ] Sublime Transfusion - 2 Arete. The restorative vigor of blood willingly given. The wielder may donate his blood to another in order to heal them. This applies regeneration at a rate triple the wielder's own, and this healing effect is treated as if possessing conceptual potency a full Rank higher than the wielder's baseline, minimum 7. Even organisms of different species can be revitalized through such means.
Would have been a viable plan last pick, but now that we're committed to some form of infiltration, this is pretty useless in our current situation.
[ ] Vigor Incarnate - 2 picks, 2 Arete. The glory of Blood triumphant. Let those who would stand against him cower, or be undone. A simple but exceptionally powerful option.
Adds [+++Might, ++Charisma] to the bonuses from Quickening, subject to the usual conditions.
Add your Charisma to your Protection.
With 2 +s to charisma this is the best option for the original social infiltration plan. It also does not neglect combat ability in the process by providing +3 Might and +8.1 Protection and the Protection bonus will continue to increase as we increase our Charisma in the future! This is absolutely incredible value that fit perfectly with our current situation. Sadly it stands no chance of winning at this point.
[ ] Edeldross Adept - 2 picks, 2 Arete. Conjunctional [Ring of Power, Evening Sky] Through a surge of genius, Hunger vastly accelerates the growth of his proficiency with Edeldross.
*Substantially improves the effects of Hunger's Edeldross training session, increasing Magnitude to +30% and imparting significant bonuses to control. He can now consistently form barriers, blasts, and basic shapes (spear, sword, boxing glove) from Edeldross.
*Hunger can now maintain close to 100% uptime on basic self Edeldross enhancement.
*Unlocks advanced Edeldross enhancement, a time-limited technique that increases his effective Magnitude by half again.
*Doubles the rate of pseudo-Grace creation in the future. This benefit is unique to the Advancement.
A notable improvement across the board for Hunger's stats. This could be reproduced by just training his element a little bit more in the future but what can't be reproduced this way is the doubled rate of pseudo-Grace creation which is relatively good, I suppose. It's sadly rather unfocused and isn't particularly synergistic with either a social or a stealth approach to our infiltration, though it does help moderately with either.
[ ] Evening Sky: Shadowlord - 2 picks, 7 Arete. It's rare that such conjunctions occur, but the cloak of Evening has unusual affinity for the Elements of shadow. By absorbing the power of an Element willingly offered, some of its attributes may be infused into the wearer.
*+30% AGI, +30% Manipulation
*Gain +++++++Stealth, ++++Theft
*Weave of Silence: Immune to sound- and music-based attacks.
*Attention-Deflecting Shroud: +Protection from the Evening Sky now adds to Stealth.
*Assassin's Grace: 100% Critical Strike chance when performed from ambush.
*In exchange for paying Shadowcord a kingly sum of money, she will agree to let Hunger absorb her Element. This is not a permanent reduction; her ability to summon it will return slowly over the course of two years.
*Needless to say it's far more effective to have such capabilities present in Hunger himself than to rely on relatively-weak external sources
*Consumes one additional day as you farm the money needed.
An extremely powerful option but with a proportionate price tag. 7 Arete when we are trying to save for an EFB hurts and losing an Apocryphal-free day is pretty awful right now. That said, the incredible synergy with a stealth approach to our infiltration which Rihaku explicitly stated to be the safer approach, the versatility it add to Hunger's capabilities and the synergy it establish with investing in the Evening Sky protection bonuses compels me to vote for this given that Vigor Incarnate stands no chance of winning at this point
[X] +1 pick below
[X] Evening Sky: Shadowlord
