Putting aside some of the descriptions on how the skills are modified, the 'do stuff that grants a disadvantage now, but pays off big with the right natural treasure or merge,' is an interesting approach that I can see why other powers wouldn't necessarily go for, and goes into why average higher-tier sect people have a modest advantage over others; their culture is set up so the tier 25s and such is going to have a lot of people who made the 'weakness now, strength later,' gambit and won, while almost everyone else has the skill payoffs more even out, less backloaded.
