Quite a few of the onyx-haired celestines had shown up to give their farewells, because while Kite hadn’t had that much time to properly interact with them during this stay, both of his aunties seemed to have made fast friends with some of them. Most, though, seemed to be present to give their enthusiastic farewells to little Raven who received many a gift in parting as she somberly waved to each and every one of them.
“It has been a pleasure, adopted brother Kite,” Little Crow replied, giving a slightly less deep bow of his own. “You and yours are welcome at any time. Also, should you need assistance of a more martial nature in the future, you know where to find me. And my rates,” he finished with a mischievous smile.
“While I hope that we will not need it, you would always be a welcome addition. Even though I’d best start saving up the essences and stones sooner rather than later. Farewell, all of you. May your paths take you even further towards the heavens until next we meet. And an extra note of thanks to the most honored senior brother. His intervention was most welcome,” Kite finished, neither him nor Little Crow doubting in the slightest that the gold-ranker had heard.
Then they were off, the gates of the clan compound closing behind them as the group started making their way down the streets of the heavenly stairway and down towards Heavenward proper.
“Oh I can’t wait to get home! Those greenhouses of theirs were such an inspiration. Dear, we just have to get you the materials for those formations-” auntie Dove said, chattering excitedly of her plans while auntie Crow just nodded along where she walked beside her wife.
“I will surely agree to that,” Dragonfly told Kite as she sidled up to him, nodding to Dove’s animated explanations while giving Raven a boop on the nose where she rested in Kite’s arms; one that was received by a proper and somber gravitas, as was tradition. “The capital has been awesome, but all those monsters aren’t going to hunt themselves. And you probably have a message or three from Gauntlet waiting impatiently at your doorstep. Happy with your stay? And your meetings with… you know who?”
Kite nodded in response, weighing his words more carefully as they had returned the potent privacy screen which they had been loaned by the Crows. Both he and Ardent had agreed that the longer they could keep their connection a secret from most, the better. During their time spent together exchanging tales and stories of their respective lives, the pair had found a bit of an ease in the dynamic between them. Kite wasn’t looking for a father, and neither was Ardent trying to find a son in him. But once past the initial awkwardness, their interactions had become rather pleasant as they often ventured into topics of the spirit, auras and meditation.
By the time of Kite’s departure, there was a kind of informal teacher-student relationship brewing, and Kite had been left with a standing invitation of visiting the sect even though any potential meetings with the sect leader would remain a discreet affair.
That was why Kite could answer Dragonfly’s question honestly as he spoke.
“Yes. While the development was most unexpected, there is an odd kind of closure between us. And he seems to be fond of teaching, an opportunity I would be a fool to squander. Still, compared to the last time I visited, things went rather smoothly.”
“Still, I do believe that there was the matter of a certain number of duels. Remind me, how many were there in the end?” Dragonfly asked sweetly.
“I honestly thought I was going to make it there before the sect disciples made their group challenge there at the end,” Kite said, handing a stack of coins to his lover with a sigh. “It was good tempering though, and even came with a prize. Who-”
His words were interrupted by a procession of bodyguards turning a corner in the distance; a group of silvers that set its course straight towards Kite and his family.
“I believe that I spoke too soon in regards to complications,” Kite said as he recognized the draconian in the front. “Little beauty? I believe that this is a matter for you?”
Glint, walking beside Kite while clad in a fashionable set of pale pink robes - one of many new outfits she had procured or been gifted during their stay in the capital - had also noted the approaching group.
“Indeed. Leave it to this young mistress to handle the matter. I shall return shortly,” she said, closing her fan with a snap as she strode ahead of the others. Even though it seemed like the Young Master Monsoon couldn’t wait until she drew close before speaking.
“Oh radiant one! I apologize for my presumptuousness, but I just couldn’t stand idly by as you left Heavenward without any word of when you might return. Please, won’t you reconsider? My family would be most happy to host you for however long you’d like, with your own guest house and company to ensure propriety-”
The rest was cut off as Glint got within range to activate her own privacy screen, and the onlookers got to witness a lot of heartfelt gestures from the young master while Glint in turn stood aloof and prim. After a bit of back and forth, the shoulders and tail of the suitor finally drooped, even though he quickly recovered at least the semblance of proud dignity.
“-at least leave you with a remembrance so that you would not risk forgetting about me,” the young master said, producing a beautiful lockbox which he opened, proffering its content to Glint. Kite only managed to see a glimpse of something very shiny before Glint gave a final nod of acceptance, which led to the young man brightening as he closed the little box and reverently handed it over to her. “Then I can only pray for your prompt return, you whose luster rivals the starry skies. Please-”
“Monsoon!”
The cry of outrage interrupted whatever more the young master had to say, as another entourage of bodyguards was making their fast approach, another - most irate - draconian almost racing ahead of his followers in his haste.
“Ever-Jade!”
Monsoon’s retort was more a growl than a call, his eyes thinning as he turned to meet the one who dared intrude upon what he no doubt thought of as his moment. The two draconians were soon squaring off against one another, snouts almost touching while their auras were already locked in combat. Kite recognized the newcomer as Glint’s company to the clash for the throne, Young Master Ever-Jade’s vibrant green scales a distinct contrast to the pale cyan of Young Master Monsoon.
“Who are you to accost the pearl of the heavens like this after she chose me as her companion for last evening’s soirée? Know your place, lizard!”
“Y-you! The gall!” Young Master Monsoon called, recoiling from the most harsh insult. “She only accompanied you because of family matters calling me out of the city. This very image of perfection has already spent the day before enjoying my company at my family’s pleasure barge as we took a tour down the river, accompanied by the sweet sound of our retained orchestra. Don’t you dare go debasing her good name with your presence!”
The trading of insults continued, with Glint apparently content with letting the two men verbally fight it out while the rest of the onlookers could only watch with expressions ranging from amused to horrified. Auntie Crow definitely belonged to the former group, even producing a small bag of candied nuts to delicately eat while watching the spectacle unfold, although from the sparks which had started playing across the spines of Young Master Monsoon’s neck, Kite wondered if their conflict would remain one of words alone.
But when the argument had started going in circles, it seemed that the object of said conflict had finally had enough. The snap of Glint’s fan closing once more wasn’t loud, but apparently carried a certain quality that had both men immediately fall silent as they looked to the one eliciting such passion in their hearts.
“Young Master Monsoon. Young Master Ever-Jade,” she spoke, voice kept aloof. “You are both starting to let your decorum slip, both through your words and your continued delayal of my departure.”
A gesture with her closed fan forestalled any attempts to beg forgiveness, with Glint giving them both a grave look.
“As you both should know, neither of you has progressed far enough for an exclusive courtship. As such, I would instead like to remind you of the fact that I do plan to return in the future, and that you might want to spend your time until then in a more worthy fashion. Young Master Cinnabar has already sworn to present me with a grand trophy from a series of monster hunts which he has now scheduled. I would recommend that both of you similarly consider how you aim to show me that you are devoted to improving yourselves and your paths.”
“C-cinnabar?” the two young masters sputtered almost in unison, before giving each other an assessing look.
“Well, Ever-Jade, then I believe that I cannot spend any more precious time verbally destroying you, as it would be time for me to go out on some hunts of my own soon. Prepare to be thoroughly left in the dust of my rise.”
“Bah! Words are wind! You will be left whimpering before the deeds I shall be performing soon! Mark my words!”
As the pair continued their bluster, Glint once more opened her fan and made her dignified return to her group, leaving the pair of rivals to their quarrels.
“Well then, my bond. Honored aunties. Dragonfly. Raven. Shall we depart?”
“Thank you, honored Crow. It seems that there is indeed a trail to follow here. Please keep us informed, even if we expect the investigation to be a long one,” Branch Director Anasta Temren said to the shadowy bird on her windowsill, the magical conjuration bowing once before dissolving into shadow.
“Well, that was pleasing news,” Maximilian remarked, the deputy director’s pen making a final flourish as he finished taking notes.
“Oh it is, it is,” Anasta agreed, a fierce grin spreading across her face. “The clashes of the locals have finally given us a trail to follow. That artifact, whatever it was, is our first and foremost lead even without us even having it in our possession.”
“The reports of the analysis by the magic society are positive. Discord's affinity was subtle, yet there. However, those affinities won’t linger in the ambient magic forever. Most would not have been able to make it out, especially not without the proper tools and knowledge.
“And we’d best keep it that way. Gods bless that we at least have some reliable local members of both societies,” Anasta agreed, looking out over Heavenward with her grin still playing across her face. “But we finally have something conclusive, rather than the games of shades and misdirections which our investigators have been playing with their people. The little stunt at the clash should up the pressure on them. And that almost always leads to mistakes. We should continue preparations and contingencies of our own as well. So that when they make some kind of move, we will be there to notice it.”
“Speak,” Ametrine commanded her subordinate, the servant giving a proper bow behind where she was seated at a low table. A casual observer would think her busy painting her nails, where someone more observant might notice the odd haze around her; the thinnest sheen of shimmering smoke obfuscating documents and reports.
“We have confirmed some of the information sent by your allies on the council to have been false leads, with a higher concentration than usual from Gold Mask,” the silver-ranked man stated, referring to one of Ametrines counterparts in their local council. “While it might be happenstance, you have specifically ordered to be informed of any such irregularities. Also, we believe that the adventure society, supported by some members also part of the magic society, have picked up the trail as well.”
Had these news reached Ametrine a few months ago, she would have most thoroughly cursed any such developments. Keeping the adventure society following false trails had been challenging for the council, but worthwhile and doable due to the local political landscape. If they had found a firm trail of the council’s presence and influence, things would only become that much harder. But given what occurred during the clash for the throne, Ametrine now saw an opportunity.
“I see. Keep delivering any such words to me, and start activating some of our assets in the Heavenward magic society. Nothing major, but bog down any attempts at coordination in as much administrative procedures and internal politicking as you can. The more affluent masters and mistresses playing at being researchers and investigators involved, the better. I will handle some other matters myself.”
“Of course, honored Gardener.”
As the man disappeared, Ametrine took a thoughtful draft on her long, thin pipe, enjoying the pleasant tastes while it gave her a perfect cover to spread even more obscuring smoke from her essence powers throughout the room. Satisfied, she looked back to her documents - written in her personal cipher, of course - and began a new line of speculations. Gold Mask was powerful, but of the council, he was the worst schemer by far. Fortunately, such talents weren’t required by all of Discord’s clergy in a world where might did in the end make the right in most cases. But that also meant that he was either a more nuanced person than Ametrine had so far taken him for, or that the trail was a false one.
“Which would then leave Black Wood Mask as the main suspect,” she thought.
The other woman in the council, whoever she might be, was indeed a schemer. And while the maneuverings between her and Amterine were normally within the acceptable levels for a kind of truce to reign between them, a move such as indirectly sponsoring the Valors with such an artifact as the one revealed during the clash would be a declaration of war. A hidden one, to be sure, but nonetheless a declaration that Black Wood Mask had her eyes on Ametrine’s part of their grand undertaking.
With those thoughts in the forefront of her mind, Ametrine changed some internal priorities of inquiry. Maybe the nosy adventurers could indeed be useful down the line, protecting her and King’s place in their grand working while ostensibly also doing their jobs. A thoughtful smile teasing at her lips, Ametrine dove into her work. It was easy to sow the seeds of Discord, but for them to thrive? One had to be most meticulous and patient.
“Dear heavens above,” uncle Walker said, leaning heavily back into his chair as he processed what he had just been told. “That sure is quite some tale, little Kite. Extraordinary in scope, yet specific enough to be believable, even had I never known you for a liar.”
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“Oh, I do understand, uncle,” Kite said, sipping his tea. “Proof that fates and fortunes are most complex, and that the world is both so very large and so very small at the same time.”
The pair was seated in the Convergence guildhall, which had - given the troubles of the past summer - become Walker’s new base of operations. While the older man often grumbled of missing the forests of the Autumn lands up north, not even he could deny that there was barely any need for his services there anymore now that the irons and bronzes of the Gilded branch had thoroughly come into their own. Never before had the rural regions been so well connected or patrolled, which in turn freed Walker up to be at the guild’s front lines of development with Second Spring in support.
“Well, we already knew you to be precious cargo, little Kite. And from your telling of things, you seem pretty content with the outcome.”
“Indeed. Even should it complicate the future, there is a bit of closure in at least knowing something of how I came to be. It lets me focus even more on what is to come.”
“And what is that, little Kite? With the truce with the local sects, the guild is in a good place now that we can begin to fill our little niche around Convergence as well. Soul is handling the martial side of things too, even if she would claim that it’s only for her own benefit. We even had a few students of some sects of the south coming to seek out her arena the other week. First I thought they’d mean trouble, but after a few days of challenges and trading pointers, they left; all smiles and polite bows once those bruised egos had been allowed to heal a bit.”
“Hah! As someone who has been sought out for duels before, I can surely believe it,” Kite laughed, just imagining the celestine woman’s satisfaction as even more foes came to her rather than the other way around. “As for my plans? Well, the heavens won’t reach themselves. As I am at the infamous wall of silver rank in most parts of my path, things will probably be slow and steady for a few years now. At least as far as one can call working for Gauntlet anything like slow,” he finished with a wry shake of his head.
“Just the grind then? Not diving head first into any of the Queen’s gates, kicking down the doors of a sect or otherwise being ambushed by young masters and mistresses thinking themselves heaven-chosen?”
“Oh hush, uncle. Strife does tend to find those with some kind of power. Hence, one can only plan for the calm moments in between,” Kite retorted. “And I do have some plans within ‘the grind’ as you so eloquently put it; working more with Peony now that their life as parents is starting to settle in, trying to raise at least one portal-user for the guild, expand the family compound a bit with living arrangements for traveling guild members, accompany Glint to the capital for her little games of courtship,” he started counting off on his fingers. “And that is even on top of my work with Gauntlet and going on plenty of contracts with Dragonfly.”
“You forgot spending quality time with your dear uncle there, little Kite. A pure oversight, I am sure.”
“Of course, most venerable mentor. I would be remiss in forgetting to pay my respects regularly.”
“Bah, no need to get all fancy with this old man,” Walker grumbled good naturedly. “I do appreciate your company, little Kite. And all that you do for the guild. With all the progress recently, especially those adventurer priests that keep showing up to join, we’re really making a difference for these parts of the country.”
“What about you then, uncle? Any plans?”
“You’ll probably have to ask Spring. She’s usually in charge of my schedule,” Walker muttered, his feelings regarding some parts of the guild master life made quite clear.
“Except when you suddenly leave for a small, nice little week-long walk in the woods? Woods that you conjure yourself?”
“Talked with her already, haven’t you?” Walker asked, looking completely unashamed at his blatant little flights from responsibility.
“I did. I hope that she is getting some time off for her own pursuits too, uncle. You know that she’s aiming for silver in the long run too,” Kite pointed out.
“Of course, little Kite, of course! Can’t work poor Spring to death now, can I? She’s taking plenty of contracts too. Have even recruited some members while on the road.”
“Speaking of pursuits though-”
“Little Kite, I don’t think we need to go there.”
“-maybe you should actually consider how long she’ll be putting up with your little antics before moving on to some more reasonable targets. From what I’ve heard, more than one young master has professed his interest, claiming her to be one of the fairies of legend for her looks.”
“What? One of those fops? Spring wouldn’t give them the time of day.”
“Maybe not today, uncle. But what about tomorrow? Mind you, I would never try to push you into something that you clearly did not want. But in this case, you’re both obvious enough that there’s even a communal betting pool in the guild of when you’ll eventually dare and admit it to yourself. And a separate pool regarding how long it will take until she finally gives up on you.”
Walker gave Kite a long look through thinned eyes, remaining silent for a while longer as he managed to grumpily sip his tea. “Bah, young people these days. No respect for your elders and propriety. Traitors, the lot of you.”
“Even as my life has moved on, spectacular revelations and all, you remain the same,” Kite thought to the big seed, illuminated in purple by the faintly glowing moss in its cave. “Or well, almost the same,” he inwardly corrected himself as he cut off the stream of mana which the seed - true to form - had eagerly devoured.
Even as Kite had fed the thing mana here and there over the years since he had first found it, progress had been slow. But there was still progress. The lights in the small cracks were a bit brighter, and the thing felt more vibrant. Kite lacked the knowledge or instruments for anything more specific, but if he had to hazard a guess he thought that it would be at least a few more years. Assuming that the thing wasn’t just some endless devourer of mana, but that wasn’t what his magical perception was telling him.
“Well, I will see you again once I’m back. Gauntlet has come calling. Some kind of summoner who has crossed more than one line with his research. Heavens keep you, whatever you are,” he said aloud, even waving once as he started making his way towards the exit. As always, the seed gave no response. But Kite still left with the distinct sense that it was quite busy growing.
“Kyyyyaaaaaahhh!”
Dragonfly’s warcry echoed between the sharp mountain cliffs, causing birds and other critters within hundreds of meters to scurry to safety. The dreadmaw in front of her - a small but stocky vaguely humanoid thing whose torso was mostly a set of huge gaping fangs - did not even flinch from her outcry. But her empowered axe tearing into its side? That at least garnered a reaction.
Dreadmaws were slow for silver-ranked monsters, lumbering around on two stubby, thick legs which seemed too small to properly support their larger bodies and fangs. But like most silvers, they had magical tricks to both make up for some deficiencies and lean into their strengths. The case of the dreadmaws, those advantages were twofold.
First, their ridiculously powerful fangs were further supplemented by magic that could bite off and devour other magic. Be it natural manifestations or - as in the case of Dragonfly’s flaming axe - magical conjurations, the things gobbled up everything they could. And while the second set of powers were less dangerous to a silver-ranker like Dragonfly, it was what made them such a danger to anyone less powerful.
A great clump of rubble consisting of masoned stone and lumber support beams suddenly rose and launched themselves towards Dragonfly, who in turn let her axe continue its trajectory to cut and incinerate the biggest of the incoming projectiles while letting the smaller pelt and bruise her to stoke her inner fire. More telekinetically launched rubble came flying at her as the other individuals in the dreadmaw pack followed suit.
Still, while the incoming debris was certainly a distraction, Dragonfly actually felt grateful. Because for every one of the monsters utilizing their powers to attack her, one less had the chance to continue excavating the piles of rubble that had previously been a village to get at the people hiding or buried beneath; their fearful auras giving them away as surely as if they had been standing out in the open. Given the amount of blood that had been incinerated by the flaming aura of Dragonfly’s armor so far, those buried beneath fallen timbers and trapped inside their cellars were still somehow the lucky ones.
Feeling that all of the monsters were now fully focused on her, Dragonfly decided to change up the pace. Her flaming greataxe appeared in her hands at the same time as she sent Piece of Heaven, the axe formerly wielded by the leader of the erstwhile Descending Star sect, out into a low, circling arc that passed beneath the bulk of incoming projectiles. Simultaneously, Dragonfly then executed her spinning special attack with both axes, creating dual circles of scything mayhem.
Butcher’s Pinwheel, grimly named by someone long before Dragonfly’s time, carried great force with her heavy weapon. She continuously angled the burning axe in her hands to cleave through and scatter the incoming debris, turning danger into opportunity as the stinging hits that came through just further boosted her. At the same time, Piece of Heaven carved bloody circles through the Dreadmaws as it circled her eight times in three heartbeats.
“Just try and eat that axe,” Dragonfly thought triumphantly as she transitioned from Butcher’s Pinwheel into Power Leap, barreling through the final clutter thrown her way and cleaving one beleaguered Dreadmaw in half. The monster might not be the optimal target for Shield Breaker, but the added damage always helped to add just that final touch and cleave right through instead of risking her axe getting stuck. And best of all, it continued to trigger Dragonfly’s evolved racial gift from back at bronze rank.
Vigor of Passion, as Dragonfly had named it, increased the potency of each special attack Dragonfly used as long as it was a different one than she had previously used. This increased potency was further boosted by the fact that the cost also increased, taking the empowered attack to further heights. For many, this might just have turned them into candles burning brightly but briefly, spending all their resources in short order. But for Dragonfly, who just kept replenishing faster and faster the longer she fought and was injured? For Dragonfly, it made her path truly come alive if she could hit her stride.
Shieldbreaker transitioned to Internal Ember’s Treachery before Descending Sunwheel allowed her to finish yet another of the monsters, and it continuously went downhill from there for the ravenous manifestation. At one point, one of the beasts did manage to use the demise of one of its packmates to launch itself onto Dragonfly and clamp its huge fangs down onto her head, torso and upper arms in spite of the aura of fire it had to dive through to get there.
Instead of a crunching demise, however, the magically enhanced teeth barely managed to break through the light armor and dig into the flesh beneath before they abruptly stopped. Within a heartbeat, a gout of flames erupted from within the monster while the animated Piece of Heaven came in from the side and knocked the now slack-jawed monster off of Dragonfly just in time for her to swing and punch another of the monsters aside before the burning greataxe was once more in her hand.
“Thank the heavens for Unbreakable Moment,” Dragonfly thought as the mounting slaughter resumed. “Still, have to be careful with the fire. Wouldn’t want to accidentally have it reach anyone unintended. Woe the silver-ranker and her awesomely huge areas!”
The final sarcastic thought caused the grin on her face to widen even more as she threw herself back into battle with ever rising vigor. While it was always hard to determine time in a fight, the delays between the availability of her power did help Dragonfly to slightly gauge the time spent as she finally stood among the charred corpses of the Dreadmaws.
“Only a few minutes. Good,” she thought to herself as she didn’t delay longer than it took to use Gather the Embers to absorb what cinders remained in the area before she was off towards the nearest house where she still sensed one or more auras.
The village had been thoroughly sacked during the monsters’ initial rampage as they had swooped in and no doubt started breaking apart the brittle shells of the mundane stone houses to get at the fleshy treats inside. She knew that someone like Kite might have formed a better plan on how to go about the rescue operation now underway, but as he was currently away on a contract for Gauntlet, these particular villagers would have to settle for the more straight-forward Dragonfly. Action was better than inaction in most cases like these, after all, she reasoned.
A pile of rubble was thrown aside while her animated axe played at being a plow in a nearby house, freeing cellar trapdoors and similar places of hiding. One more unlucky soul was found buried beneath a pile of rubble without such protections, and Dragonfly made the most of her still empowered speed as she threw debris off the gasping young man before making sure that he didn’t choke on the bronze-ranked healing pill she fed him. Then she was off again, pushing herself to the limits of her waning boons.
As the more able-bodied among the freed villagers started to help in her efforts, Dragonfly could direct her efforts even better, prioritizing the greatest piles of rubble, and an hour later she came upon the last aura she could sense that hadn’t yet been freed. It was terrified but steady, and as such she had left it last.
Stepping into the ruined house, Dragonfly saw that pile of fallen roof beams and shingles piled up around the hearth of the house with the chimney emerging from it like a weathered monument. It didn’t take long for her to shift a few of the fallen beams aside and with a groan of effort Dragonfly shifted the whole remaining pile to the side at once.
She had barely let the burden fall to the side before a shriek and a glint of steel came from the fireplace. To Dragonfly, the soot-smeared arm holding the knife moved ever so slowly, and it was a small matter for her to kneel down and let the point of the mundane knife stop dead against the flat of her bare palm.
“Don’t worry, little one. I’ve handled the monsters,” she told the stunned looking girl of maybe ten years who was hiding among the coals of the fireplace, almost as black with soot as the cramped space she had been hiding inside.
Contrary to what Dragonfly had been expecting, she got a question in response, rather than the tears of relief that she might have expected.
“A-all of them?” the girl asked, trying to put some steel into her voice even though Dragonfly could feel her aura shake with distress like a leaf caught out in the gale.
“All of them,” Dragonfly confirmed, which got an attempted stoic nod in return.
“Good.”
“I try to do my best. Would you like to come out?”
At first it looked like the child would refuse, but after a few seconds spent regarding Dragonfly’s outstretched arms, she caved, even letting the adventurer carry her as they walked to rejoin the other gathered villagers.
“Th-thank you, great Mistress! We would surely all have perished had you not arrived. Truly, Fortune and the heavens be praised!”
The praise began with one of the older women, and was soon echoed by each and everyone of the survivors. Dragonfly took a moment and just basked in the nice, warm feeling before finally raising a hand for silence.
“Fortune be praised indeed. I was just passing through on the way back from another contract when I felt the auras of the monsters,” she began, leaving out any lamentations of not having gotten there sooner. They all shared that sentiment, and the grief and shock was barely contained within the auras of some of the more silent survivors.
Instead, Dragonfly gestured to the soot-covered girl on her other arm, the child having silently burrowed her face into Dragonfly’s shoulder. “I did find one last holdout as well. And a fierce one at that,” she said, giving the girl a silent squeeze of approval. “Anyone know of any family or relatives of hers?”
The woman who had begun singing Dragonfly’s praises stepped forward to peek at the girl, who still mostly attempted to hide from the gazes of everyone by clinging harder to her rescuer, and a moment of scrutiny later led to an answer.
“Ah, it's Sprite. Little Sun Sprite,” the older woman said, her expression turning more complicated. “Poor young one lost her parents a few years ago. Been a bit of a loner since then. She’s been living with the old baker since, helping out. Has anyone seen him?”
Her final words were directed to the crowd, and a few moments of murmuring and looking around gave no response.
“I… see,” the woman said with a sigh. “He was one among us with a single essence. Part of the militia too…” She didn’t need to finish, the implications clear. The militia of most villages were the ones responsible for operating the defensive formations or arrays. And were also the ones closest to any monsters if said defenses proved insufficient. “Well, little Sprite, we’ll sort you out. Come here now. Don’t bother the mistress adventurer any more.”
The villager made to reach for the girl, but Dragonfly could feel the child’s aura tense, coil and surge in fright and a bit of anger. Catching the primal, defiant kick delivered backwards before it had barely begun was no trouble, and the villagers seemed to brace herself before another try.
“There, Sprite. Don’t be difficult now. I’m sorry, Mistress adventurer. She means no harm, it's just her way-”
But Dragonfly had already half forgotten the woman as she glimpsed the girl’s eyes briefly before she once again buried her face into Dragonfly’s armored shoulder. They were filled with fear and anger, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. But there was also something defiant in them, triggering another memory of a girl from over a dozen years ago, all but quivering as she stood staring up at Force of Raging Torrent and proclaiming that she wanted them to kill all the monsters in the whole world.
“Oh… Heavens,” Dragonfly thought as things snapped into place, her heart telling her with quite some surety what she should do. That some karma could never be severed, because that had never been the end goal. But that the very same karmic links could be spread and shared, creating a chain of something better. And that this was just such an opportunity. A purpose.
“Sprite, was it?” Dragonfly asked, holding up a hand to forestall the villager’s next attempt at prying the child from her arms. She got no response, but continued anyway. “What I am about to say is a pretty big deal. You’ll need to think it through, and we need to have another long talk about it before you decide. But with that said… If you don’t have anyone waiting for you here, and if you are willing to leave this village… Would you like to come with me? As my student?”
Character sheet
Name: Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune
Race: Human
Racial traits:
Forger of Bonds: Evolved from Human ambition
Essence abilities advance more quickly, with a further boost if used in conjunction with allies.
You may form a familiar bond, binding that familiar to you until either of you die. As you increase in ranks, your familiar will increase alongside you.
Cleave the Spirit: Evolved from special attack aptitude.
Special attacks have increased effect, with an additional boost to mana-draining effets.
When making a special attack, you may choose for any physical damage types to deal damage to an opponent’s mana instead of health. Attacks made this way will not leave marks or wounds on the physical body, unless they also deal other, non-converted types of damage.
All is Void before Intent: Gain a pocket dimension capable of storing weapons.
When drawn from the void, the first attack with a weapon will deal additional damage of the weapon’s type as well as increasing any added from special attacks or abilities.
The first attack may also be carried through the void by your intent, allowing it to be made at range even if it would normally be a melee attack. There is a small delay before the attack manifests, with the delay being longer the farther away the strike is carried through your intent.
Deflection master: Spells creating barriers and shields have a shortened casting time and can absorb more damage.
For the first few moments after creating a barrier, said barrier is impervious to damage of the same rank. Deflecting an attack during this time refunds the majority of the spell’s mana cost.
Especially devastating attacks may not have their whole damage canceled by this effect.
Essence gift (Resolute) - Steadfast channeler: Gain the ability to continuously channel mana into one nearby active ongoing spell to lengthen its duration. Mana cost varies with the spell in question.
Tempered Soul Resonance: You have increased resistance to aura suppression and soul attacks.
Your spells and effects that cancel magical effects or drain mana ignores resistance from rank disparity.
When striking an opponent, your attacks gradually erodes any increased effects of the opponent’s rank disparity against you or your allies, up to the point where all effects of rank disparity are negated. This effect lasts until the target has had the time to achieve a state of calm to center itself.
Rank: Silver 2 - Awakened essence abilities 20/20
Power - Barrier: Silver 4
- Heaven-and-Void Warding - “Ward”
Spell. Cost: Low to Moderate mana Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Form a temporary barrier around self or ally within range, absorbing damage for a medium duration or until released or shattered. Cost is increased to moderate mana if used on ally.
Effect - Bronze: May adjust size of barrier, increasing its strength by diminishing its size and vice versa.
Effect - Silver: May conjure a second barrier with the same casting.
- Spiritual reprisal (Karma) -
Special ability. Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Any creature striking you or one of your barriers will suffer one instance of [Unstable flow].
[Unstable flow] (affliction, magic, stacking): Increases the effect of one of your special attacks, consuming one instance of this affliction
Effect - Bronze: You may choose to consume all available stacks of [Unstable flow] at once, increasing the effect of the attack further the more stacks that are consumed. Stacks above a certain amount start giving diminishing returns.
Effect - Silver: Each stack of [Unstable Flow] on a creature causes it to deal less damage to magical barriers, with diminishing returns after a certain limit.
- Leyline Warding (Wall) - “Wall”
Spell. Cost: Moderate mana Cooldown: 30s Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Create a solid, translucent barrier anchored to a surface. The length and height can be split among multiple sections. Only one casting of this spell can be active at a time. Strength of barrier increases with the [Power] attribute
Effect - Bronze: Barriers no longer need to be anchored to a surface.
Effect - Silver: This ability gains a separate, alternate mode of casting, which allows the user to continually create smaller segments of barrier around them without a chant, changing the cost to low mana per second.
These barriers have good carrying capacity, but will immediately disperse when attacked and can only be conjured very close to the caster.
This alternate mode may be used even while the original is in effect.
- Spiritual futility (Wisp) -
Special ability (Mana drain). Cost: None. Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Opponents who make a melee strike against or come into contact with your barriers have some of their mana drained. The drain is continual if the opponent remains in contact with the barrier.
Effect - Bronze: Mana drain ramps up when an enemy has extended contact with the barrier. The rate of drain is gradually reduced back toward initial values during moments not in contact with a barrier.
Effect - Silver: The mana drain triggers from ranged attacks as well, as long as they are made from within short enough range. Any magical attack striking your barriers without breaking it will have some of its magic absorbed, replenishing some of the barrier’s integrity over time.
- Gate of Nihility (Void) - “Void”
Spell. Cost: High mana Cooldown: 1h Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Bring forth a short-lived wall of nothingness, up to five meters wide and three meters high. You have some control over the overall shape of the barrier. Any projectile or spell effect striking the wall is absorbed into the void and negated. Any being that comes into contact with the wall suffers a high amount of damage as they are forcibly ejected from the barrier.
Attacks of higher rank may not be entirely negated.
The barrier cannot move once created and cannot be summoned into the space of any creature.
Effect - bronze: Gate exerts a pull on projectiles and other conjured or created magical effects in a wide area in front of it.
Effect - Silver: You may increase the cost of the gate to very high mana in order to increase the pull of the aperture. This will greatly increase its effects on enemy projectiles and effects, as well as their momentum, lowering the [Speed] attribute for nearby enemies while the power is in effect.
Additionally, any projectile or other effect absorbed will replenish some of your mana, proportionate to the power of the absorbed effect. This effect will allow you to temporarily exceed your maximum mana pool. Stored excess mana will bleed off for one hour unless spent.
Speed - Resolute: Silver 3
- Implacable motion -
Special ability. Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Increased resistance to effects that hinder or impair movement. Effects that take hold will have significantly decreased duration, depending on the rank of the effect.
Effect - Bronze: Movement may break through inanimate objects up to a certain threshold of durability based on your rank and the rank of this ability. Mana may be paid to temporarily increase the threshold based on mana spent. Intent is needed for this ability to take effect, and it does not increase potency of attacks. This ability may not damage vehicles, equipment or similarly wielded objects.
Effect - Silver: The increased resistance is extended to additionally cover all effects that lower the [Speed] or [Spirit] attributes.
- Gaze of Adamance (Eyes) -
Special ability. Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Provides perfect peripheral vision and increased ability to swiftly process visual stimuli.
Effect - bronze: Gives the ability to see magic and magical effect. May be activated for a cost of low mana per second to provide 360-degree vision.
Effect - silver: Gives the ability to perceive auras
Immortality (Phoenix) -
Special ability (healing, recovery). Cost: None Cooldown: 24 hours Current rank: Silver 3
Effect - Iron: Instantly restore a large portion of health, mana, and stamina. Amount restored is based on how depleted health, mana, and stamina are when the ability is activated.
Effect - bronze: Gain ongoing health, mana, and stamina recovery effects. The strength of these effects is based on how depleted health, mana, and stamina are when the ability is activated.
Effect - silver: Gain a long cooldown purgation ability that removes all afflictions from the user ignoring any restrictions or immunities to purgation.
Unyielding (Solidity) -
Special ability. Cost: None/moderate mana Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Become highly resistant to all hostile effects that would move or displace you, including physical momentum. Any additional damage that would be dealt to you by the canceled momentum will instead be transferred to the environment. You need to be in contact with a solid object for this ability to activate.
Additionally, this ability may be activated for a cost of moderate mana to give increased damage reduction from external sources of damage for a short duration.
Effect - Bronze: Some of the damage and movement negated will be stored in a separate reservoir of potential, which you may release to add additional momentum to a leap or stride. Any excess will still be transferred to the environment.
Effect - Silver: This ability will take effect even if you are not in contact with a solid object. You may now use excess momentum to fuel the increased damage reduction of this ability to forego its mana cost.
Undeniable (Balance) -
Special ability. Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Each time your effects are resisted or do not take effect, deal a small amount of transcendent damage to the target. Examples include an opponent being immune to one of your attacks or damage types, or one of your effects failing to dispel due to a lack of magical effects on the target.
Effect - Bronze: The damage is now also dealt when one of your attacks are blocked, such as by a shield, interposed weapon or magical barrier.
Effect - Silver: The damage is increased in proportion to the target’s missing stamina or mana, whichever is lower.
Spirit - Negation: Silver 4
- Disrupting strike -
Special attack. Cost: Low mana Cooldown: 2s Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Strike an opponent to attempt to cancel an ongoing magical effect and deal disruptive force damage. The latter is increased if an ability or effect was affected. Some ongoing or very powerful effects might not be able to be negated entirely, and will instead be suppressed or reduced for a short duration.
Effect - bronze: Dispelled effects suffer an increase in cooldown in proportion to their cost and original cooldown. The minimum cooldown for such an effect is 10s.
Effect - silver: This ability gains an alternate effect, with its own cost and cooldown separate from the original. May increase cost to moderate mana to instead target a special ability of the target, suppressing it for 30 seconds. This effect may not target aura or familiar abilities. Cooldown: 30 seconds. A target may have only one of its special abilities suppressed by this power, regardless of source.
- Pattern-Shattering counter (Shards) -
Special attack (Mana drain, stamina drain). Cost: Varies Cooldown: Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Strike an opponent’s active attack or magical effects in an attempt to negate it and drain an additional amount of mana and/or stamina, depending on which energy that was fueling the attack. Some ongoing or very powerful effects might not be able to be negated entirely, and will instead be suppressed or reduced for a short duration. Cost increases with the cost of negated attack.
Effect - bronze: Dispelled effects suffer an increase in cooldown in proportion to their cost and original cooldown. The minimum cooldown for such an effect is 10s.
Effect - silver: The target suffers transcendent damage proportional to the potency of the dispelled magical effect.
- Discarnate Erosion (Erosion)
Special ability, aura. Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: All hostile magical effects affected by your aura start to erode, reducing the duration of ongoing effects and lessening the impact of spells and special attacks within the area. Effect increases the longer the hostile effect remains inside the aura.
Effect - Bronze: Increases the casting times of hostile spells within the aura.
Effect - Silver: The eroding effect becomes greatly increased against hostile solid manifestations of magic, such as conjured matter, equipment and barriers. Higher rank effects will take longer time to be affected, and some powerful effects might not be entirely eroded, instead leaving them weakened.
- Ripple of Cancellation (Wave) - “Dissolve the patterns of power”
Spell. Cost: High mana Cooldown: 30s Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Release an expanding wave of magic-canceling energy. Creatures or objects hit by the wave will have one random beneficial magical effect canceled. If that effect came from a magical ability, the ability will be unavailable to activate again for a short duration. If multiple targets have the same kind of magical effect active, there is a higher chance that it will be the one which is canceled. Magical projectiles hit by the wave will be negated. Projectiles of a higher rank might not be entirely negated.
Effect - bronze: Attempt to dispel two additional beneficial magical effects.
Effect - silver: The spell may instead be released as a spherical burst with lower maximum range. When using this mode, the caster may pay additional mana to exclude an individual from its effect. The cost ramps up with each additional creature excluded.
- Potential of Stolen Power (Potency)
Special ability. Cost: None. Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Gather charges each time an effect is dispelled or mana is drained. Use accumulated charges to give a potent boost to an ability, partially changing its scope and/or effect.
Effect - Bronze: Generate additional stacks when dispelling more powerful effects or draining more mana in a single instance.
Effect - Silver: If the boosted ability is a special attack or offensive spell, it receives the [Execute] trait, increasing damage dealt in proportion to the health already lost by the target. If the ability is a defensive or supportive spell or a special ability, it receives the [Counter-execute] trait, increasing its effect in proportion to health lost by the user.
Recovery - Void: Silver 4
- Spirit singularity -
Special ability (Mana drain). Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Create a small vortex hovering above your right shoulder, draining the mana of nearby hostile creatures. Gain a boost to mana regeneration depending on the number of creatures affected. The pace of both mana drain and the boost to mana regeneration is based on your [Recovery] attribute.
Effect - Bronze: Create an additional vortex, increasing the range and area of the ability. Spirit Vortex can now choose to focus its effect on a single target for greatly increased effect.
Effect - Silver: Create an additional vortex. Focusing all vortices at a single target will inflict it with [Inescapable] for as long as it remains within range of the ability.
[Inescapable] (Affliction, Magic): Subject cannot be affected by teleport or non-damaging dimension effects.
- Chakra implosion (Mana) -
Special attack (Combination, mana drain). Cost: Low mana Cooldown: 2s Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Strike an opponent to implode part of their mana reserve in addition to the physical effect of the strike. Applies an instance of [Broken flow]
Effect - Bronze: Applies an instance of [Broken form]
Effect - Silver: Applies the [Stunned] affliction, with effect increased proportionate to the amount of mana drained.
[Broken flow] (affliction, magic, stacking): Each instance of this affliction reduces mana recovery
[Broken form] (affliction, magic, stacking): Each instance of this affliction lowers damage resistances by a small amount.
[Stunned] (affliction, magic): Briefly be unable to move, use abilities or control already active abilities. Fully reactive abilities and effects can still be triggered. The duration cannot be refreshed by applying [Stunned] again and being affected multiple times in succession has diminishing returns.
- Something from Nothing (Fortune) -
Special ability. Cost: None Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Every time you defeat an enemy, a fragment of their essence is kept in a personal metaphysical space. When enough fragments have been gathered, they will manifest into a semi-random item. The item will be influenced by the fragments which have constituted it and the amount of fragments needed will vary.
Effect - bronze: Ability can produce bronze-rank items, and results are more in line with subconscious wishes. Gathering more fragments after the threshold for manifestation has been reached will increase the chance of higher rarity items, up to a certain limit.
Effect - silver: Ability can produce silver rank items. Gathered fragments may now instead be infused to grant a temporary boost to a piece of equipment, raising its power for a time depending on the amount of fragments consumed.
- Void-Sunders-Firmament (Sundering) -
Special attack. Cost: Moderate mana Cooldown: 3s Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Surround your melee weapon or unarmed attack with spatial tears, dealing high damage and resonating force damage. Can be used either as a wide, sweeping attack or as a more focused, directed attack.
Effect - Bronze: Cooldown reduced to 3s. Suffuse the target’s wounds with remnants of the void, inflicting the [Vitality-tear] affliction.
Effect - Silver: This attack partially bypasses areas of localized damage negation, turning complete negation into increased damage resistance, and inflicts the [Sundered meridians] affliction in that area. Very powerful effects or effects of a higher rank may not be entirely affected.
[Vitality tear] (Affliction, wounding, magic): Negates a certain among of healing before being consumed.
[Sundered meridians] (Affliction, wounding, magic): Local mana flow is disrupted, decreasing effects that affect the location of damage.
- Astral Gatherer (Gathering) -
Ritual (Familiar). Cost: Extreme stamina, Extreme mana Cooldown: None Current rank: Silver 4
Effect - Iron: Summon an astral gatherer to become your familiar. The astral gatherer is an incorporeal creature without physical substance.
While manifested, the astral gatherer accumulates small remnants of mana each time mana is spent in its vicinity, which is substantially increased if the skill in question drains or destroys mana. Amount of remnants gathered will vary in accordance with the amount of mana spent or drained.
When enough remnants have been gathered, it can unleash the stored power in one of the following ways:
- A destructive beam of energy, dealing resonating force damage or disruptive force damage.
- A burst of mana recovered for the summoner or a chosen ally within range
When subsumed into the wearer's body, the astral gatherer becomes an incorporeal vortex resting beneath the summoner’s sternum. As long as it remains subsumed, the gatherer exudes a subtle pull on the ambient mana in an extreme radius. This may trigger magical manifestations that were already on the brink of manifesting.
Effect - bronze: Familiar can store additional energy, enough for another unleashing of stored power.
Adds the following options when unleashing stored power:
- A potent, short lived boost to health regeneration
- Attempts to cleanse all hostile afflictions of the magical, curse, wounding, bleeding and poison categories from a target.
Effect - silver: Familiar can store additional energy, enough for a third unleashing of stored power.
Add the following options when unleashing stored power
- A stream of transcendent damage. Consumes three charges.
[Item] Immutable Echo
Combat Staff
Silver rank - [Growth] Legendary
Forged through unyielding reverberations of inner strength, this staff heralds an immovable path.
[Effect] Greatly increased striking power
[Effect] Echoes the effect of special attacks delivered through this weapon once. The echo deals only half the damage of the original attack, but any other effects are undiminished. Can occur once every five seconds.
[Effect] Absorbs a part of the physical force behind intercepted strikes, if any, lessening the remaining physical force to be endured by the wielder. After absorbing force in such a way, the next attack delivered will deal additional resonating force damage. The damage increases with the amount of physical force absorbed from the blow.
[Effect] Vastly increased durability
[Effect] - Bronze: Pay a cost of moderate mana to detonate one of your barriers struck by this weapon, creating a wave of resonating force. The damage of the wave scales with the mana cost of the barrier destroyed, and size of the wave increases with the size of the barrier. Remaining integrity of said barrier does not affect the potency of the damaging wave.
[Effect] - Silver: Add another echo to special attacks, dealing further reduced damage.
This item is bound to [Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune] and cannot be used by anyone else.
[Item] Prescient Mantle of the Sage Asura
Magical tattoo
Silver rank - [Growth] Legendary
Soulbound
The Sage Asura sees all, each of its myriad arms reaching out to change fate. Through the forging, let its mantle be bestowed to the one whose path might one day do the same.
[Effect] For an ongoing mana cost, manifest a set of spiritual arms. These arms may draw weapons from the wearer's dimensional spaces, and are freely controlled by the wearer.
The manifested arms may also use the wearer's special attacks. Attacks delivered through the arms deal reduced damage, but each set of arms has their own cooldown for said special attack.
Destroyed arms may be manifested anew for a cost of moderate mana.
[Effect] Gain increased cognitive processing speed and capacity for simultaneous action.
[Effect] - Silver: Conjure an additional set of arms.
Once infused into the wearer and bound to their soul, this item cannot be removed or unfused. No other magical tattoos may be added to the wearer, but this item will persist across ranks and can be upgraded like any growth item through absorbing the right materials.
[Item] Veiled One’s Decree
Sword
Silver rank - (Growth) legendary
[Effect] Shrouded in enchantments to evade notice. Attacks and special attacks made with this weapon are significantly harder to notice and pinpoint for creatures of similar or lower rank, unless one possesses extraordinary aura senses.
[Effect] Enemies struck with this weapon are afflicted with [Veiled Mind’s Eye], a curse which makes it a lot more difficult to gauge one’s own internal reserves and cooldowns.
[Effect] Wielder’s aura is shrouded, making it more difficult for enemies to glean the wielder’s intent, especially in combat.
[Effect] Lowers the resource cost of illusions created by the wielder
[Effect] - Silver: ???
Matra, Mother of the Bladed Brood
Sword
Silver rank - Legendary
[Effect] When deposited into a wielder’s dimensional storage, the wielder may pay a cost of low mana to manifest a descendant of Matra in an empty hand. The descendants are identical to Matra in most ways, with the exception that they are magical conjurations and that they may not use any activated effects of the enhancements. A descendant blade will disappear if it leaves contact with the wielder for a few seconds, or if it gets too far away.
[Effect] Increases the effects of any special attack channeled through Matra or its descendants.
[Effect] Increases the duration of any afflictions delivered through Matra or its descendants.
[Effect] Each time a descendant blade is used to channel a special attack, Matra gains an instance of [Matriarch’s Legacy]. The wielder may pay mana to activate this enchantment consuming all instances of [Matriarch’s Legacy] to unleash an area attack of sword echoes. Cost and effect increases with the number of instances gathered, to a maximum of very high mana.
Targe of the Mirror-Swarm
Shield
Silver rank - Rare
[Effect] - When intercepting an attack charged with magic, such as a spell or special attack, this shield unleashes a salvo of retributive damage in the shape of many small seeking projectiles. Amount of projectiles scales with the amount of mana spent on the blocked attack up to a certain threshold, with additional effectiveness when blocking attacks mostly consisting of magical energies.
[Effect] - The retributive effect is also shared with other shields and barriers conjured by the wielder.
[Item] Spellplate of the Wardsmith
Heavy armor
Silver rank - Epic
[Effect] Increases the durability of any shields or barriers conjured by the wielder.
[Effect] Whenever you cast a shield or barrier, gain an instance of [Impervious]. All instances will be consumed when used against an applicable attack.
[Impervious] (Boon, magic, stacking): Resistances are increased and damage reduction is gained against non-physical damage. Additional instances have a cumulative effect.
[Effect] The durability of this armor increases while channeling mana into ongoing effects. Increase is proportional to the amount of mana channeled, up to a certain limit.
[Effect] Pay an ongoing mana cost to self-repair. Speed of self-repair is proportional to ongoing mana cost.
[Item] Sojourner’s Companion
Headwear
Bronze rank - epic
[Effect] Potent self-repair and self-maintenance
[Effect] Protects the wearer from non-extreme elements, such as heat, rain, cold and dampness. Does not protect against attacks.
[Effect] Slightly increases the wearer’s health, stamina and mana recovery. This effect increases when in motion, although the speed of the motion only impacts this effect to a limit.
[Effect] Pay an ongoing very low mana cost to feel the cardinal directions.
[Effect] Pay a high mana cost to transform this hat into a pavilion for ten hours, keeping all other enchantment effects as well as activating a basic concealing array. Cooldown: 12 hours
[Item] Earthen Realm Pathstriders
Boots
Bronze rank - epic
[Effect] Increased movement speed on foot
[Effect] Greatly reduced stamina cost of long-distance walking
[Effect] Self-repairs at a moderate pace
[Effect] For a cost of moderate mana, significantly increase movement speed for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
[Item] Mycelial Shroud of the Collective
Cloak
Bronze rank - Epic
[Effect] Upon the wearer’s command, the cloak will attempt to absorb afflictions from the wearer, cleansing them in the process. Afflictions from effects of higher-rank might not be affected. Cannot absorb elemental afflictions, such as burning.
The cloak will then shed most of its mass, separating and using the consumed afflictions to evolve into a bronze-ranked fungal growth, living on and attempting to drain the life of nearby opponents through ethereal tethers. These tethers are vulnerable to disrupting force damage and other effects which may affect incorporeal matter. Size and health of fungal growth will increase with the number of afflictions absorbed. Cooldown: 12 hours
[Effect] Potent self-repair
[Item] Dusk of Fortitude
Gauntlet
Bronze rank - epic
[Effect] Touch a creature and pay a cost of moderate mana to inflict them with a curse-type affliction which causes any mana-drain suffered by the target to also drain stamina. The stamina drained is in addition to the mana, but only a small portion compared to the original draining effect. This affliction is resistant to cleansing effects of bronze rank and below. Duration: 1 hour.
[Effect] Has an internal storage of mana and stamina, which is filled either through active channeling of the wearer’s reserves or through the wielder draining said resource in excess of their own maximum. Stored reserves can be used to fuel attacks or be channeled back into the wearer over time, but will start to slowly decay after an hour in storage.