(Vol 2) Chapter 35: Let's Go, Level Time!

3 FE (Mirrors, Illusion, Fate, Light) obtained from Devout worship. Converted to Light FE.

3 FE (Mirrors, Fate, Light) obtained from worship. Converted to Light FE.

3 FE (Fate, Light) obtained from worship. Converted to Light FE.

2 FE (Illusion) obtained from worship.

Janius took Sammy to another room where the loot was stored, to conduct her Identification of magical items. Naturally, he hung around with the other guard present, as ‘additional security.’ He also directed her to the priority targets, mostly stuff that was on Bagatta. This included his saber, an amulet, three potions, and… something very strange.

It had been loosely congealed between his bare chest and tunic, barely even noticed upon his stripping to check for wounds. It was a rune, like black ink just resting in the form as though kept from running apart. Touching it was exceedingly strange. It liked to stick and feel wet, though it caused no stain on the skin. Janius said it was a magical tattoo, of such design to be removable — why wasn’t immediately clear. But it must’ve ‘popped off’ when the man died.

She cast Identify on it, utilizing PFE — sadly, divine Identify cost double, so it was 4 PFE, making Sammy wince. That was nearly an entire FE equivalently.

======================================================

Exploding Rune (Tattoo)

(Arcane — Evocation; Enchantment, Runic Tattoo) Upon speaking the encoded command word by the owner, this rune is consumed and generates a fireball 2 meters in diameter, as an Area of Effect. Lethality Grade is 7 (Caster Level +1). Effective Caster Level of effect: 6.

This tattoo is removable upon a separate encoded command and can be stuck to any surface. If activated directly on a living target, an additional wound is dealt to the target location at Lethality Grade 10, with normal location effects, including armor.

======================================================

Sammy’s heart skipped a beat as she immediately spoke the first part of the command word, to make her the owner. If Bagatta had not been the owner and thus it had become ownerless, someone could have detonated it right in her face.

On his chest — over his heart? To go out with a bang? Or did someone external have this on him? Fuck. Speaking with him might’ve gone really badly. Did Devero’s preemptive kill prevent an incident?

It hardly mattered any longer, though. The tattoo was quite useful, so she’d likely include its value in their share of the loot. She didn’t exactly want to put it on the ‘free market’, either.

She spent 5 MP and 16 PFE on the five other items. The amulet was Protection Vs. Missiles, which included any physical arrow, bolt, dart, etcetera, adding +2 Magical Armor. The saber was the most basic +1 level equivalent with use, which was still pretty good for a very common specialty. The potions were of Invisibility, Seal Major Wound, and Seal Minor Wound.

Sifting through the gear with Detect Magic, she found a couple more items. A shoddy-looking axe one of the Brothers had was magical. Identify determined it the same as the saber in enchantment. And she found a simple copper ring with an enchantment — Detect Poison and Disease, usable 3/day.

Sammy wrote it all down and summarized it for Janius. He scowled at the tattoo details. “That snake-ass bastard had something like that just for when he finally couldn’t slither away. Just so he could go out with a bang and take somebody with him. What a piece of shit. Told you he needed killing where he stood.”

“Perhaps not just that. It could be used for other things. And that is if it wasn’t placed on him by someone else with conditions attached via other spellcrafts.”

Janius raised an eyebrow at that. Crossed his arms as he considered. “Hmm. That’s a devious thought. Maybe. Anyway… appreciate the help. This will increase the value and the speed of distribution for everyone. How was the staff, by the way?”

Sammy smirked at him. She was fairly confident he’d had no clue about the curse. “It’s alright. Nothing too crazy. Janius… have you ever heard of Phinaclon? Skippin’ Phin?”

“Sure. Some stupid made-up folk villain of rogues and ne’er-do-wells. Heard that nonsense when I was a kid, too. Now I have to hear it in the tavern. Usually some tale about him stealing some idiotic, non-existent thing.”

“I see.” Sammy resisted mentioning any connection to Devero. Janius didn’t sound like he’d buy it to begin with. “I’ll have to hear some of these tales someday.”

“If you must. I’m sure some mouth-running drunkard or other will trade that for a drink in my tavern. You should try the ale, by the way. Best in the world. My sister and nieces make it. Been passed down for generations.”

“Duly noted, Janius.”

Just who the fuck are you really, Devero? We’re both wondering about each other’s mysteries, wondering if we can trust to trade the truth. Aren’t we, ‘buddy’? And I really don’t think I do.

With the identifications checked off her list, Sammy headed back to her room. She recharged her PFE once more (6 FE for 30), then decided her next order of business was creating the Servitors in order to level up. It also had the benefit of creating as many Servitors as possible before leveling up and gaining the benefits of them leveling up with her.

With three Resemblants and two Faerie Dragons, she decided to go with one of each. For her next Resemblant, she went back to her butler motif, as it seems appropriate for her special skill idea — Observation — which could be useful for stakeouts or searching similar to what Dick might do sometimes, but more specialized comparatively, and also useful as a guard and sentry.

Servitor created. Belvedere is born.

An older, somewhat portly gentleman with a simple mustache appeared in a mirror, nodding. “You can count on me to keep an eye on the various rascals of this reality, Your Majesty.”

“As you were, Mr. Belvedere. Please confer with Jeeves, as of now.”

For the Faerie Dragon Servitor, she wanted at least one entity taking particular advantage of the effectiveness of shapeshifting for combat purposes, which she’d seen some of from the others. Raw size and strength could be leveraged to punch higher than their level. So she went with the skill Brawling. It seemed a logical investment for a physical agent and protector.

Personality-wise, she tried to balance a little more seriousness in to round out the others, neither of which were exactly leadership types. It seemed reasonable to have an entity to represent the nobility and dignity of dragon kind. Nascent creatures though they were, they did have many legends to live up to.

Dad-dragon it is…

Servitor created. Athos is born.

A crystal materialized in front of her, larger than Dart’s had been, spinning and erupting as before, so a dragon unfurled in a great show of spreading wings. His scales and wings were prismatic and colorful, but slightly darker and more subdued. A great head swung down, breathing out a puff of smoke, a calm expression regarding her with the glowing green eyes of the Dragon Line.

A deep voice echoed, first as something like a purr, as though testing it all out. “Ready when you are, Goddess. The world awaits your prescription, which I’ll deliver gladly.”

But she was a bit distracted…

The quest “Gears of the Operation” is complete. 110 FE gained. 2 exp gained in Goddess.

Level 3 Goddess obtained. +500 Maximum FE added. Religious Experience maximum enhancement grade increased.

Special Traits (as passive powers) Detection Ward and Split Prediction added. Powers Mirror Other and Mirror Walk added.

Mirror Sense, Create Illusion, Dazzling Spectrum, Grant Invisibility, and False Auras upgraded.

The barrage of leveling hit her again, and oh did it feel good — better than the last, though the significance of capability increase from that first level seemed unlikely to match, and she was still a Minor Deity with 3/4 domains.

The REX effect was modular, likened to going from ‘1 major and 1 minor’ or ‘3 parts’ to ‘2 majors’ or ‘4 parts.’ Her favorite buff went from adding an effective level and 1 wound negation to 2 wound negations.

She began sifting through the new powers…

======================================================

Mirror Walk

Avatar-only. Once per day for free, or for 1 Mirror FE or 2 FE, you may take a full action to transport from one mirror/reflective surface you can normally access in a world to another, distances limited by level. You will appear to shrink and re-grow as you phase into and out of smaller mirrors.

Level 3: Range is within 200 meters. The interface between the portals appears two-way but is not except to you. Only your person and gear you can carry may transport through.

======================================================

Nice! Good for getting into places, then. Might be some fucking rad shit at higher level, too.

======================================================

Mirror Other

Avatar-only. Once per day for free, or for 1 Mirror FE, 1 Illusion FE, or 2 FE, you may either emulate a convincing disguise (including voice, if you have heard them) of another person within 10 meters, replacing your current disguise, OR place a disguise of your current disguise (or non-disguise appearance) on another within 10 meters. This lasts for 1 hour per deity level on others.

If convincing acting is required against others familiar to the individual, add 5 extra levels to the comparison test (note that the target may have familiarity bonuses). Base classes to channel for this purpose can be [Goddess], [Bard], [Rogue], [Wizard], or some special classes. One additional class may add as normal, providing (level/3, rounded up) to the base class.

======================================================

Sammy cackled a bit as she read it. More of the same, but once again Mirrors and Illusion had combined well conceptually.

She drew up the new ‘Special Traits’ next:

======================================================

Detection Ward

Power (Divine). Against scrying, divination, and other forms of supernatural detection, a user must beat a contest comparison to which you have +3 Effective Levels added. Failure blocks any information, unless False Auras is relevant to the effect, superior, and configured to give false information instead.

Anyone, Everyone (Fate Synergy): As an on/off ability, casual identification of your person in all forms will fade from the minds of anyone lower level than you that you do not exempt by special cue, either verbally or via eye contact, or who converses with you at length (to befriend). This also provides a variable circumstantial bonus to stealth in many situations.

This can be countered by others remembering and reminding a given subject. This ability attempts to persist believably rather than absolutely (for example, it will not keep causing forgetfulness that would make the superior of an otherwise mindful servant suspicious).

Level comparison is continuous, but retroactive applications will integrate believably, so in some cases may take days to fully resolve.

======================================================

Sammy really cackled at that one. She was pretty sure she wanted to activate it, to reduce identification chances and casually overhead sensitive elements over time.

======================================================

Split Prediction

Power (Divine). You predict physical reality slightly better and faster by a split moment. This entitles you to +2 Effective Levels to matters of pure reflex, such as defenses, and +1 Effective Levels to nearly any physical or perceptual task. This aids against any magic that creates physical, aimed effects (like most evocation spells) but cannot assist with purely mental attacks.

You can still be surprised but have a lowered chance to react whereas others have no chance at all. This is a circumstantially reliant effect.

======================================================

Ah, the more physical sort of intuition, I guess. I can kinda feel it even here, but it must be extra badass in the Avatar. I’m becoming quite a Defense Queen. But no assistance with purely mental attacks… hmm.

It made her consider the Avatar body options. She was pretty solid already against the physical, and just got more solid with the new passive. But she was comparatively like a creampuff against the mind. Meanwhile, who her enemies would be and what level they’d be at was becoming increasingly unclear. She might run into a random enchanter, in addition to running afoul of some Dominion agent.

Good reasons to go for the more specialized ones, then. And my FE is okay for a bit of investment at least. Still need to make more clerics.

Regardless, she still had some more upgrades to ponder…

____________________________________________________________

« (Vol 2) Chapter 34 | Table of Contents | (Vol 2) Chapter 36: Choices to Make, Paths to Take »

____________________________________________________________