Chapter 41: The Birth of a Relic

I gotta be missing something here. Or he’s just a cocky dumbass. He’s not supposed to be high level according to Redberry…

Two soldiers were dragging a beaten-looking, half-unconscious man between them, who was dressed rather well despite soiling and blood, almost certainly a knight or nobility.

The two soldiers pretty much dropped him at the feet of the Demon King, then they bowed low. “Your Imperial Majesty, sir,” one of them said in a gravelly voice. “Here is the count, such as he is.”

The booming, supernaturally resonant voice of Zadkiel declared, “Such as he is, and less than he was, just barely!” Laughter, as he looked down. “If you cared about your men, you’d thank me, wormbait. Taking you in the night will mean an end to this more quickly than them all being crushed under my boot. We had a good laugh here, though, about the irony of you dropping stones and magic on your own people. Fucking pathetic scum.”

Zadkiel snorted loudly, hocked up a huge loogie, and spat it across the space in an arc, landing on the count’s shoulder as he was trying to push himself up.

The two Naugites behind laughed at this, one of them calling, “Nice shot, sir!”

The count pushed himself up to sitting, looking in horror at the spit on his shoulder. He almost wiped it but thought better of it. “As if-” His hoarse voice was interrupted by his own cough. “As if your kind hasn’t soiled… every inch of the city by now…”

“Your senses are extraordinarily dull. Unsurprising. You’d otherwise see all the damage here is from your own traitorous acts, noble Count Ambrose. I’m taking dominion here, not booty. Well, not all of it. Your land’s riches are mine but the people are as unmolested as possible in the interests of eventual new vassalage. A proper system under a king of kings. An emperor.”

Count Ambrose barked bitter laughter. “A conqueror? As if the people would accept a vile, demonic-”

One of the men launched a kick at the count’s ribs, interrupting his insults. “Watch what you say to the Demon King! The King of Kings!”

Zadkiel sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “I guess most of you will still think the worst. Well, we didn’t bring peace, did we? Wars waged, battles fought, people dead. But it’s really just growing pains for all of us as management shifts. The Dominion wanes. Someone has to be the new wave. Be their Hell rising up, their judgment. That would be me. Where two are equal to a desire, a fist must be raised to decide supremacy. Bow or fight.” After a contemplative pause, he said, “Throw him in the dungeon. Make sure he gets water.”

As the ‘king’s men’ complied and grabbed him up, the count called, “You’ll pay for this, mark me! You have no idea what you’re deal-” One of the men slapped him hard in the face, which shut him up, bloodied his lip, and almost sent him under. Everyone in the chamber laughed.

He really doesn’t know, but I guess no one does. The sages are secretive as hell. But I feel like this is poking a dangerous bear, just to see if it’s still alive…

The Demon King rose out of the chair. Sammy immediately withdrew entirely. She wasn’t taking the chance of an honest-to-gods god looking into her mirror. It seemed like the sort of thing that might be another exception to the rule. She wasn’t sure, but at least she knew he didn’t sense her there sixth-sense-wise or something.

Sammy was unsure what to think about the whole matter. It felt a bit like two enemies going at it. Let them do it and weaken each other, maybe? She didn’t really see herself as any true ally of the Naugites. It felt like the dark side of the force or something. And Zadkiel seemed egotistical, potentially unfriendly to independent ‘new arrivals’ like her.

Another wolf for the rabbit to hide from? Ugh. Look forward to growing some teeth. For now, that’s what I do. Grow. Unless of course pouncing is too irresistible. Hmm, maybe I’m more of a cabbit…

“Well, it’s certainly time to see what exactly I’m capable of with the Holy Relic, eh? Maybe that will grow some teeth.” She pulled up the information.

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Holy Relic Investiture (250 FE)

You may create a special divine magical item, or adapt an existing item into one. You may also create 2-7 ‘pieces’ that have reduced effect until brought together. You may have up to 2 full ‘assemblies’ at level 1, 3 at level 3, and a max of 4 at level 7. The item must be a discrete, continuous object in its whole form, following the normal limitations of magic items. It must have thematic elements of one or more of your domains.

You may experience the sensory information of anyone wielding (or otherwise intimately interfacing with) the relic, and have a mental link at the maximum relationship possible if the target is receptive. Non-receptive wielders may still be sent impressions and communications, warnings, etc. You may bestow REX buffs on the wielder (if willing) even if not a Follower, other buffs, or any [Curse] effects known. This does not count as a relic ‘use.’

Holy Relics allow limited but direct access to the world for the purposes of powers, spells, or applicable abilities with origin points. Your origin point for these effects is centered on the relic.

Total relic power/ability uses are 3 times per day for each ‘whole’ relic. This is split up between relic pieces if separated. If 2 pieces, one is 2 per day, the other 1. If separated into 3 or more pieces, they are evenly divided, and pieces must add up to ‘1’ or more to function for ability use.

Each use allows (3 minutes + 2 minutes per Deity level) of access, as desired. In Whole form, relic use effects are at +1 Effective Levels, if relevant to the effect. This also aids the spells of any priestly wielder. Multiple relics don’t stack for this purpose. Effective Level bonus for a Whole relic also applies to wielder effects, if relevant. Increase buff/curse intensity by 20%.

Relics are destructible, though of improved durability. If exposed to a shattering effect, it will break into pieces. It can be brought back together or repaired. If fully destroyed, only a special quest can replace or generate a new relic for that ‘slot’, subject to world limitations.

Relics may have up to three minor thematic enchantments related to the nature of the object and the deity. Activating enchantments can only be done by Followers.

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Whoa, this is teeth after all, then. I bet Zadkiel wields one of his. I could make it an armor piece. Breastplate. Mirrored, boom, thematic! Kinda gamey. But that does make it harder to exchange and exposes it to damage.

She strongly wanted to make the staff into one, but it was restricted to Orswyth in Whole form in that case. But she also had two groups, anyway… If she could start with the pieces separated, it might be the most efficient just beginning, for the spread influence. She wouldn’t have the boost for a while. But with her current capabilities, the boost would just improve her illusion chances.

I can make another relic eventually, though they aren’t cheap. Might be after Avatar formation at this point…

Deliberating, taking a peek at the associated creation form (of course there’s a form), Sammy ultimately decided she’d split between the parties initially and forego the power boost of a Whole relic. Designing and tinkering after bringing up the form, she found she could do ‘test submissions’ due to the complexity of design, before a full launch.

Her initial tries had full rejections, which was frustrating, but the System pointed out the violations and necessary adjustments. Finally… it was ready.

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Holy Relic Form (Relic 1)

Name: Staff of Vision; Masks of Masquerade

Pieces: Adjustable. From a Whole state, the relic can be split into 2-7 pieces. Every mask token on the staff can be removed, in which case it becomes a Mask of Masquerade of varying strength. They can also be returned.

‘Mask of Masquerade’: In normal form, a token grows into a thin, hard drama mask with a mirrored surface. It is almost always disguised.

Initial Configuration: 1/day versions as Masks in possession of Daxerris and Estara. Staff 1/day as an existing item in possession of Orswyth.

Enchantments: Adjustable (allows splitting from any piece, up to 7, easily rearrangeable, has no set configuration, shares all enchantments); Illusory (relics can appear as desired, in the same basic form/shape, at an effect level of 10, changeable at-will); Disguise (wielders may fashion an illusionary self-disguise as desired, changeable once per day, and switchable at-will).

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She had tried adding a spell-like offensive mechanism instead of ‘Illusory’, but it was rejected, and the key aspect was the level of 10 — that would be exceptionally hard to see through without special, active spells. It could (which she confirmed with Sys) even be placed on the face and perfectly mimic the face, effectively making it all but invisible.

This would support the other lesser, but more thorough effect ‘Disguise,’ if one tried to pretend to be a specific person. When she asked the System about it, it told her it would materialize as half that level for potential recognition purposes, but couldn’t help with voices, which would spoil it. Well. Couldn’t have everything.

The relic would be particularly useful when she had another relic and an Avatar, considering how easily she could extract usefulness out of it when split into otherwise less useful pieces, distributed across key members. It also hid the obviousness of the existing staff quite nicely.

Ultimately, she felt good about its iconic representation of her Illusion domain. And even more sense of completion for the day they all come together…

As her Followers awoke early in the morning to get the day going, she mentally connected with the relevant parties and sent, “Good morning, subjects! I am sending you a great blessing on this day. An iconic, permanent new representation of our order’s dawning. Please begin in prayer and reception immediately. Gather the faithful.”

To the group with Orswyth, Samantha appeared and declared, “Behold, faithful of the order! This staff was planted to raise our Mystery up in strength! So it is consecrated for this new dawn before us — so it is sanctified as my hand upon Calrenazzod. Let it forever be a symbol of our hope: this, the Staff of Vision!”

In a flash of prismatic lights that might have been a little too much like a disco ball, the staff flowed and ebbed with power as it was transformed once more. It shifted between many different appearances before returning to its original state with a final resonant planting by Orswyth.

Though tempted to get even fancier with an Illusion use, the once-a-day thing kind of made her restrain herself.

The group was awed enough. Tashome nodded appreciatively and began a slow clap, which caused the others to soon clap vehemently. Amusing.

To Carlisle’s assembled group she called, “The dawning of the day symbolizes a new age for our order. My power, my hand upon the face of Calrenazzod grows stronger. So I touch it and so is the face of many — the face of all — changed. The identity that eyes regard in the mirror of reality is ours to mold. So the Masks of Masquerade are placed and the harlequins begin their dance! Behold, our will over this construct begins!”

Dax and Estara held out their hands, and into them mystical energy swirled and condensed with flashes of prismatic light and puffs of smoke.

Masks with mirrored faces appeared in their hands, and with an awed, solemn manner they placed them on their own faces. Clothes and personas shifted and flitted from blurred states to continuously more definite forms. Nobles, peasants, craftsmen, merchants, dancers, fools. It was merely temporary, though. Soon they were themselves again — apparently. The masks seemed to disappear… until they took them off.

Dax stared at it in her hands, unsure what to do. Estara, meanwhile, grinned and began playing with it immediately, turning it into a handbag, a hat, a big chalice, a fan… a mirror.

She flashed it to the others like it was a birthday gift. “Oh, this is wonderful, Your Majesty! And so are you. All praise to the Goddess Samantha!”

The goddess smiled.

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