Kaius stretched out and relaxed.
It was nice, hearing what his teammates had experienced during their own journey through the Crucible. To little surprise, their trials matched up with what he expected of them as people — trials that not only would have challenged them, but were also well suited to pushing them in the way they needed to be pushed.
That was sothing not always obvious; it was clear the personalization of their trials ran deep. They'd each found so sort of satisfaction within their experiences — a certainty of self that they'd never quite managed before.
"What of your Trials of Animus?" Porkchop asked, folding his paws over the top of one another as he rested his chin on them.
Kaius was curious too. There was good reason to believe that their shared trial differed quite radically from the norm, just due to the simple fact that it had been shared. Who knew what the experience would've been like if he'd had to run it by himself?
Kenva's face scrunched as she leaned back on her hands.
"Animus was strange," she replied. "At first, I thought mine was related to curiosity like yours was. It's always been sothing that's driven forward, and a big part of why I jumped wholeheartedly into my people's old coming-of-age tradition. I wanted to see the world; was sick of traveling across the sa rolling grass fields, with the sa mountains on the horizon."
She paused, taking a breath as a thoughtful frown spilled across her face.
"The trial proved wrong."
Kaius listened intently to Kenvas tale: how she'd found herself in an endless procession of rooms. At first, she'd found it enjoyable — exploring ballrooms and armories, kitchens and bedrooms, all wrought out of high-quality carved stone and lacquered wood. Yet, her trial had been a long one, similar to his own experiences with ntis. Months, at least — and she'd quickly noticed rooms repeating.
All she had to do was find the exit. But the place had been endless — a procession of repeating traps and curiosities. It hadn't been long until she'd been pleading for sothing new.
And in that, she found the crux of her insight.
"It was novelty in the end — but that's a bit of a simplification," Kenva continued. "There's a beauty to be found in the differences between things that seem similar at first glance, and those that are radically different from the outset. I want to see it all — explore as far and as wide as I can."
Ianmus nodded. "I can say that seems understandable. You do always brighten up when we've ended up in a new bio — or when Kaius has cooked a new dish. Don't you find it exhausting though? Surely, eventually, you'll run out of new things."
Kenva shook her head. "There are differences everywhere. No two hunts are alike, even if you track the sa type of ga. There's joy to be found even in the little differences. But I won't lie — I do enjoy the big ones. It's that joy to discover and explore that pushes onwards."
"And your Aspect itself?" Porkchop asked.
"The Wide-Eyed Explorer. Its Seed was strange — it says it will let extend my influence more easily beyond myself. What it could be used for, and what benefit it may bring... I still don't really know."
Kaius shared a look with Porkchop. Both raised their eyebrows inquisitively.
That didn't sound defensive. He'd been almost certain, between the two of theirs, that Animus had an innate inclination toward defense.
Apparently not — hopefully Xenanra would be able to explain more.
"What about you, Ianmus?" Kaius asked.
"Mine was a little less... sensical, you could say. I still struggle to understand it myself."
"Oh?" Kaius asked.
The mage frowned.
"I was in so... endless space. Without body or form, I was barely even conscious — almost as if I was trapped in so sort of dream. Surrounded by light, I kept trying to understand it, and figure out what was happening to and where I'd been taken. But I couldn't."
He rubbed his temples.
"Yet I needed to — it was the one thing I was certain of, and it burned. The fugue was almost feverish. Nothing really…specific happened — just a single mont that stretched for eternity. I suppose that was enough in the end. I had an epiphany. That my need to categorize and understand drives a lot of what I do."
Kaius listened as his friend explained his aspect.
It was called The Crescent's Eye, with a seed that seed focused on soul recovery.
It made Ianmus's soul burn brighter, settle faster — and left it better able to contest opposing influence.
As his friend finished his story, Kaius drained the now-cold dregs of his tea and sat in silence. There was one topic they hadn't broached — one that pulsed in the back of his mind like an inflad boil.
The Trial of Temperance.
None of them seed eager to discuss what they had experienced — their conversation kept drifting into aningless chatter every ti they ca close. Yet he knew they should; that they must. Even with the specifics sealed and lost, it was a large thing; incomprehensible almost — sothing they would likely encounter eventually.
It was larger than each of them; large enough that he didn't know what to do with it.
"…Do any of you rember it?"
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The question was soft, but it cut through the space between them like a knife.
His team tensed for a mont.
"Not really," Porkchop replied. "There are flashes. So choice, and a heavy one at that — where I would lose sothing no matter what I picked. I rember it gnawing at like a maggot. I felt sick at what I was forced to choose, and the sacrifice that required — but that's all."
Kaius nodded slowly, alongside the rest of his team. That really, truly did just about sum it up.
Except for one thing.
"Do you also feel certain that you made the right choice?"
That question hung, unanswered, for a mont.
"I do."
"I do too," Kenva agreed, even as Ianmus nodded slowly.
None of them had many words left after that — the only sound being the muted rustle of grass in a strangely dampening wind.
Then Kenva clapped — jolting them out of their malaise.
"Right then! We're all aware it was sufficiently horrible, but I don't see much point lingering on it. We've all been through much — that's clear. But hey, we got so pretty vast benefits. I'm not just talking about my aspects, either.
She looked around.
"How are the rest of you squaring up for our upcoming class selection?"
Kaius grinned. That was the one thing about their trials — they'd supercharged his growth, and vaulted him forward toward his goal.
He opened his status to take a look.
Status:
Na: Kaius
Dynasty: Unterstern
Age: 19
Race: Human (Dynastic, Greater Beastblooded) - 1 Con, Str, Wil, and free stats per level
Layer Reached: 25
Class: Runeblade Initiate - 3 Int, 2 Con, 2 Str, 2 Dex, 1 Vit, 1 Wil per level
Level: 200
Resources:
Health - 11,030/11,030 (66.5/min)
Stamina - 10,880/10,880 (78.6/min)
Mana - 12,970/12,970 (85.2/min)
Free Mana - 12,970/12,970
Reserved Mana - 0
Stats:
Constitution - 1103 (630 101 51%)
Vitality - 665 (340 101 51%)
Strength - 1088 (620 101 51%)
Dexterity - 786 (420 101 51%)
Intelligence - 1297 (700 116 59%)
Willpower: - 852 (420 116 59%)
Stat Points: 0
Aspects:
Pillar Corporus: The Struggler's Madness
Reinforcent: Titan's Marrow
Seed: Forged in Endless Strife
Pillar ntis: The Veteran's Edge
Reinforcent: Glass Mind
Seed: Campaigner's Reason
Pillar Animus: The Ceaseless Warrior
Reinforcent: Purity of Self
Seed: Hardened by Life
Class Skills (10/10):
Latent Glyph of Drakthar (Heroic) - 200
Initiate's Glyphic Bladerite (Unique) - 200
Latent Glyph of Aelina (Heroic) - 200
Mystic's Rend (Heroic) - 176 > 183
Latent Glyph of Vyrthane (Heroic) - 121 > 132
Sigil of Vesryn's Pact (Unique) - 137 > 142
Latent Glyph of Eirnith (Heroic) - 105 > 117
rcurial Reversal (Unique) - 108 > 115
Runeblade Hymnfocus (Heroic) - 62 > 75
Latent Glyph of Muthryn, Throat of VOS (Heroic) - 41 > 56
General Skills (10/10):
Rapid Adaptation (Heroic) - 200
Liturgical Bladeform: Primus Ordo (Heroic) - 200
Explorer's Toolkit (Unusual) - 200
Tempered by Dissonance (Heroic) - 200
Truesight (Unique) - 184 > 200
Tonal Weaving (Unique) - 200
Resonance Amplification (Unique) - 198 > 200
Lesser Regeneration (Unusual) - 200
Uncanny Dodge (Unique) - 200
Brotherhood of Ichor and Animus (Heroic) - 200
Hymnbook:
Glyph of Drakthar -
Stormlash (Tier I - 120 mana)
Hateful Nail (Tier I - 100 mana)
Glyph of Aelina -
Yellia's Slip Step (Tier I - 80 mana)
Trusant's Expedient Shunt (Tier I - 100 mana)
Glyph of Vyrthane -
Warhaven (Tier I - 1000 mana)
Bound Maelstrom (Tier I - 200)
Glyph of Eirnith -
Zone of Discombobulation (Tier I - 300 mana)
Compel Obsession (Tier I - 350)
Glyph of Muthryn -
Redoubt of the Speaker (Tier I - Variable)
Formationbook:
Sigil of Vesryn's Pact -
Unbroken Through Suffering (Tier I)
Honours:
Born for Slaughter (Bonus)
Subli Prodigy - Glyph Binding (Bonus)
Birds of a Blood Soaked Feather (Bonus)
Persistent Survivor (Minor) (Bonus)
Kingslayer (Major) (Bonus)
Ruthless Underdog (Bonus)
Ruthless Underdog II
Trailblazer II (Bonus)
Hordebreaker
Ruthless Underdog III (Bonus)
Persistent Survivor IV (Minor) (Bonus)
Paragon (Major) (Bonus)
Daring Challenger (Minor)
Triarch (Bonus)
Bound Artefacts:
A Father's Gift - Growth Longsword (Epic, T1)
Continue Tempering for Growth Conditions!
It was quite sothing to see it all laid out so plainly in front of his eyes. He'd managed it — every single one of his general skills at the cap, and a few of his class skills as well. Far beyond where he should have been for so little ti with his class.
They were, it seed, utterly ready.
Smiling to himself, Kaius shared with his team what he had gained — and he found that it had been mirrored in his companions as well. Sure, they could all still work on their class skills, but they'd done well. Really well.
"What now?" Ianmus asked. "We have this last trial — which sounds like it'll be just as much of a lesson and reward — but after that, we'll be finished here. Deadacre waits for us. Ro and Reiker likely think we're dead; I'm not too fond of the idea of leaving them waiting overlong."
"Plus," Porkchop added with a dark growl, "there's still Old Yon to deal with — I doubt he'll find us easy prey once we've risen to the second tier in truth."
Ianmus nodded. "So...when do we do it?"
Kaius felt the pressure of the mont. It wasn't his unilateral choice, of course — no good leader demanded that much control — but he did set the direction and tempo of their delve. Class selection would impact that significantly.
He mulled it over.
"We have an opportunity here, during our delve. Several, really — if we let them slip by, we won't get them again."
"Honours," Kenva said.
"Honours," he agreed.
"We aren't quite done with the Crucible. But once we are, we need to sit down and plan. We already have a variety of Honours between us, and we should make our best guesses at what is available for us to seize, and what will take us too much ti. It's also a rare chance to attempt what we think might get us an Honour."
He stretched, then smiled.
"But for now, I think that can wait. This tea has settled my stomach — and I find myself quite hungry."
The grins he got at that were answer enough. Kaius rustled through his storage ring and began sorting out lunch.
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