Day 183 - Blue
Thanks to Taelah, I have a bunch of trait points available, I said, and Taelah ducked her head slightly.
Im falling behind, Iniri said. Im only, what, rank six?
Yes, but if rank is dedication to , then I dont think you should be rank ten. You cant put before Tarnil.
You are Tarnil, she pointed out with so degree of amusent.
Okay fair, but you know what I an. It was nice to be able to talk to all my Companions, and with enough fidelity that they more or less got word for word. It wasnt exactly perfectly for Taelah and Iniri, but it was so good I couldnt complain. Youve been scrambling to get things stabilized and dealing with wars and things. There will always be sothing you need to do with Tarnil.
Im glad I have such an understanding liege, Iniri said with a smile. I was pretty sure that being able to hear my inarticulate self had helped her loosen up around , which was nice.
So, who has the first suggestions?
Actually, Shayma said. I looked over your Status and you have lots of free experience and you have a lot of categories that arent maxed out. In fact, hardly anything in your categories has been increased all the way.
Oh, I said. Right. I had close to two hundred thousand free experience, which actually wouldnt go as far as I would have liked considering how expensive so of the categories were. My breeding category was maxed out, which was unfortunate because I wasnt entirely certain how I was going to get a station that was sized for Ansaes full form. That would be sothing I had to experint with.
The category that I should have been increnting and maximizing was Climates. It was still at the initial 5 and, considering all the work I was doing with them, I probably should have pushed it to its limits far earlier. Previous category advancents demonstrated extra ranks werent likely to grant additional Climates, those had to be earned by experintation or other sideways advancent, but they would give so sort of qualitative upgrade instead. Fortunately, it wasnt as expensive a Category as so others so I could put just under one hundred thousand experience in it and cap it at ten.
Climates are more resistant to changes. Improved rate of resource generation within Climates.
As I had expected, nothing new. The resource generation would have been nice but not overwhelming when it was just chrysthenium and plants, but now that I had tals, gems, and Affinity pools, even a minor boost was actually quite nice. A bit of strain that I hadnt even noticed from having such enormous Climates eased, but there were otherwise no obvious changes.
With my remaining experience, I could bump Fabrication by maybe two points, but that would only get it to eight, so it wasnt really worthwhile. I had a number of Fields I could maximize though, and maybe get so combinations or new Fields to play with. I checked to make sure Id gotten all the combinations I could out of the Fields I already had before spending experience on any of them.
It looked like one trick Id missed was overloading [Murk], sothing I might not have been able to do at the ti, but I definitely had enough mana now. I marked out a small area in the Caldera and filled it with [Murk], then plugged it into a dynamo. The darkness grew and deepened and changed, becoming sothing that disturbed to look at.
[Hungering Dark]: Shadows eat away body and mind.
The na alone sounded intense, and this Field looked like it was all bad news all around. I had a lot of positive Field effects though, so it had probably only been a matter of ti before I ran into one that was completely negative. I could see inside with [Genius Loci] and watching the darkness devour the foliage and start chewing on bare stone was freaky.
I banished the [Hungering Dark] Field and pumped [Murk], [Light], and [Regeneration] to 10. There were still a lot of Fields to max out, but most of the others were either extrely expensive, as in the case of Spatial fields, or combination fields like Purgatory. That more or less ate up the last of my experience, though I had a decent enough inco now that both Shayma and Taelah were at rank 10. There werent any combinations, but I did get so evolutions, which felt kind of strange because I hadnt seen any of those for a while.
[Field: Light] becos [Field: Greater Light]: Floods area with light. May incorporate aspects of any available Affinity. Improved control over resistance to intruders.
[Field: Regeneration] becos [Field: Greater Regeneration]: Improves Health and Stamina regeneration, and allows for replacent of lost limbs or organs.
[Field: Murk] becos [Field: Deep Murk]: Floods area with darkness or mist. Amount of each is finely controllable. Improved control over resistance to intruders.
I wondered why [Growth] hadnt evolved yet, since I had it at ten, so I poked at it and deployed a Growth field for the first ti in what felt like ages I was usually using [Abundance] instead and that did it. Which ant the evolution conditions were probably my level ten advancent. So, all the things Id been ignoring like Fluid Handling or Bait probably had a lot of stuff they could do, but I never used them, so they hadnt been getting any updates.
[Field Growth] becos [Field: Greater Growth]: Significant growth improvent of flora. Mature plants may beco exemplar specins. Reduced [Fertilizer] use.
It wasnt a big difference from the original Growth, but the exemplar thing was neat. Id have to see what that was like, especially since I had a trait that would make my Companions exemplars. That said, I wasnt sure how much use Id get out of so of those, since if I actually wanted to stop intruders Id throw [Hungering Dark] or sothing at them rather than the far less scary [Greater Light] and [Deep Murk] Fields.
Okay, that was a good call, though I dont think it opened up any new traits. Nothing on the trait list looked new, anyway. So, do I get anything now or do I bank them? Shayma pulled up the trait list, the full one this ti.
Burrowing: Upgrades [Boring Tendril] into [Burrower]. (1)Core Specialization: Ecology:Companion Bounty: Creates Companion-attuned food Climates. (1)Affinity Ecology: Add additional plants influenced by governed Affinities to Climates (1)Stellar Transformation: Create a new stellar Affinity version of a selected magical plant. (2)Stellar Region: Infuse a selected area with stellar Affinity mana. (3)Ecological Directives: Allows Companions to designate areas where Climates will be created. (3)Climate Flourishing: Populate a targeted Climate instance with adapted animal life. (5)Inhabitant Climates: Adapt Climates to suit Dungeon inhabitants. (8)Core Specialization: Habitation:Inhabitant Adaptation: Adapt inhabitants to Dungeon Climates they reside in. (10)Affinity Attunent: Dungeon inhabitants gain governed Affinity Classes and Skills with less effort. (10)Core Specialization: Companion:Empower: Imnsely amplify Companion abilities for a short ti, for a great cost. (1)Companion Adaptation: Companions are immune to negative effects of dungeon Climates. (4)Companion Directives: Grants Companions limited access to dungeon senses and build options. Companions may designate goals. (5 points).Pinnacle: Companions of Dungeon Inhabitant species are made an exemplar of that species. (8)Class Managent: Companions may adjust Class and Skill details. (10)Climate Empowering: Allows a Companion to be empowered by the nature of a linked Climate. (10)Inspiration: Companions of Dungeon Inhabitant species gain natural leadership insight toward that species. (15)Affinity Infusion: Companions may infuse their Classes or Skills with any governed Affinity. (20)Core Specialization: StellarField: Depths of Space: Reduced gravity and atmosphere. (2)Field: Corona: Lashing tendrils of intense heat, light, and stellar Affinity mana. (2)Core Specialization: Defense: Increases experience generated by defensive structures. Unlocks additional defensive materials. (4)Core Specialization: Dungeon Combat: Increases potency of combat versions of Skills and structures. Unlocks additional combat Skills. (4)Spawn Core: Allows the Dungeon to generate additional Cores. (20)Manifest: Allows the Dungeon to condense its mana into physical form. (30)Antithesis: Your existence becos inimical to your ANATHEMA. Contact results in annihilation. (35)
I think that Affinity Ecology is a worthwhile purchase, Taelah suggested. Especially if you want to show off things that are unique to you.
Especially if that would increase the mana capacity of your stellar core, Ansae added. I wasnt sure it would; I hadnt noticed a jump when Id made a new [Contained Star] and if an Origin Relic blazing with Stellar Mana didnt count, nothing environntal would. What I needed was more people like Suna, though Id need a lot of them and with much higher levels. That wasnt going to happen anyti soon though, so I still needed to figure out more and better mana storage from other avenues.
Youll want to get Burrowing before you start digging downward, Iniri noted, but its not critical right now. Id say bank the rest, start saving for sothing more expensive.
So no [Climate Flourishing]?
Youve been doing just fine without animal life so far, Shayma shrugged.
Id be worried about possibly dangerous animals ending up near The Village, Taelah said. I know you could wall them out or the like, but I dont think were quite established enough. That was sothing I hadnt much considered. Itd be really irritating to have to get people in to exterminate critters I bought with my own traits if they turned out to be pests. Considering so of the hostile environnts the Climates sotis made, I could well believe thered be so downright nasty specins if I just got a bunch of random critters spawning in.
Speaking of which, I was curious to see how that worked. So far as Id seen I couldnt generate creatures out of nothing. Or even plants, actually, because I could see that any new plants that grew were germinated out of, effectively, my dungeon flesh. They cost biomass, though my biomass generation due to Climates was so trendous it didnt really matter.
That said, I did have that sort-of-nest that my basically useless boring beetles had spawned from and mostly just hibernated in of late. Maybe it would make a bunch of those and the dungeon biology would just synthesize critters from genetic code taken from the Akasha. Or whatever the dungeon-flesh-mana equivalent was, because I was pretty sure things like dragons were impossible from a strictly genetic point of view.
Okay, buying it, I said, and purchased the one-point trait. There was an imdiate ripple as new flowers and saplings poked out of the ground and vines wrapped around jungle trees. When I checked the actual plants, I found that what Id gotten was mostly stellar-flavored variants of already existing stuff, rather than anything genuinely new.
[Cot Creeper Vines] snaked through the ice of the northern Caldera, wrapping around the roots of bone-white shrubs, and [Aurora Cacti] glowed in the desert bio. [Solarfla Apples] were spotted here and there among other wild apple trees, and in the deep jungle [Starlight Blossoms] winked on and off, mimicking atmospheric scattering. Those werent the only things, of course, but at this point the area of the Caldera and my dynamos combined with the sheer size of the list of flora I had available made locating everything that had just appeared fairly tedious. It made glad I knew what my chrystheniums felt like, as it were. I could locate them directly through a sort of proprioception type sense, rather than having to scan with [Genius Loci].
Ill have to send you around to get things for the Village and the summit, I told Taelah. No problems though.
Excellent. Iniri said. I agree with banking the rest. She looked around the table and everyone nodded, except for Ansae who just waved a claw dismissively. Iniri seed to be a little nervous around Ansae, obviously because of her identity of The Silver Woe, which amused the dragon to no end. But fresh off her third [Revitalize] session, she was llow enough not to make trouble.
Our guests should start arriving today, Iniri continued. So, while were here, I might as well check that were all ready. Taelah, Shayma?
What about ? Ansae said, and I revised my opinion about her making trouble.
I didnt imagine youd care, I told her. I an, theyre going to talk about you I guess but it doesnt really involve you. I think if you showed up yourself itd kind of crash the party.
I do enjoy it when soone argues with , Ansae said with a lazy smile. That said, if all these people are going to be here it seems a good ti to set out my policy for seeing petitioners. Naly, that they have to be on good enough terms with Blue that hes willing to show them to the Caldera. If they can find my tower, I might see them, but theyd better be sure its worth my ti.
It was a bit high-handed or high-pawed? but it was also tacitly allying with by giving carte blanche to deny or admit people access to Ansae. Sure, it was an obligation and it ant I had to actually listen to idiots who wanted to talk to her, but Id agreed to that anyway and the extra protection it gave couldnt hurt.
I was pretty sure Iniri got it quicker than I did, because she had a satisfied look on her face. Heck, I wouldnt have been surprised if all of them figured it out faster than , because Shayma had been studying under Iniri and Taelah was an Elder so they all had more political experience and interest than I did. None of them looked offended on my behalf, anyway.
I will pass that along, Lady Silver Woe, Iniri said, and Ansae grinned even more widely.
That is such a mouthful. Though I guess most people dont have the standing to just call you Ansae.
Most people dont even know my na, Ansae said. If it werent for Blues dungeon scrying you still wouldnt. She rolled her eyes but didnt appear that upset by it. Usually I just go by The Silver Woe or Great Lady, and thats what you will use to refer to when talking with outsiders. She leaned back in her seat and waved a negligent claw at them. But in this council, you may use Ansae.
Great Lady? Shayma asked. Really?
The Church of the Silver Temple calls The Great Goddess of Wrath and Wave, Ansae said. Aside from the fact that Im not a god, imagine soone using that mouthful every ti they want to address you.
I havent heard of the Church of the Silver Temple, Taelah said curiously.
Leviathans. Ansae said by way of explanation. Its even more convoluted in seaspeak. All those rumbles.
Taelah looked thoughtful, but eventually just nodded. Shayma looked sympathetic, but Iniri certainly did not. She might have been comfortable with , but she wasnt quite so relaxed when it ca to Ansae. That was probably fair, too, since while both Shayma and Taelah were effectively representing , Iniri had to be aware of The Silver Woe as a political entity, rather than just the Ansae I knew.
Well if youre not coming that ans I dont have to change the eting rooms I put together. I didnt make them with dragons in mind.
Oh, theyre ready? Id like to see them ahead of ti if possible, Iniri told .
To make sure I didnt forget anything? Good call.
Oh, Id like to bring Cheya along for her insight as well. Im assuming youll make portals for the guests?
Yeah, I figure if I just portal them in on demand itll keep any potential issues to a minimum. I was going to set up teleports so Taelah could drop off food when it was necessary, but Iniri was going to be providing the actual servants. Partly because nobody in the Village knew how to do the serving thing correctly, and partly because I didnt want them to have to deal with it. A bunch of high tier royals would probably be irritating for the villagers. I actually felt a little bad Shayma had to.
Iniri teleported herself back to the Palace while I opened a portal for Taelah and Shayma. And Ansae, since apparently she was curious enough to co along, though I was pretty sure shed noticed making it. Though perhaps not, considering that I was making changes all over the Caldera all the ti and she probably didnt care to track every single thing I did.
Id put the eting place twenty kiloters up the western Caldera wall, though honestly even that was high enough that it was difficult to make out any real features on the ground. Even Ansaes tower was a re speck a thousand kiloters off, though I wouldnt make any bets that fourth- and fifth-tier senses would miss it. The only obvious features otherwise were the northern mountains, the southern volcanoes, and the eastern desert. The Village was almost entirely hidden in the forest and grasslands below, though I imagined that the fate tree would stand out like a beacon if it wanted to.
Considering the view, Id gone with a very open complex. It was built on top of one of the sky-lakes, and partly suspended over the edge on arches and pylons. That was mostly so Uilei-nktik could attend, and I landscaped the lake interior to reflect Leviathan preferences. It would probably still be awkward with him poking out of the lake while everyone else was grouped around a table or sothing, but there was only so much I could do about that.
The centerpiece was a big marble platform, white with blue veins, that started in the middle of the lake and extended all the way to the edge, overseeing a waterfall plunging over the edge and cascading down the rock face before dropping into empty air. There were long, rambling walkways winding down the rock face, which bowed out slightly before becoming sheer, peppered with pavilions of various sizes. The main room was the size of one of Iniris ballrooms, while the smaller ones were more like her office. The only fully enclosed rooms were the bathrooms, the entrances to which were set discreetly into the rock below the main platform.
The furthest point from the lake was fully suspended over the twenty kiloter drop and had a glass bottom, if anyone wanted the full experience of the altitude. Everything else was ringed by balconies and guardrails, even and especially the walkways, to offset the sheer imnsity of distance below. I wanted to show off, not make people fear for their lives.
Everything was furnished with tayantan wood chairs and tables and upholstered with what the Village had been sewing together. It was just white cloth but apparently the actual thread and stuffing was from so pretty rare and extrely comfortable plants pulled from the glacial areas. I could have leaned on Iniri to provide so of it, or just used the dungeon-provided version of furniture, but if the Village wanted to make stuff, I wasnt about to turn it down. Besides, once the summit was done, they could use it for themselves.
I lined the periters of all the outside rooms with pedestals for my samples. I had thought about putting them all under glass, but decided that if anyone was so stupid as to try and just steal a display item I would want to know. Besides, so people might have Skills that needed them to touch an item to really get a handle on it, and I did want them to know what I could provide. I also decided Id have to start trading out the Sources, now that I wasnt so threatened by any given individual and the power boost from them wasnt sothing that could really bite . Theyd make wonderful gifts to start the summit out, ones that couldnt be resold.
Shayma, Taelah, and Ansae stepped out into the middle of the main room, looking around at the architecture. Or really, the lack of architecture. Cheya and Iniri followed a few monts later, with Joce and another one of her Queensguard. My first thought was that she really didnt need guards, but then I realized I was being stupid and obviously the Queensguard would be with her during the real summit and theyd need to know the layout of the place.
Cheya and the Queensguard eyed Ansae uncertainly, before a flicker of presence made them look away. Ansae hadnt even bothered to look in their direction. Iniri had obviously warned them about her because they took the warning as given and kept close to Iniri, doing their best to pretend they werent near a massively powerful dragon.
This is certainly secure, Cheya said after a mont, stepping cautiously to the railing of the balcony at the edge of the main platform and looking down. Very, very far down.
How high up is this? Iniri asked, rather less affected by the altitude.
Twenty kiloters. About twelve miles or so? Iniri just shook her head in disbelief. I well understood that; under normal circumstances she wouldnt be able to breathe at that altitude, let alone be completely comfortable, but magic made all kind of things possible.
I like it, Shayma said. Its very Blue.
Im not sure what I was expecting, but it wasnt this. Taelah was rather less sanguine about the edge, turning to look at the lake instead. Which ans I have to agree with Shayma. Its very you to do sothing strange like this.
I would like to make a request of Blue, Cheya said carefully, and that got my full attention. She basically never addressed or nad , even when she was talking to Iniri. I would request that he use his stealth-breaking Field to ensure there is nothing unexpected here, at the Palace, or near the guests as they travel.
Oh, sure, absolutely. Thats a great idea. I went ahead and put down [Panopticon] around the Palace and the summit buildings, but as far as I could tell none of the actual invitees were within Tarnils borders just yet.
Youre going to want more waterfalls so people can hold private conversations, Ansae declared, prowling around and looking at the items on the pedestals. Again, I wasnt sure if she was aware of all the stuff that I was making now that I had things going on all over the place. Plus, she was rather more distracted than she had been before.
Also a very good point. But would that even matter to soone with fourth or fifth tier senses? I started planning how to split the waterfalls despite my question, since I figured that Ansae knew what she was talking about.
Its more about the illusion of privacy, she said absently, picking up the teorite and giving it a lick. None of them would talk about critical secrets here. Or in Tarnil at all, most likely.
I wish they would, actually, Iniri said. Between you and Cheya we could hear so much. But the Great Lady is right. With all the magic in the Palace they would have to assu we can divine them without any trouble at all. She kept looking out from the balcony, gazing over the Caldera.
I guess that makes sense. So aside from the waterfalls, how is everything? I addressed the question to everyone, as they poked around the eting site. Taelah kept away from the balconies, studying the lake and trying the chairs, but Shayma had no problem exploring the scattered platforms. Of course, Shayma could just blink back if she sohow fell so she had no reason to be cautious. If Taelah sohow toppled off the edge Id have to flail around to find a solution, assuming I didnt just ask Ansae to deal with it. Though at twenty kiloters up, Id definitely have ti.
The walls are more than a little foreboding, Iniri said after another mont or two. It took a mont to realize she ant the Caldera walls, not the walls of the little pavilions. Theyre just so huge. Its like seeing the edge of the world, especially since theres no normal horizon here. Could you mask them with clouds or sothing?
Ihmm. I couldnt exactly control the weather, since most of it was generated by Climates and by a lot of wind and storm chrystheniums that grew along the Caldera walls, and twenty kiloters up was higher than the cloud cover anyway. That wasnt exactly right since the Caldera had magic keeping it at a very standard pressure despite the height, but Id already seen that so far the weather conford to normal height limits when by rights the clouds should balloon up like a superjovian.
Though the Caldera had sucked up all my stone resources when Id first sculpted it, Id managed to build up a reserve since then. Instead of my frankly awkward sky-lake and waterfall setup, I could try sculpting the walls of the Caldera itself into sothing. I was still going to keep the suspended platforms and probably the sky-lake the pavilions were connected to, but the others could go.
Right, okay, I think I can do that. I took a few minutes to ring the Caldera with a long series of shallow terraces, starting from the top and working my way down. I couldnt make it anywhere near solid stone, even with my reserves, so I honeycombed the interior and used [Structural Mana Reinforcent] to make sure it would stay up. Part of was a bit annoyed at having to use magic support, but that part of was really silly considering I was landscaping a hundred-kiloter-high cliff.
The bottommost terrace was about a kiloter above the floor of the Caldera, because I wanted so sense of the limits to remain. The rest of it got a massive Rainforest Climate, but I tuned it instead to produce a cloud forest, fog billowing up from the remains of the sky lakes as broad-leafed plants climbed the rugged terraces. All that was more or less expected, but I hadnt really taken into account the honeycombs when I was setting out the Climate. I should have, after what happened to the mountains, but I was so focused on the terraces it slipped my mind.
The lakes suddenly started pouring through passages and caves cut into the honeycomb supports, the waterfalls Id made before drying up and being replaced by ones punched through the rock face below each terrace. I ended up with a massive, interconnected network of aboveground and underground water passages, waterfalls spraying mist, and sheer cliffs full of greenery. Even the subterranean waterways were thick with moss and vines and tree roots.
The end result was that the enormous walls of the Caldera were almost entirely cloaked in fog, save for brief flashes of green when the winds parted the clouds for a mont. I had to admit it did lighten up the feel of the land, softening the shadows cast by the imnse walls. The cloud forest blended with the Climates below, so in the desert the water ca out in an underground river that fed oases, while in northern mountains it turned into sheets of ice and a constant snowfall. With the jungles and forest it lded pretty smoothly, enough that I actually considered rging them entirely rather than leave a kiloter-high drop.
I never get tired of seeing that, Ansae comnted, and I realized that everyone had been watching as I reshaped the Caldera walls. It had taken maybe half an hour overall, since the Climate did most of the heavy lifting, but that was fast enough that it would have been obviously visible from the platforms. Id avoided putting a Climate directly on the summit area, so it wouldnt be shrouded in clouds, but the terracing ant that it still had been pushed outward as Id worked.
Husband is awe-inspiring, Taelah agreed. It does look better that way, too. Even though the summit site itself was clear of cloud and fog, the Caldera walls nearby were still shrouded, giving the place an air of seclusion rather than just being high up.
Oh yeah. This is aweso. Good call, Iniri.
Just so greenery and I think itll be ready, Shayma said, coming back from one of the pavilions. Since I supposed it was a little stark without any plant decorations at all, I ran a few strips of grass along the edges of the walkways and peppered flowers in-between. That took a few seconds, and Shayma nodded approval. I cant imagine trying to get sothing like this together in a week without Blue.
We could have used the Palace, though getting that put together would have had the sa problem, Iniri sounded amused.
Yes, yes, Im wonderful. Shayma giggled, Iniri and Taelah smiled, and Ansae rolled her eyes. So, everything here is done?
I think so, Iniri said. Have you spotted any of our guests yet?
Um. I had to check, since Id been preoccupied, and found that actually Wright had just co into view from the south, riding an absolutely enormous ship that looked like a catamaran or a pontoon boat. It didnt have any sails, pretty obviously using magic to propel itself along by what seed like runework jet engines in the subrged hull. It was all tal, of course, with a pointed prow and significant superstructure, enough to mount weapons and house a full support staff.
Theres Ir, I told them, and followed Cheyas request by dropping a [Panopticon] Field in their area. It popped soone out of stealth inside the boat, but it was clearly one of Wrights subjects rather than a spy soone had hidden away. Probably a good thing overall, since it let them know that they couldnt send soone sneaking around and thusly wouldnt try.
Then I need to get back to the Palace so I can greet him, Iniri said. It would still be hours yet before Wright arrived, but she had a lot still to do. I wasnt sure exactly what, but I knew enough that even another month of preparation would still result in last-minute scurrying about.
Ill keep an eye out for the others and let you know, I told Iniri, and she went back through the portal with her Queensguard. Shayma went with her, so she could represent when Wright arrived. Taelah headed back to the Village by way of the teleportation Id set up, but Ansae just vaulted over the balcony and transford back into her dragon form, gliding down toward her tower.
It seed all I needed to do was wait.
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