Halcyon Rising Read online

  “I grew these gnarly skin flaps myself,” I said, “and I plan to keep them. Set aside the terrible nightmare we all just witnessed. I promise you all, it won’t happen.”

  This is a mistake, Arden, Nola said. Changing the future takes real effort.

  It’s the future that wants to change me, I said, and I plan to resist change like a dictionary resists urban slang.

  This is not a joke, Nola said. Take it seriously, Arden. Take me seriously. Take me seriously!

  “Now,” I said. “Let’s get to work.” I had Lily’s and Ambry’s attention, even if everyone else still seemed concerned about the smoky, explody, deathy vision quest we had just taken. “Duul won’t rest until he’s destroyed everything good about this world. Stopping him will take a full-on war against vengeful gods, wicked monsters, and cursed men.

  “Our fight with Kāya is the same, on a smaller scale. I say we use this fight as a dry run for our ultimate fight with Duul. We’ll train up our strengths, learn our weaknesses, and prove we’re capable of liberating a city from a god.”

  Cindra arched an eyebrow, or at least a gelatinous green ridge shaped like an eyebrow. “Where would we start?”

  “I unlocked Skiller Instinct,” I said. “It gives me a better preview of what new skills you each will have in store. I used it today, and saw something I could afford to unlock pretty soon. Let me test it on everyone here to give us some personal goals to work toward.

  “I can only open one preview per person,” I continued. “If it’s a skill I can unlock for you now, great. Otherwise, at least we’ll know what the future holds.”

  Now he wants to see the future, Nola said. Go figure.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  Everyone nodded, except Gowes and Eranza.

  “We’ll leave you to your work,” Eranza said, rising from her seat and walking toward the door with her cheery cyan deity. As Gowes’ head priest, Eranza was a skillmeister in her own right, and the only one capable of skilling up her god. If they had upgrades in store, she would handle it for the both of them.

  I started with Nola, previewing a sword skill that was out of reach.

  Δ

  Skiller Instinct Preview: Nola: Sword

  Locked. Cunning Edge 1. When unarmed, summon a blade of golden light with which to fight. Weapon duration: 2 minutes. [28 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 14, Vivacity 16] [125 XP to unlock].

  ∇

  I suspected Cunning Edge would last longer at higher levels, but it didn’t quite matter yet. Nola hadn’t met the minimum requirements.

  “Nola,” I said, “Cunning Edge will take some work to unlock. No new skills today.”

  “Boo,” she said. “After all the tiny energems our citizens charged up and brought me for breakfast, I’m closer to evolving. Maybe I’ll get something cool after that.”

  “Lily, Ambry,” I said. “You each have combat skills out there. I can stretch your XP to unlock them.”

  Δ

  Skiller Instinct Preview: Lily Ingriss: Battle Axe

  Locked. Incapaxitate 1. Activate for a 1% chance to paralyze any enemy when striking their spine with your axe. [40 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 12, Constitution 15] [125 XP to unlock].

  Skiller Instinct Preview: Ambry Ingriss: Battle Staff

  Locked. Speak Softly 1. Activate with your weapon in hand for a 3% chance to intimidate foes into fleeing from battle. [25 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 20, Focus 20] [125 XP to unlock].

  ∇

  “I’m happy with Guillotine for now,” Lily said. “I’d rather improve my ice queen skills, like Stalactice. I’m sure it’ll be worth mastering it.”

  “Same,” Ambry said. “Red Handed.”

  “Alright,” I said. “Lily’s Stalactice shoots up to 5, and Ambry goes up to Red Handed 4.”

  Mamba, meanwhile, had a skill she could unlock, but there was no telling whether she should. Her snake charmer skills were as hard to predict as she was.

  Δ

  Skiller Instinct Preview: Mamba Oph: Snake Charmer

  Locked. Midge 1. Issue a meek request for the privilege of witnessing Midge’s majesty. [100 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 15, Constitution 15] [375 XP to unlock].

  ∇

  “Now Mamba.” I said. “We could improve Larry a few times and give your enormous skeletal snake mount the energy for longer trips, or we could wait until you can unlock Midge. She’s another wildcard.”

  “I hate to think of how lonely she’d be if I left her locked up,” Mamba said. “Snakes are stingy with forgiveness.”

  “Okay,” I said. “We’ll save up for Midge, but if we get into any fights we might want to get you started on your battle heel combat skills.”

  I turned toward Cindra next. “Whoa. You have one you can afford to open right now and I don’t think you’ll want to pass it up. Illusions of Grandeur.”

  Δ

  Skiller Instinct Preview: Cindra: Negotiatrix

  Locked. Illusions of Grandeur 1. Perform a sleight of mind that draws one person’s perception into a world of your crafting. Maximum duration: 5 minutes. [50 AP to cast] [Requires: Constitution 10, Focus 20] [375 XP to unlock].

  ∇

  “I don’t think you’re wrong,” Cindra said. “I’ll start practicing right away.”

  I almost asked her if she had been practicing her other skills, but I didn’t want to put her on the spot. Her action points weren’t full, but they weren’t regenerating either. It was as if her energy ignored the 280 AP cap, and hovered at 245 instead. I made a mental note to pull her aside later and ask what was going on there.

  I spent the most time on Vix’s menu. First, my jaw dropped when Skiller Instinct revealed Bastion’s requirements. We needed her to charge up a large empty energem with that skill in order to bolster our buildings’ strength, but it was nearly impossible to unlock it in one lifetime. Plus, with Bastion taking up my Skiller Instinct slot, I wouldn’t get any other sneak previews of Vix’s skills until we unlocked that one.

  She was on the verge of unlocking a few other skills right now though, like Command Chain. That skill would help her gain XP at a faster rate and close the gap on opening up Bastion, but unlocking it would spend all of her available XP. She wouldn’t have any left to unlock new skills that improved her construction of specialized buildings, nor would she upgrade skills suited for combat.

  That worried me most. I needed Vix as strong as possible, especially now that she was carrying a litter of up to a dozen foxkin noobies. Ultimately, the choice was hers.

  “Vix,” I asked. “Hammer skills or builder?”

  “Is that even a question?” she asked. “Look at this place. If we’re fighting to protect Halcyon, we need a Halcyon to protect. Builder skills, all the way.”

  “You could start to specialize in divine buildings with Sites Templar and military buildings with Fort Martial,” I said. “Or you could unlock Command Chain.”

  Vix looked at Nola, almost like she felt guilty for what she was about to say. “I really want to turn this temple into something worthy of Nola’s beauty and wisdom, but Command Chain is how builders really get things done.”

  “Say no more,” I said.

  Δ

  Skillmeister View of:

  Vixette Volpia

  Base Attrib. / XP to Next / Intended Change / Cost

  -

  13 Constitution / 325 XP to Next / 13 –> 15 / Total XP Cost: 675

  -

  6 Vivacity / 150 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0

  -

  12 Strength +4 Bonus / 300 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0

  -

  9 Hardiness +2 Bonus / 225 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0

  -

  9 Focus / 225 XP to Next / none / Total XP Cost: 0

  -

  12 Resolve +4 Bonus / 300 XP to Next / 12 –> 15 / Total XP Cost: 975

  -

  TOTAL BASE ATTRIBUTE XP COST: 1,650

  Stats Affected by Change
/>   -

  [Constitution] Health Points (HP): 1300/1300 –> 1500/1500

  -

  [Vivacity] Action Points (AP): 120/120

  -

  [Strength] Phys. Damage Inflict Range: 160-195

  -

  [Hardiness] Phys. Damage Block Range: 59-84

  -

  [Focus] Mag. Damage Inflict Range: 90-110

  -

  [Resolve] Mag. Damage Block Range: 86-122 –> 103-144

  Skills For Weapon Class: Hammer

  -

  Wallop 5. Stun target for 3 seconds. Damage multiplier of 2.3. [27 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 8, Hardiness 8].

  Improve to Wallop 6 for damage multiplier of 2.5. [30 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 9, Hardiness 9] [750 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: None

  Cost Subtotal: 0

  -

  Twitch Hitter 2. Stun enemies in a 45-degree arc for 15 seconds. [12 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 12, Vivacity 6].

  Improve to Twitch Hitter 3 to increase stun arc to 75 degrees. [15 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 14, Vivacity 7] [375 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: None

  Cost Subtotal: 0

  -

  TOTAL HAMMER SKILL XP COST: 0

  Skills for Special Class: Builder

  -

  Fundamentals 7. Build walls, rectangular buildings, and towers quickly up to seven stories high using stone / wood / iron. [Passive] [Requires: Strength 9, Hardiness 9, Focus 9].

  Improve to Fundamentals 8 to master the fundamentals of construction. Build up to eight stories. Also unlocks ability to use steel. [Passive] [Requires: Strength 10, Hardiness 10, Focus 10] [3,000 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: None

  Cost Subtotal: 0

  -

  Structural Integrity 4. Buildings can withstand 32 extra damage per resource consumed in construction. [Passive] [Requires: Constitution 13].

  Improve to Structural Integrity 5 to increase damage absorption bonus to 57. [Passive] [Requires: Constitution 18] [1,875 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: None

  Cost Subtotal: 0

  -

  Siege the Day 1. Construct a siege tower that inflicts 50 damage per Strength of structure operator. [Passive] [Requires: Resolve 12].

  Improve to Siege the Day 2 to improve damage multiplier to 80. [Passive] [Requires: Resolve 15] [750 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: None

  Cost Subtotal: 0

  -

  Locked. Sites Templar 1. Activate the special attributes of completed divine buildings. Activation bonus: 20% of building’s maximum potential. [20 AP to cast] [Requires: Vivacity 12, Focus 12] [375 XP to unlock].

  Improve to Sites Templar 2 to improve activation bonus to 40%. [40 AP to cast] [Requires: Vivacity 16, Focus 16] [750 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: None

  Cost Subtotal: 0

  -

  Locked. Fort Martial 1. Activate the special attributes of completed military buildings. Activation bonus: 8% of building’s maximum potential. [8 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 12, Hardiness 12] [375 XP to unlock].

  Improve to Fort Martial 2 to improve activation bonus to 16%. [16 AP to cast] [Requires: Strength 16, Hardiness 16] [750 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: None

  Cost Subtotal: 0

  -

  Locked. Command Chain 1. Deputize a worker to complete construction projects under your guidance and earn 4% of your normal XP for their efforts while you remain within 500 feet. AP spent to activate this skill will not regenerate until workers are released or construction completes. Maximum deputies: 2. [80 AP to activate] [Requires: Constitution 15, Resolve 15] [375 XP to unlock].

  Improve to Command Chain 2 to increase guidance radius to 800 feet and increase maximum deputies to 3. [80 AP to activate] [Requires: Constitution 18, Resolve 18] [750 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: 0 –> 1

  Cost Subtotal: 375

  -

  Locked. Bastion 1. [Skiller Instinct Preview]. Empower an energem to bolster the defensive strength of all buildings within a maximum radius of 1 mile by 500%. Finite Skill. Uses left: 1. [10 AP to cast] [Requires: Constitution 100, Hardiness 100, Resolve 100] [375 XP to unlock].

  Improve to Bastion 2 to improve maximum radius to 10 miles and defensive bonus to 750%. Finite Skill. Uses left: 1. [100 AP to cast] [Requires: Constitution 125, Hardiness 125, Resolve 125] [750 XP to improve].

  Improve to Bastion 3 to master skill and improve maximum radius to 100 miles and defensive bonus to 1,500%. Finite Skill. Uses left: 1. [1,000 AP to cast] [Requires: Constitution 150, Hardiness 150, Resolve 150] [1,125 XP to improve].

  Intended Change: None

  Cost Subtotal: 0

  -

  TOTAL BUILDER SKILL XP COST: 375

  Summary

  -

  Available XP: 2,053

  Cost of Intended Changes: 2,025

  Precision Training Discount (7%): 142

  Total Adjusted Cost: 1,883

  Total Projected Remaining: 170

  Confirm?: Yes / No

  ∇

  “Long term,” I said, “Command Chain is a sound choice. At higher levels, further construction will pay additional XP dividends that you can use to unlock everything else. I wish we could unlock Bastion, but the requirements are tremendous. You’d need another… Um…” I tried to hold the numbers in my mind, but that wasn’t exactly my forte.

  Vix needs another 365,475 XP to unlock Bastion’s level 1, Nola said, not including discounts.

  Funny, I said.

  I’m not just a literary genius, I’m also the goddess of advanced mathematics, remember?

  “Vix needs another 365,475 XP for Bastion,” I said.

  “Wow,” Vix said. “That’s really precise. Did you just…”

  “I have to give credit where credit is due,” I said. “Meadowdale private school.”

  Is that what you’re calling it now?, Nola asked. The sparse tutoring Father Cahn gave you while your peers were actually learning about the world?

  I could call it ‘homeschooling,’ I said, but that’s overselling it.

  Or you could call it ‘Nola did my homework,’ she said.

  “I’m ready now,” Yurip said, placing a neat stack of checklists on the table and folding his hands in front of him.

  I didn’t have the heart to tell him I ran out of AP using my new skill on the girls. I cracked open his skill menu and, thankfully, he had a skill ready to unlock sitting right there.

  “Yurip, it looks like all of those scofflaw’s curses you cast paid off. You have the XP now to unlock Zoning Codex. Zoning sounds like a boring function, but it’s actually pretty useful.”

  “Of course it is,” he said. “Zoning is one of the most important functions a lawmonger can have. Land has unlimited potential. I hate unlimited potential. It results in messy urban planning. Did I really earn this myself by casting curses?”

  Did he forget that witnessing my evolution awarded him thousands of XP?, Nola asked.

  Probably, I said. He has a pretty selective memory.

  “It sounds like you’re familiar with zoning already,” I said.

  “It was all a part of my training, in expectation that I would grow into it eventually. Residential zones improve health and action point regeneration inside homes while industrial zoning provides a buff to crafting speed and accuracy. We can set up public spaces, an entertainment district, a red-light district… There are over a hundred options. Should I recite them?”

  “No, Yurip,” I said. “Just work with Vix to set up a permanent residential district so we can get everyone out of the makeshift housing we have now, then make sure we have an industrial strip that includes our blacksmith. We’ll need weapons and armor, and improving his output would be a good place to start.”

  “I’m humbled and proud to serve as a one-man zoning board,” Yurip said. “I’ll have every scrap of land zoned as soon
as possible. After that, any appeals can go through me.”

  “Vix,” I continued, “Can you select a few workers and get them started? Stay near them while they work so you get the XP bonus, but I want you building siege towers for our raid on Valleyvale. We didn’t unlock Siege the Day last week for nothing.”

  She looked conflicted, as though she weren’t ready to drop the topic of Dead Priest Arden just yet. The prospect of new projects pulled at her attention though. Her eyes were already lighting up with ideas.

  “Catapults might help,” she said. “Or battering rams… I could build a giant siege tower with a claw at the end of a long arm that we’ll use to pick you up, swing you toward Valleyvale, and fling you at the temple so you can confront Kāya!”

  “You won’t rest until you’ve broken all of my bones, will you?” I asked.

  She wasn’t listening. “What if,” she continued, her eyes darting wildly across the room but landing on nothing at all, “I build an enormous wooden chick-hen on wheels to offer Kāya as a gift, with a ton of our warriors hiding inside! No, that’s dumb. No one would ever fall for something like that. Maybe if it were a donkey instead…” She kept talking herself through her best — and worst — ideas as she left the office.