Ruins of Majesta: Vol. 2.1 Creatures and Cupcakes
Page 26
Example: Enchanting a dagger with poison will change the dagger’s essence and make it a poison dagger. Unless the enchantment is removed, the dagger will remain poisoned for the rest of its existence.
At level 2, arm will transfer up to 30% of the active essence to the enchanted item.
Unlocked
Charge
Level 2 Enchantment skill tree
Allows the enchanter to imbue mana into the enchanted object to activate when prompted. After creation, The bearer of said rune can prompt the activation of a charged enchantment.
Example: A torch enchanted with fire will light when prompted to by the bearer of the torch.
At level 2 only 125% of mana used to enchant the item can be put into the charged object. At higher levels, more mana can be added from secondary or tertiary sources for a longer duration of effect.
Unlocked
“Well, that’s looking nice and I still have 115 points left. Let’s double down and we should still be able to get something nice afterwards.”
Mayah bought out the next level of arm and charge for 17 points apiece leaving her with 81 points in the bank.
Arm
Level 3 Enchantment skill tree
Allows the enchanter to arm any object by placing an active essence into the enchanted object. The enchanted object will then have some of the behaviors of the essence. It will also activate any runes that are on the object if they are compatible with the active essence.
Example: Enchanting a dagger with poison will change the dagger’s essence and make it a poison dagger. Unless the enchantment is removed, the dagger will remain poisoned for the rest of its existence.
At level 3, arm will transfer up to 50% of the active essence to the enchanted item.
Unlocked
Charge
Level 3 Enchantment skill tree
Allows the enchanter to imbue mana into the enchanted object to activate when prompted. After creation, anyone can prompt the activation of a charged enchantment.
Example: A torch enchanted with fire will light when prompted to by the bearer of the torch.
At level 3 only 150% of mana used to enchant the item can be put into the charged object. At higher levels, more mana can be added from secondary or tertiary sources for a longer duration of effect.
Unlocked
“Okay, that’s about what I expected after the forums. Now for some special sauce.”
She unlocked the second level of Elemental soul substitution for 15 points and read the info box.
Elemental soul Substitution
Level 2 Enchantment skill tree
Allows the enchanter to remove a portion of living essence from a creature which will be substituted with an element of the enchanter’s choosing. The element chosen will determine new abilities and properties of the creature. The creature will have an affinity for the element and will need that element to continue its growth.
Example: Like, maybe by removing the Life essence of a rötten you can add the essence of iron from a throwing knife. … or something like that. Except now you can add more elements.
At level 2 you will be able to substitute 2 elemental affinities per creature.
Unlocked
You have 66 unspent skill tree points
She looked at the skill tree and branching off the elemental soul substitution was something that made Mayah’s heart thump. If this was the beginning of what she thought it was, she was going to grind every strade and skill she had to get the points for this upgrade. There sitting within reach was this skill.
Imbue Essence
Level 1 (Tier 3) Enchantment Skill tree
Imbue essence is a skill whereby an enchanter can grant life essence to inanimate objects. Based on the level of the enchantment skill, the amount of mana used, and the type of essence imbued into the inanimate object, different levels of control and sentience will become available.
Example: Imbuing a grain of sand with the essence of an ant may result in a grain of sand that may believe it is an ant. It may also result in a rock with a consciousness that cannot express itself or move in any way. Kind of a sad existence don’t you think.
At level 1 results will vary wildly and won’t be construed as anything successful by anyone of great understanding. Small children might enjoy the dubious constructs if they don’t get mauled by them.
Unlock: 20 skill tree points
You have 66 unspent skill tree points
Mayah’s finger hovered over the button.
“Maybe someone is trying to warn me to wait a bit before I get into this. Sounds a bit Frankensteiny.” Her finger fell, and she took a deep breath. "I should at least up my engraving speed. That’ll help me make grenades on the fly. And when I save up about 100 points I can come back and race through a lot of the imbue essence levels. I would hate to make a rock that no one could hear scream.” She shuddered at the thought, remembering her time with Ouroboros.
She added two levels of speed to her engraving making her 40% faster and two level of precision to make her rune work 40% cleaner.
Engraving speed
Level 2 Engraving Skill Tree
You have become 40% faster while engraving. Watch your fingers those tools are sharp.
Unlocked
Engraving precision
Level 2 Engraving Skill Tree
You have become 40% more precise while engraving. You are now 40% less likely to reproduce an external work with flaws. You are 40% less likely to make a wrong cut, and 40% less likely to cut yourself with your tools. The people who put all their skill points into speed know what we’re talking about.
Unlocked
You have 16 unspent skill tree point
“Well, now that that is over let’s get back to making a whip. With my strength, I should be able to use a much heavier whip than what I created last night, and it will add more DP as well. What could I use to add weight though?” She quickly scanned through her inventory. She didn’t have any lead beads to braid into the core and nothing came to mind as a stopgap solution, so she scratched that idea until a later build.
She suddenly slapped her cheeks startling her companions from their meal.
“Time to get to work.”
Mayah began by enchanting more thread of iron. When she was sure she had enough she began laying the strands out. Mayah had to stop Deanna from eating the threads a few times. She picked her up and carried her away from the work site and Deanna would come right back. That was until Mayah gave her a command which Deanna seemed to finally understand. She engraved a stiletto using her Drafting table and engraved the stiletto while using the overlays provided. Then she enchanted the stiletto charging the twelve light (W) runes.
She drove the stiletto into the tree with a few taps from Happiness and passed the threads through the ring on the handle. She pulled the threads even, and then tied a knot around the ring of the knife. Every few moments she was analyzing her work and creating with her drafting table whether the work required it or not.
Gathering half of the threads she opted for the six-strand braid again. She added the current tags every three inches and made sure they were directing the mana towards the handle. She wound up with a circular core about the width of her pinky.
Having completed that she grabbed a bolt of fabric and cut a ten foot by two-inch strip. She puzzled over if she should enchant the fabric and decided to go with Shield (F). She drew the rune on the fabric eight times and armed the enchantment.
You have Created
Name:
Shield ribbon
Type:
Defensive Ribbon
Grade:
C
Enchantment #1:
Shield (F) reflects 30-40% damage as fire damage except water-based damage.
Material:
Cotton
Weight:
4 ounces
Damage:
30-40% reflected damage except water-based damage.
Durability:
3
0/30
Attributes:
Creates a 2-inch fire shield aura around the ribbon. Returns 30-40% of any damage dealt within 2 inches of ribbon as fire damage except water-based damage.
DING!!!
Shield (F)
Level:
2
HP:
150
Reflect:
10-20% of all incoming damage except water-based damage.
Range:
1 foot 1 inch from your body in all directions.
Mana cost:
150mp
Duration:
3 minutes
Cooldown:
5 minutes
Shaz yeah!!! Friendly reminder, level these other runes.
Interestingly enough arming Shield (F) seemed to concentrate the aura while reducing the reflected damage. Instead of topping out at 80% reflected it only reflected 40% damage and the aura only extended two inches.
Oh well, ya win some, ya lose some. Charge is more powerful but like this it’s one less thing to recharge. Glad I leveled up my Arm Skill Tree.
She wrapped the fabric around the core, tacking it in place with her cobbler’s needle to make it lay flat. After that was finished, she plaited the outside braids around the core, adding current directors into the weave, this time every fourth one was the Place (Lt) rune. They were directed towards the stiletto.
Next is the handle…
She carved the handle and engraved it again raising her carpentry to level 2. She then added the elemental iron from the stilettos bypassing the need to engrave in the harder material. She cleaned up her runework and added current directors onto the lines that led to the rings so the mana current would flow in one direction and could return to the pool if not used. She fed the core into the handle, trimmed the fabric and tied the core into the holes. She then tightened the outer braid and tied the strands into the top holes.
Now, time to see if this fizzles or shizzles my nizzles!!!
“Deanna, Riker, it’s time.” Coiling up the whip as she walked towards the tree. She pulled on the stiletto.
“Flarfing thing’s stuck.”
She set her shoulders and the stiletto came free after three pulls and much wiggling of the blade. She set it on the ground and equipped her enchanters gear over her armor—Ya know… for extra protection and began the enchantment.
The Enchantment pulled her mana like a black hole. It spun out of her so fast that Mayah became dizzy and almost dropped to a knee. She dropped all but a quarter of her stamina into mana and forced the field of mana around the whip into the cords. It finally took hold when she focused on the handle and the current directors. The whip soaked up almost all her remaining mana, and she felt the flow of it underneath her fingers. It bucked like a bronco in a roid rage, and she fought it, making It sink into the wood and fibers. It finally clicked and Mayah collapsed onto her butt and rolled back onto the grass with her arms spread.
“Ugh… mana headache.”
Ding!!!
New Weapon Created
Name:
Crack of Dawn
Type:
Whip
Enchantment #1:
Light (W) Creates marble sized balls of water that casts a pale light 28.5 feet in any direction Cost 38 MP per minute.
Enchantment #2:
Shield(f) Reflects 30-40% of all damage as fire damage including damage taken while striking.
Grade:
C
Material:
Thread of Iron, Shield ribbon and Iron enchanted wood
Weight:
2.9 lbs.
Damage:
15 Slashing + 10 Stabbing + 5 light damage / 12 Blunt trauma / 4 sonic / 20 light damage on contact when activated / 30-40% Fire damage reflection.
Durability:
150/150
Mana:
1440/1440
“Wow I can use this for thirty-seven minutes before I need to recharge.”
Riker and Deanna squeaked in the distance and Mayah turned to them.
“Hold on I’m about activate it,” she warned them. They both ducked down.
She whipped Crack of Dawn out in a straight line and, still in her enchanter’s gear activated it. Pulses of light traveled from the handle down the whip towards the tip. Where the pulses hit the Place (Lt) runes along the whip the pulses flared then moved on. She gave the whip a jerk and light flared at the tip and pulsed brightly over the glowing stiletto.
She spun the whip and throwing her arm up above her head getting the feel for the weight. When the whip was behind her she threw it forward trying to crack the whip. The crack she got was to the back of her head with the ring of the stiletto ringing her bell.
You have taken damage
-19DP Whipped
1429/1448
“Flarfing shazzing mother of mayonnaise and feta,” she said wincing and rubbing the back of her head where her visor didn’t protect her. “At least I didn’t get the point…”
The rötten’s impassive stares didn’t change in the least.
“Geez tough crowd. Looks like I gotta learn how to whip it—and whip it good. Hehe…” She finger-gunned the dad joke at the rötten. They made no response. She shot the rötten another snide look, and they still hadn’t moved.
“Fine then. I’ll do it on my own.”
She deactivated the whip and recharged it. And then began with basic throws of the whip, slowly whipping it back and forth. She continued this many, many times, getting the feel of the weight and timing and moved into rapid double strikes—back and forth like Hulk did to Loki. Finally, she felt confident enough to practice cracking the whip. She rolled her wrist and made a loop in the whip which rolled down to the tip and flopped the stiletto over limply. She tried it again with more, and then even more force. Then she swung it around her head making sure to wait until the stiletto was out of line with her head before trying to crack it. The first few times were underpowered due to her previous traumatic experience, and she got some subpar results. She took it easy for a moment, twirling the whip while it was hanging from her hand at shoulder height. The coils of the whip spun in an S-shape that looked like two stacked circles as it picked up speed. A few light hits and a couple of gashes to the back of her legs later she got focused again.
“Okay no fear,” Mayah psyched herself up. “It’s a video game. I can’t die …maybe.”
She swung the whip around her head, activating it while focusing on her timing and pulled forward with all her might. She rolled her wrist causing a circle to roll down the length of the whip as it was still extending. Pulses of light rolled towards the tip growing in luminosity as they caught up with other pulses of light headed towards the tip. The intensity of light kept increasing the more distance and ripples of light the wave covered. The blade whistled past her ear and lashed forward. Flying backwards it passed the luminescent loop with an amazing velocity. When the loop caught up with the stiletto, the blade flipped over, dragged by the weight of the throw into the loops momentum. As it did, a bright pulse of light flared over the enchanted stiletto and it blurred past the limits of her eyesight and broke through the sound barrier.
The clearing rang with the gunshot of a crack. Riker and Deanna instinctively ducked again, disappearing from view. The whip fell limp but Mayah’s heart soared.
She pulled the whip back and tossed it out sidearm and the whip cracked approximately where she aimed it. Mayah threw the whip around behind her head and made another forward crack—two feet off target. She flicked and cracked the whip, moving through every pattern she could think of.
✽✽✽
“…At least we didn’t have to fight our way down to breakfast this morning,” Mo sighed walking up the road to Driskel’s farm.