Hlaeth Chapter 57 – Harvesting the Wisdom of Angels

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I pulled out a scattering of trinkets, jewelry, and bodywear that had survived the death of the undead and not been Tainted by necromancy or wound about with Curses that I’d have to unravel at my leisure. The necklace worn by the lich expressly had three sets of six gemstones in it, six each Star Rubies, Star Sapphires, and marvelously cut Sun Diamonds.

I parsed the magic on them carefully, and they did indeed have Enhancement magic, with a unique, simple, and completely unexpected twist to them that put the mutational strain back upon the magic item, rather than the physical body, particularly as the magic approached the limit of what a normal human body could endure.

The threads of Curse Magic woven between the three of them were VERY subtle, but I wasn’t taking any chances while looking at anything worn by a lich, and spotted them.

I wasn’t planning on wearing these things. Sacrificing them? Yes, indeed.

“Thank you. I think I have the basis of such magic figured out now.” And wow, wasn’t that going to be useful, being able to wear full-time Toys granting such bonuses and not have to worry about your head swelling up, bulking up in size and muscle, jittering around like a speed freak, or similar things.

I promptly stowed everything back away. It would all be Burned and replicated by my own magic, rather than me wearing it. No need to chance it, and the Burning would be another filter the Curse couldn’t pass.

“You have attempted to find the way forward and have been unable to.” It wasn’t a question.

“That is correct. I’m almost certain it’s not question of talent, Stat requirements, Bloodline potential, or even the local magical laws. In every other case of my advancing to the next level, accrual came naturally with Karma, and I had to delay advancing to spread my foundation wider. This absolute obfuscation is quite strange,” I admitted. “I could probably just keep throwing Karma at it and see what happens, but I can’t actually tell where it’s all going.”

“It is because you are going to break the magical ceiling of Eternal Magic as soon as you make Seventeen. Mortal magic is thus not revealing to you the way of things beyond Mortality, as you are not yet a Twenty.”

“That… sounds eminently logical.” Unknown to almost anyone but my wife Diana, I’d been quietly taking Eternal-level upgrades in ways allowed to me ever since my Master Archtheurgy Title allowed me to qualify as a Twenty-One (a Twenty-Three now) for such things. There were other restrictions, of course, and I hadn’t been able to Cast true X+’s or the Source Code magicks at all, because those required I first have IX Valences, even if all the other stuff was in place.

Since all that other stuff WAS in place, me gaining IX’s would instantly lead to me gaining X’s and more, and seeing what my options were then. I’d already frozen in a lot of Eternal-level Feats, Masteries, and other Upgrades, the Karma allocated, just needing to decide what was going to be unlocked.

Yeah, I earned a LOT of Karma from a lot of sources.

“I would be wary of breaking through to the Eternal Magic anywhere other than your homeworld,” Tribulation advised me calmly. “The magicks you wield are attuned there the strongest, and that is where you should rise to power.

“This world is fighting you advancing here, but it cannot be freed without you doing so. So, you must step around the rules, and unlock your Valence IX’s, but no further.”

I nodded along with that. “That sounds eminently reasonable. How do you propose I do so? I can’t even seem to assign any Karma to my Sorcerer Level.”

“You must read a Libraim of Silver Magic.” I blinked at the proposal. A magic Tome?... “It will immediately advance you a full Level, and halfway to the next. You will make Seventeen in Sorcery, and your IX’s will open.”

Reading a magic Tome! Well, wasn’t that a nice cheaty workaround...

It was also the only Casting Implement I didn’t have or use regularly. The bonuses to spell duration and Girding were mostly useful in Rituals with longer-duration or Permanent spells, as bonuses from different Tomes could actually stack on such things, making them VERY hard to Dispel.

A Libraim of Silver Magic, boosted to +5 or whatever, would be a wonderful, legendary Implement to swing around with a fourth arm, or something.

“Do you know where to find such a Tome?” I asked with interest, although knowing the planetar’s information was hundreds of years out of date.

“Such a Libraim was known to existed in the vaults of the magehold of Orgenton, reserved only for use by the worthiest of mages,” Tribulation admitted. “If there is another on this world, I know it not.”

I nodded. That was the second of the major mage-holds, and believed to be the first one to fall to the Yellow… which, now that I thought about this place and how fast it had died, I found suspicious. “Looks like I’ll be taking a trip there, then.”

The planetar nodded at my words. “I note that you have claimed the Ruling Ring of Stormfire from Jerestria. Using that Ring and her own new Hell-born power, Jerestria evoked a Hellstorm over the rival city and School of the Arcane Forge in Orgenton, succeeding in wiping it from the map.”

“At just the wrong time to stop the Yellow, manipulated and not even realizing it,” I theorized grimly. “The tales I was told say it was the first city to fall to fell Elemental powers. There is no mention made of Diabolic influence.” And no mention made of necromancy taking Hyrush here at all, so absolute had the killing been.

Well, she’d gotten at least five hundred years of unlife out of it. Maybe even worth it from her perspective, before True Death Burned the gutted remnants of her spirit away. There was only to suss out all the mind-replacements, soul-consumings, artfully malicious Curses that bent body and soul, and other fun diversions she’d come up with over hundreds of years to take revenge on anything that managed to kill her and make off with her treasures.

I showed Trib the Ring I’d taken off the archmaga lich. “First powerful Ring I’ve truly seen anywhere, other than my own. We generally limit our Ring production to the broadly useful and easy to manufacture.” I opened up my Vest and showed Trib the Rings hanging from the chain inside there, actually making it lean forwards in interest. “Sustaining. Changes the world for us mere mortals.”

“Interesting… and most wise.” There was knowing approval in Trib’s voice. “The Ruling Rings are a set of four Rings of great power, commanding the Elements and with additional power and effects when worn together, especially by those with Mastery of Elements the Rings command. Without it, Jerestria could not have commanded the Hellstorm properly against the Wards of Orgenton, even with Diabolic aid.”

My lips thinned thoughtfully. “Likely Diabolic sabotage on those self-same defenses at the same time,” I nodded, because that would be the clever thing to do. “All of them unwitting pawns to a greater scheme.”

“The Scholarium of Orgenton, the Arcane Forge, was known for its Elementalists. Master Geras, the Fire Drake, wore the Ruling Ring Sunfire. His counterpart was Master Tu Shor, the Stone Titan, who was a geomancer of great power, wielding the Ring Earthfire.”

“I’m getting the impression it would be a Good Thing to seek out these other Ruling Rings, for some vague, minor reason.” MacGuffin Questing, here I come! “The Fourth one? Water, hydromancy, cryomancy?”

“Oceanfire. Believed to be within the hoard of the Dread Linnorm Crag’grac, who was known to invade Trondiere after the Yellow rose, slew all within it, and drove them out, lairing in the ruins of the city and using its Wards to defend himself against the Yellow.”

Well, that wasn’t threatening at all, no, no. And Linnorms being Dragon-kin, only grew stronger with age. And a DREAD Linnorm? A two-headed monstrosity, fleeing the mutating power of the Yellow a thousand years ago? What would such a thing have turned into today?

“I think Jerestria, the archmage here? Tried to erect a Hellstorm over this city while I was destroying it by collapsing the Wards to fuel it. I Reaved the effect, rather amused. Complete waste of time and power, and she probably didn’t enjoy the feedback much, either.”

“Her skill with necromancy was considerable. Her skill at facing someone skilled in vivimancy was non-existent… it has been a thousand years since a Mitharn battlemage or Warder trod this world. You were not something she ever expected to see, or knew how to face.”

“Yeah, probably used to those who just rely on standard Elements, or classic Summoning, or mental assaults, or spells bargained from the Lower Planes. I can see where pure Warcasting could mess up someone like that. Blanket immunities simply don’t apply, even become blanket vulnerabilities. Heh. I love vivic energy!” I turned my head to an Axe floating a bit too closely nearby, the blood of a Saint still etched like acid into the crooked edge, and it seemed to shudder and draw back. “I’m going to have to leave this place girt in enough Divine Runes you can detonate to turn all this crap into so much ash before I dare depart. As a matter of fact, I can probably work on that while you’re talking to me.” I rose back to my feet, looking at the floor, volcanic basalt that had literally never seen the light of day, smiling coldly at the thought of what I was going to do to the blood-slicked stone.

“You have a great deal to learn, Master Aelryinth,” the Angel noted rather carefully. “But if you can unite the Ruling Rings, you may be able to shut down the entire Elemental portion of what the Yellow has unleashed. The loss of the greater synergy will likely cripple the entire effect of what it has become.”

“Got that. Let’s talk something more generic and offensive to our audience now. Like, the real history of the world here. You can get me started on all the running around I’m going to need to do, some of the real sacred magic, and if you’ve got some divine insights into what to do and what not to do, I’d appreciate it. I know I’ll have to leave, and hopefully they won’t be stupid enough to come down and try to destroy you after some of the surprises I’m going to leave for them. But if they do, I’m going to leave you enough to get away cold, and really surprise the Heaven out of them.

“So, start with fundamentals.” A furrow began to etch itself into the ground, a perfect path shearing through the polished stone like soft wax, DC 70 skill check, and as it began to mold itself into being, Wrathfire flowed down Mortus Dius and filled the Pattern it was making.

As the Sin-Cruxes shifted hastily out of the way, the Evils they had committed protesting mightily at this build-up of Holy energies around them, Tribulation began to talk to me, on levels telepathic, spiritual, and physical, as only Angels could teach.

By the time I was done, if devils came to kill Tribulation, devils were going to die. When Trib wanted to get out of that Circle holding it, the Formation would detonate, pop it like an egg, and all these Sin Cruxes were going to be annihilated, too!

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