--donation bonus (day #29, post 4/5)--
Ah, the Belgrants. The idyllic, unremarkable house that skyrocketed to power because of a freak political storm. Four years hadn’t done much to stave off their reputation for being simple and uninformed.
David would have liked to agree with the man, of course, but even assuming the Rendon Parliament to be of benevolent intentions, there was still the very possible threat of Abolish having its claws in Rendon as well. Hector had mentioned such a suspicion in one of his texts--words passed along from Helen.
David wished he knew where his sister was right now. He wondered how she would handle this situation, because to him, it seemed like there was nothing he could reasonably do except wait until he heard from either Hector or Abolish.
The advisers were arguing again. These were the people Helen had for counsel? No wonder she’d nearly been assassinated.
“I don’t care!” said the baron from earlier. “I am right! And all of you are wrong! Which is why I sent word to Rendon an hour ago!”
The entire room turned to look at the man, then at David.
At least David knew which person he wanted to dismiss first.
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Harper had to keep a close eye on the Queen. Her power was the least developed, which put her in the most danger. Moreover, she’d had something of an unlucky draw in terms of servant abilities. Calcium transfiguration, she’d gotten; and while it was far from useless, transfiguration was notoriously difficult to master, generally requiring the most study and practice. It was little wonder why most transfiguration users only figured out one or two different ways to use their power and just stuck with that.
Protecting her in the middle of the fight should have been easy for him. Objectively, he was clearly stronger than all of the Abolishers present. But one of the opponents still posed a problem--Conall Learen, a man of imposing stature, easily the tallest of the group. By now, it was apparent that Conall’s power was materialization, and his element was a highly reflective metal--aluminum, Darsihm posited.
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
…Whelp, I know a certain baron who won't be there much longer. If he isn't tried for treason, I'll be shocked.
ReplyDeleteAnd Helen's power is a mystery no more! Time to update the abilities page!
ReplyDeleteHow is calcium transfiguration not useful?! Remove all a servants bones, implode a skull instantly remove an enemy combatant, use someone's spinal column to drcapitate them and then you've got their brain(and figuratively balls In your hand)
ReplyDeleteits for her OWN body, you were thinking of the alteration ability
ReplyDeletePlus calcium can be pretty dangerous if modified correctly, she could modify her own skeleton so that it never breaks during combat, but she can also create different calcium base poisons from her own skeleton. Plus she might also be able to help increase the metal strength in Hector's "iron" or even destroy the aluminum the other servant use's cause calcium is used in the manufacturing of aluminum.
ReplyDeleteThat brings up an interesting idea. Why can't hector use his abilities to line his own bones, making them nearly unbreakable. since it would be inside his body, it would be easy to soul empower it for adding strength.
ReplyDeleteSame reason he can't trap another servants brain, he can't materialize something in a space that is already occupied by something else.
ReplyDeleteI love the story, but im missing my daily updates. :D
ReplyDeleteWait a minute. He's always materializing iron in areas already occupied by air, which is certainly a real material, if of low density.
ReplyDeleteHector can't materialize something in a space occupied by a liquid or a solid. Happy now?
ReplyDeleteThe human skeleton also has muscle and tendons attached to it to help with movement. If Hector was able to coat his own skeleton in iron he would actually do more harm cause he would also separate the key muscle's and tendons needed. The human skeleton is mainly calcium so that why the Queen would be able to strength her own skeleton without any problems. She could also possible make her finger nails as hard as steel and make those into weapons.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I forgot the details between then and now, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteOkay - I'm guessing Nora's power is the mysterious Fusion. Didn't think of that until well after I'd read it.
ReplyDeleteFusion? I don't remember that being one of the categories of servant abilities
ReplyDelete*blink* Dismiss? I'd have that fucking guy imprisoned!
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought Helen would get either transfiguration or mutation. As Stoker said, transfiguration is a thinking man's ability and I believe mutation is even more so. No other ability seemed to fit Helen as well as those two.
Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I was commenting on the fact that I was right to think Helen would get transfiguration. I don't think I insinuated she received something else
ReplyDeleteYeah, I thought you were expressing surprise at being wrong on both counts. Mutation would definitely have been bad though.
ReplyDeleteMeh, I figured it'd need a high learning curve, like transfiguration. It seemed to fit Helen's temperament, again like transfiguration. Admittedly, it would have been bad considering her title, I had not thought of that. Still would have been interesting though
ReplyDeleteWe'll get a mutation user later. It is an interesting power, one I'm glad Frost does eventually give us a chance to explore. I am curious how much can be done 'under the skin', so to speak. Could someone become incredibly effective while still appearing fully human? In theory it should be possible.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. It's an ability that can either go very wrong, or do amazing things. You have realized one of the Abolish leaders - not Dozer, the other - is a mutation user right? I'd love to know more about how he did it.
ReplyDeleteNope, I did not know that but I figured one of the Emperor had a high chance of being one.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this past Stoker's flash backs? Or maybe I was wrong, I thought that mutation user was the other emperor. His name comes up once or twice later, always with the kind of fanfare and fear only an emperor should have.
ReplyDeleteThis is after Stoker's flashback (T_T) but I don't remember an Emperor being stated to have mutation. All I remember is Dozer being able to force choke one of the teens might be wrong there, I'm kinda breezing through the pages now)
ReplyDeleteDozer was also accompanied by a servant with three arms.
ReplyDeleteThat servant was following Dozer's orders. Even Stoker could sense that. Hardly a partnership there. But I do remember thinking, "Finally, a mutation user!" but I highly doubt that character had the...mental prowess I'm looking for to make the ability dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the character having three arms...
I believe you're thinking of Gohvis. He didn't have three arms, though.
ReplyDeleteHe's powerful enough to make an entire battalion of Vanguard retreat though.
ReplyDeleteI could have sworn he was described as having a third arm on top of all the more reptilian modifications...ah well.
Yanno, with practice Helen could beat Desmond at his own game. Produce calcium carbide, which reacts with water to produce acetylene. Then when you have enough, add a bit of calcium phosphide, which produces self-igniting phosphine gas, and kaboom.
ReplyDeleteYES i was hoping someone would think of that. Although i only thought of mixing elemental calcium with water you know, none of the extra science.
ReplyDeleteOh, forgot about that. That would be a bit easier than carbide. You'd still need the phosphine though, since unlike with sodium, calcium's reaction with water doesn't produce enough heat to ignite.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think acetylene might make for a stronger blast than hydrogen, although I may be biased since I did some oxyacetylene welding once.
Yeah thinking back i couldn't remember if calcium exploded or not STILL the whole carbonated calcium phosphate deal would be a great idea, make armor then blow it off you as incindiary shrapnel
ReplyDeleteThat's one reason metal transfiguration is more powerful than it looks. Of the five metals I've seriously looked at, two of them (copper and tungsten) have both explosive compounds and would make good shrapnel, and iridium might have explosives that we don't know about.
ReplyDeleteSomething I'm curious about: Transfiguration users can control their elements chemical interactions with their own bodies. Does that include radiation? Because, if, for example, I'm turning my arm into a beta particle and gamma ray emitter made out of radioactive metal and I make it so the radioactivity doesn't affect me, plus I'm replenishing the store of metal at the speed of my regeneration, even closing to fight with me is enough to slow or shut down your radiation, endanger your reaper, etc.
ReplyDeleteI don't think emissions count as "element interacting with your body." We know Desmond isn't immune to the shockwaves of his explosions, since Hector made him blow himself up on page 169.
ReplyDeleteUnless it's an advanced technique or something.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that energy emissions, once they're produced, fall under alteration territory. So I doubt that any normal transfiguration technique will let you do that, but there might be a pan-rozum-style type-busting hyper state that allows it.
ReplyDeleteVery nice theories on abilities, even if I only understood half of it. I was only ever passable in Chemistry lol
ReplyDeleteActually, so was I. I got most of this off Wikipedia.
ReplyDeleteOh come on! That's cheating!
ReplyDeleteHow? You have Wikipedia too.
ReplyDeleteBut my Wikipedia is better than your Wikipedia, cause of all the extra wikipedia in it.
ReplyDeleteYeah but I didn't think to use it...
ReplyDeleteWhich means you cheated...
Somehow...
8-(
I would very much like to see it. IMO the potential of the ability, in the hands of a skilled mind, is quite alarming
ReplyDeleteIt was also called Integration.
ReplyDeleteIf her ability was mutation she'd have a very, very hard time hiding her new nature, which would make staying Queen very difficult.
ReplyDeleteAnd she IS transfiguration.
I didn't even understand anything they said, but it was still interesting with what could happen when they do it.
ReplyDelete