The Realm of the Cauldron

[Anastasia]

Update 11

Berry reports that the gith seem to be spending more than usual in the Cauldron.

Vayley notes that she's produced a special kind of chaos-fruit. Would you like to have some?

Xera reports strange omens regarding the Cauldron have been seen, ones that portend difficult times, noted while they investigate the Lost Chalice.

[Corwin]

Sure, let's try the fruit!

[Anastasia]

Give me a d100.

[Corwin]

19:03 <Seira> roll 1d100
19:04 <Penuche> Seira invokes Penuche's magic: < 33 > [d100=33]

[Anastasia]

The fruit tastes a lot like blueberries, cream and peppermint.

Mostly peppermint.

[Corwin]

Not bad. Please keep experimenting, loyal maid!

[Corwin]

Edited the first post with two completed projects (Elemental Harmony and All Elemental Research). Removed Mixing Energy and Harmony from Inactive Tasks since it is, in fact, now active (and was listed there as well, I didn't touch that).

As a note, I was running All Elemental Research past completion for at least an IC week until I got confirmation from you that we created another All Elemental. Aside from Omni having a date, I'd appreciate a name so I'd know what to call her.

I do want to add a project for rebuilding Bytopia, as Inactive at present. BTW, would Garl or I using resurrection bring back spirits/angels/petitioners who were killed by Daa-vid there? What about Kascha's Gift of Life? I know it's tedious work but that's what avatars are for!

[Corwin]

In fact, how about a project for Vayley to make avant-garde yet safe food?

[Anastasia]

Seira, the next arc is going to focus on divine matters, worshipers and divine growth. In light of this, do you wish to change your assignments here at all?

Your realm may go up in size as well next update, so do bear that in mind.

[Corwin]

Not at present. I want my research projects to resolve, and while I do want to add a couple non-research projects for Bytopia it's better that this happens after existing stuff finishes rather than instead of it.

[Anastasia]

Congratulations, the Cauldron is now a rank 22 realm. It's between the plane of a demipower and a lesser power. I know Seira just cracked past DvR5, but this is recent and I'd rather you and Alicia level up to 23 a bit into this rather than hit it right off. Anyway, you can choose to expand your operations, which lets you promote any task that is 21 or below up to 22. This represents how your realm has more resources and can be more effective at tasks, as a task at 22 will get you more than a lower level task overcharged. Additionally, promoting tasks may unlock other benefits. Let me know which, if any, tasks you wish to upgrade. You can keep a task at a lower level if you prefer since it's cheaper that way, it's your call.

Likewise, this is a good time to suggest new tasks that are relevant to you or needs for tasks, if you'd prefer I make them.

Any suggestions for new leaders?

Finally, I won't change things until I get an answer here, so I only have to do the math once. Math is scary.

Update 12

Omni reports success in his current task and can provide you with the information you desire, should you desire it.

Lagann has likewise finished his task and believes he can make creatures of all kinds larger now, as well as a few other benefits.

Berry Crownsguard reports that the gith have not overly reacted to current events, and that trade is well enough. She has come on various gifts made to Seira, if you'd care to collect them.

Xera reports that they await further word for you for the Lost Chalice. Has a party for your adventure there been finalized yet?

Valar reports that Aurora has sent a token of their appreciation in the form of lore. Do you accept?

Na'lith reports that the crossover to Bytopia has gone well, and that soldiers have reported strange trees that grow magical fruits. He has procured samples for you if you wish to take them.

Vayley reports she has found highly exotic and magical food and presents it to you, if you want it.

[Corwin]

Promoting all current tasks to 22:

Inner Plane Trade will no longer be quintupled after going from 20 to 22. The investment will remain 5%. I'd be interested in seeing what such a drastic promotion changes, so it'd be a good place to showcase that.

Inner Plane Trade
Task Rank: 20
Task Difficulty: Light (5%)(Minor and 1% due to your task rank)
Investment: 5% (Quintupled)

You do this a lot anyway, but this is going above and beyond that.

Gith Trade
Leader: Berry Crownsguard
Task Rank: 21
Task Difficulty: Light (5%)
Investment: 5%

Trading with the Gith, above and beyond the usual.

Uplifting Balmuria
Task Rank: 21
Task Difficulty: Moderate (10%)
Investment: 30% (Tripled)

This is going full in on it, actually moving forward rather than setting up. Depending on things, the difficulty can change or it can require PC action.

Uplifting Lifasa
Task Rank: 21
Task Difficulty: Minor (1%)
Investment: 5% (Quintupled)

This is going full on it, actually moving forward rather than setting up. Lifasa is uniquely ripe for this right now.

Aiding Malana
Task Rank: 21
Task Difficulty: Light (5%)
Investment: 15% (Tripled)

Malana is a world where Auril looms nearly victorious. Can you reverse the tide before it is too late? Don't let the cost fool you, this is a hard task limited because it is a Prime falling to darkness, rather than anything else. Landing entire armies isn't practical.

Aid Aurora's Crusade
Leader: Valar
Task Rank: 21
Task Difficulty: Moderate (10%)
Percentage Used: 7% (-3% due to Valar)

Promoting all inactive tasks to 22:

Incidentally, would the elemental improvement project (ie, applying the elemental harmony template to all my elementals and educating them, perhaps adding some positive energy like behemoths) be easier now that Omni and Lagann are done with their projects?

Elemental Improvement Project
Task Rank: 20
Task Difficulty: Moderate (10%)(Light and 5% due to your task rank)

This is improving your elementals and uplifting this. A rewarding project to be sure, but also a difficult one. Good thing you've learned a lot about elementals.

Living Metallurgy
Task Rank: 21
Task Difficulty: Moderate (10%)
Investment:

Suggested new leaders:

Lumenbur: Decreases the cost of tasks involving the inner planes by 3%.
Oraga: Increases the success of tasks relating to espionage.
Yoshi: Decreases the cost of tasks involving dragons by 3%.

Omni: I desire it, yes.
Lagann: To confirm, we have a few behemoths to show as proof of concept now? If we desire to, can we use this for the elemental improvement project, or do we need a new one?
Berry: Sure
Xera: Our party will be Seira/Amaryl/Xera/Zariel, and we'll do it first thing after bureaucracy has been handled.
Valar: Sure
Na'lith: Always!
Vayley: This is why she's here!

On potential new tasks:

I think there should be one to look out for Bel and Gathgorian's actions (if any) on Primes, to align with my goals.
I'm not sure whether the restoration of Bytopia and mass resurrection of gnomes should be one, given my avatars are doing it in person. Up to you. Perhaps something overall, that includes searching for gnomes hiding out across the outer planes, construction projects and so on?
There should be a dragon prismafication project to parallel the elemental uplift!

[Anastasia]

Promoting all current tasks to 22:

Inner Plane Trade will no longer be quintupled after going from 20 to 22. The investment will remain 5%. I'd be interested in seeing what such a drastic promotion changes, so it'd be a good place to showcase that.

Done.

Promoting all inactive tasks to 22:

Done. You're not at 83/100 capacity, so you have some to spread out

Incidentally, would the elemental improvement project (ie, applying the elemental harmony template to all my elementals and educating them, perhaps adding some positive energy like behemoths) be easier now that Omni and Lagann are done with their projects?

That's reasonable, it's now a light task.

Suggested new leaders:

Lumenbur: Decreases the cost of tasks involving the inner planes by 3%.
Oraga: Increases the success of tasks relating to espionage.
Yoshi: Decreases the cost of tasks involving dragons by 3%.

I'll work out traits on my end, but let me whip those three up.

Lumenbur

Fire Elemental: Increases the success of any task that deals with fire or fire elementals.

Oraga

Guardian: Reduces any loss of life on a task.

Yoshi

Dragon: Decrases the cost of tasks involving dragons by 3%.

Omni: I desire it, yes.

So we're on the same page, refresh me on your exact goals here?

Lagann: To confirm, we have a few behemoths to show as proof of concept now? If we desire to, can we use this for the elemental improvement project, or do we need a new one?

Yeah, you'd have a few. The hard part isn't making them as the original template notes, it's that it's finding creatures who can survive the process and become one.

Berry: Sure

This will be in a loot post shortly.

Xera: Our party will be Seira/Amaryl/Xera/Zariel, and we'll do it first thing after bureaucracy has been handled.

Okay.

Do note that IC this arc is going to focus on other things, so I'm going to be cross if you race to this the moment you hit the ground. I know it's an important goal, but I do want a chance to do some building and setup here before running an epic level (and then some) dungeon.

Valar: Sure

That'll be in the loot post as well.

Na'lith: Always!
Vayley: This is why she's here!

These are loot bound as well.

I think there should be one to look out for Bel and Gathgorian's actions (if any) on Primes, to align with my goals.

Like going out of your way to look for them, above and beyond normal, routine intelligence?

I'm not sure whether the restoration of Bytopia and mass resurrection of gnomes should be one, given my avatars are doing it in person. Up to you. Perhaps something overall, that includes searching for gnomes hiding out across the outer planes, construction projects and so on?

No need. Fundamentally Garl is the main driver here so that's on his plate, so to speak.

There should be a dragon prismafication project to parallel the elemental uplift!

Don't you already have a template for that?

[Corwin]

Omni: I desire it, yes.

So we're on the same page, refresh me on your exact goals here?

Okay. Let's see if I can clarify this!
First, I've researched Elemental Harmony (which gave me the eponymous template). I've proceeded towards All Elemental Research (which allowed me to create a second All-Elemental like Omni and I now have the process for it) and towards Prismatic Research (which gave me the prismatic dragon template). Finally, I've focused on Behemoth Studies (which allowed me to create several Behemoth creatures) and Mixing Energy and Harmony.

So what's Mixing Energy and Harmony? Your writeup is:

Another task you've made deep inroads in, time to bring it together and figure out more secrets of all elementals.

I envision the prismatic dragon and elemental harmony templates as basically two branches from the same research goal which reached two different ends. One is suitable for elementals, while another for dragons. In that case, I envision the mixing project as finding a way to boost the elemental harmony template with positive energy (from our understanding of Behemoths).

That leads us to the Elemental Improvement Project, which is what I envision being the project that augments all of the Cauldron's population of elementals. At a bare minimum, they'd all acquire the basic template. At a happy middle ground, they would acquire the basic template and also randomly produde 'leaders' who are All-Elementals or otherwise boosted beyond the norm. At its best expression, the previous task of Mixing Energy and Harmony would allow me to improve on the Elemental Harmony template for the purpose of using it on elementals (or at all, your call) and make them better, where randomly 'leaders' like All-Elementals and Behemoths are produced amongst my elementals.

One thing I'd like to see is that once this project is completed, any fresh elementals that are created at the Cauldron will be augmented in this way.

There should be a dragon prismafication project to parallel the elemental uplift!

Don't you already have a template for that?

To glance up at what's written above, I do indeed have a template for prismatic dragons. I also have an IC program of converting more dragons past the first three volunteers into prismatics with Sanzha's help. But since I consider it a sister process to the elemental harmony one, I figured there's no harm in having a sister Realm task that automates it in the background, and converts all our dragons with the prismatic dragon template. Since it's conceivable a local dragon might desire a different path, 'all' in this context refers to the group formerly known as Astral Reds who signed a contract with me for this explicit purpose and now follow me, residing on the slopes of the Cauldron's volcano, and any other resident dragon who is interested.

Lagann: To confirm, we have a few behemoths to show as proof of concept now? If we desire to, can we use this for the elemental improvement project, or do we need a new one?

Yeah, you'd have a few. The hard part isn't making them as the original template notes, it's that it's finding creatures who can survive the process and become one.

A point of clarification. Does the completion of the project mean we're super good at discovering the candidates, or that we are now able to provide fantasy gene therapy to use a larger pool of potential candidates? And, presumably, can the process be used for anything other than an animal safely, assuming they qualify as a candidate? Elemental, dragon, elf?

Xera: Our party will be Seira/Amaryl/Xera/Zariel, and we'll do it first thing after bureaucracy has been handled.

Okay.

Do note that IC this arc is going to focus on other things, so I'm going to be cross if you race to this the moment you hit the ground. I know it's an important goal, but I do want a chance to do some building and setup here before running an epic level (and then some) dungeon.

I actually thought you wanted me to do it right away. I can hold off on it a bit if you like, although I thought it fit the arc's goals.
Amaryl's long-stated wish is to go kill some demon lord with me, and this is superior while remaining in the same vein! Also, everyone in my Node wants to Compete, and this is competition of the highest order. Unlike the rest of them, Amaryl had been a quasi-deity for decades now and is the 'oldest' of them all. As their divine sempai, she actually does have her contacts and has established herself, so it's not like this is the first big thing she does post-Ascension.

I think there should be one to look out for Bel and Gathgorian's actions (if any) on Primes, to align with my goals.

Like going out of your way to look for them, above and beyond normal, routine intelligence?

Precisely. That's my idea of checks and balances on them. If they meddle in the affairs of a Prime, I want to know about it and have people there to shut it down.

This is also a good chance to develop my intelligence network further. I've got a really big planar trade hub going, and Donald is a decent spymaster. I want to leverage that into something better-defined, and I wouldn't mind if we got an intelligence/counterintelligence-based leader.

[Corwin]

Now, for the additions!

Elemental Improvement Project
Task Rank: 22
Task Difficulty: Light (5%)
Investment: 2% + Omni (5%)

This is improving your elementals and uplifting this. A rewarding project to be sure, but also a difficult one. Good thing you've learned a lot about elementals.

We've discussed this. It is my understanding that keeping this x1 rather than x5, say, could mean it'd just take longer rather than mean that the final outcome is not as good. Would that be correct? If not, I'll dump more resources into this, since it's the culmination of 70% of all my research the entire game.

Mercane Spying
Task Rank: 22
Task Difficulty: Light (5%)
Investment: 5%

Something IS wrong with the Mercane. Can you find good information and fix it?

Please give me a spymaster leader!

Living Metallurgy
Task Rank: 22
Task Difficulty: Moderate (10%)
Investment: 10% + Lagann

I know this isn't explicitly related to his bonus as stated, but living metal is his main thing!