Back to Hazé...

It was time. Her Karmic Debt was gone, and wiping that cult of Angar on their annual ritual hunt had definitely given her enough Karma to do what she wanted to do next. She only regretted that she didn’t have time for more than the local Baron to be turned into a deer and torn to death by his own hounds. Given the number of innocent travelers, serfs, and prisoners subjected to that fate, they had all deserved it.

She’d already raised her Wizard Level to /2, instead of having to pay off the debt. Everything was in place. She would now be buying back ALL her levels at the minimum cost needed to do so, instead of paying Ten prices for each level, which she would have done if she had applied her Karma to the powers she had been left with all along...

The place she chose was a natural fairy mound in a glade deep in the woods, where few humans went and even the Fey were uncommon. It was normally gloomy, but this night, a white light was shining to the full moon above in supplication, the clouds above taking care to part and let the Silver Queen shine down.

She’d made the components of the Seal ahead of time, and it floated above the mushrooms growing there, disturbing none of them. Holy power gathered, the moonsilver light warm and rippling as the moon in the sky, and a Presence filled the air.

-You are awake, my child...-

The voice was gentle and quiet to her ear, but her Matrix rolled like nothing she ever felt before as one of the Three Gods of Magic began to lightly manifest, and all the magic for miles around thrummed in response.

“My Goddess.” Hazé did not hesitate to bow low. This was Sylune, the Silver Queen, the Patron of Silver Magic. Hazé had been bowing and praying to Her since she was able to do so. In this world, the greatest spellcasters of Good were women, because of the Silver Queen! There was no denying this fact, and so Sylune was her inspiration.

-I have long been watching you and the magic you retained in your rebirth. You have made fair, if violent, use of it.-

Hazé swallowed. That she had been watched was of no surprise to her. She was a Ten, and the power of her faith and prayers likely far surpassed that of normal people. She was an Archmaga, and that combination of powers was not something that could be ignored in a world where Ten was the limit for all but the rarest of people.

‘Fair, if violent use of it.’ She wanted to wince.

“I know that Creation is the true calling of Silver Magic. But I am not yet in a situation where I believe such can be done properly. However, there is no lack of darkness here, and I can still bring the light, even while the darkness advances, My Goddess.”

-To Call for Me to directly speak is quite daring. What have you come to ask, my daughter?-

Hazé took a deep breath. “My Karmic Debt is paid. I can once again advance as a Priestess of the Silver Queen, if My Goddess wishes it so.” She buried her head in the grass.

-Are you truly aware of the obligations entailed by being one of My Servants, my child? Your remaining a user of the Arts Arcane keeps you free from many things.-

Hazé could only nod. “Yes, I have, My Lady. I know that I desire power. I promise to use what Divine power I am granted sparingly, while my Arcane power will also be at your service. As for obligations, duties, and responsibilities... I will trust in the Silver Queen to use my gifts in the manner best suited for me. I will be your Staff and Wand in this mortal world, a bringer and a taker of the Silver Path... although I will probably have to grow up more before taking a more public position.”

Humor swirled through the mana. Magic sang all around her, through her. She knew she had no secrets before the Silver Queen, and did not care, actually.

She had always imagined the Silver Queen as the greatest Big Sister she could ever have, there to show everyone the wonders and joys of magic, if they could but be responsible enough to control it.

She would be responsible!

-I see you are sincere in this, and I cannot deny your gifts. Very well, Hazé the Star Mage. I grant your request, and I will take you as Cleric and Favored.-

The timing was exquisite. The bar to Cleric/1 tilted over, and as Renewal washed past her, Favored/1 ticked over as well. New Slots and expansions to her Pools thrummed in her Valences.

-I shall give you guidance from time to time, and of course you may request more. For now, continue on with your tasks. Your prayers have said that you are working with the Brotherhood of the Void. As long as their methods do not conflict with the Silver Path, you may continue to do so. Be wary of the grimness of their tasks... but if they can look upon magic and know joy, you will have done a great thing for the world.-

Hazé shivered as the moonlight wafted across her, and moaned as it touched her Matrix, before fading away as if nothing had happened.

Now, she had choices to make!

-----

Clerics were the Divine equivalents to Wizards. They were generally better at fighting, and less adept at ranged combat, unless dealing with archer gods or something. Favored were the Divine equivalent of Sorcerers.

A key difference was that Clerics didn’t have to buy spells and acquire a repertoire. They merely needed to learn the correct prayers, which their Patron and Churches were happy to teach them. This access to a large spell list was quite envied by many Arcane Casters.

Another thing was Domain dominance. Within their Domains, Divine Casters won, always overpowering others using the same type of spells. So, a Divine Caster would instantly dominate the fire magic of a Wizard or other Caster, if she had the Fire Domain.

Every deity had at least two Domains: one for Alignment, one for Sphere. The rank of a God determined the number of their Domains, with the High Gods commanding five, and the rest fewer, in order of power.

As the Queen of Stars and Patron of Silver Magic, Sylune was indeed a High God, one of the two of Pure Good, with Aru the Sun King being the other. The Domains of her Power were Good, Heavens, Silver Magic, Travel, and Knowledge, and she was the Prime Goddess of Heaven, covering the moon and stars of the night, as well as one of the three gods who reigned over Magic.

A Cleric chose two Domains of their god, and received one free Domain spell per Level, plus a Domain power or two, as long as a spell from the Domain was memorized.

A Favored only received one Domain, and it would overlap with Cleric as far as the spell Slots went. So, effectively she had received access to three Domains, but she could only access the powers of one, because she only got one Domain Slot at /1.

Except she pushed over another lever, and bought the Faithful Wizard Feat, automatically qualifying for it as a Cleric, and naturally opened the Domain Slots for all her Valences immediately. It was effectively free, as she’d be refunded the Karma as her Divine Class Levels improved, and could pick another Feat to replace it.

A normal Cleric choosing two Domains effectively assigned themselves to an Order within the Church. Those priestesses who chose Knowledge and Heavens tended to be researchers and explorers, looking for new discoveries, while those taking Good and Silver Magic were heavily involved in the magical community, seeking to steer it to better ends.

She ticked over Extra Magical Domain, and picked her fourth Domain. Let her Moonsisters wonder over how to pigeonhole her...

Good, Heavens, Magic, Knowledge.

Good, +1 Caster Level to all Good spells. Sacred, Blessed, and Purified spells were all Good.

Heavens, +1 Caster Level to all Force Effects. The Valence I Domain spell was Shards, even.

Silver Magic, +4 to all Dispel and similar Checks. She was monstrously good at unmaking the foul magic she was going to be set against.

Knowledge, all Knowledge Skills are Class Skills, and +2 to Knowledge checks. Since she already had all Knowledge Skills as Class Skills as a Wizard, and she had the Silver Magic Domain, this was upgraded to +1 to Caster Level of one School of Magic. She naturally chose Evocation.

Her Shards were now going to be going off at +3 Levels, since she automatically Purified them with every Cast. Doing d8 instead of d6 against Undead and Evilborn was a no-brainer.

Twelve Shards. She smiled as she Slotted her spells in contemplation.

There was overlap. There was meant to be. She was effectively wasting the choices in her Domain Slots to build her Divine Star.

Shards Divine resonated with Shards Arcane in Valence One. Detect II resonated with Detect II in Valence II. Circle of Protection from Evil resonated in both III Slots. Wizard Eye resonated in two IV Slots.

And now to form the Star. The Star was formed by using the Slots gained from a high Wisdom to form the Divine half of the Star. It required Sylune to grant a spell she normally would not, but since it was basically a placeholder being done for a specific reason, there was no problem with it.

To oppose Heavens, the magic of the Darkness Domain, Darkmist in Valence I.

To oppose Knowledge, the Trickery Domain, Glibness in II.

To oppose Good, the Evil Domain, Circle of Protection from Good in III, wagh wagh.

To oppose Magic, the Strength Domain, Spell Immunity in IV.

There was a boiling in her blood as the spells were Slotted, and her Matrix began to pulse and swirl as opposed energies joined inside it, and formed something greater.

The First Star, the Second Star. The Arcane Rose. The Bloodstar, and now, the Divine Star were all in place.

Five Stars to be Sustained!

She felt the energies coursing through her, and laughed softly to herself.

She had basically been free of many of the needs of normal people for a long time, but she hadn't gotten ALL the benefits of her Stars. Three hours of Meditation per night at most had been wonderful, and more energy during the day.

Now that was upgraded to not needing to eat or drink at all, save to build her body, and a mere two hours of sleep or Meditation. Her energy level would always be full, even if her body protested it, because she would be Sustained!

And the full +5 to Caster Level of the Star Mage, finally!!!

She clenched her small fists, looking up gratefully at the Silver Queen overhead, and thought she could hear a regal, knowing laugh in the manafield.

Now, she was truly the Star Mage once more. In a world of Tens, she could Cast her spells at the same effect as Tens using five-man Ritual Casting!

And she was Sustained. Her Sustained Effort was going to start working, with excellent long-term implications for her both mentally and physically. She might not end up a physical paragon, but if she put any effort into it, she was going to be much stronger and tougher than any normal Caster.

Eight years it had taken her, but things were starting to come together...