Aidan

The Realms

Sixthday, 3rd week of the 10th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Mid-Morning

The Lord's Chambers, Caer Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Aidan woke up to a pair of notifications that simultaneously filled him with soaring joy and stomach-twisting anxiety.

You have completed a Quest!

Progenitor Specialization

Talent The Sperm Must Flow at rank 4—SUCCESS

Talent Ease the Burden at rank 4—SUCCESS

Have at least four women in love with you—SUCCESS

Conceive a child with a willing woman—SUCCESS

Reward: You may now take the Progenitor specialization in your Courtesan profession.

Congratulations! You have passed the Trial of the Progenitor and may now apply this Specialization to your Profession. But, be warned, you may only have one Specialization per Profession, and once made, your choice can never be changed.

Do you wish to become a Progenitor? YES/NO

Three days earlier—the night after she'd followed through on her threat to unilaterally move in—Sunnild informed Aidan that their semi-abstinence was over. It seemed that their efforts had born fruit. Aidan woke Brighid, Sunnild, and Aoife, then sent for Ailis. He wanted all of the women he loved, and loved him in return, to learn the news at the same time. Once they were all gathered, he confirmed the choice.

Congratulations! You are now a Progenitor!

A rare, almost unique Specialization, a Progenitor is the seed of a great and powerful lineage. As a Progenitor, you will gain fewer bonuses to your own skills, but you will find it easier to produce offspring, and your children will gain significant advantages over their peers.

Quest Progress Update

You Shouldn't Tempt Fate

Earn a Profession Specialization before Firstday, 1st week of the 11th Month, AotC 1—SUCCESS

Reach personal level 25 and attain a Prestige Class before Firstday, 1st week of the 3rd month, AotC 2—22/25, 0/1 PARTIAL

Complete the quest Seat of Power before Seventhday, 4th week of the 3rd month, AotC 2—2/4 PARTIAL

As soon as Aidan made the announcement, Brighid squealed and swept him and Sunnild up in a crushing hug. Aidan expected the mother-to-be to be as anxious as he was, but to his surprise, Sunnild gave him a serene smile.

"I didn't realize it until just now, but I think this is my calling." Aidan felt one of her hands slip between them and touch her belly. "It's like a light suddenly turned on, and now I see the path in front of me."

"You will be a wonderful mother!" Brighid exclaimed. "Oh, I am so happy for you both!"

Ailis treated them with a warm smile. "I think it will be nice to have some younglings running around again. And I suppose I can consider her my granddaughter, in a way."

"Well," Aoife added with a smirk, "I guess we know you aren't firing blanks. If you don't start pulling out, it won't be long before I'm in a family way, too." She looked like she was about to say something else, but she glanced at Sunnild's beaming expression and swallowed her words.

Instead, Aoife changed the topic. "So, what are your new Talents? You must have a bunch, right?"

Aidan nodded and opened up his Talent tree. Indeed, there were several new Talents available to him; Aidan explained them to his lovers. This Specialization involved them as well, after all.

Genesis of a Legend

Requirements: Ease the Burden IV, Progenitor specialization.

Effects: All the children of your line gain a Trait that marks them as your scions. The Trait is selected when you purchase this Talent and cannot be changed later. This effect, and the effects of all Talents that depend on this one, will fade slowly over time, starting at 3 generations removed.

Cost: 5 points.

Spread the Love I

Requirements: Progenitor specialization, have at least two long-term partners with races different from your own and each other.

Effects: Increase the likelihood of cross-race fertilization by 10%. In combinations where cross-race fertilization is viable but not normally possible, grants a 0.25% chance for fertilization under optimal conditions, and any children of such a union will be of the mother's race.

Cost: 3 points.

On Love's Wings I

Requirements: Genesis of a Legend, conceive a child with a harpy.

Effects: All the children of your line gain +5% affinity in the Air Magic, Flying, and Observation skills.

Cost: 2 points.

"Hmm," Aoife mused. "How many Talent Points do you have available?"

"96," Aidan responded, "although I can't spend all of them on Progenitor Talents. I'm already a bit too imbalanced."

"And you have several months before your daughter is born," Ailis added with a nod. "Meanwhile, you will be fighting Karsarrym again soon. So, if you have been neglecting your Class Talents, it would be wiser to invest there for now."

"Aww," Brighid pouted. "Can you at least take the Talent that establishes your bloodline Trait? It sounds like that will open up a bunch of others, and it does not cost that much, so you will still have plenty to spend on your Class. Besides, knowing the Trait will let us plan ahead."

Aidan chuckled. "OK, sure. I can't say I'm not curious." He went ahead and confirmed Genesis of a Legend as well as two ranks in Spread the Love.

Congratulations! You have established a legendary bloodline! All your children, their children, and so on into the distant future will bear the mark of your greatness. Please choose ONE of the following Traits to pass down as your legacy:

From the Ashes

The first time you die a violent death, you will be reborn one day later at the nearest safe location.

Greater Heights

Your affinity with any given skill will never drop below 10% or its starting value, whichever is lower.

Love of the Ages

You have at least one Soulmate, and the world itself will conspire to ensure you meet them.

"Argh," Aidan groaned. "I hate choices like this. I have to choose between guaranteeing my children the ability to avoid death, the ability to become the greatest in their field, or being guaranteed true love." He ground his teeth in frustration, then read the text of the Traits to his audience.

Brighid gnawed on her lower lip. "That is a hard choice," she agreed. "I think... I think I would go for the third one. The rest of you cannot know how it feels to know in your very soul that Aidan loves me. I know the other two provide more benefit, but having Aidan as my Soulmate changed everything about my life for the better."

Ailis reached out and stroked her daughter's hair. "It is not so cut and dry as that, I think. All three are compelling for different reasons, and having a partner who you can love and trust with absolute faith is no less of a boon than the others."

"I would take with the minimum affinity Trait in a heartbeat," Aoife declared. "Sure, I get the appeal of the others, but that's the only one that breaks the rules. It allows for unlimited growth, which breaks the system wide open."

Sunnild shook her head. "I don't like that one at all. Yes, it's strong, but eventually, someone will learn about it. That's the kind of thing that'll make others hunt down our children to use for their own purposes or ta kill them before they become a threat. I don't want my daughters or granddaughters or great-granddaughters to have ta worry because of a decision we made."

Aoife's hand rose to touch her collar. "I can see that, yeah," she agreed. "In that case, hmm. I don't know which of the other two I'd choose. I think... part of me rebels at being so horribly romantic, but I think I agree with Brighid. Knowing that you have a completely reliable life partner would be incredible. It's also the only one that would always apply since the first doesn't protect against death from old age, disease, and maybe even poison? Not sure if that counts as violent."

Aidan looked around at his four lovers. "Any objections?" Ailis and Sunnild remained silent for a few moments longer, considering the weighty decision, but eventually shook their heads. "So be it, then. True love it is. I hope I don't live to see any of my children die in battle or on an assassin's blade..."

Aidan picked Love of the Ages, then examined the new Talents that popped up.

Strong Genes I

Requirements: Genesis of a Legend

Effects: All the children of your line have 5% more Health and receive 1 bonus Attribute Point when they are born, which can only be spent on physical Attributes.

Cost: 4 points.

Intelligent Design I

Requirements: Genesis of a Legend

Effects: All the children of your line have 5% more Psyche and receive 1 bonus Attribute Point when they are born, which can only be spent on mental Attributes.

Cost: 4 points.

The Son Never Sets I

Requirements: Genesis of a Legend

Effects: The natural lifespan of all the children of your line is extended by 2.5%. This also slows the effects of aging past adulthood by an equivalent length of time.

Cost: 1 point.

Long Reign I

Requirements: Genesis of a Legend

Effects: Delays the onset of your lineage bonuses fading by 1 generation.

Cost: 1 point.

Exalted Mage Lineage I

Requirements: Genesis of a Legend, Exalted Mage class

Effects: All the children of your line are guaranteed to have at least 10% base affinity in any magic school you have reached Initiate rank in. They will also inherit 1 of your spells upon reaching suitable skill levels.

Cost: 5 points.

"Lots of 'numbers go up,'" Aidan said in summary, then explained in detail. "I think the difficulty will be spending enough points on my Exalted Mage Talents to balance out the expense of these because they are all pretty good."

"And those are only the first layer," Ailis agreed. "They will undoubtedly lead to more powerful effects down the line. But, as said earlier, you have months before they become relevant, so you should fill out your Class Talents now."

The others nodded, so Aidan turned his attention to the other side of his Talent tree.

Blending of Schools I

Requirements: None.

Effects: +10% chance to successfully create a multi-school spell.

Cost: 5 points.

It's Not Chuuni if it Works I

Requirements: Initiate rank in Incantation

Effects: For every second you spend Incanting a spell, it gains +1 spellpower.

Cost: 3 points.

Bigger IS Better I

Requirements: Initiate rank in Glyphs

Effects: For every second you spend drawing Glyphs for a spell, it gains +1 spellpower.

Cost: 3 points.

Arcane Learning I

Requirements: At least 1 level in any Arcana skill.

Effects: +10% bonus to earned skill experience in all non-Arcana magic schools.

Cost: 3 points.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon

Requirements: Novice rank in Language of Origin.

Effects: Your Cunning Linguist Trait turns into Tongue of the Sun and Moon.

Cost: 10 points.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon

You can speak and understand every mortal language, you gain +1 Charisma and +1% earned skill experience with Sex, Foreplay, and all spoken word skills per level in Language of Origin, and whenever you give oral sex, your partners experience the uttermost heights of pleasure.

Airstrike I

Requirements: Weave the Strands I, level 1 in Air Magic.

Effects: Your damaging spells have a 1% chance to stun for 1 second.

Cost: 2 points.

Stoneskin I

Requirements: Weave the Strands I, level 1 in Earth Magic.

Effects: You gain +1 point of armor across your entire body.

Cost: 2 points.

Dreamweaver I

Requirements: Weave the Strands I, level 1 in Oneiromancy.

Effects: You gain +10% of the normal benefits of sleep while channeling an Oneiromancy spell.

Cost: 2 points.

"Take the bonus experience as high as you can stand the cost," Aoife all but demanded. "That is such a powerful effect, especially with how much training you're doing right now."

"And after ya do that, yer taking Tongue of the Sun and Moon," Sunnild added. "Yer already real good with yer tongue, but I wanna experience 'the uttermost heights of pleasure.'"

"Seconded," agreed Brighid.

"Thirded, motion carried," declared Aoife.

"Is that really where I should be spending 10 points with Karsarrym on the horizon?" Aidan objected.

"If it only strengthened the existing effects of your Trait, I would agree," Ailis said. "But that is a large boost to your Charisma—and thus your spellpower with Fire Magic, among other things—and it provides a skill experience bonus to Incantations and Language of Origin. All three of those things are quite valuable."

Then she smirked and added, "Besides, I agree with Sunnild."

"Fine, fine, I know when I'm fighting a losing battle," Aidan laughed. He bought three ranks in Arcane Learning, Tongue of the Sun and Moon, and the first rank in Airstrike and Stoneskin. Dreamweaver would be nice eventually, but it seemed like a lower priority for now. As expected, those opened up a pair of Link Talents to buff Riama, which he dutifully reported.

Air Link I

Requirements: As Above, So Below I, Airstrike I.

Effects: While you are maintaining an Air Magic spell or ritual, including with Crown of the Exalted, your familiar has +10% movement speed.

Cost: 5 points.

Earth Link I

Requirements: As Above, So Below I, Stoneskin I.

Effects: While you are maintaining an Earth Magic spell or ritual, including with Crown of the Exalted, your familiar gains +3 points of armor across her entire body.

Cost: 5 points.

"I would recommend investing some points into the Glyphs and Incantations boosters as well," Ailis suggested. "You have already seen how powerful those skills are; boosting them further is an easy sell for me."

"Two ranks each, I think," Aoife agreed. "At least."

"And invest more into the armor Talent," came Brighid's contribution. "I would take that up to rank four if you can stand spending the points. That is a lot of protection that can't be removed or bypassed. It will not save you from a direct hit by Karsarrym, but it might let you survive glancing blows and near-misses."

It was hard to argue with that—he'd already been thinking along similar lines—so Aidan followed their advice, although he hesitated before taking Stoneskin to rank 4. "Is one more point of armor really worth 16 Talent Points?" he asked Brighid.

His flame-haired Soulmate frowned, then sighed. "No, probably not," she admitted. "I want you as protected as possible, but that's a lot of points even for you."

"That brings me up to relative parity between my Talent trees, then," Aidan said, "and leaves me with 17 Talent Points. I think I should hold onto these for now and see if anything else interesting pops up once my training is further along."

"That seems wise," Ailis nodded, then smirked. "Now, about Tongue of the Sun and Moon..."

The following weeks were among the busiest times Aidan could remember in either of his lives. His mornings were devoted to Ailis's lessons on magic and statesmanship. His Chancellor drilled him without mercy, honing his Fire Magic and Beast Magic to new heights, helping him discover the unwritten rules of Language of Origin, and teaching him her perspective on rulership.

The sessions were exhausting, far more intense than any college course, and with a much more demanding teacher. The results spoke for themselves, however. His understanding of magic in general, Fire and Beast Magic in particular, and the various ways to alter his spells on the fly all progressed at lightning pace.

Congratulations! You have reached level 52 in Fire Magic.

You are now a Journeyman in Fire Magic; your flames now burn with supreme intensity, ignoring a small amount of the target's resistance to fire.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell Phoenixfire Conflagration.

Congratulations! You have reached level 46 in Beast Magic.

Congratulations! You have reached level 15 in Language of Origin.

You are now an Initiate in Language of Origin; you now infuse Intent into your Words slightly faster.

Congratulations! You have reached level 17 in Glyphs.

Congratulations! You have reached level 18 in Incantations.

Congratulations! You have reached level 4 in Invocation.

Congratulations! You have reached level 30 in Magical Theory.

You are now an Apprentice in Magical Theory; you gain slightly improved spell power when using Arcane skills.

Phoenixfire Conflagration: Fire Magic and Vivimancy, level 50.

Engulfs the target area, up to a thirty-foot radius within one hundred feet of you, with golden flames that scorch your enemies and heal your allies. The phoenixfires deal 500 fire damage to enemies, heal allies for 250 points of Health, and lessen the degree of the most severe Wound each ally suffers from by one step. This healing is caused by pure life energy and does not leave scars. If you are within the radius, 10% of the damage and healing persists, repeating once per second for 5 seconds.

Cost: 300 Concentration. Duration: Instantaneous. Casting time: 5 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.

In the afternoons, Aidan split time between training with Ysbail and acting as Ceallach Macht's ruler. Ailis flatly refused to allow him to push all of his responsibilities off onto her, so he only managed to spend every third or fourth day in Ysbail's combat lessons. The rest of the time, Aidan presided over Council sessions, attended meetings with individual Councillors, held town hall meetings, and worked with Ailis, Sarpedon, and Fionn to plan the city's growth and defense. The work was never something Aidan found pleasure in, but he became accustomed to it in time, and his skills reflected his growth.

Congratulations! You have reached level 8 in Administration.

A necessary skill for all rulers, Administration covers the minutiae of government, from bringing out the best in your delegates to creating and implementing laws. A master administrator can draft a complete plan to resolve an unforeseen disaster and have their officers implement it perfectly in mere hours.

You are now a Novice in Administration; the efficiency of individuals you delegate authority to increases slightly.

Congratulations! You have reached level 12 in Command.

You are now an Initiate in Command; the range of your command aura increases by a small amount.

Congratulations! You have reached level 20 in Persuasion.

Congratulations! You have reached level 6 in Oratory.

Still, Ysbail's skill in teaching shone through; while Aidan had less time with her than either of them would have preferred, he managed to progress his combat skills further than he expected. Between sparring with Sunnild, dodging through obstacle courses raised by Wulfryn, and going through Ysbail's conditioning, he made significant progress in only a few days.

Congratulations! You have reached level 22 in Evasion.

Congratulations! You have reached level 15 in Light Armor.

Congratulations! You have reached level 11 in Parrying.

You are now an Initiate in Parrying; you gain a small bonus to deflecting attacks with one-handed weapons.

Congratulations! You have reached level 4 in Running.

Congratulations! You have reached level 10 in Swords.

You are now an Initiate in Swords; you may use a one-handed sword as an implement to cast spells with a significant penalty to Concentration costs.

Congratulations! You have reached level 2 in Unarmed Combat.

His evenings were spent with his lovers in various combinations and permutations. Taking Aoife's criticism to heart, Aidan spread his attention between the four women who held places in his heart, making sure to attend to their needs and desires as often as he could.

Aoife joined the trio of Aidan, Brighid, and Sunnild on a semi-regular basis, and Aidan made sure to 'reward' her for her efforts in keeping their quarters clean and preparing meals for the group. More than once, he found himself pinning her to the wall from behind and forcing a chain of climaxes from her writhing body; other times, she took the initiative, cornering him with hungry kisses and climbing on top of him to ride out her pleasure.

Aidan didn't neglect Ailis, either. While she maintained a separate residence, Aidan spent almost as many nights in the silver-haired Druid's embrace as he did in a pile with Sunnild and Brighid. Their lovemaking never had the raw, feral edge that his time with Brighid and Aoife tended to. Instead, he took his time, stoking the fires in Ailis's depths with gentle caresses and slow, tender lovemaking. She rarely climaxed more than once each session, but the way she completely relaxed afterward showed that she got just as much out of it as Aidan's other lovers.

Congratulations! You have reached level 32 in Foreplay.

Congratulations! You have reached level 22 in Dominance.

Congratulations! You have reached level 74 in Sex.

Time marched on, and soon enough, the Ash Shroud Sisterhood harpies acting as scouts for the city reported seeing a small fleet of ships rowing down the river towards Ceallach Macht. The Snow-Water Riders were on their way.