As the last of the Misti Hawar in the meeting place were hunted down, I was distracted by a flashing in the corner of my eye. Right when I acknowledged the [System] notification, I felt my frills move involuntarily.
[Quest progress updated.]
I opened my [Status].
[Status:
Name: Ashlani
Race: Sonic Keel Zak'Tal
Titles: Voice of Nievtala
Killer of Redael
Fahvalo of the Moonchildren
Keel Progenitor
Current quests:
-Hunt 6 new species. Reward will vary depending on the evolutionary level of prey. Base reward: Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic +8. Progress: Monstrous Ant Soldier, Shoreline Snapper, Shadow Wyrm, Misti Hawar Elder
-Subjugate or otherwise conquer a community of at least 1000 individuals. Base reward: Constitution +7, Strength, Agility +8, Intelligence +10, Magic +9. Possibility of additional rewards for greater difficulty.
- Establish a temple to Nievtala. Base requirements: Sanctum, Altar, Priesthood, Divine Representation. Rewards will vary according to effort, quality of materials, and quality of final product.
- Create a city that can house, provide for, and protect 10,000 inhabitants. Rewards will vary according to the quality of the final product.
- Lead a force of 1,000 to victory in battle. Rewards: Constitution +10, Strength, Agility, Magic +12, Intelligence +18.
Stats:
-Constitution: 261
-Strength: 296
-Agility: 263
-Intelligence: 255
-Magic: 274
Skills:
Absolute Dominance: 0/1
Combatant's Bloodlust: 3/4 (Imperial Bearing, Nemesis, Absolute Dominance)
Conqueror's Rebuke: 1/5
Evolutionary Exemplar (Cannot Evolve)
Exceptional Individual (Cannot Evolve)
Fanatic's Fortitude: Unqualified
Imperial Bearing (Cannot Evolve)
Innate Leadership (Cannot Evolve)
Nemesis: 0/5
Pack Tactics: 8/10
Pain Tolerance (Cannot Evolve)
Perpetual Sonilphon (Cannot Evolve)
-Cultivating Presence (Cannot Evolve)
-Destructive Wave (Cannot Evolve)
-Disastrous Discourse (Cannot Evolve)
-Innervating Address: 0/1
-Murderous Melody (Cannot Evolve)
-Soundless Stealth (Cannot Evolve)
Raptor's Eyes (Cannot Evolve)
Spear of the Many (Cannot Evolve)
Tremorsense (Cannot Evolve)
Victor's Spoils (Cannot Evolve)
Voice of the Divine (Cannot Evolve)
Evolutionary Possibilities
Evolutions possible, but not currently foreseen. Progress further, and such possibilities will be presented to you.]
Looking at my [Status], I saw that the latest one I killed, the nameless leader of this family, was considered something different from a "mere" Misti Hawar. As an Elder, I shouldn't have been surprised, though, given that True Speakers were considered something different from humans and there were different castes of Kha, much less the wider caste differences across the entirety of the Saharliard. Interestingly, as I had killed him, I felt [Victor's Spoils] surge through me and recover every superficial wound I'd sustained in the fight.
Less and less, I was relying on the system in my day-to-day life. I would check on progress in my [Quests] or anything similar, but I was quickly finding that the [System] had less and less of a bearing on my regular life. Of course, I used my [Skills] and magic to continue strengthening my people, but there was precious little progress made within the bounds of the [System]. There still hadn't been any additional evolutionary options presented to me, and I wondered what would be the equivalent of my own progression to a True Speaker or a High Speaker would be. After all, I had confirmation that, according to the system, each of those were higher evolutions of the base human.
With that thought, I looked at the few [Skills] that I had that could still be evolved.
[Skill: Absolute Dominance; a passive Skill demanded by those who force others to submit or die. This Skill's holders are established tyrants and kings, undisputed hegemons who will not brook discontent or disobedience from their ranks. This Skill grants an aura that demands loyalty and obedience while striking terror in the unfaithful. This aura weakens the dissident and the enemy alike, and will allow the holder to strike down resistance in the heart long before it materializes into any willingness to rebel. Violence is only one of the vehicles through which the holder demands submission, and the Skill's holder demands much. Those who dare not to submit, if their wills are strong enough, will immediately seek to fight for their freedom and lives. This Skill can evolve. Skill evolution requirements: Establish dominance over a country's long-established ruler. This ruler cannot currently be experiencing significant political upheaval.]
My mind immediately went to the Misti Hawar. If I established dominance over this ruler, Kusi'Wi, then I'd be able to evolve this [Skill]. As we stepped more and more onto an international stage as a country and not merely as an infestation of pests that just kept growing, I would need more and more to be able to protect us on a political stage as much as on the physical war stage.
[Skill: Combatant's Bloodlust; when the Skill user deems it necessary, a mental state that veers away from absolute aggression and inclines itself instead towards a greater understanding of combat will envelop the mind. The Skill user will still experience a heightened desire for battle, yet this desire will be tempered by a pragmatic understanding of effective action. This skill can evolve. Conditions: evolution of Skills Adversary to Nemesis, True Dominance to Absolute Dominance, and Pack Tactics to Swarm Superiority required for further evolution. Acquire Skill: Imperial Bearing. Completed requirements: acquisition of Skill: Absolute Dominance, Imperial Bearing, Nemesis.]
[Pack Tactics] was holding me back. I needed, more and more, to evolve the [Skill], and it was becoming obvious to me that I needed to lead larger packs of mine to large battles. Its progression had increased to 9/10 with the hunt against the Misti Hawar ambushers and the wyrms they'd brought to harry my hunters. There'd been only 60 or so hunters in that, but it'd counted, thankfully. Close… I looked at its specifics next.
[Skill: Pack Tactics; a passive skill granted to some leaders whose position comes with a physiological change and/or evolution, especially if their evolution is tied to combat and military guidance. This Skill blesses the holder with an innate understanding of command, allowing for clearer communication on the battlefield, as well as a rudimentary understanding of tactical advantage. Skill Evolution requirements; command 10 large scale battles, each ending in the Skill holder's foes' complete defeat. Note: to qualify as a "large scale battle", the Skill holder must be in command of at least 50 troops. Progress: 9/10.]
Just needed to get into a fight and command more people in it at the same time.
[Skill: Conqueror's Rebuke; an active Skill granted to those who have earned and are granted the innate ability and right to rule, and will use that ability to conquer. The use of this Skill imbues the user with the ability to lead their followers into battle, and has two effects. Effect one: gives a 10% bonus to all Stats of all followers while under the Skill user's command. Effect two: give a 5% debilitation of all Stats of all foes who hear the Conqueror's Rebuke. This Skill can evolve. Evolution requirements: lead a group of subordinates numbering at least 100 into battle, and emerge victorious in the form of a complete rout five times. Progress: 1/5]
Again, a [Skill] that demanded that I become more of a general commanding an army than a mere intelligent keelish. I was feeling more and more limited in my thought process, and I knew I needed to get smarter, stronger, faster, and just generally better.
[Skill: Nemesis; a passive Skill granted to those who have demonstrated their ability to conquer. This Skill grants an aura that, more so than its predecessor, weakens those who the Skill's holder has deemed an enemy. Additionally, this aura serves to break the will and mind of those targeted. When assisted by other Skills, Nemesis can permanently reduce its holder's foes to gibbering messes. This Skill can evolve. Skill evolution requirements: Slay 5 tribal-level leaders or higher in individual combat before their subordinates. Progress: 0/5]
Again, a [Skill] showing that I needed to lead armies to victory and subjugate our enemies.
[Skill: Innervating Address; a Skill granted to those whose mastery of sonic magic has grown to allow them to use their words laced with magic to grant greater energy and confidence in the listener. Once a Skill holder holds both the Skill Debilitating Diatribe and Innervating Address, the holder can discern which individual listening to give either effect. This Skill can evolve. Requirements: Use Innervating Address to significantly raise morale of a force of at least 200 while in battle. Progress: 0/1]
Ironically, the strength and trust my people had in me had held me back from completing this requirement. When the Misti Hawar had made their first attack, despite my people being overwhelmed and overrun, they trusted in me enough that their morale never fell enough for my cries to change my warriors' faith in our success. A testament to our strength and the promise of victory we held in our hearts and souls, a blessing and dedication from our Goddess of victory. Something indelible, if frustrating for this specific thing.
Even so, it served as another reminder, ringing in my head as if Nievtala were speaking to me. My heart thrummed as I reminded myself that it was time to focus myself and my people on war.
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