Chosen - pump all our current trait points (3) into our new skill (Phantom Meridian)
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Before upgrade:
Phantom Meridian lvl 1 (value 9)
(Effect: Host requires 80% less sustenance but loses this benefit while concealed. Can activate concealment at will, appearing as a shimmering mirage in daylight (perception DC 20), becomes more elusive in blinding light (DC 40), and is nearly undetectable in darkness (DC 60). In complete darkness, moves silently and evades even night vision detection. Passive/Active)
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After upgrade:
Phantom Meridian lvl 4 (Value: 12 Trait Points)
The shadows whisper to you, teaching you their art. Your body has transcended normal limitations, requiring mere morsels where others need feasts. Light itself becomes confused in your presence, bending while darkness eagerly embraces you as its own. In the blackest night, you are nothing but a thought. Even those with eyes made for darkness find themselves questioning what they see, for you have learned to bend not just shadow, but light itself to your will—though this newfound power remains in its infancy.
(Effect: Host requires 85% less sustenance but loses this benefit while concealed. Can activate concealment at will, appearing as a shimmering mirage in daylight (perception DC 25), becomes more elusive in blinding light (DC 45), and is nearly undetectable in darkness (DC 65). In complete darkness, moves silently and evades even night vision detection.
Grants the skill - Light Bending at level 1/20 (cannot be increased through training).
(Passive/Active)
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A.N - Light bending is the 10 point threshold bonus you were looking for. Right now, it can't do anything else but act as a flashlight (all its action rolls will have a -x points depending on how hard the thing you are trying to do is. This applies to air bending as well)
Light Bending will also grow in level 1/3 as fast as the trait especially made for air bending because Phantom Meridian has 3 aspects (sustenance lowering/concealment/light bending) so every trait point you invest in it will be spread out between these categories)
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Hp- 31 (40)
Qi - 50 (max)
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Sal froze midstep, a sharp breath hitching in his throat as knowledge slammed into his mind. His fingers twitched, his entire body momentarily locking up. The cold desert air stung his nostrils as his vision blurred at the edges. He shook his head, trying to clear the sensation, feeling the grit of sand particles caught in his hair raining down on his shoulders.
"What—what the hell was that? I can bend... Light?" he asked, the words tasting metallic in his mouth.
You observed his reaction, unfazed. "Don't worry about it for now. You can try being a human flashlight later. Eyes on the prize."
"What the hell is a flashlight..."
Sal exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. The persistent throb behind his eyes made focusing difficult, but he nodded nonetheless.
He had learned enough by now to know that questioning you too much never led anywhere productive. He rolled his shoulders, hearing the soft pop of joints, refocusing on the nest ahead. The structure loomed against the darkening sky, like a diseased honeycomb.
Then the buzzard wasps attacked.
Wasps perception roll - 10 (req 50/fail)
But not him.
A section of sand dune off to his right erupted in chaos, the wasps tearing into it as if it had been the one to disturb their hive. Their wings droned angrily, a high-pitched whine that set his teeth on edge, as they tore through empty air and shifting sand, their perception leading them astray. The acrid smell of their aggression—a bitter, chemical odor like overripe fruit mixed with metal—wafted across the dunes.
Sal blinked at the scene, his eyes stinging from the fine particles suspended in the air, before flicking his wrist. The sand beneath the misguided creatures churned, swallowing them whole with a soft hissing sound. A moment later, the dune stilled, the wasps crushed beneath it, leaving only a faint vibration in the ground that Sal could feel through the soles of his feet.
"I read about this in that journal we found," Sal muttered as he resumed walking toward the nest.
"Their sight isn't great, especially at night. They tend to follow the one in front of them. First one missed me by a mile, and the rest just… followed."
He finally stood before the ugly nest, illuminated by the pale moonlight that cast everything in a ghostly blue-white glow. For a moment, you felt something flicker in his mind—amusement. The corner of his mouth twitched upward, the skin around his eyes crinkling.
Then his fingers twitched, and the world trembled in response.
Earthbending roll - 32 (+15(from earthbending proficiency) =47 / req 40/ pass)
The sand shivered, a ripple running outward from where he stood. The vibrations spread beneath the nest, crawling up its structure, the sound like thousands of tiny glass beads being shaken in a jar.
With a sharp inhale that filled his lungs with cool night air, Sal clenched his fist—and the nearest wall of the nest collapsed into dust, releasing a powdery cloud that smelled of decay and stagnant water.
Also, a flood of wasps poured out.
This time, they did not hesitate. No aimless drifting. No confused searching. The swarm moved as one, a churning, rushing tide of beaks and wings, cutting through the air. The sound grew from a low drone to a deafening roar.
Wasps perception roll - 92 (req 40/pass)
They had found their target.
Sal's eyes narrowed as the swarm surged toward him, the moonlight glinting off their jagged stingers. He dug his heels into the sand, feeling it shift beneath his weight, his stance firm as his hand moved with deliberate control. Sweat began to bead at his temples, trickling down his face and leaving salty trails on his lips.
Wasps roll - 96
Sal roll - 91 (Obsessive but skilled +5? Roll - No/ +5 from being swarmed before by wasps = 96)
The first wave was upon him in an instant. He shifted, twisting his body as the nearest wasp shot past him, the displaced air from its wings brushing his cheek and the acrid smell of its exoskeleton filling his nostrils. Its stinger just barely missed his shoulder.
Another came from above. He ducked, the muscles in his back and thighs bunching tightly, sweeping his leg outward, sending a stream of sand whipping upward like a lash. It struck the wasp midair with a dull thwack, flinging it off course.
More came. Dozens.
Sal inhaled sharply. His hand twisted in a tight spiral motion, fingers curling until his knuckles whitened, and the sand beneath him responded in kind. A vortex formed, a swirling pit that dragged the incoming wasps downward. They buzzed wildly, trying to escape, but the sand gripped them tight, swallowing them whole like the maw of a beast. The were crushed was like brittle twigs snapping underfoot.
Qi - 40/50
For a moment, it seemed like he had stemmed the tide. His pulse thundered in his ears, his breathing ragged.
Then the second wave arrived.
A fresh swarm burst forth from the nest, unrelenting. The ones that had been flying aimlessly earlier now found their mark, converging with the others in an almost coordinated assault. The air vibrated with their collective fury.
Sal gritted his teeth, tasting grit and salt. He wouldn't get lucky twice. His muscles already burned with fatigue.
The wasps came from all sides now, their wings slicing through the air like razors, creating a wind that tugged at his clothing and hair. He shifted his weight, pivoting on one foot as his arm moved in fluid motions, the fabric of his shirt sticking to his sweat-slicked back. The sand obeyed, rising in undulating waves, acting as both shield and weapon. Its sound was like a thousand whispers, the grains scraping against each other as they moved to his command.
A wasp lunged from the left—Sal spun, extending his arm in a sweeping arc. A wall erupted in response, slamming into the creature and sending it careening into another. The impact vibrated up his arm, as if he'd struck the creatures himself.
Two more came from behind—he twisted, stamping his foot, feeling the shock travel up his leg. A burst of sand shot upward, forming spikes that impaled them midair.
Their bodies sloshed as they were skewered, their blood dieing the sands black.
Still, they came. The buzzing filled his head, making it hard to think, but he didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Every movement was precise, each shift in his stance controlling the battlefield around him. He wove through the attacks, a constant flow of offense and defense, his bending an extension of his will. His throat felt raw from the dry air and his own harsh breathing.
Qi - 35/50
Wasps roll - 5
Sall roll - 64
Then, as if he had struck something solid, the tide of wasps suddenly broke. The change in pressure was almost audible, like the moment before a storm.
Sal roared, the sound tearing from his throat, driving his hands downward. The sand surged in response, crashing into the swarm like a living wave. Dozens of wasps were swallowed whole, their screeches lost beneath the shifting earth. The impact sent tremors through the ground that Sal felt in his bones.
Qi - 25/50
The battlefield stilled.
Sal remained crouched, his breath heavy, his body tense. Sweat dripped from his chin, darkening the sand below in small patches. His heart hammered against his ribs. He waited, ears straining through the ringing that had settled in them.
And then, a single buzz echoed from within the nest. The sound, though faint, seemed to vibrate through his very core.
It felt... deeper than the ones before.
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(A.N - Boss fight incoming!)
Hp - 31/40
Qi - 25/50
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Trait points - 0
(you will gain 1tp and 5 trust if you retreat now)