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After a brief period of negotiation, the contestants in the arena announced the rules of their little test. Since it was impossible for any of the participants to be even remotely fair in their judgement, as their and their entire faction's participation depended on it, all the contestants had agreed that a single judge would be chosen from each team to grade their items. Exactly half of the contestants would get to advance, regardless of team. Each person could display a single magical artifact, or if they really wanted to brag, they could pick a different item to be graded by each judge, which would at least theoretically allow them to customize which item to show to which judge. That also turned the whole thing into a test on how well you could judge the judges.
“This was your idea, wasn’t it?” Karna asked Envy point blank as she too was moved to the arena as the chosen judge from the blue team.
“Who, me? Nooooo…” The other sin replied insincerely.
As the sole remaining member of the yellow team, the muscled giantess was selected as their judge, while the illusion-covered witch had been picked from the red team, likely to stop the Kenshin from picking a fight with Karna. “Kakaka. Was the Holy Knight afraid of facing me? Is that why they picked you?” The witch asked.
"Might be," Karna said, to everyone's shock, though that emotion was wiped away as she continued. "Or it might be because I'm also an expert at crafting and judging such items. As she's well aware." She pointed at Envy, who looked extremely confident for some reason.
“I trust you’ll still be fair?” The giantess from the yellow team asked in confirmation.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. I have more incentive to judge her too harshly than be lenient. Not only are we sort of old rivals, but it would reduce future competition.” With the blue team’s victory in the first round, they were in a really strong position to take the whole thing, thus actually giving a perverse incentive to eliminate members of their own team. Assuming she and Valor were confident about winning the third round.
“Let’s get this charade over with.” The man that had teamed up with Envy before the finals declared and took a position in front of the three judges that now found a large table rising out from the platform. Apparently, the Sentinels were paying attention and were being accommodating.
The fact that they couldn’t bring their spatial artifact along meant that all of the participants were limited to any items on their person. However, there were certain loopholes around that, and the man now displayed the most obvious one. He pulled out something tiny from a pouch on his belt and with a small flourish it grew to become a weapon as tall as the man himself. It was a glaive where the pole was shaped like a dragon with intricate carvings of scales and the mouth of the dragon was swallowing the blade made of a metal that almost seemed to shine with light. There was a faint sense of divinity around the weapon, which was already enough to signal a lot about its quality.
The man confidently placed the weapon on the table in front of all the three judges. He had clearly chosen to go the single item route. It seemed like the witch’s eyes flashed, although that might have been just an illusion, and Karna was aware that she was reading the enchantments on the weapon much like she would’ve done.
“The spellwork is intricate, and the enchantments are powerful, if a bit overly so. It’s a powerful weapon, but it’s also rather simplistic in its function. It seems to be purely focused on slaying dragons, granting additional penetration against their scales, which would’ve made it a great weapon in the last round. It also grants a level of magic resistance similar to the dragons, as well as being able to release a limited power dragon’s breath from the blade. No additional functionality.” The witch detailed, showing off her skill in reading the spellwork. “I’d say six out of ten. Too focused as a weapon to be applicable in a wide variety of situations.”
The giantess took the weapon and gave it a couple of swings and a twisting thrust. “Hmm, a little top-heavy, making it unbalanced. Great if you use a style that only utilizes the blade, giving the swings more power, but kinda shitty if you also use the pole or the pommel to fight. The entire thing has enough weight to properly swing and do some damage with, unlike some of those weightless pieces of garbage. Five out of ten.” She judged.
Karna took the weapon and ran her fingers along the shaft while closing her eyes. “The craftsmanship of the weapon itself is…mediocre at best, but the materials used are excellent, giving it a lot of power and more longevity than you'd expect, assuming you plan on killing dragons. Due to the materials, the wounds it makes will fester and poison the magic of the dragon once wounded. I wouldn't pull it out when dealing with dragons peacefully though, as it's using heartstrings from juvenile dragons as a core of the shaft. I'd say seven for materials available in Higher Planes, but I'll have to reduce that to five due to craftsmanship. The spellwork is better done as mentioned before.”
“This is bullshit! The weapon was made by the best craftsmen on my world!” The man protested.
"Then they aren't very good at what they're doing, or they did shoddy work. There are hundreds of different ways that this weapon could’ve been made stronger.” Karna shot his argument down. The basic principles of craftsmen were that the first step of becoming a master was the ability to take great materials and turn them into something just as great, a step these craftsmen had clearly not reached. The second step was to take great materials and turn them into something greater. Finally, a real master could make something great with next to nothing. “But at least you’ve set the baseline with sixteen points.”
Despite his disgruntlement, the man stepped aside to watch over the rest of the proceedings. The judgement had been harsh, but not obviously biased. He'd have to pay attention to make sure that remained true for others. If the standards were this high, then it was possible that the others would fare even worse. At least his companion shouldn't have anything too fancy. Their people had been the vassals of the empire he represented until their recent secession and couldn't have provided the beastwoman with anything too fancy.
The next one to step up was the magical beast from the red team. The lamassu displayed another glaring problem with the storage limitation as she seemed to dry-heave before a small gem-like object fell from her mouth. The item had not actually been inside the beast’s stomach, but magical beasts often had an innate ability to store items inside them in a space similar to storage items humanoid races used. The gem was orange in color and seemed to hold a small sandstorm inside it.
“Oh? Is this…it’s a reality marble! Don’t see these too often.” The witch seemed enthused.
Reality Marbles were a strange piece of arcane or a magical beast’s innate power, where the marble was basically a transportable battlefield of sorts. Once the reality marble was deployed, it would expand over a certain area and draw anyone close enough inside. It was a bounded field that was extremely hard to escape without the permission of the person controlling it, though most Reality Marbles required the caster to also remain inside while it was deployed. The battlefields or even entire worlds held inside were completely cut off from reality, projecting the internal landscape over the reality while shutting that reality outside.
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Some of them were simple battlefields that allowed combatants to go all out without harming their surroundings, while the most powerful Reality Marbles were actually conceptual abilities that could hold entire illusionary armies inside them, ready to fight at their master’s command against anyone pulled inside. Naturally, the more complicated the Reality Marble was, the more power it consumed to maintain. Some used such Marbles as prisons, though those required a constant supply of power from the outside.
“This one seems to be of the terrain type, and I assume favorable to you and your abilities. Magnificent work, and it seems to have been created with your innate abilities. The reality inside is a little simplistic, however. I’d still give it a solid eight points.” The witch was rather impressed due to her own fascination with illusions. Reality Marbles could be considered the epitome of such skills, though they were usually reserved for immortals who possessed their own Domains, as those Domains often manifested as a kind of Reality Marble.
On the flipside, the barbarian-looking woman wasn't all that impressed. "So it makes things windy and sandy? A fifth circle spell could do the same. And only cowards hide from reality. If you don't want collateral damage or you desire an advantageous battlefield, simply have the battle in a place of your choosing. Why carry the terrain with you? Two out of ten.”
Karna smiled brightly at the Lamassu. “My fellow judges are both correct. I have to appreciate the fact that you have managed to create the Reality Marble so early, even though it is an innate skill of your kind. For that, I’ll have to add some extra. However, the usage is somewhat limited as the conditions inside are not as beneficial for you as they could be. This is new though, isn’t it? You’ll need to do some real work to turn this to your advantage, but at least that work has begun. I’ll give it a solid six, bringing it to a tie with the first item.”
“I vill go next.” Tremere decided. He pulled out three items, one for each judge. He felt like he'd gotten a pretty decent idea of the criteria of each judge, so he handed the witch a gothic-looking cross that functioned as a protective artifact, earning a seven for his trouble, a claymore he often used in battle to the barbarian woman, getting an another seven, and a chalice filled with blood to Karna.
“Where did you get this?” Karna asked as soon as she saw the item, her eyes narrowing.
“Confiscated it from a Vampire clan resisting my clan’s return. Vy ask?” He seemed genuinely curious.
“I see. Sometimes it feels like the universe is so big it's almost endless, and in a situation like this it feels like such a small place." She shook her head with a small smile. “This item was stolen some years ago from an allied nation, which our dragon teammate actually hails from. I was present myself when it was stolen. I believe both I and the dragon would appreciate any details you might be willing to share when we have time. For now though, what you handed me is the Chalice of Bathori. The chalice provides an almost infinite amount of blood filled with vitality, which is quite handy to a group of vampires, especially during the process of Turning. It’s an item recovered from a site of Heavensfall. The materials used are quite good, and the craftsmanship is relatively high level as well. I will not go into all the enchantments as those you will need to discover yourself but suffice to say it has many other functions beyond the obvious. Especially for a skilled thaumaturge.” She tapped her lip for a moment. “For anyone else, I’d grade it as a seven, but in your hands it’s at least an eight.”
The next two contestants made a slight error in judgement. The being from the red team was really a Traveler like Karna had suspected, and a synthetic lifeform to boot. He gave them a rather advanced piece of technology to judge, which didn’t go over well with the witch, though the barbarian rather enjoyed the idea of making things explode with the obviously high-tech grenade. However, big explosions were not strange to her, so they both graded the item rather poorly. Even though Karna gave the grenade a rather decent grade for the craftmanship, the item landed the Traveler solidly in the last place.
The psion from the yellow team provided a great item for all three judges, but as they were psionically operated, neither the witch nor the barbarian woman could rate them very high without making it obvious they were also reincarnators, which they weren’t willing to do just to give the items a grade they deserved. Still, with Karna’s high praise, the psion managed to scrape together seventeen points as even if the two other judges couldn’t reveal their knowledge, they couldn’t deny the effectiveness of the items either.
With Envy left as the last person to go, Tremere was in the lead with 22 points, the psion at second spot with seventeen, and the Lamassu and Envy's male friend tied at third with sixteen, while the Traveler was already out. Karna wasn’t all that sure if she liked the smug and self-assured look on Envy’s face. The woman was always good at acquiring the best items, but she was rarely this confident about them. She clearly had a plan. And if Karna guessed correctly, that plan was aimed at her.
With a flourish, she pulled out two items, one for the witch and one for the huge woman. “I’ll leave the last one a mystery for now. Can I get the other two judged first?” She requested. She’d used the same miniaturization method her ‘ally’ had.
“Theatrics. I can appreciate that.” Interestingly, the witch had not used her ridiculous laugh even once since the judging began, showing it was just something she did for effect. She took the vial that seemed to be holding pink stardust inside. “Hmm? This is…where in the blazes did you get access to the purified essence of fantasies? And judging by the color it's…well, let's just say someone has been a naughty girl.”
Karna had to hide a smile. Now Envy was just showing off. The dust was one of the most coveted ingredients for ritual casting, especially for illusionists, but it wasn’t normally available in the Higher Planes. Not unless you knew how to make it. The dust had a variety of uses, but primarily it could be used as a catalyst to create a permanent and completely realistic illusion, turning one’s dreams into reality, even if only inside the illusion. It could even be used to enhance a Reality Marble to become more powerful. The trick was, you had to find the right kind of essence for the job. The one the witch was holding could be used for many things ranging from realistic battle training to creating an illusionary palace that didn't differ from reality in any way, but where it really shined was when used for kinkier purposes. Ever dreamed of a romantic encounter with a certain someone? Well, this dust could turn an illusion of that encounter into something indistinguishable from reality. It was called the essence of fantasies for a reason. It was also a stupendously potent aphrodisiac.
“The Expansion has treated me well.” Envy didn’t explain further, though Karna knew she was lying. She’d obviously created the stuff herself. The method was not widely known, which is why it usually only appeared naturally, but she knew Envy knew the technique.
“I can’t give this anything less than a nine, no matter how much I don’t want to.” The witch was forced to concede.
The yellow team’s judge had been handed Envy’s bow, and she drew the string back, causing a glowing arrow to appear on her fingers. She released the arrow in a smooth motion, sending it crashing against the target that had conveniently appeared. The arrow simply disintegrated the target. "A good bow. A coward's weapon, but for a coward's weapon it's very good. Eight."
“So, I need one point to qualify, and six to beat my own teammate. Let’s see what happens.” With another flourish, Envy pulled out something that shocked everyone, especially Karna.
In front of her was one of the fluffiest and most inviting pillows she’d ever seen. It didn’t have the divine presence of her currently most precious treasure, but the sheer fluffiness seemed to practically ooze out of the seams. The pillow was covered in what looked like silky-smooth dark and long animal hair. As she instinctively placed her hand on the pillow, her finger sunk into the pillow just the right amount before facing the very faintest of resistance, showing that the pillow was very soft, but not too soft. Just the way she liked it. The pillow also seemed to be radiating energy that invited one to just lay your head or body on it to rest and relax. It almost promised good dreams, and Karna was quite sure some of that pink dust had been applied to it. The thing felt almost like a combination of the soft fur of a sheep, combined with the soft and malleable flesh of a relaxed cat that you were petting. It was almost perfect.
“So. How many points?” Envy asked with a knowing grin.
Karna looked up sharply, though her eyes almost immediately returned to the pillow. “You just happened to be carrying this around?”
“Oh, no! I prepared that just in case I ever ran into you again. I always carry one around. Since the last time we met and you taught me the value of preparation, I’ve always made one of those as the first thing I do. I’ve gotten quite good at making them too.” Envy had an almost sing-song voice as she was borderline taunting Karna without straight-up admitting that she’d been making extra fluffy pillows in every life to use against Karna in case they ever ran into each other again.
“…ten points.” Karna conceded. The craftsmanship was flawless. And best of all, the materials were quite low level, showing Envy’s skill had reached a very high level at making the pillows.
Unsurprisingly the others around them got up to protest, but the two of them ignored them as they stared at each other. “Now, be a good girl and give it back.” Envy grinned victoriously and stretched out her hand, while also making a ‘gimme’ gesture with her fingers.
The hesitation in Karna's eyes and gestures was so palpable and obvious that it caused everyone to suddenly swallow their protests. it was clear there was much more going between the two than they had realized. With great reluctance, Karna stretched out her hands while holding on to the pillow. Envy grabbed onto it and started to pull on it, though Karna resisted just a bit before letting go, afraid that the pillow would be torn. "You're pure evil, you know that right?" Karna asked with a fire burning in her eyes.
“Oh, I know. I’m going to have a lot of fun with this, believe you me.” Envy laughed as she sauntered away.