“Soul cards hold many mysteries. Theme Slots, Alignment, Growth Trees; there is a multitude of sections hidden within soul cards. Just waiting to be discovered.”
~Scholar Jun
Growth Trees? I think I remember seeing something about that when I first forged my circle. Devin clicked on the new entry, curious as to why it warranted an entirely new entry on his Soul Card.
Wrath—1st branch
A primal fury inhabits your body and soul
Rage (42/1000)
Power (40/1000)
Fire (45/1000)
Elite Tree—1st branch
The brand of the Elite nurtures
your existence
Mind (103/1000)
Body (99/100)
Soul (224/10,000)
Interesting, but doesn’t really answer my questions. Devin wanted to explore more of the tree's power and potential, but it was at that moment his mental connection pulsed, capturing his attention. He peered down the stream of shards that went to Dewey and was immediately baffled.
She absorbed up his shards like it was rainwater and she was a desert, gorging on hundreds of shards until the mouse spirit hit a boiling point, her form nothing more than an opalescent splotch.
Then a chime rang as a hint of red sparked in her form. A flood of energy cascaded through his deckspace as something unfathomable in his partner changed.
Hearthstone consumed
Dewey has evolved into a Greater Spirit
The proclamation echoed through his soul like glorious trumpets. The light that Devin didn’t dare peer into shattered off of Dewey’s form, scattering the leftover torrents of power amongst the rest of the cards in Devin’s deckspace.
He felt each of his cards and skills gain a small boost. Despite the minuscule increase, his reality noticeably changed. He could make out more details of his deckspace that previously escaped his notice. From the small currents that divided the mental realm, to the solar flares that shot out of the incandescent star that sat in the middle of everything.
What a beautiful sight. Devin sighed in contentment
The change in his perception wasn't just internal; he opened his eyes and immediately noticed the difference and how much of the surroundings leaped at him. He could pick out every leaf on every tree that surrounded the lake, while his ears picked up small chirps of birds and bugs that hid in the woods. More than that, Devin noticed the multiple stares burrowing into the mouse and arcanist duo.
“What the fuck was that?” Jenkins asked, while Walters stayed silent behind her, his face scrunched up.
“That was cool, that’s what? Can you teach me that, Devin? Pleaseee. You promised!” Ken yelled, having abandoned his post at the traps entirely in favor of holding Dewey.
When did he grab her off my shoulder?
“That’s what happens when you experience enlightenment,” Devin tried to play it off, “If you meditate every once in a while, and truly connect with your cards—particularly your summons—then maybe you can make them learn a spell too.”
“Is that what you did? Teach your pet a spell?” Walters asked skeptically.
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“That’s exactly what I did, but this ain’t about me. Ken! You still don’t have enough shards.” Devin easily counted the stack of shards near the water from his position more than a few yards away. 812, impressive. “You can’t do anything with that! Finish gathering 1000, then we can talk.”
The teenager sulked, slinking back to his post next to the lake. The soldiers shared a glance and both of them walked further away from their camp. Even Ben kept a lingering eye on him.
“What?”
“Nothing.” The quiet teen said. “It’s just…you were glowing a little.”
I was? “Oh. Thanks. Keep this to yourself.” The older brother nodded, returning to the book Devin was loaning him. At least one of them knows how to not be annoying. He took a breath, leaning on [focus] to eliminate distractions from his purview. He once again sunk into his deckspace—for privacy as well as clarity—and focused on the changes Dewey went through.
Dewey, Head Librarian
of the Lost Libraries (Rare)
Instrumental/Summon
Caretaker of the books
within the Lost & Found
Familiar of Devin Carter
Cantrip Class—Based on ACU
Circle: Familiar’s Guidance
First Slot—[Empty]
[Mage Hand]
[Link]
{Checkout}
{Examine}
Familiar’s Guidance
The familiar guides its master to success
Alignment: Chaos/Ethereal
Tempo: 5 seconds/ 10 minutes
Focus: Skills are shared and
passively strengthened
Activation greatly increases the effects
It seems like a pretty solid increase across the board, plus the mental bond becoming a skill for her is a real game-changer. Now he wouldn’t be hampered by the small, but noticeable drain the bond had on his arcanium regeneration.
I’m glad that she’s more viable. I like having her around. Satisfied with her condition, he explored the rest of his vault, looking through all his choices to solidify his picks for his main deck and side deck.
Heaven’s Lookout (Common)
Trap/Instrumental
Angel on your shoulder
to watch your back
Cantrip—Based on ACU
Warns user of any ill intent
Last Stand (Uncommon)
Compound Trap/Dynamic
On your last legs, you will stand tall
and fight with your all
1st Circle—Based on POW stored over time
Increases POW quality
Gene Therapy (Uncommon)
Enhancement/Atomic
Repair the imperfection
in your genetic code
Consumable—maximizes base race and
any dormant bloodline.
Bloodline Reveal (Uncommon)
Enchantment/Ethereal
Uncover the hidden
truths of your ancestors
Consumable—reveals hidden bloodline. If no
bloodline detected, a random one will be generated
Mythos Heart (Epic)
Anchor/Ethereal
Discover the truths of yourself
Start your legend now
Side Deck—Form the seed of a Myth. Effects will vary
First Slot—[Empty]
Second Slot—[Empty]
Collect Potential (Rare)
Skill/Instrumental
Vampirism isn’t limited to the undead
Reap what your enemies have sown
Side Deck—Based on Meta-Scores
Absorb unclaimed resources
Warning! Absorbing resources with no affinity
can lead to arcane deviation. or even death!
Explosive Power (Rare)
Modifier/Atomic
Attune your body to contain
boundless power
Side Deck—Modifies POW to hold the
property of Explosiveness
There was a lot to choose from, but this wasn’t the time or the place to make such important decisions. With some cards being consumable, he wanted to be in a safe environment where it would be safe to use them. That being said, some were easy choices. Heaven’s Lookout is a must-have, any type of alarm for danger is valuable. I’ll trade out Rage since I can equip Explosive Power in my side deck. I’ll also add Last Stand to my main deck since I can manifest the equipment I need. I just have to be careful not to break it.
Any item manifested without a circle was way more vulnerable to damage, and the last thing Devin wanted was to destroy his hard-earned artifacts
Main Deck: Last Stand, Boar’s Charge, Dewey
Side Deck: Explosive Power, Heaven’s Lookout
Synergy Detected!
Power Blast
(Explosive Power)(Last Stand)
Increased Sudden Power,
Increased Endurance