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Grand Game 566: The Mantle of Leadership
🕑 Added 2025-01-21 10:00:07 +0000 UTCNote from Tom: I've tweaked this chapter slightly to cater for some of the comments/concerns raised.
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Day 7 of Michael’s Deadline
The next day began like any other.
But it was not just any other day. Today was the penultimate day before the battle for the sector—a battle that would determine the future of the forerunners.
The wait was over. And in more ways than one.
Reaching the campfire, I sank down beside Safyre. Everyone else was already there, and this time it really was everyone—all the nagians, all the forsworn, and both wolf Packs. The only ones missing were the ten still-unhomed possessed, Zekiel, Bacheus, Shael, Anriq, and of course, the Reachers. But despite the gathering’s size, no one spoke, no one joked, and the greetings I received were somber and half-hearted.
They know as well as I that by day’s end tomorrow, more than half of us are likely to be dead.
Because without Ceruvax, Farren, and the others, the chances of us minimizing our losses in the forthcoming battle were minimal. Despite this, I knew we had no choice but to forge onward.
Inhaling deeply, I began.
“We can no longer count on the Reachers coming to our aid,” I said, getting straight to the point. “That leaves our forces short of Ceruvax, a player nearly a Power in his own right, Farren, a lich almost as strong as Adriel, five hundred wolfmen, and a fighting force of two thousand elite soldiers.” I paused, letting my words sink. “And what do we have left to face the void with on this side of the rift?”
I swept the surrounding faces with my gaze, but despite the answer being obvious, no one ventured to respond.
“Me, Safyre, Adriel, Ghost, one hundred nagians, eleven forsworn, five other players, and three hundred and thirty wolves.”
I grimaced. “Whichever way you look at it, the loss of the Reachers is a crippling one. Nonetheless, I still intend to take the fight to the void tomorrow. I will fight, not in blind hope, but because I believe we can still win—even without the others.”
I paused. “We will have to curtail our ambitions, though. Without the Reachers, a straightforward victory will not be possible. Nor will vanquishing the void entirely be achievable. Instead, we will have to use subterfuge, feints, and a good old-fashioned bluff to accomplish our true goal—closing the rift.”
I sighed heavily. “I fear the butcher’s bill will be long, though. That is why I asked Safyre to call this meeting. I will fight, but you don’t have to. Anyone who wishes to stand down may do so now.”
I waited a beat, but no one moved.
“The fighting will be bloody,” I warned. “And even with all our preparations, victory is by no means assured. I may die. So may you. We all may.
“And while I believe our cause worthy, that what we’re trying to build here is worthy of sacrifice—be it your life or mine—you may not feel the same. If so, this is your opportunity to step back. I will not blame you if you do. No one will.”
Once again, no one stirred.
I bowed my head, humbled by their faith. “Thank you,” I murmured. “I will do my best to shepherd us all safely through tomorrow.”
“For the forerunners!” Terence shouted.
“For the forerunners!” Teresa echoed.
Throwing back her head, Sulan howled, her voice echoing loudly across the cavern. Ghost joined in, and soon, all the wolves were howling.
A second later, so was everyone else.
Nagians, forsworn, it didn’t matter, everyone began hollering and howling, filling the cave with a jubilant roar of sound.
It was almost as if we’d already won.
“LONG LIVE WOLF!”
“LONG LIVE THE FORERUNNERS!”
“FOR THE ANCIENTS!”
“FOR THE PRIMES!”
Sitting still and quiet under the noise, my lips curved up in a bittersweet smile. If nothing else, I had succeeded in raising the company’s spirits.
But only time would tell what that would count for in lives lost.
✵ ✵ ✵
“Not the most rousing of speeches,” was Sedgwick’s comment when the gathering finally broke up, “but satisfactory nonetheless.”
“I was not trying to rouse anyone,” I said tightly. “I was trying to make sure everyone understood the reality of what we’d face tomorrow.”
Keros chuckled. “A noble ambition, Wolf, but a word of advice. What soldiers need is hope—and not to be crushed by the weight of reality.”
“He gave them both,” Safyre interjected before I could respond, “and did rather well, I thought. Now, off with you two. Michael and I need to talk.” Linking her arm through mine, she drew me away from the pair. “Ignore those two,” she said, once we were out of earshot. “Life has made them cynical.”
I chuckled. “Oh, but I will.”
“It was a good speech,” she said, eyeing me sideways.
“I wasn’t trying—”
“—to give a speech, I know,” Safyre finished for me. “Nonetheless, it was what everyone needed to hear.” She paused. “They will fight better for it tomorrow.”
I blew out a troubled breath. “I hope so.” Glancing down, I inspected the bag containing my latest purchases from Sedgwick. We were going to lose people tomorrow, there was no helping that.
But the two days I’d spent training had not been in vain. Thanks to my recent level gains—and the items in the merchant’s bag—I had one last opportunity to better our chances of victory tomorrow.
Safyre didn’t fail to mark the direction of my gaze. “You’re venturing out again, aren’t you?”
I nodded mutely.
She sighed. “When do you leave?”
“Now. I’ve delayed my departure too long as it is.” It was late morning already. The arduous training I had subjected myself to the previous two days had finally caught up to me, and I’d awoken later than usual. “I have to revisit the nest,” I explained.
She nodded, already knowing what I had in mind. “You know we haven’t spoken about what comes after.”
“After?”
“That’s right. Assuming we manage to close the rift—”
“We will,” I interjected firmly.
“I’m not disputing that,” she said gently. “But what will we do after? Without the Reachers, we don’t have the numbers necessary to claim the sector.”
“There are…. options.”
She glanced at me. “Why don’t I like the sound of that?”
“Because none of them are particularly good options.” I grimaced. “Still, without the Bane Wolves and the others, we’ll have no choice but to approach either the brotherhood, the bounty hunters, or the Blades for help.”
Her brows rose. “The Blades, really? You’d approach them?”
“They would not be my first choice,” I admitted. “That would be the brotherhood.”
“I thought as much,” Safyre said. “When will you speak to the huntmistress?”
“Only after the battle,” I replied. Assuming we win.
She stared at me searchingly. “Is leaving it that late wise?”
“Speaking to Kartara before would be less wise, I’m afraid. She is already skeptical enough of the entire venture. I dare not give her further cause to back out.”
My uncertainty about the Brotherhood’s commitment was also the reason I’d not called off the assault entirely. If I asked Kartara to wait—be it for two days, five, a week—I wasn’t sure she wouldn’t simply call the whole thing off. And while I could still see a way to defeat the void tree without the Reachers, I couldn’t see us doing it without the brotherhood stopping the harbinger and nagas from interfering.
So, we had to go ahead—albeit with a truncated plan that would see the rift closed, but not necessarily all the stygians banished from the sector.
“Kartara might not be pleased being lied to,” Safyre pointed out, “even if your lie is only one of omission.”
I sighed. “I know, but we are where we are. It’s too late to change course now.”
For a moment Safyre didn’t say anything, but then rather than argue the point further as I was half-afraid she would, she moved the conversation on. “So, the nest. Then what?”
“Then I have to rendezvous with Shael and Anriq. It’s past time I met up with them.”
I would be setting out to meet the pair later than I’d originally planned, but that couldn’t be helped. Revisiting the nest was equally important. Hopefully, the pair would not go on without me.
“You think they have reached the tundra’s exit portal already?” Safyre asked.
“I hope so,” I said fervently.
“And if they haven’t?”
I didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say, after all.
“What about the two nagas?” Safyre asked finally.
My lips turned down. “The hold I have over them will dissipate the moment I leave the sector, but if they’re still in the region when I return, I’ll enslave them anew.”
Safyre nodded absently, but her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.
“Something else on your mind?” I prompted.
“Yes.” A pause. “Take Nyra with you.”
I frowned. “Nyra? To Nexus, you mean? Why would I—?” My eyes widened in realization. “No.”
“Yes,” Safyre retorted firmly. “Except for the twins, she is the only one you can take.” A pause. “And Adriel has already spoken to her.”
My eyes narrowed. “When?” I asked sharply.
“This morning,” Safyre replied calmly, ignoring my tone. “Nyra knows what must be done, and more importantly, is willing to do what is necessary.”
I shook my head. “I can’t—”
“You can,” Safyre interjected gently. “You know as well as I do that Nyra is the best candidate. Other than you, she is the only scion in our ranks, and for obvious reasons, it cannot be you.”
“But—”
Safyre squeezed my arm. “You’ll only be taking Nyra as a precautionary measure. If your original plan holds true, then all will be well.”
And if it didn’t, I’d been faced with the choice of allowing Nyra to sacrifice herself. I closed my eyes. And as strong-willed as the young witch was, I knew she would take the decision out of my hands.
But given what was at stake, did I have the right to make the choice for her?
No. I didn’t.
“Alright,” I said heavily. “I’ll take her with me.”
✵ ✵ ✵
Before setting out for the day, I found a quiet spot to calm my turbulent thoughts. The conversation with Safyre was forcing me to face a blunt truth I’d been hoping to avoid: being a leader meant sacrifice.
And not necessarily my own.
Nyra was just the beginning. Tomorrow, I would face the same choice over and over again. Securing the sector would cost lives—lives I would have to spend.
Sending others out to die, putting them in a position where they would have to choose between their own lives and doing what was right for the faction, was not something I was ever going to be comfortable with, I knew, but it was something I would have to do, nonetheless.
“For the greater good,” I muttered, the very words leaving a sour taste in my mouth. For the greater good, I would have to allow those I’d vowed to protect to sacrifice themselves.
Starting with Nyra—my apprentice, and a young woman who wouldn’t even be in this position if I hadn’t dragged her along.
“It’s her choice,” Ghost said quietly as she came up to join me.
“I know.”
“We must all make sacrifices in the name of the Pack.”
“I know that, too.”
“Then you have made your peace with Nyra’s decision?”
I sighed. “I have.” And I had.
A pause. “So, when do we leave for Nexus?”
An apt question. Wrenching my thoughts away from my maudlin musings, I ran my hand through the pyre wolf’s coat, giving her my full attention. “Soon. But there are a few things we have to take care of first.”
“Like?”
“Like our player progression.”
Ghost’s ears flicked forward. “You mean it’s finally time to advance my manifest again?”
“It hasn’t been that long since we last upgraded it,” I said, laughing at her impatience despite myself. “But yes, it’s time to upgrade your manifest—and my imitate ability, too.”
“Then what are you waiting for, Prime? Do it!”
Still smiling, I turned my attention inward and did as she bade.
You have upgraded Ghost’s manifest ability to superior manifest. The fourth tier of this ability allows your familiar to leave her spirit vessel and take shape as a master stygian pyre wolf. When in this form, Ghost’s pyreborn and voidborn traits will advance to tier 2.
The second tier of the pyreborn trait increases Ghost’s fire magic resistance to +60% and the damage she deals with fire-based attacks to +60%. Additionally, the blast radius of explosive entry is increased to 10 yards.
The second tier of the voidborn trait increases Ghost’s nether resistance to +60% and the damage she deals with necrotic attacks to +60%. Additionally, the mist column length of necrotic wake is increased to 20 yards.
Superior manifest also increases the distance from her spirit vessel that your familiar may materialize to 50 yards. It consumes psi or mana and can be upgraded. This is a Class ability and does not occupy any ability slots.
Upgrade complete. Class points remaining: 1.
Ghost’s Class has advanced to rank 15.
Ghost’s physical form has changed to that of a master stygian pyre wolf.
“Oh,” was Ghost’s only forlorn comment after trying out her new form.
I could well understand her reaction. This time around, Ghost's appearance had not changed. Nor has she gained any new traits or abilities. However, her existing traits and previous manifest variants had improved. “It's not so bad as all that,” I said sympathetically.
“I’m not so sure about that, Prime.” Ghost muttered. “I haven’t changed at all!”
"Oh? Well, there’s the small matter of your nether and fire resistance.”
“What about them?” she asked dejectedly.
“That percentage increase you earned in both? It’s enough to push you over the top.”
“Over the top of what?”
I smiled. “Over the top of one hundred percent. Congratulations, Ghost, you are now totally immune to nether and fire magic.”
That caught her interest. “Totally? As in…”
“Completely. No nether or fire spell will ever hurt you again. Not even the mists can touch you now.” Drawing up the relevant Game message, I read it aloud to her.
Ghost’s nether and fire magic resistances have reached 100%. She is now immune to all hostile nether and fire effects.
The pyre wolf sprang to her feet in excitement. “That’s great!”
I nodded. “It certainly is.”
“I must go tell Elise!” Ghost whipped around, then hesitated, glancing back at me.
“Go,” I said, correctly interpreting her look.
“I’ll be fine here,” I added, when she still didn’t move.
“You sure?”
“I am. I’ll finish up my player progression and join you in a bit. Now go!”
Ghost went.
I watched her for a moment longer, a smile still on my face. Somehow, the pyre wolf always seemed to know how to put me in a better frame of mind. I was fortunate to have her for a companion.
My smile faded. Ghost would also be one of those in danger tomorrow.
I knew I had no right to stop her—or anyone else under my care, for that matter—from placing themselves in harm’s way, but what I could do was make myself strong enough to protect them when they did.
Lowering my head, I turned my attention to the waiting ability tomes.
It was time to see to my own player progression.
Comments
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
tx
TimeDrawsNigh
> Nor has she gained any new traits or abilities. === Typo: Nor had she
John
Maybe the adjudicator would step in and offer a free revival for doing something as crazy as freeing a sector of the nether for his first time?
Kyle Garfield
I think players could easily be reborn in a re-established safe zone, I think he's worried about the non-players: the wolves and the nagians.
Kyle Garfield
Why is claiming the sector shortly after the void have been taken care of? Meaning, the sector is still secret. Why can't he take a day or two to investigate what happened to his 2500 and bring them two days later then claim the sector without telling the brotherhood or the Blades about it?
David Brewer
I hope he gets over it, but not quickly. That usually leads down dark roads, either becoming more like Loken or Erebus... or getting totally disheartened.
kingofshibainu
Like the edits and makes sense with what has been established through prior character interactions.
Andrew Hollingsworth
My thought was some kind of announcement about Wolf publicly and Nyra is making it at risk to herself without putting Michael as alpha at risk.
Tesset
I don’t think they are going for the guardian. If any of the gang take Kolat’a placed, nothing will change for the moment. As the guardian they won’t be able to do anything. And if Faren is taking Kolat’s place, why are Anriq and Shael going? It would be best to wait for after the battle.
mark janson
Kingofshimbainu also brought up that the brother hoods help is already locked into a certain date which is a good point.
Michael valerio
Theory. If they die before the safe zone forms. And he recovers the sector within the 8-12 hours. Can they be reborn?
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
its internal monologue, so its present tense.
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
a valid point, i realized i didnt explain michael's thinking clearly enough. will revise.
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
a valid point, i realized i didnt explain michael's thinking clearly enough. will revise.
Tom Elliot (Rohan Vider)
tx, corrected.
Jason Hornbuckle
well yeah but wouldn't you rather do that
Orion_777
he would also fail the task the game gave him
kingofshibainu
With the brotherhood locked in, not sure he can delay, but I sure hope not too many die. The key will be killing the void tree and overlords as quickly as possible then rout the rest
obiwann
ORRRErrr him ghost Adriel and Safyre can run Draven’s reach in a few days… true saya spends a couple more days but it DEFINITELY saves lives on his side and may NOT effect saya at all.
Marco Ramon
I don’t think this is about the Werewolf pack but rather about the Guardian in the Guardian Tower. It was mentioned that Adriel’s brother, as a Scion, wanted to take the Guardian’s place to restore protection in all the dungeons around the Nexus. As far as I recall, Anriq and Sha’el were supposed to go through the Guardian Tower dungeon to gather all the components for that amulet (or whatever it was) to awaken the Guardian so someone could take his place. Since it seems the people from Dravens Reach won’t arrive in time, Adriel’s brother likely won’t be able to take that place. This is why, as I understand it, Nyra is now being considered as a candidate. Honestly, though, I suspect that support will arrive just in time, and Nyra won’t actually have to take that place. Otherwise, it would feel like a missed opportunity to further develop such an interesting character as a follower of Michael.
Jason Hornbuckle
yeah that's fair if that's what the concern is
mark janson
The only justification I could see would be the risk that the sector is consumed by the void.
mark janson
I think it would be a lot more rational to try and make contact with ceravax and the bane wolves before trying to reach out to the brotherhood or the blades for help.
mark janson
Tftc ❤️
mark janson
“tomorrow, more than half of us are(would) likely to be dead”
Tesset
You are right!… I still think most of my theory would be still be correct. It’s just that instead of 1 class he will have 3.
obiwann
Good call u right
Matthew Bowley
Perhaps a blended ascendant class is possible
Jason Hornbuckle
Doesn't it seem like it would be easier to push the attack back 2 days than for him to lose half his guys?
Laerd
I am pretty the the Bane Wolves have Stygian weapons, could be wrong tho.
Prakash Alagarsamy
He has both wolf lord and sire wolf. Wolf lord was the initial ascension. He got sire wolf for creating wolfmen. So he is both champion and commander
obiwann
MC been slaying THOUSANDS in last two days… they gonna be fine. He is trying to overcompensate for his lack of appetite of risking his people. He gonna have to get over this quickly. I hope no one dies don’t get me wrong.. but he takes so much risk on his own.. smh.
obiwann
And the people he willing to sacrifice now are a lot closer to him than the Reachers. I swear to god Tom you leave us on a cliffhanger man….. smh. lol
Sailesh Kumar Kumar
TFTC
Tesset
Yeah... or he is willing to sacrifice a lot of people just so that he gains a few more days in how quickly he rescues Saya...
Tesset
Hey, I have a theory about Micheal's ascendant class. Curious what everyone thinks. Micheal's ascendant class is confusing me a bit. And I can't wait to see what happens when it's upgraded to legendary! In the last player profile between chap 533 and 534, on his character sheet both Sire Wolf and Wolf Lord are stated, is that a mistake or does he have two ascended classes now? I assume it's a mistake, because from what I understood he evolved Wolf Lord to Sire Wolf. I feel like there are many things that could happen moving forward with it. But the mostly likely one I think is that as a Sire Wolf he can walk both the path of a commander and champion simultaneously. So when he evolves his ascendent class to legendary he will be given 2x the amount of followers he is suppose to received, 2 ascendant points and be given the choice to choose one rank 2 commander trait/ability and one rank 2 champion trait/ability. Essentially on each tier he will get double of everything. I think this would be the absolute best to proceed forward because if he received only 1 of everything he will be torn between which path to focus on, commander or champion, and whatever he chooses it will be disappointing that he couldn't pursue both. I know I will be. That said, I don't think his next evolution will be to legendary, instead he will yet again evolve his class to an even better and more awesome epic class which gives him the governor trait as well. I am not sure where from or how exactly but I am certain that he will get that by either completing, "A Perverted Trial" or by securing the sector or by rescuing Saya. Thus completing the trifecta and allowing him to pursue all 3 paths simultaneously. And getting 3x the benefits on each evolution to higher rank. 3x the followers, 3 ascendant points and 3 abilities/traits (1 for each path). I also don't think it will be a regular kind of governor but an unconventional, odd, peculiar and very unique government path. Similar to how he approached the magic part of his normal class. I would expect that there wouldn't be any other governors like him around. I have a few guesses. Option 1: Maybe something that's an anti-governor? Something that negates the boosts and benefits of other governors? Option 2: Or maybe something that makes Micheal himself akin to a moving sector on his own and which allows him to "project" the governor benefits from his home sector into any other sector he wants to. But the constraint will be that he won’t be able to get any new governor traits, abilities or blood memories himself. This second option will make him dependent on having other strong governors in his faction but at the same time will negate the need for him to focus on the governor path and he can completely focus on his champion and commander paths (same way he does with his normal class by focusing on dex and mind abilities and leaves magic). Because that way his governor path will grow stronger as the other governors in his faction grow in strength. And at the base governor ability he will able to create a "temporary outpost revive pool" or something like "temporary outpost safe zone" into any sector he goes into. And that’s how he will project, home turf advantages into a new sector. This will allow any players from his factions to revive into it and negate the fear of being spawn-killed when in enemy sectors. But more importantly it will remove their fear of tackling the neather sectors since they won't suffer final death. This said, I am sure there will be many restrictions to it. Option 3: Or maybe his governor path is one where he completely forgoes any and all types of traits, blood memories etc. of the governor path in favour of being able to create these “temporary outpost revive pools/safe zones”. He will still get 3 ascendant points but he won’t be able to get any governor traits or awaken any blood memories relating to the governor. And he won’t be able to project home sector buffs of other governs, the only thing he will be able to do is create “temporary revive pools”. He might just get to choose abilities at rank up that are strictly related to the revive pools/safe zones. E.g at the base he can only establish them, at legendary he can cloak them and make them invisible, at god rank everyone gets a 1 free revive etc. In all 3 options I think he will get 3 ascendant points. 1 for sire’s strain 1 for commander traits 1 for blood memory related traits (yes i think he will soon secure a way to get more blood memories, check my comment about the new house) Whatever the case even if he doesn’t get a governor trait. I would love for him to be at least be able to pursue champion and commander both! :)
obiwann
Anyone else think it’s odd he still willing to go to battle with less than 2500 soldiers than he was expecting? It was either ridiculous overkill or …
Tesset
I think Micheal is going to do something with the warewolf pack. He most likely will bring Dante to near death and will need another wolf to take killing blow so he is not found by Rampel. If it’s Anriq, he will be the new alpha, if its Nyra she might be killed for it. That way he can finish the Perverted Trial task, earn another super rare Wolf Mark, and get another ascendent and unlock the governor path. And then conquer the sector and upgrade his ascendant classes to legendary.
Tesset
They’ll probably pass through the cave first and then Gandalf entrance
mitchell duddy
What’s the sacrifice all about when going to nexus? Did I miss something?
Alexander C Hyde
Ghost’s physical form has changed to that of a {superior} stygian pyre wolf. Thought it was master?
Arjun Rajesh
The battle will be so cool
Mohammed Sheekh
Ceruvax gonna come in like goku when the z fighters get their ass whooped
Eriach
TFTC
obiwann
That’s what I was thinking… except no Stygian weapons :/
Hannibal Forge
Ceruvax coming in like Gandalf in the Two Towers.
Alejandro
🫶
Tesset
Tftc!
