Bacon Macleod
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B3 Chapter 402: Destiny Redux, pt. 3
🕑 Added 2025-09-12 21:30:01 +0000 UTCKaius pored over the class descriptions with interest.
As he’d expected, the first one held little interest for him. If anything, he found it a little revolting — a class focused on everything he found distasteful about mind magic, twisting even the power of great runes to manipulate and warp.
Even if he disregarded that, it would be an utter change to his style, and would require discarding everything he loved about battle and the blade — it just was wrong for him. Yes, reading through the requirements, he could see how it was offered — but it wasn’t for him.
He did wonder how other people would ever go to such lengths, though.
"It seems like this class is a mite obscure," Kaius said. "How many people ever even get offered this class if they need to do all of this?"
"Well," his guide said, leaning up against one of the many statues surrounding him that were shaded from Kaius’s observation, "It IS rare. In the grand scheme of things, at least — simply because everyone must have touched on conceptual magic in the first tier, which is unlikely to say the least. However, please note that it says ‘relevant feats’, not ‘required’ ones. This is what you have done that has led to this class being offered to you, not what everyone must do.
"Okay," Kaius blinked. He had kind of assumed there was some level of variability there, just due to the simple ridiculousness of the feats listed on his first class — but he supposed he had never really thought about it deeply.
His guide laughed. "Of course they are different. You thought there could be an order of Runeblades if every single one of them had to go through the ordeal you went through in your first delve? No. Those who live under the Vesryn Order’s watch, and pass their initiation, find it much easier to get your class."
"Is it still Heroic then? I can’t see how it would be if it was that much easier."
"Of course. That is the class, after all—though I meant ‘easier’ in the sense that it is less specific, rather than in regards to its difficulty. Those who aspire to join the militant elites of Vesryn have to pass through a harrowing gauntlet indeed. Besides, this fact has worked out in your favour. It’s why the classes we will look at after this are all related to that same order. By having their initiate class, and achieving the feats that you have, it is almost a foregone conclusion that they would be amongst the list — and considering that your desires haven’t changed overmuch since you selected the Runeblade Initiate, they exist within the range of what you’re interested in and looking at."
Kaius nodded. He was excited to see them, but not quite yet. He was still curious about the Clearmind Blade-ascetic. He could see what his guide had meant about how it was a spellsword, in a sense, though divergent from the reasons why he was interested in it — a blademaster leaning on conceptual magic to enhance their abilities, and the devastation of their cuts. It was a terrifying thing.
"How does the Blade-ascetic even work? The only reason I can bear to handle Vos—" he dutifully kept the Great Rune out of his mind—"is because of my Glyph of Muthryn. That class seems almost entirely focused on blade mastery. It wouldn’t have anything like that."
"Well, there is a reason that its Constitution and Willpower growth is so high. Otherwise, it has its own methods of resisting and dealing with the effect of great runes, as you call them. If anything, that class delves the most deeply into that magic. Yours — and your other options — do, of course, have it quite interwoven. It is the nature of the Vesryn Order, but the Clearmind is steeped in it, carved to the very bone by it. It’s a powerful class, but like I said, not one I expect to be of complete interest to you."
Kaius groaned. He wished it didn’t sound so tempting. The system was right, of course — it was unlikely that it would be his first pick. He was too attached to glyph binding, and it wasn’t like the other classes were any less potent. Plus, the stats were very unbalanced.
"Let’s just go see the rest of them before I get too caught up in it."
"As you say," his guide said.
He was led away from the pair of curiosities, and the statues that dotted the dwarven pavilion seemed to warp with every step, their surroundings shifting in a way that hurt his mind.
In many ways it felt like they walked for an age; in others, it felt like they arrived at their destination in a heartbeat. The system’s authority throbbed around him, impressing upon him the primacy of the moment, as every breath came heavy with anticipation and crackled with enigmatic potential.
He could physically feel that his future lay before him — in the trio of statues ahead.
All three depicted him with the shadow of Porkchop behind him. Two were garbed in a collection of ornamental scalemail and light plate, their steel polished and gleaming. While the other wore lighter armour — a suit of boiled leather made of what looked to be some kind of reptilian hide, reinforced at the joints and over his vitals with sewn-in chain and strategically placed plates.
In all three, every scrap of bare skin was covered in familiar Vesryn glyphs — though they were more developed than he was used to, and encompassed more of his flesh. Not in total volume or number of formations, but in how the glyphs themselves seemed more complex, building on from what he already had.
In the leftmost statue, where he wore the leather and chain, his eyes peered off into the distance and he carried a heavy pack on his back. His clothes seemed worn from travel.
It reeked of exploration and preparation — of one who could crawl to the ends of the earth, and delve deeper and longer than anyone else.
Of the centermost statue, his blade was thrust out with one hand, crackling with formless energy as the burning might of a star erupted from his left. It was swift and destructive, speaking of power and capability — of one that hit hard and persisted through much. An overwhelming devastation, rather than an extended campaign — ending fights faster than their resources ran low.
And in the rightmost, he had his hand on Porkchop’s back. An ethereal battle standard rose from an inscription that reached up the back of his neck and stretched down his spine. From its light, he felt bolstered — an aura that lit the way for all under his command.
All three called to him.
Without waiting for his guide’s prompting, he dove into their descriptions.
Runeblade Wayfarer:
Class - Tier II
Heroic
Relevant Feats:
Has Runeblade Initiate class; has delved beyond the twenty-fifth layer; has completed a delve before class selection; has completed a Crucible; has delved through extreme environmental hazards; has survived second tier afflictions; has lived without a permanent residence for the majority of their life; has a bond with a Greater Beast; had ridden on a greater beast without injury; has traveled an average of ten leagues every day for the last year; had capped all general skills before class selection; has achieved at least six Honours in the first tier; has earned at least two Persistent Survivor Honours; has a resistance skill of Heroic rarity; has Latent Glyph of Aelina; has Latent Glyph of Muthryn, Throat of VOS
Not all Runeblades are built alike. The Order reaches far, and its needs are great. With their most capable being few in number, there is need for some to range into territories so hostile that their contemporaries would wither. They are the first line of defence, the early warning call when fires burn over the horizon. They are the explorers, charting maps and warning their less capable brethren of where they should tread. Above all, they are survivors.
Always on the move, and rarely in welcoming lands, Runeblade Wayfarers are amongst the least seen of the Order’s militant branch. Part scout and part expeditionary force unto themselves, their glyphs are bent towards longevity, controlling the battlefield, and movement. While perhaps less leveraged towards direct combat than others in their Order, those that mistake this for weakness will find themselves eviscerated by potent blade arts, and hunted to the ends of the earth.
All Arcane and Martial affinity skills are improved by 60%
All Glyph Binding, Spellsword, and Survival type skills are improved by 120%
Stats:
+2 Constitution, +3 Vitality, +2 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +4 Intelligence, +4 Willpower, +4 Free Stats per level
Skill Resonance:
Explorer’s Toolkit - Strong
Truesight - Strong
Uncanny Dodge - Strong
Lesser Regeneration - Moderate
Tempered by Dissonance - Moderate
Tonal Weaving - Moderate
Rapid Adaptation - Weak
Brotherhood of Ichor and Animus - Weak
….
Runeblade Hellion:
Class - Tier II
Heroic
Relevant Feats:
Has Runeblade Initiate class; has completed a Crucible and learnt Cycling; has empowered a spell to a higher tier equivalent through VOS; has slain multiple opponents more than 125 levels over their own; has awakened an Epic growth weapon; has gained six or more combat Honours in the first tier; has slain a beast of draconic lineage before level 100; has remained unbroken in the face of death; has at least 3 combat glyphs; has at least 3 sword arts; has primarily advanced through combat with higher leveled beings; has four stats over 1000; has Latent Glyph of Drakthar; has Runeblade Hymnfocus; has Latent Glyph of Muthryn, Throat of VOS
Amongst the Runeblades of the Vesryn Order, there is a lauded branch that many strive for and few reach. Joining their number is not a question of capability or talent, for every Vesryn militant is skilled beyond compare. Instead, it is a question of mentality, drive, and a commitment to violence. Rare is it someone who hails the call of destruction to the extent required of a Hellion, and rarer still is the mind that takes so keenly to deeper truths. Where they walk, VOS roars like thunder, and glyph and blade strike like lightning.
Elite amongst elites, the enemies of the Order fear the day that a Hellion leaves the cloister, for it means Vesryn has committed to war in truth. While possessing the full spectrum of Vesryn Glyphs, the forms practiced by the Hellion are tuned to one thing: explosive power. So too do their blade arts focus on swift devastation. A walking coup de grace; a breathing siegebreaker, they embody the Runeblades’ core tenets: a swift flare of violence. Focused wielders of destruction that they are, more than any other they rely on their blades and their companions to support them through extended engagements.
All Arcane, War, and Martial affinity skills are improved by 40%
All Spellsword, Armament Technique, and Glyphbinding type skills are improved by 80%
Stats:
+4 Constitution, +2 Vitality, +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +6 Intelligence, +4 Willpower per level
Skill Resonance:
Explorer’s Toolkit - Strong
Resonance Amplification - Strong
Lesser Regeneration - Strong
Uncanny Dodge - Strong
Tonal Weaving- Moderate
Truesight - Weak
Liturgical Bladeform: Primus Ordo - Weak
Tempered by Dissonance - Weak
….
Runeblade Vizier:
Class - Tier II
Heroic
Relevant Feats:
Has the Runeblade Initiate class; has successfully lead a team through a Delve with an average level 100 higher than their own; has completed a Crucible and learnt cycling; has used team work to defeat opponents double their level; has at least 1000 Intelligence; has capped all general skills in the first tier; has successfully assisted others with achieving notable feats of strength; has gained a team based honour in the first tier; has gained at least 10 honours in the first tier; has Latent Glyph of Eirnith; has Latent Glyph of Muthryn, Throat of VOS
Contrary to popular belief, the militant branch of the Vesryn Order does not solely consist of Runeblades — even if it does carry their namesake. The requirements are too stringent, too demanding. For every Runeblade, there are a dozen auxiliaries who joined too late, or were found lacking. Yet, even a failed Runeblade is a terror, and the manpower they represent is a terrifying thing. Led by a Vizier, tight knit teams of these militants form the body of their forces. Do not underestimate them — a Vesryn spellteam is a terrifying machine of violent efficiency. I’ve seen singular units break sieges and depose kings. If they field a full battalion led by a Warmind, my counsel is to surrender.
The Vizier forms the backbone of the Vesryn Order. Without their mastery of empowerment, the Order’s militants would be little more than a scattered collection of elites: feared and strong, but unable to command the vast swathes of territory that it does. Strong in both blade and glyph, where they truly excel is in their tactical acumen, their ability to reshape battlefield engagements, and their capacity to empower those that fight alongside them.
All Arcane, Martial, and Unity affinity skills are improved by 40%
All Glyph Binding, Spellsword and Leadership type skills are improved by 120%
Stats:
+2 Constitution, +2 Vitality, +3 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +8 Intelligence, +4 Willpower per level
Skill Resonance:
Tonal Weaving - Strong
Resonance Amplification - Strong
Explorer’s Toolkit - Strong
Uncanny Dodge - Moderate
Brotherhood of Ichor and Animus - Moderate
“Well, fuck.”
-
A/N: Need to tweak the relevant feats a bit--the Vizier especially is feeling a bit light, but my brain is fried so this will do for now
Comments
M van Dongen
Hellion...if its fixed.
Dustin Moore
My money is on wayfarer. Controlling the battle field and movement helps his team, but doesn't give up his emphasis on individual pursuit like he would with vizier. It's the most versatile option to me.
Lampent
To be fair we'll probably only get like 5 more class changes
Jon Simpson
Hellion, no questions!
Tyler Engelke
Gonna be honest, it would probably make it a lot easier on you to just cut like 90% of the requirements out and just specify a few really critical choices he's made that led to each option. Having a wall of text paragraph that is mostly copy pasted (it seems) is just extra work for us to read and for you to edit, imo.
Alex Ledger
I think if he wants to plan long term and be a powerhouse he'll want the Vizier and that's what I'd want. I do think all three of these are archtypes Kaius would strongly consider though which is good writing.
DarkLite
If vizier is about leading and empowering allies, it should have a lot of relevant feats similar to the despot class (but with a more positive spin)
Szarekh Östwind
maybe there is a higher rarity but the system said that Kaius had to undergo some modifications for his mind,body and soul to handle it
Robert Gardner
TFTC. Three excellent classes, Vizier is the weakest evolation as it only resonates we 5 skills compared to the other two 8. I think he will go with Wayfarer as it includes his bond which Hellion does not and he is very attached to Porkchop
BelligerentGnu
Kaius' team is too strong for Vizier to be a good choice. It's Hellion, and I'll tell you why: "Where they walk, VOS roars like thunder".
Magnus Benzein
Tyftc! Waiting for the curveball that there is a option of a higher rarity available, as the explorer with no cycling feels a bit light on requirements.
BuhDussy
Longest skill selection chapters in history.
Ihsan Gunay
Because blade form is already nearly perfect for the class. He had a similar experience last time.
Felipe da Silva Oliveira
CFuck" indeed... all 3 options are great in their own right, I've read the comments but I don't think he'll go for Hellion or Vizier, Kaiser don't seems to... have the desire to reconstruct his dynasty, just look at his aspects, he won't be sitting in a throne and growing/ruling his family/dynasty i believe he'll chose wayfarer
gray matter
Meh, I’m sticking with clearminded blade ascetic if it were me. Maybe hellion, but these just don’t seem as impressive. Keep my current glyphs make sure I continue to use and max them and become a conceptual blade master during this tier. Check out glyph binding things next tier. Honestly I hope the author set us up for this, I’m just not as excited for any of these three as I am/was for the other.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Ali
I think hellion helps the most in both of those goals tho? E.g. He already has all the tools to create a dynasty w/ knowledge of honours and glyph binding, all he needs is the singular power to gain repute for followers and to destroy those who continue to hunt down Unterstern. For the 2nd point I think he’s already made up his mind that how he’ll help is complete focus on progressing the integration. So being a survivalist or being better at leading swathes of weak people are comparatively not very useful.
Robin Richards
Which if the three classes is most likely this - I think a spellblade class that focuses on my fighting style, but also on explosive magical strength backed by martial staying power might push it in a more focused direction.”
Anime Problem
Hellion is singularly powerful while Vizier could alter entire battles with how effective it could be i know it mentions those that didn't make runeblade that doesn't mean it is any less powerful in some significant ways it's more powerful than hellion in pure direct single combat its less effective in a team fight hellion is just more power that he already has in spades. I do feel like his brotherhood skill needs to advance at least by his tier 3 class upgrade.
Walt Grata
I wonder if his bond with father's gift counts as an armament technique. If so that could heavily sway his choice
Nim
Hellion is the "make big numbers" class, but what does he want to accomplish? If he wants to rebuild a dynasty or help the friendly settlements survive and thrive through the recent changes, either of the others would do that better. What's his ultimate goal? And is "kill stuff fastest" the best path to it?
Josh williams
Hellion for sure. Wayfarer sounds cool but doesn’t fit the story as well. Vizier is clearly the worst choice, seems focused on making many weaker soldiers stronger rather than what Kaius would want (making a few elites better)
Ark
Hellion seems like the most reasonable as well Kaius wants to synergize he wouldn’t forgo personal power entirely to synergize with his team especially since he doesn’t really lose anything the only thing that sticks out to me is the skill resonance. Why does explorers toolkit resonate especially more so than liturgical blade form when one of the class requirements was three separate blade forms? And also cause the class doesn’t really have much to do with exploring
Orthes
Vizier slam dunk. They just had a talk about party synergies. Hellion overlaps with ianmus where vizier adds something to the team. Also no resonance with bond is a red flag imo.
Nicholas F
I can see Hellion or Vizier easy. Hellion is more focused on Kaius's individual strength but with a team determined to go the distance and Ascend Vizier has some real force multiplier benefits. Besides not like Vizier isn't still a heavy combat class, has the same or greater skill improvements save for swapping armament techniques for leadership.
DarkLite
It's great but too much overlap with Kenva
Tim Judge
oh yeah sweet breads and bacon for breakfast.
Ali
He went into the depths around lvl 120 and killed those scorpions that were ~lvl250
M van Dongen
the skill empowerement for the Hellion seems low with the dip to 80% for primary skills....
sarvashaktimaan
I really don't think Kaius needs a leadership focused class. Any combat benefit that might bring would be far outweighed by the power of Hellion in a group of four. I don't see him leading small armies anytime soon either.
Regios
Please remind me again what opponents were 125 or more levels higher than him?
Ali
Although that might just be to balance it, meaning the skills it offers are OP
Ali
Interesting choices, Hellion is fire but considering it’s for the “elite of the elite” its % improvements of the affinities and skills are low compared to the other 2. It’s also a bit weird to me that its resonance with liturgical blade form is weak.
Fuyge
Agreed. Ianmus is the support. Kaius should focus on damage and frontline capabilities.
James Faulkner
I’m voting hellion for sure, the team isn’t a group of individually weak fighters who need a central command structure to succeed. Taking anything other than Hellion feels like pure loss to offensive capability. Tftc!
Robin Richards
It's probably running into the same issue that Brotherhood had in Tier 1. The underlying skill is already Heroic so there is not much room for improvement during Evolution.
SodaBoBomb
Wayfarer is cool and would be amazing if he was more focused on Delves/just him and Porkchop. Hellion, is, imo the best choice by far but in any other book he would clearly pick Vizier. Which I really hope he doesn't, he's not a support class, he's their DPS and off tank.
Quentin Cozzi
Thanks for the chapter!
retrorocket0
I kind of do as well but if you look at the resonance it has highest resonance with the skills he was leaning away from. Based on the resonances Helion makes more sense, especially considering it is the only one that resonates with his sword skill.
jack
I actually like Wayferer and its going to be the least popular one.
Sam
Rapid Adaptation having weak Resonance with the Explorer feels really out of place, especially as it mentions surviving multiple times.
Boss Man
I love all three options, but for guessing at what he picks the 2nd and 3rd seem like the best bet. Which one exactly depends on what exactly he wants to do in the future. Through the Crucible, we know just how much he loves throwing himself into a challenge. Hellion would fit well with this, but if he wants to rebuild his dynasty, vizier would be the best choice. Not to mention it would allow him to make the rest of his team even more powerful. I think that because of his bond with Porkchop and the potential of the strength sharing glyph once it’s combined with the empowerment of the vizier class he will Choose the third option.
Doubledoor
" ...more than any other they rely on their blades and their companions to support them through extended engagements." With this line in the description I'm suprised helion doesn't at least have a weak resonance with brotherhood. I suppose companions in this case doesn't mean bonded companions like Porkchop then. I like vizier though, it has a bit of focus on leadership and considering how the team seems to slowly grow, that could come in handy. Then again, it doesn't really seem consistent with Kaius' pillars... Cool choices, its rare to feel stumped in terms of what I prefer in class choices.
Aloofscarab
Hellion is definitely the most aligned with what I expect. But I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't go Vizier.
Vassil Marinov
I like the sound of the wayfarer, not so certain about the others... I wonder what others think?
Jordan King
What the Hellion….
D N
The Hellion sounds like the best choice tbh
Salientmind
For the Vizer Feats, you could include something about suffering/taking damage for the sake of protecting his team. Sort of the reverse of the selfish feats from the Tyrant.
M van Dongen
odd options.
Rhys Rathbun
So hellion then. I like it
Gavin
Oh man the hellblade is it!
Ekko
Yeah, Hellion feels the best of them all and fits his fighting style to a tee. Sounds the most badass of the three too, imho
lamp
Thanks for the chapter. Really digging the Hellion, although the wayfarer sounds cool too, just doesn’t seem right for Kaius in my opinion
