Reid pulled a bottle of water from storage and chugged it down, then followed it quickly with another. As he downed the third and fourth, he also brought out some food. He chewed, slowly, savoring the sustenance and only slightly delaying himself from checking things out. He felt an odd dizziness in the side of his head that didn't seem to go away with the food and water, but shook that away. He started with the armor.
The final product hadn't differed too far from his initial plans. It still had seams, covered by a layer of rings and cartilage for flexibility, and overlapping wide scales for protection on the otherwise vulnerable zones. What he'd decided to add in later was an underlayer, also made of cartilage instead of bone. It worked to provide a more natural cushion to soften blunt force. With that - and the equipment's traits - Sara was going to be well protected against those who would seek to do her harm.
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Unique Legendary Set, [Ivory Valkyrie's Raiment]When seven or more items in this set are equipped, set items gain additional trait - Sacrificial Filigree; Damage to set will be dispersed to regenerative decorative filigree. When all fifteen items in this set are equipped, 'Valkyrie' equipment traits are enabled.
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Weaveband [Legendary Ring]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Energy Transfer, Valkyrie's LatticeEnergy TransferThe wearer may siphon and house energy into the ring. Energy stored this way may be imbued to the wearer, or other party, faction members, or allies.Valkyrie's LatticeActive with full set. This equipment contains all necessary apertures to function as an equipment-based version of the metaphysical construct, [Weirweave Lattice], when properly imbued with energy, or when physically in contact with a functional Weirweave Lattice. Contact results in automatic connection based on the quality of the equipment and the metaphysical construct.
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Manaband [Legendary Ring]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Energy Transfer, Valkyrie's Connective FlowEnergy TransferThe wearer may siphon and house energy into the ring. Energy stored this way may be imbued to the wearer, or other party, faction members, or allies.Valkyrie's Connective FlowActive with full set. When energy storing items in the set are not full, excess processed mana from a connected metaphysical aperture will automatically be distributed to and stored in the set
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Breaker Bangle [Legendary Bangle]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Effect Breaker, Valkyrie's ReflectionEffect BreakerNegative skills and magic affecting the bonded wearer are slightly reduced in potency and duration.Valkyrie's ReflectionActive with full set. Grants a moderate chance to reflect a small portion of hostile skills or magic back at the originator during combat.
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Skillhand Bangle [Legendary Bangle]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Quickcast, Valkyrie's ResonanceQuickcastSlightly improves the casting efficiency for timed or activated skills.Valkyrie's ResonanceActive with full set. Grants moderate improvement to the effect of resonance on all skills of the bonded wearer during combat.
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Empress' Steps [Legendary Boots]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Surestep Valkyrie's FootingSurestepSlightly decreases the chance to slip, trip, or lose balance due to environmental, magical, or other effects.Valkyrie's FootingActive with full set. Grants moderate improvement to wearer's movements and chance to find safe ground in battle.
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Wardancer Greaves [Legendary Greaves]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Leap, Valkyrie's DanceLeapJumps, landings, and changes in leg-based movement direction are slightly improved.Valkyrie's DanceActive with full set. Moderately increases effect of all movement during combat. Additionally grants moderate increase to dodge and evasion chance during battle.
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Legs of the Long Campaign [Legendary Armored Leggings]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Endless March, Valkyrie's ResolveEndless MarchSlightly reduces the energy expenditure for walking, running, and other physical movement for bonded wearer and nearby allies.Valkyrie's ResolveActive with full set. Moderately reduces the rate at which fatigue and exhaustion build during combat.Traits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, (Auluwin's Budding Crown Set)
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Swiftstrikers [Legendary Bracers]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Slipstrike, Valkyrie's SpeedSlipstrikeEnemy strikes on the hands or arms of the bonded wearer are slightly more likely to land as glancing blows. Wearer's attacks are slightly more likely to land unblocked.Valkyrie's SpeedActive with full set. Speed of all physical strikes are moderately increased.
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Hands of the Empire [Legendary Gloves]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Clenching Grasp, Valkyrie's ReachClenching GraspSlightly enhances grip strength, and slightly reduces the chance to drop any held object.Valkyrie's ReachActive with full set. Moderately improves the efficiency of attack positioning to increase wearer's effective melee range.
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Endless Heart [Legendary Amulet]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Resilient Constitution, Valkyrie's HeartResilient ConstitutionThe bonded wearer's recovery speed and efficiency is slightly increased for metaphysical and physical fatigue or injury.Valkyrie's HeartActive with full set. Wearer receives a moderate boost to the efficiency of physical energy expended during combat.
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Bulwark Brigandine [Legendary Brigandine]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Force Dispersion, Valkyrie's Fortitude Force DispersionProjectiles are slightly less effective against the bonded wearer.Valkyrie's FortitudeActive with full set. Grants moderate defensive bonus when actively engaged in combat, in relation to enemy hits against wearer.
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War Collar [Legendary Gorget]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Command, Valkyrie's HymnCommandBonded wearer's effective authority and power of voice is slightly increased for troops, allies, and party members.Valkyrie's HymnActive with full set. All allies gain minor increase to the efficacy of buffs and boosts they provide. Bonded wearer gains moderate increase to efficacy of buffs and boosts they cast.
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Cloudform Bodice [Legendary Bodice]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Deadblows, Valkyrie's HearthDeadblowsProvides slightly improved dispersal of heavy impacts.Valkyrie's HearthActive with full set. Moderately reduces the effect of environmental hazards, including heat, cold, and lightning.
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Discerning Circlet [Legendary Circlet]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Battlefield Empress, Valkyrie's MemoryBattlefield EmpressSlightly increases the efficiency at which combat and battlefield information is ingested and processed by the bonded individual.Valkyrie's MemoryActive with full set. Grants moderate increase to combat experience gain, form memorization, and enemy fight analysis.
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Vigilant Helm [Legendary Helmet]Rank: DTraits: Self-Repair, Growth, Bonded, Worldview, Valkyrie's SenseWorldviewSlightly increases bonded wearer's peripheral vision and ability to discern detail..Valkyrie's SenseActive with full set. Moderately increases all physical and metaphysical senses, including perception or battle sense related skills, during combat.
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The rings on the armor were effectively attached to the insides of the gloves, the bangles were basically fused to the outside of the bracers, and the circlet was molded into the helm in a way where you'd need to break the helmet to separate the two pieces. The entire set, even with the padding and thickness he'd added to it, remained the most dexterity-focused set he'd ever tried to make. The filigree was wrapped around the set's pieces in the same way the ivory growths had spread on Calderax - something Reid had been willing to copy wholesale because he liked how it looked.
As he noted the items on the table before him... and the floor, because the table wasn't large enough to lay everything out, Reid was willing to concede that he may have been on the wrong side of the 'appropriate' number of wearable equipment pieces in this set.
BUT.
This was for Sarah, which meant there was no limit.
He had to reach a hand out to the table to steady himself as his balance suddenly disappeared. He let himself down to the floor of the room, his eyes on the pieces laid there. He was proud of the entire set. There was a bit of disappointment that he had 'only' gotten five traits into the pieces. He wanted to do six-trait items for his daughter, but he just couldn't. If you gave it an asterisk, technically the filigree could be considered a sixth trait... except that was directly tied to the set, and wouldn't work on the individual pieces unless the set was sufficiently worn.
Reid had put as much emphasis as he could on the different styles of fighting she'd displayed, general good ideas for battle, and a few of his own tricks that he wanted to share. The two rings fell into the last category, and would help her keep up her skill use. The helm and circlet were meant to keep her aware and progressing as time went on. The bodice and brigandine both mitigated different kinds of attacks - and technically one of the bangles did, as well. The other bangle was meant to increase her offensive power, as a defense/offense pair. The War Collar was directly tied to the fact that he'd seen her using boosts repeatedly, and the amulet was drawn from a desire to prevent her from wearing herself out like she'd done when he first saw her in the cavern, defending the tower. The gloves and bracers both tried to focus on helping her in melee combat, and the various leg and foot items predictably involved improvements to speed, endurance, and positioning.
He pulled another water bottle from storage, and missed his mouth with the start of the pour. He tried to rub his now-wet cheek off on his shoulder, but the shirt there was soaked. Had he really been sweating that much? He hadn't thought so. Reid closed his eyes, and vividly pictured his own mana, snaked out to all the items, glowing brightly in the suite. It was as crisp as if he were watching it happen. The sensation reminded him of the spring break he'd spent glued to a screen. Prior to Susan, and Sara, Reid had a... healthy amount of hours in early real-time-strategy games. On the days when his parents had allowed him to spend the entire day on the computer, he would go to bed, with flashes of brightly colored troops and bases running across his vision as soon as he closed his eyes, like they were burned into his brain. That's what he saw now - except with crafting.
A reluctant realization hit him. He wasn't well positioned to do anything but rest. He'd taken more out of himself than he had any idea about, and his lack of realization at first was a symptom of the overuse, like adrenaline after a car crash. Reid rolled over, putting himself on his side against the wall, and let himself slip into a deep, recuperative sleep.
And as he slept, Reid dreamed. He saw himself failing to pull a child down from a tree. He witnessed himself trying to swim across a river, and help someone else. He saw the same thing, over and over, and each time a new dream began, the old one faded away. A dream faded out, and the new one faded in.
He and Susan were hovering over a green-sheeted bed in a white room, where Sara laid thin and frail. She was dying, and there was nothing they could do. An inexorable sickness had come upon her; one that no being had ever cured. Susan's hair was jet black, her sclera were an oddly bright white, and the tips of her fingers glowed with cerulean light. Reid tried to look at himself, but saw only obscure darkness.
The dream lurched, and he was holding Susan's glowing fingers in his own. They felt so fragile - almost as much as Sara's had in that white room. They stood in front of a piece of paper that only needed their signature. The stroke of a pen was all it required. That one, simple thing would save his child. That single act, which would also cause suffering. She would live - but others would suffer. Others would die. But hadn't he always been willing to kill for her? To die for Sara? This was no different, he told himself. This was just an expression of love. It was for Sara. And to keep her alive... Reid couldn't imagine something he would refuse. His obscured hand reached for the pen.
Reid's eyes opened to the stone room, and he clutched at his chest as something wrenched him from his sleep.
The last dream stayed solid in his mind.
"What the fuck was that?"
A knock sounded from the door - loud, and five strikes long. His head was overwhelmed trying to interpret what the hell had just happened in his dream, and what was happening now. It took him seconds to make the realization that five loud knocks wasn't a first-knock behavior. It was second set of knocks, at least.
"Dad? DAD?"
The barest bit of concern crept into his daughter's shouting voice as another set of knocks - the third set - rapped on the door. He groaned, and rose, and made a half-stumbling walk to the door. He wasn't as out of it as when he'd finished her armor, but he still didn't feel great. And that dream was clawing at the back of his mind.
The bone barrier holding the door shut went away, and Reid cracked open the door with the best lopsided smile he could muster.
"Hey, Sara."
She took him in with a single glance. "What's the matter?"
Information was still swirling, but Reid knew trying to accurately explain his condition by referencing the work on her armor, or the undesirable wake-up he'd just had would leave her worried. Plus, it would probably make her want to come in, and that would ruin the surprise of her new equipment. He decided on a half-truth.
"I was sleeping, and I wasn't done resting."
"Hm. Well... You wanted me to stop by when I was done with the elders, with my sword. But I can come back later."
Reid eyed the weapon and the scabbard, and put out a hand. "I can do what I need to after I finish my old man napping, don't worry. We can catch up after that. I'm sure you're busy."
Even as she slowly handed over the sword, the corner of the right side of her mouth pulled down like it was connected to an invisible string. She gave him a look.
"Are you sure you're okay, dad?"
He put a foot out the doorway and gave her a one-armed hug, while the other kept her sword at his side.
"Absolutely, kiddo."