Ascension in Monvesia, Part 3: Path

Once a character gains a sponsor, he must reach 20th level before setting off on the path to sainthood. The main principle that a petitioner must follow is to be true to his chosen Sphere, and to bring it glory and honor during the trials. Each path requires that a mortal pass five tough requirements:

1. The character’s adventures must gain him a specific amount of experience. This amount is 36,000 XP for most characters but only 24,000 XP for the Path the Sphere favors. 
2. The character must complete a new quest to retrieve an artifact from his sphere of power. The quest for this artifact should take several game years. 
3. The character must successfully complete a trial of specific value to his class and the sphere (see below). 
4. The character must prepare a testimonial to his greatness, a combination of followers and a lasting monument. Eighty percent of the character’s followers must be alive when he completes the path. The monument to his greatness must be financed by the character, and he must participate in its creation by either adventuring for components and manpower or by taking the risks of the actual physical construction. 
5. The character must complete a specific monumental task that will benefit his sphere (see below for details). 

At the end of these steps, the character must return to the pilgrimage site and meet with the Saintly sponsor. If the character has failed to complete any of the steps, the Saint may set further requirements to be fulfilled before sainthood is granted. If all of the steps are completed, the Saint reviews the whims of chance. Roll 1d10. If a 1 is rolled, the petitioner has failed and is not granted immortality. He may request further tasks, or he may give up. If the petitioner is granted immortality, he may take a year and a day to complete his mortal affairs and then must leave the mortal realm to take one's place in the outer domains of the Spheres.

The six Saintly Paths are:

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Adversary

The Path of the Adversary favors Nihilists; and is favored by the Necrosphere.

Quest:  The petitioner must quest for an artifact that will allow him to control, command, manipulate, and/or alter death (or the undead).

For non-"evil" characters, this could be a resurrection or reincarnation artifact.

Trial:  The petitioner must locate an infiltrate the inner circle of a leader of the opposing Sphere.  After no less than 2 years of game time, the petitioner must eliminate (through murder, entrapment, blackmail, etc.) that leader and any clear successors.  If the petitioner has become close enough to be a successor, he or she must publicly renounce their claim.

Testimony:  After eliminating this leadership, the petitioner must convert at least 10% of that leader's former followers to their own cause.  These followers should be trained as agents in opposition to their former allies.  These agents must continue at least 20 years without direct leadership from the petitioner--and without deviating from their cause.

Task:  The petitioner must seek out another petitioner for sainthood, and cause that other petitioner to displease their Saintly sponsor three times.

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Confessor

The Path of the Confessor favors Altruists; and is favored by the Heirosphere.

Quest:  The petitioner must quest for an artifact that will allow him to control, command, manipulate, and/or alter social interaction or standing.

Trial:  The petitioner must lead his or her followers on a 3-years crusade into territory controlled by followers of the opposing Sphere--preferably territory once controlled by follower's of the petitioner's own Sphere.  During this time, the petitioner and his or her followers must convert followers and claim territory in the name of their cause.  Followers and territory gained must be held for at least 20 years following the crusade.  The petitioner should face at least 4 major challenges to their cause during this crusade.

This crusade does not need to be a military endeavor.

Testimony:  The petitioner must found a knightly or clerical order that has influence and draws membership from at least three, different countries.   The petitioner must erect a shrine to his or her cause; this shrine must stand for at least 10 years, attracting no less than 100 pilgrims each year.

Task:  After the crusade, the petitioner must embark on a solitary mission to seek out three other leaders of the same Sphere who are being openly persecuted.  The petitioner must rescue these allies from their persecution at any cost; and they must do so openly, not covertly.  At least one of these rescues must be seemingly impossible.

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Dynast

The Path of the Dynast favors Dynamists; and is favored by the Hydrosphere.

Quest:  The petitioner must quest for an artifact that will allow him to control, command, manipulate, and/or alter time.

Trial:  The petitioner must travel forward in time to three separate periods and help three different descendants to retain their realms/orders/authority, perpetuating the dynasty.

The realm, order, ad/or authority of the successor need not be the same that was founded by the petitioner--though it must have at least a direct link to the petitioner's foundation.

Testimony:  The petitioner must create a realm with a population of at least 30,000 inhabitants, or an order (religious, knightly, criminal, etc.) of at least 1,000 active  members. The petitioner must also design and build a great new capital (palace/fortress/temple).

Task:  The petitioner must found a dynasty. The dynasty must be ruled by the petitioner and his or her descendants for at least 20 years of the character’s life. At the end of this time, the petitioner must have a living grandchild to inherit the dynasty. This grandchild may be adopted instead of a blood relative but must be announced as the heir. During the 20 years, the petitioner should face at least four major challenges to his rule of the land.

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Legend

The Path of the Legend favors Idealists; and is favored by the Aerosphere.

Quest:  The petitioner must quest for an artifact that will allow him to control, command, manipulate, and/or alter minds (knowledge, memory, perception, etc.).

Trial:  The petitioner must track down and bring about the destruction of an artifact or powerful creature of the opposing Sphere.

Testimony:  The petitioner must find and train a successor. The successor must be the player character of a different player. In addition, the petitioner must have a piece of equipment used during his or her adventures become a item of legend.

Task:  The petitioner must complete an epic quest to perform a nearly impossible task, such as driving all dragons from the land or building a castle in the sky. This quest should take about five years to complete.

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Polymath 

The Path of the Polymath favors Materialists; and is favored by the Lithosphere.

Quest:  The petitioner must quest for an artifact that will allow him to control, command, manipulate, and/or alter his/her body or the bodies of others.

Trial:  The petitioner must face the challenge to succeed in four lives as warrior, priest, expert, and mage (three in addition to his or her current life). The petitioner, during each of their lives, must quest for and gain the same artifact (see above). He or she begins each new career at first level, with no memories of previous lives. The quests may not begin until the character reaches 3rd level in each life. The first three times the artifact is gained, the petitioner's sponsor reappears to the character within 10-200 days to claim it. The sponsor then reduces the character to first level and causes him or her to forget his past so that he may begin as the next character class. The fourth time the artifact is gained, the character may retain it, and the sponsor returns all past memories.

Testimony:  The petitioner must be accompanied on his adventures by one member of each class type. These comrades may not begin at a level higher than the character. If any of these characters are slain, the petitioner must take steps to resurrect them, setting aside his or her quest if necessary. Once the trial is completed and before beginning the task, the petitioner must erect a monument at least 100 feet tall to the glory of his adventures. This monument must stand for at least 10 years.

If using a psionicist class, there are special considerations.  See that post for details.

Task:  After completing the final step of the trial, the petitioner must adventure alone until he or she has earned an additional 24,000 experience points. He or she retains the abilities of all character classes and levels previously learned in other lives.

Mechanically, the character resumes his or her career as a 20th level character, having earned a number of experience points equal to the total of all XP earned in all lives.  Using the multiclass rules, determine the character's class abilities based on the highest level earned in each class.  Even though the total class levels will exceed 20, contine to treat the character as 20th level.

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Thaumaturge 

The Path of the Thatumaturge favors Vitalists; and is favored by the Pyrosphere.

Quest:  The petitioner must quest for an artifact that will allow him to control, command, manipulate, and/or alter the flow of energy.

Trial:  The petitioner must create an entirely new magic item. The cost of the research to create such an item equals the XP of the character. The components to make the item should be extremely rare and difficult to find, including at least one impossible item (for example, the footfall of a cat or the roar of a lion).

Testimony:  The peitioner must recruit at least six apprentices and they must rise at least 7 levels while in his service. He must also transform the land for 100 miles around his home. This transformation must give the land a unique appearance and range of inhabitants.

Task:  The petitioner must be acknowledged the superior of all other spell-casters within a 1,000 mile radius. He may accomplish this through magical duels or by driving all other casters out of his lands. The character should challenge at least eight spell-casters of 15th level or greater. These casters may team up against the petitioner.

Edited August 19, 2015.