Path of Exile Talent Competition

My draw:)


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This is my original composition and an entry to the Path of Exile Talent Competition 2021. The song is supposed to take place at the very beginning of the upcoming Path of Exile 2 where our hero narrowly escapes his/her impending doom.

"I don't know what lies ahead. All I know is I escaped at the last hour.
Muddling through this ditch, trying to survive the night..."

Youtube Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2_toYhIdhw

Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/user-15964977/lumonium-escape-path-of-exile-talent-competition-2021

Entry for Talent Competition

How to not farm for chromatic orbs.

Using some basic metallurgy, my aim was to cast bismuth into chromatic orbs for my mad economic scheme.

Below are my attempts and the process. Very geometric! Unfortunately i vaaled the material and lost my color.

Process

Bismuth has a pretty low melting point, only about 500 degrees F. Simply melt it outside in cast iron pan, pour into 'mold' (a sauce pan), and drain excess out as it cools into crystals. You can get vibrant colors with luck with ambient oxygen, but i only got some yellow from the oil in the pan to prevent sticking.



8 lbs. of the metal ready to melt



Ready to cast



Casting into the calibrated kitchen sauce pan



More pieces! May have accidentally made sulphite

"

HolySkuld wrote:

I just made this little version of Einhar :)

You win dude.

"

Tartharos wrote:

Well here I bring you my version of The Maven, to the great boss of this expansion!




I do not know how I will be on time this month, but if I find another opportunity I will try to bring Zana since I would like to make one in my style.

Thanks and I hope you like it.

Hoe maven? :D You are brave sir.

We are close...

"

thedarkflower wrote:

If not "Divine Power!" I wouldn't even recognize that BDSM enthusiast lol.

Are those exposed nipples? :o

My entry, in the form of a short story. The Price of Prescience

I'll probably narrate this in the next couple days & update this post with a video of this in audio form.

It is up to the reader to decide if this 'heretical text' existed late in the Vaal empire, and if it did, whether it faithfully records the words of Aul, the Crystal King or was mere political intrigue and an elaborate fabrication.


A Meeting

In the Court of Mirrors, Doryani bowed before his Queen.

Atziri's perfect form sent a shudder down his spine, as it always did. The Queen certainly knew how to weaponize her beauty, and clothing was banned in Her presence. Doryani remained at the nadir of his bow, his joints aching as he awaited an audience.

"Rise, thaumaturgist. You may address me."

Doryani rose, and spoke.

"My beloved Queen, my advocates have discovered a new heretical apocalyptic text being circulated among the commoners. I have overseen rounding up those who possess copies, and given them to Ahuana, Tzamoto and Paquate."

"I request your leave to investigate further, to determine the original source of this blasphemy. These texts are being carefully produced and shared by someone looking to undermine you. Someone powerful, someone with resources."

"I shall tread carefully here," Atziri replied. "An eternal Queen requires an eternal stream of sacrifices. I would rather not burn the Empire to the ground, it may dry up the flow of sacrifices later. Curse aging! Curse the tyranny of time, curse the need to keep these commoners around."
Queen Atziri's arms rose as she spoke again, to ask a single question.

"What is this text anyway?"

Doryani reached down and lifted a scroll of parched vellum. "It is called The Price of Prescience. It claims to be the memoirs of Aul, a King who came before our grand Empire, and the text fortells his Doom, as well as ours. It has a recently added preamble, a despicable work, a hex upon You and the glorious sacrifices your empire is built upon."

"Present it to me. I must know the minds of those who make themselves into my enemies. And if you find the one spreading this filth, don't give them to Ahuana or Paquate. Zilquapa earned a boon from me, and he requires skin and souls to fashion a new carapace. If the author of this heresy is loyal to one who is not their Queen, Zilquapa will extract a price for that loyalty. A price they will pay forever."

Doryani followed the Queen's demand immediately, handing over the scroll. Zilquapa in favour? That eldritch-obsessed idiot? Could Doryani be underestimating him?

For now, Doryani put thoughts of Zilquapa out of mind. He needed to be gone well before Atziri read that cursed text.


Atziri unrolled the scroll, and started to read. It began with an accusation. Rare wrinkles appeared on her forehead. Not signs of age, of course. These marks epitomized rage.
She would bathe in fresh blood tonight, to erase the memory of that wrinkle. Perhaps she would season the bath with Doryani's blood, although it was hard to sacrifice one as useful as him.
She grasped her spear, and continued to read.

The Price of Prescience, Preamble

"Queen Atziri forfeited her sovereignty the day that she chose to murder her people."

"Atziri promises us eternal life. The only eternity we shall have is in the memories of the barbarians that shall plant their crops on our graves."

There was a King long before Atziri. This King was Aul.

This WORK is the words of Aul. We, the Vaal, are the fleshlings He speaks of.

Atziri is not eternal. Aul KNEW a time before, a time when she WAS NOT. There will be a time again when the mirror is SHATTERED, its shards scattered. The terrible Vaal Temple shall FALL and be NO MORE.

HEAR the words of Aul, The Crystal King. READ of the Fate of the Vaal. Work to CHANGE it. Shatter the Crown of the Tyrant.

KILL Atziri before she kills us. Rise from your knees now, before the DOOM that Aul foretells engulfs us all."

The Price of Prescience, First Canto - I Am Aul

I WAS Aul, Dominator of the Gorgol and Warrior-Prince of the Crystal Throne.

I AM Aul, the Crystal King, though my kingdom IS NOT.

I WILL BE forever. I will rise AGAIN.

I have SEEN the rise of the fleshlings. I have SEEN the fall of their empire.

I will OUTLAST these weak fools, and rebuild upon the ASHES of their twisted temple.

Hear my words. Know what I know. And most of all, know the PRICE of seeing the future.

The Price of Prescience, Second Canto - I Sought Power

I WAS Aul, Dominator of the Gorgol and Warrior-Prince of the Crystal Throne. I WAS thirteenth in the succession.

I WAS the betrothed of Quartzyl, who WAS the Emerald Princess and THIRD in the succession. She WAS a wonder, and held my heart.

I WAS ambitious. Thirteenth was not enough. I sought POWER.

I spent my cycles learning to LEAD, and researching the forsaken texts.

I trained the Ruby Legion and was their LEADER when we destroyed the Lightless monstrosities crafted by Sapphirus. I inflicted DEFEAT upon Sapphirus in single combat, brought her to be KNELT by the Crystal Throne, then SHATTERED her heart with the Emerald Maul and cast her remains into the Magma Fissure. Her monstrosities were hunted, and we did CAST DOWN them all.

With each VICTORY I earned RESPECT. This is the WAY of the LEADER. Earn LOYALTY of your lessers, their BLIND FAITH will become your greatest WEAPON. Earn the LOYALTY of your superiors, as it will make you irreplaceable until the day you REMOVE them.

I sought KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge is POWER. With the forsaken texts, I LEARNED.

With the forsaken texts, I DISCOVERED the Obsidian Obelisk. It was SHROUDED in mist, and it SPOKE to me. It WHISPERED of the FUTURE, of ETERNITY.

The WRITINGS spoke of the Obelisk. One and two and three and four, TEN visions it would grant, each a BLESSING and a CURSE.

One for the NOW. It would pass within a cycle, or even less. Most who saw the FIRST VISION lacked the COURAGE to return. It is my REGRET that I did not lack this COURAGE.

Two for the SOON. These VISIONS would show the future for a generation. Each would be both blessing and curse.

Three for the FUTURE. These VISIONS show what WILL BE, in times LONG AWAY.

And FOUR for ETERNITY. These VISIONS unfold over the timelines of GODS.

The WRITINGS said nothing of just how high the PRICE would be. For once it is SEEN, the future REFUSES change.

The Price of Prescience, Third Canto - Vision Of Victory

I WAS Aul, Dominator of the Gorgol, Consort of Emerald Princess Quartzyl and Warrior-Prince of the Crystal Throne. Sapphirus was gone, her heart SHATTERED and her remains CAST OUT.

I WAS NOW number twelve in the succession.

I did VISIT the Obsidian Obelisk.

There I did HEAR the VOICE.

"You are your own worst enemy"

I DID NOT heed the WORDS. I walked through the ARCHWAY and approached the OBELISK and did lay hands upon it.

Sensation WAS NOT, and then WAS AGAIN.

I stood before the Crystal Throne, and mist WAS.

"You will be remembered as a traitor and a tyrant."

The SIX SCULPTURES did not show the face of Rubinda, the Crystal Queen. In this vision, the SIX SCULPTURES arrayed over the Throne instead showed my face.

Through the mist I caught a GLANCE of quartz lying on the ground. When in the vision I KNEW NOT that I had SEEN Quartzyl, my CONSORT, my Emerald Princess, lying SHATTERED.

"Do you not wonder what tugs at the strings of fate? What stands astride the abyss and beckons you to fall?"

Two cycles later, this vision WOULD BE. Power BECAME mine, and the curse that I KNEW NOT fell upon me.

I foresaw my RISING, and my VICTORY. That was my BLESSING. Later I learned the PRICE. My Quartzl.

The Price of Prescience, Fourth Canto - The Truth Of A Vision

Aul's Uprising, they called it, once they worked out WHO was behind it. By then, the Crystal Throne was MINE.

I did FOOL the Crystal Court and SUNDER its loyalties. I did TURN Prince against Queen, Princess against Legion Commander. I did RETAIN the loyalty of my TROOPS, and did UNLEASH them.

I commanded but one sixth of one sixth of the Legions. That was ENOUGH.
Quartzyl did REALISE what I was doing, and did TURN AGAINST me. In the fighting, she WAS LOST, and I ROSE to eleventh. Her LOSS was the PRICE paid for my RISE. She WAS NOT, but our son Zircon WAS STILL.

With a heart hard as DIAMOND, I did ACCUSE Rubinda of SHATTERING Quartzyl, and CAST HER DOWN. I took the Emerald Maul and SHATTERED her heart, crafting the FRAGMENTS into an amulet that bore my NAME.

Aul's Uprising.

Quartzyl would REST in the FROZEN HOLLOW, her remains SANCTIFIED. Rubinda's remains were CAST INTO the Sulphur Vents and ENCRUSTED with muck.

Hungry for power, I did RETURN to the Obsidian Obelisk.

The Price of Prescience, Fifth Canto - Visions Of Conflict

Once more I did VISIT the Obsidian Obelisk.

There again I did HEAR the VOICE.

"You're quite the slaughterer. Should I be wary of you?"

"Guilt is weighing you down."

Again I HEEDED NOT and approached the OBELISK and did lay hands upon it.

Sensation WAS NOT, and then WAS AGAIN.

Once more I stood by the Crystal Throne, shrouded in mist. I could see all, even behind me.

I saw Zircon, full grown, approach BEHIND me and STRIKE with a FACETED DAGGER.

My SON did try to UNMAKE me. I tapped the HATRED imbued into my AMULET, and struck back with a PERFECT SERRATED blade, and Zircon WAS LOST.

This VISION would BLESS me by unmasking the UNSEEN ENEMY, and its CURSE was that I would lose the most important remnant of Quartzyl I still held.

Sensation WAS NOT, and then WAS AGAIN.

This time I stood on the crumbled REMAINS of the Ruby Concourse, shrouded in MIST and DARK. Monsters - the Spawn of Sapphirus - did SHATTER the beautiful GEMSTONES of the Concourse, devouring their LIGHT.

In my VISION I commanded six times six Legions, each six times six times six times six warriors. We did BATTLE with the Spawn, and we did BRING THEM DOWN.

This VISION gave me knowledge of a powerful foe once thought VANQUISHED, and the CURSE that I would be unable to prevent the most BEAUTIFUL structure in the world being SUNDERED. Without its LIGHT, the Ruby Concourse DEGRADED into primordial blocks.

The VISION ended.

Armed with these VISIONS, I abandoned my training of Zircon to ensure he could not CAST ME DOWN in combat, and MOVED a half-six of legions to the Ruby Concourse. I KNEW NOT that one of these half-six legions was HEADED by Zircon's love.

Zircon's ENVY of my SECRETS and his LOVE drove him to RESENT me. He did craft a FACETED DAGGER to surprise me, and USURPED the Ruby Concourse legions, preparing them to STRIKE AT me.

Had that VISION never come, I would not have CAUSED that future. That cursed VISION did CAUSE its own TRUTH.

But I KNEW NOT at the time the PRICE of PRESCIENCE. I saw the VISION as my salvation.


The Price of Prescience, Sixth Canto - Visions Of Collapse

Before Zircon did STRIKE at me, I did visit the OBELISK again, and did lay hands upon it.

Sensation WAS NOT, and then WAS AGAIN.

Three VISIONS were revealed to me. One is forgotten and LOST to me.

One showed five fleshlings who DARED to attack ME. One in quartz hues STRUCK at me with the eroding winds and bitter cold, and I STILL STOOD. Another in emerald hues called forth vipers, and still I STOOD. A third in topaz hues struck with blunt force, and still I STOOD. The fourth, shrouded in ruby hues, called forth lightning, and I still STOOD. But the fifth, in obsidian and ruby hues, did make it RAIN STARS and almost CAST ME DOWN with his meteors and beams. I fled from this fleshling assault, and did DROP my amulet. I was unable to CAST DOWN even one of them.

The other VISION showed ME in the presence of GREATNESS. A strangely familiar entity, obsidian hues shrouded in mist.

"And the rivers ran red with the blood of innocents..."

Around us an unusual landscape WAS. Curious metal and sculpted basalt WAS, and the basalt altar was COATED in the red juice of DESTROYED fleshlings.

"An entire civilization caught in a blood-hungry frenzy. What a delight it was to witness."

One fleshling was HELD DOWN to a basalt OBJECT, and another fleshling did seize a KNIFE of POOR MAKE. With this KNIFE the restrained fleshling was CAST DOWN and its red juice LOST.

I walked through this TEMPLE and saw most walls had been CAST DOWN. The mist engulfed all.

The mist CAUSED NOT the temple COLLAPSE. I CAUSED it NOT. The fleshlings did CAUSE that. I KNOW NOT how, but KNOWLEDGE IS. Did the basalt REJECT the red juice?

"I will never stop searching for that which sends you spiralling into the abyss."

Sensation WAS NOT, and then WAS AGAIN.

I did touch the OBELISK the fourth time.

"Time is a veil. You exist in the singular eternity."


The Price of Prescience, Seventh Canto - Reflections

I WAS Aul, the Crystal King.

I AM Aul, Eternal Witness. Aul who ENDURED the FALL.

I will ENDURE the NEXT FALL. The FALL of the fleshlings.

I have SEEN that I will RISE AGAIN.

I wish to REST and not ENDURE. I wish I KNEW NOT the future.

A future I did CHANGE because of what I KNEW.

After the FALL and after the fleshling FALL, I WILL AGAIN BE Aul, the Crystal King.

I would TRADE my eternity to rest FREE of the PRICE OF PRESCIENCE.


The Price of Prescience, Postscript

Aul WAS. This story is true.

But Aul was WRONG.

The future IS NOT written. We can stop our FALL.

We can slay the Queen before she CASTS DOWN the Vaal Temple.

Rise together and kill the Queen. Let us sacrifice Ahuana, Doryani and Xibaqua so that their vain quest for glory suffocates us no longer.

Here is my second submission, a gameplay video :

Rampage 1000

It features a lot of cool rampagesplosions, but also a mystical moment with the Envoy.

Hope you like it !



Build is a Lightning Tendrils Trickster that I've shown on the forum.

I used an orb of annulment and an orb of alchemy and some catalysts on Ms Maven.

She is cute.Thank you GGG.

"

frostdust wrote:

I used an orb of annulment and an orb of alchemy and some catalysts on Ms Maven.

She is cute.Thank you GGG.

woo that maven is beautiful, I really like your illustration and colors

Hello! This is my entry to the talent competition, its a small poem I wrote about a righteous fire witch. Hope you guys enjoy :)

My contribution, hope you like it.

The tireless quest for Exalted Orbs.







https://www.artstation.com/ffernandes