Both the moving of the spark and the effect of your epithets use similar phrasing of "after you Spark Transcendence". Which to my understanding means they happen after the Spark Transcendence has resolved.
For your spark leaving an ikon and entering another this is usually smooth an only has mild drawbacks like when an non-weapon ikon has an attack Transcendence (Bands of Imprisonment for example).
That isn't the case with things like Root Epithets The Brave and The Cunning. Which have weird implications.
If Root Epithets trigger AFTER the Transcendence that means The Brave moves you away from your current target and The Cunning literally can never assist a Transcendence that is an attack. That just seems off.
Is the spark move meant to be "after you Spark Transcendence" but then the Epithets supposed to be "when you Spark Transcendence"?
Looking at the pattern of the abilities in Root Epithets regarding action costs, ordering, and timing...
Some (The Brave, The Cunning) give a Free Action to use after Spark Transcendence. It is not specified if this must be immediately after the Spark Transcendence action, but that appears to be the intent. I might be convinced to allow it at any time during the same turn as the Spark Transcendence action that allows it, but not in later turns.
One (The Deft) is similar in that it also gives a Free Action to use. However, that one specifies that it can be done either immediately before or immediately after the Spark Transcendence action.
The rest (The Mournful, The Proud, The Radiant) give effects with no action cost at all that are also designated to happen after the Spark Transcendence action.
In all of these cases, with the exception of The Deft which has an explicit override, the Epithets effects are all stated to happen after Spark Transcendence, not during Spark Transcendence.
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Regarding logistics and balance of The Brave and The Cunning:
In general, these Epithet abilities look to be general purpose utility abilities and action compression. Yes, there may be some that are not as useful for a particular build than others are. The Deft being a noteworthy example - that ability would not be very useful on a character specializing in melee weapons.
The Brave:
Yes, you are correct that you cannot Spark Transcendence using Barrow's Edge (for example) from 15 feet away from an enemy and use the Free Action Stride from The Brave to Stride to melee range before the Drink of my Foes attack.
If Drink of my Foes drops the enemy, you could use The Brave to Stride to the next enemy in the combat.
You could also use The Brave to Stride as a free action from using other Ikon abilities such as Fetching Bangles: Embrace of Destiny, or Gaze Sharp as Steel: A Moment Unending. Those both look like interesting combinations to me.
The Cunning:
Again, you are correct that you cannot use Drink of my Foes and then have The Cunning retroactively apply the effects of Feint to that attack.
Assuming you succeed at the Create a Diversion given as a Free Action from The Cunning, you could Sneak away after using Drink of my Foes. And both Create a Diversion or Feint would assist you in making a second attack after Drink of my Foes.
Edit: Barrow's Edge: Drink of my Foes is not itself an attack. Gleaming Blade: Flowing Spirit Strike would be a better example. The reasoning remains the same.
Regarding logistics and balance of The Brave and The Cunning:
In general, these Epithet abilities look to be general purpose utility abilities and action compression. Yes, there may be some that are not as useful for a particular build than others are. The Deft being a noteworthy example - that ability would not be very useful on a character specializing in melee weapons.
The Cunning specifically has multiple functions that can benefit your attacks but in the "after" timing can only actually benefit regular Strikes and attacks you gain from outside Exemplar. Some of which are situationally stronger than ikon versions and fairly easily accessed.
And I am not sure that saying an epithet that only does something for ranged weapons is bad for melee builds is a great example to explain the logic of a class feature that has a feint not being able to support any special attack you gain from your class.
Just look at it as not every epithet being "optimal" for every ikon (and vice versa). Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Just look at it as not every epithet being "optimal" for every ikon (and vice versa). Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
The Cunning is a class ability that literally has a function to support melee attacks, but not only can't support any attack the class gives you but for HALF the melee weapon ikons the feint is worse when you use your weapon Transcendence because the follow-up attack that can get the feint will be at maximum MAP.
I absolutely will not look at that and say "well not every epithet is optimal for every ikon".
It is objectively weird that a feature that supports melee attacks can't support the melee special attacks from your class and is counterintuitive with half the melee weapon ikons.
"York the Cunning" cannot dashingly feint as he goes in for the signature strike of his legendary gleaming blade. He can only be canny on regular jabs and things he picked up elsewhere. Actually his blade's signature ability gets in the way of him jabbing with cunning.
That is objectively weird conceptually.
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I absolutely will not look at that and say "well not every epithet is optimal for every ikon".
It is objectively weird that a feature that supports melee attacks can't support the melee special attacks from your class and is counterintuitive with half the melee weapon ikons.
"York the Cunning" cannot dashingly feint as he goes in for the signature strike of his legendary gleaming blade. He can only be canny on regular jabs and things he picked up elsewhere. Actually his blade's signature ability gets in the way of him jabbing with cunning.
That is objectively weird conceptually.
Well, you can talk to your GM about houseruling it it you want.
But here on the rules forum we follow what the rules say. And the rules, as was already quoted by NorrKnekten are:
An effect that occurs after you Spark Transcendence happens immediately after your transcendence action is completely resolved.
That is absolutely and completely unambiguous.
The Cunning will only happen after Gleaming Blade: Flowing Spirit Strike completely resolves, so it cannot affect the outcome of that attack.