Penumbra is derived from paene and umbra, an 'almost shadow', the grey area between total obscurity and light where possibility resides. The obvious interpretation is that this refers to the Border Zone, the intersection between ruin-studded Vane and the primal Overgrowth. Wild, rife with possibility, a frontier far from what most would call civilization, where those who're willing to risk terrorism can carve out fiefdoms for themselves. Now that we know more about the Bleak Ravens, it seems to match their capabilities better. Auguries, shadow-manipulation, and so on. Even unreliable foresight is a borderline outside context problem for Cultivators, who are limited to their Dao-derived abilities. It's no wonder the Ravens are the dominant Sect in the region.
We should be able to fearmonger their rivals into acting, though. If the Patriarch's first act on attaining Reality Forming was the immediate elimination of competition, the survivors could very well be next if he stabilizes his foundation and emerges resurgent. The implicit support of Ming and Yong will push any fence-sitters to seize the day, and hopefully the massed forces of their enemies will provide a suitable distraction. Discarding diplomacy is unfortunate, though, since that was one of the perks of Direct Investigation. This could go poorly if the lich is cooperating with the Patriarch for whatever reason, though the Diagram-afflictions targeting lower level officers and exsanguinated Ravens found nearby are promising signs (lower-case s, sadly). With enough creative liberties taken (lying is so gauche!), this could be construed as a rescue attempt. We coopted local Sects and pitted the Cultivators against each other to break the siege of the lich's sanctum. That's our story, and we're sticking to it.
Southern Vane had not the Center's engulfing majesty or Northern Yong's pastoral vividness, but possessed an eccentric charm of its own, an air of bombed-out serendipity that reminded him of pictures he'd seen of post-WWII Europe. Moldering ruins and fantastical oddities abounded, set against a backdrop of rolling farmland and quaint, Western-style villages. Larger cities were partially colonized by the Imperial 'oriental' aesthetic, but it was more architectural symbiosis than homogenizing plague. Clocktowers of weathered marble rose statesmanlike over the courtyards of Daoist temples; lichen-crusted fortress walls loomed protectively over open bazaars, markets alive with the scurrying of rickshaws and the clamor of haggling merchants.
Less enterprising vibrancy than we were led to believe, but the imagery is vivid and compelling, if bittersweet. There's no conflict of culture, no need for the Cultivators to assert themselves by aggressively erasing the legacy of their predecessors. In a way, the elegant symbiosis is even more depressing for what it represents. The land is gradually reclaiming the last vestiges of the Age of Truth. When erosion has worn away the sigils and moss swallowed the last of the towers, who will remain to remember? Just us? If we pass on the teachings of the Diagram, are our students also subject to the Doom?
There was something whimsical, yet deeply melancholy about the land. Northern Yong as-yet lived its high noon, but the sun had long set on Southern Vane. Outside the extravagant Ruby Court itself, the region sported very few Cultivator cities, for any mid-sized settlement that failed to contain a Dao Cleaving-or-higher expert was under the remote but menacing prospect of Diagram Lich attack.
Amusing that Dao Cleaving Cultivators are effectively nuclear deterrents, hoary monsters in whose shadow a city can safely shelter, and we've rocketed straight up to that level. Mother was considered the greatest prodigy of the White Orchid Sect, given the title of Assassin-Princess, and she's only at the peak of Dao Cleaving. Maybe not even that, at the time of her defection.
Yong Clan headhunters of the Reality Forming stage could slay Diagram terrorists without locating their phylacteries, but few other paths of Cultivation demonstrated so comprehensive an offensive ability, and Northern Yong was literally halfway across the world.
Hm, it might be worth looking up other members of the Clan in the area, to see if they have any leads on spells from liches that they've killed. It's depressing to think that there are sanctums out there with shattered phylacteries, forgotten and unlooted because a headhunter applied fist to face and moved on.
But now, at long last - six months of travel by the Imperial Calendar, many multiples of that considering his time dilation - he'd made it to his first destination. The Border Zone between Southern Vane and Eastern Kong sported a ragged gradient where Southern ruins faded into the Overgrowth. Here, interactions between the exotic magics of prior ages and the robust wildlife of Kong spawned a multifarious domain of formidable beasts, monster-infested dungeons, and potent-but-poisonous vegetation. A spiritual bramble thicket, far from the few Kong cities or the concentrated power of the Ruby Court, teeming with abominations that frequently sported esoteric capabilities.
Sounds like a good time for all involved. Yongshan was a popular option discarded for its lack of synergy with Nameless' strengths and spoiled nature, but we seem to have reached a compromise option, however circuitous the path.
For low-level Cultivators, a locale not worth the risk of exploitation, despite its relative abundance of resources. For the mighty, a distant and politically marginalized zone not worth the time to explore. For Nameless - an immortal psuedolich, immune to offensive Diagrams, with no vital organs in his flesh body - it was nearly perfect. It was likely that other Diagram liches believed the same. If he dug deeply enough, he expected to find a Diagram stronghold in a pocket dimension anchored here, containing peers and contemporaries of his ancient mentor. Whether they received him fearfully or well, he would extract what secrets he could before they perished.
It'll be a bit awkward if they ask for our assistance, seeing as they're irrevocably Doomed.
The minor city of Deplian was the closest outpost to this section of the border, a regional river port and trade hub defended (and contested) by four minor Sects with Patriarchs in the mid-to-high Dao Cleaving stage. An unusually powerful Cultivator presence for this area, and the surrounding territory was relatively barren - picked clean - as a result, but a day's teleportation from here would bring one into pristine wilderness.
Boasting a population of three million mortals within the city proper, it contained the bare level of infrastructure that a Ming Princess might find acceptable. It was here that he had asked Xiaoling to meet them, and already at this distance he could see the wake of disarray generated by her arrival.
I guess it takes a trade hub to accommodate the heiress to the Trade Throne.
"Xiaoling doesn't get along well with others," he said offhandedly to Suizhen. "When we get there, hang back at first and let me handle her."
Good to see we're anticipating the conflict and planning for how to handle it.
"Of course, sir!" Suizhen saluted. "I'm content to be left alone to further my training. B-besides, I'm a bodyguard. You should only rely on me when diplomacy turns out poorly!"
Little bit of insecurity showing through. For someone nominally from a Great Clan, Suizhen's not very cultured. She stammers and falls back on formalities like the employer-bodyguard relationship to make up for her social shortcomings. It's not endearing, exactly, but it humanizes her. I wouldn't have anticipated this just from reading the Prodigy blurb.
"I certainly can't rely on you to protect us against scams," he needled gently. Suizhen stiffened, embarrassed.
She should be careful of senbon; way too easy to needle.
"S-sir! You could have told me that those 'Spiritwood fruits' were but normal cherries! Does not your Ring allow you to see through all manner of illusion?"
...really not very cultured. How much does she know about the Ring, anyway? Categorical illusion immunity would explain its eye-catching nature and make it a valuable treasure, but not one incredible enough to inspire theft or murder.
"One could say the same for the eyes of Kong," he observed. "But there's nothing wrong with overpaying a bit for some fresh cherries. They were well-grown and delicious. Besides, the only way you could have made that mistake honestly was if you'd never had any before, and who am I to deny my diligent bodyguard an expansion of her culinary horizons?"
Nameless is a real saint, providing valuable life lessons and letting some of his wealth trickle down to the common man. I wonder why he allowed it. Just for the sake of Suizhen's education, to reward a good scam well-executed? Was he impressed with the sheer audacity of trying to pass cherries off as 'spiritwood fruits'?
"But we're already low on money as it is..." Suizhen slumped. "Sir, you're consuming so many materials on your own, is it really alright to spend so much on me as well? At this rate I'll never work off my debt! To say nothing of your Quickening fee..."
Our Quickening fee, huh? I can see how she's racked up such a huge debt. I shouldn't be surprised that we charge for that, since it's taxing for Nameless, but I'm impressed at his shamelessness. Will we ask the Sect Patriarchs we plan to empower to pay as well? Maybe grudgingly offer them a discount, since we're allies?
"That is the plan," he nodded sagely. "But really, Suizhen, two centuries' wages is nothing. Anything less than a millennium is an eyeblink in the life of a Titan, and I'm sure your rates will increase as you grow in power."
Suizhen's voracious consumption of Cultivation resources was cited as a downside for picking the Prodigy. She raises a valid question;
is it really all right to invest so much into her? "If you owe the bank ten thousand dollars, the bank owns you; if you owe the bank a million dollars, you own the bank," as the saying goes. But without that same investment, will she even be useful? If we investigate Xylitemmeral, she's superfluous; if we go for the Vault, she stays behind. At this rate, how will she ever kill Kong Zang? Suizhen is the sort of person to pick the Geas of Indenture, though. Mortgage her future to pay for the present? Sounds like a bargain to her! The color scheme even matches.
He paused. "I still can't believe you've never eaten a cherry before. Does the house of Kong truly suffer from such grievous deprivation? Is his tyrannical denial of foodstuffs the reason you want to off your old Patriarch?"
When you live in the Overgrowth, I imagine anyone who experiments by random fruits without Forbidden Techniques dedicated to withstanding poison is quickly culled by natural selection.
"I could add it to the list," Suizhen joked happily. Her mood was generally positive now that she'd broken into Soul Chrysalis. By anyone's standard, his bodyguard was an immaculate prodigy, though he was a bit concerned that she wouldn't be able to benefit from his Ego Barrier revision.
Being able to joke about her vengeance is impressive. Some of her amiability can probably be traced back to the need to keep her designs a secret or risk being executed for treason. Now that she's found someone she can reveal everything to, she's overcompensating and excusing our manipulations for the sake of preserving what might charitably be called a friendship. Convenient for Nameless, though.
They moved down into the city proper, and Xiaoling greeted him outside the steps of Deplian's largest hotel, a middling fifty-story affair built into the foundations of an old Diagram fortress. She had, of course, rented the entire thing.
Speaking of overcompensating, the
entire hotel? Surely her luggage doesn't take that much space. Why even bother with it all? Even Kayneth only booked the top twenty-four floors of the Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel.
"Unloved child!" She shrieked gleefully, gathering up her skirts and rushing down to embrace him. "It's been far too long."
Not having a name is convenient in some ways, I guess. Each friend can pick the euphemism that best represents our relationship. Sir for Suizhen, Unloved Child for Xiaoling, Nerd Boy for Liefang, and so on.
"Spoiled brat," he said, returning her hug affectionately. "And how are you? Not suffering too terribly, I hope."
Hey, it takes one to know one. Pot, meet kettle.
Her ears had been allowed to grow, he noted, and were now disguised by a minor but true Artifact, a thin golden choker. A product of her mysterious mother?
Hm, they've met before? Or is he just going off of descriptions in her letters? The Artifact is interesting; being willing to siphon off a fragment of your soul to protect your child is the gold standard for parenting. Not unusual for an elf, but I wonder about Xiaoling's father? Elven charisma is purportedly impressive. Is he using Xiaoling as a surrogate for his elven waifu, doting on her as the living representation of their love?
"I'm put out," she replied, doe-like eyes flashing. "Not only were you late, forcing me to subsist within this hovel, but now I see you've picked up a stray! Why didn't you mention her in your letter?"
I suppose you could call Suizhen's loyalty dogged, but I'd like to avoid comparing Nameless to Imperia, however obliquely. They did both sacrifice their names for power, though...
"She's my bodyguard," he replied, amused. "The genius, if you recall. Suizhen broke through into Soul Chrysalis last month, a day before her fifteenth birthday."
What is the calendar here, anyway, apart from one of Grandfather's many titles? Did the Divinities just steal it from Earth?
"Ah," Xiaoling sniffed disdainfully. "It's good she's blessed with something. The girl is rather plain."
And so it begins, the shot heard around the
world thread. The opening salvo of the waifu wars.
"I find her eyes very striking," he teased, turning and waving to Suizhen.
Blue is Nameless' favorite color. If only Suizhen's eyes could literally strike people down. Who knows, maybe the Sharingan parallels will continue and she'll develop the ability to set people on fire by glaring at them? That'd be nice.
Xiaoling, if he were to be frank, was indeed a heart-stopping beauty, even among the noble ladies of the Ming Court. Her light brown hair, pale green eyes, and near-translucent skin made her partial elven heritage very clear; that heritage, in conjunction with her intimidating looks and ferocious personality, had driven away most of the would-be allies and admirers in their peer group.
Green eyes fit the catty, jealous demeanor.
She had been a generous and gregarious child, openly disclosing her half-elf ancestry to him when they'd first met, but the official story was that she was only one-eighth elven (an acceptable degree of deviance for an heiress of the Trade Throne). Many of her friends of lower stature, to whom she had also disclosed the truth, had been assassinated in order to maintain the pretense. The distraught Xiaoling was subsequently spoiled by her apologetic father, and she learned that a combative stance towards others was safer for all involved. Habit became character, and Xiaoling's original open-hearted motivations had perhaps been forgotten along the way.
Without the previous experience of a past life to temper Heroic Passions and inundated with luxury, it's a wonder Xiaoling turned out so well. Perhaps her original character isn't as buried as Nameless thinks. Her history explains why Seconding her improves her disposition, though, since she can discard the combative habits originally intended to protect people. Suizhen and Xiaoling both have secrets that present barriers to closeness.
"Eyes of Kong," Xiaoling said, studying his bodyguard. Her own eyes narrowed in response. "And of that purity grade... I recognize her. She's from the Sui family branch, isn't she? I thought Zang Kong had exterminated them for treason."
Hey, it's not a proper culling unless you leave a survivor to live a long and unsightly life, hating and cursing you. For bonus points, call her a "foolish junior sister." Her survival is a bit suspicious, in-context. Heavenly intervention might explain it, but perhaps the excuse employed was that she's one of the Experimenter's projects? Another poetic death, Kong Zang sowing the seeds of his own destruction.
"It was some kind of experiment, from what I've gathered," Nameless replied. "But yes, treason against one's Marquis was the official story. Suizhen wasn't implicated, her parents were."
With Zang, it being an experiment is the safe bet.
"Enough about her," he said sharply, "What about me? And more importantly - the presents you've surely bought for me. Let's get to it! Emperor knows I only put up with you for your money..."
Swearing by the Emperor, huh? With his rumored powers of surveillance, I guess he does make a 'good' non-interventionist deity.
"Oh, that reminds me!" Xiaoling squealed, slapping a hand against his torso. "I found a new palanquin that's absolutely divine! You simply must see it, I've had an exhibition built on the 37th floor. You'll never guess where I dredged this up..."
Absolutely divine? Hopefully this is metaphorical, otherwise we should steer clear for fear of traps!
Nameless beckoned Suizhen over and headed into the hotel-fortress. It was good to be back in civilization, he mused, if only for a spell.
Heh, we
are here for spells... I'll show myself out.
"...And you must be the bodyguard!" Xiaoling said sweetly, but with an air of appraisal. It was some hours into the tour, and the first time she'd acknowledged Suizhen's existence.
Somewhat taken aback, Suizhen merely nodded.
Too much to hope the temporary armistice would hold.
"What a delightful outfit," Xiaoling continued, stalking a semi-circle around her newest victim. "It looks so... practical."
Out come the claws.
"Thanks!" Suizhen perked up. "I really like it. Yours is beautiful too, but how do you fight in heels?"
You know, from someone else this could be a devastatingly catty rebuttal that casts aspersion on their combat skills, but Suizhen's entirely genuine.
"Oh, you poor thing," Xiaoling shook her head consolingly. "That's what a change of outfits is for. I suppose you mustn't have had much opportunity for that. Don't worry, we must all play to our strengths... your case is simply more literal than others'."
"Um..." Suizhen faltered, somewhat confused. "I, I guess? I mean, I'm happy to be strong?"
Did she really not expect this? We even went to the trouble of warning her.
"Of course you are, dear, it's not like he hired you for the conversation," Xiaoling dismissed, turning back to Nameless.
For someone who doesn't practice Five Elements, Xiaoling's quick with the burns.
"You know she's going to be carrying our luggage," Nameless pointed out.
I would lament the lack of the Vault, but Suizhen carrying our stuff is better for inter-party relations than the three of us cooped up in there.
"All the more important that she be strong," Xiaoling replied airily. "And now, Unloved Child: I have been an absolutely wonderful hostess to you, catered to your every want, anticipated your every need-"
Our every need save for civility and refraining from alienating critical assets, that is.
He nodded. "Yes, everything has been perfect despite our being forced to live in a hovel. Good job!" He gave her a cheesy thumbs-up.
Xiaoling rolled her eyes. "I'm adrift in the winds of your flattery. But have you really not gotten anything for me?" She pouted beseechingly.
He thought for a moment, then indicated himself with a flourish. "Ta-da! It's me, your only friend!"
Okay, I laughed. Their banter is enjoyable despite Suizhen being sidelined. She's had a lot of screentime anyway; Jiarong would have made a better third wheel.
She sniffled. "You wound me so deeply..."
"I'm my father's son," he admitted. "Scum of the earth, the worst dregs of Yong."
"Absolutely heartless," she accused.
"The Mountain's Refuse, they call us. To press against us is to sink into trash."
A great line improved by the fact that Nameless pulls her into a hug next.
Xiaoling snorted and he pulled her into a hug. "The truth is," he whispered, "I did get you something. But it's so much better than the crap you've gotten me that I haven't felt like bringing it out. A giant gold-plated Diagram, really? So, if you want to see it, you'll have to do me a favor."
"You didn't like the Diagram?" She whispered concernedly.
This is all fairly lighthearted, but Xiaoling has rolled out the red carpet for us, at least as much of it'll fit in Deplian. Information is more useful than a gold-plated Diagram, but both are tokens of her goodwill, and I suspect she'd be genuinely hurt if we didn't appreciate them. Nameless being her 'only friend' is a joke, right up until it isn't.
"I love the Diagram," he reassured, "but it's still nowhere near as spectacular as my gift. Therefore I'll need that favor."
We do love the Diagram, don't we? If you squint, this could viewed as a comparison between the two branches of magic, but that's probably reading too much into it.
"Well," she said with mock umbrage, "my wish is your command, then."
"Be nicer to Suizhen."
"You ask too much."
"I didn't say to be nice. Just... a medium amount nicer. Can you do that? For me?"
"Begging for mercy on her behalf?"
Hey, it's not like she's got any proficiency in that area herself! If only we had Jiarong, now
he knew how to properly grovel...
"That's right."
"Hmph. I suppose if it's a request from my... only friend," she said haughtily, "then in... desperation not to lose your friendship, I must accede."
It's good that Nameless is addressing the issue early on and Xiaoling is being reasonable about this. Before we revealed the gift, too, which speaks well of her character.
"Just as planned," he said smugly. She swatted him on the arm.
"Ow!" Xiaoling looked at her hand. "You monstrous beast, you've hurt me. Did you complete that flesh-reinforcing Diagram you were dreaming about?"
Hurting Xiaoling right after she granted us a favor? Nameless really is scum; his ingratitude knows no bounds.
"I learned to Cultivate," he said. "And, I discovered a stage between Ego Barrier and Organ Refining. Diagram Mages can access it."
"You what?"
"Don't worry, half-elves can access it too."
I see we were inspired by the WWII comparisons our jaunt through the countryside of Vane elicited and planned a verbal bombing run of our own. Shame we don't see her full reaction, but 'what' kind of says it all. Two impossibilities revealed in as many sentences.
---
1833 words.
