Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
No time to hit up a full review but lets see what each might mean for our domain and thus future builds.
[] Face the world as it is. While idle dreams can inspire, only toil and sweat can create beauty.
It considers reality to be ultimately a harsh thing(which is true), kept at bay by the labor and sacrifice of people.
Fundamentally pragmatic(and SV does love pragmatism), this may hinder art-for-art's sake like Argent Mirror's insight hinders theater type developments, but thats a ways down the line unless we keep adding bleak stuff. It might has some benefit in dispelling illusions and shedding debuffs?
It also lightly rejects windfalls and leisure via its themes, anything of value MUST be attained through effort, and it implicitly suggests that time not spent working is time wasted. Shen Hu and early Han Jian would have been judged harshly by the ideal I think.
Reminds me of the memetic Asian Parent driving their children to excel at all costs.
[] One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family.
It considers the Home/Family construct to be fundamentally reciprocal. Ling Qi in her short life had seen many twisted relationships born of onesided desires:
-Her own mother was driven to prostitution via resisting the dictates of her clan and suitor.
-Huang Da's brief pursuit of her(and her friends) was intensely creepy and did neither of them any good.
-Xiulan's pursuit of Han Jian over their families' wishes tore them both apart, drove her to the literal brink of death and split her group apart.
-Meizhen's attraction to her nearly shattered her closest friendship.
-And the cherry on top, Zeqing's mess with her husband.
It takes two hands to clap. It'd PROBABLY penalize developing coercion effects down the line, but enhance understanding/communications. It'd also lean away from making people she sees as part of her Home do things for their own good however, under this Insight for instance, Xiulan's desire to pursue tribulation to risk death for power is her choice.
Love is great, but love is not enough.
[] A harsh ending is sometimes necessary, for a beautiful lie is poor foundation for a new beginning.
Truth as ideal. No white lies, no helpful misconceptions underlying relationships.
This is an interesting one, especially considering the number of helpful misconceptions which served Ling Qi well, since Xiulan initially was grooming her to be a retainer rather than a friend, and so was Meizhen. Meizhen's romantic interest in Ling Qi not being understood was also immensely helpful, because Ling Qi would have run for the hills before she grew close enough to Meizhen to perservere despite that. Ling Qi would ALSO have run for the hills if she realized Zeqing's truth back when she first met.
Granted, these all led to later blowups, but I think I can say definitively that Ling Qi was better off for the transient beautiful lie than the harsh truth.
So a distinctly mixed bag of an insight here. Should work well with Perception and Dispelling stuff though. Not so hot with illusions.
[] Face the world as it is. While idle dreams can inspire, only toil and sweat can create beauty.
It considers reality to be ultimately a harsh thing(which is true), kept at bay by the labor and sacrifice of people.
Fundamentally pragmatic(and SV does love pragmatism), this may hinder art-for-art's sake like Argent Mirror's insight hinders theater type developments, but thats a ways down the line unless we keep adding bleak stuff. It might has some benefit in dispelling illusions and shedding debuffs?
It also lightly rejects windfalls and leisure via its themes, anything of value MUST be attained through effort, and it implicitly suggests that time not spent working is time wasted. Shen Hu and early Han Jian would have been judged harshly by the ideal I think.
Reminds me of the memetic Asian Parent driving their children to excel at all costs.
[] One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family.
It considers the Home/Family construct to be fundamentally reciprocal. Ling Qi in her short life had seen many twisted relationships born of onesided desires:
-Her own mother was driven to prostitution via resisting the dictates of her clan and suitor.
-Huang Da's brief pursuit of her(and her friends) was intensely creepy and did neither of them any good.
-Xiulan's pursuit of Han Jian over their families' wishes tore them both apart, drove her to the literal brink of death and split her group apart.
-Meizhen's attraction to her nearly shattered her closest friendship.
-And the cherry on top, Zeqing's mess with her husband.
It takes two hands to clap. It'd PROBABLY penalize developing coercion effects down the line, but enhance understanding/communications. It'd also lean away from making people she sees as part of her Home do things for their own good however, under this Insight for instance, Xiulan's desire to pursue tribulation to risk death for power is her choice.
Love is great, but love is not enough.
[] A harsh ending is sometimes necessary, for a beautiful lie is poor foundation for a new beginning.
Truth as ideal. No white lies, no helpful misconceptions underlying relationships.
This is an interesting one, especially considering the number of helpful misconceptions which served Ling Qi well, since Xiulan initially was grooming her to be a retainer rather than a friend, and so was Meizhen. Meizhen's romantic interest in Ling Qi not being understood was also immensely helpful, because Ling Qi would have run for the hills before she grew close enough to Meizhen to perservere despite that. Ling Qi would ALSO have run for the hills if she realized Zeqing's truth back when she first met.
Granted, these all led to later blowups, but I think I can say definitively that Ling Qi was better off for the transient beautiful lie than the harsh truth.
So a distinctly mixed bag of an insight here. Should work well with Perception and Dispelling stuff though. Not so hot with illusions.
- Location
- Place
[X] A harsh ending is sometimes necessary, for a beautiful lie is poor foundation for a new beginning.
- Location
- Earth
[X] Face the world as it is. While idle dreams can inspire, only toil and sweat can create beauty.
Now is the best time that we have to establish ourselves as Cai Renxiang's right hand since we have no competition with Gan Guangli stuck down in the outer sect. We really need to capitalise on this and make ourselves indispensible to Renxiang, and I believe the first option is a good start to doing this as we will be amplifying our ability to make her ideal of justice a reality.
As an aside I would be concerned that our lack of support for Renxiang may cause her to overcook things which will certainly cause her both to lose her heirship and great face with her mother, and we should not forget that Shenhua indirectly remarked that we were pleasing to her tastes. If we don't help to support Renxiang, we may find ourselves serving the Duchess directly, which is unlikely to end well. Tyrannosaurus Regina is not likely to allow us any latitude to follow our own desires after all.
Now is the best time that we have to establish ourselves as Cai Renxiang's right hand since we have no competition with Gan Guangli stuck down in the outer sect. We really need to capitalise on this and make ourselves indispensible to Renxiang, and I believe the first option is a good start to doing this as we will be amplifying our ability to make her ideal of justice a reality.
As an aside I would be concerned that our lack of support for Renxiang may cause her to overcook things which will certainly cause her both to lose her heirship and great face with her mother, and we should not forget that Shenhua indirectly remarked that we were pleasing to her tastes. If we don't help to support Renxiang, we may find ourselves serving the Duchess directly, which is unlikely to end well. Tyrannosaurus Regina is not likely to allow us any latitude to follow our own desires after all.
DimensionalGuy
Lazy Bastard
- Location
- Sweden
[X] A harsh ending is sometimes necessary, for a beautiful lie is poor foundation for a new beginning.
Boiling these all down to Terry Pratchett quotes:
[X] Face the world as it is. While idle dreams can inspire, only toil and sweat can create beauty.
If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.
[X] One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family.
What was it that Granny Weatherwax had said once? "Evil begins when you begin to treat people as things." And right now it would happen if you thought there was a thing called a father, and a thing called a mother, and a thing called a daughter, and a thing called a cottage, and told yourself that if you put them all together you had a thing called a happy family.
[X] A harsh ending is sometimes necessary, for a beautiful lie is poor foundation for a new beginning.
'And which one is this?' he said. The truth that is so precious it must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies? The truth that is stranger than fiction? Or the truth that is still putting on its boots when a lie is running round the world?' He stepped forward. 'That's your little phrase, isn't it? It doesn't matter any more.
[...]
'The truth has got its boots on,' he said. 'It's going to start kicking.'
-------
In other words, they are all great.
[X] Face the world as it is. While idle dreams can inspire, only toil and sweat can create beauty.
If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.
[X] One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family.
What was it that Granny Weatherwax had said once? "Evil begins when you begin to treat people as things." And right now it would happen if you thought there was a thing called a father, and a thing called a mother, and a thing called a daughter, and a thing called a cottage, and told yourself that if you put them all together you had a thing called a happy family.
[X] A harsh ending is sometimes necessary, for a beautiful lie is poor foundation for a new beginning.
'And which one is this?' he said. The truth that is so precious it must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies? The truth that is stranger than fiction? Or the truth that is still putting on its boots when a lie is running round the world?' He stepped forward. 'That's your little phrase, isn't it? It doesn't matter any more.
[...]
'The truth has got its boots on,' he said. 'It's going to start kicking.'
-------
In other words, they are all great.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
[X] One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family.
- Location
- Yes
Dang, sharp kid, can't manipulate her that easily.
Really perceptive there.
I think she might have figured it out before, she just didn't want to acknowledge it.
Wonder if she cottoned on her father's situation.
And theres that Yukiko trait.
Feel the burden of the single mother's child. Soul crushing.
Leading her by hand would avoid the direct burden, but as we see later, we aren't going to have much choice about holding on of our own will.
You know, this sounds a lot like FVM doesn't it? You could wander in circles even as you fly in a straight line.
And now for the Frozen Soul Serenade.
Hanyi's weight dragged a fairy of wind and shadow to the ground.
Perhaps she did so for Zeqing too.
And now, for the Lonely Winter Maiden.
First, the ghost of Winters past.
Of past regrets brought to light.
And a dream of a world where it was not regretted.
Second, the ghost of Winters future.
Of a beautiful dream.
They just let go of everything. Packed everything onto Zhengui and fucked off, severing all ties with the world that would keep them apart.
Also hi there Sixiang. Sorry we can't hear you screaming at us at the moment.
Han Jian and Xiulan abandoning their clan obligations to elope.
Renxiang giving up her way as Perfect Ruler.
Yeah, Ling Qi is calling bullshit on this, these aren't our friends. They're hollow shells with their faces.
Ling Qi even got to where she could return Meizhen's feelings like she wished she could have back then.
But this is where the illusion rams up HARD against the person we know Meizhen to be. Argent Mirror reveals the truth: the Meizhen we know would never put her clan second.
And more, her clan would never forgive that either.
And now for Winter, Present.
And as others had discussed. This is probably the chokepoint for most people.
Tribulations don't grow on trees, and people who repeatedly seek out trials to prove themselves also don't tend to live to ripe old ages. It has to truly push you and your ideals
So the votes again. Now to take it from a different angle.
What aspects of Ling Qi does it amplify, and what does it suppress?
[] Face the world as it is. While idle dreams can inspire, only toil and sweat can create beauty.
This amplifies both the best and worst parts of her workaholic nature.
The identified purpose of idleness being to improve the results of your work, and in turn forging a link between effort and returns(much as the world doesn't actually work that neatly).
No art can be born without suffering perhaps?
It also highlights one of Ling Qi's flaws in that she's gotten used to windfalls and good providence. Certainly she works hard at it. She strives to make the most of them. But with her dedication alone, without the numerous boons of fortune she enjoyed, would she be here?
[] One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family.
This highlights one of Ling Qi's...unique approach to friendship. She tends to just bulldoze around them. Pushing Xiulan and Meizhen together, trying to push in between Meizhen and Renxiang, how she effectively delegated the Ma sisters to Suyin and Su Ling, how she persisted against Han Jian's express efforts to distance themselves...well Ling Qi does this sort of thing a lot. Part of it is that she's missing a huge segment of the context, part of it is that she doesn't pay a lot of attention to what other people want(even when said people are trying to kill her)
And on the reverse side, she's seen onesided desires make a right mess of everything when pursued, as mentioned earlier, she's seen a lot of good things brought to ruin through one sided persistence, an unreciprocated relationship is an agony.
[] A harsh ending is sometimes necessary, for a beautiful lie is poor foundation for a new beginning.
This comes in two parts:
-Things must sometimes end, even if it hurts.
-You can start over, but not if you keep hanging on to an illuson.
It pushes to make a clean break where you must, so as to overcome a bottleneck in a relationship, or even to end said relationship for good. So for instance:
-Meizhen's initial relationship with Ling Qi was based off romantic attraction. Ling Qi's initial relationship with Meizhen was based off platonic friendship. They advanced to a point thanks to this, and they grew to understand each other under the illusion, but they could not progress without hurting each other, or themselves past that point. Thus, Lakegate.
-Xiulan's relationship with Han Jian was stuck due to clan obligations. Han Jian, in seeking to avoid hurting anyone, hurt her much more by never making a clean break of it, leading to great misery all around than if he had just broke it off cleanly.
-It belatedly occurs to me that the whole thing with not reporting our sabotage to Renxiang directly opposes the second part of this insight. We may be compelled to clear the air on that.
I was having trouble articulating this previously because something was nagging at me, but finally figured out what exactly was the issue.
Its the last point I couldn't recall until I wrote the whole big lot
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Face the world as it is. While idle dreams can inspire, only toil and sweat can create beauty.
- Location
- France
[X] One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family.