Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

[x] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth

I change my mind

[x] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth

George said:

That's a good point, but it still seems quite a ways away from 'onviously if we get an Art it will be Yang'

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At this point it's impossible to tell what the reward will even be. Past rewards for activities of this scale have had rewards including arts, pills, esoteric materials, arcane objects, or even Spirits. The only information we have to speculate on is the result of this vote and the preceding locks, which encompass such a broad range of thematic elements that it's not super helpful information.

With such vague information trying to anticipate rewards is only going to result in people getting angry because they jumped to incorrect conclusions, so it's better to vote for which path sounds like the most interesting puzzle or situation to deal with and trust the QM to provide interesting or useful rewards like he's done every other time.

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[X] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth

How could I not?

[x] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth

Hasn't this guy read enough romance novels to know where this could be going? In my head, he's internally panicking and hoping that Qi won't notice.

yrsillar said:

[] A pier and a little boat tied to it, floating on a river that flows into the yawning mouth of an ominous cave.

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Oh no I know this from Harry Potter.
...
Although it seems everyone else went in the exact opposite direction.

[X] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth

I just like labyrinths.

[X] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth

Zeful said:

At this point it's impossible to tell what the reward will even be.

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That's all I'd really been arguing for so we ultimately agree.

[X] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth

So, a few thoughts.

yrsillar said:

Ling Qi sat atop a small, stony hillock as she waited for her 'junior sister' to arrive, idly playing a contemplative tune on her flute as her thoughts wandered. Sixiang hummed along in her head, and Hanyi was back at her sect lodgings soaking up argent qi at the Ling Qi's vent… she had been a little frustrated, apparently her transformation and breakthrough had left her unable to use some of her channels properly and it hadn't cleared up yet. As for Zhengui…

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yrsillar said:

"Big Sister, are you done sitting around playing with lights yet?" One of her points of vision swiveled to see Hanyi sitting atop a crumbling stump of a wall, kicking her legs in irritation. Ling Qi could not help but notice the snarls in her qi, clogging the meridians in her body related to motion and movement. "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be going to meet that weird guy now."

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It seems Hanyi's issue in her breakthrough seems to have locked away her movement art. This might refer to LWM given it used leg meridians, but I doubt it considering she has LWM. As such, we should be expecting her to get a type of cold/illusion movement art from her soon. It would be interesting to see how it works, and maybe we could help her when we train SCS.

yrsillar said:

Watchful Moon Analyisis: D
Duration: Immediate
Used in tandem with an damaging art, allows the users thoughts to far outspeed their limbs, greatly slowing their perception of the world, and allowing the user to pick out minute details that might otherwise be missed in the flows of an enemy or obstacles qi, and adjust the course of their blow. Through this the user ignores the effects of a single defensive technique of D rank or lower, or if none are active, penalizes the targets armor or avoid at the users discretion.

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So, Watchful Moon Analysis is currently our first available "Instant buff to an attack" tech we have access to. Well, the first that is serviceable:

Inescapable Flow: C
Duration: Immediate/Persistent
The user catches their foe in their rhythm, shrouding themselves and their foe in painful opaque steam that drags at their limbs, creating ephemeral chains connecting them to the user. When using a melee attack or art, On damage, the target becomes unable to disengage or move out of melee range without sufficient resolve. Targets effected this way suffer an additional attack dealing E rank and bypassing Avoid, during each of the users actions. This effect persists as long as the user continues to land successful melee attacks.

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This is also one, but it's both melee only and its goal is to work as a lockdown.

Other such techniques we'll soon have access to (or could have access to) that fits the same place are Joyous Toast and Evening Breeze Flourish:

Joyous Toast: C
Duration: Immediate
Usable only while Illustrious Phantasmal Festival is active. The guests of the festival raise their voices and cups and stamp their feet in joy, roaring encouragement for the user and their allies and jeering at their foes. The next music, dance or art based technique used by those affected is treated as if it is one rank higher for determining effects.

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Evening Breeze Flourish: D
Duration: Immediate
In an instant the user pulses their qi in a feint, and for one foe a single second of memory vanishes into the mist of time, leaving them disoriented and open for a blow.

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Joyous Toast is a bit more complicated to use as it needs IPF set up first, and as such works less well for ambushes and such. It is also more expensive. However, it is also much stronger, not only having both a better effect and working exceedingly well with Sixiang and Hanyi. They are not redundant, which means that CDE is in the nice place of having all of its technique being part of a niche that wasn't used yet (and an important hole).

Evening Breeze Flourish is much more like Watchful Moon Analysis, but its thematic seems much weaker, and I'd hazard that it has less of a potential to improve down the line, especially being the second tech. Obviously CDE is mastered in Appraisal while ENM in Foundation, but apparently CDE+ might be available in archive 2, which makes Watchful Moon Analysis potentially very useful in the future.

As for its actual effect, while there is plenty of D rank defensive tech, none of them are really the type that would be useful to ignore. Using D rank Qi and tech to ignore a D rank defense for a single attack can be currently considered a losing game given said D rank defence would usually last a long+ time, and that D rank defences don't seem to be "greatly boost defence against single attack" types. These are the types of techs we'd really want to use Watchful Moon Analysis against, and for that we'd need it to be a bit stronger:

Thus Scattered: C
Duration: Immediate
In the moment before a spiritual attack would strike home, though user's spirit and dantian scatters into a thousand wisps of shadow, reforming after the attack has passed through. Enhances spiritual avoid, and reduces damage from a successful attack significantly.

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Deepwood Vitality: C
Duration: Immediate
The user channels their qi into the earth, spreading like a great tangle of roots to link with up to ten allies. The vital qi armors each fortifies each cultivator affected against a single attack, shattering if it is great enough but leaving the person beneath unharmed. The fortifying qi also attempts to dispel the lowest ranked debuff affecting the targets. Each ally beyond the first increases the cost of the technique by 3.

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Basically, "panic buttons" of enemies that are also low ranked and immediate.

[X] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth

I'm a firm advocate for the ship based on shipping rights, and I've only ever been more convinced by his every appearance.

I'm fine either either of the leading votes, just not the tunnel.

Boats only lead to ruin.

[x] A corridor seemingly composed wholly of roses and thorny vines, that split and twisted into the distance, forming a great labyrinth