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

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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zinay said:
@yrsillar you forgot the qi dice.

Also, while I really like the Ruan Shen event, I'd rather wait until we can rank up music.

[X] Shen Hu approached you for once. He has found the abandoned lair of an underworld dragon, but is not confident that he can face the scavengers that fill it unopposed.
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Not the only thing he missed

*eyes Resolve dice and the extra social dice from Mirror's Basin*
 
[X] Shen Hu approached you for once. He has found the abandoned lair of an underworld dragon, but is not confident that he can face the scavengers that fill it unopposed.
 
[X] Hanyi came to her, complaining about being bullied while playing on the mountain. Something about her claim makes you dubious though...
 
Yes, clearly, when we're finally managing to clean our build up and cohere it into something nice, the ideal thing to do is to relitigate the weapon vote and get FSA mk 2.

It's just not Forge if we don't spend the next year fighting over that you know?
 
[X] Hanyi came to her, complaining about being bullied while playing on the mountain. Something about her claim makes you dubious though...

This was a hard one.
 
[X] Shen Hu approached you for once. He has found the abandoned lair of an underworld dragon, but is not confident that he can face the scavengers that fill it unopposed.

I'm just in the mood for dungeon crawling right now.
 
[X] Hanyi came to her, complaining about being bullied while playing on the mountain. Something about her claim makes you dubious though...
 
Neither of the others are my prefered ship.

[X] Hanyi came to her, complaining about being bullied while playing on the mountain. Something about her claim makes you dubious though...
 
[X] Shen Hu approached you for once. He has found the abandoned lair of an underworld dragon, but is not confident that he can face the scavengers that fill it unopposed.
 
I really want to choose either of the other options, but if we can somehow upgrade Hanyi with this option, I'll take it.

[X] Hanyi came to her, complaining about being bullied while playing on the mountain. Something about her claim makes you dubious though...
 
[X] Hanyi came to her, complaining about being bullied while playing on the mountain. Something about her claim makes you dubious though...
 
Alright, so we got information on four arts. And they are amazing! Here's my first take on just how good they are.

Songseeker's Ceremony is first on the block.
yrsillar said:
Songseeker's Ceremony

A cultivation art unique to Ling Qi, developed with the aid of three phases of the moon. Dreaming, Grinning, and Hidden combine to form the nascent steps of Ling Qi's own path. The cultivation art rewards feats of daring, self expression, and dealings with the spirits of the world. It is the art of one who seeks the powers hidden in the world, and the beauty of songs old and new.

Potency: Green 3
Potency Growth: Green 4(3), Green 5 (6), Green 6 (8)
Keyword:
  • Cultivation, Night, Moon, Stellar, Yin.
  • Art, Dexterity, Manipulation, Music, Perceptiveness, Qi, Stealth, Wits
Max Level 8
Passives:
+40 dice to Spiritual Cultivation until Green 4
+40 dice to Physical Cultivation until Green 4
+40 dice to the cultivation of Yin Arts
+30 dice to the cultivation of Moon Arts
Grants the user 1 virtual Green Stone per week(4 per turn)
Allows the User to Bind Spirits up to Grade Three
Reduces Upkeep of Spirits by 2
6 Qi cultivation dice per turn up to S Rank
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For the first level of a cultivation art, this looks fantastic. While it doesn't dramatically speed up our cultivation of spiritual, physical, yin, or moon arts compared to EPC, it does increase the amount of automatic qi cultivation dice per turn and reduces the upkeep of spirits. Significantly, for us at the very least, this upkeep reduction is three times as effective for us due to our three spirits. Any decrease to our spirit upkeep will be useful, especially as our spirits grow more powerful and we approach A rank qi, which will give us a lot more leeway in spending our more expensive techs.

Overall, I'm really happy with what I'm seeing from this cultivation art, and I'm hopefull that it will keep exceeding my expectations.

Next, we have the Beast Kings' Savage DIrge.
yrsillar said:
Beast Kings' Savage Dirge
It is said in legend that as the power of the Horned Lord and the Diviner waxed, the the eight Beast Kings who remained came together in council of war and united to bring down the conqueror once and for all. Their footfalls shook the earth and their savagery shook the skies, and though they were defeated in the end, echoes of that terrible march remained etched in the folklore of the Emerald Seas forever more. This art is part of a ballad said to have been composed for the last Weilu dukes, and though its origin is suspect, its power is not.

Potency: Green 3
Potency growth: Green 4(3) Green 5(6)
Max level: 8
Keywords
Beasts, Conquest, Illusion
Dark, Music, Presence, War, Wood, Yang
Needed Meridians: Lung x2, Heartx2
Experience: 300, 400, 500, 700, 900, 1100, 1300, 1500

Passives
+10 to Spiritual hit
+10 to Spiritual Penetration
+10 to Resist
+10 to War

Primal War Calling: C
Duration: Long
A heavy suspense and pressure building melody, this piece calls to mind the muster of beasts from across the province of emerald seas, called together for the final march. In an area out to far range from the user, the shades of long dead beasts coalesce from the shadows, red of eye and fang. The beasts howl and roar, filling the air with a savage cacophony. While this technique is active enemies within range are attacked viciously by the shades, who use the musicians hit and penetration in combat. The shades attacks deal a base C rank in damage, and the technique as a whole counts as two combatants for the purpose of multi attacker bonuses and penalties. In addition enemies which attempt to dispel this technique or another of the users music techniques while within it suffer an additional two attacks from the beasts.

Eagle God's Defiance: C
Duration: Immediate
The fastest of the beast kings, the Eagle God, lord of those who flew and preyed on the world below was an impetuous beast, and dove into battle before all the others. If this technique is activated without Primal War Calling, that technique activates freely the next time the user takes an action. On activation, the user plays an ear splitting high note and the Eagle God flies again, if only for a moment. The initial cry is a spiritual attack against all enemies within Close Range, dealing C rank damage and reducing enemy physical avoid significantly on hit for a short time. The newly formed phantom then dives at a single target, dealing B ranked damage and carries them in a straight line in any direction, depositing them within a close distance from their previous position.
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I can not stress how much I love this art. The first technique takes the concept that dissonance used and notches it up to eleven. C rank damage in far range for a long duration is already ridiculous, but then it gets better! Even attempting to dispell the technique, or another music technique suffer even more attacks. Combine with another of our arts (SES) and all of a sudden the dispeller is suffering from three counter attacks. And that's for any of our other music techniques which would include another art I'll discuss later, Unstoppable Glacier's March.

Then we get to the next part of the art, which is an AoE which targets a particular target and moves them somewhere else. Combine this with any terrain feature, or even Zhengui, and we have the means to force people into the engagement distances that we want. An extremely powerful tool in our arsenal, which, if we use it first "activates freely [Primal War Calling] the next time the use takes an action." Which... just seems crazy to me! I don't know if it is free qi or a free action (I'm partial to a free action myself) but that allows us to pump-out even more techniques in a smaller timeframe. I just love it!

I do have one minor quip though, and that is it doesn't create a stealth environment. Which I find unfortunate. Ahh well, this art doesn't seem to want to hide what it's doing!

Predicting the future of the art, it seems like it will describe a couple of the Beast Gods who partook in the last march against the Weilu. While it would be nice to have all eight beast gods in the art, the flavor text says that this is only part of the ballad, which makes that unlikely in my opinion. Either way, I'm looking forward to what the other Beast God's will do in this art!

Next up, is Unstoppable Glacial March.
yrsillar said:
Unstoppable Glaciers March
The rivers which wind through and water the Emerald Seas have their origin in the high mountain ice of the Wall. This melody seeks to capture the crushing inevitably of the eons long migrations of these great entities of ice, which in turn birth the great rivers and their unstoppable flow.

Potency: Green 3
Potency growth: Green 4(3) Green 5(6)
Max level: 6
Keywords
Ice, Inevitability, Pressure
Cold, Music, Presence, Water, Yin
Needed Meridians: Armx2, Spinex2
Experience: 400, 500, 600, 800, 1000, 1200

Passives
+10 to Presence
+10 to Spiritual Penetration
+5 to Spiritual Armor
+5 to Physical Armor


Implacable Advance: C
Duration: Long -or- Upkeep 5
The first technique of the march lies in laying down it's beat. A sound so deep that it is felt more than heard, this technique replicates the rumbling, eons long song of the high ice caps as they carve the land into new shapes. While active the user receives a bonus to spiritual penetration and damage from spiritual arts. In addition, when the users attacks would be negated by a technique or effect of C rank or lower, the user receives a free dispel attempt against the effect, which resolves before the triggering attack.

Grinding Glacial Melody: C
Duration: Short
Requires Implacable Advance to be active. The user advances toward their foe, playing the slow, steady notes of the march, whipping up a storm of snow and ice in their immediate vicinity and bringing down a crushing cold and pressure on their target, driving them before the user. This technique is a spiritual cold attack, with a small bonus to hit and a large bonus to penetration dealing C rank damage, if damage is dealt, the target is forced to move directly away from the user at one half their speed. Once activated this technique repeats each time the user moves toward the target(minimum half speed) for the duration of the technique.
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This art is, at least to me, also extremely impressive. It's first basic technique (which we can start off at Upkeep which is fantastic for pushing out as many techniques in as short of a time as possible) is a basic buff to our spiritual arts which deal damage. This includes Beast Kings' Savage Dirge, and this is not the only synergy existing between these arts. While the buff is simple, it can have devastating effects against pretty much everyone we attack. A free dispel attempt against techniques of C rank or lower for all of our techniques. While our dispel capabilities are very low at the moment, I'm positive that they can be improved (or shenanigans can be used) to make it much more potent.

The next technique is, while seeming simple in design, stunningly elegant when we consider what we can do with it. The ability to move a target away from us is a massive bonus to any game of tag, where we don't want the individual getting close to us (cough Sun Liling cough). However, it opens up the tactical ability to shove people into Zhengui, shoving people away from supporting each other, shoving an opponent off a cliff or into disadvantaged terrain, etc. With our mobility, and with Beast Kings' Savage Dirge, we can push and pull at more static groups until they are unable to properly support each other.

And, speaking of mobility... we now know what Laughing Flight of the Wind Thief offers. And it's fantastic.
yrsillar said:
Laughing Flight of the Wind Thief (Requires Bronze Foundation to Cultivate)

In this world there are a million tales long forgotten, great and small. In a time before the rule of men, before the arrogance of dragons, there were only beasts that called themselves gods. Yet strength breeds arrogance, and arrogance breeds complacency, and so long ago a cunning young girl plotted and planned and stole the Sovereignty of Wind from the gods. She flew beyond their reach, and mocked them with every league, the wind carrying her laughter across the land. In this art are the seeds of the way she forged, refined for the modern day, to inspire a disciples own flight. In mastering the dual powers of darkness and wind, that they might never be caught unwillingly again.

Potency: Green 3
Potency Growth: Green 4(3), Green 5 (6), Green 6 (8)
Max Level: 8
Needed Meridiains: Legx3, Spine x2(1), Spine(3), Leg (5), Leg (8)
Keywords: Athletics, Darkness, Dance, Dodge, Intangibility, Motion, Stealth, Wind, Yin
Experience Needed: 500, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1700, 2000

Passive Effects
+20 to Speed
+10 to Initiative
+10 to Stealth
Speed and Stealth bonuses increase by 5 when airborne
+10 to Physical Avoid
+10 to Spiritual Avoid
+10 to Physical and Spiritual Avoid against effects which would restrain or impede movement
+10 to stealth when avoiding divination arts

Zephyr's Mocking Escape: B rank
Duration: Long
The user immerses themselves in wind and darkness, becoming nothing more than a flitting shadow in a windy night. Filled with the joy of endless movement, they can only laugh as their foes attempt to grasp at what cannot be touched. Greatly increases Physical and Spiritual Avoid as well as speed. In addition the user gains H rank damage reduction against physical attacks, and cannot be impeded from reaching a destination by wholly physical barriers so long as they may perceive their destination. While active the user cannot be grappled or rooted by techniques of less than B rank, unless the enemy techniques potency exceeds theirs by at least two.

Breeze in the Vault: C rank
Duration: Short
Calling upon the mastery shown by the girl in slipping unnoticed through the realms of the gods, the user channels the qi of wind to become silent and trackless, passing through perception as no more than a silent breeze. Greatly increases most stealth derivatives while active. In addition the user may outright ignore the effects of formations and techniques of C rank or less (modified by potency) which would detect, impede or record them, without interacting with any conditional requirements that they might have.

Sable Crescent Step: B rank
A master of this art may bring its lessons together in a single movement, an impeccable step of matchless grace. The cunning master may find several uses for this movement. A single attack of equal or lower may be avoided, no matter how unerring the aim, as the user simply ceases to exist in the material world for a moment, rematerializing with Far range of their current position. If more offensively inclined, the user may instead make a single physical attack utterly bypassing up to C rank physical armor and damage reduction, and rematerialize within Close range of their target. Targets with higher damage or armor reduction instead have it reduced by two ranks for the purposes of determining damage.
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While we are unable to cultivate it at this moment, due to our physical cultivation, the information this provides is amazing. The first thing to note is that this is a direct successor to SCS, which means that like Zephyr's Heart before, it should subsume the previous art. This art chooses to discard most of the offensive capabilities of SCS for better stealth and defense. And possibly speed. A tradeoff that I am perfectly fine with.

The first technique seems to be an advanced version of Grinning Cresent Dancer. Our avoid and speed is dramatically increased, we gain some damage reduction from physical attacks, and physical barriers can not impede us. Furthermore, good luck grappling or rooting us without breaking out the expensive techs. Which... we'll probably just dodge with Sable Cresent Step. Which does appear to be, in fact, a one for one with SCS's technique.

Now, the second technique... also means that even more barriers can not stop us, even if they are spiritual in nature. Formation work of C rank or lower we just... ignore if it tries to record us, detect us, or impede us. This is crazy good for getting into all but the most tightly guarded locations. I have a feeling we could literally float through the Sect's town and not even have to deal with the security formations in place until we reach the Governer's manor or something. And even then, we may be able to simply ignore the formations there.

With our own flight capabilities, this art will grant us unparalleled freedom of movement. Which we can then use with UGM and BKSD to absolutely wreck the cohesion of practically any unit. And even if they were able to actually fight us, finding us in a revelry of merry phantoms while the Beast Kings' army is relentlessly striking them will be an exercise in futility.
 
[x] Shen Hu approached you for once. He has found the abandoned lair of an underworld dragon, but is not confident that he can face the scavengers that fill it unopposed.
 
Erebeal said:
Yes, clearly, when we're finally managing to clean our build up and cohere it into something nice, the ideal thing to do is to relitigate the weapon vote and get FSA mk 2.

It's just not Forge if we don't spend the next year fighting over that you know?
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I adore Coldstar Blade, and want to take it badly.

Just not now. I want to train it HEAVY the turn we intend to get Green 4, so we can master it and then Modify the Blades Keyword in the same turn
 
[X] Hanyi came to her, complaining about being bullied while playing on the mountain. Something about her claim makes you dubious though...
 
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[X] Shen Hu approached you for once. He has found the abandoned lair of an underworld dragon, but is not confident that he can face the scavengers that fill it unopposed.
 
[X] Shen Hu approached you for once. He has found the abandoned lair of an underworld dragon, but is not confident that he can face the scavengers that fill it unopposed.
 
[X] Ruan Shen sought her out, seeking musically inclined help for a particularly troublesome elder's challenge he has discovered.

Hanyi is cute, but I've seen her enough I don't particularly feel an urge to see her more. And between music challenge and slaughter mooks challenge, I think music challenge sounds more interesting.
 
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