An Eldar, Ork, and Guardsmen walk into a Sect ( 40k / Wuxia?! )

Nervous energy filled Alira as she studied the woman before her. Thoughts flew through her mind as she tried to figure out the appropriate mode of address. Should she refer to the woman as a formal older sister? Or perhaps a political figure from another Craftworld? And what should her posture be? Steady and provocative, or languid and sensual? Her thoughts grew more and more erratic, until a small voice spoke up. This was supposed to be a place to forge her own path, right? Then why worry about all those rules on etiquette, when you can just be yourself? That single thought was like a tidal wave, washing away all the worry, her body easing in a thousand small ways. Rather than the stiff, practiced stances she had been taught, she adopted a strange hybrid of sultry and excited, almost bouncing with uncontained energy. And most scandalous of all, her face was split by a small smile, one that practically radiated ease, but was subtly undercut with a small amount of anxiety and excitement, given the occasional biting of her lower lip. If Sashi were more adept a cultivator, she would have noticed how the energy around Alira was practically humming, flowing about in eager anticipation of her attention.

Curious to learn more about this strange woman, and unable to contain her excitement, she let loose with a barrage of questions. "I'm Alira! You said you were from the Silver Cloud Sect? What is a Sect?" Sashi tried to answer, but was immediately cut off by the onslaught. "Is the Silver Sect all ancient forest? Do you live in the trees? I've heard some people live in big trees that have been completely hollowed out. Can you imagine? I've always wanted to live in a tree. Do you live in a tree? Can I come live with you in a tree? Does the Sect let people live in trees? It seems too windy to live high in a tree." Indeed, the wind was starting to pick up, especially around Sashi, but Alira was far too preoccupied with her ramblings to notice that minor detail.

"Oh, and you said there were other new people? What kind? Are they all like me? Could you take me to them? Oh, I can't wait to-" Alira cut off as she spotted movement in the upper branches. A small, snow white owl swooped down from above, landing on Sashi's shoulder. Alira stared at it with an intensity that some might confuse as infatuation, given how fiercely she was focused on the newcomer. "Oh, aren't you beautiful! Are you a friend of Sashi? Do you like her? Does the Sect treat you well? Do you-" Alira cut off again, this time shocked as the owl opened its beak, followed quickly by words.

"Can you shut your trap for five seconds? Spirits, but you can prattle." The Eldar stared at the owl with an even more intense gaze, seeming completely unphased by its rude behavior. A squee soon escaped the woman, and within moments she was cooing at the owl, as if talking with a favorite pet. "Ooooooh, you can talk! Oh, how pretty you are, and how smart, able to speak so well! Do you speak often? Do you know many languages? How do you even manage to speak, without the proper vocal cords?"

The owl fluffed up its feathers as Alira began to move closer. Oblivious, Alira even began to reach out with her hand, but was stopped short when Sashi grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip. "Don't touch him, he bites."


Blinking at the woman, Alira coughed, some small semblance of etiquette managing to push its way into the swirling mass of emotion that filled the Eldar. "Oh, of course! I'm sorry, little bird!" Rather than appear mollified, the bird fluffed up even further. "Bird?! BIRD?! I REFUSE to be referred to in such a manner! The nerve! You will address me as Elder Snowfall, or The All-Seeing, if you are feeling informal."

Alira covered her mouth, gasping at her faux pas. "Oh my, I'm sorry, Elder Snowfall! I should have known you to be an august personage, with such beautiful plumage and such a brilliant mind. Please, allow me to make amends." Bowing low, Alira bit her lip, clearly anxious at having insulted the cute little ball of feathers. Snowfall shook out its feathers, preening slightly as it raised its head high, looking down its beak at the bowing woman. "Hmph, words alone will not atone for your brazen attitude. But as your Elder, it is my duty to instruct you in such matters. Fear not, I will be lenient. A mere five Yellow Spirit Stones will do as recompense for your behavior."

The Eldar nodded furiously, despite knowing nothing of these so called 'Spirit Stones'. "Of course, Elder Snowfall, I will do my best to make up for my behavior. Thank you for giving me a second chance." Bowing again, Alira glanced furtively at Sashi. The woman rolled her eyes, giving the owl a nudge with a finger. "Well, it looks like the girl has been suitably chastised, Elder Snowfall. And as your duty as an Elder, I'm sure you won't mind taking my place in providing Alira with the proper instructions?

The owl stomped his feet on Sashi's shoulder, squawking in indignation, but a stern look from the cultivator stifled his budding protest. Letting out a grumble, Snowfall turned back to Alira, spreading his wings wide. "Welcome, Alira, to the Silver Cloud Sect. We have had many strangers appear in these lands, and are well-practiced in helping them acclimatize to the many oddities that apparently do not exist in the lands they once inhabited."

Nodding enthusiastically, Alira soaked in the Elder's words, transcribing them into her mind in the exact tone and rhythm in which they were relayed. Sashi began to move through the woods at a sedate pace, which Alira quickly matched, following behind and listening to the owl's lecture.

"The first thing to understand is that respect for one's elders is paramount!" Gesturing wildly with his wings, the owl continued to lambaste Alira with the importance of respect, duty, and hygiene, with an oddly particular focus on the last, which left Alira sniffing self-consciously at herself, though she detected no foul smell.

The lecture lasted for nearly an hour as they traipsed through the forest, passing over small streams, and climbing the occasional hill. Snowfall didn't stop his lecture even after they had reached the outskirts of a small village, his voice carrying loudly as he lambasted Alira on her faux pas. The Eldar grew flustered as she noticed the intense gazes she received from the mountain dwellers, and soon she was fidgeting with her dress, only half focused on her tutor.

When Snowfall noticed his student's lack of attention, he raised his voice even louder, ridiculing her for her lack of diligence, causing Alira even further embarrassment. She even began to feel annoyed by the owl, despite how adorable he appeared to her. But thankfully, they reached the center of the village soon after, and Alira was led into a large wooden house, nearly three stories tall.

As she entered, the Eldar noticed a powerful presence that seemed to fill the building. It was as if a psyker were probing her defences, an uncomfortable poking and prodding against her thoughts, but coming from all directions, unlike the usually direct feeling that came from being targeted by the probe of a fellow psyker. Nervous, Alira moved closer to Sashi and Snowfall, the latter having ceased his tirade, appearing to be just as nervous as her, shifting from foot to foot, wings held close to his side.

The halls were strangely empty as they moved deeper into the mundane building. They passed a few closed doors, but no other branching halls or open rooms. Finally, after what seemed to be far too long for the size of the building, they came to an open door. Inside was a large array of seats, with nearly a hundred occupants currently sitting in stiff-backed positions, as if petrified by some spell. The moment she stepped inside, she found her balance fail, followed by the sensation of falling, which ended abruptly as she plopped into a chair that seemed to materialize behind her.

The chair zipped out from the entrance of the room, and into a slowly growing clump of people that were being pulled from doors to either side of the room. And what a crowd it was. Despite being completely paralyzed, only able to breath and move her eyes, Alira couldn't help but gape at the congregation. Humans of all shapes and sizes sat side by side with Tau, Orks, and even the occasional Kroot. There were a smattering of Eldar, but they seemed to be in the minority. It seemed a wonder to Alira that bloodbath hadn't erupted, but then she remembered that she couldn't move. And given the unnaturally stiff postures of the others, she could only assume that whatever bound her, bound them as well.

Only after great effort did Alira manage to pull her gaze from the fascinating crowd, and focus on whatever power bound her. She poked at it with her power, but found herself blocked. At least at first. As she strained, her power began to flow outward, as if following river currents, where once the world had been an ocean, her power able to move freely.

Before she could learn more, the entire room shook with the sound of a crackling bolt of lightning. Alira found her gaze drawn to the figure of an old woman, walking slowly towards a stone podium at the head of the room. The woman was dressed in a deep purple robe that floated behind her in a long trail, and though she wore no ornament or makeup, and appeared as any other old woman, something about her was stunning, as if she held the gravitas of a mountain. And then she spoke.

The woman's words were like the roaring of a tremendous river, furious and unrelenting. Every syllable seemed to resonate with sheer power, yet rolled across the tongue with impossible ease. Sound echoed in the room, so deep, Alira could feel it in her bones. Gaping, she tried to puzzle out what the woman was saying, but couldn't pick out the words from the sound. Focusing, Alira barely managed to listen past the noise, and understand what was said. Only, rather than a lengthy speech, as would be suggested by the continuous flow of sound, she found the woman had only spoken eleven words. "Welcome, Alira of the Metal Sky, to the Silver Cloud Sect."



Many people fill the room, each powerful and unique. Some are fellow transmigrants, but others are new students of this world. But who sat beside Alira? Pick three.


[] A star, fallen from heaven.

[] A deep lake, nestled in a mountain valley.

[] An oasis teeming with life, hidden deep in an endless desert.

[] The chill of dawn on the first day of spring.

[] The sound after lightning, resounding across the land.

[] A small stream flowing through a gentle glade.

[] An unstoppable momentum, aiming for the heavens.

[] Blood-stained iron.

[] Tinkling bells during a rainstorm.

[] An unending scream of defiance against a cruel and uncaring world.

[] A large cleft in a canyon wall.



All of the above options represent characters that will have a major part to play in the near future, so long as direct action isn't taken to hinder their growth, or to raise another minor character to prominence.


PS: The failed Diplomacy check caused Sashi to hoist her lecture onto Snowfall, leaving you without knowledge that would have helped in making decisions that will be coming in the near future. A roll failure tends to lead to a tangible benefit being lost, while general stats and inclinations affect the direction of the overarching plot and social interactions.

Alira's gaze was transfixed on the elderly matron, grey eyes staring into her own green with an intensity that rivaled any ancient Eldar she had ever met. And like an endless river, the woman continued to speak. "You are but one of many, but that does not make you common. You have exceptional talent, given your… unique understanding of Cultivation." The capital in Cultivation rang clear, the word causing her to remember some of the more hazy parts of her conversation with the Solitaire and the other Harlequin Dancer. The word conveyed far more meaning than even the more advanced Eldar linguistics. It spoke of both improvement, and stagnation, of seeking to find one's limits, and either breaking through them, or stalling forever, wallowing in mediocrity. It was not a kind word, nor gentle, but it exuded excitement and adventure, like the stories of Eldar corsairs and explorers did when she was a child. There was little need for the restraints holding Alira in place, for her attention was firmly transfixed by the woman, practically aching to learn more. She could sense that her time was soon at hand, and the first steps on her path.

The woman's smile grew as she eyed the young Eldar. "I see you excited to learn. I can practically taste it." The woman licked her lips, revealing a snake-like tongue and two long fangs that somehow remained hidden after she closed her lips. The strange quirk was hardly something that was capable of dampening Alira's anticipation, but it did make her a bit more wary. The old matron nodded, before continuing on. "I don't doubt your.. benefactor? Yes, we will go with benefactor, has informed you on some of the comings and goings, as well as their desires for you on this plane of existence. Nevertheless, I would be remiss in my duties if I did not explain at least some of our expectations, as well as the rewards that come with fulfilling them." The Eldar nodded furiously, taking no note of her suddenly relaxed restraints, so focused was she on this intriguing woman.

"The first thing you must understand of this place, is that though the lions may lay with the sheep, their fangs are still sharp. Do not disrespect others out of turn, lest you anger a sleeping dragon. It is easy to tell one's rank by the color of the badge on their chest. They follow the traditional names of the various Stages of Cultivation, and start with Yellow, followed by Green, Turquoise, Cyan, Blue, Violet, Purple, Red, Black, and lastly, White. But remember, not all members within these Stages are equal. Far too many rush to reach a higher Stage, only to fall due to an unstable foundation, defeated by those of a lesser Stage, who properly practiced their fundamentals. But 'ware the desire to perfect one's foundation, as rivals can trample you through sheer power if they move too far beyond, using brute strength to defeat skill and finesse. Remember, Balance in all things, though what is the proper Balance can be hard to distinguish."

Alira practically drank in the matron's words, committing each to memory in the exact pitch and tone they had been delivered in. This was far from easy, given the already difficult nature in parsing her words from the furious roar of a thousand rivers, but the curious Eldar, though often distracted by idle thoughts, was more focused than any other time in her entire life. Though she wasn't entirely sure about some of the terms, a little niggling in the back of her brain made her think she already knew them, and just needed time to ponder. Continuing in her tendency to mimic a river, the old woman's tirade did not cease for longer than a single breath, before continuing on. "For now, the next most important thing to know is how the Sect is organized. In order to foster cooperation and friendship, all new Sect members are placed into a Household, totaling four members each. Each Household will compete with each other for resources, power, and respect. Given the ease at which Cultivators can slip into extended training sprees, it has been too common in the past for the greatest of us to be the least tied to the rest of society. Much of the degraded nature of our culture can be placed firmly on the shoulders of warriors too ignorant of others to have any purpose beyond strength for strength's sake."

Curious, Alira wondered how any one person could become powerful without the aid of others, whether it be in knowledge for training, or tools for their trade. Nobody was truly self-sufficient, after all. But there was no time for questions, as the matriarch rolled ever onward. "You have but one responsibility to the Sect, beyond continued growth. Protect our teachings and lands. In essence, you must not reveal any Cultivation knowledge to those beyond our Sect, without direct permission from a Core Sect Elder, as well as help aid in the defence of the Sect in case of war, though such an act has not happened in this corner of the Empire for over a hundred years.

Without any official curriculum, your days are your own to decide. But without proper resources and training, your strength will be severely limited. Therefore, there are plenty of tasks, both dangerous and mundane, that will earn you tutoring or various resources. In addition, the Sect keeps many retainers on staff, skilled in various crafts and professions, which can cater to any and every need and want. And I mean EVERY want." The old Cultivator gave Alira a knowing look, who blushed in response, mind returning to the excitement of her dance with the Solitaire and the Harlequins, filled with subtle seduction, and outright sexual advances. Perhaps she would see what these mon'keigh had to offer… Alira focused back on the matron as she continued to drone on, though her thoughts started to drift slightly.

"Lastly, there is a tournament held every two months. These tournaments set the Rank of each Household for the following months which, baring the most crushing of losses, remain set in stone until the next tournament. The Rank of your Household will provide a continuous income of Spirit Stones, but even the highest ranking Household will not be provided enough for extended bouts of training, so you will be expected to seek out opportunity wherever it may be found. And speaking of opportunity, the grounds around the Outer Sect have been seeded with many special Trials and hidden treasures, just waiting for an adventurous Cultivator to find them." Finally finished with her tirade, the elderly woman slumped slightly, grasping the podium in a tight grip, and like a cloud dissipating in the summer sun, Alira felt a presence fade from her mind, as well as the restraints on her body. Before any of the more dangerous and violent members of the small gathering could start some mischief, the Elder waved her hand, sending all the chairs flying out of the room.


Whooping, Alira clutched her chair, exhilarated by the danger of flying through the air with nothing but her hands keeping her from plummeting to the ground, which was soon far below. Looking about, she could see for miles upon miles, and what a view it was. The sun was barely setting, casting a faint orange glow across the world. Hidden valleys and giant trees covered the seemingly endless mountain range, with rivers and lakes aplenty. It was more beautiful than the holo-vids of a Paradise world she had watched as a younger woman, curious of the worlds beyond her own Craftworld. The sight was more than she ever could have imagined, and she spent most of the trip sight-seeing. But she did not fail to notice the three other chairs flying close by. Though not as interesting as the terrain, due to her questions being lost to the wind, she still gave each a thorough look. One looked to be a young woman, bearing the robes of some sort of priest, if she remembered her mon'keigh lore correctly. She also clutched what appeared to be a weapon of some sort, with a large cylindrical container sitting in place of where the magazine should be. The woman had a small scar on her lower lip, which she was currently biting, eyes closed in intense concentration. Next was another woman, this one a radiant beauty, one that put most Eldar to shame. Alira couldn't help but wonder what a dance with such a woman would be like, but quickly shook the salacious thoughts away.

Lastly, was a hulk of a man. Or rather, a boy? With not a hair on his chin, the manling was easily seven feet tall, and muscled like an Ork. His neck was nearly the size of her thigh, which was no thin stick by any measure. Though looking like much more than a mere snack, the mon'keigh's face was the picture of honesty and innocence, with a look that screamed naivety. Even Alira could tell the man, boy, creature was new to the world, given how he, too, stared with fascination at the scenery. Perhaps she might find a kindred spirit in this short-lived creature? She would soon find out, for she spotted their destination soon after. Sitting atop a small mountain peak, stood a small but ornate mansion, complete with a garden that practically screamed at her, given its riotous color scheme. Four main buildings were split by a spacious courtyard in the center, complete with a massive willow tree, and small fish pond. Several ancillary buildings lined the manor, but lacked the decoration and fine craftsmanship of the four main buildings.

With the grace of a Nightwing in flight, the chairs came to a rest at the center of the courtyard. Carefully extricating herself from the strange flying contraption, Alira looked about, taking in the beautiful mansion. Unable to resist exploring, Alira hurried into the nearest building, only to stop as a pale white scroll puffed into existence before her. Though it was strange that she could read the text, which was obviously not of Eldar making, Alira hardly let it bother her, given the already strange and tumultuous day. A quick scan made her grin from ear to ear. At the bottom of the scroll was a dotted line, along with a request for a signature. All she had to do was sign, and this portion of the manor was hers. But which of the four was she to take? Looking at the other three members of her new Household, Alira considered for a short moment whether to include the others in deliberating over who gets which house.


In the end, she decided to:

[] Discuss with the others which house she would take.

[] First come, first served! She would take the…

*[] Southern Manor. Provides 1.3 modifier to Cold and Water Arts and Methods, as well as a 1.1 modifier to Spear Arts.

*[] Western Manor: Provides 1.2 modifier to Wind and Fire Arts and Methods, as well as a 1.2 modifier to Sabre arts.

*[] Eastern Manor: Provides 1.5 modifier to Lightning Arts and Methods.

*[] Northern Manor: Provides a 1.3 modifier to Earth and Metal Arts and Methods.


* Note: Some of the modifiers above only provide bonuses to Arts and Techniques, instead of Arts, Techniques, and Cultivation Methods (CMs). Please double check before making a decision. In general, there are few CMs that are primarily focused on a weapon, generally sticking to elements, but this is not a hard rule, merely a matter of quantity.

PS. For your vote, please include both your preferred choice for the two main options, as well as a vote on which Manor to select, in case the second Main option gets picked, while you voted for the first.

PPS. We're getting to close to letting you lot loose! Just one more chapter, introducing your fellow Household members, and we'll get this thing properly started! A few more numbers and such will be posted as well, including general XP gains from Yellow stage resources, their associated costs and requirements, and the value of tutoring and its cost. I hope you're as excited as I am!