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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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Lena27 said:
Nope, we're talking about getting completely new item here. Not upgrading a old one.
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If we are getting a new talisman, that means replacing one of the older ones.

So why not a straight upgrade-

Well, I said upgrade, but what I meant is getting a better talisman made with similar types of bonuses, instead of upgrading like what we did sentimentally with the remains Ling Qi's old flute.

I forgot for a minute there that there is a mechanics in this Quest system that peruses the same term.

Could be like we get something like the just mentioned long gloves, but with bonuses like the choker we had, or the hairpin, just better and with perhaps other effects.
 
yrsillar said:
"I admit, I am a little curious as to what sort of book could distract you so, Lady Cai. You are not much inclined to leisure," Ling Qi said, picking through the pieces that had been made available for her to embroider. She was very glad that she had spent a little time with Sixiang earlier to refresh her memory on how this sort of picky stitching worked.

"Well, you've got the fingers, but I'm always here for ideas," Sixiang laughed.

"She is not wrong," Meizhen said evenly. She had selected a plain sash of dark green silk to work on, and was now rifling through the colored thread.
"I have had little time, it is true," Cai Renxiang replied, glimmering gold thread snaked into the air from the basket beside her, levitating in front of her eyes for inspection. "SInce I began my preparations for the Sect and entering public life, some matters have fallen by the wayside. Though I called it my favorite, in truth, this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to return to its pages in more than five years."

Ling Qi raised an eyebrow, she knew that Cai Renxiang was older than her by a few months, having turned sixteen in the last month, that would mean it was a book she had picked up at ten or eleven? If her liege was a normal girl, she would wonder what kind of storybook it was.
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Big ooof.
Thats a horribly packed schedule
yrsillar said:
As things were, well… Ling Qi did not voice that thought as she selected a dark blue hair ribbon for her project. "Please, my lady, do not keep us in suspense."

Cai Renxiang arched an eyebrow at her, but no rebuke was forthcoming. It seemed that this was a private enough affair that a little casual speech was acceptable. "It is titled, 'The Analects'. The text is a collection of short, anecdotal statements and exchanges between a first dynasty scholar by the name of Kung and his disciples, as well as surviving fragments from a number of other books authored by them. He was quite an insightful man in many regards, I think, I regret that the volume is incomplete."

"Hm, I feel as if I might recall the name, something to do with the early reforms of the ministry systems?" Meizhen mused, beginning her needlework.
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Reading administration/history books for fun.
...well its time efficient?
yrsillar said:
"That effort was spearheaded by a student of the author's surviving disciple. The volume itself is rather obscure. My own is a mere copy of the original which Mother has in her personal library," Cai Renxiang replied as her needle threaded itself.

"Why incomplete then?" Ling Qi asked curiously. "I can't imagine that the duchess would stand for that."

"Even my honored Mother cannot pluck the lost words that dead men from ten thousand years past from the air," her liege replied, a very slight edge of dryness in her words. "The scholar Kung was a resident of the Chou province."

Meizhen winced, though her needles didn't falter. "Bai Wulin's third clash with Shang Tsung I presume?"

Cai Renxiang gave a shallow nod. "The province was thoroughly destroyed by the clash between the honored general and the Usurper. What I have only exists because one of the disciples was away in the capital on an errand at the time."

Even Ling Qi had picked up enough history to have at least a vague idea what they were talking about, the First Dynasty had ended in a civil war between branches of the imperial house, and the destruction of many archives and libraries. The Shang, as the usurpers had called themselves, were bent on destroying pre imperial and early imperial works.
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That doesn't sound like a usurper thing. That sounds like an attempt at enforcing unification through wiping the slate clean.

The Empire was always united.
yrsillar said:
"The pale pink would be a good contrasting color to add," Sixiang mused as Ling Qi picked through the threads.

"So, what is the book about though?" Ling Qi asked idly as she took Sixiang's advice, adding the spool to the colors she had picked out, now she just needed a pattern.

"The scholar's musings on the foundational elements of society and governance, and how they arise from the vagaries of interpersonal relationships," Cai Renxiang replied idly. Already the shapes of golden and black butterfly wings were taking shape on the silk in her hands. "I find that I have a new perspective on things with this reading, and have ignored some insights to my detriment."
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Hmm, drawing from the IRL dispute of Legalists(who enshrined the principle of Law above All) with the other great philosophies of China, particularly the Confucians(who followed the principle of filial piety and the feudal structure as an outgrowth of familial structures)? They suffered in implementing their legal reforms because many of them worked under the principle that perfect and perfectly enforced laws will produce a just society, while ignoring the human and interpersonal elements.
yrsillar said:
Ling Qi would hope so, that didn't sound like the sort of thing a ten year old was really equipped to parse, no matter how prodigious. She was not going to say so though.

"I believe you have have done better in your tasks than could have been reasonably expected, given the chaotic elements at play," Meizhen replied. "It is good to be critical of oneself, but only to a point."

Cai Renxiang dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement. Ling Qi got the feeling that Meizhen had said as much before. "I disagree of course. My failures arose from inflexibility, presumption, and compromise of my ideals. As the Scholar Kung said, 'One who has committed a mistake and does not correct it is committing another mistake'."

"A fine statement indeed," Meizhen replied blandly. "Learn from the past certainly, but keep your eyes forward, lest the future plant a knife in your back. The past is inviolate, you cannot change it, only act on things as they are."

"You speak as if I am a madwoman, ready to destroy myself in battling the flow of time, and not one merely engaging in self reflection," Cai Renxiang said with faint exasperation.

"You have corrected your errors in perspective, and reflected quite enough. I merely worry that you will mire yourself in such musing and become your own obstacle," Meizhen shot back.
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Is highbrow conversation...but it sounds like friendly prodding at known flaws. Takes pretty high trust to do that even in private.
yrsillar said:
Ling Qi watched the two girls speak quietly, the dynamic was a little different than she expected. It was strange, her liege seemed a bit more… personable, with Meizhen. Some old ember of jealousy flared in her heart, though for what she wasn't sure. "While I can't speak for my lady. I have found some success in self reflection."

"Grudgingly," Sixiang added in amusement. "And with much prodding."
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A mirror helps!
yrsillar said:
"And I will not gainsay the value of that," Meizhen replied with a huff. Glittering silver threads had begun to create an intricate geometric pattern on the silk in her hands. "We, the Bai are engaged in such matters ourselves at the moment."

"The branch clans are continuing to be troublesome?" Cai Renxiang asked carefully.

"The Violet Corals have been convinced to accept infrastructure funding to expand their coastal holdings, but the Blue Cobra and Yellow Boa remain aligned with other members of the family. That is not to speak of the troubles the Green Asp are making regarding the incident. Many are still not taking the opening of borders and the exchanges between provinces well."

Ling Qi gave her friend a worried look. They did not talk politics much, but that did not sound good.
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Resistance to reform. Expanding the ports make sense for the wood trade routes, and the sheer profitability of going from coastal fishing to timber sales nexus would have economics steadily overwhelm conservatives. Especially given the geography they'd find border disputes a minor issue, they claim the land and the Xuan the sea.

What do we know of the Bai clan configuration?
White - Leaders/Politicals. Presumably controls the central lakes Granny is napping in.
Black - Trusted Servants. Presumably shares holdings with the White
Violet - Northern Coast
Blue - ???
Yellow - ???
Brown - Eastern(Emerald Sea) border?
??? - ???
??? -???

Presumably the unlisted colors are the ones who didn't have an ascended branch head, and so probably don't control territories?
Lots of whatif-ery
yrsillar said:
"Worrying, The Meng and some elements of the Diao have been making dissatisfied noises as well, according to the reports Mother allows me. Of course, Minister Linqin will not allow too much defiance from within her clan, but the Meng are a concern," she said before looking to Ling Qi. "How have your meetings with the Bao gone?"
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That sounds extra worrying for the succession. The Diao are in line solely due to Linqin's personal affection for her liege, and are making unhappy noises.

Once Linqin or Shenhua is out of the picture its going to burst in Renxiang's face.
yrsillar said:
"We have not discussed politics much," Ling Qi admitted, noting the interested look she received from Meizhen as well. She glanced down at her work to buy a moment to compose her reply, noting with some frustration how clumsy her own project looked compared to theirs. The snowflake pattern that she was working at was good for mortal work, but it seemed dull compared to the shifting pattern Meizhen was working on, or the nigh living butterflies that fluttered across the pale blue cloth of Cai Renxiang's piece.
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Meizhen doing the snake-skin shimmering effect with thread huh?
And then Renxiang has them frigging animated. Hah.

yrsillar said:
We spent the time discussing more financial matters. However… Bao Qian seems like a talented young man, it does not seem like a wholly idle offer."

Meizhen hummed giving her a suspicious look, of course her friend would detect her mixed feelings on the matter. "Miss Bao seems to believe that her brother is serious about the matter," she said.

"A hopeful sign. The true intentions of the Bao clan can be somewhat difficult to pin down. They were among the last of the counts to give open support to Mother against the Hui, but were among the most enthusiastic in the aftermath." She shook her head.
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Bao don't like to commit until its certain huh?
Could see that. They also go all in when they do.

They're memetic dwarfs or something?
yrsillar said:
"That reminds me of the matter which lead to my invitation however, Ling Qi. You require further outfitting."

Ling Qi blinked, not quite sure what to make of that. "I beg your pardon Lady Cai?"

She caught the faintest touch of a smirk on Bai Meizhen's lips for a fraction of a second. "I believe what Cai Renxiang wishes to say is that it is past time for you to acquire further accessories."

"I approve of your desire to remain at top battle potential at all times," her liege continued seriously. "However, it is possible to retain your potency while not presenting too stagnant an image."

Sixiang started giggling, the traitor. This was happening it seemed. She had thought she was past this. "...I see, might I ask what your plans are, my Lady?"
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Ling Qi: "Oh no, all my friends are conspiring to dress me up!"
We already know Xiulan would, and so would Meizhen, Sixiang, Hanyi, and now Renxiang.

Suyin is the only one left out of the conspiracy of the girls!
Wait...had Meizhen refused to take Ling Qi into the embroidery group previously to plan this with Renxiang?
yrsillar said:
"I have scheduled an appointment with Lin Hai, the man who designed your gown in its original state," Cai Renxiang replied crisply. "The three of us will proceed to his workshop on the last day of the month. I wish you to be equipped before your latest assignment."

Ling Qi frowned, it was true that her next scouting assignment would see her detached with a small group to defend an outlying mining village in Sect territory, so she would be away for some time, but she did not see what the hurry was, unless…

Meizhen chuckled, and even Cai Renxiang looked very briefly amused. "Yes, we will be acquiring more than just mundane accessories. The both of us require improved Talismans. Mother has given me a small dispensation for that purpose."

"And in a gesture of trust, Aunt Suzhen has agreed to fund a commission from an Emerald Seas Master," Bai Meizhen added.
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Like, they didn't come up with ducal funding for a special talisman out of the blue. This was PLANNED like a war.

Like look at this:
-Ling Qi wears the cheapest possible item when its not a talisman. She can be talked into buying something else but...
-If Ling Qi gets a new talisman she'd literally wear it all the time and nothing else. Xiulan's efforts to dress her up are toast the moment she got a magic dress.
-If Ling Qi gets a more powerful talisman she'd wear it all the time even if its supremely unfashionable.
-Ergo, in order to make sure she looks good, you must make her a fashionable talisman of unrivaled potency.

So they're commissioning the biggest damned talisman they could fit on her.
yrsillar said:
"So I am not merely along to prevent you from doing something… silly."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ling Qi asked, giving her friend an aggrieved look.

"The last time you commissioned pieces for yourself, one of them was that silly hairpiece that spat blinding dust," her friend said with a sniff. "I will see you becoming dignified, even if I must hold your hand the entire way."

"That aside," Cai Renxiang said, cutting off any potential squabbling. "Consider what kind of piece you wish for over the next few days, there are many options, while Lin Hai is not my Mother, able to spin a peerless blade from thread, he is nonetheless not limited to wholly cloth goods."

Ling Qi shot Bai Meizhen a slightly sour look, but her friend did not look sorry at all. "Of course Lady Cai, thank you for your invitation."
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I see they have high opinions of our fashion sense.
Heheheh.

Looking at Ling Qi's picture I'm thinking that visually speaking:
-Her dress is super detail heavy, any accessory adjacent to the dress will be swallowed up in the detail and not stand out unless its particularly large.
-Her dress is long, footwear will not be visible for the most part unless she's flying, and too tiny to see when she's flying.
-Her dress has wing slot, cloaks are overridden

So my thoughts are either:
[] A scarf

Fluttering in the wind, while its adjacent to the dress, its motion will grab attention for itself.
Thematically appropriate for Social Attack, Spiritual Defense

[] A hat

A Nice Hat which is magically unable to be blown off during flight is visually grabbing, and if it has a significant brim it can be used to shadow her face or accentuate it based on the situation. AND it can hide a hairpin talisman under it if we wanted to switch those around.
Thematically appropriate for perception, and defenses of all sorts.

[] Gloves

Her hands are bare after all, and just distant enough from her dress to be seen.
Thematically appropriate for attack and physical defenses I think?
 
yrsillar said:
Ling Qi raised an eyebrow, she knew that Cai Renxiang was older than her by a few months, having turned sixteen in the last month, that would mean it was a book she had picked up at ten or eleven? If her liege was a normal girl, she would wonder what kind of storybook it was. As things were, well… Ling Qi did not voice that thought as she selected a dark blue hair ribbon for her project. "Please, my lady, do not keep us in suspense."
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Interesting to know CRX's birthday is at Month 5

veekie said:
What do we know of the Bai clan configuration?
White - Leaders/Politicals. Presumably controls the central lakes Granny is napping in.
Black - Trusted Servants. Presumably shares holdings with the White
Violet - Northern Coast
Blue - ???
Yellow - ???
Brown - Eastern(Emerald Sea) border?
??? - ???
??? -???
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thinks it goes:
White Serpent
Black Viper
Violet Corals
Blue Cobra
Yellow Boa
Green Asp
Red Python
????
 
What about decorative arm braces? They'd cinch in her flowing sleeves while leaving her hands free, which some have argued against the gloves for. Her sleeves can still be poofy around where they tuck in too, like a princess.
 
I think a pibo would be a beautiful accessory since we already have a gown. By pibo I mean the ribbon thing that some hanfu have wound around both arms and extending across the back. Like so
 
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Camellia said:
What about decorative arm braces? They'd cinch in her flowing sleeves while leaving her hands free, which some have argued against the gloves for. Her sleeves can still be poofy around where they tuck in too, like a princess.
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That actually sounds like a great idea. I mean yes its an arm accessory and I know I had just made a point against those before...but I'd make an exception in this case. It could be a cool stylish addition to the dress.
Don't know about that ribbon you're talking about though. I think I would need to see some more examples. I looked it up quickly, didn't see many more examples that focus on the ribbon thing.
Edit: Well I saw hair ribbons but you were talking about the ribbon that specifically goes on the dress so 🤷‍♀️
 
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veekie said:
Gloves

Her hands are bare after all, and just distant enough from her dress to be seen.
Thematically appropriate for attack and physical defenses I think?
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I'm not sure I feel comfortable with the gloves. Ling Qi has major intimacy issues and adding another, constant layer between her and possible human contact is just begging to create drama and long term psychological problems.

The rest sound fine, not that I'm up to date on the stats we need.
 
Hmph, this is the longest time I've seen no one voting with the 2 hour moratorium gone. Guess we just....don't know what to vote.
 
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