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.
- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
Um, sure. It's poorly worded in my view tbh, but feel free.
Hovered is used twice
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Turn 9: 4-1 Branching Paths
UGM
104
BKSD
47
MSS
62
SNR
173
WHR
49
LFWT
157
ENM
93
PLR 28
713x1.3=926
1447/1100
347/1400 for next rank
Domain Increases to D
104
BKSD
47
MSS
62
SNR
173
WHR
49
LFWT
157
ENM
93
PLR 28
713x1.3=926
1447/1100
347/1400 for next rank
Domain Increases to D
Unawakened Domain
:
Active Effects
Dissonance of the Lonely Street: C
This effect infuses area effects of lung based arts, subtly changing their tenor and expression to a darker and more violent one. This effect may only infuse one art at a time. Infused arts deal E rank damage to enemies within in addition to their other effects. If the effect would already deal damage, the damage is instead increased by one rank(Max C).
Lost Child's Elegy: B
An elegy to things lost and unattainable, left behind in the mists of time; of hearths that will never be warmed and happiness forgotten. The blade circles foes, thickening the mist and cutting them off from the world and their allies. Enemies within the mist are affected by D rank qi drain and a slow lethargy that drags at their limbs, penalizing hit, speed and initiative for each action spent in The Mist, this penalty stacks up to five times. Any enemy with two or more stacks may be focused on under the effect, and if they fail an automatic dispel test they become isolated, neither providing effects to other enemies or benefiting from effects from other enemies. The weapon may only target one enemy at a time with this effect. Enemies under this effect suffer C rank Qi drain. Enemies under this effect only perceive Ling Qi and her domain weapon. Ling Qi may affect a number of targets this way equal to her cultivation potency.
Alternatively Ling Qi may target an ally within the mist, granting them a stacking buff to Physical and Spiritual Armor as well as Resist. Allies targeted this way cannot be affected by area of effect debuffs unless the effects rank exceeds her domain rank, adjusted for potency.
- Personal
- +30 to Speed and Initiative, +20 to Music Derived Attributes and Skills, and +10 to Physical Avoid and Spiritual Avoid.
- Social Perception Increased by one rank within a space considered 'hers'.
- Immunity to effects which reduce speed, initiative or avoid(Bypassed by effects of Rank C or higher, adjusted for potency).
- Immunity to Compulsion or Illusion effects which would cause action against allies of Bond 3 or higher (Bypassed by effects of rank A or higher, adjusted for potency).
- D Rank Damage Reduction against Music and Sound Effects.
- Paired
- Immunity to Effects which induce Immobility or Helplessness(Bypassed by effects of Rank U or higher).
- +1 Rank to Composure and Resolve.
- Once per Scene, Ling Qi may negate an effect which would reduce an ally of bond 5 or 6's health to zero (Bypassed by effects which make use of Shen).
- Bond 0
- +15 to Speed and Initiative.
- +10 to Health and Spiritual Armor.
- Immunity to Compulsion or Illusion effects which would cause action against allies of Bond 3 or higher (Bypassed by effects of rank C or higher, adjusted for potency).
- Bond 3
- +25 to Speed and Initiative.
- Immunity to Compulsion or Illusion effects which would cause action against allies of Bond 3 or higher (Bypassed by effects of rank B or higher, adjusted for potency).
- Bond 4
- +25 to Speed and Initiative, +15 to Spiritual Avoid.
- +1 rank to Spiritual Avoid, Spiritual Armor and Combat Perception(Boosted Rank cannot exceed Ling Qi's).
- Immunity to effects which reduce speed, initiative or avoid(Bypassed by effects of Rank C or higher, adjusted for potency).
- Immunity to Compulsion or Illusion effects which would cause action against allies of Bond 3 or higher (Bypassed by effects of rank A or higher, adjusted for potency).
- Bond 5-6
- +35 to Speed and Initiative, +25 to Spiritual Avoid.
- +1 rank to Spiritual Avoid, Spiritual Armor and Combat Perception(Boosted Rank cannot exceed Ling Qi's).
- Immunity to effects which reduce speed, initiative or avoid(Bypassed by effects of Rank B or higher, adjusted for potency).
- Immunity to Compulsion or Illusion effects which would cause action against allies of Bond 2 or higher (Bypassed by effects of rank S or higher, adjusted for potency).
:
- [The Mist]
The cold and cloying mist enshrouds and announces &*(Y^ Incomplete Integration-description pending- The Mist may extend up to far distance, or be shrunk down to adjacent at will.
- The Mist infuses all other Lung based techniques Ling Qi channels, granting +20 to Resist and Spiritual Hit.
- The Mist enables combat stealth within it's range, and penalizes enemy perception by one half rank.
- This Mist swirls with images and phantasms, within it, enemy multiattacker penalty is reduced by one and allies multiattacker bonuses are increased by one (per stack, minimum 1).
- The Mist distorts space at its perimeter, making leaving or attacking from outside difficult. A movement technique of Rank C or higher is required to leave and attacks from outside suffer a one rank penalty to Hit.
- Bond 0
- The Mist although cold, is light and peaceful for allies, parting easily and obstructing them not at all.
- +15 to Spiritual Armor and Physical Avoid.
- +10 to Combat Perception.
- Bond 3
- The Mist is an ally and companion, as much as Ling Qi herself, spawning phantoms and swirling protectively around the ally.
- +20 to Spiritual Armor and Physical Avoid, +10 to Spiritual Avoid.
- E Rank Qi regeneration while Lost Child's Elegy is active.
- Bond 4
- The Mist is warm and inviting, it embraces and bolsters, it soaks up harmful effects into itself. Most of all, it reminds your friends that they are not alone.
- +25 to Spiritual Armor, Physical and Spiritual Avoid.
- +20 to Resist.
- D Rank Qi regeneration while Lost Child's Elegy is active.
- Bond 5-6
- The Mist is warm and welcome, the feeling of a spring morning made manifest. So long as it remains, you will not falter.
- +30 to Spiritual Armor, Physical and Spiritual Avoid.
- +30 to Resist.
- C Rank Qi regeneration while Lost Child's Elegy is active.
- Immunity to effects which would isolate or otherwise remove the target from the Mist or Ling Qi's beneficial effects (Bypassed by effects of Rank A or higher, adjusted for potency).
Active Effects
Dissonance of the Lonely Street: C
This effect infuses area effects of lung based arts, subtly changing their tenor and expression to a darker and more violent one. This effect may only infuse one art at a time. Infused arts deal E rank damage to enemies within in addition to their other effects. If the effect would already deal damage, the damage is instead increased by one rank(Max C).
Lost Child's Elegy: B
An elegy to things lost and unattainable, left behind in the mists of time; of hearths that will never be warmed and happiness forgotten. The blade circles foes, thickening the mist and cutting them off from the world and their allies. Enemies within the mist are affected by D rank qi drain and a slow lethargy that drags at their limbs, penalizing hit, speed and initiative for each action spent in The Mist, this penalty stacks up to five times. Any enemy with two or more stacks may be focused on under the effect, and if they fail an automatic dispel test they become isolated, neither providing effects to other enemies or benefiting from effects from other enemies. The weapon may only target one enemy at a time with this effect. Enemies under this effect suffer C rank Qi drain. Enemies under this effect only perceive Ling Qi and her domain weapon. Ling Qi may affect a number of targets this way equal to her cultivation potency.
Alternatively Ling Qi may target an ally within the mist, granting them a stacking buff to Physical and Spiritual Armor as well as Resist. Allies targeted this way cannot be affected by area of effect debuffs unless the effects rank exceeds her domain rank, adjusted for potency.
Ling Qi let out a breath and opened her eyes.
Memory could be tricky, but that simply meant that it needed to be guarded well, that was all. Ephemeral Nights Memory was a step in that direction.
"Memories degrade and change, and there's nothing wrong with that," Sixiang said. The air beside Ling Qi shimmered in the ghostly outline of the muse, wearing robes of glittering moonlight.
"I suppose you would know," Ling Qi mused. She had swam in the memories that made up Sixiang, they were fragmented things, wisps of sensation and experience without logic or coherence. Only the most recent memories, those of their most recent incarnation were anything clear. "...I've already accepted the truth of impermanence, something like this isn't going to bother me."
"I wonder how much you have. Acknowledging the ending. The big capital E one is one thing, but…. It's so far away, you know?" Sixiang chuckled, leaning back to look up at the stars. "You certainly didn't accept my ending. I'm thankful for that, Even if I think you're kinda silly for looking at it that way."
Ling Qi huffed, but she didn't reply, because Sixiang was right. She knew Endings. It was the light going out of a man's eyes as frost crept over them. It was a bead of colorless radiance on the end of a saber, and howling missiles of spiralling wind. It was winter in the streets, where the unlucky never saw another spring. It was that glimpse of lightless heatless nothing which Zeqing had given her.
Her teacher had been right, she was not really ready yet to contemplate the full truth of the End. Even understanding implicitly that it would come, she didn't want it too. "I couldn't just let you be lazy and drift off," Ling Qi said lightly. "You've put a lot of work into this incarnation, it'd be a shame to waste it."
Sixiang gave her an amused look. "I guess, I doubt the next one will be as interesting either."
For a time, they sat in silence, under the moon.
"Time has been flying huh?" Sixiang mused. "Seems like this month has passed by so quickly. Almost time for another tournament huh?"
Ling Qi nodded. "At least this year I might not come across as completely out of my depth," Ling Qi said wryly. The practice she had gotten with the sect's disciples this year would hopefully serve her well with the noble visitors Cai Renxiang would no doubt expect her to mingle with.
"Heh, you'll be fine," Sixiang chuckled. "Worried about the match you have coming up?"
"Not really," Ling Qi said, letting her eyes drift back shut. In the end, it's only an exhibition match. She wanted to win naturally, but… faced with the reality of the barbarians under their feet, of the raids and the politics she was becoming aware of, it seemed so small a thing.
"That's a little arrogant isn't it?" Sixiang said idly, letting their bare legs dangle from the rooftop. "At least take it seriously."
"I guess so," Ling Qi laughed. She would definitely give the fight her all. After all, that was the polite thing to do, and she had come far in terms of politeness. After all, even if she didn't like him much, Ji Rong was still a peer, in the end they were on the same side, whatever rivalry their patrons had within the empire.
***
"I shall be disappointed in you if you lose," Bai Meizhen said from behind her.
Ling Qi met her friend's eyes in the mirror as the girl finished arranging the pins in her hair. "I'm starting to think that you're more invested in this than I am," Ling Qi said dryly.
Bai Meizhen gave her a disdainful look as she stepped away. "You are too lackadaisical."
Ling Qi stuck out her tongue. Bai Meizhen scrunched up her face in disgust.
Ling Qi stood, laughing under her breath, and Bai Meizhen let out an amused huff.
She eyed herself in the mirror, everything about her image was in place. Her hair was done up, with only a few thin streamers hanging down her back. She had adjusted her mantle, going for a lighter, gauzier blue silk than the usual low hanging 'wings'. Pale white lace shrouded her hands in voluminous sleeves.
It didn't look too bad, she thought. And that did matter, because in some ways this was a show.
Despite everything, the Sect was at war. Their duel would be overseen by a core disciple on medical leave, rather than an elder. It had occurred to her that the duel might not even get sanctioned, but it seemed that the sect had an interest in maintaining normality.
There would be quite an audience. They were fighting in one of the bigger training fields.
"Well, let's get going, we don't want to give them any reason to complain," Ling Qi said, heading for the door. Bai Meizhen nodded her assent.
Outside the preparation room, three people waited. Her spirit's Zhengui and Hanyi, and Bao Qingling. The last of which stood well off to the side, even though Zhengui had shrunk himself down to only a couple meters long.
"You look pretty Big Sis," Hanyi said from her seat on Zhengui's shell. "Can we wreck this jerk now, so I can get back to work?"
"Be polite," she chided. Hanyi's drive hadn't disappeared. It was only stoked by the news that Bao Quan was closing in on a deal for a performance. They had been given a date for next month.
"Hanyi should not be so pushy," Gui scoffed.
"I Zhen am ready to win though," Zhen insisted.
Bao Qingling only glanced at them as Meizhen paced to her side. There was a subtle awkwardness there, like a clockwork missing a gear.
"...I want to follow them," Sixiang whispered in her head. "Can I follow them?"
No spying, Ling Qi thought, keeping her expression even.
Sixiang grumbled.
"I will leave you to it, Ling Qi. You secured our seats?" Bai Meizhen asked, looking up at Bao Qingling.
"Yes," the taller girl grunted. "Lower seating, east side."
Ling Qi gave Bai Meizhen and her… friend a nod, and they split up, Ling Qi heading for the field and they to the audience. Zhengui trundled along behind her with a confident stride.
She emerged onto the field and into a buzz of noise. At the four corners of the combat field were four familiar structures. Gem set pillars like those that marked the tournament arenas, they weren't as advanced, they would just contain the fight and warp space a little, making the battlefield larger within the perimeter, but it still spoke to her recent growth.
...And her opponents, she supposed.
Ji Rong stood on the far side of the field, his arms crossed. His foot tapped against the hard packed dirt of the field impatient, but his scarred features were set in concentration. His Spirit, Relong hovered in midair, his looping coils a miniature of the gargantuan beast that even now loomed over the Sect.
"You know, how come you never oggled this one?" Sixiang asked curiously. "He's not bad looking, even does that open shirt thing that makes you get all fidgety around Ruan Shen."
'Not my type at all,' Ling Qi thought back silently. She might have taken steps to leave it behind, but in the end Ji Rong was too close to unpleasant memories.
"I never got a chance to say thanks for getting us out of there," Ji Rong said gruffly as she took her place.
"I have had a full schedule," Ling Qi said neutrally. Zhengui came to a stop behind her, and Hanyi stood up, doing her best to match Ling Qi's pose.
"Yeah, you have," Ji Rong said musingly. His lips quirked into a self deprecating smirk. "You really did beat me last year, didn't you?"
Ling Qi was silent, knowing that he wasn't just referring to the tournament. "We both made our choices," she said carefully. "I just chose to apply myself differently."
He grunted irritably, rolling his shoulders. "Tch, you knew how to change skins when you needed to, and had a lil' less pride."
"I would say that my pride was different," Ling Qi said evenly. She wasn't insulted, not when he said the word pride with that bitter twist.
"...That's fair," Ji Rong said, lowering his arms to his sides. There was a faint static in the air, a crackling just beneath the level of hearing. "I'm lookin forward to sharing some pointers, Sect Sister."
"Yes, let us have a good match, Sect Brother," Ling Qi said. Around her, the air was already growing damp and cold, fingers of mist worming through the grass.
It was strange, even though there was nothing at stake. She really didn't want to lose.
[] Offensive strategy. Focus on quickly ramping up the necessary arts to put your opponent down trusting in your baseline defenses to keep you in the fight.
[] Defensive strategy. With your spirits build up your advantage of vitality and defense until it is insurmountable.
AN: One more to go, one way or the other
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Golden Lark
The First Fiction User
Nothing is insurmountable to Ji Rong. End him immediately. Ideally with a new trick.
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I'm inclined to go aggressive here and trust SNR and LFWT to no-sell any alpha strikes he has. Especially since if he's been gearing up to fight the version of us he fought before, we'll catch him off-guard this way.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Our son is very good defense. He should allow us to put up all our defenses.
Also I want to actually try out our doom boss strategy that we keep talking about when there is little at stake. We have never actually tried it.
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Heh I'd expect Ling Qi to always have that similarity with the Grinning Moon of wanting to test herself against opponents, and emerge the winner.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
We did reject insight, correct? I assume so since it isn't listed here, but the dialogue is ambiguous about it.
He is offense, we are defense, I prefer to stick to that dynamic. All we gotta do is tank his blows long enough to spool up.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Don't know about that. His offense is great, but I don't think that it actually gets stronger overtime like our defenses do.
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- Location
- United States of America
I presume that we learned more about memory and learned things from ENM, but we didn't internalize it and make it a part of us.
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
[] Defensive strategy. With your spirits build up your advantage of vitality and defense until it is insurmountable.
death ball, death ball!
death ball, death ball!
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Our son should be able to handle that.
Now I'm not sure how we should fight, but I think we need start by paying this guy rent. Seriously we have basically taken over part of his brain. From what we have seen on screen he was mad about losing to us last year he spent time training arts to counter our dream stuff. Which I would like to point has a risk of changing who you are as a person at this stage of development. At this point every art can leave you with a deep lession. It seems silly to risk changing who you are over a petty grudge. Then he complained about us so much that his boss had to come to a Cai party, that she probably hates, to ask her to ask us to behave. Did we even mention him once to CRX? Ever? I can't really think of it happening. Hell the only time he came up was that time we saw him the library. Yet he's been pissed off at us since. And he then went and challenged us to a duel, and I'm betting this wasn't exactly boss approved. At this point we've basically setup a new cultivation site in his head. Poor guy. Also, he's kinda a dumb ass.
Bakkasama
There is always a greater fool
- Location
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Pronouns
- He/his
Yes, that one, the one we all know about. I don't think Gui knows what it involves though, so do you mind explaining it? I would but... anyways, I am sure you can handle that. For Gui's sake.
- Location
- Canada
Lets get HYPE!!!
I thought his was a great lead-up chapter. There is an odd oxymoronic tone to this fight being both irrelevant in someways, yet so important in others. It puts an odd sense of importance behind what might otherwise just be a spar.
I thought his was a great lead-up chapter. There is an odd oxymoronic tone to this fight being both irrelevant in someways, yet so important in others. It puts an odd sense of importance behind what might otherwise just be a spar.
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Yes.
This was the winning plan.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
I am for the strategy that whittles people down, so
[] Defensive strategy. With your spirits build up your advantage of vitality and defense until it is insurmountable.
probably gonna vote this one
[] Defensive strategy. With your spirits build up your advantage of vitality and defense until it is insurmountable.
probably gonna vote this one
- Location
- US
Got to disagree with you there. I don't think it's really about Ling Qi. It's more that he uses her as a mirror to help overcome the failings and foibles he entered the Sect with. The chip on his shoulder, his active disdain towards nobles, his tunnel vision and most of all - his pride. Losing to Ling Qi knocked the ground out from under him and he had a lot of reflection to do on how and why he failed. It seems pretty normal for him to look to Ling Qi for both motivation and hints on how he erred. Especially since they started in much the same place - very talented, but dirt poor, cultivation-ignorant street-rats.
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fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
We like to talk about how we can do loads of overlapping effects. When all are up the opponents if unable to dispel it is basically on a countdown timer to defeat from qi drain and general debuff helplessness well Qi Ling is untouchable.Yes, that one, the one we all know about. I don't think Gui knows what it involves though, so do you mind explaining it? I would but... anyways, I am sure you can handle that. For Gui's sake.
Difference being that this time I thing that we can actually avoid being punched in the face the first few rounds.
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You have a point. I would agree with you totally if he didn't learn an art to counter us. With that it makes it feel more personal, rather than a more general 'I can be better'. I think his goal now may be to improve himself, but it feels like it started with getting back at us. Hopefully this duel is the capstone to this arc of his.
"Crank all the debuffs and qi drain until the enemy is helpless, then defeat them at our leisure" is an awesome strategy, yes.
It's the exact strategy we beat Ji Rong with last time. He's claiming he expects us to win this fight, and I don't think he's lying - so whatever counters he came up with aren't fully on-line yet, probably. Giving him the best chance to beat us as a means to try to refine our primary strategy and seek out weaknesses in it is certainly a legitimate option.
It's also the one most likely to give the Sun Princess a political win, of course.
It's the exact strategy we beat Ji Rong with last time. He's claiming he expects us to win this fight, and I don't think he's lying - so whatever counters he came up with aren't fully on-line yet, probably. Giving him the best chance to beat us as a means to try to refine our primary strategy and seek out weaknesses in it is certainly a legitimate option.
It's also the one most likely to give the Sun Princess a political win, of course.
Lol, for some reason, I am thinking this is our final opportunity to become main cast in the anime life that is Ji Rong's. Gotta get that spinoff series with our name on it!
[] Defensive strategy. With your spirits build up your advantage of vitality and defense until it is insurmountable.
The point is not to freak out and engage in our weaker strategy vs his normal / strong strategy out of some strange belief that surprise will carry the day. We resort to certain strategies because that's what our build supports and develops toward.
Put our faith in the quality of our arts and our preparation over the course of this month in cultivation that we can do our normal / strong strategy better than he can do his.
The point is not to freak out and engage in our weaker strategy vs his normal / strong strategy out of some strange belief that surprise will carry the day. We resort to certain strategies because that's what our build supports and develops toward.
Put our faith in the quality of our arts and our preparation over the course of this month in cultivation that we can do our normal / strong strategy better than he can do his.
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