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

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
[X] To appeal to military pragmatism. If their enemies were divided there was no need to unite them. (+Wang, +Jia approval, -Meng approval)
 
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Adhoc vote count started by EternalObserver on Aug 16, 2020 at 6:28 AM, finished with 211 posts and 106 votes.
 
[X] To appeal to culture. She spoke a variant of the hill tribe tongue, and bore other markers of civilization. Better to bring into the fold as the Weilu and the Xi once did. (+Meng, +Luo approval, -Diao approval)
 
[X] To appeal to military pragmatism. If their enemies were divided there was no need to unite them. (+Wang, +Jia approval, -Meng approval)
[X] To appeal to profit. If there is another force out there civilizing the southernmost tribes, perhaps there is gain to be had? (+Bao, +Diao approval, -Wang approval)
 
[X] To appeal to military pragmatism. If their enemies were divided there was no need to unite them. (+Wang, +Jia approval, -Meng approval)
 
[x] To appeal to military pragmatism. If their enemies were divided there was no need to unite them. (+Wang, +Jia approval, -Meng approval)
 
[X] To appeal to culture. She spoke a variant of the hill tribe tongue, and bore other markers of civilization. Better to bring into the fold as the Weilu and the Xi once did. (+Meng, +Luo approval, -Diao approval)
 
[X] To appeal to culture. She spoke a variant of the hill tribe tongue, and bore other markers of civilization. Better to bring into the fold as the Weilu and the Xi once did. (+Meng, +Luo approval, -Diao approval)
 
is our cultivation stuck in stone. I like the whole wraith winter theme but it seems weird to have Zhengui and not have any theme in common. Could we do something cool with ash? Just seems weird Zhengui is our only spirit who will follow us into the higher realms of cultivation. But then I really like the whole darkness wraith theme so more asking if there is a possibility of changing slightly to make use of Zhengui's talents???
 
[X] To appeal to military pragmatism. If their enemies were divided there was no need to unite them. (+Wang, +Jia approval, -Meng approval)
 
is our cultivation stuck in stone. I like the whole wraith winter theme but it seems weird to have Zhengui and not have any theme in common. Could we do something cool with ash? Just seems weird Zhengui is our only spirit who will follow us into the higher realms of cultivation. But then I really like the whole darkness wraith theme so more asking if there is a possibility of changing slightly to make use of Zhengui's talents???
This is a conversation that has had a ton of thought. We have had a conversation in character about it even. Most people have spirits as partners. Hanyi and Sixiang fill this role for Ling Qi, also Hanyi and Six can and likely will follow us into higher realms. Zhengui fills a different role for us. That of a child. A parent and child need not have the same themes.

That aside, there is a large arc in this month that will start tackling this question. Ling Qi and Zhengui will explore gardening together. Looking to make beautiful things with flowers. Ling Qi brings the artistic talent and Zhengui brings the connection with nature.
 
This is a conversation that has had a ton of thought. We have had a conversation in character about it even. Most people have spirits as partners. Hanyi and Sixiang fill this role for Ling Qi, also Hanyi and Six can and likely will follow us into higher realms. Zhengui fills a different role for us. That of a child. A parent and child need not have the same themes.

That aside, there is a large arc in this month that will start tackling this question. Ling Qi and Zhengui will explore gardening together. Looking to make beautiful things with flowers. Ling Qi brings the artistic talent and Zhengui brings the connection with nature.

Ah ok.I checked character in information and saw we didn't have that many meridians aligned to cold as I assumed. So it just got me thinking. The gardening thing seemed more like a hobby. I was thinking more of an overall theme change option... which is doable right we have darkness and dream and music like pretty well set in. But the ice part seems changeable as cool as it is.And ash seems like a cool alternative that would give some symbiotic relationship with the legendary spirit beast we have. We'll be creating our own arts soon to right? So was more wondering if that's a possibility? I thought Hanyi was sort of limited by her mother maybe a realm higher? Sixiang seems more of a support either way not a battle partner...
 
Ah ok.I checked character in information and saw we didn't have that many meridians aligned to cold as I assumed. So it just got me thinking. The gardening thing seemed more like a hobby. I was thinking more of an overall theme change option... which is doable right we have darkness and dream and music like pretty well set in. But the ice part seems changeable as cool as it is.And ash seems like a cool alternative that would give some symbiotic relationship with the legendary spirit beast we have. We'll be creating our own arts soon to right? So was more wondering if that's a possibility? I thought Hanyi was sort of limited by her mother maybe a realm higher? Sixiang seems more of a support either way not a battle partner...
Changing our theme to support someone so unlike us seems like a dangerous thing to do, especially now as the war is coming and we need to be ready for it.
Also, as mentioned, Zhengui is our son (no matter what Ling Qi keeps telling herself), not our partner, we should not mold ourselves after him, nor him after us, instead we should learn to work with him as he is, and as we are.

Also, i like our theme as the winter fairy of moon and darkness.
 
I do wish we could be more of a flower fairy of moon and darkness. Maybe we can manage a seasonal theme - not just Winter, but Spring, Summer and Autumn as well.
 
[X] To appeal to military pragmatism. If their enemies were divided there was no need to unite them. (+Wang, +Jia approval, -Meng approval)
 
Ah ok.I checked character in information and saw we didn't have that many meridians aligned to cold as I assumed. So it just got me thinking. The gardening thing seemed more like a hobby. I was thinking more of an overall theme change option... which is doable right we have darkness and dream and music like pretty well set in. But the ice part seems changeable as cool as it is.And ash seems like a cool alternative that would give some symbiotic relationship with the legendary spirit beast we have. We'll be creating our own arts soon to right? So was more wondering if that's a possibility? I thought Hanyi was sort of limited by her mother maybe a realm higher? Sixiang seems more of a support either way not a battle partner...
Not to sound rude but this idea could never work out, it's just too late for a theme change on that scale. We are pretty set into the winter spirit theme and changing our whole theme this far into green would probably be detrimental to Ling Qi especially since she doesn't have a real reason to do it. Just because we aren't exactly the perfect match for Zhengui doesn't mean we should completely overhaul everything we have built up.

I could see a change to a more seasonal theme than just Winter but to completely change it to Ash would never work.
 
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Changing our theme to support someone so unlike us seems like a dangerous thing to do, especially now as the war is coming and we need to be ready for it.
Also, as mentioned, Zhengui is our son (no matter what Ling Qi keeps telling herself), not our partner, we should not mold ourselves after him, nor him after us, instead we should learn to work with him as he is, and as we are.

Also, i like our theme as the winter fairy of moon and darkness.

Doesn't have to be a full change. But having a similar aspect wouldn't take much. Or a symbiotic relationship, she after all brings the cold right? Well anyone whose done physics understands that heat doesn't just disappear it's a give and take (Newton's law of cooling...) just pull that heat to Zhengui he takes the heat she has the cold. Boom you've got a symbiotic relationship! Saying he's her son as an argument against finding something in common seems a bit of a cop out. They'll be fighting together for hundreds of years why would you not base yourself around a symbiotic relationship at least when you'll just be fighting stronger and stronger opponents.
 
[X] To appeal to culture. She spoke a variant of the hill tribe tongue, and bore other markers of civilization. Better to bring into the fold as the Weilu and the Xi once did. (+Meng, +Luo approval, -Diao approval)
 
Doesn't have to be a full change. But having a similar aspect wouldn't take much. Or a symbiotic relationship, she after all brings the cold right? Well anyone whose done physics understands that heat doesn't just disappear it's a give and take (Newton's law of cooling...) just pull that heat to Zhengui he takes the heat she has the cold. Boom you've got a symbiotic relationship! Saying he's her son as an argument against finding something in common seems a bit of a cop out. They'll be fighting together for hundreds of years why would you not base yourself around a symbiotic relationship at least when you'll just be fighting stronger and stronger opponents.
Why should we have a symbiotic relationship? Why does one of us need to change themselves at fundamental level to make the relationship work?
What you are talking about seems less like changing our cultivation, and more like learning an art that takes advantage of opposite element, that might be fun, but that is not really being symbiotic, just learning how to work wit those who do not follow our theme (which is a good thing that i strongly support).
 
The air was thin here. There was so little wind, but solar and lunar qi were thick here. So thick that even as she watched, motes of it congealed into the fluttering forms of faeries that drifted about providing light to the court.
Man, imagine cultivating SSC here, with all of this lunar qi suffusing this place. It would probably be a treat and a half.

As for the vote, I think I'll go for...
[X] To appeal to culture. She spoke a variant of the hill tribe tongue, and bore other markers of civilization. Better to bring into the fold as the Weilu and the Xi once did. (+Meng, +Luo approval, -Diao approval)

I think that this pulls us towards Cai Renxiang's goal of having us as a bridge between the Cai and the older Emerald Sea clans nicely. While the -Diao approval is concerning, the Diao likely are not fond of us anyway given our relationship with Cai Renxiang and Cai Renxiang's relationship with them. I'm willing to take a hit from their approval in the interest of building bridges with the older clans.

Additionally, better Luo approval might allow us to actually meaningfully intervene or navigate the Bao/Luo political scuffle going on in the Inner Sect right now. Making sure that the scions of those clans don't actually escalate things so far as to sour relationships would be a nice feather in a diplomatic cap. A small feather admittedly, but a very pretty feather nonetheless.
 
Why should we have a symbiotic relationship? Why does one of us need to change themselves at fundamental level to make the relationship work?
What you are talking about seems less like changing our cultivation, and more like learning an art that takes advantage of opposite element, that might be fun, but that is not really being symbiotic, just learning how to work wit those who do not follow our theme (which is a good thing that i strongly support).

I'm more wondering why you wouldn't have a symbiotic relationship with a legendary beast that your bonded with for seemingly life (which is freakishly long). Suppose it comes down to compatibility the best fight scenes haven't really involved fighting with Zhengui she's flying around freezing shit.

Seems like an issue that needs to be brought up! If they both grow their effects grow but they're pretty much a contradiction Atm. If she's fighting close by him and freezing shit and he's heating shit up and blowing lava out the ground seems like an alarming efficiency issue...
 
I'm more wondering why you wouldn't have a symbiotic relationship with a legendary beast that your bonded with for seemingly life (which is freakishly long). Suppose it comes down to compatibility the best fight scenes haven't really involved fighting with Zhengui she's flying around freezing shit.

Seems like an issue that needs to be brought up! If they both grow their effects grow but they're pretty much a contradiction Atm. If she's fighting close by him and freezing shit and he's heating shit up and blowing lava out the ground seems like an alarming efficiency issue...
Because it's not who we are? Or who he is?
Again, our son, not our partner, i don't want Zhengui to spend the next thousand years just hanging on to us, i want him to have a rich personal life outside our arms reach.
I just don't see value in fundamentally changing who, or what, we are, for what i see as a fleeting tactical advantage.
Especially when doing so would be costly and time consuming when we do not have the luxury for it, and i'm not sure if it could be done safely, or at all.

Also, we already have ways to work together, it's just not through custom arts that tie us together, but by taking our differences and working with them.
 
[X] To appeal to military pragmatism. If their enemies were divided there was no need to unite them. (+Wang, +Jia approval, -Meng approval)
 
We took hidden and dreaming so...

[X] To appeal to culture. She spoke a variant of the hill tribe tongue, and bore other markers of civilization. Better to bring into the fold as the Weilu and the Xi once did. (+Meng, +Luo approval, -Diao approval)

Sorry Grinning, can't go for the riches.
 
It's probably a bit too late to shift the vote much (perils of time zone issues) but I'd like to point out that the argument that we can afford the hit to Diao approval as the Diao are close allies of the Cai neglects the fact that the Diao's opinion carries an outsize influence on Shenhua, due to her lover and her husband coming from there.

This means that if the actively disapprove of our plan and push against it they are much more likely to be able to significantly push back on it than other clans.

Anyway approval voting for these. I like some of the implications of the [] Culture vote but some of the assimilation themes are just yikes. Military pragmatism is a sensible argument and what I thought we'd probably go for going in. I'm not really sure about trade but it leaves a lot more space for Ling Qi to grow toward accepting the idea that other cultures are valid and don't need to either be wiped out or integrated.
Were just making our debut with Emerald Seas politic's and what we value, its not rational and not supposed to be but what the Ling clan want's and there's good arguments to lean into.
Also the argument for military pragmatism is kinda iffy when you actually think how were supposed to stop them from joining cloud barb when they'r on the other side of country which is the same roadblock for culture.
 
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