[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes.
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--- [X] Gain Heaven's Wrath - A technique to conjure bolts of lightning and slam them into your enemies.
Bah I wanted to do this with the Outsider core in the hopes of gaining some Outsider power, but this will have to do. So far this little survey has yielded decent results.
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflex
I assume we can only get one of the twon heaven techniques? Or can we get both? Or would they bew weaker if we got both?
[X] Toss the spirit core aside and burn it with the rest of the bodies. (Devouring Path Cultivation Permanently Locked. No more opportunities to devour a spirit core will be presented. Thrice offered, thrice refused.)
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes
Techniques
Ironwood Blade -Conjure a wooden blade capable of standing against most weapons. However, it can be broken by bladed spirit treasures.
Ironwood Fortress - Fortify your flesh with a thick layer of bark, this defense can stop most attacks but is vulnerable to fire. It also grants inhuman strength.
Secret Techniques
Cross-Cultivation - You have learned the secret techniques of the cross-cultivator clans, specifically how they can cultivate Brawn, Finesse, and Constitution. You can improve these baseline attributes while you cultivate raw power. This does not double your cultivation, however, it merely improves it to 120% of the normal rate. (i.e. 60% Brawn/Finesse/Constitution, 60% Power in comparison to normal)
Attributes
Brawn - Brawn represents your raw muscle power. A cultivator who cultivates this is seeking to engage in melee combat with another cultivator and overpower them through sheer force of muscle. Swordsmen, Axemen, Spearmen, and other such weapon masters are the primary types who focus this attribute. They are generally best kept at a distance if one is to engage such combat monsters.
Finesse - Finesse represents your agility, your speed. It is valued by cultivators because it enables them to strike first and often. A high finesse score might even allow you to attack multiple times in comparison to a less capable opponent. It is valued by those cultivators who seek to battle multiple opponents and come out on top, even opponents of the same realm.
Constitution - Constitution represents your ability to take a beating and resist the effects of various cultivation aids as well as various poisons. A tough, cultivated body can take punishment that would pulverize a mortal and as such it is one of the important attributes to cultivate if you intend to do battle against other cultivators, either with elemental attacks or physical confrontation.
Corruption - Corruption represents how much "dirty spirit energy" you have absorbed and it has an impact on your ability to cultivate. Corruption is applied as a negative modifier to all types of Cultivation. (i.e. 10 Corruption = -10 to Cultivation rolls) As such, it is best to keep your Corruption as low as possible to avoid choking off your ability to cultivate effectively as the higher your power, the higher the DC you will have to hit to advance.
What really swayed my vote was pragmatism, specifically +Heaven Technique, this technique really compliments our current fighting style, and as I am wary of fire cultivation techniques and attack methods, increasing our ability to dodge and avoid such attacks appeals to me.
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--- [X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes.
--- [X] Gain Heaven's Wrath - A technique to conjure bolts of lightning and slam them into your enemies.
Bah I wanted to do this with the Outsider core in the hopes of gaining some Outsider power, but this will have to do. Lightning is a powerful force in its own right and that's not mentioning the agility boosts. So far this little survey has yielded decent results.
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
--- [X] Gain Heaven's Wrath - A technique to conjure bolts of lightning and slam them into your enemies.
I assume we can only get one of the twon heaven techniques? Or can we get both? Or would they bew weaker if we got both?
Wong Hui - Spymaster / Intrigue Adviser
Rank 2 Cultivator (150 Power)
Intrigue +20 Paranoid - +30 vs. Attempts on your life (or the life of an adviser)
Bai Chenshen - Captain of the Guard / Martial Adviser
Rank 2 Cultivator (150 Power)
Martial +20 Nepotism - You gain a favor with the Bai Clan you can call in for anything reasonable. Cousin - His loyalty is guaranteed barring blackmail, mind control, or clan civil war.
Cultivation Retreat: A site of powerful Qi in the nearby wilderness where mages from the Bai clan and their vassals may cultivate.
++ You (and your Knights/Advisers and Bai Clan members) may enter Seclusion to use the Cultivation Resort to speed up Cultivation by 2.5x, in addition to the usual effects of Seclusion. Earth and/or Water cultivators benefit 3x.
++ Increase in vassal loyalty from cultivators as they do not want to lose this privilege. Does not apply to revolts intended to remove you from power.
As Earth & Water cultivators benefit so much from this location, perhaps forming a guard made up of these cultivators should be considered, what element are our noble retainers?
Specifically:
Bai Chenshen -
Wong Hui -
Knights -
What percentage of our knights are earth/water cultivators?
Bai Chenshen - Captain of the Guard / Martial Adviser
Rank 2 Cultivator (150 Power)
Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes. Can we teach this to others? If so perhaps an option to teach this to our elite troops - Bloody Hand: 16/20 - as well as our spymaster & Captain of the Guard. Of the 4 casualty's are they dead/wounded? If wounded will they recover? Can we send wounded knight's and elites to our Cultivation Retreat to heal and recover? Perhaps set up a nearby clinic/hospital/barracks specifically for that purpose.
[x] Toss the spirit core aside and burn it with the rest of the bodies. (Devouring Path Cultivation Permanently Locked. No more opportunities to devour a spirit core will be presented. Thrice offered, thrice refused.)
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes.
In every battle we are way too slow, as for corruption, I don't think it will be too big of a problem, we probably won't agree enough to eat more cores unless there is another beast with really good abilities we can use
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes.
Our biggest weakness is being a slowpoke. This patches that. A worthy price.
@ChaosCircle I am curious about some of our retainers.
As Earth & Water cultivators benefit so much from this location, perhaps forming a guard made up of these cultivators should be considered, what element are our noble retainers?
Specifically:
Bai Chenshen - Neutral
Wong Hui - Neutral
Knights - Varied.
What percentage of our knights are earth/water cultivators? I'd say 2 of each.
Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes. Can we teach this to others? If so perhaps an option to teach this to our elite troops - Bloody Hand: 16/20 - as well as our spymaster & Captain of the Guard.
I replace/recover your casualties every winter. So for your purposes it doesn't matter if they are dead or wounded. Both are replaced equally on the Winter turn.
Can we send wounded knight's and elites to our Cultivation Retreat to heal and recover? Perhaps set up a nearby clinic/hospital/barracks specifically for that purpose.
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes.
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
--[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes.
[X] Toss the spirit core aside and burn it with the rest of the bodies. (Devouring Path Cultivation Permanently Locked. No more opportunities to devour a spirit core will be presented. Thrice offered, thrice refused.)
[X] Toss the spirit core aside and burn it with the rest of the bodies. (Devouring Path Cultivation Permanently Locked. No more opportunities to devour a spirit core will be presented. Thrice offered, thrice refused.)
[X] Toss the spirit core aside and burn it with the rest of the bodies. (Devouring Path Cultivation Permanently Locked. No more opportunities to devour a spirit core will be presented. Thrice offered, thrice refused.)
[X] Devour the Orc's spirit core, consuming his soul and ending his cycle of reincarnation. (+30 Power, +Heaven Technique, +Devouring Path Cultivation Unlocked Permanently, +4 Corruption)
---[X] Consume it out of sight
---[X] Gain Heaven's Grace - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes.
Corruption: +4
Power: 250 (+25); Rank 3
Devouring Path - You have worked out how to devour spirit cores and have a craving for more. +0 votes toward consuming spirit cores. Vote penalty increases based on consumption and corruption.
Heaven's Grace (Heaven) - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes. (Can match Air, Heaven, or Fire users of the same rank. Burns qi to sustain)
[redacted] - It makes it too easy to choose which option to follow if you know the roll result. It was either very good or very bad.
It felt like someone was guiding your actions when you slipped the spirit core into one of the many pockets of your robe. You were hungry and that hunger felt something other than natural as you felt the weight of the orc's spirit core in your pocket. You wanted to devour it right there and then but discretion was the better part of valor. So you waited until you were alone in your tent after camp was established before you devoured it whole.
Your nerves felt like they were on fire as you swallowed the spirit core, the pain was only bearable because of the fact you were a trained warrior used to such things. The Ironwood Fortress technique protected but there was still pain after each blow, even if the pain was more like a thousand paper cuts than the pain of a serious wound. You endured the pain and felt knowledge previously beyond your ken fill your mind, the technique known to the Orcs' as Heaven's Grace filled your mind. It was so simple now, to tap into the aether and move with the preternatural grace. You had no idea it would be this easy.
You also felt your spirit core fill with a murky darkness, unnatural and unclean power. It felt good though, you had gained more in a single meal than you would from months of cultivation. What could be wrong about that? Why was it frowned upon to engage in such meals? It did not matter. You knew you wanted more. You craved more. You would go on a hunt, alone, and find another spirit core to devour. You would do soon. You were certain of that. Your stomach rumbled at the thought of more spirit cores to devour, more power to claim.
You slept well that night, unmoved by the fact you just ate someone's soul. That you had ended a life, not for a single cycle but permanently. It was truly an evil act but you slept just fine. Perhaps it was your ruthless nature, perhaps it was the fact the heroic face you showed your troops and civilians was simply a facade that hid your true heart. Whatever the reason, this evil act had shifted your personality permanently to crave spirit cores. You could resist it but the more you partook, the more you would crave it until it was the sole means of cultivation you engaged in.
When you woke to dawn's early light you realized one thing, Nae Fang was the beautiful bait from the Nae clan and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. That bit of surprise she showed when you said the Bai clan did not practice such things must have been fake. There was no way she was intentionally helping you if it was this addictive. She was helping herself, you suspected her clan was seeking to build up allies through this technique to make it harder for the Imperial Court to end the practice. Hopefully that was all she had in mind.
The thing was you did not mind. It had never occurred to you before to eat a spirit core and now that you knew how easy it was, you wanted more. Power was the one thing you lacked and now you were on the fast track to acquire more.
The retinue and you traveled with the sun to your left as you explored deeper into the mountains. You wanted to find prey to feast upon.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view at the moment, you came across a lone old man who seemed lost wandering in the mountains. He was dressed in tattered silk robes similar to your own and he smiled at your retinue as you arrived. That was...suspicious. An old man out here alone with orc raiders and spirit beasts? He was clearly a cultivator masking his power, the question was how much power he really had and what you should do about it if anything.
He waved to you and said, "So there is a new Lord of Bloodthorn Valley I see! How is journey in these fine mountains?"
You replied evenly, "Eventful. We encountered orc raiders not long ago and dispatched them to their ancestors. Why are you out here all alone? Are you lost?"
The old man chuckled and said, "All men are lost on the road to seek meaning from one's life. It is the ones who claim to have found that meaning you should worry about."
That was as cryptic as it was useless but you supposed crazy old men in the mountains was the least of your concerns.
You forced a smile and replied, "I suppose so. Do you need anything? Supplies? Water? A fresh set of clothes?"
The old man chuckled and said, "All would be welcome, such a generous Lord. Perhaps you are worthy of a gift. Would you like a gift, young man?"
You waved one of your men forward to deliver some basic trail rations, water, and a set of riding clothes. Adequate but nothing special. Of course, in these mountains having access to adequate amounts of each is an important thing.
The old man accepted the gifts without further comment, clearly expecting an answer to his earlier question.
