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

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yrsillar said:
The Sect is not responsible for any damages or casualties incurred among prospective disciples during the initial voyage to the Palace of Eons. However, such issues become rarer by the passing year, Less than one percent of applicants show signs of mental aberration or suicidal ideation after entry since the realignment of the seals fifty years past.
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Interesting disclaimer.

Stare into the abyss, eh?
 
Alabaster Sands just jumped from "scavenger lords" to "Scavenger Lords" in my book! Good for them! A whole province of thieves stealing from the past to deliver beauty to the future!

What do you mean you're not a province of thieves? An archaeological dig is like a heist! You gotta case the joint, do some preliminary recon with local spirits, slip past and disable security, disarm failsafes, identify loot, and slip it back out if possible. Unless . . . Unless you guys steal the whole dang structure! Wow. So cool <3
 
yrsillar said:
The Sect does not merely teach theory however. The storied Jing art of psychometry has it's masters here, and many other forms of divination are taught in our halls. In addition, the Sect offers a number of practical courses for the aspiring explorer or ruin delver, including but not limited to; Formation Cracking, Environmental Studies, Spirit Negotiation, and Talisman Mastery. This is, naturally in addition to standard martial courses.
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I've always been hesitant about Formation Cracking as an Advanced Formations Skill but it's listed here as one of the primary skills of dungeon delving. As opposed to something more colorful or interesting like a Renewal, Dream or Music themed Formations skills the ability to break stuff didn't seem like it'd make for an interesting story but maybe there's something to it. We could arguable develop it into an S skill based on Renewal (breaking => fixing) or Dream (Liminal based Formations/cracking) once we reach late Green/Cyan.

Edit: I've got it. We advance Formations into Formation Cracking: B to cover our bases, it'll be the Woodwind of Formations. Then we start breaking formations in the Liminal Realm as well which advances into Dream Permeation. Now we can attack formations in both realms and it has a constructive side that lets us craft Dreams. Then we learn to restore things physically and spiritually advancing finally to Object Restoration, letting us toy with the essence of things to forge them anew the way the Cai make them whole cloth.
 
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[X] Accept the offer, you can convince Renxiang and sponsorship from even a faction of a count house is a valuable thing.
 
[X] Accept the offer, you can convince Renxiang and sponsorship from even a faction of a count house is a valuable thing.

I cannot think of a single reason to not. As far as I can tell, it's pure benefit to accept as well as in line with CRX's wishes, and an insult to decline. The Meng basically came up to us and said, "We like what you're selling, and we want in." How us that not awesome?
 
Zeful said:
Ling Qi was the point of contact, so that's not even true.
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Setting aside that we specifically got an invitation.
AbeoLogos said:
The ice lady didn't take notice or express interest in any language, it was our and Hanyi's iciness.
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Of course she didn't take notice of any language, none of our people were speaking a Hill tribe dialect. But she was speaking one, so if anyone had also been speaking one she might have found that as interesting as the ice powers. Remember she talked to us in that dialect and expected us to understand her at first. Even if we can't get Alingge to come, we should at least talk to her and see if she can get us more/better records of old hill tribe dialects to help with communication.
 
[X] Decline, you can't afford to involve internal politics in something as delicate as diplomacy with an unknown faction.
 
yrsillar said:
The area set for guests below the stage was an open floor with a high ceiling, surrounded by balconies where more people could stand or sit as they liked. Staff carrying trays with refreshments moved quietly too and fro, providing for the guests. Given the size of the hall, the number of people attending did seem kind of small to Ling Qi, there were at her count less than fifty people, not including staff and obvious bodyguards or personal servants.
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Question would be - is the space for expected larger entourages, as a venue that may be attended by potentially fifty barons and their personal servants, or to allow control over domains to be somewhat relaxed without clashing impolitely in the event of particularly stirring performances?
yrsillar said:
She saw Bai Meizhen, seated in one of the front rows with her hands held patiently in her lap. A handful of brave if nervous looking young men and women seemed to be trying to engage her in conversation. Bao Qingling stood on one of the balconies above, leaning on the railing, putting off an unapproachable air.

They might have arrived together, but it looked like they were avoiding being too obvious away from the Sect. Ling Qi felt a pang of annoyance on Meizhen's behalf, but that was just how things were.
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Making it public would be inconvenient. Meizhen's victory gained her freedom, but also much attention, and that means others will want to make use of that prestige, or deprive her of it.

And truth be told I suspect they'd find it easier by far to disturb Qingling than Meizhen.
Such is romance in the snakepit.
yrsillar said:
Continuing to scan the crowd, Ling Qi heard Wang Chao's braying laugh. At least he was having fun boasting about his military assignments to a gaggle of lesser nobles.

Her lips quirked up when she heard him throwing in a comment praising her as well. Wang Chao was really unsubtle, but he was honest in his intentions at least.
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This type is easy to like at least. Blunt, but earnest.
yrsillar said:
However, Ling Qi soon found what she was searching for. Seated in the rearmost of the seating, set against the back wall was an older woman whose bearing and aura stood out much from the young baronial scions milling about.

She wore a many layered gown of pale green and blue silk, which left not an inch of skin below her chin uncovered. Wide, billowing sleeves embroidered with falling leaves that danced animatedly across the fabric concealed her hands, and whorls of stylized water currents shifted and flowed across the lower hems. Meng Diu's face looked much the same as it had in her visit to the court of Xiangmen. She wore heavy stylized makeup that left her face nearly ghost white, with a spot of crimson color on her lips and darker colors around her eyes. Her honey-brown hair was done up in an elaborate bun and looping braids that framed her face.
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Ling Qi approves of her garments!
The makeup and hair speaks of someone who lives and breathes the court though. It'd be impractical for nearly any other venue without cultivation, and even with cultivation its a strong signal of what she intends.
yrsillar said:
Every time one of the other guests looked her way, their attention seemed to slide off of her like water from a duck's feathers. She tilted her head, meeting Ling Qi's eyes.

"See what I mean," Sixiang remarked.

Ling Qi hummed in agreement, and murmuring a short farewell to Bao Qian as they split up, began to work her way over toward the rear of the room. She smiled and greeted guests as she went, trying to remain welcoming while still advancing. Thankfully, she had gotten better at this, because no one seemed offended when she left them behind.

She had her suspicions about one particularly chatty boy, whose eyes had seemed to go a little glassy before he excused himself. As she approached the rear of the room however, the interruptions lessened, until at last no one seemed to notice her anymore.
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Attention manipulating social masking art, and the way she narrowed it to include Ling Qi is about as close to an invitation as it gets without expressedly making one.

Effort largely wasted on Ling Qi though.
yrsillar said:
"Lady Meng," Ling Qi said, stopping a respectful distance away and offering a formal bow, hands clasped in front of her chest. "I am incredibly honored that one such as you would choose to attend this small performance."

"It is an unusual event," Meng Diu replied, studying her. It was hard for Ling Qi to make out her eyes or expression, to her consternation there seemed to be an odd, blurry filter over her eyes. "Not many cultivators would see their honored companions perform for human amusement, even in these days."

Ah, there was the first thrust. "I am afraid that Hanyi was insistent," Ling Qi said, not raising her head. "Due to her lineage she is more human of mind than most. She wished to earn an allowance without straining this humble baroness' limited funds."

"Is that so?" asked Meng Diu. Up close, Ling Qi noticed, there was a faint melody in the air, a faint thing that spoke of autumn evenings and the song of crickets in the woodlands. "Unusual indeed. Do you intend to allow your spirit their own income? Many would look down upon you for this."

"While I will check her expenses, which is my duty as her elder sister under my former teacher, Hanyi's earnings will be her own," Ling Qi replied evenly. She would certainly play nice, and work to be more attentive, but on matters of family, she had no intention of bending.
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Testing the waters. I notice here that she always says "not many", "many", without ever identifying herself on any side of the argument. Deliberately goading a little reaction out of her to determine where she stands with regards to spirits as persons.
yrsillar said:
Meng Diu hummed noncommittally. "Sit, young lady. I have no intention of straining my neck looking up at you."

Ling Qi blinked, the older woman's presence was large, a warm buzzing hum that seemed to hang oppressively over them. She only now realized that Meng Diu was not much taller than Li Suyin.
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And speaking of standing.
Suyin is basically our benchmark for "small enough to pickup underarm" isn't she?
yrsillar said:
"If I may, Lady Meng, what are your thoughts on recent events?"

"Concern," Meng Diu replied brusquely. Ling Qi couldn't tell if Lady Meng was turning her head to look at her or not. "Many matters are moving quickly. When matters move quickly, many lives are lost, one way or the other."

Ling Qi took a moment to digest that, drumming her fingers nervously on the arm rests. "Unfortunately, I believe the pacing may be out of our hands," she said carefully.

"The wheel turns ever on," Lady Meng said, and Ling Qi thought that was an agreement. Sixiang agreed with her assessment, which gave her some comfort. "Yet, all the same, I find some agreement with my brother. Certain elements are accelerating that turning."
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Suggesting here that there is some (minor) disagreement within the Meng on policy. And of a looming event being hastened towards but not being spoken of.

Everyone with eyes to see can tell the Imperial tensions are strung tighter than a bow.
yrsillar said:
This time, Ling Qi was able to follow her gaze across the room, to where Meizhen sat, chatting with a girl who seemed to have gotten over her aura.
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Oh hey, a new friend!
yrsillar said:
This time, Ling Qi was quiet for some time, composing a reply in her head with the help of Sixiang. "Bai Meizhen has in my short time, ever been an ally. While I cannot speak for the past, I believe that the Bai, are in their own way seeking to move forward. While there will be troubles I am sure. I believe alliance is in the interest of Emerald Seas."

"I am certain you do," Meng Diu replied softly, her gaze fixed upon Meizhen. "Yet, individuals aside, you know little of the Bai clan, I suspect."

"I lack experience," Ling Qi replied humbly. If nothing else, perhaps she could understand more the source of conflict.
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Ancient clans, ancient histories.
This makes politics complicated pains.

Though Meng Diu had just tacitly expressed her shallow approval of Meizhen as an individual rather than a Bai here. Not in detail, but in that she could then express the Bai's...issues without challenging Ling Qi's friendships.

Wonder just how much she got out of the goading earlier on Hanyi, that seems a very precise evasion.
yrsillar said:
. "Would Lady Meng like to share an insight?"

"A small anecdote perhaps," Meng Diu mused. "During the rampage of Ogodei, my Grandfather reached out to the Bai in desperation, seeking to evacuate mortals and common cultivators from the flooding and raids. Our reply was silence."

Ling Qi was silent as she waited for Meng Diu to continue.

"Matters grew worse, the flooding from the storms drove the spirits of the fens mad," she said contemplatively. "My Uncle was sent north to beg for aid. There was none. The war worsened further, our armies were confined to the cities, lest the barbarians slip behind out lines to sack them. People fled north. At the borders of the thousand lakes, they were greeted with spearpoints and bolts. The Bai slew any who dared pass the boundaries, no matter how desperate their plight. After the rampage, they demanded reparations for the trespass."

Ling Qi nodded faintly. "That is cruel," she said carefully.

"I am not unobjective," Meng Diu said thoughtfully. "It was at least partly a matter of politics. The Hui were vehement about their sovereignty, and would have used their connections to the Court to cause troubles if the Bai had sent us aid. Yet the Bai are mighty, are they not? Certainly in those days before the rise of Sun Shao. Arrogance and apathy. Indeed, when the situation was reversed, and the folk of the Lakes flooded south from undefended settlements, the Bai did threaten us for the return of their people, and the Hui ordered the border closed. Ten thousand years and more, and I am to believe that they have changed now?" she sneered.
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The Hui continue to be The Worst I see.
And I think the Bai had learned their lesson from ages past - don't get involved, it only makes trouble down the road. If you must get involved, ensure that it is the last time you ever need to be.

Pretty bronze age tribal logic baked in at the roots.
Also I hope we can get Meizhen's take on this event. To know truth, you must see an event from three sides, both participants and an outside observer.
yrsillar said:
Ling Qi took another long moment to organize her thoughts. "I can't speak for past events, but I think the damage wrought on the Bai clan recently is without precedent. Their eldest and most powerful were slain in one terrible blow, and their power gutted. If there were to be any catalyst for change, would it not be that?"

Ling Qi wasn't entirely ignorant. She wasn't privy to the highest level of politics, but even she had picked up that the recent opening of the Thousand Lakes was, if not unprecedented at least highly unusual.
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We all know that Whites get pretty rigid in their views and the Bai have always had a White, and worse, traditionally the White is ruling, rather than being the nuclear reserve like in other clans while a less potent cultivator handles the day to day ruling.

...for the matter, whenever we hear of Whites being directly in charge, things are done...powerfully, but not necessarily wisely.
yrsillar said:
"A fair point," Meng Diu allowed, surprising her. "And there is prosperity to be found in trade, even if the Lakes returns to form at a later date. Yet, I am not unsympathetic to my kin, who remain wary of any opening. It is not only the Bai whom we fear."
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...so who else?
The Bai I think could be trusted to be extremely Bai. Proud, isolationist, vindictive.
Who else?
yrsillar said:
"Hmph," It was clear what Meng Diu thought of her substitution. "I have an offer to make you."

"I would be honored to hear it," Ling Qi replied.

"I wish to have further investment in the young heiress," Meng Diu said bluntly. "I want to send one of my grandsons along on this expedition the Duchess has mandated. She has said that it is a matter of the heiress' choice. So I ask you to convince her. Given the chance, I believe that he will prove himself capable in the circle of retainers she is building."
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Almost certainly genuine(such a commitment failing would be really hard to back out of), she'd benefit, and we'd benefit more.

But its a gamble on her part, because she's putting a lot of politics riding on the success of a bunch of kids
 
veekie said:
...so who else?
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Shenhua personally opened diplomacy with the underground folk, we're about to attempt making inroads across the Wall, and there we got star children as powerful as Ogodei in his peak. Plus internal matters; the old ducal clans are stirring towards what looks like a realignment centered on the Bai and Sun, with Shenhua very publicly picking sides.

The Meng being an old clan have the benefit of hindsight when looking at these storm clouds and feeling concerned.
 
veekie said:
...so who else?
The Bai I think could be trusted to be extremely Bai. Proud, isolationist, vindictive.
Who else?
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Given how isolationist the Meng are, I wouldn't be surprised if they are talking about the Celestrial Peaks or the Duchess. There are some serious reforms that are happening, and there have been some pretty big pushes to promote the central Imperial Culture which could effect the Meng, especially if that culture creeps in through the trade that will be flowing through their lands due to the trade deal with the Bai.
 
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