The Path Unending (A Cultivation Quest)

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You may not like the reason that you find yourself with so much free space, but you cannot deny that it is helpful. Without being jostled by a hundred roving elbows, you are able to have your pick of the lower-ranked assignments.

The first that catches your focus is an old and battered note calling for the services of a food taster. Apparently, an Eighth Circle Immortal Chef wishes to find a new tongue to test their latest creation before it debuts. You have a working tongue. You are capable of eating food and talking about it. And above all, you have a burning need for the sect points on offer. You take down the notice and go to turn it in at the front desk.

There, you discover that at least one group of people couldn't care less about your transformations: the clerks. They take one look at you as you approach and order you to stand in line with every other waiting Ninth Circle Disciple. Then they keep you cooling your heels for nearly an hour before one clerk finally calls you over.

Once you approach, they register your task with your token and drop it back in your monstrous claw without a word. The only thing the clerk says pertains to your assignment. "You seek Man Lingxin," you are told. "She has a home in the village above. Look for the small shack three doors down from the courier's office- you cannot miss her."

You nod your thanks and lurch from the assignment hall, wasting no time as you make your way up through the tunnels and into the village on the surface. Once you're there, you discover the truth to the clerk's words: there simply is no way you would have been able to miss Man Lingxin.

She stands outside of a sloping shanty that bears all the hallmarks of something constructed by someone who has seen pictures of a house but is not entirely certain how the specifics work, dressed in Eighth Circle whites and blacks, stirring something in an enormous pot that billows with dark smoke. Her hair is tall and woven into a style that reminds you of a wasp's nest, and her skin is smudged with ash. But neither of those features are what first catches your notice- no, that honor falls to her laugh, a loud, melodious cackle that sends the normal villagers scurrying by whenever they have to pass her home.

Oh. And she has a monkey on her shoulder that is helping to season the concoction, pulling herbs from small pouches hanging from a bandoleer around it's shoulders.

The monkey is also wearing a three-cornered hat.

...yes, you would have suspected something was different about this disciple even if the clerk had not told you.

Thankfully, for all their strange appearance, Man Lingxin is perfectly normal in her greeting. "Good morning!" she greets you cheerily as you walk to her. "Is there something that I…" she trails off as her eyes take you in for the first time.

Silence drags on for a moment before you clear your throat, holding your claw to your mouth to stifle the sound. "Um, yes," you say. "I am Kong Zhi of the Ninth Circle. I am here for a task from the Assignment Hall?"

"Ah, of course!" the disciple exclaims. "I had begun to wonder if any would seek to fulfill my simple request. I am Man Lingxin, and this is Pinyin." On her shoulder, the monkey turns to you and sweeps its hat off it's head as it lowers itself into a deep bow. "If you will have a seat, we will get right to work!"

You do as you're bid and Man Lingxin springs into action. Her massive pot is abandoned, the creation within left to simmer on it's own, as she turns her focus to a charm in her hand. You open your sixth sense- which you really need to make more of a habit of- just in time to watch her core flare. The runes on the small block of wood glow in answer, flashing into cerulean brilliance before vanishing into traceries of light. With a thud and a crash, what seems to be an entire kitchen appears around Man Lingxin, counters and ovens and half a dozen meathooks, all occupied with the carcasses of a menagerie.

But Man Lingxin doesn't move towards the meat. All of her focus is on the ovens. She studies them intently, stoking their flames. Once she's satisfied that she has one exactly right, her hands begin dancing, pulling ingredient after ingredient seemingly out of thin air. Eggs, flour, salt, a dozen herbs that move too quickly for you to even hope to identify them, all are mixed into one large stone bowl.

As she stirs, you speak up. "May I ask what it is that I will be tasting today?" you question.

"No," comes the immediate response. The monkey- Pinyin- turns and wags a finger in your direction. "You may not. I will not allow any preconceptions to taint your response. Only after you speak your complete opinion will I tell you what you are tasting."

Then Man Lingxin quiets as she pours her entire focus into her dish. She doesn't say a single word for the rest of the cooking process, though you watch as, under her direction, the dough balloons, before she begins working it again. Pinyin doesn't speak either; the monkey is just as intent as his Artist, adding spices of his own even as Man Lingxin stirs, pours, and bakes.

The resulting creation that is pulled from the oven is a loaf the size of your unaltered forearm, dark, crusty, and with swirls of green throughout it's crumb. Man Lingxin carves off a thick slice and plates it, covering it with a half a dozen powders before she passes it your way. "Taste," she instructs you. "Do not eat- taste."

Before you dig in, you study the… bread? Cake? Some kind of crossbreed? Whatever it is, you study it with all six of your senses. The confection is still warm and it smells delectable, but that isn't what truly captures your focus. No, you're distracted by the wisps of anam that seep from the food, a dozen tiny rivulets of energy that escape from the dish like juices from a cut of meat.

Knowledge (Cultivation) Check: 6d10s7(1.1) (Includes Bonus Dice). Dice Rolled: 9, 3, 8, 5, 4, 4. 2.2, rounded down to 2 Successes!

Some of the aspects emerging from the bread are ones you recognize. Some are even aspects you yourself have worked before. There's beast, a touch of wood, a small stream of beauty, and… you glance up. "Is this Night anam?" you ask. "What kind of herb did you use to infuse Night into the crust?"

Man Lingxin lets out an impressed grunt, but otherwise doesn't respond. Right. She's not talking until you taste. You do as instructed and cut a small corner of the bread free before popping it in your mouth.

Perception Check: 7d10s7(1.1) (Includes Bonus Dice). Dice Rolled: 8, 7, 8, 9, 9, 6, 5. 5.5, rounded up to 6 Successes!
Persuade Check: 5d10s7(1.1) (Includes Bonus Dice). Dice Rolled: 2, 9, 4, 1, 9. 1.1, rounded down to 1 Success!

As you roll the bread around in your mouth- and it is certainly bread, you can tell from the weight- a dozen contradictory flavors roll across your tongue. Sweet, salty, a half dozen different kinds of spice, a touch of savory, all of them gather in your tastebuds, fighting for dominance. You have to cough, but you keep the bread in your mouth as you do, refusing to swallow until you've gathered everything you can from this bite.

When you can taste nothing further, you move on to the next bite. This time, as you savor, you speak, fighting to put all you taste into words. "I believe I understand the purpose of this creation," you say. "The bread is supposed to quiet the tongue using the Night Anam, leaving it a blank canvas for the real focus: those powders. It's an effective combination."

Man Lingxin nods as you speak, clearly taking in all of your words. "But the problem is that there are too many powders vying for attention. All of them seek to be the star of the show, and all have equal intensity, but that just leaves it a confused and directionless dish. Were one powder stronger than the others, and those others used to highlight it and give it depth, it would be far stronger."

"I had considered that," Man Lingxin answers. "But without the abundance of stimulation, the bread is too effective. It swallows the flavors whole."

"I see," you answer, nodding slowly. Then you take another bite and add more onto your analysis. This continues until you devour the entire slice. The 8th Circle Chef listens avidly to your every word. You aren't fooling yourself into thinking that much of what you say is anything new or groundbreaking, or even that you are saying it intelligibly sometimes. But Man Lingxin seems appreciative.

When you're done, the older disciple takes your token. With a flash of light, your payment is deposited. "Thank you very much for your service, Brother Kong Zhi. You have performed admirably. Perhaps in the future, you will be able to taste a more refined version of my Shadeloaf."

+7 Sect Points!

Pinyin lets out a screech that means something no doubt complimentary in your direction. The monkey doesn't linger on you long, though. Soon enough he's back at the pot he and Man Lingxin started with, stirring with a spoon three times as long as he is, drawing his Artist back to work alongside him.

You sit silently for a moment before deciding that you've been dismissed. Neither Artist nor monkey says a word or even turns in your general direction as you get up and leave the shack and then the village itself behind.

Just because you've been paid doesn't mean you're done with your assignment. You still have to turn it back in to the Hall. So that's where you go, heading back down into the tunnels and into the still crowded Assignment Hall where you're given just as much space as you were before. After another short wait, you inform the clerk of your success, and then it's back into the mass of people.

But you're not done yet. Invigorated by your success, you return to the wall. There's more points to be earned after all, and you should strike while the metal is hot! Again, disciples' reactions to your appearance comes in handy, and you're able to pursue the tasks at your leisure. This time, a newer page catches your attention and you stop to read it.

Apparently, if this assignment is to be believed, the Creator's Garden is suffering from a rash of thefts. But the thief isn't taking anything rare or valuable- instead, they are focusing on hammers. Not finished weapons or charms either; just regular, ordinary hammers used by smiths. There's no rhyme or reason to the hammers vanishing either; they have disappeared from the side of novice and expert alike.

That's enough to give you pause. A Ninth Circle Disciple not noticing as one of their precious tools is taken from them is one thing. You can envision that happening to a disciple- not to any disciple whose company you would care to keep, but a disciple. But one vanishing from the collection of a Seventh Circle brother? That is another thing entirely.

Your interest is officially piqued. You take down the page and go to claim it.

As you wait in line to accept the assignment, your mind buzzes. How should you approach this task?

Perhaps you could simply approach the disciples who had their hammers stolen? Some of them may be reluctant to speak to you, but others will no doubt be overflowing with impotent rage that will spur them to regale you with the tales of how their prized tools have been burgled. If you gather enough eyewitness accounts, you can put together a complete picture of this thief and track them that way.

Or maybe it would be best if you removed the human element from your investigations entirely. You could simply patrol the Garden and try to spot anything that seems untoward. Of course, it is the Creator's Garden. There is no end to the strangeness that exists within it. You could see a dozen strange things and none of them could have anything to do with the thefts. But patrolling would give you the freest hand in your search and would allow you to hunt without bothering anyone- or tipping off the thief.

Though upon further thought, both plans could be too direct. This hammer-stealer is a stealthy individual; they must be to have avoided detection until now. If you want to catch a sneak-thief, perhaps it would be best to think like a sneak-thief. You could set up a tempting scene of your own by working on your smithing- though that would put your own hammer at risk. And you're not certain that would be wise; letting go of your hammer at the Lost Armory was one thing. Losing one of your miststeel tools is another entirely.

Or perhaps there is another way you could approach this. You will need to think.

At least you have time. This line is not going anywhere anytime soon.

How do you choose to attack the Hammer Thief Assignment?
[] With an investigative approach. You will seek previous victims and attempt to paint a portrait of your target. (Primary Roll Type: Persuade)
[] With a vigilant approach. You will patrol the Garden and seek to catch the thief in the act. (Primary Roll Type: Perception)
[] With a deceptive approach. You will set a tempting target before the Hammer Thief and see if it bites. (Primary Roll Type: Stealth)
[] With an approach so brilliant you have yet to even think of it. (Write-In)

New art of Kong Zhi.
(I'm out here living my sad times that they cut his beautiful hair)