Ok hear me out here. I actually think that Shenhua genuinely loves Renxiang. That's why she agreed to see Renxiang even when she was only a Red. It was because she missed her only daughter. Everything that happened after was Shenhua realizing that she made a huge mistake, and then performed a rushed soul surgery in order to try to save her child's life. Thus making Renxiang a broken, Frankensteined being of human and artificial spirit. Renxiang kinda hates/avoidant of her mom now due to trauma, and Shenhua makes sure to never get to close to her own daughter to avoid another incident.
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
- Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Aaaahhh!! I'm so hyped for today's chapter... 😅
If thats the result of her love, I dont want to see what happens to those she hates.
I mean that's the point. Shenhua is more of a cosmic horror being than human, but she was human once. So her human desire to see her child resulted her accidentally irradiating her with cosmic horror juice. It was a mistake, but also a very human mistake to make. It's just that the consequences are harder to deal with.
- Location
- somewhere over there.
- Pronouns
- They/It
It may just not be awake yet, like our dress.
- Location
- Colorado
No, it's explicitly an object spirit.
Edit: I'm pretty sure it is at least. It has a name and everything, while nascent object spirits like our dress and Xia Lin's sword don't yet.
Last edited:
So is the dress, and it's still dormant, awaiting Ling Qi to reach a certain level before truly awakening. Cifeng might be the same as well.
- Location
- Canada
Maybe you're right and having this kind of monochromatic absolute way of doing things is how you would reach this Way.
Too bad it's a cesspit of a Way, based on the naive belief that hurt is an absolute bad, that others are meant to be coddled and protected against all, to distort all that might affect others to never cause negative feelings. This is the tale of the overprotective mother smothering her children in "love" and making them utterly useless without her, stifling their growth and never let them be challenged, to shut out the outer world lest it hurts them, killing anything of value that they could become.
Hurt can be a vehicle of good, of positive change, facing your flaws and self deceptions can be deeply painful, but leads to amazing personal growth. Sometimes confronting others and causing them pain can be one of the best thing you'll do for them. Hurt is of course not a goal in itself, nor is it always required, but it's a vital tool and serves an important function in the human experience.
There's a net loss of value in trying to discard it, simply to chase sickeningly sweet and fuzzy feelings like "Ling Qi never hurts her friends", was that her Way when Meizhen had courted her she'd have no choice but to say yes and hide anything that could have hurt Meizhen (and with the honesty insight that we have that would have lead to more 'heart demons' anyway).
- Location
- Colorado
She doesn't just swing it around like a sword though.
Cifeng has a name and can respond to commands like Liming. And it's directly made by Shenhua rather than an apprentice. Sounds like a fully awakened object spirit to me rather than a nascent object spirit like our dress. Not proof I admit, but it seems likely.
- Location
- California
Cultivation is discarding bits of humanity until you reach the eighth realm and run out then either die or ascend. Shenhua cut out parts of Renxiang, made then into Liming and then stitched then back together in a way that still leaves them as separate entities it seems like.
What's going to happen once Renxiang matches Liming in cultivation? The most interesting thing would be that she regains what she lost and has more to discard and that lets her keep cultivating past White. Cai Renxiang seems to be the main character of the entire empire at the moment.
What's going to happen once Renxiang matches Liming in cultivation? The most interesting thing would be that she regains what she lost and has more to discard and that lets her keep cultivating past White. Cai Renxiang seems to be the main character of the entire empire at the moment.
- Location
- Europe
Let's ignore that I gave an example and that what Ling Qi makes her way is far less defined and far broader than "doesn't hurt her friends".
Your example is insufficient. If Ling Qi were a high tier cultivator she could have noticed Meizhen's feelings and guided her to a more receptive partner, if her social skills were better she could have informed Meizhen of her feelings in a much less damaging situation than Lake Gate. If need be she could have rewritten the way reality works such that telling Meizhen her feelings doesn't hurt her and still gets her the growth she needs.
That you can't imagine a world where harm is unnecessary does not preclude an ascending spirit re-writing reality such that it is true.
Edit: to be clear, cultivators don't seem to be omnipotent, there is presumably some limit to what ascending let's you change. What those limits are and how hard they limit you isn't clear yet.
Last edited:
oh hmmm
does feeding your blood to cifeng allows you to command it?
renxiang stabbing liming with it was foolish i guess
- Location
- Charlton, NY
You know, it seems like, the more I read, that the stories I like tend to contain imagery like this speculation on what Shenhua is like.
"I act as I will. And even should I change, I acted as I always would have acted before the change, so my acts beget no true regret."
"I act as I will. And even should I change, I acted as I always would have acted before the change, so my acts beget no true regret."
That's not how love works. You can't just switch your love from one person to another like that.
Meizhen would still have been hurt. Some ways of handling unrequited love and desire may be less damaging than others, but they all cause pain. The heart wants what the heart wants.
- Location
- Canada
I think that goes beyond what high tier cultivators can actually do, if you're talking about dealing with mortals then sure, but when dealing with other cultivators on the same level as them you simply cannot just overwrite them for things to fit your Way. Those sorts of Ways can only exist for hermits that don't have to interact with others. But considering the domain of your Way it'd be a paradox since it's based on interactions with others.
- Location
- somewhere over there.
- Pronouns
- They/It
I don't know that she's capable of regret anymore. She is Progress Inevitable, for better and worse. She is the the new throwing down the old, always breaking what is for what will be. Progress does not regret, it moves on.
This interpretations of Shenhua would explain the constant testing of Renxiang, as the part of her that can't abide mediocrity must apply stress to her work to check if it will hold up, or if it will need to be patched or discarded. It even holds up when we consider that medical saint was on hand for Tienli's birth rather than Shenhua handling it herself, because the woman knows that she can melt even her children's souls when they aren't significantly far on the path of cultivation and for someone who cultivates for perfect order the tiny risk for her second child would be unacceptable.
On the other hand, this explanation also likely applies to why Diao Linqin doesn't like Renxiang, as the process used by the Duchess to save Renxiang was most likely the kind of spiritual surgery that requires the Ministry of Integrity on hand to oversee... when did the Empress receive her spirit dress from Shenhua? We know that she only made a few, and they're all accounted for (I believe both Cai's have one, the Empress has one, and I think Bai Suzhen has one) so if the Empress acquired her dress after Renxiang was fitted to Liming (or as is becoming increasingly the case, they were fitted to each other) then it might have been the "fine" for Shenhua repairing Renxiang's soul, and would be a massive black mark on the Duchess, especially if Renxiang turns into a monster like the Twilight King because of it.
Thinking on it, that would actually do more to explain the testing Renxiang is undergoing, if the timeline is correct; Renxiang meets her mother, and nearly dies because as a Red she's still filled with impurities, Shenhua takes action to save her daughter (and damn the consequences), someone (maybe even Shenhua) tells the MoI, which causes them to investigate, take Shenhua off to meet the Empress for whatever sealed trial is needed since as one of the few Whites in the empire you can't just demote her since any refusal would see much of the nation destroyed in the battle, regardless of who wins, so as a settlement, Shenhua is on probation until such time that the Empire as a whole (read, the Empress herself, the head of the Ministry of Integrity, and whoever else is read in on the situation by the previous two) determine that Renxiang is sufficiently "human", and the Spirit dress is the "excuse" used to hide that one of the Dukes was tried in a secret court.
Quick correction, Bai Suzhen does not have one, but Shenhua's Prime Minister/lover Diao Linqin has one.
Turn 11: Arc 5.5 Part 2
Silence fell in the wake of the spirits words, heavy and cloying. Even the shriek of the wind seemed dampened, and the cold less biting. Ling Qi turned to face her companions, and clasping her hands together bowed low.
"I apologize sincerely for the trouble my choice has caused," Ling Qi said. Images of Cai Renxiang's memories flashed in her head, and she felt her stomach churn a little. "I accept fault in the matter."
"Any path would have seen us face such a creature, there was no avoiding pain of some kind," Xia Lin responded first, her voice was a little thick. "I was, and am prepared to accept some pain for my duty."
There was a sound of falling stone, and Ling Qi saw pebbles and dust falling into the snow, even with her eyes down. When Cai Renxiang spoke, her voice was even and controlled, with no sign of the intense emotion that Ling Qi had seen on her face beforehand. "Xia Lin is correct. The Wall is riddled with dangerous spirits, and your actions have achieved our purposes. Raise your head baroness, and lead on. I do not care to stay here."
Ling Qi straightened up reluctantly. "...Of course Lady Cai."
She hoped Renxiang would forgive her what she had done.
"I don't think that's the problem, Ling Qi. I don't think she's blaming you," Sixiang said as she turned around. "You are the one who wants forgiveness."
<Shouldn't I?> Ling Qi thought back, stepping forward on the narrow path. Snow was still falling, but the cold no longer seemed to sap at her bones, and the wind no longer threatened to tug her from the path. She supposed Black Skies Yearning was upholding her end of the bargain. Such was the advantage of dealing with spirits.
"I'm only seeing this second hand, but I don't think you were wrong. I think you were choosing between two bad choices. Maybe you could have been gentler, but do you think that girl would appreciate that? Appreciate you risking everything on her feelings?" Sixiang replied calmly. "You opened a wound, but it's not one you made."
Ling Qi trudged on without replying. She still didn't like it. She hated what she had seen, and the pain she had caused to someone she cared for. It felt wrong.
"Big Sister is really greedy sometimes. She won't leave any responsibility for anyone else," Zhengui murmured. "Zhengui thinks that the mean aunty is the one everyone should be mad at."
"She was a jerk," Hanyi muttered sulkily. "I'm not broken."
<You're not,> Ling Qi sent back tiredly. <You're just yourself, and that is what Master Zeqing wanted.> Let others think what they wanted, Zeqing wasn't wrong in what she did. Black Skies Yearning had admitted she was kin. If that was so they would just have to accept the difference in her line.
She glanced back to Renxiang with another twinge of guilt. There were things you shouldn't bend on. If only it was always so easy to tell where that line was.
The hike through the glacial gorge took the rest of the day and more than half of the next, and never during that time did the storm seem as intense as it had been going in. It was still an unpleasant journey. The mood of the group was lower than it had ever been. Cai Renxiang gave out clipped orders when necessary, and otherwise remained silent. Xia Lin scouted the path ahead and returned, never spending more than a few minutes with the group.
Meng Dan seemed to recover the most quickly, and had his nose back in his studies within a few hours. He kept drawing Gan Guangli into conversation, distracting the larger boy from his own brooding. Ling Qi didn't listen in, but she was glad to see at least some of them didn't have their thoughts occupied by dark things.
Ling Qi distracted herself with the rhetorical exercises of her speech arts. Soon she would need to be in top form for negotiations. That alone was a valid reason to put away the unpleasant thoughts in her head, was it not? Despite that, Ling Qi found it difficult to focus on arts like the Playful Muse Rapport when her head was like this. She was glad then that she had done much of the cultivation necessary during the early journey. She found herself wondering if she could really do this, convince total foreigners of a connection to the empire and a ceasefire, when her only practice with rhetorical arts were the sort of things useful for court parties. When she had been forced to use crude methods just to shake her friend out of a dream?
Despite the thoughts niggling at her though, the journey was coming to a close.
At last, their journey became an ascent as the narrow rocky path came to the end of the glacial gorge and rose along the sheer cliffs of the high snowy plain at its top. They were very far to the south now, off of any of the provinces official maps, and here the Wall began to thin out, mighty peaks no longer packed so densely, granting a view of the great scrub plains of hardy grass that lay beyond the mountains populated by hardy grasses and little else, from what Ling Qi could see.
But it was not that view which brought them up short. No, it was the unnatural peak that jutted from the plateau. It was a dark grey cone half visible through the snow, too regular to be natural, but too jagged and weathered to seem intentional. It was a heap of smelted iron ore in the shape of a mountain, piled and fused by forces unknown.
Ling Qi could feel a resonance in the iron shard as she looked upon it. That was their destination. She didn't object when Cai Renxiang called for a halt, to allow them a short rest before they made contact.
With Cai Renxiang secluding herself in the pavilion to meditate, Ling Qi found herself…
[] Drifting into the conversation between Gan Guangli and Meng Dan on the Mountain folk, where Hanyi sat listening idly.
[] Outside the pavilion, where Xia Lin sat beside Zhengui's bulk, staring thoughtfully out into the snow.
[] In her own mind, with Sixiang, pondering the meaning of insights, and the demon gnawing at her heart.
"I apologize sincerely for the trouble my choice has caused," Ling Qi said. Images of Cai Renxiang's memories flashed in her head, and she felt her stomach churn a little. "I accept fault in the matter."
"Any path would have seen us face such a creature, there was no avoiding pain of some kind," Xia Lin responded first, her voice was a little thick. "I was, and am prepared to accept some pain for my duty."
There was a sound of falling stone, and Ling Qi saw pebbles and dust falling into the snow, even with her eyes down. When Cai Renxiang spoke, her voice was even and controlled, with no sign of the intense emotion that Ling Qi had seen on her face beforehand. "Xia Lin is correct. The Wall is riddled with dangerous spirits, and your actions have achieved our purposes. Raise your head baroness, and lead on. I do not care to stay here."
Ling Qi straightened up reluctantly. "...Of course Lady Cai."
She hoped Renxiang would forgive her what she had done.
"I don't think that's the problem, Ling Qi. I don't think she's blaming you," Sixiang said as she turned around. "You are the one who wants forgiveness."
<Shouldn't I?> Ling Qi thought back, stepping forward on the narrow path. Snow was still falling, but the cold no longer seemed to sap at her bones, and the wind no longer threatened to tug her from the path. She supposed Black Skies Yearning was upholding her end of the bargain. Such was the advantage of dealing with spirits.
"I'm only seeing this second hand, but I don't think you were wrong. I think you were choosing between two bad choices. Maybe you could have been gentler, but do you think that girl would appreciate that? Appreciate you risking everything on her feelings?" Sixiang replied calmly. "You opened a wound, but it's not one you made."
Ling Qi trudged on without replying. She still didn't like it. She hated what she had seen, and the pain she had caused to someone she cared for. It felt wrong.
"Big Sister is really greedy sometimes. She won't leave any responsibility for anyone else," Zhengui murmured. "Zhengui thinks that the mean aunty is the one everyone should be mad at."
"She was a jerk," Hanyi muttered sulkily. "I'm not broken."
<You're not,> Ling Qi sent back tiredly. <You're just yourself, and that is what Master Zeqing wanted.> Let others think what they wanted, Zeqing wasn't wrong in what she did. Black Skies Yearning had admitted she was kin. If that was so they would just have to accept the difference in her line.
She glanced back to Renxiang with another twinge of guilt. There were things you shouldn't bend on. If only it was always so easy to tell where that line was.
***
The hike through the glacial gorge took the rest of the day and more than half of the next, and never during that time did the storm seem as intense as it had been going in. It was still an unpleasant journey. The mood of the group was lower than it had ever been. Cai Renxiang gave out clipped orders when necessary, and otherwise remained silent. Xia Lin scouted the path ahead and returned, never spending more than a few minutes with the group.
Meng Dan seemed to recover the most quickly, and had his nose back in his studies within a few hours. He kept drawing Gan Guangli into conversation, distracting the larger boy from his own brooding. Ling Qi didn't listen in, but she was glad to see at least some of them didn't have their thoughts occupied by dark things.
Ling Qi distracted herself with the rhetorical exercises of her speech arts. Soon she would need to be in top form for negotiations. That alone was a valid reason to put away the unpleasant thoughts in her head, was it not? Despite that, Ling Qi found it difficult to focus on arts like the Playful Muse Rapport when her head was like this. She was glad then that she had done much of the cultivation necessary during the early journey. She found herself wondering if she could really do this, convince total foreigners of a connection to the empire and a ceasefire, when her only practice with rhetorical arts were the sort of things useful for court parties. When she had been forced to use crude methods just to shake her friend out of a dream?
Despite the thoughts niggling at her though, the journey was coming to a close.
At last, their journey became an ascent as the narrow rocky path came to the end of the glacial gorge and rose along the sheer cliffs of the high snowy plain at its top. They were very far to the south now, off of any of the provinces official maps, and here the Wall began to thin out, mighty peaks no longer packed so densely, granting a view of the great scrub plains of hardy grass that lay beyond the mountains populated by hardy grasses and little else, from what Ling Qi could see.
But it was not that view which brought them up short. No, it was the unnatural peak that jutted from the plateau. It was a dark grey cone half visible through the snow, too regular to be natural, but too jagged and weathered to seem intentional. It was a heap of smelted iron ore in the shape of a mountain, piled and fused by forces unknown.
Ling Qi could feel a resonance in the iron shard as she looked upon it. That was their destination. She didn't object when Cai Renxiang called for a halt, to allow them a short rest before they made contact.
With Cai Renxiang secluding herself in the pavilion to meditate, Ling Qi found herself…
[] Drifting into the conversation between Gan Guangli and Meng Dan on the Mountain folk, where Hanyi sat listening idly.
[] Outside the pavilion, where Xia Lin sat beside Zhengui's bulk, staring thoughtfully out into the snow.
[] In her own mind, with Sixiang, pondering the meaning of insights, and the demon gnawing at her heart.
Moonless Saboteur's Smile | 868 Dice
10 5 7 7 6 3 9 4 9 3 6 5 4 10 7 8 10 1 10 9 6 1 1 10 2 4 1 4 2 9 3 3 2 5 6 5 5 9 10 8 2 10 4 3 5 3 9 10 6 5 1 6 5 10 5 2 3 9 2 7 2 6 3 9 10 9 5 8 2 5 9 2 8 6 8 1 9 6 5 1 2 3 4 7 9 10 8 2 5 8 5 8 9 10 8 1 7 4 2 7 4 6 2 6 9 10 6 9 7 7 4 9 2 5 4 7 1 9 10 8 2 10 5 6 5 2 6 9 5 9 5 10 10 7 6 10 2 5 2 10 2 7 7 7 5 6 2 6 9 9 6 10 5 4 3 1 10 3 10 7 1 3 2 5 7 2 3 7 5 6 6 8 8 8 6 6 2 3 5 3 1 1 1 3 6 7 10 2 7 9 8 9 5 9 1 4 8 8 5 6 5 2 10 8 7 5 8 2 1 6 1 1 4 1 2 3 9 8 9 2 10 9 5 4 5 10 8 1 4 10 8 7 6 8 9 6 7 5 1 6 6 8 5 7 5 7 10 4 1 10 1 5 1 8 4 5 3 2 6 10 8 5 5 4 3 6 6 7 2 2 4 10 5 3 4 4 6 5 8 4 1 4 2 10 8 8 4 9 3 3 3 2 7 2 6 4 3 8 5 10 10 10 7 6 7 2 2 1 5 6 7 4 8 4 8 5 7 9 7 5 8 7 1 8 9 9 5 5 1 4 3 5 2 2 8 1 1 6 6 1 10 4 2 5 3 5 10 5 5 8 9 2 5 3 10 2 4 8 3 4 10 4 3 8 3 1 2 3 6 1 8 6 8 1 1 6 9 2 2 8 3 6 9 5 1 10 4 10 3 6 9 5 1 6 9 6 7 8 3 2 5 6 2 2 2 2 6 10 1 7 5 7 10 9 8 2 6 1 2 5 4 10 1 9 8 10 9 9 4 1 1 10 4 10 8 10 8 5 2 2 7 6 8 10 6 5 1 2 1 8 6 2 4 10 3 3 8 9 9 7 7 9 7 8 2 9 10 10 8 4 9 6 2 5 6 2 3 2 8 8 1 3 10 8 2 2 7 4 5 9 3 6 3 7 9 6 8 6 5 1 7 1 3 10 6 6 5 9 1 5 9 2 9 1 6 6 3 2 4 10 6 3 8 3 9 7 7 2 1 1 1 6 2 7 9 2 3 8 6 8 5 5 1 9 3 5 10 3 4 9 9 1 6 9 6 8 1 5 6 6 7 8 1 4 4 6 10 9 3 10 6 8 6 5 6 7 9 4 9 8 10 4 10 5 5 3 7 7 3 4 6 2 2 2 1 7 2 1 4 3 6 5 10 9 9 10 8 8 8 1 10 5 7 8 10 10 8 10 10 2 9 1 6 10 4 10 5 9 5 4 2 6 4 8 7 2 6 4 8 6 2 3 4 10 9 4 1 9 1 8 8 8 7 2 1 2 3 3 3 10 9 1 8 3 8 5 3 6 5 5 10 1 7 5 8 3 7 5 1 9 1 7 1 10 6 9 5 3 9 5 10 5 7 6 5 7 7 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 5 1 6 7 7 10 10 8 1 7 5 7 4 7 10 6 8 7 4 3 5 6 8 10 4 3 4 3 10 9 4 6 9 3 2 9 6 2 10 3 2 3 1 7 1 2 6 10 10 7 7 8 5 1 8 3 1 8 2 8 4 7 9 10 9 4 2 2 1 10 5 2 4 3 9 8 3 8 1 8 6 7 3 2 3 1 10 6 2 6 2 10 9 4 1 6 4 10 8 6 2 3 2 3 8 5 2 1 1 2 5 1 4 2 5 8 7 6 1 4 6 6 6 3 10 9 1 9 7 8 6 1 9 3 4 2 8 1 3 5 7 3 8 3 9 9 6 1 8 3 1 8 1 7 4 4 7 9 7 2 10 5 10 | 426 Successes mean: 434 standard deviation: 14.73
Rerolling 88 mean: 86.80000000000001 standard deviation: 8.84
7 3 8 6 3 5 9 3 1 2 4 2 7 7 6 10 8 8 9 7 5 4 9 10 6 8 2 6 7 3 8 7 3 1 10 9 4 3 9 10 9 2 3 10 4 8 7 4 3 2 10 2 8 4 7 1 2 10 7 1 5 10 8 4 1 2 3 1 6 3 2 3 9 8 6 5 1 1 2 4 4 1 10 3 7 7 1 8 | 45x2=90 Successes mean: 88 standard deviation: 9.38
516x1.9=980 Successes mean: 989.5199999999999 standard deviation: 41.13
980/700
Third Word Achieved
280/1000
playful Muses rapport | 379 Dice
10 6 4 2 8 5 6 2 4 5 5 5 5 10 2 1 4 6 3 2 8 10 10 7 7 8 2 8 9 6 2 8 9 6 9 1 10 4 3 6 2 1 9 2 8 4 9 4 9 5 1 10 1 6 10 9 1 7 10 4 3 5 4 2 8 2 2 5 1 9 4 1 5 5 4 5 6 9 5 9 10 2 4 6 3 9 7 7 5 4 7 7 9 9 10 10 1 3 7 7 4 4 5 7 5 2 9 1 5 3 6 9 1 5 6 5 9 2 2 6 3 9 9 2 8 7 4 4 8 1 8 6 3 4 10 9 7 7 10 8 4 6 8 9 9 7 6 5 10 10 9 2 6 7 2 2 6 2 9 6 3 1 10 5 7 5 9 10 4 1 6 5 5 9 6 10 7 1 7 10 4 4 2 1 1 3 5 7 4 7 3 2 2 10 9 8 7 3 4 6 2 9 4 1 10 2 1 3 1 1 6 5 9 9 6 3 8 9 8 3 6 1 6 8 9 7 5 3 7 8 7 1 5 8 4 9 9 8 8 1 3 7 4 3 6 8 9 2 2 8 2 7 2 10 6 10 8 5 1 10 6 2 7 8 5 4 8 3 3 9 2 5 3 6 10 10 5 1 5 6 3 8 10 6 4 9 7 3 5 9 1 9 6 2 5 9 8 5 1 9 1 2 7 8 1 5 10 7 7 7 6 6 4 2 4 5 1 3 8 1 4 3 9 3 9 6 10 2 3 9 8 1 9 3 8 5 9 7 8 3 8 2 10 4 5 10 3 2 7 6 10 2 6 3 5 4 10 3 5 2 1 1 8 9 10 6 3 4 7 3 10 8 2 3 4 2 9 8 2 | 188 Successes mean: 189.5 standard deviation: 9.73
Rerolling 35 mean: 37.9 standard deviation: 5.84
9 9 1 5 10 9 3 1 2 10 6 1 8 10 3 9 1 7 10 5 9 8 7 5 7 3 3 6 3 6 7 3 9 8 8 | 14x2=28 Successes mean: 35 standard deviation: 5.92
216x1.9=410 Successes mean: 432.06 standard deviation: 27.18
562/400
Second Fantasy Achieved
162/700
10 5 7 7 6 3 9 4 9 3 6 5 4 10 7 8 10 1 10 9 6 1 1 10 2 4 1 4 2 9 3 3 2 5 6 5 5 9 10 8 2 10 4 3 5 3 9 10 6 5 1 6 5 10 5 2 3 9 2 7 2 6 3 9 10 9 5 8 2 5 9 2 8 6 8 1 9 6 5 1 2 3 4 7 9 10 8 2 5 8 5 8 9 10 8 1 7 4 2 7 4 6 2 6 9 10 6 9 7 7 4 9 2 5 4 7 1 9 10 8 2 10 5 6 5 2 6 9 5 9 5 10 10 7 6 10 2 5 2 10 2 7 7 7 5 6 2 6 9 9 6 10 5 4 3 1 10 3 10 7 1 3 2 5 7 2 3 7 5 6 6 8 8 8 6 6 2 3 5 3 1 1 1 3 6 7 10 2 7 9 8 9 5 9 1 4 8 8 5 6 5 2 10 8 7 5 8 2 1 6 1 1 4 1 2 3 9 8 9 2 10 9 5 4 5 10 8 1 4 10 8 7 6 8 9 6 7 5 1 6 6 8 5 7 5 7 10 4 1 10 1 5 1 8 4 5 3 2 6 10 8 5 5 4 3 6 6 7 2 2 4 10 5 3 4 4 6 5 8 4 1 4 2 10 8 8 4 9 3 3 3 2 7 2 6 4 3 8 5 10 10 10 7 6 7 2 2 1 5 6 7 4 8 4 8 5 7 9 7 5 8 7 1 8 9 9 5 5 1 4 3 5 2 2 8 1 1 6 6 1 10 4 2 5 3 5 10 5 5 8 9 2 5 3 10 2 4 8 3 4 10 4 3 8 3 1 2 3 6 1 8 6 8 1 1 6 9 2 2 8 3 6 9 5 1 10 4 10 3 6 9 5 1 6 9 6 7 8 3 2 5 6 2 2 2 2 6 10 1 7 5 7 10 9 8 2 6 1 2 5 4 10 1 9 8 10 9 9 4 1 1 10 4 10 8 10 8 5 2 2 7 6 8 10 6 5 1 2 1 8 6 2 4 10 3 3 8 9 9 7 7 9 7 8 2 9 10 10 8 4 9 6 2 5 6 2 3 2 8 8 1 3 10 8 2 2 7 4 5 9 3 6 3 7 9 6 8 6 5 1 7 1 3 10 6 6 5 9 1 5 9 2 9 1 6 6 3 2 4 10 6 3 8 3 9 7 7 2 1 1 1 6 2 7 9 2 3 8 6 8 5 5 1 9 3 5 10 3 4 9 9 1 6 9 6 8 1 5 6 6 7 8 1 4 4 6 10 9 3 10 6 8 6 5 6 7 9 4 9 8 10 4 10 5 5 3 7 7 3 4 6 2 2 2 1 7 2 1 4 3 6 5 10 9 9 10 8 8 8 1 10 5 7 8 10 10 8 10 10 2 9 1 6 10 4 10 5 9 5 4 2 6 4 8 7 2 6 4 8 6 2 3 4 10 9 4 1 9 1 8 8 8 7 2 1 2 3 3 3 10 9 1 8 3 8 5 3 6 5 5 10 1 7 5 8 3 7 5 1 9 1 7 1 10 6 9 5 3 9 5 10 5 7 6 5 7 7 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 5 1 6 7 7 10 10 8 1 7 5 7 4 7 10 6 8 7 4 3 5 6 8 10 4 3 4 3 10 9 4 6 9 3 2 9 6 2 10 3 2 3 1 7 1 2 6 10 10 7 7 8 5 1 8 3 1 8 2 8 4 7 9 10 9 4 2 2 1 10 5 2 4 3 9 8 3 8 1 8 6 7 3 2 3 1 10 6 2 6 2 10 9 4 1 6 4 10 8 6 2 3 2 3 8 5 2 1 1 2 5 1 4 2 5 8 7 6 1 4 6 6 6 3 10 9 1 9 7 8 6 1 9 3 4 2 8 1 3 5 7 3 8 3 9 9 6 1 8 3 1 8 1 7 4 4 7 9 7 2 10 5 10 | 426 Successes mean: 434 standard deviation: 14.73
Rerolling 88 mean: 86.80000000000001 standard deviation: 8.84
7 3 8 6 3 5 9 3 1 2 4 2 7 7 6 10 8 8 9 7 5 4 9 10 6 8 2 6 7 3 8 7 3 1 10 9 4 3 9 10 9 2 3 10 4 8 7 4 3 2 10 2 8 4 7 1 2 10 7 1 5 10 8 4 1 2 3 1 6 3 2 3 9 8 6 5 1 1 2 4 4 1 10 3 7 7 1 8 | 45x2=90 Successes mean: 88 standard deviation: 9.38
516x1.9=980 Successes mean: 989.5199999999999 standard deviation: 41.13
980/700
Third Word Achieved
280/1000
playful Muses rapport | 379 Dice
10 6 4 2 8 5 6 2 4 5 5 5 5 10 2 1 4 6 3 2 8 10 10 7 7 8 2 8 9 6 2 8 9 6 9 1 10 4 3 6 2 1 9 2 8 4 9 4 9 5 1 10 1 6 10 9 1 7 10 4 3 5 4 2 8 2 2 5 1 9 4 1 5 5 4 5 6 9 5 9 10 2 4 6 3 9 7 7 5 4 7 7 9 9 10 10 1 3 7 7 4 4 5 7 5 2 9 1 5 3 6 9 1 5 6 5 9 2 2 6 3 9 9 2 8 7 4 4 8 1 8 6 3 4 10 9 7 7 10 8 4 6 8 9 9 7 6 5 10 10 9 2 6 7 2 2 6 2 9 6 3 1 10 5 7 5 9 10 4 1 6 5 5 9 6 10 7 1 7 10 4 4 2 1 1 3 5 7 4 7 3 2 2 10 9 8 7 3 4 6 2 9 4 1 10 2 1 3 1 1 6 5 9 9 6 3 8 9 8 3 6 1 6 8 9 7 5 3 7 8 7 1 5 8 4 9 9 8 8 1 3 7 4 3 6 8 9 2 2 8 2 7 2 10 6 10 8 5 1 10 6 2 7 8 5 4 8 3 3 9 2 5 3 6 10 10 5 1 5 6 3 8 10 6 4 9 7 3 5 9 1 9 6 2 5 9 8 5 1 9 1 2 7 8 1 5 10 7 7 7 6 6 4 2 4 5 1 3 8 1 4 3 9 3 9 6 10 2 3 9 8 1 9 3 8 5 9 7 8 3 8 2 10 4 5 10 3 2 7 6 10 2 6 3 5 4 10 3 5 2 1 1 8 9 10 6 3 4 7 3 10 8 2 3 4 2 9 8 2 | 188 Successes mean: 189.5 standard deviation: 9.73
Rerolling 35 mean: 37.9 standard deviation: 5.84
9 9 1 5 10 9 3 1 2 10 6 1 8 10 3 9 1 7 10 5 9 8 7 5 7 3 3 6 3 6 7 3 9 8 8 | 14x2=28 Successes mean: 35 standard deviation: 5.92
216x1.9=410 Successes mean: 432.06 standard deviation: 27.18
562/400
Second Fantasy Achieved
162/700
Playful Muse Rapport
Passive Effects:
+10 to Initiative
+20 to Social Perception
+15 to Speech
+15 to Empathy
Carefree Mantle: B
Duration: Long or Upkeep 5
It is not enough to merely follow the basic exercises of this art, to learn tricks of speaking and the use of humor as a smoothing and contrasting element in their rhetoric. To truly emulate the muse, one must defy certain ingrained social behaviors and learn to wear their emotion, their intent, their very self as a cloak. Though such openness can seem frightening to the neophyte, few methods are superior in conveying the sincerity of your intent. While active, the user receives a large bonus to speech tests when speaking honestly or attempting to convince others of their sincerity, and a similar bonus to poise and empathy tests
Deceiver's Foil: C
Duration: Short
The muse is a creature of pure expression, and many tales speak of the humorous humiliations which they sometimes heap on the dishonest and insincere. Though this art does not teach such excessive methods, through this technique, one may indeed suss out those who lie to the users face and find the inspiration to trip up and foil those with dishonest intent. The user receives a bonus to large Social Perception when attempting to detect lies and a bonus to speech when attempting to counter lies and misinformation. When used in conjunction with Carefree Mantle, this technique functions as if it were B rank for one test.
Cheerful Muse Accompaniment: B
Duration: Long
Some people can be quite rude, seeking to listen in on things that are not for their ears. Activating this technique, the user shrouds themselves and up to five other willing targets in a shroud of cheerful but inane speech, that at first seems important until eavesdroppers notice subjects and sentences alike circling back to their beginning in an endless loop of noise. Offers defense against social techniques, offering a significant bonus to the users poise when attempting to defend against outside listeners.
Moonless Saboteur's Smile
Passive Effects:
+15 to Poise for user and allies in the same social engagement
+20 to Speech+Manipulation tests
+10 to Government
+15 to Social Perception
Mirthful Sabotage: C
Duration: Long or Upkeep 5
Plots and schemes form a tangled and often fragile web. A practitioner of this art learns to see the threads which connect their foes and inform their plots and see the ways in which they may be brought embarrassing failure or revelation. While active the user receives a large bonus to social perception and tests which use the manipulation attribute as a component.
Timely Misdirection: C
Duration: Immediate
For the user, it is not enough to trick and sabotage their foes, ones allies must be protected from similar efforts. When engaged in a social encounter, the user may activate this art when an ally fails a test. Using a bit of wordplay or wit, the user draws attention from their allies mistake, allowing them to retry the test with a +30 bonus.
Lighthearted Gossip: B
Duration: Long
It is easy to make the eye and the ear slide away in the face of directionless words. To outside observers the users conversations appear as no more than irrelevant musings and circular nonsense. Affects the user and up to five designated targets within Near range. Opponents must exceed the users Manipulation+Speech derived with social perception in order to penetrate the screen.
[/spoilers]
Passive Effects:
+10 to Initiative
+20 to Social Perception
+15 to Speech
+15 to Empathy
Carefree Mantle: B
Duration: Long or Upkeep 5
It is not enough to merely follow the basic exercises of this art, to learn tricks of speaking and the use of humor as a smoothing and contrasting element in their rhetoric. To truly emulate the muse, one must defy certain ingrained social behaviors and learn to wear their emotion, their intent, their very self as a cloak. Though such openness can seem frightening to the neophyte, few methods are superior in conveying the sincerity of your intent. While active, the user receives a large bonus to speech tests when speaking honestly or attempting to convince others of their sincerity, and a similar bonus to poise and empathy tests
Deceiver's Foil: C
Duration: Short
The muse is a creature of pure expression, and many tales speak of the humorous humiliations which they sometimes heap on the dishonest and insincere. Though this art does not teach such excessive methods, through this technique, one may indeed suss out those who lie to the users face and find the inspiration to trip up and foil those with dishonest intent. The user receives a bonus to large Social Perception when attempting to detect lies and a bonus to speech when attempting to counter lies and misinformation. When used in conjunction with Carefree Mantle, this technique functions as if it were B rank for one test.
Cheerful Muse Accompaniment: B
Duration: Long
Some people can be quite rude, seeking to listen in on things that are not for their ears. Activating this technique, the user shrouds themselves and up to five other willing targets in a shroud of cheerful but inane speech, that at first seems important until eavesdroppers notice subjects and sentences alike circling back to their beginning in an endless loop of noise. Offers defense against social techniques, offering a significant bonus to the users poise when attempting to defend against outside listeners.
Moonless Saboteur's Smile
Passive Effects:
+15 to Poise for user and allies in the same social engagement
+20 to Speech+Manipulation tests
+10 to Government
+15 to Social Perception
Mirthful Sabotage: C
Duration: Long or Upkeep 5
Plots and schemes form a tangled and often fragile web. A practitioner of this art learns to see the threads which connect their foes and inform their plots and see the ways in which they may be brought embarrassing failure or revelation. While active the user receives a large bonus to social perception and tests which use the manipulation attribute as a component.
Timely Misdirection: C
Duration: Immediate
For the user, it is not enough to trick and sabotage their foes, ones allies must be protected from similar efforts. When engaged in a social encounter, the user may activate this art when an ally fails a test. Using a bit of wordplay or wit, the user draws attention from their allies mistake, allowing them to retry the test with a +30 bonus.
Lighthearted Gossip: B
Duration: Long
It is easy to make the eye and the ear slide away in the face of directionless words. To outside observers the users conversations appear as no more than irrelevant musings and circular nonsense. Affects the user and up to five designated targets within Near range. Opponents must exceed the users Manipulation+Speech derived with social perception in order to penetrate the screen.
[/spoilers]
Last edited:
- Location
- Charlton, NY
You know, I just had another thought. Those scenarios we were proposing, where LQ had a choice of hurting one friend or hurting another friend in resolving an argument, and clashing with our domain insight... the last time LQ hit a no-win situation like that was the Bloody Moon's Dream. Wasn't it. And she rejected the Bloody Moon's patronage because of it.
This is getting more tangled by the update.
I'm thinking either the first option, or the third.
This is getting more tangled by the update.
I'm thinking either the first option, or the third.
NoxOfUmbra
Shadow of the night
- Location
- Colombia, South América
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
[X] In her own mind, with Sixiang, pondering the meaning of insights, and the demon gnawing at her heart.
Please, did not even have to think that much
Awesome chapters, really good plotlines all around
Please, did not even have to think that much
Awesome chapters, really good plotlines all around
Last edited:
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
I want to interact with GG some more, but arggghhh
[] In her own mind, with Sixiang, pondering the meaning of insights, and the demon gnawing at her heart.
This one....is pretty important
[] In her own mind, with Sixiang, pondering the meaning of insights, and the demon gnawing at her heart.
This one....is pretty important
It was a coronation gift, as detailed in the Xiangmen bonus in Royalroad. Empress Xiang's coronation happened forty-odd years ago, well before Cai Renxiang's birth.
Bonus: Xiangmen, the Heavenly Pillar - Forge of Destiny
Majestic is the Pillar of Heaven, the eldest of all trees, father and mother of forests. Visible far and wide across the Empire, mighty Xiangmen stretches (...)
www.royalroad.com
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Solemn update. I like that there's no immediate option to confront CRX and try and fix things. Liking all the options to be honest.
Glad the boys have each other, props to Meng Dan for being so quick to help in this. Could be interfering with the first option but it feels the closest thing to normality and getting back to previous group solidarity. Sitting with Zhengui does sorta feel like reaching out by Xia Lin after previously avoiding the group but wouldn't want to push too quickly. Navel gazing with Sixiang could also be important, likely last chance to introspect and get our head in the game before we have company. Yep, no idea what to go for to be honest.
Glad the boys have each other, props to Meng Dan for being so quick to help in this. Could be interfering with the first option but it feels the closest thing to normality and getting back to previous group solidarity. Sitting with Zhengui does sorta feel like reaching out by Xia Lin after previously avoiding the group but wouldn't want to push too quickly. Navel gazing with Sixiang could also be important, likely last chance to introspect and get our head in the game before we have company. Yep, no idea what to go for to be honest.
Last edited: