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

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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[X] Lao Keung, the stolid soldier(opens the characters participation in various actions)

beef. beef for the cake gods.
 
sergit said:
[X] Xia Anxi, the prickly diplomat(Opens characters participation in various actions)

I believe last time we had to pick between these two, there was talk of picking soldier boi first, and next time we'd compensate picking up the other one.

Well, I committed to that, at least, and right now, this is that next time we spoke about. So let's go for Xia Anxi!
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Pretty sure that already happened. At the dinner in the Bai manor we talked to beef snake about the cloud nomad and the Lith. Then at the tournament we talked to music snake about how the sky rules and the ocean drools.

So we've interacted with both of them one time.
 
[X] Xia Anxi, the prickly diplomat(Opens characters participation in various actions)

Having another diplomat will be handy the more spirits we meet in the fief, and taking the traditionalist on Ling Qi Adventures allows us to wear away at the bad influences around Bai Meizhen.
 
yrsillar said:
"They're meant to break," Liu Xin said, straightening up stiffly. "They're made for her but they can take most forms of corrosive qi, it builds up in the bubbles and faults, soaks the metal really thoroughly."

Wang Chao squinted, and then grinned. "Aha! Then boom! You said you work with ceramics, but you mean explosives don't you! Knew you had the feel of a blast miner about you!"
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Feels the barbs were unnecessary if you where just going to blow it into shrapnel anyway.
yrsillar said:
She was loitering under one of the arches on the other side of the hedge Ling Qi had used to exit the field
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Wait, did LQ just:
 
Dark as Silver said:
Feels the barbs were unnecessary if you where just going to blow it into shrapnel anyway.
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That ensures the blade explodes on the inside rather than it just slipping out. Also, I can only assume the barbs help grip the flesh of the target and make it easier to break the blade in the first place.

Also the vote

[X] Lao Keung, the stolid soldier(opens the characters participation in various actions)
 
I don't have a strong opinion about either of them as of jet.

[X] Xia Anxi, the prickly diplomat(Opens characters participation in various actions)

I'm going to vote this way just to maybe get another Music debate, this time without interruption.
I quite like the imagery of the two of them sitting on top the giant waterfall and debating what adds more to the beauty of the place.

The Water that is falling or the Wind that is playing with the water. (Or sth. like that anyways)
 
I actually think that contrasting perspectives add a nice through a mirror darkly thing for Ling Qis character arcs, and she already has that for music with Thunder girl and from the Emerald Seas with Guangli

A take from the Thousand Lakes would add another layer of complexity and spice to the mix that's already taking shape for the settlement

[X] Lao Keung, the stolid soldier(opens the characters participation in various actions)
 
[X] Lao Keung, the stolid soldier(opens the characters participation in various actions)

I like both, but our most immediate concern is sorting out the Starlit Labyrinth, and that's going to require firepower.
 
Adhoc vote count started by Killer_Whale on Jun 8, 2022 at 3:56 AM, finished with 88 posts and 60 votes.
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[X] Lao Keung, the stolid soldier(opens the characters participation in various actions)

I liked what I saw of him a little more than Xia Anxi
 
[X] Lao Keung, the stolid soldier(opens the characters participation in various actions)

Xia Anxi would be better if we actually had a settlement and trade going since we are handling spirit diplomacy well ourselves. The current state of our fief is better suited for beefsnake. I'm fine with either winning though.
 
[X] Xia Anxi, the prickly diplomat(Opens characters participation in various actions)

This is the one I personally prefer. We already have enough military types on camp, and we will get further bonus to defense with the Meng Geomancer and further Wang assistance.
Proper diplomats are just Ling Qi and Meng Dan, but he is more historian than negotiator (I count Renxiang as commander/administrator). Xia Anxi's role in Meizhen's entourage is, as the vote says, being a diplomat. He already expressed curiosity in learning how to deal with the White Sky, so this would be a good chance to instruct him. It would also be nice to have another Music cultivator around.

I guess a good reason to choose Lao Keung would be to get information about the military Bai castes (Red and Green) and convince him that Meizhen, unlike many previous White Bai, actually values and respects them. Gaining support from inside the army is the reason that Suzhen sent him as Meizhen's guard captain after all.
But I also feel that the best way to achieve that is for him to actually spend time with Meizhen, not with Ling Qi. Besides, we are already different defenses styles (Wang, Meng, White Plumes); so adding more would be more detrimental than beneficial, specially since Lao Keung wouldn't have authority to actually change things or take active/leadership roles, only to make suggestions.

yrsillar said:
"How long has it been since we walked into danger together Qi? I feel some youthful hotheadedness, it must be said."

"Ah, and it would distract from other indiscretions," Ling Qi smirked. "Well there are a few places that might be good for cooling heated blood."
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yrsillar said:
Serpent Whisperer: You undoubtably have a good rapport with your best friend, but you worry about the wider effects the Duchess' recent actions may have. Take Bai meizhen up on her standing invitation to join her at the Sect market along with her handmaiden and discuss the past and the future. (+1 to Power Darkness and Sincerity projects. Characters Bai Meizhen, Xiao Fen)
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I guess this means we will get a Meizhen Personal Action that will merge with the Serpent Whisperer? Like how Suyin's Workshop of Wonders was also enhanced?

yrsillar said:
"Some are already calling our clique 'little Xiangmen' it is mostly derisive for now, but not wrong," Bai Meizhen said. "It falls in and out of practice, but placing your heir in a position to oversee your province in miniature is not unknown. My Aunt is pleased enough to extend the game for her ally."

"I suppose she's selling it as part of the resettlement efforts?" Ling Qi said blithely.

"My, you do pay attention now. Yes, young Bai are being encouraged to 'rough it' more to show leadership outside of the palaces. There is some resistance…"
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Good to see Bai Suzhen is keeping up with the reforms in the White Bai caste. We saw in the Sun Shao's interludes that one of the main problems of the ruling Bai was a complete disconnection from actual field experience. Both in strategic skill (the guy that Sun Shao replaced) and inability to see the relevance. That was why the brother so thouroughly sabotaged Sun Shao even though it helped the jungle barbarians. He thougth the true Thousands Lakes was so powerful that nothing that happend in campaign would actually affect them, so it didn't matter.
Since I doubt a whole lot of the empty, ruined land left behind by Sun Shao has already recovered, resettlement efforts are ideal to increase Thousand Lakes`s Prosperity and assure the younger generation don't make the same mistakes again.
 
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