Oliver_Twister
Idea-Man, He Who Shits Ideas
- Location
- West Africa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think this (from the front page) and the newest threadmark should help.
-
Going forward, links to content from Twitter (now X) will no longer be embedded. Pre-existing links should not be affected.
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.
I think this (from the front page) and the newest threadmark should help.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
The King of the West
Red was the color of sorrow, of the setting sun and endings. The color of blood draining down into the earth. It was the color of the banners raised over the casket of his grandson, fluttering in the breeze.For the first time in many decades, Sun Shao's gnarled hands shook like the old man he appeared to be as his Great Granddaughter clung to his shaking hand.
To live was war, to war was to sacrifice.
But it always hurt. It always had to hurt, if you were to remember your purpose in the sea of blood. If only Ce had been equal to the task he had been given. Sun Shao had placed so much hope upon his grandson's sturdy shoulders, been so certain that he would be the one able to bear the weight of the Sun family.
He had been wrong.
The blood of the east is not enough. I waste my strength, though the solution is before me, has always been before me.
The sons of his body were gone. The sons borne to him by his wife,whose face he could not remember, only the smear of blood it had become on the walls of his burning manor. Her face was gone, but some splinter of the man he was borne in his chest still insisted its importance.
"Grandpa, why is Papa in the box," His Granddaughter whispered as the shame faced men who carried the palanquin set it down before them and threw themselves on their faces in shame before his judgment.
Even in defeat, his men, his family were not afraid of him. Failure brought not dodging and avoidance as in the east, but a deep and abiding shame at their own lacking merits. To be of the West was to be strong, and there was no loss heavier than to fail your kin and comrades. They wept for the young lord as if he were their own brother by blood and he their grandfather.
That was the army he had built.
He looked down at Liling, his great granddaughter, and closed his eyes. The quaver in her voice and the set of her shoulders told him that she knew the answer. Even a child in their ninth summer knew death in the west.
She sniffled, and tears welling at the corners of her eyes. "Papa can't die. He was strong."
"Not strong enough," Sun Shao said quietly, squeezing her hand.
She looked up at him, confusion and a hint of betrayal in her eyes. Eyes so like other daughters and grandaughters, sacrificed all. "There is no such thing as strong enough. Your father was strong, and we must be stronger still in his absence," he said gently. "The world is cruel, and we will fight it forever. He fought for you, and I and all of us. As I do. As you will."
She sniffled, not quite comprehending but buried her face in his robes. He gestured to the men on the ground, spoke some words of mourning and sorrow and absolution, but it was a mechanical thing, detached from his mind. They left, renewed fire in their eyes. These men would fight and die like demons.
Was he spending his men poorly? Had he spent his grandson poorly?
Lub-Dub
The heartbeat never went away. It thrummed beneath the streets of Kailasa. It beat in the silence of palace chambers at night. It beat in his own chest and underlaid the war chants of his men. He had closed the temples, shattered the altars, but the heartbeat never ceased. Though it had not been his intention, he had built new temples and new altars, her worship was every shedding of blood. The Goddess of the Sunflower fields was with him always.
Yet he could not take the last step.
Their faces were crimson smears. His wife, his sons and daughters. Even Ce's face would fade in time. A year, a decade or two. There was so little of the man who was Sun Shao left.
He could end these sacrifices, these casualties at any time. The Queen of the Red Jungle, the Goddess of Ceaseless Struggle, longed for her King of Carrion, Devourer of the Dead.
Verdant hair, and crimson eyes, a smile like flensing blades. A lover's breath in his ear, warm and hot, smelling of the carnage of burning cities.
Red smears where faces once were. The marching and songs of men. Kin and family. He could not submit to her. It would destroy an important objective. Even if he couldn't remember what it was. And his army was strong, the Imperial Court still favored him. He did not need her. He did not need her.
They would conquer everything she was, and make it theirs.
He ignored the soft laughter that only he could hear. The smile of knives, and winsome eyes full of teeth that begged him to try.
"Grandpa?"
He blinked, looked down to Liling and crouched down, resting a hand on her head. Her hair was just as bright and red as his had been, all those centuries ago. "I'm sorry little one. I was remembering."
She nodded, still sniffling. And he gathered her into an embrace.
He had promised himself to break the world for his family if need be. When the child in his arms finally broke into sobs, he remembered why he did not want to. Why it was his last plan. Poor child. Her life would only grow harder. Her mother was a soft and petty thing of the court, and would be gone in a fortnight with the marriage broken. Only she could bear their future now. She would need to grow strong indeed. Stronger than he. Stronger than Her.
Such a cruel thing to lay on a child.
"Everything for family," he said quietly, brushing her hair.
"Family is everything," came the muffled reply.
Scooping his great granddaughter up into the crook of his arm, he stood, and with one hand lifted the coffin onto his shoulder. "Let us lay him to rest, little one."
To live was war, to war was to sacrifice.
But it always hurt. It always had to hurt, if you were to remember your purpose in the sea of blood. If only Ce had been equal to the task he had been given. Sun Shao had placed so much hope upon his grandson's sturdy shoulders, been so certain that he would be the one able to bear the weight of the Sun family.
He had been wrong.
The blood of the east is not enough. I waste my strength, though the solution is before me, has always been before me.
The sons of his body were gone. The sons borne to him by his wife,whose face he could not remember, only the smear of blood it had become on the walls of his burning manor. Her face was gone, but some splinter of the man he was borne in his chest still insisted its importance.
"Grandpa, why is Papa in the box," His Granddaughter whispered as the shame faced men who carried the palanquin set it down before them and threw themselves on their faces in shame before his judgment.
Even in defeat, his men, his family were not afraid of him. Failure brought not dodging and avoidance as in the east, but a deep and abiding shame at their own lacking merits. To be of the West was to be strong, and there was no loss heavier than to fail your kin and comrades. They wept for the young lord as if he were their own brother by blood and he their grandfather.
That was the army he had built.
He looked down at Liling, his great granddaughter, and closed his eyes. The quaver in her voice and the set of her shoulders told him that she knew the answer. Even a child in their ninth summer knew death in the west.
She sniffled, and tears welling at the corners of her eyes. "Papa can't die. He was strong."
"Not strong enough," Sun Shao said quietly, squeezing her hand.
She looked up at him, confusion and a hint of betrayal in her eyes. Eyes so like other daughters and grandaughters, sacrificed all. "There is no such thing as strong enough. Your father was strong, and we must be stronger still in his absence," he said gently. "The world is cruel, and we will fight it forever. He fought for you, and I and all of us. As I do. As you will."
She sniffled, not quite comprehending but buried her face in his robes. He gestured to the men on the ground, spoke some words of mourning and sorrow and absolution, but it was a mechanical thing, detached from his mind. They left, renewed fire in their eyes. These men would fight and die like demons.
Was he spending his men poorly? Had he spent his grandson poorly?
Lub-Dub
The heartbeat never went away. It thrummed beneath the streets of Kailasa. It beat in the silence of palace chambers at night. It beat in his own chest and underlaid the war chants of his men. He had closed the temples, shattered the altars, but the heartbeat never ceased. Though it had not been his intention, he had built new temples and new altars, her worship was every shedding of blood. The Goddess of the Sunflower fields was with him always.
Yet he could not take the last step.
Their faces were crimson smears. His wife, his sons and daughters. Even Ce's face would fade in time. A year, a decade or two. There was so little of the man who was Sun Shao left.
He could end these sacrifices, these casualties at any time. The Queen of the Red Jungle, the Goddess of Ceaseless Struggle, longed for her King of Carrion, Devourer of the Dead.
Verdant hair, and crimson eyes, a smile like flensing blades. A lover's breath in his ear, warm and hot, smelling of the carnage of burning cities.
Red smears where faces once were. The marching and songs of men. Kin and family. He could not submit to her. It would destroy an important objective. Even if he couldn't remember what it was. And his army was strong, the Imperial Court still favored him. He did not need her. He did not need her.
They would conquer everything she was, and make it theirs.
He ignored the soft laughter that only he could hear. The smile of knives, and winsome eyes full of teeth that begged him to try.
"Grandpa?"
He blinked, looked down to Liling and crouched down, resting a hand on her head. Her hair was just as bright and red as his had been, all those centuries ago. "I'm sorry little one. I was remembering."
She nodded, still sniffling. And he gathered her into an embrace.
He had promised himself to break the world for his family if need be. When the child in his arms finally broke into sobs, he remembered why he did not want to. Why it was his last plan. Poor child. Her life would only grow harder. Her mother was a soft and petty thing of the court, and would be gone in a fortnight with the marriage broken. Only she could bear their future now. She would need to grow strong indeed. Stronger than he. Stronger than Her.
Such a cruel thing to lay on a child.
"Everything for family," he said quietly, brushing her hair.
"Family is everything," came the muffled reply.
Scooping his great granddaughter up into the crook of his arm, he stood, and with one hand lifted the coffin onto his shoulder. "Let us lay him to rest, little one."
So I hadn't actually considered Zequing in relation to Bastion, but if anything I think the connection is stronger than anything else that's been brought up as a thematic connection to the art. That's because Zequing represents the goal/end state of the art, how a spirit of cold, want, and endings can be friendly and a teacher. We can reflect on what we desire from communications with wild spirits: Trying to find another mentor? Make new friends/family?
You talk about Zequing being socialized, this art is HOW we socialize spirits. The connection is very strong.
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Zeqing was socialised via centuries of extended contact with humans, taking a human as a husband and having a child with him. The connection of Raise the Bastion to that is… tenuous at best.
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Oliver_Twister
Idea-Man, He Who Shits Ideas
- Location
- West Africa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I don't really believe Bastion or anything else should be added to FSS+ because the plotline is already full, and extra stuff will mess with established things already, but I bring thee relevant quotes.
Anyway, I think this is the first interlude we have from the perspective of a White? Apart from maybe the one with Grandmother Serpent. Not sure about the Zheng explorer's realm too actually. But anyway, this is the first perspective from a White cultivator. I don't know whether that makes him a reliable narrator or not since he fully embodies one Way, but let's see.
I mean yes, he mourns the death of his grandson, but when talking about it, he only mourns that his grandson couldn't live up to the burden Shao put on him, that he led to sacrifice.
He rebelled against Fuxi because he and his family were sacrificed because of Bai politics, yet here is, doing the same thing with his men and family. At least he's questioning himself about it, even if he still does it.
We also see that he's fully become a person of the Jungle, the King of the West. He refers to his men and himself as the people of the West. He builds temples and supports the goddess, which counters what he originally set out to do. He feeds her blood from sacrifice. Except, instead of blood from ritual sacrifices done in temples, it's blood spilled for endless war Shao fights against anyone who's not considered Family. He hears the goddess and the heart of the forest, and she continuously tempts him to join the Jungle. But what little humanity he has left is fighting that, but even then he forgets that. The only thing keeping him from her is the Imperial support needed to continue his fight. In Welcome to the Jungle, he started losing that support and finally took the plunge.
Then there's how he sees his family. As I said, since he's White, Shao may be an unreliable narrator, and I think that counts in how he sees his army and family. He barely remembers the faces or the people whose death inspired him. He knows who they are, but he recognizes their blood and the sacrifice it embodies. He doesn't recognize how his people have become the next iteration of the previous inhabitants, only that they continue to fight because of support.
And lastly, we see how this affects Liling. He has sacrificed most of his original family, and only she is left. Now, she too has been sacrificed to continue the endless War. He just hopes that she can carry the burden, unlike all the others who died.
I guess this last point is why it was Liling against CRX in the sect, even though the Bai and Sun are the clans with the blood feud. Both of them have immeasurable burdens placed on them by family members. Both of them carry their clan's futures. Funnily enough, both of them have spirits who they're wary of and don't agree with.
Except CRX is just the first sacrifice and broken child and Liling is one of the last. CRX grew in the sect, while Liling stuck to old ways and didn't start growing until later. Even now, there are two parallels. Shenhua put a burden on CRX so that she'll be different from her. Shao put a burden on Liling so that she'll continue his fight. CRX is moving on from the Sect and starting a fief and establish herself. Liling is staying in the Sect to establish her clan and get more support.
It's fun. Can't wait for this to unravel more.
... One might suggest that "extended contact and close relationships, having children together, thus bringing the spirit into the community" would be the means of mitigating harm, if we were to use Zeqing as the inspiration for Raising the Bastion.
Now, especially given Ling Qi's specific hangups, I'd rather not go in that direction, and I've already voted for Wherein Lies Meaning accordingly. But that's not a tenuous connection; it's a pretty strong one.
- Location
- Earth
[X] Plan Wherein Lies Meaning
[X] Plan Step by Step
[X] Plan Step by Step
I think what it comes down to is that he can't think of any solution that does not sacrifice except to destroy. He's dealing with a biome, there is no amount of killing or sacrificing that doesn't make the ecosystem stronger. The Sunflower doesn't care where the blood flows from.
- Pronouns
- he him
[X] Plan Chilly Winds of Change
- Location
- scrabbling
[X] Plan Wherein Lies Meaning
[X] Plan Cold Wisdom
[X] Plan Cold Wisdom
[X] Plan Chilly Winds of Change
My idea for a SSR+. Basically it emphasizes the wisps and deemphasizes the scry.
Court of Gossamer and Leaves
In the wilderness there are countless tiny spirit courts. They will likely never amount to anything but they see far more than their betters would ever guess
Yin, Moon, Music
Keywords: Mystery, Community, Chaos
Antithesis: Order, Fate, Ignorance
Art Type: Perception
Passive Effects:
+1 to Primary Perception Trait
Active Effects
Spirit Lady's Retinue: G5
Type: Construct, Perception
Duration: Scene
Conjures up to a dozen tiny humanoid wisps from leaves, pebbles, and so on. Expressions of the Lady's curiosity and whims, these wisps seek their lady's interest eagerly. The user's senses extend from the wisp, and when they overlap, the user's perception is improved in the area. The wisps ignore obstacles below their potency rank and, while they can travel a fair distance from their creator, they lose contact with her until they return and quickly run out of qi over the course of a day without additional infusions. Once they return, the user is aware of what the wisp found as though they were there themselves.
Wisps are fragile and may be destroyed easily by the direct actions of peer cultivators if noticed, but are quite subtle and hard to detect.
Respite of Dutiful: G5
Type: Scry, Noncombat
Duration: Stunt
The user may scry any of their wisps' locations, bringing themselves in contact with them and allowing the user to refill the wisp's qi, with the efficiency decreasing as the distance grows. Any peer within line of sight will immediately detect the wisps while this technique is active.
Predecessor Art: Silent Songseeker's Regard
In the wilderness there are countless tiny spirit courts. They will likely never amount to anything but they see far more than their betters would ever guess
Yin, Moon, Music
Keywords: Mystery, Community, Chaos
Antithesis: Order, Fate, Ignorance
Art Type: Perception
Passive Effects:
+1 to Primary Perception Trait
Active Effects
Spirit Lady's Retinue: G5
Type: Construct, Perception
Duration: Scene
Conjures up to a dozen tiny humanoid wisps from leaves, pebbles, and so on. Expressions of the Lady's curiosity and whims, these wisps seek their lady's interest eagerly. The user's senses extend from the wisp, and when they overlap, the user's perception is improved in the area. The wisps ignore obstacles below their potency rank and, while they can travel a fair distance from their creator, they lose contact with her until they return and quickly run out of qi over the course of a day without additional infusions. Once they return, the user is aware of what the wisp found as though they were there themselves.
Wisps are fragile and may be destroyed easily by the direct actions of peer cultivators if noticed, but are quite subtle and hard to detect.
Respite of Dutiful: G5
Type: Scry, Noncombat
Duration: Stunt
The user may scry any of their wisps' locations, bringing themselves in contact with them and allowing the user to refill the wisp's qi, with the efficiency decreasing as the distance grows. Any peer within line of sight will immediately detect the wisps while this technique is active.
Predecessor Art: Silent Songseeker's Regard
[X] Plan Chilly Winds of Change
So I went looking at the concepts LQ has.....
... nope, isolation is there as well.
Except, Persistence states things will only last if you work on them.
Sure, it's not denial, but acceptable. Which, again, makes Void kinda pointless.
That would be cold, which is a lot more central to LQ, except it's not a concept LQ has.....
Not to mention, again, we don't have anything aside from SNR that has void....
"But narrative concept gains!" I hear you say....
Except we had nothing for those three of that so far and I kinda doubt we will going forward, because they are on the edge of LQ's perception and more developed concepts fill the narrative better.
That's my reasoning of why you shouldn't vote for Ripples, thank you for reading.
These match each other, no place for void.
The core of LQ's drive, even if the first thing she integrated in her domain was loneliness from Forgotten Vale Melody. Sure, it's not Void related, but again, Void as the core of LQ? That's just throwing out her character so far.
It was said that we can contrast Void by denying it right? Too bad, Isolation filled that nitche already.
"But the mind!"
... nope, isolation is there as well.
"Everything came from the void, and to the Void shall everything return!"
Except, Persistence states things will only last if you work on them.
Sure, it's not denial, but acceptable. Which, again, makes Void kinda pointless.
"But the heat dead if the universe!"
That would be cold, which is a lot more central to LQ, except it's not a concept LQ has.....
Then we have these, and Bastion would elevate Protection to have, at least a sentence.
Not to mention, again, we don't have anything aside from SNR that has void....
"But narrative concept gains!" I hear you say....
Except we had nothing for those three of that so far and I kinda doubt we will going forward, because they are on the edge of LQ's perception and more developed concepts fill the narrative better.
That's my reasoning of why you shouldn't vote for Ripples, thank you for reading.
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CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
@yrsillar So I noticed some discrepancies between this plan post and the google sheets page I use to keep track of things, and I figured I'd go back and see what's up.
Edit: Taking Suyin's mission also should've given us an extra Mystery xp. Our Creation xp seems correct tho at least
These two were at (2/5) and (1/5) respectively in my notes.
Want was at 0 last turn, but we gained 1 xp from taking Suyin's action.
And power was at (2/5) for turn 14's planning session, but it's showed up as 0 since then so I'm not sure if that was the mistake.
Edit: Taking Suyin's mission also should've given us an extra Mystery xp. Our Creation xp seems correct tho at least
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- Location
- ?
[X] Plan Chilly Winds of Change
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan Chilly Winds of Change
Gave it a fair bit of thought, but Qi's confrontations of higher spirits have been some of her best moments, and I want to elevate that part of her.
Gave it a fair bit of thought, but Qi's confrontations of higher spirits have been some of her best moments, and I want to elevate that part of her.
[X] Plan Wherein lies Meaning
[X] Plan Step by Step
[X] Plan Step by Step
Sorry if I wasn't clear. My point wasn't the Zequing was socialized using Raise the Bastion, or any art at all. Just that she was socialized, and raise the bastion is an art for socializing spirits (hopefully in less than several centuries). A connection to the desired outcome is just as useful as finding a starting point for developing an art, at least from my perspective. Is a corpse not related to death, just because it already died?
Huh, so it was more whirlwind romance than centuries of exposure (but then he betrayed her, which didn't really help matters).
I don't think it would be part of the FSS+ process at all. It would either be after or before, giving some build up or wind down as Ling Qi thinks about Zequing. After all, I don't think Ling Qi is just only going to think about Zequing on the mountain, then immediately forget as soon as she leaves. Having a related action allows those emotions to linger and be explored more. (Obviously Ling Qi would be thinking about it regardless, but this allows Yrsillar to naturally show it).
I've always been pro FSS+ purity. No soul of ice in MY votes 😤. This shouldn't get involved in the process at all.
- Location
- South Africa
[X] Plan Chilly Winds of Change