- Location
- Australia
Skills added and changes made to the Master Sheet 👍
Dueling Fate
- Thread starter KreenWarrior
- Start date
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Classes and Friends
Don't really care for the pillmaking tbh.
Don't really care for the pillmaking tbh.
The fact that I've stayed up quite late last night (4 AM!) almost desperately binging this quest, despite it being a workday (and office workday at that), should tell anyone reading this that I've rather enjoyed the quest.
As such, I feel compelled to leave a review of sorts, especially now while my impressions of it are still fresh. Considering that I mostly use SV on my phone, and that I rarely bother turning on my computer most of the time for non-work and non-gaming related matters, I can't think of a higher compliment that I can give to a work from this site than me bothering to actually sit down and write a (semi)coherent review. Perhaps writing an omake... Hm, now there's a thought.
The point that I am trying to make is, that I very much enjoyed this quest and that I am thankful to the co-authors, yet despite all of that I will be mentioning in this review of mine both "good" and "bad" things (and not only good), or in other words, things I liked and things that I didn't like so much. This second category I will try to loosely divide into two parts, those misgivings that I consider at least partially objective and those that are probably entirely subjective.
I apologize in advance if I accidently offend, it is absolutely not my intention to do so.
Anyway, onwards.
Let's start with Lind, our valiant protagonist. Lind has started feeling like a properly distinct character quite early on, and I would rate that the authors have done a good job at letting him have his own voice (always a good thing). His starting attribute distribution was beautifully done, with the selfless rescue of a fellow villager (the in-text explanation for a gaming decision) actually feeling like an integral part of the character, as the later developments would reinforce.
Simply put, Lind feels like the kind of a person who would do such things. To me, Lind comes across like a mature, scrappy, tough-as-old-boots, proud and surprisingly amiable (especially for a low empathy character!) young man. He is easy to like, but has readily apparent flaws that prevent him from becoming a Gary-Stue. Nor is he some narratively torturously convoluted chosen one, or some once a generation genius. Just a brave huntsman eager to see the world.
I do find his age difficult to place, some of his thoughts and interactions seem as if he was a 18-year old (or even 20 year old) with how maturely he interacts with various different people. On the other hand, the way his almost puppy-crush thing for Vijaya is portrayed suggest a younger person, one that hasn't much, if any, romantic experience.
The amiability I mentioned earlier, and that makes for an interesting paradox considering his hunter background, is seen in the easy camaraderie he develops with the sailors of Captain Yang, along with various craftsmen of the Sect Town, not to mention the fast friendship he strikes up with Medhi and Bai Peng.
Medhi is someone cut from much the same cloth as Lind, for all that he comes from an environment that is the very opposite of Lind's own. The arid sand deserts not having much in common with frozen mountains, except for their inhospitality. However, Medhi is also tough and adaptable, easy-going and mature for his age. Perhaps not quite that proud nor that quite brave as Lind, but still a kindred soul. Their frienship is not surprising (though Lind's decision to share immortal cuisine with a veritable stranger is curious one to be sure, even if it's a welcome sign of Lind being their own person rather than a mere vehicle for questers).
Bai Peng meanwhile is someone rather different on the surface to Lind and an obvious MC fodder (not necessarily a bad thing in a NPC, especially if there are multiple such characters), but nevertheless manages to be still charming, due to a certain nobility of spirit present in his mien and actions. His tragic backstory doesn't seem to drag him down in the edgy archetype that I have affectionally nicknamed the "Sasuke Whirpool", but rather implies a wise beyond his years and compassionate soul. This compassion and selflessness is actually what brings him and Lind together, making them natural allies in their struggle against the demons while their talents make them complementary hunting partners.
The demon(s), and the various encounters concerning them are compellingly written. The Hand is suitable disturbing, and vividly portrayed. The sense of unnaturalness accompanying it is well represented and striking. There is something in the impressions that the authors have evoked that reminds me almost of Japanese horrors. There is the same uncanniness present. It makes for a more potent scene when Lind discovers Peng's secret, as well as making the pale young man even more sympathetic to the audience.
Thankfully, Bai Peng seems to have an acerbic tongue and a certain thorny disposition buried deep beneath his humility and altruism, a necessary aspect to prevent him from being too likable (and hence, a Gary Stue).
Nevertheless, it is hardly surprising that the Innkeeper Zhen has taken a shine to the young exorcist.
Speaking of Master Zhen. Him, Shao Suyin, Captain Yang and the other "civillians" make for an interesting ensemble of characters, as well as a fantastic worldbuilding decision to make these townsfolk be rather more important and competent than you would find in other xianxia settings. It makes for a more immersive and complex world when it is not only the "proper" (Sect/Clan) cultivators that have something to offer. It is quite refreshing to see butchers and innkeepers being potential mentors, with powerful abilities and potent insights, as befitting a person dedicated to their craft in a magical setting, rather than the lazy staple of most craftsmen being some hapless (and implied to be worthless) mortals with some extraordinarily rare exceptions in form of a hidden master alchemist or something similarly trite.
The way the Sect Town is set up makes quite a lot of sense to me. It feels like something that would organically arise, a logical symbiosis of sorts with the Sect, with the Town serving not merely as a backdrop but also as a test itself for the aspirants in what the Golden Reed Sect claims to be one of their paramount values, protection and community (including those not of the Sect). Those deciding to involve themselves with the community would have opportunities that their isolation-inclined counterparts wouldn't.
Golden Reed Sect makes for a wondrous setting, and this is where the greatest writing strength of the co-QMs lies - the atmosphere and the immersion. The captivating descriptions of the phantastical wetlands that surround the Sect, the golden-blue imagery, the otherworldly surroundings, the supernatural inhabitants... it all feels almost mythological, and yet easily imaginable. I share in Lind's excitement at all the mystical and beautiful nooks and crannies waiting hidden behind the corner, as well as all those marvelous beasts that one can find in a locale as enchantingly fey as this one.
This talent for description and for "scene rendition" is apparent also when we discover the Sunken Sanctuary, found by diving through a vortex of luminous tiny crustaceans, or when the Ship encounters the Kraken. All of the above I can somehow see in my mind's eye. Which to me, means that the writer has done something right.
...
It's actually quite late over here, so I will continue my review (including the more negative and hopefully constructive bits) tomorrow.
As such, I feel compelled to leave a review of sorts, especially now while my impressions of it are still fresh. Considering that I mostly use SV on my phone, and that I rarely bother turning on my computer most of the time for non-work and non-gaming related matters, I can't think of a higher compliment that I can give to a work from this site than me bothering to actually sit down and write a (semi)coherent review. Perhaps writing an omake... Hm, now there's a thought.
The point that I am trying to make is, that I very much enjoyed this quest and that I am thankful to the co-authors, yet despite all of that I will be mentioning in this review of mine both "good" and "bad" things (and not only good), or in other words, things I liked and things that I didn't like so much. This second category I will try to loosely divide into two parts, those misgivings that I consider at least partially objective and those that are probably entirely subjective.
I apologize in advance if I accidently offend, it is absolutely not my intention to do so.
Anyway, onwards.
Let's start with Lind, our valiant protagonist. Lind has started feeling like a properly distinct character quite early on, and I would rate that the authors have done a good job at letting him have his own voice (always a good thing). His starting attribute distribution was beautifully done, with the selfless rescue of a fellow villager (the in-text explanation for a gaming decision) actually feeling like an integral part of the character, as the later developments would reinforce.
Simply put, Lind feels like the kind of a person who would do such things. To me, Lind comes across like a mature, scrappy, tough-as-old-boots, proud and surprisingly amiable (especially for a low empathy character!) young man. He is easy to like, but has readily apparent flaws that prevent him from becoming a Gary-Stue. Nor is he some narratively torturously convoluted chosen one, or some once a generation genius. Just a brave huntsman eager to see the world.
I do find his age difficult to place, some of his thoughts and interactions seem as if he was a 18-year old (or even 20 year old) with how maturely he interacts with various different people. On the other hand, the way his almost puppy-crush thing for Vijaya is portrayed suggest a younger person, one that hasn't much, if any, romantic experience.
The amiability I mentioned earlier, and that makes for an interesting paradox considering his hunter background, is seen in the easy camaraderie he develops with the sailors of Captain Yang, along with various craftsmen of the Sect Town, not to mention the fast friendship he strikes up with Medhi and Bai Peng.
Medhi is someone cut from much the same cloth as Lind, for all that he comes from an environment that is the very opposite of Lind's own. The arid sand deserts not having much in common with frozen mountains, except for their inhospitality. However, Medhi is also tough and adaptable, easy-going and mature for his age. Perhaps not quite that proud nor that quite brave as Lind, but still a kindred soul. Their frienship is not surprising (though Lind's decision to share immortal cuisine with a veritable stranger is curious one to be sure, even if it's a welcome sign of Lind being their own person rather than a mere vehicle for questers).
Bai Peng meanwhile is someone rather different on the surface to Lind and an obvious MC fodder (not necessarily a bad thing in a NPC, especially if there are multiple such characters), but nevertheless manages to be still charming, due to a certain nobility of spirit present in his mien and actions. His tragic backstory doesn't seem to drag him down in the edgy archetype that I have affectionally nicknamed the "Sasuke Whirpool", but rather implies a wise beyond his years and compassionate soul. This compassion and selflessness is actually what brings him and Lind together, making them natural allies in their struggle against the demons while their talents make them complementary hunting partners.
The demon(s), and the various encounters concerning them are compellingly written. The Hand is suitable disturbing, and vividly portrayed. The sense of unnaturalness accompanying it is well represented and striking. There is something in the impressions that the authors have evoked that reminds me almost of Japanese horrors. There is the same uncanniness present. It makes for a more potent scene when Lind discovers Peng's secret, as well as making the pale young man even more sympathetic to the audience.
Thankfully, Bai Peng seems to have an acerbic tongue and a certain thorny disposition buried deep beneath his humility and altruism, a necessary aspect to prevent him from being too likable (and hence, a Gary Stue).
Nevertheless, it is hardly surprising that the Innkeeper Zhen has taken a shine to the young exorcist.
Speaking of Master Zhen. Him, Shao Suyin, Captain Yang and the other "civillians" make for an interesting ensemble of characters, as well as a fantastic worldbuilding decision to make these townsfolk be rather more important and competent than you would find in other xianxia settings. It makes for a more immersive and complex world when it is not only the "proper" (Sect/Clan) cultivators that have something to offer. It is quite refreshing to see butchers and innkeepers being potential mentors, with powerful abilities and potent insights, as befitting a person dedicated to their craft in a magical setting, rather than the lazy staple of most craftsmen being some hapless (and implied to be worthless) mortals with some extraordinarily rare exceptions in form of a hidden master alchemist or something similarly trite.
The way the Sect Town is set up makes quite a lot of sense to me. It feels like something that would organically arise, a logical symbiosis of sorts with the Sect, with the Town serving not merely as a backdrop but also as a test itself for the aspirants in what the Golden Reed Sect claims to be one of their paramount values, protection and community (including those not of the Sect). Those deciding to involve themselves with the community would have opportunities that their isolation-inclined counterparts wouldn't.
Golden Reed Sect makes for a wondrous setting, and this is where the greatest writing strength of the co-QMs lies - the atmosphere and the immersion. The captivating descriptions of the phantastical wetlands that surround the Sect, the golden-blue imagery, the otherworldly surroundings, the supernatural inhabitants... it all feels almost mythological, and yet easily imaginable. I share in Lind's excitement at all the mystical and beautiful nooks and crannies waiting hidden behind the corner, as well as all those marvelous beasts that one can find in a locale as enchantingly fey as this one.
This talent for description and for "scene rendition" is apparent also when we discover the Sunken Sanctuary, found by diving through a vortex of luminous tiny crustaceans, or when the Ship encounters the Kraken. All of the above I can somehow see in my mind's eye. Which to me, means that the writer has done something right.
...
It's actually quite late over here, so I will continue my review (including the more negative and hopefully constructive bits) tomorrow.
Vote Closed
- Location
- United Kingdom
Looking at this, for a moment I thought the Elder's granddaughter was the sword girl who spoke up during that one martial class to castigate Lord Li and Quan Xia, but then the implication was last update that she was forming a group with Wu so it probably wasn't her?
Should Lore be 1 here?Google Doc Character Sheet said:
Mmm, well, since this is my phrasing in question: Lord Li and the Elder's granddaughter each lead a team. Vijaya and Wu are also notables who are on teams, but not called out as leading them.
As to the stat increase, thanks for the catch. I think we're using the Google Drive link from now on so both Wynter and I can edit. I might spoiler the in-thread character sheet so it's there for reference but no longer the primary thing to look at.
Last edited:
- Location
- United Kingdom
I went back over the quest to try and make a list of the other disciples in our year.
We know there's 4 teams of four including us. Our team has Lind, Medhi, Bai Ping and Yan.
Then there seems to be:
Li Jiang
Qing Liao
Vijaiya
Wu Chanying
Liu Zhiqiang
Quan Xia
Quan Xia's buddy
Short chubby guy with a calligraphy brush
Scrawny woman with a lizard companion
Sword Girl
Elder's Granddaughter
And then I think there's one other person?
Sparring and Conversation
From where the water crashes down into the cove there is a path down. A set of steps, hewn from the stone of the cliffside. You follow behind Senior Xiu, heading down on one side as you pass fellow members on their way up. You see a man, carrying a sword on his back almost the size of you who nods towards Xiu as he sidles past. They are short change though, compared to the blur of green which crawls up the wall, leaping over the three of you as they climb to the top in seconds. The only thing you see are elongated legs and a hint of scales before they disappear into the sect.
Bai Ping and you both stop as you gaze up, even if you can see them no longer. Looking back, you find Senior Xiu down another flight of stairs, and you hurry after her.
"I'm returning to my quarters and will attend to my own training. I will return to yours in two days' time to help you begin preparations for your trial. Do not make the mistake of making me try and find you." She tells you. "Because I will not, and your failures will be your own."
And on that note, she leaves, leaving you and Bai Ping together.
"Her dedication to her work is touching." Bai says as the small woman and her shimmering hair are eventually swallowed among the crowds. "What are your plans Lind?"
Your plans? You look down at Ping, more than you used to before you completed your Consecration, and you bring your hand up to stare at your palm. Your body has changed, but you haven't tested what you can do yet. In the distance you can hear grunts and strikes, training only a few minutes away.
"I'll join the sparring," You tell him before looking at his form, almost frailer than before when you had fought the hand. "I suppose I'll see you later?"
Ping blanches at the mention of the training fields and nods. "I was looking to explore the heart a little further, perhaps find the archives."
You nod. "I'll see you back at the hut then."
Bai nods and follows the same path Xiu has taken, while you turn back away from the hut and head towards the beach and the sound of combat.
You have no doubt there are many sparring arenas in the Golden Reeds both formal and informal. These appear formal – circles of white tone marked in the pale sand of the beach. Runes flare on the rings occasionally, containing ranged techniques of water, fire and lightning and stranger things than that.
Your shoes pad into the sand as you walk forward towards one such ring, a crowd of students shouting and hollering as in the middle two combatants fight. At the back you can't see much. Seniors older and bigger than you loom near the front. Between swaying bodies you can make out exchanges of blows that thrum with power, buffeting you with shockwaves as bodies forged of Qi collide. In the centre a man and a woman duke it out, the man smiling as he fends off a barrage of kicks from his opponent before a palm to her midsection launches her out of the ring, members of the crowd ducking for cover as she goes crashing to the ground hard enough to leave a small crater.
A roar erupts among everyone following the end of the bout. The woman rises to her feet and she and her opponent share a quick bow before she joins the crowd. As she steps in one of the people in front of you glances back and sees you, her eyes gleaming with delight as she yells out.
"Hyun! One of the recruits is here!" She crows and the crowd cheers again.
"Send him in!" The fighter in the middle of the rings shouts and you are pushed forward by a group of your seniors.
"Go for it recruit!" They shout patting you on the back as you come into the centre and your senior shoots you a warm smile.
"Welcome to the Sect proper, brother. The name is Hyun!"
While your strength and power has been aided by your cultivation. Hyun is every bit the immortal you imagine from fairy tales and stories you grew up with. Muscles carved from stone adorn his abdomen, the light sweat of his prior fight making them glisten in the morning light as smooth, silky black hair rustles gently in the wind. His skin bronzed from years fighting upon the sands of the beach as he dusts the sand off his black pants and sets himself into a fighting stance.
You bow respectfully. "The name is Lind Tallak." Before you settle into the stance of the Valiant Champion.
Hyun emerges from his stance as quickly as you settle into your own.
"It seems you still need to learn an Immortal Technique brother." He says, as he settles into a new stance, crouching lower than he did before. "Nevermind, show me the skills that have allowed you to join us today!"
Anticipation begins to ripple through the air as you charge towards your senior, feet gliding upon the sand as you leap up, knee outstretched.
Qi flares from your senior as he comes to intercept your blow and you feel something primal.
Fear.
He glides out of the way of your paltry attack, batting your knee aside with ease as his fist goes to drive into your-
"Hyun!"
The Qi disappears as instantly as it flared, goosebumps ripple your skin, and you shiver even as the crisp heat of the Delta washes over you. The circle parts as an old man walks through, his left hand wrapped around a cane which he uses to push himself towards you and your Senior.
Your senior immediately clasps his hands together. "Elder Yu!" He shouts, dropping to the ground and kowtowing to the man.
Elder Yu walks past you, the smell of tobacco wafting off his clothes until he comes to a stop before Senior Hyun. His robes are ragged, worn down by centuries of wear as he lifts Hyun's head up with his cane, the senior grunting as he does so.
"I see you're keen to spar with one of the new initiates." Yu says.
"Yes sir, all in good faith." Hyun replies, grunting in discomfort as he keeps his head raised.
A silence lingers between the two for a second, Yu shaking his head at the Senior before he removes his cane and Hyun's face falls back into the sand.
"Excellent, you will be in charge of their training for the remainder of today then." The Elder says as he heads out the other side of the circle and continues with his day.
Your Senior waits until the Elder is gone before he vaults out of the sand.
"Looks like that'll be all for today." He tells everyone and the crowd groans, before he looks over at the woman he'd beaten before. "Take back over for me Meili?"
The woman nods, moving back into the centre as Hyun tries to wrap an arm around your shoulders, managing an awkward pat on the back as he guides you out. "Follow me, Tallak." He says, grabbing some sandals from the collection that lie outside the ring and leading you further down the beach.
A companionable silence stretches between the two of you as a small group of your fellow initiates looms in the distance. With your new eyes though you can see them in far more detail than you ever could before. You see the usual faces that had joined you in the sands in the weeks before. Lord Li Jiang and Vijaya are stretching with the morning sun in preparation for their session. Surprisingly there are older initiates, those who are not of the new intake but may be learning to fight for the first time who stand confidently in the mix. Looking past them however, your eyes settle on a more surprising inclusion among your group of participants.
Wu Chanying looking in the direction of you and Hyun.
You arrive a few minutes later and he instructs each of you to find a partner. Interested in her presence you gravitate over to Chanying to find that she was doing just the same.
"May that which flows be in your favour, Lind." She greets.
You greet her with a nod as she looks around at the gathered partners.
"I'm not a complete novice at combat, but some refreshers wouldn't go amiss after my expedition with the caravan. Would you be willing to oblige?"
"Of course." You tell her as the pair of you find a space free from the rest of the group and await Hyun's instructions.
Wu Chanying has clearly had some tutoring, perhaps in a family style. Her style is reactive, but not passive – instead she approaches you closely, reducing your advantage of reach, and she is punishingly quick to strike at any opportunity. But you have started to grasp how the Valiant Champion style leaves openings, but those openings are rarely fatal – a strike to your Consecrated ribs may be painful, but deals little damage, and the extra power you generate is worth it.
As you work through the Valiant Champion and the forms that had been drilled into you by Jin Jiayi upon your arrival you feel a measure of confidence and naturalness to the movements that had been missing before. Your changes have not only brought strength, but balance and speed which had been sorely lacking until now. A few times as you exchange blows with Chanying you see Vijaya watching you, twirling the braid on her shoulder. As do a few others who have taken a break. A few minutes later while you are still working with Chanying you watch as she begins to contort one of the older members of the group in ways you think would break you.
Muscles ripple along her forearms, her grip a vice holding them in place and the only thing that drags your attention back is a yelp from your training partner as you realise that you have thrown Chanying onto the ground rather unceremoniously as she tried to profit off of your distraction. You help her back to feet as Hyun brings his training to an end and you bow quickly to her as you chase after your senior to ask a question that had been nagging you since you met him this morning.
Hyun looks back at the sound of your rushing steps. "Good work today, Lind." He tells you. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
You bow in front of him before you ask.
"What did you mean by an Immortal Technique, Brother Hyun?"
"I was wondering if you'd ask!" Hyun says as he barks out a laugh. "There's no real mystery to it, Immortal Techniques are forms you can learn now that you've Consecrated. How do you fight now Lind?"
"How do I fight?"
"It's not a trick question." Hyun tells you as he raises his hands. "You fight with your body, as all those who have yet to learn how to cultivate do. But you've learned how to cultivate, haven't you?"
You nod.
"Immortal Techniques come by integrating Qi into a fighting style. As a result your body and Qi combine allowing you to fight on stronger terms than you have before. You meet me in combat, and I agree to meet you without an Immortal Technique, the two of us will fight as mortals and maybe you could trade a few blows with me. But if I were to use an Immortal Technique? How do you think you would fare trying to fight me when I have Qi aiding my movements, helping me to avoid your attacks and helping me to launch my own? You know how it was going to end on the beach before Elder Yu stepped in."
He glided in a way that had been unnatural back then. You assumed it had been years of training against the paltry month and a bit you had been here for. Maybe it was that to an extent.
But what if it was Qi?
"Where do I learn one?"
Hyun pauses, considering you for a second.
"If you have not already mastered the Valiant Champion then you are close. A few more weeks and you are likely to have it completed. With that in mind, come to the next few sessions that Elder Yu hosts and I will speak with him about allowing you access to the Archives, or to an experienced teacher. Don't show and I will assume that you have decided to find other means to pursue your training."
Hyun grins, stretching as he looks back at the Ring you and he had first met at this morning. "Watching all you juniors has got me riled up! I'm going to head back to the ring. When you find an Immortal Technique, whether through my help or your own work feel free to come and spar with us."
He heads off back down the beach and you turn around to collect your equipment to find Chanying standing behind you with your items ready.
"I was looking for the chance to discuss business Lind." She says as she hands your items to you. "Have you got the time?"
The Gilded Anchor is a small stall by the exit of the cove into the open water, fresh seafood and cool drinks are on offer and you listen as Chanying regales you with her journey in the caravan which earned her a sigil and her invitation into the sect.
"Your services would've been most welcome Lind," She says. "At night we were ambushed by a slew of bandits in the woods. Luckily a small band of mortals who were either desperate, or arrogant. I was able to stop one from breaking a valuable item of cargo while the rest of the guard dispatched them with ease. From there it was tiring, but we managed to make good time and I even got to make some sales of my own before we returned."
You nod politely as she pulls out her token. "At the end they told me that my dedication to the sect and the community was to be rewarded. It didn't feel like I'd really done much, but whatever it was left them satisfied."
"Is that why you came to sparring today?"
She lets out a peal of laughter, light and airy. "Oh heavens no!" She says. "I was looking for an audience with you and I wasn't intent on looking through the wilds themselves. I merely checked the spots I thought most likely. Luckily you were at one of the first few."
Chanying leans in, her nails resting on the side of her face. "I've got a business proposition for you Lind, or rather my team does."
"We?" You ask.
Chanying's answer is halted as another figure form your circle takes this moment to throw herself down into the seat beside Chanying. Deep blue hair, as deep as the ocean waters you've seen on Captain Yang's ship trails down her shoulders, a blade hilted to her side, her thumb tracing over the pommel. Your only experiences with her have come from the sparring grounds, one heated conversation moons ago you had chosen to stay out of.
What was her name again?
"I apologise for my lateness Chanying, I was in the middle of my morning's meditations."
"Oh no, you've made perfect time Xifeng." She beams and you remember last night when Chanying had gone straight after her, even when you'd been contemplating including her in your group. "I was just telling Lind about our offer."
Xifeng's leans back in her chair, crossing one leg over the over as she looks at you.
"Aah yes, the hunter." She says, her gaze raking across the bow and arrow on your shoulder and the blades tucked into their sheaths.
The two of you have shared a ring but you have never exchanged blows. That being said the few times you've stopped to observe her motions Xifeng moves with a speed that was blinding before she Consecrated, and would only be more terrifying to behold now. She walks and carries an air of confidence that has not buckled in the face of any of the stronger initiates, standing toe to toe with Vijaya and the Noble Jiang with no fear of backing down.
"Chanying said that that we could find a partnership most agreeable, though I have yet to be convinced."
Friends, allies, people who could help you find success on the mountain or those who could hinder you were you to anger them. Chanying obviously has hope that she can rely on you, though you admit to knowing little of the rest of her team.
"We were thinking of a simple no-combat truce-" Chanying begins to say, but she is promptly cut off by Xifeng.
"There's no point negotiating business unless your friend answers something first Chanying." Xifeng says.
"And what would that be?" You ask her with a raised eyebrow, finding the way she talks over Chanying to be if not rude, then at the least inconsiderate.
"It's a simple question Lind Tallak." Xifeng tells you. If we work together, how do we know the rest of you group will keep to what we've agreed?"
"I could ask you much the same." You tell her and she scoffs.
"No, you can't." She replies. "The White Tiger listens to me. Chanying suggested an alliance and I listen to her, as I listen to the rest of our team, but the final decisions are my decisions. You are not negotiating with Chanying. You are negotiating with me."
Chanying nods at you as Xifeng's words roll through the table.
"So, I'll ask you again Lind." Xifeng says.
"How can I trust that we can work together as a group?"
What do you tell her?
[] Write-in
Bai Ping and you both stop as you gaze up, even if you can see them no longer. Looking back, you find Senior Xiu down another flight of stairs, and you hurry after her.
"I'm returning to my quarters and will attend to my own training. I will return to yours in two days' time to help you begin preparations for your trial. Do not make the mistake of making me try and find you." She tells you. "Because I will not, and your failures will be your own."
And on that note, she leaves, leaving you and Bai Ping together.
"Her dedication to her work is touching." Bai says as the small woman and her shimmering hair are eventually swallowed among the crowds. "What are your plans Lind?"
Your plans? You look down at Ping, more than you used to before you completed your Consecration, and you bring your hand up to stare at your palm. Your body has changed, but you haven't tested what you can do yet. In the distance you can hear grunts and strikes, training only a few minutes away.
"I'll join the sparring," You tell him before looking at his form, almost frailer than before when you had fought the hand. "I suppose I'll see you later?"
Ping blanches at the mention of the training fields and nods. "I was looking to explore the heart a little further, perhaps find the archives."
You nod. "I'll see you back at the hut then."
Bai nods and follows the same path Xiu has taken, while you turn back away from the hut and head towards the beach and the sound of combat.
You have no doubt there are many sparring arenas in the Golden Reeds both formal and informal. These appear formal – circles of white tone marked in the pale sand of the beach. Runes flare on the rings occasionally, containing ranged techniques of water, fire and lightning and stranger things than that.
Your shoes pad into the sand as you walk forward towards one such ring, a crowd of students shouting and hollering as in the middle two combatants fight. At the back you can't see much. Seniors older and bigger than you loom near the front. Between swaying bodies you can make out exchanges of blows that thrum with power, buffeting you with shockwaves as bodies forged of Qi collide. In the centre a man and a woman duke it out, the man smiling as he fends off a barrage of kicks from his opponent before a palm to her midsection launches her out of the ring, members of the crowd ducking for cover as she goes crashing to the ground hard enough to leave a small crater.
A roar erupts among everyone following the end of the bout. The woman rises to her feet and she and her opponent share a quick bow before she joins the crowd. As she steps in one of the people in front of you glances back and sees you, her eyes gleaming with delight as she yells out.
"Hyun! One of the recruits is here!" She crows and the crowd cheers again.
"Send him in!" The fighter in the middle of the rings shouts and you are pushed forward by a group of your seniors.
"Go for it recruit!" They shout patting you on the back as you come into the centre and your senior shoots you a warm smile.
"Welcome to the Sect proper, brother. The name is Hyun!"
While your strength and power has been aided by your cultivation. Hyun is every bit the immortal you imagine from fairy tales and stories you grew up with. Muscles carved from stone adorn his abdomen, the light sweat of his prior fight making them glisten in the morning light as smooth, silky black hair rustles gently in the wind. His skin bronzed from years fighting upon the sands of the beach as he dusts the sand off his black pants and sets himself into a fighting stance.
You bow respectfully. "The name is Lind Tallak." Before you settle into the stance of the Valiant Champion.
Hyun emerges from his stance as quickly as you settle into your own.
"It seems you still need to learn an Immortal Technique brother." He says, as he settles into a new stance, crouching lower than he did before. "Nevermind, show me the skills that have allowed you to join us today!"
Anticipation begins to ripple through the air as you charge towards your senior, feet gliding upon the sand as you leap up, knee outstretched.
Qi flares from your senior as he comes to intercept your blow and you feel something primal.
Fear.
He glides out of the way of your paltry attack, batting your knee aside with ease as his fist goes to drive into your-
"Hyun!"
The Qi disappears as instantly as it flared, goosebumps ripple your skin, and you shiver even as the crisp heat of the Delta washes over you. The circle parts as an old man walks through, his left hand wrapped around a cane which he uses to push himself towards you and your Senior.
Your senior immediately clasps his hands together. "Elder Yu!" He shouts, dropping to the ground and kowtowing to the man.
Elder Yu walks past you, the smell of tobacco wafting off his clothes until he comes to a stop before Senior Hyun. His robes are ragged, worn down by centuries of wear as he lifts Hyun's head up with his cane, the senior grunting as he does so.
"I see you're keen to spar with one of the new initiates." Yu says.
"Yes sir, all in good faith." Hyun replies, grunting in discomfort as he keeps his head raised.
A silence lingers between the two for a second, Yu shaking his head at the Senior before he removes his cane and Hyun's face falls back into the sand.
"Excellent, you will be in charge of their training for the remainder of today then." The Elder says as he heads out the other side of the circle and continues with his day.
Your Senior waits until the Elder is gone before he vaults out of the sand.
"Looks like that'll be all for today." He tells everyone and the crowd groans, before he looks over at the woman he'd beaten before. "Take back over for me Meili?"
The woman nods, moving back into the centre as Hyun tries to wrap an arm around your shoulders, managing an awkward pat on the back as he guides you out. "Follow me, Tallak." He says, grabbing some sandals from the collection that lie outside the ring and leading you further down the beach.
A companionable silence stretches between the two of you as a small group of your fellow initiates looms in the distance. With your new eyes though you can see them in far more detail than you ever could before. You see the usual faces that had joined you in the sands in the weeks before. Lord Li Jiang and Vijaya are stretching with the morning sun in preparation for their session. Surprisingly there are older initiates, those who are not of the new intake but may be learning to fight for the first time who stand confidently in the mix. Looking past them however, your eyes settle on a more surprising inclusion among your group of participants.
Wu Chanying looking in the direction of you and Hyun.
You arrive a few minutes later and he instructs each of you to find a partner. Interested in her presence you gravitate over to Chanying to find that she was doing just the same.
"May that which flows be in your favour, Lind." She greets.
You greet her with a nod as she looks around at the gathered partners.
"I'm not a complete novice at combat, but some refreshers wouldn't go amiss after my expedition with the caravan. Would you be willing to oblige?"
"Of course." You tell her as the pair of you find a space free from the rest of the group and await Hyun's instructions.
Training Boost +1 Die -1 Threshold
10 6 2 5 4 6 10 9 – 7 Successes
2 9 6 6 10 7 6 1 – 7 Successes
9 3 10 4 4 7 2 9 – 5 Successes
7 10 7 2 6 6 5 8 – 7 Successes
The Valiant Champion Level 4 Reached
Level 5 10/30
Close Combat Skill +1, -1 Defense dice, +4 Attack Dice
10 6 2 5 4 6 10 9 – 7 Successes
2 9 6 6 10 7 6 1 – 7 Successes
9 3 10 4 4 7 2 9 – 5 Successes
7 10 7 2 6 6 5 8 – 7 Successes
The Valiant Champion Level 4 Reached
Level 5 10/30
Close Combat Skill +1, -1 Defense dice, +4 Attack Dice
Wu Chanying has clearly had some tutoring, perhaps in a family style. Her style is reactive, but not passive – instead she approaches you closely, reducing your advantage of reach, and she is punishingly quick to strike at any opportunity. But you have started to grasp how the Valiant Champion style leaves openings, but those openings are rarely fatal – a strike to your Consecrated ribs may be painful, but deals little damage, and the extra power you generate is worth it.
As you work through the Valiant Champion and the forms that had been drilled into you by Jin Jiayi upon your arrival you feel a measure of confidence and naturalness to the movements that had been missing before. Your changes have not only brought strength, but balance and speed which had been sorely lacking until now. A few times as you exchange blows with Chanying you see Vijaya watching you, twirling the braid on her shoulder. As do a few others who have taken a break. A few minutes later while you are still working with Chanying you watch as she begins to contort one of the older members of the group in ways you think would break you.
Muscles ripple along her forearms, her grip a vice holding them in place and the only thing that drags your attention back is a yelp from your training partner as you realise that you have thrown Chanying onto the ground rather unceremoniously as she tried to profit off of your distraction. You help her back to feet as Hyun brings his training to an end and you bow quickly to her as you chase after your senior to ask a question that had been nagging you since you met him this morning.
Hyun looks back at the sound of your rushing steps. "Good work today, Lind." He tells you. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
You bow in front of him before you ask.
"What did you mean by an Immortal Technique, Brother Hyun?"
"I was wondering if you'd ask!" Hyun says as he barks out a laugh. "There's no real mystery to it, Immortal Techniques are forms you can learn now that you've Consecrated. How do you fight now Lind?"
"How do I fight?"
"It's not a trick question." Hyun tells you as he raises his hands. "You fight with your body, as all those who have yet to learn how to cultivate do. But you've learned how to cultivate, haven't you?"
You nod.
"Immortal Techniques come by integrating Qi into a fighting style. As a result your body and Qi combine allowing you to fight on stronger terms than you have before. You meet me in combat, and I agree to meet you without an Immortal Technique, the two of us will fight as mortals and maybe you could trade a few blows with me. But if I were to use an Immortal Technique? How do you think you would fare trying to fight me when I have Qi aiding my movements, helping me to avoid your attacks and helping me to launch my own? You know how it was going to end on the beach before Elder Yu stepped in."
He glided in a way that had been unnatural back then. You assumed it had been years of training against the paltry month and a bit you had been here for. Maybe it was that to an extent.
But what if it was Qi?
"Where do I learn one?"
Hyun pauses, considering you for a second.
"If you have not already mastered the Valiant Champion then you are close. A few more weeks and you are likely to have it completed. With that in mind, come to the next few sessions that Elder Yu hosts and I will speak with him about allowing you access to the Archives, or to an experienced teacher. Don't show and I will assume that you have decided to find other means to pursue your training."
Hyun grins, stretching as he looks back at the Ring you and he had first met at this morning. "Watching all you juniors has got me riled up! I'm going to head back to the ring. When you find an Immortal Technique, whether through my help or your own work feel free to come and spar with us."
He heads off back down the beach and you turn around to collect your equipment to find Chanying standing behind you with your items ready.
"I was looking for the chance to discuss business Lind." She says as she hands your items to you. "Have you got the time?"
The Gilded Anchor is a small stall by the exit of the cove into the open water, fresh seafood and cool drinks are on offer and you listen as Chanying regales you with her journey in the caravan which earned her a sigil and her invitation into the sect.
"Your services would've been most welcome Lind," She says. "At night we were ambushed by a slew of bandits in the woods. Luckily a small band of mortals who were either desperate, or arrogant. I was able to stop one from breaking a valuable item of cargo while the rest of the guard dispatched them with ease. From there it was tiring, but we managed to make good time and I even got to make some sales of my own before we returned."
You nod politely as she pulls out her token. "At the end they told me that my dedication to the sect and the community was to be rewarded. It didn't feel like I'd really done much, but whatever it was left them satisfied."
"Is that why you came to sparring today?"
She lets out a peal of laughter, light and airy. "Oh heavens no!" She says. "I was looking for an audience with you and I wasn't intent on looking through the wilds themselves. I merely checked the spots I thought most likely. Luckily you were at one of the first few."
Chanying leans in, her nails resting on the side of her face. "I've got a business proposition for you Lind, or rather my team does."
"We?" You ask.
Chanying's answer is halted as another figure form your circle takes this moment to throw herself down into the seat beside Chanying. Deep blue hair, as deep as the ocean waters you've seen on Captain Yang's ship trails down her shoulders, a blade hilted to her side, her thumb tracing over the pommel. Your only experiences with her have come from the sparring grounds, one heated conversation moons ago you had chosen to stay out of.
What was her name again?
"I apologise for my lateness Chanying, I was in the middle of my morning's meditations."
"Oh no, you've made perfect time Xifeng." She beams and you remember last night when Chanying had gone straight after her, even when you'd been contemplating including her in your group. "I was just telling Lind about our offer."
Xifeng's leans back in her chair, crossing one leg over the over as she looks at you.
"Aah yes, the hunter." She says, her gaze raking across the bow and arrow on your shoulder and the blades tucked into their sheaths.
The two of you have shared a ring but you have never exchanged blows. That being said the few times you've stopped to observe her motions Xifeng moves with a speed that was blinding before she Consecrated, and would only be more terrifying to behold now. She walks and carries an air of confidence that has not buckled in the face of any of the stronger initiates, standing toe to toe with Vijaya and the Noble Jiang with no fear of backing down.
"Chanying said that that we could find a partnership most agreeable, though I have yet to be convinced."
Friends, allies, people who could help you find success on the mountain or those who could hinder you were you to anger them. Chanying obviously has hope that she can rely on you, though you admit to knowing little of the rest of her team.
"We were thinking of a simple no-combat truce-" Chanying begins to say, but she is promptly cut off by Xifeng.
"There's no point negotiating business unless your friend answers something first Chanying." Xifeng says.
"And what would that be?" You ask her with a raised eyebrow, finding the way she talks over Chanying to be if not rude, then at the least inconsiderate.
"It's a simple question Lind Tallak." Xifeng tells you. If we work together, how do we know the rest of you group will keep to what we've agreed?"
"I could ask you much the same." You tell her and she scoffs.
"No, you can't." She replies. "The White Tiger listens to me. Chanying suggested an alliance and I listen to her, as I listen to the rest of our team, but the final decisions are my decisions. You are not negotiating with Chanying. You are negotiating with me."
Chanying nods at you as Xifeng's words roll through the table.
"So, I'll ask you again Lind." Xifeng says.
"How can I trust that we can work together as a group?"
What do you tell her?
[] Write-in
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Immortal Techniques and fighting styles seem cool and given Lind's increasing ability with the Valiant Champion style he'll be able to learn soon. The alliance could be really good for Lind, but we need to make a good argument to a guy we don't know a lot about.
- Location
- United States of America
Hmmm... I want to lean on Lind's experience as a hunter. Maybe something like...
[X] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
[X] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
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CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
This is the sect girl that once tried to but in line for pointers:
Her views are an antithesis to the nobles in sect:
And is a possible contender for leading a bloc of this year's juniors possibly against the following:
[X] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
Given her cocky showing with the trainer, Jin Jiayi, I wanna trade pointers with her!
Her views are an antithesis to the nobles in sect:
And is a possible contender for leading a bloc of this year's juniors possibly against the following:
[X] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
Given her cocky showing with the trainer, Jin Jiayi, I wanna trade pointers with her!
I suppose we need to get Valiant Champion to level 5 then? We should def. continue sparring. We're sparring with Vijaya as well this week, so might get good enough rolls to get to level 5 this week!
Next week we gotta take the trip on the boat though, so might be a bit constricted on actions. No time for socials probably.
[X] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
Next week we gotta take the trip on the boat though, so might be a bit constricted on actions. No time for socials probably.
[X] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
Fought?
Wrong Quest?
She?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I don't think the current write-in adresses her question at all. She's asking why if WE agree to whatever she's gonna propose (of which we don't know the specifics yet, to be clear), how will she know the rest of our team will follow our lead in thay agreement.
She's the clear leader in her team whereas we are not in ours. Talking about why lind would like to cooperate because of survival strategies is all well and good, but doesn't actually adress her question.
Tbh I'm not sure there is a very convincing argument as we would have to put it to a vote in our team abd whereas I trust Bai Ping or Medhi to keep their words once we agree to the alliance, idk how the new guy will act. Maybe he's a backstabber. I know that critiquing without adding an alternative is kinda lazy, but sloth is my sin
She's the clear leader in her team whereas we are not in ours. Talking about why lind would like to cooperate because of survival strategies is all well and good, but doesn't actually adress her question.
Tbh I'm not sure there is a very convincing argument as we would have to put it to a vote in our team abd whereas I trust Bai Ping or Medhi to keep their words once we agree to the alliance, idk how the new guy will act. Maybe he's a backstabber. I know that critiquing without adding an alternative is kinda lazy, but sloth is my sin
- Location
- United Kingdom
Old Style and the upgrade we just got. Assuming the latter is additive to what we already have, I think we're at 18 dice on the attack (7 Prowess + 3 Skill + 8 Style) and 4 dice for defence (4 Prowess + 3 Skill - 3 Style). We definitely want to repair our armour at some point.
My main concern with the wolf write-in is that I can easily see Xifeng just taking it like a fortune cookie truism? I get what it's trying to say about 'ape together strong', but I think if we go for the self interest angle we should just straight up say that.
Though frankly part of me wants to tell her we can't guarantee that. We don't exactly know Yan at all, and even Bai and Medhi we met weeks ago at best. We can vouch for them, but I feel like the best way to actually assure them of that is to act as a guarantor for the deal.
So, even if they don't trust the others then they can trust us to make it up to them, and it'd mean we have a vested interest in ensuring our team don't act up. I don't think we'd need to go out of our way to do that, but if it works to convince Xifeng it could be worth it.
DangerKitty
shoddy writter
- Location
- lala land
[X] you are friends with two of the others in your group. You cant truly speak for the last yet, but you doubt that he wants to take a test meant for a team alone.
Peer pressure lols.
Peer pressure lols.
- Location
- United Kingdom
[X] you are friends with two of the others in your group. You cant truly speak for the last yet, but you doubt that he wants to take a test meant for a team alone.
Peer pressure works, and doesn't obligate us to the other team beyond the norm for the deal like my idea.
Peer pressure works, and doesn't obligate us to the other team beyond the norm for the deal like my idea.
WhoTheHeckity
But no one ever asks HowTheHeckity
- Location
- Murica 🦅
[X] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
[ ] Treachery is a poor survival strategy. Wolves are so successful because they stick to their packs and work together, they wouldn't be nearly as successful if they didn't.
"You and your group are not wolves, and I want to know if you'll treat my group as 'pack'."
Answering with empty poetry feels weird...
[X] you are friends with two of the others in your group. You cant truly speak for the last yet, but you doubt that he wants to take a test meant for a team alone.
"You and your group are not wolves, and I want to know if you'll treat my group as 'pack'."
Answering with empty poetry feels weird...
[X] you are friends with two of the others in your group. You cant truly speak for the last yet, but you doubt that he wants to take a test meant for a team alone.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] you are friends with two of the others in your group. You cant truly speak for the last yet, but you doubt that he wants to take a test meant for a team alone.
That fits my tastes a lot better than the poetic answer.
That fits my tastes a lot better than the poetic answer.