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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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ShiroiYuki said:
I don't know if our future tasks have completely changed, but Lady Ren once told us that one of the tasks she wants us to do is check on the Tax collector and law enforcer. How would we handle this? Or are they bad neighbors?
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Who says they are neighbors at all? I'd say that's a word Ling Qi is likely to apply to explicit allies who have been properly vetted only. The Insight definitely means we can't spy on our friends and allies to ensure they stay loyal, but people we're not sure are our friends? I don't see them necessarily counting as neighbors.

In particular, anyone who we know is spying on us is not a good neighbor, so tit for tat is fine in that regard. Same for anyone demanding things of us, or attempting to dominate us. All those people? Not good neighbors and therefore valid targets for spying. And, frankly, that includes basically everyone we want to spy on.
 
Mmm

I'm not sure. I don't think it's a bad insight, and tbh the arguments people are trying to make against it mostly make me want to take it. At the same time though, it's not super grabbing me?
 
[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.

Seems a good way to build on the internalized boundaries regarding family and expanding to the wider community. Sort of thing that feels important to try and limit the terror of our growth where we can
 
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[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.

I like the insight. It adds some more to the mere connections that bind a community and also ties a bit into Choice.
 
Honestly while a perfectly fine insight I just don't think it's worth inscribing into our soul you know ? Like it's perfectly fine and that's ok , but like , it's not really catching or way building or foundational in my eyes . We can still follow the philosophy in how we act and our actions without needing to literally out a magical contract on our actions .

Honestly prob should save the slot for something else later on
 
Another thing I realised is that it doesn't explicitly stop us from being a bad neighbour.
If we are pushed against a wall and have to spy on a 'good neighbour' then we still can.
Not only that, but we will genuinely feel bad that we did so, and so can apologise with sincerity

Imagine if we lost the ability to feel bad for spying on our neighbours. Imagine the scene during the summit where we entered Xia Anxi's mind. Then the only thing we could say is "it was necessary, stop feeling so mad about it" or some other insincere words.

Having this gives us a strong distinction between what is right and wrong when we are spying, and so we can spec even harder into it without risk of becoming a monster
 
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Mr.rodent said:
Honestly while a perfectly fine insight I just don't think it's worth inscribing into our soul you know ? Like it's perfectly fine and that's ok , but like , it's not really catching or way building or foundational in my eyes . We can still follow the philosophy in how we act and our actions without needing to literally out a magical contract on our actions .

Honestly prob should save the slot for something else later on
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I strongly disagree. By the time you're a high enough Realm, you can only act within the confines of your nature, which is to say your Insights. Having something like this that enforces reciprocity and reasonable behavior is very good in the long term for that reason.
 
[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.

I think there are slippery ways around the potential drawbacks of this insight.

Where we feel the need to spy on someone who is potentially not a good neighbor, there isn't necessarily repercussions other than internal guilt. We reserve the right to apologize and repair the relationship if needed or justify our actions. It would be a tradeoff to gamble sacrificing the "good neighbor" label.

We also have some leeway on the definition of "neighbor" and whether it precludes certain other relationships like liege or citizen. The inclusion of "dominance" and the tie it has to dragon-relations and the Empire has me worried that it would put us in Way-based conflict with Imperial structures of government rather more directly than I might like.

I'm not sure if Sima Jiao or Cai Shenhua would look on it as a good thing or not.

What happens when you owe fealty to someone who lives physically adjacent to you?
 
So between the confirmed Green stone bearing spirit mine, the Jadeheads, the Fridge Clay, and now the Dream Mist. Those are four basically accessible Cultivation materials we can spot in the area without further development

Then there's the solidified air and those dark element seed pods LQ has yet to actually plant for the result of later development projects on top of that

And then there's Zhenguis Zhenleavings

...And then it'll have a healthy level of sustainable food production and whatever happens with the local spirit courts on top of that

What the Christ, people are gonna think that Renxiang is some kind of logistical genius for picking Snowblossom out as her initial seat of power!
 
[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.
 
[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.

I love this insight and also think it is absolutely necessary if we want to create true mixed communities of spirits, mortals and cultivators long term.
 
I was completely sold the moment Qi thought this or something like this was part of Tsu's path.

[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.
 
[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.
 
Oh right and we can't forget the soft power flexing of Hannyi assembling her Not!Delinquent Conquest Arc and the likely alliance with Based Beaverdom

Because why not?

...

We can take the Jadehead skulls to the Beavers as a bartering tool...

And the roads and location mean it's gonna be a trade artery for heading to the Embassy as well...
 
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[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.

I'll take basic human decency over unfettered intrigue any day.
 
[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.
 
tenchifew said:
Yes, the fief is forming up to be utterly ridiculous.
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People are legit gonna try and kill Ling Qi to claim Snowblossom after Renxiang moves to Xiangmen.

Like.

Imagine having a wealth of all the other stuff, on top of being the second best location in the Empire to pick up goods from the White Sky. It's absolutely ludicrous. As an engine for trade, Snowblossom is gonna be beyond powerful. It's success alone will be the stuff of stories for Renxiangs skill in administration. Even if a massive helping of luck was involved, Renxiang is the best possible person to run with it. And her bonafides will show as such.

Hell, that's an argument for a coup all its own


"You see Snowblossom? How would you like that, but for ALL the Emerald Seas?"
 
[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.
 
Pro equality, anti hierarchy. I like it.

[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.
 
I'm all for Ling Qi following in Tsu's footsteps as part of the quest to become a Super Winter Moonlight Dream Druid. The Emerald Seas needs this sort of community back center stage. It also seems to be EXACTLY what we want to pursue to follow up on positive long term diplomacy with the Polar Nation, and maybe even the friendly Ith.

[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.
 
[X] A good neighbor listens without spying, speaks without demanding, takes without dominating, gives without submitting. Respect is the foundation of community.
 
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