Distant Stars. (a WH40K/Xianxia civ Quest).

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The final one doesn't seem particularly harder than the second stage of the tribulation, it is harder, but not to such an extent I would think it a massive filter.

My first thought is that if you need 5 pillers to form your core what happens if one gets corrupted during tribulation. Does it cause the process to destabilize and you die cause it collapsed?

We would be fine cause while one is corrupted and unusable we still have 8 more for support.

But ya that was my first thought.
 
Uri said this tribulation is going to be a massive filter, I am kind of curious why is that, the tribulation didn't really seem that complex, physical attack, mental attacks, and than mental attacks aimed at your pillars.
Just to recap, you had 3 AP worth of actions on meditation (and yours are more effective then others), 4 divine Qi for a divine ascension, 10 divine Qi for the help of an experienced god and various other small bonuses plus being a heaven defying genius and you've still lost one of your pillars.

For a regular guy loosing 2 pillars means loosing the entire foundation at the best of cases.

Edit: also every piller is rolled for sepretly.
 
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Just to recap, you had 3 AP worth of actions on meditation (and yours are more effective then others), 4 divine Qi for a divine ascension, 10 divine Qi for the help of an experienced god and various other small bonuses plus being a heaven defying genius and you've still lost one of your pillars.

For a regular guy loosing 2 pillars means loosing the entire foundation at the best of cases.

Edit: also every piller is rolled for sepretly.
We really need to research ways to repair the pillars, because MANY of the ones that pass this tribulation WILL suffer worse consequences than we did.

and again, we also need to research the broken and the half-steps. We can't do anything for those who fail and die, but the ones that fail and survive... we can raise the number of survivors in time, and they deserve to get a chance to rest then.

also, more pragmatically, it's valuable knowledge which could come with more applications. Understanding how the tribulation hurts you can help in stopping it from hurting you in the first place... or in replicating the phenomena yourself, either on enemies or through artificial tempering tribulations
 
For a regular guy loosing 2 pillars means loosing the entire foundation at the best of cases.
I am suddenly much more happy I pushed so hard for perfecting our foundation early on.
and again, we also need to research the broken and the half-steps. We can't do anything for those who fail and die, but the ones that fail and survive... we can raise the number of survivors in time, and they deserve to get a chance to rest then.
No time for the broken until the apocalypse is over, sorry, I will never vote for such a plan when the apocalypse could start in turn 15 and we are so unready.

I would focus our research on other stuff.
 
Rip keku pillar, you were my favorite.

No time for the broken until the apocalypse is over, sorry
I'd say the half-steps are actually good for us, until the apocalypse. Not cultivating means they have twice the time to work.

Without the keku pillar, 'upgrading' the race will be harder, but we can do it. I hope with more tech we can delve into magi(qi)-tech, and hopefully get our whole race on a spiritual diet and good enough equipment that each qualifies at least as powerful as the most basic first step was. Maybe I'm dreaming too high.

People were aiming for tech 10, while at the same time talking about 1 tech every 2 turns? Wouldn't that put us at 8-9 by time of the apocalypse, unless it's really late, if we use all of our divine points on that? I do want it, but I think it's unlikely without investing in R&D, and we still have all of the magical R&D that's arguably more important since our strongest forces benefit from it. (which is why we need magi-tech, so everyone benefits from both magic and technology)

(we're 4 points into 6 right? I don't think the empire sheet has the omake bonus yet, since iirc we got to 6 during the last turn)

[X] The cycle of creation and destruction.
 
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I'd say the half-steps are actually good for us, until the apocalypse. Not cultivating means they have twice the time to work.
There I agree, I consider if it is worth it to spare our time, give the mission to our daughter after she finished reinforcing the warp and making her devas (which would take 2-3 turn, meaning she finish in turn 13-14 and get started on it in turn 14-15), hoping she will be done with it fast, or doing it ourselves, and I am currently more inclined for doing it ourselves, because even one turn in early pillars mean one more pillar, it means more insights.

But we also need to fix our pillar, add it to our core, to research divine qi, to start on formations, see the future, contemplate godhood, advancing our religion, cultivate, teach the next batch of second steps and whatever else.

It is a difficult question, even assuming Kuvara will just take one turn to fix them.
Without the keku pillar, 'upgrading' the race will be harder, but we can do it. I hope with more tech we can delve into magi(qi)-tech, and hopefully get our whole race on a spiritual diet and good enough equipment that each qualifies at least as powerful as the most basic first step was. Maybe I'm dreaming too high.
Nah, we will fix it either way.

Better to do it early too because the next generation doesn't get the divine qi boost, and in forty years, our population is likely to at least double, probably more.
People were aiming for tech 10, while at the same time talking about 1 tech every 2 turns?
Not really sure if it feasible, I want to keep our personal share of divine qi to life saving treasure and cultivation, and we also need divine lessons and such, so I doubt it will be that easy, even if I am willing to invest a lot in it, which I personally am.



@uri , What is the state of our solar system, aka, do we have a moon, what colour is our sun, how many planets do we have in it, are there any promising ones like Mars?
 
@uri , What is the state of our solar system, aka, do we have a moon, what colour is our sun, how many planets do we have in it, are there any promising ones like Mars?
if we're ww1 tech we're kinda not that good at astronomy yet. At least not on the level of "this planet is potentially colonizable/terraformable/rich of valuable resources " I'd wait for the next tech tier to start learning more about the planets in our system.

Not really sure if it feasible, I want to keep our personal share of divine qi to life saving treasure and cultivation, and we also need divine lessons and such, so I doubt it will be that easy, even if I am willing to invest a lot in it, which I personally am.

I'd also rather keep our personal share for the core insights, power of intent and the anti-death reserve (starting from the earliest possible date of the apocalypse), though I'm willing to spend a few of those for the tech rank up in a turn if they actually make up the difference between taking 1 or 2 turns for that rank up.

After all I can imagine military tech at tier 10 (or even really at tier 8) can start making a difference for cultivators of the first and maybe even second step.

Just for an example, a cultivator of the first step can carry more and would be more accurate, so they could make for great snipers or be really good at using MANPADS, miniguns and machineguns with really high recoil, and really heavy weapons in general. Who knows, maybe we could optimize second step techniques usable to power up heavy weapons like lasers or magcannons or something like that.

Basically it would allow us to turn our first steps into knock-off space marines.

and of course it makes the mortal army far more useful too.

I'll push until the bitter end to do date divination as early as possible and hope that we get even just one or two extra turns, as that would change everything. We COULD probably do one tech rank up per turn thanks to the board and our growing supply of divine qi, so there is at least a chance of reaching that tech soft cap.

I kinda disagree on healing the third steps not being worth it. Every third step is a champion unit, but right now they're basically blocked from advancing. Getting an extra pillar or two before the apocalypse would make them far more useful, and it's not even clear if they're actually devoting more effort to other stuff, or if instead they're spending it in a desperate search for ways to heal themselves. I don't think it's making a mechanical difference in any case.

for the Keku pillar... well, we don't even know where to start with that. I imagine there will be an action about it, and we might be able to get some relevant knowledge from the board, even just generic divine qi lessons might help as they might let us understand that THAT is a valid approach to solving the problem.
 
Uri, besides the discomfort does being hurt mechanically affects our actions?

right now we have three options to recover

1) 3 turns (30 years) to heal for free. We'll be recovered by the time of the apocalypse.
2) 3 APs to heal quickly (I imagine in a matter of a few years) or 2 to heal in a full decade.
3) 5 APs and

Our APs are very precious right now, so I imagine the emperor is more than willing to wait for his natural regeneration to work its magic.

The lightning surrounding your Keku pillar has used the moment of doubt, of the slight crack in its otherwise pristine exterior to slip through and corrupt it. becoming a blackened thing serving as a getaway for corruptive power to pour into your foundation.
in regards to the keku pillar... it's interesting to notice that the pillar is not destroyed, it's not even really damaged. It's corrupted.

So I imagine that fixing it would require us to basically purify it. Find a way to remove the chaos energy in it, to replace it with "pure" energy.

So I can think of a few approaches

1)Try to overwhelm the chaotic energy through some kind of metaphysical resonance to the pillar's concept. Maybe some kind of world-spanning ritual practiced by the whole Keku race. If the whole Keku race believes in us, who are we to not believe in the Keku?

2)using raw power, so an absurd amount of qi and/or divine qi, to basically saturate the pillar in it and overwhelm the chaos energy within. Maybe create a runic array capable of channeling the qi of MANY cultivators into us to help with it, for example, or draining the potential of some places of power

3)Try to develop insights or core insights that might help with this. a combination of our mind resistance and regeneration insights into a special core insight might for example result in a power capable of helping with the problem.

4)Maybe just very deep meditation.
 
@uri , do we get a list of what Kuvara can do from birth? I am wondering about her ability to provide tempering tribulation, if she was born with innate knowledge of divine qi, if she can grant powerful blessings and boons.

Or other such stuff in a similar way to the mercenary board.
I'll push until the bitter end to do date divination as early as possible and hope that we get even just one or two extra turns, as that would change everything.
I think that it is pointless because we are getting the turns either way, and being slightly more informed until we have time to waste isn't worth it.

But that would require having enough divine qi for divination lessons, and than you can make your own divination plan, turn twelve has most of it's qi capitalised by the tech upgrade, us, our daughter and maybe soul surgery lessons if we are really lucky and have left over.

Turn 13 should be divination turn.

Currently I am most inclined for keeping our divine qi of turn 12 in our pocket for emergency resurrection (can't know when you would need it, especially with tech upgrade possibly making traitors bold enough to try and make a move with technology), turn 13 we get divination lessons and either go with making an insight, or waiting for a turn after it to heal slightly more, doing a tempering tribulation to improve our harmony, and assuming everything goes well, do two insights.

I am assuming that by that point we found a fix to the Keku pillar, investing in that is worthwhile purely to get the divine insight back only, and it would increase our stability.
I kinda disagree on healing the third steps not being worth it.
I think it is worth it, the broken refer to those who failed their tribulation, those that their cultivation collapsed and were left cripples in pain.

They are victims that need taking care off, it is unfair that they dedicated their lives to getting their powers to fight the apocalypse and we discard them as useless after they failed, but our time is too valuable, I think finding a cure to the broken is one of the first things we should do after the apocalypse.

The half steps main question is if to leave handling it to our daughter or add it to our very busy schedule, I am more inclined to add it, because our daughter going to finish reinforcing the warp just before the earliest start for the apocalypse or even slightly after it started, and it isn't like she has more uses for her time if the apocalypse come later, she still can't deploy her domain in real space, she can expand the religion and practice her combat ability, or she can try blessings our people and land.

using raw power, so an absurd amount of qi and/or divine qi, to basically saturate the pillar in it and overwhelm the chaos energy within. Maybe create a runic array capable of channeling the qi of MANY cultivators into us to help with it, for example, or draining the potential of some places of power
We can't do runes, but I guess we can help someone who does make it.
4)Maybe just very deep meditation
I suspect this is what would happen, our guy will just study it and use his heaven defying talent to come up with a solution, same way he did for the ninth pillar.

Although solution may be cheaper if we are willing to expand divine qi on it,
Our APs are very precious right now, so I imagine the emperor is more than willing to wait for his natural regeneration to work its magic.
I think we are better either waiting, or expanding just one ap, but unless we need to, I am more inclined to wait.
 
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Uri, besides the discomfort does being hurt mechanically affects our actions?
That mostly depends on the action, things that require physical work (a decent amount of it) would get a small penalty)

do we get a list of what Kuvara can do from birth? I am wondering about her ability to provide tempering tribulation, if she was born with innate knowledge of divine qi, if she can grant powerful blessings and boons.
Not really, she will start providing benefits as she gets older and more experienced.
 
Not really, she will start providing benefits as she gets older and more experienced.
Any way to speed it up, say by buying lessons from tyrant god or feeding her divine qi? And does tempering tribulation get more expensive now or does it stay the same.
That mostly depends on the action, things that require physical work (a decent amount of it) would get a small penalty)
(Under the assumption creation and destruction core is created), how does the tempering and healing speed influence stuff, does the penalty for say, tempering tribulation, get smaller with every turn we take to heal, how does the tempering our body natrually does influence it, do we get partial bonus as we grow stronger, meaning we can act without a malus after one or two turns even when taking in mind that we wouldn't heal until the third?
 
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(Under the assumption creation and destruction core is created), how does the tempering and healing speed influence stuff, does the penalty for say, tempering tribulation, get smaller with every turn we take to heal, how does the tempering our body natrually does influence it, do we get partial bonus as we grow stronger, meaning we can act without a malus after one or two turns even when taking in mind that we wouldn't heal until the third?
Getting stronger isn't going to reduce the plenty as its more of a case of the wounds themselves distracting or interrupting your work.

It dos reduce as the injury heals.
 
How difficult is reading the chaos books, can another third step be trusted to do so without corruption being a threat, would them getting the right insights make it so?

Wondering if we can delegate researching the books, or heavenly qi from tribulations to our bodyguard.
 
I think that it is pointless because we are getting the turns either way, and being slightly more informed until we have time to waste isn't worth it.
And i disagree because it changes the priority of different actions.

If we have more time, we can slow-burn tech development and instead go first for more core insights.

We can decide if healing our half-third steps is worth it, as if they have more time they could grow far stronger, but if the apocalypse is at its earliest then it wouldn't make as big a difference as they wouldn't have THAT much time to train.

If we have more time we can change the priority of pill-making, making more "grow cultivator numbers" pills instead of stocking on healing pills and buffing pills.

We can decide to potentially delay the formation research.

We can delay the shield arrays.

we can decide if it's worth it to, say, aim for a third core insight power or not.

and so on.


Knowing the date changes things significantly.

Currently I am most inclined for keeping our divine qi of turn 12 in our pocket for emergency resurrection (can't know when you would need it, especially with tech upgrade possibly making traitors bold enough to try and make a move with technology), turn 13 we get divination lessons and either go with making an insight, or waiting for a turn after it to heal slightly more, doing a tempering tribulation to improve our harmony, and assuming everything goes well, do two insights.
I don't think we need the charges put aside until the apocalypse.

Demonic Cultivators are too weak to threaten us. Rebels getting their hands on high tech artillery or bombs and getting them into the capital and the imperial palace is so unlikely I'm not even going to consider it a serious worry.
 
don't think we need the charges put aside until the apocalypse.

Demonic Cultivators are too weak to threaten us. Rebels getting their hands on high tech artillery or bombs and getting them into the capital and the imperial palace is so unlikely I'm not even going to consider it a serious worry.
Reason I am considering keeping the charges is mostly an interest in harmony tempering tribulation (which we can do at turn 13 or 14, and would make the insights higher quality) and adding the the Keku pillar (lacking stability means we lose a fraction of our divine qi to conversion, although it add up to a little more than a point by the time of the second insight).
 
mh... I think I'd avoid the tempering tribulations honestly. At the very least I wouldn't consider it until we've repaired the Keku pillar
 
mh... I think I'd avoid the tempering tribulations honestly. At the very least I wouldn't consider it until we've repaired the Keku pillar
My plan does include doing it, two or three turns of investment should be more than enough, going by our previous feats.

But I guess it would depend on the actions we gain next turn and the amount of divine qi, those things could seriously change stuff, the birth of Kuvara could have doubled our gain for all we know, if not more, even ignoring the religious focus.

I am personally hopeful we can get soul surgery lessons and start on finding ways of fixing it and the half steps straight away, the first two turns as an uncrippled foundation are the most important thanks to the ease of advancement, so we want them to have those turns, and three turns is probably enough to more than double our population, we did it twice in half a century previously.

If we don't go for tempering, I will suggest going with insight straight away.
 
If I understand right, the apocalypse will begin not earlier than mid-turn 17, right? Or is it 16?

Technology level: 6 (1/18 to next level) (tech multiplayer: 5.65)

From my understanding we now get 4 advancement die per turn, and they start to count from the following turn.

and we got 3 from the combustion engine omake.

so, considering the value at the START of each turn

TURN 12 START: tech 6 (8/18). we gain 4 advancements normally, so we reach 12/18. we need another 6 points, so that's 12 divine charges, and we should definiitely pay them I think.

TURN 13 START: tech 7 (0/21). we'll likely gain 4 advancements in this turn, unless we further expand education and/or get another advancement point conventionally, which is not impossible but we shouldnt' count on it. I'll be conservative and estimate we don't get more advancement die per turn in the near future.

we'll reach 4/21 during the turn, so to get a rank up in a single turn we need another 17 points, which is... 34 divine charges.

That's admittedly unlikely for us to be able to afford. And if we can't afford it, we might as well spend the charges on lessons instead, give the empire some time to adapt to this new tech, and then spend all the charges the following turn. We'd have probably mostly run out of lessons by then, outside of divine qi lore.

so I'm leaning towards NOT buying tech this turn (unless we can actually afford the 34 divine charges. We currently produce 23, so I think the likely scenario is that we MIGHT be able to afford it ONLY if we go all in on it, including most of our personal divine charges).

let's say we don't buy advancements this turn then, and instead buy knowledge

TURN 14: tech 7 (4/21). It will reach 8/21 during the turn. we need 13 more points, for 26 divine charges. This is actually far more doable than the 34 it would have taken the previous turn, and I'd go for it.

TURN 15: Tech 8 (0/24). Again we should reach 4/24 during the turn. Honestly I think We're pretty likely to get one or two more advancement points per turn by this point unless we completely neglect education. There's probably some relationship with population numbers too, obviously a high number of educated people should lead to more discoveries.

40 divine charges for a rank up. I think we might be able to afford it if we spend literally all our charges on this... and it might be worth it, because this is basically the last turn we can do this.

TURN 16: next turn it's the earliest the apocalypse can happen. If Date foresight doesn't delay it further, the tech we have here is what we'll have, so we should go military focus and just invest heavily in it. Maybe start the investment the turn before and accept we'll have a tech 8 army (should be contemporary tech). heavy investment in it might actually result in military advancements anyway, making it punch higher than the actual tier.

If we have more time we can continue like this, getting a tech rank up every two turns, and we'd reach presumably tech 10 on start of turn 20 or 21.
 
TURN 12 START: tech 6 (8/18). we gain 4 advancements normally, so we reach 12/18. we need another 6 points, so that's 12 divine charges, and we should definiitely pay them I think.
That make stuff pretty feasible, add a divine lesson on soul surgery (so we can start with trying to fix our pillar and the half steps from the best position), that's 17, let's say seven to us (assuming some growth from Kuvara's birth), 24.

I find it likely we can afford both the lessons and tech upgrade without dipping into sacrifices or our own pool.

That bring the question of Kuvara though, she might need her omw basic maintenance, but hopefully her birth will add what's needed.

The turn after it we will pay for divination lessons, knowledge of at least the two other lords, plus our own assumed seven, that's 19, rest will probably go to our champions and daughters, the stuff allocated for our champions should be based on insight basis, namely each get a maximum of one for use in getting divine insight, except our daughters because nepotism, or maybe not if we try for the next tech level, and maybe a fraction more to keep experimenting with combat amounts.
 
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I figured this was going to be the outcome but this was important enough to put to a vote.

The schedule should be something like this: turn 11 end. Updating all the informational and then turn 12.

Hopefully I will be done by this time next week.
Scheduled vote count started by uri on May 21, 2024 at 10:43 AM, finished with 51 posts and 8 votes.
 
We were really lucky there, I don't think I truly appreciated the first time I have read the tribulation how well we did, considering we roll for each pillar individually, literally any other pillar failing would have broken our concept.
 
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