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The Path Unending (A Cultivation Quest)

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[X] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[X] The woman weaving upon her Loom. Her skill transcends what should be feasibly possible for a mere Seated
--[X] Ask Mei to use the Twilight Horizon and see for herself.
 
There are some minor, almost imperceptible changes in the parts that seemingly repeat.

The crab conversation is almost imperceptibly different...
Vesvius said:
I cock my head to the side, bemusement on my face as memories of the bone-white shell of the Winter Crab flash before my eyes. "I… yes, I have. Fa and I found a Vestige that wore the guise of one when we were seeking the keys to a…" I trail off as Daiyu's expression grows more and more incredulous. "...what? It was a simple Vestige crab! It is hardly out of the ordinary!"

"Zhi? How many vestiges do you think…" Daiyu's brow furrows and she reaches up, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closes her eyes. She sits motionless for a long moment. The only sounds are those of Zhuan Kun's fierce combat as he barks pointers to the crab even as he sends it skipping across the sand like a rock across a pond.

Eventually, Daiyu opens her eyes once more. They flick from me to Zhuan Kun to Clerk Ni, who has dismissed this entire scene from his mind as he returns to his maps, before finally turning to the heavens above. She stares up at the sky as if pondering the deep fundamental nature of the universe, mouth moving soundlessly until finally, she slumps. "Of course," she says, voice painfully neutral. "Nothing out of the ordinary at all."
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Vesvius said:
I cock my head to the side, bemusement on my face as memories of the bone-white shell of the Winter Crab flash before my eyes. "I… yes, I have. Fa and I found a Vestige that wore the guise of one when we were seeking the keys to a…" I trail off as Daiyu's expression grows more and more incredulous. "...what? It was a simple Vestige crab! It was so mundane that I nearly forgot that we fought it!!"

"Mundane?! How many vestiges do you think…" Daiyu's brow furrows and she reaches up, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closes her eyes. She sits motionless for a long moment. The only sounds are those of Zhuan Kun's fierce combat as he barks pointers to the crab even as he sends it skipping across the sand like a rock across a pond.

Eventually, Daiyu opens her eyes once more. They flick from me to Zhuan Kun to Clerk Ni, who has dismissed this entire scene from his mind as he returns to his maps, before finally turning to the heavens above. She stares up at the sky as if pondering the deep fundamental nature of the universe, mouth moving soundlessly until finally, she slumps. "Of course," she says, voice painfully neutral. "You fought a crab vestige. It hardly bears mentioning."
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Daiyu mentions a different name for the village...
Vesvius said:
Another map joins the first, this one labeled. "This one has it called Shoalwater," she states, glaring at the map as if it has done her a personal wrong. "Yet this one-" a third map joins the first two. "-dubs it Yin Chang. And this one-" another map is thrown on the pile. "-names it Shulin's Wake! No two maps have the same name for it!"
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Vesvius said:
Another map joins the first, this one labeled. "This one has it called Shoalwater," she states, glaring at the map as if it has done her a personal wrong. "Yet this one-" a third map joins the first two. "-dubs it Yuanzhi. And this one-" another map is thrown on the pile. "-names it Shulin's Wake! No two maps have the same name for it!"
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Quishu harasses a different small animal...
Vesvius said:
For my part, I simply ride behind them, keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary. There could be no better moment for a threat to make itself known than now, while we're distracted. But the only threat that makes an appearance is Quishu, who snaps at a passing bird. She finds only feathers, though, and the bird vanishes in a trill of offended song.
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Vesvius said:
For my part, I simply ride behind them, keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary. There could be no better moment for a threat to make itself known than now, while we're distracted. But the only threat that makes an appearance is Quishu, who snaps at a passing rabbit. She finds only air, though, and the rabbit vanishes into the rusting grass.
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But more important than any of that, the ambient anam is a bit more riled up than before:
Vesvius said:
My attention wanders from the ox and to the rest of the clearing. I allow the signatures I've ignored back into my attention and scan the area as a whole. Nothing seems strange at all, even to my enhanced Sixth Sense. The ambient anam is… well, it is fairly quiet. Were the land around us a beast, it would be like the ox: placid and unbothered by the complexities of life. If anything, it is more peaceful than I would usually expect, just a simple ebb and flow that almost makes me yawn when I witness it.

With an effort of will, I release my hold on the Garden. My senses rush back to me in a flood and I take a step back, almost overwhelmed by the taste of my own tongue. Zhuan Kun stiffens at my sudden motion and glances around. "Did you discover something?" he asks.

I cough once and shake my head. "No," I answer as I regain control of myself. "Nothing at all. If anything, the only strange thing in the anam is how normal it is. But we are not done; do not let your guard down quite yet."
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Vesvius said:
My attention wanders from the ox and to the rest of the clearing. I allow the signatures I've ignored back into my attention and scan the area as a whole. Nothing seems strange at all, even to my enhanced Sixth Sense. The ambient anam is… well, upon closer inspection, it does seem a bit more active than usual. But that is hardly proof of anything. For all we know, it could mean that there have been more animals in the woods lately, increasing the quality of the local life anam.

With an effort of will, I release my hold on the Garden. My senses rush back to me in a flood and I take a step back, almost overwhelmed by the taste of my own tongue. Zhuan Kun stiffens at my sudden motion and glances around. "Did you discover something?" he asks.

I cough once and shake my head. "No," I answer as I regain control of myself. "The ambient anam is slightly more intense than I would expect, but that could be caused by anything. I will have to try another technique."
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The rest is very very minor (the map in particular could be excused by Daiyu picking a different map to read the village's name off of it), but the ambient anam getting more riled up is bad juju. Along with how the cart's merchant seems to have disappeared into thin air, that's the biggest sign that we're on a time limit. it's not impossible we might finally have our first encounter with Symphony-in-Rags if we take too many loops to get out.
 
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[X] Briefly explain what you saw and suggest Daiyu uses the Twilight Horizon just as you did.
-[X] We need to investigate the village, but without arousing too much suspicion yet. Zhi will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
--[X] Zhi will handle the administration, recording records of those who have passed or failed.
—-[X] Ask Daiyu about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-in-Tide and the Empress-in-Silver
 
[X] Briefly explain what you saw and suggest Daiyu uses the Twilight Horizon just as you did.
-[X] We need to investigate the village, but without arousing too much suspicion yet. Zhi will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
--[X] Zhi will handle the administration, recording records of those who have passed or failed.
—-[X] Ask Daiyu about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-in-Tide and the Empress-in-Silver

Parabola said:
Along with how the cart's merchant seems to have disappeared into thin air, that's the biggest sign that we're on a time limit. it's not impossible we might finally have our first encounter with Symphony-in-Rags if we take too many loops to get out.
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When the next loop comes around, what's the odds the crab's getting wiped?

Something eerie about the group all standing there, waiting a moment for something that never comes.
 
[X] Briefly explain what you saw and suggest Daiyu uses the Twilight Horizon just as you did.
-[X] We need to investigate the village, but without arousing too much suspicion yet. Zhi will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
--[X] Zhi will handle the administration, recording records of those who have passed or failed.
—-[X] Ask Daiyu about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-in-Tide and the Empress-in-Silver
 
[X] Briefly explain what you saw and suggest Daiyu uses the Twilight Horizon just as you did.
-[X] We need to investigate the village, but without arousing too much suspicion yet. Zhi will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
--[X] Zhi will handle the administration, recording records of those who have passed or failed.
—-[X] Ask Daiyu about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-in-Tide and the Empress-in-Silver
 
[X] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[X] The woman weaving upon her Loom. Her skill transcends what should be feasibly possible for a mere Seated
--[X] Ask Mei to use the Twilight Horizon and see for herself.
 
[X] Briefly explain what you saw and suggest Daiyu uses the Twilight Horizon just as you did.
-[X] We need to investigate the village, but without arousing too much suspicion yet. Zhi will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
--[X] Zhi will handle the administration, recording records of those who have passed or failed.
—-[X] Ask Daiyu about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-in-Tide and the Empress-in-Silver
 
[X] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[X] The woman weaving upon her Loom. Her skill transcends what should be feasibly possible for a mere Seated
--[X] Ask Mei to use the Twilight Horizon and see for herself.

One thing that'll be interesting to see is how Mei reacts when(/if) she calls upon the Twilight Horizon.
 
[X] Briefly explain what you saw and suggest Daiyu uses the Twilight Horizon just as you did.
-[X] We need to investigate the village, but without arousing too much suspicion yet. Zhi will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
--[X] Zhi will handle the administration, recording records of those who have passed or failed.
—-[X] Ask Daiyu about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-in-Tide and the Empress-in-Silver
 
[X] Briefly explain what you saw and suggest Daiyu uses the Twilight Horizon just as you did.
-[X] We need to investigate the village, but without arousing too much suspicion yet. Zhi will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
--[X] Zhi will handle the administration, recording records of those who have passed or failed.
—-[X] Ask Daiyu about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-in-Tide and the Empress-in-Silver
 
[X] Briefly explain what you saw and suggest Daiyu uses the Twilight Horizon just as you did.
-[X] We need to investigate the village, but without arousing too much suspicion yet. Zhi will take a different role in the examination when Clerk Ni next begins his testing.
--[X] Zhi will handle the administration, recording records of those who have passed or failed.
—-[X] Ask Daiyu about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-in-Tide and the Empress-in-Silver
 
Picking the lady who's stuck at her loom all day, focused on it and not getting around much, seems like the person we're going to get the least info out of compared to the kids or the elder that met us, who have at least some minor variation.
 
zang269 said:
Picking the lady who's stuck at her loom all day, focused on it and not getting around much, seems like the person we're going to get the least info out of compared to the kids or the elder that met us, who have at least some minor variation.
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My hope is Zhi will learn that she is spinning it for a looooooong time. Possibly realizing soon enough that there's Time shenenigans going on.

We sort of already tried talking to kids.
 
[X] One thing the visions made clear is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in this nameless town. Kong Zhi will try to isolate one and gain answers from them whether they like it or not.
-[X] The woman weaving upon her Loom. Her skill transcends what should be feasibly possible for a mere Seated
--[X] Ask Mei to use the Twilight Horizon and see for herself.
 
To my mind, the kids have been actively broadcasting at us since the camera into the narrative. I think they're trying to circumvent whatever comms block there is.
 
Remembrance Desiccated (Book)
Scholar Charm ??? [Mind, Poison, Wood, Hunger] [Tome of the Ancient Way, Desiccated Poison Sacs, Cowardly Hoof]

A black tome with a cover depicting scenes of a flourishing garden. Bound with silver stitching in a pattern that brings to mind gnashing teeth. Opening the book releases a fragrant scent billowing from the book. The first page shows a painting of a carefully tended garden in full bloom, but subsequent pages reveal paintings of progressive mismanagement. As the pages turn, the smell becomes pungent, odious, and foul until, finally, the final page is reached. A page that shows a single withered tree remaining in the ruins of a garden with a heavy rotting scent.

There are a total of three-hundred and sixty pages in the book. Each page corresponds to a second of memory those who smell the scent forget. The further in the book the user opens, the more quickly the anam stored is depleted.

hdvutd
 
Chopak said:
My hope is Zhi will learn that she is spinning it for a looooooong time. Possibly realizing soon enough that there's Time shenenigans going on.

We sort of already tried talking to kids.
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We looked around, but we haven't actually tried specifically talking to the kids yet, just looked around, and our 5 successes on a sense motive roll brought us to the leader of the group, rather than stopping with the old lady. The kids should also be able to reveal that it's been a long time, with how very, very tired they all are, or even just Mei Daiyu asking around.
 
zang269 said:
We looked around, but we haven't actually tried specifically talking to the kids yet, just looked around, and our 5 successes on a sense motive roll brought us to the leader of the group, rather than stopping with the old lady. The kids should also be able to reveal that it's been a long time, with how very, very tired they all are, or even just Mei Daiyu asking around.
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Point of order, the 5 successes gave you a reasonably detailed vibe of the village. Your job to round up kids for testing brought you to the kids more than anything else.
 
zang269 said:
Picking the lady who's stuck at her loom all day, focused on it and not getting around much, seems like the person we're going to get the least info out of compared to the kids or the elder that met us, who have at least some minor variation.
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OTOH, she is watching everyone coming and going from that spot, and she may have learnt critical information or gossip before the loop started. Maybe even learnt lots of gossip about what is happening in the loop if people have some leeway to make quick social calls.
 
Current Tally. From a quick dissection, it looks like the currently winning vote is 'try and corner the weaver, also tell Daiyu to look into the Horizon'. If that's not your favorite vote of choice, now's your chance to speak up!
Adhoc vote count started by Vesvius on Feb 4, 2025 at 9:19 PM, finished with 108 posts and 48 votes.
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HousePet said:
OTOH, she is watching everyone coming and going from that spot, and she may have learnt critical information or gossip before the loop started. Maybe even learnt lots of gossip about what is happening in the loop if people have some leeway to make quick social calls.
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People generally aren't coming and going though, everyone does the same thing in their places, every day, probably. The kids at least start at home and then roam around quite a bit playing, and we've identified someone among them who's got more initiative than the rest. The kids also started beating the crap out of each other, and then stopped when they realized nobody was coming back for them, which implies that others sometimes do go back for them and they might be able to make other changes. Kids can play anywhere, while a hunter has to go hunt, after all.
 
I buy the kukuni trying to make a perfect day theory.

Everyone in the village is trying way too hard to stay on script. Maybe any significant breach of the script causes a reset? Or worse given the missing merchant.

Maybe the entities that tried to warn us in the woods were already captives of this effect and when they warned us and quivered out of existence their loop was being reset?

Clerk Ni seems the least likely to be staying on-script. It might be necessary to disable the Fractal View and guard Clerk Ni directly to see for ourselves.

If we've been causing an early end to the loop we might not have seen what's been preventing the villagers from getting a perfect run over previous subjective centuries, assuming it's not just a kukuni with impossible standards. Maybe the storm destroys everything? Or maybe the "truth of the moon"/"light that cannot tell friend from foe" the children mentioned. Though if it were possible to simply evacuate they probably would've done so long ago.
 
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