The Path Unending (A Cultivation Quest)

[X] [APPROACH] Something that is more clear than ever is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in Shoubiao's Wake. Kong Zhi will try and gain answers from one whether they like it or not.
-[X] The Headsman, who seems to be directing the 'script'
--[X] Without actually talking to him, sneak into his home to find out more about him. Have Daiyu and Kun delay the examination, specifically Liyu's.

[X] [SMALL] Tell Daiyu and Zhuan Kun about the time loop and ask Daiyu to use the Twilight Horizon to confirm.

[X] [SMALL] Ask Zhuan Kun if he has any techniques which would secure his memory.
[X] [SMALL] Ask Zhuan Kun if he happens to have a technique that can help him protect his memories. If he doesn't, to better convince him on future loops, ask him to tell you something minor about himself that you'd have no reasonable way of knowing (e.g. his favorite food).
[X] [SMALL] Inform Clerk Ni that you have uncovered a ploy against the testing treasure.

[X] [SMALL] Activate the Wandering Estate and check the water clock inside.
[X] [SMALL] Check memories to determine if the loop is the same length each time. If the loop is the same length each time, about when we think the loop is coming to a close, try to get to a place with a broad view and see what's happening.

[x] [SMALL] Try to observe the storm, see if there's anything strange about it.
[x] [SMALL] Write a letter to ourselves in the Wandering Estate. See if things inside the Estate re-set or otherwise resist the loop.

[X] [SMALL] Bring out a piece of metal and try to get Chui Dao out of the hammer by trying to shape the metal.

[X] [SMALL] Attempt to contact Chui Dao and see if they're ok

[X] [SMALL] Tell the clerk that there is a time loop and that we have lost at least 4 days already and that the danger to the testing artifact is too great to risk.

[X] [SMALL] Tell Daiyu and Zhuan Kun about your theory that there is a kukuni behind this and that its nature might be Joy. Ask them to make their own observations and have a short brainstorming session a short while after arriving in the village.

[X] [SMALL] Convince the Clerk that if you let Zhi and Kun entertain the villagers before performing the test, the turnout will be greater. Remember that it has been a long while there has been an examination here and the villagers might be leery of testing. A reminder of what actual artis can do will excite them.

[X] [SMALL] Ask Daiyu to put on a performance that will increase the joyful mood in the village.
[X] [SMALL] Use SEG again in the village and scan as broadly as possible, looking for signs of a Hidden Realm, kukuni or anything else.

[X] [SMALL] Kong Zhi will trigger the Ivory Ferryman's special ability to turn intangible should he feel like things are going to be reset.

[X] [APPROACH] Something that is more clear than ever is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in Shoubiao's Wake. Kong Zhi will try and gain answers from one whether they like it or not.
-[X] The Headsman, who seems to be directing the 'script'
--[X] Without actually talking to him, sneak into his home to find out more about him. Have Daiyu and Kun delay the examination, specifically Liyu's.

[X] [SMALL] Ask Zhuan Kun if he happens to have a technique that can help him protect his memories. If he doesn't, to better convince him on future loops, ask him to tell you something minor about himself that you'd have no reasonable way of knowing (e.g. his favorite food).
[X] [SMALL] Inform Clerk Ni that you have uncovered a ploy against the testing treasure.

[X] [SMALL] Activate the Wandering Estate and check the water clock inside.
[X] [SMALL] Check memories to determine if the loop is the same length each time. If the loop is the same length each time, about when we think the loop is coming to a close, try to get to a place with a broad view and see what's happening.

[x] [SMALL] Try to observe the storm, see if there's anything strange about it.
[x] [SMALL] Write a letter to ourselves in the Wandering Estate. See if things inside the Estate re-set or otherwise resist the loop.

[X] [SMALL] Bring out a piece of metal and try to get Chui Dao out of the hammer by trying to shape the metal.

[X] [SMALL] Tell Daiyu and Zhuan Kun about your theory that there is a kukuni behind this and that its nature might be Joy. Ask them to make their own observations and have a short brainstorming session a short while after arriving in the village.

[X] [SMALL] Convince the Clerk that if you let Zhi and Kun entertain the villagers before performing the test, the turnout will be greater. Remember that it has been a long while there has been an examination here and the villagers might be leery of testing. A reminder of what actual artis can do will excite them.

[X] [SMALL] Use SEG again in the village and scan as broadly as possible, looking for signs of a Hidden Realm, kukuni or anything else.

[X] [APPROACH] Something that is more clear than ever is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in Shoubiao's Wake. Kong Zhi will try and gain answers from one whether they like it or not.
-[X] The Headsman, who seems to be directing the 'script'
--[X] Without actually talking to him, sneak into his home to find out more about him. Have Daiyu and Kun delay the examination, specifically Liyu's.

[X] [SMALL] Tell Daiyu and Zhuan Kun about the time loop and ask Daiyu to use the Twilight Horizon to confirm.

[X] [SMALL] Ask Zhuan Kun if he has any techniques which would secure his memory.
[X] [SMALL] Ask Zhuan Kun if he happens to have a technique that can help him protect his memories. If he doesn't, to better convince him on future loops, ask him to tell you something minor about himself that you'd have no reasonable way of knowing (e.g. his favorite food).
[X] [SMALL] Inform Clerk Ni that you have uncovered a ploy against the testing treasure.

[X] [SMALL] Activate the Wandering Estate and check the water clock inside.
[X] [SMALL] Check memories to determine if the loop is the same length each time. If the loop is the same length each time, about when we think the loop is coming to a close, try to get to a place with a broad view and see what's happening.

[x] [SMALL] Try to observe the storm, see if there's anything strange about it.
[x] [SMALL] Write a letter to ourselves in the Wandering Estate. See if things inside the Estate re-set or otherwise resist the loop.

[X] [SMALL] Bring out a piece of metal and try to get Chui Dao out of the hammer by trying to shape the metal.

[X] [SMALL] Attempt to contact Chui Dao and see if they're ok

[X] [SMALL] Tell the clerk that there is a time loop and that we have lost at least 4 days already and that the danger to the testing artifact is too great to risk.

[X] [SMALL] Tell Daiyu and Zhuan Kun about your theory that there is a kukuni behind this and that its nature might be Joy. Ask them to make their own observations and have a short brainstorming session a short while after arriving in the village.

[X] [SMALL] Convince the Clerk that if you let Zhi and Kun entertain the villagers before performing the test, the turnout will be greater. Remember that it has been a long while there has been an examination here and the villagers might be leery of testing. A reminder of what actual artis can do will excite them.

[X] [SMALL] Ask Daiyu to put on a performance that will increase the joyful mood in the village.

[X] [SMALL] Use SEG again in the village and scan as broadly as possible, looking for signs of a Hidden Realm, kukuni or anything else.

[X] [APPROACH] In the past, Kong Zhi wandered freely through the village. Perhaps that was a mistake. We will continue the examination as normal, only Zhi will take a different role.
-[X] Guard

[X] Thor's Twin

This mistery is fucking interesting, we even got some goodies already:

• Tech evolution, a simple Fire tech changed into and interesting Archer Time/Fire Tech, this archer tech is incredible for it's cost, 1 anam for 20d8 at stage 1 is incredible.
• Lvl up Shatter the Mirror, now when we come back to the sect we only have to level it up one more time.
• We got ourselves a Salt matt that we can gift to Ming Hui, and he likes to share his food with us, we could make a Barbeacue when we come back to the sect!

Now we are trying a new aproach, sneaking around like rogues and investigating like Caretakes, Siani will be proud!

Honestly, I'm not a fan of the mystery myself, but that's because "You can't fuck around and find out without provoking the Entity", and "Its actions don't seem to make any real sense". It's incredibly frustrating to deal with.

Like, it reacts to the weaver breaking character by losing its shit and obliterating her, but it still leaves her stuff lying around? The only sense that makes is "The villagers are a red herring, the important thing is that they Only Act as the Entity demands, it would rather throw a piece out that disobeyed than bring them back into compliance."

Which suggests the Moment being enacted has nothing at all to do with the people in the village, since individual pieces of it are apparently completely expendable. But the reset both happens "If something breaks character" and just seems to happen automatically at an unknowable point.

...

Or unknowable from the perspective of the village. If the village itself is a red herring, then it might be that it's just caught in the area of effect of the actual Moment being re-enacted. I remember us noticing a storm and the barking dog on the first loop before we got yanked back? But that didn't happen this time, but that first time, we didn't cross any real lines, but I don't think we were in the village proper when that happened either.

If the barking dog is the sign of the Entity finding an imperfection and triggering the reset, I don't think the key event is in the village, I think it's just collateral damage.

One thing to note is that the Kukuni is unlikely to know about everything that happens in the loop. Otherwise the Headsman (and the Kukuni) would have presumably known that the attack on us failed. Not the most important find, but still good to note down for the future.

[X] [SMALL] Ask Zhuan Kun if he has any techniques which would secure his memory.
[X] [SMALL] Ask Zhuan Kun if he happens to have a technique that can help him protect his memories. If he doesn't, to better convince him on future loops, ask him to tell you something minor about himself that you'd have no reasonable way of knowing (e.g. his favorite food).
[X] [SMALL] Activate the Wandering Estate and check the water clock inside.
[X] [SMALL] Check memories to determine if the loop is the same length each time. If the loop is the same length each time, about when we think the loop is coming to a close, try to get to a place with a broad view and see what's happening.
[X] [SMALL] Ask Kun and Daiyu to ask Liyu for help rounding up stragglers, both to delay her examination and in case she is willing to try and pass information.
[X] [SMALL] Bring out a piece of metal and try to get Chui Dao out of the hammer by trying to shape the metal.
[X] [SMALL] Attempt to contact Chui Dao and see if they're ok

[X] [APPROACH] Something that is more clear than ever is that there is something very wrong with the villagers in Shoubiao's Wake. Kong Zhi will try and gain answers from one whether they like it or not.
-[X] The Headsman, who seems to be directing the 'script'
--[X] Without actually talking to him, sneak into his home to find out more about him. Have Daiyu and Kun delay the examination, specifically Liyu's.

So far only SMALL options with 13+ votes are making it. Looks like that's just the top 2 right now.

[X] CedeTheBees

Lucius Domitius said:

One thing to note is that the Kukuni is unlikely to know about everything that happens in the loop. Otherwise the Headsman (and the Kukuni) would have presumably known that the attack on us failed. Not the most important find, but still good to note down for the future.

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Yeah, the loop may start as dawn breaks, but thus far the resets have all been at the village. And we didn't reset when Zhi told Daiyu and Kun, something which has a lot of potential to break the script. So... If the kukuni is the one resetting the loop, he still has limited awareness. Possibly limited to all the villagers, since they're the actors?

Just want to say how much I'm enjoying this. At least based on my impressions here, there's not so much of an active need to exit the loop except when we make big moves; we can clearly loop without the Kukuni being bothered.

I would like to point out to everyone that we still haven't used shatter the mirror here. That is absolutely going to cause something to happen, so maybe getting it over with sooner rather than later could be worth it.

I am not personally sure what is going to be found sneaking around in the headsman's hut; personally, I think tying up Ni and pretending to be the tester ourselves would let us get a conversation with Liyu.

I do think that Ai having tears in her eyes is a very strange change from everyone else trying to be happy. She may have a grandmother with her as a supervisor, but she's got some wishes of her own to leave this place I think.

[X] [SMALL] Activate the Wandering Estate and check the water clock inside.
[X] [SMALL] Check memories to determine if the loop is the same length each time. If the loop is the same length each time, about when we think the loop is coming to a close, try to get to a place with a broad view and see what's happening.

[X] CedeTheBees

It has occurred to me that it might be a good move to collect your plans from this little mini-arc and match them up with what Zhi's learned. After all, what I think Zhi's learned and what you think Zhi's learned can be different kettles of fish entirely. And if not? Well, here's a bunch of information you already had collected in one place. So that's what this post is: a collection and collation of what you've learned since entering Shoubiao's Wake.

One note: this collection is probably not fully comprehensive. I'm human and can miss things too, even if it's things I wrote myself. So if you think you've found something that's not in this post, you probably did.

Now, without further delay, the whole deal:
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268. Tales of Days Gone By
-You voted 'investigate the Weaver'.
+You learned the Weaver had a son or relative or close friend at one point that she was weaving clothing for. That person is no longer here.
+You learned the Weaver was incapable of speaking beyond her mantra (collected in order below).
-You voted 'Suggest Daiyu use the Twilight Horizon'
+Daiyu used the Twilight Horizon to seemingly no effect.
-You voted 'Ask about the story of the Gossamer Blade, the Emperor-In-Tides, and the Empress-In-Silver
+You got a lore drop that goes beyond the scope of this post.

269. The Weaver's Rhyme
-You voted on how to approach the Weaver (as a fellow artisan).
+You learned the above things about the Weaver.
+Later, you would learn the Weaver had vanished from her stool.
+You also observed the barking of a dog before the loop reset, which is consistent with the previous loops.

269.5. I Stand Shield
-You had no vote.
+You learned there is a foreign intelligence behind this loop.
+You learned this foreign intelligence was likely a Kukuni.
+You learned the foreign intelligence used Time Anam.
+You learned that the foreign intelligence was hostile.
+You learned that the foreign intelligence is aware of you and the moves you make.

270. The Everdistant Flame
-You voted to focus on the image of a forest fire when cycling the foreign intelligence's attack.
+You advanced Shatter the Mirror to the Sixth Phase.
+You advanced Sear into the Everdistant Flame, a Fire/Time technique.
+You learned that the foreign intelligence's attack was spiritual in nature and tied into the ambiant anam.

271. The Examination of Shoubiao's Wake
-You voted to serve as record keeper for the examination, changing Zhi's role to the same role he's had in the past of recording the examinees and if they've passed or failed.
+You learned that the loop has changed to accomidate the Grand Examination.
+You learned that Clerk Ni seems fully invested in a way he hasn't been since the trip through the Forest of Pearls.
+You learned the names and faces of several villagers in Shoubiao's Wake, including Huan (an artist, lower case), Tuo (a hunter), Ai (a young girl), Rong (a fisherman), Lao (a young boy), and Liyu (the ringleader of the children).
+You observed that each of the children was accompanied by someone to the examination except Liyu.
+You observed that both the Headman and Liyu seemed surprised to see you.
+You observed that the end of the loop was sudden, and that the dog did not bark before it ended.
-You voted to ask Daiyu to use the Twilight Horizon again.
+This time, the technique had some effect, if not the full comprehensive effect it had on Zhi, implying that it would hacve to be used multiple times over multiple loops for effect.
-You voted to check on Chui Dao.
+You learned that Chui Dao is still in its hammer, but quiet and unnaturally still.
-You voted to analyze the game of Garden of Beasts from 269.5 with Zhuan Kun.
+You learned that the moves and abilties demonstrated by the forein intelligence in 269.5 were all actual moves, not wholesale inventions. Furthermore, Zhuan Kun posited that the intelligence was a simple one, with no mind for more complex manuevers, or at least lacking the experience to fully comprehend the many victory conditions of the game.
-You voted to watch the storm and see if it seems significant.
+You learned that the storm is still a'comin.
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Ok, this seems like a good start. If there's anything I've missed, please call it out and I'll edit it in.

Hope this helps!

[X] CedeTheBees

+You learned that the storm is still a'comin. is the only thing in blue, wink wink

The Looping conditions is one of the big mysteries so far, I think. Each loop has ended substantially differently. 1 and 2 had someone go offscript and a barking dog, but only 2 involved an erasure. 3 seemed to happen to prevent Liyu's examination. It's possible Loop 1 was caused by the examination, which we weren't present for, or by the storm or whatever rhe dog was barking at. I think that's one of my big hangups mentally because it's very unusual for a timeloop to have that level of flexibility to it's trigger.

Is this all a gambit to prevent something important from being destroyed in a storm? Like an actual normal storm that would say, destroy a natural wonder?

KreenWarrior said:

The Looping conditions is one of the big mysteries so far, I think. Each loop has ended substantially differently. 1 and 2 had someone go offscript and a barking dog, but only 2 involved an erasure. 3 seemed to happen to prevent Liyu's examination. It's possible Loop 1 was caused by the examination, which we weren't present for, or by the storm or whatever rhe dog was barking at. I think that's one of my big hangups mentally because it's very unusual for a timeloop to have that level of flexibility to it's trigger.

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I definitely think it's interesting we got no dog bark in the last loop. I think the really big dog bark/the weaver breaking are related. But I can't figure out what Zhi did to make the dog bark in loop one. I suppose like you said it might have been the examination, but I don't see what Daiyu or Kun might've done.

thamuzz said:

Is this all a gambit to prevent something important from being destroyed in a storm? Like an actual normal storm that would say, destroy a natural wonder?

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Theoretically, there may be restriction on the loop. As in, the loop itself only functions if people are playing their role. That's why the kukui had to destroy the weaver, keeping her around would've damaged the stability of the loop. Additionally, that's why it changed the loop and incorporated the testing.

@Vesvius Lao kept glancing at Zhi while in the queue. Is this worth noting?


And something I'd like to note in general:
This is looking less like a time loop and more like a game board. All the pieces go back to their original positions, but the moves aren't always the same.

Vesvius said:

+You observed that each of the children was accompanied by someone to the examination except Liyu.
+You observed that both the Headman and Liyu seemed surprised to see you.

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Liyu is looking extremely suspicious here. Like they're working with the Kukuni instead of another prisoner. Maybe she made a deal with it in exchange for living forever with her friends.

Looks like the leading plans don't include Mei using the Twilight Horizon so we're losing out on our only ally who can share intel on a different POV between loops. This vastly reduces the intel per loop and seems like an unfortunate oversight.

Triage said:

Liyu is looking extremely suspicious here. Like they're working with the Kukuni instead of another prisoner. Maybe she made a deal with it in exchange for living forever with her friends.

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My current theory is that she maybe is the Kukuni. That seems pretty plausible, honestly. Could also be wrong, but...

Triage said:

Looks like the leading plans don't include Mei using the Twilight Horizon so we're losing out on our only ally who can share intel on a different POV between loops. This vastly reduces the intel per loop and seems like an unfortunate oversight.

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Don't worry. That's happening no matter what.

Vesvius said:

Daiyu and Zhuan Kun will be read in on the situation once again automatically, and function normally.

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