Son of the Chief - 5.2
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Her words ring in your ears like terror. The thought demands rejection. You shake your head in denial. Talk with that monster? Not possible. It's clearly bestial. It cannot be reasoned with. There is no middle ground or peace treaty with such a beast.
But you have an obligation to try. "... F-Fine." And if you make it out alive, that's something.
Siph gives you a doubtful look. Her eyes wander from your face to the ground in thought but return to you. "You don't have to if you don't want to do it," she insists, realizing that she might be asking too much. At her words, you feel a pleasant warmth in your chest.
Even though you're about to commit suicide, you give her a cheerful smile. "No, I'll do it."
A look in the direction of where the creature went tells you that escaping it is unlikely without any sand. It moves quickly, closing ten meters in a second. As you walk, you make a careful mental map of the environment. Perhaps if you're forced to escape, you can gain better odds.
You take your first steps, but Siph grabs you by the forearm. "Wait. I'll come with you, idiot. Going in there alone is suicide."
Your smile deepens. "Be careful," you propose.
"You're the one walking into the den of a killing machine to make peace talks with it," she retorts dryly with a smirk. Look who's talking: said by the girl that literally threw a pebble at a nest of buzzard wasps, ignoring the fact that buzzard wasp nests are as large as a human village.
The darkness surrounds you. Short jungle trees and vines that obscure a majority of the light from above. Speaking of the light, where is it coming from? There is only one hole leading here, so only one way for sunlight to come into this jungle. Yet, somehow, despite the darkness, there is a faint twilight everywhere, just barely enough to see, as opposed to the pitch darkness that should be present in this realm.
It's puzzling, but you keep marching forward.
"Alright." You come to a stop, picking a spot where there's less water. You don't want to sit down in an uncomfortable swamp, not that moist dirt is much better. Regardless, you sit in the lotus position. Siph watches your surroundings carefully.
You close your eyes.
You repeat the steps. Clear your mind, invite the energy in, let it take root. The spark travels from the base of the spine to your head and fills your mind. Despite not being slower or duller, your thoughts become less directed and hazy –– as if more authority in your brain was handed to your own subconscious mind over your own self. Despite that, the feeling doesn't cause you any discomfort. It feels very natural.
In fact, you go beyond that. You don't just accept this, but you invite it further in. You not only allow your thoughts to become this way, but you give them the pilot seat. Instead of being the one to steer, you let them steer and you take the passenger seat.
You open your eyes.
"Siph, stay here," you order. Your sister looks at you hesitantly.
"Are you sure?"
"This is something I must do alone," you state unanimously, then walk forward.
You walk across the dark jumbled jungle, making it through countless crossings, passages, and doorways made from the collected and thick roots of nearby trees. Eventually, you make it to a gate. Not a gate of trees, but a gate of carved wood, closed. You open it, and your eyes glisten with the light on the other side.
You step through.
Suddenly, the image of the once-dark forest is gone. It is replaced by a jungle, yes, but a jungle that is clear and lightened. A jungle filled to the brim with a different kind of life. Namely, spirits. Entities, all around you. The meditation brought out their previously undetected presence.
You look around. All kinds of beings, from little turnip-animals on four legs, to foxes with nine tails, to an oversized ferret with wings. You run out of breath and your jaw drops, while your eyes glisten with amazement at these creatures.
In several, long seconds, you gather your attention into a neat pile and clear your throat. This is the Spirit World. A little, yellow potato with leaves smiles at you from the root of a tree. You walk closer to it.
"Excuse me," you say, very politely. "I'm sorry to bother you, mister." Again, you try to be as polite and well-mannered as humanly possible. You need to show your best side to the spirits if this is going to work. The potato's smile deepens at your words. "Do you have some kind of... leader, I can speak to, by any chance? If so, can you point me in his direction?"
The potato responds with a cute mannerism, pointing you in the right direction.
"Thank you." You smile at the potato curtly, then put your hands together and give it a bow of respect. You proceed to the left, where it had pointed you.
You soon come to a larger expanse of the jungle. Many spirits congregate here, either goofing around or calmly sitting and resting in their chosen spots. It appears you have found this leader the little, yellow potato spirit pointed you towards.
That leader is...
A huge, sentient stack of rocks. Built out of thirty-four elements total; three, large rocks for the torso; three thinner, but longer rocks for each limb respectively; and one, huge head with two, egg-shaped openings that glow blue for eyes. It also has three fingers on each of its forearms, made up of three segments; kind of like a trio that together creates a grappling hook.
You recognize its dominance by the ruling idea that generally, someone sitting upon a throne has authority. The sentient stack of rocks indeed rests inside of a boulder that has been carved in the shape of a throne. The rock looks at you, then introduces itself.
"My name is Yuchun Yaogun," he introduces himself. He looks to the left side of his throne, opening his palm, "I believe you have already met my subordinate, Fushi." The tiny puppy barks at you, rolling around in a puddle of mud. This spirit is the thing that tried to kill you? No way.
"How?" Disbelief fills your face.
Yuchun explains, "Unlike a human, spirit forms are flexible and intangible. We can take a variety of forms depending on our needs. Fushi, here, as the guardian of this realm, appears to mortals as a huge monster. A hound."
"Yes, speaking of this realm," you say, then prepare to explain what you came for, but you're interrupted.
Yuchun coughs. "Manners."
"Ah, yes," you painfully remark to yourself, then bow to the spirit with your hands together. "Apologies, great one. My name is Tié. I'm, uh, almost eight."
"Well, then," Yuchun takes over with a welcoming voice. "Tell me, Tié-who-is-almost-eight. What brings you to my domain?"
You swallow your fear. "I will be very straightforward, your eminence," you state, prompting Yuchun to radiate with a curious air at your words. "I wish to find my people a place to live down here, in your realm. However, obviously, I cannot do so without the permission of its ruler."
Silence...
"Ho-ho-ho! Hahahahahaha"–– Yuchun laughs at you heartily, to the brim of his lungs, even though he doesn't have any. His laughter can be likened to gold, very splendorous and easy to the ear, yet in its own sense, it is heavy at the same time. Its value, however, makes your heart at ease. Yuchun looks at Fushi. The wolf quirks his eyebrows. Yuchun stares at his companion and points at you with one finger, ––"I like this one! He has courage! Hahahaha"––
"So..." You state very slowly, letting the monarch laugh until he is content, then you continue, "Can we? Please? Pretty please?"
Yuchun keeps chuckling, ––"Hahaha-no-hahaha-obviously not-hahahahahaha!"–– He keeps laughing, sneaking in the response into his laughter. The response, all of the trouble you went through, all of the possible broken bones you got on your way here when dealing with his pet...
You sneer in contempt. "Why not? Do you have any idea of what our people are going through!? Do you have any idea how much moving to an oasis like this would help!?"
At that, Yuchun's laughter comes to a halt. His eyes glister with burning annoyance at your new statement. You sense a very powerful air of hubris and disdain from him, as if you were a bird's excrement on his shoulder that he wanted to scrape off hastily.
But you are too livid to notice his behavior. You look around you. There is dirt, earth everywhere. It should be possible to bend.
You stomp the ground, then project your arms forward. In a flash, a pair of rocks lift from the ground and fly toward Yuchun. The attack renders him free of his own anger. His eyes actually seem to glow with surprise, as he defends himself with his arm. The rocks clatter against his form, while he lowers his arm to look at you. "B-But how? Humans aren't supposed to be capable of bending in the Spirit World!"
Yuchun steps off his throne and walks forward, in your direction. The sudden hostility in his eyes makes you step back, but despite that, you zealously keep to your courage. It's the only thing that will let you survive. "Only if they get in by meditation," you expand on his words. "I found my way in through the gate."
"No..." he protests avidly, "That's impossible. The gate is crafted in such a labyrinth, full of traps, as to never be found by anyone unless they know the way!"
"I guess I knew it for some time and it just sat back in my memory," you answer. Meditation can work miracles, apparently. Good to know. Maybe mom was right when she said meditating on your problems can solve them? Damn.
"Gah," Yuchun barks. "Whatever! You can't possibly harm me. Even though my body appears of stone, your measly earthbending tricks won't work on me. And you cannot destroy stone with stone, boy!"
"Maybe not," you answer. "But who said anything about destruction?"
Stomp. You lift his throne off the ground, move it above him, then let it drop. The spirit is crushed by the equally powerful boulder. He struggles under it, as you smirk victoriously. And then, you realize two things.
One, this doesn't help your situation at all.
Two, did that dog just get larger?
Yuchun looks at Fushi, who had grown back into the form of a monster. Your face fills with terror. Your stomach sinks. Yuchun whistles, "Get him, boy!" Fushi growls at you, extending his front paws forward. The wolf looks at you with bloodthirst.
[] Fight.
-[] A powerful spirit comes to help you out, bestowing its gift upon you. (Warning: You might want to save this for later.)
[] Flee. (And use bending to create obstacles for Fushi as you escape.)
[] A powerful spirit comes to help you out, bestowing its gift upon you. (Warning: You might want to save this for later.)
[] Write-in.
+1,450 XP!
+2 CP!
+Meditation!
Level Up!
Currently: 155 AG, Autumn.
NO SEASON CHANGE, NO ADDITIONAL TRAINING/SOCIAL ACTIONS IN THIS UPDATE.
Select additional ambitions. (1 Mid-Term.)
[] (Mid-Term) Obtain your own sand-slider. (+4,000 XP, +6CP.)
[] (Mid-Term) Visit someplace outside the desert. (+5,000 XP, +7CP.)
[] (Mid-Term) Achieve "Knowledge (Spirituality)" bonus of at least 20. (+6,000 XP, +8CP.)
[] (Mid-Term) Help your tribe on a major scale.
WELCOME TO LEVEL 5! +1 CP!
CURRENT CP: 9
May buy the same upgrade multiple times unless stated otherwise.
[] Don't spend CP.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Strength.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Constitution.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Dexterity.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Intelligence.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Wisdom.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Charisma.
[] (-1 CP.) You learn to cook and make tea.
[] (-2 CP.) You obtain parts and pieces of a sand-slider in the desert. Time for repairs! (May only be taken once.)
[] (-3 CP.) Siph offers to teach you sandbending from now on. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-3 CP.) You find a book filled to the brim with proverbs. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-4 CP.) During meditation, something weird happens.
[] (-4 CP.) Make an additional training action this turn. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-5 CP.) Meet a group of travelers.
[] (-5 CP.) Your dad takes you to the Misty Palms Oasis on a trip. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-5 CP.) You find a sandbending scroll.
[] (-6 CP.) During a walk through the desert, you find a dying man and take him to the village. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-10 CP.) You find an earthbending scroll.
[] (-15 CP.) You find a waterbending scroll.
[] (-15 CP.) You find a firebending scroll.
[] (-17 CP.) You find an airbending scroll.
[] (-50 CP.) Become one with the cosmic energy. (May only be taken once.)
I think the dice were drunk/hot/blessed for this update. What was that, two Critical Successes? Yorokobe, shounen. Because the rolls were ardent and I'm not feeling particularly creative, I'll allow for the Quest's first Write-in option. Go ahead, if you think you can solve the problem at hand, take your chances. I might reward you with some CP for creativity.
Let the Random Number God's will be done.
PLEASE, VOTE BY PLAN.
But you have an obligation to try. "... F-Fine." And if you make it out alive, that's something.
Siph gives you a doubtful look. Her eyes wander from your face to the ground in thought but return to you. "You don't have to if you don't want to do it," she insists, realizing that she might be asking too much. At her words, you feel a pleasant warmth in your chest.
Even though you're about to commit suicide, you give her a cheerful smile. "No, I'll do it."
A look in the direction of where the creature went tells you that escaping it is unlikely without any sand. It moves quickly, closing ten meters in a second. As you walk, you make a careful mental map of the environment. Perhaps if you're forced to escape, you can gain better odds.
You take your first steps, but Siph grabs you by the forearm. "Wait. I'll come with you, idiot. Going in there alone is suicide."
Your smile deepens. "Be careful," you propose.
"You're the one walking into the den of a killing machine to make peace talks with it," she retorts dryly with a smirk. Look who's talking: said by the girl that literally threw a pebble at a nest of buzzard wasps, ignoring the fact that buzzard wasp nests are as large as a human village.
The darkness surrounds you. Short jungle trees and vines that obscure a majority of the light from above. Speaking of the light, where is it coming from? There is only one hole leading here, so only one way for sunlight to come into this jungle. Yet, somehow, despite the darkness, there is a faint twilight everywhere, just barely enough to see, as opposed to the pitch darkness that should be present in this realm.
It's puzzling, but you keep marching forward.
"Alright." You come to a stop, picking a spot where there's less water. You don't want to sit down in an uncomfortable swamp, not that moist dirt is much better. Regardless, you sit in the lotus position. Siph watches your surroundings carefully.
You close your eyes.
You repeat the steps. Clear your mind, invite the energy in, let it take root. The spark travels from the base of the spine to your head and fills your mind. Despite not being slower or duller, your thoughts become less directed and hazy –– as if more authority in your brain was handed to your own subconscious mind over your own self. Despite that, the feeling doesn't cause you any discomfort. It feels very natural.
DC: 24
Roll: 1d20+2+12=34
Critical Success!
+500 XP! +1 CP! +Meditation!
Roll: 1d20+2+12=34
Critical Success!
+500 XP! +1 CP! +Meditation!
In fact, you go beyond that. You don't just accept this, but you invite it further in. You not only allow your thoughts to become this way, but you give them the pilot seat. Instead of being the one to steer, you let them steer and you take the passenger seat.
You open your eyes.
"Siph, stay here," you order. Your sister looks at you hesitantly.
"Are you sure?"
"This is something I must do alone," you state unanimously, then walk forward.
You walk across the dark jumbled jungle, making it through countless crossings, passages, and doorways made from the collected and thick roots of nearby trees. Eventually, you make it to a gate. Not a gate of trees, but a gate of carved wood, closed. You open it, and your eyes glisten with the light on the other side.
You step through.
Suddenly, the image of the once-dark forest is gone. It is replaced by a jungle, yes, but a jungle that is clear and lightened. A jungle filled to the brim with a different kind of life. Namely, spirits. Entities, all around you. The meditation brought out their previously undetected presence.
You look around. All kinds of beings, from little turnip-animals on four legs, to foxes with nine tails, to an oversized ferret with wings. You run out of breath and your jaw drops, while your eyes glisten with amazement at these creatures.
In several, long seconds, you gather your attention into a neat pile and clear your throat. This is the Spirit World. A little, yellow potato with leaves smiles at you from the root of a tree. You walk closer to it.
"Excuse me," you say, very politely. "I'm sorry to bother you, mister." Again, you try to be as polite and well-mannered as humanly possible. You need to show your best side to the spirits if this is going to work. The potato's smile deepens at your words. "Do you have some kind of... leader, I can speak to, by any chance? If so, can you point me in his direction?"
The potato responds with a cute mannerism, pointing you in the right direction.
"Thank you." You smile at the potato curtly, then put your hands together and give it a bow of respect. You proceed to the left, where it had pointed you.
You soon come to a larger expanse of the jungle. Many spirits congregate here, either goofing around or calmly sitting and resting in their chosen spots. It appears you have found this leader the little, yellow potato spirit pointed you towards.
That leader is...
A huge, sentient stack of rocks. Built out of thirty-four elements total; three, large rocks for the torso; three thinner, but longer rocks for each limb respectively; and one, huge head with two, egg-shaped openings that glow blue for eyes. It also has three fingers on each of its forearms, made up of three segments; kind of like a trio that together creates a grappling hook.
You recognize its dominance by the ruling idea that generally, someone sitting upon a throne has authority. The sentient stack of rocks indeed rests inside of a boulder that has been carved in the shape of a throne. The rock looks at you, then introduces itself.
"My name is Yuchun Yaogun," he introduces himself. He looks to the left side of his throne, opening his palm, "I believe you have already met my subordinate, Fushi." The tiny puppy barks at you, rolling around in a puddle of mud. This spirit is the thing that tried to kill you? No way.
"How?" Disbelief fills your face.
Yuchun explains, "Unlike a human, spirit forms are flexible and intangible. We can take a variety of forms depending on our needs. Fushi, here, as the guardian of this realm, appears to mortals as a huge monster. A hound."
"Yes, speaking of this realm," you say, then prepare to explain what you came for, but you're interrupted.
Yuchun coughs. "Manners."
DC: 10
Roll: 1d20=15
Success!
+150 XP!
Roll: 1d20=15
Success!
+150 XP!
"Ah, yes," you painfully remark to yourself, then bow to the spirit with your hands together. "Apologies, great one. My name is Tié. I'm, uh, almost eight."
"Well, then," Yuchun takes over with a welcoming voice. "Tell me, Tié-who-is-almost-eight. What brings you to my domain?"
You swallow your fear. "I will be very straightforward, your eminence," you state, prompting Yuchun to radiate with a curious air at your words. "I wish to find my people a place to live down here, in your realm. However, obviously, I cannot do so without the permission of its ruler."
DC: 20
Roll: 1d20=20
Critical Success!
+500 XP! +1 CP!
Roll: 1d20=20
Critical Success!
+500 XP! +1 CP!
Silence...
"Ho-ho-ho! Hahahahahaha"–– Yuchun laughs at you heartily, to the brim of his lungs, even though he doesn't have any. His laughter can be likened to gold, very splendorous and easy to the ear, yet in its own sense, it is heavy at the same time. Its value, however, makes your heart at ease. Yuchun looks at Fushi. The wolf quirks his eyebrows. Yuchun stares at his companion and points at you with one finger, ––"I like this one! He has courage! Hahahaha"––
"So..." You state very slowly, letting the monarch laugh until he is content, then you continue, "Can we? Please? Pretty please?"
Yuchun keeps chuckling, ––"Hahaha-no-hahaha-obviously not-hahahahahaha!"–– He keeps laughing, sneaking in the response into his laughter. The response, all of the trouble you went through, all of the possible broken bones you got on your way here when dealing with his pet...
DC: 17
Roll: 1d20+2=4
Failure!
Roll: 1d20+2=4
Failure!
You sneer in contempt. "Why not? Do you have any idea of what our people are going through!? Do you have any idea how much moving to an oasis like this would help!?"
At that, Yuchun's laughter comes to a halt. His eyes glister with burning annoyance at your new statement. You sense a very powerful air of hubris and disdain from him, as if you were a bird's excrement on his shoulder that he wanted to scrape off hastily.
But you are too livid to notice his behavior. You look around you. There is dirt, earth everywhere. It should be possible to bend.
DC: 18
Roll: 1d20+10+8=31
Success!
Roll: 1d20+10+8=31
Success!
You stomp the ground, then project your arms forward. In a flash, a pair of rocks lift from the ground and fly toward Yuchun. The attack renders him free of his own anger. His eyes actually seem to glow with surprise, as he defends himself with his arm. The rocks clatter against his form, while he lowers his arm to look at you. "B-But how? Humans aren't supposed to be capable of bending in the Spirit World!"
Yuchun steps off his throne and walks forward, in your direction. The sudden hostility in his eyes makes you step back, but despite that, you zealously keep to your courage. It's the only thing that will let you survive. "Only if they get in by meditation," you expand on his words. "I found my way in through the gate."
"No..." he protests avidly, "That's impossible. The gate is crafted in such a labyrinth, full of traps, as to never be found by anyone unless they know the way!"
"I guess I knew it for some time and it just sat back in my memory," you answer. Meditation can work miracles, apparently. Good to know. Maybe mom was right when she said meditating on your problems can solve them? Damn.
"Gah," Yuchun barks. "Whatever! You can't possibly harm me. Even though my body appears of stone, your measly earthbending tricks won't work on me. And you cannot destroy stone with stone, boy!"
"Maybe not," you answer. "But who said anything about destruction?"
DC: 28
Roll: 1d20+10+8=32
Success!
+300 XP!
Roll: 1d20+10+8=32
Success!
+300 XP!
Stomp. You lift his throne off the ground, move it above him, then let it drop. The spirit is crushed by the equally powerful boulder. He struggles under it, as you smirk victoriously. And then, you realize two things.
One, this doesn't help your situation at all.
Two, did that dog just get larger?
Yuchun looks at Fushi, who had grown back into the form of a monster. Your face fills with terror. Your stomach sinks. Yuchun whistles, "Get him, boy!" Fushi growls at you, extending his front paws forward. The wolf looks at you with bloodthirst.
[] Fight.
-[] A powerful spirit comes to help you out, bestowing its gift upon you. (Warning: You might want to save this for later.)
[] Flee. (And use bending to create obstacles for Fushi as you escape.)
[] A powerful spirit comes to help you out, bestowing its gift upon you. (Warning: You might want to save this for later.)
[] Write-in.
+1,450 XP!
+2 CP!
+Meditation!
Level Up!
Currently: 155 AG, Autumn.
NO SEASON CHANGE, NO ADDITIONAL TRAINING/SOCIAL ACTIONS IN THIS UPDATE.
Select additional ambitions. (1 Mid-Term.)
[] (Mid-Term) Obtain your own sand-slider. (+4,000 XP, +6CP.)
[] (Mid-Term) Visit someplace outside the desert. (+5,000 XP, +7CP.)
[] (Mid-Term) Achieve "Knowledge (Spirituality)" bonus of at least 20. (+6,000 XP, +8CP.)
[] (Mid-Term) Help your tribe on a major scale.
WELCOME TO LEVEL 5! +1 CP!
CURRENT CP: 9
May buy the same upgrade multiple times unless stated otherwise.
[] Don't spend CP.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Strength.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Constitution.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Dexterity.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Intelligence.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Wisdom.
[] (-1 CP.) +2 Charisma.
[] (-1 CP.) You learn to cook and make tea.
[] (-2 CP.) You obtain parts and pieces of a sand-slider in the desert. Time for repairs! (May only be taken once.)
[] (-3 CP.) Siph offers to teach you sandbending from now on. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-3 CP.) You find a book filled to the brim with proverbs. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-4 CP.) During meditation, something weird happens.
[] (-4 CP.) Make an additional training action this turn. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-5 CP.) Meet a group of travelers.
[] (-5 CP.) Your dad takes you to the Misty Palms Oasis on a trip. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-5 CP.) You find a sandbending scroll.
[] (-6 CP.) During a walk through the desert, you find a dying man and take him to the village. (May only be taken once.)
[] (-10 CP.) You find an earthbending scroll.
[] (-15 CP.) You find a waterbending scroll.
[] (-15 CP.) You find a firebending scroll.
[] (-17 CP.) You find an airbending scroll.
[] (-50 CP.) Become one with the cosmic energy. (May only be taken once.)
I think the dice were drunk/hot/blessed for this update. What was that, two Critical Successes? Yorokobe, shounen. Because the rolls were ardent and I'm not feeling particularly creative, I'll allow for the Quest's first Write-in option. Go ahead, if you think you can solve the problem at hand, take your chances. I might reward you with some CP for creativity.
Let the Random Number God's will be done.
PLEASE, VOTE BY PLAN.
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