Become a disciple of the Red Dew Sect. Explore a xianxia world, do sect missions, make friends, destroy enemies, and impress the elders all while progressing your cultivation.
Disciples of Red Dew Sect (Cultivation Riot Quest)
- Thread starter Arcanestomper
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- Original Fantasy
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New Disciples: Character Creation
For a thousand cycles of the great wheel all the lands of the known world have been ruled by the divine figure known as the Center of Light, the Pillar of Creation, the Eternal Scion, the Enthroned God, or more colloquially simply the Emperor. He is the font from which all authority flows and the final director of the fate of the Empire. Simply being in his presence is enough to directly sublimate lesser cultivators and thus he is solely attended by the High Nobility and a special sect known as the Archons of Tranquility. Underneath him are the five Sage Kings. The Veiled Lady, the Ivory King, the Dragon of the Wastes, the Golden Judge, and the Imperial Hand. Their word is Law in the lands of the Empire. Everything from the Sea of Dreams to the Void Abyss is their domain. And underneath them are all the nobility of the empire in their thousands, their millions. The nobility fight, they scheme, they socialize all in an attempt to secure their power, lands, and lineage as they walk the 108 Paths of Immortality.
You are not one of those nobles. You come from a small farming village in the barony of Red Dew Mountain. Your parents are humble mortal farmers as were all your ancestors before them. Yet yours was not a harsh life. The Baron of the Red Dew Sect was a kind and generous lord who ensured that even the mortals in the land lived safe and prosperous lives. You never went hungry even in times of drought for the baron rerouted the rivers and blessed the fields. And in winter you never froze for the Baron sent armed expeditions to chop firewood in the Ancient Devil Forest.
So when the disciples of the Red Dew sect held one of their five year entrance tests you eagerly made the trip along with throngs of other young people to Roaring Furnace City. It was a long and arduous journey for a mortal such as yourself and even once you got there you were forced to prove yourself in tests of skill and strength before even being examined for spirit roots, but it was all worth it. For in the end you were declared worthy of being a disciple of the Red Dew sect.
You were inducted immediately and your old mortal life fell away as you underwent an intensive six month tempering regime to rid yourself of impurities and become a true cultivator. At long last you were ready to start working your way up from being a lowly outer disciple to break through new realms, learn amazing techniques, and perhaps even become a personal disciple of one of the sect elders.
Unfortunately before you could do any of that a pall fell across the sect. The Baron's own overlord, a figure so high above you they might as well be the emperor, called them to battle. And somehow, in some way the Baron was killed along with not only his heir but many of the senior elders and disciples. The sect is much diminished, but perhaps there might be some fortune in these ill times. For now you have a chance to rise up and help restore the sect to its proper glory. As long as you are willing to bear the weight of destiny along the way.
So this quest is about being disciples in a sect in a xianxia setting. You need to train, cultivate, beat down rivals, and impress the elders. Each person can play their own individual disciples as long as they fill out the character sheet below. Each turn you will have the opportunity to perform various actions and improve your prospects. I will not be very strict with posting turns. Players will be able to drop in and out and if they miss a turn their character will simply be cultivating diligently in the intervening time.
In addition I have gotten a few people to help me play the sect elders. I will be handling most of the interactions, but they may post in here to give missions directly. In which case I will threadmark their posts.
Character Sheet
Name:
Description:
Personality:
Element: Pick from Wood, Earth, Fire, Metal, Water
Path: Your intended specialization can be anything you'd like though you'll need to take actions to pursue it.
Gift: Pick One
[ ] Extra Stripe: Your spirit root has four stripes instead of three meaning you can absorb Qi faster than your peers.
[ ] Tough Body: You start with an extra grade in the Body Attribute
[ ] Bright Spirit: You start with an extra grade in the Spirit Attribute
[ ] Heavenly Fortune: You start with an extra grade in the Fortune Attribute
[ ] Treasure: You won a treasure in an early tournament. A nice early boost to help you advance.
[ ] Friend: You've made a fast friend of your own age among the other disciples. They'll stick with you through thick and thin.
[ ] Technique Manual: You found a rare technique manual that will surely give you a leg up in your cultivation. (Tell me what kind of technique you're after.)
Attributes: Pick Three
[ ] Improve Body
[ ] Improve Spirit
[ ] Improve Fortune
Innate Techniques: Eyes, Lungs, Heart
Roll 3d20 to see if you get the innate technique for each tempered organ.
You are not one of those nobles. You come from a small farming village in the barony of Red Dew Mountain. Your parents are humble mortal farmers as were all your ancestors before them. Yet yours was not a harsh life. The Baron of the Red Dew Sect was a kind and generous lord who ensured that even the mortals in the land lived safe and prosperous lives. You never went hungry even in times of drought for the baron rerouted the rivers and blessed the fields. And in winter you never froze for the Baron sent armed expeditions to chop firewood in the Ancient Devil Forest.
So when the disciples of the Red Dew sect held one of their five year entrance tests you eagerly made the trip along with throngs of other young people to Roaring Furnace City. It was a long and arduous journey for a mortal such as yourself and even once you got there you were forced to prove yourself in tests of skill and strength before even being examined for spirit roots, but it was all worth it. For in the end you were declared worthy of being a disciple of the Red Dew sect.
You were inducted immediately and your old mortal life fell away as you underwent an intensive six month tempering regime to rid yourself of impurities and become a true cultivator. At long last you were ready to start working your way up from being a lowly outer disciple to break through new realms, learn amazing techniques, and perhaps even become a personal disciple of one of the sect elders.
Unfortunately before you could do any of that a pall fell across the sect. The Baron's own overlord, a figure so high above you they might as well be the emperor, called them to battle. And somehow, in some way the Baron was killed along with not only his heir but many of the senior elders and disciples. The sect is much diminished, but perhaps there might be some fortune in these ill times. For now you have a chance to rise up and help restore the sect to its proper glory. As long as you are willing to bear the weight of destiny along the way.
So this quest is about being disciples in a sect in a xianxia setting. You need to train, cultivate, beat down rivals, and impress the elders. Each person can play their own individual disciples as long as they fill out the character sheet below. Each turn you will have the opportunity to perform various actions and improve your prospects. I will not be very strict with posting turns. Players will be able to drop in and out and if they miss a turn their character will simply be cultivating diligently in the intervening time.
In addition I have gotten a few people to help me play the sect elders. I will be handling most of the interactions, but they may post in here to give missions directly. In which case I will threadmark their posts.
Character Sheet
Name:
Description:
Personality:
Element: Pick from Wood, Earth, Fire, Metal, Water
Path: Your intended specialization can be anything you'd like though you'll need to take actions to pursue it.
Gift: Pick One
[ ] Extra Stripe: Your spirit root has four stripes instead of three meaning you can absorb Qi faster than your peers.
[ ] Tough Body: You start with an extra grade in the Body Attribute
[ ] Bright Spirit: You start with an extra grade in the Spirit Attribute
[ ] Heavenly Fortune: You start with an extra grade in the Fortune Attribute
[ ] Treasure: You won a treasure in an early tournament. A nice early boost to help you advance.
[ ] Friend: You've made a fast friend of your own age among the other disciples. They'll stick with you through thick and thin.
[ ] Technique Manual: You found a rare technique manual that will surely give you a leg up in your cultivation. (Tell me what kind of technique you're after.)
Attributes: Pick Three
[ ] Improve Body
[ ] Improve Spirit
[ ] Improve Fortune
Innate Techniques: Eyes, Lungs, Heart
Roll 3d20 to see if you get the innate technique for each tempered organ.
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The Disciples
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Setting Mechanics
The Grading System
Most things in the world are categorized according to the same realms as cultivators are. However within these realms there is still room for differences and so the grading system exists. There are six grades Clay, Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold, and Jade. And they can apply to the quality of an item to the power of a technique and almost anything else that comes in various gradations. In general the grades within a realm increase linearly with a copper item being approximately twice as effective as a clay one. An iron item being three times as effective as clay, and so on. However they are also correspondingly harder to find or make.Statistics
Besides their realm a character will have three statistics. Their Body, their Spirit, and their Fortune. Body covers physical prowess, the ability to work and fight for extended periods, and their resistance to things like disease. Spirit covers their mental acuity, ability to learn, and their Qi pool. Fortune is simply how much the Heavens favor them. All three of these stats are set during a character's breakthrough. The better the breakthrough the better the stats will be, and this is very hard to change between breakthroughs.Each grade and realm of a statistic will have an associated dice pool that is rolled when it is used.
Techniques
Techniques cover everything that a character might actually want to do from chatting with merchants, to punching monsters, to making pottery. Like statistics they come in grades, but unlike statistics they can be improved between breakthroughs as long as the character puts in sufficient time and training. Techniques are generally also rated according to the amount of Qi they cost, with most standard techniques costing no Qi, but more advanced ones giving bonuses or other benefits in exchange for Qi.Each grade and realm of a technique will have an associated dice pool that is rolled when it is used.
Actions
When a character wishes to do something they use their relative statistic plus an appropriate technique. With some additional situational modifiers. For instance carving a statue of the sect grandmaster would require Body + Sculpting plus a bonus for using fine ebony marble instead of a hunk of granite. A character can for any action substitute their fortune stat instead of using Body or Spirit. This usually leads to more random, but potentially better results.Disciple Actions
Every turn a player can perform one action. They will also cultivate automatically.The standard action types are as follows.
Rest
-Gather Qi-Remove Stress
-Heal Wounds
Skullduggery
-Spy on People-Steal Things
-Sabotage Enemies
Training
-Work on Cultivation Base-Meditate on the Dao
-Train Techniques
Go Adventuring
-Gather Ingredients-Hunt Monsters
-Search for Artifacts
Sect Tasks
-Work in the Herb Fields-Clean Sect Grounds
-Complete Sect Missions
Socialize
-Practice with Disciples-Run Errands for Elders
-Explore the Town
In addition any action can be expanded upon with additional details or with entirely new actions if a player wants to do something not covered by the standard actions. For example,
-Exchanging inflammatory poetry with other sects to trigger gang wars
-Abusing the peasantry
-Being worshiped
-Making spirit stones/money
-Fishing
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Turn 1: Jigui Taifang's Mission
- Location
- Germany
A message in impeccable handwriting is hung up at the gates of every pavilion and on the gathering places of the inner and outer disciples.
"Disciples of the Red Dew Sect. This Honorable Elder Juigui is hereby granting you the opportunity to bring much Face to the sect and yourself by aiding her in the investigation of an ancient ruin detected by our scouts. Those distinguishing themselves during their duties will be rewarded in accordance with their deeds. Present yourself at noon of the first day of the coming month on the gathering grounds of the outer ring. Be prepared to show your worth to be considered for this honorable task."
The message is signed by Juigui Taifang, Elder of Spirits.
"Disciples of the Red Dew Sect. This Honorable Elder Juigui is hereby granting you the opportunity to bring much Face to the sect and yourself by aiding her in the investigation of an ancient ruin detected by our scouts. Those distinguishing themselves during their duties will be rewarded in accordance with their deeds. Present yourself at noon of the first day of the coming month on the gathering grounds of the outer ring. Be prepared to show your worth to be considered for this honorable task."
The message is signed by Juigui Taifang, Elder of Spirits.
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Turn 1: Tristram Maçon's Mission
- Location
- Albania
- Pronouns
- He/Him
A message in much blockier handwriting is posted on the barracks of the inner and outer disciples.
"The Elder Maçon places a mission at the behest of the disciples of our glorious sect of Red Dew. The handgonne is a crucial implement of modern war and is the weapon of the future, the disciple that brings back the most quality Peasant-Grade handgonnes, or harquebuses, I am not critical of the exact variety, will be allowed to learn at my feet for a period of one month."
"There shall be no show of worth, only a show of results, you have exactly one month to return with the goods."
The message is signed by Tristram Maçon, Elder of War.
"The Elder Maçon places a mission at the behest of the disciples of our glorious sect of Red Dew. The handgonne is a crucial implement of modern war and is the weapon of the future, the disciple that brings back the most quality Peasant-Grade handgonnes, or harquebuses, I am not critical of the exact variety, will be allowed to learn at my feet for a period of one month."
"There shall be no show of worth, only a show of results, you have exactly one month to return with the goods."
The message is signed by Tristram Maçon, Elder of War.
Turn 1: Huò Jiézuò's Mission
A scrawled message is posted in a gathering place for the Outer Disciples.
"Honorable Elder Jiézuò places a mission, for he finds himself in need of seven disciples to aid the Technique Pavilion, and thus the Sect. If you are willing to aid the Technique Pavilion, and thus the Sect, appear at the field nearest to the Technique Pavilion on the morning of the twelfth day of this month."
Message signed by Huò Jiézuò, Elder of Runes.
"Honorable Elder Jiézuò places a mission, for he finds himself in need of seven disciples to aid the Technique Pavilion, and thus the Sect. If you are willing to aid the Technique Pavilion, and thus the Sect, appear at the field nearest to the Technique Pavilion on the morning of the twelfth day of this month."
Message signed by Huò Jiézuò, Elder of Runes.
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Turn 1: Xuan Techai's Mission
A brief note written on high quality paper is posted on the barracks of the inner disciples. Despite it's brevity, one can tell the writer has taken great care in its presentation.
"They who aid me in gathering certain herbal ingredients from the hinterlands shall be rewarded with tea time."
While the note is not signed, it is clear it was written by Xuan Techai, Elder of Tea.
Turn 1: Cheng Nianzu's Mission
A masterfully calligraphed missive finds is place on the each of the job boards as well as in several other high-profile areas.
"To which disciples it may concern, I Cheng Nianzu, the elder in charge of the archives find myself short of time to check that the index of the archives is accurate and am actively recruiting disciples to see that this task is completed.
There is adequate compensation available for those who complete this task, silver, several spirit stones and should you do a sufficient enough job, priority within my next lecture. Do note that the rewards are based on the speed and accuracy with which you complete these tasks and too many mistakes will see you owing the sect. Only the seriously studious need apply."
-Cheng Nianzu elder of the archives
"To which disciples it may concern, I Cheng Nianzu, the elder in charge of the archives find myself short of time to check that the index of the archives is accurate and am actively recruiting disciples to see that this task is completed.
There is adequate compensation available for those who complete this task, silver, several spirit stones and should you do a sufficient enough job, priority within my next lecture. Do note that the rewards are based on the speed and accuracy with which you complete these tasks and too many mistakes will see you owing the sect. Only the seriously studious need apply."
-Cheng Nianzu elder of the archives
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Turn 1: Zhu Saqiang's Mission
A note is attached next to Elder Macon's announcement
"In light of Elder Macon's request for firearms, I, Elder Zhu Saqiang, am willing to teach any disciples the art of gunsmithing. Adequate results and potential for talent may lead to further invitations to study the Path of Firearms."
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The Elders
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Description: A short woman appearing to be in her early twenties. Her slight build, pale skin and white hair give her a slightly otherworldy aura. Many in the sect call her a beautiful fairy or jade beauty.
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Demeanor: Always calm and detached, she is usually not at the center of attention during sect functions she attends. Most of the time she prefers to a quiet corner and can often be seen lost in deep contemplation.
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Description: A fair looking young man, of pale skin and jet black hair. Always well kept and composed, his elaborate jewellery and expensive clothing resemble that of a wealthy merchant or palace socialite.
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Demeanor: Calm as a still pond, he carries himself with a certain aura of purposefulness and patience. He appears friendly and inviting, always with a polite half a smile on his face.
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Description: He has the appearance of an older man, with the very first whisperings of grey in his beard and hair, much the look of a savage with how hairy and unkempt it is. Skin tanned by the sea-borne sun, he has an exotic look that only he can lay claim to in this land.
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Demeanor: Always focused and curious, the man is often likened to a viper looking for its next meal.
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Description: Most of the disciples know her for her eyes, the right one being red as a blood soaked ruby, while the other is covered by a card themed eye patch. Her blonde hair that flows down to her chest and she is known to dress provocatively to draw everyones gaze to her.
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Demeanor: Even from afar, it is clear that she is a confident woman and those that had a chance to talk to her always noted her playful nature and cheek. Rumour among the outer disciples is that she is ready to bet just about anything, but also that she never loses.
Elder of Enlightenment, Cheng Nianzu, Caneythekid
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Description: An oldman with a long white beard, the hair on his head now only in patches. Just from the look in his black eyes most people can tell that he has likely seen too much.
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Demeanor: Noted for his eccentricities, Elder Cheng is rarely seen in public and the outer disciples whisper that the man doesn't care much for the company of other people.
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Description: Elder Zhu is a man in his early middle ages, with an athletic build, black hair, and slight facial hair. He mostly looks like an average blacksmith, often even being seen covered in soot, however he differs in that he is very heavily armed at any given time. His practical robes are completely covered in braces of pistols and bandoliers for the ornate arquebus at his back.
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Demeanor: Well known for his restless eyes and piercing stare, Elder Zhu's presence at any sect function is dreaded by both inner and outer disciples as no one knows for sure what his gaze is searching at any time when it moves over the crowds of disciples.
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Description: A tall, stately looking jade beauty with raven black hair and very lightly browned skin. Has very slight features that some unwise disciples have likened to those tribal peoples who live a nomadic life and ply their trade at the edges of civilization. Dressed in long, delicate looking robes of turquoise and white-turquoise color that give her the appearance of 'gliding' on air rather than walking, but nonetheless somehow remain dirt free. Ethereal looking flowers hang off her shoulders almost like pauldrons on a suit of armor. Always found with a slim, undecorated black zither nonetheless made of extraordinary craftsmanship and materials to which is hung a beautiful feather-fan of deep turquoise.
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Demeanor: Gives off an air of regal aloofness and detachment that commands the respect of her lessers. Many among the disciples whisper that Yesui is almost unapproachable, many others wonder at having their spirit and morale bolstered by a calming melody somewhere in the distance when confronted by moments of desperation and deepest despair in the sect. While not necessarily the most approached Elder, not by a long shot, Yesui is a relatively common sight among the mortals in the Sect's territory and can be found diligently carrying out her duties as a Vanguard of the Sect.
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Description: Appears to be a young man with long blond hair and golden eyes. Wears white and black robes with golden trim. His black gauntlets make him easily recognizable even at a distance.
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Demeanor: He is calm if a bit distracted. Unusually for an elder he very forgiving of even grave mistakes as he is always willing to explain what a disciple did wrong instead of handing out punishment.
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Description: A shortset woman of indeterminate age with dark eyes and short black hair, waxy skin. Would be considered unremarkable if it wasn't for the marks of past diseases, harsh living and possible impure Qi ingestion. Somewhat palsy in the way she moves.
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Demeanor: Casually guarded and distrustful, working with her can be a acquired taste. She is very brusque and requires any disciple to waste no time on niceties in her presence.
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Description: Appears to be an early middle aged man, sporting a large bodily frame and rotund, though not obese, stomach with a stocky bodily build. His almost bald head is filled with two small tufts of hair, nearly tied up and bundled together.
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Demeanor: Constantly giving off a merry and easygoing atmosphere, all of the disciples agree that elder Zhang is one of the most amicable elders in the sect. However never mention cultivation pills in his presence.
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Description: An unassuming woman of taller than average height, she is always seen wandering the sect with an unkind expression on her face.
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Demeanor: With perhaps the most fearsome reputation among the eclectic collection of sect elders, Ping is often described as a monster wearing human skin. Her black glare never softens among disciples and strangers, and she is always seen grinding her teeth or flexing her hands. Disciples do their utmost not to be assigned to her lectures for they are sure to walk away injured if they can walk at all.
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Description: He is a slightly tall man with a short but full beard and short hair done in a ponytail. Tanned. muscular with a dad bod dressing light and practical in dyed colours, he give the airs of a friendly uncle.
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Demeanor: Almost always willing to aid his students with their worries and questions, Jiayi truly does care for them unlike many other Elders of the various sects. Due to his more relaxed and patient demeanor he is also often the one to guide new sect members on how to cultivate and leave behind the burdens of their mortal coils even if this cuts into his own cultivation and thus they are often sent towards him.
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Description: A beautiful woman with long, dark brown hair and eyes the color of garnets. Her clothes are of usually a mixture of white, red and various earthen tones and her gait is always self-assured and full of purpose.
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Demeanor: Mei Fenfang follows the philosophy of her path in a lot of ways. A flower blooms only for a short time and in that time it enriches the world with beauty, wonder and the seeds necessary for every other life to flourish, only to wilt away, die, and blossom again the next spring. As such Mei Fenfang jumps from idea to idea, always pursuing perfection, pouring her everything into a project only to abandon them if they don't yield the results desired. She nurtures those students in which she sees the potential for growth (when or if she finds the time) and only spends a token amount of effort on those she perceives as dead weight.
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