Dueling Fate
- Thread starter KreenWarrior
- Start date
[X] Sun Feng and the crew are former members of the sect, it's not often you can receive pointers from your fellow alumni, go with them and see what they have to teach you.
- Location
- Australia
Vote Closed, I'll get started tonight and aim for this weekend.
Edit: As an unfortunate heads up on my end, I have two weeks left then I am fingers crossed done with Uni for good. Wasn't able to punch anything out this weekend as I'm wrapping up/starting assessments, hopefully between Kreen and I we can have something up by the middle of the week/the end. Just unfortunate timing where we're both busy.
No point making a new post for no update, so if you're at this point randomly here's a secret explanation.
Last edited:
Exchanging Pointers
At the offer of sparring, your thoughts drift to your time with the sect so far. You cannot deny that of those encounters that you might deem battles, you have not come out ahead. True, you have avoided any real injury, but you have not triumphed either. Honing your skills could only be helpful in avoiding future humiliation.
"I would be honored to exchange pointers." You offer.
"So formal!" Sun Feng chuckles. "Well, come on then." You follow him up the stairs as he heads up to the deck.
Physical Prowess 3 + Close Combat 0 (Unarmed 1) + 2 Sparring Bonus = 6d10
7 9 10 8 8 2 = 6 Successes!
3 4 4 4 1 2 = 0 Successes!
10 2 2 9 8 5 = 4 Successes!
3 6 6 9 4 6 = 1 Success!
As you look around, a sun-beaten woman with short-cropped hair hefts a belaying pin in one hand and a gaff in the other, while a tall, sun-haired man with a scar nearly bisecting his face hoists some kind of bladed staff. The two leap onto a set of ropes strung between two posts on the deck. You can barely take in their movements as their feet dance on the ropes in the dark, not having to look downward to confirm their footing and finding no apparent difficulty in keeping themselves upright.
You swallow slightly. Are you expected to fight like that?
Sun Feng chuckles at your worried expression. "Maybe we'll try something a little simpler for now. I know you've learned your way around our ship, but can you fight on it?" Without more than that token warning, he throws a punch.
Sun Feng clearly isn't fighting seriously, but even so, it's harder than it seems. The wood of the deck is wet and occasionally slippery, and the slightest wave makes the whole ship creak and roll underneath you. The Valiant Champion Style you've been taught relies on aggression, but that doesn't mean mindless aggression, not charging in and swinging wildly. The power you need comes from your feet - to lunge, you need to be able to push off the ground. To strike, you must put your weight at the end of a blow, which means that you must be properly rooted.
Still, you gained your sea legs the last time you were on the ship, and you pick up the tricks of fighting on a moving deck easily enough. You practice the forms and movements of the Valiant Champion Style with Sun Feng, who fights with an evasive style that seems to flow with your movements, making it difficult to line up a proper attack. The others join in too, without their weapons - the short-haired woman uses an acrobatic style involving quick, flashing kicks and the scarred man uses the reach of his long limbs combined with a lunging, striking style not dissimilar to your own.
The practice helps. While you haven't reached a breakthrough, you feel that you're approaching a threshold of improvement. And while it's clear that the crew's skills are superior to your own, they have an easy camaraderie and give the mildest words of judgment for when you err.
The night air is cool, and the breeze dries the sweat on your body as soon as it forms. Still, time and movement drain your energy and you eventually find yourself sitting and sipping at water with a touch of tart lemon juice, watching the movements of the crewmates. Still, even they slow soon enough - their bodies may be farther from mortal than your own, but they have been working at a higher intensity still.
It is not long before they are lying beside you, looking up at the stars. You sit with them in comfortable silence for a time, accompanied only by the rattle of sails and the straining of the ship's timbers.
The scarred man's face is sporting several new marks that are blossoming into bruises as you watch, but seems cheerful enough, nonetheless. He starts a conversation with Sun Feng about tasks that need to be done aboard the ship when they next reach port - you quickly gather that there are old arguments about replacing parts early for safety versus waiting longer to save on silvers. Not having much to add, you let the conversation roll over you, content in your silence.
However, eventually the blonde woman shifts across from you. "You are far from home, Lind Tallak." Her voice is oddly accented.
You nod, seeing no reason to dispute it. "My home is the North."
She nods in acceptance. "Be careful with that word, home. You may find it shifting underneath you. It is no bad thing. Once, my home was far from here as well. Now, my home is aboard a ship, eh? I carry it with me."
You contemplate that. It is no great shock to you, the idea that your absence from home was more permanent than it appeared. You could spend years at the sect. You could be out before the month is over. Still, contemplating it leaves a little feeling of sickness in your stomach.
No doubt you would have the option to return home at some point - to visit, or perhaps to stay. You do not know the sect's strictures, but surely, they would not bind you to their lands forever without warning you first. But was returning there to live even what you would want? You have already tasted the world outside the frozen north, and already found wonders you would never have seen if you had limited yourself.
What kind of life did you wish to live?
[] You want to be famous. You want your name to be one that people write legends about.
[] A simple life, back home, becoming the protector and guardian of your village, hunting the monsters and beasts once beyond your reach.
[] Cultivation is a mountain, and you want to climb to the very top. The power of godhood is not beyond your grasp, should your reach grow far enough.
[] There is much that is wrong in the world. You will make of your life a battle against those wrongs.
[] The future is nebulous, the now is what is important. Experiences, simple joys and real pleasures, be they friendships or food or fine things, they are what you desire.
[] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
[] Write-in
"I would be honored to exchange pointers." You offer.
"So formal!" Sun Feng chuckles. "Well, come on then." You follow him up the stairs as he heads up to the deck.
Physical Prowess 3 + Close Combat 0 (Unarmed 1) + 2 Sparring Bonus = 6d10
7 9 10 8 8 2 = 6 Successes!
3 4 4 4 1 2 = 0 Successes!
10 2 2 9 8 5 = 4 Successes!
3 6 6 9 4 6 = 1 Success!
As you look around, a sun-beaten woman with short-cropped hair hefts a belaying pin in one hand and a gaff in the other, while a tall, sun-haired man with a scar nearly bisecting his face hoists some kind of bladed staff. The two leap onto a set of ropes strung between two posts on the deck. You can barely take in their movements as their feet dance on the ropes in the dark, not having to look downward to confirm their footing and finding no apparent difficulty in keeping themselves upright.
You swallow slightly. Are you expected to fight like that?
Sun Feng chuckles at your worried expression. "Maybe we'll try something a little simpler for now. I know you've learned your way around our ship, but can you fight on it?" Without more than that token warning, he throws a punch.
Sun Feng clearly isn't fighting seriously, but even so, it's harder than it seems. The wood of the deck is wet and occasionally slippery, and the slightest wave makes the whole ship creak and roll underneath you. The Valiant Champion Style you've been taught relies on aggression, but that doesn't mean mindless aggression, not charging in and swinging wildly. The power you need comes from your feet - to lunge, you need to be able to push off the ground. To strike, you must put your weight at the end of a blow, which means that you must be properly rooted.
Still, you gained your sea legs the last time you were on the ship, and you pick up the tricks of fighting on a moving deck easily enough. You practice the forms and movements of the Valiant Champion Style with Sun Feng, who fights with an evasive style that seems to flow with your movements, making it difficult to line up a proper attack. The others join in too, without their weapons - the short-haired woman uses an acrobatic style involving quick, flashing kicks and the scarred man uses the reach of his long limbs combined with a lunging, striking style not dissimilar to your own.
The practice helps. While you haven't reached a breakthrough, you feel that you're approaching a threshold of improvement. And while it's clear that the crew's skills are superior to your own, they have an easy camaraderie and give the mildest words of judgment for when you err.
The night air is cool, and the breeze dries the sweat on your body as soon as it forms. Still, time and movement drain your energy and you eventually find yourself sitting and sipping at water with a touch of tart lemon juice, watching the movements of the crewmates. Still, even they slow soon enough - their bodies may be farther from mortal than your own, but they have been working at a higher intensity still.
It is not long before they are lying beside you, looking up at the stars. You sit with them in comfortable silence for a time, accompanied only by the rattle of sails and the straining of the ship's timbers.
The scarred man's face is sporting several new marks that are blossoming into bruises as you watch, but seems cheerful enough, nonetheless. He starts a conversation with Sun Feng about tasks that need to be done aboard the ship when they next reach port - you quickly gather that there are old arguments about replacing parts early for safety versus waiting longer to save on silvers. Not having much to add, you let the conversation roll over you, content in your silence.
However, eventually the blonde woman shifts across from you. "You are far from home, Lind Tallak." Her voice is oddly accented.
You nod, seeing no reason to dispute it. "My home is the North."
She nods in acceptance. "Be careful with that word, home. You may find it shifting underneath you. It is no bad thing. Once, my home was far from here as well. Now, my home is aboard a ship, eh? I carry it with me."
You contemplate that. It is no great shock to you, the idea that your absence from home was more permanent than it appeared. You could spend years at the sect. You could be out before the month is over. Still, contemplating it leaves a little feeling of sickness in your stomach.
No doubt you would have the option to return home at some point - to visit, or perhaps to stay. You do not know the sect's strictures, but surely, they would not bind you to their lands forever without warning you first. But was returning there to live even what you would want? You have already tasted the world outside the frozen north, and already found wonders you would never have seen if you had limited yourself.
What kind of life did you wish to live?
This vote is non-binding, and simply a question of what Lind's feelings are right now. What does he want out of his situation?
[] You want to be famous. You want your name to be one that people write legends about.
[] A simple life, back home, becoming the protector and guardian of your village, hunting the monsters and beasts once beyond your reach.
[] Cultivation is a mountain, and you want to climb to the very top. The power of godhood is not beyond your grasp, should your reach grow far enough.
[] There is much that is wrong in the world. You will make of your life a battle against those wrongs.
[] The future is nebulous, the now is what is important. Experiences, simple joys and real pleasures, be they friendships or food or fine things, they are what you desire.
[] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
[] Write-in
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
I haven't seen a wanderer themed character yet!
I haven't seen a wanderer themed character yet!
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] The future is nebulous, the now is what is important. Experiences, simple joys and real pleasures, be they friendships or food or fine things, they are what you desire.
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
He's still pretty young. He oughta go out and see all life has to offer
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
He's still pretty young. He oughta go out and see all life has to offer
DangerKitty
shoddy writter
- Location
- lala land
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
- Location
- United States
[X] The future is nebulous, the now is what is important. Experiences, simple joys and real pleasures, be they friendships or food or fine things, they are what you desire.
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
WhoTheHeckity
But no one ever asks HowTheHeckity
- Location
- Murica 🦅
[X] The future is nebulous, the now is what is important. Experiences, simple joys and real pleasures, be they friendships or food or fine things, they are what you desire.
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
Wistways
You friendly neighborhood artist
- Location
- Australia
Oooooo I love this. What to choose what to choose.
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
Mostly because I love a good chunk of world building and want to see more of it.
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
Mostly because I love a good chunk of world building and want to see more of it.
- Pronouns
- He/It/Argh!
In case people didn't realise what the effect was:
We almost got the Style up a level.
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
- Location
- United States
[X] You have seen the frozen mountains of home, you have seen the river delta of the golden reeds and are now sailing the sea at night. There's a world out there full of wonders you know nothing about. How would it feel to walk into a desert?
