I think the breakthrough bonuses should give something decent. Part of the reason to have a solid fondation is so that latter cultivation goes smother. imo it makes sense we get bonuses that help significantly in latter cultivation.
Achieving Green (1) itself might, or might not, give extra actions. here's for hoping it does
also is AC really part of our core ? i'm not sure i want to train that instead of ... a music support or AE art for exemple.
AC is a ramping DPS art for frontline combatants. If we like it's tertiary effects like armor break we can replace it with another art with those side effects that is better suited to us in general.
I'd rather get say +5 spiritual attack dice, or improved worms, or anything really... than get +1armor penetration or +1 multi attack bonus.
AC is of tertiary importance compared to what other support arts we could get that actually directly improves our main, or core, abilities.
It's +100% armor damage, which is pretty significant for us since we're not running an arm-centric armor-penetration build, but we do throw out a relatively high number of attacks per round once with Dissonance, summons, and our own attacks. Enemies have effectively halved armor duration.
As for the increased multi-attack penalty, it's the difference between giving all enemies in our mist turn 1 -4 to their defence and -6 to their defence. They can't save against it; the only defence is equipment or Arts that reduce that kind of penalty, or to not be in the mist when we're throwing out Diapason and Dissonance. -2 isn't a huge deal, but it adds up and makes other attacks just a bit more likely to land, including their debuffs.
Now, you're definitely right that we need to buff our own spiritual attack. If Diapason actually lands, then enemies are at -7 (with AC) when Dissonance comes around, which makes it more likely they'll take the -2 to physical defence, and so on and so on. The more our first round softens them up, the more relevant our worms are, and the more likely they can apply their own debuffs.
Dropping AC just isn't something we actually need to do at the moment though. Meridians aren't that scarce yet. Pushing it all the way to its 5th level is pretty iffy before the tournament though, yes. Even level 4 might not be in the cards.
As for the increased multi-attack penalty, it's the difference between giving all enemies in our mist turn 1 -4 to their defence and -6 to their defence. They can't save against it; the only defence is equipment or Arts that reduce that kind of penalty, or to not be in the mist when we're throwing out Diapason and Dissonance. -2 isn't a huge deal, but it adds up and makes other attacks just a bit more likely to land, including their debuffs.
I'd argue that training/talent could also impact a multi attacker penalty, I mean, do you really REALLY wanna fight Himura Kenshin with a bunch of dudes at once?(spoiler, you don't)
"Good of you to join us Miss Ling!" Gan Guangli boomed cheerfully. He stood flanked by two other disciples boys wearing the bands of enforcers, who stood at stiff attention behind him. "With your skills, the raiding scum has no chance of escape!"
Ling Qi eyed their surroundings carefully. They were perched on a narrow ledge halfway up a steep rock face, with the Ma Sisters and her, there would be barely any room to move about up here. "Thank you for the invitation?" She replied politely, a little unsure of the proper responses in this scenario. "I'm sure you could have managed without me," she added, it seemed right. "Were you really only going to do this with three people if I didn't come?"
"I had intended a larger cohort, but with you and your escorts joining us, I deemed it wasteful to pull more from their duties," Guangli replied resolutely. "The bandit Ji Rong travels with but a handful on his raids, and too many would risk detection besides."
"That's who we're hitting, huh?" Ling Qi mused, peering down the cliffside, she supposed they would ambush them when they passed below. "That makes sense," she said aloud. "But… how are we going to get the drop on them? Ji Rong has pretty sharp senses, and…" she gestured vaguely at the tall muscular and singularly unstealthy boy.
She studiously ignored the stifled sound of amusement from Ma Lei. Gan Guangli simply grinned though and plucked a small gourd that had been dangling from his belt, raising it for her inspection. "Sir Xuan has seen fit to solve that problem for us. The villains will never see the first blows coming!"
Ling Qi blinked and accepted the gourd, peering inside. There were a series of carved wooden stakes. Removing one, her eyes widened. She could just make out its function. As Guangli had implied, the four stakes would create a field between them which concealed utterly any living things within. It's working were hidden from her though, the character arrangements seeming like indecipherable gibberish to her eyes. "That guy really doesn't do half measures, does he?" She mused. "Is that the whole plan then? We just wait for them to pass by and jump down?"
"Yes," Gan Guangli replied grinning. "There is no need for complex planning in this case. I would have you support we close range fighters from above and prevent any attempts at escape. With any luck, that Ji Rong can be greatly weakened or even put down in our opening move," he continued, gesturing to the sparsely wooded terrain below. "Of course, I welcome discussion of the particulars."
Hashing out the details of their exact plan of action took a bit of time, but soon enough Gan Guangli received a message from Fu Xiang indicating that they needed to activate the formation. The array Xuan Shi had crafted traded a short duration for potency, so their timing needed to be exact. The Ma Sisters and Guangli's helpers took care of the activation, while she and Guangli kept watch on the trees below, waiting for their prey to arrive
Ji Rong was the first one that she spotted, walking cockily out in front of the three other boys with him. Despite that he looked alert and ready for trouble, his aura felt charged, like the air before a thunderstorm. His companions were less disciplined, joking and bragging among themselves. None of the other three cought Ling Qi's eye, two mid yellows and a low, without any equipment or quirks to their qi which caught her eye. One of the two mid yellows was wind element though. SHe'd keep an eye on him to ensure that he didn't do something to help the others escape.
Ling Qi was well aware of just how fast the wind could carry you after all.
She stilled as Ji Rong's eyes passed over the ledge they were crouched on, but there was no recognition, not even a twitch in his qi indicating that he had noticed them. Around her, she felt her allies activating combat arts. The faint chiming of bells filled the air, and clay armor flowed across Ma Lei's arms and chest. Guangli's armor took on a brilliant shine even as he began to grow, crowding the already narrow ledge, even as his guards charged their weapons, a spear and a bow with fire and wind respectively.
Ling Qi simply breathed out as she expressed her bow, the edges of her gown gleaming a vibrant emerald, which spread, forming a shell of bark textured light over her. The glow spread to Guangli and Ma Lei as well, it was a high cost, but it would make bolster the twos already impressive defenses for when they jumped down.
She drew back her bow as the armor finished forming and the wind kicked up around her feet, rising to circle around her arrow as she drew it back, aimed right at Ji Rong's shoulder. She glanced at Guangli as he loomed beside her, crouched at the edge of the cliff, his face concealed by his gleaming helm. They passed below, and he nodded.
Ling Qi let loose, the wind howling around her companions, urging them to strike in unison. Ji Rong jerked in surprise the moment the arrow shattered their concealment, and though brilliant lightning immediately burst from his channels shrouding him in light, it wasn't enough. The arrow struck home, causing him to jerk as his defenses failed to absorb the full power of the shot.
Ma Lei and the spear wielding guard leaped down barely a fraction of a second later, Ji Rong juked away from their weapons, ducking Ma Lei's mace even as he twisted away from the other boys spear, it's fire wreathed head grazing along his side. In the wake of the alarm and noise from below the first notes of a sleepy, relaxing tune began to play beside her, and Ling Qi felt the soporific qi latch onto the enemies below, draining away qi and making limbs and eyelids heavy. Even Ji Rong's corruscating aura dimmed for a moment, opening him to another wind wreathed arrow from the second of Guangli's subordinates.
Of course, all those attacks were swiftly forgotten as a great shadow fell over him and his raiders. Ji Rong barely had a moment to straighten up before Guangli's armored boots slammed down onto his shoulders driving the glowing boy straight into the ground with a thunderous crack that rocked and split the earth, unnatural shockwaves tearing up the soil and flinging his allies away to impact against rocks and trees.
That was Ling Qi's signal to begin the next phase, she dropped her bow and expressed her flute, leaping numbly down the cliffside as she began to play, mist blossoming rapidly outward to consume the battlefield. Ma Jun's chiming bells amplified her power further, and she felt the sense altering effect of her mist settle over the three boys who were rapidly scrambling back to their feet. They wouldn't be running away easily.
A moment later she found her attention pulled back to the main fight as the ground exploded with light, muted by her mist. Gan Guangli was shoved backward by a shockwave of qi, as Ji Rong tore himself from the impact crater with a furious roar. His hair stood on end, bleached and white in the light of crackling electricity pouring off of him in sheets.
He launched himself at Guangli, fist outstretched and the giant boy, now standing just over three meters in height met him head on. The sound of his fist striking Gan Guangli's breastplate was a like a temple gong, and the crack of thunder nearly deafened her, but Gan Guangli was not moved an inch, the flickering green of the armor she had given him holding.
"Not enough Bandit!" Guangli shouted, laughing as he brought his huge spike covered fists down in a two handed hammerstrike. Ji Rong darted back, flinching as the shockwave tore up his footing further, leaving him vulnerable to the probing attacks of their other melee fighters. Ling Qi felt the other raiders activating arts as well, charging into the fray to help, but Guangli ignored them, his armor more than up to the task. The wind natured boy was amore troublesome, a bolstering wind sweeping across the battlefield and speeding his allies movements.
Ling Qi had a solution though, and soon a sad, mournful elegy began to play, and the boy was lost, without an ally in his sight.
It ended quickly after that. Ji Rong thrashed fought like a wild beast, but the initial strike had drained him too much, and he had no chance to recover with so many others tearing at the edges of his defenses.
The raiders were soon facedown in the dirt, unconscious and quickly bound. Sun Liling wouldn;t recover easily from this. Ji Rong and Kang Zihao were really her only major supporters, aside from Lu Feng.
Ling Qi was also pleased to be the proud owner of a higher quality storage ring. It had nearly twice the space of her old one!
+80 Red Stones
Gained Lesser Storage Ring(18 slots)
Ally combatants
Ling Qi
Gan Guanli
Ma Lei
Ma Jun
Guard 1, Guard 2
Enemy Combatants
Ji Rong
Sword Goon
Axe Goon
Buff Goon
Surprise Set up Round
Ling Qi activates Hundred Ring Defense on self Gan Guangli and Ma Jun
45/62
Guard 1 and Guard 2 activate physical buff arts
Ma Lei activates Terra Cotta Guard
Ma Jun activates Autumnal Chord
+2 to Musical arts and spiritual defenses, one free dispel attempt each turn for three turns
Gan Guangli activates Valor of Iron
Ji Rong
25 dice-Multi 5, -Sleep 2. 18 dice
9 5 9 9 6 8 7 8 3 6 7 8 7 5 4 1 9 1. 10 successes
2 damage+4 encircling Winds+3 bonus from technique
1 negated by armor.
20/58 qi
2 damage dealt to all enemies within fifteen meters
Their counter raid, combined with several smaller ones targeting the Sun Princesses remaining followers, proved to be the breaking point. The fortress on the cliffs closed, and raids on the enforcers stopped, Sun Liling's few followers seeming to enter a fully defensive mindset.
This freed Ling Qi to focus on her tutoring and cultivation, which was a good thing for Ling Qi. Bian Ya was certainly not a bad tutor, and she was friendly enough, even if her spirit beast was not, but her insights were clearly focused on the manipulation of wood qi. To her, wind was secondary, combining with Wood to form the concept of 'Dispersal'
Ling Qi could understand the older girls understanding of the combined element, and the exercises in maintaining flows of wood qi disconnected from her channels, attached only by threads of wind, were certainly helpful in advancing her understanding of her sole wood art.
It was less directly useful in her practice with the Falling Stars art, but eventually, she reached an understanding. Wind, or rather air was not simply freedom and motion, it was also a thing of connections. Wind lay between earth and heaven, and touched all things. With this understanding, the final technique of the Falling Stars art was unlocked, and she gained mastery of the art.
She parted ways with her tutor on good enough terms, though she couldn't really say that she had connected to the older girl. She reminded Ling Qi of Xiulan in many ways, and while Xiulan was her friend… That had taken a great deal of work and shared troubles.
Rerolling 7
2 9 4 3 8 6 2. 4 successes. 49 total
106/100 Fifth Star Reached
6 to physical 68/180
Passives
-Reduces all environmental penalties to ranged attacks by five.
-Increase maximum range of bows by sixty meters
-Adds two point of armor penetration to all bow attacks
-Adds three die to the users pool for all bow attacks
Luminescent Star: o
Cost: 5 qi
Gathers and infuses elemental power into an arrow to be fired,adding five dice to the offensive clash and adding four additional damage on a successful hit. This additional damage may not be blocked by basic qi absorption.
Disruptive Star: oo
cost: 5 qi
A more complex technique, focusing on the heavenly aspect of the art, the user's arrow crackles with latent electricity and when it strikes home, disrupts the enemy's qi and nerves from the shock.Adds three dice to the offensive clash, and on hit halves enemy speed for two turns as well as forcing a four success resolve test. On failure the enemy loses the effects of their lowest ranked persistent technique.
Meteoric Shower: ooo
Cost 7 Qi
A honing of the archers ability to fire quickly, explosively increases the archers speed for handful of moments, allowing them to unleash a blindingly bright volley in the time of a single shot. Allows the archer to fire up to four arrows with a single clash at a penalty of four dice. Targets struck must succeed in a Wits test of two successes or be blinded. Successful attacks add one additional damage each, which may not be blocked by basic absorption.
Falling Star Shot: ooo
Cost 9 Qi
Infuses an arrow with the force of a heavenly bolt, in a display of raw power that crushes defense and leaves the target reeling. Adds seven dice to the users offensive clash, and deals four additional damage, as well as increasing the users DV by 2 for the purposes of this shot.This bonus damage cannot be blocked by qi negation. Cover and other obstacles do not grant bonuses to defense against this technique, as the arrow twists and weaves with the archers will. A full enclosure still prevents targeting.
Mastered
Still, she didn't spend all of her time on cultivation, though she wished she could, she had gotten nowhere with her questions about the fourth Argent Art, no one seemed to have a copy. Her study of imperial laws continued at a slow and grudging pace under Cai's strict tutelage.
Ling Qi grimaced as she set her brush down, peering down at the letter she had just finished. She had finally completed the proper forms, and now she was merely drafting the cover letter, requesting assistance from the local ministry head of Tonghou.
Leaning back in her seat, she scanned the letter, reviewing the line after line of pleasantry and formality. This was her third draft, this time free of ink smears or ill formed letters, as perfect as she could manage.
"It appears that your calligraphy was indeed at an acceptable level," She glanced up and back as Cai reached down to pluck the letter from the writing desk, scrutinizing it for errors. "You merely had to take your time."
Ling Qi restrained the urge to make a face at the heiress, her propriety worn thin by her recent efforts. It had taken a the better part of an hour to carefully draft the final copy of the letter, due to the girls insistence on perfection. Ling Qi hated to waste her time on something so pointless, but she supposed good draftsmanship would be the sort of thing needed to make a good impression on some high up legal official.
"I am just glad that this is all done," Ling Qi said aloud instead of speaking her less charitable thoughts. "Thank you though," she added more sincerely. "I do not want to think about how long it might have taken me to do this without your help."
"It was little trouble," Cai Renxiang replied, carefully folding her letter. "These are matters which you will require an understanding, if not mastery of," she continued as Ling Qi rose from her seat to follow the heiress out of the study and into the hall. "We all serve the Empire, it is foolish to not understand its underpinnings."
"I just wish those underpinnings were in good Imperial," Ling Qi grumbled. Half of her trouble had come from trying to parse the dense legal language everything was written in. "Your explanations are the only reason I ended up actually understanding what I read."
"It is an understandable trouble for a novice," the heiress replied as they moved toward the entrance. "I will send this on the morrow, with my recommendation attached, if you would like, I will review any response with you when it arrives."
"I think I would like that," Ling Qi replied as they reached the entryway. She turned as she passed the other girl, and offered a respectful bow. "Thank you for your time, and your help. I might not be very close to my Mother anymore... but I don't want to see her troubled."
She caught a flicker of... something in Cai Renxiang's eyes, but then the girl simply nodded, her expression remaining stern. "Duty to ones family surpasses all but loyalty to the empire. Your efforts are commendable, I am glad to aid them. Good fortune to you, Ling Qi."
Strength 18/20
Stamina 7/35
Intelligence 25/25 New dot gained
Wits 16/25
Resolve 1/35
Passives
-User gains a four die bonus to spiritual defences
-The user regains one qi per combat turn as long as an enemy has been wounded that turn
-The user gains a four die bonus to perception against any target touching the ground
-The user gains a stacking one die bonus to offensive clashes each time the user damages an enemy. Stacks decay after one turn. (Max 5)
-Constructs created by Abyssal Exhalation are unaffected by the negative aspects of Abyssal Exhalation techniques
Breath of Stygian Depths: oo
Cost 6 qi
The user exhales, expelling the hunger that lies within their soul into their surroundings. This qi takes the form of poisonous purple mist and stretches to encompass thirty meters around the user, reducing lighting to low. The user clashes with all targets within range with a two die bonus, on success, the target suffers a two die penalty to defenses for the turn and loses two qi. This effect repeats each turn for three turns after. In addition, all targets suffer one point of armor degradation per turn spent in the mist. The user may exclude a target from the mists effects for two additional qi per target.
Crawling Horror: ooo
Cost 10 Qi
Effect may only be used in low light or darkness. The user shapes their qi into the mold of the the things which crawl far below the earth. This wormlike creature forms within five meters of the user and acts last in the turn. The worm has four health boxes and six qi. It uses the user's attributes for defense and offense, with a seven die bonus to both pools, and use the techniques dots in place of a mastery. A worms melee attacks are DV 4, with one point of armor penetration. Targets struck by the worm are grappled, suffering a four die penalty to defense in addition to being unable to move until they break free. Up to one additional worm may be summoned for 6 additional qi. Worms count as Early Yellow/Silver combatants and last five turns, or until destroyed.
Third Breath 12/100
You have five major actions and three minor. However, I will allow up to two minor actions which are tied to major ones.
[] Train at the vent with Su Ling
-[] Any
[] Take a job
-[] Specify
[] Visit the Archive
-[] Search for a technique
-[] Study or improve formations
[] Explore and Train with Golden Fields
-[] Select an Art
[] Do a favor for Fu Xiang
-[] How Many(1,2,3)
[] Research Dragons, and how one might be appeased
[] Cultivate on your own
-[] Physical
-[] Spiritual
-[] Qi
-[] Meridian (which one?)
-[] Art(Which one?)
[] Attempt Breakthrough
[] Work on formations with Li Suyin, with the Vault Warriors mastered, you can delve more deeply into the Pale Manual
[] You never did get to go out have a night on the proverbial town with Xiulan, see if she's still up for that
[] Your feelings regarding Gu Tai are... conflicted, maybe you should speak with him a bit. You know where he is staying.
[] Invite Su Ling to join in and spar with the Ma Sisters. She could use some partners closer to her level, and more friends besides
[] Meizhen has been disappearing more often, she's even too busy to train this week. What is she up too?
[] Zhengui's pyre had begun to dim, shrinking no matter how much fuel you add. You should be there when he emerges
[] You've learned what you can from simply observing Cai Renxiang. Ask her about the capital and about herself
[] Speak with Han Jian, about Argent Storm and the Golden Fields. What is his home like?
[] Work to unlock the Puzzle Box
Tch oh well I guess no complete argent arts set for us I do wonder wher the hell the art is located though if Ji Rong does not have it hmm wait can we hire a tutor to teach us the last argent art?
[] Zhengui's pyre had begun to dim, shrinking no matter how much fuel you add. You should be there when he emerges
I think this is the only minor that is absolutely guaranteed to be in all plans...Besides the box, I guess? Though I don't see it and maybe it's a major.
[] Your feelings regarding Gu Tai are... conflicted, maybe you should speak with him a bit. You know where he is staying.
[] Speak with Han Jian, about Argent Storm and the Golden Fields. What is his home like?
I would like at least one of these, but would prefer both.
[] Meizhen has been disappearing more often, she's even too busy to train this week. What is she up too?
[] Work on formations with Li Suyin, with the Vault Warriors mastered, you can delve more deeply into the Pale Manual
[] You never did get to go out have a night on the proverbial town with Xiulan, see if she's still up for that
I expect at least two of these three to be in the final plan.
[] Invite Su Ling to join in and spar with the Ma Sisters. She could use some partners closer to her level, and more friends besides
This and formations with Suyin are probably the most contentious.
And I expect some contingent to push for another Cai action, of course...
There also seems to have the heart meridian action missing, and the beginning of the week's physical cultivation wasn t counted in the physical overflow from FSA (we should have 129? Before heart meridian).
Pale manual with Suyin:Maybe
Girls night out w/Xiulan:Maybe
Gu Tai: Bye Felicia, would be hard to convince me to vote for a plan with this dude in it. Maybe we could use him to work through our hangups and then toss him.
Su Ling and the Ma sisters: I like this one, works well tied to the vent. If they accompany us most of the time they've been to the vent anyway.
Meizhan: Probably, anyone remember how long it's been since our last Meizhan minor?
Zhengui: Will not vote for any plan that omits.
Cai: I like
Han Jian: Must take, because we need AS because GOTTA GO FAST.
[] Work on formations with Li Suyin, with the Vault Warriors mastered, you can delve more deeply into the Pale Manual
I'd like us to do that; although I could change my mind if an option to open the box gets added.
[] You never did get to go out have a night on the proverbial town with Xiulan, see if she's still up for that
We've waited too long already, I feel we should do this.
[] Your feelings regarding Gu Tai are... conflicted, maybe you should speak with him a bit. You know where he is staying.
I'm more tempted by the Golden Fields than by Cai's offer but I don't think we have time for this atm.
[] Invite Su Ling to join in and spar with the Ma Sisters. She could use some partners closer to her level, and more friends besides
It's a good idea although like the Li Suyin action I feel like that can be shelved if something more important is required.
[] Meizhen has been disappearing more often, she's even too busy to train this week. What is she up too?
I'm torn on this one. We should respect her privacy but that also looks important. Is that somehow related to our last conversation?
[] Zhengui's pyre had begun to dim, shrinking no matter how much fuel you add. You should be there when he emerges
YES WE NEED THAT
[] You've learned what you can from simply observing Cai Renxiang. Ask her about the capital and about herself
Meh.
[] Speak with Han Jian, about Argent Storm and the Golden Fields. What is his home like?
Han Jian is our friend yet most of our interactions with him are business-related. This one is no different but I'd like to get his take on his province and Argent Storm is a decent pick. Susu has grown on me but we have so catching up to do with our Golden Fields friends imo.
So I think we should go for Han Jian, Xiulan, Zenghui and the box if we can. Then either Suyin, Su ling or Meizhen (or a tutor if we can afford it).
1. TRF w/ GF
2. Stealth action
-a. Fu Xiang Favor (3)
3. Meridian
-a. Spine for TRF4? or did we do that this passing week
4. Job?
-a. Wolves (w/ who?)
5. lol I dunno I've lost track of the broader cultivation plan we had
-a. maybe an exploratory poke at breakthrough
-b. or the dragon action
[] Your feelings regarding Gu Tai are... conflicted, maybe you should speak with him a bit. You know where he is staying.
[] Speak with Han Jian, about Argent Storm and the Golden Fields. What is his home like?
[] Zhengui's pyre had begun to dim, shrinking no matter how much fuel you add. You should be there when he emerges
[] Work on formations with Li Suyin, with the Vault Warriors mastered, you can delve more deeply into the Pale Manual OR box if added
[] You never did get to go out have a night on the proverbial town with Xiulan, see if she's still up for that
there is a very obvious GF-tilt to this plan. I think if Cai camp can demand a Cai action a week for a while then one week heavily loaded towards my preferred option isn't too much to ask
Zhengui option has to be done. Also liking the Han Jian one, more because we haven't talked to him in ages than due to the art. Though I am still hoping that if we burn enough minors on him we can use him to get to Fang...
Xiulan minor also seems a good idea but I'm more interested in the MaSuMa option. Also not as opposed to the Meizhen minor as I was before. Before it seemed too meta to use the interlude to try and get in on the Renshu hunt but her missing training is a good enough IC reason to bring it up.
Nice update, thanks! Good to have the Super Saiyan confirmed too.
Zhengui is a must. We probably should talk with Meizhen if this side quest is eating into even her training. Well, that or she's avoiding Ling 'Greedy Girl' Qi. Either way, better to find out.
Xiulan hasn't had anyone to be friendly with for weeks now, so these three are my preference.
Is Ji Rong being held prisoner by Cai now? Something like how Kang Zihao was before the last thunderdome I would imagine.
Xuan Shi is going to be annoyed by having reduced reading time again.
Or is he actually looking forward to it, since he has an excuse to read now? After all, being a formations expert, he can do all the real work in advance, and thus can combine "passive oversight" with reading.
My preferred minors so far are the Su Ling/Ma twins, Xiulan, ZHENGUI, Han Jian and Li Suyin.
Edit: Answered. Hm. The puzzlebox is mighty tempting, although it isn't urgent. Stuck between that and Suyin option.
