- Location
- The Temple of the Winds
Look on the bright side: that gives you time to think of shop/jobs/art info posts updates.
Maybe some technical post on how crafting and custom orders works ?
Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
Maybe some technical post on how crafting and custom orders works ?
That sucks. I was in that position myself not too long ago and I gotta say that I prefer having ATT the only provider.
Clearly they can't see mountain Tai.
Welcome to me two weeks ago.
My House has sworn blood feud against the skulking wretches of Comcast and will reduce they and their heirs to serfs within the next thousand years
- Location
- Malaysia
Please send next chapter to me by origami paper bird. Will reimburse for expenses.
*Spits blood*
To be fair, Renshu (and other NPC) operate more on fluff than on crunch. So an art working for him isn't exactly evidence that it would work for us.
Heizui is only Appraisal level, not Foundation.
Thankfully, any member of such a group who is working with a Late Yellow cultivation would be suffering either -2 or -4 autos against us, depending on whether our Expression specialty applies. Makes it a lot harder to land a dispel.
- Location
- The Temple of the Winds
My headcanon is that mastered, or at least high level, AE gives Permanent Worms.
Maybe he even developed his own AE+ for the explicit purpose of summoning, strengthening, and even grow the worms.
Also worth keeping in mind the themes. The Abyssal Exhalation's themes are:
-Darkness - Desire
-Earth - Receptivity
-We know the worms are quite potent at breeding, enough that Renshu uses them to refine waste spirit beast meat into usable cores via breeding pits
-We also know the type of worms are associated with soil fertility locally.
Put it all together...they're basically PG13 Lust Worms
I personally suspect the capstone for that is not permanent worms, but worms that can spawn more worms from enemy qi.
Year 43, week 43, Part 3
-[X] Overflow to spiritual, vent drip to AC, Grinning Moon successes to PLR
-[X] Buy/use stuff
--[X] Use two YSS, two virtual YSS
--[X] Heavy Rains Pill (15 RSS), 10 Dice Wood Pills (30 RSS), 5 Dice Water Pills (10 RSS), 5 Dice Darkness Pills (15 RSS)
--[X] Monthly green stone from sect (200 RSS)
--[X] Total: 270 RSS, 2 YSS
-[X] (MAJOR) Mother
--[X] (minor) Mother
-[X] Train Music arts with Zeqing
--[X] (MAJOR) FSS
-[X] Cultivate in the White Room
--[X] (MAJOR) Open Lung Meridian
--[X] With Gu Xiulan
-[X] Cultivate with Cai Renxiang
--[X] (MAJOR) TRF
--[X] (minor) Well, you've taken the plunge, Cai's invited you out to train. Time to work on your understanding of her further
-[X] Go into the cavern, finish your quest
-[X] (minor) Continue training Zhengui in the Vale, and make sure to pay some attention to Zhen as well... maybe you can get Heizui to contribute?
-[X] (minor) Sixiang shouldn't be a problem for the moment, but you are interested. She said she was a muse after all, maybe she can help you improve your music?
-[X] (minor) Meet Gu Tai, and give him the polite refusal. It just wasn't going to happen
-[X] Buy/use stuff
--[X] Use two YSS, two virtual YSS
--[X] Heavy Rains Pill (15 RSS), 10 Dice Wood Pills (30 RSS), 5 Dice Water Pills (10 RSS), 5 Dice Darkness Pills (15 RSS)
--[X] Monthly green stone from sect (200 RSS)
--[X] Total: 270 RSS, 2 YSS
-[X] (MAJOR) Mother
--[X] (minor) Mother
-[X] Train Music arts with Zeqing
--[X] (MAJOR) FSS
-[X] Cultivate in the White Room
--[X] (MAJOR) Open Lung Meridian
--[X] With Gu Xiulan
-[X] Cultivate with Cai Renxiang
--[X] (MAJOR) TRF
--[X] (minor) Well, you've taken the plunge, Cai's invited you out to train. Time to work on your understanding of her further
-[X] Go into the cavern, finish your quest
-[X] (minor) Continue training Zhengui in the Vale, and make sure to pay some attention to Zhen as well... maybe you can get Heizui to contribute?
-[X] (minor) Sixiang shouldn't be a problem for the moment, but you are interested. She said she was a muse after all, maybe she can help you improve your music?
-[X] (minor) Meet Gu Tai, and give him the polite refusal. It just wasn't going to happen
"So, do you think I should be concerned?" Ling Qi asked, carefully balancing on her toes atop one of the thinnest pillars in Cai's training grounds. While this place wasn't specifically good for cultivating wood aspected qi, it's nature did provide a certain resistance that was useful for refining control.
"No, most likely not," Cai Renxiang replied. She was seated, cross legged on a much wider pillar, the wide blade of her saber laid across her knees. "While true feuds merit such concerns, it would be highly irregular for mere Sect competition to endanger outside parties," She continued, not opening her eyes nor moving a muscle. "Breaking the Sect's protection in such a way would demand a harsh response."
Ling Qi nodded, carefully threading qi up from her precariously balanced toes to slowly spin out into the many rings of her armor. It was slow going, fighting against the stony mountain qi that suffused this place. She had thought so, when reviewing the Sect's rules, of which there were rather more than first indicated, but it was good to receive confirmation. "I'm glad. I think I will still be adding more security to the house anyway."
"It cannot do harm," Cai Renxiang agreed. "However, in the future, unless you wish to walk the path of professional formations artist. You will want to contract such work out."
She narrowed her eyes, but simply huffed, knowing that the serious girl did not mean any insult to her skills. Ling Qi could admit that formations were more of a hobby than a serious part of her skillset at the moment. Well, making them anyway. She was quite good at breaking them, or so she thought. "Will I be troubled for what I did?" Ling Qi asked absently.
"Any who would begrudge you a filial greeting to your Mother will already have a low opinion of you do to your lack of pedigree," Cai replied bluntly, opening her eyes. "Simply be aware of such things, and act accordingly." She stood smoothly, her saber now grasped in her right hand. "Did your review of my tax collectors go well?"
Ling Qi nodded shallowly, as the dark green qi coalesced, a shell hovering just over her skin, patterned like ancient bark. "They never saw me," she replied cheerfully. "Well, they didn't recognize me anyway. Her skills at disguise had been left to rust somewhat, so it was good to get some practice. "Not that I mind, but that was kind of sudden, why did you decide to check in on them now?"
"It does officials well to inspected both openly and secretly," the heiress replied, running her finger along the blade of her saber. "It is one of the duties you will have in the future, as well."
Ling Qi hid the grimace that wanted to surface, and hopped over to a slightly wider pillar, where she could put both feet down. "Well, I wrote up what I saw, did you want that now?" That kind of thing was somewhat boring, she wasn't sure how she felt about having to spend time watching coin counting types do their thing… She knew what Cai would say though, if she didn't feel that doing a job herself was the best use of her time, she would just have to get a subordinate for it.
...And given her own still latent deception of the heiress, she would probably have to be careful with that.
"When we are finished here," Cai replied evenly. "Are your defenses prepared?"
Ling Qi felt the heavy wood natured qi thrumming along her spine, layers of defense spun in the air over her body, and nodded. Even then, being fully prepared for the exercise. It was difficult to fight her instinct to dodge when Cai's heavy saber crashed down on her like an avalanche. Even having prepared for it, she was forced to flex her knees, bending with the power of the blow as she caught it on her crossed forearms. The sharp report of the stone cracking under her feet rang in her ears as she pushed herself back, leaping to a thicker and sturdier pillar.
Cai didn't give her any reprieve though, and this time the edge of her blade burned with heavenly light, carving a blinding arc through the air as it struck her side. Eliciting a grunt of pain as it carved through her armor with a high pitched metallic shriek. It failed to draw blood though, even as it carved through the effects of Deepwood Vitality. Ling Qi moved the power behind the blow, letting it fling her a a few meters to the side to alight on another platform.
"Such a defense," Cai mused, standing with her blade in both hands on the pillar where Ling Qi had been standing. "One would not expect it of you."
"I might prefer to dodge, but I like being able to take a hit too," Ling Qi replied, renewing her defensive arts, feeling her way toward the refinements that would carry her to the next level of mastery. She was still a survivor at heart she supposed, whatever other trappings she might have picked up.
"An admirable view," Cai acknowledged. "If one has the dedication to cultivate both. Allow me to apologize for underestimating your ability," for a wonder, there was a note genuine contriteness in the other girls voice. Somehow, Ling Qi didn't find it comforting though. They were both limiting themselves, Ling Qi to defense and her Argent arts, and Cai solely to her saber arts, but…
Cai Renxiang blurred in her vision, and Ling Qi flung herself to the side as the white gowned heiress crashed down on her position, splitting the top of the pillar in twain under the force of her strike. Ling Qi raised her arms into the stance of the Argent Storm, as rock tumbling down into the water below, and Cai's blazing saber carved an arc of molten light through the air toward her side. Even under all of her defenses, the power of the blow send a jolt of pain up her arm as she deflected it, and struck out with her free hand, a boom of thunder accompanying the blow.
She struck Cai just below the ribs, and winced as she felt her knuckles bruise. She may as well have punched a solid block of steel. She had only a moment to react as Cai turned her deflection into a spinning chop, her long hair fanning out behind her as Ling Qi was once again forced to cross her arms in a hard double block. She felt bruises forming across her forearms as she was flung downward, cracking the side of the pillar her feet impacted against as she caught herself. A few graceful leaps between pillars carried her back to the top, where Cai waited patiently for her.
Her arms already felt like jelly, Ling Qi noted with a grimace. Still, this was only a spar, so her liege waited patiently as she caught her breath. "You know," Ling Qi said, shaking her right arm to return feeling to her hands. "Why is it that you're the one of only disciple I've seen with a saber? It sure seems effective," she grumbled, Su Ling used one... and Fan Yu she supposed, but no one else she remembered.
"The straight sword is considered the more noble weapon, complex and elegant, beautiful in motion," Cai Renxiang replied serenely, the light behind her sparkling pleasantly. Ling Qi thought she was enjoying this. "While the single edged blade is a commoners weapon, simple and wild, unrefined in it's arts," she flicked the curved saber in her left hand, flinging the rock dust that had accumulated on its gleaming surface away. "My honored Mother disagrees with that notion, that there can be no beauty or depth to the saber's motion," Cai continued, bringing her hands back together in her two handed starting stance. "She is correct in this, I think."
Cai's motions didn't have Meizhen's sinuous grace or Sun Liling's light, frenetic motion, but Ling Qi could see her point. Her attacks brought to mind an avalanche that she had watched from a high cliff with Zeqing, the unstoppable flow of tonnes of snow and rock rumbling downward. "Well, I can hardly disagree, melee weapons are not my strong point," Ling Qi replied lightly.
Cai inclined her head fractionally. "Your skill at archery should be sufficient to silence detractors in that regard, You will want to reach at least a mortal's mastery in a weapon for the future though, as a matter of status," she said without recrimination. "Are you prepared to continue?"
Ling Qi nodded, resuming a fighting stance. "Yeah, you can go a little harder though," she knew she would regret those words, but Meizhen had shown her that she grew the quickest when fear was in her thoughts.
"...I see," Cai Renxiang said thoughtfully. "Very well, I will cease holding back."
Talent 6 + YSS 35 + Renxiang 5 + Mystic Vale 9 + Pills 10 + Spine 4 + Heart 10 + Zhengui 10 = 89 dice.
9 10 5 5 9 9 3 6 1 5 8 10 2 4 4 5 2 8 6 10 2 4 3 7 4 9 1 3 2 2 9 2 3 5 6 1 3 10 8 3 5 5 4 8 8 7 2 1 7 9 1 8 4 5 4 9 3 6 3 6 9 1 9 1 5 5 3 7 4 10 1 10 4 7 7 3 3 10 4 9 8 4 8 1 10 4 1 2 9. 51 successes
Rerolling 10
3 6 9 3 9 5 9 9 6 10. 3 successes. 54 total
108/300
5 domain experience(+7 for FSS, forgotten last week)
30/200
9 10 5 5 9 9 3 6 1 5 8 10 2 4 4 5 2 8 6 10 2 4 3 7 4 9 1 3 2 2 9 2 3 5 6 1 3 10 8 3 5 5 4 8 8 7 2 1 7 9 1 8 4 5 4 9 3 6 3 6 9 1 9 1 5 5 3 7 4 10 1 10 4 7 7 3 3 10 4 9 8 4 8 1 10 4 1 2 9. 51 successes
Rerolling 10
3 6 9 3 9 5 9 9 6 10. 3 successes. 54 total
108/300
5 domain experience(+7 for FSS, forgotten last week)
30/200
Site Acquired
Dawn Pillars: A field of tall pillars of regenerating stone, suspended over clear water. Provides seven bonus dice toward Heaven and Mountain Arts, and five bonus successes toward qi.
That set the tone for her training that week, between hard sessions with Cai, and increasingly strict lessons with Zeqing, who seemed to regard her growing mastery with a sliver of pride that only made her an even harder taskmistress. Ling Qi found her singing abilities growing quickly under Zeqing's effort, and though she couldn't match the snow woman's haunting, heart stirring voice, she knew that she was probably better than a mortal could hope to be at this point.
In her rest periods, she made sure to continue visiting her Mother regularly, helping her settle into her knew home. There were some moments of awkwardness, when Ling Qi displayed inhuman ability… entering via a second floor window, hefting an entire wardrobe without strain, and other such things. It was so easy to forget the limits of what a mortal could do, after spending most of a year immersed in cultivation. Taking little Biyu for a short flight probably didn't do her Mother's heart much good either, even if the little girl had been overjoyed.
She would be more careful in the future.
White Room 30 + YSS 35 + Lan Lan 5 + Pills 6 + Larceny 5 = 81 + 11 autos (Talent 6, Bronze 5)
3 1 7 1 6 1 10 6 9 4 8 2 3 7 6 3 6 5 9 6 3 6 6 4 6 9 1 10 3 5 3 5 7 9 8 2 1 7 9 2 2 8 5 4 6 1 9 2 7 7 9 9 4 4 3 9 2 3 1 4 9 3 1 5 3 8 9 3 6 7 6 7 5 1 10 10 1 8 3 7 6. 40 successes
Rerolling 9
4 2 3 7 7 2 9 4 9. 5 successes. 11 auto. 56 total
56/32 New Meridian open!
247/1200
3 1 7 1 6 1 10 6 9 4 8 2 3 7 6 3 6 5 9 6 3 6 6 4 6 9 1 10 3 5 3 5 7 9 8 2 1 7 9 2 2 8 5 4 6 1 9 2 7 7 9 9 4 4 3 9 2 3 1 4 9 3 1 5 3 8 9 3 6 7 6 7 5 1 10 10 1 8 3 7 6. 40 successes
Rerolling 9
4 2 3 7 7 2 9 4 9. 5 successes. 11 auto. 56 total
56/32 New Meridian open!
247/1200
Another relaxing session in the White Room was enough to unseal another of her meridians, and ensure that she could have Zeqing's art available at all times as well, Ling Qi was feeling more confident in her abilities than ever.
Which made things with Zhengui a bit frustrating.
"Don't wanna practice anymore," Gui muttered rebelliously, scuffing at the grass with one of his front limbs. "It's boring, Big Sister, can't we do something fun?"
"Hmph, Lazy Gui is right," Zhen hissed, looking incredibly bored, and maybe a bit hungry. "For once."
Over the course of the week, Ling Qi had found her spirits cultivation plateauing. With all of his basic abilities worked out, there was only the long haul of polishing his abilities a little bit at a time, and Ling Qi was being swiftly reminded that Zhengui really was a child still. It didn't help that he was surrounded by tasty things he couldn't sample in the Vale. Still, this was the first time he had really defied her like this.
"It might be boring, but it's important," Ling Qi scolded, looking down on Zhengui with her best disappointed expression, the way Zeqing did when Hanyi was slacking off. "Didn't you say you wanted to be able to protect me?" She asked.
"But Gui is already tough and strong!" the tortoise protested, craning his neck to look up at her.
"And Zhen's Fang's are sharp! Big Sister should hunt with us instead," Zhen added.
It really was odd, they were both positively rebellious. Ling Qi narrowed her eyes, studying the young spirit and the emotions she could feel through their bond, there was more to this. "...Zhengui, are you jealous?"
Gui shuffled his feet, looking shamed, but Zhen met her eyes definitely, sparks dancing in the air around his flickering tongue. "Big Sister does not need to play with the Ugly River Eel. Big Sister should play with Zhengui."
Ling Qi's eyebrow twitched as she heard the rumbling of the water in the river behind her. She spun around, jabbing a finger in the direction of the looming reptilian beast rising from the waters. "Do not even start," she said flatly.
"You expect me to simply accept such an insult?" Heizui scoffed, looking down at her. "There are limits to my hospitality, human!"
"He is a child," Ling Qi replied flatly, not letting her gaze waver, though she did prepare herself to defend if necessary. "Is your pride truly so fragile?"
"Zhen is not a child!" the ashen serpent hissed back petulantly, making Ling Qi frown more deeply.
"You see, the little worm is an adult, let him speak his insults without clutching your skirts, human," Heizui replied smugly.
"You will both stop," Ling Qi snapped, turning back to face Zhengui, shooting the dragon a dirty look. "Gui, I am disappointed in both of you. I worked hard to give you the opportunity to train here, you are going to make your Big Sister sad if you waste the chance." The tortoise looked down, chastised. "Zhen, do you think I will be happy if you start a fight you cannot win?"
"Zhen can…" the serpent began, affronted.
"You can't," Ling Qi replied bluntly. "Heizui is nearly as a strong as me," it was a little satisfying, watching the smug expression the dragon had developed since she began scolding Zhengui sour. "Do you think you can beat your Big Sister?"
Zhen still looked defiant for a moment, but then his head drooped, and his gaze went to the side. "...No."
"Then you both need to keep working hard," Ling Qi said, crossing her arms. "You are going to have to help me fight many strong opponents. I do not want you to get hurt, so you need to toughen yourself, if you do want to do fun things, you will just have to make progress, won't you?"
"Sorry Big Sister," they said together, she detected only minimal sulkiness. If he worked hard for the rest of the week she would have to give him a break to do something fun though.
She turned back to Heizui as the two of them got back to their training. "And you," she said, glaring up at the dragon. "Do you not have anything better to do? You aren't going to get stronger by lazing around, staring at Zhengui and I."
"I am ensuring the little glutton does not damage anything," Heizui scoffed, sinking back down into the water.
Ling Qi gave him an unimpressed look. "I am sure," she replied blandly. "Zhengui is a good boy, and I am here. You should stop slacking off," it was a bit of work keeping her speech more formal, but it was good practice she supposed.
"You speak as if you are not doing the same. Do you not owe me a song, human?" Heizui shot back, baring his fangs at her.
"Which I will give you later," Ling Qi replied. "And my name is Ling Qi, there is no need to speak to me that way," she raised her chin a bit, to give the impression of looking down on him. "If you want to hang around, you can at least contribute. Zhengui could use something to defend against."
"Oh?" Heizui replied imperiously. "Not afraid that I would hurt the precious little child?" Ling Qi saw Zhen twitch, but her spirit didn't speak up beyond some low grumbling.
"I trust that you would be reasonable, or I would have to tell your Mother that you are bullying children instead of training," it was a bluff, she could give a message to Zeqing, but she had no idea if the elder dragon would even care.
Heizui sank back into the river with a grumble, and Ling Qi simply shrugged, turning back to Zhengui, her own mastery of Thousand Ring fortress was useful in instructing him on improving his defenses.
By the next days session, her efforts bore fruit, and the young dragon deigned to join for a bit. He seemed to enjoy irritating Zhen, and Ling Qi didn't see a reason to stop it. Heizui's provocations had gotten Zhen worked up and cultivating hard after all. Gui's determination was quieter, but after the first time the dragon bowled him over with minimal effort, he doubled down on his training as well.
Cultivation
Mid Yellow(5)
Mid Silver(5)
Physical
Strength: oooo->o
Dexterity: oo
Stamina: ooooo o
Mental
Intelligence: ooo
Wits: oooo
Resolve: ooooo->o
Social
Presence: ooo
Manipulation: oo
Composure: oooo
Advantages
Health:
[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Qi: 40->45
Speed: 18
Initiative: 13
Armor: 5->7 (15/15)
Skills
Athletics: ooooo->o
Stealth: ooo
Survival: ooooo
Empathy: ooo
Intimidate: ooo
Masteries:
Natural Weapons: oooo->o
Power: oooo
Toughness: ooooo->o
Resilience: oooo->o
Weapons:
Gui Chomp: DV 3
Zhen Bite: DV 4->5.
Mid Yellow(5)
Mid Silver(5)
Physical
Strength: oooo->o
Dexterity: oo
Stamina: ooooo o
Mental
Intelligence: ooo
Wits: oooo
Resolve: ooooo->o
Social
Presence: ooo
Manipulation: oo
Composure: oooo
Advantages
Health:
[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
Qi: 40->45
Speed: 18
Initiative: 13
Armor: 5->7 (15/15)
Skills
Athletics: ooooo->o
Stealth: ooo
Survival: ooooo
Empathy: ooo
Intimidate: ooo
Masteries:
Natural Weapons: oooo->o
Power: oooo
Toughness: ooooo->o
Resilience: oooo->o
Weapons:
Gui Chomp: DV 3
Zhen Bite: DV 4->5.
Once the rest of her affairs were settled for the week Ling Qi, turned her focus once again toward the quest she had received from the New Moon. Her progress through the twisted and blighted terrain went much more quickly this time. As distorted as the paths were, they were at least static, allowing her to progress much more quickly than she had the week before.
Soon, she was back outside of the cave entrance where she had left off. After inspecting the bare stone of the cave mouth for formations or traps, Ling Qi slipped inside, merging with the shadows that lined the interior
Dex 6 + Stealth 6 + Speciality 1 + Passives 0 + Equip 8 (Robe 4+ Slippers 2 + Band of Occulision 2) + Buff 4 (EPC 4) + 2 autos (SCS)= 25 dice +9 autos.
8 10 10 3 6 3 1 2 6 8 7 2 10 4 10 2 3 5 7 2 1 2 8 5 7. 10 successes. 19 total
Roll 2
7 4 6 9 10 3 2 4 7 3 8 10 1 8 10 2 9 8 1 2 7 10 10 1 7. 14 successes. 23 total
Investigation
Int+Inv+mirror=12 dice. 7 auto
4 5 7 3 8 3 10 1 10 7 2 7. 6 successes. 13 auto
8 10 10 3 6 3 1 2 6 8 7 2 10 4 10 2 3 5 7 2 1 2 8 5 7. 10 successes. 19 total
Roll 2
7 4 6 9 10 3 2 4 7 3 8 10 1 8 10 2 9 8 1 2 7 10 10 1 7. 14 successes. 23 total
Investigation
Int+Inv+mirror=12 dice. 7 auto
4 5 7 3 8 3 10 1 10 7 2 7. 6 successes. 13 auto
The tunnels of black rock that bored deep into the core of the mountain were no less twisted and broken than the outside. Here though, the pallor of death hung more heavily. A constant susurrus of sound assaulted her senses, a million tiny voices buzzing like a vast swarm of insects, rendering whatever they were saying unintelligible. It quickly grew bad enough that she pulled her flute and called her mist, wrapping herself in a cloak of loneliness and solitude to hold back the incessant weight of the voices.
She was glad she did, too, as she proceeded deeper, the caverns came to life with great blooms of fungus and lichen clinging to the damp rock, and every damp, clammy breeze carried with it deep green, almost black clouds of spores. The shadowy hunger of her mist took on a matching form to keep it out, a million black insectile speckles buzzing through the mist, devouring the spores before they could reach her. Ling Qi continued on though, following the circuitous paths deeper into the mountain. Several times, she encountered man made gates, built into the side of the tunnel, shattered and broken, the formations carved upon them beyond repair, but it did make her feel like she was traveling in the right direction.
Finally though after hours of painstaking spelunking, and sneaking silently past the lumbering fungal creatures that stalked the ways, Ling Qi reached the bottom.
The tunnel she had crept down came to an end at the shore of a lake of viscous black fluid. It wasn't water, Ling Qi was sure enough of that. It was utterly opaque, and glimmered strangely under the faint light of glowing lichen that coated the ceiling. It formed a wide lake stretching away in both directions. Several meters away, an island of stone rose from the black muck. It was littered with bones, carpeting the ground such that there was nothing visible beneath the yellowed carpet of human remains.
She thought they were human anyway, the skulls visible seemed strangely shaped. They didn't hold her attention though. In the center of the island was a single corpse, seated on a twisted throne of rotten wood. Roots and branches speared their way between bones and intertwined with mummified flesh, and black flowers bloomed from empty eye sockets. The corpse was taller than a normal man, even sitting down, and a pair of pronged, branching horns sprouted from its forehead. A glimmering viridian spear taller than Ling Qi, was planted in the rock and bones to its right.
Most importantly, she could see the source of the black liquid. It seeped slowly from beneath the tattered lower of the open chested robe the corpse wore, running sluggishly downhill into the pool. More than anything she saw with her physical sight though, what Ling Qi could feel through her spiritual senses brought her up short. The fluid was liquid darkness, purer than the qi flowed in her meridians, cloaking her from sight. It was a sucking, hungry void drinking in even the simple qi of air and rock. The island beyond though… she couldn't look at it for long. The fractal web of twisted energies she saw there made her head pound after only a few seconds of viewing.
Looking away from it, however, drew Ling Qi's attention to something rather newer, a shining plaque of steel laid into the floor just a short distance from the shore of the 'lake'
Alone, even the strongest foundation crumbles.
Brave Disciple, treasures lie in the darkness, yet beyond lies only death.
Know thy limits, and let not greed be your end.
Ling Qi couldn't help but smile, it seemed even a place like this was known to the Sect. The small part of her excited by the discovery of something new was a little disappointed, but she supposed it was silly to expect the Sect not to know of any major sites on their land. They probably exploited it for treasure materials themselves, and by discovering it, she earned the right to take a few. Still, she couldn't help but wonder. Crouching down, Ling Qi picked up a stone, and gently tossed it across the lake.
The moment it crossed into the broken field of qi that covered the island, the stone exploded into powder. No, more accurately, it aged. In the fraction of a second that she had to watch it, she had seen pockmarks and cracks forming at impossible speed across the rock.
Which left the lake she supposed, as the plaque said. Expressing from her ring a small tree branch she had taken from outside for just this kind of purpose, she prodded at the liquid, and noted the way that the bark came away withered and gray. As she thought, it drank in Qi and vitality.
She would only get a few tries to grab something out, however… there were signs of where the treasure lay, places where the smooth surface of the liquid was troubled it's flow diverted by objects beneath the surface.
In the end though, all she could do was guess.
-Adds twenty dice to Spiritual Cultivation until Green Appraisal(8)
-Adds fifteen dice to Physical cultivation up until Bronze Appraisal(8)
-Adds fifteen dice to the cultivation of all Yin aspected Arts
-Adds ten dice to the cultivation of Moon natured arts
-Grants the user a two 'virtual' stones of up to Yellow grade per week
-Allows the user to bind spirits of up to Grade three
-User receives 15 successes toward increasing qi each week.
-User may apply successes on stealth and larceny tests during the week as bonus successes on spiritual, physical, Moon or Yin aligned arts, as selected at the start of the week. Bonus successes cap at thirty.
-User may reroll a single investigation or perception test per week
-User receives a three die bonus toward perception and investigation tests
-User receives between 1 and 30 successes toward spiritual, physical, Moon, or Yin aligned arts when discovering unknown information or hidden treasure, depending on value.
-Adds fifteen dice to Physical cultivation up until Bronze Appraisal(8)
-Adds fifteen dice to the cultivation of all Yin aspected Arts
-Adds ten dice to the cultivation of Moon natured arts
-Grants the user a two 'virtual' stones of up to Yellow grade per week
-Allows the user to bind spirits of up to Grade three
-User receives 15 successes toward increasing qi each week.
-User may apply successes on stealth and larceny tests during the week as bonus successes on spiritual, physical, Moon or Yin aligned arts, as selected at the start of the week. Bonus successes cap at thirty.
-User may reroll a single investigation or perception test per week
-User receives a three die bonus toward perception and investigation tests
-User receives between 1 and 30 successes toward spiritual, physical, Moon, or Yin aligned arts when discovering unknown information or hidden treasure, depending on value.
Umbral Shard: A sharpened length of frozen darkness, like a miniature hole in the world. It drinks in light, qi and blood alike, with no sign of ever growing full.
Rotting Pod: A hard, leathery pod, snatched from something growing beneath the darkness, shaking it reveals the sound of sound of seeds within. It smells faintly of rot though.
Entropic Mirror: A pane of reflective material, harder than any glass, sifted from the muddy bottom. In it your reflection is a staring skull, and all the world is dead.
Strength 1/25
Dexterity 7/45
Stamina 17/35
Wits 23/25
Resolve 10/35
Manipulation 8/45
Bureaucracy 4/6
Investigation 5/15
Politics 1/15
Athletics 6/30
Stealth 7/30
Expression 13/42
Intimidation 4/9
Streetwise 2/12
Subterfuge 4/12
Dodge 3/30
Unarmed 7/12
Resilience 4/21
10 successes to qi
5 successes to Argent Current
30 Successes to Phantasmagoria
Dexterity 7/45
Stamina 17/35
Wits 23/25
Resolve 10/35
Manipulation 8/45
Bureaucracy 4/6
Investigation 5/15
Politics 1/15
Athletics 6/30
Stealth 7/30
Expression 13/42
Intimidation 4/9
Streetwise 2/12
Subterfuge 4/12
Dodge 3/30
Unarmed 7/12
Resilience 4/21
10 successes to qi
5 successes to Argent Current
30 Successes to Phantasmagoria
Income 100 Red Stones
You have five major actions and three minor. However, I will allow up to two minor actions which are tied to major ones.
In addition, due to your new position, one major every other week must be [] Cultivate with Cai Renxiang(fulfilled)
[] Train at the vent with Su Ling
-[] Any
[] Train Music arts with Zeqing
[] Take a job
-[] Specify
[] Visit the Archive
-[] Search for a technique
-[] Study or improve formations
-[] Study another subject
-[] Look into the items you found during your quest
[] Train with Gu Xiulan
-[] Defensive Arts only
[] Train with Meizhen
-[] Any
[] Cultivate with Cai Renxiang
-[] Any
[] Cultivate in the White Room
-[] What?
-[] With who?
[] Take care of Yan Renshu
-[]Bring the matter up to Cai Renxiang
[] Cultivate on your own
-[] Any
[] It's time for testing! You should work for some prototypes. Suyin has invited you to join her in her mentors workshop to do some more experimentation
[] Zhengui did a good job, take him out on a hunting trip, and maybe start working on getting him ready to introduce to your family.
[] Playing music with Sixiang was fun, even if you didn't get to do as much fun composing as you might have liked. See if the muse has any suggestions.
[] Meizhen has been withdrawing a bit again. See what you can do to talk her back out of her shell, and ask about what has been bothering her
[] Hanyi and Zhengui have been playing on occasion, maybe you should join them and see what they're actually up too.
[] After hearing of your encounter in the woods, Gan Guangli announced that he wanted to challenge the strange boy. You... might be interested in watching.
[] You want to spend some more time with your Mother and little sister. Surely you can think of something that won't be awkward
[] Zeqing wanted to speak with you about something aside from your lessons, indulge her?
You may also at any time going forward vote for the talisman you would like Renxiang to have crafted for you, same format as last time.
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Oh wow. Look at Zhengui just casually gaining points in Armor there, the same way one might gain dots in a skill.
tutoring and SLP this week seem crucial
I kind of wish we could consult with a crafter. I understand the archive action is for finding out what these items are but it seems a waste to try to research them ourselves.
Can't be helped, if it were just one thing we could throw it at Cai or something and let a professional deal with that.
Unfortunately, we have three such items to deal with and as such would still need to figure out the other two.
If placing a custom order doesn't take a minor, and I'm not sure it does seeing as we don't have the option available, I would say we should just do that this turn. No need to delay when it will take something like 4 weeks to get the product returned.
EPC Changes:
The EPC changes will work wonders with the job CRX wants LQ to do.