Yeah, that vote seems to be "take things at face value" vote. I mean, for a normal disciple they might often try and attack other disciples quickly given the last turn and given the need for the tokens. Likewise, going "He is arrogant and need to be taken down a peg" actually seems sort of tailored to "non noble character" once seeing that.
I might be completely off, but we have been warned not to take things at face value, so...
[X] Trick the boy into going for a star token, try to take it from him afterward.
-[X] Plead for the merchant by offering to reveal the location of hidden treasure if he would spare the man. Then lead him to the well and helpfully look after his belongings and to secure a rope as he climbs down. Then on his way up, remove the rope and hit him from where he cannot dodge while ascending.
Let's not take the standard Young Master approach, mmkay? A little bit of subtlety and cunning would be nice.
Given that disciples that we attack may take their token with them when they teleport out, and all these warnings about taking things at face value, and the mentions of teamwork, it's possible that the tokens are good for getting more than one disciple though the barrier. IE. One of each token per team.
[x] Distract the boy from the merchant by trying to team up with him
It's both. He's being an ass to people who can't fight back and leaving himself open. We take advantage of the openings that he's left, both moral and tactical. This is something of a spirit-story and test of character. There are *multiple* openings to exploit here. It may or may not make the fight itself easier, but there's a good possibility that exploiting the moral dimension might get us a small shiny or two.
[X] Trick the boy into going for a star token, try to take it from him afterward.
-[X] Plead for the merchant by offering to reveal the location of hidden treasure if he would spare the man. Then lead him to the well and helpfully look after his belongings and to secure a rope as he climbs down. Then on his way up, remove the rope and hit him from where he cannot dodge while ascending.
Vote Tally : Original - Fantasy - Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest) | Page 28 | Sufficient Velocity ##### NetTally 1.7.10.1
[X] Trick the boy into going for a star token, try to take it from him afterward.
-[X] Plead for the merchant by offering to reveal the location of hidden treasure if he would spare the man. Then lead him to the well and helpfully look after his belongings and to secure a rope as he climbs down. Then on his way up, remove the rope and hit him from where he cannot dodge while ascending. No. of Votes: 10
[X] Trick the boy into going for a star token, try to take it from him afterward.
-[X] Plead for the merchant by offering to reveal the location of hidden treasure if he would spare the man. Then lead him to the well and helpfully look after his belongings and to secure a rope as he climbs down. Then remove the rope, and only promise to throw it back after he gives up the token. Once you receive it, flee the scene. Throwing the rope back is optional. No. of Votes: 1
For those voting to trick him into doing our work for us... I note that we probably do not have a significant cultivation advantage over him. That means we're going to have to at the very least pull off an opposed bluff check to pull this trickery off. Sure, we currently have a disguise that makes us look like a native, but once we're not really acting like a native, he may look closer... and if he manages to figure out that something's up at any point before he heads into the well (or just decides that he's going to continue being an overbearing ass and insist that we go into the well for him), we most likely wind up in combat without the advantage of surprise.
Specifically, we have a total of 4 dice out of stat+skill for that check (2 manipulation, then 2 off either Subterfuge or Persuasion, whichever it is). That's by no means guaranteed.
I figure trying to trick him involves more checks. More points for failure. Then we have to fight him afterwards. If we have no guarantee of success for getting a token then he doesn't either. He could fail and we'd just be waiting for him to return. Plus why would a cultivator give up their belongings? Makes more sense to me to attack him now while he's feeling all superior and everything. His guard is down striking now is a good chance.
Of the two votes gaining ground I see it like this. More actions involved more dice rolled I'd hate to fail anywhere along the 2nd set of actions.
Disguise means his Guard is down -> Sneak attack pass/fail -> Battle continues win/lose
Disguise means his Guard is down -> Convince him to spare merchant pass/fail -> Convince to hold belongings pass/fail -> He gets token/Doesn't get token while we just wait -> Battle for token after he's tired pass/fail
I figure trying to trick him involves more checks. More points for failure. Then we have to fight him afterwards. If we have no guarantee of success for getting a token then he doesn't either. He could fail and we'd just be waiting for him to return. Plus why would a cultivator give up their belongings? Makes more sense to me to attack him now while he's feeling all superior and everything. His guard is down striking now is a good chance.
Of the two votes gaining ground I see it like this. More actions involved more dice rolled I'd hate to fail anywhere along the 2nd set of actions.
Disguise means his Guard is down -> Sneak attack pass/fail -> Battle continues win/lose
Disguise means his Guard is down -> Convince him to spare merchant pass/fail -> Convince to hold belongings pass/fail -> He gets token/Doesn't get token while we just wait -> Battle for token after he's tired pass/fail
Also, there might be lucky breaks to claim inside the tomb/well, so he could walk out of those more powerful then when he went down. That's common as hell.
Since Ling recognizes the other combatant, it's probably not going to happen, but a real kick in the gut would be the test being about teamwork.
So if this were a shonen, some sort of illusory art changes everyone's appearance such that the guy berating the merchant is, in fact, our asshole teammate Fan Yu and the REAL test is to see if we can pierce that veil.
Then again, if he were, I think I might vote to club him over the head purely for the lol factor.
My gut says we should try to be clever and let the other contestant do the grunt work (it's consistent with our characterization), but I also want to see a guardian spirit, they sound cool.
Urgh this is really annoying, I don't like any of the options but I have no clue what's better. The votes are also clear enough about what people want to vote, too.
I guess the tricking option, for all of its multiple points of failures, at least would let us know more about what's going on and whether we actually want to trick the guy and not ally with him.
[X] Trick the boy into going for a star token, try to take it from him afterward.
-[x] Make sure to distract him away from being an asshat to random civvies, even though you suspect the civvies are mere illusions. This is a test of character and resourcefulness after all. Try to make sure the asshat is really an asshat and not an examinor in secret, or even simply if the situation wasn't different than it looked. We have been warned not to take things at face value.
Vote Tally : Original - Fantasy - Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest) | Page 28 | Sufficient Velocity ##### NetTally 1.7.10.1
[X] Trick the boy into going for a star token, try to take it from him afterward.
-[X] Plead for the merchant by offering to reveal the location of hidden treasure if he would spare the man. Then lead him to the well and helpfully look after his belongings and to secure a rope as he climbs down. Then on his way up, remove the rope and hit him from where he cannot dodge while ascending. No. of Votes: 10
[X] Trick the boy into going for a star token, try to take it from him afterward.
-[X] Plead for the merchant by offering to reveal the location of hidden treasure if he would spare the man. Then lead him to the well and helpfully look after his belongings and to secure a rope as he climbs down. Then remove the rope, and only promise to throw it back after he gives up the token. Once you receive it, flee the scene. Throwing the rope back is optional. No. of Votes: 1
[X] Trick the boy into going for a star token, try to take it from him afterward.
-[x] Make sure to distract him away from being an asshat to random civvies, even though you suspect the civvies are mere illusions. This is a test of character and resourcefulness after all. Try to make sure the asshat is really an asshat and not an examinor in secret, or even simply if the situation wasn't different than it looked. We have been warned not to take things at face value. No. of Votes: 1
For a moment, Ling Qi lost herself in thought, nervously plucking at the sleeves of her new and much drabber clothing. The obvious thing, in her opinion, would be to strike out of the crowd while the boy is distracted with the merchant, but starting a fight in the middle of the street would endanger civilians, and even if they turn out to not be real she couldn't help but think that the Elders would disapprove of that.
No, that wouldn't be the best option she thought, but what would be? She wasn't even sure how much she could trust her own senses right now, and that was a disquieting thought. If she didn;t trust in something that basic, she would never get anything done though, she would just spend all night second guessing herself. In a different situation she would probably feel panicked at the thought, but… if this was all really an illusion, the maker was likely an Elder and thus completely beyond her.
So, what other options did she have? She could simply leave and go after the star token, but that felt wasteful to her. So, why not try to make herself an opportunity? While she had never exactly been one to focus on that sort of thing… she had played the scam artist once or twice, when she was less able to actively steal. Of course, she had been younger then, and people tended to have a harder time suspecting that they were being tricked by a child.
She would have to try though, as if she continued to stand here agonizing over it her opportunity would pass. So she steeled herself and began to move towards them, shifting her posture to a more subservient and fearful one, as was appropriate for a mortal approaching an angry cultivator. She was fairly confident that the boy wouldn't recognize her specifically under her disguise work, and hopefully he wouldn't sense her qi. She could only hope he wasn't skilled at that kind of thing.
As she approached she took in more of the details of the scene. The thing that drew her eye the most was the splotch of red on the left side of the other disciples abdomen, and the way he favored his right. He was wounded, at least as badly as she had been, and perhaps worse, given the location of the wound. His robe stuck wetly to him, soaked in blood as it was, but there was no dripping either, so the wound was sealed, whether through bandaging or other means. Still the sight made her a bit more confident.
"Ah excuse me, honored sir?" She spoke up as the proud boy wound down from berating the scrawny merchant for poorly securing his goods. She couldn't see a weapon on him anywhere, but unfortunately that didn't necessarily mean anything.
The boy didn't seem to startled, so he had at least been keeping an eye on the people around him. He wasn't totally oblivious it seems. He still snapped his head around to glare down at her… only to fail due to their relative heights. Ling Qi managed to conceal her wince at the flash of irritation in his eyes, why did she have to be so tall? "What do you want girl?" He asked haughtily, crossing his arms over his chest as he did so. "I have no business with the rest of you, only this clumsy fool," he added, gesturing with irritation at the merchant, who eyed her warily over his shoulder.
"I am very, very sorry for interrupting you sir," Ling Qi continued hurriedly, catching the merchants eye as she bowed deeply to the irritated disciple. It was a bit of a gamble, but she could probably rely on the man's survival instincts to have him play along. One didn't reach his age in this kind of place by being slow on the uptake. "I wished to plead for you to spare my uncle though. It's true that he has earned your ire, I saw what happened, but I would like to beg your mercy on the matter." It was risky, involving the merchant in her lie, but someone entirely unrelated choosing to involve themselves would just be too unbelievable.
She caught the merchant's eyes widen a fraction before his expression returned to one of abject fear and contriteness. "Oh Yue, no, please do not involve yourself in your uncle's foolishness. Sir, this is entirely my fault, please do not take any offense at this girls interruption, as I was saying I will of course remunerate you..." Well that was a relief, even in this weird city she could rely on her fellow street folk knowing how to act in their own self interest.
The boy scowled, glancing back and forth at the two of you before glancing up at the sky, his expression darkening further. "I will dismiss this for the moment, as I have other business. You, fool will surrender whatever funds you have in this mangy stall of yours and act as my guide…"
Ah so that's what he was doing, it was rather ham handed of him, and about what you would expect from a wealthy boy trying to find information in the scummier parts of town. "Sir?" she spoke up meekly, doing her best to tremble in fear as he turned his glare back to her. "If it is a guide you need, I can serve that role. I… disciples such as yourself are here for the tokens hidden in the city, are you not? I saw where the guards placed one of them. I can lead you there, but please, spare my Uncle's stall, we have so little as it is."
Ling Qi could see that she had succeeded by the look in the other boys eye. "Hmph, you should be thankful to have a niece so filial old fool," he said haughtily, eyeing the merchant whose expression of gratitude she suspected was not faked at all. "However," he added jabbing a finger toward Ling Qi. "If this is some trick, or otherwise a waste of my time. I will ensure that your entire family regrets it."
"Of course sir," she murmured hurriedly, bobbing her head in another bow. "I would never dream of lying to a lord such as yourself. Would you like me to take you there now?"
"Thank you so much for your compliments and mercy sir," the merchant added quickly. "Truly I do not deserve such a dutiful niece."
The old man barely got more than another cold glance as the boys attention focused on Ling Qi. "I do not have time to waste, so yes, lead me there now, girl."
Ling Qi restrained the twitch of irritation at his condescending manner of address. He was the same age as her for goodness sake! She kept her expression meek and her head bowed though, not allowing her mask to break. "Of course sir, it's right this way." She only had rather vague directions to the well, which she had decided was better for the sake of her plan, so she would have to bluff a bit and hope he didn't notice any uncertainty on her part.
Thankfully her fellow disciple was… she didn't want to say foolish, because that could lead to underestimating him, but he was… less than attentive, at least to her. She could see the tension in his shoulders and the way he kept an eye on his surroundings as he marched stiffly along, concealing the occasional pained hitch in his step. He seemed to have already dismissed her as a threat though, which she was happy to exploit.
Still, it took another quarter of an hour to cross the city and reach the part where the well was located going by her information, partially because she wasn't familiar with the street layout. The most difficult bit was probably when she had to convince him to stop and purchase a coil of rope with an explanation of what he would need it for.
Still eventually they reached the square where the well in question was located, only to find it dark and empty, a few wooden barricades surrounding the squat, knee high stone ring of the well. It was uncapped, and the rope and bucket were missing from the bar suspended above it, yet a faint glittering light seemed to shine from the darkness within it.
As they wove through the obstacles, ignoring the signs informing civilians to keep away, she glanced at her temporary companion. He had a certain desperate eagerness to his expression, which she hoped meant she could manage the second part of her plan. She paused a few steps from the well, leaving him to continue on and peer down into it, leaving his back to her. "Sir? Should I tie the rope for you?" She asked quietly, hefting the coil of rope carried on her good shoulder. "Will you need me to look after anything for you while you descend?"
He glanced over his shoulder at her, a frown on his pinched features. "Do not be foolish, I am not going to leave any of my things behind." He gave a haughty sniff as he turned to fully face her. "Besides, you will be descending first. I refuse to give you the chance to run off while I am occupied. I do not even know if this place yet contains a token, and I will need a servant to carry a torch."
Ling Qi blinked, a bit of worry setting in, that wasn't part of the plan. "Sir?" she asked, injecting a bit of fear into her tone. "I… I'm not sure, I mean, aren't there s-spirits and other things down there? Please, I led you here didn't I? Please don't make go into such a place!" With practiced ease she squeezed a bit of moisture out of the corners of her eyes, doing her best to look frightened and pathetic.
For a moment, Ling Qi thought she had managed to convince him, but then the boy's expression hardened. "Stop your whining girl," he snapped. "You should be thankful to be assisting me like this. You will just have to stay close and…"
She couldn't do as he asked. If this were the location of a token there was no way she would get through whatever defenses lay down there without revealing herself. Nor could she realistically refuse him without blowing her cover. It was fairly obvious he intended to use her as a canary anyway, given he intended to make her go down first and play torchbearer. No, playing along wasn't really an option.
All of that passed through her thoughts in a second, and she came to her conclusion moments after that.
Ling Qi's attack
Dex+Throwing Knife Mastery+ Cultivation auto success
8, 1, 10, 10. 3+1 Successes. 4 total
Her cultivation of Zephyr's Breath had trained her in the use of throwing knives… and that included their use in melee, but it was nothing so refined that she struck with. No, it was simple experience in the street that formed most of her response, combined with reflexes honed by 'training' with Xiulan. Her shoulder hit the boy's chest at the same moment a knife dug into his injured side and twisted.
He let out a yelp of pain and surprise… and to Ling Qi's shock, was actually easily shoved backward by her shoulder check. why was he so weak? She had expected it to be like striking a wall, but instead he fell back, arms windmilling as his knees struck the lip of the well. She ducked under his grasping hand with ease, and instinctively kicked out, striking his knee and finishing the job of making him fall back even as she pulled out of reach.
She winced at the meaty thwack of flesh striking stone as his head cracked against the lip of the well, dulled by a flare of blue white energy, had he used qi to absorb the damage? However, whatever he did it didn't stop the boy from falling his hands scrabbling uselessly at the suddenly smooth and frictionless stone, his expression locked into one of fury, pain and surprise for the instant before the well seemed to open wider, like the maw of a hungry beast, leaving him nothing to hold on too
Ling Qi stood there, almost dumbfounded by how easy it had been, only to wince as a much louder crack sounded from far below, echoing hollowly up the shaft. The distended black void that he had fallen into seemed to wobble for a moment before snapping back down to the size of a normal well. As time seemed to resume its normal pace, Ling Qi became all to aware of the sticky wetness staining her right hand, and a single thought dominated her thoughts.
...That had not been a splash.
[] Descend into the well… what's done is done. Take anything useful and complete the trial
[] Descend into the well… but only to check over the boy. She wanted no part in whatever lay deeper within
-[] Enough of this, she wanted to be done, bypass this whole terrifying, confusing test
-[] She had proven she could ambush others well enough, head for the inner gates and prepare to do so again if necessary
-[]...Perhaps the catacombs might be a better choice?
[] Leave the well entirely, you want no part in it.
-[] Enough of this, she wanted to be done, bypass this whole terrifying, confusing test
-[] She had proven she could ambush others well enough, head for the inner gates and prepare to do so again if necessary
-[]...Perhaps the catacombs might be a better choice?
AN: Well, dice threw a lil curveball there. Kinda cut things short.
[X] Descend into the well… what's done is done. Take anything useful and complete the trial
-[X] Make sure the rope is well secured to multiple objects rather than just the well. You don't want to chance the well pulling some trick that leaves you stranded.
Well...we're going to need to go down there to loot him anyway.
[X] Descend into the well… what's done is done. Take anything useful and complete the trial
-[X] Make sure the rope is well secured to multiple objects rather than just the well. You don't want to chance the well pulling some trick that leaves you stranded.
[X] Descend into the well… what's done is done. Take anything useful and complete the trial
-[X] Make sure the rope is well secured to multiple objects rather than just the well. You don't want to chance the well pulling some trick that leaves you stranded.
Oh man, that was so, so satisfying. Deception is way better than being a Young Master and challenging them openly because we just chumped that guy like a bitch.
It ended badly but I'm honestly pretty okay with that. That said, we can't leave him to die or we might lose points on the test with any hypothetical watchers. If we're lucky, we might have gotten all three tokens, while giving the impression of being kind and caring servants of the empire.
If we're unlucky? Well, fuck him, we were going to explore anyway so it doesn't make much of a difference.
[X] Recruit a couple of the locals to help in getting the boy to a doctor through what money we have left over (half now, half after). Warn them of dire consequences to failure to save a disciple's life if they look unreliable.
-[X] Descend into the well, loot the boy then tie the rope around him and have the locals drag him out of the well and take him to a doctor. Make sure the locals drop the rope back down when he's untied.
-[X] Continue onwards in exploring the well.
[X] Descend into the well… what's done is done. Take anything useful and complete the trial
-[X] Make sure the rope is well secured to multiple objects rather than just the well. You don't want to chance the well pulling some trick that leaves you stranded.
-[X] If he is alive but dying, try to stabilize him before you continue with the test.
[X] Descend into the well… what's done is done. Take anything useful and complete the trial
-[X] Make sure the rope is well secured to multiple objects rather than just the well. You don't want to chance the well pulling some trick that leaves you stranded.
[X] Recruit a couple of the locals to help in getting the boy to a doctor through what money we have left over (half now, half after). Warn them of dire consequences to failure to save a disciple's life if they look unreliable.
-[X] Descend into the well, loot the boy then tie the rope around him and have the locals drag him out of the well and take him to a doctor. Make sure the locals drop the rope back down when he's untied.
-[X] Continue onwards in exploring the well.
If he is still alive, which I doubt, we are shanking him and stealing his shit.
This be Xianxia, a chump like him dying is nothing. Either the Elders have measures in place to prevent such, in which case it doesn't matter, or they don't, in which case they don't care, and thus, it doesn't matter.
[X] Descend into the well… what's done is done. Take anything useful and complete the trial
-[X] Make sure the rope is well secured to multiple objects rather than just the well. You don't want to chance the well pulling some trick that leaves you stranded.
Besides, drawing a commotion in the middle of the test will just attract even more disciples.
Take the loot, take the Star Token, pray he has a Sun one, Rush the final objective.
