Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
His family secretly has the single best cultivation art in the entire setting, but they can only share it with one other person. You have to tolerate all of his bullshit for years to even be in the running. This is why everyone in his group puts up with him. Nothing else makes any sense.
- Location
- Cyberspace
Not necessarily - if the noble in question was (probably) doing something very much illegal, the investigator might've actually been rather happy the guy is dead and be willing to find an 'out' for Ji Rong.
To be fair, he might not be a memetic asshole. He's arrogant, doesn't like those not entirely human or commoners who act above their station... but that doesn't mean that he's not a reasonable nice (if rather abrasive) guy to his peers. Ling Qi's exhibition of her talent might well make her classed more neutrally.
Heh... now imagine this for hilarity - his family orders him to coax Ling Qi into marrying the younger brother back home he's got a soft spot for.
- Location
- USA
To be fair, he is heads and shoulders above the typical noble. Considering most of them were making up rumors about us or wanted to outright attack us.
All he did was say some mean things in a direct and honest manner instead of rumor mongering. And he got over that when we showed talent while 99% of nobles didn't. (edit: well, more like 95%)
Of the 200 people in our class. maybe 10 nobles are better than him at how they treat us and other commoners.
Last edited:
Year 43, week 15
The week began with a bit of surprise for Ling Qi. She had been organizing her things within her storage ring, deciding which of her still meager possessions she wished to make sure were on her at all times when she came across the tokens she still had from Elder Zhou's test. She had almost forgotten about them, those three symbol inscribed discs. So much had occurred since then that she had forgotten they had stayed with her. She found herself idly turning them over in her hands as she recalled the test.
The light caught on a scratch in the smooth metal of the sun token as she did though, and she paused. That wasn't a single scratch. Squinting at it, she actually found that the token was covered in dozens of tiny characters some of which she recognized from Elder Su's lessons. She had thoughts that there might be more too them, but she hadn't really considered what that might be. Bemused, she recalled the only real practical part of formations the Elder had covered, that being the activation of dormant symbols. She fed a bit of qi into the token and watched as the character lit up faintly.
Nothing else happened though, and after a moment it faded. A second attempt showed that she could light up as many as five characters at a time, to seemingly no effect. She spent a bit of time trying different combinations, but eventually stopped, she only recognized perhaps half of the characters. This seemed like it might be a good use for her archive pass she supposed.
With that in mind she left the residential area, shifting uncomfortably as she found people getting out of her way. It wasn't like Meizhen, where the street ahead would clear entirely… but she didn't have to weave through the people in the streets as much. Many of her fellow disciples would simply take a step to the side, or turn to give her more room.
It was weird.
She pondered that as she made the trip up the winding path that lead to the archive. It had to be her participation in that meeting. Nothing else really made sense. She supposed, thinking back to Gu Xiulan's words, it could also be a result of her breakthrough. She supposed it would be difficult to miss her suddenly lengthened hair, or even more unwieldy height. She was shaken from her thoughts though as halfway up the path to the archives, she heard a massive crash and and a rumble as a plume of dust rose from the path ahead. She stopped, craning her neck to see further up the switchback, but all she was able to catch sight of were several flashes of dark green light, and a sudden burst of silver.
Was someone having a duel on the path to the archive? She had been desensitized to such things since the end of the truce, but the next rumble and the rain of stones and dirt falling from the higher path seemed a little more intense than the usual violence. She still mostly felt curiosity though, as it was unlikely to have anything to do with her. She continued up the path at a slightly faster pace, hoping whoever it was wouldn't put the path out. Having to climb the cliffs to reach the archive would be annoying.
She was almost blinded by the brightest flash yet as she reached the same level, and when her vision cleared, it was to a disquieting sight. In the middle of the now badly pockmarked path were two figures, both male. One, Ji Rong, stood frozen in absolute stillness, one foot off the ground and his fist extended for a punch. Burning stakes of viridian light seemed to puncture straight through his limbs and torso, but she saw no blood or wounds.
The other figure, slowly straightening up was that Xuan boy who she had first seen at the meeting. He was dressed much the same, in a thick dark green robe, patterned with geometric shapes. His shell patterned conical hat still concealed much of his face. He held a weapon now though. A tall xixhang capped with a silver hoop cut in half by the a continuation of the staffs haft. A half dozen rings of varying metals jangled musically as he removed the ring from Ji Rong's forehead.
Ling Qi eyed the scene cautiously as the odd boy turned to look at her in an unhurried way. She could tell that he was at least somewhat winded from the way his shoulders rose and fell, indicating heavy breathing. Ji Rong was still eerily still, the glow of the stakes thrust through him casting his frozen face in sickly relief.
"Sister Ling," The boy greeted neutrally, what little she could see of his expression even, as he nodded in her direction once before looking back to Ji Rong. He reached into the collar of the boys robe and plucked out what she recognized as the boys archive pass.
She eyed him warily, not approaching any closer. At this distance she was confident she could have her mist up before he could reach her if it came down to it. "Brother Xuan," she elected to be polite. It was odd though, few others used the formal terms of address. It also occurred to her how strange it was to be holding a normally pitched conversation with someone over sixty meters away. It was times like this that made her wonder at the enhancement of her senses. "Might I ask what happened?" She asked cautiously. She would like to know if the other boy was in Kang Zihao's camp or if this was something unrelated. Ji Rong had been pretty antagonistic to both him and Huang Da after all.
The pass vanished from his hand, presumably into a storage ring. "The untamed wolf bites all hands, knowing no loyalty nor gratitude, the cur's insult to Lady Cai could not be brooked,," he replied evenly, turning away from the frozen boy to begin walking toward Ling Qi at an unhurried pace. "A lesson was administered."
She stepped to the side of the path, ready to draw her flute or her knives at a moment's notice. "How long is he going to be stuck like that?" She asked warily.
He cocked his head to the side slightly, pausing in front of her. "A season perhaps?" He answered, sending chill down her spine at his casual coldness. His strange eyes flickered back in the frozen boys direction. "Nay, a full cycle of the moon morelike, without intervention. Does Sister Ling object?" He didn't sound hostile, or even all that interested in her answer.
His way of speaking was a little grating. "Isn't that a little much?" She asked carefully. "He's helpless isn't he?" She hated to think what would happen to her if she was frozen in place for a month.
The boys wide shoulders rose and fell, a dismissive shrug. "No touch can reach but mine. A lesson, not an execution," he replied, resuming his walk, the top of the Xixhang jangling as he moved past her. "Good fortune Sister Ling. Convey my greeting to Sister Bai."
She watched his back for a moment as he walked away, perturbed by the encounter. Sure enough when she cautiously poked at the frozen boy, her finger was stopped a half meter away, feeling as if she were prodding smooth stone rather than air. She could see faint viridian characters glowing in the dirt in a circle around him, and a single black character meaning punishment on his forehead.
She grimaced and withdrew her hand, there was little she could do either way. Casting one more cautious, searching look around to search for any hidden characters on the ground she hurried on to the archive. Thus began her routine for the first part of the week, In the mornings, she would go to the archive, studying formations and attempting to decipher what could be done with the tokens, in the afternoons she would head to the vent to cultivate and train with Suyin and Su Ling. They were both doing relatively well as far as she could tell, though Su Ling was absent more and more often, citing a need to gather materials for some kind of arrangement she had with a crafting disciple.
Her training with Han Jian would then continue in the afternoons, the boy seemed to shake off his gloom, and he apologized for how short he had been with her the last week, but… he was still growing more distant she felt. Not out of any malice she thought, but an ever increasing focus on the others in the group. He was spending more time drilling and encouraging Fan Yu than ever. She had caught Gu Xiulan giving him the occasional worried look… and the other girls interactions with her had been… a little awkward. When she had shown up at the first training session Gu Xiulan's expression had been greatly conflicted. Fan Yu avoided even looking at her.
She felt like an outsider more than ever when she worked with them.
She forged on though, determined to keep improving as they days passed. Soon enough her efforts began to bear fruit, first in regards to the tokens. Her study had allowed her to recognize more of the symbols and allowed her to puzzle out the combination for the star token. The token itself had pulsed with soft light and then disintegrated, leaving behind three wax stoppered bottles of elixir.
3 Starlight Elixir: Adds 5 dice to the cultivation of combat arts. In addition use of the pill triggers a single bonus physical cultivation roll, which receives a 3 die bonus.
So too did her training advance in other regards, she was growing closer to a complete Argent Foundation, and every day the air she breathed and the qi she circulated seemed to become a little clearer and fresher. Another week, or perhaps two of effort and she would have it, she felt.
Her skill with the mystical melody of her arts grew as well, the mist spread further and lasted longer, the weave of qi holding it together growing more potent. In addition she found the trick to weaving the the first two melodies together and activating both techniques at once. That wasn't all either, as her understanding grew, a new tune was revealed to her, a slow, sad piece of music that left those lost in the mist exhausted and lethargic.
All her training and study could not keep her mind off the past though. Ever since the issue had been shoved in her face during Zhou's test she had found her thoughts occasionally turning back to her Mother. Even now her feelings toward the woman were mixed. She had been strict and often highly critical, only rarely having a word of praise. Yet… despite her profession, she had done everything she could for Ling Qi. In hindsight, it was easy to see that her mother had obviously spent most of what she had on her education, such as it was, despite Ling Qi's failure to absorb most of it.
She had good reasons for staying on the mountain these past few weeks. Her breakthroughs were critical to her continued safety, and there was just so much to do… but could she honestly say that her mother didn't at least deserve to know she was alive? Perhaps it was insight granted by long hours of cultivation… but she could see that her past reasoning contained a heavy dose of rationalization. Her past assumption that her mother's continued fretting over her manners and appearance were due to wanting her to follow in her footsteps seemed a little foolish.
After all, an… escort didn't have much use for literacy. It made her wonder where mother herself had learned though.
That night she had resolved to write a letter and go into town the next day. It was no easy thing though. What did one say to a family member that had been abandoned years ago? She ended up sitting at the small writing desk in her room until the candle she was using for light had burned down twice, writing a few lines only to hastily scribble them out again and again. Finally though she was able to compose something passable.
'Mother,
I hope you are still well. This is from Ling Qi, your daughter. It seems a little silly to write that, but I would not blame you for forgetting me. You will be surprised to see this, I am sure. I do not really have the words for this, but… I am sorry. You did not deserve to be left alone without a word. I know it can not make up for leaving you to believe me dead for years on end, but I hope you can accept this small gift as an apology.
That seems rude, it likely isn't a small gift to you, but I might already be forgetting the worth of silver. I've joined the Argent Peak Sect, you see. I have become a cultivator. I will not ask that you write me back. I do not really deserve that, but know that I will continue sending similar gifts when I can. You do deserve that much. Thank you for taking care of me.'
It seemed stiff and formal to her, but she had little idea of what to say, what more could she do but apologize? Ling Qi stared at the letter for a long time before she finally went to sleep. She just hoped it was possible to send it, she would feel awfully stupid if she couldn't have it delivered.
The next day she left bright and early, departing through the front entrance of the sect. She chose to head down the path at a light jog, her command of the air currents keeping her gown from flapping unnecessarily. It was a good light workout.
Just another strange thing, a jog of several kilometers on a steep path barely left her breathing hard. There were a handful of other disciples going back and forth, but none paid her much mind. The town at the base of the mountain soon came into sight, an island of stone and cleared land in the midst of a sea of trees. The air was cool and crisp from the early spring, and a light mist hung over the sprawling farmland that surrounded the shining stone walls that encircled the hub of the town. The walls bristled with towers and their accompanying war machines, net casters and other more deadly things for fending off barbarian and beast incursions, and the sun gleamed off the helms of the guardsman atop them.
Ling Qi slowed down to an energetic walk as she approached, and passed the gate without issue, her head held high. It was a lesson from her old life that still held true, the appearance of confidence and self assurance quelled many suspicions. She had to pause to give her name at the gate, but there was no further hold up. The man on gate duty was quite respectful, even if she sensed a bit of envy in his eyes.'
It didn't stop her from getting directions to the Ministry building though. Her walk through the tidy streets was enlightening in some ways though. It was… strange to walk among mortals again. The projections in the test had not been real people, and she had barely begun to cultivate at that point besides. Had… had everyone she knew really been so slow and graceless. It wasn't as if they were moving in slow motion precisely, but that to her perception their every motion was obvious and telegraphed. That man would stumble on his way through the door, that woman would shift the basket in her hands to adjust for the weight in three more steps.
It was unsettling, as was the obvious respect in their eyes as they parted to make way for her. She hid her unease though, and soon made it to the office of the Ministry of Communication. The easy part was changing a spirit stone for silver, ninety five coins for a single stone, with the remaining five being the offices fee.
-1 Red Spirit Stone
It had taken a bit longer to actually set up the delivery, because even though she only had to wait in line behind other cultivators the Ministry was busy. It had been a little awkward explaining to the Ministry worker that she needed her letter and package delivered to Ling Qingge in Tonghou city, and that no she didn't have an address.
Somewhat alarmingly once she made it clear the recipient was her mother the whole process was smoothed over… Apparently the sect had records on such things. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. In the end though she sent the letter and a pouch of thirty silver off. Now that she knew what to do, it wouldn't take nearly as long to accomplish in the future.
She wasn't sure whether she wanted her mother to respond or not.
With the lingering weight of worry over her mother's condition lifted for the moment Ling Qi recalled the other obligation still waiting for her to fulfill it. Namely her promise to Bai Meizhen, the taciturn girl had helped her quite a lot since she had begun here, and now she should be strong enough to actually be able to help her.
She did not get a chance to speak with Meizhen until later in the week though, as her housemate had secluded herself to cultivate for much of the week. When Bai Meizhen did finally emerge from the houses meditation room, it was late at night on the fifth day. Ling Qi had fixed herself a small dinner of rice and fish, and had been eating in the dining room when Bai Meizhen had entered, swaying tiredly on her feet. She looked wearier than Ling Qi had ever seen her before. "Welcome back to the world of the living," Ling Qi greeted the other girl wryly as she paused her meal. "How did your cultivation go?" She knew the proud girl wouldn't appreciate an offer of help when she was merely tired.
"Well enough, I will be prepared to begin the breakthrough to the Green Soul Realm within the month," she replied absently as she sat down across from Ling Qi at the table, expression drawn and tired. "Has anything of interest occurred while I was secluded?"
Ling Qi considered the last few days while continuing her meal, thoughtfully chewing a bite of well roasted fish. "Well… Ji Rong apparently got in a fight with that Xuan guy. He ended up frozen in place up by the archives, he's still up there." She felt a little bad passing him every day. Was he aware when he was like that? "He asked me to say hello actually," she added as an afterthought. That was kind of strange in hindsight.
Bai Meizhen's expression grew puzzled. "Odd, Xuan Shi has never been particularly aggressive," she mused.
"Do you know him?" Ling Qi asked curiously. Something in her tone made her sound like she was familiar with him.
Meizhen made a dismissive gesture. "Not as such, I met him a few times as a child," she replied. "There were some talks of a betrothal, but it never bore fruit. Neither the Bai nor the Xuan could agree on the details," she added matter of factly.
Ling Qi's eye twitched a little, and her threat estimation rose a notch, since apparently the Xuan family was the sort who could bargain at least somewhat equally with her housemates family. Sometimes she wished she had better knowledge of her peers, but she didn;t have time for that sort of comprehensive education right now. "Right… why don't I get you some tea, you look like you need it," she did too, Meizhen's eyelids were drooping, and the pale girl looked almost ready to fall asleep at the table, and Ling QI still wanted to talk to her.
She blinked, looking surprised. "Would you? That would be most helpful," she said her cool voice touched with gratitude. "Thank you Ling Qi."
She simply nodded, pushing the scraps of her meal aside to head to the kitchen. She would make enough for both of them. Even if it didn't benefit her anymore, she still enjoyed the taste of the tea now. Somewhere along the way the flavor had seemed to change. It had a certain spice to it that just perked her right back up, even when she was tired. Several minutes later, she returned with a pair of steaming cups in hand and set one in front of Meizhen, who offered her a tiny smile before taking a sip.
She didn't quite sigh in relief, but Ling Qi nonetheless saw the way her stiff, tired posture eased slightly. She sat back down with her own cup and took a tiny sip herself, enjoying the warmth of the tea. "So, do you think I'm strong enough to help you yet?" Ling Qi asked. "I like to think I kept my promise on not taking too long," Ling Qi added with her best try at a teasing smile. It probably wasn't very good, she wasn't Gu Xiulan after all.
Bai Meizhen looked up from her cup as Cui peeked out of the collar of her gown to steal a sip of her tea. The pale girl shot her cousin a reproving look and shifted the cup out of reach in response. "I think so, yes," she responded slowly. "You held up well enough against those ruffians, and that was before your breakthroughs. You have become quite strong."
Ling QI looked away, feeling a bit awkward at the praise, she fidgeted with a strand of her lengthened hair for a second before replying, "I still have a long way to go though."
"As we all do," Bai Meizhen replied with a hint of amusement. "Very well… in my initial survey of the mountain, I discovered a curious chamber deep in a hidden cavern, it was sealed by a pair of bronze doors engraved with fortifying formations. Sadly even the surrounding walls proved to be fortified as well," she explained.
'Rocks should not resist my venom,' Cui interjected sulkily, looking longingly at Meizhen's cup.
"So it's probably another thing like the vent. A miniature test set up by the Elders?" Ling Qi asked thoughtfully. "What do you need my help with then?"
"The formations upon the door require the cooperation of two second realm cultivators to open," Bai Meizhen replied easily, taking a longer sip of her drink. She met Cui's longing golden gaze with her own and lowered the cup with a soft sigh, letting the tiny snake get her nose back in the cup. "And I expect whatever trials are beyond to reflect that."
Ling Qi nodded, that made sense. She had honestly been curious what Meizhen had wanted her help with. She was glad it wasn't something more violent. "When do you want to go then?" Ling Qi asked eagerly.
Meizhen pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment. "Nearer to dawn I think, to preserve secrecy and give me a short time to rest."
"Oh, I had meant…" Ling Qi floundered. "You wanted to do it tonight?" She asked.
"Yes, if you are ready," Bai Meizhen replied, peering at her with slight curiosity. "Do you already have plans for the evening?"
"No, I was just a little surprised," Ling Qi replied quickly. She had made the offer, she wasn't going to back down now.
The question was what if any preparations she should make. She already had some curatives and restoration pills, but should she run out and get more?
[] Vote for any supplies you would like Ling Qi to purchase
Secondly, on the way to the Dungeon/Mysterious Cave Ling Qi and Bai Meizhen discussed…
[] Their opinions on the competition for the inner sect
[] The finer details of spirits and binding
[] Imperial politics and recent history in general
[] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
No Moratorium on this one, probably gonna be a relatively short voting period, cause its event time again!
The light caught on a scratch in the smooth metal of the sun token as she did though, and she paused. That wasn't a single scratch. Squinting at it, she actually found that the token was covered in dozens of tiny characters some of which she recognized from Elder Su's lessons. She had thoughts that there might be more too them, but she hadn't really considered what that might be. Bemused, she recalled the only real practical part of formations the Elder had covered, that being the activation of dormant symbols. She fed a bit of qi into the token and watched as the character lit up faintly.
Nothing else happened though, and after a moment it faded. A second attempt showed that she could light up as many as five characters at a time, to seemingly no effect. She spent a bit of time trying different combinations, but eventually stopped, she only recognized perhaps half of the characters. This seemed like it might be a good use for her archive pass she supposed.
With that in mind she left the residential area, shifting uncomfortably as she found people getting out of her way. It wasn't like Meizhen, where the street ahead would clear entirely… but she didn't have to weave through the people in the streets as much. Many of her fellow disciples would simply take a step to the side, or turn to give her more room.
It was weird.
She pondered that as she made the trip up the winding path that lead to the archive. It had to be her participation in that meeting. Nothing else really made sense. She supposed, thinking back to Gu Xiulan's words, it could also be a result of her breakthrough. She supposed it would be difficult to miss her suddenly lengthened hair, or even more unwieldy height. She was shaken from her thoughts though as halfway up the path to the archives, she heard a massive crash and and a rumble as a plume of dust rose from the path ahead. She stopped, craning her neck to see further up the switchback, but all she was able to catch sight of were several flashes of dark green light, and a sudden burst of silver.
Was someone having a duel on the path to the archive? She had been desensitized to such things since the end of the truce, but the next rumble and the rain of stones and dirt falling from the higher path seemed a little more intense than the usual violence. She still mostly felt curiosity though, as it was unlikely to have anything to do with her. She continued up the path at a slightly faster pace, hoping whoever it was wouldn't put the path out. Having to climb the cliffs to reach the archive would be annoying.
She was almost blinded by the brightest flash yet as she reached the same level, and when her vision cleared, it was to a disquieting sight. In the middle of the now badly pockmarked path were two figures, both male. One, Ji Rong, stood frozen in absolute stillness, one foot off the ground and his fist extended for a punch. Burning stakes of viridian light seemed to puncture straight through his limbs and torso, but she saw no blood or wounds.
The other figure, slowly straightening up was that Xuan boy who she had first seen at the meeting. He was dressed much the same, in a thick dark green robe, patterned with geometric shapes. His shell patterned conical hat still concealed much of his face. He held a weapon now though. A tall xixhang capped with a silver hoop cut in half by the a continuation of the staffs haft. A half dozen rings of varying metals jangled musically as he removed the ring from Ji Rong's forehead.
Ling Qi eyed the scene cautiously as the odd boy turned to look at her in an unhurried way. She could tell that he was at least somewhat winded from the way his shoulders rose and fell, indicating heavy breathing. Ji Rong was still eerily still, the glow of the stakes thrust through him casting his frozen face in sickly relief.
"Sister Ling," The boy greeted neutrally, what little she could see of his expression even, as he nodded in her direction once before looking back to Ji Rong. He reached into the collar of the boys robe and plucked out what she recognized as the boys archive pass.
She eyed him warily, not approaching any closer. At this distance she was confident she could have her mist up before he could reach her if it came down to it. "Brother Xuan," she elected to be polite. It was odd though, few others used the formal terms of address. It also occurred to her how strange it was to be holding a normally pitched conversation with someone over sixty meters away. It was times like this that made her wonder at the enhancement of her senses. "Might I ask what happened?" She asked cautiously. She would like to know if the other boy was in Kang Zihao's camp or if this was something unrelated. Ji Rong had been pretty antagonistic to both him and Huang Da after all.
The pass vanished from his hand, presumably into a storage ring. "The untamed wolf bites all hands, knowing no loyalty nor gratitude, the cur's insult to Lady Cai could not be brooked,," he replied evenly, turning away from the frozen boy to begin walking toward Ling Qi at an unhurried pace. "A lesson was administered."
She stepped to the side of the path, ready to draw her flute or her knives at a moment's notice. "How long is he going to be stuck like that?" She asked warily.
He cocked his head to the side slightly, pausing in front of her. "A season perhaps?" He answered, sending chill down her spine at his casual coldness. His strange eyes flickered back in the frozen boys direction. "Nay, a full cycle of the moon morelike, without intervention. Does Sister Ling object?" He didn't sound hostile, or even all that interested in her answer.
His way of speaking was a little grating. "Isn't that a little much?" She asked carefully. "He's helpless isn't he?" She hated to think what would happen to her if she was frozen in place for a month.
The boys wide shoulders rose and fell, a dismissive shrug. "No touch can reach but mine. A lesson, not an execution," he replied, resuming his walk, the top of the Xixhang jangling as he moved past her. "Good fortune Sister Ling. Convey my greeting to Sister Bai."
She watched his back for a moment as he walked away, perturbed by the encounter. Sure enough when she cautiously poked at the frozen boy, her finger was stopped a half meter away, feeling as if she were prodding smooth stone rather than air. She could see faint viridian characters glowing in the dirt in a circle around him, and a single black character meaning punishment on his forehead.
She grimaced and withdrew her hand, there was little she could do either way. Casting one more cautious, searching look around to search for any hidden characters on the ground she hurried on to the archive. Thus began her routine for the first part of the week, In the mornings, she would go to the archive, studying formations and attempting to decipher what could be done with the tokens, in the afternoons she would head to the vent to cultivate and train with Suyin and Su Ling. They were both doing relatively well as far as she could tell, though Su Ling was absent more and more often, citing a need to gather materials for some kind of arrangement she had with a crafting disciple.
Her training with Han Jian would then continue in the afternoons, the boy seemed to shake off his gloom, and he apologized for how short he had been with her the last week, but… he was still growing more distant she felt. Not out of any malice she thought, but an ever increasing focus on the others in the group. He was spending more time drilling and encouraging Fan Yu than ever. She had caught Gu Xiulan giving him the occasional worried look… and the other girls interactions with her had been… a little awkward. When she had shown up at the first training session Gu Xiulan's expression had been greatly conflicted. Fan Yu avoided even looking at her.
She felt like an outsider more than ever when she worked with them.
She forged on though, determined to keep improving as they days passed. Soon enough her efforts began to bear fruit, first in regards to the tokens. Her study had allowed her to recognize more of the symbols and allowed her to puzzle out the combination for the star token. The token itself had pulsed with soft light and then disintegrated, leaving behind three wax stoppered bottles of elixir.
3 successes needed
Intelligence+Formations+Archive Access. 7 dice
2 1 5 2 8 9 4. 2 successes.
Failure
Rerolling
1 10 3 4 8 1 7. 3 successes
Intelligence+Formations+Archive Access. 7 dice
2 1 5 2 8 9 4. 2 successes.
Failure
Rerolling
1 10 3 4 8 1 7. 3 successes
3 Starlight Elixir: Adds 5 dice to the cultivation of combat arts. In addition use of the pill triggers a single bonus physical cultivation roll, which receives a 3 die bonus.
So too did her training advance in other regards, she was growing closer to a complete Argent Foundation, and every day the air she breathed and the qi she circulated seemed to become a little clearer and fresher. Another week, or perhaps two of effort and she would have it, she felt.
Talent 6, Suyin 2, YSS 5, RSS 5, Pills 3. 21 dice
7 10 3 4 5 5 5 7 7 5 10 5 7 5 1 2 10 8 1 5 7. 12 successes.
Rerolling 2
1 9. 1 success. +5 auto. 18 total
77/100
7 10 3 4 5 5 5 7 7 5 10 5 7 5 1 2 10 8 1 5 7. 12 successes.
Rerolling 2
1 9. 1 success. +5 auto. 18 total
77/100
Talent 6, Friends 3, YSS 5, RSS 5, Pills 7, Spring 3. 29 dice
3 10 7 8 7 5 3 4 4 2 3 3 8 6 2 9 7 9 6 3 5 6 1 4 2 7 6 3 4. 16 successes
Rerolling 1
5. 17 successes.
35/35 Reached
Fourth Measure requires Mid Yellow Soul
Remaining Seven go to Spiritual
9/120
5 successes added to Argent Soul
82/100
3 10 7 8 7 5 3 4 4 2 3 3 8 6 2 9 7 9 6 3 5 6 1 4 2 7 6 3 4. 16 successes
Rerolling 1
5. 17 successes.
35/35 Reached
Fourth Measure requires Mid Yellow Soul
Remaining Seven go to Spiritual
9/120
5 successes added to Argent Soul
82/100
There are many forgotten places in the world where human kind does not tread easily. This technique is a part of the chronicle of a long dead wanderer, composed into music and offered to the smiling moon. It speaks of mist covered valleys hidden deep in the mountains and the mischievous and hungry spirits that wait in the dark.
Passive Effects
-Adds one bonus die to all music based expression rolls
-Adds three bonus dice to all perception rolls
-User receives no penalties for acting in low light or darkness
-User receives one bonus die on defense against sound based techniques
-Expression is used as Mastery when using this art(does not receive the previous passive bonus when used this way)
Mist of the Vale: o
Cost 3
The users melody causes a light mist to roll forth from their instrument. The mist is filled with deceptive shadows and sounds, and weakens the light within to low light. The mist can spread up to a thirty meter radius centered the user. All single target techniques targeted at the user suffer a two dice penalty. The user gains a two die bonus at stealth attempts within the mist. The user may spend an additional two qi for each of up to three allies. This technique persists as long as the user continues to play and up to four turns afterward.
Diapason of the Lost Traveler: oo
Cost 3
Instant(if used the same turn as MIst of the Vale)
May only be used if the target is within Mist of the Vale. The users music takes on a plaintive, mournful tune, further muddling the senses of a target within the mist. On success the targets perception rolls take a three die penalty, and attempts to leave the mist result in the target doubling back unless a 2 success perception test is passed. Additionally the target suffers a two die penalty to defense while under this effect. Lasts for as long as the target remains within the mist.
Dissonance in the Night: oo
Cost 3
May only be used within Mist of the Vale. The users music grows low and eerie, punctuated by high, sharp notes, while the mists darken with indistinct and predatory shapes Enemies within the mist suffer from immaterial attacks of claw and fang every turn. These attacks are DV 1. Those damaged by the attacks suffer a one die penalty to their physical defense dice pools. This penalty does not stack with additional damage.
Starlight Elegy: ooo
Cost 7
The mournful and despairing tune saps the energy of those not insulated from the mist, making their limbs heavy and their thoughts clouded. Targets suffer a two die penalty on all clashes, and lose two qi per turn spent in the mist. Affected targets must make a one success resolve test in order to act on their first turn after being affected.
Fourth Measure -/- Requires Mid Yellow Soul
Passive Effects
-Adds one bonus die to all music based expression rolls
-Adds three bonus dice to all perception rolls
-User receives no penalties for acting in low light or darkness
-User receives one bonus die on defense against sound based techniques
-Expression is used as Mastery when using this art(does not receive the previous passive bonus when used this way)
Mist of the Vale: o
Cost 3
The users melody causes a light mist to roll forth from their instrument. The mist is filled with deceptive shadows and sounds, and weakens the light within to low light. The mist can spread up to a thirty meter radius centered the user. All single target techniques targeted at the user suffer a two dice penalty. The user gains a two die bonus at stealth attempts within the mist. The user may spend an additional two qi for each of up to three allies. This technique persists as long as the user continues to play and up to four turns afterward.
Diapason of the Lost Traveler: oo
Cost 3
Instant(if used the same turn as MIst of the Vale)
May only be used if the target is within Mist of the Vale. The users music takes on a plaintive, mournful tune, further muddling the senses of a target within the mist. On success the targets perception rolls take a three die penalty, and attempts to leave the mist result in the target doubling back unless a 2 success perception test is passed. Additionally the target suffers a two die penalty to defense while under this effect. Lasts for as long as the target remains within the mist.
Dissonance in the Night: oo
Cost 3
May only be used within Mist of the Vale. The users music grows low and eerie, punctuated by high, sharp notes, while the mists darken with indistinct and predatory shapes Enemies within the mist suffer from immaterial attacks of claw and fang every turn. These attacks are DV 1. Those damaged by the attacks suffer a one die penalty to their physical defense dice pools. This penalty does not stack with additional damage.
Starlight Elegy: ooo
Cost 7
The mournful and despairing tune saps the energy of those not insulated from the mist, making their limbs heavy and their thoughts clouded. Targets suffer a two die penalty on all clashes, and lose two qi per turn spent in the mist. Affected targets must make a one success resolve test in order to act on their first turn after being affected.
Fourth Measure -/- Requires Mid Yellow Soul
Her skill with the mystical melody of her arts grew as well, the mist spread further and lasted longer, the weave of qi holding it together growing more potent. In addition she found the trick to weaving the the first two melodies together and activating both techniques at once. That wasn't all either, as her understanding grew, a new tune was revealed to her, a slow, sad piece of music that left those lost in the mist exhausted and lethargic.
All her training and study could not keep her mind off the past though. Ever since the issue had been shoved in her face during Zhou's test she had found her thoughts occasionally turning back to her Mother. Even now her feelings toward the woman were mixed. She had been strict and often highly critical, only rarely having a word of praise. Yet… despite her profession, she had done everything she could for Ling Qi. In hindsight, it was easy to see that her mother had obviously spent most of what she had on her education, such as it was, despite Ling Qi's failure to absorb most of it.
She had good reasons for staying on the mountain these past few weeks. Her breakthroughs were critical to her continued safety, and there was just so much to do… but could she honestly say that her mother didn't at least deserve to know she was alive? Perhaps it was insight granted by long hours of cultivation… but she could see that her past reasoning contained a heavy dose of rationalization. Her past assumption that her mother's continued fretting over her manners and appearance were due to wanting her to follow in her footsteps seemed a little foolish.
After all, an… escort didn't have much use for literacy. It made her wonder where mother herself had learned though.
That night she had resolved to write a letter and go into town the next day. It was no easy thing though. What did one say to a family member that had been abandoned years ago? She ended up sitting at the small writing desk in her room until the candle she was using for light had burned down twice, writing a few lines only to hastily scribble them out again and again. Finally though she was able to compose something passable.
'Mother,
I hope you are still well. This is from Ling Qi, your daughter. It seems a little silly to write that, but I would not blame you for forgetting me. You will be surprised to see this, I am sure. I do not really have the words for this, but… I am sorry. You did not deserve to be left alone without a word. I know it can not make up for leaving you to believe me dead for years on end, but I hope you can accept this small gift as an apology.
That seems rude, it likely isn't a small gift to you, but I might already be forgetting the worth of silver. I've joined the Argent Peak Sect, you see. I have become a cultivator. I will not ask that you write me back. I do not really deserve that, but know that I will continue sending similar gifts when I can. You do deserve that much. Thank you for taking care of me.'
It seemed stiff and formal to her, but she had little idea of what to say, what more could she do but apologize? Ling Qi stared at the letter for a long time before she finally went to sleep. She just hoped it was possible to send it, she would feel awfully stupid if she couldn't have it delivered.
The next day she left bright and early, departing through the front entrance of the sect. She chose to head down the path at a light jog, her command of the air currents keeping her gown from flapping unnecessarily. It was a good light workout.
Just another strange thing, a jog of several kilometers on a steep path barely left her breathing hard. There were a handful of other disciples going back and forth, but none paid her much mind. The town at the base of the mountain soon came into sight, an island of stone and cleared land in the midst of a sea of trees. The air was cool and crisp from the early spring, and a light mist hung over the sprawling farmland that surrounded the shining stone walls that encircled the hub of the town. The walls bristled with towers and their accompanying war machines, net casters and other more deadly things for fending off barbarian and beast incursions, and the sun gleamed off the helms of the guardsman atop them.
Ling Qi slowed down to an energetic walk as she approached, and passed the gate without issue, her head held high. It was a lesson from her old life that still held true, the appearance of confidence and self assurance quelled many suspicions. She had to pause to give her name at the gate, but there was no further hold up. The man on gate duty was quite respectful, even if she sensed a bit of envy in his eyes.'
It didn't stop her from getting directions to the Ministry building though. Her walk through the tidy streets was enlightening in some ways though. It was… strange to walk among mortals again. The projections in the test had not been real people, and she had barely begun to cultivate at that point besides. Had… had everyone she knew really been so slow and graceless. It wasn't as if they were moving in slow motion precisely, but that to her perception their every motion was obvious and telegraphed. That man would stumble on his way through the door, that woman would shift the basket in her hands to adjust for the weight in three more steps.
It was unsettling, as was the obvious respect in their eyes as they parted to make way for her. She hid her unease though, and soon made it to the office of the Ministry of Communication. The easy part was changing a spirit stone for silver, ninety five coins for a single stone, with the remaining five being the offices fee.
-1 Red Spirit Stone
It had taken a bit longer to actually set up the delivery, because even though she only had to wait in line behind other cultivators the Ministry was busy. It had been a little awkward explaining to the Ministry worker that she needed her letter and package delivered to Ling Qingge in Tonghou city, and that no she didn't have an address.
Somewhat alarmingly once she made it clear the recipient was her mother the whole process was smoothed over… Apparently the sect had records on such things. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. In the end though she sent the letter and a pouch of thirty silver off. Now that she knew what to do, it wouldn't take nearly as long to accomplish in the future.
She wasn't sure whether she wanted her mother to respond or not.
Talent 6, Argent Soul 6, Vent 8, YSS 5, RSS 5, Pills 7. 37 dice
5 6 4 2 3 10 6 5 9 2 8 10 5 7 5 7 8 1 6 8 2 4 6 5 3 9 1 1 9 2 3 3 7 4 8 7 4. 20 Successes
Rerolling 3
3 7 4. 2 successes. 22 total +2 Auto
24/120
Eight successes added to Qi
27/25
1 Qi gained!
Six Successes added to Argent Soul
88/100
5 6 4 2 3 10 6 5 9 2 8 10 5 7 5 7 8 1 6 8 2 4 6 5 3 9 1 1 9 2 3 3 7 4 8 7 4. 20 Successes
Rerolling 3
3 7 4. 2 successes. 22 total +2 Auto
24/120
Eight successes added to Qi
27/25
1 Qi gained!
Six Successes added to Argent Soul
88/100
With the lingering weight of worry over her mother's condition lifted for the moment Ling Qi recalled the other obligation still waiting for her to fulfill it. Namely her promise to Bai Meizhen, the taciturn girl had helped her quite a lot since she had begun here, and now she should be strong enough to actually be able to help her.
She did not get a chance to speak with Meizhen until later in the week though, as her housemate had secluded herself to cultivate for much of the week. When Bai Meizhen did finally emerge from the houses meditation room, it was late at night on the fifth day. Ling Qi had fixed herself a small dinner of rice and fish, and had been eating in the dining room when Bai Meizhen had entered, swaying tiredly on her feet. She looked wearier than Ling Qi had ever seen her before. "Welcome back to the world of the living," Ling Qi greeted the other girl wryly as she paused her meal. "How did your cultivation go?" She knew the proud girl wouldn't appreciate an offer of help when she was merely tired.
"Well enough, I will be prepared to begin the breakthrough to the Green Soul Realm within the month," she replied absently as she sat down across from Ling Qi at the table, expression drawn and tired. "Has anything of interest occurred while I was secluded?"
Ling Qi considered the last few days while continuing her meal, thoughtfully chewing a bite of well roasted fish. "Well… Ji Rong apparently got in a fight with that Xuan guy. He ended up frozen in place up by the archives, he's still up there." She felt a little bad passing him every day. Was he aware when he was like that? "He asked me to say hello actually," she added as an afterthought. That was kind of strange in hindsight.
Bai Meizhen's expression grew puzzled. "Odd, Xuan Shi has never been particularly aggressive," she mused.
"Do you know him?" Ling Qi asked curiously. Something in her tone made her sound like she was familiar with him.
Meizhen made a dismissive gesture. "Not as such, I met him a few times as a child," she replied. "There were some talks of a betrothal, but it never bore fruit. Neither the Bai nor the Xuan could agree on the details," she added matter of factly.
Ling Qi's eye twitched a little, and her threat estimation rose a notch, since apparently the Xuan family was the sort who could bargain at least somewhat equally with her housemates family. Sometimes she wished she had better knowledge of her peers, but she didn;t have time for that sort of comprehensive education right now. "Right… why don't I get you some tea, you look like you need it," she did too, Meizhen's eyelids were drooping, and the pale girl looked almost ready to fall asleep at the table, and Ling QI still wanted to talk to her.
She blinked, looking surprised. "Would you? That would be most helpful," she said her cool voice touched with gratitude. "Thank you Ling Qi."
She simply nodded, pushing the scraps of her meal aside to head to the kitchen. She would make enough for both of them. Even if it didn't benefit her anymore, she still enjoyed the taste of the tea now. Somewhere along the way the flavor had seemed to change. It had a certain spice to it that just perked her right back up, even when she was tired. Several minutes later, she returned with a pair of steaming cups in hand and set one in front of Meizhen, who offered her a tiny smile before taking a sip.
She didn't quite sigh in relief, but Ling Qi nonetheless saw the way her stiff, tired posture eased slightly. She sat back down with her own cup and took a tiny sip herself, enjoying the warmth of the tea. "So, do you think I'm strong enough to help you yet?" Ling Qi asked. "I like to think I kept my promise on not taking too long," Ling Qi added with her best try at a teasing smile. It probably wasn't very good, she wasn't Gu Xiulan after all.
Bai Meizhen looked up from her cup as Cui peeked out of the collar of her gown to steal a sip of her tea. The pale girl shot her cousin a reproving look and shifted the cup out of reach in response. "I think so, yes," she responded slowly. "You held up well enough against those ruffians, and that was before your breakthroughs. You have become quite strong."
Ling QI looked away, feeling a bit awkward at the praise, she fidgeted with a strand of her lengthened hair for a second before replying, "I still have a long way to go though."
"As we all do," Bai Meizhen replied with a hint of amusement. "Very well… in my initial survey of the mountain, I discovered a curious chamber deep in a hidden cavern, it was sealed by a pair of bronze doors engraved with fortifying formations. Sadly even the surrounding walls proved to be fortified as well," she explained.
'Rocks should not resist my venom,' Cui interjected sulkily, looking longingly at Meizhen's cup.
"So it's probably another thing like the vent. A miniature test set up by the Elders?" Ling Qi asked thoughtfully. "What do you need my help with then?"
"The formations upon the door require the cooperation of two second realm cultivators to open," Bai Meizhen replied easily, taking a longer sip of her drink. She met Cui's longing golden gaze with her own and lowered the cup with a soft sigh, letting the tiny snake get her nose back in the cup. "And I expect whatever trials are beyond to reflect that."
Ling Qi nodded, that made sense. She had honestly been curious what Meizhen had wanted her help with. She was glad it wasn't something more violent. "When do you want to go then?" Ling Qi asked eagerly.
Meizhen pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment. "Nearer to dawn I think, to preserve secrecy and give me a short time to rest."
"Oh, I had meant…" Ling Qi floundered. "You wanted to do it tonight?" She asked.
"Yes, if you are ready," Bai Meizhen replied, peering at her with slight curiosity. "Do you already have plans for the evening?"
"No, I was just a little surprised," Ling Qi replied quickly. She had made the offer, she wasn't going to back down now.
The question was what if any preparations she should make. She already had some curatives and restoration pills, but should she run out and get more?
[] Vote for any supplies you would like Ling Qi to purchase
Secondly, on the way to the Dungeon/Mysterious Cave Ling Qi and Bai Meizhen discussed…
[] Their opinions on the competition for the inner sect
[] The finer details of spirits and binding
[] Imperial politics and recent history in general
[] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
No Moratorium on this one, probably gonna be a relatively short voting period, cause its event time again!
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- Location
- United States of America
Huh, I remember her almost spitting it back out when she first tried it. Did she just get used to it, or is the flavor effected by the drinker's cultivation?
Khona Moshr
Pink Flamingo Cabal Healer(they/them)
- Location
- Alabama
- Pronouns
- They/Them
So Ji Rong is going to be put back a full month so there's a good chance for us to catch up to him in arts mastered and Bai is about to breakthrough to green so our faction is going to be even harder for others to beat in direct combat.
- Location
- United States of America
The hype is real. Dungeon crawl is a goooooo.
I think either the competition or spirit binding one would be good. Politics might sour the mood a bit and cultivation goals might be nice but we are about to embark on an adventure!!! So light hearted would be ok. Spirit binding is my top choice as we can do it now and will be getting our first pokemon soon
I think either the competition or spirit binding one would be good. Politics might sour the mood a bit and cultivation goals might be nice but we are about to embark on an adventure!!! So light hearted would be ok. Spirit binding is my top choice as we can do it now and will be getting our first pokemon soon
- Location
- United States of America
Ok, first off. That starlight elixir looks awesome and would have had a combo with the cultivation tea. Ahh well, now we can use it to dramatically increase the training of physical and other combat arts.
As for what to take, I would suggest trading in the red restoration pills we have to get a wellspring pill. We will probably need it. For the event.
As for the FVM third level, whoever suggested that it might have to deal with taking people's qi away was a genius.
[X] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
As for what to take, I would suggest trading in the red restoration pills we have to get a wellspring pill. We will probably need it. For the event.
As for the FVM third level, whoever suggested that it might have to deal with taking people's qi away was a genius.
[X] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
Han Jian isn't so glum anymore, but I still think we should try and keep our friendship with him. After all, he's the only person that stretched his hand out for us to shake when Ling Qi was nothing but a streetrat upstart in the sect.
That, and it's messing with our relationship with Gu. We need to talk to her about this mess.
That, and it's messing with our relationship with Gu. We need to talk to her about this mess.
Thanatanos
PvP Lover, Assasin Player
[X] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
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TheLastOne
Person of impeccable tastes (for destruction)
[X] 3 Wellspring Pill, 1 White Peak Salve, 3 Life Essence Salve
On the off chance we need it for Meizhen or Cui. They probably have better themselves, but who knows what's going to happen in there. We know these kinds of pills can be tuned back into stones with no loss, so take them all.
[X] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
We were wondering about it for red, lets get the answers for yellow. We'll have other natural opportunities to ask about spirits.
On the off chance we need it for Meizhen or Cui. They probably have better themselves, but who knows what's going to happen in there. We know these kinds of pills can be tuned back into stones with no loss, so take them all.
[X] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
We were wondering about it for red, lets get the answers for yellow. We'll have other natural opportunities to ask about spirits.
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- Location
- United States of America
It is a fire that needs to be handled but at the same time we never were part of the group as a whole . And while I do like them as characters im OK with just being friends with them. Gu needs to still come to terms that we are both an equal and possible will surpass her.
Snekgirl, us , lI suyin, and su ling would make an interesting team. Bai dmg dealer plus poisen , ling qi with her support+add su ling illusions and foxfire and then our healer who can also go full hyuga style and fuck someone's day up .
So the Han Jian SL is crashing and it is taking with it the Gu Xuilan one. That is kinda bad, we cant really leave it alone.
Compared to that the Meizhen SL seems to be going well. She seems more at ease around Ling Qi compared to before.
[X] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
Would take the spirit one, but I want to leave that for trying to save the Han Jian SL. The other could be interesting also but getting advice from Mizhen on goals could be really nice to have.
Compared to that the Meizhen SL seems to be going well. She seems more at ease around Ling Qi compared to before.
[X] Meizhen's thoughts on cultivation goals for the second realm
Would take the spirit one, but I want to leave that for trying to save the Han Jian SL. The other could be interesting also but getting advice from Mizhen on goals could be really nice to have.
- Location
- United States of America
How much will that cost? I've been getting concerned with the rapidly decreasing spirit stone pile we have. We can spend it now, but we will soon need to take a couple of actions to get a lot back.
Man, I can practically hear the Ji Rong Quest Negaverse screeching from beyond the dimensional walls at losing a month worth of cultivation.
- Location
- United States of America
They must have rolled really reallllly badly , like holy shit what action did they try to do that Pissed the guy off so bad
- Location
- USA
So, the tokens are puzzles containing awesome pills. Ji Rong had his own awesome encounter. Bai found this awesome place with goodies.
... I get the feeling we really need to explore more. Yes we got the vent, and yes the vent is awesome. But there are apparently other treasures to find which would probably make our cultivation more efficient.
Also, if we manage to find something on our own, we could share that with all our friends as the sole finder without concerns about conflict.
... I get the feeling we really need to explore more. Yes we got the vent, and yes the vent is awesome. But there are apparently other treasures to find which would probably make our cultivation more efficient.
Also, if we manage to find something on our own, we could share that with all our friends as the sole finder without concerns about conflict.