Hmmph... this junior is a good seed [Cultivation Management Quest]

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New Good Seed and Omake Rule Updates
Good Seed and Omake Spreadsheet Rules:

Firstly, if you have questions about Good Seeds and the like please read here. If that doesn't answer your question please ping me in thread, or on Discord.

If you write a new Good Seed, or write an omake, please update the spreadsheet if you have access.

If you do not have access, please ping a collaborator (Swordomatic, Alectai, Quest, TehChron, Insane-Not-Crazy, Humbaba, ReaderOfFate, Kaboomatic, no., BungieONI) letting them know what you want and they will update the spreadsheet here. To gain access, you will need a gmail account of some kind. Throwaway emails are fine (I'm using one for the spreadsheet), but to gain access it's as simple as sending me either your email via PM, via DM in Discord, or just in Discord's #spreadsheet-requests channel.

This is mandatory. If a Good Seed does not record their omake by pinging collabs (or just requesting access and editing things themselves - this is the preferred option), I won't give out awards. If a new Good Seed is not recorded here, they won't advance. By doing this it makes the whole thing manageable for me - it's gotten pretty unwieldy!

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Omake Writer Instructions:

There are four fields you need to fill out.

Omake Link, which is just a link to your first omake for the turn. This makes it easier for me to read them as I do the update - without this it's tough to know off the bat which omake were written this turn, and to properly

Requested Bonus, which is your requested bonus for your omake. You can leave it up to me if you like. You can see more info in the Good Seed infopost here.

Cultivation Aims. For those following unorthodox paths - higher than 9th Heavenstage or later than 7th Dao Pillar paths. Please put in what you are aiming for before you break through. I have left it as 'default'. If you do not edit it, I'll go with that.

Turn Notes - Do you want to do something specific? Enter a Secret Realm? Help the Clan out in some way? If you have something specific you want to accomplish on this turn, put it in turn notes so I can adjust your Fate around it.

All other fields are for QM use to record character information to properly run the flow of the game.
 
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@Quest, yes, but also you can ping readeroffate or kaboomatic who have threadmark powers.

I think I might end up buying a month of upgrades at some point so I can add a couple more collaborators - definitely need to spread the workload around.

@shibosho, all good. Also, don't just write the homage without telling us the source! Or at least a few hints.

Buy a month?

Fuck that, take six at the ten dollar rate, the least I can do for providing so much entertainment! Let me know if you need anything else to help facilitate things, I'm not the best at running my own stuff but I can usually effectively contribute along the sides.
 
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Demetrius Ceres 7 - A bell rings
A bell rings​

When the bell had rung, and the brigands had invaded. I had honestly expected a minor inconvenience. I had heard the rumors, but I had given them no credit. They were humans. Beings of flesh and blood who could speak and think. Not mindless beasts. Not ravenous forests. Not this insanity. They should be better than this. It was understandable when minor bandit clans and minor cults performed acts of stupidity and wasted away their life on fruitless tasks, but this was an entire civilization. Today, I had learned a lesson. A lesson I would presumably have learned earlier if my own legion could trust me as a member instead of a contracted problem solver.

War is difficult. You have no flexibility. You only have two options. You either fight, or you relocate somewhere more favorable to fight. You cant run. You are not allowed to negotiate. You are not allowed to do anything except grit your teeth and kill what is in front of you in the most boring way imaginable. You cant give your allies orders, because it will disrupt the chain of command. Even if your commander has the tactical flexibility of a rodent, you cant contest him on the issue of leadership, because he is a Golden Devil, and I am not.

I wish I had Julius at my side, or Mai Fa, or Xia Jun or Hera. Any of my friends would do. Any of my acquaintances would do. Even the mortals I had met on my travels would do. To replace these worthless bags of floor that call themselves legionnaires I would ask for anyone. Truly, the boss had scrapped at the bottom of the barrel when finding a spot to assigning me.

Now, for my current enemy. A being who had killed a bulk of the legionnaires at my location, and it was only me that had stopped her from killing more. She was a woman, someone who proclaimed herself a peerless beauty despite having the face of a rooster. The shrill voice of hers made a "Hohohohoho" noise, and the legionnaires fled. They actually fled. I couldn't tell if it was due to the woman's terrible clucking, or the aura of fear she tried to project, but we were now alone, and she introduced herself again as the worst thing I had met to date. Not a murderer, nor a demon. She was a preserver of nature. An imbecile who considered nature something worth protecting. A rabid dog that needed to be put down.

After introducing myself and calling her a mixed breed between a roasted bird, and a disfigured toad we fought.

If I only could leave this place. Leave my fellow cultivators to fend for themselves the same way they had done to me. Running was never an option. Progress cannot be made by fleeing and leaving your own juniors at the mercy of the enemy. Because I can save them, I have to rescue them, even if it kills me.

So here I was, in a broken fortress, on my 100th year birthday. I had imagined this to be a day where I would sit at a great table with my friends at my side, good food in front of me, fine wine in my glass, while laughter filled the air. The reality was a day where I stood alone, corpses in front of me, blood floating into the muddy holes of combat, and screaming filling the air. It was a cruel joke.

_____

A very short omake. I tiny little boost.
 
When the bell had rung, and the brigands had invaded. I had honestly expected a minor inconvenience. I had heard the rumors, but I had given them no credit. They were humans. Beings of flesh and blood who could speak and think. Not mindless beasts. Not ravenous forests.
I just like to say again that i really love his priorities. There's nothing to fear from MAN, it's Nature that you need to be wary of is so hilariously true for him.
You are not allowed to do anything except grit your teeth and kill what is in front of you in the most boring way imaginable. You cant give your allies orders, because it will disrupt the chain of command. Even if your commander has the tactical flexibility of a rodent, you cant contest him on the issue of leadership, because he is a Golden Devil, and I am not.
I enjoy this POV of someone who cannot fit into the Legion mold. He is a true Cultivator in the sense of cultivating his path alone with his Life or Death in his own hands.
but we were now alone, and she introduced herself again as the worst thing I had met to date. Not a murderer, nor a demon. She was a preserver of nature. An imbecile who considered nature something worth protecting. A rabid dog that needed to be put down.
BEST. Seriously, i absolutely love how in the Trial and facing someone that wreck the squad he was with, the most important thing is that she is a Nature Lover and thus a mortal foe.
So here I was, in a broken fortress, on my 100th year birthday. I had imagined this to be a day where I would sit at a great table with my friends at my side, good food in front of me, fine wine in my glass, while laughter filled the air. The reality was a day where I stood alone, corpses in front of me, blood floating into the muddy holes of combat, and screaming filling the air. It was a cruel joke.
Very Awesome ending. The Imagery conjured was great!
 
[X] Kleisthenes Sarantapechos - Your sole remaining friend and diplomat. She has lost a foot and could be carried out.
 
The Divided Mortal Kingdoms
Classification: Elder's eyes only.

Acting Legate, the document you requested on the Divided Mortal Kingdoms has been readied.

A map is included. Please note it is oriented north-west at the top for ease of replication.

The Divided Mortal Kingdoms, while relatively powerful are perhaps the least managed of our vassals.

The reason for this is fairly straightforward.

Most of our vassals exploit cultivation resources in some way or another. The Divided Mortal Kingdoms, by comparison, are an extraordinary creation that rests on the backs of their mortal populations. Consequently the mortals here are treated well, and Blood Path is severely punished. They are called Mortal Kingdoms for this reason - not for the number of the mortals, but for their treatment and influence, which exceeds that of even mortals within Clan territory.

A history is thus:

A hundred and eighty or so thousand years ago, the Gold Dragon Emperor named himself after composing a cultivation art to consume a droplet of true dragon blood. However, the blood was contaminated with a drop of Imperial Scorpion Blood, as well as Sword Qi from the cultivator who had attacked the dragon.

He did not fully understand his bloodline art, but devoted himself to passing it on from father to son.

He had four sons.

His firstborn was passed on the Dragon Blood, able to transform into a mighty beast.

His second took the Scorpion Blood, able to change his limbs and grow a tail, fighting well above his level.

His third was given the Sword Qi, becoming a swordsman without peer.

His fourth, the Gold Dragon Emperor learned to pass on his own Axe art, fusing it all into a droplet of blood made of Axe Qi.

The bloodline art he did not understand, and for thousands of years thereafter it languished, having little effect. His descendents grew more numerous, but to no great heights.

Until one day, the number of his descendants with Dragon Blood reached a critical level, and all the blood power poured into one of them, enhancing his descendent to the Core Formation realm. Soon after the same happened with the other branches, their clans rising to Late Foundation Establishment through the power of numbers.

This art he did not understand now pushed his descendants forward, sapping the many to feed the one.

The Dragon Empire arose and grew, covering much of the Desert. In time, a Nascent Soul arose from the Dragon-Blooded, named Patriarch Three Circles. He sought Spirit Severing, but found it beyond him. In his waning days, he studied bloodline arts, and found a way to split the various bloods, retaining all their power - doubling it, in fact.

His Blood-Twin Soul Arts were incomplete, however. Rather than doubling the power of his people, it halved them, unable to regain and surpass its former potency until it reached Nascent Soul.

Consequently the Dragon Empire collapsed, and receded.

Over time, two new empires arose - the Blue Dragon Empire and the Green Dragon Empire. Their cultivators could only reach Core Formation, but they discovered that the first cultivator to reach Early Core Formation would gain a boost of Qi from the other, able to reach Middle Core Formation. Both empires require each other, and Mid Core Formation can only be reached by a Blue and Green Dragon Emperor acting in twain.

The True Dragon Emperor is named from one of the two - whoever should be Mid Core Formation.

They are never strictly at war, but constantly struggle for influence and territory, hoping to have their bloodline surpass the other.

Each of them has a number of vassals, bound to the color of their blood.

Blue Dragon Empire:

The current Mid Core Formation Emperor, Long Li holds the Blue Dragon Empire. His empire is weaker in most terms, Long Li has only succeeded the last Mid Core Formation Green Emperor three years ago, and is consolidating his power. The Blue Dragons are typically stronger in trade and weaker in battle.

Turquoise Scorpion Clan:

A peculiar people, having learned to bear many children and infuse the scorpion-nature into themselves more deeply. To multiply their numbers, their great ancestor fused more and more scorpion traits into them, and while they are human, they bear ten or fifteen tiny children at a time, who cling to their bodies and grow into babies.

Cerulean Blade Duchy:

Obsessed with the blade. To master sword Qi grants their Elders more power, and so practice of the sword is paramount here. Children fight with swords, adults fight duels over small matters, sword-forging is as well known as reading and writing, and they are generally a powerful bunch of cultivators and mortals alike.

Sapphire Earldom of Axes:

Axe Qi requires a raging heart and willingness to smash through obstacles. Fighting, drinking, fighting, fucking, and fighting are all common here. Burly and muscle-bound, the Sapphire Axes are a barbaric people in the eyes of most, but are tremendously honest.

Green Dragon Empire:

The new Green Dragon Empress is Long Xinya, an Early Core Formation cultivator, having recently subdued the Demon Apple Duchy. She is terribly burned, as she failed to restrain her bloodline on reaching Core Formation, and almost died. The dragonfire that burnt her cannot be healed, and so she wears a draconic mask at all times. Typically the Green Dragons are more direct and bloodthirsty, but less clever and treacherous.

Malachite Scorpion Sect:

The Malachites are a Sect, of all things. Their Blood Infusion Art (bought from the Clan at great cost) allows them to induct new people into their bloodline, and they do so with vigour.

Viridescent Blade Duchy:

Obsessed with the blade as their cousins are. To master sword Qi grants their Elders more power, and so practice of the sword is again, paramount here. They are no different to their Cerulean Blade cousins, but only a fool would say so, unless one wanted to fight a duel.

Emerald Axe Marquisate:

Axe Qi requires a raging heart and willingness to smash through obstacles. Fighting, drinking, fighting, fucking, and fighting are all common here. Unlike their Blade cousins, the Emerald Axes have excellent relations with their Sapphire cousins,

Dragonbreath City-Forge:

Where both the Blues and Greens live - as they normally live part. It is the capital of the Divided Mortal Kingdoms. Built above a dragon-bone, this forge can create powerful items, and is a source of wealth for both Blues and Greens.

Demon Apple Duchy:

A Demon Apple Tree learned of the bloodline arts of the Dragons, and sought to replicate them. It managed to do so in a minor sense - those who ate of its fruits were empowered, but all their descendants would contribute part of their cultivation to the Tree. Over the last six thousand years it has reached the Great Circle of Foundation Establishment, and routinely sides with whichever Dragon Emperor can promise more benefits. Recently, Long Xinya beat it into submission and forced it to pay considerable tribute.

The Thirty-Two Koi Crowns:

It was the seventeenth Blue Dragon Emperor who raised the Koi Kings.

He had many Spirit Fish he loved, and ruled over a large segment of mortal territory. The kings and lords came to him, asking him to settle their affairs. Instead of taking them on himself, the Emperor ordered them to catch one of his thirty-two Koi. Each person who caught one would be named King, and their bloodline would rule over their kingdom evermore. These kings tend to be in early Foundation Establishment (middle at best), and each over time has come to serve the Blue or Green Dragons, occasionally switching.

Hopefully this should serve as a useful primer for you, acting Legate. Please let me know if more information is required.

Would we really be not!Byzantium without the Blues and Greens?
 
Buy a month?

Fuck that, take six at the ten dollar rate, the least I can do for providing so much entertainment! Let me know if you need anything else to help facilitate things, I'm not the best at running my own stuff but I can usually effectively contribute along the sides.

Man, thanks a lot.

I'll put this to good use firstly by adding you onto the collaborator list so you can threadmark stuff if you want.

I can add up to ten collaborators, so if anyone else (who's been in the thread awhile, ideally) would like to stick their hand up for threadmarking and threadmark organisation (boring, terrible, but there is a Fate bonus involved to make up for the boredom) to help ReaderofFate out (reader is doing almost all of it atm), let me know!
 
Turquoise Scorpion Clan:

A peculiar people, having learned to bear many children and infuse the scorpion-nature into themselves more deeply. To multiply their numbers, their great ancestor fused more and more scorpion traits into them, and while they are human, they bear ten or fifteen tiny children at a time, who cling to their bodies and grow into babies.
Huh. These are kinda cute! I am very fond of this image.

Also I love this kind of messy history, though I'm a little sad the axe and blade people don't have more variance. Ahhh well.
 
I can add up to ten collaborators, so if anyone else (who's been in the thread awhile, ideally) would like to stick their hand up for threadmarking and threadmark organisation (boring, terrible, but there is a Fate bonus involved to make up for the boredom) to help ReaderofFate out (reader is doing almost all of it atm), let me know!
I'm constantly scanning the thread often enough that I might as well, though I hear that doing so while on mobile is a pain and a half
 
Man, thanks a lot.

I'll put this to good use firstly by adding you onto the collaborator list so you can threadmark stuff if you want.

I can add up to ten collaborators, so if anyone else (who's been in the thread awhile, ideally) would like to stick their hand up for threadmarking and threadmark organisation (boring, terrible, but there is a Fate bonus involved to make up for the boredom) to help ReaderofFate out (reader is doing almost all of it atm), let me know!
I know how to handle threadmarks and organization from my Mod days and basically have the time for it (as well as spending a loooooooooooot of time in the thread), so I'll raise my hand for being a collaborator.
 
@TehChron @BungieONI , enjoy your new collaborator powers

The stuff here... not super relevant. These are minor vassals, not like our two big ones. There are a few pieces of Dragonbreath Forge equipment in the Clan, though, especially among Core Formation elders.
 
@TehChron @BungieONI , enjoy your new collaborator powers

The stuff here... not super relevant. These are minor vassals, not like our two big ones. There are a few pieces of Dragonbreath Forge equipment in the Clan, though, especially among Core Formation elders.
Interesting. Is there a specific reason for that or is it kind of an ad hoc thing?
 
The stuff here... not super relevant. These are minor vassals, not like our two big ones. There are a few pieces of Dragonbreath Forge equipment in the Clan, though, especially among Core Formation elders.
Once again, thanks!

I am suddenly curious what would happen if down the road we were able to afford to bankroll one of their Emperors to Nascent Soul level.

Like, not super relevant yeah, but a chance to upset the balance of things down the line would be interesting if we could guide that little mess to it's full potential. Maybe upgrade them from "minor vassal" to "Major Vassal" once we're in a position where an Early or Mid-Nascent Soul wouldn't upset things majorly for us.
 
A hundred and eighty or so thousand years ago, the Gold Dragon Emperor named himself after composing a cultivation art to consume a droplet of true dragon blood.
Wow, that's a long time ago. (Pun fully intended. :V)
However, the blood was contaminated with a drop of Imperial Scorpion Blood, as well as Sword Qi from the cultivator who had attacked the dragon.
Neat. So, this Gold Dragon Emperor found the drop of dragon blood from a dragon that was killed by a much stronger Sword Cultivator, and said Sword Cultivator had just killed an Imperial Scorpion.
His firstborn was passed on the Dragon Blood, able to transform into a mighty beast.

His second took the Scorpion Blood, able to change his limbs and grow a tail, fighting well above his level.

His third was given the Sword Qi, becoming a swordsman without peer.

His fourth, the Gold Dragon Emperor learned to pass on his own Axe art, fusing it all into a droplet of blood made of Axe Qi.
Oh, that's really neat. TBH, the idea of creating bloodline abilities is a really exciting one, though I guess several Good Seeds are in that field to some extent or another. I guess that's an idea for a Good Seed if Amaranth ever ends up dying.
Until one day, the number of his descendants with Dragon Blood reached a critical level, and all the blood power poured into one of them, enhancing his descendent to the Core Formation realm. Soon after the same happened with the other branches, their clans rising to Late Foundation Establishment through the power of numbers.
So, I presume this mean all the bloodline power concentrated into one person, not an unconscious version of the Blood Path? Eh, what am I saying, this is way closer to the Acorns than Blood Path.
The Dragon Empire arose and grew, covering much of the Desert. In time, a Nascent Soul arose from the Dragon-Blooded, named Patriarch Three Circles. He sought Spirit Severing, but found it beyond him. In his waning days, he studied bloodline arts, and found a way to split the various bloods, retaining all their power - doubling it, in fact.

His Blood-Twin Soul Arts were incomplete, however. Rather than doubling the power of his people, it halved them, unable to regain and surpass its former potency until it reached Nascent Soul.
Oh, that's just sad. But, there is that little caveat at the end saying that it'd retain and surpass its old potency if a person with that Bloodline hit Nascent Soul despite this disadvantage. That might be an interesting goal for a future Good Seed.
Over time, two new empires arose - the Blue Dragon Empire and the Green Dragon Empire. Their cultivators could only reach Core Formation, but they discovered that the first cultivator to reach Early Core Formation would gain a boost of Qi from the other, able to reach Middle Core Formation. Both empires require each other, and Mid Core Formation can only be reached by a Blue and Green Dragon Emperor acting in twain
Looks like that old trait still exists to an extent, though much diminished. Neat.

And, too tired to continue. Probably will sleep soon, but not yet.
 
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So to make sure I understand the Divided Mortal Kingdoms the way they work is that they're basically one huge clan with special blood. The mortals are important because despite being unable to cultivate still posses the blood and so when an expert reaches a certain level all those mortals contribute a bit of their power automatically due to their blood meaning more mortals directly means more power?
 
Man, thanks a lot.

I'll put this to good use firstly by adding you onto the collaborator list so you can threadmark stuff if you want.

I can add up to ten collaborators, so if anyone else (who's been in the thread awhile, ideally) would like to stick their hand up for threadmarking and threadmark organisation (boring, terrible, but there is a Fate bonus involved to make up for the boredom) to help ReaderofFate out (reader is doing almost all of it atm), let me know!
Actually, would you mind if some of the earlier infoposts were threadmarked? That's probably the first thing I'd do, since they need to get added to the wiki.
 
So to make sure I understand the Divided Mortal Kingdoms the way they work is that they're basically one huge clan with special blood. The mortals are important because despite being unable to cultivate still posses the blood and so when an expert reaches a certain level all those mortals contribute a bit of their power automatically due to their blood meaning more mortals directly means more power?

A number of clans, but yes. Growing mortal populations directly equals more power for those on top - the bloodline powers of the various Kingdoms are almost quite literally pyramid schemes.

Actually, would you mind if some of the earlier infoposts were threadmarked? That's probably the first thing I'd do, since they need to get added to the wiki.

Out of curiosity, which infoposts aren't threadmarked? Normally when I get rid of infopost threadmarks it's because I'm consolidating them into a single post to avoid the 'too many infoposts' problem.

So, I presume this mean all the bloodline power concentrated into one person, not an unconscious version of the Blood Path? Eh, what am I saying, this is way closer to the Acorns than Blood Path.

Essentially. Bloodline power flows up, so mortals in the Kingdoms are actually often a little weaker than they might otherwise be (though their bloodlines add strength, so it ends up being a wash), and the further you go the easier it gets (relative to cultivators at the same level). If they could expand their mortal population fifty-fold they'd be able to look at raising a Nascent Soul, for instance.
 
His Blood-Twin Soul Arts were incomplete, however. Rather than doubling the power of his people, it halved them, unable to regain and surpass its former potency until it reached Nascent Soul.
Bet that was an opps and a half moment.

Also reading this I get the feeling every couple of generations a green or blue dragon gets the bright idea to mix their bloods together, and ends up disappointed with the results.
 
Such is Cultivation, a long string of horrible failures that paves the way to the one unexpected success.
 
Emerald Axe Marquisate:

Axe Qi requires a raging heart and willingness to smash through obstacles. Fighting, drinking, fighting, fucking, and fighting are all common here. Unlike their Blade cousins, the Emerald Axes have excellent relations with their Sapphire cousins,
I like Green and i like Axes. These are my people! Especially since a Ji is also known as a Dagger-Axe. Hmm, i kinda want to see if Xiao Yi can yoink a squad into his service. Something like retainers that he can link up with for Formations.

@occipitallobe question, what would happen if one of the Clan visit the smaller sects in the Mortal Kingdoms? Like they're vassals of our vassal so would they seek to curry favor with us? Do they know we exist etc?
 
Man, thanks a lot.

I'll put this to good use firstly by adding you onto the collaborator list so you can threadmark stuff if you want.

I can add up to ten collaborators, so if anyone else (who's been in the thread awhile, ideally) would like to stick their hand up for threadmarking and threadmark organisation (boring, terrible, but there is a Fate bonus involved to make up for the boredom) to help ReaderofFate out (reader is doing almost all of it atm), let me know!
If you're still looking for more collaborators I'd be happy to give it a go, though I don't have any experience.
 
What's this. A vicious and treacherous Demonic Apple tree has been exploiting people with the promise of power.

And only the valiant effort of the glorious and courageous Empress Long Xinya stopped it in its track and forced it to pay for its transgressions.

Lady Xinya just earned herself a new fan.
 
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I like Green and i like Axes. These are my people! Especially since a Ji is also known as a Dagger-Axe. Hmm, i kinda want to see if Xiao Yi can yoink a squad into his service. Something like retainers that he can link up with for Formations.

@occipitallobe question, what would happen if one of the Clan visit the smaller sects in the Mortal Kingdoms? Like they're vassals of our vassal so would they seek to curry favor with us? Do they know we exist etc?

They do, but only in a vague sense. Like, a Qi Condensation cultivator would know there's a big spooky 'Golden Devil Clan' who rules them and that they're generally considered fair and just, but the intricacies of Clan society would escape them entirely.

The more knowledgeable people (Foundation and up) would be very respectful, those at a lower level respect powers, which the Clan has in spades relative to minor players like these.
 
Man, thanks a lot.

I'll put this to good use firstly by adding you onto the collaborator list so you can threadmark stuff if you want.

I can add up to ten collaborators, so if anyone else (who's been in the thread awhile, ideally) would like to stick their hand up for threadmarking and threadmark organisation (boring, terrible, but there is a Fate bonus involved to make up for the boredom) to help ReaderofFate out (reader is doing almost all of it atm), let me know!

I'm familiar with the process and am willing to pitch in when available.
 
Man, thanks a lot.

I'll put this to good use firstly by adding you onto the collaborator list so you can threadmark stuff if you want.

I can add up to ten collaborators, so if anyone else (who's been in the thread awhile, ideally) would like to stick their hand up for threadmarking and threadmark organisation (boring, terrible, but there is a Fate bonus involved to make up for the boredom) to help ReaderofFate out (reader is doing almost all of it atm), let me know!
I'm basically always on the thread anyway so I wouldn't mind helping out if you need more people. I don't know the system that well but I'm sure I'll pick it up.
 
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