Remove ads

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

Voting is open
Reader mode
Remove ads
New Good Seed and Omake Rule Updates
  • Threadmarks
    • 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!

    -----------------------

    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.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Remove ads
    Good Seed Background/1: Sun Ji - "The Rise of This Sun"
  • Sidestory
    • Good Seed: Sun Ji
    Clan Observer/Spy at Seven Temples
    Story Name: "The Rise of This Sun"
    ​
    NAME: Sun Ji

    APPEARANCE: Sun Ji is a quiet young man of the Low Blood House. He has shoulder-length dark-brown nearly-black hair, but will likely soon have a shaved head while attending the Sunset Sect. He will soon be dressed as a new inductee of that Sect, robes the color of the sky when the Sun is at apogee. Sun Ji isn't a particularly tall man, at a 5 ft 8 frame, but he is rather sturdy with muscle. A product of a life working on the streets of a small town named Chengwa since he was 10. His eyes often dart to motion, a product of many nights spent in danger. Some would call him jumpy, but he would call it "being ready". He struggles mightily to relax, which is mostly fine. His tanned skin isn't Bronze, and he lacks the Bronze Blood entirely at this point in time. His memory and manners are impeccable, and he finds an easy time interacting with those ranked higher than him. So long as formality is adhered to. Sun Ji spent the past 6 years learning the "Language of Informality" but is still uncomfortable doing so. This is in great contrast to his brothers Peng Jin and Jing Shen, who have taken to the lessons with relative ease.

    STARTING TURN (AGE): Turn 14 (16)

    COOL THING: Sun Ji is a scion-spy of The Low Blood House. The Low Blood runs strong in Sun Ji, although little is retained of the histories that describe such a thing. It's a peculiar Blood that fails to give the higher durability or looks of the other Bloods of The Clan. However it does impart some measure of recovery assistance, which allowed for the pain tolerance and willpower training Sun Ji endured to be survived cleanly. The Low Blood is a strange line, seeming to be of Mercury. It's something that doesn't pass on to children either. No, instead The Low Blood settles deep into the soul, and is only detectable by the direct Chosen of Heaven and certain arrays made by their hands. The full depths of it's powers have been lost in the decline of the Sea Conquering Army, and the cost of infusing a child with a blood that cannot be passed on has made it prohibitively expensive for millennia.

    Sun Ji is among a new generation granted The Low Blood, the first to be afforded the honor in many generations. The Low Blood House determined that the new Age was a sign to make the investment, and began a test run in the Heavenly Bandit Region of the former Jingshen lands. The Low Blood's primary effect is as a social lubricant. Those that work and live with one of the Low Blood begin to see themselves reflected in the Low Blood, and will approve of the virtues they see in the Low Blood that match those of themselves. This Mirrored Soul allows scions to easily ingratiate themselves with their targets, and bridge gaps between disparate groups through mutual connection. This is used for a simple and ancient plan.

    The many spies of The Low Blood House have kept to the old tradition of allowing their best mortal-or-Unblooded Spies to earn Bronze Blood. Sun Ji and his siblings are the first in an age to receive the proper Low Blood Infusion before setting out. Should they prove successful, they will be the first in living memory to test the old claim that the Low Blood is compatible with the other Bloods of The Clan. Should they successfully Integrate swathes of their targets into The Clan's direct holdings, The Low Blood House will shoulder the expense to alloy their Blood with another themselves. Who knows what power will be unlocked, when the Low Blood is alloyed to another.

    BACKGROUND: The Low Blood House is a rather poor house made up primarily of cultivators that have accepted The Blood but had existing Unblooded Families they wanted to bring with. In exchange for accepting these mortals and Outsiders into The Clan, dedication and duty as Spies and Observers is required of any talented Unblooded children. The Clan pays service handsomely, and while this specific kind of deep-cover work isn't often utilized by The Clan, it has some amount of use among neutral parties and low-power vassals. Members infiltrate, align themselves, and create institutions amenable to Clan interest and Mortal Interest. The Low Blood House is one that appreciates the value of every small advantage that can be accrued, and relies on integrating new families to keep up with the amount of talent sent abroad year after year.

    Sun Ji is a scion of The Low Blood House. As a toddler he was injected with the Low Blood. The Low Blood is toxic to the untalented, so when he didn't negatively react to the first dose the full regimen was given to him. This would occur alongside training, and wasn't distinguishable for him between any other injections of discomforting or painful toxins. At ten years of age he was given his task, and was given a name. Sun Ji, a name not uncommon to find in the Heavenly Bandit Kingdoms. In a happy coincidence, he and his two brothers were assigned to three infiltration missions focused on the Seven Temples area. Sun Ji himself would infiltrate the Sunset Sect, learn how resonant the Dao of Endings that they specifically practiced was with the Dao of the Low Blood House, and ideally participate in the expansion and legitimizing of both the Riverlord Sect and a Flood Dragon Bandit Recruitment Gang that would be friendly to The Clan. The long term goal is to shift perceptions of the people of the Seven Temples so that if any cultivators become Chosen by Heaven there, proactive measures can be taken with minimal diplomatic injury. The Clan cannot prevent the Heavens from interfering, but they will not need to worry about a hypocritical zealot of Heaven rising up from Seven Temples.

    OVERALL HIGH CONCEPT: Sun Ji is brainwashed. He comes from a House of The Clan that provides deep cover agents at a deep price of lives and talent. Sun Ji is one of those lives, and is ready to Sacrifice himself for the Clan at any time. They have prospered greatly in the past hundred years, reclaiming strength and capability as the Parakoimomenos has been able to invest in them once more. Sun Ji's path to power will be from The Sunset Sect, and anything else he can acquire or achieve in service to the clan. How much can Sun Ji earn in exchange for the Sacrifice of his childhood? Will Sun Ji consider it worth the price, when all is said and done?

    DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
    Peng Jin - brother of Sun Ji, and "Sworn Brother" of Sun Ji in his time at Chengwa. Student of the Riverlord Sect in the Old City
    Jin Shen - brother of Sun Ji, and "Sworn Brother" of Sun Ji in his time at Chengwa. A low ranking member of the Seven Temples Flood Dragon Recruitment Gang across the river from Chengwa, north of Seven Temples City
    Shu Xiu - childhood friend of the "Three Ji" and son of the Headsman of Chengwa. Student of the Riverlord Sect in the Old City, Shu Xiu grew up managing the "Child Gang of Chengwa" and is used to the task of "herding cats"




    DATASHEET​

    CURRENT TURN: 14

    AGE/LIFESPAN: 16/200

    HEALTH: Healthy
    Turn 14 Healthy ->
    IMPACT: 0 (Effective Cultivation: ???)
    Turn 14 0 ->
    CULTIVATION: Qi Condensation, 1st Heavenstage
    Turn 14, 1st Heavenstage ->
    CULTIVATION YEAR EQUIVALENT: ???
    Turn 14, ??? ->
    CULTIVATION GOAL: Seek the heights of power to benefit The Clan. First Goal is 12th Heavenstep, to bolster the Soul for Sacrifice.

    OMAKE BONUSES: None
    Turn 14 ->
    INVENTORY:
    Turn 14, Empty ->
    TECHNIQUES & ABILITIES:
    -Turn 14, gained Low Blood Supplication Art: the adherent Low Blood offers tribute to one greater than itself to ameliorate temper and make them more amenable to proposals. Requires the adherent to Sacrifice something valuable to both themselves and the target. Target will often know that an Art has been used, but will usually not care so long as the Sacrifice is worthy of what is asked. More Effective on beings of great Pride. Loses Effectiveness against the Humbled.
    - Turn 14, gained the Ebullient Stream Riverbed Exercise: a cultivation exercise focused on awareness of the body and the gathering of ambient qi from local waterways into oneself. This exercise comes from the Purified Spirit River Clan, and was taught to him by young master Jiang Chrysanthos of The Clan. Its principles are useful for laying a foundation that makes breaking through the bottlenecks between the 1st Heavenstage and the 5th easier, as well as how to be aware of one's own vital qi for later use.
    SKILLS & COMPETENCIES:
    Near Compulsive Politeness- Sun Ji is almost compulsively polite and well mannered. He finds himself most comfortable in formal situations with clear superiors. Some find this endearing, and others find it annoying. Sun Ji apologizes that he cannot be better at being informal.

    Obscure Clan Knowledge- Sun Ji learned much about The Clan and the many Houses therein. He isn't up to date on how each of the houses are doing, but is knowledgeable of their strengths at least.

    Low Blood Tempering- Sun Ji understands the Sacrifice involved in discomfort and pain for The Clan. He has a higher than average pain tolerance and Will, but is also a bit of a doormat as a result.

    Mirror Soul- Those observing Sun Ji often see themselves in him, typically reflections of his strengths and virtues that remind the observer of themselves.

    Raised by the Riverside- Sun Ji understands the wild areas outside of Seven Temple City well, and is familiar with the River and the Rites to beg forgiveness of it.

    Taught by the Riverside- The first lesson of master Jiang Chrysanthos was, "The river of the heart flows free and fast, its sanguine current carves an eternal legacy into the bed of history, binding kith and kin in an endless advance towards tomorrow,"
    The second lesson was "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb."
    The first question master Jiang Chrysanthos posed Sun Ji was, "How does one reconcile the two teachings of the strength inherent to bonds of consanguinity and the depth of commitment a bond of choice can hold?"
    HISTORY​

    FATE LOG:

    OMAKE LOG:
    Current Word Count (net): 8926 Words.

    ~~~~~~~~~
    TURN 14
    Omake 1: Deployment Strain
    2095 Words - First Omake, establishes infiltration target and does minor character introductions.
    Omake 2: Insertion
    2241 Words - Second Omake, a conversation with their first patron "The Old Man of Chengwa". Characterizes the depth of infiltration, and how exactly their style works.
    Omake 3: Gratitude
    2167 Words - Third Omake, Jing Shen is split from the party. He sacrifices an arm in exchange for a cutting of wall vine. The rest continue onward.
    Omake 4: Setting Roots
    2423 Words - Fourth Omake, a follow up with Jing Shen and Peng Jin as Sun Ji joins the Sunset Sect.
    Omake 5: Germination
    914 Words - Fifth Omake, a brief prologue to the Collab Omake with Jiang Chrysanthos
    Omake 6: The River Flows Fast and Free
    3920/2 = 1960 Words - Sixth Omake, Sun Ji has an unexpected encounter and muses on the fundamentals of things.
    Omake 7: Sprouting from Soil
    4266 Words - Seventh Omake, Sun Ji is challenged for the first time since arriving at the Sunset Sect
    Omake 8: Growing Pains
    2911 Words - Eighth Omake, Sun Ji and Hong Xiao square off and exchange opening blows.
    Omake 9: Seed Investors
    3501 Words- Ninth Omake, Hong Xiao has a talk with her parents. Later, Sun Ji receives a gift.
    Omake 10: Seed Money
    1918 Words- Tenth Omake, Hong Xiao and Sun Ji begin the journey to investigate their supplier.
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Sun Ji Omake 1: Deployment Strain
  • Sidestory
    • Omake 1:
    Sun Ji- Deployment Strain

    The Blood declines, and so do we
    The Clan declines, and so do we
    Reject Nothing out of Pride nor Ignorance
    Each Grain of Sand makes the Beachhead
    Dig Deep for the Truth of the World

    The Heavens Loathe Our Clan!
    So we shall gather the strength of the Earth
    Accepting Even the Smallest Wisdoms
    We Lay the Foundations of Conquest
    We Lay the Foundations of Grand Bulwarks

    So Bend Low! O Scions of our House!
    Accept the Lot of our House and Go!
    Scatter as Grass and grow tall by the Earth!
    Burn Bright and Hot to enrich the Earth!
    In that Boiling Furnace be made Bronze!

    Imperata Cylindrica! By Cycle Prepare for Order!

    - Words of the Low Blood House
    ~~~~~~~~~

    "Not bad" was the first impression Sun Ji got of the Seven Temple City. From high above, atop one of his seniors' Bronze Eagle Formation, it was clear that the outsiders here had done well for themselves. Sure, the blood pacts with the local river spirits seemed like they would trap the city in perpetual decline. Yet the glorious destruction of the Blood Cannibal Sect had significantly changed the calculations on how viable escape from such paths might be.

    "Juniors! Report!" his handler barked. She was a Magistrianoi, rumored to have caught the eye of some young master of the venerable Xie. The Magistrianoi order had been previously extinguished a few thousand years ago that had served under the various Legates, a unified intelligence service for internal matters. They had been a crucial connection between his Low Blood House and proper membership within The Clan, and there was great reverence for the renowned Xie Xinya that had refounded the order and sworn in fresh blood. The Low Blood House was well used to hardship, as a House made of cultivators from previously-Outsider people. Still, a more concrete path to Bronze Blood for their children was very much appreciated.

    This report he'd be giving was likely the last contact he'd have with The Clan in multiple decades. He would bring honor to his House, he was sure of it. Despite the whipping winds, he knew she would hear him clearly.
    "Ma'am! The Seven Temples City is below us. I am to be deployed in the Sunset Garden of the New City! I am now Sun Jin, a child seeking power from the Seven Temples who guard the River Towns. Most recently I lived in Chengwa, and was inspired by the exchanging of pointers between two Sun Monks and a local gang I was working for. I'm unsure which path to take, but ended up entering into the Sunset Garden and will likely be picked up by talent scouts of theirs within a few weeks."

    The thing about good cover stories was to make sure they were true. That was the purpose of the Low Blood House anyway. A House of The Clan that incorporated many unblooded to serve as spies and informants. Upon the accomplishment of truly great deeds, one would receive The Blood and have access to the proper networks of The Clan. Usually, they would also marry into a proper house if they were to have children after Blooding. Having children that were Bronze for the House would defeat the purpose of the House after all. This made it easy to negotiate where children of a marriage contract would go in exchange for some benefit to the House. Especially because the Blooded of the Low House were guaranteed to be fresh blood for houses that could otherwise be at risk of self-contamination.

    Peng Jin was next to report. Hard as it was to hear him, Sun Ji already knew the words his friend had memorized. "Ma'am! The Seven Temples City is below us. I am to be deployed to Sunset Garden of the New City, but will make my way to The Old City with most of the local gang I lived with in Chengwa. After being beaten by two Sun Monks, the majority of us were inspired to become stronger, but I wasn't inspired as Sun Ji was. I want to grow in strength so that such embarrassment won't ever happen to me again, and me and most of the gang decided to travel to Riverlord Sect to become stronger." Peng Jin had always been the first to suggest to play in the waters, and could even match their eighteen year old leader in contests of swimming! He'd miss his friend, but being scouted for talent by the Sunset Sect was too good a chance to pass up. Plus, they'd only ever be a river apart. No late night drinking parties anymore though. Well, at least, it'd depend on the rules of their Sects'.

    Jing Shen was last. He was always the most hot-headed of the trio, and his shouts nearly broke through the walls of wind clearly. "Ma'am! The Seven Temples City is below us. I am to be deployed to Sunset Garden of the New City, and will be rejected by the recruiter that picks up Sun Ji after intolerable displays of rudeness! After they take my friend, I will spend a week or so nursing my wounds before returning to Chengwa. I will work for a short few months to earn passage to the far side of the river, and seek out local Bandits. At such time, I will be found by a gang that aspires to be Flood Dragon and we will work closely with a Flood Dragon Recruiter to earn a spot as Noble Bandits." His was the most worrisome path, but also the most close to their observer. Lady Magistrianoi would be "the Clan Contact" that the Flood Dragon Recruiter knew, and Jing Shen would be able to access extra supplies more easily than the others. Such was the path of the cultivator though. With risk came reward, sometimes.

    "Good!" barked Lady Magistrianoi. "You will be deployed immediately." She neither moved nor flinched as the Eagle began a swift descent back to the campsite they'd been using before being picked up. Peng Jin screamed. Jing Shen cackled madly. Sun Ji covered his mouth as his late dinner started to come back up. It was clear that Lady Magistrianoi was enjoying herself, quirking a lip as the surroundings blurred past them. "Remember your training, little bumpkins." he somehow heard over the screaming of both Jin and the wind. "Be seeing you in a few decades, if you succeed." She smiled as the eagle slowed, and gestured them all to stand in front of her.

    Dutifully they obeyed, tears in their eyes from the speed even still. Suddenly, they stopped completely. Lady Magistrianoi lifted her foot and kicked them all off in one smooth motion. "Good Luck little devils!" she called, having retrieved the tokens that allowed them to ride the arrogant Bronze Eagle in the first place. Sprawled across the dirt, there was a great gust of wind, and everything that could have identified them as Clan was gone.

    "That woman is terrible," complained Peng Jin.
    "That woman is badass," mumbled Jing Shen from a furrow in the earth.
    "Bleuagh" threw up Sun JI, as his stomach refused to keep down the Note Tuning Crickets they'd cooked for dinner.

    ~~~~~~~~~

    Chengwa was a fine village. It had an acceptable headsman. There were a moderate amount of jobs. They were relatively safe. It wasn't a bad looking town. There were some number of houses. In fact, it was in better repair than most of the River Towns. This was due to the proximity to both a "road" that led to Seven Temple City, and being across the river from a so-called "Virtuous" bandit gang. In fact, you could say that the most exceptional thing about Chengwa was the fact that it was somewhat close to Seven Temples. As far as villages in The Third Virtuous Flipper Region were concerned, Chengwa was slightly above average!

    Sun Ji would've preferred to not live here for six years. Though, at least he wasn't truly a local.

    "What the hell happened to you lot," drawled Shu Xiu as they approached the back of the Headsman's Hut from the thicket of bamboo they'd camped in. Shu Xiu was the unfortunately-named leader of the local kids-gang. It was their job to take wandering orphans, runaways and refugees and do something useful with their time. Cleaning shit. Running messages. Breaking shit. It was barely a living, but at least they were fed by the headsman for the oddjobs accomplished. Shu Xiu was even fairly muscular for a seventeen year old, in a lithe and slightly-malnourished sort of way.

    Sun Ji ran a hand through his near-black brown hair, and combed out a leaf. The thicket was the local "Secret Realm" and it was well known that the Three Ji often got into mischief in that place "guarded by the Elder Headsman".

    Jing Shen smiled wide, "Oh I don't know if you'd believe us if I told you. Last night there was a giant bird that just barely missed killing us! It swooped and it swerved and it cried out for our blood! Thankfully, I think all that practice taking a dive in fights has really paid off for these two Ji with me- Ow!"

    Peng Jin slugged him in the arm, hard enough to make Jing Shen shuffle his balance. "Dumbass. It was just a Kingfisher protecting its nest. Doubt such a thing could eat a human, even if there weren't so many fish a short flight away."

    Jing Shen shrugged as Shu Xiu chuckled. "Bah, you know it could've been guarding Cultivator Magic Eggs. I coulda made an omelet of Kicking-Monk-Ass out of 'em, and all of Heaven would've known of the Three Ji's. I shoulda just kept trying to climb, rather than running away with such cowardly compatriots."

    Shu Xiu snorted at the nonsense. "Even three Glorious Kingfisher eggs would hardly make an omelet big enough for one. Yet one broke my arm just for not giving up my catch fast enough. You're real lucky you ain't broke half to pieces, what with no weapons and all." Shu Xiu rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "What about you, little Ji-nius. You do some sort of scrapin and prostratin to get it to stop?"

    Sun Jin looked down and away, kicking the dirt. He hated that ever since the Monks had came that was what he was best known for. "Lost all three Tuner Crickets I'd caught for dinner. Had to stay up til midnight just to catch a new one and sleep."

    Shu Xiu laughed. Some of the younger kids had emerged from the hut and started to gather round them. "Oh man, you three Ji-niuses really do get up to some crazy stuff. I duno how you keep getting away with it, but I bet you're what's called Favoured By Heaven to keep getting out of jams without gettin maimed. What is this, like, the fifth time you three have gotten out without gettin mauled?"

    The very youngest were already walking up to the three Ji's, making grabby hands to be carried or hugging onto legs with happy sounds. Calling out their names and saying hi. Jing Shen winced as one of them began poking a bruise, the little brat knowing Shen wouldn't be able to fight back as surrounded as he'd gotten.

    Sun Ji sighed as he ruffled the hair of NoName, a sweet kid from a family that refused to name anyone younger than 10. Yeah this town was pretty lame, but they'd had fun while it lasted. "Pfft. If you ask me it's more Favoured by Sun Ji. I'm the one that always has to bail these knuckleheads out."

    Peng Jin transferred Wang One-Eye from one of the older kids to his own shoulders. Wang made a happy sound and started playing with Jin's short, spiky hair. "Hey, now I resent that. Come on Sun Ji, I'm barely an enabler. Definitely not a knuckle-headed oaf like Jing Shen"

    Sun Ji snorted as the younger kids continued to run too-and-fro amongst them. Jing Shen had started babbling with one of the slightly older kids, seemingly not noticing Peng Jin's jab. Shu Xiu gestured towards the back door into the hut, which was open with all the kids. "Come on then, better a little late than never eh?" The three Ji agreed, and waddled on in with kids clinging to legs and arms and hair. Sun Ji was sure they'd all miss this place.

    Even if it was full of outsiders.
    2095 Words
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Tax Man - Good Seed Background
  • Sidestory
    • Good Seed: Tax Man
    Real Name: Lexus Macer

    ​

    Even the Golden Devils have bureaucrats. In fact, they have an enormous amount of them. Running a clan of that size requires an equally large bureaucracy. However, with recent gains and new issues the bureaucracy can find itself overloaded and its employees overworked. Tax Man is one such bureaucrat. A simple bureaucrat crunching tax numbers who has become extremely disgusted with rampant stupidity in his fellow bureaucrats and the idiots he has to help.

    His father, a fellow bureaucrat of no major importance, has a great idea. In his own youth he had traveled as a tax collector/warrior/sheriff. While married life suits him well, and he is quite happy, he has fond memories of those days. So of course, he signed up his son for a similar role without telling him.

    Now he roams the Golden Devil's lands, helping people pay their taxes and fighting monsters. While he may act quite dismissive of his role and claim to desire nothing more to return and never go outside again, he finds his role much more fun than he will ever admit. However, he may find himself in a great battle for the fate of the clan's tax money.

    Core Concept:
    He's a golden devil bureaucrat who was forced to become a warrior as well. He is a traveling tax bureaucrat expected to fill in, wherever he goes and be a general problem solver. Mostly exists to bother Aretaphila about her tax evasion.

    Starting age: Turn 14

    Cool thing:
    He's a tax bureaucrat. While he may no longer be in the office anymore, his new role is actually a promotion. While power and cultivation stage determines your standing in a lot of ways, Tax Man's role in Tax Collection gives a certain level of standing and influence among his peers and superiors. Nobody wants to piss off the tax service after all. He's good at catching the ears of people seemingly above him and leveraging this influence.

    Character sheet

    Impact: 0

    Cultivation Years: 0

    Cultivation Level: 1st Heavenstage

    Omake Log:
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Hou Siren x Xiao Yingzi - Teaching Juniors Collab
  • Sidestory
    • Hou had grown up being told that cultivators went to dangerous places to grow strong, and so he was looking for danger. When he'd been told (well, not told. He'd overheard a few seniors discussing it but if they didn't want him to hear it, then they would have been quieter!) that there was a Senior Sister Yingzi going on an expedition to something called the Cloud Caves and was taking her juniors, he definitely wanted to go!


    Well, he didn't know all the details (he got bored of listening) but he definitely heard that there would be lots of strong people or maybe it was monsters and traps… still, it was dangerous and something he could fight so he definitely decided to sign up for it!


    Well, he couldn't really find a place to sign up but when he asked about her, they pointed him to some creepy mansion outside the training fortress. It was definitely the kind of place someone who was looking for danger would be living in. When he didn't see any obvious signs or instructions, he did the normal thing and walked right up to the door!


    The senior sister was supposed to be very kind and helpful, so he had high hopes! He heard that the last time she went to a dangerous place, she brought more than a hundred people with her! She was supposed to be very strong, but also very kind and so he was really looking forward to meeting her.


    When the door opened, it was a bronze woman who looked at him curiously. "Hello, who are you and how can I help you?"


    "Senior Sister Yingzi, I really wanted to join you on your trip to the cloud place." He said, bowing down to show respect like he was supposed to. "Please take me with you!"


    "How do you even know about that?" She whispered to herself and Hou suddenly began to panic. He wasn't supposed to know this? "First of all, I am not the centurion. Second of all, she's not going to take just anyone who shows up."


    Straightening up, he narrowed his eyes at her. "If you aren't Senior Sister Yingzi, then how can you decide whether I can come or not?"


    She gave him a once over. "How old are you even? Aren't you just an Aspirant?" She asked, shaking her head. "You need to at least be somewhat strong before you ask to come."


    "I'm strong!" Hou claimed defensively.


    "Well then," She said, turning away. "Get even stronger. Maybe she'll see you then."


    With that said, she closed the door on his face.


    Huo frowned as he stood there, thinking of what to do next. He was hoping to at least meet the Senior Sister, he didn't want to leave like this… then his face brightened as he remembered something. If you make enough mess the leader will come out to show his face, he remembered someone saying. Or was it alpha? Eh, who cares. The important thing was that beating up enough people meant that the person at the top had to show themselves.


    Heh.


    That sounded cool. Who cares if a saying was well-said, it was cooler to make up new ones!


    Heh.


    That sounded cool too.


    Grinning, he kicked the door down like the strong cultivator in the stories did against his enemies… and then frowned again when it didn't budge. Luckily the sound was enough for someone to open the door and see what was going on. As soon as the lady from before opened the door, he grinned again and jumped inside.


    "Oi!"


    "Fight me!" He said, bursting past the woman to step inside. It was a large room with a wooden table in the center. There were a bunch of people sitting on the table, some strong and some weak and a bunch of spooky lights shining all around them.


    A man with goggles over his head looked up from some papers and then stared at him in utter confusion. "I'm sorry, who are you?"


    "It's an aspirant who somehow found out about our planned visit to the Cloud Caves and wants to join in, sir." The woman who opened the door reported unhappily. "I thought I sent him away but he forced his way inside."


    He looked at Huo who stared right back into his eyes without blinking. "An aspirant?" The man repeated, looking away from him. "No, no. That's absolutely impossible. We can't let an aspirant come with us."


    Huo stamped his foot to get their attention. "I'm strong enough to come!" He exclaimed. "Fight me and I'll show you all!"


    When the man looked at him as if he had grown a second head, Huo couldn't help but frown. "I'm very sorry, sir." The woman said, suddenly grasping his shoulders and bowing. "I will get him out immediately."


    He slipped from her grasp and turned towards her. "Send out your weakest!" He demanded from her. "I will beat them, then those who are stronger until I am facing your strongest! Senior Sister Yingzi will show up and know that I am strong!"

    The woman opened her mouth for a second, then she closed it, unable to form any words from the sheer awe she felt from his master plan! Then he heard another man's voice from behind him and he whirled to face the speaker. "Why not humor him, Christa?" A weak smirking man with the aura of a mortal said to the woman behind him. "Your new spirit needed some training as well, didn't he?"


    "Titus, I really don't think we should." The woman said from behind him.


    There was a sigh from the goggled man who took his papers and got up. "Do whatever you want, I'm going inside."


    As he turned to go, Huo realized that they were all ignoring him. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" He said, but the goggled man walked off without waiting and just as Huo was just thinking of what to do, he heard the woman sigh behind him.


    "You know what? Fine." She called out. "I'll teach you a lesson to respect your seniors."


    Huo whirled towards her, grinning fiercely with the retreating man completely forgotten. Raising a fist, he nodded at her. "Come at me!"


    She just rolled her eyes and placed her palms together. A ball of white light appeared there, then as if it were a seed, it bloomed into a floating lotus. Lightly as if carried by the wind, it flew down to the ground and floated there in front of him. "Luna, teach him a lesson." The woman said, and Huo looked at her then back at the lotus of light.


    When it didn't move or do anything, he took a careful step forward and poked at one of its petals. It felt weird like he was pushing against a very strong stream of water. It wasn't a solid shape but it still pushed his finger back. He grinned and pulled his fist back to punch it when it suddenly flew straight into his gut.


    Eyes wide, he found that same invisible force sending him flying and he landed on the table with a thud. "Ooof, that's gotta hurt." The moral man - Titus - said, looking down at him while upside-down. Huo just grinned back at him and then jumped back on his feet, rushing at the white ball without stopping.


    Before anyone could react, he slammed on top of the ball of light with his belly and smashed it into the ground. He felt it try to push back, but like water if you push hard enough, he felt it give way and it dissolved right under him - spreading out in pieces of light that quickly disappeared.


    Grinning, he stepped back up and smirked at the woman who had released the spirit and then at the weak man behind him. Maybe he should fight the woman first? He'd beaten her pet after all and though the man seemed weak, maybe he was some hidden master type who hid his power, which would make him stronger than the woman.


    He needed to do this in the proper order, but he knew enough to know that he knew nothing. Better to allow them to pick when to come at him, then to make a mistake and challenge someone stronger first."Who's next?" He bragged, feeling more confident after his first victory.


    The woman looked at him in horror and even the man behind him no longer had any words to say. That was when he realized that she wasn't looking at him. Turning around to look, he saw a woman standing at the entrance to the room, looking at all of them with curiosity.


    "Centurion, I apologize for this." The woman at the door exclaimed, bowing her head. "Please, I will take full responsibility for all of this. Punish me, no one else."


    The woman who was the centurion raised an eyebrow. "These things happen." She said, waving her hand. "Return to your duties. I will handle this."


    The woman at the door bowed and retreated deeper into the house, pulling the man at the table with her but he resisted her, far too interested in watching how all of this played out. They settled for standing on the way deeper in, the man observing him with glee and the woman with worry.


    Huo on the other hand grinned widely, finally standing in front of the senior sister he had been looking for. He opened his mouth to challenge her, but the words died on his lips as soon as she turned to him.


    He could immediately tell that this woman was genuinely strong.


    He knew that among mortals it was commonly thought that women were weaker and it was known that this is not so with the cultivators... but it was one thing to hear it and another to really see it, feel it. Her aura of strength seemed to fill the room, demanding respect…


    It only made him want to fight her more.


    His blood was heating up far more than before and now he could hear his own heart pounding through his ears. He grinned at her, fingers curling into fists. His soul began to go mad, eager to consume a soul stronger than all those who he had consumed so far…


    And then, suddenly the senior sister was in front of him.


    It wasn't an attack. It was more like she had only gotten closer to examine him, but he hadn't seen her move and there was no change in her demeanor. It was he who stumbled back, suddenly feeling tense and uncertain.


    A duel was supposed to be a clash of hot-blooded will, the victor carrying the hopes and grudges of the loser to the future. All he felt from this senior sister was a cold intensity that made it hard for him to fight her properly!


    He looked at her, equal parts defiant and enthralled. He had heard cultivators in the stories talking about frogs in their wells, but if this was what he could expect from the ocean… unbidden his fists rose and feet parted, taking a proper fighting stance. He knew he would lose, but if he faltered here then he would not be Huo Siren!


    "Senior Sister," He said, looking up at her. "Please grant this Huo Siren some pointers!"


    "Holy shit."


    "He's really going to die."

    "Well, he brought this on himself."


    But he ignored them all, concentrating on Senior Sister Yingzi's response, waiting for affirmation before acting immediately. And to his delight, she nodded. "Very well," Saying exactly the words that he had hoped for. "Let this kind big sister teach you some manners."


    Though the will behind those words were cold, variety was the spice of life.


    With a roar, he stepped forward… and found his punch stopped cold by her palm. Then her fingers closed, as if trapping his fist between jaws of metal. "The first thing to remember: Never shit where you eat."


    The sudden crudeness from this sophisticated senior sister threw him off for a second, allowing her to lift him up in the air. "Lots of applications for that rule, but the one relevant today is this: Do not barge into the home of your allies as if you are storming an enemy stronghold."


    He had nowhere to stand in the air, but he used the senior's own immovable grip to try and kick at her but she caught his leg as well. "The second thing to remember: Even the carp can kill the phoenix in water. Do not disrespect the strength of others if you do not understand it."


    He tried to strike with his free limbs, hoping to get a hit while she was occupied but she shook him in the air before tossing him into the ground. "And I suppose you deserve a commendation for your courage. Even an ant can slay a sleeping tiger, but remember well: Not all tigers are sleeping and an ant is far stronger with his colony."


    "Before you seek strength, learn well the reasons for it, junior." She told him towering over him with a stern expression. Then as he forced himself to rise, she gave him a smile. "For your determination, misguided though it may be, I will give you a gift - useless now, but one you may appreciate in time."


    She held up a hand like a blade and he settled into a stance to defend himself against her. "There is pressure point behind the neck that immediately disables most opponents, though difficult to hit without an incredible advantage - "


    Knowing where she was to strike, he moved his hand to defend and suddenly she was gone. "But it is useful when disciplining juniors like yourself." She whispered from behind him and he felt a sharp pain in his neck.


    Then darkness took him.

    "Well, that was certainly interesting." Yingzi mused, as she stood over the unconscious junior.


    "What do you want us to do with him, ma'am?" Christa asked, stepping forward and bowing. "I can return him to his home and lodge a complaint with his Optio."


    Centurion Yingzi considered that for a moment. "Yes, do that and recommend tossing him into the Beast-Raising Forest as punishment. Seeing his techniques and temperament - he will likely grow strong if he survives."


    "If he survive?" Titus notes.


    "I don't doubt he will." She told him, shaking her head. "However, he will live strong or die quickly - either shall aid the clan."


    "It will be done, Senior Sister." Christa said, bowing. Then with a sigh, she picked up the unconscious body of Huo Siren and began to take him away.




    colab omake
    words:2500
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Kyveli Zaralli - Good Seed Background
  • Sidestory
    • A good seed
    Kyveli Zaralli
    ​
    Among the clan known as the Golden devil, there once existed a particularly eldened house. Yes, once. The Zaralli, previously known as the Zaralloi, a premier family that could trace its lineage since before the calamity of the Imperial Optimatoi had fallen to great depths. The last few shambling members cast off their once glorious name in shame. For the blessing of the Zaralloi became the curse of the Zaralli. Perhaps, that alone wouldn't have brought a great to its knees. No, it was the subtle shaping and guiding of the Heavens that had done so. Zaralli, at their prime, were common enough. Only when an unfortuitious purging at the hands of the hundred-year trial did the last vestiges of the Zaralloi, the Zaralli, crack. Nowadays the remaining Zaralli can easily be counted with one's hands... if they had a hook for a hand... and were missing a digit or two on the other.

    Kyveli grew up in the subtle fear that his curse wrought. He had watched his mother - a beautiful gal that had yet to be encrusted with green, one of the last remaining scions of the Zaralli - shy away from him in his younger years, afraid to make a connection that would leave her torn. Kyveli understood why, of course. He had heard of the stories, how could he not. Of the tortured screams his younger sister had let out. Of insidious insanity that had gripped her until... How her bronze had finally dulled, leaving nothing more than a decaying shell. More than that, he had heard of similar stories of his eldest brother. His premature aunt. His cousin. The grave of the Zaralli was immense. It was assumed he would follow in their footsteps.

    That was, assumed by all but his father. You see, Kyveli's father was different in that he wasn't a Zaralli. The decrepitude of the once great house hadn't poisoned him from a young age. Yet he knew the stories all the same, better than anyone really. He had watched his precious daughter die from within. He listened as his eldest fell apart. Kyveli's father strictly abided by the hope that this time would be different. He didn't dare let his son exist without his love, without his guidance. So it went that Kyveli followed in his father's footsteps, a healer. No, not one that knew how to infuse a dying body with mystical power or how to mend a soul. Kyveli grew up under the wing of his very ordinary father.

    Years passed and the never-ending, knawing from within both began and continued. The very fabric of his mind, his soul, seemed to disappear at times. Kyveli's very essence... was... consumed. He felt like a house. One that had its rooms being painfully torn from it by a vicious hurricane, its foundations eroded against an unstoppable flood. Kyveli's only beacon is the nurturing, unfaltering, hand of his father. Just like it began, it stopped. Or rather, the torturer had chosen new tools. On the inverse, new thoughts and sensations sprouted within his deadened mind. Old, forgotten memories welled like a spring along with new unsettling revelations. Whereas before the rooms of his house were being torn up, now they were roughly slammed back together. Different from before yet strangely familiar. Soon... well... soon enough it all ceased. Only the faint immaterial burbling from within could be occasionally heard, dormant.

    It was a glorious moment for Kyveli when the nonexistent murmurings and the unsettling out body experiences ceased. As it was the first time he had seen his mother weep with joy. The curse of the Zaralli had ended within him. Like his mother, his grandfather, and his forefathers before him, he had survived. One of a lucky few. The Heavens had blessed him.

    Life continued. Kyveli was, well, satisfied with his position in life. No life of thrilling adventures was wanted or needed from him. Instead, he was content to continue his father's business. A simple doctor.

    As the saying goes, the main goal of all life is reproduction. Kyveli wasn't long a bachelor. In fact, within two years of being newlywed, he had sired two wonderful, glorious daughters. Their eyes contained the trademark vibrant yellow of the Zaralli family, and they shared their mother's shaded brown hair. It was from that viewpoint, of a loving father, that he witnessed the blessing of the Zaraloi from an unusual angle, from a spectator... it was a dreary time within his life. One in ten, that was the odds of surviving this venomous curse. Kyveli's youngest was taken fast, as was what most often happened. His eldest... suffered. amidst these encroaching horrors Kyveli's wife... grew distant. The Heavens had cursed him.

    It was within that rage and despair that he found a goal, a burning desire to cure this 'blessing'. No longer would the Zaralli suffer, by one means or another. Kyveli got up from the shambles of his life and emerged a cultivator.

    Quick summary​
    A poor guy named Kyveli gets utterly wrecked by the blessing that the far stronger Zaralloi could handle but the vastly enfeebled Zaralli can not. Lossing everything in the process Kyveli sets out to heal this curse, for the sake of his family, becoming a cultivator.

    Core concept​
    I want Kyveli to be a doctor and not a fighter. He is a man who has lost quite a bit and has been greatly dispirited by it but is resolute in making his efforts count. He is also supposed to be able to do some special soul stuff(especially once he has gained a bit in cultivator level) due to the curse/blessing(which is his cool thing, by the way.) He is meant to be a fairly proud character(as his lineage is meant to have been fairly awesome once upon a time) that has been humbled due to his circumstances.

    Cool thing​
    The Zaralloi/Zaralli has long been infested(unintentionally or otherwise...) by a mutualistic(as in, benefits both parties...ish) soul parasite. The idea is based on the real-life Cymothoa exigua(which has been mystically enhanced for the funzies.) So basically the parasite is passed on through the lineage of Zaralli. The parasite then after five to ten years of dormancy to increase the chance of host survival begins to cannibalize their soul. The parasite then, as it does in the real world, replaces the consumed bits as a working replacement. This process is generally pretty unpleasant to the host(which isn't actually true to its real-world counterpart) and has a survival rate of around 1 in 10. The soul parasite makes up for an all-around sturdier soul that the host can, with practice, use far more flexibly than their normal equivalents. Perhaps even allowing for attacks. It has to be understood that Kyveli can now be considered the parasite and the parasite Kyveli. Without each other, they would both die, and are, in many ways, entirely merged. If Kyveli is a piece of flesh the parasite is both the knife that inflicts a wound and the scar tissue that replaces the flesh. If anyone wants it I do have a more concrete history for his family and how the soul parasite works/worked(It wasn't always so... threatening.)

    Character sheet​
    Starting turn: 14

    Age: 37

    Current life span: 200(Qi condensation = 200) or 8 to 9 turns

    Cultivation realm: 1st Heaven stage

    Cultivation goals: 12th Heaven stage(for the soul funzies)

    Health: Healthy

    Impact: 0

    Items: N/A

    Omake log:
    Turn 14:
    A Grave Moment(Requested life-saving treasure) - In which Kyveli makes up for past mistakes to his family... burying the hatchet, hehe. Taken place before his first footsteps into cultivation, or any mysticism at all really, aside from the curse that has plagued his family since time immemorial.


    @occipitallobe
    (Did I do it right?)
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Sun Ji Omake 2 - Insertion
  • Sidestory
    • Sun Ji Omake 2 - Insertion

    "So, the Three Ji have returned from their Trial eh?" smirked the Old Man of Chengwa. The Headsman's Hut was shaped like two concentric circles, with the inner circle having openings to the north and south of the main Western entrance. They'd come in from the back Eastern entrance, but of course the only cultivator in the village had heard them from even this distance.

    Shu Xiu reached the entrance to the Inner Circle and drawled, "My lord, they did battle with a Glorious Kingfisher and came out only slightly more smelly than normal. Surely the Heavens bless them." he did a half bow as the younger children giggled.

    Jing Shen began to complain loudly, but was cut off by the boisterous laugh of the Old Man. "Ohoho of course they are, of course." As the pile of children was dragged finally around the corner Sun Ji was able to see the Old Man on his throne. He was a cunning old bastard, rumored to be at the ripe age of eighty yet looking like he was merely in his thirties. He enjoyed dyeing his hair gray-white though, and the many tattoos scrawled on his bare chest and arms made him seem more grizzled than his seeming age. The Old Man was smiling, sitting cross legged with hands on his knees.

    Peng Jin reached up to Wang One Eye and kept the toddler from poking him in the eye, "Yeah yeah, the Heavens are certainly generous."

    The Old Man smiled as he watched the children mill around and babble amongst the Elders of the Child Gang of Chengwa. "Well. I suppose it's time to see if that luck will hold, hmm?"

    The Old Man gave a hand signal to Shu Xiu, who turned and shouted "Alright you rascals, time to start on lunch huh?" There was a mix of grumbles and cheers from the Juniors of the gang. "Hey!" Shu Xiu continued, "Don't work, don't eat! Come on then, let's get going chop chop." Shu Xiu reached up and grabbed Wang One Eye from Peng Jin so that he could carry the kid to the garden where he worked. "Say goodbye to the Ji-niuses kids, they gotta catch up with the Old Man for a bit alright?"

    The kids said their goodbyes, Wu Ken smacking Jing Shen's butt before running away with a cackle. "Oy! You'll pay for that!" Jing Shen shook his fist comically at Wu Ken.

    Sun Ji sighed and shook his head. Brother Jing Shen should have seen that coming. It was simply good practice to be prepared for an attack at any time, from any source. Shameful for a cultivator to be struck by a mortal like that, no matter how many kids were in the process of crawling off of you.

    As the hall emptied out, Sun Ji took a look around at it for perhaps the last time. It was covered in art not unlike the Old Man's tattoos. It was said that it was a Grand Formation that allowed the Divine to see history as if it was happening in the present. As Sun Ji understood, it was simply a pictographic record of the Old Man's life. He'd spent much of his chore hours cleaning this hall, attempting to puzzle out the symbols. He'd gotten as far as he could on his own, and then gotten the Old Man to tell him all about it through a Sacrifice of some of Jing Shen's moonshine brew.

    It was vile stuff, but a gift from a friend was still precious. Sacrificing it to the Old Man had confirmed most of Ji's translations, and cleared up certain areas he'd gotten wrong.

    The Old Man that sat before him was far from that bawdy and gregarious man he was when drunk. Instead of crinkled with joy, his eyes were sharp and piercing. Instead of a broad open smile, he wore a thin smirk. If Sun Ji didn't know any better, he'd think that some of the tattoos of the Old Man were moving. In particular there was a pair of crocodilian eyes on his neck that seemed to blink every time the Old Man's Adam's Apple bobbed.

    Jing Shen waved at the last of the kids from the entrance to the Inner Circle, before turning around and breaking the silence. "So! Old Man! What daring task are ya givin these elders of ours today?"

    The Old Man swallowed, and the Crocodile blinked. He took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly. "You three are cultivators."

    Sun Ji's eyebrows shot up. "My Lord?" he asked, hoping to show proper deference to the head of their gang.

    "Tcch," the Old Man clicked his tongue. "See, it's shit like that which outs you as some fancy pants kid. And since you all came in together, there's no way the other two ain't fancy masters too."

    Sun JI folded at the waist, "No no! This one is simply a humble servant of-"

    Peng Jin smacked him in the back of the head. "For the sake of the Heavens, Sun Ji. You always did default under pressure, come on. Shut the hell up."

    Sun Ji burned with embarrassment. "Of course, this one will -" Sun Ji cut himself off. Idiot child. He'd blown all their cover with his slowness. Surely he'd be made to write penance a thousand times for this.

    The Old Man put his face in his palm as Sun Ji felt the blush slowly overpower his self control. Fool! What good was a cultivator that couldn't control the flow of their own blood! Qi control was a thousand times more difficult than this, and here he couldn't even stop a mere blush from his ears!

    As he was looking down, he didn't see Jing Shen roll his eyes. Yet Sun Ji was certain he had. His brother snorted, "Heh. So you figured us out. Probably figured us out a long time ago too, so the question I got is, why now? Why let us know you know now? You kickin us out Old Man?"

    The Old Man sighed, and Sun Ji could hear as he scratched at a forearm. The tattoo of riverbank reeds. "Pfft. You think too much a'me. Didn't notice til them Monks beat ya bloody a few months ago."

    Sun Ji raised his head slightly. Good. At least he hadn't outed them all for years. Merely a few months. Sun Ji supposed it made sense that such a mediocre child as him had been sent to a mediocre village now.

    "Awhh man," complained Peng Jin. "I coulda sworn we made it look good though."

    "You did, you did" nodded the Old Man. "In fact, I wouldn'ta noticed if Ji hadn't bent and scraped so well. It'd been a long time since I saw that sort of proper Sun Prostration."

    Sun Ji successfully resisted the flush prompted by the memory. He properly looked up, and met the eyes of the Old Man when he asked, "Oh was that all? What's supernatural about knowing how to placate one's elders?"

    The Old Man snorted, as the show of minor challenge was something that placated Gang leaders such as him. "Oh, nothing. But there's no way you knew the words without something fishy going on." He tapped his jaw. A tattoo of the lower jawbone of a cottonmouth snake. "Nah. Even then there's something to what you did that woulda made me not think too much about it, if I hadn't had my sensory Art on already to watch the exchange of pointers y'all were in."

    "Damn," Sun Ji cursed. Maybe he was overcompensating for his overly polite manner with such language, but it did fit his mood. Failing to consider that The Old Man had a sensory Art he'd be using.

    The Old Man shrugged, "Yeah. After that I drew up the fight on some bones, and sure enough I hadn't thought much about Peng Jin or Jing Shen's almost calculated mistakes. Started drawing up you lot more often, and it started coming together. Hell, the way you walk with all them kids on you just ain't normal. Sure I'd be able to do it, but Shu Xiu sure as hell can't. I think I didn't think about it because I used to do the same with my own juniors back in the day, but I'd been a muscly man in my mid twenties and they'd been even scrawnier than your lot." He shook his head. "Nah, I think I saw myself in you because I wanted to. If I was a normal Cultivator with my head up my ass meditating and prancing around, I probably wouldn'ta noticed at all."

    Sun Ji nodded along, that made sense. Normally grains of sand such as they would be impossible to notice, but when there were only four grains in this whole village it simply couldn't last the full six years could it.

    Jing Shen crossed his arms, "Right. But that doesn't explain shit about why you'd tell us now." Then he continued with a smirk, "Unless you're tryna tell me it took ya four months to confirm we were cultivators."

    Sun Ji wondered, not for the first time, if Jing Shen was a better asset than him.

    "Oy!" the Old Man slammed a fist into an armrest. "Don't make light'a me." He jabbed a finger at Jing Shen, who raised his arms in defeat. "No. I been thinkin this whole time about what it means. What it means that you three showed up at my door."

    The Three Ji looked at one another nervously. Not one among them was sure of what would happen next.

    The Old Man's eyes narrowed, as he relaxed back into his throne. "Now this Old Man ain't the cleverest monkey in the garden, but he knows better than to ask questions of Heaven." Sun Ji relaxed a little at the words. The Old Man continued, "Y'all definitely did come from somewhere that abused ya. Somewhere significantly worse than I thought, given you're all cultivators." The Old Man reached an arm behind him, and pulled out an orange. He cut into the peel with a sharpened thumbnail, and began to peel it in one continuous spiral motion. The smell filled the room as he said, "so we got three unrelated brothers wander into town about 6 years ago. Yer all already cultivators, and on paths that make you likeable to an old gangster like me. 'Cept little Sun here," he pointed to Sun Ji, "is clearly from a more noble place and tryin his best ta fit in. So I'll tell ya what it means." He placed the peel behind him, and threw orange wedges to Peng Jin, Jing Shen and Sun Ji simultaneously. They caught them easily, no need to hide anymore.

    The Old Man struck a pose, thumb on his chin with index finger pointing up towards his ear, "You're rescues from that Flood Dragon Recruitment Gang aintchya?"

    Sun Ji froze. How had he- The Old Man was truly a wily old monster. To figure out exactly where they came from, from just an exchange of pointers.

    Jing Shen laughed and elbowed Sun Ji, "Well damn, the Old Man really figured it out. Lighten up Sun Ji, s'not like we were explicitly told to keep it secret. Big sis just told us she thought it'd cause trouble."

    "Yeah Sun Ji," Peng Jin joined in. "The Old Man ain't like the gang we got you from. It ain't dangerous."

    Sun Ji took a deep breath in and centered himself. It's not like the Old Man knew where he'd been taken from, or even the gang that had taken him.

    "Besides," Jing Shen slung an arm around Sun Ji's shoulder. Jing Shen's smile was wicked as he narrowed his eyes, "If he really wants to make a deal of it, we can just beat him up!"

    There was a wumph of displaced air as The Old Man chopped Jing Shen lightly on the head, knocking him to the ground with a startled noise of "ah".

    Peng Jin laughed as The Old Man walked back to his throne. "Okay. Maybe we can't just beat him up. But come on Sun Ji, it's The Old Man. It'll be alright, yeah?" Peng Jin smiled knowing that this was going well.

    Sun Ji nodded slowly, taking deep breaths with his eyes closed. There was something true to all cultivators, and whether it was the primary or secondary or tertiary or some further on ary motivation it was always present. Cultivators always wanted Power. Whatever else was on their path, there was always a piece that sought to gather Power.

    "Oy, relax Sun Ji." The Old Man commanded from his throne, eating the wedges of orange one at a time. "I mostly just wanted to get you back for you figuring out Inkblood Gang's system all by yourself, you precocious brat."

    Sun Ji opened his eyes. The Old Man was smiling as he held out the last orange wedge to him. "Come on, you're still part of the gang no matter where you come from. So eat your share and don't complain, yeah? I'd be havin you three work for it, regardless of where you came from."

    Sun Ji took what was willingly given him, and smiled back relieved.

    "What do you want us to do?"
    2241 Words
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Kakos Alexikeravno 6
  • Sidestory

    • Kakos smiled through the pain.

    The process, finally, worked. Oh, the lightning hurt even more than it had when he had first received its kiss under the Heaven-Favored Poplars. That lightning, meant for the tribulation of another clan, had been heavy on the vital force and light on the destructive. This lightning... he could not be certain, but so far as he could tell it was, if anything, worse than what his fellow clan members faced when they tried to ascend. Heaven did not like to be told that it was an instrument of mindless, animal hatred that served the will of dead and desecrated gods, existing only to destroy. Kakos had been refining his insults, empirically, and his findings had been... fascinating. It was a shame that he could not share his findings without threatening tribulation lightning on those he shared them with. Some of them were juicy.

    Still, it worked. He could draw protective arrays with materials not fit for cultivation, write blasphemies in blood from within the array, get clear before heaven's hatred saw the array unravel, and sip from the resulting lightning with the aid of an outstretched staff... and now, reinforced with the ash of the Bronze Spire Body itself, the staff held. He had gotten the process to the point where it actually saved money over consuming spirit stones directly, and it was one that he could and would refine further. It cost him in excruciating pain, but it was what it was. Anyway, as he'd heard it, that just meant that he was getting a bit ahead of the game. The important part was that finally, finally, he could progress. He could manage to actually advance his cultivation while maintaining his wards, and he had an entire field to study and refine that would cost him nothing but blood. He had arts that he could train and refine in useful ways that would cost nothing but blood. Okay, so his budget for blood replenishment pills was getting a bit steep, but he was still in a much better position than he'd been in previously.

    Also, he'd been able to produce more Tribulation Blood Paste, and he'd refined his technique some there, too. He'd not found anyone interested in buying, but... well, the clan had many enemies. He was sure that he'd eventually find himself in another situation where the ability to invite a few foes to share in the experience of tribulation would come in handy. In the meantime, racking up jars in the cellar just felt... satisfying, in some way.

    ...but there was still the issue of paying for all of those blood replenishment pills. Admittedly, he didn't technically have to. He could progress without them... slowly. At the same time, there was so much more that he could do, if only he had enough of his own blood to do it. When the call came out for volunteers willing to take Special Action against the Jingshen, he didn't even pretend to himself that there was really a question. He just signed up for the task that seemed like it would use his talents best. Anyway, it was the Jingshen. It wasn't just that they were among the most cowardly of the mindless dogs of Heaven. It wasn't just that they sought his death and the deaths of everyone he had ever loved. It was also that he'd spent enough time in bandit lands to really understand that they were genuinely terrible human beings who deserved to die. The desert would be a better place without them. Having the people you needed to kill because they were a threat to your way of life, and that you wanted to kill because they served the corrupt and failing Law of Heaven also be people that you could feel good about killing because they totally deserved it? It was nice. It was just really, really nice. So... poking at the Jingshen wards it was.

    //====================

    661 words. It's a bit pathetic, and means that I'm falling even further behind the timeline, and I regret that, but it is what it is. I'd push further, but I've got another project eating up the vast majority of my writing ergs and the only reason I dragged myself through this bit is that I still care about the little maltheist, and I want him to live. Asking for another LST, I suppose. @ReaderOfFate would you be kind enough to do the honors once more? I guess I'll try to help out with the Turtlebone Mountain Mine. Kakos has been getting a fair amount of subterranean experience lately, he's had a fair deal of experience with various beasts, and the idea of helping his peers survive the coming trials appeals to him.
     
  • Sidestory
    • I love the image of a guy whose basic method of advancing his supernatural powers is to scrawl giant insults to Heaven and then take the ensuing lightning blasts and use them to charge a fucking battery.
     
    Sun Ji Omake 3 - Gratitude
  • Sidestory
    • Sun Ji Omake 3 - Gratitude

    Shu Xiu was panting by the time the group saw the walls of Seven Temples City in the distance. "Holy shit, you really are cultivators aintchya?"

    They'd walked the path from Chengwa to the proper road that led to Seven Temples City at a slower pace than normal. Sun Ji didn't envy Shu Xiu's position, trying to keep up with his brothers and him. Peng Jin shrugged at the sweating Shu Xiu, not wanting to make a big deal of it.

    Jing Shen had no such tact. "Heh, don't worry precious elder. You'll catch up to us in no time."

    The four of them had been walking for most of a day already, and the sun was well on it's way down. The Old Man had sent the four of them to Seven Temples City on a mission. The Beast Tides regularly ravaged the villages further upstream, and all anyone had to rely on were the cultivators of the Sun that ran out to help them. Unfortunately for the people of the River Villages there were no guard postings, and the fastest that word could be sent to the city was a mortal pace. Even then, the Sun Monks rarely if ever assisted in rebuilding. Apparently they had some hope that if they were ravaged enough times, they'd stop settling so far from the city. The Old Man had complained "Clearly they're so obsessed with their world of Immortals that they forgot how humanity works." The constant ravages not only failed to discourage settlement, but encouraged cultivation both sanctioned and unsanctioned. Apparently the Old Man's gang had gone to the furthest village to help out a relative of a member, and beaten a terrifying Blood Path cultivator to death before they could even break through to the second heavenstage.

    "Bah. The monks have their heads up their ass because they're so strong. People are desperate and suffering. S'no good."

    So the plan was to get their own power, and make their own guard posts. The monks were strong and benevolent, but there needed to be cultivators closer to the front if more people were gonna be saved. So the Old Man had let them in on "The Plan" and sent them to help with it. First of all, somebody was gonna have to Found a proper Sect. Sure there were virtuous bandits out there, but the Sun Sects hardly respected them. Therefore, it'd be necessary to raise up a proper Sect if they were gonna have respectful relations with them. The Founder was way older than The Old Man of Chengwa, who had apparently transitioned from a recruiter gang in the New City to the Riverlord Sect back when he was our age.

    Then when they had enough pupils, they'd have to make a base over in the River Towns so that they'd be able to help if trouble came up. That's where The Old Man of Chengwa came from, a self-sufficient junior at the Sect who fell in love with a refugee of the River Towns looking to settle down with her while he cultivated. His job was to foster the same culture of recruiter Child Gangs that existed in the City, and help build Chengwa up into a town that could rapidly accept refugees if needed. There was a virtuous cycle of saving refugees, gaining manpower, and gaining talent to send on to the Riverlord Sect. 'Course it'd been awhile since the last bad Beast Tide, so the Old Man hadn't expected to be able to send anyone but his Son along. At least, until three refugee boys had stumbled into town six years ago.

    Shu Xiu wiped sweat from his eyes, breathing heavily. "No. No I don't think I will be catchin ya. The Old Man taught me the basics of cultivation growin up, and I been at it for a year. I wasn't totally jokin all those times I claimed you three were blessed by Heaven you know?"

    Sun Ji tutted and corrected Shu Xiu's posture slightly. He'd fallen out of the proper breathing form again. "Come now Shu Xiu, you mustn't lose your competitive spirit before we even make it to the city! Heaven smiles on the stout hearted, you know."

    Peng Jin smiled and took his next breath extra loudly, to show Shu Xiu as an example of proper breathing once more. Shu Xiu did seem to have a minor talent for cultivation, at least to Sun Ji's eyes.

    Sun Ji thought that the Old Man's plan was pretty good. Sun Ji would use his talents at politeness to enter the Sunset Sect and function as a connection for the Riverlord Sect. Meanwhile the rest would enter the Riverlord Sect and train up to be proper cultivators of worth. The first Heavenstage was all well and good, but strength beget strength. The Old Man had heard word that the Riverlord Sect had recently gotten some very wealthy patrons to assist them in developing up Old Town, and Shu Xiu was aiming to learn how to better administrate before coming back to Chengwa so that The Old Man could go back to focusing on cultivation. As for the brothers, they'd stick around and get as strong as they could. They'd come back to Chengwa every so often to help out and pass along information, but the best thing they could do for The Old Man was getting strong.

    It was always nice when interests aligned.

    Shu Xiu let out a shuddering breath, "Oh sweet Heaven I can't wait for this tribulation to end."

    Sun Ji looked up, and it seemed they were much closer to the walls than when he'd last paid attention. Walking and breathing, cultivating in motion, something had to be Sacrificed for that power and Sun Ji chose to sacrifice his attention. He decided to stop cultivating for now, lest he embarrass himself with his inattention, and patted Shu Xiu on the back. "Worry not dear senior. It would be unwise to approach the gates in such a state. Let us stop cultivation practice for now, and straighten ourselves out before our final approach."

    Shu Xiu immediately slouched into a disorderly pose, shaking slightly in relief. "Oh thank goodness it's over. Is that really how you bastards cultivate? You weren't just pranking me?"

    Peng Jin made a bigger deal of relaxing than Sun Ji did, seeming to lose an inch in height as he loosened. "Oh yeah. It sucks, but honestly not near as bad as when we weren't allowed to take breaks."

    "Yeah," chimed in Jing Shen, who had slouched in a similar manner to Shu Xiu. "Back when Sun Ji was teaching us he didn't allow us to take breaks since he'd never been allowed to. Eventually Big Sis found out, and told us it wouldn't ruin nothin' if we relaxed sometimes."

    Sun Ji frowned. There was no need to give away so much information. "Yes, well. It's important to be prepared at all times, and to always pay attention to one's surroundings." He forced the flush of blood rising to his ears to divert itself. No, it wasn't hypocritical of him to say such things after Sacrificing his attention. It wasn't a worthy Sacrifice if it wasn't important!

    Peng Jin slugged him in the arm, "Come on buddy, lighten up. Soon enough you'll be at a monastery where you can't lighten up. Live a little while you can!"

    Sun Ji rolled his eyes. "Honestly," he chided. Sun Ji couldn't wait to be in a place of proper formality once more. There was something so comforting about everyone knowing their place, and the proper way to interact with one another.

    ~~~~~~~~~

    The Aqueduct-Walls of the New City were magnificent up close. It was easy to see that the guards weren't walking patrol routes, no instead they were simply standing on the water and letting it carry them along their path. Such a Sacrifice, to be bound to only one river for your entire life. Sun Ji felt a bit of pride, knowing that there were outsiders that appreciated the Dao of Sacrifice as much as he.

    "Oy, you lot together?" the guard asked. He was middle aged, well dressed man wearing monk's robes. They were the color of the sky late in the day, blue trending to orange as the sun began to set. He had well groomed facial hair, but was shaved bald otherwise. He stood at a podium at the top of a raised platform to the side of the gate. There was a small guardhouse behind him, with a series of vines coming down from the top of the wall to reach down onto the roof. Presumably a way for him to escape in the event of a fast-moving Beast Tide. Or perhaps a legacy from when Blood Cannibals could still threaten the city.

    Sun Ji stepped to the front of the group and bowed to a degree that matched the sun's position. The guard raised an eyebrow as Sun Ji spoke, "That is correct. This one is Sun Ji, and the others are Peng Jin, Jing Shen and Shu Xiu. We seek entrance into this fine city."

    A smile threatened the corner of the man's lips, and he straightened out his posture slightly. "Oh? And what is the purpose of your group's visit?"

    Sun Ji bowed again, this time to the degree of sun that showed on the man's robes. "This one seeks to join the Sunset Sect, and the others are passing through on the way to the Old City."

    This time, the smile was successfully tamped down by the man who radiated pride. His speech noticeably more formal, his breathing actively regulated. "Hmph. The Old City hmm?" The man's eyes narrowed at the rest of the group. "Your group comes from the River Towns, yes?"

    Sun Ji nodded, inclining his head to the degree of the current sun. "That is correct. This one and his companions are from a town named Chengwa, a mere eight hour walk from the City by mortal measure."

    Recognition clicked in the mans eyes as he looked at his papers. He flipped the book he was writing in closed, and pulled out a smaller ledger from inside the podium. His eyes scanned through the pages quickly, and he seemed to find what he was looking for. "Ah yes. Chengwa. An exchange of pointers between a Sect Brother of mine and a so-called Children's Gang of Chengwa." He harumphed once again. "It seems that at least one of you was inspired to the Righteous Path. Why do the rest seek the Old City hmm? Joining that upstart Sect hmm?"

    Jing Shen smirked, "Pfft. They may be upstarts, but at least they don't wander around beating up children for no reason."

    The guardsman's scowl was thunderous, and he pulled a pebble from a bowl beside him and flicked it at Jing Shen. With a crack, Jing Shen's forearm snapped and he screamed. The guardsman's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but even if he'd used more force than intended there was no way he'd allow these children to find out his error. He was committed at this point.

    Shu Xiu was too shocked to react. Peng Jin schooled his face, and managed his emotions. Sun Ji didn't react at all, with a polite smile locked in place more solid than Jing Shen's forearm.

    The guardsman opened the previous book and began to write. "Fine. The rest may enter the auspicious Sunset Gardens for your purposes. That one will be permitted in if he spends time reflecting." He reached under his podium and retrieved a loop of vines, seemingly the same that came down from the wall. "Here. The break is clean. Bind the splint with this vine, and it'll heal better than knew. Perhaps you'll understand the discipline required to make something of yourself."

    "GRAH! Dammit!" Jing Shen grimaced as he held his arm close. The guard threw the vine cord and it landed in a loop around his neck. Jing Shen growled, "Fine!"

    Shu Xiu looked disturbed as Peng Jin shepherded him onward past the gate. Sun Ji bowed again to the degree of the sun, "I apologize for my sworn brother, Elder. Thank you for giving him the tools to properly reflect on his behaviors."

    The guard grunted, with only the barest hint of dissatisfaction. That was a good sign. It seemed that such missteps weren't intentionally part of the norm.

    Not that it mattered much to Sun Ji.

    "Oy! You better do good in there!" shouted Jing Shen from behind them as they began to walk through the gate.

    "We will brother!" called Sun Ji, as Peng Jin continued to shepherd Shu Xiu through. "Heal well! The Heavens don't always show mercy!"

    Jing Shen growled through the pain, as he smiled at Sun Ji. Vine from the wall, given willingly, round his neck. "Oh I know brother. I know."
    2167 Words
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Sirrocco said:
    661 words. It's a bit pathetic, and means that I'm falling even further behind the timeline, and I regret that, but it is what it is. I'd push further, but I've got another project eating up the vast majority of my writing ergs and the only reason I dragged myself through this bit is that I still care about the little maltheist, and I want him to live. Asking for another LST, I suppose. @ReaderOfFate would you be kind enough to do the honors once more? I guess I'll try to help out with the Turtlebone Mountain Mine. Kakos has been getting a fair amount of subterranean experience lately, he's had a fair deal of experience with various beasts, and the idea of helping his peers survive the coming trials appeals to him.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Kakos is at 3 LSTs now, so have you considered giving Qiguai a shot?

    It's a pretty neat way to land yourself a good bit of cultivation years and/or Impact, as long as you're prepared anyway, and at your current LST count you'd be well positioned.

    Another recommendation, as you're at 3: If you request for your Seed to "Stay until the end", then you don't automatically leave when one LST is burnt. It's a bit more risky, but it also means you have a higher chance of getting more rolls.

    Alternatively, for a medium between the two, you could ask me to write in "Leave at 1 LST remaining", or something to that effect.
     
    We passed the mark of 1.5 thousand omakes.

    And we did that before 500 pages. Yeah this Quest is a Good Seed.
    Edit: and I should triple check my grammar even more when I am tired.
     
    Last edited:
    Damocles, Child of Oblivion - Good Seed Background
  • Sidestory
    • Good Seed: ??? Damocles, Child of Oblivion
    ​
    A withered, emaciated mortal child found near death on the outskirts of the Organ Meat Desert. The circumstances of his injuries, or where he hails from, remain unknown, as he refuses to speak of his past and it has been deemed a waste of Clan resources to conduct such an investigation. His skin bears extensive burn scars, which renders his spindly frame near-entirely hairless and his skin a sickly pale color. The palms of his hands are the only exception to this, both of which are stained with some sort of pigment so dark it resembles a void. The child does not acknowledge the stains, except for the alterations in equipment and fighting strategy that their unique effects necessitate.

    He refuses to divulge his true name, but responds readily enough to Damocles, a name initially given as a jape to reflect whatever unfortunate circumstances must have preceded his joining of the Optimatoi. It stuck to him readily, however.

    Core Concept: Someone who was harmed, and never let themselves forget.

    Cool Thing: The palms of his hands bear twin points of utter void, so minuscule as to be barely present at all but still a foul affliction. Anything touched by them will be destroyed with enough prolonged contact, and qi may be funneled through them to accelerate this process. Of course, 'enough' and 'prolonged' must be emphasized - while a mortal's flesh will be subject to dissolution at the point of contact after a short time, and any common object held by him is rendered unusable by the day's end, resistance to this effect increases with cultivation strength. A Nascent Soul would still be affected, but it would take over a century of constant effort for the slightest of singes to occur.

    Name: Unknown, but he responds to Damocles.
    Age: [Turn 14]. Somewhere between 10 and 18 years old.
    Cultivation: 10th Heavenstage
    Cultivation Years: 139
    Cultivation Goal: Dao Seeker (I am aware of the requirement to proceed to 13th HS and SP5 first)
    Impact: 0
    Life-Saving Treasures: 3 as of turn 16
    Health: Healthy
    Fate Log:
    Turn 14: Beat up by Ire-Raised Beater, a Strength Purity Sect cultivator, as part of a scheme to obtain an Iron Chicken Beak for the purpose of helping to forge the Droplet of Rust and Ruin.
    Turn 15: It is said that Damocles attained the Third Heavenstage easily because he was painfully aware of the many old wounds and markings upon his body. While the young man's past remains closely guarded, he seems to know himself physically far better than most; perhaps the pain of his wounds makes him intimately understand precisely where he ends and the world begins. Whatever the reason, Damocles pushed through the Tenth Heavenstage without difficulty, and now grows closer to the Eleventh with the same ferocity. That he has had no fortuitous encounters as of late only makes this pace more admirable.
    Turn 16:
    Omake Log:
    Turn 14: 3,543 words total
    Rejection of Peace - 1,029 words
    What Strange Beings These Mortals Be - Training Juniors collab with @Insane-Not-Crazy, 1,375 words
    Rejection of Self - 1,166 words
    Turn 16: 2,647 words total
    Double, Double, Toil And Trouble - collab with @LordEdric, 2,647 words

    @Swordomatic - or any other person really, but Swordo asked me to let him know because he needs threadmarks or something apparently. Omake will be up momentarily...

    AN: Yes, I went and made a seed instead of working on my existing project. Solely second fiddle to RYE, though, but I figure time spent actually writing is better than time spent staring at a screen and trying to write.[/I]
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Damocles, Child of Oblivion 1 - Rejection of Peace
  • Sidestory
    • ??? Damocles, Child of Oblivion 1 - Rejection of Peace​

    It was nearing nightfall when they found the child, following the scent of blood and ash upon the wind. At first they paid it no heed, considering it just another corpse that had tried to flee the inescapable reckoning of time and conflict. A lengthy trail had been left behind it in the desert flats, and if they did not follow it before the night winds came, their lead would be lost, and any chance of knowing what had laid seven mortal villages to waste would be, for now, banished.

    Legate Augustus almost tripped when the fingers of what he'd thought a dead man clutched at his ankle, leaving a streak of black grease across his boot with a sickly sizzle. He stumbled backwards with a curse, leveling his spear at the thing below him as his fellow squadmates looked at him to see what had gone awry.

    Whatever Augustus had been going to say froze inside of his throat as he locked eyes with the corpse and saw raw, unbroken intent staring back at him from an expressionless face, one riddled with cuts, burns, and scrapes, but still recognizably a young man's - little more than a child by the standards of mortals.

    Augustus' spearhead dipped as his resolve to fight left him, and the only sound in the air was a dull scrape as the near-dead boy reached out with withered limbs and dragged himself a few inches closer.

    In the end, Augustus was the one among their number chosen to bring the child back to the clan's outpost in this area for treatment - while their search for whatever beast had wreaked such havoc could not be halted for the sake of a single mortal, it was similarly true that the Optimatoi would not simply abandon those under their aegis to the depredations of the heavens. Thus it came to pass that the child was given into the care of the Golden Devils, and spent many months in a state of fugue while his body and soul recovered from their damage.

    ---​

    Broken fingers dug into cracked ground. Parched dirt crumbled under their touch, the dust whispering against their skin with tongues of merciless lack. The digits clenched, digging soft furrows into the turf before finding purchase.

    The man's body scraped forwards inch by inch, a dead sack of meat soaked through with congealed blood and abdominal juices. The moisture had left his flesh long ago, leached out into the hollow air, cooked out under the unrelenting gaze of the sun. The desert was a grand tomb, and the man's corpse the unnamed, forgotten pharaoh, mummified by his own mucous and the slowly tightening sack of his skin.

    The man's trail stretched far behind him, and his destination lay far ahead. He would spend an eternity in the desert, and should he ever stop moving he would calcify, becoming bleached bone and dust under a pale sky. But though his death hung heavy in his flesh, the man's limbs continued to move with relentless, mechanical patience.

    Reach forward. The crust of the earth bites at leathery skin, sizzling with heat as crumpled digits push through.

    Grasp. Tendons groan like rusted cables atop a decrepit bridge as they slowly contract.

    Drag. A little more dust seeps into the man's open chest cavity, drifting into his heart.

    The promise he made rests there still. It is muffled by the sand and dry, crumbling dirt, but it never breaks.

    The man's body scraped forward a few more inches.

    ---​

    He is awoken from uncertain dreams by unfamiliar faces, their skin tinted with bronze. They ask him questions as their eyes rove over his form, their expressions twisted with some emotion indecipherable to him. "What is your name," he is asked, and gives only silence in return.

    They are undeterred, and try again. "Where are you from?"

    "What gave you these wounds?"

    "Can you remember anything that happened before you came here?"

    Not a sound leaves his lips save for the shallow wheezing of breath coursing in and out. It is only when they ask if he knows where he is that he offers anything other than stubborn silence. Speaking is difficult, the words crawling up through a smoke-scarred trachea, but he rasps them out regardless. "Golden Devils. Cursed by heaven."

    There is nodding at the response. His strength his failing, his vision blurring, and it is hard to tell which of the cultivators standing around him responds - if there are even multiple figures at all.

    "You know of our reputation, and yet you show no fear. Our juniors found you crawling towards clan territory - did you intend to come here?"

    A shaky nod is given.

    "Why?"

    A weight settles over the child as the word is spoken - the silent implication sinks in that his response will decide his fate. Were he to simply seek succor, the Devils would doubtlessly grant it - despised by the heavens they may be, but the clan was known to be merciful stewards of the mortals that fell under their banner. He would be transported to a settlement, perhaps given a small stipend or training in a profession he could use to make his way in the world with. His scars would fade with time, and his mind would recover from the burden that had been placed upon it. He would never do anything of true relevance, but he would, given time, find a measure of contentment, and live a peaceful life. Perhaps he would even be happy.

    His hand grasped the cultivator's robe, clenching the cloth tightly inside a diminutive fist. His flesh shook and spasmed as a trickle of power ran through it, and the cloth in his hand withered and frayed into dust, causing him to lose his grip. He lacked the strength to move the limb, and it laid splayed out to the side, the black stain on his palm still smoking as it dissolved the remnants of the fabric.

    He looked into concerned eyes, his gaze steady. There was no other choice that he would allow himself.

    "I need strength," he rasped, and darkness took him once more.

    Word Count: 1029
    Requested Bonus: LST
    Turn Notes: Will attempt to refine some form of technique out of his destructive palms, likely by destroying many things and/or people with them. Seeking the Seven Ingredients, on the recommendation of an elder who suggested the corrosive properties of the Three Oxides might yield some insights into entropy.
    @Swordomatic
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • The Golden Grizzly - Good Seed Background
  • Sidestory
    • The Golden Grizzly

    Titles: The Golden Grizzly, Grizzly
    Name: Unknown
    Age: Turn 14 start - 87 years old as of turn 16
    Cultivation Stage: 10th Heavenstage
    Effective Cultivation Years: 153
    Impact: 0
    Life Saving Treasures: 1 (as of turn 16)
    Years of Training: 87
    Health: Full
    Weight: Full
    Core Concept: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-
    Cultivation Goal: 12th Heavenstage of Qi Condensation, to re-evaluate once reached.

    Description: The Grizzly is a behemoth of a man, with wrists thicker than the thighs of most men and a gut big enough that it resembles a boulder strapped to his chest. The Blood of Bronze runs thick and strong in him, to the point that he clanks when he walks, and the ground is liable to quake if he steps too heavily. Despite his flabby appearance, the consistency of his bulk is more akin to that of a boulder wrapped in cloth than ordinary flesh. He rarely speaks, and when he does it is in a voice that is far lighter than one would expect out of someone his size, only ever uttering cryptic phrases, the most frequent of which is 'You Have To Live It'. He has a penchant for lifting incredibly heavy things – perhaps as a form of meditation, but beyond his constant training, the motivations of the silent giant remain unknown.

    Of course, he's not always silent.

    Background: The Grizzly hails from a remote, podunk village in the Organ Meat desert, a settlement of barely a few hundred people - so small it hadn't even been given a name, much less a place on any map. No one here had seen a cultivator of any kind in generations, and based on the stories passed down from their ancestors, none had any inclination to go looking. The Grizzly Lived It here, and trained his body in a cave on the outskirts of the village. Some fluctuation of qi in the rock made the stones within unnaturally heavy, and the Grizzly was the only person in the village who could lift them at all.

    One day, the seclusion of the village came to an end, as the Qi Condensation bandit Running Cleaver made his entrance, nose on the proverbial scent trail of a stache of spirit stones that could boost his strength enough to fight off the Golden Devil enforcers that were hot on his trail. Being in the 3rd Heavenstage, and greatly skilled with the weapon that was his namesake besides, his strength and speed was enough to cow the villagers with ease, who brought him food and wine in supplication, and showed him to the cave he had been seeking once he had drunk his fill. There he found the Grizzly, who took a single look at his grotesquely-deformed right arm, which bulged with hateful essence, deduced that the man before him had not Lived It for a single day in his life, and engaged him in battle.

    The Golden Devil legionnaire Zhu Zexian, who had been pursuing Running Cleaver for the better part of three months, arrived soon after, drawn by the noise of crumbling rock. He found the cave near-completely collapsed, and both Running Cleaver and the Grizzly buried under many tons of rock. Running Cleaver was naught but paste underneath a boulder, and the Grizzly had been torn near limb from limb by the frightful force of the bandit's blows, his body ravaged and bleeding. To Zexian's disbelief, however, the massive man was somehow still alive, his improbable constitution and a fortunate first blow having allowed him to seize the initiative from Running Cleaver before the bandit could bring his weapon fully to bear. When asked why he would fight such a hopeless battle, particularly when there was no possible gain for himself to be had from the outcome, the Grizzly merely replied, "For the difficult."

    While the actual meaning of the phrase escaped Zhu Zexian, it was clear that such headstrong valor would be of value to the Clan, and he made use of a treasure to heal the massive man. Records become unclear from that point onward, but it is known that the Grizzly joined the Optimatoi soon afterwards, and continues to Live It to this day.

    Starting Perk/Cool Thing: Implausible levels of durability and unusual strength - while he has a strong compatibility with the Bronze, Grizzly was a physical anomaly even before becoming a cultivator.

    Omake List:

    Turn 14: Total wordcount 3,381
    Recruitment FULL - 962 words.
    Soup-Shaking Showdown - Training Juniors collab with @Insane-Not-Crazy. 1400 words.
    Coffee Time - 1,019 words.
    Turn 15: Author experienced a writing bottleneck
    Turn 16: Total wordcount 6,240
    Seeking Difficulty 1,207 words
    Leg Day Routine - 1,343 words
    Training Montage - 3,690 words
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Golden Grizzly 1 - Recruitment FULL
  • Sidestory
    • Golden Grizzly 1 - Recruitment FULL

    Antonius Anthony Anthonopolonopolous, Centurion of the local detachment of the Blazing Fumes, 420th Legion of the Imperial Optimatoi, looked up from the jade slip before him in disbelief. "What is this, legionnaire? I thought you said all the new recruits knew their letters and arithmetic."

    Elongatus Ricardon, the junior disciple that Antonius had placed in charge of processing their most recent batch of recruits, stiffened. "Aye, Centurion, they do, but I am aware of some probable … irregularities."

    "Irregularities, yes, that's a word to describe this. Let's see here." Antonius gestured, calling up a holographic projection of the slip in question, his will highlighting the objectionable segments. "Age, 47 - a little old, but he has the Blood so it's fine to overlook. Years of training: also 47." His eyes narrowed.

    Elongatus cringed. "I thought maybe he had devoted parents?"

    The Centurion sighed, putting a hand on his forehead. "It can't be that long since you were a mortal, you know that's not how they work. What does training even mean? He hasn't even begun cultivating yet, I've no idea what - you know what, never mind. Anyhow - no name listed. An oversight?"

    "Everyone I've spoken to calls him Grizzly, I thought that was his name."

    "Always confirm your assumptions, legionnaire. Laxity leaves openings for the displeasure of heaven."

    "Aye, Centurion."

    "Now then, personal background. It says here that he fought off a 3rd Heavenstage bandit who was skilled in a weapon art -"

    "Aye, Centurion, but -"

    "- with his bare hands."

    "...aye, Centurion."

    "And he lived through this. And the bandit didn't."

    "Zhu Zexian vouches for him, Centurion."

    "Zexian owes me a mid-grade spirit stone for making me put up with this bullshit, and you can vouch for that." He groaned and stood, donning his helmet. "Well, I'll have a look at him, dress him down until he learns how to follow proper protocol and stop trying to lie to impress his superiors. Where's his group now?"

    "They're going through fitness evaluation, Centurion," Elongatus replied, heading to the flap of the command tent and holding it open for his superior.

    Antonius sighed in happy reminiscence as he strode through the camp, remembering the distant days of his own evaluation. There was a sequence of standardized tests to determine the raw physical capabilities of the Optimatoi's fresh meat - including, but not limited to, jump distance, running along a timed track, training drills to teach the mortals how to hold a shield and spear, and weightlifting, Antonius' favorite. There were a series of blocks, each lined with different-colored stone or metal, each bigger and heavier than the last. None were so heavy that a standard mortal couldn't lift them with some effort, but the last of them, a thick slab of bronze almost as large as a man, had only successfully been lifted fully off the ground by a select list of recruits. It was a requirement for the completion of basic physical training, before cultivation could begin, to partially lift the slab off the ground, but those who fully lifted it had their names etched into its surface. Antonius' name stood amongst those, an achievement he still held a glimmer of pride for all these years later.

    He frowned as he arrived at the training grounds, for things were not as orderly as he'd have preferred them to be. All the recruits were clustered in a crowd around the weightlifting area, with anticipatory murmuring rippling through their ranks. From the position he was in, Antonius couldn't see what it was they were gawking over. He contemplated scattering the mortals with a technique, but upon consideration that he'd then have to arrange for any subsequent broken bones to be healed, and fill out yet more paperwork, decided to simply push his way through the crowd instead. The recruits parted ways for him easily, some recognizing the rank of his armor, others simply parting before his Foundation-borne strength.

    After some seconds of mild effort, he reached the edge of the crowd, and his jaw dropped as the voices of the mortals began to sound out in jubilation. Standing before him was a behemoth of a man, almost a head taller than Antonius himself and nearly three times as wide. His skin shone with enough bronze tint that he almost seemed like an animated statue, and he had before him not just the bronze slab, but all the other, lighter weights - basalt, granite, sandstone, and obsidian - stacked on top of it, forming a miniature pyramid.

    "Is he…"

    Before Antonius could complete his statement, the giant preempted him by bending his knees, cramming sausage-sized fingers into the relatively diminutive, by comparison, handholds on the sides of the bronze slab, and lifting the entire stack. His whole form shook as the weight slowly shifted upward, and blood began to run out of his nose and eyes. The roar of the crowd thundered as the colossal man, with a titanic effort, locked his knees, thus completing a standardized lift of … the entire set of weights.

    Antonius blinked.

    The giant dropped the weights, causing an immense crash that shook the nearby tents as they dropped to the ground, and let out a scream of what was either immense pain, triumph, or a bizarre mix of the two. Then his eyes closed, and he fell backwards to the ground, the weight of his body causing an impact almost as thunderous as that of the weights.

    Antonius looked over to Elongatus, who stood beside him with an equally bemused expression on his face. "I suppose this is why the weight and estimated physical capability categories on his entry both were listed as 'FULL'?"

    "Aye, Centurion."

    Wordcount: 962
    Requested Bonus: LST
    Turn Notes: Turtlebone Mountain Mine - big rocks to lift are probably there.
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • ReaderOfFate said:
    Kakos is at 3 LSTs now, so have you considered giving Qiguai a shot?

    It's a pretty neat way to land yourself a good bit of cultivation years and/or Impact, as long as you're prepared anyway, and at your current LST count you'd be well positioned.

    Another recommendation, as you're at 3: If you request for your Seed to "Stay until the end", then you don't automatically leave when one LST is burnt. It's a bit more risky, but it also means you have a higher chance of getting more rolls.

    Alternatively, for a medium between the two, you could ask me to write in "Leave at 1 LST remaining", or something to that effect.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I was wanting to wait Qiguai until he was healed. It seemed like a poor choice to walk into it injured, and it seemed like he was (lightly). Was I mistaken?
     
    Sirrocco said:
    I was wanting to wait Qiguai until he was healed. It seemed like a poor choice to walk into it injured, and it seemed like he was (lightly). Was I mistaken?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    This is technically true, yeah, but since you're going to be coming out injured either way from the SR (and will be taking a Healing Treasure next turn, presumably), any current wounds don't actually matter much.

    The furthest an Overkill result can go is -1, which is still enough for a LST to bring you back up to Crippled.

    And if you're using a Healing Treasure, healing from Badly Wounded or Crippled makes no mechanical difference because it just automatically sets you to Healthy.

    Tl;DR: In practical terms, it doesn't matter.
     
    Last edited:
    ReaderOfFate said:
    This is technically true, yeah, but since you're going to be coming out injured either way from the SR (and will be taking a Healing Treasure next turn, presumably), any current wounds don't actually matter much.

    The furthest an Overkill result can go is -1, which is still enough for a LST to bring you back up to Crippled.

    And if you're using a Healing Treasure, healing from Badly Wounded or Crippled makes no mechanical difference because it just automatically sets you to Healthy.

    Tl;DR: In practical terms, it doesn't matter.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Okay. Cool. Go for it. Stay to the end. Kakos is not afraid of taking risks.
     
    Xantalos said:
    AN: Yes, I went and made a seed instead of working on my existing project. Solely second fiddle to RYE, though, but I figure time spent actually writing is better than time spent staring at a screen and trying to write.[/I]
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Speaking as one of Respect Your Elders' biggest fans, I think this is logically correct. Your writing rate for Respect Your Elders averages something on the close order of 100 words per day, if I recall correctly, so actually getting the pump primed is far to the better.

    [cue visions of Spirit Severing frog-man cultivators]
     
    Simon_Jester said:
    I love the image of a guy whose basic method of advancing his supernatural powers is to scrawl giant insults to Heaven and then take the ensuing lightning blasts and use them to charge a fucking battery.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    ...and part of the process is in trying out a bunch of different insults and figuring out which ones give the biggest/fastest lightning blasts, so as to dial in on which insults make Heaven really really upset. Heaven strikes down with lightning any who would divulge its secrets. In this, Heaven offers us a path to accumulate information as to what its secrets are.
     
    So, is there a benefit to writing Omakes without a Good Seed in mind?

    See, I had this idea for a Realm with some very potent benefits if used properly. Thanks to it's odd rules.

    Basically, time runs at 90 times the speed of the Turtle World proper. If you think that's too good to be true, well, there are a number of caveats. Firstly, while pregnancy and the like are unaffected, and only needing food or water once a month are of great benefit, this also applies to the healing process, which means that it can't he abused for fast healing, and indeed, going in without proper bandaging of your wounds is liable to kill you from blood loss, since it takes 90 times as long for coagulation and scabbing to take effect. Aging is unaffected, however. It seems to be that normal functions, such as breathing, that need to be active constantly function as normal, but things like eating and recovering from major wounds that aren't done every moment, unlike normal cell replacement, don't.

    Another issue is that Qi density is awful. I mean so garbage that Good Seed tier aspirants are needed to hit Stage 5 Qi Condensation, most people are lucky to hit 3. Of course, when 900 years pass inside relative to normal timeflow, that means a relatively steady stream of high-end QC cultivators.

    There are a number of upsides, however. As far as can be discerned it has no edge, though this means it's incredibly easy to get hopelessly lost if you were to move at the proper speed for higher Cultivators, which means effectively infinite living space. The terrible Qi quality means a near absence of predators mortals can't handle, and farming normal crops like wheat works for much the same reason aging still works. By extension, the raising of farm animals can proceed without issue. Thus, it's a relatively safe haven for mortals.

    Say we shook loose 10 million people. Assuming 1% annual growth, by Turn's end they'd be well over 20 billion, though they grant garbage aspirant throughout for their numbers for the discussed reasons.

    It would probably be something Noble Knowledge was cooking up to manage a huge number of low-Qi experiments, stuff like studying crystal formations that normally take 50+ years to form, for example. Alternatively, selling it to the Blood Path in exchange for more help expanding the Maze might have been a goal if they would have been disinterested in low-Qi studies. Since they can convert huge numbers of mortals and garbage Cultivators into higher tiers with relative ease, the Blood Path would get huge benefits out of it. Nearly a millenium's worth of even 'vendor trash' Cultivators every decade would trickle upwards with relative ease.

    The thing is, this doesn't feel like something that would just he a Cool Thing a NK escapee might have brought with them on the escape. It's too... big for that. I could write it as something Destasia put together from 6 or 7 project hunks split between the escapees, and have them go in and try to explore the place in hopes of turning it to the Clan's ends, with the last guy managing to hit QC 4 or 5 and leaving to seek his fortunes elsewhere since he'd otherwise die of old age before getting very far.
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Voting is open
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top