KalinaQuest: Reflection (Bleach AU Quest)
- Thread starter boyboy180
- Start date
I think we should keep in mind what Kalina wants when making the big decision.
Edit: This feels more through.
[X] Yes, (Write in what things you want to check beforehand or what you want to do, in the capital city for now, when summer comes you'll be able to make other choices)
-[X] Do some research about the nobles, the ones that earned their power, those that wield their power fairly, and the ones that abuse it.
-[X] Spend some extra time with Endymad. While you do have an understanding of each other as friends, it will still pay dividends to have a deeper understanding of how one another act in different circumstances, how you each think and view the world, even if you aren't courting.
-[X] Spend some time just thinking about what you want.
--[X] You want to get stronger and protect the things that are precious to you, yes. You want to continue to study Kido, yes. But what else do you want?
--[X] What long term goals would you be able to accomplish in either circumstance?
--[X] Would you be happy in a relationship with Endymad?
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Dragonmaster150
Firstborn of Dragonkind
- Location
- Dragendolan: Land of the Dragon Kings
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well, that was a pretty good send off, and we even got a thoughtful answer to our question from Aizen.
What is the answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything anyway? 42, the answer is 42
[X] Yes, (Write in what things you want to check beforehand or what you want to do, in the capital city for now, when summer comes you'll be able to make other choices)
-[X] Do some research about the nobles, the ones that earned their power, those that wield their power fairly, and the ones that abuse it.
-[X] Spend some extra time with Endymad. While you do have an understanding of each other as friends, it will still pay dividends to have a deeper understanding of how one another act in different circumstances, how you each think and view the world, even if you aren't courting.
-[X] Spend some time just thinking about what you want.
--[X] You want to get stronger and protect the things that are precious to you, yes. You want to continue to study Kido, yes. But what else do you want?
--[X] What long term goals would you be able to accomplish in either circumstance?
--[X] Would you be happy in a relationship with Endymad?
What is the answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything anyway? 42, the answer is 42
[X] Yes, (Write in what things you want to check beforehand or what you want to do, in the capital city for now, when summer comes you'll be able to make other choices)
-[X] Do some research about the nobles, the ones that earned their power, those that wield their power fairly, and the ones that abuse it.
-[X] Spend some extra time with Endymad. While you do have an understanding of each other as friends, it will still pay dividends to have a deeper understanding of how one another act in different circumstances, how you each think and view the world, even if you aren't courting.
-[X] Spend some time just thinking about what you want.
--[X] You want to get stronger and protect the things that are precious to you, yes. You want to continue to study Kido, yes. But what else do you want?
--[X] What long term goals would you be able to accomplish in either circumstance?
--[X] Would you be happy in a relationship with Endymad?
Act 0.5: Exchange, Part 47
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUhQ7-m53Bw
As the year went on, the first thing you wanted to do was look into the nobility. To compare it to the nobility in the soul society and just to judge for yourself if they were just.
The royal family alone was massive. Counting all of the princes and princesses and their children and their children and their… Well, you got the idea.
The number came out that there was something like three to four hundred living "Main royal family" nobles scattered across the empire.
Endymad and Mariannerie were some of the youngest of them, but their relatively high position came from the fact that they were children of the Emperor himself instead of one of his children. They had nephews and nieces that were many times their own age.
So, what was the morality of the royal family like?
As far as you could hear from the common people, they were the model of noblesse oblige. They did their job of rulership well and didn't cause problems. The most you heard about them were some stories of how some of them were wasteful with money, but it was their own personal funds that they earned from work, not taxes (Even if that is where their pay came from)
So… could you believe that? Of course not. You already believed that there were political games afoot. If you couldn't find any, that likely meant that it was hidden.
You changed your research, moving from "General bad things" to "stories of unusual injuries or nobles going on extended visits to distant parts of the empire."
Endymad had suggested that you'd be effectively exiled if you didn't want to get involved in the games, simply because the other nobles would see it as the "safe option" instead of having an unaligned Holy-user close to the throne.
This one got some hits. Notably some of the nobles who you'd seen marked before as "Wasteful spenders" got exiled. That made you wonder if there was more to the money than you'd guessed? Maybe they were making sure they got paid extra from the taxes. Embezzlement, in other words. No way to prove that for sure.
Other than that, unusual deaths…
"Unusual" was a strange word in this context. As Gaians were effectively immortal "Death by sickness" was something that almost never happened. It was unlikely to be the sort of excuse used to cover assassination of undesirables.
There were a few mission accidents that killed nobles. When they'd go out to help the Knights, they'd end up killed by a hollow. There was no way to tell if that really was an assassination though. Other than that, there was another cause of death you found that was unusually common.
"Death through personal choice."
…
It was said that since Nobles lived such long lives, if they settled all their business then they'd have nothing more to stick around for. The story for why the emperor hadn't succumbed to that same fate was because "He had the entire empire to deal with and that was always causing him issues."
It was not seen as a good thing or a responsible thing, but it was a thing that happened. They'd die and their soul would be sent on through the cycle.
Of course, that could also be a cover to hide assassination, especially as you heard rumours of regions that definitely weren't peaceful where a noble supposedly chose to end it at last.
…Of course, these were the cruelties that nobles inflicted on each other. Tracing the stories of dead nobles of broken lands, you looked into why those regions had been suffering.
Hollow attacks, most commonly. It seemed to be a spiral based on what you'd heard. A hollow would kill gaians, eat some of them and leave. Those who died and yet were not eaten would go on to do the same.
The normal way to deal with something like that would be to bring in additional knights wouldn't it? Why did some of these regions fail to do that then?
…it came back to money, it seemed. Bringing in more knights required nobles to pay the place those knights were based. It was a fair trade in a way. "I'll give you this money and you give me your knights to help put down the ongoing issue."
What if they didn't have the money though? In theory the capital should send its own knights along for free if things went completely out of control and they certainly did in some of the stories you heard. Part of the benefit of the pods that dive through the outer core was that they could get a squad there soon enough to help.
But sometimes it just didn't happen for some reason.
There were other causes of failures too of course, but most of them were obscured and you couldn't put together the whole picture. All you could tell was that some noble or another would get an idea in their head. Most of the ideas you heard from this were good ideas, the problem was the noble tried to enact them without checking things first. For example, one story had a noble try to expand a village, helping it mine out more areas for growing. However even when the experts told him that doing so would make the tunnels collapse, he didn't stop.
That noble had died, but only after the whole affair was sorted. Then he "Chose" the end.
Of course, hundreds, maybe thousands of Gaians had also died because of his stupidity. No matter if it was assassination or guilt that really caused that death, those deaths remained his fault.
There was one more area that drew your eye. Nobles killed by rebels. In the outer areas of the empire, more and more nobles were being overtaken by rebels. Many flee that, abandoning their lands to hide closer to the capital.
You could see the reason in a way. The rebels want the nobility dead, they won't harm the common people so running would be best.
…It wasn't perfect. In the cases where they fled successfully, the rebels would kill any of the noble's staff that remained. This was most common when that staff had families in the town.
The nobles could have just taken the families with them too, but they didn't.
Moving on, did Nobles get their power honestly? Did they earn it or was it just a gift?
At first, it seemed almost entirely the latter. You asked Endymad and he told you that nobles just generally get parcels of territory when they became old enough. Generally either a broken off part of their family's land or a gift of Imperial land if they did something to impress the emperor.
However, it seemed that many still worked hard to become worthy defenders of their pieces. Like the prince and princess in your class, most nobles join a Knight's academy to give them the strength to fight their enemies and as pointed out before, they join Hollow hunting missions in their territory.
So do they earn their land? In a manner of speaking at least.
Finding reports on this kind of thing was hard though. There were almost no recordings you could access of how often they went out to help with hunting or how long they just reaped the rewards of being a noble without doing the work to manage their territory.
A shame.
The year dragged on, Autumn became Winter.
One day in Winter you sat with Endymad atop the Academy building.
"Seasons." You were musing "Why do we track them?"
Endymad shrugged "We simply always have, at least since the founding of the empire."
"Tracking the seasons makes sense on the surface." You pointed out "It determines growing periods and when the cold will come. But for us it means nothing. The climate in one area is always the same climate. The time the sun spends in the air above the surface doesn't matter when all shops open and close at the same time regardless. So for what reason are the seasons tracked?"
"Maybe it's to help those who interact with the surface?" The prince suggested "Down as far as we are, the temperature of the surface doesn't matter but what for the near-surface villages and towns?"
You didn't know if the changes were significant enough for that. You thought back to your knowledge of the sciences.
"The sun can't penetrate even down to the outer-most villages." You pointed out "It gets thirty meters at most, and to avoid humans…"
"Yes, I get it." The prince nodded, seeing your point.
The two of you sat in silence for a while.
"What do you want to do?" You asked suddenly.
Endymad looked over "What do you mean? In what context?"
You waved your hand around "With your life, I guess? What do you want to do with your life?"
"What I'm expected to do, mostly." He shook his head "That said, it isn't much. Or it wasn't much before you came along. My future lies down two roads and I don't get the choice in the matter."
Option 1: If you court him. As an heir likely to produce Holy children, he will likely rise through the ranks of the nobility and position in inheritance.
"In that case," he noted "I'd say my goal is to ensure the empire remained stable despite the chaos I'd be causing."
Option 2: If you refuse. He'd just be another noble then, He'd get assigned an area of land, likely a large section near the capital.
"In that case, my goal would be to rule justly and fairly." He shook his head "And to fix any problems they were having."
He didn't aspire to more, maybe that was an effect of being raised in such luxury. He takes his rewards and his tasks with equal decorum.
"Why do you not dream bigger?" You asked him.
"Seeking to rise beyond one's station brings times of tumult. That's just as true for nobles as it is for the common folk. But the ripples it causes are far bigger and can do far more damage than those caused by the common people."
But having a single station in life… that felt restrictive to you, especially with what this entire discussion was for.
"Then what do you think of my rising? Surely a commoner becoming a princess consort would be me rising above my station?"
He was quiet for a moment.
"Your station is not a static thing, I believe. You developed those holy powers by training. Had a normal girl sort your potential position, I would worry. Not for the world but for the girl. The ripples she would cause would strike back at her like a crushing avalanche. She wouldn't be able to withstand the court politics she was trying to get into."
This was not any kind of "Fate" or "Destiny" as he saw it. This was cause and effect. If a common girl rose to nobility, the effect of it would be the nobles turning against her. Maybe not lethally but certainly not in a fun way.
Those effects could be seen. But what about the distortions that could shake the world.
When the butterfly's wings flap, the effects ripple out.
For a moment you felt strange. Your body felt… floaty. For a moment an image appeared in your head.
Endymad sitting alone here, looking out over the city without you here.
It was gone in an instant. You were still there, sitting comfortably. It seemed Endymad hadn't noticed. He noticed now though as he looked over.
"Hmm? Is something worrying you?"
You shook your head.
"It's fine, but is that really how you see the world? Just cause and effect?"
"Not at all." He shook his head "But it's a good way to look at it I think.I don't want to make things worse for the people of the Empire. To do so goes against every principle I've gained thus far in my life."
It's his lens for viewing a situation. Instead of looking at an event merely as something that happens, he goes through it looking for a cause which he could manipulate in the future. Minimising causes of tragic effects while taking note of what causes positive effects.
"But you don't want to cause positive events?"
"I would when I knew they were safe." He clarified "But until I knew each and every thread that led to that point… I don't want my good intentions to cause tragedy."
He wanted to be responsible with all things that were under his purview. Not as in a desire for credit, but a desire that he could make sure that "The bad things won't happen here."
In some ways, one could think him boring. Just a paper pusher who would hold his people back. You had the feeling that many people would try to oppose him in the future. He'd slow change to make sure it was purely positive before allowing it. Such was his nature.
Safety at risk of stagnation.
And yet he carried a holy sword. His innate power was made to fight, and to fight well.
Winter passed to spring and you began to examine yourself in the last few months before you'd have to make your decision.
"What do I want?"
…
You didn't really know for sure. You wanted to keep growing more powerful to protect the things important to you. You wanted to keep learning Kido.
But what else? Why were you gathering that power?
…
What do you dream of in the future?
[ ] Write in (Kalina is your character. I'm not going to put words in your mouth. The questions asked at the end of your vote are ones you should answer.)
Endymad's discussion feels like a bit of a mess. I got too into the cause and effect metaphors I think. I tried to bring it back round at the end but I'm not sure how well I did. Endymad isn't one to rock the boat. He wants to keep his family safe and he wants to avoid making a mess to do it.
Anyway, the vote! These really are questions you should answer. I mean really "Would you be happy in a relationship with Endymad?" It's like you want me to answer the question I'm going to ask you at the end of the year for you. No, this is your character and it's your choice.
Anyway, the vote! These really are questions you should answer. I mean really "Would you be happy in a relationship with Endymad?" It's like you want me to answer the question I'm going to ask you at the end of the year for you. No, this is your character and it's your choice.
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
The Kami nobility take their responsibilities extremely seriously, don't they? I wonder if this is more due to the emperor's constant efforts or other reasons.
[X] You would like to find a way to overcome the differences between the nobility and the commoners, or at least soften them.
-[X] You also enjoy getting stronger and exploring things, so you assume you'll continue doing that even after the Academy.
I like Endymad. He may be somewhat hesitant to be an innovator, but he is well aware of his responsibility.
[X] You would like to find a way to overcome the differences between the nobility and the commoners, or at least soften them.
-[X] You also enjoy getting stronger and exploring things, so you assume you'll continue doing that even after the Academy.
I like Endymad. He may be somewhat hesitant to be an innovator, but he is well aware of his responsibility.
While embezzlement being a thing makes sense it does seem like it's dealt with pretty well the Emperor is good at his job.
Makes sense immortality can wear down a person after a long enough time and using it as a way to cover things up makes sense.
They don't earn their lands but they're expected to become competent to get them.
It's not a bad world view or philosophy for a person or even ruler to have since he wants to reduce the negative changes but he also would get in the way of positive changes.
This feels like a bit of a dealbreaker to me.
Why not?
The Emperor made the culture and then enforces it.
He's not a bad guy and I'd even say he's a pretty good person and noble but the stagnation things isn't something I like.
[X] You would like to be learn as much as you can about the world.
-[X] You also enjoy getting stronger and exploring things, so you assume you'll continue doing that even after the Academy.
Mad Scientist Kalina is interesting, Kalina as someone endlessly looking for answers on why things work is interesting to me.
Dragonmaster150
Firstborn of Dragonkind
- Location
- Dragendolan: Land of the Dragon Kings
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That was the crux of my thoughts as well. Everyone, to some degree, wishes that things would just stay the way they are because we, usually, don't like change. I agree that while his thoughts and motivations are noble, and he will undoubtedly make a good administrator, he doesn't really have the same drive that Kalina does. However, always trying to play it completely safe and consider all the options before choosing the course of action that will cause the least amount of pain and suffering will mean that eventually he will encounter a choice with no right answers. If he decides that the best choice is to simply do nothing, or he continually dithers over whether a decision is the safest course of action, eventually he will stagnate.
Honestly, while they do balance each other out somewhat, I feel like their differences in this matter are a bit too strong.
Kalina would probably end up feeling very stifled by Endymad's desire to always find the safest path, while he would probably grate against her drive to always improve things, whether that be herself or whatever she's responsible for. They could make it work, and probably even force each other to grow into better people, but there's also a very real chance it could crumble like a house built on a foundation of sand.
[X] You would like to be learn as much as you can about the world, if you can find a way to help soften the gap between nobles and commoners while doing that, then all the better
-[X] You also enjoy getting stronger and exploring things, so you assume you'll continue doing that even after the Academy
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[X] You would like to be learn as much as you can about the world, if you can find a way to help soften the gap between nobles and commoners while doing that, then all the better
-[X] You also enjoy getting stronger and exploring things, so you assume you'll continue doing that even after the Academy
I feel like this is what would make Kalina the happiest she's someone who cares about learning and growing and getting new experiences first an foremost. But she isn't an immoral monster or bad person about it an is somewhat benevolent. A less shady Urahara who believes in change comes to mind for what this path would lead to.
-[X] You also enjoy getting stronger and exploring things, so you assume you'll continue doing that even after the Academy
I feel like this is what would make Kalina the happiest she's someone who cares about learning and growing and getting new experiences first an foremost. But she isn't an immoral monster or bad person about it an is somewhat benevolent. A less shady Urahara who believes in change comes to mind for what this path would lead to.
Act 0.5: Exchange, Part 48
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HYrk15xjLc
It was nearing the end of the school year when you found your answer.
When asked "What do you dream of?" The answer is simple.
You liked to grow stronger. It was a strange thing to realise in a way. You'd never thought like this before beginning your training. Now you were here though…
There was something you found wonderful about growing more capable. Each day spent practising, spent learning, was a day spent well. You wanted to keep doing it even after you were finished in the Academy.
How would you do that then? You'd probably just throw yourself into your work as a Terra Knight one way or another. Either on the fringes of the Empire if you choose that route or you'd work up the path to become one of the greatest knights in the capital itself.
There was more wonder in your heart though. You loved learning about the world, about the secrets hidden in the dark places and the lore of places filled with light. Some part of you wanted to become some sort of wandering scholar, though that idea would likely have to mutate depending on the route you wanted to follow.
Additionally, you wanted to soften the gap between nobles and commoners. The Nobles seemed to rule well on average, as far as you'd researched at least. And yet there was still discontent among the populace who became rebels. They were angry about things like taxes, or that there was very little chance for them to gain any sort of power.
It wasn't a true Caste system as you yourself proved, but a commoner born without talent would struggle in becoming a Terra Knight, which was the main way to greater power. In comparison, even a lesser noble, as long as their nobility was pure enough, wouldn't have a hard time. This wasn't a sociological thing, but a nature of how Gaians were born.
What even could be done in this case? You didn't really know what the world the Rebels wanted to create looked like. Without nobles, how did they think they'd organise and protect the people from Hollows?
That wasn't a question of if it was possible, more a question of how they'd chose to do it. You could imagine some methods but most didn't work nearly as well as the current system.
If you put a normal person in charge of an area of land instead of a trained noble, should hollows come to destroy or damage that land, what could the Nobles do to stop it?
Well, there was what Soul Society did, but their method sounded just as flawed as the rebels thought nobility was. So what was the right answer?
That would be a question you'd have to work on over the years. It wasn't like you could find a perfect solution right now.
So in the end…
Your future split, and you suspected you might find happiness down either. It was just a question of which one called to you more.
It was more a question of which you wanted to "Understand" better. The noble path gave you access not only to imperial libraries but to Gaians who'd lived since the founding of the Empire, or maybe even earlier. To leave and wander the outer edges would give you a better ability to interact with the common people, and likely to understand their plight, whatever it was.
Then there was the last point? Do you like Endymad? Would you be happy in a relationship with him.
On a random day during the last week of term, you came to speak with Endymad. It was time to make the choice.
The first thing was important though.
"What do you want me to do?" You asked him, "I want to know your perspective."
He hesitated for just a moment before answering "I want you to be able to choose freely."
"Then let's make the question more specific, do you actually want to… court."
"I wouldn't mind it." He admitted "But…"
The problem was neither of you were close enough to say for sure, but to get close enough to know with certainty, you'd have to say yes.
Saying yes would then mean you'd have to get involved with the politics one way or another. You may only be courting at first, but it was probable that many nobles might take it as a fact that you would marry.
In a perfect world, you could court for a time until you really figured out if you worked together, but you don't have that option here and now.
Endymad was a friend, you didn't dislike him so…
"I don't want you to be exiled." He admitted quietly, "Ignoring for a moment the relationship we'd have to start…"
There was no middle ground here sadly. That option had left the moment you awakened to the Holy power. You couldn't just be his friend or just a knight or just an anything. You had to either be a princess consort or be entirely blocked out of noble circles and sent far away from the lands you knew.
This wasn't a story of star crossed love, more the end of the story where you could just be a normal Terra Knight.
If you said no to this all, you'd still get one last year in the Academy with everyone else. A year you'd have to make the best of as after it was over you'd likely never visit the capital again.
If you said yes to this, your role would be locked in, right?
"If we court, and it doesn't go well, what will the other nobles do?"
He shook his head "I don't know, best case it's just a non-official exile like if you said no."
The worst case?
"The worst case, if we really don't get along, is that some faction may form. You may be forced to be on the side against me, and against my father."
Against the emperor, just because a relationship didn't work out?
Politics.
Of course, in that case you may despise Endymad, but would it be hate enough to turn on the emperor?
That wasn't really the point though, the Nobles in whatever the faction was would set you up as a figurehead, a symbol of "Nobles who think the emperor should finally step down" or something like that.
Regardless of your own thoughts on the matter.
That was the worst case of saying yes. Now what was the worst case of saying no? That you might be drawn into some stupid rebellion, taken as a figurehead once again but this time as proof that common people can wield the holy power that only the strongest nobles had.
You had your dreams, you'd heard the good, you'd heard the bad.
There was possibility and danger down either path, it was just a question of which road you wanted to walk.
[ ] Say yes, you would court him. You would face the trials as friends, as best as you could (The path of the Princess Consort)
[ ] Say no, and apologise. You would have to enjoy this last year to the fullest (The path of the Scholar at the edge of the empire)
This feels so quick in a way. You should have had more time. But the choice has come at last. So be it. A choice that matters so much and yet doesn't matter at all from the perspective of Canon Bleach.
Well, it may change the context of how you interact with canon. A wandering scholar or a diplomat from nobility.
Well, it may change the context of how you interact with canon. A wandering scholar or a diplomat from nobility.
- Location
- florida
I suppose the question is how much more do we want to interact with Gaian society. I suppose.
[X] Say no, and apologise. You would have to enjoy this last year to the fullest (The path of the Scholar at the edge of the empire)
I want the freedom to spread our wings. Even if many doors become closed.
[X] Say no, and apologise. You would have to enjoy this last year to the fullest (The path of the Scholar at the edge of the empire)
I want the freedom to spread our wings. Even if many doors become closed.
I feel like Kalina has understood what she wants from the world.
[X] Say no, and apologise. You would have to enjoy this last year to the fullest (The path of the Scholar at the edge of the empire)
This will let Kalina do her own thing and have more freedom sure she won't have political power or connections to further improve herself but the freedom to do her own thing is better.
[X] Say no, and apologise. You would have to enjoy this last year to the fullest (The path of the Scholar at the edge of the empire)
This will let Kalina do her own thing and have more freedom sure she won't have political power or connections to further improve herself but the freedom to do her own thing is better.
Dragonmaster150
Firstborn of Dragonkind
- Location
- Dragendolan: Land of the Dragon Kings
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Honestly, both paths have their merits, and both roads have interesting outcomes. Maybe someone will write and omake one day to show what could have been. Let us go now, and etch a new tale into the world.
From the Trails Below the Earth, to the Trails in the Sky, let no path go unseen, no secret hidden.
This has become our path, so as I pray:
Unlimited Scholarly Works
[X] Say no, and apologise. You would have to enjoy this last year to the fullest (The path of the Scholar at the edge of the empire)
From the Trails Below the Earth, to the Trails in the Sky, let no path go unseen, no secret hidden.
This has become our path, so as I pray:
Unlimited Scholarly Works
[X] Say no, and apologise. You would have to enjoy this last year to the fullest (The path of the Scholar at the edge of the empire)
Act 0.55: A Choice, Part 1
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUhQ7-m53Bw
You sat in contemplative peace for a moment, searching for the right answer.
Ultimately though, you knew what sort of things you valued, and sadly that produced only a single result:
You shook your head.
"I'm sorry, but after graduation I'll go my own way."
Endymad didn't respond at first. He just closed his eyes.
Finally though he answered your resolve. He had a strange expression, neither happy nor sad.
"I'm sorry too. That I won't be able to protect you from the repercussions of this choice."
The nobility's judgement would be on you either way, here you were able to get out of their sight soon enough.
At least the prince didn't take it personally. There had been a flicker in you that still worried he'd be offended.
Even so, here was the point when that tie was severed. The die was cast, the line drawn.
You, born of the common folk, wouldn't become a noble due to thine own choice. That holy power you'd obtained by luck would be thy fetter instead of thy rope.
After a moment more of waiting in contemplative silence, the two of you headed down from the roof.
The message got to the other nobles quickly. With the knowledge of what you'd decided, your friends had become wary, not of you, but of what interacting with you may mean.
Given your choice, inviting you round to one of their estates over the summer was a bad idea. Most of your friends still came to see you off before you left though.
You'd be heading home with Hesiodio on this, your last summer vacation of your time at the Academy.
There had been a plan building in your mind to go home anyway, and to see your parents before your power grew even stronger, so this was just a good chance to make that happen.
After a day on the road, Hesiodio decided it was safe to ask about the thing from before.
"Is that your choice made then?" He asked, "You have put yourself in opposition to the empire by making that choice."
You shook your head "I was deciding my own path there, yes. However you're wrong when you say I put myself in opposition to them. I still have faith that the nobles are trying their best after the recent research I did."
"But then why not join them?" Your old friend asked.
"Simply because that wasn't the road I wanted to walk." You shook your head "I think I'll become a wandering scholar, learning and training while still fulfilling the duties of an imperial knight out at the empire's edge."
Hesiodio looked to the side "I hope you won't be too insulted if I think you a fool."
"It depends what you think I am doing that is foolish." You smiled as you glanced at him.
He shook his head "Your path is being forced, there is no reason that not choosing to marry a noble should get you exiled. You haven't committed a crime so why should you be punished? Isn't that a crime in its own right? A miscarriage of justice!"
…
"While I do see that," You found yourself responding "I understand why it's being done. It's politics and politics doesn't rely on the people in charge being nobles."
"But they're using your power as justification." Hesiodio complained "A matter of your birth, instead of anything you actually did. It's the same reason nobles gain their power but you're being exiled over it."
You sighed.
"Let's say for a moment we had a different government, one where the people in charge were the people who could best sway the common folk to support them, in that case I am a prodigious speaker belonging to no established power blocks. Whoever claimed me would have my amazing speaking abilities on their side. With me so far?"
Your friend nodded and you continued.
"Now the power block in charge is actually doing a good job, at least as far as I can see and they don't want to see the fighting that might break out when each of the parties try and recruit me, so instead they just offer to send me away instead, to somewhere the other blocks would have trouble reaching me. I accept because it keeps me out of the political infighting and because it's the group I would have otherwise joined willinging making the offer. They and I don't want my powers used against them. You see?"
"In a way." Hesiodio finally admitted.
The journey between the capital and the home village was shorter now, you could travel much further in the day using the flash-running that you'd learned in soul society. Even so you did have to rest for a while each day against the walls of the tunnels during the nights.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXfFnIcX8GU
You made the normally week-long journey in only four days or so before finally emerging into the cavern that held your home village.
Byzaloom hadn't changed much since you were here what felt like a lifetime ago. It was just the same in a way.
Compared to when you went to see Helenria's home city, you'd have quite a bit longer here before you had to go back due to how close it was to the capital.
You split up with Hesiodio and slowly walked to the street you had grown up on. Then to the house. Hesiodio told you your family hadn't moved so…
You took the knocker and knocked it.
"Coming!" A familiar voice called before the door was pulled open.
It was your mother.
She paused for a moment, not placing your face. Finally though she smiled.
"Kalina? You're back!"
"Yeah." You nodded, another smile on your face "I am."
That night you slept in your old bed, your room had been left the same while you were away.
Now though it seemed the bed was just a little too small for you.
In the morning, you woke up, pulled your reiatsu under control quickly and enjoyed the morning with your parents.
Now the question was how did you want to spend the next few days?
(feel free to vote for as many of these as you want, you have plenty of time)
[ ] Talk with your parents (About what?)
[ ] Talk with Hesiodio (About what?)
[ ] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
[ ] Other (Completely free write in)
So be it, this is the path you have chosen. Anyway, welcome home. I can't really think of much to say here right now. Ah, there is one thing. You'll be here for a while so we'll have "What do you want to do" votes a few times. The choices in them are mostly based on what you did in previous and that can open up sidequests. I haven't got any planned right now, but I'll think through them after your first set of days.
- Location
- florida
[X] Chatting and striking out.
-[X] Talk with your parents (About what?)
-[X] Ask how things have been in home since you left.
-[X] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
--[X] People to speak with.
--[X] Make sure there are not hollows or any other monsters hiding around your village.
-[X] Look into places to travel to. Around the Empire and perhaps in the human world.
-[X] Ask to Spar with Hesiodio
-[X] Talk with your parents (About what?)
-[X] Ask how things have been in home since you left.
-[X] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
--[X] People to speak with.
--[X] Make sure there are not hollows or any other monsters hiding around your village.
-[X] Look into places to travel to. Around the Empire and perhaps in the human world.
-[X] Ask to Spar with Hesiodio
The choice is made and it's a binding one that will determine Kalina's future.
I'm happy that Kalina's friends still care even if they can't meet at their estates with her.
Hesiodio seems to think that her rejction means she's signing pu with the rebels.
Kalina is walking her own path that will make her happy and I think it's going to be fulfilling for her.
He isn't wrong for all that Kalina knows why it's happening, I do like the point that she made about how it isn't because they're nobles it's because it's politics and they're in power.
That's actually a really good argument that got through to Hesiodio and got him to understand her reasoning.
It's really great that Kalina gets to meet up with her family again.
Look forward to seeing what's done with the additional freedom.
[X] Chatting and striking out.
-[X] Talk with your parents (About what?)
-[X] Ask how things have been in home since you left.
-[X] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
--[X] People to speak with.
--[X] Make sure there are not hollows or any other monsters hiding around your village.
-[X] Look into places to travel to. Around the Empire and perhaps in the human world.
-[X] Ask to Spar with Hesiodio
Seems like a good idea it gets Kalina settled into her home for a bit while making preparations for the future and the spar with Hesiodio is some good training.
Dragonmaster150
Firstborn of Dragonkind
- Location
- Dragendolan: Land of the Dragon Kings
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Ah, sorry for the late reply:
[X] Chatting and striking out.
-[X] Talk with your parents (About what?)
-[X] Ask how things have been in home since you left.
-[X] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
--[X] People to speak with.
--[X] Make sure there are not hollows or any other monsters hiding around your village.
-[X] Look into places to travel to. Around the Empire and perhaps in the human world.
-[X] Ask to Spar with Hesiodio
[X] Chatting and striking out.
-[X] Talk with your parents (About what?)
-[X] Ask how things have been in home since you left.
-[X] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
--[X] People to speak with.
--[X] Make sure there are not hollows or any other monsters hiding around your village.
-[X] Look into places to travel to. Around the Empire and perhaps in the human world.
-[X] Ask to Spar with Hesiodio
Act 0.55: A Choice, Part 2
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXfFnIcX8GU
At the morning table, you chatted with your parents happily.
"How have things around here been the last few years?" You asked.
Your mother smiled, placing a hand against her cheek "Oh it's been the same as it ever is. One day is like another."
"Heltje has given me a promotion." Your father noted "This was a year or two ago, but I'm now an overseer."
Your father worked at the local "Woodlands." It was a part of the village that was set aside to grow, harvest and work wood to be usable in the creation of various products. Your father had previously worked as a harvester, but now he worked to make sure the other harvesters didn't hurt themselves when felling trees and that sort of thing.
The wood wasn't actually made into goods here, it was sent on to the local town for that.
Your mother also mentioned her work briefly. She was still working in the local post office as a clerk. She'd once wanted to see the world but had given that wish up when she realised she really didn't like actually travelling. She wanted to see things but didn't want to take days getting there. So she became a clerk instead of a mail carrier and the rest was history.
"Anything else happen in the village?" You asked "Anyone new making waves?"
Your parents didn't seem to know much else but apparently there was a new mayoral candidate, additionally a young child had been found making dangerous substances to present at the village's small school's science days. They'd managed to make the substances the human world called thermite and trinitrotoluene (but hadn't had a way to light either).
One one hand, that was one bright child. On the other hand, maybe someone should deny them access to a chemistry set until they were older.
…Why did they even think TNT would make a good showing at a science fair, thermite was understandable but why TNT?
Once you were ready to face the day, you head out for a wander around the village. You said hello to most of the familiar faces.
…Due to the long lives of Gaians, it was basically the same set of faces doing the same sort of things. Day in and day out. Change occurred but at a… perhaps it could be said "Geologic pace?"
You stopped round the guard station to see how they were doing. For this kind of village only the captain of the guard had any form of knightly training. The rest were just civilian gaians who were willing to help out against hollows in an emergency.
You asked them if there were any hollow problems recently and they mentioned how a pair of Tsuchigumo had moved into an abandoned part of the local tunnels. No one really went there so it wasn't an immediate threat for the guard but you could still deal with it if you wanted to. It might be good to break back-up though. Maybe Hesiodio or some of the guards?
You'd taken that class on leadership, having some guards with you while you fought might inspire them to try to join a knight's academy.
When you got home, you dug into your mother's old travel books. You wanted to look into places around the world you might be able to go when you were exiled.
Of course it wouldn't be a proper exile, more a "Leave and don't come back." request so it would be best to avoid things too close to the empire's center.
Hmm… Sadly that meant many places in or under europe would probably be out of the running. Unless you really focused on the surface? That would require you learning to disguise yourself though. Something for later maybe?
There was also the chance you could get yourself assigned as a diplomat to some other faction, maybe you could become an Ambassador to Soul Society or Heaven? Or you could take on a more offensive position? No one really visited hueco mundo, there wasn't much point most of the time. A hollow that lived there that long would have little to gain by returning to the physical world. But people did sometimes suggested going in there to clean it up a bit.
Of course there were also the distant places underground he could stay. Under the new world was probably the most standard sort of place to be banished to. It's where many others were exiled too in your readings.
Their relationship with Heaven was always a bit hit and miss though.
There was also the County of Shimotenhara (Written: 下天原), under Japan. It was a successor, apparently, to one of the oldest Gaian settlements that had been discovered. The book you held was decently old but it claimed that it was quite the sight. Part tourist destination, part archaeological marvel.
Once you were done looking at books for the day, you turned in. You had a plan for the morning.
You found Hesiodio practising in his yard. His mother had let you in with a smile.
You called to him and suggested a sparring match, but he pointed out that without healers as skilled as the academys', a proper spar might put one or both of you out of action for a few days.
Given that though, you could still offer to go a round or so?
What did you want to do?
(feel free to vote for as many of these as you want, you have plenty of time)
[ ] Talk with your someone (Who and about what?)
[ ] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
[ ] Other (Completely free write in)
[ ] {Sidequest} Look into the child who is skilled at chemistry (What would you want to do in regard to them?)
[ ] {Sidequest} Hunt the Tsuchigumo (Who would you want to come help with the hunt?)
[ ] {Sidequest} Spar with Hesiodio (Though it might result in one or both of you being unable to fight for a few days.)
I tried to think of a few fun looking sidequests. I especially like the idea of the Tsuchigumo hunt, it would let you have a rematch with your first real hollow now you were much stronger. Also because there is nothing about it in the vote, what do you all think of the travel destinations I mentioned?
- Location
- florida
[X] {Sidequest} Hunt the Tsuchigumo (Who would you want to come help with the hunt?)
-[X] With the town guards
They sound really neat! Especially the underground stuff. Hm...
Visiting above ground Europe... the states... so many places to go.
Would a trip to hueco Mundo even be possible at our level? Or survivable?
-[X] With the town guards
They sound really neat! Especially the underground stuff. Hm...
Visiting above ground Europe... the states... so many places to go.
Would a trip to hueco Mundo even be possible at our level? Or survivable?
As long as you didn't go to Las Noches, yeah. I mean, there are powerful hollows all over the place but most of them keep to themselves. The hollows at Las Noches would fight you if you got too close.
Actually going there though might take some work though, I'd need to check if Gaians had a good way to travel through the Garganta. Getting to it is relatively easy, actually moving through it to the destination you want to get through isn't as easy.
- Location
- florida
"Vacation to another dimension" Is a lot more complicated than "Vacation to a different part of the same planet" so VERY understandable.
Just took the time to check, they have no native way (So no innate ability or Kido) to open it so it would require quite a hefty spellcraft/Kido knowledge check.
Right: Minor retcon because I feel Kisuke needs a way to make his portals and there is no native way to do that in Kido. DnD 3.5e/modern/pathfinder incantations are now a thing in this setting, all of them will be custom though. This isn't really a retcon as there were already two other forms of ritual. I'll only give you their names for now to see what catches for you.
For now the three types of rituals are:
Incantations
Eldritch Rituals
Trials of the... oops. that would have made it too obvious. Let's just call them "Trials."
Edit: Epic magic may also count, depending on how you define it.
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Dragonmaster150
Firstborn of Dragonkind
- Location
- Dragendolan: Land of the Dragon Kings
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Vacationing to different parts of the Surface/World of the Living and experiencing different cultures across the continents would probably be interesting for Kalina, I'm certainly interested in Shimotenhara. She'll definitely need to take the disguise feat (or find some other way to disguise herself) though. Huaco Mundo is definitely a destination, but as mentioned it's hard to get there for Gaians, and becoming a diplomat is also definitely a possibility, though one which would certainly limit her freedom of movement.
[X] {Sidequest} Hunt the Tsuchigumo (Who would you want to come help with the hunt?)
-[X] With the town guards
[X] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
- [X] Remaniss on how different it is compared to other places you've been. You're not sure if its changelessness is a good or bad thing.
[X] {Sidequest} Look into the child who is skilled at chemistry (What would you want to do in regard to them?)
- [X] Maybe they would be interested in some of the basic sciences (and safety standards) you learned at the academy? Maybe see if they would be interested in learning about Kido.
I'm interested in learning about the Kid, who knows, maybe we'll have a little mad scientist on our hands in a little while.
[X] {Sidequest} Hunt the Tsuchigumo (Who would you want to come help with the hunt?)
-[X] With the town guards
[X] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
- [X] Remaniss on how different it is compared to other places you've been. You're not sure if its changelessness is a good or bad thing.
[X] {Sidequest} Look into the child who is skilled at chemistry (What would you want to do in regard to them?)
- [X] Maybe they would be interested in some of the basic sciences (and safety standards) you learned at the academy? Maybe see if they would be interested in learning about Kido.
I'm interested in learning about the Kid, who knows, maybe we'll have a little mad scientist on our hands in a little while.
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- Location
- florida
Incantations?
And alas. Hell vacation will have to wait.
[X] {Sidequest} Hunt the Tsuchigumo (Who would you want to come help with the hunt?)
-[X] With the town guards
[X] Wander your home village (Looking for what?)
- [X] Remaniss on how different it is compared to
[X] {Sidequest} Look into the child who is skilled at chemistry (What would you want to do in regard to them?)
- [X] Maybe they would be interested in some of the basic sciences (and safety standards) you learned at the academy? Maybe see if they would be interested in learning about Kido.
It's a skill based power system that has showed up across DnD 3e. I'm pulling it in because it's useful. It'll probably be called something different in lore though.
Effectively it's a "Make your own spell" system that's only really useful for making "Plot elements"
An incantation can't really be cast fast enough to be useful in combat but if you had a villain who had this elaborate plot to do with getting multiple things just right in the right place at the right time, they could be using an incantation.
For the case of Bleach D20, I'd be using it for world hopping.
Some races have an innate ability to open portals to other worlds (Hollows can create Hueco Mundo-Earth portals for example), Gaians are not one of them. So for all their world hopping needs, a plot element incantation ritual will be useful.