Play as a small pill refining sect in a massive empire, try not to piss off anyone bigger then you, and make money with pills to invest into better pills.
Medicinal Crucible: A Xianxia Planquest
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Medicinal Crucible: A Xianxia Planquest
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Medicinal Crucible: A Xianxia Planquest
For thousands of years the great Dawn Empire has stood and for a thousand more it will stand. Occupying a mountainous region steeped in history and comprising a thousand and one official righteous sects, the empire has long contained the land with the top sects all ruling the peasantry according to the word of the emperor. Ascended Immortal Dong Liang has ruled for the last five hundred years, opening to trade with the East and North, bringing innovations in these changing times as gunpowder has moved outside the scope of fireworks. Now is the era of the greatest prosperity as new trade routes along the coast have opened and prosperity has been guaranteed for a thousand more years. However, this is not the story of the empire, but the story of a single sect making its way through changing times and changing traditions.
As one of the newest sects brought into the one thousand and one righteous sects ten years ago in the Nineteenth Great Heavenly Reform Against Demonic Incursion. The sect has received a noble standing, its own province after a cleansing of Demonic sect infestation, and open and free lands for the cultivation of spirit stones and herbs. Settlement has already proceeded at a rapid pace with peasants imported from neighboring provinces to help restore the lands depleted by demonic cultivation. Rebuilding is of fallow and cleared lands is almost certain to take the rest of the century with consistent investments in the labor force sure to produce a constant and stable stream of spirit stones. As one of the few rogue sects ennobled by the bureaucracy, the province given has been poor, with few places to farm and a minimal capacity for population, but it can still be developed.
Without much wealth coming in from new spirit stones, little provincial development, and the necessary fees for obtaining the province the sect treasury is nearly empty of stones. However, unlike many martial sects that could be sent to such a harsh land, the sect has a major advantage, much of the income when wandering has come from pill making, and now that a province has been provided, that income is only set to increase. The old Guizhou auction that has grown the sect for the last two centuries is still applicable and useful. The recent windfall from the decade-long forging of a single immortal ascension pill has already been spent on administrative fees but far more can be done. Every spirit stone provided for routine pills is more income that can be further invested into training and the making of new pills but even that is almost nothing compared to the most precious pills to assist the honorable nobility to reach immortality by easing the formation of their golden cores or even rarer ones to reach Domain Foundation.
With an official position in the one thousand and one righteous sect comes a full allowance for local recruitment and training, as instead of hoping to attract wandering cultivators the local peasantry can be screened for potential. The lower ranks have of course been unofficially expanded to provide some locally trained talent, but the future of the sect rests on the training of new outer and inner disciples to replenish the sect and build up. New techniques have never been more available, as with a reputation as a righteous sect almost any manual is theoretically purchasable, if generally far more expensive. Digging into the mountain and the establishment of basic dwellings has already been accomplished, with the first auction establishing a nest egg for further development.
[]Sect Name: Write In
Starting Boons(Pick Two):
[]The Highest Peak: The mountain the sect has settled and been provided is especially tall, being closer to the heavens and away from the ground level Qi pollution. New disciples can be rapidly guided through Qi Formation and Body Refinement as the only Qi available is pure and single aspected. The higher level does make tribulations mildly worse, but for the vast majority of the sect who will only tentatively grasp immortality, that is a negligible problem.
[]The Jade Pill Furnace: In the wandering days the sect has held firm to its ancient jade pill furnace, preserving it for the last thousand years. The furnace can miraculously refine pills two full stages above the operator, notable for never backlashing even through the most arduous of refinement. The furnace itself is a massive complex that can only be operated by the sect leader or a senior golden core, with techniques directly passed down from the ancient sect leader, but the greatest pills can be refined.
[]Domain Foundation Elder: With a talented elder that has reached beyond the first stage of immortality and reached domain foundation, there is little that can actually threaten the sect, if the Elder is there. This does not guarantee that nothing will threaten the sect and it is considered poor form to interfere with the conflicts of your extreme juniors, but the option to push around and break apart Core Formation and Qi Condensation juniors will exist. Being a higher stage then most sects with a few senior golden cores also has diplomatic considerations, allowing for greater influence.
[]The Great Seed Repository: Taking the role of an important caravan and preserving the old stocks of spirit herbs and their seeds has been the core purpose of the sect. Instead of only growing the most basic of herbs and supplementing with trade and hunting, many herbs up to the core foundation level could be grown. The conditions for growing them will be expensive and time consuming, but a stable supply can go far in improving profits and reducing the reliance on sending out outer disciples.
[]Efficient Arrays: Making sure that the stock of free spirit stones is not wasted with a low conversion rate, the local peasants can be utilized far more efficiently for the production of currency. Through the formation of a highly efficient array at the center of the sect, for every mortal that passes on almost a whole spirit stone can be formed at the sect. This will still not solve the income problems of the sparsely populated province but can start working towards improving finances outside of pill making.
[]Spirit Beast Herds: A massive herd of spirit beasts transported the sect in its direst moments and the herds have still been maintained. A plentiful supply of parts from celestial oxen can be maintained, effectively ensuring an unlimited supply of animal based body refinement stage ingredients. Managing the herds will involve a significant portion of sect time, but the returns are massive.
[]Demonic Remnants: The siege of the province was just that, a siege. Instead of exterminating the demonic sect in noble combat, over two decades any entrance to the province was closed off as the demonic practitioners depleted their supplies and turned on themselves. Later cleanup happened rapidly with many of the older structures damaged by fighting rather than razed to the ground on principle. While slightly suspicious to other righteous sects, the wealth of manuals, resources, and artifacts can serve the sect well.
[]Brother Eunuch: While you rose to Golden Core and avoided the factionalism of the imperial court like a plague, your brother disciple did not and pushed to receive a position in the Imperial sect. For the price of his manhood, he now has the ear of the emperor at least in theory and forms a major political ally and set of favors that could be called in. He is not that strong or capable, but being able to say the right things at the highest level of the imperial bureaucracy is better than any possible administrative fee.
[]An Auspicious Sect: The heavens have always smiled on the sect and brought great fortune to both disciples and elders. Good fortune has followed the sect time and time again with luck helping to avoid the worst of disasters through bare failures. The heavens in exchange demand following the path that is set, with occasional visions, but avoiding death and disaster is more than worth it.
The Line on Demonic Practices:
[]Follow the Nineteenth: The Nineteenth Great Heavenly Reform Against Demonic Incursion narrowly defined the practices allowed to righteous sects, declaring that several sects focusing on a new style of martial arts focused around excessive physicality to be demonic and against the righteous order. The modernization focused elements of the imperial court of course fell afoul of these as clear Demonic cultivators that sought to mislead their disciples on the true nature of reform, stagnating their cultivation. Upholding it faithfully can generate some standing with the imperial court, or at least avoid giving offense to nobles with excessive senses of purpose.
[]Follow the Fifteenth: The Fifteenth Great Heavenly Reform Against Demonic Incursion came as an aftermath of the great incursions of horde cultivators and is technically the more traditionalist stance. Practices that tend towards the sacrifice of sentient power towards the enhancement of cultivators were defined as Demonic along with a number of enhanced harvesting methods of spirit stones. This political line would be outside the norm for the empire and could theoretically get the sect labeled as demonic if the favor of the Emperor is ever lost, but that still applies universally.
[]Take a Flexible Path: Mortals are not benefited with any of the same power or capability as a cultivator and it is only logical that they will not be afforded the same protections. Cultivators deserve to be protected and preserved away from practices called demonic, but as mortals' only purpose is to produce more spirit stones on passing, they may as well be used more productively. The cultivators around us may dislike it and rail against it, but as long as no one important takes offense, a massive source of reagents can be made available for boosting the lowest ranked cultivators.
Provincial Location:
[]Northern Border: The Northern border province of Yuexing is right next to the frontier with the unorganized horse tribes on the steppe. Raids have fallen as the empire has reached a new stage of development and might, with relative calm and trade on the border. Exotic ingredients never before seen before can be found and expeditions into unknown lands promise risk and wealth in equal measure. The illegal trade in what have been declared demonic formulas and methods also remains an option, as there are practically no officials that wish to live near the frontier.
[]Eastern Border: The mountainous province of Liaohai in the East is the other geological feature containing the empire, with many small older sects starting there. The region is comparatively safe outside of the occasional imperial patrol, leaving plenty of safe development. The comparative lack of trade however has limited opportunities and costs as many of the lower level merchants will take time to leave the remote area. Settlement itself is sparse, and even with the low level of the sect there presents considerable chances for expansion, whether officially sanctioned by the Imperial Bureaucracy or not.
[]On the River: The Lancang River goes South of the true Imperial core but represents a massive confluence of trade and development. The Sucheng province the sect has been provided rights to is too mountainous for much settlement and lacking in flood plains, but the run of the river represents a major trade opportunity. Having a massive avenue of commerce opens up access to markets all along the river for lower stage goods while ensuring access to the ocean. Some oceangoing ships have already been constructed, and it is expected that in time expeditions can be sent entirely outside the empire.
24 Hour Moratorium
For thousands of years the great Dawn Empire has stood and for a thousand more it will stand. Occupying a mountainous region steeped in history and comprising a thousand and one official righteous sects, the empire has long contained the land with the top sects all ruling the peasantry according to the word of the emperor. Ascended Immortal Dong Liang has ruled for the last five hundred years, opening to trade with the East and North, bringing innovations in these changing times as gunpowder has moved outside the scope of fireworks. Now is the era of the greatest prosperity as new trade routes along the coast have opened and prosperity has been guaranteed for a thousand more years. However, this is not the story of the empire, but the story of a single sect making its way through changing times and changing traditions.
As one of the newest sects brought into the one thousand and one righteous sects ten years ago in the Nineteenth Great Heavenly Reform Against Demonic Incursion. The sect has received a noble standing, its own province after a cleansing of Demonic sect infestation, and open and free lands for the cultivation of spirit stones and herbs. Settlement has already proceeded at a rapid pace with peasants imported from neighboring provinces to help restore the lands depleted by demonic cultivation. Rebuilding is of fallow and cleared lands is almost certain to take the rest of the century with consistent investments in the labor force sure to produce a constant and stable stream of spirit stones. As one of the few rogue sects ennobled by the bureaucracy, the province given has been poor, with few places to farm and a minimal capacity for population, but it can still be developed.
Without much wealth coming in from new spirit stones, little provincial development, and the necessary fees for obtaining the province the sect treasury is nearly empty of stones. However, unlike many martial sects that could be sent to such a harsh land, the sect has a major advantage, much of the income when wandering has come from pill making, and now that a province has been provided, that income is only set to increase. The old Guizhou auction that has grown the sect for the last two centuries is still applicable and useful. The recent windfall from the decade-long forging of a single immortal ascension pill has already been spent on administrative fees but far more can be done. Every spirit stone provided for routine pills is more income that can be further invested into training and the making of new pills but even that is almost nothing compared to the most precious pills to assist the honorable nobility to reach immortality by easing the formation of their golden cores or even rarer ones to reach Domain Foundation.
With an official position in the one thousand and one righteous sect comes a full allowance for local recruitment and training, as instead of hoping to attract wandering cultivators the local peasantry can be screened for potential. The lower ranks have of course been unofficially expanded to provide some locally trained talent, but the future of the sect rests on the training of new outer and inner disciples to replenish the sect and build up. New techniques have never been more available, as with a reputation as a righteous sect almost any manual is theoretically purchasable, if generally far more expensive. Digging into the mountain and the establishment of basic dwellings has already been accomplished, with the first auction establishing a nest egg for further development.
[]Sect Name: Write In
Starting Boons(Pick Two):
[]The Highest Peak: The mountain the sect has settled and been provided is especially tall, being closer to the heavens and away from the ground level Qi pollution. New disciples can be rapidly guided through Qi Formation and Body Refinement as the only Qi available is pure and single aspected. The higher level does make tribulations mildly worse, but for the vast majority of the sect who will only tentatively grasp immortality, that is a negligible problem.
[]The Jade Pill Furnace: In the wandering days the sect has held firm to its ancient jade pill furnace, preserving it for the last thousand years. The furnace can miraculously refine pills two full stages above the operator, notable for never backlashing even through the most arduous of refinement. The furnace itself is a massive complex that can only be operated by the sect leader or a senior golden core, with techniques directly passed down from the ancient sect leader, but the greatest pills can be refined.
[]Domain Foundation Elder: With a talented elder that has reached beyond the first stage of immortality and reached domain foundation, there is little that can actually threaten the sect, if the Elder is there. This does not guarantee that nothing will threaten the sect and it is considered poor form to interfere with the conflicts of your extreme juniors, but the option to push around and break apart Core Formation and Qi Condensation juniors will exist. Being a higher stage then most sects with a few senior golden cores also has diplomatic considerations, allowing for greater influence.
[]The Great Seed Repository: Taking the role of an important caravan and preserving the old stocks of spirit herbs and their seeds has been the core purpose of the sect. Instead of only growing the most basic of herbs and supplementing with trade and hunting, many herbs up to the core foundation level could be grown. The conditions for growing them will be expensive and time consuming, but a stable supply can go far in improving profits and reducing the reliance on sending out outer disciples.
[]Efficient Arrays: Making sure that the stock of free spirit stones is not wasted with a low conversion rate, the local peasants can be utilized far more efficiently for the production of currency. Through the formation of a highly efficient array at the center of the sect, for every mortal that passes on almost a whole spirit stone can be formed at the sect. This will still not solve the income problems of the sparsely populated province but can start working towards improving finances outside of pill making.
[]Spirit Beast Herds: A massive herd of spirit beasts transported the sect in its direst moments and the herds have still been maintained. A plentiful supply of parts from celestial oxen can be maintained, effectively ensuring an unlimited supply of animal based body refinement stage ingredients. Managing the herds will involve a significant portion of sect time, but the returns are massive.
[]Demonic Remnants: The siege of the province was just that, a siege. Instead of exterminating the demonic sect in noble combat, over two decades any entrance to the province was closed off as the demonic practitioners depleted their supplies and turned on themselves. Later cleanup happened rapidly with many of the older structures damaged by fighting rather than razed to the ground on principle. While slightly suspicious to other righteous sects, the wealth of manuals, resources, and artifacts can serve the sect well.
[]Brother Eunuch: While you rose to Golden Core and avoided the factionalism of the imperial court like a plague, your brother disciple did not and pushed to receive a position in the Imperial sect. For the price of his manhood, he now has the ear of the emperor at least in theory and forms a major political ally and set of favors that could be called in. He is not that strong or capable, but being able to say the right things at the highest level of the imperial bureaucracy is better than any possible administrative fee.
[]An Auspicious Sect: The heavens have always smiled on the sect and brought great fortune to both disciples and elders. Good fortune has followed the sect time and time again with luck helping to avoid the worst of disasters through bare failures. The heavens in exchange demand following the path that is set, with occasional visions, but avoiding death and disaster is more than worth it.
The Line on Demonic Practices:
[]Follow the Nineteenth: The Nineteenth Great Heavenly Reform Against Demonic Incursion narrowly defined the practices allowed to righteous sects, declaring that several sects focusing on a new style of martial arts focused around excessive physicality to be demonic and against the righteous order. The modernization focused elements of the imperial court of course fell afoul of these as clear Demonic cultivators that sought to mislead their disciples on the true nature of reform, stagnating their cultivation. Upholding it faithfully can generate some standing with the imperial court, or at least avoid giving offense to nobles with excessive senses of purpose.
[]Follow the Fifteenth: The Fifteenth Great Heavenly Reform Against Demonic Incursion came as an aftermath of the great incursions of horde cultivators and is technically the more traditionalist stance. Practices that tend towards the sacrifice of sentient power towards the enhancement of cultivators were defined as Demonic along with a number of enhanced harvesting methods of spirit stones. This political line would be outside the norm for the empire and could theoretically get the sect labeled as demonic if the favor of the Emperor is ever lost, but that still applies universally.
[]Take a Flexible Path: Mortals are not benefited with any of the same power or capability as a cultivator and it is only logical that they will not be afforded the same protections. Cultivators deserve to be protected and preserved away from practices called demonic, but as mortals' only purpose is to produce more spirit stones on passing, they may as well be used more productively. The cultivators around us may dislike it and rail against it, but as long as no one important takes offense, a massive source of reagents can be made available for boosting the lowest ranked cultivators.
Provincial Location:
[]Northern Border: The Northern border province of Yuexing is right next to the frontier with the unorganized horse tribes on the steppe. Raids have fallen as the empire has reached a new stage of development and might, with relative calm and trade on the border. Exotic ingredients never before seen before can be found and expeditions into unknown lands promise risk and wealth in equal measure. The illegal trade in what have been declared demonic formulas and methods also remains an option, as there are practically no officials that wish to live near the frontier.
[]Eastern Border: The mountainous province of Liaohai in the East is the other geological feature containing the empire, with many small older sects starting there. The region is comparatively safe outside of the occasional imperial patrol, leaving plenty of safe development. The comparative lack of trade however has limited opportunities and costs as many of the lower level merchants will take time to leave the remote area. Settlement itself is sparse, and even with the low level of the sect there presents considerable chances for expansion, whether officially sanctioned by the Imperial Bureaucracy or not.
[]On the River: The Lancang River goes South of the true Imperial core but represents a massive confluence of trade and development. The Sucheng province the sect has been provided rights to is too mountainous for much settlement and lacking in flood plains, but the run of the river represents a major trade opportunity. Having a massive avenue of commerce opens up access to markets all along the river for lower stage goods while ensuring access to the ocean. Some oceangoing ships have already been constructed, and it is expected that in time expeditions can be sent entirely outside the empire.
24 Hour Moratorium
Last edited:
The Sect Informational
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The Jade Seed Sect
Master Xian Wei: Rising from the Qi formation realm all the way to a golden core in a prodigious but not severely exceptional hundred years, Xian Wei has taken power after the tragic death of the previous elder during his heavenly tribulation two decades prior. As an Elder he has unilaterally focused on closed door cultivation and the refinement of ever grander pills, rising rapidly through the ranks. The best cultivator on the council, but not one that has previously administered the sect in any respect. Pushing Xian forward towards leadership may even allow for the better training of juniors if direct involvement is warranted.
-Late Golden Core (+5 against same Rank, -15 against Domain Foundation)
-Prodigious Cultivator (Can Cultivate/Refine Pills with significant bonus)
-Unlearned Administrator (Almost all administrative actions unavailable)
-Competent Instructor (Can train juniors)
Important Pills:
1x Four Element Pill of Steel Heart: Using the base of a burning plum that is deliberately imperfectly refined to transfer both its strong stimulant qualities along with improvements in qi density and refining it to the golden core level will make a mighty pill. The stimulant qualities on their own will significantly improve the sales value as many a golden core enjoy the sensation coming from such pills. From there it can be refined through divine moss and razor wheat to further strengthen its properties in hardening with a finalization through the strong properties of orange rime slime spores. The pill will likely kill anyone lesser than a golden core but it will provide a massive boost in determination and durability like no other. (Will be used for defense or full scale war) (Estimated Auction Value of 5k Spirit Stones Each)
Treasures:
Eternal Pure Heaven-Light: A great vase that releases five different types of Qi in a perfectly balanced Dao of Qi through an array made of five great orbs harnessed to produce Qi eternally. Outside of the subtle sense of disquiet, the perfectly balanced Qi is a massive asset for cultivating any dependent on environmental Qi. The vase can be immediately moved into the great cave of contemplation and used to provide perfectly pure and balanced Qi to elucidate the exact path to a breakthrough. (+5 to Personal Cultivation Attempts) (Golden Core Level) (Not Believed to be Corruptive)
Important Dates:
AA550 Dong Liang: Auction
AA552 Dong Liang: The Great Pill Contest
Status of the Empire:
Political Attitude: Conservative
Dominant Political Mood: Legalism Discredited, Confucianism Leading
Cultivator Relevant Reforms: The Nineteenth Great Heavenly Reform Against Demonic Incursion: Bans any direct transfer of cultivator power through forbidden techniques along with cultivation that "prioritizes the body over the mind"
Sect Notice: None
Nearby Sects:
Great Pearl Ferret: Upriver of The Jade Seed Sect and almost entirely into the mountainous roots of the Sucheng province. The river itself provides much of their wealth with the local oysters farmed according to what is surely a secret technique. These oysters are known for providing fine pearls that can be directly consumed for massive boosts in available qi with rumors about secret auctions for rarer ones that can induce a new cultivation stage. These are of course rumors and the sect itself has no declared great elder with rule going to a council of eleven golden cores at all times.
Towering Horizon Sect: A martial sect that was initially brutal on coming to the province but one that has more then calmed in relations after a short demonstration of resolve. They are a pure martial sect that has historically roamed the countryside acting as a composite group that could charitably described as mercenaries before being landed in reward for work on the Northern Frontier. Existing in the region for only a few decades the sect itself was brutally savaged by their last northern neighbor leading to several erroneous assumptions. The sect has anywhere from five to twenty golden cores with most preferring secluded cultivation, and if rumors to be believed the sect master is close to a breakthrough but has not left closed door cultivation for two decades. They practice some sort of metallic art with scores of cultivators leaving the province to perform martial duties through some strange form of airborne transport.
Jewel Blossom Sect: A comparatively well known martial sect that has been instrumental to keeping coastal seas clear of spirit beasts and providing protection to several hundred fishing villages across the coast. This has provided them with massive mortal wealth and has formed something of a city in the mouth of the delta's fertile soil. Their money comes from a combination of tournament victories and the massive number of mortals present in their province. By cultivation style or governance little is known outside that the Jewel Blossom's cultivation method is rigorous and exacting with a high risk of Internal Demons forming, leading to many a prominent cultivator killed or sent into permanent seclusion.
Master Xian Wei: Rising from the Qi formation realm all the way to a golden core in a prodigious but not severely exceptional hundred years, Xian Wei has taken power after the tragic death of the previous elder during his heavenly tribulation two decades prior. As an Elder he has unilaterally focused on closed door cultivation and the refinement of ever grander pills, rising rapidly through the ranks. The best cultivator on the council, but not one that has previously administered the sect in any respect. Pushing Xian forward towards leadership may even allow for the better training of juniors if direct involvement is warranted.
-Late Golden Core (+5 against same Rank, -15 against Domain Foundation)
-Prodigious Cultivator (Can Cultivate/Refine Pills with significant bonus)
-Unlearned Administrator (Almost all administrative actions unavailable)
-Competent Instructor (Can train juniors)
Important Pills:
1x Four Element Pill of Steel Heart: Using the base of a burning plum that is deliberately imperfectly refined to transfer both its strong stimulant qualities along with improvements in qi density and refining it to the golden core level will make a mighty pill. The stimulant qualities on their own will significantly improve the sales value as many a golden core enjoy the sensation coming from such pills. From there it can be refined through divine moss and razor wheat to further strengthen its properties in hardening with a finalization through the strong properties of orange rime slime spores. The pill will likely kill anyone lesser than a golden core but it will provide a massive boost in determination and durability like no other. (Will be used for defense or full scale war) (Estimated Auction Value of 5k Spirit Stones Each)
Treasures:
Eternal Pure Heaven-Light: A great vase that releases five different types of Qi in a perfectly balanced Dao of Qi through an array made of five great orbs harnessed to produce Qi eternally. Outside of the subtle sense of disquiet, the perfectly balanced Qi is a massive asset for cultivating any dependent on environmental Qi. The vase can be immediately moved into the great cave of contemplation and used to provide perfectly pure and balanced Qi to elucidate the exact path to a breakthrough. (+5 to Personal Cultivation Attempts) (Golden Core Level) (Not Believed to be Corruptive)
Important Dates:
AA550 Dong Liang: Auction
AA552 Dong Liang: The Great Pill Contest
Status of the Empire:
Political Attitude: Conservative
Dominant Political Mood: Legalism Discredited, Confucianism Leading
Cultivator Relevant Reforms: The Nineteenth Great Heavenly Reform Against Demonic Incursion: Bans any direct transfer of cultivator power through forbidden techniques along with cultivation that "prioritizes the body over the mind"
Sect Notice: None
Nearby Sects:
Great Pearl Ferret: Upriver of The Jade Seed Sect and almost entirely into the mountainous roots of the Sucheng province. The river itself provides much of their wealth with the local oysters farmed according to what is surely a secret technique. These oysters are known for providing fine pearls that can be directly consumed for massive boosts in available qi with rumors about secret auctions for rarer ones that can induce a new cultivation stage. These are of course rumors and the sect itself has no declared great elder with rule going to a council of eleven golden cores at all times.
Towering Horizon Sect: A martial sect that was initially brutal on coming to the province but one that has more then calmed in relations after a short demonstration of resolve. They are a pure martial sect that has historically roamed the countryside acting as a composite group that could charitably described as mercenaries before being landed in reward for work on the Northern Frontier. Existing in the region for only a few decades the sect itself was brutally savaged by their last northern neighbor leading to several erroneous assumptions. The sect has anywhere from five to twenty golden cores with most preferring secluded cultivation, and if rumors to be believed the sect master is close to a breakthrough but has not left closed door cultivation for two decades. They practice some sort of metallic art with scores of cultivators leaving the province to perform martial duties through some strange form of airborne transport.
Jewel Blossom Sect: A comparatively well known martial sect that has been instrumental to keeping coastal seas clear of spirit beasts and providing protection to several hundred fishing villages across the coast. This has provided them with massive mortal wealth and has formed something of a city in the mouth of the delta's fertile soil. Their money comes from a combination of tournament victories and the massive number of mortals present in their province. By cultivation style or governance little is known outside that the Jewel Blossom's cultivation method is rigorous and exacting with a high risk of Internal Demons forming, leading to many a prominent cultivator killed or sent into permanent seclusion.
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The Sect and its Organization
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Vote Called For:
The Sect and its Organization
The Jade Seed sect has traveled for a millennium through the history of the Empire, following the rivers in search of trade and to be distant from the eyes of the imperial bureaucracy. There were moments when the entire existence of the sect depended on a few elders, but with the current high point fortune has smiled upon the sect. Commissioning a massive Qi regeneration pill for the Spirit Ascension stage a single heaven-blessed cultivator has delivered the sect the greatest fortune in its history. The over four hundred thousand spirit stones acquired when discounting the cost of ingredients and the correct permissions for the refinement was enough to sufficiently impress the inspectors determining the next few sects destined to replace the sects lost to infighting or demonic corruption on the Great Imperial Council of the one thousand and one righteous sects.
Settlement of the province has allowed legitimate legal recruitment that is not to be sheltered from the prying eyes of officials and more importantly a local tax base! Yielding spirit stones aplenty and making up for the volatility of sect finances. The Jade Furnace itself has been installed in the central hall of the sect, only accessible to a few of the golden core level elders, capable of refining the most advanced pills in the land. Settlement on the nearby mountain has proceeded in a similar fashion, with the few remaining remnants of the terraces left by the demonic sect being easy to restore for prolonged habitation. Right below the furnace itself however rests the very array that will form the future of the sect and ensure that the mortals in the province will offer a stream of profits away from shady back alley deals and away from the desperate wandering.
Cultivation of the herbs and the herb vault has only been started at the most limited scale, as the needed amount of disciples to tame the unruly herbs and protect the massive gardens is still not there. Farming of food for the sect has already been handled through the purchase of land and day laborers, setting up in the valleys for a limited crop of mortal crops to form the basis of sustenance for many of the outer disciples in the sect, with finer foods imported down the river for the rest. Food independence for all but the most select of dishes will almost certainly be challenging as nothing is hoarded closer than the best and purest crops of spirit rice along with the secrets involved in its cultivation. Meat is an even more pressing concern, as the long distance transport of oxen from the flood-plains to the north will have to take a coastal route, leaving it vulnerable to sea-beasts and other attacks, raising prices.
Politically the area along the river represents the best land available to the sect and took up many of the fees involved to obtain, leaving it jealousy coveted by the sects stuck outside of it. Directly outside the valleys rest small tributaries, supplying some water, but due to a lack of navigability many of those are even more limited. At the extreme downriver, rests the Jewel Blossom Sect controlling the delta and the best agricultural land, they are ostensibly a righteous martial sect famous for their raids against Demonic cultivators and for winning the tournament accompanying the Guizhou auction the last four meetings. Upriver of them and downriver of Sucheng exists the recently established Towering Horizon Sect but as they have never participated in the tournament or auction little is known of them. Further upriver of Sucheng stands the Great Pearl Ferret sect, known for the farming of oysters and the constant sales of water-element remedies at the Auction, making them a wealthy sect that curiously does not have an elder of a rank befitting of their wealth.
Outside the river valley however, lies lands that are only controlled in technicality as the massive provinces have been historically considered too poor for efforts. They are almost certainly replete with rouge sects and various malcontents, as the sects responsible for both are barely present and have time and time again failed to quell them. The lands are wild, undeveloped, and full of rogues determined to hide away from the Empire. Actual exploration of the lands is illegal and technically an invasion of other sect territory, however the chances of enforcement happening either way is effectively minimal. Patrolling the borders themselves is almost certain to consume inner and outer disciples as nothing else, not even mentioning the constant incursions of uncontrolled spirit beasts.
The Sect Master(Capability For their Current Rank):
[]Lord Xian Wei: Rising from the Qi formation realm all the way to a golden core in a prodigious but not severely exceptional hundred years, Xian Wei has taken power after the tragic death of the previous elder during his heavenly tribulation two decades prior. As an Elder he has unilaterally focused on closed door cultivation and the refinement of ever grander pills, rising rapidly through the ranks. The best cultivator on the council, but not one that has previously administered the sect in any respect. Pushing Xian forward towards leadership may even allow for the better training of juniors if direct involvement is warranted.
-Late Golden Core (+5 against same Rank, -15 against Domain Foundation)
-Prodigious Cultivator
-Unlearned Administrator
-Competent Instructor
[]Lord Zhou Yong: The previous administrator that took charge of the sect after the death of the previous master during his tribulation. Zhao Yong took control of the administration of the sect and pioneered a reward system for junior cultivators to improve incomes and outcomes. As a nearly two hundred year old deadlocked as a golden core, Zhao Yong is only exceptional for how high he has risen but not for how long it has taken him. Being a poor cultivator for his rank and spending an insufficient amount of time on cultivation has however given Zhao a wealth of experience with the day to day management of the sect, with his current selection done with the expectation that once the sect is settled another master will be chosen.
-Golden Core (-20 against Domain Foundation)
-Average Cultivator
-Experienced Administrator
-Temporary Candidate
[]Lord Zhang Qiang: A talented young master that joined the sect with a bounty of spirit stones and significantly more ambition than sense. Despite several personality conflicts and issues in the sect Zhang has taken fifty years and become a respectable elder after a period of misspent youth. Previously training the inner disciples during the long period as a rogue sect, he has the most experience with the development of new disciples and has been comparatively successful. At a young age of a hundred and steadily advancing to late golden core, he is also not a bad cultivator despite spending only limited time on cultivation.
-Golden Core (-20 against Domain Foundation)
-Competent Cultivator
-Average Administrator
-Competent Instructor
-Many Enemies
Leadership Selection Method:
[]The Great Sect Tournament: Every twenty years the most important post of the sect is determined in the same way as any martial sect. A tournament to the first to be removed from the ring is held, allowing for a true test of martial strength between cultivators. The most capable and enlightened each time is expected to win, with pills that are personally produced being the expected deciding factor more often than not, testing both martial strength and skill in refinement.
[]The Great Pill Contest: We are a pill refining sect and that should be the core aspect of any selection process. A year will be provided to any member in the Golden Core realm to produce the finest pill or medicine that can be refined without the use of the Jade pill furnace. This is a test of skill and technique ensuring that the sect master is the most capable of refining pills and competent in the matters of sourcing and ingredient determination.
[]Selected by the Council: The council of elders of the highest realm make up the core governing body of the sect and their judgment determines the rule of the sect. As the most senior disciples in the sect they make up the core of the sect in all things. Their choice of Sect Master can replace the traditional selection for martial and refinement skill in favor of a bias towards more administratively capable candidates.
Sect Art:
[]Burning Heart Art: Instead of refining the pill in a furnace the very Qi can be concentrated, refined, and purified in the dantian of the body. This method allows for a bridge towards martial cultivation as Qi refinement from ingredients and their purification can substitute all but the best pill furnaces. An innate understanding of the movement of Qi is critical for performing it without a furnace with any backlash occurring inside of the very cultivation base, but the close association and tie to ingredients can allow for unparalleled efficiencies. Having this innate understanding and capability allows for improvements in furnace technique, improving refinement as a true comprehension of the ingredients can be achieved. Some masters have even perfected the technique of internal refinement to such a point that their very hearts are pill furnaces, eschewing losses in normal refining in favor of directly utilizing ingredients.
-Martial/Refining Art (-2 Malus to Combat)
-Outer Disciples do not Require Furnaces
-Fire Aspected Art
[]Open Lotus Art: The full manual of the Lotus art has to a large extent been lost to time, but it has been kept alive in the memory of our elders. Codification efforts have already started with a focus on forming a coherent art more than capable of the most arduous refinements. Opening oneself as a Lotus and swimming in the natural Qi, harvesting it from the pills and environment around, cultivation occurs in dense natural areas with the purest Qi. Taking in and purifying this Qi drives spiritual growth leading to a growth in cultivation base. When refining a pill this art applies instead to focus the ingredients Qi and the very nature around the sect to refine it into a purified pill. Sensitive in collection and environment, a pure mind and a stable cultivation base can grow the mightiest lotus, forming a basis for the golden core, but further aspects of the art still must be discovered.
-Refining Art (-5 Malus to Combat)
-Wood Aspected
-Seeming Dead End Past Golden Core
[]Severing Steel Forging Art: The spirit is no different to a blade that must be forged time and time again, incorporating new elements and striking them until something harder is forged. When refining a pill, every impurity is hammered away through constant sweeping incorporation of new Qi, using it to burn away the impurities and forming a new pill. In the spirit, Qi is to be cultivated and reforged time and time again until a consolidated method is formed and established. This constant reforging does not come without risk as a mistake can leave damage across several dantian. Building up Qi and reforging it encourages a purity of purpose and of will, building up the strength of the body through refining it, with the technique necessary driving the development of the mind.
-Martial/Refining Art (-2 Malus to Combat)
-Metal Aspected
-Technically Demonic
[]Mighty Torrent Art: All Qi flows through the world and those inhabiting it, accepting that as a truth and incorporating it into practice drives all things. A pill is nothing but an eddy of Qi, forming as a stagnant mass, pooling into a great lake. Refining that Qi from ingredients and getting it to flow forms a core aspect of refinement, with a furnace helping to loosen it. Normal cultivation involves becoming entirely aware of this flow of Qi and channeling it through each stage. A golden core is no different from the condensation of a pill but internally consolidating the cultivation base into something far stronger than a simple flow, stopping and pooling it. Shaping the Qi forms the foundation for every technique, and working with raw Qi allows for the replication of abilities well outside convention if in a far weaker form.
-Refining Art (-5 Malus to Combat)
-Water Aspected
-More Fundamental/Less Physical(Squishy Mage Combat styles)
Outer Disciple Qualifications:
[]Those with Compatible Roots: Focusing sect resources on those with the most compatible roots and affinities and training them for six months will involve a large degree of screening efforts and long training times, but the highest quality of disciples can be secured. For a massive investment in training those that are the most compatible with sect arts the strongest cultivators can be included into the sect. Unfortunately, the training and management of juniors will take up a considerable portion of resources.
-Scans everyone for compatibility, but not Qi use
-Trains the compatible for a long time
-Massive investment of Inner Disciples
[]Those that Show Talent: Those that can independently channel Qi are the traditional recruits for any righteous sects. Children that can do so are comparatively infrequent but among the population of the province there is a guarantee that many will show some talent. Technique and aspecting can be overcome and the margin of talent can be decided upon to quickly and efficiently screen the local population for those that are the most capable, filtering recruits without any real need for investment.
-Fast and cheap
-Traditional
-Misses a lot of hidden gems
[]Training Centers: The youths of the province can be mercifully trained and instructed by a few of the lower inner disciples in the simplest techniques can filter the wheat from the chaff. Providing Contribution Points for those that are most able to train disciples, a far greater degree of recruitment can be guaranteed as anyone that is instruct-able can be instructed. Those that can quickly master a technique clearly show a compatibility with our art and can rapidly be brought into the sect.
-Does not screen the entire province
-Attempts to screen in a short time frame
24 Hour Moratorium(Combat is on a D20, for context)
[X] Plan Pragmatic Commerce
-[X] Sect Name: Jade Seed Sect
-[X]The Jade Pill Furnace:
-[X]The Great Seed Repository:
-[X]Follow the Fifteenth
-[X] On the River
-[X] Sect Name: Jade Seed Sect
-[X]The Jade Pill Furnace:
-[X]The Great Seed Repository:
-[X]Follow the Fifteenth
-[X] On the River
The Sect and its Organization
The Jade Seed sect has traveled for a millennium through the history of the Empire, following the rivers in search of trade and to be distant from the eyes of the imperial bureaucracy. There were moments when the entire existence of the sect depended on a few elders, but with the current high point fortune has smiled upon the sect. Commissioning a massive Qi regeneration pill for the Spirit Ascension stage a single heaven-blessed cultivator has delivered the sect the greatest fortune in its history. The over four hundred thousand spirit stones acquired when discounting the cost of ingredients and the correct permissions for the refinement was enough to sufficiently impress the inspectors determining the next few sects destined to replace the sects lost to infighting or demonic corruption on the Great Imperial Council of the one thousand and one righteous sects.
Settlement of the province has allowed legitimate legal recruitment that is not to be sheltered from the prying eyes of officials and more importantly a local tax base! Yielding spirit stones aplenty and making up for the volatility of sect finances. The Jade Furnace itself has been installed in the central hall of the sect, only accessible to a few of the golden core level elders, capable of refining the most advanced pills in the land. Settlement on the nearby mountain has proceeded in a similar fashion, with the few remaining remnants of the terraces left by the demonic sect being easy to restore for prolonged habitation. Right below the furnace itself however rests the very array that will form the future of the sect and ensure that the mortals in the province will offer a stream of profits away from shady back alley deals and away from the desperate wandering.
Cultivation of the herbs and the herb vault has only been started at the most limited scale, as the needed amount of disciples to tame the unruly herbs and protect the massive gardens is still not there. Farming of food for the sect has already been handled through the purchase of land and day laborers, setting up in the valleys for a limited crop of mortal crops to form the basis of sustenance for many of the outer disciples in the sect, with finer foods imported down the river for the rest. Food independence for all but the most select of dishes will almost certainly be challenging as nothing is hoarded closer than the best and purest crops of spirit rice along with the secrets involved in its cultivation. Meat is an even more pressing concern, as the long distance transport of oxen from the flood-plains to the north will have to take a coastal route, leaving it vulnerable to sea-beasts and other attacks, raising prices.
Politically the area along the river represents the best land available to the sect and took up many of the fees involved to obtain, leaving it jealousy coveted by the sects stuck outside of it. Directly outside the valleys rest small tributaries, supplying some water, but due to a lack of navigability many of those are even more limited. At the extreme downriver, rests the Jewel Blossom Sect controlling the delta and the best agricultural land, they are ostensibly a righteous martial sect famous for their raids against Demonic cultivators and for winning the tournament accompanying the Guizhou auction the last four meetings. Upriver of them and downriver of Sucheng exists the recently established Towering Horizon Sect but as they have never participated in the tournament or auction little is known of them. Further upriver of Sucheng stands the Great Pearl Ferret sect, known for the farming of oysters and the constant sales of water-element remedies at the Auction, making them a wealthy sect that curiously does not have an elder of a rank befitting of their wealth.
Outside the river valley however, lies lands that are only controlled in technicality as the massive provinces have been historically considered too poor for efforts. They are almost certainly replete with rouge sects and various malcontents, as the sects responsible for both are barely present and have time and time again failed to quell them. The lands are wild, undeveloped, and full of rogues determined to hide away from the Empire. Actual exploration of the lands is illegal and technically an invasion of other sect territory, however the chances of enforcement happening either way is effectively minimal. Patrolling the borders themselves is almost certain to consume inner and outer disciples as nothing else, not even mentioning the constant incursions of uncontrolled spirit beasts.
The Sect Master(Capability For their Current Rank):
[]Lord Xian Wei: Rising from the Qi formation realm all the way to a golden core in a prodigious but not severely exceptional hundred years, Xian Wei has taken power after the tragic death of the previous elder during his heavenly tribulation two decades prior. As an Elder he has unilaterally focused on closed door cultivation and the refinement of ever grander pills, rising rapidly through the ranks. The best cultivator on the council, but not one that has previously administered the sect in any respect. Pushing Xian forward towards leadership may even allow for the better training of juniors if direct involvement is warranted.
-Late Golden Core (+5 against same Rank, -15 against Domain Foundation)
-Prodigious Cultivator
-Unlearned Administrator
-Competent Instructor
[]Lord Zhou Yong: The previous administrator that took charge of the sect after the death of the previous master during his tribulation. Zhao Yong took control of the administration of the sect and pioneered a reward system for junior cultivators to improve incomes and outcomes. As a nearly two hundred year old deadlocked as a golden core, Zhao Yong is only exceptional for how high he has risen but not for how long it has taken him. Being a poor cultivator for his rank and spending an insufficient amount of time on cultivation has however given Zhao a wealth of experience with the day to day management of the sect, with his current selection done with the expectation that once the sect is settled another master will be chosen.
-Golden Core (-20 against Domain Foundation)
-Average Cultivator
-Experienced Administrator
-Temporary Candidate
[]Lord Zhang Qiang: A talented young master that joined the sect with a bounty of spirit stones and significantly more ambition than sense. Despite several personality conflicts and issues in the sect Zhang has taken fifty years and become a respectable elder after a period of misspent youth. Previously training the inner disciples during the long period as a rogue sect, he has the most experience with the development of new disciples and has been comparatively successful. At a young age of a hundred and steadily advancing to late golden core, he is also not a bad cultivator despite spending only limited time on cultivation.
-Golden Core (-20 against Domain Foundation)
-Competent Cultivator
-Average Administrator
-Competent Instructor
-Many Enemies
Leadership Selection Method:
[]The Great Sect Tournament: Every twenty years the most important post of the sect is determined in the same way as any martial sect. A tournament to the first to be removed from the ring is held, allowing for a true test of martial strength between cultivators. The most capable and enlightened each time is expected to win, with pills that are personally produced being the expected deciding factor more often than not, testing both martial strength and skill in refinement.
[]The Great Pill Contest: We are a pill refining sect and that should be the core aspect of any selection process. A year will be provided to any member in the Golden Core realm to produce the finest pill or medicine that can be refined without the use of the Jade pill furnace. This is a test of skill and technique ensuring that the sect master is the most capable of refining pills and competent in the matters of sourcing and ingredient determination.
[]Selected by the Council: The council of elders of the highest realm make up the core governing body of the sect and their judgment determines the rule of the sect. As the most senior disciples in the sect they make up the core of the sect in all things. Their choice of Sect Master can replace the traditional selection for martial and refinement skill in favor of a bias towards more administratively capable candidates.
Sect Art:
[]Burning Heart Art: Instead of refining the pill in a furnace the very Qi can be concentrated, refined, and purified in the dantian of the body. This method allows for a bridge towards martial cultivation as Qi refinement from ingredients and their purification can substitute all but the best pill furnaces. An innate understanding of the movement of Qi is critical for performing it without a furnace with any backlash occurring inside of the very cultivation base, but the close association and tie to ingredients can allow for unparalleled efficiencies. Having this innate understanding and capability allows for improvements in furnace technique, improving refinement as a true comprehension of the ingredients can be achieved. Some masters have even perfected the technique of internal refinement to such a point that their very hearts are pill furnaces, eschewing losses in normal refining in favor of directly utilizing ingredients.
-Martial/Refining Art (-2 Malus to Combat)
-Outer Disciples do not Require Furnaces
-Fire Aspected Art
[]Open Lotus Art: The full manual of the Lotus art has to a large extent been lost to time, but it has been kept alive in the memory of our elders. Codification efforts have already started with a focus on forming a coherent art more than capable of the most arduous refinements. Opening oneself as a Lotus and swimming in the natural Qi, harvesting it from the pills and environment around, cultivation occurs in dense natural areas with the purest Qi. Taking in and purifying this Qi drives spiritual growth leading to a growth in cultivation base. When refining a pill this art applies instead to focus the ingredients Qi and the very nature around the sect to refine it into a purified pill. Sensitive in collection and environment, a pure mind and a stable cultivation base can grow the mightiest lotus, forming a basis for the golden core, but further aspects of the art still must be discovered.
-Refining Art (-5 Malus to Combat)
-Wood Aspected
-Seeming Dead End Past Golden Core
[]Severing Steel Forging Art: The spirit is no different to a blade that must be forged time and time again, incorporating new elements and striking them until something harder is forged. When refining a pill, every impurity is hammered away through constant sweeping incorporation of new Qi, using it to burn away the impurities and forming a new pill. In the spirit, Qi is to be cultivated and reforged time and time again until a consolidated method is formed and established. This constant reforging does not come without risk as a mistake can leave damage across several dantian. Building up Qi and reforging it encourages a purity of purpose and of will, building up the strength of the body through refining it, with the technique necessary driving the development of the mind.
-Martial/Refining Art (-2 Malus to Combat)
-Metal Aspected
-Technically Demonic
[]Mighty Torrent Art: All Qi flows through the world and those inhabiting it, accepting that as a truth and incorporating it into practice drives all things. A pill is nothing but an eddy of Qi, forming as a stagnant mass, pooling into a great lake. Refining that Qi from ingredients and getting it to flow forms a core aspect of refinement, with a furnace helping to loosen it. Normal cultivation involves becoming entirely aware of this flow of Qi and channeling it through each stage. A golden core is no different from the condensation of a pill but internally consolidating the cultivation base into something far stronger than a simple flow, stopping and pooling it. Shaping the Qi forms the foundation for every technique, and working with raw Qi allows for the replication of abilities well outside convention if in a far weaker form.
-Refining Art (-5 Malus to Combat)
-Water Aspected
-More Fundamental/Less Physical(Squishy Mage Combat styles)
Outer Disciple Qualifications:
[]Those with Compatible Roots: Focusing sect resources on those with the most compatible roots and affinities and training them for six months will involve a large degree of screening efforts and long training times, but the highest quality of disciples can be secured. For a massive investment in training those that are the most compatible with sect arts the strongest cultivators can be included into the sect. Unfortunately, the training and management of juniors will take up a considerable portion of resources.
-Scans everyone for compatibility, but not Qi use
-Trains the compatible for a long time
-Massive investment of Inner Disciples
[]Those that Show Talent: Those that can independently channel Qi are the traditional recruits for any righteous sects. Children that can do so are comparatively infrequent but among the population of the province there is a guarantee that many will show some talent. Technique and aspecting can be overcome and the margin of talent can be decided upon to quickly and efficiently screen the local population for those that are the most capable, filtering recruits without any real need for investment.
-Fast and cheap
-Traditional
-Misses a lot of hidden gems
[]Training Centers: The youths of the province can be mercifully trained and instructed by a few of the lower inner disciples in the simplest techniques can filter the wheat from the chaff. Providing Contribution Points for those that are most able to train disciples, a far greater degree of recruitment can be guaranteed as anyone that is instruct-able can be instructed. Those that can quickly master a technique clearly show a compatibility with our art and can rapidly be brought into the sect.
-Does not screen the entire province
-Attempts to screen in a short time frame
24 Hour Moratorium(Combat is on a D20, for context)
Last edited:
Turn 1: Attacked on All Quarters
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
-[X]Lord Xian Wei
-[X]The Great Pill Contest
-[X]Open Lotus Art
-[X]Training Centers
-[X]The Great Pill Contest
-[X]Open Lotus Art
-[X]Training Centers
Turn 1: Attacked on All Quarters
AA540 Dong Liang
Spirit Stone Vault: Approximately 40 thousand
News:
With the last decade of settlement accomplishing great gains in development the Jade Seed sect has taken its rightful place amongst the one thousand and one sects of the Dawn Empire. For so long we have suffered traveling on the rivers without a land to call home, but now we have prosperity, money, and more resources than ever before. The political situation has instead gotten far more complicated as the typical low level raids have started and only doubled down after the first few months at the new site. Of the two nearby sects Towering Horizon has proven far more aggressive, slaughtering juniors doing normal activities and relentlessly looting our poorly protected juniors.
These losses of the youngest members of the sect have only gotten worse in recent times as the small reserve that was recruited during the traveling phase of the sect have either perished or been too crippled for further advancement. The Great Pearl Ferret sect has also committed several raids, but they have remained more conventional, striking at cultivators and taking their treasures and pills but mostly avoiding lethal wounds. It is almost certain that both have offered small bounties for attacks on cultivators with our borders considered more an informal line in the sand than the true aspect of responsibility given by the Emperor that they are. Getting forces together and marshaling inner disciples will take time but a greater priority has been given towards replenishing numbers of Juniors and ensuring that enough outer disciples can be organized.
There are rumors that his Ascended Immortal Majesty has received a new dozen concubines from the collapse of several sects but these have been mostly unconfirmed. In the North a new initiative towards the Fourth Great Northern Punitive Expedition has started being planned at the highest levels with the goal of retaking the steppes from the barbarians and avenging the losses brought on by their raids. The last tournaments in the Capital have produced several exceptional cultivators and it is rumored that a heaven-blessed disciple somewhere in the North has managed to pass into the Spirit Ascension realm at only one hundred and twenty.
Personal Actions(Choose Five):
[]Cultivate: A strong sect deserves a strong leader and while the further stages of the Open Lotus Art are undiscovered, that simply means more and harsher cultivation must be done. The golden core stage is not the end of the art and dozens have made the attempt to break through, with some historically accomplishing it. The methodology is unknown but it is certainly possible. Starting work from seeping the Qi into a general domain from the core so as to nourish the core is the current safe theory of cultivation and it must be attempted vigorously to achieve a great breakthrough. (30 Thousand Spirit Stones(to attempt/not per action)) (Bonus from closed door cultivation if taken 4 times)
[]Determine Appropriate Inner Disciple Rewards: Instead of cultivating at the highest peak and gathering and refining Qi, time can be spent on talking to inner disciples and gleaming the truth from their proclamations. There are few that would ask for less, but every one of them wishes to be paid in many spirit stones for doing nothing but cultivating all day. Local boards for rare ingredients focused around the refinement of pills can be organized along with partial shares instead of traditional rewards to ensure that they benefit directly rather than abstractly from the hardest work.
[]Determine Appropriate Outer Disciple Rewards: Those given a chance at immortality by inclusion into the sect are expected to long be grateful for the honor, but the gratitude never lasts long as each attempts to stumble higher. Training can be given favorably and pill furnaces are limited for the refinement of pills. By rewarding the outer disciples for achievements in hunting down beasts and providing spirit herbs by reduced price pills the sect can make tidy profit while improving its ranks. Those most capable of hunting will of course be the strongest and most capable of advancing, ensuring that the right cultivators receive the best resources.
[]Pill Refining: The refinement of a new pill using the jade furnace is arduous work involving time spent away from cultivation for something as base as a few tens of thousands of spirit stones. The ingredients are there to make pills for golden core cultivators in a decent supply and spending time to make a few dozen can secure enough combat power and cultivation materials to further fund the sect. Local sourcing of ingredients and the poor financial accounts of the sect limit what can be done now but those will be fixed by the next auction. (Can Take Multiple Times)
[]Make Formal Contact with a Sect: A proper diplomatic party is a gaudy and worthless affair compared to more important cultivation, but it is a formality that must be done. Gathering two elders and a gaggle of inner disciples along with some basic gifts before setting off to a sect can ensure a favorable impression and intimidate some of their inner disciples to avoid the border, at least for a few years. Being a known quantity further has the advantage as the most bloody minded will not take offense to the sudden appearance of a new sect into the area. (5 Thousand Spirit Stones) (Chose Great Pearl Ferret/Towering Horizon/Jewel Blossom Sect)
[]Observe Mortal Hunters: Recent improvements in technique and equipment has already led to hundreds of stories of mere mortals downing spirit beasts. Suppressing one's cultivation and following around a dozen mortals as they attempt to hunt spirit beasts to the death can prove enlightening and give a basis for working with the simplest outer disciples. The rumors may just be that, but then saving a few dozen mortal hunters from spirit beasts can create an image of benevolence. If their techniques are applicable, reducing the loss of outer disciples to the wilderness can be revolutionary in keeping up numbers.
[]Acquire Mortals: Buying a farm with ten thousand workers is a minor factor in improving the work of the province and not technically illegal in any respect. When they are later reorganized and the land is sold back for a pittance the sect can get a few thousand more mortals to recruit from. The price per head is almost certain to be high, but what can be expected from mortals being shipped off to a distant province. Setting up the farms and using them correctly will be up to the recently appointed governor, but as he was not lying upon professing his competence he can likely manage any influx. (10 Thousand Spirit Stones)
[]Lead A War Party: Constant low level raids from the Towering Horizon and Pearl Ferret sect have sapped through the lowest cultivators with their raids, stealing treasures and injuring our very weakest cultivators. Instead of allowing the insult to stand, a war party can be organized with the elders and inner disciples, crossing the border for a glorious slaughter of any that stand in our way. By the point that the enemy sects can respond we will have gained a massive amount of plunder, resources, and possibly even manuals and seeds. As long as the sect has a plentiful supply of pills at the golden core level any insult can be avenged and diplomatically reversed. (Loot) (Can combine with Pill Refining) (Chose Great Pearl Ferret or Towering Horizon Sect)
[]Test New Pills: Using the jade furnace to work on the finest pills in the empire remains an option and poorer ingredients can be substituted for the first stages of experimentation. The refinement of a true five element breakthrough pill is beyond the herbs available and too risky, but lower level ones can be pioneered. Even successfully refining a pill capable of reliably breaking through otherwise stagnant outer disciples to inner ones would massively improve the capabilities of the sect and ensure it can overcome any obstacle. The work itself is going to be beneath an elder, but needs must at the current loss rates. (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Teach Disciples: As much as the immortals in the council of elders are determined that they will stand forever, training new inner disciples is how the sect grows and is the direct contribution to any capability. Guiding inner disciples through meditation and helping them to master higher level techniques directly instead of reading a dusty old tome can help them solidify their stage and attain a breakthrough. The physical actions needed to advance towards Golden Core Formation or even Golden Core are known, they must only be executed at a sufficient precision. Working individually is not an option, but even a few words and a good sense of Qi can help a disciple more than years of cultivation can. (Can be taken up to 3 times)
Inner Disciple Actions(Costs Two Personal To Focus on Three) (Several Will Passively Proceed depending on Reward Allocation):
[]Establish a Herb Garden: Getting more seeds sown for supplying critical pill making ingredients will ensure a steady supply for lower disciples and ensure that the very finest harvests can be made available for proper refinement. The inner disciples would of course prefer to be cultivating rather than weeding gardens and dealing with complicated spirit herbs but it's not like illiterate outer disciples could be trusted with the task. (Choose a Herb) (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Prepare Pills for War: Spreading the rumor that wide scale conflict is coming and encouraging the most precocious to start the production of pills of their level takes a good amount of convincing to ensure surprise is not lost. It can however still be done as with the right hints and management of core disciples even the most stubborn and focused on their own cultivation will favor their own survival.
[]Prepare Pills for Breakthrough: The youths generally do not need to be told or encouraged to make their own pills to attempt to break through to further stages, but they do need to be managed to provide pills to anyone else. Ensuring that rewards are provided and encouragement for training is made to those who can supply masses of lower ranked pills for the advancement of outer disciples can build up sect numbers. These pills are typically available and traded for, but a glut now can be valuable for improving combat power.
[]Hunt Spirit Beasts: The wily spirit beasts in the rivers and mountains are a threat to outer disciples, are a nuisance to the mortals and contain valuable reagents. Leading inner disciples into mortal danger would be frowned upon but by popularizing certain recipes requiring the parts of beasts and offering the correct rewards for their hunting many can be enticed to take their chances. Some may never return but a few hundred carcasses can help sect funds and spirit stone reserves.
[]Train in Combat: Combat training for juniors is seemingly all they tend to do as they practice, but it stays a key part of cultivation. A sound body hosts a sound mind and being able to at least match any other cultivator in the sect helps to keep up morale and ensure that other sects think twice before invading the sect territory. Taking some time to personally manage them and organize a few lower bracket tournaments can help the sect martially and build up some prestige all by committing a few cheap cultivation resources.
[]Build Treasures: Finer arrays, swords, alembics, and furnaces typically work for inner disciples looking to advance their own cultivation by making the tools. By enticing them to make far more than for personal use and for lower level cultivators much of the risk of those making their own first furnaces can be reduced. Much of the work will happen due to spending a few handfuls of spirit stones on internal commissions, but the cost should be minimal.
[]Train Juniors: Training literally illiterate juniors in the basics of cultivation and the techniques of the Open Lotus Art is a time consuming but necessary measure. Ensuring that those who want access to training improve juniors can encourage a virtuous cycle of constant promotions for those willing and able to instruct. Quality of instruction is never going to be the best, but those that are capable will rise no matter the quality of instruction. (Can be Taken Twice)
| Ingredient | Availability | Element | Primary | Secondary | Tertiary |
| Celestial Dewberries | Seeds | Fire | Qi Reserves | Elemental Shift | Spirit Poison |
| Burning Plums | Seeds | Fire | Stimulant | Qi Reserves | Qi Density |
| Star Grass | Seeds | Fire | Meridian Flow | Physical Poison | Qi Recovery |
| Stone Seed Flower | Seeds | Earth | Qi Hardening | Spiritual Poison | Qi Density |
| Divine Moss | Seeds | Earth | Mental Poison | Qi Density | Qi Hardening |
| Heavenly Razor Wheat | Herb Gardens | Metal | Sustenance | Qi Recovery | Qi Density |
| Black Rot-herb | Seeds | Metal | Physical Poison | Mental Poison | Breakthrough Aid |
| Spiritual Reed | Herb Gardens | Water | Qi Hardening | Qi Recovery | Mental Poison |
| Frost Hemp | Small Cultivation | Water | Qi Recovery | Mental Poison | Elemental Shift |
| Rose Tallow | Herb Gardens | Water | Elemental Shift | Mental Poison | Qi Recovery |
| Orange Rime Slime | Spores | Water | Qi Density | Qi Recovery | Spirit Poison |
| Relentless Growth Vine | Herb Gardens | Wood | Root Growth | Physical Poison | Spirit Poison |
| White Bark Trees | Seeds | Wood | Spirit Poison | Meridian Growth | Root Growth |
| The Growing Shrub | Herb Gardens | Wood | Meridian Growth | Elemental Shift | Physical Poison |
| Spotted Shrub | Herb Gardens | Wood | Spirit Poison | Mental Poison | Breakthrough Aid |
Scale of Cultivation:
Seeds: You have seeds
Herb Gardens: Small growth
Small Cultivation: Full plots of tended herbs
Medium Cultivation: A few plots with a dozen cultivators managing it
Large Cultivation: Mass scale cultivation with a hundred cultivators
Categories:
Element: The element of the products
Primary Effect: Easiest to refine/majority fraction
Secondary Effect: Moderate to refine/secondary fraction
Tertiary Effect: Hardest to refine/very tertiary
Effect Explanation(Most are to an extent conceptual)
Physical Poison: Poison that attacks the body
Mental Poison: Poison that attacks the mind(insanity/disconnection from reality)
Spirit Poison: Poison that attacks the spirit directly
Qi Recovery: Increases Qi regeneration
Qi Reserves: Increases Qi capacity
Qi Density: Allows for more abilities/more capability
Qi Hardening: Allows for greater durability
Element Shift: Makes rotating around the elemental interactions easier
Stimulant: Mental Energy without Physical
Meridian Flow: Eases flow of Qi/handling of Qi
Sustenance: Sustenance
Breakthrough Aid: Helps in Breakthroughs and advancement
Root Growth: Twists roots to the pill element
Meridian Growth: Expands the Meridians
| Cultivation Base | Total | Number Stagnant | Losses/Gains |
| Domain Foundation | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Core | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Core Formation | 16 | 9 | 1 |
| Qi Condensation | 38 | 32 | 3 |
| Body Refinement | 140 | N/A | -16 |
| Qi Formation | 110 | N/A | -34 |
Province Population: Approximately thirty thousand
Passive Spirit Stone Income: Approximately a thousand
24 Hour Moratorium(Will Update Status Page Tomorrow)
Last edited:
Discord Link
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I got a permanent link to the Discord, my channel is Blackstar's Channel Join the PoptartProdigy Discord Discord Server!
Am mostly trying to use the thread as much as possible, I cut of the explanation of cultivation materials in update but edited that in now.
Am mostly trying to use the thread as much as possible, I cut of the explanation of cultivation materials in update but edited that in now.
Turn 1: Attacked on All Quarters Results
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
-[X] Pill Refining
-[X] Make Formal Contact With a Sect (Towering Horizon)
-[X] Lead a War Party (Towering Horizon)
-[X] Inner Disciple Actions:
--[X] Establish a Herb Garden (Burning Plums)
--[X] Train in Combat
--[X] Train Juniors
-[X] Make Formal Contact With a Sect (Towering Horizon)
-[X] Lead a War Party (Towering Horizon)
-[X] Inner Disciple Actions:
--[X] Establish a Herb Garden (Burning Plums)
--[X] Train in Combat
--[X] Train Juniors
Turn 1: Attacked on All Quarters Results
AA540 Dong Liang
Internal News:
With the news of a sect moving into the area something of a massive migration of mortals was expected to follow, what was not expected was a tide of farmers illegally migrating through the river network. Almost fifty large ships and an uncountable number of small ones have started to move into the river with cabins constructed on the river for farming and fishing. These have brought in new techniques with some attempting to sell a simple magnetized piece of iron in a copper chamber as some magical trinket. Spirit beast hunters for their part have moved in mass as the territory has been opened with many almost certain to die and a few dozen made as rich as the lesser mortal nobility.
The massive import of mortals has come due to the discovery of gold panning on the southern Lanchang, with thousands making their way over toward it. Talking to the mortals themselves has led to a hundred different and varied answers with a common theme of seeking some form of prosperity. Already, three new towns have formed on the river of some numbers and massively increased the world load to protect against constant spirit beast attacks. The increase in patrolling the dam province is the official responsibility of each sect according to the First Imperial Grand Council of Sects but performing the task remains unpleasant and expensive. With the towns popping up in the least useful possible locations for protection the question of protecting the idiots is a relevant one.
Inside the sect, all is calm with a unity of purpose coming from the new location, but assessing the juniors and inner disciples has found them to be utterly unprepared for their jobs. The outer disciples are illiterate and very few come from places where such a minimal education has been common. The inner disciples, while mostly literate have had few resources to further their cultivation and have near-universally been doing it wrong. Getting the sect into shape is going to be a far longer road than expected as all of these problems need to be addressed before some eunuch requests troops sent, or worse someone figures out how to advance to Domain Foundation.
Personal Actions(Choose Five):
Pill Refining: The refinement of a new pill using the jade furnace is arduous work involving time spent away from cultivation for something as basic as a few tens of thousands of spirit stones. The ingredients are there to make pills for golden core cultivators in a decent supply and spending time to make a few dozen can secure enough combat power and cultivation materials to further fund the sect. Local sourcing of ingredients and the poor financial accounts of the sect limit what can be done now but those will be fixed by the next auction. (76)
As with all righteous and competent efforts to make the finest pills the process must start with assessing the mountain air. Afterward, the ingredients must be refined to the first stage with impurities washed away through a flow of qi, purifying them into their aspects with few remnants. Afterward, they can be combined and reacted rightly concerning the nature of each herb in the mighty furnace with each stage and cycle taking hours of hard work at the furnace. Tertiary aspects are always harder to refine with some practically impossible with more simultaneous components only raising the quality of the end pill, still, the question remains of what exact pill to concoct with a mere year of work.
[]Four Element Pill of Steel Heart: Using the base of a burning plum that is deliberately imperfectly refined to transfer both its strong stimulant qualities along with improvements in qi density and refining it to the golden core level will make a mighty pill. The stimulant qualities on their own will significantly improve the sales value as many a golden core enjoy the sensation coming from such pills. From there it can be refined through divine moss and razor wheat to further strengthen its properties in hardening with a finalization through the strong properties of orange rime slime spores. The pill will likely kill anyone lesser than a golden core but it will provide a massive boost in determination and durability like no other. (Makes 5)
[]Four Element Pill of Void Winds: Utilizing a base of divine moss for its strong properties to separate the mind from the body. The effect is only reinforced with the total separation from physical sensations that are brought on by correctly refined Black Rotherb. Further separation is accomplished through the steady titration of elements of Frost hemp, only to be capped off with the qi-manipulating properties of the spotted shrub. Instead of the latter helping to pinpoint one's qi, errant currents can be made to feel like one's own, amplifying toxicity and tearing apart a golden core through their actions and attempts to gain awareness. The potent poison on its own represents a declaration of capacity to wage war on other elders, bringing neighboring sects into line. (Makes 3)
[]Write In Combination: Less elements/primary qualities will be easier and make more, you will make a golden core level pill.
Make Formal Contact with a Sect: A proper diplomatic party is an elaborate and worthless affair compared to more important cultivation, but it is a formality that must be done. Gathering two elders and a gaggle of inner disciples along with some basic gifts before setting off to a sect can ensure a favorable impression and intimidate some of their inner disciples to avoid the border, at least for a few years. Being a known quantity further has the advantage as the most bloody-minded will not take offense to the sudden appearance of a new sect in the area. (5 Thousand Spirit Stones) (Towering Horizon) (Combined with War Party) (69)
Lead A War Party: Constant low-level raids from the Towering Horizon and Pearl Ferret sect have sapped through the lowest cultivators with their raids, stealing treasures and injuring our very weakest cultivators. Instead of allowing the insult to stand, a war party can be organized with the elders and inner disciples, crossing the border for a glorious slaughter of any that stand in our way. By the point that the enemy sects can respond we will have gained a massive amount of plunder, resources, and possibly even manuals and seeds. As long as the sect has a plentiful supply of pills at the golden core level any insult can be avenged and diplomatically reversed. (10 Thousand Spirit Stokes Kept) (40) (Towering Horizon Sect)
The simplest and most direct way to ensure that diplomatic relations with a neighboring sect are respected is the same as any conflict between cultivators. Marching through their lands on a thin corridor of action and ensuring that any opposing cultivators are righteously preserved as examples. To make up for the clear losses inflicted on our juniors the same has been done on the way forward with any that have been left standing with their bones properly replaced through eternally growing branches eventually transforming into trees unless chopped down. Only a few dozen were caught in the first few crossings with any found cave or cultivation spot for the lower levels looted for their spirit stones and the mortals dispersed.
On the fourth raid, a golden core managed to come out and receive the party, having to burn up a treasure to flee from the wrath of a slighted sect. The fifth raid across the border was after a short period of burning and looting met with a diplomatic party with the correct gifts and customs of exchange. Tense negotiations followed with both parties showing righteous respect for cultivation, demonstrating techniques, and brandishing artifacts. Cooler minds prevailed after a few breaths with the respective parties standing down and entering discussions on the state of the border. The sect claimed that a village downriver was clearly in their territory despite it never being indicated as such in the perfect imperial maps. Not wanting to question the emperor, they were willing to let the slight slide in exchange for recovering some of the treasures exchanged through combat, preserving honor.
Somehow in the process of negotiations, one of the children of their sect leader seems to have fallen for a local stagnant core formation cultivator. Both are unremarkable outside of the beauty's parentage, but the two are almost expected to sneak off to be with each other with both sides' elders accepting it outside of the normal grumbling. A marriage might be in the future to tie the sects together with a cultivator traded back for either incompatibility or stagnancy if the husband is sent off to wed a cultivator of a higher stage. The young couple are of course convinced that they are pursuing a forbidden romance, but that is almost typical for such pairings.
Inner Disciple Actions:
Establish a Herb Garden: Getting more seeds sown for supplying critical pill-making ingredients will ensure a steady supply for lower disciples and ensure that the finest harvests can be made available for proper refinement. The inner disciples would of course prefer to be cultivating rather than weeding gardens and dealing with complicated spirit herbs but it's not like illiterate outer disciples could be trusted with the task. (Burning Plums) (47)
Despite some yelling and prodding it took almost getting personally involved to get the lazy juniors to do the bare essentials of sect work. Driving around a few dozen cultivators to do anything productive with their time was a task but one that has been accomplished. What ended up finally motivating them was the provision of a few hints on the clear mistakes in technique they were making and the misguided idiocy they were practicing instead of proper cultivation. Almost half of them immediately ran to contemplate their cultivation afterward, showing that the rewards were adequate. A small garden has been established for burning plums and is set to provide a massive crop in a year, but it has left an important job of protecting them from various juniors wishing to partake in strong stimulant effects.
Train in Combat: Combat training for juniors is seemingly all they tend to do as they practice, but it stays a key part of cultivation. A sound body hosts a sound mind and being able to at least match any other cultivator in the sect helps to keep up morale and ensure that other sects think twice before invading the sect territory. Taking some time to personally manage them and organize a few lower bracket tournaments can help the sect martially and build up some prestige by committing a few cheap cultivation resources. (13)
Getting Inner Disciplies to train and kick around some juniors for training resources has never been a challenge but getting them to teach anything is impossible. Most are clueless even about the basics and are practically improvising their arts rather than reading from righteous manuals. The training provided has gone to nothing outside of half a dozen bruised egos and a hundred bruised juniors who have learned the basics of how to avoid a punch and to use techniques in combat. Something new needs to be done as the inner disciples are somehow far more incompetent than those a few decades ago.
Train Juniors: Training illiterate juniors in the basics of cultivation and the techniques of the Open Lotus Art is a time-consuming but necessary measure. Ensuring that those who want access to training improve juniors can encourage a virtuous cycle of constant promotions for those willing and able to instruct. Quality of instruction is never going to be the best, but those that are capable will rise no matter the quality of instruction. (23)
Sitting down a dozen stagnant Qi Condensation stage experts and getting them to read a manual represents a massive advancement of resources for this run-down mess of a sect. For their part, the juniors have been happy to go along with the education without a need for rewards or even much praise. Getting them to later disseminate the knowledge was a massive chore as teaching illiterate juniors represents a catastrophic imposition on their cultivation. Those who complained have been instead sent to each teach a dozen juniors until they manage to train five Qi Condensation cultivators. Of course, many complained but knowing that others would do far more for access to the manuals most were willing to see reason without any intimidation.
12 Hour Moratorium(Will Update Status with Sect Info)
Cannon Omake: Exsanguination Hash
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
A/N: Just something I thought up for an omake.
----
Exsanguination Hash
With plentiful access to herbs as materials for pill creation, it is inevitable that the Jade Seed Sect will have various disciples attempting to experiment with different combinations in hopes of either the prestige of a new type of pill, or another method of personal empowerment. Once in a while, something truly revolutionary is created.
Other times, what is created are things like the so-called "Exsanguination Hash." While the combination of Heavenly Razor Wheat and Frost Hemp has long been a staple for the production of Qi Recovery pills within the Jade Seed Sect, it is perhaps inevitable that this combination would instead be used for recreational substances. The usual hash created from Frost Hemp - distilled and pressed to maximize its effects, is enhanced with crushed Razor Wheat, with the resulting mixture then heated, bubbled, and pressed with Qi. Additional sessions of refinement can create ever-more potent results, but the overall process is doable even by Outer Disciples.
The resulting hash can be utilized as a Qi replenishment similar to a pill, albeit one that renders the user insensate and has a high risk of stomach lacerations should any part of the distillation process be done incorrectly. Given the need for the two ingredients of Exsanguination Hash for many basic pills and even sustenance for the Sect at large, preventing Disciples from making and using it has proven impossible despite the best attempts of generations of elders. Among the most experienced makers of the hash, it has been a subject of black humor that the internal injuries inflicted by poorly made hash merely accentuates the high the drug provides.
Once in a while, a Disciple takes these jokes too literally, and attempts to make deliberately flawed hash to utilize as a cultivation aid, believing that the internal wounds to the stomach and intestines help cleanse the Meridians, or bring the user further away from the mortal realm and closer to the Heavens, enhancing the possibility of a Breakthrough. The end result is generally enough to dissuade anyone else from trying something similar for the next couple decades.
----
Exsanguination Hash
With plentiful access to herbs as materials for pill creation, it is inevitable that the Jade Seed Sect will have various disciples attempting to experiment with different combinations in hopes of either the prestige of a new type of pill, or another method of personal empowerment. Once in a while, something truly revolutionary is created.
Other times, what is created are things like the so-called "Exsanguination Hash." While the combination of Heavenly Razor Wheat and Frost Hemp has long been a staple for the production of Qi Recovery pills within the Jade Seed Sect, it is perhaps inevitable that this combination would instead be used for recreational substances. The usual hash created from Frost Hemp - distilled and pressed to maximize its effects, is enhanced with crushed Razor Wheat, with the resulting mixture then heated, bubbled, and pressed with Qi. Additional sessions of refinement can create ever-more potent results, but the overall process is doable even by Outer Disciples.
The resulting hash can be utilized as a Qi replenishment similar to a pill, albeit one that renders the user insensate and has a high risk of stomach lacerations should any part of the distillation process be done incorrectly. Given the need for the two ingredients of Exsanguination Hash for many basic pills and even sustenance for the Sect at large, preventing Disciples from making and using it has proven impossible despite the best attempts of generations of elders. Among the most experienced makers of the hash, it has been a subject of black humor that the internal injuries inflicted by poorly made hash merely accentuates the high the drug provides.
Once in a while, a Disciple takes these jokes too literally, and attempts to make deliberately flawed hash to utilize as a cultivation aid, believing that the internal wounds to the stomach and intestines help cleanse the Meridians, or bring the user further away from the mortal realm and closer to the Heavens, enhancing the possibility of a Breakthrough. The end result is generally enough to dissuade anyone else from trying something similar for the next couple decades.
Turn 2: Damnable Juniors
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Vote Called for: [X]Four Element Pill of Steel Heart
Turn 2: Damnable Juniors
AA542 Dong Liang
Spirit Stone Vault: Approximately 50 thousand
Internal News:
In the largest reversal of fortune after the last two bloody years, the sect has been blessed through the successful breakthrough of Wei Xiang to the golden core in a prodigious fifty years since starting cultivation. Her joining of the council of elders was through a grand ceremony, reminiscent of the old standard and in front of the great jade pill furnace. After successfully concocting a golden core-level pill through the furnace in the prescribed three-month period she has achieved the rights of an elder and the calling to instruct inner disciples. As the youngest elder on the council her role is inherently junior baring a further breakthrough but if the heavens continue to smile on the sect a route may be discovered towards domain foundation.
The situation with training has not gotten much better as the sect is still raising hundreds of outer disciples who do not know basic techniques and are practically incompetent. The lack of technique would be one thing but they are incapable of even doing the most basic of mathematics for the concoction of pills leading to accidents and a continuous loss of crucibles. Restrictions on their use would only limit their advancement but something needs to be done before a truly unsustainable number of disciples are lost to their own idiocy or chronic over-estimation of capability. The increased number of mortals coming in is certain to cause a rapid increase in the prosperity of the province, but it is sure to raise the spirit beast population.
The sect itself has finally passed the period of raids with the cultivators left transformed cut down by the Towering Horizon Sect with rumors spread of the example made. The Great Pearl Ferret Sect has quieted their raids to the burning of a few border outposts and the usual series of thefts that bordering sects engage in. Some of the youths convinced of their clear immortality after breaking through have as typical in these times perished for attempting to stop the incursions or even by crossing the border for their treasures but this has been poor for all involved. As long as examples can be made and remembered something of peace can be maintained but the largest problem remains the massive Jewel Blossom Sect which has disrespectfully insulted two elders.
Personal Actions(Choose Five):
[]Cultivate: A strong sect deserves a strong leader and while the further stages of the Open Lotus Art are undiscovered, that simply means more and harsher cultivation must be done. The golden core stage is not the end of the art and dozens have attempted to break through, with some historically accomplishing it. The methodology is unknown but it is certainly possible. Starting work from seeping the Qi into a general domain from the core to nourish the core is the current safe theory of cultivation and it must be attempted vigorously to achieve a great breakthrough. (30 Thousand Spirit Stones(to attempt/not per action)) (Bonus from closed-door cultivation if taken 4 times)
[]Determine Appropriate Inner Disciple Rewards: Instead of cultivating at the highest peak and gathering and refining Qi, time can be spent on talking to inner disciples and gleaming the truth from their proclamations. Few would ask for less, but every one of them wishes to be paid in many spirit stones for doing nothing but cultivating all day. Local boards for rare ingredients focused on the refinement of pills can be organized along with partial shares instead of traditional rewards to ensure that they benefit directly rather than abstractly from the hardest work.
[]Determine Appropriate Outer Disciple Rewards: Those given a chance at immortality by inclusion into the sect are expected to long be grateful for the honor, but the gratitude never lasts long as each attempt to stumble higher. Training can be given favorably and pill furnaces are limited for the refinement of pills. By rewarding the outer disciples for achievements in hunting down beasts and providing spirit herbs by reduced price pills the sect can make a tidy profit while improving its ranks. Those most capable of hunting will of course be the strongest and most capable of advancing, ensuring that the right cultivators receive the best resources.
[]Pill Refining: The refinement of a new pill using the jade furnace is arduous work involving time spent away from cultivation for something as base as a few tens of thousands of spirit stones. The ingredients are there to make pills for golden core cultivators in a decent supply and spending time to make a few dozen can secure enough combat power and cultivation materials to further fund the sect. Local sourcing of ingredients and the poor financial accounts of the sect limit what can be done now but those will be fixed by the next auction. (Can Take Multiple Times)
[]Make Formal Contact with a Sect: A proper diplomatic party is a gaudy and worthless affair compared to more important cultivation, but it is a formality that must be done. Gathering two elders and a gaggle of inner disciples along with some basic gifts before setting off to a sect can ensure a favorable impression and intimidate some of their inner disciples to avoid the border, at least for a few years. Being a known quantity further has the advantage as the most bloody-minded will not take offense to the sudden appearance of a new sect in the area. (5 Thousand Spirit Stones) (Choose Great Pearl Ferret/Jewel Blossom Sect)
[]Observe Mortal Hunters: Recent improvements in technique and equipment have already led to hundreds of stories of mere mortals downing spirit beasts. Suppressing one's cultivation and following around a dozen mortals as they attempt to hunt spirit beasts to death can prove enlightening and give a basis for working with the simplest outer disciples. The rumors may just be that, but saving a few dozen mortal hunters from spirit beasts can create an image of benevolence. If their techniques are applicable, reducing the loss of outer disciples to the wilderness can be revolutionary in keeping up numbers.
[]Observe Inner Disciples: The inner disciples have clearly been neglected, poorly trained, and ignored for too long. Taking some time away from important management work to follow inner disciples and see how they are being lazy in their cultivation and training. Some of the elders have called the youths of today lazy and indolent but they are youths that have been raised by the sect, making it the direct fault of the elders. If it's a question of more intensive training alone, it can be solved in a fortnight without issue but if it is truly a generational problem then more extreme means will have to be considered.
[]Improve Outer Disciple Quality: The traditional way of training thousands of disciples for the recruitment of a few dozen gems works and works well, but there is something wrong with the process. Illiterate up-jumped peasants have somehow made it into the sect and worse have managed the basics of cultivation through some strange deviation of improvisation. Personally visiting the four training centers that have been set up and ensured that the outer disciples running them are at least minimally competent. Some punishments will of course have to be dolled out for sloth but that can be rapidly fixed with a minimum of personal attention.
[]Lead A War Party: Constant low-level raids from the Towering Horizon and Pearl Ferret sect have sapped through the lowest cultivators with their raids, stealing treasures and injuring our very weakest cultivators. Instead of allowing the insult to stand, a war party can be organized with the elders and inner disciples, crossing the border for a glorious slaughter of any that stand in our way. By the point that the enemy sects can respond we will have gained a massive amount of plunder, resources, and possibly even manuals and seeds. As long as the sect has a plentiful supply of pills at the golden core level any insult can be avenged and diplomatically reversed. (Loot) (Can combine with Pill Refining) (Choose Great Pearl Ferret or Towering Horizon Sect)
[]Test New Pills: Using the jade furnace to work on the finest pills in the empire remains an option and poorer ingredients can be substituted for the first stages of experimentation. The refinement of a true five-element breakthrough pill is beyond the herbs available and too risky, but lower-level ones can be pioneered. Even successfully refining a pill capable of reliably breaking through otherwise stagnant outer disciples to inner ones would massively improve the capabilities of the sect and ensure it can overcome any obstacle. The work itself is going to be beneath an elder, but needs must be at the current loss rates. (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Teach Disciples: The previously capable inner disciples are a mess that is literate in a tangential sense, half have not seen a manual in a decade and the other half have misunderstood more than half of it. Rectifying the situation will take intensive and complete efforts to get them productive and capable of so much as managing to breathe much less improve their cultivation. Personal attention would be a step too far, but a series of provided hints, access to a manual, and a few of the excerpts of old elders can ensure some competency. (Can be taken up to 3 times)
Inner Disciple Actions(Costs Two Personal To Focus on Three) (Several Will Passively Proceed depending on Reward Allocation):
[]Establish a Herb Garden: Getting more seeds sown for supplying critical pill-making ingredients will ensure a steady supply for lower disciples and ensure that the very finest harvests can be made available for proper refinement. The inner disciples would of course prefer to be cultivating rather than weeding gardens and dealing with complicated spirit herbs but it's not like illiterate outer disciples could be trusted with the task. (Choose a Herb) (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Prepare Pills for War: Spreading the rumor that wide-scale conflict is coming and encouraging the most precocious to start the production of pills of their level takes a good amount of convincing to ensure surprise is not lost. It can however still be done as with the right hints and management of core disciples even the most stubborn and focused on their cultivation will favor their survival.
[]Prepare Pills for Breakthrough: The youths generally do not need to be told or encouraged to make their pills to attempt to break through to further stages, but they do need to be managed to provide pills to anyone else. Ensuring that rewards are provided and encouragement for training is made to those who can supply masses of lower-ranked pills for the advancement of outer disciples can build up sect numbers. These pills are typically available and traded for, but a glut now can be valuable for improving combat power.
[]Hunt Spirit Beasts: The wily spirit beasts in the rivers and mountains are a threat to outer disciples, are a nuisance to the mortals, and contain valuable reagents. Leading inner disciples into mortal danger would be frowned upon but by popularizing certain recipes requiring the parts of beasts and offering the correct rewards for their hunting many can be enticed to take their chances. Some may never return but a few hundred carcasses can help sect funds and spirit stone reserves.
[]Train in Combat: Combat training for juniors is seemingly all they tend to do as they practice, but it stays a key part of cultivation. A sound body hosts a sound mind and being able to at least match any other cultivator in the sect helps to keep up morale and ensure that other sects think twice before invading the sect territory. Taking some time to personally manage them and organize a few lower bracket tournaments can help the sect martially and build up some prestige by committing a few cheap cultivation resources.
[]Build Treasures: Finer arrays, swords, alembics, and furnaces typically work for inner disciples looking to advance their own cultivation by making the tools. By enticing them to make far more than for personal use and for lower level cultivators much of the risk of those making their own first furnaces can be reduced. Much of the work will happen due to spending a few handfuls of spirit stones on internal commissions, but the cost should be minimal.
[]Train Juniors: Training illiterate juniors in the basics of cultivation and the techniques of the Open Lotus Art is a time-consuming but necessary measure. Ensuring that those who want access to training improve juniors can encourage a virtuous cycle of constant promotions for those willing and able to instruct. Quality of instruction is never going to be the best, but those that are capable will rise no matter the quality of instruction. (Can be Taken Twice)
Province Population: Approximately thirty thousand
Passive Spirit Stone Income: Approximately a thousand
12 Hour Moratorium
Turn 2: Damnable Juniors
AA542 Dong Liang
Spirit Stone Vault: Approximately 50 thousand
Internal News:
In the largest reversal of fortune after the last two bloody years, the sect has been blessed through the successful breakthrough of Wei Xiang to the golden core in a prodigious fifty years since starting cultivation. Her joining of the council of elders was through a grand ceremony, reminiscent of the old standard and in front of the great jade pill furnace. After successfully concocting a golden core-level pill through the furnace in the prescribed three-month period she has achieved the rights of an elder and the calling to instruct inner disciples. As the youngest elder on the council her role is inherently junior baring a further breakthrough but if the heavens continue to smile on the sect a route may be discovered towards domain foundation.
The situation with training has not gotten much better as the sect is still raising hundreds of outer disciples who do not know basic techniques and are practically incompetent. The lack of technique would be one thing but they are incapable of even doing the most basic of mathematics for the concoction of pills leading to accidents and a continuous loss of crucibles. Restrictions on their use would only limit their advancement but something needs to be done before a truly unsustainable number of disciples are lost to their own idiocy or chronic over-estimation of capability. The increased number of mortals coming in is certain to cause a rapid increase in the prosperity of the province, but it is sure to raise the spirit beast population.
The sect itself has finally passed the period of raids with the cultivators left transformed cut down by the Towering Horizon Sect with rumors spread of the example made. The Great Pearl Ferret Sect has quieted their raids to the burning of a few border outposts and the usual series of thefts that bordering sects engage in. Some of the youths convinced of their clear immortality after breaking through have as typical in these times perished for attempting to stop the incursions or even by crossing the border for their treasures but this has been poor for all involved. As long as examples can be made and remembered something of peace can be maintained but the largest problem remains the massive Jewel Blossom Sect which has disrespectfully insulted two elders.
Personal Actions(Choose Five):
[]Cultivate: A strong sect deserves a strong leader and while the further stages of the Open Lotus Art are undiscovered, that simply means more and harsher cultivation must be done. The golden core stage is not the end of the art and dozens have attempted to break through, with some historically accomplishing it. The methodology is unknown but it is certainly possible. Starting work from seeping the Qi into a general domain from the core to nourish the core is the current safe theory of cultivation and it must be attempted vigorously to achieve a great breakthrough. (30 Thousand Spirit Stones(to attempt/not per action)) (Bonus from closed-door cultivation if taken 4 times)
[]Determine Appropriate Inner Disciple Rewards: Instead of cultivating at the highest peak and gathering and refining Qi, time can be spent on talking to inner disciples and gleaming the truth from their proclamations. Few would ask for less, but every one of them wishes to be paid in many spirit stones for doing nothing but cultivating all day. Local boards for rare ingredients focused on the refinement of pills can be organized along with partial shares instead of traditional rewards to ensure that they benefit directly rather than abstractly from the hardest work.
[]Determine Appropriate Outer Disciple Rewards: Those given a chance at immortality by inclusion into the sect are expected to long be grateful for the honor, but the gratitude never lasts long as each attempt to stumble higher. Training can be given favorably and pill furnaces are limited for the refinement of pills. By rewarding the outer disciples for achievements in hunting down beasts and providing spirit herbs by reduced price pills the sect can make a tidy profit while improving its ranks. Those most capable of hunting will of course be the strongest and most capable of advancing, ensuring that the right cultivators receive the best resources.
[]Pill Refining: The refinement of a new pill using the jade furnace is arduous work involving time spent away from cultivation for something as base as a few tens of thousands of spirit stones. The ingredients are there to make pills for golden core cultivators in a decent supply and spending time to make a few dozen can secure enough combat power and cultivation materials to further fund the sect. Local sourcing of ingredients and the poor financial accounts of the sect limit what can be done now but those will be fixed by the next auction. (Can Take Multiple Times)
[]Make Formal Contact with a Sect: A proper diplomatic party is a gaudy and worthless affair compared to more important cultivation, but it is a formality that must be done. Gathering two elders and a gaggle of inner disciples along with some basic gifts before setting off to a sect can ensure a favorable impression and intimidate some of their inner disciples to avoid the border, at least for a few years. Being a known quantity further has the advantage as the most bloody-minded will not take offense to the sudden appearance of a new sect in the area. (5 Thousand Spirit Stones) (Choose Great Pearl Ferret/Jewel Blossom Sect)
[]Observe Mortal Hunters: Recent improvements in technique and equipment have already led to hundreds of stories of mere mortals downing spirit beasts. Suppressing one's cultivation and following around a dozen mortals as they attempt to hunt spirit beasts to death can prove enlightening and give a basis for working with the simplest outer disciples. The rumors may just be that, but saving a few dozen mortal hunters from spirit beasts can create an image of benevolence. If their techniques are applicable, reducing the loss of outer disciples to the wilderness can be revolutionary in keeping up numbers.
[]Observe Inner Disciples: The inner disciples have clearly been neglected, poorly trained, and ignored for too long. Taking some time away from important management work to follow inner disciples and see how they are being lazy in their cultivation and training. Some of the elders have called the youths of today lazy and indolent but they are youths that have been raised by the sect, making it the direct fault of the elders. If it's a question of more intensive training alone, it can be solved in a fortnight without issue but if it is truly a generational problem then more extreme means will have to be considered.
[]Improve Outer Disciple Quality: The traditional way of training thousands of disciples for the recruitment of a few dozen gems works and works well, but there is something wrong with the process. Illiterate up-jumped peasants have somehow made it into the sect and worse have managed the basics of cultivation through some strange deviation of improvisation. Personally visiting the four training centers that have been set up and ensured that the outer disciples running them are at least minimally competent. Some punishments will of course have to be dolled out for sloth but that can be rapidly fixed with a minimum of personal attention.
[]Lead A War Party: Constant low-level raids from the Towering Horizon and Pearl Ferret sect have sapped through the lowest cultivators with their raids, stealing treasures and injuring our very weakest cultivators. Instead of allowing the insult to stand, a war party can be organized with the elders and inner disciples, crossing the border for a glorious slaughter of any that stand in our way. By the point that the enemy sects can respond we will have gained a massive amount of plunder, resources, and possibly even manuals and seeds. As long as the sect has a plentiful supply of pills at the golden core level any insult can be avenged and diplomatically reversed. (Loot) (Can combine with Pill Refining) (Choose Great Pearl Ferret or Towering Horizon Sect)
[]Test New Pills: Using the jade furnace to work on the finest pills in the empire remains an option and poorer ingredients can be substituted for the first stages of experimentation. The refinement of a true five-element breakthrough pill is beyond the herbs available and too risky, but lower-level ones can be pioneered. Even successfully refining a pill capable of reliably breaking through otherwise stagnant outer disciples to inner ones would massively improve the capabilities of the sect and ensure it can overcome any obstacle. The work itself is going to be beneath an elder, but needs must be at the current loss rates. (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Teach Disciples: The previously capable inner disciples are a mess that is literate in a tangential sense, half have not seen a manual in a decade and the other half have misunderstood more than half of it. Rectifying the situation will take intensive and complete efforts to get them productive and capable of so much as managing to breathe much less improve their cultivation. Personal attention would be a step too far, but a series of provided hints, access to a manual, and a few of the excerpts of old elders can ensure some competency. (Can be taken up to 3 times)
Inner Disciple Actions(Costs Two Personal To Focus on Three) (Several Will Passively Proceed depending on Reward Allocation):
[]Establish a Herb Garden: Getting more seeds sown for supplying critical pill-making ingredients will ensure a steady supply for lower disciples and ensure that the very finest harvests can be made available for proper refinement. The inner disciples would of course prefer to be cultivating rather than weeding gardens and dealing with complicated spirit herbs but it's not like illiterate outer disciples could be trusted with the task. (Choose a Herb) (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Prepare Pills for War: Spreading the rumor that wide-scale conflict is coming and encouraging the most precocious to start the production of pills of their level takes a good amount of convincing to ensure surprise is not lost. It can however still be done as with the right hints and management of core disciples even the most stubborn and focused on their cultivation will favor their survival.
[]Prepare Pills for Breakthrough: The youths generally do not need to be told or encouraged to make their pills to attempt to break through to further stages, but they do need to be managed to provide pills to anyone else. Ensuring that rewards are provided and encouragement for training is made to those who can supply masses of lower-ranked pills for the advancement of outer disciples can build up sect numbers. These pills are typically available and traded for, but a glut now can be valuable for improving combat power.
[]Hunt Spirit Beasts: The wily spirit beasts in the rivers and mountains are a threat to outer disciples, are a nuisance to the mortals, and contain valuable reagents. Leading inner disciples into mortal danger would be frowned upon but by popularizing certain recipes requiring the parts of beasts and offering the correct rewards for their hunting many can be enticed to take their chances. Some may never return but a few hundred carcasses can help sect funds and spirit stone reserves.
[]Train in Combat: Combat training for juniors is seemingly all they tend to do as they practice, but it stays a key part of cultivation. A sound body hosts a sound mind and being able to at least match any other cultivator in the sect helps to keep up morale and ensure that other sects think twice before invading the sect territory. Taking some time to personally manage them and organize a few lower bracket tournaments can help the sect martially and build up some prestige by committing a few cheap cultivation resources.
[]Build Treasures: Finer arrays, swords, alembics, and furnaces typically work for inner disciples looking to advance their own cultivation by making the tools. By enticing them to make far more than for personal use and for lower level cultivators much of the risk of those making their own first furnaces can be reduced. Much of the work will happen due to spending a few handfuls of spirit stones on internal commissions, but the cost should be minimal.
[]Train Juniors: Training illiterate juniors in the basics of cultivation and the techniques of the Open Lotus Art is a time-consuming but necessary measure. Ensuring that those who want access to training improve juniors can encourage a virtuous cycle of constant promotions for those willing and able to instruct. Quality of instruction is never going to be the best, but those that are capable will rise no matter the quality of instruction. (Can be Taken Twice)
| Ingredient | Availability | Element | Primary | Secondary | Tertiary |
| Celestial Dewberries | Seeds | Fire | Qi Reserves | Elemental Shift | Spirit Poison |
| Burning Plums | Herb Gardens | Fire | Stimulant | Qi Reserves | Qi Density |
| Star Grass | Seeds | Fire | Meridian Flow | Physical Poison | Qi Recovery |
| Stone Seed Flower | Seeds | Earth | Qi Hardening | Spiritual Poison | Qi Density |
| Divine Moss | Seeds | Earth | Mental Poison | Qi Density | Qi Hardening |
| Heavenly Razor Wheat | Herb Gardens | Metal | Sustenance | Qi Recovery | Qi Density |
| Black Rotherb | Seeds | Metal | Physical Poison | Mental Poison | Breakthrough Aid |
| Spiritual Reed | Herb Gardens | Water | Qi Hardening | Qi Recovery | Mental Poison |
| Frost Hemp | Small Cultivation | Water | Qi Recovery | Mental Poison | Elemental Shift |
| Rose Tallow | Herb Gardens | Water | Elemental Shift | Mental Poison | Qi Recovery |
| Orange Rime Slime | Spores | Water | Qi Density | Qi Recovery | Spirit Poison |
| Relentless Growth Vine | Herb Gardens | Wood | Root Growth | Physical Poison | Spirit Poison |
| White Bark Trees | Seeds | Wood | Spirit Poison | Meridian Growth | Root Growth |
| The Growing Shrub | Herb Gardens | Wood | Meridian Growth | Elemental Shift | Physical Poison |
| Spotted Shrub | Herb Gardens | Wood | Spirit Poison | Mental Poison | Breakthrough Aid |
| Cultivation Base | Total | Stagnant | Advancement | Deaths |
| Domain Foundation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Core | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Core Formation | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Qi Condensation | 39 | 28 | 2 | 2 |
| Body Refinement | 135 | N/A | 28 | 31 |
| Qi Formation | 154 | N/A | 126 | 54 |
Province Population: Approximately thirty thousand
Passive Spirit Stone Income: Approximately a thousand
12 Hour Moratorium
Turn 2: Damnable Juniors Results
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Turn 2: Damnable Juniors Results
AA542 Dong Liang
Spirit Stone Vault: Approximately 50 thousand
External Sect News:
Skirmishes along the northern frontier have increased with a new incursion leading to the loss of four golden cores and two hundred thousand brave soldiers of the celestial army after a few depots were overrun. This has, according to official missives happened due to clear treachery and deceitful locals misdirecting their supplies and burning them ahead of the advance. More accurate rumors are that the generals managed to march away and into the North, wintered in a barren landscape, and proceeded to freeze due to nomad sorceries. For his part, the Emperor has called up another wave of conscripts from the mortal villages to be trained as replacements to settle the frontier. The normal funerary rituals involving the conscripted are expected to continue for the next decade as the next wave of settlers is moved by ship to the frontier.
The Jewel Blossom Sect for its part has announced that the trade along the river will be more open than ever before with the completion of a massive series of locks. The Towering Horizon sketch has somehow managed to recruit three golden core cultivators from the nearby lands, offering some massive treasures to them. Little is known how exactly they managed to attract such powerful cultivators but the rumors range from everything between them fleeing from a sect about to be declared demonic to a fanciful tale of romance. Pearl Ferret has continued to be the wealthiest sect, responding to the news of increased gold mining by purchasing an entirely gold showroom incorporating a dozen arrays for some irrelevant treasures to lord their wealth above the other sects.
Personal Actions:
Make Formal Contact with a Sect: A proper diplomatic party is a flashy and worthless affair compared to more important cultivation, but it is a formality that must be done. Gathering two elders and a gaggle of inner disciples along with some basic gifts before setting off to a sect can ensure a favorable impression and intimidate some of their inner disciples to avoid the border, at least for a few years. Being a known quantity further has the advantage as the most bloody-minded will not take offense to the sudden appearance of a new sect in the area. (5 Thousand Spirit Stones) (Great Pearl Ferret) (56)
Dealing with pearl ferrets has come with a traditional showdown of four golden cores against their six with several cordial matters discussed. They presented themselves as a merchant sect, trading gifts for gifts in an exchange of words and goods produced. Not even a single punch was thrown in the meeting as cordial discussions and the costs for goods were negotiated. It is tragic to say that two elders ended up making massive purchases well above the value of the pearls supplied, but it is entirely their fault for being swindled. The sect itself uses some strange water elemental technique focused on the river itself, claiming to have been allotted their land for more than a thousand years.
Observe Mortal Hunters: Recent improvements in technique and equipment have already led to hundreds of stories of mere mortals downing spirit beasts. Suppressing one's cultivation and following around a dozen mortals as they attempt to hunt spirit beasts to death can prove enlightening and give a basis for working with the simplest outer disciples. The rumors may just be that, but saving a few dozen mortal hunters from spirit beasts can create an image of benevolence. If their techniques are applicable, reducing the loss of outer disciples to the wilderness can be revolutionary in keeping up numbers. (68)
Following mortal hunters has been a simple exercise of observing them with a minimal degree of concealment, patiently waiting and cultivating in sight of the docks. The hunters going to the province have been obvious, armed with an arquebus of some variety and whatever short sword or spear could be gathered. Tagging them by leaving a small jade slip in their pockets has immediately led to several exceedingly interesting conclusions. Firstly, an arquebus of sufficient size can bring down a beast in the body refinement stage. Secondly, a mortal hunter is optimistic, occasionally drunk, and effectively blind living in splendid ignorance of the world around him. Thirdly, are slower and worse reacting than any reasonable beast, with half a dozen needing to be saved from their ambition. Talking to a few of these and the desperate insistence for even a small part of the body has revealed that a few spirit stones are a lifetime of wealth for a mortal, even the son of a landowner was desperate for a small bit of horn worth half a spirit stone at best.
Observe Inner Disciples: The inner disciples have clearly been neglected, poorly trained, and ignored for too long. Taking some time away from important management work to follow inner disciples and see how they are being lazy in their cultivation and training. Some of the elders have called the youths of today lazy and indolent but they are youths that have been raised by the sect, making it the direct fault of the elders. If it's a question of more intensive training alone, it can be solved in a fortnight without issue but if it is truly a generational problem, more extreme means will have to be considered. (9)
Following a dozen inner disciples as they have attempted to hunt spirit beasts has almost entirely confirmed the elders' worst assumptions. They are inattentive, lacking in basic awareness, lacking more than half of the techniques needed to function, and excessively favor flashy moves that accomplish little. After almost eight of them had attempted some great demonstration of mastery and qi concentration and failed utterly outside of making an excessively large glowing sword. According to the elders, the generation is lazy, but from observation, they are rather incompetent and little more than poorly instructed peacocks.
Disciple Cai Tao has over two weeks of hunting and failed to catch anything or notice anything while hunting. He has managed to lose his tent due to testing a technique at his stage four separate times. Missed sixteen beasts of a lesser stage and nine beasts of a similar stage. Further, he has a negligible mastery of any detection techniques, missing an obvious golden core fourteen treelengths behind. This entire effort concluded with trying to fish in the river and a disastrous incident with a giant carp nearly leading to a lost hand if not for a timely intervention.
-Lord Xian Wei, Alchemical Notebook 3791
Inner Disciple Actions(Costs Two Personal To Focus on Three) (Several Will Passively Proceed depending on Reward Allocation):
Establish a Herb Garden: Getting more seeds sown for supplying critical pill-making ingredients will ensure a steady supply for lower disciples and ensure that the very finest harvests can be made available for proper refinement. The inner disciples would of course prefer to be cultivating rather than weeding gardens and dealing with complicated spirit herbs but it's not like illiterate outer disciples could be trusted with the task. (Divine Moss) (33)
Motivating inner disciples to do anything has been a constant mess of oversight and hints to improve their severely lacking cultivation. Poking a few to plant seeds with a reward of personal lessons and harsh critique has worked for now but there are only so many inner disciples. The garden itself has been planted on several large walls of properly arranged boulders to catch the morning dew, spreading the moss across them. The first harvest is only going to come in a year with seed stocks replenished. Already every inner disciple has asked for some of the moss to use for pills of protection for hunting and attempting the most arduous of cultivation.
Hunt Spirit Beasts: The wily spirit beasts in the rivers and mountains are a threat to outer disciples, are a nuisance to the mortals, and contain valuable reagents. Leading inner disciples into mortal danger would be frowned upon but by popularizing certain recipes requiring the parts of beasts and offering the correct rewards for their hunting many can be enticed to take their chances. Some may never return but a few hundred carcases can help sect funds and spirit stone reserves. (15)
As much of a loss of face, as it is to admit, the sect is not ready to conduct large-scale hunts. The outer disciples are too incapable of so much as mounting resistance to beasts with poor preparations and even worse equipment. The inner disciples for their part are unaware and incapable of doing anything but patrolling towns and making the mortals feel safe to no productive end. A few dozen outer disciples and an inner disciple perished in the hunting attempts but those were almost expected. Intensive training and a wider distribution of techniques are going to be essential to get the sect functional as it is currently a collection of imbeciles in ever fancier robes.
Train Juniors: Training illiterate juniors in the basics of cultivation and the techniques of the Open Lotus Art is a time-consuming but necessary measure. Ensuring that those who want access to training improve juniors can encourage a virtuous cycle of constant promotions for those willing and able to instruct. Quality of instruction is never going to be the best, but those that are capable will rise no matter the quality of instruction. (71)
Pushing the incompetent tinner disciples to train the juniors has been an exercise in constant frustration with complaints of "wasting time" and several other irrelevant prattles. Getting personally involved has produced far better results with basic techniques instructed at scale including how to possibly detect a spirit beast by sending out their qi both actively and passively. For those who immediately embraced the simplest techniques and entered qi formation a few lessons and exercises for how to practice detection techniques have been mandated. Explicit instructions have been made on how to deal with illiterate recruits with inner disciples strongly encouraged to read them for better teaching practices. The entire system as it is though, is not working; the sect is not the celestial army and has no need for a hundred thousand incompetents with a half dozen techniques and the worldly understanding of the average turnip.
No Vote/Will Update Soon
AA542 Dong Liang
Spirit Stone Vault: Approximately 50 thousand
External Sect News:
Skirmishes along the northern frontier have increased with a new incursion leading to the loss of four golden cores and two hundred thousand brave soldiers of the celestial army after a few depots were overrun. This has, according to official missives happened due to clear treachery and deceitful locals misdirecting their supplies and burning them ahead of the advance. More accurate rumors are that the generals managed to march away and into the North, wintered in a barren landscape, and proceeded to freeze due to nomad sorceries. For his part, the Emperor has called up another wave of conscripts from the mortal villages to be trained as replacements to settle the frontier. The normal funerary rituals involving the conscripted are expected to continue for the next decade as the next wave of settlers is moved by ship to the frontier.
The Jewel Blossom Sect for its part has announced that the trade along the river will be more open than ever before with the completion of a massive series of locks. The Towering Horizon sketch has somehow managed to recruit three golden core cultivators from the nearby lands, offering some massive treasures to them. Little is known how exactly they managed to attract such powerful cultivators but the rumors range from everything between them fleeing from a sect about to be declared demonic to a fanciful tale of romance. Pearl Ferret has continued to be the wealthiest sect, responding to the news of increased gold mining by purchasing an entirely gold showroom incorporating a dozen arrays for some irrelevant treasures to lord their wealth above the other sects.
Personal Actions:
Make Formal Contact with a Sect: A proper diplomatic party is a flashy and worthless affair compared to more important cultivation, but it is a formality that must be done. Gathering two elders and a gaggle of inner disciples along with some basic gifts before setting off to a sect can ensure a favorable impression and intimidate some of their inner disciples to avoid the border, at least for a few years. Being a known quantity further has the advantage as the most bloody-minded will not take offense to the sudden appearance of a new sect in the area. (5 Thousand Spirit Stones) (Great Pearl Ferret) (56)
Dealing with pearl ferrets has come with a traditional showdown of four golden cores against their six with several cordial matters discussed. They presented themselves as a merchant sect, trading gifts for gifts in an exchange of words and goods produced. Not even a single punch was thrown in the meeting as cordial discussions and the costs for goods were negotiated. It is tragic to say that two elders ended up making massive purchases well above the value of the pearls supplied, but it is entirely their fault for being swindled. The sect itself uses some strange water elemental technique focused on the river itself, claiming to have been allotted their land for more than a thousand years.
Observe Mortal Hunters: Recent improvements in technique and equipment have already led to hundreds of stories of mere mortals downing spirit beasts. Suppressing one's cultivation and following around a dozen mortals as they attempt to hunt spirit beasts to death can prove enlightening and give a basis for working with the simplest outer disciples. The rumors may just be that, but saving a few dozen mortal hunters from spirit beasts can create an image of benevolence. If their techniques are applicable, reducing the loss of outer disciples to the wilderness can be revolutionary in keeping up numbers. (68)
Following mortal hunters has been a simple exercise of observing them with a minimal degree of concealment, patiently waiting and cultivating in sight of the docks. The hunters going to the province have been obvious, armed with an arquebus of some variety and whatever short sword or spear could be gathered. Tagging them by leaving a small jade slip in their pockets has immediately led to several exceedingly interesting conclusions. Firstly, an arquebus of sufficient size can bring down a beast in the body refinement stage. Secondly, a mortal hunter is optimistic, occasionally drunk, and effectively blind living in splendid ignorance of the world around him. Thirdly, are slower and worse reacting than any reasonable beast, with half a dozen needing to be saved from their ambition. Talking to a few of these and the desperate insistence for even a small part of the body has revealed that a few spirit stones are a lifetime of wealth for a mortal, even the son of a landowner was desperate for a small bit of horn worth half a spirit stone at best.
Observe Inner Disciples: The inner disciples have clearly been neglected, poorly trained, and ignored for too long. Taking some time away from important management work to follow inner disciples and see how they are being lazy in their cultivation and training. Some of the elders have called the youths of today lazy and indolent but they are youths that have been raised by the sect, making it the direct fault of the elders. If it's a question of more intensive training alone, it can be solved in a fortnight without issue but if it is truly a generational problem, more extreme means will have to be considered. (9)
Following a dozen inner disciples as they have attempted to hunt spirit beasts has almost entirely confirmed the elders' worst assumptions. They are inattentive, lacking in basic awareness, lacking more than half of the techniques needed to function, and excessively favor flashy moves that accomplish little. After almost eight of them had attempted some great demonstration of mastery and qi concentration and failed utterly outside of making an excessively large glowing sword. According to the elders, the generation is lazy, but from observation, they are rather incompetent and little more than poorly instructed peacocks.
Disciple Cai Tao has over two weeks of hunting and failed to catch anything or notice anything while hunting. He has managed to lose his tent due to testing a technique at his stage four separate times. Missed sixteen beasts of a lesser stage and nine beasts of a similar stage. Further, he has a negligible mastery of any detection techniques, missing an obvious golden core fourteen treelengths behind. This entire effort concluded with trying to fish in the river and a disastrous incident with a giant carp nearly leading to a lost hand if not for a timely intervention.
-Lord Xian Wei, Alchemical Notebook 3791
Inner Disciple Actions(Costs Two Personal To Focus on Three) (Several Will Passively Proceed depending on Reward Allocation):
Establish a Herb Garden: Getting more seeds sown for supplying critical pill-making ingredients will ensure a steady supply for lower disciples and ensure that the very finest harvests can be made available for proper refinement. The inner disciples would of course prefer to be cultivating rather than weeding gardens and dealing with complicated spirit herbs but it's not like illiterate outer disciples could be trusted with the task. (Divine Moss) (33)
Motivating inner disciples to do anything has been a constant mess of oversight and hints to improve their severely lacking cultivation. Poking a few to plant seeds with a reward of personal lessons and harsh critique has worked for now but there are only so many inner disciples. The garden itself has been planted on several large walls of properly arranged boulders to catch the morning dew, spreading the moss across them. The first harvest is only going to come in a year with seed stocks replenished. Already every inner disciple has asked for some of the moss to use for pills of protection for hunting and attempting the most arduous of cultivation.
Hunt Spirit Beasts: The wily spirit beasts in the rivers and mountains are a threat to outer disciples, are a nuisance to the mortals, and contain valuable reagents. Leading inner disciples into mortal danger would be frowned upon but by popularizing certain recipes requiring the parts of beasts and offering the correct rewards for their hunting many can be enticed to take their chances. Some may never return but a few hundred carcases can help sect funds and spirit stone reserves. (15)
As much of a loss of face, as it is to admit, the sect is not ready to conduct large-scale hunts. The outer disciples are too incapable of so much as mounting resistance to beasts with poor preparations and even worse equipment. The inner disciples for their part are unaware and incapable of doing anything but patrolling towns and making the mortals feel safe to no productive end. A few dozen outer disciples and an inner disciple perished in the hunting attempts but those were almost expected. Intensive training and a wider distribution of techniques are going to be essential to get the sect functional as it is currently a collection of imbeciles in ever fancier robes.
Train Juniors: Training illiterate juniors in the basics of cultivation and the techniques of the Open Lotus Art is a time-consuming but necessary measure. Ensuring that those who want access to training improve juniors can encourage a virtuous cycle of constant promotions for those willing and able to instruct. Quality of instruction is never going to be the best, but those that are capable will rise no matter the quality of instruction. (71)
Pushing the incompetent tinner disciples to train the juniors has been an exercise in constant frustration with complaints of "wasting time" and several other irrelevant prattles. Getting personally involved has produced far better results with basic techniques instructed at scale including how to possibly detect a spirit beast by sending out their qi both actively and passively. For those who immediately embraced the simplest techniques and entered qi formation a few lessons and exercises for how to practice detection techniques have been mandated. Explicit instructions have been made on how to deal with illiterate recruits with inner disciples strongly encouraged to read them for better teaching practices. The entire system as it is though, is not working; the sect is not the celestial army and has no need for a hundred thousand incompetents with a half dozen techniques and the worldly understanding of the average turnip.
No Vote/Will Update Soon
Turn 3: Problems and No Cultivating
- Location
- The United States
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Turn 3: Problems and No Cultivating
AA544 Dong Liang
Spirit Stone Vault: Approximately 50 thousand
Internal News:
The discovery of gold in the province has brought forth a profusion of mortals attempting to strike it rich with almost a dozen frontier towns founded. This technically illegal immigration has only accelerated after the defeat on the frontier as many village men are choosing to flee from the bureaucrats instead of righteously accepting service in the imperial armies. Many of those fleeing are likely to be criminals but criminals can pan and dig for gold just as well as any other mortal. Two new port towns have effectively sprung up from nothing along the river with major veins of gold discovered near them. Hunters for their part have come in droves to the declaration that a new pill sect has been established with all excited to sell any small bit of a spirit beast for almost nothing.
Officially parts of spirit beasts should not be purchased from mortals as that encourages disharmonious behavior and deviations of the natural order according to the gentry. Of course, as those are irrelevant mortal affairs there is no point in actually listening to the gentry's private sensibilities. Formal markets for the purchase of parts of spirit beasts are of course a step too far, but any number of outer disciples can take their chances to buy up whatever bit of a spirit beast they may require. The mortals are risking their lives at scale and they may as well be rewarded with a pittance for their efforts. Further, encouraging some trade with the mortals capable of producing things of any value can ensure that local cultivators stay approachable and mortals stop misguidedly hiding their children from training.
In a push of private ambition, Song Zian, a core formation cultivator has invested his entire savings to form one of the mining villages. Through skill with purchases and a series of buyouts induced through hard negotiations with stubborn mortals, the sect technically now owns one of the largest gold mines available in the province. The matter itself was brought to the attention of the elders through one of his rivals, declaring it an improper pursuit for a cultivator. This however represents an opportunity as the location is near a slow area of the river, has plentiful nearby agricultural land, and most importantly already has a small town. Current yields of gold are not going to be great as labor is lacking, but the deposit is massive and represents half a million spirit stones in the ground.
[]Shut it Down: It's improper to exploit the mortals directly and use them for massive labor with cultivators needing to be above mortal affairs. Nothing good will come from managing a small town focused around the mining of gold as the industry will grow without much intervention anyway. Song Zian will of course have to be compensated for the purchase but it should be trivial to find some governor's son capable of purchasing the city and its inhabitants.
[]Take a Share: Song Zian has invested in the province but he has acted rashly and without consulting his elders. Requesting that a fifth of the gold that comes out of the enterprise is only fair compensation for the sect. Zian himself can continue to run his little scheme but the sect must come first when it comes to spirit stones. The material itself is not that useful outside some specialty uses in arrays but plentiful gold can bribe many mortals.
[]Invest in Song Zian's Scheme: Song Zian has taken a step too far for a basic cultivator but now that he has succeeded the entire sect can stand behind his action. Investing in the purchase of a Mu of land and twenty thousand mortals from one of the sects along the coast can allow them to be rapidly shipped in. Further, a harbor can be constructed using provisions for corvee labor to ship in the hundreds of tons of cinnabar necessary for refining the gold. The industry itself will be costly in mortals and spirit stones but significant gains from the gold are expected. Song Zian can of course stay as the new governor, but he will only be allowed to take a twenty percent cut of the production and none of the resulting spirit stones from the array. (20 Thousand Spirit Stones)
Personal Actions(Choose Five):
[]Cultivate: A strong sect deserves a strong leader and while the further stages of the Open Lotus Art are undiscovered, that simply means more and harsher cultivation must be done. The golden core stage is not the end of the art and dozens have attempted to break through, with some historically accomplishing it. The methodology is unknown but it is certainly possible. Starting work from seeping the Qi into a general domain from the core to nourish the core is the current safe theory of cultivation and it must be attempted vigorously to achieve a great breakthrough. (30 Thousand Spirit Stones(to attempt/not per action)) (Bonus from closed-door cultivation if taken 4 times)
[]Determine Appropriate Inner Disciple Rewards: Instead of cultivating at the highest peak and gathering and refining Qi, time can be spent on talking to inner disciples and gleaming the truth from their proclamations. Few would ask for less, but every one of them wishes to be paid in many spirit stones for doing nothing but cultivating all day. Local boards for rare ingredients focused on the refinement of pills can be organized along with partial shares instead of traditional rewards to ensure that they benefit directly rather than abstractly from the hardest work.
[]Determine Appropriate Outer Disciple Rewards: Those given a chance at immortality by inclusion into the sect are expected to long be grateful for the honor, but the gratitude never lasts long as each attempt to stumble higher. Training can be given favorably and pill furnaces are limited for the refinement of pills. By rewarding the outer disciples for achievements in hunting down beasts and providing spirit herbs by reduced price pills the sect can make a tidy profit while improving its ranks. Those most capable of hunting will of course be the strongest and most capable of advancing, ensuring that the right cultivators receive the best resources.
[]Pill Refining: The refinement of a new pill using the jade furnace is arduous work involving time spent away from cultivation for something as base as a few tens of thousands of spirit stones. The ingredients are there to make pills for golden core cultivators in a decent supply and spending time to make a few dozen can secure enough combat power and cultivation materials to further fund the sect. Local sourcing of ingredients and the poor financial accounts of the sect limit what can be done now but those will be fixed by the next auction. (Can Take Multiple Times)
[]Make Formal Contact with a Sect: A proper diplomatic party is a gaudy and worthless affair compared to more important cultivation, but it is a formality that must be done. Gathering two elders and a gaggle of inner disciples along with some basic gifts before setting off to a sect can ensure a favorable impression and intimidate some of their inner disciples to avoid the border, at least for a few years. Being a known quantity further has the advantage as the most bloody-minded will not take offense to the sudden appearance of a new sect in the area. (5 Thousand Spirit Stones) (Jewel Blossom Sect)
[]Analyze Inner Disciple Training: Something has gone wrong with training the inner disciples if most at the Qi Condensation stage are obsessed with the largest and flashiest technique. A well-balanced foundation that is capable of universally acting is the basis of all cultivation and improving their ability to sense the world around them is a major step in determining how to properly form a golden core. The information necessary for basic learning has somehow avoided their brains but that represents a failure of instruction as they cannot be expected to intuit techniques from thin air. Somewhere there is a limitation in instruction and it will be found.
[]Analyze Outer Disciple Training: The outer disciples are an illiterate mass of near mortals but it cannot have been this way back in the day. When the sect was wandering the recruitment was individual but now with a province to manage something has gone wrong. Getting the recruits to be able to read a manual alone for teaching would massively speed up the training of cultivators but the priority seems to be on a few flashy techniques first. Outer disciples will of course never know as much as inner ones but breadth has seemingly been ignored and produced the current mess of inner disciples.
[]Look into the Training Camps: There has to be a better way of finding recruits than sticking a hundred youths into a small camp, feeding them, and then seeing if they can do a single technique after three months. Outside of organized classes, they seem to not absorb any techniques or absorb knowledge. Resources are certainly available and basic techniques are both elementary and well described. Something must be going wrong with the training process as it is impossible that an entire generation is so unmotivated for individual learning but willing to show up to classes.
[]Locate a Scholar: With the time needed to manage the mess of the sect and determine what is wrong with the juniors today, a reliable cultivator who cannot lie well must be found. As a pill-making sect, every cultivator should be more than capable of basic mathematics rendering the choice a purely trust-based one. Compensating an inner disciple something like ten spirit stones for a simple count should not be a problem with the only necessity being to find a reliable disciple that can be trusted to count and precisely follow orders for how to spend the sect's vast wealth.
[]Approach in Secret: Disguising as an immensely prodigious outer disciple that can bridge the gap into becoming an inner disciple will take a lot of work but the deceit can immediately expose the root of the problem. By claiming to enter closed-door cultivation but putting on a disguise along with several treasures getting a direct perspective on the training will be easy. Sure the inner and outer disciples may shape up when in the presence of an elder, much less a sect leader, but as they entirely lack awareness it should be incredibly easy to deceive them. Any mistakes will have to wait to be corrected and some may act differently in the face of a prodigy but something needs to be done to fix the problem quickly to focus on more important matters. (Costs 3 Personal Actions)
[]Lead A War Party: Constant low-level raids from the Towering Horizon and Pearl Ferret sect have sapped through the lowest cultivators with their raids, stealing treasures and injuring our very weakest cultivators. Instead of allowing the insult to stand, a war party can be organized with the elders and inner disciples, crossing the border for a glorious slaughter of any that stand in our way. By the point that the enemy sects can respond we will have gained a massive amount of plunder, resources, and possibly even manuals and seeds. As long as the sect has a plentiful supply of pills at the golden core level any insult can be avenged and diplomatically reversed. (Loot) (Can combine with Pill Refining) (Choose Great Pearl Ferret or Towering Horizon Sect)
[]Test New Pills: Using the jade furnace to work on the finest pills in the empire remains an option and poorer ingredients can be substituted for the first stages of experimentation. The refinement of a true five-element breakthrough pill is beyond the herbs available and too risky, but lower-level ones can be pioneered. Even successfully refining a pill capable of reliably breaking through otherwise stagnant outer disciples to inner ones would massively improve the capabilities of the sect and ensure it can overcome any obstacle. The work itself is going to be beneath an elder, but needs must be at the current loss rates. (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Remedial Training: Running the forty of them through an intensive training program is going to take some effort but remedial training is going to be necessary to properly get the weakness out. Each will learn at least two detection techniques, two movement techniques, and at least a single unexpected trick, else how can one even call themselves a cultivator? All inner disciples will be ordered to report for the training and no slacking will be tolerated when it's the future of the sect on the line. (Can be taken two times)
Inner Disciple Actions(Costs Two Personal To Focus on Three) (Several Will Passively Proceed depending on Reward Allocation):
[]Establish a Herb Garden: Getting more seeds sown for supplying critical pill-making ingredients will ensure a steady supply for lower disciples and ensure that the very finest harvests can be made available for proper refinement. The inner disciples would of course prefer to be cultivating rather than weeding gardens and dealing with complicated spirit herbs but it's not like illiterate outer disciples could be trusted with the task. (Choose a Herb) (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Prepare Pills for War: Spreading the rumor that wide-scale conflict is coming and encouraging the most precocious to start the production of pills of their level takes a good amount of convincing to ensure surprise is not lost. It can however still be done as with the right hints and management of core disciples even the most stubborn and focused on their cultivation will favor their survival.
[]Prepare Pills for Breakthrough: The youths generally do not need to be told or encouraged to make their pills to attempt to break through to further stages, but they do need to be managed to provide pills to anyone else. Ensuring that rewards are provided and encouragement for training is made to those who can supply masses of lower-ranked pills for the advancement of outer disciples can build up sect numbers. These pills are typically available and traded for, but a glut now can be valuable for improving combat power.
[]Hunt Spirit Beasts: The wily spirit beasts in the rivers and mountains are a threat to outer disciples, are a nuisance to the mortals, and contain valuable reagents. Leading inner disciples into mortal danger would be frowned upon but by popularizing certain recipes requiring the parts of beasts and offering the correct rewards for their hunting many can be enticed to take their chances. Some may never return but a few hundred carcasses can help sect funds and spirit stone reserves.
[]Train in Combat: Combat training for juniors is seemingly all they tend to do as they practice, but it stays a key part of cultivation. A sound body hosts a sound mind and being able to at least match any other cultivator in the sect helps to keep up morale and ensure that other sects think twice before invading the sect territory. Taking some time to personally manage them and organize a few lower bracket tournaments can help the sect martially and build up some prestige by committing a few cheap cultivation resources.
[]Build Treasures: Finer arrays, swords, alembics, and furnaces typically work for inner disciples looking to advance their cultivation by making the tools. By enticing them to make far more than for personal use and lower-level cultivators much of the risk of those making their first furnaces can be reduced. Much of the work will happen due to spending a few handfuls of spirit stones on internal commissions, but the cost should be minimal.
[]Train Juniors: Training illiterate juniors in the basics of cultivation and the techniques of the Open Lotus Art is a time-consuming but necessary measure. Ensuring that those who want access to training improve juniors can encourage a virtuous cycle of constant promotions for those willing and able to instruct. Quality of instruction is never going to be the best, but those that are capable will rise no matter the quality of instruction. (Can be Taken Twice)
Province Population: Approximately forty thousand
Passive Spirit Stone Income: Approximately two thousand
12 Hour Moratorium
AA544 Dong Liang
Spirit Stone Vault: Approximately 50 thousand
Internal News:
The discovery of gold in the province has brought forth a profusion of mortals attempting to strike it rich with almost a dozen frontier towns founded. This technically illegal immigration has only accelerated after the defeat on the frontier as many village men are choosing to flee from the bureaucrats instead of righteously accepting service in the imperial armies. Many of those fleeing are likely to be criminals but criminals can pan and dig for gold just as well as any other mortal. Two new port towns have effectively sprung up from nothing along the river with major veins of gold discovered near them. Hunters for their part have come in droves to the declaration that a new pill sect has been established with all excited to sell any small bit of a spirit beast for almost nothing.
Officially parts of spirit beasts should not be purchased from mortals as that encourages disharmonious behavior and deviations of the natural order according to the gentry. Of course, as those are irrelevant mortal affairs there is no point in actually listening to the gentry's private sensibilities. Formal markets for the purchase of parts of spirit beasts are of course a step too far, but any number of outer disciples can take their chances to buy up whatever bit of a spirit beast they may require. The mortals are risking their lives at scale and they may as well be rewarded with a pittance for their efforts. Further, encouraging some trade with the mortals capable of producing things of any value can ensure that local cultivators stay approachable and mortals stop misguidedly hiding their children from training.
In a push of private ambition, Song Zian, a core formation cultivator has invested his entire savings to form one of the mining villages. Through skill with purchases and a series of buyouts induced through hard negotiations with stubborn mortals, the sect technically now owns one of the largest gold mines available in the province. The matter itself was brought to the attention of the elders through one of his rivals, declaring it an improper pursuit for a cultivator. This however represents an opportunity as the location is near a slow area of the river, has plentiful nearby agricultural land, and most importantly already has a small town. Current yields of gold are not going to be great as labor is lacking, but the deposit is massive and represents half a million spirit stones in the ground.
[]Shut it Down: It's improper to exploit the mortals directly and use them for massive labor with cultivators needing to be above mortal affairs. Nothing good will come from managing a small town focused around the mining of gold as the industry will grow without much intervention anyway. Song Zian will of course have to be compensated for the purchase but it should be trivial to find some governor's son capable of purchasing the city and its inhabitants.
[]Take a Share: Song Zian has invested in the province but he has acted rashly and without consulting his elders. Requesting that a fifth of the gold that comes out of the enterprise is only fair compensation for the sect. Zian himself can continue to run his little scheme but the sect must come first when it comes to spirit stones. The material itself is not that useful outside some specialty uses in arrays but plentiful gold can bribe many mortals.
[]Invest in Song Zian's Scheme: Song Zian has taken a step too far for a basic cultivator but now that he has succeeded the entire sect can stand behind his action. Investing in the purchase of a Mu of land and twenty thousand mortals from one of the sects along the coast can allow them to be rapidly shipped in. Further, a harbor can be constructed using provisions for corvee labor to ship in the hundreds of tons of cinnabar necessary for refining the gold. The industry itself will be costly in mortals and spirit stones but significant gains from the gold are expected. Song Zian can of course stay as the new governor, but he will only be allowed to take a twenty percent cut of the production and none of the resulting spirit stones from the array. (20 Thousand Spirit Stones)
Personal Actions(Choose Five):
[]Cultivate: A strong sect deserves a strong leader and while the further stages of the Open Lotus Art are undiscovered, that simply means more and harsher cultivation must be done. The golden core stage is not the end of the art and dozens have attempted to break through, with some historically accomplishing it. The methodology is unknown but it is certainly possible. Starting work from seeping the Qi into a general domain from the core to nourish the core is the current safe theory of cultivation and it must be attempted vigorously to achieve a great breakthrough. (30 Thousand Spirit Stones(to attempt/not per action)) (Bonus from closed-door cultivation if taken 4 times)
[]Determine Appropriate Inner Disciple Rewards: Instead of cultivating at the highest peak and gathering and refining Qi, time can be spent on talking to inner disciples and gleaming the truth from their proclamations. Few would ask for less, but every one of them wishes to be paid in many spirit stones for doing nothing but cultivating all day. Local boards for rare ingredients focused on the refinement of pills can be organized along with partial shares instead of traditional rewards to ensure that they benefit directly rather than abstractly from the hardest work.
[]Determine Appropriate Outer Disciple Rewards: Those given a chance at immortality by inclusion into the sect are expected to long be grateful for the honor, but the gratitude never lasts long as each attempt to stumble higher. Training can be given favorably and pill furnaces are limited for the refinement of pills. By rewarding the outer disciples for achievements in hunting down beasts and providing spirit herbs by reduced price pills the sect can make a tidy profit while improving its ranks. Those most capable of hunting will of course be the strongest and most capable of advancing, ensuring that the right cultivators receive the best resources.
[]Pill Refining: The refinement of a new pill using the jade furnace is arduous work involving time spent away from cultivation for something as base as a few tens of thousands of spirit stones. The ingredients are there to make pills for golden core cultivators in a decent supply and spending time to make a few dozen can secure enough combat power and cultivation materials to further fund the sect. Local sourcing of ingredients and the poor financial accounts of the sect limit what can be done now but those will be fixed by the next auction. (Can Take Multiple Times)
[]Make Formal Contact with a Sect: A proper diplomatic party is a gaudy and worthless affair compared to more important cultivation, but it is a formality that must be done. Gathering two elders and a gaggle of inner disciples along with some basic gifts before setting off to a sect can ensure a favorable impression and intimidate some of their inner disciples to avoid the border, at least for a few years. Being a known quantity further has the advantage as the most bloody-minded will not take offense to the sudden appearance of a new sect in the area. (5 Thousand Spirit Stones) (Jewel Blossom Sect)
[]Analyze Inner Disciple Training: Something has gone wrong with training the inner disciples if most at the Qi Condensation stage are obsessed with the largest and flashiest technique. A well-balanced foundation that is capable of universally acting is the basis of all cultivation and improving their ability to sense the world around them is a major step in determining how to properly form a golden core. The information necessary for basic learning has somehow avoided their brains but that represents a failure of instruction as they cannot be expected to intuit techniques from thin air. Somewhere there is a limitation in instruction and it will be found.
[]Analyze Outer Disciple Training: The outer disciples are an illiterate mass of near mortals but it cannot have been this way back in the day. When the sect was wandering the recruitment was individual but now with a province to manage something has gone wrong. Getting the recruits to be able to read a manual alone for teaching would massively speed up the training of cultivators but the priority seems to be on a few flashy techniques first. Outer disciples will of course never know as much as inner ones but breadth has seemingly been ignored and produced the current mess of inner disciples.
[]Look into the Training Camps: There has to be a better way of finding recruits than sticking a hundred youths into a small camp, feeding them, and then seeing if they can do a single technique after three months. Outside of organized classes, they seem to not absorb any techniques or absorb knowledge. Resources are certainly available and basic techniques are both elementary and well described. Something must be going wrong with the training process as it is impossible that an entire generation is so unmotivated for individual learning but willing to show up to classes.
[]Locate a Scholar: With the time needed to manage the mess of the sect and determine what is wrong with the juniors today, a reliable cultivator who cannot lie well must be found. As a pill-making sect, every cultivator should be more than capable of basic mathematics rendering the choice a purely trust-based one. Compensating an inner disciple something like ten spirit stones for a simple count should not be a problem with the only necessity being to find a reliable disciple that can be trusted to count and precisely follow orders for how to spend the sect's vast wealth.
[]Approach in Secret: Disguising as an immensely prodigious outer disciple that can bridge the gap into becoming an inner disciple will take a lot of work but the deceit can immediately expose the root of the problem. By claiming to enter closed-door cultivation but putting on a disguise along with several treasures getting a direct perspective on the training will be easy. Sure the inner and outer disciples may shape up when in the presence of an elder, much less a sect leader, but as they entirely lack awareness it should be incredibly easy to deceive them. Any mistakes will have to wait to be corrected and some may act differently in the face of a prodigy but something needs to be done to fix the problem quickly to focus on more important matters. (Costs 3 Personal Actions)
[]Lead A War Party: Constant low-level raids from the Towering Horizon and Pearl Ferret sect have sapped through the lowest cultivators with their raids, stealing treasures and injuring our very weakest cultivators. Instead of allowing the insult to stand, a war party can be organized with the elders and inner disciples, crossing the border for a glorious slaughter of any that stand in our way. By the point that the enemy sects can respond we will have gained a massive amount of plunder, resources, and possibly even manuals and seeds. As long as the sect has a plentiful supply of pills at the golden core level any insult can be avenged and diplomatically reversed. (Loot) (Can combine with Pill Refining) (Choose Great Pearl Ferret or Towering Horizon Sect)
[]Test New Pills: Using the jade furnace to work on the finest pills in the empire remains an option and poorer ingredients can be substituted for the first stages of experimentation. The refinement of a true five-element breakthrough pill is beyond the herbs available and too risky, but lower-level ones can be pioneered. Even successfully refining a pill capable of reliably breaking through otherwise stagnant outer disciples to inner ones would massively improve the capabilities of the sect and ensure it can overcome any obstacle. The work itself is going to be beneath an elder, but needs must be at the current loss rates. (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Remedial Training: Running the forty of them through an intensive training program is going to take some effort but remedial training is going to be necessary to properly get the weakness out. Each will learn at least two detection techniques, two movement techniques, and at least a single unexpected trick, else how can one even call themselves a cultivator? All inner disciples will be ordered to report for the training and no slacking will be tolerated when it's the future of the sect on the line. (Can be taken two times)
Inner Disciple Actions(Costs Two Personal To Focus on Three) (Several Will Passively Proceed depending on Reward Allocation):
[]Establish a Herb Garden: Getting more seeds sown for supplying critical pill-making ingredients will ensure a steady supply for lower disciples and ensure that the very finest harvests can be made available for proper refinement. The inner disciples would of course prefer to be cultivating rather than weeding gardens and dealing with complicated spirit herbs but it's not like illiterate outer disciples could be trusted with the task. (Choose a Herb) (Can be taken up to 3 times)
[]Prepare Pills for War: Spreading the rumor that wide-scale conflict is coming and encouraging the most precocious to start the production of pills of their level takes a good amount of convincing to ensure surprise is not lost. It can however still be done as with the right hints and management of core disciples even the most stubborn and focused on their cultivation will favor their survival.
[]Prepare Pills for Breakthrough: The youths generally do not need to be told or encouraged to make their pills to attempt to break through to further stages, but they do need to be managed to provide pills to anyone else. Ensuring that rewards are provided and encouragement for training is made to those who can supply masses of lower-ranked pills for the advancement of outer disciples can build up sect numbers. These pills are typically available and traded for, but a glut now can be valuable for improving combat power.
[]Hunt Spirit Beasts: The wily spirit beasts in the rivers and mountains are a threat to outer disciples, are a nuisance to the mortals, and contain valuable reagents. Leading inner disciples into mortal danger would be frowned upon but by popularizing certain recipes requiring the parts of beasts and offering the correct rewards for their hunting many can be enticed to take their chances. Some may never return but a few hundred carcasses can help sect funds and spirit stone reserves.
[]Train in Combat: Combat training for juniors is seemingly all they tend to do as they practice, but it stays a key part of cultivation. A sound body hosts a sound mind and being able to at least match any other cultivator in the sect helps to keep up morale and ensure that other sects think twice before invading the sect territory. Taking some time to personally manage them and organize a few lower bracket tournaments can help the sect martially and build up some prestige by committing a few cheap cultivation resources.
[]Build Treasures: Finer arrays, swords, alembics, and furnaces typically work for inner disciples looking to advance their cultivation by making the tools. By enticing them to make far more than for personal use and lower-level cultivators much of the risk of those making their first furnaces can be reduced. Much of the work will happen due to spending a few handfuls of spirit stones on internal commissions, but the cost should be minimal.
[]Train Juniors: Training illiterate juniors in the basics of cultivation and the techniques of the Open Lotus Art is a time-consuming but necessary measure. Ensuring that those who want access to training improve juniors can encourage a virtuous cycle of constant promotions for those willing and able to instruct. Quality of instruction is never going to be the best, but those that are capable will rise no matter the quality of instruction. (Can be Taken Twice)
| Ingredient | Availability | Element | Primary | Secondary | Tertiary |
| Celestial Dewberries | Seeds | Fire | Qi Reserves | Elemental Shift | Spirit Poison |
| Burning Plums | Herb Gardens | Fire | Stimulant | Qi Reserves | Qi Density |
| Star Grass | Seeds | Fire | Meridian Flow | Physical Poison | Qi Recovery |
| Stone Seed Flower | Seeds | Earth | Qi Hardening | Spiritual Poison | Qi Density |
| Divine Moss | Herb Gardens | Earth | Mental Poison | Qi Density | Qi Hardening |
| Heavenly Razor Wheat | Herb Gardens | Metal | Sustenance | Qi Recovery | Qi Density |
| Black Rotherb | Seeds | Metal | Physical Poison | Mental Poison | Breakthrough Aid |
| Spiritual Reed | Herb Gardens | Water | Qi Hardening | Qi Recovery | Mental Poison |
| Frost Hemp | Small Cultivation | Water | Qi Recovery | Mental Poison | Elemental Shift |
| Rose Tallow | Herb Gardens | Water | Elemental Shift | Mental Poison | Qi Recovery |
| Orange Rime Slime | Spores | Water | Qi Density | Qi Recovery | Spirit Poison |
| Relentless Growth Vine | Herb Gardens | Wood | Root Growth | Physical Poison | Spirit Poison |
| White Bark Trees | Seeds | Wood | Spirit Poison | Meridian Growth | Root Growth |
| The Growing Shrub | Herb Gardens | Wood | Meridian Growth | Elemental Shift | Physical Poison |
| Spotted Shrub | Herb Gardens | Wood | Spirit Poison | Mental Poison | Breakthrough Aid |
| Cultivation Base | Total | Stagnant | Advancement | Deaths |
| Domain Foundation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Core | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Core Formation | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Qi Condensation | 42 | 27 | 4 | 1 |
| Body Refinement | 142 | N/A | 26 | 15 |
| Qi Formation | 204 | N/A | 106 | 31 |
Province Population: Approximately forty thousand
Passive Spirit Stone Income: Approximately two thousand
12 Hour Moratorium
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