The line is not that you will or will not be a demonic sect if you take flexible as to a large extent that definition is political. In your interactions with mortals you will be a demonic sect effectively with a range of variation of how long term your approach is. There are just lines that are a bit too far such as effectively refining fellow cultivators into pills/boosting cultivation bases as that just eats through disciples and consolidates power/rapidly can be a threat. Enemies maybe, but that is far more politically sensitive. There is a heavens that push for/want certain things, but it is also to an extent unrelated to the actual empires goals and motivations and generally something you run afoul of then follow unless you take one of the starting boons.
As another note, by default you will be a sect leader into the mid-late Golden Core, you can in theory advance into Domain Foundation but more in the sense of shoveling enough pills into your face, ditto with a stage past that, just with exponentially more pills as wealth can carry when talent is insufficient. Starting a stage higher means you start mid way into Domain Foundation with a bit better baseline talent, but its not really enough to carry you up on its own.
Ah alright, but i dont know if i formulated my question right. So *ehm* can we shoulder a Heaven's will,like in the novel i mentioned, become an Immortal Emperor (would fit the empire)?How is it looking, in the lifepan department for the stage's?
[X] Plan Masters of Trade
-[X] The Tall Fields Sect
-[X]The Great Seed Repository
-[X]Spirit Beast Herds
-[X]Follow the Fifteenth
-[X]On the River
This sect has a plethora of ingredients, with both the seeds and herds, and is positioned on the river to best make use of trading. These starting boons will allow them to gain significant wealth right from the start, and then re-invest that into the sect allowing even greater growth. They may bit have the ability the to make higher tier pills right at the start, but they'll be much better off in general.
(I'm not sure on the sect's name. I think this is decent but I'll take any suggestions for a better one.)
[X] Plan Pragmatic Commerce
[X] Plan Immortal Pill Makers
[x]Plan: Dream of Khan
-[x]Sect Name: Clear Sky Sect
-[x]The Highest Peak
-[x]Spirit Beast Herds
-[x]Follow the Fifteenth
-[x]Northern Border
Goal is to never go for any Elemental bullshit. Focus on the more ephemeral skills like divinaton and stuff (hopefully including our pill making methods), while relying on tools augmented by physical prowess to capitalize on things.
Basically Barbarians on the surface, but with an actually complex mystical culture at it's core. A group of people I can easily imagine as having been a roaming band until fairly recently.
edit: these two are nice too, I guess
[X] Plan The Best Pills Possible
[X] Plan Pragmatic Commerce
would have added ox barbeque, but following the nineteenth is a no go for me when paired with herds.
[X] Plan The Best Pills Possible
-[X] The Red Plum Sect
-[X]The Great Seed Repository:
-[X]The Jade Pill Furnace:
-[X]Follow the Fifteenth
-[X]Northern Border
[X] Plan Totally Not Demonic Smugglers
-[x] Sect Name: Golden Horse Sect
-[x] Domain Foundation Elder
-[x] Demonic Remnants
-[x] Take a Flexible Path
-[x] Northern Border
[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
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)
[] Plan You Dare?
-[]Lord Zhang Qiang:
-[]The Great Pill Contest:
-[]Mighty Torrent Art:
-[]Training Centers:
The Young(ish) Master amuses me. I don't think we should necessarily take the Art that obviates using a furnace, but there's an argument we only have the one, I suppose.
[] Plan A Foundation of Water
-[]Lord Zhou Yong
-[]The Great Pill Contest
-[]Mighty Torrent Art
-[]Those that Show Talent
[] Plan A Foundation of Wood
-[]Lord Zhou Yong
-[]The Great Pill Contest
-[]Open Lotus Art
-[]Those that Show Talent
A Cultivation Sect is like a magical pyramid scheme. We need lots of chaff at the bottom, hence why I'm going with Those that Show Talent to get a large number of recruits cheaply.
Made separate plans with the Water and Wood Arts for those who don't like the other.
[] Plan let's just be boring
-[]Lord Zhou Yong
-[]Selected by the Council
-[]Mighty Torrent Art
-[]Those that Show Talent
I am just going to throw out the most boring plan there is where we do everything boringly. Take the administrator to build a bureaucracy, just decide things with politics instead of overly showy tournaments, pick the water art as we are going to be river and sea people, and just do the normal method as it is cheap and easy to maintain and brings in hordes of disciples.
