North Winds Fall (Xianxia - Survive the Protagonist)
- Thread starter azatol
- Start date
- Original
- Location
- Phiadelphia P.A
[X] Write a letter to the Snow family. Learn a little about your future husband, and impress the Snow family. (Princess Path. You can be an expert with blades and ladyish things both!)
[X] Find out if Park Quan is free for a spar. (Prince Path. You don't care if anyone thinks you're unladylike, the Blade leads ever forward!)
[X] Find out if Park Quan is free for a spar. (Prince Path. You don't care if anyone thinks you're unladylike, the Blade leads ever forward!)
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
[X] Write a letter to the Snow family. Learn a little about your future husband, and impress the Snow family. (Princess Path. You can be an expert with blades and ladyish things both!)
[X] Find out if Park Quan is free for a spar. (Prince Path. You don't care if anyone thinks you're unladylike, the Blade leads ever forward!)
[X] Find out if Park Quan is free for a spar. (Prince Path. You don't care if anyone thinks you're unladylike, the Blade leads ever forward!)
- Location
- USA
[X] Find out if Park Quan is free for a spar. (Prince Path. You don't care if anyone thinks you're unladylike, the Blade leads ever forward!)
[X] Visit with Xue Wei. She's gone through a lot these past few days.
I want to see how Xue Wei is doing. The kid is tough, raising a princess should be fun, and we did promise to spend more time with her.
[X] Visit with Xue Wei. She's gone through a lot these past few days.
I want to see how Xue Wei is doing. The kid is tough, raising a princess should be fun, and we did promise to spend more time with her.
- Location
- scrabbling
[X] Visit with Xue Wei. She's gone through a lot these past few days.
[X] Write a letter to the Snow family. Learn a little about your future husband, and impress the Snow family. (Princess Path. You can be an expert with blades and ladyish things both!)
One of the core features of the old version was Autumn's care for her sister.
SV is too enamored with women who ignore soft power. And Autumn's confused reaction to her father's pronouncement suggests that Prince isn't actually appropriate to her. Then again, perhaps being slightly brutish and narrowminded would be fitting for her, pre-Incident.
[X] Write a letter to the Snow family. Learn a little about your future husband, and impress the Snow family. (Princess Path. You can be an expert with blades and ladyish things both!)
One of the core features of the old version was Autumn's care for her sister.
SV is too enamored with women who ignore soft power. And Autumn's confused reaction to her father's pronouncement suggests that Prince isn't actually appropriate to her. Then again, perhaps being slightly brutish and narrowminded would be fitting for her, pre-Incident.
Last edited:
13. Eyes of the Emperor
- Location
- Michigan
[X] Write a letter to the Snow family. Learn a little about your future husband, and impress the Snow family. (Princess Path. You can be an expert with blades and ladyish things both!)
[X] Find out if Park Quan is free for a spar. (Prince Path. You don't care if anyone thinks you're unladylike, the Blade leads ever forward!)
[X] Find out if Park Quan is free for a spar. (Prince Path. You don't care if anyone thinks you're unladylike, the Blade leads ever forward!)
The Emperor's visit was not filled with the normal formalities. He didn't even host the First Families in the Palace. He had dinner with the Family once, and then immediately set to work on hunting down Ho Junko, Lin Tsu and anyone else that was affiliated with them.
For the first time in her life, Autumn was actually kept informed of important events. She was in the room, providing input as they investigated the Lin and Ho families.
On the first day of the manhunt, she spent half the day in the Emperor's study, waiting to hear back from Xue Lee. He had gone out with his forces to the Lin family's abandoned rural estate. The house in the City had already been thoroughly searched, and there was no sign of Lin Tsu returning there.
Xue Lee found no evidence of anyone living at the country estate either, and the focus turned to the Ho family that evening. Autumn had never really pressed her first maid on the Ho family, and Ho Junko never really brought it up. The Ho family patriarch presented no obstacle to the search for his granddaughter, and he arrived at the Palace that night.
While she wasn't allowed into the room where Xue Chi was interviewing Mr. Ho, she did catch the Emperor offhandedly mention Xue Chi's powers as the "Vault of the Mind" deck. This was the first she had learned of her brother's power beyond rumors and speculation. She knew Xue Son had some kind of Administrative specialist deck, while Xue Lee's cards had been thoroughly demonstrated to her during the battle with Lin Tsu. But Xue Chi had always been her more mysterious brother.
That Monday morning, starting the 2nd full day of the manhunt, the Emperor went out with his regiment to lead the search in person. Xue Son was ordered to begin searching all of the outlying palaces for any sign of further theft or disturbance.
Xue Chi continued to interview Ho family members and Lin Tsu's mother and sister.
Finally, Xue Lee left the palace as well, but he finally told her, "You might as well go back home until you here more from us."
She was eager to test her skills against someone her brother considered roughly equal to her in ability, so she asked, "If Park Quan has a spare moment in this busyness, do you think he would like to spar?"
"Perhaps. It might be late," her brother said.
So she returned home, and had a late breakfast with Xue Wei. Tuan had stopped by a few times to see her, and Ila too.
Chun Hu, her new first, had arranged a list of purchases and adjustments to the staff needed for a Prince.. The Emperor was taking the joke seriously. What, all of her brothers had men to be their seconds if they ever got in a real duel? When was the last time someone in the Family had dueled? And her guard Po was to be replaced with a three guard complement?
She laughed at the whole thing. Suddenly, it was as if she needed a Registered man-servant just to hold her coat or something.
Maybe it was the thought of how weirdly different Princes were treated that got her thinking about her future husband, and what that future chain of events would lead to. She hadn't even finished breakfast, but just wandered off into daydreaming on that thought.
"Autumn?" Wei said finally.
"Hum?" she reacted, waking from the daydream. "What's that?"
"Were you sleeping?" she asked.
"I have been up a lot of late nights lately, but no, I was daydreaming. You go all these years as part of one family, and then someone else decides that you're going to be part of another family, and you have no control over any of it. I've only got two months left here, Wei. Maybe they'll give you this house when I'm gone."
Wei didn't say anything for a bit, but then asked, "When you're married, will I still get to see you?"
"Sometimes," Autumn said, thinking of her sister, the Third Princess. "Sang Tia, we see her sometimes. But she's not around. Her business is Sang family business now. My business will be Snow family business."
"Tuan told me I have a early first stage power already. He's going to let me go to the dojo with him some time. And he said I had Latent power."
"Tuan doesn't know for sure. It's really hard to tell when you're still early first stage," Autumn said. "Maybe you'll take after your brothers, maybe after Tuan and I."
"I've been spending a lot of time on my studies. Tuan said I won't get my staff until things get back to normal, but he gave me a bunch of stuff to study just to help me out. What are you doing today?"
"Waiting around for news. Maybe sparring with one of First Prince's people," she said, and then pondered. "Maybe... I think I want to write a letter to introduce myself to the Snow family, and ask about their scion. Maybe you can test yourself by checking my writing,"
So they set themselves up with a few snacks, plenty of writing supplies and Tuan's study papers he had given Wei, and they each worked on their own things, but Wei seemed to be enjoying all the studying more, knowing they were working together.
Actually, she referred to some of Wei's study notes, in thinking about how to address the letter. How to convey being of a higher station, and yet someone who was, in the near future, joining the family and becoming subject to the head of house's authority. You couldn't write the letter too pompously, or too humbly. too airily or too practically.
After wasting her writing material on practices, she finally took one of her envelopes, addressing it Honorable Lord Snow on the outside, and enclosed the final form of her letter on the inside. It was neatly folded in thirds, the paper was crisp, and at the end of the letter she had written,
Wei wanted to draw a stemmed rose on the back cover of the envelop, and Autumn relented. She had gone a touch informal, slightly lowering herself, since she was destined to be a First Family's wife in the near future. She inquired as to their family status and delicately asked of what they expected of her, and then in the middle part of the letter inquired after the young man himself. The Emperor hadn't even told her his name. It must have all been a negotiation behind the scenes. The Snow family had more sway outside the city than in it, especially in the Northern parts of the North Winds. Whether they acquired the family name because of their tendency or the other way around, she wasn't sure.
But it was a chance to take one slight step in the direction of her future, and making it as tolerable as it could be.
She spent the evening with Wei, having heard nothing about the search, but then Xue Lee informed her through a servant, that Park Quan would meet up for a spar at the Family dojo, half a bell past dark.
Chun Hu was kind enough to stay late, and accompany her to the dojo that night.
Park Quan was waiting outside with a couple of servants of his own. He was also a significant young master in his own right, in the Park first family. In Xue Lee's company he was completely the servant, but at home in his family environment, the tables were flipped and others served him.
"Master Quan, good evening," she said to him.
"Princess, good night. Oh, well perhaps saying good night doesn't sound right," he said jokingly.
This was a different man entirely than the one he had been that night with Xue Lee. Chun Hu had already hurried on into the dojo, so that they entered to the dojo lit up by paper lanterns. She couldn't remember ever going to the dojo after dark, perhaps Tuan had gotten away with it.
"Did you bring a training spear? I'm sure we can find one if not."
"Yes I've got one. Still a blunted spear hurts. Are you sure about this, Fourth Princess?"
She looked at Quan. His beard was impressively large, yet meticulously trimmed, but it couldn't hide the man's youth. He may be trying to appear older, and more respectable, but he was surely in his early 20s.
She only wore a lightweight vest and fingerless gloves to protect her hands, while he wore a simple chain vest, but dispensed with the helmet she had seen from him before.
"We'll start with the largest sparring area first, then we can close in if we want. Let me know if you need to leave on business, otherwise, I can spar a few hours before my eyes grow weary," she said.
In the club, swords, sabers and other blades were the fashion, but she had fought a few spearmen. She wondered how the Club tournament had went, but she preferred applying herself to this more serious situation, since her secret was in the open now.
She retrieved her training blade, and examined the locker carefully just in case Ho Junko had tried to come back here. It seemed impossible that she would have make it through all of her pursuers, but still, she checked. The weapons locker was undisturbed since last she left it.
After a few minutes, she found herself facing down Quan. There was a lot of questions of approach in the largest sparring area. Even Park Quan's shortened spear had longer reach than her blade, getting past it was key, but he was unlikely to be hopeless in that situation. It was still a bludgeon, even out of position.
There was only a momentary pause as Quan rushed at her. She had not seen any of his more active abilities during the battle against Lin Tsu. He tracked her movements, and batted at her attempt to pass by the point of the spear. His control of the weapon was quite good, although she had few people to compare him to.
It took a greater force to deflect the spear, as she pushed the spear point off course.
He had the advantage in strength, and she tried to hold off on using blade step unless neccesary, but when she crashed to the ground after a thunderous blow to the knee, she conceded the first point.
An army spearman may stick with the spear as only a stabbing weapon, but Park Quan was happy to use it as a staff as well. His spear was no twig, but had plenty of power used either way. She wanted to get her point back, and rushed towards him as he stopped his own movement, amused. When she closed to within her blade step teleport's distance, he tumbled forward, keeping his spear coordinated from hand to hand, and turned, blocking her follow up.
At his perfect range, she struggled to close, but she adjusted, applying more forcefulness to her deflections and counters. He was evasive, attacking like a staff user and stilling hold her at distance as a spear user could, forcing her to fight in a more exhausting intense style
She used her second blade step at just the right time, where she was able to disarm him by teleporting inside his guard after fooling him into thinking he had out-manuevered her into taking a spear strike. Still, he had the edge, 4 hits to 1.
In the medium size sparring area, the battle became fiercely contested. Park Quan's strength and power was accompanied by a lot of control and flexibility, but Autumn had fought many men stronger than her, and developed a keen sense of the flow of battle. How extensive was Quan's experience with real battle? Was this recent fight with Lin Tsu just more of the same for the young master? Ultimately, he held the slightest advantage in the medium area fights as well.
The final numbers were 4 - 1, 4 - 2 in the two sets they did in the larger area, and 8 - 6, 8 - 7 in the sets in the medium area. Perhaps she could pull off a higher peak performance than Park Quan by using her Blade step, but she still wasn't sure how much active power she could safely use. Also, she wanted to reserve her strength in case Xue Lee or the Emperor called for her assistance.
But when she arrived at the Palace the next morning, there was still nothing to report and no successes in the hunt. The Emperor and Xue Lee were preparing the plan for the day. Xue Chi was also waiting on orders from the two.
Xue Lee pulled her aside, and he was about to tell her to go home, she was sure of it. "I just want to help," she interrupted.
"We need eyes, ears, and words, conversations, people. Father isn't going to stay for too much longer if we don't get results. If you want to help, be the eyes, ears, conversations, or just follow along I guess. Your Third Brother is going to take a tour of Hightown and see what hints he can dig up. My troops and I are leaving the city. It's too unlikely that Lin Tsu is still in the city, and we never had proof that Ho Junko was headed back here. If you like hovel hopping for some reason, Father's army is going through the lowest parts of town."
Vote: Where do you want to get involved?
[ ] Go through Hightown with Xue Chi. As a wielder of the mysteriously-named Vault of the Mind deck, who knows what methods he will use to find clues there?
[ ] Go through the Slums with the Emperor's regiment.
[ ] Head out of town with Xue Lee and his personal forces. (Prepare for a trip of at least a few days).
[ ] Fly solo. Go where your nose takes you.
(if you've got a write-in idea, throw it out there and I'll consider it.)
- Location
- scrabbling
[X] Go through the Slums with the Emperor's regiment.
The uncovered area, and Autumn actually does have some experience lying/hiding/pretending to be not a Princess.
The uncovered area, and Autumn actually does have some experience lying/hiding/pretending to be not a Princess.
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Wouldn't it be hard pretending when she's with an army?
[X] Fly solo. Go where your nose takes you.
14. Dead Ends & Back to Normal?
- Location
- Michigan
[X] Fly solo. Go where your nose takes you.
Autumn decided not to go with either brother or the Emperor's regiment. She would just go about her business and see where things lead. Admittedly, she wasn't much of an investigator, Xue Chi had a much better chance of finding something. First brother didn't need to know that she was going back out on her own.
She planned it out after breakfast with Wei. Since Sang Tia got married soon after she introduced Autumn to being a Princess, she hadn't had much sister time before, mostly spending time with Chi and Tuan. It was nice to be the big sister with Wei, and she planned to give Wei as much of her time as possible in the next two months.
She decided to just go doing her normal rounds in High Town after breakfast, and then she'd come back with some goodies from the bakery for lunch. Maybe it was stupid, but she thought she'd wander in some of her familiar circles, and then perhaps she'd pick up on some clue. She at least was familiar with Ho Junko, and she had interacted with Lin Tsu before. It was possible both of them had fled far away to some obscure rural hideaway, but it was also possible that someone was hiding their fugitives in the city.
She checked in with Chun Hu and let him know she was going to Hightown for a little window shopping, and to check in with some friends. She didn't request him to go with her, Chun Hu was much more of a presence when he was around, in contrast to Ho Junko who was an expert in vanishing. Despite Ho Junko's treachery, she preferred the invisible style of serving.
Rolled : (5% chance for FIrst Families, 15% chance for Reg. Families, 30 / 45% chance for one of three nameless families)
Result: Three Families Collaborating
Family 1 - ???
Family 2 - ???
Family 3 - ???
Hideout Locations rolled: ???
Emperor's Regiment in Lowtown Slums - Finding the Trail : 30 / 60 / 90 - 52 : Minor clues found - Dead end
Xue Lee's Forces outside the City - Finding the Trail: 30 / 60 / 90 - 34 : Minor clues found - Dead end
Xue Chi in Hightown Interrogations - 28 : (??/??/??) Nothing gained - Dead End
Autumn / Casual Conversations - Finding the Trail: 25 / 50 / 75 - 17 : Nothing found - Dead end
Result: Three Families Collaborating
Family 1 - ???
Family 2 - ???
Family 3 - ???
Hideout Locations rolled: ???
Emperor's Regiment in Lowtown Slums - Finding the Trail : 30 / 60 / 90 - 52 : Minor clues found - Dead end
Xue Lee's Forces outside the City - Finding the Trail: 30 / 60 / 90 - 34 : Minor clues found - Dead end
Xue Chi in Hightown Interrogations - 28 : (??/??/??) Nothing gained - Dead End
Autumn / Casual Conversations - Finding the Trail: 25 / 50 / 75 - 17 : Nothing found - Dead end
She suspected Xue Chi was already somewhere in Hightown, but she wasn't going to meet up with him. Instead, she headed to the same weapon shop where Vong Bo loved to pick up strange but useless weapons. It was also where Bull worked. She never made a habit of going there before, because their weapons weren't good quality.
She had brought her sword in case she encountered Lin Tsu, or anything else did happen, but all she was doing was wandering around, it didn't seem likely.
After Bull finished demonstrating a few knife techniques to three young ladies, she approached him.
"You missed a good fight, Ladyreaper. We had a new Club member winning the tournament. And a woman at that. She was a ringer, during Initiation we all thought she would have a lot to learn, but then wham! During the tournament she was fierce. I lost to her in the semis. She's a staff user, agile, very fast, tremendous attack strength, not Mountain levels but still. After Mountain fought her last week, he said we should call her Thunderbolt."
"Yeah, I haven't be able to go out, except with my brothers until now. I've seen real combat, with Card effects flying around. These two people we're looking for, they both hid their power well, and suddenly they are powerful enough to concern the Emperor. Almost like this Thunderbolt. Has she been around since the Tournament?"
"I heard she was around yesterday talking with the Mountain. I haven't seen her. Obviously, everyone has been buttoned up these last few days. No one wants to draw army attention. I hope that's not what your doing."
"I came here by myself, because I didn't want all that attention. I don't have a lot of time left as Ladyreaper, Bull."
"If I see Thunderbolt again, I'll try to arrange a spar between you two. Who do I contact now?" Bull asked.
"Chun Hu is my new aide."
"The Chun family, hmm. My dad works for old man Chun," he muttered, but refused to elaborate.
She kept her ears alert for any conversations while she kept up the appearance of normality. She went to pick up the rest of Wei's clothes from the seamstress, and went to the baker to get some sandwich rolls and sweet rolls that Wei might like. She walked slowly, looking down alleys and trying to discretely check what the army had already looked over before. She found nothing.
Possibly this Thunderbolt could be involved, but it might just be another talented female fighter. If so, she would like to get to know the person behind that name. So she went home.
She enjoyed a long lunch with Wei, and relaxed, knowing there were forces out there looking. If these people were part of an organization, they would be found eventually, especially when they tried to make more trouble.
She spent the afternoon with Wei. She actually followed along with some of Wei's studies, just to refresh her writing ability, and she forgot all about a lot of what Wei was studying. That evening, the Emperor invited the family for dinner.
Xue Son was still away, and Xue Lee had lead his forces out of town. Wei's young sisters Siu and Suk, along with 5th prince Xue Tai were there, attended by their helpers from the Consort palace. Tuan and Chi sat next to the Emperor.
She was eager for the end of winter. Even at the Emperor's table, a late winter feast was lackluster compared to a mid-summer or harvest time feast. She was excited to see what the Chefs would come up with this year, but by the time the next End of year feast came up, she would be sitting at the First families table, with her new Snow family.
As it was they had a quiet, and plain meal, but the Emperor had a few things to say, afterwords.
"I'm leaving tonight. Xue Tuan, Xue Chi, it's time that you both moved beyond being children. Tuan, I am placing you in command of half of 7th regiment, to continue the search efforts here. Your forces will be reporting to you tomorrow. Chi, I am placing control of the family purse and Xue Son's prior responsibilities in your hands. Tuan, Thu and Wei can manage their own staff and wages, but you will set reasonable limits for them. Try to keep your hands a bit cleaner than Xue Son did.
"Xue Thu, keep in mind our conversation. I've given the Snow family leave to make a social call sometime soon. Get what staff you need for the next two months. little Wei, I've found your first Maid, and between her and brother Chi you should be able to find your full staff in the next few weeks. Chi, make sure the construction crew actually finishes the job this time."
The week that began with a bang ended slowly, and with little news. Chi eventually told her that the Emperor's regiment had found some weird plants growing during their search. They looked like the after-effects of Lin Tsu's garden powers, but they had no clear proof or answers, merely suspicions. Word also came in that Xue Lee had pursued people for many miles, but when they caught up to them, they only found local villagers. According to Chi, Lee swears that Ho Junko was among the group, but again, no proof or answers.
Autumn spent her mornings with Wei, helping her with her studies and playing silly study games, as well as making frequent trips to the baker. Wei had a sweet tooth, for sure, and she indulged her little sister a bit much. But Xue Wei was an excellent study, and that was with Tuan's hand me down materials, with her brother's answers still written in.
While she spent her afternoons practicing her sword arts and forms in the dojo, she also focused on her future. Whether that was working on her handwriting, learning to cook, writing and sending out letters to her married sisters, or practicing her smiles and curtsies with Wei, she took small steps every day.
No one was interested in hosting the family for dinner, they were all adjusting to the new situations at home. Without Xue Son, she knew they would enjoy their time together much more. But her older brothers had responsibilities now. Chi was now her overseer, so it couldn't help but be different. Tuan had barely been over to see Wei since he got his new assignment. He was surely in over his head with that responsibility.
So with Wei learning how to be a princess, and Autumn's own efforts to learn how to adapt to the married life, they were all weighed down with something.
Saturday morning saw the arrival of Wei's first maid, Keo Xiaohui. She was a year younger than Autumn, and she had served the Conner first family daughters, but this was her first first maid assignment, and for a Princess.
Her three member guard detail arrived on Thursday, and Ila was still stopping in every morning. Le Ardith stayed on as Soux Chef. With Wei's staff sure to arrive soon, Autumn's house was getting crowded.
Autumn found herself expecting her last two months to pass by very quietly, but Saturday, just before she headed to bed, a visitor arrived.
He was one of Xue Tuan's new lieutenants. "There's been an attack at the Western Redoubt Palace. Xue Son's hurt. Prince Tuan sends his request for your help. He'll explain everything."
No vote this time.
(Pretty pathetic search rolls, the other side continues to move forward)
- Location
- scrabbling
Quite poor rolls. But these are rather fumbling imperials.
15. Lin Tsu's mission
- Location
- Michigan
Chun Hu insisted on accompanying her together with her new three man guard team. Her guards were trained in short swords and hand to hand combat. Chun Hu surprised her when he returned from the servant wing of the house with a jian, the traditional straight sword.
She was relieved Wei had her own first maid now to keep an eye on her.
She wasn't sure where to find Tuan, but no one answered, when they knocked on the door at his house.
"I think I can see something happening outside the palace," Chun Hu said.
It felt weird to travel with her own armed group, but they hurried together to the palace, swords and blade at hand. Perhaps they were overreacting to Tuan's summons, but it was best to be prepared.
Stopping to talk to the group of soldiers in front of the palace, she asked them, "What happened?"
One of the men turned and replied, "We were staying at the Western Redoubt Palace for the night before moving on. We were part of the Crown Prince's second regiment, now assigned to Second Prince. We were attacked. They got away with a lot of the Emperor's artifacts stored in the vaults there. They stole Western Redoubt's activation cards for the Palace Transport network. So they could be anywhere. Second Prince is being looked after at home, so we are temporarily under Fourth Prince's command, but some of our numbers are still arriving through the Palace network. I think Fourth Prince is just inside."
"Very thorough," Autumn said, noticing the rank of the man speaking. "Thank you Lieutenant."
There was a pit in her stomach as she came through the Palace doors into the entry foyer, however. There was Tuan, but there also were their two most wanted fugitives along with two others, she didn't recognize. The other woman wielded a staff, and the man was young, almost a boy, with a sword. Had Tuan surrendered already? His sword was at Lin Tsu's feet.
"Good, good, you finally showed up Xue Thu! We come with words, while you bring swords," Lin Tsu spoke up.
"What do you want?' Autumn asked, befuddled. "You've attacked several Palaces, stolen Imperial property, attacked the sons and daughters of the Emperor!"
"We want our people to share in the wealth of the nation. While you spin webs and send the Sang family as an attack dog, your brothers hoard priceless artifacts beyond measure. We could heal so many people, and raise half the population to third stage powers with half of whats stored in your Emperor's treasure vaults."
"Well, it sounds like you can raid the Palaces whenever you want, do you need us to send the army out to haul your loot for you?" she quipped. "And when did you come upon the idea of me controlling the Sang family? My word means nothing to them. I never told my brothers, or anyone else to attack your family. If someone else in my family did that, I'm sorry, but I never spun any webs."
"We'll be gone before your Sangs, or the Emperor arrives," Lin Tsu said. "Even if you didn't order the attack on my family, you stand in the way of a better future. We've all been hurt by the Empire, luckily I saw the potential in these three."
Autumn lifted her weapon up, as vines began to form all around her, trying to trap her again, she blade stepped, and the other staff user, a woman, intercepted her strike against Lin Tsu. She noticed her guards charge in. But more vines caught them. She disappeared, and reappeared behind Ho Junko, and her assistant's counter was fierce, she prepared to weather the strike, but then Lin Tsu's vines interfered, and Ho Junko's blade slashed at her side. Ho Junko and the other lady boxed her in neither striking any more but not letter her respond, and Lin Tsu summoned large shrubs into the middle of the palace foyer, each one grabbed on to her, so she was fixed in place by the plant-life and the vines.
"We'll be gone before you work your way free," Lin Tsu restated.
The plants were scratchy on her face, and the position they held her in was deeply uncomfortable. Her sword was ripped from her hands and hidden in the plant life.. She would have to get out of range of their grabby plant hands, if she even could blade step. She waited until she couldn't hear any of the attackers anymore
She sprang free with a blade step, and then rolled out of the way of a grasping shrub
The plants blocked her in, so she couldn't get deeper into the palace, or out into the grounds, she was stuck in the little hallway that lead to the transport network downstairs.
Vote: How to Proceed?
[ ] You have to warn Xue Lee, and hopefully he can inform the Emperor. Try to use the Palace transport network to find your brother before Lin Tsu's crew gets away with more.
[ ] Find some way to hack through the garden creations and pull out Tuan and your team. Your sword is trapped in the bushes, but maybe you can find something else. Hopefully you can avoid Lin Tsu and his team long enough to get away.
[ ] Write In.
She was relieved Wei had her own first maid now to keep an eye on her.
She wasn't sure where to find Tuan, but no one answered, when they knocked on the door at his house.
"I think I can see something happening outside the palace," Chun Hu said.
It felt weird to travel with her own armed group, but they hurried together to the palace, swords and blade at hand. Perhaps they were overreacting to Tuan's summons, but it was best to be prepared.
Stopping to talk to the group of soldiers in front of the palace, she asked them, "What happened?"
One of the men turned and replied, "We were staying at the Western Redoubt Palace for the night before moving on. We were part of the Crown Prince's second regiment, now assigned to Second Prince. We were attacked. They got away with a lot of the Emperor's artifacts stored in the vaults there. They stole Western Redoubt's activation cards for the Palace Transport network. So they could be anywhere. Second Prince is being looked after at home, so we are temporarily under Fourth Prince's command, but some of our numbers are still arriving through the Palace network. I think Fourth Prince is just inside."
"Very thorough," Autumn said, noticing the rank of the man speaking. "Thank you Lieutenant."
There was a pit in her stomach as she came through the Palace doors into the entry foyer, however. There was Tuan, but there also were their two most wanted fugitives along with two others, she didn't recognize. The other woman wielded a staff, and the man was young, almost a boy, with a sword. Had Tuan surrendered already? His sword was at Lin Tsu's feet.
"Good, good, you finally showed up Xue Thu! We come with words, while you bring swords," Lin Tsu spoke up.
"What do you want?' Autumn asked, befuddled. "You've attacked several Palaces, stolen Imperial property, attacked the sons and daughters of the Emperor!"
"We want our people to share in the wealth of the nation. While you spin webs and send the Sang family as an attack dog, your brothers hoard priceless artifacts beyond measure. We could heal so many people, and raise half the population to third stage powers with half of whats stored in your Emperor's treasure vaults."
"Well, it sounds like you can raid the Palaces whenever you want, do you need us to send the army out to haul your loot for you?" she quipped. "And when did you come upon the idea of me controlling the Sang family? My word means nothing to them. I never told my brothers, or anyone else to attack your family. If someone else in my family did that, I'm sorry, but I never spun any webs."
"We'll be gone before your Sangs, or the Emperor arrives," Lin Tsu said. "Even if you didn't order the attack on my family, you stand in the way of a better future. We've all been hurt by the Empire, luckily I saw the potential in these three."
Autumn lifted her weapon up, as vines began to form all around her, trying to trap her again, she blade stepped, and the other staff user, a woman, intercepted her strike against Lin Tsu. She noticed her guards charge in. But more vines caught them. She disappeared, and reappeared behind Ho Junko, and her assistant's counter was fierce, she prepared to weather the strike, but then Lin Tsu's vines interfered, and Ho Junko's blade slashed at her side. Ho Junko and the other lady boxed her in neither striking any more but not letter her respond, and Lin Tsu summoned large shrubs into the middle of the palace foyer, each one grabbed on to her, so she was fixed in place by the plant-life and the vines.
"We'll be gone before you work your way free," Lin Tsu restated.
The plants were scratchy on her face, and the position they held her in was deeply uncomfortable. Her sword was ripped from her hands and hidden in the plant life.. She would have to get out of range of their grabby plant hands, if she even could blade step. She waited until she couldn't hear any of the attackers anymore
She sprang free with a blade step, and then rolled out of the way of a grasping shrub
The plants blocked her in, so she couldn't get deeper into the palace, or out into the grounds, she was stuck in the little hallway that lead to the transport network downstairs.
Vote: How to Proceed?
[ ] You have to warn Xue Lee, and hopefully he can inform the Emperor. Try to use the Palace transport network to find your brother before Lin Tsu's crew gets away with more.
[ ] Find some way to hack through the garden creations and pull out Tuan and your team. Your sword is trapped in the bushes, but maybe you can find something else. Hopefully you can avoid Lin Tsu and his team long enough to get away.
[ ] Write In.
- Location
- scrabbling
[X] You have to warn Xue Lee, and hopefully he can inform the Emperor. Try to use the Palace transport network to find your brother before Lin Tsu's crew gets away with more.
Autumn can't deal with this on her own.
Autumn can't deal with this on her own.
- Location
- Michigan
I'll flip a coin if the tie isn't broken by tommorrow.
Flipped. Autumn is going to look for Xue Lee.
I'm still working on the next chapter. It's written but it's a doozy, and I want to sit and think on whether it's the right direction to go, and then do an editing pass.
Flipped. Autumn is going to look for Xue Lee.
I'm still working on the next chapter. It's written but it's a doozy, and I want to sit and think on whether it's the right direction to go, and then do an editing pass.
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16. The Places You'll Go
- Location
- Michigan
Rolled d2 for 1 - Rescue Tuan and your team, 2 - Try to find Xue Lee through the Palace network : Result - 2
Rolled for attempt to use Palace network d100: (DC 50) 68.
In the first draft, I was originally going to bring back the magistrate from the acrophal threadmarks. But I think this works better.
Rolled for attempt to use Palace network d100: (DC 50) 68.
In the first draft, I was originally going to bring back the magistrate from the acrophal threadmarks. But I think this works better.
Autumn needed to find help. Xue Lee had been able to drive off Lin Tsu before, and she knew her brother wouldn't hesitate after the last battle. She didn't like leaving Tuan and Chun Hu as well as her guards stuck, but she didn't have a quick way to free them.
The room downstairs with the strange transportation artifact was strewn with boxes of treasures, spilling over. Her eyes went to the stack of cards, each one surrounded by a glass case.
Taking up one of the card cases, she thought on how her brothers used their cards. She doubted it was as easy as just throwing the card onto the ground. Xue Son had impatiently explained to her years ago, that he and his brothers were Active power users, with most of their essence available for using these cards. Latent power users only had a little bit of essence available, which is why they could use some simple powers and abilities that they learned naturally over time, but they couldn't use most cards and effects.
How accurate was her brother's story? She thought it was accurate but she would have to try anyway.
Autumn sat within the artifact, and buckled herself in, trying to tie herself into the device with the chains that Xue Son had controlled with cards before. Finally, she removed the Card from the Glass case.
The Card showed:
Heavenly Translocation
The Card had a drawing of Lightning striking a person who was drawn as if they fading away. There was nothing else on the card that would help her understand it's use.
How did Xue Son control which palace they went to? She untied herself, grabbing the other 5 glass cases, and buckled in again, opening the first case and throwing the first copy of Heavenly Translocation down.
The card floated to the ground, but nothing happened. She thought about how she learned to first use the blade step. Try again. Nothing. How she was truly nowhere for just a moment, and then right where she wanted to be. Still nothing.
Putting everything together, she thought about how she achieved her blade step, what it meant on a practical as well as philosophical level, and then with a shout, she yelled, "Heavenly Translocation!" and threw the card down, imagining the pop sensation, only much longer.
Pain, lack of any sensation but pain. Searing, shuddering, convulsing. She had an urge to vomit, or spit when she came to. How did the Card know what Palace to take her to?
She felt the pain of her side from Ho Junko's blade strike more then.
She stood slowly, walking with the fifth card box in her hand, to the doorway. She recognized this, it was the High Mountain Palace she had been to with Wei before. There a channel in the ice and snow between the Palace transport network and the rest of the Palace.
Without her winter gear on, she could only run and shiver, as the snow was still flying and the wind howled.
It felt like her nostrils were ice, and she was breathing pure harsh cold by the time she got inside at the other end. She coughed as she entered the Palace. Whether Xue Lee was here or not, she would see what she could do to make herself comfortable. Her purpose was only a warm fire and finding what Xue Lee kept for first aid.
There were no guards posted at the entryway which faced the transport network building, but she soon stumbled upon a guard as she headed into the palace.
"Who goes there? No one should disturb the Crown Prince!"
"Xue Thu, the Crown Prince's brother. There's been another emergency. Xue Son and his forces have been attacked at Western Redoubt Palace, and Xue Tuan and myself were attacked at the Main Palace, I was the only one able to get away."
"The Prince's temper is hot, he's just stopped for his first meal in 32 hours. I'd advise waiting until he goes back to work."
That wasn't healthy for anyone. "What was he doing for 32 hours?"
"Working for the Emperor, of course. The Emperor's upset with him for the days spent chasing down these ghosts. He set a harsh quota this time."
"I'll take my chances," Autumn finally decided.
"Be my guest, the Crown Prince's room is just over there."
She didn't even realize she was holding her breath as she walked over, and opened the door into his room.
"Didn't I say not to disturb... huh??"
"Lin Tsu and three others have attacked the main palace. Tuan and I tried to hold them off, but we were all captured by Tsu's garden powers. I was able to escape to get help."
"How did you use the transport network -- nevermind. Forget that. You said they've breached the main palace?" the Crown Prince asked. "I definitely don't have time for this. Hmm."
He stood up from his desk, turning a stacked series of wood drawers with brass pull handles. He opened one of the drawers, and took out something. It looked like jewelry, a gold chain with a clasp made of gold holding an odd mechanism.
"You can tell father yourself. He insisted absolutely, do not disturb him again."
Xue Lee abruptly rushed forward, placing the chain over her head. With a grin, he made a waving motion, "Bye Bye!" he shouted.
Unlike the sensation of pain and blackout of the Palace transport network, she felt a giddy feeling which quickly turned to an urge to vomit, but she couldn't. She had no sense of place or time, and who knows how long the at first giddy and then nauseating feeling lasted.
Finally, she came to her senses, and looked around. She was at the bottom of a large spiral staircase. She couldn't judge how high it went up.
The only light source seemed to come from little bumps in the wall evenly spaced every few feet.
She felt awfully weak on her feet but she started to climb the stairs.
Who had fashioned so many perfect stones to make the steps of this staircase? she wondered. Climbing higher and higher, she heard sounds like a thunderstorm roaring and gusting.
Out of breath as she reached the top step, she saw the Emperor with pools of lightning controlled completely within his hands, where it rushed from hand to hand back and forth.
The Emperor's hair stood up, influenced by the great lightning he was controlling. Instead of a solid floor, she looked in horror as it was like she was standing on the sky, looking down into a deep dark storm cloud.
In a flash, the power of the storm the Emperor was wielding descended below the floor, into the storm cloud and beyond.
The grey clouds disappeared, and beneath them there was a great sea, vaster than she had ever seen.
She had been to the Western sea, which formed part of the border between the North and West Winds. The many traders from West and South made it easy to get things that no trader would haul inland to the Capital.
She remembered just how horribly Xue Chi burned in the sun.
But the sea she saw below her stretched as far as she could see in every direction.
Looking back at the Emperor, she saw sparks beginning to crackle back and forth between his outstretched hands. Slowly, he was building to another terrifying surge of lightning.
She watched as storm clouds followed the same pattern: forming and growing more dark, transfixed by what the Emperor was doing.
When the second surge of lightning flashed she finally pushed forward, approaching him.
He was actually standing on a dais raised up above the rest of the floor, in front of him a scepter of brilliant polished silver capped with four orange gemstones was placed in a holder basket.
Even as she approached him, he continued to work whatever terrible storm magic he was pursuing.
Looking right at Autumn, he didn't seem to notice her at all.
She stopped approaching when she could feel the tingly feeling from the sparks forming in his hands.
It took several minutes for the lightning to build up again.
Was there something in the sea that he was attacking?
After this third burst of lightning, the Emperor lowered his hands, and realized that she stood there.
Then lightning flared once more, and the Emperor invaded her mind as Xue Lee had done before.
The Emperor stood there in complete silence, which stretched into several minutes.
"Well then," he said enigmatically. "You, my daughter, will wait here while I deal with this."
And then, in a massive crackle of lightning, the Emperor was gone.
Leaving Autumn alone, in whatever this place was.
What will you do while the Emperor is gone?
[ ] Check out the jeweled scepter.
[ ] Look at what's on the dais, don't touch anything.
[ ] Explore the rest of this strange place
[ ] Keep to yourself.
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- Location
- scrabbling
[X] Keep to yourself.
Autumn's tired, probably used all her essence or more, just lost another fight...
Autumn's tired, probably used all her essence or more, just lost another fight...
17. The Wrathful Storm
- Location
- Michigan
Look at what's on the dais won tiebreak.
~~~
"They don't even have a good feast here. You guys should totally come to my food stand later," Chan was saying.
"Don't go back to your food stand after tonight. You're on their list now, you too Yaeko," Tsu said.
Yako offered, "my parents offered to let us stay if the Wu family doesn't come through tonight."
It was a two room house but they could sleep on the floor. Did the Imperials even know her family existed?
Tsu was still cagey about what they were looking for. Jun and Tsu were very close ever since she had gone off and done that secret mission for him.
"What time is it?" Tsu asked.
Jun carried one of the weird treasures they had found, which seemed to know what hour of the day it was.
"Half past ten. Almost an hour since we got here."
All three wings of the Palace looked abandoned and forlorn. Yako entered yet another guest bedroom, moving her lantern to see if there was anything of note.
They had gone to the King's bedroom first, and then through the great feast hall. After that it was a great number of abandoned guest rooms and servant quarters, the kitchen and pantries were bare and sitting rooms had furniture but little in the way of other decorations.
"I suppose this is the fool's palace. There's nothing here. Not what we were looking for, at least," Tsu said.
He lead the four of them back to the main hallway.
Tsu's garden creations were still in the entryway.
"Let me rearrange this," Tsu said. "Get ready. We need to get out of the Palace, and find our way to the hideout without anyone tracking us. Chan, Yaeko, take the front. Junko will keep watch."
Lin Tsu pushed the garden shrubs over, so they were more into the adjoining hallway that went to the transport network.
Yako positioned herself to Chan's right, She flexed her hands as she tested a few swings of her staff.
"Something is just off, Tsu," Jun said.
"We'll be careful, now let's take this at a run."
They emerged from the Palace, the air was crisp, but the sun was out.
The Imperial army was swarming with activity in front of them, but they hadn't reacted yet.
They started running towards the South side of the Palace grounds. None of the Family members lived there, so they should have less guards loitering as well.
Looking back, Yako noticed Ho Jun waiting with Tsu while he tied up more and more of the army in vines and bushes and shrubs. A few men escaped, but half ran away as they escaped. Chan yelled at her so she turned back and started running again.
She rushed forward, tucking the staff under her arm and catching up to Chan. He was the spindliest man she knew, all skin and bones and yet he constantly obsessed about food. Like Yako, his family had been poor, but he was very cagey about what lead to him living on the street.
She felt it before she knew what happened. In one moment, everything shifted. The cold but calm sunny day was replaced by a dark and troubling thunderstorm. She felt her hair standing up as the weird feeling passed through her. Uh oh.
~~~
Autumn hesitated, before slowly walking towards the dais. She had no idea what the Emperor had been doing here, in the top of this tower. Why had he been channeling all the power of the storm here. What purpose lead him to charge that power up and release it three times.
The view of the great sea was gone, and now the floor was like thick ice, she couldn't see through it anymore.
On the dais was the scepter which had been seated snugly in a little hole which matched it. The Emperor hadn't taken the scepter when he left. She couldn't see anything else from below, so she slowly, tepidly walked up the layered steps to the dais. Everything appeared to be made from glass, or something else perfectly clear.
As she took the last short step up onto the dais, she noticed a small book that she hadn't seen before. It looked to be a short book at that, with only a few pages. Whose knows whether a book would just be a book, or something more, she decided, being deeply skeptical about the whole thing. But she knelt down to look at the book without touching it. Finding herself shocked that the book's spine contained the characters of her own name (学图).
She stood up, finding the whole thing incredibly strange. She stepped down off the dais, and then she looked back for the book, but it was gone.
Deciding the whole thing was just spooky, She headed down the spiral staircase, to see if there was a better place to wait at the bottom of the stairs.
~~~
Xue Lee had spent a hour after Xue Thu left, preparing for the confrontation with that stupid gardener. He did his best with the Heavenly treasures in his own vaults. Raw, unstable power was now infused into his body, causing him to quiver and jitter as he sat down in the Transport artifact. He would not be caught unaware by some Lin family scion.
As soon as the transport artifact arrived underneath the central palace, Lee knew his father was already here, and Father was very angry. Lee's magical senses caused him to almost vomit, as the potential power of lightning was nearly exhausted. The electrical potentials were so far off normal, that he would have to find another way to help his father.
What more could he do with Lightning, when the entire power of the air was already being used?
Instead, he reached out to his sideboard, as he rushed up the stairs. He caught sight of that Lin bastard's constructs blocking the way out.
He was a Prince of the North Winds, a Crown Prince too. He had one Card from his sideboard that reflected that. A Wave of frost froze the Gardener's creations, and Lee started to clear away the dead plants.
Tuan was badly scratched and clawed at, likely by the garden monsters. He would have liked to get revenge on the Lins himself, but his father unleashing vengeance would have to do. He collected Xue Thu's first man and guards from within dead plants as well. They at least, were able to walk after a few moments.
Tuan had to lean on him, with every step, If only he had specialized in Icy coldness, he would have natural counters to Plant magics. As it was, he only had the one Card, with limited uses.
Chun Hu and the guards were less hurt than Tuan, but he lead them all out into the stormy night of his father's wrath.
Hurrying through the charged winds, they were peppered by tiny flying debris. Xue Lee herded his rescues, wasted another card to help steady Tuan. He barged into Xue Son's house, where Second Brother's staff was already tending to him.
"Keep them safe until this is over," he said to Son's first.
Looking back across the Palace grounds, he could pinpoint Lin Tsu by the one place that wasn't overcome by the Wrath of Lightning.
Still, this Gardener resisted! Gritting his teeth, Xue Lee rushed over to the sight of the battle, ready to use the three invocations of Frost wave he had left.
~~~
How did anyone get into, or out of this Palace?! At the bottom of the steps, there was no way out and no place to go but back up. The only thing in this palace was the staircase, Dais and scepter. And maybe that book? That seemed to be all this Palace existed for. If only her Blade step allowed her to skip past something solid, she could escape.
But it was just as likely that she would end up plunging into the sea she had seen, in that case.
~~~
The Protagonists are facing the final big bad himself, is this actually the end of their Book when they triumph over the Emperor, or merely a fake end before the steadily rising tension towards the end? What will happen next?
Vote:
[ ] See if the Book with your name on it reappears, and read it [Autumn perspective, plus Big Battle parts 2 & 3]
[ ] Discretion is the better part of Valor [Interludes only for Big Battle parts 2 & 3]
Last edited:
18. The Lightning Tower
- Location
- Michigan
[X] See if the Book with your name on it reappears, and read it [Autumn perspective, plus Big Battle parts 2 & 3]
I use italics to indicate when the Scandinavian-inspired names are written in an alphabetic script, in contrast to everything else which should be considered written in something like the Chinese script/hanzi.
Climbing back up the staircase again, Autumn decided to see if that little book would come back. Why did it have her name on it?
Up top, she walked up onto the dais and saw the book appear on the glass floor. Picking it up, she tried to leave the dais, but the book would not move past the edge of the dais, and nearly slipped out of her hands.
She decided instead to sit down right there and read the little book. It started with a list of names.
"Thu Leedottir, Lee Leeson, Lee Leeson, Lee Xifengson, Xifeng Jiason, Jia Jiason, Jia Leeson, Lee Torvaldson, Torvald Hjalmarson, Hjalmar Halsteinson"
It was a list of names, but each name was repeated with daughter in her case, and son for all the rest.
Partway through the list, the characters she knew were replaced with unintelligible script (most curiously the phrase " 李 Torvaldson", there were almost a dozen odd marks for one name, and no sign of the character for som).
Luckily the book continued, switching back to something intelligible.
"Four boys went out on their first boyish adventure. Halstein was the oldest, powered by lightning as his birthright. His Brothers of Earth, Fire and Water came along.
The father, a master of the winds and lesser shipwright, imbued a portion of his soul within the windstone which powered their ship. It was only a ship fit for adventuring boys, who needed to learn on a humble vessel before they considered working onboard a Great Ship.
They set out, and the fragment of the father's spirit watched. After months of only cold, sea airs, waves and rations running low, they found the island people of this land.
To the natives their ship was mighty, and their prowess in their elements made them great shamans. Soon the four boys lost their sense of adventure and became very comfortable staying on land, and spending time with the local people.
When one of the Great Ships that traveled the oceans drew too close to the island, the four brothers panicked, not wanting to be drafted to serve onboard. They had stayed on the island for three years, each brother establishing themselves in different communities.
They plundered their father's wind stone from their ship, taking whatever else they could take from it. The four brothers constructed a glamour powered by the wind stone, and by four towers in the north, east, south and west.
The father's spirit persisted in the wind stone and in the connected towers.
The Wind of their father's craft was the binding element, but each brother's element contributed to the effect, hiding the island so it appeared to be merely a storm at sea.
Halstein in the North became the master of North Wind, and his power of Lightning still runs through the tower here.
In the time of the present occupant's Great-Grandfather, the Eastern Tower was destroyed, but how this was done remains unknown. The glamour is now imperfect. No one has been worthy to tend to the West or South towers, since before even that time.
The natives count lineages from the brothers, no longer considering them separate, but only in the North has the lineage from Halstein been maintained.
Lee the 2nd, 3rd and 4th have only had one choice. They destroyed every ship that caught sight of something through the imperfect glamour. From their wrecks, they salvaged many treasures. From these treasures, they grew more powerful, to destroy greater ships, but more from the outside grew curious.
Each Lee has been changed by these treasures. Not merely Lightning lies at their core, but now the powers of the Deck-sorcerers are added.
Now Thu, daughter of Lee comes. An inheritor of the Lightning, present in the Northern tower by right, yet Lightning does not run through this daughter.
By whatever means, the first to enter the tower with the nature of the Winds in her heart has come.
The rest remains unwritten."
As Autumn watched, in horror and fascination, what she had just read began to vanish.
There will be 2 interlude chapters next and then more from Autumn's perspective, but this vote could affect the interludes since it's happening at the same time.
Vote: What now?
[ ] Find some way to write in the book. Perhaps the book is what's left of this father spirit?
[ ] Wait to see if anything reappears in the book and read it.
[ ] What is this? Keep your distance from the book. You can ask your father about the book when he returns.
- Location
- scrabbling
Unusual! I wonder if this is separate or contiguous with the Bookkeeper from the previous version.
[X] Find some way to write in the book. Perhaps the book is what's left of this father spirit?
This is very stupid. But Autumn is still very stupid. It's the active option, and she is very proactive, if nothing else.
[X] Find some way to write in the book. Perhaps the book is what's left of this father spirit?
This is very stupid. But Autumn is still very stupid. It's the active option, and she is very proactive, if nothing else.