Huh, expected people to go for something dangerous and expect xianxia protag bullshit but ok.
seems calm before the storm I how were going with this quest.
anyway the way votes look it seems going to Newfound land is how it's looking.
New Home, New Beginnings
"Now dear, not like that. grab hold of the extra energy you captured in your soul nets and use it to spread it throughout your body. Then have your body absorb it and compress it into every part of your body to have it hardened to improve your defense."
Ezrin, her father standing over her while guiding her on how to cultivate hardened skin with the remaining qi she collected from her dream.
_____________________________________________________________
CULTIVATION
Dump 17 Extra Qi into Qi Fortification
- Qi Fortification: a measure of one's natural physique hardened. Will be accounted for in combat and narrative situations. Mechanics wise this skill will per rank grant an extra armour slot to the main character's health bar.
Before
Stage: Early Stage
[/]XP: +5 Qi 0/5 [/]XP: +5 Qi 0/5 [/]XP: +5 Qi 0/5
Rank Dice: 0
Total Dice Roll Count: 0 + 0 = 0
Rank up to Mid Stage, 15 qi used, 2 qi left to refine body
After
Dump 2 remaining qi
- Qi Fortification: a measure of one's natural physique hardened. Will be accounted for in combat and narrative situations. Mechanics wise this skill will per rank grant an extra armour slot to the main characters health bar.
Stage: Mid Stage
[/]XP: +2 Added Qi 2/7 [/]XP: +5 Qi 0/7 [/]XP: +5 Qi 0/7
Rank Dice: 1
Total Dice Roll Count: 1 + 0 = 0
+1 Armour
_____________________________________________________________
"Good Earleen, like that!"Ezrin said to Earleen cheerfully without a false smile this time. truly happy his daughter was growing stronger under his instruction. For a moment he forgot his failures in the past and felt like a father.
Earleen and Ezrin had just finished moving and unpacking most of the stuff they could bring from the car to their new home.
finally deciding to settle in the Newfoundland's provincial capital St. Johns because it was the city which held the most opportunities for Earleen to grow and because of a good house Ezrin managed to sneakily buy on the cheap they moved into what would be considered the struggling middle class neighborhood but had all the opportunities near enough for Ezrin to grin happily at the little house they were in now.
Earleen finally was done cultivating her body's natural toughness through compressing the Qi she had gotten from her strange dream. Doing so she immediately felt the effects now. Her skin was much rougher yet smoother at the same time.
This cultivation however felt extremely painful to do.
"Ha, my body feels like it's been beat all over. Is it always going to be like this when I harden my body with cultivated Qi dad?". Earleen asked. Her body was red all over and it felt to her like being punched and beaten while hardening her body with qi all over for hours on end as her father watched. Some part of her wished for a faint sense of hope that dad held the answers.
He did not. "ha, that's the proper and painful way to truly do that. you want to get stronger right dear? You'll just have to suffer then until you can beat the snot out of me and tell me otherwise. Ezrin grinned at his daughter Earleen. Smiling in a provoking agitating way to get her riled up.
She knew better however and it did not work. instead opting to lie down and relax after enduring that hell.
"It's always going to be painful like that dear.", Ezrin said to Earleen with a small smile. "cultivating often means changing the body or soul to be better and to do so requires to forcefully change the body through the energy of qi from the world. In this case your hardening your skin by compressing the excess energy you collect through your soul nets all throughout your body into your flesh and bone. Thus, naturally hardening your body's toughness and how much it can endure", Ezrin said giving Earleen a sympathetic look.
"Yeah I get that but when can I get to the good stuff like flying or summon fire?", Earleen asked, with a tired yet enthusiastic look at her father expecting an answer to satisfy her question.
Ezrin face however frowned which caused Earleen to feel like a sledgehammer called reality was going to hit her now.
"You mostly be cultivating and improving your body in the mortal stage, nothing special like power anytime soon and If I had to estimate you will cultivate past mortal stage in six to 12 months from now before breaking through to the mortal practitioner stage."
Earleen felt that hammer of reality hard, it drained her energy to stare up at father with a smile and instead a dead fish look.
She'd have to endure this suffering for that long? Dam she hated her shit talent.
"Now dear you are already ahead of others your age. If it makes you feel better after reaching the mortal practitioner stage you'll be cultivating one of your thirty-six[36] channels throughout your body one at a time to allow for the use of the energy of the world."
Earleen eyes glittered for a moment at her father as he said that, until she noticed the part of doing more work to unlock powers and that wasn't including the time to learn the techniques for such powers and where she would get them, she truly felt like dying as each sledge hammer hit her harder then the next one.
Ezrin went on to talk about how cultivation worked and how painful it was until it was clear Earleen wasn't listening.
With that he began to move to more serious topics.
"Earleen about your dream… I'm not what to do about it as it simply sounds too fantastical. Awakening in one night? Even those highly talented folks with treasures and backing would at least need a week or a month to do so. Also, your talents being reduced to three, that seed thing, and a bamboo canteen filled with alcohol and the good stuff? I simply can't make heads or tails on it whether it's a fortune or a calamity for you so I'm not going to think too much on it but simply say to you to be careful when approaching this 'seed' thing. Growth is important but obsessing over can lead one down path less trotted for obvious reasons I won't state because I respect your intelligence.". Ezrin gave Earleen a hard look which even made Earleen flinch a bit, she however noticed his gaze was not at her but her chest, no. her soul with his piercing eyes.
he however after a long cold glanced directly at her to continue his talk with her.
"Now about that red eye, I'm still not going to tell you anything about it but to simply ignore it. Do not under any circumstances UNLESS necessary in life or death listen to it's words or use anything it may give you. it will only corrupt you and lead you to become its… tool."
Ezrin still stared Earleen in the eye with his cold analytical stare, yet Earleen noticed the slow wavering strength in his eyes for a moment before forcefully hardening himself to continue talking with his daughter.
Earleen didn't mention it however.
"Finally, on cultivation, you told me of that red mark last night. I looked into it while you were cultivating and realized it was sucking in energy and growing in strength as you did. it acts as a soul net but for its own gain. I however luckily suppressed it from doing so but I don't want you cultivating unless you are under my supervision so I can suppress the red mark thing on you. nothing good can come from strengthening a link between you and that monster."
Ezrin paused, continuing to stare Earleen down to make sure she got the point down from word to word before continuing.
"also income, you're a big girl now. fourteen for crying out loud and recently awakened. you'll need to learn how to handle money but i won't give you infinite cash to spend on a whim even if i have a lot of cash on hand. if you need something expensive discuss it with me and your reasons why and I'll consider it. with that settled your allowance every month is going to be 20.00 Canadian. spirit stones for cultivation will be provided by me when cultivating under my watch. Do you understand dear? That is your allowance and starting now with 20.00 Dollars, here."
_____________________________________________________________
Gained $20.00$ Cash from Dad/Ezrin as first allowance
Canadian Cash now: 20.00
Spirit Stones:
Interdimensional Imperial Styled Spirit Stones:
_____________________________________________________________
Earleen gave her dad the look of wide eyes as she stared at him as she nodded.
'My own cash? finally i won't have to rely on getting cash from dad to buy every little thing!', Earleens thoughts were running wild with imaginations on what she could do with 20.00$ of cash a month, penny pincher inside her screaming with happiness.
she of course did not show it on her face, although Ezrins small grin told her otherwise.
Ezrin continued his serious talk with her but this time amusement filled look on his face and words as he continued.
"I however am not opposed to you getting a part-time job or doing some odd jobs here or their just please tell me about it first alright dear."
Earleen gave a fierce nod before responding back with a grin on her face staring back at her father, "Of course dad, I won't disappoint you!".
Ezrin nodded back, satisfied with Earleen's honest answer
"That will be your allowance for this month and for the next. you'll get your next allowance starting the new school year. Anyhow now on the topic of the school you'll be going to."
Earleens once grinning face paled, turning to a look of agitation, fear, and annoyance after hearing her father's words.
Ezrin pretended not to notice despite the obvious weakening in his face before he continued his talk with his daughter.
"Dear, I know I allowed you to not go to school last year in Mississauga but you are now cultivating towards the path of strength! You can't hide forever and you're going to have to be able to handle others in the future or risk being abused by others. if your worried about those cultists ruining those close to you i'll-"
"No"
Earleen cut off her father before he could finish his sentence.
She knew her father's words were right. she couldn't hide forever, certainly not behind Ezrin forever. She made that chant last week in her dream and spoke of it so fervently the desire to find out the truth. she would one day have to spread her wings wide and get down to discovering the secrets of her past. with or without her father's help if it comes to it.
There was also one thought in her mind however, which convinced her to decline to show weakness to her father.
'GROWTH'.
with this distant voice in the back of her mind she didn't care about what those cultists would throw at her. she had something others didn't and she would use it to fuck those cultist if they tried to mess with her.
'This time I won't fail those around me, I'll grow strong and protect those around me. as well as decide my own fate through my ability', Earleen thought before looking Ezrin in the eye with determination and fire in her's.
"Dad, I understand the need for me to get out of my shell, that I truly do."
the voice in the back of her head whispered, 'power, potential.'.
she would take it.
"I will GROW stronger, and learn to adapt. just please… don't bring up such unpleasant memories.
Ezrin stared her daughter down for a moment, before sighing and accepting her request silently and turned the talk to another topic he was going to discuss with Earleen.
"Anyhow you have 6 weeks before school starts and I have already enrolled you into Clementine state funded school. Although it is not a 'true' state sponsored school in the sense that your thinking of going to it does have some people who are beginning on the path of cultivation or just starting out. Plus, you'll get many opportunities at the school, I'm sure of it!"
Ezrin said with a strained smile and forced cheerfulness.
Earleen knew what he was talking about. Schools not truly funded by the province, government, or without a powerful backer wouldn't be able to provide her the resources for growth in her cultivation, at least not as much as 'true' state funded schools could give her. The school was probably more like schools for the masses which were intent on teaching them skills society needed to function rather than grow them to become strong or politically savvy. Not everyone could pursue the path of strength or a comfy life as it was expensive and it would cause chaos like in the old days.
Earleen silently accepted this however, she had to prove to her father that she could be trusted with strength, that she was stable. No sense in making an unstable go to a school where she would be beyond her fathers' supervision most of the time and cause trouble.
With that she silently gritted her teeth, knowing the logical reason why her father wouldn't let her go to the 'provincial' or 'federal' sponsored schools still caused her heart ache. The power she could gain if she went to those schools, the chant she made as well as the reason for gaining strength… it was hard to stay calm with that opportunity right in front of her being reserved for next year or the years to come.
Ezrin continued with his talk, a conflicted look on his face before sighing in relief that his daughter as fine with his decision
"Anyhow for this week no cultivation, I have to deal with much work here as I'm setting up the old business here and doing some work here and there to make sure the documents for us living here and my business are all filled out and correct."
Ezrin said looking at Earleen with a careful smile with caution. He knew of the chant Earleen had said in her dream at the inn a couple days before arriving at their new home. Her desire for strength and the truth which she said with desire and passion. Earleen knew it pained him in some way that he was limiting his daughter's growth, her desire. But she wasn't a kid to throw tantrums and silently gritted her teeth.
Earleen silently nodded, some part of her wanting to cultivate NOW despite her father's warnings, the silent voice in her head telling its desire for 'growth'. It made Earleens face twist a bit despite Earleen's best effort to put up a neutral face.
Ezrin stared quietly for an uncomfortable time at her before continuing.
"Now I know you don't really have many hobbies after we started moving from place to place besides martial training with me or growing stronger but I can't help you there sadly as I have a lot of work now. Why don't you go outside and explore the local places? I'm sure there's something interesting to catch your eye. Theirs the nearby café to spend your cash on something sweet, there's the local library at the community center, and much more! "
Ezrin said back to Earleen with what could only described as a pitifully forced smile which stretched from cheek to cheek as though he was begging for her to accept his proposal, at least for the week.
Even handing her cash to spend on sweets or a drink at the cafe.
Earleen silently nodded like a child listening to their parent's ramblings and just accepting it as it is. Grabbing her stuff before heading outside of her new home in newfoundland. her first destination, the library.
____________________________________________________________
Earleen stood outside the large community center, it looked modern with glass all over the community center as to allow light in and to make it look good and sleek to match with the ever-changing modern era.
Earleen had to give the architect some credit. It did look good and immediately caught her eye when she saw it from a distance.
There was also a large fresh patch of cleared land behind and beside the community center. Some of it being used as a field for sport and some of it being run down. With weeds or other little things which took away from it's perfectly clean look.
what made the building stand out however were the small inscription symbols which seemed to make the building exude light.
'probably some formation magic', Earleen thought.
After taking a moment of looking around some more she went inside
Inside was what to be expected of the place. An indoor swimming pool you have to pay a small fee to swim in, the public library her dad told her about, and finally a gym which used for the physical clubs with the current occupants being what looked to be a martial arts class.
'hmm, I wonder if I could sign up for that place, it wouldn't hurt to learn from someone else besides my dad', Earleen silently thought before looking toward the public library and finally entering.
The library looked to be an average library as well, or so Earleen though before she spotted in her eyes some strange little things in the scenery.
First were the library helpers and employees. They weren't regular normal people but they all wore a sort of uniform which depending on color seemed to denote one's rank or power in the library.
The grey uniformed robed workers were working with visitors or fixing little things here and there in the library. Their eyes glowed for some moments when they did something strange like using a telekinesis like ability to lift books into their proper places. Managing the simple work. what made their telekinesis ability half-assed however was the occasional fumble with the usage of telekinesis which caused books to stumble onto the wrong shelf or cause damage, once even hitting a visitor to which the man got promptly sent away to a room nearby and wasn't seen again by Earleen.
The next were the white robed figures who seemed to work exclusively with more complex tasks like helping visitors to the library or working on documenting something while reading. They seemed higher up on the scale of employee power than the gray but then came the purple robed figures who were few in number and seemed to be the supervisor or managers. They seemed to be dealing with what seemed to be a blond girl with a group of other girls who were causing trouble yet seemed careful not to anger her, as if she could make them disappear in an instant.
Finally came the other strange folk in the library reading strange books. A man who looked to be a Buddhist monk, reading a book which seemed to exude flames, a boy with such clear skin yet looked to be a foreigner as his skin was stone like yet smooth and was handsome, only driving of the girls who were eyeing him with a fierce glare which drove them looking the other way with shame as others snickered at their obvious ogling of the man himself in public. The blond girl with what seemed to be her lackeys in strange clothing arguing with library staff and the employee must have struck a cord with her as she immediately put a hand over his shoulder and as her eyes turned bright golden yellow, he turned pale white and she left just like that with her lackeys.
There were certainly more strange little things but they were minor compared to these strange scenes in front of Earleen.
'cultivators or practitioners they all must be', Earleen thought to herself. It would explain their strange mannerisms and powers as well as their strange clothing and weird looks. Even Ezrin wasn't excepted from this as Earleen noticed his odd little habits like dressing up in black or dark grey trench coats and looking like a rough detective from a movie.
Earleen however decided to blank everything out in her mind, she came here for a reason and that was to glance at the books that were available before leaving and checking the other places out.
And so she went on, checking from place to place for any books that might interest her.
She found four books which did but wondered which to take out.
One was a book called 'The Runes, By Horik Svensson' which focused on how runes were perceived in the old times, dating their origins from India all the way to Europe. It seemed to focus on the meaning of the runes and other spiritual knowledge the different peoples that used the runes view, usage, and belief in it. It honestly looked like any old history book on some old things that happened long ago which usually wouldn't catch her eye but it did, some of the runes drawing catching her eye, an attraction she knew not why but heard a distant voice in her mind,
'GROWTH'. She accepted the strange thought as a guide that this book might help her out somehow but wasn't sure on whether to take it out so left it back in the book shelf. perhaps if she dedicated more time to understanding the books spiritual jargon she would know why it seemed strange to her.
Another book Earleen found was called 'The dawn of a new age and the chaos that followed'. A history book which was a part of a series which explained events following the mass release of energy from the Earth allowing humans to grow stronger and the extra dimensional beings to notice earth as well as other mythical beings return to Earth like the Gods. An interesting book which might fix her perspective on things her father kept her in the dark from. She thought silently before returning the book back to it's shelf.
The third book Earleen found that interested her was a book called 'The wonders of incense'. A book with a scent of flowers and incense was all over the book. Earleen glanced at the book and it seemed to talk about all sorts of incense and how to make them as well their effects. 'perhaps another time', Earleen thought before leaving the book on the shelf she found it in.
The final book Earleen Encountered was a small manual on some simple martial arts techniques and how to perform better in combat and get stronger. It seemed outdated to be honest and she could probably finish it in a week but returning to the basics to pick up on ones flaws they've picked up surely wouldn't hurt, right? With that she put the final book back onto its shelf and turned to one of the white robed employees'. asking for a form to get a library card to sign out two of the books which interested her the next time she went to the library and went of to her next destination for exploring the local places nearby. The cafes and shops, then a walk before heading home.
The cafes were fine, nothing unexpected but she did get a few sweets she liked with her dad's bribery to get her out of the house instead of using her own allowance.
The cafe's however seemed filled with those her age and slightly older, some sipping down on a cappuccino while others snacking sweets down. Some were just there to talk with others.
'A good place to mingle with others naturally, wonder if i can meet someone here to smooth my transition to the area or school', Earleen thought before heading back outside. She wasn't much of a social person and wasn't the type to approach others but knew the value of how having someone you know could smooth her transition to school on the first day.
Earleen decided however not to mingle with the other people at the cafe as she just felt like quietly exploring the new places.
after ordering a sweet for herself the cafés didn't hold much interest with her so she left, heading to the shops.
The local shops didn't hold much interest with her besides the thrift shops which all held small interesting little things and the shops she wasn't allowed into because she had 'no spirit stones' or whatever they said.
Earleens last stop was the big store called Value Village. Holding all sorts of unique little things which caught her eye. She noticed some people however scanning every little strange thing with glowing eyes before moving onto the next object. They looked a bit scary and rough so she avoided them and left the store soon after noticing nothing interested her.
Earleen was heading home the long way, she wondered on her new home in newfoundland. It was a small house but is enough to house a family of two. It didn't feel much like her original home with all the flowers but it would do.
She thought of all the other places she had been, maybe they would move out again once trouble started following them again. Maybe-
'No', she thought this would be her new home and she would make the best of it she can.
'If I can't handle trouble now how can I hope to handle it in the future?' She thought.
Earleen thought of ways to make this new place her new home. 'Maybe plant flowers with dad around the house, I'm sure he'll like doing something relaxing for once. All that stress must be piling up on him ever since we kept moving around because of the red eyed cults chase on us. Hell, he might be down for some good martial training with me"
Earleen thought it might do her father to relax a little and garden with her or do some training with her. Anything to distract Ezrin from the endless documents she saw him with before she left the house.
She pondered on her walk on how to make this new place her home.
It would be her ground for gaining strength, all hers and all who dared cross it would be destroyed, she thought wishing she could do so.
Although silently before finally reaching home and entering back to see Ezrin, she thought about her desire for the moment. What she wished for.
'Strength… to make this place my new home and discover who's been making my life hell, those who get in my way will…'
She silently entered the house, unsure of what she would do but she felt angry just thinking about it so she let is fester in her before heading into the house and sleeping after a long day of walking around and seeing what was locally available to her.
And with that she had dinner, the day was long after wandering around and she was hungry.
After that she had a long relaxing bath before heading to bed and saying good night to Ezrin who seemed to be occupied with tired eyes as he mulled over the documents with his robotically fast movement and electronic left arm working in tandem with his right.
With that she headed to her room, a blank white room with not much but the training weapons she used to train with her dad and the small bed in the corner of the room to the left. She would need to fix it later, she thought to herself.
Earleen slowly climbed into bed sleepily, tired after the long day
she mulled over what she would do next week, before falling asleep.
Now choose 3 actions to do for next week, notice however you have 6 weeks before school starts in which it will take away actions for the following weeks. Choose wisely. I might do 4 actions per week but I'm not sure if it's a good idea, maybe or maybe not depending on how I find the right amount to balance as well as writing it.
[] Cultivate with Dad [Specify which cultivation skill below] [not available this week] [Not available this week]
-Cultivate Qi Fortification with Dad
Cultivate Qi Speed with DadCultivate Qi Strengthening with DadCultivate Qi Sense with Dad
[] Practice Martial Training without Dad [train martial skills in general, if one wishes to train a specific martial skill with dad please specify.][not available this week]
[] Go to the library [Choose 2 books to study and borrow from the library]
- [] Simple martial arts manual
- [] The Runes, book on runes and their spiritual uses throughout history on Earth and their hidden meanings
- [] The Dawn of a New Age and The Chaos That Followed, A history book
- [] The Wonders of Incense
[] Go shopping at the Thrift stores, maybe you'll find something nice. [Select one of the above options to shop at]
- []Go to many of the small thrift shops, roll multiple dice for finds in store but rolls are reduced. Option to buy items found depending on roll will be presented next week if chosen.
- []Go to Value Village and see what's interesting about the items there. The people however in big black suits seem to be eyeing a fortune however… [roll bigger dice but dangerous people out to make a profit or find something special and will use whatever means necessary to get it]
[] Go to the café's and mingle with people, maybe you'll meet someone to talk to on your first day of school coming up.
[] This dead bland house needs some life in it, go plant some flowers around the house and maybe convince Ezrin to go with her and relieve some stress.
[] This bland room simply won't do, fix up your lifeless room. train personality skill
[] Dad seems to be suffering under all the work he's doing, go help him out
Progress made this update
Early Stage Qi Fortification => Middle stage Qi Fortification: +1 Armour
