You are Adare Kaname, Junior of the Celestial Bureaucracy, responsible for Gray Rat Style, a regrettable and minor series of techniques that nonetheless require a tutelary god. Expand your division of the Celestial Bureaucracy, strengthen your style and expand its territory, and capture the great treasures of the world to fuel your ambitions. All will know the power and might of the Gray Rat!
Style of the Gods: A Xianxia Style's Celestial Bureaucrat
- Thread starter Evenstar
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 169
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- 0
- Threadmarks
- 18
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Statistics (18 threadmarks, 19k words)
User Total Evenstar 18
Your Charge
Evenstar
Triple Jump Unlocked
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- She/Her
"Your appointment, Kaname, is to shepherd the Grey Rat style into something worthy of the name!"
The administrator raps his wooden stick on the floor, and you press your head back to the flagstones.
"Yes Grand High Arbiter!"
"Your appointment to the celestial bureaucracy depends upon this task. Fail, and you will be ejected. Back to being another rogue Kami. Do not fail, Kaname!"
"Yes Grand High Arbiter!"
You wait until he leaves the room, then pick yourself up and dust yourself off. For all the abuse of your new job, at least you weren't out there being hunted as a demon by some wackjob with magic fists.
And the Grey Rat style, though poor, still has some redeeming qualities that give you hope for this assignment.
[ ][Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
[ ][Style] The style has good foundations. It's reliable and easy to learn.
[ ][Style] The style is very showy. It demonstrates well and has great move variety.
[ ][Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
It also has a degree of hold on the world.
[ ][Domain] An eccentric master has begun to teach his students Grey Rat style as a test of their potential for more gruelling styles.
[ ][Domain] The remains of an embattled sect have taken up and begun to develop Grey Rat style as a desperation secret weapon.
[ ][Domain] A young cultivator with tremendous potential has become interested in Grey Rat style over the cries of her mentors.
[ ][Domain] Marauding barbarians have taken up Grey Rat style in order to use its advantages against "civilized" cultivators.
And there's something you can do personally, too…
[ ][Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
[ ][Personal] You still know many rogue kami, who you might be able to convince to help cultivate the style.
[ ][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
[ ][Personal] You know a human cultivator who might be interested in the style. You could ask them to help promote it.
The administrator raps his wooden stick on the floor, and you press your head back to the flagstones.
"Yes Grand High Arbiter!"
"Your appointment to the celestial bureaucracy depends upon this task. Fail, and you will be ejected. Back to being another rogue Kami. Do not fail, Kaname!"
"Yes Grand High Arbiter!"
You wait until he leaves the room, then pick yourself up and dust yourself off. For all the abuse of your new job, at least you weren't out there being hunted as a demon by some wackjob with magic fists.
And the Grey Rat style, though poor, still has some redeeming qualities that give you hope for this assignment.
[ ][Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
[ ][Style] The style has good foundations. It's reliable and easy to learn.
[ ][Style] The style is very showy. It demonstrates well and has great move variety.
[ ][Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
It also has a degree of hold on the world.
[ ][Domain] An eccentric master has begun to teach his students Grey Rat style as a test of their potential for more gruelling styles.
[ ][Domain] The remains of an embattled sect have taken up and begun to develop Grey Rat style as a desperation secret weapon.
[ ][Domain] A young cultivator with tremendous potential has become interested in Grey Rat style over the cries of her mentors.
[ ][Domain] Marauding barbarians have taken up Grey Rat style in order to use its advantages against "civilized" cultivators.
And there's something you can do personally, too…
[ ][Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
[ ][Personal] You still know many rogue kami, who you might be able to convince to help cultivate the style.
[ ][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
[ ][Personal] You know a human cultivator who might be interested in the style. You could ask them to help promote it.
[X] Plan Sublime Grey Rat Style
- [X] [Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
- [X] [Domain] A young cultivator with tremendous potential has become interested in Grey Rat style over the cries of her mentors.
- [X] [Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
I like high requirements, and this seems to get the best value out of that.
- [X] [Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
- [X] [Domain] A young cultivator with tremendous potential has become interested in Grey Rat style over the cries of her mentors.
- [X] [Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
I like high requirements, and this seems to get the best value out of that.
J.I.M.S
BookWyrm
- Location
- Latveria
[X] Plan: Grey War Rat Kami
-[X][Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
-[X][Domain] Marauding barbarians have taken up Grey Rat style in order to use its advantages against "civilized" cultivators.
-[X][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
Basically war will be the whetstone that'll either make or break the Grey Rat style and we'd take it up as well to get a better feel for it.
Lots of people actively using it while we also actively use it.
-[X][Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
-[X][Domain] Marauding barbarians have taken up Grey Rat style in order to use its advantages against "civilized" cultivators.
-[X][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
Basically war will be the whetstone that'll either make or break the Grey Rat style and we'd take it up as well to get a better feel for it.
Lots of people actively using it while we also actively use it.
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Twisted Mind
ADHD Man!
- Location
- The Walled Commune (Florida)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan Godly Rat of Death
[X][Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
[X][Domain] Marauding barbarians have taken up Grey Rat style in order to use its advantages against "civilized" cultivators.
[X][Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
[X][Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
[X][Domain] Marauding barbarians have taken up Grey Rat style in order to use its advantages against "civilized" cultivators.
[X][Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
Twisted Mind
ADHD Man!
- Location
- The Walled Commune (Florida)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Holy crap. Someone Made almost the exact plan As me in The same time. What are The freaking Odds.
J.I.M.S
BookWyrm
- Location
- Latveria
I am speed.
I bounced between making the style easy to learn or good at what it does. I figured more people will end up being alive if they're good at fighting rather than they have something easy to learn.
Though being easy to learn brings to mind there being a lot of sub variants as a result.
Anyhow didn't go with the budget because I honestly don't have high hopes for it.
I weighed having small budget vs having friends vs having experience vs having a sponsor deal. Having experience in cultivation beat having friends by a hair. Because personal power over soft power! #WarKami5Life
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- Location
- Poland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan Crawl From Hell to Strike at Gods
-[X][Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
-[X][Domain] The remains of an embattled sect have taken up and begun to develop Grey Rat style as a desperation secret weapon.
-[X][Personal] You still know many rogue kami, who you might be able to convince to help cultivate the style.
Because a super-dangerous training from hell is something only the most desperate would attempt.
To help with their efforts, we call up our old contacts, in order to help those poor fools not die from walking our path.
-[X][Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
-[X][Domain] The remains of an embattled sect have taken up and begun to develop Grey Rat style as a desperation secret weapon.
-[X][Personal] You still know many rogue kami, who you might be able to convince to help cultivate the style.
Because a super-dangerous training from hell is something only the most desperate would attempt.
To help with their efforts, we call up our old contacts, in order to help those poor fools not die from walking our path.
- Location
- Wingmaiden's Reach, the Near Roofs, Town
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Plan Hyaline Arquebus
- [X][Style] The style has good foundations. It's reliable and easy to learn.
- [X][Domain] The remains of an embattled sect have taken up and begun to develop Grey Rat style as a desperation secret weapon.
- [X][Personal] You still know many rogue kami, who you might be able to convince to help cultivate the style.
- [X][Style] The style has good foundations. It's reliable and easy to learn.
- [X][Domain] The remains of an embattled sect have taken up and begun to develop Grey Rat style as a desperation secret weapon.
- [X][Personal] You still know many rogue kami, who you might be able to convince to help cultivate the style.
- Location
- USA
[X] Plan: Accept Nothing But The Best
-[X][Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
-[X][Domain] A young cultivator with tremendous potential has become interested in Grey Rat style over the cries of her mentors.
-[X][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
-[X][Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
-[X][Domain] A young cultivator with tremendous potential has become interested in Grey Rat style over the cries of her mentors.
-[X][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
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ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
[X] Plan Prop Up The Grey Rat Sect
-[X] [Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
-[X] [Domain] The remains of an embattled sect have taken up and begun to develop Grey Rat style as a desperation secret weapon.
-[X] [Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
Didn't see this particular combination anywhere, and it's my favorite. Essentially, we use our finances to support the sect that has taken up the Grey Rat Style. Between our support and the style's excellent use for war, it will be enough to earn some victories, and when other sects see the style being used to win they will consider taking it up as well. This is a practical plan that does not rely on a risky gamble for great power, but instead on simple martial and financial power, and the fact that repeated success will attract attention.
Having a small number of Xianxia protagonists will not make the style widespread if the majority of cultivators still can't use it, and makes the style's greatness very vulnerable to the small number of practitioners dying or switching to something else. Instead, we make it into a very desirable weapon of war, not too easy but not overly difficult, that has a history of success. It will increasingly become a standard and well-practiced style.
-[X] [Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
-[X] [Domain] The remains of an embattled sect have taken up and begun to develop Grey Rat style as a desperation secret weapon.
-[X] [Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
Didn't see this particular combination anywhere, and it's my favorite. Essentially, we use our finances to support the sect that has taken up the Grey Rat Style. Between our support and the style's excellent use for war, it will be enough to earn some victories, and when other sects see the style being used to win they will consider taking it up as well. This is a practical plan that does not rely on a risky gamble for great power, but instead on simple martial and financial power, and the fact that repeated success will attract attention.
Having a small number of Xianxia protagonists will not make the style widespread if the majority of cultivators still can't use it, and makes the style's greatness very vulnerable to the small number of practitioners dying or switching to something else. Instead, we make it into a very desirable weapon of war, not too easy but not overly difficult, that has a history of success. It will increasingly become a standard and well-practiced style.
[X] Plan: Grey War Rat Kami
- Location
- Actually pretty lost
[X] Plan: Accept Nothing But The Best
-[X][Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
-[X][Domain] A young cultivator with tremendous potential has become interested in Grey Rat style over the cries of her mentors.
-[X][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
Xianxia is all about bulldozing your way through long odds and poor decisions without showing a hint of fear, doubt, or self-preservation! Long-odds styles with incredible potential are the only styles worth bothering with at high levels - picking mediocre styles because "they're easy" or "they probably won't kill you" or "they don't feel like someone is stabbing you with hot pokers" is for chumps who'll never ascend to a meaningful level!
More seriously: an easier style would let more people learn it, and possibly do pretty well. But in Xianxia, the lives of a thousand mooks at 4th level are worth less than the passing attention of someone at 6th level - we'll only be truly successful if someone uses our style to go the distance, and then builds a sect or something. And the genre thrives on the extreme high end and long odds in just about every aspect - this is very much playing to genre conventions.
-[X][Style] The style has incredible potential and could make its users godlike… if they survived the cultivation of it. So far, no-one has.
-[X][Domain] A young cultivator with tremendous potential has become interested in Grey Rat style over the cries of her mentors.
-[X][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
Xianxia is all about bulldozing your way through long odds and poor decisions without showing a hint of fear, doubt, or self-preservation! Long-odds styles with incredible potential are the only styles worth bothering with at high levels - picking mediocre styles because "they're easy" or "they probably won't kill you" or "they don't feel like someone is stabbing you with hot pokers" is for chumps who'll never ascend to a meaningful level!
More seriously: an easier style would let more people learn it, and possibly do pretty well. But in Xianxia, the lives of a thousand mooks at 4th level are worth less than the passing attention of someone at 6th level - we'll only be truly successful if someone uses our style to go the distance, and then builds a sect or something. And the genre thrives on the extreme high end and long odds in just about every aspect - this is very much playing to genre conventions.
I've made the same vote as you, maybe vote for it as a plan to make the tally clearer?
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[X] Plan: Grey War Rat Kami
DevilsAdvocate
Always follow the golden rule.
[X] Plan: Grey War Rat Kami
-[X][Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
-[X][Domain] Marauding barbarians have taken up Grey Rat style in order to use its advantages against "civilized" cultivators.
-[X][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
-[X][Style] The style has savage efficiency, and tremendous killing intent. It suits war well.
-[X][Domain] Marauding barbarians have taken up Grey Rat style in order to use its advantages against "civilized" cultivators.
-[X][Personal] You personally have some skill at cultivation; you could take up the style and experiment with it.
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Plan Sublime Grey Rat Style
[X] Plan: Accept Nothing But The Best
[X] Plan: Accept Nothing But The Best
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EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
[X] Plan Sublime Grey Rat Style
J.I.M.S
BookWyrm
- Location
- Latveria
Four objectives. Interpretation of the synopsis.
• Expand the Grey Rat division of the Celestial Bureaucracy
• Strengthen Grey Rat style
• Expand Grey Rat style territory
• Capture the great treasures of the world to fuel your ambitions
The goal isn't make the best style, the most powerful style, or even the easiest style. Can see why OP style modification is appealing but seems like a trick choice when it comes to expanding Grey Rat style territory. Making an OP protagonist is a trap!
A quick break down.
==============
These three would promote people trying to learn it either for it's killing potential, ease of learning, or for the breath of move variety.
This makes it so only the chosen few can make it. Cream of the crop protagonists, side characters and antagonists.
-Basically it's a choice between accessibility or reputation when someone manages to become god like.
==============
-I basically see it as share with a few and it becomes famous because of how little info there is on it and how good it is OR share with a bunch of people, potentially get countered at some point in the future but it's still famous.
=============
Trying to improve the style right off the gate. The first one is by using limited Celestial Bureaucracy (CB) resources the other is our own skill. So pay to win or being a real gamer.
The usage of soft power. Basically depending on others to help out but in two different ways. One is to use the skills of the other kami and improve the style. The other is using the reputation of the human to sell the style to other people.
-Basically taking advantage of the goodwill of others, throwing resources at the problem, or relying on the self. Tough choice because asking for help isn't bad and depending solely on the self is a stressful. But depending on others can backfire because they're people and can stop being reliable at any time unlike yourself... until you aren't physically capable. Throwing resources sounds good until it just doesn't work but 'Screw the rules I have money' applies.
===============
All in all I've chosen to optimize for war and depend on ourselves. Not resources or people, I have a broad idea of how it'd look but there not enough data! So spread it far and wide and be the sole name that can be attached to the Grey Rat style. Hopefully it'll survive if all the barbarians get culled ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
• Expand the Grey Rat division of the Celestial Bureaucracy
• Strengthen Grey Rat style
• Expand Grey Rat style territory
• Capture the great treasures of the world to fuel your ambitions
The goal isn't make the best style, the most powerful style, or even the easiest style. Can see why OP style modification is appealing but seems like a trick choice when it comes to expanding Grey Rat style territory. Making an OP protagonist is a trap!
A quick break down.
Too hard
Potentially too few people
Potentially too unreliable
==============
These three would promote people trying to learn it either for it's killing potential, ease of learning, or for the breath of move variety.
This makes it so only the chosen few can make it. Cream of the crop protagonists, side characters and antagonists.
==============
Baby's first Martial Arts. Looks like it'd be shared with a small group of people to begin with unless the master is in a sect or large clan. Would synergize with the [Personal] human promotion?
Secret weapon makes me think the sect will teach it to a select few and try to keep a lid on how many people know about it along with other people trying to get access to it. Also unknown if she's part of a sect or large clan.
Rings of protagonist potential. Either she'll be open about what she's using and people'll go 'No friggin way' based on the mentors' reaction or she'll let as few people as possible to keep the style a secret as Xianxia protagonists are wont to do.
If it's successful enough it could become a cultural mainstay of whatever culture the barbarians establish after wrecking the civies. Or if it's unsuccessful it'll be forgotten much like the unnamed barbarians who dared to attack civilization.
=============
Trying to improve the style right off the gate. The first one is by using limited Celestial Bureaucracy (CB) resources the other is our own skill. So pay to win or being a real gamer.
The usage of soft power. Basically depending on others to help out but in two different ways. One is to use the skills of the other kami and improve the style. The other is using the reputation of the human to sell the style to other people.
===============
All in all I've chosen to optimize for war and depend on ourselves. Not resources or people, I have a broad idea of how it'd look but there not enough data! So spread it far and wide and be the sole name that can be attached to the Grey Rat style. Hopefully it'll survive if all the barbarians get culled ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
- Location
- Spain
An easy to learn style it's better for our purposes than an strong one.
We don't care if Grey Rat practicioners are mooks that die by the thousand. We care that there are thousands of practicioners, because that means that we already fullfilled our mission. If they get exploded later it's not out problem.
[X] Plan Arts for noobs
-[X] [Style] The style has good foundations. It's reliable and easy to learn.
-[X] [Domain] An eccentric master has begun to teach his students Grey Rat style as a test of their potential for more gruelling styles.
-[X] [Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
We don't care if Grey Rat practicioners are mooks that die by the thousand. We care that there are thousands of practicioners, because that means that we already fullfilled our mission. If they get exploded later it's not out problem.
[X] Plan Arts for noobs
-[X] [Style] The style has good foundations. It's reliable and easy to learn.
-[X] [Domain] An eccentric master has begun to teach his students Grey Rat style as a test of their potential for more gruelling styles.
-[X] [Personal] You have a small discretionary budget to spend on your style. Small by Celestial standards, anyway.
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J.I.M.S
BookWyrm
- Location
- Latveria
You're not wrong. But in my head I see the barbarians fighting civilization going poorly if they have the reliable mook style.
The pressure of civilization fighting back making the barbarians notice that those who practice efficiency don't end up unalived. Admittedly the same could be said about variety.
There is logic in getting as many fists and feet on the ground as soon as possible but if that flops too hard then the people on civilization's side will have no reason to save the style because it's too mediocre.
It obviously didn't work for the barbarians no matter how many people they put onto the field.
Though there's a chance of
Wow they had so many friggin fighters I thought it'd never end, I'm impressed.
Which would be good.
I see efficiency as the middle ground between reliable and godlike Grey Rat style. Perhaps enough oomph to allow the barbarians to prevail but even if they don't, civilization will keep the style around because of how well it worked for as long as it did.
Meanwhile if the sect's desperate secret weapon is something easy to practice... I don't have a lot of confidence on the sect surviving.
I could see the potential protagonist elevating the style if it's easy to learn as I can see a sort of logic where it's so easy it loops around to efficiency. But in that case why not go for straight for something that by the sounds of it was made to kill with efficiency instead of easy=efficient.
The Master guy uses something easy to teach to find good seeds, but in that case the guy doesn't have high standards... Which could work?
Might be the start of a sect now that I think about it. Though if he's choosing disciples while already in a clan/sect it'd make me scratch my head as to why he'd use old reliable.
Unless he already has something that builds off of Grey Rat and is checking for affinity with the style.
Edit: For the record, yes a lot of speculation and assumptions.
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