Style of the Gods: A Xianxia Style's Celestial Bureaucrat
- Thread starter Evenstar
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Plan Consolidated Mastery
DevilsAdvocate
Always follow the golden rule.
[X] Plan Protag Power
-[X][Asuka] Have Asuka focus on developing her personal skill at the style. Automatic success against DC 20; upgrades her rank in Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens.
-[X][Style] Grey Rat Persists On Corruption
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for.
-[X] Lazy
-[X][Asuka] Have Asuka focus on developing her personal skill at the style. Automatic success against DC 20; upgrades her rank in Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens.
-[X][Style] Grey Rat Persists On Corruption
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for.
-[X] Lazy
- Location
- Actually pretty lost
[X] Plan Consolidated Mastery
Tiebreaker, if required.
Tiebreaker, if required.
- Location
- Pindorama
Lol that "tie-breaker" tied the vote. It also made you vote twice since you didn't strike-through your previous vote; but given you voted after the closing time, I don't think such things matter.
To add a bit a substance to this post, I'm going to speculate a bit. Kaname's original statement of being mistaken for a devil by a dude with magic fists really did make me think of the Zu, but this seems like a normal cultivation setting thus far.
The traits of the Grey Rat Style really do remind me of Persona's Estate Properties, and the points distribution does seem correct for something like that; but Persona affecting our personality itself is certainly a novel twist! I suppose it fits someone who is their Estate as opposed to someone who marries/rules over their Estates as Nobles do. Maybe we are more like the Imperators in this analogy however.
It's hard to speculate on the setting given we know little so far, but I do get the sense that rogue/jobless Kami is a pretty common thing given Kaname's background and the option to have contacts among them, which is interesting. Since they seem to be confused with Demons, it's possible they personally interfere in the world often as compared to more traditional bureocrats. Heaven may also be suffering from their equivalent of a recession given how many jobless spirits there seem to be. Perhaps the people's of the world suffered a fall from grace; if so, it's good luck to our charge, since she may be able to pillage tho stuff they let behind.
I do wonder where exactly where she is though. Most Wuxia and Xianxia take place in expies of the rivers and valleys region of China, but since this has a Nobilis tag any number of weird things maybe going on. Oh, that tag is teasing me so much...
I would actually prefer my plan winning here since Viciousness is hardly a fault in your average Xianxia setting, but we don't know much about this one to say where it falls when it comes to subverting elements of the genre. Removing Lazy is much safer here since it hampers us no matter what!
Hmm, think that's it. I'm actually weirdly excited for this despite the low word count so far, here's hoping the update is progressing well!
- Location
- Domino City
If there needs to be extra tiebreaker...
[X] Plan Consolidated Mastery
While both routes look pretty nifty, I'm not a fan of Grey Rat Persists on Corruption. It leans a little too far into Villain territory for me. I'd be more up for taboo-breaking if the taboos were bad or perhaps neutral ones.
[X] Plan Consolidated Mastery
While both routes look pretty nifty, I'm not a fan of Grey Rat Persists on Corruption. It leans a little too far into Villain territory for me. I'd be more up for taboo-breaking if the taboos were bad or perhaps neutral ones.
- Location
- Actually pretty lost
The tally software only counts each vote once, unless you deliberately set it otherwise.
And yeah, my bad on not breaking the tie - I didn't run the tally again and thought it was up to date.
1401 - Year of the Ox
Evenstar
Triple Jump Unlocked
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You look at what you have. A lone practitioner, up against the whole world. A style that's difficult, dangerous and inefficient.
This is going to take extreme measures, you think. And so you turn to the blackest of your account-books; the one that keeps tally with the Shinigami. Tearing out a page, you write out a formal request for an audience with the courtiers of King Death. You fold the paper over twice, then drop it into your desk lamp. It flares violet, then gutters out.
It takes three weeks to get the heavily-starched response back from King Death's court that your case has merit and when would you like a follow-up appointment. It takes another six weeks to actually see a Shinigami in person. They refer the request to their senior, who can't be bothered to take it for two months. But eventually, eventually, you're left with a release from a senior Administrator, bearing the words:
"So long as practitioners of Grey Rat Style emulate the manner of the carrion rat and exalt the power of King Death over all the celestial bureaucracy, they shall be entitled to an Atma dividend of an additional 35 druchi continuously."
Truly a momentous deal: you can feel your bones shifting as you read it, your flesh receding as you become emaciated and ghoulish, hunger kindling in your stomach for meat, meat, meat, clean or rotting no difference to you, MEAT.
You take a deep breath and steady yourself. Clearly, receiving so much of Death's Atma has changed you rather drastically.
Fortunately, you've been working to hone your willpower; keeping a consistent schedule for sleep and meal times, and always doing your minor bureaucratic work. So you're able to hold yourself back.
You still feel hungry, though.
In order to distract yourself, you look down upon your lone practitioner, and live as her for a little while.
You hadn't believed the ancient text when it said bone was a powerful channeling aid, particularly human bone. Then Kavra had beaten you in a spar, the arrogant prick, and you decided that you had to know. So you went and hunted and killed a rabbit, and used the techniques in the book to make its skeleton sing with Atma.
Using that, you pushed and crushed and compressed your spirit, channeling Atma you ought never have tried to - and formed a Core.
After that, you were convinced. You went down to the market and after some explaining were able to purchase the body of an executed criminal. You cremated it yourself in a stone oven you built, fighting down a queasy hunger at the smell of burning meat. When the bones cooled, you took them and carved charms of them.
Your hands were unskilled, and you channeled Atma poorly. Still, the easiest charm was within your grasp. A set of carved knucklebones on a leather string, triple-knotted and bound together in mockery of the hand they came from. The knucklebones of a criminal, fresh-sewn in leather. A Dead Hand. Worn as a bracelet just by the living hand. It smells delicious. You almost want to gnaw on it.
Instead, you tap it. Feeling the Death Atma inside it, you pull, and squeeze, and compress, and tear power from your own nature as a dying thing, finding the echo of that atma in your own very bones. And as you do, Death atma gathers near your heart, clutching greedily…
You slam the Gates of Life shut against it, and push it down, and grind it against itself. And finally, at last, a second Core forms.
It's a joyous occasion. But you dare not take it to your superiors. When your Master discovered you were using Grey Rat, he made you apologize for four hours straight and warned you that if he ever heard about it again you would be thrown out of the Sect. As for your friend Yuki, she's worried about you for even daring to read the forbidden texts. She won't be of any help either.
You'll just have to celebrate alone.
Adare Kaname, Bureaucrat of Grey Rat Style
Fisher King: You take on the properties of the Style you're responsible for reflexively. Your personality feeds the style, and vice versa.
Legendary 2
Rich 1
Prepared 1
Disreputable 3
Impolite 1
Vicious 2
Ghoulish 1
Gluttonous 1
Style: Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens
Style of Legend 2
Varied Techniques 1
Survivalist 1
Disreputable 3
Difficult 1
Dangerous 2
Taboo-Breaking 1
Ravenous 1
Techniques:
Consuming Cultivation Focus
Grey Rat Persists On Corruption
Grey Rat Stance
Grey Rat Striking Method
Grey Rat Kicking Method
Hero: Asuka Veran
Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens 3
Good Seed: +20 to Cultivation rolls.
Protagonist: +20 to Cultivation rolls.
Dead Hand: +10 to Atma rolls.
[ ][Asuka] Continue to train in Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens and develop another Core. Cultivation Check against DC 60, Failure = death of Asuka.
[ ][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
[ ][Asuka] Challenge another student to a duel and demonstrate your new style before the whole sect. Combat check against DC30.
[ ][Asuka] Focus on making more Charms from the dead criminal's bones. Atma check at DC50.
[ ][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Develop the "soft," Yin potential of the style, emphasizing its cultivation. Build Path: Yin Specialist
[ ][Style] Grey Rat Is Kin To Thousands
Develop the style towards listening to nature and the natural world. Ideal for hunting Demon Beasts. Build Path: Beast-Killer
[ ][Style] Bite of the Grey Rat
Develop "dirty tricks" for the style: bites, eye gouges, crotch kicks. Build path: Survivalist.
[ ][Style] Grey Rat Claws In A Frenzy
Develop the style towards unlocking the animalistic fervor of the panicked rat in combat, boosting the style's potential. Build Path: Feral
[ ][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Write in a fault.)
[ ][Personal] Use your wealth and fame to acquire a minor Treasure for Asuka to use.
[ ][Personal] Use your influence over Grey Rat style to encourage its discovery by a larger group of practitioners.
[ ][Personal] Use your connection to Grey Rat style to begin practicing cultivation yourself.
This is going to take extreme measures, you think. And so you turn to the blackest of your account-books; the one that keeps tally with the Shinigami. Tearing out a page, you write out a formal request for an audience with the courtiers of King Death. You fold the paper over twice, then drop it into your desk lamp. It flares violet, then gutters out.
It takes three weeks to get the heavily-starched response back from King Death's court that your case has merit and when would you like a follow-up appointment. It takes another six weeks to actually see a Shinigami in person. They refer the request to their senior, who can't be bothered to take it for two months. But eventually, eventually, you're left with a release from a senior Administrator, bearing the words:
"So long as practitioners of Grey Rat Style emulate the manner of the carrion rat and exalt the power of King Death over all the celestial bureaucracy, they shall be entitled to an Atma dividend of an additional 35 druchi continuously."
Truly a momentous deal: you can feel your bones shifting as you read it, your flesh receding as you become emaciated and ghoulish, hunger kindling in your stomach for meat, meat, meat, clean or rotting no difference to you, MEAT.
You take a deep breath and steady yourself. Clearly, receiving so much of Death's Atma has changed you rather drastically.
Fortunately, you've been working to hone your willpower; keeping a consistent schedule for sleep and meal times, and always doing your minor bureaucratic work. So you're able to hold yourself back.
You still feel hungry, though.
In order to distract yourself, you look down upon your lone practitioner, and live as her for a little while.
You hadn't believed the ancient text when it said bone was a powerful channeling aid, particularly human bone. Then Kavra had beaten you in a spar, the arrogant prick, and you decided that you had to know. So you went and hunted and killed a rabbit, and used the techniques in the book to make its skeleton sing with Atma.
Using that, you pushed and crushed and compressed your spirit, channeling Atma you ought never have tried to - and formed a Core.
After that, you were convinced. You went down to the market and after some explaining were able to purchase the body of an executed criminal. You cremated it yourself in a stone oven you built, fighting down a queasy hunger at the smell of burning meat. When the bones cooled, you took them and carved charms of them.
Your hands were unskilled, and you channeled Atma poorly. Still, the easiest charm was within your grasp. A set of carved knucklebones on a leather string, triple-knotted and bound together in mockery of the hand they came from. The knucklebones of a criminal, fresh-sewn in leather. A Dead Hand. Worn as a bracelet just by the living hand. It smells delicious. You almost want to gnaw on it.
Instead, you tap it. Feeling the Death Atma inside it, you pull, and squeeze, and compress, and tear power from your own nature as a dying thing, finding the echo of that atma in your own very bones. And as you do, Death atma gathers near your heart, clutching greedily…
You slam the Gates of Life shut against it, and push it down, and grind it against itself. And finally, at last, a second Core forms.
It's a joyous occasion. But you dare not take it to your superiors. When your Master discovered you were using Grey Rat, he made you apologize for four hours straight and warned you that if he ever heard about it again you would be thrown out of the Sect. As for your friend Yuki, she's worried about you for even daring to read the forbidden texts. She won't be of any help either.
You'll just have to celebrate alone.
Adare Kaname, Bureaucrat of Grey Rat Style
Fisher King: You take on the properties of the Style you're responsible for reflexively. Your personality feeds the style, and vice versa.
Legendary 2
Rich 1
Prepared 1
Disreputable 3
Impolite 1
Vicious 2
Ghoulish 1
Gluttonous 1
Style: Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens
Style of Legend 2
Varied Techniques 1
Survivalist 1
Disreputable 3
Difficult 1
Dangerous 2
Taboo-Breaking 1
Ravenous 1
Techniques:
Consuming Cultivation Focus
Grey Rat Persists On Corruption
Grey Rat Stance
Grey Rat Striking Method
Grey Rat Kicking Method
Hero: Asuka Veran
Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens 3
Good Seed: +20 to Cultivation rolls.
Protagonist: +20 to Cultivation rolls.
Dead Hand: +10 to Atma rolls.
[ ][Asuka] Continue to train in Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens and develop another Core. Cultivation Check against DC 60, Failure = death of Asuka.
[ ][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
[ ][Asuka] Challenge another student to a duel and demonstrate your new style before the whole sect. Combat check against DC30.
[ ][Asuka] Focus on making more Charms from the dead criminal's bones. Atma check at DC50.
[ ][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Develop the "soft," Yin potential of the style, emphasizing its cultivation. Build Path: Yin Specialist
[ ][Style] Grey Rat Is Kin To Thousands
Develop the style towards listening to nature and the natural world. Ideal for hunting Demon Beasts. Build Path: Beast-Killer
[ ][Style] Bite of the Grey Rat
Develop "dirty tricks" for the style: bites, eye gouges, crotch kicks. Build path: Survivalist.
[ ][Style] Grey Rat Claws In A Frenzy
Develop the style towards unlocking the animalistic fervor of the panicked rat in combat, boosting the style's potential. Build Path: Feral
[ ][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Write in a fault.)
[ ][Personal] Use your wealth and fame to acquire a minor Treasure for Asuka to use.
[ ][Personal] Use your influence over Grey Rat style to encourage its discovery by a larger group of practitioners.
[ ][Personal] Use your connection to Grey Rat style to begin practicing cultivation yourself.
- Location
- USA
[X] Evening out
-[X][Asuka] Challenge another student to a duel and demonstrate your new style before the whole sect. Combat check against DC30.
-[X][Style] Bite of the Grey Rat
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Impolite 1)
-[X][Asuka] Challenge another student to a duel and demonstrate your new style before the whole sect. Combat check against DC30.
-[X][Style] Bite of the Grey Rat
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Impolite 1)
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- Location
- Actually pretty lost
Oh dear, that's more squicky - and disreputable - than I'd expected. We should probably work on that.
[X] Plan: Grey Rat Grooms Itself Into A Functioning Member Of Society
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Develop the "soft," Yin potential of the style, emphasizing its cultivation. Build Path: Yin Specialist
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Disreputable)
[X] Plan: Grey Rat Grooms Itself Into A Functioning Member Of Society
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Develop the "soft," Yin potential of the style, emphasizing its cultivation. Build Path: Yin Specialist
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Disreputable)
- Location
- The Usual Room
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So, quick question: Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens only has one follower and a bunch of old text, correct? So, we need to find a way to get others on board. Oh, and for Asuka to not die.
[X] Plan To Spread Ten Thousand Rats
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
-[X][Personal] Use your influence over Grey Rat style to encourage its discovery by a larger group of practitioners.
We need more people. Not a whole lot, but more so that in case someone dies it doesn't even everything right then and there.
[X] Plan To Spread Ten Thousand Rats
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
-[X][Personal] Use your influence over Grey Rat style to encourage its discovery by a larger group of practitioners.
We need more people. Not a whole lot, but more so that in case someone dies it doesn't even everything right then and there.
- Location
- Wingmaiden's Reach, the Near Roofs, Town
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The Solitary King?!
... well, there are worse Mysteries to be courting.
Right! We can't remove Ghoulish/Taboo-Breaking or Gluttonous/Ravenous, unless we're willing to break our deal with King Death, which means losing a point of Legendary/Style of Legend and, you know, pissing off a god who is much stronger.
So we are now stuck with being in charge of a possibly cannibalistic death cult!
While I have no power to compel people, I would hope we can reach some agreement on maybe not diving headfirst into death cult cannibalism?
[X] Plan: Grey Rat Grooms Itself Into A Functioning Member Of Society
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- Location
- USA
I agree with that course action and changed my plan to show that also wish we could get rid of Gluttonous,Ghoulish is fine tho
- Location
- ?
[X] Plan: Grey Rat Grooms Itself Into A Functioning Member Of Society
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Develop the "soft," Yin potential of the style, emphasizing its cultivation. Build Path: Yin Specialist
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Disreputable)
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Develop the "soft," Yin potential of the style, emphasizing its cultivation. Build Path: Yin Specialist
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Disreputable)
- Location
- Pindorama
Wow, she actually both those criminal bones legally; she has a far road ahead of her if she wants to become a true Xianxia protagonist!
Unlike most of you I don't really mind this path, making deals with these sort of entities is much more interesting and flavorful to me. A reputation for disreputable acts can be a strength as well! We will likely get much farther ahead if we lean into what is our highest attribute now. Being at the edge of society is only fitting for the Grey Rat.
[X] Plan Grey Rat Prepares His Young
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Grey Rat Is Kin To Thousands
-[X][Personal] Use your wealth and fame to acquire a minor Treasure for Asuka to use.
This is basically grabbing the last of the freebies and giving her a Treasure so her Cultivation odds in future turns is better. A Beast-Killing Style also goes with with this seeming focus on death and the bones of the dead, and might even be a pathway in to more reputable habits. We do gotta spread the Style later though.
[X] Plan To Spread Ten Thousand Rats
[X] Evening out
Approval voting all plans that don't try to reduce Disreputable because hey, I like that part!
Unlike most of you I don't really mind this path, making deals with these sort of entities is much more interesting and flavorful to me. A reputation for disreputable acts can be a strength as well! We will likely get much farther ahead if we lean into what is our highest attribute now. Being at the edge of society is only fitting for the Grey Rat.
[X] Plan Grey Rat Prepares His Young
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Grey Rat Is Kin To Thousands
-[X][Personal] Use your wealth and fame to acquire a minor Treasure for Asuka to use.
This is basically grabbing the last of the freebies and giving her a Treasure so her Cultivation odds in future turns is better. A Beast-Killing Style also goes with with this seeming focus on death and the bones of the dead, and might even be a pathway in to more reputable habits. We do gotta spread the Style later though.
[X] Plan To Spread Ten Thousand Rats
[X] Evening out
Approval voting all plans that don't try to reduce Disreputable because hey, I like that part!
Hmm, Hedge the Fang would actually be the perfect patron for our Style here, we just need to steal the the personhood of a few people, no big deal! Plus, it would be pretty funny for a rat and death themed Style to suddenly develop weather control abilities. People would be so confused.
- Location
- Wingmaiden's Reach, the Near Roofs, Town
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm wondering if it might not be a good idea to spend some time actually thinking about the Grey Rat Style and what it stands for.
Varied Techniques: The Grey Rat is cunning. In its desperation, it has grown wild and unpredictable.
Survivalist: the Grey Rat fights dirty. The Grey Rat fights to win.
Disreputable: the Grey Rat fights without honor. The Grey Rat will lie, will cheat, will steal, in the name of its goals.
Difficult: The Grey Rat bites itself in its confusion. The Grey Rat sickens and dies from the filth it lives in.
Dangerous: I'm not clear if this means the Style is good at killing people, or is dangerous to the practitioner?
Taboo-Breaking: The Grey Rat defies the will of Heaven, as it defies the laws of Earth! There is no bar so low that the Grey Rat cannot scurry beneath it, no depravity it considers beyond the pale.
Ravenous: The Grey Rat feels an unending hunger! What monstrous acts will it commit to fill its starving belly?
Soooo.... what does this all mean?
...
The Grey Rat is starving, naturally. It is disease-ridden. The Grey Rat lives in the gutters, in the back alleys, hiding from the light. Most die, poisoned by the filth they live in. The rare Grey Rat which lives feasts on refuse. It feasts on the dead. It is never satisfied. The Grey Rat fights to live, little claws scrabbling on the precipice of death. In its desperation - in its willful disregard for the laws of Heaven and Earth - it has found a perverse power.
Death walks behind the Grey Rat - but the Grey Rat scurries faster, driven by its endless need - for one more bite, one more taste, one more moment.
I guess my goal for cultivating this thing is to lean into this whole "the Grey Rat walks in the shadow of Death" thing and lean away from, like, further taboo-violation?
Like, direct the development of the style more towards "Death comes for us all, but there is strength in the desperate struggle to survive" and away from "let's eat dead people."
Like, Grey Rat can totally be this style of creepy Death priestesses who wear bone talismans; this style of people who fight viciously when backed into a corner, for whom every fight is life or death, who don't know how to fight fair because fighting fair is for corpses - and they have no intention of dying today.
Grey Rat Style can totally be this elaborate dedication to King Death, who comes for all - by way of desperate defiance, of stubbornly clinging to life, of never once taking one's life for granted, and being ferocious in its defense.
We can't get rid of, like, the corpse fascination and the endless hunger. But we can shape our style such that the meaning of those things is different, more respectable, and less likely to result in a cannibalistic death cult.
I am sorry for harping on that! But it is a very real possibility if we are not more mindful in how we direct our style.
Style of Legend: From humble beginnings, the Grey Rat can rise to shake the heavens.
Varied Techniques: The Grey Rat is cunning. In its desperation, it has grown wild and unpredictable.
Survivalist: the Grey Rat fights dirty. The Grey Rat fights to win.
Disreputable: the Grey Rat fights without honor. The Grey Rat will lie, will cheat, will steal, in the name of its goals.
Difficult: The Grey Rat bites itself in its confusion. The Grey Rat sickens and dies from the filth it lives in.
Dangerous: I'm not clear if this means the Style is good at killing people, or is dangerous to the practitioner?
Taboo-Breaking: The Grey Rat defies the will of Heaven, as it defies the laws of Earth! There is no bar so low that the Grey Rat cannot scurry beneath it, no depravity it considers beyond the pale.
Ravenous: The Grey Rat feels an unending hunger! What monstrous acts will it commit to fill its starving belly?
Soooo.... what does this all mean?
...
The Grey Rat is starving, naturally. It is disease-ridden. The Grey Rat lives in the gutters, in the back alleys, hiding from the light. Most die, poisoned by the filth they live in. The rare Grey Rat which lives feasts on refuse. It feasts on the dead. It is never satisfied. The Grey Rat fights to live, little claws scrabbling on the precipice of death. In its desperation - in its willful disregard for the laws of Heaven and Earth - it has found a perverse power.
Death walks behind the Grey Rat - but the Grey Rat scurries faster, driven by its endless need - for one more bite, one more taste, one more moment.
I guess my goal for cultivating this thing is to lean into this whole "the Grey Rat walks in the shadow of Death" thing and lean away from, like, further taboo-violation?
Like, direct the development of the style more towards "Death comes for us all, but there is strength in the desperate struggle to survive" and away from "let's eat dead people."
Like, Grey Rat can totally be this style of creepy Death priestesses who wear bone talismans; this style of people who fight viciously when backed into a corner, for whom every fight is life or death, who don't know how to fight fair because fighting fair is for corpses - and they have no intention of dying today.
Grey Rat Style can totally be this elaborate dedication to King Death, who comes for all - by way of desperate defiance, of stubbornly clinging to life, of never once taking one's life for granted, and being ferocious in its defense.
We can't get rid of, like, the corpse fascination and the endless hunger. But we can shape our style such that the meaning of those things is different, more respectable, and less likely to result in a cannibalistic death cult.
I am sorry for harping on that! But it is a very real possibility if we are not more mindful in how we direct our style.
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[X] Plan: Grey Rat Grooms Itself Into A Functioning Member Of Society
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Develop the "soft," Yin potential of the style, emphasizing its cultivation. Build Path: Yin Specialist
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Disreputable)
-[X][Asuka] Work on developing Grey Rat Cheats The Heavens. Autosuccess against Cultivation DC 30, gains an additional technique for the Style.
-[X][Style] Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight
Develop the "soft," Yin potential of the style, emphasizing its cultivation. Build Path: Yin Specialist
-[X][Personal] Train to remove one of your personality faults and thereby improve the style you're responsible for. (Disreputable)
- Location
- Wingmaiden's Reach, the Near Roofs, Town
- Pronouns
- She/Her
So, like, the long-term vision I have in my head is that Grey Rat Stylists come in three types:
You've got the gung-ho death worshiper types, who dress all in white and wear talismans made from bone of uncertain source; who are all about reminding people that they're going to die, who are this weird creepy priesthood - but who are, like, respectable-ish? They do death rites for people other priesthoods won't touch; they hold wakes and parties for the dead, to celebrate their life and honor King Death.
Then you've got the gutter rats. The people with nothing, the street brawlers who have to scratch and scrabble for every scrap, who are vicious and uncompromising and never, ever fight fair - "because life ain't fair, and Death don't care. " If you want something, you've got to fight for it, tooth and claw.
And then you've got the, like, hedonist types - "eat, drink, and smash faces, for tomorrow we die!" - who are all about living to the fullest because Death comes for all. Who throw wild parties, full of food and drink and punching people, and make elaborate toasts to King Death, half reverent, half defiant.
And I think all of this can flow from the core philosophical point, from this idea that Death is inevitable - so you need to live, to kick and bite and claw and fight for every second of life, because King Death can come for you at any moment.
So, as far as plans go, I'm targeting Disreputable 1-2, which - we don't know what the numbers mean, but that seems more likely to be in the "people cross the street to get away from you when they see the bone charms, but don't flee in a panic; a hush falls over the tea house when you enter, but you don't get chased out" zone.
And then, like, general build up and recruitment and such; it's hard to nail down specifics this early in the quest.
I'm ... I'm sorry if this is going overboard; and, like, the last thing I want to do is discourage people who have other visions of where Grey Rat Style should end up!
But I do think that having a plan is important, because otherwise we end up incinerating criminals to make bone charms accidentally. And if people want a quest about, like, cannibal necromancer Grey Rat Stylists, that's fine, if not really my cup of tea; but I really don't want that to happen by mistake.
You've got the gung-ho death worshiper types, who dress all in white and wear talismans made from bone of uncertain source; who are all about reminding people that they're going to die, who are this weird creepy priesthood - but who are, like, respectable-ish? They do death rites for people other priesthoods won't touch; they hold wakes and parties for the dead, to celebrate their life and honor King Death.
Then you've got the gutter rats. The people with nothing, the street brawlers who have to scratch and scrabble for every scrap, who are vicious and uncompromising and never, ever fight fair - "because life ain't fair, and Death don't care. " If you want something, you've got to fight for it, tooth and claw.
And then you've got the, like, hedonist types - "eat, drink, and smash faces, for tomorrow we die!" - who are all about living to the fullest because Death comes for all. Who throw wild parties, full of food and drink and punching people, and make elaborate toasts to King Death, half reverent, half defiant.
And I think all of this can flow from the core philosophical point, from this idea that Death is inevitable - so you need to live, to kick and bite and claw and fight for every second of life, because King Death can come for you at any moment.
So, as far as plans go, I'm targeting Disreputable 1-2, which - we don't know what the numbers mean, but that seems more likely to be in the "people cross the street to get away from you when they see the bone charms, but don't flee in a panic; a hush falls over the tea house when you enter, but you don't get chased out" zone.
And then, like, general build up and recruitment and such; it's hard to nail down specifics this early in the quest.
I'm ... I'm sorry if this is going overboard; and, like, the last thing I want to do is discourage people who have other visions of where Grey Rat Style should end up!
But I do think that having a plan is important, because otherwise we end up incinerating criminals to make bone charms accidentally. And if people want a quest about, like, cannibal necromancer Grey Rat Stylists, that's fine, if not really my cup of tea; but I really don't want that to happen by mistake.
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- Location
- Pindorama
This is a forum, there's no need to apologize for thoughtful discussion!
If we use this analysis one step further, what sort of development would this new Style vote give us?
Ten Thousand Grey Rats Gather In Moonlight: In many ways the most generic development available, we don't have many traits that work directly with it! Maybe Ghoulish or a boost to Rich? It's likely just new stuff though.
Grey Rat Is Kin To Thousands: A choice to focus on the hunting and Bone-Gathering abilities displayed by the Style. Would likely give us traits related to Hunting, like patience or sharp senses. Works well with Survivalist and Ravenous, and would likely improve both and our own corresponding traits of Prepared and Gluttonous. If some sort of "balance" needs to be achieved we could probably raise something like that later, but I think Prepared would likely curb Gluttonous a fair deal; a hunter should be patient and calculating after all.
Future development might let us focus on Beast-Hunting, which is a likely way to lower the Disreputable trait if you are interested in that.
Bite of the Grey Rat: Dirty tricks ahoy. Works well with Disreputable and Taboo-Breaking, and would likely boost both. Considering the build path it likely boosts Survivalist as well, which is pretty good. In pure trait increase it might be the most powerful option, even. It might also give us traits that work well with underhanded tactics, like Deceptive, Guile, etc. But the thread is currently recoiling at the Disreputable path while we didn't even do anything evil. So fat chance I guess; would have been cool to see. This also makes us more Prepared, which is good, and it makes me wonder if there are any synergies between Prepared and Disreputable; the later trait might open a great amount of avenues to which we can exploit the former. So it might also be the greatest competence boost on offer.
Grey Rat Claws In A Frenzy: The animalistic Style path. May work well with Ravenous as one taps into one's primal urges, and so may Taboo-Breaking given the blurring between man and animal. And given it's counterpart trait is Vicious, it would also likely make the style more Dangerous as well; only fitting if you adopt the fighting habits of a savage beast. I don't actually think this a good path because a Style that puts you in more danger while having Disreputable and Taboo-Breaking so making enemies is easier is a bad combination. I prefer to avoid this one. But maybe there's an advantage that fully compensates for this, who knows?
No worries, again, this is a place for discussion!
But about your vision, I really suggest just focusing on a single character archetype than to pursue three at once! We just have one Style here, after all. Usually the more coherent and synergistic abilities are often the most powerful, so trying to see only one of this aims bloom into fruition will be much more effective, not only in terms of of power but also dissemination and influence.
Given this thread's current recoil for Disreputable the necromantic priesthood idea seems to be closer to what the thread prefers. I think trying to not be Disreputable right now is a bit of a fool's errand in both that we have already made a deal with King Death and breaking it would be a very bad idea; and that those who deal with death and the dead are usually marginalized by society anyway usually due to cultural aversions. Again, since breaking the deal is a bad idea, we have to live with some bad reputation.
But of course, society finds a useful function from those that deal with death, so a transition to a more formalized structure would minimize the social malus incurred by the art. Kind of a waste of it's Heaven's-defying potential though and one that works poorly with our chosen path. We voted against putting ourselves into the structures of society in favor of a single talent who could overturn any odds, we shouldn't actually care about the dictates of society! After we are triumphant, we can remake the social structures to whatever is necessary, no need to give up before things even started.
As you may have deduced, I really don't like the current bandwagon and I think it doesn't work well with our previous choices. We choose to empower a single genius and have her face the odds of a Xianxia protagonist to bring our style into prominence, why this sudden worry about broad acceptance? This is Xianxia, power is the greatest decider of your actual position in society; to strengthen the Style and its most important adopter is far safer and more important than bad optics. It just feels very wasteful to me.
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