I sincerely doubt that this will be the last time he does something awful to someone, even leaving aside stupid stuff like us accidentally calling Mei Daiyu an incompetent oaf when we ran into her while doing sect work.
Ok, let's not start putting things out of context here. We just asked her if she needed some help, considering she seemed to be in a hurry, and that was the whole intention, both OOC and IC. It's just that no one remembered that Mei Dayu said she'd ask us for help before the duel, so that called up bad memories for her. (EDIT: IIRC the main argument for that vote was because she'd appreciate action over words, but that didn't work out. )
EDIT: In fact, that very update you're talking about is a good example of showing Kong Zhi's own desire to make amends with Mei Dayu, since that was explicitly talked about with Jai Fa, so that's a pretty poor place to attack Zhi in.
None of those would have been open to us because if you listen to Mo Hanying after the fight she never expected us to help her. In fact she said we were one of the last people she expected. Implying she thought we were hostile, or she'd heard such from others.
Mo was not going to be available for trade/barter or social dalliance for a long time.
that is pure speculation, so i shall offer some of my own, she could have thought us merely neutral or just mildly set against her by principle of being mei's friend, but thats not as hard a barrier to overcome as you are implying. i find it much more likely that she did not expect us more so because she knows we are a crafter in addition to being one who services her enemies. there was no true bad blood there.
Ok, let's not start putting things out of context here. We just asked her if she needed some help, considering she seemed to be in a hurry, and that was the whole intention, both OOC and IC. It's just that no one remembered that Mei Dayu said she'd ask us for help before the duel, so that called up bad memories for her.
EDIT: In fact, that very update you're talking about is a good example of showing Kong Zhi's own desire to make amends with Mei Dayu, since that was explicitly talked about with Jai Fa, so that's a pretty poor place to attack Zhi in.
Yes? That's why I said "accidentally calling Mei Daiyu an incompetent oaf " and that "He feels bad about how he treated Mei but, well, he has no clue how to deal with it."
Yes? That's why I said "accidentally calling Mei Daiyu an incompetent oaf " and that "He feels bad about how he treated Mei but, well, he has no clue how to deal with it."
Yeah, that's fair, it's just that without broader clarification, a different person who read that may warp it to feed their confirmation bias spiral, so I wanted to nip that in the bud.
(EDIT: As an example, a person who already thinks Zhi is a horrible person may read that and think, "How hard can it be to not call someone an incompetent oaf? I guess I should have expected something like that." Since they wouldn't know that Zhi didn't literally call her an incompetent oaf, that's going to be their first assumption.)
Overall, your statement was pretty accurate, though IMO maybe a bit overly pessimistic, though that's just me.
The decision was discussed very heavily in the the thread at the time, and doing so again is likely going to open up old wounds, but, well, we seem to be doing so, some other things to consider:
1. The stakes of the duel just weren't that high. There was nothing on the line except for a matter of pride. Pride is a big deal in xianxia culture, but even so, this was as minor as it could get when face is on the line - insults and apologies by teenagers. That's important for the context. That no one but Mei was affronted by our actions is a reflection of this.
2. The social opportunities offered by stepping up were significant. Not only impressing Mo, but also establishing our martial skills in front of the sect. I was banking on this being a bigger deal than it ended up being, but at least no one has thought we're easy prey since then. Prior to this Kong was a hermit who mostly socialized with his roommates and their acquaintances, now a lot of the Ninth Circle will recognize his face. (To be fair, this might have been a bigger deal if we'd taken any steps to capitalize on it)
3. Jai Fa was impressed by us stepping up to the plate. Jai Fa is awesome.
The decision was discussed very heavily in the the thread at the time, and doing so again is likely going to open up old wounds, but, well, we seem to be doing so, some other things to consider:
1. The stakes of the duel just weren't that high. There was nothing on the line except for a matter of pride. Pride is a big deal in xianxia culture, but even so, this was as minor as it could get when face is on the line - insults and apologies by teenagers. That's important for the context. That no one but Mei was affronted by our actions is a reflection of this.
2. The social opportunities offered by stepping up were significant. Not only impressing Mo, but also establishing our martial skills in front of the sect. I was banking on this being a bigger deal than it ended up being, but at least no one has thought we're easy prey since then. Prior to this Kong was a hermit who mostly socialized with his roommates and their acquaintances, now a lot of the Ninth Circle will recognize his face. (To be fair, this might have been a bigger deal if we'd taken any steps to capitalize on it)
3. Jai Fa was impressed by us stepping up to the plate. Jai Fa is awesome.
1. objectively in the sense of the broader world at play yes. however that was the highest stakes we have seen up until that point.
2. impressing mo is questionable to me as i have said, it wouldn't have been hard to do so in other ways and preserve our friendships. pretty sure no one has thought we were easy prey since becoming buds with jai fa, whom speaking of
3. is indeed awesome.
in the end it amounts to i don't like backstabbing a friend and a mentor, especially for profits that i see as minor in nature. regardless i am enjoying the quest and continuing to read it (just hit meeting elder tantoi)
Reading the last update, and how we were very explicitly told that it was an error over focus on a single area of our abilities, the overwhelming concentration of crafting at this point seems a mistake.
I think we've been told that at this stage of of our cultivation we need to build a broader foundation. As we're particularly talented at combat, that suggests that we should be investing a large amount in that as well, unless we find some other thing we're talented at as well.
The warning about elder Tian suggest we should be putting no more than one action into that as well. We've possibly already invested excessively there, at the expense of gaining a wider range of skills. The argument about gaining skills presumably applies to the other Elders as well, as working with their challenges would presumably increase things related to their areas of focus.
I think we've been told that at this stage of of our cultivation we need to build a broader foundation. As we're particularly talented at combat, that suggests that we should be investing a large amount in that as well, unless we find some other thing we're talented at as well.
Well, good news there. We're spending quite a bit of actions to push to Phase 2 of Blooming Spear of the Auroch from the get-go this turn. If that isn't giving focus to combat, I don't know what is.
Well, good news there. We're spending quite a bit of actions to push to Phase 2 of Blooming Spear of the Auroch from the get-go this turn. If that isn't giving focus to combat, I don't know what is.
We're spending 2 actions on Tian because we know how to get his approval whereas Siani is a great big question mark.
As for going to the market, that's half for crafting and half for getting the wood/earth pills needed to advance our technique.
So only two actions are crafting exclusive, and next turn we can start exploring again with a Solid damage dealing technique in case we bump into something nasty.
We're spending 3 actions on Tian because we know how to get his approval whereas Siani is a great big question mark.
As for going to the market, that's half for crafting and half for getting the wood/earth pills needed to advance our technique.
So only two actions are crafting exclusive, and next turn we can start exploring again with a Solid damage dealing technique in case we bump into something nasty.
We were also told about as directly as one elder could say about another that Elder Tian is completely unsuitable as a mentor for us, as I read it. As far as I can tell we don't want his approval, particularly as there's a risk that making it clear we're choosing him might well rule Siani out, as it suggests we've chosen the obvious path of charm crafting and are committed to it.
Much of the justification given for the investment was to gain crafting skills, and even if you want to get Tian as a mentor, that's a mentor for crafting.
I was being a bit ungenerous though. It's 5.5 dedicated crafting actions and 1.5 combat training action.
When we do get techniques, we should probably try to get melee versions of them, if possible. The free quality has a huge impact right now and I wouldn't be surprised if we could find melee defender, warrior, and monk techniques. I'm not sure about melee sage or scholar techniques, but that seems at least worth investigating.
Three different combat techniques is pretty good and would allow us to fully utilize A Second of Eternity and our share of the Armory (if we go Steel Defender and Time Monk).
Exploration is also going to be important once we've gotten the Spear.
The warning about elder Tian suggest we should be putting no more than one action into that as well. We've possibly already invested excessively there, at the expense of gaining a wider range of skills. The argument about gaining skills presumably applies to the other Elders as well, as working with their challenges would presumably increase things related to their areas of focus.
That is actually a good point. Even if Siani takes on the matters that fall outside the others domain, they are probably adjacent and Sela said that he'd make us do other things as well.
So taking tasks from the other Elders might not be a bad idea in order to show that we're not solely going the path of a charm crafter.
There are probably other ways we can show it as well though.
Do you think that if zhi solos a spirit beast or a vestige, he could get all the mats or just whatever he could salvage, and as a result get some kind of salvage skill that would explain why he couldn't get all kinds of mats from one opponent narratively?
Do you think that if zhi solos a spirit beast or a vestige, he could get all the mats or just whatever he could salvage, and as a result get some kind of salvage skill that would explain why he couldn't get all kinds of mats from one opponent narratively?
Spirit Beasts don't dissipate, so if we solo'd one we'd be able to take all the mats, yeah. We didn't get all the mats from the Ox last time since we fought it with Nokai, and Nokai really carried us there, so she got most of the mats.
Vestiges, on the other hand, dissipate soon after death. If we made our Knowledge Cultivation roll we'd have been able to realize fast enough to get two mats instead of one, but even in this case we wouldn't have been able to take all the mats.
Reading the last update, and how we were very explicitly told that it was an error over focus on a single area of our abilities, the overwhelming concentration of crafting at this point seems a mistake.
"You may be solely a charmcrafter now, Kong Zhi. But do not be so quick to cut the branches from your path quite yet. You are at best, a young Artist, still halfway through the first step on their path. You have yet to discover where your talents truly lie. Claiming to be anything above all else at this point is the height of foolishness."
I think that this is Elder Sela looking dubiously at the teenager saying they know exactly who they are and what they're going to do for the rest of their life and gently advising them to maybe do a little more experimentation and soul searching before setting their career and self-identity in stone.
I feel like people may be overrating the skill level ups from working with elder Tian? Most of our actions give us a chance to level up some skill along with a narrative reward. With Tian, the narrative reward is working towards impressing him, while the skill reward is probably leveling up a random crafting skill. Leveling up a random crafting skill is nice, but we should compare it to things like making a charm and potentially leveling up our central "Craft (Charm)" skill with all the other upside.
If we don't want to be Tian's disciple -- and I think many of us don't at this point -- then we're taking actions that only give us half the reward of other actions and just don't seem that competitive.
A/N: A big thanks to the 17 people who have pledged to me on Patreon! If you'd like to join them, you can do so here. If you'd like to check out the Royal Road crosspost, head on over and check it out! Leave a rating while you're there. It really does help me out.
[] Plan Nose To The Grindstone
-[] You've been tasked with impressing an Elder if you wish to rise to the Eighth Circle. You will seek to impress Elder Tian, the master craftsman, by returning to the Creators Garden and working as an assistant to any who will have you (x2).
-[] You have talents and you have sect points. They burn a hole in your purse and token the longer you have them. You shall go to the sect market and seek to offload some of your wealth.
-[] Your fingers itch to begin work on a new charm. You shall begin planning one out.
--[] You shall begin work on your commission for Xu Yun (Blood Defender Charm) (x2).
-[] The only true way to walk your path is to cycle the anam of the world. You will do so.
--[] Take the Ingersroot and any Earth and Wood pills purchased at the market.
---[] Blooming Spear of the Auroch
-[] You have discovered several secrets of the broken charm from the Lost Armory. You know the script it is written in, you know it's origin, and you have some clue as to it's purpose. Now all you need to do is actually fix it. That should prove simple enough.
-[] One of the names you were asked to make yourself known to was a member of the Zhuan family. You have yet to make the Zhuan's acquaintance or even learn who he is. You will seek to change this.
-[] The sound of howling has begun to ring throughout the Delving Heart, coming from a small side cavern close to the Ninth Circle Courtyard. Nokai is conspicuously absent whenever these noises sound. You will investigate and see what your barbarian friend is doing
--------------------
Sometimes it feels like since you took the Soldier's Step, you are in a different body. A better body, certainly, but still a different body.
Your old body needed at least two meals a day, usually more. Your new one only has you sitting down to eat once a day at most. Your old body cried out in agony if you didn't sleep for at least six hours every night. Your new one only asks to rest every now and then, twice a week at most. Your old body felt… like a body. It didn't feel like anything, truly. It was just you. Your new body, on the other hand? It feels like warmth, life, energy as anam pulses in your core.
But the biggest change has to have been to your senses. It feels like your old body was wearing a dozen layers of protective gauze over every single sense, and now they've all suddenly been ripped away. Your sight is clearer. Your sense of smell is sharper. Your sense of touch feels so sensitive that you can no longer walk barefoot on the floor of the Spire. And your hearing?
...honestly, right now, you wish it weren't as good as it is.
As you walk through the Ninth Circle Courtyard, howling splits the air. The Servants around you all flinch and recoil from the noise, slapping their hands to their ears to muffle the sound. But for the Soldiers the sound is all the worse. It slices into your skull like blades into flesh. The sheer volume of the noise is almost enough to drive you to your knees. It takes an actual effort of will to stay standing, and even more of one to keep walking.
Slowly, the howling fades and dies. It leaves behind a ringing in your ears that doesn't go away, no matter how you shake your head. Tears form in your eyes and you stop to take a heavy breath outside the courtyard. Several moments of slow breathing reduce the ringing to an echo of its former self; enough that you're comfortable walking once more.
Until the howling starts again. This time, it doesn't stop for a good minute.
When it finally stops again, you don't waste time. You spin and head for it's source. It's not hard to figure out where the howling is coming from. The sound seems to be emanating from a side tunnel near the courtyard- a suspicion that's verified when the howling starts once more and you're almost knocked over.
As you force your way through the tunnels, stopping every few moments to shelter from the noise, your mind races as you try to figure out what could be causing this. Could it be a spirit beast? It seems unlikely; you've never seen one this close to the civilized parts of the sect before. A kukuni is more likely; this pounding force in your skull seems like something one of the ephemeral forces would cause. Or it could be neither, or both maybe. Perhaps one is fighting something or this is an echo of a technique or an Elder is testing you all or-
A suspicion begins to form in your mind as you walk. You didn't see Nokai out in the courtyard, and more importantly you didn't see her dogs. Your hearing may be sensitive, but you suspect that that of a dog is much sharper still. If they heard that noise there is no way that a dog, even a dog as well trained as Nokai's pack, would stay silent. But if they were causing the noise...
You don't know for sure what the source of the howling is until you fight through another soundwave and make it to a small cave within the tunnel. There, your suspicions are proven correct. Sitting in the center of the cave floor is Nokai with her eyes closed and lips pursed. All around her, sitting in a circle, are her dogs. Their heads are likewise thrown back and their necks practically vibrate before your eyes with the remnants of the sound they've just finished making.
Though that isn't the first thing you notice about the dogs. Your attention is drawn instantly to Zhao. The muscular beast looks different than he did when you last saw him. His teeth are hanging over his lips and his nub of a tail vibrates with barely restrained energy. Something about the dog tickles your sixth sense and you reach out. Zhao has no core- you would be shocked if he did- but he definitely contains more anam than he did before. He feels of earth and wood and fire and several things you cannot detect all packed into his canine frame. You would suspect that he has taken the beast equivalent of the Soldier's Step.
Your focus is pulled from Zhao as Nokai inhales once more. You almost stumble over yourself to interrupt. "Good morning Nokai!" you yell out as quickly as you can. "How are you today?"
Nokai eyes snap open at your sudden appearance and her mouth splits open with a wide grin. "Kong Zhi! Good see! What here for?"
It barely takes you any time to comprehend Nokai's broken Radiant anymore, so you're able to answer before the dogs start their noise again. "I could not help but overhear your… training? Are you training?" Nokai nods, and you continue. "Yes, I could not help but overhear your training. Everyone could hear it. Some of the weaker Servants seem to be incapacitated by it."
"Oh," Nokai replies. She flushes and reaches up, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "Mistake. Thought further from courtyard than is. Will move tunnels deeper."
She stands in one fluid motion, drawing her dogs with her. As she moves towards another tunnel that will take her further from the Ninth Circle courtyard, you hurry to fall into step with her. Zhao almost seems to roll his eyes, but he obligingly slows down, allowing you to take his spot at Nokai's side.
You stare at the dog for a long moment. Just how smart is he now? You had best not take any chances- you give him a short nod and a smile before moving next to Nokai. "So, Zhao looks like he's come far," you say.
"Zhao has!" Nokai cheers. "Zhao eat Ironclaw Mole two days ago and grow big strength. Kong Zhi fall behind again!" She laughs and reaches out, giving you a friendly push on the shoulder that still sends you stumbling. Behind you, Zhao gives out a small grunt. When you turn to look at him, he's fixing you with a beady eyed stare that makes you think that though Nokai seems to be joking, Zhao is not taking it as such.
You hurriedly turn away and chuckle awkwardly. "I will be sure to catch up as quickly as I can," you reply as you scratch Xue behind the ears. Then you have to pause and look at your arms, where Xue blinks up innocently at you. When did you pick him up?!
You shake your head quickly. That's not important right now! "So, I am curious," you ask. "What were you doing back there?"
"Training," Nokai answers slowly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
You wait to see if she'll explain further. When she doesn't, you press on. "I understand that. But what were you training?"
"Ah!" Nokai exclaims. "Technique training. Zhao help new technique. Want master fast."
"Oh. A technique," you repeat. You had thought that perhaps it was some kind of endurance training, or even some waste barbarian thing about declaring your territory, but a technique makes sense too. Then the rest of what Nokai said hits you. "Wait, Zhao is helping you with a technique?"
A glance behind you reveals that the hound's gaze is still boring a hole into your torso. Xue wiggles up to your shoulder and lets out an annoyed yip, which Zhao responds to with a low grumble. You turn away from the dog as quickly as you can, trying not to broadcast how nervous he's making you.
Oblivious to what's going on next to her, Nokai nods. "Yes! Zhao new power when grow. Try copy. Doing well!" She flushes again. "Do too close to courtyard. Thought further away. Now surprise ruined."
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not certain that everyone there knew it was you," you say. "Before I left, no one seemed to know what it was."
Nokai perks up. "Good!"
"I'm curious," you continue. "What exactly is the technique you're working on? Is it just the sound? It feels like there's more to it than that."
Your friend nods. "Sound start, more to it. Howl take anam, push into mind, it…" Her face screws up as she tries to put what she's been doing into words. "Hard say. Show you."
...oh no. If the sound was so overpowering when you were further away, what will it sound like up close?
You find out a few minutes later. Nokai finds another small cave and, after checking the light to determine how far away from the central pillar you are, sits back down. Xue squirms out of your arms without asking and scampers next to her, taking a seat. Zhao takes the spot on her other side, Lu and Lan moving to complete the circle. You hurriedly move to stand behind Nokai as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
The howling that ensues almost knocks you over. The sound is surprisingly weaker from your new vantage point, but the howling itself feels like a physical thing. It tears at your ears and seems to drill into your mind. White flashes before your eyes and you find yourself seated on the stone with no clue how you got there.
Soon, the howling lets up. Nokai glances around, looking for you, and finds you leaning against the cave wall. "Like that!" she declares proudly. "Technique like that!"
As the stars clear from your eyes and your thoughts move at normal speed again, you begin to connect a few things. The howling is definitely part of the technique Nokai is working on, but it isn't the main purpose of it. It seems to serve as the base for the anam as it rushes in and attacks your mind. It's a terrifying technique.
But one thing that mystifies you is how Nokai is fueling the technique. There's more anam being used in it than you thought she was capable of mustering. "Can you do it again?" you ask, cringing with every word.
Nokai grins and turns back around wordlessly. The howl rings out once more. This time, though, you ignore your ears as best you can and gaze out at the circle with your sixth sense. And what you find is...
Beast anam coils within each member of Nokai's pack, and as she howls, it joins with the noise and her own personal anam. She's literally using her dogs as a power source in place of a Natural Wonder! You had no idea that was even possible!
"Impressive," you say when the noise stops. "Is that-" you gesture at the pack, drawing another small round of barks, "-something all of your clan can do?"
Nokai just looks back at you with confusion writ large on her face. "Bray? Yes?"
You're going to take that as a yes.
No wonder the waste barbarians are so feared if they can all harmonize and draw from their animals like that. You stand and reach out, patting Nokai on the shoulder. "I am certain it shall be an excellent technique when you are finished," you say. "I shall leave you to it."
Nokai nods. "Thanks. Near done."
But then she pauses, clearly thinking deeply. When you give her a questioning look, she shrugs. "Want join?"
You just stop and stare. What?
"Want join howl?" she asks again, perhaps thinking you didn't hear her. As if in response to her question, Lu and Lan get up and inch sideways, clearing a spot in the circle. The invitation is very clear.
You stare at that newly opened space. You had not expected this. An invitation to learn a technique is rare enough, but being invited to learn a technique inspired by a barbarian's totem companion? That's another thing entirely. And there's no question in your mind that the technique will be a potent one. You were convinced of that the moment you were first hit by the howl.
But on the other hand...
-consorting with some young Artists of questionable background and character-
You aren't certain that it would really be the wisest idea.
Do you want to join with Nokai and her pack's howl?
[] Yes, you would be honored. (Gain technique Warhound's Cry).
[] No, you… you had best not. You've other business to attend to after all.
[X] Yes, you would be honored. (Gain technique Warhound's Cry).
On one hand Mom looks reproachful. On the other Howling with the Big Pups Now. Hehe. Let's go for it. Kinda want to make her a charm afterwords as repayment. Show her the difference between a Cragtsman and a Merchant once and for all.
