It is said that untold centuries ago, there existed a woman so impressive that the heavens themselves sat up and took notice. She was an Artist beyond compare. In her footsteps lakes were formed. From her fists were birthed earthquakes and storms. When she opened her mouth, her words created the first chords of song.
The heavens looked down upon this woman and were in awe of her power. They called for her to join them, but she said no. She still had business left unfinished upon this soil and she felt unworthy to ascend to the heavenly host while her goals were incomplete. The heavens were so moved by her purity of purpose that they fell to their knees, awed by her humility as they were.
It was then that the heavens resolved to honor this Artist's wishes. She would be untroubled by them for the rest of her days. It would be her choice and her choice alone if she would ascend to meet them amongst the stars. But they still wanted nothing more than to honor her as she had honored them. With tears of joy in their eyes they set to work crafting a monument to her, one that would endure throughout the ages and stand as a testament to her might and power.
And so they crafted the Brightmaple Mountains.
Standing tall above the Forest of Pearls, the Brightmaples loom large against the sky. Their seven peaks cast shadows of the purest black as they stand in defiance of the sun. Hundreds of thousands of beings make their homes amongst the Brightmaples, beast, kukuni, and vestige alike. And and below them, behind a gateway strong enough to withstand the mightiest blow, sits the entrance to the sect known as the Delving Heart.
It's an awe-inspiring sight. One that has caused poets to slice their tongues from their heads and painters shatter their fingers into so many worthless nubs from the knowledge that they will never capture it's beauty. It is majestic. It is glorious. It is truly one of the great wonders of this world.
Perhaps you'll get to see it for yourself someday.
"Was that a sigh I hear?" a sharp voice cracks out, interrupting your thoughts. "Are you perhaps bored of my teachings?"
You straighten up and return your focus to your surroundings. They haven't changed since your attention lapsed. You still sit within your uncle's handsome wooden carriage, bedecked by painstakingly carved images of spiders and silk. Your seats are still plush and comfortable even as they rock from side to side with the motion of the horses. The window, curtains drawn shut by an order you most certainly didn't agree with. And your honored cousin, Kong De, is still looking at you like you carry some unfathomable wretched stench.
You bow your head quickly in apology to Kong De. "Not at all!" you protest. "I am eagerly receiving every word you deign to give! It's just…"
Kong De's thin eyebrow arches over the deep cavern his eye sits in. "It is just what, Kong Zhi?" he prompts. "Are you having some difficulty grasping the knowledge before you?"
"No!" you respond instantly. "I… I just simply don't understand."
Your cousin shakes his head and you're fairly certain that if his manners allowed, he would sigh. "There is no shame in admitting that you have trouble comprehending the material, little cousin. Where did you begin to face trouble? Was it in the meld between earth and light? That binding is a difficult one; you should feel no shame in stumbling over it."
For the third time in as many moments, you disagree with your cousin. "It is not that, Kong De. I hear your lessons well. It's just I don't understand their purpose and their timing."
Kong De seems to chew that over for a long second. Finally, he gestures for you to continue. You do so with a nod. "I already know a great deal of what you say, cousin, and I shall join the Delving Heart in hours. Would our time not be better spent learning about the sect so that I can be prepared for the challenges before me?"
A ghost of a smile crosses your cousin's face. He slowly shakes his head. "Kong Zhi. It is at times like this that I am reminded that you still have so much left to learn."
He sits back in his seat and holds out a hand. One of his servants- you hadn't been able to catch his name before the carriage began to move- immediately places a cup of tea in it. Kong De takes a sip and his lips thin. He holds his cup back out, and the servant bows low in apology. The man holds one finger out and barely touches the bottom of the tea cup. A wave of heat passes through the carriage as anam boils up through the servant's finger. It passes as quickly as it arrives and the servant retreats back to his small corner of the carriage. Kong De merely takes a sip of his now warm tea and regards you with what you think might almost be a fond look.
"It is because you shall soon join the Delving Heart that you need these lessons," Kong De continues as if he had not stopped speaking. "After you leave the walls of this carriage, you shall depart for at least a year- perhaps more should you prove yourself worthy. New knowledge shall no doubt flood every corner of your mind like water when the tides come in. Your old knowledge, the knowledge of the Kong family, must be carved deep into your heart and bones so that it is not washed away."
Your spine straightens and you can feel your chest puff out from indignation. "I do not need reminder lessons for that!" you argue. "The lessons of my father and uncles will never be erased!"
Kong De smiles, and gestures at the table in front of you. On it sits a dozen scrolls, each with lessons from a decade of teaching upon them. "Is that so? Then prove it."
You hold back a glower, take a quick, longing look at the covered window that hides the view of the Brightmaple Mountains from you, and allow yourself a sigh. And then you reach for a scroll.
In the Path Unending, the most basic building block of your character is your Attributes (for more information, please see the Mechanics post). All attributes begin at one, and three have been raised to two because of your background selection. You now have an additional seven (7) points to spend on further attributes. Please, in Plan Format, decide where to place these points.
As a reminder, the attributes are as follows:
Physical Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Dexterity
Mental Attributes: Intelligence, Resolve, Wits
Social Attributes: Appearance, Charisma, Empathy