While the thought of leveling both our techs is tempting, will we even have enough time to level up both BSA and WC?
Assuming we follow through with the BSA/WC plan, that's 4 actions to use up all the BSA pills, and 2 to use up the WC pills. Add in 2 actions for the Deeps run, and that leaves us only 1 action left to take care of any extra necessities we need, like training our limbs.
I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to remove at least some of our HD impediment before setting off.
Cool, yeah, we can pay him 16 up front and owe him 16, which is enough to grab the Sapling/Everbloom. Little unsure between grabbing Antlers and holding onto a talent.
Assuming we follow through with the BSA/WC plan, that's 4 actions to use up all the BSA pills, and 2 to use up the WC pills. Add in 2 actions for the Deeps run, and that leaves us only 1 action left to take care of any extra necessities we need, like training our limbs.
Alright. So since we saved 16 sect points that way I went ahead and added the two life mats - Sapling and Everbloom - for 10. Saving the rest since there are a couple things we can only pay for with hard cash, like a letter home or access to the magic forge thingy for refining.
So it turns out if we rent The Stables for Beast, and get 8 MSC, we might be able to master WC instead of BSA. That would give us (probably) +1 Resolve, have our best chance of turning WC into a friendly AoE or a focused attack, and it's much stronger than BSA. Downside is, we'd then have to rely on 7 cycling actions for the best chance of successfully mastering it.
[X] Plan Zigging Instead of Zagging
[] The Stables. (55 Points/week. Beast/Force/Sun 200)
[] Choir Note (4 Points. Grade 1 Sound Pill) x 8 (Pay half upfront) (16 points)
[] Woodsman's Respite (7 Points. Grade 1 Wood Pill) x2 (14 points)
[] The Heart of Stone (5 Points. Grade 1 Earth Pill) (5 points)
[X] Plan Kong Zhi, Warrior Crafter
-[X] Jai Shouxi's Commissions
--[X] Stagheart (8 Points. Grade 1 Wood/Earth Pill) x 4
-[X] Pills and Elixirs
--[X] Woodsman's Respite (7 Points. Grade 1 Wood Pill) x3
--[X] An Evening's Rest (12 Points. Grade 1 Healing Pill. Restores 1 Physical Stress Box.) x 1
-[X] Materials
--[X] A Still Growing Sapling. (7 Points. Wood/Life Aspected. +13 to development)
--[X] Antlers of the Deer King (6 Points. Force/Life Aspected. +12 to development)
--[X] A Still Shaking Anvil (4 Points. Steel/Force Aspected. +7 to development)
--[X] A Wedding Ring (4 Points. Deception Aspected. +7 to development)
--[X] An Everbloom. (3 Points. Life Aspected. +6 to development)
--[X] A bundle of fresh Ifeagrass. (1 Point. Blood Aspected. +3 to development)
--[X] Wool of a Verdant Ewe. (1 Point. Beast Aspected. +2 to development.)
After consultation with Top Men, I'm going to rule that yes, you can, but it ups the cycling difficulty on the Wonder rolls. You'll be handling several different aspects at once, and that'll be hell on your control.
It's time once again for a wonderful OMAKE ROUNDUP! And boy do we have a quality crop today. Since it's a bunch of stuff from just two people, I've grouped them up a bit to make it easier to reward.
We haven't really learned anything about Nightwatch Grove, but here's an omake about a Kong disciple there.
----
"Aww, I made it too big!"
Kong Wuying looked at the child's flower bracelet. She had picked up the trick of the weaving easily enough, but her fingers were still clumsy, and it hung far too loosely on her wrist when she tried it on.
"I see no problem. Your fingers knew that they didn't want to make a bracelet today. Instead-" he plucked the woven circle from her wrist and placed it on her head,, "you have made a lovely crown!"
She pouted a little. "But now I can't see it! And it was so pretty!"
Wuying leaned in, as though sharing a secret. "But everyone else can. That's the real beauty of making something, you know! Making other people happy."
She considered this for a moment. "Well, I still want to see it! I'm going to the pond!" She dashed off.
Wuying reflected on the energy of youth. No Step, no Technique, could recreate the boundless energy of a small child on a mission of importance.
There was a sound behind him. Or… the feeling of a sound. Shen Luxian would never have let even a breath of air escape his lips in annoyance. But Wuying heard the sound he didn't make.. When Wuying turned, there was only the slightest flicker in the man's expression. Wuying saw that as well. "Do you disapprove of flower crowns, brother Shen?"
Shen Luxian sighed. He was a tall man, a striking figure in the robes of the Nightwatch Grove, but contained in his space in a way that spoke of deeply ingrained habits of precise control. A breath exhaled, Shen's equivalent of a sigh. "Of course not. Children should play as they wish."
"Then it is not children of which you disapprove." Wuying's tone was light, his customary smile on his face. "It is me, then?"
Shen's eyes flicked close, then opened again. "We have discussed our… differences of opinion regarding the proper methods of crafting many times. Now is neither the time nor place to address those concerns. We still have much work to be done here. The guardian stones-"
"Need replacement, yes. But our duty in visiting the village is as much about making the sect a friendly and familiar sight as it is in the maintenance work. And besides, all children should weave flowers. It builds character."
Shen's mouth thinned by a degree no larger than a strand of hair. Wuying assumed he had played as a child, but he doubted flowers featured prominently. "You encouraged her after making an error. I have no issue with encouraging children. But you should have instructed her in the correct technique. Showed her how to fix her mistake."
Wuying went to pick up his pack. "Ah, brother Shen. The longer I live in this world, the fewer mistakes I find. I believe that so much of what we view as 'mistakes' are simply acts of providence that we have not foreseen."
"A believer in Fate's control of the world, then? I find such arguments beyond me, but I understand it is a popular opinion among some scholars."
Wuying shouldered his burden. "No, nothing so grand. Almost the opposite, in fact. Rather, I find the world is so vast, it seems impossible that any eye could see all ends. I follow the path where it takes me, and so often what seems an obstacle takes me right where I need to be."
Shen's mouth did tighten into a frown, then. Well, the beginning of one. "I hope you do not bring the same attitude towards error to your other work. Why…"
There was a scream from the other side of the village. Wuying's body glowed and rocketed like a comet, while Shen took a step up and onto a cloud that carried him with similar speed.
The two crafters had been sent early enough that the guardian totems were worn, but not dangerously so. But any defense could be overwhelmed.
Shen hovered twenty feet above, taking in the situation. There were Horrors here. Twisted shapes of claws and fangs and rippling tendons, blackened with corrupted Night anam and flush with Life. The work of some Dusklord trying to curry favor, no doubt.
Wuying was among them in moments, his movements still hastened by glowing light. An object dangled from one hand, what Shen reocgnized as a child's toy, a cord wrapped around a circular weight. Shen had seen Wuying make it do tricks. Right now, he was using it as a meteor hammer, the weight striking with a force like a five ton boulder. Wielded with Wuying's usual dexterity, it took off limbs and shattered bodies with each strike.
Shen drew his own anam into a small object held in his sleeve. At first appearing to be no more than a splinter, it grew into a deadly spear with a shining silver point. He cast it down again and again, its point never failing to find a Horror's heart.
Shen and Wuying had never fought side by side, but both had fought the corrupt spirit beasts of woods before. Soon enough, the beasts in the village were dead. Shen extended his sixth sense, and was fairly certain the monsters had failed to kill any of the villagers. Once the disciples had arrived, the horrors had focused on them.
There were few things the Horrors of the woods hated as deeply as the Nightwatch.
But there was a howling from beyond the village. Shen felt the weight of the Dusklord's presence: a Teacher. It seemed new to its power - it's anam was still wild and untamed.
As Luxian and Wuying were both Farmers, this was of small comfort.
Shen cried out, "The boundary stone!"
The guardian stones were not meant to stop Dusklords. But they could make the experience of taking a village painful and costly.
Wuying was faster. He arrived to find the stone cracked. Had someone erred in the sect's record keepers? Had the previous disciple failed to report the damage out of laziness? Or perhaps the stone had some hidden flaw only now exposed, or damage from a lightning strike or other whim of nature had left it vulnerable. But there was no telling now. Now, it was broken, and needed repairing.
There was no time for subtlety.. Wuying held the pieces together and forced his anam through the repair process. It was not meant to heal such significant damage. It hurt a great deal, and he could only hope the damage to his channels was not lasting. But the guardian field of the village crackled to life.
Shen arrived a moment later. He looked at the stone, which was… whole. That was the best that could be said. He placed a hand on Wuying's shoulder. "It will hold for the night."
Wuying rose from his knees. "No. It will not."
Shen felt his heart quiver. "No."
"The sect will not come before morning."
Shen tried to martial optimism. "They may. The Elders' spiritual senses could catch the Dusklord. A group of martial disciples may be on their way right now."
"No. This will not be the only attack tonight." The Horrors of the woods were predators, but they had remarkable cunning. Wuying spoke with his usual gentleness, but Shen thought he sounded… tired. "We are on our own."
---
Shen and Wuying dragged the bodies to the center of the town. Shen spoke first. "We are charmcrafters. These are components."
Wuying stared mutely at the bodies of the Horrors. "Do you have a diagram for a weapon that will kill a Dusklord?"
Shen bowed his head. "I have some notes. But…"
Wuying nodded. "They are at the sect. I see. Then I will work. You will infuse from your core as I go. We have little enough time."
The task was madness. An undiagrammed weapon made to fight a being a level above them? And to infuse as they went? The Kong was mad. Better to make a signal to the sect-
Wuying placed a hand on Shen's shoulder and met his gaze. "Brother Shen. Who triumphed in our last contest?"
Shen slumped. What other choice was there?
---
It was grueling work. Both were low enough on anam after the fight, and Wuying had taken wounds. PIlls helped replenish them both, but the medicinal energies could not quiet the howling of the Dusklord's forces outside.
The Horrors were stripped, deconstructed. Night and Life were ever prominent, but there was a host of other anam types available in various quantities. Shen prepared a refining formation and worked it as needed while Wuying muttered to himself.
They had discussed the issue. They had no chance of defeating the Dusklord with raw power. Only careful planning might allow them to succeed, and they were better equipped to stun it than strike it down.
Life would be part of it. And Wuying allowed himself a small smile when he found a Horror with parts belonging to an Ebon Widow. To a Kong, a spider could not help but feel lucky. But a Widow was just what they needed for another reason. There would be Betrayal in its fangs.
As Wuying began to work the Horror parts into shape and place the runes it would need, Shen worked his anam through the materials. It was a crazed way of crafting. They would make a bow, they had decided. And one arrow. Shen had argued for three, but Wuying had pointed out that if the first shot failed, they would not get a second.
---
The howls and screams of rage were fraying on Shen's mind. Dimly, he recognized the work of a Scholar technique. He mustered his mental defenses, but now there was another distraction. His own anam had never felt so unstable. It was in his core, in his channels. All he should have to do was coax it out. Wuying had finished the work, but they both knew his core needed to be saved for battle, so it was Shen's job to infuse.
His anam trembled. He felt a hand on his own, and looked up to see the Kong's quiet smile. "Shen. Whatever happens, it will have been my honor to be here."
Shen Liuxian did not cry. He did not show fear. He simply…. Nodded. And his anam stilled.
The screams were upon them, and there was a feeling of shattering as the barrier broke.
Shen wanted to scream. The infusion was not finished. He had been too slow. "We are dead."
The Kong glanced down. "The arrow is finished."
Shen looked up, his eyes hopeless. "The bow is not. There is no time."
"The bow was only ever a delivery mechanism. The arrow is all we really need, is it not?"
Shen stilled himself. He mustered his mask. If they were to die, he would do it on his feet.. He stood and clenched the arrow. "It is."
"Providence."
Wuying was gone in a flash of light. Shen stared at where the arrow had been, a moment before. Shen swallowed, and summoned his cloud.
Wuying was on top of a tree, his strange weighted string slamming down at the snarling Horrors below. He laughed and called out to the forest, "Dusklord! Will you send your weakest curs after me or must I hunt you down and drag you out myself?"
The Horrors stilled. The creature came forth.
No one knew whose blood had been shed to make the Vestige that dwelt at the heart of the woods that the Nightwatch Grove guarded. But it was something more now, something that fed on anam and spread forth its corrupted minions that hated Life and Light.
The Dusklords that had been examined were found to be some combination of kukuni and spirit beast, merged together in some horrible surgery that was too disturbing to contemplate. But they spilled forth and they did great harm when they did.
It lashed out with a limb of vines and thorns and darkness, and Wuying dodged.
Shen watched with sick horror as the vines exploded outworks into a net and caught him with almost no effort. He could not watch, but he could not pull his gaze away. Cursing his slowness, he descended, spear readied - but the Dusklord glanced upwards and met him with a blazing howl of Night anam that blasted away his movement technique and his weapon both, until he crashed heavily to the forest floor.
Well, he thought vaguely, it had been a foolish plan from the start.
He watched as Kong Wuying was pulled in, encased in vines and darkness. He was struggling, but his light seemed so dim…
Then he watched as a pair of second arms erupted from Wuying's shoulders. A Sage Technique.
The free limb plucked the arrow from Wuying's left hand and threw it into the Dusklord's eye. The arrow sunk in deep.
At first, Shen thought that nothing had happened. But Wuying was no longer being pulled in towards the Dusklord's maw.
And then… a hiss of pain.
The monster shook itself. Made a curious sound of pain and confusion.
Then it went wild. Bright green Life anam and dark Night shot through its channels, becoming visible to the naked eye. The anam raged against itself and Shen realized the two types of anam were fighting each other. The weapon had worked.
Shen crawled to his feet. The Horrors around were rustling in confusion, not knowing what to do. "Wuying!"
He summoned his cloud, and flew unsteadily towards Wuying. Grabbing hold of the fellow disciple's hand, he hauled it out of the monster's grasp, which was weak as its body raged against itself.
Wuying looked up at him with a dazed expression, then shook himself. "We could kill it!"
Shen shook his head. "Are you mad? Do you know how lucky we were to escape?"
Wuying grabbed him. "Think of it, Shen! The youngest disciples ever to fell a Dusklord! And we are not even martial disciples! We'd be legends!"
Shen rose the cloud higher. "No! It could master itself at any moment!"
Wuying shook his head. "The villagers must be rescued-"
"No!" Wuying was astonished to see genuine anger and.. Something else on Shen's face. "The Dusklord will retreat after being wounded so. And if it does not, it will chase us. The village is of no consequence compared to two of the Nightwatch."
Every moment brought them further away. 'The materials, Shen! Think of what we could harvest from a Dusklord!"
Shen clenched fists. "I - I cannot-"
"Are you-" A coward, was the end of the question. But Wuying stopped. He had never seen fear on Shen. He had pushed the man too hard. He sat back on the cloud, as the Dreadlord's pained howls faded in the distance. "I see. I'm sorry. I was foolish."
Shen "You were. Please do not be so foolish again." He braced himself, and completed his thought. "I can't… I do not wish to lose you."
It took a moment for Wuying to process that. And then he took a few more moments to make sure he completed the processing. And then another, just to be sure. "...I am glad I did not lose you as well."
The ride back to the sect was quiet, but Wuying rested himself comfortably against Shen's legs, and it was a pleasant sort of quiet.
This spawned from a random bit in Discord a few weeks ago about a "Kong Bob Ross". That somehow turned into this.
"I do not care for this game. I do not think I will participate." Jai Fa stood up.
Shouxi didn't follow her with his eyes, but spoke, "I believe Ming Hui will be coming by. He has some form of roast tubers he wishes to try out on us."
Fa paused briefly. "I will spend my time cycling, then." She pulled out the Tyrant's Nail and sat in the corner, eyes closed.
Kong Zhi looked over the book that had been spread on the table. "Is this a common sort of game? It seems very complex."
Xu Yun beamed. "It seems complex on the surface, but I will handle most of the rules I was taught it in a tavern across the sea when I was only ten years old."
Mo Hanying glanced at the various accoutrements on the table. A dubious expression flickered on her face, but was gone in a flash. "It is not… quite what I had in mind when I heard you were planning on celebrating getting our sigils."
Xu Yun looked almost pleading. "You do not know how much I had to pay to get the set. It is quite a rare find in the Empire."
Shouxi waved a hand. "We did agree that each of us could celebrate in our own way."
Mo looked askance. "Still… dice?"
----
Xu Yun cleared his throat. "It appears that the trail ahead is blocked. A large tree has fallen over, perhaps in the storm. How do you-"
"It is an ambush." Fa called out, eyes still closed. "Only one tree, in exactly the right place to block the path?"
Shouxi laughed. "I think my sister is overly paranoid. And she has chosen not to play. I will draw my axe and chop the tree in half."
Xu Yun grinned. "You spot an arrow heading towards you as you leave the safety of your party.. Roll for initiative."
---
"Everyone should stay within 10 feet of me at all times." Mo Hanying called out. "I do not trust that enemy artist. My aura should protect against his techniques."
"Good instincts." Xu Yun acknowledged. "He's casting a stinking cloud spell right in the middle of you. Annnd… looks like Zhi's up next. And with Lady Mo's bonus, you made your save. What do you do?"
"The cloud hides me, yes? I will duck out of the cloud and fire an arrow at him."
"All right, roll me the largest die."
"A… 20. That is good, yes?"
Xu Yun's grin was wicked. "That's what's called a critical hit. That will double your normal dice and your sneak attack for damage… yes, you destroy the shaman in one shot."
---
"Sorry, that's not quite enough to drop the chieftain's bodyguard."
"Brother, did you forget your rage bonus?"
Shouxi sighed. "No, I… wait, yes, I believe I did. Sister, are you sure you do not wish to play?"
"No, I am quite sure."
---
"Alright, you're in the middle of the warcamp, the enemies defeated. What do you do?"
Mo inclined her head. "I believe we should seek the spoils of war."
"Good, yes. Most of the enemy arent' carrying much of value, but there is a chest in the leader's tent. It's locked, though."
Shouxi clapped Zhi on the back. "Go on, then. I believe this calls for lockpicks."
Zhi assumed a look of concentration, "What manner of lock is this?"
Xu Yun blinked slightly. "It's built into the chest. Difficult to see details."
Zhi shook his head. "Well, what about the chest itself? What type of wood is it made of? Is it held together with nails or screws? Perhaps with a claw hammer-"
"Please- just roll lockpicking."
---
"Well, we've slain the enemy that was stopping travellers. Should we go back to town?" Shouxi was stacking dice to form a miniature tower.
Fa coughed from her corner.
"Sister, do you have something to say?"
"No, it is nothing."
Mo couldn't keep a slight note of irritation out of her voice. "No, please, your input is valuable. Almost as valuable as another sword arm would have been in the camp."
Fa closed her eyes again. "It is no matter."
"Please, Fa, if you have an idea, we would all be pleased to hear it." Zhi's voice was as neutral as possible.
Fa sighed. "Very well. The merchant who sent you here is clearly behind the whole affair. He fed you false information on the enemy's numbers and position, that was no mistake. The enemy was using high quality weapons and he is a weapon's merchant. Everyone agreed that all the traders who went missing talked to him. And remember the foreign coinage he almost gave in change? He is selling the positions of travellers to the enemy and profiting from the goods they stole."
"..."
Fa shrugged. "Really, it was quite obvious."
---
"The merchant is getting away. What do you do?
"I'll chase after him and smite him." Mo reached for a d20.
Shouxi coughed. "Zhi is bleeding out on the floor. Do you not have a healing touch?"
Zhi shook his head. "Oh, it is no matter. It is only a game, after all."
Fa glanced at Mo. "I have at least one more shot with my bow before he escapes. Zhi should be protected."
Mo pursed her lips. "Of… course. I had simply forgotten."
---
Xu Yun smiled broadly. "Well, you caught the traitorous merchant and put an end to the danger on the road. What do you think?"
"I believe the rules are insufficiently detailed. I have some thoughts on expanding the uses of thieves tools."
"I believe the game has some value as a tactical teaching exercise."
"The… roleplaying is quite interesting. It is not so unpleasant as most dice games."
"I enjoyed swinging a bigger axe than my sister."
"Well, if you like, we could try again next week?"
"I-"
Xu Yun coughed. "Ming Hui has promised to test out a new recipe."
Jai Fa swung the axe at the training dummy and felt it bite into the wood with a satisfying thunk, then let out a breath. It was the two hundredth time today she had swung the axe, and she was starting to become sore.
That would not do. A warrior could not rely on a fight lasting a mere two hundred strokes. And her hands still fought the urge to pull the axe's chop into a slice more appropriate for a sword. It only manifested as a slight tremor every dozen or so strokes, but she could not afford such limitations in battle. She would have to work harder.
As she raised the weapon again, she heard a soft cough from behind her. She turned to find her brother standing in the courtyard, a steaming cup in his hands.
"Sister. I have brought you a refreshment." He offered, and she took it, drinking deep of the concoction without question. She had learned that it was often better not to ask, and besides, it tended to irritate him when he did not receive a prompt to explain his brilliance.
It was a variant on the stimulant. Diluted, she thought, but enough that renewed energy surged through her limbs. "Thank you, brother. This will help me reach today's goal."
He nodded, and the silence stretched between them for a moment. He looked into her face, and she raised an eyebrow. He looked away first. "I did not think Elder Fensui would demand so much from you. My understanding was that you were all but guaranteed his sigil, when he deigned to grant them. Must you master the style before the deadline?"
She shrugged and stretched, working out a kink in her shoulder. "I do not believe I have anything to fear on that account. It is true that a weapon style will help guarantee my acceptance, but he has not demanded I master it."
He nodded, and she could tell by his face Shouxi was not surprised by her statement at all. He looked at her face, waiting for her to fill in the answer to the unasked question. She raised an eyebrow slightly and continued her silence.
Shouxi broke, as he usually did. "This is for your trip to the Deeps, then." His voice was carefully neutral, but Fa could hear the displeasure in it. After all, it was not the first time they had discussed it.
"The Deeps are dangerous enough, but we have faced several vestiges in Zhi's task so far. The maze might have had one at one point, before it fell victim to the maze's illusions. I suspect that whatever dwells beneath the sect will require whatever strength I can bring to bear." She shouldered the axe again and moved towards the dummy again.
"Zhi, is it." Her brother's voice was flat, but there was something to it she found it hard to identify. "Do you mean your brother disciple Kong Zhi, dear sister?"
She paused. "Do you disapprove of something about my conduct with Zhi, brother?"
He shook his head, and sat down on the bench to the side of the training yard. "I would not dare to disapprove of any of your choices, dear sister. I have not earned that luxury."
"But you do."
Shouxi had the slightest of frowns, and did not meet her gaze. He reached down and pulled up pebble, playing it between his fingers. "I was distracted during my sigil work, and when I was done, I found our brother disciple half a monster, my sister calling him his given name, and her returning the favor, and determined to risk her life on his behalf. I am simply... catching up."
"He is not a monster," Fa snapped.
Shouxi met her gaze. "Are you courting him?"
She shook her head. The idea was laughable. Whatever was between them was not-
"Strike quickly, strike hard, and strike true," Zhi had said to her. He had spoken to her with absolute faith in her ability to do what he asked of her.
The duel was the first time he had used her personal name. She hadn't even questioned it at the time. It felt right. As it had to continue doing so.
"He is simply a friend." Her voice was thin, reedy in her own ears.
Unconvincing.
Zhi, a small figure, gazing at the Winter Crab in its pool. "But I should get closer to it. My technique does not discriminate between friend and foe. Stay here to avoid it, and I shall do my best to draw it to the shallows." Not a sign of trembling in his posture, no tremor in his voice, as he casually discussed a near-suicidal plan.
Zhi leaping forward as the Crab is about to strike, howling out with his barbarian technique, shattering the Crab's shell.
Jai Fa did not shy away from anything. Not even the truth. "More than friendship. We have fought together on several occasions. There is a bond."
Shouxi remained silent and looked at her.
This time, she was the one to break the tension. "There is more than that, though. He-"
Zhi earnestly telling Shouxi and Fa about the Soldier's Step, and speaking to Fa afterwards, fear in his eyes.
Zhi showing his face at the edge of the sparring crater, looking completely lost among the kiai's and flying bodies.
Zhi stepping forward at Mo and Mei's duel, looking terrified, but with a strange light in his eyes.
"He is proud, but of his skills, not his rank. He is braver than you know.. And he is deeply sincere." She pursed her lips. "I have… enjoyed the time I spent with him."
Shouxi seemed to relax slightly. "That is good to hear. I am happy that there is a source of happiness for you here."
"That is not to say I do wish to court him. Just because I enjoy his company…"
Shouxi raised a hand. "I certainly do not wish to imply that you should court our honored brother disciple. But if you did… I would have no objections. That is what I wished to say."
"It is hardly the right time to be thinking of such things. There is too much to do."
"Yes, I agree. Not the right time to be thinking of such things at all." Shouxi's voice was pleasant, cheerful even.
Fa's eyes narrowed at her brother's demeanor. "And there is something between him and Mei, though the two of them are too foolish to realize it."
"Oh yes, you would not wish to offend Mei Daiyu." There was a definite twinkle in Shouxi's eyes. "My sister is known for her civility above all else."
She now knew she should stop, but the words were coming out almost against her will. "He is not a noble, but charmcrafting is a very honorable profession, and the Kongs are prominent. The Jai Clan could have no objections, should I choose to pursue him."
"Why honored sister, I can see that you have not given much thought to courtship of Zhi at all. Clearly it has been far from your mind!" Shouxi's grin was almost ear to ear at this point.
Fa frowned and resisted the urge to throw something at Shouxi. It had never helped in the past. "It really is not the time for me to be thinking of such things."
"Yes." Shouxi's voice was a bit wistful. "I suppose it is not." He looked up at her, with genuine concern in his eyes. "You will be careful down there, will you not? You will have all my arts can provide, but I cannot be there to be careful for you."
Fa hefted the axe, strode towards the dummy, and swung mightily. The dummy exploded in a cloud of splinters and stuffing. She turned to Shouxi, her face slightly smug.
He paused a moment, then stepped forward and hugged her, in a way he had not done since they were children. She felt a tear on his cheek, and she hugged him back, gently. After a few moments, he separated. "Good. I suppose I had forgotten that the monsters should be afraid of Jai Fa."
She nodded curtly, her mask back in place. "Indeed you had."
"And… be careful in this matter with Kong Zhi, too. But… not too careful. There may never be a 'right' time, you know."
Fa sighed. "I know." With that, Shouxi departed, and she went to procure a new training dummy.
Wonderful stuff Kreen. This is worth +2 Craft (Weapon), +2 Perform (Storytelling) (Yes, finally, I can hint at the existence of the Perform tree!), and +3 Sense Motive.
I delayed posting this for a few days.
I was worried it would get a lot of.... hmmmm reaction based on how the thread was feeling. I feel like it is a more comfortable place posting it now.
There have been controversial votes and story turns in this quest. The last one that causeD as much outrage was the choice Kong Zhi made to fight against Mei Daiyu. But after long efforts we managed to get back to this place illustrated. An amazing story that would never of happened if we hadn't persisted. I am really proud to be a part of this community and I love this story we are making together.
Charm ideas based on these materials, btw what can we currently specify for charm construction?
Two way lamp
Materials: The hide of a shellrat (Earth 2), Vestige's Ice (Ice 8), Core Geode (Earth/Diamond 9), A Drop of Magma (Fire/Earth 7), Freshly-Hewn Obsidian (Light 4), A Wedding Ring (Deception 7), Grass Cut at Dawn (Mist 6)
Construction: The core geode is, appropriately, the core of this charn and the first to be prepared. The surface is polished smooth and inscribed with the foundational runes, two equal holes on opposite sides are carved. One is sealed with the obsidian, carved and polished into a lens, the other hole has the wedding ring fitted around the rim. The drop of magma is dropped in and held suspended in the center of the geode, the grass is fed in too along with a supply of anam while the geode is held open side down, once the steam and smoke fill the geode entirely the opening is sealed with a mundane lens of high quality, insulation and heat resistance. Ice forms the next layer and is carved with it's own layer of runes, it has an opening over the obsidian and glass. The shellrat hide forms the final layer, protecting the hands from the contradictory tempratures and serving as a surface for the interface runes.
Effect: a twofold tool of perception and concealment, the forwards facing obsidian lens shines with light, illuminating with precision and reliability, removing all ambiguity. The backwards facing lens emits cool, obscuring mist, these effects are symmetrical in a manner that amplifies both. The light can be intensified to the point of burning however this produces a complimentary increase in the cold and density of the mist. It requires a clever user to make best use of both effects simultaneously, keeping allies obscured without preventing sight or organisation, making sure places needing ignition line up with places needing the densest fog and not freezable allies and so on.
Overly complex for the time left till the expedition and doesn't really do the idea justice. Mist is a poor substitute for darkness anam though it could work well with it. There is no anam specifically for taking advantage of the duality, balance anam? Ideally it would have light, fire and perception with dark, ice and deception anam and a method by which for each pair to feed off each other, possibly a seventh type. Earth and diamond provide stability and precision but they do not work with the symmetry. That said we should definitely get that geode, lava and obsidian for later. Actually...
Lantern of the deeps
Materials: Core Geode (Earth/Diamond 9), A Drop of Magma (Fire/Earth 7), Freshly-Hewn Obsidian (Light 4)
Construction: The geode is carved and polished into sphere and etched with runes. An opening is carved, the drop of magma is dropped in and the hole is filled with the obsidian lense. It is mounted in a metal armature for convenience.
Effects: Emits light with precision sufficient to distract cats and power sufficient to immolate them. Grants the holder stability and durability. Light/fire archer charm with good range. Earth blunt weapon though this is an incidental use. Power and efficiency scale with depth.
I actually want this to be made before the trip.
A spectacular inconvenience
Materials: Still Buzzing Hive (Beast/Life 10), The hide of a shellrat (Earth 2), hailstone (Wind 3), bundle of fresh Ifeagrass (Blood 3), Vestige's Ice (Ice 8), A Bottle of Wearying Leeches (Beast/Blood 6)
Construction: To prepare the bees the ifeagrass is burned with an extract of the wearying leeches in a smoker, some research into beekeeping may be required as we have inexplicably neglected such a essential crafting skill. The bees will react by preparing for fire and will be enhanced by the smoke, once they have absorbed the smoke entirely the ice will be used to place them in stasis. A shell will be made from the shellrat shell and wax from the bee's own hive, this will be enscribed such that it will preserve the bees and their enhancements. The bees will be packed in the shell with the hailstone making the center.
Description: If thrown with sufficient force the shell will crack, the bees will wake and the hailstone will detonate causing a concussive force, making a loud sound and providing the enhanced and very angry bees with a burst of speed. In total this one use charm will provide a convenient way of turning any conflict arrayed against the user into a potentially exploitable bedlam.
Honestly I don't think we should do this one, aside from being a huge investment in a one use item it's cruel to bees and I cannot condone that. On the other hand Auntie Bi would love it. Adding fire to the bees too would also make everything better.
Fool's mark
Materials: A Rusty Dagger (Treachery 8)
Description: Hiding things alone is an inadequate defense and what sort of self respecting artificer doesn't have a cursed item? This material is comprised by a few very slight sigils, seeming unaltered except to an expert eye that also knows what to look for. If some thief tries to use this the nature of the anam within will be allowed to run rampant, turning itself and anything nearby against the would be artificer.
Note: Not for now anyway. We must prepare for the expedition, but after that?
(For those who don't know, btw, this means we can get sufficient pills to MAX OUT BSA! And then some more things, tbh. Even in my wildest dreams I didn't dare to hope we'd roll 1:5.)
I'm leaning towards Plan BSA and WC, but I'm not sure I want to commit yet.
Putting some investment into WC is good, but I'm not sure that aiming for 2/6 is significant.
Mastering BSA will be useful, but I'm not sure a full three phases is needed. 4 actions used just on BSA is a lot of investment on the assumption it will be our best option.
(I strongly suspect Ves made us try to choose between Stagheart and Choir's Note, just because it would be difficult.)
Not sure about the ingredient purchases. The Anvil is a good choice, but what are we going to do with those Life/Blood ingredients?
I feel like the Antlers of a Deer King would be quite useful for a certain commissioned weapon and/or a healing charm.
I'm leaning towards Plan BSA and WC, but I'm not sure I want to commit yet.
Putting some investment into WC is good, but I'm not sure that aiming for 2/6 is significant.
Mastering BSA will be useful, but I'm not sure a full three phases is needed. 4 actions used just on BSA is a lot of investment on the assumption it will be our best option.
(I strongly suspect Ves made us try to choose between Stagheart and Choir's Note, just because it would be difficult.)
Not sure about the ingredient purchases. The Anvil is a good choice, but what are we going to do with those Life/Blood ingredients?
I feel like the Antlers of a Deer King would be quite useful for a certain commissioned weapon and/or a healing charm.
Well it's not ideal to not finish a tech - splitting between them just means we didn't master either and didn't get a stat up. BSA seems like the best way to contribute to the fight given HD is presently gimped and we have VR to shoot from the back with.
I just want to level WC too since we have the money to do so now, we don't know if Nokai is coming/we won't ever be split up during our adventure, and it just feels like we should do everything we can to be ready for the coming dungeon dive and one action there seems like solid bang for our buck.
Antlers are cool, even if we'd have to go pay to refine the Life out of them since the Axe can only have two anam types one being Steel. I just want to one up that worthless Jin's healing charm with a superior Kong one
Mask of Beast / Humanity
Beast / Deception
Description: Mask with carved faces of a beast on the left side and human on the right side. The human side can transform the wielder physical feature into a normal human with ordinary appearance, however with beauty anam, it can also increase the attractiveness of the fake appearance. The beast side can transform wielder appearance into a terrifying/hideous beast that simultaneously increases wielder physical stats. Using both sides at the same time will always fail unless... (you are a half-beast half-human)
A Precious Moment, Preserved
Ice / Life
Description: A crystal pendant containing plant life petrified in an eternal moment. This charm can act as a stop-gap measure for wound worsening or poison progressing, it will try to heal the wound but this charm is actually more effective in preserving the life of its patient. Alas, everything that lives will die, the least this charm can do for its dying patient is by preserving the last mote of life. This crystal mote of life can be broken to view the last moment of the patient's life which can be extended based on the freshness of the deceased. Also, it can be used as anam storage because of how good its preserving ability is.
Blooming Youth
Wood / Life
Description: Garland bracelet made out of plant contain the essence of plant growth, can be activated to release a burst of regeneration. As a side effect of Wood/Life anam, this charm can gradually increase the size of the wielder to a maximum of 5 to 10 inches for a limited amount of time. This effect can be targeted to plant to accelerate plant growth (only temporary and it will revert to the previous condition after certain time) and exponentially more effective than its to human.
Inspiration: Giant growth mtg card.
Grasp of Kukuni
Blood / Wood
Description: A plant weaved blood-colored glove that can be activated to unleash 1 to 3 vine tendrils. These vine tendrils can latch and meld themselves to victim flesh then it will suck their blood anam to restore the wielder. It has a secret functionality, by injecting a sheer amount of beast anam, the vine can mimic the animal-like characteristic for instance like growing teeth or horns or maybe even the whole head of mutated animals.
Inspiration: Kong Zhi's newest trauma.
Experiences & Vicissitudes
Life / Force
Description: Ivory crown decorated with gems and metals, rather than opulent, it gives off the feel of the ruler that grow wise after they lost their former glory. Equipping this charm will allow the user to activate the reversed effect of Stallion's Enclosed Garden, it will let the user simultaneously perceive all kinds of sense include something they can't even perceive before. This effect can overload user sense and cripple/disorient the user however, by going with the flow of the sense, the user body can instinctively move in unnaturally reactive/predictive to enemy attacks.
Judgment-In-Noon
Heaven / Sun
Description: A scroll contains a "judgment" rune script written in the style of the imperial writ. By issuing judgment to one or a group of targets, the scroll will brand each guilty targets with the "judgment" script, and as long as the scroll stays unfurled, the branded targets will experience a burning sensation via their brand. The wielder can also transform the scroll into the sun hovering above the terrain to expand the area of effect and increase the heat level in the vicinity.
Blue Sea Turned into Mulberry Fields
Wood / Time
Description: A pot of plant that can supernaturally grow using time anam. It has only one purpose, is to dampen the sound of "Symphony-in-Rags" at the cost of the plant inside the pot to revert to its younger state. Most likely it can also trade its remaining life to someone with a certain steep cost...
Inspiration: Tree can block sound pollution.
Jai Fa's Axe
Irresistible Force
Steel / Force
Description: A cold tempered iron/alloy hammered a hundred times to form an axe shape. This giant axe can preserve the momentum of the wielder, as long as the fight goes on and the wielder doesn't stop moving, the momentum will be preserved. Anam can be spent to trickle the momentum as rejuvenating/invigorating energy practically recycle momentum back to wielder stamina via anam. Alternatively, the wielder can direct their anam to a technique they want to perform which the unleashed momentum will act as a force multiplier. Basically, it can devastatingly release all stored momentum in one go.
Blood of Kukuni
Steel / Blood
Description: A sculpted axe made out of mixed dried blood and molten steel. This blooded charm can harvest blood anam from the victim to restore itself (much like Kubikiribōchō), it has a secondary function that can be activated using steel anam. When activated, it will turn into a semi-fluid state and merge with wielder flesh to grant temporary durability. It can also merge with the wielder weapon to add to its weight and strength.
Inspiration: This is inspired by how the blood kukuni attack by manipulating/combining tendrils into a stronger tendril.
Bonus Mei Dayu:
Second Dance, Of Twilight and Grandeur
Night / Light
Description: A twin folded fans with two different sides, one side black as the night while the other side bright and reflective. This illusion charm makes those who see the black side to see darkness cloaking the wielder while those who see the bright side to see blinding light coming from the fan. When incorporated with rapid movement, the rapid transition of light and darkness can be very disorienting. The fans themselves are pretty sharp and can be used as a weapon, the handle/end of both fans can be attached together to form a circular fan that amplifies the effect of the illusions.
I suspect our Crafting skill might not be up to it, but it does say AntlerS. So I was wondering if we could split the anam types between each antler. Use the Force antler as some sort of handle/inlay and the Life antler for a healing charm.
Yeah, but I'm only spending 18 points on mats, with 6 of those just being straight up for the commission. So it's really only 12 points of indulgent mat buying, offset by 67 points on pills for techs, 4 on backup anam pill, and 12 on healing pill. I figure we can afford that.
Thankfully we still got sect points coming in from Xu Yun, so we should get 20-26 sect points next week. We should probably hold on to them for a month, until the next allowance, and get a technique from the Archive.
Gonna go with this as it seems to focus more on leveling our techs the most. It also picks up enough Mats to be satisfying but not so many that we spread ourselves out too much.
