Kong Zhi wants to make his family proud. He wants to be a charmcrafter supreme, creating wonders others only dream of while becoming a pillar of his clan. He wants to ascend and become more than mortal, he wants to wield the power of anam like it's second nature, he wants to be strong, he wants to have friends, he wants to do the right thing, he wants.... Kong Zhi wants a lot of things.
Thankfully, Kong Zhi is not alone. He has the best decision making process that anyone has ever had: you.
Breathe through your nose. Exhale through your mouth. Breathe in one more. Exhale once more. Take another breath in and hold it. Do not gasp in extra air. Do not puff your cheeks out like a gluttonous gopher. Just breathe and then allow the wind to still in your lungs.
Hold it.
Now exhale again. Breathe. Exhale. Still. Hold the air within your lungs for four beats of your heart. Breathe out, and then still for another four beats. Inhale for four beats. Still for four beats. Exhale for four beats. Still for four beats. Your breathing is a square. It is even in every way.
Do you hear your heart? Do you hear the drum beat in plays inside your body? Feel the beat of your heart as it tells you when to breathe. Let that sound wash over you and-
You feel it?
Do you feel the anam?
Take it. Draw it into your lungs. Your sleeping mind already knows how.
…
Congratulations, young master. You've done it.
You can be an Artist.
Welcome to the Delving Heart.
Welcome to The Path Unending, a Cultivation Quest! This quest is inspired by a whole bunch of various xianxia, wuxia, and other cultivation stories and quests with a bunch of other influences mixed in. In this quest you'll be taking the role of a young disciple and working your way along the Path to see what heights you can reach.
Your protagonist is currently a blank slate. There are only two things set in stone. First, he is male. Second, he has seen sixteen winters. The rest will be determined by this next vote and the next several updates. His personality is also not set in stone currently, but as he develops more into an actual character, it will become more solid with all the good and bad that that entails.
Please select one of the following backgrounds:
[] The Artisan's Son Your parents might not be nobility, but they are the next best thing. You come from a well known crafter clan skilled in making charms. Your family name is known throughout the land as a stamp of quality and well made products.
Benefits: You begin with higher economic resources and charms tailored to your strengths.
Drawbacks: You are untrained in physical combat. Your family has expectations that you will follow in their footsteps.
[] The Minstrel's Disciple There is more to life than mere survival. There is also song, and joy, and the glory of seeing the world pass by beneath your footsteps. You are the disciple of a famous showman, skilled in the arts of song and theater.
Benefits: You begin with more general knowledge of the world. You begin with knowledge of the first Step, a small advantage over untrained newcomers. You are more personable than your average disciple.
Drawbacks: Minstrels have a certain stigma you will have to overcome. Your connections are very limited. You begin with a debt that will claim more of your economic resources.
[] The Noble You are a child of privilege. Your family is high in the regard of the Imperial Court and you have been raised to one day join them at that lofty rank.
Benefits: Advancement through the first two steps is far easier thanks to familial training, with the only reason you have not already taken a Step being sect rules. You also begin with higher economic resources and more connections with others of your ilk.
Drawbacks: People will resent you for your advanced position. More is expected of you because of your early blooming. You will not have the motivation other, lesser, Artists begin with.
[] The Scholar Do you know how long the Winter Emperor reigned before being replaced by the Spring? Do you know how many drams of aura can be harvested by consuming a Late-Blooming Melon? Of course you do. You know all of that and far more besides, for you are a scholar from a great archive.
Benefits: You are far more book smart than your compatriots. You begin already knowing how to craft charms.
Drawback: Your people skills are more limited. You begin with few economic resources. You are untrained in physical combat.
[] The Slave Every man under the sun is entitled to their own body. They are allowed their own dreams, their own hopes, their own lives. Not you. For you are owned by the rich and powerful.
Benefits: You are taken care of physically. You begin trained in combat, if not cultivation. If you impress your master there are nearly endless rewards for you to gain.
Drawbacks: Your body is not your own. You answer to another disciple and are expected to heed their every order. You will begin with a negative reputation with most important people, and everyone above a certain status will expect you to kowtow to them.
[] The Urchin You know what it's like to be cold. You know what it's like to hunger. You know what it's like to grow up wondering which is more important, taking care of a gaping wound or buying a blanket to keep you warm at night. You are a child of the streets and for you, the world is a very dangerous place.
Benefits: You begin with a higher tolerance for negative situations, be they injuries, ailments, or hunger. You begin very a very high drive to improve.
Drawbacks: You begin malnourished and weaker than any other background. Others will almost to a one look down on you- even slaves. You begin with no social graces. You have no economic resources save what the sect provides.
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
After what feels like an eon has passed, you finally straighten up. Your eyes linger on the scrolls in front of you. Each was a test of your knowledge, of your reasoning, of your calligraphy, and you know that you have passed them all.
Kong De seems less sure. He frowns as he gathers the scrolls with quick, sure movements. But at least he doesn't insult you by checking them in front of you. Later you're sure that he'll comb through them with a harsh eye and report every last mistake you made in them to your Father. It's the kind of duty that you're sure Kong De dreams of. But for now he drops them in a small basket at his side.
As they fall into the woven wicker you turn your focus back to the window. Perhaps now you'll be able to open the curtains and get a glimpse of the Forest of Pearls and the Brightmaples above them. You've still time to get a good look and your blood sings at the thought of witnessing the beauty that has only been described to you in tomes before.
You turn back to Kong De. It would be rude to just open the curtains to his carriage without asking him. After all, he's been gracious enough about being ordered by your Father to accompany you to the sect. If he wishes to keep the curtains closed then they'll remain closed- even if there is no reason to do so besides to annoy and infuriate you. "Cousin, perhaps we could–"
The words die in your throat as Kong De produces a small wooden box. Even in the dim light of the carriage you can make out intricate runes and symbols engraved upon it. He places the box down on the table and pushes it towards you with one finger.
You put your hand over it and hesitate. "What's this?" you ask curiously.
"That," he answers in the tone of the long suffering, "is your acceptance gift. My honored Uncle instructed me to make sure you received it when we began to near the entrance to the Heart."
Your eyes widen and you grab the top of the box eagerly. A quick jerk draws the ornate lid away from the body, revealing–
...an incomplete charm.
You glance back up at your cousin. "It isn't finished," you tell Kong De. Perhaps there's been some mistake?
But from the look on his face– that of a stern taskmaster with a dash of smug bookkeeper sprinkled over it– there was no mistake. "Indeed it is not," he answers. "And I applaud your perception. That charm is indeed not finished. You should remedy that."
You blink once, twice, in confusion, and Kong De's serpent-like smile grows. "Finish the charm, Kong Zhi," he repeats. "You should know how. It was crafted by my Father in your own image after all; he even went to the trouble of using your prefered medium."
It's like you've been slapped. His father began the charmwork? Not yours? Why would Father–
No, of course Father couldn't take the time to work on your gift himself. He's very busy. Weeks before your acceptance to the Delving Heart the Kong family had received their most important order in a generation: outfitting the favored retainer of the niece of an advisor to the Mayor of Harmony, seat of the Emperor In Steel. Being commissioned for such an undertaking is a breathtaking honor– not to mention how much they were paying. Completing that job would no doubt take precedence over a small thing like your acceptance gift.
Still. It stings.
You push your unimportant feelings aside and refocus your attention on the charm in front of you. "I must finish it myself?" you ask. "But I've no idea the specifications, the intent behind the design, or even the anam balance in these components! It seems-"
"Impossible?" Kong De prompts.
You shake your head instantly and push the bait he's dangling in front of you aside. "Of course not," you answer. "But it's… quite a challenge. One I don't believe I've attempted the like of before."
"Then you had best get started," Kong De answers. "And quickly. Should this charm not be finished by the moment the carriage rolls to a halt, I have instructions to keep it here from Uncle himself. If you cannot complete this small challenge then he states that this charm would be too complex for you to handle.
You barely hold a snarl back from emerging in your throat at the slight. But hold it back you do– and you turn your focus to the box.
You can do this.
In the Path Unending, one key aspect of your character is their skills. Your skills determine how many dice you get to roll for any given task. In this vote, you have ten (10) points to spend on skills with a maximum of 3 points per skill. Please spend these skills in plan format. Below is a list of example skills. If you have another idea for a skill you want that is not on this list, please tag @Vesvius and ask if it's a possible option.
In addition, because of your Artisan's Son background, you gain a Craft that begins at 5. Please select a form of crafting you would like Kong Zhi to specialize in. This can be any form of art or or labor, from weaving to pottery to painting to stained glass. This will also determine the form your starting charm takes.
This vote has a two hour moratorium. Please discuss the options and form plans before voting!
Example Skills, with name and governing attribute: Athletics (STR), Appraise (INT), Beast Empathy (CHA), Craft (Specify a form) (DEX), Cycling (RES), Deception (APP), Disguise (APP), Escape Artists (DEX), Heal (WIT), Intimidate (APP), Intuition (WIT), Knowledge (Choose an area of expertise) (INT), Legerdemain (DEX), Perception (WIT), Perform (Specify a medium) (CHA), Persuade (EMP), Ride (CON), Sense Motive (EMP), Stealthy (DEX), Survival (RES), Swim (STR)
You can't just rush into this despite what Kong De says about your time limit. You need to focus. You need to block out any distractions that are nagging at you. You need to forget the time limit, forget the expecting eyes of your cousin upon you, and think only of the task in front you. You close your eyes, exhale, and focus.
And then you look upon your task with new eyes.
The contents of the carved box look deceptively simple. There's a small cord made of what seems to be silver, though you'll have to check to be sure. It's what's taking up the most space inside the box. Underneath it appears to be a few small beads. You reach in and pluck one out with nimble fingers. On closer inspection, they aren't beads. The one you hold appears to be an eye made of some dark gemstone, with a brighter orange one making up the iris.
You glance over the rest of the beads. They're all eyes. They each appear to have been carved from the same dark mineral; only the iris is different. There are five of them in total and each iris is a different color.
Another glance at the cord shows small notches carved into it. They seem to match up perfectly with a slight imperfection in the otherwise flawless circle that makes up the back of the eyes. The two are clearly designed to fit together. Joining them is most likely your final goal here. But it can't be that simple. If that was all it was then it wouldn't be worthy of being called a challenge.
You absently grasp the cord and bring it closer to your face, giving it a sniff and a small lick. It definitely smells like silver. But there's something not entirely correct about the taste. It's got the tang that you would expect from silver but there's some kind of lingering sharpness in it. You still taste it seconds after you've pushed it away. There's some extra woven into the band. You need to figure out exactly what it is before you even try to join the eyes to it.
You fumble around in your pockets for a moment. Finally, you produce your Crystal Eye. The highly polished gemstone lens glimmers in the faint light of the carriage as you inspect it. No scratches, no deformities. Perfect. You hold it to your left eye and squint, letting your cheek and brow hold it in place. With the Eye secure you hold the cord in front of it.
With the sharper vision given to you by your Crystal Eye you're able to see the cord in finer detail than before. The cord is finely woven, clearly the work of a skilled craftsman. It looks like the silver was melted and refined before being teased out into something close to a gossamer thread. Then that thread was twined together to make a slightly larger string, which was then woven with others of it's kind to make the cord before you. There's something else in there though, some kind of slightly paler thread interwoven with the entire thing. If you had to guess, and you suppose you do, then the silver threads were joined with some other kind of strand before the final weaving. You only see hints of it around the notches; it's even paler than the silver, almost platinum in its color.
What could be woven in with silver that's platinum in coloration? Many things. You wrack your brain as you study the cord through the Eye. Your first thought is platinum, of course. But that has no real effects with silver save making it more valuable. You can't think of any anam reactions that come from a joining of silver and platinum. Perhaps hair from a beast? That's more likely. That just raises more questions however. There are dozens of beasts that you can name off the top of your head with fur or a mane of platinum. You suppose you could cut the cord open and study the platinum further, but you doubt you could weave it back together. It would just ruin the charm.
Cutting it open isn't the answer. But you think you know what is- figuring out what effect the charm is supposed to have. If you can decipher that then you should be able to, by process of elimination, figure out what the platinum core is. And that should let you smooth out whatever tangles Uncle has left here for you to stumble upon.
You've been paying the cord too much attention. You need to change angles of attack. You lower the cord back into the box and reach for an eye, rolling the small bead over your fingertips. A ghost of a smile crosses your face as you recognize the feel of the primary stone: pearl, naturally black.
It's been quite some time since you've worked with pearls and you haven't been privileged enough to experiment with black pearls. Still, you remember their properties, the knowledge flowing to the front of your mind easily from a decade of memorization. Black pearl isn't a normal component in any charm that you can think of. It's much more common in pills and elixirs. If a pearl is ground into dust and a pinch added to most elixirs, it smooths anam as it enters the body and makes it easier to cycle. Black pearls are even more potent; you remember reading a warning about adding too much to any concoction lest you risk taking in too much anam too quickly.
An idea seizes you and you turn your attention away from the body of the eyes and to the iris'. Each one winks up at you from under the dim light. You run your fingers over each one in turn, cataloguing the feel and the texture of the stones before holding them up in front of your eye for closer inspection. Emerald: often used to open yourself up to the world. Opal: usually found in water charms and healing items. Topaz: most common in warrior technique amplifiers, but sometimes used in armors. Tiger's Eye: a thickening agent that you've seen used to stabilize the wounded. And… the last one isn't a stone at all! It's a fragment of coral cut and polished until you can barely tell that it isn't one of the gems.
A picture is starting to take shape in your mind. Silver is neutral to anam, without any aspects of it's own, so it's in the cord to serve as a connector and nothing else. The stones seem to have been chosen to gather and refine anam- at least they will if you have them in the right sequence on the cord. You're still not sure what the central thread is made of, but the only thing that makes sense is that it's there to serve as a conductor, channeling anam from eye to eye.
This is a cycling aid. It has to be.
So how can it go wrong? How could Uncle has purposefully designed this charm to fail if you were to just assemble it? You know he had to have done so; there isn't a point of you even doing this otherwise.
You scan the eyes and the cord again. Nothing seems obviously wrong. This is going to a more thorough inspection, one deeper than you can give with your Eye alone. Absently, you extend a hand. "Tools," you command.
Kong De stares at you, nonplussed. You waggle your fingers in his direction. "Cousin, I know you have my tools," you elaborate. "I was told they would be returned to me upon arrival, but there is no way Father prepared this test for me without giving me the things I need to solve it. Can I have them? Please?"
Your cousin continues to stare blankly at you, but he reaches into thin air and twists his wrist. A roll of oilskin appears in his hand which he tosses at you without a moment's hesitation. You barely catch it without dropping the coral eye and bite back a complaint. He could have just handed them to you!
Still. You have them now. You put the oilskin on the table and push it open. It unfurls before you, revealing the tools you've been working with since you were old enough to lift them. They're dented. They're scratched. They look nothing like the beautiful pieces of art you've seen Father use on his own projects. But they're yours. More than that, each one of them is solid miststeel, forged to be anathema to anam. Miststeel is the only thing to use if you're constructing a charm and don't want to risk ambient energy entering your creation. You consider the tools for a moment before reaching out and getting down to work.
The emerald eye proves to be slightly heavier than the others, it's iris an ounce denser than its brethren. That's nothing you can't fix; you sand it down to match the rest within breaths. There's a slight imperfection in one of the notches. You can fix that with a cloth of woven wool and miststeel, which you use to smooth out the rough patch. But that makes the notch a fraction too large to comfortably accept an eye. You have to fill it in slightly with liquid Angel's Tears and swirl it with a dab of molten silver to keep it consistent with the rest of the cord.
Finally, as the horse is starting to slow down, you're sure you have it. You start connecting the eyes with the cord one after another. They all snap into place with a satisfying click, forming a small bracelet that will hang just a hair loose from your wrist. You thread it through your fingers, feeling for irregularities, but find nothing.
You hold it out to Kong De. "It's finished."
Your cousin takes it from you and glowers down at it. Goosebumps ripple on your flesh as he inspects it. "So you are," he finally pronounces. "Well done."
The praise sounds like it's been ripped from his lips by your miststeel tongs, but you'll take it. Pride at a job well done wells up in your gut. You can't let it show; Kong De will not hesitate to cut you back down should he think your ego is too large. So you lower your head and turn your attention back to your tools. You stow them away, adding your Crystal Eye, and roll the oilskin back up before tying it closed and throwing it over your shoulder.
Kong De waits for you to finish before he hands you the charm back. "Treasure this," he stresses. "Should any harm come to it, you will not get another."
Item Gained: Rainbow Eyes.
Rainbow Eyes (Bracelet)
Monk Charm 1 (Light, Beauty) The Rainbow Eyes are a potent tool in the arsenal of a novice Artist. When anam is cycled through them, they smooth it and make it easier to store. If a natural 1 is rolled when cycling through the Rainbow Eyes, it is rerolled. The Rainbow Eyes can filter out 10 such natural 1 rolls before it needs to be retooled and repaired, which takes one weekly action and 1 bronze talent's worth of materials.
You nod in acknowledgement. "Many thanks, honored cousin. I shall put it to good use."
Kong De chews over your response for a minute and can't seem to find a flaw in it. So instead he reaches into space again and produces a small purse. "Your allowance," he explains as the bag hits your chest. It jingles pleasingly. "You'll receive the same every month. Don't waste it."
Currency Gained: 8 Bronze Talents
Talents are the currency of the Empire and can be exchanged for a wide variety of goods and services. They come in four denominations. Bronze talents are the smallest of them all. 10 bronze talents make up one silver talent. 10 silver talents make up one gold talent. 10 gold talents make up one diamond talent.
You don't get a chance to thank him before his servant stands and pushes the door open right as the carriage rolls to a halt. "Be well, Kong Zhi," Kong De states. "Do not shame the family."
You fumble the purse into your robe pockets, fasten the Rainbow Eyes around your wrist, and bow low. "I shall strive to bring us nothing but glory."
There's nothing else to say after that. You stand and leave the carriage. Your feet have barely hit the ground before the door slams shut and the driver cracks his whip. The carriage speeds off, leaving you standing in a cloud of dust.
As the dust clears you glance around at your new surroundings. On three sides of you stand heavy timber walls that are fully as tall as six of you. The only exception is the fourth side, which is solid stone save for a small cave mouth. Buildings short and tall alike are strewn throughout the enclosed area with no pattern to their layout as if they were just thrown there like a handful of dice.
You're not alone in this enclosure. People of all shapes and sizes bustle through this place like bees in a hive. Young children run about on errands, the elderly sit and relax in the shade of the walls, adults work at a thousand small tasks. Threaded throughout are boys and girls your age, all dressed.in the same black and white robes you were given upon your acceptance to the sect.
They all seem to be heading towards the cave mouth. You start heading in the same direction. As you get closer to the cave, other people start becoming less common. Before long it's just robed figures around you as far as the eye can see.
With one exception.
You stop and stare. You've heard of ascended beasts before, but you've never actually seen one!
The Tripart World added to the Lore Post.
You shake your head to clear it. You can't let the sight of something new overwhelm you! You're the son of Kong Shuren! You can't stand around and gape like some provincial bumpkin!
Thankfully it seems that no one noticed your temporary lapse of control. Indeed, most of the people around you seem more shocked and awestruck than you were. Only a few people aren't gaping at the frogman who silently sits in front of the cave mouth. You turn your attention to them in turn.
The first boy who isn't paying the beastman much attention may not even know the rare sight that sits before him. He seems too consumed by the egg he's sniffing. As you watch, he studies the egg with the same care you would give to a gem, before shrugging and popping it whole in his mouth. Judging by his size, it seems he's no stranger to consuming food without chewing it. His pudgy hands are bedecked with dozens of rings, and at his waist hangs a row of knives.
A whining sound gets your attention and you turn from the heavy set boy to look at another disciple. The sound is coming from a small dog that's straining against a grip. It looks like the hound wants to inspect the heavy boy for any more treats but it's owner won't let it. The hound's owner is a lanky looking girl with uneven hair and tattoos up and down her knuckles. Two more dogs surround her, both calmer than the hungry one. Wait, no, three dogs- she has a tiny one tucked in a pocket of her robe as well.
A way away from the dogkeeper is another boy. He only catches your attention because he's actually lying down of all things. A straw hat is tipped over his eyes and he's got his legs crossed. His robes seem somewhat shabbier than yours and he seems to almost be asleep for all the attention he's paying the rest of the disciples or the beastman.
The next disciple to catch your eye isn't giving the beastman any attention either, but for very different reasons than the shabby sleeper. She is a slight woman with long hair tied in a heavy braid, and she's conversing casually with a handful of other disciples. Her words seem light and casual, but her eyes are heavy as she scans the crowd much like you are doing. She looks at you for a fraction of a second and your eyes lock. The girl seems not to notice; she keeps looking around as if you don't exist.
You'd like to study your fellow disciples longer, but a wet clapping sound draws your attention. The frogman is moving.
"It is now noon," it announces in a watery voice. "Anyone arriving after this point is a latecomer and shall be punished if they are even allowed entrance. But that is a matter that concerns you not, for you all have arrived on schedule."
The frogman looks around. "I am Elder Lei and I shall be your escort into the Delving Heart. Attempt to keep up."
And then it- Elder Lei- turns and runs into the cave mouth.
There's a moment of stunned silence. Then it's like the floodgates are opened. Disciples break out into dead sprints as they attempt to run after Elder Lei. You're no exception. You move as fast as you can into the press of bodies and follow them into the cave.
All around you is nothing but movement and confusion as disciples move and jockey for position. Finally, you get your bearings. You've wound up:
[] Towards the front of the group, next to the girl and her dogs. They look at you with interest.
[] In the first half of the group, at the side of the shabby sleeper. He's jogging around without a care in the world.
[] In the back half of the group, alongside the popular girl. She doesn't seem to notice you, but a few of her hangers on are staring.
[] At the end of the group, next to the heavyset boy. He seems quite pleased with his position.
[] Towards the front of the group, next to the girl and her dogs. They look at you with interest.
As you push your way into the cave, one overpowering thought fills your mind.
This is where light comes to die.
Every other sensation fades around you. The press of your fellow disciples against you does not seem important anymore. The pins and needles in your legs, stirred to action after so long in the carriage, is just a minor inconvenience. The small nausea in your stomach from Kong De's too-heavy lunch preferences barely enters your mind. All that matters is the overpowering darkness that surrounds you like a heavy blanket.
It feels like it's harder to breathe as the light fades away. The air seems warmer and your blood feels cooler in your veins. The slapping sounds of footsteps coming from the others makes you feel as if you're running within a thundercloud. It's as if your entire head has been submerged in a pot of pure darkness.
You stumble as a thought breaks through the fog in your mind. You're down here following the lead of an awakened toadbeast- Elder Lei. Elder Lei is leading you through the darkness.
...if you lose track of Elder Lei, you might be trapped within this light grave forever.
You need to run faster.
And so you do. Your legs pump as fast as they can, drowning out the other footsteps with your own. You push and shove and elbow your way through slower disciples without care for manner or politeness until you run out of disciples to elbow. Your heart beats loud in your throat as you look for Elder Lei. You can't see him. Of course you can't see him. You're still surrounded by a thundercloud.
But you can hear him. His webbed feet make a different tone than your sandled ones or the bare feet of some of the others. The Elder is still in front of you, running along at a steady pace. Slowly, you feel your panic die. The Elder is right there. You'll make it through the darkness.
As your heart leaves your ears you can listen to other sounds, and you realize that the Elder's webbed footsteps aren't the only unusual ones you hear. From your left comes a small clamor of different feet clicking against the stone. You turn your head to face the strange noises even as your legs keep pumping. What could be making that noise?
A sudden spot of light makes you stumble. Another makes you blink tears from your eyes. All around you, harshly glowing lanterns start to appear in the walls, breaking up the thundercloud with beacons of brilliance. They let you see your surroundings for the first time since you plunged into the cave- though you suppose it's more of a tunnel at this point. But you don't pay the view around you any mind. You're too busy staring at what's making those different footsteps.
Your mind is consumed by a new all-encompassing thought: DOG.
There are three dogs running down the tunnel right next to you. One of them is a large breed that looks like it's more fur than dog, with hair growing over its eyes to the point where you're not sure how it can see where it's running. It's companion is a smaller pup that seems to lack fur entirely. It's all muscle barely contained beneath it's tight skin, with pointed ears and a sharp snout. Behind them runs a much smaller dog that looks like it could be a mix of the first two. It's smaller, with curly fur and pointed ears.
You almost trip over a sudden rise in the tunnel as you stare at the dogs. Thankfully, you catch yourself with only a minor stumble. That lets you keep pace and keep staring at the dogs. They're… they're… they're so… you want to pet them so much. Do they like treats? Do you have anything on you that you could give them as treats?!
You're so distracted that it takes you a minute to realize that there's an actual person in the middle of the dogs. One of the girls you saw outside is barely an arm's length away from you, with the only thing keeping the two of you from pressing shoulder to shoulder being the shaggy dog. She is taller than you by a good half measure and her hair is shaggy and uneven, as if she cuts it herself. Her robes seem almost brand new; there's none of the weathering on them that some of the other disciples seem to have.
But what really catches your eye is her tattoos. Her hands, from what you can make out, are covered in them. Black lines and swirls twine around every finger and on to her palms before heading up her sleeves. You see tips of the same lines peeking up from the neck of her robes with one curling up to just beneath her ear. That's as far up as they reach; none have been made on her face. You feel your brown tighten as you look at those tattoos. There's something about them that tickles the edge of your memory.
It's almost like she can feel your eyes on her. Her nose twitches and she turns her head slightly until she meets your gaze. A moment passes with the two of you just looking at each other as you run. Finally, she opens her mouth-
Another dog pops up out of the back of her robes. This one's a small little guy who has to be made of at least three quarters fluff. It's coat is a dark gray that you think would be white underneath proper light and it's tiny eyes are beady and inquisitive. It yawns, showing small fangs and a tongue too long for its body, before dropping it's head on the collar of the girl's robes like it's getting ready to go back to sleep.
...this might be the most adorable thing you've ever seen in your entire life. Your hands itch to hold the puppy. Would petting it be like petting a cloud? It looks like it would be somewhat similar.
The girl heaves out a sigh of annoyance, but the corner of her mouth is twitching when she looks back at you. "Do you… like dog?" she asks. Her voice is heavily accented, a slow and lilting thing, and she seems to be thinking carefully over her every word.
But that's less important than answering her question. You offer a cautious nod and the girl's suppressed smile turns into a large grin. "This, Xue," she offers, gesturing at the dog currently wriggling around in the front of her robes like an excited earthworm. Then she turns and gestures at the others. "That Lu. She Lan. This Zhao."
You look at them all in turn. Zhao is the muscular one, Lan is the hair one, and Lu is the tiny curly one. You nod once you get them all in order. "I'm pleased to meet all of them," you respond. "They seem…" You struggle to find the right words. "...like good dogs?"
The girl beams. "They are!" she replies. "Here!"
Before you're fully aware of what's happening, Xue is in your hands. The puffball looks up at you with an inquisitive stare before venturing a lick to your chin. You barely keep the goofy grin off your face. It's been a long time since you had friendly contact with an animal of any kind, and even longer since you were trusted close to a hound. Your hands remember how to pet them though. You reach over and scratch the underside of Xue's chin, to which he replies with a happy yip and a small change in position so you can get a better spot.
Your new running partner seems pleased at that and possibly even more pleased about not having Xue running around inside her robes. "Good hands," she says decisively.
"I should hope so," you muse. Then you shake your head. You're being rude. You turn back to the girl and bow your head slightly. "I am Kong Zhi. Thank you for allowing me to hold your dog."
The girl waves off your thanks, but her smile fades slightly. "Thank you for taking, Kong Zhi. I… first name is Nokai."
She doesn't have a clan name? And what does she mean by first name? It seems a little-
Oh.
You look at her closer.
Oooooooh.
Everything starts to click together for you. The accent. The tattoos. The name. Even the dogs.
You're running alongside one of the Waste Barbarians.
You've never met one in person before. All you have to go on are your studies and the stories. The books you've read say very little about the Waste Barbarians. They're only mentioned a few times when speaking of outside lands and described as various nomadic tribes that scavenge the earth for survival and shun the civilized ways of the Radiant Empire.
The stories you've heard in whispers are much more descriptive. They speak of how the Wasteland Barbarians are horrifying savages that live as beasts. That they carve lines into their flesh to record the pain they've caused in others. That the Barbarians are so untrustworthy that they cloak themselves in falsities and shadow so dark that even the gods cannot see their true form.
You think you manage to keep all that off of your face, but Nokai's grin dims a little bit more. It doesn't vanish though. Instead, she gives you a small shrug and wiggles her fingers at you. Then she clicks her tongue. Xue wriggles in your grip and leaps from your arms, landing back in Nokai's. A few quick motions later and he's swaddled in her robes once more like the world's most excited child. With her dog retrieved, Nokai turns back to the front as if the two of you had never spoken.
You stare at her for a minute longer. What… what just happened?
Relationship Established! Nokai: 0 (Neutral)
But then you're torn from your contemplation by the feeling of heat on the side of your face. You turn to face forward once again- and your jaw drops.
Is this the Delving Heart?
You didn't expect it to be quite so big.
Hundreds of buildings sprawl out before you, each hewn from the floor of the cavern and into the walls. Some are small, squat buildings, made for function over artistry. Some are sprawling spires that reach up and up and up, until their tips tickle the base of the Brightmaples. People, hundreds and hundreds of people all garbed in disciple's robes, roam the spaces between the buildings. But neither they, nor the sheer size of the sect, are what catches your attention.
No, you're focused on the ceiling.
Above the center of the sect sits a floating column of white light. You can't see where it truly starts, but you can see where it ends. Atop the column sits an orb of stone large enough that your mind has trouble understanding that it is floating. The orb flashes with light of every shade, casting the buildings around it into eternal daytime. As the light stretches out, it dims, but it reaches every nook and cranny that you can see. There are no shadows within the Delving Heart.
Your running companion is forgotten. What is that? Who made it? Is it a charm? It would have to be, but on a scale so grand that it's almost incalculable. It could be a Natural Wonder you suppose. However it doesn't look in the least bit natural.
Elder Lei doesn't lead you towards the column and orb. Instead he starts heading downhill, following a winding path that only he seems to see. He picks up speed as you run and before long, it's all you can do to keep him in sight.
The Elder's destination is a courtyard that sits on the edge of the cavern, so far away from the Column that it sits in eternal twilight, surrounded by dozens of small buildings. The buildings themselves seem to have no pattern or reason to them. Some are large, gray boxes of stone, some are regular looking houses, there's even a pyramid set against the wall. The only common thread they have is that they're spaced evenly apart and all seem to be centered on this courtyard.
The courtyard itself is unremarkable. There are several wells dug around the edges that look like they could have been pulled from any village or town in the Empire. Aside from that, and the fountain in the center, the courtyard seems entirely ornamental. Perhaps it's a meeting place, or it could be…
Wait. Is that truly a fountain?
If it is, it wasn't one made by man's hands. It has no artistry or even design to it. It just looks like heaps of wet stone pilled haphazardly in whatever order nature decided. But what really convinces you that it isn't a normal fountain is what it's shooting out instead of water: mud. Thick globs of mud pour from the middle of the stone pile and rain back down on it, coating the entire thing in a viscous brown goo.
It's towards the fountain that Elder Lei leads you. He stops in front of it and stands, waiting for all of you to catch up. You stumble to a panting halt, hands on your knees, and wait. The other disciples pour in behind you and Nokai. It takes over ten minutes by your rough count before the last- the still happy looking heavy set boy- trundles in, but everyone seems to have made it through the dark.
The moment the boy arrives, Elder Lei turns back to you. "Disciples, attend," he says, tone bored. "Before you sits the least of the Wonders of the Delving Heart- the Prospector's Tears."
New Natural Wonder: the Prospector's Tears (Earth, Water, Mud 75).
"Sit," Elder Lei continues. "And begin your cycling. I-"
From behind you, a squeaky voice speaks up. "Um, honored elder?" it asks. There's a murmur as the disciple all turn to the speaker, a mousey looking boy with heavy spectacles perched upon his nose. He shrinks down under the combined attention of everyone but still manages to get his question out. "What exactly is it?"
There's a rumble of laughter from some of the disciples. You, however, frown. Who is this boy and why is he here if no one has even told him of Natural Wonders?
Elder Lei doesn't seem to share the mirth of the disciples. He merely nods and looks at the boy with one eye. "This is a Natural Wonder," he explains. "A pure manifestation of anam, of spirit, in the physical world. It gives off raw anam simply by existing- something that you will need at your current step. As you are, you are unable to produce anam of your own, so you will have to draw it from the world through cycling. Do you know how to cycle?"
The boy gives a hesitant nod but he doesn't seem entirely sure. Elder Lei turns his attention away from the boy and looks over the disciples as a whole. "In case any here do not share your knowledge, Disciple Teng Lim, know this. Cycling is the process by which you take the world's anam and add it to your own. It involves proper breathing, correct movements of the spirit, and hosts of other things you shall no doubt learn should you rise above the Servant's Step. Do not think of them though. I shall guide you through the beginning methods of the Delving Heart as you cycle anam from the Prospector's Tears. When you can cycle no more, you will be given the freedom to choose your dwelling here in the Ninth Circle."
And then he begins to explain how to cycle. You frown as his words wash over you. The instructions are… different than you expected.
You've never cycled anam yourself before; to do so before entering a sect is to be forever barred from every sect. But you know the principles. You were taught a method by your cousin long ago, and she swore it was the same cycling technique that your ancestor devised. And it's different than the technique Elder Lei is espousing now.
If your theoretical knowledge is accurate, the technique Elder Lei is teaching isn't wrong, or even bad. You could easily pick it up. But Kong Cui swore by the family technique… is there even really a difference?
Something to look into later.
But for now, you need to cycle if you want to have any hope of getting a good choice of a house.
How do you choose to cycle?
[] With the Delving Heart technique.
[] With the Kong Family technique.
[] Write-In (Tag @Vesvius when writing. I retain veto powers.)
But though you let Elder Lei's words wash over you like a soothing stream, you tune out what he's actually saying. You ignore the instructions he gives Teng Lim and some others and instead think back to the words of your cousin. Kong Cui had been very clear on how to use your family's technique and you remember every word of her teachings. You breathe in for six seconds, you hold for five, you breathe out for four, you still your lungs for three. And then you repeat, adding a second on to each repetition.
Your cousin had sworn by this technique. To hear her tell it, it sets the foundation for success within the Kong Family. To know this is to take one step along the artisan's path- and it's a path you're eager to walk.
For a few cycles you think that Kong Cui lied to you. Honestly, that seems like something she would do; lie to you about a training technique so that you would embarrass yourself. It wouldn't be the first time. You distinctly remember one moment where she said that juggling forge hammers would help your coordination that led to a great deal of pain-
And then you feel it.
Anam. The lifeforce of the world. You can feel it pooling in the Prospector's Tears. With every breath you take, it draws closer and closer to you. Finally it slips between your lips and down into your lungs. You feel it spreading throughout your body, bringing with it the feeling of the earth's stability, of water's coursing power, of the malleability of mud. The anam spreads through your body and veins until you feel your pores begin to tingle.
You knew Kong Cui wouldn't lie to you!
Trait Gained! The Kong Family Cycling Technique: You have taken the lessons of your family to heart and strive to follow in their footsteps. Kong Zhi requires 10% less anam when crafting charms. However, his spirit is not equipped for sudden combat. Using combat techniques cost 10% more anam than they ordinarily would.
Trait Gained! Son of Kong Shuren: You are the son of Kong Shuren, artisan to the court itself. You have been raised to be a pillar of this family and it is not a task you shall fail at. When experimenting with new charm designs or crafting charms, Kong Zhi gains +0.4 drive.
Relationship Established! Kong Cui: +1 (Acquaintance)
The anam begins to pool within your body. You feel stronger, faster, like you could run laps around the entire cavern without pausing for breath once! Even your senses are sharper. The ground feels rougher and more coarse against your skin. The air seems so cool that you almost shiver. The burbling coming from the Prospector's Tears fills your ears, and Elder Lei's words suddenly jump into focus.
"-the anam within you gives you life. It gives you power. It makes you more than merely human or beast. It connects your spirit with the world around you and brings you one step closer to this world's perfection."
"But this step is only a temporary one," Elder Lei continues. You open your eyes even as you continue to cycle and see the frogman watching you all with a steady gaze. His words still sound rehearsed, but he sinks gravity into every one. "It is what is known as the Servant's Step."
"You took the Servant's Step before even entering the sect. When you were each visited by a tester and proved your ability, you took it. Only a Servant can draw and hold anam from a Natural Wonder. While you reside within the Ninth Circle, you shall learn to channel this power into various techniques and abilities."
Servant? You're no one's servant! Assistant, yes. You've been called on to serve as an extra pair of hands when they were needed multiple times. But no one would ever dare call you a servant! And what's this about the Ninth Circle? What does that- you lose your rhythm for a fraction of a second. The anam begins to slip away.
You hastily correct your breathing pattern and the energy begins to return. You barely resist biting your cheek out of frustration. Foolish- you let your focus slip. You ignore the rest of the Elder Lei's words and redouble your efforts to draw as much anam as you can.
Rolls summary: 12 successes in 12 rounds of rolling ((3d10s8)0.9). 3 charges from the Rainbow Eyes expended, 7 remain. Average result!
Eventually Elder Lei stops talking, at least for a moment. When he speaks again he has no speech. Instead he names a disciple and gestures at them. Each disciple he points at stands, practically glowing with anam, and rushes into the surrounding buildings to look for a home.
You don't finish first. Or second. Or fifth. Or even twentieth. At least two score names are called before Elder Lei's eyes alight on you. He points a webbed finger in your direction. "Kong Zhi!" he warbles. "You are finished."
You rise and bow, barely avoiding tripping over your own feet from the speed that anam gives you. "Thank you, honored Elder!" you reply. "May I-"
"Seek your housing, Kong Zhi," Elder Lei cuts you off. "Any questions you may have shall be answered on the morrow."
You blink at that. But you have questions now!
Still. It doesn't look like he's going to be swayed.
And you really need to find a house before all the good spots are taken.
There are dozens of homes surrounding the Prospector's Tears Courtyard. Some already have occupants, some await their first. Which do you choose?
[] One of the normal buildings that doesn't have anyone in it yet. It's close to the courtyard, so you'll have easy access to the Prospector's Tears, and it's big enough for three people. You'll no doubt get a few roommates soon!
[] A twisting spire near the edge of the cavern. It has a great view, and no one has claimed it yet! But there's space for at least one other person. You won't be alone for long.
[] An boy with ornaments threaded through his hair is standing in front of the Pyramid, looking over several of the other disciples. He seems to be deciding on whom to live with. If you move quickly, you may be able to make your case.
[] The heavyset boy from the outside is finishing up the exercise. He seems friendly enough. You'll approach him and suggest finding a place to live together.
[] The popular girl from before has already finished her exercise and has slipped away from her adoring public. Perhaps you could introduce yourself?
[] Nokai is long gone, but you saw that she went for a very small dwelling that lies along the path to the courtyard. Speaking with a Waste Barbarian is nerve wracking to say the least, but she wasn't unfriendly. And if you manage to live with her, there will be dogs!
There are several small homes within stone's throw of the courtyard. You could lay your pack down in one of them easily. There's even one that looks like it hasn't been touched yet; you would be able to have at least a few moments of solitude if you were to go there. Or perhaps you could approach the pyramid. It's a handsome looking building that would certainly be a worthy home. But it's been claimed by a thin man with ornaments threaded through his hair who is almost undoubtedly a noble of some persuasion, and he's selecting his living companions from a flock of eager lampreys. You have no desire to be one of them.
For a moment, your eyes land on Nokai. The barbarian is far away from the courtyard by the time you see her. She must have been among the first to finish Elder Lei's exercise. For a moment you're tempted to follow after her. She seemed like a decent sort for a waste barbarian and you could think of worse places to live than surrounded by dogs if she would have you. But you stop to reconsider as she selects her home far away from the courtyard and ducks into it. Her home of choice would be cramped if manageable confines for two people, but with all of the dogs, you'd be surprised if Nokai's roommate could eke out a few square feet to lay their bed. You'll find somewhere else to sleep.
You turn away from Nokai and continue your scan of the homes. No others really seem to jump out at you- at least, none until you spot a spire near the very back of the courtyard. It's a tall structure that seems to have been carved entirely out of one large stalagmite that stretches towards the roof of the cavern. If it weren't for the door set in it's base and the several windows carved in the sides, you'd think it was just a piece of stone. It's out of the way, it's impressive to look at it, it looks like it would give a great view from the top, and perhaps best of all, the windows are all dark. If you move quickly, you would be able to lay first claim on it. It's perfect.
"Teng Lim! Ming Hui! " Elder Lei calls. Two more disciples stir at his words, the nervous one who had asked questions before the exercise and the heavy set boy from outside. "Your exercise is complete! Seek your housing!"
If you want the spire to still be empty by the time you reach it you need to move now. And so you do, taking the long way around the Prospector's Tears to avoid getting in the way and making a beeline for the spire as soon as you're away from the crowd.
The spire is a lot larger than you had thought. What looked like a small door set into the side from far away is actually almost twice your height and made of what seems like bronze. It's so heavy that you have to give an effort to open it, and you wind up throwing your shoulder against it like you're trying to knock a man over.
Once you're passed the door you get your first look at your new home away from home. It's divided up into several floors with spiral stairs set in the side connecting them. The first is a large, featureless room devoid of any ornamentation besides lamps set in the walls. The second is smaller, but more ornate, with the stalagmite carved into several smaller rooms. The top floor is by far the smallest and is again a single room, but it's still half again as large as your rooms back home. And you were right; the view is amazing. From the window in the top floor you can see all the way across the cavern, seeing everything that the pillar of light illuminates.
This one is definitely yours. You drop your tool roll and your few possessions at the foot of the bed. You can probably set up a workshop in here if you arrange things correctly. You would probably need a table though. Getting one all the way up here won't be an easy feat. You could always get a lighter weight one you suppose, but you doubt anything you could easily carry up here would hold up under the stresses of your crafting.
You're jarred from your thoughts by the sound of the bronze door scraping open again. There's a moment's pause and then a voice echoes through the spire. "Hello?" it calls. "Is anyone here?" You suppose it would've been too much to hope for no housemates at all. You head down the stairs and back to the entrance hall to greet the newcomer.
Or, rather, newcomers. Two disciples are standing in the entrance hall. One, a small woman is shouldering the door closed behind them. The other, an equally small boy, is walking around the hall with a small torch and jabbing at the lamps. He stops when he notices you and raises a hand.
"Hello!" he greets you cheerily. "Are you the only one here or are we too late?"
You stop at the base of the stairs and inspect them both in the flickering newborn light. The two are clearly siblings or close cousins at the very least. They share the same slight build, short stature, and gray hair. Even their clothes are the same style and cut. The only real differences you can make out from a quick glance are their hairstyles. The boy has his hair long and pulled back into a tight coil, while the girl's hair is shaven on the sides and short on the top.
As they look back at you, you notice another difference between them: their expressions. The boy seems just thrilled to meet you. His face is split wide in a friendly smile and his eyes are innocent and almost unassuming. The girl, however, has barely looked at you since she finished closing the door. Her eyes dart around the entrance hall, searching for threats or attackers in every shadowy corner. When she finally does look at you she seems… well, not hostile. But close. Her mouth is set in a line and her eyes are suspicious.
You stop your inspection and step towards them. "No, I am the only one who has come here so far," you answer. "I guess your eyes were also caught by this place?"
The boy nods eagerly. "And how!" he chirps. "Why would anyone even want to live anywhere else when you can live in an obelisk? The idea that there's a brawl of those boring houses near the courtyard is just strange, is it not?"
Wait, there's a brawl going on outside? You kind of want to see that. But this isn't the time, not when you have potential roommates to meet. "Agreed," you reply. "I've already set up my things at the summit, but the second level has several rooms free. I-"
"What if one of us wants the highest room?" the girl cuts in. "What would you do in that case? What makes you deserve the top position?"
That brings you up short. "Umm… I got here first?" you hazard. "But if someone really wanted it, we could come up with some arrangement. Perhaps-"
"No," the boy interrupts. "That will not be necessary. Though I thank you for your consideration. My sister and I will be quite satisfied with the rooms on the second level. Won't we?" The last comes out as a growl directed at the girl who still glares at you.
She doesn't answer him. "We should just take the top floor as well," she argues. "There's only one of him; we could do it easily."
The boy rolls his eyes and goes to respond, but you've had enough with people talking over you. You tune his words out as you meet the girl's hostile stare with a calm look of your own. "I apologize if we've gotten off on the wrong foot," you say directly to her. "But could we please wait at least a few moments before we begin threatening each other? Leaping straight into it just seems rude."
The girl mulls over your words. Finally, she sighs and straightens up before offering you a shallow bow. "My apologies," she says. "It's been a very long day, but that is no excuse. You have offered us no wrong yet and I should not treat you as if you have."
You nod. "It is not an issue at all," you answer. "I understand that tempers are short with the travel and the caves." Apologies made and excuses accepted, you return the bow. "I am Kong Zhi. Might I have your names?"
The two trade glances. "Kong?" the girl repeats. "Are you perhaps related to Kong Shuren?"
You puff up slightly. "Ah! You've heard of my father! Yes, I bear the honor of being his son."
The boy's smile grows even wider, if that's at all possible. "Excellent! I was privileged enough to see your father at work several seasons ago. He was called upon to repair our Aunt's heirloom cloak. Now it's truly difficult to even notice his repairs- and if one sees them, it's only to the detriment of the original craftsmanship, for his work far outstripped it."
Fixing a cloak charm? You wrack your memory for any traces of that. It does ring a bell… yes! You remember hearing from a servant that Father had been in a foul state after working on a cloak ambitiously named the Shroud of Seven Thunders. Apparently, the original charmcrafter hadn't been fit to button his own shirt, let alone weave thunder anam into wool. Thankfully, he'd been paid handsomely to fix what the original creator had ruined and it had only heightened the Kong family's reputation. The client had been..
Yes! You remember now. An Imperial Witness! A person charged by the Steadfast Court to speak for a specific place, town, or spirit that cannot speak for itself. Only the most important and prosperous places were appointed a Witness, for only those places needed someone to speak on their behalf before the Emperor in Steel. Impressing the Witness had been more than enough to compensate Father for having to deal with substandard charms.
Now what was she the witness for…? You're fairly certain it was a lake, one rich in rare fish and home to powerful water anam. Was it the Jade Springs? No, the Azure Gardens! That was it! "The privilege is entirely mine," you answer. "I have heard of your Aunt's own talents, and she must truly be skilled to be able to stand for such an important harbor!"
The two grin at your recognition and, unless you misread them, trade impressed looks. "Your memory does you credit," the boy answers. He claps his fist to his palm and nods at you. "I am Jai Shouxi of the Azure Gardens Jai Clan."
"And I am Jai Fa," the girl adds with her own nod, "also of the Azure Gardens Jai Clan. We are pleased to meet you." She lets out a long breath. "We had thought that we might live alone for a time, but perhaps we could share this space, Kong Zhi."
"Besides!" Jai Shouxi adds. "We truly don't have much of a choice anymore. Almost everywhere else worth the stone it's made from is taken by now. We must either coexist or scratch and claw for scraps."
You consider their words and shrug. "That seems fair. The second level will be yours for the most part, and I shall take the top. Unless there are any objections?"
Both Jais consider it and shake their heads. "That is acceptable," Jai Fa answers. "Now if it's alright, I dearly wish to put my things down."
You chuckle and get out of their way. You guess that as far as roommates go, you could do much worse.
Relationships Established! Jai Fa, Jai Shouxi: 0 (Neutral)
***
The three of you spend an hour getting yourself situated before the last traces of anam bleed from your body. When they go, they take your energy with them and the weariness of your long day rushes back into your body like an old friend. You barely have time to bid Jai Fa and Jai Shouxi good night before you fall on your new mattress and instantly fall asleep.
A loud blare of noise blasts you awake the next morning and almost has you fall from your bed. You glance out of the window and see the source: a figure standing in the middle of the courtyard wearing only a hood. He's holding a long horn over one shoulder and is hammering a post into the courtyard's ground with his free hand. Once he's done his work, he's gone in a flicker of motion.
You rush down stairs, making yourself presentable as you pass by the twins, and head out to the Courtyard in record time. You're not alone; it seems that the horn blast has jarred almost everyone from their sleep. You have to weave through the disciples to make it to the post the hornblower left, drawing more than one annoyed word and angry look.
There's a message inscribed on the post.
Disciples-
The sound you have just heard was the waking tone, sounded by Sixth Circle Brother Tang Hai. Hopefully, you enjoyed it. You will not hear it again. From this point forward, your waking and sleeping cycles are your own to manage.
Currently you stand as members of the Ninth Circle. You are the most junior and unskilled of all who reside within the Delving Heart. You are also the only members of the Ninth Circle; there are no others. This is because if anyone remains in the Ninth Circle by the end of the year, they are expelled from the Delving Heart. We have no patience or tolerance for the unskilled or the lazy.
In these next two weeks, there will be several classes or workshops available to you. You can find a list of their times and locations below this message. Go to them or don't at your own discretion. This time in its entirety is for you to get your bearings. Use it wisely.
It then proceeds to list a bunch of meeting places- that you don't know where they are- for various meetings.
Well. It seems like you two weeks to familiarize yourself with the Delving Heart. After that, something big will be asked of you- and if you fail to achieve whatever they ask, you'll be expelled from the sect.
The news hits everyone differently. Some disciples barely have finished the message before they run towards the Prospector's Tears at top speed. Nokai stares at the post as if wondering what strange wisdom it has to impart. Others gape gormlessly at the message like they can't believe what they're reading. A few just laugh and wander off. Teng Lim produces a charcoal stick from somewhere and starts copying over the list of meetings on his hand.
As for you? You square your shoulder. You've got work to do.
How do you spend your first day in the Delving Heart? (Pick Two)
[] You will attend physical training, under the supervision of an elder.
[] You will attend a seminar on pill refining and charm crafting, under the supervision of an elder.
[] You will attend lessons on the nature of anam and cultivation, under the supervision of an elder.
[] You have two new roommates in Jai Fa and Jai Shouxi. You would like to get to know them better.
[] You wish to spend time with Nokai. She seems like she needs help, and you're curious what brings a waste barbarian to the sect.
[] There are other disciples you have yet to meet, and you would like to change that. You'll mingle with your fellows.
[] The Delving Heart is a massive cave complex full of mystery. You'll seek that mystery out and find out more about the place you now live.
[] Write-In (Tag @Vesvius for approval. You may attempt to combine actions if you so choose (Drag a person along to a lesson), but be warned, this will have repercussions.)
Your eyes settle on the entry for the lessons on the nature of anam and cultivation. General knowledge on anam might not be the most impressive sounding thing to have, but if there's one thing you know it's that you're nothing without a good foundation. And right now yours is lacking. You need to add on to it before you try to build anything else.
But first…
You glance over your shoulder. The crowd has mostly dissipated, with the majority of the disciples running straight for the Prospector's Tears. Why, you're not sure. Maybe they think they'll learn to draw anam faster by practicing? Maybe they're right; you'll have to ask about that later. But one person that hasn't moved is Nokai. The barbarian girl is still standing where you first spotted her, eyes tracing the letters carved into the post with one tattooed hand rubbing her chin in thought. Her spare hand is threaded through Lan's fur; the hairy dog is sitting patiently at her side with his tongue lolling out. You're not certain who looks more lost right now: Nokai or Lan.
You can't help the dog learn to understand anything but you may be able to help Nokai. You have an idea of what's troubling her and if you're right, you might be able to clear up any confusion.
You take a step towards Nokai. She doesn't notice you but the dogs definitely do. Lan doesn't move at all; he seems quite comfortable sitting and being scratched by his mistress. But behind Nokai, the massive Zhao and the tiny Lu stir. Both of them lock their eyes on you and go very, very still. Even Xue, hanging from Nokai's robes as seems to be his custom, stops twitching and turns a pointed snout in your direction. None of them make any hostile moves but you're under no illusions that they would if they felt they had to.
Perhaps if you speak up quickly you won't feel the stares of three dogs trained on you quite so acutely. "Excuse me?" you say. "Nokai?"
The barbarian stirs and takes her gaze from the post, looking at you for the first time. Her brow stays screwed up in concentration for a long moment before finally relaxing as she recognizes you. "Kong Zhi," she greets you. "You settling in well?" One of her hands keeps stroking Lan, but the other makes a quick cutting gesture at her side. Zhao and Lu settle back and seem to relax, with Zhao flopping on the ground and starting to roll around in the dirt. Xue, on the other hand, seems even more excited and the front of Nokai's robe beings wriggling like it's a hooked fish.
You hold a hand to your mouth to disguise a grin and nod in answer to Nokai's question. "Yes, so far," you reply. "I've taken a spot in one of the spires. My roommates seem a bit strange, but nice. And you?"
Nokai shrugs and jerks her head back towards the tiny hut you saw her going into yesterday. "I take quarters there. Living partner strange. Spend whole night in corner. Not think they sleep. Strange; Lan right there to pillow." She rolls her eyes as if she can't believe the foolishness of a person to turn down a perfectly good dog pillow.
You're torn between agreeing and shaking your head in sympathy for Nokai's poor roommate, whoever she may be. "That sounds tiring," you say with a nod, carefully not adding who it's trying for. Then before she can say anything else on the subject you plow forward. "If I may ask, which lessons do you think you will attend?"
Nokai's head cocks to the side right in rhythm with one of Xue's wiggles. "Lessons?" she asks.
You gesture back at the post. "The lessons? The ones written there?"
"Ah," she answers. "That's what that says. Good to know."
You pause for a bare fraction of a second as your suspicions are confirmed: Nokai can't read. But the pause is long enough to be detected. Nokai grins and shakes her head. "Yes, cannot read your script. Too squiggly. Not biggest sadness in the world though," she says, cutting off any words you might say. "Get by just fine most times."
You're not really sure how to answer that. Not knowing how to read… the idea is just foreign to you. You learned your letters practically in the crib and you've been reading fluently since your sixth summer at the absolute latest. How did Nokai get places without being able to read maps and signs? How does she get food without being able to read the priceboards? What does she do when she has no work ahead of her without being able to go through scrolls? It's enough to make your head spin.
"Alright," you manage to get out after a moment. "I am glad you get by. But I could not help but notice you seemed to be having some difficulties. Would you like me to read you what it says?"
Something flashes beneath Nokai's calm demeanor. Behind her, Zhao flops back onto his stomach and fixes you with a steely look. "Why you do this?" the dog's mistress asks. "What there for you?"
There's no hostility in her tone; only open curiosity. But you have to fight to keep from taking a step back. All the stories you've heard about waste barbarians flash before your eyes. "I am not offering for a reward," you answer, fighting back images of savages rending people limb from limb and devouring their bones. "I just want to help."
Nokai seems to study you for a moment. Finally she gives you one sharp nod. "Fine. Will accept words from you. Have thanks."
You return her nod and turn to the post. But before you can speak, Nokai's hand is on your shoulder. "Kong Zhi, do not lie. Will know. If give wrong words, we will have disagreement. Not like what happens when disagree."
Sense Motive Check (Untrained): 1d10s10. Dice Rolled: 6. No successes. Fail!
Her voice is low and level, but you can hear barely restrained violence coiled around every word. You barely manage to keep yourself from a nervous swallow. Instead you force out another jerky nod. "Of course," you reply. "I really do just want to help."
Nokai's hand leaves your shoulder. "Sure," she answers, not sounding like she believes it at all. "Whatever say. Now, words. Please."
You look at the post and do as you're bid. It takes you longer to read the message this time than it did when you first saw it because you keep doubling back to double and triple check that you haven't made a mistake. The last thing you want is to have a 'disagreement' with Nokai over an honest mistake. She waits patiently through the entire message and schedule until you wrap up the final class listed.
She frowns at you and then at the post. "That everything?"
You scan the message again, searching for things you missed. Finding none, you let out a sigh of relief. "Yes. That's everything on there."
Nokai absently reaches up and scratches Xue beneath the chin. "Will go to body training. Long time since was able stretch muscles," she muses out loud after a moment of consideration. "Thanks again." Without another word, she turns and starts walking away.
You're frozen for half a second. You want to know more about her, about how and why a waste barbarian is this far south, but the barely hidden violence in her voice has your feet reluctant to move. With an effort of will, you force them to start jogging. You didn't come this far to not sate your curiosity!
You jog after Nokai for a few steps and then fall in beside her. "You've done physical training before then?" you ask.
Nokai shrugs. "Not for while," is her answer. "Been several years since was allowed to do more than just run. Looking forward to getting opportunity to change that." She grins, and one hand begins massaging the other's knuckles. "Should be fun."
"Oh?" you prompt. "Were you injured?" At her confused look, you continue. "You said you were stopped from training. I thought it might be because of an injury."
She snorts. "Not that," she says. "The… caretaker?" Nokai pauses as she considers the word. "Yes. Caretaker. Caretaker did not allow physical training. Thought would lead bad places."
You wait for her to elaborate but she doesn't say anything else. The two of you walk in silence for a moment, with you shooting the occasional glance over at Nokai. You want to know more, but how exactly can you follow up on that?! You decide to change tactics. "So, if I may ask, where are you from?"
"The Sunset Country," she promptly answers. "Born and raised there for most of life. More recently, been… guest… in General's Grave."
You can guess that Sunset Country is one of the wastes beyond the empire, at least. As for General's Grave, you have no idea where that might be. All you're sure of is that Nokai is picking and choosing her halting words very carefully. She doesn't seem all that interested in talking about where she's from.
It's an impression that she adds too when she takes the reins of the conversation. "You, Kong Zhi? Where you from? You family?"
You pause at the sudden interest. "I, um, it is really nothing interesting. I have lived in several towns throughout the provinces as we travelled around on business. And yes, I have family. Quite a large one, actually. Father is a charmcrafter beyond compare and-"
Nokai suddenly slams a fist into her palm. "Merchant!" she crows. "Got it!"
Sense Motive Check (Untrained): 1d10s10. Dice Rolled: 7. No successes. Fail!
You look at her, mystified. What is she even saying right now?
She turns to you. "Been good talk. Going training too?"
You shake your head, still reeling at the ebbs and flows of the conversation. "No, not today. I am going to the anam lessons. But-"
Nokai cuts you off with a pat on the shoulder. Unlike the last time she touched you, there doesn't seem to be a threat in the gesture. There's only cheery camaraderie. "Then will leave you here. If words correct, need rush if want to get to training before starts. Good hunting, Kong Zhi!"
She lets out a loud whistle, perking up the ears of all four of her dogs. All of them start to run as one in a great herd of fur and fangs with Nokai right in the middle. You don't have a prayer of keeping up with her when she's moving at that speed.
All you can do is wave farewell and watch her go as you stand there, more confused with each passing moment. What exactly just happened?!
You have no idea whatsoever. But Nokai was right about one thing: if you want to make it to your lesson, you need to go, now.
***
As it turns out, you are glad that Nokai left you so abruptly. If the two of you had kept talking you would almost certainly have been late to the lessons. But thanks to your conversation's early end you manage to make it to the meeting place with an entire five minutes to spare.
But if you had been late, you don't truly think you could be blamed for it. The classroom- or rather crater- that you're meeting in is entirely indistinguishable from any other crater in the Delving Heart. It has levels chiseled into its sides, flat surfaces that rise up and form makeshift desks, and small seats made of a very uncomfortable metal ringing the entire area; you passed sixteen other craters just like it on the way over.
You would not have been sure you were in the right place had you not run across an elder disciple on the over who had introduced himself as Brother Teng Kang of the Sixth Circle. You had been nearly desperate to find the lesson area and had so approached him, asking for directions. When he had heard your destination, Brother Teng Kang had laughed so heartily that you feared he may pull something. "Head east," he had directed you, "and look for the tree. You cannot miss it."
He was right. You couldn't have missed it.
In the center of the crater sits an enormous willow tree with drooping branches and flowers dotting it's bows. It towers nearly as high as your spire does and casts a shadow that stands up even against the glowing center column. You're struck dumb when you spot it for the first time. How did a tree that large grow down here?!
But that's not important. What was important is that you were able to use the tree to find your lesson in good time, which gives you a few moments to look around at your fellow disciples who chose this course.
Perception Check : 1d10s8. Dice Rolled: 9. One Success! Pass!
There are nearly a score and a half others already waiting when you arrive, and a handful more that trickle in after you take a seat. The nervous Teng Lim sits in the front row, idly scratching something on a piece of paper with a charcoal stick. The heavyset boy you've seen a few times- what did Elder Lei say his name was? Ming Hui?- has claimed a seat near the back and is picking his teeth with a truly impressive looking feather. A spindly thin girl you vaguely remember seeing as one of those vying for a spot in the pyramid yesterday has three pieces of paper spread out and looks poised to write on all of them. And near the middle of the room, the popular girl you've spied once or twice seems to be hiding from her usual retinue under a heavy cloak. You have to shrug at that; whatever works for her, you guess.
You choose a spot in the second row away from anyone else and set up your own station. Once that's done, you glance down at your silver pocketwatch. You are all ready to go with a minute to spare. Now all you need is the teacher-
Wait. Is… is the tree moving?
Your head snaps towards the tree. It's definitely moving. The trunk is twisting and bending as if it were stretching itself out, and the limbs are blowing back and forth despite the lack of wind. You feel your mouth drop open as the willow seems to fold in on itself and shrink. You would glance around to see if you're the only one in awe, but you don't want to take your eyes from this sight.
When the tree's convulsions are done, what remains is a vaguely humanoid figure of wood. It has leaves instead of hair and small twigs poking out of it's limbs, but it definitely looks like a person. And it has eyes and a mouth, glowing yellow holes in it's face that throw the shadows away with their mere existence.
And it talks.
"Good morning, disciples," it greets you in a low woman's voice. "I am Elder Sela, and welcome to a series of lectures on the natures of anam and cultivation itself. Let us begin with a question. Who can tell me what anam actually is?"
No one answers the tree's question. Either no one knows what anam is or, more likely, they're all dumbstruck that the elder is a tree. Elder Sela looks around the room with her glowing yellow eyes and nods in a terrifyingly humanlike gesture. "Please," she beckons. "There is no penalty for a wrong answer. Tell me, what is anam?"
Up in front, a small unremarkable girl slowly stands up on shaky knees. "Um, Anam is the energy of cultivation?"
"Correct, but not complete, disciple Peng Ah," Elder Sela answers. "Anam is indeed the energy that we all cultivate deep within our spirits so that we may attain perfection. But it is so much more. Anam is in fact the energy of life itself. Every living creature, be they big or small, produces anam. It is not something simply found in Natural Wonders or in powerful Artists; it is a byproduct of living."
"Now tell me," Elder Sela continues, eyes scanning for someone to call on. "Disciple Geng Tu. Who can cycle anam?"
A boy in the back who is apparently Geng Tu lets out a surprised noise and stands. "Um, Artists, Elder?"
"Indeed. Men and Women with skill and talent can indeed cycle anam, and are thus known as Artists," the tree elder replies. "Who else?"
"Um… Uh… I'm sorry, Elder. I do not know."
"Be seated, Disciple Geng Tu. Disciple Teng Lim? Do you have an idea of who else can cycle anam?"
Teng Lim staggers to his feet. "Animals, Elder?"
Elder Sela favors Teng Lim with a nod. "Correct, Disciple Teng Lim. I see you recall your meeting with Elder Lei. Some spirit beasts, much like men, have the skill and talent needed to draw upon anam and though it, become transformed. Now, who else?"
Before you can think on the question, another voice sounds, this one coming from the cloaked girl on the side of the crater. "Plants," she says, a wry twist in her voice.
At that, Elder Sela actually smiles, sending even more yellow light through the crater. "Why, yes. That is correct, Disciple Mei Daiyu. Plants can cycle anam just as well as man or beast. Though in our case, it is a far different process."
You are on your feet before she has fully finished speaking. "And what is that process, Elder Sela?"
Elder Sela turns a slow gaze on you. "Through the simple processes of life, Disciple Kong Zhi. By living and breathing, a plant generates anam just as surely as anything else. But if a plant is grown in an area already rich in it, the plant takes in that excess anam as it does water and air. If it takes in enough…"
She trails off. "I am certain you can guess at what happens." Her wooden cheeks twitch upwards again. "I myself was once the first sapling planted within the Delving Heart by it's founder centuries ago. With such a rich and fertile area, how could I do anything but grow?"
"Now. Who can tell me about the aspects of anam?"
From there, Elder Sela continues with knowledge you've already learned. She goes into detail about the eight basic types of anam (Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Light, Blood, Force, and Beast) which you already know from learning about their interactions under your Father's tutelage. She goes into detail about each and how all of them twist together to form every other type of anam. Then the lecture turns towards the uses of anam, and the various types of techniques that you'll be learning here in the Heart if you're lucky enough to earn them. Useful information, but nothing you didn't already at least guess at before this lecture.
Skill up! Knowledge (Cultivation) +1!
Your first piece of new information comes when Elder Sela opens the floor to general questions. Ming Hui has the first one that really grabs your attention. "Honored Elder, if I may. I knew long ago that I would be able to cycle anam, yet I was not allowed to begin until I was accepted into the Delving Heart. Why is that?"
"An astute question, Disciple Ming Hui. One that is very relevant to the topic of this lecture. Tell me, disciples, what is the one constant of anam? The one thing that every type of anam does in every situation?"
Her question causes a lot of head scratching. A constant thing that anam does? That doesn't really fit with the rest of the lesson. From what Elder Sela has been teaching you, there is no real constant of anam-
Knowledge (Cultivation) Check: 1d10s8. Dice Rolled: 7. No successes. Fail!
-not a one that you can think of.
Elder Sela looks from face to face and finds no answer. "It is change," she finally says. "The one constant of anam is that it changes things by its mere presence. It changed me from a simple sapling into what stands before you, it changes air into heat, skin into armor, and anything else you can think of if properly applied. Now ask yourselves this, disciples: what changes do anam bring to you?"
...oh.
You realize what she's getting at right as she begins to explain it to those whose parents didn't have them working with charms from a young age. "The changes anam bring to man begin subtly. It makes you stronger, faster, and smarter as it courses through your body. As you grow more advanced, the changes grow in scale and complexity. Those who have taken the Soldier's Step begin to lose their dependence on food for nourishment. Ones who have taken the Farmer's Step can shun sleep and lose imperfections foisted upon them by their raw humanity. The changes become even more pronounced from there."
"But those are only the changes wrought upon your body. There is a larger change wrought upon your spirit, one that begins the moment you first cycle anam."
Elder Sela closes her eyes and opens them once again. "I am, of course, speaking of vestiges."
A murmur erupts throughout the crater. Some of your fellows, like Teng Lim and Peng Ah, seem baffled by the words, while others like Mei Daiyu and Geng Tu take the word in stride. Whatever the reaction is, it is quelled by Elder Sela clearing her throat. "I see some of you are familiar with the term. For those of you already aware, please be patient as I explain it to those who are not."
She turns her attention to those that seem baffled. "As anam travels through your body, it also passes through your spirit and changes it just as much. Your spirit remembers every taste of anam it has ever taken and every technique that it has ever used. And one day, should your mortal flesh fail, your spirit will no longer be constrained by it and shall rise as a vestige."
"Vestiges are no longer man, and no longer truly alive at all. They are not even as intelligent as an animal. What they are is your cultivation made manifest with all the power and ability that you had in life unfettered by your discipline and mind."
"That is not to say that all vestiges are hostile. Indeed, those who form from Servants are docile creatures that last for only moons before dissipating. Those can be interred with the mortal flesh or, more usually, can be taken by their family and used to empower another. But the more powerful a person grows before they pass, the more vicious and more powerful their vestige becomes."
"It is for that reason that cycling is forbidden without the oversight of a sect. Without learning discipline, a novice Artist will often take too much anam into themselves and pass, leaving behind an angry and hostile vestige that will take dozens with it before it too dies. The prevention of such events is one of the reasons the Emperor in Steel fosters us and our sister sects. His is a sacred trust, and one we shall not falter in upholding."
With her piece said, Elder Sela lapses into a silence. After a moment she lifts her eyes once more. "Are there any further questions?"
"Yeah," Mei Daiyu pipes up, once again without standing. "Why do you keep calling us Servants?"
Elder Sela pauses, and then laughs. Her laugh sounds nothing like you had expected it to. It's almost a school girl's laugh. "Ah. Take no offense to the title. It is a simple naming convention."
Before Mei Daiyu can demand more, Elder Sela elaborates. "As we cycle and cultivate, we are undertaking a never ending journey, walking a path with no destination. As Artists grow stronger, we see ourselves as taking a step along the path, and each step has it's own name."
"The first is a step you've already taken: the Servant's Step. Those who have taken the Servant's Step can cycle anam. You can draw it from Natural Wonders and other powerful sources and use it as your own. That is where your title comes from. You have taken the Servant's Step, so therefore you are Servants."
"Should the title displease you, endeavor to take the next step quickly and become Soldiers. But be cautious; more than one promising artist has attempted to rush the next step and become nothing more than a malevolent vestige. Now," her eyes sweep the room again. "Are there any further questions?"
Do you have any questions for Elder Sela?
[] Write In any questions.
And afterwards, it is your second day in the Delving Heart. How do you spend it? (Pick Two)
[] You will attend physical training, under the supervision of an elder.
[] You will attend a seminar on pill refining and charm crafting, under the supervision of an elder.
[] You will continue to attend lessons on the nature of cultivation under Elder Sela.
[] You have two new roommates in Jai Fa and Jai Shouxi. You would like to get to know them better.
[] You wish to spend time with Nokai. She confuses you, but that's nothing further exposure won't help with.
[] There are other disciples you have yet to meet, and you would like to change that. You'll mingle with your fellows.
[] The Delving Heart is a massive cave complex full of mystery. You'll seek that mystery out and find out more about the place you now live.
[] Write-In
All around you, questions start filling the air, flowing from the lips of almost every disciple. They come so quickly that the questions start overlapping and interrupting each other as the disciples ask without waiting for answers. Elder Sela takes the barrage in stride. She simply stands motionless and then seems to pick out which of the many questions interests her the most before answering that one and only that one.
You wait for the torrent to die down a bit before standing yourself. "Elder Sela, I have a question about cycling techniques. There are many of them. What is the difference between them all and what effect do they have on our growth?"
Elder Sela's pupilless gaze turns to you. "An interesting question, Disciple Kong Zhi."
"There are indeed hundreds if not thousands of different cycling techniques. Some only differ from another by a mere fraction of a second in the breathing pattern. Indeed, most common techniques share many common ancestors and barely have any difference between them whatsoever. The difference in the effects on the user are negligible."
"However, if there are pronounced differences in the base techniques then they will indeed impact your development. The Delving Heart technique taught by Elder Lei, for example, is a technique designed to smooth Earth anam and gain you better proficiencies with defender and monk techniques. The Ocean's Gate technique favored by the Wandering Sea sect is better for water anam and promotes greater development of your legs. To go through them all would be several lessons in and of itself."
"But that is only the beginning. As you take steps along your path the benefits of your cycling technique become more pronounced. You may be using the Delving Heart technique at present but if you should find one better suited for you, do not hesitate to use it. Each moment you use an ill fitting technique is potential squandered that you cannot regain."
Elder Sela looks away from you and her gaze seems to encompass every disciple watching her. "If you are to take one thing away from this lesson, take this: small decisions now will have enormous impacts should you be gifted enough to take multiple steps. A small change in breathing now can be the difference between stagnating mid-Soldier and rising to the peaks of Teacher. The type of anam you cycle can leave you wallowing in the quagmire of mediocrity or it can push you to the very boundaries of your power and eventually, through them."
Her wooden head falls and she turns, looking out at the rest of the Heart. "When you walk the Path, you may attempt to be quick. You may attempt to cut corners. But know this: there are no shortcuts. Should you attempt to take one, you will only be hurting yourself."
And with that, Elder Sela appears to have exhausted her words. She gives herself a sharp nod and her body seems to thicken before your eyes. Branches shoot from her shoulders and leaves begin to sprout from her head. Within seconds, Elder Sela has resumed her tree form. It seems to stretch and sigh before becoming still.
Well. You'll guess that the lecture is over for the day.
***
That night, when you lie down on your too-firm mattress, you begin to worry. The message on the post said that there would be no waking tone from now on. And while you trust that your body will eventually rise on it's own, you have been working far harder than you're accustomed these last several days. Where before you mostly exercised your mind and your fingers, now you've had to run and jump and move in ways you're not accustomed to. The last thing you want to do now is oversleep. Especially now, when you only have thirteen days remaining before some grand test is given to you.
And so you do everything you can to make sure you'll rise early. You drink all the water your stomach can take, you set a six-hour glass out beside your bed, you go to sleep telling yourself when you need to wake. You do it all so you won't waste time in the morning.
As it turns out, none of your precautions were needed, because you awake early the next morning to the sounds of chaos.
At first you think there's some kind of pitched battle raging beneath your feet. There's certainly enough yelling and screaming for one. But as you shake the sleep from your mind, you realize there are no explosions and no clashing steel, just words in voices that you recognize. It's no battle- just an argument between your roommates.
You push yourself from your sleep, tip your hourglass onto its side, and make yourself presentable. Through your entire morning routine the yelling rages on, proving a very strange soundtrack to your morning. You cannot make out any of the actual words though, only the tone. The tone is getting increasingly angry.
Finally, you scoop up your oilskin of tools- you hope you'll need them for the seminar later today- and make your way downstairs. The yelling only gets louder as you reach the second floor. It sounds like it's coming from spire's kitchen.
You hesitate on the landing between the flights of stairs. It would be simple to just keep walking- easy too! And it would let you completely avoid whatever's going on in there. But on the other hand, you did want to get to know your roommates after missing them entirely yesterday. And who knows when they'll both be here again. You need to take the opportunity while you can. You bite back a sigh and walks towards the source of the yelling.
The kitchen has no door in it's frame, letting you see inside without any trouble. Jai Fa stands in front of the icebox, some kind of sausage in her hand. She's gesturing angrily with it at her brother, who's perched on one of the short stools at the table. There's no gesturing coming from Jai Shouxi; his hands are busy with a bowl and chopsticks as he tries to balance shoving food into his face with arguing with his sister.
Both twins stop yelling the moment your shadow crosses the threshold. They look up at you, Jai Fa's annoyed expression a stark contrast with Jai Shouxi's sudden amiable mask. "Kong Zhi!" the brother greets you. "Did we wake you? If so, we offer our most sincere apologies."
You notice that he's the only one offering any apologies; Jai Fa doesn't say a word. Instead she turns back to the icebox and begins to rummage in it. You don't comment, instead choosing to answer the apology you did receive. "Think nothing of it. I had to rise soon anyway to make it to lessons today."
Jai Shouxi nods at that. "Excellent. And may I just say it is wonderful to see that you are taking advantage of the opportunities here while you can? It is heartening to see you're more driven than some of these… others that call themselves disciples."
Sense Motive Check (Untrained): 1d10s10. Dice Rolled: 7. No successes. Fail!
The icebox closes with a thud and Jai Fa walks away from it with a plate made up without a word. You step past her and head for your own breakfast. "Um, thank you," you say as you rummage through the vegetables. "I appreciate the kind words. But are there others that aren't doing so?"
Jai Fa snorts and bites a chunk off of her sausage. "Sounds stupid, right?" she says through a mouthful. "I mean, why would you even accept the sect's invitation if you're just going to do nothing?"
Jai Shouxi shoots his sister a look. She rolls her eyes and closes her mouth as she chews. "Indeed," he adds. "It does seem short sighted. But that is how some of our fellows have chosen to spend their time. Just look outside."
You finish making up your plate and close the icebox. As you walk towards the last empty stool you pass a window, which you pause to look through. Your intended pause lengthens as you stare out at the sight before you.
There's a line formed in front of the Prospector's Tears. A handful of disciples are gathered around the Natural Wonder, sitting and- you assume- cycling. But that's only a small number of the disciples outside. The rest are gathered in a long queue that snakes from the end of the disciples cycling and through the paths between the buildings. There have to be at least two score disciples in line, waiting for their turn at the Natural Wonder.
You stare at the line for a minute longer. The ones waiting aren't even doing anything else! Some are chatting with their neighbors, but for the most part they just stand there and wait their turn. It's… why aren't they doing something else? Reading or tinkering or… you don't know, something! How can they just stand there and waste time?
Your feelings must be plain when you turn around. Jai Shouxi shakes his head when he sees your face. "Those were my thoughts as well," he continues. "I do understand that the Delving Heart may be intimidating, but would it not at least make sense to seek out another Natural Wonder? Cycling solely from the Prospector's Tears is shortsighted at best."
You take your seat and shake your head, dismissing the foolishness of those outside as you fill your mouth. "You would think so," you answer. "The Tears did not seem the most potent of anam sources during our exercise. There are doubtless more powerful Natural Wonders elsewhere in the caverns that can stand a heavier draw."
Jai Shouxi makes a sound of agreement, but Jai Fa lets out a plume of air that makes her short bangs flutter. "It's not about speed," she sighs. "It's about an improper foundation."
You turn your attention to the sister, a question on your lips. But it goes unspoken as Jai Shouxi also turns to Jai Fa. "What's that, sister?" he asks through a grin. "It sounds like you were actually paying attention to Elder Yixue's lesson yesterday! And here I thought you were just there to rest your weary head!"
Jai Fa meets her brother's look with a scowl. "Just because I did not wish to attend those lessons does not mean I did not pay attention, and I would thank you not to imply as such!"
Jai Shouxi wipes the grin off his face. "Apologies, dearest sister," he says. "I was merely teasing. I know you put every effort into your studies." Jai Fa considers his words and nods, turning her focus back to her breakfast.
But you still have questions. "Excuse me, but if I may ask, what do you mean by improper foundation?"
This time, Jai Fa finishes chewing before she answers you. "It's something we learned from Elder Yixue yesterday," she states. "About the drawbacks of exclusive cycling. To draw on only one Natural Wonder is to attune your anam to it's aspects. Doing so without thought is to set your path in stone before you've even taken a step."
Jai Shouxi swallows and continues his twins thought. "So everyone out there? They're filling up on earth, water, and mud. Should they be able to forge their way to Soldier, their anam will be attuned to those three aspects. While it might benefit some, I have doubts that they all wish to be Mud artists in the future."
You chew that over as you finish your meal. "Interesting," you say. "That is a good lesson to know. Thank you for sharing it. Which lesson taught it to you?"
"We had the good fortune of going to the charmcrafter and refiner seminar yesterday," Jai Shouxi answers. "It is being taught by Elder Yixue, who is the chief refiner in the sect. She had many things to say about people improperly aspecting their anam and the effects it had on medicines."
"Really? That's promising. I had planned to go to that seminar myself today," you reply.
Jai Shouxi's face brightens. "Then we shall be classmates!" he chirps. "There was so much left to discover that we decided to return today. Though I do warn you, Elder Yixue did not seem the type to cover old ground again. If you should need any assistance, please do not hesitate in letting us know."
Perception Check : 1d10s8. Dice Rolled: 1. No successes! Fail!
"I'll be sure to do that," you answer. "Shall we get moving?"
The next few moments are consumed with everyone's last bites of breakfast and the twins' last minute preparations. Once everyone is ready you leave, all three of you working together to slam the door shut behind you. With your home secure you duck and twist your way through the line of disciples and make your way out of the Ninth Circle courtyard.
Traveling through the Delving Heart with company is very different from doing it on your own. For one thing, it's slower. Yesterday you jogged everywhere you could out of fear of being late. But today, while Jai Fa looks like she wants nothing more than to cut loose and run, Jai Shouxi doesn't seem willing to muster up more than a quick stroll. However he makes up for his lack of speed with actually knowing where you should be going. The Jai twins lead you through the classroom craters and to a small building closer to the central column.
Inside the building, you're far from the first to arrive. The sole room is mostly taken up by a dozen tables, each with four or five stools sitting around them, and ten of the tables are already occupied. Murmured conversation blankets the room as disciples talk too quietly for you to overhear.
Jai Shouxi leads you and Jai Fa to one of the unoccupied tables. "Last time, we only learned theory," he explains. Jai Fa produces a notebook and passes it to her brother, who flips it open to a page full of cramped handwriting. "It was all background information; things like anam compatibility and structuring basic formations. If you would like to review the notes before the Elder arrives, you're more than welcome."
You glance through the notebook quickly, but you don't see much there that you don't already know. You've had anam aspect reactions drilled into your mind so thoroughly from a young age that it would not surprise you to know you've been reciting them in your sleep. As for the formations…
Well, formations really are not your area of expertise. You know of them of course. They are designs built to contain and channel anam of various aspects, used primarily in the refiner's arts. A refiner assembles a formation, cycles the proper type of anam into it, prepares and mixes the ingredients they need for their project, and sets it off. The formation bakes and refines the raw ingredients within it, and at the end of the process- if everything is done correctly- the pills or elixir is completed.
You know one or two of them; just enough to get started. But formations are not necessary in the charmcrafter's domain. What is important in your craft is the materials and the assembly of them. Your raw materials must be prepared, of course, and honed towards the purpose you have in mind for them, but that process does not need anything as intense as what medicinal ingredients require. And since you have never needed them, you have never gone out of your way to learn about them. So while you can recognize the diagrams and notes on Jai Shouxi's notepad as formations, the specifics elude you.
You pass the book back. "Thank you," you say. "I appreciate the offer, but what you have is outside of my talents. You must have a thorough background in refining."
Jai Shouxi nods and accepts the compliment. "I have received some small training in that area," he acknowledges. "But I cannot say it was-"
Before he can finish his thought, the door bursts open again. Around you, the blanket of conversation ends as suddenly as a thread snipped at the loom. A newcomer bustles into the room, arms full of folders and jars. She drops them on the desk at the front of the room and turns to face you all.
Your first feeling on seeing the person who must be Elder Yixue is surprise. So far, the only Elders you have met have been Elder Lei- an awoken spirit frog- and Elder Sela- who used to be a tree. Seeing an Elder that is an actual human is slightly jarring. But human Elder Yixue certainly appears to be. She reminds you of a harried grandmother: older with shining silver hair, gnarled fingers, and a slightly stooped posture. The only part of her that conflicts with the image is a surprisingly youthful face. If you were just focusing on her features, she could be your own age. It's almost more bewildering than Elder Sela's existence.
Elder Yixue does not wait around to let people inspect her. The moment her folders hit the table, she is in motion. "I see we have some newcomers," she begins. "You will be missing the foundation the rest of us laid yesterday. Pick it up from another disciple if you can; we have no time to backtrack and dawdle. You've only thirteen days left to force as much knowledge into your underdeveloped minds as possible. Now keep up; I do not repeat myself."
And then she launches into a lecture. It feels like she actually starts mid-sentence; it may be that she was cut off mid-lesson last time and is now just picking up where she left off. The content does seem like an extension of Jai Shouxi's notes. It's full of more anam relationships and schematics to basic formations. Your hand blurs as you write down her speech word for word without time to even check that you're spelling things correctly; you'll have to come back and recopy everything later.
Shortly after starting, she wraps up her speech on refining and transitions to something more to your interest: charmcrafting. Here, she slows down and takes a little more time to allow people to ask questions. You don't have any though; this is nothing you're not already familiar with.
Skill up! Knowledge (Cultivation) +1! Skill up! Craft (Refining) +1!
Skill unlocked from background: Craft (Charm)! Craft (Charm) set at 3!
Still, you copy down her lecture. Perhaps there are some pearls hidden in her words that you'll be able to decipher later. And even if there aren't, you don't want to be seen not taking notes. Elder Yixue doesn't seem the type to be pleased by one ignoring her words.
After an hour of lecturing, Elder Yixue runs out of words. She walks back behind her desk and drops into a seat. "Well?" she prompts, gesturing at the piles of jars and material in front of her. "Go ahead. Experiment. If you have any important questions, write them down and research them later. But the best teacher is experience. If you think that something might fail catastrophically, do it anyway. Remember, smoke and fire is a sign of learning."
With those comforting words, she crosses her legs and closes her eyes. Elder Yixue's breathing evens out and takes on a simple pattern.
Jai Shouxi takes this in stride, but you trade a look of surprise with Jai Fa. Is… is the Elder cycling? It certainly looks that way.
Well. This is an opportunity. Despite all your training and all your skill at raw jewelcrafting, you've never crafted a charm- or a pill, you suppose- with anam before. Now is your chance to turn your skills from theoretical into practical.
In Plan Format, please decide on the following things:
Do you wish to begin work on a Charm or a Pill?
[] A Charm
[] A Pill
Do you want to work on your own, or do you want to invite the Jai twins to work with you?
[] You will work on your own.
[] You will invite Jai Fa to work with you.
[] You will invite Jai Shouxi to work with you.
[] You will invite both Jai twins to work with you.
(If working on a charm)What kind of technique do you wish to imbue in a charm?
[] A Defender Technique, good for keeping your physical being safe.
[] An Archer Technique, useful in attacking an enemy from a distance.
[] A Warrior Technique, valuable in attacking an enemy up close.
[] A Monk Technique, which helps fortify your mind and spirit.
[] A Scholar Technique, which deals in the vague and ephemeral arts.
[] A Sage Technique, which affects an enemy's spirit.
[] A Traveller Technique, which does not fall into any of the other categories.
(If working on a pill)What kind of pill do you wish to refine?
[] A Healing Pill to restore the body.
[] A Restoration Pill to heal the spirit.
[] A Cultivation Pill, to ease the flow of anam when cycling.
[] A Imbued Pill, which grants you raw anam.
[] Write-In
Elder Yixue's ingredients cover every one of the base aspects of anam. Which one do you use as the foundation for your item?
[] Earth
[] Fire
[] Water
[] Wind
[] Light
[] Blood
[] Force
[] Beast
There is a Four Hour moratorium on this vote! Use this time to discuss your plans and decide exactly what it is you wish to craft! Remember, the vote is in PlAn FoRmAt!
[X] Plan Focus Gem
- [X] A Charm
-- [X] You will work on your own.
-- [X] A Monk Technique, which helps fortify your mind and spirit.
-- [X] Earth
A dozen ideas flood into your mind. Little designs that you played around with and then shelved pop back into your consciousness, half-formed concepts take vivid shapes, a thousand charms that you worked on but could never complete without anam. They all war for space within your mind. Jai Shouxi says something, but you barely hear it. You shake your head and turn your focus back to your roommate. "Excuse me?" you ask. "I am sorry, but I did not quite make that out."
Jai Shouxi looks a bit put out at having to repeat himself but you can barely tell. "I was asking if you wanted to work with us. I have a recipe for a Kingfisher's Elixir that we are going to use. If we work together, the yield should be more than enough for all of us to get a dose."
You think it over for a second but finally decide against it. "I'm sorry, but no. I have several charm ideas I would like to workshop. But I do appreciate the invitation."
Sense Motive Check (Untrained): 1d10s10. Dice Rolled: 7. No successes. Fail!
The diminutive disciple nod amiably. "I suspected as much! Make sure to show us what you make later. I'm sure it'll be impressive."
You nod and stand, walking away from the table with your attention already focused on the jars on the Elder's desk. You're one of the first people there; it seems like almost everyone else is still flipping through their notes. No doubt they're studying the properties of anam and trying to envision what they want to make before they come to peruse the materials.
It's really quite foolish of them. One can come up with the greatest design ever with every single calculation made and triple checked, but if the materials to make their perfect charm aren't here then they've just wasted time and effort. No, the best thing to do is look over the materials first. That way you can plan while you see what's actually available.
You stop in front of the desk and look over the assorted jars and boxes with eager eyes. There are so many things here, so many things you can make out of them, and so little time to do it.
There are three phases in crafting a charm. The first is research and design (R&D). In this phase, you decide what kind of charm you want to make. The two primary decisions you must make are the ones you made last update (type of technique and type of anam). As we progress, you will be able to decide more specific things about your charm (such as activation method, exact effect, security measures, and much more), but for now we are sticking with the basics.
Once those things are decided, Kong Zhi must search for materials. Materials can be bought, they can be won, they can be found, and they can be taken off the bodies of your foes. Poor quality materials harm the design of the charm and good ones can provide a bonus. Further bonuses can be gained for different tools, an environment rich in the proper anam aspect, and many other ways that will be discovered.
Once those things are set, we roll Kong Zhi's Craft (Charm) and factor in all bonuses. The resulting number of successes is the charm's 'Build Target'. A Build Target of 5 signals that the charm design is heavily flawed but might get a minor use, while a Build Target of 50 or more could be a charm that will be an heirloom passed down through the generations.
Craft (Charm) Check: 3d10s8(1.3)+10(Decent Materials). Dice Rolled: 2, 10, 6, 2. 1 x 1.3 (Drive+Son of Kong Shuren)= 1.3, rounded to 1, + 10. Build Target = 11!
As you look through the materials, you mentally start to sort them into three groups. The first is materials that you can't think of a use for. There's a surprising number of them; things you just don't recognize, things you can't tell the anam make up of, and things that just seem like they'd be more trouble than they are worth. Then there's the group for fun stuff that you would like to work with, but is beyond your skill level. There isn't much in that group, though you do stare longingly at a bag of wool that's smouldering with a barely extinguished flame. You once saw Father weave a scarf out of similar wool that could be used as a burning lash; it was awe inspiring watching him turn it from wool into yarn into power. But that's not something you're capable of. Yet.
That just leaves the last group: things you can use right now. Your eyes linger on every object that you know you can work with, and there are quite a number of them. There are bones that have to have come from beasts or vestiges, fossilized tree sap that burns with potential, feathers from spirit birds that blow in a breeze that doesn't exist… the list goes on and on.
As you look the materials over, you keep coming back to a small piece of bone. You reach out for it and heft it to feel the weight. It's heavy- too heavy. It's far more dense than you'd expect from a human bone or even a common spirit beast bone. You absently rap it against the desk to check the hardness; when the two meet, it's the desk that chips. High density and advanced hardness. This has to be from a Spirit Beast with high earth concentration.
On it's own you could use this bone for a few different things, most of them direct. With some minor alterations it could be the haft of a spear or the whole of a club. Or if you carve it into a pendant it could serve as the foundation of a good if unspectacular defense. But both of those ideas lack that special Kong flair you hope to give to your projects- and neither involves the small satchel of various gemstones that lie half-hidden beneath one of Elder Yixue's folders. Not using those seems like a waste.
Finally, an idea comes to you as you pour the gems out and inspect them: a set of rings! Three rings designed to be worn together on your index, middle, and ring fingers. If you carve the bone into the proper shape, it will give you a slight boon from the earth anam contained within on it's own. But if you engrave it with your etcher, line it with dust from the emeralds- affixed with a mix of Angel's Tears and just a touch of amethyst dust-, and then set something in the back to serve as a switch? You could weave a small Monk effect into it. Nothing extraordinary, but enough to give you an edge against certain kinds of attack and allow you to store some excess energy for later use.
You grab the bone, the emeralds, some amethyst, and a ruby the size of a pea, and briskly walk back to your station. The idea has taken hold of you now, and you want to see it brought into reality. You take your seat and unroll your oilskin, pulling out a wedge and a hammer. Time to get to work.
The second phase of crafting a charm is the Construction phase. In this phase, you shape and prepare the materials to your liking and get the ready to be part of a charm. To do this, you roll the Craft skill that applies to the charm you are working on (in this case, Jewel Carving). For every success you gain, you are one step closer to completing the construction.
When your construction successes equal your Build Target, you have completed the charm. You may proceed with the next phase. However, if you would like to continue working on it, you can do so albeit with diminishing returns. Doubling your Build Target increases it by 50% in the next phase, and tripling it gives you another 25%. After that, you gain another 5% for every time you fulfil the original Build Target, which is not normally recommended. There are far better ways for you to be spending your time.
In this case, since this is your first charm, we will settle for just filling your Build Target before progressing to the next stage.
Craft (Jewel Crafting) Check: 5d10s8(1.3) vs. Build Target 11. Dice Rolled: 6, 10, 1, 7, 10, 8. 3 Success x 1.3(Drive+Son of Kong Shuren)= 3.9, rounded up. 4 Successes!
Build Target remaining: 7
For the rest of the time allotted, you work your fingers to the bone. You crack the bone into three even pieces and start shaving them down into the shape you need. Slowly but surely, three rings begin to form where hunks of bone were before. You slide them onto your fingers as a test and clench your hand into a fist. So far, so good. They're not impacting your dexterity at all. Though they are a little tight. You hollow them out just a hair more. If it's too tight, then it impacts your blood flow to your fingers. The best charm in the world won't do anything if your hand falls asleep!
Once that's done, you trade your file and your awl for your miststeel etcher and your crystal eye. The next step is engravings. A simple design here will aid the anam flow and make it more natural, while a quick glyph there will prevent a loop that would eventually cause an anam blockage. And-
"That's enough!" Elder Yixue calls, jerking you from your near-meditative trance. You glance over to her to see that she has stood up from her cycling position. The table of ingredients and materials is gone. In its place is row after row of metal containers. "Unfinished projects go in a box- and don't try and sneak them out! If you do, on your head be the consequences."
You bite back a whine of dismay. Leave your unfinished charm here? But… it needs more work!
Elder Yixue meets your gaze for the first time, perhaps sensing your dismay. "If it were up to me, I would let you keep your toys. But the Highest seems to think you all are better off not exploding from improper craftsmanship. I know, I know- you all would be much better off as greasy smears on the cavern floor. But the Highest sets the rules. So drop them in the box."
There's really no arguing with that you suppose. You heave out a sigh and trudge to the front of the room. There's an open box in the corner which you gently place your rings and the small pile of gemstones you'll be using for the next step.
Perception Check : 1d10s8. Dice Rolled: 2. No successes! Fail!
And with that, you turn away, heading back towards the Jai twins. Both of them have smudged hands, and Jai Fa has soot on her face. They've clearly had an eventful time. You'll have to ask about it back at the Spire, when Jai Fa looks much less murderous about the whole thing.
But now that you're not working anymore, you feel weariness settling into your body. It's time to head home for the night.
It is your third day within the Delving Heart! How do you spend it? (Pick Two)
[] You will attend physical training, under the supervision of an elder.
[] You will continue to work on your charm under the 'supervision' of Elder Yixue.
[] You will continue to attend lessons on the nature of cultivation under Elder Sela.
[] You are going to speak more with Jai Fa and Jai Shouxi. They seem amiable people, and you do live with them after all. It would be good to get to know them.
[] You wish to spend time with Nokai. She confuses you, but that's nothing further exposure won't help with.
[] You are here for a purpose, and that is to grow as an artist. The best way to do that is by cycling. You will find time to cycle at the Prospector's Tears and gain a better understanding of anam.
[] There are other disciples you have yet to meet, and you would like to change that. You'll mingle with your fellows.
[] The Delving Heart is a massive cave complex full of mystery. You'll seek that mystery out and find out more about the place you now live.
[] Write-In
