Hmmm.. it seems that having a different host is currently wining. The vote will stay open for at least ten more hours because im busy.
But in the meantime I do have a question for those who voted to try for a new host. What made you choose that?
Not saying it a wrong choice or anything but i mostly left the choice in Becuse i thought it would be important a information to know for your second host after you've upgraded your senses.
In moments your first host candidate is dashing away from your clearing.
Your mind is thrown back into your soul shard when he leaves your meager range.
You go back to waiting. Attempting to stay awake as much as you can.
You weren't very successful, your consciences drifting in and out over the course of the day.
By your accounting of time, the jumbled mess that it is, at least four hours have passed until the next suitable life-form reaches you.
Two such lifeforms, in fact.
You patiently wait as they both make their way closer to your clearing.
Unfortunately, when both of the presences met, one of them winked out.
You've not only lost another host candidate but also another information fount.
Well, there is nothing you can do about it.
At least it means that the surviving life-form is a more impassive candidate.
Soon enough, he reached your clearing.
And it was a he.
Not that you could mistake the repelling muscles and huge bear like physique for anything else but a man.
He wore simple worn-out robes and carried no discernible weapon.
He was late into his twenties and stood at the fifth step of the second path and at the eightieth step of the first path…
Which could still mean that he was one of the talents in this place or an absolute nobody. You couldn't really compare him with your last potential host, he had more than a decade on him.
You hope his memories would prove more enlightening.
Once more, with a small excretion of your self and a slight energy expenditure, you fling yourself into his mind.
You are Dong Mu of the burning bear's tribe.
And you are currently rushing at top speed in the direction the fallen star has landed.
Your heavy steps Shaked the earth and wood and stone shattered for getting in the way of your unrelenting advance.
You let nothing stop you, the prize you were chasing was worth much.
Getting enough shards to make a few small pieces of armor, would make you the strongest in the tribes besides the elder's… even if you would need to give at least two thirds of your find as the price of commission.
You continued ever onwards.
As you had for the last three days.
You were lucky to be deep in the wood's hunting for spirit beasts when the star fell so you had a big head start on all the other cultivators who, no doubt, are rushing for the same place you are.
Too bad for them, you can already see the smoke from the crash.
You only have one problem to take care of before you claim your rightful prize.
The assassin.
You haven't seen him coming, you only sensed him when he was already halfway to piercing your heart.
You couldn't dodge the deadly strike.
But you could redirect it… a little.
With a slight movement the assassin's sword drove into your chest but missed your heart by mere inches, puncturing one of your lungs instead.
Thinking himself secure, the assassin lets down his gourd.
A mistake that cost him his life as your hand drove its way into his stomach and out, to completely break his spine.
You don't blame him for his mistake, if you were anyone else you would be dead from the sword that is now buried in your chest.
But you were the great Dong Mu, a little scratch like that, wouldn't bring you down.
You tossed the assassin's broken body aside and continued on your way.
You decided to keep the sword in the wound, only breaking its handle to stop it from getting in the way. Otherwise, you might just bleed out before you could be seen by a healer and what a sad way to go that would be.
Unfortunately, you could do nothing to the poison that is spreading through your system but endure.
Not that it matters, because you soon break into the clearing where the star metal should have crashed and what are a few mortal wounds against the prize you would claim.
Yet… you fund nothing?
No star metal... not even a simple rock.
Empty and with no grand prize in sight.
You continue looking and find a few faded footprints.
They lead in the direction of the unflinching wolf's territory.
Shit… could you catch them?
There seems to be only one of them and whoever it is, would be heavily weighted by the star metal they got.
The question isn't can you catch up to them, the question is could you escape with your life after retrieving the star metal.
No, no, the true question is could you reach the burning bear's strong-hold before the poison and injury you suffered claims you?
If you were in top shape, it would take you three day and a half to reach safe territory and see a healer, with your injury weakening you? it would take you closer to four days to make that journey.
Every day you spend in pursuit is, at least, two more days you need to endure.
You could do it.
But it would be incredibly close and any further injury you receive, might just move the line from close enough to almost enough.
You sigh and turn away.
It would deep into your savings to pay for a healer with no prize in hand.
But no prize, no matter how valuable, is worth throwing into certain death.
Yet more information that both means much and very little still.
At least it seems that this potential host is better than your last.
You should decide fast before he leaves.
[] he is suitable, take him as a host. (end host selection phase, enter normal turns).
[] let him go, and hope for someone better. (-1 energy, gain another host choice but lose the current one).
And you should decide how to approach Dong Mu, if that option wins. (Choose one, regardless of your above vote)
[] introduce yourself as his ancestor, who returned to this earthly realm to help her descendants. (Dong Mu will trust you more, you aren't restricted in the techniques you can offer him, risky as you know little about this region -or world for that matter- to play that role convincedly for long),
[]introduce yourself as a divine servant, who is here to repay some good deed he did in a past life. (Dong Mu will trust you more, you are restricted from teaching him any knowledge that isn't approved by heaven.)
[] introduce yourself as a restless spirit. (No malus or bonus to Dong Mu trust but he will attempt to follow your directions in the hopes of putting you to rest, no restriction in your teaching, it is inevitable that Dong Mu will someday complete the task that "kept" you here and find out that you've lied to him). Affinity: --
[] introduce yourself as a wandering spirit. (Dong Mu will trust you less but will attempt to use you to the best of his capabilities, no restriction to your teaching).
Every host is different and would respond better to different things. Affinity is how that is translated into a mechanical system.
What does affinity do? It increases (or decreases) the effectiveness of the option chosen.
Affinities are hidden until you choose an option and then the affinity for that choice is revealed to you. You could also succeed on a secret roll (currently low chance) to find the affinity of the character.
Alternatively, there are some narrative hints that could help with figuring a character's affinities.
Currently affinity is mostly used in the host selection phase as I decide how much influence and use, I want it to have outside of it and is subject to change.
This took me a little more time than I expected. Mostly because I needed to roll (then interpret that roll) for a new host/ I hope you enjoyed and I'm open for questions should you have them.
I like this guy, seems like a promising way to take control of the area, one of the most talented warriors of his clan, he is no xianxia MC, but I think we could eventually leave him.
[X] he is suitable, take him as a host. (end host selection phase, enter normal turns).
It makes the option you choose less "effective". How that is translated into affects is different between every host. It doesn't change the benefits of the action itself but merely reduces them.
For this particular case it would mean that Dong Mu will follow less of your directives, be more questionable of them and invest less time on them.
But depending on your objectives, it might be a positive instead of a negative, as it will take him longer to achieve the task that "kept" you as a ghost, because he spends less time on it.
A positive affinity is the reverse. it increases the effectiveness of the action.
The number of – or + indict the level of the affinity and how much it affect's thing.
[X] introduce yourself as a restless spirit. (No malus or bonus to Dong Mu trust but he will attempt to follow your directions in the hopes of putting you to rest, no restriction in your teaching, it is inevitable that Dong Mu will someday complete the task that "kept" you here and find out that you've lied to him). Affinity: --
If it is picked, I think I will push for our unfinished business being finding a "descendant" of us and teaching him our "lost family technique", while using our current host to build a power base.
I think this is the best host we will get for now, already established in the area, ambitious, but he is too old to truly become a loyal disciple.
A question, can we jump later on if we find a sufficiently good host we want?
Nope, your current host needs to die before you can change. But if you find someone that you want as a host, you will get the option in the next host selection.
Nope, your current host needs to die before you can change. But if you find someone that you want as a host, you will get the option in the next host selection.
[X] he is suitable, take him as a host. (end host selection phase, enter normal turns).
[X] introduce yourself as a restless spirit. (No malus or bonus to Dong Mu trust but he will attempt to follow your directions in the hopes of putting you to rest, no restriction in your teaching, it is inevitable that Dong Mu will someday complete the task that "kept" you here and find out that you've lied to him). Affinity: --
Our unfinished business is destroying the punks who had us kill.
[X] he is suitable, take him as a host. (end host selection phase, enter normal turns).
[X] introduce yourself as a restless spirit. (No malus or bonus to Dong Mu trust but he will attempt to follow your directions in the hopes of putting you to rest, no restriction in your teaching, it is inevitable that Dong Mu will someday complete the task that "kept" you here and find out that you've lied to him). Affinity: --
[X] introduce yourself as a restless spirit. (No malus or bonus to Dong Mu trust but he will attempt to follow your directions in the hopes of putting you to rest, no restriction in your teaching, it is inevitable that Dong Mu will someday complete the task that "kept" you here and find out that you've lied to him). Affinity: --
