Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
I don't think so, they're descended from a ducal branch, which is literally the pedigree of TRF itself. There shouldn't be any difference in quality at Green level, but the Purifying Sun probably goes for regeneration and Shoot Down over armor.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
Ling Qi really needs more war to evaluate things correctly.
- Location
- UK
I don't think the idea behind giving Xuilan TRF is really because her kit needs it, or even that TRF is a good art, but rather because she really needs some balance in her elements and Ling Qi with TRF has at least a chance of helping with that.
She's tried doing that herself after being advised by her sister and mother and it didn't go well, presumably having tried lake and metal from said family members and maybe others, and although we're hardly certain to succeed where they failed, with recent events and Xuilan's relationship with us we may not be doomed to failure either.
Just based on the few sentences we had of Xuilan's domain I'm guessing it has some sort of cooperative or friendly competitive ambition thing going on, which would fit with TRFs forest theme and I can also see the growth aspect of wood meshing quite nicely (actually really well, thinking on it), plus Xuilan knows how powerful the technique is; she's been training with us trying to burn through it for months. I can see her picking it up easier than lake or metal at least.
This could well be the last chance Xuilan really has to divert from her current path, excepting maybe interference from her father or some supremely good luck back home, and whilst her current path may not be doomed, it is very risky, and I'd rather not our letters to Xuilan suddenly stop one day and when we ask her family about it find out she died trying to tank a storm.
She's tried doing that herself after being advised by her sister and mother and it didn't go well, presumably having tried lake and metal from said family members and maybe others, and although we're hardly certain to succeed where they failed, with recent events and Xuilan's relationship with us we may not be doomed to failure either.
Just based on the few sentences we had of Xuilan's domain I'm guessing it has some sort of cooperative or friendly competitive ambition thing going on, which would fit with TRFs forest theme and I can also see the growth aspect of wood meshing quite nicely (actually really well, thinking on it), plus Xuilan knows how powerful the technique is; she's been training with us trying to burn through it for months. I can see her picking it up easier than lake or metal at least.
This could well be the last chance Xuilan really has to divert from her current path, excepting maybe interference from her father or some supremely good luck back home, and whilst her current path may not be doomed, it is very risky, and I'd rather not our letters to Xuilan suddenly stop one day and when we ask her family about it find out she died trying to tank a storm.
- Location
- New York
Honestly, with all these arguments for giving TRF I'm willing to try it as a goodbye gift. Like we all know we are going to get a goodbye scene with her before she leaves, and I would support giving it to her and asking her to try it or something similar. It would connect really well to the situation, and it could be an attempt to tell her multiple things, ranging from our connection to the fact that we worried about her defense/life more than power or speed. Overall seems ok.
Also, I am still so hype for this coming war arc. Even it's xiulan leaving (still sucks) we still have a large amount of friends around to hopefully make a squad. Also readily available targets to steal from. Larceny for life!
Also, I am still so hype for this coming war arc. Even it's xiulan leaving (still sucks) we still have a large amount of friends around to hopefully make a squad. Also readily available targets to steal from. Larceny for life!
- Location
- New York
We are...odd
Arkeus
Crazy cat guy
- Location
- France
The problem with gifting TRF is less of the much exaggerated cultural issues (those are almost purely created by the voter base as a strawman. We have seen instory that it's completely acceptable to trade arts with equals or give them to subordinates.) but much more that it's kind of too late.
Xiulan is already G2 going on G3, and TRF cap in G2. It's not that she might have something as good, it's that she likely already has something that will be better if it gets equal training to what would be needed to train TRF, and that something is likely to get all the way to Indigo.
So, right now gifting TRF to Xiulan is basically giving her an art that would never be directly useful to her, and only by creating a successor would she be able to really use it. As such, it's purely a "Please get another element lanlan", which is fine, but it has complicated connotations.
I still think it could be done, and might be worth doing, but that would create one hell of a talk.
Xiulan is already G2 going on G3, and TRF cap in G2. It's not that she might have something as good, it's that she likely already has something that will be better if it gets equal training to what would be needed to train TRF, and that something is likely to get all the way to Indigo.
So, right now gifting TRF to Xiulan is basically giving her an art that would never be directly useful to her, and only by creating a successor would she be able to really use it. As such, it's purely a "Please get another element lanlan", which is fine, but it has complicated connotations.
I still think it could be done, and might be worth doing, but that would create one hell of a talk.
Last edited:
It would be one way to make Lanlan pissed at LQ at least, having LQ go up to her and go "the way your going about it is wrong" by giving her an art below her lvl and wrong element. Seems like a horrible thing to do and does not seem to be that IC. Like giving the argent arts was one thing due to their nature, this would just be a naked attempt to change someones nascent way and domain, cant really think of a worse insult.
Thank god writeins are banned because of stuff like this.
Thank god writeins are banned because of stuff like this.
- Location
- New York
I'm pretty sure she isn't that far along to get to g3. And in all honesty, the defense arts she would get for g3 in actuality might be worse than TRF. TRF is extremely high quality. Overall it is an attempt to both bolster her defense, a symbolic rep of our friendship, and a hope that she includes another element in her build.
And maybe that complicated conversation could be necessary to have. I'd rather at least try, and this option opens a lot of different choices. It's very much the equalevent of throw in a rock into a pond. And because she is leaving it gives even more chances to have a lasting impact.
And maybe that complicated conversation could be necessary to have. I'd rather at least try, and this option opens a lot of different choices. It's very much the equalevent of throw in a rock into a pond. And because she is leaving it gives even more chances to have a lasting impact.
Arkeus
Crazy cat guy
- Location
- France
The Gu are a fucking old family, and that has an advantage in itself. They haven't managed to get to Violet yet, but that seems more like a result of resources strangling from the Han as well as the specific issue the GF have than anything else.
This means that as a fucking old Viscount clans, the Gu have access to a lot, and by that I mean a lot, of fire-based arts made by Indigos for their younger generations, as well as the arts of the genius of the clans they themselves created when improving themselves.
TRF is really good for its level, but if we are talking about Sun element there is going to be at least half a dozen defensive arts in the Gu libraries that have been touched and retouched and improved by dozens of Indigo cultivator each. It might not be better than TRF quality wise in G2, but it would at least be close to as good, and would definitely be better in G3.
- Location
- United Kingdom
Whilst TRF itself is a no-go, it might be worth it for Ling Qi to suggest Wood just as an element, and leave any further specifics up to Xiulan. As is I expect the main two elements she's tried to be Lake and Metal (Xiaoli and Yanmei), but Wood is something we've had personal experience with, and Zhengui is himself an example of how it and Fire can work together, even if Xiulan herself won't be using the two in anywhere near as balanced a spread.
- Location
- New York
That's why it's just opening the option. I have no belief in our ability to force this, nor would I want that. I just want to at least extend this option.
I think you are right, but my general argument relies on the fact that we really haven't seen these defensive techniques from xiulan, and I want to present both the wood element and a defense technique. It's just a way to open a dialogue and the option of adding wood as an element to me. I don't think TRF will solve all her problems.
- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
So "Ignore the fact that she's literally burning her existence to fuel her cultivation and is being told she'd heading for an early grave"? Ling Qi's Way specifically says "you need to take other's wants into consideration not just your own" and one of her best friends is doing the exact opposite of that to the point that she's killing herself purely due to her ambition to grow stronger regardless of how it's hurting herself and the people that care for her.
Last edited:
- Location
- New Brunswick, NJ
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
So while I think people are making good points about the culture involved, one thing I would like to draw attention to is that TRF is the art LQ used to defend Xiulan. As such, giving her the art isn't just "git gud scrub nub" or "get some elemental balance you fucking maniac," it's a gesture of "this is the art that gave me the strength to protect you."
We took an assassin's blade to the throat for her. Even if TRF isn't worth cultivating at her level, I can still imagine it mattering to her.
We took an assassin's blade to the throat for her. Even if TRF isn't worth cultivating at her level, I can still imagine it mattering to her.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
*is slowly losing interest in giving away TRF*
Rather than giving her an art, what we should offer I would say are insights, what we gained from this.
Rather than giving her an art, what we should offer I would say are insights, what we gained from this.
- Location
- New York
...what? I...what? That is absurd on so many levels that I don't even know how to respond.
Edit: okay knee jerk reaction over.
1) when has it even even been slightly indicated to be possible to "give" insights.
2) TRF led to the insights you are probably speaking of.
3) why would she even want our insights? Sure some are applicable but they are deeply connected to our way.
4) I'm not even sure what you mean by this.
5) "losing interest in giving away TRF"...why?
Last edited:
True, but itd be on her parents end.
Ive got little doubt that Xiulan would try to master it just out of pure stubbornness given the circumstances.
- Location
- UK
Forget about TRF actually being part of her kit for a moment, this isn't about TRF, this isn't about Xuilan's kit, this is about Xuilan's elemental spread and the fact that she needs something to offset the Fire/Heaven self destructiveness she currently has.
We're not trying to make a major addition to her kit, were trying to do what Elder Ying did for Meizhen and see if maybe Xuilan has some talent for wood arts, so that she can then pursue such herself, which as has been pointed out her clan likely has arts for in their archive.
Any wood arts in the Gu archive that would be great for Xuilan are not helpful if she never glances at them
If people are really afraid of insulting Xuilan or something by giving her TRF, would we be able to recommend Storm Enduring Seedling for her to try out before she leaves?
I don't think it's at all necessary, that giving TRF would be more about the symbol of it, both as explained by Picklepikkl above and simply the history Ling Qi and Xuilan have had practising it, to hopefully get her to actually consider it than trying to convince her to make it a legitimate part of her kit, which would be short lived at best, but if people are worried we can just do both.
I really do think the growth aspect of wood has a good chance of fitting Xuilan, and the steadiness of that growth should counteract the negatives of her current 'growth by any means necessary even if it burns away everything I have' thing she currently has going on, and soon she's going to reach the point where she couldn't change that if she wanted to.
Worst case scenario, she gets in a mood with us before leaving for home. I would far prefer that than her trying to absorb an energy field larger than her head thousands of miles away some day.
We're not trying to make a major addition to her kit, were trying to do what Elder Ying did for Meizhen and see if maybe Xuilan has some talent for wood arts, so that she can then pursue such herself, which as has been pointed out her clan likely has arts for in their archive.
Any wood arts in the Gu archive that would be great for Xuilan are not helpful if she never glances at them
If people are really afraid of insulting Xuilan or something by giving her TRF, would we be able to recommend Storm Enduring Seedling for her to try out before she leaves?
I don't think it's at all necessary, that giving TRF would be more about the symbol of it, both as explained by Picklepikkl above and simply the history Ling Qi and Xuilan have had practising it, to hopefully get her to actually consider it than trying to convince her to make it a legitimate part of her kit, which would be short lived at best, but if people are worried we can just do both.
I really do think the growth aspect of wood has a good chance of fitting Xuilan, and the steadiness of that growth should counteract the negatives of her current 'growth by any means necessary even if it burns away everything I have' thing she currently has going on, and soon she's going to reach the point where she couldn't change that if she wanted to.
Worst case scenario, she gets in a mood with us before leaving for home. I would far prefer that than her trying to absorb an energy field larger than her head thousands of miles away some day.
- Location
- New York
Completely agree with your points. Just small thing...she already tried this. She was lucky to survive, and her path necessitates increasing this. It's why her sister says it's a path to die.
We've seen Gu-style defensive arts.
Theyre literally "burn shit before it touches you", and given the philosophical implications of that with Xiulans current course, "standing tall and not yielding" would be an excellent way to supplement that.
The biggest issue some people had with slotting TRF is that its lessons are about the positive aspects of standing still to weather hardship.
Isn't that a lesson Xiulan is in dire need of right now? That she doesn't have to endlessly advance every second of every day?
Theyre literally "burn shit before it touches you", and given the philosophical implications of that with Xiulans current course, "standing tall and not yielding" would be an excellent way to supplement that.
The biggest issue some people had with slotting TRF is that its lessons are about the positive aspects of standing still to weather hardship.
Isn't that a lesson Xiulan is in dire need of right now? That she doesn't have to endlessly advance every second of every day?
- Location
- UK
Yeah that's pretty much it, plus last time she was lucky, in that it was 50/50 if she'd even live. There's no guarantee for next time, and whether being back home causes Xuilan to relax a bit or get even more stressed to keep up with her friend who's currently in a war is up in the air.