- Location
- Somewhere.
[X] Eliminate the corpse-immortal now, together you and Xia Lin should be more than its match.
Votes for the vote throne, bands for the band wagon
Votes for the vote throne, bands for the band wagon
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.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
Insert Tally
[X] Eliminate the corpse-immortal now, together you and Xia Lin should be more than its match.
This way we:
1) Make Zengui happy.
2) Improve our relationship with Xia Lin.
3) Kick some tuchus.
4) Get some very sweet loot.
Normally I'd be more cautious, but Xia Lin knows more than we do about these things and she thinks we can take him with a hard first strike. I'm also not certain he'd be any easier to destroy by a few more 3rd realms once he's alerted by the theft of his mcguffin and has time to fully spin up all of the cyan+ level formations he's neglected to maintain in his madness.
This way we:
1) Make Zengui happy.
2) Improve our relationship with Xia Lin.
3) Kick some tuchus.
4) Get some very sweet loot.
Normally I'd be more cautious, but Xia Lin knows more than we do about these things and she thinks we can take him with a hard first strike. I'm also not certain he'd be any easier to destroy by a few more 3rd realms once he's alerted by the theft of his mcguffin and has time to fully spin up all of the cyan+ level formations he's neglected to maintain in his madness.
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- Location
- Location: Location!
Why not? As a rotting carcass that can be smelled from several meters away, the Hui Scribbler would certainly upgrade our stealth and diplomacy skills, because we'd have to since we'd be bringing extra difficulty along.
Oh, and that "proscribed clan" thing would also make for some lovely conversation starters.
Mother Moon
Much ink has been spilled in discussion of the historical interactions between the cults of the great spirits and their aspects. Of these, the aspects of the moon are well studied indeed, the Eight Phases and the Five Aspects being among the oldest foci of worship, predating even the cults of the Sublime Ancestors of the Empire. There is one among them however, which is oft ignored.
The Mother Moon, opposite to the Dreaming Moon, is rarely invoked in major rituals or festivals. Like the Grinning Moon, worship of this phase is oft relegated to the small scale, although the Mother Moon is naturally a much more important spirit, with important and pragmatic spheres of relevance. The Mother Moon is invoked upon weddings, upon births, and when caring for the sick or unwell.
However, she has no great temples, save for the Temple of the Silver Peach in Shuilian City, but that den of vice can hardly be considered a true place of worship. No, the Mother Moon is worshipped at small shrines, and invoked by commoners and nobility alike. Even the holy emperors and empresses alike count certain rituals performed in her name among their ceremonial duties.
Why then, is there so little literature about this important spirit? So little study and analysis of her rituals? This scholar posits that it is her very ubiquity which is the cause of this. Even the most ignorant peasant in the tiniest village simply knows that it is necessary to pour out a cup of fresh milk upon a tilled field under the waxing gibbous to ensure fertility, or the importance of avoiding alcohols and certain medicines for a pregnant woman.
The knowledge of this great spirit's rituals is so very common that there is little need for temples and priests to record and codify that knowledge, and little need for stories whose morals reinforce her rituals. That is not to say that some such stories do not survive. This scholar has expended significant effort in traveling the length of the empire, collecting such folktales as which still exist. Most are fragmentary, short fables which extoll certain virtues.
One more prominent tale is one which describes the first husband and wife. There is a great deal of regional variation in this tale, but it's elements boil down to a discussion on the responsibilities of man and woman in society, and the necessity of cooperation and respect between the two in order to arrive at prosperity.
Such stories can be quaint, but are certainly an important building block to a harmonious society. It is here that the Mother Moon shows her greatest qualities as a spirit. She is in many ways, a spirit of social harmony and the family, the fundamental building blocks of civilization. With this her lack of organized worship is explained. Each well run household is her temple, and the Empire her greatest achievement. Each day lived by a citizen in prosperity and happiness is an exaltation of her domains.
Although, it seems that in the far away and savage past that the Mother Moon may have had other aspects. It is from these that the uncivilized practices in the Ebon Rivers descend. Exaltation of the base self, wild emotion and the sexual joining of individuals without regard for station, gender or propriety. These aspects are obvious corruptions of the true Great Spirit's teachings, the virtuous aspects of her existence distorted beyond recognition. Unfortunately this scholar cannot describe these practices in detail, and so the matter will be left here.
However, in the interests of completeness this scholar did study the tales and stories of these uncouth splinter groups, if only to determine where they split from the proper ways. Most are, as mentioned, unshareable, but one fragment turned up in the study did hold some interest.
"You would make mockery of even this?" spake the crone sadly, leaning so heavily upon her stick. The broken moon, bleeding into great northern waters gleamed behind her head. "You war and you war and my children do die, again and again. You promised protection, and they suffer. You promised care, and privation is their lot. You fail in your duties, O Gods of Sea and Sky, of Forest and Hill, where is your honor?"
The gods laughter did mock the crone, her pleas and admonishments falling upon deaf ears. What did the lives of men mean, that one of the servants did speak to them so. What did duty mean to the mighty, when none yet stood above?
"The children serve as is their lot," Spake the King of the Gods, a mighty beast resplendent in gold, whose body filled the sky and whose eyes were as cruel stars. "It is mercy that we even allow the children to live. The world is our jewel, to do with as we will. Those Who Were are gone and all their children subdued. Who are you to dare to speak of duty to a King."
"I am she who has has loved, and she who has lost," spake the crone, so very small before the gods. "I am the nursemaid, the matron, the crone; who treasures all life, even yours O cruel King. I am Mercy, and so I plead one final time. Return to your duty, abandon your wars."
"I will not, oh meek thing of the moon, what power do you hold that even thy sisters did not?" the King sneered.
There was silence in the court of the Gods.
From the crones eyes fell two tears of moonsilver.
The stars howled and fled into the night.
The World awoke.
...
An interesting fragment and one which this scholar wishes had been more complete. It seems then that in older days that the Mother Moon may have been connected to the Nameless more closely than her siblings. In this tale, she serves as a herald for the Nameless Mother, offering final clemency to the Dragon Gods before She Who Was awakens.
It does make some sense that the Mother Moon would be associated with the Nameless, about which so very little is known. It would then behoove the honored Minister to continue funding this one's research…
From an internal report in the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs.
The Mother Moon, opposite to the Dreaming Moon, is rarely invoked in major rituals or festivals. Like the Grinning Moon, worship of this phase is oft relegated to the small scale, although the Mother Moon is naturally a much more important spirit, with important and pragmatic spheres of relevance. The Mother Moon is invoked upon weddings, upon births, and when caring for the sick or unwell.
However, she has no great temples, save for the Temple of the Silver Peach in Shuilian City, but that den of vice can hardly be considered a true place of worship. No, the Mother Moon is worshipped at small shrines, and invoked by commoners and nobility alike. Even the holy emperors and empresses alike count certain rituals performed in her name among their ceremonial duties.
Why then, is there so little literature about this important spirit? So little study and analysis of her rituals? This scholar posits that it is her very ubiquity which is the cause of this. Even the most ignorant peasant in the tiniest village simply knows that it is necessary to pour out a cup of fresh milk upon a tilled field under the waxing gibbous to ensure fertility, or the importance of avoiding alcohols and certain medicines for a pregnant woman.
The knowledge of this great spirit's rituals is so very common that there is little need for temples and priests to record and codify that knowledge, and little need for stories whose morals reinforce her rituals. That is not to say that some such stories do not survive. This scholar has expended significant effort in traveling the length of the empire, collecting such folktales as which still exist. Most are fragmentary, short fables which extoll certain virtues.
One more prominent tale is one which describes the first husband and wife. There is a great deal of regional variation in this tale, but it's elements boil down to a discussion on the responsibilities of man and woman in society, and the necessity of cooperation and respect between the two in order to arrive at prosperity.
Such stories can be quaint, but are certainly an important building block to a harmonious society. It is here that the Mother Moon shows her greatest qualities as a spirit. She is in many ways, a spirit of social harmony and the family, the fundamental building blocks of civilization. With this her lack of organized worship is explained. Each well run household is her temple, and the Empire her greatest achievement. Each day lived by a citizen in prosperity and happiness is an exaltation of her domains.
Although, it seems that in the far away and savage past that the Mother Moon may have had other aspects. It is from these that the uncivilized practices in the Ebon Rivers descend. Exaltation of the base self, wild emotion and the sexual joining of individuals without regard for station, gender or propriety. These aspects are obvious corruptions of the true Great Spirit's teachings, the virtuous aspects of her existence distorted beyond recognition. Unfortunately this scholar cannot describe these practices in detail, and so the matter will be left here.
However, in the interests of completeness this scholar did study the tales and stories of these uncouth splinter groups, if only to determine where they split from the proper ways. Most are, as mentioned, unshareable, but one fragment turned up in the study did hold some interest.
"You would make mockery of even this?" spake the crone sadly, leaning so heavily upon her stick. The broken moon, bleeding into great northern waters gleamed behind her head. "You war and you war and my children do die, again and again. You promised protection, and they suffer. You promised care, and privation is their lot. You fail in your duties, O Gods of Sea and Sky, of Forest and Hill, where is your honor?"
The gods laughter did mock the crone, her pleas and admonishments falling upon deaf ears. What did the lives of men mean, that one of the servants did speak to them so. What did duty mean to the mighty, when none yet stood above?
"The children serve as is their lot," Spake the King of the Gods, a mighty beast resplendent in gold, whose body filled the sky and whose eyes were as cruel stars. "It is mercy that we even allow the children to live. The world is our jewel, to do with as we will. Those Who Were are gone and all their children subdued. Who are you to dare to speak of duty to a King."
"I am she who has has loved, and she who has lost," spake the crone, so very small before the gods. "I am the nursemaid, the matron, the crone; who treasures all life, even yours O cruel King. I am Mercy, and so I plead one final time. Return to your duty, abandon your wars."
"I will not, oh meek thing of the moon, what power do you hold that even thy sisters did not?" the King sneered.
There was silence in the court of the Gods.
From the crones eyes fell two tears of moonsilver.
The stars howled and fled into the night.
The World awoke.
...
An interesting fragment and one which this scholar wishes had been more complete. It seems then that in older days that the Mother Moon may have been connected to the Nameless more closely than her siblings. In this tale, she serves as a herald for the Nameless Mother, offering final clemency to the Dragon Gods before She Who Was awakens.
It does make some sense that the Mother Moon would be associated with the Nameless, about which so very little is known. It would then behoove the honored Minister to continue funding this one's research…
From an internal report in the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs.
Heh.
Because every report concludes this one way or another, right?
Because you recall the history of Ling Qingge?
I don't think any of the versions are pure, but I suspect the Ebon Rivers splinters are no more corrupted than anyone else's.
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Wow. We need to get some mother moon patronage. She's the one who awoke the nameless to punish the dragons.
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
you don't say!
- Location
- Greece
Tbh , without the bolded words the scholar may have had a point, because sex without connection can be argued to be something hollow and unsatisfying. But since his problems are station, gender and propriety, I think that this is very much not what that scholar meant, so fuck that scholar and praise Mother Moon, Ebon Rivers version.
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Can't they just talk to the lesser selves of great spirits in order to learn what happened in history?
Or does each spirit give a different account of what happened in the past and we're dealing with events that occurred in an era where concepts like time and causality were a bit looser?
Or does each spirit give a different account of what happened in the past and we're dealing with events that occurred in an era where concepts like time and causality were a bit looser?
Meng Dan talked about this with us earlier. Great Spirits aren't reliable witnesses of history. The broad strokes are true but details shift.
- Location
- CA
So what I'm hearing is that humanity moved out and they never call, they never write. Oh, their poor Mother.
(They do rite, though.)
With the Great Moon Spirits' general theme of freedom and connection being able to freely love whomever you want regardless of societal constraints would be pretty in line with the Mother Moon. That's pretty much the aspect of Ling Qi that people think of when they say she'd fit the Mother, Qi doesn't care about who and how she should love. I think Cai Renxiang could also learn a lot from the Mother Moon as someone who believes that proper harmony between people (though stemming from love more than order) is the key to a good society. It's kind of sad that the one spirit that shares her virtues and ideals is also one of a concept she might not have more than the shallowest understanding of and might never been allowed to feel herself.
Huh, it sounds like the punishment came from the Nameless Mother, but the fertility problem the dragons have to deal with seems to fit better into the Mother Moons wheelhouse.
You are right about the sexual things, but exhalation of base self and wild emotion still seem pretty bad
Aranfan
Team Plasma Grunt
I mean, he's the one saying it's base. I doubt the peeps doing the rituals agree.
It does fit our themes of home and connection well
Well, acting without care for how good the action is is bad. Behaving based on pure emotion without control is very bad. Giving little to thought to things other than base needs, desires and urges is bad. And that's how those sounds to me. Having sex with people of different station, same gender, or without propriety-those aren't bad, but the others are
- Location
- PA
It can't be done. The quest went Blood Moon before Mother, and Blood Moon was a failure that ended the Moon Sister Questline. We're still Moon touched, but I suspect if we were to try and reach out for Mother Moon Blood Moon's Trauma would reach out and slap Ling Qi in the face, spoiling her concentration and causing the Qi to go awry. We cannot get any more Moon Sister boons.
Or at least that was my understanding of how it worked. I might be mistaken.
al103
Grumpy Russian Bear (SV edition)
- Location
- Russia, Krasnoyarsk
While Moon aspects are separate... piss off one of them enough and you piss off all of them. And it was Mother that was pissed off in the first place. So - DUH.