[X] It can't hurt to try. The Weilu are ancient after all, surely most everyone had a drop or two of their blood in them. Imagine how useful it would be, to claim some ancient connection.
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.
Regarding the Omake by @Thor's Twin. I'm kind of surprised that Ling Qi's "The Songbird and the Star" wasn't referenced as it's essentially an allegory to Ling Qi's growing support of and loyalty to Renxiang's mission. It would make for a great counterpoint to Tienli's investigation, since Gan Guangli wasn't around when Ling Qi debuted that song and thus can't actually explain why she's loyal.
Options are kind of interesting. Keeping in mind there's WoG that neither of these is a fully fleshed out doctrine or anything, rather a gut feeling.
That said, the premise of the vote inescapably yields to the imperial orthodox conception of lineage and family, if only in terms of expedience. If there is any connection found, or even if there isn't, expect it to weigh in a corner of Ling Qi's mind, particularly as she's pursuing diplomatic first contact with another culture on the ES-internal-consumption basis of shared ancient ancestry/origin. This is useful in a sense, if it makes the arguments feel more genuine to Ling Qi. But it's also potentially obtrusive, if you're hoping to emphasize connections of a different nature.
The choice appears to focus on this emphasis to the point it squishes the curiosity she's established to feel prior to the vote options, though. So there's an element of obstinance in her view of family as it clashes with broader society's, and a willingness to "pay" for it, in contrast to the first option where Ling Qi exhibits a more flexible, mercenary attitude.
The same tensions between the mission's stated basis before the court and her own personal views as above apply, just from a different direction. Approaching the mission more from her personal worldview than the argument she laundered a bit for court consumption, and which was more intellectual-historical than something direct and raw to her, like family is.
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Personally, I'm interested in knowing, but I have absolutely no desire to leverage it at other people. Not in ways that let the general public be aware, certainly. I have no interest in basing the legitimacy of our clan on ancient Weilu blood relations, or relations to any of the count clans revealed by the same. But when I really focus on this vote...
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It comes down to verisimilitude and pacing. Unless the tapestry is going to be confiscated from us, which would suck, it simply makes sense for Ling Qi to use it at some point, because why not really? But then the question becomes... when?
It's possible it could even be in second option of this vote since "no need" isn't necessarily a refusal, but it really does read like one. So, putting that aside when else would we get around to looking at it, and would we actually find out the results or just have Ling Qi do it offscreen and not bother thinking about it? That'd be aggravating, honestly. There could a scene with Qingge where we explore the question more in the context of her origins. That could be neat, but it'd be a more familially impactful scene than Ling Qi just finding out now, which would arguably be a meta-betrayal of the sentiment behind voting that it's not important. Not the best dynamic.
And besides that, it would be a loose plot thread hanging over our heads for who knows how long. I'm not sure I want that. Partly because we have too many of those all over the place anyway. But partly also because It would be too reminiscent of Qingge's comb, which broadly concerned similar questions in genre, if not specific scope. That went unexplored for so long it got literally retconned from existence.
The tapestry's function has now been pretty clearly introduced as a device in the narrative, for better or for worse, which makes it too late to back away from now. We're already on the pot, and and don't think we can effectively get off of it.
So, I vote to shit.
[X] It can't hurt to try. The Weilu are ancient after all, surely most everyone had a drop or two of their blood in them. Imagine how useful it would be, to claim some ancient connection.
This indulges in the curiosity Ling Qi's feeling. It's a bit greedy, with Ling Qi pondering the extra utility she could squeeze out of the situation. What's interesting to me is it addresses, broadly, a matter of familial relation, but it's couched in what almost looks like excuses. "There's no harm", "Everyone has a little, it doesn't really mean anything", "Think of how useful it could be". I think that on some level acknowledging lineage further back than her mother is something she rejects, so we see her instinctively needing to work her way up to justifying what's pretty natural curiosity given the ease of learning in the circumstances.
That said, the premise of the vote inescapably yields to the imperial orthodox conception of lineage and family, if only in terms of expedience. If there is any connection found, or even if there isn't, expect it to weigh in a corner of Ling Qi's mind, particularly as she's pursuing diplomatic first contact with another culture on the ES-internal-consumption basis of shared ancient ancestry/origin. This is useful in a sense, if it makes the arguments feel more genuine to Ling Qi. But it's also potentially obtrusive, if you're hoping to emphasize connections of a different nature.
This emphasizes Ling Qi's feelings on the nature of family and legitimacy, in contrast to the first vote option, as things you earn or grasp yourself. A millennia-dead bond of blood doesn't mean anything. Broadly, I think this sentiment is by and far the majority opinion of the readership, and well-established in Ling Qi's character. To the point its truth is really not in question.
The choice appears to focus on this emphasis to the point it squishes the curiosity she's established to feel prior to the vote options, though. So there's an element of obstinance in her view of family as it clashes with broader society's, and a willingness to "pay" for it, in contrast to the first option where Ling Qi exhibits a more flexible, mercenary attitude.
The same tensions between the mission's stated basis before the court and her own personal views as above apply, just from a different direction. Approaching the mission more from her personal worldview than the argument she laundered a bit for court consumption, and which was more intellectual-historical than something direct and raw to her, like family is.
---
Personally, I'm interested in knowing, but I have absolutely no desire to leverage it at other people. Not in ways that let the general public be aware, certainly. I have no interest in basing the legitimacy of our clan on ancient Weilu blood relations, or relations to any of the count clans revealed by the same. But when I really focus on this vote...
---
It comes down to verisimilitude and pacing. Unless the tapestry is going to be confiscated from us, which would suck, it simply makes sense for Ling Qi to use it at some point, because why not really? But then the question becomes... when?
It's possible it could even be in second option of this vote since "no need" isn't necessarily a refusal, but it really does read like one. So, putting that aside when else would we get around to looking at it, and would we actually find out the results or just have Ling Qi do it offscreen and not bother thinking about it? That'd be aggravating, honestly. There could a scene with Qingge where we explore the question more in the context of her origins. That could be neat, but it'd be a more familially impactful scene than Ling Qi just finding out now, which would arguably be a meta-betrayal of the sentiment behind voting that it's not important. Not the best dynamic.
And besides that, it would be a loose plot thread hanging over our heads for who knows how long. I'm not sure I want that. Partly because we have too many of those all over the place anyway. But partly also because It would be too reminiscent of Qingge's comb, which broadly concerned similar questions in genre, if not specific scope. That went unexplored for so long it got literally retconned from existence.
The tapestry's function has now been pretty clearly introduced as a device in the narrative, for better or for worse, which makes it too late to back away from now. We're already on the pot, and and don't think we can effectively get off of it.
So, I vote to shit.
[X] It can't hurt to try. The Weilu are ancient after all, surely most everyone had a drop or two of their blood in them. Imagine how useful it would be, to claim some ancient connection.
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EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
Insert Tally
If we don't choose to use the tapestry here, we'd probably just sell it. Its presumably mostly valuable to those who care. As such refusing to use it would also snip the plot thread.
Well, we know that the tapestry distinguishes between people with the name Weilu and people descended from one of those people who don't have the name Weilu (because the Weilu founded a new clan or married into another one) based off of it displaying the Meng ancestor rather than Meng Dan's parents.
So all the tapestry actually has to divine is the Weilu clan, and only to see if any have Weilu (rather than non-Weilu) children to add to the list - the rest is just keeping a record of the blood/characteristics of each Weilu and then comparing those characteristics to those of someone who touches the tapestry. Then it spits out either the closest match or a 'no relation', depending on which side of the arbitrary line (that probably reinforces Hui claims) people fall on. It might also bias towards matches that are lower/less prestigious as well (so that the Hui can claim that their connection takes primacy).
Everyone assumes that the tapestry was made by the Hui for some purpose. It is certainly possible, but it can also be a Weilu artifact. They were even very knowledgable about divination, which seems to be the way the talisman works
NoxOfUmbra
Shadow of the night
- Location
- Colombia, South América
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I believe the tapestry is a Weilu artifact, and don't believe the Hui would have a way to alter it.
Considering that "Weilu" is a name given to the old tribes of the Emerald Seas by outsiders, there probably isn't anyone with that actual surname. And we know they practiced some sort of elective kingship, which kinda implies there wasn't any singular ruling clan either.
Hot take: we should let our dress eat the tapestry.
Theory:if we will avoid touching the tapestry, our dress will get it, resulting in an immediate dress level up
Theory: Ling Qi's dress will eat the tapestry, it will immediatly start declaring the lineage of everyone she meets to the age of the dragon gods, distrupting any other vocal communication for three hours
So would the dress reveal or hide infidelities?
- Location
- Staring into the void
Yes. Which ever is the most exasperating.
There's another way to look at this vote.
The first vote option was obviously Grinning Moon. It leverages whimsy, takes a loose approach to the nature of strategy employed, and seeks advantage/value.
By contrast, the second vote option was obviously Grinning Moon. It embodies self-confidence and worth won through one's own efforts.
The first vote option was obviously Grinning Moon. It leverages whimsy, takes a loose approach to the nature of strategy employed, and seeks advantage/value.
By contrast, the second vote option was obviously Grinning Moon. It embodies self-confidence and worth won through one's own efforts.
It is also hidden moon, discovering hidden secrets and curiosity
Aranfan
Team Plasma Grunt
Is Xin happy with us?
It is most likely tomorrow but we don't know for sure.