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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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yrsillar said:
She knew that Cai Renxiang had never had other spirits, but knowing that she was unable… Ling Qi swallowed, storing the implications away.
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Now what are the implications of that, I wonder? As far as I know, spirit bonds are restricted to spirit-human parties, with human-human bonds difficult and restricted. Spirit-spirit bonds don't seem to have been mentioned, unless one counts what Zeqing did to her husband as something like that.

That being said, that the normal Imperial method of spirit binding doesn't work for Renxiang suggests she had lost too much of her humanity for the binding to take, that she's less than even a spirit-blooded human. (But, still recognizably human, since no one remarked on anything non-human about her during the first three months of the Outer Sect, when she wasn't wearing Liming.)

yrsillar said:
"You are all quite fun I think," Meng Dan said with a faint smile. "I think I should like to return to the library for a time, but perhaps when we meet again for the auction, we can speak more on the future."
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Is he going to just leave after the court meeting? Ling Qi is planning on bringing Xuan Shi to meet with Elder Lang's sword, and Meng Dan had expressed interest in hearing more of the sword's stories.

Inviting Meng Dan with Xuan Shi might spark a friendship between the two, based on shared interest in history, and thereby creating an avenue to bring Xuan Shi with us post-Sect.
 
yrsillar said:
"I can only assume. I am not privy to her methods," Cai Renxiang said. "I do know that I am unable to form normal spirit bonds, and that Liming cannot be attuned to any other person. I cannot even be very far from it for long periods of time
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You know, if we flip things around a little this seems rather similar to what the White Sky do in their cultivation. There might be a lot of insight here, for Renxiang as well as Ling Qi.
 
qwolfs said:
You know, if we flip things around a little this seems rather similar to what the White Sky do in their cultivation. There might be a lot of insight here, for Renxiang as well as Ling Qi.
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Shenhua pretty much did spiritual surgery on her with Liming tangling them both together after her light shattered CRX's self like a swinging mallet on a pane of glass.
What white sky do is sacrifice literally and metaphorically their limb's/organ's in order to advance, their was no sacrifice involved with CRX. It was simply destroying a child and rebuilding her with spare part's.
 
I'm glad the vote was delayed. I struggle to see a reason to not leave the sect except Jiao and Xin, who we simply don't choose to interact with.

It's unfortunate, but with Moon Sempai out, Zhou dead, Shen Hu dead, Zeqing dead, Meizhen coming with, and our family staying safe. Well.

I think the real issue is that this will have permanent repercussions on intraimperial diplomacy. Like. We literally left one of the best schools in the whole of the empire in order to talk to foreigners? That's not a good look, even if it goes quite well.

because even if it goes well for Emerald Seas, the odds are that other provinces aren't going to know or much care about it.

I think, of everyone, Jiao and Xin are my most unhappy abandons. There is so much wisdom to learn, so much fun to be had, and yet we just. Never chose to interact when given the option.

Having the heir of Emerald Seas ditch your school for the border is also not going to look good for Argent Sect. On top of having no heir, the headmaster dying, and a general loss of manpower/wisdom through warfare. They're gonna be pretty crippled and we'll be kicking em on our way out. RIP.

Shoulda had more Ice Ladies. If we hadn't burnt through their whole stock we wouldn't be leaving so easily
 
I think figuring out just exactly what Liming is, as clearly she is more than a simple artificial spirit, and what if any CRX's saber has to do with Liming I think will be very important going forwards. Given the limits it places on CRX's ability to form spirit bonds (Liming is jealous? Liming is taking up all her bonds since they've been together for so long?) I think Limings development will be intrinsically tied to CRX's. Since there is a thread of Liming in the Ling Qi's gown, perhaps we will gain some insight once we cultivate enough to unlock the teased developments with the gown (from the Wind Thief art initial cultivation).

I'm also very curious as to why Shenhua chose to do this. I sincerely doubt it was some moment of weakness (she really really wanted to meet her daughter). As a white and being herself I don't think Shenhua has enough humanity to be plagued by such mortal concerns. That said I think she honestly cares (in some way, not necessarily a healthy one) for CRX. We heard from Xia Lin that Shensua is apparently considered as far better to be a mother than the Heron General. I know that may not say very much, but it is still worth noting that someone who spends a lot more time near Shensua doesn't see it as strange to view her as a mother figure.

Perhaps Shensua is incapable of seeing how her actions damage CRX. Given Shensua's domain and Way that wouldn't surprise me in the least if she simply builds. That her method of building is destructive would be secondary in her own mind. CRX therefore is being built up by her mother (again being built into what?) and the process, given her mother's Way, is simply unpleasant.
 
I will miss Jiao and Xin, i originally hoped we'd pick the sect to interact with them more, but that was not in the cards in the end.
And now we abandon moon mom to hangout with ice moms cousins. :V
I hope reduced does not mean non existant, it's not like Xin is limited by distance much, she's part of the moon, and moon is pretty much everywhere.
 
Morotorium is over.

[X] Take a central role in diplomacy with the White Sky

I'm really looking forward to this. The Polar gates storyline has been my favourite part of the quest so far so I'd love to learn more. To think all of this happened because we played tag with a little ice spirit we randomly met.
 
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So much time and words have been spent on the Empire, fleshing it out either in the main story or through interludes and commissions, that I kinda want to keep at least some focus on what's already there, instead of bringing in a whole 'nother near or Empire-equal society. Just feels like it will drag everything even further, with all the new things that'll have to be described and learned about, and the story's already long enough as is.

Also, I just don't want to lean too much into the Ice Lady stuff, since that's all endlessly cold and depressing, and I'm not totally clear on what the Moon situation is like that far south. Let there be spring and growth and shit.

[x] Remain in your current place and maintain your current goals.
 
[X] Take a central role in diplomacy with the White Sky

We will still be spending focus on the Empire, just not the Sect. After all, we need to figure out a fief location, make alliances at court, do all sorts of fun things.
 
[X] Take a central role in diplomacy with the White Sky

My reasoning on this has not changed.
lendary said:
I greatly prefer this choice from both a meta and in-story perspective.

Xianxia/progression fiction stories about tournaments and sect intrigue are kind of a dime a dozen. In contrast, I don't think I can recall reading a single story with a focus on first contact diplomacy and cultural exchange like this.

In-universe, this is a priceless opportunity for CRX and Ling Qi to establish themselves as a faction with real influence and start actually changing stuff. It makes a lot of sense to me that they'd take it.

I also think they'd be good at it. I think we've seen enough of Empire nobility to say with confidence that a lot of them have a blind spot when it comes to dealing with foreign cultures. They can't swallow their pride and feelings of superiority to approach them as equals, can't bring themselves to keep an open mind and look at the world through a different lens. CRX and Ling Qi don't have that problem. CRX's ideals are crazy egalitarian, and whatever Ling Qi's other faults, she's honest, not at all conceited, great at dealing with spirits and cultures close to them, and willing to change her mind and worldview in response to new experiences.
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yrsillar said:
"I can only assume. I am not privy to her methods," Cai Renxiang said. "I do know that I am unable to form normal spirit bonds, and that Liming cannot be attuned to any other person. I cannot even be very far from it for long periods of time."
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This sounds pretty close to a statement that Liming wasn't just made to incorporate damaged parts of Renxiang, but rather that she was outright split in half--she can't be too far apart from Liming because she's still human enough that she can't afford to widen the division in their spirit, and she can't form spirit bonds because her other half instinctively responds to a forming spiritual bond by shoving them away.

This makes it sound like one possible future for Renxiang and Liming isn't just reconciliation but reintegration, which would be outright fascinating. What kind of person would they become when their ideals are rejoined to their anger? If nothing else, it'd definitely settle Renxiang's concerns about her own inhumanity.

EDIT: Also, I am so incredibly glad that Ling Qi corrected her on the pronoun without even being prompted. That little moment made me very happy.

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[X] Take a central role in diplomacy with the White Sky
 
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[X] Remain in your current place and maintain your current goals.

I honestly just am not so swayed. I think our current goals are much more stable and tangible.
 
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