NoxOfUmbra
Shadow of the night
- Location
- Colombia, South América
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
A great line indeed, my favorite of the whole ss.
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.
Basically the Emerald Seas were done with the Hui especially the younger generations whose Ways were influenced by the inaction of the Hui, and even the Emperor intervening would've merely resulted in the count clans fighting internally as Elder fight Youth.
So basically for the Bai they relied upon Fear to keep their vassals in line, and became used to it working until one day an enraged Father on a mission came along to permit all their vassals to gather resulting in them realizing everyone else was willing to charge into hell jungle simply to be done with the Bai, which makes sense as the Bai ruled Thousand Lakes for a long time. The use of fear to keep them in line resulted in everyone involved knowing a horrible fate awaited for those left behind meaning everyone left, and the rest is history.
Well that certainly explains why the only Hui who survived weren't part of the main clans as their Ways literally were anathema to Shenhua, which makes me suspect a large chunk of her motivation in those 10 years were related to "End the Hui".
Useful to confirm Shenhua has no desire for the Throne, and I suppose if Xin predicted the Emerald Seas would rebel An laying the foundation for splitting Count clans out into other provinces makes sense. The reason the Emperor wanted to know if Shenhua was possible to eliminate is their plans were close to completion, but a genius cultivator climbing three realms in 10 years wasn't expected.
Also I get the feeling Jiao is being a bit nostalgic for the days when his Prince was around, and the Bai hadn't presumably messed up An's Way by killing his beloved consort.
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Kai Merah
Hound Hearted Hedonist
- Location
- Somewhere in the corners of my imagination
- Location
- Somewhere
I recall reading at some point during this quest that under Shenhua's rule the material conditions of the Emerald Seas' mortals largely improved, are there any loremasters who can confirm/deny that?
- Location
- France
We heard that in the capital things improved a lot for the poor. IDK about the rest of the province though.
- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
I think Xiao Fen's friend talks about how there are soup kitchens and homeless shelters in the capital now. So at the very least there are more social safety nets in the capital. Unsure about the test of the province.
We don't know about the entire Emerald Seas, but for the capital that is certainly the case.
Royal Road said:
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
That which can be destroyed by truth, should.
Really neat how the Bai are coming closer to one that toppled a similar regime
Really neat how the Bai are coming closer to one that toppled a similar regime
Hm. More like Shenhua is working with the inevitable fact that the Times dictate that the Bai will bounce back, and even a White has limits meaning it is best to work with the reformist faction of the Bai. Because the next two Bai clan heads being reformist would be Progress especially if one of them ascends, which isn't that likely as most Whites are unable to do so iirc.
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- Location
- The Space Between
It's nice to see some confirmation that the Throne was planning for the Hui's acidic web to slowly boil the unruly Emerald Seas to dissolution. Split the Bao and Meng from useless Emerald Seas into useful Peaks-provinces (we don't know how imperial Guo is) to further encircle the Bai. With the Luo, Bao and Meng gone it's entirely plausible to formalize the dissolution of any ducal in the remaining Emerald Seas land, creating a land explicitly garrisoned and maintained not by noble clans but Sects. The superior alternative to factional and prideful nobility.
This ability to formalize the garrisoning of land through Throne-Sponsored Sect as an alternative to Nobility allows the Guo to have a way to better tame their tigers. If, of course, they're willing to allow the Throne to assist.
The Zheng aren't an issue in their minds. They've been quiet ever since the sun blew up and their main sparring partner died.
Xuan aren't an issue in their minds. They have few enough lands surviving and could sail off like the Jin. The Ji are preffered. The Ji are big fans of the Sect system, and welcomed the throne in as a way to better secure their Duchy. Similar to what the throne would want with the Guo.
that leaves the Bai. At their weakest point in ages.
Jiao and An were looking for the big ol' slam dunk. Clean the Peaks, and then the whole of the Empire. To set up dominance lines which failed to be set even during the reign of the Sage Emperor. It was the perfect time for it. Emerald Seas set up to finally be going the way of the Weilu and the Bai able to be encircled by the Throne, Ji and Sun. The Peaks could have finally dominated over what the Sage Emp had foolishly wifed. Both the Bai and the Sunflower.
but they miscalculated in a few ways:
First- The Sunflower Demon was always going to win a game of Imperial style submission and dominance against any imperial sent to control it. The Demon is capable of tangling with big Momma Dragon from all the way in Red Garden. It ended the reign of the Sage Emperor and Red Garden was never conquered/dominated. I can't believe they were so arrogant as to think Sun Shao would succeed where the Bai and the Sage Emperor failed.
Second- They thought Emerald Seas was a dirty backwater without much power kicking around. Surprise! Turns out the province that the Peaks have never understood still has some surprises in it. And your reliance on the Hui's toxic webs in your own schemes got your schemes burnt when Shenhua lit a match to them. Who knew that the province most resistant to stable rule would be anathema to the machinations of those who would be stable rulers, An and Jiao.
Third- Underestimated the willingness of Xuan and Zheng to fight for it. Sure the Zheng have been dominated by the Peaks since the Sage Emperor, but before the Sage Emperor one of the Zheng's biggest sparring partners was the Peaks. The clan on the throne may change but the Zheng are old enough to remember such times, and the Xuan are very territorial. The Ji being the willing flunkies of the Throne means that the Xuan are willing to fight the Throne. Since, you know, it's their waters.
Fourth- Miscalculated the reliance of the Guo on the throne and their position in interprovincial schemes when compared to the Ji. While the Ji have been very happy to be bottom feeders, the Guo have been self-reliant and have earned their place through blood and grit. Unlike the disrespect the older clans have for the Ji, the Guo are considered worthy successors to their duchy rather than the leavings of a worthy clan. The Golden Fields are still more dangerous and cruel than the average province, and normal struggles for dominance and submission are second to the cooperative fight for survival. The Guo are willing to step aside and I suspect it would be hard to flip the Han against them for their inaction. Perhaps allowing the Han to join the fighting, maybe, but that defangs the active fight against the Grave and. Well. Some volunteers isn't the same as a whole province along with their Ducal.
Fifth- Didn't understand An's successor, and her own feelings as someone with Bai blood in her who lived through the purges of the Peaks.
Sixth- Assuming Jiao is from the Peak's perspective of dominance lines, he probably assumed he was dominant over Xin early on. He was wrong. The exact same kind of wrong the Sage Emp was when he failed to dominate the Bai and Red Garden. This gives Xin a strong point to use in an argument against Jiao, about how An's plans to piggyback on Sun's mistake in order to crush the Bai was itself a mistake.
Boy I sure am glad that the Hidden Moon stopped favoring the Hui and invested in all those assets to place at crucial junctures to best dampen the surge of a new Red Garden civilization rejuvenated by the folly of Sun and sharpened by Imperial skill, flesh and will. You know. Sort of exactly how Shao used his enemies as tools for his own purposes? Red Garden using these imperials as tools to attack that awful snake. Imperials which were once frenzied with hatred for Red Garden, reduced to it's arms and armor.
The irony is immense and hilarious.
As is the fact that the Bai reducing themselves to simply expecting obedience through engineered fear rather than being practical enough to explain themselves and communicate is exactly the same issue the Hui (and the Hui's Emerald Seas) had. And the problem the Peaks under the arm of the Sima clan had. It's almost like they're all part of the same Imperial Culture Group and if they were communicating rather than scheming against one another (and themselves) they wouldn't be in imminent existential danger lolololol
Shenhua continues to be the protagonist and I'm very glad we're tangentially in her story. V cool
This ability to formalize the garrisoning of land through Throne-Sponsored Sect as an alternative to Nobility allows the Guo to have a way to better tame their tigers. If, of course, they're willing to allow the Throne to assist.
The Zheng aren't an issue in their minds. They've been quiet ever since the sun blew up and their main sparring partner died.
Xuan aren't an issue in their minds. They have few enough lands surviving and could sail off like the Jin. The Ji are preffered. The Ji are big fans of the Sect system, and welcomed the throne in as a way to better secure their Duchy. Similar to what the throne would want with the Guo.
that leaves the Bai. At their weakest point in ages.
Jiao and An were looking for the big ol' slam dunk. Clean the Peaks, and then the whole of the Empire. To set up dominance lines which failed to be set even during the reign of the Sage Emperor. It was the perfect time for it. Emerald Seas set up to finally be going the way of the Weilu and the Bai able to be encircled by the Throne, Ji and Sun. The Peaks could have finally dominated over what the Sage Emp had foolishly wifed. Both the Bai and the Sunflower.
but they miscalculated in a few ways:
First- The Sunflower Demon was always going to win a game of Imperial style submission and dominance against any imperial sent to control it. The Demon is capable of tangling with big Momma Dragon from all the way in Red Garden. It ended the reign of the Sage Emperor and Red Garden was never conquered/dominated. I can't believe they were so arrogant as to think Sun Shao would succeed where the Bai and the Sage Emperor failed.
Second- They thought Emerald Seas was a dirty backwater without much power kicking around. Surprise! Turns out the province that the Peaks have never understood still has some surprises in it. And your reliance on the Hui's toxic webs in your own schemes got your schemes burnt when Shenhua lit a match to them. Who knew that the province most resistant to stable rule would be anathema to the machinations of those who would be stable rulers, An and Jiao.
Third- Underestimated the willingness of Xuan and Zheng to fight for it. Sure the Zheng have been dominated by the Peaks since the Sage Emperor, but before the Sage Emperor one of the Zheng's biggest sparring partners was the Peaks. The clan on the throne may change but the Zheng are old enough to remember such times, and the Xuan are very territorial. The Ji being the willing flunkies of the Throne means that the Xuan are willing to fight the Throne. Since, you know, it's their waters.
Fourth- Miscalculated the reliance of the Guo on the throne and their position in interprovincial schemes when compared to the Ji. While the Ji have been very happy to be bottom feeders, the Guo have been self-reliant and have earned their place through blood and grit. Unlike the disrespect the older clans have for the Ji, the Guo are considered worthy successors to their duchy rather than the leavings of a worthy clan. The Golden Fields are still more dangerous and cruel than the average province, and normal struggles for dominance and submission are second to the cooperative fight for survival. The Guo are willing to step aside and I suspect it would be hard to flip the Han against them for their inaction. Perhaps allowing the Han to join the fighting, maybe, but that defangs the active fight against the Grave and. Well. Some volunteers isn't the same as a whole province along with their Ducal.
Fifth- Didn't understand An's successor, and her own feelings as someone with Bai blood in her who lived through the purges of the Peaks.
Sixth- Assuming Jiao is from the Peak's perspective of dominance lines, he probably assumed he was dominant over Xin early on. He was wrong. The exact same kind of wrong the Sage Emp was when he failed to dominate the Bai and Red Garden. This gives Xin a strong point to use in an argument against Jiao, about how An's plans to piggyback on Sun's mistake in order to crush the Bai was itself a mistake.
Boy I sure am glad that the Hidden Moon stopped favoring the Hui and invested in all those assets to place at crucial junctures to best dampen the surge of a new Red Garden civilization rejuvenated by the folly of Sun and sharpened by Imperial skill, flesh and will. You know. Sort of exactly how Shao used his enemies as tools for his own purposes? Red Garden using these imperials as tools to attack that awful snake. Imperials which were once frenzied with hatred for Red Garden, reduced to it's arms and armor.
The irony is immense and hilarious.
As is the fact that the Bai reducing themselves to simply expecting obedience through engineered fear rather than being practical enough to explain themselves and communicate is exactly the same issue the Hui (and the Hui's Emerald Seas) had. And the problem the Peaks under the arm of the Sima clan had. It's almost like they're all part of the same Imperial Culture Group and if they were communicating rather than scheming against one another (and themselves) they wouldn't be in imminent existential danger lolololol
Shenhua continues to be the protagonist and I'm very glad we're tangentially in her story. V cool
Ling Qi isn't just a spook on Shenhua's side, she's a spook that fundamentally won't lie (Argent Mirror) to her. Which explains a sliver of why Shenhua's been so permissive of Ling Qi related shenanigans in Renxiang's court, she might have been naive and mercenary, but if those traits had ever truly interfered with her support of Renxiang, Ling Qi wouldn't have been able to really hide it from either Cai.
Hahaha the FOOL!
For we are the ultimate counter. Can't tell or even think of a lie? Well LQ doesn't know what to think or what she will do. With hundreds of people controlling her actions we are impossible to predict or know! We are the proverbial coin flip made flesh.
- Location
- The Space Between
Honestly our build is a good replacement for the schemer role. Do we make schemes for Renxiang?
Nope!
We just wander into a place and snoop around, poke a few things
"oh, hey found some sort of hill tribe wickedness. It sucked"
"oh, hey found some sort of book of illegal cultivation pacts? I duno. It sucks"
"oh, hey found some sort of death mirror? It's worth a lot of money which is good, because death qi kinda sucks"
"oh, hey found some sort of civilization that is also in the process of civilizing some Cloud Tribe? And also some cloud tribe and shishigui, who suck"
"oh, hey found some sort of living corpse Hui? Dude had a lotta loot, but man. He sucked"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sometimes you'll be going on a mission you don't think is a heist. You're wrong. You're going to bump into something, and you're going to think wow that sucks and that's the cue for you to start looking for things to steal. They don't have to be useful to you, if you've got a good employer they'll know how to fence it. Just try to find something that they seem to really be relying on and just, yoink it. A power formation, a book of knowledge, their life, you know. Stuff they'll really feel bad about losing"
- from Burglary Three: This Book is a Stick Up
Nope!
We just wander into a place and snoop around, poke a few things
"oh, hey found some sort of hill tribe wickedness. It sucked"
"oh, hey found some sort of book of illegal cultivation pacts? I duno. It sucks"
"oh, hey found some sort of death mirror? It's worth a lot of money which is good, because death qi kinda sucks"
"oh, hey found some sort of civilization that is also in the process of civilizing some Cloud Tribe? And also some cloud tribe and shishigui, who suck"
"oh, hey found some sort of living corpse Hui? Dude had a lotta loot, but man. He sucked"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sometimes you'll be going on a mission you don't think is a heist. You're wrong. You're going to bump into something, and you're going to think wow that sucks and that's the cue for you to start looking for things to steal. They don't have to be useful to you, if you've got a good employer they'll know how to fence it. Just try to find something that they seem to really be relying on and just, yoink it. A power formation, a book of knowledge, their life, you know. Stuff they'll really feel bad about losing"
- from Burglary Three: This Book is a Stick Up
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Varder
Tired Cultist
- Location
- Hell
Cai Renxiang: I did not expect this when Viscountess Ling told me she was going to write a memoir book series, but with the benefit of hindsight, this explains so much.
- Location
- Staring into the void
Viscountess? Marquis at the very least, by the time she is old enough to consider writing memoirs.
[X] Power III: Without Power one can hold nothing and accomplish nothing, but power may spring from many sources.
Vote just got locked. Sorry
[X] Power III: Without Power one can hold nothing and accomplish nothing, but power may spring from many sources.
- Location
- the internet
Vote's locked but yours won anyway.
