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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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veekie said:
I think of it in a few parts:
1) The trunk MUST be megatree sized to support the rest of megatree. However, the branches as described are tiny relative to the width of the trunk. Its like comparing mountains and rivers.
2) The Tree predated some graphics rendering Laws introduced later and refuses to install the update. It is powerful enough to refuse forced updates. Its still using legacy draw distances.
3) The tree is an exhibitionist and likes to show off its bare trunk
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I guess, I was assuming big tree to mean something like oak, but it could be anything, so thin branches and big trunk despite being alone could be a thing.
 
Guessing the others just got chopped down and used for reagents, Xiangmen was the only one which was powerful enough to completely shrug off the attempts.

After all, even for white god trees, stick around for enough millennia and something is gonna come by which can kill you if you can't reach GS. Even then it isn't for certain, especially in the days before the dragons fall.
 
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Lost Tales of the Heavenly Pillar
  • Sidestory
    • Lost Tale of the Heavenly Pillar​

    Long ago, in ancient times, when Father and Mother had not yet fallen into torpor and the Sun and Moon were still young there was a vast forest of mighty trees. The Mother talked to these trees which she had planted herself and said "Oh little ones, grow strong and tall. Drink deeply from the Earth and Water and Sun. Let your leaves and boughs be a haven from the heat of your Elder Brother Sun and protect from the hateful gaze of the Stars. Let the small creatures that walk and fly about use your branches and trunks as homes from the winds and the rains and the evil things of the world. And let your fruits and nuts bring succor to those creatures as they hunger."

    The trees began to grow and provide shelter and haven and food for the creatures that lived among them but there was one tree that was extremely prideful and arrogant. This tree was strong however and was able to drink of the power of the Earth and Water and Sun more than it's brothers and so grew taller and broader than any of them. As this tree grew it cast it's shade over it's brothers and it's roots were quicker to drink up the rain and water. This caused the other trees to either move away or perish beneath the shade of the mighty tree. So the tree continued to grow taller and stronger with each passing day.

    Storms came but could not move the tree with its winds and floods for its roots were buried deep into the earth. Fires and beasts came but could not even mark the bark of the tree so strong it was. Lightning and thunder fell from the Heavens and the ground itself shook all around the tree but the tree could not be shaken from its place.

    And still the tree grew, taller and wider and stronger until eventually its boughs began to pierce through the Heavens themselves. Seeing that it had done so it turned its attention to the Sun and boasted, "Elder Brother Sun, look at me! Have I not made Mother proud? I have grown taller than any mountain and the world cannot move me for I am so strong. Fires and dragons and beasts themselves cannot even harm me. The Stars themselves cannot even see through the least of my leaves!"

    Seeing the tree the Sun became quite angry and berated it saying "Fool! Your branches and leaves are too thick! How can I make sure no Evil is hiding beneath them when I can not see! Father and Mother gave me a job to watch all the lands and you are stopping me from doing so! Fix this soon or I will have to strike you down."

    Not wanting to call it's elders wrath upon itself the tree did as asked and began to move it's branches and leaves so the Sun could see through again but kept the Stars from looking through. As it did so the tree's attention was drawn beneath itself and watched as the beasts of the Stars and things made of Darkness began to flee or burn beneath the Sun's gaze. The tree, having been so focused on growing, had not noticed these Evil things as they had gathered in it's shadow. The tree begged the Sun for forgiveness and asked to be taught it's wisdom. The Sun forgave the tree and taught what it could and went on it's way.

    Having recovered from it's embarrassment and learned an important lesson, the tree next called out to Elder Sister Moon and said, "Elder Sister Moon, look at me! Have I not made Mother proud? My leaves block the hateful gaze of the Stars but Brother Sun is able to see the ground beneath me! I am so strong that none can harm me or move me from my place!"

    The Moon looked at the tree and sighed sadly before saying, "Oh foolish tree, you are too greedy. Where are your nuts and fruits? Where are the creatures you are supposed to house? The ground at your roots is so desolate and barren that nothing else can grow or live there." The tree looked around itself and was once again embarrassed.

    The tree began to give back some of the energy and power it had taken from the land and things began to grow again. It began to provide fruits and nuts to the various creatures that began to live around and on it and even told some of them how they could talk to it. The creatures began asking for small spaces for dens and houses to live in and these were such small things to the tree that it gave them with nary a thought.

    The Moon saw this and was happy. After teaching what she could to the tree the Moon reminded it to not only grow in power but in wisdom and kindness too for that is what Mother had wanted from it.

    Till this day the tree continues to grow and provide for all the creatures of the Mother and Father beneath it.

    -A tale of Xiangmen the Heavenpillar lost to time

    A.N. @yrsillar Omake for the Omake throne! What no, I didn't just write my headcannon of how Xiangmen came to be in a couple of hours in a short story format. You have no proof of this!
     
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  • Sidestory
    • yrsillar said:
    Xiangmen wasn't always alone :p
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    Xiangmen wasn't always alone!

    A cultivator that's both Isolated and intensely intertwined with Community!
    Someone that's had to deal with the struggle of being a Major Pillar that outlives all their friends!
    Someone that's got a ton of personal strength and has to figure out how to express their powers around such smaller, more fleeting beings!

    XIANGMEN IS THE FUTURE BABY! TREE STONKS ARE THROUGH THE ROOF! MAKE WAY FOR LING-TREE BABY OH YEAH!
     
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    Beautiful cover Art there, though i'm not entirely sure why Hanyi is one holding the flute...
     
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    I love how Zeqing looks here. She has a face but the rest of her straddles the line between corporeal and just a shadow over the blizzard. Like, she is the blizzard. Her dress doesn't fade into the dark indistinct from the background, it is the darkness beyond sight. Her hair isn't just fluttering in the snow, it is the flow of the snow. I love the wind, the sense of movement. I love the stars in Ling Qi's hair in contrast to the snow in the storm, the color and light. Really nice piece.
     
    So, what do we want from the Meng for the tapestry?

    Limited access to that grandmistress's works would be rad, though maybe a bit too on the nose, and the Meng faction we're dealing with doesn't control access to the deeper Meng archives. Also, dunno if we super have the time to give poking at that stuff for inspiration due service.

    Hmm, money is a given and probably oncurrent with whatever narratively interesting boon we select. Additional help with the fief would be meh, we already picked that like 3 times.

    Hmm. Hmmmmm. We could ask for Meng Dan's hand in marriage, I guess.
     
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