Tbf that last roll was a surprise one that Yrs forgot about. Usually yrs gives time to gather omake points. (Plus they wouldn't have helped with that roll.)
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.
So looking at the critter again.
-Domain weapons and arts - It had some weak effect on these.
-Art Constructs and field effects - It wiped these out trivially.
-Buffs - Its attack dispelled Sixiang's illusion AND backlashed it up the connection.
-Debuffs - It weakened, but didn't remove our frosting on it passively, allowing for Call to Ending.
-Talismans - Talismans with an item spirit did better, talismans with no spirit at all just shredded even contesting its effects by proxy, similar to Sixiang being pained by the dispel backlash.
I'm gathering that its about Will and Identity.
Anything without a self identity at least as firm as a Domain Weapon gets crapped on.
It SEEMS that Cold based effects performed better, but we don't have comprehensive testing to prove it.
-Domain weapons and arts - It had some weak effect on these.
-Art Constructs and field effects - It wiped these out trivially.
-Buffs - Its attack dispelled Sixiang's illusion AND backlashed it up the connection.
-Debuffs - It weakened, but didn't remove our frosting on it passively, allowing for Call to Ending.
-Talismans - Talismans with an item spirit did better, talismans with no spirit at all just shredded even contesting its effects by proxy, similar to Sixiang being pained by the dispel backlash.
I'm gathering that its about Will and Identity.
Anything without a self identity at least as firm as a Domain Weapon gets crapped on.
It SEEMS that Cold based effects performed better, but we don't have comprehensive testing to prove it.
those two things stand out as not quite true.
The constructs...
Talismans were usable, they just got burdened/overwhelmed by the effects of its attack/aura really quickly, just look at the defensive armband LQ used to block the laser. Item spirits were just able to reverse the damage over time with qi. Domain weapons are just extensions of a cultivator, so they are no quite good benchmark for item durability.
clearly, we need to load up on support talismans and become a mist-mancer
Joke aside though, i would have really enjoyed if we had a bit more...oompf for field effects.... also, drain attacks. but thats just a personal preference.
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- Location
- Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
One question, "Unlocks Creation Boosting personal action", what did it translate to?
The mist is part of our domain though, which is maximum self identity
- Location
- Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Definitely.
Even Han Jian has a higher bond.
- Location
- United Kingdom
I figured it was just out of date.
Wang Chao should be Rank 2, not 1 as it says there.
Wang Chao should be Rank 2, not 1 as it says there.
Celestial Spheres 3
"No, no I don't think this is suitable at all," Astronomer Wu muttered. He stood upon the air, calculated to glorious stillness and stability, unlike the bouncing and unsteady perch atop the back of the wretched beast that he had ridden here. The narrow river valley full of dark and twisted vegetation, and crumbling ruins stretched out before him."
"It will be," The woman beside him said. Her voice was flat and uncompromising.
Astronomer Wu involuntarily hunched his shoulders and lowered his head under the gaze of liquid steel and roaring flames. General Xia was terrifying. Astronomer Wu was not a man so proud as to not admit that. Frankly she was far worse than the Duchess in his mind, who at least held appreciation for the arts and academics.
He always felt like kindling before a furnace when the general looked at him.
"I-" he tried, finding his voice dry. "It will require much construction. W-would the adjacent peaks be within acceptable range."
Higher ground would be needed for an observatory. To do it here in this lower region, a tower would be needed, and even then it would be suboptimal.
General Xia considered this, or he hoped she did. Behind that faceless, eyeless mask of steel, there was no reading her intent, save for the subtle kiss of a blade's edge across flesh which she projected to all who met her.
"That is within the established parameters. You may use the third survey team to find an appropriate site."
"Thank you, General," Astronomer Wu said, clapping his hands together and bowing low. Goodness gracious he dearly hoped she would depart soon.
She turned away from him, her own tread on the empty air cast up sparks which rained down into the damp forest canopy below, where even now spirits were crying out in struggle as trees fell and paving stones were laid. The great sledges carrying the blood price the foreigners had requested came up only a kilometer or two behind the work crews.
"Bring your supplies to the base camp, speak with quartermaster Jia and he will see to the safe storage. I expect a report on suitable locations for construction by months end."
"Yes General," he said, not raising his head an inch. Sweat beaded on his brow. He held his breath, and she was gone. He stood there for a moment, merely breathing, taking in the comforting stability of the platform of air under his feet, ran through the calming equations which perfectly matched its position to the rotation of the terrestrial sphere.
He descended, back to his companions.
"You alright there brother Wu?" asked one of the drivers, looking at his pale face with some concern. It pleased him to have earned such a moniker from his companions. Let that high handed rival of his try that! He would bet the drivers would spit that ones name as a curse by the end of a trip like this.
"Conferring with superiors is always stressful," He said simply.
Understanding nods all around.
"But do not be disheartened by my lacking constitution," Wu said, clapping his hands. "The base camp is ahead, and the quartermaster awaits. We'll all soon have some well deserved rest."
They got moving, though Wu remained off the ground, striding on air. They were safe now, regardless of his fright, no nomads would sense the expression of his calculations here, under the protection of the General.
A week later, Astronomer Wu found himself standing on the new cliffside overlooking the valley. He'd made his calculations and determined the most optimal location for the observatory, based on the local geomancy and spiritual environment. It had unfortunately been in an impossible to build location so he had brought a number of secondary locations to the General's consideration.
He had forgotten what it was to have the efforts of a Sovereign put onto your projects. Yes, he thought, eyeing the mathematically perfect plane of severed stone under his feet, and in the wall behind. A million kilograms of stone carved into transportable blocks for the construction below.
It did rather ease the calculations, even if the local spirit court was rather badly disrupted. Speakers from the Ministry were arranging the new order though. The Astronomer put the thought from his mind for the moment though and instead gazed up at the sky.
The stars and the tapestry of night were so very clear here, and on the furthest southern horizon, he could see it, his arts magnifying his vision again and again. The hint of dancing unnatural light over the mountains.
New mysteries of the Celestial Spheres to solve, such a tantalizing prize.
The air rippled, and he drew from his core his domain weapon, a fine brass telescope, working with intricate formations, its lenses the finest most precisely cut crystal glass. He did not truly need it any longer, but who would deny him that little bit of sentiment?
He peered through it and a thousand leagues became as only ten, the base earth of mountains faded to shadows of mist and he beheld the southern sky in all it's wondrous color. What was the nature of these emanations, which called out to his soul so even from a thousand leagues away. Flickering flashily like the colored scales of fish in a noble garden pool.
"Be wary of seeing too long, Starwatcher."
The moment of peace shattered, and Wu's head jerked to the side. There beside him stood a wizened figure. An old man, physically taller yet seeming much shrunken. A cloak of tattered faded crow feathers was thrown about his shoulders, and the only part of his body visible was a gnarled three fingered hand clasped around the knobbly head of a rough hewn cane.
His face was lined and ancient, but most undignified, with stringy white hair tangled with sticks and crumbling leaves and a chin rough with unshaven scruff. His face was ruddy and one strangely shaped eye looked back at him. The other a sunken empty socket.
Astronomer Wu swallowed thickly, a thousand thousand calculations spinning through his mind, equations to shield, to jump, to bind, but he held them back. Instead he straightened his shoulders. "Are you among the delegation arriving? I must complement your mastery of the imperial tongue so soon after our peoples first meeting."
"All tongues are the same, with the wisdom of the runes," said the ragged old man.
Wu's brow creased. "A formation working then? Impressive still. But I must reiterate that the meeting is to take place in the valley below."
"Northerners, doing more strange things," said the old man, his single eye turning back to the southern sky. "Let them. The Crowfather watches. Why do you stare, Starwatcher?"
Some manner of protective watcher rather than a delegate then, Astronomer Wu supposed. He tried not to be worried, the young Lady Cai had indicated these people were quite civilized. "It is my Way to catalog the skies, and I have never observed such lights."
"You were not warned?" said the strange, beggar-like man, cocking his head to the side, like well, a crow.
"Those who claim there are things not to be understood have ever been wrong," he said haughtily. "If it exists, then we must comprehend it, and catalog that existence. I do thank you for your warnings sir, I do have precautions against mental invasion."
The man stared south, Wu did hope that he'd not offended, but this was not a matter he could bend on. Whatever the lights were, the Empire would understand them, through him. That was why he was an Astronomer.
"Interesting," he finally grunted. "I see where you have begun to cut your rune, Starwatcher. Crowfather bless your eyes."
And then he was gone, in a rustle of feathers and a gust of wind. Astronomer Wu sighed, his shoulders sagging a little as he let his worry out. That hadn't been so bad though. He'd certainly met old men far more cryptic, if much more well groomed. It seemed the heiress' judgment was correct!
"It will be," The woman beside him said. Her voice was flat and uncompromising.
Astronomer Wu involuntarily hunched his shoulders and lowered his head under the gaze of liquid steel and roaring flames. General Xia was terrifying. Astronomer Wu was not a man so proud as to not admit that. Frankly she was far worse than the Duchess in his mind, who at least held appreciation for the arts and academics.
He always felt like kindling before a furnace when the general looked at him.
"I-" he tried, finding his voice dry. "It will require much construction. W-would the adjacent peaks be within acceptable range."
Higher ground would be needed for an observatory. To do it here in this lower region, a tower would be needed, and even then it would be suboptimal.
General Xia considered this, or he hoped she did. Behind that faceless, eyeless mask of steel, there was no reading her intent, save for the subtle kiss of a blade's edge across flesh which she projected to all who met her.
"That is within the established parameters. You may use the third survey team to find an appropriate site."
"Thank you, General," Astronomer Wu said, clapping his hands together and bowing low. Goodness gracious he dearly hoped she would depart soon.
She turned away from him, her own tread on the empty air cast up sparks which rained down into the damp forest canopy below, where even now spirits were crying out in struggle as trees fell and paving stones were laid. The great sledges carrying the blood price the foreigners had requested came up only a kilometer or two behind the work crews.
"Bring your supplies to the base camp, speak with quartermaster Jia and he will see to the safe storage. I expect a report on suitable locations for construction by months end."
"Yes General," he said, not raising his head an inch. Sweat beaded on his brow. He held his breath, and she was gone. He stood there for a moment, merely breathing, taking in the comforting stability of the platform of air under his feet, ran through the calming equations which perfectly matched its position to the rotation of the terrestrial sphere.
He descended, back to his companions.
"You alright there brother Wu?" asked one of the drivers, looking at his pale face with some concern. It pleased him to have earned such a moniker from his companions. Let that high handed rival of his try that! He would bet the drivers would spit that ones name as a curse by the end of a trip like this.
"Conferring with superiors is always stressful," He said simply.
Understanding nods all around.
"But do not be disheartened by my lacking constitution," Wu said, clapping his hands. "The base camp is ahead, and the quartermaster awaits. We'll all soon have some well deserved rest."
They got moving, though Wu remained off the ground, striding on air. They were safe now, regardless of his fright, no nomads would sense the expression of his calculations here, under the protection of the General.
***
A week later, Astronomer Wu found himself standing on the new cliffside overlooking the valley. He'd made his calculations and determined the most optimal location for the observatory, based on the local geomancy and spiritual environment. It had unfortunately been in an impossible to build location so he had brought a number of secondary locations to the General's consideration.
He had forgotten what it was to have the efforts of a Sovereign put onto your projects. Yes, he thought, eyeing the mathematically perfect plane of severed stone under his feet, and in the wall behind. A million kilograms of stone carved into transportable blocks for the construction below.
It did rather ease the calculations, even if the local spirit court was rather badly disrupted. Speakers from the Ministry were arranging the new order though. The Astronomer put the thought from his mind for the moment though and instead gazed up at the sky.
The stars and the tapestry of night were so very clear here, and on the furthest southern horizon, he could see it, his arts magnifying his vision again and again. The hint of dancing unnatural light over the mountains.
New mysteries of the Celestial Spheres to solve, such a tantalizing prize.
The air rippled, and he drew from his core his domain weapon, a fine brass telescope, working with intricate formations, its lenses the finest most precisely cut crystal glass. He did not truly need it any longer, but who would deny him that little bit of sentiment?
He peered through it and a thousand leagues became as only ten, the base earth of mountains faded to shadows of mist and he beheld the southern sky in all it's wondrous color. What was the nature of these emanations, which called out to his soul so even from a thousand leagues away. Flickering flashily like the colored scales of fish in a noble garden pool.
"Be wary of seeing too long, Starwatcher."
The moment of peace shattered, and Wu's head jerked to the side. There beside him stood a wizened figure. An old man, physically taller yet seeming much shrunken. A cloak of tattered faded crow feathers was thrown about his shoulders, and the only part of his body visible was a gnarled three fingered hand clasped around the knobbly head of a rough hewn cane.
His face was lined and ancient, but most undignified, with stringy white hair tangled with sticks and crumbling leaves and a chin rough with unshaven scruff. His face was ruddy and one strangely shaped eye looked back at him. The other a sunken empty socket.
Astronomer Wu swallowed thickly, a thousand thousand calculations spinning through his mind, equations to shield, to jump, to bind, but he held them back. Instead he straightened his shoulders. "Are you among the delegation arriving? I must complement your mastery of the imperial tongue so soon after our peoples first meeting."
"All tongues are the same, with the wisdom of the runes," said the ragged old man.
Wu's brow creased. "A formation working then? Impressive still. But I must reiterate that the meeting is to take place in the valley below."
"Northerners, doing more strange things," said the old man, his single eye turning back to the southern sky. "Let them. The Crowfather watches. Why do you stare, Starwatcher?"
Some manner of protective watcher rather than a delegate then, Astronomer Wu supposed. He tried not to be worried, the young Lady Cai had indicated these people were quite civilized. "It is my Way to catalog the skies, and I have never observed such lights."
"You were not warned?" said the strange, beggar-like man, cocking his head to the side, like well, a crow.
"Those who claim there are things not to be understood have ever been wrong," he said haughtily. "If it exists, then we must comprehend it, and catalog that existence. I do thank you for your warnings sir, I do have precautions against mental invasion."
The man stared south, Wu did hope that he'd not offended, but this was not a matter he could bend on. Whatever the lights were, the Empire would understand them, through him. That was why he was an Astronomer.
"Interesting," he finally grunted. "I see where you have begun to cut your rune, Starwatcher. Crowfather bless your eyes."
And then he was gone, in a rustle of feathers and a gust of wind. Astronomer Wu sighed, his shoulders sagging a little as he let his worry out. That hadn't been so bad though. He'd certainly met old men far more cryptic, if much more well groomed. It seemed the heiress' judgment was correct!
Astronomer Wu is such a sweetheart. I hope we can interact with him more!
Also an interaction with a follower of the crowfather! So cool!
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I love that apparently strange old men suddenly turning up, giving cryptic comments, and then disappearing is just an accepted part of the academic process in the empire😁
I mean... I guess "Sovereign level mental invasion" is something to be catalogued. Having Elder Star Gods just there on the sky and still wanting to catalogue anything new.... Is the level expected for official Astronomer.
He follows the crowfather. Which is a sun god followed by older men in the White Sky. They look different from the people we met because they are the wandering guardians rather than the ice ladies or pacifist sun priests.
- Location
- California
How dare you. Everyone knows that Ling Qi is the most interesting background character in the epic story of Cai Renxiang, Sun Liling, and Bai Meizhen.
DangerKitty
shoddy writter
- Location
- lala land
Fun chapter. Thanks yrsillar!
Thats one way to solve unsuitable terrain.
Must have killed the local spirit boss as collateral damage
Of course it is.
Do you know how long scholars spend waiting for their opportunity to be the strange old man suddenly appearing, dispensing cryptic comments, and then leaving?
Especially because if they try and do it too early, they'll get laughed at by their peers.
Which is a side story of the real xianxia protagonist story, Cai Shenhua.
Oliver_Twister
Idea-Man, He Who Shits Ideas
- Location
- West Africa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Now, I'm typing this from my phone and I don't know how to do all the quotes from here, so I'll just reply to the whole message.
Astronomer Wu probably collects old cryptic men like LQ and Ji Rong with aunties and big sisters. He's the rare scholar path that evolved into a legendary astronomer.
"Mathematically perfect". Geez. Xia Ren continues to be scary. I agree with Wu, she's worse than Shenhua. I mean, a scary war machine isn't much. Sun Shao's a scrub after all. But a scary eat machine that can make mathematically perfect cuts? That's a terror.
I also really love how nonchalant that whole convo was. The WS guy is basically going "Honey, the northerners are doing something weird again" and Wu is just like "Yeah, a new cryptic old man watching over me and disappearing into the night. Everything's going normally." Makes you wonder what kind of tribulations he went through.
I really hope Wu is also brought up when we meet the WS. Just, "We've fot this weirder watching the stars out here. We tried warning him but he just stared harder."
And runes! I'm really interested in how the White Sky's formations work. Especially the translation ones. I'm sure the Xuan would love them. And I think the Crowfather guy compares runes to Ways? Since Wu is either Green or Cyan and he said "you just started to cut your runes". I can't wait to find out more!
And imperial support for CRX! Yes! We'll get there eventually. One Astronomer Wu at a time.
Astronomer Wu probably collects old cryptic men like LQ and Ji Rong with aunties and big sisters. He's the rare scholar path that evolved into a legendary astronomer.
"Mathematically perfect". Geez. Xia Ren continues to be scary. I agree with Wu, she's worse than Shenhua. I mean, a scary war machine isn't much. Sun Shao's a scrub after all. But a scary eat machine that can make mathematically perfect cuts? That's a terror.
I also really love how nonchalant that whole convo was. The WS guy is basically going "Honey, the northerners are doing something weird again" and Wu is just like "Yeah, a new cryptic old man watching over me and disappearing into the night. Everything's going normally." Makes you wonder what kind of tribulations he went through.
I really hope Wu is also brought up when we meet the WS. Just, "We've fot this weirder watching the stars out here. We tried warning him but he just stared harder."
And runes! I'm really interested in how the White Sky's formations work. Especially the translation ones. I'm sure the Xuan would love them. And I think the Crowfather guy compares runes to Ways? Since Wu is either Green or Cyan and he said "you just started to cut your runes". I can't wait to find out more!
And imperial support for CRX! Yes! We'll get there eventually. One Astronomer Wu at a time.
Astral Daemon
PowerLeca
Rapidly aging
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The astral corruption spirit/demon had such an evocative description, I had to get it down as best I can:
External (not mine) references
External (not mine) references
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