Remove ads

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

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
Reader mode
I feel like both answers are framed through the lens of Linq Qi perspective rather than expanding outside of it to truly understand Yan Renshu, kinda wish there was a write-in for this one.
 
RageQuitEnigma said:
[x] His grudge is against community itself. He thinks it's contracts and strictures as false and hollow as his own dealings. That he is superior for seeing this, where others do not.

It's clearly this, I think. Look at what we get from his POV in the RR update of Summer's End:



He believes, rightly or wrongly, the Imperial system is against him and simply a tool of the powerful, abused at their whim.



This is why I can't see him as being against the world, because he is clearly distinguishing the Empire as just one part of a wider world, and because the Ith-ia seem to recognize his abilities, he thinks they're sympathetic and fairer. He certainly doesn't feel alone.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Thank you for doing my reading for me. I think this might be the best then.
[] His grudge is against community itself. He thinks it's contracts and strictures as false and hollow as his own dealings. That he is superior for seeing this, where others do not.

PaperMache7 said:
I feel like both answers are framed through the lens of Linq Qi perspective rather than expanding outside of it to truly understand Yan Renshu, kinda wish there was a write-in for this one.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

This is also a valid concern. I agree.
 
[ ] His grudge is against the world. He is alone, and wears his isolation as a crown. He deems this strength. Every time he is proven wrong, his grudge grows. (+1 Isolation XP)

Textbook sociopath, extremely/unjustly entitled and unstable emotions.

He believes he is near perfect and thinks he should be treated as such .

I think he justifies his actions by blaming the empire, when in reality he will never be satisfied with rules binding him and will always bear great resentment towards others he views better than him and others treated better than him.

He sided with the Ith-ia because they made him feel as important as he thinks he is.

I am not a psychologist
 
Last edited:
The second I think.
He talks about being better, being above the rest. He resents having to work within the bounds of a society yes, but the core of that I think is that he believes himself better. An unparalleled genius in his own words. I think he would be more envious of Suyin for her accolades then he would be angry at having to follow common laws.

We need both community and isolation XP pretty equally, they are the two sides to our dream/nightmare cultivation which is one of the long character and cultivation arcs so I don't care there. Maybe the math cabal can say which is more valuable…
 
We're getting 2 Isolation XP from Ripples this turn, so Community looks more valuable in terms on concept XP
 
[ ] His grudge is against community itself. He thinks it's contracts and strictures as false and hollow as his own dealings. That he is superior for seeing this, where others do not. (+1 Community XP)

I think it is this one. Mostly because I would not perceive the traitor as thinking he is "alone". Or conscious of his isolation.
 
Yan Renshu was wronged by society. That can't be denied. The very real flaunting of power by those who have it versus those who don't.

The fact that there is something real to ground all his delusions of grandeur and smug superiority makes him that much more dangerous.
 
yrsillar said:
"Ling Qi,"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Music to my ears.

yrsillar said:
Rimefruit extract was very expensive, but frankly, Ling Qi was sure that she had earned a treat at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Every day, we get closer to being able to drink liquid nitrogen. This pleases me. Also we are definitely stealing getting a seed for this tree, right?
:V

yrsillar said:
It vanished quickly enough, and Sixiang flipped themselves face up to glare at Shu Yue. The elder cultivator looked back at them without expression.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Six is like a tiny puppy trying to protect their human.

I like both of the choices and the concepts. I am fine with either winning.
 
[ ] His grudge is against the world. He is alone, and wears his isolation as a crown. He deems this strength. Every time he is proven wrong, his grudge grows. (+1 Isolation XP)

This feels like the more Ling Qi answer, imo.
 
For what it's worth we haven't seen all that much of Yan Renshu, but I'm not sure I'd go with either of these choices.

They're both very principled, but I think at his core Yan Renshu is a narcissist. He believes he is better than every one else, more deserving, superior. This is foundational to his self image. In pursuit of this delusion he rationalizes and justifies his actions: they are right because he is superior and wouldn't make wrong choices.

When confronted with the truth of his delusion he lashes out and attempts, obsessively, to eradicate this evidence -- "proving" the evidence wrong.

He doesn't have a problem with community or with loneliness, these are rationalizations for the irrational belief in his "worth".

An example:
Yan Renshu exploits his family because he thinks it's in his best interest. This is culturally taboo, but he's doing it so it must be justified. Therefore the taboo is actually wrong, only Yan Renshu is clear sighted enough to acknowledge the hard truths of the world and cast aside the comforting illusion of Community. Now that he's adopted this belief he must prove it true, or forget about it, to maintain his self-image.

But you'll notice this isn't a matter of principle at its core. It's a fig-leaf hiding the actual principle: I am always deserving and justified in what I do.
 
yrsillar said:
"It's fine Sixiang. I know what being consumed by that looks like. It's no different from scouting an enemy to learn how they work."

"It is not only your enemies grudges that you will need to look upon," Shu Yue interrupted.

"Okay, yes," Ling Qi agreed reluctantly. It still felt… bad.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I haven't considered that LQ won't only see the resentment of herself and her enemies, but also that of her friends and family. That's honestly pretty shitty.
 
Vanguard_D said:
Rimefruit cider is the same drink as she got from Zeqing apparently. That cider has already been called liquid nitrogen... so yes LQ not only drinks it, but she herself is cold enough that it becomes a slushy in her mouth.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I think first time around it was diluted because LQ was baby, and couldn't handle the pure thing. It would freeze her throat.
 
qwolfs said:
They're both very principled, but I think at his core Yan Renshu is a narcissist. He believes he is better than every one else, more deserving, superior. This is foundational to his self image. In pursuit of this delusion he rationalizes and justifies his actions: they are right because he is superior and wouldn't make wrong choices.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You're probably right, but there's enough layers to it that we're going to need to peel it away one step at a time. That's probably what Shu Yue will do in the following post, teach us to dig deeper and get to that foundational root.
 
Honestly I feel its win win for either concept xp.

I would go by preference on what I think Qi would see.

[ ] His grudge is against the world. He is alone, and wears his isolation as a crown. He deems this strength. Every time he is proven wrong, his grudge grows. (+1 Isolation XP)
 
Mr.Kittens said:
I haven't considered that LQ won't only see the resentment of herself and her enemies, but also that of her friends and family. That's honestly pretty shitty.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah, so far it feels like it might be like Diao Linqin's glimpse of empathy, but just for the shitty parts of someone. Definitely dangerous in high doses, and definitely something we want to be able to turn off at will.
 
It's a very flattering lie to claim that he's the narcissist and is entirely at fault for opposing the 'world' (our vision of how the world should be), rather than that he rationally chose another faction within the world that he saw as a better choice, the same way every other cultivator did.

How dare the peasant try to exceed their station and presume to have any agency not granted by their betters! True narcissism indeed!
 
Last edited:
YR comes off as someone who feels that being the "lone wolf" or otherwise someone able to stand alone and apart is his great strength, that he is mighty because he is able to bind others who are not strong enough to do the same.

If anyone would hate someone being up, "people are social creatures" to them it's be YR who would insist he is just "built different".

Because he has, and YR will absolutely hate the people and think the world owes him for what people did to him, but he likes the world as he imagines it. A dark rough place where being cynical, cruel, ruthless, and greedy gets you ahead because that's the way things just are.

It's all those lesser people who just don't get it, don't see things like he does that are banding together and making it so that he cant succeed like he is supposed to.

[ ] His grudge is against community itself. He thinks it's contracts and strictures as false and hollow as his own dealings. That he is superior for seeing this, where others do not. (+1 Community XP)
 
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top