Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
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CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
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Baron-Viscount-Count-Marquis-Duke-Empress.
Get to Green at a young enough age and you become a Baron. Get to Indigo at any age as clan head and you become a viscount. Get to Violet as clan head and you become a Count.
Cyan mainly lets Barons secure the future of their clans.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Going for the Liu clan as a whole personally is indeed outside our weight class. Getting actual authorities who outrank them to investigate them? Not so much.
Additionally, going after the specific guy responsible for Ling Qingge's abuse would probably even be doable personally. We could go to the actual people in charge of the family and the Liu would honestly probably just give him to us gift wrapped to attempt to curry favor with Renxiang (or, at least, avoid her wrath). That's not for sure and working via the authorities is likely a better play, but even if the leader of the Liu is untouchable (which, to be clear, he is not...not with our connections he isn't) some random scion is very much not.
The Wandering Story
- Location
- United States of America
The Wandering Story
Day One
For the sake of posterity, I have begun to keep this journal. I do not know who will read this should I succumb to the dangers my course has in store for me, but neither do I want my experiences to sink beneath the sands of ignorance if I do pass beyond the veil. The dangers ahead are real, and the trials will be difficult. Yet, I am not content to simply exist as a mediocre potter on the outskirts of the Golden Fields. A yearning for adventure boils my blood and a song of glory rings in my mind.
With these emboldening my spirit, I took what meager possessions I had, sold them, and booked passage to the far south, to the Wall that splits what is the Empire from what is not. Rolling dunes of sand turned into vast forests as I made my way down until even the forests parted to reveal jagged mountains. To Jingzi, City of a Thousand Mirrors, I went, deep within the wall. It was not by chance or whim that led me to walk the mirrored roads crisscrossing the city, however. It was to seek employment with the Wandering Story, a ship not for water, but for dreams. Even in the sun-soaked sands of the Golden Fields, I had heard tales of the ship, and where it docked for port. It cared not for the restrictions of water, instead traversing lands through the liminal.
My application for a position on the fabled ship was reviewed and accepted. My sources which told me that there was always a demand for those who worked with clay and ceramics aboard the Wandering Story had not led me astray. And now, having seen the ship with my own eyes, I understand why.
It is not constructed out of wood, instead, it is constructed from hexagons of ceramic. Each one is seemingly protected with a coating of a clear glaze. Upon the ceramics, itself lies etched words. Upon a closer look, the words form a simple story of a traveling storyteller. Each of the hexagons contains the same story. The purpose eludes me, but I am sure as I continue working on the vessel, I will piece together the reason.
Speaking of work, the quartermaster, a Lady Chanpin, showed me to my quarters and then to my workstation. My quarters are humble, lit by an unblinking orb of light that, should I need to, I can dismiss for the purposes of sleep. My workstation is anything but humble. A giant kiln rests upon a lower deck with potter wheels and workstations littered around it. On a normal wooden ship, such a fire hazard would no doubt be unacceptable. However, the Wandering Story is made from tiles of the finest ceramic, and there is no concern of a fire breaking out and consuming the vessel. The work I am tasked to do will be to produce a substantial number of the tiles used in the Wandering Vessel's construction in the eventuality that repairs are needed. Others will inscribe whatever formations need to be placed on the tile once the location of repairs is known, however.
Ahh, that is the bell for supper. I shall leave this here, then, and continue to record my experiences.
Day 20
It has been almost a month since I have begun my work on the Wandering Story, but we are finally setting off! Rumor has it that the latest commission from the Duchess of the Emerald Seas is for a type of glasswork apparently only found in the far-off lands of Khem.
Speaking of the Duchess, our position in relation to her authority seems to be strange. Officially, the ship is under the purview of the Xuan, Dukes of the Savage Seas. Unofficially, however, since our port of origin is Jingzi, the Duchess has considerable sway and right of first refusal in what expeditions we are commissioned to undergo. It could be a concession that the original builder of this vessel, Lord Xuan Shi, First Captain of the Wandering Story, made when designing and building the vessel. Rumor aboard, after all, has it that the keel is made from a single branch of Xiangmen, sung and prayed into form. I do not know if this is true, however. I lack the necessary authority to travel and inspect the lowest decks, where the wealth for our voyage is stored and where one could see the keel.
Back to the voyage, however! While our destination is indeed Khem, the Navigator, Ling Xingxing, has plotted a course that takes us further south first, to the Lands of Forever Snow and Eternal Ice. We will be able to trade wood for unmelting ice, a commodity valued highly by the Lords of Khem. From those lands, we will travel northwest, into the jungles and palaces of Ind, securing their renowned spices and fabrics. Then we will travel to Khem, and trade the unmelting ice for glass. After all that, we will return back to port in Jingzi completing the commission and spending wealth well earned.
Well, the quartermaster is pounding on my door again, seeking to make sure that I do not miss the sights of setting off. Apparently, according to her, it is a sight one can never forget when The Wandering Story enters the liminal.
I return, for a brief comment. Lady Chanpin was correct. A large mirror, large enough to fully reflect the Wandering Story, was set below the ship's keel and the mirror was so tightly scribed with formations that it hurt the mind to try and parse it. Then, upon the bridge, Captain Xuan Luxiang spoke of our journey and the dangers we would be facing. Once that speech was finished, he gave the order to the Wandering Story's spirit to be unshackled. With a great snap, the ropes and chains holding the ship above the mirror broke free and began coiling around posts onboard. As we plummeted through the mirror.
And then we entered the Liminal realm where the Wandering Story began to move through the air like a fish through water. The journey has begun. My journey.
Day 21
Work has begun in earnest now. The liminal disagrees with the Wandering Story's presence and seeks to corrode and dissolve the ship. My job is to keep producing the tiles needed to replace those eaten by the Dream. While the work is simple, it is always in high demand. Journal time will be reduced as a result.
A/N: @yrsillar another omake for the omake throne! This one was inspired by the thought of Xuan Shi making his own ship to be captain of if the Xuan won't give him one because he hasn't bonded with a Xuanwu. And if Xuan Shi has to make his own ship, let's go all the way and make a liminal traversing story ship! Specifically use the Theseus Ship Paradox as a defensive concept against the corrosive elements of the liminal realm. Where you constantly replace parts of the ship that are being corroded, but the ship's identity and spirit remain the same.
Day One
For the sake of posterity, I have begun to keep this journal. I do not know who will read this should I succumb to the dangers my course has in store for me, but neither do I want my experiences to sink beneath the sands of ignorance if I do pass beyond the veil. The dangers ahead are real, and the trials will be difficult. Yet, I am not content to simply exist as a mediocre potter on the outskirts of the Golden Fields. A yearning for adventure boils my blood and a song of glory rings in my mind.
With these emboldening my spirit, I took what meager possessions I had, sold them, and booked passage to the far south, to the Wall that splits what is the Empire from what is not. Rolling dunes of sand turned into vast forests as I made my way down until even the forests parted to reveal jagged mountains. To Jingzi, City of a Thousand Mirrors, I went, deep within the wall. It was not by chance or whim that led me to walk the mirrored roads crisscrossing the city, however. It was to seek employment with the Wandering Story, a ship not for water, but for dreams. Even in the sun-soaked sands of the Golden Fields, I had heard tales of the ship, and where it docked for port. It cared not for the restrictions of water, instead traversing lands through the liminal.
My application for a position on the fabled ship was reviewed and accepted. My sources which told me that there was always a demand for those who worked with clay and ceramics aboard the Wandering Story had not led me astray. And now, having seen the ship with my own eyes, I understand why.
It is not constructed out of wood, instead, it is constructed from hexagons of ceramic. Each one is seemingly protected with a coating of a clear glaze. Upon the ceramics, itself lies etched words. Upon a closer look, the words form a simple story of a traveling storyteller. Each of the hexagons contains the same story. The purpose eludes me, but I am sure as I continue working on the vessel, I will piece together the reason.
Speaking of work, the quartermaster, a Lady Chanpin, showed me to my quarters and then to my workstation. My quarters are humble, lit by an unblinking orb of light that, should I need to, I can dismiss for the purposes of sleep. My workstation is anything but humble. A giant kiln rests upon a lower deck with potter wheels and workstations littered around it. On a normal wooden ship, such a fire hazard would no doubt be unacceptable. However, the Wandering Story is made from tiles of the finest ceramic, and there is no concern of a fire breaking out and consuming the vessel. The work I am tasked to do will be to produce a substantial number of the tiles used in the Wandering Vessel's construction in the eventuality that repairs are needed. Others will inscribe whatever formations need to be placed on the tile once the location of repairs is known, however.
Ahh, that is the bell for supper. I shall leave this here, then, and continue to record my experiences.
Day 20
It has been almost a month since I have begun my work on the Wandering Story, but we are finally setting off! Rumor has it that the latest commission from the Duchess of the Emerald Seas is for a type of glasswork apparently only found in the far-off lands of Khem.
Speaking of the Duchess, our position in relation to her authority seems to be strange. Officially, the ship is under the purview of the Xuan, Dukes of the Savage Seas. Unofficially, however, since our port of origin is Jingzi, the Duchess has considerable sway and right of first refusal in what expeditions we are commissioned to undergo. It could be a concession that the original builder of this vessel, Lord Xuan Shi, First Captain of the Wandering Story, made when designing and building the vessel. Rumor aboard, after all, has it that the keel is made from a single branch of Xiangmen, sung and prayed into form. I do not know if this is true, however. I lack the necessary authority to travel and inspect the lowest decks, where the wealth for our voyage is stored and where one could see the keel.
Back to the voyage, however! While our destination is indeed Khem, the Navigator, Ling Xingxing, has plotted a course that takes us further south first, to the Lands of Forever Snow and Eternal Ice. We will be able to trade wood for unmelting ice, a commodity valued highly by the Lords of Khem. From those lands, we will travel northwest, into the jungles and palaces of Ind, securing their renowned spices and fabrics. Then we will travel to Khem, and trade the unmelting ice for glass. After all that, we will return back to port in Jingzi completing the commission and spending wealth well earned.
Well, the quartermaster is pounding on my door again, seeking to make sure that I do not miss the sights of setting off. Apparently, according to her, it is a sight one can never forget when The Wandering Story enters the liminal.
I return, for a brief comment. Lady Chanpin was correct. A large mirror, large enough to fully reflect the Wandering Story, was set below the ship's keel and the mirror was so tightly scribed with formations that it hurt the mind to try and parse it. Then, upon the bridge, Captain Xuan Luxiang spoke of our journey and the dangers we would be facing. Once that speech was finished, he gave the order to the Wandering Story's spirit to be unshackled. With a great snap, the ropes and chains holding the ship above the mirror broke free and began coiling around posts onboard. As we plummeted through the mirror.
And then we entered the Liminal realm where the Wandering Story began to move through the air like a fish through water. The journey has begun. My journey.
Day 21
Work has begun in earnest now. The liminal disagrees with the Wandering Story's presence and seeks to corrode and dissolve the ship. My job is to keep producing the tiles needed to replace those eaten by the Dream. While the work is simple, it is always in high demand. Journal time will be reduced as a result.
A/N: @yrsillar another omake for the omake throne! This one was inspired by the thought of Xuan Shi making his own ship to be captain of if the Xuan won't give him one because he hasn't bonded with a Xuanwu. And if Xuan Shi has to make his own ship, let's go all the way and make a liminal traversing story ship! Specifically use the Theseus Ship Paradox as a defensive concept against the corrosive elements of the liminal realm. Where you constantly replace parts of the ship that are being corroded, but the ship's identity and spirit remain the same.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That's fair. Qingge may already have done so, however. Not to the extent that Ling Qi could, but I'd be surprised if she didn't at least pay him what the service would normally cost once the money started coming in.
Ah, the first step of getting the dragon poison out of one's brain and realizing that foreigners are human too.
I hope this is the case, just so we can say, "Hello. My name is Ling Qi. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
If there is one thing traveling entertainers are good at, it is getting out of town at a moment's notice. This might've been after Ling Qi's father is killed, or just after a threat.
I seem to recall some implication that Qingge's father might've been the one to actually deal with her beau - but even that was with a thought of "at least the Liu will let my daughter live this way". But we never saw direct evidence for any of this, and I didn't look it up so I might be misremembering some details.
I don't think the higher ranks are automatic. I'm pretty sure that to become a viscount/count you must first control enough land to qualify as one. There's also the political aspect that your liege may not be willing to let you go. If I remember correctly this is the situation between the Gu and the Han.
- Location
- Finland
For a viscount, i think you usually need to prove that you can actually keep producing higher tier cultivators consistently enough to be trusted with the responsibility.
Having 1 is good, having 2 is great, but can you get a 3rd within 5 generations of the first?
Or something like that.
Having 1 is good, having 2 is great, but can you get a 3rd within 5 generations of the first?
Or something like that.
Oliver_Twister
Idea-Man, He Who Shits Ideas
- Location
- West Africa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Ye.
The Bian are technically Counts in cultivation level, but they don't have enough land so they can't be promoted.
Marquis are border counts, so they're counts, though 'more powerful" ince they technically protect the borders and province.
And lastly, cultivation level. You can have one viscount leader reach say, Violet, but unless they can consistently do it instead of having one-off Violets, like how counts sometimes have Prisms or even Whites, then it doesn't count. Using the Bian and Xia as an example, the Bian have 2 Violets, so they can consistently do it. The Xia only have Xia Ren. We don't know if they can repeat that, or if anyone would even want to consistently do that. Even then, that's ignoring stuff like land.
In that case Han Jian was half-assing his explanation to Ling Qi.
Oliver_Twister
Idea-Man, He Who Shits Ideas
- Location
- West Africa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I mean, was he really half-assing it when he was trying to simplify things for a
Cecylene
Eternal Idea Engine
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Pronouns
- He/They
In fairness, he's effectively from a different country in terms of geographic distance, and Golden Fields has plenty of land to pass around to anyone able to make it work, so it could very well be a matter of procedure being different from province to province.
I really like this as an insight for Hanyi. Because it's not saying that it's bad or wrong to eat it all. Just informing her that if she does eat it all, that's what will happen. It provides perspective, particularly in a direction that offers an alternative to her instincts, but without constraining her to a certain path. Also, while it might go against her instincts, it doesn't go against her nature. The core concept is stuff being left for later (for Hanyi to then eat). Delayed gratification, not preservation.
I think it would also be very interesting for her to pick up a concept that's the inverse of our freedom. We have "bonds don't lessen freedom", Hanyi could get "freedom doesn't lessen bonds". That she could have something, or even someone, be HERS, without needing to keep it /them close and smother it/them. This would probably be fairly unique for an ice/winter/want spirit, and especially useful for if she is aiming for a duchy wide impact.
- Location
- Canada
Minor note
Viscount and Count titles aren't given out on reaching a specific cultivation rank alone
The Empire is more than large enough that it can plonk down new baronies willy nilly and not particularly care whether those baronies last beyond a generation or two, but Viscounts and Counts are another matter
Becoming a Viscount or Count requires greater lands and politicking
Ruan Shen and Bian Ya's families are a good example of this
The Ruan have Indigos, but they're Barons
And the Bian have Violets but they're Viscounts
Oliver_Twister
Idea-Man, He Who Shits Ideas
- Location
- West Africa
- Pronouns
- He/Him
- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
Yah, they are quite strong. I'm not sure that they have multiple, but they are 100% strong enough to gain the title of viscount, if they had the land that is.
- Location
- Canada
Sorry
They have an Indigo, I should have said, but the point still stands
If I remember correctly
The Bian Patriarch/Matriarch reached Violet recently.
The Ruan Clan Head reached Indigo recently as well.
But they are both clans with smallish fiefs because they are located around Xiangmen. A lot of cramped nobles there.
So they are a Viscount and a Baron clan with a leading cultivator above the realm expected for them and terrains far smaller than is appropriate for that cultivation level, but no chance to expand because there is no free space.
That's why they were both trying to forge connections with Ling Qi, because they need new allies outside the already established circles.
The Bian Patriarch/Matriarch reached Violet recently.
The Ruan Clan Head reached Indigo recently as well.
But they are both clans with smallish fiefs because they are located around Xiangmen. A lot of cramped nobles there.
So they are a Viscount and a Baron clan with a leading cultivator above the realm expected for them and terrains far smaller than is appropriate for that cultivation level, but no chance to expand because there is no free space.
That's why they were both trying to forge connections with Ling Qi, because they need new allies outside the already established circles.
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Where was this mentioned? I have read through the story several times and recall nothing about this.
I'm not sure?
I think it was during a meeting of the music group. Either when Bian and Ruan announced their engagement or when they were talking about Ruan going on a journey to make his Successor Art.