[X] Total the Potency of enemies killed this way, allies of potency equal or less to that amount have their qi fully restored, all traits buffed by 1 for the duration of the scene, and the potency of their next technique is increased by 2
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.
Walking in the Shade 1
"I swear, if you don't stop pestering me, I'm going to burn your eyebrows off," Su Ling said dangerously.
"Ha! Such spirit! It seems you truly are 'fine', Su Ling," Gan Guangli said serenely. He rested his chin on his hand, like a sage deeply in thought.
Su Ling Squinted at him, her eyes narrowed to slits. Sitting on the bed in the medicine hall, with the sheets kicked into a crumpled ball at the foot of the bed, her tails lashed violently behind her, and she strongly considered smacking him with a pillow again. Gods damn it all her arms itched so badly. Both limbs were still wrapped in heavy, stiff medicinal casts. She couldn't even bend her elbows or wiggle her fingers.
"You like living dangerously, don't you Gan Guangli," she said dully.
"A hero must always be ready to brave deadly dangers to rescue the lost and suffering," Gan Guangli said with a grin. He sat beside her bed on a reinforced camp chair he'd dragged in himself after the flimsy little visitors seat had buckled under his bulk. He'd been bullied out of full armor by the staff thankfully enough.
"I ain't lost or suffering. Unless you count the fuckin itches," Su Ling scowled.
"You've been alone and overthinking. So I disagree," he replied.
She hunched her shoulders. "It's been three days, people are busy. You're busy. I ain't some infant that needs coddling."
"Indeed, you are far more adorable," Gan Guangli said sagely.
Her pillow struck him across the face, and slid down his stoic features, and flopped onto the floor. Bastard didn't even blink.
"If you truly can't speak to me of what troubles you, then tell me who I must fetch," Gan Guangli said. Much more seriously than his little joke. "Because you need to speak to someone. That I can see."
She glared at him from under her bangs, but couldn't hold his gaze. Fuckin- Why did he have to make her feel all squirmy like this?
"There ain't no call for dragging anyone else in, " Su Ling said grudgingly, after a long moments silence. "I'm too selfish, alright."
He didn't reply right away, nor did she look at him. "Where the hell do I get off trying to act righteous, when I'm just stomping on looking for my own revenge, huh? I ain't stupid, I knew I wasn't the only one. I coulda done something before. I could have-"
She squeezed her eyes shut, recalling to clearly the vanishing weight of a crumbling ghost. "And that's just the big thing. Hell I know even our thing is making trouble for you."
His boss had him making nice with a bunch of hoity-toity types that Ling Qi's weird as hell charm would bounce off of. She knew they didn't like her, especially that tutor of his.
There was a creak, the sound of straining wood and though she didn't look up, she could hear the shift that came with him leaning back in his chair. "Your word choice does you ill, Su Ling."
"That's your takeaway?" she growled, finally raising her head. She looked up at him, seeing his expression fixed in a frown.
"Words and their choosing are important," he replied.
"That's weasel talk," she said without heat. It was an old argument.
"Then I am glad this weasel entertains you so!" Gan Guangli said, grinning shamelessly.
That fuckin smile. Like a big friendly dog, till you really looked at his eyes. Saw it was a challenge. 'Come have a go, wipe me away if you think you can.' Su Ling scowled as she felt her heartbeat pick up. Dammit, why did she have to have it so bad.
"You're shameless," she grumbled.
"I feel shame only in failure. I do not count you among them," Gan Guangli said serenely.
She hunched her shoulders. "You tryin to redirect me, after all this effort getting me to talk?"
"No, I merely refuse to stand for slander, even that which you speak yourself," Gan Guangli replied.
She squeezed her eyes shut again. Why the hell had she gotten herself involved with him?
Because she'd been lonely, she knew. She'd let herself get soft, first with Suyin, and then caving to Ling Qi's pestering. Even the twins, after. When the Ma's had gotten hurt in the attack, it wasn't just Lu Feng's lurking goons that had pushed her into Gan Guangli's circle.
The difference was she supposed. That Gan Guangli didn't take her shit. She knew she was prickly, that she shoved reflexively at people who tried to get close. Other's endured it. He called her on it.
She opened her eyes glancing up at him, tall and broad shouldered, built like a brick outhouse . She wasn't Ling Qi or Suyin, caught up in their own head. She knew what she liked.
Course, that was part of the problem.
"I am selfish. Been swaggering around, thinking myself righteous, just cause I was gonna go kill that monster one day. Who cares what happens between now and then, huh?"
"There are too many evils in the world for one person to shoulder them all. You seek vengeance for yourself, but more than that, because you hate the idea of another suffering as you have. This I know."
Su Ling straightened up, swinging her legs off the bed to face him. "You gonna tell me you know me better than I do?"
He leaned forward, looming over her by a good bit. "I know the thing which pollutes your thoughts. That makes you search for vice in every action. It is not true."
She glared, he smiled.
"Su Ling. Your quest is righteous. You have merely discovered its true scope. It is daunting, but can you really say you will give up?"
She maintained her glare for long few moments. One of her tails snaked out grasping the pillow on the floor and tossing it back onto the bed.
"Help me up. I wanna take my walk."
"Ha! Such spirit! It seems you truly are 'fine', Su Ling," Gan Guangli said serenely. He rested his chin on his hand, like a sage deeply in thought.
Su Ling Squinted at him, her eyes narrowed to slits. Sitting on the bed in the medicine hall, with the sheets kicked into a crumpled ball at the foot of the bed, her tails lashed violently behind her, and she strongly considered smacking him with a pillow again. Gods damn it all her arms itched so badly. Both limbs were still wrapped in heavy, stiff medicinal casts. She couldn't even bend her elbows or wiggle her fingers.
"You like living dangerously, don't you Gan Guangli," she said dully.
"A hero must always be ready to brave deadly dangers to rescue the lost and suffering," Gan Guangli said with a grin. He sat beside her bed on a reinforced camp chair he'd dragged in himself after the flimsy little visitors seat had buckled under his bulk. He'd been bullied out of full armor by the staff thankfully enough.
"I ain't lost or suffering. Unless you count the fuckin itches," Su Ling scowled.
"You've been alone and overthinking. So I disagree," he replied.
She hunched her shoulders. "It's been three days, people are busy. You're busy. I ain't some infant that needs coddling."
"Indeed, you are far more adorable," Gan Guangli said sagely.
Her pillow struck him across the face, and slid down his stoic features, and flopped onto the floor. Bastard didn't even blink.
"If you truly can't speak to me of what troubles you, then tell me who I must fetch," Gan Guangli said. Much more seriously than his little joke. "Because you need to speak to someone. That I can see."
She glared at him from under her bangs, but couldn't hold his gaze. Fuckin- Why did he have to make her feel all squirmy like this?
"There ain't no call for dragging anyone else in, " Su Ling said grudgingly, after a long moments silence. "I'm too selfish, alright."
He didn't reply right away, nor did she look at him. "Where the hell do I get off trying to act righteous, when I'm just stomping on looking for my own revenge, huh? I ain't stupid, I knew I wasn't the only one. I coulda done something before. I could have-"
She squeezed her eyes shut, recalling to clearly the vanishing weight of a crumbling ghost. "And that's just the big thing. Hell I know even our thing is making trouble for you."
His boss had him making nice with a bunch of hoity-toity types that Ling Qi's weird as hell charm would bounce off of. She knew they didn't like her, especially that tutor of his.
There was a creak, the sound of straining wood and though she didn't look up, she could hear the shift that came with him leaning back in his chair. "Your word choice does you ill, Su Ling."
"That's your takeaway?" she growled, finally raising her head. She looked up at him, seeing his expression fixed in a frown.
"Words and their choosing are important," he replied.
"That's weasel talk," she said without heat. It was an old argument.
"Then I am glad this weasel entertains you so!" Gan Guangli said, grinning shamelessly.
That fuckin smile. Like a big friendly dog, till you really looked at his eyes. Saw it was a challenge. 'Come have a go, wipe me away if you think you can.' Su Ling scowled as she felt her heartbeat pick up. Dammit, why did she have to have it so bad.
"You're shameless," she grumbled.
"I feel shame only in failure. I do not count you among them," Gan Guangli said serenely.
She hunched her shoulders. "You tryin to redirect me, after all this effort getting me to talk?"
"No, I merely refuse to stand for slander, even that which you speak yourself," Gan Guangli replied.
She squeezed her eyes shut again. Why the hell had she gotten herself involved with him?
Because she'd been lonely, she knew. She'd let herself get soft, first with Suyin, and then caving to Ling Qi's pestering. Even the twins, after. When the Ma's had gotten hurt in the attack, it wasn't just Lu Feng's lurking goons that had pushed her into Gan Guangli's circle.
The difference was she supposed. That Gan Guangli didn't take her shit. She knew she was prickly, that she shoved reflexively at people who tried to get close. Other's endured it. He called her on it.
She opened her eyes glancing up at him, tall and broad shouldered, built like a brick outhouse . She wasn't Ling Qi or Suyin, caught up in their own head. She knew what she liked.
Course, that was part of the problem.
"I am selfish. Been swaggering around, thinking myself righteous, just cause I was gonna go kill that monster one day. Who cares what happens between now and then, huh?"
"There are too many evils in the world for one person to shoulder them all. You seek vengeance for yourself, but more than that, because you hate the idea of another suffering as you have. This I know."
Su Ling straightened up, swinging her legs off the bed to face him. "You gonna tell me you know me better than I do?"
He leaned forward, looming over her by a good bit. "I know the thing which pollutes your thoughts. That makes you search for vice in every action. It is not true."
She glared, he smiled.
"Su Ling. Your quest is righteous. You have merely discovered its true scope. It is daunting, but can you really say you will give up?"
She maintained her glare for long few moments. One of her tails snaked out grasping the pillow on the floor and tossing it back onto the bed.
"Help me up. I wanna take my walk."
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Is this "to queerly" intended to be "too clearly"?
Also, SQUEE at a Gan-Su Ling interlude.
They are such a cute couple!
Iirc it is Jia Song, that commander that CRX had to pull out of the fire after saying her orders were dumb who now feels like she owes CRX. And this doesn't refer to her not liking Qi but not liking Su Ling. Probably cause she's a half feral spirit blooded girl.
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"She opened her eyes glancing up at him, tall and broad shouldered, built like a brick outhouse . She wasn't Ling Qi or Suyin, caught up in their own head. She knew what she liked."
What does Suyin like?! We demand to know!
What does Suyin like?! We demand to know!
That boy that made that flying carpet that's crushing on her. She likes him back but is too self deprecating to make a move.
- Location
- Colorado
She kind of likes him, but she's disappointed that he's not particularly brave when it comes to fighting.
I think it's more that she thinks she's not worthy of anybody since she has a vicious streak to people who wronged her.
A proposal for the future development of the Wall, seed the Wall with Sects. Invite minor and major Sects from around the Empire to relocate or establish themselves in the Wall. This develops and grows the Wall without lessening the growth of the Emerald Seas in turn. Zone the Wall between 'Mortal' and 'Immortal'. The difference between these two is that 'Mortal' zones will be areas developed to host the lives and existence of mortals, while 'Immortal' zones will be best described as testing grounds full of trials and tribulations left to the Sects to manage and tame. Much of the development of the Wall will be concentrated within the zones designated 'Mortal', with the majority of the Wall being zoned as 'Immortal'.
The Cloud Tribes and the Emerald Seas share a hatred towards each other. That animosity is not shared with those outside the Emerald Seas. By having Sects from outside the Emerald Seas establish themselves and act as security in the Wall, problems caused by that hatred should lessen.
The character of the Emerald Seas is that of disorder, of disparate groups having to come together for one reason or another. While others of the Empire might see this invitation of outside factions as a short term strength but long term weakness, for the Emerald Seas it would be anything but. Inviting Sects from around the Empire would only be a strength for the Emerald Seas.
The Ministry of Integrity would approve of the Emerald Seas inviting Sects to establish themselves in the Wall. Both as a way to ensure Imperial integrity when dealing with barbarians, as a way to strengthen the Imperial Throne as the Great Sects answer to it and those that would want to be Great would have to as well, and as a way for the Ministry to gain more support and resources as they are in charge of finding talents and delivering them to the Great Sects.
The establishment of the Great Sect System and the Ministry of Integrity has seen a large amount of talent funneled towards the Great Sects. Inviting Sects from around the Empire to establish themselves in the Wall is a way to gather some of that talent towards the Emerald Seas. The Emerald Seas currently hosts three Great Sects, such an invitation to the Sects of the Empire could see the Establishment of more Great Sects within the the Wall or more Imperial talent being diverted towards the Sects of the Wall.
It's a cliche for Xianxia to have a multitude of Sects, but in regards to Threads of Destiny it's kind of a let down on that front. Where is the Battle Beast Sect with their rivalry to the Beast Battle Sect? Where is the Beggar Sect? Where is the divide between demonic and orthodox? Where are the Minor Sects and Major Sects and Great Sects that the protagonist joins in ascending order? Maybe if the Quest took place in Celestial Peaks instead of Emerald Seas or if the Sect Route was selected Sect drama would have shown up more often. Inviting Sects from around the Empire to the Wall is a way to create this Xianxia trope. Invitation means the South Emerald Seas Ling Clan two-hundred years from now will exists in an Sect filled paradise.
The Zheng would accept this invitation to the Wall. An untamed land filled with groups to fight. They would love this Sect filled Wall.
The Cloud Tribes and the Emerald Seas share a hatred towards each other. That animosity is not shared with those outside the Emerald Seas. By having Sects from outside the Emerald Seas establish themselves and act as security in the Wall, problems caused by that hatred should lessen.
The character of the Emerald Seas is that of disorder, of disparate groups having to come together for one reason or another. While others of the Empire might see this invitation of outside factions as a short term strength but long term weakness, for the Emerald Seas it would be anything but. Inviting Sects from around the Empire would only be a strength for the Emerald Seas.
The Ministry of Integrity would approve of the Emerald Seas inviting Sects to establish themselves in the Wall. Both as a way to ensure Imperial integrity when dealing with barbarians, as a way to strengthen the Imperial Throne as the Great Sects answer to it and those that would want to be Great would have to as well, and as a way for the Ministry to gain more support and resources as they are in charge of finding talents and delivering them to the Great Sects.
The establishment of the Great Sect System and the Ministry of Integrity has seen a large amount of talent funneled towards the Great Sects. Inviting Sects from around the Empire to establish themselves in the Wall is a way to gather some of that talent towards the Emerald Seas. The Emerald Seas currently hosts three Great Sects, such an invitation to the Sects of the Empire could see the Establishment of more Great Sects within the the Wall or more Imperial talent being diverted towards the Sects of the Wall.
It's a cliche for Xianxia to have a multitude of Sects, but in regards to Threads of Destiny it's kind of a let down on that front. Where is the Battle Beast Sect with their rivalry to the Beast Battle Sect? Where is the Beggar Sect? Where is the divide between demonic and orthodox? Where are the Minor Sects and Major Sects and Great Sects that the protagonist joins in ascending order? Maybe if the Quest took place in Celestial Peaks instead of Emerald Seas or if the Sect Route was selected Sect drama would have shown up more often. Inviting Sects from around the Empire to the Wall is a way to create this Xianxia trope. Invitation means the South Emerald Seas Ling Clan two-hundred years from now will exists in an Sect filled paradise.
The Zheng would accept this invitation to the Wall. An untamed land filled with groups to fight. They would love this Sect filled Wall.
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- Location
- Colorado
A little of column A, a little of column B.
Varder
Tired Cultist
- Location
- Hell
Emerald Seas would go broke supporting them all. And other duchies would oppose this, too.
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- Location
- Washington
Also importantly basically the same number of people are going to want to Go To Sects In The Emerald Seas so everyone's going to end up starved for recruitment as the same numbers are spread thinner (or, more realistically, 90% of them go to the preexisting sects so the new ones are actually left even worse off than "same numbers spread more ways")
Yeah, a Sect's primary purpose is a cultivation research institution, they take in funding, and in return they develop arts and formations, which are provided to their sponsors for continued funding. A Sect's lands are as such likely marginal economically, but contains a higher concentration of exotic phenomenon.
As a side effect of this, they also produce unusually high amounts of relatively strong, if non-standard cultivators, since thats basically what you get when you tell people to cultivate strange things to see what works.
You don't use a Sect to hold territory unless you are the Zheng(where their Sects are practically the same as feudal fiefs), or your province has been run into the ground and only the Sects' avoiding politics left them functional.
If you want to hold territories, you want a standing army, and regular patrols.
As a side effect of this, they also produce unusually high amounts of relatively strong, if non-standard cultivators, since thats basically what you get when you tell people to cultivate strange things to see what works.
You don't use a Sect to hold territory unless you are the Zheng(where their Sects are practically the same as feudal fiefs), or your province has been run into the ground and only the Sects' avoiding politics left them functional.
If you want to hold territories, you want a standing army, and regular patrols.
- Location
- South Africa
[X] Total the Potency of enemies killed this way, allies of potency equal or less to that amount have their qi fully restored, all traits buffed by 1 for the duration of the scene, and the potency of their next technique is increased by 2
[x] Total the Potency of enemies killed this way, allies of potency equal or less to that amount have their qi fully restored, all wounds removed and all negative effects on them dispelled.
[X] Total the Potency of enemies killed this way, allies of potency equal or less to that amount have their qi fully restored, all traits buffed by 1 for the duration of the scene, and the potency of their next technique is increased by 2