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

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Lol, Ling Qi's got 47 concept levels if my math is right. Never mind G6, she's already fulfilled the requirements for G7. Her Domain is ridiculously strong for her cultivation stage.
 
For cultivation actions I'm going to immediately plug FFS and LFTW. They are our core arts both powerful, useful and necessary. They are also interesting lore wise and thematically with character growth and current actions.

No thief of names project available so that's a free slot.
 
Imperial Menagerie is kinda necessary since it will keep things from blowing up. And A Land Dark and Cruel is really interesting since we'll learn about the White Sky, Polar Nation and the Flower Demon.

I think doing both personal actions is something that's been a long time coming, though between the two of them I think House of Ling is more important.
 
By itself I would agree, but I worry about what fighting the West might be doing with the western White Sky. Those two coming across each other un supervised could spark a nasty little fight.

Those two actions I place as top tier. I'm torn on if Imperial Menagerie is important enough to delay Golden Roads or not.
 
Alectai said:
Hrm.

Honestly, I think Western Marches ultimately can pass for now, everything else is cleaning our plate from last turn, we're just going to have to hope the rest of our crew pulls together to help cope with that while we continue herding the cats getting directly involved.
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Why wouldn't we just do all the professional actions + House of Ling?

Golden Road seems like the lowest priority here. Yrs seems to be being very nice to us by making the trade-off easy here.
 
Karthak Urzak said:
Lol, Ling Qi's got 47 concept levels if my math is right. Never mind G6, she's already fulfilled the requirements for G7. Her Domain is ridiculously strong for her cultivation stage.
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Yeah, her Concepts are proceeding apace. We still need several more Insights for G7 though (one Advanced and two normal, plus fixing her sincerity Insight), and of course mastering the successor art for G6.
 
On the subject of personal actions, House of Ling is neat. I'm always happy for more of this.

Golden roads is entire meh. It's disconnected from current events and we can't really influence matters right now. What are we going to do? Have one scene of lunch where we're told about the trip. And then what? Our actions here seem entirely wasted relative to other more important matters where our time spent will actually result in something happening.
 
Erebeal said:
Why wouldn't we just do all the professional actions + House of Ling?

Golden Road seems like the lowest priority here. Yrs seems to be being very nice to us by making the trade-off easy here.
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Ehhh, I don't feel super comfortable passing that off either, but it's mostly just gut feelings than anything else.
 
I wouldn't really be terribly worried about what happens with Liling if we don't do the Western Marches action; the fact that Renxiang is listed as another character there indicates well enough to me that this is an area of importance to Renxiang and that she will probably be handling the matter herself whether or not we are there - by not going, we do risk losing out on a significant amount of information on Shao's plans and the state of the Western Territories, which are relevant, but I don't think we're courting disaster.

I'm really not concerned with Bao Qian at all, either, but when it comes to Golden Roads I do think I want the time spent with Hanyi and Zhengui, considering how central our spirits and their success are both to Ling Qi as a person and to her Way. Especially with Sixiang gone and Zhengui elsewhere, Ling Qi spent very little time with her spirits last turn.
 
Hmm, so we've got the choice of FFS projects:
yrsillar said:
  • Ice and Dust: The ice consumes and becomes. It is beautiful in its stillness, its starkness. The ice kills, the cold ends, death is hideous. There is no thing which lives without death. The beast devours its prey with claw and fang. The tree strangles and suffocates with root and shade. The mountain grinds over the plain, the wind wears the mountain unto dust. The winter freezes, the spring floods. New arises from old, and those left behind weep bitter tears, and beat their chests in futile rage. Meditate upon ending and the cycles of the world, and find in it the meaning of winter. +1 XP to Cycles and Ending. 30 Spiritual Cultivation XP. Advances the Year's End Aria technique. Unlocks one project (0/4)
  • Winter's Crown: What ends and what does not. You have grappled with power and what it means to hold it, what it means for it to be held over you. What does it mean to choose to end, what does it mean to stay your hand. Winter cares not, feels not, but though you wield it, you both care and feel. You're ice is both beauty and horror, deathly cold and the promise of a new day beyond it. But without understanding power and why you wield it, there can only be brittleness and self deception. Seek the Want, the black lightless darkness from which all else emanates, and understand yourself. Advances Winter's Heart by 1. +1 XP to Want and Power. +30 Physical Cultivation XP. Unlocks 1 project.
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Neither is super jumping out at me as being the most appropriate here... possible Winter's Crown for trying to continue our current meditations of power? dunno

With Thief of Names not being open yet, we have a free slot. Not inclined to do SSC at this stage - our new Hidden trial seems better put off until after the summit since they aren't connected, while Grinning I feel should be left until we've explored grinning stuff more and developed our meditations in that area with LFWT and ToN.

LFWT as people note would be good to get work on. Probably Boundaries Untrodden there?

MoSS I think is best left until we can get into spirit wrangling at our fief here to be more fitting.

Hard to say what's best for the third here. BKSD would be good to keep moving on... maybe primacy of beasts of fortress of tsu? Observing Sun Liling's crowd might have relevance there... though tbh our combat arts are all suffering a bit from lack of use. I'd be inclined to not do Fortress of Tsu until we can find a good opportunity to actually use big dog because we literally learnt it over half a year ago and it has basically had no visibility.
 
So, for cultivation actions, I'm thinking FFS, LFWT, and MoSS. MoSSA unlocks a social trait advancing project. So we can merge all our social traits during the summit. Plus Yrs said that ToN and tribulation resolution would pair well with the actual summit turn (on Discord). About 2/3 of Ling Qi's social traits revolve around Trtuh/Sincerity in some way, So doing MoSS this turn would help us set up a full social trait advancement next turn with the social trait advancement, ToN, and our problems with Truth, during the biggest social event she's facing. It all works out!

Edit: Also, we get Six back if we talk to Dzintara!
 
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yrsillar said:
Four Winds Joy: In stealing the wind, the old and stagnant fall, the freed winds dance and scatter, but find purpose. North, East, West, and South. Never again will the winds be wholly wild, uncontrolled, chaotic. Purpose and order are not wholly enemies of freedom, and a contemplation of their intersection can only advance a wily thief's goals. Advances West Wind Step to Four Winds Dance, improving the technique. +1 XP to Motion and Choice. Unlocks a new Project. Allows advancement of Choice Concept.(0/5)
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It was pointed out by @Alectai in discord that this project is how we unlock the choice concept, so that just jumped up in importance to me.
 
Garden of Mists would work well with House of Ling, just saying.

And getting WHR redone to be less jank and more in line with Ling Qi's toolset would be a boon.
 
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Melodies of the Spirit Seekers: Balanced, Music, Bargaining, Sincerity, Understanding

  • Spirit Seeker: One must walk the ways, know the paths to seek the spirits. You may raise the Bastion, Court the spirit lords, decipher what is malice and what is being. There are a hundred hundred melodies in the world, and not one is the Master, the chosen. Each speaker, each spirit, calls for a different song. What paltry few you have been taught are only the beginning, the foundation and tools upon which you may build your own. In Mastery, you find that you have only just completed apprenticeship, and only in walking hill and glen, mountain and valley, will you come to know the world. Listen to every melody, and only then decide what is yours. +1 XP to Community and Expression. Increase Spirit Seeker Trait by 1. Unlock Trait Advancing Project.
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A social trait consolidation sounds good. Ling Qi's got three social traits, but when was the last time either of the other two got upgraded? The last two turns saw a ton of social stuff, yet neither trait advanced. Let's get a social-focused insight, and merge this shit for efficiency. Win-win.
Alectai said:
Garden of Mists would work well with House of Ling, just saying.
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The project's useless for the summit, though.
 
Karthak Urzak said:
A social trait consolidation sounds good. Ling Qi's got three social traits, but when was the last time either of the other two got upgraded? The last two turns saw a ton of social stuff, yet neither trait advanced. Let's merge this shit for efficiency.

The project's useless for the summit, though.
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I know, but it doesn't hurt for me to say these things even if they're going straight into the void.
 
I'm going to likely side with whoever selects Starless Night's Reflection and a Grinning action.
 
yrsillar said:
  • Spirit Seeker: One must walk the ways, know the paths to seek the spirits. You may raise the Bastion, Court the spirit lords, decipher what is malice and what is being. There are a hundred hundred melodies in the world, and not one is the Master, the chosen. Each speaker, each spirit, calls for a different song. What paltry few you have been taught are only the beginning, the foundation and tools upon which you may build your own. In Mastery, you find that you have only just completed apprenticeship, and only in walking hill and glen, mountain and valley, will you come to know the world. Listen to every melody, and only then decide what is yours. +1 XP to Community and Expression. Increase Spirit Seeker Trait by 1. Unlock Trait Advancing Project.
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@yrsillar what's the progress bar for this project? 0/5? 0/6? 0/8?
 
Hmm, so base structure looks like:

-[] FFS: Ice and Dust / Winter's Crown
-[] LFWT: Four Winds Joy
-[] ??

With arguments for the FFS option being either that Winter's Crown would continue our current meditations on power and want, while Ice and Dust would be more just taking things slow and firming out our foundation of the art rather than trying to push down one tree?

And then a lot of possibilities for the last slot.
 
The actions is the easiest part. The three Professionals plus House of Ling.
I would be willing to leave Western Marches out for a Sixiang Action, but no for Golden Roads. It's not just a matter of ignoring Bao Qian, Hanyi's and Zhengui's future is best discussed after the Summit, when we know where our relationships with all the important factions stands. Deciding it now when some Count clans may turn on us if the Summit goes badly is absurd. And new opportunities may be opened if the Summit goes great.

Besides
yrsillar said:
Imperial Menagerie: The representatives of the other provinces which have chosen to show themselves may not be a direct part of the talks, but they must be seen too and satisfied all the same. Luckily, what might be the most recalcitrant out of province faction is being headed by your best friend. That doesn't mean you can ignore the rest though. Bai and Zheng and Xuan, three of the most powerful families in the empire have their scions present, and you need to make sure everyone is on the same page, especially in case of unplanned contact. (Heads off potential negative events for the summit, keeps observers informed on your strategy. Characters, Xuan Shi, Bai Meizhen, Xiao Fen, Xia Anxi, Zheng Fu, Sun Liling)
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Sun Liling will be present in Imperial Menagerie. I think it's important to meet, and maybe Communicate, with her beforehand to know what we are dealing with.

So the doubts are in the Projects, as we knew.
yrsillar said:
Oh to answer a question asked here, Thief of Names is going to see some more off action development before I roll it out as a proper art, which is why it has no actions yet. Need some time to consider exactly how I want to handle it.
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This opens a spot in this turn, so more room to decide on Projects.

First we have MoSS's last Project.
yrsillar said:
  • Spirit Seeker: One must walk the ways, know the paths to seek the spirits. You may raise the Bastion, Court the spirit lords, decipher what is malice and what is being. There are a hundred hundred melodies in the world, and not one is the Master, the chosen. Each speaker, each spirit, calls for a different song. What paltry few you have been taught are only the beginning, the foundation and tools upon which you may build your own. In Mastery, you find that you have only just completed apprenticeship, and only in walking hill and glen, mountain and valley, will you come to know the world. Listen to every melody, and only then decide what is yours. +1 XP to Community and Expression. Increase Spirit Seeker Trait by 1. Unlock Trait Advancing Project.
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Honestly, this really sounds like a Project that should be down while developing the fief? And I'm not talking about House of Ling or the Veins of Earth vote next turn. I mean a fully dedicated Action to communing with our fief's various spirits, including Snowblossom.
I'm not sure if having the Spirit Communication Insight is worth doing this Project at this moment when we can't make it justice.

The we have FSS's new Project
yrsillar said:
Winter's Crown: What ends and what does not. You have grappled with power and what it means to hold it, what it means for it to be held over you. What does it mean to choose to end, what does it mean to stay your hand. Winter cares not, feels not, but though you wield it, you both care and feel. You're ice is both beauty and horror, deathly cold and the promise of a new day beyond it. But without understanding power and why you wield it, there can only be brittleness and self deception. Seek the Want, the black lightless darkness from which all else emanates, and understand yourself. Advances Winter's Heart by 1. +1 XP to Want and Power. +30 Physical Cultivation XP. Unlocks 1 project.
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This one, I like. It's a great continuation to the Nightmare Tribulation, and advance FSS closer to completion.

After Xin's advice about Hidden Scribe and the map, I have been convinced to leave it for after summit. We don't have time for an escapde into lost secrets right now.

I'm a fan of BKSD, so this is a great chance to do Primacy of Beasts, since ToN and Hidden Scribe are out. It fits the theme of the Summit extremely well, IMO.

I have also noticed something in LFWT
yrsillar said:
Four Winds Joy: In stealing the wind, the old and stagnant fall, the freed winds dance and scatter, but find purpose. North, East, West, and South. Never again will the winds be wholly wild, uncontrolled, chaotic. Purpose and order are not wholly enemies of freedom, and a contemplation of their intersection can only advance a wily thief's goals. Advances West Wind Step to Four Winds Dance, improving the technique. +1 XP to Motion and Choice. Unlocks a new Project. Allows advancement of Choice Concept.(0/5)
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So we should totally do that now.

On summary:
Professionals: Imperial Menagerie, A Land Dark and Cruel and Western Marches
Personal: House of Ling
Projects: Winter's Crown, Primacy of Beasts and Four Winds Joy
 
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With regards to the main actions, we're much more limited in our options.

There seem to be two schools here. Firstly we just prioritise our professional actions and leave off the stuff with Bao Qian and Hanyi for the moment as a distraction so we can do all the professionals and put focus on the western drama:

[] Professional Priorities
-[] House of Ling
-[] Western Marches
-[] Imperial Menagerie
-[] A Land Most Dark and Cruel

Alternatively, we say that we don't want to keep putting off Bao Qian and Hanyi's stuff, that they aren't necessarily irrelevant to what we're doing, and instead just trust Renxiang to handle the Western Marches (and let's be honest it's not as if we actually have very good relationships with Sun Liling and Ji Rong lol) while we do our stuff.

[] Let the Team Work
-[] House of Ling
-[] Golden Roads
-[] Imperial Menagerie
-[] A Land Most Dark and Cruel
 
It may be a bit pre-emptive since we have a 24-hour moratorium, but a hypothetical plan.

[] Plan Bridging Boundaries and Borders
-[] House of Ling
-[] Western Marches
-[] Imperial Menagerie
-[] A Land Most Dark and Cruel
-[] Four Winds Joy
-[] Ice and Dust
-[] Spirit Seeker

So, House of Ling to talk to Qinnge after the tribulation. We can sweep all our professional actions this turn too, just in time for the summit in case we get a lot of professional actions during the summit.

Four Winds Joy to unlock Choice and think on Order and Chaos while we unlock Choice. Ice and Dust to advance and think about Cycles after leaving the AS. And Spirit Seeker to line up our social trait evolution project with ToN, the summit, and our contemplations on Truth since our two highest social traits engage with Truth, Sincerity or honesty in some way.

yrsillar said:
Dreaming Muse's Rapport(G) 6:
You understand well the value of presenting empathy and consideration, and recognize when it is being done with sincerity or deceptive intent. Your honest words are able to better convince and put others at ease, and people are more likely to take your intentions at face value.

Spirit Speaker(G): 6
You understand something of the alien ways of spirits, and they in turn may understand humanity through you. When you speak, most spirits listen at least long enough to hear you out. When speaking to other humans your experience makes you more able to wield honesty as a knife, never speaking a direct falsehood without intent.
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