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

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OneArmedYeti said:
Comrade Qi says "Poverty Causes Crime"
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That is Tsu's way as well.
Hunger creates necessary and irreconcilable conflict that cannot be negated by anything but the hunger's cessation.

Everything else, greed, ambitions, ideals can be deflected, intimidated or contained. Hunger will not.
PowerLeca said:
Grumpy Uncle Chun! 😃
There were a couple of times he started sounding like Elder Jiao, and we should probably never tell either of them that to their faces.
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I mean, Jiao is supposed to have been a father figure to him once upon a time.
 
veekie said:
Everything else, greed, ambitions, ideals can be deflected, intimidated or contained. Hunger will not.
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"Every man in this world will steal to feed himself or kill to feed his child, and all your courts and precedent and decrees are established to convince yourselves that this is not true and right and good" - Zheng Sankara, moments before he threw a corrupt magistrate over a mountain during his Wandering Hero days
 
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Orkus Majorkus said:
"Here" is doing a lotta work in this sentence
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General Secretary Shenhua doesn't want to be a dictator, either. It's just that every other option is worse. May the heavens forever bless Cai Shenhua, who sacrificed years of her prime as a White cultivator almost single-handedly running the bureaucracy of the Emerald Seas, so that the people would not have to suffer under the yoke of the greedy and corrupt! 🫡
 
kfrar said:
It can, though. For example, when I'm trying to communicate cool stuff that happens in this quest to friends who don't even know what a xianxia is, I leave a hell of a lot of the details ambiguous. Exacting clarity sounds good, but trust me - no amount of pretty formatting will make someone happy if you just shove a spreadsheet with all relevant pieces of information at them, no matter how comprehensively it may cover the matter at hand.

If you want to communicate a specific message to a specific person, you need to match the information you share to the person you're sharing it with, even if details are left unaddressed. Communication doesn't happen in a vacuum, after all - it happens with specific people with specific knowledge bases and perspectives, which is what Thief of Names is all about. The information Ling Qi shares should similarly be shaped to her audience.

Just like it was in this update. The pieces of information which conveyed to Cao Chun that [Tech Sharing Helps Us All] did not provide a comprehensive or objective account of the truth, but they conveyed our central message in a way that Cao Chun could accept, and so they were the right words to use for Communication.
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"If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked."

Being able to twist words and phrases until they convey the meaning you want them to covey is not a skill whose only use is deceit.
 
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CommunismWillWin said:
General Secretary Shenhua doesn't want to be a dictator, either. It's just that every other option is worse. May the heavens forever bless Cai Shenhua, who sacrificed years of her prime as a White cultivator almost single-handedly running the bureaucracy of the Emerald Seas, so that the people would not have to suffer under the yoke of the greedy and corrupt! 🫡
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Excellent name/post combination
 
Cloud tribes at the peak of cultivation are quite weak. As the sidestory about Ogodei says the Cloud tribes in the aggregate can claim 6 Whites in their entire history. The Emerald Seas alone has had more Whites than that. They also have very few Prisms, although they do seem to consistently get a few Khans at that level.

yrsillar said:
He grew strong, stronger than all but the mightiest of Khans, and soon, as strong as they as well. The Seventh Sky had come, the warriors whispered, and the time to strike back was nigh. Batu had Broken the Forest Lords Horns, but Ogodei, Lord of Lightning, would burn their forests to the ground, and drive them from the hills forevermore.

Yet still, the greatest Khans resisted, for they as well had achieved the realm of Ogodei, though each of the three was old and gray and more no illusions of rising to become a Sky. And so, did Ogodei undergo one last trial.
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3 other Khans beside Ogodei managed to squeak their way to Prism. It's likely they usually have a small number of prisms active at any time. However, that too is a poor showing compared to the Emerald Seas. A normal ducal clan, even a weak one like the Hui would have more prisms than 3-4. Not to mention most Count clans having a prism too.

Their problem is likely low population so fewer chances for extreme talent and less wealth to throw resources at the talented, but they are also hindered by their cultivation method. They partner with a spirit beast and merge together into one entity as they advance. The interlude from the end of the first quest is from the prospective of a peak Violet Khan. Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest) Original - Fantasy

But spirit beasts have a natural 'cap' on their cultivation and it takes great effort to go above that cap. Very few people will get a spirit beast like Ogodei did and even he probably had to push past his partner's cap to reach peak Prism. However, they do get a big edge at lower levels in exchange.

The young Khan in the interlude was peak Violet and given the prism level star thing that showed up later, he likely survived entering the tomb and is at prism now. Ilsur's Khan I suspect is also prism.
 
I wonder what the skies were partnered with, and if they are still available to the cloud.
 
yrsillar said:
"Let it be known that I and the throne alike advise against this," Cao Chun said evenly. He met her eyes with a narrowed gaze, and she lowered her head, but did not break gaze with him. Allow me to explain later, she tried to convey. Do not press here, right now.

Despite how thick the air was with clashing intents, she thought he understood. The older man pursed his lips, and said nothing further, instead drumming his fingers irritably on the desk. She thanked her patrons that she had built enough trust for him to accept that.
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Communication and previous talks coming in clutch.

yrsillar said:
"The White Plume does not fully approve of this," Xia Ren said. "However, I defer to the Wang in this regard, and expect their continued utmost dedication to security."

"Individual Military hardpoints should be left to one polity or the other right now," Jaromila said diplomatically, though Ling Qi could not help but notice the way she spoke toward the general as one would a snarling foam flecked wolf. Her aura drawn around her like a suit of armor. "Perhaps we might plan the construction of at least a pair of gates along the primary passes, here and here? One built by the empire, one by the White sky, on either side of neutral ground between?"
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+1 White Plume Favorability so I'm still happy. Also can't blame Jaromila for being wary as hell of the General.

yrsillar said:
"You believe you can mollify me," Cao Chun said, without preamble. He really was quite annoyed.
"I think I can," Ling Qi said. "Sir Cao, this really is the Clans right."
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Cao Chun is really good at perception of a higher realm so this is going to be one hell of a feat.

yrsillar said:
"And if you think I could not see your manipulation there, using their pride and your connection with the Wang to get your way and let them think it their own idea, you are a fool," Cao Chun said. "It may not have been some grand scheme, but it was well played all the same, those your age are often too given to overcomplicated plots, when simple social tricks will do."
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I'm detecting some respect from Cao Chun here.

yrsillar said:
"If we truly are better, superior to them, then it will only be made more obvious through cooperation. If our methods are better, then there will be those that adopt them. If elements of their practice are useful, our people will adapt them and make our own practice better," Ling Qi said. "And, frankly the more I learn the less useful I find the term barbarian. It terminates thought. By all measure, it means 'not of the Empire'. A useless distinction, considering the Sage conquered most of us, that the Xuan joined our great realm well after his death of their own will, when they saw what we had built."
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This was a really well thought out argument that played straight to his beliefs.

yrsillar said:
"And what does then?" the old man asked mildly. She was pleased to see him engaging. "Bereft of order… hmph, you know what people are like girl. I have read your file. You know what savages men are when there are none to police them."

"Plenty and peace is what tames the beasts within us," Ling Qi said.

Cao Chun's expression grew condescending. "Baroness. Never come to the lands of the Heavenly Peaks if you think it is so."
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Honestly can't blame Cao Chun here since he's used to seeing corruption and the worst of people who already have peace and plenty.

yrsillar said:
Cao Chun leaned on his cane heavily. "I do not know who taught you your manipulations girl, but they are skilled. "You tell me to my face that you do not believe it will be so, but instead, play on my rightful pride in our institutions."
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Perception Trait, Social Traits and [Communication] coming in clutch. Keep in mind this is the dude who deals with corruption and high level manipulation and intrigue for a living. Ling Qi has earned his respect.

yrsillar said:
"Hmph, I understand why that miserable coward Jiao had his attention on you. Better I suppose that you took service under the Cai. Better headaches than waste. It is correct that I do not have the authority to gainsay the clans here. You have at least, by now convinced me that you have dedication to the Empire in your own way. I will handle any elements that wish to complain too loudly of this."
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Cao Chun thinks were useful to the Empire which is a great feat to pull off, plus he's going to bat for Ling Qi. I'm counting this as a compete win.

yrsillar said:
Cao Chun Bond improves to -1
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That's nice, hopefully it'll make future interactions with him easier.

TehChron said:
It's honestly kind of outrageous how hard Ling Qi is carrying this first contact given shes the vassal of Renxiang. It's perfect ally-oops to let Renxiang and Guangli spike the baskets with three pointers and showy spam dunks
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Ling Qi has gotten scarily good at intrigue and diplomacy and is even more absurd for her Cultivation Level. But yeah it's even more impressive when you look at her age, cultivation level, and powerbase compared to the people she's going against.
 
yrsillar said:
"I do not know who taught you your manipulations girl, but they are skilled.
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Isn't Ling Qi self-taught?

FallenPears said:
Cao Chun Quest GM be like, "I tried to introduce a plucky new up and comer opposed character to challenge the story and character's central themes, but the voter base adopted her."
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Ling Qi has a legion of aunties and uncles to help her whenever she needs it.

Lena27 said:
And to think people have called Ling Qi an airhead??
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In the far future, a band of plucky, young heroes rise up against the tyrannical Cai, only to be defeated and imprisoned. When the Duchess's foul shadow witch is brought in to diplomance them, she spaces out no less than five times during the conversation, and ignores any attempt to address it.

Hero: "...Ma'am, are you having a stroke?"
LQ: "..."
H: "Ma'am?"
LQ: *blink* "What is your opinion on drug use?"
H: "Wha-"
 
Winged One said:
This guy talks a lot of shit for someone on track to run into the exact same tribulation that broke Jiao. Unless I'm getting names wrong again?
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No, that's a very real possibility. Of course, he'd have to get much higher up the cultivation ladder for that to happen and is not a young man. And I don't think exactly what broke Jiao is well known, just that he left...hence 'coward'.
 
DeadmanwalkingXI said:
No, that's a very real possibility. Of course, he'd have to get much higher up the cultivation ladder for that to happen and is not a young man. And I don't think exactly what broke Jiao is well known, just that he left...hence 'coward'.
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Jiao realized standing under the awful light of Shenhua 'To bring Justice to the Celestial Empire I'd have to destroy it."

..well that's my headcanon anyway :)
 
dpara said:
Jiao realized standing under the awful light of Shenhua 'To bring Justice to the Celestial Empire I'd have to destroy it."

..well that's my headcanon anyway :)
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Wasn't there a sidestory where he realized it in the middle of purging yet another Sage Emperor wannabe?
 
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