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

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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The Laurent said:
I remember that, and wanna reread it... which update was that? The thread by now is so long it's hard to remember when and how things happened.
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Here you are (start of our fight):
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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny) Original - Users' Choice!

First Quest, Forge of Destiny, here Ling Qi stood at the edge of the grass grown cliff and...
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(I'd recently done month 4 in the chapter summaries on the wiki so that made it easier)
 
One interesting hook about BQ to me is just how far he's changed during the tours with Hanyi. Because not only is he having to treat a spirit like a person, he's also bumping into a lot of conventional clergy that are very uncomfortable with that. He's been a character for 4 years real-time, and had a very long time since his last appearance.

And here we are, in traction due to a historic-adventure-event that would make a Zheng drool (and definitely has made Zheng Fu and their master happy).

So how far will he go for his convictions?

We have a low amount of insight into the Bao. We know that they had an internal purge during Shenhua's rise to power, in which the elements that were angling to become part of The Peaks were removed. We know they've got some sort of Gem-Blood from a spirit of the earth. We know they're incredibly mercantile, and favor displays of wealth earned. We also have a little information about both BQ's childhoods not being great for them. So like.

What does he want? And how far is he willing to go for his convictions?

Because for someone not LQ, being a business partner might lead to a closer relationship on a "normal" cultivator timescale of longer years.
but LQ is a nutty girl.
If you want to be with LQ you're coming along for "Interesting Times". You will be exposed to adventures. You will be exposed to troubles well beyond what can be expected of cultivator averages. She's very serious about a greater Emerald Seas political project, and there's a lot of competition.

There's a few projects I can think of that'd make me interested in BQ. One would be a company that arranges things similar to what Hanyi is doing. Management of itinerant Spirits/Spirit-Courts. This would be very much in-line with the essence of Spirit-Seekers/YeOldeWays while being within the paperwork designs of The Empire. As part of a Neo-Weilu identity for Emerald Seas, having multiple traveling Spirit Courts that are beneficial would be something unique to the Emerald Seas (as far as we know). This would also align nicely with the legacy of The Hill Tribes, who were welcomed by Tsu during the founding of the province.

Another thing would be staking out a Southern Bao Branch right now, of his own initiative with-or-without us. The Bao are traders, yes, but their bloodline is from a Gem-spirit of the earth's bounty. While we could be interested in that expertise (and history), we're very much not interested in the Bao getting anywhere near our trade deals before we've established enough local advantages to hold our own. Having a splinter of the Bao assist us in gaining those local advantages, and negotiating with their clan to make sure we're not getting screwed would be an extremely helpful thing for both the Embassy Town as well as Snowblossom. Being able to engage with interesting Bao lore-bits without compromising our trade power is pretty vital to further Bao narrative investment. Otherwise they'll just be a business partner. An impersonal and distant relationship, which isn't ideal for the Greater Emerald Seas political project.

BQ needs to be present for more adventures if he wants a shot, he can't take the safe(r) route of being a business partner of many years if he wants to be the husband. Our Family means a lot to us, and if we're going to court he's going to need to figure out what Family means to him. Ideally he's already had some ideas, considering what we did for Hanyi (our Family). We're not really a business-match kind of marriage person, we're a Ride-or-Die kinda gal.

You wanna walk these twisting paths by our side you best get accustomed to adventure tales boyo. We're pretty intense
 
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Poor Muscle Boa Bai. He's stuck on the farm while all this shit went down and is gonna have to write a really awkward report on why he was there and not doing his job even if Meizhen told him to go there.

Also, a giant towering chicken is basically a T. rex so I claim victory and retire in triumph!
 
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JowKeen said:
Stuff about BQ
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While I agree, there is important thing to remember that we won't be always moving, we will sooner or later get our own fief (probably next to CR to inheirt her current one up her ascention, we expanded the ES by 1/3 it is possible that we could be on an easy way to become another count (in the next 300-500 years) if our family has enough talent )

So LQ potencial husband can't be the greatest turtule man because his way is to travel.

Also, I think that LQ needs a quy friend
 
Profilozof said:
So LQ potencial husband can't be the greatest turtule man because his way is to travel.
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Traveling doesn't mean that you can't have a home to get back to. Ling Qi doesn't seem like the sort of wife who would demand her husband settle down in one place, so as long as he comes back every so often then it'll be fine IMO.

Lots of ways probably involves travelling, so I figure this isn't a uncommon situation.
 
henkalv said:
Traveling doesn't mean that you can't have a home to get back to. Ling Qi doesn't seem like the sort of wife who would demand her husband settle down in one place, so as long as he comes back every so often then it'll be fine IMO.

Lots of ways probably involves travelling, so I figure this isn't a uncommon situation.
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Hell, Ling Qi is more likely to consider a home to be defined by people rather than places. And is she doesn't have some obligation to somewhere, I can totally see her come along on XUAN SHI ADVENTURES.

It's just Zhengui doesn't seem to be the case to move around outside his territory.
 
Who knows, we might just wander into Shenhua's cheat, she was 50 or smth when she got to White so Ling Qi getting to White at 100 or thereabouts would be lit af.

Actually, what does happen when a White cultivator pops up into a non-ducal family?
 
Speaking of things, IIRC part of the things that had Golden Fields distracted was some doofuses from across the way thinking Golden Fields was a good place to settle(which given the literal death zombie hordes, goes to show what sort of shithole they're from :p ) but I'm having trouble finding the sidestroy they're from.
 
tryrar said:
Speaking of things, IIRC part of the things that had Golden Fields distracted was some doofuses from across the way thinking Golden Fields was a good place to settle(which given the literal death zombie hordes, goes to show what sort of shithole they're from :p ) but I'm having trouble finding the sidestroy they're from.
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This is what you're looking for: Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny) Original - Users' Choice!

The Wiki ( Encyclopaedia Of Destiny ) has a list of all side stories by themes, among other stuff.
 
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Profilozof said:
While I agree, there is important thing to remember that we won't be always moving, we will sooner or later get our own fief (probably next to CR to inheirt her current one up her ascention, we expanded the ES by 1/3 it is possible that we could be on an easy way to become another count (in the next 300-500 years) if our family has enough talent )

So LQ potencial husband can't be the greatest turtule man because his way is to travel.

Also, I think that LQ needs a quy friend
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Per Word of Yrs the plan is that Ling Qi will be taking over Snowblossom once Renxiang moves back into the Emerald Seas proper to do more politicking/heir stuff.
 
Hopefully I didn't already post some of this stuff. There's so much Q&A it becomes a bit of a blur.

Surprising voter choices:
Oh this is a hard one to answer easily. There's been a whole lot of choices throughout the thread. I think choosing to aggressively friend Xiulan was the earliest one. Another was when you decided to go shopping instead of checking on Susu. For more recent ones... Probably that you guys stuck to the work with the ministry route in the city attack, though maybe I shouldn't have been,
But I've gotten better at not putting out options I don't have a plan for, so even if you guys pick something I thought was low likliehood I don't get as thrown anymore.
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Speed of Ascended law propagation:
There can be some delay, depending on the change and how many conflicting or competing laws set in. Usually its a matter of several decades though sometimes effects continue to be unsettled for a century or two
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Xuan vs. Bai defence:
I'd say from a pure endurance standpoint Xuan Shi has a better defense. The 'Defense' of white serpents is as much about counters and attrition as it is actually blocking things. The Xuan have counter arts too, but focuses more on simply being unbreakable.
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Why the then-head of the Imperial Archive called the Jewel Emperors monsters:
because they were ultimately still bloody handed folks who had to spill a lot of blood to get what they did done, though this is not really propagandized.
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Realm needed to divine the weather:
It would depend on equipment. with good infrastructure, a moderately large team of yellow diviners could make use of formations equipment to make predictions of reasonable accuracy. I'd say doing it with modern accuracy alone and unequipeed.... high green realms could manage that unless the spiritual/climate landscape is especially unstable, then you might need a low cyan.
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Plan for the comb:
Okay, so will be sharing a very old idea I had here. In my earliest considerations, I had the idea that Ling Qi might actually be cloud tribe descended, from a line that 'went to earth' and the comb would be the vehicle to explore that. However developing worldbuilding had me scrap that and then the comb was just kind of there.
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Foodie cultivator:
A cultivator focused on culinary arts or the consumption of foodstuffs would most likely develop a way which required eating, yes. Tasting food is a pretty notable part of making it after all. At higher realms such a cultivator might eeven develop cultivation arts for which consuming things is a form of of cultivation and develop accordingly.
You would probably see a split like that yes. Probably even smaller threads within those greater streams, debating exactly what quality is, and minimum floors to be worthy of consumption at all and so on.
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How they were fucking with Qingge:
Unfortunately they never precisely stole money, it was largely a sytem of blacklisting and social pressure which kept Qingge down. If they had succeeded in extorting Qingge for Ling Qi's gifted money before the magistrate arrived, they would have been forced to return it and perhaps pay a fine on top though!
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If thread had voted for inter-sect tournament:
I had begun poking around with character concepts for the other teams, and a few ideas for events, if you guys had chosen to stick with it it would have been the focus of the last several turns as I brought it more and more to the floor
Mm, I think a survival expedition in a deadly hidden realm would have been one of them. Probably some kind of investigative test... and an actual team based tourney of course.
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Future Realm plans:
I have Cyan increasingly planned out, the pearls that need to be formed, and the stages there will probably be between 3-5 gated by pearl development. Pearls thus far are Gut, Breath, Heart, Mind, but there will likely be at least two more. Indigo will likely be based on refining Shen implementation and the selection of a second 'Word' to better define you. Violet... will involve opening your third dantian, I don't have much more than that yet.
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Cool world-building that hasn't got a place yet:
Hm, that's a bit of a toughie. Probably the stuff with the Jing fleet, which I developed when I was thinking about doing a CIV quest with them
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Xuan Wu types other than the Xuan ones and Zhengui:
None currently existing, Xuan Wu aren't terribly prolific. There might be a few scattered inviduals who are like water fire or water metal, but not as an enduring lineage
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Non-Imperial ascensions that changed big stuff:
Well this is an interesting question. Every major polity has somewhat different systems, so ascension is a slightly wobbly term but... There has been a major ascension from the Sea Folk which rendered the deep ocean more possible to traverse. There was a great spiritual leader in the lands far beyond the golden fields whose rise heralded the formation of the Rising Sun as a separate aspect from the Dawn.
Similarly, while Tsu largely ordered the seasons in the region it was a God of Khem whose existence adjusted and stabliized them into their current configuration. There is an ascended entity in the Emerald Isle which calmed the movements of the continental plates. Those are the big global items but there's probably been a handful of others that have ultimately effected the Empire in smaller ways.
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If an Imperial cultivator ascended like a spirit beast and left behind a body:
I would say a cultivator in the Empire doing that would be viewed as a great aberration. A strange and outlandish thing, but if they actually rose that high and ascended it would be difficult for anyone to call them anything but a success
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Fashion stuff:
Han clan colors are typically yellows blacks and light dun shades. Having some kind of common signifier for your clan is fairly common. Being recognized at a glance is useful. It doesn;t necessarily mean full outfits.
Han Jian himself likes loose and baggy comfortable pants when left to choose. He usually goes for a young officer look with a bit of light armor and the attended underlayers though.
Like a fairly light breastplate, bracers and leg guards. That is the sort of thing I'm picturing as light officer gear. It is really a presentation thing, because in older days it was much harder to make like silk and cloth as good as steel. Shenhua is a fairly major contributer to the shift!
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If a modern plane popped up in the setting:
Hm, interesting question. The destiny-verse is not earth though it resembles it. the physical laws are subtly different. A purely mechanical item would probably work but electronics particularly complex ones which rely on more complex reactions and materials science would probably not.
So a the Wright brothers plane? Probably, a modern jet probably not.
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Building and architecture und shit:
I would say that these things are intertwined. The qi balance and density in the soil directly translates to its trength and stability. Alot of basic geomancy rules are also just basic architecture sense about lighting and breathability and such.
Yes, to the laymen it probably looks the same, but if a real life expert started talking to a destinyverse expert, they'd both sound like they were talking nonsense to each other.
Lol, most likely they'd be talking about how to balance the qi flows through the proper configuration of piles or some such yes.
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Spirit beast core amount:
Yes, they can. SOme have a number of smaller distrubuted cores, or a single large one, fourth realms will typically have at least two, sixth and up at least three
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Living on a beast while it's fighting:
Creatures who become long term inhabitation spots will typically incorporate their residents into their way to a degree, so the effects of breakthroughs pass them over. In battle its definitely rough but again the residents and structures are like 'part' of the beast for many purposes and so will typically only be harmed by things which actually harm the beast too. Both Grandfather Fortress and the Living Isle's structures also contain bunkers built right down within their shell/chitin as well.
Yes, there does come a point where it becomes more difficult. In the case of people living on Zhengui you'd no longer be able to pull him in without dumping everyone off his back
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Why Cloud beast-bonding is illegal in the Empire:
It is a proscribed method yes.
Though several clans have methods that might be.... blurry at close inspection.
It was proscribed before that for purely cultural reasons under the Xia, but after the Twilight King it fell under that banner too.
The Luo and the Old tribes are who i was referring too, yeah.
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Artifacts known by the general public:
Hm, there definitely aren't a whole lot of such items that are in use, or with widespread enough legends the even the lowest are aware of them. I suppose there would be the Celestial Banner, which is the Sage's war flag given out to the general commander of an imperial Muster. Certain badges of office might have that level of local acclaim. There's a shield which was said to belong to one of Tsu's sons which was used as a similar badge of office under the Xi but not since.
GrandMistress Lei's Guzheng is still held by the Meng, Kang's old man has a spear forged by a student of the man who became Everlasting Angles, as head of the imperial guard. Probably a few more scattered around!
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Actually, and I'm sure this was addressed, what happened to all the plots that weren't Snowblossom? Like we had a choice, so presumably all of those whatnots are going to someone else. How is all this new land being distributed?
 
Ling Qi grimaced. It was not a huge number all told, and yet, it was more than she would have liked. Together with whatever her allies in the Meng had found in their home…
It was going to be ugly. People would die. No they would be executed if they were not already dead. Husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, so many connections were going to be snipped, and no amount of justification would balm those who had been severed from their kin.
It was the best that could be done, enemies did not stop being enemies because they were people. But, even if the faction from which these rebels drew their strength was gutted and discredited, she expected that there would be a great deal of resentment to go around for a long time coming.
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Even if they accept that it had to be done, I don't doubt there are going to be a lot of Meng who will be very upset with Qi and Renxiang.
 
Karthak Urzak said:
Surprising voter choices:
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As a reader that started on royalroad there are two moments I can think off the top of my head where I noticed weird behavior on LQ and later learnt were due to votes.
I don't know if others had moments like those as well.

One was indeed not checking on SuSu at the start of the Thunderdom.
Suyin had already said that she had learnt a stealth movement art because she was having trouble due to her relation to LQ.
We also already knew that Su Ling was the subject of xenophobia.
And Lq was someone who already knew the true character of "nobles" as was perfectly aware of what would happen once the truce was off.

So it was borderline bizarre from my perspective that she went shopping with Xiulan instead of checking on them.
The arguments of that vote left me unimpressed, just wanting to have a "free" market action with a "I'm sure they will be fine" excuse.

The second one was during that dream test with Xiulan on the Jungle.
I was utterly confused on why LQ would choose to purposely ignore a stalking predator on the Jungle.
Unsurprisingly, the predator led them to an ambush, and we all know how that ended up

When I started reading the quest on SV, I checked that part in particular to know how that decision came to be.
What I found was some of the most backwards and nonsensical arguments I have ever read.

When I read it on RR, I thought it very wierd that Jiao criticized Xiulan so much when, as far as I was concerned, Xiulan carried LQ hard through the Jungle and they only failed due to LQ's (aka the voters's) wrong decision.

And that was the final straw that pushed Xiulan to almost killing herself through tribulation.
So I found it specially unfair for her.
 
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