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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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@yrsillar Proofreading pass.

It lay in shrouded in the mist at the base of the waterfall,
It lay shrouded in the mist at the base of the waterfall,
(or something like: It lay in the mist, shrouded at the base of the waterfall,)

Gan Guangli boomed, come, Miss Ling, let me show you around the Manor.
Gan Guangli boomed, "come, Miss Ling, let me show you around the Manor."

"Please, Ling Qi replied, bowing her head.
"Please," Ling Qi replied, bowing her head.

Indeed, alreadyLing Qi could see
Indeed, already Ling Qi could see

"I am sure we will have adjustments to make, but I can picture this turning out beautifully Ling Qi agreed."
"I am sure we will have adjustments to make, but I can picture this turning out beautifully," Ling Qi agreed.

pouring into pools in the manors grounds which in turn flowed out
manors'

noise of the falls was reduced to distant comforting rumble,
to a distant comforting rumble, [OR] to distant, comforting rumbling,

"You've been here as well then?" Ling Qi asked. What have you been up too."
"You've been here as well then?" Ling Qi asked. "What have you been up to?"

their amusement.It was Xia Lin
their amusement. It was Xia Lin

the cool vapor was left the gather and billow
the cool vapor was left to gather and billow

Its based on spiritual reactivity
It's

there is much better places for building stone
there are much better places for building stone
(whole sentence might want a second pass, but I can't point to anything else specific that's off)

And then men were pleased
And the men were pleased

""This concludes my initial report, You may tour the fief as you wish,"
(extra quotation marks at the beginning)


Vhalin said:
You guys are speaking about Adoption, like with Ling Nuan, but is this just some light theorizing and good old fun right? Or has there been some indications that it might actually happen?
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It's hinted that Suzhen intends to have Meizhen brought into her household in at least this sidestory, and possibly others.
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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny) Original - Users' Choice!

AN: So going a little out of order here with the commissions but This one is definitely more appropriate for where we are in the story. The first strike would be with the blade of the ninth sword law, striking at the intersection of Discipline and Pride, where untempered ego rotted the roots...
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yrsillar said:
"Where are you getting guard guys anyway. Do you just like, buy them?" Hanyi said. "Could I buy one?"

"Ooooooh," Hanyi said, nodding as if she had not just asked something absurd. "So its okay if I…"
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Back then organized mercenary groups were frowned on if not outright suppressed. Nobles liked the idea of being able to hire muscle, but not that merchants or other commoners might do the same.

My great grandfather was one of the first hired by the Lady Hanyi. People say if there was one thing she inherited from her human father, it was a love of power and ordering others. "Bossing people around", the unkind put it. My ancestor was down on his luck when he first met her during one of her early tours. Hoping for a meal, he offered to help carry bags. He ended up working for her for the next 120 years, first as go-getter and eventually as a renowned mercenary captain.

It was the Lord Bao who argued with the Lady that even her burgeoning wealth could not keep up with her constant hiring of minions, and suggested organizing them for hire. Between his business acumen and the Lady Hanyi's fame, the first major mercenary company was a wild success. People were well paid, well equipped, and well looked after. The young miss was caring of her people ("possessive" lesser minds sneered) and furious if any were hurt or killed. More than once she persuaded her brother the Lord Zhengui (honor to his name!) to come to their rescue.

At the time, probably nowhere but in the Emerald Seas could such a large force of arms be allowed to exist outside the feudal structure, let alone in the hands of an idol, and a spirit at that. The mind boggles trying to imagine such a thing happening in the Thousand Lakes, for example. But Lady Hanyi was the bound spirit of the heiress' favored retainer, and the heiress was quite tolerant.

The Duchess herself seemed more amused than anything when irate nobles forced the matter to her attention. She was perhaps tickled by the idea that a young ice spirit commanded more men under arms than many centuries old noble houses. While she rebuffed their demands to disband the mercenary company, she did lay down the rules by which most mercenary companies across the empire are governed to this very day.

-- extracts from the memoirs of the great grandson of the famed leader of the powerful mercenary group, Chevaliers of the Ice Maiden
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[X] Visit Ling Nuan and the new pastures, it important to see how she was settling in

My choice is based on the simple fact that we will get more Zhengui screentime than Nuan screentime in the long run, I'd also like to settle her narrative in a more usual place than the brief interactions we got with her so far.
 
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I wonder if Bao boy can provide any insight into efficient mining practices.

[X] Go along with Zhengui to speak with his followers she was interested in seeing him work

Excited to see the spirit court. Sad we'll never see a matching ice court for Hanyi but at least we'll have fun earth/lake/mist? spirits!
 
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Yeah, Ling Nuan can't hang around for long. If we're gonna shuffle one of these off till later, it should be Zhengui's stuff. And I say this as the most irritatingly consistent Zhengui advocate in the thread. The setup of his spirit court(s) is going to be a major focus of fief development over the long term. Maybe the most defining element of it, even. Not feeling much FOMO here.

Of course, if somebody just isn't interested in Ling Nuan or herds, then it's a sensible cut to make in order to get to the meat of fief matters.
 
Less interested in balancing screen time and more in what exactly we'll be talking about.

Ling Nuan's mortal childhood spent wrangling sheep and the benefits of whatever low-level sheep we've bought?

Or Zhengui's spirit court, his scholar minions, geomancy, and non-sheep benefits to the hamlet?

I'm leaning spirit court.
 
[ ] Visit Ling Nuan and the new pastures, it important to see how she was settling in
Nygma said:
Ling Nuan's mortal childhood spent wrangling sheep and the benefits of whatever low-level sheep we've bought?

Or Zhengui's spirit court, his scholar minions, geomancy, and non-sheep benefits to the hamlet?

I'm leaning spirit court.
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I do not believe that Zhengui will be talking spirit court stuff right now. It's more a chance for us to watch him interact with his retinue of scholars, I believe.


I want to see Ling Nuan and her spirits playing with the big flock. The "cloud on the ground". That sounds very cute.
I mean. I want to see BOTH but like. Of the two we'll at least see Zhengui later, and it's a bit of a close off of Ling Nuan inclusion for now (unless she appears for the War Arc, which isn't guaranteed)
 
I'm also leaning more towards Ling Nuan.
Not for any particular reason, we just see so little of her normally that I want to take this last chance.
 
JowKeen said:
I do not believe that Zhengui will be talking spirit court stuff right now. It's more a chance for us to watch him interact with his retinue of scholars, I believe.
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Definitely sounds like spirit court stuff.

yrsillar said:
"Is there a report on who I, Zhen need to inform of the coming vassalage?"

"The matter of the spirit courts I have left to your scholars," Xia Lin said. "As it is primarily Baroness Ling's and your business."

"That is fine, Gui wants to talk to everyone anyway!"
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Okay, now voting is open. All the votes above are illegal and don't count (except GreenReveal's which is edited).

[X] Visit Ling Nuan and the new pastures, it important to see how she was settling in
 
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Nygma said:
Definitely sounds like spirit court stuff.
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that exchange is saying "Baroness Ling and Zhengui are the ones involved with the Spirit Court stuff so I have no knowledge of them. Your scholars are the ones that have more knowledge, and you can talk to them"

I guess uh, I guess when I think "spirit court stuff" I'm not thinking about Zhengui talking to his scholar-retinue about Spirit Courts. Which is probably what'll be happening. So I think you're right, it is spirit court stuff. It's just not the actual talking-to-them part.

Talking directly to the spirit courts is what I was thinking was meant by "spirit court stuff". But like, talking to scholars about those courts also counts
 
[X] Visit Ling Nuan and the new pastures, it important to see how she was settling in
 
[X] Visit Ling Nuan and the new pastures, it important to see how she was settling in

Sheep.

And seeing what kind of legacy Ling Nuan is building for herself to settle into when the time is correct. Her continuing service in the sect's military is an interesting tension. We're looking at half a decade or more before she's ready to be a permanent fixture in our new home, so I think it's important to cement her business in mind here and now when we have the chance.

But mostly sheep.
 
[X] Visit Ling Nuan and the new pastures, it important to see how she was settling in
[X] Go along with Zhengui to speak with his followers she was interested in seeing him work
 
This update!

Traveling at subsonic speeds is for mortals.

Zhengui is such an extrovert!

yrsillar said:
"Where are you getting guard guys anyway. Do you just like, buy them?" Hanyi said. "Could I buy one?"
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HaNyiIIIIIIIIIIIII 🤣
Are you even twelve yet? The greed! The casual disrespect!
You are a treasure but also please continue growing up.

yrsillar said:
Ling Qi helped lift the small dog sized Zhengui up so he could plant his front legs on the table from her lap and observe.
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Zhengui why did you grow up so biiig, this is adorable! 😭
 
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