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

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[] Farmer's Tangled Rabbit

There was once a farmer who was farming during a hot summer day. He took a rest under the shade of a tree. There he saw a rabbit, which ran away from him only to get caught under the tree's tangled roots. Gleeful of his fortune, the farmer caught the rabbit and then thought "If I wait more, maybe a second rabbit will get caught in the tree's roots."

And so he waited. And waited. And waited. Until the sun has set and his angry landlord (or maybe wife) came to ask what is he doing.

The farmer said, "Look, I caught this rabbit without doing anything. So I'm waiting if I can get a second one."

The landlord then angrily berated the farmer thinking that he could get a second rabbit and all the while ignoring his actual job.


Or something like that. It has been ages since I've read that particular story and I don't even remember what book I got it from.
 
Going by the previous discussion the technique should be called Elixir Syndrome, too bad that the context doesn't works inside their universe.

So something related to that but not exactly the same...
  • Ruinous Hoard
  • Missed Chance (Lost, Untaken or Wasted Opportunity)
  • Clinging to a Poisoned Treasure (Not a fan of this one)
  • Unfulfilled Purpose/Potential
Those are some out off the top of my head
 
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Alectai said:
She would have straight up deleted LQ if she felt we were drifting towards the Hui mindset, huh?

That's why she was here.
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I mean, imagine a Neo-Hui whispering in the Emerald Seas heiress's ear, as her trusted left hand. Somebody already helping to build a future new ideology for the province.

As unfair as I think it would have been for Ling Qi, if her circumstances, the needs of a spymaster's job, and having her being taught by someone like Shu Yue had pushed her to be more that way... I can understand how that would have been too much of a risk, in the big picture.
 
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Some ideas:
  • Reservation's Whisper / Melody / Refrain
  • Whisper of Reservations
  • Heart's Aversion
  • Knot of Hesitance / Hesitating Knot
  • Brambles of the Heart / Mind
  • Infinite Chance's Greed
Love that the real person would have been first but I sort of wish Ling Qi hadn't realized yet...accident time, as a treat
 
Now that I think about it, ToN's first technique was called Intrusive Thoughts.
So maybe it would be better a name in line with that, forming a cohesive theme?

Something like Compulsive followed by another thing.
  • Compulsive Hoard
  • Compulsive Thrift
 
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Imagine a red cultivator saving up funds.

they get enough to buy a cultivation elixir. "But wait!" cries the merchant. "If you save up more you can buy an even better elixir!"

So the red continues to save, and saves up for a wonderful elixir. One that will assist in his breakthrough to Yellow, rather than merely help him achieve Peak Red.

"But wait!" cries the merchant. "You should save to get this elixir of threefold gains instead! It will assist you to peak red and assist the breakthrough!"

And so the red continues to save and save. Every day the red works hard, and every day his funds improve. Until finally, finally he has enough for the Elixir of Threefold Gains.

"Oh no!" cries the merchant. "I am out of stock for that elixir! But with a small down payment I can make sure the very next elixir I have in stock will be just for you! And the next may be the Fourth Path Elixir to take you from red to peak red to yellow to middle bronze physique! You will be as a god amongst mortals the very next closed door cultivation you undertake!"

The red sees the wisdom in this, but commits to not spending a down payment. Instead he makes sure to visit the merchant as often as possible, spending his time split between working and waiting at the merchant.

Eventually he dies on the job. With no wife and no family his wealth is inherited by the state. The merchant makes no profit, but learns no lesson.

Thus is "Elixir Syndrome" a problem for all. Opportunities are missed in the pursuit of greater wealth, but the spending of Time is the one last noticed by those so concerned with Elixirs that they forget to live the life they have.

[] - Elixir Syndrome
 
I like Doramas' suggestion of Wasted Opportunities, but also Hoarder's Mire. I also wonder if there is a way to connect the art's name to winter. Like something about hoarding things for winter, but unwisely. Like Futile/Fruitless Winter Hoarding.

[X] Wasted Opportunities
[X] Hoarder's Mire
[X] Cower From Winter's Grasp
[X]Fruitless Miser's Hoarding
 
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[] - Miser's Name

This is a technique of Thief of Names: The technique names the target MISER and they hesitate to spend anything and everything even unto threat of death or failure.

More effective against the Miserly, the reserved, the cautious. Less effective against the bold, the generous, the careless.
 
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Playing on the "thief" imagery, especially pickpocketing, and "purse strings" as a metaphor for spending power

Thief of Names

[ ] Tugging the Purse Strings
[ ] Weighing the Purse
[ ] Knotting the Purse Strings
[ ] Puckering the Purse

that last one playing off "puckered asshole" the feeling of visceral fear that makes you tense up. :p
 
Mmm, I do kind of like Tugging the Purse Strings.

References "thief", is a nice metaphor for Want and hoarding, while also calling to mind heartstrings.

Alternatively Plucking Purse Strings adds a bit more of a musical vibe and alliteration.
 
I like miser, it's where my head went first, but I want to use an eyesight metaphor since it is our perception art as the root.

[X] Myopia of the Miser

Or maybe

[X] The Nearsighted Miser's Gaze
 
memoryofglory said:
I don't know, I'd argue that between our introduction to Heizui and 'his' tree at the low end and the vault of absurd treasures described in the Wind Thief story at the high end, dragons are at least as obsessed with property (greed) as they are with hierarchy. They might even consider the two inextricably linked.
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The Wind Thief story was exactly what I was thinking of.
 
Iron Roby said:
As unfair as I think it would have been for Ling Qi, if her circumstances, the needs of a spymaster's job, and having her being taught by someone like Shu Yue had pushed her to be more that way... I can understand how that would have been too much of a risk, in the big picture.
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Reminds me of Renxiang saying she'd never control a subordinate's Way, that it's tyrannical to do so.

...except if a subordinate makes a really fucked up Way, their liege is gonna step in. Not to prune maybe but just to punish.
 
hmmm... I usually do not vote or offer suggestion, but this time I will try one.

The technique makes people be too cautious, to hoard their resources, their qi, it is as people mentioned elixir syndrome, where we always keep something in reserve, even while losing or facing the big bad, the foolish feeling of 'later...later... I will need it later...'
So I propose:

[ ] Miser's Folly
[ ] Name of the Fool

and a surprise third while I was typing.

[ ] To Weight the Scales

because we're basically tipping the scale on the heart of the opponent one way or the other
 
[X] Despair of Opened Vaults.

I want to include allusion to the Story of the Wind Thief, but also the intended effect of the art. By altering the perspective of foes to miser their resources, they despair when they must spend them.
 
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