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Those Blessed with Talent

Discussion in 'Questing' started by Darkened, Feb 26, 2015.

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  1. BFldyq

    BFldyq It's pronounced Be-Fled-Ick

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    So, yeah. Adoption offers the greatest benefit, so I'll be going for it. It's the only guaranteed chance to reach the 3rd, 2nd or 1st rank, barring the discovery our characters father is the Emperor, one of his children or something like that.

    ....

    Darkened, can you confirm that that's not the case? I can only find mention of a mother.
     
  2. Adyen

    Adyen Experienced.

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    As mentioned, Adoption is basically the high risk high rewards option... if we had a choice of which family to be adopted into.

    Notice that we don't actually have the information for that rather important option...
     
    Winged One likes this.
  3. BFldyq

    BFldyq It's pronounced Be-Fled-Ick

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    We have a choice.
     
  4. Pipeman

    Pipeman Well worn.

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    We also have absolutely none of the information needed to make an educated one and the only potential sources of such information we have access to will be greatly motivated to misrepresent things to their advantage.
     
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  5. BFldyq

    BFldyq It's pronounced Be-Fled-Ick

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    And I highly doubt that Darkened would screw us over by not even giving us a chance to pick correctly.
     
  6. Pipeman

    Pipeman Well worn.

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    Giving us the chance to do so does not in any way mean that it's easy or likely.
    It's the high-risk course of action for a reason.
     
  7. Darkened

    Darkened Experienced.

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    Little Bee's ancestry is nothing special whatsoever. Your mother was a well to do merchant's daughter that ran away from home and fell upon hard times. It's unclear who your father was, and that's never going to change.


    As for clan choice, I won't give you all the information, but if you take the time to research things you may get results.
     
    Pipeman likes this.
  8. Adyen

    Adyen Experienced.

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    I also highly doubt players in QQ would be able to make the correct deduction, so does that mean it's true?
     
  9. shadowward

    shadowward Versed in the lewd.

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    [X] Stat growth
    -[X] Agility 3
    -[X] Luck 4
    -[X] Affinity 4
    -[X] Perception 3
    -[X] Stamina 6
    [X] Bestial Adept
    [X] Actually you have a second personal skill.
    -[X] That provides a passive boost to your abilities
     
  10. Raising Kittens

    Raising Kittens Versed in the lewd.

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    [X] Stat Growth
    -[X] Agility 3
    -[X] Luck 4
    -[X] Affinity 4
    -[X] Perception 3
    -[X] Stamina 6

    [X] Actually you have a second personal skill.
    -[X] That gives you a new mode of perception

    [X] Bestial Adept

    [X] Nope. Money-bags never have anything good in mind for street trash like you. Start running now and never look back..

    Into the Wilds! That our new friends may be empowered without Imperial Oversight! And when we become strong enough, then, uh, I dunno. Something something Dragons something something.

    I personally hope for a Vorpal Bunny.

    Tim the Enchanter can keep his Knights and Explosions at home, though.

    Isn't supposed to be Beastial? 'Cause I get an error with that, but not with bestial for some odd reason.
     
  11. redaeth

    redaeth Stubborn pedantrist

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    Hmm, Bestial and Piper are now tied, now if Xicree, Helpless Kittens and Pandemonious Ivy would only switch to the top vote we could rule as the Queen of the Beasts!

    Instead of Queen of the Dead, Vermin and Little Children.
     
  12. redaeth

    redaeth Stubborn pedantrist

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    Huh somehow completely missed I had a reward for the omake. Only caught it when I was rechecking the votes.

    This please.
     
  13. Pipeman

    Pipeman Well worn.

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    Personally, the Piper seems way too hilariously horrifying and non-standard a powerset to pass up.
    As far as I see it, it's disturbing in an incredibly intruiging way, its uniqueness makes me very much interested in exploring it further and the fact that it's a Necromancer subset more or less assures me we'll have at least a few more familiar powers to fall back on and won't be completely overwhelmed by such a strange Specialty.

    In contrast the Bestial Adept seems, well, not really boring or anything since that could easily be incredibly awesome as well, but very much like something you'd see and get to explore from time to time elsewhere.

    Not to mention that it just sounds incredibly stylish to sit upon a hill overlooking a battlefield and pipe a haunting melody unworriedly, while dancing hordes of minions drown your enemies in a tide of bodies.
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2015
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  14. redaeth

    redaeth Stubborn pedantrist

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    Eh, I'm not terribly interested in playing a necromancer, even if it does have a vermin\child subset of powers.
     
  15. Unyouthful Steve

    Unyouthful Steve Know what you're doing yet?

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    [X] Stat growth
    -[X] Agility 3
    -[X] Luck 4
    -[X] Affinity 4
    -[X] Perception 3
    -[X] Stamina 6
    [X] Bestial Adept
    [X] Actually you have a second personal skill.
    -[X] That provides a passive boost to your abilities
    [X] Adoption is a big commitment, but you could be noble, practically a queen in your own domain, one step removed from the godlike emperor!
    -[X] But is the Han clan really your best option?
     
  16. Pandemonious Ivy

    Pandemonious Ivy Making the rounds.

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    I really could, but my main issue is how stats are being divvied up.
     
  17. Adyen

    Adyen Experienced.

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    Would be quite a shame to have the stats focused on one while the class focused on another.
     
  18. Pandemonious Ivy

    Pandemonious Ivy Making the rounds.

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    Pretty much exactly what I'm trying to avoid.
     
  19. derkan

    derkan Experienced.

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    [X] Stat growth
    -[X] Agility 3
    -[X] Luck 4
    -[X] Affinity 4
    -[X] Perception 3
    -[X] Stamina 6
    [X] Bestial Adept
    X] Actually you have a second personal skill.
    -[X] That provides a passive boost to your abilities
    [X] Adoption is a big commitment, but you could be noble, practically a queen in your own domain, one step removed from the godlike emperor!
    -[X] But is the Han clan really your best option?
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2015
  20. redaeth

    redaeth Stubborn pedantrist

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    You need to vote on the personal skill or additional stat points as well. A partial vote won't work with the way Darkened is counting them.
     
  21. BFldyq

    BFldyq It's pronounced Be-Fled-Ick

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    I expect to be just as capable avoiding a bad end and getting the best result with adoption, as with any other option.

    Aka, I expect a 99% chance of nigh-immediate bad end for all options, with the 1% chance being us stumbling across the best result.
     
  22. Darkened

    Darkened Experienced.

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    [!] 5 Adoption is a big commitment, but you could be noble, practically a queen in your own domain, one step removed from the godlike emperor!: (Serous, BFldyq, Unyouthful Steve, Garahs, derkan)
    -[!] 3 But is the Han clan really your best option?: (BFldyq, Unyouthful Steve, derkan)
    [!] 8 Indentured Servitude is only a few years of your life in exchange for status, connections and a small fortune.: (rcnr, Alexander, MHLord, Pipeman, Xicree, Adyen, Wawv, Raron)
    [!] 4 Nope. Money-bags never have anything good in mind for street trash like you. Start running now and never look back..: (Heaven Canceler, Bloodshifter, Raising Kittens, Pandemonious Ivy)
    [!] 2 Time to Enlist in the army (Redaeth, Bailey Matutine)



    And http://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/those-blessed-with-talent.1176/page-3#post-239278

    So, bestial adept, passive personal skill and Indentured servant wins.

    Character sheet updated.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2015
    Xicree likes this.
  23. redaeth

    redaeth Stubborn pedantrist

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    Darkened I think this got cut off when you were updating the character sheet under available supplementary skills.

    Also we need to buy Friendship Bond ASAP.
     
  24. Threadmarks: Howling Faster And Faster
    Darkened

    Darkened Experienced.

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    Adoption, the third rank, it's amazing! Beyond anything you could hope for. You want to speak up, to accept before Han Wei can think about what he just said and take it back. The words catch in your throat. Nothing's ever this nice.

    Once when you were little-littler-Brown Eyes thought it would be a good idea to rob a guard. He, the guard, not Brown Eyes, was half asleep at his post, drowsily making conversation with a woman at a nearby food stall. Better he'd been stupid enough to bring a big purse fat with coins into the Lower city. It was too good to pass up. So while all of you watched, Brown Eyes, who'd had the quietest cleverest hands of anyone you'd ever met, sneaked up behind the guard, yanked his purse and ran. Just like that Brown Eyes—all of you—were going to be rich.

    The sleepy guard's partner practically bumped into Brown Eyes before your friend made it five steps. Then the yelling started and clubs came out. They smashed Brown Eyes again and again. They kicked him and spat on him and beat him while Brown Eyes cried and apologized and begged them to stop. You watched him scream, ignored as passer-byes did their best to avoid the beating. Hearing this noble's offer, the only thing you can imagine is the despair and betrayal you saw in Brown Eyes' when he finally realized none of you were going to come help. Nothing in life is this good, and you don't want to go like that.

    “I...” you stop yourself in time. Is it really safe just to tell this powerful man no? You doubt he's used to hearing the word. Of course, you can't lie to him that easily. He might have you beaten or killed for the offense and no one would care. Okay Little Bee, there's got to be a way out of this. He's played pretty loosely with you until now, so maybe he'll be willing to give you just enough rope to save yourself.

    You frown and try to talk all fancy, “I... I am not very smart or anything and this is a really important decision, so could I have some time to think about this and decide tomorrow or something?” You're careful not to promise anything, a return here or an agreement.

    The Lord looks you over, weighing his options. Will he push harder and risk alienating you or let you go for now. After several minutes he turns toward a nearby shelf and begins to page through various texts.

    “Give me your hand,” Lord Han Wei's tone brooks no argument, so you extend your left hand, wondering if he's going to do anything to track or restrain you from leaving.

    “Reproduction Method: Flesh, permanent, violet.” There's a brief pulse of light and head heat. Then he lets go of your hand. What was (relatively) unmarred flesh on the back of your hand now sports a tattoo you recognize. Oh sure, you've only actually seen the large dots for E rank, the simple lines for D and occasionally a C ranked triangle with some fancier squiggles inside to tell everyone what class a person is.

    Your pentagon will mark you for life, showing any observer what rank you are at a glance. It also shows that you have been tested and entered into the census. You guess the three vertical lines are meant to be clawmarks or something for a monster tamer, but you're not really sure at the end. You stare at it, marveling. That's you, Little Bee, A- rank Bestial Adept.

    Then you come back to reality. You'll need to get some kind of glove or wrapping. You're not a noble or anything, so anyone could demand to see your mark, but you've spent 10 years living by being small and unnoticeable. There's no way you're going to broadcast this more than you need to.

    “You may leave. I trust,” Han Wei speaks with the tone of someone who'd never even think of trusting a street rat like you, “that you will make the proper decision. You may return when you have done so.”

    And you're dismissed. Bowing deeply again, you step out of the room without showing Han Wei your back, then run as far away from that building as you can get as fast as you can.

    Of course this leaves you alone in the inner city. You've never been here before, much less been here without anyone watching over you and making sure your hands stay where they're supposed to say. Even if the guards wouldn't stop you at the gates, getting this close to the center would just be asking for a beating or worse... Except now, your hand is marked like a real person's, your clothes are nicer and you're disgustingly clean enough to blend in with all the rich types around here.

    Part of you wants to run straight to the slave markets near lower city. The army's too risky, and 7 or 10 years of indenture at some rich idiot's house could net you a lot of safety growing up without the ties or traps that joining a family would have. Most importantly, you'll be safe. Whoever could afford to have an A ranked indentured servant would have to be powerful enough that Han Wei wouldn't risk offending them. Right?

    But what if they grab you before you get there? Even when you level up, your physical stats besides stamina won't get that good. Right now, nothing's worth mentioning. Without even what gains you will get, you don't have any chance at stopping anyone Han Wei might send after you to make sure you accept his offer.

    And, even if he doesn't have someone watching you to make sure you don't go for another clan or the army or the slave markets, can you really just leave this part of town so soon? You can practically hear all the coins jangling in so many purses. There's so many sights you haven't seen before. Big swathes of green parks growing right next to buildings! There's not even a piece of trash in sight and no one looks dusty. No one watches their back.

    The houses are all new, with wide streets so people can ride horses, or carry rikshaws or use anything else that's just as amazing, without running into anyone. You almost have to explore, don't you? What kind of person would you be if you didn't?

    [ ] You've never been in the inner city before, how could you pass up the urge.
    -[ ] Just walk around for a little bit before going to the slave market to indenture yourself.
    -[ ] Well, so many heavy purses around, who'd notice if you palmed a few while no one's looking?
    -[ ] Actually, you want to go back to lower city and say a few goodbyes after all.
    [ ] No, you've decided Straight to the markets
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2017
  25. Adyen

    Adyen Experienced.

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    [X] No, you've decided Straight to the markets

    Edit: I'd really like that we'd set a goal and head straight for it, ignoring shinies.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2015
  26. BFldyq

    BFldyq It's pronounced Be-Fled-Ick

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    [X] You've never been in the inner city before, how could you pass up the urge.
    -[X] Just walk around for a little bit before going to the slave market to indenture yourself.
     
  27. Darkened

    Darkened Experienced.

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    [​IMG]

    Little Bee's tattoo, just because I can.
     
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  28. hunter09

    hunter09 Versed in the lewd.

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    [X] You've never been in the inner city before, how could you pass up the urge.
    -[X] Just walk around for a little bit before going to the slave market to indenture yourself.
     
  29. Pandemonious Ivy

    Pandemonious Ivy Making the rounds.

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    -[X] Just walk around for a little bit before going to the slave market to indenture yourself.[X] You've never been in the inner city before, how could you pass up the urge.


    Was going to vote "say goodbye" but with how we look now, we might get beat, held up, or disowned. This is a better end. Left unresolved means no chance for betrayal.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2015
  30. BFldyq

    BFldyq It's pronounced Be-Fled-Ick

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    Um, you voted for goodbye.
     
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