miztli

𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬

o u t e r t r a i n i n g g r o u n d s

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The smile Yan Huiyin wore dropped the moment Feng Tai caught the dried plum. How was she to predict that boy's insane reflexes?! What sent her over the edge was that damned expression towards her! Instead, she felt her brow twitch.

"He caught it..." Came from her side. Seriously, this girl.
Through teeth, Yan Huiyin replied, "I saw." Admittedly, it annoyed her when things backfired. From the shimei's pouch in her hand, she took a plum & chewed ferociously.
The two watched from their place in line like a pair of pikas, who'd stop & watch the sect's lessons. When Feng Tai claimed this wasn't a fight yet was when the two stirred.

"Maybe he really will eat it — ah!" A long whine came from beside Yan Huiyin at the loss of one of her plums. Her parents had sent her that! Feng Tai had squished it so thoughtlessly!
This cry fell on deaf ears. Yan Huiyin was transfixed by this show of power between the two of Lu Xue's friends & this boar. They — well, particularly Feng Tai — fought with such ferocity that Yan Huiyin couldn't help but grow a bit glum. Even after all this time, she was still behind those who must've been close to her age. With that fruit, though... Perhaps that wouldn't be the case for longer. Without a doubt, this spirit fruit was her chance at succeeding her current abilities. The thought set something alight something within herself; a small flame for now.

Only when their elder called for a stop was when Yan Huiyin snapped from her little trance. Ah, right. They were in line. Speaking of this elder... To say that the sight of him disappointed Yan Huiyin was an understatement. Had he not achieved even a Mid Core Formation? Perhaps he developed it late..? Did he never have a youthful appearance to preserve?
By the time the fight had been broken up, the two were able to move up. "A-Yan!" Her shimei sang, holding up her pill gleefully. Though she had the mind to let her shimei go before her, she wasn't entirely there to offer anymore than a slight smile at the little girl. Again, Yan Huiyin was held up within her own thoughts.
If she didn't reach a state of preservation until her later years, would she be forever an old lady? The thought sent a chill down her spine. The sight of this and the other grey-headed elders dampened her opinion of Zuigao, to the point where, under the guise of piety, she found it hard to meet their eyes. Call her shallow, it was true.

The crowd dispersed a bit & suddenly Feng Tai was addressing her. At the call of "you there," Yan Huiyin bristled back to the present, a flush coming across her features. The impudence of this boy! The sight of him made her shimei, however, cower upon his stomping over.

"Wah, it's like you said: he's coming to kill us!" From the gulp at her side, she must've swallowed her pill already in a panic; was she expecting to face Feng Tai? Yan Huiyin chuckled at the thought. Instinctually, the little girl at her side ducked behind her, lifting the older's guarded arm up to cover herself who nearly instantly yanked it away. Without a second thought, Yan Huiyin snapped, "I didn't say that."
She directed a dangerous gaze at Feng Tai, who was now within arms reach. A bit too close for somebody who had almost twisted a boy's leg off just moments ago! She repeated evenly, looking Feng Tai straight in the eyes, "I did not say that."
The last thing she needed was to deal with an inflated ego on top of lack of manners. Seriously, she'd never been addressed as "you there" in front of so many people! The longer this interaction went on, the more she found to dislike about Feng Tai.

Not wanting to stick around to see how things developed for her shijie, who now seemed mad at her, the younger girl grew antsy. In a stiff motion, she bowed a bit too low before Feng Tai, stuttering out, "F-Feng... shizhi." It seemed what he'd done to that boy had not gone unnoticed to her.
At Yan Huiyin, she chirped up & simply nodded, "A-Yan, bye! Good luck!" A bit too hurriedly, she took her leave. Luckily, it seemed she was headed back toward the dorms, instead of the gatehouses & her doom in that forest. A relieved sigh escaped Yan Huiyin. She couldn't recall her name, but her company was nice. Now left with no one around her, Yan Huiyin wavered a bit; this didn't happen often.

Recollecting herself briefly, she sighed & spoke, "Shixiong should take Elder's advice," referring to saving his energy for the forest. Before she could hear out his reply, that familiar voice again boomed: "Next!"
Yan Huiyin stepped up when called, paying a quick respect to the aforementioned elder — whose gaze she still could not meet — & pocketing her Foundation Establishing Pill. She turned back to face Feng Tai, feeling a bit powerless without some form of posse around her. Still, she maintained an aloofness & asked him, "Will you not be going to the forest?"

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𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬

o u t e r t r a i n i n g g r o u n d s

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The thought of the Spiritual Heart Fruit held Yan Huiyin's attention during that address. When she was a girl, such things were only of stories & the like. Ever since she's come to Zuigao, it's seemed even the wildest things have all come true. Today, it was the Spiritual Heart Fruit. The mention of it rang familiar; she thought maybe she'd heard of it last year. Back then, she'd had to watch as her shijie left her to take residence at the middle peak.
In terms of martial ability, she was about a year or two's worth of training behind the cusp of being able to take this exam comfortably. With this fruit, however... Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? It seemed the girl beside her, likely 3 or 4 years her junior, shared this idea with her. To her left, she heard an audible gasp. "Is it true..?"

When the attendance was dismissed & the more brutish of the students left immediately for the forest, Yan Huiyin found herself holding back the thin wrist of this little shimei who tugged to join them. In a harsh tone, she told the girl, "If you can't even escape me, how can you expect to escape those spirit beasts?"
Having said this, she felt the girl slump & slightly pull her down. "A-Yan..." The girl whined. Faintly, she felt her brows raise. She knew her? Every time one of these addresses happened, it always surprised Yan Huiyin who tended to recognize her, while she couldn't even place a syllable to their faces. To Yan Huiyin, everybody tended to be a "you" or something of the like.
Never mind that. "Come on. At least have a pill before you leave," said Yan Huiyin, to which the little shimei happily obliged.

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It seemed they weren't the only ones with this idea as, by the time the two got to the shop, the line had grown significantly. Chatter filled the air &, soon, one conversation — if it could even be called that — rang clearer above the rest's.

The nerve! Yan Huiyin shared a gasp with the smaller girl next to her. Hearing the retorts of the two boys at odds, they'd taken a moment to rubberneck towards the commotion. It was Lu Xue!
There wasn't a Zuigao disciple that didn't at least know of the prodigious Lu Xue. With this kind of celebrity, came knowing at least rumors of his past also came with that, though no one dared entertain the idea, at least not to his face. For somebody to blatantly announce that... Yan Huiyin felt her jaw clench on behalf of Lu Xue. Nothing was more annoying that those who couldn't act in accordance with civility.

Feng Tai, Lu Xue had said.

It was decided: Yan Huiyin didn't like this Feng Tai. Of course, none of this was easily shown outwardly. The girl beside her did share her thoughts, though. "To speak so plainly with Lu-shizhi... No wonder he walks alone everywhere. You know, this shimei has seen that Feng Tai before; he's always brooding."

The girl gave a nudge with her elbow, "Will A-Yan stop 'em?"

Yan Huiyin almost sneered, "A-Yan would die. Look at them."

"Oh, don't say that." It was true, though. The tension between them could cut stone. To even suggest getting between them was an idiot's idea & a death wish; Yan Huiyin eyed this passing "friend" of her with a bit of disdain at the mention of putting a stop to this herself. Truth be told, they were only talking because they'd happened to stand together during the address. She'd remember this little transgression: the suggestion.

However, the sight did bother her. Only brutes fought before elders &, even more so, in front of the damned shop! Compared to the two, there was no doubt in Yan Huiyin's mind that they surpassed her martial ability; one was a prized disciple & the other an idiot who dared pick a fight with said disciple. That alone made that Feng Tai dangerous.
If there was something that she had over the two, it was the fact that they weren't currently looking at her. Her mind sharp from it being midday & not yet bogged down from afternoon lessons, she turned to the smaller girl & urged, "Could Xiao-shimei share a snack?"

"What, I don't — hey!" In a gentle lunge, she reached into the other girl's sleeve & held up the pouch of huamei to her, a bit accusatorily. This troublesome girl... Lying: another transgression for Yan Huiyin to note. If there was one thing she knew about the younger disciples, it was that little things to nibble on between lessons weren't often far from their person.
This shimei gave a light half-laugh & plucked a plum from the pouch, plopping it into her mouth. Accepting the loss of her huamei, she asked, "A-Yan's not hungry, is she? Are you thinking perhaps they are?"

"Hm, maybe." Plucking one of the dried plums from its pouch, she held it up before a squinting eye. To consider Lu Xue as the target would've been social suicide, but this gloomy boy... Well, it didn't take much thought. Having lived in the sect for a little over half her life now, she'd gathered enough social points to be in a position to spare some with this little action. It wasn't often that she lashed out, if this could even have been called such. The thought of what was to come made her pull her furred collar up to her cheek, muffling a titter.

In a light motion, Yan Huiyin took aim & tossed the plum at that Feng Tai's temple.

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Anyone got cute formatting to share?

I will say, some people don't like their designs being reproduced without permission, so you might want to check with them if you intend to use an exact copy.

@Exit

Hey, I went ahead & looked through the formatting examples you linked & they look awesome! If I do decide to use an exact copy, I'll be sure to ask for permission; thank you so much for this response!

Violet Sheep Happy Hunting: A Cyberpunk Game

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_{T I M E : 6:00 AM - 9:45 AM
L O C A T I O N : Alex's apartment, 14th Ave S | In transit toward Bell Street Park
I N T E R A C T I O N S : Fuzz + NPCs
M E N T I O N S : N/A
E Q U I P M E N T : Light body armor | Fuzz}

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0600

In a dimly lit one-room apartment off 14th stirred a cyber K9 unit from its rest sequence. When its owner wasn't in his regular place, it scanned the room for a familiar heat signature, only to find him curled into the gap between the bed & tower server. The breathing pattern of the figure told Fuzz that he was still sleeping, but his form was dressed & his hair damp, dripping onto the pages of a ☒̵̡͈͇̗̟̳̯͉̏͛̏̿͝ͅ☒̴̢̹͓̪̗̜̬̪͎͉͂͐͝ͅ☒̴̢̼̜̞͉̠̬̼̲̱͍̉☒̸̧͙͎̱̙͇̘̟͍̥̰̮͐̽̉͑̂̒̏̑̎͂͛ in his lap at a rate of .34 droplets/second.

Located: Cyber K9 Handler C-232.

As a cybercom, Fuzz had an awaiting morning sequence to carry out, but it seemed like his owner had gotten a head start. Estimating the amount of time taken to shower & dress himself, it seemed Fuzz had 16 minutes to itself before needing to wake Alex to keep him on schedule.

At this realization, Fuzz nuzzled its way into its owner's lap.

Alarm in 960 seconds.
Entering sleep mode.

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"Alright son, in a second you're gonna read out what's there for me," said an aging human, dressed in office wear. He pointed to an ID card hanging of the neck of the taller human beside him. The older one approached, "K9, register your owner."

At the prompt, the taller of the two took the other's place & announced, "Cyber K9 Handler C-232: Alejandro Cuesta." He hesitated a bit, eye darting up & back down to the ID as he spoke.

Registering Cyber K9 Handler C-232.
Status: Active K9.

Suddenly, he'd been given access to latent functions reserved for active units. The UI became filled with extra information, like the heartrates of the two humans & the estimations of the two's state of minds. One: Leaning forward, drawn brows, clenched jaw... Nervous. The other: half-lidded, leaned back, arms crossed... Apathetic. Voice box hummed, "... I am Alejandro Cuesta's Cyber K9."

"Alright, register aliases."

"Oh uh, Alex works."

"Hello, Alex works."

"God dammit," The mechanic fussed & nudged Alejandro out of the way, "Gimme a sec."

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6:23 AM

Alejandro woke when the lump of leather stirred in his lap for the second time. His offline systems would have him reposition himself every 10 minutes to prevent something like components shifting, Alejandro recalled someone saying at work.
For a moment, he stayed like that, soaking in the low sun. He'd idly pet Fuzz & lament the probable crinkling of the book he'd been reading. No doubt was it ruined under the shifting weight of the big loaf &, as he'd come to realize, the dripping his hair contributed earlier that morning. He'd gotten up around 5 for whatever reason that day; nothing wrong with starting the day an hour early, he figured.
Accepting the loss with a huff, Alejandro gave his dog a firm pat, "C'mon bud, get up."

Soft whirring filled the silence of the morning. With a robotic whine, Fuzz roused to give a big stretch across Alejandro's chest; if it weren't for the armor he'd accidentally fallen asleep in, the scuffed up paws would have definitely left a scratch. From the amount of walking his little body's done, the leather of his limbs were already beginning to wear off & show metal. The reminding sight made Alejandro's heart twist.

Another pat. "Feeling okay? You didn't wake me up today. Maybe... we should get you checked out?" At the suggestion, the dog shook his head at an almost concerning speed. He jumped up onto the newly made bed — from before he fell back asleep — & gave a fiery bark toward the blinds, leaving a singe on a couple.

"Uh! No sir. Bad!" With a huff, Alejandro got to his feet to fan away the smoke with the paperback — a trashy pay-per-word romance novel whose title wasn't really worth mentioning. Alarm averted, he smacked his hand against the book, directing the sound at Fuzz with a frown, "Bad dog. What the hell?"

"System diagnostics come back tolerable," came from Fuzz's speaker in that apathetic, Starsoft David voice. One of these days Alejandro would get around to downloading something more fitting... One day.

"Tolerable is setting us on fire?!"

Another fuel-expelling bark. Alejandro threw his hands up, "¡Ya! I get it." Fuzz nodded, walking a couple circles before plopping down on the bed with a satisfied gruff. Alejandro wished he'd gotten that extra hour of sleep after all, feeling his eyes roll at the sight.

Having left Fuzz to nap, Alejandro stood in front of the mirror with a set head tilt & frown. He unbuckled & unzipped parts of his armor to soothe out his nap lines and then, like clockwork, he dressed himself. Smoothing out his sleeves & lapel, he considered the vision in the mirror.
The state of himself was... in Fuzz's words, tolerable. The neck of his armor stuck out past both the button-up & suit collar. The edges of his armor's velcro & zippers showed through the beige suit a bit oddly. There was an ink stain on the right wrist from last week's event. Dry cleaning was expensive, alright?
His hair had dried wrong, most noticeably, though he supposed the suit would offset that. A part of him considered jumping into the shower again, but he had a report to turn in before heading into that luncheon. Bad hair day, then; adds character.

"Ready?" He asked when he turned back around to face his now-drooling cyber dog. Fuel was getting all over his sheets. He'd have to clean that up this afternoon. That thought made him just wanna head out sooner, so with a tug on Fuzz's handle, they did.

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9:31 AM

Knock knock.

"Got your report. Would've given you the afternoon, but good on you getting this in."

"Oh. Morning, chief," Alejandro swiveled to face the stout middle-aged man who'd stepped up to the desk he'd been occupying that morning - not assigned to him... yet. He tugged at his sleeve's trim & averted his eyes, "Yeah well, got up early so you know. Actually, I'm just heading out."

"Don't let me keep you," The chief's eyes wandered the little semi-cubicle, with Alejandro's following, before finally landing down at Fuzz. He must've noticed the paws, because he then mused, "Wanna leave it here? The maintenance guys could reskin it while you're out."

Alejandro pursed his lips in thought, watching Fuzz stifle a reaction; acting out here would mean a definite visit to maintenance. "Uh, maybe later. The, uh, kids like seeing him. Er, it." Did kids attend luncheons? Alejandro didn't even know.

"Hrm..." The chief's gaze darted between the two, before nodding, "Good thinkin'." He rested his hand on the desk's divider, stepping out before halting.

"And Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Fix the mop."

"Uh — Yes sir."

In a stern voice, the chief added, "You're the department's face today. Look like it."

Alejandro felt his face fall when the chief took his leave. That last part wasn't as honorable as the chief's tone had implied it to be. Part of his duties as a new firemen was, evidently, playing fireman dress up whenever events called for it. Stuff like setting up recruitment booths at schools or attending these kinds of charity luncheons on behalf of the department. It couldn't really be helped; the other guys handled calls, while newbies were left with the chores.

Alejandro combed a hand through his "mop" — bit rude, really. It was short. More like a broom, than a mop — before landing his hand over his mouth, feeling at the downturned corners of his lips. Alejandro grimaced. The effects were lasting less & less these days. He reached a hand into the crossbody bag he'd strapped across Fuzz's back.

Pill popped, Alejandro slumped. He melted a bit into his chair, a calmness settling into features. The chief's voice echoed internally: Look like it. From his side, Fuzz gave a whine & nuzzled into a limp hand.

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9:38 AM

The commute was to be around 7 minutes. From his readings, Alejandro recalled it having been doubled some 30 years ago without today's advancements in transportation.
It'd be 9:45 when they arrived; an exact 15 minutes before the event started. Perfectly early enough to settle into whatever table the organizers set him up with. Luckily, he thought, he didn't have to carry those hologram pop-up banners with him, like he did at booths. He just had to show up, eat, chat with department sponsors if they recognized him, & go home; Chief had said he would've given him the afternoon off, after all. Surely that still stood.

When he could, Alejandro avoided heading north. He didn't know; wasn't his scene or something like that. Halfway into the trip, when the bus made a stop, he remembered why.

Net U. As though he knew, Fuzz plopped his head into Ale's lap. Alejandro pet him, more for himself rather than the pup. Like a cruel joke, memories of school came to the forefront. When he'd been called into the counsellors, urging him to take a chance. That there were talks of Net making exceptions. That his grades were more than enough to be considered. That with a couple more extra curriculars, he'd have a good chance at candidacy. That —

Without a second thought, he reached into Fuzz's bag, tugging at the dog's handles when he pulled away.

Peace. The rest of the ride went smoothly after that. Great, even. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'd catch sight of the Needle before heading in. A mechanical whine.

Anyone got cute formatting to share?

Usually, I take a look at @Exit's C O N C E P T S   ᵇʸ ᴱˣᴵᵗ in the Test Forum if I want the most Vogue of RPG.

However, if you're feeling more arts & crafty, @Roach has two (1 and 2) threads in Article & Guides that gives some good pointers on how to develop your bbcoding.

@Mole

Ooh, thank you so much! These two are awesome!

𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬

o o c

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The empty OOC tab because we use PMs.

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𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬

:O

𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬

c h a r a c t e r s

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𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬

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Appearance

Yan Huiyin

(鷰辉霪 Yàn Huīyín) Surname Yan, "bright heavy rain"

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_{ᴀɢᴇ 17
ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ♀
ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ / ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ 160 cm / 60 kg
ʀᴀᴄᴇ human
ᴀʟɪɢɴᴍᴇɴᴛ lawful neutral
ᴛʀᴀɪᴛꜱ refined, perceptive}

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p o w e r s

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Phoenix Feather Flame Fist

A supplementary style promoted by the ___ Sect. This martial art is characterized by its fluidity and flexibility. This martial art stretches one's muscles out until things like doing the splits, bending over backwards and grabbing your own ankles, and other such things are easy to do. Practitioners of this art would use their hands like a bird's wings, smoothly deflecting enemy attacks. Their feet would be like talons and beaks, using fast and precise kicks to hit the opponent in their weak spots and pierce defenses. They spend extensive portions of their time perfecting their skill in qigong, allowing them to leap high in the air, perform acrobatics, and scale walls.
At higher levels, qi is incorporated into their techniques, allowing them to command self-made projectiles.

p e r s o n a l i t y

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— Outwardly reserved. Known by few, seen by many. Upon first encounter, Huiyin may come across as a wallflower. On her neckline of her robes is a fur lining that she's known to turtle her head into. Since joining ___ Sect, she has carefully curated an image of being a quietly magnetic kind of girl. Years of social training has allowed her great skill in navigating social situations or charming those who converse with her.

— Carries herself with the deportment of a noblewoman, choosing her words carefully to maintain a refined nature about her. Values how she's perceived above all. If one cares to looks closely, it's possible to see through her.

— Cunning, sharp mind.

— Buried beneath all this is an spirited youth, flame dulled from apathy. By nature, she's not easily swayed; diligent in following through whatever her mind's set on.

— Lying makes her sick to her stomach.

h i s t o r y

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As a child, she was as charismatic as she is today, though not as self-aware. She was both a leader among the children and openly a bully towards the meek, lonely ones who wanted to feel included. She’d entertain herself by asking that impossible things be done and the like. Towards parents, she was an angel, as she’d look after their children during the day and ensure her friends’ safe arrival home come nightfall. Though she did this, it was only to really ensure they didn’t idle or plot amongst themselves. A bully!

Even young, her mind was sharp. Luckily, she’d been blessed into a rich family who could afford to send even her, a daughter, off to pursue academia after her two older brothers. She went without complaint, knowing doing so was her responsibility to her family, though she longed for nothing more than to play. Her lessons bored her but she kept at it, mindlessly. Soon, studying literature and culture turned into seeking cultivation, which turned into pursuing a sect.

At the recommendation of her teacher, a lofty scholar with prominence in government, she applied to the ___ Sect where she was narrowly picked.

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𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬

登三终极峰

Ascend the Three Supreme Peaks

@Zeroth x @miztli

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z u i g a o m o u n t a i n s e c t

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最高山派, "Supreme" Mountain Sect

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Characterized by its three most prominent peaks, Zuigao Mountain Sect is the world's most prominent cultivation sect. It is notoriously difficult to get accepted into; bribes or heavenly interventions are no stranger to the stories of the disciples studying here.
Zuigao Mountain Sect boasts a vast curriculum, stretching across the three peaks of the mountain & culminating into "paths."

Locations

Lower Mountain, The Path to the Sect

Zuigao Mountain looms in the midst of a great range, covering the eastern provinces of The Kingdom of Longhu. One of the larger nations on a great super-continent, Longhu has a long history as the central seat of the Wulin, a mystic "otherworld" of Martial Artists and Cultivators. Its eastern borders are the closest to ancient and powerful natural landmarks--great forests, canyons, and of course the mountains. Within these places are Spirit Beasts, long-lost ruins, and other such things that attract many Cultivators.

At Zuigao's base, plains give way to hills which soon give way to moss-covered cliffs and thick woods. The Zuigao Sect Road is a path of over three thousand steps up the mountain, interspersed by narrow ledges, rickety wooden bridges, and perilous climbs. Just making one's way up this road to knock at the Sect's gates is proof of one's strength and commitment, and could be considered proof of acceptance into the Sect's Outer Disciples.

Lower Peak: Outer Disciple Training Ground

When the Zuigao Sect was first founded, these were its original buildings and courtyards. As the Sect grew in power and influence, and expanded upward into the other two peaks, these older structures became the domain of its Outer Disciples. These "students" are really more like servants--the first few hours of every day are spent doing chores, splitting firewood, drawing water, and so forth. Their training really only consists of standard classes for their education and demonstrations of the basic martial arts in the Sect--they do not even have access to the true Cultivation Arts. Instead, they begin their cultivation with regular breathing and meditation exercises, to simply "gather" Qi within their bodies by drawing it from the rich ambient energy of the mountains.

Outer Elders, those who became too old to become Inner Disciples--even though they might have become quite strong as Cultivators--are given reign by the Sect to instruct, discipline, and organize the Outer Disciples. Every year, an Exam is held to determine which of the newest generation will be allowed to enter the Main Sect as Inner Disciples and learn the true arts of the Three Supreme Peaks. To qualify for this Exam, Outer Disciples must either perform a fitting task selected by the Elders, or reach the 7th Rank of the Training Foundation Realm through their own efforts--and it is expected that they will actually be of a higher rank than that before truly joining the Inner Court.

Middle Peak, Sect's Central Grounds

The "true body" of the Zuigao Sect, where Inner Disciples and many of the Junior and Senior Masters live and train. To truly be considered an Inner Disciple, one must Breakthrough the bottleneck of the Training Foundation Realm and enter the Qi Condensation Realm. At this point, they will be taught one of the three Cultivation Methods of the Zuigao Sect, depending on their own suitability. Until they rise higher in rank, Inner Disciples will devote the vast majority of their time to training--receiving instruction from Junior Masters, performing various exercises, and Cultivating in relative isolation among themselves. But once an Inner Disciple proves themselves worthy, they gain the right to take on Missions from the Sect regarding various affairs within the Wulin. To simultaneously prove their strength, and maintain their position within the political sphere of the martial arts world, Inner Disciples may be sent on quests to defeat Spirit Beasts, to escort allies of the Sect to different locations, or even to fight with lower ranked, evil martial artists.

If an Inner Disciple is lucky enough to be chosen by a Senior Master--or perhaps even a Sect Elder!--they will become a Core Disciple. Core Disciples are expected to learn directly at the feat of their Master, and will be initiated into secretive techniques and receive more dedicated training resources to perfect themselves and their Cultivation. Such people will be expected to carry the Sect on into the future, and once they become Masters in their own right they will take on duties of teaching lesser Disciples.

Deep Within Sect Central Grounds: Sacred Meditation Hall

An Inner Disciple Training with Claw Gauntlets

A Junior Master Meditates on Sect Scriptures

Mountain Peak: Core Disciples and Masters Only

Within the Peak: Ancestral Master's Spirit Realm

Zuigao Mountain Peak's Teachings // Three Paths

Martial Art Styles:

• Dragon Slaying Tiger Fist
  The Dragon Slaying Tiger Fist defies nature and simultaneously embraces it. A Dragon is said to be a divine being, a demigod of thunderstorms and monsoons. Though many artworks and poetic imagery display it as a rival with a Tiger, it is only in the sense that one is king of mundane beasts, and the other king of supernatural creatures. A mortal creature could never really match up to something that could breathe lightning or summon floods. So the mortal creature must surpass its limits. To obtain claws capable of tearing out a dragon's throat, the practitioner of Dragon Slaying Tiger Fist pushes their body beyond the realm of humanity. It is a Hard Style, External Martial Art that makes use of iron-body conditioning, explosive and powerful movements, and a fiercely aggressive personality to dominate all opponents. (In the non-fictional world, it could be compared to a hybrid art of Traditional Okinawan Karate, Chinese Bajiquan, and the various Tiger Kung Fu systems. It incorporates stand-up grappling, rooted stances, and prefers powerful linear techniques when striking.)
• Phoenix Feather Flame Fist
  Compared to the Tiger's aggression, the Phoenix is a creature of harmony. But just as the Fenghuang is born from the Sun, an attitude of warmth and passion should flow out of one's self to ensure their prosperity. This doesn't mean that this martial art teaches an endless kindness--merely that one's mindset and goals should turn their actions towards positive karma, so that the universe will respond in like manner. The flexibility of both mind and body to deal with any attacker, and the fiery heart to defeat evil--these are vital for a practitioner of Phoenix Feather Flame Fist. As an Internal, Soft Style martial art, where Dragon Slaying Tiger Fist would harden the muscles, this art instead stretches them. Things like doing the splits, bending over backwards and grabbing your own ankles, and other such things are easy for these practitioners. They use their hands like a bird's wings, smoothly deflecting enemy attacks. Their feat are like talons and beaks, using fast and precise kicks to hit the opponent in their weak spots and pierce defenses. They are able to leap high in the air, run up walls, and perform various acrobatic feats. At higher levels, they incorporate more Qi into their techniques, even using projectiles of energy. (Non-fictional comparison, a hybrid of Tae Kwon Do, Northern Shaolin, and various Crane Style Kung Fu.)

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Weapon Styles (Three Holy Beasts Art):

• Stone Lion (Shishi/Fu Dog) Claws - Clawed gauntlets and boots. Either worn 1 at a time, in pairs of each (gloves or boots) or all 4 together. Pairs well with martial arts, or holding another weapon while still wearing the gauntlets.
• Pixiu (Sort-of Gryphon) Wing Swords - Dao sabers that can either be used 1 at a time or dual wielding 2. Pairs well with the Phoenix Feather's style.
• Qilin (Sort-of Unicorn) Horn Spear - A great spear (up to 10 feet long) that is only used by itself, and has the most extensive list of techniques and strategies. If someone specializes in this, it's almost an entire style unto itself, without need to pair with anything else. By default the spear's tip is a regular straight blade, but some students choose to use a different style head such as a halberd, a cross spear, etc. Its techniques can also be applied to staves and some clubs.

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Cultivation Arts:

• Four Beasts Gateway Method
  Most Cultivators have to seek out "sacred land" to get the most out of Cultivating--a place that has high natural energy, usually somewhere near a vein of energy in the earth, or at the top of a mountain, and so on. But this method, using Feng Shui based on the Four Sacred Cardinal Animals, the Four Seasons, and so on creates an "artificial" sacred land. Essentially, special items are placed in a special way to "redirect" all the natural Qi in an area to a single location, where the Cultivator waits to absorb it. A feedback loop is created and amplified within their body to make the Qi even more powerful. However, the danger of this method is that the current can become too strong, and the Qi might grow faster than the Cultivator can contain it. Those who aren't blessed with great control of their Qi, or a body that has a naturally high capacity to contain the energy, will struggle with this method. At worst, they might explode or something horrible. (See the insane game, Amazing Cultivation Simulator.)
• Heavenly Riches Method
  Cultivators usually circulate their energy through the various meridians of the body, but when it comes time to project that energy as a technique--such as, say, a shockwave through the palms--or to disable that energy inside an enemy's body, they use Acupoints--roughly 500 differently points all over the body, like nerve clusters for Qi. This method teaches the student to both absorb and vent Qi through those same Acupoints--allowing them to take in much larger quantities of Qi than their body can naturally hold, and vent the excess when needed. They will gain proficiency with Qi Projection techniques faster as well, because they are constantly learning the same skills to manipulate their Acupoints. However, they run the risk of wasting too much of their own Qi when doing this, and their speed at developing internal techniques--which collect Qi inside the body without letting it leak out--is much slower than normal.
• Eightfold Spirit Forging Method
  Qi is passed through the Cosmic Orbit, a common feature of many cultivation styles, but instead of a continuous circuit, the user forms “pools” of Qi within the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Each of these pools undergoes a purification process before passing the Qi on to the next pool. Once a “current” is established, the pool itself will form a “sub circulation” of Qi, allowing circulation and purification to take place simultaneously. Large amounts of Qi can’t be taken in all at once, but a given amount of Qi unique to each user can be purified to a much higher state, faster than other methods. Unlike the other two methods which require particular talents, the Eightfold Method may be more or less suited for anyone based on their individual needs and preferences.

s t o r y

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Feng Tai has no recollection of his past, seemingly born a peasant boy. Yan Huiyin is a young miss, daughter of wealthy merchants. Despite their circumstances, both are now outer disciples of the world's greatest cultivation sect. Within them both burns a twin flame that yearns to achieve immortality and... Ascend the Three Supreme Peaks!

s u r r o u n d i n g a r e a s

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灵兽林, Spiritual Beast Forest

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The Spiritual Beast Forest located quite a ways away from Zuigao. Spiritual Heart Fruits are known to ripen at a specific time of year and present its qi-infused seed near the time of Zuigao's promotion exams. Low-threat spirit beasts are known to wander the forest & attack intruders. Tread with caution.

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