The Legend of Hieda: Daughter Zero - Completed

[Fightest]

> The first page of the book of infinite thickness opens with the sound of a single strike of a hammer upon the world-anvil.
> The divine existence, the measure of celestial power greedily takes hold of its host - a girl, barely more than a child caught in the right place at the right time - now forever-bound to a doom surpassing that of mortals.
> The girl utters a silent scream as power courses through a body far from ready to handle a fragment of a god descending upon it. Her torment is unimaginable...

> ...For all except you, Akyu, last scion of the Hieda clan, having recently awakened to untold celestial power through the existence buried deep in the core of your soul.
> Now your ancestors' memory is your memory, and their destiny is yours to meet.
> You, Akyu, Are. You Are the progenitor of your entire clan, and it is your being that will sow the seeds of Gensokyo's salvation.
> But for now, Are of the Hieda clan can only live out the suffering of the mortal child that she is as fate-threads connect her little destiny to far grander designs...

> ...

> Time passes like the endless lines of soldiers march across the plains before you, mercilessly trampling the wildgrasses and fieldflowers in their path. The life-spirits of the green and gold fields have long been placated and compensated for this intrusion into their territory. It was a simple negotiation - their cooperation would mean this world's survival.
> Your loyal aide stands at your side, ready with her report as you ponder your best strategy.

> ...

> You delve deeper into your memories. No detail must be overlooked. You must remember everything there is to yourself as Are.
> You try to remember the essence of your celestial power. Was it:
> The burning Golden Flame of hubris and perfection?
> or
> The shining Crimson Light of majesty and dark contracts?
> or
> The pulsing Black Void of corruption and wisdom?

> You delve deeper still.

> You try to remember everything there is to know about your most trusted lieutenant.
> Was she:
> Obviously, she was
> A fiery ruffian, violent and scornful, but fiercely loyal to her few friends?
> or
> A solemn bodyguard, ever at her general's side through fire and hardship?
> unbefitting, this treatment, still she
> or
> A wise and proud spirit, hiding a compassionate nature under a cold exterior?
> she accedes
> or
> A stray thought, elegant and attractive, a great lover, highly intelligent and supremely modest?

[Bardiche]

> Wasn't our power the Golden Flame?
> Our lieutenant, at least, was all three of them, at different times.
> Left right left right up down up down, start select!

[Fightest]

> Wasn't our power the Golden Flame?
> Our lieutenant, at least, was all three of them, at different times.
> Left right left right up down up down, start select!

> The parser was quite careful on never establishing the nature of Akyu's power during Akyu Quest.
> Make a choice. Are has but one lieutenant.
> If that was the correct combination - which it is not - it would proceed to do nothing, as you are already in God Mode.

[nolrai2]

So what are the three powers?
My guesses having not read Akyu Quest:
GF -> Heaven
CL -> Makai
BV -> Underground

[Hanzo K.]

Golden Flame = Celestial Power
Black Void could be a more demonic power, similar to Makai.
But to me, Crimson Light sounds more like it could be tied to a certain Mansion.

Here's my reasoning.
Majesty = Charisma
Vampires are a sort of demon, and there was a contract made with them in the past.
Now, who do we know that tends to fit the bill for that? Remilia.

[nolrai2]

Yeah, Patululi, Koakuma and Sakuya all fit in that dang well.

Its the wisdom part that made me think Underground..but now that I reread, Byakuren fits much better.

So thoughts on the actual choice?

I vote against the solemn bodyguard, but not for any actual reason.  The others just sound (slightly) more fun.

[Hanzo K.]

I'm more for the fiery ruffian myself. There's just something about that sort that appeals to me.
Plus, there's the whole Red Oni Blue Oni dynamic.
The Calm Heroine, and the Hotheaded Lancer.

But you also gotta think about the Corruption thing too though.
..Hang on, wasn't it mentioned that a corruption was what actually brought all this to happen? In that case, since we were the best person for the job then...

[Fightest]

Golden Flame = Celestial Power

To clarify, all three are different flavours of said celestial power. Reimu and Byakuren wielded the Golden Flame-type, and Akyu felt that Youmu carried the potential to awaken to Black Void. In fact, let me quote myself:

> "Celestial essence: fuel and engine to accomplish near-divine feats of ability. Designed and seeded in select individuals in the First War, where it demonstrated unparalleled success. Variation over time has led to multiple distinct types of Celestial essence existing. Two individuals currently possess awakened Celestial essences, both of the Golden Flame variety - Byakuren of the Hijiri and Reimu of the Hakurei."
> "Black Void and Crimson Light-type essence effects poorly-documented due to uncooperative nature of their wielders. Motivations and actions often run contrary to logical projections. Black Void essence formed from close proximity to the impurity located in the Oblivion Well. Crimson Light essence shows strong traces of demonic power."

[nolrai2]

Okay, so I should have been making Exalted connections not Touhou ones.

I admit that honestly the Golden Flame sounds less interesting then either the Black Void or the Crimson Darkness.

The  fiery ruffian sounds fun. But so does the elegant and attractive,.

[Hanzo K.]

Are could easily be the fourth option herself, little was known about her except by the Hieda Clan itself.
So I could easily imagine her as the calm, graceful, elegant, and wise leader, while the fiery ruffian serves as a more spirited foil.

That said, it's time to study me some Exalted, as it's clear I won't be much use without a bit more than what little I do have.

Near as I can tell...
Golden Flame = Solars
Black Void = Abyssals(?)
Crimson Light = Lunars(?)

[Fightest]

That said, it's time to study me some Exalted, as it's clear I won't be much use without a bit more than what little I do have.

I strongly urge thread-readers to not worry about it and go with what sounds good to them. While I am thickly borrowing from Exalted, I am certainly not going to be using conceits and mechanics that I will not inform you of first. Furthermore, I am also adapting flavour - again, it is based on Exalted, but I will be sure to explain and exposit everything relevant. As such, no prior knowledge of Exalted is required.

[Hanzo K.]

Well, it'll at least help me come to better conclusions with some things, so I consider it useful info.
Besides, I collect small facts. It's a hobby of mine.

[nolrai2]

Then maybe you can use the fact that pigeons find thier first cousins more attractive then either closer or further related birds.
...or not.

So one vote for The  fiery ruffian , one for elegant and attractive?

Is the power source thing a vote or just a thing for us to think about?

[Hanzo K.]

Well, I have no particularly strong feelings either way about the powers, just the lieutenant.


EDIT: Did not know that. Filing that away now.

[Sonae]

May one not knowledgeable on past readings still play?

[Hanzo K.]

I'd think so Sonae, just glance over the previous akyu quest thread, which isn't very many pages long, and covers all of of what one will need for this one.

[Fightest]

Is the power source thing a vote or just a thing for us to think about?

A vote. To be made soon-like!

May one not knowledgeable on past readings still play?

Absolutely! It is my responsibility that things make sense without having to reference an entire previous Quest.

[Sonae]

Eeeh...You're not being sarcastic right? ^^'...

[Fightest]

Eeeh...You're not being sarcastic right? ^^'...

I am being quite serious - it is not my intention to make an impenetrable mess of self-reference.

[Sonae]

Okay o:
Then if you don't mind, I might just join for the ride. Need to make up for my Akyuu deficiency

Anyways the essence types are for Akyuu correct?

[Bardiche]

I'll put my vote in for Golden Flame and Ruffian, because fiery bimbos are best.

[nolrai2]

I find Crimson Light the most interesting Essence type, Corruption and Wisdom are interesting themes. More subtle in some ways then Pride and Power.

[Fightest]

I find Crimson Light the most interesting Essence type, Corruption and Wisdom are interesting themes. More subtle in some ways then Pride and Power.

You're going to need to clarify before I start counting up votes - Crimson Light was Majesty and Dark Contracts. Corruption and Wisdom are Black Void.

[nolrai2]

Crimson Light is the cooler name, but count my vote as Black Void.

[Sonae]

I vote Crimson Light. Seems most interesting to me.

As for the assistant.../looks through options again

[Kasu]

Hmm...  I'll pitch in a vote for Black Void.

[Fightest]

Lieutenant vote closed. Essence vote still open.

> Memories about your aide flood in. You had met her on your travels along the far edges of the world, where the laws of the gods give way to the fundamental laws of the world itself...

> Your search for elemental weapons has brought you here, to the deepest south, where desert and wasteland spread farther than the eye can see.
> You have left the last bastion of Celestial civilization far behind, along with its comforts of absolute climate control and exotic spice trade.
> So near to the Elemental Pole of Fire, it is as if the very air burns with an immortal heat. Your private skiff protects you from the worst of this hostile environment, and you yourself have potent defenses against the ravaging blaze, but the onslaught is more than just physical - you feel your mind burning out.
> It is best not to tarry long here.

> The firebird, the Garda, the phoenix - all the same name for the greatest of fire elementals. If you could negotiate with them and harness their power, surely then the weapons your engineers could craft would be unlike any other.
> And so, you have been following rumours of a strange being that hunts living fire itself, so far towards the elemental pole that it is impossible to tell where the world ends and endless flames begin.
> Your skiff's powerful essence engine will be unable to handle the interference from the elemental pole soon, but you have yet further to go.

[Vhaltz]

Golden Flame would be the closest to what she was like in Akyu Quest, but change is bound to make things more interesting, voting for Crimson Light.

I'm sort of confused about the current situation, I take it we're questing through our flashback, if I'm wrong feel free to ignore/change command.
> Our mind is strong, keep pressing on and call out the elemental when we feel they might be close enough

[Fightest]

I'm sort of confused about the current situation, I take it we're questing through our flashback, if I'm wrong feel free to ignore/change command.

Welcome to experimental non-chronological questing! Yes, questing through a flashback is exactly what is going on.

> Our mind is strong, keep pressing on and call out the elemental when we feel they might be close enough

> Continuing in your skiff will put severe pressure on and potentially irreversibly damage the engine. You will get to your destination faster, however. Proceed anyway?

[Vhaltz]

> We're on Godmode, there's no way a little heat can beat us! ...right?

Without anybody else taking over I feel obligated to continue, but I've barely participated in adventures yet and I don't really feel that I should go ahead with unnecessary risks and screw up the quest for you guys.