Questioner
Eithan mentions to Cassias that the Naru clan ran their own students through the trials. But how did they activite them when each trial requires a Blackflame technique to be used on the crystals?
Will Wight
That's just the traditional way to activate it; there are other ways, like the ward key someone else in this thread mentioned.Besides which, the Naru clan has an extensive collection of Blackflame treasures and artifacts. If they needed to produce Blackflame madra to activate the course, they could.
Questioner
Reddit: Will has actually said that he didn’t consider the “evolution” of sacred arts when creating the system
Will Wight
Hold on there, Skippy. I don’t remember saying that, but I probably did. I trust your memory more than mine, and also it’s true that I didn’t consider the evolution of sacred arts. However, not considering the evolution of the system means I didn’t decide who first practiced sacred arts, or where that term comes from, how the different stages became measured and codified, etc. I do know where the first Remnant comes from for a Path. Sacred beasts leave Remnants, and sacred beasts advance naturally over time. So you might absorb one of these wild Remnants that’s compatible with your own madra. Also, natural spirits (like Little Blue) are sometimes born from convergences of aura, and they can be bonded. They’re basically Remnants that no one died to leave behind. Third, people sometimes capture Remnants and feed them different types of madra or keep them in certain environments of aura until they adapt. This is intended to create a certain kind of Goldsign until your sect or clan or whatever grows large enough that you have a reasonable supply of Remnants from your specific Path.
Questioner
I'm still turning over the line the Beast King had about "two golds he put to a task (mercy and Yerin)." Not sure if I missed something, Will missed something, or it's actually a secret and we didn't notice him influence them. Aside from that, it was the best book in the series for me.
Will Wight
It was meant to imply that the beasts they kept having to run around were in fact meant to steer their path and guide the conflict, but I recognize that was too vague. I cut some of the scenes that would have clarified that.I might just change his line in future editions.
Questioner
Who returned the rest of the Eyes?
Will Wight
This wasn’t the only way that Eyes got back to Ghostwater. Just one way.
Questioner
[Reddit comment tree]
-Is the Sword Sage Really Dead? From what we have seen over the course of Ghost Water sages are really fucking strong and sturdy, so I don't think some poison and a couple of low golds could kill him.
--Yerin absorbed his remnant. He might need to still use that if he is alive.
---The difficulty of a bunch of jades managing to off the sage is probably due to a combination of godbeast crypt related issues and the lack of clear definitions of power levels at the time of writing
Will Wight
That’s a perfectly reasonable assumption. However! This is one of the few times in which I actually did intend him to be absurdly stronger than the Jades and still die. There is a reason, and it was planned from the very beginning. Many times I can’t say that, but I can this time!
Tievel
How much time do you think you bought yourself with Ghostwater's massive success before your team goes back to nagging you about OKAK?
Will Wight
A week.
Lil' Blue
What is Yerin's ideal date if she ever wanted to go on one?
Will Wight
Nice try.
Kazology
Which would you rather fight, one Orthos-sized Lil Blue or one hundred Lil Blue-sized Orthos?
Will Wight
One Orthos-sized Lil' Blue.
Decadakon
What's the most delicious meal on cradle
Will Wight
I don't know, I've never been there.
Lil' Blue
What's Orthos's favorite meal?
Will Wight
Live chickens.
Reigan Shen
What purpose do Dross' core and Madra channels serve? Can he actually cycle with them?
Will Wight
That was all part of Dross evolving from a construct to an independent spirit. Without some form of madra channels, he wouldn't be able to process power. He cannot cycle aura, though technically Lindon could cycle aura to him. If he wanted.
Lil' Blue
What are Lindon's gains?
Does he need to cut?
Will Wight
He hasn't skipped leg day, I can tell you that much.
myzvdr
How does LIndon's new improved body stack up. Combat adjacent, bottom 1/3, mid 1/3 top 1/3
Will Wight
What?
myzvdr
Compared to combat path bodies
Will Wight
Oh, gotcha. He would stack up well against higher-level combat bodies in the Blackflame Empire. And he will do so very soon.
Decadakon
How do you balance lightning and storm based paths?
Will Wight
Honestly, I've never been a fan of lightning as an element because it's difficult to balance. That said, yes we will see at least one.
Your Benevolent Dictator
What do you think of fan-made Paths?
Will Wight
I'm not sure how to answer that. Literally, I'm not sure what an answer would look like.
RMvice
Does Lindon need to cycle aura/madra specifically for dross or can dross live off of pure madra (follow up Q:So dross can be sustained off if blackflame madra?)
Will Wight
Dross can live off his pure madra.. In fact, Dross lives off his connection to Lindon, so his madra wouldn't even need to be pure. Dross is tied to Lindon's spirit now. As long as Lindon is healthy, so is Dross.
Chris646
If all Monarchs can travel like Northstrider and at least Heralds have a gate key why don’t they run whenever they are in danger? Is it just pride/reputation? Or can someone sufficiently skilled follow them? I’m asking because at one point you mentioned Reigen Shan killed his biggest rival, and people thought Northstrider was dead. Is it just that the rival wasn’t losing but was suddenly overwhelmed or is teleporting way not an option or..? Also, would the trick Jai Daishou used to remain alive work at higher ranks or would that person either be too strong to bring back or would someone better immediately see through it?
Will Wight
That's a lot of questions, but I'm boiling it down to what I think you're asking: >Why do Monarchs and Heralds not just teleport away when they're about to die? They do. But anyone capable of killing a Monarch or Herald can follow them.
AJQuestioner
The myth that Lindon read when he was still back in Sacred Valley discussed true badges. Can we expect to hear any more about true badges or are they no longer part of the story?
Will Wight
Some of what Lindon found were real, and others were myths.
Terrible
Were there ever sacred artists that use a hunger madra Path?
Will Wight
Effectively no.
Kalani
Would it be easier for Lindon to veil his unused core? Possible to hide it from others perception completely?
Will Wight
Yes, people have to scan more closely to detect his second core even when he's not veiling it. Blackflame is easier to detect than pure madra, and a core that's in use is easier to detect than one that isn't.
