Puppet on a string

The Crow tensed, feathers ruffling as she prepared to fly away, back to the safety and comfort of her nest. But just as her muscles bunched to take off, something clamped down on her will like iron bands around her wings, holding her steady—both literally and figuratively.

(Option 2 chosen - Force Her to Obey)

(Req 80-20(control) = 60)

(Rolled - 75/ Passed!)

There was a pang of resistance, a flutter of instinctive struggle, but it was fleeting, faint, like a candle sputtering against a gust. There was no true drive behind it, nothing stronger than the habits of a scavenger bird. Her body, accustomed to following the currents of instinct, relaxed with remarkable speed, the will to flee vanishing as quickly as it had flared.

(+10 control)

(Control - 20 +10 = 30)

(Bond = 0(trust) + 30(control) = 30 (Rank 3 traits unlocked for purchase / + 1 trait point) (next milestone - Bond = 40)

For a moment, you considered what it meant, this dynamic of -Trust- and -Control- within your bond. Did these asymmetrical values hint at future consequences? And then, you dismissed it. She was just a crow, after all. A mere creature of feathers and bone, tethered to you by a fragile thread of will. This was no time to get tangled up in ethical musings with a bird. So, instead, you leaned in, feeding just enough reassurance into her mind to smooth over any frayed edges of unease. She didn't need to know she was being controlled, just as a leaf doesn't realize it's drifting on a current.

Obediently—though she didn't know it was obedience at all—the Crow settled, calm and untroubled. You could sense the faint strengthening of the metaphysical strands binding the two of you, like adding an extra coil to a length of rope.

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Rank 3 traits :

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Preying on the Weak

The crow's diet has hardened her instincts, and she knows how to target those less capable. Against weaker foes, she attacks with deadly precision, a hunter of the small and vulnerable.

(Effect: +5 to all attack rolls against weaker foes.)

(Cost: 1 Trait Point)

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Second Wind

The crow's resilience is unmatched; even when wounded, she manages to push on. A broken wing or painful injury won't stop her from flying or fighting, almost as if she's whole.

(Effect: Injuries cause 5 points less deduction in dice rolls.)

(Cost: 2 Trait Points)

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Silent Feathers

When the crow wishes, she can move like a shadow, her feathers masking every sound. She slips through branches, unseen and unheard, as silent as the night.

(Effect: All bodily movements become completely silent. (Doesn't include clothes or equipment) ACTIVE SKILL - cost 1 Qi/min)

(Cost: 2 Trait Points)

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Available trait points - 1

(All previous traits are available as well)

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Very good.

The sun slipped lower, the sky shifting from blazing golds to dusky violets, as the oasis began to settle under the cooling night. The noise of the day faded, replaced by the rustling of leaves as the evening breeze picked up, carrying with it scents of spices and smoke from lingering fires. Shadows stretched longer across the ground, pooling in the alleys, draping themselves over the worn stone paths like an old cloak. Somewhere in the distance, a jackal let out a long, hollow howl, and the oasis answered back with an eerie silence.

Through the Crow's eyes, you looked down on the fading marketplace, the dwindling figures of vendors packing up under the twilight's waning light. The temperature was dropping, the heat of the day fading from the stone beneath her feet, and the Crow shivered, feathers fluffing up instinctively against the chill.

It was time to think.

You had grown… decently content with this host. Fragile, yes, but nimble, unnoticed, and adept at survival. And for now, your primary objective was strength. Fighting, training, or a blend of both; you needed to keep pressing forward. You wanted to take advantage of every resource the oasis offered. Be it other creatures, food, or even potential upgrades to your abilities, this place held promise.

As the last sliver of sunlight disappeared, the night settled into a still, expectant hush, and you knew. Tomorrow would be fruitful.

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Choose 3 activities for tomorrow:

Fighting - high risk, higher reward.

Available options: Rats, Cats, An Old Vulture, a Scorpion

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Training - Focus on refining a skill that could save you in the wild.

Available options: Flying, Stealth

(Brawling requires live combat or a teacher)

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(You can choose - 3 x fighting rats or 3x flight training or 1x fight rats + 1x stealth training + 1x fight cat. 

Any combination works! Also, for fighting, you can add details like - "ambush" or "head on fighting")