How can we tell which actions do the most good?
“We need to measure our impact and find the things that are the most promising to work on. What are the low-hanging fruits that we can work on?”
A hand shot up from her assembled leadership.
“We can make a big impact in Frosthaven if we send cultivators down to help more regularly,” Elaine said.
“Is that the best use of our time?”
The note hung in the air. A feather from the most recent group combat adorned the wall of the war room as a slim breeze made it through the open door. It might have been a stiff cold day outside but inside the future leaders of the clan, all sat in just their mystical artist's robes.
As it turned out, a thick fur coat made an excellent seat, as Jessica now knew to take advantage of. It wasn’t as comfortable as a silk hair bonnet on top of a pillow of the same material but in this world, it was about as good as it got.
“No, really I am curious. I guess I need to go down there and actually see for myself how it is. I have been a little wary of leaving the school even for such a short trip.”
“This one would be glad to show you around,” An-Yong said.
He had finally learned the lesson that she didn’t want her cultivators all jumping up to attention each time they talked. These informal meetings had given her the opportunity to present them with problems and have them turn from a problem focus to a solution focus.
“I guess I’ll take a stroll down there. Provided that you will give us no problems, Elder Fa Za?” Jessica shot a look across the room to the only cultivator that was wrapped up in furs.
Fa Za had realized that although he was strong, he wasn’t invincible and that eventually, the cold could get to him. His hubris in not accepting the cold made Jessica even more convinced that he was in the position to be more of a visiting professor than an honored adjunct.
"What about any of the other close villages?"
"Well, Frosthaven is the closest, but there are a few more clans in the valley. The Rhee Clan leads the Frosthaven Sect," An-Yong spoke like she should have known all of these.
Fa Za had let slip that he called An-Yong the coyote because of his wiry build. It definitely wasn't his hair, but she had a little thrill every time she saw him now. That Fa Za had been the cause of her first inside joke, rather than the aunties hadn't given her pause.
"What else do we know about Frosthaven? Explain it like I am five," Jessica said.
Kai had been allowed to sit in on these lessons as An Di had no one else to watch him. He'd been playing happily in a corner, but broke out into a grin when he heard that.
"Explain it like you are five, Elder?" Grace said, her face a mask of disinterest. Jessica knew that she was interested in what direction the Sect was going. Grace was a top contender for one of the next core elders if Hu didn't beat her. When Ki No and Al Le had advanced to the fourth realm, Grace spent the next two days working furiously on spear forms. Her previous cultivation path focused on the dagger and blade forms, but cultivators were cross-trained frequently.
"Yes, five years old."
"Well there are about four thousand or so people that live there-" Grace said.
"All good people!" Mary said.
"Hear hear!" Elaine said.
"-Of those people, if this one is allowed to continue.." Grace didn't glare at the aunties, but there was a meaning behind her face, “... from what we’ve heard, Frosthaven was hit by the path of the divine beast, at worse than the other three clans. This one can speak about the other clans at length if you wish?”
Jessica paused before speaking. That there were other clans, it was clear. That some of the other towns in the clans could have been affected by the divine beast as well, that was not clear.
“Scouts? Do we have a report? I guess I should have asked this sooner. Grace if you would tell us anything you’ve gleaned on how the other clans have fared as well?”
“The beast cut a part straight across, so it would be easy to trace the route back, to see the destruction. But unless it turned somewhere, it should have only done collateral damage.”
“Collateral damage is still damage,” Hu said, standing up, “But Junior Disciple Grace is correct. We have only sent emissaries to the other schools because of our situation. Does the elder want scouting parties to check in on the other clans?”
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“This is the question at hand really, isn’t it?” Jessica replied, “We have no idea if we can help the clans out, or if they were entirely unaffected. Elder Fa Za, when you flew in, did you take note of any of the towns? Did you pass any of them on your way?”
Fa Za straightened, pulling his layers of fur in. He’d unwisely not taken one of those hats she’d offered him, making it a point of pride to say no. She hadn’t pressed him on the matter, and now he was living with his decisions. Really, she should have had one of the aunties offer it to him, giving him the idea that Jessica was the sort to like a man in a hat.
“Unfortunately no, only Frost Haven is directly between our schools. The others are a bit off the path. I can quickly fly over the others, should you wish?”
In one sentence, he demonstrated air superiority. It was probably that way that she was going to train her scouts from now on. This was why the government used drones, instead of manned aircraft. Jessica imagined Fa Za as a drone, just bringing back reports for her.
“I would like that, Elder Fa Za, almost as much as I want a map,” Jessica said, raising a single eyebrow at An-Yong. He had mentioned several times that all of the maps had gone up in flames, but his artistic ability was about as bad as his cold storage skill was good.
“If this one may, Elder since we’ve sent representatives to the other schools in the area, perhaps the greatest good we can do right now, is here. If none of the other clans were hit nearly as hard as we were…” An Yong let the words linger in the air, his face trying to give meaning to his question.
Jessica glanced over briefly at her head librarian, more to get an idea of his mind than anything else. She was still trying to get herself under control from her interactions with Fa Za. The sad truth was that he did seem to be learning how to not act like a child, even as he exuded the learned helplessness of someone who had been coddled all his life.
“We don’t know that yet. The path may appear straight but over many miles, it may have turned. Who knows what the beast was searching for?” Grace said.
Jessica made a deliberate attempt to get her future leaders to buy in. But she didn’t know what she didn’t know.
The beast killed indiscriminately as it passed. The full scope of what it could do, if it could kill dozens of cultivators, even some among them at her level, was frightening.
“It seems more like a hurricane than a murderer. What is in that direction?” Jessica gestured to the direction the beast had gone three weeks earlier.
Heads swived back to An-Yong.
"That way is north to the arctic tundra. It's largely uninhabited except by spiritual beasts and only foolhardy cultivators head that way. There are few settlements farther north than here, all isolated fishing communities," An-Yong talked in a tone that made her realize that it had been memorized.
Jessica turned to Hu, gesturing for him to say more about it.
"My scouts have not ranged that far out recently Elder, but with two senior disciples..?"
The two new fourth realm disciples occupied a spot that was both unique and new. Jessica did not want to shake up the organizational charts but having those two outrank the scout leader without the requisite experience as patrol leaders meant that they needed more time.
Ki No and Ah Le now would rather have kept things as they were but their Elder had other plans. They were to be trained to see if they could be leaders, or just expensive to produce cannons. In this world, martial might counted for far more than leadership ability.
The implication that the Elders of the other Sects and Clans were primarily there through the demonstration of their mystical arts powers, caused Jessica to shudder involuntarily. It was almost as bad a system of governance as ladies in ponds handing out swords. At least in that case you came out with at least one sword.
"They work for me now, but should I have a compelling reason-like this-I will dispatch them to give your scouts oversight."
She'd tried to explain overwatch to blank stares. Now instead she used oversight, because they understood that.
"I guess after this meeting go fly up there. I heard that we have a good chef somewhere?"
Heads turned back to the cluster of aunties. Jessica was never certain what to call her greek chorus of elder cultivators but a cluster is how they were sitting now.
"It will be a feast," Mary said.
"Now is there any other new business? If not we'll reconvene in three days."
Hands shot up around the room. They were finally learning.
Jessica weighed the options. There was a big risk in sending out her two senior disciples. Fa Za insisted that they would be ready. There wasn’t a clear-cut way.
For certain, Sa Kon, demon spear of the north, kabob of the fire chickens would stay with the school. That itself was a risk she couldn't take.
Rationally thinking she didn't want to lose anyone. That the spear was more valuable to her than the spear wielders made it a tough conundrum. She could make more fourth-level cultivators with it, but it would take a while for a master artisan to create another such weapon for anyone with another affinity.
Once a mystical artist went down a path, they didn't stray too far. Turning back and re-working just wasn't done. That meant that the utility of the spear was increased for all her new students. Once they could handle the spear that is.
Total Sect Disciples/Followers: 218(+1 temporary guest)
Inner Sect
Fifth Realm: 2(+1 temporary guest)
Fourth Realm: 2
Outer Sect
Third Realm: 33
Second Realm: 87
First Realm(or lower): 94
Daily Tasks or Special Jobs
Aunties: 22
Daily Upkeep (general pool): 20
Library Specialists/Quartermasters: 3
Alchemists: 5
Scouts: 10
Artisans/Craftspeople: 6
Emissaries: 4
Healers:5