Connections Readings Book Four

(Underlines, crossouts, and italicized words added by the I Ching)

From Puttering before All My Fault

• "Spider" is actually a demon wearing a spirit's skin.
• Spider is spending most-to-all of his demonic power to keep the Great Cycle Spirits (and possibly other spirits) from realizing that.
• We know this about Spider because of a vision we got through Butterfly's intervention.
• Butterfly is a Great Cycle Spirit.
• Butterfly knows Spider is really a demon.
• Butterfly cannot know Spider is really a demon until Spider's demonic power is distracted.

• The Marked Thief took the Magpie Talisman as his thwackback when he was defeated.
• The Talisman went to Spider's realm.
• The Talisman cannot stay in Spider's realm long.
• Spider will send the Talisman to his best ritualist, The Alchemist.
• Spider will send the Talisman to his best martial artist, Tai Lung.
• Spider will cut a deal with Magpie to return the Talisman to a place of Magpie's choosing.

From Puttering between Night of Gates III and Traveling Without the Butterfly Prince

• The Forest of Chin is a Demon.
• The Forest of Chin is the country tied to Monkey.
• Spider is a Demon trying to replace Dragon in and above the Cycle.
• Some of the Great Spirits are helping Spider closely.
• Monkey is a trickster and resented Dragons rules (the "s" is added).
• Monkey is one of the Great Spirits closely helping Spider.

From Puttering between Traveling Without the Butterfly Prince and Hidden City: Outer Ring

• There are six candidates for Commander of the North East, 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, and 2C.
• The "1" candidates served locally under Lo Ping, the "2" candidates are from other regions of the Empire.
• Each set of numbered candidates contains one "grizzled veteran," one "policital hack," and one "plant of the Obsidian Warlord."
• 1B is a political hack.
• 2A is a plant of the Obsidian Warlord.
• 2C is a plant of the Obsidian Warlord.

From Puttering between Hidden City: Outer Ring and Hidden City: Inner Ring

• The Northern Wall has taken spiritual damage near the border between the Arcade and the Steppes over a period of years which allows the Barbarians greater access to the Empire and will require spiritual intervention to repair.
• The Northern Wall took significant additional damage on the last day of the year.
• The additional damage was "Architectural" in nature.
• The additional damage was not simply the damage from the storm that Commander Mushashi has been informed of.

You fuss about this one for a while, and eventually cross out "not" and draw some lighter squiggles over "simply".

• The additional damage can be repaired physically, but has not yet been discovered.

You cross out "discovered". Then you draw some unhappy doodles around "can".

• The additional damage will also require spirtual intervention to fully repair.

You cross this out, as it is irrelevant, and then realize it is true, and cross out your cross-out.

From Puttering between Hidden City: Inner Ring and The Twelve Days of Winter

• The relationship between Phoenix and Dragon is unusual.
• Dragon reorganized the Cycle to include Phoeinx.
• Phoenix agreed not to oppose Spider as long as Dragon is kept alive.
• Phoenix is Female, Dragon is Male.
• Xiao Fa is Dragon-aspected, and sees the Black Pearl as a Phoenix Concubine.
• Dragon and Phoenix are in love.

This is all true

From Puttering between The Twelve Days of Winter and Hidden City: Ivory

• The Northern Barbarians have been crafting Jade Statues charged with the power of lots of ghosts.
• The jade statue captured at the battle where Qin Mingli fell was claimed as loot by Lo Ping and has since been taken to the Hidden City and was given to the Imperial Alchemist.
• At Midsummer, the party encountered a raiding party that was attempting to bring another jade statue past the wall.
• After Midsummer, a northern raiding party carrying a jade statue was caught and destroyed near the wall and the remains of their jade statue from that raiding party were given to the Clear Melting temple for disposal.
• At least one jade statue has been brought past the wall by the Northern barbarians and buried, and remains buried.
• The jade statues can be tapped by necromancers to replenish or increase their power.

From Puttering between Winter Has Come and Cavalry Charge

• Autumn Rose is the daughter of Su Song.
• Autumn Rose does not want her connection to me and my companions known to her Father.
• Autumn Rose will be able to find the location of the Magpie Talisman from the name inscribed thereon, and can avoid "Yoshi-ing" herself if properly warned.
• The Marked will not quickly learn of any dealings we have with Autumn Rose about locating the Magpie Talisman.
• The name inscribed on the Magpie Talisman will give Autumn Rose some amount of power over Magpie.

You lightly cross out "over"

• Autumn Rose is unlikely to use such power to either our or Magpie's great detriment.

From Puttering between Cavalry Charge and Wolves in Wolves Clothing=

• The Great Talisman of the Tortise doubles the wearer's Intelligence.
• The Great Talisman of the Dog doubles the wearer's Resolve.
• The Great Talisman of the Serpent doubles the wearer's Wits.
• The Great Talisman of the Crane doubles the wearer's Grace.
• The Great Talisman of the Spider doubles the wearer's Strength.
• The Great Talisman of the Bear doubles the wearer's Resistance.