august mingle

[stellafortunamods]

August Mingle
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
Happy new year....! In Teyvat, that is. It is now January ingame, and Liyue's people go about their disaster recovery efforts with more vigour than before. After all, Liyue's biggest festival is slated to occur in the latter half of the month - the Lantern Rite!

The Rite of Parting - Rex Lapis' funeral - passes without much incident, and Liyue collectively breathes a sigh of relief. With the Fatui being chased out of the yard, it seems that peace will finally return to the harbour city as they rebuild from the storm. You'll also get to watch three million Mora's worth of incense go up in smoke, so there's that.

Eager to focus on the future, Liyue folk have begun discussing the upcoming festival. The Lantern Rite commemorates hope for a new beginning and continued prosperity, and the construction of the festival centerpiece is currently underway. This year's Mingxiao Lantern will soar into the sky amidst thousands of smaller lanterns, and it will take the shape of a fallen Adeptus to commemorate the Adepti's contribution to Liyue's lasting peace.

Unfortunately, you're not quite out of the frying pan yet. With the Fatui gone from Liyue, the Ministry of Civil Affairs turn their attention to solving another issue that has cropped up after Osial's revival and subsequent defeat. Quite a few miners have gone missing from the Chasm, and the likelihood of finding them will only grow slimmer as the days go by. Both the Millelith and the Adventurers' Guild have pitched in to search for the kidnapped people. All clues lead to Nantianmen - and it's just your luck that Geovishaps and their hatchlings have come out of hibernation at around the same time. These lizard-like beings have shells of solid rock, and they seem especially agitated at having their territory invaded. Solving the mystery of the missing miners will take more than just a day's work.

State of the World

With the Lantern Rite set to open on January 21st, all of Liyue have come to visit the harbour to set up their stalls and pitch in to craft the Mingxiao Lantern. Hopefully the miners are found before the festival begins - the Lantern Rite is a festival of reunions, after all. Not to mention the Geovishaps' increased activity will inadvertently lead to them burrowing around in the rocky mountains. There's a small, but non-zero chance of them hitting an ancient seal somewhere and unleashing a buried threat.

Unless... that was their intention all along?

Please direct all questions to August's OOC post!

Comments

[killtwice]

[ It's fine, they need to move on. Jun also has a point. It's rough, but there isn't much else that needs to be said. ]

Were things quieter back then? I wasn't here for too long so I don't have the full picture.

[ He's trying to take some initiative and ask questions about things he doesn't understand. There's just something about this entire thing that isn't sitting right with him. ]

Things always look chaotic to me.

[whiteshroud]

[Oh hey, Trevor is asking questions. Which luckily, Jun is more than willing to explain now that he's been asked]

Mm. Jueyun Karst is the home of the adepti, a type of immortal spiritual being that have protected Liyue for thousands of years. While some adepti choose to live among humans, the ones who reside out here prefer peace and solitude. That's why humans normally aren't allowed to come here, at least without permission. Trespassing here can be...fatal.

[He'll dig into pockets, pulling out a sigil and showing it to Trevor]

I was given this the last time I was allowed to visit. Let's pray it's still in effect. Though...we should probably stay clear of any adepti, regardless.

[killtwice]

I'm not into the habit of prayer and I've been excommunicated by the church itself so, no. I won't pray. You're free to do whatever you want though.

[ He's still nodding and listening though. Trevor takes another look at the sigil and inspects it. It's nothing he's seen before and he doesn't recognize it from anywhere either. ]

Humans aren't allowed to go there without permission? How about a vampire or a demon? Are they allowed to pass?

[whiteshroud]

[Jun can't help but roll his eyes] It's an expression. I don't care about your religious beliefs.

[Honestly, the number of times he has to clarify that...]

No. Many Adepti devote their lives to destroying demons, so they'd be even less welcomed than humans. [Understatement, really] Why do you ask?

[killtwice]

Maybe there's some kind of loophole? I'm just trying to find an easy way out.

[ Look, he just wants his life to be simple. Everything has to be complicated for some reason and Trevor isn't having any of it. His brows crumple together and he sighs. ]

The areas around here seem different too. I wonder about the land and what kind of mystery it might hold.

[whiteshroud]

If you're having second thoughts, you can always turn back.

[Jun doesn't mind continuing on by himself, if that's what needs to be done for the mission]

Countless mysteries, I'd imagine. Rex Lapis was over 6,000 years old. That's a long time for things to happen.

[killtwice]

I'm not having second thoughts and I'm certainly no coward.

[ He's staying there to investigate and the danger he hardly minds. Trevor is used to working under unpleasant conditions. ]

They might have some food that's over 6000 years old. Would you eat it??

[whiteshroud]

The fact you equate turning back to being cowardly says a lot about you...

[Another check mark for the reckless idiot theory]

If the Adepti offered it, sure. It'd be an interesting experience.

[killtwice]

The fact that you'd eat 6000 year old food if it was offered says a lot about you...!

[ Trevor shrugs and then shakes his head once. He doesn't understand why he finds himself with these crazy conversations. ]

I think you might be stupid or utterly insane.

[whiteshroud]

[Jun clicks his tongue. His patience is being tested, yep. ]

It was an adeptus who helped me when I arrived in Teyvat. Even though he had every reason to see me as a threat, he looked after me and taught me how to use my Vision. He showed me nothing but kindness.

If anything would be stupid or insane, it'd be rudely snubbing his fellow kins' hospitality because their customs are different than what I'm used to. I have faith that if they meant me harm, they'd do so directly.

[killtwice]

[ He's quiet for a moment as he stops to think about how wildly different his perspective is from Jun's. Trevor does things the way he wants to and has very little care for what someone may or may not think. Then again, he also starts to think that Jun might be a little too trusting of others. Trevor believes that his opinion barely means anything so he keeps it to himself, but he just sighs. ]

Just don't get yourself killed. It's better to be stupid or insane than be dead.

[ That's such a roundabout way of telling someone to be careful. ]

Are you not afraid of danger?

[whiteshroud]

[Says the guy that kept chasing after a hooded figure in the dark for no reason...Jun thinks to himself, but doesn't vocalize it.]

You mean am I afraid of your stupid and extremely unlikely scenario?

No. I'd say it's near the bottom of my list of concerns.

[killtwice]

If it's at the bottom of your list then what's at the top of your list?

[ Trevor hasn't even figured out that the hooded guy in the dark is the same guy he's talking to now. That's a story for another time. ]

Another extremely unlikely scenario?

[whiteshroud]

[....

Jun exhales and goes quiet. That's an easy thought for him. That what they're doing here isn't actually for the good of the people currently living in Teyvat. That no matter how tyrannical Celestia is, by removing them, they'll be leaving a power vacuum for other gods and demons to step in and attempt seize power. And that this will all lead to another cataclysmic holy war that devastates the land for centuries.

Or, it's not other gods that but humans that wage the holy wars. People will continue to worship deities who are now absent, but without their constant presence their teachings being twisted and warped until crusades and inquisitions become commonplace. Jesus preached nothing more than to love your fellow man, and yet countless people have been killed in his name. What about the more nuanced lessons that the Archons have taught? How will those be twisted? And even in Earth's case, God was still watching over Earth in His own way - intervening when necessary. Teyvat would have no such safety net.

Perhaps Forneus is right and in the long term, the removal of Celestia would be better for humanity in this world. But after how long? After how much suffering until they reach that period of peace? Would it take 2000 years, as it did with Earth? Gods are notorious for thinking in the long term, while overlooking the suffering in the short term until it was right in front of them. And unfortunately, Jun was too mortal to do the same.

But....Jun wasn't one to voice his thoughts and feelings very easily. Especially when he's sure much of it would go over Trevor's head. So...even after all that thought, he just lets out a simple:]

Something like that.

[killtwice]

[ Trevor doesn't need to understand a whole lot to get that something else is going on here. Jun is awfully quiet and it's noticeable. ]

What the fuck was that pause for? Did you smell something strange and decide to hold your tongue?

[ He speaks with a tone of jest but there's a more serious look in his gaze. ]

If you've got something more you need to say then be more specific about it.

[whiteshroud]

[....]

...That's not a normal tree...

[He says in a tone like he's not even paying attention to Trevor. Instead, he's looking ahead at that strange tree and walking forward to investigate.

In other words, yeah. He's not answering your query.]

[killtwice]

You walking off on your own and you're oddly fixated on a goddamn tree. Unbelievable, I'm being ditched for a tree.

[ He shakes his head but then takes another look at it. What is so important about that tree anyway? ]

The branches strike me as odd in more ways than one. [ he can at least make some observations and agree there's something strange about it. ]

[whiteshroud]

[Yep. He's doing just that. He doesn't really respond to Trevor's gripes - instead continuing to walk to the tree. He notices the monolith at the base of the tree, reading it out loud:]

"Life endures in Heaven and Earth thanks to the merciful Adeptus. On this site lies an evil dragon, please do not disturb it."

[He's quiet for a moment, observing the energy of this place. Hm. Yeah. This is bad. ]

...I think I know who took the miners. [it lines up too well. He'll turn back to Trevor] We need to go back and inform Forneus and the others.

[killtwice]

Judging by that look you've got I'd say we're done here. Let's go back and chat with Forneus. I'll agree with that course of action and move along with you.

[ He doesn't really like wasting more time than necessary on jobs like this. Trevor has always been more serious and he doesn't enjoy nonsense either. Trevor doesn't say it out loud, but he's glad that Jun simply works with the objective without trailing off or having distractions. ]

Maybe I'll even have a bath later.

[ Maybe?????? ]

[whiteshroud]

[Jun gives a nod. As usual, if Trevor doesn't ask for more information, Jun won't volunteer it. He's not one to waste words.

Maybe have a bath huh?]

Miracles do happen...

[That was a joke. He holds out his hand]

Take my hand, I'll teleport us back.

[killtwice]

What's the miracle this time? You willing to touch my hand or me taking a bath?


[ He sighs and grabs onto Jun's hand. Trevor just wants to get this over with. ]

[whiteshroud]

I'll leave that to you to decide.

[Once the hand is taken, he'll raise his free hand up and there'll be blue light before he teleports both of them away]