october mid-month event

[stellafortunamods]

October Mid-Month Event
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
Two weeks after the Travelers arrive in Inazuma, the conflict between the Shogunate and the Sangonomiya Resistance begin to intensify. At Forneus' behest, you venture west to survey the battlegrounds and consider your next move.

Heading west from Narukami Island will bring you to Kannazuka, the location of the Mikage Furnace. This furnace uses the power of the Tatarigami to produce high-quality swords for the Shogunate. However, sabotage by members of the Resistance have led to the furnace becoming unstable. The Shogunate's soldiers and the Shrine Maidens have set up camp on the island, but the two factions cannot decide on how to address the problem. That's where you come in. Unfettered by the chains of bureaucracy, you can act as you wish. Venture into the Furnace and stabilize it before it blows the island away.

Yashiori Island lies even further west. Its position means that it is currently the middle ground where the Shogunate and the Resistance skirmish. However, the fighting has died down due to torrential rain that blankets the island, as well as the intense Electro energy within Musoujin Gorge. Once, this island was the battlefield between the Raiden Shogun and Orobashi, with the latter defeated and sealed. However, someone broke its seals during the civil war, and the lingering resentment of the Serpent has possessed soldiers on the island, turning them violent.

Once again, a stalemate that can only be broken from the outside. This isn't anything new now, is it?

State of the World

The Sangonomiya Resistance have declared civil war on the Shogunate after the establishment of the Vision Hunt Decree. As you travel through Inazuma, you will eventually meet them, as well as their leader. It becomes evident that the two sides are locked in equal balance, and that the civil war does nothing good for anyone... which is why the overseer of the Narukami Shrine has asked you to come. You are unbound by any destiny, and thus able to tip the scales. But to do that, you will need a complete picture of the situation, and to solve problems that no one is willing to face.

No one has seen the Shogun out in public for quite a while. It seems that only a sufficiently grave danger will provoke her from within her castle. The enemy of eternity is change, and you are just that.

Questions about this event can be asked below!

Comments

[drewthetower]

Okay, then I'm just going to do a regular past-present-future. Pretty generic, and I don't need to ask a bunch of questions to know what I'm looking for.

[He starts to shuffle and cut the deck.]

Name? Age?

[higanbana]

[Name?] Ris. [Age? That's a little more difficult, and she actually has to think. What is time?] Nineteen? Nineteen.

[That sounds right? She'll go with that.]

[drewthetower]

[Yeah, no, he's going into this assuming she isn't sure.]

Human or other?

[higanbana]

[She pauses again. Well, he's not asking for specifics, so she can answer this one with much more certainty.]

Other.

[drewthetower]

Okay, first card is your past, second is your present, third is the future. The way I read the cards could be different if you had someone else read them. This is just one way to lay things out.

[First card: Four of Swords, reversed.]

You were stuck, or burnt out, or just utterly unable to actually do anything about a situation. And it sucked, because that shit always sucks?

[higanbana]

[Ris watches with practically stars in her eyes. There are so many cool things with these travelers here...!]

Ehehe, well, that is certainly true enough.

[She's probably a little too chipper about that, but it kind of is what it is. It's not worth moping about when there's a cool thing happening, she'll have time for that later.]

[drewthetower]

[Next: The Fool, upright.]

...huh. Don't see that one often. You're suddenly faced with a lot of choices and able to decide shit for yourself, aren't you? And it's fucking terrifying?

[higanbana]

[Well, that catches her off-guard.]

...Hm. Accurate is one thing, such was always the hope, but that is... uncanny.

[Read: literally exactly it, how tho]

[drewthetower]

Yeah, this kinda happens when I do readings. Long story.

[Anyway. Last card: Three of Cups, upright.]

But, hey! You'll find the friends that'll make sure you don't get too badly hurt, and you'll fine in the end. Don't know how long until the end, but.

[higanbana]

I suppose that means I am not to ask.

[About the long story, that is. But oh, hey! That's... interesting?

...Friends? That sounds... Ris isn't sure of how that sounds. It's an alien concept to her.

But it could be nice, she thinks. This certainly sounds like a good fortune.]

...I think I like the sound of that. I certainly have not the slightest idea what "the end" of any of this looks like, myself, but it seems as good a future as any to strive towards.

[drewthetower]

Mhm, just remember that "the end" doesn't mean "you're dead". It just means the end of whatever issue the cards picked up. There's still going to be stuff happening after, and some of it will probably be bullshit.

[higanbana]

I would hope not. As unpleasant as the work ahead of us seems, Master Forneus did promise that he will keep us alive.

...Ehehe. Which is to say, I imagine most of what lies ahead will be, as you say, "bullshit." But orders are orders.

[drewthetower]

Orders?

[He starts to pick up his deck.]

[higanbana]

Mmhm. To deal with the Celestia problem. We do have the freedom to add "however we see fit" to the end of it, but the goal of our order is clear enough.

[drewthetower]

It's not orders, it's a favor. There's a difference, y'know.

[Does this girl know?]

[higanbana]

[For a second, she just tilts her head a little, like she really doesn't understand. But eventually she responds, forming her words especially carefully.]

...Perhaps for you. I... am not sure I could use so slight a word and remain comfortable with it.

Then again... I presume all of you are here of your own will. You have agreed to this "favor," or else you would not be here. For me... it would not have mattered what Master Forneus asked of me.

A loyal doll does anything asked of her. Without argument nor complaint.

[...Guess that covers the "other," then.]

[drewthetower]

[...

Okay. Wow. There is some. Wow! Okay. Okay.

August very professionally does not let any of that show on his face. Wow.]

Uh-huh. You don't mean "doll" in the metaphorical sense, do ya?

[higanbana]

[Ris is just Yikes Incarnate, it's fine.]

I do not.

[Looking pretty human for a doll, but okay, Ris.]

[drewthetower]

Right.

[Cool! Cool cool cool.]

Do yourself a favor, and maybe don't mention that you think this is required to Forneus? I don't know what he'd do, but I don't think I want to know, either.

[higanbana]

[August probably doesn't intend for it, but Ris definitely winces at that. He's definitely struck some kind of nerve within her.]

...I don't intend to.

[Her normal speech pattern breaks, and her voice wavers, and she hates every second of sounding like she's afraid and not in control of it.]

I... am loyal because he saved me. Because I want to repay him for that kindness, more than anything. The last thing I want is for him to think I'm breaking our contract...

[Because that would mean going back.]

[drewthetower]

[Whoops. Julian instantly swoops over to start trying to make the girl relax by...sitting on her head and making awkward cawing noises. He's trying, because August has no idea how to help here.]

Contract? I didn't sign anything--did you?

1/2

[higanbana]

[WHY IS THE BIRD FLYING AT HER IS IT GOING TO HIT HER HELP—]

2/3 i lied

[higanbana]

[...It is. Sitting on her head?

Bird is. Friend???

Friend. Okay. She can work with that. She does look like she's not quite sure how to handle the extra weight, but it is helping, weirdly enough.]

3/3

[higanbana]

...No, I did not.

[Back to normal speaking patterns! Thanks, bird!]

But is a verbal agreement not a form of contract?

[drewthetower]

Not unless you're a faerie. Or maybe a demon, I don't actually know how those contracts work.