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

[whiteshroud]

It's worth a shot.

[Soon, they come upon the first seal. Jun walks up to it and is quiet for a moment as he assesses it. Eventually, he speaks up]

It's salvageable, but it's missing a power source. We'll have to see if we can find one.

[drewthetower]

Any idea what it'll look like, or just anything vaguely spooky and purple?

[whiteshroud]

[He studies the slot for it for a moment, before pulling back]

Size of the grapefruit. Mostly round but with some bumps.

[...]

Have you practiced using your elemental sight?

[drewthetower]

Uh.

[A beat.]

Okay, look, the only time I ever did any training was when we found Bel and Syl and they forced me to train. I don't know how to practice this shit.

[whiteshroud]

[ ...... 💧 ]

See, this is why Seal Knights don't think you're worth killing.

[tmw not being killed is somehow an insult. But also guess this is turning into a tutorial mission ]

Did you ever do Magic Eye books?

[drewthetower]

[Shrug!]

Those always hurt my eyes. I did a lot of the Where's Waldo type, though?

[whiteshroud]

...Close enough, I suppose.

Elemental Sight is when you try to see past reality as it presents itself, and instead look at the energies that surround it.

[He'll lift his hand and conjure a rock, using geo energy. From a normal appearance, it looks like nothing but a simple rock. From the looks of it, he does it almost effortlessly.]

Concentrate and look past the rock's regular appearance. See if you can see the energy its comprised of.

[drewthetower]

...alright.

[Should he maybe tell Jun that the only way he ever got half of his abilities back home is a sword through the gut?

But, well. Hey, he knows what that feels like, so maybe looking for that same feeling will work here? August focuses on the rock, staring at it for a good few seconds before gasping a little.]

Oh, hey. It glows.

[whiteshroud]

[Hey man get your powers however you can, just don't slack on practicing with them! But when it seems August reacts, he gives a nod.]

Well done.

[You're learning August!!]

Elemental energy will leave traces behind, so it's a good way to track. [He'll demonstrate by throwing the rock in a random direction. If August is using his elemental sight, he'll see that it leaves a trail of geo energy as it flies through the air.]

[drewthetower]

[And he follows the trail.]

Got it. So find the purple trail leading away from this thing, which may be easier said than done since--

[A lightning bolt hits a tree far enough away that there's no risk, but close enough that August jumps a little.]

That. God.

[whiteshroud]

[Jun meanwhile doesn't flinch at it, instead looking at direction. Eh. Nowhere near, it's fine]

Yes. That is an extra complication, I admit.

But it's still possible. It may be hard to tell, but try to pay attention to the hues of the energy. The trail we're looking for is older, so it should be duller in color than a fresh bolt.

[He looks around, before pointing in direction]

That way.

[drewthetower]

[August whistles, and Julian starts heading in the direction Jun pointed with August following behind.]

You think these people know what lightning rods are? Think they'd help at all here?

[whiteshroud]

[He keeps an eye on the trail he's picked up as he continues to move. His spiritual sense still wasn't as sharp as it was back home, but considering he's practiced his Elemental Sight every day since getting here, he's clearly grown adept with it. ]

I believe that's the point of the seals, in a sense.

This isn't a natural storm. It's being caused by the Tatarigami - a curse that comes from the remains of the serpent god Orobashi.

[drewthetower]

Yeah, I got that. But why not build regular, mundane lighting rods until these get fixed?

[whiteshroud]

Do you really think a mundane lightning rod would protect against a god's lightning strike?

[drewthetower]

It's metal. Pretty sure even divine lighting bolts obey basic physics.

[whiteshroud]

[ . . .

Jesus Christ. ]

They don't.

[drewthetower]

[A beat.]

Yeah, okay, you'd probably know best on that one, huh?

[whiteshroud]

It's not like it's a church secret.

["Gods are very powerful" is literally the thing everyone knows. Well, Jun thought everyone knew.]

While there are some limits, gods have power far beyond any mortal. You'd do well to remember that if you want to survive this mission.

[drewthetower]

I know that, but I would think, since they made the rules, their whatever has to abide by the rules. Otherwise you get reality unraveling or whatever.

[whiteshroud]

[....

There are things he could say to that, but it'd violate his own contract. So instead he'll turn it back to August.]

Then explain Jesus walking on water.

[drewthetower]

Look, if I can kinda sorta hover and move when I'm demonized, who's to say whatever the he--heck he was can't do it too.

[Devout Christian Knight vs Lazy Demon Pagan, round whatever]

[whiteshroud]

[Did he really censor his own swearing....? Jun is glad he's shrouded so August can't see his amusement at that.

But luckily, what August says proves his point so he'll go with it]

Right, but your hovering and Jesus walking on water both violates the law of gravity. One of the strongest laws of physics there is.

So if even you can bend the laws of physics to an extent, wouldn't it make sense that a god could also do the same on the scale that matches their power?

[drewthetower]

[A beat.

Well, August has wings when he's demonized but also he gets what Jun is saying so.]

Yeah okay. Look, I have never claimed to be anything other than a hot mess, don't judge me.

[whiteshroud]

Mm, I can't say I disagree. You're pretty stupid.

[It maybe hard to tell with the voice modulator, but there almost seems to be a positive tone about his words.

Jun:
]