stellafortunalogs | JANUARY MINGLE

Entry tags:

JANUARY MINGLE

January Mingle: A Ballad in Goblets
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
You open your eyes to an unfamiliar sight. A cool breeze flits through rustic buildings and sunny streets, carrying the smell of flowers and wine. The very air itself seems charged with mana, the warm pulse of the land palpable beneath your feet. This is a new world, a world where the elements compose all of reality. Before you is a bubbling fountain, and a key is entwined between your fingers. And that weight on your hip? A sparkling bauble that you've never seen before, yet it feels natural, as if it had always been there.

Asking around nets you the name of this world - Teyvat - and the name of this city - Mondstadt, blessed by the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Your new home is accessible with the key placed in your hands, though this also brings to mind another question. How will you get money? Food isn't free, after all.

Luckily for you, there's plenty of jobs available for the enterprising Traveler. Be it taking requests from the Adventurers' Guild, or working part-time at one of Mondstadt's many food establishments, Mora is to be had when hard work is involved. The cuisine of Mondstadt is best paired with its wine, served at bars or enjoyed in private with a few friends.

And about that shining gem. locals will tell you that it is a Vision, a sign of favour from Teyvat's elemental gods. With the Vision on hand, you find yourself capable of commanding one of the seven elements. What will you do with this newfound blessing? Use it for good... or for evil?

Mondstadt's liveliness doesn't diminish when night falls. Bards sing through the wee hours of the night, and the lights of the city help keep most evildoers at bay. All seems peaceful, a pastoral idyll of a life that seems more at home in a storybook. Yet for those Travelers who venture out beyond the city's walls and into the ruins dotting the landscape, they may discover hints of a bloodier past now forgotten.

Glancing at any of the calendars in the city will tell you the current date. August 10th was the day you arrived. As soon as the last minute of August 16th slips away, the world around you changes. A blink, and time itself rewinds by seven days. Looking outside, the mown lawns have regrown, the windmill needs fixing again, and the well is once again full. Just what is happening here? It seems only you, Traveler, remembers the week that never was.

State of the World

For the first two weeks of the game, IC time will be looping from August 10th to August 16th. It's currently late summer in Mondstadt, and the trees are just beginning to turn out their autumn colours. The weather is cool and pleasant, with light showers on Tuesday (11th) and Friday (14th). It's also a good time to go out gathering berries and nature's bounty from Mondstadt's forests and valleys.

These two weeks will let us trial out our commissions and regains system and craft improvements for February onwards. There will be no activity requirements for January, so all threads started during this time period can be used for regains!

For all questions regarding January's mingle and events, please head over to our OOC post.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ During Anastasia's forays outside of Mondstadt's city walls, she might see a familiar figure at Windrise, standing beneath the Statue of Seven at the great tree's roots. Zhongli has his eyes closed, as still as the sculpture of Barbatos before him.

... it's no use. He cannot draw energy from this place, Anemo-aspected as it is. The black seal continues to sap his power; the sensation of accelerated decay eating at his skin and barely kept at bay by his own divinity. ]

[Anastasia has seen the statue a few times in her travels into the wilderness, but never paid much mind to them after a initial assessment. By this point she knew who the statue was of, but that's as far as her interest in it went.

Except this time there's something, or someone, near the statue that definitely catches her attention. The nephilim stopping in place for a moment, wondering if she's seeing this right, but she recognizes that suit clad figure.]

Wha... Zhongli? Hey, Zhongli! [Lacking her usual strength and speed, she can't make her way over as quickly as she would like. But she still rushes her way over, feeling relief at the sight of a familiar face.]

[ It's not the first time someone has called out to him, and a lot less angry than the previous person at that. Zhongli opens his eyes, turning around and assuming a composed expression. He looks the same - largely the same, yet there's a certain exhaustion that permeates his entire being. ]

Ah? Hello, Anastasia.

[ His voice is soft, only speaking when she's in conversational distance. ]

[Once she's closer (and once she's caught her breath, ugh being mortal is awful), she takes a better look at him. Something passing over her expression before her eyes narrow, planting her hands on her hips as she regards him for a silent second.]

Hey, are you alright? You seem... tired.

[And that's not really something she thought she would say about him. There's the tiredness of an old being, and then there's this.

It's enough to make her actually concerned.]

[ The fact that Anastasia is breathless from the running suggests to him that she would be under the same circumstances as the other outlanders that he had met. Everyone who came here from another world had a seal applied on them, distancing them from the magic of their homeworld. It's something entirely different from his own affliction, though; and Anastasia is sharp enough to pick up on it. ]

You noticed. [ A small laugh is folded into his sigh, though it is one of resignation. ] I am tired. It appears that on my return to this world, something has begun to interfere with my power.

[ There's a reason why he's standing under Venti's tree instead of flying straight back to Liyue. ]

[Immediately her concern deepens, brows furrowing as she regards him with now more blatant worry. Though wait a second, "my return"?]

Return... So wait, this is your world? [Also, what was that about an interference - Her mind is all over the place right now, a combination of tension and being high-strung making it hard for her to stay completely focused.]

And what could be strong enough to do that? Is it painful?

[Enjoy the question barrage, Zhongli]

Yes, this is my world.

[ It occurs to him that he had never told her where he came from. Given that their relationship was rocky at first, perhaps there was never an appropriate time. Though, their meeting here continues the trend of him being more and more humble - though, this time it is not by choice. ]

Would that I could answer that question... I have not the slightest clue. I will need time to investigate.

[ Is it painful? He doesn't answer that right now. ]

[There's the brief thought that this is his fault, but that wouldn't make sense. Why bring them all here and then get stuck with some weird seal? Anastasia wracks her brain over it, huffing as she folds her arms over her chest.]

I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it's not your fault we're here. [He's never acted as a god would before, so she feels no reason to suspect him. She glances down at the Vision attached to her waist, heaving another sigh as she takes in this new info.]

I wonder if it's linked to why our powers are sealed... And you didn't answer my other question.

[Which she's going to take as a 'yes'!!!!]

Thank you.

[ Zhongli's voice is soft, a little melancholic. To lose almost all his power a second time takes a great toll on him, even if he tries to not show it. And all the signs perhaps point to him being the cause, given that he is a god and this is his world... faith is what he treasures the most, to not lose those bonds. At least, not from circumstances that had to do with a final parting. ]

I do have a hypothesis, but I am not confident enough to validate its verity. [ Ignoring her question to first roll up his right sleeve - his skin is marked with strange black symbols that crisscross and move in real time, giving every impression of being an eldritch curse. ] For those who have arrived in Teyvat from another world, I would think that the native mana of this world is being rejected by their forms. As for myself... I cannot say the same.

[ Once Ana can take a look at the black seal, he neatens his sleeve again ]

Something, or someone, is draining my power.

[Hearing that melancholy from him is... odd. And a bit awkward, which is why she just gives a shake of her head at his thanks. After all, it's obvious he's not the culprit once she thinks about it and whenever they spoke he's never given her any reason to doubt him.

Luckily her awkwardness over this is forgotten when he rolls up his sleeve, her eyes widening at the marks that move across his skin as if they were alive. It practically screams a curse, and she bites on her lip in thought as she takes a closer look - not even she has seen something like that before, and curses are basically her thing now. Or they were.

She leans back after a moment, lips slanted as she thinks over this.]

Do you think whoever brought us here and whoever gave you that seal are the same person? Or thing?

[Since it is all happening at the same time.]

It is quite possible. However, I do not have any proof of the instigator's identity.

[ To be able to transcend space and time is a frightening power indeed. Even Celestia would not do this easily... he closes his eyes. ]

Of course, investigation is my first priority. It will take time.

[ The one other thing he remembers is that it involved a contract. This isn't the first time he's signed a contract that involved his power. But with who, and why? It seems that something is interfering with his memory. ]

Speaking of which... have you found a place to stay?

I'll try to help, they must be powerful to do something like this...

[To seal a god like this? It's a concerning thought... Though it's only really concerning because it's Zhongli. Any other god, and she would be more curious about trying to see if she could do something similar to the god back home.

Though that question gets her to blink, her expression slowly melting into something more sheepish.]

Ah, kind of? I've got a key, but I haven't actually gone to look at the place yet. [She's been too busy prowling around and getting into everything.]

You do need to rest regularly now. I think you would find the place rather to your liking.

[ Mondstadt's housing is quaint, forming a cozy space ready to be furnished. He remembers Ana being fond of sewing; there certainly is enough space for her to set up a small workshop. ]

If you have any questions about this world, I can try to answer them.

Human bodies get so tired easily though... This is going to be so annoying.

[Though she'll appreciate the housing all the same, since she's not really had a space of her own before. Time to make a workstation and then move towards opening her own store - ]

Mmm, well... I read a bit about the Archons, but the books really only talked about Barbatos. Which Archon are you?

[Look, she wants the god deets first.]

[ Zhongli replies after a moment, said moment spent looking at Ana with a wistful expression. ]

Were you ever fully human?

[ He's just curious. Though, her question is answered quickly enough ]

I am the Geo Archon, Morax. My domain is of neighbouring Liyue, not Mondstadt. [ Which makes his presence here all the more strange. ]

[That... gets a curious blink from her, and she shakes her head after a moment.]

Nope, never. The only thing human about me is how I look, minus the wings. Though they only grew in when I was about... five, if I remember right.

[Even then, eyes that are crimson like hers still aren't exactly common back home. But okay, new info learned! She seems pleased with this, and also confirms even moreso that this really isn't his fault - why bring them here, when his land is somewhere completely different.]

Hmm, I see... Well, tell me about Liyue! [That's a broad question, but it would be interesting to hear about a land from the gods point of view.]

I see.

[ Zhongli is merely curious about her background. The experience of being human will shape a person's outlook on life in various ways. For those who have never been human (like him), they may never truly understand the burden of being mortal.

Curious that she wants to know about Liyue when they can't get there right now. ]

Liyue is a land of plains and cliffs. The Harbour of the same name is where most of the people live. It is the most prosperous city in all of Teyvat, protected by Mount Tianheng to the West, and the Sea of Clouds to the East. It is a land of rich history and great bounty that flows from the earth.

[ He'll talk for a few minutes. Ana should probably tell him to stop before he continues to narrate an encyclopedic entry of Liyue to her... ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

JANUARY MINGLE

v

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject