FEBRUARY MINGLE

[stellafortunamods]

February Mingle: The Outlander Who Caught The Wind
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
Life in Mondstadt seems to never change. Each day unfolds similarly to the next, and the clock turns back every seven days. Just what is happening here? Is there ever any hope for the Travelers to find a way home? Slowly, the questions that have been burning in everyone's minds will be answered The fate of all that lives in Teyvat is written in the stars - only you, Traveler, are free from the shackles of destiny.

As Travelers wake up to August 13th for the third time, nothing seems to have changed. However, a windstorm blankets all of Mondstadt in the afternoon, whipped up by the wings of a large dragon. As civilians scatter and the Knights attempt to restore order, a voice calls out to you from the darkened sky.

"Come fly with me. The winds of freedom will clear away the storm."

An updraft carries you and your Wind Glider into the air, where you can take aim at the dragon without hindrance. However, your attacks seem to focus on the purple spikes that torment the dragon's body. From whence did they come?

At the behest of the Acting Grand Master, you venture out into Mondstadt's wilds to stem the flow of power fueling Stormterror's rampage. Perhaps you may come to know of Stormterror's past - once a protector of the city, now turning his back on the nation he once loved. What broke the dragon's heart? Could he have truly turned dark once and for all?

Whatever path you choose to walk, it soon becomes evident that your actions do have an impact on the world. August 17th arrives gracefully, and the people of Mondstadt turn their attention to the arduous task of reconstruction. Helping to patch up the city's beautiful neighbourhoods piece by piece will earn you the citizens favour and a good amount of Mora.

When the dust settles, peace returns to Mondstadt... for the most part. The howling of wolves can be heard in the depths of the night - a territorial dispute in the dark forests of Wolvendom has spilled over into neighbouring Springvale. The order in Wolvendom is kept by the will of Lupus Boreas - all wolves who reside in Mondstadt must obey Andriu's code. The foreign pack heed not his words, hunting above their share and attacking human hunters.

Yet all wolves look the same to outsiders unfamiliar with their code, and the residents of Springvale are all too willing to blame all of wolfkind. Who will listen to the voice of the wolves? Will blood be spilled on these untamed lands once more? Only time will tell.

State of the World

For the first week of February, IC time will continue the time loop from January: that is, looping once more from August 10th to August 16th. ICly, the tasks in our main quest will be completed by characters before Sunday ends. Once Monday rolls around once more, they’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that the date has advanced to August 17th. The second to fourth weeks of February will be spent looping from August 17th to August 23rd, and characters will have plenty of new things to do in the new time period.

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

Comments

Jun Kohinata | Geo | OTA

[whiteshroud]

I. The Outlander Who Caught The Wind

A. Gliding
[A fight like this isn't ideal for a Geo user, but that wasn't about to stop Jun from grabbing a glider and heading up. While his old flying skills were more akin to boosted long jumps at best, it does allow him to adapt to the glider with more ease than some of the others. So the bigger question for Jun? How to take care of that dragon.

Trying to strategize, he'll shout over the wind to anyone flying near him]

What abilities do you have?!

B. Temple Run
[Cleaning up damage isn't Jun's forte, but mysterious dungeon crawling? Now that's something he lives to do. He immediately agreed to the request, heading out to the temples. With him, he's got that massive sword he arrived with, except now he seems perfectly able to wield it with one hand.

Once they're inside the domain, Jun seems to be in awe of the place.]

It's like a stable Eclipse labyrinth. Is it because of Teyvat's mana levels..?

[It's truly fascinating. Jun's tempted to study this as much as he can but - oh right he's not alone and there's a mission. He'll look to his partner]

Ready?

II. Commissions

A. Outside Perspective
[While others are taking time to pick the best suggestions, Jun really doesn't care all that much. He's just trying to earn some money as fast as he can, so he will just straight up approach people with a notepad - ready to jot down whatever they say]

Excuse me, what's your favorite spot in Mondstadt?

B. Library Management
[This was supposed to be yet another seemingly simple job Jun took on to pay the bills. Collecting the first few books seemed easy enough. Jun is good at being polite while also pointedly hinting at getting the books back. But then they reach the last one, and Ella Musk explains that the book was left near that dangerous Ruin Guard. A sane person would give this up, maybe decide that a single book's not worth it, but Jun considers for a moment before looking at his quest partner.]

Mind if we stop by my apartment first? I need to retrieve my sword.

[WELP]

C. Road Rage
[Another day, another battle. Jun knows better to rush in without a plan when his powers aren't fully returned, so he kneels on a cliff far enough to look at the barricades but not get their attention. He's got a bow and sword with him, as well as his geo vision. He seems to be assessing the situation, both tactically and with his elemental sight.]

...There's more than just the ones at the barricade. We should plan carefully.

III. Other

A. Rooftops
[The wind glider was a handy tool, especially in a town built on a hill. It's not long before one evening, Jun decides to use it for an activity he's sorely missed since losing his teleportation: standing on rooftops.

So in the late evening, you might spot Jun jumping off one of the many overlooks of the upper half of Mondstadt, gliding on the wind until he lands on a rooftop below in the commercial area. Or perhaps he's already on the roof when you see him, standing or sitting as he watches the streets below him.]

B. Geo Practice
[On days that he doesn't have a mission to do, it's common to spot him just outside of Mondstadt city, practicing with his Geo Vision. Perhaps he's working on a geo construct, or practicing his aim shooting rock-arrows. He seems to be getting the hang of it, but he's got awhile before he's mastered it.]

C. Wildcard
[Got another prompt for me? Hit me up and we'll work something out!

Road Rage;

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ Ledah's a little surprised insignificant creatures like this had brains. These monsters may as well be on the same level of demons who weren't simply muscleheads. Which made it all the imperative they be taken out. ]

We could do a rain of elements from afar and then rush in with a surprise strike, catching them off guard.

[ Jun had his long distance strikes and Ledah could just throw fire as he's running in.

...That's one idea at least. He'll fall silent to see if the other had any other thoughts or plans. ]

[whiteshroud]

[Were Jun at his full power, that'd be a good plan. He could definitely make a rain of exorcising light. Unfortunately...he had no access to his light magic, and his geo skills were still in the novice area. A true shame, he lets out a disappointed sigh at himself]

Not a bad idea, but I don't think my vision skills are ready to make it rain fire and brimstone.

[Alas, he'd need grandpa zhongli for something like that, or you know, The Big Dad. ]

We could do flaming arrows with your vision though.

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ He'll blink, but nod and take his word for it. It's an adjustment period for all of them, even for Ledah who was familiar with fire magic. Mostly on account of the fact that he's unable to do those certain techniques with it... ]

Very well. I'll use my vision to send down fire arrows.

You can attack from a certain distance like before, right? As long as you do that, it'll be manageable to even prevent possible attacks from behind.

[whiteshroud]

[Jun will give a nod. ]

Mm, I can give you cover fire once you go in. If it gets too dangerous, I can make geo constructs to limit their movement too.

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ He will purge his enemies in the name of the gods who were the reason for his existence, and his mission.

With that thought, the blond Grim Angel took this to mean that it was time to strike. In the end, battle was what he was meant for, and that hadn't changed. The fact that he was in a living world simply meant that he was meant to be here, and given a second chance to carry out a purpose.

He'll rush in to cause chaos, what with arrows borne from a fire vision raining towards the enemies who had set up camp, and damaging barricades between that and his Diviner. It's chaos, not as much as it'd be if there was a rain of fire and brimstone, but it's definitely taken them by surprise.

However, it's not like Ledah's been able to wipe them all out in a flurry of burning arrows and his surprise attack. Therefore, while the blond's causing a ruckus and destruction, some of the few enemies not in the immediate line of fire prepare to strike back themselves. Mostly with some electrical arrows themselves. ]

[whiteshroud]

[There Ledah goes again. Jun was getting a sense that was a trend with this guy - how he relentlessly threw himself into battle with no pause. Were he to think on it, perhaps he'd find it a little unsettling.

But, this really isn't the time to think on it. Instead he runs to a vantage spot closer to the fight and makes another pillar for himself to stand on to take aim at foes while they are distracted by the rain of fire. His bow ready, he'll take the chance to try to pick off some of their archers that aim at Ledah.

Overall, they're making quick work of them- but unfortunately they caused a lot of rukus, enough that Jun spots something from his vantage point]

Reinforcements are coming!

[And boy. That is...one big hilicurl with a very big axe. Yikes]

[dispassionatedevotion]

....Troublesome worthless creatures.

[ The words were uttered softly as he now, from Jun's words, saw that there was a giant enemy heading towards the destruction that the two had caused together. Now that the blond noticed that for the first time there was actually something relatively challenging, he knew that blindly attacking without a thought wouldn't generate results.

...Not that he was doing that before, but, you know. At the very least, Ledah had the chance to wipe out the remaining small fry, including one more stray archer that Jun hadn't ended. The Abyss Mage accompanying the hilicurl of course was a Problem too. But... ]

When they come closer in range, I'll engage! Try to use your power to keep the larger one's partner momentarily distracted!

[ Though if the other had any better ideas, Ledah wouldn't object. ]

[whiteshroud]

[Jun was quickly assessing the situation. While Ledah had finished off the small fry, that Abyss Mage and the giant one were proving to be problems. They had to get that fire shield down off the mage somehow...

He looked around his surroundings....the lake was close by. That'll do.]

Got an idea! Focus on the larger one, I got the mage!

[He'll fire an arrow made of geo energy directly at the abyss mage. Drawing its attention, it'll teleport to be much closer to jun.

As soon as it does? Jun jumps off and breaks into a run- turning sometimes to shoot an another arrow to lure the mage to follow closer and closer to the lake shore.]

Temple Run!

[poisontippedcure]

[There's something calm, almost therapeutic, about dungeon-crawling. No battling for your life. No fighting gods. Only dealing with a few monsters and inane puzzles.]

[Rose misses it, which is why when given the option, she's one of the first to sign up. She wouldn't admit it, but she's happy to go with Jun--if only because she knows how good he is in a fight.]

I'm not sure what an Eclipse Labyrinth is, but there's certainly something nostalgic about a place like this.

[She looks around. Nothing looks terribly dangerous. Yet.]

As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose.

[whiteshroud]

[It was nostalgic, doing work like this. It was his main duty as a knight back home. So in a strange sense, this felt familiar.

Still, it's surprising to hear Rose express those sentiment.]

There's places like this in you world?

[He won't explain the eclipse for now. There's plenty of time for that later, and also it's Jun he always tries to avoid explaining things he don't have to]

Alright.

[He starts walking forward, making sure to take point since he remembers Rose is a long range fighter. No sign of danger yet, it seems]

[poisontippedcure]

[Rose nods, following behind Jun. She has her catalyst drawn, looking for any sign of danger.]

Something similar. There was once an ancient civilization known as Allag. I’ve been through a few of their ruins.

[Weird future tech and all.]

Did they say what to expect here?

[whiteshroud]

[A civilization? As in an actual group of people? Sounds like some explanation you'd hear from anime. He was just used to spirits and greed creating places like this with their power]

Must've been quite the civilization.

[Rome's got nothing on the Allag apparently. ]

Monsters and puzzles. Keep your eyes peeled.

[poisontippedcure]

[It's okay. Not all ancient civilizations can have ancient rocketships and ancient space lazers.]

[Rose directs her attention to the task at hand. It's a little unnerving, that they've gone this far without encountering anything. Is that walking she hears in the distance?]

Stop. Do you hear that?

[whiteshroud]

[He stops as instructed, listening carefully. His senses still weren't what they used to be, but he'll still hear it]

...Seems we're not alone.

[poisontippedcure]

[Now that she’s listening closer, she definitely hears the footsteps. And voices. Bandits perhaps?]

[Rose takes out her catalyst and begins to summon a small amount of wind.]

I’ll see if I can summon a gust. That should slow their approach.

[whiteshroud]

Mm, please try.

[He meanwhile is moving into a fighting position, with his sword raised and ready to strike should they prove hostile.]

ia

[complementing]

[When Minako had wanted to go gliding earlier last month, she'd imagined peacefully soaring through the air, taking in the sights, probably getting tangled up in a tree, but in general having a good time.

This is not a good time.]

Pyro skills! But I can try to land on it to go for some hits with my spear?!

[whiteshroud]

[Poor Minako. Jun can understand that sentiment alright, fighting dragons midair really hadn't been on his plan for things to do in Mondstadt.

Fire skills are good at least. He consider]

That might be our easiest option unless you want to shoot fireballs in the air!

[complementing]

I don't trust my aim for that! I'm going in!

[An aborted yelp as a wind current takes her up higher, which is the exact opposite of what she wants. Think like a dragoon, think like a dragoon...]

You got my back?

[whiteshroud]

[That is a good assessment. Jun will nod as he draws his bow, ready to fire to distract the dragon enough to give Minako an opening. ]

Mm! I'll cover you!

[complementing]

[She nods and starts gliding towards the dragon as it loops around to them again. As soon as she can see the length of its body under her, she forces her body into a flip, plummeting with her spear pointed down at her target. It's a long drop. It's an incredibly long drop. But it's exactly like one of her finisher moves at the same time, and strangely, she doesn't feel any fear that she'll fall to the ground. She only feels the calm of fight, the determination pumping through her that tells her to get the job done.]

Hyaaaaahhhh!

[She clips the side of the purple spike, and while the dragon roars in fury or pain, the resistance of the crystal against her spear unbalances her enough that she stumbles back several yards. Minako manages to hang onto a wing, and then begins the arduous task of fighting the wind to reach the crystal spike once again.]

[whiteshroud]

[Jun had his attention split, between keeping an eye on the dragon and making sure Minako reached her destination. He fires volleys of arrows, making sure the dragon's attention is focused on him. It works, and his reflexes are quick enough that he's able to evade the gusts of ameno energy enough so they do nothing but occasionally blow him a little off course.

He relents only when Minako hits the target. Putting away his bow, he'll glide up above the dragon. As soon as he sees an opening, he's jumping down. He doesn't try for an attack on the crystal, nor is his drop nearly as high as hers was. He's focusing on landing safely so to assist Minako first, after all. He lands with an inhuman amount of grace, and gets low as he tries to move towards Minako with an outreached hand]

Minako!

[complementing]

[Minako clenches her teeth and reaches out, fingers straining before she catches onto his hand. With a heave of effort, she hauls herself closer until she's huddled up at his side, squinting against the wind. What she wouldn't give for a pair of goggles right now.]

Thanks!

[She's so glad that the dragon hasn't tried throwing them off...yet. She has no doubt it's going to at least make a turn in the air soon, though, and that'll be just as dangerous for them. Time to pick up the pace. Minako resummons her spear, planting the butt of it against the dragon's back for support, and then struggles to a standing position.]

Alright, here we go! Haaaa—!

[Fire bursts against the crystal with each slash of her weapon, and though it doesn't seem to crack the crystal much, the dragon definitely feels it, roaring out after a particularly fierce hit.]

[whiteshroud]

[He helps pulls her up close to him, which is done fairly easily with their combined strength. His own clothes and hair are whipping wildly in the wind, even as he keeps low on the dragon. It's one of those times that being short pays off.

He's ready to move out, but boy does her summoning her spear catch him by surprise]

-- You can summon your weapon?!

[WHY DID NO ONE TELL HIM THIS WAS A TRICK YOU CAN DO HERE?! Was he supposed to find out himself????

Oh right. Mission. Focus. He draws his own longsword (not his claymore because he sure didn't KNOW you could summon THAT /salt salt). Her strikes and the fire weaken the crystal, so he'll assist by moving to the other side of it and swinging his own blade at it. He can't use his vision like her at the moment, but with his superstrength in combined with the work already done? It more than helps with making a clear crack in the crystal - even breaking off a segment of it.]