APRIL MID-MONTH MINGLE

[stellafortunamods]

April Mid-Month Mingle: Onward and Upward
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
After the Windblume Festival wraps up, the outlanders' next mission arrives: onward to Dragonspine Mountain, where the remnants of the abyssal dragon and a lost nation await. The bright light shining at its peak seems almost like a lighthouse - calling to you.

It's hard not to be in awe of Dragonspine Mountain's size. The snow on the mountain never seems to stop falling, neither does it seem to melt - the biting cold numbs your fingers and brushes your face, muffling the footsteps of monsters in everlasting white. Dragonspine is dangerous, and has claimed the lives of countless explorers. You'll need to be extra careful to survive.

The pristine snow is marred in places by stains of red, and following the scarlet stones around the mountain eventually brings you to a dark cavern. A warm light shines forth from the stone buried within - just what is this strange object? Should you be leaving it here?

As the cold sets in, you come across the ruins of a buried city halfway up the mountain. The stone architecture and runes are eerily similar to what you have seen in Mondstadt's domains and temples. A locked gate bars your way up the mountain, but the five unlit runes that surround it hint strongly at missing keys.

The inside of Dragonspine Mountain is host to a rather large blue cave. The freezing cold permeates the inside of Starglow Cavern, so you're not likely to find shelter here. The cave is covered with ice crystals and blue plants, as well as large ice crystals that refuse to be melted by Pyro Vision users. You'll need something more powerful to free whatever is inside... like the power of a long-dead dragon, perhaps?

State of the World

After Dvalin's purification, there have been no further time loops as Mondstadt has finally synced up with the outside world. The Windblume Festival will run through to September 20th, giving characters plenty of time to relax and enjoy some vacation time. However, time waits for no man, and our heroes will be approached by the Adventurers' Guild on September 15th to join an expedition to Dragonspine Mountain.

For all questions regarding April's mid-month mingle and events, please head over to our OOC post.

Comments

mystery of the red stones;

[dispassionatedevotion]

...I haven't heard of anyone doing so. Does something about them interest you?

[ Ledah hadn't so much as touched any of the red stones; he hardly had any interest in them and didn't have any need to gather more warmth by the virtue of being a person who utilizes a Pyro vision. ]

[justicefang]

[No one has touched them. They dot the trails like thorns or splatters of blood. He raises his left hand and the wind spirals in threads of green around his wrist.]

They're everywhere. I was wondering why. [It's better to see exactly what they are. The wind spreads to form claws on his fingers. He brings them closer to the stone and moves to shave off a sliver.]

I don't like leaving an unknown.

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ Ledah still didn't touch them, but he nodded a little at the other male's words. ]

Finding out their purpose could reveal something to us. Even now, there is still much we do not know.

[ Though, it did give him a thought. ]

...I also suppose the God of Time could know about them.

[justicefang]

They could. [He twists his hand as the sliver slides into his palm. It looks like a drop of blood. He can feel the heat emanating from it. The cold stops being such a problem.]

It's giving off heat. [He holds it a moment longer and lets it slip from his hand. It breaks apart in mid-air. And the stone he'd cut into is pristine.] ...And doesn't last long if we let go of it.

[The way the wind curls around his hand and forms the claws, it doesn't look like a human hand at all.]

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ Ledah will examine the actions made by the other, though the most being of interest would be that the usage of the vision, the claws formed from the wind, and the fact the stone had shattered once let go. ]

It seems it doesn't, no. It may be that it was created with someone using it in this climate in mind, but it's hard to say. Magical items can just come into being under the right circumstances, without the intervention of a human's hand or otherwise.

[ ... ]

...But, there's a good possibility that there was some intervention of some sort involved. Whether here, or elsewhere.

[justicefang]

Often without a human’s hand. [He murmurs as the wind fades to nothing. He tugs on his glove and flexes his fingers. The lingering heat has already faded.]

Anyway, best to keep an eye on where they appear. It might tell us more about where they came from. Until we can ask the god of time.

[He stands up and shakes his hand once. It feels cold again.]

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ An interesting comment to make.

But he'll nod in agreement to the statements. ]

You have solid observation skills. I assume that you're used to using them when you were in your world?

[justicefang]

Yes, it's nothing new. [Shirou glances around. His eyes narrow as he spots more red stones. They're spread out but seem to form a trail.]

Let's walk back to the Secondary camp. See how many of them are on the way there.

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ He'll nod. ]

We may as well.

[ He'll follow the gaze to spot more of them, and began to walk back, making note of how many more were along the way. ]

[justicefang]

[There are a fair few of them. The stones jut out of the snow and ice like thorns on a rose. There is oddly nothing unnatural about their positioning. But that faint sense of wrong persists.

Shirou steps into the camp and turns around to face the last one. The camp is far enough away from the last patch to make his shoulders relax slightly.]

There’s a number of them but only in small patches and they’re spaced well apart. You’re right, I’ll ask the god of time about them.

[dispassionatedevotion]

I'm sure that he'll have answers. He always does.

[ A pause. Ledah wasn't the best at social interaction, but they are allies, and this person was relatively new to the group. ]

...You may call me Ledah. Here's to our success in our mission.

[justicefang]

[Shirou nods once and focuses his attention Ledah. It had been kind of refreshing to not have to speak much. A bit like being on a case again.] Shirou Ogami.

How long have you been part of this mission?

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ He'll look vaguely thoughtful, considering the question. ]

Around four months by now.

[ ... ]

It's beneficial that you had arrived at this point in time.

[justicefang]

And why is that? [Shirou asks as the cold wind blows around them. Beneficial to the mission or to himself?]

I heard about the dragon all of you freed. [There, a bit of information for more of it.]

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ Ledah nodded at the other's statement of fact. ]

In the beginning, we were less certain of who had brought us here, and we had far less information. The fact that you arrived now that we have a face to place for the one responsible for our appearance in this world means you answered the call at a good time.

[ So essentially, beneficial to the mission, as far as he was concerned. ]

[justicefang]

[There's a pause at that. He could easily imagine how he could have reacted with having no information. Not well.

Not well at all. Even when he remembered why. Just the thought makes his hands tighten into fists. He forces his hands to relax.]

My tasks were done for a time. To be a better protector I had to learn more about others. ...and so I agreed.

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ He nodded, accepting the answer. ]

My tasks were finished with as well.

[ In a manner of speaking. He had given them to Ein, and once one was dead, that person could not consider to have tasks assigned to them any longer. ]

I too hope to become more efficient in carrying out my purpose, though the consequences of answering the call had some immediate benefits. Such as now being in a state to do more than before.

...That said, you will find that our allies are mostly pleasant and competent, if you have not already.

[justicefang]

Do more than before? [He asks as he crosses his arms and glances back out at the cold mountain. There's so much about this situation he doesn't know.

Then he nods.] They've been fine. I'll do what I can to match all of you. [He'll give it his all. Just like he does with whatever he decides.]

[dispassionatedevotion]

I wasn't in a position to do much, before I came here. Now that the god of time has given such an opportunity, it would be a sign of ungratefulness to not acknowledge it.

[ But, regardless he accepted what the other said just fine, and now that they've reached Camp, and he has nothing else to say or talk about for the moment, Ledah considered this a good point to end the conversation. ]

I'll leave you to it for now.

[ He'll begin to make his exit, to attend to other business. ]

And thread wrap up right here

[justicefang]

[Shirou watches him go. There is so much he has to consider and all of it new for the first time in...so long. It’s like being a young man again with the whole world an unknown. He looks out at the cold and the swirling snow.

Then he walks after him, heading into camp to get started on this strange turn in life.]