MAY MINGLE

[stellafortunamods]

May Mingle: Entombed City
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
Everyone's hard work resulted in the gate to upper Dragonspine opening. These ruins have not been traversed in years, if not centuries - everything within has been lost to time and living memory. An entire city has been buried in the snow.

People once lived there. The broken buildings host damaged furniture and weathered streets. There are various cloth-covered mounds in a house here and there, accompanied by a sprig of blue flowers. Someone has laid these people to rest after they passed away.

Traces of technology can be found in the city - golden boxes that contain crystals capable of recording and playing back holograms. One of the boxes introduces this place as Vindagnyr; a land once full of greenery and life. Just what happened to these people? What caused the eternal winter?

The highest point in the city is occupied by a temple built into a Domain. Within the Domain is a pale white tree, split in half by a strange object that has fallen through the Domain's ceiling. This temple was once a site for worship for Vindagnyr's people, and even in death they continue to pray for salvation. The priests have been frozen in ice, and the sheer cold emanating from the Skyfrost Nail makes it obvious that it is the cause of winter.

The city's inhabitants worshipped Celestia. Why then were they left to die?

State of the World

On October 1st, the entombed city of Vindagnyr becomes open for exploration. Travelers can choose to look for clues or try to scavenge the city for ancient materials or tools. Recording boxes all around the city tell stories of Vindagnyr's greener past, and of the days when winter suddenly arrived. This is the cruelty of Celestia that Forneus wished you to see.

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

Comments

[pragmatism]

[ Zhongli is silent for a few moments, a long sigh perceptible through the falling snow. ]

I cannot agree with their methods. But I too am at their mercy.

[ The contract he signed before the beginning of it all determined all that. With power comes responsibility, obligation, and rules. To defy the contract is to face oblivion. ]

My contract binds me to Liyue. I could not have interfered here, even if I wished to. [ Because disobedience is punished, even for the gods. ] This place was sealed before the Archon Wars. After that time, Celestia stopped governing directly. They chose lesser gods to act as intermediaries for them.

[whiteshroud]

[Jun is quiet in turn as he looks over at Zhongli for a moment, observing him. ]

I don't blame you for this, Zhongli.

[He turns his head to look out towards the falling snow, closing his eyes. As sick as he feels about what he saw, it had to be hard for Zhongli, considering his position. ]

Even a god can only do so much, and your duty was to protect and guide Liyue. Interfering with Celestia would've only led Liyue to suffer a similar fate. [Because he has no doubt in his mind that Celestia wouldn't have stopped at just punishing Zhongli.]

...It's not like I agree with everything my Lord or the church has done, but I'm limited in what I can do. [He gets it, in other words. ]

[evilisnotatoy]

[Being from a world wholly devoid of modern style interiors, the white void does little to increase the alien feel of the space in Sooga's eye; from the screens to the excess of white to the presence of more glass he's ever seen apart from the windows of Hyrule Castle, it's all strange to him.

In spite of that, he maintains a very professional manner when entering the office.]

Forneus. In light of recent events, I have matters I must discuss with you.

[stellafortunamods]

[ People seem to always find Forneus looking over indecipherable text at a screen when they come in. He turns at Sooga's voice, his casualness unchanging. ]

Go ahead. What is it?

[justicefang]

[Shirou turns slightly to get a better look at his companion. Shirou is tall, dressed in tan and black, with a collar buckled closed around his throat. He looks like he could fit into any modern city without much trouble.] A few days or less? I don’t recall humans being able to survive extreme temperatures for long.

[He brushes his fingers against one wall and glances to the cloth covered mounds. He doesn’t wish to disturb them. Nor does he feel anyone really should. The answers are clear.]

[beatnest]

Really? [ Byakuya has learned something today! ]

Me either, but you don't look like you're cold. The only other person who's hasn't been freezing and isn't a fire user is Figaro, but he's from Russia so it makes sense.

murals, mostly

[dispassionatedevotion]

Forneus stated in the event Celestia turns its wrath upon us, we would be sent home by him, ensuring our safety.

[ Moving along... ]

I also found some murals in a building.

[ He described the appearance of the, murals in excruciating detail, while making commentary about a third he could not make sense of due to its unfinished state. ]

I can give you directions to where they are, or accompany you if you prefer. I also found this.

[ He's holding up this circlet, which seemed to be made from white branches. ]

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ ... Ledah did not look bothered.

In fact, he did not look even surprised. It actually sounded like a plausible and rational solution to him. However, he did acknowledge it was A Lot, and he would like to know more before he decided to assist in killing off gods.

Of course, that's not to say he wasn't open to any other options (because there was one suggested just a second ago), but he's going to keep his options open...

For now. ]

I assume Forneus has reason to advocate for deicide as a permanent and final solution.

[ Beat. ]

I suggest we inquire about his reasons, which I am perfectly fine with doing so.

[ He would be fine if someone else did as well. ]

[dispassionatedevotion]

...It is not the idea of changing their passing that had compelled me. I had figured that would be an impossibility, since it is obvious it has been a long time.

[ Ledah's words came out quietly, but with an undercurrent of annoyance. Being in a situation like this was giving rise to feelings he was better at controlling on the usual. But maybe because it was rare he was bothered by much.

He fell silent for a bit, refusing to answer that question because he felt it unnecessary, and began to trail behind Zhongli, before catching up swiftly. ]

I wonder if those gods responsible for this had ever attempted to speak to the people before they decided those here must face retribution.

[ The sacrificial of lives for the sake of gods will to ensure harmony would persist against darkness was nothing new to him, but there seemed to be signs of nothing of the case here. There was no reason, it seemed. And if there was, it was based more on emotion, than logic. ]

[dispassionatedevotion]

Signs of disturbances from someone entering the building, you mean.

[ He looked thoughtful. ]

Then it is likely that whoever came here hadn't recently been through the area if there are no signs. Or ... they are the type of "individual" that could walk into a place without leaving signs they were there.

Though, I suppose thinking about this might be moot in the end.

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ Oh Byakuya, never change.

Ledah, will, meanwhile pretend he didn't hear the first sentence. ]

What do you think of the circumstances of these people, or the gods that caused them?

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ Ledah seemed fine with bearing Rean's anger. He wouldn't express his in the way the other did, but in a way some of the things that he's saying feel like they might be something he'd have said if he was not the person he was now.

But... ]

We don't know if there wasn't one sent.

[ He wondered again and again if there ever was one, though there didn't seem to be signs pointing towards there being a message or sign sent. Not obvious ones, at any rate. ]

But regardless, it doesn't seem to have been delivered well, if there was one. [ ... ] This world may not be our own, Rean, however I do not believe these gods are fit to rule these people any longer.

[dispassionatedevotion]

We'd free the bodies lying in ice so that they're not on display.

[ ...

Ledah will put away his Diviner, however, seeming to acquiesce to her point. He won't be too bullheaded about this, because she was correct, and logically he should learn more before taking action. ]

But I suppose you're correct. Until we find out if there are any adverse effects, any attempts to bring it down should wait.

[evilisnotatoy]

[Sooga takes note of the text on the screen, filing the information away for later. For now though, his attention remains primarily on Forneus himself.]

I was brought to this world to help save it, and thus have effectively been hired as an outside contractor. To maintain this as a professional relationship, I require payment for my services. I intended to bring this matter to you sooner, but between calculating the exchange rate between rupees and mora and the number and scope of the non-standard tasks this job is likely to require, it took more time than expected.

[He pulls out an itemized list for Forneus to take, gaze never wavering once. To spare the details, it comes out to Kinda A Lot of mora.]

[fiddlestick]

[When Sooga silent, Elliot takes the hint - quietly closing his eyes and giving a similar moment of respect. ]

...Good idea. I wonder where this infirmary is.

[fiddlestick]

Yeah, this isn't going to be solved in a weekend, I'm afraid.

[or a couple weekends. Basically get comfortable roxas]

I wouldn't worry though. My friend came from an earlier point of time than me, and I don't remember him going missing back home ... so I'm sure when we go back, it'll be around the time we left.

[evilisnotatoy]

I do not doubt that he has a reason. I simply doubt what the reason might be.

[He pauses, trying to choose the words to properly articulate the problem.]

To choose death is an act of desperation. If he feels things are so desperate, the more who ask, the better.

[evilisnotatoy]

[He turns the question over in his mind a moment, examining the evidence.]

It would need to be a larger building. She said it contained both the sick and injured, and in a city unused to the cold, there would be many of both.

[A further pause.]

...She called it a "shelter", suggesting it was not originally intended for its final purpose.

[stellafortunamods]

[ Sooga is, hilariously, not the first person to come to Forneus and ask for money. ]

Sure.

[ He reads over the list for a couple of seconds before manifesting a bag of Mora in an open hand, offering it to the ninja. It will cover his itemized bill and not a bit less. ]

[missingache]

Beaches aren't always sunny... the last place I was in was an island, and I had to shovel snow every day.

[Mostly for ice cream.

Blinking, he follows. Zipping his coat up and covering his hair with his hood. Just to retain some heat.]

Right. I wonder if there's fire along the way to warm up.

[missingache]

[Look

Roxas has no excuse.

He'll be nicer in the future. Maybe. If there's less dead things involved.]

[dispassionatedevotion]

[ ... ]

At the very least by doing so, we'll find answers.

[missingache]

Maybe. [That would be convenient.] I've been gone over four months already.

[justicefang]

[Shirou gathers up the stone and string. He stares at it then slips it into one palm. Should he keep hold of it?]

I'm more familiar with a compass. ...do you want to keep it with you?

[He holds his hand out to him, fingers slightly curled as if he had claws. It's a habit years and years old.]

[fiddlestick]

Sure, if that's easier I don't mind.

[He'll reach out and take the stone, noting his hand. He's polite enough not to pry in front of everyone about the odd hand position, so he just pulls away and pockets the item]

We'll have to make sure we're prepared before we go searching. I don't know anything about that side of the mountain, so who knows how long it'll take.