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

[stellafortunamods]

I wouldn't.

[ And he means it, really! ]

My calculations that led me to choosing battle were done with parameters that only involved native agents. What I cannot predict is the effect that travelers from other worlds would have. The unknown that you bring into the simulation could give a victory obtainable via other means. That is my conclusion, borne from my faith in humanity's potential.

[fiddlestick]

[Well that's a relief to hear his suspicion confirmed. He relaxes and nods with a bit of a smile]

Exactly as I thought! Well, that makes things easier for me.

[Elliot always preferred deciding his own way of doing things, and knowing Forneus wasn't going to fight him to conform was some weight off his shoulders. Just as his Anemo Vision indicated, he was a free spirit through and through. ]

You remind me of a girl back home. She can see the world as a chessboard, so her tactical predictions are so accurate you'd think she was a seer. And yet when her best calculated solution to a war was too costly, she sought us out with the hope we'd find another way ... even if she didn't want to admit to herself that's what she was doing.

I get the same kind of feeling from you. Though, you're not a teenage girl, so it's not exactly a 1:1 comparison...

Figaro

[joies]

[While she had decided to climb with the others to the peak, Persephone was not too thrilled about it. The cold seeped into her in a bone-deep ache that wouldn't budge, despite all her huddling into herself, and the state of the city just. Adds some emotional discomfort to go along with the physical.

But she's here, and now she can see the truth of what happened. Even though part of her really doesn't. At the very least she's not alone, quietly grateful for Figaro's prescence.]

Hmmm... I had a feeling it was something like this, but it's still... [Upsetting? Traumatising? All of the above?]

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot considers it for a moment, trying hard to see that point of view]

...Yeah. It's different from how I was raised so it's hard to wrap my brain around, but I guess if all they knew how to do was rely on their gods...

[Elliot's dad, as affectionate as he was, tended to lean hard towards the "if you get captured, I'll leave you to die so you better fend for yourself" mode of parenting, so Elliot wasn't exactly prone to dependency.

It's debatable if this was a good form of parenting. Olaf's a complicated man!]

[stellafortunamods]

[ Forneus smiles, and for a moment Elliot sees an old man in his place, followed by a very young girl, and then a middle-aged woman. Then he's back to his usual form of a young man. ]

I can be whatever you want me to be, but that's besides the point. I'm putting my trust in you - in humanity. And that's what drives my plan.

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot's eyes widen with surprise as Forneus does that. Shapeshifting isn't that common in his life ok]

Whoa...!

Eheh, wow! Man I would've killed to have that ability in school!

[HE COULD'VE BEEN HOT. Also sorry what about humanity he's totally distracted ]

[cranelike]

(Of course, the meaning of the story is obvious and he figured Zhongli would figure it out easily enough,)

Mhmm... What happens after your wish comes true? You'll have a frightened people on your hands.

[justicefang]

I wouldn’t advise anyone fly here but those who can need the signs to at least catch light. Anything reflective would do.

[It doesn’t have to be colorful. Just reflective.] I can help pick it out if they have anything like that.

[justicefang]

[There’s a subtle relaxing of his shoulders but his eyes focus on said doctor like a wolf catching movement between the trees.]

Seeing things. What was seen at that point? [It could be how the dragon spoke.]

[justicefang]

[He nods.] I assume if you can tell me anything else later, we can reach each other.

[Shirou heads for the door but pauses at it, looking back.] Other wise, that’s all I came to talk about.

[It’s what he wants to focus on. Everyone else will zero in on the city. But he has always had to look beyond the immediate.]

[cranelike]

... No, I suppose we might never understand.

(Like why the saniwa is able to summon the swords they're able to. Surely, there are less troublesome spirits to rely on. Ones that aren't as tempted as others.)

Meddling with time is dangerous. Once you decide to do that, there's no turning back.

[whiteshroud]

[Huh. That's an interesting sentiment]

You have some experience with that, I take it?

i'm so sorry

[cranelike]

(








He's just gonna s m i l e.)

[whiteshroud]

[...



So this is how it feels huh. There is an exasperated sound on his end as he gives up]

Alright then, keep your secrets.

[cranelike]

(HE PROBABLY WOULD if he wasn't actually a spirit in human form and more durable than the average human. Give him ten minutes, tops. Maybe even fifteen.)

Hah! (That gets a laugh from him so good joke,) If I did, I would have to change my name... Woodcutter Kuninaga? Or maybe Kintaro Kuninaga...?

(Look at these Japanese folklore specific references hes' making.

But Tsurumaru is old and dislikes hard work that isn't swinging his sword so. No collecting firewood for him. He'll just complain about his b a c k.)

[cranelike]

(Hands on his hips. Roxas are you trolling him? Because if you are he loves you.)

Then it should be easy to see...

(GRUMBLES BUT FINE,)

I was named because I resemble the crane.

... You can't see it?

[cranelike]

Someone who knew to come here, too.

(Considering how this place was forgotten for so long.)

I wonder who our mysterious visitor could be~

[cranelike]

Frozen in time but not completely timeless. (He kicks at some of the snow,) If it was long enough ago, the snow would have covered things up by now...

And given how old everything seems, anyone who escaped would be long gone.

(And he skips in the snow to walk next to Shirou,)

We can still look for answers. There must be records... humans naturally try to preserve their memories.

[stellafortunamods]

Doubt you'd want to give up your humanity in exchange, though.

[ Be careful of what you wish for, with great power comes great responsibility, etc etc. ]

[stellafortunamods]

Alright. I'll see you around then.

[ Which mostly involves Shirou coming to meet him, because he's intent on staying in his office. ]

[fiddlestick]

Haha, well no, of course not!

But when I was 16 I probably would've given it some thought. Puberty's tough when all your guy friends are hot and you look 12.

[He can laugh about it NOW but man. It was rough]

[stellafortunamods]

[ There's a pause as he considers what to say. ]

... if it helps, you're pretty handsome now.


[ ????? ]

[bowfaire]

(Still covered with snow from the city, he'll try to kick off some of it before he really enters Forneus's space but that isn't going to stop him from trailing in packed snow from his boots and the ends of his cloak and pants,)

Sorry for the mess.

(He doesn't sound too sorry? But he can at least say he is. It's not too different from when his own classmates and soldiers would come to him during meetings while out in the field. Sometimes you just track mud and dirt in... at least this is just water basically?)

Kind of wish we could be speaking under better circumstances but... this was all part of your plan, apparently.

[missingache]

[Wow... this guy really wants to be a crane. Roxas squints and looks "closer" just to humor him.]

I can see it a little, but it feels like something is missing...

[The feathers.]

Is your name crane?

[stellafortunamods]

[ Forneus spreads his arms and shrugs a little, as if to say 'whatever'. He could just vanish the snow, anyway. ]

It's no problem. What's up?