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

[nefilim]

[She wasn't expecting to hear the laugh, and it takes the edge out of her expression. His offer another surprise, but she nods after a quiet moment.]

Mm, alright. I'll keep it down. [A beat, then;]

Is there... anything we could do for them?

[cranelike]

Look. (At the flowers. He motions towards them with his free hand,) Someone has put them to rest.

Let them be. Pray for peace and if you can, remember them. When we forget, all becomes lost.

[nefilim]

But is that really enough?

[Weren't they angry? Scared? Could this ever be enough for them?

But maybe it's better not to think like that, because then when would it ever be enough.]

[cranelike]

Is it? (Enough?) Is it everything? Nothing. Something. Less or more. Just right. Too much.

(In one of the rooms, a golden box in the center of the room catches his attention. He kneels down to pick it up,)

There are things that can't be measured. You only do what you can.

[nefilim]

[Ana just... blinks at him at that, because huh.

But she gets what he's saying, after mulling over that for a moment. Simply sighing in response now as she folds her arms, some of her earlier irritability fading away.]

Mm, I guess you're right. [She does step closer when he kneels before the box, peering over his shoulder.]

... What's that?

[cranelike]

(She sighs and he can feel some of the tension in the air break. Of course, it isn't all gone but it's enough that he gives her a quiet sort of smile, sympathetic and understanding, and then he holds up the box for her to see,)

A box. (Compared to the rest of the room... it seems out of place.) Have you seen then? This is the first nice one I've seen so far.

(The other boxes he'd seen around were pretty badly damaged to the point he couldn't open them. This one looks functional though and he opens it. A message plays.)

[nefilim]

[There's a cant of her head at the sight of the box, curious since it does... really look out of place amongst everything else here. Stepping closer and shaking her head, lips tugging down into a curious frown.]

No, I haven't. It looks kind of weird. [Especially since all the other ones were busted. Though crimson eyes widen as the message plays, and throughout it she's quiet. Almost eerily so, and the tension from before now weighs heavily around her.

Once it ends there's a sharp inhale from her, body trembling from barely restrained fury. Being angry will do nothing now. But the fact the priests kept the people here, despite the constant snowfall... She almost feels sick.]

They were slowly freezing to death, but they didn't let anyone leave...

[cranelike]

(His expression is careful, not giving away much of a reaction at all. In contrast, he seems as calm as ever and when the memory ends, he's quiet for awhile, letting the message and the meaning behind it sit heavily in the air,)

... It would appear the problem goes beyond the heavens.

(Into the mortal world, too. They can rebel against Celestia but it means nothing if the world continues to accept it. )

[nefilim]

Blind devotion. They probably believed they would be saved until the very end.

[There's something almost pained in her tone; mostly due to how deeply this resonates with her. And is this still an issue now? Would them brining the truth to light only prompt ire and disbelief?

It's hard to tell. Ana will just hope that isn't the case, lest the end goal of taking down Celestia becomes greatly more difficult.]

[cranelike]

Hmm. (He hums, almost thoughtful.) To be betrayed by someone you trust...

(Everything digs a little deeper into his heart.)

If you want to bring down Celestia, you'll have to consider the believers, too.

("you" because Tsurumaru still hasn't chosen a side in all of this.)

[nefilim]

I know.

[She doesn't prod him about the "you" because even Ana is aware enough that not everyone is on board with taking down Celestia. She was ready to kills gods back home, so her stance hasn't changed. But not everyone is like that.

The main difference here is that in the fallout, they'll just be leaving the natives to deal with it. And that doesn't sound right, to leave them to pick themselves up over something they had no control over.]

Even if we told people about this, they might not believe us. Especially since we're obviously outsiders.

[cranelike]

It would be a shame to lose favor after spending so much time to earn it.

(With helping with commissions, festivals, repairs, protecting the people...)

But those who want to listen, will. It's the ones who won't listen you would have to worry about.

(The ones who would become frightened, angry, and maybe even violent.)