stellafortunalogs | MAY MINGLE

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[UM. Excuse him??? What the actual fuck, Forneus???? Sooga has enough self control that he's outwardly keeping his cool (mostly), but this? This is just reinforcing his thought that gods are exactly the kind of people you don't want holding phenomenal cosmic power.]

...I have no issue with deicide if it proves necessary. However, someone whose first plan is to offer themselves up for the slaughter is not to be trusted with plans of this magnitude without very careful consideration.

[ ... 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. ]

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.

[ ... ]

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

[He nods.]

Precisely.

[Somewhere, in the back of Rean's mind, there's the tiniest notion of a thought that maybe this statement also applies to him? Just maybe?

But naturally, it's gone as quickly as it came.]

I mean... I'm sure he's given it plenty of thought. When you're the god of time, I can only imagine you've got, well... a lot of time to think it over. But even so...

If he wants to stop this so badly he's willing to die for the cause, does he truly deserve to die? And he can't be alone in thinking that way, right? I can't imagine every single god here on Teyvat wants to watch the people suffer.

[Give it time, Rean. He'll be sure to spell it out for you when he realizes you're the self-sacrificing type.]

If he's willing to go so far that he would sacrifice himself for those in his care, I believe we should try to prevent that from being a necessity.

[The words "I can't split-- you're my best lackey!" play across his memory, at once affirming his convictions and making him feel a bit lonely.]

...Such a person is worthy of protection.

[And yet again, there's that teensy little voice in the back of Rean's mind: You. All of this could apply to you. People love you, you know that, right?

Aaaand... nope. Not letting that settle in! There are bigger fish to fry. God-sized ones. Or, well, not fry, because that would kill them, and...

...This metaphor just isn't working out, is it.]

I agree.

If... there's a way to bring Celestia down to our level, to force them to listen to us and change... then that's the way I want to go. Even after having seen all this... I can't bring myself to just kill indiscriminately. And I'm... really hoping I'm not alone on that.

[Accept that people love you, Rean.

Sooga's body language radiates quiet anger at the reminder of what Celestia has done, and how uncomfortably close it comes to events that have shaped his own people's history.]

...I would hope none of us intend to stoop to their level. We are here as arbiters of change, not as instruments of vengeance.

[His tone makes it absolutely clear that he will do some stabbing if they show no remorse though.]

[Rean's not about to judge Sooga on that. While he certainly sounds and looks forlorn, and he IS, it's not as if he's not furious, too. He's just... gotten very, very good at reining that particular emotion in.

It tends to not end well when he doesn't.]

Mm. [...] Maybe it's better not to dwell on that possibility, though. ...Like you, [because he CAN read the room,] I already know what choice I'd make if it came to that. But... I want to hold out hope.

MAY MINGLE

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