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

[justicefang]

[Something like respect flickers briefly in Shirou’s eyes before he speaks. That sentiment...it reminds him what Jun knows about him. He chose well. Or hopes he did.]

I agree. We shouldn’t decide their fates for them. ...exactly what did he say about the people of Teyvat? It might give us a clue to how to go about gathering their feelings.

[whiteshroud]

Don't know, I didn't ask too many questions. [He shrugs] Forneus has an agenda, so I figured he'd used the narrative that benefits it.

[His trust in Forneus isn't high, but thinking back with conversations he's had with Zhongli]

...But I do know that every human born in Teyvat has a constellation. This constellation dictates their fate. Though, I'm sure these "fates" are manufactured by Celestia.

[justicefang]

...so a possible reason they’re harder to get is their freedom would be noticed. [Just how closely are these people being watched? He can’t tell if Forneus meant to let such a detail slip or if he was off the mark.]

Still, I agree. He will use the narrative that suits his agenda. [He doesn’t sound that surprised about that. His work for the Mayor for the last ten years made him aware of how often people choose words to suit their narratives.]

How much do we know about how the people themselves govern each nation?

[whiteshroud]

It's a probable reason, yes. [Is it the exact reason? He doesn't know, he didn't ask Forneus for many details. But rationally, it seemed very possible.

As for his question about the governing...Jun will scratch his cheek and give an apologetic smile]

I don't know much really. Seal Knights usually try to stay out of politics.

[in other words, he's got a high school level understanding of how the japanese government works, and that's about it]

[justicefang]

It might be a good idea to look. Or at least look into their libraries. How much they put into legends and what they list as history could be a good alternative.

[Maybe. He has dedicated himself to his own people and doesn’t really try to figure others out. Until this place. He spreads his own hands.]

I stay out of politics too. But information gathering is part of my work. [Between them they might find something.]

[whiteshroud]

[Jun sighs. That sounds like homework but he knows he's right]

I suppose you're right. It is relevant information if we're expecting them to continue on without intervention from gods...

[He pauses thinking]

Aside from Barbatos, the gods of this world take a more direct approach to governing than the gods of my Earth. There's no doubt that removing these gods will cause Teyvat's society to destabilize in the short term. Which makes the feelings of the people now all the more important.

[Since they're the ones that were going to endure the brunt of the transition period. Their ways of lives are the ones being sacrificed]

[justicefang]

Directly how? I've only known two immortals on my earth. Both acted directly through different means. [He thinks that over in a visible pause. He acted directly in the lives of Beastmen. Not as a god but as a man hunting down criminals and fools. Maybe other immortal beings are doing the same for their people?

He puts it aside to nod once.]

Yes, it does. ...Even something as small as what they'll tell travelers is a bit more information. It's leg work but, this is important.

[whiteshroud]

[He almost says something about gods =/= immortals, but really that's semantics and Jun isn't that interested in diving into that right now. Especially since it might just be his world's definition. So. Let's focus on Teyvat.]

Openly, I mean. Take Liyue for example: once a year their Archon, Rex Lapis, will make a public appearance during the Rite of Descension. During this rite, he will advise the people of Liyue on what to do for the next year financially. His words are taken as prophecy, are carefully analyzed, and they greatly affect the course of Liyue's economy.

[He's not going to mention that Rex Lapis is actually among their group now, he promised to keep that quiet. But of course he read up on how grandpa manages things]

By contrast, the last time my Lord directly addressed the public was 2000 years ago, and 1400 years ago through a prophet according to Islam. [So. It's been Awhile.] While He watches over Earth and will intervene sometimes by subtle means, He'd never do something as overt as the Rite of Descension.

[In other words, the Teyvat gods are VERY direct in their governing...besides Venti]

[justicefang]

[He internally does the math then nods once. So Rex Lapis advises and people bend themselves towards his words. It’s like the Cult of Silver Wolf but there doesn’t seem to be anything sinister about it. Humans do tend to be more...flexible than Beastmen.]

I see. [He crosses his arms over his chest as he says,] I think I understand now. So each one has put their hand into the development of their people in one way or another, all of it in the open.

Except for Venti. [Each nation would have a God’s hand in it. And that makes him glance away in thought, seeing another time and place. If Nirvasyl had had a guiding hand would it have-]

...each nation we see. We need to make sure they’re ready to be on their own. I’ll do all I can to help find that answer.

[whiteshroud]

Mm. And even Barbatos will intervene in his own way, he assisted us during the incident with Duvalin.

[He gives a nod] Yes, that'll be important to assess. But no matter what, we'll be drastically changing their way of life. Without any gods, there won't be anymore Visions. And there'll be no one there to provide divine intervention in dire situations.

Can any nation be truly ready for that? ...I don't know.

[justicefang]

...I don't either. My experiences with humans have been from outside your nations and on the outskirts. That I've seen, people adapt no matter who or what they are. I can't speak about non-humans or non-beastmen.

[He spreads his hands apart and recrosses them.], Whatever happens, will be messy there's no way out of that. That's all I can say for certain.

[whiteshroud]

[He nods to that. It's not like his experience with all this stuff is more varied than what Shirou has been through, so he has nothing to add there.

Though at that acknowledgment about things being messy, a look of guilt and worry crosses his face. It's the same conclusion he's drawn a hundred times as he run over this situation in his mind, and he hates it.]

...Mm. You aren't wrong.