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

[Closed starters for Anastasia! Lemme know if you would want anything with her!!]

[Ana hasn't exactly in the best mental space since coming up here; she's a horrible, sickening mix of furious, distressed and anxious, and right now she just wants to sit in a corner and just... turn off, for a while. Of course that won't solve anything, especially since she already lashed out at Forneus before which didn't help at all (and also got massively derailed). All she can do now is explore and see if there's more ways she can help these poor people.

It's during her explorations that she stumbles across Zhongli... and his lack of winter gear. Slowly raising a brow at him before approaching - voice incredibly dry as she speaks up:]

If you keep walking around like that, people are gonna catch on that you aren't human. [Even someone as used to the cold as her is bundled up; her wings wrapped tightly around her for extra, precious warmth.]

[ Zhongli's own opinions about Dragonspine aside, he's been trying to get a better perspective of the mountain's ley energies. What it tells him is that the Cryo injected by the Skyfrost Nail has become deeply intertwined with the native earth, making it almost impossible to separate the two.

He notes Ana coming closer through her footsteps, though he doesn't speak until she addresses him. ]

Will they? [ He turns around, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of Tired. ] I do think I will have to come clean about that sooner or latter.

[She notes the tired, but doesn't comment on it just yet. Considering where they are, she would be surprised if he wasn't feeling a bit drained about... all of this.]

It's literally deadly levels of cold and you're wearing a suit. [So that's a yes.]

But you're right. I doubt you can hide it for long, especially now Mr. Time seems to be hanging around. [She wouldn't be surprised if he mentioned to someone that there was another god among them.

And she lets the silence hang for a while longer, absently looking over the snowy landscape before focusing on Zhongli once more.]

How're you feeling?

[ Ah yes... Forneus. Now that the next stage of his plan has been put into motion, Zhongli has resigned himself to going along with what he may have otherwise avoided. ]

I am also one of the Adepti of Liyue. That should suffice for concealing my identity.

[ Which brings up the question of where the Adepti came from, but - that's a question for another day. As for how he's feeling... ]

The earth itself is weighed down by centuries of snow and ice.

[ He seems to be talking about both the mountain and himself. ]

[The comment about Adepti gets a squint, but that's something she'll just file away for now. there's something else that has her attention anyway.]

Did you... know? About what happened here?

[He must've, if he seems so affected by it.]

The earth remembers all that has happened on this world.

[ So... yes. ]

Gods too are bound by rules. I could not have prevented this, even if I wished to. [ He sounds a touch mournful, but given that he rarely expresses much emotions at all... ]

[If this was before she had gotten to known him, she may have lashed out - blamed him for doing nothing when he had the power to. But now she knows nothing is that easy, not even for gods.

Getting angry like she used to was simple, but the simple way isn't always the right way. Her expression crumbles at his tone, casting her eyes to the ground as she brings her wings tighter around herself.]

... Why did they do it, Zhongli? These people prayed for their help until the very end.

[ He looks up at the boundless blue sky above them, at where Celestia floated above everything. ]

I cannot answer that. I have been in the mortal world for too long. [ 'I cannot understand the minds of those above.' ]

[There's a sharp exhale from her, tension stiffening in her shoulders. Yet, she doesn't snap at him - only curling into herself a little more, as a weight settles in her chest. This hatred is old and familiar, and now she has a new target for it.]

One day I'm getting up there and dragging them off that damn island. [Whoever is up there, whichever gods that look down upon everyone and treat them like they're nothing. If it wouldn't cause a great deal of damage, she may be more tempted just to bring the island down with them.]

[ Zhongli sighs.

After about half a minute, it seems like this is all he's saying about this topic. It's quite heavy and complex, especially for a god like him. ]

[Even gods as long lived as him can be weighed down, it seems.

Ana watches him for a moment, quietly and considering. The tension is still there, but there's no ire in her voice when she does break the silence.]

Even you shouldn't hang out here for long. Let's head back.

Alright.

[ He starts down the snowy path towards camp, ever mindful of their surroundings - not that it show much, given that he's employing vibrational sensing. He doesn't say much, expecting Ana to ask him questions soon. ]

[Ana trots just a bit ahead, keeping her wings wrapped tightly around herself for warmth. It's only when they're closer to camp does she speak up at again, shifting to peer up at him.]

Do you know anything about this city?

I knew of its existence. However, I was unable to devote any of my attention to it, due to my contract.

[ He would place Liyue first and foremost. A city in a faraway land is only of novel interest to him. ]

MAY MINGLE

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