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stellafortunalogs2021-05-01 11:05 am
stellafortunamods) wrote in stellafortunalogs2021-05-01 11:05 am
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.
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Shall we explore elsewhere?
[ He figures staying around here would only make Jun feel worse about everything. Surely there's something else they can occupy their time with. ]
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...Thanks.
[His hand now fixed, he'll lower it to his side and consider the question. He did want to get away from this place, though he's not sure how many more frozen bodies in this city he wants to see. He needed to clear his head.
...]
You said this mountain had a good view?
[He remembers Zhongli saying that, way back when they were climbing the base of the mountain]
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[ Better to talk about a living city than a dead one. He starts making his way through the snowy roads ]
If the weather is clear, you will be able to view the twin monoliths that stand at Liyue Harbour's gates. North of that is Jueyun Karst, where most of the Adepti live. [ Hopefully Jun can get excited about this instead of thinking about dead bodies. ]
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[Well it certainly gets his attention, considering he's been hearing about Liyue for months now. He follows Zhongli, the distraction working perfectly]
Those monoliths must be massive if you can see them from up here...
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[ You certainly can't walk to Liyue in three hours like in the games, alas... ]
Liyue is known for its cliffs and peaks, though I did adjust them a little for ease of navigation and defense.
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That sounds so you, Grandpa.
[Ever thoughtful and meticulous. He can just picture Zhongli deciding to adjust the mountains because he heard of people struggling to travel.
...If only the rest of Celestia was more caring like that. His mind wanders back to that scene in the temple, before he pushes it away again.]
Least this trip has given me good mountain climbing practice. I'm sure climbing the peaks of Liyue will feel like a breeze after this.
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Do take your time and rest, though.
[ Can't have Jun all exhausted from rock climbing and run out of energy for other things. Nwo that they're rounding the side of the mountain, he makes his way to a ruined tower so that they can look out below. ]
Jueyun Karst is over there.
[ The skies are a beautiful clear blue for hundreds of miles, with the gray stone peaks of Liyue visible above sparse clouds. ]
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[But oh check out that ruined tower. Jun's attention is immediately caught by that. So much so that once the direction of Jueyun Karst is pointed out to him, he'll teleport himself to the top of that ruined tower because of course Jun is drawn to the highest point possible like some height-loving cat. Sorry Zhongli, you'll have to climb yourself, he got too excited.
He'll even risk the cold to lower his hood, so he can have a clear view without his shroud blocking anything. His eyes are wide as he stares out, completely in awe as he speaks loud enough for Zhongli to hear him.]
Oh, wow...! I see them! They're taller than those clouds!
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[ Zhongli's voice sounds light - he's proud of Liyue and the land he shaped with his own hands. ]
You can see other nations from those peaks. [ The closest that the earth could get to the sky. ] No matter what season graces the land, the air in Jueyun Karst remains clear and pure.
[ It's one of the reasons the Adepti like it so much.
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[The view was picturesque by its own right, but after spending several weeks on this frozen mountain that's covered in ice, snow and ruins? The beautiful colors of Liyue's landscape pop all the more.
But he also said he could see Liyue harbor, so he'll look around until he points southward, to what looks like some populated area by the ocean]
Is that Liyue Harbor? Over there.
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[ The buildings are almost indistinguishable from one another at this distance, but Liyue stands out amidst the earthen colours of the plains and the vivid blue of the ocean. ]
That is Guyun Stone Forest. [ A pause. ] And beyond that lies the nation of Inazuma, though it is too distant to be perceived.
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[Look at Jun, ever being the dutiful kid that actually reads up on the world. He takes in every sight that Zhongli points out, but the Guyun Stone Forest catches his interest]
Haha, I read somewhere that Guyun Stone Forest was formed by your spears. Is that true?
[Humans have a tendency to embellish the feats of their gods, after all, so it's good to check. ]
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[ Surprise surprise! ]
What you see now are only the tips of those spears, eroded by wind and water. They sank to the ocean floor once they were thrown.
[ considering the size of those rock formations? yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah ]
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[He sounds genuinely impressed. Those were the tips of the spears? The full size of them must've been absolutely massive.
This is the second time today he's been shown the power of gods, but it felt wrong to compare this to what was in the temple - so once again he pushes that thought away]
Haha, I would make large javelins of light to launch against sizable Greed, but even at my full power they'd look miniscule next to those.
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[ Zhongli doesn't seem boastful of his power, only commenting on it objectively. ]
Those times were very different from the peace that humanity is accustomed to now.
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[So much of what shaped this world went back to those dangerous times. The stories he's heard from Zhongli and the books painted it as such a brutal and dangerous time - and even then he's sure he's only heard a tiny pinhole worth of the entire scope of it.
...
Yeah, he can only push the serious thoughts back so far. He's quiet for a moment, before speaking.]
If the peace of this world gets shattered, if dangers on par of those in the Archon Wars present themselves once more...would the humans of Teyvat be able to manage without relying on the gods?
[He asks it as a neutral and honest question. He is aware of how fragile peace can be. The Eclipse wasn't always like how it is today.]
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At last: ]
... with the gods gone, they would not have to face similar dangers.
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You can't know that, Zhongli. Maybe any threat from Celestia and any current gods will be gone, but...something could come from another world, or it could be something new altogether. Peace is precious, but it's so very fragile.
[He doesn't like saying these things, especially knowing how heavy the memories of the Archon War weigh on Zhongli- but considering what they were trying to achieve...it was important to know.]
...I'm not saying it's impossible for humans to endure without relying on gods. These days, most people who deal with the Eclipse are people who don't rely on a god's power. There's still a way to go, but maybe one day...there won't be a need for Seal Knights like me.
But are the people of Teyvat ready for that?
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[ It's another one of those contract things, unfortunately. ]
You are correct in that the readiness of humanity must be ascertained. This is one part of Forneus' plans.
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[He gets that. The sight of those frozen priests was probably going to haunt him for the rest of his days. He can only imagine how everyone else must be feeling.]
It's just... there's something on Earth called Murphy's Law. It goes "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong". It's usually treated as a warning that you should prepare for anything. I just want to make sure the people of Teyvat can do the same.
But if Forneus is already planning to assess their readiness, then that's fine with me.
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[ Zhongli sighs, folding his arms in a familiar posture. ]
The Cryo Archon has long since been of similar mind to us. However, she has her own plans, and thus she does not join us on every occasion. She does plan to help me test Liyue.
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[Gotta earn that massive paycheck somehow!]
Oh, she is? What's the Cryo Archon like? I don't know much about her.
[There is a not-zero chance his research prioritized reading stories about his grandpa and liyue.]
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[ The most difficult aspect of all... ]
She cares greatly for her people and for the world. Unfortunately, gentleness is rarely rewarded.
[ aka she had god-level trauma 500 years ago. ]
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...
... 💡 ]
Oh! She's a tsundere!
[JUN NO]
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What is a 'tsundere' ?
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