Fandom In The Echoes

[AI10100]

"It is as destiny as foretold. When they have been collected, when they have been tested, they will find their paths. They will be brought together by the threads of fate. The question is, what will they do when the time comes when decisions would dictate where the world will go?

So come, children, come and gather to listen to this tale..."

​

 

[AI10100]

• Mondstadt
• Liyue
• Travelers

• 
  Edrich had gathered up as many allies as he could get for this expedition. It wasn't like it would be his first time plunging into the depths of Dragonspine— he wasn't as equipped as other adventurers are for it, but he had no qualms braving the sheer cold when a good commission lands on his lap. However, this time, it was different. He was here on his own accord and his companions are fulfilling his commission. Oh, how the tables have turned indeed.
  
  "This is a big help Iris," he claimed as he looked over the three packs that was laid down on the table in front of them. "But you really don't have to."
  
  Iris scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "Dragonspine is more than your average adventuring locations. It's best you're always prepared and I'd rather not lose two members." She eyed Edrich's companions who were loitering around the area. "All this and not a single pyro user in sight."
  
  Edrich laughed. "Can't always get them all."
  
  "Here. Give them this." She handed him a couple of warming bottles. "It will at least keep you guys from freezing if you can't find torches or those heating mechanisms." Edrich nodded and thanked her once again before grabbing the three packs and the bottles and headed over to the rest.
  
  All of you are enjoying a nice meal of Goulash— something that Harris was adamant about feeding you all when he heard that you would be entering Dragonspine. According to him, it would help stave off the cold. When asked about the price for his food, he just waved it off and said that he would put it on Edrich's tab. Something he wasn't quite aware of since he had already begun speaking to Iris by that point.
  
  "You all almost done?" Edrich asked as he placed down the three packs on the ground in front of him. "We have to go soon. Getting caught in Dragonspine during the night is not ideal." Though, unfortunately, if his predictions were correct, just one night in Dragonspine would be a blessing.
  
  
• 
  The Qixing had called upon anyone who would be willing to step up for an investigation near the Guili Plains. You all gathered in a small encampment that was prepared by the Qixing for you and a man stood inside, reading through what you can assume to be the orders that were given to you all. He was dressed as part of the Millelith.
  
  As you all approach, he looked up and greeted you with a smile. "I'm glad you all can make it. I am Yazhu of the Millelith. I was ordered to accompany and guide you all through this commission."
  
  Yazhu rolled up the scroll that he was just reading before handing it to one of you so that you all could peruse its contents. He stepped back into the tent and brought out a knapsack of supplies before grabbing his own personal pack. "Contained inside the scroll is information about the ruins... or well, lack thereof. There just seemed to be increased Treasure Hoarder activity around those parts until one of the researchers reported a spike of elemental energy." He shifted uneasily. "I've also heard that some vision holders had felt this as well."
  
  He looked pensive and deep in thought as he brought his hand to his chin. "The Qixing hasn't been able to produce information for this but that's why we're here." He shook his head, obviously disappointed but knew that it would just be a waste worrying about it.
  
  He grabbed his spear that was laying down on the table before suddenly coming to a realization. "Oh, right! How should I address you all?"
  
• 
  You all remember very little aside from the fact that you were out travelling near the Stone Gate when the ground beneath you cracked and collapsed, bringing you and everything you own with it. The fall was long and during it, you might wonder if there was even an end to it.
  
  Then you land.
  
  You find it a miracle to even wake up and find that you had no broken bones. Or well, as far as you know, you don't have broken bones. Mayhaps it's time to start testing your mobility if it's still up to par. You are sure about one thing though, you are very sore from the fall. When you look up, you can see that the hole you had fallen from. There was no way you can climb all the way there, that's for sure.
  
  Looking around, you find out that this was not just some cavern but rather an ancient ruin buried deep underground, not to be seen by anyone. You also see that there were other people with you, all either as confused as you or just waking up from their presumed fall as well.
  
  It looks like there's one way out. And that's straight through the singular doorway at the end of the chamber you're in.
  

 

[Coyote Hart]

​

The things people would do for money. Including traveling miles upon miles to a different nation to earn money in a commission. Yuhai still didn't like adventuring, but it was better than trying to do odd jobs on the streets of Liyue Harbor.

But when the carriage that held the box that Yuhai had lived in for the past two days arrived at the campsite, and Yuhai opened the box to look at his surroundings, he was almost convinced that the money wasn't worth it.

"Oh fuck no," Yuhai exclaimed as he stared at the foreboding mountain of Dragonspine, "Nuh uh uh."

And with that, Yuhai closed the box and hid back inside as he tried to think of what to do. Granted, it was his fault that he was too lazy to read the commission that Edrich had sent him. But a hydro user?! In Dragonspine?! That was a death sentence. He tentatively opened the box once again to stare at the mountain. It was covered in snow, with icy blue patches. Did he really want to risk an icy death for a few measly mora? Did he?

Yes.

It would be fun, Yuhai decided. A terrifying, heart-racing expedition, where Yuhai would be forced to fight fiercely to survive. Exhilarating. Besides, both he and Enki had wanted to visit Dragonspine, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

The issue was, where the heck was Enki?! While he was enjoying the goulash-- a much better rendition of his scrap soup-- he kept peeking back over his shoulder in hopes that he would be able to see the familiar face of the Dendro user. He needed Enki. For emotional support as well as for carrying the pyro solutions that they had made a few years back, which Edrich apparently entrusted to him. But the dude never arrived.

"Give me five," Yuhai said to Edrich, "I've got to do something."

If Enki wasn't going to come, Yuhai knew that he was going to have to make his own pyro solution. He wasn't confident that he could do it though, but he was sure with a bit of trial and error he could make it work.

Because he wanted to make a solution that he could spray through his cans, he had to empty one of them first. So with his incredible immaturity, he began defacing the grass around the camp with crude red phallus drawings. When he inevitably got bored of doing this, he just opened the can and dumped the rest of the red ink onto the ground. He didn't once question why he didn't just dump the ink in the first place rather than waste his time running around the camp defacing it.

The next step was to actually make the solution. It was the very same solution that he had made with Enki a few years back, using Everflame seeds and Flaming Flower Stamen. But for Yuhai, it was a notoriously difficult thing to successfully create, especially since Yuhai was a dumbass. His first try was a spectacular failure. After adding one vial to a beaker, the beaker spontaneously exploded in a fiery show of flames.

After stumbling back from the flames, Yuhai's first thoughts went to his spiders, "Yao! Dao! Are you two alright?"

After Yao descended from his earlobe onto his shoulder and Dao emerged from his pocket, Yuhai released a sigh of relief. He would be besides himself if either of his spider friends ended up dying by his hands. His second thought went to the damage that the explosion had caused.

"My art!" Yuhai lamented. The grass, the alchemy table, and even some of the tents had caught fire. And that included the inappropriate stuff that Yuhai had drawn. With a hasty swipe of his hand, a wave of water splashed everything, drenching the tent, but also extinguishing the alchemy table and the grass.

Finally, after another round of trial and error, Yuhai successfully managed to make a pyro solution that wouldn't immediately explode. He carefully loaded it into his spray can, and holding his breath, he shook it. The shaking motion would activate the chopped-up Everflame Seeds, so that when he actually used the spray can, the oxygen flowing into the can would let the solution catch fire. At least that's what Yuhai hoped would happen. He held his breath as he pressed his finger down on the top of the spray can. To his surprise, a steady stream of fire spurted out of the can, perfectly controlled. Yuhai released his pent up breath and pumped his fist in victory.

"Alright, that's what I'm talking about!" Yuhai shouted. He turned back to his teammates with a triumphant grin, "Now I'm ready to get rolling!"

 

[LazyDaze]

ѪЦ-00000
​

"Just call me Mu," Mu said while taking a hold of the note the guide offered. He gave it a once over before rolling it up and crossing his arms. It didn't take long for Mu to begin to regret his decision to help the Qixing. No it wasn't the weather that bothered him, nor was it the trek across the plains. The fact was, Mu thought this would be a solo mission. He had been working on his own for the most part, taking missions whenever available. Turns out, the lack of a need to sleep gave one many advantages in the adventurer's guild. At the very least this meant that he could continue to keep his mind busy before it would drift uncomfortably to that huge blank of uncomfortable yet familiar nothingness, but there was another reason for his hellish drive to complete as many commissions as possible...

Mu recalled the mention of treasure hoarders; of course, he couldn't help but think back a few months to when he had finally opened his eyes. Thanks to similar individuals, he awoke from what was presumably a long slumber. It was a surreal feeling, to know everything and nothing at the same time. He knew how to function in everyday society...for the most part, and human speech. It seemed like he spent most of his time observing his surroundings and cataloging those observations for future use. Moreover, it didn't take long for Mu to figure out that he wasn't human. However, there was a big difference between knowing what you were and who you were. Whenever he attempted to think back to before he opened his eyes in the cold ruins an error would occur. The one things he could remember was the name Irina...and her voice.

"Please, continue to help others...you are..."

Mu couldn't remember the rest, but he was doing his best to follow that directive. It was the only clue he had as to why he was created. So, here he was, volunteering to help the Qixing...with other people unfortunately. Mu sighed while he rested an arm on his sheathed saber and shifted his weight to one leg. Their guide didn't seem all that dependable to him. In fact, no one did. "Yazhu of the Millelith...Is this really that serious? With so little information, I feel like our resources can be placed elsewhere...I can handle this myself."

AI10100

 

[Arvios]

Mukai Reiji​

The whole time that the Milileth soldier was speaking, Reiji stood motionless as if holding his breath, focusing on every bit of information that was passed down to him and the others in his company. It was a habit that was ingrained from years of discipline, where other kitsunes such as himself existed solely for the benefit of the Inazuma Bakufu. During such briefings, their role was simply to listen intently. Orders were never repeated, as they were as secretive as their own existence. Assignments were expected to be followed through without any deviations, and with a successful outcome with full discretion in mind. Failure or noncompliance would result in punishment, but it was something totally unheard of for his kind... Loyalty was the one element that was beyond change, a true trait of eternity for the kitsunes. But for one reason or another, Reiji's loyalty to his sister was far more honed towards her. Perhaps because she gave him something personal to fight for, or something to hold on to. Either or, he felt no guilt leaving behind his nation. Liyue was now his home, whether for better or for worse.

When Yazhu finishes describing the profile of the mission, Reiji's mind shifts as if from past to present, his mind now wandering about the "why's" within the details. Treasure Hoarders? His brow twitches subtly at the sound of the organization. "Of course they would be involved," he thinks to himself with a hint of disgust. He couldn't stand the thought of those fiends who typically look out for themselves at the expense of others. But what bothered him most was the bit about the elemental energy spike. What on Teyvat could that possibly mean? The fact that he was a part of the Adventurers' Guild's Intelligence Division and not know any details is what drove him towards accepting the commission in the first place. And to top it off, this was also a commission posted by the Qixing... Reiji had to sate his curiosity.

"The name is Mukai Reiji, and I will contribute as best as I can," he spoke after Mu with a subtle nod. The kitsune tried his best not to stare at the machine-man, and instead busied himself with his fellow co-adventurer's words. Reiji couldn't help but dissever the observance, that perhaps the Qixing didn't want to attract attention by inviting a whole platoon of adventurers, or rely on a single agent without backup who may or may not fail. Regardless, he held his tongue to avoid sounding disrespectful to his new teammate. When operating in a small team, cooperation was the foundation to a successful mission. Starting off on the wrong foot would only lead to friction and make a mission far more difficult. Instead, he waited for the others to make their introductions.

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Enki Tsuchiya || Sumeru’s Karunungan Diplomat

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Bauza ( LumaThePhoenix ) Katja ( Technicolor Cat ) Ilya ( Colorless Spectrum )
  

  ~ ??? ~
  In The Desolate Hallway || Enki’s CS File
  
  He’d felt himself falling as if he had vertigo but yet that made no sense. He'd just been on solid ground at the very bottom of Stone’s Gate. He didn’t have time to do much more than scream for his companion on the journey towards Mondstat.
  
  “BAUZA RUN”
  
  He didn’t know how effective his shout was as his plummet continued. He’d been lucky enough that he still reacted with a quickness to falls. Sumeru had been all rainforest and if you fell to your death you’d have no one but yourself to blame for a lack of caution. He’d kicked off a few pieces of what he could only assume was falling debris with them and twisted into a landing. Pain rocked through his body as his joints took the force of the fall. He fell the rest of the way to his knees thanks to it.
  
  “What the everloving fuck...“
  
  His curses slipped out before he could school himself back into his usual calm demeanor. Right, he needed to calm down. He didn’t need to add even more time on top of whatever time he’d lost from the fall. He pushed off the floor bringing himself to a standing position. It hurt like hell but it seemed at least like he wasn’t majorly injured from it. He looked up to where he could have fallen from and quickly found it.
  
  Well he certainly wasn’t getting back up that way.
  
  How unfortunate.
  
  He could only hope that Yuhai would be fine for a while without the pyro concoctions. Edrich was resilient… he’d manage to sort it all out. He let out a sigh as he started to look for another way out. He heard a noise and realized he wasn’t the only one who fell. He scanned the area to find two women, and Bauza nearby.
  
  “Bauza? BAUZA!”
  
  He rushed to the three’s sides despite not recognizing one at all and wishing for anyone other than Ilya having fallen with him. Seemed his shout to Bauza had been too late to do anything.
  
  “Are you guys okay?”
  

 

[lunar_moth]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Kanbe Ori　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

By the time Edrich speaks up Ori's long finished her bowl, which has been placed to the side with a few coins of mora tucked under it all sneaky-like. Hell if she knows what was in that stuff, but apparently it's working, because the nipping chill in her fingertips has already been replaced with an easy warmth. A relief -- it would have been quite the embarrassment had she frozen to death before they even made the trek through Dragonspine (hey, it's not her fault her body is accustomed to mild Mondstadt winters, maybe Dragonspine is just unreasonably, rudely cold, even if they've barely reached the outskirts).

She watches with a flat look as the- oh, what was his name again? had she even learned his name? she should probably figure that out -the boy from the box runs around the campsite, making 'preparations' before they leave by spraying very specific shapes on the ground for reasons that are currently unclear to Ori. It- you know, whatever helps soothe the pre-adventure nerves, she's not one to judge. She busies herself by moving over to where Edrich stands and reaching to carry one of the packs he drops at his feet.

"Ah, here, I can help carry one of those. It's no use if you wear yourself out before we even begin," Ori says, or begins to say, because then all of a sudden the box boy is setting things on fire (???), including his drawings (oh these poor people whose camp has just been utterly decimated), but then it's fine because everything is now not-on-fire (???) as quickly as it was-on-fire and now everything is damp and beginning to crystallize in the frigid air.

Ori has the fleeting thought that Archons, we are not returning from these mountains alive.

No, don't be dramatic. They'll be fine. They're all professionals here.

(In the corner of her eye there's a little patch of still-smouldering grass, which she believes used to be part of the b-- well, something.)

Mostly. It'll be fine.

Ori gives her head a bit of a shake like she's physically dislodging that train of thought from her brain. Then she turns her deadpan gaze back to Edrich.

"Edrich, might I ask for a refresher on our mission exactly? Just to keep us... focused, before we head out," she says, very casually, like the thought has just occurred to her.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　 AI10100 , Coyote Hart 　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Ilya Alexeev

Oh. I'm falling. The day would have been any normal traveling day for Ilya had it not been for the sudden breaking of the ground near Stone Gate. It had taken her by surprise, there was no indication prior to the ground's breaking, even then she wouldn't be able to escape it. How unlucky of her, but then again she wasn't one so favored by luck or the Archons.

There was a moment of acceptance, perhaps this is the day she dies and be free of the emotions that she carries like the weight of the world but as she plummet closer to the ground, the more she realize she doesn't want to. She still had things to do. She still had to find Mingyu, it was the least she could do to repay the kindness given to her. Not today. Not yet.

And while her will to live was enough for her to see another day, she didn't have enough time to create a decent landing due to her dawdling. The next thing she knew was a jolt of pain coursing through her, a scream bursted from her lungs. Her body was aching all over, especially her left arm. "Hah..." She panted, laying on her side as she looked at her bent arm, trying to keep her mouth shut. The sensation wasn't new to her but she hoped to never feel this again. So much for hoping.

Ilya felt herself wanting to lose consciousness from the pain, and the voice that spoke to her only became a jumbled mesh of words. "Hngh-"

A groan escaped her lips as her arm throbbed in pain, feeling the roll of sweat down her neck. "Help..." She said weakly, seemingly drifting between fainting and keeping herself awake.

mention: n/a|| interaction: BriiAngelic LumaThePhoenix Technicolor Cat

 

[Ambiloquous]

Hayate

Looking up from his unfortunately squid-free bowl of goulash, Hayate took in the view of the semi-permanent camp at the base of Dragonspine blazing spiritedly in half-numb alarm. Before he’d met Yuhai, the anemo-user never imagined there would be someone who could get up to trouble so consistently and excessively—it was as if his only purpose in life was to wreak havoc. And drag blameless bystanders into the mess. … Well, even if he maybe wasn’t quite so blameless, he’d only ever reached that magnitude of chaos by interacting with the questionable alchemist. Evidence for his statement was the number of brutal training sessions Edrich threw at him for the incidents before and after he’d met the young man.

He let out a tiny breath of relief when the flaming structures were drowned in water, then sucked it right back in when he noticed the swiftly solidifying tents. Hesitantly patting the bush beside him, the white-haired man heard a crackle of shattering leaves. Why had Edrich invited Yuhai again? While the other was fairly useful in most situations, he wielded a hydro vision, which was more harm than help in the sheer cold, and had a tendency to make life more difficult for the rest of his team.

“Please don’t roll,” Hayate called out to Yuhai, just a tad worried that he would indeed start rolling. One never knew what went on that braincell-less head of his.

Finishing his bowl and nodding at Harris—free food, nice man—he walked over to Edrich and Ori. Her unfinished sentence had reminded him; there were five people going on this expedition, and he didn’t trust Yuhai or Murmux not to toss the packs away, so the duty of carrying them automatically fell on the other two and himself.

“I’ll take the last pack.” He stretched out a hand towards his longest adventuring partner. “A refresher would be good, especially for…”—he glanced at Yuhai—“some of us, I believe.”

Interacted With: AI10100 || Mentioned: Coyote Hart lunar_moth . D O V E​

 

[. D O V E]

Murmux​

Mortals would do all sorts of things for a future of comfort. They would form investments clothed as contracts with ancient deities for future endeavors, tag along a dangerous expedition for future expenditures, risk blowing their faces off by a pyro concoction for future defrosting; they would risk their present for the future. Murmux would've claimed it's dumb if she had never done the same.

"Hmmm. You're quite a peculiar man. In all my years, I've only met a few humans who'd willingly invest their present for the past. Although I suppose that's fair; If I were to have a lifespan as fleeting as your kind's, I too would choose my pursuits wisely. Oh, don't twist your face. I'm not suggesting what you're doing is an utter waste of time! In fact, you possess what we call a sundorgecynd- a fascinating trait, really."

The subtle sound of a flipped page followed the statement, pink orbs traversing texts upon texts thereafter. Sitting on a stack of crates within the cold camp was the god of death herself (or so she had been claiming), a well worn book sitting on her lap that she seemed to be reviewing with great focus. Beside her was a man, arms crossed and lips pursed in disapproval.

"I'm not really sure what you're getting at, but I'm a researcher specializing in ancient records," he yanked the book from her, "and I need my book back, thank you very much." He then kept it close to his chest, as though he feared she would snatch it back. "You said you were going to give me helpful insights but you were just laughing at my work."

"I simply couldn't help it! Reading your 'theories'," an air quote, "about the past was absolutely amusing. Granted, they are awfully incorrect but that's what made them amusing." A giggle left her lips as the man narrowed his eyes at her.

"And what made you so sure they were incorrect?" He challenged.

"Oh, dear Stevens, I've already told you. I, Murmux, have wandered this realm for thousands of years- where are you going? Come back! I still need you to write my tales- ugh." She leaned forward, planting her elbows onto her lap before propping her chin with her palms and pouting. "I miss the days when I was revered."

With a deep sigh, the pink-haired hopped off the crate and picked up her empty bowl of Ghoul Lash, making her way back to Harris' tent and returning the silverware. It seemed like she was just in time as Edrich and the rest of the team were already getting ready to trek the snowy mountain. She floated her way towards them, completely disregarding the remaining pack on the ground (she was a carabao, not a pack mule).

"It's already too cold in here, why do we need a 'refresher'?" As though to emphasize her point, she wrapped her hands around herself and feigned a shiver. "Anyways, what happened to that mountain? I used to go berry picking there with my faithfuls!"

AI10100 Ambiloquous Coyote Hart lunar_moth

 

[LumaThePhoenix]

BAUZA​

Interactions: Colorless Spectrum BriiAngelic Technicolor Cat


Bauza had been around the Stone Gate countless times in his travels. The ground was always solid with no signs of falling apart. He wasn't planning on traveling with Enki, but since they were going in the same direction and Bauza wasn't annoyed by his presence, he didn't mind. As they were walking, something suddenly felt off about the ground. Before they could run, the ground beneath them fell apart. He could hear Enki yelling for him to run, but running would've done him no good. The distance between him and solid ground was too great. He had a split second to make a decision.

Instinctively, he drew his right arm back. He was considering using the Bruise Missile to launch himself to safety. However, there were two problems with that. The first was that there was no guarantee that the ground he would land on wouldn't collapse from the impact, causing him to fall anyway. The second was that by the time he would be able to launch himself, he would've already been falling for at least a full second. That means he would have to fly upwards instead of straight forward. Ultimately, his best, or rather only, option was to fall and try to stick a decent landing. Bauza felt himself picking up speed as he fell, so he knew the impact was going to be rough. He relaxes his body, bends his knees a little, and dives with his feet as if he's trying to take out a target.

The landing still shakes him up a bit, but not nearly as much as he had expected it to. He gives his body a few moments to shake off some of the soreness from the fall. Meanwhile, he looks up at where he fell from and quickly realizes that he won't be able to launch himself back out from there. Bauza then checks his surroundings and finds himself to be in some ancient ruin that he had never seen or heard of before. He could figure out more later. Right now, his focus was on seeing if the others that fell with him survived. Once he's decided to take a chance on walking, he slowly gets up and makes his way to three others that had landed with him, including Enki, who was actually making his way towards them.

"That's my name." Bauza answers when he hears his name being shouted. He nods when Enki asks if everyone's okay. "I'm good. You?" He answers while he visually checks for injuries. He notices that Ilya's arm is bent in a way that it's not supposed to be. Then, he takes out a canteen of water and pours it on the ground between them all. After that, his left hand lights up and shoots a blue flame into the water, causing the fire to dissipate immediately. When it does, it leaves behind a large, thin cloud of haze. While everyone is in it, they can feel their pain numbing and their injuries slowly healing. "It's a long story, but as long as you're in this mist, your body will recover at a phenomenal rate." He looks at Ilya's arm and pours the rest of the water from the canteen on it before flicking a blue flame onto the bent part of her arm. "It'll take some time for your arm to heal completely, but it should at least be functional again in a few moments."

Bauza takes another look around them. "It doesn't look like going back up from where we fell is an option, so the best thing we can do is fix ourselves up before we move forward."

 

[Xanto]

Klaus​

Klaus was ready. His body coolly balanced against the doorframe, leaning outward to return home for Mondstadt. All until Brother Qian reeled him in with a timely opportunity. The Qixing raised an investigation near the Guili Plains, and they were tapping into resources for assistance. Most ideal news after a slightly drunken discussion over how culinary utensils were shaped. "They rarely ask for outside help," Brother Qian mentioned with hesitation to his younger guild counterpart. Klaus glanced at the wooden floor for a few moments, before raising this gaze to the outside world beyond the tavern door, " . . Where's the meeting?"

Now there he was, fixing the cuff of his coat's sleeve as he merely zoned in to the speaker narrating the task at hand. There he was, apparently getting ready to investigate ruins with a handful of strangers. The things I get myself into. Klaus silently moved a hand through his tousled hair as he listened to Yazhu of the Millelith for more information.

It didn't take long for the facts to get laid out though. Actually, their crew was the one gathering solid information from hearsays. Perhaps the guy could tap into his senses, and try feeling the elemental energy Yazhu mentioned. "Klaus," He casually nodded to the rest of his crew, while respectfully taking their names in. Even if Mu was capable of handling the mission alone, there was doubt that the Millelith would let a solo adventurer wander around a vital investigation. . . Now why did Reiji's name sound familiar?

They all seemed diverse enough. The group at hand. Together, they would be able to bridge any gaps in their journey . . should there be any. Ruin delving after all wasn't as it seemed on the surface. This wasn't Klaus's first go around either. 6 years with Edrich, and what did anyone expect? The redhead had been hauled to venture through ruins countless times at this point. Though if the particular investigation was raised by the Qixing, this mission was undoubtedly one of his more significant field work.

"If the Qixing hasn't been able to produce information," Klaus shifted his arm outward to Yazhu, instinctively offering to carry the knapsack, "Are there any rumors from previous adventurers we can track?"

AI10100 Arvios LazyDaze

 

[Technicolor Cat]

Katja​

Katja was mildly ashamed of herself when the earth unceremoniously dumped her into it’s depths. She had more than enough experience with sudden drops, falls and traps, she should have been paying attention and moving. Unfortunately for her she wasn’t on a heist, she was just out wandering. She stopped to poke at what looked to be some very useful herbs, and while she was distracted the earth crumbled beneath her. She reacted to the sudden drop with a mild feline irritation, and the calm of an old hand at sudden drops. In the first moment of her fall her left hand automatically reached out to steady and prep her cloak for the fall, checking that her cartridges were secure, and with her right hand she reached out and grabbed the herbs that were now falling with her.

Observing her trajectory she noted that she wasn’t exactly falling a comfortable distance, but it wasn’t anywhere near outside her experiences. As a catgirl who had spent her life thieving and wandering the wilds, she had experienced a great many falls, from everything from tripping, to being thrown, to jumping. She landed with a long practiced, long suffering grace. She murmured inaudibly to herself to be more aware of her surroundings as she took in the area in which she had landed, feeling a certain concern. That apprehension only grew when she noticed one of them was a man she recognized, an ambassador on her to-be-stolen from list as the Phantom.

When he energetically rushed over shouting someone’s name she heaved a long suffering sigh. Trapped in a hole with only one door and loud people. She would prefer to have to escape from some rich fuck’s dungeon again. She was only broken out of her internal whining when she noticed bad noises coming from one of the other people present with a twitch of her ears. The other woman present seemed to be injured and rather out of it. She turned to her, her hand already going to where she carried basic medical supplies and her cartridges. Unfortunately she distinctly did not have a healers practiced habits, and so when she saw the other womans face she was briefly poleaxed. The other woman was striking enough that Katja’s brain function briefly ceased as her ears went flat.

Luckily their fourth party member didn’t run into such an issue, and rushed over, breaking Katja out of her momentary freeze-up. The man seemed to heal her with a vision, which was convenient. She loved her studies and her works, but the sheer endless reusability of a vision offered a utility she was sometimes jealous of. With a flourish of a water bottle and his hands, the man produced a covering of haze and a blue flame, both apparently intended to heal. She promptly took a few skipping steps out of the haze, her ears continuing to pick up his words. When she came to a halt, she couldn’t help but agree, as tempted as a part of her was to ditch her potential allies and go through the door alone. She was on unknown ground and she should take every advantage she could get.

She called out in a somewhat habitually flat tone, “Once everyone is recovered we should likely also discuss how we plan to deal with the other side of that door. I don’t know what exactly we will find, but if I know my ancient runes it will likely try and kill us in a variety of fun and interesting ways. We should be ready, and ready to work together, if we want to have the best chance of making it out of here.”

She cut a slightly odd figure to be speaking with such certainty, clearly young and of middling height, wearing a grey cloak that gave away rather little of what she carried and her build. Her scarred face the only thing visible over her collar, accompanied by her black hair and the twitching ears atop her head.

Interaction: BriiAngelic LumaThePhoenix Colorless Spectrum

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Enki Tsuchiya || Sumeru’s Karunungan Diplomat

• 
  
  
  
  Tags:
  Ilya ( Colorless Spectrum ) Bauza ( LumaThePhoenix ) Katja ( Technicolor Cat )
  

  ~ ??? ~
  In the Desolate Hallway [slowed & Reverbed] || Enki’s CS File
  
  He heard Bauza sounding not that beat up and immediately let out a little sigh of relief. At least that was one good, he seemed healthy enough to be making light of his concerns. Wasn’t like it was his first time working with Bauza but he’d not been around him enough to read him well. He cracked a grin as a response when Bauza asked about his own health.
  
  “As if a little floor collapse could get me. The first thing you learn in Sumeru is to never believe in the stability of your paths.”
  
  He took a second to give the other two a once over. He’d clearly recognized one of the two strangers that seemed to fall with them. Fuck it was her huh? He didn’t like her much but by the loosest definition, the Fatui were their allies. Her arm was bent at an unfortunate angle, but she’d be otherwise okay.
  
  He bit his lip as he hesitated, he wasn’t exactly unable to help her but it would be a choice with consequences. Or he could just go about doing his best to set the bone and pray the last stranger was gifted with a Hydro vision to soothe the pain. He didn’t get time to muse much longer as to how to tackle the problem before Bauza was pouring a concoction to the floor. The mist that came from his flames hitting the pooling liquid quickly ate away at any lingering soreness he felt.
  
  “Bau-! Oh whatever. Thank you for your utter disbelief in our ability to handle a little soreness.”
  
  He’d put enough of a light tone to it to be clear that he was both grateful and teasing before turning to the last stranger. A Kätzlein woman huh? He’d never met any but he’d heard plenty from Miss Lisa about how cute they were. Her ears were moving just like an actual cat's might but he didn’t know if comparing the tiger's movements to the woman’s would help. Once she spoke he was even more conflicted.
  
  “I would say I’d agree but it would be a little hard to properly work as a team without at least some introduction. I may know the others but I’ve never seen you before in my life. My name is Enki Tsuchiya, Dendro holder, …. Captain lieutenant of the Karunungan …. or at least I think that’s how it might translate into your language.”
  
  With his introduction, he started to use his vision on what was left of the floor they’d fallen from. He encouraged the growth of vines hoping that he could get them a safer shortcut to exit even if it might take a while to create. He asked the woman without looking back.
  
  “Would you like to introduce yourself Miss or should we just call you kitten?”
  

 

[AI10100]

• Mondstadt
• Liyue
• Travelers

• 
  Edrich watched as Yuhai began creating some sort of concoction. He had originally thought that Enki and Yuhai would arrive together alongside whatever supplies they could provide for the trip into Dragonspine. But seeing as Yuhai was the only one to arrive and Enki didn't look like he was coming any time soon, they would need to leave soon. He had left a note with Iris to give to Enki when he does arrive late which relayed that they had already made their trek inside Dragonspine and that he should wait in Mondstadt if he didn't plan on doing anything else.
  
  A small explosion pulled him out of his thoughts as whatever Yuhai was making decided to fail. Thankfully, Yuhai quickly put the flames out using his hydro vision. Edrich shuddered, feeling the glare coming from Iris and he had half a mind to stop Yuhai as soon as possible so that they wouldn't be banned from this small encampment. However, the thief soon finished and headed back to the group.
  
  It would seem the worry about Yuhai was shared with his other groupmates. Ori and Hayate thankfully grabbed the pack of supplies they had and Edrich quickly shouldered the last one.
  
  "In hindsight, maybe I should have waited for Klaus." Edrich muttered to himself as he watched Murmux floating towards them after her failed conversation with Stevens. It was always a failed conversation with her considering no one actually believed she could be some sort of ancient god.
  
  "A refresher is basically a briefing of going over what we're here for." Edrich cleared up for their ancient companion. "Something about an ancient fight that ruined whatever Dragonspine used to be. You gotta ask the historians on what happened there." He shrugged.
  
  He cleared his throat and brought out a map. He opened it up on the table. A circle was drawn near the middle of Dragonspine with a note saying "up". "With the intel I have gathered from the Adventurer's Guild, there seems to be an ancient tomb within Dragonspine that's not of Mondstadt descent. Some have speculated that it came from Liyue which is why it's a point of interest for some... personal research. We're here to open up that tomb and find out what's inside. Ideally, we would be out of Dragonspine by nightfall. Realistically..." He gestured to his pack and presented them with the warming bottles, one for each of them. "I hoped you all packed some warm clothes."
  
  He folded the map again and led them over to the broken bridge leading into Dragonspine, the remnants of it scattered below. He muttered something under his breath about finding someone to fix that before pressing his hand on the bridge. A makeshift bridge, translucent orange in color same as Edrich's vision that was now glowing, spread across it.
  
  "Well then, if there are no other questions..." He gestured across for them to go first.
  
  
• 
  "From the urgency of the Qixing for this investigation, I assume that it really is a serious issue. However, the Millelith is currently dealing with other matters." Yazhu quickly shook his head at the prospect of sending a lone person into the area. "It's always recommended for dungeon delvers to go in groups, just in case. Ruins have tricky mechanisms that often require at least two people to activate."
  
  He gave the other two a nod when they had given their names. He allowed Klaus to carry the singular knapsack of supplies before responding. "Unfortunately, this is a very recent event. Most adventurers have steered clear of the area beforehand. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the Treasure Hoarders had managed to find something that resulted in the elemental energy surge." He raised his hand to cradle his chin. "However, if you're worried about the area, it's just some closed ruins that the Treasure Hoarders got to first before the Adventurer's Guild. A shame, but it happens."
  
  "We can scout the area first so we can plan out what we should do."
  
  Yazhu gestured for them to follow him towards a small cliffside. He pointed near the horizon with his polearm. You can barely see it due to the angry glare of the sun in your sight but there were ambling treasure hoarders roaming the area. "They have the entrance to the ruins pretty much safeguarded." Yazhu commented with a small shrug. There are mutliple ways to get around the Treasure Hoarders— though what seemed obvious for now was either sneaking past them or simply defeating them and later handed over to the authorities.
  
• 
  Colorless Spectrum
  Much as what Bauza claimed, you could move your arm again within a few seconds of being inside the mist. It still felt sore and would likely still need medical attention when you get to a safer area, but the emergency healing had certainly done its job.
  
  BriiAngelic
  Certainly, with your quick thinking, an easy escape from the pit seemed plausible. As your vines creep up across the walls, you suddenly hear something click before a whirring sound emitted from beneath you. Then rumbling. The ground begins to shake as the sound of mechanical parts begin to overwhelm your senses. However, thanks to your experience and your training, you manage to jump away as a mechanism with four holes come up in front of you and began to spew fire. All across the area, you see the same mechanisms spawn and you watch as the vines on the wall withered from a sort of elemental heat. The same elemental heat that you feel under your feet.
  
  Colorless Spectrum
  The others talk as you heal and you could see one of your companions, Enki, grow vines using his dendro vision. All is going well until the vines seem to trigger something within the chamber. Much like Enki, you hear and feel mechanisms as they begin to move underneath you as if positioning themselves. Perhaps it is your keen instincts that had landed you a position in the Fatui or maybe it is just sheer luck but you move out of a way just in time to avoid the spinning fire trap. The ground feels hot under your feet.
  
  Technicolor Cat
  As Enki questioned how he would call you, your ears pick something up faster than everyone else. The ruins' mechanisms were most definitely still active. When they activated from what you assumed to be Enki's vines, you were quick on your feet and managed to get out of the way of one of the flaming traps and landed yourself next to Ilya. The ground feels hot under your feet. It's only getting hotter.
  
  LumaThePhoenix
  Your emergency healing has certainly done its job from what you can see. At the very least, it wasn't bent in an unnatural way anymore. You watch as Enki's vines creep up the side of the walls, slowly creating a ladder for you all to climb up from. You feel it before you hear it. The room's temperature was steadily going up as the sounds of the mechanism echoed around the room. You deftly move out of the way as the ground beneath you dropped open. You find yourself next to Enki, his vines shriveling up and withering from the heat. The ground feels hot under your feet.
  
  

  ---​

  
  The heat from the mechanisms reacted with the dendro vines and you all see smoke rise from the vines and blanket the area. The smoke is getting thicker by the second. Breathing is difficult due to both the smoke and the continuous fire being emitted by the traps. Between you and the door are two other rotating fire traps.
  

 

[Coyote Hart]

​

Yuhai didn't understand why literally everyone was giving him a concerned look. He had things under control, did he not? His explosive fire didn't burn down too much stuff. No harm, no foul, right? So why was everyone staring at him? Why was Murmux the only person who didn't pay him any heed?

"I'mma roll if I wanna roll!" Yuhai exclaimed to Hayate. Almost as if to annoy him, Yuhai dropped his bag and charged up the nearby hill. Upon reaching the top, Yuhai leaped onto his side, and with a playful bounce, rolled down back to the foot of the hill. Ahh, how exhilarating! It was a good way to distract himself from the fact that they were going to have to climb the mountain in order to find the treasure.

The prospect of loot was worth the trials and tribulations that he undoubtedly was going to face as they fought to get up the mountain. Perhaps he could find some ancient clothing that if they weren't too musty, he could add to his very limited wardrobe. And if they were old and musty, he could sell them at the flea market in Liyue for some quick cash. Maybe there would be actual gold from the lost Dragonspine civilization. Then he wouldn't have to worry about next week's food!

With his heart steeled and prepared to face the challenges ahead, Yuhai took another look at Edrich's map. It seemed like quite a trek, somehow Yuhai felt that with the amount of sun left, they wouldn't be able to get to the center of Dragonspine and back. But Edrich was the one with goggles that made him look smart, and Yuhai definitely did not have any smart-looking goggles. So Yuhai decided to trust in the man himself.

Taking heed of Edrich's suggestion of warm clothing, Yuhai dug through his box and found his raggedy coat. He used it to keep warm during the night, so Yuhai didn't know if it was suitable for climbing a mountain. But unfortunately, foresight was not in Yuhai's mental dictionary. If he had applied himself and figured out that he was going to be climbing Dragonspine, he would have brought the sweater that Edrich had made for him. Instead, said sweater was left in Enki's house from when he last stayed over.

"There are berries on the mountain?" Yuhai asked Murmux as he wrapped his coat around himself, "You've gotta point them out to me when we pass one of them!"

Being the dumbass he was, he hadn't heard that Murmux was referring to it in the past tense, nor did he realize that no type of berry would be resilient enough to survive in the climate of Dragonspine. The hope of being able to have jam with his pancakes or whatever the heck was going through Yuhai's empty mind silenced the thoughts of reason.

Following Edrich faithfully, he began the trek with the group. At first, he thought, yeah, since he was going to always be moving around, his coat would serve him spectacularly. But as the flurries began to fell around him as he moved closer to the mountain, it became colder and colder. That cold began to permeate through Yuhai's coat until he started shivering from the cold. There was no way that he was going to survive through this without more layers.

So when the group stopped at the broken bridge, Yuhai took the opportunity to ask Edrich with chattering teeth, "Hey, did you pack an extra sweater by chance? If you did, c-could I use it?"

lunar_moth Ambiloquous AI10100 . D O V E

 

[The Prophet]

LIXUE

Spoiler: Appearance

THEME​

"...Every time I go on one of these, I'm reminded of how motley adventurers are."

Sitting atop a fallen tree, wearing regal and extravagant clothing that contrasted starkly against the flora surrounding the encampment, Lixue regarded those gathered for the request. He knew there'd be people, but he'd expected more professional looking people to accept Qixing's request. Some ginger named Klaus, a nobody named Reiji, and someone brought along their tacky looking robot. Nothing remarkable, all things considered, but at least they were unique enough. Refitting his earrings, the dancer stood up and made sure his single scabbard was secure on his right. "Alright officer, let's hurry up and head to the spot, shall we? I've got somewhere to be in an hour, and I'd hate to be late." Forgoing introductions entirely, Lixue joined the group and smiled a very much fake smile in greeting. It was harsh to say, but if these people didnt know who he was, they were either lying or stupid. and looking at how each carried themselves, he was leaning towards the later. Maybe the robot was genuinely unaware despite intelligence, but he didnt quite care in its case. It wasnt like hed ever see these people again.

Perhaps having a performance cutting so close to a job of this nature was reckless, and he'd certainly heard as much from his manager; but it wasn't like he actually cared for the outcome of the mission. If it was taking too long, he'd just leave and pay whatever fine came his way. That was the nature of his involvement in missions, and he reserved the right to retreat. But then again, this was mere practice; there was no way a bunch of unwashed hoarders would last longer than a half hour. What was more pressing however, was which piece he should play later. Something classical? Exciting? Petrifying? Something new? The possibilities were quite literally endless! Subconsciously Lixue's hands tapped away rhythmically at the metal fittings of his scabbard, emulating the keys of a piano as their guide led them to a cliff. When his thoughts returned to the present, Lixue was close to the edge and caught himself mere feet before the open sky. He would have been fine, but the skittering of rocks as they fell wasn't any less of a reminder of his potential embarrassment. "...ahem."

He really should focus on the matter at hand. There'd be time for music later.

Changing the subject incase he was seen daydreaming, Lixue spoke up quickly. "Is that them all the way over there? They seem easy enough. Let's just hurry along and be done with all this." Lixue pushed back a strand of hair that feel out of place, turning back to impatiently stare at those present. "I'm going to assume all of you are competent enough to handle bandits. As such, we're going straight through."

 

[Ambiloquous]

Hayate

Murmux’s distance with this era’s language and current happenings—current and very obvious happenings was a hindrance to all discussion. It was entertaining, but it made conversation liable to spin in circles, which was inconvenient in times of distress. There was a great need to send her to a… children’s educational institution, or at least to buy her a book of modern terms. He even had a vendor in mind with the aptly named “Mondstadt Slang for Dummies” in stock. No, he did not buy it. No, he did not have a copy in his bag as of now. No, it was not dog-eared and bookmarked and he did not read it nightly.

Shaking the errant thoughts away and giving an understanding nod to Edrich, he rummaged around in his own side bag for his newly bought fur-lined jacket. The white garment was sleek and covered in elegant images of soaring cranes across a snowy peak; he would expect nothing less from a piece designed by master Wu, embroidered by the finest seamstresses in Liyue, and blessed by Cloud Retainer herself. Donning and tucking the warming bottle with the tiny fake-Seelie in his inner pockets—the threads hanging off were in vogue, the seller had said, an expression of inner beauty. It made sense to Hayate: while clothing was meant to be shown, sometimes people had to keep a slice of artistry to themselves.

The idea of staying in Dragonspine until nightfall though, made him grimace. The chilly mountain didn’t make him any more afraid than any other ruin he’d been dragged to, but the sheer cold was not something he wanted to be experiencing in his sleep—especially in the company of their no-pyro vision group. The fact that Yuhai had taken his reasonable request as a challenge and rolled down a hill only proved further his point.

He sighed, sent a long-suffering look towards Ori—he was sure she was regretting her participation now—and followed Edrich’s lead to the bridge. Circumstances weren’t the best, but they would make do and come out of it alive, as they always did.

At Yuhai’s question, he let himself smile. Just a little. Pulling out a pair of long johns he refused to wear, as it was pushed onto him by the merchant of cold-climate clothing as a sort of sales promotion, he threw it at Yuhai. “Here, you should wear this. It'll help.”

Interacted With: AI10100 lunar_moth Coyote Hart || Mentioned: . D O V E​

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Ilya Alexeev

Much like what her healer had claimed, within minutes her arm is healed. The bent bone had been fixed as if nothing happened to her minutes ago. The pain was gone and all that was left was soreness. She stood, a feeling of relief ebbed within her, she hasn't felt this way for a long time but she also knew that it was a mere trick from -as she heard from an all too familiar voice- Bauza.

"Thank you." She said with the bow of her head to show gratitude to her healer. Her canary-colored eyes had finally fluttered across the three figures in front of her. A familiar face, one that she used to loathe, and two strangers.

Ilya was dubious with the use of vines to get back to the surface. It wasn't because she didn't like him or their unsavory past. But this place... It was a ruins and for all they know, there could be machinations such as the Ruin Hunter like before.

"It's not like we have any other choice than to work together to get out of here." She voiced softly, before eyeing Enki. "Just... call me Alex for now." She said a name she had used for the past years in case they were tracking her. One of the things she learned from her unfortunate life was to be cautious. Anything can happen in Teyvat.

She moved her left arm around, nothing too spontaneous as it still felt heavy. Better not use it too much. Luckily, she was right handed and would be good enough if there was any need for combat. She felt a slight rumble beneath the soles of her shoes and sound of gears whirring into function.

She was able to step out just before the fire spewing trap would have made roasts out of them. She placed her hand behind Katja to offer balance as the other woman landed beside her. "You okay?" She asked before getting a whiff of the smoke from the burned vines. A cough released from her her mouth. It was getting harder to breathe and to see.

"I think it would be best to head to the door instead. But we'll need to get past these traps." She aloud for everyone to hear. "Perhaps a Hydro user could disable these. But..." Her eyes moved to Katja, questioning. "Do you have a vision?"

mention: n/a|| interaction: BriiAngelic LumaThePhoenix Technicolor Cat

 

[. D O V E]

Murmux​

Avoid conveying contemporary words in a literal sense- noted. Murmux tapped her chin and let out a small nod. She was once again reminded that her knowledge about the current world was more than lacking. There was only so much that she had learned when Edrich brought her to the Knight of Pavillion's library. So much had changed that a single sitting with a pile of history and cultural books would never suffice. That, and the fact that Murmux may or may not have faith in the accuracy of the textbooks. After all, where were the records concerning her!? Sure, she committed a few wrongs before, but that shouldn't equate to her existence's erasure! She and her faithful valued knowledge after loyalty; she was certain they used to transcribe accounts regarding her.

"I tried, Edrich. Alas, not a single 'historian' seems to be capable of keeping a conversation with me." She jabbed a thumb towards Steven's direction, the poor lad still donning an insulted frown that can be discerned even from a distance. Nevertheless, an ancient fight sounded interesting. She reckoned it might've occurred at some point during the Arson War. She had read about the topic during her library visit. It was such a shame she didn't get to participate!

Once Edrich brought out his map, Murmux was quick to shift closer and eye the parchment. It certainly looked different than the mountain that she used to trek. There were now some unfamiliar structures scattered around the place. A forlorn look briefly crossed her features, only driven away once Edrich folded the map. In the corner of her eyes, she could see the rest of the team start donning layers of extra clothing. She floated behind Edrich after receiving her warming bottle, opening his pack and retrieving a fur coat that he had prepared for her.

As she adjusted the hems, one of their party members chirped about the berries. "You misunderstand, ádéafung. The mountain before us, Viridis, as we called it during my era, used to be lush with vegetation. Not a touch of snow befell these verdant fields, and floras of different kinds blossomed all seasons. My followers and I used to hike the peak in search of a rare species of berry called Elderdew. It only grows on mountain tops, and the berries only reveal themselves when certain conditions are met. It must rain the night before, and they can only be picked a few minutes after sunrise. Hmm, I remember when a close friend almost lost his hand after a forced attempt. It shows that sometimes you just can't outsmart nature," she shrugged, "unless you're me, the great Murmux!"

It didn't matter whether Yuhai or anyone was listening to her lengthy speech, Murmux continued blabbering even after Edrich created a makeshift bridge. Somehow, her stories went from the berry, a three-headed serpent, a three-headed serpent steak, and to how the berry makes the steak taste phenomenal. Of course, there was a couple of stories about her self-proclaimed awesomeness squeezed in between.

"-and that's why we decided to move the monthly banquet to the 10th day of every season." She floated past the bridge, turning around to look at her audience thereafter. To be honest, she had no idea how this gang will dwell during this venture. Murmux caught a few words regarding Dragonspine's threat level during her stay in the camp, and the current members of their party didn't really strike her as... impressive. Moreover, they all seemed pretty young. Sure, she was already familiar with Edrich and Hayate since the two of them basically excavated her, but she had never actually seen them in bonafide combat. On the other hand, she was completely unfamiliar with the other two.

Hmm... oh well! They were adventurers for a reason.

AI10100 Ambiloquous Coyote Hart lunar_moth

 

[Summer Tycoon]

Benoit Croissant​

With his back leaning against the chair and arms crossed in a relaxed manner, the doctor closed his eyes. He rests his right foot on his left thigh, taking his time. After some seconds have run their course, a smirk formed on the doctor's face. "Tell you what, let me see what you're made of and I'll finally mentor you."

A look of surprise can be seen from the young man seeking an apprenticeship. "But you said the interview was the only requirement!"

To which the doctor replied, "the contract states that an honest interview is required for acquiring an apprenticeship. However, nowhere does it state that the interview is the only thing you have to do."

The young man couldn't believe it, he was tricked and quite possibly bamboozled. The revelation of being read what's between the lines made a question pop into his mind, which transferred to his tongue. "What would happen if I were to back out?"

The doctor looks at him straight in the eye and says, "Let's just say that those who break their contracts shall face the wrath of the rock. In your case, jail or execution." It is in this moment that Croissant realized that he's at a point of no return.

Resting his elbows on the table, the young man's hands clasp and his fingers interlock with one another, as if about to pray. Croissant rests his forehead on his firm hands and closes his eyes. Thinking about the possible aftermath the doctor gave him, the young man lets out a sigh of relief, followed by a giggle. Croissant quickly clasps his hands with the doctor's and looks at him with delight. "Thank you so much, you have given me what little push I needed to strengthen my resolve! To carve my own path instead of following the road my dad has made for me. Ahh... what an opportunity of a lifetime... So, what test did you want to have me do?"

With a calm demeanor, the Doctor says, "simple, there's an encampment near the Guili plains constructed by the Qixing. Find it and assist them." As calm as the doctor tried to say his words, he still could not get over Croissant's unforeseen reaction. I'm pretty sure I threatened him with the good ol' Liyue proverb, did I miscalculate my predictions? He thought to himself.

Croissant felt as though the information provided wasn't enough. "What is the Qixing and where are the Guili plains?"

"Simple, there's an encampment near the Guili plains constructed by the Qixing. Find it and assist them."

"Huh? That is what you have said before. What I am asking is, what is the Qixing and where are the Guili plains?"

"Simple, there's an encampment near the Guili plains constructed by the Qixing. Find it and assist them."

"You are not going to tell me, are you?"

"..."

"..."

"There's an enca-"

"Okay, fine! I get it, you want me to figure it out all on my own. Well... in the name of the Croissants, I, Benoit Croissant will find this encampment! As the old family saying goes, a Croissant will always find their targets right under their noses." With a sword on his hip and a broken spear on his back, Benoit opens the entrance of the doctor's house. With the objective in mind, he ventures out to the unknown that is Liyue. Carving his path that is yet to be seen.

"Pretty... I could get used to this." I agree with him, the place was indeed very beautiful. The aesthetic of Liyue was a breath of fresh air from the Fontaine architecture he saw most of his life. Croissant was so starstruck that he almost forgot the test. "Fuck, what were those names that he mentioned again?" He did however forget the organization that the doctor mentioned, to him, it meant nothing more than alien words. "He did say encampment, for the most part, I can only think of three major candidates for this. A group of travelers, thugs fresh for the taking, or a mission concocted by a governmental body. That I guess is the silver lining of this unexpected hiccup. Now, onwards with the mission!" His confidence was restored.

Croissant starts asking people on the street about any group of travelers that have arrived here beyond Liyue borders, it was of no avail for he only received information about groups of travelers but no encampment. He then starts asking the people about any thugs around the area and acquired knowledge about a group of people hoarding treasure in a certain place, but still did not hear people talk about any encampments. Croissant eventually asked Liyue guards about any sort of quests that's been up for the taking. He was told about an encampment near the Guili planes investigating a certain case. A smile formed on the young man's face. "Fucking finally... How do I get there?" After minutes of walking and asking the strangers with a new aesthetic, he finally got what he wanted, plus directions.

Let's just say that Croissant arrived moderately late to the party. He arrived at the encampment but no people in sight. "As my piece of shit dad would always say, patience is a hunter's most important skill. I hope that I have not already failed when the task has only begun." He thought to himself. With his hand readily placed at the sword's handle, the young man started looking around the place. There was nothing damaged among the insides of the encampment, none of the belongings have been stolen, and multiple pairs of footprints could be seen going in one direction. Footprints of various sizes and shapes "It seems that the people here just left. Most likely to start the investigation." Croissant retracted his hand away from the sword. With a gleeful tone, he says, "Oh well... time to start playing capture the mice." He followed the trail with the loudness of a walking deer. Upon reaching a small cliffside he saw, ten feet from him, a group of four with one of them pointing a weapon to the horizon. Not wanting to startle the gathered men, Croissant raised a hand with a peace sign formed, a grin on his face, and his vocal cords emitting a casual, "ahoy."


AI10100 Xanto LazyDaze Arvios

 

[lunar_moth]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Kanbe Ori　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

The group begins to shuffle along Edrich's geo bridge and Ori cautiously steps one foot onto it, then the other a little more enthusiastically when the bridge holds firm. It's stable. Steady. No reason to have doubted so in the first place, she chides herself internally. Edrich knows what he's doing. Archons forbid she have a little faith in her companions for the forseeable future.

...Although, it does seem that perhaps she may not be the only one questioning the efficacy of this excursion, because upon witnessing box boy roll himself sideways down a hill, her and Hayate share a look in which she swears she can see Hayate go through all five stages of grief at once. Ori suspects it will be a long day.

On the bright side, however, Ori does not seem to be freezing to death yet, even as they all begin to make their way further into the snowy reaches of Dragonspine. Now that they're moving her gambeson seems to be doing its job at keeping the heat in, and she's sure the goulash has helped. Box boy seems to be faring less well, based on the way his teeth are chattering, although Hayate seems to have it covered. Absently, Ori presses the back of her hand onto her breastplate, and-- okay, wow, well, that is definitely very cold by now, Ori sees his point. She is very thankful that none of that cold metal is touching her skin right now. Perhaps it was a mistake to wear her armour into the mountains, but she had figured it would be fine for just one day. It wasn't as if she were wearing a full suit. Besides, if she did turn into an icicle and die, it wouldn't be her problem who had to drag her icy body back down the mountain.

Belatedly, she realizes the strange pink girl-- Murmux, Ori only remembers because of how many times the girl had referred to herself as such, usually in the context of being self-aggrandizing --had concluded her latest story and was turned back to the rest of them, probably waiting for a reaction. Uh oh. Ori wasn't even listening in the slightest. (It was difficult not to doubt the validity of her claims to be some sort of historically-worshipped deity, though to be fair, it would probably be even more difficult to talk for that long about things entirely fabricated. The topic was still up for debate.)

Quick, don't be rude, say something, anything--

"Err- yes, very good," Ori says, eloquently, like someone who's eloquent.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* AI10100 , Coyote Hart , Ambiloquous , . D O V E *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

 

[LazyDaze]

ѪЦ-00000
​

Yazhu answered his question successfully, so Mu didn't press the matter. There was nothing he could do about his predicament now that it arrived. It looked like he would have to work with these humans after all. To be honest, Mu wasn't totally comfortable working with them...they were so flawed in their design after all. Soft and pudgy like slimes, but as arrogant as dragons. He had only been functional for a few months, but in that short time he found their behavior quite erratic. They constantly made inefficient decisions, thrived in irrationality, and were wholly unpredictable. Mu snickered to himself when he realized that he was looking down on them when it was he who was trapped under icy old rocks for gods know how long. If it weren't for that very irrational behavior of sticking your nose where it didn't belong, he would probably still be offline. That said he couldn't deny the fact that they had the potential to irk his circuits. Another chimed in, and Yazhu continued to brief them on the situation. He took note of everyone that greeted themselves, and those who didn't. Mu shook his head as he continued to ramble mentally. Perhaps he should give them, the humans, a chance...maybe they weren't as annoying as they-

"Alright officer, let's hurry up and head to the spot, shall we? I've got somewhere to be in an hour, and I'd hate to be late."

(....Blue haired humans...annoying....)

Mu had that thought committed to his memory servers as he calmly watched Lixue take charge after they were lead to the cliffside, without even introducing himself no less. Apparently he had an appointment in an hour. Another irrational action Mu would have to commit to memory. Humans, intriguing sometimes, inspiring at others, and revolting. Mu glanced around to see how the others were reacting to his flamboyant display before returning his eyes to Lixue. "You can go if you want," Mu said through a sigh and a dismissive wave of his hand. While it would be beneficial to attack the group of thieves and perhaps even capture one, who knows what kind of elemental reaction could be set off accidentally. Mu was living proof that unexpected things could happen when ruins and vision holders get together. However, he wasn't totally against fighting...it just seemed like they were missing something.

"I believe the chance of casualties will rise if we attack them now. For now we should probably..."

"ahoy."

Mu snapped his head around and pointed a glowing palm in the direction of the loud noise. He locked on the target, prepared his missiles, but realized after a short while that he was probably another adventurer. Mu lowered his hand...although it took a tiny bit more effort than he initially thought to completely cancel the attack. (Strange). He gave the man a once over before folding his arms. "Chance of success...dropping exponentially."

AI10100 Summer Tycoon The Prophet

 

[Technicolor Cat]

Katja​

Katja’s faith in their ability to work as an effective team to manage this dungeon went down a fair bit with the reckless use of a dendro vision, and it officially bottomed out when the man called her kitten. Very few people could get away with that, and he was no Lisa. She watched his plants grow, and already as he spoke she could hear the ruins around them react to the offensive presence. She sighed as she moved back with the calm of experience.

She had already entered into the coldly analytical mindframe of efficiency. She could get out of this room in a few seconds, lest the smoke fill the room further. Hopefully the others who had fallen would be smart enough to follow, but she wasn’t willing to die for strangers. She would need to pick her moment and dash through the empty spots in the fire, pop over the central mechanism, and move through to the next and out the door. She was already rolling her shoulders and preparing to move when Ilya spoke.

Her eyes flicked to the other woman, catching briefly on her face. Luckily even she wasn’t enough of a disaster to get distracted in a situation like this, much. For a moment her eyes closed, followed shortly after by her ears pinning back and her tail lashing under her jacket, pondering whether she was willing to expend cartridges just so the others could more easily exit. She at least had the excuse of Ilya being injured, but the truth was she was just weak to pretty ladies. Her left hand had already gone to her case, operating the mechanisms to pop out a Hydro cartridge and make an Anemo cartridge available. An observant eye might notice the way her coat shifted behind her as her tail whapped into it to a lashing beat. When she spoke her voice was short and quiet, “No, I do not.”

Despite her words she promptly moved with a precise assurance, removing the Anemo Cartridge as well, priming both cartridges and throwing them into the center of the room with a practiced aim. The rushing blast of air and water energy was massively expanded by the Anemo energy, blasting the room with water. Much of the force would have likely dissipated by the time it hit the outskirts of the room, but still everything would have gotten hit, from the traps to the people.

 

[AI10100]

• Mondstadt
• Liyue
• Travelers

• 
  Edrich looked at Murux, contemplating something with a small smile quirking up his lips. He shrugged. "Maybe you just haven't found the right historian yet." Of course, not a lot of people would let some random person claiming to be a god tell them what is and isn't right without evidence. Still, it would be fascinating to see if there is a historian out there who would accept such ideas without managing to insult Murmux. That'll be quite a sight to see. It might also stop Murmux from being reprimanded by the Knights again— honestly, how many times did she get in trouble in the week or so that she had been around?
  
  He looked up to see Yuhai rolling down a hill and he had to suppress both the sigh and the chuckle that almost escaped his mouth. Edrich knew he had to seem at the very least responsible, but having Yuhai around made things fun and interesting. It usually wasn't appreciated by a lot of people— adventures were often serious matters and death could always be around the corner. Though it was for those reasons that Edrich appreciated such a lighthearted presence. If they were down all the time, then the adventure wouldn't be fun. It wouldn't be memorable. So he just smiled at the sight even as Ori and Hayate were dumbfounded by these actions.
  
  Murmux began one of her long stories as they mobilized and Edrich had half a mind to ignore her. But, still, he found himself drawn to her stories. He wasn't quite sure if she was embellishing things or anything of the sorts but there were no texts to prove whatever she said. At the very least, none were discovered yet. So he gave her the benefit of the doubt and accepted whatever her story was about even as it shifted to way too many animals just to get to the point that they held a banquet every season. Extravagant, if he were to be honest. Not even Mondstadt could perform one every season, as addicted as they were to celebrations.
  
  "Wonderful story. A bit of a shame that we don't have any of those now." He responded, sending Ori a grateful smile for her own try. He reached into his knapsack and brought out a coat, specifically fitted for Murmux and hung it on her shoulder once he had crossed the bridge. It dissipated into nothing once he had crossed. Yuhai also asked for one but Hayate had his bottom covered. "Hey, catch!" He called out to Yuhai before tossing a rolled parka at him. Edrich doesn't seem to be too bothered with the cold for now.
  
  He led them forward until they were well within the mountain. He paused as a silhouette in the distance began to form— a huge hulking figure. He signaled everyone to stop and took out his staff. He narrowed his eyes at the figure before his eyes lit up. "Ah! Maggot, it's you!"
  
  @Athanas
  As per the deal due to you not being able to meet with the group in the camp, you were sent off to Dragonspine earlier. You had found a shorter path to where you all needed to go, or at least, a separate path from what Edrich had originally planned. You hadn't managed to get there though before you decided to descend to meet with the group. Still, you can count it as a successful venture.
  
  

  ---
  ​

  Unfortunately, before anyone could move, something bright was lobbed above your heads and sailed down into the mountainside. It was soon followed by a laser cutting right through the group, not quite hitting anyone but it nearly hit Yuhai. From even beyond Maggot, a Ruin Grader began making its advance to the group, preparing its next attacks.
  
  
• 
  Yazhu tilted his head, surprised at Lixue's comment. "An hour sir? That's not a lot of time." Clearing out an area would take less than that, but the ruins could offer so much more retaliation than a bunch of treasure hoarders. They would be the easy part of this venture. He looked between Mu and Lixue as they seemed to have come upon a disagreement on what to do. Certainly, attacking them was always a viable option but they didn't quite know how many there were. Who knows if some of them were crawling inside the ruins too.
  
  Then another man came, casually greeting them. "Ah, are you also part of the group? Welcome, we were just discussing how to tackle the treasure hoarders around the area." He calmly explained before looking between Mu and Lixue again. "I don't mind any suggestion. Though we have to face the facts that they do outnumber us... though... we at least have two vision holders." He gestured towards Lixue and Klaus.
  
• 
  The hydro and anemo cartridges flew over and did the intended effect— a burst of water blanketed the area and the traps kept spinning but the fire seemed to have died out. As you carefully make your way through to get to the door, however, the mechanisms groaned and blasted fire towards the group. Thankfully, however, you all managed to duck away but now you are stuck between the two mechanisms as they continued to spew fire above you. Though, it would seem that, at the very least, the fire didn't touch the ground now.