Aeternas Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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aeternas2024-09-12 04:52 pm
aeternasmods) wrote in aeternas2024-09-12 04:52 pm
Entry tags:
Event #2
Leading to a Crossroads
INTRODUCTION
Two days have passed since the bone dragon was defeated. An entire part of downtown is now closed off completely while scientists examine the remains and take samples from the ooze that had been used to terrorize the citizens of Mondstadt. The harpastum stadium lies in ruins, with the skeleton corpse unmoving while it’s inspected, and many people have lost their homes due to the rampage of the monster. For now, hilichurl and mitachurl sightings have ceased, and none seem to be making their way towards the city. Clean up begins, and though the people have been shaken by this turn of events, the city still stands strong and begins their recovery.
However, there is a restless unease that’s felt all around. No one understands what prompted this attack, where the dragon came from, or how it was defeated. Who defeated it? There’s no way of knowing unless someone claims to have been the one- and there’s no shortage of nutjobs who said they did it without any way of proving it. So the mystery seems unsolved for the moment.
However, a lot of people point to one person- a streamer. He’s the talk of the town, and if you didn’t know his name before, you do now. The biggest tabloid on the market, The Teyvat Enquirer, has a huge headline in its paper the very next day:
It’s in every store. To small shops to grocery stores and bookstores, Bennett’s face is plastered all over with a deep dive, detailed history of what’s publicly available online to know about Bennett. And it’s selling like hotcakes. They’re claiming he took down the dragon all by himself, with the strange fire powers he had on display in his streams. Plus, it’s all over the internet too, with his VODs being clipped and reposted everywhere. There isn’t a person in all of Teyvat who doesn’t know who Bennett is.
The normal news is reporting on Bennett as well, but there’s also the search for a mysterious man who’s only identifier is the mop of ginger hair on his head. He hasn’t been seen since the incident, and people claim he was the one fighting the dragon alongside someone else who has also gone unidentified. There’s also news about all the missing harpastum players and other residents of Mondstadt that had gone missing during Ludi Harpastum- none have been found, but for the first time, they were able to be followed. The discovery of the domain has been located, but it will not let anyone go in. Scenes from Dawn Winery include the Knights roping the area off, and heavy security now sit in front of it, not allowing anyone to pass.
FARMER'S MARKET.
Due to classes closing for the next few weeks as Mondstadt recovers from the attack, the students of the university have decided to do charity drives to help those who had the unfortunate happening of losing their home, getting injured to help with medical bills, or, god forbid, lose loved ones. Throughout the next few weeks, a collegiate farmer’s market opens up on the university campus, and it has a variety of stalls to visit:
Bake Sale: Something a lot of students can get in on is showing off their baking and making various kinds of baked goods! Some students are great at it, some are not! Feel free to patronize them or perhaps get baking yourself!
Organic Stalls and Snack Stalls: Not just students have come to participate, as a lot of Mondstadt’s local farmers brought all sorts of different vegetables to sell to help raise money to rebuild. And, you can't go without all sorts of snacks, from cookies to popcorn to small food trucks that feature food from any other country except Mondstadt. Dig in!
Handmade Goods: It’s not a farmer’s market without all sorts of neat clothing, pottery, and other knick knacks. Feel free to discover any kind of stall selling cool things for your house!
Cook Off: For those who can, there is a cook off to make meals for those who’ve lost their homes. The competition is fierce, and all food made will be delivered by aid groups to those in need. Face off against your friends and neighbors, and see who can make the best dish!
Couple’s Painting: The art department of the university has donated a ton of supplies to the market, where two people can paint each other on a canvas for a fee. All proceeds go to charity, and the two people will end up with their stunning (or not so stunning) portraits of each other. Can you just sit still? We’re trying to do a Picasso over here!
The Alchemy Shop is also taking this opportunity to provide some classes to help people with the rebuild. They’re free during this time, so take advantage of what their crazy, local alchemist has offered. He’s going to talk and talk and talk with the passion of forty poli-sci professors who care way too much about NGO’s except it’s alchemy and a lot more useful. Be careful not to get stopped by him after class, you may not survive.
Potion Making Classes: With a focus on extending one’s stamina and helping people get a good night’s sleep, these classes will teach characters on how to make stamina and sleep potions. Be careful when creating them, and make sure you measure their potency to the correct amounts. 🙂 Characters will learn that these are not hard potions to make and the materials are easily found.
🔋 Stamina potions need one part iron ore, two parts matsukake, and one part fowl, mixed with water.
💤 Sleep potions need two parts dandelion seeds, one part raw meat, one part cecelia, mixed with water.
Transmutation 101: Make that old bike you weren’t using into wood instead! This is a class to help people create useful materials for everyday use, especially now when building materials are in high demand. But remember, students- to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. No cheating…
Local businesses have also opened their doors, at least the ones left standing. Volunteers are welcome at any business to get them back up on their feet. There’s also an auction happening at the Cat’s Tail, which is definitely going to make a certain employee of theirs so, so happy. Bid against your neighbors, friends, enemies, so you can win that piece of weird antique furniture for your house or office and help the Mondstadt relief fund!
TO HIDE IN SHADOWS.
During this time, the Knights are actively on the lookout for people who have marks like the one Bennett displayed in his VODs. Though the public might be convinced that Bennett is their hero, the Knights aren’t buying that he’s the only one, especially since there’s video evidence that more than one person is displaying what looks like elemental powers. It helps that they don’t know exactly what they’re looking for, so they’re mainly on the watch for people actually using the powers first, though they do know there could be a similar mark on people.
They are not hiding this fact. News outlets are putting out that there is a monetary reward for anyone who can give the Knights information on these persons of interest. They currently do not know who they are, but fear mongering among politicians has started to rise up, painting them as dangerous and a threat to society. Decarabia is offering refuge to these people, welcoming them to come and be free of Mondstadt’s oppressive, sinful atmosphere. The Knights are not letting people leave easily, and all flights out of the city are canceled. If your character does leave, it will be incredibly difficult (or your character was just very prepared in case of an emergency.)
If caught, the Knights will try to detain characters who display using their powers or if they can see the constellation mark. If you have your character detained by the Knights, please comment here. Feel free to fight the Knights if you’d like, escape from them, or avoid detection all together. All in all, it’s clearly not safe to stay in Mondstadt for much longer.
MISC
FOR ZHONGLI:
Life will go on as normal for him, except he’s starting to experience all sorts of bad luck. The bad luck can be anything you want, and will affect anyone he’s with too. 🙂 If Zhongli happens to be around Bennett, Ren (Hu Tao), or Venti please let me know ASAP for details. The trio from the Occult House are also available for Zhongli to do things with or be introduced to other characters. They can be NPC'd by anyone for threads if it comes up.
FOR BENNETT:
The Knights come for him, and will try to detain Bennett and bring him to the Knights HQ. Bennett can do a number of things here:
They can try to detain him anywhere you’d like, anytime you’d like, in any situation he may be in, whatever works best. He can absolutely participate in the rebuild of the city, this might even help him deal with the Knights.
Bennett can avoid being detained or he can willingly go with the Knights. If he tries to resist being taken away, there will be an active manhunt for him and he will be escalated to being considered dangerous and a wanted criminal. He can also go into hiding and just not be found at all- which will avoid any escalation and accumulation of stars like he’s a criminal in GTA.
If he goes with them, he will be interrogated about his new powers and then closely monitored. They sound like they're going to prepare for moving him to a science lab, which is not where anyone wants to be. During that time, social media will explode with half the people wanting him free and half the people wanting him locked away for their own safety. There will be protests outside of the Knight’s HQ demanding that Bennett be left alone to live his life like a normal person, and Decarabian diplomats will advocate for him to be taken to Decarabia, claiming he will be safe there and they will ensure Mondstadt’s well being by taking him. The Knights will do an investigation by asking his family questions- if you want to do more with that with his dads and the Knights, that’s a free for all for you to decide ;) Let me know what you ultimately decide to do with Bennett, as it will affect the story!
CLOSING
Exploration is currently not available for characters to go out and see the world. This is the fallout of the conflict with the dragon, and the start of a journey for our characters. There will be a poll among the group in a month or so for where everyone would like to go next within the country of Mondstadt, so be ready for that!
As it stands right now, the group has found these items so far, which no one has currently figured out what they do:
Zhongli: Old rotted lyre, necklace from Natlan.
Bennett: Trinket from the hilichurl domain where the missing people disappeared in.
The dragon itself was ultimately defeated by Ajax (Childe) and Zhongli.
This log is a little bit of a slice of life break after the heavy opening log, but there's some things in it that will help everyone prepare for the adventure ahead.
To Be Continued…
Bennett
So imagine his surprise when, while scrolling through Q in the morning (which he still calls Warbler), he sees #bennysadventuretime trending. It causes him to almost choke on his orange juice. Suddenly, everyone on the internet was talking about him, and he didn't quite understand why! Something about what happened during the Ludi Harpastum? Honestly, he was pretty confused considering he didn't feel like he did anything special. Did people really like his video about traveling to that domain that much? He didn't even catch the good parts with Yoimiya!]
Farmer's Market
[Bennett's newfound popularity was baffling to him, and it was at the farmer's market out in the public that he discovered the true depths of it. He was no stranger to the campus, having been a patron of it for quite a while in the past. And yet, walking through the stalls of the market and being suddenly regarded as a celebrity felt weird, and kind of humbling. Every person greeted him enthusiastically, some of them even calling him a hero and insisting that he take a free sample.
But Bennett isn't one to let fame go to his head, and he always pays back what's done for him. Every time he receives a sample, he gratefully takes it and immediately takes to his social media with a post, taking a selfie with the owner (with his trademark thumbs up, of course!) and showing off whatever they gave him, whether it was a baked good or a handmade item or anything in between, and leaving a message about whatever it was that was both enthusiastic and heartfelt. After all, he could use his newfound popularity to draw attention to something like this, right? Assuming the algorithm didn't decide to work against him when he needed it to work most...
And then, when it was all said and done, he'd drop the cost of whatever it was in their tip jar. It proved to be challenging for him as the day went on, as he slowly burned through the pocket money he'd been carrying with him and became increasingly encumbered with various goods. But whatever, it was all going towards a good cause, right? He was happy to support his former university and his beloved hometown.]
To Hide in Shadows
[Unfortunately for Bennett, his fame soon showed itself to not be as glamourous as it first seemed. His goodwill on social media proves to be his undoing, as it gave the Knights of Favonius the ability to locate him. They approach him, demanding he turn himself in for conspiracies against Mondstadt. Naturally, Bennett does what any sensible human being accused of crimes they didn't commit would do:
He runs. This turns him into a wanted man.
★★☆☆☆
At first, Bennett goes in disguise, wandering around town in a hooded cloak. He sees some success evading the knights, at least for a time, and he's even able to enjoy things a little more peacefully without anyone recognizing him. He's able to enter shops and wander around town unhindered, even with the knights now on high alert.
But Bennett's bad luck is ever an omnipotent force, and it chooses to strike at the worst time, a sudden sharp gale blowing through and ripping his disguise off, exposing him once more. Immediately the knights give chase. And so...
He runs.
★★★☆☆
While on the run though, Bennett gets a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, as he realizes the impact his "fame" must be having on his dads. And so, he runs home, as quickly as he can through alleyways and backstreets while trying to evade capture.
His worst fears prove true, however, as he finds the knights outside his home, interrogating his dads and even threatening to lock them up for harboring a fugitive if they didn't cooperate with the investigation. His dads knew very little about what was going on, even about Bennett's involvement in the events that recently transpired.
It was a rare spot of good luck for Bennett to arrive when he did. He immediately barges into the scene and begs the knights to leave his dads out of whatever's going on. And in return...
He agrees to hand himself in, without any further resistance. The last thing he wants is to be a burden on his dads.
☆☆☆☆☆]
💥 wildcard
A series of loud explosions can be heard not too far from Knight’s HQ. It starts off with a small spark bursting into the air, creating a cacophony of red, yellow, and oranges dyeing the night sky in a myriad of colors. Typically, fireworks are considered a splendor but with the recent devastation, the citizens of Mondstadt are rightfully on edge. Fearing that it might be another attack or the work of someone with a constellation mark, a good chunk of the Knights quickly march out of the building towards the explosion. Mass panic ensues. The Knights are trying to figure out the situation, while some protesters vying for Bennett's release scream in fear and begin to scatter all over the place.
For one girl in the audience, the ensuing chaos is the perfect opportunity to strike.
Dressed in a fake janitor's outfit, Yoimiya takes advantage of the situation by sneaking in through the backdoor. So far, the coast is clear! She thanks her lucky stars for the protesters not just supporting Bennett but also for being a wonderful distraction. This is her first time in Knight's HQ so she's not quite sure where to go but after some figuring out, she eventually makes her way to the cells where the prisoners are being held. She carefully walks down the row, peering through the bars for a certain someone and it's then, she finally spots a familiar tuft of ash gray hair. There he is! Yoimiya is hot on her heels running up to Bennett's cell. ]
Bennett! It's me. How are you holding up?
[ Seeing her friend trapped behind bars breaks her heart. Poor guy doesn't deserve to be stuck in jail. ]
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...But he couldn't shake the anxious feeling he had. What did they want with him? People were calling him a hero, the knights were treating him like he did something wrong... And he has no idea what he did to earn any of it!
When a voice approaches his cell, he perks up, dragged away from his thoughts.]
Huh? I-I'm okay! The food they gave me today didn't disagree with my stomach like it did yesterday, so you don't need to worry about cleaning anything, sir.
[...Unfortunately, Yoimiya's disguise might be too good, at least to Bennett.]
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Did... he just call her sir? Yoimiya stands there, blinking in confusion. She looks puzzled for a moment until an imaginary light bulb pops over her head. Oooh, she gets it now! Her disguise was so good that it fooled even him. A wide smile curves on her lips and suddenly, she's giggling, already feeling better just by talking to him. ]
Haha, don't worry, I'm not actually a janitor. Although, that's a shame about the food. They really ought to get y'all better food.
[ But she should probably tell Bennett who she really is. Without further delay, Yoimiya moves her long blonde strand of hair out of her face that she used as a mustache along with the ball cap over her head to reveal that she is... ]
Ta-da~! It's me, Yoimiya!
[ PLOT TWIST OF THE CENTURY?????? ]
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[Bennett's jaw drops, eyes going wide. He was completely fooled by Yoimiya's masterful disguise!]
What are you doing here? They said I'm not allowed any visitors...
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Oh, don't worry! I'm not here to visit you.
[ A beat. ]
Wait, sorry, that came out bad! So, I am here to visit you... kind of. I'm not here purely for visitation.
[ Dun, dun, duuuuun....!!! ]
I'm here to break you out of here.
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[Oh shit, that was loud. He should probably keep it down if they're talking about jail breaks. He lowers his voice a little.]
No, Yoimiya, you need to get out of here! I overheard them talking... They're after people like us. People with new powers! They'll lock you up too if they catch you...
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I'll be fine! I'd rather risk getting caught than sit idly by while my friend is stuck in jail. It's not right for you to be locked away just because you got a mark you didn't even ask for.
[ None of this sits right with her. Why do the Knight care so much about people with constellations? And why are they locking them up? The list of questions goes on and on but before she gets too distracted, Yoimiya whips out a set of keys she swiped from the nearby desk and begins to fiddle with the lock on his cell. ]
Besides, it will be fine! All we have to do is not get caught.
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[Yoimiya's concern for Bennett is genuinely touching to him. Despite his middling popularity as a creator, he's never had many people he could consider friends, just a small group that he's known since they were all small, so the fast bond he and Yoimiya have developed really means the world to him.]
Th-thank you...
[Don't mind him getting a little choked up here.]
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Alright, now we're in business. The first step of Naganohara Yoimiya's plan is complete!
[ ... Now here comes the hard part; exiting the prison without getting caught. ]
Okay, so... we're going to have to escape out of here undetected. Luckily, I set off a little light show that should keep those Knights occupied while we make our grand exit. It's going to be a bit of a bumpy ride and you might have to squeeze in with some towels but do you think you'll be able to fit in there?
[ She points to the canvas laundry cart she's been pushing around as secret agent Janitor!Yoi. ]
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[He probably shouldn't sound so proud of this fact considering him "getting into places he shouldn't be" is his bad luck getting him into trouble, but somehow he manages to look at it positively.
And to prove his point, he'll do just as he said, and start climbing into the cart and squeezing his way in beside some towels. Hopefully he's not allergic to whatever these have been washed with.]
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Perfect! Just keep quiet and I'll sneak you out of here.
[ Oh! There is one more thing before she forgets. Inside the cart is a hoodie, a set of fake glasses, and a mustache just for Bennett. ]
A few items are waiting for you inside the cart! Make sure to put them on when we step outside since well... your face has been plastered all over the news.
[ And with that, they're off! She bunches her blonde hair back into a mustache and proceeds to push him out. ]
text; during the farmer's market prompt
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oh hi ajax!! what's up? you aren't looking for an autograph too are you
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[It's a good thing this is just text, or else Ajax would see how red Bennett's face has gotten. Bennett knows his content is fairly popular for Mondstadters, likely (at least in his eyes) because he's a native. But he knows Ajax is a foreigner, and hearing that people even in other nations enjoy his work just hits differently.]
i'll have to ask for good places to go sometime wherever you're from then!
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Anyway, I was just checking up on you. You've been all over the news lately, and rumor has it you slayed that dragon. Is that true?
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well yeah you were there remember? you helped me find my dads and we fought off those slimy dragons along the way!
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[Oof he really is painfully out of the loop!]
I was referring to the giant dragon skeleton that animated and spawned those slimy dragons.
to hide in the shadows 🌑
... Why?
It's put Venti in a terribly bad mood the last couple of weeks. Most days, getting through classes with less energy than usual. And most nights, with glass after glass of wine.
It's a chance encounter that night that he hears the commotion up ahead. The Knights of Favonius are yapping and yelling at someone... In the dark (and in his drunkenness) it's hard to tell what is happening.]
... Ehe?
[Is someone running his way?]