Event #3

[aeternasmods]

Where Secrets Lie

INTRODUCTION

Now that things in Mondstadt have died down a little bit, you are free to travel to Decarabia! As the second largest city in the country of Mondstadt, it too, is no less of an impressive metropolis than Mondstadt City proper. But where Mondstadt has beautiful, hanging plants and brick roads, Decarabia is a city of dazzling jewels. All sorts of sapphires, emeralds, and amethysts are built into the architecture, and that’s just to name a few of the rare stones. Even the roads and the sidewalks can be seen with some kind of ruby or topaz embedded in them. The city is well-maintained; you’d be hard pressed to find a rough neighborhood, and many boast that Decarabia is one of the safest cities in Teyvat. There’s always the faint sound of music floating through the streets that plays in the people’s ears, and upon arrival and seeing the sights of the city, it’s easy to believe that it really is a grand, secure place. One that can be used as a refuge from Mondstadt.

First, you need to find a place to stay. Much of the city can be found at ground level, but Decarabia is also fond of how they’ve built homes into the surrounding stone walls that encircle the city, making it look like a metropolis of gleaming walls. There is even a whole section of the city that lies underground in natural caves that have formed over the years from the rushing water of underground rivers combined with human engineering. There’s many apartments, Airbnb’s for a short term stay, or hotels if anyone wants to stay there. The best part about it is that there’s no authorities looking for people with special marks on their bodies, and the general sentiment of the town is positive towards it. The longer you stay, the more Decarabia starts to feel like home, adding to the general vibe that maybe this is somewhere where you can stay without feeling hunted or shunned. That feeling slowly sinks into your mind, and becomes stronger every day…maybe making Decarabia your new home would be nice.

GIVE ME YOUR AUTOGRAPH?

Bennett is still famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it,) so if left without cover or a disguise, he’ll still be recognized and stopped in the streets for autographs and people asking for him to tell stories about how he got his powers, what was it like fighting monsters and the big skeleton dragon, etc. Anyone with him will be questioned as well, because if you’re an associate of Bennett, does that mean you have powers too? Did you fight any monsters? What was it like being in the middle of that disaster? The questions are endless. Yoimiya will also be getting stopped too, because of her work as a famous idol, and Kunikaki is going to get recognized as Kunikuzushi, to which they’ll all want autographs and will talk about harpastum non-stop with him (sorry not sorry, buddy.) They will also want to know what was up with his arrest- which means reporters will also be seeking him out for answers.

These people can range from completely normal, well-adjusted adults to the rabid fangirl/fanboy type. Everyone wants to meet a superstar, but not everyone handles it well…

The presence of such people do not escape the leaders of Decarabia, but they are silent on the matter...for now.

GEMS, GEMS, GEMS.

Decarabia is known for having giant caverns of precious stones that people are welcome to come and mine up as a souvenir for a small fee. The only catch is that the stones can’t leave the city or else they’ll lose all their sheen and turn into a dull, uninteresting rock. It’s not a myth- it’s been tried and tested numerous times by people coming into the city and getting some themselves. But the moment you step back into the city limits, the stone reverts back into its original form, gleaming as if it were a brand new crystal. The people of Decarabia attribute it to the blessing of their god, and no scientific reason has been presented to solve the mystery of the gems. The gems, when within the city limits, are also said to have magical properties. These are obtainable only by those brave enough to climb down to the depths of the underground mines located under Decarabia. Come prepared, and get your splunking gear together! Don't worry, if you don't have any gear, the necessary gear will be rented to you. The caves are dark and winding, and it’s easy to get lost in there or find yourself on the edge of a one-hundred foot drop down. The prizes are definitely worth the danger, though!

A. Descend into the depths! But be ready for battle, as there are hydro slimes that will bounce out and attack. You can harvest their condensate as a prize for your victory. It'll be good for something, right? You faintly remember if you took one of the potions classes in Mondstadt that it might be able to be used in potions, though the beginner classes offered never used this component in any of the recipes. There are other monsters down there as well, like the hilichurls that were found attacking Mondstadt, though these are a little less in number than slimes.

B. Mining gems. There are sparkling gems everywhere in this cave, you’ve just got to find them. Some are non-magical, but others are purported to have magic properties to them. Gems you can mine up are:




Ruby (+1 bonus to pyro)

Emerald (+1 bonus to anemo)

Topaz (+1 bonus to attack)

Sapphire (+1 bonus to hydro)

Amethyst (+1 bonus to electro)

Citrine (+1 bonus to defense)

There is reportedly a node of diamond down there...somewhere...

The party can find the node of diamond if someone rolls a 19 or 20 on a D20. It’s not magical, but it sells for a lot. You can keep it or sell it, it’s all up to the party.

Gems can be added to weapons or clothing, and look really pretty in addition to their magical bonuses.

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO SACRIFICE.

The city is gearing up for their monthly ceremony, called the Edelsteinstraße, which is centered around the wondrous gems that a mining party is selected to go down and gather for the city as a gift to the gods in Dragonspine. It seems especially serious this time around because of the events that happened in Mondstadt City, with the emergence of the dragon that attacked. Many people curse, belittle, and denigrate Mondstadt, calling them godless and forsaken, blaming the citizens entirely for the disaster that befell them during Ludi Harpastum. The ceremony is held right outside of the large belltower in the center of the city by the religious leaders of the city, which also acts like the town square, except it’s more of a circle around the belltower rather than a large square like in Mondstadt. Lined up and down the roads are plenty of local food to enjoy, dancing to be had, and an overall joyous tone.

A. The simplest of all customs for this ceremony is to lay a gem in a large weave basket at the front of the belltower, and make a wish. Legend says that those who honor and sacrifice for the ones brave enough to descend downward into the cavern for the gods will have their wishes fulfilled. Of course, it’s perfectly safe now, but it’s said it used to be fraught with danger, so any blessings or tides given is considered a selfless act. Give a precious gem and pray to the gods, and may your wish be heard.

B.There is an old group of grannies prowling the grounds in search of unsuspecting pushovers or tourists. They look friendly enough, but they have a secret agenda- talk your ear off as a distraction. First, they’ll try to get you to consider or convert to the religion of Decarabia. Next, they’ll move on to more mundane topics, like what their grandson did the other day or their favorite casserole dish. Either way, they just really want to talk to you even if you die of boredom in the process. Which would be great for them, because then they’ll pilfer any precious gems on your person so they can use them to curry favor with their gods. They’re too old and creaky to get their own gems, so they’re trying to steal yours! Bonus points if they actually get you to convert!

C.There’s a large table set up near the belltower itself that has a variety of hand bells with a few people teaching how to use them in an ensemble. Partner with a friend and go and take a quick lesson. It’s not too hard, and the instructor is pretty good at explaining how to ring the notes for the particular bells in front of you to make nice melodies and harmonies. Sharing the gift of music is important to them, and when you’re done, they’ll even award you with a cute little bell trinket as a souvenir! They have a few different tunes they’ll teach, and though they may not be complicated, it’s still fun. Maybe they can convince you to join their bell choir…it meets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 🙂

When the time comes that night, the chosen party will disappear into the belltower, to cheers and prayers of a safe and bountiful harvest of precious gems. As Decarabia is a very religious city, most natives can be found wearing a necklace or ring with the symbol of their religion. When asked about the name of the gods that they worship, they will tell you that it’s not allowed for the common folk to know the name of their gods. They don’t seem to find it weird that they don’t know, so you shouldn’t either! Right?

But as the month passes, the three who went down into the belltower are soon forgotten. Asking a local will be met with a strange look from them, and they’ll simply respond:

“Oh, the people for Edelsteinstraße? I didn’t know them.”
“I must have missed the ceremony, I don’t remember who they chose.”
“We sent people down? I guess there must have been a chosen party to go…are you sure we sent a party this last month?”

Every now and again, out of the corner of your eye, you see a building looking like it’s about to collapse, or a whole street that looks torn and dilapidated. But once you blink, it looks normal again, as if nothing were ever amiss in the first place. The problem is this keeps happening, over and over, and more frequently each passing day to those with constellations on their body. If you inquire about this with any of the people living there, they act like they have no idea what you’re talking about. You can try to talk to people, see if you can get them to see what you’re seeing, but it never works out. No one in Decarabia is seeing it, and if you insist that there might be something wrong, all they’ll think is that you’re crazy and hallucinating.

How this affects characters, based on rolls in discord:

Ajax and Yoimiya will constantly see the city as run down and in terrible condition after the first few days they’re in the city more often than not. They also resist the urge to want to settle down and stay in Decarabia as their new home. They know something is either wrong with them or wrong with the city. They will also notice that the gems mined up from the mine don’t do anything at all, and at times they don’t even look like gems anymore…just plain rocks.

Lynette and Heizou will see the city in this status of disrepair frequently, but it doesn’t last long and they may start to think they’re going crazy. They also resist the urge to stay in Decarabia forever, but it’s always at the back of their minds, asking if they’re sure, always poking and prodding at them to make them lose their resolve. Staying still feels a little enticing. They have an inkling that the gems from the mine aren’t actually magic at all, but they’re not sure and they have no proof otherwise.

Bennett and Kunikaki will see the disrepair the city is in, but only now and again and like it’s there for a second and then it’s gone again. They completely fail to resist the pull of the city and think it’s a great idea to stay here as their new city of residence. They completely believe that the gems from the mine are magical, and they can even feel the magic working in their abilities.

CLOSING

Because of the detainment of several people in Mondstadt and pressure from the public, the city is no longer locked down and can be freely left via any means (car, plane, walking, etc.) Bennett is still being searched for and the Knights have not found how he escaped from his cell, and is now on a wanted list. Fortunately, Decarabia doesn’t recognize Mondstadt’s laws, so he will be able to freely move within the city. Notably, people have gone missing, but that’s because they have been taken away rather than the random disappearances that were happening before.

Venti and Zhongli are now noticeably gone from class. The university announced that neither of them will be returning to teach and provide no reason why, and Zhongli cannot be found at his home. Venti cannot be found in his favorite sleeping spots or pubs/bars either. Xing Ren has disappeared from the university as well, without a word from any authorities as to where she went. Kunikuzushi of the Mondstadt Dandelions has also been taken into custody. Press releases have informed the public that he is being investigated for performance enhancing drugs, but the punishment doesn’t really match the crime- and no one’s seen him since being detained. The uproar online hasn’t ceased in days, and people are demanding to know where he’s been taken.

There is a new Disappearances Page for characters who are dropped. They cannot be "apped" into the game by any other player, as they aren't removed from the world. Only if the player who originally played the character wants to come back, can the character be played again in Aeternas.

To Be Continued…

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