melodiesoflife | We are off to see the Crystal Tree!

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We are off to see the Crystal Tree!

WHO: OPEN! Those setting out towards the Crystal Tree~
WHAT: Terra has arranged an expedition. Keep in mind that this takes place after the January Event!
WHEN: January 17th - January 27th
WHERE: Plains of Sorrow, Crystal Forest & Crystal Tree~
WARNING: None.

[ooc: Information and plotting about this adventure is posted here. If you have any questions please post them here as well. It's assumed that Terra posted up a help wanted for the heroes who don't know her to see if they want to come along. Settings will be described in top posts to keep thing organized!

Please note that the Friendly Monster and Crystal Tree sections will be one long thread.]

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[Rialynn doesn't mind keeping watch. In fact, she kind of prefers it, because who can sleep with malboros just walking/slithering/whatevering along? She'd be quite happy not to come within shouting distance of any of the monstrous denizens of these plans, honestly. The closest thing she's seen to monsters before showing up here were bears. And even then, she only ever saw one of those, and it was at a considerable distance.]

[Her rapier isn't going to be much good against one of these abominations. But at least it's easy to move around them in the daylight, since the flatness of the plains doesn't exactly allow creatures THAT BIG to go unnoticed.]

[But at night, they can only see so far, so it makes her nervous. She'd brought her lute in hopes of playing a few songs at night to relax her fellow adventurers, but now that's not going to happen. Not if the sounds draw monster attention.]

[Instead she sits close to the fire, knees drawn up, journal propped up against her legs as she writes quietly and keeps to herself.]

[But if anyone moves to sit close to her, it's enough to pull her attention away from the book. After a moment of hesitation, she kicks off the conversation.]

So... What's your name?

[Unless it's Duster or Terra, since she already knows who they are. They'll get a much different easygoing question like 'How's your leg holding up?' or 'Good thing it's not raining, huh?']

[He grins at her, happy to have a distraction from the quiet night.]

Bartz Klauser.

[He looks down at her journal curiously.]

What're you writing?

Bartz Klauser... Let me know if I'm spelling it wrong.

[As his name sounds vaguely Germanic, much like her own, she at least gets his last name written correctly as she writes it down in the book. His question prompts her to look up, then grin.]

This? A record of our journey. See?

[Rialynn isn't shy about sharing what she's got, and she passes him the journal. The older pages are a little more crinkled, as if they got wet at some point, and contain stories she wrote down listening to other bards, as well as written accounts of her former travel companions.]

Every single person here is in the middle of shaping this world's history. Someone needs to keep track of it, right?

[He nods. She's got the spelling right. Flipping through the journal, he lets out low whistle.]

Wow, you've written a lot of stuff!

[He's impressed.]

I guess I never really thought about it, but someday people might want to know what we did.

[Rialynn beams at his response. It's really nice to have her work appreciated like that, but of course, she can't rightfully assume too much credit.]

I got to travel with some interesting people. They kept my pages very full! I thought I'd have to buy another journal by the year's end.

[Nodding vigorously to affirm his comment, she leans back on her hands, allowing him to flip through the pages as long as he likes. There are some bars of poetry, some quickly scribbled lyrics (identifiable from the poetry because of the music note written in the top corner), and even a few quick sketches. She's no master artist, and her drawings are probably a little on the exaggerated side, but they have a lot of character in the expression.]

Exactly. I mean, 'Hero of Light' is a really hefty title. And there was a prophecy involved too! I don't know if I could ask for a better opportunity to record the tales of great deeds and valor.

[An idea occurs to her, and she shifts her weight to one hand as she leans forward a little.]

Say, you've been here a while. You must have had quite a few adventures yourself! Would you mind sharing one with me?

[Bartz is seriously impressed with all the work she's done. He flips through the book, pausing mostly on the sketches and songs. He looks up when she asks about his adventures.]

Mostly I just drift around. I guess I have gotten a few good stories out of it. What do you want to hear about? Stuff that happened here? Or stuff from one of the other times I was a hero of light?

[Being a hero of light is not as big a deal when you've done it a few times.]

Both, if you don't mind sparing the time!

[When it comes to stories, Rialynn is far from picky. As long as the events actually happened, then it's almost a sure bet that she'd be interested.]

But if you need a starting point, how about stories from your own world? What made you become a hero of light over there?

[He's free to keep looking through the book, though of course she'll take it back and flip to a fresh page to start writing down his own story once he begins to tell it.]

Back home? I was just there when the wind crystal exploded. It probably didn't have time to look for anyone else.

[He frowns, considering the possibility that some sort of fate or destiny were involved. Nah, the crystal probably just just picked the four people who were there at the time.]

Actually I was there when all the crystals exploded.

It exploded?

[Rialynn sits back, eyes wide.]

Why? What happened? And exploding crystals is the catalyst? Maybe you're four times a Hero, in that case...

[She murmurs the last more to herself, pressing a knuckle thoughtfully against her lip.]

Yeah. I mean, I think it sort of... over loaded? I dunno. We showed up a little too late to that one. But that's definitely what happened to the fire crystal.

[Wow, she's really interested. He didn't expect that. Bartz tilts his head thoughtfully, and tries harder to remember the details.]

But after it exploded, there were a bunch of shards left behind. They all had jobs in them, so that was kinda helpful.

...It was?

[She's clearly puzzled. A crystal exploded and then they had work to do? Maybe if they were having a hard time getting hired anywhere, and needed--]

--Oh! You mean like the jobs that come with your crystals. Wait, is that why people can equip jobs here? A bigger crystal exploded?

Yeah, those kind of jobs.

[He shrugs at the suggestion of a big crystal exploding here. Bartz isn't the type to put a lot of thought into this kinda stuff.]

Maybe. I never really thought about it. But you know, this place is a lot like the world I came from. So... I guess it could've happened that way.

I am Tazendra. And yourself?

[Tazendra is perfectly relaxed; she was skilled and had no problem with the occasional night-time monster fight. It would jsut make the trip more interesting.]

[Good! Tazendra can have as many monster fights as she likes, so long as Rialynn gets to write down the chain of events afterward.]

Rialynn. Nice to meet you!

[She'll bow her head or offer her hand to shake, depending on Tazendra's preferences.]

Do you mind if I ask you some questions?

Why, not at all!

[Presumably people who've had to camp near morbol nests would be able to sleep there, though K'pandolu can't quite imagine what kind of circumstances would bring that about. She's camped out before, and slept- well enough, at least. She's not doing so for now, though, eyes on the fire until Rialynn speaks, and then she glances up to look at Rialynn, one ear twitching towards her.]

K'pandolu Tohka. My apologies for not introducing myself before. [because they're on this trip together; it's something she should have thought of. Well, hopefully they can make up for it now. She holds a hand out, offering a smile.] And yours?

Oh no, no need for apologies! We haven't really had much time to sit around and be bored after all.

[She grins, holding out her journal and pen.]

Would you mind writing out your name? I haven't the faintest idea of how to spell it, and I wouldn't wish to do you the dishonor of mischaracterizing your own name.

[Either way, she gladly shakes K'pandolu's hand.]

Rialynn Kollmann. It's very nice to meet you.

[She's still not sure what to think about the ears and tail. She thought they were costume accessories for a long time until she realized that they moved independently.]

So, what are you?

[Everyone else seems to have been okay with telling Rialynn what race they happen to be, so she's starting to ask more freely now.]

No, that's true. Although perhaps we could use a patch of boredom. [just to try and work things out, a little.]

Not at all. I appreciate the concern! [she takes the pen and journal when her hand's free, setting her name down in careful script. And it does make a difference to her, on this star so distant from Hydaelyn. She does raise her eyebrows at Rialynn, though, wondering now, though she holds the journal out to Rialynn.] Are you keeping track of everyone you meet, then? Or is this something more?

[ah. Her ears twitch down slightly, discouraged, but she squares her shoulders, looking Rialynn in the eyes.]

We're called miqo'te. I come from the Hipparion tribe, of the Seekrs of the Sun.

Hmmm... A little of both, I suppose. I've never met anyone who was the subject of a prophecy before coming here. Suddenly I'm surrounded by prophesied Heroes! It's kind of exciting, isn't it?

[She doesn't count herself as one of those Heroes, even if she arrived in the exact same manner.]

[She listens to K'pandolu with avid interest. So far, this all sounds exotic and fascinating.]

How did you come by that name? Was the sun particularly important to your people?

[she's rather dubious about the nature of the prophecy about them as Heroes of Light, but Rialynn seems enthusiastic about it. That kind of energy ought to be protected, for as long as it can be.]

I suppose so- but since I working with others to protect our own world, it seems less unlikely to me.

[so that's a reasonable explanation for sounding less excited, isn't it?]

[she looks surprised for a moment, ears flicking up.]

That name- you mean as Seekers? [she nods.] Azeyma, goddess of the sun, is our particular patron. By her light, we are given strength and prosperity.

So there's more than one deity governing your world?

[Now she's very interested. Old fables spoke of many gods before the people congregated to a singular deity in her world. To think that there would be one assigned to each important element of reality is fascinating to her.]

What kind of worship rituals did you practice?

['Governing'… She wouldn't put it that way. Still, she hums in agreement.]

There are twelve in all. [well- technically thirteen, since the Traders are twins, but that's details.] I take it that isn't the case in your own?

[she taps her fingers against her other palm for a moment, thinking.]

Many of our rituals revolve around dance- to greet the dawn, to celebrate, to ask for certain blessings. For judgements, though, we make offerings, and burn incense before battles and for the dead.

I'm not really sure. I can't say I've ever met a god before, or at least, not that I knew of anyway. Most people believe in just one, though.

[Rialynn listens with avid interest, and seems to perk a little when the subject of dance is brought up.]

Do you perform any of those rituals here?

That might be for the best.

[she speaks of meeting a god, naturally, since in her experience, meeting a manifested god is… mostly a bad thing. And though the Lord of Levin was fairly reasonable, those sylphs who had summoned him had still been changed.

She notices, cheering a little in turn.]

I do. I make sure to be up for the dawn as often as I can, and you don't need much more for that. [being up… it's very much habit by now, in any case- her parents and aunts were pretty insistent about it.]

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We are off to see the Crystal Tree!

Camp -- OTA

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