Day 214

[fuckthemancers]

Who: Zulf, some birds and a Pokemon, and you
Open: Open (and a couple closed)
When: 214, midday
Where: By the Monument
What: In which things are written out, birds are a nuisance, and visits are made for numerous reasons
Format: Any
Note: Some time ago, Seimei asked Zulf to write down things about the world the Calamity originated in, aka Caelondia and the Tazal Terminals. Since this information is available to everyone (although written in Caelondian and Ura), you can consider this post as a reference! It's also available as a request sort of thing, if you or your characters have any inquiries about culture, technology, or lore about either place. It'd also help me out with what to write for Seimei (and the mun of Seimei) since, when asked where to start, his IC answer was basically "everything".

----------


Ever since returning from the sudden expedition a week or so ago, Zulf has been quiet. Not completely and utterly silent, like he's become on occasion- just quiet. There's been a lot of things to think about.

Today, however, at least he's out in public, seated by the Monument. There are papers by him, things written in both Caelondian and the Ura language. There's also some sketches of different outfits alongside them. He's steadily working on both.

Anyone is more than welcome to come over and investigate...

Assuming the large group of Rattle-tails doesn't try to swarm towards them first. Yes, they're here too, a mix of sizes. Yes, there's a tiny little Cubone on top of one of them, waving its bone around energetically. Don't worry, Zulf will give a sharp whistle when they start to swarm and they... should back off before anyone gets slammed into by a giant white bird.

[Locked for Zahi andor Zanya]
After a day of writing, talking, and bird wrangling, Zulf finally finishes and goes to retrieve something. It's just a basket of things gathered up from the Skyway, vineapples and such. When he gets to a certain Ura abode, he knocks on the door.

[Locked for Zia and Raile]
And with that done... Zulf does the search for two of his most important people. Don't think he hasn't noticed some awkwardness floating around here.

Comments

[notachickenhawk]

<Hey.>

[He shuffles over and nudges Zulf's hand with his beak.]

<We've got to work together, right?>

[fuckthemancers]

[He gives a slight start.]

Yes- of course we do.

[notachickenhawk]

<We'll figure things out as we go.>

[He looks over at the art again.]

<You're pretty good. Were you ever in an art show or anything?>

[fuckthemancers]

What?

[Well, that's one way to snap him out of depressing land.]

No- I'm hardly that talented, this is just to get the basic idea across. You want Rucks if you want an artist.

[notachickenhawk]

<I don't know Rucks. I know you, though. And I think you're pretty good.>

[fuckthemancers]

I imagine he's been busy... He's the one who designed and created the Bastion in the first place.

[notachickenhawk]

<... Why? I mean... it's good that it's here, but...>

[Oh.]

<He knew it was coming.>

[fuckthemancers]

...Well, yes, but the Bastion was always meant to be built as a safe haven for any sort of natural disaster. Earthquake, hurricane... Something along those lines.

That's right, you weren't one of those who were here when everything came out...

[Nearly everything, at any rate.]

[notachickenhawk]

<There's other ways to prepare for earthquakes, at least. But no, I wasn't.>

[Care to enlighten him?]

[fuckthemancers]

Basically... The Calamity was the result of a weapon the Mancers were creating- a military faction within Caelondia that was valued for inventing things. Most notably, to many Ura, weapons. The Mancers wanted to use this weapon on the Tazal Terminals to completely exterminate what they viewed as the biggest threat to Caelondia.

Zia's father, Venn... had been forced into working for them, being the only one who actually knew how to create this weapon and how to make it work. After meeting Zia, I learned about this and together we decided to try and enlist the help of a different Mancer to see if we could sabotage the weapon and make it unable to work at all. That was Rucks.

[Throughout this short tale, Zulf manages to keep his voice more or less level although there's no hiding the quiet rage bubbling underneath.]

It didn't work, as is plain to see.

[notachickenhawk]

<... Oh.>

[He just... leans against Zulf's side.]

[fuckthemancers]

[Zulf just takes the awkward comfort given, gaze just focused on words that don't really make any sense to him in the moment.]

I suppose I didn't think it would work anyway. I was desperate for it, but... we were just three people- Raile knew but he was out on the Wall and we did our best to keep him out of it.

All I could do was talk to people, try to see who was trustworthy, try to make them question, yet Caelondia was high off its own success. I didn't have anywhere near to enough time.

[notachickenhawk]

<All you can do is try. All you can do is try to minimize the damage. People who are too proud to listen to warnings... it's incredibly difficult to get them to change. Though even if they're your enemy... even if you shouldn't help them, you need to try. And then, if it doesn't work, you concentrate on holding out until things can be made better.>

[fuckthemancers]

Sometimes I wonder if what's waiting at the end of "holding out" will be worth it...

[notachickenhawk]

<There's no way to tell until you get there, right?>

[fuckthemancers]

I suppose so.

[Zulf's tone hints that his view of what the end might bring is just as pessimistic as the rest of this conversation has been. He decides that there's no need to make it any more so, and moves on.]

Have you ever wondered anything about Caelondia, the Terminals, or the Wild Unknown? I have a lot of things to write, but Seimei doesn't seem to particularly mind what I cover. Having another point to go on after I finish the religious sects of the Terminals and the military factions of the city would be useful.

[notachickenhawk]

<Well... I don't know. I guess I'm interested in the wildlife. Both because I like animals and... well. It's good to know what I can hunt.>

[fuckthemancers]

Fair enough.

Well, you'd have Windbags- things like Squirts, Gasfellas, and Scumbags. There are also Peckers, those large dark birds you'll see out on the Skyway. Lunkheads are extremely durable and dangerous, while Anklegators... Well. I don't think you'll see any of those besides the young one which lives here. They were extremely rare before the Calamity.

Rattle-tails, the birds you see around here, are really only native to areas that belonged to the Tazal Terminals.

[notachickenhawk]

<... Huh. I've been eating Squirts, but they don't taste that good. I'll have to see if I can bring in some rabbits or something, but it'll take a while to get more shards.>

[fuckthemancers]

I imagine they wouldn't. The only things which eat Squirts are Caels and Rattle-tails.

[Which explains so much about Cael booze.]

You could always share with Paarthurnax, couldn't you? Mammoths do seem... rather large.

[notachickenhawk]

<I could, but it's...>

[How to explain?]

<I need to hunt and take down my prey myself. It's not that I really like killing, but... the instincts are still there. It would be like trying to not scratch an itch.>

[fuckthemancers]

Ah, I see.

Pecker young might be easier for you right now, but that does have the risk of upsetting the parents.

[notachickenhawk]

<I've dealt with angry animal parents before. And when I morph, I heal wounds. So I'm not really that worried about injuries.>

[fuckthemancers]

If you're certain. Good luck with your hunting, then.