escordvi | [closed] 🌊 pain you break me down, you build me up

Who: Joshua Rosfield, The Hideaway Crew + planned CR
Status: Closed.
Where: An newly discovered half-underwater temple ruin.
What: Joshua has been searching for a way to contain a great evil. After searching through the paladin archives he came across records of an old ancient ruin said to hold a powerful relic that can do just that. He sets out with the crew (and friends) to try and retrieve it.
Warnings: Tba.

Joshua has been searching for a way to contain a great evil. After searching through the paladin archives he came across records of an old ancient ruin said to hold a powerful relic that can do just that. He sets out with the crew (and friends) to try and retrieve it. The ship can be used as a rest area between exploration trips as well as a hub for the crew to interact outside of exploring.

⛵ arrival; stone golems

After a few days of travelling far west the ship and crew will come across what appears to be a stony collection of platforms, jagged rocks and large stones. It won't look much like an island at all but instead, a pattern of rocks sticking out of the top of the water. It will be difficult to find a place to dock the ship so small boats or flying abilities will be needed to touch down on the stones.

Upon setting foot on these stone platforms the crew will see that it's the remnants of an old ruin of some sort. Or at least the top of it. There are no discernable features aside from a few broken staircases and holes that seem to descend downward into the water and darkness.

Getting down to one of the entrances inside will be a problem seeing as several large stone golems are wandering aimlessly around the surface. They don't attack on sight but if anyone seems to come close to one of the entrances that is when they will attack. They use large clubbed arms to swing and smash intruders. Get them out of the way by turning them into rubble.

🗿 descent; mechanical turrets

Once inside the underwater ruins, the crew will find a series of interlocking stone pathways and staircases that lead in all sorts of directions. It's hard to tell which way to go or if the pathways lead up or down. Water floods the entire structure, flowing in from the ocean and filling up various chambers and rooms. The crew might have to find a way to get into those rooms if they want to explore further. Using magic, special skills, magitech or mermaid blessings to breathe underwater...

For those who can search the area on foot and across the various rocky pathways, there are still some rooms and broken chambers to explore. But they are guarded by strange clicking mechanical turrets that turn towards anything that moves. They make a small beeping noise in warning before they shoot bullets at anyone in their line of sight. Either stay out of their way or find a way to destroy them to explore safely.

Inside the various abandoned rooms are all sorts of materials to be found including bits of metal, gold, old broken magitech and if one is lucky- diamonds.

🧊 the final chamber; wisdom cube

Once at the very bottom of the underwater ruins, the crew will come across something beautiful. A perfectly preserved blue cube that floats on top of a pedestal. At first glance, it looks to be unguarded and ready for the taking. There are no signs of golems or turrets whatsoever.

However, whoever reaches out to take the cube will be met with the sound of clicking mechanical gears from all around the room. The room itself will start to collapse and fold in on itself. And the thief will only have a few minutes to escape the room before they're completely crushed. Grab the item (and whatever other relics and treasures found) and run while dodging other traps, and more mechanical turrets. The ruins will also start to fill with even more ocean water at a rapid rate. Everyone will need to escape!

Once on the surface the crew will gather with their prize and determine that this is a magitech relic called a wisdom cube which should be able to contain the great evil that Joshua harbours inside of his body. But... How do they use it? Perhaps the cube needs to be attached or inserted into something else?

[feel free to create your own top levels and threads within this log! joshua's top level can be found here. you can also find me at

michrure or discord if you would like to plot something specific out.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Doesn't surprise me.

[The boat size and the conditions, that is.

Alhaitham is clearly uncomfortable talking, but there aren't many other options for Alfyn to get his questions answered. He's also hoping, on some level, that the talk is distracting.]

So why is it that you came, then?

[He asks with friendly concern! Whatever the reason, it has to somehow be bigger than how awful his seasickness is, right?]

[Talking is... well. Alhaitham doesn't like talking on a regular basis as it is, so to have to do it even at a time like this is even more so less appealing than usual. But the assumption that he needs a distraction isn't entirely wrong either, especially since Kaveh is still elsewhere at the moment...

The thought of his senior then, combined with the question when it comes, is enough to have him let out a huff as he closes his eyes again.]

Why would I not be here, when the rest of the crew is present?

[He's not a natural team player but he did agree to work together for as long as it was needed to find a way back to Teyvat. And sure, this isn't necessarily related to that, but he doubts anyone can argue about the importance of their safety, and in turn the threat that Joshua's little tag-along brings to it.]

[Alfyn tilts his head a bit; the smile he wears is sympathetic but it is also just a bit truly amused. Or perhaps confused.]

Because you know it'll do this to you and that's a lot to suffer through when I'm pretty sure Cid won't make you. Unless you're the expert in whatever we're looking for, I guess.

[Which he can guess that Alhaitham is not. It's more of a gentle dig at the stubbornness and the commitment to suffering that...really, everyone in the crew seems to have.]

[He is indeed very much not an expert, even if ruin spelunking is not unfamiliar to him. But there are very much other ways to do that which certainly don't involve having to travel this far out to sea, especially when he has to sit through this awful level of seasickness.

Another huff escapes him then, and with his eyes still closed he thinks of the one person who he would do just about anything for, even this. Because he cannot trust anyone else with his safety, so he is here to do it himself.]

What about you, then? Why did you choose to join on this journey, when you barely know anyone else?

[Yeah he's just turning the question back now. Getting Alhaitham to admit anything out loud is not gonna be that easy.]

[A fair question, on the surface - though he wilts just a little at "barely know anyone else." Alfyn doesn't look like the ruins-exploring or seafaring type. He pats his satchel with the hand on that side and smiles a grim smile.]

In case anyone needed me. [When he nods at Alhaitham, it isn't meant to goad him.] I'm an apothecary, and this whole little adventure sounded like a recipe for someone winding up injured, or worse. Hope it doesn't happen, but...

[The crew of this expedition is. Famously. Infamously? Terrible at weighing proper risks and not just jumping into danger, or not pushing themselves until they collapse. And Alfyn hasn't even lived here that long.]

It'd be worse if it did happen, and I wasn't here, and could've been.

[So. He's here for his skills. And he can fight, if it comes to that.]

[An apothecary? Certainly an odd profession—those don't really exist much in Teyvat anymore, as far as he recalls. Alchemists, sure, but this...

Well, ultimately it doesn't really mater, but its interesting enough for him to keep in mind. Putting that aside, the answer that he gives—well. Alhaitham can't say that its anything new. That is very much a song and dance he's heard far too many times, and the huff he lets out is one he is familiar with. Really, that answer alone is enough to tell Alhaitham everything that he needs to hear.]

All of you really are cut from the same cloth. [He can't help but remark, voice sounding especially dry.]

If by "all of us" you mean apothecaries...shucks, I wish that were so. I'd still like to hope most of us are in this for the right reasons.

[But he's met too many - two isn't a huge amount, but for him, that's two too many - who have motives of their own. Motives that aren't "help people who need help."]

If you meant something else, though, then I've gotta admit I don't follow.

[Alhaitham very much does not mean other apothecaries, especially since they're not really a thing in Teyvat, but ultimately it doesn't matter at all since the remark was more for himself than anyone else.]

It doesn't concern you. [He says as much, giving the faintest shake of his head so that he doesn't make his own nausea worse, and then after a second glances over to him.] Anyway, since you made it your mission here to help others, make sure that the opposite doesn't end up happening instead.

[He has of course zero idea how this apothecary is like, but given what Alhaitham has seen thus far and heard the things that he said, he can kind of make a few (not so flattering guesses) about his personality and morals. Yet another one of those heroic, do gooder types... there really never seems to be an end to those things.]

What, that I need help from others instead?

[Alfyn beams. He doesn't want to risk saying so out loud yet, but this is an awfully long conversation for a fella who couldn't get a word out around his nausea not long ago. Hopefully that means the medicine is starting to work. Maybe then Alhaitham can get a break.]

I'd love to tell ya not to worry about that, but sometimes things happen, especially on a venture like this one seems to be shapin' up to be. But I do all I can not to push it. What kind of example'd that set?

[Also, there isn't much good that comes from the apothecary being the one in need of medical attention.]

[Oh, the nausea is still very much there. Alhaitham just has had more experience handling it now after all the times he's had to be out at sea... though it would be a lie to say that the concoction he had to drink didn't play some part in it.

But putting that aside—once again, the answer which he is given is yet one of those things which Alhaitham has fully expected to hear, yet finds himself exasperated all the same. Truly, people like these are all cut from the same cloth... it would be amusing if it also wasn't so exasperating at the same time.]

Then make sure you don't give others a reason to. [He huffs out, then goes to push himself away from the mast that he'd been leaning against. This is more than enough conversation that he's willing to entertain in exchange for drinking his weird medicine and since its clear that Kaveh isn't going to come back up anytime soon he's going to retreat back to their cabin. Kaveh will be able to figure it out quickly enough so he doesn't have to worry.

Of course, he doesn't bother explaining any of this out loud at all, so all that really happens on the outside is Alhaitham leaning away from the mast, straightening himself back up, and then just walking away without saying another word, on just ever so slightly less shaky legs.]

[closed] 🌊 pain you break me down, you build me up

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