escordvi | The Light is Off But I Still Work

Who: Darin Altway and You!
Status: Open
Where: Eltrut and Nogard
What: MANTA quests and general catch-all
Warnings: Will Mark As Needed

-SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE-

[Darin sure as hell has no idea where this Tapir plushie craze came from but the markets are absolutely inundated with stalls selling tapir themed wraps and goods. A few days ago, that wouldn't have been a problem. He wasn't all that interested and fads come and go. He's a tradesman, he knows how it is.]

[But then he heard about what the tapir plushies do. And considering that someone precious to him is in some sort of sleep coma, he decided to go out and grab one. How hard could it be?]

[Hard enough that every stall is showing they're out of stock. And when one pops up with stock, they're overwhelmed within minutes.]

[So now, Darin's camping out one of the lesser known corners of the market on Eltrut. He's been out here all night and it's now 8 AM. Someone in this corner of the market is going to have a plushie and dammit he's going to get it. Trouble is...he's not the only one looking to get a plushie here.]

...Is it bad form to use your god-gifted superpowers to snag a plushie ahead of a bunch of crazed, entitled shoppers? That's bad form, right?

[He's talking to himself but hey, you're free to be there to help him.]

[Or compete with him.]

-PAINTED SKULL-O-LANTERNS-

[Coming from a world that usually has harvest festivals this time of year, hearing about all of the spooky happenings and upcoming events doesn't have Darin especially thrilled. He's got enough on his mind as it is! And while Darin might not be the most superstitious sort, he'll tend to try anything once. Especially if it means warding off scary monsters or even death itself.]

[Besides, decorating the forge could be fun.]

[So, he's sitting out front of the Starmetal Forge with a basket of (hopefully) fake skulls. He's got a small table set up and a whole bunch of paints and...a potter's wheel? Darin places a skull down on the center of the wheel and begins to spin it, then selects a color of paint and carefully drips it on the spinning skull, creating wild, circular designs. He's also making a big mess and he has more paint on him than he does the skull.]

[But there's plenty of room for someone to join him! And plenty of skulls and paint to go around. Hopefully you have a smock of your own if you're worried about making a mess. Because you probably will.]

-STARMETAL SPARRING-

[Darin has had a lot of nervous and anxious energy to get out. He hasn't had the focus to work on any projects at the forge. He's got too much on his mind to sit at home and work on personal projects. And with his body healing up nicely after crossing paths with Ganondorf, he's itching to start training. Problem is, how does he start? Well, if there's one thing he's learned is that riftfarers seem to have all sorts of crazy powers. And learning to adapt to their abilities would not only give him some valuable training, but it'd allow him to blow off some steam as well!]

[He's fashioned a small sparring area behind the Starmetal Forge. Nothing inherently fancy but enough room to move around in. He mostly uses it to test some of his projects but...well, today he's repurposing it. Finally, he hangs a sign out front that reads:]

Feelin' Frustrated? Come On In For a Pounding!

[Does Darin understand the connotations of that sign? You be the judge!]

-INFILTRATE AND LIBERATE PART 2-

[After the recovery of the tragic cargo last month, Darin's been keeping abreast of the situation regarding the victims' treatment. Since it looks like the victims can be saved after the crystals are painstakingly shaved off, Darin is currently researching and engineering a way to make the process even the slightest bit less arduous.]

[He's hunched over his workbench at the Starmetal Forge, toying with some precision tools. There's a small pile of elemental stones nearby that he's currently rummaging through.]

Gotta be a way to magically enhance the edge of a knife or scalpel...my first instinct is wind but...ice could work too. Or fire? Heating the crystal might make it easier to remove...

-UNDERWATER RUINS- HIDDEN CHAMBER

[Somehow, checking out these ruins without a certain somebody by his side isn't as fun as he was hoping. How is it he's gone on two expeditions and he's gone alone each time? He heaves a despondent sigh as he wanders into the large chamber. He wouldn't be surprised if someone was already here...these ruins have been around for over a month now. But he had to get off Eltrut for a bit. Even for a day. And being able to examine ruins would at least give him something to distract himself.]

[Darin stops and takes a careful look around the room. All of the mirrors had to serve a purpose, right?]

Why so many mirrors? They're just going to reflect themselves...

[Darin drops to a sitting position and pulls out his notebook. He starts to sketch the room in its entirety as he puzzles out the...well, the puzzle.]

(OOC: Please feel free to top-level with something else if these prompts don't work for you! And if you want to double check an idea with me, hit me up through PM or on

bitterbearface)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Possibly. It would take me some time to revisit them all if you wish to know the answer. But I daresay my Sight would reveal them to be extremely adamant and long-lived souls, much as my people were.

[ It is a simple thing to check however. When he isn't busy with his ship-building project and has time to sail around the leviathans, he'll take a look. ]

Will you be satisfied with whatever answer I bring back, however?

[Darin lifts his arms and crosses them above his head.]

How do you mean? If you say they're ancient, they're ancient.

They just...I dunno. Strike me as different somehow. Maybe not gods? But there's definitely something about them.

Like...we're all riftfarers but where did the local people come from? All of the 'land' is just another Leviathan. Did the world flood?

I've got a lot of questions about this place, I guess...

[ He ponders that for a bit. As long-lived as he is, not even he has seen the creation of his own star. ]

As long as the leviathans do not completely submerge, it is possible for life to emerge. Or rather, life would emerge regardless but it would be aquatic and not terrestrial. The leviathans seem to be quite steady creatures. If they were not, the people wouldn't be able to build homes.

'Tis a strange ecosystem, I'll grant you, but are whales not leviathans to fish? And are we not giants to insects? Perspective is relative to the beholder. Even the foliage we see may be as moss is to the surface of a rock.

Edited 2024-11-09 00:10 (UTC)

I just worry there's another side to this. The Leviathans are great and all and thankfully there's enough space across them to accommodate the native populace and the riftfarers.

But what if that changes?

[Darin drops his hands to his hips.]

One could argue that the leviathans are apex predators, right? And they've all mostly gotten along but what if there's a leviathan out there that doesn't get along with the others?

[Darin heaves a sigh.]

It's...all speculation anyway. Point is, the leviathans have been around for a long time. Maybe digging around here will help us give us some answers.

Perhaps there is. Perhaps there isn't.

[ He purses his lips, choosing his words carefully. ]

I won't deny that seeking more information will be beneficial to understanding their nature, but is there any merit to worrying about a danger that currently does not exist? There have been no odd happenings. No portents of danger. I say this as one who has witnessed the end of a star: sometimes the end you sought to delay is only hastened by your own paranoia of what may be.

...With that said, I will take a look at the leviathans for you and let you know how they appear to my eyes. It will take some weeks however. 'Tis a lengthy journey between them.

[ Especially when they don't stay still so you can't really teleport. ]

['Sometimes the end you sought to delay is only hastened by your own paranoia of what may be.']

[That sure resonates with Darin in a way he never expected and considering he's been worrying about his powers and what they mean for as long as he can remember, the realization that he might be a self-fulfilling prophecy hits him like a brick to the face.]

I...yeah. Yeah, you're right.

...Thanks. We should definitely focus on these ruins though. Navel gazing like that won't help us solve this mystery.

Let's see if we can make any patterns with the lights around here.

[ He acknowledges the thanks with a nod. ]

Aye, let's not waste time.

[ Especially when lingering triggers some odd effects. Emet-Selch turns to the wall and ponders the mirrors, sometimes on foot, sometimes hovering higher up. Between the two of them, surely they can figure something out. ]

The Light is Off But I Still Work

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