#this was all just from search in the algae sea...... can't believe there's still SO much more left to uncover

[protect-namine]

the latest narzissenkreuz ordo quest is so much... where do I even start...

I'm not even finished with it yet (plus, I think I need to do the book of esotoric revelations quest + collect the enigmatic pages + go through the looking glasses to fully uncover all the lore and finish caterpillar's backstory) but there's just so much. I think I'll just make a thread here of all the interesting lore bits that catch my eye for now

disclaimer that uh. my progress in the archon quest? yeah I'm still in act iv lmao so I have no idea what's going on there. it's not my priority to finish 'cause honestly I'm waaay more invested in caterpillar's whole thing atm. anyway.

I once said that maybe imagination is itself perhaps a legitimate power or substance in genshin. it might not be that far-fetched considering that experiential substances are an actual thing you can use in magic. perhaps I wasn't using the right terms but.. the idea was pretty close!

interestingly, caterpillar compares them to the elements. rene (in rene's investigation notes) does a similar thing where he compared the khvarena to the elements and I believe that's how he got the idea to do all of this anyway.

what is SUPER interesting to me though are these two things from the end of the search in the algae sea quest:

gold (the color) has a loaded meaning in genshin even if we can't really pinpoint yet what it signifies. it's also always associated with the twins. I think I remember someone (probably ashikai) theorize that it's when you combine all the elements together (like an "omni" element) — and that kinda makes sense if you think about how we're basically resonating with all seven elements by the end of the game, and then (presumably) regaining our original powers back afterwards.

but there are other attempts at creating gold. there's rhinedottir and albedo's alchemy, which is still incomplete since albedo is... well, in the albedo stage, and not citrinitas, except if you ascend him to the last ascension level (on that note: the writers really did flip the rubedo and citrinitas steps to make gold the last step huh).

then there's "reason" which is this quest's whole... thing. a golden sword! kinda makes me wonder, especially paired with the note on those who "descend" and how the traveler (tagged as the fourth descender) canonically has a "sword of descension" (PS4 sword item)...

is it that "reason" is equivalent (not necessarily the same) to the omni element? is the traveler's sword of descension like the holy blade of narzissenkreuz?

lastly, I wonder what the last divination technique mentioned here is. also, hey look, hydromancy! that's mona's thing!!

[valerielillis]

January 2024 Microfictions

Image by Darkmoon_Art of Pixelbay

Stories by Valerie Lillis

1. Cool Winds Come

The wind stirred her raised fur, a refreshing change from the scalding, still air of days before. Rough bark serves tiny paws, letting her climb higher and higher. A sturdy branch, well above rooftops and phone lines serves her well.

She settles there, her ears raised for a falcon's cry. Soon the cold days will come. Food would need gathering and the nest added to. But for now, she relaxed, feasting on the bittersweetness of the last summer berries.

 2. Hunger

Whistles and tweets herald the morning.

Grass and leaves rustle in the breeze

Setting a heavy feeder to swing.

Scarlet nectar lures close hungry wings.

Just a sip or two, lingering cannot be risked.

Shivering leaves sound - too loud for a breeze.

A hidden tabby prepares to lunge,

But she's a second too early and a second too late to close.

Two stomachs rumble as wings tightly dodge.

Outstretched claws land empty on soft soil.

3. Rainfall

Spring rain drizzles down against the panes of a bedroom window. Steam rises from a warm cup: citrus and spices coat the tongue and warm the throat. With a long, steady exhale, tension melts away leaving behind a gentle peace of mind.

 4. Peony

Dark foliage, sharp and vibrant, grows from sturdy stocks. Seasons change and blooms appear in bashful reds, dainty pinks, and ghostly whites. Each color unfurling like the ruffles of a petticoat. With the season they fade, dropping their treasures to the soil to rise and perform their dance once more.

5. Remembering

Brief and fleeting, the memory comes in the night. Long summer days, a wide open feild, and a familiar shadow behind. Faster you peddle, finding bliss in the streaming wind. The bliss lasted for but a second, before the tumble down. But that second you carry on, letting it linger on the darkest nights.

6. Dream Big and Small

Quarters and crumpled bills lightly decorate the bottom of an old pickle jar. A getaway, a road trip, or even a new book seemed so far away. I felt the dollar in my pocket, Mother's whisper in my ear:

"Just save what you can, Annie, even just a penny a day."

"A penny a day won't even buy a book in my lifetime," I was so bitter back then. Now I can't remember why.

"Ah," She said in that gentle way, "but a penny a day can by can by a bit of candy when the week isn't going your way, or a gallon of gas when there's just a bit farther to go. Remember those big big dreams to hold your chip up, but don't ignore the little things that help you move forward."

7. Love Lost by the Sea

One morning Edgar walked the sandy beaches, a glass bottle green with algae was pushed by the waves to his feet. The wax seal was faded, but there wasn't a crack or opening in sight. The paper inside crinkled and tore as he retrieved it.

A crude drawing, of a sailor securing ropes was framed in delicate lettering. "Ale in the hull, I'll be there when all's asleep. Raise your sails, lower your anchor, and rest your ship in my bossum tonight."

8. A Dragon's Poverty

A knight once went to a Dragon in search of what all knight's desired. The dragon, while sitting atop his treasure, told the knight quite dully that coins and gems bring as much fame and fortune as a desert brings rain.

"Of course they bring fame and fortune," the knight cried. "Lands, servants, and castles I could buy with a fraction of your wealth."

"Lands, servants, and castles I could buy - it's true," The dragon admitted. "However, it also buys assassins, theives, and wayward knights free of charge. 'Tis better to live modest, enjoy the fortune you have, especially if it involves the most valuable thing of all."

"And what might that be," asked the knight, now curious.

"A sturdy door of course, with a lock and key!"

 9. Chester Castle

Chester Castle sat atop an old hill. Its towers cast long shadows over the silent farms and villages below. Its chilled walls, once proud, now stood in silent shock. Ghosts, unable to believe the present, still marched and slept with the past. They had been ready for everything - except for poison in the wells.

 10. Just a Few More Minutes

Annabelle thought she was ready - until Momma started crying. Then she was crying too, holding Momma's fingers as tight as her little hands could.

"Don't cry, Momma," Annabelle pleaded. "It's okay."

Momma's arms wrapped around her, dodging the tubes and wires with practiced ease. There wasn't a response, Momma was like her in that way: there wasn't any use talking when you couldn't stop crying. Annabelle didn't mind, she held Momma close, smoothing her hair the way Momma used to do for her.

She sent an apologetic smile to the woman at the foot of her bed. The woman smiled back, closing her pearl grey wings as if prepared to wait. She only needed a few more minutes, she only had as much to hold. Then she could go, even though she didn't really want to.

Short Stories

 Sneaky Angel

Azael sat atop the ridge, looking down at the smoking remains below. Why would humans do so much damage to their own homes? They should have been ready, many of them were ready when the signs came. Perhaps those left were too upset by not being chosen, by not being taken to the next world.

When the gates had fallen, he had been glad to escape. The world forbidden to him and his kind had been opened, they could experience what had been denied. Now he questioned if the only good thing that was denied had been the way the sun feels on his leather wings.

A flutter of feathers filled the air, a face of flame and a body swaddled in robes sat down beside him. Instinctively, Azael recoiled, inches away even though the war had long since ended. The figure produced no flaming sword, nor holy chains to bind him, instead an apple appeared in its hands, prompting a devilish grumble from Azael's stomach.

"Don't taunt me," he growled at the figure.

"I won't taunt you," the angel said. "I saw you hadn't eaten yet."

Azael gave the apple a distrustful eye before snatching it from the angel's hand. "If this some kind of trap, I'm going to add 'Sneaky Angels' onto my menu."

It chuckled, the flames turning a cheery orange and yellow. "I will endeavor to not be 'Sneaky' then."

Azael's hunger couldn't handle waiting anymore. The crisp sweetness warmed his tongue. When nothing but seeds were left, he licked what juice escaped from his fingers and lips. The angel stayed beside him, another apple in his hand. Azael accepted it more gently and asked the question that now burned in his mind:

"Why would you help something you hate?"

"Because it is good to help," they said simply, summoning another apple as the second disappeared, "and it's not helpful to judge."

If you want to read my stories as they come out, be sure to check out my blog!