arrow_back Genshin Impact Quests 
Shadows of the Mountains
Help Titu resolve the Shadow Pin issue and reinforce the seal placed upon the Abyss.
Titu:
...This is a big problem. Man, haha, what terrible luck! Still, wouldn't this make for a pretty interesting story opener?
Titu:
"Titu, the tribe's old storyteller, spoke of what he had seen: On the day of that great earthquake, he saw the giant Shadow Pin plunge beneath the earth — and that was how all the calamities began..."
Paimon:
Whoa. This person sure is spouting some scary stuff.
Titu:
Ah, yes. "You've sure gotten slow. Didn't even notice them until they were right under your nose." That line's from a story I read recently. Made a real impression on me.
Titu:
Still, if you ask me, eavesdropping isn't usually considered a sign of virtue.
Paimon:
Don't blame us, you were the one talking super loudly.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Really? Well, that makes things awkward... And hey! C'mon, little fella, why are you backing these outlanders? Just whose side are you on?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr... Rawrr!
Titu:
Alright, alright... Still, it's quite the strange little ensemble. Two outlanders and a special little Tepetlisaurus. That social studies bookworm sure would love to see this.
Paimon:
Wait, you can understand what {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}'s saying?
Titu:
Understand Saurian-speak? Haha, you've got to be kidding me. No one can do that! What do you think they'd say anyway? "Hello, my name is {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}"?
Titu:
But I'm one of the Children of Echoes, and we're always around Tepetlisaurs. You can figure out what they're trying to communicate from their eyes, their expressions, and the humming noises they make.
Titu:
Anyway, introductions are in order. Titu... That's my name.
Paimon:
Paimon's Paimon.
Traveler:
I'm Traveler...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
And this is {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Titu:
Since we've introduced ourselves without a fight, that makes us friends... and word of advice from a friend — this place is dangerous. Why don't you head over to the People of the Springs instead?
Titu:
They've got it all over there: hot springs, relaxing music, chicks and hunks in swimsuits, the works. All we've got here is a couple of huge stone pillars. It even sounds boring...
Titu:
Uh, that's... not the response I expected. In fact, that's a worrying amount of excitement about... *sigh* big stone pillars...
Titu:
It's been doing poorly of late, I'm afraid. "The Shadow Pin's spirit was weakening, and the shadow it should have pinned in place would soon silently slip away..."
Titu:
Hmm. You know what? That would make a good starting point for a story.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ehrrr?
Titu:
Ah, sorry, got a bit carried away thinking about stories there. Telling tales is my responsibility here in the tribe, and after so many years, it's time for me to come up with some originals.
Titu:
And of course, something just had to go wrong with the Shadow Pin just as I was a few days into my musing... Because why would it ever rain when it could pour?
Traveler:
So, will the rock fall down?
Titu:
Now fair warning, that bit's just speculation. Things might not have gotten that bad yet...
Titu:
But some accident has indeed happened with this Pin — one I can do nothing about.
Paimon:
Is there really nothing you can do?
Titu:
Well, I could make a record of it all, as an eyewitness. That way I'd also have a new tale, I guess.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Roawr...
Paimon:
Wait, you've just given up already?
Paimon:
Actually, there's something else Paimon wanted to ask. Why's the stone called a Shadow Pin? And what's this "shadow"?
Titu:
*sigh* Were I telling the children a story, I'd say that the Wayob hung the Pins here to pin the shadow of the Volcano Lord in place...
Titu:
But that which is sealed beneath them is, in truth, the Abyss.
Titu:
That's how most tales in Natlan are. They're embellished narratives held up as warnings, and all their rhetoric is a kind of metaphor.
Paimon:
Wait, so you mean the Abyss is actually sealed below here!?
Titu:
That's right. And two out of three small Shadow Pins have recently floated up. Perhaps when the third floats too, all the evil beneath the earth will come surging up like a tide.
Traveler:
You have three of these!?
Titu:
Three small and one large, actually, and this is the big one. The others look nothing like this.
Paimon:
Wait, if the story's true, can't we just solve the problem by pushing the two pillars that have floated up back down?
Titu:
*sigh* What an amazing idea — ah, if only you were the first to think of it.
Titu:
In fact, Lesser Shadow Pins have floated in the past, and according to the stories, that's exactly how it was handled. Things are trickier this time, though...
Traveler:
...Where the Abyss is involved, we can't stand idle.
Paimon:
That's right. We've solved a whole bunch of similar problems before. We're experts now!
Titu:
Really? Not that I'm doubting your abilities — that much I could tell just from how you move, Traveler...
Titu:
I mean to say, are you really willing to help? Since it's the Abyss we're talking about, even I can't say for sure how dangerous things could get.
Traveler:
Ooh, so scary. I regret everything. And alas! Now my stomach suddenly hurts...
Paimon:
H—Hey, stop it! And Paimon just complimented you, too! Also, your acting is terrible!
Paimon:
Anyway, the point is that we'll help!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
See? {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]} agrees as well!
Titu:
Ah, like a flame that appears in the darkness, so too will heroes rise up in times of great peril. Human possibility shines through in glory at moments such as this.
Titu:
You know what? This could make for a great story, too — indeed, Traveler, you've got some traits that even those storied heroes don't have. I'm looking forward to this, I must say.
Titu:
Let's go, then, dear heroes. Let's go and check on our floating Shadow Pins.
Titu:
I can't believe that worked. That was truly a scene from out of story and song.
Paimon:
See, Paimon told you Traveler's super strong!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Hehe, you think so, don'cha, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}?
Titu:
You weren't affected by the Abyss, were you, Traveler?
Titu:
Even our strongest warriors must remain vigilant and then some in the face of the Abyss. You're no ordinary person, Traveler.
Titu:
Haha, who knows, the story I spin from this material might even surpass those by Sanhaj!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ehrrr?
Paimon:
Is this Sanhaj some sort of big deal?
Titu:
Haha, for "those who tell stories in their tribes," Sanhaj of the Masters of the Night-Wind is worthy of reverence indeed...
Titu:
They say he had every scroll ever written up to his time committed to memory, and that he was willing to go from tribe to tribe and share those tales... That said, they also say that he also mooched a lot of food and drink off of them along the way...
Titu:
Stories speak of bygone times, but they also represent the wisdom of our forebears. Thus, the mere act of sharing it was seen as a selfless act, so all both loved and hated cunning Sanhaj.
Titu:
Later, that tale-telling hero would himself become part of a heroic tale — a fate I doubt even he ever envisioned... But yeah. Sanhaj was an amazing storyteller.
Paimon:
So that's the story...
Titu:
That's right. All the characters in Sanhaj's tales were some kind of tribal warriors and dragons, though. In mine, we'll have you, Traveler, and Paimon...
Titu:
So, if only in terms of the variety of the main cast, I'm the winner!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
Don't forget to include {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Titu:
Ah yes, of course, of course. Storytellers never forget a single character!
Titu:
Alright then. Let's head for the next floating Shadow Pin. I want to fix this issue and start writing by nightfall!
Paimon:
Woohoo! Let's go, let's go!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Wow. Here I'd thought to come over and check on the frightening noises I'd heard...
Titu:
Telling myself "Come on, Titu, it's probably nothing"... But this is quite something! Quite something indeed!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
There's even a little Tepetlisaurus here... Was it you who brought these outlanders here, then?
Titu:
And... was it you who brought this Shadow Pin down?
Paimon:
Eh? Wait, did we do something bad, Traveler? If we act fast, while there's only one witness...
Titu:
Haha, come on, no need for that! It's not serious, and if anything, I'd say you've done us a favor! So, you're Traveler, then? Who's your friend over there?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
And this is {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Titu:
And Titu's my name, a teller of tales for our tribe. I'm also responsible for "caring" for the stone pillars in this valley.
Titu:
And of course, this Shadow Pin you've plunged into the earth is one of three little pins, and its care is within my jurisdiction.
Paimon:
J—Jurisdiction... Uh oh, looks like we're going to have to compensate the locals for dropping that stone pillar.
Paimon:
Ugh, Paimon wouldn't have used our real name's if she'd known sooner.
Titu:
Compensate... "Titu had a flash of inspiration. Perhaps he might use this to coerce these people into helping him achieve his goals..."
Titu:
That's how I'd slot a bit like this into the plot, anyway.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
Ah, sorry, got a bit carried away thinking about stories there. Telling tales is my responsibility here in the tribe, and after so many years, it's time for me to come up with some originals.
Titu:
And of course, something just had to go wrong with the Shadow Pin just as I was a few days into my musing... Because why would it ever rain when it could pour?
Titu:
Ahem! Anyway, I'm not gonna blackmail you. I—I mean, I wouldn't have spoken my thoughts aloud if that was the case, right?
Titu:
Look, we exchanged names, but we haven't come to blows, so that makes us friends, yes?
Titu:
In that case... could you listen to a friend's request?
Traveler:
Sure... as long as it doesn't involve compensation.
Titu:
No, no, surely not! Hmm, how should I put this? ... When you passed through the valley, did you see some sort of giant block of solid phlogiston with golden patterns carved into it?
Titu:
It's in the center of this place. You can't miss it.
Traveler:
That rings a bell...
Titu:
This whole business I'm talking about has to do with that huge stone pillar. We call it a Shadow Pin... and we've had problems with it recently.
Titu:
To be honest, I'd all but given up before meeting you. I had the line all ready: "The Shadow Pins could not be saved, dooming the tribe to calamitous destruction"... It didn't sound too bad.
Paimon:
Wait, it's just a stone pillar. How could it destroy the tribe?
Paimon:
Also, what's so special about these "Shadow Pins" anyway? And the one we dropped, it was a... little pin? But it seemed pretty big to Paimon, so why's it called that?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
The stories say that the Wayob hung the Pins here to seal the shadow of the Volcano Lord...
Titu:
But that which is sealed beneath them is, in truth, the Abyss.
Titu:
That's how most tales in Natlan are. They're embellished narratives held up as warnings, and all their rhetoric is a kind of metaphor.
Paimon:
Wait, so you sealed the Abyss down below?
Titu:
That's right. And recently, two out of the three little Shadow Pins have floated upward. Perhaps if the third floats too, all the evil beneath the earth will come surging up like a tide.
Titu:
So to be honest, it's an unexpected boon that you've managed to push one back in. So, no compensation required.
Titu:
If anything, I was hoping to ask if you'd mind pushing the other one back in as well...
Paimon:
Huh... What do you think, Traveler...?
Traveler:
...Where the Abyss is involved, we can't stand idle.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Even you're up for it, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}? Well, alright then.
Titu:
Ah, like a flame that appears in the darkness, so too will heroes rise up in times of great peril. Human possibility shines through in glory at moments such as this.
Titu:
You know what? This could make for a great story, too — indeed, Traveler, you've got some traits that even those storied heroes don't have. I'm looking forward to this, I must say.
Titu:
Let's go, then, dear heroes. Let's go and check on the last floating Pin...
Titu:
W—We did it... The two Shadow Pins have been plunged back into the earth.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Nice work!
Traveler:
Another round of applause couldn't hurt.
Titu:
I'd clap my hands 'till they fell off if I could — but then I couldn't write another story, so forgive me for not doing so.
Titu:
Still, I assure you that in my heart, naught but bones remain attached to my wrists.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Roawr...
Paimon:
Uhh, yeah. That's getting kinda creepy.
Titu:
Really? Hmm, and here I thought that kids these days like their stories with a little dash of darkness.
Titu:
Ah, watching the Shadow Pin burrow back into the ground really takes a load off my soul.
Titu:
Long-standing tradition dictates that we now only need to check the third Lesser Shadow Pin and the Greater Shadow Pin, and we can call this a job well done. Abyss successfully busted, not to return for a good long time.
Titu:
The rest of this trip should be quite safe, so feel free to come along and chat with me! I'd like to know the heroes I'm inscribing into our tribe's stories better, you know?
Paimon:
Ah! In that case, you've gotta say something like this: "The mighty Paimon was as tall as a mountain..."
Traveler:
In that case, I'd like to be as large as two.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr, rawr, rawr!
Paimon:
Hey, whaddya mean by that, little guy? You wanna be as tall as three mountains?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ooroo...
Titu:
Hahaha, sure, sure. In that case, my brave warriors — Paimon, as tall as a mountain; Traveler, with the stature of two, and {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}, who has the bulk of three...
Titu:
...Would you kindly come with me, Titu the poor little human-sized dwarf, to check on that last Little Shadow Pin?
Titu:
Traveler, Paimon, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}, are you all unhurt?
Paimon:
...Paimon's okay, kinda.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrooh...
Paimon:
Ah! You don't look injured, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}... Did the big pillar scare you just now?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rraaa... Rawr!
Paimon:
Back in action already? Hehe, you're awesome!
Titu:
*cough* Well, that was a lucky break amidst our misfortune. This cloud of smoke is huge — every bit as large as the plumes of volcanic ash hurled out by the Volcano Lord in the stories.
Paimon:
Still, Paimon didn't think that the big Shadow Pin would come crashing down and bore such a big hole in the ground...
Titu:
As to that... *sigh* To be honest, I don't know what comes next.
Titu:
But, uh, we can always inspect that hole first? For all we know, maybe this isn't too big a deal, right? It would be the right moment for some sort of ironic twist, after all!
Titu:
You know, like how a bandit finds that the treasure he's spent half his life searching for is actually worthless... Perhaps this place we've guarded for centuries has been empty all along...
Titu:
Or maybe we'll find that the story of the Shadow Pins is but a five-centuries-old prank that some bored ancestor of ours came up with...
Titu:
...Sorry, I know I'm rambling, but... I can't help but be nervous. Either way... I have no clue what we'll find down there.
Titu:
But still... I... I will go.
Paimon:
Hey, don't worry about it, we'll come with you!
Paimon:
It... doesn't look too serious. It's just a really big hole, right?
Traveler:
Just the normal kind of big, really. The shape's kinda ugly, too...
Paimon:
When did you become some kinda "cavity connoisseur," huh? Sure, we've seen lots of these, but...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rraa, Rraa.
Paimon:
Hey, don't you copy him when he's being a bad role model! You don't want to pick up bad habits!
Titu:
That's where the Greater Shadow Pin fell, it seems. It's gone down much deeper than I imagined. It's almost like...
Traveler:
There was a huge open space down there to begin with...
Titu:
Right. This huge space can't have appeared because the Shadow Pin fell through it. It must've been here long before, with the Shadow Pin suspended above it...
Titu:
...To prevent anything that might crawl up from surfacing, perhaps?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrooh...
Titu:
Anyway, things look alright over here for now. I'll report this back to the tribe later...
Titu:
Hsss... Argh! Ah—
Titu:
Calamity— Pain— Save—
Titu:
Urgh... Wh—What was that...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hroo... Roar...
Traveler:
I heard a voice...
Paimon:
What's wrong? You all don't look so good — especially you, Titu...
Titu:
...Heh, it's as I feared. The Iridescent Inscription on the Pin must've sensed something down there, causing it to fall.
Titu:
That legend... is real... The spirits of the fallen Khaenri'ahn soldiers are about to emerge...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Roooawr.
Paimon:
Titu, are you okay?
Titu:
Not really, I'm afraid. That voice... So cold, so coarse... Just listening to a few syllables was like running my brain across sandpaper...
Paimon:
Uh, if it's that bad, why don't you stay here and keep watch? Just to make sure no one falls in and all.
Traveler:
And as for us, we'll go down and see what's happening.
Titu:
No, you can't! It's dangerous down there. There's no reason you should be put in more peril, and I'll not be the one to do it...
Traveler:
We've exchanged names, but not blows...
Traveler:
That makes us friends.
Titu:
...Heh.
Titu:
So calm in the face of danger... Are you used to it, or is this just the natural result of possessing overwhelming strength?
Titu:
...Well, let us go down together, then.
Titu:
Though I do not have the power to resist the Abyss, as I am one who tells tales, I might be of some help regarding that below Natlan's surface.
Titu:
Besides, to witness things to their completion is a storyteller's duty...
Titu:
...But let's take five first. Once we're ready, let's head into this cavernous cavity, shall we?
Titu:
Wow. Here I'd thought to come over and check on the frightening noises I'd heard...
Titu:
Telling myself "Come on, Titu, it's probably nothing"... But this is quite something! Quite something indeed!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
There's even a little Tepetlisaurus here... Was it you who brought these outlanders here, then?
Titu:
And... was it you who brought this Shadow Pin down?
Paimon:
Eh? Wait, did we do something bad, Traveler? If we act fast, while there's only one witness...
Titu:
Haha, come on, no need for that! It's not serious, and if anything, I'd say you've done us a favor! So, you're Traveler, then? Who's your friend over there?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
And this is {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Titu:
And Titu's my name, a teller of tales for our tribe. I'm also responsible for "caring" for the stone pillars in this valley.
Titu:
And of course, this Shadow Pin you've plunged into the earth is one of three little pins, and its care is within my jurisdiction.
Paimon:
J—Jurisdiction... Uh oh, looks like we're going to have to compensate the locals for dropping that stone pillar.
Paimon:
Ugh, Paimon wouldn't have used our real name's if she'd known sooner.
Titu:
Compensate... "Titu had a flash of inspiration. Perhaps he might use this to coerce these people into helping him achieve his goals..."
Titu:
That's how I'd slot a bit like this into the plot, anyway.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
Ah, sorry, got a bit carried away thinking about stories there. Telling tales is my responsibility here in the tribe, and after so many years, it's time for me to come up with some originals.
Titu:
And of course, something just had to go wrong with the Shadow Pin just as I was a few days into my musing... Because why would it ever rain when it could pour?
Titu:
Ahem! Anyway, I'm not gonna blackmail you. I—I mean, I wouldn't have spoken my thoughts aloud if that was the case, right?
Titu:
Look, we exchanged names, but we haven't come to blows, so that makes us friends, yes?
Titu:
In that case... could you listen to a friend's request?
Traveler:
Sure... as long as it doesn't involve compensation.
Titu:
No, no, surely not! Hmm, how should I put this? ... When you passed through the valley, did you see some sort of giant block of solid phlogiston with golden patterns carved into it?
Titu:
It's in the center of this place. You can't miss it.
Traveler:
That rings a bell...
Titu:
This whole business I'm talking about has to do with that huge stone pillar. We call it a Shadow Pin... and we've had problems with it recently.
Titu:
To be honest, I'd all but given up before meeting you. I had the line all ready: "The Shadow Pins could not be saved, dooming the tribe to calamitous destruction"... It didn't sound too bad.
Paimon:
Wait, it's just a stone pillar. How could it destroy the tribe?
Paimon:
Also, what's so special about these "Shadow Pins" anyway? And the one we dropped, it was a... lesser pin? But it seemed pretty big to Paimon, so why's it called that?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
Hmm... Since you're both outlanders, I suppose a more detailed explanation is in order. This is related to a legend handed down through our tribe.
Titu:
The stories say that the Wayob hung the Pins here to seal the shadow of the Volcano Lord...
Titu:
But that which is sealed beneath them is, in truth, the Abyss.
Titu:
That's how most tales in Natlan are. They're embellished narratives held up as warnings, and all their rhetoric is a kind of metaphor.
Paimon:
Wait, so you mean the Abyss is actually sealed below here!?
Titu:
That's right. And recently, two out of the three little Shadow Pins have floated upward. Perhaps if the third floats too, all the evil beneath the earth will come surging up like a tide.
Titu:
So to be honest, it's an unexpected boon that you've managed to push one back in. So, no compensation required.
Titu:
If anything, I was hoping to ask if you'd mind pushing the other one back in as well...
Paimon:
Huh... What do you think, Traveler...?
Traveler:
...Where the Abyss is involved, we can't stand idle.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Even you're up for it, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}? Well, alright then.
Titu:
Ah, like a flame that appears in the darkness, so too will heroes rise up in times of great peril. Human possibility shines through in glory at moments such as this.
Titu:
You know what? This could make for a great story, too — indeed, Traveler, you've got some traits that even those storied heroes don't have. I'm looking forward to this, I must say.
Titu:
Let's go, then, dear heroes. Let's go and check on the last floating Pin...
Titu:
...This is a big problem. Man, haha, what terrible luck! Still, wouldn't this make for a pretty interesting story opener?
Titu:
"Titu, the tribe's old storyteller, spoke of what he had seen: On the day of that great earthquake, he saw the giant Shadow Pin plunge beneath the earth — and that was how all the calamities began..."
Paimon:
Whoa. This person sure is spouting some scary stuff.
Titu:
Ah, yes. "You've sure gotten slow. Didn't even notice them until they were right under your nose." That line's from a story I read recently. Made a real impression on me.
Titu:
Still, if you ask me, eavesdropping isn't usually considered a sign of virtue.
Paimon:
Don't blame us, you were the one talking super loudly.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Really? Well, that makes things awkward... And hey! C'mon, little fella, why are you backing these outlanders? Just whose side are you on?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr... Rawrr!
Titu:
Alright, alright... Still, it's quite the strange little ensemble. Two outlanders and a special little Tepetlisaurus. That social studies bookworm sure would love to see this.
Paimon:
Wait, you can understand what {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}'s saying?
Titu:
Understand Saurian-speak? Haha, you've got to be kidding me. No one can do that! What do you think they'd say anyway? "Hello, my name is {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}"?
Titu:
But I'm one of the Children of Echoes, and we're always around Tepetlisaurs. You can figure out what they're trying to communicate from their eyes, their expressions, and the humming noises they make.
Titu:
Anyway, introductions are in order. Titu... That's my name.
Paimon:
Paimon's Paimon.
Traveler:
I'm Traveler...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
And this is {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Titu:
Haha, alright then. Here in Natlan, those who exchange names but not blows are considered friends — and friends we shall be!
Paimon:
Titu, you say... Oh, so you're Titu! We met a sentry on our way here named Yukom, who wanted you to get back to your post!
Titu:
Oh, so he was the one taking the shift before mine... *sigh* Unfortunately, he'll have to wait a little longer. I feel for him, but I've got something more important to take care of right now.
Paimon:
And what's that important matter? Standing around?
Titu:
Ah, you don't understand, little outlander Paimon. This is a critical yet boring place — though it is filled with naught but stone pillars, my presence alone is itself key.
Titu:
Uh, that's... not the response I expected. In fact, that's a worrying amount of excitement about... *sigh* big stone pillars...
Titu:
It's been doing poorly of late, I'm afraid. "The Shadow Pin's spirit was weakening, and the shadow it should have pinned in place would soon silently slip away..."
Titu:
Hmm. You know what? That would make a good starting point for a story.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ehrrr?
Titu:
Ah, sorry, got a bit carried away thinking about stories there. Telling tales is my responsibility here in the tribe, and after so many years, it's time for me to come up with some originals.
Titu:
And of course, something just had to go wrong with the Shadow Pin just as I was a few days into my musing... Because why would it ever rain when it could pour?
Traveler:
So, will this rock fall down?
Titu:
Now fair warning, that bit's just speculation. Things might not have gotten that bad yet.
Titu:
But some accident has indeed happened with this Pin — one I can do nothing about.
Paimon:
Is there really nothing you can do?
Titu:
Well, I could make a record of it all, as an eyewitness. That way I'd also have a new tale, I guess.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Roawr...
Paimon:
Wait, you've just given up already?
Paimon:
Actually, there's something else Paimon wanted to ask. Why's this called a Shadow Pin? And what's this "shadow"?
Titu:
*sigh* Were I telling the children a story, I'd say that the Wayob hung the Pins here to pin the shadow of the Volcano Lord in place...
Titu:
But that which is sealed beneath them is, in truth, the Abyss.
Titu:
That's how most tales in Natlan are. They're embellished narratives held up as warnings, and all their rhetoric is a kind of metaphor.
Paimon:
Wait, so you mean the Abyss is actually sealed below here!?
Titu:
That's right. And two out of three small Shadow Pins have recently floated up. Perhaps when the third floats too, all the evil beneath the earth will come surging up like a tide.
Traveler:
You have three of these!?
Titu:
Three small and one large, actually, and this is the big one. The others look nothing like this.
Paimon:
Wait, if the story's true, can't we just solve the problem by pushing the two pillars that have floated up back down?
Titu:
*sigh* What an amazing idea — ah, if only you were the first to think of it.
Titu:
In fact, Lesser Shadow Pins have floated in the past, and according to the stories, that's exactly how it was handled. Things are trickier this time, though...
Traveler:
...Where the Abyss is involved, we can't stand idle.
Paimon:
That's right. We've solved a whole bunch of similar problems before. We're experts now!
Titu:
Really? Not that I'm doubting your abilities — that much I could tell just from how you move, Traveler...
Titu:
I mean to say, are you really willing to help? Since it's the Abyss we're talking about, even I can't say for sure how dangerous things could get.
Traveler:
Ooh, so scary. I regret everything. And alas! Now my stomach suddenly hurts...
Paimon:
H—Hey, stop it! And Paimon just complimented you, too! Also, your acting is terrible!
Paimon:
Anyway, the point is that we'll help!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
See? {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]} agrees as well!
Titu:
Ah, like a flame that appears in the darkness, so too will heroes rise up in times of great peril. Human possibility shines through in glory at moments such as this.
Titu:
You know what? This could make for a great story, too — indeed, Traveler, you've got some traits that even those storied heroes don't have. I'm looking forward to this, I must say.
Titu:
Let's go, then, dear heroes. Let's go and check on our floating Shadow Pins.
Titu:
Wonderful, it's solid — almost as if it was grown from the very soil, more robust even than the roots of the great mother-tree that grows beneath the Scions of the Canopy's mountain cliffs... Now I can head back and take up my shift in peace.
Titu:
Of the three Lesser Shadow Pins, the most reliable you remained. If I should ever pen a tale about the Pins transforming into lovely tribeswomen, you shall be loveliest amongst them.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Errr?
Paimon:
Wow, so you were the one most interested in stone pillars all along, huh? Shocking.
Titu:
Hey, now, that's ignorance speaking. Here in Natlan, we believe that pure spirit and intelligence dwell within all things... For us, "things taking on human form" is a most traditional theme.
Titu:
For example, the tale of a beach tree's shadow that transformed into a young woman and a young Flower-Feather Clan tribesman who fell from the sky... Or the story of a man who was human by day, but would morph into a Saurian under the moonlight at night.
Titu:
Many are the ways such tales are told, but they're all variations on that same theme I spoke of.
Titu:
*cough* Well, that is what a lot of stories say — that much, I'll swear to as one who tells tales.
Paimon:
Wait, what about the Shadow Pin story, then? There's no real shadow of the Volcano Lord, is there? And if the shadow is the Abyss, then what is a Pin, really?
Titu:
...Oh ho, you're a lot sharper than I thought, little Paimon.
Titu:
Let's see. Where should I start with such a "story"... Long ago, the mountain range where the Children of Echoes made their home was not as it is today... It was more normal, more complete, more lovely.
Titu:
Everything changed... when the Khaenri'ahn catastrophe struck.
Paimon:
The Khaenri'ahn catastrophe?
Titu:
Indeed. Natlan's Ley Lines were always special and somewhat delicate... and so this calamity brought utter devastation.
Titu:
They say that the Night Kingdom was severely damaged in that disaster, and the totem poles' lights grew dim. The Wayob could not hear the tribes' cries...
Titu:
And up on land, a dark tide of disaster blazed toward the mountain range, brought on by two Khaenri'ahn soldiers — it was they who were the source of the troubles.
Paimon:
Khaenri'ahn soldiers?
Titu:
That's right. At that time, the tribe's leader had gone forth to the lone island in the west to resist the giant beasts. Elder Traore had no choice but to contend with the Abyss... and those two abject Khaenri'ahns.
Titu:
Finally, the tribes' warriors and Saurians, exhausting their spirit, flesh, and blood, found a way to use the Iridescent Inscription, fashioning giant stone nails out of solid phlogiston...
Titu:
And Elder Traore was first to leap into the dark pit, crying, "If the Abyss should ensnare death, let us flip the script! With death and sacrifice, we shall ensnare the Abyss!"
Titu:
The brave warriors followed him in, and after much sacrifice, the Abyss was, at last, sealed beneath the earth.
Titu:
This is the true tale of the past. Even the Children of Echoes, who excavate solid phlogiston and gems for a living, know that the phlogiston around the stone nails must remain untouched.
Paimon:
So that's the story...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rroo...
Paimon:
That happened five centuries ago... And yet you made it sound like it was something you saw yourself!
Titu:
That's a storyteller's duty. I love my work... And amongst all the tales I tell, I love the stories of these heroes the most.
Titu:
I'm not a nimble fellow, nor am I the best fighter. If anything, I'm the furthest thing from a hero.
Titu:
But when I tell their stories, I feel like I'm right there, traveling, adventuring, and fighting alongside them...
Titu:
I feel them smile upon me, egging me on, as if standing in the shadows of the bonfires, listening to me as they would a friend bragging of their exploits.
Titu:
And perhaps that is how I fight alongside them, by ensuring that their stories will be passed down and remembered, from generation to generation.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
...Hmmm. Wait a second. So what does that elder's story have to do with the Volcano Lord, and why do Shadow Pins have that name?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
Hahaha, still thinking about that, Paimon?
Titu:
It's simple. It's just a little play on words, commonly done in many stories...
Titu:
It's called a Shadow Pin... because it pins shadows. Easy, right?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Urgh...
Paimon:
Urgh...
Traveler:
Wow, the two of you made the same noise...
Paimon:
That's not where Paimon thought this was going...
Paimon:
Wait, what's going on? You're shaking up and down, Traveler...
Traveler:
It's the ground that's shaking, Paimon.
Traveler:
I blame Titu's awful jape...
Paimon:
Come on! My joke wasn't that disastrous!
Titu:
It's the big Shadow Pin. That's where the tremors are coming from.
Titu:
Something's wrong. Come on. We need to get back there...
Titu:
Why did this... We drove all three Lesser Pins into the ground, but the Abyss's influence is getting stronger...
Titu:
That's impossible. The woven scrolls' stories clearly state that...
Traveler:
Things our experiences do not prepare us for do sometimes happen...
Paimon:
It's more accurate to say that accidents happen so often that even Paimon's stopped being surprised...
Titu:
Could it be that... some change has overtaken the Abyss surging within the Ley Lines, causing its resistance to grow stronger...
Paimon:
Either way, it feels like something terrible's happening down there...
Paimon:
Why don't we try getting a closer look?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
P—Please do, Traveler...
Titu:
Well now, and here I'd thought to come over and check on the frightening noises I'd heard...
Titu:
Telling myself "Come on, Titu, it's probably nothing"... But this is quite something! Quite something indeed!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
There's even a little Tepetlisaurus here... Was it you who brought these outlanders here, then?
Titu:
And... was it you who brought this Shadow Pin down?
Paimon:
Eh? Wait, did we do something bad, Traveler? If we act fast, while there's only one witness...
Titu:
Haha, come on, no need for that! It's not serious, and if anything, I'd say you've done us a favor! So, you're Traveler, then? Who's your friend over there?
Paimon:
Paimon's Paimon!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
And this is {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Titu:
And Titu's my name, a teller of tales for our tribe. I'm also responsible for "caring" for the stone pillars in this valley.
Paimon:
Oh, so you're Titu! We met a sentry on our way here named Yukom, who wanted you to get back to your post!
Titu:
Oh, so he was the one taking the shift before mine... *sigh* Unfortunately, he'll have to wait a little longer. I feel for him, but I've got something more important to take care of right now.
Titu:
These pillars, also named Shadow Pins, are under my jurisdiction, and I must take care of them before things take a turn for the worse.
Paimon:
J—Jurisdiction... Uh oh, looks like we're going to have to compensate the locals for dropping that stone pillar.
Paimon:
Ugh, Paimon wouldn't have used our real name's if she'd known sooner.
Titu:
Compensate... "Titu had a flash of inspiration. Perhaps he might use this to coerce these people into helping him achieve his goals..."
Titu:
That's how I'd slot a bit like this into the plot, anyway.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
Ah, sorry, got a bit carried away thinking about stories there. I've been telling them in our tribe for so many years, and now it's finally reached the point that I need to come up with some originals.
Titu:
And of course, something just had to go wrong with the Shadow Pin just as I was a few days into my musing... Because why would it ever rain when it could pour?
Titu:
Ahem! Anyway, I'm not gonna blackmail you. I—I mean, I wouldn't have spoken my thoughts aloud if that was the case, right?
Titu:
Look, we exchanged names, but we haven't come to blows, so that makes us friends, yes?
Titu:
In that case... could you listen to a friend's request?
Traveler:
Sure... as long as it doesn't involve compensation.
Titu:
No, no, surely not! Hmm, how should I put this? ... When you passed through the valley, did you see some sort of giant block of solid phlogiston with golden patterns carved into it?
Titu:
It's in the center of this place. You can't miss it.
Traveler:
Nope, don't recall anything like that...
Titu:
Huh. I thought it was obvious enough. That's fine, though.
Titu:
This whole business I'm talking about has to do with that huge stone pillar. We call it a Shadow Pin... and we've had problems with it recently.
Titu:
To be honest, I'd all but given up before meeting you. "Let's just have the stone pillar problem cause the tribe's destruction. That story would work too, right?"
Paimon:
Wait, it's just a stone pillar. How could it destroy the whole tribe? That seems kinda ridiculous...
Paimon:
Also, what's so special about these "Shadow Pins" anyway? And the one we dropped, it was a... lesser pin? But it seemed pretty big to Paimon, so why's it called that?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
Hmm... Since you're both outlanders, I suppose a more detailed explanation is in order. This is related to a legend handed down through our tribe.
Titu:
The stories say that the Wayob hung the Pins here to seal the shadow of the Volcano Lord...
Titu:
But that which is sealed beneath them is, in truth, the Abyss.
Titu:
That's how most tales in Natlan are. They're embellished narratives held up as warnings, and all their rhetoric is a kind of metaphor.
Paimon:
Wait, so you mean the Abyss is actually sealed below here!?
Titu:
That's right. And recently, two out of the three little Shadow Pins have floated upward. Perhaps if the third floats too, all the evil beneath the earth will come surging up like a tide.
Titu:
So to be honest, it's an unexpected boon that you've managed to push one back in. So, no compensation required.
Titu:
If anything, I was hoping to ask if you'd mind pushing the other one back in as well...
Paimon:
Huh... What do you think, Traveler...?
Traveler:
...Where the Abyss is involved, we can't stand idle.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Even you're up for it, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}? Well, alright then.
Titu:
Ah, like a flame that appears in the darkness, so too will heroes rise up in times of great peril. Human possibility shines through in glory at moments such as this.
Titu:
You know what? This could make for a great story, too — indeed, Traveler, you've got some traits that even those storied heroes don't have. I'm looking forward to this, I must say.
Titu:
Let's go, then, dear heroes. Let's go and check on the last floating Lesser Pin...
Titu:
Well now, and here I'd thought to come over and check on the frightening noises I'd heard...
Titu:
Telling myself "Come on, Titu, it's probably nothing"... But this is quite something! Quite something indeed!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
There's even a little Tepetlisaurus here... Was it you who brought these outlanders here, then?
Titu:
And... was it you who brought this Shadow Pin down?
Paimon:
Eh? Wait, did we do something bad, Traveler? If we act fast, while there's only one witness...
Titu:
Haha, come on, no need for that! It's not serious, and if anything, I'd say you've done us a favor! So, you're Traveler, then? Who's your friend over there?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
And this is {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Titu:
And Titu's my name, a teller of tales for our tribe. I'm also responsible for "caring" for the stone pillars in this valley.
Paimon:
Oh, so you're Titu! We met a sentry on our way here named Yukom, who wanted you to get back to your post!
Titu:
Oh, so he was the one taking the shift before mine... *sigh* Unfortunately, he'll have to wait a little longer. I feel for him, but I've got something more important to take care of right now.
Titu:
These pillars, also named Shadow Pins, are under my jurisdiction, and I must take care of them before things take a turn for the worse.
Paimon:
J—Jurisdiction... Uh oh, looks like we're going to have to compensate the locals for dropping that stone pillar.
Paimon:
Ugh, Paimon wouldn't have used our real name's if she'd known sooner.
Titu:
Compensate... "Titu had a flash of inspiration. Perhaps he might use this to coerce these people into helping him achieve his goals..."
Titu:
That's how I'd slot a bit like this into the plot, anyway.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
Ah, sorry, got a bit carried away thinking about stories there. I've been telling them in our tribe for so many years, and now it's finally reached the point that I need to come up with some originals.
Titu:
And of course, something just had to go wrong with the Shadow Pin just as I was a few days into my musing... Because why would it ever rain when it could pour?
Titu:
Ahem! Anyway, I'm not gonna blackmail you. I—I mean, I wouldn't have spoken my thoughts aloud if that was the case, right?
Titu:
Look, we exchanged names, but we haven't come to blows, so that makes us friends, yes?
Titu:
In that case... could you listen to a friend's request?
Traveler:
Sure... as long as it doesn't involve compensation.
Titu:
No, no, surely not! Hmm, how should I put this? ... When you passed through the valley, did you see some sort of giant block of solid phlogiston with golden patterns carved into it?
Titu:
It's in the center of this place. You can't miss it.
Traveler:
Nope, don't recall anything like that...
Titu:
Huh. I thought it was obvious enough. That's fine, though.
Titu:
This whole business I'm talking about has to do with that huge stone pillar. We call it a Shadow Pin... and we've had problems with it recently.
Titu:
To be honest, I'd all but given up before meeting you. "Let's just have the stone pillar problem cause the tribe's destruction. That story would work too, right?"
Paimon:
Wait, it's just a stone pillar. How could it destroy the whole tribe? That seems kinda ridiculous...
Paimon:
Also, what's so special about these "Shadow Pins" anyway? And the one we dropped, it was a... lesser pin? But it seemed pretty big to Paimon, so why's it called that?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Titu:
Hmm... Since you're both outlanders, I suppose a more detailed explanation is in order. This is related to a legend handed down through our tribe.
Titu:
The stories say that the Wayob hung the Pins here to seal the shadow of the Volcano Lord...
Titu:
But that which is sealed beneath them is, in truth, the Abyss.
Titu:
That's how most tales in Natlan are. They're embellished narratives held up as warnings, and all their rhetoric is a kind of metaphor.
Paimon:
Wait, so you mean the Abyss is actually sealed below here!?
Titu:
That's right. And recently, two out of the three little Shadow Pins have floated upward. Perhaps if the third floats too, all the evil beneath the earth will come surging up like a tide.
Titu:
So to be honest, it's an unexpected boon that you've managed to push one back in. So, no compensation required.
Titu:
If anything, I was hoping to ask if you'd mind pushing the other one back in as well...
Paimon:
Huh... What do you think, Traveler...?
Traveler:
...Where the Abyss is involved, we can't stand idle.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Even you're up for it, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}? Well, alright then.
Titu:
Ah, like a flame that appears in the darkness, so too will heroes rise up in times of great peril. Human possibility shines through in glory at moments such as this.
Titu:
You know what? This could make for a great story, too — indeed, Traveler, you've got some traits that even those storied heroes don't have. I'm looking forward to this, I must say.
Titu:
Let's go, then, dear heroes. Let's go and check on the last floating Lesser Pin...
Titu:
What's wrong, Traveler? Just touch the Iridescent Inscription beneath the Lesser Shadow Pin if you want to start gathering the inscription's power.
Titu:
Be sure to stay safe, though...
Yukom:
*sigh* How come he's not back yet? How much longer am I gonna have to wait... Uh, did something happen to him?
Yukom:
Haha, me? You're a curious guest. Call me Yukom. As you can see, I'm a guard at this sentry post — one of them, anyway.
Yukom:
But word to the wise, brother — you probably shouldn't just walk up to and talk to someone in the wilds here like that...
Yukom:
This is the outer edge of the Children of Echoes' lands. Once you leave this area, you'll enter territory where any warrior's fair game to spar.
Traveler:
Is something the matter?
Yukom:
Nothing major, no worries. It's just... I've a friend, Titu's his name. He was supposed to have taken the next guard shift at this post.
Yukom:
A couple of days back, he said he was going to check on the Shadow Pins — you know, the big stone pillars... Either way, he hasn't returned yet.
Yukom:
He's always been like this, and I'm used to it. If I could just leave this post, I'd be on him like a hawk-eyed hunter before he'd know it... But unfortunately, I can't leave.
Yukom:
If you run into him, tell him that I'll have to sleep standing up here if he doesn't show up soon.
Titu:
There we go! That's the second Lesser Shadow Pin!
Titu:
But if memory serves, the seals around this second one should be far more badly damaged than the ones on the first...
Titu:
Did things change for the better, or was there some kind soul who...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Hehe, the kind souls you're talking about are right here!
Traveler:
That's right. We found the Iridescent Inscription earlier.
Paimon:
It was split into two parts, and hidden real deep to boot!
Titu:
Haha, is that so... To think that the toughest of the Pins to fix was... Ah! Surely, a star of good fortune shines upon me this day—
Titu:
—That I was able to meet you.
Titu:
Either way, no time to lose! Let's head under the Shadow Pin and have a look at things!
Titu:
Amazing... This Shadow Pin's perfectly intact — indeed, these past few days only in my sweetest dreams have I seen it so tranquil!
Titu:
Did you... really do this?
Paimon:
Yup, and this Pin was way harder to fix than the first one...
Paimon:
Plus, one of the golden patterns was hidden really deep underground!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Indeed, the damage to the second Pin was far worse than the first...
Titu:
Amazing. To think that driving both floating Lesser Pins back into the earth... could truly be done.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Nice work us!
Traveler:
Another round of applause couldn't hurt.
Titu:
I'd clap my hands 'till they fell off if I could — but then I couldn't write another story, so forgive me for not doing so.
Titu:
Still, I assure you that in my heart, naught but bones remain attached to my wrists.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Roawr...
Paimon:
Uhh, yeah. That's getting kinda creepy.
Titu:
Really? Hmm, and here I thought that kids these days like their stories with a little dash of darkness.
Titu:
Ah, watching the Shadow Pin burrow back into the ground really takes a load off my soul.
Titu:
Long-standing tradition dictates that we now only need to check the third Lesser Shadow Pin and the Greater Shadow Pin, and we can call this a job well done. Abyss successfully busted, not to return for a good long time.
Titu:
The rest of this trip should be quite safe, so feel free to come along and chat with me! I'd like to know the heroes I'm inscribing into our tribe's stories better, you know?
Paimon:
Ah! In that case, you've gotta say something like this: "The mighty Paimon was as tall as a mountain..."
Traveler:
In that case, I'd like to be as large as two.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr, rawr, rawr!
Paimon:
Hey, whaddya mean by that, little guy? You wanna be as tall as three mountains?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ooroo...
Titu:
Hahaha, sure, sure. In that case, my brave warriors — Paimon, as tall as a mountain; Traveler, with the stature of two, and {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}, who has the bulk of three...
Titu:
...Would you kindly come with me, Titu the poor little human-sized dwarf, to check on that last Lesser Shadow Pin?
Titu:
There we go! That's the second Lesser Shadow Pin!
Titu:
The seals around this Pin have been damaged far more than the first... Even the Iridescent Inscription has been pushed outside the pillar.
Paimon:
So that what's you call that shiny, golden thing...
Traveler:
Now that you mention it, I think we've seen them before...
Titu:
That's right. There should have been something similar on the Pin you pushed back into the ground earlier.
Titu:
Ancient legends tell that before the idea of Natlan was even born, when this land was ruled by the ancient dragons, the language by which they wielded phlogiston was these Iridescent Inscriptions.
Titu:
These days, none understand the meaning hidden in these lights. Only the golden engravings, scattered across Natlan, remain to mark the trail of those ancient dragons.
Paimon:
Wait, so you know how to work it, but not how it works?
Titu:
We cannot decipher the meaning of the inscriptions, but the ways we use phlogiston are the same, so we do understand it on that level. Let me try to explain...
Titu:
So, Liyue has those mysterious adeptal mechanisms, yes? And while humans don't know the principles underlying their function, they can still make use of them.
Titu:
That's more or less what I'm talking about, despite the imperfect analogy.
Paimon:
So much to say that we'll need this shiny Iridescent Inscription to push the Pin back down, right?
Titu:
Correct. Think of the Inscription as an eggshell that has been shattered by the expanding Abyss. We'll need to find the broken shards and fix the shell — only then can the Abyss within be sealed away...
Titu:
Huh. That's a better analogy than the last.
Paimon:
Paimon thinks so too! Now she gets it.
Paimon:
Speaking of which, the golden patterns flew right over, just like before, but the Inscription hasn't appeared beneath this pillar... Why's that?
Titu:
That indicates that not only has the Inscription been squeezed out, but it's also become fragmented... This is bad. We need to find any scattered bits, and fast.
Paimon:
So, where do we find them?
Titu:
...I don't know either.
Paimon:
Huh...
Titu:
They should still be held down by some power despite being scattered, so my guess is that they're nearby. Maybe we just need to look around...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr, rawr!
Paimon:
Hmm? You wanna go over? We're doing something important right now — we'll play with you later, alright?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Mrrraa... Rawr! Rawr!
Traveler:
Do you mean that the Inscription is over there?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Oh wow! I've heard that even now, there are still Saurians who can sense an Inscription's power, but I always thought it was hearsay — could it be true?
Titu:
I suppose you really are no ordinary Tepetlisaurus, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Paimon:
So you can do that too, huh? ...Hmph! You've got some way to go before you can be as good a guide as Paimon.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ehrrr?
Paimon:
Says who? Paimon's way more broad-minded than she looks! That was just her way of praising him!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Err... Err?
Paimon:
*sigh* The little guy didn't catch that at all. Bah, if only he was a little smarter...
Traveler:
I'm sure he'll understand someday...
Titu:
Precisely. Those in the tribe responsible for Saurian care always say that it takes time to truly establish a rapport with them.
Titu:
The secret to success is as follows — exercise patience, and constantly communicate. Whether humans wish to understand Saurians, or Saurians humans, they both need... lots and lots of time.
Paimon:
True... Just like Paimon didn't get what {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]} was trying to tell us just now either.
Paimon:
Sorry, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrraa, Rawr!
Paimon:
You're quick to reply though, Paimon'll give you that!
Paimon:
Alright, we'll follow you and see if we can find any golden patterns.
Paimon:
An Iridescent Inscription... So, that shiny golden stuff has a name...
Traveler:
Now that you mention it, I think we've seen them before...
Titu:
You have? In Natlan? That's not something that ordinary travelers or adventurers often see...
Titu:
Ancient legends tell that before the idea of Natlan was even born, when this land was ruled by the ancient dragons, the language by which they wielded phlogiston was these Iridescent Inscriptions.
Titu:
These days, none understand the meaning hidden in these lights. Only the golden engravings, scattered across Natlan, remain to mark the trail of those ancient dragons.
Paimon:
Wait, so you know how to work it, but not how it works?
Titu:
We cannot decipher the meaning of the inscriptions, but the ways we use phlogiston are the same, so we do understand it on that level. Let me try to explain...
Titu:
So, Liyue has those mysterious adeptal mechanisms, yes? And while humans don't know the principles underlying their function, they can still make use of them.
Titu:
That's more or less what I'm talking about, despite the imperfect analogy.
Paimon:
S—So that's it...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Oroo...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}... Do you like those shiny golden things?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
They're not for eating, though.
Paimon:
Paimon doubts they could be eaten anyway... But still, watch what you chow down on, alright?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrooh...
Paimon:
So much to say that we'll need this shiny Iridescent Inscription to push the Pin back down, right?
Titu:
Correct. Think of the Inscription as an eggshell that has been shattered by the expanding Abyss. We'll need to find the broken shards and fix the shell — only then can the Abyss within be sealed away...
Titu:
Huh. That's a better analogy than the last.
Paimon:
A-greed! That was way simpler to get!
Paimon:
Still, this was easier than our last go-around. We lost loads of time running around looking for scattered golden patterns earlier!
Titu:
Wait, what? You mean, at the last Pin you saw... Oh no. Can't we even guarantee the integrity of the Iridescent Inscriptions anymore?
Paimon:
Seems so... Wait, so this "complete" version is the more common state, then?
Titu:
...I must say I'm impressed that you managed to repair one in such a state...
Paimon:
Hehe, we're pros at this, don't you worry!
Titu:
And that's good to hear. Well, if you're ready, Traveler, please touch the inscription beneath the Pin. We've got to collect as much of the inscription's power — scattered as it is around the stone pillars — as we can.
Titu:
Of course, the Abyss will resist, so... please be careful.
Titu:
There we go! That's the second Lesser Shadow Pin!
Titu:
But if memory serves, the seals around this second one should be far more badly damaged than the ones on the first...
Titu:
Wait, could things have taken a turn for the better? I'm sure the Iridescent Inscription had been pushed out of the pillar altogether, last I saw it...
Paimon:
So that what's you call that shiny, golden thing...
Traveler:
Now that you mention it, I think we've seen them before...
Titu:
That's right. There should have been something similar on the Pin you pushed back into the ground earlier.
Titu:
Ancient legends tell that before the idea of Natlan was even born, when this land was ruled by the ancient dragons, the language by which they wielded phlogiston was these Iridescent Inscriptions.
Titu:
These days, none understand the meaning hidden in these lights. Only the golden engravings, scattered across Natlan, remain to mark the trail of those ancient dragons.
Paimon:
Wait, so you know how to work it, but not how it works?
Titu:
We cannot decipher the meaning of the inscriptions, but the ways we use phlogiston are the same, so we do understand it on that level. Let me try to explain...
Titu:
So, Liyue has those mysterious adeptal mechanisms, yes? And while humans don't know the principles underlying their function, they can still make use of them.
Titu:
That's more or less what I'm talking about, despite the imperfect analogy.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hrroo...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}... Do you like those shiny golden things?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
They're not for eating, though.
Paimon:
Paimon doubts they could be eaten anyway... But still, watch what you chow down on, alright?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Oroo...
Paimon:
So much to say that we'll need this shiny Iridescent Inscription to push the Pin back down, right?
Titu:
Correct. Think of the Inscription as an eggshell that has been shattered by the expanding Abyss. We'll need to find the broken shards and fix the shell — only then can the Abyss within be sealed away...
Titu:
Huh. That's a better analogy than the last.
Paimon:
Paimon thinks so too! Now she gets it.
Paimon:
Now, at the previous stone pillars, we also let the golden pattern fly under said pillars first...
Titu:
Yes, that is indeed the correct sealing process.
Titu:
Anyway, if you're ready, Traveler, please touch the inscription beneath the Pin. We've got to collect as much of the inscription's power — scattered as it is around the stone pillars — as we can.
Titu:
Of course, the Abyss will resist, so... please be careful.
Titu:
I can't believe that worked. That was truly a scene from out of story and song.
Titu:
The cacophony fell silent... and the Pin returned to its original state. Then, its giant form crashed to the ground...
Titu:
Hoo... To think that someone could really accomplish this... This isn't a dream, is it? You're all real, aren't you? Not figments of my imagination?
Traveler:
Wake up, wake up... You've got to fix this yourself!
Paimon:
Hey, there's no need to be so mean.
Paimon:
But anyway, didn't Paimon tell you? Traveler's super strong!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Hehe, you think so, don'cha, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}?
Titu:
You weren't affected by the Abyss, were you, Traveler?
Titu:
Even our strongest warriors must remain vigilant and then some in the face of the Abyss. You're no ordinary person, Traveler.
Titu:
Haha, who knows, the story I spin from this material might even surpass those by Sanhaj!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ehrrr?
Paimon:
Well, that sure sounds impressive, but who's Sanhaj?
Titu:
Haha, for "those who tell stories in their tribes," Sanhaj of the Masters of the Night-Wind is worthy of reverence indeed...
Titu:
Alas, time is short. I'll tell you more about Sanhaj when we've got more time!
Titu:
Alright then. Let's head for the next floating Shadow Pin. I want to fix this issue and start writing by nightfall!
Paimon:
Woohoo! Let's go, let's go!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Strange... The golden patterns flew right over, just as before, but the Inscription hasn't appeared beneath this pillar... Why's that?
Titu:
That indicates that not only has the Inscription been squeezed out, but it's also become fragmented... This is bad. We need to find any scattered bits, and fast.
Paimon:
So, where do we find them?
Titu:
...I don't know either.
Paimon:
Huh...
Titu:
They should still be held down by some power despite being scattered, so my guess is that they're nearby. Maybe we just need to look around...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr, rawr!
Paimon:
Hmm? You wanna go over? We're doing something important right now — we'll play with you later, alright?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Mrrraa... Rawr! Rawr!
Traveler:
Do you mean that the Inscription is over there?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Oh wow! I've heard that even now, there are still Saurians who can sense an Inscription's power, but I always thought it was hearsay — could it be true?
Titu:
I suppose you really are no ordinary Tepetlisaurus, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Paimon:
So you can do that too, huh? ...Hmph! You've got some way to go before you can be as good a guide as Paimon.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Paimon:
Says who? Paimon's way more broad-minded than she looks! That was just her way of praising him!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Err... Err?
Paimon:
*sigh* The little guy didn't catch that at all. Bah, if only he was a little smarter...
Traveler:
I'm sure he'll understand someday...
Titu:
Precisely. Those in the tribe responsible for Saurian care always say that it takes time to truly establish a rapport with them.
Titu:
The secret to success is as follows — exercise patience, and constantly communicate. Whether humans wish to understand Saurians, or Saurians humans, they both need... lots and lots of time.
Paimon:
True... Just like Paimon didn't get what {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]} was trying to tell us just now either.
Paimon:
Sorry, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrraa, Rawr!
Paimon:
You're quick to reply though, Paimon'll give you that!
Paimon:
Alright, we'll follow you and see if we can find any golden patterns.
Titu:
W—We did it... The two Shadow Pins have been plunged back into the earth.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Nice work!
Traveler:
Another round of applause couldn't hurt.
Titu:
I'd clap my hands 'till they fell off if I could — but then I couldn't write another story, so forgive me for not doing so.
Titu:
Still, I assure you that in my heart, naught but bones remain attached to my wrists.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Roawr...
Paimon:
Uhh, yeah. That's getting kinda creepy.
Titu:
Really? Hmm, and here I thought that kids these days like their stories with a little dash of darkness.
Titu:
Ah, watching the Shadow Pin burrow back into the ground really takes a load off my soul.
Titu:
Long-standing tradition dictates that we now only need to check the third Lesser Shadow Pin and the Greater Shadow Pin, and we can call this a job well done. Abyss successfully busted, not to return for a good long time.
Titu:
The rest of this trip should be quite safe, so feel free to come along and chat with me! I'd like to know the heroes I'm inscribing into our tribe's stories better, you know?
Paimon:
Ah! In that case, you've gotta say something like this: "The mighty Paimon was as tall as a mountain..."
Traveler:
In that case, I'd like to be as large as two.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr, rawr, rawr!
Paimon:
Hey, whaddya mean by that, little guy? You wanna be as tall as three mountains?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ooroo...
Titu:
Hahaha, sure, sure. In that case, my brave warriors — Paimon, as tall as a mountain; Traveler, with the stature of two, and {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}, who has the bulk of three...
Titu:
...Would you kindly come with me, Titu the poor little human-sized dwarf, to check on that last Lesser Shadow Pin?
Titu:
This is the first of the Lesser Shadow Pins. The condensed solid phlogiston lies scattered...
Titu:
And the Iridescent Inscription on it has lost its constraining powers. *sigh* Just as before, the Abyss's influence has squeezed it out of the stone pillar.
Paimon:
By "Iridescent Inscription," do you mean that shiny golden stuff we saw just now?
Traveler:
Now that you mention it, I think we've seen them before...
Titu:
You have? In Natlan? That's not something that ordinary travelers or adventurers often see...
Titu:
Ancient legends tell that before the idea of Natlan was even born, when this land was ruled by the ancient dragons, the language by which they wielded phlogiston was these Iridescent Inscriptions.
Titu:
These days, none understand the meaning hidden in these lights. Only the golden engravings, scattered across Natlan, remain to mark the trail of those ancient dragons.
Paimon:
Wait, so you know how to work it, but not how it works?
Titu:
We cannot decipher the meaning of the inscriptions, but the ways we use phlogiston are the same, so we do understand it on that level. Let me try to explain...
Titu:
So, Liyue has those mysterious adeptal mechanisms, yes? And while humans don't know the principles underlying their function, they can still make use of them.
Titu:
That's more or less what I'm talking about, despite the imperfect analogy.
Paimon:
S—So that's how things are...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rroo...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}... Do you like those shiny golden things?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Traveler:
They're not for eating, though.
Paimon:
Paimon doubts they could be eaten anyway... But still, watch what you chow down on, alright?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rroo...
Paimon:
So much to say that we'll need this shiny Iridescent Inscription to push the Pin back down, right?
Titu:
Correct. Think of the Inscription as an eggshell that has been shattered by the expanding Abyss. We'll need to find the broken shards and fix the shell — only then can the Abyss within be sealed away...
Titu:
Huh. That's a better analogy than the last.
Paimon:
A-greed! That was super easy to understand. Alright then, let's begin!
Titu:
...If you're ready, Traveler, please touch the inscription beneath the Pin. We've got to collect as much of the inscription's power — scattered as it is around the stone pillars — as we can.
Titu:
Of course, the Abyss will resist, so... please be careful.
Titu:
I can't believe that worked. That was truly a scene from out of story and song.
Titu:
The cacophony fell silent... and the Pin returned to its original state. Then, its giant form crashed to the ground...
Titu:
Hoo... To think that someone could really accomplish this... This isn't a dream, is it? You're all real, aren't you? Not figments of my imagination?
Traveler:
Wake up, wake up... You've got to fix this yourself!
Paimon:
Hey, there's no need to be so mean.
Paimon:
But anyway, didn't Paimon tell you? Traveler's super strong!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Hehe, you think so, don'cha, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}?
Titu:
You weren't affected by the Abyss, were you, Traveler?
Titu:
Even our strongest warriors must remain vigilant and then some in the face of the Abyss. You're no ordinary person, Traveler.
Titu:
Haha, who knows, the story I spin from this material might even surpass those by Sanhaj!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Ehrrr?
Paimon:
Well, that sure sounds impressive, but who's Sanhaj?
Titu:
Haha, for "those who tell stories in their tribes," Sanhaj of the Masters of the Night-Wind is worthy of reverence indeed...
Titu:
Alas, time is short. I'll tell you more about Sanhaj when we've got more time!
Titu:
Alright, let's head on to the next Pin... Though if I recall, Paimon, did you say that you'd already driven it back into the ground?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
Hmph. If you don't believe us, let's go have a look together, shall we?
Titu:
Oh, I wouldn't dare disbelieve you. You did, after all, succeed right before my very eyes. Still... I've gotta see it — for my own sanity, if for nothing else!
Yukom:
*sigh* How did it go? Did you find Titu?
Yukom:
Ugh, that guy... He's a good storyteller, I'll give him that — but he's just no good as a guard.
The Greater Shadow Pin falls, opening a huge hole in the ground...
Paimon:
Huh. Why's there a stone tablet here?
Titu:
It might have been left by tribesfolk of the past. That happens quite often around here. Long ago, this was a boundary marker, telling you that "you've crossed the line!"
Titu:
You can sometimes find stones with patterns carved in white on them throughout our lands that serve the same purpose. They've just all been abandoned.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Paimon:
So that's what's happened.
Titu:
Boundaries and borders are no laughing matter here... Between the living and the dead, within and without, above and below... Only those who have crossed these lines can grasp the dangers they face.
Titu:
It is said that there was once a stone tablet in an ancient ruin that read thus: "If any tread past this stone with ill-intent, mine hand shall drake-claw become, and grasp their neck shall I."
Paimon:
Err, wait. What if this stone tablet has some sort of warning or curse on it, then?
Titu:
I can tell at a glance... Traore left this here. To think that... *sigh*
Paimon:
He's from the story you told us before, right, Titu? When the Abyss was corrupting Natlan, he led the tribesfolk against them... and against two soldiers from Khaenri'ah.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Haha, you're quite the avid listeners. Storytellers love people like you, y'know?
Titu:
After all, the capacity to remember such tales is a basic quality that all storytellers must have.
Titu:
Let me see...
Paimon:
It says, friends from afar... "Zephaniah and Irizar."
Paimon:
Hmm... "You would prefer to be known as cowards, rogues, or a thorn in our side — that you should ever increase our vigilance, like an aphid that bites a Saurian."
Paimon:
"Yet I must speak the truth here. Forever and always shall you be heroes who fought alongside our tribe, the brother-kin of the Children of Echoes."
Paimon:
Ah, wait, so those Khaenri'ahns fought alongside the tribe, then?
Titu:
Well... The names of those two have always featured in stories as the embodiment... of evil. They've even appeared in my nightmares.
Titu:
"If you don't stop crying, the ghosts of the Khaenri'ahn soldiers will follow the sound and track down your shadow..." So they said. But... it was all a lie?
Titu:
Such injustice... that those who gave their all for our tribe should bear such slander.
Paimon:
Yeah, that's... so sad.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Oroo...
Traveler:
They did not care for their good name...
Traveler:
They only wished to see their will fulfilled.
Paimon:
So that's how it is... Paimon gets it!
Paimon:
Most heroes don't do great deeds to become heroes.
Paimon:
They become heroes because they do those deeds. That's why they don't care about what others think of them...
Titu:
...
Titu:
*sigh* Perhaps you're right, but...
Paimon:
Ah, there the Iridescent Inscription goes!
Paimon:
Wow, so this... This must've been where they finally sealed the Abyss. Look, Traveler, there are so many golden patterns in the middle there...
Traveler:
You can also see traces of Abyss leakage here.
Titu:
Looks like that's the thing attracting the Iridescent Inscription. We need to get over there and have a look...
???:
*hiss* Ugh— Aaah— I told you— It's dangerous, g—get out of here—
???:
Calamity— the seal— torn apart—
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hroo... Rowrr...
Titu:
That voice is more complete now, but... Somehow, it's not as frightening as before.
Titu:
My head still hurts a little, though.
Paimon:
How you feeling, Traveler?
Paimon:
That's good...
Paimon:
Anyway! How are you feeling, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Mmm?
Paimon:
Yeah, looks like you're fine, too.
Titu:
Now that we're here, it's clear that the voices we heard coming from the stone pillar must've been...
Traveler:
Those of the Khaenri'ahn soldiers who've been sealed here too...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrooh...
Paimon:
That means they were sealed in for many years, alongside the Abyss... But what's gone wrong here?
Titu:
I think... The problem here is similar to the one we encountered with the Lesser Shadow Pins above. The surging Abyss has caused the Iridescent Inscription's power to shatter and be squeezed out of that giant sealing pillar...
Paimon:
That means we'll need to find the large Inscription's fragments and find a way to put this "eggshell" back together again, right?
Titu:
Indeed. That way, the seal can be fully restored, and the Abyss will stay sealed in this place. Then... Everything will likely go back to normal.
Titu:
But as with the Lesser Shadow Pins, the solid phlogiston surface will have an intense adversarial reaction to the Abyss, which is why the ground undulates so...
Titu:
We must be careful.
Paimon:
Where are we gonna find said fragments, though?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr... Rawr!
Paimon:
Huh? Can you sense the Inscription's power hidden inside that thing, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}? You sure do have a pretty sharp nose... Wait, you were using your nose, right?
Paimon:
Wait, was that stone even there before?
Titu:
Did it... just appear as you approached the large Inscription, Traveler?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hmm?
Paimon:
Well, whatever. Let's take a look around that rock first, shall we?
Titu:
Just touch it once more and let the power of the phlogiston flow fully through the Inscription. That way, the "eggshell" should seal up completely... preventing the Abyss from escaping.
Paimon:
Yeah, that should solve our problem...
Titu:
Hmm... Let me try...
???:
Quick, quick! Seal us inside too— Just as we agreed—
???:
*hiss*— Then leave. Get out of here— Why aren't you leaving— The calamity—
Titu:
Listen! There are more voices — more than those two soldiers, for sure.
Behind the glowing inscriptions, from a place further still than the anguished howls...
You hear wrathful roars, and the pained whimpering of Saurians.
You hear the sound of inchoate flesh and blood merging, the sick, giant, sticky, approaching footfalls of some giant thing beyond description.
But you also hear something like thousands of hands, thousands constantly resisting, pushing outward...
You hear the endless battle in the narrow darkness.
It is... torment unto eternity.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Those heroes are still locked in battle to this day, preventing the Abyss from flooding out from the Iridescent Inscription.
Titu:
The stories I tell have purpose. We must always remember those brave warriors and their sacrifices.
Titu:
And yet... Such suffering. "Though the heroes were wounded, they shook it off, and stood up, nothing hurt withal." That is what the stories say.
Titu:
But real wounds cannot be so easily shaken, nor true torment so easily conquered... There they have suffered so long, in that tiny, lightless world.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Hroo!
Paimon:
Isn't there... anything we can do for them?
Titu:
I want to as well, but the Abyss...
Titu:
Perhaps the only thing we can do is inherit their will and reseal the Inscription. Nor has this been the first time the Shadow Pin has fallen — in our tribe's tales, anyway.
Titu:
Someone must have been here before, and someone must have read Traore's tablet. Those who came before to restore the Inscription must have seen what we saw.
Titu:
And yet... Our stories did not change, for the warnings they gave were real, as were the dangers.
Titu:
All we can do is restore the Inscription and leave. To remember always, and never forget all that we have witnessed...
Paimon:
Still... Ugh. They're supposed to be heroes! But they've been left here to suffer forever...
Traveler:
You're right, Paimon.
Traveler:
This is no end for heroes.
Titu:
I know that. I wish to give them peace, too. But I don't have that power. I'm just... a storyteller.
Paimon:
Traveler...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rrooh!
Traveler:
Don't worry. We're strong together.
Titu:
...Really? You'd do that, Traveler?
Paimon:
Of course he would. Cross Paimon's heart!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
The Abyss is dangerous beyond compare... I'm not questioning your strength, but don't push yourself too hard.
Paimon:
Don't worry. We've got experience with stuff like this — and we have the Inscription in a pinch, too.
Titu:
True...
Titu:
*sigh* You're even more impressive than I could have imagined. To be willing to give your all to resolve others' pain... Truly, you are great heroes.
Titu:
And I am a storyteller... so I will record the tales of heroes. Well then, Traveler, O hero from another land, please... Show me how you shall valiantly triumph over the Abyss.
Traveler:
That we shall do.
Titu:
So... Shall we unseal the Iridescent Inscription now, or do you want to make some preparations first?
Traveler:
Let's go now.
Titu:
Alright. I wish you success, Traveler!
Paimon:
Well, this is weird. There was all that scattered light earlier... and then we suddenly found ourselves here...?
Paimon:
Huh. That's...
"Beast With Fur Like That of Night":
Come... over here...
"Beast With Fur Like That of Night":
You have brought so many slumberers, they who should have rested in peace...
"Beast With Fur Like That of Night":
Perhaps they prayed to spirits they should not have beseeched...
"Beast With Fur Like That of Night":
But that was a moonless night, where naught could be seen. The Night has long forgiven them. Yet hate and filth shall never rest, and they too shall never truly sleep again.
"Beast With Fur Like That of Night":
Thank you, O you who are beloved... You have soothed their fury, which raged in the darkness. It was you who brought them into the Night's reflection. The outland souls, too, may now return where they were headed...
"Beast With Fur Like That of Night":
...
"Beast With Fur Like That of Night":
Go now. But beware the fearful instigators, and the ends plotted by those bearing ill-intent.
Titu:
You're back! {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]} and I were worried, honestly.
Titu:
But hah, what did I say, little fella? They're fine, see?
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Oooroo...
Paimon:
Heh. Not that we could explain where we went just now...
Titu:
In any case, thank you, Traveler. I never expected that the Abyss here could truly be purified.
Titu:
The Iridescent Inscription, too, is gone — almost as if it no longer needed to stay. The tormented voices have also fallen silent.
Titu:
And that golden light! How it flowed like water, spreading across the ground.
Titu:
I even felt as if there were people within that light, waving at us...
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
Did you see them too, little one? And there was that light that surrounded you — and then you were gone.
Paimon:
Huh. We didn't see anything, though...
Titu:
*sigh* Thank you so much once again, Traveler, Paimon. You too, {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
Titu:
You truly are remarkable heroes. Thank you, on behalf of all those warriors who can finally know peace. Traore's final wishes have been fulfilled, and...
Titu:
As for those two Khaenri'ahn soldiers— no, Khaenri'ahn heroes! Now that the Abyss is no longer present, they need no longer serve as a warning to us.
Titu:
I must pen a story about them, about how they helped save the Children of Echoes... In truth, I did have a flash of revelation as to what their thoughts must've been.
Titu:
The Abyss represents such terrible peril that, were it up to me, I too might have made up some horror story to keep others from the tribe clear of this place.
Titu:
*sigh* It seems almost funny how I was previously worried about having nothing to write. Now there's almost too much here — in our tale about a golden-haired outlander, a flying white fairy, a little Tepetlisaurus, and how they saved our tribe.
Paimon:
Hehe, that sounds like a pretty awesome synopsis already!
Titu:
Indeed. Stories pass on and stories change. Perhaps one day, a long, long time hence, even you might become as big as a mountain, Paimon.
Traveler:
Haargh! Behold, the mighty mountain, Paimon!
Paimon:
Hmph! Look ye, how she swallows a Sweet Madame the size of a Sumpter Beast in a single bite!
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr! Rawr!
Titu:
Haha, I doubt there'd be too many of those, Paimon.
Titu:
And as these stories pass down... I imagine that those two soldiers, too, will eventually become heroes. They might not have cared themselves, but I know that this is what I must do.
Titu:
Once again, Traveler, Paimon, you have my utmost thanks... You too, of course, sharp little {REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}.
{REALNAME[ID(2)|SHOWHOST(true)]}:
Rawr!
Titu:
As a storyteller, I swear to write for you the most exciting tale of adventure!
Titu:
Speaking of that— Oh, I should probably... head back to the sentry post to take up my shift.
Titu:
I'd almost forgotten about that amidst all the excitement...
Titu:
...Ugh. I sure hope Yukom doesn't tear me a new one for being gone so long!
Paimon:
Yeah, uh, you should totally get back there pronto!
Titu:
Hah... What do you think, Traveler. Shall we unseal the Iridescent Inscription now?
Titu:
Then I'll get to it... But please, be very careful.
"Zephaniah":
"Leave... Seal this place— as promised—"
"Zephaniah":
(That voice seems to come from the very depths of the unmoving statue. The rejection in those words are like two resolute hands that aim to push you from this place...)
"Irizar":
"Leave! Go... I don't want him to see me— like this—"
"Irizar":
(The voice seems to come from the very depths of the unmoving statue. There is a hint of respect toward someone remaining within...)
Yukom:
Uh, are you guys alright? What happened just now?
Yukom:
There was this sudden, massive earthquake! I was pretty worried, honestly, but it's good that you're alright.
Yukom:
As for Titu... Why hasn't that guy come to take over this post yet? Ugh. I'd rather the earthquake flattened me at this point!