World Tree MUSH

    Previously, On Honkai Star Rail:

    The team had arrived in the Alchemy Commission, and it seemed that war were declared. Wounded Abundance Abominations, and dead Cloud Knights scattered across the various spaces of the healing quarter. Hostile medical personnel, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, were 'treating' the wounded and turning them into more monsters.

    The team dealt with these, and even located a living Cloud Knight who pointed them to the Master Diviner's base camp.

    And now, the continuation:

    Stelle's phone sounds off again, but this time she answers it... putting it on speaker. "Nameless? This is Qingzhu from the Seat of Divine Foresight... we just attempted to apprehend one of the Disciples top people, a deep-cover insert who pretended to be a Master Alchemist named Dan Shu... she escaped us, so please, be careful. She may be attempting to link up with her allies at the Alchemy Commission."

    Stelle sighs as she ends the call. "That... was what they wanted me to go back for... maybe we coul-- no. We're here, we'll handle it." she asserts, before pointing to a sentry stationed beneath a large tree planting in the open courtyard up ahead. "Lets go meet up with the Master Diviner."

    Clara blinks briefly, nose wrinkling with a little frown.
    "They wanted you to go back?" Well it looks like the source of the problem is here now so it may as well be dealt with. "When did you give them your number anyway?" She asks mildly while moseying with Svarog towards the courtyard.
    "Still... Hopefully we catch this Dan Shu soon."

    "I'm glad you're screening your calls then!" Jessica agrees. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to just run off and do anything. I've worked with some good commanders but um..." She trails off.

    "Anyway, Master Diviner?"

    Tact.

    Talia gives Jessica the sideeye for a moment before she focuses back on the matter. "We're already busy, but this fake Dan Shu will likely end up being on our radar nonetheless."

    Bi De clucks lightly as he walks along with everyone, aiming for the courtyard. "I believe you were right. We shouldn't get distracted. It would be best to remember that while we are here to help these people, we are not beholden to them. We can make our own decisions."

    Technically Stelle made the decision for them, but the chicken is willing to let her be the leader in this world.

    The Sentry salutes as the group approach. "You're the Nameless and other outworlders we were expecting?" he asks rhetorically. "You're late... but we managed to take this place a few hours ago, under the Master Diviner's command... it was only afterward we learned our enemies were none other than the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, those who worship the Plagues Author(Yaoshi)... it was going well to begin with, we slaughtered the enemy by the score, both the sorcerors and their abominable creatures... but then, our troops started to turn on one another... and thus our momentum faultered." He sounds defeated, crestfallen, shellshocked perhaps.

    "We found a wounded Cloud Knight who didn't make it back... we treated her wounds as best we could, she's a couple of courtyards back the way we came." says March, pointing.

    "Thanks for the intel... I'll, dispatch someone immediately..."

    Talia bows her head to the sentry. "No, we're not. Hello there, I'm Talia Kyras." She introduces herself primly. Now not everyone is nameless here! "Sorry we're late, but it seems like this has only begun."

    The Jedi's eyes scan that crestfallen warrior, and she places a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

    "I think there's a lot more to go, yeah..." Jessica muses. "Um... did you say they fought one another AFTER you were winning? Do you think it was a trap or you just hadn't gotten to it?"

    She pauses. "Didn't we just run into one of those?" Jessica does try to remember all the people she shoots for mercy killes.

    "They... Started to turn on each other?" Clara looks confused by this turn of events.
    "Problematic." Svarog says. "We did," He then confirms for Jess. "Under the control of that more powerful enemy unit we faced. There could be more present."

    Bi De hmms. His head lowers slightly in thought, and the chicken's claws scratch the ground. "I see. We must be careful that we do not fall prey to the same issue. Be on your guard against poisons and mental intrusions. We must strike swiftly, before they can use their abilities."

    "Mara-Struck... you short-life species wouldn't understand the monster hiding in our tainted immortal blood... succumbing to our mara-struck forms around others is the greatest fear of the Xianzhou people... it means we lost ourselves to that sleeping abomination, given up on our humanity... violated the Reignbow's admonishments..." the sentry seems to get a bit more fire in him, glancing at Talia in acknowledgement, "What the Disciples did is despicable, and every resident of the Alliance deplores them... I /will/ avenge my comrades... I swear it upon the Arbiter's mighty bow."

    The Sentry whistles, and sends a small squad to retrieve the wounded Cloud Knight, then gestures the group to enter the basecamp... it's sparse, with several Alchemy Commission workers pressed into service, moving supplies, and tending to the wounded... each one watched like a hawk by healthy Knights so they don't secretly poison or 'heal' the wounded and make more enemies.

    Another Knight on guard duty stops the group, then straightens. "Ah, the Master Diviner has just returned." he says, just as the pinkette rounds a corner, speaking with another pair of Knights in slightly more fancy armour.

    "Apologies for the wait, but the Disciples deceit is now laid bare for me." she says as she spots the group and approaches.

    Talia listens. Yeah, she has no idea how it feels to live with such a curse and it's pretty horrible sounding. "We'll make this right." She says strongly. But then, they're off to camp. The Master Diviner gets a bow from Talia. "Good to finally catch up with you. Seems we missed a lot."

    Oh good, someone is being sent to retrieve the injured knight from before. That's good.
    But then the Master Diviner makes her appearance.
    "Mm," Clara murmurs, "You could say we got to the root of the problem." She says on the subject og the Disciples deceit being made known.
    "Clara," Svarog admonishes her.
    "What? What?"

    "I don't like all this betrayal and mind control and stuff," Jessica admits, though she's just voicing a simpler version of what everyone else is talking about. "So... is this a problem that bullets will resolve? I like those problems because I'm a lot better at those!"

    "Betrayal and Mind Control... not entirely, not precisely." replies Fu Xuan.

    "Regardless, Master Diviner, this conflict has clearly been difficult, but you have led your forces from the front lines and beyond in pursuit of the enemy. Admirable work." interjects Welt, adjusting his glasses as he rests a hand on Jessica's shoulder.

    "Acquiring first-hand information is necessary for proper divination... but, how is this conflict difficult? Our forces are nowhere near inferior to the Disciples... how can this be?"

    "Look, just ask us for help already, stop dancing around it!" cries Stelle.

    "... it seems I underestimated you..." remarks the small pink-haired native.

    "When we first arrived, Madam Yukong said something like 'This is Xianzhou affair, the Express needn't get involved.'... and now we're running around doing all this work... even the IPC takes it easier on us!" laments March, hands on hips.

    Bi De takes a breath. "One should look at it through their eyes." He ducks his head toward Fu Xuan in a nod, then addresses his companions. "When we first arrived, they did in fact believe they had the situation under control. It is natural they should be reluctant to ask for outside help, yet acknowledge that it is needed... now that the situation has unwound out of their own supposed control."

    Talia shakes her head, "This is getting tedious." She agrees with March. "It's pretty obvious the situation's beyond their control now, the cat's out of the bag as it were."

    "General Jing Yuan sent word." Fu Xuan clears her throat. "The value of unexpected guests is the unexpected. The Cloud Knight's assault was to demonstrate our power to the enemy head-on... now, is the time for the unexpected." She turns, and beckons. "Please, follow me."

    The little pink-haired Diviner leads the group deeper into the Cloud Knight encampment. "After receiving the Ambrosial Arbor, the Alchemy Commission was once the Luofu's most vital commission. After all, it was they who changed the Xianzhou natives into long-life species..." she grimaces, "They also developed many incredible technologies from the tree itself." She stops and turns. "But, in the end, the alchemists grew discontented and began to obsess over the manipulation of life. Research into the Arbor poisoned their minds... the more they pursued it, the more they longed for it." She gestures out across the Delve, a sweeping open air view, with trees draped in autumnal colours... and a great censer-like structure emitting some kind of mist or smoke. "'Morning Bells chime in a dream, evening mist gathers around me.'" intones the Diviner. "Do you see that?"

    Tingyun speaks up, appearing as if from nowhere. "What huge elixir crucibles... there's still smoke coming from them."

    "So you're saying you don't know how useful we'll be until we show how useful we are?" Clara asks. "Well I can tell you, we're very useful."
    Svarog says nothing to this, he is a metal man of action over words.
    But then the Diviner goes into the backstory of the Alchemy Commission.
    "What kind of elixir?" Svarog finally asks at the sight of the crucibles.

    Talia slowly nods, "Yes, we have a habit of proving our use." She says with a crrooked smile in agreement with Clara.

    Jessica stops paying attention about halfway through. She's more interested in the targets and things, so she just shrugs. "Nobody expects the Star Rail! That's kind of what we do. We go from place to place, get into trouble, and then fix that trouble by whatever means necessary!" She pauses. "I do wish it paid better though."

    Bi De sighs. "I believe what they are saying is that they are taking advantage of us as a sort of surprise. They know little about us... but the enemy is clearly well-prepared and has arranged to thwart most of what they can do. By calling upon us, they use a tool that the enemy knows nothing about, and hope that this lack of knowledge will allow us to succeed by doing something that their enemies never anticipated."

    "Indeed, Master Bi De." remarks Fu Xuan to the rooster. "As for these..." she gestures back to the crucibles. "This is where the alchemists practiced the way of immortality in ancient times. They erected these crucibles to absorb the power of the Arbor, turning fantasy into horrid reality. Since the smoke from them never ceases, this place has been named 'Evemist Mansion'... an elegant name, for a deathtrap." she pinches the bridge of her nose, then continues. "For so long as the crucibles remain lit, and smoke lingers, we cannot progress further."

    Welt pipes up. "I take it this is the reason for so many cases of mara-struck in the ranks." adjusting his glasses with a frown at the cricible.

    "Indeed. The Disciples have infused the smoke that permease this delve with medicinal pellets that elicit mara."

    "Oh." Clara doesn't like that revelation, "I don't like that." She says. It makes her feel used.
    Still there's little other option, is there as she pokes Jessica, gently, to get her to pay attention a little better.
    "So you'll be wanting us to deal with the crucibles, then." 
    Svarog is not asking a question.

    Talia frowns deeply at the thought, trying to keep her breath from taking in too much smoke. "I am more than a bit concerned about the possibility of contracting something from this." She muses, giving Jessica a worried look. She was WAY too eager to euthanise that one fellow before.

    Unaware of Talia's judgement, Jessica looks at the smoke and frowns. "That's terrible!" She huffs, and draws her pistol when Svarog makes the prediction. The catgirl nods, her tail swaying.
    "Okay, we're pretty good at wrecking stuff! Do we need to worry about it spreading if we blow it up or not? Because it's a lot easier if we don't!"

    "I have had my own experiences with this alchemy," Bi De admits. "Or rather, the alchemy of my world. Poison pills that whisper they will bring you to new heights of power. A truth, but merely a cloak for the deeper truth that is hidden beneath. Of the much greater, dangerous price of such power. Yet at least that poison is taken willingly. To force it upon others..."

    You misunderstand the nature of the mara." remarks Fu Xuan as she eyes Talia curiously. "The vapor the Disciples are using is a weapon directly targetted at the Cloud Knights. You are not a long-life species, this vapor will not affect you. It triggers the curse within the long-life species that is already there. It cannot implant this curse in those without it." says Fu Xuan. "I will continue to engage the Disciples and keep their attention elsewhere.. I will ask that you douse the crucibles and clear the smoke... the dousing process should be quicker than causing the structures to explode." the Diviner eyes Jessica warily. "Though I would appreciate it if you did not cause them to explode, the simple act of the debris fallout could cause untold devastation here, and on the lower levels."

    Blinking a few times back at Fu Xuan, Jessica has an innocent look about her. "Oh... don't blow them up? Douse them instead? Well... I can try." She puffs her cheeks out and flattens her ears. "I'm really the wrong Operator for that kind of thing, but I promise I'll be careful and try to figure out what a more suitable Operator for this would do."
    The catgirl holsters her pistol and frowns, then she takes several deep breaths, her tail slowing and her ears perking up again. After several moments, she seems to settle and look more calm and ready.
    Then she speaks.
    "Okayletsgodothisguysweneedtoputthefireout!"

    Talia slowly nods, "Right. Well, can't fault a girl for being a bit wary." She says. The prospect of explosions isn't much better, Talia is already on edge as is. "Time to cleanse this place."

    "We all do our best with what we have," Bi De agrees, looking at Jessica odly for a moment. "Ri Zu would be best for cleaning corruption, but I shall endeavor to do what I may. Perhaps, together, we can end this pollution of the Clouds." He pauses, as if just catching how that phrase works on multiple levels.

    "Right don't make the things explode, got it." Clara says and... Pauses to stare at Jessica. "???"
    She's clueless about fire-hating anxiety squirrels.