The Journey Never Ends (Original Fantasy Quest)

"...Hello, everyone. The live stream is now beginning. Today, we shall be visiting the Sun Elf Memorial here in the deserts of Sumeri."

As the words leave your mouth, you can't quite help feeling a little foolish. This isn't the first time you've done something like this, but you can never get used to just speaking to a device as if you're talking to an entire crowd. Intellectually, you understand that there may be hundreds or thousands of people listening from their own devices, but it's still difficult to wrap your head around it.

If Clara hadn't eagerly set up everything for you, you wouldn't have bothered. As it stands currently though, you are now holding a stick with various devices and contraptions tied to it. A backpack connects to various points to it all and to the things elsewhere on your body, and you've long ago stopped attempting to understand it all. You instead focused intently on following Clara's every instruction to the letter on how to get everything to work, and so far it seems to be going well.

Stream Chat​

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11:32 iyas32: hi just dropped in!
11:32 yunagood5: glad I'm catching the beginning of the stream for once
11:32 cool_crusader: btl weren't you fighting demons a few days ago wtf lol
11:32 oyoyoyo: sumeri #1
11:32 oyaoyaoya: sumeri #1
11:32 noknok: sumeri#1
11:32 yaar99: love from Sindhu :OAH:
11:32 yukari_araka: god she's so hot :elfgasm:
11:32 eioergre32221: wtf is that a giant lizard
11:33 abi765: @yukari_araka bro she is completely covered why are you like this :qeq:

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Looking away from the "chat" as you prepare to dismount, you take the chance to get rid of any traces of uncertainty. You've already committed to this, and the people managing the memorial have eagerly accepted your visit and recording. Dry, hot wind beats against the clothing you decided to wear on this trip, the fabric wrapping across most of your body aside from your eyes and hands. The sun stands oppressively above everyone and presses down on those beneath it with its rays, its painful radiance an eternal judge over all in the desert.

Thankfully, it seems that you avoided harsher weather conditions. Stroking the neck of the giant lizard that carried you here, you nod at the guides who traveled with you and watch as they direct themselves someplace else. Considering the village was found in the middle of the desert, finding transportation to get here is somewhat complicated. There are vehicles that may traverse the sands of course, but you've decided to take a more traditional method of getting there.

You continue speaking as you trudge across the sands, "For those wondering about the distinction made on 'sun' elf, I shall do my best to explain. Us elves entered Orbis all throughout the continent with no single place of origin. Different groups of elves developed specialties for where they were born to aid them in forming communities, cooperating with other peoples, and dealing with local threats."

"We each earned various names from the cultures and civilizations at the time, but once elves as a people became widely known, a general consensus was reached to simply apply a descriptor to a language's word for an elf. Wood elf, snow elf, high elf, mer elf, and of course, sun elf, or sand elf as they were sometimes called."

"There have been debates on how different the types of elves are. Some liken them to humans with different colors of skin and hair, lacerta with varying scale colorations, and yuren with their variety of gem features. A mainly aesthetic difference with minor health and medical differences, with most of the contrast between them primarily cultural and societal. Several consider them to be entirely different species with clear biological differences, perhaps similar to the vastly different types of sylvan, or the few tribes of alerion outside Avista that scarcely resemble their distant relations."

"Even with us elves, there is—was no clear consensus," you pause for only a moment at that, hiding any discomfort. "From my perspective and the majority of the elves I conversed with however, I believe the answer lies somewhere in between those two extremes. From what I know, we were not too different biologically from each other despite our appearances varying wildly at times, and there have been a few pairings and couples made between two types of elves. While there were significant differences between us all and divides that separated us, we were constructed by the same creators and endowed with similar purposes and directives.

Stream Chat​

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11:43 dud21: damn
11:43 random_passerby: it's so weird to think elves just "appeared" like that
11:43 miumiumew: orbis is just really weird in general
11:45 therealbro: kinda fked up that they just decided to label elves like that
11:45 crunchycrunch: yeah people sucked back then, imagine we labeled lacerta by scale color
11:45 therealbro: bro it wasn't even more than hundred years that people did that
11:45 therealbro: what are you on about
11:45 tinygiant: people still do that
11:46 fallfromlight: isnt it more based on region/country doe?
11:46 everything_sucks: dude
11:46 everything_sucks: it was within a single region people do these things
11:46 empireofall: <message deleted>
11:46 scaling12: color discrimination is real you fuck
11:46 fuckz****h**: literally look at zhonghua's entire history
11:47 yukari_araka: I want a "pairing" with an elf ;elfgasm;
11:47 eogje333: shut up
11:48 shadowslayer69: cool story
11:48 shadowslayer69: what about dark elves huh
11:48 shadowslayer69: very interesting you didn't include them

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You stop, managing to school your expression into something neutral before looking directly at the camera.

"Dark elves are commonly misunderstood by modern academics, and indeed, by the ancients as well," you say. "They lived in caves and underground areas, and due to their reclusive nature and more distinctive appearance, were the source of many unfounded fears, rumors, and suspicions. Other elves did not combat them, though it was not uncommon for other peoples to come into conflict with dark elves due to superstitious paranoia before later attributing their massacres and discrimination to us. Still, they fought valiantly against threats and horrors from beneath the surface."

Barely holding back a scoff, you look away, "And for the record, there are many other types of elves I did not mention. I can go in-depth on the elves present in Zhonghua and Sindhu, but that is a topic for another time."

In retrospect, you should've just ignored the random person who commented that. Clara even said that there will always be a few people typing inflammatory statements in the chat and that you should avoid getting "One Guy'd". One of the main reasons you are even doing this is to boost your image and popularity, and getting into an angry tirade like that on an educational stream seems counterintuitive anyways.

But… you can't help but be angry at people looking to criticize elves in particular for every little perceived wrong. Since the day an elf dared show expertise in a craft or skill they've honed, there have always been bitter people seeking to tear them down. When elven society waned, they were mocked and derided by people who have never even met an elf in their life. For every ideal and virtue people associate with elves, so too did they project their worst insecurities and fears onto one of the most "other" race.

You have never denied the various sins the elves as a collective people have committed. What they did alone to the orcs, ogres, and other "monstrous" races in Central Kiengir for millennia is enough to earn condemnation. There was some friction between different groups of elves. But their ill deeds have been a particular target from groups who have committed similar terrible acts wishing to advance a certain agenda. They claim elven hypocrisy, that you all have proven you were no "better", but do they not find an excuse for every horrific act their people have performed? Has their people not also once proclaimed that their particular race, ancestry, or heritage was the superior one of all?

Gritting your teeth, you force yourself to let it go. It doesn't really matter anymore, even if it feels like it's something you've been taking much more seriously recently. There have been times you have resorted to anger and bitterness to help cope with your situation, but it is a fleeting respite that results in you tasting ash for much longer than the blazing inferno it starts.

Entering the village, you take in the sight before you. The people behind its discovery and management decided to clear out of the area instead of providing a more direct tour, so you are able to get a mostly undisturbed view of the memorial village. Small but sturdy beige-colored structures greet you, its foundations standing strong to this day. Clear paths were made between them all as well even if they show more signs of being weathered. Some sparse vegetation are present, but you can see in the distance that the oasis has mostly dried up at this point.

Still, a feeling of… not quite peace, but slight contentment rises within you once you cross into the village boundaries. It seems the enchantments protecting it from the harsh desert still work to some degree.

"Moving on, the sun elves often made their homes deep in the deserts. This was primarily so they may be closer to the various threats that lived here while maintaining a certain distance from other peoples, but they also have served as guides to those lost and provided hospitality to various groups traveling across the desert. As you can see here, a tribe or village of sun elves often build their homes around an oasis, forming a little slice of serenity and paradise away from the desert."

You move your camera around to look at all the houses, "This is not too different from the elven tendency to stay in one place, but the sun elves were unique in also being semi-nomadic. They often formed their own oases through methods lost to time but made sure not to overuse them. Even with magic, such things are not without end, and constantly applying such magics tends to make the area unstable."

"It is why although well-built, these houses are not the grandest or majestic. It was best for beings that lived for hundreds or thousands of years to not get too attached to a home living the way they do. When they decide to leave, the buildings and oasis are left behind for other people to discover and use. An oasis sustained by magic will not last as long, but it may still save lives, and they make sure to leave warnings and advice behind as well. Their homes are then often broken down for materials, which is probably why there are not more sun elf villages around."

"However, because this village was hidden from sight still and remains in this state… I assume that somehow, the elves here must've perished before they could move on," you say, stopping.

Stream Chat​

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12:02 VA1s: man you make elves sound so awesome
12:02 joetun2: yeah, they decided to live CLOSER to dangerous monsters
12:02 nothingwrong: <message deleted>
12:02 regular_guy: really fucked up there
12:04 pointout: they could make an oasis?
12:04 pointout: why didnt they help with all the water problems
12:04 engiengi: bro, places today still have water issues
12:04 engiengi: magic doesn't solve everything
12:05 sinclair12: that house legit looks better than where I live
12:05 sang412: yeah can I move there
12:05 IAMSUCKING: imagine living in shitty avistan apartments, cant be me
12:05 Rulethewaves: imagine not living in the richest country in the world
12:07 GR33N: elves having better environmental practices 2000 years ago than people today
12:07 CurlingMarks: take notes corporations
12:08 daisy_princess: that's so sad… I wonder what happened?
12:08 livindacity: maybe some fucked up monster that thankfully doesn't exist anymore
12:08 assassassin: no probably a slow dying out like most elven places
12:08 elvessuckmeoff: >message deleted<
12:08 dwarftales: >message deleted<
12:09 🔰Riven Dell: Banned.
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Stopping by a ringed area with strange structures built within and around it, you tilt your head as you pan the camera to capture it all.

"I… believe this to be a leisure area of sorts. It is little known due to few people staying in an elven village for long periods of time, but many that lived in such communities had these places and structures. All elves have their reason for being, but it did not always consume every waking moment of their life. For long-lived beings such as us, having something to occupy our time and help keep things less dull is invaluable. This is why you may find areas not too dissimilar from a modern playground or park in other elven villages as well."

You start walking away, "Unfortunately, I know little of how the sun elves spent their time, so—"

Suddenly, a rumbling shakes the earth beneath you. Pivoting immediately back to the area, you look around for threats but find nothing. The quivering of the ground continues however, slowly getting more and more unstable. You catch sight of a distant figure running towards you however. The gnoll's face seems panicked as he waves his hands above his head. Is this something known to the people taking care of the site?

"Ms. Pathstrider! Please keep calm! This is simply the sandwyrm—"

He is cut off as a humongous, serpentine beast erupts from the sands in the playground to tower over everyone. Grains of sand fall from its brown shell in large streams as it opens its mouth to let out a screeching roar loud enough to make you take a step back. Its... "head" is a disturbing cross between a vaguely draconic shape and a worm's mouth enlarged to the point where the horror of its features are visible for all to see. Horns from a wyrm protrude from its head while the mouth and teeth of a worm rotate in a frightening display.

You do not know every little thing about beasts such as these… but beings like this must've surely gone extinct by now.

The gnoll from earlier gets up from where he fell and approaches you gingerly, looking back and forth between you and the sandwyrm.

"When we first found and entered this village, the sandwyrm burst out of the ground in front of us. We were all scared witless but it simply looked at us for a bit before going back down. It never came up again, so we put it out of our minds… but we apologize anyway for not informing you of it."

"Such a being surely must've had its finders tell tales of it, no?" You reply, still staring at the now approaching beast.

He shakes his head, "We had a few people connected to organizations protecting creatures such as these from poachers that swore us to silence. They take matters such as these very seriously. I suppose the secret is out now, but that was an inevitability. Perhaps this is the best possible way it could've happened."

The sandwyrm stops before you, hot air blowing against your skin as it observes you. If it has eyes you don't know what or where they are, but it clearly senses you in some capacity. You don't entirely know if you've ever encountered a sandwyrm despite all your travels. Traveling deep into the desert is something you've done rarely, and you suspect that if you were found by one in the wild before, you may not be here today.

But this wyrm clearly isn't some wild beast. As they get closer and closer and you start preparing to defend yourself in any way possible, they come by your face and then… move slightly beyond it before stopping. Slightly befuddled, it takes them starting to lean into you that you begin to understand their intentions.

Reaching out a hand, you run your fingers against their rough scale… shell exterior, stray grains of sand rubbing against your skin. A mumble escapes them as you continue your ministrations, as if they had been waiting for something like this for a very long while. The reverberations that they send across their body, ground, and you is a bit frightening, but it seems to make them even more relaxed. For a moment, the two of you simply remain there, two beings lost in time from an era long gone.

You don't know how long this lasts, but they eventually let out another low hum before slowly separating themself from you. They seem to tilt their head for a bit, looking in your direction, before their body begins to slither back down into the sand. They let out one last cry to you before their head descends back underground.

This was… unexpected. You weren't sure what you were looking for coming to this place, but it most definitely did not include a sandwyrm. Uncertain what to do with this new revelation, you look back at the chat on a whim, only to see messages being typed out at an unreadable pace.

Well then. At least you have achieved your goal of retaining your new followers.

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With no knowledge of Fatoumata's current situation and whereabouts, you are forced to go around asking others for information. The most you get is that the miu is still being detained. Just when you're about to leave Sumeri with a promise to check on the demon hunter later however, Jasiri gets back to you with a confirmation that she's finally been released. Judging from her voice, the gnoll seemed worried. Her and Amin apparently already visited her, but she believes you might be able to help more.

You're skeptical about that, but this is how you find yourself at the front door of a large house bordering on being a manor or mansion. The garden in front is well-maintained, and a fence surrounds most of the house. Something seems a bit strange about the area though. It's almost as if some structures were removed from the premises. Deciding that it doesn't really matter, you knock on the pristine white door.

It doesn't take long for you to hear footsteps approaching to open it. Have they been waiting for you? The door opens to reveal an elderly human in dressed as a butler, greying hair and mustache perfectly trimmed. Blinking, you begin reevauluating certain things about Fatoumata. You understand that her father was the president, but he must've been very well-off or connected even before ascending to that position. That, or being a demon hunter pays more than you initially believed.

"Oh! Siri told me you might pay a visit, Ms. Pathstrider," the old human bows. "Welcome, I am Umaru Dambe. I have served the Jatau family for over thirty years now. Please, come in."

"Thank you," you say, regaining your composure. "This is a beautiful home."

He smiles, "I've spent much time ensuring it is, so I thank you for your appreciation. It's been difficult ever since those pesky invest—well, never mind that unpleasantness. Am I correct in assuming you are here to visit dear Fatoumata?"

"Yes, is she open to receiving visitors?"

"A-ah," his smile drops. "Well, perhaps she would prefer to be alone… but I'm sure she would be delighted to see you, Ms. Pathstrider."

You hum, not quite believing him but deciding not to call him out on it. The meaning seems to be clear anyway, and all signs point to a certain desperation in sending you to speak with her. Despite the obvious care put into the place, you can tell that something must have happened in the building with how suspiciously bare certain places are. An investigation team must've gone through the place and taken anything warranting a closer inspection. Judging by the small imperfections you can see in some spots, many of the servants here must have also left after news of the president came out.

Stopping by a partially closed door, the old human pauses for a moment to stare at it before turning to you.

"She should be here, Ms. Pathstrider. I shall give the two of you your privacy."

Taking the message that he'll leave you to talk with her alone, you nod and step past him to carefully push the door open. What greets you is… surprisingly mundane. It is a humble room with a few comfortable sofas and seats surrounding a table with various objects lying on top of it. A screen on the other side of the room is playing what you believe to be some kind of cooking show, though its volume is low enough that you aren't certain. Most of your attention is on the solitary figure sitting on a chair next to the central sofa anyway.

Fatoumata has seen better days. Her fur is frazzled and a complete mess, probably requiring an entire session dedicated to smooth it all out. The once proud miu is slouched over as she stares listlessly to the side of the screen, and she wears little else besides a baggy t-shirt and shorts. A bucket of some dessert rests on a stand next to her, uneaten and abandoned. Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be any alcohol or other substances here. Umaru must've removed them somehow. Sighing internally, you think on how to approach this. She is in a state that you are quite familiar with, when one is so lost in their despair and thoughts that they don't even seem to be thinking of anything in particular. And…

A rifle rests on her lap.

You stop.

"Fatoumata."

The miu doesn't move, continuing to stare off into the distance.

"...I see you have been released from the interrogation rooms. I'm glad I was able to see you again before I depart."

You didn't quite notice it at first, but she has been tapping a finger on the rifle in some kind of pattern the entire time. It also isn't hers. As you speak, Fatoumata seems to sink deeper into her chair, as if her body itself is trying to escape this conversation. The TV shows a giant making some sort of cake, happily speaking to the cameras and audience of the steps she is taking. Distant cheers and applause ring out as she reveals some delicious part of the recipe, crashing into the painful silence between you two.

"I myself was in there not too long ago. It was an uncomfortable process, and I hope you didn't have to undergo anything too strenuous."

No response.

Swallowing, you try desperately to figure out what to say. People like this… despite all the advancements made in understanding the mind, you know that it is almost impossible to know how a particular individual will deal with their grief and anguish. In the past, most were forced into performing some work or activity that takes their mind from it, but with Fatoumata having been in isolation for over two weeks then sitting alone in her home doing nothing…

You have already given what encouragement you could back at the palace. You're unsure if giving more would only set her off and make the miu feel worse. Perhaps something harsher to shock her system can work, but despite what anecdotal stories people have told of performing such things successfully, you know it can cause someone to spiral even further. Listening silently won't work since she isn't speaking in the first place. Mentioning the problems directly can backfire, no matter how delicately you broach the topic. Despite all your years, you are no mind reader, and you simply are not close enough to Fatoumata to know what works best with her. This isn't something you've ever been adept at handling.

You feel powerless.

"I've… introduced Ophelia to social media. I believe I have unleashed something onto Orbis that will have consequences none can predict."

The slight joking tone you adopt falls flat, but at least she doesn't seem to react negatively to it. Hesitating for a moment, you step forward to sit on the couch next to her. Taking care not to look at her or give any particular attention to anything about the miu, you direct your eyes at the screen.

You continue speaking, "You recall those children I asked you to keep my identity a secret from? I finally revealed to them the truth. Amina, the armored human, almost completely lost her composure from it. Frankly, it's still difficult for me to understand why some react in that manner to me, but I suppose I must be getting used to it."

The giant chef on the screen finally reveals the frankly ridiculously sized cake for the audience to see, earning awed applause and gazes from the audience. Fatoumata stops tapping her rifle, eyes locking onto the screen.

"I took the chance to visit the Citadel and the Sun Elf Memorial while I was here. Clara, ah, she is my manager, persuaded me to record my visit to the memorial. I was skeptical at first, but I suppose it turned out well. Oh, there was a sandwyrm that appeared as well there."

A twitch this time, though you don't know if your words or the group of people eating a giant slice on the screen caused it.

"Fatoumata... I shall be taking my leave of Sumeri soon. It has been an honor and pleasure to work with you."

The pair of you sit in silence for a moment, watching the last moments of the show. Listening to the chef give one last spiel at the end, Fatoumata remains still as it transitions into a loud and flashy commercial. Though reluctant to leave it like this, you suspect that you are not getting through to the miu. All you can do is believe in her and her friends to support Fatoumata. With a heavy heart, you stand up and prepare to make your exit.

"...we used to watch this together here."

You stop once more.

"Oh?"

Turning to look at Fatoumata, you wait for her to elaborate. She doesn't though, hunching over and staring at the ground as if uttering even that much has taken what little she had left within her. Heart twisting, you think of something else to say in response, but she manages to lift her head back up to your surprise before you can say anything. Her voice is hoarse, weak, and so painfully empty, but at least she speaks.

"Where… where are you going next?"

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Choose one:

[] Avista

[] Tarshish

[] Zhonghua

[] The Small Republic

[] New Hope

[] Yashima

Fame has increased by a tier, going from Good to Great. Due to your actions and subsequent social media interaction, the people of Orbis have taken more notice of you.
(2/3) progress for Mental Health to progress to the next tier. Despite everything that has happened, you ultimately feel somewhat more assured of everything, though not enough to feel completely comfortable about it.
Gained Wisdom of Ages. Power and capability are not numerical values that constantly go up. You have confronted a grave threat and immersed yourself in a tense investigation with lives at stake however, regaining a bit of the edge you have lost. Gain +1 to combat rolls and various other rolls related to your expertise.
(1/3) You skipped going to Yashima first. Even if it was for perfectly good reasons, it bothers you still to not go to their aid. While you might be able to justify going someplace else next, you don't know how long you will be able to put it off. (Once this hits 3/3, each time Deirdre chooses not to go to Yashima, she will take a significant hit to her mental health)

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AN: