Expeditioner Interview: Kin (Kyn)

Winter Nights Exhibition Hall: Expeditioner Interviews
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Transcripts of the Kin (Kyn) Expeditioner Record's Interviews.

Interview #1 Unlocked at the start

“ After enduring tremendous hardships to find her kin, she decides to leave. ” She still remembers the joy of meeting her silver-haired, pointy-eared compatriots. She still remembers the amber home of the Elves, dangling within that hollow, wrapped by layers upon layers of the Great Tree's roots. With thoughts and words alone, those living abodes could change their structure and clean themselves. The plant-furniture born among them either got along well with their masters or complained about them in private; and after a long day's work, would gather around to share gossip. While the Samifjod were still trying to decipher Sami's warnings through their Foldartals, the Elves were able to commune directly. When they heard Sami's response, they clung fast to the rock walls, tending to the scars of the land by growing plants or drawing runes. They rarely left the embrace of the Great Tree, singing and dancing among the branches in the early morning, spreading nature across the craggy walls after a midday respite, and listening to the music woven by the plants and studying the words and notes handed down from the past by nightfall. Their lives are simple yet profound. A faint sense of familiarity brushes across Muelsyse's sensitive nerves. But even these fragments of familiarity are sufficient to make her realize something else. Here, she is an anomaly. This is not a fairytale land where people can connect with one another simply by being of the same kind. What Muelsyse had to confront is an entire cultural ecosystem spanning tens of thousands of years. Almost everything Muelsyse knows comes from the environment and education of Columbia. To be able to understand one another, both sides must undertake tremendous effort. Yet at the same time, what the Elves can offer her pales in comparison to what Kristen promised. So, she ultimately decided to leave. Taking with her confusion, doubt, and loneliness.

Interview #2 Unlocked after entering three floors

“ In an era of change, the Elves cannot stand alone. ” What is it exactly that allows the various peoples across the lands to set aside the differences of race and identity and come together for a common goal? It is the pursuit of ideals, and the exploration of the unknown. When Muelsyse first arrived at the base camp in front of the megastructure, researchers and explorers from all across the land had already gathered there. Further ahead, the megastructure stood silently. Though the collapsal known as Cresson[sic] had already disappeared, the collapsal value in this area is still terrifyingly high. Everyone lives in constant terror of the Collapsal Paradigm's impact, as well as the fear of being contaminated and turning into collapsals themselves. Yet, for the purposes of exploration and research, they still built a base here, preparing their projects. Nothing can curb their thirst for knowledge. When Snowpriests inscribed their Foldartals here, when casters built their spires here, when engineers laid down their pipelines here– In a trance-like state, Muelsyse recalls all the things Kristen had done to bring Rhine Lab together for the purpose of splitting the sky open. Food rationing is no longer a problem, the anti-collapsal measures developed at great cost have successfully passed through the initial development phase and been shared with everyone at the base, but the project as a whole has nevertheless stalled. People lack the knowledge and ability to make sense of these prehistoric facilities, and even the one from Rhodes Island is neither omniscient nor omnipotent. Muelsyse can ensure that people live here comfortably, but there is little she can do about these other problems. More help is needed. The ancient peoples that lived here... Muelsyse's thoughts quickly turn to her compatriots from Sami. They are reclusive and independent, and do not wish to be disturbed or changed by outsiders. Muelsyse knows this very well. However, wasn't she herself an Elf who had deemed it impossible for others to understand her, and sealed herself off in her water? Muelsyse decided to knock on the door of the Elves, with questions in mind and a broken device from the megastructure in hand. ...... They promised to repair the device she brought. As they worked, tough branches weaved through soft steel to probe the damaged components; transparent tree sap was both an adhesive and a repair material, automatically changing properties based on the type of damage. The roots of the giant tree were more precise than any machine she had ever seen. With the Elves' accurate pinpointing of the cause of the damage, the device was as good as new in no time. Muelsyse was overjoyed. She hoped that the Elves would also join the research over at the icefield megastructure. With their knowledge and insight, she could practically see the changes that would be ushered in by such explosive technological advancement. As expected though, they turned her down. Neither distrust nor arrogance even entered the equation. Sami still sleeps, and the land is still scarred. Their mission is not yet complete, and aiding others is not a part of it. After a long discussion between the two parties, Muelsyse came up with a solution: she would study here, and regularly bring what she learned back to the base camp. However, she would not reveal any information about this place, nor bring anyone else with her. That way, the Elves would still be able to maintain their traditions, and the expeditioners would be able to make breakthroughs in their research on the megastructure. The Elves look to each other before agreeing to the plan. Whether this was due to their undue favoritism towards their kin who they'd just met after hundreds of years, a compromise in response to Sami's rapid environmental changes in recent years, or some other reason, we do not know. However, for Muelsyse, this is truly a new beginning. After piercing the veil of the sky, after countless years of confusion, she finally had the opportunity to understand the Elves, herself, and the meaning of her existence.

Interview #3 Unlocked after entering five floors

“ May our past also become our future. ” Elves are not a panacea; they have no way to free a soul from its suffering. However, they indeed did point the way for Muelsyse. During the years she spent traveling back and forth between the megastructure and the abode of the Elves, they not only taught her the historical knowledge she needed, but more importantly, showed her both the lives and the responsibilities of the Elves. Their affinity as nature's messengers... Their resolution as descendants of a Feranmut... And their duty, as survivors of that disaster, to safeguard the inheritance of ancient history. At the same time, they also continued to emphasize to her that these things only pertained to the Sami Elves. She had left the clan, and struck out on her own. However, that is also precisely why she is free to choose her own path. Whether she continues to search for her own bloodline, or decides to leave her mark on Columbia... That is her choice to make. Loneliness is suffering, yet it is also strength. They sincerely hope that she is able to find her own path. ...... The appearance of her kin was like a dream. They appeared ephemerally at the outer fringes of her life, and in the blink of an eye, left without saying goodbye— During a visit like any other, the Great Tree of the Elves followed the amber into a hole in the ground, returning to Sami's embrace. When Muelsyse returned once again, there was nothing left except a hollow filled with plants. She was alone once more... But is she truly alone? Muelsyse stands inside the base, looking at the giant ring-shaped structure still undergoing repairs in the distance. People come and go, greeting her cordially, and she responds likewise. Fate may have taken many things from her, but fortunately, those positions were not left vacant. They were filled with friendship, trust, and a purpose. It is more than loneliness that has driven her to where she is now. She smiles, and walks over to her lab inside the base. There's still a long way to go until the megastructure can be activated, and she has to invoke nature to protect the people here from collapsals and environmental threats. But after the megastructure is launched and the experiment is successful, maybe she'll quietly say goodbye to the people close to her, and once again embark on a journey to find the Feranmut from which she originated. She felt the need to tie a pretty bow around her past. And that distant object may well be the start of her new future. ...... Muelsyse slowly wakes up in bed, feeling as if she'd slept for a long, long time. The dream had been too real, so real that it left her somewhat confused. She glances over at the calendar and sees that today is the day for all Rhine Lab personnel participating in the Black Hole Protocol to get their physical examinations. Her journey has not yet begun, yet its ending is already appearing in her dreams? This is enough to make her sit up in bed and freeze for a good long while, until the second alarm goes off. The lingering haze of the dream slowly wears off, and she pushes the unnecessary thoughts away for the time being. Hurry and wash up, get the physical examination done, then get packed. Sami awaits her arrival.