#sobeknesef

Caladin awoke to a cool hand brushing hair back from his forehead and the quiet complaints of his half asleep daughter.

“Dada- the sun isn’t even up yet-“

“Shhhh, helwa, we have a surprise for your Baba, no? Go grab your blanket and your bag, Cage.”

The blonde blinked awake, feeling sunken into bed, limbs filled with molasses and honey, “We’re going somewhere?”

The bedroom was dimly lit, the only light source being the salt lamp glowing faintly on the nighstand. A soft chuckle echoed from above him, warm and fond, "Mhm. Consider it a birthday gift, Albi."

Caladin sighed softly, slowly sitting up, the covers slipping off his shoulders, allowing the morning air to send a chill up his spine. Sobeknesef was quietly packing both their bags, his own side of the bed cold enough he must've been up at least an hour already.

The crocodile hybrid was already wearing his winter layers despite being in doors. Even after they'd both retired to Taoyan Vale a few years prior, the two desert dwellers had never really adapted to the seasonal cold.

Caladin rose, brushing past his partner to shrug on his own winter gear. Thin wool underclothes did more than one would expect, and thicker, canvas outerwear fought back windchill.

"Sit for a minute, Canım, let me tie your hair back," The blonde murmured, gesturing for Sobeknesef to take a seat on the edge of the bed. The crocodile hybrid huffed for a moment, shoving a few more things into their bags before taking a seat.

"Thanks, Cal. I gave up this morning trying to get it out of my face."

They were quiet for a moment, enjoying the peace.

"So... where are we going?" Caladin asked as he finished up. Sobeknesef chuckled fondly, bapping the man's hands away, "Hah. Nice try. Grab your bag and Cage. We're meeting Rover for breakfast."

The blonde pouted for a moment, but complied, slinging both duffel bags over his shoulder with ease before stepping out in search of his gremlin of a daughter.

"Baba!" Cage squealed, knocking straight into the back of her father's knees. Caladin choked back a noise of surprise, almost slamming into the wall when his legs buckled.

"Easy, little one. Do you have your bag?"

"I do! And Nutmeg!"

Caladin paused at that, golden eyes narrowing, "Did you Papa say you could bring Nutmeg?"

The tiny blonde smiled innocently, holding up her half asleep squirrel who was tucked into a baby sling, "Yeah!"

The former knight didn't quite believe her, but... it was probably fine.

Probably.

(This totally has nothing to do with the fact he couldn't say no to his daughter. Definitely not.)

With that, the family of three set out in search of breakfast, braving the icy winds of Jinzhou in the early morning, the sun steadily rising in the distance. They took the short walk down to the riverside where a small, "gilded wastes" bakery had set themselves up- a product of Sobeknesef and Caladin sharing some old pastry recipes with their neighbor.

It wasn't exactly authentic, bu it was a taste of home, and the young woman who owned the bakery was determined to get the recipes right.

Caladin waved, spotting the Rover perched in their seat, already having ordered themselves and Abby food.

"Morning, friend," The blonde greeted, settling his daughter into the only seat undisturbed by the windchill. They smiled, their eye glowing a soft blue for a moment, the reverberations of Aero reshaping the winds to miss their table entirely.

"Thank you," Sobeknesef sighed, pulling his jacket tighter.

"No problem. You two probably still struggle with winter, hm?" They chuckled, passing two mugs of warmed peach resin and pear tea to the grown men, and a mug of warmed honey milk to Cage.

The little girl was already munching on flatbread and happily accepted the drink.

"So...-"

"Hey! DOn't even think about asking where we're going!" Abby interjected, popping up from seemingly out of nowhere. The tiny echo huffed, chest puffed up proudly as though it was only obvious they knew what Caladin would ask.

The blonde just sighed dramatically, sipping his tea instead.

They devolved into chatter, enjoying warm flatbread baked with a thing layer of crispy ground meat, topped with yogurt, pomegranate, and various herbs Caladin didn't recognize.

It wasn't quite right, but it reminded him of the lahmajouns he used to make with Dahlia. How nostalgic.

"Are you ready to go then?" The Rover asked as they cleared their plates, leaving the empty dishes at the small shop window.

Caladin blinked away the memories, sighing fondly as Sobeknesef scooped up Cage. He grabbed their bags with an affirmative hum.

"Aye. Let's go."

-

They walked back up the hills into Taoyun Vale, much to Caladin's itching curiosity. A pass through Moontree Lodge had Cage giggling excitedly and squirming free of the crocodile hybrid's hold to run around.

The blonde only grew more curious as they approached the resonance beacon, Rover taking the lead.

"Ah? We're taking a beacon?"

Sobeknesef just smiled shyly, "There's a few people waiting for us."

Oh now Caladin was really curious. The blonde scooped up his rambunctious 6 year old, carrying her over as the Lord Arbiter themself activated this ancient device so Caladin could take a vacation.

Light pulse around them, both blinding and oh so warm, refreshing and healing in ways the former knight really couldn't comprehend. (But if his sore hips and always-aching rotator cuff felt a little better now? Well that was his business alone, thank you.)

As the light faded, Caladin found his boots sinking into familiar sands. Dry, but cold winds ravaged what was left of his once neat braid, letting his golden hair loose.

It was much shorter than the last time he'd been here, only coming down to barely touch his shoulder blades. His skin was a tad paler too, and he had new scars with accompanying stories to tell.

Yet the Sands didn't seem to change at all.

They'd come out at a beacon on one of the larger crags, looking down on the dunes, and a small oasis where people waited. He set Cage down, letting the little girl experience the desert on her own for the first time.

"Here, let me get your jacket," Sobeknesef murmured, taking the heavy outwear from Caladin. It was warmer here than Jinzhou, but still cool by desert standards, and he'd been gone so long he was already sweating.

"Thank you," the former knight murmured, quickly passing off his jacket and one of the bags as they began their descent.

Tucked away in the silent oasis was be-Khatar, a quiet resting place used by any and all with only one rule: No Violence.

"Cal! Happy Birthday!"

The blonde perked up, recognizing Jiahui and her partner, the Principal Investigator, Xiangli Yao, perched on one of the sunning rocks by the crystal clear oasis pool.

"Jia? When did you get here? Last night I hope, it's much too early otherwise," Caladin chuckled, scooping the woman up into a hug when she rushed at him.

"Mama!"

Jiahui grinned as she was set down, immediately scooping up Cage into a bear hug, "Ah! There's my favorite girl! Let's head inside and get changed! It's going to warm up soon."

"For closure's sake, yes, we did arrive last night along with everyone else," Xiangli Yao stated, helping Sobeknesef with the bags. The crocodile hybrid nodded along, "Good, good. We're all already up early enough."

Inside the bungalow sanctuary, people had already gathered to celebrate. Valerian was lounging on the couch, sipping on some expensive looking alcohol or another while he chatted away with Quay.

Mortefi, Quay's fiance and fellow researcher, was in the kitchen, bribing Cage with sweets in exchange for her help baking brunch bread rolls.

"Oh. Thank you all for coming," Caladin spoke, voice soft and golden eyes full of warmth and emotion. "Of course. Now come get changed," Sobeknesef murmured, hand gently placed on the small of the former knight's back, guiding him to their shared room for the day. A quick change into swimsuits and a moment wrestling Cage into wearing sunscreen later, the entire group was outside once more. Valerian had Cage on his shoulders, cackling maniacally as they worked together to douse Jiahui in water while she sunbathed. A shriek from the woman and subsequent splashing let Caladin know it was a success.

Quay siddled up beside him in the shallows, offering him a cup of cold tea. The blonde sniffed it curiously before taking a sip, surprised by the fruity flavor, "Oh...? What's this?" Quay smiled, sipping from his own cup, "It's this new tea I bought while on a research trip in Rinascita! It's made of gemberries, I think?" "It reminds me of strawberry-" "What's a strawberry?"

—

"So this is called a water gun...?" Valerian asked, leaning over a certain crocodile hybrid's shoulder. Sobeknesef huffed in amusement, "It is for the great and might Squirrel Knight, Val. You may not have it."

"Squirrel Knight?" Jiahui snorted, "Has Cal been telling the gremlin too many *Knight-time stories?*" Both men grimaced at the frankly terrible joke. "What?? It wasn't that baddddd- Yao loves my jokes-" Jiahui groaned, dramatically, clutching her chest as though she were dying. "And that's why he's *your* boyfriend. Because he can lie to you-" Valerian stated bluntly, making Sobeknesef almost drop the calibration tools as he fought back laughter. "Did I hear my name?" a familiar voice chimed in. Jiahui shrieked, practically jumping out of the water like a spooked cat when Xiangli Yao appeared behind her, a very giggly Cage in his arms. "Mama!"

Jiahui just sighed, unable to hide her fondness, "Hi again, Kiddo."

— Caladin hummed softly, combing through Cage's wet curls, carefully removing knots and re-braiding in beads and rings. They'd spent all morning and majority of the afternoon in the oasis pool, and now everyone was feeling exhausted and sun-spent.

Valerian was already half asleep, tucked into his side, Quay was helping Mortefi clean up after lunch, Yao and Jiahui were quietly discussing the potentials of using the black rock around the oasis in material construction with it's surprising resilience to resonance energy, despite being a natural material older than the Lament. Sobeknesef joined in, eager to share his personal experience working with the material. It was a quiet kind of contentment, one earned after years of struggle. His Clan may be long gone, House Zahra scrubbed from the face of Solaris. Yet... he did not find himself missing it. Not when a smaller little clan was forming right in front of him. Happy Birthday to him, he supposed. —

After a little afternoon nap, the celebration picked back up. Dinner was kebab and fireworks out on the dunes, candles burned out for Caladin's many years, and wish boats left to float out on the oasis pool. "Baba? What do I wish for?" Cage asked curiously, preparing to set her boat on the water. Caladin hummed softly, leaning down to help her light the tea candle in the boat, "Well? Anything, really. However, traditionally, you wish for good things for the receivers birthday." The little girl paused, having been about to set her boat down, "So I wish for Baba to have good things?" "If you'd like." She promptly set her boat in the water with the others, brows furrowed in concentration, "Okay! All done!" Caladin huffed in amusement, scooping his daughter up and heading back up the steps to the main group. It was time for desert, after all. What he would not see til morning were the two extra boats joining the water, one covered in doodles of flowers, another made entirely of ice. Up on the crags above, Dahlia sat on the edge, her husband at her side. "Happy birthday, Little brother."

—

Sorry for being gone for so long! Had a mini depressive episode and just. Didn't do anything. For roughly five months? Anyways- here is the very delayed writing for Caladin. Few other pieces and drafts coming out of backlog soon!

(Also so sorry if there’s an OOC behavior. I’m slowly getting back into everyone’s unique character voices :3)

Tags!

@hobbysognodilibri

@yupuffin

@rainbowprisimatic

@captainsounddisaster

@uncreative-cryptid

Checking the signboards in Jinzhou had quickly become a habit of theirs. Someone always needed help, putting out commissions, and leading them to intriguing discovery. If the Black Shores were to be believed- if They were to be believed, then they needed to explore on their own as much as possible- to absorb everything the world had to offer.

They hummed softly to themselves as they approached another signboard in the middle of town. Their golden gaze scanned the various commissions, spotting one of interest.

Huaxu Academy?

Rover! Rover! That one's weird! Smells like a snack!

They blinked, hearing Abby's sudden interest as the little echo appeared, "The one from the Academy? Yeah- I was planning on checking it out-" Abby floated next to them as they read, sniffing the air.

Huaxu Academy is currently seeking swords for hire and those interested archeological research to accompany Head Researcher Jiahui to the Gilded Wastes. Recently, a Court of Savantae Ruin has been discovered and with the recent defeat of the Threnodian, there has been a lull in Tacet Discords in the Thorns.

Below was only one name signed, and it seemed to be the main source of the lingering frequencies.

Valerian Kincaid

"This person smells funny. Like- kinda like the grey hounds guy!"

Like Calcharo? Interesting. Slightly worrisome, but interesting.

They let Abby ramble about all of the potential "food" they'd find near the Threnodian for a moment, thinking to themself and zoning out a bit. The Court of Savantae... both in mainland Huanglong and on Mt. Firmament, the CSC ruins had been incredibly insightful to the inner workings of Solaris- sometimes in ways they doubted their past self had known.

"Alright. Let's go then. Maybe you'll find something tasty after all," They teased, causing the little Echo to twirl in excitement before disappearing back into their tacet mark.

-

The walk to the academy was quick and the breeze light and cool. They entered the building, unsure of exactly where to go or who "Head Researcher Jiahui" was.

Thankfully, they were able to spot a familiarly grumpy face. Mortefi was speaking with an unfamiliar researcher with vibrant blue hair. The dragon's expression was surprisingly soft as he listened to whatever his colleague was saying.

Rover smiled slightly to themself. It was cute seeing Mortefi so... smitten? They weren't sure if that was quite the right word, but there was something there. They almost didn't want to interrupt to ask their question.

Fortunately for them, the other researcher said their goodbyes, giving Rover a window.

"Long time no see, Mortefi. I'll try not to keep you long, but do you know where I'd find the Gilded Wastes expedition?" They asked, unable to suppress their slight amusement at how the redhead's gaze seemed to occasionally flick back to where the other researcher had went.

However, their question seemed to get his attention because his pupils dilated, "The Gilded Wastes expedition? Ha. Of course you're interested. They're down the hall-"

The dragon gestured to the room just a few feet away, "Do tell Jiahui I expect to see her both prior to and after the expedition. That woman bangs up her prosthetic enough without suicide expeditions."

They blinked at the clear worry and agitation in his tone, but nodded their head in promise. They gave Mortefi a quick wave goodbye, noting how he continued to grumble his worries as he stalked after the blue-haired researcher from earlier.

The door to their designated room was open, revealing a man with soft green hair and that familiar, but strange Spectro resonance about him. He was lounging on a couch, feet propped up and zoned out- like he was waiting for someone.

"Hello? This is the meeting place for the Gilded Wastes expedition...?" They asked, startling the poor man into awareness. They winced a bit, feeling bad. But they had questions.

Like why everyone seemed to perceive this mission as suicidal.

-

Yay! First post is done!

I think all of the details of why the "Gilded Wastes" or Alkhulud is geographically dangerous were discussed in this post

The Thorns is the area between Desorock Highlands and the Gilded Wastes.

If there are any other lore questions needed to be answered before your response, just shoot me an ask or message me! I tried to keep it vague while still giving details based on what we've all discussed outside of the actual Quest-line.

Valerian is up first with his response! I'll periodically respond as Rover to keep a nice, smooth transition and stay on plot.

Also, Quay mentions :3

As we progress, more OCs will appear! Let me know if you'd like to see any other OC cameos.

Taglist:

@uncreative-cryptid

@hobbysognodilibri

@crypticrainbowmoss

@captainsounddisaster

@yupuffin

@marmartheyarn

So, to start of smaller scale with just Sobeknesef. I'd say he used to be rather religious as a child, especially so when his parents were still around. But when he lost them and became alone, and dove deeper into that religiousness for some sort of comfort, as many people irl do after truama. Then, when he had that horrific hand-loosing experience as a solider, he sort of... lost most of his religious devotion. He sort of had a reality check that- the sentinal has been gone a very long time, their not coming back, their not going to help him or his people despite all the promises it made in the past. all hes been doing is not clinging to a ghost- but, the memory of a ghost. He klung too it because he felt lost, but, it didnt really ever help . It always felt.. hollow. The deafening silence in response to his prayers, how bad things just kept happening and escalating no matter how devout he was... he lost hope. He buried the effigiegs of the sentinal that his parents left behind, he stopped praying, and stop attending group sermons in his village. He disconnected himself, so that he could truely find himself. So that he could finally see the world for what it truely was - without rose tinted glasses to blind him. If he needed help, he needed to learn to help himself, since a god wasnt going to.

He has religious truama in that regard, but, he also has religious nostalgia as well. (I hope this makes sense, lol, idk how else to explain his complex feelings)

Now, as for Alkhulud (the gilded wastes) as a whole- id say its somewhat split down the middle. Theres a lot of people who still king to the hope that their sentinal will return, that it didnt willingly abandon them, that their suffering will eventually be rewarded when it returns- they actually maintain and use the temples closest to their villages, though cannot restore or maintain the ruined ones further away. then theres others who immediately denounced the sentinal all together when it left them to pick up the fragmented pieces of their deteriorating nation without any help or guidance. People who feel genuine betrayal over their sentinal leaving, regardless of why it did. In some instances the believers and non believers live in separated villages, while others stay mixed together.

Id also say there was a sub group of believers who pivoted from the sentinal, and started worshiping the gilded wastes itself - spreading legends about the sands as if it was alive, and would punish those who disrespect it. I'd say this group definitely outnumbers the sentinal worshippers nowadays, with even alot of those who denounced the sentinal falling into worship of their nation itaelf, and their worship is a lot more deeply ingrained into the new age culture of the nation. Theres festivals and holidays and traditions that were born from this and that have been in practice for a super long time. In fact, Sobeknesef became apart of this group as well, thinking of it as a lot more rational and pragmatic to worship an aspect of nature - a solid concept that is always there and cant abandon - rather then the fickle fragility of a god. With worshiping the wastes, they view themselves as being on the same level as it - rather then putting it on a pedestal like one would with a sentinal.

Perhaps these gilded wastes worshipers have a smaller subgroup, a sort of cult if you will, who worship The Worm (i havent forgotten about it :3). A group that are sort of extreme and who arent liked or welcomed by most settlements, and so they tend to have their bases set up in some of the ruins scattered around the nation (not just ruined temples, but also ruined sky scrapers and such). They often give offerings (sacrifices, mostly animals but sometimes people that they deem as "blasphemers of the wastes", and some of the more "crazy" members even do a suididal sacrfice of themself), hold sermons, try to recruit others, feud with non-worm worshippers, and do general religious worship. The Worm of course probably doesnt know of or really care about the worship, its very unclear since no one has ever really tried to talking to it cuz its so dangerous and scarey, but hey - free food! It won't pass that up.