Yoshimon1 said:
Quin told us he did not hear anything about Dirt in Taihon-Nonchan. That could mean one of several things: He actually didn't go there at all and never left Shui-Ti. He did visit the place, but didn't play any music there for some reason, so no one took notice of him. Or maybe he actively laid low and made sure not to be seen. Let's focus our search on the immediate area around the portal in Taihon-Nonchan and try to find out if he passed through at all.

Given a new town to explore under sunlight, you and your friends decide to make your way back to the portal, and enter eastward into the giant gate. As you pass through, you are hit by a leadening wave of humidity.

Beyond the gate, deep blue skies are replaced with dark grey clouds, lit by a wide rainbow arcing across the horizon. Beams of golden sunlight shine through sparse gaps in the heavy overcast, and down into the thick ambient haze below.

The clean cobblestone road fades into a beaten dirt path, damp yet firm under your hooves, and the cityscape flattens into vast plains of sparkling wet grass. A dozen modest houses form a small village up ahead, with a few more buildings scattered across faraway lands.

Tsu-Ko: "Here we are; Taihon-Nonchan, the trigon's agricultural town!"

You take a quick look around, but unlike the previous location you visited, you do not find much to look at. Grassy fields flatten the land as far as the eye can see, and among the crops, you spot a few Kirinese farmers already hard at work.

Honourshine: "Ponies choose to live here?"

You turn to see Honourshine trying to fan herself by the cowl, and begin to feel your own coat quickly moistening under your cloak.

Tsu-Ko: "What's the matter, Glasses? Not a fan of the weather?"

Begrudgingly, your foalhood friend rolls up her hooded outfit and puts it away in her sidereal bag. You can't help but follow suit, staying cool suddenly a far greater priority than concealing your wings. You remark that nowhere in Equestria does it ever get this humid.

You unequip Blue Cloak of Feather Fall.

Tsu-Ko: "Is that so? Well, you get used to it. Most importantly, the plants love it."

Moonflower: "Ooh, what'cha growin' here?"

Tsu-Ko: "Rice, wheat, soybeans, sugarcane, all sorts of fruits and vegetables… if you can eat it anywhere in the trigon, it's probably grown here. Except for seaweed, that's from Shui-Ti."

You point out that the foods grown here sound quite different from the ones Quin Ataraxis told you about.

Tsu-Ko: "He's a demon from Nan Yunjishan, so he's used to the provincial food there. Every Kirinese trigon has its own agricultural town, but depending on where it is, the food's different. You could say it gives every place its own flavour.

Anyway, it's only going to get warmer, so if you can't stand the heat, you'd best start looking for this bard of yours."

You nod, dreading the thought of the air getting any heavier. To the east is the village, where none of the buildings look particularly open to the public. The roads north and south fork and disappear into various distant farmlands. Kirin and unicorns are out and about their business, all seemingly wearing matching hats.

— —
Previous Page: >3603958
— —