Feldspar

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"Feldspar"
Details
Race	Hearthian
Planet	Dark Bramble
Location	Angerfish Skeleton

Feldspar is a Hearthian astronaut located within Dark Bramble. They are one of Outer Wilds Ventures' founding members, and are revered as one of the best pilots within the Hearthian Travelers. They were the first Hearthian to be intentionally launched into space, completing an orbit around Timber Hearth and later making the first landing on the Attlerock. They have traveled across the galaxy (you can find their tape machines on multiple planets) but have been stranded in Dark Bramble for some time. They play the harmonica.

Hornfels describes Feldspar as "absolutely fearless" and states that "nothing scared them," adding, "It’s a wonder Feldspar lived to see space, frankly." Feldspar is an explorer at heart who is keen to discover new things and eager to hear about the protagonist's adventures. Despite everything, they are not overly keen on returning to Timber Hearth, claiming to like the peace and solitude of their camp in Dark Bramble and that they needed a break from being "the best that ever was".

Dialogue

Initial Conversation

• “Whoa! Where’d you come from? No one’s come here in… well, ever, actually. That makes you the second Hearthian to ever reach Dark Bramble — after me, of course. Well done! ...Say, it’s you! They made you an astronaut? And you haven’t blown yourself up yet, good for you!”
  • (after talking to them on at least one previous loop) >Let me guess: anglerfish?
    • “Heh, you got it in one. Kind of hard not to, once you’ve seen one of those fish up close and personal-like. Well, take a load off and refill your oxygen tank, hatchling! There’s plenty of fire to go around."
  • >Feldspar! You’re alive!
    • “...You never were the brightest hatchling, were you. Yeah, that’s right, I’m alive. Been camping out here since my ship, uh, y’know. Crashed. Violently.”
      • >Wait, what?
        • “Oh,  this is a good story. I’d just finished exploring the core of Giant’s Deep and needed a new challenge, and none of us had ever been inside Dark Bramble, so I think, hey, let’s give that a try. I’ve been cruising around for a while, dodging the odd massive, interdimensional vine bristling with thorns, when I run into this huge anglerfish, the biggest I’ve ever seen."
      • >You crashed? But you’re the greatest pilot in Hearthian history!
        • “I haven’t lived in polite society for a while, so I’m just going to go ahead and assume that wasn’t sarcasm. My story goes like this. I’d just finished exploring the core of Giant’s Deep, and I wanted to try my hand at Dark Bramble, seeing as no one had ever been before. Getting around in Dark Bramble was easy, mind you. Once you’ve dodged one massive, interdimensional vine bristling with thorns, you’ve dodged ‘em all. But after a while, I run into this huge anglerfish — you’ve seen ‘em? Big gnarly things, and this was the biggest one I’ve ever seen."
  • >We all thought you were dead for sure. 
    • “What! Me, killed off by thorny, extradimensional plants that entirely violate the laws of space and time, and a couple of giant predatory fish with gaping maws and enormously sharp fangs? Not in this lifetime, little buddy. I set up camp here when my ship got stuck here in Dark Bramble. Been living off the land ever since.”
      • >So what exactly happened to your ship?
        • “Oh, this is a good story. I’d just finished exploring the core of Giant’s Deep and needed a new challenge, and none of us had ever been inside Dark Bramble, so I think, hey, let’s give that a try. I’ve been cruising around for a while, dodging the odd massive, interdimensional vine bristling with thorns, when I run into this huge anglerfish, the biggest I’ve ever seen."
      • >”Got stuck”? But aren’t you the greatest pilot in Hearthian history?
        • “Haha, you flatter me! ...I like it! I came to Dark Bramble for the excitement. I’d just finished exploring the core of Giant’s Deep and needed a new challenge, and none of us had ever gone farther than Dark Bramble’s ice fields, so I thought, hey, let’s give it a try. Getting around in Dark Bramble was easy, mind you. Once you’ve dodged one massive, interdimensional vine bristling with thorns, you’ve dodged ‘em all. But after a while, I run into this huge anglerfish — you’ve seen ‘em? Big gnarly things, and this was the biggest one I’ve ever seen."
  • >Have you been here in Dark Bramble all this time?
    • “Depends on how long “all this time” is. I’ve been here a while, I guess. Ever since I crashed my ship into - that is, ever since my daring escape from the jaws of an anglerfish!”
      • >Tell me more about your flying prowess!
        • “Haha, you flatter me! ...I like it! My story goes like this. I’d just finished exploring the core of Giant’s Deep, and I wanted to try my hand at Dark Bramble, seeing as no one had ever been before. Getting around in Dark Bramble was easy, mind you. Once you’ve dodged one massive, interdimensional vine bristling with thorns, you’ve dodged ‘em all. But after a while, I run into this huge anglerfish — you’ve seen ‘em? Big gnarly things, and this was the biggest one I’ve ever seen."
      • >You crashed your ship, didn’t you.
        • “Obviously, yes. No need to be rude. My story goes like this. I’d just finished exploring the core of Giant’s Deep, and I wanted to try my hand at Dark Bramble, seeing as no one had ever been before. Getting around in Dark Bramble was easy, mind you. Once you’ve dodged one massive, interdimensional vine bristling with thorns, you’ve dodged ‘em all. But after a while, I run into this huge anglerfish — you’ve seen ‘em? Big gnarly things, and this was the biggest one I’ve ever seen."

"I pull a few stunts, try to shake the thing off — nothing too fancy. I’m going full-speed when the fish clips me, knocks me into a vine, and… ...well, like I said, I crash. Blammo! On impact, my ship starts making noises like it’s coming apart from the inside, and I think, well, that ain’t great. Sure enough, I barely get out of there before the electrical systems start sparking like crazy. It’s either move fast or die unpleasantly, so I had to put a little distance between me and my poor, fried ship. I camped out near where I crashed at first. I found this skeleton later — great find, would’ve been stupid not to use it. So I moved my setup over here and planted my emergency tree seeds. Been here ever since!”

• >...Wow. 
  • “Yeah, pretty much."
• >I can’t believe you didn’t die.
  • “You know, in the old days, I used to think the same thing every time I came back from a flight in one piece. These days, I’m used to it."
• >I can’t believe you destroyed your ship.
  • “Easy for you to say. Your ship probably has all kinds of fancy modifications and upgrades, like “working retro boosters” and “non-flammable construction materials.”"
• >No wonder there are so many stories about you back home!
  • “Heh. You’re not half-bad yourself, making it here in one piece."

"Anyway, that’s how it all went down, hatchling! Story’s over, but feel free to stay and enjoy the fire a while. Or don’t. Fire’s not going anywhere.”

Followup Conversation

• “Hey, hatchling, pull up a marshmallow stick! Come to hear tales of my heroic exploits, have you?”
  • >I found something!
    • “Lay it on me, hatchling!”
      • >I went to the core of Giant’s Deep.
        • “So you figured out the ol’ tornado trick, did you? Good work! I found that bit out by accident, but let’s keep that between you and me, hey? Hornfels would have my very handsome head if they knew I’d been riding the cyclones again. “The ship is fragile! It can break! You can’t subject it to extreme conditions!” Not like I was flying the thing into the sun, now, was I? And the jellyfish, you figured those out, too? Hatchling, I tell you what, you’ve done real well for yourself! You’re a fine astronaut, sure, but you might just become a pilot yet!”
      • >I found the frozen jellyfish near your ship.
        • “Ha! So the old thing is still there, is it? That’s where I first camped out after the crash, you know. It was pretty cozy inside! It does lack the structural integrity and indomitable spirit of a camp made in the shelter of the very bones of the species that tried to eat you, I suppose. Still. Very cozy.”
      • >I found a Dark Bramble seed on Timber Hearth.
        • “...That’s bad business, hatchling. As Chert will tell you if you so much as glance in Dark Bramble’s direction, there used to be a fifth planet where the Bramble is now. This infernal plant appeared at the center and kept growing, and growing, and growing, until it shattered the planet and scattered its pieces across space. If we don’t get that seed you found sorted real quicklike, I suspect Timber Hearth will be heading toward the same fate. And I tell you what, we Hearthians have overcome far too much to be done in by some worthless seed.”
      • >I found Nomai writing saying anglerfish are blind.
        • “A-ha! So the blasted things do have a weakness! Meaning my fly-as-fast-as-I-can approach to dealing with them could have used a bit more thought behind it. Ah, well, at least they didn’t eat me. All’s well that ends well, eh, hatchling?”
      • >Actually, nevermind.
        • “Nothing you want to share with me? Sounds like you’d better get out there and do some exploring!”
  • >Where should I explore here?
    • “That’s the spirit! Anywhere’s good, but you should know that space is weird here. Intensely. Ever tried throwing your probe into one of those weird seeds? See there, with the little opening? It’s just big enough to launch one through. Your probe tracker will tell you the probe is in two places at once, but I don’t think that’s… wrong, exactly, because space doesn’t work right in here. That seed looks small, see? But inside, it’s bigger. Much bigger. I’ve had a lot of time to think about this, and my theory is space in Dark Bramble kind of expands as you go through each sphere. That’s why it’s bigger inside those seeds. Well, that’s my theory. Keep that in mind while you’re exploring Dark Bramble and maybe you won’t get lost inside forever. Good luck!”
  • >You reached the core of Giant’s Deep? How’d you do it?
    • “Giant’s Deep’s core, huh? Ahhh, that was a wild one. But since you’re asking, I gotta assume you haven’t made it down there yourself yet, right? If I tell you how, it kinda feels like cheating. Hm… ...On a completely unrelated note, that sure was a big, hollow vine my ship crashed into. Yep. If I were you, I’d go take a walk and see where it ends. You’ll want to go to the tail end of this anglerfish skeleton here and look for a flickering light in the fog — that’ll be my old ship. Path starts there.”
  • >Where’s your ship?
    • “Not far from here, as a matter of fact! If you go straight past the tail of this anglerfish skeleton here, you’ll see a flickering light in the fog. Follow that, and you’ll find my old ship. What’s left of it, anyway.”
  • >What happened to this anglerfish?
    • “Oh, the skeleton? It was like this when I got here. As near as I can tell, this anglerfish must have been chewing on the vine and eaten a seed, and then the seed grew and grew in the poor fish’s stomach until… this happened. Gross, huh? This skeleton was a good find. The light keeps the fish away, you know. See, they’re territorial, so they mostly avoid each other. That’s why I set up camp here.”
  • >Shouldn’t I tell ground control to come get you?
    • “Well… yeah, sure, whenever you have the time. Frankly, I kinda like it out here. Quiet, peaceful...ish. You’re a little young to understand, but it’s a lot of pressure, being the best that ever was. Been nice to have a break.”
  • >Nah, I’m good.
    • “If you change your mind, you know where to find me!”

Ending

“Hatchling! You found me! Nice to have some company around a campfire, isn’t it? Go on, go get the others. Wouldn't want ‘em to miss out!”

(after all travelers have been gathered):

• “Whaddya say, then — should I get out the ol’ harmonica?”
  • >Yes.
    • “Ha ha! Here goes nothing!”
  • >Not yet.
    • “You got it hatchling. When you’re ready, just say the word.”

After Campfire Song

“You cut it a little close, don’t you think? Well, it worked out all right in the end, I suppose. Ahh, I hope there are beasties in the next one.”