[[Open]] MANTA Promots and Catch-All

[yuezun]

Who: Dongfang Qingcang and you!
Status: Open
Where: All Over!
What: MANTA Quests and Crew-Related
Warnings: None at current; will update as needed


A Strange Shopping List
Having been convinced by Rem that a ship of their own, set up with the equipment and libraries needed, would be more useful in conducting the research they were interested in, Daqiang has done his own research into how mortals of the world go about acquiring one. There were the usual mentions of sometimes having ships stolen out from under a captain - particularly if a Corsair was boasting about taking a ship previously owned by a Paladin. But the most common consensus was that if you wanted a ship that would match your needs, you should gather appropriate materials and 'offer' them to the God-Beasts.

What sort of materials? Well, besides the usual wood and cloth and such, it seemed that items and components that would have significance or relevance to the ship the God-Beast was creating for you were just as important. As such, Daqiang had inquired with Rem and then Kimmuriel about what they felt was appropriate and came up with a short, but very odd, list: Magitech Items (still determining what sort), Stainless Steel, Black Jade, and one Dragonfly. And since it was so odd, gathering the materials became an exercise in visiting multiple ports for both information and discussions with merchants.

During the first half of December, Daqiang can be found on Elah, Eltrut, Nogard, and Antam speaking (or arguing) with various merchants over the costs of stainless steel, out in the wildlands of the leviathans chasing down rumored veins of black jade. Maybe you've chosen to help him in acquiring the materials and that's why you're knee deep in mud while Daqiang releases yet another dragonfly you caught because it's 'not good enough'.

Recruiting
If you've been invited to join the Raiders of the Lost Arts or have heard the rumors of them recruiting, and have yet to meet the strongest in the Three Realms, the great devil and Moon Supreme, Dongfang Qingcang, well he's not that hard to track down. His inquiries into procuring a ship have made it easy for anyone unfamiliar with him to get pointed his way by most merchants and port authorities.

On Nogaurd he is easiest to find onboard the Stormbringer as he still has a cabin there. If he's not immediately available, go ahead and hang out with Deathstar, the large, black, warrior cat that Daqiang took on as a 'servant' but whom gets treated more like minor royalty himself. He's very friendly and affectionate and would enjoy a shoulder ride even if he's too big for shoulders in question.

On Elah or Eltrut, he is largely keeping to the merchant quarters and around midday, you're certain to find him enjoying a meal at a private table set up where he can watch the various mortals walk by. He's the perpetually grumpy one dressed like he just walked out of a royal court.

MANTA quests TBA and Linked from Comments
Bite-Sized Blessings (General)
Fey Fighters (General)
Picture of Dorina Grey (General)
Magitech Madness (General)
Coins of the Crescent (Corsairs)
A Steamy Winter's Heist (Corsairs)
Poke 'N Prance (Corsairs)
Untitled Goose Bounty 2 (Bounty)

Wildcard
If the non-quest prompts aren't catching your fancy and the quest prompts aren't what you want either, feel free to put up something else and we'll go!

Comments

[psionicmolotov]

Kimmuriel looks at him, looks at the power gathering in his palm, and then steps back significantly more in case Daqiang's blast has collateral damage. Though he can barely hear anything at all now, neither of them need sound to detect danger.

He does cover his ears with a grimace, for what little good that does. Daqiang's blast goes off, hardly registering above the howls, and dirt explodes out of the new hole to reveal the telltale gleam of not-yet-rusted metal. A chest, half-buried.

Kimmuriel taps the revealed part of the lid cautiously, not able to tell if it's trapped from here, and then shrugs and yanks it out of the ground with a haphazard burst of telekinetic power. He sets it down on solid ground, where they can look at it properly.

[yuezun]

The blast was, perhaps, a bit more forceful than originally intended, but it got the job done. Enough so that Kimmuriel's own abilities could pull it from the earth and set it aside to examine. He figured the chest might be trapped, but his patience was growing very thin.

Moving to stand half in front of Kimmuriel - between the elf and the chest - he pointed at the chest, then himself, and then mimed opening it. He followed that with a 'stand back' gesture before calling his fire to form a thin blue shield around the chest. It would serve to act as a buffer, if nothing else, to whatever might be released when he went to open it.

Once Kimmuriel was far enough back, Daqiang reached through his shield, set his hands on the chest lid, and pulled up. His strength was enough that he believed he'd be able to break whatever locks might remain in place regardless of whatever other traps were tied to the opening of the lid.

[psionicmolotov]

It's almost anticlimactic, really, how easy the chest simply pops open. Perhaps the howling and the traps were thought deterrent enough (or Daqiang's power has outright vaporized anything that might still be a threat, which Kimmuriel suspects. A pity he can't confirm it).

The chest glitters with treasure - coin and gems; this pirate lord was clearly improperly rich - and an ornate box tied shut with little more than ribbons and wax seals. To keep the magic in or to keep it out, Kimmuriel doesn't know - or perhaps it's another curse. Curse or not, he's tired of the constant noise, and so he throws caution to the wind and reaches in to pick up the box.

As soon as he picks it up, the howling abruptly stops, leaving blessed silence. He stares at the box, ears still ringing, and then begins to pick at the ribbons, trying to ease them off the box in a way that doesn't break the seals.

[yuezun]

Daqiang's head snaps up at the sudden lack of howls and he turns to look around the area, just to be certain the change was not a prelude to an attack of some sort. But it seemed they were still very much alone. He could not sense the spiritual presence of anyone or anything else, either. Just the two of them.

With that being the case, he once more opened his sense to magic. Cautiously, so as not to be overwhelmed. But there was no longer an overbearing malaise from the curse. There was, in fact, only a sense of magic coming from one place in their immediate area.

The box.

Which Kimmuriel was attempting to open far too delicately.

"The magic is inside the box, not on the wax seals and ribbons," he states while his eyes turned to the rest of the treasure. It would be enough when split to appease the crew for their troubles in making it out this way.

[psionicmolotov]

It takes him a moment to process Daqiang's words. He shakes his head to clear the ringing aftereffects of the howls, and then he stares at him for a moment, shrugs, and breaks the seals to lift the lid on the box, clearly bowing to his greater experience here.

Nothing happens. He looks at the box's contents, and then offers the box so that the other man can look inside; a set of pristine coins shimmering with magic is nestled within. Something strange stirs in him as he looks upon them, some tug that he ignores - probably a compulsion to do with the artifact itself.

"A worthy reward," he comments. "For a permanent reprieve from the noise, if nothing else."

[yuezun]

Daqiang takes the box and shifts through the coins with one finger before he lifts a single gold piece out. He turns it this way and that, examining it for a long moment before he touches it against the center of his forehead and shuts his eyes.

Nothing seems to happen and, after frowning and giving a sigh, he closes his fist around the coin, "This single coin will be this venerable one's. You can take one for yourself, as well, should you so desire. The rest can be sold back on Nogard."

He handed the box back to Kimmuriel before sweeping his arm over the rest of the treasure. It disappeared in a soft shimmer of blue-white energy.

"This venerable one will carry the rest back to the ship. Let us hope our crew has survived and found their way to being uncursed."

[psionicmolotov]

He watches with curiosity, but refrains from asking for the moment. Something sensitive, no doubt.

He takes a single coin from the box, pocketing it and then closing the box so he can tuck it securely under his arm as they begin the trek back. A pity he cannot simply teleport back to the ship itself - it would make things much easier.

"A useful spell," he says, after a moment, as they continue on their way. "To gather all that treasure at once. Does it take you much effort?"

[yuezun]

"No," he answered, frowning as he moved to follow Kimmuriel. "This venerable one simply moved it to his sleeve. There is no effort in doing so."

There was a limit to what he could now hold there, but after much experimentation, he'd managed to figure out what those limitations were. The treasure basically took up the last of the space he had, but it fit.

"They are called qiankun sleeves. Or pockets. Bags. Were we still in the Three Realms, this venerable one could even hold other immortals inside his sleeves should he need to. The seal on this venerable one's powers doesn't tend to make his abilities more difficult to use. Only how much of them he can, and how often."

[psionicmolotov]

"Interesting. Much like the bags of holding I am familiar with, from my own world - though it would be difficult to recommend putting a person in a bag of holding. They would run out of air. Is there a method to making them, or is it something an immortal is simply able to do?"

He contemplates the information he's been given, and offers a little of his own. "I am in a similar state - there are some things I cannot do as freely as I used to. It is an irritating state of affairs."

As demonstrated, since they have to walk back and he can't just teleport them both back to the ship. He supposes that if this man had his full powers as well, he would likely be able to do the same.