« september: treasure hunt »

[seaboards]

This is our Open Log for players to have an easy opportunity to tag others and have fun with prompts that deal with current happenings that are not covered by our MANTA Board quests. Sometimes we provide extra quests at the bottom, but oftentimes we just let the MANTA Board cover it. Players are free to include MANTA Board quests in their toplevels!

All threads are worth 4 points. Note: the "treasure points" used in the log are completely different and are not used for thread points.

For your toplevel, please include the following: Character Name | Canon | Armada Choice.

TOPLEVEL DIRECTORY (September 22nd)

Bloodstained: RotN - Miriam | Paladin
Ducktales 2017 - Della Duck | Corsair
Final Fantasy XV - Aranea Highwind | Corsair
Freakangels - Arkady | Paladin
Genshin Impact - Kaveh | Paladin
Kingdom Hearts - Namine | Paladin
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Link | Corsair
Mass Effect - Garrus Vakarian | Paladin
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2023) - Sherlock Holmes | Paladin
Sonic the Hedgehog - Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik | Corsair

GENERAL

LEVIATHANS

COMMENTS

GENERAL

With Elah's return and the first expedition down into the deep ocean complete, the two Armadas believe everyone just needs a break and organize a massive treasure hunt to try and reforge bonds between everyone and earn a bit more trust back. The Paladins in particular are still undergoing dramatic changes in its council and organization, and even the Corsairs are "cleaning house" a bit (although their methods are less…diplomatic). Thus while the natural rivalry between the two will always exist, the current acting heads hope this will mend the distrust. Especially since the discovery of Niltast has brought a shift in the wind…

All three leviathans have formed something of a triangle with each other. Nogard has settled on a larger island a day away from Port Hope and Paradise island, and Elah and Eltrut have situated themselves on either end. They are so close that a ferry ride between them all would only take a few hours at most, less than one for the two closest ports where people may see each other waving from the other side.

To help with identification, instead of brands indicating everyone's Armada affiliation, everyone will find a special bracelet somewhere near their person on the morning the competition begins. Paladin bracelets will be blue with little whale charms. Corsair bracelets will be red with little dragon skulls. They can be removed, however they cannot be worn or taken by anyone else. Should someone try, they will suffer a minor burn and be forced to drop it. Because these are bracelets, they can be worn at will, however those who are competing in the treasure hunt will need to wear them both for identification and because they magically tally up the treasures found.

Even those who are not participating in the treasure hunt will have plenty to do with the various festival atmosphere that all three leviathans will have around their main port cities. Food stalls, game booths, shopping discounts, music, dancing—it can all be found for the entire week.

🔫 Gummy paintball guns. While regular weapons are allowed, there are restrictions where they can only be used against any hostile creatures encountered. Instead, since this treasure hunt is trying to avoid needless bloodshed, most participants will be equipped with magitech gummy paintball guns. These mechanical guns shoot gummies that stick to and slow down the target. Depending on the Armada affiliation they will be red or blue. Shoot friends or enemies and stick them to a wall before they can get their hands on precious treasure. (Note: they are also effective against hostile creatures.)

🎨 Paint it all. There are large, gray decorative boards and blank canvases all over the place. When approached, they will hand over a special paintball gun, and those armed with them will be tasked with painting the massive canvases with as much new paint as possible. Colour the canvases with bright, vibrant splashes of colour and a splash of personality. Be quick! Finishing before one's partner will yield a small treasure!

🚣‍♀️ Gondola rides. In order to travel around faster during the treasure hunt, free gondola rides are available to everyone. Although… No one really knows if that means gondola rides up the mountain or across the water…?

🔗 Tethered together. The pranksters from the Peak Content MANTA Board quest are at it even during this treasure hunt. In fact it's the perfect time for it! Some competitors may find themselves tethered together and will have to work together for the tether to release them.

🥗 Sweet traps. One wrong move and anyone could find themselves falling into a trap! Some of the traps are particularly… sticky. Pits of strawberry jelly or banana pudding that leave the person scrambling and flailing to climb out! Or leaves them wanting to scoop up a taste?

🪑Chair mimics. All this treasure hunting might leave you feeling tired. There are various wooden chairs all over the place that can offer a moment of respite. But… they also grab onto whoever sits on them and start moving like something possessed! They range from annoying to dangerous depending on where they decide to bounce, but can be dismantled as easily as a normal wooden chair. As a bonus, their nature can be perceived by those sensitive to the supernatural.

🐈‍⬛ Gremishkas. These are miniature, cat-like monstrosities that resemble rodents with bat-like ears. They’re violent and hiss, will attack anyone on sight, and are hungry for magic. They use some sort of force magic to force others to cast magic on them. Because when it's cast on them, they tend to heal completely and grow three times the size.

There are treasure chests and caches all over the leviathans of various styles that will match the leviathan's theme and ranges of difficulty in opening. The treasures within will range from absolute trash to extremely valuable and can be kept by the finder to do as they will. Players are welcome to create their own items, or use a generator to pick from. We're going to trust everyone with this, so you can pick your own settings and number of effects, but stay reasonable and try to keep the items to match the effort taken! No legendary items that just magically fall in their lap!! Points are awarded for each treasure, with the amount doubled when working with someone from the opposing Armada.

Listed below are the general categories for the treasure. For sake of ease, normal chests have a base worth of 2 points. Those with a plus (+) next to the amount means they can be added onto the chest value. For example, if a normal chest needs some lockpicking, add 2 points. Point submissions will be done during Activity Check. IMPORTANT: the "treasure points" used in the log are completely different and are not used for thread points.

🗺️ Treasure maps. (+2pts) There will be random treasure maps scattered all over, and finding one is like the first step to the real treasure. These maps will vary from straightforward to extremely cryptic and will lead treasure hunters to random locations. The treasures found are also random—it could be to a chest or it could be to some random food stall or person. The definition of "treasure" seems to be vague…and some maps may somehow reflect one's own personal treasure. Points will be rewarded regardless of the final destination.

🔐 Lockpicking. (+2pts) While one could just try to break open a chest, some will be impervious to attacks and will require one to try putting their lock picking skills to the test. If one's a Corsair, they better make it— For those who don't always carry lockpicks with them, there will be a set mysteriously left nearby. Just be careful… Even the most skilled will find these picks breaking a lot.

💰 Loot stealing. (+4pts for success, -2pts if lost) Stealing from each other is allowed, and the Corsairs will likely be up to their usual tricks by trying to steal treasures before they are claimed by other teams. Paladins in response will have a group of "defenders" to try and thwart such attempts—and steal the treasures from them in return.

☁️ Spirit animals. (6pts) Each leviathan will have their own unique animal spirit that will lead treasure hunters through various environments and challenges within the leviathan. Eltrut's will look like a turtle, Elah's a whale, and Nogard a dragon. It is very likely that transformations will need to be taken. At the end, they will find a highly valuable item (1) of some kind.

Mimic chests. (4pts) While there are normal chests around, there are two unique kinds of chests and boxes scattered all over. The first are the mimics, which will attack anyone who tries to take their treasure. Destroy it and break it open to receive well earned rewards…or not. The treasures in mimics may have great worth, or they may be completely worthless—like a discarded candy wrapper.

Happy chests. (4pts) These chests are the "friendlier" versions of mimics. Making cute "waa waa" sounds, they will happily open up if certain conditions are met. It will depend on each chest, but it will be one of the following: offering sweets, playing or singing music, doing a little dance, dripping blood of nearby monsters, or telling a joke. Any failures will just make the chest sad. Treasures found within these chests will have a better range of "average to good."

At the end of the week, a huge feast will be held to celebrate everyone's participation. During this feast, anyone is free to show off their goods and boast of their daring adventures and exploits. With competitive spirits running high, each leviathan will try to outdo each other so there will likely be more food and more alcohol around. Thus it's no surprise that there are a lot of drunken brawls around. Either join in or try to stop them.

GENERAL

LEVIATHANS

COMMENTS

LEVIATHANS

Most if not the entire body of the leviathan is available to explore and try to find treasure. They're all mostly similar, however each one has their own unique challenges. While there will be natural biases against the other, the ports of both Nogard and Elah will be open to the opposing Armada with only some security checks on docking performed. The Corsairs have also placed an order on all members to try to not steal from the Paladins while on Elah and behave. Likewise, the Paladins have restricted any attempts to try and catch or investigate known and wanted criminals on Nogard. Difficult as it may be, there is a truce and it must be upheld. Each Armada has permission to arrest anyone who breaks the rules.

All challenges below are worth an additional 4 points for treasure points.

🪄 Eltrut Transformations. Transforming on Eltrut will transform you into a type of turtle, be it land or water. The goal here is to be able to swim through the rocky, water-filled caverns inside of Eltrut’s shell to collect the turtle totems that have dropped here. Swim and climb the way through the underwater caverns and collect as much as possible to be exchanged for treasure.

🧩 Jumping puzzles. For the treasure hunt, large-scale obstacle course puzzles have been together for the participants to test their jumping and parkour skills. The puzzles are often mechanical-based and require two or more to complete. For example, a stretch of several stone slabs that shift when they are stepped on. Stepping on the wrong stone will drop all the stones down into the water below. Some stones must be stepped on in unison with another person. Figure out the pattern, and solve the puzzle.

🛷 Scutes and ladders. Eltrut has a lot of hills formed by the massive scutes on its shell, and they can be difficult to climb up and down. Sleds made in the shape of a turtle shell are available at random places and can be used to either slide down…or slide up. Control on them, however, is limited and if there are others nearby, collision is likely. Beware the blue shells.

🔵 Blue bells. Air-bound, floating fish. They are named this because they have large air sacs with metal “pearls” inside them, causing them to create a ringing sound when bumping into each other. Often caught in large batches, this emphasizes the effect even more. The largest bluebells are around the size of an apple, but many are smaller. These flying fish are often caught and collected as home decor or traded for other treasure!

🧚 Susuwatari. These little round, fuzzy creatures are protecting treasure all over Eltrut. They scramble about, grabbing small gemstones and coins and keep them for themselves. They won’t want to give up their treasures and will make it very difficult for treasure hunters since they will be snatching things up left, right and centre. Try to sweep them out of the way, kill them or otherwise to keep them from snatching up well-fought for treasure.

🪄 Elah Transformations. Transforming on Elah will turn participants into a dolphin or small whale. The goal is to swim through underwater caverns to special areas to leap out of the water and collect the whale totems that are dangling from contraptions hanging above. Jump higher and collect as many whale totems as possible to be exchanged for treasure.

🐋 Whale scales. Rumour has it that Elah is rich with buried whale scales. A rare special gemstone that gleams the colour of a whale’s shiny skin. To find these special stones, people will have to dig deep into the ground and uproot the parasite bugs that live deep and around the whale scale gemstones in the earth. They like to eat the gemstones, so try to kill them before they eat what you’ve found.

🌬️ Thar she blows. Elah has three blowholes that can be seen from the distance shooting up water every now and then. One special challenge is to ride flying fish through a special course to reach the goal where treasure will be rewarded. Another is to wait at the base of the massive blowhole and ride the water up to a hidden platform where treasure will be found. If anyone falls into the hole… Elah will blow them right back out.

🧩 Puzzle it out. Various treasures can only be reached or obtained after solving mosaic puzzles. These are usually large either on a wall, door, or floor and made of special colored stone. The number of pieces could be as easy and small as ten to extremely difficult with fifty. Each image will be different, but will be whale themed.

🪙 Rust monster. This creature may be willing to give its biggest treasure. But it is hungry for one very important thing: coins. If someone can feed it enough coins, it might spit up the biggest treasure anyone has ever seen. But how much will that cost? If it's too little coin, the rust monster will attack. Its greed is not limited to just its mannerisms. It also wields powerful abilities which are influenced by the amount of gold someone is carrying. The more they have, the more it will be hungry and the more aggressive it will get.

🪄 Nogard Transformations. Transforming on Nogard will turn someone into a land-based reptile. The goal here is to climb up and through the bones of Nogard in order to collect wyvern totems to be exchanged for treasure. Reptile forms will also allow people to easily traverse through small gaps and scale walls, but watch out for potential predators lurking in the skies!

🧗 Bone climb. Most of Nogard's treasures will be scattered within its massive, mountainous skeletal body that encompasses the island it's resting on. Although mostly made of bone it does form cliffs and mountainous ridges within and around its bones. To get to many of the treasures within, one must scale the bones of the leviathan, and many places can be slippery or the distance between the next bone to the next vast. The bones may also move, so be careful!

🤸 Tailswipe. To prevent cheating by flight, Nogard will have some anti-air mechanisms, such as sudden bursts of wind or bones that will randomly appear through the air to hit fliers. The worst is Nogard's bony tail that will rise up and sweep through the air every now and then. However, there is a secret challenge: either ride the tail for a certain time, or dodge the tail swipe a certain number of times, and a secret passage through the tail will open to lead to treasure. The treasure will be random so it could be worthless or extremely valuable, but who knows?

💀 Skeleton bridge. This bridge is made entirely out of spiked and jagged bones. They will shake and creak if you start to cross and it might even fall apart if anyone crosses too slowly, but if they can make it across without falling to their death, they'll be rewarded with whatever treasure they might be able to uncover on the other side. A store of shiny dragon’s stones or other treasure!

🦾 Automaton. A strange magitech automaton is roaming around Nogard. Its one purpose appears to be smashing and slicing treasure hunters to bits. Be careful to steer clear of its massive metal axe, or try and destroy it so that everyone can hunt treasure in peace. Just who made this thing?

GENERAL

LEVIATHANS

COMMENTS

Comments

QUESTIONS

[seawarden]

[weenwoon]

Purely theoretically: are the susuwatari fuzzy and small enough that static electricity could be used to stick them to something?

Garrus Vakarian | Mass Effect | Paladin | OTA

[thearchangel]

( Doing a TL for MANTA board and one for the event, down below! If you want anything specific, please don't hesitate to let me know! PM or redfirelight private plurk works! )

MANTA BOARD

[thearchangel]

🐟 Let's Mosey
There's... how many flights, exactly?

[He has a sinking feeling about this. Ironic, considering this ruin is going up. And up. And up... So high it would probably take a shuttle to get there in a decent amount of time.]

[But this is for some kind of fancy weapon, some "saber". That's got to be worth a decent amount of money, right? And if not, maybe one of the crew can use it. So, with a heavy sigh, he looks at whomever he managed to rope into this, absolutely resigned to his fate.]

Let's get moving, I guess.


🦤 Shoebill Billy
Just a bird. It's just... a bird. Not that big of a deal.

[Right?]

[There can't be anything weird about it. Surely there's nothing wrong out here. Someone just needs a bird shooed off their land.]

You think?

[Maybe it's a huge bird. Maybe it's aggressive and likes to eat people. Garrus is deep in thought, as he, and his poor companion, hike out to where the bird was last seen.]

Maybe we should have brought more guns.


🔴 Ruby Seas under Ruby Skies
cw: death of mermaids, mercy killing
[Some things you don't do for money, or clout. Garrus may be on a mission to rake in the funds, but, this doesn't count. This is something that has to be done. Might as well be him. Might as well be someone who spent hours on a battle field that didn't look too far off from this beach.]

[His rifle is too big of a weapon for this. The assault rifle almost is too, but, at least he can mess with the firing settings enough to have it fire a single round. Instead of the cluster it's meant to. It puts the dying creatures out of their misery more cleanly.]

[He works methodically, and without speaking much. Down the beach - search and rescue is the priority, but coming up on mermaids with no chance... Garrus does what needs to be done. In the cases where there's better odds, he calls out:]

Live one! I need a hand!

[He doesn't look inclined to take a break, either. Probably not the best of ideas, but the job needs to be finished. And if the poachers inevitably make their attempt, well! Time to let out some frustration.]

EVENT PROMPTS

[thearchangel]

🎨 Paint it all
[From the moment someone hands him a gun - albeit a paintball gun - it is on. This isn't about Paladins and Corsairs, no. That stopped mattering around the time of the brands. This is about him, Garrus, absolutely owning an opponent at a shooting competition.]

[He's handed a weapon, and his expression cants into a wry, lopsided grin.]

Hope you're ready for this. You've just stepped into my area of expertise... [What's a little trash talk between competitors?]

Ready?

[Aim...]

[Fire!]


🔵 Blue bells
Why is it, every month, I seem to find myself getting asked to go fishing?

[Why would you pick this man as your partner for the flying fish? He does nothing but complain the whole way out to find the floating creatures. Glancing around, as if he expects a boat and a rod to materialize out of nowhere and terrorize him.]

[Honestly, with his luck, they just might.]

How are we supposed to catch them if they're flying?

[A beat. He glances behind him, to where his trusty rifle is stowed away.] Obviously, shooting them is my preferred option. Shoot them, pick them up off the ground... win-win.


🦾 Automaton
[It's like a geth prime, almost. If geth primes had weapons like that. Standard geth attack practices should - ]

[It's fast. Faster than expected, as it slams the axe down into the space Garrus was standing a second ago. He bolts, half rolling, half running, back out of its range again. Falling back a few more paces just to be safe.]

We need to distract it! And go for the joints! Disable those, and - [He has to beat a hasty retreat from another swipe of the axe.]

- And it won't be able to hit us!

Della Duck | Ducktales 2017 | Corsair

[sos_pilot]

General

[ Treasure Hunting?! Hell yeah! This is the kind of stuff she lives for! It's like the McDuck family creed! So her energy is over the brim, and she's happy to help anyone who wants to join in on the fun.

Granted, she won't really share any mercy with the Gummy paintball guns, and maybe getting caught up a bit in a fake character while gunning you down, complete with pretend-evil-laughter. But on the lighter side of things, she's happy to Paint it all on a blank wall, choosing Red, Blue, and Green specifically. Is she trying to paint three little boys?

Oh no, has she fallen into one of the Sweet Traps? Yes... but on purpose. Della wanted a quick lunch, so why not just lay back, chill, and eat your environment? Ew.

Now let's get onto the real meat - the actual treasures! When it comes to Lockpicking, she's actually waving people over, and offering lessons! Care to learn from a master, or do you intend to trick her and take it all for yourself? She'll gladly follow the Spirit Animals when they're a dragon... and avoid the whale and turtle because EW SEA CREATURE EW. You might also catching a fight with a Mimic Chest and trying to break it into kindling! ]

Leviathans
[ Della will mostly be sticking to Nogard, because dragons rule and again, sea creatures are EW. (But you're more than welcome to convince her to come with you to the other ones, just flash her some puppy-dog eyes.)

When it comes to the Bone Climb and Skeleton Bridge, Della shows no fear at all! The more challenging, the better! Though is it just your imagination, or did she pop off some bones and is now trying to play the others like a xylophone?

Lastly, it's time to kick some Automaton Ass! Before you head into battle, you will definitely hear her cry out that she wants the ax for herself. Dibs! First come, first served! ]

Wildcard
[ Make your own prompt! Feel free to plot with me at melcat33 for plurk/discord ]

Lockpicking into other stuff probably.

[wherethereislight]

[It's a little embarrassing, but Shadow was on the trail of a spirit animal and somehow, he lost track of it. It's unacceptable that the Ultimate Lifeform can lose his target like that!! While retracing his steps, that's when he comes across Della.

It appears she had located a chest herself. Why hasn't she opened it yet? He just stands there for a moment, considering whether to heed her waving him down or continue on.] ... [Getting as many treasures as possible is the point of all this, so he suppose he'll come over to see what she wants.]

Paintball

[reindered]

Hm? Oh! Is it...your boys?

[Chopper is aware of her triplets. So he guesses it might be them when he sees her seeming to paint something. Being more deliberate in her aiming at the wall there. And it looks like ducks? Younger, smaller ones? The reindeer tilts his head, ears shifting in curiosity as he tries to get a good look. To be able to tell better, his own paintgun lowering as he wipes at some of the paint on his nose and cheek, probably only smearing and spreading it.]

gummy paintball guns

[oathkeeper]

[The thing is Sora is a paladin and with Della being a corsair that means that they are... sworn enemies on this day.]

Watch it, Auntie Della! Just because you're cool doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you! That treasure is going to be mine!

[Sora's running down the path, about to parkour his way up the side of a cliff with his gummy gun in hand. He'll pivot only for a second to point at her to shoot a round of goopy bullets at her! Pew pew!]

Aranea Highwind | Final Fantasy XV | Corsair

[draganea]

⤈ i. tethered together + treasure map

[Whether it's randomly in town or in the middle of exploring an area on Eltrut, Nogard, or Elah, the tethers will appear—especially when it's least convenient.]

What is—

[Yanking her arm forward to stare at the rope, she swears.]

Shit, you've got to be kidding me!

[Now whoever is with her will have to work together to figure out this map she's been following. And it's not a very "tied together" friendly path... (Any chest or transformations are possible!)]

⤈ ii. loot steal

[Well she's a Corsair, and living up the mercenary life. Why not have a bit of fun and to steal some treasure from unsuspecting competitors? Or maybe suspecting—if she has to wear her mask and just outright attack, she'll do it.

It's a roll of the dice to see how she does so let's pick some scenarios:

1) Betrayal. Maybe the two were initially working together by chance and now the treasure is within reach. Do they actually split it evenly? Or...

2) Surprise! Whether it's upon finding a chest or on the way out, a black masked armored woman will suddenly drop down from the skies with her spear. And while it may be hard to see, she has a smirk as she speaks.]

We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice.

[3) How the turn tables. Of course, the same can be said of anyone else who wants to try and steal from her. Just be prepared to fight or be chased down!]

⤈ iii. chest problems

[Somehow or another, a chest has been found! And of course while trying to smack it with her spear or kick it with her boots is an option for some, it's clearly not for all.

1) Lockpicking. This shouldn't be too hard, right—]

Argh! You've got to be kidding me!

[She tosses the fifth broken pick and swears under her breath as she takes the next set.]

If this breaks again I'm throwing it over the cliff...

[Well it's one way to break it??

b) Mimics. Not much to say here other than BEWARE THAT BIG GROSS TONGUE AND THOSE SHARP TEETH!! And the way it's bouncing around—yeah this thing is definitely not wanting to give up its treasure easily.

c) Happy chest. The other chest are a little better, but... ...]

...It wants us to sing and dance? Really?

[What about a joke or feeding it candy. She even brought some just in case!! Ughhhhh.]

⤈ iv. jumping puzzle

So we just have to jump across? Piece of cake.

[A glance at her partner.]

Just better keep up, or do I need to carry you all the way?

[Would that count?]

⤈ v. tailswipe

[After climbing (or rather jumping) her way up through Nogard, she can tell that the bone dragon is a little less than pleased by her means of taking "shortcuts." And sure enough, when she makes a particularly higher jump up to a hard to reach ledge, there's a telltale rumble and then a leap as she avoids a giant bone tail smashing up in the air towards her, narrowly missing the cliffside. Given how massive the tail is, hope people weren't too bothered by the close call!

Reaching the peak, she just taunts the bone dragon.]

Come on, can't even hit a small human?

[Hearing of the possible treasure in its tail, she's going to take the risk—and now there will be a dragoon soaring high in the air to dodge the tail, at times jumping on top of it. Anyone else joining for the challenge? Or perhaps had the misfortune of being in the area Aranea is trying to do this challenge.]

⤈ vi. wildcard

[Open to other prompts as well as mixing them! Can also do things from the MANTA board or anything else! Feel free to plot more on my CR comment, Discord, or via laenavesse.]

iv. jumping puzzles

[haveaflare]

[There's a very boyish, innocent part of him that's excited about this game. It reminds him of when he was younger, before duty controlled his life, when he was still training.

He's dressed in training clothing, too, with sleeves rolled enough to see he wears some sort of binding or wrap around his right elbow and forearm. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to bother him as he makes his way to the starting platform smiling when he sees he's been partnered with Aranea.]

That would be cheating. There are puzzles we will likely be disqualified for bypassing.

iii. 1

[hellofishies]

[ Arkady's got clothes on! Be proud! It's a patchwork skirt made of rainbow colors, open toed shoes, and her jeans jacket with 'Freakangels' on the back. She looks properly put together, everyone should be proud of her! She's also been following along with a skip in her step as they searched for their chest.

Then she waited patiently as Aranea went through her lockpicks. Occasionally cheering her on with a little 'you've got it this time!'

Until that last bit. Then she just looks shocked. ]

Then we won't know what's in it! What if it becomes a mimic?

[ Said as though that would be a good thing. She leans forward to look at the lock. ]

Would you like me to try?

iii-b

[eternalhymn]

[And here Lace Harding thought there was hardly anything that could surprise her at this point— but of all the terrible things Thedas does have, mimics aren't among them.

Her bow is drawn and she's lining up her aim immediately after the chest's lid pops open to reveal teeth that gleam like daggers and a tongue that looks— ugh, she's really not sure how to describe how this thing makes her feel, but she fires an arrow into its mouth as it bounces and lunges towards them, staggering it for just a moment.]

We have to get treasure out of there?!

[That seems... wet, at best.]

Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik | Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW) | Corsair

[reneggadetinkerer]

[Leviathan treasures? Why, these are right up Eggman's alley. Especially since he's trying to distance himself from that business with Ganondorf and Turo. Now seems like an excellent time to do some searching for Leviathan Grade treasures to see what sorts of things he can glean from them.]

1 ELTRUT - SUSUWATARI

[This isn't what he signed up for. He was supposed to be snatching powerful relics and priceless, magical gems! But right now, he's currently fighting for his life against some overgrown dust bunnies!]

Hey! Get away from there! Put that back! Stop going through my bags you bothersome little blotches! Hey! Hey, that's mine!

[Eggman is currently fighting for his life against a small platoon of these little critters and they are robbing him blind.]

Do you know how difficult it was amassing those gems?! That's it!

[Eggman makes a few emphatic and precise gestures with his hand, a rather unique looking Buzzbomber from his pack. This one seems enhanced by elemental gems...and it's stinger is sparking with a small pilot light.]

I'll teach you little pests what happens when you cross me! I hope all of my treasure is worth the burn you're about to feel!

[Maybe. Maybe stop him. Or don't? You decide!]

2 ELAH - RUST MONSTER

[If there ever was a bad match-up, this was it. A mad doctor who commands hordes of evil robots who has been going from leviathan to leviathan amassing whatever wealth he could...and a rust monster whose greed is only matched by his ability to make anything Robotnik can throw at him useless. And you better believe Robotnik isn't about to give up any of his treasure. Which means he's currently running away as fast as he can from a Rust Monster that can kill him and everything he's tried to throw at it.]

GET AWAY FROM ME! LEAVE ME ALONE! ISN'T IT BAD ENOUGH YOU'VE WRECKED ALL OF MY GADGETS?! WHAT DID I EVEN DO TO YOU?! GO FIND YOUR OWN TREASURE, I DON'T LIKE SHARING!!

[Eggman is over his head and he is losing ground to the Rust Monster fast. Someone should really help him.]

3 NOGARD - AUTOMATON

Gehehehehe...now this is an interesting development! A magical automaton defender, eh? Well, it's a shame that you crossed paths with me, the great Dr. Ivo Robotnik! You might just be the greatest treasure I've found today!

[Eggman stares down the large, imposing mech with a characteristic sneer.]

You there! Be a good diversion and draw its attention! But try not to destroy it! I need to study it for a moment in order to assess its capabilities!

2

[spinsandneedles]

[Honestly, Sonic's probably been watching from a distance for a little while, just to see what happens. It's going just about exactly how he expected it to.

Today is Eggman's lucky day, Sonic's great at breaking robots! He's also lucky that Sonic's a goody-goody and doesn't actually want to watch him get splattered.]

Y'know, I could give you a hand, but what's in it for me?

[Also Sonic has appeared out of fucking nowhere, keeping pace with Eggman. For now.]

3

[weisshappened]

Why don't I lead it up there for you to look at closer!

[This thing is way too close to the guardians in elven ruins for his liking. He'd sent Assan off, away, before getting into range of this thing. Probably for the best, or else the big guy yelling might get the griffon's attention.]

[The axe comes down, hard, and Davrin has to catch it on his shield. No time to move out of the way. He comes out from under it, swinging his blade at the creature's elbow joint.]

[... Honestly, leading it up toward Eggman doesn't sound so bad.]

Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2023) | Paladin

[astudyinviolet]

Treasure Maps

[ There is something to be said for Sherlock and treasure maps. He sits with a few before him, and he sips some coffee as he ponders them. ]

I have some theories as to where a few of these are located, but others... hardly seem like locations at all. Have you encountered any like that?

Lockpicking

[ However, once he finds those treasure chests, Sherlock is in his element. He practically glows with the idea of picking the locks, and these give him a challenge. He's more than happy to teach others some techniques, give some help, or maybe make a race of it while you try to pick your own treasure chest next to him. ]

This is proving to be a most fascinating challenge. Some of these lock styles do not exist in my world.

Spirit animals

[ Sherlock looks down at a spirit turtle with a sand dollar shell. The turtle hasn't moved the entire time Sherlock has watched it. In fact, the turtle's head is currently pulled into its shell. ]

I believe I'm supposed to be led somewhere, yet it has not moved one inch. Is there something that needs to be done or said first?

Wildcard

[ Want to do something else? Write a prompt or drop me a line at Sherry's journal, aviekokyre, or on Discord @ aviekokyre and we can plot something out. ]

Treasure Maps

[telepathicignorance]

(Look as far as Chris is concerned, Sherlock doesn't like them and they have better things to do than bother him... but the maps have them intrigued. They tilt their head, frowning, as they look over his shoulder.)

I think some of them are symbolic. (They point to one with a drawing of a what appears to be a giant gaping pit in the middle of either poorly stylized mountains in a very strange arrangement or very poorly stylized buildings in a more typical arrangement.) There's a spot on Nogard the locals like to refer to as "the Pit"... though I wouldn't put anything valuable there. (They make a face.)

Kaveh | Genshin Impact | Paladin

[empyrean_mirror]

[A. Paint it All (+Happy Chest)
It's of no surprise to anyone that Kaveh has immediately gravitated towards the canvases, his eyes bright and possibly sparkling. This is no longer about the competition to him. He has happily gestured anyone nearby over to join him, and this may become an impromptu art lesson.

...There is a stool by his canvas, but he's not using it. No, there is a little chest(?) sitting on it and preening because Kaveh is. Painting a portrait of the mimic?

Why is he like this.]

[B. Spirit Animals (Any Leviathan) + Lockpicking

No sooner has Kaveh set foot on a leviathan then he is accosted by a spirit animal running circles around his ankles. He's bewildered and confused, and a little exasperated.]

...I guess we better see what it wants to show us.

[Of course, since Kaveh's luck is never straightforward, any chest he finds is locked, and without a key in sight. I'm sure that'll be fine.]

[C. The Trouble with...Susuwatari?
Here's the problem. Kaveh's been conditioning. And Kaveh wears a lot of jewelry. In general the man kind of just glitters as he goes about live.

Which is probably why he's been absolutely mobbed by a herd of these critters that appear to be trying to abduct him and steal all his jewelry. They've managed to make off with one of his large earrings, all his hairclips, several strands of hair and pieces of his necklace so far, as well as his entire wallet.

H...help him.]

[D. Wildcard
Want something different? Interested in the manta board quests instead? Message me at this journal or on discord at moepuff and we'll work something out!]

B

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock looks like he's absolutely lost his mind, and maybe he has after what he went through. ]

Please say you will lead us to somewhere concrete to solve because I just argued with five other people on what a gondola is, and we each had a different idea. Reality does not make sense at the moment.

link // legend of zelda: tears of the kingdom // corsair

[skyglider]

i—sweet traps

[Link has never been particularly afraid of traps, and perhaps, here, that is his downfall. For he is indeed stuck in a trap. And it is quite sticky. And…sweet? It smells sweet.

Passers-by, whether well-meaning or not, will witness the following: a small elf with a weird arm stuck fast by the feet in something that looks like grape jelly. Said elf looks at it cautiously. Leans down and…sniffs it. Then, with some measure of trepidation, a finger ventures into the Sticky Stuff and returns to his mouth. The elf makes a face, somewhere between confusion and surprise. Then: another finger-ful to the mouth, this one bigger.

Did you happen to make eye contact? You poor soul. Link offers this cursed question:] Got a spoon?

[Or like, an enormous peanut butter sandwich in need of jelly, maybe?]

ii—chair mimics

[For once, for once, there is no fucking around that precedes this particular flavor of finding out. Link had simply wanted to sit. Literally. That's all. Just a normal sit and a normal chair. However, Lae games being what they are…

…

Maybe he should have known better.

Anyway, those unfortunate enough to pick this particular prompt will hear the telltale thunka-thunka-thunka of something galloping wildly in their direction. They will also hear a somewhat surprised wail: hyaaaaaaaaah! And then they'll see it: a literal wooden chair galloping right for them, with a small elf strapped in, hands trapped at his sides. Will running into something stop said menacing furniture? Good question! It'd probably hurt to find out, but anything is possible!!]

iii—treasure maps

[A treasure map is an exciting thing. Link has little experience with them, but following a map, in itself, is not a difficult task. Still…this particular map seems to keep changing its destination. Link frowns, following it, but still it persists in what absolutely must be a prank. Only after a while does he realize that it is not—when the treasure icon happens to land where you stand! It looks like the real treasure really was the friends we made along the way!

…

Okay, so if you're looking for a for-real treasure, Link can get one of those maps instead. Fine! Let's go on a quest and whatever!!]

iv—all the chest options

[Link has been attacked by several mimics, and so, now he looks upon any treasure chest with a slightly wary expression. It's a shame, really; one can live and die by the contents of a chest, in Hyrule, and more than once, he's made it through a difficult situation by only the skin of his teeth and the bounties he found in some half-buried box in the ground.

Perhaps it's more accurate to say the look on his face is one of betrayal, not just wariness.

Whatever the case, he stares down a treasure chest now. There are three possibilities, of course: a locked chest, a mimic, or a happy chest. You're welcome to choose a type, or we can rng, but either way, eventually curiosity will get the better of him, and he will face his treasure-hunting fate.]

v—jumping puzzles

[Oh, this is perfect. Link loves stuff like this—unironically. Does it show in his expression? No, of course not; what shows instead is an intense focus, for timing, in a puzzle like this, is crucial. "A puzzle like this" could mean many things, of course—most likely, a series of platforms all moving in different directions that occasionally line up to form a sort of bridge. Several of these seem to be hinged, meaning they require a counterweight to stay balanced.

Link is able to freeze them, for a time, but they won't stay frozen for long. Either way—hopefully no one's going to fall!]

wildcard
[toplevels are tough, so if none of these options strike your fancy, i'll take a wildcard! or if you want a different starter, let me know—posolutely or kribbit on discord!]

@forgeabettertomorrow;

[skyglider]

[He's seen this before, the way Zelda simply cannot be woken. The bubble is new, but Link understands, to a point, that this is simply a thing that happens. That there's no use fretting, really. So...he doesn't. Or rather, he tries not to. More than that, he sees Darin fretting, and so, he feels a sense of duty that overrides his own worries.

Darin will receive a message from skyglider that simply shows a treasure map. Strangely, most of the map is entirely empty, but for a single corner that has details fully filled in, as well as a location circled not far from where the ship is. Along with the image is a simple message:]



Meet here in 1 hour.

naminé | kingdom hearts | paladin | ota

[obliviscere]

I. 🎨 Paint it All

[ One might catch Namine's eyes widening as she's handed the paintball gun. There's a sparkle in her eyes that might also have just the smallest hint of mischievousness in it too. While she does hesitate ever so briefly just to look up at the large blank canvas it doesn't take her long to start blasting the canvas with bright paint of a variety of colors.

Those familiar with it may recognize a certain fruit tree filling up the canvas. Along with splotches that look like a few special people. Maybe even you? ]

Better hurry up, I'm nearly done!

II. 🔗 Tethered Together

[ The pull is sudden, strong, and very unwanted. At first she's not even sure who she's being tethered to, that realization doesn't come until she's practically smacking into the person. Where she'll utter out a quick: ]

Oh! I'm sorry, it just pulled me and...

[ Well, obviously they'll know that as well as she does. They're tethered together after all. ]

I think we may have to find the treasure in this map to get free. Unless you have another idea?

[ Otherwise it's following the map and keeping their fingers crossed that actually does separate them. ]

III. Mimicry

Found it, finally!

[ Maybe this is her second treasure found. Or third. Or first. Maybe it's your first. Does it really matter? Either way suddenly you're faced triumphantly with a large treasure chest that Namine is all too excited to open. She's followed the map through a few different twists and turns to make it to her prize.

Which, upon approach to open, turns promptly into a mimic monster and tries to smash down on her hand. ]

HEY!

[ The shout comes out accompanied by a violent burst of raging water magic that sends the mimic sliding back.

It might also get anyone nearby soaking wet too.

Sorry. She's doing her best with learning. She gives her unlucky companion a sheepish smile. ]

S-sorry, I'm new to it and-- Look out! It's coming back!

[ No time to talk the mimic's back on it's...feet...? ]

Mimicry

[sos_pilot]

[ Huh, guess the saying 'like water off a duck's back' isn't entirely sure? She shakes her head a bit, but then shrugs it off. We good. ]

Listen, we live in a world that's mostly water, that was bound to happen eventually.

Now then, how do you wanna handle this trashy treasure?

arkady | freakangels | paladin

[hellofishies]

A. 🔗 Tethered together with some 🔵 Blue Bells

Fishies!!

[ Did you have the misfortune of getting tethered to Arkady? Do you have a plan of following a map to get some easy treasure? Did she even agree to this plan?

Probably.

Is the plan completely being derailed by the blue bells. The floating fish. That is all that matters now and she is going to get those fish. She teleports a few feet before realizing she can't go too far without leaving her partner behind

Sorry about that.

But she does look back with a wide smile. ]

Can we get some of them, please?

II. ☁️ Spirit Animals (of the turtle variety)

[ The turtle immediately grabs her attention and she kneels down to be as close to eye level with it as she can ]

Do you want us to go somewhere with you?

[ She tilts her head over at someone passing by or standing with her. ]

It's slowly going off somewhere, should we follow it?

[ What possible problem could happen from following a turtle to potential treasure?]

III. Waa Waaa

[ With a little skip Arkady makes her way to the cute little mimic chest making tiny little sounds. She's actually got shoes on (much to her chagrin), a long patchwork skirt made of rainbow patches and her jeans jacket with 'Freakangels' written on the back wrapped around her. The skirt swooshes around her as she teleports around the creature as though she's trying to figure out what exactly to do to help it. Finally she gets it.

She holds out a hand. ]

Dance with me?

[ Because that's what it wants. Not that she clarifies that. So maybe she's dancing for the mimic, or maybe she's just randomly asking you?]

I

[forladyrhea]

[Cyril didn't know how this happened. He's starting to think a lot of things that happen in this world are beyond his comprehension.

He didn't mind being tethered to someone, even if it was someone he didn't know very well, but they were in, on? the same fleet.]

I mean, sure?

[The blue bells are pleasant to look at, he supposed. And it's not like he was doing anything else.]

Miriam | Bloodstained: RotN | Paladin [Open, conditions apply for one specifically]

[crystalrepose]

[Event and MANTA board thread container! If none are to your interest feel free to wildcard something else or plan something with me here or on the game Discord!]

[OTA]

[crystalrepose]

I. Treasure Hunt

a. Jumping Puzzle
[Miriam was a good partner to have on this stretch of obstacles—both due to her tendency to not care about the color of bracelet people wore, and how she leapt from platform to rock and back again like a gazelle.

She might have been showing off a little bit. But for the most part Miriam was on task.]

I think I see pressure plates on the platform ahead.

b. Chair Mimic
[It had been a long trip up, full of twists and falls. Mostly falls. But there seemed to be seating provided on this ledge! At least for one person; there was a chair pulled up to the ledge, as if whoever left it there wanted to survey the goings on of the obstacles beneath.

Miriam, however, put her arm out to stop whoever had joined her, eyes narrowed a bit.]

Wait.

[That chair. It's suspicious to her.

Or maybe it's suspicious of her to be staring at that chair like it owed her money. It was just sitting there. Innocently.]

II. Transformation Cure (MANTA Quest)

[It was a nice and clear today on one of the quieter sandy beaches. The sky was blue, the occasional clouds puffy and picturesque—except in one particular spot.

Here, dense clouds hung low in the sky, roiling and angry grey-black as they circled a small part of empty, sandy beach—mostly empty, except for the ring of sand filled metal barrels beneath the stormclouds.. The scent of ozone grew heavy the closer one approached, but there was no sign of rain.

Then, abruptly—the clouds split and the air cracked, violet bolts lashing the sand below in a perfect circle. They lingered a bit long for natural lightning—precisely because they weren't.

But they did fade eventually—revealing Miriam in the center, unharmed and scrambling a bit to right a barrel that'd gotten tipped over. She'd worn flash goggles after some fussy pestering—they did their job protecting her eyes, but made it a little hard to see regular light or approaching people.]

Bennett | Genshin Impact | Corsair | OTA

[bahati]

[Paint It All]
[You probably wouldn't expect someone like Bennett to have an affinity for painting, and to be fair, Bennett didn't expect that himself the first time he'd attempted it in Tenochtzitoc. But he'd discovered he had quite the talent for graffiti once he put his mind to it!

Once he's handed the paintball guns, he immediately sets to work as he begins filling his canvases with bright, colorful renderings of a small, mushroom-like creatures, painting in vibrant, stylistic hues. He's looking pretty proud of his work! But what has his competition come up with...?]

[Treasure Hunting]
[If there is one thing Bennett loves more than anything, it's adventure. Exploration, facing challenges, finding treasure... It's the stuff his dreams are made of.

Perhaps he's gotten his hands on a treasure map, and he's dragging you along on a treasure hunt:]

Mmm... Okay, north, so this way!

--

[But even after successfully tracking down a treasure chest and getting it open, who knows what's inside.
If the chest requires lockpicking:]

Shoot, the chest is locked... Can you hand me that lockpick set over there? I think I can get it open!

[If it's a mimic:]

Watch out! This one's got teeth!

[And if it's a happy chest:]

Umm.... I'm not sure I know any good jokes... What about you?

[Jumping Puzzles]

[Some people might shudder at the very thought of a jumping puzzle, but Bennett is practically bouncing on his heels at the thought. This is the kind of stuff he lives for, after all. He cups his hands around his eyes, scoping out the puzzle that awaited him and his would-be companion.]

Whoa... How far do you think it goes? This is a pretty tricky one, I bet!

[He says, not sounding particularly concerned here. Even if it was hard, as long as it was fun, who cares?]

[Nogard Exploration]

[Nogard definitely had the look of a place that said it was for Serious Adventurers only. But if there was one thing Bennett was serious about, it was adventure! And even though it was just a simple treasure hunt, there was something about Nogard that just really screamed adventure to him.

He was an experienced climber, so he starts by climbing bones. It was just like scaling a cliff side!]

Hup... Here we... go! [He pushes off from the bone ridge he was holding onto to reach a higher one--and narrowly manages to grab onto it!] --Whoa! That was a close one, phew...

--

[Later, he's floating in the air with a makeshift glider, trying to survey out the area more fully, when suddenly a long, bony structure rises up and tailswipes at him!]

Whoa!

[He takes a tumble as he loses hold of his glider, but through a stroke of luck, manages to land on the tail, sliding down it from the top to the base of the tail.]

[Wildcard]
[Make your own prompt or feel free to reach out!]

Chest Lock-picking

[verboaten]

[Lock-picking is, unfortunately, a bane of Eizen's. The number of lock-picks that can break or get lost or accidentally fly out of your hand only to sail through the sky and stab someone in the eye (it happened once...) is too damn high. At least if it were a mimic, you just beat the crap out of it and take the loot after. Locked, normal chests are just a pain in the ass.

And that's assuming they aren't booby-trapped on top of things.

Needless to say, when the kid he's with says to hand him the lock-picking set, Eizen's more than happy to comply.]

Here. Lock-picking's not my strong point, so this is all you.

clive rosfield | ffxvi | corsair

[gruffier]

I. Gondola Rides

[ Ah, isn't this peaceful! After months of uncertainty, it's nice to sit back and relax on a little joyride... if you could even call it that.

Clive had meant for this trip to be a quick one across the harbor to the pavilion on the other side, but it looks as though this gondola will take the long way around. It's not exactly going in a straight line, and the rower in charge of the gondola doesn't seem to be in a rush. In fact, they'll be handing over flutes of a clear liquid, and singing love songs under their breath.

... Should he just jump out now? Or perhaps you'll find enjoyment in the small pause of peace! ]

II. Treasure Maps

[ Clive squints quizzically towards a crumbled up piece of parchment in his hands. He's acquired the first part of a "treasure map"... if you would call it that. ]

"Seek that which quells a tired soul." A little too vague for my liking. [ His eyes reach up and around a sprawling and active line of food stalls, squinting. ]

Could be a meal? I hope you came hungry.

III. Skeleton Bridge

[ This can be with or without the tethering spell!

One cautious step against the bone footing has Clive retreating his leg back with a scowl. It feels stable, but for how long will be the true test of time. ]

Best we make haste. [ He responds in earnest. He'll certainly be the one leading the way, if nothing but to protect the person crazy enough to accompany him on this treasure hunt. ]

IV. Wildcard

[ Something else you'd rather do? I am open to pretty much any other prompt, as well as MANTA listings! You can ping me on Discord or over on BittyPipsqueak if you'd like to plot more! ]

Sidestep | Fallen Hero | Corsair

[telepathicignorance]

Maps

(They've got their hands on a map and are doing their best to follow the instructions. Unfortunately, those instructions seem to have led them way out into the middle of nowhere on Nogard... and they have no idea where to go next.)

Fuck.


Mimics

(Look, Chris knows that the whole point of all this is you're supposed to take treasure from the mimics, that they're unlikely to let people befriend them and take them as pets, and there are too many to save all of them anyway.

But also consider: Fuk U.

They see you going after the mimic and unless you're someone they really like, they're gonna trip you up, whether that be via the traditional method of sticking their foot out or the less traditional method of making you misstep with psychic illusions.)

...You know the treasure they give is shit anyway, right?