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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!

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

TOPLEVEL DIRECTORY (Updated January 16)

WINTER LODGE

As part of an annual migration of sorts, the three leviathans will journey north where the waters are cold and small icebergs and chunks of ice will float aimlessly. As if serving as a "boundary point," there is a large island called Avaleci. It is a unique place where one half is an active, submerged volcano and the other is a snow-capped mountain. For a few years now it has become a place to serve not only as a waypoint for those traveling through the area, but a tourist vacation destination. It is here the three leviathans will rest, Nogard attaching itself in the black coastal sands where the mountain and volcanic plains meet.

Riding up a special sky gondola will take visitors high up on the mountain to a luxurious winter lodge that will allow anyone to stay in one of their cozy cabins—for a fee, of course. If one cannot pay with cash or treasure, then earning one's stay through labor, such as hunting for cooks or helping clean and assist others is an option.

The lodge itself will provide for most anything visitors may need, from appropriate clothing to gear and equipment for any sports or activities they may wish to partake in the area. Skiing, snowboarding, sledding, bobsledding, snowshoeing, mountain climbing—most everything is available with marked trails and areas that would be safe to partake in such activities. There are also a few special activities visitors may want to try their hand at.

Along with the mountain slopes and the snow covered forests surrounding the lodge, there is a large frozen lake just a small hike up a trail from the lodge. There are also ice caves that some may try to venture through, but should take caution as there are also natural predators and monsters that live in the area.

🎣 Ice fishing. There are two forms of ice fishing: 1) the usual dig through the ice and drop a line into the frigid waters, and 2) have a net ready to try and catch flying fish that will fly over.
⛸️ Skating. Show off your moves! Just stick to the thicker ice, and watch out for anyone trying to play hockey instead.
🌟 Stargazing. Although chilly, there is a designated platform where one can use telescopes or just lie out on the ground to stargaze. Maybe if they're lucky, an aurora borealis will appear to paint the sky with a curtain of colors.
🦇 Snow bats. There are special little white bats whose homes were devastated by a small avalanche not too long ago. There are now rescue efforts to help rebuild their habitat to create hollows for them to build their nest. Form a positive bond and they may gift helpers with a special powdered sugar that falls from their fur.

Although not the tallest mountain in the world, climbing to the peak can be a challenging feat, especially as it includes venturing through some ice caves. The staff try to keep the trails and caves clear of any dangerous animals and monsters, but they still sometimes come through so be careful. However, should one reach the peak, they can collect a special mountain ice crystal that will stay frozen no matter how it gets. Just beware of potential avalanches. There is a magitech system installed to automatically create a special dome shield in certain areas to help protect anyone who can reach the safe spaces in time. But if otherwise caught, rescue efforts will be quick and should be able to pull anyone out to safety.

Finally, there are a number of wildlife and monsters that inhabit the mountains. For the most part they will leave the busy lodge and recreational areas alone, but encounters are inevitable. Territorial mountain goats, ice golems lurking the ice caves, and the occasional yeti may appear. Some may be persuaded to leave peacefully, especially with food. But others may be hostile no matter what. While the lodge would prefer no bloodshed, they understand if it must happen. Otherwise, for hunters looking for game in the wilderness, they will find the usual variety of animals and will need a permit before venturing out.

HOT SPRINGS

Warmed by the volcano, the hot springs are located at the foot of the mountain, where the snow disappears and the terrain is rockier with short cropped grass and valleys before it fades out to the barren volcanic plains beyond. Built a bit simpler compared to the winter lodge, the hot springs' inn is set outdoors where the pools are, but it, too, has special rooms and lodgings for people to enjoy themselves for a relaxing stay (again, for a fee). Because the hot springs are easier to access on foot, the sky gondola starts down there and connects to the winter lodge above.

In terms of amenities, the hot springs have both separated and mixed pools. They are usually well marked, but sometimes pranks happen. There are several located outside with some near lava streams that flow out from the volcanic crater far from the springs, to the ocean. There are invisible, protective barriers to prevent anyone from accidentally touching the lava. All rooms will have their own small private pool. There are also foot baths, saunas, spa and massage rooms, a gaming room, and several food stalls and restaurants for one to dine at.

Of course, just like up on the mountain, there are some "hazards" that those using the larger pools, especially those that are near the lava streams, to be wary of.

🦎 Fire Drakes. Fire drakes are a common sighting around and in the pools. They are for the most part "friendly," in the sense that they won't outright attack unless they are injured first. But they can sometimes crowd the pools, so one may have to gently "shoo" them away.
🥚 Drake eggs. Nests can be found scattered here and there, and the eggs are a delicacy of the island. Blue eggs are safe to harvest as they are unfertilized, just like chicken eggs. Red eggs, however, are considered protected. Should a drake catch anyone trying to take a red one, then all hell will break loose as the entire hoard of drakes will descend to save their egg and the entire springs will shut down until it's settled.
🐧 Waltz of the Penguins. It just so happens this is the time when large flocks of penguins will migrate down for mating season. They usually won't bother anyone as they are more intent in performing special dances to find a partner, which can be beautiful to watch. Or perhaps someone may want to try and play matchmaker. But it isn't unheard of for someone else to catch their eye…

Some unusual activity is happening outside of the springs, and a local environmentalist will run in distress. Ice giants were spotted attacking and trying to collect a special native breed of tortoise. They grow up to be as large as giant boulders, with their shells made of molten rock. They are formidable in their own right, but the ice giants are larger, capable of picking them up and knocking them over. Rescue the tortoises either by guiding them to the safety of the springs or beating back the ice giants (killing is allowed). Save the tortoises and be handsomely rewarded!

Finally, those in Nogard may find their leviathan's choice of stay a bit…warm. They already had to experience witnessing their leviathan turn into a flesh dragon and engulf them in its gut only to be popped back out to the sweltering heat of the volcanic plains. Good luck to anyone who decides to stay in their homes. Elah and Eltrut will be unaffected.

VOLCANO EXPLORATION

Note: All threads involving prompts in this section will count as "quests" and be worth 4pts.

On the other side of Avaleci where the lava is hottest and where there is no cold to ward off the heat is a dangerous terrain where only the brave and more adventurous should go. Make sure to bring plenty of water and anything else that might help beat the heat. Who knows, even a bit of snow might help. There will be several tunneling entrances leading to winding corridors and wide caverns, some even boasting floors of lava, so watch your step! Fortunately, those who are fleet-footed should be able to make it across on the stones.

Within the caverns, there is plenty to discover: from gemstones and fire crystals to fire blossoms (interesting, they look strangely like the winter blossoms only red), and even some old magitech that appears to be broken. Still, there is no one around to tell people not to collect any of it...

🌋 Floor is lava. Getting across the volcanic terrain will require adventurers to hop from safe stone to safe stone to get to the other side of a lava lake. Beware of lava blobs that will shoot lava balls.
🧂 Sulfur smelling salts. Journey deep enough to find a sulfur field, where smelling salts can be harvested to help ease the nightmares brought on by the sleeping curse. However, too much exposure to the smelling salts will leave one feeling hyper energetic to the point of acting sleep deprived.
💎 Fire crystals. These crystals are a hard sought after item as they can be used for a large variety of magitech and even jewelry. However, they are extremely hot to the touch and can even burn if not handled carefully.
💾 Old relics. Scattered throughout the caverns are odd remnants of what appear to be old relics from the past. Researchers and archaeologists have tried to study here before, but due to the dangerous nature of the environment they've been hindered in their efforts. Those who retrieve pieces to return for study will be able to learn and work with the researchers. (note: Players can come up with any kind of relic that could be found here, from old magitech parts to fantasy genre artifacts. We'll ask for submissions during AC, but you are welcome to ask if you're not sure if your idea is okay or not!)

Roaming around the volcanos, especially in the caverns, are small flame sprites that can talk, sing, and dance. They are mischievous little things with a penchant for trouble, and love playing tricks on people, so keep your eyes peeled for them. Be careful, they also have some very sticky "fingers" and will try to steal whatever you might have on you. However, those sticky fingers are also very fiery, and will burn whatever they get their grubby little hands on!

The sprites will lead you on a merry little chase with your items, over lava pools, through winding tunnels, deeper and deeper into the volcano to take their new items to their secret stash of treasures. They will be hard-pressed to give it up, but should one have the charisma or the charm to convince them, they may instead be swayed to return with you if they are promised a comfortable life elsewhere! A large ship, perhaps? Or a fireplace? Away from that "big, scary, flaming animal" that lives further in the volcano.

Guarding the sulfur fields is what one could surmise is the "big, scary, flaming animal" that lives within the deeper depths of the volcano. Should anyone journey too far, they will no doubt hear its hooves thundering throughout the tunnels. Whether you choose to fight this fiery horse or attempt to tame it will be up to you, but it will not be an easy task… Especially upon close inspection it appears to have a few bones sticking and not quite "whole."

There are some odd things about this area with the flaming horse. Not too far is a small cave where what looks to be remains of a broken altar made of obsidian, the ground charred along with bones and bits of fabric. Dark red stains can be made out as well, but is that just the red rock of the volcano, or something else? Other artifacts can be found, such as torn books, stone tablets, but it all seems made within recent years.

More details about the flaming horse:

Attempts to tame the fire horse may be partially successful. If characters manage, one of two things will happen:

The horse will stare at them as if in a daze before it retreats into the lava, stopping its attacks for a short period of time.
The horse will charge off towards where the strange altar is, attempting to break the remaining structure and dig at the markings on the ground. A strange black smoke will appear and it will retreat back in anger before rushing into the lava and disappearing.

Subduing the horse will be very difficult, but we will leave it up to players on what method will work, and whether it is successful. We will ask for AC submissions, as this will unlock a follow-up quest in February.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That left turn is sharp, but smooth, the fabric of the sails snapping when there's the sudden shift in the wind's direction, and off they go to their destination, which is not far from another, smaller island a way's away from Avaleci. She won't pull up right to the island, however, knowing full well that the mermaids are unlikely to wander onto land like the sirens had. What reason would they have?

Eventually, she will allow the gusts to slow, as well as the boat, and brings them to a stop.]

This should be the place.

[She recalls hearing rumours of them being near a rocky outcrop, and unless her eyes deceive her, that is one there. And, coming down from where she is near the wheel, her steps commanding as she steps down, she points to his side of the ship as she rummages through some coolers that she's brought.]

Weigh the anchor and wait. They will surely come to us.

[The sight of their destination when it finally appears over the horizon brings no small amount of relief for Alhaitham. Though he's managing well enough for the most part there's definitely a rising sense of queasiness that most likely would've been worse had it not been for the modifications to his earpieces. So far, so good—at least for now.

Finally, the sailboat comes to a stop, and Alhaitham has to take a moment to recollect himself after that somewhat harrowing voyage. Not that he shows much of this beyond his still tight grip and the more substantial rise and fall of his chest as he takes in a couple of deep breaths through his nose.

Because of this, it does take him a second to register Benedikta's words, which just manages to make itself heard since the waves aren't that strong enough now to drown out her voice. Alhaitham takes one more breath and lets it out, then goes to anchor the boat as asked, which is something... that Alhaitham hasn't really done before, at least not with his own hands. He's never had a reason to do so, after all. Still, surely it can't be too hard to accomplish.

...the anchor itself is hefty, but Alhaitham has carried heavier things (Kaveh) before so that part at least is fine. What's perhaps less fine is having to quickly extrapolate the method to do this from the texts that he's been reading in the past few days and the times when he saw it happen in passing from the ships docking in Port Ormos.

It takes a minute to fully sort it all through his mind, but by the end of it Alhaitham is at least confident enough to do this properly, and he goes to do just that. Anchor in hand Alhaitham goes to plop it in the water with little fanfare, lowering it gradually afterward with the attached rope until the tension slackens, signaling its descent to the bottom.

After checking to ensure that everything is fine, Alhaitham straightens back up, looking back out over the waters for any signs of their target while fiddling with his earpieces, making sure that its set to the right settings and that they remain firmly on him. The last thing he wants is to end up losing them.]

[Well. At least he does what he's told without any argument, or without saying much at all. Honestly? She could get used to this, and really... she might find she actually prefers it this way. Benedikta was never one for small-talk, and even less so with people she doesn't know, so his silent work is... strangely appreciated. Alright, perhaps he isn't just a pretty boy after all.

Though, once he's finished lowering the anchor and the clink of the chains have stopped, she pauses what she's doing—moving these mystery coolers to the edges of the boat—and offers a small gesture to him. More specifically, his head.]

Are you not planning to remove... whatever those are from your ears?

[You know... so he can hear better? She has no idea what the hell they are.]

[Alhaitham glances over to Benedikta when she makes some form of gesture, and it takes a second for him to put two and put together to catch onto what she's saying. Or rather, asking.]

No, I am not. [Is all that he says in response, so very simply. Kaveh perhaps would have gone on to elaborate further as to why it is necessary to keep them on, but Alhaitham sees no point in doing so since he hadn't been asked about it. And, well—small talk has always been overrated for him too. He sees no point beating around the bush when he can just say what needs to be said and not waste any more time than strictly necessary.]

[...

She just rolls her shoulders in a shrug.]

Very well. As long as they do not get in the way of your ability to do your job.

[Then who is she to say anything. Better to be sure than not, though.

And it's really too bad that Alhaitham doesn't have something to cover his nose like he does his ears because she isn't going to warn him before she's kicking off the lid of the crate on his side of the ship. The smell that greets them both will be utterly horrifying, and Benedikta is ready with a hand over her nose.

Inside the container is a collection of dead, rotten fish, crustaceans, seaweed, and other such things one might find at the bottom of the ocean. Namely, what she was told undead mermaids would probably consume. Not that anyone knows for certain.

And she'll move past him to open up the one on the other side.]

[Don't worry, the earpieces help him with his job, if anything.

But of course, Alhaitham doesn't expect her to understand that, and explaining it would take up too much time considering that she does not know about Teyvat, so Alhaitham makes no attempt to try. He simply nods to show that he is certain of his words. The queasiness that he'd experienced from the fast and rocky travel to get here is starting to abate a little, so maybe—

—and that thought flies right out of the window the moment Benedikta suddenly kicks open one of the crates close to him. The stench that assaults him is immediate, and though Alhaitham is quick to cover his nose as well the lack of a warning beforehand means its a bit too little, too late. The queasiness that had come from the trip had already been bad enough, but when combined with the absolutely torrid stench from the crate? Yeah there's no way even somebody like Alhaitham can handle it.

For what it's worth Alhaitham manages to squash down the rising nausea for about half a minute before it becomes all too much to bear. He does, at the very least, manage to back himself off as far as he can from the crate and gets himself leaning over the side of the ship before he actually throws up. It's nothing particularly violent, and it does not last for very long either, but the damage has still been done nevertheless, and once his body decides that it is enough Alhaitham is left catching his breath, watery eyes staring down onto the waves.]

[Benedikta does pause to arch a brow at him when the poor man bends over the side of the boat and... expels whatever he might have had for breakfast that morning. Yes, she supposes she could have given him a warning before she kicked off the lids, but too little, too late now. She just lets him do his thing without a word, crossing to the other side of the boat and praying to the winds that he will be able to pull himself together before the inevitable.

Once she's finished, she lifts the scarf she wears around her neck up over her nose and wanders over to Alhaitham to check on him... only because he is to be her partner in this fight, and she would not have him be a liability.]

I have heard the mermaids will go raving mad for this, and I am not one to sit around and wait for them to come. [A pause.] Will you be able to handle it?

[Because there's already some movement in the water. The slightest shift in the wind that Benedikta senses.]

[Alhaitham only allows himself to catch his breath up until he hears Benedikta stepping back towards him, and at that point he pushes himself away from the railing, turning around to face here with a mild expression of distaste.]

Yes. [He returns, wiping over his lips with his arm.] ...I'd appreciate a heads up before you do something like that next time.

[He says those words as more of a passing statement, even if it does hold the faintest hint of irritation within. Alhaitham certainly won't pretend to be annoyed, but he also knows that making a fuss about this now isn't going to do anything. What's done is done, and there are more important things to focus on.

Hand now pressed over the lower half of his face, Alhaitham pats himself down for a second in a bid to try and find something that he can use to cover his nose in the same way Benedikta is doing, only to come up short, so he glances over to her once more.]

Do you have something I can use to cover my nose?

I'm almost certain that the smell of the rotting fish will be the least of your worries very soon.

[She can say from experience that wet, rotting flesh is no better, and these zombie mermaids are going to be leagues worse than the sirens she fought in her earlier months here.

But at his question...

...

She pauses, deliberates, and tugs off the scarf she had around her neck, tossing it over to him.]

I will be wanting that back when we are—

[Doesn't even get to finish that sentence because there's a loud BANG and then a lurch of the ship from below, water splashing aboard on all sides.]

Hah. So that did work.

[She laughs and waits, and lo and behold, a claw comes crawling up the side of the ship, the mermaid hissing and groaning.]

[Well those sure are some reassuring words, though Alhaitham supposes he should not have expected anything otherwise. There certainly still are a lot of things that he's going to have to understand and learn that comes with being in this place, though that is not necessarily a bad thing. More knowledge is never inherently a bad thing, though this particular brand is a little different from the norm.

He grabs the scarf when its tossed over to him, immediately tying it around his face much in the way she'd done earlier (though he'd had to lift each earpiece to better tuck it behind his ear just to be certain). He's still in the middle of doing that when the first sign of their target shows itself, and Alhaitham just manages to stay upright as the boat lurches underneath them.

...at least having thrown up means that his stomach doesn't have as much of a reason to bother him now, and Alhaitham just manages to get the scarf settled on his face as claw, followed by a hand, skitters forward and over the side of the ship, the first of the mermaids making themselves known.

With his hands now free Alhaitham draws his sword out, and it appears into his hand with a small flash of light. He readies his blade once its in his head, eyes carefully watching the mermaid as it emerges from the depths. He doesn't call forth the power of his Vision just yet, wanting to find a more appropriate chance before doing so.]

Edited 2024-01-17 08:50 (UTC)

[Benedikta's hand wraps around the pommel of her own sword, not quite drawing it yet. Hawk-like eyes watch as the mermaid, in all its twisted ugliness, climbs aboard the ship and immediately goes for one of the crates she lined up along the edge, dragging its body in a disgustingly gruesome manner across the floor of the boat towards it. It knocks it over easily, spilling the rotting contents in front of it... and it is true what she said.

That smell is nothing compared to the one that the undead mermaid is giving off. Or the others that follow, more sounds coming from around the ship as they start to climb up from all sides, forcing them both to the deck's center and away from the slime that now coats the floor.

RIP to the owner of this boat. She has no idea who they are, but when she returns it to them, they'll be in for a fun surprise.]

Your magick?

[She asks quietly, glancing over her shoulder while they still have a moment, the food serving as a distraction.]

[Alhaitham is very much glad now that he has this scarf to shield himself, because frankly he's not sure how he'd function if the stench that comes to his nose now gets any worse than it already is. Even being able to see the creature itself completely feels like a secondary thing compared to the smell.

As more and more of these mermaid zombies come crawling out of the woodwork (or seawork, as it were) Alhaitham backs himself to join Benedikta at the center of the ship, teal eyes narrowing as he sweeps his gaze around, noticing the shine of the slime and the water that drips off each of the creatures. More than enough water for his Dendro to react to, if what Kaveh has told him holds true.

At Benedikta's question Alhaitham simply gives a flick of his wrist from the hand that he is using to hold his blade. The Vision that dangles off his shoulder responds to his unspoken command, gleaming a bright, verdant green before one of his Chisel-Light Mirrors comes into existence, floating near his shoulder and humming with concentrated Dendro energy.]

[Well. That didn't answer her question very well, but whatever. She'll take it, because they have little time to waste as more mermaids crawl up to the ship and start to fight over the scraps of food that have not been devoured yet.]

Then I trust you will have no problems taking them out.

[Because there will be another violent gust of wind that sweeps over the boat. The mermaids shriek as hiss as they're lifted off the ground, as well as the food and the water. That gust turns into a proper whirlwind, picking them all up and bringing them together near the center of the boat where they stand together.]

I do hope you have good aim.

[As for her part, he'll feel and hear a loud a WHOOSH from behind him, and in a flurry of more wind and feathers, her wings unfurl on either side of her.]

[Alhaitham winces just a little at how strong the winds are getting now, are—well, he'd said he'd been certain about her command of the winds earlier, but this very much takes the cake for sure, especially when the wings come into play. Barbatos himself tended to be depicted with wings of his own in the few depictions that exist of his image, similar to the ones that he can see on Benedikta's back right now, and all of that is very much something to consider for later. For now, these awful smelling mermaid zombies have got to go.

Using his free hand Alhaitam touches one of his his earpieces, helping him to channel and focus the power of his Vision even in the middle of the winds and the waves and the still torrid stench of their targets. It only takes a second, and once he has a target locked on Alhaitham springs into action.]

Flicker.

[A murmur under his breath, easily whisked away by the sound of the winds and the waves, but its enough for his Vision to respond. In a flash Alhaitham blinks from one spot to another, the second of his Chisel-Light Mirrors forming as his blade swings down to sink into the flesh of one of the creatures, keeping it skewered on his blade as he plunges them back down onto the deck of the boat.

Given how these creatures had come from the sea and thus are thoroughly soaked with water, combined with the Dendro energy that is now being channeled through his blade means that the inevitable happens, and as Alhaitham pulls out his blade from the creature to strike again two Bloom Cores appear from the mix of Hydro and Dendro.

Alhaitham quickly backs off as soon as he sees them, not wanting to take any friendly fire made by his own hand, moving on to strike another one of the zombie mermaids that are close enough for him to hit while he's still on the ground.]

[When she said she hoped that he had good aim, she meant it. A large feathered talon reaches into the whirling tornado at the center of the boat and snaps one of the mermaids out of there like a cat catching a fish. The claw follows the movement of her hand, up and then back down, slamming the creature against the deck hard enough that it's rotting flesh splatters across the wood. The claw follows, raking across it to ensure that it's as good as dead, tearing the head clean off its shoulders.

Only for her to reach back in with it to fish out another.

This one is closer to Alhaitham, and as he takes out that second mermaid with his sword—]

Care to do that again?

[—she calls out to him as the mermaid and the claw whip around near him.]

[The sight of Benedikta's work is certainly something to behold, and even Alhaitham has to take a moment to fully digest what he's seeing. It is more or less the first time where he gets to truly see and witness a power that is very much not that of Visions... possibly something even beyond that, given the appearance of wings on her back and basically just about everything else.

His gaze briefly follows one particular trail of murky ichor as it oozes across the now stained deck after having taken one splattered mermaid zombie, with another joining it soon enough as Alhaitham deals with the second of many more of these creatures that they're going to have to take out, judging from the silhouettes he can make out from the localized tornado.

The sound of Benedikta's then comes to him just in time for him to look up and see her more or less tossing over another one of the creatures towards him. Alhaitham reacts immediately once that happens, striking forward with his Dendro-infused blade—and as soon as he sinks his sword in a light projection appears, starting from the side and spinning about, its points sharp enough to cleave through the creature and bisect it into two clean halves.

With that particular one dealt with, Alhaitham continues on with the next one; this one, however, he uses his sword as a point to spin around and toss it to where the two Bloom Cores from earlier are. The instant that particular mermaid zombie lands there the two cores erupt, exploding in a shower of Dendro energy that has the mermaid screaming out in anguish before it too goes silent to join the others already dead.

Alhaitham takes a second then to catch his breath, staring at the few corpses that now litter the deck (which has not taken any physical damage even after the first two cores had exploded; Dendro, after all, goes for the intangible, unlike most of its other counterparts back in Teyvat). Both of his Chisel-Light Mirrors have expired, and he needs a bit more time to renew them. And there is also the minorly-growing issue of the five new Bloom Cores that have appeared—two from the one his projections had struck, and then the three that had formed from the lingering Dendro from the cores that had exploded just now combined with the water on the deck itself.

...given how small the boat is, the constant (unintentional) production of Dendro Cores isn't going to end very well for him if this keeps up.]

[In that time he's taken another mermaid, Benedikta has done the same, although she's rather unceremonious and messy with her kills. Where he cuts them clean in half, she tears them limb from limb, going so far as to make the process as slow and painful as possible as she rips each arm away before crushing its head in her claws, of which there are now two of them magically tethered to her hands.

And Garuda relishes in the chaos and the blood.

And when it's time for both of them to pause for a breath, she sees those cores, has watched in the very short time that all of this happened to know what they do, and she looks to the swirling tornado, reaches in with a claw again, and takes another writhing, hissing mermaid between her talons.]

What will happen if I throw this at them?

[Alhaitham may have perhaps taken notice in the way Benedikta deals with their targets compared to him, and while there is maybe a modicum of concern in regards to that ultimately its not his place to comment, or to judge. As long as it gets the job done and she isn't going to like, suddenly attack him or anything he's fine with it.

During the pause Alhaitham glances down at his sword and takes a second to flick off the excess blood and ichor that have gotten onto it, then looks up to Benedikta as she asks him that question.]

Nothing, really. The cores are a concentration of Dendro energy and so do not react any sort of physical contact. They simply explode after a set amount of time has passed, and any appropriate target is subjected to the blast.

[All of that Alhaitham had handle just fine, when its just a handful of them. But considering the environment they are in now, that 'fine' is going to be 'not fine' soon enough.

He takes a second to think now, trying to find the best way to make this work and eyes the wings on her back and the tornado that's still going on. He knows back in Teyvat that Anemo-powered winds can move the cores about, but its hard to say if that same logic applies here.

No time like the present to find out.]

Are you able to move the tornado?

[She looks at him, bright blue eyes flashing in question.]

Just tell me where to put it.

[That is to say... yes. She can move it just as easily as the wind can shift on its own, and she demonstrates as another sharp wind cuts through the pallid neck of one of their quarries, the head tumbling to the ground while the body is flung into the water.

So sorry you have to witness this, Alhaitham. This is just how she is.]

[Honestly as long as she doesn't deliberately throw a severed head at him or something he's pretty much cool with what she's doing. Even if he might have some questions—but again, its not really his place to say or do anything at the end of the day. As long as she's willing to listen and can be reasoned with, everything else is secondary.]

Towards the front of the ship. [He points in the direction to indicate as such too, just to be clear.] Make sure to sweep up everything along the way.

[With those words Alhaitham teleports forward to attack the mermaid zombies once more—though this time not so much with the intent to whittle down their numbers but rather with the idea to create as many of those Dendro Cores as possible. All three of his Chisel-Light Mirrors form this time as he appears above one of the mermaids in the air and strikes it down, followed by a hard strike of his blade.

From there its basically a flurry of quick attacks with his sword (swords, rather, with the second sword that has formed in his hand that is the same as his projections) that end in a rain of more Dendro projections that strike through many of the mermaids at once, each strike forming yet another Dendro Core or two which quick add up with everything else.

By the time the tornado passes by under Benedikta's command, there'll be an entire plethora of Dendro Cores for it to collect. Alhaitham has to hold his breath as that happens, knowing how bad things will turn out if this doesn't work—

—but thankfully his gamble seems to work out in his favor, for the tornado does pull the cores in as it passes by. The cores themselves don't leave the floor of the ship, seemingly heavier than it seems to look, but they do all come to pile up right at bottom of the tornado, following it as it moves along.

Once the last of the cores have been picked up, Alhaitham quickly tells her what to do next.]

Drop those creatures down onto it!

[It is so very rare that Benedikta takes orders from anyone, let alone anyone she's never worked with before or trusted. She might have barked right back at him, but his plan might just work, what with him littering the deck with these... whatever they are.

She commands the whirlwind with ease, and with her sole focus on it, it only grows stronger as it moves to the front of the ship, sweeping up everything in its path just as he requested. Hopefully Alhaitham finds something to hold onto as it passes through his...

He barely has time to yell out his next one before another wind swoops in, picking up water and mermaids and rotting fish, and she sends them all hurling into the tornado, dropping them right over the cores as she suspects he plans to blow them all up at once.]

This, I want to see.

[Alhaitham does manage to remember to hold onto something once Benedikta starts moving the tornado as he'd asked, though with how heavy the winds are blowing without regard there'd definitely been a moment or two where it'd been hard to tell if there was going to be more than a bunch of dead zombie mermaids to deal with later. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case.

He watches as all the cores get swept up into the tornado, converging right at the base of it with all of their bounties in tow. Once things are in position Benedikta drops all of them right onto the cores; with his timing calculated right the moment the creatures land amongst the cores is also the moment when they start to blow up.

It's not exactly the first time where Alhaitham has had to see a spectacle like this, but it certainly has been a while, and he very much does not miss the technicolor spectacle of green constantly flashing in his face from all the cores that keep exploding one after another, especially when they also cause a chain reaction of even more cores from the extra water that'd been thrown into the mix.

Just like before none of them do any actual damage to the boat itself, but its a very different matter for the mermaid zombies as they all screech and writhe at the near non-stop blasts of concentrated Dendro energy that they're forced to take. It's far more than any creature is able to handle, and after a while the screeches and cries come to a stop as all of them eventually fall to the attack.

The Dendro cores keep going on for a while though, given the generous supply of hydro that exists, but eventually there's not enough Dendro to keep it going, and at the end Alhaitham watches as the final core pops with one last bang to draw things to a close.]

[It's like a sea of fireworks going off inside her wind, and just as she expected, it is a spectacle to behold. Without the screeching and the guts being strewn about or the smell that it all gives off, she might have been able to enjoy it more. Cidolfus would have a field day with these cores, she thinks to herself, as the last of the bangs go off.

The wind takes a moment longer to die down, and when it does, they are met with quite the pile at the front of the ship. Her nose crinkles at the sight and smell, but besides that, it seems to be over. At last.

Her aether supply has dwindled, that whirlwind doing plenty to drain it, and her wings and the glowing green streaks across her disappear into flecks of aether that trickle away in the air.]

That was quite the show. [A smirk before she's pulling out her phone, but her expression crumples just as fast as she stares at the home screen.] Now, be a good boy and snap a photo for the MANTAs, would you?

[The smell is... certainly something to consider, especially now that the adrenaline of battle has faded away for his senses to focus back on everything else around him. That combined with the slight rocking over the boat is starting to make him a little nauseous again, but for better or worse there's nothing left in his stomach to throw up.

As it is, Alhaitham takes a few pointed steps back, putting as much distance as he can from himself at the putrid pile of now actually dead mermaids. His sword disappears from his hand in a brief flash of light, and he uses that same hand to tighten the scarf around his nose, since it'd gotten a little loose from all the tussling about earlier.

When Benedikta speaks Alhaitham glances over to her, noting at how she's the streaks and wings are gone, then briefly flicking his eyes between the shellphone in her hand and the strange expression that comes onto her face. Still, he doesn't say anything himself as he goes to grab his own shellphone from his belt pouch upon her request. It takes a bit to remember how to access the camera function on the device, but he's there soon enough, and there's the telltale sound of a shutter click as he manages to take a picture for their bounty payout.

...Alhaitham is no photographer, but he figures as long as they can see the now dead mermaids he figures it should suffice.]

[At least he knows not to ask questions. She's far too proud to admit that she still doesn't really know how to work the camera properly—at least not properly enough that she wouldn't be a little embarrassed about it in front of anyone. So she just watches him, pocketing her phone once more, and strolls over to the mess.]

We'll send that to the MANTA headquarters so we can return and claim our prize.

[Nose wrinkling, she gives a wave of her hand and the wind starts to drag the mermaid...guts...off the deck of the ship.]

The boat's owner can take care of the rest. Let us hope he doesn't find out who we are.

[Otherwise, she can deal with him.]

« january open log: avaleci »

WINTER LODGE

HOT SPRINGS

VOLCANO EXPLORATION

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so sorry for the wait! this week kicked my brain's ass 😭

npnp! real life do be like that some times...

it do... soon i will be free...

soon..... fingers crossed for you......

can wrap here I think! 🎀

slides in one last tag 🎁