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« january open log: avaleci »

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

[ He immediately regrets agreeing to this plan.

But since Jarlaxle is enthusiastically doing his part, he must do his own, he supposes. He skirts around the enraged horse, to give it less reason or opportunity to notice where he's headed, and opens a door to get him to the altar quickly.

Once there, his attention is divided, quite reasonably he thinks, between Jarlaxle's trying to distract a horse with his cape and quickly trying to assess what isn't simply a waste of time on the altar. He begins by taking several photos of the altar itself and the treasures littered around and upon it - they ought to be of interest if nothing else. ]

[It's a great plan actually.

Jarlaxle, contrary to Kimmuriel, is clearly having the time of his goddamn life out here. The horse charges, and merely gets a face full of cloth as a reward, screaming in rage as it charges clean through almost empty air with the drow nimbly hopping back and out of range. The beast wheels about, snorting and huffing, to give it a second go, once again rampaging right for the colorfully dressed target. This time, however, it didn't take an obnoxious shimmering sheet of cloth to the face.

Instead, the drow spins to the side, before snapping out one arm to grip the animal's blazing mane. Hey, he snagged all those crystals, he said he came prepared. With a yank and a grunt, he was off the ground and (if slightly unsteadily) on the angry animal's back. So things just got a little bit more stupid, but he's exactly where he wanted to be tonight, so whatever! This bull fight just turned into a full blown rodeo.]

[ Kimmuriel decides on picking up a stone tablet, which is durable and less likely to be damaged should they have any mishaps. Even with Jarlaxle's various ways of storing all his treasures and Kimmuriel's own bag, there is such a thing, to his mind anyway, as too much. With all the various pieces they've yet to go through and the crystals they've harvested, they have plenty to occupy them.

He uses his shellphone to take more photos of the other treasures left on the altar, and then looks up at a sudden neighing roar to see Jarlaxle now riding the horse. Which has made it even angrier, if that's possible.

It blows steam out of its nostrils, screaming angrily as it begins to kick and prance and shake itself, trying to rid itself of an irritant. ]

[Oh it's mad, it's livid, it wants this stupid, obnoxious, pain in the ass motherfucker off its back and it wants it off yesterday. It kicks and bucks and screams, trying to shake off the drow now clinging to its back like a gaudy little barnacle.

Jarlaxle, on the other hand, could not be more delighted. The hat is off, the hat is in hand, held over his head in a death grip as his free hand locks itself in the blazing horse's flaming mane. Amid the enraged shrieks of the beast, one can hear Jarlaxle's voice as well, whooping and laughing the whole way through as the horse tries in vain to remove the bastard.

He's not forgotten about Kimmuriel, of course, glancing his way amid the chaos to shoot him a big smile. How's that altar raid going? Good? Good!

The beast suddenly dips left, and goes to actually throw itself on the ground. There's one tried and true method of removing something from it's back, and not a lot of critters can take being rolled over on top of by an angry horse. Oops oops oops fuck didn't think about this one oops- He's hopping off, he's tapping out, he can't compete with that shit actually. He scrambles to release the creature and hop off before it actually hits the ground, scuttling backwards quickly to keep free of the enraged beast's stomping hooves.]

[ He drops the tablet into his bag, looks over, and relaxes just the slightest amount at Jarlaxle seemingly doing fine.

This turns out to be something of a mistake, cosmically, given the next moment is the horse rolling on the ground and getting to its feet with a level of reaction time and sturdiness that normal horses do not generally possess, clouds of ash billowing in its wake.

He doesn't usually have to worry about being fast enough, but in this split second moment in time he is, unusually for him, very worried.

He crams it down and opens another portal, figuring it will be easier to escape the creature's wrath if they're both not close to the altar. So instead of reaching through, he leaps through himself, grabs Jarlaxle's arm, and pulls him through another portal to the mouth of the tunnel where they came in. One of those flailing hooves clips his shoulder in the chaos, but he doesn't flinch.

Once they're out of the way, he quickly closes the portal and takes stock of the situation. Hopefully Jarlaxle has not actually been trampled on. Otherwise they are going to have even more problems.

He very carefully does not say the This was a bad idea inevitably on the tip of his tongue. ]

I retrieved a tablet, [ he opts to say instead. ]

[Could this have gone better? Well yeah, duh of course, this could have gone heaps better, he could still be on top of the horse. But it could have gone far, far worse. After all, he's still alive, isn't he? Both legs not broken, head all in one piece, bones are all pretty solid. Scuffed, lightly singed (having a shaven dome was a boon today), and sore but otherwise fine. Once again, he's managed to escape the consequences of his actions and no lessons have been learned! He'd reacted almost instantly when Kimmuriel snagged him, kicking off from the ground to help them both through the portal to the entrance of the tunnel. The blazing horse managed to send up one last horrifying scream before the portal itself closed, the sound of it ringing through the tunnels before dimming away into silence.

Very exciting.

He'd not however, missed how the beast's hoof had struck Kimmuriel during their mad dash to escape. Bad idea? Yes, definitely not one of his better ones but he wasn't going to say that, briefly inspecting his hat before popping it back onto his head.]

Excellent. Alongside the crystals and gems, I believe this has been a highly profitable excursion.

How is your shoulder?

[Right to brass tacks. The tablet was retrieved, they were outside the tunnel, there were now officially more important things to discuss for the time being. His tone remained light and conversational, seemingly unbothered.

He's bothered. Don't be injured, please.]

[ Kimmuriel is similarly taking stock, noting with some relief that Jarlaxle has, at the very least, escaped significant injury. If he did, no doubt he'd be complaining about it. He doesn't ask whether Jarlaxle has learned anything from this because he's fairly certain that if he was presented with the same scenario, Jarlaxle would do it all over again.

He doesn't grimace or flinch when Jarlaxle reminds him of his own injury, but his body language does get just a little stiffer as he stops ignoring the fresh throb of pain currently lancing down his arm. That is a problem - he needs his hands to work, after all - but it's not a problem that requires what he thinks of as excessive fussing (aka 'any attention at all'). ]

Nothing is broken. It will heal.

And yourself? The creature almost rolled atop you. [ His own tone is serious, flat, as usual. Maybe just a little concern peeking through, for once. Maybe. ]

[There would have certainly been some sort of remark had he been actually hurt in the ordeal. Though granted, if he'd been genuinely injured, it might have wrapped right back around to saying absolutely nothing about it at all. But no, he was more or less entirely whole, though at some point down the line Kimmuriel would be hearing some whining about burns; as well prepared as he was it was still a pretty toasty experience and he could already feel the telltale sting of a few mild burns here and there.

The change in his expression was minute, a faint furrowing of the brows, the way his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly as Kimmuriel seemed to stiffen as he was reminded of the injury. The psionist's stoicism was as always, something to be marveled at no matter how unsurprising it was, though he still found himself just a little agitated at how well any potential pain was masked. For the best perhaps, but now he'd just be left guessing if the other man was actually seriously hurt. The fact that he could tell Kimmuriel was injured at all was not necessarily a great sign. He waved off the concern quite literally, the gesture dismissive and easy.]

A touch scorched but none worse for wear. Had it not thrown itself on the ground I'm sure I could have held on for far longer, quite the clever trick. A shame I couldn't be leaving the cavern with it...

[SEE. HE'S FINE. He's so fine he's going to be mildly put out about not bringing the horse back with him which is an obvious indication that he's A-OKAY!]

I feel as if we've gotten all we're going to receive of this place though, it's high time we return. I'm sure the rest of the crew will want to take a good look at that tablet we've recovered.

[This is definitely not because he wants to get the fuck out of here before anything happens to potentially exacerbate any injuries Kimmuriel has, he's not concerned and everything is fine actually.]

I hope it is of some use. It is a script I am unfamiliar with.

[ This research, this talk of the failed attempt at taming the beast is an easier conversation than this almost suffocating sense of concern. He latches onto it gladly, perhaps a little more than he should - but when have they ever done anything differently?

Talking about how he cares, that he cares at all, that is hard. This scolding, leaving everything else unsaid, is easy. He frowns just a little, visibly, at the mention of Jarlaxle being a touch scorched. ]

You have a horse already. What would you do with another? [ But he supposes he already knows the answer, or an answer. Jarlaxle collects valuable, magical things for the sheer joy of having such treasures, an impulse that is both deeply irritating and strangely endearing.

But who knows, Jarlaxle might pull out another answer entirely. It's simply what he's like, after all. An eternal font of ridiculous responses. ] It is not as if you could pocket the beast - it is no figurine.

[Far easier than discussing what was actually floating around in the forefront of his mind, beyond the soreness of his body and the irritating discomfort of a few mild burns. For as relaxed as he seemed to be, for as casual as his tone was, Jarlaxle's gaze was scrutinizing, looking for any hint of crookedness in Kimmuriel's shoulders. The other mans face, after all, wouldn't be revealing anything.]

I could ride it out of the cavern and back to the lodge of course. It's a horse, it's quite portable already.

[Shut up about gondolas and a burning horse being on a gondola, he didn't think that far yet shush shut up]

What if I misplaced the Nightmare figurine? Or if this place saw fit to steal that away from me as well? I'd assume you'd applaud my foresight in the matter of ensuring I always have a horse.

[Oh we're on to jokes now.]

You would do better to have a portable boat, unless you can find a horse that can ride across the water as well as land. [ His tone is merciless.

Jarlaxle's keen eyes will find small discrepancies; as Kimmuriel moves, as they begin to walk back the way they came (there is still some way to go, after all), he holds himself more stiffly than usual on his right side, the pack he brought with him slung over his left shoulder instead. His right arm does not swing as freely in natural motion as it usually does. Though he has always been controlled, it speaks to an attempt to not jostle a fresh injury more than his usual way of compressing his movements. ]

I would not put it past you and your absurd luck to find one, however. But then I would have to ensure you did not get yourself half-drowned - though you would surely complain even at the slightest drop of water on your clothing.

[ He's a little more talkative than usual, another telling sign. Whether it's through distraction or some kind of deliberate diversion, he isn't usually this...chatty. ]

That sounds like an issue that could have been resolved when the time arrived to do it.

["It was going to be Future Jarlaxle's problem", but now it's nothing but a daydream, alas. Amid the quips and jokes, he's making note of everything wrong. Injured, blatantly injured at that, as far as he was concerned. The ghost of an expression of unease never did quite leave his face, as more incongruities began to rear their heads. Oh it was minor, terribly minor, anyone else might have not even noticed how talkative Kimmuriel was in comparison to the norm.

But that paired with the obvious change in body language was more than enough to set off a few alarm bells.]

I've not yet gotten the chance to test the ring of returning I received here, who's to say I couldn't find a way to bring the horse back with me as well. There might be just enough room in the apartment for him, you know.

[And with that, he gestured at the pack,]

And the tablet is in there, I would assume? Give it here, I'd like to get a good look at it myself.

[No, he probably wouldn't understand any of the language. But curiosity was an excellent excuse to take the pack without making it clear he was trying to lighten the load on the other man.]

You would try to keep a creature like that in an apartment? You have been too spoiled by that figurine you are so fond of. [ He's teasing a bit, of course. He knows full well Jarlaxle understands the commitment of a living mount that has more requirements than keeping its physical anchor safe. ] I do not like to think of what would happen if your ring worked. It would undo all our attempts to make the place serviceable.

[ He'd like a place with a bit more control over everything. Someday they'll get a house...

Kimmuriel looks at him curiously at the request, and then wordlessly shrugs off the pack and hands it to him. He noticeably uses one hand - his left - rather than both, despite that being more secure. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

« january open log: avaleci »

WINTER LODGE

HOT SPRINGS

VOLCANO EXPLORATION

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