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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

[Alhaitham takes a moment to think about this, actually. Normally he'd just say no, but he knows that Kaveh has no plans to come in here, and if these fire crystals can be used for mechanical things...

...hmm.

Well, they're already here after all, so.]

I'll take some from here. [Summons out his sword and pokes at the dirt beneath the pocket of fire crystals there.] If you could freeze a couple for me, I'd appreciate it.

[Ah, yes, the joys of small talk and how it always made things awkward. Not knowing what else to say, he decided to freeze a couple of crystals before Alhaitham.]

Um...I think that should be enough? Can I ask why you might want them?

[If he doesn't want to answer, that's fine too. Because Freminet really doesn't know how to keep this conversation going.]

[Alhaitham is mostly quiet as he watches the way Freminet freezes the crystals, gaze flicking over to the other upon being asked the question.]

I'll be passing some to my roommate, and then the rest to another person who will most likely find some use for these crystals. [Cid could use a fire crystal or two, right? Alhaitham figures it wouldn't hurt at least since he's already here.]

But yes, these will be enough. Thank you.

[He takes the now frozen crystals now that Freminet has finished freezing them and puts them into his pouch. They'll definitely melt, but with luck it won't be too bad.]

Can I ask who they are? If they know how to use them, are they mechanics too?

[Not that he ever considered himself one. He just liked to fix and makes things as a hobby. (Not to mention how Lynette keeps breakings at home).

But with that said, Freminet gestured him toward the bridge. They do need to work fast if they didn't want the crystal to melt.]

[Well its not like Alhaitham is actively trying to keep any sort of secrets, and Freminet is asking a fairly valid question, considering.]

...one of them is somebody who I've become acquainted with in this world. He's familiar with machinery, so I figured he might find this interesting.

[He doesn't know if Cid himself is actually going to explore the volcano himself, but on the off chance that he does and has some crytals himself, then surely it won't hurt to pass along a few more, right?]

As for the other... that would be my roommate. He's also familiar with machinery, though its less of an actual study and simply a result of his many hobbies.

[He says all of this before crossing the bridge, since the other is telling him to go first. Don't mind if he does so, then.]

Edited 2024-01-23 18:02 (UTC)

[As he crosses the bridge, he raised an eyebrow or two on who it might be. After all, he couldn't help but be curious when he was used to doing this hobby by himself.]

Could I ask who those two are...?

[Beat.]

Perhaps maybe we can try and figure out what kind of machinery would work best in this world based on what we know.

[There's the vaguest moment of hesitance here. He doesn't... exactly know what Kaveh's stance is on them being known as roommates here at this point in time. He's always respected Kaveh's desire for people to not know about his living situation, as ridiculous as it is, but does it continue to hold true in this place? He'd ask, but at the same time...

...hmm.]

Nobody who you would know. [Sort of a deflection, though technically not untrue; Freminet certainly doesn't look like he comes from Sumeru, at least based off his clothing, and as much as he hates to admit it if the other was Alhaitham would be more likely to have been recognized to some capacity. So the fact that he hasn't said anything like that suggests to Alhaitham that he is from one of the other nations—Fontaine, perhaps.]

It's not a bad idea. [He moves onto the other part of Freminet's words after both of them have crossed back.] It'd be interesting to the exact similarities or vast differences that this place and Teyvat have in common.

[Nobody that he would know, huh? He wasn't going to press it if Alhaitham didn't want to say anything further. Still, it surprised Freminet to know that he had a roommate considering he seemed to be the type who would much prefer to be by himself. But then again, who was he to say anything?]

...I have to admit, I am curious to see how my machinery would match that of the other nations.

[Looking at the frozen fire crystals, it didn't seem all that different from the other materials he had collected in the past. It seemed simple enough to mix with the other metal scraps but...]

Would it be safe to assume you might be from Sumeru?

[There's a small nod.]

You'd be right. I am from Sumeru.

[If Freminet expects Alhaitham to ask something similar back in return he is... going to have to wait, since Alhaitham doesn't care too much. All that matters for him is that Freminet isn't from Sumeru; the specific details thereafter is simply whatever the other desires to tell him.

Still, he casts a brief glance over his shoulder to the young teenager as they traverse back the way they came from.]

It's not too hard to find what the locals call 'magitech' here, if a sample if what you need. [They seem to use it in just about everything, really, and even that is something that Alhaitham is still in the middle of wrapping his head around.]

[He's not surprised Alhaitham didn't say anything back, he was that type of person. He didn't press it and instead paid attention to what else he said.]

Then who would you suggest that I go to get samples? You seem to be willing to talk to the others compared to me.

[Because he does not want to keep on interacting with people that might scare him, thank you!]

[Why would he be unwilling to talk to people...? Well, its true that most people do end up to be more frustrating and annoying than he's willing to deal with, but there are a few who do provide some meaningful perspectives. Not to mention that they're in a whole other world now, and remaining ignorant to the local culture and norms certainly isn't going to help.]

One of the craftsmen, perhaps. There are also some researchers around, from what I understand, so you can try there too.

[Admittedly Alhaitham hasn't looked too much into magitech yet so he doesn't know too much. But he'll get there eventually.]

I-I see, then I'll just have to try and talk to them somehow.

[Which was somewhat troublesome as he really didn't want to. At the same time, he knows that he must given how he wanted to know more about this world. However, he was shifting around in his weight.]

....Thank you for coming on this mission with me.

[Can't always let others do the work for you, Freminet. Sometimes you just need to handle it on your own.

Still, he waves off the thanks, not seeing how its necessary.]

No need for that. I was simply exploring the area, and our goals are similar enough that working together made sense.

[But even as he says that Alhaitham does kind of note the fact that Freminet uses the word 'mission' out of all the possible other choices which is... interesting. There's a chance that it might not mean anything at all, but at the same time—

—just something to keep in mind for now.]

Even so...

[He said before trailing off. As he wondered what else to say to keep the conversation going, he really didn't know. Instead, he mumbled to himself before looking downward.

This was going to get awkward again, wasn't he?]

[Getting awkward for Freminet? Probably, yes. Getting awkward for Alhaitham...?

Not so much, honestly. While he can certainly sense the awkwardness that Freminet is emanating now, he's hardly one to let it bother him. It's not like doing so is going to do anything after all, and they do have a volcano to exit from.

Thus that is pretty much what he does; Alhaitham simply just continues on moving ahead, retracing out the path that'd been taken to find their way back out.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

« january open log: avaleci »

WINTER LODGE

HOT SPRINGS

VOLCANO EXPLORATION

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