Manta Board + catch all

[general_affairs]

Who: Reno + you
Status: Open
Where: Various
What: Manta board quests + May catchall
Warnings: TBA

Manta Board

---

A. Life in (Techni)color

A1.

[ Really, most of the Manta Board tasks were..beneath his skillset, but everyone has to start somewhere, so grunt-work it is.

This was slightly more within the scope of Reno's skillset, and seemed worth sticking his nose into first just to familiarize himself more with this world and its goings-on.

Those accompanying Reno would find that he wasn't exactly quick to jump head-first into the thick of things. He'd prefer to case the outside first, and if asked, he'd explain his reasoning:

'Yeah, I see the place is wide open. It's worth checkin' out who came by and what kinds went missing though. 'Might be some clues to that layin' around.' Because who knew if there were hidden motives? He didn't want to rush in and get domed by some crazy murderer.

He may or may not offer to be the first to venture into the home, depending on who was with him. Sturdier looking characters will be given a bob of Reno's head towards the doorframe, motioning for them to take the lead with a nudging raise of his brows at them. Smaller or more petite characters would be hit-or-miss, given Reno's history of working with petite bad-asses. ]

A2.

[ While investigating the home from the outside, Reno and his partner(s) happened to witness someone just outright disappearing into thin air. ]

A3.

[ On entering the house, Reno will want to take a quick stock of the paintings and subjects, some of the artist's belongings and journals--just to be sure. He was quick in his work, but thorough when it came to investigations.

Reno had the misfortune of seeing your character just get absolutely SLORPED into the painting, and while he took a few hurried steps back, and tried to post himself as a sentinel to stop others from making similar mistakes.

It's possible he managed to put distance between himself and the home, and managed to warn off a few other individuals that came by as per the manta board's request, but ultimately, they all ended up within the painting due to the unknown proximity of the paintings' magic.

They may have to find eachother, but otherwise, they're stuck in here, investigating the strange painting-verse together. ]

B Every Day I’m Brusselin’

B1.

[ Feel free to run into Reno at the farmer's land, where he'll be listening to some enthused pitch for this miraculous fertilizer. It was interesting enough to get him out in the fields, pulling up vegetables.

Feel free to either watch, or be a part of him discovering its explosive effects on brussel sprouts! Either way will end up with a squawk from Reno, who'd immediately let go of the plant and jump backwards a foot or two, but still end up covered in dirt and plant debris, and looking none too enthused about it. ]

B2.

[ Alternatively, while Reno was helping with the sowing and harvesting, at some point, the dirt will start to shift and sink in, then form a little mound behind him. It was rather silent, so there wasn't much of a clue that it was going on behind him.

There was, after a minute, a little snuffling behind him that caught his attention. That sound made him stand upright to attention and look around, only to be met with a face-full of a little green man, launching from the ground to latch onto his face.

Cue the muffled cussing from Reno through the little green man's torso while it scratched at him and cackled.

He tried to scruff the thing when it started to kick at his collar, but it let go and scuttled across the field. ]

You sonofabitch!

[ He ran a hand through his hair to get it out of his face after that attack, and was about to take off after it when three more mounds of dirt started shifting around him. ]

You're shittin' me..

[ A corner of his lips pulled back with a deadpanned sneer, followed by a sigh as he fished in his coat for his magrod. ]

Fine, guess it's pest control duty.

B3.

[ Now, Reno had been given a few vials of this green fertilizer from the farmer to test out, along with a little list of warnings and possible side-effects.

He was used to having to carry out grunt work for his homeworld's Science Department, so this was really nothing new to him, but that experience with unstable products gave him a rather healthy sort of wariness towards these sorts of snake oils. Rather than putting it to immediate use, he'd get himself comfortable outside a general store on Eltrut.

He inspected it for a bit while enjoying the breeze, but decided eventually to put out a Shellphone post about it, just to gather up a little more information.

Feel free to notice and approach him while he's here, though. ]

C. Elemental Energy Survey

C1.

[ Reno's first order of duty was to receive the sensors. They were pretty, ornate things he turned over in his hands and inspected with a cock of his head, but they were otherwise tucked away, mindfully, into a bag.

It was a good excuse to travel and a convenient means to familiarize himself further with this place.

Feel free to bump into Reno in various places over the course of the month and a half or so at either: Eltrut, Etnam, Nogard, or Naughtilust.

He could be found in the main business districts, getting some directions and chatting up locals, or out in various biomes, with the satchel of sensors in hand. It's likewise possible to just see a wild Redhead, alone in odd places with butterflies fluttering around him. ]

C2.

[ While Reno is on Eltrut, though, he will absolutely be testing out the fertilizer obtained from a certain farmer for helping harvest his field full of explosive fucking vegetables.

He'll once more be around the fringes of town and along a pathway, though off by a few meters, sprinkling seeds onto the ground while some butterfly sensors lay in wait for activation. Feel free to ask what the fuck he's doing, dropping seeds and random green liquid on the ground! ]

C3. - Wildcard

[ Feel free to literally bump into Reno anywhere, steal a sensor from him, bring him food, or otherwise join him.

I'm also open for threads set aboard a ship while Reno is traveling from one island to another for a few days, so feel free to just socialize with him. ]

D. Serenity Illuminated

D1.

[ While checking out Elah, Reno figured he would pick up a commission that gave him an excuse to venture around the island and get more of a feel for the atmosphere.

He'll be there for the week, picking up an odd job or two to keep himself afloat money-wise.

During the evenings, however, he'll be enjoying the air outdoors, every so often pausing to slowly chase down a lightning bug and try to enclose it in a jar.

Please feel free to stop and make fun of this redhead catching bugs in a god damn jar. Castmates, especially, are welcome to stop and laugh at a Turk chasing god damn bugs in the dark. ]

D2.

[ Alternatively, feel free to have invited Reno out, and meet up with him to catch the bugs together. Or just join him while he catches said bugs. Dealer's choice. ]

General

---

Wildcard

[ Feel free to send a starter for any fuck damn reason you please, or request I write one because I will. ]

Closed to Zack @ activatingcombatmode - Around May 23rd-ish hell if i know

[ Even with tactical multitasking, it was a busy month, and he hadn't even begun to scratch the surface in regards to this whole new fucking world. It was a pain in the ass starting over at the bottom again, picking up grunt work and investing in new faces for the hopes of getting a steady feed of pertinent information in the future, but he wasn't above it.

He maybe did miss the resources ShinRa--and now the WRO--afforded him in that department.

While his time spent en route was a welcomed reprieve, and he was headed towards an island named 'Naughtilust,' he wasn't in any mindset to treat it like any kind of pleasure trip. At least not right now.

By the time he stepped off the passenger ship and hit the docks, he was checking his shellphone, confirming their meeting place.

He snorted and huffed with a laugh at the name, 'The Boar and Cock.'

Though, no sooner had he made it a littler further inland did he notice the abundance of. Well.

He raised his brows and leaned after someone passing by, looking them up and down, both with interest and curiosity. Then more and more passed by in the same outfit: a black skirt, white apron, and white thigh-high stockings with the tastiest little garters.

He, of course, whipped out his shellphone to shoot a text: ]

Aw, is this why you wanted me to come out here? What a bro. Now, who're you tryin to talk up so I can find you, cause I'm just an unattended twink out here.

Comments

C1

[afflatusexarch]

[ Of course there isn't only one red head roaming about places like Eltrut or Nogard. G'raha is taking his time with his readings. Though he still wishes to discuss with Kaveh their design. The Miqo'te is familiar with devices that can read ambient energy signals. Perhaps if he gives Kaveh the schematics or the idea, he might be able to recreate an invention from Sharlayan.

Right now, though, he seems distracted by the sight of another doing the same thing as he. So- ]

Perhaps we should make this a joint venture? Seems rather pointless to do twice the work.

[general_affairs]

[ Unlike G'raha, Reno wasn't so savvy when it came to engineering. He could weasel his way through basic things if need be, but he was more interested in what they could do, rather than the how they did it part.

As G'raha came upon the other redhead, he'd notice Reno on a handheld that wasn't native to this place. Upon hearing the voice, he looked up with an attentive 'hm?' ]

Shit, you don't have to ask me twice.

I was just about to try a little experiment if you wanted to help out.

[afflatusexarch]

[ If this little handheld resembles anything like a phone or some kind of means of communication, then G'raha won't truly take note. Now if it is apparently giving off any sort of readings? Different story altogether.

His ears perk at the response and he offers a slight smile in return. ]

An experiment? How so?

[general_affairs]

[ Just a phone! Reno doesn't like how the shellphone is a little lacking in useful apps, so he refers to his own inventory pretty often.

Oh shit, he has cat ears. That move. It made him raise a brow and pout his lower jaw out a little thoughtfully, scanning over the other feline features. ]

Just to see if there's any spots in particular that puts off more or less magic. I mean..this whole thing's a giant turtle, right? Gotta be fluxes somewhere or other.

[afflatusexarch]

Perhaps, if you were examining the leviathan itself and if it is the source of all of the ambient energy around us. However, there are too many other factors that might effect such readings.

[ And, at least where he is from, different elements come into play as well. Some places are abundant in fire aspected aether and others, wind. So on and so forth. So G'raha is operating under the assumption that life itself puts off energy and there is always life flowing around them. ]

[general_affairs]

[ Nerd. This guy was a huge nerd. Reno was gonna shove him into a locker. ]

Yeah, this whole thing's gonna be a drag, but hey, we're doing what we can with what we got, even if the equipment's kinda basic..but it's a start to what he wants to do.

[ He tucked his phone into his jacket. ]

Can you feel magic around us yourself or something?

[afflatusexarch]

I wouldn't necessarily call it "basic." For this star, it is rather advanced.

[ But they must make sue with what they have, yes. That much is true. And what they have is these little mechanical butterflies of Kaveh's design. ]

As for feeling "magic," I suppose you can say that I am able to. In a sense. I am able to use the ambient aether and channel it.

[activatingcombatmode]

Just coming up to the tavern now, man. Be careful, stand out there unattended too long and you'll find yourself being a working twink too. Frilly dress and all.

[Zack makes it shortly after Reno does. With the repairs happening all over Eltrut it's made the oceans pretty busy with ships coming and going with materials and help. Those storms did a pretty bad number on Eltrut and while everyone is going about their lives it's going to take a while before everything is back to normal. Including Zack's broken shoulder in his sling-

But that's not going to keep him away from grabbing another night of food and drink with a friend. That friend being Reno since they still have shiploads to catch up on. G'raha might get annoyed with him later but he'll just have to sneak out for now... He'll bring G'raha a whole bucket of pork buns to make up for it.

He's not at all interested in the maid girls that are walking around despite the way they wave and coo and blink their pretty little eyelashes him. All he does is give them a friendly wave before he makes his way towards the good ol' Boar and Cock.]

Yo! So you made it. Without being pretty-boy-kidnapped and everything.

[general_affairs]

[ Being a quick reader, he glanced over the text and snorted with a laugh before pocketing the phone into his coat. Unfortunately it wasn't his usual standard issue, if only because he'd found, over the course of a month, that it wasn't so easy finding dry cleaning out here. It was still black, but the cut and material gave it away.

What he found more interesting, however, upon meeting up with Zack, was seeing the SOLDIER in a sling. It was just. Odd. He cocked his head, raising a brow in confusion at the sight.

Of course SOLDIERs weren't infallible--he'd been there when it happened. But even now, it still just. Shocked him a little to see Zack injured. That something could injure him.

He just shook his head a bit with a brief, dismissive raise of his brows, and with a shrug of his shoulders, he instead glanced between the cooing ladies and the unflappable guy and laughed again. ]

Barely, man. I was fightin' for my life out here. The frills almost had me if you hadn't distracted them just now.

[ He trotted backwards a bit to bump the door open and hold it. ]

I'm gonna take a guess in saying you got caught up in that shit on Rota--glad you're alright, but damn man. That cast is gonna make it kinda hard to show you the Turk signature handshake.

[ If Reno was at all uneasy, it wasn't obvious. Conversation still came easy and there was nothing heavy hanging from his face or shoulders. Rude would've been able to notice how Reno kept a small bubble of space around himself, or that he kept finding plausible reasons to watch the environment more than his conversation partner, but Reno and Rude were more or less a package deal. He couldn't hide much from Rude if he tried. Reno was on the more comfortable side of things when socializing with Zack compared to Cloud and his friends; that is, Zack may notice the small ways the redhead withdrew, or he might not.

Reno wouldn't sweat either or, and simply continue as he was, picking out a table with a window view to sit by, rather than casually among the crowd. ]

Some asshole just nailed me with a poison dart, but I got my hands on some fun toys to make it worth my while at least.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack gives a bit of a wary laugh but he shrugs his good shoulder. It must look odd to see Zack in a sling at all. Even he's not used to having broken bones even in his choice of work. It doesn't happen very often and even less being a chemically (and alien cell) enhanced super soldier.]

Yeah, I'll tell you all about it. I got caught up trying to take down the big bad bird before things got worse. It was like trying to take down bahamut solo. But I'll be alright.

[Which Zack has fought bahamut- before. Once. And that was a rough fight.

He moves to slide into his seat with an easy sigh. He looks chipper despite it all. He's roughed up but G'raha is a mean healer when he wants to be so Zack's on the mend as fast as anyone would expect. As for Reno's subtle mannerisms... Zack doesn't notice just yet. Although he does know there is a quiet tension between them. But they do have a lot to talk about.]

You doing okay though? Settling in alright despite the storm issues?

[general_affairs]

[ He shook his head a bit with a grin and roll of his eyes as Zack just shrugged about it and accepted it as it was. ]

Yeah, definitely gonna wanna hear about that bird--heard about it in passing, but I didn't get to poke around that stretch of the woods any.

Solo? [ He breathed out an impressed little sigh, brows raised at the idea. ] Badass, but I sure as hell don't envy you havin' to do that. I'm doin alright though yeah, thanks. Just trying to do what a Turk does best, but it's been a while since I had to do all the bitch work. 'Really don't miss it.

[ He ran a hand through his hair with an exasperated grumble of dismay. But, he pulled a chair out for himself and nudged a second one out from under the table a little ways with a bump of his heel before sitting. ]

And all the traveling wouldn't be so bad if I had a bird instead of hopping these damn boats.

[ He sank into his seat, hanging an arm over the back and stretching a leg out to one side. Because when did Reno ever sit like a normal person? ]

Oh, hey, lunch on me, slick. That ain't why I dragged you out here, but help yourself; I've been pulling overtime.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Reno, why do you have to sit like you have scoliosis?]

Yeah? Lunch is on you? Great I'll have the lobster.

[He's gotten a pretty big taste for seafood these days. It's pretty good. And it's abundant in this watery world. He's looking to make Reno sweat by ordering the expensive thing, though. Maybe.]

And you get used to the travelling. Sometimes it takes longer than I want it to but you do get used to it. It's a lot easier when most of the ships are docked on Eltrut for a while, too.

[general_affairs]

Jeeze, right for the kill, yo.

[ He wasn't on the clock, and the scoliosis-position just a common trait among disaster bisexuals. ]

Fine, you want that gold-leaf on the tail, too? [ A snort of a laugh as he picked up a menu for himself, this being his first time here and all. ]

Yeah, it's a good time to get to know people and figure shit out at least. Good for the job, just not so much for my boredom.

Hell, it's like I was saying to Cloud--I miss feelin' that roar of an engine, and the only thing between you and early retirement's how good you are with all that power.

[ Reno and Rude? Adrenaline junkies? Couldn't be them. ]

A3

[starshower]

[What Reno will find, as he investigates the inside of these paintings, is a familiar head of long, brown hair trying to pull one of those plastic-looking frames down from the wall.

Don't ask how she got here during investigations because she has no idea, and at least this would explain the disappearances, but she is desperately trying to find a way out. Being stuck among those who have gone missing was not exactly on her to-do list today. Or any day.]

Come on...

[Someone's already losing her seemingly endless reserve of patience as she tries to pry the painting off the wall. A little help?]

I WAS WONDERING IF I MISSED A REPLY BUT NO I JUST NEVER REPLIED MY DAMN SELF IM SORRY

[general_affairs]

[ He'd seen some other person on the tail-end of getting pulled into the painting, and while he would like to have the luxury of saying that he wasn't dealing with it today, it just wasn't a luxury he could have.

Or..he could, but he would get way too bored with himself.

Setting up a perimeter had been the very first thing on his list after seeing that disappearance first-hand and being otherwise unable to do much of anything, but even that didn't go so well, as the next thing Reno knew, he was landing on his ass and tumbling backwards in a half-somersault with a hard grunt. He sat up and rubbed his neck a bit, sneering and swearing under his breath, but it had been while soothing an aching neck that he heard someone else and perked up.

And she wasn't far off, either. Just across this weird fake-room with the soft, vibrant colors melding together and shifting around as light scattered and shadows moved around, was a familiar ponytail, belonging to a familiar woman he'd been advised to give ample space to.

He sucked in air through his teeth and got to his feet, brushing himself off. ]

Welp. No avoidin' it now.

[ He had mumbled such to himself, but this time, loud enough to be heard: ]

So..I'm expecting the answer's gonna be 'no,' but I'm gonna ask anyway: want a lift?

[ Take note, Reno did not even try to close the gap between them. That woman hit like a freight train, and he didn't want his jaw busted. ]

[starshower]

[The voice hits like a fine pinprick in the back of her neck first before it spreads, the recognition nearly instant. It had been just like before, when his voice had sent a fiery rage ripping through her, and her fingers tighten on the frame of the picture she's trying to tear from the wall for just a moment...

...

She has to pause to remind herself of the things that Cloud had warned her about not even that long ago. That Reno was here, again, and that he and Reno—no, that she and Reno—had made some amends, and that he'd helped save some kids... which was about as vague as poor Cloud could keep it without spilling too much to her, a request that he continues to be so very patient with.

Still, it's hard to temper the immediate flow of anger that she feels as she turns around to face him, glancing first over her shoulder carefully just to be sure that it's who she thinks it is.

With a sharp sigh, she tries to unfurrow her brow. It doesn't work.]

Will the lift be what I need to get us out of here?

[Impatience edges her voice, but it isn't just because of him.]

Been stuck for a while.

[general_affairs]

[ He at least behaves. He has no real need or desire to antagonize her, and both Cloud and Zack had asked him to mind his manners around her for reasons he wouldn't hold against her.

His head lolled to the side a bit as he glanced between her and the frame she was standing at. Well. At least she was willing to get him out of here, too. ]

No promises on that, but it's worth a shot. You haven't seen anyone else around, have you? I saw someone get sucked in...couldn't tell if it was you or not though. Didn't get a good look at 'em.

[ He'd saunter over, moving closer to get a better look at the frame and the contents on the other side of it, bringing a hand up to rub at the back of his head. He'd reach out afterwards to scratch at the frame--see if it was hard or solid, or if whatever weird texture was all over this place was just a coating of paint. ]

[starshower]

[She does take a single step back when he approaches, her guard suddenly up, shoulders squaring with every last bit of tension in her body.]

No. Not since I got here. Most people have moved on to someplace else.

[She keeps her focus on the frame above their heads, tries to keep her mind centred around the task at hand, but before she can even stop herself, she suddenly blurts out—]

Cloud told me what happened.

[general_affairs]

[ His eyebrows raised and a corner of his lips pulled back out of sudden caution when he saw her hackles go up. He'd stop and pause with a sigh, ducking his head a bit as his hand came up to rub at--and briefly hang off of--the back of his neck.

Normally he'd just ignore it and just strong-arm his way through, doing what needs to be done with or without cooperation, but he was asked pretty nicely to give her space and time. And even if he didn't think fondly of her, he didn't want to muddy the waters in case Rude did ever show up--

Reno had let his head loll to one side while he waited, and he'd started approaching again when conversation turned back to the frames, but thought better to once again stop when she piped in again. ]

Well. If we're lucky, maybe it's just augmented reality and we're not in a shittier, smaller world. We had training facilities like that back at HQ, except here I'm guessing with magic ins--

Right..so, which part? He said you didn't want to know about the future or whatever.

Closed. @ Yuezun -> ~19th of March, if the date doesn't clash with anything else

[general_affairs]

[ Travel really would be so much fucking easier if he had a fucking helicopter. Lugging around a couple days' of clothes and essentials so he didn't go around smelling like a musty gym was an annoyance he hadn't gotten used to yet, and likely really never would. But since he insisted on keeping himself this busy, such was the price he paid.

At least it meant that, whenever Dongfang arrived, on the far end of the East docks, Reno would be clean and as professionally presentable as he'd ever been--which was to say he still had a little cleavage showing, and still used his goggles as a headband to keep the puffball of red hair out of his eyes.

And when he was spotted and greeted, the redhead seemed to never leave his element. His greeting was informal: A bob of his head while briefly locking eyes with Dongfang, followed by easily falling in step by his side, slightly behind. Whatever preparations Reno made, he didn't bother wasting time with sharing them. He knew how this song and dance went.

Reno was, after all, a consummate professional, even though his mannerisms suggested something more lackadaisical. ]

So..while we're out here. Mind if I ask a personal question?

sounds good o7

[yuezun]

[Daqiang arrived at the docks through his usual method and made his way over to the meeting point on foot. He was dressed more appropriately for an outing in rough territory than he usually was. It was still a very regal and clearly expensive set of blue silk robes. But the train didn't drag and the sleeves were close cropped so as not to catch on anything.

He walked with shoulders back and one arm tucked behind him. His stride long and ground-swallowing, but also leisurely in a way that said he was used to having people move for him. And he was. And people did. His presence was readily announced by the way the crowd parted for him - both consciously and unconsciously.

He returned Reno's greeting with a shallow incline of his head. And when Reno fell into step, Daqiang continued walking at pace towards the end of a pier. They would use the ring of returning once they were further out from the crowds.]

Yes. But as you will likely ask it anyway, go ahead.

[Mortals tended to pry regardless of his wishes. It seemed to be their nature.]

o7

[general_affairs]

[ He knew the type. The type were Reno was as much of an accessory as he was a tool. Proof of status and power, though here, there was no reputation of a title to follow him and his suit, just the way he knew how to fall in step and belong next to someone of power and status.

But he knew give and take when he saw it in the form of the given tolerance. ]

Awww, c'mon, it's an easy one, I promise. I'm just curious if the whole thing with referring to yourself in third person is cultural.

[ He'd be keen for a signal from Daquang to stop or maneuver as necessary to accommodate the form of teleportation he described, but until such time, he moved through the crowd just as quickly, easily skimming over passing faces out of habit and curiosity. ]

[yuezun]

[Daqiang's eyes shut and he let out a soft sigh because this was something he was asked a lot and there was nothing he could do about it that he knew of. As far as he was concerned, he was not referring to himself in the 'third person'. He was simply using the appropriate personal pronoun for his status. What everyone else heard was apparently up to the language it got translated into.]

If the magic that translates our languages ever provides that answer, this venerable one will assuredly let you know.

[When they reached the end of the pier, Daqiang stopped walking. He could have kept walking across the air, but he expected Reno would not be able to keep up if he did. This would have to be far enough away from others to prevent issues with someone bumping into them as he activated his ring.

Turning to Reno, he held out one hand. The other remained behind his back.]

This venerable one must hold onto you for the ring to take us both.

[general_affairs]

[ His head canted a bit and he raised a brow at the given reaction, before shaking his head with a little chuckle. He picked up that he wasn't the first to ask, nor would he likely be the last. ]

Yeah, fair enough. But hey, I told you it wasn't that bad of a question. I'll just try to make the next one more original.

[ As the other stopped, he'd pause and follow suit, weight falling back easily on his heels as he seemed to lounge as he stood. He'd glance down at the offered hand with a bob of his head and quick pique of his eyebrows, accepting of whatever fate he was, more or less, blindly walking into. Setting his hand in Daqiang's was the easy part. Waiting for whatever-the-fuck was about to happen was the easy part. Hopefully the teleportation itself wouldn't be that bad.

The actual worst part was the way the heat absolutely smacked him across the face and made him suck in a slow, deep breath with a sour sneer on his face. It would, unfortunately, take him a minute or two to adjust to how oppressive the sudden barometric and temperature change was on his system, but he would adjust. In the process, he would take his coat off to hang over his arm to help keep him from over-heating so quickly, exposing the chest harness that held a majority of the weapons he kept hidden on his person under that black coat. It was just his collapsed mag rod, a couple of knives, a multi-tool, a pistol and a spare clip. ]

Alright, since we got a little time before the sprites come sniffing around, you wanna give me any more history about this place? You're the first person I've even heard mentioning it.

[ He was, also, rolling up the sleeves of his blouse. ]

Once they start coming around, just point me the right way and I can handle the rest; I'll keep in line of sight so you can get us out of here quick if shit goes sideways.

[yuezun]

[He didn't know if Reno had already picked up a few of the butterflies, but now that they were on Avaleci, Daqiang brought the ones he had secured out of his sleeve. They appeared in his hand with a shimmer of blue light and their little storage containers already half-full from being around Daqiang alone. At least he had a measure with which to start. He held them out for Reno to take after he had a good look at them.]

These should be released at the shrine.

[He instructed before he began leading the way.]

The God-Beasts brought us to Avaleci during the first month of the new year. The island offered a calming reprieve for many and it was treated like a 'vacation' or 'holiday'. The island is also a strong elemental focus for the elements of fire and ice and crystals which can be described as the purest physical form of the elements can be found here. Both crystals cannot be easily handled by mortal hands.

[Daqiang had a harder time with the frost crystals, but the fire ones were like picking up rocks to him due to his own alignment with fire. Speaking of which, as they walked, he did not sweat or look at all put out by the heat of the sulfur fields. His clothes hung immaculately on him and his hair remained unruffled.]

The volcano is the focal point of the element of fire on this side of the island, while the top of the mountain on the other side is the focal point of the element of ice. As this venerable one said at our outset, he is interested in monitoring the activity at the shrine at it's base.