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« november: the farplane »

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!

Because this is a special event released thanks to the point donations, all threads based off the event are worth 6 points.

Note: This is an opt-in event with the IC timeline lasting throughout the rest of the month. This means a character could go into the Farplane for one day and then sit out for the rest of the month to either go about their business or deal with the troubles that are occurring in the living world. The event should "conclude" by the end of the month, but we will use AC Submissions for details.

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

TOPLEVEL DIRECTORY (Updated November 27th)

As reports of ghosts not returning to the Farplane continue as well as now visible signs of the cracks forming between the realm of the dead and of the living, great measures must now be taken. Tapirfolk who call themselves guardians of the Farplane will be ferried to Eltrut by Envoy Jades and will coordinate with high officials who are more familiar with the spiritual realm. From there, word spreads to the other major leviathans, meetings are conducted, and an organized expedition is set.

It is revealed the newly discovered island of fog, Samdre is a suitable "landing point" for Envoy Jades to ferry those who volunteer to enter the Farplane. However, rather than by any shore, the staging area is in the middle of the island, where a black lake has appeared, one that was certainly not there before. It's here that the Asmodeus will appear in its ghastly glory and everyone will disembark to the Farplane. More of the guardians as well as strange deer will be there as well. To enter the Farplane, however, there are a few things one needs to be aware of:

» Soul expulsion. A living body cannot enter the Farplane, so the soul must be expelled instead. The soul will remain tethered to the body so that it will be able to return easily.
» 3 hour time limit. A living soul can only exist in the Farplane for on average three hours. After which, they must either return to Envoy Jades or activate the provided talisman to immediately return to their bodies. Those who have experienced death before can last at most an hour longer before needing to leave.
» Risk of death. Should a living person stay too long in the Farplane, they risk death and could become a permanent resident of the Farplane unless they can be revived and brought back to life within 24 hours. Fortunately there are different methods to revive a person, and there will be a good stock of Vials of Liquid Life available.
» Side effects. Upon returning to the living, one will feel great fatigue and extreme sickness, as if they had been drowning and brought back to life. These effects last at most an hour and medics on hand will help try to reduce it.
» Downtime. Because of these risks, all who go in will need to stay out of the Farplane for a few hours, even days, or else there could be further strain on the soul.

For those who do not wish to enter the Farplane or are taking a break from their last trip, help in protecting the bodies or tending to the sick will be greatly appreciated. Buildings have been secured to house the bodies and tents are also established for those needing immediate care upon returning.

INTO THE FARPLANE

Once ready, those who board Envoy Jades's ship will need the travel time through the seemingly endless darkness to adjust to being just a soul. Only the lights on the ship will grant them any visibility, and it's under these lights they will notice their forms begin to look more solid, until eventually they look almost like their living body—just a lot paler. They are also able to touch and feel things while also having the ability to pass through objects. Because is anything actually solid in the underworld? Fortunately they won't be able to pass through the ship due to its unique qualities and magic.

Eventually a light will appear, and it will grow and grow and grow until in a blinding flash they breach through and are greeted by a mystical sight. The bell of Cassiopea, the jellyfish that contains all of Farplane, shimmers high above them and is endless. There is no clear beginning or end, it just stretches on forever, the darkness beyond like the night sky. Things float or fly in the air—it's hard to tell if one is underwater or not—and it's not too long before they see what looks to be large land masses with buildings like those found in ancient kingdoms. With lush coral reef forests and seagrass hills, although paler in color, it doesn't look too different from the land of the living.

As they approach what looks to be a white crystalline shore, they are told that they are near Respite Reef, a place where souls that are newly arrived and have yet to accept their fate first stay. This is so they can have the space and protection to acclimate to the afterlife, and reduce risk if they are unable to accept and corrupt instead. Those who choose to slumber for eternal rest or until they are ready to awaken again are taken to a place further beyond called the Gravewaters. Where they are going, however, is the Breathing Depths, where most souls live out their afterlife.

Here it is both a "lively" yet "peaceful" place, where souls drift around almost lazily. The concepts of wants, desires, and needs are extremely diminished. While some may hold onto a few things from their past life, many will have completely let go of them to exist happily. Before setting out, it may be a good idea to look around and understand what it's like to "live" in the Farplane.

🙅‍♂️ In denial. Some recently arrived souls may not be ready for the afterlife, and it’s not unusual to see souls try to fight against the guardians or other souls in a last-ditch effort to return home. Help them calm down, either with a comforting word or perhaps by force, and help bring them to Respite Reef.

🫧 Bubble jumping. Moving through the farplane feels much lighter than it does in the living world. Gravity is just a touch lighter in this place. With the amount of large bubbles and jellyfish floating around, it might be fun to be able to jump up on bubbles and jump and float around on them. Reach higher junctions by jumping from bubble to bubble, or make it into a race to see who can get the farthest with a friend.

🐟 Pyreguppies. Swimming around the Farplane are hundreds if not thousands of little glowing guppies that hover and play around any traveling souls. These little floating fishies are playful and sweet, trying to give little kisses to anyone who might still be clinging to life. If they come into contact with a soul, they can give a small warm memory of someone lost.

🍎 Black crabapples. Pretty black crabapple trees grow in random circles all around the Farplane. Despite being black with little crab shaped bits, the apples look tantalizing and delicious and draw souls in to want to snack on them. When eaten, the eater will experience extreme forgetfulness to the point that they don’t even remember who they are. Luckily, the effect only lasts for a few hours.

🎐 Good wishes. In order to support any lost souls wandering about, it is encouraged to write good wishes on small slips of paper and to tie them to trees. It doesn’t only need to be good wishes to the souls here, it can also be good wishes for the people in your life or someone you often think about too. These wishes will cheer up souls that rest here.

📿 Sticky charms. It’s a common trick to ward off the darker spirits by using special handwritten sticky charms with a small ruin spell on it that wards them away. Create some sticky charms and apply them to the forehead in order to make them the most effective.

☁️ Bubble clouds. If caught in one of the various floating puffs of sticky bubble clouds, the soul stuck inside it might experience their perfect bliss. Be it a dream about fulfilling their most sought after desires, finishing a long-lost goal or falling in love. The dream will be so blissful that the soul might not want to leave and be stuck there forever… Don’t let anyone get stuck.

Closer to the edge of the Breathing Depths and towards the wilder area known as the "Uncharted," there are a few natural places one should be aware of. There is a large steaming herbal hot spring that can be found and souls are compelled to come sit in it and to enjoy it. Although, stay long enough and a soul might melt and change into the shape of a frog or otter or any other aquatic creature. The purple and green seagrass fields can be found flourishing through the Farplane. The watercress and seagrass is thick and soft, like a whole forest of colorful grassy fluff. These watery grasses are light to the touch and if walked through, will give traveling souls a sleepy feeling. Falling asleep with someone here will let dreams be shared between companions.

FARPLANE: DARK SIDE

While most of the Farplane is safe, it is natural for there to be areas that are dangerous. The Uncharted, for instance, is a vast wilderness where most souls of animals and beasts roam. More dangerous, in the dark depths deep within Cassiopea is an area called The Locker. It is where the most vicious, unrepentant, monstrous souls are locked away. Unable to be purified, they are slowly tormented and destroyed by the ghostly leviathan. However, there are occasional leaks where some of that malignant energy seeps out into the rest of the Farplane. Referred to as blackwater, the guardians are usually quick to find and clear it up, but sometimes souls will get caught or perhaps even seek out the blackwater.

Regardless of how, souls affected by the blackwater will turn into malignant entities called "malice" and will corrupt the energy around them. If not taken care of quickly, it can spread, attracting more hostile souls and creatures as well as corrupting peaceful ones. The guardians and barrier around the Breathing Depths keep them at bay, but there has been an unusual spike that is making it difficult for them to contain and attacks more frequent. Those that go out to help need to be careful not to be corrupted themselves.

⚫ Black ooze. Although can be mistaken for blackwater, this black ooze is thicker in substance, like tar. It can be cleared out, but care still needs to be taken. Those trapped by it or exposed to it for too long will experience immense despair, vividly recalling their greatest regrets and moments of hopelessness. This can cause a soul to be corrupt, so although it's not blackwater, it's being treated similarly.

👻 Heliobi. Energy-sucking ghost-like parasites, they take root in a host’s nervous system and slowly feed on their emotions and energy. They will use the host’s deepest, darkest desires to create wild delusions and manipulate the host like a chess piece. The host has no choice but to obey and is possessed. If left long enough, the host will no longer be who they once were and will be exhausted by the heliobi. To stop these creatures, an “evil binding matrix relic” will be needed to imprison the abominations. Or just smack them around enough until they come to.

👾 Dearly Departed Foes. The Farplane is not only home to the souls of people, but also animals and other creatures. Those who venture deep into the Farplane may also come across the departed souls of monsters that had once been hunted as bounties in the land of the living. They’re definitely not happy about seeing the face of those who had slain them, so they will be hostile to those who were the reason for their demise. Arm yourself carefully if you want to fight these bounty monsters a second time!

☠️ Marked for Death. Corrupted souls may recognize those who were once dead and now living, marking them as a target of aggression by souls angry at their circumstances. Those who have returned from death may even have ghosts try to replace their souls with their own, or even displace them and drag them deep into the Farplane to join the dead properly.

👥 Possessions. There are more aggressive, fearless souls that seek out bodies of the living to possess. Like the others, they will feed on the memories of those that they encounter. However, unlike the ones that simply take shape, they will possess the body of the ones they find. Sometimes, they will make for a very convincing version of that person, and other times, they will take on the form of another in those memories. They will act like them, speak like them, and bear all of the same memories. A powerful soul may even be able to change the host's appearance, though it may "glitch" out and appear strange, as if something is slightly off. Be careful not to get caught by these ghosts, or else they might just follow people out. Find a way to dispel them or fend them off before they take over the body and mind completely...

The cracks from within the Farplane are more likely to be found in the Uncharted area, making them harder to find. They appear like giant gashes, as if someone had claws through the air or the ground, and a distorted view of the land of the living can be seen. Once found, however, it only needs to be attacked to be destroyed. However, care must be given to not be pulled out of the Farplane and back into the world. Because their souls are still alive, they are more likely to be pulled out and fairly quickly. If that happens, they will need to either re-enter the crack or risk being stuck outside and needing to make their way back to their body as the talisman will not work.

The ghost ship Envoy Jades had been trying to hunt down will be seen appearing and disappearing to attack certain parts of Cassiopea at random, creating and leaving cracks behind. When not ferrying the dead, Envoy Jades will take his ship and chase after it to try and rid of it once and for all. Those who wish to help will be armed with special purifying relics made and brought from outside, and because they are still living they are the only ones who can use it. These relics are all long range, from cannons to long range firearms to harpoons to magic staves. If enough people are able to use and hit the ship, they should be able to destroy it so that Envoy Jades can collect and drag the souls to the Locker where they belong.

REALM OF THE LIVING

With ghosts and creatures slipping through the cracks all over the world, those of the living need to do their part to deal with the issues brewing on their side. Fortunately, the number of ghosts and ghouls have been significantly reduced, so rather than a flood of attacks there are only a few that appear here and there. Thus it's manageable but still a problem, especially as the days drag on and it continues to persist. For those focusing on the general dangers and ghosts, there are a few ways one can help.

🦴 Gravestones. Several of the dull gravestones outside the Farplane’s entrance are grimy and icky with mud and time. Cleaning them might be able to protect the entrance of the Farplane better and keep the souls that are going inside safer. Clean the graves and offer them stories about your life to help them glow with energy again.

🧵 Leylines. There are several long tendrils of energy connecting the living world to the Farplane. These lines of energy are the very tethers that keep souls grounded and so they can return to the living world when the time is right. In order to keep them strong, use magic and energy to fuel the tether’s power. Letting them go out will surely mean a lost soul never returning.

🎶 Sing a verse. The Farplane is also incredibly sensitive to heartfelt emotions. To keep the score between the living world and the Farplane stable, sing a song together about something meaningful or heartfelt. Let the energy and sound fill up and strengthen the energy between both. Don’t be afraid, sing a song! Any song! Give it some ompph!

🌑 Shadow Beasts Some emotions and lingering resentment or regret coalesce and manifest into ephemeral, shadowy monsters that can be found lurking on the edges of the Farplane and devouring any lost soul that strays too far. These shadow beasts take all kinds of forms, and are drawn to particularly strong emotions, both positive and negative. They can be defeated with magical attacks, but overwhelming them with strong, positive emotions can help calm and dispel them naturally.

👥 Fight for your life. Just because someone is not in the Farplane does not mean they are safe from it. The escaped souls are searching for any unfortunate person they can drag back to replace their soul so that they can continue to stay in the land of the living by any means necessary. Whether it is kidnapping, fighting, or even trying to kill. Those who have experienced death before will be especially targeted. Help those who are being taken and try to subdue and fight off these souls to send them back where they belong.

The next important matter to deal with are the cracks. Just like in the Farplane, they need to be found and sealed off and are, somewhat fortunately, quite visible, appearing like gashes in the air or on the ground with unstable magic pouring out of it. One may even hear strange gurgling sounds, like something slowly moving underwater. Using strong magic, sealing spells or relics, or even attacking the cracks will close them up. There is a risk of falling through, so be careful. Fortunately, should one accidentally feel themselves being pulled in, it's a slow process and they may find themselves just stuck in the gap for a fair amount of time first, long enough for someone to help. They may even get pushed out by Cassiopea or a guardian if they happen to notice from within the Farplane.

However, these cracks and the corruptions of souls within the Farplane will continue so long as cultists performing blood rituals that use living sacrifices continue. Investigations have revealed that there has been a rise in the number of them, and while they do not know what purpose they have for all these rituals, it can be concluded that it needs to stop. The objectives for dealing with the cultists are straightforward:

🗺️ Find their secret locations. They could be on remote islands, in caves, or even in secret basements. Taking the form of spectral horses, the guardians will lead any willing to deal with the cultists to where the ghostly gatherings are found.

💥 Capture or kill the members. Capture is preferred for investigation, but no one will be faulted if they took a more vigilante route. Just don't let their blood spill onto an active ritual.

🕊️ Rescue any victims. They will use any kind of living body, be it person or animal. If too late, recover the body to bring peace to their soul…or risk their spirit corrupting.

🧟 Destroy summoned creatures. If a team arrives too late to stop a ritual, then the cultists are likely already dead, destroyed by the very thing they summoned. It could be a fiend, a monster, a demented soul—whatever it is, it will need to be destroyed. Some could try to purify it to let it return to the Farplane, but the ritual twists and corrupts the soul, so it may be difficult. Destroying it may be the more merciful route. Should one manage to purify it, bring the creature or soul to Samdre where it can be taken to the Farplane by Envoy Jades.

(note: players can find ritual circles made in blood, along with sacrificial displays involving the souls of both people and animals. On the edges of these ritual sights, black ooze can be found seeping up from the ground, as if tainted by the rituals)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Farplane (click to view all 3 prompts)

i. general.

[ in general, cyrus can be found floating about in the far shore with a look of wonder on his face - clearly enjoying himself, no matter where he ends up, be it good or bad. starry eyed, he looks at the ancient kingdoms, and murmurs - ] This is a jellyfish. [ in just like, utter delight. he looks like a kid in a candy store. like, he's going to start fanboying any second. ]

ii. sticky charms

[ speaking of fanboying, you can find cyrus curiously watching someone create the sticky charm spells - bright eyed, excited. ]

Excuse me. [ hello to whoever is making them. ] Might you be willing to show me that technique? If you wouldn't mind.

[ teach him!!!!! look at these sparkling eyes of a student!! ]

iii. oozes

[ if you happen to be walking, you might find an arm soccer-mom thrown out in front of you, stopping you from stepping into something.

more specifically, into some of that black ooze, that's crawling across the ground. the arm belongs to cyrus, who is not very strong, so you could almost certainly shove right past him if you wanted to, but he looks wary. ]

- Ah. Watch your step.

[ whatever that is, it is letting off bad juju. as he lowers his arm - he slowly starts to drop down to a squat, going through his pockets and pulling out a magnifying glass, and... is that a jar... what is cyrus doing.... ]

The Land of the Living (click to view all 5 prompts)

i. general.

[ of course, a scholar has to be drawn to the ley lines. as he's off to lend a hand, cyrus can be found parked near one of the lines, a book open next to him and a quill resting on the pages. the ley line magic feels far different than orsterra's pull, and his expression is best described as wondrous as he weaves the magic into a fire spell.

more concentrated than ever, with a bit of fussing, it shifts to a small stream of fire as opposed to the equivalent of a fireball - cyrus makes a soft a-ha noise and shifts to write with his other hand, scribbling something down in the book, then moving his hand to light a small torch with the fire. then picking up another torch, then going back to writing in the book. rinse, lather, repeat, until there's a little line of warm, lit torches for venturing off into the night. if you happen to come over, it looks like he is utterly absorbed in doing this, but perhaps if you need a light, he'd be willing to share... ]

...Fascinating.

ii. sing a song

[ though he is attending to the rituals of stabilizing the planes, cyrus is mostly focused on helping with the leylines. one leading near a small group of singers earns an appreciative ear, and he claps, politely when they finish, clearly very much enjoying the tune.

however, upon being asked to join, cyrus immediately lifts both hands in surrender, expression going sheepish. ] Oh - no. It's for the best for all that I don't, believe you me.

[ maybe he's just shy... ]

iii. gravestones.

[ well, of course, you can also find cyrus sitting in front of a gravestone, his coat fanned out behind him, a polishing cloth in hand as he works to clean it, and, does what cyrus does best. he yaps. ]

I find it curious, that it is the stories of our lives that give you power - though, I suppose, it is not so different than studying the past, if only to study the present. In the end, to learn of the world is to enrich oneself no matter who we are, isn't that right? Still, I'd love to learn of your escapades - I suppose those can come through observation.

[ he hums a little, cheerful, scrubbing away. ]

But! I digress. A story from my life, was it? I suppose I could tell you of the adventure of a great and powerful warrior who I've spent time with of the past year - a very relic himself, a man of such story that his name brings fear to the heart of his enemies, and courage to the heart of his allies. However, in my time of knowing him, I've come to learn of the man of the legend, and all of his idiosyncracies, his habits, and his utterly human hopes and despairs... it is a lesson we must understand, that our histories are made of humanity, and the Unbending Blade is a man as any other.

Now then. Our story begins, for context, with the great kingdom of Hornburg, eight years ago...

[ there he goes.......... ]

iv. blood cults, again.

[ talk about deja vu. cyrus albright simply cannot resist a mystery, which means he follows the investigations of the blood cults like a hound on a trail, following the guardians out to their locations if possible, and following the trails of others where not.

coming upon a site with him, you may hear him softly say - ] My word. [ as he turns to his companion, expression serious, immediately twisting his hand to light up a fire spell well enough to see the interior of the cave. the sight stops him in his tracks. he inhales, reeling just slightly at the deja vu, and then shakes his head. ]

... Let us not tarry for too long.

[ there's something just uneasy on his face as he hurries past the sacrificial circle to quickly triage anyone remaining in the area, or anyone that can be saved - checking the pulse of any remaining sacrifices, closing the eyes of those who cannot. he's no medic, but he is a helpful hand.

and... once the immediate danger has been dealt with, cyrus steps back and examines the circle itself, looking through his pockets and pulling out a strange looking book. flipping it open, he quietly sets to work, studying the construction of the circle and whatever is in his book with an increasingly deep frown on his face. ]

v. watch your step!

[ after the initial incident with the blood magic cult, you can find cyrus wandering around with his nose in that strange book, still looking just as deep in thought.

you can also find that cyrus is approximately three steps from walking directly into one of those cracks. he has absolutely zero idea, so deeply absorbed in walking and reading at the same time, but in three steps, he is going in that crack.

maybe help him so he doesn't? or watch him fall in... who knows.... ]

▶ Wildcard

[ i'm up for anything! find me on disco or plurk @ protags to plot stuff out! ]

[ Ears perk up at the sudden arm behind shoved in front of him. He's not going to push the other out of the way. Oh goodness no. Instead his eyes follow the other, tilting his head somewhat to the side. ]

Ah, I see. Thank you. I could have found myself in a rather, ah, sticky situation.

[ this joke makes him laugh briefly, warming up despite the situation - cyrus glances down at the oozy mass itself, slowly dropping his arm. curiosity flickers briefly across his face in g'raha's general direction, too, but that's besides the point for now. ]

But of course - you and I both. Best not to get primordial ooze on one's boots, I think.

[ understatement! but, slowly, he shifts, starting to crouch down to examining it as some of the good nature melts away to something more studious, a frown crossing his face. ]

... Quite ghastly, isn't it?

Or anywhere else for that matter.

[ Since it seems to have some sort of mind of its own, even if it is purely instinct. It had been moving - G'raha had noticed! But what had it been moving towards?

Well whatever questions that the other might have about G'raha, it can wait. Instead he focuses on the ooze and what it means to this place. He has... Likely a different thought when looking at it more closely. ]

Ghastly? Hmm. In truth, I find it quite sad.

Mm - moreso its impacts. I ran into someone earlier who was having quite the time after coming into contact with it.

[ with that Endless Despair, that is. he watches the ooze too, noting that it moves as he squats down to examine the ooze a little more closely.

he glances up again though, expression immediately, openly curious: ] How so?

[ teach him graha....... ]

INTO THE FARPLANE

FARPLANE: DARK SIDE

REALM OF THE LIVING

cyrus albright | octopath traveler | paladin

iii

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i

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land of the living, iv

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Blood Cult

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watch your step!

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watch your step

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blood cults??? again????

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