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This is our Open Log for players to have an easy opportunity to tag others and have fun with prompts that deal with current happenings that are not covered by our MANTA Board quests. Sometimes we provide extra quests at the bottom, but oftentimes we just let the MANTA Board cover it. Players are free to include MANTA Board quests in their toplevels!

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

TOPLEVEL DIRECTORY (Updated November 25)

ELTRUT

With the Ghoul's Moon festivities over, it's time for everyone to clean up and prepare for the coming winter season. Of course, with the leviathans capable of moving and keeping to warmer waters, it's usually not much of an issue. But it never hurts to be prepared, and the crops and products are always great for export.

One of the biggest products that will be sent off this season will be everything pumpkin. The giant pumpkin shell Eltrut created for Ghoul's Moon will start to shed and the leviathan will need some help in gathering the large chunks before it falls completely into the ocean. Harvesting the pumpkin shell off of Eltrut is no easy feat, but not only is it edible, the rind is also tough and durable.

🔪 Harvest. Using carving knives and pickaxes, everyone must head out of town and into the forests to remove the pumpkin and clean off the shell beneath. Large tubs and wagons will be provided to help haul off the goods.
🐢 Pumpkin Spice Turtles. Drawn by all the pumpkins are small little pumpkin turtles. They are forbidden from being harmed or caught, however, they produce a special "pumpkin spice" and "pumpkin cinnamon" dust that can be carefully collected. While most will respect the law, others will be greedy and try to capture these turtles. Help protect and catch any who try—or perhaps get some extra cash by successfully catching and selling them off.
🔨 Build-A-Pumpkin. To help spur motivation and creativity, there are numerous competitions centered on building the most interesting and durable creation using only the pumpkin rinds. Some small things like nails and bits of wood can be used to help, but it must otherwise be made out of the rinds. From unique artwork to small buildings to carriages to boats and ships—the possibilities are endless. Just don't mind the mess.

Of more concern, both Eltrut and the Naughtilust were weakened from the attack from the Ghost Ship and are dozing a bit for the first week or so. Those in charge are requesting help in preparing special food that will help with their recovery. But to help keep spirits up and to hopefully provide some positive energy to the leviathans, a special hotpot gathering will be hosted for anyone to come and help cook, either for the leviathans or for others. A perfect chance to socialize and catch up with others. Just keep an eye out—someone may try to spoil the food.

To aid the two weakened leviathans, a list of key ingredients is provided for volunteers to head into the forests and out to sea to gather. Large tables and several grills, pots, and other cooking equipment will be provided for anyone to use.

🔥 Fire Sprites. Instead of normal flames, the food for the leviathans needs to be cooked over a special fire created by special fire sprite. They will only appear around campfires or bonfires where stories are told, so time to create a suitable fire pit and get to storytelling! Any kind will work.
🌰 Chest of Chestnuts. One of the most prized ingredients is a special type of chestnut that can only be found in special acorn chests buried underground by squirrel scavengers. These squirrels specifically gather these chestnuts because they are so rare, delicious, and known to have medicinal properties. Said squirrels will also gladly relinquish their store…if they can remember where those chests are. Time to go on a wild treasure hunt!
🐡 Fish Puffing. There is a special type of pufferfish that will be carefully collected and brought to the pier where volunteers must wear special gloves and carefully squeeze the fish to force it to secrete a special fluid that has potent healing properties. Soothe the fish and make them more willing to be handled by singing a cheerful tune. Whistling and other music can help. Feeding them special kelp and gently petting them will also keep them calm and less agitated.
🍲 Cookoff! Whether it's for the leviathans or just cooking a meal to be shared with others, the cooking stations are constantly in use. Who can prepare the most delicious meal?

ELAH

Things are a bit hectic within Baleen, the capital city of Elah. A wild flock of singing turkeys have been set loose and they are running amok, causing a disturbance to everyone. They are getting stuck in chimneys, popping into bathrooms, and swimming in the many fountain pools found all over town. What makes them more disruptive is their singing, which, unfortunately, sound more like nails dragging down chalkboard. While some may be ready to roast them to send to Eltrut for a feast, perhaps some may try to catch them.

And send them to Nogard. (They likely came from there, anyway—)

Researchers would especially appreciate it if these turkeys could be caught and removed as they are busy studying the tombstone relic brought back from the ghost ship. What secrets could it hold…?

At the Archives, researchers are hard at work studying the broken pieces of the black tombstone that was brought back from the ghost ship. They believe it's the reason the ship and its undead crew appeared, but how?

💤 Energy Drain. Although precautions are set, those who are exposed to the relics start feeling a bit drained, as if their energy is being sucked away. Quickly remove any affected and find a way to seal or contain the relics without being affected as well.
🪦 Undeadly Experiments. Although now in pieces, the tombstone relic still holds some power. Thus researchers decide to perform direct tests and experiments to see how it affects the undead. There are requests made to those who have previously died either in their world or this one, and some venture to graveyards where dead and ghosts are sometimes active. When in close contact with the relic, all who have experienced death in some way will become more hostile and aggressive, some even outright attacking any nearby. Help protect those performing the experiment and subdue the affected until they calm down.
🏃‍♂️ Thief! Those damn Corsair, they can never respect important research! A few bad eggs are breaking the agreement and are trying to steal the fragments, perhaps to sell them off to someone else or for some other purpose.

NOGARD

In Nogard, the island the leviathan has settled in is teeming with wild beasts, and perhaps due to being in a warmer climate, they are appearing more and more often, as if coming out of hibernation. It makes for a perfect opportunity for hunters to head out in hopes of collecting rare meat, materials, and hides that can be used and sold. To prevent overhunting, a competition is hosted with rules and regulations that all participants must abide by.

As such, there will be a group to help ensure security and they will even request assistance from Paladins, who are also allowed to participate in the hunt if they wish. Thus those who prefer to go after people will be quite useful to keep track and go after anyone who is poaching, hunting creatures under the "protected" list, or wasting the kills. To any who are caught…well, the Paladins may fare nicer compared to a Corsair.

While most predators and creatures of large populations are eligible for the competition, there are a few notable hunts that will reap great rewards for those who dare. Those who turn in their kills will receive a decent portion of the profits and first choice in what to keep for their own. The rest will be turned in to be sold, with the Elphantin tusks going straight to Eltrut to be used for the recovery efforts.

🦈 Goblin Shark. This deep-sea shark has a distinctive long, flattened snout and protrusible jaws, making it look quite unusual compared to other shark species. All parts of its body can be used so it makes for a profitable hunt—if one can brace the cold depths to take it down.
🐍 Coibara. Head of a cobra, body of a bear, and tail and coloring of a koi fish, this snake chimera can be found in dark coves and anywhere near deeper bodies of water. Capable of sprinting over the ground and swimming, beware of its poisonous fangs, which can also fetch a pretty penny along with its hide. The venom can also be collected for both poison and anti-venom purposes.
🦚 Pexeo. An equine beast with the body and markings of a zebra and plumage and head of a peacock that roams the greener valleys. Although not hostile, it can be dangerous if attacked, its beak revealing sharp rows of teeth that can tear up anything that gets caught in it and its hooves sharp as blades. Rather than killed, the feathers are the real prize and can be carefully plucked instead. But its meat can be considered a delicacy in some areas.
🐘 Elphantin. This giant elephant like creature is considered as the top hunt of the list. They can only be found deep within the forests and only appear at dawn when the foggy mist is thickest. While every part can be used, what makes this the top prize is the medicinal properties of its tusks. But it is very difficult to track and hunt and will take a group of skilled hunters to take down.

Afterwards, a large feast to celebrate is thrown, though of course it can get rowdy and with the alcohol fountain brought in, fights and brawls are bound to happen.

But there will also be a "special guest" rushing into town: wild boars. Perhaps agitated by the hunts or out for revenge against those who targeted them (which was allowed), the boars are crashing and charging into everything they see. While this may look like a good opportunity to prepare some BBQ Boar, the conservationists of the Corsairs would like to drive most of them back into the wilds.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah, competency. It's nice to have reliable acquaintances.

He doesn't stand idle and let Fenris do all the work, however. The noise of combat is attracting the other Coibara, first of all; reaching into their minds and compelling them to turn away, to find other things more interesting, is somewhat time-consuming in the heat of battle but worth the trouble to his mind.

The second is to stun the Coibara itself. He forcefully pushes his mind out again, and the creature lowers its paw in the middle of countering Fenris' strike, its jaw momentarily hanging open as if confused about what it was doing - leaving the beast open for more wounding blows.

Every time the creature tries to focus, he delivers another punishing burst of synaptic static. It should, at the very least, make Fenris' battle much easier.

(Of course, it does look like he's just standing there, not doing anything except the occasional hand gesture...)

Edited 2023-11-10 01:57 (UTC)

Fenris doesn't think much of it at first, but to have the other coibara soon turn away and focus on other things like this wasn't happening.. Normally it would give him a second of pause, wondering what magic this was, but in the heat of battle, he doesn't let it affect him much, his blade striking the sternum of the beast he was attacking with efficiency.

Almost too much, so seeing the beast slack jawed and out of it was a strange sight, but again, he chooses to take advantage of the strange magics instead of question them now, though the questions in his mind were burning. He hasn't seen much magic be so subtle, yet when he casts a glance at the rather still man, he wasn't bleeding... no it wasn't blood magic.

It was something to contemplate later though, with a glowing fist, he reaches into the the creature's neck, passing through skin and muscle like air, and crushing its windpipe, effectively killing it without ruining the hide much further. It thrashes, unable to breathe, unable to make a sound as Fenris dodges backwards to avoid the trashing blows of the dying creature.

"Do we wish to take out another or leave them for others to hunt?" He looks over his shoulder at the other man. It would be easy enough pickings with the two of them working together.

He watches Fenris just phase his hand through the Coibara's neck to crush the creature's windpipe and can only approve. He does enjoy brutal efficiency, and the technique is nothing but efficient. Once it's dead, there's no need for him to maintain his attacks, and so he relaxes a little and stops concentrating quite so hard.

"It will add to the burden we must carry back if we hunt another," he says, considering the logistics. "How much of a share would you require from this one?"

"You disoriented the beast with magics, yes? I've not seen your manner of magic before, not the speaking without a voice nor turning the others attention away," he moves to sheathe his greatsword on his back once more. Looking over the beast. They could harvest it here, but that might be difficult.

"Considering, an even share, I could not have killed it so efficiently without your intervention," he could have still killed it, still fought them all, but seeing as the biggest of the bunch is now dead, he was willing to share the kill equally.

"Unless you feel differently?" He looks at the other man, eyes shining bright green like a cat's in the dark. Fenris figures he will be carrying most of the beast too. In all honesty, he was felt this was a fair deal.

Kimmuriel considers this for a moment, and then nods decisively.

"You did the physical work. Evenly sharing the corpse between us is fair." He's not the type of person to argue over such things, it seems.

He doesn't let Fenris handle the carcass all himself, either, when they turn about and find their way out of the cavern. It feels quite a bit lighter than it should, though Kimmuriel doesn't touch it at all as he walks.

He is silent for a while, as if he hadn't heard Fenris' question, but eventually he begins to speak.

"I used psionics to distract the creature - mind magic, as some from my own world might call it. It allows me to do much, including affecting the thoughts of other creatures - as you have already seen." He pauses, glancing at him with clear interest. "Did you use magic of your own to finish off the creature we hunted? It is not something I am familiar with."

Either he's gotten stronger or the creature is lighter.

Was this another mind magic this person was using? He's not sure he likes the sound of manipulating minds, it was too close to blood magic and its ability to subjugate the mind. Part of him wonders if perhaps it is a matter of time before this man attempts to use his mind magics on Fenris too.

Still, he knows that just because he doesn't understand the magics that this person uses doesn't mean that they are as vile as blood magics in Thedas, that they are as twisted and corrupt. So he tries to not jump to conclusions but some are jumped to while his hackles are definitely raised. One wrong move and this peaceful alliance might dissolve.

"Not magic, though I suppose it is adjacent to such," there's a slight hint of derision in his voice to compare it to magic, "an ability to harness and use lyrium." He has a small fortune of it, not that it matters here where only he knows of what lyrium is.

If he was a hundred years younger, he might have tried to cow or intimidate Fenris with such things - that much is true. But time and experience have made it clear that a heavy hand will often create conflict where there was none before, and though he notes Fenris' tense thoughts, he has at least enough subtlety to not answer them.

(Will that stop him from passively reading his thoughts? No. But he's not going to tell him about it.)

"I am not familiar with lyrium, since we are not from the same worlds," he says, after another moment of contemplation. "What makes the manipulation of your power different from magic?"

His tone holds genuine interest, especially at that hint of derision. He really does just want to know.

(He would hate it if he knew, kthx.)

The problem is, Fenris didn't know the specifics of the way or why his abilities worked, just how to manipulate the lyrium in his body to work, so he knew enough to have an idea of it. He would do his best to answer the question, but as it was not necessary for him to understand all this when he happened to him, his knowledge on the subject was limited. He was a mere weapon.

"Magic is something one is born with in my world," and very dangerous, "without the borne capabilities, you are just like any other. I have no capabilities with magic or the ability to use it," that he knows of, "though lyrium can grant some.. ah, magic adjacent qualities, it is not magic in itself," his mind thinks of Templars and their nullifying abilities through ingesting it.

"So, while I admit there are similarities, it is not magic."

(He knows, that's why he's not saying anything. If you don't know about it it's the same as not doing it, right? ~~No, Kimmuriel.~~)

"So magic is purely innate in your world, and lyrium is something more like a potion, or a drug. Something that a person might take or use to give themselves certain abilities."

Was lyrium the pattern on his skin? From Fenris' thoughts, it seems that it might be a subject better not touched on for the moment. The man had shown unease for mages as it was, and they barely know each other. On a purely practical level, it would be annoying to drag the carcass through the wilds by himself - or to find another if Fenris decided to leave.

"Some things do not change between worlds, it seems," he offers, after a moment. "Magic-users are often unpredictable and dangerous people, and there are many of them, though it sounds as if magic is more common in my world than your own, and one does not have to be born with the ability. There are many people who are able to harness such powers, whether they call themselves wizard, warlock, sorcerer or something else entirely."

Psionics was called mind magic, certainly, but it isn't the same thing. To have magic as wizards would, you touched the Weave. Psionics was energy that every creature had - it simply required a certain type of aptitude to truly harness it.

(No, that's not at all how that works.)

Potion and a drug in fact, it is very much both. And was used very much as both. So the man was not wrong in his deduction.

There's a pause as he looks over at the man, brow knitted. He doesn't remember voicing that magic and mages were dangerous, but he wonders if he might have given it away in the tone of his voice or the derision he doesn't hide. Still, it was refreshing to hear another speak on the dangers of magic users. Most seem to want to say not my world, it was okay here that he was starting to wonder what was wrong with his Thedas.

"Not many seem to think of magic as dangerous as it is in Thedas, but in the wrong hands I believe all magic can be wrought for evil purposes," even something like healing, he has seen how it's used to torture someone. He's seen the horrors of it...

"Do you perhaps come from Faerun? I know two others from there, they speak of magic much the same and once described an elven people that look much like you," drow he believes they were called, but he doesn't say it in case he's remembered incorrectly.

He nods sharply to answer Fenris' question. "I come from that world. And my kind are well known across the World Above, for better and for worse - I am not surprised they described such elves to you. We are called drow, if you wish to put a name to the description."

If Fenris questioned him about how he'd known about the man's distaste for magic, he would simply say that it seemed obvious when Fenris spoke of it, which...isn't exactly false - Kimmuriel pays attention to body language enough to understand such things. But that mistrust is obviously clear in his thoughts, taking a suspicion to a confirmation. Verifiable information, simple and straightforward, which he likes.

"I understand well what a foolish wizard can do to themselves or others," Kimmuriel says, dryly. Magic is a part of life for him, certainly, but to deny its destructive capability was sheer delusion. He's seen far too much magic to do that.
"There seems to be a never-ending well of liches and necromancers in Faerun, and I have seen and heard more of them than I personally care for within my lifetime. Not to mention the sheer amount of accidents caused by this or that careless spell."

Ah, so he remembered correctly. Drow. Interesting. The rifts seems to favor this Faerun and its people. He's yet to encounter a single other person from Thedas, he wonders if he will remain alone here.

Still, there is something nice about how the other man seems to share some sentiments about magic. All too often Fenris is alone in his thoughts and distrust. His mind sours at the mention of Necromancers, images of Hawke's mother in his mind. How a man killed so many to try and piece together his lover from the past, stringing them together like some kind of morbid seamstress.

He doesn't know what a lich is but doesn't ask. Figuring it wasn't unlike another kind of undead by the context. "Then it seems that magic in your realm can be nearly as dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Of course." He says it quite straightforwardly; it's simply just something to be dealt with, a fact of existence. "All kinds of power is dangerous in the wrong hands, but Toril is a world rich in magic. It is inevitable that when people wielding such power make mistakes, or push too far, the results are explosive."

They emerge into fresh air and sunlight-dappled greenery. Kimmuriel reflexively scowls at the light, and shakes his head as if to clear it. It is not so taxing a walk, if he keeps his focus.

"Your experiences with magic must be nearly all poor, for you to speak of it in such a way." The assumption is something like a question, but not a particularly probing one. It's a way to find out more about Fenris, which he prefers to idle chatter, but if the man declines to answer - or asks questions himself - he won't be particularly offended. They are exchanging information, after all, the only sensible use for most conversations.

Fenris notices the scowl and wonders at it. His own eyes need to blinkingly adjust so he doesn't linger long on the curiosity. It wasn't as if he was going to badger the man about every aspect of his race just because some of it was different from his own. Something he was learning while being here, the differences in people and magic and worlds, how something that seems normal to one is completely alien to another.

"Nearly. They were very poor back home.. magic is not a rare thing but a very dangerous one, more so than your Faerun," he says it with confidence. "It is power that corrupts yes, but when that corruption hounds your every waking and sleeping moment, looking for a crack, a moment of desperation... I find that to be more dangerous."

Demons were constantly hounding mages, especially in the fade where they were most vulnerable in their sleep, looking for any in. It took a rare and incredible person to resist such temptations, especially when they were so powerful. He thinks of Hawke and smile a little to himself, but it's gone almost as fast as it came.

Kimmuriel raises his eyebrows, glancing over at him briefly.

"That is where our worlds surely differ," Kimmuriel says, after taking a moment to absorb the implications of the words. "Magic is a tool, despite what the more devout sort of wizards say - even the goddess said to be the Mystra is not a creation of magic, but stands above it, bending chosen mortals to her hand to do her bidding. But you speak of it as if it is some kind of living, corrupting force."

The man had thought of demons, but he doesn't say the word. "I would be interested in the details." A pause. "If you are able to speak of it."

Edited 2023-12-07 04:41 (UTC)

"I cannot speak from a learned perspective, as my knowledge is gained from my experiences and secondhand through a friend, but it is common knowledge that those with magic walk the Fade in their sleep," he readjusts the kill on his back as he continues to walk. Trying to think of how to explain Thedas magic to someone not from there.

"Demons and spirits reside in the Fade and are always looking for a way into the waking world, so they tempt and corrupt those with magic at every turn to use them as a vessel into the waking world," he says it with such derision, was it for the demons and spirits or magic users it was hard to tell.

"Demons offer blood magic, a exceedingly strong and powerful magic that uses any blood given..." he thinks of a grand party, of a child slave in the middle of the room, how she was killed and her blood used to perform magic to impress others. No one cared for the child's death only the magic being performed. "It's vile."

The sacrifice of mortals to work some dark ritual or other is not unfamiliar to him, so he doesn't even blink at the memory that swims out of the dark, surfacing at the top of Fenris' thoughts.

"So to be a magic-user in your world is to walk this Fade," he says, in the tone of someone trying to lay out the information for his own benefit out loud, "and that provides. But they are constantly tempted to embrace bloodier, more potent powers by demons and spirits, who also walk the Fade, for they require...the living to cross over from that plane to the physical, I assume."

He contemplates what he's learned for a moment, and then shakes his head. "A difficult problem," he says dryly. "It is a common thing for foolish wizards to deal with demons and devils in Faerun, but there are rules they must obey, spells that can banish them. A mage in your world sounds as if they are hounded all their lives by such creatures, without respite. I am not surprised you hold the stance on magic that you do if many of them succumb to temptation."

Those without the will to continue inevitably weaken and give in to such corruptions; from what little he knows of Fenris' world, it seems just a simple inevitability, a thing to plan around. It's reflected as much in his utterly neutral tone.

"Yes, simply put. Once you give in there is no turning back, the only solution is often death as far as I understand," if there was another solution he did not know it. That often wasn't his problem.

"There are those who can resist the temptation, but they are the rare few, not the majority from my experience," he knew three mages rather intimately, and of those three only one did not give into the temptation of blood magic and demons. The other two did and while they pretended to have it under control, they did not. In fact, one even started a war because he could not temper his demon. Killed hundreds of innocents in an instant, would kill many more in the war he started.

Fenris tries to rid his mind of the thought.

"Efforts were put forth to try and curb this temptation with the Templars and Mage Circles, but... some became corrupt with power of this position... It's a complicated situation."

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ELTRUT

ELAH

NOGARD

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cw: memory of child murder

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