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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

[The word she says doesn't translate right. He doesn't think it does, anyway. It sounds like she's saying old or maybe respected? Like it's missing a few parts to make sense of whatever it was that she found worth laughing at.

Frowning, he finally let his gaze settle on her rather than the fire and the sprite. When she declared - dismissively even! - she would call him so intimately, the fire flared slightly just as his jaw clenched in annoyance.]

Since you have something to say, say it.

[Ah-ha. So, she's struck a nerve.

Watching the flame rise, her lip quirks upward just a little more before there's a light wave of her hand and the wind that she commands calms the flame before the breeze vanishes as if it were never there.]

Very well.

[Since he doesn't seem the type for small-talk—or maybe he is, but with the way his jaw is clenched like that, she fears he might shatter it before he can tell her anything useful, so to the point it is.

But just like the wind, that smile of hers wanes, too.]

You wished to learn the power of Eikons, correct?

[The wave of her hand and the corresponding wind was noted. An odd wind had blown through right before she had appeared as well. But he still couldn't feel much of her power within her spiritual presence. Which meant she must be skilled at hiding herself.

His head tilted back slightly and to one side as he examined her from where he was, interest caught now that she'd mentioned the Eikons.

Was she the one Cid had told? Or was one of the many Cid had been speaking to when Daqiang had asked for the spar?]

What do you have to offer regarding the power of Eikons?

[She is indeed both.

Pipe held between her teeth, Benedikta paces. One way, stops, looks at him, and then back again.]

Ah, ah. I would ask you first what interest you have in them... and of the Dominants that harbour these Eikons.

[Them, she says, as if she is not one. But she won't lay all of her cards out just yet.]

Or rather, what it was that provoked you into asking to meet with Cidolfus?

[She had read bits and pieces of the conversation ~~before she grew tired of navigating her phone and threw it across the room~~, but she wants to hear it from him. Perhaps his reasons have changed since? She doesn't know, but she got far too frustrated before she could read the entire thing.]

[Cidolfus. That was not the name he'd been given. Merely 'Cid'. This woman also seemed protective of the man. How curious.]

This venerable one has already explained himself to Cid. Why should this venerable one explain himself to you?

[He didn't like explaining himself so much. He was dealing with it. Both because the translation magic that this world had seemed to be insufficient in conveying meaning when it mattered and because so many mortals simply refused to do anything until explanation after explanation was had. And more than once he'd found that what remained of his power was sealed in ways that made it more convenient to simply speak at length.]

[Whoops. Here she goes spreading Cid's full name around like it's a bad rumour.

And she didn't like asking more questions than she needed to, so looks like they are at a bit of an impasse. Stubborn, immovable wall meet stubborn, immovable wall. She takes an extra long drag of her pipe, the spiced taste of the smoke on her tongue helping to ease some of that ire that spikes. She asked a question, and she wanted a straightforward answer, because—]

You'd be surprised how little he mentioned of you.

[Is that meant to be an insult? Who's to say.

She's doing her best not to let that frustration find its way into the crinkle of her nose or the furrow between her brows, but her voice has sharpened some.]

I was merely hoping that you would do the explaining yourself. An... exchange of information, if you will.

[She was, in actuality, more immovable than he was. He just had to be pushed a few times or given something he might find value in. If she wanted to offer information in exchange for something he'd already said, he saw no reason to remain stubborn.]

Very well. An exchange of information. This venerable one's interest in Cid for your knowledge of the god-race called Eikons.

[He shook his sleeves out and turned around to stroll stiff-backed to where several logs had been set up as seats. Daqiang folded himself down to the ground in a single smooth motion, and then leaned back on one of the logs looking for all the world like he was resting on a throne and not the hard-packed earth around a fire.

The fire sprite, who had continued to stare at Daqiang during the brief exchange, darted over to the edge of the fire closest to the devil and continued to be fascinated.]

You are aware that many of those who come here have found their power first sealed, and then only partially released with the aid of the tattoo we are encouraged to consider?

[She watches the way he moves in silent intrigue. He really does live up to that first impression she got of him, and then the second that Cid had given her... He moved with as much grace as her own King did, if not more, and she isn't sure whether that makes her like or hate him.

Guess she'll hold off on that verdict for now.

Benedikta follows him with equal amounts of confidence to match, though she does not sit. She merely stands beside him, watching the fire sprite as it dances across the pit to edge closer to him. Part of her wants to snuff it out entirely just to see what will happen. She fucking loathes the flames with a passion... but she supposes she can keep it for now.

Besides, something he says has a brow hitching up.]

Partially? Including your own?

[His eyes flick to her as she comes to stand next to him and then back to the sprite.]

Yes.

[The only reasons he felt there was no reason to hide it was that this world was so far removed from his own that it could not be used against his people and that - based on his experience with cid - admitting it might provide him with better opportunities to test his limits. He was still discovering so many things that he used to do without thought were no longer possible.]

That is the heart of this venerable one's interest in Cid. This venerable one's powers remain partially sealed. What this venerable one wields now is closer to the power he held as a child and there are many strange limits to how it can be used that this venerable one is still learning.

[He had found out he could not breath underwater anymore and, more alarming, required the act of breathing to live. His invisibility lasted bare minutes. He could not erase the memories of anyone - regardless of the power he could sense in them - or force them to sleep with a snap of his fingers. He could not teleport them away from him with a thought or summon more than a few small things in his immediate vicinity to his person. Repairing broken objects actually required physical work instead of a brief expense of power. Basic creation of entirely mundane things mortals cared about like money was entirely beyond him, much less the creation of things from his own heart blood and-

Well... the list went on and on and it was frustratingly difficult to know what he was and was not capable of anymore.]

Testing this venerable one's limits is difficult. Other than the God-Beasts that have chosen to allow the people of this world safety on their backs, this venerable one has found no one with power that might come close to equaling his own. Cid was useful in that he could strike this venerable one with lightning, which this venerable one can no longer call himself, to help this venerable one learn how much power it may take to overwhelm him.

[Which Cid certainly did.]

However, given that Cid succeeded in that task only with the power this venerable one conveyed upon him, there still remains the need for this venerable one to find others to learn his new limits with.

[Daqiang lifted a hand and flicked a finger at the fire. A spark of blue energy shot forward. When it was just shy of the bonfire, it stopped and then began 'dancing' along the edge. The fire sprite's attention focused on the blue energy instead of Daqing and he began leading it around ~~like a cat with a laser pointer~~]

Thus far, the god-race of Eikons and their vessels are the likeliest for this venerable one to find someone able to survive his power.

[Benedikta shifts between her feet, her finger tapping idly on one end of her pipe, her patience waning quickly. As much as she loved and revered her king, he had a knack for taking too long to say something, too—he liked to use big words and funny phrases to convey something so simple, and this man... She's not sure if he's better, worse, or equal. He might give Barnabas a run for his money in the speech department, if he really tried...

... But her patience is waning, as it is often wont to do, and she doesn't want to test that for herself. Her interest, however, is not.

By the way that he speaks of his encounter with Cid, he seems to have some mote of respect for him... which is a start. That had been her first order of business, and while she is almost certain of this, she won't let her guard down just yet.

He really does sound like a bird who has been knocked down from its perch, though. ... A feeling that Benedikta is all too familiar with, and that leaves a bitter taste on her tongue that she quickly washes back with a long drag from her pipe, the smoke swirling up into the air once more and riding away on the wind that brushes through.]

Well, you are in luck.

[She smirks, her hips swirling as she turns to look down at Dongfang from where she stands, and she sets Garuda free within her chest, Benedikta loosening those chains on her just enough that he should feel her presence now, loud and angry and trying to claw herself free. She has been this way since Barnabas had left, and she's been searching for a way to quell her screaming.

Her own aether will not feel so different from Cid's, though with Garuda having recently reawakened, and annoyingly so, he may feel a stronger presence of power.]

I, too, am a Dominant... like Cidolfus and the others.

[Her other hand instinctively rests on the hilt of her sword, the sound of it pitching against its sheath loud and deliberate—a masked threat beneath her otherwise calm demeanour.]

... And I ask but one simple thing from you.

[She will get to the rest after.]

[Her attempt to intimidate and threaten him was noted and set aside due to the fact that she had just presented something he had far more interest in. She was, in fact, very skilled at hiding her power. She felt much like Cid had when they met. Stronger perhaps. Hard to tell with how well she could control it's effect on her spiritual presence.

Daqiang leaned further back against the log, putting what little distance could be put between them without actually standing up. It gave him a better view of her with this new understanding of her position, his head tilted to look up her. The action could easily be interpreted a few ways and he didn't care in the slightest how she ultimately viewed it.]

Ask away.

[Asking didn't mean he'd agree, but he was certainly more inclined to allow some privileges against his person if it got him what he was looking for than to outright refuse any.]

[She meets his gaze evenly, the fingers curled around her sword relaxing just so.]

You will touch not a single hair on Cidolfus's head.

[Alright, not so much an ask or a question as it is a warning to him, and only then does Benedikta break eye contact lest he sees through the hardness in her eyes. She gives a moment for it to land, inhaling again with her pipe before she gestures to herself with a wave of her hand, dismissing her reasons why.

But her main worry had been that this man would seek to retaliate against his attack at one point or another, and she would not have that. Really, the only person who could pluck a hair on his head is her, thank you.]

If you wish to challenge your abilities further against another, you may seek me out in his stead.

[A weakness.

He tilted his head the other direction, eyes steady on hers until she breaks with his gaze. Cid's immediate usefulness in testing his power was not completely finished, but if he had other options, he also didn't need to keep Cid open as a possibility.

He wondered if Cid would be upset to hear about this or not. Daqiang would be surprised if Cid knew about it at all.]

This venerable one will not challenge Cid to test his abilities as long as you are available. This venerable one does not, however, promise to decline challenges from Cid if he is the one that offers them.

[If Cid decided he wanted to throw himself against Daqiang again, Daqiang was more than willing.]

This venerable one will need your name.

[Oh, he knows... about some of it. Benedikta made herself very clear to him what her intentions were, and what she asked of Cid, too. That isn't to say he approved of it, but when did he ever approve of anything she did?

And most importantly, when did she ever let that stop her?

So, when he says that, she huffs with another dismissal, this time a laugh.]

I promise he will not be seeking out any challenges soon. I have made sure of that.

[Has she really? Who is to say. That conversation didn't exactly end on a solid, sure note, but he doesn't need to know that. She fully intends to put him out of commission for a time with their duel anyway.

But his request has her arching her brow.]

We are at exchanging names already? And here I was, about to offer more.

[A toss of her head, and she lowers her pipe.]

Benedikta Harman. [A brief pause, before she adds, because this is probably the more important part:] Warden of the Wind. Dominant of Garuda.

You already knew this venerable one's name.

[She had, after all, opened the conversation with it. And she was definitely the one Cid said he had spoken to. That Cid opened up to another Dominant that was far more eager to test herself mollified some of Daqiang's concerns over what and who had been told.

He stood, rising where he had sat and putting himself into Benedikta's personal space by the simple fact that she had chosen to stand so close in an attempt to intimidate him. He was slightly taller, so he ended up looking down at her - not that he hadn't been looking down in spirit the entire time, but literal usually had a more profound effect on others. He didn't expect it would on her, however.]

Benedicta Harman, Dominant of Garuda, Warden of the Wind.

[He spoke her name and titles carefully, ending with a slight upturn of tone at the end to subtly inquire if he'd pronounced it all correctly. Then he inclined his head politely - far enough to indicate respect due her status as a god-vessel and no more. The same respect he afforded to the Kings of the North and South Youxin County.]

As with Cid, this venerable one will allow to you address him as 'Dongfang', without assuming insult for the familiarity is meant by doing so. If you have more to offer, this venerable one is willing to consider it.

[He remained in her personal space, unfazed by the proximity.]

[Unlike him, Benedikta is bothered by the proximity. Men who wandered into her personal space without her permission were men who she learned did not value their hands, their tongues, or their lives. Her fingers tighten around her sword, and that confident smile turns into something a touch more threatening, as if to tell him to back off without stooping to utter them, but she doesn't budge from her spot.

Instead, she brings her pipe to her lips again...]

Well, first... I'd be interested in hearing about these powers of yours that have been sealed. And those that haven't.

[Because parts of her own have been, too. Seeing Cidolfus the way she had—or rather, Ramuh—as well as the Phoenix, she had a lot of questions about their priming abilities.

Really, she's mostly interested in this energy transfer Cid claimed that he performed, as well as... other things, for her own gains. But she'll see what he has to say first.]

[He did lean his head back as her pipe came to her lips. But otherwise remained as unmoved as she seemed to be.]

The powers that remain sealed are mostly unimportant until such time as they may be unsealed. The ones that remain are largely aligned with this venerable one's immortal root. Though some aspects of the element, such as lightning, are now beyond this venerable one, the base element of fire in both it's purest and most powerful forms remain.

Fire as it is.

[Daqiang looked over at the bonfire and the fire sprite that was back to staring at him. He lifted the hand that was closest and in his palm a fire that burned far hotter appeared: bright blue and white, heat oppressive even in the relatively small amount he was releasing. The fire sprite's attention locked onto the flame as it had the small ball of blue energy earlier.]

And fire as it can be.

[The flame flared brighter and higher, coalescing into a small fireball. He flicked his wrist and sent the blue flame directly at the sprite.

...

It hit the sprite and there was a small 'burp' from the creature a half a breath before it's body bloated outward: doubling and doubling and doubling still again as it's color faded from the happy red-orange to the blue-white of the Hellfire now empowering it. It grew to twice as tall as Daqiang before it stopped and threw it's head back in a roar that shook the night. Two fireballs formed in it's hands, mirrors of the ones Daqiang had used to empower it, and it threw the first one at it's feet just to see it explode before tossing the other at the nearest object. Immediately, new fireballs formed and it zoomed off towards the bonfires it could see in the distance, looking for more ~~creatures to assault~~ friends to play with.

He hadn't meant to do quite that much damage - only intimidate Bene a little by making the sprite a bit more fierce. Daqiang threw up a shield and stepped in front of Bene to block the fire from harming her. He, himself, was fine regardless.

The campsite ended up covered in blue flames that would need to be quickly put out to avoid further damage. He'd get to that in a moment.

...he really did need to learn his limits.]

[Once again, she finds herself thinking of Barnabas when he speaks. All that flowery speech that might as well be poetry, weaving in and out and in and out until she feels her patience slipping. And when that flame flickers to life in his palm, she eyes it, the white and blue reflecting in her amber irises, lighting up a disdain not for him, but for the fire. Still, she remains unflinching, genuinely interested in what he has to say despite what her face might express otherwise.

But it all turns on its head when he releases the flame to the sprite, and Benedikta watches not in fear, but in complete awe and... confusion. Everything happens so fast that she hardly has time to register what the fuck just happened. One moment, the fire sprite is dancing happily in its little campfire pit and the next, it's grown to something quadruple its size.

She can only watch with a frown as fireballs whizz this way and that, flinging into the trees. People who had been sitting and sharing their stories get up from their chairs and logs and bolt, screaming at the sight of this fearsome fire beast.

And while she does appreciate the shield...

With a click of her tongue and a wave of her hand, a small tornado sweeps through the campsite, picking up the flames that still flicker within it, swirling it all around until—]

Men.

[—she snaps her hand shut and as the wind disappears, so do the flames.

She always did really fucking hate the fire. Never mind that the sprite reminded her of Ifrit.]

Well. It doesn't appear that your flames have been sealed. Was that necessary?

[For the first time during the entire conversation, he looks just a shade chastised. He stepped back from her and tucked both hands behind his back. The quick sweep up of the remaining fire was impressive, but also quite telling in that she could do so at all. The fire left in the wake of sprite, fueled as it was by Hellfire, should not have been so easy for even another god to control and put out. He could no longer accurately judge the strength of his power and its effect unless it was with the smallest and most controlled amounts.

He cleared his throat and lifted his chin, looking past her shoulder rather than directly at her.]

This venerable one did inform you that he is still learning his limits.

[He was absolutely not going to apologize, and this was as close as he was going to get to openly saying that he had not intended that outcome at all or had made a... miscalculation.]

[Benedikta looks him over once, arches a brow...

...

....

And then bursts into a laugh. One that she has not laughed in a long, long time.

That she had thought this man a threat, and yet here he is, hands folded behind his back, looking as meek as ever. Honestly, it would be more adorable if it weren't so surprising. She isn't sure what she expected when she came down to meet him, but it was not this.]

That was a genuinely impressive show, I will offer you that.

[She presses her pipe to her lips, her chest trembling with the snickers that she tries so very hard to stifle.]

And now we have a wayward sprite no doubt running amok.

[Amazing.

Granted, she didn't manage to put out all of the flames, only the worst of it before it had gone too far out of either of their control, and she looks over the ruin.]

I underestimated you, Dongfang.

[His eyes snap to her at the laugh and he immediately pulls himself up in what could only be described as a disgruntled pout but which he would argue was certainly a distinguished disdain at her audacity.

The disdain gave way to something more wary and then thoughtful as she finally spoke and offered the first words that could be described as at all respectful or flattering. It was strength that she valued. Seeing it, not hearing of it. Whether she was laughing at him or not, whether it had gone as planned or not, she did seem genuinely pleased at the display.

This was something he could understand. It was the way of his people.]

And you have a bit of the Moon Tribe in you.

[He offered back, a compliment, then asked simply and straightforward:]

What are your terms?

[She has no idea what that means, nor is she going to ask. Perhaps another time, when she isn't snorting with her stifled laughter, all attempts at intimidation thrown to the winds.]

My terms...

[She echoes, turning her pipe over to dump out the ashes, putting them out under her boot.]

Besides keeping those ornery powers of yours from Cidolfus? [Her lip quirks.] Well.

[She has since changed her mind, after seeing that. And meeting him first-hand. This could be interesting, she thinks.]

I am looking for ways to strengthen my magic, and I believe that we could mutually benefit from our goals, opposite though they are.

[He inclined his head after a moment of thought. He could probably help her with strengthening her magic. If not permanently, then certainly temporarily. How permanent any direct energy transfers he could give would be was mostly up to how she cultivated or practiced her magic and if she could integrate it into herself. Otherwise, temporary boosts in the manner he had provided to Cid - though with more thought given to how much he would give - were simple enough.]

Our goals are not entirely opposite.

[Daqiang finally waved a hand and what small fires remained - be they burning flames or the barest of smouldering wood and charcoal - went out, loosing all heat and any danger they may have otherwise been. He took a moment to look off in the direction the sprite had run, then turned back to Bene.]

Very well. This venerable one agrees. This venerable one will not challenge Cid nor seek him out on matters of testing himself, but will, instead seek you for any such matters that Cid would have made an excellent choice for. In return for this venerable one having a willing partner on those occasions, this venerable one will seek to aid you in strengthening your own power. As much as this venerable one is able to, barring whatever incompatibilities this world and the seals it has placed on our powers do not allow for.

Is there anything else you would ask of this venerable one, Benedicta Harman, Dominant of Garuda, Warden of the Wind?

[Oh, Dongfang, honey... How considerate of you, but—]

You may just call me Benedikta.

[She doesn't have the patience or the need to listen to all the fancy titles, and she even speaks over him before he can finish them. Consider it an honour that she doesn't command him to call her Lady Benedikta, though coming from him, she's not sure she would like it very much.]

But oh, there is plenty.

[So, so many questions, and many more now that she has gotten a taste of his magic for herself.]

Some best saved over a mug of ale, I am sure, and perhaps I'd deign to invite you next time I find myself at one of Nogard's taverns. For now, I suppose there is one thing I'd ask you to think about.

[A pause, her lip pressing in consideration.]

You claim to be a god, do you not?

Benedicta, then.

[He might be inclined to share some 'ale' with her. He'd been learning of the various alcohols of this world and coming to appreciate the strength of some.]

'Claim' implies you believe this venerable one is not what he says he is.

[Daqiang tilted his head and shrugged, not obviously offended or caring.]

Whether you do or do not matters little. What is the reason for asking?

« november: open log »

ELTRUT

ELAH

NOGARD

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i just need you to know i've been laughing about this for 2 days 😂

I have, too!

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