escordvi | « november: open log »

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

[It took a total of four such trips before he managed to pinpoint the spiritual presence of the goblin sharks from the other creatures that lived beneath the waves. And by then he was very, very done with all the diving and having to hold his breath.

So when he managed to get their attention and draw out what seemed to be a whole little family of them, he decided it wasn't worth a slow boil of the water to chase them upward. He'd have to yet again surface and dive to do that and he was simply not in the mood to continue as such.

No. No... he was going to do so much better than a slow boil.

They were too unintelligent to know that between the six of them and himself, he was the only real threat. So they circled and he drew his power into the center of his being, as much of it as he could. As fast as he could.

As his breath began to run out and the first shark decided to chance their luck, he let it out. Every last shred he could without passing out.

To say that there was an explosion was something of a misnomer. The water didn't get pushed away so much as it simply vaporized - boiling so fast that the resulting steam killed the first shark before it could feel anything. The next died as it swerved, attempting to turn away from the heat it could feel rushing towards it, but unable to escape the rising bubble of deeply cloudy white air. The third survived a little longer by diving into the cold water that rushed to fill the space left by the steam as it moved upward, but was pushed into it by the sheer unrelenting force of the water.

The remaining three were forced upward on the crest of the bubble of steam, exploding out of the water as the boiling sea met the surface. Two of them were briefly filled with hope of survival by being tossed through the air and away from the deadly soup now threatening to form a whirlpool from the extreme temperature difference. The last sadly found it's downward arch dropping it directly in the middle of the hot pot.

Daqiang burst into the air near Joshua, sucking in a much needed deep breath. He took a couple before he looked over at the other man and gestured with a 'well, have at' wave. He, unfortunately, had barely the energy to remain flying and needed to focus on that for the time being.]

[At first, Joshua is a little concerned that he can't do much more than wait. But as someone who primarily uses fire and has the aether to match he certainly cannot survive underwater as long as the other man does. So he must trust him to find what they are hunting. All the while, Joshua waits with his wings still sustaining his hover, magical healing at the ready... Should he need to make this a rescue?

But the play that unfolds before him is ... Wow. That is some shark fin soup. Joshua is awed by the power and the skill even if he's sure that his hunting partner must be pushing his limits by now. And once the swirl of water and vapour opens up and Dongfang returns to the surface Joshua lets out a relieved sound.]

That was particularly more than I was expecting to see.

[Just a gentle scold, there. Yeah.

Joshua spreads his wings and swoops down over the water. The lingering sharks that are thrashing in the water are attempting to escape so he does not have much time. He holds his hands out and unleashes a powerful storm of fire that swirls in a dangerous explosion.

Soon enough the water slows to an uneven swirl. Nothing will stop the ocean from reclaiming the water and all that's left is ... shark chunks.]

[Dongfang Qingcang settled on a small sneer and a dead stare for his retort. The power he'd used was more than he'd attempted at any one time prior and it was not returning to him as easily as it should. The discovery of another limit better to have learned alone was, once more, frustrating and inconvenient. It was as if the world conspired to hobble him at every turn.

Rather than make the extent of his current weakness known any further than 'need to catch a breath', Daqiang tucked his arms behind his back and hung in the air while Joshua finished off the last of the sharks. Shame that they were not as intact as the ones Daqiang had killed. They'd still be paid well once they fished the pieces out and carried them back. The fact that all of the sharks were quite well cooked might also be held against them - depending on how valuable the parts were raw versus already smoked, boiled, and fried.

As the sea begins to settle and the bodies of the sharks rise to the surface, Daqiang feels he's probably good enough to carry a few if he teleports back to shore with them rather than fly.

He moves to float next to Joshua and speak to him.]

This venerable one has no nets or baskets to gather the pieces of your targets. This venerable one will carry two of the bodies back and return with something appropriate for you to bring the rest in.

[Unknown to Daqiang, the lower six inches or so of his hair was now white and the formerly straight and even line it had fallen to now choppy and ragged.]

[Likewise, Joshua has no immediate tools to carry the bounty to shore with him. Perhaps he should have thought of that before they took the skies. He'll give a small nod.]

Let's take back what we can. I'm sure that we will still accumulate the points we've won.

[But before he goes to gather what salvageable things he can... Joshua notes the change in Daqiang's hair.]

Are you alright? Are you hurt?

This venerable one is fine.

[He responds almost on reflex. He'd certainly be meditating most of the following day to rejuvenate himself. But he was not going to telegraph how little power he had left to work with. Or how much effort it took to dip toward the water and grab first one, then two fully cooked, but otherwise fully intact goblin sharks by the smallest points of their tails.

But as he did so, the strip of white at the end of his hair grew a little bigger.]

[Joshua seems skeptical, himself. He eyes the other man and the change in his hair. He is not the type to pry... But he does make a note.

Once they have their prizes they head back for the ship. Once they are there Joshua can land on the deck and drop his pieces. And with it, he drops his flame-shaped wings as well. And lets out a haggard breath.

He's not an athlete...]

There we are... I believe that means we've completed this section of the hunt. Thank you.

[Daqiang had opted to teleport ahead to save himself some effort and the need to expend further power. When Joshua joined him, the white streak in his hair had grown almost a full foot and he was clearly working very hard to maintain his composure. His posture was too stiff, even for how he normally stood. His shoulder and jaw tense.]

We have. You did well.

[He's never thanked anyone since becoming Moon Supreme and wasn't about to start now. But his compliment should serve well enough to show his appreciation, right? Right.

Any further pleasantries he avoided by stepping in to have a quick negotiation on the sale price of his portion of the hunt. After which, he took his money, inclined his head to Joshua, and teleported out. Just before he disappeared in a puff of black smoke, the white in his hair surged upward to nearly his shoulders.]

[... And there he goes. Well. That was a rather interesting encounter. Joshua will have to keep an eye on the man next time he sees him.

He would have offered some of Phoenix's power and healing...

Until next time. Joshua will take his winnings.]

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