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seaboards ([personal profile] seaboards) wrote in [community profile] escordvi2025-04-05 01:09 pm

« mini manta board log: abductions finale »


ABDUCTIONS FINALE

This mini log is for the Special Quest listed on the April 2025 MANTA Board. All threads are worth 12 points.

Somewhere far out in the ocean, many days away from where the leviathans currently drift and settle, rests an "island" that can only be described as a beautiful abomination. Completely manmade, at first it looks to be an island of crystal and mist, its colors shimmering in the moonlight to give it a mystical aura. But every so often, when the mist moves and the light happens to pass through the crystal, large shadows with large fins and tails can be seen trapped within. Moving in closer will reveal even more than just crystal—large curved bones protrude here and there, but they are still placed carefully, supporting the crystals that make the island. In the front the bones arch around to look like the skeletal form of a massive whale, the tail deep into the water and a magnificent palace made of crystal and bone on its back. More bones curve around the tail with floating crystal lights illuminating the path down towards the island, the waters stained red.

Several luxury yachts are docked along the pearl studded pier, the sound of music, laughter, and other party making sounds drifting through the wind and echoing throughout the island. Inside the mansion, a number of rich, elite members of society are reveling in the ambergris wine and staring up at the numerous crystal statues of people and animals lining the walls and even hanging from the ceiling. Their eyes sparkle through the clouded haze created by the sweet fragrance that permeates throughout the building.

A stark contrast to the groans and cries that drift from deep, deep down beneath the island, where the crystal and rock form numerous dungeons and caverns housing those who were taken in for one reason or another. Whether they were arrested or kidnapped, they had been rendered unconscious and found themselves in these dungeons for the past few days, even weeks and months. Their tattoos wiped clean and stripped of their powers, the trapped are contained in all different ways: locked in barred cells, sometimes chained to the wall; locked in small isolation rooms, crystal from the walls slowly creeping closer towards them as if to swallow them; hanging in cages over tanks of water where others struggle in their water confinement. Humans, animalfolk, animals, riftfarers, and locals alike—all scattered throughout a giant dungeon and all in some process of being crystalized to become the next grand centerpiece to be put on display. It all seems hopeless…

…Until an ominous song echoes throughout the island, a sound so deep and raw that it rattles both the giant bones and those of the living. A song of no words yet sings of death and doom as the waters around the island begin to recede, making the structure suddenly sink down and slam into the ground. The seafloor, now exposed, reveals piles of bones and barely decomposed bodies of untold numbers of whales of all ages and sizes along with other remains of the victims that were once held on the island over the past few months. As the waters continue to recede and reveal the ghastly graveyard, the waters begin to rise and rise and rise to form a giant ocean wall, a massive shadow slowly passing before disappearing.

And riding at the top of those waves is a fleet of ships, Corsair and Paladin flags whipping in the wind. It is a partnership formed by the renowned Stormbringer and Royal Fortune captains, Fiona "Redbeard" O'Malley and Miranda "Wavebreaker" Thorn, both of whom are ignoring orders from the higher ups to work together, with Miranda leading the fleet through the violent tides, living up to her reputation as the "Wavebreaker". Lines are dropped, row boats surf down the wall to land on the wet sand, and people rush out towards the doomed island.



⚔️ Insignias. Due to the distance, the effects of the insignias on everyone will be lessened a little to allow cross-Armada interaction for longer periods of time. Otherwise, the effects are still active and while there may be some remedies around the mansion, it's still so new there wouldn't be too much.

🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Escape. Due to the sudden drop of the island, some doors may have broken open or sealed even tighter. Chaos will have erupted so the guards may also be scattered and confused, making escape attempts much more viable. Just be wary of the crystal golems and mechanical sentries that will be roaming through the lower dungeon.

💎 Crystallization. The crash has activated the magic system that will seek and target anything that appears living and try to fire a blast of cold air that will crystallize the area hit, similar to ice freezing over. Some fire more concentrated "goop" of crystal that will quickly solidify and start growing to encase the target.

🤖 Defense systems. Defense systems outside the island are still active. The "underwater mines" are now settled on the ground and while easy enough to avoid, some may still detonate. There are also sharkfolk mercenaries that will rush out to fight anyone they see. For those who may try to sneak through, there are some hidden entrances now made available, many of the larger crystal structures cracked to reveal ways in and out. However beware of the leeches that might attach to those not careful. They're mostly harmless, but instead of blood they will drain one's energy if not removed quickly.

⛓️ Arrests. While some may be quite happy to just stab their captors and those operating this island, taking a few back for questioning would also be worthwhile, especially since clearly a number of powerful people are here. But there are also some well-known riftfarers in the mix…

🪦 Underwater graveyard. As the tide recedes, it will reveal an underwater graveyard. Anyone rushing in to help with the rescue efforts or escaping might recognize partial or whole remains and bones of not only countless whales, but of animals and people who had been taken as well. The Captains are asking people to find and take back what they can find, whether they are remains or mementos, so that they can have a proper burial.


The raid is thorough and brutal, more and more of the island rumbling as it is gradually destroyed from within and without, ships firing cannons to chip away at the structure. However, they cannot stay forever. Once more the seafloor and the waters start to tremble as a high pitched shrill call pulses through. It's enough to knock anyone off their feet, even stun them for several seconds before there is a whisper of hundreds of voices. Voices so low and eerie, filled with a hatred that claws directly into the minds of all who are there:

"Drown."

That is the final warning before a large red eye glows from behind the waves, so large and bright it could swallow the island itself. Then the once high walls of water start to tip forward, a slow drip before it all starts to cascade downward and rush in to flood and destroy the island completely, crystal and bone shattering into oblivion.

As everything is flooded over, whales and dolphins will rush in to rescue those they can while orcas will move in to hunt down any criminals who managed to escape the first time, biting into their limbs and throwing them high into the air like toys before breaking them with their weight. The fleet of ships that had remained behind will sail in close to pick up those still stuck in the water.

It will be a long voyage home, and those who are injured or have the crystalized effects will receive immediate treatment with Eltrut able to provide more full treatment.

If you have any questions, comment here.

brokenlight: ((137) So I stayed in the darkness)

[personal profile] brokenlight 2025-04-06 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
[No wings. It does make it a lot easier for Ventus to get him to sit back down.

His shoulders slowly relaxes.]


Thank you.

[Ventus looks curious when he rubs his ears.]

Are your ears okay?
telepathicignorance: (Judge)

[personal profile] telepathicignorance 2025-04-06 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
I ever tell you you're also absolutely shit at lying?

(They get to work freeing his legs. Damn, they are really fast and efficient at this.)

You don't have any obvious tells but you say too many things that don't match up with reality.

(The best lies have a grain of truth, but Hawks keeps spewing obvious falsehoods.

There's a scream somewhere beyond the door to Hawks cell. A lot of screams, actually, and the sound of someone begging no no please it was just a job he wasn't one of the ones in charge of-

It cuts off, and Hawks might notice Chris flinch as they work on freeing his other leg.

Some time after the screaming stops, a dog barks.)
sunsetking: (103)

[personal profile] sunsetking 2025-04-06 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
No, it's the herbivore and their furball.

[Because of course the Ramshackle prefect gets involved in everything, right?

His eyes narrows when he sees the hand against the glass.]


I see your potion finally ran out.
velocityraptor: Credit recadreuse (Hawks 19)

[personal profile] velocityraptor 2025-04-06 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
They're fine, it's just always weird when I'm stuck with just normal human hearing.

[ Hawks pauses because well, he never talks about that aspect of his quirk, it's what makes him an effective spy. Almost never, at least. ]

Usually I'm not listening with my ears, so it's kind of weird to go back to that.
velocityraptor: Credit recadreuse (Hawks 08)

[personal profile] velocityraptor 2025-04-06 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ Unlike Chris, Hawks doesn't flinch. He's heard those cries before, except this time, he's not the one delivering the final blow. At least there's that. He probably should be bothered more, but he's compartmentalizing. He's focused on the task at hand. He'll worry about other things later. ]

No? I'll have you know if I was lying, I'd be a great liar.

[ Good lies are built on partial truths, but he's not trying to sell a story on behalf of the Commission here, he's just trying to be someone he may not entirely be. ]
empyrean_mirror: (36)

like the day after

[personal profile] empyrean_mirror 2025-04-06 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
[Kaveh's got a list of people to check on and fortunately for him (and very unfortunately for Azul) two of them are neigbors. So there is a knock, as much as Azul probably doesn't want to hear them, about 24 hours after the rescue attempt.]

Azul, are you awake?

[He brought tea and every kind of painkilling herb, ointment and tisane he could lay hands on at the market.]
desirestruth: (This would have been easier)

Naeva Dos Martos | OC | Corsair

[personal profile] desirestruth 2025-04-06 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Two flavors of toplevel down below for your convenience.]
desirestruth: (This would have been easier)

Release the Beast | Open, CW: VIOLENCE

[personal profile] desirestruth 2025-04-06 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
[There is a monster for display among the prisoners. When removing her tattoo and her magic had not removed her natural ability to change forms, Naeva's captors saw it as...an opportunity. So she is chained down and muzzled, a beast with a gastly maw, her legs and forearms covered in crystals...even the beginnings of her jaw. she is quiet now, so much so one might think she's unconscious where she stands, bound upright...

Except, her eyes track everyone who enters, glowing gold with fury and madness. It's not clear if she recognizes anyone who approaches. She is silent, but staring. Furious and hungry.

...It might be a little dangerous to free her.]


[ooc: naeva will need to feed nearly immediately on release so this thread will be very bloody!]
telepathicignorance: (Smirk)

[personal profile] telepathicignorance 2025-04-06 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
(They snort.)

I'm not sure there even is a liar that could fool me.

(There Hawks, you're free.

And whenever you turn to look, you'll find that the cell entrance has ...are those Xolos from the Conservatory? Looks like it. It has Xolos standing there, watching them with something that might be impatience.

They need to go, before an enemy comes along that can't be destroyed or driven off by flame and tooth. Before whatever is holding the waves back lets them come crashing down.)
desirestruth: (Have you forgiven me?)

Aftermath | Open

[personal profile] desirestruth 2025-04-06 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
[A day or so after the rescue, naeva has pointedly not shown up anywhere densely populated. However, anyone with a mind to follow her or the rumors of a ghostly creature in the woods on Eltrut's shell can find her deep in those woods. She seems to have defaulted to being a jackal most of the time, and sleeping on top of Muffins, her three-headed large companion, but if you look for her at night she will be awake.

Awake and very wary of any approachers, given the loud crack of a whip as a warning.]


Hands where I can see them.

[her sense of smell is damaged...she needs to verify identities.]
seasaltkeys: (Violent winds)

Roxas | Kingdom Hearts

[personal profile] seasaltkeys 2025-04-06 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
[A - So What Are You In For]

[There is a boy in a cell and he is not happy to be there.

Granted, it's a prison cell and one would assume that most people aren't happy when they're in one. You're really not supposed to be happy. And perhaps that's elevated by the fact that he has done nothing to be in here, except for maybe be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Which is stupid and frustrating and irritating and here we are.

He shifts between pacing restlessly and rattling the bars and sitting listlessly in a corner of the cell, unable to do much with the pent up energy and the way his arms are crystallizing. He scratches at it unconsciously.

Two options here:

i. After Roxas has first been tossed in the cell. He looks more than a little roughed up and is not in a good mood. What are you in for?

ii. Roxas and Axel are hatching a plan for escape. You want in?]



[B - Escape! That's Funny, it looks just like the word Escape]

[The minute the realization hits that Roxas can escape, he does. He shoves the door open and runs into the hallway. He can't summon his keyblades and it's frustrating, but he can still do some damage. He doesn't have a 20x attack modifier for nothing after all. And well, he's mad. And while that usually leads to sloppy movements, it can also lead to some pretty powerful attacks.

And all of that is directed at the first guard he manages to find. It's not the elegant, clean combat of a boss fight, but a scrappy brawl to knock the guy out and make off with his keys. You need getting out, he's letting you out, opening as many doors as he can with what he's got.

All the while, he's keeping an eye out for the familiar shock of red hair that usually heralds his best friend. He's not leaving without Axel.]


[C - Freedom, it smells so sweet! (let's go rob a liquor store on the way home)]

[It's over. He's out. He's safe. He's on the deck of a ship and they are sailing away. He's torn between wanting to look back and never wanting to think about this whole thing again. Roxas is sore and tired. His arms are covered in crystals and he looks roughed up and beaten. There's definitely going to be a few bruises. His shirt is torn, and one might see a large scar across his chest.

For now though, he sits in a quiet spot on the deck of the ship, trying to be out of the way, so he can just rest. He wants to be home and in bed and somewhere where he doesn't have to think about these things.]


[D - Wildcard]

[ooc: Want something else? Want a specific starter? Want to plot? [plurk.com profile] urbaninja or PM]
velocityraptor: Credit recadreuse (pro heroes 052)

[personal profile] velocityraptor 2025-04-06 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hawks flexes his fingers now that he's free, and slides his glasses up onto his forehead. It's not that he can't see without them, but the tint is obstructing his vision slightly and his other senses are offline. The problem is that he is going to need to remember to blink and not be creepy about it.

He straightens up on his feet and takes a very wobbly step. He's been without his feathers before, but the only time he's been without the proper bone structure was when he first arrived in this world.

Each step is slow, like he's on a rocking ship when he isn't. ]


Good skill you have. [ Please don't notice he's a disaster. ]
telepathicignorance: (StepfordSmile)

[personal profile] telepathicignorance 2025-04-06 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
(The thing that throws the door to enter isn't a rescuer but a guard, seemingly fleeing from some-a burst of flame engulfs him and he drops, screaming, to the floor. A ...dog? Enters the cell, sees Naeva, freezes, letting out a low growling noise.

Someone else who is definitely not any guard pokes their head in after, then gives a horrible, manic grin.

Because look. Chris isn't much for murder and hasn't themself been doing any killing. But also, Chris is pissed. Pissed enough that they're not holding back anyone else from doing the killing. Not the others that came with them and not the animals they brought from the Conservatory to seek revenge on those who took ...basically the entire staff?

This place is too much like the farm, and its people too much like their tormentors, for them to truly care whether they live or die. And this creature... something about this creature is distinctly off, but they can tell its hungry? She's hungry? They aren't sure.

Whatever. They try and send a telepathic message, a general idea that they and the dogs (and some other creatures they brought with them, a bird and something... else?) are friends and not to be eaten, but she's free to eat say, the still living guard on the floor, or the other fuckers running around getting their asses kicked. Then they'll start working on getting those restraints off.

Fuck all these assholes, let the "monster" eat them.)
desirestruth: (Have you forgiven me?)

[personal profile] desirestruth 2025-04-06 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Well. Naeva's eyes snap to the dog first, and she can't speak, but she still understands it just fine. But it's the presence in her head that drags a long gutteral growl out of her, and seconds later, a thought so sharply focused it's like a thrown knife--

Get out of my head. You won't like being in there shortly.

Because the second the restraints are loose enough she's ripping the muzzle off and turning towards the guard. Her feelings turn to a sharp and primal hunger.

This will not be pretty.]
telepathicignorance: (Default)

[personal profile] telepathicignorance 2025-04-06 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
(It's too late for that Hawks. They're probably only this nice to you because you're a disaster.

And well, they'll move to help support him.)


We need to get out of here. The whales have dropped this entire island to the bottom of the ocean and I don't want anyone to drown because they were looking for us when they let the water in.
telepathicignorance: (Startle)

[personal profile] telepathicignorance 2025-04-06 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
(And they well, they'll break the connection at that.)

Wasn't sure you were a person.

(Not a mind they can easily read, and clouded by hunger.

They'll let her out of the restraints. The move toward the guard is expected. The Xolo dog backs the fuck out of the room at Chris' insistence.

They should look away. They want to look away. Leave this room. Let her run off and have her fun without them.

And yet, they do not.)
desirestruth: (This would have been easier)

slaps an additional gore warning on here.

[personal profile] desirestruth 2025-04-06 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
[As much of one as you.

She can't speak. Her jaws are partially crystal, which is why what happens is more gruesome than it would have been otherwise. But those horrible crystal teeth sink into the guard's throat and tear, not for the flesh, but for the blood that she laps up, guzzles down the torrent, the beating hot pulse of life.

Her arms and legs are still crystallized. Her jaw is too. And they crack, horribly, hideously, as she slowly forces her form to revert. To turn back...human shaped. Human-ish shaped. The amount of crystals on her is much, much worse when she's not nine feet tall, even if several of them cracked off in the shift.

(oh, that is agonizing. But she's used to agony.)]
velocityraptor: Credit recadreuse (pic#17386438)

[personal profile] velocityraptor 2025-04-06 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ Bless their kindness.

Hawks will let them help hold him up because his balance is seriously affected, even if he looks rather annoyed by it. He should be better than this. The Commission wouldn't stand for it. How he could've failed so badly, it defies expectation. ]


Have I mentioned yet that I'm not a duck? [ He doesn't want to be in the ocean. ]
telepathicignorance: (Pissed)

[personal profile] telepathicignorance 2025-04-06 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
Pretty sure you were a caged bird up until a few minutes ago.

(Look, he started it, he can't blame them for making jokes back. They'll do their best to help him navigate around the bodies, several Xolos following them. An entourage of fire breathing feathered dogs.

That's not all they brought, but it's what's visible now.

One of the bodies groans, still alive. It's a guard, so Chris doesn't stop to help. They may, in fact, kick them as they pass. There's suffering all around them, threatening to drown them in it just like the water will eventually drown this island. They'd normally feel horrified and guilty, but right now they're just angry. None of this should have happened. None of this needed to happen. None of this would be happening if it weren't for these assholes.

Their brand is tingling ever so slightly, the distance from Nogard rendering its magic weaker, but not entirely impotent. That makes them angry too. They wonder how much input these fucks had in the decision to punish inter armada cooperation. How much it benefits them to have those below them tearing at each other's throats.)
velocityraptor: Credit recadreuse (Hawks 22)

[personal profile] velocityraptor 2025-04-06 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
Ha. [ Hawks chuckles like it's funny. It kind of isn't, only this time it's not metaphorical, so it's undoubtedly true. Bird in a cage. Hilarious.

As much as he should protest, these guys had no problem kicking him around, one kick isn't going to be half as much as repayment for everyone they hurt, so he doesn't. Hawks just gives an impassioned glance as they walk by.

The brand is new, Hawks notices it because it's tingling and he stares at his hand with distaste. ]


Something else I have to cover up.
telepathicignorance: (Nervous)

[personal profile] telepathicignorance 2025-04-06 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
(They watch, mesmerized, as she laps at the blood and then transforms into a person. A terrorbeast?

Well no, that category is for Re-Genes. But something like one.

They feel a little sick.)


Sure you don't wanna stay big? There's ...a lot of villains here. (And she looks even worse now that she's not giant.)
astudyinviolet: Scruffy Sherlock sitting on the ground (⩜ wgah'nagl fhtagn)

Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2023) | Paladin

[personal profile] astudyinviolet 2025-04-06 06:40 am (UTC)(link)

Caged

[ A large man shoves Sherlock into a cage, locks it, and raises them both until the cage hangs over a naturally occurring pool of water. Sherlock stays slumps against the bars and floor of the cage. Another day, another beating and interrogation. How long has he been in here? It had been the twentieth when he was captured, but given the lack of light, he can't tell the passage of time. The best he could use as a measurement is the number of times he had been beaten for information he refused to give. That ox man called his interrogations a daily task. There's been at least sixteen of them that Sherlock can remember.

His aching body shows significant pale green crystalline growth. He can no longer see or hear on his right side. His joints are stiff. The numerous bruises and cuts on his body have turned the same pale green. Smaller crystals appear in patches. Most of his injuries are hidden under the raggedy and blood stained the dress he wears. His interrogators we told to avoid his face, so his crystallized form could be a masterpiece. Man or woman, they thought him very pretty and could fetch a nice price on the black market. (If they don't decide to keep him, that is.)

People would be forgiven if they thought Sherlock dead. Sherlock seems to have shut down. He cannot see a way out of this. His early escape had failed. He does not have the charms which would see him safe from the pool beneath him if he could pick the lock. The only hope he has is that the information he left at the S.H. Detective Agency and his casebook helped his friends and made this worth it.
]

Drown

[ The voices fill his head, and no amount of covering the ear that can still hear blocks them out. Sherlock sees the bright red eye, and he knows he's seen something like that in his night terrors, deep in the Abyss, calling out to him as these voices do now.

He's frozen in place even as the water starts to cave in and fall. There's no lighthouse here. There's no John to pull him away before the water crashes down. He doesn't want to see the monstrosity. He wants to see it and finally know. What incomprehensible being haunts him?
]

Are you the Great Lord...? Why are you here...?!

[ Hopefully, his charms have been retrieved to help him breathe underwater and keep him afloat. Sherlock cannot swim. He can't even attempt to as the water will cause him to black out. Better yet would be for someone to get him to safety before the water reaches him. Carrying him is applicable. He's light enough and won't fight anyone who does. ]

Recovery cw: vague emeto and seasickness mention

[ A healer has seen to Sherlock and started the first of many treatments to reverse the significant crystallization of his body. He may look the same, but the treatment targeted his internal organs and to start returning function to his right eye and ear. There is still one problem. Sherlock gets seasick, so while he's on the ship as more people are plucked from the waters, Sherlock coughs and whimpers maybe even cries. What little had been in his stomach has long since left him.

A fellow person in recovery? Someone keeping him company? Someone trying to care for him? Sherlock isn't going anywhere until he's able to leave the ship, and even then, he'll just be resting at the Surasthana Cafe, either in his apartment or downstairs in a pile of blankets and cushions while clutching certain plushes to his chest.
]

Wildcard

[ Want to do something else? Write a prompt or drop me a line at Sherry's journal, [plurk.com profile] aviekokyre, or on Discord @ aviekokyre and we can plot something out. ]
octoblot: (et max laryngitis)

[personal profile] octoblot 2025-04-06 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
[Azul doesn't have a verbal response to that, at least not one that can be heard very well in that tank.

But, he doesn't seem to have found that very funny, given the way a tentacle can be heard thumping against the glass inside the tank again briefly, not unlike how an annoyed cat or rabbit might thump their tail or back legs when mad. The hand on the glass curls a little into a fist, and for a brief moment Leona will see that the nails on said hand are... not looking too hot, actually. They look chipped, as if he had probably tried to scratch at the glass at one point during his time in here before he flattens his palm against the glass again and is trying to say something that Leona might catch part of.]


Did you... anything... can change back?

[Ah. He's probably asking if you brought anything on you that he can use to try to change back to human form.]
octoblot: (go ahead make your choice)

[personal profile] octoblot 2025-04-06 07:38 am (UTC)(link)
[Yeah, he's still in blanket town at this point in time, so at first there's no response.

And then, eventually, a very groggy sounding--]


What?

[--that can be heard on the other side of the door.

... Guess that answers that question of whether he's awake or not?]
telepathicignorance: (Middlefinger)

[personal profile] telepathicignorance 2025-04-06 08:09 am (UTC)(link)
Armada higher ups have decided they can dictate who we're friends with, now.

(Can you hear the fuck that and fuck them in their tone, Hawks?

Most of the cells they're passing appear to be empty, contents freed. A small animal with crystals covering its face and clouding its eyes is stumbling around in confusion. Suddenly, it turns and shambles over to join the pack of dogs following Chris, despite clearly being unable to see or understand what's going on.)

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