« may: deep dive »

[seaboards]

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!

All threads are worth 4 points.

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

TOPLEVEL DIRECTORY (Updated May ##)

Canon - Character | Corsair/Paladin/Undecided
Canon - Character | Corsair/Paladin/Undecided

BALEEN'S•REACH

CLIFFSIDE

COMMENTS

BALEEN'S REACH

After Elah disappeared, groups scrambled to try and find any hint of where the whale could have gone. Some argued they should leave the leviathan alone, that it was proper punishment and karma after the horrific acts done on the whales and by the very people it housed. Of course, others argue that the bad actors are only a few and it shouldn't ruin the lives of so many innocents, especially those who fought hard to protect the whales and bring justice to them. Besides, why should they suffer when the Corsairs did just as much if not worse as the ones who actually hunted the whales and crystallized the victims? Despite the divided opinion and even some opposition, communication with some of the underwater beastfolk tribes and sirens have given some leads that Elah may have disappeared somewhere in the deep ocean. Of course, that is a vast area, covering most of the world itself, so the next place searchers turn to is a reclusive whalefolk village located in an area Elah would frequent.

Baleen's Reach is located in the southern seas where the water is warmer and the fish plentiful. During the height of the whale hunts, they have fended off intruders from their territory and had become something of a haven for injured and lost whales that managed to make their way there. It is only with reluctant that they are allowing outsiders in. Protected by a numerous illusionary spells to keep the village hidden, only those with either the Paladin or Corsair brand will be able to pass through—though not without challenges.

From a nearby island where Nogard will settle on and where ships can dock, everyone will need to use some sort of tonic, spell, or other ability to transform into either some kind of merfolk or other sea creature. In this form, they will swim out, guided by some whalefolk guardians to the edge of the village. From there they will be forced to find their way through the illusionary maze as a way to "prove their worth and trust" to reach the village. This is because this maze will be able to detect one's true intent. Only those who do not wish to harm the villagers will find their way through.

The maze will appear as if made of walls of coral and kelp. Unlike traditional mazes, the paths are not linear and will have many branches and openings that appear and disappear. Designed to trap hostile threats, the maze is filled with various traps to hinder and can even be dangerous to those who are not careful. Colorful coral that are poisonous to the touch, urchins that can fire paralytic spines, and barracuda on the prowl are some examples. However, none of these traps are instantly lethal and can be treated. The whalefolk guardians are always watching, so if someone they have already determined is not a threat does get injured, they will rescue and bring them to the village.

Those who have no ill intentions towards the whalefolk and especially want to help Elah will find help through the maze. Scattered shells will glow along the sand or on the coral walls to help guide the way out. Starfish will spin around to help direct which way to go at crossroads. Even the kelp will sway and move to form a proper path.

Getting through the maze will lead them to the entrance of the village, where buildings are made of giant shells and coral. It's a thriving village, to the point where "village" may be a misnomer and it's more like a bustling town, especially with the whalefolk as large as they are. Although many will be wary, most of the civilians are peaceful and will greet the visitors. The marketplace will have a plethora of interesting underwater goods: potion bottles, seashell jewellery, magicked gemstones, underwater weaponry like spears and blowguns and more. But the vendors will be cold to most newcomers, so haggling might take a bit of effort. Domesticated seahorses can be used to travel around the village a little bit easier, either for leisure or entertainment. Just bear in mind these seahorses will also be on the larger side (heavy draft horses) and can be ornery if not handled properly.

🐋 Whalefolk guards. The whalefolk guards might seem reluctant to let people into certain areas of the village, but there might be a way to win their trust by testing one's mettle against them in an honest fight and prove their worthiness. Be careful, all of them carry sharp spears that they can somehow control with telepathy.

💡Bioluminescent lanterns. As it is so dark this far down in the ocean, bioluminescent lanterns can be crafted out of bits of jellyfish flesh and magicked gemstones. To help light the way, lanterns can be made with these.

🌿 Seaweed farms. The locals might be more amenable if some work is done for them. The seaweed farms down here are their primary source of food, so they will take helpers to help preen and collect the seaweed. And also remove the pesky pests that keep eating their crops too.

🎶 Musical instruments. The whalefolk do love music. There’s a small public-use stage that has a collection of seashell instruments that are allowed to be used by anybody. Try picking up a musical instrument and create a song with or for a friend. The instruments themselves have a calming effect that might just leave listeners feeling happy or affectionate.

🐈 Catfish therapy. There seem to be a few catfish swimming around. These three little ones seem attracted to those with tragic backstories or deep trauma, and they will be insistent that people pet them and cuddle them, even going so far as to bunt their heads against people's hands and heads affectionately until they do. Maybe they will help heal, too?

🥛 Collecting sea glass. The young children in this village seem to have a little trading game. They collect bits of beautiful sea glass from all over the waters and trade each other for other beautiful bits. Collect some sea glass and trade with the children or other people and try to find the shiniest pieces.

Just outside the village is a large safe haven where injured whales and other sea creatures still recovering from the crystallization inflicted upon them from the island can be found. They are mostly healed, but not all wounds are skin deep. Along with helping administer medicine and treating whales still inflicted with the crystal, soothing the younger ones still suffering from the trauma through play, singing, and stories will increase favor from the whales greatly. Those who have helped the whales before will be recognized and given a special whale bone amulet so that they will be able to communicate with the whales. Those who help the whalefolk will also be rewarded.

While everyone is in the village and trying to find clues about the deep ocean, a network forum call from the captains of the Royal Fortune and the Stormbringer will be made over the Shellnet to discuss how to convince Elah to return. As it will be an open forum, it will get a bit lively as well as…creative. (Designated thread is here.)

BALEEN'S•REACH

CLIFFSIDE

COMMENTS

CLIFFSIDE

Helping around the village will help bolster trust and the whales may open up and tell of some old legends and stories regarding the deep ocean. The village itself is located near the edge of a large drop off that connects to one part of the deep ocean. Although anyone daring enough can go out on the edge to look down into the dark abyss, care must be taken. The stories will warn of monstrous beasts that swim at those cold, deep depths, and of ancient, prehistoric creatures that still hunt their prey to this day. The most common story, however, will be of the the Great One who resides in the deepest parts and had made their presence known at the destruction of that accursed island. A being that is respected and feared and likely one of the few Ancient leviathans that still roam the world.

As the village is already at the limit of one's ability to swim at these deeper depths, it is impossible for anyone to swim further as there is currently no adequate technology or magic that can protect anyone at those depths. However, for those who want to try their luck or explore the cliff's edge to get a feel for things, they just need to be careful of the dangers that lurk around. Even the guardians may not be able to help any who are lost to the depths…

🌊 Whirlpool currents. Scattered around are random currents of rushing water that can pull anyone in and shoot them rapidly through the water. Don’t get caught in the currents because they might pull anyone close enough so far away or down into the ocean that it will be impossible to find a way back.

🌋 Hydrothermal vents. Like the whirlpool currents, there are random vents that randomly shoot up blasts of hot air. The vents can catch anyone off guard and send them shooting them great distances, even out of the water.

🐠 Feeding koi. There is a special breed of colourful, oversized koi fish that will eat anything. Literally anything. If the koi fish are fed, they might cast a special illusion spell that will make the feeder turn random bright colours, just like them.

🐡 Pufferfish bombs. In the darker areas around the cliffs, especially near caves, are subtle, hard to see pufferfish that gently bloop and swim around in the shadows. If they’re not noticed, it might be too easy to run into one. If they’re touched, the pufferfish seem to grow and expand and then explode like a ticking time bomb. Be sure to avoid them!

🦁 Giant sea lion. Roaming around the cliffs is a giant, very agitated sea lion. No one knows why the sea lion is so angry but getting in its way may result in being attacked or eaten. Find a way to avoid it or fight, if one dares.

Occasionally, denizens of the deep ocean will rise up to trade with the whalefolk or hunt some of the fish and creatures only found at the higher ocean depths: angler fishfolk, large crabfolk, squidfolk, and more. They will appear strange, almost alien with their darker and sometimes translucent bodies, wearing special masks that protect their eyes from the brighter light. Because of this, they are unable to stay for long so they are not really one to make conversation, leaving any questions asked unanswered. Helping them hunt or harvest, however, will help foster trust and they may even give some rewards that may be useful later, including a special token acknowledging their help and a promise to repay it… Just try not to be accidentally hunted instead, especially those who have transformed into sea creatures!

Potential Rewards:

The following list is just an example of what can be rewarded. Players can be creative so long as it fits the theme.

• Amulet that absorbs sunlight to glow in the dark
  
• Special small daggers and knives that are imbued with the dark element
  
• Rare trinkets of shells and stones with high monetary value
  
• A charm that can help one hold their breath for longer periods at a time

🪸 Shadow coral. Along the walls of the cliff are places where the sun does not reach and here the coral has grown wildly and looks like gloomy forests of rocky weeds. Coral tends to be a rare treat to eat in this world, so if the coral is eaten at all, it will cause the eater to suffer from the opposite emotion they are currently experiencing. Despite the effects, they are worth a fair bit as they are used in various potions and medicines and are harvested when possible.

🦞 Sea urchins. There’s a plethora of sea urchins all over the sea floor. If they can be found, they’re known to be a delicious delicacy that should be eaten! The challenge will be finding a way to crack the spiny sea urchins open so that their guts can be slurped up. Tasty!

🎣 Catching Sunfish. Sunfish are considered a strange delicacy down there and thus intrepid deep ocean hunters will rise up to try and catch a few. This particular species has scales that reflect the sun so brightly it can be blinding. Help the hunters by shielding them from the bright light and herding the large fish to the darker depths.

🧜‍♀️ Sirens. Beware of prowling sirens down below. The sirens, unlike their merfolk counterparts, are bloodthirsty and hungry. They will lure in their targets with sweet melodious love songs only to rip their throats out with their sharp fangs and eat their flesh once they get close enough. They have been particularly dangerous for the deep ocean residents as the sirens will lure them up higher where their bodies are weaker and unable to handle the pressure and light, so a few deep ocean hunters are chasing them away.

BALEEN'S•REACH

CLIFFSIDE

COMMENTS

Comments

Open Forum Discussion: Save Elah!

[seaboards]

[Many will recognize the Corsair flagship, the Stormbringer, in the background, with a backdrop of blue skies and white clouds, as well as many other ships anchored around them on the video feed. Both the captains of the Stormbringer and the Royal Fortune—Fiona O'Malley and Miranda Thorn—are there, with the lion's arm around the wolf's shoulders, the latter not looking too thrilled about it, but there is the slight sway of her bushy white tail behind her.

Fiona grins wide, showing off her teeth.]

Calling all Riftfarers! As many of you know, Elah's gone and fucked off to the Ancients know where, no thanks to the lot of you who went and made decorations of his kin.

[Miranda shoots Fiona a mighty side-eye.]

Try to have a bit of decorum, please. This is a professional matter.

Right, right. Anyway. [Fiona gives her giant paw a wave, and she adopts an equally serious expression as she addresses anyone watching the feed.] Because so many people depend on Elah for their livelihoods, and poor Nogard can't keep dragging around the island for much longer, we need to find a way to get Elah back. Problem is... we have no idea where to even start.

And that is why we are seeking your help, Riftfarers and locals alike. Think of this as an open forum to offer suggestions on how we might earn the trust of our leviathan back. In spite of my relationship with Elah, not even I have been able to reach him.

Any and all suggestions are welcome and valid. We'll be taking notes and will try to organize some efforts. Gods only know the higher ups—

[Miranda growls and Fiona bares her teeth back, hissing.]

Fiona. [A clearing of her throat.] At any rate, please leave your suggestions in response to this post, and the two of us will review them. Thank you for your time.



Mod Note: Fiona and Miranda will be taking notes but they will not be responding to anyone. This is just a "suggestion box" and an open forum if anyone would like to discuss ideas to help earn Elah's trust back and bring him around again.

Leave your suggestion below, and please be sure to include a note of it in the subject line.

Un: detectiveforhierophant -Text - Saving Elah

[detectiveforhierophant]

Do we know if the whales have any funeral or memorial rites or rituals when they pass on?

If we still have any of the remains of the whales, one thing we could try-- with their approval of course-- is to help them 'bury' their loved ones and start to make amends that way.

id: draganea; text; offer their heads 😉

[draganea]

Think the answer is obvious. Just offer the leviathan the heads of the main organizers and others who were involved. Paladin, Corsair, all of them.

text; un: weishappened - track it and offer the guilty parties

[weisshappened]

Any sign of where it went? Which direction, any way to detect something that big in the sea? Can the other Leviathans track it down?

Find it, offer up the guilty parties and let it do what it wants. It's intelligent, right?

un: paridisaea ; text ; Elah's Desires

[empyrean_mirror]

This might be a bit difficult since none of us have managed to find Elah

but don't you think we should start by asking Elah itself what it wants of us? of the survivors it left behind?

text | un: astudyinviolet, Red-Eyed Being

[astudyinviolet]

Elah might not be the only one who needs to be appeased.

Looking back on my notes on what I thought was an unrelated case, Lyney and I spoke with fishermen who told tales of a gigantic red-eyed being, leviathan, or deity who destroyed entire islands with tidal waves for disrespecting the sea.

Needless to say that the one who appeared at the end, with the voices and telling us to drown, is that legendary being.

text / un; enterprise

[lucky_e]

I'm not certain how much this might help, but trust can be difficult to earn and takes time. And once it's been broken, it can take even longer to rebuild, if you're able to recover it at all.

I might suggest that the first thing that should be done is to find Elah and offer an apology. Then ask them if there's anything that we can do to start earning that trust again. It's all up to Elah, after all, if they want to forgive, or can. And what they feel will be appropriate to allow us to regain their trust.

Un: Emberized ; text; Don't?

[emberized]

No hang on, why do we even want Elah back?
Maybe none of you noticed but our hands sure hurt a whole lot less with Whale Island gone; I know I'M not in a hurry for more of that again!

Face it, if Elah wanted to be found, then we'd find them, wouldn't we?
Maybe not every Leviathan aspires to be living real estate

Can't the city just relocate somewhere else?

un: psylocke

[serendipitously]

I'm rather new, so I don't know quite the details everyone else does. Perhaps someone could fill me in sometime.

But I could offer my assistance in some way in trying to locate Elah. I'm not certain what success I'll really have, but I can give it a try. Enacting vengeance on another's behalf can lead to....unforeseen consequences in my experience. It might be better to find Elah and ask what would satisfy them.

Garrus Vakarian | Mass Effect | Paladin | OTA

[thearchangel]

👻 MANTA BOARD || The Tara-Tam Deepcroft || Paladins
[While he would prefer to say 'screw you' to the Paladins as a whole, the fact there's a whole group of uninvolved people suddenly going missing... that can't possibly be good. So, while he does throw his lot in to help out, he makes it very clear This is not for you.]

[It probably won't help anything. But it feels good.]

[At least until Garrus, and whomever he managed to wrangle into this misadventure, make landfall on the island. The silence is eerie. The whole place looks absolutely deserted. He'll take the lead, pulling his beloved rifle from where he's stowed it.]

You know, the last monastery I saw was full of husks. Really hoping this one isn't similar...

[Famous last words.]


🐟 SWIMMING LESSONS
I can't swim.

[The flat-out refusal is met with a long stare from the individual manning the dive booth - or selling potions to dive. Whichever it may be. He's been protesting for a while, absolutely not intending to actually go through with this. Someone probably pointed him at the wrong line or something like that. The merchant shakes their head, and just hands him a bottle.]

[Five minutes later, Garrus is flopping wildly in the shallows, the sudden addition of an armored fish tail, and gills, not helping the whole 'can't swim' thing. What is he supposed to do?]

Help-??

🐋 Whalefolk guards
[Once swimming has been figured out, and the fear of drowning is overcome, Garrus has made his way to the village. They have to win their trust. Fair enough. The guards seem like they're open to a little hand-to-hand... And with the stupid size of this fish tail thing, he may have an advantage. Except they seem like they want doubles.]

[He's floating a little bit sideways, but the nearby riftfarer gets an inquisitive look.]

Feel up for a little two-versus-two? Seems like this'll help us get where we need to be with them.


🪼 Cliffside
🌊 Whirlpool currents -
[To be perfectly fair, he's not the best swimmer. Only just having started literally a short while ago. But this tail is big. He's big. There's a lot of plates and ridges to hold onto. What Garrus lacks in skill, he does have in strength. So, naturally, he'll try and help people get through the currents. If possible...]

Hang onto me. I think if I get enough speed, I'll get us through! [Maybe.]

🧜‍♀️ Sirens -
[What better way to help out the hunters then by taking out the competition? Grappling with the creatures should be a fairly even match - he's got claws, and teeth, not afraid to use them, now that he's underwater without his guns. Say you're minding your own business, drifting toward one of said sirens...]

[And then boom.]

[The big guy hits it in the face, stunning the creature enough to leave it spinning slowly in the water.] Come on. Push it up before it snaps out of it! They don't like the higher water levels.

[Help out? Or does the singing start again and lure this spiky fish-man-alien into its clutches too?]


👀 wildcard;
[Anything else? Any other quests? Also open to Rift Adventures! Hit me up - I'm game!]

Guards

[telepathicignorance]

(Said nearby riftfarer is a scrawny looking little thing with a short spiky fin on the end of their tail. Something like the oversimplified mockup here... though they're wearing a modified wetsuit covering most of them, so the orange markings and all but the end of the tail with its little spiky fin are hidden away.)

Sure.

(They smirk, looking entirely too confident for someone so physically underwhelming.

This is at least partially because they can sense the telepathic bonds between the whale guards and their spears, and are pretty sure they can fuck with them.)

👻 As a FFXIV player, I have to pick this one. It's the law.

[onebullet]

[ There's an echoing, mechanical hiss as Shepard follows suit with her heavy pistol, keeping close to Garrus's flank.]

If there are husks here, I'm blaming you for jinxing us.

[ As with the graveyard back on Samdre during the Farplane disturbance, this entire place looks neglected and grimy, the paving stones slick with damp moss. It could easily be the setting of some schlocky old horror vid from Earth. ]

swimming??? attempting and failing at least?

[reindered]

G-garrus? Oh no! I'm coming!

[He can't swim either, thanks to his having eaten a Devil Fruit back home. So he would only cause more commotion by being another to save, another to rescue from the water. He'd only come because he was curious how this worked, that people could swim down so far, and the transformations. Chopper isn't the tallest, but if it isn't too deep, he might be okay? He attempts to head out to help Garrus. He hasn't taken a potion or anything, simply seeing the other needing help and heading in.

...

Maybe he should have stopped to think this through more. He's merely attempting to sort of walk through the shallows to Garrus, figuring if necessary, he could transform to a bigger form than his usual smaller toddler-sized one.]

Tara-Tam

[lucky_e]

[WAY TO JINX EVERYONE!

Geez...]

Husks? The last one I was in was... mishappened and dedicated to a... well, to a something.

[Ah-- she's probably not helping much in the whole jinxing department. Anyway! Enty gives a shake of her head.]

...I'm sure we'll be fine for whatever lies ahead.

hi ive finally arrived

[tenrectricity]

[ never has surge ever been grabbed by her wrist, tugged and then told that she is what the "prophecy" foretold which she believes they're making up on the spot. not only that, she's listed as this with another person that she doesn't really recognize, who is being ushered to the same place that she's laying at. her claws tap against the ground with a bored look on her face, then a yawn after as she looks at the individual beside her and the...

whoever oversees this town appears to be in deep discussion with someone else, occasionally pointing at the newcomers and then indicating a spot where the guards previously were. unsure of why they're doing that, the tenrec (merrec?) blinks slow then looks up to the other person with a laugh. ]

Sooooo did they bumrush ya too as soon as ya came into town?

[ or bumrush him at all, because she seems to be picked out by some random delusion that they have for themselves. or using the excuse of a "prophecy", but she's pretty sure that must be another term for... needing someone to pick up the slack. ]

Davrin | Dragonage Veilguard | Paladin - OTA

[weisshappened]

BALEEN'S REACH
🎶 Musical instruments
[His only objection to this whole thing was making sure Assan was safe. No way was he going to bring the young griffon into an underwater adventure. But the animal sanctuary was as safe a place as Assan could be for a little vacation. Which meant Davrin was free to try out some magical transformation... and end up with a black and white spotted tail.]

[So here he is, someone having pushed him onto the stage with a seashell... flute? in hand. He has no idea how to play it, but the whalefolk are looking expectantly. So... after a glance around to make sure there's no familiar faces around...]

[Yeah, he's humming. It's not really singing, but he's humming like he would to Assan alone in their lighthouse room. That counts as music, right?]

🥛 Collecting sea glass
Easy, easy - I've got enough for everybody. [This the the same Warden who swore up and down he was no one's father. He was not a father figure in the least. But he's sitting in the middle of a cluster of whalefolk kids. Trying to hand out bits and pieces of shiny sea glass.]

[He spies the nearest Riftfarer and tries to wave them down.] Hey, little help over here? I think I'm running out of glass for these guys.

[Help. Please help him.]


CLIFFSIDE
🦞 🪸 Hunter-Gatherer
[It brings back memories, this kind of thing. Harvesting from the wild. Gathering things that grow to feed your clan. It's weird, actually, how easily he falls back into this habit, into this role.]

I haven't done this since I was a kid. [As he plucks a couple urchins from their hiding places, dropping them into a basket.] Not that I was underwater a lot. I mean this - getting food from the wild.

[He pauses, like he's suddenly caught himself-] You uh. Don't eat the coral. All right? It's weird.

[NAILED IT.]

🎣 Catching Sunfish
[Now this? This is where there's zero self-consciousness. He borrowed a fishing spear, to join in the hunt for the sunfish. He's got his eyes shielded with his hand, trying to work in tandem with another riftfarer. Calling out:]

Drive them this way! We're ready!

[Please help him not be blinded by the sunfish.]


wildcard;
[ Rifts? Manta Boards? anything else? Hit me up! ]

collecting sea glass

[tenrectricity]

[ normally surge doesn't travel alone, but there's so much in the vast ocean that it's hard not to get separated from kitsunami. sometimes it's the wrong turn left, or maybe a current throws them right, but she did watch a couple of kids steal kit to play with him, and surge didn't find that troubling at all, at first. now since she's been here awhile, she has to look for him so they can move onto the next destination.

there isn't much crime here to stop or be like heroes so... it only makes sense to her.

when she hears the sound of children laughing, she thinks she's found her little fish, but what she comes across is a little unsuspected. ]

Help!? You need help! Well, you're lucky I'm around to save ya.

[ sure the kids don't understand any better and are looking for more shiny rocks from davrin, their little fins raised up trying to know whatever he has out of his grasp so some can catch what falls. ]

Never fear, Surge is here! But um... I ain't got that, but I can make somethin' just as cool?

Lyney || Genshin Impact || Corsairs - OTA

[spectacleofphantasmagoria]

Illusionary Maze
[While swimming in the depths of Fontaine’s vast sea is a standard practice for any tried and true Fontainian, this certainly takes it to another level. Lyney’s mermaid form is, admittedly, something rather fitting for him; with wide, flashy pink fins and plenty of frills and boldcolours that almost reminds him of his Chioriya outfit, he certainly stands out among the bright corals and seaweed. But even with needing to get used to having a tail instead of legs, Lyney’s past experience of swimming in the Fontainian seas helps him get the hang of using a tail pretty quickly.]

[That’s just for the best, as this maze is certainly a confusing place to get through. As one who’s got a keen eye for spotting tricks and traps, even Lyney is surprised at some of the illusionary traps the maze has. Among the tall green coral he stands out, so if your character is lost among the maze he’ll be easy to see at least. Still, he will be proceeding carefully, and hold out a hand to stop anyone from swimming too far ahead.]

You’d best be careful. This maze has its share of dangers, that’s for sure. It would be bad for us if we got hurt in here.

Catfish Therapy
[After finally making his way through the maze and into the village proper, Lyney goes around to see what he can learn and where he can help out. But along the way, he soon finds himself approached by one of those little cat fish. With a smile, he indulges the catfish in some gentle pets.]

Why hello there, petit chou~. Where did you come from?

[They certainly are cute… and apparently have some friends? Before Lyney knows it, he has three catfish around him, all vying for his attention. With his fondness for cats Lyney has no problem petting the cats, eventually settling on a piece of jutting coral to give each of them attention. Though, the more he pets them, the lighter he seems to feel on the inside. It’s strange… but for anyone who sees Lyney, he certainly has a content look on his face.]

Whirlpool Currents
[Swimming through the outer seas beyond the village becomes vital for aiding the whalefolk, but there’s also rushing currents that are a lot stronger than his new tail can swim through. He’s just stumbled across one, and while he isn’t blown aside by it, the current does knock him aside and collide into someone nearby. After re-orienting himself, Lyney will turn and chuckle apologetically.]

Woah! Ah, forgive me, these currents are a lot stronger than they let on!

[Of course, that begs the question of how to get through them? Lyney hums, looking at the current.]

I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to swim through a current like that…

Sea Urchins
[It’s not often he’s had it, but Lyney is familiar with sea urchins and their uses for food. Diving down into the depths helps to find sea urchins is quite a task, but look at them all! There’s so many fine delicacies here… but the problem Lyney finds is how to pick up and transport them. While given a basket to carry them by the whalefolk, none have told him just… how to crack them open or even pick them up. Lyney ponders for a moment, before turning to his companion.]

So, uh… would you like to try grabbing them? Or have some idea of doing so? Those spines look rather sharp…

Wildcard
[Got an idea for a prompt? Feel free to write your own starter, or send me a DM so we can plan something out!]

Catfish Therapy

[telepathicignorance]

(One other person who probably wasn't expecting to be mobbed by aquatic cats is Chris. They've got a decent handful of the little things swimming around them and meowing insistently, even headbutting them and batting at their hands.

They're not sure whether to be more amused or more annoyed, but the sight of somewhere to stop and rest immediately has them heading in the direction of the patch of coral that Lyney has found a spot to sit on.)

Ack! Stop! (A calico catfish is trying to burrow into their semi-curly hair. It's really rather distracting, and they're struggling to pry her off without hurting her-they smack into the bottom of the coral patch.)

Nanaki/Red XIII || Final Fantasy VII || Paladins - OTA

[feralhumanity]

Whalefolk Guards
[Strangely enough, the honour duel that the whale guards reminds him of the guards who keep watch over Cosmo Canyon. And given how much Nanaki has wanted to help the whales, and knowing how much they were hurt, he doesn’t blame them for being cautious.]

So, it’s a duel they want? Well, I’m willing to challenge them.

[There’s only one problem; with his new fins and hind legs morphed into a tail, Nanaki isn’t sure how well he can fight. Still, if someone is wanting to duel the whale guards, he will nod to them.]

If you need help, I’ll lend my claws… or, well, fins, in this case.

Safe Haven
[Given how much Nanaki had wanted to help the whales, being able to help the whalefolk in their own haven is exactly what he was looking for. And for all the seriousness that Nanaki may appear to carry, he actually does have quite a playful side to him that he gets to show off with the young whales.]

Come on, pass it this way!

[One of the whalefolk had crafted a ball of sorts out of seaweed and other underwater bits, which Nanaki is batting between three other young whales. He laughs as he does, having a grand old time. Feel free to watch him play, or even come join in the game if you want!]

Sea Lion..?
[There’s a nasty, angry sea lion swimming around the cliffs. It’s an impressive beast, with bold spines and wild fins that cut an impressive image along its feline body. Unfortunately, this beast also happens to look a lot like how Nanaki looks right now, who’s had to deal with a lot of other whalefolk and riftfarers coming up to attack him. Whether by accident or not, Nanaki will puff up and swim back on a supposed attack, baring his fangs.]

Hey, back off! I’m not one of those sea lions, I’m from the surface! Don’t attack me!

Catching Sunfish
[The Sunfish look strange, but a hunt is a hunt in Nanaki’s eyes. While he can’t sniff for scents or catch sounds down here the same way he can on the surface, he’s still pretty good at tracking down the fish in question. And once he sees one, he’ll crouch behind some coral, watching it swim.]

Those scales are gonna be tricky… we may have to circle around to strike it from both sides.

Wildcard
[Got an idea for a prompt? Feel free to write your own starter, or send me a DM so we can plan something out!]

Sea Lion!?

[lucky_e]

[She's been busy patrolling around the areas the supposed monster sea lion has been attacking people. While she hasn't come across anything too eventful, walking around on top of the water is always a wonderful experience!

Like going out for an afternoon walk.

This was kind of cut short after noticing the wake of something in the waters ahead of her. It's smaller than what she anticipated her target to be, but still large enough to cause a moment of curiosity.]

Oh! Um, excuse me! I wasn't planning on attacking, just curious.

[She said, gliding along the waters slowly next to Nanaki.]

You were the only disturbance in the water I've seen so far.

Kieran || Pokemon Scarlet || Corsairs - OTA

[ohwowzers]

Marketplace
[Kieran’s heard of deep-sea diving, but the underwater whalefolk village, and turning into a mermaid, are things Kieran never thought possible to experience in his lifetime. It’s like something directly out of a fairy tale, and even though it takes some time to get used to his new tail (which looks suspiciously like a White-Striped Basculin’s tail) it’s still pretty remarkable being down here.]

[However, being down under the sea provides unique challenges. For one, he can’t use his Pokemon down here (except maybe Politoed, but the waters down here might be too deep for the giant frog Pokemon), so he’s a little exposed when it comes to combat. Thinking on this, and thinking back to conversation he’s had before, is what eventually leads him to the marketplaces and leads him over to one of the weapons dealers.]

[Kieran can be found studying the wide array of spears, blowguns, and fishing knives. While he studies them, however, he looks fairly confused, and doesn’t really know what he’s looking for. He may need some guidance on what to do here.]

Bioluminescent Lanterns
[It’s not mask carving, but Kieran remembers helping craft paper lanterns back in Kitakami, so how different could it be? It’s certainly strange to make lanterns out of jellyfish flesh and gemstones, but eventually Kieran seems to be getting the hang of it. Eventually, he holds up one lantern he’s been working on.]

I think this’ll work, right?

[But as he holds it up, one piece falls loose, and then another, and then he has to scramble as a whole section falls apart.]

Aw man...

Legends and Koi
[Being such a lover of legends and stories, Kieran can eventually be found listening intently to an old whalefolk resident reciting a story about the Great One that supposedly lives in the depths. He listens with rapt attention through the tale, even leaning in to take in every word. When the story is done, he can be found asking either the elderly whalefolk or those who have been listening even more questions.]

Wowzers… do ya think we’ll be able to see that Great One sometime? How long has it been down here? Do ya think we could meet it sometime?

[Of course, eventually Kieran can also be found swimming around the outskirts of the village. While he may not find any ancient leviathans, he will eventually find a school of koi fish that seem eager to munch on food. The only food Kieran has on him is Pokemon food and some leftover soggy chocolate that’s still in his bag, but they seem to eat it up eagerly. Kieran doesn’t mind sharing what he has, and even has a smile on his face as he feeds the koi.]

There ya go… do ya like that? Pretty tasty, huh?

[So caught up in feeding the koi, he doesn’t realize that he’s been subtly dyed a nice shade of purple that matches his hair.]

Sirens
[Still with the thoughts of the Great One in his mind, Kieran can’t help his explorer side and perhaps swims out further than he really should. He finds himself out in the deep, searching for signs of the great leviathan of those stories. But during his exploration, he hears… music?]

Huh..? What’s that..?

[It sounds melodic, almost like singing… curiosity gets the better of him, and Kieran begins to swim towards it. But unknown to him, it’s not a leviathan calling to him, but rather a group of sirens. Better intervene before he gets in trouble!]

Wildcard
[Got an idea for a prompt? Feel free to write your own starter, or send me a DM so we can plan something out!]

koi fish 🐟

[oathkeeper]

Hey, Kieran!

[It's Sora that swims up to meet the other boy when he's with the school of friendly and hungry koi fish. Sora himself is, of course, a dolphin. He has his usual strong blue dolphin tail but this time he has a spattering of blue-green scales all over his torso to match. His ears seem more pointed, with webbed notches on the tip as well.

And he's deep sea ocean diving. And no one!! Can Stop him!!! Not even Nico!!!]

Are you feeding these little guys? They sure seem friendly!

[He's got a bit of seaweed with him from the village, so he goes ahead and offers a bit to one of the coloured fish too. It starts to peck at it! Cute...]

surge | sonic | paladin

[tenrectricity]

█ one. | maze

▪ BALEEN'S REACH, SURGE

[ a maze to "prove their worth and trust"? count surge in, there's no way she's going to back down to a challenge, especially when she thinks that nothing can tell her what she can and can't do. it's as simple as she expects it to be considering she has kitsunami with her as she swims further down, ears twitching to listen to anything that sounds like a threat. what sounds like waters teeming with fish begins to lose that luxury as the lights slowly, slowly begin to darken upon her descent.

the darkness doesn't bother her at all, actually, but the silence is unnerving in some way as she doesn't hear a certain fox chatting with her. normally he would say something by now, and it's with another shake of her ears that she realizes there's no one swimming alongside her. this must be what they meant when it proves the worth and trust of a person, possibly separating them to see if they'd get to the end. well, she can handle this, even the thick wall of coral that stands in her way as she moves further along.

sure, she could go around and figure this out like someone who wants to play this game, but it's a test of what she can do, and she can do this: with a snap of her fingers, electricity leaves from her body directly towards the wall to make it explode upon contact. for a brief moment, there's a very bright light that appears very, very briefly where surge is before it disappears and leaves the wall crumbling before her.

even though this helps her, this doesn't mean that someone on the opposite side of the thick wall is safe, because there's a possibility it may be falling down on top of them instead. whoops! ]

█ two. | catfish therapy

▪ CLIFFSIDE, SURGE & KITSUNAMI (@KITSUNAMI)

[ did you happen to bring any trinkets underwater with you? or maybe you were given one in return for your help with the whales of other deep sea folk. whether it's shiny or dull, soft or solid, if your trinket is small enough to be grabbed by one of the catfish, it will be—the small creature taking your belonging and then darting around the corner. but in the shadows between structures that it flees to, it doesn't seem to be alone. ]

Surge... Look, it's back.

[ a soft voice points out the arrival (return?) of the catfish, and another one speaks up: ]

Oh hell yeah, this is mine.

[ yoink. your belongings is now in the hands of a green... tenrec? tenmaid? merrec? ]

█ three. | let's hear her out (sirens)

▪ DEEP OCEAN, SURGE

[ instructed by the anglerfolk, surge didn't get much of an explanation when a map was offered to her with a location. x marks the spot of where the hunt begins, and she doesn't waste any time going directly there with a swish of her tail. while she's not sure what she should be looking for, surge believes that anything that stands out must be what the seafolk wants. it's on her way there that she's stopped by someone else, another mermaid wearing a grave expression on her face and her hands pressed together in a plea.

when she opens her mouth, only bubbles filter out, shaking her head, she remains in surge's way. while the tenrec (merrec? tenmaid?) looks annoyed at them, it's when another person is taking the same path that the mermaid will shake her head stopping them too. the creature seems distressed about something, but with a slow exhale, it points at both surge and the other person that they have stopped and holds out a worn sheet of paper smudged by the sea and probably her hands from how hard she's held onto it.

she looks between surge and the other, waiting for them to take it. her skin looks somewhat saggy as though loose on her arms, but maybe she's of an older generation and stressed way too much. ]

Well, are ya gunna take it?

█ wildcard

[ you have an idea you want to do with surge? have at it! if you want to brainstorm ideas, you can pm this journal or find me at anjonala! i'm down for anything so feel free to come at me with anything. ]

Sirens

[spectacleofphantasmagoria]

[This deep down in the waters, Lyney stands out quite a lot, his fins and tail being as bright and bold as a betta fish. So it'll be easy for that other merfolk to flag him down and make him swim over to her... though when he does, he's surprised to see a familiar face.]

Well well, we meet again! Although under quite different circumstances, wouldn't you say?

[When the mermaid offers the paper, Lyney hums curiously, glancing between her and Surge.]

What's all this about?

kitsunami | sonic idw | corsair

[kitsunami]

█ A / marine maze

▪ BALEEN'S REACH, KITSUNAMI

[ when kitsunami takes his tonic, he'll find himself imbued with a mermaid's tail—its colours are dull and washed out, but when it catches the light just so, a pink shimmer can be caught by the eye.

but once he actually gets into the water, it feels like it happened all too quickly. first kit was following surge through the maze, her leading the way according to the flashing charms, and on the next corner she turned, she practically disappeared. kit follows the path for some time, then he backtracks, and then he checks down the other directions that they could have taken—an off-turn here, a hole under the kelp there...

but he doesn't find surge. instead, he ends up sitting in the place he can best approximate to where he lost her, dull scaly tail pulled up to his chest as he fumbles with something he'd brought with him—a small compass. ]

█ B / shadow coral

▪ CLIFFSIDE, KITSUNAMI

[ and how kit's dragging a netted bag of sea urchins across the seafloor. once in a while he leans down to pick up another one to toss into his collection, but to be honest, kit's kind of hungry. surge is basically a bottomless pit with how much food she eats, and kit's been so caught up on making sure that she's well fed, that he might've missed his breakfast before coming down here. that's how the coral catches his attention, having been instructed that they're a delicacy of some kind?

he could probably add them to his haul so far, but first... he moves a little closer, hesitantly sniffing them before—wait, who's that? kit turns to face them with a scowl, clearly a bit hesitant to step far away from the tangle of it. ]

I found it first. It's mine.

█ C / wildcard

[ feel free to hit me up with anything! or on plurk at fairylock! ]

[feralhumanity]

[The form that comes around from one of the coral outcrops, at first glance, looks like that angry sea lion that's been causing problems for the whalefolk. But upon closer inspection, it'll reveal that it's not one the sea lion, but another feline face, who just so happens to have long fins and a tail that looks very lionfish-like. The adorning bangles and tattoos will also help mark him as more civilized, and not a wild beast.]

[Still, as Nanaki examines the strange fox-like creature, he'll tilt his head a bit before looking at the coral behind them.]

You can have it, but I don't think it's edible.

Riku | Kingdom Hearts | Paladin

[dawnshore]

[ A collection of closed threads for Riku. Feel free to Wildcard me, hit me up for plotting or catching me on Tsukeru. Fair warning, computer issues may make me slow. ]

for Sora

[dawnshore]

[ Well, guess it's time to uphold his promise to explore the deep ocean with Sora. He didn't think it would have happened this fast, but here they are. Riku's lower half has taken on the appearance of a leopard shark - with lots of spots covering his fin. Once he's got the hang of it down, he looks over at his best friend...

Yes, he's keeping a close eye on him now that they can actually explore down here. Sora might have more experience in fighting underwater, but there's a lot down here that's likely different from Atlantica. ]

So, where do you want to go first? [ There's the whale village or the even deeper depths... that he'll try to keep them from going too far down into. ]

Azul Ashengrotto | Twisted Wonderland | Paladin

[octoblot]

lurking in the shadows/catfish therapy

[Azul Ashengrotto is not particularly enthusiastic about interacting with other merpeople, despite being an octomer himself. Even if octomer might not be rare here as it was back home, he is still wary about letting anyone see his true form if he can help it--in fact, he would normally have preferred not coming here at all. But recent circumstances have led him to come to the decision that it would be best to investigate as best he can here in case this village holds any answers to his latest predicaments in this place, as well as acquiring any useful items for his potions and magic. At least once he's found something he can use to hide the upper half of his body and avoid recognition from anyone.

Still, Azul sticks to the darkest of shadows and corners he can find to hide himself in so that he can quietly observe the merfolk and those of them that have come here to try to visit. He even manages to find a crevice just barely big enough to stay in after checking that it's already not occupied by another sea-dweller, one that will serve as a temporary octopus pot of sorts for the time being so that he can do his observations undetected. He'll be safe here. No one to say cruel things or grab at his tentacles or the like... he can be left alone, as he should be while trying to work.

... Well. Until the catfish swim by and take notice of him despite his best efforts to hide, and they begin meowing loudly at him. Attempts to shush them and make a shooing motion don't work, so after a moment he allows one of his tentacles to dip out of his hiding spot and wriggle a bit in front of them in an attempt to scare them off. Unfortunately, this does not work, as it just results in the catfish now batting back at it like a toy and thus, potentially just drawing more attention if someone happens to look over here and see them playing around with a black and purple tentacle poking out of a dark den of rocks or what not...]

cliffside dangers

[Regardless of what it is that you are doing, whether that be swimming too close to hydrothermal vents or pufferfish bombs, or perhaps even treading too close to the territory of the sea lion or god forbid, sirens, it seems that you're doing something dangerous enough that even Azul feels the need to intervene.

Namely, in the form of a large tentacle that suddenly reaches out and tightly grabs you by the wrist, or around the waist and tugs you hard, back away from whatever it was you were about to carelessly approach.]

Honestly, do you have any sense of self-preservation? If you don't know what you're doing here, then go back to the whalefolk's village instead of poking around in things you have no experience in.

[Comes the very annoyed sounding voice of Azul Ashengrotto... however, it seems that he is still trying to hide most of himself from view. At some point it seems he's gotten his hands on what looks like some kind of cloak wrapped around the entire upper half of his body in the vain hope that perhaps no one will recognize him as long as they don't see his face as he goes about his business here. Regardless, you've given him no choice but to stop you from doing something very stupid just now, to which he sighs from underneath his veil here.]

You're lucky that I was here, you know. You were about to be in very serious danger just now, and you'd best believe that I will be expecting compensation for having to take the time out of my busy schedule just now to intervene...

wildcard

[Is there something specific you wanna do with Azul while he is in merform that the above prompts don't provide for? Hit me up here! If you have any questions, you can ping me on plurk at wailords or in the discord server, or pm this journal!]

Catfish Therapy

[spectacleofphantasmagoria]

[Unfortunately for Azul, Lyney spotted that attempt to shoo the catfish away... with little success. He can't help but chuckle to himself, but he will take pity on Azul and swim forward.]

Having some trouble there, mon ami?

[He swims over to that den of rocks with bold fins and a tail as bright and flashy as a betta fish, a stark contrast to the dark purple tentacle. Surprisingly, Lyney also happens to have a catfish perched on his shoulder, who meows at the other curiously.]

These little ones are just like the cats up on the surface. Namely, they'll do whatever they please and won't listen to instructions they don't care for.

Faulkner | The Silt Verses | Corsair | ota

[withermarked]

Indecision and transformation
(Merman art! Cw: very mild body horror (too many limbs, translucent with visible bones)

For the first part of the day, Faulkner can be found hanging around the island and visibly agitated. Sometimes he’s pacing and muttering to himself, and sometimes he’s managing to irritate various vendors with endless questions:

How do these transformations work? How does he know they won’t be permanent? How does he know they won’t wear off too early?

It’s truly hard to tell, just by watching him, if he’s trying so hard to talk himself into or out of the idea of going to the underwater village; but he’s clearly too fascinated to actually simply walk away from the idea.

One way or another, whether it’s out of interest or perhaps more likely a very spiteful desire to overcome his fears, he eventually gives in.

He can be found in the shallows as he tries to get his bearings in his new form: something strange and almost ethereally pretty, though the many limbs and visible skeletal structures lend an unsettling aspect.

His face, and upper chest, look relatively normal before the rest of his body fades into something largely translucent and very crustacean, resembling a ghost shrimp. In addition to his human arms he has several extra thin pairs ending in small claws, and a longer pair ending in large, grasping pincer-like hands.

There’s some initial panic at the adjustment, until he realises he can breathe–but after a bit he seems to be starting to enjoy swimming around, and twisting in the water to observe himself curiously. He’s preoccupied enough that he just might bump directly into the nearest other swimmer.

Catfish therapy
It doesn’t take long, being in the village, before Faulkner finds himself suddenly swarmed by very insistent little creatures. Mer-cats? Catfish?

He isn’t sure why they’re so interested in him, but at first he isn’t about to complain–they’re cute, after all. He laughs and pets a couple of them, before giving a startled yelp as one decides to bat and grab at one of his antennae.

“Hey stop that–!”

With a huff, he grabs the catfish in one of his extra hands, holding it around the middle as it tries to wriggle away.

Cliffside / Stories are snares
Faulkner takes the time to help around the village, here and there. No harder than he has to, but whatever seems enough to get on people’s good side. Because what he’s actually interested in is listening to anyone willing to share stories and legends.

He seems most curious about the ‘great one.’ Perhaps you overhear him doing his best to steer things into whatever he can learn about it without being too obvious… and finding himself disappointed as he doesn’t necessarily learn as much as he’d like.

At some point he begins testing the waters, as it were, by sharing some of his own stories from home. He hasn’t really told anyone about his (former) god here, but if he wants to befriend the people of the water then perhaps it’s an appropriate pool of folktales to draw on.

Perhaps the river was never more than a mindless hungering beast and the stories are just that; but they’re good stories, and he’s good at telling them. Good at spotting when there’s interest, and when there’s not, and at spinning versions that feel appropriate for other worlds.

He doesn’t mention sacrifices, except perhaps for heroic ones, but he does talk about legends of a great river that protects those who respect it, and respect the creatures of the water… or rises in vengeance against those who don’t.

Perhaps you even catch him telling a particular favourite, when he’s caught a couple of younger villager’s interest.

“And so the young woman, uncertain where else to turn, goes down to the water’s edge…”

Sirens / The drowning song
(cw: Vague references to drowning/murder, general possibility for dark topics)

If you lower your head into the water and hold it there, you will begin to hear music.

That was where it all started, so long ago. Repeating the voice in his head, infecting others with that simple story: the beautiful music of the garden below, the music that was always just out of reach, but perhaps if you could only get a little closer, only hold your breath a little longer…

The music he was, once, jealous his brother could hear.

So perhaps there’s some irony, or some comic fairness, in the way it is currently Faulkner hearing voices drift up from below, sweet and lovely. In the way he suddenly feels as if he should get close enough to make out the words.

Perhaps he of all people should know better.

And yet he dives.

Wildcard Feel free to throw anything my way! The main thing he's unlikely to try and do on his own is fight guards

Sirens have a shark fenris.

[magehater928]

A blur of blues and whites ram into the siren- Fenris had, to the best of his ability, launched himself through the water, and straight into the beast.

The impact isn’t quite the same under water as it would be on land- in fact, with the (very strange, very alarming and offputting) new fish(?) fins gave him an advantage of speed that couldn’t compare to his legs.

But this causes him, and the Siren, to go spinning off in the direction from which Fenris came.

“FAULKNER!” He shouts, between wrestling to try and prevent the siren from making any sort of noise and trying to stay upright. “YOU NEED TO WAKE UP.”

daisukenojo "beat" bito | neo: the world ends with you | corsair

[stillarhino]

[Closed threads below. If you want to do something, hit me up in discord at riyuji via DMs or in game chat. You can also ping me at riyuji otherwise.]

sora

[stillarhino]

[At this point, Beat doesn't really question when there is need of some kind of change. After having been a straw man, a toy soldier, and a number of other objects or creatures, having to shift into something that could dive deeper into the sea seemed like a walk in the park.

Or at least it did up until he realizes exactly what he's turned into. A lot of shouting and splashing followed suit as Beat, the now shark, thrashes by the water, making a scene until he is pushed into the sea by the locals. Eventually he calms down enough to follow the guardian who leads him to the village entrance, leaving him to prove his worth.

Which finds us here, with Beat weaving through the seaweed maze, grumbling loudly at his situation.]

Wouldn'ta helped if I knew they was gonna pull a fast one like this. Coulda leas' lemme choose what I wanted to—

[A sudden shift in the water disrupts his thoughts, his head turning towards the nearby disturbance, suddenly on high alert.]

Whozzat?! I ain't got fists now but I got some hella sharp teeth, yo!