THE SEAS SHALL RISE & DEVOUR, Part I

[faderifting]

WHO: Any Inquisition members + all rifters
WHAT: A semi-involuntary tropical island vacation
WHEN: Kingsway 20 onward
WHERE: The sea and an island east of Rivain
NOTES: OOC post.

I. THE JOURNEY

Two ships depart from Kirkwall on the morning tide, sturdy vessels crewed by veteran sailors--but a mere skeleton crew, as it turns out, or so a few of them would have you believe. They're prone to assigning tasks to anyone who happens not to look busy, shoving ropes into hands without a care for station or experience, barking out instructions and expecting to be obeyed. With plenty of work to do the journey seems quick, and besides the unexpected chores it's otherwise smooth sailing through the Waking Sea. Some claim to've spotted the Windline Marcher one night, but it could just as easily have been clouds on the horizon, and that's it for excitement until the ships round the island of Brandel's Reach and out into open ocean, the ever-present coastline finally falling away behind.

The sky is bigger out there and the waves are too, especially when a storm strikes a few days out, dark clouds and driving rain sending any inexperienced sailors below decks to wait it out. The worst of it being the pitch of the ship rolling up and crashing down the massive waves, and the way the hold fills with the stench of people being sick. But the next morning dawns calm and clear and with no lasting damage done.

The group is bound for a desert island, drawn on maps with a big deep cove like a bite chomped out the side it, and a narrow channel through the surrounding reefs to reach it. That's the only moment of true tension on the voyage: as soundings are taken every few feet and the helmsmen adjust and readjust in response, carefully threading the needle to avoid running aground on ship-killing banks of sharp coral.

Both ships make it, and anchor offshore in the bay in the sheltering lee of a cliff, safe from future storms. The first party ashore reports back that Qunari are present in the area, but while they've displayed a palpable wariness, hostility does not seem their aim today, and they retreat back up to the hills above the beach as Inquisition forces arrive. Anyone able-bodied is tasked with assisting in unloading, and those less hale with helping the quartermaster's assistants track the process to make sure nothing goes astray between hold and shore.

Camp is to be a collection of tents: large ones beneath which makeshift facilities for cooking, eating, and working are set up, and many small ones designed to hold 2-4 Inquisition agents. They're still hammering stakes into the sand and tying off ropes to the sturdier palms when a shout goes up, though anyone present who possesses an anchor shard will not need to be told: a rift has opened nearby, a couple hundred yards out into the bay, a knot of shapes splashing about it. Better hope the rifters can swim.

II. ARRIVAL

Rifters

You were asleep--deeply or fitfully, for the last time or just resting your eyes for a moment-- and then you were not. And wherever you were was not, anymore, replaced by nothing but the sensation of falling, tumbling into endless, bottomless nothing. If this were still a dream, you would wake before you hit the ground. You can't die in a dream, they say. In some worlds.

In this world, when the afterimage left by a flare of too-bright, greenish light fades, you will find yourself at sea. Not metaphorically (though perhaps that too) but literally: dropped into what is unmistakably the ocean, from the salt in your mouth and the incessant slosh of waves into your face, the squawk of gulls circling overhead. You had better start treading water.

Thankfully, if you can keep your head above the waves long enough to make a quick inspection, it turns out that land is in sight, only a few hundred yards off. Unfortunately, between you and it is a strange slash of greenish light. It sticks up out of the water but seems to continue beneath as well, turning the otherwise-turquoise waters the same pale greenish shade of a man gone seasick. The cluster of demons emerging from the rift are tall, spindly stick-things with too many eyes who flail about like stickbugs dropped in pond, but use the long reach of their arms to attack. Some are hunched and hooded with no eyes at all, their shrouds sodden and draped in seaweed. Others are mere wisps of greenish light that float easily over the surface. While you might get the impression they are as surprised as you to find themselves in the drink, any humor that might bring is probably outweighed by how angry it seems to make them.

If that were not enough to contend with, there is also the narrow splinter of light the same sickly green as whatever brought you here that now glows out of the palm of your left hand. It aches, a bone-deep pain that gnaws even through all the distractions. But there is some good news: from the beach over yonder boats are launching. Perhaps they'll save you.

Rescue

As if rescuing rifters from drowning and demons weren't hard enough work, all the commotion in the water inevitably draws the attention of the local predators. But what arrives isn't the usual eel or ray or even a shark: it's something much bigger and much...redder?

Slinking through the water comes the flash of a fin and the glint of a scaly back, so quick and sinuous it's hard to say how many of the sea serpents there are. As wide around as the circle of a man's arms, with snapping jaws lined with an unnatural number of curving teeth, but what should be smooth snakey curves are instead jagged with the jut of brilliant red crystals that catch the light and make the sea seem to be already splattered with blood. They're studded all over its body, making any even glancing blow carry twice the danger: there's not just the stunning force of the strike to worry about or the possibility of being coiled in a crushing grip, but also being sliced and gored by red lyrium.

And the serpents aren't alone. While all eyes are on the churning water and the incredible sight of demons battling it out with sea monsters (because everything in that water is fair game to the beasts, not just the Inquisition), one sailor is suddenly plucked out his boat and carried screaming down into the depths by a great, crystal-encrusted tentacle. Cleansing runes are effective, but the monsters are canny enough to avoid capture, falling back into deeper water before attacking again. The arrival of a red lyrium-tainted kraken is just about the final straw for the ship's crew, and after seeing the monsters come dangerously close to cleverly flipping one of the longboats, they insist that the Inquisition row back for shore.

If flight is hard to stomach, consider it a tactical retreat: in shallower water the great bulks of the monsters become a liability, thrashing about among the rocks as they try to give chase. Escape back to the beach is possible, and surely the safer course, but it may be possible to lure one of the sea serpents into a tide pool or to beach itself up on the sands. The rest continue to prowl the bay, visible circling the ships at anchor and making any return impossible for the time being.

III. STRANDED

Once everyone is safely on land and out of the monsters' reach—after any wounds have been seen to, with particular attention given to any that may have been exposed to red lyrium—it's obvious that there's no way to leave for the time being. There isn't much to do but to try to make the most of things and try to accomplish what you came here for.

Some of the team will be tasked with continuing to set up camp. Now that the stay might be longer than a single night, it needs to be a little sturdier. The beach and cove are protected from harsh winds and exposure by a half-circle of rocky cliffs, and the Qunari communicate in grunts and one-word answers that large predators make sleeping in the jungle itself a bad idea. They've only been here a few days (that much can be gleaned despite their reticence), but some of the untamed jungle has been cut through to make clear paths to fresh water and fruit sources.

Penetrating the rest of the island is slow, difficult work—though magic may make it easier. The goal is near the top of the formerly volcanic peak in the island's center, but hacking through the growth to create a path may abruptly become a waste of time when it gives way to a steep drop-off or an equally steep incline and forces everyone to double back and try another route. If there was ever a clear road to the top, it's gone now, grown over during centuries of abandonment. But there are signs of past habitation: the lower portions of the island are spotted with crumbling ruins, chunks of moss-coated wall rising out of the forest floor, the occasional pillar looming up amongst the trees. Some have architecture and faded murals that are distinctly elven. Others, more recent, are clearly human, including a statue of Andraste in the center of a clearing. Others are harder to identify.

The predators the Qunari were trying to warn everyone about turn out to be real--they're large, jet-black cats about the size of a height of a mabari but longer, with short manes, near-scaley skin, and horns almost like the Qunari's. And before anyone gets any ideas about keeping one, they're fiercely territorial—always likely to try to eat your face, but doubly so if you come near their adorable kittens. Feeding them may buy a moment or two for escape, but nothing is going to win them over.

Comments

Araceli Bonaventura; open

[foxsays]

i. journey;
As with any time she's on a ship, Araceli spends much of the voyage pitching in because this is what she knows and there are never enough hands on deck. If you need to know how to tie your knots correctly without fear of being shouted at then she's probably the safe bet. If Kirkwall made her happy just to be by the sea again, to hear the gulls, smell the salt, wake up to masts in the docks then being out on the open waters again has her smiling even when the waves lash and the wind almost blinds her.

This is like being home and she loves it.

When the cry goes up about the rift after they finally make it, she's one of the first to kick off her boots and strip off her coat (sorry if you were helping her unload anything) because yes she can absolutely swim.

iii. stranded;
Things could be worse.

They could be in the Fallow Mire. Or Emprise du Lion. Or Skyhold. Because if you're stranded anywhere an island by Rivain isn't the worst place to be stranded on. The fish might be out judging from what was in the water - what a thing to tell Madame de Cedoux - but if anyone wants to fashion nets or rods at any point and try their luck since no one knows the length of their stranding? She's willing. Hacking through jungle, yes, that's fine too and she has notes she's taking for back in Kirkwall so she doesn't forget. (She isn't submitting a report but not all eyes are here and information is currency and vital.)

But she's diplomacy and approaching the Qunari is probably what Madame de Cedoux would like for her to do in the interests of getting some sort of information if they can or at least just speaking with them so she does try. Vashoth apostate mercenary kadan might be a poisoned chalice with them but so might rifter and Inquisition so they might all be equally screwed here.

Skadi Iceblade (Open)

[iceblade]

I.

On the open sea, Skadi is having the time of her life. Having never been beyond the Frostbacks before her trek to Kirkwall, the Avvar woman has seen very little of the world. This trip is a chance to change all that, and she embraces it with gusto. If the crew needs her to hold or haul something, she's there. The few times she's not needed for something, Skadi will be leaning on the railing, staring at the open water with awe and calling out in delight when she spots a dolphin or sea turtle. If you're nearby, expect her to grab at you and gleefully point it out. "Look!"

Her enthusiasm doesn't dampen any when they finally make it to the island either, unloading what's needed before helping construct the camp tents. Does she ever stop? Well, no one gets a chance to find out, as even without the shouting, she grimaces and looks down at the shard flaring at her hand. By now, she knows full well what that means. Heaving a sigh -for once not enthusiastic about something but not willing to sit it out, either- she rushes toward the nearest boat and claims it. Anyone else wanting to join in rather than swim will have her gesturing impatiently. "C'mon, we've no time to waste!"

II.

...well, fuck.

Staring in horrified fascination at the red lyrium-encrusted creatures, Skadi has to remind herself that she can't fight them all. It would be futile, not to mention the rift folk need aid. So, she snaps out of it and heads for whoever she can help rescue. Between using her shard to help stun demons and generously unleashing a burst of Fade energy, her goal it to clear a path enough to get in, and get them out. Then it's time to retreat to shallower water, doing what she can to keep them off their backs.

III.

After that excitement, Skadi has decided against wearing her furs and leathers for now...at least those covering the top half of her body. On land, it's too damn warm for such attire, so while she keeps her pants, her torso and arms covered in paint that she'll deem as hard as any armor to those who ask. It's plain she doesn't have any care for what others might think, instead seeing to her own comfort first and foremost.

That done, the Avvar woman is ready and willing to contribute. She'll instantly join any party venturing outward to secure food and water, hacking through the jungle or the flesh of whatever accosts them with that huge, ice-like greatsword of hers. Often enough, she cloaks herself in mystical energies that seem to protect her, though it disperses when any Qunari are nearby. Skadi's not a mage, as she keeps saying, but she doesn't trust them to know the difference and would rather not make their stay any more difficult.

I

[mactears]

It has been some decades since Loghain was last at sea (the memories of that vain voyage hounding him every time he steps out onto the deck and looks out to the horizon), but what his mind has forgotten, his muscles remember. He puts his back into the work of maintaining the ship with vigour and no complaints; he lacks Araceli's enthusiasm for the work, her joy in the scent of the sea and the rush of the waves, but that doesn't deter him from putting everything he has into each task he undertakes.

When the rift opens and spills the rifters into the open sea, he's on her heels towards the shoreline, though his destination is one of the boats waiting to be launched into the surf. "Wait!" he calls out to her, "they'll drag you under before you're of any help to them!" If they can get the boats to the rifters first, they'll all stand a better chance of getting back to the shore alive.

Inessa Serra (Open)

[circleprodigy]

I.

For the most part, Inessa's portion of the journey consists of her staying out of the way of those who know what they're doing. She has no real upper body strength, or knowledge of seafaring. At best she can energize items with her magic, so if a sailor dropped a rope below or some such, that can be fixed. But otherwise, she'll keep away from those working so as not to be underfoot. The best times to find her on deck are after the sun has set and when the winds are calm; storms leave her miserable and nauseous. Garahel is at her side, of course, curious about everything. If there are any interesting creatures in the water, he'll be sure to bark at them, and will generally be a solid wall of muscle for anyone to brace themselves against if they don't yet have their sea legs.

As exhausted as she is by the time they reach the campsite, Inessa doesn't think to get off her feet while there are tasks yet to be accomplished. When her own tent is set up, she continues to assist with others...at least until that shouting about a rift reaches her ears. Grabbing her staff, the slight elf woman follows Garahel, pausing and groaning upon realizing it's located out in the bay. Considering her swimming skills are still somewhere around beginner range, that's going to be a challenge. But the sight of shapes -people- splashing about hardens her resolve. She can't just leave them to the demons, whatever the circumstances. It's time to seek a boat and assist.

III.

After everyone is rescued and brought to shore, Inessa's first concern is for the new rifters. She'll approach each, doing her best to ignore both fatigue and the residual horror of encountering red lyrium creatures. Whatever her own state, the rifters are undoubtedly having a worse day. With her mabari in tow, she pauses to offer healing if it's needed and what answers she can spare if not. Shelter is also a concern and she'll do her best to see that everyone has a space in a tent. It may not be the most comfortable of surroundings, but the campsite will have to suffice until they can find safe means to leave.

Only afterward does Inessa let her fatigue show, reclining against her only slightly less tired mabari before the fire as she sips at her tea. Company won't be shunned, though, and she'll offer a tired smile for anyone who joins her.

Christine Delacroix | open

[aceso]

{ II. ARRIVAL }
rescue
The waiting is the worst part, as she watches the longboats head out to fetch the rifters. Christine can heal them, can soothe the pain of their shards, but she might turn into another flailing victim should a demon flip the boat. She can't swim. So she stays on shore and that's where she witnesses a familiar sight. Well, somewhat familiar. The glow of red lyrium is well known to her, but not in these creatures, and she immediately has to know more. Some might call it a bad thing when one of the serpents follows a boat back towards the shallows, but for her, it's an opportunity to study it.

"There! Draw it there!" she yells, pointing to a shallow pool it won't easily be able to drag itself from. As the boat comes in, the creature is finally close enough to hit, and Christine throws a cold spell at it. "Help me bring it down!"

{ III. STRANDED }
Christine gives instructions to the other healers on how to deal with the red lyrium in their patients before seeing to a number of them herself. Her eyes glow blue as she uses Spirit Healing to tend to each, gloved hands expertly pulling chunks of lyrium out and placing a healing spell on them to quickly close up the wounds. But not all of those hurt have been exposed to red lyrium either. As she sends one patient off, she turns to the next person in need.

"Where does it hurt?"

Ellana Ashara | Open

[serannas]

{ II. ARRIVAL }
rescue
Ellana volunteers to be in one of the boats that head out, her staff angled to sit in the boat against her shoulder. The demons and rift are old news to her now, but the location is a bit of a change. As they get near, she calls out, "We'll cover you! Get aboard!" to the rifters before raising her staff in the air and firing a spell at the nearest demon. However, when a red lyrium encrusted tentacle slithers up out of the water, she realizes this isn't going to be as routine as she thought.

"Uhh... fight or retreat?"

{ III. STRANDED }
Volunteering herself to hack through the jungle gives Ellana an opportunity to explore. She's already visited the elven ruins and copied the murals down in her journal, but for now she contributes by trying to get to the top of the island. The cats don't scare her -- she can turn into a big cat too -- but the constant dead ends are frustrating. At one point she stops when she reaches yet another drop off and sighs, shoulders sagging.

"Dead end," she tells her exploration partner. "Time to backtrack and try again."

I

[serannas]

The lanterns on deck provide enough light to get around by, and Ellana settles herself at a spot on the starboard side, looking out at the waves. She's been rather quiet this trip, and though seasickness has been a factor in that, it's not the only reason. When Garahel makes himself known -- as mabari are wont to do -- Ellana turns and offers a slight smile at the pair.

"There you are. I lost sight of you early on, I had so many things shoved at me to do." Which might sound like a complaint, but keeping busy keeps her from thinking too much. It's in these quiet hours that she mulls over her choices and it's the worst.

[motherfucking_ghost]

ii
Church is, as ever, here for the Rifters. He might not know shit about boats, save for what little he's been forced to pick up helping around on the trip, but he's one of the first to hop in a dinghy or...y'know, the little boats, he doesn't fucking know, he wasn't stationed by an ocean back home, sword drawn like he's fucking George Washington crossing the god damn Delaware.

But he's not looking to attack the demons. Not unless they get within swiping distance, which is always Too Close For Comfort. His focus is on anyone in the water, reaching out with a glowing hand. "Grab on! We'll get you to shore!"

Surprising even himself, he doesn't fuck right off once the red lyrium encrusted sea monsters come out to play. It just makes the job more urgent.

iii
The Rifters were all Church was here for, but alas, that's never his only duty, and naturally as someone with the forces he's ordered to forge on ahead with the others through the god damn jungle like he's going to be of any use there. Maybe he can chop at some underbrush with his sword. Shield people from falling coconuts.

"Psst, hey," he asks quietly to some fellow Inquisition member, "what the fuck are we doing out here anyway?"

Kain Ventfort | Open

[in_death_sacrifice]

The Journey

So far… so good? Kain has never been as fond of the rhythm of the sea compared to being in the open air, but he’s managing. He’s even been sent a few times to climb or haul or otherwise do things, given he’s able-bodied enough.

But it’s at night when things are especially fascinating. With the wind in his hair, Kain stands on the deck staring up at the stars. It’s a clear, beautiful night, and he intends to savor this. He loves how wide open the sky is out here… even if he’d prefer being up on a mountain.

The Journey... 2

As those dark clouds roll in, Kain knows they’re in trouble. He knows the sky, he knows storms, and he’s got a good sense when it’s about to be a bad one. He’s not at all a seafaring person, though. A skyfaring one, yes, and he longs to be on his griffon, flying away to safer territory. Water is so not his element. Thus, he’s ended up below decks and utterly miserable.

"I wish we’d just flown there," he grumbles as he holds his head, feeling sick to his stomach. Next time, he’s taking Potato, no question.

"Andraste's tits!!" a certain blue parrot screams unhelpfully from where he's perched nearby. Because of course Bastard somehow came along, a sea journey is right down his alley, and he's having a much more fun time than Kain at the moment.

The Journey 3!?

There’s sudden commotion and the call goes out for shardbearers. Well. The person nearby actually mistakenly screams at first for just "rifters". Which, really, does not apply to him. Or that’s his excuse. Kain is going to attempt ignoring this… because he feels the odd twinge of pain from his own shard. Grimacing, clenching his gloved hand into a fist, he’s kind of hoping there will be enough rifters and other shardbearers around to deal with the rift…

Rescue

"We really should have flown." Kain remarks dryly after the kraken snatches someone screaming right from the ship, dragging the sailor mercilessly to the depths below. Oh for Maker’s sake, a red lyrium sea beast? Dive bombing from the air would have been an excellent strategy, much like a bird might go after fish. Instead… no, he’s got nothing, sea strategies are so not his area of expertise.

The fact it’s a red-lyrium infused creature makes it so, so much worse. He’s envisioning those tentacles wrapping around him and...

"Any thoughts for how to handle that?!" he shouts as the boat shakes from the activity in the surrounding sea.

Stranded

They’ve been moving along steadily for a while now, without signs of trouble. As they pause to examine some elven-looking ruins, there’s suddenly a harsh, terrifying sounding growl from somewhere amid all the thick jungle growth. "What… was that?”

Kain draws his sword, as another growling sound emerges from another direction. A large black figure emerges into the clearing. Then another, and another until they’re surrounded. The first one charges, and Kain launches into an attack, ready for it.

II

[circleprodigy]

Forced to return to shore after one of the creatures had badly damaged her boat, Inessa barely stops to catch her breath before rushing over upon hearing Christine's shouting. She clutches her staff, Garahel in hot pursuit. It doesn't take much to see why Christine would give such an order and she obeys without question.

"Got it!" She'll pelt it with an assortment of hexes first, to make it more vulnerable to Christine's cold spells, and less likely to land a blow on anyone else. Only when it's sufficiently impaired will she cast Pull of the Abyss, hoping the spell's power is sufficient to draw it toward the shallow pool.

Re: I

[circleprodigy]

Garahel wags his tail at Ellana, giving her an affectionate bump. He tries to be gentle, but hasn't taken into account the movement of the deck. Hopefully Ellana has steady footing.

Looking over to their new company, Inessa turns her gaze away from the horizon and nods, unsurprised. "There's no shortage of tasks that need doing. I quite understand. I've done my best to provide assistance, but this is considerably beyond my range of skills." Perhaps she should have stayed in Kirkwall, but Inessa couldn't help but hope that this might be useful for her project in one way or another.

Fenris | Open

[lyriumcarved]

The Journey

"Let me guess… fish again." Fenris sounds incredibly displeased as it’s approaching dinner-time on the ship. He makes a face. The smell of the stuff had never sat well with him. He doesn’t know how people like Isabela can deal with this for weeks and months at a time. He’ll put up with it anytime he has to travel by boat, sure, but with a great deal of annoyance.

As he takes his food and finds a spot to settle in for now, a lot of others are doing likewise. There’s already some folks telling tales, singing songs, or even playing dice or cards. Fenris is especially interested in the latter things… there are always plenty of ways to alleviate boredom on here, anyway.

Arrival

Fenris climbs aboard one of the small boats, joining a group headed over to deal with the situation. He’s all too eager to start slicing apart any demons that come through the rift.

As they get closer, he notices the glint of green in the water… it’s unmistakably coming from a shard in someone’s hand. "Over there… left! Leftward!" Maker, was that port or starboard? Is there time to even care? Regardless, they start going toward the person floating in the water, but then a demon places itself right in their path…

He readies his sword, awaiting a moment to strike. This will be a challenge, to put it mildly...

Rescue

The whole sea has erupted with the serpents, churning with an all too ominous shade of blood red. It figures. No, demons alone would have been far, far too easy. Fenris narrows his eyes, trying to see a direction, any direction they can take out of this mess.

Then one of those tentacles reaches in his general direction. He moves fast, his sword stabbing straight into the sucker-studded appendage before it touches him. The tentacle waves around unsteadily and moves away for now, but there are plenty more where that came from…

Stranded

"Wait. Let me talk to them.” Fenris gestures toward the Qunari who are gathered nearby. So far, no one's getting much information out of them, but maybe he can attempt. He may not get much more out of them, but at the very least, he’ll have attempted. So he heads over to speak with the group. They look surprised, at first, but even more astonished when he comes out speaking Qunlat.

So they talk, but the Qunari don’t really say much at all, and there's mostly grunting in among their answers. After a bit of back and forth, Fenris turns to his ally. "Apparently we’d better avoid the jungle.” He raises an eyebrow, as one of the Qunari finally adds something in Common: "Cats."

Yep that’s right. Cats. That’s the oh so helpful warning they’re getting.

"Yes, they say that there are many vicious predators out there… Giant cats, it would seem. But we should be safe to camp here," Fenris adds. "They've just arrived not long ago themselves."

II (this is a terrible idea, make her stop)

[iceblade]

"Oh, Lady...." Skadi stares at the red lyrium tentacle in fascinated horror, taking her greatsword from her back. When her nearest companion asks that question, she knows her answer. Imagine tales she could bring to her hold, if she fought and defeated it in combat! Perhaps she'd even gain a new legend mark.

"Fight, of course! If we can't beat it, we can still buy the rifters some time, right?" Besides, she'd much rather kill something than acknowledge the shard in her palm. The more she can put that off, the better. Cloaking herself in Fade-energies, she lets out a battle-cry and swinging her blade the moment there's a chance for it to connect with that tentacle.

Journey 2

[circleprodigy]

Inessa is unsurprisingly below deck as well, looking even more pale than usual. She nods her head just slightly, as though afraid that moving it too much will cause her to be sick all over again. If she remains as still as possible, maybe it will go away, right? And maybe their griffons will come to rescue them, that seems just as likely.

"...as do I. 'You'll get used to it'...remind me to hex the deckhand who said that, will you?" Inessa doesn't mean it, not really, but she's miserable enough to not care about manners at the moment. Garahel lets out a soft whine, concerned for them both.

[aceso]

Hexes are perfect and Christine is quickly running through spells in her head to use the best ones. Fire and storm spells are absolutely off the table when dealing with water and the possibility of returning Inquisition soldiers being in the same water as it's being electrified. Her Knight-Enchanter skills are useless unless it becomes injured enough she can get close enough.

While she considers all this, Inessa's spell draws the serpent in since the hexes have done their job. The problem is Christine has never liked entropy magic, much preferring creation instead. But with the water being an obstacle for certain spells, it's reduced the number she knows considerably. She casts Cone of Cold on it, hoping to freeze its wildly whipping tail in place.

"I think you know more damaging spells than I," Christine calls to her. "I will buff your attacks." Focusing on Inessa, she casts Heroic Offense on her.

Rescue

[iceblade]

Well, now it's time to put talk into action. Skadi, standing nearby and practically glowing with mystic Fade energies, lets out a blood-curling cry and swings her greatsword overhead, viciously slashing at the nearest tentacle, slicing it deeply. Another appears, nearly knocking her overboard, but whatever she's done to herself seems to be shielding her from the blow.

"Lady, are there no end to these things?!?"

[serannas]

Whoa there, Garahel! Ellana is pushed back a little, but the high side of the deck hit her in the back and she doesn't go tumbling down.

"Oh, you and me both. I just carried things or held things as the experts did whatever it is they do to keep us afloat." Ellana isn't sure if the sailing life would suit her. There's so much to do with ropes, rudders, stars, and more. It would do her head in.

"Has Kain come along on this mission too?"

[circleprodigy]

"Thank you!" She the creates a ring of ice to go with Christine's Cone of Cold. Encasing a portion provokes some heated thrashing and her ears ache with the noise, but she won't back away. With Garahel guarding her, she feels comfortable firing at the creature with her staff, hoping the lighting element aspect of it reacts with the water-bound creature as badly as she hopes it will.

but action poses are fun!

[serannas]

"Oh, of course! I wasn't suggesting we leave before they're on the boat!" Ellana says, eyes wide as she watches Skadi look like a child left alone in a room full of sweets. The battle cry makes her wince and then Skadi is swinging away and Ellana does her best to assist. Swinging her staff the normal way isn't possible with such limited space but she'll do what she can since the staff is just focusing the spell. She shoots a fire spell at a tentacle and just manages to connect, causing the beast to whip it around in pain. Ellana has the feeling that most of her fire spells are going to miss completely or go out with a splash of water, so this is a minor victory for her.

"Ugh, where is its body?" she asks, trying to see through the spray the tentacle has kicked up.

[circleprodigy]

"Likewise. At least ropes can be energized and such; that's about the extent of my heavy-lifting."

Inessa nods, glancing back to the door that leads below-decks. "He has, though I'm certain he's wishing we could have done so on griffon-back. I don't think the sea suits either of us, but...it is what it is." She shrugs, not really minding that the griffons remain behind since they're still very rare and she'd rather not endanger them.

[serannas]

"I'm happy for you two, you know," she says. "I know that Wardens have hard lives, and it's good that you have each other." She smiles, though it's tinged with sadness. Wardens have so little time, and when their duties take them away, that time just ticks away all the faster.

iii

[serannas]

Ellana glances up from studying the dense vegetation before them. "We're cutting a path. You know, to supply ourselves with food and fresh water? Were you just following me without knowing why?" The thought amuses her for some reason, but maybe it's because she tends to ask too many questions herself. The thought of someone going along with something without knowing why is kind of funny.

III

[wheretheferngrows]

Fern doesn't quite stumble into Ellana's back, but she does make herself stop just short of doing so, edging a couple steps backward so it won't be quite so obvious she was looking down at her shoes rather than at whatever it is that passes for a trail up here. "Time to backtrack and try again," the more seasoned of the two adventurers says.

It's difficult for Fern not to regard her with something approaching wide-eyed awe; prior to joining the Inquisition, she'd never seen a Dalish elf before, and still feels quite unsure around them.

Still, she tries to square her shoulders and lift her chin, and not be as incompetent as she feels. "Right," she agrees (no way to hide that Fereldan accent), looks momentarily unsure, then says, "I think I saw something like ruins, a little way's back down the trail. We could go that way--if you think it's a good idea."

[serannas]

"Did you?" Ellana asks, her former disappointment at their slow progress all but gone now. "That would be worth checking out. Even if it's all overgrown, the fact that there used to be something there means there has to be a path to and from it, right?" And that's a decent starting point. Or at least better than they've had.

"Lead the way," she says, since she missed seeing the ruins as they came through. Granted, she was really focused on hacking through and not cutting off a limb in the process.

Rescue

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"Well, if we had someplace to rest the Griffons, I would have agreed..." Bethany grabs the side of the boat as it jerked from side to side. She grit her teeth, looking around. "Be ready to grab me if it looks like I'm trying to fly out on my own!"

She braces her legs on either side of the boat, knowing that it looks as Improper As Get Out but it does allow her to get both of her hands free to put over both sides of the boat. Ice poured out of her fingertips, freezing the water around them down to the sand, enough to at least hold their boat steady for a few minutes.

"Right, try to grab who you can, and if you can attack, do it! This ice is not going to last for long!" She yelled, as she lifted her hands up to lift sailors with Force magic out of the water, dropping them inelegantly back into their boats.