faderift | The Source Of Red Lyrium - Island Plot

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The Source Of Red Lyrium - Island Plot - Closed

WHO: James Norrington, Inessa Serra, Kain Ventfort, Christine Delacroix, Genevieve de la Fontaine, and Beleth Ashara
WHAT: Per the OOC post, James has tracked down the source of the red lyrium. Time to do something about it.
WHEN: During the Island plot
WHERE: Wrecked Antivan ship along the coast
NOTES:

Some light 'Great Makers' and other curses considering the crew that James is traveling with.

James had never really considered himself much of a scout, all things considered. Oh, he was an excellent tracker, but usually he was tracking people and not magical sources gone corrupt. He also wasn't exactly a shadow in the silence, considering how much armor he usually wore.

Today, however, he was dressed simply in chainmail, sword strapped at his hip, shield on his back, Interceptor sniffing the ground ahead of him as he carefully followed the tell-tale signs of red lyrium along the shore, then up the side of a hill, as a cliff took up a great deal of this side of the island. Red spikes of red lyrium were becoming more and more frequent, and when he walked out to the edge of the cliff, he could see it. A lone fjord, jutting out to the sea, and there was the shipwreck. Antivan, by the look of it, red lyrium spikes jutting out of the ship itself in every direction.

He frowned down at the fjord, then at the cliffs, before looking over at Interceptor.

"...Well unless you have a rope and some climbing skills you have been holding out on me?"

Interceptor chuffed at him, giving him a 'Come On Buddy' sort of look.

"Right." He sighed. "Back to camp we go."

(Starters coming up!)

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"I am not in the habit of suggesting magical solutions if I believe there is a chance it will fail," she responds matter-of-factly. Between Inessa and herself, she knows they can create something sturdy, and all can make it down safely. Healers rarely take risks with people's lives, after all.

"If everyone would just stand over there, Inessa and I will start. You can plan out your rope tying system, because it will be a haphazard set of stairs. We can only place what is already loose, and not reshape the landscape." She raises an eyebrow at Inessa for confirmation of that, unsure if Fereldan Circles had a few tricks up their sleeves that Orlesian ones didn't. But Christine has certainly never learned to grow vines or create slopes.

Inessa just shakes her head at Kain and Beleth, a wry smile on her lips. "Perhaps you could scale it without much difficulty, but that is quite beyond my own skill." They can do as they please, but she'll trust in her magic before she trusts in her physical strength.

"A gradual slope is quite possible, of course." Inessa glances over to James and then Christine, moving to stand beside the latter. "Nature magic is unknown to me, but I can reinforce it with ice. It will last long enough for our immediate needs, though the climate will ensure that I'll need to renew it for the route back."

Though she'd almost rather take the chance descending the cliff without magic, Evie doesn't comment further on the dubious possibilities of conjured walkways. Instead she grapples on to James's suggestion of rope-tying. She moves away from the mages and closer to the tree line, starting to measure out the rope they obviously brought with them.

"It won't be fast going if we're all tied together. However if we all want to reach the bottom alive, it may be the best course of action." She isn't really worried about herself, but the mages are probably the most breakable of the party, and the ones in charge of making the path down. They probably need to stay alive.

While the rest decide on what knots to use and what order to tie themselves in, Christine moves beside Inessa, her eyes looking over the cliff as she contemplates something.

"Inessa, with this heat, I think maybe I should stay up here and keep rebuilding ice layers as reinforcement for the rest of you. Then when you reach the bottom, you would be able to do the same for me as I come down." If that's agreeable to the Warden, then the two of them can get started.

Listening to Christine intently, Inessa nods her agreement. Thank the Maker both of them know that element well enough to make practical use of it in a time such as now. "That sounds wise; I agree, let us begin."

She stands firm, surrounding her forearms with energy, unleashing it alongside Christine. First energizing, then ice. Steadily, their path downward will begin to take shape. As promised, upon reaching the bottom, she'll stop to reinforce the ice in order for Christine to make her descent smoothly.

Edited 2017-09-28 23:55 (UTC)

Kain goes over to help out with the rope, since he has plenty of experience with this sort of thing. He's similarly inclined to just give it a go on his own, but he knows better. When with a group, he'll stick with the overall plan they're doing together. He glances over a couple of times to watch the pathway coming together. Magic is familiar enough to him, especially Inessa's, but it's still fascinating to watch this take form. After all, it's rare to see something quite like this.

"Looks like we'll have plenty of rope for this."

James is looping the rope around his own waist first, making sure the rope is looped and also secured in a knot he can get loose easily, but will not fall apart at the first pull.

"Which is fortunate - I would have hated to try and put us together via belt." He looked at all three of them. "Beleth, Kain, do you want to lead the way down, as you have the best balance of all of us?"

Once they have the basic shape set and ice is holding firm against it, Christine moves over towards the others.

"Inessa will need to be near the front. I am going last so I may reinforce the path from here."

Kain nods agreement as he works to secure the rope around himself.

"I don't mind taking the lead." He's confident that he's sure-footed enough. Not to mention, he's still looking forward to the challenge of the climb. But he's getting more focused and serious now, readying himself for the task ahead. "Inessa? Would you want to follow after Beleth and I?"

Glancing up to Kain, Inessa nods. Christine's suggestion is sensible, and she has no reason to refuse. She'll just...not look down, more than need be.

"Yes, indeed. Following along just after you both will be close enough to the front, I believe."

Beleth makes a mental note that from now on, they need griffons, and a Dalish mage (a real Dalish mage, mind you). But it doesn't seem like they'll need vines, so it'll probably be fine.

She nods to James at his request, then...does some more nodding as the mages discuss their mage things. It all sounds like they've got things well under control, and she watches with fascination as they form the path. That's that, and it leaves Beleth to handle the climbing. Moving over to Kain, she takes the rope, and starts to tie it to herself, before pausing, glancing at Kain, and then Inessa.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather go between us? That way, we'd be able to support you if you slip." There's a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips, like there might be an ulterior motive behind letting Inessa and Kain be together.

Inessa had been so focused on the task at hand, that her proximity to Kain had one way or another not been an actual factor for her. But now that Beleth mentions it...well. Her pale cheek brighten just a touch, as she tries to sound casual.

"I...suppose you have a point. As you say, then." She'll wait for the rope, darting a glance to Kain before fixing it around herself.

Edited 2017-10-02 18:29 (UTC)

Evie takes up position in front of James without any hemming or hawing about pecking order. She checks her knots as the others delegate, testing the tension as each new body is tied in.

"This should go without saying, but I'm still saying it. Keep as close to the cliff face as possible, don't move too quickly without letting everyone else know."

James looks up at Beleth's comment to Inessa, arching a single eyebrow as he looks between the two women. Well, hardly seems the time for it ... but honestly what was the proper time anymore anyways?

He snorted to himself, before making sure he was securely set -- and wisely decided that Christine should be between Genevieve and himself.

"There. I'll take the very rear, Christine there, Genevieve there - and just tie off there to Kain there ... okay good."

He nods to Genevieve's advice, "Wise words. Ladies?" He politely dips his head to Christine and Inessa, then over to Kain and Beleth, "Gentleman and Lady? Please, lead us forward."

A pause.

"Carefully."

They are making their way down the slope well enough, until Genevieve's foot hit a wet patch of stone. She would have been able to pull herself back easily enough - if she had gone forward and not sideways, dragging both Beleth and Christine off their feet, and with that, Inessa went sideways, jerking Kain.

Leaving James on the other end, to steady them all on the rock, green eyes going wide as he watched almost everyone tumble.

Luckily, Beleth was quick on her feet, and managed to regain her balance, just as Kain hooked in one hand and yanked Inessa back up again.

From that point, James reached out to grab Christine and steady her, allowing Evie to find her own balance.

".... all right, now I really wish there had been vines. Is everyone all right?"

Whose bright idea was it to tie all of them together? And here she thought people knew what they were doing. Or maybe they do and she's just feeling testy because she was nearly dragged off a cliff. For her part, Christine does what she does best, casting Barrier with her free hand on as many of their number as the glyph can reach while her other hand clutches James under his arm and around his back, trying to find purchase on his armor. And then suddenly her eyes glow blue as she uses her spirit friend's help to cast Rejuvenate on James, in order to bring his stamina back up from having to rescue her, followed by Cleansing Aura to heal any of the party that may have taken injuries when they started slipping.

"Fine. I am healing us. Let me know if I am missing any of you. It is not a huge radius." She says us, but she means 'you.' Cleansing Aura doesn't heal her too. But that's the way healers tend to roll. Heal other people first, then look to yourself.

She was doing everything she had cautioned the others to do, however the patch of wet stone couldn't be accounted for. When her feet lost purchase she tried to correct her balance but she was over the edge so quickly all she managed to catch was air. A beat later she was banged against the cliffside, her momentum thankfully stopped by those still on the path. She grimaced as her head hit the rock before she was able to catch herself with her hands, but she'd take a headache over being a stain on the rocks below.

That doesn't mean she isn't swearing in Orlesian as she's pulled back up, and she stays seated for a moment, taking stock of the scrapes she gained in the fall.

The magical healing helps, although it also annoys her a little, given this whole thing is being constructed by the mages.

"Healing can wait until we're at the bottom can it not?" She frowns, looking around her for a hand hold to pull herself back to her feet with.

All color abruptly drains from Inessa's face when things go pear-shaped, and she automatically casts Barrier as well. Even when Kain yanks her back up again little of said color returns; her knuckles are white from how tight she's holding on. She needs a moment and some deep breaths before she manages a reply, somewhat less steady than normal.

"...I'm intact. Please, let us not repeat that. Ever."

Although there had been some blushing on Kain's part at Beleth's earlier suggestion, he manages to keep his wits about him and maintain his stern demeanor as he prepares for the descent. He's done this sort of thing countless times, even scaling risky mountainsides in the midst of heavy rain and wind, and in the dark... but it was always alone. He usually only had himself to blame and himself to lose if things went wrong. So... it's quite a bit different, accounting for others on the way. Not to mention, slower going.

When everything starts to go wrong, Kain keeps a cool head. He's faced some unsettling predicaments while climbing before, after all. He feels himself slipping, but he's quick to react, thinking of Inessa first and foremost. Footwork is critical now, and he fights to keep footholds above all else, letting his legs bear most of his weight as he also reaches his hands to steady himself against the cliffside after securing Inessa.

"I'm fine! No need for healing here..." Well, maybe some need, but being a reaver he kind of thrives on injury anyway. A few scrapes and bruises shouldn't bother him much, and may even help. "Deep breaths, everyone... we're not done yet."

At least tying them together kept those who slipped from meeting an untimely demise. But it also ends up with Beleth nearly being jerked off the slope. There's a brief feeling of weightlessness, and Beleth has time to think What an embarrassing way to die. before she manages to regain her balance. Above and below her, other people manage to steady themselves as well, and soon enough, it looks like the crisis has been averted.

And Beleth's idea to stick Inessa between her and Kain turned out to be a practical decision, after all. Woo.

A quick checkover shows nothing but a few scrapes and bruises, things which quickly disappear in the cleansing aura. "I'm fine," She calls up, adjusting her hold. "Good work, everyone. Once we've gathered ourselves, we should keep moving."

"Right. Well. I shall take the healing - that you Christine ever so much." James sighed as he made sure that Evie was steady, as was Beleth. Then he exhaled again. "And I agree - we should keep going as quickly as possible."

Now back on her feet, Christine's eyes return to normal and she ignores the aches in her body from the fall, determined to keep moving forward. In any case, it's nothing even close to something that could hinder her progress.

"I am ready," she replies, though since her rope is near the back, she won't start moving just yet. They need to straighten themselves out to go in order again.

Once on her feet Geneviève was calmer, nodding as the others sounded off that they were stable again.

"Let's just get down there," she says after letting out a heavy breath.

"I don't need to get down there that quickly...." Such is muttered under Inessa's breath, and she says nothing more after that, preferring to concentrate completely on her task. Perhaps if she does so enough, her fear won't get the better of her. That's the last thing they need, at this point.

As quickly as possible. Well. More or less. With so many of them and varying skill levels, they shouldn't hasten their pace too much, or they may end up with more trouble ahead.

"Nice and steady... Too fast and you'll lose control, too slow and you'll overthink it. Just... keep moving at an even pace." Kain takes care with every foot and hand hold that he finds, not wanting a repeat of that last incident. It's easy to save himself, to know what to do, but the added concern about the others has brought a whole new dimension to this situation. He's trying to remain aware of their positions as he keeps on gradually descending.

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