faderift | WINTERMARCH RIFTER ARRIVAL

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WINTERMARCH RIFTER ARRIVAL

WHO: New rifters & their rescuers
WHAT: People fall out of a rift and get attacked by stuff. This time, not everyone makes it.
WHEN: Wintermarch 11
WHERE: The foothills of the Vinmark mountains, somewhere between Ostwick and Markham.
NOTES: The arrival log is open to all. Solas was (as always) able to alert the Inquisition to the general area where the new rifters would be arriving so people could be sent to pick them up.

I. ARRIVAL

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, you wake with a jolt when you hit the ground, though at least it's reasonably soft. You tumble down onto a grassy knoll, a grey and chilly day in a piece of countryside that would be entirely unremarkable were it not for the rift that brought you here, and you, and the other beings that have accompanied you. There are other people finding their feet after a similarly sprawling exit, and there's a monstrous, horned beast with too many eyes and electricity rippling down its arms, tall, spindly creatures with gasping mouths and too many eye sockets that immediately advance on you and the people lying around you, and beyond them, flickering, ghostly wraiths that begin to throw bursts of green magic that saps anyone hit of energy and strength.

If that all weren't enough there's also a narrow splinter of light in the same sickly green as whatever brought you here, now glowing out of the palm of your left hand. It aches, a bone-deep pain that gnaws even through all the distractions. Given how many other things there are to take in, it may take some time for anyone to notice that one of the people to stumble out of the rift has not gotten back up. But nothing can be done for him until the demons are no longer trying to kill everyone present.

II. AFTERMATH

With the demons dispersed and the dust settled, there's time to regroup—for the new arrivals to collect their scattered belongings, for anyone who was injured to seek a healer or healing salves as needed, and to deal with the man still lying where he fell from the rift.

He isn't moving at all, in fact, just lying face down, and it's strangely difficult to focus on him. If you look away you may find your mind skimming over him entirely, no time at all required to simply forget that he's there until you look again or someone else calls your attention back to him. Which is especially strange because he should be a very striking fellow, extremely tall and quite broad, with gaudy gold and purple attire, some sort of robe fringed with fur that looks metallic but is soft to the touch. When he's turned over there's also the way his bangs and his eyebrows have been braided together into an elaborate netlike pattern over his forehead, which really ought to be more memorable. It's currently matted to clammy skin, as is all of his dark hair, drenched in droplets of bright pink sweat. His eyes are closed, and he will remain firmly unconscious despite your best efforts.

[ ooc | No attempts at healing the unconscious rifter, magical or otherwise, will have any visible effect. What's done with him is up to your characters. But we assume they'll bring him back with them instead of leaving him in the wilderness to die, so please make sure to let us know if that's not the case. The rifter is not an apped character or a canon character. We'll provide more information in a few days, but if you have questions in the meantime, you can ask here. ]

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As much as he wants to focus on Ignis and catch up, now's really not a good time. He hates that he has to leave his friend in utter confusion, but for now, Pride awaits. Before he charges in, though, he pulls out his back-up dagger. Taking Iggy's hand, he places the hilt squarely in his palm (not the one with the shard, mind). Iggy might be blind, but Prompto doesn't want him unarmed during this. "Just in case one slips through. I'll get your daggers back then. Sit tight, Iggy."

He looks at Saoirse, nodding to her. "Got it. Thanks. Those tall guys are here, so watch your feet." Terror demons are a pain, but Pride's got to be their focus at the moment. After shooting her a parting grin, Prompto runs in, pulling out an arrow and notching it. He lets it fly at a wandering wraith that was drawing a little too close.

By now Pride's turned its attention on Prompto running about. It forms a ball of electric energy in its hand before firing it at him. Given it's a slow attack, Prompto dodges it easily, and takes advantage of the opening to fire off another arrow, hitting the demon under its jaw. Now it's really ticked, and focused on Prompto, which is just what the gunner turned archer wants. "That's right, over here big guy!"

Terror, pride and all Saoirse can remember are the stories that Chantry sisters would tell them about demons. A mage is fire made flesh and a demon asleep, they would say while their eyes and body language told her just how much they believed in those very words. There was a time that she feared becoming one of these creatures, a part of her still does but there are more important things to remember now. She had to fight to not only protect the newly arrived but to help Prompto too and especially help in his protection of his friend.

She remains back as Prompto rushes forward, casting spells in time with his own attacks to make the best of both their abilities. Although the demon takes every shot, it still stands and remains focused on the fighter nearest its reach. It's a frustrating process when the terror demons are also closing in, ripping through into the Fade with ease and vanishing from her sight.

Turning over her staff, she focuses in on the Pride demon as it reels from Prompto's attack and draws a familiar hex in her mind, growing at the demon's feet as it swings wildly off target in response. Her more powerful glyphs and hexes would likely do little in the way of stopping him but throwing off his accuracy? It would give them time to land more blows before the terrors got too close for comfort.

Ignis is grateful to be armed and holds onto the dagger. He's having trouble understanding what is going on mostly because Saoirse's magic is so unlike anything that he's ever heard before. The magic of Eos is so different from Saoirse's targeting attacks that he has no frame of reference to what she's doing.

It's making it difficult to get a mental image of the battle so instead he focuses his attention on Prompto, wanting to make sure his friend is still moving and shooting arrows.

Ignis will hear Prompto moving about quite a bit, running and leaping out of the way when needed. Thanks to Saoirse's enchantment, Prompto's arrows are hitting the demon rather hard. The ice bites into the creature's hide, tearing and freezing at the arrow heads sink in. Pride roars and lashes out, but it misses wildly. Prompto catches a glimpse of the hexes which are causing it, and he smiles. Entropy magic at its finest. And it's saving his own skin right now, as Pride swings just misses Prompto again.

Ignis's daggers lie not far from Prompto. He shoots another arrow into Pride's chest, hoping that'll keep him occupied just long enough for him to skirt around him and grab the daggers. All goes according to plan, at least up until when he actually picks them up. Just as he does, a Terror demon decides to take advantage of his opening. It slinks, diving seemingly underground. By the time Prompto notices the green pool forming under him, it's too late. He tries to dive away, but the Terror demon shoots up from below, sending him airborne for a moment before Prompto crashes down to the ground. Ow.

Already she is beginning to call upon her magic again when she notes Prompto sprint away from the Pride demon and closer into the nest of terrors twitching around the battlefield. It's a hard shift, trying to make sure that Pride remains focused elsewhere and trying to focus on where the other demons might reappear once they've vanished into the Fade. She sees one vanish in time with Prompto grabbing the daggers on the ground, heart racing as she tries to predict its movement while trying to keep the others distracted and Pride from landing a hit.

"Prompto!" It's all she can manage when that familiar ill sensation washes over her as energy from the Fade spills over, green pooling at his feet and sending the other airborne. She's already running before he hits the ground, flipping her staff over in her hands and ramming the bladed end into the demon's side as it tries to scramble closer to him.

She grits her teeth and watches as the spirit magic begins to flood into the wound she has made with the new spell. It leaves her breathless, pressing the blade as deep as it will even as the demon screams (a horrible sound that scares her to her core) and flies back away from her. There isn't a moment wasted as she raises her staff, squeezing her eyes shut as she feels the atmosphere around them drop and ozone burn. It's the only signal they get as a rumbling bolt of lightning strikes downwards and lashes out, leashing itself around three of the terror demons and yanking them backwards into one another.

The use of her more powerful spells leaves her breathless once again, slumping slightly but quickly forcing herself back up to turn back to Prompto and offer a helping hand. "Are you hurt?"

And speaking of hurting... Saoirse doesn't even look back as the familiar hiss of magic begins to escape the demon she stabbed as it begins to glow from the inside out (more so than usual) before seemingly denoting in on itself. Honestly: Walking Bomb was never her favorite spell but it clearly had it's uses.

Ignis is getting a better handle on the battle as long as he focuses on the two of them. He still isn't used to this demons though. They don't attack in the same patterns as the daemons back home. Still, things appearing from the ground and knocking you flat on your back is a bit too much like home.

He can follow Saorise. One of the things that's starting to make more sense is her patters of attack. Now that he's used to the new sounds of magic, he can track the way she moves her staff and the way her power interacts with it.

"Any sign of injury?" he asks, though he isn't facing Prompto exactly the question is directed at him.

There's worry in her voice, and Prompto feels weak for causing her to have to come to his rescue. Not that she doesn't look like a total bad-ass doing it, with the way she calls down lightning and... makes that demon explode? Somehow? What a woman.

And - Iggy, what are you doing here?? Now he's worried too.

"I'm okay!" he says, shooting Saoirse a quick smile and clapping Iggy's arm. "Bruised pride, mostly. ...and maybe a bruised butt. Actually, can you break your butt?" You know what, let's figure this out later, because that Pride demon's looking more than a tad angry at the moment. There's electricity running down its arms, and that's likely to spell trouble. "I think we need to scramble!" Prompto shouts, getting to his feet, despite his rather aching rearend.

She can't help the relief that floods over her when Prompto lets them know he is wasn't hurt in the attack by the terror demon. What ones weren't destroyed in the explosion, her static cage continues to hold them in place but they mattered little with the Pride demon continuing to loom over them menacingly.

With another sift movement of her staff, she uses her magic to further encase them from harm but it could only do so much with a direct hit of the demon's power coming right at them. Although she hurries to sprint, Saoirse knows they have to take care of this now and slides to a stop. The electricity channeling through the air takes her breath away but she holds her ground until it begins to raise its fist in attack.

It's too close (and it's going to hurt) but she has to make this work. So she stands, holding on until it starts to brings its fist down and she strikes the earth under her with the blade of her staff. It isn't until the Pride's fist hits the earth that something happens, knocking her off her feet and her staff clattering to the side but the earth begins to rumble with ferocity. When the demon goes to raise its fist again, charging another attacks, its knock off center and begins to fall into the crumbling earth below it.

"Hurry and attack it while we have the chance!" Okay, bad idea to yell when even yelling hurt.

Prompto grabs Iggy and pulls him out of the way. His mind spins, trying to think of a way to deal with the Pride demon. He really regrets not bringing his sword along as well; this might be a hard lesson in reminding him that dragging along extra gear might be tough, but it's worth it in case of dire situations like the one they're in now.

The air feels heavy, and he's reasonably certain it's a combination of the demon's power and Saoirse's magic. His hand aches from his shard sputtering and reacting to the rift nearby, and it's becoming more of a trial to keep it from cramping and seizing from the pain. But he shoulders on, firing a few arrows in succession at the demon back as Saoirse prepares to do...

...well, that.

And she sounds like she's in a lot of pain. But now's not the time to fret over her. "I got it!" But bow and arrow won't do it here. Luckily, he still managed to get Iggy's daggers, and he trades his bow for them before hauling ass towards the demon. "Borrowing your daggers, Iggy!" He'd wait and ask normally but, yeah.

He has no idea where this thing's weak spot is, but when all else fails, go for the jugular. Daggers in hand, Prompto goes for it. Pride roars and tries to swipe at him, but unsteady ground makes it stumble and miss. Prompto jumps and sinks the daggers into its throat. He hangs on for dear life as the demon thrashes, attempting one last desperate maneuver to save itself. But it's for nothing. It quickly suffocates and dies, collapsing into the ground before dissolving.

It's too early to celebrate, though. Before he goes after the rest, Prompto turns to Saoirse and Ignis. "You okay?"

Already she can feel the effects of casting earthquake on her energy which is further zapped away by the soreness and pain of her landing. For a moment her world spins before she manages to focus back in and hurriedly (though shakily) get to her feet and start moving toward her staff.

But through Prompto's quick work the demon falls and Saoirse, staff in hand, cannot help settling back on her knees with a shaky breath of air. This is the most she has fought in a such a long time but she offers Prompto a smile despite the dirt and nursing a small wound on her face when he questions her.

"Better now," she says. "I simply need to catch my breath."

Ignis can sense the pain in Saoirse's stance and he moves nearer to her to help brace her if needed. He isn't about to just invade her personal space the way he would if it were Prompto on his knees, but he does offer a hand to help her.

"I remain unharmed, thanks to you both." They really need more proper introductions once they're completely out of danger.

Satisfied that Saoirse and Ignis are okay enough at the moment, Prompto gets to his feet. There's a wraith and a couple Terror demons left to deal with, but they barely phase him as he walks back over to get his bow. They're nothing a few well placed arrows can't deal with.

And that's exactly what he does, letting them fly. Thanks to the static cage, the Terrors don't trouble him, and the wraith is barely more than an annoyance. It due time they all fall, leaving just the rift. This is not Prompto's favorite part at all, but it's necessary.

He holds out his hand, the shard sparking brightly as he focuses. With a grimace, he pinpoints his concentration and a stream of green shoots out, connecting with the rift. Prompto grunts, feet planted firmly into the ground as he struggles with the rift. It's nothing new, but he always hates the fight that goes into it before the rift finally closes.

However, just as it slams shut, something pops out from it. It sails straight through the air and, by the law of comedy, nails Prompto in the head. "Ow!" he hisses as he clumsily catches the object right before it hits the ground. What the heck just-

"It's my gun!!" Lionheart lays out in his hands, just as he remembered it.

Introductions would be absolutely lovely about now but there are still demons lingering in the area, smaller compared to Pride but trouble nevertheless and then there is the rift itself. It'll be a moment more before she can call on her magic again, shaking away the lightheaded feeling lingering over her enough to reach out and take the man's offered hand.

"Thank you," she says gratefully. There's soreness in her movements but she gathers herself and her staff back up, taking in a deep breath and considering her options. Though before she has much of a chance to consider her next move, Prompto quickly dispatches what of the smaller demons still linger around them.

For now, she holds her ground as he readies to close the rift if there was anything else to come up on them. Fortunately, they seem to be in the clear and she breathes a sigh of relief when it snaps shut and Saoirse finally allows herself the chance to relax.

Well... relax for a moment because she cannot help her cringe when something sails out of the rift with a purpose, striking Prompto in the head and causing her to cover her mouth ever-so-slightly.

"Is that a good thing?" Because what in the Maker's name is a gun?

The sound of the Rift closing is one that Ignis has never encountered before and he finds himself moving to a defensive stance. The mark in his own hand responds to the energy in the air as well, causing a weird pain through his hand and arm.

He has no idea how to process any of that, but he isn't one to complain needlessly.

"What has happened?" he asks. To someone who doesn't know him well, his voice would sound as calm and collected as ever, but Prompto can probably pick up on a edge of tension to his tone.

Totally gonna have a bruise on his head come morning, but so worth it. He's got his gun!! Lionheart's just as he remembers it as he opens up the chamber and looks inside. Ten bullets. Those have to last. Once he makes sure the safety's on, Prompto tucks it somewhere on his belt pouch before walking over to Saoirse and Ignis.

"Yeah! It's my weapon from home. If you think I'm a good shot with a bow, wait til you see me with a gun." A pause. "Wait, scratch that. Let's hope I don't have to shoot it." But that's neither here nor there. Before he answers Iggy, he gives Saoirse a once over. She looks tired, but at least she seems mostly unharmed. He reaches out and squeezes her hand before turning his attention to Ignis.

And it hits him that one of his friends is here. Holy shit.

"IGGY!" Said with joy before he barrels at him and hugs him. "Wow, I can't believe someone else from home is here. Wow. Um." And wait, Ignis asked something. Prompto steps back as suddenly as he moved in. "Soooo... through ways no one understands, you got sucked out of Eos and dumped into another world through a rift. I just shut said rift. With good reason! There's no way back home through them as we know it, and demons would have kept pouring out. So, bad news, buddy. You're stuck in a new world with no way back home right now." Admittedly, not the best news to ever get. "Buuuut at least you're not alone?" Always a bright side.

And then he remembers that Saoirse has no idea who this guy is, and vice versa. "OH. Right. Uh." Wow he is so bad at this. "Sorry, I know this is a lot, but ... Ignis, this is Saoirse Caellach. She's not a rifter - people like us who got dumped here through the rifts. She's a native to Thedas. Saoirse, this is Ignis Scientia. He's one of my friends from my world."

Once more, Saoirse can only stand back and watch with a curious (but notably fond) look. Prompto looks so very happy in the moment with his weapon and, of course, his friend. She feels a little out of place in the moment but offers Prompto a loving smile when he reaches out to squeeze her hand, once more raising her hand to tend to the wound on her face and watch as the two friends reunite.

She can't imagine what his friend must be thinking in the moment. It's a lot of information to swallow and to come to terms with but she hopes that with Prompto here it would be easier for him than if he were to have been alone.

At her name she snaps to attention, dusting the front of her robes down and offering a tired chuckle. "A pleasure," she says. "Though I wish we might have met under better circumstances. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them for you. And if you are hurt... well, healing magic is not my forte but I can help mend smaller wounds."

Ignis is steady as Prompto hugs him, seemingly used to the displays of affection - though admittedly this hug was a bit stronger than he had experienced in a while. He pat Prompto's back lightly, confirming that he was indeed here.

"Indeed," he replies to Saoirse calling meeting him a pleasure.

"I'm afraid I do have many questions, though I'm not entirely sure where to start. From what Prompto has shared I can infer I am in a place, a world, called Thedas, there are tears into other worlds here which bring in people and daemons, those tears are called Rifts, the people pulled from them are called Rifters, and that Prompto has some way to seal the Rifts. I've determined that you are a user of magic, and that your magic is unlike anything our King can do." A pause, as he tried to figure out if there was anything missing - and to deal a bit with the emotion in his throat at mention of the King. "Oh yes, and that items fall from the Rifts as well, as Lionheart had proven." He tilted his head towards Prompto.

"Is it Lionheart? That was one of your more beautifully crafted weapons." After all, it's not like he can see it for himself and confirm.

Ah, Ignis. Ever so practical and assessing the situation. Prompto steps back with a grin, one hand on his friend's shoulder as he turns to Saoirse, letting Ignis speak and get his thoughts out there.

"Yep, it's Lionheart. I had it on me before I got dragged here, but it didn't appear with me when I got dumped out. Wonder if it was in the Fade this whole time, trying to find a way out." Had it gotten stuck in there somehow? It's so strange, as glad as he is to see it and have it again.

But there's something more important to address. "So, uh... how did everything go? Back home?" He's almost afraid to ask, guilty that he missed how everything must have gone down while he's been here. "Did you guys manage to get to the Crystal? Did Noct do it?"

Ignis's head tilted at the question, showing a clear sign of confusion. He isn't entirely certain how to respond to the question without sounding a puzzled.

"You don't remember?"

....uh...?

"Remember what? You guys were on your way to Tenebrae last I saw ya. And I've been here for almost a year. Something had to have happened by now, right?"

That takes Ignis a moment to understand. He tilts his head. "Perhaps we ought to discuss this away from the battlefield?"

Yep, something's definitely not right here. Prompto nods hesitantly. "Yeah, sure. Let's, uh, get your stuff and head to the city."

Ignis agrees with that idea, but he also isn't exactly sure where to begin. He has a lot of questions of his own and a part of him honestly wonders if all of this isn't some kind of dream.

But it can't be that. If it were a dream, he'd be able to see. Instead of thinking too much on that, he focuses on getting all three of them somewhere safe where they can talk if needed.

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WINTERMARCH RIFTER ARRIVAL

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ops hit reply to the wrong comment. o.o

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