WINTERMARCH RIFTER ARRIVAL

[faderifting]

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. ]

Comments

ops hit reply to the wrong comment. o.o

[extraverse]

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.

[crowncitizen]

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."

[sulena]

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."

[extraverse]

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.

[crowncitizen]

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?"

[extraverse]

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?"

[crowncitizen]

....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?"

[extraverse]

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

[crowncitizen]

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

[extraverse]

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.