OPEN ↠ HEART LIKE ICE

[faderifting]

WHO: New Rifters & Inquisition Members
WHAT: A journey south to make new friends and kick some ass
WHEN: Drakonis 15-25
WHERE: Sunless Lands
NOTES: Violence and language assumed. Warn for anyting else. OOC post.

The Sunless Lands are not, in fact, sunless. This time of year there can be as many as eight hours of daylight, some of it blinding where it reflects off of snow and ice that stretches from the southern edge of the Kocari Wilds as far as anyone can see, broken only occasionally by rocky masses of land jutting out of the snow cover or barren tundra peeking out in patches where constant, unforgiving wind has pushed it aside. You'll be traversing this span primarily on foot—there are sleighs, too, pulled by hardy dogs, but they're carrying essential supplies rather than spare people. The only way to get a ride is to successfully feign passing out.

Beyond the dogs, the area isn't devoid of native wildlife: white fennecs hunt rodents underground, and a herd of excessively fluffy wild druffalo is seeking out whatever vegetation it can find. But hunting down a meal or two early and preserving rations for further south would not be a bad idea, because the further south the team travels, the more inhospitable the terrain grows, and the less life can be seen. And sometimes not much of anything can be seen, when clouds roll by and burst with snow thick enough to halt progress entirely for hours.

The nights are cloudy as often as clear, but when they are clear the sky is split by green and purple ribbons of light.

I. THE RESCUE

Two days' journey south, the monotonously icy horizon is broken by something new: smoke rising in interrupted puffs, an intentional signal. Someone is out there. Chances are, it's the rifters, with or without their first group of intended rescuers. But there's no way to be sure. And approaching with caution is wise either way. Rifters have strange powers (and strange personalities), and they've been out here for days now, dealing with demons and Maker knows what else on their own. For all anyone knows, they could be the reason for the rescue team's disappearance. Orders are to approach carefully.

Then, once contact has been made and initial concerns have been allayed, make sure those poor people have something to eat, and try to figure out where their original rescuers disappeared to.

II. THE STORM

After the rifters are recovered, there's still the matter of the red lyrium mine to address. Another two days' journey south will put the group within good range of the mine: not so close as to be seen, but close enough to be able to get there in a couple of hours as needed.

Halfway there, however, in the middle of the day, progress comes to an abrupt half when the darkest clouds yet gather suddenly on the horizon and barrel down on the group, bringing with them a glut of snow that reduces visibility to only a few feet and wind that roars so loudly you have to shout to be heard. Magic can help some with heat, but the storm shows little sign of quickly abating and with hours of deadly cold conditions to deal with, digging in and getting cozy for a few hours might be the most feasible solution for everyone.

III. THE VILLAGE

Shortly before the point everyone is aiming for—one marked by an enormous stone carving of an owl, several times taller than a man, that's inexplicably been left by the ancients in the center of the tundra—something else appears not far to the west. On closer inspection, it turns out to be a circle of low-sitting animal-skin tents pressed down into the snow to protect them from wind, rocky fire pits, and abandoned sleighs. Overall, it's a cross between camp and village indicative of a nomadic group that's staying a while but not forever.

It's empty now, with a coating of snow on most of the structures that indicates it's been at least a few days since anyone was here. Closer inspection reveals personal belongings inside the tents, including toys and clothing belonging to children—and, in many tents, chunks of red lyrium in the center or beneath the skins that form the beds, each piece emanating heat. They probably thought it was safer than fire.

Wherever they went, they don't come back while the Inquisition is there. But the activity does get noticed. A few hours after arrival, enormous white bears apparently moving in a pack come within a hundred yards of the camp and pace at a distance, watching the interlopers with wary interest. Some of them are wearing collars or harnesses decorated in the same style as the tents. For enough food, they may come closer, and they'll turn out to be abnormally tame.

IV. THE BATTLE

The red lyrium mine that Corypheus' followers built when their operations were crippled in Emprise du Lion is nestled in an icy canyon, with massive scaffolding built up the sides of the cliff and too many cages to count, though few of them hold living prisoners anymore. It's a massive operation, but one that's been crippled by its distance from civilization. It's sparsely guarded compared to its size, and other than the cliffs, it has minimal natural protection. The enemy has magic-silencing Templars, enormous behemoths, and a chained white-furred giant, but they are clearly not prepared to be attacked.

Ahead of the onslaught, traps are set and any surviving prisoners are evacuated under cover of darkness. Everyone else sent to fight either creeps down shortly before dawn, rappelling quietly to avoid notice in the dark, or waits at the top for the first surprise strike to provide enough distraction for them to descend more openly. If anyone has been particularly nice to the bears (see above) then it is entirely possible they'll allow themselves to be ridden into battle.

Once their presence is known, their orders are pretty simple. Destroy it all. Leave no one behind and nothing worth returning for.

Fire is a good strategy. Red lyrium doesn't do well in heat.

Comments

[letoldthingsdie]

"I'm not afraid." He answers that last statement so automatically it might have come off as forceful.

"I've just spent five days in a freezing hole after fighting - whatever fell from the sky with us. If anything I'm tired." He sizes the other man up, sensing a fierceness about him with in the Force. He would have had to be strong to make it all the way out here to them. It was freezing out. It was a small wonder many of them didn't freeze to death.

[castintoflames]

"Good." he wishes he were surprised by how the Rift - this Rift, rather - had delivered the new arrivals, but he isn't. He had been dropped into the sea and made to swim frantically to shore while monsters beyond comprehension attacked. The burns of one of the monstrosities still decorated his back.

"Then you deserve a respite." Maedhros exhales, creating a temporary cloud before his features, "I am an Elf of Arda and the cold does not bother me as it does Men, Dwarves or the Elves of this realm. If you fear you are close to freezing, I -"

This is the part where he is decidedly uncomfortable. The touch of a stranger is something he associates with pain and torture. But he can't have anyone else dying.

"I can warm you."

[letoldthingsdie]

Kylo just gives him a look. He's not quite sure how to answer such a forward offer and has to repress the urge to scoff at him. It was a kind offer but the idea of being physically close to a complete stranger was so low on his list of things that appealed to him in the moment. He'd sooner be stomped to death by a Bantha herd.

"No, thank you." His jaw tightens as he covers his own discomfort with irritation. "I think you misunderstood me. I'm in no danger of freezing to death any more than you are and I'm not interested."

The offer made him balk, preferring not to be close to anyone. He didn't enjoy being touched. It just wasn't something people did. Most were terrified of him so it surprised him that so few of these people are put off. Perhaps he might not have put the effort into coming off as menacing of late, but he should at least make them uncomfortable. It was the response he was used to - be it storm troopers or other officers under Hux's command. They didn't have the Force but they still kept a distance.

"Thank you... for the offer." He tries for a little more forced congeniality, realizing he hadn't thanked him or introduced himself. "Kylo Ren is my name."

[castintoflames]

The look puzzles him. Should he stand idly by while someone perishes from the cold? Yet he questions himself - his reasoning - nonetheless. He has been doing a lot of that lately. There seems to be precious little he can trust about himself and even those small pieces could crumble if circumstances are bad enough.

"I will not allow anyone to freeze." he adds nonetheless, "I am glad you are strong enough to withstand it. You could be a great help to others." he leaves the possibility hanging, unanswered, in the air.

He knows better than anyone that it's not good to make assumptions. Finding your foothold is hard enough without focusing on the well-being of others, but if Kylo is willing to help, he will not turn him away.

"I am Maedhros." he inclines his head in greeting, blue eyes watching the Man curiously, "Forgive me for saying it, but you have the look of one who has seen battle before."

[letoldthingsdie]

"What makes you think I want to be helpful? I know nothing about this place and thus far the only ones needing help are the people I fell out of the sky with." He had a hunch he'd need to earn whatever he was offered. It was just how deep his suspicious nature ran. Nothing came for free. Everything had a price. He had no intention of getting entangle din all of that, focused only on returning home.

"I've seen battle, yes. We were fighting those monsters that fell from the tear in the sky with us." But it's more than that, of course. His scarred face tells its own tale. There were other, unseen, scars as well that marred his skin but the jagged line that ran along his face was the most prominent.

[castintoflames]

"I presumed you found some sort of happiness in aiding others?" he thought that was fairly common. Of course he, in particular, had usually been found hurting others in the name of a set of jewels called the Silmarils. But he was trying to better himself these days.

"Besides, should we have further trouble in escorting you to your new home, we will need to work together." or else all of them could end up as some monster's dinner or as frozen ice sculptures. Both endings were obviously unpleasant.

"You have not been battling the monsters for days or weeks or months or years." his lips thinned, "A short battle isn't quite like fighting a war. I trust you will conserve your stamina."