faderift | Cloudreach 9:44 Rifter Arrival

WHO: New rifters & their rescuers.
WHAT: Welcome to Thedas.
WHEN: Cloudreach 10, 9:44
WHERE: Amaranthine
NOTES: This is the arrival log for all new rifters, open also to current characters who would participate in their recovery. New players can also assume everyone survives and arrives back in Kirkwall within a couple of days, but please note there will be a brief quarantine period when they won't be permitted to leave the Gallows, to get them up to speed while ensuring they're not diseased or otherwise going to kill anyone, before they're set loose on the city.

You were asleep—whether deeply or fitfully, falling unconscious for the last time in a pool of blood 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 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, bathed in the light of a flare of too-bright, greenish light you will find yourself hitting mossy cobblestones with an unforgiving smack. You're alive, and you're fine, except for 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.

Above you is a shifting, crystalline tear in reality; beyond that, gray clouds and a sea breeze, framed by the high walls surrounding the city you've landed in. There are people on the walls, some of them armored and armed, all of them briefly and collectively paralyzed by the sight below.

Don't let their terror go to your head. It's not you that has them intimidated, nor is it any of the humans (or Qunari) who are sprawled out on the ground around you, nor is it the assortment of unfamiliar—to them, not to you, perhaps to you it's very familiar—junk that's spilled out as well, most notably some flaming metallic debris and a giant wooden cross.

It's the beings that are coming out after you, almost as if in pursuit. Two are drifting, spindly things with six spidery limbs in addition to grasping skeletal arms, eager to grab hold of anyone who comes too close and fill their field of vision with swirling darkness and corner-of-the-eye glimpses of whatever frightens them. Several more most closely resemble trees, perhaps, with half-melted squids for heads—which might not sound particularly scary, fine, but their ability to dive into the ground and resurface anywhere with rasping screams helps on that front.

All of these things would like to kill you, and the people around you, and the people on the walls, and perhaps the other people screaming and scurrying into taverns and shops for cover. But you're not alone. Out of those same taverns and shops come people who do seem to know what they're doing; many are wearing a symbol that looks a bit like a hairy eyeball being pieced through by a sword, and at least a couple of them seem to know what they're doing. Almost like they've been waiting for you. In fact, exactly like they've been waiting for you.

AFTERWARDS, the grateful citizens of the City of Amarenthine might provide a drink, a meal, or a place to tend to wounds before everyone sets back toward Kirkwall. It's not a long trip, but one that requires boarding a ship to cross a narrow sea. It will be a rough, stormy journey, but there won't be any demons.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

But you could get very lonely, [says willem, with the authoritative air of a young man who is Quite drunk, and has decided that two minutes is enough thought given to the logistics of this enterprise.] You would have no travel companions. I've not heard this boast from literally anyfuckingbody else since we started coming together at these docks. Unless you can talk to fish when you put your mind to it as well.

Can you do that? After that, I've no objections.

Oh, I'm familiar with solitude. After a while you start talking to yourself just to relieve the boredom...

[ Which doesn't make Willem wrong, of course. But being alone for a long time really isn't fun and Alacruun has to give him that. Not that he'd ever want to swim across the ocean all on his lonesome either... ]

I have to admit, it would be deeply unpleasant. So... as much as I don't like the ship, it will have to do.

[willem nods wisely. (the information he has to share does not require a lot of wisdom, he's just-- new to the whole thing, okay.)] They've warned you about the vomiting, [he says, very empathetically.] I hate it as well.

I wish there was some herb in town. Back in my homeworld, there were quite a few plants that helped with nausea when ingested, [he says.] They had a potent stink, but it could be worth it for the both of us.

[a beat.

about as subtly as a cart crash, he sliiiides a glance over at alacruun.] You've not heard of any such thing yet, have you? [super nonchalant.]

I've heard of such things, but never really had a need for them until now.

[ Alacruun is very rarely what anyone would call friendly, but he can be united with a human over the idea of seasickness. At least for a little while. ]

Unfortunately, I'm also not native to this particular city... or world. So I've no idea of any of it grows around here or not.

[willem exudes a most lugubrious sigh.]

That's a pity, [he says.] Ah, well. Never mind. I'm sure no one's ever actually died of seasickness, right? Unlike, say. These demons. And rifts, and things. It's quite a world we've landed in. Only the second I've ever been to.

I'll be relieved once we're home.

[Look. He doesn't know.]

I'm not sure there's a way "home" yet. So far, everything I've learned points to there not, but I'm not inclined to just give up. I've seen odder things...

[ Well, not by much. Still, he's not exactly softening the blow, is he? ]

For the moment we all seem stuck.

[no. the blows continue to land with powerful force. willem looks a bit ill. but he composes himself in a moment.

or he's just drunk, either way.]

Are you sure? [he looks toward the ships.] Those people seem to be moving with quite a lot of fucking industry, you know. Surely they're eager to get us away from all this. With the demons. The rifts.

They are, but they don't have a method to returns us to our proper realms.

[ Alacruun doesn't particularly take pleasure in cursh Willem's hopes and dreams, but he also doesn't care that much about them in the first place. ]

They'll be taking us to another city - it's not a bad place and we'll have food and shelter, as long as we help them with their problems. But so far there's no real understanding of how the rifts bring us here.

[hrnrnnghgh. willem lifts up his tankard and drinks down its contents all at once! only to realize that he's actually fresh out of alcohol. it is perhaps, the second worst news he's gotten all day.]

Helping them with their problems, [he says, a bit glumly. he turns the cup upside down and watches as nothing!! falls out.] You. Don't. Happen to mean... the demons, do you?

[he knows the horned man probably means demons.]

Probably. That and the rifts. They're very insistent - have to earn room and board.

[ Or something like that. Seems the most logical thing to do, at least to him. Striking out on his own when he's stripped of so much of his power seems hideously unwise. ]

You don't seem particularly pleased by that revelation.

No, I was rather hoping I could live a quiet life removed from all this, [willem acknowledges, dolefully. he looks out at the sea, which seems less promising than it had a moment ago.]

Well-- thank you for the information, anyhow. I'm glad you won't be swimming, [he says, setting aside his beer cup somewhere he's definitely going to forget.]

I suppose you could find a way, but you'd also need a way to support yourself...

[ It's an abstract thought experiment, as far as Alacruun is concerned. ]

The problem is being a stranger in a strange land and finding a way to live. And there's the looming potential catastrophes, considering demons and rifts and everything else.

You're right about that, [says willem, ruefully. this was a problem in his old world as well, or he would have never turned to adventuring. who needs adventures! besides those who presumably would have needed him, his skills. his companionship, sometimes, then they cared to flatter him. sometimes, he misses his friends.] I'll have to think of that. And demons.

[ugh, demons.]

I ought to see about getting some bread in me, [he decides finally.] Thank you, Mr.... [a long pause. expectant!!]

Alacruun.

[ He flashes a smile that probably has a bit too many teeth in it. ]

Pleased to meet you. Even if it is under... unfortunate circumstances.

Mr. Alacruun, [willem says brightly.] Guess I'll see you on the boat.

[a beat.]

And try not to hit you with any projectile-- [he motions at his face/gut/etc.] Cheers.

Cloudreach 9:44 Rifter Arrival

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ooc: it looks like your next tag was screened? was that intentional?

OOC: It was not; wonder if I hit something.