Cloudreach 9:44 Rifter Arrival

[faderifting]

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.

Comments

[exascendee]

There aren't any more demons to stun now, the last few having been picked off by the people fighting, yet his hand is still connected to the rift, and Daniel can feel the energy surging through it. And apparently that's a good thing. He doesn't know what he's doing, but he keeps his hand raised, as more people raise theirs as well.

And then suddenly his hand jerks backs unpleasantly, disconnecting, and Daniel stumbles a little. But when he looks up, there's no glowing green tear above them.

His hand stopped hurting too, although really that's just throwing the cut in his side into sharper relief, and he pushes his free hand against it, trying to stem the blood flow.

[gatheringstorm]

As the collapsed rift is beset by green light from the anchors all around, Korrin straightens and places her staff and deactivated spirit blade on her back and hip, respectively. The familiar hum and crackle of all those anchors interacting signal the end of the rift, and she smiles to see it disappear. One more down, countless others to go. But each one they seal is one less to terrorize Thedas.

Turning away, she heads over to the injured human and frowns in concern. "I'm no healer, but if you lean on me, I can take you to them. They always set up something nearby for those who need it."

[exascendee]

Daniel looks up at her -- wow she's tall. Also, are those horns real? They look it. It's been a while since he encountered horned people, and even then it wasn't at all on this scale. That's rather impressive.

"Uh, sure, thanks," he answers, tossing the broken staff aside with a sigh. He can still stand and walk on his own, but he's not going to turn down the offer just like that. "I'm Daniel, by the way." She probably just saved his life, as far as he can tell, and they haven't even done introductions yet.

[gatheringstorm]

"Korrin. Don't worry, it's not that far." Offering her arm, she glances to the staff, eyebrow raised. "Interesting staff, or at least it was. I'm sure we can get you a new one, though." In her view, it's weird that it just stopped working, since her own staff never runs out. But hey, rifters have all sorts of different rules for everything and she can't keep track of it all.

[exascendee]

"I hope not," he comments offhandedly, taking her arm, because whichever planet he's randomly landed on - and now that he's no longer in mortal danger, that's an issue he's going to address soon - he really hopes there aren't any goa'uld here. "Or at least not that kind."

He's curious how hers works though, shooting lightning like that. But they can save all that for later, when he's not exhausted and bleeding.


[At this points Daniel goes off in like three different threads in vague succession, so probably leave it here?]