On The Road - Emprise du Lion and Western Approach

[the_effect_she_has]

WHO: Christine Delacroix, Merrick Ashara, Samouel Gareth, Korrin Ataash, Kain Highwind, Katniss Everdeen, Cremisius Aclassi, Rachette Dakal, Salvatore, Dismas, Clint Barton, and Fenris
WHAT: Movin' right along, to our separate missions ...
WHEN: First week of Haring
WHERE: The Frostbacks - riding, camping, general hijinks
NOTES: Warnings for sarcasm and probable showing off.

The journey through the Frostbacks is, of course, a grueling one, but only if you are traveling alone. The Inquisition scouting forces are, without a doubt, not alone. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

So clearly, new stories and new friendships or hatreds are just waiting to be written...

Comments

Korrin Ataash

[gatheringstorm]

[On the road]

Korrin's a fairly experienced rider, preferring her own two feet but definitely not complaining about having a mount in their current terrain. The one she's chosen is a spirited beast, with a willfulness to match her own, but they seem to cancel each other out well enough for the time being. Nonetheless, if there are any signs of trouble on the way, she'll be the first to leap off and tend to it on foot. Mounted combat isn't her forte and she prefers the flexibility of Fade Step over that, no contest.

[Camp]

Upon reaching camp, everything is sore but Korrin does her best not to show it while there's still work to do. Whether or not she can successfully hide that weariness, the Vashoth mage will insist on setting up tents, creating a fire pit, making extra potions for any lost on the way, and so on. If you need her for anything, you have only to ask--or perhaps she'll spot you and offer to assist.

And because she knows people will need something warm, once the cook-fire is set up, Korrin will make something special. That spiced wine recipe is one of the few she knows by heart, and she made certain to pack plenty of ingredients for it, since the Fallow Mire taught her that these assignment locations can't be trusted for decent alcohol. Either help assist or she'll call people over when it's ready, if the aroma doesn't reach them first.

Camp

[dragoon_pride]

"...Please tell me that's not maraas-lok again."

Look, he might be a real man and all, but that stuff was harsh by any standards. Still, he did drink it and live to tell the tale, even though he definitely felt like death the day after drinking. Whatever the case, Kain is ready to settle in for the night after a long day of traveling... so perhaps anything would be welcome.

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin can't hide her snicker at that comment, though she is a little impressed that Kain lasted as long as he did. It wasn't that long compared to qunari standards, but still. It could have been worse.

"Maker, no. I wouldn't bring anything that strong on a scouting mission. What would be the point in sabatoging ourselves? No, this is just spiced wine. Something to warm us up, because the campfires along aren't doing the trick."

[dragoon_pride]

It could have been far worse. Really, overall, Kain is glad he went for it and tried the stuff, even if he'd spent the whole next morning cursing himself for it and having the worse hangover of his life. But no regrets, really.

"That sounds much more inviting at the moment." Kain nods. "I could use some... I hadn't realized it would be like this. The terrain, I can handle, but the cold..." They just don't have this kind of snow or anything where he's from, even on the mountain that he prefers as his general hangout area.

[gatheringstorm]

"Skyhold doesn't really prepare you, does it? Sure, it's in the middle of the Frostbacks, but there's something about the place that keeps it warmer than its surroundings. Old elven magic, maybe. Or the hot spring. Or both."

While she speaks, Korrin dips a mug into the wine and fills it up, offering it before doing the same for herself. "I'm not much of a cook, but this I know how to do."

[dragoon_pride]

“Yes, it’s overall more comfortable there… I can see why it makes for a good base of operations.” Kain takes the offered mug, sipping much, much more slowly than usual. But he notices right away that it’s a lot more like standard, regular old wine. Fortunately. “That makes two of us. I’ve survived in the wilderness on my own for a while,” Which of course is why pretending to be a hunter is easy, that’s been his life, “but usually I just put something on a stick over a fire and have done with it.” It works at least, and makes things edible.

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin does her best not to make her lips twitch at Kain's caution, though it's difficult. She covers it with sipping from her own, needing that warm-up. "I've done that, too, though it gets old after a while. Besides, I can't promise that there will be much game in the area. It's been very quiet so far. The rifts and the demons they spew out could be scaring off the wildlife. So, I'm not sure how far we can carry this 'band of hunters/merchants' thing going, but we'll see."

[dragoon_pride]

"Well... if and when it comes to a more direct confrontation, I'll be ready for that." They'd have to rise to defend themselves against any demons, after all. Kain isn't planning to make it happen himself, but he's pretty convinced it's going to happen anyway. "We'll have to do our best in the meantime..." Yes, he needs a bit more to drink then. At least it's helping him feel warmer.

[gatheringstorm]

"That reminds me, stay as far away from those red lyrium spires as you can. That substance is massively dangerous, and we still don't know as much about it as we should. Considering that there are massive, moving hulks of it that used to be human? We can't be too careful."

Even Korrin shudders, not wanting to imagine such a fate. Some extra wine helps that horror recede just a bit.

[dragoon_pride]

Kain sips slowly at his drink now, watching her curiously. Ok. He couldn’t ever imagine her being fearful of anything… she’s a good foot taller than even him, for god’s sake! So this must indeed be really dangerous. They’d talked about the Red Templars already back in Skyhold, but hm…

“..Is there nothing that can be done for anyone who’s exposed?”

[gatheringstorm]

An extra foot's height does nothing to shield her against the corrupting influence of red lyrium, sadly. Korrin wouldn't mind if it did. She shrugs and sighs, not having a satisfactory answer.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Anyone I've seen has been far too gone to help, and they've all been trying to kill us. So, there hasn't been a lot of research in this area, so far."

[dragoon_pride]

“Nor can I imagine… keeping someone alive in such a state to accomplish that research. That would be far too barbaric.” And yet, how else would they find out what they need to know? It’s not a very pleasant situation all around. Kain is making a mental note to avoid this lyrium at all costs. He’s had enough problems in the past.

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin answers that with a frown and firm nod. "It'd be no mercy, from what I've seen. Regular lyrium can mess you up pretty badly, but you have to ingest the stuff. Just being near the red sort seems to cause that, and far more drastically. Research or not, there might not be any way of coming back from that."

On the road!

[kremdelacreme]

The good thing about the Inquisition having so many mounts in varying sizes, it meant that a lot of men didn't necessarily have to walk the entire way. The carts were reserved for the supplies, and the men charged with protecting those supplies, though some were to walk outside of it to keep an eye out for bandits, red templars, wild animals. The closer they got to the Emprise, the colder it got, and the more layers were wrapped around the armored men.

Atop a pretty chestnut Forder laden down with more supplies, mainly weapons, Up at the front of the ranks, Krem sits and squints ahead into the snow, his face half-concealed by a high fur collar on the cloak he'd been almost forcibly wrapped in before leaving. Damned fussing mages on every side of him...

"Whooa," he murmurs, pulling gently on the reins as the first spires of red lyrium came into view. He holds up a hand in a fist to stop the men behind. Then he holds up a couple of fingers and gestures ahead, swinging down off of his mount.

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin doesn't seem to need as many layers as the rest, or at least she strives to give that impression. She wants her armor to be protection enough, from both violence and the elements. At some point, though, she has to give in and grudgingly unpack the fur-lined cloak placed among her things. But there's no verbal complaints from her; after the mire, she's just glad to have anything else as terrain, no matter how harsh.

Hearing Krem, the Vashoth mage gently tugs on the reins of her own mount, halting alongside him. Slipping off, because she's been riding too long and needs to feel the ground with her own two feet, Korrin stares ahead and frowns at view. "Ugh, red lyrium. I knew it was coming, but still...not an auspicious sight."

[kremdelacreme]

At least she wears it well, as opposed Krem almost drowning in the extra layers. Still, he moves quietly enough accompanied by a pair of his own men that shuffle through the snow with their heads down. The Lieutenant himself flanks to the right and up a sharp stone ridge, pulling himself up to peek over a drift of snow almost as tall as himself.

"Don't touch it," he hisses back at the others. He's only ever heard of the stuff, what it does when it touches organic matter, and the last thing he wants is half his company becoming contaminated with it. He makes a wide, sweeping gesture with two fingers, silently commanding the men under him to make a wide path around it and observe what lay ahead. Where there was red lyrium, there were bound to be red templars.

[gatheringstorm]

Don't worry, Krem. Korrin won't point out any difference in bearing thanks to the extra layers. She has other things to think about than his dignity, anyway, narrowing her eyes at the red lyrium. The spires remind her all too well of those which had appeared in the aftermath of the temple's destruction. For a moment, those familiar faces lost that day are all she can think about, but just a moment. Nodding sharply at Krem's command to the others, she knows they can't be too careful around that tainted substance.

Scowling now, she scans the area. "Krem, remind me that we're here to scout. Remind me often. Because it's going to take everything I have not to kill them all on sight."

[kremdelacreme]

At the look on Korrin's face, Krem wants to give her some kind of comfort, a squeeze on the arm or a hand at her back, but they've got a job to do here, and he moves forward, holding a hand up for her to see. He trusts that she'll listen to him, follow his lead. He is a little more detached from the situation, after all, and while he knows she's hot-headed to a fault, her judgment is not in question.

"Listen. It's quiet here." Disturbingly quiet. Not even animal noises, nothing above the general susurrus of snowfall and wind in the trees.

[gatheringstorm]

Some deep breaths help, and she's glad Krem is at her side right now. If anyone can divert her temper and get her to focus, it's him. There's no smile from her, not now, but she nods, following along when her mind clears enough for her to do so.

Taking a moment to listen for herself, Korrin frowns. "Not a good sign. That could mean there's a rift nearby. Demons tend to scare off wildlife." And that's only one awful option among many."

[kremdelacreme]

"Demons, or its all been killed by some other awfulness," Krem murmurs in agreement. More and more these days, their surroundings tend to be incredibly quiet between the screams of hellish creatures and terrified people.

He looks up as one of his forward scouts returns, offering whispered reports of an utter lack of life, as well as trampled paths that are half covered in fresh snow.

what do you mean they've moved on?

there's nobody here, lieutenant.

damn it. any indication of direction?

westward. lots of tracks, some staggered. something horrible's with them

greeeat.

He straightens up, following the woman back around in the direction she'd come from. Well, they didn't really need to be secretive or quiet; if his men hadn't found anything, it was unlikely that it was just going to pop out at them. He looks back at Korrin, giving her a 'keep an eye out' gesture then drawing the knife at his hip. Regardless of the absence of life here, it was still best to err on the side of caution.

[gatheringstorm]

With the land as tainted as it is, enough to produce red lyrium spires, Korrin can't blame any sane, as yet untwisted creature from fleeing as far as possible. The silence is unnerving, though, and she'd rather deal with almost anything else, however nightmarish. She listens in on the whispering, frowning particularly at that last part. 'Something horrible' is certainly vague and ominous.

Krem's gesture is met with a nod, as she keeps her staff ready. The moment any sign of movement that isn't their own is heard or spotted, her barrier spell will go up in an instant. She's tempted to cast it now, but knows that timing can be everything. It's better not to waste it.

[kremdelacreme]

Fortunately, or unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a damned thing moving here except for the scouting party. There's something that looks like the remains of a snow squirrel being slowly consumed by the creeping lyrium crystals that it had had the misfortune of trying to investigate the odd new additions to its environment. He grimaces and steps around it, feeling badly that he can't at least bury it without risking contamination, himself.

It doesn't take long for him to find those tracks that the scout had told him about. It wasn't just footprints either, though they weren't exactly hard to see to begin with, misshapen and deep as in pressed in hard after being dragged. There are also gouges in the earth from something sharp and heavy running in an ugly pattern beside the tracks.

Something horrible, indeed.

"What d'you make of it?" he asks quietly, turning back to Korrin when she gets close enough.

[gatheringstorm]

Crouching down to have a better look, Korrin frowns in thought as she stares at the tracks and the gouges. That could be anything, but a few guesses come to mind. She's uneasy just looking at them and that's a feeling she rarely gets, so she compensates with an extra-brisk tone.

"It could be a giant, but I'd bet it's more likely one of those red lyrium...things...like there were at Haven. With those spires all around, it makes sense that they'd be somewhere near, wouldn't it? And they could scare off wildlife just as effectively as a group of rift demons."

[kremdelacreme]

Krem's frown deepens as he considers that. Well, it does fit, both with how much lyrium is poking out of the ground, and the pattern of the footsteps.

"The behemoth things, right. Damn..." He stands, scanning the area nearby and following the tracks left behind. At least if there was something left around here, he knew he could trust his men and Korrin to have his back. "Move up. We'll clear out any that are left here, if they haven't all vacated the road yet."

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin nods, frowning as he speaks the word that she hadn't wanted to say herself. Behemoth. She straightens and glances around before speaking up again. "From what I remember, my fire didn't affect it much, but my ice spell definitely did. I'll keep that going as much as I can, should we find it."

As much as they make her uneasy, she won't hesitate to fight eliminate such monstrosities. If they were ever human once, they definitely aren't now.