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

[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.

[kremdelacreme]

Personally, Krem considers killing the Red Templars a mercy; he'd once gotten close enough to see one's face, and it looked like agony etched into every line. He finished them fast when he could.

"Even if the spells only stop them moving, it at least holds them in place for a single strike. Rather not have to swing more than once if I can help it."

[gatheringstorm]

"Right. I'd prefer to end this fast, anyway." If they must fight in the area, it'd be best to keep such engagements limited. Perhaps keeping a low profile won't be feasible after a while, but they can still try. And if there are too may Red Templars for that...well, that's what the rest of the Inquisition forces are for.