Project Sashamiri: Peculiar Weather We're Having

[overharrowed]

WHO: Alais, Sawbones, and Aleksei, guest starring Julius
WHAT: A team resumes looking into the freak weather for going on five years in Emprise du Lion.
WHEN: Various points in August
WHERE: Mostly Emprise du Lion
NOTES: OOC post here; no warnings for now.

Julius is apologetic, when he briefs the group, that he is giving them relatively little to go on. Whether it was a sparse report or simply the lack of anything relevant to include in it, earlier attempts to get at what is keeping Emprise du Lion's weather unnaturally frosty have turned up nothing actionable. He gives them a fair amount of leeway, with the gentle reminder that Riftwatch is currently trying to shore up its reputation for helping Orlais. It's hard to say what will constitute success when even the project leader isn't quite certain what they're looking for, but he suggests that even a solid idea of where to look will be appreciated.

Comments

[positioning]

"So it seems that is where we must go," Aleksei says after a moment, their examinations of the area coming to a close. The cold is bracing, but he seems undaunted by it. "Do you suppose our hosts have explosives they'd part with?"

But they do have a mage. Aleksei's gaze shifts to her expectantly from his perch at the top of the rock pile. If it were him and Yevdokiya here, the course of action would be much more straight forward. But they are representing Riftwatch, and maybe large explosions or giving up on the entire venture are both frowned upon. Surely Sawbones is here to guide them on that front.

[adjurator]

Alais pushes the hair from her eyes, peering to the top,

"If there's lyrium in there," Thoughtfully. Explosives aren't a bad idea. "We might not like the results."

"Do you have rope?"

[okayimin]

"Reckon if we stand farther back, it'd be fine," Sawbones says, squinting up at the hole and then turning to set her pack down and rummage through it. She produces the rope, neatly coiled, and holds it out to Alais saying, "Worse that could happen is triggering another landslide, I think."

Which was reasonably bad as these things went, but it was cold enough that the prospect of being buried under rock seemed appealing.

[positioning]

"What are you thinking to do with the rope?"

Aleksei is still comfortably stood atop the rubble, idly kicking at the opening. The force doesn't much widen it, but it's some kind of minor progress.

"I would think we'd need the rope only after we used the explosives."

There's a brief, calculating look at Alais. Can she make an explosion? Mages are usually good for that sort of thing.

[adjurator]

“If you set off lyrium explosives,” Rubbing the rope between her hands, considering. “Next to a cave full of lyrium, I don’t think we can stand far back enough.”

And spells, being enhanced by lyrium —

“But we can find out first.” Probably. Somehow. “It gives off a lot of heat, right? Even here. We rope some ice and dangle it in. See how quickly it melts, and if it doesn’t, then boom.”

A hopeful look to Sara, as if seeking approval on this totally definitely sound idea.

[okayimin]

"If it's a big exposed vein, probably," Sawbones says, a little dubious. She's never been around enough raw lyrium to notice if there's any particular heat, "We don't have to blast the whole mountain side, just a hole big enough for the three of us oughta work."

[adjurator]

"It does," Alais insists — a bit more primly (the know-it-all's assertion of dominance). "Who'd like to fetch the explosives?"

And who's helping her rope some ice. She spreads her palms apart, and the cord lifts, coiling between them as a snake.

[positioning]

"I will lower the ice, if you toss it up to me."

Which leaves the Chantry sister to get the explosives. If the picture is strange, Aleksei doesn't seem to register the humor in it.

"Maybe we try for a very small explosion. Are we able to control the size or is it all or nothing?"

The real question, Aleksei realizes, is whether or not they're concerned with salvaging whatever is inside. Perhaps they aren't going to transport the lyrium, but if there is anything in with the lyrium, Enchanter Julius might wish to look at it.

Aleksei has some mild curiosity, but that's neither here nor there. It sounds like nothing they'll find is going to be easy to sell.

[okayimin]

"Reckon they won't give us enough for a large explosion. We just need to make the hole big enough for us to get through anyway."

Which will be easier for her rather than the other two, but she'll still high off to get some explosives. Because this is a reasonable enough plan considering it's freezing and they don't have the time to make a production out of this.