I'm on my way from misery to happiness today

[itookashot]

WHO: Jesper Fahey, Ciri, Claude von Riegan, and Gideon Nav
WHAT: It's Quest Time Baby
WHERE: Throughout the journey to Solvunn's Supply Run
WHEN: September
WARNINGS: Eventual violence!



With Solvunn providing aid, the leaders of Thorne and the Free Cities have asked some of their trusted Summoned to travel to an agreed-upon meeting point to retrieve the supplies, check them, and bring everything back safely. This will take two weeks out of Cadens to do. While portals will be utilized to cut down on travel time, they will still need to cover the remaining distance of some miles to reach their final destination each way.

The Free Cities will ask the Summoned to accompany some soldiers to help guard the supply transport. They will be taking the southern trail (shown by the dotted lines) across the desert, traveling west to the forest that sits between the Solvunn and Free Cities border. While a portal will take the transport team as close as possible, characters will still need to make the rest of the journey by horse, ensuring the wagons come through the portal safely. They will also need to watch for the usual beasts and bandits, as well as take into account weather, terrain, and other hazards. To complete the assignment, they must successfully bring the supplies back to the waiting portal and into Cadens.

Comments

[itookashot]

A few days in and Jesper's energy is still high. He's been taking late watches and not sleeping much and yet he doesn't seem to be flagging (yet). He knows that what they're doing is very serious and important, although his cheerful demeanor might seem to counter that. He's sore though, he really hadn't ridden horses in a while and complains about it a bit.

Abruptly as he's head of the group for now, ready to get into those woods and out of the bright sun any time now, he isn't actually paying close attention to where he's stepping because when his horse abruptly stops, Jesper's genuinely confused. "What? Wait? Oh shit." He leans over and his hat (for the sun) swoops off, headed down into a ravine thanks to some new some collapsed terrain.

Luckily it's Jesper so he reaches out a hand and the hat comes flying back toward him, set right back onto his head. "I'm pretty sure this isn't on the map."

[wiedzminka]

Seeing Jesper stop suddenly, Ciri nudges Nixie's flanks and trots up to close the distance sooner. It doesn't take much to gain enough elevation on the path they've been following to see beyond Jesper, and realize why he's stopped. There appears to be a deep crack in the road that spreads out significantly in either direction, and as she slows to approach more carefully, Ciri realizes the drop is steep and rather lengthy.

"What the fuck...?" she mumbles, mostly to herself.

As the others approach, she turns to Claude.

"Run back and warn the caravan. Get them to start looking for alternative routes on the map. Might be worth pitching the tarps and taking a break while we figure this out."

[godshattering]

His first thought upon seeing Jesper and Ciri stop to peer at something he can't make out yet, is that there's danger ahead. Automatically he shifts the reins to one hand and reaches back with the other to rest on his bow to draw it and an arrow in seconds flat if necessary. Which it turns out to not be (for now), and it's only a couple more seconds before his own horse stubbornly digs her hooves into the ground and refuses to advance as they see the sheer drop ahead of them at the same time.

"Gods," Claude mutters under his breath as he lets go of his bow and looks up to scan across and around the ravine with one hand shading his eyes. Apparently that assessment of danger wasn't far off despite not being the monster, bandit, or otherwise immediately life-threatening kind, but this won't make their way through to Solvunn any easier. Surely there's another way around; if one isn't obvious beyond this brief scan then he's determined to find it later. A sentiment Claude's also positive their group will share.

Not the time to dwell on it, however, because at Ciri's instructions which echo the next part of his thoughts on the next move, Claude nods in both agreement and acknowledgment. "Will do. If there's any part not caved in, it might be worth us investigating - on foot - to see what it's like. But hold that thought."

With that, he nudges his horse to sidestep over to the side of the road where it's potentially less fragile to about face and start a gallop back. The quicker the better to stop them farther away, he reasons, before the added weight anywhere near the ground's breaking point can make the road situation worse.

[frontlinetitties]

Gideon is dismounting as soon as she hears the words pitching tarps and taking a break-- her blisters would have blisters at this point, if it weren't for that extremely fucking useful swift-healing ability. Thanks, Singularity. She hits the dust with a quiet oof, Midnight Hagette - her horse - remaining docile and patient behind her as she approaches the unexpected landmark. She edges as close as she dares, not wanting to disturb the cracked ground any more than strictly necessary, and whistles low through her teeth as she peers over into the dizzying depths beyond.

"This is gonna be a bitch to get around," she mutters half to herself, pushing back her hood for a better look, "check out the size of this fucker."

It hadn't been on the map, of this much she feels certain. They'd have noticed a massive, blazing obstacle like this and planned for it, otherwise.

[itookashot]

Jesper swings down off the horse as well, patting her shoulder affectionately. "Good girl," he says, considering she stopped before they both went tumbling below! Jesper moves to the edge and puts his hand on the ground. It may not be obvious at first what he's doing, but it doesn't matter in the end. He is using his abilities to ripple down and see how far it goes, just sensing it as he can all matter if he focuses enough.

"It's deep. No way we're going all the way down there and back up again." Jesper can't tell exactly how deep, just that it would take a long time, something they do not have. They have been making really good time so far, so it won't ruin their arrival, but it will make it a lot closer to the wire. They will need to make a plan quickly if they're going to make it.

"Maybe an earthquake or something caused this? Since the last time they made that map out." It would be the only reason he can see. That's definitely not on the map! An earthquake all the way out here probably would've been missed all the way in Cadens.

"None of us can fly, right?" Hey, never hurts to ask.

[wiedzminka]

While they wait for Claude to return, Ciri also backs Nixie up, trying to calm her when she starts high-stepping and tossing her head uncertainly. She dismounts near Gideon, and hands over Nixie's reins.

"Hold her for me. Don't let her bully you."

Carefully, she steps closer, passing Jesper to take small steps further out, until the toe of her boot is partially off the edge of the precipice. She peeks down, squinting in the darkness far below too shadowed to make out, in staggering contrast to the sun's afternoon brightness. For a few moments, Ciri allows her eyes to adjust, scanning the jagged rocks below from one side to the other.

It's not a trick of the shadows. Despite the questionable visibility, she's dead sure of that.

The eye stares back at her, enormous and inhuman. Then, it blinks and disappears -- but she knows, without a doubt, that they've been seen.

"Fuck," Ciri hisses under her breath, stepping back again as quickly as feels safe, sending several fist-sized chunks of earth raining down into the depths.

"Not an earthquake. A creature. It's down there. And it's big."

[godshattering]

The caravan halts, thankfully a solid amount of distance away quickly covered by a fast moving horse, the soldier in the front having brought the procession to a halt apparently at the sight of Claude returning with the sense that could be nothing good. Some breezy reassurances that they'll do some investigating, figure out what's what, and then move on from there seem to smooth over any apprehension over the sudden halt. That projected confidence comes easily, not yet forgotten from all the times he'd done the same when facing down odds stacked against them on the battlefield.

With one more about-face it's back to where the others wait. With the knowledge of the land's collapse ahead, Claude dismounts further back than he'd stopped the first time around and lets his horse graze the small amount of grass near the side of the road. The snack is an easy distraction to avoid any horse alarm (hopefully) so he leaves her swishing her tail contentedly.

What that also means is he walks up to join the group seconds after Ciri makes her retreat, and Claude pauses to first look at her and then towards the ravine. "A creature?" It's not that he doesn't believe her - he absolutely does, and that's the exact reason Claude steps forward to see for himself.

Some additional dirt falls as he pauses at the precipice. At first, nothing's visible during his survey of the depths. But he has the distinct feeling of being watched that's not by his companions or the soldiers, and there's a small stirring in the gloom which draws his attention. And - exactly as Ciri said - something looks back at him. Neither Claude nor the creature move as a solid amount of time passes while he's frozen in place, and when it looks away that's the cue to step back slowly like it'll erase drawing a predator's attention.

"That... is the largest something I've ever seen." A very eloquent description, and though Claude does his best to sound as unruffled as ever there is a distinct note of Concern he can't quite erase. "Talk about complicating our path around -" a wave to the ravine - "this."

[itookashot]

"Saints, that's bad." Ciri is the expert on monsters so he might not be able to see it, but he believes her without question. He thinks it over, looking down and seeing nothing, and how far it is across. So none of them can fly over it, that much is clear. Even if one of them could, they probably can't get the whole thing across.

"I don't think we're going to get over it, so we're going to have to go around." It isn't obvious at the moment whether or not there is a pathway, it'll take more time but they can't sit here and guess at it. Jesper swings up into his saddle again. "I can ride out that way," he gestures to the right. "See if there's an area we can get across or how far it'll be around?"

Despite his swagger, it is Ciri he is looking at right then. In his mind, she's team leader, this is something she's more knowledgeable about and experienced with in this desert. He can be an ass, but he's actually fantastic at taking orders.

[godshattering]

This is where flying would come in handy, and for what's far from the first time Claude is wishing for his wyvern once more. Silently this time for a change, and mostly because it won't help to repeat that wish aloud. When Jesper points out a potential path, he follows the gesture to where a better path hopefully waits and one that will fit everyone who needs to cross it beyond just their small group.

"I'll come with you," he says quickly, with a nod back over his shoulder to where his horse waits a quick jog away. "Realistically, if... whatever... is lurking down there decides it doesn't want be in the ravine anymore then we'll have different problems, but. Safety in numbers." Or something like it; where Jesper's pointed out seems like a promising start and scouting can benefit from additional eyes.

One more glance has him noting something else, and now it's his own turn to point to another side of the former road. "Looks like there might also be a way around on the left through the trees over there if it won't be too difficult for the wagons. It'll be faster if we split into pairs to tackle each then regroup."

But while he's one for strategy planning and execution, Claude also looks to Ciri for her guidance while leaning weight onto one foot to pivot for his horse as he waits. Her experience outranks everything else as far as he's concerned.

[frontlinetitties]

Gideon takes Nixie's reins with just a hint of hesitation, glancing up at the horse uncertainly in the wake of Ciri's warning. The mare snorts, tosses her head, causes Gideon to clutch the reins tight in one sweaty palm, but then she's listening with great interest as the others peer down into the depths. There's a spike of something hot and bright inside of her at the words of consternation, and she finds herself shifting her weight restlessly, only her job of guarding Nixie preventing her from rushing over to the ravine again to get a second - more thorough - look.

She listens to Claude's sensible suggestion, even nods with gravity, like she agrees with all that has been said so far.

Then she opens her mouth.

"Or...now hear me out for a minute...if there's a monster down there maybe we should kick it's fucking ass? You know. To make sure it doesn't eat any unsuspecting travellers or whatever. It's almost like, our duty. If you think about it," but she says it with a sharp eagerness in her face that indicates her suggestion has little to do with duty.

[wiedzminka]

As they all return to the group to confer, Ciri nods in thanks to Gideon and takes her horse's reins back, absently stroking Nixie's spotted neck. The mare's ears flick nervously; animals have a sense for these things.

With a shake of her head, Ciri unceremoniously and categorically rejects Gideon's idea.

"It's huge, we don't know what it is, and we have a whole mess of horses and wagons to manage. Not to mention an appointment to keep. For all we know, it's as big as that whole crevasse, and there might be more hiding in the earth beneath. Best not to disturb it."

If anyone had any questions on the topic, that certainly speaks to the fact Ciri's never encountered anything like this in the desert before.

"As for finding a route around..."

She hesitates. Already, it's clear the soldiers are getting anxious about the time it will take to find a new path, if it's even possible. The envoy from Solvunn might wait an extra day, if they're lucky, but no one wants to take the gamble. They're picking up a lot of supplies, some of them time-sensitive. On top of that, there's only one main road, so they're going to encounter this crag again on the way back, losing extra time.

Her eyes flick to Jesper, then the others in turn.

"I might be able to help with that."

It's not something she advertises, and she's not entirely keen on the soldiers seeing, but Ciri reasons this ability in particular isn't exactly a secret. Besides, she's not the only one capable of portalling. It's a rare power, but not an unheard-of one.

"I can get to the other side. I can also explore along the ravine more quickly than a rider would. It's not flying, but it's close enough for our purposes. What I need is someone to keep the soldiers from getting impatient. Or asking too many questions."

For this, she looks mainly to Claude. The man is charismatic, and has self-reported experience with armies and travel of this sort.

[godshattering]

Truth be told, some part of him would absolutely like to take up Gideon's suggestion in a heartbeat because she has a point. Even having seen the creature with his own eyes isn't quite enough to dissuade him from more investigation. He does cast a slightly longing sideways glance at the ravine until Ciri speaks up about a mysterious solution, and his attention goes back to her.

When Ciri looks his way, Claude has to press his lips together in a line to resist grinning despite obvious amusement breaking through every part of his expression. The implication is clear. One he doesn't mind at all given that experience also includes manipulation of different kinds, and a chance to try it out here? Count him in without a second thought.

"On that note, I'm off to put my professional distraction skills to good use. Someone just whistle loudly or something like that when it's alright to let the soldiers be again. And I do want to know what the way you'll help is later, for the record." In case he misses what Ciri's going to do, mostly because Claude hasn't the faintest idea of what to expect. He will, however, make good on his unsaid promise to occupy as many eyes and ears as he can.

It's back to the waiting caravan then with a politician's self-assurance that everything's all under control to soothe any frustrations. Might was well make the best of this stop so his advice is, of course, to work on some of what happens during their regular night camps to free up more time later on. Like maybe reviewing the remaining navigation charts and maps, work on some training drills in case bandits are nearby, take inventory - a handful of suggestions for some efficiency in this mostly nice weather they're having right now.

Oh, and about a resolution for this rather unfortunate and unplanned obstacle: it's on the way. Just leave it all to them! Who's concerned about what's going on up ahead? Not this guy, and now they (with any luck) won't be either what with being too occupied.

[itookashot]

"Gids, I love the enthusiasm, but I really don't want a ravine monster to eat you. I mean, if Goro was here, we could feed him to it and see what happens, but." He's somewhat kidding. Somewhat. Jesper does like the idea of shooting at a ravine monster, but he likes living a lot more. So he looks back at Ciri as she tries to reluctantly admit she has some skills they didn't know of. As someone who used to hide his own powers, he understands that sort of hesitation, and feels for it, so for once he doesn't make a joke about it.

What he does make a joke about is her looking at Claude. "Why are you looking at him? I'm an excellent distraction!" He complains because of course he has to, he has to be the most charming and handsome person in any given situation, okay! But Jesper lets Claude go to it because he is very persuasive and good with soldiers, he's just going to pout about it. He doesn't want to go talk to the soldiers though. They make him skittish, although he seems cheery around them.

"Alright, go on, Ciri. Tell me if you need me to go anywhere on the sides. If you think we can pull down something on top of the ravine to go over it, I might be able to use my telekinesis for that." He uses it typically for shooting, but he's fairly good at it now.

[wiedzminka]

"Because we need diplomacy just as much as distraction, with that bunch. And Claude's a military man," Ciri explains, perhaps surprisingly gracing Jesper with a real answer despite his complaint probably not requiring one. It's not actually meant to be a slight against him, and she doesn't want him distracted instead.

Walking Nixie over to a gnarled, leafless husk of a tree nearby that seems sturdy enough, Ciri ties her mare off, assuming the others will follow enough to keep talking through the plan. Jesper gets another long, thoughtful look.

"Tell me more about your telekinesis. Is there a limit to the size and weight of objects you can move? How fine is your control?"

[itookashot]

It is a surprise she explains and it does take the tooth out of his pouting right away, so he smiles at her instead. She's not wrong, diplomacy is not exactly the way his charm works, it's definitely distraction. Besides, he knows Claude is very charming, it's one of his favorite things about the man.

Jesper hasn't actively talked about his abilities the same way with everyone, so he takes her question seriously, considering. He wouldn't take a risk with people's lives; with his own life, absolutely, but not others. He follows her.

"The heavier the object, the harder it is. I couldn't tear a tree off its roots easily, but I could move the tree once it's down." It's more likely he would use his abilities to kill the roots or do it surgically rather than rip it off, Durast abilities are always more subtle, and he's become a pretty good one. "And probably mold the tree to the ground so it won't break, but is that big enough?"

[frontlinetitties]

Gideon follows, although only after one long, lingering look over her shoulder and back towards the ravine. Ciri's probably right. Jesper's probably right. But she still feels the hot tingle in palms and eyeteeth that comes over her when she's itching for a fight.

There's something a touch sullen in her bearing as she strides after the others, Claude already busy with the soldiers. Only Ciri's mention of flying - or something near enough to it as to be intriguing - stops her from making any half-hearted protests. Flying? Telekinesis?? She's beginning to feel like she drew the short straw, here.

"Hold up a minute," she says, as Jesper finishes his explanation, "I wanna hear how Ciri plans to get to the other side. What do you mean, near enough to flying?"

There's something in Ciri's bearing that suggests...what? Not anxiety exactly, but something cautious and restrained. Gideon's question comes neither loud nor brash because of this, but she voices it anyway.

[wiedzminka]

She doesn't like to advertise this ability -- for reasons that are more personal than practical, in truth, considering she's hardly the only one with powers around here -- but it will be useful, and they're going to waste a lot more time than needed if she doesn't fess up.

So she shrugs and explains, more casually than she feels about it: "I can portal to the other side. But I can't take anyone with me."

This isn't strictly true. It's just that, with the interference of the Singularity (her only explanation for the problems she's been experiencing), the effect is unreliable at best. Last time she tried to portal someone else along with her, they ended up in the ocean. Among other places. Ciri's not willing to risk something like that again unless the situation is truly a matter of life or instant death.

"I'll be able to get over the ravine on my own and explore the other side. There might be something we can drag over for other people to cross, but the wagons are the main problem. Unless there's a drawbridge on the other side, we'll either be making some sort of shoddy rope or tree-branch bridge, or finding a way around."

She can't bring her horse, either, but she can portal around faster than running, if it comes to it, to check a majority of the other side for any narrower portions or land still attached.

[itookashot]

Jesper isn't that surprised Ciri has her own abilities. She reminds him of Geralt, who he knows has supernatural qualities, so the teleporting is interesting but not really helpful if she can't take any of them. For recon, though, it's essential.

"Perfect. Go over, see if there's anything we can use for this. I'll be able to use my telekinesis to snag whatever you have and pull it over. It's not going to be easy, but there's probably more toward Solvunn than out here in the desert."

He salutes her. He suspects Ciri will know better than anyone else what they can use anyway, so she's the right person for the job in general. Jesper might not be able to pull a tree off its roots, but branches and rope, that'll be easy.

[frontlinetitties]

The differences between 'flying' and 'portaling' remain lost to her, and all of this? Badass as it sounds, keen as she is to get an eyeful of it, it nonetheless feels a touch out of her depth. She's the muscle, makes an excellent meat shield in a fight, and is pretty damn easy on the eyes (in her personal opinion), but this?

"Yeeeaaaah, it sounds like you've kinda got this covered. Or like, a working plan anyway? If you need any heavy lifting then I'm your gal, but until then...not gonna lie, I wanna see how you're going to pull this off."

[wiedzminka]

Ciri nods at Jesper, glances over at Gideon, and nods again.

"Sure. I'll go take a look, let you know what's on the other side. Between your heavy lifting and Jesper's, we should be able to work something out."

She hopes. Stifling a sigh, Ciri turns and walks closer to the edge of the crater again, peering apprehensively over it. The eye does not make a reappearance, but that distinct feeling of something lurking down there remains, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The sooner they put this hole in ground behind them, the better.

Ciri doesn't glance back; she lifts her gaze ahead, focusing on a spot well away from the edge on the other side. Without any warning, she blinks out of existence in a flash of blue-green light that lasts only a split-second, like an afterimage that might not have been there at all.

Thankfully, this time she doesn't embarrass herself by reappearing a foot in the air and falling on her ass. They'll be able to see her suddenly standing on the other side. Ciri waves once, then takes off in a jog to explore the far edge of the ravine.

[itookashot]

Jesper waves back at her and glances over to see how Claude's doing. Okay he probably should have been the one sent back, since Jesper's going to end up having to use his abilities for this. He isn't that keen on the soldiers seeing him doing anything either, in truth. He's never stopped being afraid of being caught by the witch-killers, and he doesn't trust the army. That'll have to change if they get in conflict, but for now.

"Heavy lifting I'm sure we'll need. Pretty sure your bicep is the size of my head." Jesper smiles over at Gideon. "Teleporting would sure be helpful though, wouldn't it?" Looking back toward where Ciri went.

[frontlinetitties]

Teleporting sure as shit would be helpful. She hears what she takes as a definite compliment only distantly, her attention focused on Ciri-- or rather, that brief lapse of miniscule moments where Ciri blinks clean out of existence, only to re-appear again on the other side of the ravine. She blinks, stares after their comrade, before whistling low through her teeth.

"Fuuuuuck," she says, just a little envious, because just think how useful that could be in all manner of situations. It's just a pity that it's of limited use in this one. "I'm starting to think that the Singularity or whatever it is that gives us these fancy-ass powers isn't much of a fan of me. Bizarre, I know."

Or maybe she could already pull off that little trick before she even arrived here, but whatever the case, for now it's irrelevant. She turns back toward Jesper. "Just as well she came along. As for us...what else do you need to make this work? Let's see what we can find."

She cracks her knuckles, ready to get to it.

cat pressed post early lol

[itookashot]

"I don't know, she might have had those before she got here. My powers are from home. I did get two things from the Singularity, one is great, the other one shitty." He can't teleport but sometimes being able to use super speed to get around is just as useful. An excellent thing to do if they get in trouble or he has to get out of there in a hurry. Jesper's rarely used it, but he hasn't been in combat for awhile. The hearing though. That is definitely a curse.

There's no rhyme or reason that he can see for what happens, but he has spent all this time getting used to his real abilities, and they feel natural and easy. He hums at the question and walks over to the tree, considering before looking over at Ciri's edge. "If we can knock this down, and there's something Ciri can get on the other side, I can probably mold the two together as long as I can touch them. We might be able to make a bridge."

cheeky cat!

[frontlinetitties]

The suggestion causes a quick ripple of surprise to pass through her; not because she had been unaware of people coming into this world with unusual powers - fuck knows Harrow inhabited such a category - but because she'd never considered that Ciri might be among them. She'd considered them both of a similar type - strong, physically competent, more interested in the tangible than the theoretical - and evidently its her assumptions may have been incorrect. Now is not the time to consider it in any depth though; instead she shrugs, quick to fix her focus on the tree.

She eyes it narrowly, mouth a tight line as she walks around its circumference and makes a thoughtful noise.

"I could give hacking it down a go. Or ripping it out," it'd be a fun test of strength, one she's never performed before, but perhaps not the speediest way to solve their problem. "Failing that, I'd suggest using the horses. Like, with rope. If we tie it around the tree and attach it to a few of the more solid-looking horses, they might be able to rip it free if we encourage them to pull in the other direction? I could even join in. It might get the job done faster."

[itookashot]

When Jesper first got here, he couldn't imagine telling anyone about his abilities let alone being so openly skilled and casual with them. He doesn't know who came here with powers or who got them afterward, but if Ciri's like Geralt, she might be more than your typical human.

"Yeah if we can get it down I can probably make it work, although it'd be useful if it was on the other side too. Easier for me to have more to work with, it'll be harder to grow it forward than meld the two."

He doesn't know how to explain it better than that, transmutation is an odd gift to talk about, but he knows that he can do it. Though at the same time, this means them having to put a lot of faith in his abilities, if that's what they end up choosing. And he's going to have to take that seriously.

"Oi! Ciri! What's over there!" He cups his hands over his mouth.