event: portal four | the mountain

[mayfield_mods]

The fourth portal, as might be expected, can be found atop the hill known as Makeout Point. The other side of the portal isn't altogether that much different from the side you're entering from, save for the thicker trees and somewhat darker lighting.

The other side of the portal is significantly colder than the Mayfield side; frost covers the ground, and although it's not quite freezing, you'll want to bundle up. A glance at the sky reveals what you might have been dreading: glitch holes, in varying size, litter the skyline. The sun is hidden behind a set of thick clouds, creating a melancholy atmosphere.

The landscape around you is relatively flat, and you can't see too far beyond the forest ahead of you. It isn't until you turn around, facing the portal that you entered from, that you see the rising slope of the ground. The mountain rises high, higher than you can see from its base. There's a rough, primitive path heading up its slope, and for now simply hiking will be sufficient. As you get further, however, simply walking won't be enough: you're going to have to climb...

Somewhere, closer than you might prefer, a single wolf howls, and is shortly joined by more.

Better get moving.

Comments

[spitefulvitae]

Usually I'm the one making with the "ooooh, spooooooky~" voices. I'm suited to it. It's my niche.

[She gives a prissy little huff, and tries to hold a frown... but she eventually has to turn her head away to let out another snort of a laugh.]

...I'm Natalie. Who're you?

[doesnotgetit]

I've never even held one before now.

[Sorry, this is one of the few things she has to remind her of Rani. u_u She ain't lettin' go of it.]

[wolfishsurvivalist]

[She jerks a thumb over her shoulder.]

Got in the same way as everybody else did, I promise.

[doesnotgetit]

Mm... which is why I feel so conflicted about all of this. Mayfield is horrible, I would never deny that, and I'd hate to see everyone trapped here forever. But having to go back home... it'll be hard. Too hard.

[vedaandme]

[He nodded.]

Were you planning on making your way up this mountain alone?

[cosmicbond]

Sounds good to me.

[He'll make a note to remember to only ask 'yes' or 'no' questions.]

So...any idea what the thing we're supposed ta look for is?

[infourbooks]

S-

[No, he's here, he should be careful what he says]

Someone fell through and was just... gone.

[jumpsinline]

Okaaay! [ Yoshika does as she's told, though after a couple of days of being un-droned she has started to notice that she's moving with less overall vigor than before. At least she hasn't started hopping again... ]

[spitefulvitae]

Ah. [She casts a very quick glance up at one of the holes, then winces and puts her attentions back on the path ahead.]

Then they're a lot alike. I don't think you were stuck in the carnival, were you...?

[chalicejoker]

It would have been more of a surprise if we actually had been given any time to prepare...and if we had, I'd imagine it wouldn't matter somehow.

[Carnivalfield has left him less-than-optimistic regarding places accessed through portals, after all. He gives a nod when she says she'll be fine, and if his facial expression was visible, he'd probably still look a bit concerned.]

Just remember that there's the getting back down to worry about, too.

[Wolves? THAT, he knew how to deal with.]

I haven't seen any, but if they do show themselves...

[He holds out a hand, and a bladed longbow just sort of appears, like he's pulled it out of water. There's no string, but it doesn't appear to need one.]

I'll be ready.

[cosmicbond]

I sure I can wing it. The terrains similar enough.

[All the confidence of an idiot teenage boy.]

[infourbooks]

No, I never made it past the funhouse. From what I heard I was probably lucky.

[hawkeward]

Once or twice, perhaps. [She grins at Anders.] I think this is one of the better ideas I've had lately, personally.

[She pats both men on their shoulders before stepping forward, toward the mountain path.]

Nowhere to go but up, I suppose. Come along, you two; it'll be just like old times.

[spitefulvitae]

Quickly, quickly, a new trap every day... [She shakes her head.] Still. I don't want to fail. I want this to work.

...I hope we'll have some warning once time gets short. The letter said not to get stuck, hmm? It'll be like the carnival. Only...

[Only what? She had no idea. So she was happy to have something else to remark on, like that bow.]

Very nice! I had a feeling you'd be prepared for them.

[spitefulvitae]

You were. Those things started to tear the carnival apart. The entire place eventually just... collapsed. It broke itself. The moment they start getting any bigger, I am turning around and getting out of here.

[hawkeward]

Jedi? [She frowns.] Actually, no, don't bother explaining - it'll just go over my head, I'm sure. I'll just assume you're another kind of mage and be mildly jealous of your various talents.

[3wayforjustice]

I could be. Don't tempt me.

[At least the town returned one of his staffs, a while back. So he has something to use as a walking stick.]

[He makes a face, but follows after Hawke, doing just that. Though he does glance back, just in case those wolves make an appearance.]

"Just like old times", is it? Somehow, that's not particularly reassuring.

[donttellmetheodds]

It's not really...magic. And don't be jealous.

But do you mind if I stick around? For some reason, wandering around alone doesn't exactly seem like a good idea.

[hasacondition]

[He glances up at the altitude, and then a little higher to the surroundings glitching out, tugging his sleeves a little further down and rubbing his hands together.]

...Well, that's not frightening at all.

[hasacondition]

I think that's a little too much to ask for.

[checks his gun again, but sort of wishes he brought a sweater]

[and then he gestures up at the holes in the sky]

See how it's just about coming apart?

[hasacondition]

...We should probably hurry, too. We've got, what, a day?

[don't mind him, he's just a little busy sulking at how underdressed he was]

[hawkeward]

All right, I'll only be jealous if you start turning into a dragon. [a pause] But it's close enough to magic, isn't it? It's all the same to me, anyway.

[She shakes her head.] I get the feeling there's more than just wolves waiting for us out there, so the more the merrier, I say.

[chalicejoker]

Some days, that's all you can ask for.

[He'll offer a hand up if she needs it.]

That's good news, at least. Not much of it around the town these days, it seems.

[He tilts his head to one side, curious.]

Why not?

[whowhatwhy]

I'll take up the rear, then, shall I? [ Got to keep the healer safe, in any case. Besides, the path isn't really wise enough for them to walk side by side. ]

[donttellmetheodds]

Never seen a dragon before so we're safe.

Thanks for that then. I'll owe you one later.