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groundrules) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
westwhere2023-02-23 06:17 pm
groundrules) wrote in westwhere2023-02-23 06:17 pm
irenia
WHO: participants in the quest to rein in Rathakku's undead dragon Irenia + YOU.
WHEN: towards the end of Stage II of the Siege of Alem.
WHERE: the skyscape of Alem.
WHAT: taming the undead shrew, hereby a dragon.
WARNINGS: Here be dragons.
NOTE: the log has some predetermined actions for people who signed up to tame Irenia, but you're welcome to offer much-needed support along the way, even if you didn't! Questions here.
The plan to wrest the undead dragon Irenia from Rathakku's undead claws is 'simple':
Wei Wuxian and Xie Lian hunt a beast to use as dragon bait, while Kumoi Yuuri enhances its appeal through her illusion work. Using Stephen Strange’s portals, the two drag the lure West, in order to draw the pursuing Irenia out of the sphere of Rathakku’s undead magical influence. Stephanivien’s muzzle-tying machine rope the dragon's jaws shut during this hunt, successfully ensuring she cannot freeze everyone to death and end the chase early. Jon Snow shoots arrows from the eastern direction, discouraging Irenia from returning — ideally, he will also be travelling through Strange's portals to effectively track her and keep shooting.
As Wei Wuxian learned, Rathakku stole Irenia from another undead lord — frost king Anurr — who rules in the east. Irenia owes Rathakku no allegiance, and she will (gladly) break free of his command the moment she is out of the range of his power. Wrathion uses the influence-lessening sorcery that he learned when he had to fend off another undead lord, the Beastmaster. That will ensure that Rathakku’s authority over Irenia ends much sooner than expected, and long before she reaches Anurr.
In need of undead power to sustain her, but preferring one who cannot control her, Irenia willingly chooses to anchor her continued existence on Jon Snow, who has possessed the eerie touch of death associated with the undead lieges, ever since he fell into a dark mirror of Ellethia.
Irenia joins the party — neither tame nor commanded, and keen to keep a respectable distance.
NOTE: feel free to make your own top levels here for anything to do with the above operation, and don't hesitate to NPC Irenia for your threads. You can also participate in a speed thread. Characters who are not part of the plan mentioned above can still get involved and lend support!
Questions here & enjoy!
no subject
Hopefully, she'll also be in a good mood.
Wrathion dodges around her, waiting until her muzzle is secured then flitting up above her. He changes in another cloud of smoke, wings flaring out of his human form briefly as he descends down onto her neck. Irenia rolls herself, trying to shake him off, and he drops a hand down to her scales to keep himself steady. ]
Easy, we're on your side here.
[ Then, louder, as he begins moving to affix the band to her horn. ]
Draw her further away.
no subject
There isn't time to dwell on it. The bolas fires and the dragon's jaws are wrapped closed and once Wrathion calls out the instruction it's go time again, Stephen sparing no moment as he shifts his spellwork, sling ring slipped onto one hand and the other tearing open a portal for himself to step into open air far enough above the castle to spare it the fury of Irenia's claws should she lower herself in chase of the bait. The cloak holds him afloat as he paints a tao mandala large and sturdy enough for both Bait Guy and bait to stand on with the trip of his fingers through a spell pattern.
Once it's done, a new portal opens, this time tearing out of the air right beside Wei Wuxian so he can join Stephen in the sky to lure the dragon on.
Hope you don't mind heights, buddy. It's very literally onwards and upwards from here. ]
I'll head on to create the next stepping stone. If you have any trouble here, shout. [ Over the pedant preferably, but he doesn't feel the need to clarify. ] I'll be back for you soon.
no subject
This is one of those days. )
I'll be right at your heels.
( So to speak, since he does have to wait, but it's enough. Irenia snaps at Wrathion, or in theory, tries to, but her maw is held closed. She offers a shake of her head instead as he's affixing the band, but it's fruitless; and the lure of the meat is strong enough she can dismiss whatever happened when the dragon appeared then returned to tiny, crunchy form and tried treating her like a canyon wall.
She can smash him later. A feast, offered fresher than anything below but the people, that can come now, and she bellows through her closed mouth, bends her great neck to claw at her muzzle and the wound around bolero, frustrated in its lack of immediate removal. Priorities: catch meat, tear annoyance off nose, deal with small passenger. It's not one she Must allow, unlike what her master of the moment requires.
She brings her great wings sweeping down in a powerful stroke, zeroing in on Wei Wuxian and his dead, delightful burden. He waits, hoping Stephen's better at timing than at being inconspicuous. )
no subject
Carefully aimed bolts to fly just far enough, their propulsion altered with magic to force them that little further distance as an array of irritating bolts that should disrupt Irenia's flight path just enough to buy bait-man Wei Wuxian a few more moments of time.
Irenia banks, slightly, to shift out of the way, like an over-large cloudkin batting away at gnats, before refocusing down on the delicious wafting scent of potential dinner below. It doesn't buy much time, but it at least is a little something that hampers her focused descent towards her first priority of food. ]
no subject
It's working!
[ Just in case there was any doubt. Irenia tosses her head, as if irritated by something -- no doubt him and the headache he's giving her with the clash of magics around her mind. He braces himself low, winces as she speeds up in irritation.
Well, at least she's still moving the right direction. The sooner she's out of range the better. ]
no subject
Stephen's got a rhythm going now: he's gone by the time Wei Wuxian makes it through, already casting the next platform, but it does at least mean that there won't be such a dangerous wait for the next one. Another portal already stands open, waiting to admit him to the next platform of brief safety on their journey out of range as the old portal and platform fizzle out of existence once he's left them behind. ]
no subject
So it's a good plan still, as far as he's concerned, though he doesn't spare time to more than shout a message to Wrathion and the rest to track the moment he thinks they're far enough out, and to make their final moves in grounding her before she wheels back or wheels off and becomes a whole different sort of problem. If she can be freed or tied or killed, whatever it is they can deliver, as they must.
And they must. Alem needs fewer horrors visited upon it to survive the days yet to come. )
Irena NPC-ing
Before she lands, though, something changes. Some threshold has been passed, and it feels as though the control over her—which had buzzed and warred so uncomfortably with the haze of magics surrounding her horn and the little one of her kind who had been so determinedly applying it—snaps like a broken string, and the weight of it's absence settles so startlingly that it tips her balance, and she skids to her landing far less gracefully than she had otherwise, the ground shattering beneath the weight of her feet.
There is a bitter, vicious delight as she shakes free the last strains of Rathakku's control from her mind—pathetic, snivelling creature that he was—and she comes slowly towards Wei Wuxian and the feast much more cautiously and curiously instead. ]