irenia

[groundrules]

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.

Image source.

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!

Comments

[rehandle]

[ The bolts from Stephanivien do just enough time-buying that even with the irritant of Wrathion's presence causing her to accelerate, another portal opens up beside Wei Wuxian to spirit him away to a newly cast platform some way ahead before Irenia can swallow him down with the rest of the bait.

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. ]

[weifinder]

( For his part, Wei Wuxian doesn't hesitate in following, turning into a sort of leaping dance that's set by Stephen's tempo. Further and further, all they need is the distance to break Rathakku's control, and while she leaps and dives and snaps, she has not yet managed to swallow him whole.

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

[stephanivien]

[ Irenia moves, coiling muscles to push forth an extra bust of speed to push her towards the ground for an earth-shaking landing, before the feast that has been so continuously harried out of her reach by such irritating live morsels.

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. ]