MISSION: THE BIG ONE

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   1 2 . 0

TRUFFLE AT YOUR DOOR • A HUFUNGUS CELEBRATION • GO OUT & EXSPORE • A MOREL DILEMMA • FYI

// INTRO. truffle at your door  

You may be minding your business that day, going about your daily routines, or perhaps you happen to be participating in other gathered festivities occurring around the station — whatever it is, the ping from your earpiece is a sharp sound that interrupts the goings-on, and it is immediately followed by Viveca’s hurried voice:

// VIVECA

Everyone, please listen to me carefully. We’ve just located another orb, on the dwarf planet of Ciraiwei. But something terrible is about to happen: there’s an asteroid headed straight towards the planet, the impact’s in ten days. I checked, the closest planet in the system with any means for interplanetary travel is a three-week distance. If you could’ve been there even two weeks earlier, I could have contacted them and asked for help to evacuate the planet, but… it’s too late for that, now.

She pauses, as if to gather herself, before continuing.

// VIVECA

So I’ve made contact with the locals, the Hivawei, and told them that a team of off-world scientists is coming to catalog the planet’s flora and fauna. That way you have an excuse to search around the planet. So gather your things, and come to the teleportation platform in twenty minutes. We have no time to waste.

With this sudden and alarming news weighing on your shoulders, you have no other option but to go and collect your things as quickly as possible, and hurry to the center of the station as soon as you can.

There, both Viveca and Degar are waiting, both looking like they’ve spent the last twenty minutes frantically preparing the station for send-off. As soon as everyone has gathered around and the hum of the platform starts to grow louder, Viveca takes a step forward.

// VIVECA

Thank you for being so quick, everyone. I’m sorry about this being so short notice, but you understand why it’s necessary to get you there as soon as possible. Now… you must find the orb before the asteroid hits the planet. The consequences of the orb still being there when the impact happens could be even more catastrophic than the destruction of one planet.

// DEGAR

We’ll be keeping an eye on things as best we can, but if things look like they’re taking a serious nose-dive and it affects the livelihood of the team, I’m gonna pull the plug and send you guys back up to the station. We’re hoping that won't come to it, but we're ... uh. Taking precautions.

// VIVECA

Yes, so just focus on finding the orb. As it is, the Hivawei don’t know about the asteroid at all. I’ll leave it for you to decide as a team if you want to tell them of it, or not. And one more thing… the asteroid isn't a small one. It's more than enough to destroy the planet — and you. Please, don’t try to fight it.

One might think that a sentiment like that goes without saying… but with this team, you never know.

That’s all you will hear before the pull of the teleportation whisks you away — for a moment, you hang in the nothingness between universes, suspended in what feels like air; in your ears, you hear the whisper of a voice, telling you what you must do…

And then, with a curious sensation like being compressed on all sides, you finally land either feet or face first in cold, damp moss.

Welcome to Ciraiwei.

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// PART I.a hufungus celebration  

The moment you pull in your first breath your lungs fill with the fragrant scent of flowers and the earthy musk of dirt and grass and moss. It smells like a world untouched by synthetic or humanoid-made materials, like something pure and rooted in the very planet itself. Keep following the dirt-beaten path before you and you’ll eventually wander into a large clearing with numerous small huts sporadically spread across moss and deep green foliage and lush undergrowth. The sound of chatter and the feeling of anticipation by the settlement’s citizens for your arrival can be felt from all corners of the clearing. Smaller Hivawei children cluster behind plant stumps and tables to peer at you. Without hesitation, a friendly face or two (or three) will approach, waving a hand to beckon you forward and usher you into the settlement. There is so much to discuss.

1.0   The arrangement made between the Hivawei and the station means that the people here have expected your arrival and have made great efforts to roll out the red carpet as it were. All manner of the Hivawei have already congregated here — including those from the neighbouring Yenat, Seriw, and Ciarv settlements — for the Springs End celebrations. At your curious, confused, or blank expressions, one of the Hivawei will excitedly sidle up to you and explain the gist of it. Taking place in Hivawa’s Meeting Spot is the O’sumgann: a celebration to express gratitude for the closure of one season while also welcoming the next. There is a bounty of harvest foods to eat and drink, and a grand dance in the clearing under the moonlight that welcomes all settlements to mingle with each other before a new season of hard work arrives. And it is a blessing that this summer brings with it new guests, they will say, because this hasn’t happened to them before. With the longer days and shorter nights, this may also mean more hands to help with the work. It’s very exciting.

You might wander around the space, speaking with locals and poking a finger at some of the interesting foodstuffs laid out over long banquet tables. These tables are made from strongly woven twigs and twine, and are covered by tablecloths crafted from the petals of the robust lamawei plant, which have been known to stand the test against the elements of all seasons. A platform has been set-up near one end of the area and a hunched over, slightly wrinkled Hivawei with a faded maroon cap (unspotted) hobbles his way up to take his place. The Chieftain of Ciraiwei, Yerek, waves his free hand, the other grounding him with his cane, and the congregation, including you, slowly quiets to listen to him speak. Without having to demand it the populace seem to respect him.

CHIEF YEREK

Hello! Hello, and good evening to my fellow Hivawei — oh! And guests! Heh-heh-heh. And guests, we have guests tonight! But more on that in a moment.

Another season passes us and another season arrives, and with it brings us a hard-earned bounty we have all worked hard for. This celebration tonight, like all O’sumgann celebrations of the past, is a time to mark our accomplishments and to propel us into the new season ahead! Our best season to come in my humble opinion, heh-heh, as the light has never been brighter on us!

But nevertheless! Tonight brings us not only good food and good drink, and a dance later — in which I expect to see you young ones in the clearing! — but tonight we must also open our tables and our hearts to our guests who have come to us from the Sciences to learn our ways and our homes. Please say hello when you have a moment.

So let us celebrate tonight because tomorrow is a new day that we fill with hard work. We thank Our Mother Light and begin anew. Now, have fun!

2.0   It’s clear that the O’sumgann is on the forefront of everyone’s mind here, but that isn’t the only thing to explore or investigate. For those who wander away from the clearing, you’ll find that daily life for the Hivawei still continues without a hitch. Moving past the festively decorated set-up brings you further into the Hivawa. On this flat forest floor covered in leaves and short grasses is an established marketplace area where several Hivawei are trading their wares, busily at work turning fiber into cloth, grasses into usable ingredients, transferring dew into stored tanks, and collecting seeds into storage to make way for a new season’s harvest. Here you’ll find plenty of places to support the Hivawei economy through eateries and shops.

While many of the Hivawei who reside in Hivawa prefer a dew-drop diet, there will be a number of different food-things to accommodate their guests. Try delicious seed salads, finely churned hot grain stews, grass blade-wrapped onigiri filled with ground nuts and rice-meal, or refreshing dew-drop beverages in several flavours dependent on its sourced location. Some have a more floral after-taste; others can be made sweet with a flavoured nectar infusion, and an addition of tiny little chewy rice-grain spheres for something different. Try perusing accessory shops for fiber-cloth shawls and scarves, little necklaces made from carved sawdust and whittled wood-scrap, or rings made from twine and empty seed pods shined to a fine polish and varnished to show off their glossiest side. During this season only, in celebration of the O’sumgann, one might also find shards of dried lamawei being sold in jewelry or find fine tapestries and rugs painted with the shape of the lamawei plant.

It is important to remember that the Hivawei trade in labour here, so any item you purchase, and any food you eat will be traded with minutes to hours to days worth of what skill you might be able to offer.

Afterwards, take your meal to go and wander towards the landing space for travellers — if you stay awhile to watch, you’ll notice all manner of incoming guests from the different settlements arrive, either on the wings of a moomytt or a hopiat, not unlike a helipad.

And if you feel the need for a little rest, there are patches of sun-dappled grass to nap beneath, and if you’d rather seek a little more shelter and privacy, the Hivawei have kindly offered several empty huts to be used as sleeping quarters for the Sciences to use while they stay here. They are each outfitted with soft feathered beds and pillows on bedframes made of sturdy sticks and twigs. Small walnut-shaped pools of water may be used as mirrors or for washing up (or both).

3.0   [ CW: DRUG USE ] As the moon slowly rises over the leaves of the trees that surround the settlement of Hivawa, the air of excitement nearly becomes palpable. Most of the marketplace has now been closed for the day, all manner of citizen congregating to join the others in the Meeting Spot where the O’sumgann is set to begin. A band of five Hivawei have already gathered on the platform from earlier, assembling their instruments to begin playing music. It’s a twangy, folksy sound that comes from the stringed and wind and soft-percussion instruments, with melodies that invoke images of close communities and feelings about a home that they’ve built. They will sometimes sing of the fields and the rain, and of the sun and moon, and the passing of seasons. There is a song about their Mother of Light and the good luck that she brings. Many of the Hivawei from the other settlements will move towards the dance floor to mingle with each other. Perhaps this is your moment to join them, or to join your fellow orber in a dance.

There will be food and drink provided here as well, not dissimilar from the menu offered in the marketplace. Salads, grains, heated stews, and multi-flavoured dew-drop drinks and desserts are on offer here. There is plenty of food and drink to go around, and the Hivawei are very generous — don’t be surprised if they try to offer you seconds or thirds.

In addition to the food and drink, any of the adult orbers might visit a speciality booth near the end of the long tables where one can try smoking a potent but very pleasantly-scented dried herb through a single-stemmed waterpipe. When inhaled, this will evoke feelings of happiness, calm, and euphoria. Colour and sound will seem more vibrant than ever. These effects will last for a few hours.

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// PART II.go out & exspore  

The following morning, as the Orbers awake to a new and normal day among the Hivawei, they may hear the pulsing thrum of an internal clock ticking in the back of their minds — in the whirlwind of their arrival and the excitement from the O’sumgann celebrations, it may have been easy to forget about the information that they hold of this planet’s impending doom. Nine days remain, and in those nine days the orb must be found and removed from the planet … so it’s imperative now to go and explore.

4.0   The settlement of Yenat is half a day’s travel on foot, but luckily you may ask to hitch a ride off of a moomytt’s back, or if the wind is in your favour, grab an asquerla leaf and enjoy wind-gliding. Soon, you will smell it when the air clears and the humidity increases, a unique settlement made from different terrain: large, round leaves float on top of the water, sturdy and large enough to support the houses and huts built atop them.

Once you have landed you will find that Winet is ready for visitors as well.

WINET

Welcome to Yenat, honoured Sciences. We will be happy to show you around, and direct you to any of our varied flora and fauna for you to document.

She will go on to advise you of any interesting plants or animals around the settlement, from the large, white flowers that grow around the shoreline and only open underneath starlight, to what the Hivawei call “scales in the depths” — different fish that live in the pond and are a cause of worry for the small inhabitants of Yenat … so be careful not to fall off the leaves! One must also not forget the tibbens that hide in the high weeds along the shoreline, so watch out for any errant strikes of their tongues.

5.0   A few hours’ flight in the opposing direction from Hivawa will take you to the dual settlements of Seriw and Ciarv. In the former, you will find a sprawling network of tunnels built into the roots of the large trees that make up the latter settlement; the tunnels break off into small holes of their own, each furnished with moss on the floors, and a single, faintly glowing dried flower petal affixed to the ceiling, to illuminate the rooms in the absence of sunlight. But be careful, because it is not only the Hivawei you may encounter underground, but also the shrofox, a creature known to burrow into the tunnels in search of food — and while it consumes mainly the different types of fungi found underground, sometimes it mistakes the Hivawei (and perhaps you, too!) for something edible.

Outside the tunnels, you may come across clusters of luminary nightbells as you climb up the neatly-laid wooden stairs that will take you higher into the trees and the flat wooden landings built there. The settlement of Ciarv blends seamlessly into the branches, the foliage from the trees providing a natural roof for the landings, while the vines of greuin, a plant that droops from the branches of these trees in perfect symbiosis, have been entwined to create curtains around some of the landings and act as walls while also providing privacy.

If you’re afraid of heights, the Ciarv settlement may not be for you, but for those who delight in tree climbing, there will be much to see — not least when you crest above the canopy you’ll find the leaves that have been exposed to sunlight have turned reflective, glittering in all the colours of the rainbow as the sun’s rays hit them now. The sight is enough to leave you breathless… at least until you're reminded of the heat from the sun, and then it'll be best to duck back underneath the foliage to cool off.

6.0   However, there is much more to see if you leave the settlements and set out into the wilderness that covers most of Ciraiwei’s surface. North of Hivawa, there is a large meadow with grass swaying high above you, and the scent of fragrant flowers blooming underneath the sun’s watchful eye is enough to make you feel light-headed for a moment. Then from one of the flowers there’s a shriek — if you glance up, you’ll see a pair of bright eyes in the middle of a pink flower-like face peering down at you.

EVIT

What — what are you doing here? These are my flowers!

She seems skittish, so if you want to ask her about anything, it's best to proceed carefully …

7.0   Past the Ciarv and Seriw settlements is the start of the vast forestland that goes on and on for miles, turning darker the further in you go. In the forest, growing in eerie groups underneath particularly heavy foliage, one may find ausarta gast — if you believe as the Hivawei do that seeing their blood-like weeping is bad luck… it might be a good idea to turn back. But if you’re not daunted by the sight and decide to keep going, you’ll find that as the forest grows thicker, so it becomes more difficult for you to climb over the slippery, gnarled roots, and push your way through the underbush.

There are other dangers, too: when you make it far enough, you may come across mortkensoom: a gruesome sight of decomposing victims make up its base, while the rhizomorphs crawl across the forest floor in search of victims… and it may have decided that you’ll be its next one.

You may also come across another less-than-desirable sight, that of Arnyek broodgrubs. If you sneak past a nest you may get off scot-free, but if there are more of you, especially making sounds they consider to be a threat, well — hopefully you have something to cover yourself with, or at least water to wash the acid substance from you before it eats away at your flesh.

However, it isn't only unpleasant sights that you might come across deep in these woods: there are many beautiful plants with enchanting flowers that can be observed even in the darkness under the trees. You may even spot a familiar-looking adventurer traipsing through the forest …

8.0   While the weather is generally favourable, the sun hanging at its highest point in the bright blue sky, and the climate like a warm blanket, there is one particular day that sees rain clouds pass over Ciraiwei, along with booming thunder and bright flashes of lightning that seem to crack said sky in half. The storm might pass quickly, but with raindrops the size of your head it is a dangerous time to be out and about with risk of drowning, not to mention being anywhere near a lightning strike.

But if you venture out after the storm has passed, you may get really, really lucky and happen upon a rare sight: with a soft glow around its silhouette, a deer-like creature known as a Heisharu seems almost more like a spirit than any corporeal beast. But if you’ve got some fruit with you, why not try to see if you can lure it close enough to try and ride it?

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// PART III.a morel dilemma  

After spending some time within the settlement, ‘collecting samples’ and learning the Hivawei’s culture, you might begin to notice a few things in particular that stand out. There are more conversations about the lengths of the days and the shortness of the nights, the brightness of the sunlight (what a blessing!), and the way that many of the blooms that they had been expecting to grow months into the summer are already beginning to sprout. The Hivawei consider this a sign of a very, very bountiful season, but something inside you knows that there may be more to it than that.

Tick tock, tick tock.

9.0   During midday in the midst of your task, whether you are still within the settlement or exploring the land just outside of Hivawa, you might look up into the sky and notice that the blue is conspicuously absent: instead, it seems as if the sun’s brightness has spread across the entire skyline. The light seems almost too bright. If you are with a local, they might make a comment about the summer being warm and particularly prickly in recent seasons, and today of all days it seems especially hot. But they chuckle it off with an optimistic shrug, their comment accompanied by a shell-cup filled to the brim with cool and refreshing dew placed in your hands.

10.0   As the day slowly shifts into evening, it becomes unmistakable by the way the late hour does not reflect the amount of light still in the sky. You may contact your fellow Orbers by way of communications devices, or perhaps you’ll bump into a teammate along your trek — no matter the method, you and the rest of your team will need to gather together somewhere and decide your next move. There isn’t very much time left, and the clock continues to tick down the seconds.

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F Y I

• The events in this log take place during ten days in the month of March.

• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.

• To explore a specific location or speak to any of the NPCs, please submit your search request HERE.

• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪

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Comments

2/2!

[rehandle]

Rita finds him while Sabriel's away, but there isn't any time to hold off in wait for her. Their call has been answered, and they haven't a moment to lose.

By the time Stephen reaches Remi he's a little out of breath in the rush - no fear of the wizard disappearing, plenty of fear of even a few wasted minutes now being the thing that makes the difference between rescue and annihilation - but it doesn't stop him from smiling at the sight of him and the door he arrived through. A small but inexorable smile, one of recognition of not-quite-like, of wonder, and most pointedly of hope.

"Dr. Stephen Strange, one of the sorcerers currently working on an evacuation method using your notes. Rita said you'd be expecting me."

Faced with a man capable of crossing universes, an ability Stephen left behind with a girl who would absolutely have given her all to this if she were here to help them now, the truth that's been weighing ever-heavier on him (we don't have the time) slips from his shoulders, taking with it some of the tension that's been building there.

Even with the minds they'd put together, there had been so much groundwork left to do. Research and experimentation just to understand the spell well enough to tweak and make it usable. But with the author of the notes here in front of him, evidence of its potential for success at his back, there's less need than there was to run on nothing but grim determination and a refusal to be cowed by the inevitable.

"That you might be able to help us rework the spells into something we can use."

[ximilianpc]

Stephen finds Remi right where Rita left him — his eyes are closed in concentration, but open once he hears the other man approach. Grey eyes take in Stephen's appearance, and even more so, seem to assess him and his powers in just one glance. Remi himself looks rather unintimidating: a tired-looking man in his mid-thirties, near-white hair in disarray, clad in simple t-shirt and trousers, a cloak thrown around his shoulders... but the magic coils around him, as if there is so much of it that it leaks into an aura of power.

"Doctor Strange," he says in greeting, inclining his head. "Yes, Miss Rita did tell me you have my notes and have been trying to work with them. I have a theory why you've had little luck so far... two theories, actually. One I'm sure you've already realised, too."

He opens his palm, and a swirl of bright blue light blooms into life. "My magic is of the arcane quality, one that you are born with, in Kilnan. You can study it, of course, but in the end... if you don't have it, you can't use it. And my notes are all for this type of magic. If yours is even slightly different —" and no magic between worlds is ever quite the same, at least usually "— then unless the spells are altered to account for the differences, it won't work."

[rehandle]

Having wandered through the grand surrounds of his mystically critical New York home in band tees and college hoodies and sweatpants and slippers, the state of the man he finds when he finds Remi d'Arbes is perhaps a greater source of confidence even than the power he exudes.

A sorcerer in his robes is one thing (Stephen hasn't changed into his yet, still clad in a combo of practical casuals from the station, the Cloak disguising itself as nifty scarf too warm for the current climate, and a couple of signs of the Hivawei's kindness: woven green wraps to brace his hands that he's still not discarded long after the magic resumed coursing through them, and a decorative flower of dried petal pieces carefully secured to his shirt). But there's nothing quite as heartening as a visibly drained man in his civvies who has urgently answered a call from across the multiverse without feeling the need to first make himself look impressive.

Stephen watches the effortless swirl of magic bloom at the opening of a palm, and nods his understanding. The faint leftovers of a smile don't quite slip from his face. New magic is novelty, and in this case hope.

"My magical ability relies on harnessing existing energy to my purpose. It's a learned skill, not an inherent trait. Sabriel's is different again, and again for each of those who have offered to contribute their power to the effort. We've come up against the disconnect that's created."

Confirmation. While they've found ways to bolster and enhance one another to combat their individual limitations, they've found no way to channel any of that power into anything like the outcome described in Remi's notes. So he's right: that's a conclusion they've come to. Which brings them to -

"Your second theory?"

[ximilianpc]

It is part not caring what his appearance is, and part knowing one's appearance doesn't matter: his sister always put so much work into hers, nagged at him about how the Royal Wizard should look the part, how he's an embarrassment to her, that the queen's brother can't even bother to wear the livery showing his status... but he didn't care then, and he doesn't care now. What he wears won't change what he can do, and if someone looks at him and sees something less than what he is — well, that's their shame.

"A learned trait? Hm," Remi hums, both marveling at the fact that there are universes out there where magic can be learned by anyone, and fearing of the consequences of it.

At Stephen's question, he runs his hand through his hair, making it stick up even worse than before.

"Right, yes. The orb. I don't know how well you've been briefed of earlier events, but I was in possession of one for well over a decade. My deal with it included feeding my magic to it — while it was doing that, I was unable to open doors to other worlds through anything else than my castle. Now, I don't know all the details, but from what I understand... you all have a deal, don't you?"

He'd been told as much, back then.

"That deal binds all of you to the orb. It's very possible that whatever limitations you have, it's because of the orb. Maybe it doesn't feed on you the same way, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was making sure you're not able to just escape the contract. Phyllie was always very possessive." Phyllie, the name Aureliah had given the green orb they'd had. Sometimes, Remi still finds himself referring to the thing that way.

"So it's possible even if you'd been able to alter the spell to match your own unique magic, it still wouldn't have opened a door. But —" and for the first time, there's the hint of a smile, "— with me here, I think we can trick it into working."

[rehandle]

That's all he needs to hear.

The faint trace of wonder takes on an edge of something conspiratorial at the sight of Remi's smile, his own turned briefly sharp, ready. Try them, overwhelming odds. He's willing to bet there's more than one of them who's overcome chances slimmer than this, and now they have the cavalry.

— only it's not just the problem of the spell they have to overcome here. Opening a door is one challenge. Passing a whole planet's people through it in the span of scant days is quite another. The transition from waiting into working is immediate, expression shifting with grim determination.

Before they get to work, before they dig into the how, he needs to make a map of reality. Manage his own expectations so he can help the others manage theirs and make the very most of the time they've got left to work.

"Assuming we trick it. Is it possible to fix multiple doors to the same path?"

[ximilianpc]

"Honestly? I've never tried it," Remi answers. There's a blue tint to his eyes now, the look of them focused.

"My doors work by opening one into a nearby world in the same universe, then another, until you find the world that's close enough to the border of a different universe that you can break the fabric of time and space that separates them. I've only ever needed to make one, large enough for me and Aureliah. They close once I've passed through, unless it's directly connected to my castle."

He pauses. "But with enough of you, maybe it can be done. If I use a bit of my magic with each, for the tricking, with most of you powering the spells... maybe. It takes a lot of power, though, opening just one. And keeping it open. I don't know how numerous the magicians you work with are, but I doubt we'll be able to open more than three, maybe four, if even that. And then there's the matter of where. Unless this happens to be right at the edge of this universe, I can't open a door to a different one. So you may have to choose: to open more doors, or spend more power on crossing multiple universes to find a planet that's suitable for them."

[rehandle]

It's mixed news. The high of we can subsides under the weight of circumstance, but he's ready for the drop. They work in magic, not miracles, however easy it is to mistake the two in the dark.

Unless they find another solution, the choice they have is simple: more lives saved or a safer place for those lives to go. It's not going to be an easy call.

"Sabriel suggested a world the crew visited before, one she thinks might suit the Hivawei. As far as I know she has something from that place, if a piece of it would make it any easier to guide the journey, but if finding our way there across the multiverse at the expense of so much power still isn't guaranteed..."

A hint of cloud crosses his face, brow pinching slightly as he lines up all of their options, all the questions that need asking to set them up with a way forward.

"A small front team of crew checking the suitability of the worlds they pass through in the course of extending our path toward other universes could be the best way to cover both bases. More doors and a shorter distance would mean more time and more people passing through them which would be the ideal if we do find somewhere close, but we can't risk stranding these people in a world they can't settle due to a lack of research, and we can't afford to waste time or power carving branching paths the Hivawei won't ultimately walk. If we start now, with any luck we'll still have time to open the route across universes even if we don't find anywhere in between."

[ximilianpc]

"If we start locating it now, we might make it in time. Depends on how far it is."

Remi falls silent, listens to Stephen's suggestion — and nods, a flash of appreciation in his eyes. This is a man who thinks smart, but isn't trying to do everything. Very often those who deal in magic believe themselves all-powerful; rarely does he come across someone who is both powerful and cautious.

"Yes, that sounds like a smart course of action. As soon as a suitable world is found, we can focus on making more doors into it. If we start with charting the course that will eventually lead to the planet this Sabriel suggested... then if nothing in between works, at least all the work's not wasted."

With a small but genuine smile, Remi holds out his hand.

"Pleased to be working with someone of sense, Doctor Strange."

[rehandle]

There. Plan set, echoed back with confidence by a man who travelled worlds and universes to get here with the self same spell that'll see them pave a way for the people of this world to carry on somewhere across the stars.

Remi holds out his hand and Stephen, after a moment for his mouth to pull up at the corner, clasps it in his own, handshake firm and sure in spite of small tremors.

"Likewise. And thank you for coming to our aid."

It's clear now that it wouldn't have been possible without him. With him, an entire civilisation has hope.

Releasing his grip, Stephen tilts his head in the direction he'd come, back toward the village and those of his fellow group of magic and magic-adjacent who still wait there, a spot the rest will know to return to when they have the news.

"If you follow me, I'll introduce you to the others and update the crew, see if there's anyone willing to join the scouting party." Which, actually, one last warning while thoughts of making sure Yerek's kept in the loop remind him - "Aside from the leaders, the Hivawei don't know yet. So there's no asteroid talk in earshot of the locals."

Hopefully this will be enough for the Chief to break the news and start his people moving in preparation for evacuation. But there's no guarantee it won't take the certainty of a place to go for him to decide the time is right - all the more reason for the two of them to get a move on now.

[ximilianpc]

"Duly noted," Remi answers, knowing well the importance of not spreading panic among the locals until a way out is a certainty, rather than a plan.

"I look forward to seeing everyone you've gathered together. Hopefully... it won't all be for nothing."

With that, the two start off to the direction of the others — three full days remain before the impact, and every moment counts.

( This search will yield no further results. )