Sir Les Paul
The Duke of Chords
Rand Mabason
"Soundwave Sorcerer"
Species Witch
Partner N/A
Rank Two Star
Location Death City, DC Airport
Mission Excursion to Dall Island
Status Relaxed, a little tired
Partner N/A
Rank Two Star
Location Death City, DC Airport
Mission Excursion to Dall Island
Status Relaxed, a little tired
Mentions:
Merciless Medic
The Regal Rper
Meredith
RedArmyShogun
"If the item is loose," Rand responded, specifically to Maria, "then pass it along before we take off. Otherwise, it should wait." That question was simple enough to answer. Given the turbulence that would occur after take-off, handing anything like that over now would avoid unnecessary shuffling on the plane mid-flight, or so Rand reasoned.
"In the realm of civilian flights, maybe one crash occurs in every five or so million flights. Among those, most of them are controlled. Our private jets have only had one crash in the last ten years, barring intentional attacks on them. The chances for either occurring are... astronomical. I don't know the specific numbers in play here, but I would imagine a busy street would be more dangerous," Rand added, answering the other question that was asked regarding the safety of flight. Although, it made sense that of all the mages, Chanterelle would be the one nervous. This was likely entirely foreign to her.
"Once the plane settles from take-off, I'll go over the mission details on a projected screen," Rand then informed his group, noting that he answered what he deemed relevant to answer. Afterwards, a few flips on his phone with his thumb then a button press alerted the pilot that it was time for take-off. Just a few moments later, the pilot announced himself over the loudspeakers, informed everyone of where airbag devices were above them in the event of an emergency, and told them the expected arrival time was just in at over nine hours from the current time.
There was a brief delay before the plane would actually move or show any signs of life. Tests for the engines, final flight figures, and a few other pre-flight routines afforded enough time before the plane itself started to move to position itself on the runway that minor tasks could be completed. But, once the plane was moving, it accelerated quickly down the runway. It was rough; anyone familiar with the turbulence of take-off on such a large craft knew it was coming. Anyone else might be a little taken aback. In either case, it wasn't terribly long before the plane was in the air and ascending quite gracefully.
Then, Rand activated the projector screens. Some flights had mid-flight movies, and true this one could be used for that, but this one was setup with an overlay of Dall Island. Rand went into a lengthy explanation of the island they were arriving at. It was located within the Bermuda Triangle surrounded by mana storms that shifted and took various different forms throughout the year. From sleet and hale to severe thunderstorms to more unnatural phenomena like the magnetic storm on the Lost Island. Most of these storms interfered with standard navigation equipment, and the sea there itself was full of dangerous magical creatures that had evolved to both survive and thrive in the mana-rich seawater.
Rand noted it as one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet. Some life adapted by changing their physiology per season, some hibernated through undesirable ones, some tried less conventional means to survive whatever the situation was. Rand scrolled through various pictures of nautical life there, showing fantastical but poisonous reefs, colonizing jellyfish, fish in general that appeared like they were ripped right off of an alien National Geographic program, and other more mythical creatures such as hardshell crabs that seemed to surf on the waves, squid-like creatures with dozens more legs than they should possess, humanoid warriors within turtle shells, it went on. They were not the focus of this briefing, so their introduction was short, but the point was made to educate the four alongside him just how unique this place was.
They were visiting, however, during a period known as The Lull. It only happened a few times per year, and each were short. This one was projected to be the longest at a week. Answering another question he was asked, Rand informed them the mission was only to last three days. The Lull would be starting as they headed out, and they wanted a safe 'padding' period to get in and out, so even with extra days, they did not want to risk it. Rescue missions to Dall Island or any of the Islands within this ecosystem were difficult and dangerous, although he didn't share that fact.
The Lull wasn't just a period of peace. It was a period where the storms themselves died down and the ambient mana began to trickle off to normal. The native species there that had evolved likely hated it; what the outside world considered normal, they considered bleak starvation. Regardless of the difference in perspective, it made missions like these rare and difficult. Not necessarily in terms of skill, but the tight schedules of the DWMA did not dance with a series of temperamental islands. That is why the task was being delegated to a group of Fate Agents.
Rand then started to go into the specifics of the island. Dall Island was a wellspring of life. It was the second-most populated island within the area, only after an island that housed two outlets for a Ley Line: one in a volcano, and the other through hot springs. Dall Island did have its own Ley Line though, located in a large lake on the Western half of the island near the heart. This lake was known as Lake Nordall, and it would ideally be their penultimate stop on the island. Then after, they would go to the Dall Oak, a massive tree with roots believed to be tied directly into deep veins of mana that seeped from the ley tributaries underneath. He showed pictures of each. Lake Nordall was quite beautiful with crystal clear water that sparkled in the sunlight and the Dall Oak was massive with branches alone that were larger than the Red Oaks of the Southwest. It truly was a magical place.
And, then he changed it all up by showing various pictures of arachnids ranging from the size of a basketball to that of a bear. These creatures were left by Orb Weaver, or at least their ancestors were. He was there at the time, and told them what he knew of the Plague Doctors ransacking the Island. It was an assault unlike anything he had ever seen. Orb Weaver alone had all but incapacitated the Mages and the others of the group took how the other members of the Paean Project one by one. The method Orb Weaver did this was by infiltrating the island early and having his arachnid army coat it in mana-draining thread. The more it grew, the more mana he had, and ultimately he had the entire island and its ecosystem under its thumb. It wasn't clear how much prep work went into this, but it was clear it worked.
These arachnids were causing problems. The DWMA wanted to eradicate them, and while it was doubtful that this group would do that, the goal was to kill as many as possible and capture some to bring back. These spider creatures, known as Greywalkers, are ultimately quite durable creatures, but are highly susceptible to mana. Rand explained to them in full how the last two groups sent to this place were of Meister and Weapon duos, and they were eventually overwhelmed, but the specimens brought back would fizzle at even the slightest introduction of flame magic, and that trend followed with just about any school. It was uncertain how a magically-sensitive creature survived on an island like this, but that was one of the mysteries they hoped to uncover. Other objectives included retrieving soil samples, water samples from Lake Nordall, fallen bark or even a twig from the Dall Oak and other trees. This was, plain and simple, an exploratory excursion into this island with hopes that being armed with magic, unlike the last groups sent, would keep them safe.
It had been several hours since Rand started his explanation, mostly due to the use of the projector, some quips from diary entries or interviews of the previous DWMA adventurers that went to the island, and detailed diagrams of both the creatures they could encounter and maps of the island, with the maps being sent to their phones for later use. Once he had covered most of what he felt was necessary, and some that he admittedly thought was superfluous trivia, he covered whatever questions he could for the group and then waited for the remainder of the flight.
The flight itself was pleasant enough. Bathroom breaks when needed, in-flight lunch was surprisingly good, everything was smooth. Things only became even remotely interesting once they neared the seawaters of Dall Island and the archipelago of islands that surrounded it. Despite how calm the weather was, the sky there was illuminated brilliant purple hues, with the sun peaking in to create pink highlights, and when the sun was blocked by the thick cloud coverage, a small aurora of sorts bounced between the clouds. From the ground, this wouldn't be nearly as impressive as it was soaring through the clouds. But, alongside them, they were stunning.
Now came the next question... how was a private jet going to land on such a secluded island? The simple answer was: it wasn't. The DWMA had the largest military in the world, and that included aircraft carriers. The carriers they had, especially with Magitech, far surpassed anything any civilian military might have on the open seas. Their flight slowed down and eventually hit what felt like a barrier before it glided over unnaturally to the airship, labeled the S.S. Thompson. Rand explained that type of magical canon on the ship could create a soft landing for them as they glided in, instead of blowing apart other ships or creatures. What they were placed down so gently with was none other than wind magic. Otherwise, such a feat would be impossible.
There, they were allowed to board the ship, guided by several DWMA Naval Officers, a branch of their Preliminary Forces. Seaman unloaded the cargo, including those precious dolls of Maria. Before much more could be done, however, a lieutenant on the ship stopped Rand to inquire of if there was anything else they could do while aboard, otherwise, it wouldn't be more than fifteen minutes until their escort boat was loaded and ready to ferry them to the island.
Rand glanced over to his set of four Mages and hummed. "Anything you want do or check on? Maria, your dolls? I imagine a metal ship at sea is no more home to you than a plane, Chant, so you likely want off the island as quick as possible. We don't have time for a tour, otherwise you might be able to learn something. I'm sure Ark is quite curious as to what sea-based warfare might look like, or Raph to see what the elites use in the construction of anchors for this vessel," he asked, more so throwing them options for the next few minutes before they were ready to move on.
