crystal

[laruetheday]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Clarisse
RECIPIENT: e v e r y o n e
NOTES: she definitely has her feet up on her desk rn

Morning, Riftwatch. Clarisse La Rue here. From now on I'll be taking the Griffon Keeper position in an official capacity, so if anyone has questions about them, the eyrie, or the stables off-island, I'm your girl.

[ She has an OFFICE now. That's what's up. ]

Couple things. The first one will sound dumb if you've already been here a while, but I want to make sure everyone is comfortable with the idea of taking care of the griffons in an emergency. They're pretty self-sufficient in the field, but they're an important resource, so if you're on a mission and something happens to one's primary rider, [ we don't need to list hypothetical scenarios here, right? ], making sure the griffon has its basics covered until we can get it back to the Gallows is important. Same goes for the horses, too, but most people are already more comfortable dealing with them.

The second thing I want is to make a list of people who'd be comfortable griffon riding as a passenger if needed, in combat. Um, we all saw what happened a few months ago, so the likelihood of more aerial combat in the future seems. High. It would be good to have a go-to list of people who are willing in case someone needs backup in the air.

And if you're not interested in flying solo, that's fine, but I'd encourage everyone who hasn't yet to at least try and get a basic familiarity with how it feels to ride alongside someone else, in case of an emergency. [ Never know when you're gonna need to fast travel away from a crumbling tower, right? ]

Okay, uh, I think that's it for now. Thanks.

ooc: (( feel free to handwave that clarisse had a brief check-in with your character about the first point, unless you would like to thread it out for whatever reason! ))

Comments

[altusimperius]

Welcome, neighbor.

[laruetheday]

Thanks?

[wythersake]

I personally vow to shove off anyone who tries to put me on a griffon.

[ or a horse. or anything else in their stables — ]

[laruetheday]

Seriously?

[bouchonne]

I will also shove off anyone who tries to put me on a griffon.

[laruetheday]

You guys need to stop being babies.

[thereneverwas]

I will feed the griffons. I will love the griffons.

I think... you and I both know I'd prefer not to ride the griffons.

[extortionate]

Ain't got one big enough,

[ they do. ]

[laruetheday]

[ ahh yeah... well, at least she knows he's willing to jump in an emergency. ]

But you had so much fun last time.

[elegiaque]

I'd like to introduce Bellerose to the griffons, so that they can become used to being alongside one another in the air.

[laruetheday]

[ The fact that there's a dracolisk named 'Bellerose' is sooo funny to Clarisse but she is still managing to sound completely normal right now. ]

That's an excellent idea. I wonder—I mean, the griffons aren't dumb [ well, mostly, ] but maybe we can figure out a way they can tell her apart from any others we run into.

[grindset]

I'm familiar with the basics.

[get on his level, you weenies]

[laruetheday]

[ HONESTLY, ]

Good.

I don't know if I could've taken another person telling me they're scared to fly.

[cozen]

If things are truly dire, I could ride. I am not bad with a bow. I could stand to learn more about their care, though, if it is much different from horses.

[laruetheday]

Great.

[ Scratching his name into the 'yes' category on her list, ]

Not too different, just... smarter. Less biddable. And carnivorous.

[inmycare]

Congratulations on the new post, if also, as I understand it, condolences for the reason the post was empty in the first place. I only knew your predecessor very slightly, but even so.

[Right, that's definitely enough feelings.]

I've been working to get up to speed on griffon physiology and care, but I'd be eager to talk to you about what you, as someone who has had longer with them. Either as part of a general training or otherwise. If nothing else, I'm happy to volunteer to help with their care, if that task is open to those of us who haven't bonded with any of them. I think getting them used to me might pay dividends if they need treatment in the future.

[laruetheday]

[ oh god what no this is horrifying and Clarisse sounds a little wooden when she responds, ]

Thanks. Yeah, she was great.

[ ... okay time to move on. at least she sounds much more like a normal person when she speaks again: ] Definitely. We can always use someone who's willing to feed them. They can be [ kind of terrifying? ] intense when they see food.

I'm always around to talk if you have questions, too. Uh, unless I'm on guard duty.

[sprent]

I need to learn the basics. I have ridden with other people before, and I don't mind it, but I wouldn't know what to do if there was an emergency mid-air.

(The plane would crash, essentially.)

[laruetheday]

We can go over anything you want to learn. You can come by and practice on Blunder.

[allthatgleamsisgold]

If you like, I can set up challenges for beginner fliers so they can get a feel for managing momentum and recognizing and utilizing different air currents to their advantage.

[laruetheday]

I think that sounds great. Much rather have people practice first so they're not trying to figure this stuff out during a fight.

private

[undergrunn]

Hi, I-- I know I wasn't at my best when we first met, so I understand if you'd rather not reply.

I'm starting to learn more about the Gallows structures and Riftwatch's needs, so if there's work that can be done to help better accommodate the griffons and make it a safer environment for them, I'd love to know so that can be a consideration in long term planning. Most of my experience in engineering has been for accommodating humans and vehicles, rather than livestock. There's no way that's the right category for them, but it's the closest thing I can think of.

private ∞

[laruetheday]

Please. My family's had nastier fights before breakfast. [ If you could even call that a fight. ]

Um. As for accommodations, I'm not sure. Our eyrie was partially destroyed in the attack a few months ago, so we lost a lot of their perches and nesting space.

[portalling]

( Bemused at the slew of abject no‘s she’s gotten: )

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to be a primary rider — grip strength, reins — but I’m more than comfortable riding as a passenger. No problem with heights. ( Consideringly: ) Could probably do to be less comfortable with heights than I have been, actually, since I can’t just levitate myself down anymore.

[laruetheday]

Awesome. [ That's... that's three 'yes'es. ]

Wait, you can levitate? Could levitate.

[rowancrowned]

Can one simply visit the eyrie on a whim? See them?

[laruetheday]

Sure, you can go up anytime. I mean, if it's the middle of the night, the griffons won't be too thrilled with you, but no one would stop you.

[sumptus]

What do they eat?

[laruetheday]

Meat. Some are pickier than others about which kinds.

private

[pathlit]

[ A little later, when he and Viktor aren't sharing the same space: ]

Hey, Clarisse. Your announcement on the crystals earlier, it got me thinking. Do you think a spear's more efficient than a mace in aerial combat?

[ Swinging his mace while riding Uggie was doable, but definitely a little awkward. Maybe he just needs more experience... ]

private ∞

[laruetheday]

Spear will definitely give you more reach. It's lighter, too.

[ Also, Clarisse is just super fucking into spears?? ]

A mace will do more heavy damage against armored mounts and riders, though. [ Credit where credit's due. ]