[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/5AcwvMa.png[/img][/center]

Metal element and axe attribute to augment the fact that Alice and Charlotte were both bruisers with guns and an assortment of other stuff, hm? It was only slightly worrying that Paul was new to the whole rift-diving business, but hey, Albrecht trusted his instincts, and his instincts told him that this was going to be fine. He mentally filed all these nuggets of knowledge in the back of his mind, before nodding once more.

[color=82ca9d]“Rift’s not going to go anywhere, yeah. Let’s just enjoy ourselves, take it easy, and sleep off the jet lag, alright?”[/color] A pause, and then a grin in the direction of Xu Jian. [color=82ca9d]“Try not to give yourself a stomachache before this.”[/color]

Well, the good thing about this party was that, if Alice was as proficient as described, they’d all be fine even if everyone walked into this with terrible indigestion and nausea. With that in mind, Albrecht decided to indulge as well, ordering another platter of spiced lamb.
[hr]
Morning came early on the plains, and they were ready to go before the sun had fully risen, Albrecht having already made arrangements for a chaffeur to bring them over to the site of the rift. Riding easily down the endless tracts of flat roads that made up much of Mongolia’s landscape, Albrecht spent much of the two hour drive offering snacks to the others or simply enjoying the breeze. And of course, what sort of road trip would it be if they didn’t sing along to an endlessly looping song? That was fun too, even if not everyone in the group was fully down for it.

Eventually, they reached the base of Bogd Khan Mountain, blue skies and a bright sun lighting up the green peaks of the sacred mountain. Albrecht had to jump through more than just a few bureaucratic hoops to get permission to head into a rift here, but few problems could not be solved with money and connections, and as the truck grinded to a halt, he hopped off first, opening the back trunk to reveal all the preparations he made.

Body armor, gas masks, utility belts filled with a variety of tools and kits, accompanied by an assortment of self-defense weapons, from stun batons to bear spray. If the party had been composed of more military-types than just Charlotte, the scion of the Dietrich Conglomerate would have doubtlessly provided a full rack of firearms and ammunition as well, but, alas, he had [i]some[/i] common sense at least in not freely giving dangerous weapons to unlicensed explorers.

Then again, those machetes looked mighty fierce.

[color=82ca9d]“Well then, take what you’re comfortable with and let’s hop in. Heard from some of the initial explorers that this is going to be a cemetery sorta area, so dress accordingly, aight?”[/color]

The grin came easily, Albrecht’s tone consistently light.

[color=82ca9d]“And if any of you need to make a last pit stop ‘fore we walk in, waste-containment bags are in the far back. Remember, keyword here’s ‘nothing’s left behind’.”[/color]