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The Dead Travel Fast

Written by Deanna Raybourn Review by Ilysa Magnus

In 1858 Edinburgh, Theodora Lestrange finds herself an anchorless young spinster. She has just lost her grandfather, a kindly professor who has raised her, and she has no roots of her own. Does she go to live with her sister and brother-in-law who are tight-lipped, close-mouthed and judgmental? Does she accept a marriage proposal from a nice enough fellow she doesn’t love? How does a reasonably successful writer move ahead with her life?

Theodora receives a letter from her old schoolmate and best friend, Cosmina, who she learns is about to be married in the Carpathians. Cosmina begs her to attend and Theodora, imagining a romantic trip to an unusual locale, accepts, feeling that this is the perfect location for her next work.

By the time Theodora arrives, it is clear that the wedding to Count Dragulescu is off. And then things begin to unravel. Theodora, already imaginative, begins to see, hear and feel things that are strange and unsavory. Tales of vampires and werewolves abound. The locals are immersed in supernatural tradition and believe that the dead walk and destroy and that the living are being transformed into vicious animals. Then a member of the castle household is murdered. Is it the old Count’s ghost come to seek revenge?

This is a fun winter read, fluffy and entertaining. The atmospheric Carparthians are drenched with dread and foreboding. The vampire legends are explored thoroughly, and Raybourn seems to have fun with it. As Theodora slips further away from her strong, staunch Scot ways into the romance and terror of Transylvania, she is transformed. She is a well-developed character and we come to admire her. And although the plot – and everything else in the book – is manipulated and contrived, it’s all for good sport.

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Editorial reviews

Brooding as black licorice, The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn is lush and Gothic, a romance shadowed by the diabolical legacy haunting a gloomy castle in the Transylvania of 1858. Heroine Theodora Lestrange is a coltish Scottish novelist confined by spinsterhood to dwell under her straight-laced brother-in-law’s roof. Her life is a stifling casket until girlhood friend Cosmina invites Theodora to her crumbling ancestral home in Romania. Will passion trump virtue? Charlotte Parry narrates and her impudent Theodora disarms with an Edinburgh burr that thickens with indignance or tenderness, exposing vulnerability. Parry also reveals Theodora’s core loneliness with faltering pauses and hard swallows. She’s equally refined navigating palace intrigues in Transylvania without resorting to derivative “I vant to suck your blood” Dracula-like accents.

The Dead Travel Fast is built on foreshadowing, moodiness, and Theodora’s magnetic attraction to remote Count Andrei Dragulescu, lord of the castle. Once listlessly betrothed to his cousin Cosmina trembly and spooked the Count is intrigued by Theodora’s skittish, impulsive intelligence. She, in turn, pines for his distant smoldering. Things upend, though, when a servant girl is killed, two bite marks on her neck. Her murder tips the village into frenzy. For in Transylvania, land of devout believers, superstition is fact and vampires masquerade as noblemen. “I was not given to somnambulism,” Theodora frets, upon awakening to ominously unknotted plaits. “But I might be well capable of unbinding my hair ribbons in my sleep.”

Charlotte Parry wisely forgoes formulaic bantering to slow dance through Theodora and Andrei’s mutual resistance to animal instincts. Her Theodora and Andrei are guarded and flawed, scorning any hint of neediness. The audiobook resolves realistically, for among the undead, as in the living, the path to true love is frequently ruined by stakes through the heart. Nita Rao

Publisher's summary

A husband, a family, a comfortable life: Theodora Lestrange lives in terror of it all.

With a modest inheritance and the three gowns that comprise her entire wardrobe, Theodora leaves Edinburgh—and a disappointed suitor—far behind. She is bound for Romania, where tales of vampires are still whispered, to visit an old friend and write the book that will bring her true independence.

She arrives at a magnificent, decaying castle in the Carpathians, replete with eccentric inhabitants: the ailing dowager; the troubled steward; her own fearful friend, Cosmina. But all are outstripped in dark glamour by the castle’s master, Count Andrei Dragulescu.

Bewildering and bewitching in equal measure, the brooding nobleman ignites Theodora’s imagination and awakens passions in her that she can neither deny nor conceal. His allure is superlative, his dominion over the superstitious town, absolute—Theodora may simply be one more person under his sway.

Before her sojourn is ended—or her novel completed—Theodora will have encountered things as strange and terrible as they are seductive. For obsession can prove fatal…and she is in danger of falling prey to more than desire.

• Unabridged Audiobook
• Categories: Literature & Fiction

Critic reviews

“With a strong and unique voice, Deanna Raybourn creates unforgettable characters in a richly detailed world. This is storytelling at its most compelling.” (Nora Roberts)

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• Story 4 out of 5 stars 98

From Italy in 1733 to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in London in 1870 and a lethal game of revenge decades later, a watch touches lives with misfortune - until it comes into the hands of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good. This outstanding collaboration between four outstanding novelists follows characters who are irrevocably linked by fate, each one playing a key role in breaking the curse once and for all.

Narration was bad, just bad

• By Abby on 11-16-20

By: Susanna Kearsley , and others

Beguiling the Beauty

By: Sherry Thomas

• Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
• Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 430
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 393
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 395

When the Duke of Lexington meets the mysterious Baroness von Seidlitz-Hardenberg on a transatlantic liner, he is fascinated. She’s exactly what he’s been searching for - a beautiful woman who interests and entices him. He falls hard and fast - and soon proposes marriage. And then she disappears without a trace.… For in reality, the "baroness" is Venetia Easterbrook - a proper young widow who had her own vengeful reasons for instigating an affair with the duke. But the plan has backfired. Venetia has fallen in love with the man she despised - and there’s no telling what might happen when she is finally unmasked….

Worth multiple listens

• By anonymous on 09-10-19

The Hanging Tree

• A Historical Mystery

By: Irina Shapiro

• Narrated by: Jess Nahikian
• Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 588
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 532
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 529

When Nicole Rayburn travels to Lockwood Hall and begins to research Alys’s story for a new book, she discovers startling irregularities in Alys’s case. Nicole’s suspicions mount as every answer leads to more questions. What really happened to Alys? And what became of her son, who disappeared the day she was hanged? Could it be that Alys’s death was the result of a well-planned conspiracy, or is there another, less obvious answer? And who is trying to sabotage Nicole's efforts by stealing her work?

irina Shapiro once again does not disappoint

• By Amazon Customer on 03-24-21

And Only to Deceive

• Lady Emily, Book 1

By: Tasha Alexander

• Narrated by: Kate Reading
• Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
• Overall 4 out of 5 stars 578
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 510
• Story 4 out of 5 stars 511

For Emily, accepting the proposal of Philip, the viscount Ashton, was an easy way to escape her overbearing mother, who was set on a grand society match. So when Emily's dashing husband died on safari soon after their wedding, she felt little grief. After all, she barely knew him. Now, nearly two years later, she discovers that Philip was a far different man from the one she had married so cavalierly.

• By nkevinsc on 03-05-15

The Business of Blood

• Fiona Mahoney Mystery, Book 1

By: Kerrigan Byrne

• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 237
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 208
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 207

Dying is the only thing people do with any regularity, and Fiona makes her indecorous living cleaning up after the corpses are carted away. Her childhood best friend, Mary, was the last known victim of Jack the Ripper. It's been two years since Fiona scrubbed Mary's blood from the floorboards, and London is no longer buzzing about the Ripper, but Fiona hasn't forgotten. When she's called to a murder in the middle of the night, Fiona finds a victim mutilated in an eerily similar fashion to those of the Ripper, and only a few doors down from Mary's old home.

Wonderful Mystery!

• By Sandra L. Agus on 06-16-20

• A Vampire Slaying Novel (The Immortal Dracula Series, Book 1)

By: Scott Cook

• Narrated by: Robin W. Bloodworth
• Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 4
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars 4
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 4

A bloody vandalism, a grisly ritual murder, and a growing string of sicknesses and disappearances begins to pull back the veil on an impossible growing horror. Monsters are real, and they thirst for an ancient mystery that promises ultimate power. An inevitable clash between the stalkers of the night and courageous but unlikely slayers...and it all hinges on an unlikely ally who will challenge everything you and Veronica Belle believe about vampires...including the most famous of them all!

Great story!

• By Amazon Customer on 09-22-23

Murder in the Crypt

• A Redmond and Haze Mystery, Book 1
• Narrated by: Wendy Wolfson
• Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 541
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 465
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 462

When the body of a young man is found stuffed into the tomb of a medieval knight, Parish Constable Daniel Haze is tasked with investigating his first solo murder case. Suspicion instantly falls on the only stranger to arrive in the village of Birch Hill just before the crime took place, but the American captain proves to be an unexpected asset. A former soldier and a skilled surgeon, Jason Redmond is not only willing to assist Haze with the investigation but will risk his own safety to apprehend the killer.

• By Lorraine Harwood on 07-06-20

A Ruse of Shadows

• The Lady Sherlock Series, Book 8
• Length: 13 hrs
• Overall 0 out of 5 stars 0
• Performance 0 out of 5 stars 0
• Story 0 out of 5 stars 0

Charlotte’s success on the RMS Provence has afforded her a certain measure of time and assurance. Taking advantage of that, she has been busy, plotting to prise the man her sister loves from Moriarty’s iron grip. Disruption, however, comes from an unexpected quarter. Lord Bancroft Ashburton, disgraced and imprisoned as a result of Charlotte’s prior investigations, nevertheless manages to press Charlotte into service: Underwood, his most loyal henchman, is missing and Lord Bancroft wants Charlotte to find Underwood, dead or alive.

Fashionably Dead

By: Robyn Peterman

• Narrated by: Jessica Almasy
• Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,990
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,759
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,752

Vampyres don't exist. They absolutely do not exist. At least I didn't think they did 'til I tried to quit smoking and ended up Undead. Who in the hell did I screw over in a former life that my getting healthy equates with dead? Now I'm a Vampyre. Yes, we exist whether we want to or not. However, I have to admit, the perks aren't bad. My girls no longer jiggle, my ass is higher than a kite, and the latest Prada keeps finding its way to my wardrobe.

• By Jo Mc on 05-11-17

What listeners say about The Dead Travel Fast

• 4 out of 5 stars 4.1 out of 5.0
• 5 Stars 276
• 4 Stars 156
• 3 Stars 112
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 4.4 out of 5.0
• 5 Stars 278
• 5 Stars 219
• 4 Stars 118

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews, amazon reviews.

• Overall 4 out of 5 stars

Process vs getting their

I listened to this book on a trip to and from Seattle with a 3 hour traffic jam on top of Snoqualmie Pass. It was low-key enough to keep me within the speed limit and gave me something to focus on during the wait. It is a lot of process; descriptions of everything; mood, mannerisms, thought processes. It isn't a book that is going to get you wound up and going; but it is a good yarn and I liked it. The ending was a little rushed, but by the time it ended I was READY to have it end, you know? The narrator did a great job with the voices and accents, and the gentle Scots flavor of the bulk of the narration was soothing.

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15 people found this helpful

• Overall 5 out of 5 stars
• Performance 5 out of 5 stars
• Story 4 out of 5 stars

A different take on the vampire romance genre

Read from March 7, 2010 to March 14, 2010 and from July 30 to August 11, 2013 Story: 4 stars Narrator: 4.5 stars I originally listened to this book back in 2010, and enjoyed it. It was my first exposure to Deanna Raybourn, and I love Charlotte Parry as a narrator. In this story, DR takes the Dracula story and turns it into a Gothic romance, complete with first-person narrator---a young woman in an unfamiliar setting, which just so happens to be a moldering castle in Transylvania populated by strange, suspicious characters. Here, even in the late 19th-century, the residents of the castle and the village at the base of the mountain on which the castle sits, believe in the "old ways"---the ways which say that vampires and werewolves are real. This is such a fun book. The first-person narrator structure allows the listener to get sucked into the heroine's world and into the questions of whether or not vampires are real and, if they are, who in the castle is one. The ending is a bit fantastic, but, frankly, with the amount of suspension of disbelief the whole story requires, it isn't that far of a stretch. This is definitely one for the relisten-again shelf!

9 people found this helpful

• Overall 1 out of 5 stars

It is a shame i had to give this a one star just to write how bad the story was. Please spend your credit elsewhere

• IceDancingKaren

Such a disappointment!

I listened to every Lady Julia Grey book from audible and loved each one. How the same talented and creative author could have written this book is beyond me. Frankly, it is just plain silly; a warmed over story, without the great chemistry between characters that is a hallmark of the Lady Julia books. I read one negative review of this book and should have heeded its warning.

8 people found this helpful

• Performance 3 out of 5 stars
• Story 1 out of 5 stars

Appalling book. Skip it!

I love Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia and Veronica Speedwell series, and if you have listened to this book I advise you not to give up on the author, but to check out those two delightful series. However, give this book a pass. The heroine is plodding, and her love interest is a misogynous, spoiled, arrogant feudalist. I could not make it past Chapter 7, and I have high respect for the author, so maybe she unveils some redeeming feature that allows the heroine to be with him without making a complete idiot of herself, but it is hard to see what could redeem his plethora of negative features. The plot is soooo boring, with a castle, 5 characters, and a village which is accessed by a lot of stairs. There aren't even very good descriptions of the scenery, which should be unusual in the Carpathian Mountains. I gave up.

4 people found this helpful

• Overall 2 out of 5 stars
• Performance 1 out of 5 stars
• Story 2 out of 5 stars

• Jacqueline Whyte

I didn't finish it.

I normally love tis author but this one was a big miss for me. The storyline is not engaging and the accents are hard to listen to. I stopped listening with 4 hours left.

2 people found this helpful

• Overall 3 out of 5 stars
• Story 3 out of 5 stars

• Crazy Cattle Dog Lady

Typical girl meets totured soul and "fixes" him.

Narration was very good. But the story itself is your common girl meets tortured guy, girl "fixes" him with her love. I enjoy the Lady Julia Grey books, but am disappointed in this particular title. Lady Julia Grey stories are fun and an easy distraction from tedious housework. Big picture, it encourages women trying to fix a man, a dangerous and (often) fruitless endeavor.

1 person found this helpful

• Performance 2 out of 5 stars

• Dawn R. Ferreyra

Not like the others...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story itself is interesting, but seems a little longer and drawn out than the Lady Julia books. It has beautiful descriptions. The mysteries of the story sometimes falter- the plot could be a little tighter, but overall enjoyable. It was a good book, just not as good as some of the others by Ms. Raybourn.

How could the performance have been better?

The main character was fairly well done, but the accent did falter at times. I was distracted by the Count's accent/voice. It often took me out of the story. Sometimes the inflection did match the words and ideas.

Loved...Loved...LOVED this book! While it was a little slow in the beginning, it quickly picked up with stunning visual depictions, an interesting plot and a fabulous narration! Well worth the credit!

• Wayne E. Dick

Really slow. There were about three hours worth of performance. The bad foreign accents were embarrassing.

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The Eclectic Light Company

The dead travel fast: the gothic ballad of lenore in paint.

In the last few days, I showed a couple of paintings by Ary Scheffer which are based on the ‘Gothic’ Romantic ballad Lenore, by the German author Gottfried August Bürger, published in 1774. Here is a more extensive survey of the paintings and other visual works of art based on that story, shown in the context of its narrative.

It is 1757, and Frederick the Great’s Prussian army has forced the Austrian forces to retreat in the Battle of Prague, but suffered heavy casualties. Lenore is a young Prussian woman engaged to marry William, who went to that battle to fight for King Frederick. Having heard no news about him, she eagerly awaits the army’s return.

Scheffer’s painting, Lenore – The Return of the Army, shows Lenore in the centre, surrounded by other couples reuniting. Her fiancé William is nowhere to be seen, and she is left with just her mother for company.

Lenore then starts to quarrel with God, complaining bitterly of his unfairness to her. Her mother apologises to God for her daughter’s blasphemy, and tells Lenore that William has probably found another woman in Hungary, so she would do best to forget him.

At midnight there is a knock at the door. A mysterious stranger, who looks just like the missing William, invites Lenore to accompany him on horseback to their marriage bed. She willingly accepts, and the two ride off at a furious pace by moonlight, through an eery landscape.

Three different translations of this ballad were published in Britain in 1796. One of them, a free adaption by J T Stanley, was illustrated by the great William Blake. This is probably an original watercolour of his for one of the plates, showing William inviting Lenore to accompany him out to his horse, as her mother looks on in concern.

A second translation published that same year by William Robert Spencer featured engravings by Edward Harding of a series of paintings made by Lady Diana Beauclerk. This shows William in his armour, waiting for Lenore to join him on his horse.

When Lenore asks William why they are travelling at such a furious pace, he replies that the dead travel fast, an enigmatic phrase which could form the title of the many works showing the couple riding through the night.

When the sky starts to lighten with the dawn, they arrive at the gates to a cemetery. As they pass among its tombstones, William transforms into the figure of Death, a skeleton complete with his scythe and hourglass.

Lady Beauclerk’s illustrations show this sequence particularly well.

First, they are pursued by the spirits of the dead, driving the couple to increase their pace.

Just before the cemetery, they come across a funeral procession, and William points towards the cemetery gate.

Once inside, Lenore swoons as William becomes Death himself, here holding an outsize arrow to point down at an open grave.

Blake’s frontispiece, Lenore, Clasping her Spectral Bridegroom shows the dead travelling fast indeed. Amazingly, the critics praised Lady Beauclerk’s illustrations and slated those of Blake. As a result, the Blake version is now exceptionally rare, and little-known.

Johann David Schubert’s drawing of Leonore from about 1800 shows the couple crossing a bridge. In common with all other artists prior to the pioneer photographic studies by Edweard Muybridge in 1872-78, the horse is shown at the gallop with its forelegs and hindlegs extended clear of the ground, as it flies over the small bridge.

Ary Scheffer’s horse is likewise fully extended and clear of the ground. In the gloom around them are ghostly figures.

This monochrome image shows what I believe is a full-colour painting by Louis Boulanger from 1832, which I think has been titled incorrectly as Witch’s Sabbath, but clearly shows William and Lenore being pursued by winged daemons.

Horace Vernet, in The Ballad of Lenore, or The Dead Travel Fast from 1839, shows William transforming into the figure of Death, as the horse crosses tombs in the graveyard.

Alfred W Elmore’s nightmare vision of Lenore from 1871 is set on the coast, where ghostly figures are being washed with waves. In front of the horse is a winged angel burying its face in its hands.

Although Gustave Moreau doesn’t mention Lenore by name, his brilliant watercolour of The Ballad from 1885 clearly shows the couple galloping through the night.

Another monochrome photograph of a full-colour painting, Frank Kirchbach’s The Ballad of Lenore from 1896 was engraved by Theodore Knesing and sold as a print. William has here transformed into Death a little early, as they are only just flying over the cemetery gate, and somehow Lenore has become partially undressed.

Once inside the graveyard, Lenore realises that their promised marriage bed is in fact the open grave of William, whose skeleton rests there alongside his shattered armour.

The earth then crumbles from under her feet, and she is surrounded by dancing spirits who tell her that no one can quarrel with God; Lenore, though, still clings onto the hope of forgiveness.

For the nineteenth century painter, this ballad must have been guaranteed success: widely-translated, popular throughout Europe, a blend of romance and horror with a surprise ending, and above all a satisfying moral.

Wikipedia .

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Strange how Lenore seems to be the bad guy.

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In the story she is, and she pays the penalty for complaining to God. You can almost hear the parent telling their child how that goes to show that you shouldn’t complain about your lot in life, can’t you. Howard.

I half expected to see The Raven – I can’t hear the name Lenore without thinking ‘nevermore’. This blog post was really interesting. Thanks.

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The Ballad of Lenore, or The Dead Travel Fast

Horace vernet 19th century, rmn-grand palais paris, france, france.

The artist, a romantic painter, was inspired by a ballad written by German author Gottfried August Bürger around 1770. Stendhal, Victor Hugo and Gérard de Nerval would also popularize the poem through their adaptations. In the poem, it is 1763 and the end of the Seven Years' War, and Lenore is waiting for her fiancé. He appears in the night on a black horse , promising to marry her before dawn. But upon arriving at the cemetery, the horse rider is revealed to be a skeleton wearing armor. The story is a fantastical ride of two lovers between the worlds of the living and the dead.

• Title: The Ballad of Lenore, or The Dead Travel Fast
• Creator: Horace Vernet (1789-1863), Nantes, musée d'Arts
• Date Created: 19th Century
• Physical Dimensions: 61 x 55 cm
• Original Language: French
• Type: Painting
• Publisher: Rmn-Grand Palais
• Original Source: France, Nantes, musée d'Arts
• Rights: France, Nantes, musée d'Arts. Photo © RMN-Grand Palais / Philipp Bernard
• External Link: Agence photo de la Réunion des musées nationaux-Grand Palais
• Medium: Oil on canvas

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Missing workers in Key Bridge collapse presumed dead, search called off: Live updates

Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse for Tuesday, March 26. For the latest news on the collapse, view our live updates file for Wednesday, March 27 .

BALTIMORE − The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday evening it was calling off the search-and-rescue mission for the six construction workers that went missing when a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early in the morning, sending it collapsing into the frigid Patapsco River and shutting down a critical artery for East Coast shipping .

Officials said water temperatures around 46 to 48 degrees, poor visibility and changing currents played a role in the decision after a dogged attempt to find the workers.

“Based on the length of time that we’ve gone on this search, the extensive search efforts that we’ve put into it, the water temperature, at this point we do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,'' Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath said in a news conference. "So this evening at about 7:30 we are going to suspend the active search-and-rescue efforts.’’

The focus of the operation would switch to recovery and restart at 6 a.m. Wednesday, officials said.

Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday a Singapore-flagged vessel named Dali struck the Key Bridge as it was leaving the Port of Baltimore, causing the span to collapse in seconds. Officials said the crew warned of a power issue and sent out a "mayday" before the collision. Footage of the incident shows the cargo ship smash into one of the columns before the bridge snapped, hit the water and partially fell on the ship, where a burst of flames and smoke could be seen rising into the night sky.

Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of impact and plunged into the river, which was cold enough to cause hypothermia. There were multiple contractors on the bridge who were repairing potholes, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said. So far two people have been rescued. One was unharmed and the other remains in "very serious condition," he said.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at an afternoon news conference the agency will lead the investigation, but she would not provide information on fatalities or injuries from the incident, leaving that to local authorities.

A senior U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY the ship apparently lost power a few minutes before striking the bridge. A federal report has confirmed that version of events , saying the crew lost its ability to control the vessel.

Developments:

∎  Brawner Builders, the employer of the six missing workers, told media outlets including the Baltimore Sun that they're presumed dead.

∎ The University of Maryland Medical Center's trauma center treated one patient from the collapse who has been discharged, Michael Schwartzberg, the medical center's spokesperson, said in an email. Schwartzberg declined to say more about the person's injuries, citing patient privacy concerns.

∎ Dr. David Efron, the center’s chief of trauma, said falling from the bridge − with clearance of more 185 feet − into 48-degree water would present life-threatening risks. Being submerged for more than an hour in water at that temperature is “almost invariably going to not be survivable.”

∎  The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to hold a news conference about its investigation into the incident Tuesday afternoon.

∎ Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott issued a state of emergency to better mobilize resources and work quickly to "address this crisis," he said in a post on X . The governor of Maryland issued a state of emergency earlier Tuesday.

Crew lost control as propulsion deserted ship, report says

The Dali lost propulsion leaving port and its crew lost control of the ship, prompting the crew to alert Maryland officials of a possible collision, an unclassified Department of Homeland Security report revealed Tuesday.

An official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to USA TODAY that the DHS cybersecurity agency is working with federal, state and local officials "to understand the potential impacts of this morning’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge."

This was not the Dali's first harsh encounter with a pier, and that time its leadership was determined to be at fault. It's too early to know what caused Tuesday's accident.

The cargo ship that  struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge  collided with a shipping dock in Belgium in 2016. That incident occurred as the Dali was leaving port in Antwerp and hit a loading pier made of stone, causing damage to the ship’s stern, according to the VesselFinder.com website, which tracks ships across the world. An investigation determined a mistake made by the ship’s master and pilot was to blame.

No one was injured in that crash, although the ship required repair and a full inspection before being returned to service. The pier – or berth – was also seriously damaged and had to be closed.

− Josh Meyer, Emily Le Coz and Claire Thornton

Two Guatemalan workers among six missing

Two Guatemalan nationals are among the six workers who were on the bridge when it was struck early Tuesday, the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry said. Their ages are 26 and 35, respectively, and their families have been notified, the ministry said in a statement, which also noted the other missing workers are from Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador. 

"We will continue requesting information from the authorities and information about search and rescue efforts to find the missing Guatemalans," the statement said.

− Eduardo Cuevas

What did the most recent inspection report say about the bridge?

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge was listed in overall fair condition in 2021, the most recent inspection report in the Federal Highway Administration’s  National Bridge Inventory  at the time of its  collapse early Tuesday morning . 

However, the database noted that, “Bank protection is in need of minor repairs. River control devices and embankment protection have a little minor damage. Banks and/or channel have minor amounts of drift.” 

Other structural elements showed  “some minor deterioration”  but were otherwise listed in satisfactory condition.

− Cecilia Garzella and Yoonserk Pyun

'We're with you': Biden says federal government will rebuild bridge

President Joe Biden said he intends for the federal government to cover the entire cost to rebuild the Key Bridge, and he committed not to leave “until this job gets done.”

“We're with you. We're going to stay with you as long as it takes,” Biden said Tuesday afternoon from the White House Roosevelt Room.

Biden said he spoke with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other local and state officials about the bridge’s collapse, and said he would visit the site in the future. “I told them we're going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency − I mean all the federal resources. And we're going to rebuild that port together.”

Biden said eight people remain unaccounted for, but the figure might change. Two people were rescued. "Everything so far indicates that his was a terrible accident,” Biden said, adding there’s no reason to believe it was intentional.

“Our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families, especially those waiting for news of their loved ones right now,” Biden said. “I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime.”

Biden said the ongoing rescue operation remains the top priority but relayed that he told Moore he has directed his team to “move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible."

− Joey Garrison

Crewman reports all on board Dali are safe

This past weekend, Andrew Middleton took the ship's captain and a crewman shopping at a nearby Walmart. Since 9/11, international crews have to be escorted by a vetted person through most port areas, and Middleton said it's fairly common for crews like the Dali's to request assistance from the Apostleship of the Sea Baltimore Stella Maris International Seafarers' Center, where he is the director. The group is part of the Catholic Church's Archdiocese of Baltimore.

"They were by all appearances in good spirits," Middleton said, and they chatted in his van about the ship's planned 28-day voyage around the Horn of Africa to Sri Lanka. Middleton said crews usually buy personal toiletries and snacks before long trips.

Middleton woke up Tuesday morning to the shocking news the ship hit the bridge, and he immediately messaged one of the crewmen via WhatsApp. "My question to him was, 'Is everyone OK?' And the answer was, 'Yes sir, everyone is safe,'" Middleton told USA TODAY.

The crew is still aboard the ship while authorities assess the situation. Middleton said he's prepared to send them any supplies they need if they're stuck aboard for an extended period. And he said he's making plans to help them once they're freed and returned to shore. He said he expects the Dali will be towed back into the harbor and docked for a damage assessment. Middleton added that he worries both about the missing workers from the bridge and also the port workers who may be temporarily unemployed if the harbor gets shut down.

"Obviously, this incident has a large impact on the port community,'' he said. "If this extends a long period of time, we're going to have longshoreman and stevedores who are not working, tugboat crews who are not working. It has the potential, if it becomes a drawn-out event, to affect many lives."

− Trevor Hughes

Commuter finds sight of damaged bridge 'devastating to watch'

Charlotte Robinson's commute from her home in Delaware to her accounting job in Washington, D.C., took a detour Tuesday morning, when driving over the Francis Scott Key Bridge wasn't an option. In the past she figured that route was safe, but the bridge's collapse sparked difficult discussions with her colleagues who commute.

"It was devastating to watch,'' Robinson said of the crumpled bridge after it was hit by a 985-foot-long cargo ship. "And you have to ask yourself, if that was me, what would my plan be? How would I try to survive this, if I was trapped, if my car went into the water?”

Robinson said she often sees ships passing under the bridge during her morning commute; in the evenings, when she’s on her way home, there are usually fewer boats. Tuesday, she said, “You could see all these boats, just lined up because they had no place to go.”

Another common sight during her commute was construction workers both on the bridge and below it, sometimes hanging over the water in harnesses. Her thoughts turned to those workers as she watched the news Tuesday in her office. "I almost couldn't breathe watching the news," she said.

− Phaedra Trethan

'It's devastating to the city'

Greg Trenchard, 43, awoke Tuesday to a flurry of text messages and missed calls from his out of state relatives checking in on him after hearing about the Key Bridge collapse.

“I’ve driven over it 100 times and now to see that it’s gone is pretty crazy,” he said Tuesday.

Trenchard, an auditor, said he then tried to make his way to Fort Armistead Park, where he’d come many times before to take photos of the bridge at sunrise and sunset. But the normally quick drive took nearly 40 minutes due to the traffic detours, and a police roadblock next to Royal Farms, a convenience store, about a mile and half from the park stopped him from getting any closer to the scene.

“It’s a blow,” he said of the collapse. “It’s devastating to the city, it’s devastating to port traffic and everything they’re trying to do to revitalize the shipping industry in Maryland and keep that going.”

– N'dea Yancey-Bragg

Air, land and water search underway

Multiple local, state and federal agencies are coordinating the massive search, which spans a vast section of the river – both above and below the surface of the water – and the ship itself, Wallace said. Divers, helicopters and sonar technology were being used and had located several vehicles submerged in the river, which is about 50-feet-deep where the bridge collapsed.

"This water is current influenced, so right now we think the tide is coming back in," he said.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and said he is working with an interagency team to "quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration."

"This is an unthinkable tragedy," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said at a news conference.

Expert says river current makes search more difficult

Jim Bellingham, the executive director for the Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy and expert in marine robotics lives in nearby Fells Point, and talked to USA TODAY about some of the challenges faced by rescuers.

“Nothing is staying put in the ocean,” he said. “Everything is moving” in the Patapsco River, a tidal estuary, which presents just one difficulty for rescue efforts. Rescuers would have to determine the speed and direction of the current to figure out where to search – toward Baltimore Harbor, or out toward the Chesapeake Bay.

Bellingham said it’s likely any workers who may have been on the bridge would have been wearing reflective vests and even flotation devices that would improve visibility in the dark river. They might also have flares, and are more easily spotted by rescue helicopters.

Rescuers are using sonar, lights, cameras and robotic machinery as well as human divers, but Bellingham said divers would face their own risks, as the wreckage might not be stable.

The longer the search goes on, the less likely rescuers are to find survivors, given the temperature of the water, and the likelihood of people being trapped with little to no air. But Baltimore, with many Navy and Coast Guard facilities and military contractors nearby, might be as well prepared to deal with the disaster as any place.

“Their job is to rescue people,” Bellingham said. “They want to believe they can do that, and there’s a tendency not to want to give up.”

– Phaedra Trethan

Cargo ship was headed for Sri Lanka

The container vessel was chartered by the major shipping company Maersk and was carrying its cargo, according to a statement from the company. When it crashed into the bridge, no Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel, which is operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group and owned by Singapore-based Grace Ocean Pte.

The Dali was slated to arrive April 22 in Sri Lanka, according to MarineTraffic, a global ship tracking service.

"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected," Maersk said in a statement. "We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed."

Synergy Marine Corp said the Dali collided with one of the pillars of the bridge and that all its crew members, including two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Erin Palmer said at a news conference Tuesday that the agencies remain focused on search-and-rescue. She did not comment on the crew of the ship or provide additional details about the collision.

All vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore was suspended until further notice, but the port is still open for truck transports, Wiedefeld said. Traffic, meanwhile, is being diverted from the area around the Key Bridge.

Baltimore port closed to ships 'until further notice'

Shortly after the bridge collapse, the Port of Baltimore suspended vessel traffic “until further notice,” according to its website.

“This does not mean the Port of Baltimore is shut down. We are still processing trucks inside of our terminals,” the statement said.

But Bloomberg reported that the port “looks to be out of commission indefinitely.”

At least 40 ships are now more or less trapped inside the port, according to Reuters. At least 30 other ships planned to arrive there.

“They will likely have to reroute shipping to other ports on the East Coast,” said Kevin Linderman, a professor and supply chain expert at Pennsylvania State University. “However, this will put additional demand on these ports, and shippers may not be able to access US markets” as efficiently, he said.

“One critical question is, can the other ports handle the products that were destined to Baltimore?”

– Daniel de Visé

'A lot of tears' for families

Baltimore residents turned out to support those affected by the tragedy. Dozens of people gathered at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church of Turner Station during an emotional prayer vigil Tuesday evening.Faith leaders and city officials including Mayor Brandon Scott prayed for the families of those missing after the bridge collapse and the first responders working at the scene.“We can only imagine what is going through their minds and through their hearts and through their bodies. None of us want to experience that,” Scott said Tuesday. “We have to lift them up, support them not just today, not just tomorrow but for the foreseeable future.”Father Ako Walker, priest at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, said a prayer in Spanish to show solidarity with the six people who are still missing after the collapse. Following the vigil, Walker told reporters he has been providing support to family members whose loved ones are missing.“It’s difficult for them,” he said. “You know, you can see the pain etched on their faces. There’s a lot of tears.”

Will the Baltimore bridge collapse impact cruises?

Baltimore is a destination for several major cruise lines. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival have April sailings that could be impacted by the bridge collapse, according to their websites. 

Carnival told USA TODAY it was premature to comment on impacts to future sailings.

American Cruise Lines has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website. The cruise line told USA TODAY their schedules remain unaffected but will make adjustments if needed to future cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t appear to have any Baltimore sailings until September.

– Eve Chen and Nathan Diller

Will the port shutdown affect consumer goods, prices?

Several big firms have distribution warehouses near the port, including Amazon and FedEx, one analyst noted in a tweet on X.  

Even so, some analysts predict only a minimal impact on the movement of goods up and down the East Coast from the bridge collapse.

Baltimore’s port holds just 4% of all East Coast trade volume, according to S&P Global. New York’s port, by contrast, does 38% of that business.

Yet, the port offers the deepest harbor in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, is closer to the Midwest than any other East Coast port, and is within an overnight drive of one-third of the US population, according to the port website .

The port boasts five public and 12 private terminals. In 2023, it ranked first in the nation in handling automobiles and light trucks. 

“For the American consumer, the biggest impact will be felt in terms of imported motor vehicles,” said Jason Miller, a business professor at Michigan State University. If sales remain strong, he said, “we could see inventories drop on the lots of dealers that sell imported vehicles until alternative arrangements can be made. This could increase motor vehicle prices for some makes and models.”

Alternate routes around collapsed Baltimore bridge

The Maryland Transportation Authority was suggesting drivers take Interstate 95 or Interstate 895 as alternatives to the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge along Interstate 695.

“I-695 Outer Loop closed at MD 10 (exit 2) and Inner Loop closed at MD 157/Peninsula Exp (exit 43),” MDTA said in a post on X.

Drivers could take several other, longer routes around Baltimore, but I-95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) and I-895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) are the most direct alternatives across the water.

There are few exceptions.

MDTA notes, vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13-feet and 6-inches high or 8-feet wide may not use the 1-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14-feet and 6-inches high or 11-feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel.

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

How cold is the Patapsco River?

The Patapsco River is about 50 feet deep where the ship hit the bridge, officials said during a press conference Tuesday morning. Part of the 39-mile river helps form the Baltimore Harbor, just northwest of the bridge collapse, and it flows out to the Chesapeake Bay.

A buoy in the Patapsco River indicated the water temperature Tuesday morning was currently about 47 degrees, while the air is around 41 degrees, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Whereas hypothermia is thought to occur at very cold temperatures, it can occur in waters below 70 degrees, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Key Bridge collapse draws comparisons to Florida's Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse

In 1980, a Florida bridge also collapsed after a ship collided with it, leading to the deaths of 35 motorists and bus passengers.

A 1,200-foot chunk of the Sunshine Skyway bridge – which connects St. Petersburg and Bradenton – collapsed after the massive Summit Venture freighter slammed into one of its central support piers.

When the section of the bridge fell into Tampa Bay, it took a truck, seven cars and a Greyhound bus with it.

The Herald-Tribune, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported the crash happened during an intense thunderstorm , with winds reaching 80 mph and heavy rain. At the time, visibility was near-zero, according to local historians who made a documentary film about the collapse.

After the collapse, the freighter remained stuck beneath the bridge, with part of the roadway on top of its bow. Photos from the time also show how one motorist was able to skip his car to a stop just inches away from where the bridge fell into the water.

-Claire Thornton

How vital is the Francis Scott Key Bridge?

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, named for the author of the "Star Spangled Banner," is a 1.6-mile, 4-lane bridge that crosses over the Patapsco River, according to the MDTA. It opened in 1977.

The port’s private and public terminals handled 847,158 autos and light trucks in 2023, the most of any U.S. port. The port also handles farm and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.

The span is the outermost of three major Patapsco River crossings at Baltimore Harbor, according to the American Civil Engineering Society. The steel-arched bridge, with a total length of 8,636 feet, was the second-longest continuous-truss bridge span in the world when it was built and remains the second longest in the United States and third in the world, according to the society .

Contributing: Reuters; Tom Vanden Brook, Eduardo Cuevas , USA TODAY

Dragon’s Dogma 2 has next to no fast travel and that rules, actually

I f you just started Dragon’s Dogma 2 , it might have come as a shock that this sprawling open-world, role-playing epic is missing one common feature: fast travel. Well, it’s not quite missing, but it’s extremely limited in ways that run counter to the normal rhythms of this hugely popular genre.

The way it usually works in open-world games is this: You set forth on an adventure, heading out to unexplored regions. As you explore, you unlock fast travel points that make it easy to return to those areas. It takes a matter of seconds to get back to town when you need to rest, shop, or turn in quests. Even in games that prioritize organic exploration and discovery — like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom — fast travel is available, and usually free. It’s just accepted as a necessary addition to make these huge game worlds manageable.

Dragon’s Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno and his team at Capcom feel differently about it. In keeping with the many ways Dragon’s Dogma 2 intentionally makes your life difficult — restricting game saves to prevent save-scumming, for example — the approach to fast travel puts realism and immersion over convenience.

There are, in fact, three automatic travel options in the game: oxcarts, ropeways, and Portcrystals . Most wouldn’t really call oxcarts fast travel since they’re painfully slow, only run along a few set routes between towns, and, although you can nap to pass the time, your journey might be interrupted by bandit or monster attacks. Ropeways come with their own hazards , as they’re subject to aerial attack — and it’s a long way down.

Portcrystals resemble traditional fast travel, but with a couple of huge caveats. You need to use a Ferrystone to warp to one, and these are a very rare and precious resource. There are only a handful of Portcrystals in major locations across the entire game. If you can obtain your own Portcrystal you can place it wherever you like, but these items are rarer still.

All this means that during general play, fast travel is out, either because it’s too expensive or too inconvenient. You’re going to have to make your way on foot, and it’s going to take time — especially considering that nighttime hikes are inadvisable, so you’re encouraged to make camp for the night. Sounds tedious, right? Why did Capcom design the game this way?

The answer Itsuno has given in interviews is the one designers often give when they explain why they’ve chosen to cut back on travel convenience. To paraphrase: It’s about making sure players spend their time out in the world discovering stuff. “We’ve put a lot of work into designing a game where you can stumble across someone and something will happen, so while it’s fine if it does have fast travel, we decided to design the map in a way that the journey [itself] could be enjoyed,” Itsuno told IGN ,

It’s true that Dragon’s Dogma 2 has an unusually dense map that’s teeming with activity and primed for all sorts of random happenstance — even more so than the recent Zeldas. The more players zip themselves from point to point across this dynamic anecdote-generation machine, the less opportunity there would be for the unexpected discoveries and events that make the game so memorable, whether it’s a fight with an accident-prone cyclops or crossing paths with a pawn who might change your life. But, in truth, Itsuno only gave half an answer.

Yes, open-world games like this should be about the journey. But most of them are specifically about the journey of discovery. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is also about the return journey, making your way back, often by a different route to see what else you can find. It’s about conserving your resources, balancing the risk and reward of exploration, thinking about how much you can carry, and keeping a wary eye on the sun as it descends toward the horizon.

I love this stuff. I love anything that makes me feel present in the world the developers have created and that makes distances feel real. I love games that resist the habit of optimizing time spent playing them ; that, with a gentle but firm hand, encourage the player to just live in the moment, immersed in their adventure, rather than to play with one eye on a to-do list.

Travel is a hugely important part of interaction with game worlds — both practically and emotionally — so I get why Itsuno and his team pushed back against the impulse to skip it. Even though fast travel is easy in Spider-Man 2 , my son never uses it because he just loves web-slinging so much. (You should see him go soaring and pirouetting through New York City — it’s poetry in motion.) I know many people were bored by the long, featureless sailing trips of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker , but those moments of wind-blown calm, scored by the quiet rushing of the waves against the hull of Link’s little boat, are some of my most treasured gaming memories, a permanent happy place. Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding makes a whole game out of packing your bag and going for a hike, and its rugged landscape is the only other character that game really needed.

I don’t think World of Warcraft would have become half the sensation it did were it not for its approach to travel. When building the MMO two decades ago, Blizzard insisted that there would be no loading screens breaking up its huge landmasses, and that — with the exception of a Hearthstone item that would take you back to the inn of your choice on a one-hour cooldown — the only way to cross its distances would be to fly across them in real time by air taxi, watching the landscape scroll past below. In theory, this was dead time; while in the air, you couldn’t do anything but chat to your friends. But it was one of the things that made that world feel so real.

Restricting fast travel isn’t the only way to foster this kind of relationship with a game world, but it’s one of the most effective. And, for Dragon’s Dogma 2 , it was the right one. (Personally, I would have cut the Portcrystals completely; they don’t feel like they fit the world, and introducing fast travel only to make it awkward and expensive is a bit too contrarian. The lumbering oxcarts and treacherous ropeways fit right in, though.) Capcom’s game is a capricious, random, surprising, brilliantly conceived adventure simulator, and one of the few games to recognize that adventures are about the journey home home as well as heading out. If it had allowed you to warp back at the end of a quest, it would simply have cut itself in half.

All Interactive Maps and Locations

How Fast Travel Works

Fast travel in Dragon’s Dogma 2 works much like it did in the first game, which means it’s a bit of a hassle, especially when just starting out. The fast travel here is unique in that you’re able to create your own fast travel points and travel can be done from any outdoor location on the map, but at a cost. Here’s how fast travel works in Dragon’s Dogma 2.

How to Fast Travel

You can use special items called Ferrystones to fast travel to the location of a Portcrystal. Portcrystals are black and purple stones that exist in major settlements, allowing you to return to them instantly from anywhere on the map, as long as you’re outdoors.

• See How to Get Ferrystones

Before you can use a Ferrystone to travel to a Portcrystal, you must first find the Portcrystal in a settlement and interact with it to activate it. For example, Vernworth’s Portcrystal is behind the pawn guild building in the middle of town.

Fast travel by Portcrystal

You can also obtain and place your own portable Portcrystals anywhere on the map to make your own personal fast travel points. These portable crystals have a blue glow and are much smaller than the ones found naturally in towns.

You can place up to 10 Portcrystals in locations of your choosing, and they can be picked up and moved whenever you like. It’s often best to place them near important NPCs or in settlements that don’t have a Portcrystal of their own, but it’s totally up to you.

Fast Travel by Oxcart

If you don’t have any Ferrystones, you can still fast travel between most towns by taking an oxcart. Oxcarts will take you from between neighboring towns, allowing you to admire the scenery along the way, or skip the ride entirely by dozing off.

Oxcarts only depart from towns in the morning and you need to pay small amounts of gold – usually 100 to 200 gold – to get a ride. If it’s too late in the day, the game allows you to interact with the oxcart signpost to wait until the appropriate time.

With all that said, you should be prepared to fight because oxcarts do occasionally get ambushed by bandits or monsters. If you manage to defeat the enemies while saving the oxcart from complete destruction, you can hop back in to continue your trip.

Don't miss these other important Dragon's Dogma 2 guides:

• Things to Do First
• Things Dragon's Dogma 2 Doesn't Tell You
• Walkthrough
• Which Vocation to Choose

Up Next: How to Earn RC (Rift Crystals)

Top guide sections.

• Side Quests
• Boss Guides
• Sphinx Location and Riddle Solutions

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Dreary pattern lasts

DRIZZLY START AGAIN

It was another drab and soggy start with drizzle and fog across southern New England. By late morning the mist should lighten up and taper off. Dry air will push in for the afternoon and deliver a mostly cloudy and mostly dry stretch. Highs will range from the upper 40s along the coast to the upper 50s far inland. It will be milder than yesterday at least.

A front will approach from the west this evening with another batch of wet weather. Keep an eye out for a few showers during the PM commute then widespread rain overnight.

Steady rain will fall from Wednesday night through Friday morning, and there’s no way around the washout Thursday. We’re looking at a fresh 1.5″-2.5″ - on top of an already soaked March. Flood prone low lying areas will take on water. Basements that are susceptible may as well. Although widespread river flooding is not expected, rivers, streams, and creeks will rise in their banks which could lead to a few problem spots.

Rain looks to taper off from west to east Friday morning. Athletic fields will be waterlogged, hopefully drying out through the weekend.

EASTER WEEKEND

Saturday looks like a gem with mostly sunny skies FINALLY returning. It will be windy with gusts 30-40 mph. More clouds will come through Easter with the slight chance for a spot sprinkle, but most should remain dry for the holiday.

© 2019 Cox Media Group

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Dragon’s dogma 2: how to get more portcrystals.

Portcrystals are special items used to help your character fast-travel around the world of Dragon's Dogma 2, but these tools are in limited supply.

Dragon's Dogma 2 does not have traditional fast travel, but instead uses special items called Portcrystals to transport your character to different locations. Unlike Griffons or Oxcarts, this method of transportation is instant, taking you to places without the risks of the road. Getting more Portcrystals will allow you to cut down on travel time as you try to complete different quests throughout your adventure.

Two permanent Portcrystals already exist in Vernworth and Harve Village that can't be moved or taken by your character. Three more fixtures to existing settlements exist within Dragon's Dogma 2 's vast story , but you likely won't encounter them until far later into the game. Every Portcrystal you want to use requires at least one Ferrystone , or another item consumed to activate the fast travel.

Ferrystones are found in chests, as rewards from quests, or sold by different vendor NPCs for around 10,000 Gold. This expensive item is sold in limited supply, which makes fast travel a luxury unless you have many Ferrystones in your inventory.

Can You Keep Playing Dragon’s Dogma 2 After Beating The Game?

How to get reusable portcrystals in dragon's dogma 2.

The only way to have more access to fast travel is to find reusable Portcrystals , which can be used as many times as you wish around the world. Your character can place a Portcrystal anywhere on the map they want, allowing you to freely teleport to a location you choose as long as you have Ferrystones. Thankfully, you can pick up any Portcrystal you place and move it somewhere else whenever you wish.

You are only allowed to have 10 Portcrystals on the map at a time , so make sure you are putting reusable ones in places you might need them to be. For example, placing a reusable Portcrystal in Bakbattahl is a great way to have constant travel toward a larger settlement. Any region that's hard to reach on the large map of Dragon's Dogma 2 may benefit from having a Portcrystal somewhere in the area.

Here are some locations of available reusable Portcrystals you can find within the game:

Remember that no Ferrystones or Portcrystals can be duplicated outside of the Sphinx's power. Any item labeled a "Partcrystal" or "Ferristone" will simply not work whenever you try to use it, so don't fall for any NPC's scams luring you into spending currency for item duplication. The best way to get more Portcrystals in Dragon's Dogma 2 is to reuse the ones you already have to expand your fast travel possibilities.

Dragon's Dogma II

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How to fast travel - Dragon's Dogma 2

Portcrystals, ferrystones, oxcarts, and walking: The art of fast traveling in Dragon's Dogma 2.

There are a lot of modern systems in Dragon’s Dogma 2 that aren’t as approachable or easy to understand as some players might expect. One of these is fast travel, which is set up in a rather old-school manner whereby it is possible but it’s not free. Additionally, you’re not free to fast travel wherever you want, it’s only in extremely specific locations (and sometimes a few places of your choosing). Here’s how fast travel works (and no, you don’t need to buy any microtransactions).

Fast travel to portcrystal

Players and their pawns can only fast travel to portcrystals in Dragon’s Dogma 2 and doing this costs one ferrystone . These crystals can be found in major cities, like the one behind the Pawn Guild in Vernworth. Players can also place ten portcrystals wherever they want and fast travel to them. This is like setting up a teleporter location around the world.

Once you’ve placed a portcrystal, you can leave it there as long as you like and you’ll always be able to fast travel to it. However, you can also recover the crystal and place it in a new location. Ideally, you’ll place these in areas you need to get to frequently that aren’t available via oxcart or another nearby portcrystal.

Finding and using Ferrystones

Ferrystones are what you will use to travel to a portcrystal . When you have one in your inventory, select it and choose “use” and you will be shown a map with all available portcrystals. Pick the one you want and you will be transported to it instantly, consuming the ferrystone in the process.

You will typically receive ferrystones by completing quests, searching and looting dungeons, and defeating enemies. They’re not super easy to acquire early on, so it’s a good idea to avoid unnecessary fast travel when you’re just starting.

The next best means of “fast” travel is the humble oxcart. These can be found at major settlements and will take you to another location for a small fee. The main disadvantage is that oxcarts only go to a few places around the map. If you want to get somewhere specific, your best bet is to take an oxcart part of the way there and then walk.

While using a portcrystal is instantaneous and no time will pass, when using an oxcart time will tick on at its usual rate. This means when you arrive, part of the day will be gone. Make sure you’re leaving enough time to do whatever you need to do when you get there, as some quests are time-sensitive.

Finally, the least fast method of fast travel is to go on foot. Literally walking from one location to another. Chances are you’ll be running for a bit, letting your stamina recover, and then running some more. Just keep in mind that traveling at night is a death wish. As soon as the sun sets, find a camping spot and rest until the morning.

The advantage of this method of travel is you’ll find all sorts of things. Your pawns will point out interesting locations and you can collect various resources so you can craft your potions.

Traveling around the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 can be fast or incredibly slow. Those who want to fast travel should focus on acquiring ferrystones and placing ten portcrystals to travel to. Everyone else should find the nearest oxcart or lace up those walking boots. While you’re strolling along the road, read over our Dragon’s Dogma 2 page for more help understanding this world.

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X:  @SamuelChandler  

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Sam Chandler posted a new article, How to fast travel - Dragon's Dogma 2

Ferrystones 10k at vendors or 8k at scrap guy.

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Baltimore bridge collapses after powerless cargo ship rams into support column; 6 presumed dead

A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse. Six people were missing and presumed dead. (AP production by Javier Arciga) (Thumbnail image: Maxaar Technologies via AP)

A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse. Six people were missing and presumed dead. (AP production by Javier Arciga)

Authorities say all six workers missing after a Baltimore bridge collapsed Tuesday are presumed dead and the search for them has been suspended until Wednesday morning.

As authorities piece together what led to the bridge collapse in Baltimore, Capt. Michael Burns, Jr., of the Maritime Center for Responsible Energy, says the ship appeared to lose power at the worst time possible. (AP Video: Rodrique Ngowi)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says path to rebuilding Baltimore bridge will not be easy

Sunrise shows damage to Baltimore bridge after being rammed by container ship

A container ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers are searching for survivors. (25 March 2024) (AP video: Rick Gentilo)

A container ship has rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters early Tuesday, and rescuers searched for survivors. (26 March 2024)

A container ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers are searching for survivors.

President Joe Biden says he plans to travel to Baltimore “as quickly as I can” and that he intends for the federal government to pick up the entire cost of rebuilding the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.

A container ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore, causing the span to buckle into the river below. The collapse plunged a construction crew and several vehicles into the dangerously cold waters.

A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse. Six people were missing. (AP video by Steve Helber) (AP production by Javier Arciga)

The National Transportation Safety Board is launching a team to investigate a cargo ship that lost power and rammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday causing the bridge to collapse.

A container ship rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge as night falls on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as seen from Sparrows Point, Md. The ship rammed into the major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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A Coast Guard cutter passes a cargo ship that is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship his the bridge Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows a view of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that was struck by a container ship in Baltimore, Md., on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The container ship lost power and rammed into the major bridge causing the span to buckle into the river below. (Maxaar Technologies via AP)

A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

People gather for a vigil near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Dundalk, Md., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with one of the bridge’s support Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore. The major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below. Rescuers were searching for multiple people in the water. (WJLA via AP)

A boat moves past a container ship as it rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as seen from Pasadena, Md. The container ship lost power and rammed into the major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers searched for survivors. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

A container rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as seen from Sparrows Point, Md. The ship rammed into the major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A container ship as it rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as seen from Dundalk, Md. The ship rammed into the major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds and creating a terrifying scene as several vehicles plunged into the chilly river below. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A Coast Guard cutter passes a cargo ship that is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge Tuesday March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) looks on near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore. The major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below. Rescuers were searching for multiple people in the water. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

From left, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bill DelBagno, FBI special agent in charge of the Baltimore field office, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Paul J. Wiedefeld, Maryland’s transportation secretary, hold a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore. The major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below. Rescuers were searching for multiple people in the water. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks during a news conference hold a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Dundalk, Md., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

An American flag flies on a moored boat as the container ship Dali rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as seen from Pasadena, Md. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Follow AP for live coverage of Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapse

BALTIMORE (AP) — A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse that could disrupt a vital shipping port for months. Six people were missing and presumed dead, and the search for them was suspended until Wednesday morning.

The ship’s crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span, Maryland’s governor said.

As the vessel neared the bridge, puffs of black smoke could be seen as the lights flickered on and off. It struck one of the bridge’s supports , causing the structure to collapse like a toy, and a section of the span came to rest on the bow.

With the ship barreling toward the bridge at “a very, very rapid speed,” authorities had just enough time to stop cars from coming over the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.

“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives last night.”

In the evening, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent for Maryland State Police, announced that the search and rescue mission was transitioning to one of search and recovery. He also said the search was being put on pause and divers would return to the site at 6 a.m. Wednesday, when challenging overnight conditions were expected to improve. No bodies have been recovered, Butler said.

The crash happened in the middle of the night, long before the busy morning commute on the bridge that stretches 1.6 miles (2.6 kilometers) and was used by 12 million vehicles last year.

The six missing people were part of a construction crew filling potholes on the bridge, said Paul Wiedefeld, the state’s transportation secretary.

Guatemala’s consulate in Maryland said in a statement that two of the missing were citizens of the Central American nation. It did not provide their names but said consular officials were in contact with authorities and assisting the families.

Honduras’ Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio García told The Associated Press that a Honduran citizen, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, was missing. He said he had been in contact with Suazo’s family.

And the Washington Consulate of Mexico said via the social media platform X that citizens of that nation were also among the missing. It did not say how many.

A senior executive at the company that employed the workers also said, in the afternoon, that the workers were presumed dead given the water’s depth and how much time had passed.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said the crew was working in the middle of the bridge when it came down.

“This was so completely unforeseen,” Pritzker said. “We don’t know what else to say. We take such great pride in safety, and we have cones and signs and lights and barriers and flaggers.”

Jesus Campos, who has worked on the bridge for Brawner Builders and knows members of the crew, said he was told they were on a break and some were sitting in their trucks.

“I know that a month ago, I was there, and I know what it feels like when the trailers pass,” Campos said. “Imagine knowing that is falling. It is so hard. One would not know what to do.”

Father Ako Walker, a Roman Catholic priest at Sacred Heart of Jesus, said he spent time with the families of the missing workers as they waited for news of their loved ones.

“You can see the pain etched on their faces,” Walker said.

Rescuers pulled two people out of the water, one of whom was treated at a hospital and discharged hours later. Multiple vehicles also went into the river, although authorities did not believe anyone was inside.

“It looked like something out of an action movie,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”

A police dispatcher put out a call just before the collapse saying a ship had lost its steering and asked officers to stop all traffic on the bridge, according to Maryland Transportation Authority first responder radio traffic obtained from the Broadcastify.com archive.

One officer who stopped traffic radioed that he was going to drive onto the bridge to alert the construction crew. But seconds later, a frantic officer said: “The whole bridge just fell down. Start, start whoever, everybody ... the whole bridge just collapsed.”

On a separate radio channel for maintenance and construction workers, someone said officers were stopping traffic because a ship had lost steering. There was no follow-up order to evacuate, and 30 seconds later the bridge fell and the channel went silent.

From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collisions, according to the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.

Tuesday’s collapse is sure to create a logistical nightmare along the East Coast for months, if not years, shutting down ship traffic at the Port of Baltimore, a major hub. The loss of the bridge will also snarl cargo and commuter traffic.

“Losing this bridge will devastate the entire area, as well as the entire East Coast,” state Sen. Johnny Ray Salling said.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at a news conference that it was too soon to estimate how long it will take to clear the channel, which is about 50 feet (15 meters) deep.

What we know about the Baltimore bridge collapse:

— Agencies received emergency calls around 1:30 a.m. local time reporting that a ship leaving Baltimore had struck a column on the bridge.

— The operators of the cargo ship lost power and issued a mayday call moments before the vessel crashed, Maryland’s governor said.

— Multiple people have been pulled from the water; the search for others is ongoing .

Read more: A list of major US bridge collapses caused by ships and barges.

“I do not know of a bridge that has been constructed to withstand a direct impact from a vessel of this size,” he said.

The Dali, which was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka and flying under a Singapore flag, is about 985 feet (300 meters) long and about 157 feet (48 meters) wide, according to according to data from Marine Traffic.

Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship, confirmed that it hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while in control of one or more pilots, who are local specialists who help guide vessels safely into and out of ports. The ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd.

Synergy said all crew members and the two pilots on board were accounted for, and there were no reports of any injuries.

AP AUDIO: Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge, bringing it down. Rescuers are looking for people in water.

AP correspondent Donna Warder reports on the search for victims following a bridge collapse in Baltimore.

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse is shown early morning, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 from Riviera Beach, Md. (AP Photo/Nathan Ellgren)

The ship was moving at 8 knots, roughly 9 mph (14.8 kph), the governor said.

Inspectors found a problem with the Dali’s machinery in June, but a more recent examination did not identify any deficiencies, according to the shipping information system Equasis.

Danish shipping giant Maersk said it had chartered the vessel.

Jagged remnants of the bridge could be seen jutting up from the water in the aftermath of the collapse. The on-ramp ended abruptly where the span once began.

Donald Heinbuch, a retired chief with Baltimore’s fire department, said he was startled awake by a deep rumbling that shook his house for several seconds and “felt like an earthquake.” He drove to the river’s edge and couldn’t believe what he saw.

“The ship was there, and the bridge was in the water, like it was blown up,” he said.

The bridge spans the Patapsco River at the entrance to the busy harbor, which leads to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Wiedefeld said all vessel traffic into and out of the port would be suspended until further notice, though the facility was still open to trucks.

Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with a support Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore. (WJLA via AP)

President Joe Biden said he planned to travel to Baltimore and intends for the federal government to pick up the entire cost of rebuilding.

“This is going to take some time,” Biden said.

Last year the Port of Baltimore handled a record 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo worth $80 billion, according to the state.

The head of a supply chain management company said Americans should expect shortages of goods from the collapse’s effect on ocean container shipping and East Coast trucking.

“It’s not just the port of Baltimore that’s going to be impacted,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport.

The collapse, though, is not likely to hurt worldwide trade because Baltimore is not a major port for container vessels. its its facilities are more important when it comes to goods such as farm equipment and autos, said Judah Levine, head of research for global freight booking platform Freightos.

Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report, including Sarah Brumfield, Rebecca Santana, Jake Offenhartz, Joshua Goodman, Ben Finley, Claudia Lauer, Brian Witte, Juliet Linderman, David McHugh, John Seewer, Michael Kunzelman and Mike Catalini.