Adventurers of the Inquisition: A Dragon Age RP (started)

[Athol]

"Atrast tunsha, Brother. Atrast tunsha. Totarnia amgetol tavash aeduc. Know that you are returning to the embrace of The Stone."

Kari lowered her sword while Nola gave the miner his last rites, she assumed. As she finished, Jarrett stepped in past Nola and said something Kari couldn?t quite make out; the miner?s lips moved softly committing his final words to the elf. Once Jarrett stepped back, Kari raised her sword once more, and with a sudden thrust drove her blade through the dwarf?s heart.

Pulling it free, she made several large steps away from the corrupted lyrium. ?What I wouldn?t give for a draft wagon or three of gaatlok.? She said, eyeing the crystals. To the best of her knowledge, she had no magical talents, but this stuff was making her skin itch just being near it.

 

[StormShaun]

Remembering the lingering red glow of the other path, Von desperately had to the urge to offer resistance, yet noticing his comrade's acceptance, he forcefully swallowed it down. Blasted, damn Darkspawn! His thoughts hissed, for they were the ones to make the group take such a path. It was as if the path to the Golden City was suddenly destroyed once again, all thanks to the dark beings. Biting his lips, the Templar sheathed his weaponry and flipped his hood over his head, awaiting for the worst to happen.

The tunnel, for others it might have been a uncomfortable walk in the shadows of the red glow, but Selthen, it was a bright red world, as if he had passed into the homeland of demons. His body felt hot and heavy, like if invisible fire licked at his form, hoping he would be cooked from the inside out. It wasn't even the worst part, for The Templar clutched at his head, as violent scratches clawed at his mind, trying to drag him over to their side. For a bit, Von muttered, "No, no, no..." softly.

Barely passing the urge to claw or stab his ear drums, Von was a experimental subject to those scratches, and soon enough, they sounded like voices, yelling at him, insulting him, and demanding that he came over to their side. Knowing what that would mean, the liquid of Lyrium and the return of them. He refused, and a couple of times he groped the walls, his fists tightening around rock, until he was forced to march on.

Soon enough, the group emerged into the nightmare cavern, which the Templar barely noticed, as he positioned himself away from the Red Lyrium caves, and dropped into a kneel. Quickly, the violent itching and scratching subsided, into a more gentle touch. For a fast second, he could swear that there was a song within that noise. Focusing his attention, his parched throat called for refreshment, and not the water kind. Ignoring its plea, Selthen pulled out his canteen and started drinking.

Finishing up with a satisfied gasp, he witnessed the look of the cavern. "Did we finally reach the Black City... heh." He huffed.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

Berund looked on as the tainted dwarf was given his last rites and ultimately put out of his misery and would hopefully return to the Stone, no longer tormented by the songs of the red lyrium. He started to hear the songs himself, and there was something off about them. He'd heard lyrium songs before, but the songs of the red lyrium were just...unsound. Harrowing. He did his best to shake the singing from his mind and regain focus.

"Did we finally reach the Black City... heh."

"I think not, friend," Berund spoke softly. "Ye can be thankful for that." He paced around the cavern looking for ways to bring down the ceiling and bury the tainted gems for good. He'd almost wished that creature would show up again and give the room a good thrashing. It was a fleeting thought however. Of course he wasn't very keen on the idea of ever laying eyes on that monstrosity again. But the matter of what to do about the red lyrium remained.

The former Legionnaire's eyes fell upon some old mining equipment. He had no idea how long it had been since the tools were of any use, but he wondered if there was still some use for them yet. He inspected the walls of the cavern all the way up to the ceiling. Far from an experienced miner, Berund felt that it shouldn't be all that difficult to find something the resembled a weak spot. "Y'know, Calien, we mightn't need many of those bombs if we can find the right spot to put 'em. Least I wouldn't think we might."

 

[IFS]

Calien watched quietly, nodding his head respectfully as Kari gave the dwarf mercy. If the dwarf felt much pain he did not seem to express it, his eyes simply rolled back into his head and he fell limp and silent, around him the red lyrium cracked but did not shatter.

"Can't we just leave?"

"I forgot how dangerous lyrium is to you," Calien said, voice somber "go keep watch further down the tunnel Ash, we'll meet you there when we're done."

"Did we finally reach the Black City... heh."

"Too much red for that I'm afraid," Calien said, then perked up slightly as Berund offered a solution.

"Y'know, Calien, we mightn't need many of those bombs if we can find the right spot to put 'em. Least I wouldn't think we might."

"Truly? Do you think you could find these weak points? It would certainly beat hacking at this stuff with a sword," he fished around in his bag before offering a number of bombs to Berund, largely fire bombs mixed with a few lightning bombs "here's what I have."

Scanning the room there were certainly a number of faults and flaws in the crystal, even more since Kari's mercy killing had cracked it. Lyrium was unstable besides so an explosion could be doubly effective in destroying it, though potentially hazardous for those who were too close. Certainly at the very least an explosion would kick up lyrium dust into the air from the vein the red lyrium was growing on.

 

[DarkRawen]

"---dangerous Lyrium is to you, go keep watch further down the tunnel Ash, we'll meet you there when we're done."

Ash hadn't noticed that Calien was talking to him at first, but then he removed his hands from his ears. He felt powerless, like a little child, but nodded. "Okay. I'll... I'll try to keep watch. I don't know how much I'll see... but then again, that's not really the point is it?" he chuckled, carefully. Everything was ringing in his ears, and his head had started to hurt, both due to the strain from the noises and visions, and because the red Lyrium seemed... to crack? Or something, he wasn't sure. "Sorry," he finally whispered, as he walked away from the others.

Eyes kept on the ground, he wandered as far as he felt he needed, and sat down, trying to keep watch, feet close to his torso and staff in his hands. Honestly though, he wasn't sure how far he had gone now. Not too far, he hoped, he hadn't walked for a long time. His mind was getting groggy, he felt an odd sort of sleepy, knowing the amount of Lyrium had messed with what balance he had in his mind. He wasn't going to run around stabbing people, of course not, but he felt like he might enter the state where he was unsure of whether it was real or not.

I told them I didn't want to go inside.

He frowned. Ash didn't want to be alone either, sitting out in the dark cave -illuminated partly by his staff-, hearing the song of the red Lyrium, and not being confident in his ability to know if something dangerous was going to happen or not.

I'll be fine Ash. You've survived this far, and it's only a short amount of time. I should... probably rest a little.

He closed his eyes, intending only to rest them a little. Slowly, however, he started falling deeper into sleep, pictures in his mind dancing far before he was actually asleep, dancing along to that particular melody.

 

[sage42]

Nola watched as the life finally drained from the Dwarf's eyes, sighing as his body went limp. At least his pain was over. She inhaled deeply as they prepared to move on, trying to calm herself. The others were also expressing their desire to be away from this cave, and for once she agreed. This cave was wrong, she wanted to bury it as deep as they could. But destroying the lyrium would be the nest best thing. "A warning Cailen. If we do blow this thing to bits, it's gonna throw a lot of lyrium dust in the air. Touching that stuff is bad enough, inhaling it could kill anyone. I don't wanna know what the red shit is gonna do to us."

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

"A warning Cailen. If we do blow this thing to bits, it's gonna throw a lot of lyrium dust in the air. Touching that stuff is bad enough, inhaling it could kill anyone. I don't wanna know what the red shit is gonna do to us."

Berund considered this briefly before interjecting. "Well, we don't all hafta be here when they need to be lit. I can stay behind, see to it it's all set then bring this place down once everyone else is far 'nuff to be safe. I mightn't look it, but I'm quite light on my feet, y'know. Should be clear of the worst of it by the time they go off."

 

[IFS]

"Lets get the bombs planted then and join Ash," Calien said giving a brief shudder "the less time we spend near here the better."

The weaknesses, emphasized by recent cracks, were quite evident and took little time for Berund to plant bombs among them. Soon enough the crew was moving out of the room as the fuses were lit. A safe distance was hard to guess with how unstable Lyrium could be so Calien opted for as far as possible, leading the crew as far as he could as quick as he could soon reaching where Ash had positioned himself. He had no desire to inhale any dust as Nola had warned about, nor to get caught in any cave-ins caused by the blast.

Fortunately the destruction did not reach them, Berund as the last to leave felt it the most closely but even so all he had to endure was a rush of hot wind and a horrible, shrill noise as the whispers of the lyrium collapsed into nothing. The rest felt a breeze if that, though the noise was inescapable.

"Well well," a voice only Ash could hear spoke "found yourself another dark hole to hide in, more dangerous than the last. Tsk tsk, you really should take better care of yourself."

The piercing noise, echoing more in ones mind than in the air, cut through Ash's daydream.

"Ech, even I heard that one," Ash's demon said with a irritated tone "you know what that stuff will do to you don't you? A fate I'd wish on no one, least of all you. In fact I might even know how to keep you safe from such, might even give you knowledge enough to save those poor doomed dwarves oh if you could hear them now, if you'd just lend me your ear for a moment..."

The daydream was broken by Calien's voice and the demon faded into slow chuckling.

"Ash, you with us?" the Antivan waved his hand in front of Ash's eyes "Can't have you dozing off in a place like this."

He glanced back at the others "Seems we might have time for a short rest though, all we've been through," he said, leaning against the cave wall "I know I'll need some time to get that shit out of my head, don't suppose any of you have ever seen anything so horrible before?"

 

[Athol]

Kari was quite happy to follow Cailen out to where Ash was, while Berund set the charges. She knew enough about normal lyrium to know you didn?t want to mess with it, and with what she?d seen happen to the Templars at Haven, and the shit down here, that seemed to be doubly true for this red version.

As the blast wave washed over the group, she stared down the passage way to where the lyrium had been. Let?s hope that shit stays buried at least until the Makers return.

"Ash, you with us? Can't have you dozing off in a place like this."

Cailen?s voice behind her, brought her about to the dazed expression on Ash?s face. ?Shit?? She muttered. I totally forgot how sensitive mages were to that stuff?no wonder he wanted out? Moving closer, she placed an armoured hand lightly on his shoulder. ?Sorry buddy.? She said softly. ?Don?t work with a lot of mages usually?kinda forgot how affected you lot are by that shit.?

"Seems we might have time for a short rest though, all we've been through, I know I'll need some time to get that shit out of my head, don't suppose any of you have ever seen anything so horrible before?"

Kari took up Cailen?s offer by propping her blade against the wall, before sitting right down and stretching out her legs. ?I know I saw some fucked up things during the Blight, but lyrium growing out of people? That is a whole new level of terrible for me?one I really didn?t need.? The first thing she was going to do when they got back up top, was hell the miners to collapse the shaft, and if that piss stain of a noble tried to stop her, she?d bloody well throw his ass in beforehand?golem or not.

 

[DarkRawen]

"Well well, found yourself another dark hole to hide in, more dangerous than the last. Tsk tsk, you really should take better care of yourself."

"Really?" Ash said, replying to the demon with an annoyed, but otherwise calm tone. It was bad news for it to be talking directly to him. He hadn't fallen asleep, right? Was it just the lyrium? The Fade, though it appeared more like green haze than anything else to him right now, gave of a familiar feeling.

Oh. Great.

He was about to say something witty about how funny it was for the demon to comment that Ash had to take care of himself, when the demon had lead him into more dangerous situations. However, suddenly ear-splitting screeching filled the air, and the demon's voice twisted into that of irritation, and probably disappointment. Ash didn't doubt the demon had been hoping to do this without any distractions.

That sound though, the lyrium?

"Ech, even I heard that one, you know what that stuff will do to you don't you? A fate I'd wish on no one, least of all you. In fact I might even know how to keep you safe from such, might even give you knowledge enough to save those poor doomed dwarves oh if you could hear them now, if you'd just lend me your ear for a moment..."

Ash didn't reply, and, as suddenly as the demon had appeared, it disappeared, leaving Ash with a sense of relief. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with the demon, especially not when it started speaking in riddles. What dwarves? The ones... what had they been doing? The ones growing out of the lyrium? Or, probably, the other way around? How could they be suffering?

Perhaps I should've at least---

"Ash, you with us? Can't have you dozing off in a place like this."

As if fog suddenly had cleared up, Ash blinked. It wasn't until Calien had been moving his hands past Ash's face that Ash noticed his surroundings again, and though his eyes had been opened this entire time, he had seen more of the fade than of the cave. Suddenly the others were there, though with the shrill voices he had heard earlier, it wasn't hard to figure out that they had finished what they were supposed to do. A little jarring, though nothing he hadn't encountered before.

"Sorry buddy. Don't work with a lot of mages usually...kinda forgot how affected you lot are by that shit."

Ash smiled, a bit dazed but otherwise fine. "It's... fine. It's not going to come out here, right? That explosion probably got a lot of the lyrium out in the air..." He was about to get up when he noticed Calien sitting down, and thus he stayed where he was sitting, though he made sure to make some more room for the others.

"Seems we might have time for a short rest though, all we've been through, I know I'll need some time to get that shit out of my head, don't suppose any of you have ever seen anything so horrible before?"

Ash simply nodded, adding a quiet: "Yeah.". It wasn't addressed to any of the others, and they would struggle to hear it at all. Ash didn't really want to "compete" over who had seen the worst stuff. He was a mage, for him it was expected. Ash had seen a lot of bad things, many not real, though the issue was that he had no idea which of them were.

"Do any of you think the dwarves were suffering even after the lyrium was destroyed?" he asked, having decided upon honouring his promise to Calien about letting them know if anything happened with his mind. "The demon said he knew a way to save them, but I don't know if it was these dwarves, or other dwarves, or if he was really just saying something to make me listen."

 

[Protocol95]

With the blast rung in Jarrett's ears he giggled in relief.

"Seems we might have time for a short rest though, all we've been through, I know I'll need some time to get that shit out of my head, don't suppose any of you have ever seen anything so horrible before?"

"Plenty. There's a lot to be done when pursuing ideals of my calibre." Nonchalantly leaving uncomfortable implication Jarrett sat down near Ash.

"Do any of you think the dwarves were suffering even after the lyrium was destroyed? The demon said he knew a way to save them, but I don't know if it was these dwarves, or other dwarves, or if he was really just saying something to make me listen."

"Oh, it made an offer huh? Heheheh. Then ask if it'd smite that child creature. Assuming it can... negotiate. Of course Ash you shouldn't agree to that offer even if you make it. I just want to test the demon. And toy with it like a bully."

 

[StormShaun]

The glow of the room gave an oppressive atmosphere as the bombs were being planted, but talk still echoed through the room, and people made sure that the area was safe enough to fulfill the objective. For Von, his body naturally pulled him away from any source of Lyrium, so he settled for guard duty as he paced and patrolled the area, so that no pesky Darkspawn or weird monsters would chew through and mutilate their bodies. Yet sometimes he took quick glances at the red and blue mineral, before he rapidly tore his gaze from it and shook from side to side in desperation.

The Templar even prayed several times, but with a final gulp, once again his throat felt as if it had been forcefully filled with sand. It couldn't be any worse, except his canteen lacked much weight from hours before. The missing evidence of any moisture gave birth to an itch, a literal itch, and it was one that couldn't be solved with the most violent of scratches. This only made Von extend his fingers and quickly bawled them up again into a fist, several times this process went by before the magic words were said.

"the less time we spend near here the better."

"Thank fuck." He bitterly spat to himself, before giving a quick jog back to the group. The blast was somewhat a spectacular yet depressing sight. It was great to see something you hate become complete rubble, yet as he needed it, the thirst had returned, reminding him about his long urge. Emitting a low growl as the force of the blast flew past them, the air almost seem to lure out his desire.

Ignoring the sense of sound, it paid in double as the sense of smell hit him. To the Templar, Lyrium had the scent of something sharply bittersweet, yet mixed with the harsh, burning sensation of iron, in other words, sweet-smelling blood. Craving anything Lyrium, Von gave a strong sniff, and that was when he body stood still, frozen, thinking if this should be something accepted or rejected. His eyes began to vibrate greatly, and the short huffs he breathed became ragged.

"Seems we might have time for a short rest though, all we've been through,"

Time had seem to pass with that. Placing a sudden hand on the wall for support, Von quickly began to run toward the corner of the room, lurching over and expelling any substance in his stomach. If anyone dared to look, it seemed to be thin paste with small lumps, yet what was more urgent was that it is coloured a sickly red. Not much like blood, but it had looked like a demented painter mixed blood with a little bit of blue to create an insane version of magenta.

The scene was finished within ten seconds, only leaving the sound of rough coughs, but even that stopped, leaving a short silence and the small movement of the pitiable Templar. Even so, one jerk movement was seen from Von, and a object flew through the air, landing with an impressionable splash of glass. The shards littered the ground between the group and Templar, but what was more noticeable was the blue liquid dotting the ground of glass.

 

[IFS]

Once the group had caught their breath they pressed on back towards the dwarves. The tunnels were long and dark but mercifully empty of all but the noises of distant Darkspawn. It felt like an eternity moving back in silence and darkness before the lights of the dwarven encampment became clear. Rubble was strewn about and new bodies seemed to have joined the injured and fallen but the dwarves still held.

"Ha! So you're still breathing!" Anso's voice cried out over the wreckage of the defenses "You've done it then? Stopped them? I knew it must have been you, they were about to overrun us when they just stopped and fell to pieces."

As they got closer Anso became more visible, he was bleeding from a wound in his side but grinning in spite of it. Around him dwarves tended to their own injuries, some few worked at the defenses while others worked at digging at the rubble that had trapped them in their current position. Many others rested, either asleep or in an exhausted state very near it slumped up against whatever supported them.

"Yes, we destroyed the red lyrium causing the ghosts to attack," Calien said, then shuddered "and we, well we encountered a monstrous creature, like a great darkspawn insect, it was eating other spawn."

"So it's not dead? Damn," Anso spat "we encountered it before, brought the passage down to stop it. Thought we'd at least wounded it... I'll answer any questions you have about it as best I can. In the meantime we must determine how to escape this blighted place, be best if you had some way to clear this rubble I fear my men won't last through much of a trek in the roads."

Calien nodded "Of course," then turned to the group "Go to the dwarves, ask any questions you can think of, or see if you've got some way through all that rubble. I'd rather not spend much longer down here myself."

"Ah, but not you Von," he said, grabbing the templar by the shoulder "I'd like to speak with you in private."

He pulled him away from the others before speaking further "I can tell something is wrong, you've been erratic since we arrived out here, acting like you're sick or something," he said "You aren't drugged are you? If there is something I can do to help let me hear it."

 

[Athol]

Kari was glad to get back to Anso and his men, not that they were any safer here, it was just nice to see faces that weren?t horrific nightmare inducing horrors. The dwarves looked like they?d been in a hell of a fight while the party was away, but those stubborn little bastards had held out.

"Go to the dwarves, ask any questions you can think of, or see if you've got some way through all that rubble. I'd rather not spend much longer down here myself."

Nodding, Kari headed towards where the dwarves were tending their more seriously wounded, setting her blade, helm and gauntlets aside, she crouched down to lend a hand. ?Any merc who wants to live to an old age needs to know at least the basics.? She said with a smile, easily lifting a wounded warrior, while his companion wrapped his chest wound. Working with the dwarve?s healer, she helped as best she could to tend the most badly hurt. ?Okay, I hate to ask this, but I think I must.? She said after a while. ?How likely is that Volshen will actually try and mount a rescue? It?s not exactly unheard of for a noble to use circumstance to remove a rival?especially if that rival is family.?

 

[Protocol95]

Returning to Anso's group gave Jarrett a sense of progress and relief, even if it was fragile. Keeping close to Calien during his address, Jarrett looked over the wounded.

"Go to the dwarves, ask any questions you can think of, or see if you've got some way through all that rubble. I'd rather not spend much longer down here myself."

"Understood." Waving away at Calien as he dragged Von off, no doubt because of the Templar's instability Jarrett thought, he made his way to Anso, giving a casual wave and bow.

"Greetings Anso. Escape is on everyone's minds but we need to exercise concern over this 'child' monster. Any routes here or nearby that it can take need to be known. Anything at all, even if it's too small, closed off, or even just a weak wall. Let me know and worst case scenario, we have a better defence. Best case, my group can kill it before it becomes anybody's problem."

 

[StormShaun]

With a face of agony plastered across his face, and both arms wrapped around his stomach, Von huffed in short intervals, making sure there was nothing in him that would escape. While this was a focus, the Templar felt as if he needed to throw up more, for the substance of Lyrium was far more intrusive than corrupt blood and the morning stew that now seeps into the old Dwarven rock. Forcefully coughing, he gave one last spit before straightening his body.

"Go to the dwarves, ask any questions you can think of, or see if you've got some way through all that rubble. I'd rather not spend much longer down here myself."

"About time..." Von told himself, yet a unwelcome voice attacked his mind. ("Tsk, tsk, tsk. Didn't you learn?") The dark voice whispered sweetly. Quickly, Von turned back to the group, who were slowly approaching the dwarves. Yet before he could leave, a red claw gripped his shoulder. It was the demonic-like [http://orig08.deviantart.net/e7fb/f/2009/331/4/b/dragon_age__red_dragon_armour_by_ignusdei.jpg] armour, but the arm felt like nothing, as if the arm was a feather. ("This is what you've done~") It muttered with a tone of ecstasy.

The Templar's eyes were unsure where to look, anyway but him, fortunately it found the small, wine-coloured puddle of blood. Focusing, his reflecting was inside it. "Y-your not here." He muttered in fear and began to walk. It followed closely behind. ("Well, no and yes. I'm in here, you're just projecting me.") He prodded a sharp finger against Von's scalp. Feeling a sudden surge of anger, the Templar threw his head to the side. ("Piss... ... off!") His venomous thought sent the thing cackling. ("Ah, such a wondrous dance. I appear, you get angry, I laugh. Remember... I. AM. YOUR. SINS.") The 'Demon' growled, and suddenly gripped both shoulders.

"Ah, but not you Von,"

As Calien made contact with Von's shoulder, the man suddenly made a flinch, the speed had made it seem that he was trying to escape his own skin. Very quickly, Calien met contact with the Templar's face. It was pale, deathly, as if he had just made contact with a monster, even worse than the one the whole group met earlier. His eyes were open wide, and the whites had become contaminated by red blood vessels, and finally, his breath matched his chest, as it expanded and contracted.

"I can tell something is wrong, you've been erratic since we arrived out here, acting like you're sick or something,"

"I... it..." He said scared, and taking one a quick glance at the nothing behind him. Von gave a single breath of relief, and slowly sunk into a short giggle. "I-i don't know. Lyrium and it appearing." Von said with an unusual smile, as if he denied something he had just witnessed. With shaking arms, he gripped both of Calien's shoulders. "I have a bad... a really, really bad Lyrium problem." He said, meeting the Squad leader's eyes with his own sad, insane gaze.

 

[DarkRawen]

"Oh, it made an offer huh? Heheheh. Then ask if it'd smite that child creature. Assuming it can... negotiate. Of course Ash you shouldn't agree to that offer even if you make it. I just want to test the demon. And toy with it like a bully."

Ash frowned. "I don't want to ever indulge it. And if I asked it to smite the child creature, it would have to take control of my body. Believe me when I say that it won't be like with the spirit, it won't ever let me have that control back." He shuddered at the thought, and got up, eager to keep moving again. It was odd how something like that could motivate him to keep going, keep surviving in even the most exhausting circumstances.

"Lets just get going."

It took a fair while to get back through the dark tunnels and to the dwarves they had met before, who looked even worse off now than they had before. Apparently the ghosts had appeared again, only to disappear suddenly. Ash knew why, though before he could say it, Calien mirrored his thoughts.

I suppose it would be more obvious to those who where there.

Ash did his best to keep his mind clear at a time like this, part of him wanted to just drift off to sleep or whatever state awaited -the one he had so narrowly avoided- while part of him felt trapped. For good reason too, considering the rubble.

"Go to the dwarves, ask any questions you can think of, or see if you've got some way through all that rubble. I'd rather not spend much longer down here myself. Ah, but not you Von, I'd like to speak with you in private."

Hopefully he'll find out just what the issue is.


It was really starting to worry Ash now. However, he decided against talking, to anyone. He might have been able to heal the others, perhaps, but both Kari and Jarrett seemed to be on that already. Besides, someone needed to clear out the rubble, to attack the weak points, perhaps. He started looking through it, squeezing and pushing where he could. He wanted to find out where it started, what rock he could remove to make it easier to clear up. He looked over at Nola and Berund, who were currently unoccupied.

"Could either of you help out too? I think it's better we get out before the Childer arrives than after. I'd like to fight it without having to worry about the injured people."

 

[sage42]

Nola sighed with relief as they made it back to the cavern with the small camp. As much as she missed the cavern's and tunnels of the Deep Roads, she didn't miss the Darkspawn. She would be ecstatic if they got to visit a nice warm Thiag once all of this was said and done. Hell maybe she could spin it into a possible mission for the Inquisition.

By the time the group went their separate way's Nola was already at a loss. Her skills weren't much for those dead or dying. She could give them their last rights, but the few remaining dwarves had that covered. She doubted many wanted the words of an exile to be the last thin they heard anyway.

"Could either of you help out too? I think it's better we get out before the Childer arrives than after. I'd like to fight it without having to worry about the injured people."

She looked over after Ash spoke, nodding. "Good thinking Sparks, I'm not one for healing anyway. Might as well put these arms of mine to good use." She said joining him by the pile of rubble.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

"Could either of you help out too? I think it's better we get out before the Childer arrives than after. I'd like to fight it without having to worry about the injured people."

"Good thinking Sparks, I'm not one for healing anyway. Might as well put these arms of mine to good use."

"Not like we weren't born fer it," Berund admitted, talking of the similarities between Ash's enlistees for digging. The former Legionnaire shed his armor?not particularly eager to exhaust himself any sooner?down to his plainclothes and began moving some of the larger stones. He would be the admit he's put on a bit of heft over the years, but one wouldn't know it when his body tensed each time he exerted himself. Beneath the soft layer of comfortable living was a frame of muscles as solid as the very rocks he carried.

Sufficiently warmed up, Berund began to do some stretches, a routine he'd neglected for some time as was made apparent by the burning in his legs. A reminder of how important even the most basic movements were, especially since his youth had bee at his back for a number of years. When he was satisfied he continued right on relocating the rubble. And when he did, he did so humming a jaunty tune he recalled from one of his favorite taverns back home. He even began to mutter some of the lines as he went along.

"Ooohh, I've heard of dwarves who get in fights
'bout every time they drink,
And those who need to have a woman
just to help them think,
And if you want to see a dwarf
whine and beg and plead,
Just pour out all his ale
and take away his mead.

There's never been a Paragon
of Wisdom or of Thinking,
And though I tried a time or two,
I ne'r got raised for stinking,
But hang around here long enough
and don't you go a blinking,
'Cuz someday I am gonna be
the Paragon of Drinking..."​

 

[IFS]

"I have a bad... a really, really bad Lyrium problem."

"I see," Calien said, "are you having trouble getting enough of it, or are you having withdrawals? In either case I'm sure the Inquisition can help, we've already got supply chains established to help keep the mages stocked, or if it's the other way I'm sure a healer could look for something to ease the pain."

In truth Calien wasn't sure how bad such things could get, he'd seen Templars with lyrium problems before, usually old ones addled by the substance to the point they forgot their own name. But the Templars in Antiva were well stocked by various smuggling deals. Then of course there was the issue of red lyrium, Calien didn't voice concern that Von might have imbibed the stuff, if that was the case they would almost certainly have to kill him.

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"How likely is that Volshen will actually try and mount a rescue? It's not exactly unheard of for a noble to use circumstance to remove a rival...especially if that rival is family."

"You think my little brother would abandon me in the Deeps so he could claim head of the family?" Anso said, then burst into laughter "you're not wrong to ask about it, certainly dwarven politics hasn't been kind to older brothers in recent history, but my brother isn't like that. He's not cut out for leading and he knows it, gets too frustrated and barks at everyone as though it'll make things go faster. He'll runs the books well enough but for dealing with people? Well let's just say there's a reason our mother gave him a golem to associate with."

He scratched his beard "I'd wager he's still looking, though for how much longer I can't say," he said "some of my men claim they've heard digging coming from the other side of the rubble but there's enough of it it might take another week or two to shift it all. If only we had some explosives, we brought some with us to begin with but we used most of them to try and bury that thing, not sure we got them all to go off but any that're left would be buried in there somewhere."

He glanced over as Nola and Berund began shifting rubble, then laughed at Berund's song.

"Been a while since I heard that one," he said, then frowned "say why are you two wearing your helmets? Let me see your faces."