The First Blight: Curse of Dumat [RP/Closed]

[duckflesh]

Trajan nodded, smiling wryly. "We will see you joined tomorrow night. If you have not yet been warned, please allow me to do so: the joining process is dangerous, and kills a very substantial portion of those who attempt it. It is the risk we all take to fight the Darkspawn. Many much frailer than you have survived it, however, so I hope that you will have no trouble."

He gestured at the door. "I'll see you tomorrow evening. Oh, and as your first mission: might you locate the elf Ulrin and ask him to come see me?" Trajan said this with mock severity, as though the task would require more than five minutes.

 

[Slycne]

"Aye, Ser. I'm aware of the dangers in the ritual." He considered thanking the man for being so frank and open about the risks, something the others had not received the luxury of if stories were true, but it didn't seem the time nor place. "But as you said you'd be hard pressed to find sterner stock than I."

Jarrik left the room with a curt nod, seeking the elf where he last saw him in the yard. "Ulrin, your commander wishes to see you."

 

[Rosen2012]

"Does he now?" Ulrin looked up at newcomer, though he supposed by now he wasn't so new. "Thank you, Jarrik, I will be on my way then."

Ulrin made his way from the practice grounds and growing chatter of just what Theadrin now was and the preparations for Diocles' ceremony. He had put himself into training and ignoring the news of the two men he cared for the most, and it had worked. The elf found that during his walk to the Commander's, he felt the calmest he had in weeks. Though he imagined that he was being summoned by the commander to discuss all the turmoil that had been brewing in the group, and within himself. He entered the room and gave the closest variation to a salute that he could. Mostly mimicking off of memory what he recalled seeing Diocles do in Theadrin's presence again and again.

"You wanted to see me, Commander Vorenus?"

 

[duckflesh]

"Ah, Ulrin."

Trajan drew his sword, then laid it down on the map table.

"Alrik seems to think that you perform your duties only when coerced; that you consider yourself as much a slave here as you were in your previous life. That you resent your superior officers, resent humans, and resent the Grey Wardens."

Trajan paced as he spoke.

"Sulahn'nehn had a similar problem. She has asked for another chance, and I have given it to her-- but do you want another chance? I told you from the start that you could die if you wished, but that promise was not kept."

He picked up the sword. "I can remedy that now, if you wish. Are you a Grey Warden? Grey Wardens obey a chain of command willingly. Grey Wardens serve because they wish to. Is that why you are with us? Because you wish it? If not, you must return to your master's house... or perish, if you are still so intent on dying."

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles took some time to seek out men he knew had been under Thaedrin's command. With each one he encountered he attempted to explain what had happened and offer his condolences, exchanging moderately kind words with them about the Constable's character. For the most part the exchanges were polite and friendly. The remainder were more.. Colorful.

Regardless, he eventually made his way back to Delphina's side uninjured. The archer took the time to correct the stances of some of the burgeoning bowmen before beginning to address his still superior.

"Well, Thaedrin has found a way to annoy me from beyond the pale of sort-of death. It appears he put in a recommendation and I shall be promoted to Senior Warden."

 

[Rosen2012]

To say the least Ulrin was surprised the man was so to the point. He looked down at teh blade on the map table thinking. From the moment he laid his eyes on the elf the human drew his sword for Ulrin to see. To know that the way out he had once longed for was as close as the man across the table. Had Trajan Vorenus asked him before they departed on expedition he would have told him yes. He was more than intent on dying, he'd have taken the sword and stabbed himself in mid-answer if he was fast enough.

But that choice to die suddenly seemed far off in the wake of everything that happened.

"No, Commander. I am no intent on dying." He looked up from the sword to Commanding Warden. "I can, and will obey the chain of command. I wish to be allowed fight the Darkspawn. I wish to be a Grey Warden, Commander Vorenus."

 

[duckflesh]

Trajan nodded grimly. "Good. That's settled, then." He sheathed the sword.

"Unless you had anything for me, you're dismissed. Get some rest; by the day after tomorrow I'm sure there will be a new urgent mission awaiting us."

---

Delphina gave Diocles a pat on the shoulder.

"Well done! You deserve it. Maybe it will motivate you to keep your trousers on. The Commander wanted to speak to me as well-- I assume he'll be having me executed to make room for you."

 

[FortyThree]

"Well, that's exactly my problem, ma'am! There's no fun in seducing someone I have actual authority over. Surely you know what I'm talking about, or you'd have fallen prey to my charms by now."

He threw his still-superior an overly cheeky wink, just incase she made the mistake of thinking he was being serious for once. Their working relationship was one he quite enjoyed and valued highly, and for its continued sake he was quite happy to keep it platonic.

"On that note, perhaps they'll have you fill Thaedrin's shoes to keep you over me. Lets face it, I'd be a terror without someone I respect to report to."

 

[duckflesh]

Delphina laughed. "I guess I'd better head over there. Make sure to get some rest tonight for your big day tomorrow. Let me know if you need your hair braided or to borrow a dress."

Leaving him with the recruits, she went off to speak to the Warden Commander.

 

[Rosen2012]

"Yes, Commander." Ulrin gave the man another salute, slightly better than his first attempt and exited the room . Once outside he quickly put distance between himself and the Commander. It wasn't that he was afraid, or event hat he was thankful, he just wanted to away from him. All he wanted now was to fall into the ranks and survive this place.

When it was all over, and if they lived to see the Blight crushed, then he think about the humans that wronged him. That wronged them. But for now it would have to come second to surviving.

 

[Cinnonym]

With each Warden, and the newcomer Jarrik, having been debriefed and dismissed, it was time to become reacquainted with the fortress, to return to their uniforms. To attend drills come morning, to prepare for the modest banquet that evening. Tables had been set out in the Great Hall, tended by those slaves too young or too old to be Joined, and trays of horse meat and boiled root vegetables set out with ale. Despite the losses the group had faced during their six weeks abroad, life here continued unawares. Many of their comrades around the table were fresh-faced recruits, as so many of the others had been deployed, and all they knew yet was the training and some bad dreams. They didn?t know who had died and who had come back from the dead, and it didn?t cost them any comfort.

If anything would make them uneasy, it was Fidelity?s presence. As much as it made the motions and sounds of a living thing, the bloodless body and empty expression gave it just enough likeness to a corpse to disturb them. As such, despite the limited seating, the spirit had plenty of room to itself on the bench.

Some interesting rumors circled the tables, including one that perhaps Thaedrin had been this way all along, and Diocles really had ruined all the virgins.

 

[ShadowFolk]

Had she been in any other mood, she might have been sad to see the Antivan leathers and clothes be replaced by the Warden uniform. The plus was being able to throw herself into drills, it was a fantastic way to temporarily relieve pent up aggression. For a while, she felt better, good in fact, until she caught glimpses of Diocles around the fortress. It would seem that Weisshaupt was not quite big enough. It got worse for Sulahn'nehn sleeping in the barracks without Ghil in the bunk above her.

Once she, along with the others were gathered in the dining hall, the elf distanced herself from the people she'd been trapped on the boat with. She feared being near Fidelity for obvious reasons, she couldn't look at Diocles for long without wanting to open her mouth to say something likely stupid, she barely knew Jarrik, there was no speaking to Alrik, and Ulrin was well, he wasn't so bad. Perhaps she just did not want to be near them all when ale and celebration were at hand. It was hardly a time to be congratulating anyone.

"Oh, for Creator's sake..." she mumbled into her cup.

 

[Slycne]

Jarrik had spent the intervening time getting himself situated in the barracks. No one stopped the tall armored figure who looked more a warden than a fair share of them, and it seemed a good omen to settle in as if it weren't going to be cut short. Granted he traded a hard wooden bunk for a hammock he hung himself instead.

By the time the rounds were being tolled for their evening meal, the Rivaini had scrapped and washed away a good deal of the accumulated dust and grime from their travels. The sprouting 2 week young beard had been trimmed and fresh clothes drawn. His black mane of hair was drawn back with a red sash around his forehed, and not yet a warden he wore fine leather garb again instead of the warden's uniform that many had donned.

He took a seat at the seemingly only lone table, with its sole occupant being Thaedrin. The other wardens seemed to be keeping their distance, no surprise. The man, or thing, still put him ill at ease, but it had lessened now that he didn't look the part of a freshly slain corpse. Servants quickly delivered food and beverage to him, and he ate and drank in silence until a notion tickled his curiosity.

"Can you even get drunk?" He lifted the mug to Thaedrin to indicate his meaning.

 

[Rosen2012]

For Ulrin, returning the Warden's uniform was just another sign of acceptance to their fate here. There was nothing they could do about, so he would come to love it by force if he had to. Spending his time training with the other rogues, becoming reacquainted with the barrack's hard beds, anything he could do to keep his mind focus on anything but the previous weeks. It was the time ahead that he had to focus on now.

Though he did miss seeing Ghil barging her way through the smaller recruits. While Sulahn'nehn and he hadn't really come to understand each other until recently, their bond forming in the midst of the groups chaos put a bit of a strain on seeing her. Specially when they were both being watched to ensure they would no longer be trouble.

So for now he kept to the other rogues, sitting with them in the hall. Though he kept quiet and listened to them gossip about the corpse left at a table by itself. Occasionally he glanced around taking note of where the female else was, and that Jarrik had decided to be so bold as to sit with Fidelity. That man was strange. He couldn't tell if it was a good kind of strange, like the way Ghil was, or just insanity.

 

[Cinnonym]

"Drunk," Fidelity said, trying the word on his tongue, "A ritual of imbibing alcoholic substances that manifests in every mortal race in history. It would be a very educational experience to take part, I am sure, however my current physiology is only very slowly returning to an average human state. Currently, eating and drinking requires that I expend my own energy to process the substance before it poisons this body. There is a possibility that the gradual burn of alcohol by magic would produce a similar headiness in this body as it does yours, however, it would be markedly unfair as I control the rate at which I do so."

Anyone else may have realized the conversation had gotten very heavy for dinner company and apologized or made a joke. Not Fidelity, though.

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles once again found himself surrounded by new recruits, though this time his motives were entirely innocent. His multi-tasking was improving considerably. Not only was he eating with one hand and writing a letter with the other, but in-between bites of food he made an effort to answer basic questions the recruits had. By now he had most of their names memorized, though admittedly he had trouble getting Elvish names quite right. Along with all his other activities, the archer made a point of smacking anyone who tried to spy by reading over his shoulder, making mention that the document was of a private nature.

Needless to say, all these activities left him with no attention to spare, and he seemed completely oblivious to all other goings-on.

 

[Slycne]

The tall Rivaini man just stretched his neck, popping the bones, he considered jesting that his stamina might outlast Fidelity's magic, but the spirit wasn't much of a verbal jouster. He tipped his mug to the man and gave him a shrug.

"It's not very good stuff anyways, should've brought a cask or three wine with us from Antiva." He started drinking to quelling any sense of awkwardness at being the only one at the table with Fidelity.

 

[Rosen2012]

Once Ulrin had had his fill, he found there was not much for him to do. He was leery of engaging the other Wardens. Most of them were human after all. he could remain at his place at the table in silence and continue to drink he supposed, but that would make for a long clouded night.

He glanced around again, picking out the faces he knew. Jarrik was still with Fidelity. He supposed the spirit itself was not bad, however it wore a 'Theadrin suit', and either its ghastly mannerisms or his own ill memories tacked onto the body it inhabited would keep him away from it for some time. Diocles had made himself at home at a table of new recruits. Even with new responsibilities under his belt, he did not change. He was like a vulture, Ulrin reasoned. And the new recruits were scraps left out for him to dine upon. Most of the occupants at his table were elven slaves, who like Sulahn'nehn, were taking in the idea of being given a chance and being 'free'. He had to look, it made him sick. Diocles was quite possibly a worse human than Theadrin; he just narrowly missed the position by not being a Blood Mage.

Finally he stood up form his table, there was only one face left that he knew and it was the female elf. Like himself she had managed to commit herself to solitary at a table of others. He grabbed his mug and made his way over to her sliding in narrowly into a space beside her.

"Evening, sister," he nodded to her. "How have you felt since we've returned?"

 

[ShadowFolk]

Upon seeing it was Ulrin who sat next to her, Sulahn?nehn moved over to make more room for him. She could probably go on for a least an hour about how she had been feeling and it took great will power not to try to look for Diocles in the sea of new recruits. She looked into her cup, swirling the contents in thought before she answered.

?It would be a blatant lie to say I was fine.? She glanced to the rogue, ?But, I am better. I think in due time I will be passed it. All of it. ?And what of you? Are you- I am sure it is just as hard for you.?

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin nodded slowly and watched her swirl her cup. "I cannot say I am thrilled. At best I am calm." He took a sip from his own mug. "IT is a bit hard, to be here. I feel like there is a weight upon my back. I cannot tell if it is guilt or sadness, but it is there."

He took another long drink form his mug, finishing off its contents. "I do hope that you and I will be allowed to work together again. I feel at least, if there is one familiar face about, things will not be so bad."