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Defenders of the Empty Throne Ch.114


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#1 Theodur

Posted 08 April 2017 - 08:15 AM

Chapter 114

 

The Canyon, Hissing Wastes

 

"It's a lucky thing we weren't traveling on horseback," Dorian Pavus observed thoughtfully as they stood atop a rocky overlook, facing the steep drop of a deep canyon that had suddenly appeared in front of them without any previous notice of being there. "I'm not sure we would have managed to stop our horses in time before going over the edge."

 

"Definitely a treacherous trap," Bull agreed. He had dropped on his stomach, balancing on the edge of the overlook and trying to see into the depths of the canyon. "Mhm, it's very deep indeed… I can feel the draft of cold air rising from within. Quite pleasant, actually."

 

"Try not to fall in, will you?" Dorian frowned, looking a little worried.

 

"Such touching concern, I didn't think you had it in you, Dorian," Bull chuckled.

 

"I'm just worried about who's going to keep those fifty Chargers in line when you fall in and break your thick neck," Dorian snorted.

 

"Forty-seven, to be more accurate," Bull pointed out with a broad grin on his face as he finally pushed himself away from the edge of the overlook and rose back up to his feet. "I can see lit torches or braziers at the bottom, the same green light like at the Four Pillars tomb, so I'm guessing the Venatori have already paid this place a visit."

 

"So the canyon tomb is down in the canyon?" Harding remarked, standing nearby with Alexius, Krem and Skinner. "How very unexpected!"

 

"I propose that we still search the tomb even if the Venatori have gone over the place," Magister Alexius suggested. "It's quite possible that they might have missed something."

 

"I agree, if we can find a way to descend down there safely," Dorian agreed. "If the Venatori have made it into the canyon, there should be a way for us to do the same."

 

"Not that I disagree with what's being said here, but let me just put a big sour note on the whole thing," the Iron Bull said. "You know how we were wondering why there would be a giant spider infestation in a desert?" he asked, then pointing down into the canyon. "I just discovered their breeding grounds."

 

"Eww!" Harding exclaimed with a deep frown on her face. "I'll pay you five sovereigns just to sit this one out. I hate spiders."

 

"I believe we should start by locating the Venatori camp," Alexius said, smiling briefly. "Could it be down in the canyon itself?"

 

"With all the spiders? Unlikely," Bull shook his head, then looking around, staring at the steep rock face on the other side of the canyon, blocking their view. "I bet it's on the other side of the canyon. We'll have to make our way around to find out, though."

 

"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" Harding exclaimed impatiently. "Let's get going!"

 

Buoyed by the dwarven scout's bubbly enthusiasm, the group swiftly proceeded on its way, heading north alongside the edge of the canyon, forced to walk for several minutes until the canyon suddenly swerved and continued to run westwards from then on. The canyon itself soon disappeared from the group's view as outcroppings of sharp rock gradually rose from the edges of the chasm and forced them to take an even longer route around. When the rocks to their left finally disappeared after almost a quarter of an hour of walking, they were surprised to see a large semi-circle shaped by perfect square prisms of stone monoliths before them. The massive stones had been stacked atop of each other in three or four rows, but the structure had never been completed, the dwarves for some reason abandoning their task.

 

Behind this semi-circle, there were other incomplete structures made from the massive monoliths, but judging by the incomplete work it was hard to predict what the dwarves had intended to build here. The semi-circle seemed to be indicative of some sort of an arena, so Rocky's suggestion that it might have been an attempt of establishing Proving Grounds on the surface rang believable. Venatori fireplaces and oil braziers were placed throughout the ruin, so the group advanced forward carefully, even if there was still no sign of the Venatori camp itself. As they moved forward through the ruins, instead of encountering the Venatori, the group came across a similar uncovered entrance as at the Four Pillars, a wide stairway leading downwards, likely into yet another tomb. Motioning for the others to remain behind, Bull, Dorian, Alexius and Harding silently sneaked down the stairs to investigate the uncovered ruin, hoping to take any Venatori down there by surprise.

 

The layout of this particular ruin was slightly different from the one they had explored previously. There was no antechamber but a long corridor that let them into a solitary hall, which was filled with rubble and seemed largely unfinished before the dwarves had abandoned it. There were the traditional dwarven statues by the left and the right wall, but it did not feature the stone slabs with inscriptions and the Veilfire torches like at the Four Pillars tomb. Indeed, it appeared that the Venatori had been using this hall as their supply warehouse; two of the Vint soldiers currently present to run inventory checks at the orders of their magister. Both of them were incredibly surprised to see a massive qunari leading a group of Inquisition agents into the hall, too surprised to offer any resistance, both dying with expressions of shock on their faces.

 

"You are very efficient at dispatching these hapless fools, my large friend," Alexius told Bull. "But I implore you to remember what I asked about leaving one of them alive for questioning."

 

"I thought you wanted a magister," Bull grunted.

 

"That would be preferable, but I recognize the danger involved," Alexius replied.

 

"Nah, it's all good. You want a magister to fry, I'll get you a magister," the qunari smirked. "I hope you don't have much sympathy for this Magister Harmmonum, though."

 

"Don't worry about that, friend qunari," Alexius smiled in reply as the four of them swiftly abandoned the ruin, having found nothing of value or interest in it… and emerging on the surface to find the Bull's Chargers having abandoned their post to engage with a group of Venatori desperately defending further into the ruins.

 

"Ah, fuck… I'm so going to chew out Krem and Skinner for being unable to keep these idiots under control," Bull swore as he rushed ahead to leap into the fray, Alexius, Dorian and Harding staying a little behind to get a better grasp of the situation before they let loose with their ranged attacks and risked hitting an ally amidst all the fracas. Having noticed sparkles of magic flying about and zapping the Chargers, the two mages quickly identified the Venatori magister in the chaotic melee, Alexius succeeding in trapping Harmmonum in a force field, but not before the Venatori mage had taken several solid blows from the Chargers surrounding him.

 

The Venatori group was not particularly large, fewer than a dozen, and even if they managed to offer a stiffer resistance than at the Sand Crags, they still went down within a minute or so. After the last of the Vints had been dispatched, Bull shouted angrily at some of the more moronic Charger recruits who were trying to whack at the force field protecting the injured Magister Harmmonum, wondering why their efforts did not penetrate the barrier until the qunari's booming voice sent them packing. "Krem! Skinner! To me," he shouted at the conclusion of the battle, clearly intending to chew out his lieutenants on the back of their failure to keep order.

 

"Boss, they spotted us and attacked, we had no choice but to respond," Krem argued, already knowing the reason for Bull's anger, the surly Skinner nodding along with her fellow lieutenant.

 

"Bah, all I'm hearing is excuses," Bull grumbled, though even he couldn't deny the validity of Krem's argument. "Whatever… get lost, and don't return until you've tallied up our losses. Meanwhile, it looks like I have a magister to help interrogate," he added, watching how Alexius dispelled the force field, making the other magister topple in the sand, bleeding all over his robes.

 

"Magister Harmmonum, fancy meeting you here," Alexius smirked, standing over his injured former colleague. "I have a healing potion for you, provided you answer a few questions for us," he added, presenting the vial of red liquid to the magister, the man wracked with pain, twisting in the sands at their feet.

 

"You! You… traitor!" Harmmonum snapped, trying to spit at Alexius, incapable of even getting spittle past his lips. "I'll tell you nothing!"

 

"Really? These dwarven ruins are worth dying for?" Alexius asked, appearing disbelieving. "You will choose undignified end here, in the middle of nowhere, when for sharing information with us, we could heal your injuries and make sure you arrive safely back to your family and your new wife at Caimen Brea?"

 

"They are nothing compared to what the Elder One has promised us," Harmmonum spat angrily. "They are dead to me. I'm doing this for Corypheus and for myself. Your threats of death are meaningless. When the Elder One ascends, he will rule this life and the next! For refusing to deal with a traitor like you, I will sit by Corypheus' right hand in the Fade!"

 

"Is that what you think?" Alexius shook his head. "Well, in that case, there's nothing to do but to let you test your own theory." The magister raised his hand, levitating a large rock nearby and then using the stonefist spell to smash the heavy stone against the head of Harmmonum, crushing it into a gory and messy pulp.

 

"That could have been done more subtly," Dorian commented, having managed to jump back just in time to avoid his robes getting spattered with brain matter.

 

"It's a great way to make a point, I'll give you that much, Alexius," Bull laughed. "Even if you have now wasted your chance to learn anything from the man."

 

"He had become a mindless, indoctrinated zealot by this point," Alexius replied. "He would have told us nothing."

 

"Well… there are methods… not that I enjoy torture, so I'm happy to pass on that," Bull shrugged.

 

"Let us not allow this conflict to turn us into rabid animals, shall we, my large friend?" Alexius smiled. "I'm sure we can discover the necessary information in other ways." He then pointed at a shoddily constructed writing desk, made from crude planks, next to a wall of stone monoliths. "It looks as if Harmmonum was working on something when this battle broke out. Let us take a look at what he was writing."

 

"Looks like he was composing a letter," Dorian said, first to reach the table and picking up a piece of parchment, the ink on it still wet. "Addressed to someone called Murena," he looked up at Alexius after speaking the name, but the older magister simply shrugged in response. "'I'm returning to the main camp', he writes… well, so much for that. Looks like we caught them just in time."

 

"Poor unlucky bastard," Bull chuckled, staring at the near-headless corpse of Harmmonum.

 

"Well, the rest of this letter is mostly whining about the conditions they had been forced to work in. I doubt their overseer would really care about these tearful complaints," Dorian snorted. "Oh… and he writes about having already sent the recovered items from the canyon tomb and the burial grounds tomb. That's very annoying. We were still too late to stop them from dispatching the shipment."

 

"Well, nothing to do about it," Bull shrugged. "But I guess our next stop is the Sunstop Mountains? Let's hope for a more timely intervention there. I'm getting very tired of arriving only to find the tombs already emptied."

 

"I understand the desire for urgency, my friend, but I would still recommend to explore these two tombs ourselves," Alexius cautioned. "The Venatori might have overlooked something. There is no reason to try and beat them to the treasures of these tombs. The Venatori won't escape us in the desert, we can allow them to collect these items and then pry them from their cold, dead hands."

 

"Hmm… that's not a bad point, actually," Bull admitted, having chewed on the idea for a while. "One thing, though. Do we actually know where this burial grounds tomb is?"

 

"Let's see," Dorian mused, digging through the papers on the writing desk before pulling out two parchments with a victorious exclamation. "There we go, two drawings, very similar to those we found at the Four Pillars. This one is clearly the canyon tomb, and we already know where it is, so it's rather useless to us, but it also means the other one must be the burial grounds tomb," he said, setting one of the drawings aside and starting to study the other. "Hmm… two large statues of solemn looking dwarves, but they're not holding their war hammers like the other statues. I can see the Sunstop Mountains drawn far in the distance, but that just means this place could be anywhere in the desert."

 

"Umm, there's a map drawn on the other side of the parchment," Harding remarked, due to her small size getting an excellent view at the underside of the drawing.

 

"What? Oh… I knew that!" Dorian exclaimed hastily, flipping the parchment around and quickly examining the map, probably added by Harmmonum himself. "Well, according to this map the tomb isn't that far from here, in the mountains about three miles southwards."

 

"Alright, that means we have our targets," Bull nodded, shouting for Krem and Skinner to approach him again. "Well, how many did we lose this time?" he asked, facing down Krem.

 

"Three more, boss," Krem replied. "This time to swords and arrows, just for variety's sake."

 

"I guess that's not too bad, considering you were surprised," Bull admitted. "Anyway, time for you to make up for your failure and do a bit of legwork," he told his sour-faced lieutenants who wisely realized that this wasn't the time for irreverent backtalk. "Both of you grab a dozen of our recruits and get ready for some tomb searching. Skinner, take the map from Dorian and do your best to find this burial grounds tomb. Collect everything that looks important or valuable! And take Harding with you for a set of dwarven eyes."

 

"Young lady, if you could make copies of the inscriptions from those stone slabs in the tomb, I would be infinitely grateful," Alexius looked at Harding. "Or copies of any other dwarven writings found within the tomb."

 

"Sure, happy to do that," Harding agreed amiably, clearly approving of the respectful way in which the older magister was treating her.

 

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Bull glared at Skinner. "You have your orders!"

 

"Got it, boss," Skinner shrugged emotionlessly, looking above any offense as she stalked away.

 

"Same orders for you, Krem, but instead of Harding you get Rocky and the canyon tomb to explore," Bull continued, turning towards his second in command.

 

"But, boss… the spiders!" Krem groaned.

 

"The spiders? Damn it, Krem, you're a man, so act like one!" Bull growled. "Don't make me even angrier by complaining about some stupid spiders!"

 

"Fine, fine boss," Krem sighed. "So what are you going to do while we endure our punishment?"

 

"We're going to enjoy a picnic, Krem. We'll grill some august ram venison, enjoy a few bottles of Antivan Red, and then spend the rest of the afternoon building sand castles," Bull replied in a deceptively cheerful tone before his voice changed and he started to yell at Krem. "What the fuck do you care about what we're going to do? You have your orders, now carry them out!"

 

"I've never seen you go so hard on them," Dorian remarked, looking a little surprised, having watched Krem walk away, upset and muttering under his breath.

 

"True, but there's a reason for it," Bull replied. "I think they're going too easy on these worthless recruits, I need my lieutenants to drive them harder so that I can see who's a Charger material and who isn't. Now that I have chewed those two out, they will be angry and the recruits will serve as an outlet for their frustrations. Just what I wanted to accomplish."

 

"A fine example of leadership, my large friend," Alexius admitted, looking impressed, Dorian nodding as well. "Now, I don't suppose you might actually have a bottle of Antivan Red hidden away somewhere to brighten our day?"

 

"Afraid not, magister," Bull laughed, then snapping his fingers as he thought of something. "Then again… there's that Venatori storeroom we could check out. If we're lucky, perhaps we might find something interesting amongst their supplies."

 

~***~

 

Ancient Road, the Hissing Wastes

 

Having spent the night at the Venatori canyon campsite, the Inquisition forces resumed their mission on the following morning by setting out on a lengthy walk across the scorching sand towards the towering Sunstop Mountains, rising above the desert in the eastern part of the Hissing Wastes. Both Krem and Skinner's missions had produced similar results from exploring the tombs, finding nothing of value or interest and bringing back only drawings of the inscriptions made on the stone slabs inside the tombs. Krem had lost one of his men to the spiders in the canyon, and Skinner's group had also ran into a spider infestation near the burial grounds. While they had successfully circled around the spider hunting grounds, Skinner and her companions had then ran into some varghests who had managed to kill one and injure another of the Charger hopefuls.

 

Skinner had also reported an encounter with a woman wearing the robes of a Chantry sister, wandering the wastes seemingly for no reason. The elven rogue claimed that the woman had recanted verses from the Chant of Light at them before simply walking off and offering no explanation for her presence in the desert, leading Skinner to presume that they were dealing with a Chanter who had completely lost her marbles during the Chantry crisis, leaving a lasting impression on the faithful throughout Thedas, shaking their faith to the core. Of course, the others refused to believe any word of Skinner's tale about meeting this strange woman, mercilessly mocking the elf until the Iron Bull had stepped in and told everyone to stop, sensing that Skinner was a mere whisker away from going on a killing spree.

 

Throughout their journey from the Four Pillars to the Sunstop Mountains, the Iron Bull and his companions often came upon evidence of a massive ancient road once having connected both sites. In places, the sand had been uncovered to show the smooth surface of the stone paved road below. At least twice, they came upon the curious sight of the ancient dwarves having cut through the cliffs standing in their way, creating short tunnels that were still at least fifteen feet wide, refusing to compromise the ideally straight lines of their network of roads by creating an arc, instead insisting on cutting straight through the cliff. By the late afternoon of the exhausting day, as the group finally came closer to the Sunstop Mountains, they could see the ancient road revealed in its true magnificence, the dwarves still appearing to follow the same principles as when constructing the Deep Roads, the same impressive width of the passages, adorned on the sides ever so often with large statues, decorative pillars and road markers, all of them now overturned and resting atop the sands.

 

"I'm trying to imagine just how this must have once looked," Harding sighed. "It must have been absolutely marvelous…"

 

"Just think of a dwarven thaig and then bring all that up to the surface," Dorian smiled. "It seems that's what they were trying to do here."

 

"Trouble is, I only know Orzammar and some of the abandoned thaigs from illustrations," Harding sighed. "It's not really the same. Doesn't help me imagine what it must have been like here. Though I really do prefer the idea of living on the surface. If there once was a chance to do so amongst my people here, that must have been simply amazing."

 

"And you must remember that these lands only became a desert wasteland after the Second Blight," Alexius pointed out. "Back when the dwarves built this thaig, this was very likely a thickly forested area."

 

"Whoa… that would have been great," Harding sighed wistfully. "But… well, maybe it wasn't as amazing as I'm thinking. I mean, there must have been a reason why the fled the Deep Roads, and why their civilization here perished. Maybe it was the Second Blight that wiped them out."

 

"We simply don't know enough at this point to speculate," Dorian said. "Though, I have to agree. Even though we have seen very little of the ruins so far, the sheer magnitude of this place is breathtaking. In its bloom, it must have made for some sight."

 

"Over there, boss," Krem exclaimed, pointing ahead at the by now familiar looking Venatori tents, forming a small campsite by the side of the ancient road. "Looks like they've moved on some time ago, though. There was a note that spoke of them establishing a camp at the mountaintop, right?"

 

"Yeah, and there's the reason why," Bull nodded, pointing ahead at where the ancient road met the foot of the mountain at a dark opening into another dwarven structure, but massive blocks of stone had fallen, or had been purposefully collapsed upon the entrance, robbing them of any chance of gaining access this way. "The Venatori probably tried to get in there, but then gave up when it became clear that it was impossible."

 

"I'll just give that campsite a thorough search nonetheless," Harding spoke cheerfully, dashing towards the Venatori tents and disappearing into the first one, reappearing with a piece of parchment in her hand, then entering the second tent and emerging with yet another inscribed vellum. "I got something here, folks!" she shouted at the other leaders of the group, beckoning them to approach.

 

"Lay it on us, Harding," Bull chuckled, urging the enthusiastic scout to proceed.

 

"Right, so… this is a discarded letter, stuffed under an abandoned bedroll," Harding decided on which piece of evidence to examine first. "Hey, this is from our old acquaintance, Magister Estoris, addressed to his brother Avanthum. Let's see what it says… 'I'm telling you, brother, what you have there is more than just another tomb. What you have is the exact place where the dwarves who built this city emerged from the Deep Roads. Whatever drove them here, they were determined to stay, I can tell that much from your description of how the lower levels have been purposefully collapsed.' Whoa… so this is where they came out from the Deep Roads! That's amazing!"

 

"It is certainly interesting, but it still doesn't explain just what drove them to the surface," Dorian remarked.

 

"What about the other letter, Scout Harding?" Bull asked, eager to move on.

 

"Oh! It's not really a letter, more a note of warning. I'll just read it as it is," Harding replied, having quickly examined the other parchment. "This is for everyone who hasn't heard about why this camp has been abandoned. The reason is four slaves injured and ten crushed under the rock. We couldn't excavate this entrance with fifty if we keep losing this many. I propose we dig down from the top. There's no other way to reach the tomb without risking another rockslide."

 

"Signed by Magister Devrenix," Alexius mused, peering over Harding's shoulder. "I remember him as someone quite insignificant, part of the shapeless gray mass from Minrathous. Though there were rumors of him having a cruel streak… if even he's not willing to sacrifice slaves over this, it confirms that it's simply impossible to get into the tomb from here."

 

"I wonder if they managed to get in from the top, as this Devrenix intended," Dorian mused.

 

"Well… you know where our next stop is," Bull chuckled. "I expect that you'll get your answer very soon."

 

"You mean… you want us to climb all the way up there?" Dorian blinked, looking up at the mountain range, easily blocking out the sun.

 

"That's where the Venatori went to set up their camp, so obviously that's where we're going," Bull nodded. "Don't look so gloomy, I'm still not carrying you all the way up there. If the Venatori magisters could make the journey, it shouldn't pose any difficulties for us."

 

"Can't we at least set up a camp and rest until the evening sets in?" Dorian continued to complain. "I imagine the climb would be far less painful if we wouldn't also be dying in the scorching heat of the sun."

 

"That is actually a suggestion worth considering, wouldn't you agree, friend qunari?" Alexius spoke looking at the Iron Bull who after a brief moment of thought nodded in agreement and then proceeded to chase off his lieutenants to inform the troops that they would be setting up camp to rest until the sunset to then make the arduous climb to the top of the Sunstop Mountains.

 

About two hours after the camp had been set up and all those not on guard duty had disappeared into their tents for some much needed rest, Dorian was woken up when the flaps of the tent he was sharing with Alexius were suddenly parted, allowing the bright sunlight to shine inside and instantly rouse both of the tent's inhabitants. "Terribly sorry about waking you both," Krem said, crouching at the entrance of the tent. "But a raven just arrived from Skyhold with an urgent message, so…"

 

"That's alright, Krem," Dorian yawned at his compatriot with the Bull's Chargers. "Let's see the message."

 

"My apologies, Master Dorian, but it's actually addressed to Magister Alexius," Krem spoke apologetically, passing the message to the older of the two mages, Alexius still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "The message is from Ambassador Montilyet," he added before leaving the tent again.

 

"The lovely Josephine sending you a personal letter, Gereon?" Dorian chuckled. "My, my, consider me intrigued…"

 

"Don't be ridiculous, Dorian," Alexius frowned at his former apprentice, then quickly opening the message and starting to read it. "Ah… now this is interesting."

 

"You're going to share any of that, Alexius?" Dorian gave his old master an insistent stare.

 

"It appears that the Inquisitor has discovered crucial new information while searching the stronghold of this Red Templar leader, Samson," Alexius explained. "Apparently, it was located in an ancient shrine of Dumat. Corypheus must have given it to the Red Templars for use."

 

"He does love his Old Gods, does he not?" Dorian chuckled.

 

"He loves them so much that his entire purpose is to become one like them," Alexius replied. "Anyway, Lady Montilyet writes that the Herald's group has recovered a memory crystal created by Corypheus. In it, he speaks less than flatteringly about Calpernia's ambition to become the champion of Tevinter following his ascension to godhood. He appears to be looking down at her for being lowborn, and does not share her enthusiasm regarding abolishing slavery in the Imperium."

 

"We need to get that memory crystal to Calpernia as quickly as possible," Dorian gasped. "That's the best way to get her turn on Corypheus and work with us!"

 

"Lady Montilyet and our new spymaster will arrange it, Dorian," Alexius replied calmly. "But there is more. It seems that Corypheus has captured and bound Calpernia's former master, Magister Erasthenes, within the shrine of Dumat. The Inquisitor chose to leave the poor man where they found him so that if Calpernia sends her spies to verify these reports, they will find the magister there."

 

"Is that useful information?" Dorian wondered. "Would Calpernia really care about her former master, especially when she's so committed to overturning slavery?"

 

"I seem to remember her being quite fond of Erasthenes. When he disappeared soon after Corypheus started to move the majority of the Venatori agents south, Calpernia was deeply worried about him, though of course she could not push Corypheus too much with questions about what had happened with her master," Alexius explained. "I can understand her feelings. Magister Erasthenes was… not like most magisters. He was this absentminded and aging historian, obsessing over his research and having little time for anything else, certainly not for torturing and abusing his slaves. Calpernia told me that he appreciated her a great deal because she was intelligent and well read, and thus capable of helping him with his research. She enjoyed her life in service to Erasthenes… but she also wanted all slaves to be free from the abuse and mistreatment of their more cruel masters."

 

"I have to agree, she does sound like an admirable woman," Dorian nodded.

 

"She is… and I hope you'll get to meet her," Alexius said thoughtfully. "Of course, I would have preferred it if the Inquisitor would have freed Erasthenes, and perhaps brought him into the fold of the Inquisition. His knowledge would have helped us a great deal, and he has no love for Corypheus. For his fierce obsession with the Venatori and the Old Gods, as soon as Corypheus made his pipe dream become a reality, Erasthenes immediately became disillusioned with the cause. It's hardly any wonder that he found himself removed."

 

"How well do you know this Erasthenes?" Dorian asked.

 

"We spoke a few times while in service to Corypheus before he disappeared, though I mostly know him from Calpernia's stories," Alexius explained. "And through his books, of course. It's a shame he never continued his research in magical theory and instead focused on the history of the Old Gods. Of course, those books are also fascinating… and not just because they are almost impossible to obtain, being officially illegal."

 

"Even though everyone knows of them, and there are copies of his books in every self respecting house's library," Dorian chuckled. "I know that my father had some of them, but I don't think he had the entire collection."

 

"This might be the first time in a while I've heard you mentioning Halward's name," Alexius noted. "Still a sore topic?"

 

"Ugh, very much so," Dorian grunted. "I told you what happened at Redcliffe."

 

"Has there been any communication since then?" Alexius asked.

 

"He writes these overly long letters every month, and I honestly wish he'd just left me alone for a while," Dorian sighed. "I reply with short one-liners about being fine and telling him not to worry, but it seems that it is impossible to discourage my father. Anyway, enough about him… we were talking about Calpernia and Erasthenes."

 

"There is not much to add, Dorian," Alexius shrugged. "Lady Montilyet has included a letter for Calpernia that she has composed with this new information in mind. It seems very well thought out, which is nothing less than I would expect from someone as intelligent as our lady ambassador. All I have to do is to put my name on the letter, and perhaps add a personal detail or two, so that Calpernia knows that the letter truly is from me. If this does not convince her to work against Corypheus then nothing will. If she doesn't act on this, then I'm afraid we will have to write her off as a lost cause."

 

"I'm sure she'll come through for us," Dorian tried to offer a supportive smile. "I mean… can you see her becoming a mindless, indoctrinated zealot like that Harmmonum fellow?"

 

"No, not Calpernia," Alexius shook his head, quickly gathering the writing implements from his belongings and then spending the next several minutes to add a few words to the letter, finally putting down his name at the bottom of the parchment. "There, that's all done with. Now to pass the letter back to our lieutenant friend and have it sent back to Skyhold. Lady Montilyet will attach a memory crystal to the message and together with Master Varric make sure that it falls into the right hands, regardless of how closely and by how many eyes Calpernia is watched."

 

"Very well, Alexius," Dorian muttered, settling back into his bedroll and letting out a yawn as he lowered his head. "Meanwhile, I guess I'll try to steal a few more hours of sleep. Something tells me I'm going to need all the energy reserves I can build."

 

"Yes, I know how much you are looking forward to the climb, Dorian," Alexius smirked, parting the flaps of the tent and leaving to track down Krem, missing Dorian's frustrated groan in reply to his final words.


The future teaches you to be alone
The present to be afraid and cold


#2 Laufey

Posted 14 May 2017 - 09:58 AM

 

"Try not to fall in, will you?" Dorian frowned, looking a little worried.

 

"Such touching concern, I didn't think you had it in you, Dorian," Bull chuckled.

 

"Don't worry about that, friend qunari," Alexius smiled in reply as the four of them swiftly abandoned the ruin, having found nothing of value or interest in it… and emerging on the surface to find the Bull's Chargers having abandoned their post to engage with a group of Venatori desperately defending further into the ruins.

 

"Ah, fuck… I'm so going to chew out Krem and Skinner for being unable to keep these idiots under control," Bull swore as he rushed ahead to leap into the fray, Alexius, Dorian and Harding staying a little behind to get a better grasp of the situation before they let loose with their ranged attacks and risked hitting an ally amidst all the fracas. Having noticed sparkles of magic flying about and zapping the Chargers, the two mages quickly identified the Venatori magister in the chaotic melee, Alexius succeeding in trapping Harmmonum in a force field, but not before the Venatori mage had taken several solid blows from the Chargers surrounding him.

 

"They are nothing compared to what the Elder One has promised us," Harmmonum spat angrily. "They are dead to me. I'm doing this for Corypheus and for myself. Your threats of death are meaningless. When the Elder One ascends, he will rule this life and the next! For refusing to deal with a traitor like you, I will sit by Corypheus' right hand in the Fade!"

 

"Is that what you think?" Alexius shook his head. "Well, in that case, there's nothing to do but to let you test your own theory." The magister raised his hand, levitating a large rock nearby and then using the stonefist spell to smash the heavy stone against the head of Harmmonum, crushing it into a gory and messy pulp.

​Never, ever say 'I would rather die' unless you literally mean it.

"We're going to enjoy a picnic, Krem. We'll grill some august ram venison, enjoy a few bottles of Antivan Red, and then spend the rest of the afternoon building sand castles," Bull replied in a deceptively cheerful tone before his voice changed and he started to yell at Krem. "What the fuck do you care about what we're going to do? You have your orders, now carry them out!"

 

"I've never seen you go so hard on them," Dorian remarked, looking a little surprised, having watched Krem walk away, upset and muttering under his breath.

 

"True, but there's a reason for it," Bull replied. "I think they're going too easy on these worthless recruits, I need my lieutenants to drive them harder so that I can see who's a Charger material and who isn't. Now that I have chewed those two out, they will be angry and the recruits will serve as an outlet for their frustrations. Just what I wanted to accomplish."

​Oh, devious!

Skinner had also reported an encounter with a woman wearing the robes of a Chantry sister, wandering the wastes seemingly for no reason. The elven rogue claimed that the woman had recanted verses from the Chant of Light at them before simply walking off and offering no explanation for her presence in the desert, leading Skinner to presume that they were dealing with a Chanter who had completely lost her marbles during the Chantry crisis, leaving a lasting impression on the faithful throughout Thedas, shaking their faith to the core. Of course, the others refused to believe any word of Skinner's tale about meeting this strange woman, mercilessly mocking the elf until the Iron Bull had stepped in and told everyone to stop, sensing that Skinner was a mere whisker away from going on a killing spree.

​I remember the weird Chantry woman, but I can't remember if there was ever any explanation for her, natural or supernatural.

 

"You mean… you want us to climb all the way up there?" Dorian blinked, looking up at the mountain range, easily blocking out the sun.

 

"That's where the Venatori went to set up their camp, so obviously that's where we're going," Bull nodded. "Don't look so gloomy, I'm still not carrying you all the way up there. If the Venatori magisters could make the journey, it shouldn't pose any difficulties for us."

 

"Can't we at least set up a camp and rest until the evening sets in?" Dorian continued to complain. "I imagine the climb would be far less painful if we wouldn't also be dying in the scorching heat of the sun."

 

"No, not Calpernia," Alexius shook his head, quickly gathering the writing implements from his belongings and then spending the next several minutes to add a few words to the letter, finally putting down his name at the bottom of the parchment. "There, that's all done with. Now to pass the letter back to our lieutenant friend and have it sent back to Skyhold. Lady Montilyet will attach a memory crystal to the message and together with Master Varric make sure that it falls into the right hands, regardless of how closely and by how many eyes Calpernia is watched."

 

"Very well, Alexius," Dorian muttered, settling back into his bedroll and letting out a yawn as he lowered his head. "Meanwhile, I guess I'll try to steal a few more hours of sleep. Something tells me I'm going to need all the energy reserves I can build."

 

"Yes, I know how much you are looking forward to the climb, Dorian," Alexius smirked, parting the flaps of the tent and leaving to track down Krem, missing Dorian's frustrated groan in reply to his final words.

​*pats Dorian*

 


Rogues do it from behind.

#3 Theodur

Posted 18 May 2017 - 01:12 PM

 

 

"They are nothing compared to what the Elder One has promised us," Harmmonum spat angrily. "They are dead to me. I'm doing this for Corypheus and for myself. Your threats of death are meaningless. When the Elder One ascends, he will rule this life and the next! For refusing to deal with a traitor like you, I will sit by Corypheus' right hand in the Fade!"

 

"Is that what you think?" Alexius shook his head. "Well, in that case, there's nothing to do but to let you test your own theory." The magister raised his hand, levitating a large rock nearby and then using the stonefist spell to smash the heavy stone against the head of Harmmonum, crushing it into a gory and messy pulp.

​Never, ever say 'I would rather die' unless you literally mean it.

 

 

Yeah. Alexius knows these people and he's not going to put up with their crap.

 

"We're going to enjoy a picnic, Krem. We'll grill some august ram venison, enjoy a few bottles of Antivan Red, and then spend the rest of the afternoon building sand castles," Bull replied in a deceptively cheerful tone before his voice changed and he started to yell at Krem. "What the fuck do you care about what we're going to do? You have your orders, now carry them out!"

 

"I've never seen you go so hard on them," Dorian remarked, looking a little surprised, having watched Krem walk away, upset and muttering under his breath.

 

"True, but there's a reason for it," Bull replied. "I think they're going too easy on these worthless recruits, I need my lieutenants to drive them harder so that I can see who's a Charger material and who isn't. Now that I have chewed those two out, they will be angry and the recruits will serve as an outlet for their frustrations. Just what I wanted to accomplish."

​Oh, devious!

 

 

Bull knows his leadership 101. Sometimes you need to crack that whip.

 

Skinner had also reported an encounter with a woman wearing the robes of a Chantry sister, wandering the wastes seemingly for no reason. The elven rogue claimed that the woman had recanted verses from the Chant of Light at them before simply walking off and offering no explanation for her presence in the desert, leading Skinner to presume that they were dealing with a Chanter who had completely lost her marbles during the Chantry crisis, leaving a lasting impression on the faithful throughout Thedas, shaking their faith to the core. Of course, the others refused to believe any word of Skinner's tale about meeting this strange woman, mercilessly mocking the elf until the Iron Bull had stepped in and told everyone to stop, sensing that Skinner was a mere whisker away from going on a killing spree.

​I remember the weird Chantry woman, but I can't remember if there was ever any explanation for her, natural or supernatural.

 

 

I don't think there was an explanation.

 

 

"No, not Calpernia," Alexius shook his head, quickly gathering the writing implements from his belongings and then spending the next several minutes to add a few words to the letter, finally putting down his name at the bottom of the parchment. "There, that's all done with. Now to pass the letter back to our lieutenant friend and have it sent back to Skyhold. Lady Montilyet will attach a memory crystal to the message and together with Master Varric make sure that it falls into the right hands, regardless of how closely and by how many eyes Calpernia is watched."

 

"Very well, Alexius," Dorian muttered, settling back into his bedroll and letting out a yawn as he lowered his head. "Meanwhile, I guess I'll try to steal a few more hours of sleep. Something tells me I'm going to need all the energy reserves I can build."

 

"Yes, I know how much you are looking forward to the climb, Dorian," Alexius smirked, parting the flaps of the tent and leaving to track down Krem, missing Dorian's frustrated groan in reply to his final words.

​*pats Dorian*

 

 

I'm sure it's just a bit of a scramble.

 

 


The future teaches you to be alone
The present to be afraid and cold





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