[CLOSED] PLAYER PLOT: The Ashes Underneath His Nails

[amygdalae]

WHO: Jim Kirk, Hermione Granger, Adelaide Leblanc, Herian Amsel, Anders, Inessa Serra, Raylan Gibbs, Ciri
WHAT: The Inquisition sends a group of agents to uncover the truth behind a string of mysterious disappearances.
WHEN: Kingsway 1st - 8th
WHERE: Emprise du Lion
NOTES: Plotting post is here - feel free to post in there still for queries and concerns and further stuff where needed. Warnings for blood, violence, talks about death, experimentation horror, abomination-related stuff etc and eventual on-screen child death. ALSO no tag order - just respond when you feel like you should and I'll try to hit it back if it feels appropriate!!

QUICK JUMP LINKS TRAVELLING TO FROMAGE & FROMAGE GENERAL THREAD ROUTE INVESTIGATION SEEKRIT CAVE ENTRANCE INTO THE SEEKRIT CAVE CAVE INVESTIGATION - LEFT TEAM CAVE INVESTIGATION - RIGHT TEAM KID ABOMINATION THREAD BACK TO SKYHOLD

(—he remembers the chill of the frost and snow biting at bare skin, its usual pure white now tinged a horrid pink from the blood on his hands. He's far away from them now, the danger and the pain and everything else, but the blood will forever be on his hands no matter how much he tries to wash it away. His father had been right all along. He truly was a monster of the greatest kind.)

QUEST: THE ASHES UNDERNEATH HIS NAILS (PART I) The message had come swiftly, the letter itself hastily written with a shaky hand. The request itself was simple; a plea for help from a village at the outskirts of Emprise du Lion, whose people have been mysteriously disappearing over the last few weeks. Considering the ongoing civil unrest that's still transpiring in Orlais the Inquisition made its decision to send out a team of agents to look into this message and see exactly what was going on. The eight agents tasked with the mission were given enough time to prepare for the trip ahead. They would all meet up first at the Inquisition camp set within the Emprise and from there travel for about a day until they reached where their destination was - Fromage, a quaint little village that rested at the outskirts of the area. From that point on, it was up to the agents of the Inquisition to solve this ongoing mystery. The mission: to discover the truth behind these disappearances - and to stop it, if possible.

Comments

TRAVELLING TO FROMAGE & FROMAGE GENERAL THREAD

[amygdalae]

The way to Fromage is quiet. There honestly isn't much to say about the trip over - with the Inquisition having taken its foothold in this area there has not been a lot of activity; or at least, not so much along the path that they're travelling on. There isn't a lot of wild game around here too, given the cold and the presence of Red Templars around back before the Inquisition arrived, so the agents had been given adequate supplies to last them to the village. During the day the road is quiet - perhaps too quiet, some might say - with the occasional appearance of a nug or some other animal that is still here and surviving despite how badly the place has been ravaged by the Red Templars. The night itself is equally quiet, though once in a while its broken by the sound of the winds howling across the tundra. Sometimes one might feel as if something or someone is watching them, but a glance around will show that its nothing but paranoia and an overactive imagination. Fromage itself comes into the distance several hours after breaking camp when dawn arrives. Once the agents have presented themselves as agents of the Inquisition the people there are more than happy to receive them. The local inn allows them to stay in their rooms free of charge, and the tavern promises them drinks on the house if they want it. It's clear that they're glad to finally receive aid for their current plight, and they give little care to the fact that some of agents are mages. All they desire is help and if they can get it from a mage, they'll take it. Questioning the villagers doesn't turn up much in the way of information, except beyond the fact that the disappearances seem to take place late into the night. They do try to help as much as they can, however - although sometimes it may be too much, as the stress of the last few weeks weigh down on them and they go off on a tangent to talk about something only vaguely related even if they're convinced otherwise. It's only when they get to questioning the few merchants around here do they finally have a clue: one of them in particular speaks about how some of his friends had decided to depart the night before him in order to travel to another village for more supplies. Instead they had never arrived, according to the messages he had sent, and they had been missing since thus. Checking this with other similar stories from other villagers through prompting all lead to the same result: people who travel the side road in and out of the village seem to disappear, never to return or be heard from again. Perhaps that's something worth investigating.

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione regrets her decision to go to Emprise du Lion the moment they're there. This is where she'd first been found, having just been spat out by a rift and discovering that her magic was just shy of useless. The memories are unpleasant, much like her first return to Hogwarts after the battle that had taken the lives of so many of her friends, but if she could survive an entire war, she can certainly survive one small mission.

Never mind the fact that most of the missions from the Inquisition tend to involve demons. She'd really rather not think of that at all, which is why she's more likely than not to stick very close to those within the group that she knows, particularly the mages. If they do run into any trouble, it would probably be safer for her to fight alongside people who do their best fighting from a distance.

But there are no demons on the way to Fromage, and while their welcome is warm, Hermione can't help but be set more ill at ease about that. The Inquisition is generally thought to be among the "good guys", yes, but being met with a ragtag group of mages and rifters and elves usually elicits at least a little suspicion geared towards one of those groups. It speaks volumes as to what sort of predicament these people are in.

Not that Hermione can blame them, really. It doesn't get easier to hear worried accounts of loss the more she talks to people, and she soon finds herself needing a moment to collect herself, turning to the others who'd been sent with her on this mission. "I'm going to suggest we not split up in a poorly thought-out attempt to gain more ground," she warns more than once. "Or at least that we stay in pairs. Or groups of four." The more people they had sticking together, the less likely they'd be to end up falling victim to the same thing as the people they'd come to save.

[circleprodigy]

Turning to Hermione upon hearing those words again, Inessa nods with no sign of diminished patience, likewise thinking that a reminder couldn't hurt. She manages a wry smile, and pets the top of Garahel's head. The mabari is keeping true to his war hound status for now, alert and focused rather than seeking playtime. Petting is welcome, though he won't flop over for belly rubs, not now.

"Agreed. This isn't the time to divide our group. We know too little of the situation and our surroundings to risk it. If we take a little more time as a result, then so be it. We're not going to assist these people if we succumb to whatever is taking place."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa isn't so much on edge as she is meticulously alert, having heard about the general troubles of Emprise du Lion. Between rifts and Red Templars and Maker knows what else, there is already enough to keep people on their toes without sudden disappearances. Garahel focuses as well, shedding that goofy fun-loving demeanor in favor of behaving like the war hound he is, doing his best to pick up on anything that duller senses might miss.

The town's reception is noted and though Inessa anticipates grudging cooperation (people are usually willing to help Grey Wardens to some extent), this welcome has her pleasantly surprised. And, like Hermione, even more concerned about what they're walking into. They can't afford to discriminate when it comes to their saviors and that's very much evident.

At the tavern, Inessa orders nothing but tea. There's no likelihood of compromising her sobriety, not given the dire and not entirely known circumstances. Garahel doesn't flop down or roam for attention, instead remaining at Inessa's side and peering at everything quietly. He'll only speak up in greeting to others of their group.

ROUTE INVESTIGATION

[amygdalae]

[OOC Note: Because I am dumb and forgot about this - this thread will be GM'd too, in addition to the cave stuff below. This one won't be as heavy though, so just feel free to tag around and I'll throw in something as and where needed.]

The place feels almost far too silent when the agents of the Inquisition arrive here. It's far out enough from the village that their torches are mostly specks in the distance, but when they look ahead its clear that light isn't going to be too much of an issue. Not far from them, in between rocks and trees and debris from old, ruined buildings of ages past are pillars of red lyrium that jut up from the ground, their unholy red light glowing eerily in the darkness. Mages can, of course, hear its hum too, that broken discord of tune warped by whatever it is that had turned these crystals from their once vibrant blue to red. For a while after their arrival all is still quiet, but after a period of time it seems like there are the sounds of faint mutterings in the distance - mutterings that don't belong to any of them. People seem to be approaching, and considering what the agents have learned from the villagers in Fromage, there's a good chance it could be the company that they seek.

[bookish_lioness]

Again, Hermione isn't exactly about to stray too far from her group, though at least their journey has made it so she's a little more comfortable even with those she hasn't known as long. So regardless of who ends up walking besides her, she doesn't hesitate to grab at their arm, tugging them to a stop.

"Shh," she breathes out, straining her ears. Whether the others stopped with her or kept walking up in front, she can hear it a little more clearly; they're not alone on the road, and given the foreboding red lyrium not too far from them, she's not going to assume that's necessarily a good thing.

[circleprodigy]

That humming...it's starting to fray Inessa's nerves. She does her best to avoid the red lyrium pillars, and Garahel wants nothing to do with them, but even so the abundance of them doesn't help. Warden stoicism is in effect, most of the time, but when she thinks no one's looking, the mask slips slightly and she rubs at her temple. Focus, Inessa. It's only going to get worse from here.

The muttering gets Inessa's attention, and she perks up a little as Garahel heads over to investigate. He doesn't bark, taking Inessa's instruction not to startle people already on edge in mind, but wags his tail and watches them curiously. For her part, Inessa stows her staff on her back and straightens, keeping her Grey Warden armor prominent. Desperate or not, she wants to put people as ease as much as possible.

[universal_charm]

Kirk did not like silence. Not in this world, or any world. Silence meant no life - either because it had been destroyed, had not existed, or fled. Here, he thought it meant possibly a mix of the former and the latter, and neither was appealing. Beneath his coats he could feel his hair prickling, a sensation crawling down his back as he walked warily with the others into the ruins.

He pauses when he hears the sounds of others - others not in their group that is. He looks to the others and makes a motion, taking himself lower to the ground and creeping forward towards the sounds to see what might be there.

SEEKRIT CAVE ENTRANCE

[amygdalae]

Once they get to the end its clear enough that they've stumbled onto something pretty big here. There's a cave not too far away from them, and at the area surrounding the entrance is a small encampment littered with even more Red Templars. While its not an army, per se, its easy enough to see that there's still a fair amount of them. Unfortunately, unlike earlier on the route this time they don't have time to be prepared; being able to see the Templars means that they can do the same likewise. The agents get spotted quickly enough, and with a shout they quickly begin to charge forward towards them. If that wasn't enough it seems like the commotion had attracted the attention of the ones inside the cave as well - more Red Templars stream out from the cave in order to join the fight, somehow determined to defend this place to their last breath.

[circleprodigy]

When it happens, it happens fast. Inessa can appreciate that, tired of prolonged anticipation. Not that she really enjoys facing Red Templars of all things, but at least now they can begin rooting them out. Casting Barrier as Garahel guards her, she engulfs as many of her allies as she can before centering an Affliction Hex on the strongest-looking Red Templar in her vicinity. That will be her target for her upcoming burst of ice magic.

INTO THE SEEKRIT CAVE

[amygdalae]

[OOC Note: Main investigation will have their own separate threads for left and right side respectively down below! This is just for... setup... yes. Feel free to just thread whatever you feel is appropriate in here.]

With all the guards being taken of now, the cave seems to be especially quiet when the agents finally step in. At first sight there doesn't seem to be anything inherently special with this cave - there isn't any sudden cache of lyrium or things that would usually catch one's eye. But what is clear is that this cave seems to be part of a network of some sorts; at the back of cavern they're in are two separate paths, the cave itself apparently having diverged at that point. The left path seems to be better lit as opposed to the right, although from where they look its easy to make out the entrance of another cavern not too far down the right path. Either way, it seems like there is something on either of the paths. It's probably for the best if the agents split up to cover more ground - especially when its hard to tell just how deep this apparent network of caves runs.

CAVE INVESTIGATION - LEFT TEAM

[amygdalae]

[OOC Note: To make it easier I'll put sub threads in here for the different rooms; have your character comment into them and I will respond as needed. Multiple characters are fine for each room!]

GUARDROOMS

[amygdalae]

The torches line the walls as the four agents walk down this particular path, eventually leading to a pair of rooms that had been hollowed out from the rock. From the few bedrolls that lie around and the makeshift tables that now stand abandoned its easy enough to see that these pair of rooms seem to be some sort of place where the Templars seemed to dwell in while they were here. Torches on the wall and candles on the tables are still burning, giving the rooms an adequate amount of light.

A few things of interest here: the a table at the corner of the room, a collection of weapons popped up against one of the further walls, some books on a bedroll and a chest near the entrance of one of the two rooms.

MORGUE + CELLS

[amygdalae]

The path apparently splits off once more at the end, though this time the distinction between each path is much more obvious. The stench of death and decay is strong from the left, while there are shadows of what look like metal gates down the right.

Going to the left has the agents entering a much smaller cavern; there's only a single torch illuminating the area from the far wall, but even that is enough to reveal the large hole that stretches across the middle of the ground. The stench seems to be even stronger from there - and perhaps that may even be the source of the smell. Only a close look will tell.

On the right the smell of death is less potent, but still never much present. The metal gates are quickly figured out to be cell doors, and it seems like this entire corridor has been made into a purposes of a makeshift prison. Most of the doors seemed to be locked save for three of them; one near the entrance, one at the middle and one near the end.

CAVE INVESTIGATION - RIGHT TEAM

[amygdalae]

[OOC Note: To make it easier I'll put sub threads in here for the different rooms; have your character comment into them and I will respond as needed. Multiple characters are fine for each room!]

SUPPLIES

[amygdalae]

Stepping in, its clear that this room feels more like a treasure horde of stolen items than an actual supply room. Littered across the place are nothing but belongings and items that most likely belonged to the people that have disappeared - crops that were for sale now left in a corner to rot; jars stacked at the side, some of them broken and ruined. Amazingly there's also what seems like the remains of a broken wagon that had somehow managed to be brought in and left in here as well.

A lot of the items here simply seems to be nothing but items that had been stashed here and left to rot, but there are still a few that are of note: a collection of broken jars, a chest and several crates. The wagon itself might have something to be found as well, if one decides to look there. Or maybe not. Only one way to find out.

RECORDS

[amygdalae]

This room feels strangely sparser than the rest, as if it had already been half emptied or perhaps half filled. Most of the makeshift shelves here are barren save for a few, and even those do not contain many books. The place is only half lit as well, with only some of the torches lit up and all of the candles extinguished.

Still, there are still things here, and they are probably worth looking into: namely the shelves (the emptied ones and the ones that still have things in them) and the tables. Also the fact that the torches had been extinguished is certainly a strange thing too. Maybe that's something to look into.

KID ABOMINATION

[amygdalae]

After combing through the rooms they find the path still continues on, and as they walk down further the silence is slowly filled by a new, perhaps unmistakable sound: the sobbing noises of a child. Going through the rest of the path leads to a new cavern with two separate entryways from with the agents find the other team appearing from the path that they didn't choose to take. But there's little time to take in this unexpected reunion; the smell of blood and charred flesh quickly comes to everyone not long after they arrive inside this particular cavern. Should they look around they will see this room lined with various wooden benches, some of them with bloodied surgical equipment littered across the surface. But perhaps the most eye catching of all is the stone table set in the center of the room; blood streaks across the surface in many shades of brown, showing signs of having blood spilled across it one too many times. And kneeling on top of it, hunched and crying, is the source of the sobbing sounds - the naked, trembling body of a young child no older than ten.

[apostafuckyou]

Raylan's stomach dropped when he heard a child's voice, but he didn't let it show. He pressed on to the room, always stoic, never showing his horror at what must have transpired here.

He handed his staff off to someone and approached the child slowly, holding out a hand. "Hello there," he said to it, keep his voice steady but soft. "My name's Raylan. I need to know if you're injured, okay, pal?" This wasn't the first time he'd had to approach an upset, potentially volatile child. He was calling on every ounce of experience and training for it he'd ever had to remain calm.

THE JOURNEY BACK

[amygdalae]

[OOC Note: If the child is indeed spared and allowed to be brought back to Skyhold (or wherever else that has been decided), you are free to interact with him too in this thread; just give me a heads up in the subject line and I'll tag when I can.]

The way back to Skyhold is quiet. After solving the mystery of the disappearances the agents are free to tell the truth to the villagers in Fromage, if they so wish to. If they do so the villagers will be horrified, but are mostly thankful to just know the truth and know that it has been dealt with. They should be alright from now on. Again they are offered one more night of free housing and drinks if they wish to rest up before making their way back to the Inquisition. It seems like nothing has really changed at all from their way to Fromage - the quietness from before is still there, and in a way perhaps it almost nearly be called peaceful, given the unrest that is still taking place within Orlais. But considering what had transpired and what had been found, perhaps things can never be the same again for some people.

stopped in an inn for the night; open

[apostafuckyou]

Raylan would be found alone, looking vaguely sulky, but mostly just quiet. He'd taken up a seat near the end of the bar, and had the bartender bringing him a pretty steady supply of hard liquor, whatever the cheapest thing they had was. He'd been quiet the entire journey, only speaking when spoken to and keeping his responses short, instead of any attempts at joking and snark. He'd been there to talk for Inessa if she wanted, but that was about it. Everyone else could fuck right off.

He knew without having to stand up that he was drunk, and he didn't care. He took another drink, grimacing even though his throat was pretty much numb.

The Ride Home - open

[fleurdesel]

It had been a singularly terrible mission all around- not that she expected anything less considering the Inquisition's luck as of late- and yet from the moment they left the cave Adelaide has been nothing if not stoic. Her was voice even, her eyes dry, her expression blankly civil, not entirely uninviting to those that would have her company but not precisely giving off the impression she cared to discuss what they had seen. What they'd done.

None of them truly seemed to wish to do more than manage what they must for the report.

Now and then her eyes softened, fingers brushing against the leather band around her wrist. Otherwise? She tended to the remainder of the party. Healed wounds. Answered questions. Shared her whiskey, brandy, and wine as they were all in need of a drink.

Village or traveling

[justice_is_blond]

He slips away for a time on his own, after they reach the village again. When he returns, he looks a little less broken, a little more human, but he's still quiet, still tired. What he'd done he had to do. He'd helped stop further pain. But he'd so badly wanted to help another abomination, and he'd so badly wanted to not kill another innocent ever again, and he'd failed at both.

On the journey he's a lot more quiet than usual as well. For once, he's not really starting a lot of conversations, though he does manage to drag himself out of his mental fog when someone speaks to him.

[dashing]

After all is done, when the bodies have been moved and burned, Herian stands and watches the pyre the loud crackle of orange and blazing yellow embers, the smoke that whips and twists in the air. In her hand she holds the staff that she retrieved from the guardroom, gnarled branches at its head and an ever-burning flame, and she watches, makes herself keep watching, even with the blood still on her hands from moving the bodies.

Walking on the road she tends to keep to herself, keeps quiet, though her head is held high and she walks with shoulders squared. She is every part the knight, with brutally correct posture and a carefully schooled expression. She will not make any keep her company, not after what has transpired, and not when so many of them had seemed so appalled. Not when the child called her mama when she hacked its head from its shoulders.

In a tavern she is, predictably, still silent. She does, however, lay down enough coin to see all her companions can have a drink or two on it, even though she makes no announcement - the barkeep might simply say that she took care of a couple of rounds earlier and not her way, mutter something about not daring to swindle a woman like that, before passing your character their drink. For her part, she sips water, and studies a set of notes that she retrieved in one of the rooms, as if she can glean more from the smeared, illegible parts of the message that eluded her before.

[ichaer]

In the quiet of their travels from Fromage there is little to tell if one looks toward the ashen-haired Warden. Her eyes remain focused forward on the path, leading the group and keeping attention outwards on their surroundings if there happened to be any lingering Red Templars. To her disappointment there is nothing so she continues to walk and listen.

Once they reach the comforts of an inn she immediately heads to the fireplace. Sitting before it, her sword has been removed and she carefully begins to work a whetstone down the blade. It does not seem to have taken any lasting damage which is enough for her in this aftermath. It is not hard to tell how well she treats the blade, easily better than herself as she sits there with blood under her nails and irritating patches of red standing out on the pale skin.

As the night goes on then she might again near the fire, staring forward with narrowed eyes and a tired expression. As a Warden, she has an excuse in the form of their nightmares to keep her from drifting off again. It is a state she is used to being in since her conscription almost four years ago. And as dawn begins to appear over the horizon does she move outside, beginning her training as she twist, turns and flips in the snow. Her sword feels heavier in her hands today but in the end, it is no matter. She'll simply push herself harder.