faderift | [closed] the turn of the screw

WHO: Teren, Alistair, Anders, Benevenuta, Bethany, Kaisa
WHAT: Senior Warden von Skraedder brings a small gaggle of ~~fools~~ Wardens (and a Mortalitasi for some reason) along to investigate a sighting of the Architect in southern Nevarra. Mischief is afoot!
WHEN: Timey wimey, Haring-ish
WHERE: around and about Perendale
NOTES: there is no Architect but at least the cake is real

[OOC notes first: every round or so, feel free to do a coin-flip "idea" roll, then either send me a screencap of your diceroller or do it on Discord so I can see. If you get heads, proceed to roll a 1d5 and I will PM you a bit of insight for your character to have gleaned based on the circumstances.
For all anyone currently knows (with the exception of Teren and Benevenuta), the Architect is their prime directive and there is no reason to suspect otherwise.

I will be adding new legs to the journey once we've reached a reasonable transition, so the threads and available information will be limited to what's currently visible.

Also, if you could try to keep fewer than two days between each tag, that would be amazing!]

The journey is a long one, and it's in the dead of winter, which means it isn't a lot of fun. They at least have horses, on loan from the Inquisition save for those who have their own, and Teren leads the expedition on the rangy and agreeable black gelding she tends to borrow.

She's her usual self, curt and withdrawn and pensive, though she takes care of hers and is vigilant about ensuring everyone stays together, especially in the brutal snows that blow relentlessly over Orlais' northern plains.
She had approached each Warden initially, explaining that she had received news from Weisshaupt and wanted to take a small delegation to address its concerns: the Architect has been sighted in the north, not far from the border between Nevarra and Tevinter. Teren's old stomping grounds.

Summoned for her familiarity with the region, Teren has grudgingly accepted the call, but knows it would be suicide to make it a solo recon mission. Anders and Bethany are brought for their healing and warding talents, Alistair and Kaisa for their fighting prowess, and the non-Warden Benevenuta.. for... some reason, that isn't entirely clear to anyone else.

Their mission is to find the Architect, and if unable to apprehend him, to gather as much information on the situation as possible before returning to Skyhold.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She's reading, which means it's a perfectly good time to flop down next to her and lean on her shoulder. Or maybe it's not the perfect time, but he's pretending like it is because he's tired and cold and going after the Architect has thoughts in his mind he can't quite sort out.

"Good book? I realize it's a stupid question because if you say yes then I should probably leave you alone, and you brought it so it's likely to be good, but the day I ask a smart question is likely the day Thedas ends altogether."

She smirked over at him, dimples deepening in her cheeks, before she solemnly turned the book around for him to see. A history of the Grey Wardens, more importantly, the exploits that occurred during and after the Fifth Blight. "I thought it might be good to give myself a refresher. It really is fascinating stuff. Beyond that ..."

She shrugged, "We're in the middle of a blizzard tracking down a Smart Darkspawn, where we might at any time be attacked by our own brotherhood, an even MORE ancient darkspawn, or evil Tevinter supremacists. You must have asked a lot of smart questions."

"Oh no. This is because I asked bad questions," he returned with a grin. "We're in the middle of a blizzard. We're likely to be attacked by an unholy alliance of Darkspawn, Grey Wardens, and evil Tevinter supremacists. All at once. Did you forget I was along on this trip? What can go poorly, will."

Leaning in, Anders glanced at the back cover of the book before nodding. "I heard so many stories from Jonas, and was there for some of the after. If you've any questions, I likely have a story, and it may even be true."

"You really must remember to have a more positive attitude, Anders. After all, remember that this is Teren's mission. She will not brook for unscheduled attacks on her person." Bethany stated with a Very Serious Expression.

She closed the book altogether, her brown eyes thoughtful. "So what do you know of the Architect? Really know, and didn't just hear?"

He smirked at her statement before starting to get serious.

"I've met him. Enjoyed his hospitality for a time, even, for a certain value of enjoyment and hospitality, by which I mean he had me captive in my smalls in a small cell until we broke out. What do you want to know? He's arrogant, convinced he's doing the right thing even when he makes a mess, doesn't actually care about lives but tried to pretend he does..." Anders had just a few opinions, and they might be a little colored by how he'd been held.

"So he's like any other petty despot ... I'm not sure if that's comforting or terrifying because that is a rather human attitude to have." Bethany sighed, as she pressed her fingers into the book. Her brown eyes were contemplative, "How much do you think his help is going to cost me?"

Not 'us', but her personally. She was the one who had started this journey, after all. She wasn't going to drag the rest of them into it.

Now he frowned, studying her.

"What help do you want from him, precisely?"

She looked back at him, her brown eyes serious and steady.

"The only hope a creature like that could give me. A way to remove the Blight from my blood - from mine, and Nate's, and yours. Any one of us who wishes to return to a ... a normal life."

For several moments he was quiet. It was... quite a thing, the possibility of a life beyond the looming death sentence, of one beyond hunting in the Deep Roads until it was time to go down and never emerge.

"I've... I've had some thoughts on that topic myself. Though more along the lines of trying to find a cure through nature rather than deal with the Architect. But multiple paths are better. I'd think. There's... Mm. There's other questions that come after, but finding is challenge enough to deal with now." Questions like if he leaves the Grey Wardens eventually, does he then risk execution, or what happens when the Grey Wardens need numbers because of another Blight and there just aren't enough around.

"...If you have anything, I'll be happy to share what I've found in turn." Bethany states, her brown eyes suddenly going warmer and brighter with interest. She pauses, then nods, before sighing. Being a Warden had given her the protection required to be a mage. Now, after the rebellion, it would be more complicated.

Still, it was her choice, and she wanted to choose freedom from all restraints, outside those of her own moral guiding.

"It's... Mm." He inhales and exhales. "It's more speculation than anything. And it would take some effort to confirm or deny. But the Blight doesn't seem to bother dragons the way it does ordinary creatures and I'm wondering if there's something that could be found there. We'd..."

Anders shakes his head. "We'd need to hunt a dragon. Which is almost as dumb as me walking into Starkhaven and waving hello."

She gave him a wry smile, before she sighed. "I think Sebastian could be made to see reason - eventually - but why not just do the thing that is slightly impossible and not completely?"

Tapping her fingers, she looked thoughtful. "Perhaps dragon's blood, then?"

The look he gave Bethany about Sebastian seeing reason is entirely disbelieving, but it's her other question that makes him wince.

"Let's... be careful when treading into that territory. As mages, I think any mention of the one word should be kept to times when we know no one else is around, even though we're not plotting to do... you know what." He can't afford any suspicion.

She paused, then cleared her throat delicately. "... Right, because ...that is that. And dealing with that is still. That."

That's all she needed, what with Marian being a blood mage herself. Sigh, the slippery damned slope, as Fenris always put it.

He gives her a tight smile, understanding completely.

"We do have someone who knows plenty about that topic we can speak with. I simply can't afford to even have a rumor that I'm involved in it. My hopes is that it's something to do with anatomy or health and I can adapt it as a healer."

"Yes ... yes we do." Merrill, the nicest blood mage anyone had ever known. Perhaps she would have some idea of how to remove the corruption - after all she had removed it from the mirror ...

"So do you think it is something just like a disease we carry?"

"I don't... I don't know." Anders exhales. "All I can really hope for are parallels. I don't think there will be a clear disease and then a way to counter it. But I don't know how many spirit healers have actually tried studying the taint in Grey Warden bloodstreams before. The number has to be close to zero."

You joined the Grey Wardens for life. You didn't try to find a cure... and most of the time when they'd conscripted mages it had been due to need and an ongoing Blight. This may be the first time any of them have had opportunity to really study.

"It's worth looking into, at least."

[closed] the turn of the screw

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