faderift | [Closed] An Avvar Tale

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[Closed] An Avvar Tale

WHO: Kattrin and Korrin
WHAT: Things have started settling now that the cleaning is done. Kattrin decides it's time to tell Korrin her story.
WHEN: About a week from now lol
WHERE: Where Korrin has setup to stay
NOTES: Warnings for talk of abuse and injury

It had been days since she had last been able to see Korrin but she'd been thinking about the Qunari woman since then. She was someone she trusted after past experiences with her and she was the one person here more familiar with her background than any other. It was only fair to explain to her why she was in exile now rather than with the hold. After all, this was not something normal for an Avvar.

With the little fennec sleeping in her bag (he'd decided that was his den of sorts), she headed to where the woman had told her she would be. Now was as good at time as any while there was a lull in work and chaos.

"Korrin," she said as she approached to let the other become aware of her presence should she be too busy. Just to give her time to send her away if she was.

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Korrin's current crash space, such as it is, consists of a partitioned area at one end of the warehouse at the docks. It's not a large space, just enough for two people to live and privacy is more or less an illusion, with thin walls that don't reach all the way to the ceiling. It's ironic that the Gallows' accommodations would actually give her more of that craved privacy, but she can barely bring herself to step foot in it, let alone live there. So, the docks it is, with a few homey touches.

Changing into a fresh set of clothes after her long day of work, Korrin calls out. "Come in, just close the door behind you. Or not, if there's a Templar by the name of Cade around." What, she can't help it if he likes getting flashed by her. (He doesn't.)

Well she wasn't aware of who Cade was but it seemed there were no Templar here. That meant closing the door and she did so as she stepped into the living space. The little touches caught her attention, her eyes straying over them with some curiosity while she waited for Korrin to finish changing. It seemed better than her wondering again if she should obtain clothes of these lands now that she was to be part of them. In some ways it was very difficult to give up being Avvar even though she knew she already had.

"You have made this place a home." A comment really. Small talk of sorts. Honestly Kattrin rather liked it. Little touches that could easily be moved if they needed to be. It was very nomadic which her Avvar heritage approved of.

"Eh, for now. As soon as we're given permission, I plan to claim some out-of-the-way spot on the docks where Araceli and I can be as loud as we want." Korrin has never been one for volume control, either in bed or out of it, and she's trying to be considerate for her neighbors' sake, but the constant need to do so is a little grating.

She tosses her sweaty clothing to the corner, making a mental note to do some laundry soon. "Where are you camping out, here or the Gallows?"

"Here. The Gallows bring discomfort and are too close to the Templar." They'd done nothing to her, couldn't really as far as she knew, but it was hard to get past years of mistrust. Particularly now that she was no longer with the protection of her people.

"I lack these touches you have to make it personal though." She'd only grabbed the essentials when she ran.

"It's not all mine and it took a while to accumulate. You'll get there. And good, I was starting to wonder if I was the only mage aside from Christine who wouldn't sleep there. With the Veil in that bad of a state? No fucking way."

Korrin shakes her head, then gestures for Kattrin to take a seat wherever there's space, as she fetches a bottle of wine and some glasses.

Moving over, she took the bag off as well as her staff. The latter she leaned against the wall and the bag she settled on her lap. The little fennec hiding within seemed to prefer her body heat over the cool floor. For understandable reasons, of course. And she was not about to offer extra discomfort to this creature she viewed as a spiritual guide.

"I am almost not sure where to begin this tale. I have pondered for days what the beginning should be," she confessed while Korrin fetched the wine and glasses.

"Take your time. There's no pressure, not in here." Korrin may not know the specifics, but she already suspects this is something that will be painful for Kattrin to relive. The last thing she wants to do is add to it. So, she hands the wine over to give her friend a moment to focus on something else.

With wine in hand, she looked down at the color as she began to talk. Slowly, to make sure she didn't leave details out. "You recall the warrior I was wed to when you were last at the hold, yes? He and I never did get along well. He desired me for he found me beautiful and the capture was successful. Two years of five I had been wed to him at that time."

She tilted her head some, recalling the days she had been with him. "Our bond was more war than anything. Battles each night with him often the victor since I lack many a physical quality to win. After your last visit I lost a battle worse than the others..."

Korrin never really did understand that whole capturing the bride thing that the Avvar have as a tradition, or whatever Kattrin saw in that warrior, but she nods. That's not the point of all this, and she's not about to derail the topic, so she sips her wine and listens...at least until her Avvar friend speaks of battles, and her eyes narrow. A contentious union is one thing, but the more she hears, the more her ire rises.

"If he's still alive, he'd better hope I never lay eyes on him again. Fighting someone who can't best him; I'd love to break his spine for that." But she stops abruptly, reeling in her temper because Kattrin deserves to get the story out in full, not be interrupted by her temper. "...sorry, go on." She's going to need more wine before all this is over.

She'd found his willingness to do battle with one so much weaker than himself detestable too. It was one of the reasons she'd never wanted to marry him in the first place. Still, permission had been given and he'd managed the capture.

Pausing in her story, she calmly set her wine down down undress just enough that when she turned and showed her upper back the angry burn scars were there when she moved her hair to the side. Still fresh since they were only a few months old. "I landed in the fire. As I treated myself I saw a spirit and the finger pointed away from the hold. Though the pain was great and the wound fresh, I gathered what I could and left in the night to never look back. Since then I have treated my wound as I traveled and saw this Inquisition closing a rift. The quest seems holy so I am here now to offer my aid."

Putting her clothes back into place, she took the cup of wine and had herself a drink of it. It helped. Not much but it did.

Her eyes darken upon viewing those burn scars, and it's a good thing for that warrior isn't present or she'd be happy to give him a few burn scars in return. At the very least. She takes a deep, steadying breath, keeping a tight hold on her temper for Kattrin's sake. The poor woman has had enough of it being lost in her presence, after all.

"...fucking hell. Good on that spirit for telling you to get out. No vow is worth keeping when you're suffering for it, Kattrin. If anything, he's the one who broke it by being an abusive asshole. It sucks that you had to leave everything else behind, though. You shouldn't lose it all just because you couldn't take any more of that shit." It's not right, and Korrin won't pretend otherwise just so she can appear culturally sensitive. Besides, she didn't see that behavior in Honey Badger Hold, so it can't be universal.

"It was better to run. Returning to the hold of my birth would have placed the thane in a position of deciding between daughter and hold. They have enough troubles already." But she wasn't mad at the man who hurt her. She wasn't mad at the hold for not stopping him. She wasn't mad at those who agreed to the marriage in the first place. Honestly the only thing that truly disturbed her was that she'd broken a vow she'd made.

"The weight of the vow I broke will live with me but there is no turning back now. I am dead to the Avvar and Kattrin the Exile now. Should I wish for more, I will have to find a new people for a family. For I can never return to that world."

"The vow you made wasn't worth keeping, not for that. You have nothing to feel guilty about, Kattrin." Leaning over, Korrin rests a hand on the woman's shoulder. "If the rest can't see that it was a shitty situation and not something worth staying in, fuck 'em. You'll find something better, with people who don't see you as a punching bag."

She did try to tell herself that there was a reason she'd broken her vow. That this was her purpose now, to help the Inquisition with their holy quest. Still, it was difficult to get past the life she'd been raised into. After all, she'd been Avvar for nearly thirty years before sending herself into exile.

The hand on her shoulder was warm though. She was grateful for the kindness of Korrin, the fact that she had listened to her as she had. "I am no punching bag. I know this to be true."

She was small for one of the Avvar but even then she had never just allowed herself to be hurt. It had just been...an unfortunate circumstance. "I ask that you not go to that hold again. Your desire to hurt him for my honor is brave but I wish no further trouble for that hold nor any hold. What is done is done."

Sighing, Korrin nods and leans back. "Alright, I'll honor your wishes and not cross the Waking Sea just to toss him off a cliff. But if he comes anywhere near you or me, all bets are off. If that isn't a sign for him to get some richly-deserved payback, I don't know what is."

She pours herself more wine, and savors that sip. It's a Nevarran vintage, nothing really expensive or exotic (to her). "You're better-natured about it than I could be, I have to say. My temper would have seen a lot of damage on the way out, and I'd be nursing a grudge until the end of time." She has something of one just hearing about it, and she's starting to wish for some training dummies to beat up later.

"I would not stop you if he should arrive here and try something." At that point it would be Korrin stepping in to do the right thing rather than seeking revenge on her behalf. It was something she'd honestly always liked about the Qunari woman. That fiery desire to aid those she cared for.

Kattrin actually smiled around her cup as she had another sip of the wine. Truly it had good flavor to her and tasted better than her story had on her tongue. "You know, there may be reason why you do not take to creation magic so well." Just a little light teasing."

That comment gets a chuckle out of Korrin, unable to disagree with that notion even if it is just teasing. "Never had the time for it before, you know. There was always some new battle spell, some way to pulverize the enemy. And I was good at Primal magic, so why not play to my strengths?"

"There is truly no fault in being a battle mage. You have a strong place in the Inquisition for it, I am sure." Kattrin certainly valued those focusing on their strengths as Korrin did. There was plenty of room for people like her to fill in the healing roles as needed. "You are always welcome to come to me for healing. Though I should hope you do not come too often."

"Hey, I'm not a masochist. I try to keep myself more or less intact, and I know how to make healing grenades. It's just when I run out that there's a problem." Korrin flashes a smile before taking another sip. "Besides, I've Knight-Enchanter training now, so barriers falling isn't a thing that happens much anymore. That it also bothers Loyalists who are horrified at the thought of an apostate learning their shit is just a side benefit."

"They often are displeased that others may learn the skills they have. The lowlanders have a thing for their Circle called a Spirit Healer. I was told this once when I but a girl. They would find horror in knowing I do something so similar." Perhaps better due to her close connection to the spirits. She was willing to bond with them all, to communicate with the, to show them such immense respect. The spirits responded well to such things in her experience. "What is it a Knight-Enchanter does though? This is not a thing I am so familiar with."

"Yeah, how dare those apostates be talented and competent. That might undermine their entire oppressive system or something." Korrin rolls her eyes, grateful for the chance to be as openly sarcastic as she prefers without consequences. "Knight-Enchanters are 'rare mages received special dispensation from the Chantry to serve in battle'. Basically, we can be on the front-lines and not suffer for it. We summon blades from the Fade and use our magic to enhance barriers, slow enemies down, make ourselves very briefly invulnerable, things like that. There's even a last-ditch glyph we can use to revive people, but that takes a lot of effort and isn't just something that we can do all the time.

We have a few Spirit Healers here; pragmatic and hardworking, so I like most of them. If they get to know you, see you in action, the ones worth knowing will appreciate the help you give. Loyalists won't, but...fuck 'em."

"When I first learned magic I was told that lowlanders could be spirit healers. It always was so strange to me that they could not bond with spirits yet do so with but one for healing. It almost feels as if the two do not go together." She found everything about the Circle strange though, unhealthy even. How anyone could be loyal to something that required apostates protect themselves to be safe...

She shook her head slowly. "I would enjoy seeing this skill you have sometime. It sounds as if it suits your style of magic very well."

"You'll have to ask the others exactly how that works. The resurgence glyph that Knight-Enchanters are taught is the closest I've ever come to working with spirits, and that's not a constant companion thing." She flashes a smile at Kattrin's observation, though. "It does, doesn't it? It took convincing a very traditional mage to even get a chance at learning, but that just made proving her wrong about me all the more satisfying. I think I'm at the point where I can start teaching others, too. Maybe when we're more settled in Kirkwall."

"It would be good to see you teaching others. Particularly those that cannot learn the ways taught by the Circle and need an outside view." There was a sort of pride for her friend that she wasn't bothering to hide. Korrin had done well for herself and she was so happy for her. Honestly she hoped to find such comfort in among these people as well. It would be her home now, after all. "I can say I do not believe I would be so suited to such magic but I may look into learning more from others now that I am here."

That pride in her is a welcome thing, and Korrin smiles warmly as she nods in encouragement. "I understand, it's not a path for everyone. And that's an excellent idea, Kattrin. There's a wealth of good teachers around here, for a lot of different types of magic; shapeshifting, rift magic, all sort of stuff and all in one place. Who knows when that will happen again, after all this is done? That's why I'm soaking it all up like a sponge right now."

"Shapeshifting... Perhaps then I could become a being that would be more use in battle." Healing was important but she truly had never been one good for fighting. An animal could have things which were helpful though. And to be one with nature like that... "I once dreamed of being a wolf when I was but a girl."

"A wolf would be awesome. Maybe something that can move in the water, too, since we're by the sea? Or a hawk or something, for scouting and death from above. Ellana's shown off her shapeshifting forms to me, and flying looks like a blast. I'm almost jealous, seeing how much fun she has with that." But Korrin herself is in no hurry to change her own form, when it's so efficient at bringing death to her enemies anyway.

"I am not so familiar with the creatures of the sea. I might need aid in order to learn more about them." Sure she'd seen fish before but it seemed more useful to be something...larger. If only to aid the Inquisition more if she needed to help with something involving the water. Perhaps she could look into it more while she looked into if she truly wanted to try shapeshifting. "I would have to get this little one used to my scent each time though."

She would hate for the fennec who traveled with her to run in fear.

Glancing down to the fennec, Korrin smiles. "Of course. I wouldn't want to freak out this cutie, either. As for creatures of the sea, you can always ask Araceli. If there's anyone who knows the sea and what inhabits it better, I don't know them. She's not a native, sure, but she knew a lot even before arriving and has made a ton of effort in catching up. I'm sure she can help you decide on something for that."

"Araceli? I would like to meet with her. To talk of the sea and to learn from her as well. I have not yet met one that the people call a Rifter." She was intrigued by them though. To think that these spaces would bring people from other worlds to this place. "You are close to her?"

Responding to that with a soft smile, Korrin reaches up to touch the dragon tooth necklace at her chest. "Qunari don't really do marriage, but there is this old custom that some remember, about each having a piece of a dragon's tooth. That way, no matter how far apart you are, you're always together. She has the other half."

"The Avvar treat marriages differently than most as well. Though I find the Qunari tradition to be nice." A promise to each other but not something that seemed like a binding contract. It was good and she liked it a lot. Better still that there was so much focus put into the emotion as well. Certainly not like the Avvar who could be so practical. As much as she loved her former people there were things that could be difficult to live with.

Then again, she supposed she had a rather sour opinion on the marriage portion since she'd never desired the one she'd been in to begin with.

"Yeah, I thought you'd understand. It's as close to marriage as most of us get, anyway. Those that leave the Qun aren't big on tradition as a whole. My parents really only kept that part, and threw everything else out. Even my name isn't Qunlat." She shrugs, not able to say what inspired her parents there, but it's not that important.

"After I left the hold I wondered if I would keep the same traditions of the Avvar should I find someone new to be with. Even now I am not so certain." She didn't even have anyone like that in her life anymore. There was no telling if she ever would again. All the same..

"Do you keep any of the traditions of the Qun besides this one?"

"Fuck, no. The Qun hates mages, and freedom in general. What would be the point, when it's the polar opposite of what I believe?

...that isn't me saying you should abandon everything Avvar, though. Only you get to decide that, and there's no wrong choice."

She couldn't stop the little laugh from escaping at the reaction to her question. Yes, that was what she'd expected Korrin to say. It was so like her.

"There are times where I find myself forgetting I am no longer Avvar and I question if I have rights to those traditions in those moments. It is difficult. Even months later it still feels new."

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[Closed] An Avvar Tale

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