faderift | Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening

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Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening

WHO: Katniss Everdeen, Samoel Gareth, Korrin Ataash, Christine Delacroix, Cremius Aclassi, Kain, and Merrick Ashara
WHAT: Various missions in the Emprise du Lion
WHEN: Second week of Haring
WHERE: Emprise du Lion - Saharain, The Bone Tower, the Mines, then lands surrounding.
NOTES: Warning for Violence, Death, possible NPC

death, and grumpy elves

Enjoyed the trip from Skyhold to even colder Emprise du Lion? Good, because now, it's time to get down to work.

1. He will not see me stopping here - The Bone Tower

The lay of the land is important here - the Inquisition Forces need proper mapping and a good idea of where the Red Templars might be dug in like ticks. The best place to get a vantage point? The Bone Tower.

Which ... just happens to be crawling with Red Templars, but luckily for this scouting party, they have their own fair share of rogues. Merrick and Katniss plan on climbing the tower, undetected, so they can better map the area. With Sam as back-up, what can possible go wrong?

2. To watch his woods fill with snow - The Mines

Yet the Bone Tower is not the only place with a heavy concentration of Red Templars. There's been speak of them in large numbers in the local mines -- and many a family member has disappeared through those wooden gates and not returned. Korrin is off to see what she can find there, and she's going to drag along some protection as well. Will you be joining her, to see just how far the Red Templars have gone?

3. My Horse Must Think Me Queer - The village of Sahnaria

And in the midst of all this, the snowy little village of Sahnaria, with what few survivors there are to the suddenly harsh weather, and those who are traveling to the mines, and never returning. Should you travel here, information is key. Who knows, you may find yourself beset with demons, who have been preying on the survivors here. Perhaps you should speak to Mistress Poulin, about their recent troubles.

4. To stop without a farmhouse near - The Red Templar Camps

Yet the road beyond the village is beset with dangers - of the red lyrium kind. Red Templars have camped up the entire road, all the way to Suledin Keep itself. It is important not to be seen, as to not give away the mission. Christine believes she can get close enough to get a better idea of what they are doing here - but she cannot do this alone. Who will go to find out the Red Templar's secrets?

5. Between the woods and the frozen lake - DRAGONS

The name says it all. Are you trying to keep hidden from the winged beasts? Are you staring up at them in wonder? Are you wondering how they would taste in a stew? Consider talking to your other teammates about the winged threat...

6. The darkest evening of the year - Attack at the Camp

They have all been as careful as they can be, but even 'peaceful' looking camps get curious eyes on them. Especially ones with an eye for violence. There is a crunch of snow behind them, and the sound of a branch breaking. Arm yourselves, scouts. Something is out in the woods, and it is coming for you...

7. The woods are lovely, dark and deep - Sulevin Blade

Katniss and Merrick now spend a great deal of their time together, trekking through the snow and setting traps, so they can get a better idea of the scope of the forces here. Their defenses, and their like. That doesn't mean that they don't find the interesting side journey, now and again ...

8. But I have promises to keep - The Warden Fortress

This particular ruin is right between the Bone Tower, and one of the largest camps of Red Templars. Still, the Inquisition Command would like to know what is inside. Do you dare find out?

9. And miles to go before I sleep - open slot for whatever!

See the description! For camping nights, for talks on patrol, for shenanigans. Post it under the heading of 9.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

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Stealth isn't Korrin's strong suit, but it doesn't take a genius to realize that night would give them more cover during their investigations. When it's dark enough, she's gathering whoever is willing to join in and reading back toward the mine entrance. They stand no chance of reaching the heart of the mine itself, but they can at least investigate the outskirts. Not content with merely observing this time, Korrin brings her staff. Battle seems likely, and she's not going to be caught without an effective weapon.

As the entrance comes within sight, Korrin slows her approach to observe as much of the guards' movements as she can before they attempt anything. Her voice is pitched low, quiet so as not to attract attention. "We need to get in there and find out what's happening in the mines. If anyone has suggestions, now is the time. Let's not waste this chance."

Katniss volunteers because, well, perfect opportunity to teach the mages a little stealth. She doesn't want to get caught and she most certainly does not want to die because they do not know how to get around without keeping silent.

She's not pleased that Korrin brought her staff, and she kneels near her as she peers out into the darkness, counting the guards. Then she looks at the stone outcroppings, and nods.

"Up there. Best vantage point. We can see down into each area of the mines." She gives Korrin a stern look, "Remember, the deaths have to look like accidents."

Korrin sighs and nods in acknowledgment, not apologetic for bringing her staff but understanding that they should at least make an attempt at concealing their involvement in any deaths. "Alright, let's head up there and see what there is to see, first. Then we can figure out how to cause these 'accidental' deaths. There's no shortage of hostile wildlife, at least. We can use that to our advantage."

Great bears bear no more love for Red Templars than anyone else. If the Red Templars could be lured out...well, such are the dangers of Emprise du Lion. Korrin doesn't mind bears or anything else doing such work for them, as long as said guards no longer draw breath.

Katniss's shoulders loosened a touch when Korrin nodded her acknowledgement. Well, at least they were agreed that they weren't going to bring it down the Red Templars upon their heads. "Okay, remember what we talked about. Roll your feet when you walk - it makes less noise, and is less likely to crush the underbrush."

One corner of her mouth twisted - oh yes, she knew there were great bears here. If she was lucky, she might be able to take down one of them. Outside of letting one eating a templar, of course.

She moved forward, keeping to the rocks and trees for cover, moving with silence and speed. She paused when the grove of trees started to thin, closer to the top of the ridge of stone, where she could hear voices below and see the light of the torches.

Christine doesn't wish to be a liability here, so she's been taking everything Katniss and Merrick have told her to heart. Sneaking around has never been something she thought she'd need to know, but she's glad she's learning now. Like Korrin, she has her staff with her because it's dark and they're avoiding watchful eyes. It's one thing to go walking through a ruined village, pretending to be someone else, but snooping around at night requires she have something to protect herself.

Following Katniss's instructions, she picks her way carefully through the trees, not speaking. There's no need yet.

Following along, Korrin does her best to follow Katniss' advice. Give her size, she can't afford to make any more noise for them than can be avoided. It's not easy going, but she wants to prove she can do this right.

Crouching down upon reaching the top, Korrin scoots over so she can have a better look. She has to risk it to see what's going on, after all. Upon staring below, her eyes narrow--and then widen in horror. The Red Templar guards are there, of course, but so are those cages she'd caught a glimpse of earlier. Christine had wondered if they held dogs, but no. People -civilians- were within, tired and defeated and--cold, they must be freezing given that trousers and thin shirts are no protection from the elements.

Katniss eases her way to the side of the cliff as well, keeping her face out of the light. Her gaze slides over the cages, and her gaze narrows in anger. She is almost moving out of her crouch when a Red Templar passes her gaze -- and she stops. Dead.

What in the name of the Maker is that thing? Cullen was right - they may have been men once but they were ... deformed, horrific now. Worse yet, they were everywhere. So whatever they had those poor people trapped in there for, it was clearly of a major concern to Corypheus.

She swept her gaze left and right, counting numbers, trying to figure out the best way to get into those cages without having the Red Templars see them. There was no way -- it was going to take a team assaulting within the mines themselves.

Christine is a little behind the other two, but when she reaches a point where she can see, she freezes as well, stomach churning in disgust. The red lyrium she had seen growing on the bones of the drowned man in the Mire had been horrifying enough, but this? The red lyrium hadn't just erupted from their skin; on some of them it had replaced their skin. They were a disgusting, misshapen mass of crystals. How were they still alive?

What could they possibly be doing with those people? Humans couldn't mine lyrium, and as far as Christine knew, it wasn't mined here anyway. Did they just need metal for weapons? Keeping people imprisoned made some sort of sense to her, because otherwise the workers would run home and tell everyone what was going on, and knowing the Red Templars' plans could put a dent in it.

Turning to the others, she inclined her head back the way they came. She wants to speak, but not so close to this operation.

Horror turns to rage; between that and grief, Korrin will always default to anger instead. It will keep her active instead of falling apart, which can happen later. Right now, she has a burning desire to do something, anything. The presence of the others and some deep breaths help prevent her from doing something drastic right then and there, and she's quick to scramble back away as Christine indicates. There are things she needs to say, too, once they're out of earshot.

Initially, that would be a long stream of swearing, some in Qunlat but the rest understandable and perhaps graphic. Now is not a time when Korrin can rein in her temper, though, not verbally. Their needs to be an outlet somewhere, and she won't apologize for that.

Drawing in another deep breath to steady herself, she scowls. "Those bastards...not even human anymore, whatever they are. Inside or out. We can't leave those people to be overworked or left to freeze, or killed by them. The Red Templars have to pay for what they've done."

Katniss turned with alarm at Korrin rising, and she put a hand out. No, not now! We don't have the numbers! She let out a silent breath as Christine gestured for them to back away from the edge, and she followed, making sure that none of those ... creatures had followed them.

Of course, that might all be for naught if Korrin keeps cursing so much that there is no way they'll think it's an animal. It is clear that the other woman needs to get it out. Katniss doesn't curse, not as a rule, and all her anger is in the tight way that she holds herself. The way that her hand is gripping her bow.

"There's no way we're going to be able to save those people unless we kill every single Red Templar between here and the village." She stated coldly, "Not that I mind - but we're going to need a much bigger force than just the nine of us."

"I agree," Christine says, her expression showing how she regrets this choice. "We are no match for them, not even if we use stealth or try to draw a few away at a time. There will still be too many left who will become suspicious."

Letting of a breath of defeat, she adds, "I think our only choice is to contact Skyhold and tell the advisers what we've seen. Then they will know how to proceed."

That counterpoint is exactly what Korrin needs to hear, much as she hates the thought of standing by while this is happening. She's never had to hold back before, ever, and the restriction is chafing her to no end. But Katniss and Christine make too much sense for her to deny them. Rushing off right now would just be a creative way to commit suicide and she knows it.

She balls up her hands into fists; her knuckles are hidden by gloves but no doubt they're white from clenching them so tightly. "We'd better act fast, then. And so must they, or there isn't going to be anyone left to save. If the Red Templars don't get them, simply saying out there with no protection from the cold will do it just as well."

Edited 2015-12-17 19:23 (UTC)

She can feel the frustration in Korrin's gaze, in her very stance as she balled up her fists. She feels it herself, but she knows they would just end up getting all of them killed if they just rushed in there. They need to get the prey where it would be a slaughter...

She frowned for a moment, before looking at the two women, "...Krem, Sam's, ah, special friend. He and his friends - they're part of some mercenary troop, right? Do either one of you know how big they are?"

"Not really. Are you suggesting we have them handle it? There's no way we can cover up that many deaths if we attack." Christine crosses her arms and rubs her hands along them, feeling the chill through her clothes.

"I cannot see a way for us to rescue them without getting into a battle and having the Templars either overwhelm us, or rush to kill whatever captives they might have, so their secrets die with them."

That question gives Korrin a chance to lose some of that temper, as she has to think about it for a moment. "They number fewer than fifty, in total. And Krem didn't bring the entire company with him, just a couple. The rest are too far away to help us."

She heaves a sigh, grudgingly nodding in agreement with Christine. It might seem like a good idea initially, but they would sacrifice the element of surprise without the amount of forces needed to ensure the villagers' survival.

Katniss frowned, before she jerked her chin to pull them further away from the Red Templars, back to the snowy path that they had snuck upon to get there. "I was thinking more that they could act as a distraction -- attacking the Red Templars below to pull their attention north, while we snuck in and took out the Templars in the mines ... but you're both right. They don't have the numbers."

She looked at the both of them, her expression grave, "We'll talk to the others - get an idea of the forces we need - and then I'll head back to Skyhold with the maps and the intelligence we've gathered. Korrin, how much time do you think those people have?"

Edited 2015-12-18 11:58 (UTC)

Korrin's lips form a thin line. "Not long. Those that don't succumb to the cold will still be weakened from such conditions. They could have days or a couple of weeks, but either way, they won't last long-term. The only thing I can recommend to the Inquisition leadership is 'now, for fuck's sake'."

"Hypothermia will set in," Christine adds. She is the healer here, after all. "And I don't think the Templars are feeding them well. They must be starving. Please, let us go back to camp and tell the others, then we can contact the Inquisition by the crystals. It's the fastest way, and the troops can start mobilizing, ready to go by the time Katniss arrives with her maps."

Katniss's exprssion pales at that - she's a hunter, she knows what hypothermia can do. They will loses limbs and more. She nods gravely at the mages, "You're right - we can't wait on this. Message crystals and then I'll bring the maps. It's a two day ride back - I can make it in one if I take the mountain path."

Korrin nods gratefully to Katniss, trusting her to do what's needed and unable to volunteer for such a task herself. Remaining while awaiting word is hard enough; leaving the region entirely is beyond her. She darts a nod to Christine as well, approving of this plan.

"The faster, the better. Alright, let's do this."

She wastes no time in setting off for camp, her eagerness tempered only by not wanting to leave Christine and Katniss behind due to her longer strides. They scouted together and they ought to remain together until all are safely at camp. The area's too dangerous to head off alone.

There is much weighing on Christine's mind now, and with what they're just seen, it makes it a challenge to focus on anything else. Yet she's not willing to allow the group to be discovered due to her deep thoughts, and she pushes them to the back of her mind to focus on walking in a stealthy manner instead. Once they return to camp, all her worry and frustrations can be voiced.

Katniss is keeping to just outside the other two women. She is already preparing her pack in her head, and her words when she returns to Skyhold. Grim as it may be, this had to be done right now -- even if Skyhold was coming back from being attacked from within.

That was why they were all here, after all. Saving innocent people. Bringing back order from chaos.

It isn't until she gets back to camp that she speaks to the other women, "Gather the others. I'll grab my things."

Time and silence help calm Korrin down, at least enough to focus on being productive instead of lashing out in a blind rage. When they reach camp, the Vashoth mage nods grimly. If they're back from their own patrolling, she'll find them.

"Right. Krem! Sam!" And so on, as she heads over to the various tents, trusting Christine to save time and get to whoever she doesn't.

It isn't an easy thing to describe, but Christine sits down with part of the group, recounting the sight of the Templars, now deformed and grotesque, and the fact that they were guarding cages containing the missing workers of Sahrnia. As dire as the situation is, they can't rescue these people right now. Not even if the whole scouting team goes. Because the Red Templars are too large a force. They need Inquisition forces to match it.

Katniss emerged right then, her leathers already zipped up and her cloak snug over her face. Her saddlebags were over one arm, and she looked grimly at the others. "Send the message back to Skyhold. Tell them I'm on my way."

They were not going to leave those villagers to die, and they were not going to let the Red Templars get away with whatever they thought they were getting away with.

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Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening

2/3 merge, at nightfall?

Volunteers as First Tribute ... haaaaaah....

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