faderift | I'm headed straight for the castle

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I'm headed straight for the castle

WHO: Lara Croft and Open
WHAT: Lara has made the journey from the Emprise to Skyhold and is looking to get more acquainted with all this Thedas Inquisition Rift Fade stuff.
WHEN: Late Guardian, after the dragon mission
WHERE: Skyhold, Various
NOTES: None, though spoilers for Rise of the Tomb Raider are possible if that's a thing you're trying to avoid

So this was definitely real then.

Lara had allowed herself a small measure of denial, but it had been weeks, with the cold sinking in her bones; with the strange mark on her palm glowing and tingling unpleasantly. She'd met elves, and dwarves, and qunari. She'd fought a dragon and had a piece of it's skin, a shimmering shade of blue she could barely describe let dream up herself, hanging from her belt.

She'd really traveled across unknown time and space through something called the Fade to this world called Thedas.

It was terrifying, and as she'd come realize the truth of it there had been a few moments of panic. Of a fear stronger than any she'd felt even on Yamatai. A fear for herself, for Jonah, for her world, left with Trinity still operating. Still capable of great evil, and with her gone....

But this was real. And falling apart would get her nowhere.

With Leliana's map and her offer echoing in the back of her mind, Lara set out for mysterious Skyhold.

She wasn't quite sure what she expected - another village, perhaps - but the great, towering castle was certainly more than that and despite everything, her heart skipped, excitement and wonder swelling in her chest as she moved down the bridge.

It was terrifying; but it was also amazing.

Walking through the entrance, her head tipped back, mouth parting on a little gasp of wonder. She couldn't stop herself from drifting toward the nearest wall, fingers running over the stone curiously.

~.~

The castle was even bigger on the inside, she discovered, with so many people.... It was dizzying, but in a good way. It was hard to get swept up in darker thoughts and worries when there was so much to see and learn.

She lingered at the bulletin board, smiling at the familiarity of it even if so much of what was actually posted went over her head. Though she did note the message about rifters, rubbing at her gloved hand absently as she read the details of looked like a support group of sorts.

Turning, she called to someone passing, "Excuse me. Sorry, but can you tell me where the-" She glanced at the note again, "Herald's Rest is?"

~.~

She wanted to see Leliana again. She was one of the people she'd met first after coming through the rift, and she'd certainly seemed to know a great deal about what was going on. And while she'd been - difficult, to read, she had also been kind. And Lara didn't know anyone else at Skyhold.

Talking to Leliana would be as comforting as it was practical.

Though it took some questioning and some searching to finally find the right tower. And then there was the library, stacks upon stacks... She stopped at the top of the stairs, mouth agape, eyes widening.

It a sight as thrilling for her as that of the dragon.

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Finding a moment of true peace in Skyhold was easier said than done, or at least that was how Morrigan had found it since she'd arrived a few months ago. No one could accuse them of being idle though knowing if their efforts were all being directed to the right place at the right time? Much more difficult to say.

Appearing from seemingly nowhere with an old volume bound in leather, spine crumbling, Morrigan stopped to watch the young woman. Not that she knew every face here but there was something all newcomers shared when they first took a real look at the place.

"Tarasyl'an Te'las," she said quietly, stopping a short distance from her. "The true name of this place."

There was a scar in the stone - from construction, she wondered, or something after? A battle, perhaps?

She glanced over at the newcomer, echoing the words softly, "Tarasyl'an Te'las...." She lowered her hand from the wall and shook her head gently. "I'm sorry, I don't know what it means."

“Tis the name of this place, the elven name: the place where the sky is held back. Fitting, is it not? Until the Inquisition came upon twas abandoned yet there is magic that lingers in the very stone.” Though few would be able to feel it, only the mages and the elves too if they reached out enough though perhaps rifters might too, at least with part of themselves. “To everyone though the name Skyhold is enough, there are very few who would even know the meaning.”

A pity really that so much of the history has been lost.

“You may call me Morrigan, you have the look of a new arrival about you.”

There was a story in that, Lara thought. She knew too well from her own experience that you didn't usually just stumble upon an ancient castle - magical or otherwise.

But she resisted the urge to ask immediately. There were other things she needed to know first.

"Lara," she introduced herself. "And you're right, I am. ...I've come from the Emprise." She was still took the warning to heart, to be careful with how and when she revealed where she'd been before that. "A woman named Leliana suggested I come."

“But you are not native to the Emprise.” The accent gives it away and well, the natives there would surely be half-starved and still terrified after all the talk of the conditions there, a good part of the reason she remained in Skyhold rather than get herself involved. “So she finally leaves the rookery, the whispers were true. I have known Leliana for many years now.”

Or she had. Only Leliana could point out the lie and she isn’t here to do so.

“Are you to become one of her scouts then?”

"No," Lara said, seeing no harm in admitting it - not that she could have if she'd wanted to. "I'm not."

But she didn't immediately offer anything more either.

"I don't know, I've only just arrived and haven't spoken to her yet. Is that why she was in the Emprise - to recruit?"

“Tis hardly the place one would make an effort to go to, even to join the Inquisition when they have been in Skyhold some months now.” Fortunately Morrigan prefers to play games than to be blunt, and fortunately here in Skyhold she’s someone of middling importance; her research is valued, her place is secure, but she doesn’t make the important decisions.

“No, there are far better ways to recruit - to send an offer with an existing agent, to extend an invitation, I would hazard that perhaps it was wishing to get out of Skyhold.” All this time up here and organising rather than being out in the world getting the job done? But then she knows Leliana, not the Nightingale. “Or to truly see it with her own eyes, the tales of the Red Templars and their activities out there have been disturbing since the first reports came in.”

"Then I suppose there's no way to say," she replied. "We spoke in the Emprise, and she told me of the Inquisition and its goals, and as they seem to align, I thought it might be wise to take her up on her offer to learn more."

She glanced up the castle again, noting a banner fluttering in the distance though its heraldry was unknown to her.

"...I don't even know what being one her scouts would entail."

"Once she did venture further, when we fought together during the Fifth Blight, perhaps she misses simpler times." If only that were so, then she might not have such concerns.

"What does being a scout for anyone entail? You must be her eyes and ears wherever you are sent, wherever you must go. You must able to blend in with the surroundings so as not to stand out and to gather as much information as you can, then you return or write to her and inform her. Leliana's network rivals anything else in all Thedas, and well, one knows the current standing of the Inquisition. If your goals align then you and she should have few disagreements though she will expect the very best of you."

It didn't sound terribly bad - not any worse than any of her other options - Lara thought, though Leliana hadn't mentioned it to her so it was as likely not something she'd have to decide.

Still, she raised an eyebrow.

"Are you one of her scouts?" she asked.

She'd said she'd known Leliana for some time, and she seemed to know a great deal about it....

It wasn’t Lara’s fault that she laughed, but given her discussions with Leliana of late, she did, shaking her head.

“No, I was - and still am - arcane advisor to Empress Celene. Here in Skyhold I am still arcane advisor. I research ancient, forgotten, and forbidden magic, often elven in origin in order to give us whatever advantage we can against Corypheus. There are none who know more of elven lore than I.”

The Dalish among them might dispute that but they hadn’t been to even half the places she had been, and but one of them had restored an eluvian and she had not even ventured through it.

“Odd, most everyone knows that Leliana and I were acquainted during the Fifth Blight when we fought alongside the Hero of Ferelden.”

Busted. By her own curiosity.

Funny, how often that happened.

"I'm not a native of the Emprise," she echoed with a little twitch that might have been a hint of a smile. "So not native that I don't even know what, and who, either of those are."

A lesson Morrigan learned herself, though rather more painfully. Not that she could show Flemeth but each day should be a lesson, at least when the learning curve in Thedas is so steep.

"The Fifth Blight happened ten years ago in Ferelden when Darkspawn rose from the Deep Roads and poured out of the Wilds, Darkspawn being tainted creatures created from the very first magisters. Which our enemy just so happens to be though this is not a Blight, despite the many similarities. The Hero of Ferelden is also the ruler of the country now, alongside his wife Anora, Jonas Cousland is his name. Leliana and I were two of those who fought at his side, the other Grey Warden - those sworn to fight Darkspawn all their lives and defeat the Blight - Alistair is here too, as is Zevran Arainai. When you meet Zevran, you will know it." Because Lara is a young lady and Zevran is a very friendly elf, depending on your definition of friendly. "The library here is well-stocked and there are no shortage of those who will tell you tales though more than a pinch of salt is needed, especially with anything about elves and their history."

It was a lot of information at once, but as it wasn't the first time she'd face such a wall of names and titles since arriving, she'd gotten better at prioritizing and compartmentalizing.

One question at a time, Lara.

At the word library, her eyebrows jumped, eyes lighting.

"A library?" A chance to work through Thedas at her own pace (blight, darkspawn, grey warden) would be a Godsend, of course, but libraries also happened to be among her favorite places - regardless of universe, alternate or otherwise. "There's a library here?"

Better too much than too little, folk can be very cagey. Especially Wardens. Wardens probably seeking aid because when has a Warden in recent memory not come with a begging bowl in hand.

Small wonder Leliana will like this one though and she laughs again.

"There are two. The rotunda is the larger, the middle level below the rookery are floor to ceiling shelves with a few spaces for tables or chairs, all the way around the room. In the lower levels is another library though rather more a hall into one small circular room with a table but again, all the walls are floor to ceiling with books. I can recommend some though many come from a Chantry perspective that I find to be rather limited at best and with a heavy bias." Genitivi is terrible, a puffed up pain in the backside why they let him live is beyond her but such is the way of life and the libraries are one of the very few absolute positives of Skyhold to Morrigan. "And of course there are always requests placed for new volumes, or rather new to Skyhold, often very old or very rare, tis most often the way I have found."

"History is written by the victors," Lara murmured with a breath. "That's not true just for Thedas. But a - non-native, must start somewhere. I'll take any recommendations, and directions, if you have them."

A beat.

"To the libraries, and to Leliana, if you can tell me that."

“Even the phrasing is the same.” Her meetings with rifters have been few but it still surprises her at the number of similarities, or things that might be glimpsed as if looking through a mirror. “You will find soon that there are those much like you would expect in any place so you should find some to answer your questions.”

And if she puts all the pieces together, she’ll understand just what a mess Thedas is.

“Head in the main doors, take the first door on the right. If you go up the rotunda then the second level is the library, and the level above that the rookery where you will find Leliana when she is present. And if you go down close to the kitchens or the wine cellar, you will find the smaller library.”

"I hope so," she replied, with a slight smile that had little to do with humor. (Acceptance, of a her wild, impossible predicament.) "Thank you."

She looked toward the main staircase, winding up to the wide, open doors of what appeared to be the main hall. Then she glanced back at Morrigan.

"Perhaps after I've done some reading you can tell me how wrong all the books are."

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I'm headed straight for the castle

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