LET NO SOUL HUNGER FOR JUSTICE: SONG FOR THE SOUL

[fleurdesel]

WHO: Anders, Bethany, Nathaniel, Leliana, Kallian, Sina, Beleth
WHAT: The First Ritual
WHEN: 1st of Bloomingtide (May 1st)
WHERE: half an hour outside Skyhold
NOTES: plotting thread.

The clearing is not all that far from Skyhold- only half an hour's ride. They don't anticipate anything going wrong in this particular ritual but familiarity with the location and a fear that something might go wrong in the future is more than enough to give it a solid once over before they begin. On it's own the ritual is absurd- but there'd been notes enough to make it seem, if not entirely credible, worth a shot. After all it will work or it will not.

Won't it?

Comments

RITUAL PREPARATION & RECRUITMENT

[fleurdesel]

[ Either by note, a discreet call on the sending crystals, or a personal visit from any of the three involved in tending to the ritual; Leliana, Kallian, Sina, and Beleth are gathered.

The ride out is easy, no weather nor strangeness impeding their travel. It's a good sign, right? Right.

Once at the clearing Adelaide begins working on the necessary precautions, a circular barrier for Anders and Justice to stand inside- skins of water, copies of the song for everyone's reference. Everything seems in order. ]

[justice_is_blond]

1

[Justice keeps nitpicking everything. Some of the words in the song are so old mortals may not know the shape they're supposed to take anymore, the barrier may not be right, the notations on music may have changed over the years and now be wrong, on and on, and a great deal of why Anders looks tense is due to this.]

He thinks he's finding reasons it will fall apart, [Anders mutters to no one in particular,] but the headache he's giving me serves as more inspiration to make sure it doesn't.

2

[He's not going to be doing the singing, but that doesn't mean he's not paging through the words anyway and staring at them as if looking long enough will help him know the sounds the letters are supposed to make.

It doesn't.

He holds out the page to the nearest person and points out one of the words.]

I don't suppose you've discussed how you say this one?

1

[fleurdesel]

All my time studying spirits and I have yet to find a polite way to tell them to relax.

[ Blue light flares in Adelaide's hand as she reaches out to press it against Anders' forehead, offering a wave of cooling magic. ]

[justice_is_blond]

Thank you.

[He exhales and shakes his head a moment after the headache's started to ease.]

I've not either. When he had a separate body it was far easier. I could always send him to bother Sigrun, or Velanna. Or send him to the library to study some answer to whatever obscure question he'd come up with then. And then Compassion... there is no relaxing with her either. Them.

[fleurdesel]

I should not laugh- but for Compassion and I it is quite the opposite. They struggle to remind me to relax.

[ Much as Compassion has their purpose, Adelaide has hers. ]

I do hope you are both prepared for this to do nothing. Promising as the ritual might be I sincerely doubt anything will come of it. But of those options, this is the least dangerous.

[justice_is_blond]

I've never been as dedicated as Justice would have liked. To my own freedom, certainly. To aiding those that I come across, yes. But I like sleep. And regular meals. I simply don't like them as much as I like simple ways to make him less annoyed. And... yes.

[His smile is a little tight.]

Justice is nearly certain it won't work. Myself, I've not a great deal of faith in it, but I'd prefer to start with the simple ones that seem to carry little risk. If it doesn't work, we've lost a few days. If it does, we've gained at the cost of mere hours and maybe a sore throat. I brought a syrup in case of the latter.

1.

[kallian_endris]

[Kallian is there, fussing gently. She's worried for Anders, and even for Justice.]

It's going to be all right. Hope says it will. Is there anything I can do for you until then?

[justice_is_blond]

[He holds out a hand for hers.]

That you've come and you're willing to do this is a gift of itself, Kalli. Thank you. And thank Hope for the optimism, please. I'm not... I'm not entirely certain this will do anything, but at least it cannot hurt to try this option first.

[Standing around while people sung at him? There's a power in song, certainly, but he has his doubts. He wonders if that's why Justice is so calm.]

Have your vocal lessons continued since the past incident?

[kallian_endris]

[She takes his hand, squeezes it affectionately. She loves you, Dad.]

We can only hope, as the saying goes. ...probably means something a little different in my case... But, I couldn't let you go through this alone. Not after... everything else.

[She nods, though.]

Ellana and I practice together in one of the towers whenever we can. She plays, and I sing. One day, we might be brave enough to have a real audience.

2

[arlathvhen]

[ He's pointing at a different word, but when Beleth looks over, she can't help but decide to insert her own hilarious joke. ]

I'm not sure, but I think it's And--rah-sis-tee.

[ She's a master comedian. But everyone is nervous, especially Anders, and there's a chance this whole thing could kill him, so maybe a lame joke could help. ]

[justice_is_blond]

And... mm. That's a hard one. Perhaps it's a language barrier. I have trouble with that one, the chantry has trouble with the word 'equality,' and it's a shame they'll never be used together.

[His smile is faint but there.]

THREADJACK'D

[eolasemah]

FEH-cheat. DO-cheh-beet.

[Sina chimes in from behind Beleth, peering over her shoulder, covered in enough warming fabric that she looks like a little girl wearing her mother's clothes. In her pale hands is also an enormous tome, which compares the Common tongue to Tevene. She doesn't speak the latter, but at least in her studies has come to understand enough of it that she can make educated guesses at how the ancient version works.]

1

[eolasemah]

Well tell him good things come to those who wait, [says Sina primly, in high spirits on account of being out of the Keep for.. pretty much the first time since her arrival. She's smiling as she busies herself, a rare energy about her despite how tiny and thin she is in comparison to her gear.]

We're doing the best we can. If he wants to help, his contribution would be welcome. [She lays her enormous tome, a Tevene-Fereldan dictionary, down on a flat-ish rock, then sits beside it to leaf through.] And if not, then perhaps he should save his commentary for when he's safely back in the Fade.

[justice_is_blond]

[She still looks like a stiff breeze could snap her, but she looks emotionally healthier than she's looked around the Keep of late. It makes him feel like he's made a very right choice with having her around.]

He doesn't care to help.

[And he's worried that the motivation for that is more than simply disdain for the means. Anders takes a seat next to Sina, leaning over to watch her work.]

You're good with Tevene?

[eolasemah]

"Good," [Sina repeats with a wry smile,] I'm not sure about that. But I've had lots of time to study things lately, and in order to understand some runes I have to have a working knowledge of Tevene.

[She flips through a couple more pages, mouthing out some of the words she recognizes, strengthening the skill so she can use it for the ritual.]

Re: RITUAL PREPARATION & RECRUITMENT

[sunshinethroughgrey]

What can I do to help?

[Bethany comes over, still holding onto her tome of spiritual magic, looking around at the entire ritual space with interest. Adelaide clearly knows what she's doing -- but Bethany is here to help, and learn in the process how to help Anders.]

[fleurdesel]

Double check these runes? [ She hands Bethany a sketch of the circle she's working into the ground for their protection. Honestly she's certain that she has them- but the more eyes she has on what she's doing? The less chance for failure. ]

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Gladly. [Bethany took up the sketch, and then went around to each rune, to make sure they corresponded. It wasn't that she did not trust Adelaide with what she was doing -- but this was Anders. She wasn't taking any chances with his life -- or with theirs.]

[justice_is_blond]

Probably don't ignite the area.

[It's not easy to make jokes right now, and it shows in the tension in his eyes, shoulders, and voice, but he's trying.]

Or release, I don't know. A swarm of tiny gnats.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

I have perfect control over my fire magic, thank you.

[Is Bethany's wry statement, as she looks over at Anders.]

And I've never been able to do gnats.

[justice_is_blond]

Well. We're set then.

[He wants this to work, but he's terrified to hope. Hope never works.]

A little magic, a little singing, and then nothing will go according to plan. As usual. We may as well say we've Marian along in spirit.

[arlathvhen]

[ Beleth is seated on a rock that was flat enough that it was probably some rubble from some kind of ruin. Probably elven, because what other kinds of ruins were there, honestly. Her lute is in her lap and she's busy humming and tuning it. She's a bit nervous about all of this, but eager enough to attempt to lend a hand. Considering that it's just singing, surely there's no way that they can all die and be forever known as a bunch of idiots that died a humiliating death in a silly ritual to aid a widely hated apostate.

Right?

Right???? ]

[fightingale]

( Hi Bardling

nbd just Leliana materialising out of the shadows, as she does. Doesn't matter if there are no shadows, she still does it. )

Beleth. How are you feeling?

[arlathvhen]

[ Beleth is accustomed to Leliana managing to not only materialize shadows where there were none, but then materializing herself out of them. Thus, she's only mildly alarmed when Leliana appears. She gives her mentor a smile that betrays a little nervousness, but her tone is determined. ]

I'm curious, mostly. Magic through song. I've heard of it, but it's an art that's been all but lost. I wonder at the implications, if it works. Or even if it doesn't work.

[fightingale]

It seems the stuff of legends, doesn't it?

( But then there they are, fighting a war against someone who tore open the sky. 'Legendary' seems to be a shifting scale. )

Something that merits further study, without doubt. ( She pauses, though, because Beleth is nervous. It is not the time for a lesson in schooling her on her reactions and on signposting her emotions. They have too much to focus on, and she endeavours to support her scouts as well as teach them and lead them. It is not something she does perfectly, but if she is to be a spymaster, she will be a kinder one than Marjolaine, as much as she is capable. )

It was good of you to volunteer.