[Open] Remembering one of the good guys

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Anyone who knew/cared about Herc!
WHAT: A wake for Herc
WHEN: Around now, the 10th of Egg
WHERE: Tavern!
NOTES: Drinking, grief, etc.

There aren't any formalities here. The Calling has taken another Grey Warden, but for once he was known to more than Wardens and mourned by more than them too. The music is lively to start with, mostly because Herc probably would have grumped if it had all been sad and there's a tab at the bar open to anyone worthy. Granted, one has to manage to be polite to all the Grey Wardens for the duration of the wake to be deemed worthy, but that's not too hard, is it?

Hit up the bar, share a story, complain about how he owed you money, and remember someone who deserves it.

Comments

[sunshinethroughgrey]

She looked over at Ratchette, her smile softening, "He was. Chuck ... well, he went into the Deep Roads some time ago, with one of our other Senior Wardens. We haven't seen him in a long time. Herc always thought ... well. I hoped for him too. That Chuck would come back. I still do."

Even if it was to this.

Her mouth twisted, "I was young, and arrogant, and mostly I think I was looing for something of a suicide mission. I'll never forget Herc coming for us - I think it was the first time I really understood that my stupid mistakes could cost another Warden their lives. I smartened up quick, after that."

[sistertohermen]

"He didn't take to mistakes lightly, no." He was stern with her when she'd reacted out of turn, digging into a demon with more ferocity than necessarily called for despite the way it had pinned him down. She'd been so worried for him, and it was...a stupid reaction. But his chastisements didn't last long once he thought the lesson learned.

"This Calling. This thing that means they have to go marching into the Deep. I don't understand it." Maybe Chuck also followed his Calling, but Bethany didn't seem to think so, hoping against hope. And yet Herc was a lost cause?

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"He wasn't a man who wanted others to pay the price. He'd rather take it all on his own." She remembered how many times he had stepped up to protect others. Never thinking of himself.

"It's ... less of an answering cry and more that we can hear the song that the Darkspawn hear. That's when we know it's time to go." She looks off in the distance, "It's never easy. Some are stronger than others, can last longer."

[sistertohermen]

That doesn't help explain, she feels, but maybe it's just one of those Warden secrets he wouldn't tell her. Or maybe it only makes sense to Wardens.

"You start hearing a song and you know the darkspawn hear it, too, so you have to go down there and...what, become one of them?"

[sunshinethroughgrey]

She sighs, because honestly? She isn't really sure of it herself until they all started hearing it.

"Think of it like those old sea tales, where the sailors were called off to their doom, like the sirens. Ours is the same, except when we hear the song we choose to go down fighting."

[sistertohermen]

Rachette decides that instead of looking angry and upset, she'll just look owlish and bemused. "I don't know any old sea tales. I came from Orzammar." No sea shanties down there. Plenty of fucking lava, though. Bioware please explain yourself. "Why would sailors get called to die?" Surfacers are weirdos.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"... Oh." Well that was just a horrible example, wasn't it? She pressed her lips together, and sighed. "Right - think of it like we're being mind controlled. Compelled to go down there, to die."

[sistertohermen]

"By darkspawn." She doesn't sound thoroughly convinced, but Wardens apparently work in mysterious ways. Darkspawn normally don't compel anyone to do anything but run or fight. "If that's what happens when you're a Warden, what do you gain by being a Warden at all? Anyone can fight darkspawn. Give someone a blade and enough courage or stupidity to stand in front of some, they'll fight."

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"More like the old gods ... but yes, that's a fair assessment." She really can't go further into it than that. Although she supposes, what does it really matter now? They were new Wardens - perhaps the old rules didn't apply like they used to. "Anyone can fight darkspawn - but they can't sense them. And they aren't immune to the taint."

A wry smile. "And they cannot defeat an archdemon."