[CLOSED] PLAYER PLOT: The Ashes Underneath His Nails

[amygdalae]

WHO: Jim Kirk, Hermione Granger, Adelaide Leblanc, Herian Amsel, Anders, Inessa Serra, Raylan Gibbs, Ciri
WHAT: The Inquisition sends a group of agents to uncover the truth behind a string of mysterious disappearances.
WHEN: Kingsway 1st - 8th
WHERE: Emprise du Lion
NOTES: Plotting post is here - feel free to post in there still for queries and concerns and further stuff where needed. Warnings for blood, violence, talks about death, experimentation horror, abomination-related stuff etc and eventual on-screen child death. ALSO no tag order - just respond when you feel like you should and I'll try to hit it back if it feels appropriate!!

QUICK JUMP LINKS TRAVELLING TO FROMAGE & FROMAGE GENERAL THREAD ROUTE INVESTIGATION SEEKRIT CAVE ENTRANCE INTO THE SEEKRIT CAVE CAVE INVESTIGATION - LEFT TEAM CAVE INVESTIGATION - RIGHT TEAM KID ABOMINATION THREAD BACK TO SKYHOLD

(—he remembers the chill of the frost and snow biting at bare skin, its usual pure white now tinged a horrid pink from the blood on his hands. He's far away from them now, the danger and the pain and everything else, but the blood will forever be on his hands no matter how much he tries to wash it away. His father had been right all along. He truly was a monster of the greatest kind.)

QUEST: THE ASHES UNDERNEATH HIS NAILS (PART I) The message had come swiftly, the letter itself hastily written with a shaky hand. The request itself was simple; a plea for help from a village at the outskirts of Emprise du Lion, whose people have been mysteriously disappearing over the last few weeks. Considering the ongoing civil unrest that's still transpiring in Orlais the Inquisition made its decision to send out a team of agents to look into this message and see exactly what was going on. The eight agents tasked with the mission were given enough time to prepare for the trip ahead. They would all meet up first at the Inquisition camp set within the Emprise and from there travel for about a day until they reached where their destination was - Fromage, a quaint little village that rested at the outskirts of the area. From that point on, it was up to the agents of the Inquisition to solve this ongoing mystery. The mission: to discover the truth behind these disappearances - and to stop it, if possible.

Comments

CAVE INVESTIGATION - LEFT TEAM

[amygdalae]

[OOC Note: To make it easier I'll put sub threads in here for the different rooms; have your character comment into them and I will respond as needed. Multiple characters are fine for each room!]

GUARDROOMS

[amygdalae]

The torches line the walls as the four agents walk down this particular path, eventually leading to a pair of rooms that had been hollowed out from the rock. From the few bedrolls that lie around and the makeshift tables that now stand abandoned its easy enough to see that these pair of rooms seem to be some sort of place where the Templars seemed to dwell in while they were here. Torches on the wall and candles on the tables are still burning, giving the rooms an adequate amount of light.

A few things of interest here: the a table at the corner of the room, a collection of weapons popped up against one of the further walls, some books on a bedroll and a chest near the entrance of one of the two rooms.

[dashing]

Herian holds herself with that same strange rigidity that she always does, her sword drawn as they move. She seems equal parts tension and fluidity, a combination of elements that naturally opposed and were somehow engineered together, like a statue given life.

She moves first, a barrier raised. Inessa had said it once herself, that it took a great deal to get through the barriers of a Knight-Enchanter. It seems a careful enough tactic, just in case some more adversaries should appear.

It seems clear, though she doesn't say such - just looks to the others with an upwards tilt of her head, sword still drawn as she enters the room, gaze sharp as she assesses the room's contents. It's the weapons that catch her eye first, though she makes no immediate move to them. Quietly, "have you need of any arm?"

[amygdalae]

The weapons for the most part all seem rather normal - majority of them are Templar-standard weapons, and a few that aren't quite Templar standard things--

Weapons like mage staves, for instance. A few of them are propped up with the rest of the weapons. though a particular one is placed rather haphazardly, as if done in a rush.

[dashing]

It'd be a lie to say the staves didn't catch her eye. For all that she has travelled long without one, she misses having that extra point of focus for her magic, and with the Inquisition the need for discretion is not near so pressing as it had been travelling alone.

Her hand hovers over another, before she reaches for that haphazard, out of place stave, that seems almost to blur with the Fade as she reaches to it. She grasps it, and it is warm to the touch, as if it were some living thing, even as it makes adrenaline surge in her veins.

This one. This was hers, and she pulls it from its resting place, and wonders at how her own breath sounds like an echo. This is bound to be a great idea.

[amygdalae]

The haphazardly placed staff goes to Herian's hand and... well, not much happens, really. Whoever once owned this weapon, they're most certainly not around now.

From where the weapons had been propped up the closet thing nearby happens to be the table. The candle on it is still burning rather strongly, and she's probably close enough to see that there seems to be some scraps of parchment scattered across the surface.

[dashing]

Setting her shiny new toy against the table, Herian leans over it to better examine the parchment, trying to see if they are pieces of a whole, or random. Are there any maps, diagrams or symbols that might catch her eye?

In any case, she pulls the pieces of parchment closer, frowning as she examines them.

[circleprodigy]

While Herian investigates the weapons, Inessa, content with her own, turns her attention elsewhere. If the chest is unlocked, she'll open it and have a look. Otherwise, the books on the bedroll claim her attention. She somehow doubts they're Chantry-approved, and could provide valuable insight. Besides her, Garahel sniffs around for anything of note that lesser noses might miss.

hitting the chest first!

[amygdalae]

The chest is, in fact, not locked, and so Inessa is free to open it. Once she does so and peers in what she's find is... a strange assortment of items.

Or to be more specific, items that look like they belong to a child.

[circleprodigy]

That causes Inessa to recoil a touch, whether or not there's anything truly gruesome inside. The fact that a child is -or was- among all this horror is a sobering thought, and all the more reason to continue. She'll look for anything which might help deduce the identity of the child in question. If there's nothing of note, then the books are next.

inessa does not deserve this, probably

[amygdalae]

Sadly there really isn't much that can help to find the identity of the child - the items all seem to be pretty generic, none of it personalized, and where there might be evidence of it being worn down has either been repaired on replaced entirely.

The books themselves are... interesting, no doubt. For one, the covers suggest that they did come from a Circle at some point in the past.

uh-oh

[circleprodigy]

Turning away from the child's objects with a sigh, Inessa crouches to inspect the books...and frowns sharply upon noting the Circle covers. Were they possibly from her own? That's more than enough incentive for her to page through them, looking for some insight as to why they were taken, what knowledge they hold that was sought.

MORGUE + CELLS

[amygdalae]

The path apparently splits off once more at the end, though this time the distinction between each path is much more obvious. The stench of death and decay is strong from the left, while there are shadows of what look like metal gates down the right.

Going to the left has the agents entering a much smaller cavern; there's only a single torch illuminating the area from the far wall, but even that is enough to reveal the large hole that stretches across the middle of the ground. The stench seems to be even stronger from there - and perhaps that may even be the source of the smell. Only a close look will tell.

On the right the smell of death is less potent, but still never much present. The metal gates are quickly figured out to be cell doors, and it seems like this entire corridor has been made into a purposes of a makeshift prison. Most of the doors seemed to be locked save for three of them; one near the entrance, one at the middle and one near the end.

[dashing]

By now Herian has acquired her new staff, is aware of the feeling of what might as well be a second heartbeat pulsing over her own. Fire blooms at the staff's gnarled head, she hold it up, fire brightening and expanding to spill more light into the room, making the shadows stretch.

Her expression twists a little with the stench, but only for a moment as she starts to move forward towards the hole. In years past she might have covered her nose or gagged. The Spire, these past years, have made the smell of death far too familiar a thing.

Better to get a close look at the hole, as foul as the task might be, and she crouches at its edge, staff raised over it.

i'm so sorry

[amygdalae]

With the extra light from Herian herself the entire cavern is fully illuminated, though Herian wishes she might not have done so.

The hole originally shadowed by faint lighting is, in fact, what is now shown to be apparently a deep trench - or rather had been, because now its filled to the brim with corpses. In fact its so full that the corpses at the top seem like they can be pulled out if so inclined.

I'm not tbh

[dashing]

And that, children, is why you shouldn't go and inspect creepy holds in the ground.

She withdraws her stave rapidly, though she does not recoil. Rather, she just casts the light upwards, away from the pit, from this poor excuse for a grave, and looks over her shoulder even as she fights the churn of her gut.

"Do not look in here. It is a grave." A breath, ensuring she stays steady. "These people should be burned."

[circleprodigy]

The stench...Inessa's had worse, thanks to hunting darkspawn, but not much worse. She covers her nose with her sleeve, eyes watering as she catches up to Herian...and then all at once she's rather glad to have the warning. That's something she could (just barely) stomach seeing, but would really rather not, if she can avoid it.

"Then let's do so. They deserve that much, before we must move onward."

[ichaer]

While others take to the left, Ciri heads right with her sword drawn and stance tense. She is grateful that the sickeningly smell of death is lessened on this side as it gives her the chance to actually take in some much needed deep breaths but it feels like the smell is stuck to her lungs. Nevertheless, she focuses on the path before her as it opens up before her.

She passes a few of the metal doors, trying to peek into the makeshift cells before approaching one along the middle. Pulling on it, it does not budge so she moves down and tries another. This one does and she pulls it open, cautious moving to get a better look inside.

[amygdalae]

The cell that Ciri manages to enter... does not have a lot to show, it seems. There are only the barest of necessities, if there are even any at all. At the corner is an incredibly ragged bedroll that's been thoroughly chewed up by rodents and insects, and at the other corner there is a bucket for--well, Ciri can make her own guesses.

The only real point of interest is what seems to be a series of markings made on the wall next to where the bedroll had been laid out. They're only faintly visible from the light of the corridors, and if one isn't attentive enough they're all too easily overlooked.

[ichaer]

Ciri frowns at the darkness that covers the area but kneels, feeling at the rocks that make up the cell wall nearest her and trying to discover if some might have loosened. She can remember hiding valuables in such places growing up but wonders if the prisoners here would have anything left to hide from whomever held them captive.

After a moment, she sighs and stands. This was useless without some form of light so that was most important first. She considers calling for one of the mages but instead the nearby area for a torch or lamp firstly.

[amygdalae]

The rocks all seem to be perfectly solid - if there is somebody who did attempt that it probably did not happen in this particular cell.

In terms of finding a light source, however, Ciri might be in a bit more luck - the entire hallway is lit with torches that are shoddily hung from above somehow, and maybe if she tries hard enough she could get one of them down. As long as it doesn't break in the process.

[circleprodigy]

Not able to get away from that hole fast enough, Inessa then focuses on the unlocked door near the entrance, both to be productive and (hopefully) get her mind off that horrible stench and what those people must have suffered. Garahel remains at her side, much more at ease now that he's not gagging as before. He'll sniff around but Inessa's the one taking the lead on the brief investigation.

oh my god i am so sorry

[amygdalae]

Unfortunately for Inessa, things aren't going to get better for her anytime soon.

There's not so much as the stench of death but rather the stench of blood, strong and incredibly potent. The rest of the room is shrouded in darkness but there's enough light from the corridor outside to at least make out what is closer to the door where Inessa stands--

That something being a human foot, apparently. But it's not separate, at least, so that's something of a minor consolation. If anything it looks like its still connected to the rest of the body that's currently hidden in the shadows of the room she's entered.

this face forever

[circleprodigy]

The stench of blood has Garahel gagging and backing out almost immediately, causing Inessa to turn and--

--oh. Oh, Maker. Inessa's hand goes to her mouth and she fights back that urge to flee and though she's not exactly nauseous, the Grey Warden mage nonetheless is suddenly wishing for a cup of ginger tea...or several. That might have to be a priority later, once out of the caves.

Almost certain she's going to regret this, Inessa steps forward and tips her staff toward the shadows, needing what light it can afford. Perhaps something about this human's death can give her insight to share with the others. (If not, then maybe she'll just never eat again.)

Inessa does not deserve this (cw: MORE GROSS STUFF)

[amygdalae]

The staff gives off just about enough light to make out the rest of the body - but as with Herian earlier, it may not be something she had wished to do.

Mainly because what she's seeing right now is a body that is similar to the other bodies that Herian discovered on the other side. The person is just as dead as the rest, though the smell of blood and the redness of it suggests that it had still been relatively recent. And just like the bodies in the 'morgue', parts of the flesh has also likewise bee gouged out.

It's... definitely not a pleasant sight.