[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

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione regrets her decision to go to Emprise du Lion the moment they're there. This is where she'd first been found, having just been spat out by a rift and discovering that her magic was just shy of useless. The memories are unpleasant, much like her first return to Hogwarts after the battle that had taken the lives of so many of her friends, but if she could survive an entire war, she can certainly survive one small mission.

Never mind the fact that most of the missions from the Inquisition tend to involve demons. She'd really rather not think of that at all, which is why she's more likely than not to stick very close to those within the group that she knows, particularly the mages. If they do run into any trouble, it would probably be safer for her to fight alongside people who do their best fighting from a distance.

But there are no demons on the way to Fromage, and while their welcome is warm, Hermione can't help but be set more ill at ease about that. The Inquisition is generally thought to be among the "good guys", yes, but being met with a ragtag group of mages and rifters and elves usually elicits at least a little suspicion geared towards one of those groups. It speaks volumes as to what sort of predicament these people are in.

Not that Hermione can blame them, really. It doesn't get easier to hear worried accounts of loss the more she talks to people, and she soon finds herself needing a moment to collect herself, turning to the others who'd been sent with her on this mission. "I'm going to suggest we not split up in a poorly thought-out attempt to gain more ground," she warns more than once. "Or at least that we stay in pairs. Or groups of four." The more people they had sticking together, the less likely they'd be to end up falling victim to the same thing as the people they'd come to save.

[circleprodigy]

Turning to Hermione upon hearing those words again, Inessa nods with no sign of diminished patience, likewise thinking that a reminder couldn't hurt. She manages a wry smile, and pets the top of Garahel's head. The mabari is keeping true to his war hound status for now, alert and focused rather than seeking playtime. Petting is welcome, though he won't flop over for belly rubs, not now.

"Agreed. This isn't the time to divide our group. We know too little of the situation and our surroundings to risk it. If we take a little more time as a result, then so be it. We're not going to assist these people if we succumb to whatever is taking place."

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione nods absently, glad that no one seems to be opting to split up the group. And if someone suggests it, she's going to do what she can to make sure she's in the group with the large mabari.

"Quick work isn't of any use if it ends up being sloppy work," she points out. "If we make a misstep and any of us go missing.... I'd really rather not think about it." But of course she is, because that's just the sort of person she is.

[circleprodigy]

"Nor would I. We'll not leave here with less than we arrived with, not through carelessness." But the Inquisition being what it is, these missions are never safe. The possibility is always there, and she won't hide from that even as there's no reason to be overly morbid.

And she smiles a little, darting a glance to Hermione after taking another sweeping look around. "You sound rather like my mentors in the Circle, at least those I most often studied under. Slow and thorough over quick and sloppy is something that was hammered into me from day one." And she's grateful for it; mages in Thedas don't last long if they can't learn to control themselves.

[bookish_lioness]

Not through carelessness, she says. Fantastic. Because Hermione isn't already thinking of the myriad of ways in which all this could go disastrously wrong. She'd never had much of an imagination and she really wishes her mind hadn't decided to develop one now.

So the conversation with Inessa is a welcome distraction, even if Hermione had never much liked hearing about the Circles. But at least Inessa's experience hadn't sounded as terrible as some had. "That's the only way to really control magic, after all," she murmurs. "I've seen what happens when people try an advanced spell without being ready for it. Sometimes it just goes awry, other times... well, not everyone can be so lucky." Poor Crabbe, even if he had been attempting to hurt her and her friends with that spell.

[circleprodigy]

When Inessa speaks of the past, it's with the ease of someone who is comfortable with it and appreciates what they had. As long as they don't delve into what happened there during the Fifth Blight, that attitude will remain. She nods solemnly, thinking back to her time with her fellow apprentices. "We were warned against the dangers of pride and where it could lead, not just because of possession but because of that exact scenario. There's a reason we spend years mastering our abilities; trying to push that schedule ahead before its time never ends well. I'm fortunate to have taken that lesson to heart before my curiosity could override my common sense."

Not everyone was so fortunate, and Inessa's rather grateful that she didn't bear witness to most of that folly.

[bookish_lioness]

"Pride isn't just the downfall of those with magic," Hermione points out. "Anyone runs the risk of biting off more than they can chew if they don't practice a bit of pragmatism. Magic's consequences just tend to be more... colorful than others."

And fiery. And explosive. But that's neither here nor there.

[circleprodigy]

“'We do not teach that magic is evil. We teach that pride is evil- and does not corrupt only mages.'” Inessa smiles a little as she quotes. "Mother Giselle would agree with you. From my understanding, she is quite a reasonable voice in the Chantry, and one of the most charitable." Rare qualities indeed, or it sometimes seems that way.

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione isn't sure whether or not Inessa is quoting someone or something, but it does make her give the Warden a sideways glance as she resists the urge to frown. "From what I hear, reasonable members of the Chantry are few and far between, at least insofar as mages are concerned. And any non-human race, as well. Granted, I'm sure most of the people who've told me so had been biased, but a bias doesn't necessarily mean something is incorrect."

[circleprodigy]

"No, it doesn't." Inessa nods in agreement with that, for all that she's disinterested in having such a grudge as her focus. "There have been many wrongs committed by the Chantry, some of them relatively recent. Yet those exist who serve as examples of what the Chantry should be; a source of comfort and support, regardless of magic or race. Perhaps with a new Divine, whenever she can be elected, that Chantry will have a chance of surfacing."

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione has never heard an elf say a kind word towards the Chantry, and it had never really occurred to her that some elves may in fact be Andrastian. The concept sort of boggles her mind, even as she considers it a possibility as far as Inessa is concerned. Still, she isn't about to ask after someone's religion, especially not while they technically have a job before them. "Are they really looking for a new Divine in the midst of all this? Or are they merely searching for a figurehead that can calm the people in a difficult time? Because one seems awfully time-consuming when there are more dangerous matters going on in the world, and the other doesn't seem like it would really be much of a help to the Chantry in the long run."

[circleprodigy]

Most city elves are in fact Andrastian to some degree, whether to appease the humans or because they truly believe. Inessa's somewhere in between, preferring to focus on the aspects of the faith that still have merit while not being blind to what has been done in Andraste's name.

"Good questions. You would have to ask them directly, as I can't provide concrete answers. For now, I suspect that they still remain in shock over Divine Justinia's death--and not just her death, but that of every likely candidate who attended the Conclave. The leadership has been gutted, and that doesn't heal instantly. It's unfortunate that they're so slow to react, not for the election but because of the faithful who look to them for guidance. The Inquisition acts where they cannot, but we are not meant to be a long-term solution."

[justice_is_blond]

"What, you're not a fan of being ambushed and outnumbered?" He gives her a small smile, simply because it's better than looking grim. "We may have to persuade the swordy types to listen to reason, though. They like charging off, in my experience."

Most of them here are mages, which is... well. On one hand, welcome. On the other, risky. He likes when people in armor stand between him and things trying to shred him.

"Are you all right?" Hermione's world isn't as war-torn or conflict-laden as theirs, from what he understands. Demons everywhere aren't a regular thing for her and he can't begin to understand how jarring a transition this might be.

[bookish_lioness]

Flashing Anders a dry sort of look, Hermione huffs, "It's not particularly one of my favorite pastimes, no. But if the 'swordy types' would like to put themselves between me and the danger, I'm hardly in any position to argue with them."

Truth be told, despite everything she's seen and experienced in her short life, she still balks at the idea of actively fighting against demons and other sorts of creatures rather than trying to hide and sneak around her enemies. So willingly walking into the unknown and not having any real research to fall back on feels... well, it feels very un-Hermione.

"At the moment? I'm still breathing. Ask me if I'm all right in the next twenty minutes and we'll see how things are, then." Glancing up at Anders, she considers him carefully before asking, "What about you? Or is running off on some mysterious quest just the norm for you?"

[justice_is_blond]

He smiles wryly at most of what she says, before the smile fades a little and he looks out at the land ahead of him.

"It's... It used to be much of the norm. I traveled with the Hero of Fereldan for a time, and there were ridiculous errands to run any day of the week. Then I worked with Hawke for years, and if it wasn't dealing with a kidnapping, it was trying to save a few mages from Templars with power going to their head, or reports of qunari attacks on civilians, or demons..."

Trailing off, Anders shakes his head. "And then there were all the things I was dealing with, as well. I ran an underground, a network, getting some of the most endangered mages out of Kirkwall before they were abused too much. Too much. Any amount is too much, but when it comes to Circles, so much is expected. Accepted, even." At least he's not getting too worked up. These are known things. ...Or known by anyone who paid attention at all. Some here weren't good at that.

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione looks up to Anders, probably more than she really should considering the amount of poor choices he'd made in his past. Good intentions tend to pave a very dangerous road, and Anders' past proves that more than most.

But she feels for him, because she can't help wondering whether, if she'd been born in Thedas, she would have turned into someone not too dissimilar from him. It's a sobering thought, one that makes Hermione glad she doesn't focus too much on the what ifs.

"But the Circles are gone now," she points out gently. "And that sort of treatment isn't accepted anymore. The Inquisition is in the position the be able to change the future to the point where that sort of thing won't be expected, either. Who knows; once Corypheus is gone, perhaps you'll be able to go on quests simply for adventure's sake. Or stay home with your cat, if that's what you'd prefer."

[justice_is_blond]

The wry smile grows and he shakes his head.

"I'm a Grey Warden. We stand against the Darkspawn. There isn't retirement, or staying home with the cat. There will be at least two more Blights where they multiply horribly and pour out from the underground." A beat. "But it's all right. Not that the Blights are coming, but that there's no retirement in my old age. Or old age."

Considering his two very poor choices - letting Justice in, and going along with the destruction of the Chantry - that he's getting as much as he is is astounding. He has love, friends, a future, a cat, and even hope.

"All I can ask for is that the Circles never return, and that the treatment doesn't resume. There are people who want them back. But if enough mages see what freedom can offer, if enough mages refuse to return, they can't force it."

[universal_charm]

Kirk didn't blame here for sticking close. The entire journey there had felt eerie to him, not quite wrong, but on the verge. It made his hair to stand on end, to say the least, a slight tension always ready in his muscles. It made the trek somewhat tiresome, but nothing happened. He could not tell if that was better or worse, honestly.

He arches his brow at her suggestion, though not because he thought it was foolish. He happened to agree, given that they had no reasonable way to trace anyone here. Crystals weren't good enough - not like the comms of his world that could pinpoint signals, or ships that could scan from orbit and find a life sign.

"I think everyone's already on that page," he nodded. "No sense in creating a secondary crisis."

[bookish_lioness]

The fact that Hermione didn't yet know what sort of enemy they might be up against - if any at all - was enough to make her uncomfortable, and so she was glad that Kirk had been sent along on this mission with her. She stayed close to him and Anders and Inessa's mabari Garahel, and to Inessa, too. They might not be perfect substitutions for the friends she had back home, but at least she knew that most of them were better-suited to deal with the sorts of dangers Thedas regularly posed.

"Good," she muttered as she veered that much closer to him. If she felt more comfortable with him, she would have grabbed his hand for support, but Hermione's sense of boundaries (and pride) was too strong for that. "I can't exactly cast much in the way of a locator spells if any of us wander off or end up forgetting a rendezvous spot."

She couldn't exactly cast many spells in general yet, but she managed to bite her tongue before she thought too hard about that. She felt defenseless enough as it was, even if her magic was slowly getting better.

[universal_charm]

He said nothing as she came closer, letting her take the comfort and confidence she needed from him. He was better at hiding how unsettling this was, or at least he hoped he was. But he had been in worse situations, so this made this a touch easier despite the fact he didn't have the comfort of Star Fleet on his chest or at his back.

"I have a feeling something like that would just give us away anyhow," he shook his head. "I think we'll need to be handling this the old fashioned way for now."

[bookish_lioness]

"The only old-fashioned way I'm familiar with involves magic," Hermione told him, giving Kirk an uncertain look from the corner of her eyes. "I don't read much in the way of old detective novels, so I'm afraid I'm not all that good at tracking people down without something to build on."

She did walk a little closer to him, though, since she also wasn't much for the outdoors without relying on her magic. It wouldn't do to get separated by accident, after all.

[universal_charm]

"It's less about being a detective, and just plain old hunting," Kirk shrugged. "Frankly, if we make ourselves targets, we'll get accosted. I bet we'd be better prepared than most they've faced. And if we travel the paths that those who disappeared were supposed to have taken, I bet we find clues there too - trails not as thickly covered in snow as they should be, even foot prints if they've gotten careless."

He rubbed a hand through his hair. "The people here will be helpful to an extent, but I honestly don't think we'll find what we're looking for unless we go out there ourselves."

[bookish_lioness]

"Surprise, surprise," she returned dryly, "I'm not much of a hunter, either." She knew that wasn't the point, and though she understood what Kirk was getting at, that didn't exactly mean it was something she wanted to hear.

"Bait. You're saying we're essentially bait. We should go out, make the same mistake everyone else has, and hopefully the same terrible thing that happened to them will happen to us, only we'd be better equipped to deal with it." Sighing, Hermione knew it wasn't really the worst possible idea. Splitting up would be the worst possible idea. At least there was some semblance of safety in numbers. "Well, I suppose there's nothing for it."

[universal_charm]

"Well when you put it like that..." he trailed off and rubbed the back of his head with a little shrug. "It depends on what other clues we find, but that is a viable option. We will be better prepared, and given the terrain we can probably come up with the most likely ways they would potentially ambush us."

He blew out a breath, watching it mist slowly in front of him, rubbing at his arms briefly. He really did hate the cold.

"Sadly, without anything more advanced to help us and no clear testimonies, we're left with some crappy options."

[bookish_lioness]

"At least, if it's a person or group of people doing this, they've been abducting individual villagers and not large groups of mages and fighters," Hermione brought up, trying not to frown. "We'd have the advantage of surprise, if nothing else. Unless word has already gotten around that the Inquisition is looking into this."

Noticing the way Kirk hugged at himself, Hermione allowed herself to frown a little as she touched his arm. "I'd conjure up one of my blue flames, but I don't want to risk the flickering light catching unwanted attention. But if you get to be too cold, just let me know; I'll make a small one, just for you."