WAR TABLE: wtf is happening in the anderfels

[ichaer]

WHO: Ciri, Inessa, Merrill, Rachette, & Alistair
WHAT: After the situation with the Wardens of Weisshaupt went from bad to worse there has been little coming out of the Anderfels. Time to find out just what is going on.
WHEN: /waves hands in a timey wimey wibbly wobbly vague way
WHERE: Andefels, Hossberg
NOTES: Violence, mentions of serious injuries and some gory bits. OOC Plotting here.

Comments

[chainlightning]

If the Stone wanted to swallow what remains of the fortress up, Merrill imagines no decent person would mind too much. But it's not for her to ask others to pray for it, either. Still, she quiets a bit when Rachette approaches, only turning her head to look at her once the dwarf speaks up.

"I don't know," she admits, sighing softly. Honeysuckle gets another pat to his neck, more for Merrill's sake than his. "Probably not, in truth, just because of what Corypheus can do if he's close. But at the same time... I think they deserve to try and make things right." They deserve some closure, if nothing else -- to be able to try and help. Still, she worries. Alistair wasn't at Weisshaupt, but Ciri and Inessa came to the Inquisition because of it.

[sistertohermen]

Excuse you, the Stone reclaims dwarves, not crazy Anderfel cities, thank you.

"There's making things right, and there's putting yourself in harm's way to probably go crazy and join the ranks of craziness." Look, she mostly likes some of their Warden friends. Some can just...stop, but she's come to not immediately dislike many of them. That doesn't mean she trusts them to keep their heads. "I just think maybe whoever's in charge of putting these teams together should've seen a bunch of Wardens--by the way, I can count, so they outnumber us--being sent into Warden-go-crazy territory and maybe decided that wasn't a good idea."

[chainlightning]

There might have been dwarves there!

Merrill rubs the back of her neck, humming softly in thought. "Or- I don't know. Maybe they wanted to see what would happen." Which is an Uncomfortable thought, which of course means she can't stop thinking about it.

[sistertohermen]

"...That seems cold for the Inquisition leaders," she starts, slowly but thoughtfully. It's not a thought that gives her a whole lot of confidence, if it's the case. She doesn't know any of them personally. "Maybe they think it'll be fine, since none of ours have gone crazy yet." They'll run off into the Deep Roads and die because of imaginary songs in their heads, but they haven't gone crazy. "Like they can't catch it. They're stoppered up to that sort of thing." (The word she's looking for is 'immune'.)

[chainlightning]

It does seem cold. But that is what leaders do, isn't it? Her frown deepens for a moment, but Rachette brings up just assuming the Wardens are fine, and she nods. "And it isn't as though any non-Wardens would be more resistant to blood magic, if they were using it. But these ones also know what to look for, we all do, so that should help." Information is power and all that.

[sistertohermen]

Well, is there a way to tell blood magic from regular magic if you don't see blood being used? She isn't sure. Usually, so far, there's been a lot of blood. Like a lot of it. And a lot of bodies.

"So is that what it is, then, blood magic fucking around with their minds to believe they're bound to demons or that they should be following Corious--Corifia--the bad guy? That guy's name. And we're sure it's not that any joined willingly?"

[chainlightning]

If you try hard and believe in yourself and are very sensitive to things like the Fade, sure.

"They didn't believe they were bound to demons. They were, and with the demons not possessing them at first." Note the 'at first'. "A lot of them did things out of fear, because Corypheus was able to manipulate them all into hearing the Calling, which means they're going to die. They thought all the Grey Wardens in Thedas were going to die. Blood magic was definitely used, but... I don't know if they're being controlled by it now or not."

There's a half shrug. "Either way, he and the people who follow him will use it on other people."

[sistertohermen]

"So it could just be a bunch of Grey Wardens pissing their pants because they don't want to die." Sure, the Warden secrets might die with them, but it's still just an organization. Not a race or a whole country. "I thought they were meant to be braver than that."

Hercules was, after all. The Wardens with them are, too. She assumes.

"We'll make sure nobody else has to fall under the bad guy's control if we can help it. That's what the Inquisition's for, mostly, right?"

[chainlightning]

"Most are. But I think maybe they panicked, with some of the recruits." No one expected the last Blight, after all. Granted, Merrill is pretty sure no one is supposed to expect Blights.

Hercules is going to smite all the coward Wardens from the afterlife, calling it now.

"Right! And I kind of like these people, so I'll be extra upset if they fall under Corypheus' control. I'll tie them to Honeysuckle and drag them back to Skyhold if I have to."

Honeysuckle seems to like that idea, whinnying happily.