[Player Plot] Fall of the Colossus

[colecomfort]

WHO: Cole, Outsider, Tim Gutterson, Inessa, Sam Gareth, Ciri, Kain
WHAT: Taking down Adamant Fortress
WHEN: Late Harvestmere
WHERE: The Western Approach
NOTES: Battle violence

Dwarven architecture is made to last. The fact that Adamant Fortress is still standing at all is a testament to this, having been constructed at the edge of the Abyssal Rift before even the Second Blight — but its age does show. Centuries of neglect, along with the destruction wrought within it in the modern Age, have left it nearly a ruin. The walls are worn, collapsed in places. The corridors crawl with demons, and the occasional darkspawn who finds his way up through the Rift.

Left to its own devices, the fortress would surely collapse, reduced to rubble by wind and sand. But until that was done, it would remain a bruise on the land, even somewhere as desolate as the Approach.

So. Instead, it falls today.

Comments

Corridor Shenanigans

[colecomfort]

((OOC: This thread is for everyone apart from Cole and the Outsider, and they might make an appearance here too, if they want — who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ In any case, Tim, Inessa, Sam, Ciri, and Kain are here to be a distraction for the demons. Fight things, fall through a hole in the floor, lament the lives of Grey Wardens that were wasted within the walls. Etc.))

Cole & The Outsider: Setting up Charges

[colecomfort]

The dwarves built this place, and dwarven methods will take it down. There's a sort of justice to that — one Cole has come to accept, as much as he'd wanted something different at first.

He carries a few of the contraptions, vials of liquid that will mix when the time is right, and cause strategic explosions to help along the Outsider's personal methods of destruction. The others are working to distract the demons, but Cole still extends his ability of not-being-noticed to the Outsider as well as he can, while they move through and place the charges where they need to go.

For the most part, he's quiet — but he's also nervous, and that leads to muttering. Semi-conscious rambling as past pains held within the walls tug at him.

"Blood burned into the stones. The dark song dancing through veins, a demon dreaming from across the Veil. So much red."

Asplode

[colecomfort]

((OOC: Once the work is done, everyone gathers at a distance to watch the fortress fall. Open for starters.))

Cole

[colecomfort]

He isn't quite standing apart from the group, but neither is he really with them. There is just enough distance to make it seem as if he just walked up, as if he wasn't with them throughout the whole journey. That feeling will be there, even if they remember him.

Which they all will, to some degree. If they didn't know him already.

Cole looks straight ahead with his arms crossed, watching, while the desert wind ruffles at the wide brim of his hat.

[circleprodigy]

Following along with Ciri and Kain and the rest, Inessa is even more quiet than usual. Not having seen the fortress before now, she's taking in everything as they pass; the blood stains on the stone floors, the rubble, hints of what once was...it's all rather sobering. The elven mage had protested Clarel's plan from the beginning, and suffered for it, but she hadn't visited the place where it had all come together until now. It's a lot to process, but Inessa gave her word that she would be here, and so she is.

Walking alongside Garahel, Inessa gets ready to cast Barrier the moment any demons come into view. She glances to her mabari, a good indicator of danger if there ever is one. For his part, said mabari is in work-mode, putting playfulness aside while he behaves like the war dog he was trained to be.

[in_death_sacrifice]

The devastation that's happened to this place is awful and a somber mood hangs over these ruins. Long ago, the Orlesian Wardens had lived here alongside their griffons, had fought darkspawn and protected the people. But all of that had been twisted and tainted by more recent events. Kain still curses himself for not making more of an effort to stop what had transpired. It'll be good riddance, a mercy of sorts, to bring this place down.

Kain keeps alert and wary. Something finally just barely catches his eyes, moving eerily in the shadows. "There... up ahead!"

[el_tybs]

Adamant Fortress. He hadn't thought they would be returning to this place any time soon, and it's obvious that there is a little bit of unease in the mage as he follows along with the group. Sam is equally quiet as they walk, eyes roaming the architect as they make their way, silently appreciating the fact that it had lasted this long.

Not for much longer though.

It's Kain's shout that brings him back to the moment, hand going for the hilt of his sword as his eyes train on the spot being pointed out. Fortitude buzzes in the back of his mind as he scans the space, but doesn't see anything though there definitely feels like there is a disturbance.

"What did you see?"

[dontmiss]

Tim has a hard time than he thought he would keeping himself calm- the blood stains, the evidence of violence, it's all too much like things he saw in the war. He's walking with his bow in hand and an arrow ready to nock, his own sharp eyes scanning the shadows around the group.

Kain's shout narrows his focus and it doesn't even take thought to have his arrow drawn and aimed at the movement in the darkness. "I see it too. Looks like a demon to me."

His usual laidback sarcasm has drained from his voice, leaving nothing but cool calculation.

[ichaer]

"Demons. How fitting."

There has been an unnatural quietness fallen over Ciri since they had departed Skyhold for this mission. The third Warden in the party has instead been radiating anger the closer and closer they drew to Adamant. She pays no heed to the blood staining stones, fallen weapons and little trinkets that had once belonged to someone who is likely no longer here or now lived as some strange abomination out in the Anderfels.

"What's the plan here?" She'd be fine with going all out, putting her anger into her each movement with her sword and cutting down whatever came in there way. For now, she holds back and idly fingers one of the flasks at her belt burning brightly like fire trapped in a bottle.

[circleprodigy]

"We become as distracting as possible, right? I think we can manage that." Between the group, she's seen at least her fellow Wardens and their capability for destruction. The others wouldn't be here if they weren't combat capable, so she trusts them to pull their weight as well. Before the others have a chance to charge ahead, she casts Barrier to bolster their defenses.

[in_death_sacrifice]

"We play to our strengths and we take out as many as we can. That ought to be distracting enough." Much like Ciri, Kain feels an anger rising in his chest, rage over what had happened, all of the horror and blood spilled in here. He glances quickly at the group. They've got a mix of fighting styles, which ought to be very useful. "And don't forget... where there's one, there's bound to be more."

With that, he charges toward that demon, indeed just one of several lurking in the vicinity. His two-handed Reaver style means he's all for up-close combat, and he starts off swinging with determination at the creature.

[el_tybs]

Well if Ciri was planning on using any of those flasks she was going to have to be careful seeing as Kain had already charged in. Judging by the screech he was already hacking away at whichever demon ahead.

Just so that they aren't at a disadvantage, Sam shoots up a flame, arching it over the space Kain had disappeared to, illuminating the area for a time. After that he sets to casting Heroic Aura over the group to aid them in the fight - since Inessa had already taken care of the barriers.