OPEN ↠ FALSE GODS, GREAT DEMONS (PART II)

[faderifting]

WHO: Everyone in the Dark Future
WHAT: Doom and gloom
WHEN: ALTERNATE FUTURE, 25-28 Cloudreach 9:48
WHERE: The Thaigs, Jader, the Frostbacks, and Haven
NOTES: This is the second open log and second plot log, combined, for False Gods, Great Demons.

ORTAN THAIG has been buzzing since the time travelers arrived—with gossip, skepticism, resentment, hope. The Herald traveled through time once before and brought back a blueprint for victory that might have worked if she’d lived. Maybe they can do the same. The now-Tranquil Dorian seems to think so, passing along an amulet and spells to a group of mages. If they can return to Haven, if they can recreate the magic—

Discussions of strategy and timing are underway when reports arrive from Orlais that Tevinter is on the move. Units of mages, corrupted Red Templars, and Tevinter foot soldiers are cutting east toward the passes through the Frostbacks; more are swinging north to cross through Jader without braving the mountains.

A dragon is with them.

There’s one day to wonder what’s happening, to try to plan or prioritize, and then the decision is made for the Inquisition: they have to leave. They have to leave because the passage of the dragon over the Deep Roads brings with it an underground wave of darkspawn, nearly crawling over one another as they swarm over the barricade and toward both the thaigs. Ortan will fall first. Then Orzammar. There is no if. And there are Tevinter troops blocking the main doors.

Get out alive. Get the time travelers out with you. Take one of the narrow tunnels that opens up into the mountains or woods outside of Tevinter's reach. Or stay behind to hold the line.

Elsewhere, in JADER, Tevinter forces march through the city streets on their way south. They have somewhere to be. But they also have to sleep and eat, and the Inquisition has people in the city—spies, traveling scouts, maybe a ship nearby—and this one last chance to cut their numbers. Burn bridges. Burn inns. Slip poison into what glasses you're able. Every man you kill here is a man who won't make it to the mountains. In THE FROSTBACKS there are fewer options, a larger force, and a dragon overhead. But dropping an avalanche on them worked once. It might be worth it to try again. Anything to keep them from reaching HAVEN.

If you’re unlucky, no one will remember that you died a hero. If you’re lucky, this will never have happened at all.

For their dreams had been devoured
By a demon that prowled the Fade
As a wolf hunts a herd of deer.
Taking first the weakest and frailest of hopes,
And when there was nothing left,
Destroying the bright and bold
By subtlety and ambush and cruel arts.
Exaltations 1

Comments

BRUCE & KAISA ☇ one last time.

[amygdalae]

[Just right before the last stand.]

"Today we stand up to our greatest challenge yet."

The number of people standing in front of him were smaller than what he was used to - a good number of his team had perished while they were fleeing Orzammar. In any other time Bruce would have been more concerned about it, but now this was no longer the time to think. Now was the time to act, and if they wanted any chance to get out of this somehow they could not afford to waste this one last opportunity presented to them.

"Many of us will not make it through this. Most likely, all of us will fall. We are greatly outnumbered and greatly outmatched, and our enemies are desperate to stop us. But it is in that fact where we have the advantage."

He stares at the eyes of each of the people of his team. His fierce, dedicated team who had never stopped trying, had always kept fighting, had stuck around until now. Bruce was no longer the sort to be sentimental, but he could feel something that could be called pride. No matter what happened, this was to be their last day - perhaps the last day of what remained of the Inquisition. If they succeeded, this present might be entirely non-existent; if they failed...

No use thinking about that. They had to succeed. They needed to.

"Our enemies will keep their focus on the time travelers. We will use it to our advantage and take them out while they're distracted. Our objective is to slow them as much as possible while clearing a path to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Do not hold back. Let them know that the Inquisition is still alive, and we will not go down without a fight."

He pauses, takes in a breath. He's never been good with speeches and things like these, but if this was to be the last time--then he wants to send them all off properly. Like the fighters and soldiers they had all become.

"Team--move out."

The group scatters, heading off to their respective places. Bruce watches them for a few moments before he finally turns his gaze away from them and to Kaisa, who had been standing beside him. "We should get ready too."

[unbrokenoath]

Kaisa is unusually solemn as Bruce speaks, arms crossed, eyes closed. But it's clear that she's listening intently, and once he gives the orders to move, she opens her eyes to look over the group. Right now, solemn faces are all anyone has to offer, with the only other option seeming to be despair.

She nods at Bruce's words, but doesn't speak quite yet. The air is thick with tension, sounds of the first skirmishes distant in the background. But there's a sliver of peace to be found, and she knows it'll be her last.

"Sometimes, I feel like I spent my entire life trying to die." She's still not looking at Bruce yet, eyes focused off in the distance. "It's not like I don't like being alive, but--I wanted a death that'd make sure that life meant something. I mean--" Words are something that usually comes easy to her (perhaps too easy, some might claim). But these words are different. They're gross and emotional and weak, and they're words that show vulnerability in that endless bravado. But--what's the harm. Might as well get it out at some point, and she's running out of points, here.

"--In the end, what am I? Some obnoxious, half-breed accident. An unwanted burden. But I told myself, well, here I am. Can't fix being born. But I sure as fuck can make sure that this life, accidental and unwanted or not, can have been for the best. That the world is a better place for having me in it. So, I've spent my entire life fighting like I had a death wish. Because, I mean..."

And now she does look at Bruce, a small, humorless smirk on her face. "...What does it matter if I die? As long as I made sure that life counted for something."

There's a pause, and Kaisa just shakes her head, giving a quiet laugh. "Man, listen to this angsty ass bullshit. I'm sorry if you were hoping for me to be all cheerful and enthusiastic and pumped up about this. If you want, we can just pretend that I spouted off some optimistic crap and it was incredibly moving."

[amygdalae]

Surprisingly (at least, in these times, and considering his present track record with so many other people), Bruce waits, giving Kaisa whatever time she needs and stays silent when she does finally speak. He doesn't say anything to cut her off while she speaks, doesn't speak show any signs of agreement or disagreement - doesn't respond beyond blinking and looking at her, his gaze unflinching.

It's only after she's done speaking, when she tries to brush off everything she just said does Bruce finally actually speak. "Dae--Kaisa," he corrects himself there. No more reason for formalities at this point in time. Not when perhaps soon, none of this will matter any more.

Nothing here will matter soon enough.

He waits for her to respond to his call before he continues to speak. "I know I'm not the best person for this, but trust me when I say that your life matters. You matter." If she didn't then she wouldn't be here right now, doing something not many other people would, or even could. And that mattered.