CLOSED: It's Like Spitting on a Fish

[pinprick]

WHO: Malcolm, Iskandar, Inessa, Anders, and Nathaniel
WHAT: A hunt for the Hero of Ferelden
WHEN: Present
WHERE: The Deep Roads
NOTES: Will update with any warnings.

First, it's a ship taken to Amaranthine. Then, it's a hike to the Deep Roads entrance, and the journey through Kal-sharok. It takes a day or so for Nathaniel to find Jonas' trail leaving Kal-sharok, and they are later able to confirm that it is definitely Jonas upon encountering a doused fire with some evidence about--things the queen's men would have found, had they been able to make it this far. The truth is that few besides a Warden could have made it this far.

With time, the team is able to track Jonas to a long-abandoned thaig. Nathaniel squints at the gates that are closed before them, and yet their hinges are eroded. They are off-kilter a little, and look moveable.

"Iskandar, Malcolm--help me force this open. Inessa, Anders, can you use your magic to help us?"

Comments

[circleprodigy]

"Of course." Inessa gestures for Garahel to keep a lookout while she waits for Anders to get in position. Between the both of them, they ought to make a difference. When he's ready, she'll begin. Green energy surrounds her forearms as she raises them, following Anders' lead in bending the gate to their will.

[justice_is_blond]

His hands glow blue at first, ready to cast ice to make the metal more brittle and then he catches sight of what she's doing. That works too. Or... Anders gives her a flash of a grin, casting before the glow changes to match hers.

"Both can't hurt. As they charge?"

[circleprodigy]

Inessa responds in kind as she nods. "Indeed, let's see this through." She glances over to Nathaniel at the others, ready to act in concert with them as well as Anders.

[conqueredhearts]

"Sounds easy enough." While the mages did their work, he moved forward to grab hold of the gate. He wasn't as strong as he was in his own world but he still had the strength of several men here. It allowed him to get some movement to the thing going. Slowly but movement all the same.

"If we keep working we might even break this thing off." The erosion looked like it was far enough along to manage that.

[tactical_alert]

Malcolm, too, added his weight and strength to the thing, feeling the structural weakness allowing it to budge. Iskandar was...of course doing most of the heavy lifting but one more body can't hurt. "The dwarves can thank us later for giving them access to one of their old thaigs, then."

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Nathaniel braces himself against the gate and begins to walk it forward. The grinding rumbling of stone against stone fills the air, and he has no doubt that the mages as well as Iskandar are doing the brunt of the work. Bit by bit, the gate inches forward. When it is at about a forty-five degree angle, the grinding sounds almost mask the telltale click of a switchplate being depressed.

"STOP!" he bellows. "Nobody move." He looks down at his feet--nothing there. Nothing at Malcolm's feet. Iskandar, however, is standing directly on top of the culprit--a wide switchplate that was flush with the floor, so it did not interfere with the gate, but once stepped on, it sank about an inch below floor level.

"Don't move, Iskandar. Everyone stand back while I have a look about." With that, he is off, studying the area immediately around the switchplate and following with his eyes to where there ought to be other mechanisms to work the trap it will trigger. And it will trigger. Dwarves have abandoned this thaig, but Nathaniel has never found a dwarven trap that stopped working because of something as silly as time.

[conqueredhearts]

Iskandar looked down when he felt the ground move beneath him. He didn't look surprised or startled at all. Nor concerned about the fact that he'd found a trap. Nope. He looked impressed.

"Clever."

[circleprodigy]

Abruptly stopping as ordered, Inessa glances over to Iskandar and then downward, to catch a glimpse of the switchplate he's standing on. His non-reaction has her raising an eyebrow; doesn't he care for his own safety? "Clever, yes, and deadly. Dwarven ingenuity is nothing to underestimate.

[justice_is_blond]

"Deadly being a relative term," Anders says, casting a barrier around the large man and Nate since the archer is looking for the rest of the trap. It might not help a whole lot, but it's worth trying.

[pinprick]

A short way into the tunnel, fresh blood can be seen. Nathaniel touches a finger to his lips for silence, but he can sense no darkspawn close enough to worry about. The tunnel opens into a proper dwarven thaig, long abandoned but still sturdy. The trail of blood leads to a small hut. Nathaniel carefully opens the door.

Inside is Jonas Cousland, Prince-Consort of Ferelden, barely alive, lying in a puddle of his own blood. He is so far gone that it will be any moment now.

Nathaniel is immediately at his side, cradling him, scarcely believing his eyes. It's the baby. The baby when he and his family visited Highever and he wasn't allowed to hold the baby.

"Jonas?" he gasps. A faint gleam comes to Jonas' eye, and he looks up in Nathaniel's general direction, choking on blood, his last breaths rattling in his lungs.

[circleprodigy]

Following along, Inessa pales and comes to a halt upon seeing the Hero of Ferelden in the flesh once again...and his current state. That their quest might not end happily was always on her mind, but it's still a shock to see the man who had been so very bright and all in her childhood's memories, now rapidly losing his hold on life. Her expression softens, darting a look at Anders. She can't imagine her Heal spell will bring him any real comfort, not now, but perhaps a Spirit Healer could make his passing easier? Or not, who knows at this point.

[tactical_alert]

Despite going on this trip specifically to find the Hero of Ferelden, that they found him at all is a miracle to Malcolm--save for that they've arrived too late, his heart in his throat. "Who did this?" It's a quiet question to the air, because clearly Jonas isn't going to answer. "What did this?" To fell the Hero...

Though he's never met the man before, Malcolm kneels on Jonas' other side, head bowed, verses of the Chant on his lips. If these are the man's last moments, then he deserves whatever rites they can grant him.

[justice_is_blond]

"Really? This is how you play it?" He babbles when he's worried or stressed or hurting, and this is all three as he hastily takes the place right beside Nate, hands already glowing with magic. The signs are obvious.

"This is far too cliche." Despite the words, his touch is gentle and some of the stress leaves Jonas' body as the pain is eased. "Dying right as people get to you. Not even a, a," his voice hitches and he looks away. There's nothing he can do; they were too slow.

[conqueredhearts]

Though he felt sorrow at the state of the man, he knew that he didn't have the attachment to him that the people here did. So he allowed them their time as he instead looked around for obvious signs of how the man had ended up here. Of why he'd come here in the first place. Of what had killed him.

It was...perhaps the best use of his time in that moment.

So he noted the state of the body. Based on the tears he would assume a creature. He didn't look like he'd been eaten though so he guessed something dark in nature. Frowning some, he went over to where his things were and carefully looked through them. He wanted to be cautious just in case something dangerous was there. After all, they didn't know why this man had come down here.

What he found first was a journal. Flipping through it, he went to the end to read the most recent entries. They spoke of a brooch (he glanced through and found that) which he gathered shouldn't be handled. They also spoke of someone this man had been talking to, Avernus. A few more bits about points of interest further down as well but for the most part he could gather the man had been sent this brooch and he'd been looking for a way to cure the Taint. Something about it possibly being involved in curing another.

He stroked his beard and looked some more. Warden armor, a pair of fine swords, a beautiful but partially written letter to Anora. The man hadn't planned on coming back. It seemed he knew this would be his end. Closing his eyes a moment, he prayed for his safe travels to the afterlife before opening them again to look at the others.

"I believe I have an idea for why he came here. Though, I don't believe he ever planned to survive this journey."

He held up the letter first. "It is not finished but it is a letter of farewell to Anora."

[pinprick]

It's bizarre. There have always been so many mixed feelings toward the Warden-Commander, but Nathaniel can't stop thinking that he is the last person who will hold the baby. Jonas gurgles, coughs, his clouded eyes staring at him, the webs behind them indicative of someone in the advanced throes of the Taint. He must have been hearing the Calling for some time now.

"You're not alone," Nathaniel says softly. Jonas' jaw relaxes as Anders' magic works, bringing him some relief from the pain. "Just relax."

Jonas' eyelids droop. The choking stills, his pain forgotten. After a few moments, his last breath is sighed out.

Mist comes to Nathaniel's eyes when he considers Bryce and Eleanor, finally able to embrace one of their children. He will have to write letters now. Fergus and Anora and Eamon. Not yet, but soon. He closes Jonas' eyes and lowers him to the ground.

If he'd been a few hours sooner...

No. That way lies madness.

A deep breath. "Right. Let me...let me see." He reaches for the journal, blinking back tears, and begins to leaf through.

"I...I can't...he was trying to cure the Calling. There's a place only a few hours from here, he seemed to think he would find something helpful there. Anders."

He hands Anders the journal and blinks a few more times, looking dazed.

[circleprodigy]

Upon hearing that last breath, Inessa bows her head and mutters a brief prayer under her breath. Her heart aches for his suffering, and the missed opportunity to tell her rescuer how much his aid had meant, but...at least it's over. The Hero of Ferelden suffers no more, and there's some relief to be found in that.

Glancing over at Iskandar when he speaks up, her gaze then shifts over to Cousland's belongings. It doesn't seem right for her to look through them, when there are others who knew him better, so she refrains from actively doing so. That doesn't mean she won't pause at Ander's side, though, curious about this rumored cure. "If it's that close, we ought to try...shouldn't we? His last quest ought to be fulfilled, if possible."

[justice_is_blond]

He takes the journal and stares at it woodenly for a few moments. Just like that. Another friend lost and there's no time to stop and mourn because everything in Thedas is always going wrong.

Nate's words sink in and Anders exhales. Another cure lead. At least there's that. He can still keep fighting what could take Nate away from him. And save others. His thoughts are slow as he starts paging through the journal, working hard to do more than skim its pages. Then something else clicks, and he looks back up at Iskandar. A farewell letter. He'd felt the Blight in Jonas' blood, of course, but he hadn't checked...

Casting again, Anders rests his hand on the man's forehead. The corruption was there, widespread, far more severe than any he'd worked with before. Jonas had to have been hearing the Calling. It's why he came in.

"We should, we should try," he quietly echoed, mind on something else entirely. He would likely not see a Warden in this state again. If there were clues in how it had spread through Jonas at the end... Maker. He squeezes his eyes closed for a moment, trying to figure out he could be rationalizing wanting to take the time to examine his friend's corpse rather than committing it promptly to flames like they should.

"We could camp here for the night. There's something nearby; it might be good to rest and be ready for it." There's a pause before he glances sidelong at Malcolm. What Anders wants to do isn't blood magic, but it does have to do with bodies and Seekers are Seekers. Nate's here, though. Anders should be safe enough. "I'd like to examine him further as well."

Several Hours' Travel from the Thaig

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The next morning, or what passes for morning in these parts, the thaig is left behind. The journey is typical Deep Roads at first, a long hike in vast underground halls as they go deeper and deeper into the earth. Nathaniel knows they have gone very deep indeed when the corridors begin to shrink and shrink. Halls become tunnels, and patches of black growth begin to show on the walls. Nathaniel peers at them with concern and gestures for the party to stop. The black patches appear to grow more numerous up ahead.

"See this?" Nathaniel holds his torch close to one of the black patches. "This is Blight. Do not touch it or brush against it, not even if you're immune to it, or you might carry it back to the surface with you. There's going to be more and more of it up ahead. We're very close to our destination, so anyone who wants to stay behind won't have long to wait for the rest of us. If you don't want to risk it, no one will judge you."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa, realizing she's standing close to one of those black patches, promptly recoils from it. Despite that visible revulsion, she shakes her head to reject the offer. If it's only a little further ahead, she'll keep going. "No, I'll see this through."

She summons a wisp for more light, not exactly wanting to see the black patches in more detail but needing the illumination to effectively avoid them. Garahel grumbles to himself, the mabari taking every bit as much care as those on two legs. He'll gently nudge anyone away if they get too close to those, as well.

[justice_is_blond]

Rarely does he have moments when he's glad he hasn't brought Purrelden somewhere, but this is one of those times. She's not Pounce. It could be difficult to keep her out of the patches.

Cheating, for the sake of cheating because he can, Anders sends out wisps to help provide more light.

"I'm not going back either." Leave Nate? No. They, and others, have just lost someone who they may have mixed feelings about but had meaning to the both of them. Beyond that, he'd been ordered earlier to leave if it looked like Nate would die. There's a fatality there that he won't trust.

He pulls his staff off his back and stretches before reaching into his pouch and positioning the lyrium there to be readily available. "Shall we dance?"

[conqueredhearts]

"Bah. I've faced worse than this."

Iskandar grinned as he hefted the items they'd brought with them that had belonged to Jonas. It was easy for him to shoulder them given his size, especially to shoulder them and not have to worry about being slowed down by any extra weight. There were definitely advantages to being a Spirit.

"You'd have to show me far worse to shake me off."

[tactical_alert]

"Looks like you're stuck with us." The humour in Malcolm's words is forced, his face drawn, frame tense. He's a careful, perceptive enough man that so long as he keeps his wits about him, he shouldn't inadvertently plague himself. The loss of Jonas hit hard despite never having personally known the man. What does that say about how Bethany's sister has fared in these years?

SORRY this is so late

[pinprick]

Nathaniel nods to the company. Respect.

The tunnel grows quite narrow and the patches of Blight thicker as they go on. The journey lasts less than an hour before the tunnel begins to open up again. Soon, the tunnel ends abruptly, emptying into a massive cavern. Nathaniel steps out and shines the torch around, but the light doesn't even reach the walls ahead. All the company's sounds echo, and Nathaniel at first wonders if they've come to an undiscovered dwarven thaig. But he steps along the near wall and sees this was not carved by dwarves at all. Moreover...

"I can't see anymore Blight. Anders, can you give us a stronger light?"

[justice_is_blond]

"Howe strong? You strong? Delilah strong?" Even as he's working to try to lighten the mood, Anders casts a fireball into what he's guessing is roughly the center of the room ahead of them. doesn't wind up being quite the center, there are parts that are still dark ahead of them, but it gives enough light to see curved support beams meeting a knobby central beam above--no.

It's a rib cage. They're in a massive rib cage, and Anders' eyes go wide.

"I'm very glad we didn't run into this while it was alive. Maker's kneecaps, it's huge." And bigger than any he's seen in the wild, including the high dragon he'd taken a group to kill and then had taken apart.

[circleprodigy]

Inessa smirks weakly at Anders' bad jokes as Garahel pads over and sniffs at the rib cage for a moment before returning to her side. Recoiling, the young Warden nods. "You and me both. I hope it doesn't have any friends nearby...."

But since her mabari is relaxed and not tense or growling just yet, she'll take that as a good sign.