[Closed] Peeking at the Peak

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Alistair, Anders, Carver, Loghain, Nate, Teren
WHAT: A happy little field trip out to a happy little place, all in hopes of continuing with a Blight cure.
WHEN: Drakonis 5
WHERE: Soldier's Peak
NOTES: Summarized here.

The Fortress looms before them, cold stone walls protecting cold stone towers, rimmed by cold snowy hills.

It's cold, basically, and somehow manages to look even colder than it feels. The stairs upward are no longer even, crooked and bent as if some giant decided he wanted to romp his way through, and the gates are askew and slightly open.

On the approach there's little noise beyond wind whistling through, until the gate is touched and a flock of ravens bursts upward in a cackling cacophony. Beyond that it's still. Too still, perhaps.

Comments

Mingle on the way

[justice_is_blond]

Courtyard

[justice_is_blond]

Stepping through the gate reveals a large grid of blue-grey squares, surrounded by thorny vines. The trees have been cut down and all is smooth, aside from two columns standing on the floor itself... or more like one and a half standing. The one on the right is intact and topped with a griffon, while the other has been struck by something and crumbled in on itself. On the other side of the courtyard is another set of uneven stairs, this time blocked off by a sealed gate.

The floor hums quietly.

Entry Hall

[justice_is_blond]

The gate is open, and the keep is before them. The front door opens easily to show a large, square room, the walls of which are lined by bookshelves. All but one of the bookshelves are full - the one nearest the door on the far end has four shelves, all of them empty. On each shelf is a carving of an animal surrounding a rectangular indentation.

A large, out-of-place, stuffed chair sits next to an old firepit in the center, and various small tables are scattered here and there. There are faded notes on a couple of the tables or sticking out of some of the books, eight notes in total. On one of the tables stands a tiny model of dragon wrapped around a pillar.

Several books aren't fully flush with the others, one each of various cover colors: red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, brown, and black.

[justice_is_blond]

Entering into this large room seems to be the trigger for a ghostly figure in mage robes pacing back and forth between table and bookshelf. On the table is a large book, and beside it are a pile of notes that the figure seems to be making notes on... until the company draws close. Then book, mage, and notes vanish and the room is still again.

There's still several racks left on the table, holding various vials and jars, some of them broken. None of the labels are legible - if the writing was clear when it was first made it's too faded by age to make out. The frame of the chair by the table is carved in a ridged pattern, and the back has a kraken carved into it.

There is a door to the west and a door to the east, but the pathway east is blocked by a collapsed hallway that would practically take an army to clear.

Final Room

[justice_is_blond]

It is, surprise surprise, another large room. But this one is larger than any of the others. The door slams shut behind them once they're all in, seemingly guarded by a massive, beheaded statue of a woman.

In the floor around them are four large, square pits, each with a column in its center that is topped by an animal. The closest on their left is a griffon, behind it a kraken, to the right from that is a dragon, and close to the party again is a massive bear. Each has a lever next to it.

To the back of the room is a raised platform, holding a desk with books and notes, next to a large, overstuffed chair with its back to them.

The air has a subtle crackle to it.

Elgnim

[justice_is_blond]

[For all your mingle-on-the-way-back needs.]

Teren

[doneisdone]

Though never especially sociable, Teren is unusually avoidant on the journey to Soldier's Peak, with an uncharacteristic air of nervous caution as she picks her way to and from her tent. There are several topics that might come up, none of which she wants, and her solution is, apparently, to hide from everyone instead. At least when not cooking or cleaning Riddle's tack or keeping watch into the late hours.

[justice_is_blond]

Running into Teren isn't as common a thing as he'd like it to be, but Anders notices pretty quickly is that it's even more rare on this trip. He could let it be. It's generally what she wants.

...But what if this is the time when she really just wants someone to talk with?

Anders comes over when they've stopped for the evening and she's cooking, taking a seat on one of the logs they're using for that purpose. "Is it just me, or are you being even more quiet than usual?"

[unshadowing]

Floor shouldn't make that kind of noise. Then again, a lot of things in this world do shit they shouldn't. Really, why is he surprised anymore?

Carver approaches the squares, brow furrowed. "What's it making that humming for? Is there magic in the floor or something?" He looks around; this place has seen better days. A pity, really. This old fortress could be useful. "And who sealed this up? I thought this place was opened."

Carver Hawke

[unshadowing]

Sure, it's cold, but it's Ferelden. It's home, or at least his first home. Carver never minds coming back to this country, even if it holds some painful memories. For a long time, it was the only place he ever knew. Coming back here reminds him of simpler times.

So he's a bit brighter, not even minding the chill as they climb the mountain. Though he senses a tension amongst some of the other Wardens. He hardly knows any of their relationships well enough to determine who and why, nor does he particularly care. Instead, he focuses on what needs to be done. He'll often keep watch or help clean and or gut whatever they've caught for dinner. Though, given the unexplained tensions, he is keeping to himself a bit more, mostly to make sure he doesn't get caught up in any drama.

Sometimes Wardens are as bad as gossip noble women.

[mactears]

It was probably too much to hope for an easy entry and exit into this place. Loghain comes to stand behind Carver, grimacing. "Evidently someone has been back and sealed it off," he says, nodding to the sealed gate.

He turns his attention back to the grid in front of them and scrutinizes it, folding his arms over his chest. He scowls. "A puzzle, I suspect."

just showing up 2 make things awk

[mactears]

It probably has nothing to do with the taciturn Warden who comes to the fire long enough to get himself a bowl of stew, and then retreats back to his own tent to eat in relative quiet and isolation.

[justice_is_blond]

"It's just too easy if it's all open," Anders says, peering at the ground. After frowning at it for a few moments he walks back several steps to find a stone. It gets lobbed onto one of the squares and the square turns blue. Nothing else seems to happen.

"Always a good sign when nothing zaps you." He sounds vaguely cheerful; this doesn't seem to be the worst thing to encounter just yet.

[mactears]

"Anders, don't--" But he's already tossed the rock onto the grid, which lands with a harmless clink and tumbles a few more inches before falling still.

Well. At least that particular gamble hadn't resulted in catastrophe. Nevertheless, he gives the mage a moderately annoyed look, before he ventures nearer to inspect the vines. After a moment, he steps over them and onto one of the squares. (Now look who's taking chances?)

[justice_is_blond]

The square under Loghain's feet turns blue as well, and there don't seem to be any other changes.

"Don't?" Anders asks. "I only risked a rock. ... And possibly a horde of demons swarming out, I'll allow for that. But I didn't step on it."

He's mildly amused, stepping out himself noe, onto the square his rock hit. Both his and Loghain's squares go back to dull grey - blue. Anders steps back off; that hadn't seemed to help.

Re: Carver Hawke

[justice_is_blond]

"Maker, even you are being quiet," Anders says with a shake of his head as he joins the man with dinner prep.

"Did you nail your sister's braid to something again and you're fearing reprisal? Flirt with the wrong woman and get threatened? I'm going to keep guessing things until you say, so you may want to tell me what's on your mind sooner rather than later."

[unshadowing]

Carver watches this impassively, not really expecting or not expecting anything. This is how his life is, who knows what shit will happen? He's long since accepted it, even if he'll still bitch about it.

Luckily nothing explodes or leaps out at them. As Anders and Loghain step around on the squares, Carver notes, "So stepping on them a second time shuts them all off. Do we need to light all of them up?"

[unshadowing]

Carver cocks a brow at Anders as he sits himself down next to him and starts chatting. Well then.

"And I'm usually a chatterbox?" he says with a shake of his head, turning his attention back to the animal he's skinning. "I'm fine. It's tense around here and I've no idea why, so I'm staying out of it."

[justice_is_blond]

He shrugs to the initial question.

"It's more obvious that everyone's being quiet when you're not muttering at them." There's a little amusement in his voice, but it's tempered because Carver has a point. "I'd expected a little more... I don't know. Anything, really, rather than the frostiness."

[justice_is_blond]

"It's as good a guess as any?" He's fairly content to stay off it now and see what comes of other people stepping on it. It could always be his weight, or something. Anders doesn't really know.

[doneisdone]

Having hung back for a bit, Teren steps onto the squares with the others and, treading with the air of someone waiting for the floor to give way at any moment, she makes her way to the ruined statue and squints at it.

[doneisdone]

Teren walks in with the rest, sees the ghostly figure, and turns around to walk back out. Well seeya

thx fam

[doneisdone]

It could always be that time, but there's never any way of knowing until it's too late. Teren looks like she might be about to answer Anders, but her eyes flit up to watch the shape of Loghain come by and she falls still.
It's not until he leaves again that she looks back at Anders, taking a bite of her own stew. She shrugs one shoulder. IUNNO NOTHIN

[justice_is_blond]

What sucks for Teren is that the door doesn't open to let her back out.

[doneisdone]

She doesn't run into it at least (Luwenna), she just stares at it angrily while tugging at the latch. C'mon you bastard, can't she get a free pass even once?