faderift | Destroy Abandoned Red Lyrium Operation

WHO: Inessa Serra, Kain Ventfort, Carver Hawke, Carver's plus one?
WHAT: With Red Templars moving to the Anderfels, it's left several red lyrium operations abandoned and in need of destruction. The first to be found by Inquisition scouts is a small cave in Ferelden. Several large red lyrium crystals need to be destroyed, and a search done to see if the Red Templars left anything of interest behind before their flight.
WHEN: late Cloudreach (backdated)
WHERE: Ferelden (halfway between the Storm Coast and Crestwood)
NOTES: Assignment is here.

Content warnings to be announced.

The influence of the Storm Coast seems to follow the small band of Grey Wardens as they reach the outskirts of the red lyrium mining operation. That is to say, it's eternally damp and drizzling, the sky overcast with clouds that threaten to bring more rain. Inessa does her best to remain stoic, but inwardly she's thinking fondly of her teapot with perpetually hot tea, and how good it will feel to partake after a long day of traveling while drenched.

That will have to wait, however. They're finally here, and it's time to get to work. Turning to her companions, the elven woman nods. "You know the drill. We strike any and all red lyrium we see jutting out from the ground, using the cleansing runes distributed. Take care not to avoid direct exposure, and we should be fine. Also, remain alert to anything else in the area. It's unlikely they abandoned anything of importance, but we can never be too certain. Shall we?"

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Carver's been itching to take out some red lyrium, and he's glad when he was offered the chance to come along for this operation. This threat's always been sort of personal to him, and he wants to help see it eliminated. Better yet, he gets to come back to Ferelden for a spell. And better still, he's actually with people he, gasp, likes.

Now only if the weather would clear, he'd actually be in something of a good mood. Ah well.

"Yes, let's." His sword's got the rune on it, and he's ready to swing it. "Have there been any sightings of those templars around here? I know they ordered a retreat, but that doesn't mean they all listened."

Kain, of course, is very eager to destroy that red lyrium as well. He also has a very personal reason for involvement in this matter, given everything he'd heard of that twisted potential bad future. Even though things are probably already changed, he doesn't want to take any chances. So the more of it they get rid of, the better.

"Good, I've been looking forward to this." He frowns, then, taking a closer look around the area, just in case. There's no sign of any incoming problems, at the moment, but they shouldn't drop their guard. "It seems clear, but that doesn't mean much. What I wouldn't give for some Red Templar sensing abilities..."

"Likewise, but we'll manage. And I've received no word on any sightings, but it never hurts to remain alert regardless." Inessa takes point with Garahel as they enter the cave, summoning some wisps for light. It's barely needed for red lyrium as that tends to have a glow, but she doesn't want to miss anything else of possible importance. She comes to a halt upon spotting the first cluster, a large one. Bristling at the sight of it, she wastes no time in firing her staff at the red lyrium while Garahel stands guard.

Carver nods. So they're not expecting an attack, but knowing those red templar bastards, they could pop up anywhere, at anytime. But for now, he focuses his attention on the red lyrium clusters popping up just ahead of them. While Inessa takes out one, he goes for another cluster just a ways down from hers. He takes his sword and with a hard swing, strikes it.

Even though he should breathe a sigh of relief over knowing that there's no sign of those templars lurking about, Kain can't help but continue to be tense and on guard. He watches the others for a moment when they start to strike, before surveilling the area further, noticing that the lyrium continues to be abundant, further along. They've come across a good sized patch, it seems.

"Looks like there's plenty where this came from." Hmmph, good. He raises his sword high above, before slamming it downward on a cluster. It feels so good, smashing this stuff to oblivion.

Near Carver, there is one thing of note. A sealed envelope, intact but stained with what is possibly blood. Inessa hasn't noticed it busy destroying every spike in her sight with her cleansing rune powered staff. Once there are nothing but shards on the ground, she pauses and glances over to the others.

"The size of this cave doesn't leave room for doubt; that's all of them. Let's take a look around before we leave, and that will be that." Such a long way for a simple assignment, and yet Inessa doesn't regret it when it means sparing Ferelden one more source of this poison.

[ooc: The letter is to family and can contain whatever you want, as long as it's not vital information.]

As Carver finishes up his batch, he glances over and notices the envelope. Frowning, he sheathes his sword and walks over to it to pick it up. "Hey, I found something." He shows them the envelope before he opens it up without a second thought.

He looks over it, his frown deepening. "Someone wrote a letter to their family." The letter stirs up unease. Thinking of the red templars as monsters beyond saving is much easier than grappling with the thought of some of them still being sane and having family.

Kain keeps on smashing his bit of lyrium as if it's a true enemy to be defeated. It's a satisfying feeling, and he only stops once he's sure it's fully destroyed. He glances over, then, as Carver is just reading over the letter. Huh... well, that... It makes him think even more of those letters that his future self had written. It's all too real, too dark, and he moves back over toward the clump of lyrium he'd just destroyed, giving one more swing of his sword.

"There's some point of time where their minds are still intact enough to realize their inevitable fate... they don't start out as monsters, after all. They were just people once... like anyone else." He brings his sword down once more on the already-broken lyrium, hiding his unsettled fearfulness with anger.

Pausing when she hears Carver, Inessa heads over to have a look though she doesn't take it from his hands. "And it's legible...? Perhaps it was written just before the madness took them. If there's an address...."

She frowns, resting the butt of her staff on the ground. "I'm not certain whether or not it would be a kindness to pass it on to said family. Would you want to know?"

It's not rhetorical; she's honestly curious about a reply and perhaps stalling about forming her own. Kain's words and gestures don't go unnoticed, and she looks over to him in silent sympathy as Garahel whines.

"Yes."

He doesn't say it lightly, or without prior thought, but it's the truth. Not knowing is torture. It's false hope. It's a lie one must concoct to fill in the holes of one's heart. For a time the truth hurts, but it always works out for the better in the end.

"I can make out some of it. Ferelden. Maybe... South Reach? The blood's covering up some of it."

"I think he's right... they deserve to know, as difficult as it will be to face it." Not knowing would surely be even worse, right? Kain sighs, thinking about those letters he'd written or will write or... would have written? At this point, is that future truly altered? It's hard to say for sure. He can only guess at the nightmare it must be, to succumb to that red taint...

"Hm... if there's any sort of hint, that may help in identifying this person... or at least who the letter was intended for..."

The thought that they're not doing it for the Templar who chose his end but for those he left behind is what causes her to nod in agreement. She has no sympathy anymore for their kind, but his family is blameless.

"Perhaps there are signs around us. We should continue to search anyway, so keep an eye out for anything that might be relevant."

"Worth a look, anyway." Not that Carver plans to spend hours looking for some clue that may not be there, but he'll at least give it a try, for the family's sake. For now, he tucks the letter away. "They would have been staying somewhere. We should find their quarters. More likely to be personal belongings in those."

"Right, well in that case, let's continue, shall we?" Kain is ready to see what else they come across... and destroy more lyrium, if it comes to it as well. Ok, maybe he's eager to destroy more of that stuff. The less of it there is out there in the world, the better.

So he starts moving along, keeping an eye out for anything of interest.

Destroy Abandoned Red Lyrium Operation

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