[OPEN] a fieldtrip for the Wardens and friends

[mactears]

WHO: Loghain, Teren, any other Grey Wardens who feel like participating + anyone else who would have some excuse to be down in the Deep Roads (or at least can come up with a reason to join)
WHAT: Wardens & co. respond to reports of darkspawn activity in the Deep Roads beneath the Vimmarks, and encounter another surprise.
WHEN: Early May.
WHERE: The Deep Roads beneath the Vimmark mountains, close-ish to Corypheus' tomb.
NOTES: There may be a spot of violence. For prompts 1 and 2, feel free to thread with each other rather than just Loghain. For prompt 3, please keep all replies to one thread. Also, while this log is really of interest to Wardens and those who care about them, literally anyone is welcome to join. Honestly, just make up an excuse for your character and hop in.

I.  Traveling


What the Deep Roads lack in visual variety they make up for in the variety of different ways the environment can kill you. Death by ancient dwarven trap or consuming the wrong type of mushroom is as real a danger down here as getting murdered by darkspawn, which is likely responsible for Loghain's frequent refrain of, "Mind where you step."

When navigating through the roads, he seems inclined to keep to himself, either leading the way through the dark or bringing up the rear. Yet he isn't adverse to company, should someone choose to join him and strike up a conversation.



II. Fighting darkspawn!


The first sign of trouble comes in the form of a genlock scout who escapes into the darkness of a narrow cave crevice before he can be killed or apprehended. This is enough of a portent of things to come for Loghain to quickly issue some marching orders; any non-combatants in the group in the middle, kept guarded by those with combat experience who haven't undertaken the Joining. The Wardens, of course, will be the first line of defence against the oncoming assault.

It's a short-lived skirmish, with enough genlock and hurlock opponents to keep the Wardens busy, and perhaps a few to sneak past the line and engage the other armed combatants. Any injuries will need to be tended to quickly, however, because no sooner does the group have a chance to catch its collective breath...



III. Fighting... other Wardens?!


...then the sound of armoured feet clinking against the stone ground signals the approach of someone new. Several someones. When they come into view, it is clear immediately that they are Grey Wardens, given they sport armour identical to Loghain's and any other Wardens in the party. (There are six of them in total, if anyone is inclined to count:  three warriors including one sporting a great sword; an archer and a mage, and a dual-wielding rogue who looks like she used to slit throats for funsies before her conscription.)

It's unclear precisely how this encounter might have gone had Loghain not been in the party--but as it is, one of the newly arrived Wardens points right at him, shouts something in Anders, and then the fighting begins again in earnest.

"Someone take out that mage!" Loghain has time to shout, before he's otherwise occupied parrying a heavy blow from the largest warrior's greatsword.