faderift | open: something grabs ahold of me tightly

open: something grabs ahold of me tightly

WHO: Inquisition Forces
WHAT: Inquisition forces cross the mountains into Orlais to deal with Emprise du Lion
WHEN: Wintermarch 25 onward
WHERE: EMPRISE DU LION
NOTES: This is a mingle-style log for the Inquisition camps, local tavern, and general/open Inquisition work, etc.

This time they hike down to the west, but the trip through the mountains is no easier. The snow is heaped up about the road where wagons have pushed it aside, stomped into slippery pack beneath the feet and hooves that have gone before. Of the main track it is ankle deep at best and in places it drifts, waist-deep on a tall man and enough to bury a dwarf who hasn't come prepared with snowshoes. Everywhere the wind howls, biting cold, and the sky hangs low, a pale flat grey that makes it difficult to judge distances. Those who know winter weather call it a snow sky, and near-daily squalls prove them right.

They set up camp in Sahrnia, across the broad expanse of frozen river that has trapped the villagers here upstream. Tents pop up in rows and in the shells of tumbled-down buildings, fires blazing and thawing the ground to mud. When the supply wagons roll in they re-open the local tavern, brightly lit with flaking paint on the walls that might once have been colorful and patterned tiles on the floor that seems to swim like an optical illusion after too many glasses of the cheap red wine that fills the cellars.

Even deadlier reds hold the hills: Red Templar sightings have been frequent and it is said they are operating in several locations in the region in significant force. Some of these men and women have become hulking, crystalline beasts. Many others are in the earlier stages of corruption: red-veined and -eyed, aggressive and superhumanly strong, but still visibly human and coherent if spoken to. Red lyrium is even easier to find, jutting out of the ground or cliffsides, filling caves-- the Tower of Bone, a fortress that has stood for centuries, now threatens to split from the inside out. The area's wildlife was none too friendly before, but now the wolves and bears have begun to be corrupted by the lyrium and many will attack on sight, without provocation. (The snofleurs that bumble harmlessly around the river seem unaffected.)

Everywhere there are ruins: broken bridges, crumbling colosseums, and the great hulking mass of Suledin's Keep tucked between the distant hills. Scouts reported that Red Templars hold it as well.

RIFTER ARRIVAL - SAHRNIA - THE HILLS - TOWER CAMP - A HANDY MAP

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not being a healer of any particular sort, the best Korrin can offer is to keep out of Adelaide's way while she's busy. That's easily enough accomplished, since the Vashtosh mage hasn't accumulated any injuries beyond what a simple healing potion could fix. But she wants to check in on the Spirit Healer anyway, so at some point when things seem quiet and a kettle is brewing, she'll slip inside, her voice quiet so as not to exacerbate any headache she suspects is already in place.

"Adelaide?"

"Rinot?" Adelaide peers around a stack of papers and books set up off to one side, squinting in the dim light provided by her lantern. To be out in the field working again on simple tasks with simple answers has been something of a relief- even if it is bitterly cold. "Come, sit- I think I have an empty tea cup you might use somewhere."

"I won't say no to that, especially after just returning from patrol. Thank you." Korrin flashes a smile as she sits, glad to be out of said bitter cold whenever possible. Whatever novelty Emprise du Lion had has long since worn off; now it's just red lyrium spikes, and frozen landscapes. "I'd been hoping to check on you when neither of us were occupied. How are you holding up?"

It's not an idle question with Korrin; it never is, though rifts and emergency council meetings have a way of making it even more relevant.

"Middling to well." She sits up with a roll of her shoulders, reaching for the kettle. "Between research, injury, red templars, the threat of dragons, this business with the Inquisition's Templars, the rift at Skyhold, the rifters, Sina's illness and my own research projects..."

Five hours of attempted sleep a night, four she actually manages relatively well on a good day- it has been taxing. "I may need to invest in a secretary."

There's a weak smile from Korrin who gives a thoughtful shrug. "That's not a bad idea, though don't take that as me volunteering. I'd be a terrible one, even if I had the time." And really, who does when Red Templars and dragons are threatening everything?

Her smile fades as her thoughts turn to Sina, terrified for the Dalish girl. She takes out a letter from a pouch at her hip, a little worn and much-read at this point. "Nahariel said Sina's been sleeping better, but she still sounds so weak. Poor girl. She didn't wake when I visited, not that I expected her, too. I...had to tell Araceli, as they're friends and she'd want to know. Now she's terrified of what her shard will do, and I have no answers to give."

Pouring two cups of tea and rummaging about for honey gives Adelaide time to wind that new shiver of stress back in place. Sina still. Sina not breathing, heart not beating under her hands. Regaining strength has taken time- more than it should. "It is the placement that causes Sina's distress. The other rifters- it is in their hand. Painful but not life threatening. For Sina- it stopped her heart. There was a moment when..."

She turns, offering Korrin her mug, voice low. "A moment when I thought her dead. Beyond saving."

Taking the mug, Korrin's eyes are suspiciously bright for a moment, but she manages to hold those tears back that were threatening to escape. Her voice catches a little when she replies, still shaken and she can only imagine how much worse it would have been to actually be present. Which isn't to say that she wouldn't have given anything to rush over and do something, anything. "You -and Compassion- worked a miracle that night. She was lucky to have you with her; as were all of us who care about her, whether we were there or not.

...I wonder why, about the placement. Why does everyone else have it located on their hand, like the Herald, but not her? You'd think there might be other cases of different placements, but I haven't heard of even one other." Yeah, she knows. 'Why is the Fade and everything related to it so weird' is a question that will likely never be answered. But it still nags at her. Anyway, she pauses to take a sip.

"I have not pulled someone from the brink for a fair while." Not since the Spire, not truly. "It is taxing, pulling them back is only half the work. Keeping them alive afterward is the rest. We did what we could but I fear she'll never be quite as she was."

Falling through the veil, even for a moment, changes a person. Adelaide does not know many that were fortunate enough to survive such an encounter; Sina will be the first in Skyhold.

Tea in hand she turns to face Korrin, lips pressed thin. "The rifters fall through and have it when they arrive. Sina- she said there was a bright light and she was struck. Perhaps it's only in her chest because that is where it struck her."

"Maybe, but it's still odd. Mal -a native friend of mine- was struck too, but it's in his hand, like everyone else." And oh, is he just thrilled about that. Korrin won't get into detail about that, though, since he wouldn't care for it and there isn't much to say about a typical case.

Not bothering to hide her concern, even if she could, Korrin looks Adelaide over. " I can only imagine the toll this has taken on you. Not as much as Sina, of course, but even so, that's not a feat pulled off without some sacrifice. Will you recover your strength?"

"Part of what I do, part of what makes my skillset rare and dangerous, is that I do not use my own power. I use Compassion's. The channeling can be draining, this is true, but we have worked together for so long and so well that it is not as difficult as it might be. Which...truly is part of the danger." It is not often she speaks so bluntly of what the cost might be, of what it means to be a Spirit Healer. The door to the Fade is ever present for Mages, but for a Spirit Healer? It is propped half open. "I had the worst overcasting hangover the day afterward but...it was worth it. I am recovered."

As much as she ever is.

Speaking bluntly is always something Korrin prefers, so she listens with interest on this insider perspective on Spirit Healers. Her immediate concern diminishes, though Adelaide's point about that bond and its dangers is something to consider. "I'm glad to hear it...and I don't envy your path, but I'll always respect it. It can't be easy to balance that kind of bond, working together and yet ensuring your own safety. I'd never really been exposed to all this before joining, but it's interesting playing catch-up."

She tilts her head, as other ideas come to mind. "What's your opinion on Seekers, Adelaide? Now that we actually have those other than Cassandra, I'd like to know." To Korrin's non-Circle trained mind, all she knows is that they're like Templars, but not. It's time to find out more from one bound to have insight.

"I am candy to the undead and demons. It feels a fair price to pay for what I am able to do." Frustrating, yes, wearying more often than not...but worthwhile. She can do so much with Compassion's help. What more can she ask for? "One of the few benefits of the rebellion. That we can share what we have learned with one another regardless of circle or what has been self taught. There is value in this."

More than she can possibly say.

Adelaide slumps back a little, sipping her tea- a muscle under her eye twitches at the mention of Seekers. Lambert they were all not, for every one like him there was one like Cassandra, and for that? She must be mindful. "If they are able to work as they should? They watch the watchdogs. Mind and police the templars against abuses of power."

That eye-twitch doesn't go unnoticed and Korrin frowns a little after having another sip. "That doesn't sound too promising. If they worked the way they were supposed to, would there even have been a war to begin with?" Because really, the Templars have gotten away with tons of abuses, and what she knows is likely only the tip of the iceberg.

"I ask because I want to know what to expect, if the Council's going to interact with them as a group or not. One other found its way here, so others could do the same. And then what? Can we count on them to keep Templars in line or are they going to be an additional hassle?"

"Lord Seeker Lambert- head of the seekers, was not precisely of a mind to do his job himself from what I know of him. There is no reason for him to have ordered what he had." And that, well.

She had said she'd speak with Korrin. Now was as good a time as any. She leans out to peer at the camp outside her tent before closing the flaps. This was a private wound that did not need airing. "I understand your trepidation and your concerns with the templars, Korrin. I understand your fears with Seekers. But I am making an attempt to work with or around them. I am not asking that you treat them as trusted friends nor that you endure them if you feel they are overstepping. But I am asking that you perhaps offer them the benefit of the doubt."

Adelaide lifts a hand to forestall- well. Anything, and asks- "What do you know of the fall of the White Spire?"

Korrin's lips thin at mention of the Templars, especially that last part. She has no intention of giving that pompous asshole who called them all godless the benefit of the doubt, though because it's Adelaide saying this, she at least entertains the thought of doing so for the others. And of course she opens her mouth to add her opinion, but Adelaide's questions stop her short. She pauses to recall what little she's heard.

"Grand Enchanter Fiona called for a vote to determine independence for the mages, right? And then everything went to hell because the Templars wouldn't allow it."

"The fall began months before the final conclave. It started in small things. Rumors, mages going missing. Murders. Bodies found in their rooms drained of all blood- of course the assumption is that there is a Blood Mage hiding in the Spire. You can imagine how well that went over." Not well, at the very least.

Her gaze hardens at the notion of blood magic, and what its discovery would mean for innocent mages. "Nothing good, I bet. They tightened control, didn't they, used it to blame all mages in the spire and treat them even more like the prisoners they were?" That's what Templars seem to do best, punish the majority for the sins of the few.

Edited 2016-02-23 21:42 (UTC)

"We did not see it as prison, Korrin. We lived, we studied, if we were skilled we were sent out to do work for the Spire's profit, we could learn or research whatever we liked within reason. It was my home. The templars treated us well, it made the disappearances, the accusations of blood magic all the more shocking. They took precautions and we followed them for our own safety. Mages were being targeted in these murders- people went missing...we were afraid. The templars did what they could to keep us safe." And it had not been enough. Not in the end.

Korrin's brow furrows as she takes all this in, unable to see it as anything but a prison for herself, but that Adelaide thought of it as a home...it gives her pause. She focuses on the disappearances and murders, crossing her arms as her frown returns.

"But it that wasn't enough, or you wouldn't be here. Did they find the one responsible?" Did it even matter, or did everything just explode beforehand? Now Korrin's wishing she had bothered to ask more about such things earlier, so she wouldn't need Adelaide to access painful memories.

"No. Accusations were made, an investigation- in the middle of all this rumors of a possessed Tranquil came to light but most of us did not know what to make of it. Calls for a meeting of the College of Magi were made- Lord Seeker Lambert insisted only First Enchanters attend. This is where the vote to disband the circles was passed, I found later. The rest of us were kept to our rooms during the meeting. All was well- we listened, we did not complain, we followed the rules as set out for us even in making use of our right to convene and vote." Adelaide takes a moment to sip her tea, steady herself somewhat. It becomes easier when she does not look Korrin in the eye, saying all this.

"Then sounds of fighting. Chaos. Violence. I took what students I could- in the Circles we are told from a very early age that we must trust the templars should we have fears about ourselves or our fellows. If something seems strange. How much weight is put to this varies from person to person but- I did not know what was happening. Many of us did not. With the handfull of Students I had been minding I went to a Templar I knew well. One that I had known since my harrowing, almost twenty years. I tried to ask what was happening- if there was an attack, an abomination, something. He-" Her voice goes thick, she swallows. "He took me by the throat before I could form the words and pinned me to the wall."

A possessed Tranquil? Isn't that supposed to be impossible? Korrin raises an eyebrow, but stops herself from interrupting with question after question, or Adelaide will never get to tell her story. She listens and sips her tea, though that avoidance of her gaze doesn't go unnoticed and she frowns in concern.

Trusting in Templars is something the Vashoth mage can't quite wrap her mind around, but from a Circle mage's point of view, she can grudgingly see how it would make a certain amount of sense. At least until Adelaide speaks of that Templar's sudden attack and she goes rigid as her eyes widen, naturally horrified and outraged on her friend's behalf. She sets down that tea before there's a chance that she'll spill it, ignoring it completely afterward. "What the fuck? I've heard of them abusing mages before, who hasn't, but this...." No reason, no prelude, just suddenly grabbing her as though all that time in the Circle together meant nothing...it makes her blood run cold.

"Lambert made the order to Annul the Spire. I was the first mage in the hall to approach." THe first unlucky mage. "I thought he was holding me to cut me down but- he meant to strangle me. Against the stone wall, in front of my students. Roul-"

Maker, even now she can smell the ozone and blood, the rendering of fat and burning of hair. But she pushes through, hands trembling, voice thick and soft but steady. Small mercies. "Roul saved me with lightening. Killed Unger. There was a commotion at the far end of the hall and more Templars- I did not have time to think. I gathered as many as I could and we ran."

"Oh, Adelaide...." An annulment. Korrin has only heard about such things and that second or third-hand, never like this. Those trembling hands tear at her heart and she reaches out without thinking, to envelop them in her own larger, steady ones. "That was so brave of Roul." She'd seen him at work, learned from his technique as well as shared her own. That he'd honed his talent during the war went without saying, but she hadn't imagine he'd been forced to use it in that horrifying fashion.

"But how could you run? They had all your blood in vials, didn't they? That's how they hunt people who try to leave."

"Sometime between the order of Annulment and our arrival at Andoral's reach a group of mages destroyed them. And with all the Circles dissolved- with the war at a fever pitch? Hunting us was less important than containing us. Not everyone made it out. Many of my peers didn't." Her mentors, her friends. She'd been lucky. Her eyes slip from their entwined hands to Korrin's eyes, her own sheening with tears unshed. "I had spent the past few years insisting on expanding our instructional courses to focus on magic outside of combat. Insisted we wouldn't need it- there wasn't a war, there wasn't a blight. We were in a time of peace; why make soldiers when we could make architects, or doctors, or artists? I left my students woefully unprepared."

Those tears in Adelaide's eyes are enough to make Korrin's own suspiciously bright, hit hard by the pain and horror the Spirit Healer had endured. She herself was used to a life of battle, but that? That was a massacre. Not the same at all. And before she realizes, Korrin is already shaking her head, unable to listen to Adelaide blame herself. Shoving down that forming lump in her throat, Korrin speaks gently. "You didn't know what would happen, Adelaide. No one did. The Circles have existed for age upon age; it seemed like they were going to stick around forever. Who really thought it would all fall apart?"

Mages had always talked about desiring freedom all the time, of course. And after the attempted annulment Kirkwall, Korrin had heard about increased unrest all over. Still, no one really seemed to believe that talk would go anywhere, that there would be true, full-scale rebellion. Even as she approved, it caught Korrin by surprise as much as anyone.

open: something grabs ahold of me tightly

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