BREACH VALESKA'S WATCH

[faderifting]

WHO: Hercules, Ellana, Melys, Scipio, & Kaisa
WHAT: Checking on an old Deep Roads entrance to make sure everything is fine. Everything is not fine.
WHEN: Guardian 15
WHERE: Emprise du Lion - Valeska's Watch
NOTES: Closed quest log, featuring death and darkspawn.

For centuries, Valeska's Watch has been perpetually occupied by Grey Wardens who guard an entrance to the Deep Roads, which was used for the darkspawns' large-scale invasion of Orlais during the Third Blight. The Wardens collapsed the tunnel, but because of its size, concerns lingered that darkspawn would find a way through. The outpost was constructed on top of it so that the Wardens could, as the name implies, keep watch. Now, the Grey Wardens' withdrawal to the West has left Valeska's Watch empty and the entrance unguarded.

Comments

[twelvelabours]

Herc's glance to Ellana for handing over the potion is a glad one, as well, albeit tempered by their present circumstances. He's not much of a combat medic, save for the basics and what you pick up trying to stay alive when you're solo and there isn't someone better qualified along with you. One thing he does know is don't pull out an arrow, but Melys is already on that. Quietly, he asks, "you need to head back?"

The question comes with a nod to the injury. She's not a Warden, this isn't her fight. Longer the arrow head is left in there, foreign matter and all the rest, the longer they're playing with the possibility of an infection. If they could get it out he'd cauterise it, stop the blood, but that's hardly going to do a thing for them if they're sealing something in there. Best he could do is slice up her shoulder some to get the thing out. Not something he'd recommend, personally.

And, to Ellana, he could honestly say that there's always more, but this isn't the time for comedic theatrics. He stops, careful, paying attention. "None nearby," he advises, cautious. "But there's some around." Quite how close or how far, that he can't tell. Not yet, anyway.

"Better we're ready if something happens to these," he says, referring to the flaming weapons, and moving towards one of the braziers with Striker Eureka extended to light it up. "Even if they aren't close now, they could be later."

[serannas]

Ellana doesn't really know Melys at all beyond this mission, and yet her first thought is there's little chance of her heading back now. She seems the type to take down any enemy no matter her injuries. Sort of the philosophy of 'If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me.' She recognizes it because Merrick's like that. Maybe if Melys had a hand cut off like she did to that darkspawn, the result would be different, but she's not wailing about her injury and Ellana can't honestly say she wouldn't in her place.

"If anything does happen further in," she begins in response to Hercules's words, "I can do this." She rotates her wrist, palm up to allow an eerie blue-green flame to dance above her skin. But for now, lighting the braziers along the way with their weapons works too.