DESTROY THE RED LYRIUM QUARRY

[faderifting]

WHO: Norrington, Kas, Cade, Varric, Anders
WHAT: Smashing the Templar's Red Lyrium operation before it even gets off the ground, go Inquisition!
WHEN: Guardian 18
WHERE: Emprise du Lion - Red Lyrium Quarry
NOTES: Closed quest log. Death and violence!

Far to the south of the Inquisition's main camps, Corypheus' Templar allies have discovered a sizable source of red lyrium in the hills. The operation to extract it is still in its early stages: the plan is for a path cut through the ground in a semi-Circle, but the Eastern side is barely touched, and with Inquisition forces pressing the Templars back and into Suledin Keep, the quarry is not so heavily guarded as it might have been. There are more prisoners than Red Templars, in fact. Concerned for the safety of the villagers if the Red Templars see a force approaching, the Inquisition is instead sending small teams, under cover of night, to free the captured villagers and eliminate the guards.

Comments

[judgemewhole]

...Well, that wasn't precisely what James had in mind with the warning, but it seemed to work effectively enough. He turned around, quickly searching the other Red Templar's body, as he called over to Kas.

"Quick thinking, there. Clean your blades on the snow, then help me find the keys so we can let these poor bastards out."

[issala]

The bas was babbling, but Issala didn't care to reply. It was simple enough to pretend to be a witless imekari for now, and wipe his blades off in the snow. He pushes the templar over to check for a key, but it didn't seem like this was the guy carrying them.

"None," he says curtly. "It can be cracked with a pommel. Put it in-between the lock and the bars and bend."

[judgemewhole]

Norrington nodded his head briefly, stopping his search immediately to move towards the cage. He put up a hand, speaking to the scared prisoners calmly and quietly, "I have taken no red lyrium, my friends. My friend here is a Valshoth, not a Qunari. We are not here to hurt you -- merely to free you. As soon as I open this cage, please follow the path of the others who have escaped back to our camps."

He went over to the lock, and following Kas's instructions to the letter, put it between the lock and the bars, bending it with his considerable strength. The lock gave way in a few moments, and he stepped back to let the prisoners go free.

He did not, however, sheath his sword, simply gave the young Valshoth a considering look before he nodded his head up the hill.

"Shall we?"

[issala]

Issala watches the people run off, probably only to be captured again later. They were only treating the symptoms, to the illness itself.

"Let's go," he agrees, not quite yet ready to let the imekari get back in control quite yet. The bas would get suspicious.

[judgemewhole]

Well, if they made it to the camp, they should be fine. They had killed all the Red Templars, and he had heard tales that refugees were being shipped from here back to Skyhold for safety.

As it stood - the illness was Corypheus, and one had to find the illness before one could find it.

He nodded, putting his shield back up on his back and leading the way to the rendezvous point, beyond these particular cages.

[issala]

The teen follows in silence for a while as they head for the rendezvous point, while Issala went over what had just happened and how much it would effect his cover.

This bas didn't know the imekari, which meant it wouldn't be as suspicious as it could have been, and shock was a good excuse. Kas was young and experiences, and 'he' had just killed his first person on close combat after nearly dying.

It would have to do. Silent, he withdraws.

The boy stumbles slightly with a deep breath, looking behind him. "Did I... did I really do that?"

[judgemewhole]

Norrington turned to look at the boy, looking surprised at the comment. He had thought that the boy had his first kill, certainly, but he seemed surprised by the lot of it. His voice quiets, as ever firm as it was.

"Yes, you did. It's what the training is for, after all. You can take some small comfort that he would have killed you, and all those people in the cage, without a second thought." Templars were, after all, trained killers with a purpose. Sigh.

Moving on. "You should never enjoy killing though. It is a means to an end, but not something to be done lightly, or without clear forethought."

[issala]

"I'm not sure I even know what happened... first I thought I was gonna die, and then..." He shudders slightly. It wasn't his first kill, but it was definitely the first one Kas made in close combat. Shooting an arrow into someone was... way different than this.

"It's hazy. I'm not sure... but it's over. People are free and we should catch up, right?" That was the important part. "I don't think I'll ever like doing that, though."

[judgemewhole]

"And then your body took over. It's not a big surprise." Norrington stated simply, "You'll find that happening a lot in close combat. You're a rogue, so I believe you should be able to pull yourself out of it a lot more easily than I can."

He nodded, gesturing up the hill. "If you would not mind taking point? I shall cover you closely."

[issala]

Kas takes those words to heart, even if it seemed a lot more... missing rather than just instinct. But this guy knew what he was talking about, right? He was a fancy templar person.

Nodding to Norrington, Kas grabs his bow and heads forward, quick but slightly crouched and careful. Taking point and scouting ahead was something he could definitely do.