faderift | We come from the land of the ice and snow

We come from the land of the ice and snow

WHO: Open to all
WHAT: Thedas' strange new guests are delivered to Skyhold
WHEN: 25 Harvestmere (October)
WHERE: Skyhold main gate & courtyard
NOTES: This is Part I of a two-part intro event, Part II will be posted tomorrow.

A long uphill tromp through the snowy mountains ends at Skyhold, the distant fortress finally before them in all its tumble-down glory. There is time to admire the drop into the river gorge far below as they cross the only bridge into the castle; it is briefly backed up with traffic, several carts bearing supplies and visitors stalled as the portcullis is raised. Those coming to help catalog and unload the shipment and greet the guests, or otherwise present near the front courtyard, will find themselves witness to a far more interesting arrival.

Guards at the gate carry the word quickly, and more gather, though they make no move to imprison the strange people who fell out of a rift. They just line the perimeter and keep a close watch. Perhaps this adds a level of tension to this first encounter, but it also reassures the many who are unsettled by the uncertain turn of events and keeps in check those who might attack first and ask questions later. Others will no doubt soften the Inquisition's first impression, offering food, information, and other assistance.

Medical attention is available in the tented-encircled corner of the courtyard where the wounded from Haven are still treated. The quartermaster's assistant is called upon to provide spare odds and ends of clothing to those in need, and to issue blankets for all, though they are left to fend for themselves to find places to sleep.

Any mage willing to help is called in to do so and a cluster forms in one side of the courtyard to examine the rifters. They are objects of curiosity in general, but the marks on their hands are of particular interest, resembling smaller slivers of the Herald's famous mark. Despite their best efforts, no mage will be able to provide any real insight after this initial assessment. What the rifters and their marks are is a question they cannot answer today.

But one question is answered: in the midst of all the commotion, another Inquisition agent arrives from Haven, rushing in red-faced to announce that the Herald's body has finally been found.

OOC

It will be decided (partly for OOC reasons, admittedly) that the rifters will not be imprisoned at this point, but they will be watched carefully, and the guards are on alert for any strange behavior by people with glowing hands or strange attire. And of course, their freedom can be revoked at any time if they're deemed a danger. Though there are some OOC considerations at play here, you're welcome to ICly lobby for more or less freedom for the rifters, and things may change based on IC action/consensus.

Also: Part II, aka the log for the funeral/wake/etc. event, will go up tomorrow!

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Beleth was no mage, and thus had been free of consultations. But she still watched and observed, curiosity and worry mixed in equal measure. It's a relief to get a chance to go to the tavern and relax. But apparently she's far from the only one who's been distracted by these new people, and was looking for a chance to drink some of that worry away. Krem was there, as he usually was, though he seemed rather...out of sorts.

That man that Beleth had met before, and helpfully dropped a bird's nest on already was there to comment, but she couldn't help but worry that Krem might not be feeling his best, either. So she drifted over, ducking her head politely to both Krem and Sam on approach.

"...Is your eye alright...? Do you need it checked?"

Krem was about to tell Sam that no, he was fine, and he'd stick the bottle anywhere he damn well pleased, including up someone's nose if they said anything else about it, but he stopped himself; that would be incredibly rude to someone that was only worried and trying not to make it look too serious. He sighed and put his bottle down on his knee, shrugging a shoulder.

"'m fine," he muttered, looking over at the rest of the bar's patrons. At least there weren't any fights breaking out. Everyone was probably still too much in shock, with the arrival of the Rifters and the discovery of the Herald's body.

Beleth's voice drew Krem's attention, and he looked around with a grimace. Did everyone see that foible? Of course that would be his luck...

"It's alright, really."

Sam chuckles nervously at the look Krem gives him. Ah, perhaps he shouldn't have commented about the bottle bit. At least he doesn't find said bottle connecting with his head. Still, even though Krem says he's fine, it is obvious that the Charger is a bit out of it.

"You su-" he's about to say, but stops when an Elf comes up to stand in front of him. She looks familiar, but what he- oh! "You're Beleth aren't you?"

Beleth glanced over at Sam, and nodded. The guy she had dropped a bird's nest on. Whoops. "Yes, I'm Beleth. You're Sam, correct?" She glanced back over to Krem, giving him a worried look, then at Sam, cocking an eyebrow. Well, at least she had someone else to help her gang up on Krem and try to fret.

"Are you sure? I can get you some tea, if you need some energy. Or get you to a healer--" She stopped, then turned to Sam. "--You're a healer, aren't you? Look at him." Bossy, bossy.

Krem sighed at the two of them, pointedly taking another swallow of his ale. He paused with the bottle still at his lips and looked up at Sam, upon hearing that he was a healer rather than an ordinary mage.

Sam, he's not happy with you. Coulda pointed that out when he offered to fix you before.

"Don't actually like tea much," Krem replied to Beleth's offer, at least managing to look somewhat apologetic. "Nor do I need a healer. A poke in the eye isn't something to worry yourself over."

Sam visibly tenses when Beleth mentions the part about the healer. Well shit. Krem was not- oh look at that, Krem is giving him that look. Wonderful. Thanks, Beleth.

He even winces when Krem stresses the 'healer' part, not sure if the Charger is pointedly talking about him, or a healer in general. "Ah well... if there's nothing to worry over we might as well join you since we're here. Beleth I'd love some tea." Said all with a guilty smile. Going to play stupid about it unless it's actually said.

She did something wrong. She said something wrong. Beleth knows as soon as she looks between the two of them, exchanging glances, and Sam wincing. Her expression turned worried, as she tried to figure out what she'd done. Was she not wanted? Were they trying to do something with just the two of them? That's what happened, wasn't it. She had totally just stomped her way in.

Except Sam was saying that they were going to join Krem, and asking for tea? Was he just being polite??

"I'll go get some." She replied quickly, ducking her head, and scurrying off to locate the tea. She didn't want to go all the way across Skyhold. Hopefully the bar would have at least a tea kettle? She headed over to question the dwarf barkeep, while keeping an eye on the other two.

Really, it was a good thing that Beleth had vacated the vicinity for a moment, as now it was Krem's solemn duty to once more leave a bruise on Sam's arm, punching him in the bicep.

"Could've told me," he muttered, giving Sam a frustrated, but not wholly angry look. He wasn't going to shoo either of them away, but he could at least express his ire.

Honestly he should have expected it to come, but the punch still catches him by surprise. Especially since he's watching Beleth go off towards the bar. "F- shhhh-eeez," he hisses lowly, gritting his teeth, turning his gaze down to Krem. He doesn't ask what it was for, because he knows.

"You didn't ask." Despite the soreness now in his arm, Sam grins, perhaps maybe a bit too mischievously. "Hey don't give me that look. You assumed I was just a blacksmith from the start until I started using magic. Figured I'd keep the ball rolling and see if I could surprise you again." A low chuckle. "Besides, you were already touching my leg for the injury. Figured you'd throw me over the fence if you found out then."

Sam chances looking away from Krem to see how Beleth was doing. She hadn't looked all that sure when she walked off.

She'd managed to get a hold of a tea kettle and hot water and got the tea set up, and came back to the other two. She caught the fist meeting bicep, but she could figure out that it was more amicable than true anger. That relaxes her a little bit, though she still feels a bit nervous as she approaches the two of them.

"It'll be about five minutes." She told Sam, setting the tea kettle down. She glanced over at Krem, giving him a small smile. "Is there anything I can get for you besides tea...? I feel bad not getting you anything. If, um. You're okay with me being here...?" And now she's fidgeting with her scarf again, trying to work out the nervous energy building in her.

"Thank you, I'm fine," Krem replied, holding up his bottle of ale. He softened some when Beleth had returned, and really it was safer with her around, if only because he wouldn't hit Sam with her standing right there.

"Anyway, I wasn't just going to flip you over the fence when you were already hurt," he pointed out to Sam with his arms crossed, huffing up at him. "Well...I wouldn't have just then anyway. Maybe if there'd been mud, and I'd known you a little longer."

Krem is noticeably... nicer when Beleth is around, which makes Sam raise a brow a bit. That was... interesting. Beleth, looks like you just became the safety zone between the two of them - at least for Sam not to get punched as much.

"Thanks, Beleth. Any particular kind of tea?" It really didn't matter, but it would be nice to know. Also he didn't want her to feel like she was being ignored seeing as Krem was talking fight shop with him. He chuckles, pulling out a couple chairs for himself and Beleth, before plopping down in one and grinning at Krem. "Ah huh. If I had went ahead and healed myself though would you have? Even without mud?"

She's happy enough to serve as a buffer zone for punches, though she can't help but look a little amused. She turns to Sam, accepting the chair and sinking down into it. "Thank you, Sam. Ah--It's black rose tea. A little sweet, and it'll wake you up." Different from what the Dalish had, but if Beleth would have to begrudgingly give the humans anything, it was that their tea was quite nice.

Conversation turning to a previous event between Sam and Krem, and Beleth was torn between curiosity, and not wanting to intrude on some private thing. After a moment, she decided that since she was there, the best course would be to go ahead and comment on it. "...Why are you throwing people over fences, Krem?" She asked, a small smile on her face, even as she raised an eyebrow.

"Nah. Still a matter of you being an acquaintance and that I'd already put you on the ground...what, twice by then?"

Turning to Beleth, Krem started to explain, "we were training before, 's actually how we met. Knocked 'im on his arse a couple of times. Found out he was a mage that way, didn't know he was a healer though. He wasn't carrying a staff at the time. Maybe I'll throw him over a fence later."

Sam clears his throat and gives Krem an amused look before turning his attention to Beleth. "Technically we met because I was writing 'serious' questions with someone else on his flier and he caught me doing it. He assumed I was strictly a blacksmith," a pointed look at Krem at that point, "because he asked me about my skills and we got derailed from the subject when we started talking about drinks."

Leaning back and crossing his arms, Sam grins. "And actually you only got me on my ass once, and once on my knees when you found out I was a Mage." Despite being threatened with being thrown over a fence the next time he's feeling kind of proud of himself.

"Ugh, don't graffiti on people's fliers! People did that to me once, drove me up the wall." She made a face at Sam, turning to give him a very gentle little shove. Of course, what flier it was, she doesn't say. Certainly, she hasn't signed anything. But she figures that Sam isn't the kind of guy that, even if he figured out she was the author behind that lovely little message about the Dalish, would go around telling anyone. Hopefully.

She turned back to Krem, a smile on her face. "I'm not surprised you beat him. Am I going to find out that you've smacked around everyone I know?" She looked more amused by the idea than anything. If she could trust it not to go all tits up, she might have suggested Merrick and Krem fight. But...nah.

She busies herself with pouring the tea for her and Sam, passing him a steaming mug. "Careful, it's still hot." She warns, before turning to Krem. "What's he done to get thrown over a fence, exactly?"

"He and his friend were asking whether the Chargers were available for hire to flex their muscles for others' entertainment," Krem added, smirking faintly at Sam. Yes, he knew it wasn't Sam's idea in the first place, but he was still amused and would take every opportunity to poke at the man over that whole thing. He waited for the tea to be poured, thinking for a moment what fliers would have been hers, and whether he'd been one of those that had written on then.

The questions made him chuckle quietly. "I only knock around the ones that come and train with me willingly, I promise. 's why I haven't sparred with Gorse- that one qunari with the yellow eyes and curling horns- even though he came to watch me in the ring too. Sam, he hasn't done anything to warrant being thrown over a fence, he's just paranoid over how many bruises I've put on his arm. Before he's healed them himself, I'm presuming."

Sam has the decency to at least teeter to the side when Beleth gives him a shove. Normally he isn't one to do such things, but there had been something about the question and the fact it was for the Chargers that he couldn't leave it alone. And now it seemed Beleth was the tiniest bit not pleased with him. Even so he chuckles and points at Krem. "I still feel like that's up in the air. There was never a definite 'no'."

It's cute how Beleth tells him the tea is cold and he gives a smile in thanks for the mug, not wanting to interrupt Krem's story. As he listens about Gorse? - he hasn't met that particular Qunari yet - he traces a finger along the edge of the liquid, casting a weak ice spell to cool it down a bit. At the mention of him being paranoid he pouts playfully. "I'm not afraid of some bruises. Minor concussion though. That I am."

It wasn't a mean shove, Sam. If she'd been mad she wouldn't have given him such a weenie shove.

Krem's admittance brings a hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle, one that escapes when Sam mentions that there was never a definite no. She glances at Krem, her eyes dancing with mischief. She wants to ask if that means that it's allowed, but she can't quite bring herself to do it. Just the idea brings red to her cheeks, and she glances away. "I see. If you do, tell Cyril. I'm sure he'd be willing to save up." Ah, yes, that's a much better way to handle that.

She nods along with what Krem says, and then shakes her head. "That's why I'll never end up training with you. I'm pretty sure you could knock me over with one hand." She glances over at Krem--more accurately, at his biceps--and glances away again, giving Sam a small, sympathetic smile. "I don't think Sam is being paranoid about concussions, at least."

That weenie shove was cute, he thought.

"Yes, that'll be our new side business. Kill whatever some noble points us at during the day, come home and put on a show for our people here in the evenings." Krem snorts, shaking his head then taking a final swig of his ale. "I could try and knock you over with one hand, but there wouldn't be a point. When I train my men, any of them, they have to come at me first. Less dangerous for them. Rather not knock someone in the head until they're ready for it." He smirked over at Sam. A vote of confidence, really. Sam was a tough guy, for as mouthy as he is about it afterward.

Much like what Krem had done when he found out Sam was a healer, Sam stops in mid drink to give the Charger a look. What was this about 'they have to come at me first' bit? If he remembered right Krem was the first to attack most of the time during their spar. With that giant maul no less!

Krem's smirking at him, too. Course he wants to be a bit miffed at the man, but it's hard to considering he had in a round about way said that Sam had been ready to take those attacks. Course Krem could just be lying through his teeth too.

Sam continues to drink, but gives Krem that look saying 'I'm watching you'.

"Thank you Beleth. For the tea AND believing I'm not paranoid."

"You'd make a killing. During the day, and evening." That was a terrible, terrible joke, but Beleth was still quite pleased with it, giggling to herself.

The idea of trying to attack Krem is met with a skeptic face, as she glances him over again. The man was built like a wall. Maybe Sam, who was similarly build like a wall, could take him on, but Beleth was built more like a noodle than anything else, all thin, long limbs. "I think the only way I could come at you would be with a bow. It's pretty much all I'm good at, and I don't know how much of a good fight that would be. I have a dagger, but I'm not as good as Merrick." She shrugged. Beleth sucked at fighting melee, what else was new. There was a reason she had joined the scouts.

She turned to look at Sam, and gave him a small smile, nodding and sipping the tea. "Of course. If you get a concussion, I'll take you to the healer's tents, okay? If you can't heal yourself, I mean. I know that can mess with your head a little."

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We come from the land of the ice and snow

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Crap I had overlooked this one <,<

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