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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"The Dalish do, yes. Each clan was formed by a Keeper when we lost a war and were forced to leave our homeland. Through the centuries, elves have been traded between clans to keep fresh blood coming in, so we are not all related, but I think distantly, we must be."

But since he's speaking of his home and she's very interested about all that, she starts to ask questions.

"What is your clan's name? What are demons like where you're from? What is your world called? And your country? Do you have countries?"

He can't help but blink at a little at all the questions, a hint of bemusement crossing his features for a second or two before a smile breaks out on his face. He's been just as bad when it comes to doing that in the past, and the fact the shoe is on the other foot is enough to get him to chuckle quietly.

"And here I thought I asked a lot of those. But...let me have a go at answering them, anyway. My clan's name is the same as my last name, McCrimmon, but we're also part of clan McLaren, in a way. My family's a family of pipers -- musicians, that is, and we've been the pipers to that clan for generations. And, yes, we do have countries. I'm from Scotland, from a part of it known as the Highlands. Our world's called Earth. Demons are...aye, well, that's a bit trickier to explain. Mostly they only exist in stories, though."

"I'm sorry," she says with a soft laugh, not sounding too regretful. "It's in my nature." The hunters of the clan could attest to that, with the way she'd inquire if they'd seen any humans while out hunting.

"It's the same with us: Clan Ashara. I go by Ellana Ashara. Do you have your instrument here with you? I should think it would be a comfort in an unfamiliar place." She knows she would wish for something familiar to cling to if their places were reversed. "Earth. I would love to hear all about it, if you're willing. But for now, I will tell you all I know about Thedas, which may not be very much. I've never lived away from my clan until now."

"Aye? Mine too, or so I've been told."

It's not long at all before a small smile curves up the corners of his lips. He knows what it's like to have a lot of questions, and while there might be times where that could be a problem, now isn't one of them. The smile fades a little when she brings up the possibility of him actually having his pipes, and he shakes his head, a hint of regret in the gesture.

"Wish I could say my pipes were here, or at least my chanter. Ah, that's part of the instrument you can play on its own if you like, for practice and the like. But they were in our ship, and when I fell through that Fade place I wasn't anywhere near it. Don't even know if there's anything here like them."

She's right, though. His chanter would likely help - if he had it. But he doesn't, and it's something he's just going to have to live with. There's no sense on dwelling on what he doesn't have, and he deliberately puts his smile back into place.

"Still, I can tell ye about Scotland, and the other places on Earth I've been too, if you like. What about you, though? Tell me more about your clan. Are they from here in these mountains, or somewhere else, then?

"There are pipes here," she says. "And flutes. Lutes, drums, plenty to use to make music. I'm sure you can find something similar to what you had. Here we are, able to understand one another, and both coming from clans. I'm sure other things are similar between our worlds too." And hopefully that would help him feel more at ease being here.

"My clan is from very far away. Several of us crossed the sea in order to come here. Then it was a trek of a few weeks to reach here. We lived beside the forest. It was beautiful there. But we had to move every year or so to avoid humans." Ellana sighs. "It's the way of the Dalish, to stay out of their path. Something I obviously don't follow now."

"Not so sure that'd extend to bagpipes, but..." Without consciously thinking about it, one hand drifts to his chin, stroking it thoughtfully as he winds up half-talking to himself for just a moment. "Might be worth looking into, though, once I've figured out some way to pay for them."

It's been a long time since he's truly worried about money. The Doctor never really used it, which had led to some interesting problems. But there was always some solution, something that they were able to come up with in order to make do. With no sign of the TARDIS around here, and the likelihood of getting home again quite small, it was becoming evident there was more than one thing he'd have to adjust to around here.

But it also seemed he wasn't alone in having to adjust a bit himself, and when Ellana mentioned crossing the sea and the weeks of travel, he let his hand fall again, looking back over at her with a faintly quizzical expression.

"Weeks? Why come all this way, then? Seems to be a long way to travel only to come back to a place full of people you'd normally have avoided back by your forest."

Bagpipes. If only she knew for sure that those existed here so she could reassure him, but that's not a name that's ever come up before. In any case, she hopes he finds something that can be a comfort to him and remind him of home.

"To join the Inquisition, of course. It's the only group that cared about closing the Breach in the sky and bringing peace to Thedas. Now we know there's a powerful ancient magister on the loose, raising an army to conquer the whole of the south, and I can't just sit at home and wait for someone else to deal with that. I want to do whatever I can, however small, to keep people safe."

Maybe eventually he'll find something, but for now he's happy enough to have a conversation with someone who isn't looking at him funny because of how he's gotten here or the mark in his hand. And what she says makes sense. Not wanting to sit around and just wait for something to happen when there's something that can be done is something he's familiar with - more than familiar, really. But from what he's gathered, the Breach had been quite large - something he would think would worry a fair amount of people. Hearing that there's only been one group who cares is a surprise, and his eyebrows arch up, disappearing into his bangs.

"They're the only ones who do? Seems to me that that'd be something a lot of people would want to fix. Surely there were others who would've wanted to do something."

"In this world, the humans have their religion and those who run it: the Chantry. Their leader, the Divine, was killed when the Breach was formed. Those in the Chantry would rather scramble to find their next leader than put forth effort in going to war against her killer. And not just her. Thousands died in that explosion. They need justice."

Ellana pauses, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. "I would like to think they search for a leader so that person can issue orders, but it seems more likely they are all vying for power as the world falls apart around them." She may give humans an easier time than most Dalish, but even she can tell something isn't right here.

"The Inquisition has given hope to those who desperately need it."

As he listens, his expression - already a bit on the serious side - turns even more solemn. The names might be different than the ones used by religions back on Earth, but what they're doing is far too familiar. And not just on Earth, either. There's been other places, other worlds, with people who've wanted to do the same, and he can't say he's entirely surprised to find it happens here, too.

"Aye. You may not be far wrong there. It happens more often than you might think." At least here there seems to be a group interested in doing something for everyone else, and after a moment his expression lightens somewhat. "You know, though, I think I can see why you decided to come out here. Sounds to me like they could do a lot of good if they're able to get back on their feet."

"I think so too. This organization hasn't been going on for very long, but it's at least trying to organize and do good where others would just ignore what's happening. That's what people always assume the Dalish do. They think we all ignore the world around us, and while plenty do, I'm not one of them. All the fighting and devastation will reach my clan too if we don't stand in its path and say no."

Looking around the area, she nods. The Inquisition can succeed. She's sure of it.

"Well, I should go back to the kitchen and get more bread for all of you new arrivals."

"Alright. Think I'll see about getting some of that water, then."

He's still grateful for her help, though, and before he heads that way, he takes a moment to give her a smile.

"Thank you again for the bread, though...and for giving me something to think about. Maybe we'll see each other around again sometime soon."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We come from the land of the ice and snow

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