Dragon Age: Prelude to Chaos

[AurianaValoria1]

Thunder rumbled overhead as rain started to patter on the broken cobbles.

 

Danae followed the road eastward out of the Brecilian Forest, her armor clanking slightly with each step. She had yet to invest in a horse...which meant her travel was always slow, but she liked it that way. It allowed more time to actually see and observe her surroundings.

 

At the moment, her surroundings consisted of a deteriorating road, mist-enveloped trees, and an ambling dwarvish caravan that had been following her with its annoying rattle for about three hours. She had been waiting for the driver to call out to her for some time, as she knew it was coming...he just had to build up the confidence to finally address the warrior.

 

At last, his voice came out in a rough "Ahoy there, traveler!"

 

Danae sighed and turned around, "Yes?"

 

The dwarf, who was garbed in a fine set of clothes, pulled his cart beside her and stopped, a wide grin on his pudgy face, "Surely a wealthy lass such as yourself would like to purchase some of Gandeg Thorammor's wares!"

 

The warrior crossed her arms, "Sorry...spent the last of my coin on ale a few weeks ago. Been seeking to fill up my purse again ever since. Unless you've got a plan to help me do that, I've no business with you."

 

She started to turn around when the dwarf replied, "Well maybe you'd like to sell some old junk, then."

 

Glancing over her shoulder, Danae gestured to her armor, "You calling this junk? Look, I've nothing to sell."

 

Then, she suddenly thought of something. Pulling her pack around, she fished inside for an object before finally withdrawing an amulet - silver, with a white rampant griffon emblazoned upon it, "Perhaps....you can tell me something about this?"

 

The dwarf eagerly moved forward to take the amulet, but Danae kept it firmly in her grip, allowing him only to see its face. His brow furrowed a moment before he answered, "Aye. That's the symbol of the Grey Wardens."

 

"I knew that. I mean, have you seen any more of these anywhere? Do you know where I can find more?"

 

"On Grey Wardens?" he laughed heartily before seeing her sour expression, then answered, "Sure...I've seen them coming out of Orzammar a time or two. Fetch a nice price, or so I've heard."

 

The amulet's chain clanked as Danae clasped it to her chest, "Orzammar? Are you certain? Why?"

 

The dwarf shrugged, "Ancestors only know. I'm a surface dwarf, lass...never been underground in me life. You'll have to go there to know more."

[Deleted6317247User]

Thomas heeded no attention to the beggar's words for having no money. Was he not a local then?

 

"No need to worry about that, lad." He said as he looked at the poor man, wondering whether he needed help to continue walking or is he going to follow on his own. "The healer lives in Darktown. He's as poor as other souls living down there."

 

Thomas looked back at the poor man and gestured for him to follow. They weren't that far anyway. "He will heal you free of charge."

[SteffiSyndrom]

She nodded at Wind's suggestion to get up and get going. Ruth didn't really know where to ... but she figured that problem would solve itself once they would get started.

Ruth stood up and nodded again "Let's head out then," she dropped a few more coin on the table for the waitress herself and gestured towards Lianna and the Qunari to just come along. She knew the Qunari had still not gotten any food and just got some bread and some dry beef for the way and handed it to him with a sincere smile.

Ruth lead the way outside the Hanged Man and welcomed the hot sun and the fresh air, dusty as it might be.

"Alright, where are we headin, Captain?" she asked Wind, turning around with a grin.

[Deleted6317247User]

As they left the Hanged Man, Lianna noticed that someone else was following them. "Maker's blood!" She thought and glanced at others. "You all, go ahead. I have some things to take care of first." She said and started walking. "I'll meet you at the docks!" The elf said and ran off quickly.
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Orzammar Commons, Ferelden.

Illadriel walked around the streets of the commoners part of Orzammar. As an elf who spent most of her time in nature, she preferred to stay on the surface but there was something about this dwarven city that enraptured her. The grand buildings and Paragon statues told many tales which unfortunately she never had enough time to hear. Even now she wasn't in Orzammar for sight-seeing. The Commander of the Grey had expressed his concerns about the group of Wardens that were sent into the Deep Roads and neither of them had returned and thus he sent Illadriel to investigate.

 

While at first Illadriel thought that all of them had simply died but now she was at the loss of words. After speaking with several people she found out that the Wardens had indeed returned safely from their mission but then all of them simply vanished.

 

Not knowing what to do, the Dalish elf remained in Orzammar. She was determined to find out what happened.

[josh900]

"For... free?" Ranek asked, it sounded too good to be true really. "Never heard of anyone that would heal someone for free." He said as he timidly followed behind the guard. The last time he was offered anything for free he woke up the next day in a worse state than he was now and hung up by his toes.

"So Uhh, who is this guy? He just... helps whoever he can? Doesn't ask for anything in return?" He asked wanting to know more, if it smelled at all like a trap he would run as far as his tired legs could carry him, which was to say not very far at all.

[SteffiSyndrom]

Ruth blinked in surprise to Lianna's quick disappearance but figured she had her reasons. Instead of wondering further about it, she shrugged and made a gesture towards the others. "The docks it is, then!"

They started heading in the mentioned direction when Ruth suddenly stopped and saw a small, majestic hawk fly towards her. She didn't know what to do or think of that and backed off a little, wary in case the bird figured her for her next meal, or something to leave its moods out on - not that she ever had heard of anyone being eaten by a hawk but there was a first for everything after all.

But all her worrying was as usual for nothing, it landed gracefully and carefully on her shoulder, pinching her just ever so lightly with its claws. Then Ruth saw what it had come to her for, a letter! There was a letter in its beak.

Ruth blinked confused a few more times, then took it gently out of the bird's beak.

Ruth opened the envelope carefully and unfolded the letter, written on smooth paper.

Dear Ruthalia - if I remember correctly?

I overheard you talking in The Hanged Man and wondered if it was alright to become part of the crew you're looking for?

I wanna get out of Kirkwall just as badly as the next guy and figured this might be my chance. I am the elf you saw walking out of the Hanged Man last time, the one with the red hair? You remember?

I will be of good use to you, I promise. I am well trained in healing through herbalism and I am skilled and can handle myself.

Please let me know what you think and simply write your answer somewhere underneath, I would highly appreciate it.

Thank you!

Alaila

 

"Hm," Ruth mumbled and thought back, trying to remember.

"The elf with the basked! Red hair, yes! I remember," she kept muttering and smiled lighlty then wondered how to answer. But the hawk turned out to be equipped with a piece of charcoal tied to its leg that Ruth took appreciatively.

"Must know her way with animals, too," she guessed as she answered underneath the elf's beautiful hand writting, asking either the Qunari or Wind to borrow their back for just a moment.

Sure thing! Just meet us at the docks tonight, we'll be there.

She signed with her name, then leaned back to look at it and figured it would have to do. She shrugged and folded the letter back up and put it in the envelope. The hawk took it eagerly out of her hands and flew off, leaving Ruth and the rest behind it.

"Well, things certainly got became more interesting," Ruth commented, then grinned and started heading for the docks.

Edited July 25, 2013 by SteffiSyndrom

[AurianaValoria1]

Danae kept moving eastward along the road, not stopping to make camp until the sun had dipped well below the horizon. All the while she wondered if her father had gone to Orzammar, and if he had, then why? Could it be possible that he was still alive there? She had to find out. Her conscience would not let her ignore this lead...even after all these years, she had to know his fate.

 

An owl hooted softly as she prepared a small fire, removing her gauntlets and rubbing her hands over the infant flame. A loon answered the owl's hoot in a strange echo of the former's sound, only higher pitched. The two birds' voices were the only sounds besides the crackling of the embers.

 

It would be a lonely night.

[Macman253]

Wind looked on as the small elf ran off, "Well it looks like our treasure hunt is over..." He said as he turned to Ruth and the Qunari after she answered her letter. "Should you wish to join me aboard my ship?" He asked as he slid his thumb into the belt. He gestured to the docks where the sleek dagger-like Ilana was at berth, the lights of her nightwatchmen seem to dance along her hull as they patrol her deck. Her lateen masted sails were tightly wrapped and she stood tied close to the dock, she swayed gently with the waves. Her wooden hull sang as the waves slapped against her, she sounded like a whale in the deeps of the ocean.

 

Wind couldn't help but smile, he looked on her like a young boy looks upon his first love. He turned to look at Ruth. "Know this senorita, Your ship is not just yours... she belongs to the crew as much as she belongs to you." He said as he eyes locked with hers, "Once you Captain a vessel... you will have a hard time finding a love like her anywhere else." He said with a half cocked smirk.

[Deleted6317247User]

"I'm not one to ask questions, lad." Thomas said as he made his way towards the clinic. They were already in Darktown and Darktown was well... as always full of poor refugees or just down on their luck Kirkwall citizens. Just as it was before the war between mages and templars, no guards were seen patrolling the streets down there. It was a lawless place never short of criminals. Many times before the guard questioned the healer's wisdom of setting up a clinic in the worst part of town but since it was no secret that the healer was a Ferelden refugee just like most of the people he healed, it was no longer surprising why the clinic is in Darktown.

 

"His name is Tristan," the guard spoke as they walked past poorly built tent, "like you said yourself he does help anyone he can, sometimes those he helped volunteer to help around the clinic afterwards. Honestly, I have no idea how he managed to keep it running this long." Thomas shrugged.

 

"Ah, but here's our healer," he said once they approached the clinic, "Tristan, I have a patient for you!" The guard shouted and gestured to Ranek.

 

The healer, Tristan looked at Ranek and frowned. "Another victim of mugging," He sighed, "well let's go and treat those wounds." The healer said and gestured for Ranek to go to the clinic.

 

"And I'll go back to my patrols." The guard said and then added, "the lad says he has no money." Tristan only smiled. "I heal people for free or did you forget?"

Edited July 27, 2013 by Guest

[SteffiSyndrom]

"Nah!" Ruth gently punshed Wind on the shoulder. "Nothing's over yet, you. We just gotta be a little more patient and wait for the rest," Ruth gave him an encouraging smile but then looked aside. She somewhat had a bad feeling about Lianna and wondered if the elf would come back. She hoped she was alright. She hoped Alaila, the other elf, would find her way. Then suddenly, Wind's question pulled her back into reality. The soft breeze of the docks playing with strand of her red-brown hair. "Hm?"

"Should you wish to join me aboard my ship?" he asked, slidding his thumb into his belt.

"Oh, me? Well ... " she blushed just the slightest and blinked at him, then turned to look at what had Wind's attention.

A smile spread over her face as soon as she saw her. A beauty, for sure. She was fascinated by it from the start and could tell she had mastered lots of dangerous waters and more.

The look on Wind's face told about the feelings he had for his ship, told of the secret adventures and many nights he probably stood atop his ship, looking down at the endless sea, with nothing donating light but the pale moon.

"She's beautiful, indeed," Ruth said again, nodding then returned the gaze into Wind's eyes and found herself remembering Zevran again. And Isabela, too.

Her heart felt a little heavier but she returned the cocked smile with one herself.

"I'd be honored to sail with you of course and be part of your crew," she looked back to the beautiful ship. "I am sure the adventures would be unforgettable," she grinned. "But we should wait with that, I am afraid. Wait for the others to catch up and then see if we can finally set sail and find some adventures."