Shadows of Corruption

[AurianaValoria1]

Celeste had already gotten through two thirds of her porridge before Wind asked his question. She was about to answer when Abraham supplied most of it for her. The mage nodded as the ex-Templar took his seat with them and elaborated, "Abraham is correct. Representatives of our sponsor were sent to Kinloch Hold - err, the Circle Tower on Lake Calenhad - looking for scholars to help with the expedition. I just happen to know quite a bit about darkspawn and the Deep Roads, as well as random bits of Dwarven lore. Since the attack on the Circle less than a year ago, I was left as one of the only researchers of the subject...and the most senior. I volunteered my services and First Enchanter Irving gave me leave to come along. The rest is..." she trailed, sad thoughts threatening to surface, "well, history, now."

 

Forcing herself to focus on Abraham as he praised her eating well, she smiled sheepishly, "I'm...trying. No need to worry about me, I just...tend to brood a lot." She laughed a bit, self-consciously.

 

Hearing Abraham mention steeds, the Enchantress fell into silence again. She remembered that Gabriel's horse was in the care of the dwarves on the surface, along with any of the other animals the expedition had brought with them. Painful memories sped through her mind - of her long journey to meet the rest of the party outside the entrance to Orzammar, clinging to Gabriel's belt as they shared the saddle of his sorrel Ferelden Forder. She would have to think of what to do with the noble stallion, now...

[Macman253]

Wind nodded, he sensed Celeste really cared about her Templar companion. The elf had some experience dealing with the Chantry but it was limited. He sorta felt sorry for the plight of mages, to have zealots with big swords watching you all the time and preparing themselves to kill you simply because you could be possessed by a demon. Wind sipped on his drink as he pondered it, remembering his time with the Crows and seeing a lot of similarities. He strove to be the best assassin not just because if he failed his life would have been forfeit but because he wanted to. It was a mark of honor, it was a goal. But it was not until he had achieved it that he realized his true situation and that because of it he could never find love or true companionship. He would one day fail and he would be dead, it was only a matter of time.

 

Wind shook his head to throw off the brooding thoughts and forced himself to smile, "What of you Messere Templar?" Asked the elf rather formally. "What brings a Templar like you to the nasty business of Deep Roads delving?" He said to the aged warrior, gesturing to him with his mug of bitter.

[FreemasonGamer]

Abraham listened intently to all Celeste had to say before his attention focused on Wind's curious inquiry. Rolling his shoulders, which resulted in an expected avalanche of clinking silverite, the aged warrior took another long breath from his pipe before he answered the elf with an amused tone.

 

"Former Templar, actually." He noted simply as he sighed a plume of sweetly-scented smoke, "No blazing sword has been seen on any armor of mine for a few years now; I just happened to be visiting Denerim with the intention of buying supplies when our employer's underlings approached me. They promised good pay and seemed legitimate enough, hence why I agreed. Although, I must admit that I will be much more apprehensive before I ever consider delving into the Roads again."

 

Straightening his posture, Abraham savored one last breath drawn through his briarwood pipe and then quickly emptied it, storing the delicate thing back into its proper case. "I suppose we ought to make haste to the surface? We have a long road ahead of us."

Edited January 22, 2016 by FreemasonGamer

[AurianaValoria1]

Celeste quickly gobbled up the rest of her breakfast, tossed a few coins on the table, and was the first to stand, sporting a forced smile as she gestured to the door, "Well...what are we waiting for, eh? After you two." She paused and then gave a sheepish grin as she added, "You know, blades in the front, staves in the rear, and all that."

[Macman253]

Wind chugged down the last of his bitter and stuffed a roll into his pocket as he stood. He fished out some coin, laid it next to his plate and took up his bow and quiver to follow his mates. "Shame to leave a meal such as that half eaten." He said as he walked out with the Templar and Celeste while patting his stomach. He had a playful smile on his face but that soon vanished as he recognized one of the large group of dwarves waiting for them.

 

"Oh no..." He muttered, the eldest dwarf bore a Casteless tattoo on his cheek, Wind looked around to see the streets were abandoned and the city watch had disappeared. Nearly all of the dwarves waiting for them also had the Casteless tattoo and were armed. The elder dwarf stepped forward and pointed at Wind with the axe in his hand.

 

"You, murderin' elf! You killed my brother!" He yelled loudly, spitting as he spoke in a red hot rage. "What 'ave you te' say fer' ye'self before we gut ye' knife ear!" He growled, the dwarves began to draw their weapons and fan out around them.

[FreemasonGamer]

Paying for his own meal, Abraham was eager to get a move on as he led the trio out of Tapster's Tavern and into the streets of Orzammar. However, his enthusiasm of returning to the surface was quickly diminished when he and his two companions were met by a gang of Castless dwarves, dusters. Narrowing his eyes, the venerable Templar wished he had equipped his helm before leaving the tavern, and his attention focused upon the oldest dwarf among the gathered thugs. From the sounds of it, this wasn't the Antivan Crow's first visit to Orzammar, for these Castless had a fierce bone to pick with him.

 

"Gentlemen." Abraham regarded the dusters with a brief tip of his head in curt greetings before he unsheathed Tempest, the greatsword's silverite blade gleaming in the moody lighting of the dwarven taig, "Whatever business you have with this elf, I suggest you forget about for the sake of your health. Now, get out of our way before I arrange a meeting between you all and your forsaken ancestors."

 

Glancing over his shoulder, Abraham briefly met the gazes of Wind and Celeste. The old warrior was expecting a fight, regardless of what was said; the stubbornness of dwarves was legendary among Ferelden for good reason. Taking a firm grip of Tempest with both of his gauntleted hands, the Templar returned his attention towards the dusters, wondering how many of them would have to die before the rest fled.

[AurianaValoria1]

Upon following the two fighting men out of the tavern, Celeste had almost retreated back into her mental world for a bit when she nearly ran right into Wind's back.

 

"Oh! Sor-"

 

Her pale blue eyes widened at the scene that was quickly unfolding. No guards, no townsfolk, angry Casteless...

 

"-ry."

 

Celeste grimaced as she realized they were sorely outnumbered; there was little chance they would get out of this unscathed if the dwarves insisted on fighting, which was what it seemed like would happen unless, by some miracle, they managed to convince the dwarves to back down. Sighing, she began to clear her mind in preparation for the battle that was likely to come - one that it appeared neither she nor Abraham would be able to get out of, despite it being the elf's problem.

 

Narrowing her eyes, she let a bit of ice accumulate in her palms and spoke with a voice that did not seem to fit her slight body, "I would listen to our Templar ally, dwarves." She paused, conveniently leaving the "ex" off of Abraham's title, "Else, you might find yourselves...oh, I don't know," her palms began to glisten and drip with icicles, "Paralyzed, frozen into statues, and then shattered like crystal? Are you willing to test your fortitude against an Enchantress and a Templar of the Circle?"

[Macman253]

Wind lurched forward as Celeste ran into him, he had not been expecting that but it certainly put him ahead of his companions. The spunky assassin smiled awkwardly and ran his hand through his his hair as he thought of a way to talk himself out of this. He noticed the dwarves weren't too scared of a Templar and a Mage so he figured it wouldn't do much, but he felt like it was worth giving it a shot.

 

"You see... the thing about your brother is he was a bad chap.. someone paid dearly to have him killed. It was not me, I was merely the instrument, you want the one who ordered the contract." He said, trying to deflect their anger towards someone he had no knowledge of, most of the Assassins used by the Crows knew nothing of the ultimate employer, merely that someone wanted the individual dead.

 

The elderly dwarf stood his ground, a few of his companions looked shaky though, a mage AND a templar plus a trained Crow Assassin, the odds quickly changed and more then a handful looked uneasy but they remained where they were. The older dwarf stroked his beard, "Would ye' know who this person might be?" He asked the Elf curiously. Wind smiled wide, "Of course!" He said in an agreeable tone. The older dwarf raised an eyebrow in confusion, impatiently waiting for Wind to tell him. The elf began to sweat, "His brother..." lied the elf. The Elderly Dwarf growled in anger, "I didn't want fer' his death!" He barked, Wind held up his hand and tried to save his lie. "It was his other brother.." He replied, the dwarf pointed at him with a thick finger. "He ain't go no other brother but me, rush 'im lads!" Said the duster, his boys charged at the three, weapons raised and howling like a pack of wolves.

[FreemasonGamer]

Following Wind's almost comical attempts at diplomacy and mere bluffing, Abraham braced himself for a fight once the duster ordered his men to charge. As the ten or so dwarves rushed the trio in a spearhead formation, the Templar quickly drew back his hefty greatsword—its runes crackled as if they were eager to sate an unnatural thirst—and cleaved the nearest incoming dwarf in a wide arc. The pitiful casteless dwarf is more or less eviscerated by the silverite blade, by Tempest, and his blood splattered upon both Abraham and the other dwarven thugs in an almost vainglorious spray of red.

 

Abraham then reeled his greatsword back in preparation for another devastating swing, but his methodical motions were soon interrupted when a bellowing dwarf charged over the corpse of his fallen comrade without hesitation. Smoldering intensely, the Templar brought his blade to bear in a defensive manner just moments before the approaching dwarf's battleaxe collided with the silverite sword in a magnificent shower of lyrium rune-induced frost and sparks. Following the successful block, Abraham bared down upon the stout dwarf with all the strength he could muster, pinning his opponent before cleaving into his right shoulder.

 

Hence, the second dwarven corpse swiftly fell at the feet of the Templar, but the remaining dusters were quickly surrounding the bloodstained silverite monolith. Slashing forward in a wide horizontal arc, Abraham succeeded in slaying his third dwarf and injuring two more, but his attack left his left side vulnerable, which the ruthless dusters were more than willing to exploit. Pain suddenly spiked along Abraham's lower left ribs when one such opportunistic dwarf thrust the tip of his crude dwarven-made dagger between the overlapping armor plates of the Templar's armor.

Edited January 29, 2016 by FreemasonGamer

[AurianaValoria1]

When the fight finally broke out, Celeste backed up a few steps; she really wished she had a staff, and she cursed to herself as she realized she still didn't have any mana potions, either. She'd have to pace herself carefully, or someone might end up just like poor Gabriel...

 

Thinking quickly, she tossed the accumulated frost power in her hands in a sideways arc, creating a wall of spiked ice that the surviving dwarves would have to hurdle to get to her. Then, she concentrated her magic into a Glyph of Paralysis, successfully freezing a third of the remaining Casteless in place with the pulsing green runes. She followed up with a nearby Glyph of Repulsion that knocked another third off their feet. At the sight of her magic doing so much good so soon, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips...

 

But when she saw Abraham so quickly wounded, something inside her turned to ice. She clenched her fists and cried out with a voice that shook with emotion, "Never again!"

 

With a rush of energy, she latched onto Abraham via a tendril of blue light, through which she poured a significant amount of healing magic. She didn't know the extent of the injury, but she wasn't willing to take any chances by not giving him enough.