Shadows of Corruption

[AurianaValoria1]

Celeste shrugged, eyeing the meat on the spit to find an idea place to carve, "He's missing more than a few marbles, I think...not sure he'd be capable of anything deceptive due to his compulsive need to shout everything at the top of his lungs. Besides, if we go by that logic, none of us are trustworthy. We all could be lying about who we are."

[FreemasonGamer]

"What a charming pair, you two are," Abraham remarked jokingly, buffing his pipe as hazy plumes of grayish-blue smoke shrouded his features, "I agree with Celeste. The man seems honest about his intentions, and I've never known an Avvar to be the discreet or deceptive sort."

 

Rising to his feet, Abraham glanced over to his steed who grazed lazily at the outskirts of their camp, the Dalish All-Bred's silhouette easily visible through the fog that seemed to slowly dissipate as the sun rose higher into the sky. "Besides, what threat could one barbarian pose to a Templar, a mage, and a..." The venerable warrior momentarily lost his train of thought, gesturing uncertainly in Wind's direction with his briarwood pipe, "Hitman, according to what those dwarves had to say about you back in Orzammar."

 

A placated shrug supplemented the man's passive tone before he started to pace around the camp, his pipe hanging from his mouth with his hands folded behind him. Anticipating the upcoming meal, the aged warrior's mind wandered elsewhere while the fragrant scents of cinnamon and venison teased his sense of smell. Of all the thoughts that drifted through his smoke-ridden mind, Abraham found himself returning to a small selection of them.

 

"Mmm... Hrmmm... Mhmmm..." He mumbled and grumbled quietly to himself, some thoughts eluding him as suddenly as they enticed his attention. Soon, he ceased pacing and turned his emerald gaze towards the Enchantress. "Will you return to Kinloch Hold after we conclude our business in Redcliffe, my lady? Excuse my prying, but it might be wise to inform your companion's superiors of his passing... Perhaps we could use what coin garnered from our pursuits to fund a funerary rite in his honor; I wouldn't mind parting with my share to pay for such respects to the man."

 

Abraham knew he was treading on thin ice, but he was never one to show discretion unless absolutely necessary. Also, he felt some strange obligation to see to it that his fellow fallen Templar was laid to rest as best as possible in spite of the nightmarish circumstance of his death.

Edited March 24, 2016 by FreemasonGamer

[Macman253]

Wind shrugged at his companions objections to his remarks about the Avvar, Wind had no doubt he was a decent man, but he figured it was wiser to doubt even the most obvious. The elf smirked at the Templar's displaced mind. "I have had the honor of many titles my armor plated friend." He chuckled, "Master Assassin, Blade-For-Hire and my personal favorite... Pirate." He said with a wink and a chuckle.

 

Wind cut a piece of the venison away for himself and applied the glaze. He looked up to Celeste. "I have had the rare pleasure of meeting Templars... only on one occasion was it ever amicable." He said solemnly as he chewed on the venison and looked into the fire, "I have no feud with the Chantry. Although more then once they have had reason to dislike me." Said the Elf before he took a bite from his venison and chewed on it hungrily. He paused to collect his thoughts, "Besides our esteemed Abraham have not met a Templar I would have an ale with and share old stories." He said before gesturing to Celeste. "But Gabriel... in the short time I knew him.. I would have much enjoyed his continued company. If you wish to have a proper burial for him I will gladly give you my share of the funds to make it possible."

[josh900]

Far away from the group and standing atop a rock, still shrouded in the thick morning fog, Volhammer set his hands on his hips and took in a deep breath. "It would seem.... that in my excitement of finding new journeying companions.... I have forgotten where I placed my camp.... Sigfrost, holder of wisdom!" He called out. "Lend me but a small portion of your knowledge, so that I might find my way back. For should my journey end here all because of taking a wrong turn, Korth will forever look down on me with shame." He pleaded with the Great Bear as he jumped off the rock and began walking before feeling something of a tug towards a different direction.

"Yes... Show me the way Sigfrost, though it would be better if you were to dispel this fog, for that would certainly make things easi-EEEAAAHHHH!!!!" His words turned to a cry as his foot no longer touched ground, and he fell forwards off the cliff side into the unknown below.

[AurianaValoria1]

Celeste, who had just carved herself a small piece of juicy meat, stood stock still and stared slightly open-mouthed at Abraham and Wind's suggestion. It was very quiet as she ran over their words in her head, but then she replied quietly, "I-I would love to do something for him. It seems only right...even if it's just," she glanced at the ground, "making a placeholder pyre in his name." Grease and glaze dripped from the piece of meat she held in her hands as she continued, "I don't even know if I will be welcome back without him. But...if I stay away too long...they have my phylactery..."

 

She shook her head, "The First Enchanter granted me leave for this expedition, but I don't know if it really is an indefinite one or not. If they decide I need to go back at any time, they might track me down."

 

She fell silent, then, as she ate the chunk of meat she'd carved, trying to be discreet in licking the juices from her fingers; she didn't want to appear like a common barbarian, after all.

[FreemasonGamer]

Abraham nodded wordlessly in agreement with Wind's consolation regarding Celeste's lost companion, astonished somewhat by the Dalish elf's sympathetic nature, which contrasted with his questionable expertise. The Enchantress's response, however, did not settle well upon Abraham's shoulders or conscience; he had heard of many such instances where the Templars were obliged to hunt down any mage that wandered astray or went missing, for whatever reason.

 

Shaking his head, the venerable warrior soon affirmed to their mage companion, "I'll see to it that things won't come to that. So long as we make haste, we should return to Kinloch before your absence draws suspicion."

 

"Perhaps we might even be able to work something out with your superiors when we get there. Hopefully, Greagoir is still in charge and doesn't hold a grudge." The former Templar mumbled thoughtfully before turning towards the firepit. He was just about to begin carving their morning meal in earnest before the echoing cries of their newest Avvar companion reached his ears. "Maker... That sounded like Volhammer."

 

Without hesitation, Abraham sprang into action and quickly made his way to his steed, plucking a torch from his saddlebags to combat the foggy bleakness of the Frostback morning. "I could use your help, Wind, with tracking him down. There are few other ways of finding him in this mist, I'd wager," He requested from the assassin before looking to Celeste and mentioning, "You can stay or accompany us if you like, Celeste."

 

After lighting his torch in the depths of their campfire, the veteran warrior soon stood at the edge of their camp facing the direction they last saw Volhammer. "Let's hope he didn't cross paths with a bear or something of that ilk..."

Edited March 28, 2016 by FreemasonGamer

[Macman253]

Wind looked up from his work at his companions conversations. He meant to reply when he heard the faint call from the Avvar, his ears perked slightly as he stood, he grabbed his bow and strung it before slinging his quiver of arrows over his shoulder and strapping it down. He smirked and nodded. "Gladly." He said then looked down, the tracks the Avvar left behind were still fresh enough to be followed.

 

"He's this way." He said, pointing off into the misty forest. He gestured to the large footprints dug into the earth. "Ready when you are." He added as he looked at his companions.

[AurianaValoria1]

Celeste, hunger intensifying now that she'd tasted the well-seasoned meat, waved the other two on, "Go on, I'll stay here. Someone's got to watch this thing, yes?" She glanced around at the still-thick fog that enveloped the morning forest, "Just...don't be too long, all right?"

[josh900]

Dusting himself off after getting back to his feet, Volhammer looked around at where he fell, half expecting to have tripped into some cavern where adventure surely awaited. What he found instead wasn't as interesting, but he certainly wasn't complaining. It seemed that he had somehow managed to literally fall right back into his campsite.

 

With a hearty laugh and a shake of his head he began to pack the camp up, ignoring the slight pain and dampness that was growing on the back of his head. When he finished up, he was faced with yet another problem.... finding his way back to the others.

[Macman253]

The Elf turned on his heel and ran, using his keen eye he tracked the footsteps of the Avvar. The path winded through the forest, moving around trees and under branches, all of which the Dalish easily and silently moved around. His mind drifted back to his day's with his people, moving through the forest unseen by most. He let his thoughts of his old home slip away as he saw the tracks begin to get lighter. The ground was hardening, the footprints were fading from obvious view but luckily Avvar are not known for their grace of foot, there was plenty of broken twigs and disturbed flora even an unseasoned hunter could have tracked him.

 

Wind slowed down to a walk and readied his bow, laying an arrow across the string and pinching another to the stave as he pushed further on. The mist was fairly thick, but not thick enough to hide the cliff face from where the Avvar's tracks abruptly ended. Wind stood at the top, noticing the Avvar down below and the disturbed cliffside where he had tumbled over. Wind laughed quietly to himself at the Avvar's blunder.

 

"Master Volhammer! It appears you found your camp!" He yelled down to the Avvar as he stood at the edge of the cliff, "May we throw you a rope so you can return to ours?" He asked with a wide smile.