The Age of the Dragon

[Alaylyne]

Alaila was watching from Thomas to the strange woman that appeared, not saying anything. Of course she didn't trust any of them, but she didn't feel the need to include herself in the conversation. So she was listening? What if templars learned those skills? They have to be more careful when talking about things like magic the next time.

 

Crossing her arms on her chest, the elf was looking at the giant, the Quanari, as Thomas called him, but the giant himself claiming to be a Tal-Vashoth. Was there a difference? She knew little about his people and that little she knew, she didn't like. They are extremely hostile towards mages. Even worse than templars. They collar them, sew their mouth, treat worse than dogs...at least that's what rumor has it.

 

Plus being surrounded by so many people did nothing to ease the red-haired elf's worry. The sooner she's out of this town, the better.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Alaylyne

[Naktis]

"No one's being hostile with you, dear lady." Thomas replied grinning from ear to ear. He had no plans of leaving the city, Kirkwall was his home now and he had nowhere else to go. The payment in the Hanged Man was decent but not decent enough for him to start a new life elsewhere. The red-haired elf that wanted to leave would probably be grateful for any assistance that this woman could offer, if she has any to offer, that is. Someone who used decoys to eavesdrop on other people's conversations didn't strike as trustworthy to him.

 

"Tal-Vashoth?" Illadriel thought as she watched Qunari seating himself at her table. She heard about them, they are Qunari who who have rejected what the Qun, the Qunari way of life, teaches. The elf wondered why did he leave. Maybe he simply saw the flaws in the Qun that some of them tend to ignore.

 

"Illadriel of the Grey Wardens. Pleased to meet you." She replied, disrupting the silence. Illadriel did not expect an equally polite answer from the Qunari but she heard many stories about their strength and skill in battle and for that, he had her respect.

[nethgros]

"So what are you here for then, Warden?" he asked her, with a slight nod toward her introduction.

[Flipout6]

"Orum, come!" The gray-haired, middle-aged mabari barked and trotted up beside his owner. He was certainly feeling better now that he was off the ship. Jadaco Phalanx, however, felt a little down. He hated large cities, even while he was on the waterfront, with the early morning sun reflecting off the sea. When he was on the ship, at least his minor claustrophobia could be cured by walking on the open deck. Still, he'd be staying in the city for a little while, perhaps a week, before he went out into the wilderness for a good while. Even a tight cave was better than a city. Still, one thing he could definitely look forward to was exploring that huge mountain just outside the city. Jadaco was pretty sure he heard the ship's captain call it "Sundermount." He was going there immediately, he hadn't even seen grass for two or three weeks. It took Jadaco a few minutes to don his splintmail, but at least it wasn't hot out here on the coastline. In a few hours he was walking a path up Sundermount, and the kind of peace he felt while he was away from civilized areas had set in. He wouldn't be straying from the beaten path today, he'd get lost. Orum was busy taking in the scents of this brand new land, and occasionally making some of his own. Jadaco took in the view of Kirkwall and the surrounding area from his position, and admired the view. He could clearly see the harbour where he had sailed in late last night, and the smog hanging over Lowtown. He shivered at the thought of living there for the next week. He preferred his hometown of Redcliffe. He continued up the hill, his twin Veridium longswords strapped to his sides. He had a bow and a few arrows, but he didn't much like using them. A few more hours of peaceful exploring brought Jadaco and Orum to an odd sight: and abandoned Dalish camp. He walked through it, and didn't find much. The only sounds were Orum panting and the wind sighing through the trees and hills. Then Jadaco saw the bodies.

 

There were dozens of them. All of them Dalish, scattered about. Jadaco stared at them in horror. Orum picked up both on his sudden fear and the prescence of the bodies, and raised his hackles. Jadaco pulled out his longswords, and looked around.

"Orum, stay close to me." He commanded the Mabari.

It was obvious that whatever-or whoever- killed all these people wasn't near the camp. Jadaco decided to investigate further, climbing up a path that led further up the mountain. Skeletons were strewn about, dead much longer than the Dalish elves. Jadaco and Orum went through a cave littered with the occasional dead giant spider. A lot higher up the mountain was when he found the graveyard. There were dozens of them, and a strange altar up near the edge of a cliff. Jadaco merely passed this by, careful not to disturb any graves, and found another cave. The bodies of more elves were scattered about. Whatever was, or used to, be in that cave was enough to wipe out an entire clan. Against his better judgement, Jadaco entered. Inside, he found another altar, and a two dead bodies, that of an old elf woman, and that of a massive creature. Jadaco has once read a book that described Pride Demons. They were massive, terrifying creatures when in their true form, and preferred to use magical attacks. There were massive burn marks all around the cavern, and this creature was like something out of a nightmare.

 

"By the Maker, what possesses the power to slay a Pride Demon?!?" Jadaco exclaimed, horrified.

 

Jadaco had seen enough. He and Orum retreated back to Kirkwall. Whatever was on that mountain was powerful, and possibly magical in nature. Despite their fanatical state and being occupied with the war, the Templars had to know of this.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Flipout6

[Naktis]

Thomas stared at the funny looking stain on the floor not too far from the counter. It looked like a face with the most hilarious looking expression. Thomas wasn't working in the Hanged Man anymore, rebuilding this fine establishment cost a lot of money, and most of the usual patrons every died or fled during the war, thus the owner could no longer afford to pay to Thomas.

 

Illadriel for a moment sat quietly thinking whether she should say something or not. The elf looked up at the Tal-Vashoth. "I'm here on Grey Wardens business. There's an entrance to the Deep Roads near Kirkwall." She said, with the stone cold expression on her face. "May I ask what business does Qunari have in Kirkwall?"

[nethgros]

He chuckled slightly at her reference of him as a Qunari.

 

"The Qunari have no business here, as you well know. And I am just as separate from the Qunari as you are. Though, if your Warden work here involves the Deep Roads, I would greatly enjoy accompanying you."

 

He leaned back in the relatively tiny chair, a stoic look crossing his face.

[Alaylyne]

Alaila was still quiet, looking anywhere but at the strange people around her. She soon spotted the stain that Thomas was looking at and smirked beneath her hood, fingers playing with her pipe. She longed to see the wilds again, to feel the fresh breath in her lungs. This city made her sick with both its people and structure.

 

The elf was listening to the Warden's and Qunari's talk about Deep Roads, not really having an opinion about it. It sure would be interesting to see what they looked like, but all that darkspawn and closed space...not really her kind of thing. She was slightly claustrophobic, but it would only show after few days spent trapped somewhere. Can't expect anything less from someone who has lived her whole life under the stars.

[Naktis]

"When I'd be glad to have you." Illadriel spoke, smiling slightly. She could sure use some help, The Deep Roads were dangerous, always.

 

Thomas got tired of the two women being silent so he arose from his seat and walked up to the warden and the Qunari. "Missed me?" He asked, grinning as he plumped down next to the elf. "No." She replied. The mage chuckled and looked up at the Tal-Vashoth. "The name's Thomas. Pleased to meet you." He said extending his hand over the table.

[nethgros]

He returned the elf's faint smile with one of his own when the white haired mage came back over and offered a greeting. Of course he couldn't actually return the introduction if he wanted to, as he had no name, which he relayed quite bluntly.

 

"I am no one, anymore. My past is gone, and my name with it. You may keep your hands by your side, human."

 

It wasn't a very hostile tone, but neither hospitable. It was simply a 'matter-of-fact' statement.

Edited September 2, 2012 by nethgros

[Flipout6]

It was nightfall by the time he got back to Kirkwall. Most of the folks in Lowtown would be gathering in the Hanged Man for drinks. Jadaco was out of breath when he reached the nearest templar.

"Hey-" he gulped in air. "Som-Something on S-Sundermount destroyed a p-Pride Demon and a wh-whole clan of Dalish Elves." He struggled to heap in the air needed to speak. "G-gone now."

"You did the right thing bringing this to me. I'll report it to my superiors immediately. It would take a powerful abomination or blood mage to accomplish that. Take this and go to the Hanged Man, have some drinks on me." He handed Jadaco a silver and walked off, explaining the situation to a fellow as he walked off. Jadaco walked towards where people said the Hanged Man was, and gestured for Orum to follow him. He got lost a few times, and removed his splintmail along the way, leaving him in a short-sleeved white shirt and workers' pants. The short sleeved revealed a startling feature about Jadaco: his left arm. It was mottled, and covered completely in bumpy orange and pink scar tissue, bent at an awkward angle, and several bones pressed against the skin. Strangely enough, it was still a fully functional arm, as flexible and strong as the next man's, although quite more horrific looking. Jadaco didn't mind. In fact, he was somewhat proud of the oversized scar, it had taken a fireball from a Hurlock and a castle wall to give him that. On formal occasions he would hide it beneath an arm-length glove or something, but there were certainly uglier people in Kirkwall. He eventually found the tavern, and even brought Orum in with him.

"Oi! no dogs!" someone shouted. Jadaco pointed at a drunkard.

"The dog won't be as much trouble as him, what's the problem?" The woman who shouted at him shook her head and beckoned him in. There was a very strange group gathered here, including a Qunari. Hmm. I wonder if this is a normal Kirkwall drinking group? He thought to himself. He took a seat in the most open space he could find and ordered their stew and a drinl. A hot mystery meat stew would do him some good. He didn't care that a few of the patrons were staring at his arm.