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New Year...

...Same Old Hinterlands

Maybe the Inquisition sent you, maybe you came seeking the Inquisition. Maybe you fell out of a rift into this world last week and are still just trying to find your feet. However it happened, the first days of the new year find you in the Hinterlands. Tucked between Ferelden's massive Lake Calenhad and the icy Frostback Mountains, the Hinterlands are a hilly region covered in patchy forests and small farms trying to eke out a living between the boulders. Though somewhat remote, the area is rich with game and minerals and home to Redcliffe, a bustling town on a busy trade route.

Lately the Hinterlands have also been full of mages and templars and rifts, all threatening to turn once-peaceful countryside into a dangerous warzone. The Inquisition has set up several camps and sent personnel to try to restore order to the region, unwilling to let it slip into chaos. There's a lot to be done, some of it straightforward killing bad things, some of it weird and nebulous morale-building.

STILL WITH ADDED SNOW.

1. SHOULD OLD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT

You have turned the wrong corner in the snow, forded the wrong stream in the snow, crested the wrong hill in the snow, entered the wrong cave in the snow. Maybe you are far from camp, in the snow. Maybe you are in camp, which is also snowy. Whatever has happened, wherever you are: you are being chased through the snow by bears. Did you throw a snowball at the bears? Are they huge and snow-dusted? Babies burrowing through the snow drifts and coming for your ankles? Fade-touched in addition to snow-touched? Controlled by cold mages who are hiding in the snow? Popping up out of the snow like a game of whack-a-mole? What are they chasing you away from in all of this snow? What are they chasing you into, other than more snow? What warm things do you plan to make out of their hide if you kill them in the snow? What do you think they'll craft out of your hide if they kill you in the snow? P.S. It's still snowy.

2. WE TWO HAVE RUN ABOUT THE SLOPES

Farmers have been forced to abandon their homes after a series of vicious attacks by wolves. Packs of them are roaming the foothills and stalking paddocks and even roads seemingly without the usual wariness of humans. Inquisition agents and local volunteers guard travelers through the affected region, hunt the wolves through snowy woods, and track them back to their cavernous lair in the edge of a canyon. Only eliminating the demons that lurk there will free the wolves from their influence and allow the area to return to normal.

3. AND PICKED THE DAISIES FINE

Winter snows freeze and bury the ground, but the need for healing herbs is as great as ever. Stockpiles are thin after the chaos of the last year, and Corporal Vale is desperate enough to send people out to search caves and hollows and cliffsides and beneath overhangs for any plants still clinging to life. The weather is brutal, the search tedious, the footing often treacherous, but that last patch of Crystal Grace could be a key find. Getting it requires clambering up a slippery hillside and stretching up to a ledge and hoping whatever creature lives in that foxhole beside the plant isn't at home, but it's worth it, right?

4. WE TWO HAVE PADDLED IN THE STREAM

With many roads through the hills and ravines blocked by deep snow, some crazy, desperate few have begun traveling by river. The ice is thick and jagged along the shores but in the center the water rushes, just deep enough for a shallow draft boat lightly laden. Supplies are carried down from the passes toward Redcliffe this way, a white-knuckle process that you, for some reason, have become involved in. Maybe you were hired to help fend off the bandits that haunt the calm shallows and try to demand tolls for passage, maybe you're paying your way downstream by helping port both boat and cargo around the steep falls, the mist so thick and cold it coats whatever it touches in a thin sheen of ice. Maybe riding a glorified canoe through rocky rapids and narrow gorges just sounded like a good time. Don't rock the boat!

5. WE'LL TAKE A CUP OF KINDNESS YET

It is still snowing, and the tavern in Redcliffe is still the closest and warmest place to duck into to wait it out, and not only is it packed to the gills but it seems that the First Day celebrations have continued within long past the dawn of the second day. The Gull & Lantern is so packed with thawing visitors that it's hard to walk from one side to the other, the owner has given up on telling these Fereldans they can't bring their dogs inside, every few minutes the group in the corner breaks into a traditional First Day song that will be stuck in your head for weeks, and that lady in the corner is almost definitely someone you've tried to kill before, or vice versa. But there's a fire going, and the bartender seems to think that giving everyone half-price drinks might prevent a brawl instead of causing one, and there aren't any demons indoors, so it could be a lot worse.

6. WILDCARD

Hunt game in the snow, kill demons in the snow, dig under the snow for herbs, track bandits through the snow, deal with someone charging extortionist coat prices now that it's snowing, fall off a deceptively tall rock into the snow, get lost circling the same hill ten times trying to find a way up to the weird glowing skull on a stick you can see is up there in the snow, climb trees or abandoned towers covered in snow, rummage around in empty homes to get out of the snow, run from a dragon in the snow, cry over how cute that fennec fox you just shot in the snow was, set up camp and chat around the fire because it's snowy and cold, knock yourself out (figuratively, or even literally if that's more your speed)-- the Hinterlands are your ~~Frostback Mountain~~ oyster, topped with snow.

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1. There be bears! And snow!

[Snow falling from the sky. Snow almost up to his knees, making movement hard. And there's a bear come rushing out of the trees. It's not the first time Ceodore's gone and gotten himself into an impossible fight while all alone, and isn't likely to be the last in his lifetime either. But being a sensible 15-year old, he does what any overeager knightling would do: try to fight the bear alone.

Is he practically tripping over his own feet between the snow and his own naturally clumsiness? Well yeah. A bit. Ceodore's not entirely useless with a blade, but Protect and Blink will only go so far to stop him from being bear chow. He might need some adult intervention.]

2. Picking Daisies? Or pushing them?

[Poking around for plants isn't exactly the most glamorous, or even most suited, of tasks. However, Ceodore is so eager to please, he'll agree to just about anything if it gives him a chance to prove himself on his own merit.

So once someone spots a patch of Crystal Grace high up a cliff, just barely clinging to rock and dirt under an earthen overhand, the princeling sprints off to grab it for them. He's climbed a sheer cliff while escaping Mist into Damcyan. How hard could one rock climb be? In plate armor. With ice and snow. His foot slips on one loose rock on the way up and he just barely manages to grab hold of another rock to break an eminent fall.]

3. We don't serve kiddie drinks.

[The bartender might be offering drinks at half price, but that's not gonna help Ceodore out much. One look says while the kid's probably seen action, and possibly too much for so young a teenager, he's still too young for booze. There's a quiet snark about not serving milk before the man goes about his business. For his part, Ceodore shrugs and turns to find some warm spot in the room. He's used to the kid treatment by now. At least it didn't come with a heaping helping of praise for his parents this time.

All the dogs are great though! He'll be trying to coax one or more over for a petting, not realizing they could well take his hand off.]

4. Wildcard

Edited 2016-01-03 21:09 (UTC)

[Upon hearing the bartender, Korrin naturally disagrees. Anyone who's seen combat action deserves a damned drink, though her view might be colored by the fact that she's not met with a wildly warm reception either. Quietly ordering an ale and a 'refill', she makes her way over to the corner with the kid -whose hair reminds her of Kas- and quietly plops down an ale beside him. Oops, how did that get there?]

Huh?

[It takes Ceodore a minute to realize that he's just been given an ale. Another split second to realize it means he's being treated like an adult. And he likes that. A delighted smile lights up his face.]

Thanks!

[He looks up, really really up, to see who his surprise benefactor is and blinks. That lady has horns.]

Are you an Eidolon?

[Ah Ceodore, speak first, think after.]

Compliments of the booze fairy.

[Korrin smirks and lifts her flagon to take a sip, but pauses upon being asked that.]

A...oh wait, those are the things Kain told me about. No, I'm not one of those. I'm a Vashoth. People also say qunari, but that's not strictly speaking true. I won't throw a fit if you forget, though. You're from his world, then?

[It seems a slim chance that they'd know each other even so, but Korrin will try nonetheless.]

[Perk! That's a hell of a way to get his attention.]

Kain? He's here?!

[That is great news. If Kain's here then his parents and his friends are probably here too. Ah but man, if they're here who's on the moon? That's a massive problem.

Sadly, most of that other information flits right by the kid in his excitement and following mental freak out.]

Y-yeah. He's my father's best friend.

Kain Highwind, yeah. Unless I'm wrong and you mean another Kain.

[But she's glad her suspicion seems to be right. She takes a swig of that ale, sighing contentedly afterward.]

He didn't tell me his friend had a kid, but then I'm just getting to know him. Oh, and before I forget, I'm Korrin Ataash of the Valo-Kas...and now the Inquisition.

[Manners. The kid was raised with them, honest! Ask his mother. Wait no, bad idea. Don't. The hyperventilating would be legendary.]

I'm Ceodore, of the Red Wings.

[Only one left, but he really doesn't want to go into it. And as he told Kain before, he doesn't need an airship to lay claim to that.]

It's very nice to meet you, Lady Korrin.

Thanks for letting me know about Kain. any idea where he is?

[Korrin can't help but smile at how he refers to her, but shakes her head.]

Just Korrin. I have no title.

[A Vashoth with a title? Yeah, that'll be the day.]

He's roaming the Hinterlands, helping seal more rifts and probably pouting about not getting to fight that high dragon. But it's too close to a settled area to piss off, so it's best that he doesn't.

Sounds like fun.

[Silly boy. There's a difference between Challenge and Suicide. One is fun. One is death. Overeager boy that he is though, he's not quite sifted out which is which. Then again, if you take a look at the dragoon the kid's been following along behind like a puppy? Makes perfect sense. At least Ceodore's got a little more sense than his mentor when it comes to dangerous challenges... sometimes.]

Hope it's not a danger to the locals if it's near a settlement then.

[If it is? It should be removed by those who can. And young knightlings with no common sense.]

[Yeah, Korrin just responds with a stare at first because now she has to wonder if everyone from Kain's world is this reckless.]

Inquisition scouts are keeping watch, and they'll notify us if it poses an immediate threat. At the moment, it's just keeping to that specific valley. Which isn't to say that I wouldn't be willing to fight it, but with a high dragon? You need a lot of backup.

[Kain hears it first, the sound of an enraged bear. He almost ignores it until he gets close enough to see what's going on... Well, damn. Looks like some kid in over his head. If it were anything less threatening, he might simply wait and let the boy struggle, let him sink or swim... but this looks pretty bad. Sorry, Ceodore, but those clumsy moves aren't cutting it.]

[He comes from above, of course, the best way to make an entrance. As Kain soars downward rapidly, he keeps his course set so he can strike toward the bear. He flips into his Sky Rave, lance aimed to deal a devastating blow on the bear. It's definitely enough to wound the creature badly... Kain flips around impressively to make a solid landing nearby afterward. He's not showing off, honest.]

[Ah salvation from above. Again. Ceodore would know that jumping dragoon anywhere. There's a sulky part of him that is cranky that yet again Kain's having to rescue his sorry behind. But he's not surprised either, given that Korrin told him his friend and mentor was around. Still, it chafes to need backup. And frankly? Ceodore needs the backup right now.]

Hey. You're late.

[Teenage attitude. Gotta love it. But even so, Kain gets a quick cast of Blink, protecting the both of them from vicious bear swipes. It doesn't take much for the kid to find his fighting rhythm now and he follows the spell with a shield bash at the bear's head. Just enough to rattle the creature and give the dragoon an open window for more stabbing.]

[Kain only gives Ceodore a somewhat confused expression. There's something... strange about his tone, an odd note of familiarity there which throws him off for just a moment. It's not only as if the boy is familiar with him... something about him just... vaguely reminds him of... someone... Plus he just casted Blink. Kain hasn't seen that spell around here yet. Questions will wait for now though. He's not about to let it distract him too much, and once the spell is cast, there's more fighting to be done.]

[The bear charges on and Kain lunges in toward it, striking viciously with his spear. Blood flies as the spear's blade makes some deep cuts.]

[Now that this is a team effort, Ceodore manages much better with the bear challenge. In fact, the princeling seems quite determined to make a show of impressing his mentor. A difficult challenge but once the kid makes up his mind about something it's set. He's like his mama in that way.

Ceodore's pleased to see that the bear takes a useless retaliatory swipe at Kain, knocking away one of those illusionary Blink replicas. The failed maiming seems to confuse the beast and allows Ceodore to rush the backside of the creature. He kicks out one of the bear's back legs while it's mildly distracted and follows with a deep stab well into it's hind quarters. Bear is now lamed on one side.]

You okay?

[That might not be checking on Kain's welfare and some bratty little challenge.]

[It certainly looks awful when that bear lunges toward the illusion, but from Kain's perspective it's almost amusing to watch, and he smirks a little at the creature's failure. As for the boy... Kain only briefly turns his attention toward him.]

More than okay.

[He says this before taking off into the air, just to be a showoff and prove just what a good state he's really in. Kain soars high above before making the inevitable descent, coming in for an especially heavy strike, jabbing his spear right through the center of the bear.]

[Showoff. There's something off about Kain, just a little though. Ceodore can't quite put his finger on it, but then they're a bit busy. It'll come to him later he's sure.

There's something satisfying in watching the bear crumple under the stabbing attack from above. Although Ceodore's enough of his mother's son he can't really stand the thought of making the bear suffer any longer than necessary. While the beast is struggling just to get back on its feet, he bashes it in the head again to try to knock it out so they can finish it off and put it out of its misery.]

[The younger man is a good fighter, he'll give him that. Not bad at all. Almost familiar in his motions and his overall looks. It's really strange to Kain, but he still isn't sure why.]

[For now, though, dealing with the bear. Kain never stops fighting until a battle is good and over, and that means making the final kill. He comes in with another grand strike, his movements powerful and deadly, yet somehow graceful. He stabs down to hit a vital part of the bear's neck, watching the blood flow and the creature grow still.]

So much for that.

[He yanks the spear free, shaking off the blood.]

[There's no need for an agent of the Inquisition to die from something as simple as slipping on an ice patch. While in the Hinterlands, Cole has taken to trailing behind those who head off on their own to gather supplies.

Ceodore will find a hand wrapping around his wrist — the one that's caught on to one of the rocks. Solid, supporting.

Another young man is there next to him, hanging on to the rocks with apparently no trouble at all. The brim of his hat ruffles slightly in the breeze.]

Uh... huh?

[That's a surprise. There's someone there. Ceodore is grateful for the backup, but at the same time wondering where the guy came from.]

Thanks. I think I got it.

[Well maybe. Because now he's gawking and not going after the herb that prompted this rock climb in the first place.]

[Cole looks at his hand.] Oh. [Of course. He lets go, carefully in case the boy happens to slip again, and then waits another moment, to make sure he's steady.]

It'll be easier this way. Follow me. [And he starts to climb, upwards and a little bit sideways. They can bypass the larger patches of ice if they go by this route.]

[Still not sure where his sudden help came from, Ceodore nods and follows along behind, slowly scaling the rock face. It reminds him so much of following Kain up the collapsed mountain face beyond Mist. Had to be rescued then too and man that makes his personal pride smart.

Although between the airship crash on the way back home, Father ordering the castle closed to everyone then attempting to kill him and their friends, the moon coming down, Father a blank vessel... things not making a lot of sense has become the norm for him. That for once the unknown is helpful is a refreshing relief.]

Oh um, I'm Ceodore. [Now that the threat of impending death to a fall has been sidelined, the fun of this particular challenge is pretty great.] Thanks again. Haven't gone climbing for a while.

It's just like walking, but upwards. There's farther to fall. [That's meant to encourage, not diminish. Cole climbs up past the Crystal Grace, to allow Ceodore the opportunity to get the flower himself. He perches on a small ledge just nearby.]

I'm Cole.

[Cole's description is encouraging indeed. It's a way of looking at rock climbing in a way Ceodore's not thought of it before and it makes the doing seem all that much more easy. He grabs the shiny flower then keeps following up. Once on more level and solid ground, the teenager plunks down and grins.]

Nice to meet you, Cole. That was fun! You do that a lot?

[The climbing. Or suddenly appearing. Kid is curious about both.]

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Test Drive Meme!

Ceodore Harvey | Final Fantasy IV: The After Years

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