allthisshitisweird | TEST DRIVE MEME!

Surprise, Beartch

Bet You Thought Etc.

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, early fall finds 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.

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.

I. DRAGONS

There is a dragon in the Hinterlands. Everyone knows this. It's difficult not to notice when a dragon flies overhead with a mouth full of screaming sheep (alas, the poor dead sheep) or scorches your fishing boat and makes you swim for it (alas, the poor soaked fishermen). But she's only rarely sighted, and her lair is as of yet unknown, if "yet" is defined as "the moment before this exact moment, right now." Because you've found her. She is, at this very moment, screeching so loud it rattles the cliff sides that are trapping you in her territory and raining fire down over the only clear path of escape. She and her two dozen children don't care if you only wanted some elfroot and spindleweed. They also don't care if you have a sword. You look way more delicious and less woolly than a sheep.

II. CROSSROADS

In the year since the Inquisition's formation, the Crossroads have changed. Most of the refugees from the Mage/Templar War have moved on--if not back home, to new places--and there's been some progress rebuilding the homes and fortresses ruined by the war. Very few people are still living in caves. But rather than quieting down, the Crossroads have begun to bustle. Between the Inquisition's locally stationed forces and the increasing number of travelers and merchants now that the roads are safer, there's enough business to support a tavern with a few rooms for rent, and the Crossroads are becoming a trading post in their own right rather than a dot of houses on the path to Redcliffe--a great place to stop for a drink, to buy basic weaponry, or to unload all of the bear skins you've collected.

III. BEARS

You have turned the wrong corner, forded the wrong stream, crested the wrong hill, entered the wrong cave. Maybe you are far from camp. Maybe you are in camp. Whatever has happened, wherever you are: you are being chased by bears. Did you provoke the bears? Are they huge? Babies? Fade-touched? Mage-controlled? What are they chasing you away from? What are they chasing you into? What do you plan to make out of their hide if you kill them? What do you think they'll craft out of your hide if they kill you?

IV. CRYSTALS

Members and trusted agents of the Inquisition are given access to one of the Inquisition's stores of ancient, mysterious sending crystals, allowing them to communicate instantaneously by voice. It's magic. And a magical excuse to ask everyone what their favorite constellation is in the middle of the night.

Or to call for help because you've been treed by bears.

Either way.

V. MISCELLANEOUS

Choose your own adventure! Hunt game, kill demons, gather herbs, track bandits, haggle over the price of armor, fall off a deceptively tall rock, 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, climb trees or abandoned towers, rummage around in empty homes, run from a dragon, cry over how cute that fennec fox you just shot was, set up camp and chat around the fire, knock yourself out (figuratively, or even literally if that's more your speed)-- the Hinterlands are your Frostback Mountain oyster.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And.... of course he did. Obi-Wan felt he could be forgiven, with how often Anakin wore a glove, that only one of his hands were flesh and blood. The bear falls like the hand of an unkind god, and Obi-Wan has just barely the presence of mind to disengage his lightsaber before it crushes him to the cold Ferelden mud.

Because of course it fell on him. Naturally.

So he'll just be struggling out from under it, grateful that it is at least stone dead-- or concussed enough as not to make a difference.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, Anakin" He grits, as soon as he's got the breath for it, "But give me a hand, would you?"

Well. That had worked. Anakin hopped off the bear's back before the animal hit the ground - Along with Obi-Wan. The sight got a tiny smirk from the knight and he moved over to help the man. Using the Force to lift the large body just enough, he offered his hand to Obi-Wan.

"Now don't tell me this was a bad idea. Because it wasn't. I'd rather know what planet we are on and how the Force did we get here?"

Considering he most certainly didn't arrive via space ship.

"Maybe not," He allows, in a tone that implies that there's no maybe about his opinion of the idea in question, "But there's no going back, now."

If there's any blessings to be had in the early Ferelden frost, it's that the mud is mostly frozen, and only somewhat sticky. Obi-Wan takes a moment to brush the soil off his robes, as best he can; which isn't much.

"The local population calls it 'Thedas.' And no, I don't know where that is on a star-chart. None of them have ever heard of Jedi, either-- but it's a long story. Where did you arrive? If there's an active rift here, I'll need to let someone know before it becomes a problem."

"So it's one of those planets..." Anakin said with a suppressed groan. He pulled out his own lightsaber and inspected it briefly, now that he actually had the time to do so. Great. He'd have to dismantle the entire thing later...

At Obi-Wan's question, the Jedi Knight looked up, frowning mildly.

"Master, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm definitely not going back there." With there being accompanied by a dismissive wave of his hand before indicating the fallen bear "There were even more of these creatures back there."

Edited 2016-10-31 06:55 (UTC)

"That's all well and good, but unless you can point it out on a map, I certainly have to."

Cassandra has historically had enough to complain about Obi-Wan for, without adding in this particular dereliction of duty. Besides, it was the right thing to do.

"I'll explain more on the way," He continued, patient in the assumption that Anakin would at least direct him, "--and there's someone I'd like to introduce to you."

"Someone?" Anakin echoed and forgot to groan in protest while vaguely turning into the direction he had originally come from. Of course he'd show Obi-Wan the way, but complaining about having to do so was just... Well. It was how they did things.

Giving a short sign with his hand for Obi-Wan to follow him, Anakin moved forward "You sure sound like you've been here a while, Master. Haven't we met at the temple just yesterday?"

TEST DRIVE MEME!

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Let's just pretend I have some proper icons on this thing

hush, they're fine

~<3

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Sorry for the late response. Spend the week being sick.