faderifting: (Default)
Fade Rift Mods ([personal profile] faderifting) wrote in [community profile] allthisshitisweird2016-09-15 06:33 pm
Entry tags:

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.
dontmiss: (slight concern)

Timothy Gutterson | Justified (Ex-Templar AU)

[personal profile] dontmiss 2016-09-16 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
I./IV.

Oh. Huh. So this is where the dragon's hiding.

Well, not exactly hiding. He's doing the hiding right now, wedged into a cave halfway up the cliff side and out of reach of the nasty little baby dragons that seem intent on eating his ankles and then the rest of him.

He manages to squirm until he can reach his sending crystal, which he holds up in front of him. In anyone else, this would probably be urgent, but since nothing's actually biting him right now, he sounds like his normal bored self.

"Hey, if anyone was wondering where that dragon in the Hinterlands lived? I found her. And a bunch of her kids."
apostafuckyou: (i disbelieve)

crystal

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
Andraste's tits, Tim.

[Raylan decided to just swing through to see if there's anything salvageable in the few places he knows other Circle mages went after the rebellion. Saving Tim from a dragon was not supposed to be on the menu. As if Tim hasn't saved his ass plenty of times.]

Where the fuck are you?
dontmiss: (are you serious right now)

crystal

[personal profile] dontmiss 2016-09-16 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
You say that like this is my fault, Raylan.

[It is not his fault. There is no way that the place a dragon decides to set herself down and have a bunch of babies is his fault. Even if he walked straight into it.]

I'm east of the Crossroads. I was lookin' into a report of some smugglers, but I think they've given up their life of crime by reason of being eaten.
apostafuckyou: (brood)

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
No I'm pretty sure it's still your fault.

What's the situation? I'm guessin' the dragon ain't in a cave. [That's where he assumes smugglers are at all times.]
dontmiss: (sad face)

[personal profile] dontmiss 2016-09-16 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
That is an unfair reading of this situation, Raylan. [He is so offended. Or would be, if he wasn't worried about getting his balls roasted.]

Well, I'm in a cave, but the dragon ain't in here with me yet. I found the smuggler base along the shore, which was where the dragon found me. Ran north from there and now I'm in some cliffs in a hole.
thesteelwolf: (Not bad)

Issaqundaar | Dragon Age OC | Native

[personal profile] thesteelwolf 2016-09-16 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
I - Dragon Baiting

[ Not how she'd have liked to face a dragon- a little more assistance and more ammo would be preferable but she has enough to start, her bayonet for the dragonlings, grenades enough and a distinct lack of fear of death. This is a Dragon. Ataashi. Glorious and chaotic and raw power- it is high time she's able to compare some of her more specialized shells against something as legendary as dragon hide. Despite the sudden wave of the young hurtling at her Issa practically smiles, humming under her breath as she loads up a shell bound in red wax paper. ] This-

[ To whoever's trapped with her, the poor bastards. ] Will be loud. You'll want to plug your ears.


III - Bear Baiting

[ Bears- she's tested against their hide plenty, now it is a question of rate of reload and firing. Three sprint to where she's stopped, waiting until they pass a white chalk mark she'd scratched into a tree on her way past. Then? She squeezes the trigger of what looks like a ships cannon- but lighter, the barrel longer, a crack of thunder and shrapnel whipping through the air to cut down the first. The back end snaps down as she loads up a second charge and swings back up with a clang. The lock slides into place and she pulls the trigger for the second bear.

Nm. Could be quicker. ]



IV - Troll Baiting

So. [ Low, rumbling, accompanied by the ringing tap of a hammer against steel. Conversation while working, how is that for being social? ] What is most frightening? Lightening, ice, fire, or metal? And which mages have the most skill in the first three?
apostafuckyou: (containing the thirst)

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
[He's thinking about this as he hoofs it toward the road. He keeps off them mostly because he doesn't want to run into bandits, but speed is more important at this point.]

How long would you need to get from the cave to safety?
dontmiss: (no really don't)

[personal profile] dontmiss 2016-09-16 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
It'd take me a couple of minutes to scramble up the rest of the cliff and from there I could find cover easier.

[He gets a horrible suspicion.]

Tell me you're bringing backup, Gibbs.
apostafuckyou: (brood)

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 01:49 am (UTC)(link)
I don't fuckin' need backup cause you're gonna get to safety and then I'm gonna get to safety and we're gonna be fine.
dontmiss: (Default)

[personal profile] dontmiss 2016-09-16 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not savin' you when you get turned to char.

[He is going to make his voice go to the entire Inquisition again.]

Can someone please collect the wayward mage headin' east from the Crossroads before he gets his ass turned to dragon chow?
apostafuckyou: (i disbelieve)

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 01:53 am (UTC)(link)
That was rude.
dontmiss: (come on now)

[personal profile] dontmiss 2016-09-16 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
I forgot all my manners when you said you were wandering into dragon territory unaccompanied, jackass.
apostafuckyou: (i disbelieve)

4

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
I'm voting for fire or lightning. Depends on what exactly is meant by most frightening. Fire freaks people out pretty bad, but lightning hurts more when it hits.
apostafuckyou: (brood)

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
I'm sorry, have you forgotten the situation you're in? [YOU DID THE SAME SHIT, ASSHOLE.]
dontmiss: (patience vanishing)

[personal profile] dontmiss 2016-09-16 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I didn't do it on fuckin' purpose!
thesteelwolf: (Not buying it)

[personal profile] thesteelwolf 2016-09-16 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
Mm. Incorporating lightening will be difficult. Fire I have already. [ Another hard swing of the hammer, steel ringing like a bell. ] Still it sounds like a fun challenge.
gatheringstorm: (battle)

4

[personal profile] gatheringstorm 2016-09-16 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
I've freaked out way more targets with lightning than anything else, but it's my affinity so there's already a bias.
apostafuckyou: (i disbelieve)

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
And now I'm gettin' you out of it on fuckin' purpose so shut up and get ready to climb.
circleprodigy: (badass)

4

[personal profile] circleprodigy 2016-09-16 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
For blind panic, I suppose fire would take precedence. But ice magic has its own terrible beauty. Being encased in ice, unable to move, is not a comforting experience.
dontmiss: (are you serious right now)

[personal profile] dontmiss 2016-09-16 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
Did I not describe the dragon enough? Is that the problem? Do I need to be like 'hey, Gibbs, it's the size of a house, breathes fire, and can devour your skinny ass in one gulp'?
thesteelwolf: (What is this bullshit)

[personal profile] thesteelwolf 2016-09-16 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
Mm. What scatters them more? A single bolt or the one that links from target to target like a terrible daisy chain?
thesteelwolf: (profile)

[personal profile] thesteelwolf 2016-09-16 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
I do not know that I can manage the encasing from a distance. I might have to see how it is done a few times to get a better idea of how to make it work.
apostafuckyou: (o rly)

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
Incorporated into what?
thesteelwolf: (Not bad)

[personal profile] thesteelwolf 2016-09-16 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
The shells. Fire is easy, mix things just right? You have something hotter than dragon's breath. Lightening? Is tricky.
apostafuckyou: (i disbelieve)

[personal profile] apostafuckyou 2016-09-16 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
You ain't any bigger than me, asshole.

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