Darkest Timeline AU Flashback Meme

[faderifting]

DARKEST TIMELINE AU FLASHBACK MEME
Did you work out something for your character's darkest timeline AU that you love so much it would be an absolute crime not to be able to write it out for real? WHAT LUCK! This meme is here for all your flashback-from-the-future needs. It's also the place to display sad single-character vignettes, letters that were never sent to dead friends, and anything else your dastardly little heart desires. Go forth and suffer.

The contents of this meme do not count for AC. For AC, you must participate in the real logs for the event, which will take place in Cloudreach 9:48, or else continue your normal non-event RP in the present (Guardian 9:43). However, you can count log threads in this meme toward your rewards points for the month.

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[circleprodigy]

Inessa tenses as someone approaches, but that doesn't last upon seeing it's Anders. Recognition prompts a tug of her lips that isn't quite a smile; there's nothing happy about this, but she's grateful for his presence. At least the Grey Wardens can team up to take care of one of their own. Realizing that they were all present during the rifter Kain's demise adds some deja vu, but she tries to ignore that. The Kain she knew was meeting a different, though entirely horrible, demise.

"I assume so. Be ready." She goes her best to stay away from the red crystals jutting out of the earth, but there are so many. Spotting the pieces of bodies has her lips forming a thin line. They'll be put to rest properly...after the cause of their death is dealt with first.

And then there's Kain, or what's left of him. She goes rigid, taking in the hideous sight of all those red lyrium growths. But what twists her stomach the most is that there's nothing left of the man she knew in his gaze. It's probably for the best, as self-awareness in this state would be torture...but it just drives home how he's lost to her and has been for some time. As Garahel continues his low growl, she casts Barrier over herself and her companions before layering hexes on him, starting with a Misdirection Hex.

[blessedmaiden]

You know what? Rydia wouldn't care to be hunted right now: she never asked to be in Thedas and she's not going to hide in a corner just waiting for someone to kill her- even if she's probably going to look for some dyes to hide her color, keeping the hair short won't help her hide them forever. And... who can really smile in those times? The summoner tries her best in front of the few she almost lives with now but beside that.

"Until it's gone and after." She pauses, sighing and shaking her head, how could things go so wrong? "And... I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. He was my friend too." Years ago she would have been unable to do anything, still too stuck with her ideals of friendship and love- but the world outside the FEymarch is real and Rydia finally adapted to it.

"We sho-" the summoner goes silent when she realizes someone is approaching, her hand closes around the handle of her whip and the other one grabs one of the many vials she keeps hidden under her brown cloak. False alarm, she can recognize that man... Anders, wasn't it?

"Glad to see you're still alive." considering how many people have been buried, Rydia treasures every meeting with everyone she met in the good old days of Skyhold- but there's no time for little talks or greetings, even because- Kain is there. The summoner doesn't look away, repeating herself that it's no longer him, the human kid sometimes she adressed as 'child' or 'kid'- he's dead and now it's time to take down his shell.

Being limited in terms of magic forced her to learn how to create her own potions and she travels with a good supply wherever she goes: a Mighty Offence tonic (Thedas names, ugh...) goes down her throat and two Rock Armor ones are tossed in her allies's direction with a "Drink this!". From the clinging that can be heard whenever she moves it's clear she still has more stuff with her but for now she starts with a simple and pure offensive beginning the cast of a firaga.Thank gods that world has fire magic, at least.

[justice_is_blond]

He nods to Rydia's greeting, but there's no time to do anything else. This is indeed the right place. There's a vial being tossed his way and normally he wouldn't simply drink something thrown at him... but this isn't a normal situation. Anders pops the cork out one-handed and drinks, having enough time to recognize the flavor before he's also casting - Haste on Rydia and Inessa, and Arcane Prison on Kain.

If they can hold him, in theory, they can make this faster. Even if there's nothing left of Kain, Anders doesn't want the man to suffer. The Wardens hadn't asked for this. Few had, really, and for everyone else he has some mercy. But Maker, Kain's a mess, and others have paid for this already. They have to be vigilant, because there's no kindness in the way he looks at them, no remnants of intelligence as far as Anders can see.

"Be careful of the claw especially," he says, not because he thinks they need warning, but he needs to say something, anything, to lessen the pang he feels at the sight before him. This could soon be any Warden.

[in_death_sacrifice]

What’s left of Kain is living a waking nightmare, a torment that he can’t begin to communicate. He’s become worse than a monster... living only to kill, to destroy. He growls in anger as their spells strike him, Rydia’s fire blasting the area with hot, searing power. But a little bit of the Reaver is still in him, and at least for now, the pain lends him strength. It’s perhaps one of the reasons he’s been so hard to fully defeat. So far, anyway.

The Arcane prison spell initially seems to hold for a couple seconds, perhaps creating a sense of false hope… before the monstrosity breaks free and goes on the attack.

With a roar, the Red Warden swings his sword at the group, following up with the claw arm, one after the other. As that claw swipes toward its targets, jagged crystals of red lyrium fly out at them as well. His swings won’t be as lethal as they would have been without that misdirection hex, but they’re still inhumanly powerful, with a brutality that the human Kain could never have matched.

[circleprodigy]

Inessa downs the tonic quickly, without protest or questions. There's no time for either, and she trusts the rifter woman's intent and skill. They need every edge they can get, so she'll gladly take it. Haste is a welcome addition, and as Arcane Prison breaks, she gets to work on the rest of those hexes. Vulnerability Hex is next, so their elemental magic will have more bite to it...and Death Hex, to hopefully make Kain's end faster than it otherwise might be. She has no illusions that they will walk away completely unscathed, but she can live with herself a little easier afterward knowing that they made this as difficult for him as possible.

As Inessa's trying desperately not to think about who this red lyrium-encrusted monster was once one of her closest friends, Garahel charges. He has no room to just stand guard with three mages in the party, after all. The jagged crystals of red lyrium shower over him, but don't stop him momentum. He lunges for a leg, hoping to take the creature-that-was-Kain down.

just sneaking in to retaliate against the dog here :)

[in_death_sacrifice]

The hexes fall upon him, perhaps not all of them entirely effective, but enough to buy them some advantage.

As for Kain, he's focused on whichever of the enemies is causing him the most trouble and at the moment it's the dog. As Garahel pounces and latches on to a leg, Kain makes a hideous sound of pain in a disturbing twist of the real Kain's voice. He retaliates at once, jabbing those long, red lyrium-encoated claws down at the mabari.

[blessedmaiden]

No more talks, mh? She can feel her moviments getting more fluid as Anders's haste has effect on her- The summoner snaps her fingers before closing her hand in a fist, energy starts to gather inside of it while she chants her spell. Having that abomination distracted by Garahel is giving her all the time Rydia needs to prepare herself and aim- while in her world magic never missed she soon figured out how important it can be in this world to know where and how to hit-. Her goal? Its Eyes.

Rydia doesn't look away when the screech of pain comes from the creature, the more she keeps telling herself that's just a regular monster she's taking care of the easier will be. It's like a demon, right? They tempt you with promises and when they cannot win you over they attack your weaker spots... and she's not allowing that.

"Don't worry, Anders, this thing is the only creature who should be afraid right now."

Not... really but she's doing her best to sound confident, she's not going to show anyone how it actually hurts her to be there to kill 'kain'. Don't... don't think about anything, summoner, just take him down. 1... 2... 3... and go! There she is, shooting herfire ball at that creature's face, praying to be able to damage its eyes a little.

[justice_is_blond]

He wishes Rydia was right. He wishes he hadn't sen so many friends fall in skirmishes that should have been easy, whether it was to Templars in the past or Corypheus' forces in the now. But optimism is a currency he ran out of some time ago, which is why spikes of ice shoot from his hands, aimed at Kain's core.

"May you find the peace that has been denied you," he mutters. It's all he can get for the man who was once an ally and friend, a fellow soldier against the Darkspawn and Corypheus.

[circleprodigy]

Garahel isn't quite able to dodge Kain's blow, yelping as those claws dig into his hide. Grateful that the Haste spell is still in effect, Inessa casts Heal on her mabari companion before following up with Stonefist. She doesn't have much hope that the boulder will send the creature that was Kain flying, but it will still stagger him, and make it easier to take him down in the long run. At this moment, that's all she can think about. Memories of the past are on hold; only the present matters.

Now healed from that claw attack somewhat, Garahel renews his offense. He brings those powerful jaws to bear on Kain, clamping on with all his might.

[in_death_sacrifice]

The fire blazes at Kain first, and he barely has time to shield his eyes as it strikes him. He spares the left side of his face and that eye, but... not so much the right. It ends up burned terribly, lyrium and flesh melting grotesquely. Next comes the ice... which definitely has an even more noticeable effect, covering his lyrium-twisted form and freezing him in his tracks for a brief moment. The air chilling around him, the demon roars even louder before the next round of attacks strikes, the boulder followed up by the mabari.

He lashes out again at the mabari, fighting to shake him off. He's still going strong, although... there are now a few places on him with obvious signs of irreparable damage, pieces of lyrium or flesh burned or bleeding or otherwise wrecked .He's still semi-fueled by the damage... the blood of dragons still powering whatever somewhat human bits of him are left, but the fight is clearly taking its toll, just starting to shift against him. He again lashes at all three opponents with something similar to a Whirlwind attack, motions swift and powerful, between his sword and claw. He ends his assault with another spray of lyrium crystals. Then, pounding a fist on the ground, Kain brings forth a barrier of red lyrium between him and his opponents, the sharp crystalline structure pulsing eerily.