allthisshitisweird | Darkest Timeline AU Flashback Meme

9:45, post Beleth rescue attempt

When the small group of Dalish elves return from their attempt to rescue Beleth, they come back empty handed. One of them has a giant wound across his face which is wrapped up carefully but will leave a scar.

Cyril had been getting steadily more angry with every loss and every defeat. Pel had been the worst for him, personally, but every additional death and defeat has left its mark on his heart and spirit. This defeat, though, it leaves him bitter and angry.

People who know him notice a stark difference from the man who left with Merrick and Merrill believing they'd bring back Beleth and the one who returns his bandages over one side of his face.

"She betrayed us," he says, to anyone who asks. He calls her harellan instead of using her name and glares at anyone who acts as if they miss her - even if that person is his brother.

9:47, after Taas's death

It's his first mission since he ended Taas's suffering and he's quiet and lonely. He knows the people he's with can be trusted - at least he hopes none of them have turned - but that doesn't ease the feeling of loss that hangs around him.

Taas should be here. He should be warm and alive, with arms so strong and solid that they stop Cyril from falling into his own despair. The loss is heavy in his heart and he doesn't know how to stop from drowning in it.

They still have the sending crystals though, and he reaches out to Orzammar after a bit. It's almost bedtime there. The feed is open, because Sina is too small to work privacy settings and the dwarven couple watching her is still new to using the crystals, but he doesn't share any secrets or details of where he is. Instead, he sings. It's a lullaby, meant for the child that he might never see again if they don't return.

"Elgara vallas, da'len
Melava somniar
Mala taren aravas
Ara ma'desen melar..."

[ooc; While these are just little ficlet types scenes that had been rattling along in my head, feel free to treat this like a starter. The second one also welcomes network style responses to people who want to complain that Cyril is singing on the network. Cyril's voice is based on Cillian Murphy's voice and this is Murphy's singing voice.]

9:48

"IT'S COMING IT'S COMING IT'S COMING IT'S COMING IT'S COMING IT'S COMING IT'S COMING--"

A four-year-old elf is blazing straight for you, unable to keep from grinning because this is imaginary, not actual invasion by anything harmful. She might also be repeating herself partly because she knows it's annoying, and being annoying is hilarious.

( stashing starters beneath this header. )

Edited 2017-01-28 04:49 (UTC)

Edited 2017-01-28 04:56 (UTC)

( starters to be posted below the header. if you're interested in one with ciri then feel free to hit me up through a pm, on discord at kaldwin#9001 or at

kaldwin! )

[ Starters beneath this header. ]

Edited 2017-01-31 09:51 (UTC)

[Who's ready for pain. Feel free to PM me or hit me up on Plurk @

knightblazer for starters and stuff.]

Mid 9:44: Crystal Message

"If-" He pauses, gathering himself, his voice clearly strained in some way. "-if you only had a limited time left to live, what would you do with it? I'm not saying we're losing ground to these darkspawn. It's just... been on my mind lately."

There's more he'd like to say, but he ends it there for now.

Mid 9:44: Signs of Lyrium, Inquisition Camp

Kain has been in battle in the Orlais-Anderfels area for a while now. Even he's weary of fighting, but there are always more darkspawn to defeat. More enemies to kill. He's been going strong most of the time, save for one leg injury earlier in the year that still pains him sometimes after a hard day of fighting. They'd warned him that if he keeps up the pace he's at, he'll end up permanently limping, but he doesn't care. Their cause is important.

Besides, he knows he won't be surviving this.

When he'd been injured, he'd refused the healers' help and simply vanished for a while to heal with potions. He didn't want anyone to see where the red lyrium had penetrated him. Since he's returned, he's shown a new resolve. He's been cutting down their enemies even more ruthlessly than ever. But of course... he knows he doesn't have long. He's going to have to disappear again... and end it before his mind is gone completely. Already, he's starting to look paler and more sickly. He's constantly in pain- not the usual kind, the type he's able to handle. This is far more excruciating than that. He's planning to leave at the very least when his eyes start glowing, so he doesn't have too long, he figures.

At the moment, he's seated in camp by the fire, intensely focused on writing something. It's the end of a long day's battle and those who aren't assigned to patrol are taking what little relaxation time they have, or turning in for the night.

"Hm?" Kain looks up warily as someone approaches. Anyone who's been around him may notice him being usually jumpy lately.

Late 9:44-9:45: Corrupted Warden

Unfortunately, after he fled, Kain never got the chance to end his life properly. That song in his head had been too much for him, and he'd fallen prey to its temptations instead, allowing the lyrium to claim him. The man who used to be Kain is now mentally gone, replaced with a hideous monstrosity of a warrior. He's made quite a reputation for himself over the past few months. He's a terrifying enemy to face, making full use of his reaver abilities to keep him going when others might fall. The corruption only makes him stronger, red lyrium pulsing menacingly wherever it juts out from his body.

He's killed many Inquisition soldiers so far... and led others to their deaths. He's not always alone, after all. Before, when there'd been a small part of Kain left, he'd been instantly attracted to that corrupted dragon. So much that it became an ingrained instinct to follow the dragon by the time his mind had fallen completely. Now, wherever he shows up, the dragon can more or less be counted on to be nearby.

It means a tough battle ahead for whoever dares cross his path...

9:45: Death

Another day, another rampage of devastation. The Inquistion's forces have retreated by this point to the Frostback mountains... and their enemies have kept their sights set on them. There are darkspawn, Venatori, as well as corrupted Wardens and Templars alike in the area. It's been a brutal day of battle so far. To make matters worse, dragon sightings are being reported.

The corrupted Kain is there. Lost in his worst nightmare for nearly a year, he's become even more twisted and deformed by the red lyrium. He knows only battle and death. He hears only the sweet song that had taken him. His two-handed sword is still the same one he's always owned, and he swings it now with deadly purpose as he cuts down his foes one by one.

Wildcard!

Is there some other sad moment you want to play out? Let's go for it! (Also just a friendly reminder that Kain died with a bunch of letters to Inessa stashed away in a hidden pocket, which were found after his death).

[starters below this; grab me on discord @ bansheesquad#0389 or plurk @ deathwailart for a starter]

[Starters below, holla at me on

draiol if you need me.]

late 9:43 onward

Sina's decline was hard, but now it's over. Small reminders of her continue to pepper Skyhold, as long as Skyhold is still under the Inquisition's occupation: the wisteria she loved, blooming all over the gazebo and the walls of the cloistered garden; leftover packets of the herbal teas she so carefully cultivated, still ready for use in the medical tents; the Dalish shrine she assembled, with her own name now etched into the stone for Clan Dahlasanor. Resting atop it is a small wooden halla, carved to be curled peacefully with its legs underneath, its head alert and pleasant as though it sniffs the wind.
On the bright side, she got out while she was ahead.

9:45 Post-abduction of him and Beleth, Cade is undergoing conversion into a Red Templar. He's having trouble adjusting to the red lyrium, and having a real bad time of the situation in general, under constant watch and sometimes restraint.

It's later in the year that he's given 'back' to Beleth, now trusted to behave himself and make it through the day without losing his mind.

9:46 onward Cade does a good job of guarding Beleth-- the downside is, he's more watchdog than human at this point. If he has any thoughts of dissent or escape, he keeps them, and all others, to himself.

[hmu on discord at cafiffle#2173 or on plurk @eolasemah for plotting, or just tag in]

Edited 2017-01-29 00:22 (UTC)

[Separate starters below, poke me on discord at Nadat#4647 or Nadat on plurk if you'd like something.]

Cade doesn't leave Beleth's side often, but he is periodically hand-picked for certain missions: missions that involve squirreling out people who were once in his social sphere and delivering them to the Venatori. Even if he doesn't care-- and might even prefer-- if he's killed for disobedience, there's still Beleth to consider, and she is always leveraged. Fail, defect, betray us, and the elf gets it.
Whether or not she actually would is up to debate, but the point is to make him think she would, and Cade isn't known for his resistance to bullshit.

His most recent mission involved going to Orzammar, clothed as a refugee, wrapped in a way that implies he has miserable wounds (and not the signs of red lyrium) to hide. This time, he went seeking Alistair. And he found him, and he told him where Beleth is, that she needs help.

Cade is a terrible liar, but technically those aren't lies. He does know where she is, and he does believe she needs help. But even so, he has a hard time looking at Alistair without knowing what lies in wait. He knows better than to even plead that the captives be left alive, or better yet, untortured; his opinion counts for virtually nothing, and speaking up just increases the chance of worse fates befalling them.

He's quiet and fidgety as they make their way down to the foothills of the Frostbacks, ultimately not far from a region Alistair likely knows well from his travels with the Warden: they stop at a small trading post just north of Lake Calenhad, and set up camp. Because 'quiet' and 'fidgety' are not descriptors that indicate unusual behavior on Cade's part, he's hiding in plain sight. And waiting.

He doesn't sleep, of course. And when the dawn finally breaks, and they're packing up their meager camp, that's when the modest contingent of Venatori march up to them, swords and bows drawn, and order Alistair to stand down.
Cade barely reacts at all; he certainly doesn't draw his sword, and in fact barely seems to acknowledge that anything is happening at all. He's gazing pointedly away from the goings-on, perhaps watching a bird somewhere in the middle distance, frowning desolately and trying to will Alistair not to look at him.

Edited 2017-02-03 05:42 (UTC)

[ Drop things here if you want! ]

He doesn't look great. But he's alive, which is better than can be said for many.

Starters in the comments below! If I owe you a tattoo thread, those may be a little slow coming. HMU on plurk or discord if you'd like to plan something out. ❤

Edited 2017-02-04 09:11 (UTC)

no subject

Little Sina - Orzammar

gwenaëlle vauquelin

benevenuta thevenet

Ellana

Christine Delacroix