TEST DRIVE MEME!

[faderifting]

I ROLL TO SEDUCE THE BEAR

Tucked between the massive Lake Calenhad and the icy Frostback Mountains in Ferelden’s chilly, hilly south, the Hinterlands are a region covered in patchy forests, small farms, and a bustling fishing village called Redcliffe. The region was recently the frontline of a war between mages and Templars, but the Inquisition’s military presence has restored order and is now focused on helping the locals and influx of refugees rebuild their lives. Whether you’re a recent recruit or a hardened veteran, a Fereldan local or someone who recently fell out of a rift from another world, you may be asked to go lend a hand.

I. FLOODS

A burst of unseasonably warm weather (in no way inspired by real life events) is initially greeted with relief, gloves discarded and scarves unwrapped—but followed within the week by severe flooding across the region. Maybe you’re sent out to help debris from a road or collect the bodies of those swept away. Or maybe you’re less lucky and instead there when the waters come, shepherding refugees to higher ground, or caught riding in the flow on a dislodged roof or log. Maybe there’s a bear on the roof with you.

II. TREASURE HUNTS

Given the lack of banks and lockboxes, when the people here have something they value, they often hide it—under the ground, in a tree, behind a waterfall. So here you are, with a sketch of some landmarks found on a body, trying to find… something. If you find it, it might be useful: weapons, runes, a stash of supplies. Or it might be someone’s box of racy letters and a request to deliver them to a now-married woman who will slap you on delivery.

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.

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

[The voice that responds is feminine though somewhat deep, amiable and a little curious.]

Nope, it's not uncommon at all. We have plenty of rifters around here, from a ton of different worlds. I tried to keep track, but honestly lost count a while ago. If you're overwhelmed, well...you'll have a lot of people in that support group.

[needsmust]

It's... not what I'd expected, I'll grant. But I wouldn't quite go so far as to call it overwhelming, just at the moment. Merely... different.

[gatheringstorm]

Good for you, seriously. Some have an easier time adjusting, for whatever reason. Still, if I can make it a little easier, I'll try through answering questions. Fair warning, I'm pretty biased about some topics.

[needsmust]

I suspect it has to do with one's experiences prior to being... unexpectedly relocated.

[A pause and then:]

And I don't suppose you'd have a general idea on the political climate?

[gatheringstorm]

Orlais sucks, but their stupid civil war is over, so now the empire owes us. Ferelden's busy mopping up after the Mage-Templar war and giving help where they can, but I think we're helping them more than the other way around. The Free Marches are as divided as ever unless it's Grand Tourney time, and the Tevinter Imperium and the Qunari are still slap-fighting each other up north. Hopefully they'll stay that way and leave the rest of us alone. We have enough shit to do, we don't need more complications.

[needsmust]

I presume those would be... countries?

[They're not planets, that much he's almost sure of. Not given the level of technology he's seen. But neither can he really say that most of the names mean all that much to him.]

[gatheringstorm]

Yep. Orlais is an empire and Ferelden is a kingdom that in living memory was freed from Orlesian control. There's still a lot of Fereldan resentment, as you might expect. If you hear a spat about it, just stay out. It's not worth the headache.

[needsmust]

I'll endeavor to keep that in mind.

[He makes no promises, mind, given that politics is one of his hobbies. But for the time being he's more like to drift at the outskirts of said confrontations, largely to get a better image of the shape of the various grievances.]