allthisshitisweird | TEST DRIVE MEME!

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's a fair idea. I'm fine with it.

[He probably won't ever completely relax anytime soon, he can't exactly help it when he gets unsettled like this, distrustful of the man here. But at the same time, he needs to learn more about him. He doesn't exactly want to go around causing harm to a potential ally... and if he does end up being a threat? Well, he can deal with that, all too easily.]

Not long. I only just arrived, though I've been here... at least twice, before. Both times, I decided I had business elsewhere.... before ultimately deciding my allegiance lies here. [More or less. He prefers to think of himself as loosely affiliated with the Inquisition, rather than some part of it, some soldier to be commanded. It must always be his choice to come or go wherever for the Inquisition, not an order.] What brings you here?

I was going to say 'the same as anybody.' But, perhaps I should amend my statement to be 'anybody other than you.'

[He goes quiet as he looks at his cards.]

Shelter. Trying to figure out what's going on and to help, if my abilities would be useful here.

And why would you say that?

[He glances idly through his cards.]

While there are some answers to be found here, there are also just as many questions in some ways... but I'm sure the Inquisition can always use help. What sort of abilities do you have? [He may have some suspicions, but he'll just wait and see.]

Because you said you've been here before. I got the impression you see this as sort of a home.

[He didn't mean much by, it really. Talking before thinking, as can happen when playing cards.]

I admit to being more of a thinker than a fighter. But if battles can be avoided, that's for the best for everyone. Some would say I'm a mage, but there are others who have the gift better than I do. Mostly, I'm a wanderer these days.

[Which is all true, he'll just leave out that he was sent to wander.]

I wouldn't consider it a home, no. Just a place I've become familiar with.

[Fond of too? Maybe? He's not exactly sure. He's not even sure what he'd consider his home, these days, though he's occasionally had thoughts of heading back to Kirkwall to Danarius' former mansion. Maybe one day, he'll just cycle back.]

So you're a mage? Where did you train? [Circle, apostate, magister... whatever it may be, he's always going to be wary of mages regardless of their origins.]

[And now it's time to start spinning his story.]

I was born into it. My family... tried to protect me from the Circle as much as they could. Before I was born, my father became an apostate. After I was born, my mother ran away too. They eventually found each other When I was seven, my father was captured. We don't know what happened to him. Probably made Tranquil.

[It might sound a little rehearsed, which could be because it is, or could be because he's recounting his history. It was a long time ago for him, judging by his looks. At least 40 years ago.]

When I started to manifest the abilities. Mother taught me herself.

[Which was true, given how Mages ran everything in Tevinter, the education of mages was also handled differently.]

[He draws a card and discards a Serpent.]

[It does sound like someone telling a story, albeit a very good one. He's given him no reason to think he's lying, of course... but nor exactly any reason to fully trust him. Especially with his suspicions of where he might be from. He can only speculate and take the information he's being given.]

An apostate, then. [He says that in a neutral sort of tone. While he disapproves of that in principle, he's met an apostate who turned out to be a very good person even as a mage, and he's met Circle mages who weren't so good so... well... that part doesn't matter so much.] You must have had a challenge, keeping yourself unnoticed by Templars. Where did you live for all that time?

[He doesn't acknowledge the apostate comment. Opting for answering the next question.]

All over. We were nomads after a fashion. Sometimes pitching a tent in the wilderness and sometimes finding a tiny room in a large city.

[He's no stranger to the nomadic life himself, though in his case it also involved "evade capture".]

That's not an easy life, being constantly on the move... but sometimes circumstances leave you no choice.

TEST DRIVE MEME!

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