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

[needsmust]

[Leaving is definitely a good idea, and one that Brax is more than willing to do. Especially when the bear seems like it might have caught scent of them. Of all the things he's had in mind, getting chased by a bear is certainly not one of them, and he doesn't complain when Jamie grabs his sleeve.]

Lead the way!

[Jamie is, after all, the one who knows more about this place than he does, and while he's certainly more than willing to make a run for it (and able to keep up) he'd much rather not end up running into worse trouble, if he can at all help it.]

[wontforgetyou]

This way!

[He's already starting to head towards the trees when there's another sound from over by the bear - the distinct sound of underbrush rattling moments before something bursts through it. Luckily for them both it's not another bear, but the sight of a wild mabari may not be that much better, given their tendency to show up in packs.

Any worries that they might have over them prove to be short-lived, however, as the mabari already have prey in mind, and that prey is the bear. The bear, as one might expect, doesn't much like the idea of being the prey, and there's a roar from that general direction as the mabari leap to the attack. Jamie doesn't look back, though, taking advantage of the opportunity to lead the pair of to the treeline - and then a good deal past it, taking them out of sight of the bear and the mabari, even if the sounds of the fight can still be heard behind them.]

There's a stream that way - let's head for that in case those mabari wind up winning that fight, eh? We don't want them deciding we'll make a good after-bear snack.

[needsmust]

[If it's not one thing, it's another, or so it seems. Admittedly, Brax doesn't have a whole lot of experience with wild dogs, but he figures that a pack of anything is probably not the best of things to run into. Especially when attempting to fight the whole pack would leave the two of them sorely outnumbered.

Still, the fact that they decide to go after the bear is at least a temporary relief and Brax figures there's no need to stay and watch the fight anymore than they already have - he follows Jamie without so much as a second thought, and it's only when he makes a comment about making for a nearby stream that Brax speaks up again.]

I should hope a bear would prove to be enough. But I agree. Best to not risk it.

[He can survive getting a little bit damp. The same can't necessarily be said of being set upon by a pack of wild dogs and he has no interest in attempting the latter anyway.]

[wontforgetyou]

Usually it is, but you never know around here.

[Stranger things have been known to happen, which admittedly this new person might've already started to figure out, given that Jamie's made no attempt to hide the glowing green mark in his hand. But he's not about to worry about the mark itself at the moment. Not unless they happen to stumble on a rift out here, but right now the mark's not showing signs that one's nearby. If that changes - well, he'll worry about it then.

Right now he's just going to focus on getting them to the stream before the fight winds up turning one way or another, and he pushes off through the underbrush, pausing only occasionally to hold bits of it up in order to allow Brax to get through.]

Not that I've any idea how long you've been around here, mind. You might know that already and I've no idea. I'm Jamie, by the way. What's your name?