TEST DRIVE MEME!

[faderifting]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Maybe you’ve been around for a while, or maybe you’re new to the Inquisition. Maybe you’re new to Thedas, having recently fallen from a tear in reality and been collected by uniformed rescuers. Whoever you are, you’ve been sent to Kirkwall, to an outpost where many of the Inquisition’s members and allies work on some of the biggest mysteries and problems the organization must solve if it’d like to keep the world from ending, where “ending” means “falling under the power of an ancient powerful corrupted being who wants everyone to bow to him as a god.”

And just to be clear, it would like that. It would like that a lot.

I. THE GALLOWS: The Gallows is an island fortress in Kirkwall’s harbor. It’s been home to, in order: Tevinter slaves, a Circle of Magi, a lot of creepy red lyrium, and now the Inquisition, which has occupied the fortress with the provisional Viscount’s blessing. There are walls that still need rebuilding and corners that still need dusting, but for the most part the Inquisition has gotten down to business. There’s space in the stone-floored courtyards to train or spar; or, if your skills don’t lie in the realm of hitting things, there’s a large library and several offices supporting the Inquisition’s areas of research and diplomatic efforts. If you don’t know what to do with yourself, then by all means, ask; someone will definitely be able to put you to work.

II. KIRKWALL: A quick row across the harbor will take you to Kirkwall proper. The city is built into the cliffs, from exclusive and wealthy Hightown at the top to impoverished Darktown in the abandoned mining tunnels below. In the middle is Lowtown, home to taverns, merchants, and plenty of trouble to keep anyone looking for it happy. You’re welcome to spend your free time and your money here—but try not to annoy the locals too much, please, in case their welcome runs out. It’d be a shame to have to pack again so soon after arriving.

III. QUESTING: Barely had time to make yourself at home, did you, before you were sent away from Kirkwall again—but this time on a mission. There’s a rift outside of Markham, pouring demons into the fields, and the Inquisition has been asked to lend a hand. Maybe literally. If you have an anchor embedded in your palm, you’re needed to close the damn thing. If not, maybe you’re here to fight demons or guard against bandits on the road, or to gather samples and take notes on the rift’s location once its closed, or to speak to Markham’s nobility afterwards to make sure that they fully appreciate the Inquisition’s efforts. Regardless, it’s a long trip, so we hope you like campfire cooking and sharing a tent.

IV. SENDING CRYSTAL: Joining the Inquisition gets you access to the very latest in barely-understood magical communication devices—namely, a crystal, small enough to wear around your neck, that will allow you to communicate verbally with anyone else who has one. Or everyone else who has one. Say hello.

V. WILDCARD: The whole of Thedas is yours to explore, from coast to uncharted wilderness. Choose your own adventure!

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

That gets a chuckle out of Korrin as she gets out Asher's grooming supplies. "You would have hated Skyhold, then. Yeah, living there was a pain in the ass when it came to providing for the mounts. Nothing but mountains and ice all the damn time. Compared to that, Kirkwall is a damn cakewalk...at least in the one sense." It's not an easy place to live...but at least they're not further south. She'll take comforts where they can be found.

"I don't know him well, but I've seen him around. Haven't heard any complaints, so you're probably in good hands." She pauses to eye the horse. "A kicker, eh? I'll pass that on to the stablehands so we don't run out of them. Asher here is surprisingly chill; I wrangled him myself, after some friends and I found a herd in the wild." She pats the nuggalope, and he turns to press his muzzle against her, snorting. "Ugh, your breath...."

[taxonomy]

"There is no place I can say that I hate save that place where the pursuit of knowledge is deemed contemptible, I assure you I have been to far worse places than you might imagine in the course of my work." Indeed, to look at Tavin you might not think he's joined an expedition into the Deep Roads but indeed he has, indeed he has, oh the favours he had to cultivate and call in but oh how utterly worth it such troubles were. "Kirkwall regrettably has little in the way that I might find interesting to study centrally, a hazard of most towns and cities; convenient to live in, but not much for a man of my learning."

There is of course Sundermount, the Wounded Coast, the Vimmarks, but the Free Marches are tedium if he is honest and when it comes to his vocation then Tavin can actually be relied upon to be exceedingly honest without attempting polite polished young upstanding nobleman manners about the whole thing.

"Serah," they're in the Free Marches, best to use the correct form of address for how does one actually address a Tal-Vashoth in the first place, "this is a Taslin Strider with the lineage one would only expect of such a mount; they hail from Antiva and though they have long lived elsewhere as have all horses, that cannot negate generations of breeding and pedigree, they are spirited. What he has seen in our time together? My father has often said he would do generals in the army proud."