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 filled with bears. Choose your own adventure!

Comments

Re: I

[whiskeyandbrimstone]

Jang looks up at the woman and pauses in her shuffling for a moment. "What, you've never spun a pen as you read something?" Her accent is odd, with a sight drawl that doesn't sound like anything you've heard before. She brings the deck back together and flourishes it in front of you, and then with a grin, waves her hands over them and they're gone. "Nothing up my sleeve." She then sits back and regards the newcomer for the first time.

"So, who're you then, if'n you don't mind me asking? I'm Jang, but back home most people called me Jane."

[aceso]

Christine is about to answer, but then the cards disappear and she releases a soft laugh. This woman wouldn't be out of place performing in the market square, but her accent denotes rifter rather than native.

"Impressive. I am Christine: one of the healers here. I also run red lyrium research. Where is home for you, Jane?"

[whiskeyandbrimstone]

"Home? Well, originally, home was Shan Fan, California. Earth, if that rings any bells. Nowadays, home's wherever I want, not that I'd like to get back to earth at some point in the future. In any case, nice to meet you Christine."

The deck of cards re-appears in her hands. "As for what I do here, well, jury's out at the moment. Doing some research before I move to much farther, trying to get a sense of this world, lot of stuff here that I've no idea about. Like elves! None of those where I'm from. And Red Lyrium, no idea what that is either. And plumbing, don't talk to me about plumbing, never thought I'd have to use an outhouse again...But hey, if you've got a spare minute and you're interested, people always do like my tarot readings as a ice breaker."

[aceso]

"Yes, I have heard of Earth. There are other rifters that hail from there." She moves a little closer as she speaks, since this is a library, after all.

"You are not alone. Many rifters spend their early days here in the library, trying to catch up with the rest of us concerning this world. From what I have heard, it can be very complex, as other worlds do not have magic or sentient races beyond humans." And, of course, the native population is quick to call the rifters demons because they fell from a rift, same as the demons from the Fade. They don't consider that these newcomers came through the Fade from beyond it.

"Tarot readings? Is that something to do with telling my future?" It sounds vaguely familiar. Perhaps it's done in Rivain? But she comes up to the other side of the table where Jane sits, pulling out a chair. "I suppose I can spare a bit of time, yes."

[whiskeyandbrimstone]

(As a side note, all of these are for real drawn from a deck)

"Well, mostly it's a excuse to convince yourself of what you already think, but it can be useful in terms of having someone else to talk to, even if it's just yourself." With that, Jang takes the decks of cards and shuffles them quickly, and then places it in front of her.

"Now, we begin. First." Jang pulls the card off the top and sets it down. It seems...bigger than before, larger than when it was on the card deck. "Yourself overall. Page of Pentacles. Means introversion, scholarly pursuits, good manager. A bearer of good tidings."

"Second. Your ambitions and desires. The Magician. The force of your will, mastery of skills and talents. You want to be the best at what you do."

"Third. Your ideals and goals. Three of Swords. Upheaval and loss in love and all types of relationships is always possible."

"Fourth. Your real accomplishments. The Star Reversed. Pessimism and doubt. You might doubt your own skills."

"Fifth. Your dependencies or vices. The Empress which means wealth, marriage and creativity."

"Sixth. Your positive traits. Dependable, steadfast and constant, but can be taken to be too stuck in ruts.

"Seventh. Your faults and weaknesses, Page of Swords reversed. Unpredictable things can hamper you, and the unexpected may cause you strife."

"Eighth. Your self awareness. Wheel of Fortune reversed. Chance is not favorable, loss is possible and bravery is required."

"And finally, Ninth. Your desires and higher purpose. The World. Success in all it's forms, liberation from want and celestial consciousness."

Jang leans back, the spread of cards on the table before her. "And there you go. Don't take it to seriously though."

[aceso]

During her reading, a mix of emotions plays across Christine's face. Her eyebrows lift, furrow, and smooth out depending on what's being said. Her eyes lower to the cards often, looking at the designs on each, but always her gaze returns to this rifter who is telling her so many things that seem as though they're hitting the nail on the head. But surely that can't be it. These traits that define her could define anyone if looked at from a certain point of view, couldn't they?

The first card representing herself seemed correct in that she was scholarly and a good manager. However, she wouldn't consider herself an introvert. Her ambitions? It was spot on. She has a prideful streak and definitely strives to be the best in all she does. The ideals and goals was concerning. She already knows her rifter beau could disappear back home at any moment, so hearing it as a possibility -- even from a silly deck of cards -- has her heart thudding painfully against her rib cage. The real accomplishments... well that hit close to home too. She would never admit to anyone a doubt of her skills, but as a healer, Christine has lost patients, and has felt she'd failed them. Marriage as a vice? Well, she has been discussing the future with her beau, and marriage and a family is something she wants, since it was always denied to her in the Circle. Her positive traits seem correct, but the weaknesses not so much. Her greatest fear and source of weakness is failure. The unexpected doesn't throw her off too much. Another instance where one shouldn't look at the cards too closely. Her self-awareness is apt, because she once had a conversation with someone who bestowed a special staff on her, and told her she had to be brave for what was to come. Her desires, while certainly right, also seem to be what most people would want as well, and not a wondrous revelation.

"So many cards," she murmurs at last. "I cannot imagine keeping all they represent straight in my head. And some were reversed. Does that mean the opposite of what the card usually represents?"

[whiskeyandbrimstone]

"Yup, flipped are the reverse of whatever it would normally mean. But really, don't take it too seriously. It's like tea leaves or ink blot tests. Your mind sees what it wants to see, and there's a reason the readings are vague. Can't get people to come back if you have tales of sorrow and woe to your customers."

Jang swept up the cards, the large cards somehow fitting neatly back on top of the much smaller deck. "In any case, that's the parlor trick. What about you, you're a healer? What kind? The blood and leeches type or the magic type?"

[aceso]

"I suppose it brings comfort to those who need someone to tell them what they wish to hear. And if they have the money to spend, then why should they not?" Of course, she'd feel a little differently if it was the poor scrounging up coin to get readings.

"I am a Spirit Healer," she says, "Which means I heal with magic, but also with the help of a spirit in the Fade."

[whiskeyandbrimstone]

"Ahh, magic user, eh? And you use spirts to cast your magic? Do you have to bargain with them? I play cards with it to get it to do what I want."

Jang seems to relax slightly, as if this conversation is on more familiar ground. Dealing with "Spirits" in the "Fade", that's just another way of saying you deal with manitous from the Hunting Grounds.

[aceso]

"I use a specific one who reached out to me. We have an understanding, where they assist me in healing, and I answer questions about this world. The spirits of the Fade lack understanding of it, for they have no imagination or creativity. It has been a mutually beneficial arrangement."

But Christine does look a little unnerved by what the woman says. "Is this something you did at home? I would caution you from reaching out to spirits here. Without proper training, it is much more difficult to not be corrupted by demons pretending to be spirits. If you are Fade-sensitive as mages are, that is."

[whiskeyandbrimstone]

"So...How do you know a sprit isn't a demon? I mean, if demons can pretend to be sprits...And he's asking you questions? Just random questions or anything worrysome?"

"Not that I ever made deals with demons. That would be incredibly reckless and wrong."

"ANYway, so what's Red Illurm? Some kinda really powerful magic thingy? Sounds interesting, if you're focusing on studying it. What's it do?"