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

[thunderproof]

❰ the smile isn't helping, but that doesn't deter adlia — she just keeps smiling, even as she stops moving any closer and very conspicuously moves her hands from her sides, demonstrating their emptiness (and showing off her anchor shard as she does so) before clasping them in front of her. she's not a threat unless she has to be, and she'd prefer not to have to be if she can avoid it. ❱

I'm a Rifter, friend, my name is Adalia. I was studying the alchemical arts in my home, but I was brought here before I could learn too much about them, and I'm struggling now to find native substitutes for the required ingredients of some recipes I know. I wondered if I might work with you, so that you could teach me the properties of the herbs you use, and I could repay you with the things I can make.

[fuga]

[ Lauralae, at least, has no interest in the Anchor beyond what it might be able to do to strengthen things - these strangers only hold appeal for what they can give her, the knowledge that they might be able to bring, and that is what keeps her attention focussed and her eyes boring into the woman opposite her. It was brave of her to come and seek her out, true enough, but that does not make her entirely willing. ]

Do you have them with you? [ The recipes, she means, and she frowns, tilting her head. She's careful to keep herself angled well enough that she can hide her face and her blood markings from the strangers. ] So that I might read them.

[thunderproof]

❰ adalia is honestly at least a little oblivious to the risk she took coming down here, not even bothering to hide her anchor or bring a weapon. she was told darktown was a shitty place, but the true extent of the danger it poses was never made clear to her — or if it was, she assumed it was all exaggeration. surely nothing could really be that bad. consequently, it wasn't really bravery that brought her here, but ignorance. ❱

I do! ❰ adalia turns to the messenger bag at her side, reaching slowly into it, careful not to move in a way that might alarm anyone skittish. she pulls out a worn yet ornate book, and holds it out with a smile. she won't let it go, but she'll hold it while lauralae looks it over. ❱ They're mostly rather simple, there's a sleep aid and a pain reliever, a hangover cure, spark gravel — which is used as a kind of perimeter alarm, as it sparks and makes loud noise when force is applied to it — and a smokestick which disrupts magic casting. That last one's not a priority, I think sorcerers here have enough to deal with, honestly.

[fuga]

[ There's a moment where Lauralae wonders what on earth this Rifter is doing; what she thinks she is going to achieve, wandering around Darktown with no hesitation and no fear in her step. There are so many people here that would take her down for her possessions, ripping her hand off and stealing her worldly items... And they would have no guilt for it, in the end. Darktown is about survival, and all they must do is fend for themselves.

Frowning, she leans down, staring at the pages. She can read it, at least, and she lifts her hands to push her hood back just enough for her to look at it properly. ]

Elfroot will replace the pain relief. It is used in healing potions throughout Thedas. Mixing it with Spindleweed will make it more portent, if you are able to access it. [ The rest makes her think, leaning back. ] You might use Blood Lotus for Spark Gravel, as it is a means of creating confusion. If you wish to make the potency of the healing stronger then you will need to use Arbor Blessing or Vandal Aria.

[thunderproof]

❰ adalia isn't really in the business of caution. the nature of her existence is such that she acts and expects the world to conform to her will, simply because as a sorcerer she can usually make it do so.

also, if anyone tries to attack her, she'll hit them with so much lightning they'll be set on fire. that helps her confidence.

as lauralae rattles off ingredients to replace those suggested in her book, adalia pulls a piece of charcoal out of a pouch on her belt and begins marking down the substitutions in the margins of the book. when lauralae gets to spark gravel, she looks up, brow furrowed. ❱

Hmm... I hadn't considered that. I suppose I could doctor the recipe, I can find ignitable substances anywhere, and add in the blood lotus to confuse the intruder for a time. That's... actually ingenious!

❰ back to scribbling down notes in the margins, a bright smile on her face as she does. ❱

[fuga]

[ She has grown to embrace caution as a way of life - there is no other option for her, not when she is shunned by her kin and shems alike. She must do what she can just to survive, simply so she can live her life and offer her time and energy to the Gods she has chosen. It is a miserable existence, to be sure, but it is better than being under the thumb of a clueless keeper or idle humans.

Lauralae can defend herself, but she chooses to sink into the shadows. She chooses to hide herself because it is easier than the threat of something more.

Watching, she notes how much the woman writes down and nods her head. At least someone listens when she offers advice, and she is curious about what the plants in this other world may be. ]

It would be easy to substitute. Blood Lotus is not too difficult to find, should you search, and Elfroot is common.

[thunderproof]

❰ it'd be rather rude of adalia to ask for advice and then refuse to take it, wouldn't it? she's learning quite a bit about this world, but she's not nearly to the level a native would be yet — being able to recite off a bunch of dates or general facts is merely a function of memorization, she doesn't understand the context for many of the things she's studied. better to find a willing teacher and defer to their expertise as much as possible, and then find their rival and learn from them as well, to get a fuller picture of the subject.

as it doesn't seem likely lauralae will have any sort of rival here, adalia's perfectly content to listen to her and take notes on her suggestions. ❱

Blood lotus and elfroot, common, ❰ adalia mutters to herself, noting it down in her book. ❱ And you said arbor blessing, vandal aria, or spindleweed to make pain relief more potent, yes? How common are they?

[fuga]

[ Lauralae is well versed in herbs now; she has been forced to learn more and more independently because she had no other option. This is how she survives in the world, with Darktown boring down on her like a solid weight around her shoulders. Growing and sharing plants earns her enough to scrape a few meals together, and that's more than enough for her. She is content to live that life, just as it is, and accept it for what it is.

The notes, at least, are nice; it shows someone cares enough to take notice of her, which is novel. She is not used to it. ]

Yes. [ Lauralae frowns, leaning forward to check over the notes. ] They are rarer, though not impossible to find. Spindleweed can be found at lakesides and the others in glens, often where people do not tread regularly.