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

[tagartist]

[ If the gagging noise she just made gives any indication... ] Maybe I'll become a vegetarian after all.

[crowncitizen]

Giving up on that burger already? Aw, come on! You didn't even try and start!

[You'll starve if you go vegetarian here, Chloe.]

I'm Prompto, by the way.

[tagartist]

Shit - fuck - okay, vegetarian with an exception. Or at least I just won't be anywhere near the animal sticks. Ever. Food shouldn't be able to look at me.

Chloe. It's -- nice? Yeah, nice fits. To meet you, Prompto.

[crowncitizen]

That's the spirit. If you're out on the road and it's cooking time, just make yourself scarce. [Meat off the stick tastes great, though it did make him uneasy to watch in the beginning. But he's more used to it than she is, clearly, from his time on the road back home. No one's matched Iggy's cooking yet, but oh well.]

I'll take nice, especially considering you just got dumped here and that's never a fun start. You got any questions?

[tagartist]

Avoidance is my super power. I think I got this. [ Usually it's emotions, but unwanted situations are a close second. She has good coping skills. ]

Dude, I've got, like, hundreds. They range pretty wide from "What do people do for fun around this dump?" to "What the actual fuck?", tied closely with "Why does this crazy time-space bullshit always have to happen to me?"

[crowncitizen]

[Admittedly, he should have narrowed down his question a bit more than making it that wide-reaching because, well, no shit she has a ton of questions. Though he sort of hoped maybe she got something in the way of explanation before now...]

This isn't - wow, yeah, I don't know what to tell you about why this keeps happening to you. That's rough. But the short of it is: for some reason, you got sucked through a rift and dumped here. And we don't know a way back currently. Icing on the cake? You're stuck with that green shard in your... well, wherever it wound up.

[tagartist]

[ Admittedly, she's probably had the basics explained to her ten times, it's still just sinking in. ]

I got... most of that. I think. Not the - green shard part, that's fucking lame, but the rift thing is sorta familiar. It still sounds fucking crazy, no matter how many times I hear it.

[crowncitizen]

Yeah, it's a lot. Just take it a day at a time. You'll start picking up on stuff and get the hang of things.

[He taps his chin thoughtfully.]

Keep a low profile when you're out in the city. The locals... are having trust issues with the Inquisition right now, and doubly so with rifters like us. If you get refused service or turned away, don't be real surprised.

[tagartist]

Mmm, doesn't sound too different from what I left, then. Not the Inquisition part, that's totally different, but locals and I don't tend to rub each other the right ways in general.

Thanks for the heads up, though. At least I'll know it's not just me.

[crowncitizen]

Outcasted rebel? Rebellious outcast? [He's mostly teasing, though that does sound kind of rough. His experience lies with just being generally ignored, not with actively having friction with anyone.] But yeah, don't take it too personal. Just hide the shard as best you can. And anything else that would make you stick out here. Which... can be a lot.

[tagartist]

All of the above. Also just generally a major bitch even on my good days, so that probably doesn't help anything much. [ Or so people tell her. She has a skewed self-image after years of being hated n a small town. ] The last part might be a little rough, though. Somethin' tells me blue hair and tats aren't the norm for the locals.

[crowncitizen]

[She doesn't seem like one to him, though they haven't spoken much, and he's not about to argue with a stranger about their personality. Time will tell if she truly is or not.]

Ahhhhh, yeeeeeah. That... might be a giveaway. People do have tattoos here, but depending on what you have it'll be obvious. But uh, yeah. Blue hair? Dead giveaway. Could always wear a hat, but that might not last for long.

[tagartist]

The dye'll fade eventually. Maybe I can just tuck it up under a scarf until it's back to blonde. Or... deal with it. Dealing with it sounds like a lot less work.

[crowncitizen]

Depends on your definition of "work". Sure, less effort in the beginning, but then you gotta put up with the natives giving you the side-eye. And occasionally being thrown out of shops and establishments.

[tagartist]

Tch. Great way to treat people who were brought here without a say.

Whatever; like I said, I’m pretty used to that kind of thing. [ But maybe she’ll still get a scarf. Pissing people off for fun is one thing, pissing people off by being yourself is another and feels a lot worse. ] I doubt they’ve got any chemicals around to strip out the color faster. Maybe I can try and make something outta whatever they got around.

[crowncitizen]

Something something think we're demons in disguise that came out of the Fade, mutter mutter don't trust anything you don't understand.

[Mistrust runs rampant in Thedas, especially with all the shit that's been happening.]

Yeeeeah, no chemicals to be found. Which really sucks when you got a camera and film to deal with. [His supply will run out someday. It'll be a sad, sad day when it comes.] But yeah, you should be able to find something. They can dye fabrics, so hair can't be... too out of the question.

[tagartist]

Something wicked this way comes! As long as they don't try and burn me at the stake, I won't take it personally.

Fabric dye is usually a completely different matter. You can use plants that cause permanent stain reactions to various weaves, but hair has to have something that opens up the follicles in order to be permanent and cover up something like bright blue. I could maybe get away with some dark rooted plant, similar to henna, if I could find a good base to mix it with... Use it to cover the color until the blonde grows in on it's own... Or if they've got sea salt and something close enough to baking soda... [ She's rambling and not expecting answers.

But then she pauses because hold the phone. ] You're a photographer?

[crowncitizen]

[Okay, his eyes start to glaze over about midway through. He tries to listen, really, but she's just gone off and he has no idea any of what she's talking about-

oh wait she said something else.]

Wha - oh, yeah! I am. Got a camera and everything.

[tagartist]

[ You have no appreciation for science, Prompto.

This is the first time that makes her eyes light up a little because photographers she knows. And likes. Usually. ]

Sweet, dude. Are you any good? I mean, I assume you'd gotta be to go out of your way to try and get a camera to work in this place, but you never know.

[crowncitizen]

[Hey, he's an artsy guy!]

Well, I don't like to brag [Okay he kinda does sometimes] but I think I'm pretty darn good. I've got some photos if you wanna see proof for yourself. Granted, it's not a digital camera I got here. It's one of those old timey ones, so the photographs aren't the highest quality, but I'm making do with what I've got.

[tagartist]

[ Pah. ]

Like the kind with the cloth you gotta drape over yourself or are you at least a little more upgraded?

[crowncitizen]

No cloth, but it's barely a step up from that. [It's taken him forever to build a proper stand for the thing. Damn thing's too heavy to hold and take pictures with just his hands, at least for long periods of time.] Not super portable and gotta take the stand with me just about everywhere.

[tagartist]

Fuckin' sucks, dude. I hope you have good arm muscles. My best friend never went digital, but she at least had a polaroid.