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.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS TDM FEATURES SNOW.

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, currently covered in snow and ice; 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, currently very cold. 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. In the snow!

II. KIRKWALL: A quick row across the near-freezing harbor will take you to Kirkwall proper. The city is built into the cliffs, from exclusive and wealthy snow-dusted Hightown at the top to impoverished Darktown in the abandoned mining tunnels below, where discarded waste is presently frozen into slushy brown ice. In the middle is Lowtown, home to taverns, merchants, and plenty of trouble to keep anyone looking for it happy. And a lot of snow. You’re welcome to spend your free time and your money here—but try not to annoy the locals too much, please, in case the Inquisition's welcome runs out. It’d be a shame to have to pack up and leave in all this snow.

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 Denerim, in the snow, pouring demons into the snowy 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 snow-covered road, or to gather samples out of the snow and take notes on the rift’s location once its closed, or to speak to prominent locals (in the snow) 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. And snow.

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.

There is no snow on the crystal, unfortunately.

V. WILDCARD: The whole of Thedas is yours to explore, from coast to uncharted wilderness filled with bears, and did we mention that there is snow? Anyway: choose your own adventure!

Comments

I

[untiltheyarent]

There are big fancy desks in a variety of rooms, of course, and this being around the time that most reasonable people eat dinner, many of the desks are vacant. But at least one room isn't, as Varric finds when he opens the door and nearly barrels into an armful of dusty seat cushions.
From behind them emerges a pointy-eared head with a look of surprised incredulity; whoever just crashed into her wasn't tall enough to see, but upon investigation, it seems it was in fact a person. "Pardon, messere," comes a thick Orlesian accent, accompanied by a hissing sigh as several of the pillows lose their balance and tumble to the ground.

[hugeinorlais]

Varric was usually a pretty suave customer, he certainly didn't qualify as clumsy by any metric, so it was more than a little unsettling to just round through a doorway into some poor...maid? Varric peers at the stack of cushions and shuffles around until he can see the elf on the other side.

"Sorry about that, don't mind me," Varric says and scoops up the fallen pillows closest to him. He's not tall enough to replace them to the top of the stack, something he realizes after a moment of frowning contemplation, so he tucks them under his arm. He shoots the desk in the center of the room a longing look but inevitably ignores it in favor of the elf.

"So where are we going with these--not far I hope?"

[untiltheyarent]

Hey, it happens. One would think being an almost-ballerina would make Fifi a little less inclined to stumble into people, but there's no real safeguard against these things.
She bends to pick up the pillows, casting a look of mild surprise Varric's way when he helps her. In fact, it's ideal that he didn't put them back on top, since that's why she couldn't see in the first place-- not that she'll tell him this, since his attire declares him to be someone of relative importance and she's not stupid enough to sass those of higher rank.

"To the laundry," she replies, stepping aside, "mais messere, there's no need-- I can do it, it is my mistake."