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

[letoldthingsdie]

"I'd expect something with more horns and teeth." He runs a hand through his hair, smiling too when she laughs. It felt strange to smile. He hardly ever did anymore or felt the urge to. So much of his lifestyle back home was doom and gloom but it was the life he'd chosen, the life that had accepted him when no one else would. "I haven't seen any spirits. Before I was here I was dreaming, though."

He'd dreamt of her, of their battle with Snoke's personal guard. The moment when she'd turned on him, the blinding light from that split lightsaber burning in the back of his eyes, was still fresh in his mind. It had been very real but now it was like a broken record in the back of his head, making him wary of trusting her even as he finds comfort in her presence. His smile slips somewhat and he folds his hands together, not sure how to look at her.

[provenforce]

Seeing him smile is so unusual that she loses her train of thought for a moment. He was always so severe, even in the quiet moments they'd had together, talking and learning about one-another, she doesn't think she's seen him smile. She wants to see it more often.

She nearly has to physically shake herself to reply to him, nodding her head a little too vigorously at his comment about dreaming.

"I was too. I think that's common, and it might be what connects our worlds. Maybe we all share the Fade." Its a thought she's had in passing several times, but never really addressed to anyone.

[letoldthingsdie]

"Maybe. In a sense we could. Our closest approximation is the Force, sustaining life and those who pass on after to return to it." Their Fade sounded awfully similar. He doesn't understand why it would be hidden behind a Veil if it was so powerful. "The only difference is the people here fear it whereas we don't."

He found her views about the connection solid, wondering if perhaps that was something their hosts in the Inquisition were researching. He could also understand why these people were wary of them. Fear of the unknown was a universal thing any being could feel. He'd cultivated that sort of fear into power for many years, making himself a General in the First Order that made weaker men tremble at the sight of him.

[provenforce]

"Their mages are also capable of doing things that we aren't. Unless conjuring fire and ice is a Force ability I haven't been acquainted with, yet." Boy that would be something. Granted, she really doesn't know much about the Force, beyond what she's felt and been taught by Luke and Obi-Wan, but she is fairly confident that the powers that the mages have because of the Fade are different from those of the Jedi and Sith.

[letoldthingsdie]

"No. Jedi don't do things like that. The only ability like that I know of is a Sith ability - to create lightning to injure an opponent." Not even he knew how to do that but he'd damn well felt what it was like, thanks to Snoke. He could only imagine what men like Palpatine and his grandfather had been capable of.

"Jedi just stick to parlor tricks like mind trickery and lifting rocks." He might be a little sarcastic about that, given he hadn't studied as a Jedi in some time. The most advanced ability he'd seen was Luke's Force Projection.

[provenforce]

The smile fades from Rey's face as he says that, irritation seeping in around the edges of her good mood once again. She sighs shaking her head.

"I know Luke let you down, but you know there's more than that to the Jedi." Maybe if Luke had been her only master, she'd feel a little differently. But she'd trained with Obi-Wan, too. He had been a good teacher.

[letoldthingsdie]

"Ah, right. There's meditation. That's important, I suppose." Now he's just saying this to poke fun at her for putting his uncle and Obi Wan on such a pedestal. He respected that they both had power, but that didn't mean they were stronger than him. They were just old men, from his point of view, from a time long gone.

[provenforce]

"You could stand to meditate more, maybe you'd be able to reflect on what an ass you are," she replies, bristling and turning to walk away, whistling for Padawan to follow her. Ben can follow if he wants to, but she isn't going to keep talking to him if he's going to keep trying to upset her.

[letoldthingsdie]

It's on the tip of his tongue to tell her to stop, to keep pointing out all the ways in which his views are right. Instead he stands there, staring after her. He certainly hadn't expected to be called an ass today. An ass was the least of all the things he was.

"Only if you stop putting old failures up on a pedestal and trying to imprint on them like you're a damned Porg chick." He spat out after her, scowling in her direction. It was the only insult he could spit out in that moment, digging in the fact that she only saw so highly of them because she'd had no real parents of her own - filthy junk traders, he'd called them.

[provenforce]

If he'd let it go there, she could have walked away. Maybe if he'd only insulted Luke, even. But he insulted Obi-Wan, too. Rey spins and stalks back towards him, her hands balling into fists.

"Obi-Wan is not a failure!" she snaps, her arms and shoulders tense. She would use the Force now, but she's aware enough of their surroundings to keep from doing anything. She stops just short of getting completely in his face, eyes blazing even though she has to tilt her head up to glare at him. "Luke was not a failure. They may have shortcomings but the only failure is you. Every time something or someone tries to show you that you're killing yourself you go in the opposite direction. You think destroying everything will accomplish the future you want? You're wrong. It's too easy. Nothing worth building towards is ever that easy, and you're weak for taking that path."

[letoldthingsdie]

His hand reflexively goes to her throat though he doesn't squeeze, only holds her there in front of him while the two of them are within centimeters of one another. His brown eyes burn with anger as he stares down at her, his free hand balled into a fist.

"No? Not a failure? The entire Jedi Order is built on failures - it's why it was nearly eviscerated by Darth Vader in the first place. They were dying long before he'd even turned. The one thing my uncle had right leading up to his death was the Jedi need to end, even if he's so convinced you're the last of them." He speaks evenly, his voice lowered to a deadly whisper, his face so close to hers. He doesn't touch upon the things she's said about him, already feeling the sting of her words deep at his core.

"I told you we could change all of it - create a new order to the galaxy. You think that's easily done? It's not. What would have been easy is if I'd just cut you out like the cancer you are - just popping in my head whenever you want to." He beats his fist lightly to the side of his head to make the point.

"The only weakness I feel, the only weakness I have, is when it comes to you. I thought you understood things but you don't. You're still holding on to their bleating nonsense. You're still holding on to something that doesn't exist anymore, just like your junk trader parents. If you would just listen to me-!!" He lets her go, running both hands through his hair and stopping short of tugging on it in his ire.

[provenforce]

Padawan lets out a snarl as soon as Kylo Ren's hand closes around Rey's neck, but Rey holds a hand out to the mabari, palm open, to signal that she needs to wait. Her jaw is tense as he talks, eyes burning into his. In this moment he's Kylo Ren, and she's never stopped hating Kylo Ren.

When he lets go of her she staggers backwards, Padawan's solid form moving quickly to steady her and put herself between Rey and Kylo Ren. There are people staring, whispering, but Rey ignores it, her lips pressed tight as she tries to keep frustrated tears from spilling from her eyes.

"I felt that darkness. I could have fallen into it. It would have been easier than this. Building something on the ashes of what you've destroyed will be a hollow victory when you realize that no one will be left. You'll be alone."

[letoldthingsdie]

He has that look in his eye again, eternally sad exhausted by the world around him. He didn't understand why she wouldn't just listen to him. No one seemed capable of it, in his mind. She was right - he was alone. It didn't have to be that way, though.

"I don't need anyone else to be left. What good has that even done me? I thought you being left would be enough." For him, anyway. If she had frustrated tears, he absolutely had them too. They threatened to break free and he fights it, clenching his jaw against the sensation. Neither are you she'd said, to his assertion that she wasn't alone. Now he felt, more than ever, that that whole exchange had been a lie.

[provenforce]

She can see it, feel it through their connection, and he's Ben in her mind again, and she struggles with that. She knows she should turn and walk away again, because this is how things end with them. She was foolish to think that being here might change things.

Fighting past the lump in her throat she shakes her head.

"I can't live like that. I found people I care about-- who care about me. I thought you could be a part of that but..." she sighs, shaking her head in frustration and rubbing at her eyes, brushing the tears away before they have a chance to fall. "You pushed me away. You chose power, and went down a path you know deep down I can't follow. I don't have it in me."

[letoldthingsdie]

He felt like he was teetering, both physically and mentally. He didn't like getting close to other people, had done a good job avoiding it for so long. Rey got under his skin so abruptly that he struggled to just dig her back out again.

"Then that's all there is. If we have to be stuck here... that's all there is." He would do his level best to avoid her, save for the Force Bond that intruded on them both. His cheeks felt wet and he couldn't quite escape her noticing it, though he wipes at the tears quickly before they get too far. He takes a step back, implying either she go or he go. He needed to empty his head of her again.

[provenforce]

She stares at him, wanting to stay, wanting to shake him until he understood where she was coming from. But she couldn't push him more than he'd let himself be pushed. She was not Snoke, and she wouldn't force him to understand her. Inhaling a shaky breath she tears her gaze away from his and looks down at her mabari, planted solidly between them.

"C'mon Padawan. Let's go," her eyes lift to his one last time on the last word, before she turns and walks away.