TEST DRIVE MEME!

[faderifting]

What if there is no tomorrow?

Only more Hinterlands

Maybe the Inquisition sent you, maybe you came seeking the Inquisition. Maybe you fell out of a rift into this world last week and are still just trying to find your feet. However it happened, the first days of the new year find you in the Hinterlands. Tucked between Ferelden's massive Lake Calenhad and the icy Frostback Mountains, the Hinterlands are a hilly region covered in patchy forests and small farms trying to eke out a living between the boulders. Though somewhat remote, the area is rich with game and minerals and home to Redcliffe, a bustling town on a busy trade route.

Lately the Hinterlands have also been full of mages and templars and rifts, all threatening to turn once-peaceful countryside into a dangerous warzone. The Inquisition has set up several camps and sent personnel to try to restore order to the region, unwilling to let it slip into chaos. There's a lot to be done, some of it straightforward killing bad things, some of it weird and nebulous morale-building.

STILL WITH ADDED SNOW AND NOW ALSO ADDED KINDNESS TO ANIMALS (MOSTLY).

1. IF I GET SCARED, YOU'RE ALWAYS AROUND

You have turned the wrong corner in the snow, forded the wrong stream in the snow, crested the wrong hill in the snow, entered the wrong cave in the snow. Maybe you are far from camp, in the snow. Maybe you are in camp, which is also snowy. Whatever has happened, wherever you are: you are being chased through the snow by bears. Did you throw a snowball at the bears? Are they huge and snow-dusted? Babies burrowing through the snow drifts and coming for your ankles? Fade-touched in addition to snow-touched? Controlled by cold mages who are hiding in the snow? Popping up out of the snow like a game of whack-a-mole? What are they chasing you away from in all of this snow? What are they chasing you into, other than more snow? What warm things do you plan to make out of their hide if you kill them in the snow? What do you think they'll craft out of your hide if they kill you in the snow? P.S. It's still snowy.

2. THEY SAY WE'RE YOUNG AND WE DON'T KNOW

The Inquisition has, possibly, been a little too good at dealing with the Hinterlands' bear problem, and a group of concerned citizens--including young burgeoning naturalists, farmers concerned about the effect an unchecked population of rams may have on their crops come spring, and at least one woman who claims to be directly descended from bears--has taken issue. Maybe they're blocking your character's attempt to enter a bear-infested area. Maybe they've doused your character in bear blood. Maybe the bears they have been working so hard to save have cornered them in the wilderness and they're changing their tunes.

3. WITH YOU I CAN'T GO WRONG

The Inquisition's (cough Leliana's) habit of communicating by raven works out fine, usually, but this particular raven has gone a little rogue. It's not the raven's fault! She's young, she's trying. But she has very important information tied to her leg, and instead of delivering it, she's joined a flock of identical wild ravens to hunt for food in the snow. Recover her, somehow, without hurting her and making any spymistresses angry.

4. BEFORE IT'S EARNED, OUR MONEY'S ALL BEEN SPENT

The tavern at Redcliffe remains as busy as ever, filled with locals, travelers, and Inquisition members. But this month in addition to the usual free-flowing ale and rowdy conversation there is also a contest going on. Bakers have come from across the Hinterlands bearing their very best in an effort to win a coveted ribbon and the title of Best Cake. They pack the tavern and spill out into the surrounding courtyard when the weather allows, cakes sold off tables, out of packs, small chunks given away to whoever is passing and not paying enough attention to refuse. The votes are carefully guarded by several serious looking fellows in the back corner of the tavern. In addition to traffic issues, the cake madness has also caused an infestation of large local rodents, who have appeared out of their holes to devour the many crumbs. Legend has it that if they can be humanely eradicated from the tavern before the final vote is cast, spring will come early. No one in living memory has succeeded, but you are strongly encouraged to try anyway.

5. AIN'T NO HILL OR MOUNTAIN WE CAN'T CLIMB

Hunt game so you can rescue it before other hunters get there, kill demons or maybe just try to hug it out?, dig under the snow for herbs or plant some of your own to replace what others have taken, track bandits through the snow and see if they need a hand, deal with someone charging extortionist coat prices now that it's snowing and convince them to do the right thing, fall off a deceptively tall rock into the snow and admit it was your own fault, get lost circling the same hill ten times trying to find a way up to the weird glowing skull on a stick you can see is up there in the snow so that you can give it a decent burial, climb trees or abandoned towers covered in snow and be careful not to knock them down, rummage around in empty homes to get out of the snow but leave a nice apology note, run from a dragon in the snow and promise not to trespass on its territory again, definitely don't kill any fennec foxes, set up camp and chat around the fire about your feelings because it's snowy and cold, give yourself a pat on the back (figuratively, or even literally if that's more your speed)-- the Hinterlands are your playground.

Comments

[whathumansdo]

4.

This isn't the first time Jane has had to do some sort of menial task to make things run smoothly for someone else. Honestly, she isn't even trying to collect the rodents to bring spring early - no matter how tired she is of the snow. She's mostly doing it to give the cakes a chance to survive long enough to be judged.

When they had said 'large rats' she was half expecting the kind of massive rodents you might encounter in the Deep Roads. Those probably would have cleared out the tavern must faster though, cake or no cake.

These ones were big, but not so big that you had to take them down with swords. Instead, she had a large sack she was placing the little blighters in after they were safely trapped.

"You're kind of cute, aren't you?" she said to the newest one. It was indeed far cuter than any other the others she had found. Most of them had been a dark gray or brown color and had fur that was filthy and gross. This one seemed more delicate, with a small tuft of white hair above it's eye. "Someone could also put you in a cage and take you home."

The animal made a panicked noise and tried to bite her to get free. She twisted her arm just in time to avoid that. Rather than be offended, she seemed more amused by the effort. "That's right, little guy. You fight until you don't have any fight left." She almost didn't want to put this one in the bag, but there was free cake waiting.

"Next time, go for the eyes," she added before delicately plopping him into the sack.

(alternatively, wildcard! you pick the set up!)

Rats, Shepard?

[middle_of_calibrating]

Rats don't bother him a whole lot, but he's far from being fond of them, so having to catch them alive and then tossing them into a bag is not his idea of fun. He doesn't even think getting cake is worth it, yet somehow here he was catching rats for free cake.

And the reason why he was doing it was standing a few feet away practically cooing at a rodent.

"Shepard... are you really giving advice to a rat?" he asks from where he's standing, hand on his hip, the other one grasping the end of his bag to make sure the rats in it don't get out.

<3

[whathumansdo]

"Well, sure. As long as it's a cute rat," Shepard replied easily, almost as if it was off handed and completely normal to give advice to rodents.

She grinned over at Garrus. "How many have you managed to bag?" She's not saying that she's pretty sure she has more, but it might be on her mind.

*sighs* <3

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Do you give advice to everything that's cute?" If she does that with a 'cute' rat, he's pretty sure she's likely to do it for something else. Probably a nug. People thought those were cute, right?

And of course she'd ask about how many rats are in his bag. At that Garris' lips thin out and he gives Jane a look, knowing exactly why she asks, his competitive nature suddenly kicking in. "Four..." he mutters reluctantly.

[whathumansdo]

She almost opens her mouth to say something about how she'd happily give advice to cute mercenaries if he was feeling left out, but thought better of it at the last moment.

"Four's pretty impressive, but Mr. Cute was my fifth..." she trails off as if she was thinking that over when really she's watching him to see the way that he reacts.

[middle_of_calibrating]

Five. Just one more than him. "You know there are still more rats left..." he trails off as well, watching her in return. A challenge if ever there was one - 'I can still catch more than you'.

A pause then a raised brow. "Did you just name it Mr. Cute?"

[whathumansdo]

"Maybe," she says, but she doesn't seem to care as much about that any more. One isn't that great of a lead. Clearly she needs to find Mr. Cute more friends.

She focuses instead on finding more of the rats. They're big, but they still manage to hide now that they know they're being hunted.

[middle_of_calibrating]

Well now that there is clearly a race going on, Garris seems a bit more energetic about the whole rat catching business. Course that means he's also putting a lot more thought into how to go about it. Such as possibly grabbing one of the loaves of bread on the table and using the crumbs as bait - if anyone argued about it, he was simply sacrificing one for the good of the many (loaves of bread).

It's not too long that Garris catches another, pointedly making a show of putting it in the bag and giving Jane a smug grin. "That's five, Shepard."

[whathumansdo]

"Six," Shepard responds as she finds one more for herself. Her voice is almost sing-songy as she says it. She really doesn't care about winning this so much watching him actually care about what they're doing. She enjoys the way his face looks when he starts formulating plans how how best to trick the rats out or the focus in his eyes and he gets more determined to beat her.

She isn't really trying to win but that doesn't mean she gives up completely. It's not as fun if he thinks he's already won.

[embracelight]

"Oh, my," a young woman exclaims from across the room. She too has a sack to place the rats it, because it's better than swinging a sword around and causing destruction. "No, no, I'm sorry. Come here." She lunges forward and grabs a couple of squealing rodents, letting out an Ow! as they bite her hand before she safely gets them trapped in the sack with the rest. Turning around, she waves her bleeding hand a little as she frowns. And when she sees Jane, she smiles sheepishly.

"I, ah, I interrupted them," she begins. "They were being very friendly. In the carnal sense." Yes, Belinda stumbled upon two rats mating. This is her life right now.

[whathumansdo]

"Oh?" Shepard's eyebrows rose a bit at that thought. She was torn between being very amused and feeling like she shouldn't mock the woman who had found them. After a moment, she managed to get out, "Nice to know I'm not the only one who gets excited about cake."

[embracelight]

Belinda giggles at that, nodding her head enthusiastically. There was rarely cake in the Templar barracks, but she had indulged quite a bit when she was just a girl. And she certainly doesn't mind getting her hands dirty in order to earn cake, though she will need to see a healer about her hand.

"It's been too long since I've had cake. And I thought why not help out here? Cake tastes all the sweeter when you work for it. Or so I imagine. This is my first time working for it."

[whathumansdo]

Well, now that Belinda has responded that way, Jane is more than ready to get to know her a bit more. She returns the smile with her own and gets a little closer.

"It also tastes better when rats don't get to it, so let's keep up the good work." She still seems more amused than anything and holds up her bag to encourage Belinda to work with her to track down all of the rats.

just in time!

[embracelight]

"Oh, right." Belinda looks around the room, then moves towards a table, sliding bowls and pots of flour aside to try and find more dastardly rodents.

"My name is Belinda," she adds as she searches. "Originally from Starkhaven, but I serve the Inquisition now. And yourself?"

yay!

[whathumansdo]

"Shepard. Jane Shepard." She really isn't one for sharing much about her past up front, but she doesn't want to alienate Belinda. "I'm from all over and considering making the Inquisition a permanent position."

She considered Belinda bit, wondering what had made someone from Starkhaven wonder their way down here. Not that she minded talking to Belinda, it just seemed a little different. "How are you liking it?"

[embracelight]

"It's wonderful," she gushes, and one might mistake her for being sarcastic except there's no accompanying eye roll or smirk to suggest it's so. She really is serious.

"We're doing so much good for Thedas. Keeping people safe, having people who can close rifts, and all manner of things that you wouldn't expect to have a big impact, but they do! Why, the other day I was part of a group who reclaimed stolen heirlooms for some of the Inquisition's noble allies. And they're giving so much money as a reward! This will help so many. And even this; what we're doing now. It's a small thing, but it's good to help people however I can."

[whathumansdo]

Shepard can't help but be soothed by her optimism. It is reassuring and comforting in ways that few things can be. It's nice. She isn't sure she agrees that finding some noble's riches was really 'doing good' but she also can't help but admit that this rat hunting thing was helping the bakers and the people around who just wanted to enjoy the sight of the cakes or to get a taste.

"That's a good way to look at it."

wildcard BUT i can totally change this up if it doesn't work for you :D

[eviscerates]

None of this is how she wanted her day to go, really.

Caught in a rope net, one hand tangled in the rope and the other twisted awkwardly behind her back, she's been stuck slowly spinning for about thirty minutes. And, honestly, she's not one to complain or be impatient, but there's a whole lot of snow around and she is really not dressed for it. She was thinking it might be a little warmer in the Enchanted Forest when she travelled home, and then instead she sort of travelled here. She's not sure how that worked, but she is more than confident that this is not home.

Thank God for wolf hearing, though. She's making another very valiant effort to reach the knife in her belt, but the hand behind her back is going kinda numb, and there's only so much indignity a girl can take.

"Uh, hello? Hi!" Her voice calls out when she hears footsteps in the snow, and she's calling out loudly because she really doesn't want to risk spending the night out here. Besides, she's wrapped up in a red cape, it's not like she isn't already sort of eyecatching. "I'm kind of having a situation. Could I trouble you for some help?"

Which is to say: random stranger, please save her. The net is hanging from a tree branch, has her suspended a good ten foot or so off the ground, and yet she offers a bright smile when they come into view.

this is great! :D shep likes rescuing pretty ladies!

[whathumansdo]

Shepard actually sees her before she hears her voice. She comes over to and looked up at Red. "I'd say." It really is a sort of 'situation' that people wouldn't want to be in. It's not said sarcastically so much as just an observation.

"Hold on, let me figure out how to get you down safely." She doesn't want to just cut her down and then have her fall painfully to the ground. Instead, she figures out how the trap was set up and then uses her upper body strength to lower Red a bit more carefully.

Once the net and the woman instead are on the ground, she comes over to help Red out of the net. "You all right?"

and red likes being rescued! everyone wins

[eviscerates]

Red just shrugs (as best she can, in this position) and raises her brows in a little yeah, I know sort of expression. This is another one of those ridiculous situations she's gotten into, and she's not sure if it's better or worse that it wasn't someone she knew that came to her aid. On the one hand: less future teasing, she hopes, on the other? What a first impression to make.

"Yeah, no rush," she replies, without a hint of sarcasm. For all that she really would appreciate a rush, she's also pretty glad she's not going to be landing face first in the snow. The short wait with freedom so close makes the aches in her back and her shoulders worsen, of course, but that's just the way things always go.

Shaking out the hand that was stuck behind her back, carefully moving it to make sure nothing is damaged, she looks to Shepard with a grateful smile as she eases herself onto her feet. "Still in one piece. Thank you, by the way. I wasn't doing so well at the whole escape with dignity thing."

And, a quiet huff of breath, rolling her shoulders a little. Cold and being stuck in one position for a while? Terrible. "I'm Ruby. Most people call me 'Red.'"

yay!

[whathumansdo]

"Shepard," she responds with her own name and checks over Ruby for a moment, just to make sure she's not standing painfully on her legs or seems to be hurt any more than the soreness that uncomfortable position might put someone in.

"It's nice to meet you, Red." After all, most of the time if someone says 'most people' call them something it's usually what they prefer to be called, but she can change that. "Though it's probably better to meet in a tavern than it is in the woods. I can make sure you get to the nearest one while avoiding any more traps if you'd like?" She doesn't expect payment or anything, but she feels better making sure that Red doesn't get harassed by anything else she might find in the woods.

oh man apologies for being slow, post-house moving chaos everywhere

[eviscerates]

"Shepard?" Red grins. "I have a friend who's a shepherd. Or... was. He's doing other stuff now." Became a prince, fought to save a kingdom, you know. All the good kind of stuff. She quirks an eyebrow, and leans back just slightly, appraising her newfound company. "Are you an actual shepherd, or...?" The question trails off, playful and curious.

And that gets a laugh. "Tell me about it. Warm, comfortable." Looking across the way, Red tilts her head and considers. "Normally I'd like to think I'm pretty good at avoiding traps, but something has shaken up my confidence on that front."

It doesn't take much thinking. "Sure. I'd offer to buy you a drink on the other side, but I'm kind of short on cash. New in town, and uh, didn't have time to get any local coin."

Which is a very, very optimistic spin to put on falling through a bright green light in the sky, yes.

no apologies needed!

[whathumansdo]

"My family was, at one time." She was sure the giant sword strapped to her back was a sign that she might not be one herself any more. She smiles though, because Red's face when she's being playful is the sort of thing that someone can't help but smile about. "I'm sure I could pick it up again, and match the name, but recusing beautiful women from nets seems to be my current calling."

The talk about being 'new to town' makes her pause a bit, because that term has some real loaded meaning to it now that people have been falling out of Rifts. Her eyes find themselves gazing down to get a look at Red's hand. "Don't worry. I grew up around this area. I can cover you."

[eviscerates]

Glancing down to smooth her hands over her skirts, Red misses the look. Her hands are gloved in red leather that stretched past her wrist and along to her forearm. It is concealing a glowing mark of the Rift on her, but she's not learned about that just yet. More fun for Ruby, apparently. "I suppose so. Although... now I think about it, David did rescue snow from a net, once." A pause, and her eyes narrow a little as she thinks. "Actually, he also caught her in the net."

Shrugging a little, she shakes her head. "My friends are strange people," she jokes. "But it seems like a beautiful place to grow up. You know, when you're not wading through snow or getting caught in traps." For a moment, Red seems very serious, expression a little exaggerated. "There aren't normally a lot of traps, are there?"

[whathumansdo]

"It really depends on the season," Shepard replied. "Lately, though, you're more likely to get a demon caught in your net rather than dinner."

She really needs to understand that story. "Did you just say one of your friends is named Snow?"