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Test Drive Meme!

You'll Never Leave the Hinterlands Alive*

Welcome to Fade Rift's very first Test Drive Meme! Use one of the prompts below or make up your own, and tag around! Have fun, try out the setting, generate samples for your app, coerce your friends into joining you.

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, early fall finds 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.

1. In the Deep Dark Hills of Western Ferelden

You have turned the wrong corner, forded the wrong stream, crested the wrong hill, entered the wrong cave. Maybe you are far from camp. Maybe you are in camp. Whatever has happened, wherever you are: you are being chased by bears. Did you provoke the bears? Are they huge? Babies? Fade-touched? Mage-controlled? What are they chasing you away from? What are they chasing you into? What do you plan to make out of their hide if you kill them? What do you think they'll craft out of your hide if they kill you?

2. There I Read on a Hillside Gravestone

The rebel mages and renegade templars have ravaged the Hinterlands, skirmishes breaking out all over. It looks like you've just missed one-- great spikes of ice melt slowly in the cool autumn sunlight and patches of grass and trees have been scorched away. Three bodies are scattered about, two templars and one mage judging by their clothing. You could bury them. Or search their pockets. Or track their friends. Or all of the above, if you're feeling industrious.

3. Won't You Walk With Me Out the Mouth of this Holler

Whatever task you were actually sent out here to do, you are going to be late. One-Eyed Jimmy asked so nicely for your help finding his prize ram, Lord Woolsley. It's been in the family for years, so smart for a ram, it's a good luck charm, their business has boomed with it around, and it's lived for so long, he just can't abide thinking of it getting eaten by some mangy apostate. And then he went and offered you money, too. How could you say no? Maybe you're still wandering, asking everyone you pass if they've seen a ram that looks like it's wearing an orangey-red sweater. Maybe you've found it and are chasing it around a lake or trying to lead it back to the village for your reward. Maybe you've gotten fed up and gotten out your sword to bring Jimmy a new sweater instead and discovered that lucky Lord Woolsley is a demon in sheep's clothing. Surprise!

4. Fill Your Cup With Whatever Bitter Brew You're Drinking

Just because the region's had a rough time lately doesn't mean the tavern at Redcliffe is any less crowded than usual. Bella behind the bar dishes out tankards to refugees and soldiers, scared villagers and angry farmers, merchants traveling through from Orzammar and Orlais and families fleeing the rifts in the foothills. It's packed, basically. The Inquisition has only recently extended its influence into the region, and while some have already seen the benefit-- demons killed, fighting broken up-- others are skeptical.

5. Spend Your Life Just Thinkin' of How to Get Away

Choose Your Own Adventure: hunt game, kill demons, gather herbs, track bandits, haggle over the price of armor, fall off a deceptively tall rock, 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, climb trees or abandoned towers, rummage around in empty homes, run from a dragon, cry over how cute that fennec fox you just shot was, set up camp and chat around the fire, knock yourself out (figuratively, or even literally if that's more your speed)-- the Hinterlands are your ~~Frostback Mountain~~ oyster.

*Yeah, I had this stuck in my head. It's a good song!!

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{ 1 }
[ Christine hadn't meant to stray far, but the wounded refugee absolutely refused to let her treat their wounds with her magic, so Christine had rushed to find some elfroot instead. She needed several of the plants for the poultice she planned to make, and each one she spotted led her farther and farther away from the refugees' campfire.

And then she hears the growl. Whipping her staff off her back, she stuffs the elfroot into her pouch with her other hand before casting a magical barrier over herself. With that done, her eyes scan around, searching for the owner of that growl. When she spots the bear, she takes several steps back before hearing an answering growl behind her. Oh no. Not two bears. Christine knows if she flings a spell at either one, she'll just antagonize them, so she slowly begins to step off to the side, hoping to get the one behind her in her sights. But when a twig snaps far too close for comfort, she screams and starts running. ]

{ 4 }
[ As one of the mages who agreed with Grand Enchanter Fiona's decision to break the Templars' hold on mages, she's found herself labeled a rebel and is here in the Redcliffe tavern because there's no where else to go. Or there wasn't, until recently. All of a sudden, Fiona had indentured them all to Tevinter. And just as suddenly, the Inquisitor had arrived and made the magister give them up. Within a few days, they'll be starting off for Haven, but until then, Christine is trying to keep herself occupied at the tavern, leaning against a post with a tankard in one hand. ]

[Out of all the places that Jamie has been over the past few years, this one would be likely be the closest to his home back in Scotland yet, were it not for the fact that he knew full well he'd fallen out of some great rift in the sky not all that long ago. Now he's stuck in a strange place, with something stuck in him - green and glowing and something he is thinking he isn't going to care much for at all. So Scotland is right out of the question, but there are things here that are still almost painfully familiar.

Like bears. And a terrified lassie who seems to have gotten their attention, something that's not good at all, given that they're bears. If he had a sword, he might be able to have a go at facing them, but armed with a dirk that's a chancy prospect at best. Better to get away from them if they can - to get her away from them if he can - and he steps out from behind a rock, waving his arms wildly to get the lassie's attention.]

Come on! There's some trees over this way. If we can make it there we can climb them to get clear!

[It doesn't even occur to him that his brogue sounds remarkably like someone from Starkhaven. He doesn't even know what that is yet, only that they need to get away from those bears if they can.]

[ Sadly, Christine is not well traveled. That's the way it is when you're a Circle Mage. The Tower is your home, or your prison, so she doesn't immediately guess he's from Starkhaven since she's never heard that accent before. To him, her accent sounds French, if he's familiar with what that sounds like, but she's Orlesian. Luckily he hasn't met one of the stuck up noble ones, or he might have to convince her to climb the tree since it would ruin her dress!

No such argument is coming from Christine. She may be in mage robes, which look the same, but she'll find a way up. ]

I can slow them down! Get their attention!

[ She can throw a spell back at them, but only if she's sure there's enough space in between her and them. If they focus on Jamie for a second, hopefully they'll veer towards him. ]

[The thought that she might not want to climb trees in that set of robes she's got on is something that doesn't worry him all that much. French or not, if she turns out to be a stubborn sort, he's managed to convince people to do the sensible thing before. He can do it again. And if she's not then so much the better...although he does see the need to get some space between them and the bears first. He glances around in an attempt to try and spot anything that might help, but it only lasts a moment before lifting his head to looks back at her.]

Look, I think you've got their attention well enough as it is. Just get behind me and I'll try to distract them so you can make a break for it.

[There's his rather red kilt, maybe, but he doesn't know if that would work on a bear. What he does have is a somewhat rocky slope where part of a hill has broken away, and he reaches down to grab a decent sized chunk of stone from it. Maybe that'd do to get their attention on him instead of her, although he knows he's going to have to time it well or risk getting mauled.]

Go on, then. I'll sort these beasties out.

What?

[ It's asked incredulously as she sees he has a rock and he says he's going to "sort them out." Is that his weapon of choice? Oh, Andraste, he's going to get mauled. ]

I'm a mage; just hold their attention.

[ She can't let him take the brunt of an attack while she cowers behind him. She didn't join the rebels so she could live in fear. And so she's going to throw a spell at them. The problem is, she won't have enough mana to do it and make a clean break away. Not unless...

She fumbles in her pouch for a lyrium potion and holds it in one hand as she Fade Steps forward. It's like she's just sprinted several yards in the blink of an eye. She whirls around, thumb already popping up the stopper on the bottle, and drinks the lyrium. If Jamie's plan has worked, the bears should be distracted by him, though her little burst of magic may have caught their attention right back. No matter. She casts a wall of ice that bursts forth right in between Jamie and herself on one side, and the bears on the other. It won't last long. They'll smash through. But it's bought them some time. ]

Trees! Now!

A what?

[That gets him to stare, the notion as incredulous to him as apparently his desire to go bunging rocks at bears is to her. Okay, so he can't entirely blame her for that, because bunging rocks at things is generally a bit daft, but her claiming to be something that exists only in stories could be said to be a bit daft, too, at least from his perspective. However, staring isn't going to help him with the bears, and rocks will, providing he can get them to go where he needs them to. So he shoves the thought of mages aside even as he shifts his grip on the rock and starts to pull his arm back. A few seconds later he lets it fly, sending the rock on a fairly straight trajectory - not at the bear, but just past it. There's some trees there, too, ones that had suffered some damage at some point in the not too distant past, leaving a dead limb dangling a few feet above the ground. They'd be dangerous to walk under, or to climb, for that matter, but that limb's perched precariously enough that if he can hit it in the right spot he might be able to knock it loose.

The first rock hits it with a satisfying and fairly loud thump. It's a decent sized rock, and his aim's good enough that the dead leaves on it make a bit of noise as the branch starts to shift. It doesn't fall - at least not at first, but he follows it up with a second and a third rock, combining it with a fair amount of yelling. He can see the lassie doing something out of the corner of his eye, but any questions he has about that he keeps to himself, more intent on scaring off the bears than anything else...or at least distracting them enough they don't charge. That part of things seems to be working well enough, at least, and it buys them those few precious seconds it takes the lassie to put up some sort of barrier between them and the bear. It looks like ice, and he can't imagine that would slow a bear down for any length of time - but he'll take it, and there's exactly no hesitation as he starts for the trees, running for all he's worth, reaching out to attempt to grab her hand and pull her along with her, if she needs the help there.]

You'll not have to tell me twice. Let's go!!

[ His actions help since the bears are now confused and all turned around. They turn towards the sound of leaves rustling so that by the time the ice wall is spread before them, they have to lumber back towards it to see what it is and why it's in their way.

Christine isn't going to wait around to see them figure it out. She runs after Jamie, not hesitating to take his hand since he's a much faster sprinter than she is. Once they get to the trees, she places her staff on her back where it sticks, as if by magic ~~or fantasy video game logic.~~ It might get in the way while climbing, but together they've worked to give themselves a head start. ]

You should know, I've never done this before.

[After that wall of ice, he's not about to question how her staff seems to be able to magically stick to her back like that. Well, not yet, anyway. That might come in a bit once the bears are behind them - or below them, if they can get to those trees in time. Still, that part of things is looking promising so far. Holding her hand helps him keep pace with her, which in turn will allow him to shift quickly if he needs to.

Once they're close enough to the trees, he does just that, a quick glance over his shoulder convincing him it's time to let go and drop back enough so he's between her and anything coming up behind them. Admittedly, he can't really see what the bears are doing to the ice from here, but the sounds coming from behind it are ones that make him think that he doesn't want to take any chances. Only after that does he feel comfortable enough to take a brief look at her, his eyebrows arching up rather visibly as he does so.]

Which part? Climbing trees or running away from bears? I'm thinking that wall thingy you made is something you might have had some practice with.

Not against bears, but I've been trained in magic, yes.

[ She's reaching for a branch, hoping it's sturdy enough. ]

And I was speaking of the tree climbing.

[ Grabbing hold, she heaves herself up and the branch takes the weight, allowing her to reach higher and move upwards again. Now off of the ground, she looks back down to make sure he's following. ]

I'll try to get higher. They might still swipe at us.

Aye, well, I think it's-

[There's a cracking sound from behind them, coming from the general direction of the ice wall. To him it sounds exactly like the breaking ice, something he's heard before. It might not be - but if her wall's starting to give way, then she has an excellent point. He reaches above him, grasping onto a branch that's sturdy enough to hold his weight, and starts to pull himself upward with its help.]

Time to get higher, I think. Look for the larger branches, aye? The smaller ones bend or break with too much weight, and unless that magic of yours includes flying it's probably a good idea to avoid those. Let me know if you get stuck, though.

All right.

[ She shifts around, trying to do so quickly when she hears the growls of the bears and that just spurs her on faster. Twisting a bit, she grabs hold of a branch and hoists herself up. But her clothes are really not the best for this. Ankle length mage robes plus soft slippers and a long staff on her back make for poor climbing attire. Not to mention the twigs pulling at her loose hair.

But she does manage to get up higher, her staff getting a bit stuck and leaving her bent forward over a thick fork in the tree, panting and huffing at the inconvenience. ]

Maker! This stupid staff! Can you free it from this branch?

Aye, I think so.

[His route up has been slightly different so far, as there's a couple of branches he's avoided out of caution. He's not a very big man as those sorts of things go, but he's still heavier than she is, even with her having the staff to deal with. He can see it where he is, though, and with a little maneuvering, he's sure he can reach it. Accordingly, he inches himself over to a spot where he can reach for the next branch over.]

Just need to...get...over there.

[There's not much said from him for the next minute or two, only a few grunts from time to time as he pulls himself up higher, but soon enough he gets to where he can reach the staff, and he shifts his weight in order to stretch forward, grab the staff and start working it free from where it's gotten stuck.]

Right, that's got it. Think- there, that should do. Try and move again now?

[ Meanwhile, the bears approach, growling and circling the tree. They aren't quite sure what to make of this yet, but they're definitely angry about the ice wall. ]

I think-- yes! [ She can finally lean back and she breathes a sigh of relief. ] That doesn't solve the problem of the bears, however. Hopefully they will get bored of us?

[So long as they don't get the bright idea to shake the tree - or climb it - he thinks things will be alright. So far they don't seem to be doing either, and he takes advantage of that moment to get himself into a slightly better position, one where he's not precariously perched and three seconds away from being knocked loose by a well timed shove.]

Aye, well, that's the plan, but...

[He glances down to see one of them stretch up for a moment, pawing at a spot on the tree below them. It doesn't look like climbing so much as it testing to see if can reach the people in the tree easily, but it still makes him a little bit uneasy.]

Don't suppose you can use that magic of yours to make up some wee ice beastie to lure them away, can you?

Edited 2015-10-05 00:35 (UTC)

[ Peter hadn't so much agreed with the rebellion as not had much anywhere else to go when it all fell apart. Circle mage (nearly) born and raised, what was he going to do, out in the world alone? So he'd followed. And followed. And followed. And now here he was.

He'd seen her among the mages when he'd arrived at Redcliffe, of course. But seeing and talking were two different things. In his entire life Peter hadn't traded much more than a handful of words with anyone not from his tower, and that was a habit he hadn't much broken yet. But between the shifty looks he was getting from the locals and the ever growing crowd, he'd settle for even the faintly familiar over the totally strange (and possible hostile).]

H-hello. Miss.

[ Christine turned, smiling politely at the young mage. He looked nervous and with this atmosphere, she could hardly blame him for that. ]

Hello to you too.

[ Her accent was Orlesian, but her demeanor was a bit more friendly than what people might typically think an Orlesian might act like. That was due to the fact that she was from a small town without plenty of fancy nobility who wore masks living there, and then she'd gone to the Circle where they were more or less equal. Equal unless they starting playing the game to rank up in society, as much as a mage was allowed to. Christine had never liked that. Which was why she was a rebel now. She wanted freedom from the Templars without having to play a role and never be herself. ]

What do you think of all this, hmm? The Herald of Andraste offering us a place in the Inquisition?

[ Pretty, talking to him, and asking his opinion. Peter had been ready to be shunned, or chased away, or politely turned away. But not for this. Which leaves his in stuttering shock for a moment before he can even try to get to the question. ]

I- uh, don't know just yet. We were signing on with Tevinter a day ago...not sure this one will last any longer, I guess.

No? I would hope it does. Anything is better than being indentured to Tevinter.

[ And she really doesn't think the term "indentured" is accurate. They would have been little better than slaves. ]

And it seems far better than staying here. The refugees resent us, and I can't blame them for that.

[ Peter bites his lip, not entirely sure signing up with the team where mages weren't the scum of the land was the worst option possible...but who is he to disagree with her? ]

I guess not...but they'd be doing that anyway, I suppose. Mages. And all.

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Test Drive Meme!

Christine Delacroix | Native OC | Orlesian Mage

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