TEST DRIVE MEME!

[faderifting]

WHAT A GLOOORIOUS FEELING

WE'RE STILL IN THE HINTERLANDS

How’s the weather, Inquisition? Terrible. Heavy rainfall pelts the plains and the mountains, four straight days of it! Dark clouds block out the sun. It may begin to feel like there’s no end to the storms in sight. When darkness falls, cold evening temperatures turn that rain frigid. Your boots, your socks, they’re soaked through. Everyone smells like wet wool.

And as if all that weren’t enough: the increased rainfall loosens patches of mud and shale, causing mudslides.

---

1. We’re not in Orzammar anymore…

A recent group of dwarven traders bearing fine crafts and goods were inbound for Skyhold, ready to flood the markets with their wares. Instead, they got flooded out.

Yes, word has reached the Inquisition that the traders have been unfortunately detained by the weather and they are now in need of a rescue. Dare you venture out into the lashing rain and sliding mud to rescue the traders?

If you do so dare, you’ll find some of the traders to be exceedingly grateful for your efforts, ready to bestow handsome rewards on you, O Brave Soul -- just as soon as you’ve escorted them safely back to Skyhold. Or you might find a cluster of more disagreeable traders, grumpy at the water in their boots and the loss of their goods. Some of those goods might still be rescuable, if you want to wade out into a mud field to retrieve a fallen chest, or tug an errant terrified donkey back onto what’s passing for dry road these days.

As you carry these treasures back to their masters, or back to Skyhold, you might consider helping yourself to a sampling of the wares on your way back. After all, your reward might not be adequate, and you are risking your life for these ungrateful sons of mothers. Just don’t get caught. These traders don’t look kindly on thieves, and frayed tempers snap easily.

Feel free to get stuck on your way to the rescue, too. Weather out the storm with a fellow do-gooder. These days, the rescuers might need rescuing just as much.

2. Are you mad? That’s twelve year old scotch!

In Skyhold and the surrounding tent towns, what with the confusion and the panic and the scramble for high ground, market stalls are left unattended and wares are ripe for the taking. For some, temptation proves to be too much. Where there’s disaster, there’s often looting! A few vendors defend their own wares, and those that can’t make desperate entreaties for assistance. Bandits! Thieves!

Are you a brave and hale friend to the Inquisition and to good honest trade, ready to defend the wares of the waterlogged merchants? Or maybe your sticky fingers spot a tempting treasure too great to ignore. If they didn’t want it stolen, they should have taken it with them! Watch out for that Qunari metalsmith with the mean right hook. He’s not to be trifled with, and his blow will leave you toothless in the mud.

3. I gotta go, Julia, we got bears.

The rainfall has disturbed more than the mud. Bears, resting in their caves, have found their caves to be too damp for their liking, and they’ve taken to the open air to vent their spleens. Some people say that the bears are as frightened as you are, but when you’re faced with a six hundred pound beast with huge pointy teeth, their innocence is a little harder to keep in perspective.

The tents surrounding greater Skyhold are especially worried by rogue bears. Make a stand against them, or else help evacuate a threatened campsite. Mudwrestling a bear is a great way to impress the ladies, or the gentlemen… but no one will blame you for beating a hasty retreat.

4. We got 12 skins of water, 56 ales, two vodkas, four whiskeys, six bottles of wine, tequila, hazelnut paste, cheese, bread, eggs, bananas, apples, bacon, steaks, pancakes, dry grain, milk, sweet tomato sauce, half a pudding, half-ounce Sour Wine, 3 1/2 grams Grand Inquisitor Kush, one ounce of 'shrooms, 15 ecstasy potions, a smutty woodcut, a bat…

TIME TO HUNKER DOWN. In the tavern, the barkeep is handing out free spiced wine to anyone who takes refuge behind her door. The din of conversation and lutesong makes a fine lullabye for the careworn traveler, and you might find yourself inadvertently dropping off to sleep. Or maybe someone’s fallen asleep on you.

Who can blame the slumberers, finally safe and warm and dry? In the tavern, the fires have been built up to ward off the chill and the damp, but relaxation is a little more difficult these days. You really have to elbow your way in there to get close to that warmth. Once you get close enough, you’ll find that the hearths are taken up with dozens and dozens of wet socks and wetter boots, steaming gently as they dry. Be disgusted if you want, or else peel off your own and go barefoot while you wait.

Hey! What’s going on over there? Someone’s taking one of your socks! Stop, thief!

If you can’t make it to the tavern, you might find yourself holed up somewhere a little more unlikely. The limited space within Skyhold means there aren’t a lot of free rooms. That door you shoulder open in desperation might have an owner already. Intrusions aren’t always unwelcome, but beware of what -- or who! -- you might find.

5. Lots of fish… and lots of weather.

WILDCARD. Whatever you do, just remember: there’s a lot of rain, you’re very wet, and if you’re feeling amorous, keep in mind that everyone smells like wet wool. We cannot stress this enough.

Comments

[enasalin]

That declaration from the parrot gets a giggle out of her, though she'll let Kain take care of the spoiling unless it comes closer. She turns her focus back to the dragoon anyway, smiling in approval at his words. "I'm glad to hear it. We need all the help we can get and there's no escaping the effects of this. Everyone's in danger, so we need to band together. Or as many of us as are willing to cooperate. The indifference some have to this situation baffles me."

[dragoon_pride]

Kain pats the bird again and nods sternly. "I know that some may feel otherwise... it's not their world or their fight. But what choice is there, when we're here? I'd much rather put my all into a cause than go into it halfway. As long as I'm in this world, I'm a warrior for the Inquisition."

It probably does help he's used to this, having been a Warrior of Cosmos just before this.

[enasalin]

"That's what we need right now, dedicated people to help stop this world from falling apart. I'm sorry you can't see it in a better state, though with the Mage/Templar war, it wouldn't have happened anyway."

Danae raises an eyebrow, curious. "You must know plenty about Thedas by now, and its people. What are your thoughts on it?"

[dragoon_pride]

"I'm used to wars, at least. This is nothing new to me." Sure, Thedas seems worse than home ever was, but there are hardships to be endured no matter where one goes, and it's just something people need to bear, in Kain's opinion.

Hm, as for Thedas... "It's not too unlike where I came from in some regards. The basics of daily life and so on. But the way that mages are treated... even now, it's not easy to hear about. I've known plenty of mages, good and bad, and it's not worth punishing the good just because of those few who twist their power for evil ends..."

[enasalin]

Hearing that makes Danae smile and she nods, naturally approving. "Given that I'm a mage, I'm happy to hear that. Is it too much to hope that you have similar feelings on non-humans, then? Do you have any of those, where you're from?"

She's heard varying things about the origins of rifters; some from places with no magic, or no race other than humans or both. It's strange to think about, but the more she knows, the better she can relate to them. That he's not scowling and calling her knife-ear or rabbit is certainly a promising start.

[dragoon_pride]

"There are dwarves, of course, similar to here, they favor the underground." He's never tried greeting them here with a Lali-ho! but so far he's pretty sure that wouldn't go over well. But otherwise they're the same. "I've nothing against them. Nor against hummingway or moogles, creatures that are like talking rabbits and cats respectively, they're very helpful, merchants usually." He'd think the hummingway related to moogles, if he hadn't met them in different worlds entirely... who knows, though? "Eidolons- summoned creatures- aid us in battle, and I can respect them even if they're turned against me. Then there are Lunarians... I've met both good and evil of those..." He trails off, realizing he's probably giving her more than she ever needs to know.

"But they're an entire world away. I'll say that nonhumans aren't so unlike humans, though, and I'd always prefer to let individuals' actions impact how I feel toward that individual. Not their kind as a whole."

[enasalin]

"Talking rabbits and cats...." The thought gets an incredulous chuckle from Danae, though it's less amusing after a moment's thought. "The Orlesians call us rabbits and oxmen; Creators know what they'd make of intelligent creatures with an actual animalistic bent. And...Eidolons? I hope that has a different meaning from what can be summoned here." Because like everyone else in Thedas, her mind instantly goes to demons.

At any rate, she relaxes upon learning Kain's overall views. "That's good to know. Elves aren't exactly well-loved in Thedas and while I try not to judge humans as a whole, many aren't keen on returning the favor. At least the Inquisition is different."

[dragoon_pride]

"There's not much respect from those Orlesians, at all, is there?" He sighs, shaking his head. "The summoners are nothing like you're thinking, and Eidolons are hardly demons. They're powerful beasts, some of them appear rather monstrous... but many are quite respectful. They always serve the summoner, too, not the other way around." So of course, if someone evil summoned them... well, they'd all be in trouble.

"As far as I can tell, the Inquisition is one of the better places to be for a lot of these differing races of people. I'm sure it's not perfect, but even so..."

[enasalin]

"It's a start, which is badly needed in these desperate times. Change is coming; at least with the Inquisition, it has a chance of doing so in the most peaceful or least harmful manner possible. It's more than I thought would happen, so I can't complain."

Danae raises an eyebrow, still wondering about the beings that aren't really demons. "And people who don't have magic, what do they think of summoners who can just conjure powerful beings whenever? They don't worry about the potential abuse of such power?" Do they have anything like Templars? Probably not exactly, but it'd still be interesting to know if other worlds have safeguards put in place. Safeguards that aren't horribly corrupt and abusive.

[dragoon_pride]

"Well, like it or not, the appearance of us rifters is also going to change the world... however long we may be here for." Kain is unconcerned either way. He has things to accomplish, but he's started to wonder if he could make them happen here, instead. Perhaps... but it's a long term goal, and not an easy one to achieve, either.

Kain shakes his head. "The Summoners I know of lived peacefully in their village, with no desire to wreak havoc on others. Besides, there are enough powerful people around that they could keep them in balance if it came to that. My comrades and I had to fight a cruel, evil mage for instance... so it happens. But our world sees no point in punishing the good for the mere potential of the bad happening. Even us non-mage fighters often have powers, abilities of our own." He pauses, images of a town on fire vivid in his mind. "There was someone who feared the Summoners' powers. He ordered their village burned to the ground..."