Elanee sat near the campfire, a half-drunk flask of elven wine between her crossed legs. The Dalish sorceress was absent-mindedly sharpening the tip of her staff, which looked a whole lot like a naginata. She didn't talk much: Actually, she hadn't talked much throughout the whole journey:
Of all the fates she'd considered plausible, a random death on the Deep Roads looked least appetizing. At any rate, she was there by choice, and she had no right to moan: Just before the Templars got to her, she took refuge with the Grey Wardens. She was Conscripted, which put her outside the reach of the accursed Chantry once and for all. With a bit of luck, she'd get through the whole bullshit without being forced to drink the sludge, then she'd use her new-found immunity to harass Chantry preachers and to subvert the Chantry.
All in all, it was a fair trade... Except for the risk of pointless death, that is.
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.Near the fire, sharpening her knives, were Kalli.
"This reckleness of yours will be the death of you" she muttered to herself.
"Hey, tree-hugger, won't you join us?" Said Kalli to Elanee.
Elanee smirked, vaguely: "I'm here...", she said. She took a brief and apprehensive look at the gates of Orzammar. Then Elanee forced herself to shrug: "If you don't stop fighting back, killing you's about the worst thing the darkspawn can do. And it's not that scary", she grumbled, more to appease herself than to look tough.
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.Vas grunts in approval at Nessa's comment while he adds more wood to the camp fire.
Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?Alexander Maron looked up from the book he was reading and looked at Vas. "That's the most I've heard from you all day, Qunari. Are you saving your words up? You smile more than old Ser Tevon at any rate. He's clearly thrilled to be traveling in my company."
His staff was sitting next to him. It had a name, Madeleine. One end was capped with a large gemstone - that's where the magic came from. The other end had a spearpoint and a small axehead. His father, a nobleman from Highever, had it made for him and insisted that he practice with it. Hunting darkspawn was serious business, after all.
He turned towards the doors of Orzammar. "The other enchanters back at the Tower are never going to believe this..."
edited 1st Dec '11 10:46:08 PM by CrimsonZephyr
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."Elanee raised an eyebrow: "Dread Wolf! You're actually planning to go back to that bloody prison!?!", she said, indignant, giving the enchanter a look filled with sheer contempt. "You should've stayed behind, then... Giving a chance to a Mage that actually wants fredom.", the Keeper said.
edited 2nd Dec '11 4:49:53 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.Alex rolled his eyes. "You know what, Elissa - Elaine - Elf-girl, whatever your name is? I had doubts about your intelligence when we arrived, but hearing you speak has only confirmed them. Rest assured, there's more than the tip of Tevon's blade keeping me in the Circle, and one need only look at the miserable existence of the Dalish to see why some Circle mages would not prefer that lifestyle."
He casually put away his book and pulled out another, this one a spellbook rather than a history of Ferelden. "Besides, if I were to break out now, it would be a violation of the trust of the First Enchanter. The Knight-Commander would clamp down on the rest of the mages back on Lake Calenhad, and you can bet they won't let another mage out for a jaunt like this. Oh, but I forgot, satisfying immediate, selfish concerns are all that matters. Bugger the rest of the mages - if you aren't rebelling, you aren't truly living, right Dalish? How has that worked for you?"
edited 2nd Dec '11 4:46:40 AM by CrimsonZephyr
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.""You two either get drunk or get behind the bushes" Kalli said, annoyed.
"We already have much too worry for, we don't need to kill each other for reasons so trivial"
"I don't think dwarves ever open it, to be honest," said Alexander. "They don't seem to be the traveling type - our present company excepted, of course."
He looked back in his tent and pulled out a small kettle to put by the fire. "If the dwarves are going to be antisocial, I might as well have a spot of tea. No true-blooded Fereldan can do without. Can I interest anyone in a cup? It's an Antivan blend - bought it off a chap in Denerim, the last time the fine fellows in the Templars let me out of the Tower - which isn't often, mind."
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."Elanee looked at the Circle mage with thinly veiled contempt.
"Miserable?", she asked. "We aren't rich, but we don't starve either. Our real problem? Bloody Chantry zealots... Same sick fucks that keep y'all enslaved, by the way.", she observed. "If Circle Magi had any decency left, they'd have overthrown the Templars already... Or died trying. Liberty or death: Either beats servitude.", she said, gracefully shrugging.
She gave another look to the gates of Orzammar: "Them dwarves don't look particularly welcoming...", she said.
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.Ser Tevon reaches out his own cup to take up Alexander's offer, before pulling it back and standing at Elanee remarks.
"Watch your tonge elf! The Chantry may tolerate the dalish but that's it! They tolerate it! Do not think stories of your kind harassing travelers have not gone unnoticed!"
#IceBearForPresident"Overthrow them?" Alexander repeated. "And who would watch for the blood mages, hmm? Tevon's a bit of a tit, but he can get the job done when it comes to those scum. Oh, but I forgot, the Chantry are eeeeeevil, ergo we should just do the opposite as them at every juncture. Remind me to kick an orphan if we ever see a chantry again. That'll show those Chantry bastards - 'You don't control me, Maker! I do what I want!'"
He took a sip of tea and spit it out. "Too much sugar. This stuff needs to be bitter, bitter like my spinster of a sister."
He turned to Elanee. "Oh, and I'm sure the Dalish are innocent of all wrongdoing. No, it's the Chantry that oppresses those poor, sweet little elves. They would never dream of harming humans. Right?"
edited 2nd Dec '11 11:58:44 AM by CrimsonZephyr
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."Dagroth was away from the ring of tents, under a tree, wasting time by blasting very weak arcane bolts at another nearby tree, lost in thought. He had come on this trip to prove he was a skilled adventurer and first-class mage, but all he had done recently was listen to every other gem of a person in the group attempt to claw eachother's eyes out with their words - and given the number of other mages besides him, a very likely possibility. Sure, at least some of his companions were certainly prettier to look at than the hogs he had tended, but he was here for the alleged excitement of the journey, which he was yet to see.
After the cold had gotten to him, he slowly made his way back to camp where, sure enough, the others were still bickering. He poured himself a warm cup of ale and sat near the flames, sighing.
"All the Chantry do is tolerate" she murmered to herself "nothing more, nothing less"
Donate money to Skullgirls, get a sweet poster.Elanee gave a wry smile to the templar: "We're well past the time where any random thug could tell elves what to do.", she said. She hopped up, giving a welcoming nod to the apostate.
She then walked up to Alex: "When a Keeper turns into an abomination, the Hunters do their duty. We Dalish are led by Keepers... And we didn't turn into the Imperium.", she said, shrugging again. "Not being bossed around by prudish zealots is well worth the odd blood mage here and there: Troublesome mages are kicked out, they become someone else's problem.", she said, conveniently ommitting her own last years, spent among the avvar and the city elves.
edited 2nd Dec '11 11:25:29 AM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it."Somebody else's problem? So the Dalish just shift their troubles off onto others? That's pretty fitting, really. You live off of the property and land of others, you put the blame for your own failures on the shoulders of others, why not leave the lunatic mages for others, too?" Alex shot back. "Such behavior would be unbecoming of any Fereldan gentleman. In any case, for someone who wants to see mages free, you sure seem to like haranguing me about being a mage more than Ser Tevon has."
He turned to Tevon. "You know, Tevon, old boy, normally, I'd have called you a right old prick at least ten times before supper, but after meeting this lass, I can see your point about the elves, or at least the Dalish ones. Nutters all, if you ask me."
edited 2nd Dec '11 11:57:24 AM by CrimsonZephyr
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.""Oh, we're getting along quite well. Elanee and I are already bosom friends, of course." Alexander drained his third cup of tea. "So, Grey Warden, have the dwarves decided you're dwarf enough to enter their city?"
edited 2nd Dec '11 12:13:17 PM by CrimsonZephyr
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.""It's as good a time as any other to stock up with drinkable booze... I'd rather avoid mushroom liquor... Makes me queasy.", Elanee said. She made a pause, raising an eyebrow: "I don't know about y'all, but I've had my share of poisonous sludge at the Joining.", she said.
edited 2nd Dec '11 12:55:24 PM by SavageHeathen
You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.

The Frostback Mountains form the western border between Fereldan and Orlais. They are home to very few living things, save some indigenous tribes, and, of course, the dwarves of Orzammar.
The dwarven Grey Warden, Ruhtak, has made camp at the base of the pass to Orzammar, along with his rag-tag group of mercenaries and conscripts. At present, he has left the camp to discuss passage into the dwarven city with the city's guards, leaving the others to pass the time how they see fit.
The camp consists of a small ring of tents, surrounding a fire and cooking spit.
"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."