Mage Soran:

Finally, it was the day. Soran would finally be able to prove himself as the mage he is. After 16 long years studying magic and its ways, it is finally time for Soran to test his knowledge. He was awoken by a pair of Templars who notified him that he was needed at the tower's top floor. Walked confidently up through the tower's floors. In the library he saw a mage and an apprentice practicing shields. It didn't seem to long ago that he was like this. Timid, afraid, and resistant of his power. They reached the door to the top floor where the Templars accompanying him took their places at either side of the door. Soran had to admit, he was a little nervous. What would await him in the harrowing chamber? What might this ritual entail? All these thoughts formulated and brewed in Soran's mind as he stared at the steel door of the Harrowing Chamber. Then he felt an armored hand on his shoulder. One of the Templars put his hand on Soran's shoulder. He spoke through his steel helmet which muffled his voice.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine." The Templar seemed young, not much older than Soren. This seemed to make him seem a bit more human and a bit less like someone there to kill him if he failed.

"My name is Arath, by the way." The Templar spoke again. Soran smiled at the unexpected kindness of this young Templar.

"Thank you Arath." Soren said. "See you on the other side." One way or another Soren thought to himself as he pulled open the door to the Harrowing Chamber. As he ascended the stone steps, he saw two lines of Templars with their swords held up in front of them pointing toward the sky. The lines of Templars lead up to a white marble basin with a glowing blue substance within. At the end of the line, at either side of the basin, stood First Enchanter Irving, and Knight Commander Gregor. Soren walked cautiously through the Templar's ranks. He grew more and more anxious with each step. What about this ritual could involve the Knight Commander? And why involve the chantry here? Soren thought to himself as he approached the basin.

"'Magic exists to serve man," says Gregor. "And not to rule over him.' Thus said the prophet Andraste as she cast down the Tevinter Imperium. Mages who brought the world to the edge of ruin." Gregor appeared an old and tired man on the outside, but in his eyes you could see the fanatic determination of his Templar teachings.

"Your Magic is a gift," Gregor continues. "But it's also a curse, for demons of the dream world, the Fade, are drawn to you and seek to use you as a gateway into our world." Gregor begins to pace slowly back and forth in front of you, watching you as if to see if you truly understand his point. Irving approaches you from Soren's left and turns to face him. Irving looks at Soren with wise old eyes that a teacher would give to a student.

"This is why the Harrowing exists," Irving states with a shaky, gravelly voice. "The Ritual sends you into the fade, and there you will face a demon, armed with only your will."

Soren has read of demons before, hell, his main study in the circle specialized in the study of spirits and demons. But now knowing that he was going to face a demon of unknown strength and cunning, Soren was terrified. Not that he wasn't confident in his abilities, but how would he be able to determine what was the demon? Soren swallowed and turned to the Knight Commander whose eyes seemed to become softer while his face didn't

"A-and if I fail?" Soren asks. Apparently his attempt to hide his fear failed. Crap.

"It will turn you into an abomination and the Templars will be forced to slay you." Gregor states a-matter-of-factly. It seems like nothing can faze this man. Abominations and demons? Is there anything else that this ritual requires of Soran?

Gregor holds out a hand towards the basin.

"This is lyrium." Gregor referred to the bluish substance in the basin. "The very essence of magic and your gateway into the Fade."

Irving steps up to Soran again, pulling him off to the side.

"The Harrowing is a secret out of necessity child." Irving whispers into Soran's ear. "Every mage must go through this trial by fire. As we succeeded, so shall you." Irving seems genuinely sinsear about Soran's safety. Perhaps all the rumors you heard of him aren't true at all.

"One more thing," Irving says, his eyes serious. "Keep your wits about you. Remember that the Fade is a realm of dreams. The spirits may rule it, but your own will makes it real."

Irving appears like his going to say more but Gregor interjects.

"Apprentice Soran must go through this test alone First Enchanter." Gregor turns to Soren, his face sincere. "You are ready."

Soren swallows hard. "Well," Soren mutters under his breath. "Here we go."

Soren walks up to the basin and lays his hand into the lyrium. His hand began to glow and shake and Soran quickly withdrew his hand. He flipped it back and forth to make sure this wasn't an illusion when he loses consciousness.

Soran slowly regains consciousness and snaps his eyes open quickly. He gets up quickly from where he had fallen and surveys his surroundings. Islands of land float in empty space with a bottomless black pit right below him. Soran figured this was the fade. How could anything exist in such a… vacant place? Soran noticed a pot sitting on a pedestal in front of him. He walks over and looks inside. There are three healing drinks inside. Soran cocks his head to the side in wonder. Perhaps the First Enchanter did send me a little help after all. Soran thought. He wandered down a small corridor of land which gave way into a clearing where a small, light wisp floats. The wisp appears to spot Soran and fires a bolt of electrical energy at him. Soran quickly ducks and roles to the right and thrusts his fist into the earth beneath him. He focuses his magic into his arms. Rock and dirt collect and form gauntlets around his arms and body forming a full suite of rock armor. Soran thrusts his hand outward and its rock glove shoots out like a fist and smashes into the wisp, dissipating it.

Soran walks through another land corridor and comes across a clearing. Then he hears a voice.

"Another person thrown into the fade and left to rot." The voice seemed to belong to a human man and was just beneath his vision. Soran looks down and notices a large rat at his feet. Then, it speaks.

"It isn't right what they do to you, me or anyone."

Soran is dumbstruck. Then remembers what the First Enchanter said. The Fade is a world of Dreams. Soran figures this might just be an unfortunate spirit that the Templars placed here to impede his path.

"Your right." Soran responds. "It's really not."

The rat scoffs "Doesn't stop them though, does it?"

Suddenly the rat is enveloped in a bright light and it grows to human size. When the light subsides, there is no longer a rat. What stands before him is a young man in a yellow/red robe with blonde hair and… unusually green eyes.

"Allow me to welcome you to the Fade." The man says. "You can call me… well… Mouse."

Soran scoffed at the name. Not because it was funny, but because of obviousness of the name.

"Not your real name then?" Soran asks. He looks quizzically at Mouse. He seems as shifty and cowardly as what his name implies but it's those eyes of his. Those bright, pure, striking green that was bothering him. They seem to pierce Soran's being and analyze him with deadly intention.

"It was fuzzy… That time before." Mouse holds up his forefinger and thumb to his forehead and lowers his head as if trying to remember. "I remember having another name… The Fade gets to you after a while… makes you forget."

Mouse suddenly looks up at you in anger. "The Templars kill you if you take too long you see. They figure you failed and don't want something getting out. That's what happened to me! I think…" His anger fades away to something resembling sadness. "I have no body to reclaim," Mouse says with genuine sadness in his voice. "And you don't have much time till you end up the same!"

Soran, fearing the conclusion that Mouse is suggesting, racks his mind for any information regarding the Harrowing ritual. Nothing! Damn!

"What do I do?" Soran asks, openly distraught over this new information.

"There is something here, contained. Just for and apprentice like you." Mouse replies ominously. "You have to face the creature, a demon and resist it! If you can." Mouse shakes his head. "That's your way out. Or your opponent's if the Templars don't kill you. A test for you, a tease for the creatures of the Fade."

Soran is troubled by this news. Apparently, the demon has done this repeatedly and knows how this game is played. But Mouse knows this too. How does he know? And why does he have to fight such a creature anyway?

"Why pit me against such a creature, Mouse?" Soran asks.

"A question for those in the tower." Mouse replies. "I don't know. They killed me before I had a chance to ask. Maybe you will be able to ask them if you succeed."

Soran nods. He decides that it would be best to just get it over with now. Soran begins to walk past Mouse but he stops him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You would be a fool to attack everything you see. What you face is powerful; cunning…"

Soran shrugs off Mouse's hand but Mouse continues to speak.

"There are other spirits here. They tell you more, maybe help. If you can believe anything you see."

Mouses stares at Soran with expectant eyes as if expecting a response. When he receives none, he smiles sheepishly.

"I would like to follow if that's alright. My chance was long ago. But you, May have a way out."

With that, he is enveloped in that light and he shrinks into his mouse for again. How appropriate. Soran slowly, and carefully walks through the Fade. Soran and mouse come to clearing of land where Soran sees a spirit standing next to and creating weapons. Soran begins to make his way towards the spirit when Mouse yells out a warning.

"Behind you!" Mouse yells with urgency in his voice.

Soran turned to see a spirit wolf rushing at him. He yelled out in surprise and raised his hands to protect himself. Rock formed all around him and stuck the wolf in the side of its head as it approached. It let out an echoing whine and jumped at Soran again. Soran ducked and placed his hands on the ground and a giant rock spike exploded from the earth, impaling the wolf. As the wolf was struck, it disappeared into a black mist which dissipated immediately. Breathing hard from the surprise and effort, Soran thanked Mouse for the warning.

"We don't need another mage here, trapped." Mouse replied. Soran approached the spirit which seemed to be analyzing his newest weapon he created. He doesn't seem pleased and places it in a spot in the air as if there were a shelf there to hold it. Now that Soran was closer, this spirit resembled a Templar in the aspect of his armor and he even had the crest of the Templars on his breast plate.

"Another mortal sent into the fires to burn I see." The spirit states. He seems disdainful almost to your presence there. As if he his bored with seeing you. "They should test your mettle against each other with Valor than send you unarmed against a demon."

It surprised Soran at the directness the spirit and how it seemed to see the world in only one view. Perhaps this is what happens to mortal men if they are left to the Fade for too long. Soran glances down at Mouse for a moment. Maybe he will end up like this? Soran looks back at the spirit who appears to be analyzing him through his helmet.

"Fight each other? Spirit, we are not as you are," Soran responds. "We are mages. Not armor-clad warriors."

The spirit looks at Soran incredulously and then speaks slowly as if talking to a child.

"They would have you battle a demon, Mortal. With magic or weapons, you will still be a warrior."

"Touché." Soran said, scratching his head in wonder. This spirit doesn't appear to be a demon. There is no evil or intense negative emotions radiating off its being. A thought rushed through his mind. Templars kill you if you take too long. Soran has to face the demon. There might not be much time! Soran looks back at the spirit.

"Spirit, I need your help."

The spirit sighs and goes over to the weapons floating in the air behind him. He picks out two out of the air and holds them in his hands in front of him.

"Indeed." The spirit says. "You are not the first to ask for my aid."

Soran looks at the weapons in the spirit's hands and then at the ones floating behind him. They appear to be made of steel and wood.

"Spirit, would any of these weapons effect a demon here?"

The spirit chuckles lightly. "Without a doubt! Here, everything that exists is the expression of a thought." He holds up the sword in his right hand. "Do you believe these blades be steel?" he lowers his right and raises the staff in his left. "The staves be wood? Do you believe they draw blood? A weapon is a sole need for battle, and my will makes that need a reality."

So… that is how the fade works… Soran thought to himself. Perhaps he can acquire one of these weapons to increase his chances against this demon.

"Spirit, how might I go about acquiring one of these weapons?" Soran asks.

"Do you require one of my weapons?" the spirit inquires. "I will give one to you if you agree to duel me first. Valor will test your mettle as it should be tested!"

Soran looks over the spirit. He appears to be battle hardened and knows his way around a blade.

"What if I were to lose?" Soran asks the spirit.

"If you cannot convince me that you can defeat your hunter, I will slay you."

Soran wasn't prepared for this answer. He took a step away from the spirit and almost stepped on Mouse who was standing by his feet at the time. Soran knew that he would stand less of a chance if he didn't have a weapon in his possession and he also knew that if he were unable to beat the spirit, he will be killed. Finally, Soran decided to meet the spirit's challenge.

"I accept the duel, Spirit!" Soran declares.

"Very well mortal." Says the spirit backing away ten paces. "The duel begins now! Fight with valor!"

With that, the spirit lunged at Soran.