Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I own nothing. (that may or may not include OCs and/or the basic plot)
"Excuse me Ms. Hawke, I couldn't help over hearing your problems with finding a safe place and the Free Marches would not be a safe place for your family. While the Blight won't reach Kirkwall for at least another year, Templar will throw any Mages they don't kill into the Gallows. Contrary to the rumors, King Cailan and the Grey Wardens are still alive and fighting no thanks to Tyrn Logain. We could use your help regardless of if you join the wardens or assist the King's army." I comment once I get close enough to Marian to avoid others overhearing.
After a short conversation, all five of the Hawkes choose to go to Ostagar where Marian, Carver and Bethany will become Grey Wardens through infestation rather than the more traditional Joining. Before we return to Ostagar, I complete a few tasks that the Swarmlings could not due to speech being required. Once the Hawke siblings hatch from their chrysalises, Neria, Morrigan, Lyna and I take the time to train the mabari I helped in solo combat to deal with bandits elsewhere in Ferelden. On return to Lothring, we free a Qunarri named Sten from a cage before deciding to head to Redcliffe to request aid from Arl Eamon. The Qunarri warrior chose to tag along until the next time we returned to Ostagar and helps us considerably when we learned possessed corpses were appearing from inside Redcliffe Castle and attacking the town.
The morning after we arrive in Redcliffe, a squadron of Stealth Mutalisks arrives from Ostagar to provide air cover against future attacks. With town defense taken care of, Bann Teagan gives us his signet ring to unlock a secret passage into the castle while he distracts enemy forces within the castle. Reaching the dungeons, Neria and Morrigan destroy a group of possessed corpses attacking the only occupied cell only to discover the occupant is Jowan, former tutor to Connor and poisoner of Arl Eamon. Lyna suggests we hand him to the Templar, but I convince the group to leave him in his cell at least until we deal with the main demon in Redcliffe Castle. After opening the main gate to allow troops from Redcliffe to enter, we head to the Great Hall to find Bann Teagan under the influence of a possessed Connor. I quickly enter the Fade and destroy the Desire Demon while the Redcliffe soldiers stand guard with the help of Neria, Morrigan and Lyna.
As we are leaving for the docks where we can get a ferry to the Circle Tower in the middle of Lake Calenhaid, a Chantry Sister named Leliana asks to join the Wardens. After a short discussion, we head to Lothring on our way to the Hive cluster at Ostagar only to encounter King Cailan and most of the Wardens who were forced to retreat by the growing numbers of dark spawn. Only the Zerg Wardens can safely go near Ostagar with any certainty while a small group with high stealth skills might be able to reach the Hive cluster. With this in mind, I ask Neria and Morrigan to stay behind while I escort Lyna and Leliana to the Hive cluster. After her Chrysalis hatches, Leliana chooses to stay in Ostagar to aid the Swarm in defending the Hive cluster while Lyna returns with me to Lothring.
Before we leave Lothring, Duncan asks about our plans to heal Arl Eamon who is still in a coma to slow the poison. With the only possible cure being the Urn of Sacred Ashes, I spawn a battalion of Swarmlings to search the Frostback Mountains which rumors point to as the most likely location of the Urn. While the Swarmlings search for the Urn, my team heads to the docks only to find the Templar have taken over in an effort to contain a problem in the Tower. Rather than get into a fight with the Templar who are only trying to do what they see as their job, I teach Lyna how to use her retractable wings for flight and we fly to the Circle Tower where Gregior is creating a camp in the entry hall to wait for reinforcements from Denerim. After a little talking, I convince Gregior to let me and Lyna enter the main tower to try to rescue any surviving Mages though he will only open the doors for First Enchanter Irving or the completion of the Rite of Annulment.
On our way up the Tower, we fight several demons and locate a group of surviving children guarded by Senior Enchanter Wynne, who I had noticed at camp in Ostagar before the battle started, and a few other Mages. After a short discussion, Wynne drops the barrier spell she had been using to block most of the demons and Abominations and joins us in our efforts to cleanse the Tower. A Tranquil named Owain is still working in the stockroom while we find one Mage hiding in a wardrobe. In another room, a Desire Demon has enslaved a Templar to act as her husband with children who only exist in the Templar's mind. Our toughest enemy is a Sloth Abomination with a powerful sleep aura that only I could have ignored.
Checking with the Swarm members between the Circle Tower and Denerim shows we have time, so I allow Sloth's sleep aura to send me to the Fade where I meet ten desire demons who make only a half hearted effort to disguise themselves as the females I have encountered in Thedas. I tell them not to bother right before I join them for an orgy while waiting for Lyna or Wynne to show up. Much to her shock, by the time Lyna does show up to 'rescue' me, I've actually worn out all but one Desire Demon who happens to have role played as Lyna for a little fun. Only a moment later, the final demon collapses from fatigue and I follow Lyna to Sloth where Wynne is waiting for us. Despite his efforts to fight us in many forms, we make quick work of Sloth and return to the waking world where we finish clearing the Tower all the way up to the top floor where a Blood Mage is turning captives into Abominations and only Irving is still not corrupted. Just below, we freed Cullen from an energy cage.
After a depressingly quick fight against the Blood Mage and his Abominations, we escorted Irving to Gregior's camp and gained the aid of the Mages against the Blight as well as Wynne choosing to become a Zerg Warden as soon as we reach a suitable location. With nothing better to do, Lyna and I escort Wynne to Ostagar while Morrigan and Neria aid the Lothring camp against the dark spawn horde. Once Wynne's Chrysalis hatches, I have her direct the Swarm in expanding the Creep north so future recruits won't need to travel as far before taking Lyna to Lothring to reunite with the rest of my travel group for the trip to Ostagar. On our way, we encounter a merchant who gives us a Golem control rod for a Golem located in a small town to the south. With the Swarm and the Wardens taking care of the bulk of the dark spawn, I lead my team on the detour in the hopes we can pick up a powerful new ally.
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