Chapter 7

The Deeper You Go

"Inquisitor, we have news." Leliana calls Lavellan to the war room.
"Muin has sent word from the ancient place. It seems that they have found more information on the red lyrium. They believe the scrolls are partial research on the diseased lyrium. It seems some were trying to figure out a cure for the lyrium and they were making progress. The lyrium was not in the dwarven mine, it was in the golden city." Leliana gestures. "The corruption itself, used intentionally by Corypheus as a weapon against the gods, but its existence has record from before his time. You do know what this means?"
"It means Corypheus was right." Lavellan answers the question no one wants to.
"Yes, but more than that. It means the Golden City holds this corrupted lyrium, possibly corrupted itself."
"If everything has become corrupted, then what of the old gods?" Lavellan voices out in distress.
"This is madness! How can the heavens become corrupted?" Cullen demands in frustration.
"If this is true, Andraste help us all. We cannot let this information out to anyone." Josephine states in worry.
"No, we shall not. Any leaks will be dealt with immediately." Leliana affirms the importance this discovery holds. Raising her hands from the war table, the Spymaster folds her arms in a demanding stance.
"Inquisitor, we need to get Muin and the dwarves back here as soon as possible and that tomb sealed."
"Good, get them back here quietly we cannot draw any attention. We need to find more information on the red lyrium, which means the dwarves need to talk." Lavellan positions her command.

As if sent for, Dorian comes charging into the war room with intent.
"It seems we have a problem." Tight faced and angry, he commands attention.
"What's going on, Dorian?"
Dorian slams down a piece of red lyrium on the war table. His force grabbing at all of their hearts. "This! I have spent every night, reading and researching. Going back in my people's history, digging in every dark hole I can find. This, this did not come from the dwarves, though they may have provided the lyrium. My people, the Magisters…they corrupted it. They poisoned it, fed it with sickness." Dorians face fierce and stern stares right through them all. "I'm going back! If I can find this information out from here, I can find out even more there! Someone had to aid them!" Stepping up to Dorian, Leliana pushes both hands on his chest, putting him up against the wall. "Calm down! Nothing will help if you act insane!" She stares into his eyes with the firmness of death.
"She's right, Dorian. You need to think about this!" Lavellan yells out.
The room, filled to the top with tension. Cullen's vision locked on Dorian.
Josephine, steps back in containing her fear. The moment weighs heavy for an instant. Breaking through with a breath, the Tevinter mage continues.
"I cannot stay here when I know I can get more answers." His voice breakdowns, falling-out of anger.
"Are these answer for you, or for us?" Leliana cuts her words into him, stepping back from her hold, still untrusting of the Tevinter mage.
"Well, I am here aren't I?" Dorian exclaims, a bit thrown off by the reaction from the spymaster, but not surprised. Her odd sense of darkness has its place.
"Everyone needs to calm down!" Lavellan contains the room. "Dorian, I believe you. I know how hard you have worked, but running off to Tevinter? Isn't that a bit drastic?"
"I don't think I have to explain the severity, Inquisitor. If I can find answers, nothing is too extreme."
"You are not going alone!" Lavellan crosses her arms, in stance to protect her friend.
"Are you mad? I can't bring any of you. We'd stand out like a beacon!" Dorian argues.
"I have many connections in Tevinter, I can take advantage of some favors, gaining aid to get you cover." Josephine cuts in encouraging discussion.
"Not to be disrespectful but…you are an elf, you could go in disguise as a … slave. Forgive me." Cullen steps back showing his embarrassment.
"That's not a bad idea." Leliana encourages the thought. "We do have a few elves here. Are you working on that relationship with your father, Dorian?" Her cunning thoughts emerge showing her firm hand in the game.

The mood in the room lightens, the focus regained as they come together to work on every detail of this plan long into the night. Sitting around the table, rolling dice, moving pieces each entering the game with traded perspectives and a unity of voices.
"This diversity is paying off." Cullen breaks the silence.
"We should be the voice showing everyone what working together can get you." Leliana affirms.
"The game means more than you may know Cullen, every piece needed to win." Josephine nods in smile.
"I'm just glad Dorian didn't run off in a ball of fire." Lavellan laughs.
"Run away from you? I know better than that." His playful reply.

"Inquisitor, Muin and the dwarves have arrived." The scout bows as he gestures in the group, followed by Morrigan, who had seen their approach.
"I will go work on those leads, Inquisitor." Dorian excuses himself from the meet.
"Well it seems the deeper we dig, the more we find, Inquisitor." Brovil begins. "It seems that an old agreement with Ancient Tevinter may be the key to all of this. This agreement was a trade agreement to offer lyrium to Tevinter."
"Yes, we read that in your message, what more do you know?"
"Well, with that agreement, Tevinter was to protect the Deep Roads from the ancient elves."

"Why would they need protection from the elves?"
"By providing lyrium to Tevinter, they broke their agreements with the ancient elves, Inquisitor. I assume they felt retaliation would come, or were lead to believe that retaliation would come." Brovil gestures with his arms.
"But, why would the ancient dwarves break their agreement with the ancient elves?"
"I suppose that is the next piece of the puzzle, Inquisitor. To find out, we need to meet with the other shapers." Brovil adds.
"Will they meet with us?" Lavellan asks crossing her arms doubting.
"At this point, they will have to, Inquisitor."
"What do you mean, at this point?"
"Our people hold much pride, but we also demand justice and law. These dwarves did not just turn their backs on the elves; they broke an alliance that caused our roads ruin by the darkspawn. These dwarves could have caused our own fall in turn leading to agreements with Tevinter. Someone covered this up, when I say someone, I could very well mean all of the ancient leaders." Brovil reveals his thoughts in great apprehension.
"But, wouldn't they want to know?"
"Well, that's the thing, you remember that they hold to traditions tightly? If this reveals that those traditions are wrong, it will irreversibly change everything. As I am sure you know, there will be many who will refuse this information. They will go to any length to protect it, even if it means taking lives and destroying the evidence." Brovil nods his head.

Ano, steps forth. The first words to break his lips.
"That is what we are here for my brother." His voice was stronger than expected, an age of wisdom seemed held inside. "We knew the information we gathered lead to more, Brovil. We knew our day would come. Silence will turn us to stone." Ano looks at his brothers in love. "What do we need to do?" Lavellan asks for their insight to help ease the heavy thoughts. "There is a shaper, one who might just be able to help. I just don't know at what cost." Brovil nods.
Muin joins the conversation. "We need to let what remains of my people know as well." If we can gain their support, we could rebuild an alliance."
"Rebuild the alliance between the elves and dwarves? Now you are breaking on the edge of madness." Morrigan crosses her arms. "I'm not sure you understand just how highly they hold to their traditions. Not to mention, having to admit fault? Losing their precious trade connections?"
"We need only, the voices of a few. If we can get some of them to listen, to help." Lavellan builds up the hope in the room.
"You are asking a lot, Inquisitor." Morrigan gestures in disbelief. "And who shall you approach first?"
"First we need all the evidence." Lavellan confirms her intent with a clasping of her fist. "We don't know what information Tevinter holds."
"Be careful, Inquisitor. Shaping the world is a dangerous game." Morrigan stares into Lavellan, provoking her spirit.