Chapter 30: The Expedition pt1

Hightown

Bartrand was standing before the expedition team ready to move out. It took some convincing but eventually Bartrand took Ericks on an equal partner in this expedition. Anders didn't come due not being able to leave his clinic and plus he had his fill with the Deep Roads when he was with the Wardens. Aveline's coronation as the new captain of the city guards was today but she came to see the gang off. "We've chosen one of the hidden entrances. The Deep Roads there will be nice and virginal, ready for a good deflowering" The men in the group all laughed including Isabella. Sebastian just looked uncomfortable while Fenris and Aveline just shook their heads in annoyance.

Merrill tilted her head. "I don't get it"

Isabella wrapped her arm around the elf's neck. "I'll explain it on the way, kitten"

"Your brother sure has a way with words, Varric…"

The dwarf just sighed. "Yep and all the charm of a bronto, Sunshine"

"It'll take a week for us to get to the depth we need, and there are bound to be leftover darkspawn from the Blight" Bartrand said. "Big risks, big rewards"

"Risks, rewards…sound like your typical night at the Rose" Ericks said.

"Exactly!" he said. "Now, before we…wait. Who invited the old woman?"

Leandra walked up. "I'm sorry to interrupt, ser dwarf, but I need to speak with my children"

"Ma?"

"Mother" Bethany said. "I thought we talked about this?"

"I still think you shouldn't go, Bethany" Leandra said. "What if something were to happen to you? I already lost Carver; I can't bear to lose another child"

"Ericks, I understand you wanting to do this but leave your sister here, I beg you!"

"Mother, I need to go besides it would be better for me to stay out of sight of the Templars for a while"

"Hey, could you hurry it up over there?" Bartrand asked. "I'd like to get to the Deep Roads before the next Blight begins"

"Betty, perhaps it's best you stay home" Ericks said.

"Not you too, we're supposed to do this together!" Bethany said with a frown.

"I know, I know but we're entering a lion's den and anything could happen in there" he said. "Plus someone needs to protect Ma and Aveline will be busy with her guards" Bethany looked hurt, she thought Ericks would at least have her back in this…she really wanted to go. "Look, how about this? When I come back with the haul of a lifetime, I will personally treat you to the shopping spree of your dreams in Hightown"

"Ah, really? But you hate shopping…"

"A small sacrifice for my dear little sister"

"I'll hold you to it, Ericks, don't think I won't"

"Wouldn't have it any other way" Ericks said. "Shiny, Avi, you'll look after them won't you?"

Sebastian nodded. "Of course, on my honor as a man of the Vael family no harm will come to Bethany"

"She's in good hands, Ericks" Bethany stood at Leandra's side along with Sebastian and Aveline. Bartrand walked up to Ericks.

"Personal drama over with? Then let's get underway"

"Been a long time coming, eh, Brother?"

"That it has. The Deep Roads await!" The men cheered and the expedition headed out of Kirkwall.


The Hawke Estate-9:40 Dragon

Cassandra frowned. "No! That cannot be right!" she said. "The Champion and his apostate sister came to Kirkwall to spread sedition against the Chantry!"

"But you claim this wasn't the case" the seeker said pacing the room. "The Champion just happened to have dealings with the Qunari, joined forces with a known raider, a blood mage, a rebel Warden…and for what? Coin?"

"Can't get anywhere in this world without coin, Seeker" Varric said. "But that's not why you're so angry. It's not as simple as you first thought, is it?"

"Simple? Should I remind you of what your friends did?" Cassandra asked. "Do I need to tell you how many lives have been lost, how many more will be lost?"

"You cannot sit there and tell me he is innocent!"

"I wouldn't say 'innocent' exactly…"

"He must have known! Somehow the Champion knew what was down there. That's why he wanted to join your expedition" To Cassandra's surprise, Varric eyes became crestfallen and he lowered his head as he gave a heavy sigh. This was the first time she had seen the dwarf serious for once.

"No. None of us knew, if we had…" he said. "This would all have turned out very differently"

"Is that so? Then tell me your version of what happened on this expedition"

"Well, we made it to the Deep Roads as planned, but we didn't get very far…"


There isn't a dwarf alive who remembers the Deep Roads as they once were. They were the network of tunnels that joined the thaigs together. To be honest, it isn't even right to give them such a simple term as "tunnels": They are works of art, with centuries of planning demonstrated in the geometry of their walls, with the statues of the Paragons that watch over travelers, with the flow of lava that keeps the Deep Roads lit and warm. The cloudgazers up on the surface talk of the Imperial Highway built by the magisters of old, a raised walkway that crossed thousands of miles, something that could only have been built by magic. Perhaps it is comparable to the Deep Roads, although we dwarves didn't need magic.

I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. The darkspawn rule the Deep Roads now. When Orzammar sealed off the entrances to the Deep Roads, abandoning everything that lay out there, we handed over the kingdom-that-was to those black bastards forever. To think that there are genlocks crawling over Bownammar now, tearing down our statues and defiling our greatest works! Corruption covers everything we built out there. Every dwarf who goes out and comes back says that it gets worse with each passing year, the foulness spread a little further.

And the cloudgazers think the darkspawn are gone just because they aren't spilling out onto the surface? Huh. One day, when Orzammar is gone for good, they'll find out differently. Those darkspawn won't have anywhere else to go but up, and they'll do it. The surface folk will have themselves a Blight that will never end. —Transcript of a conversation with a member of the dwarven Mining Caste, 8:90 Blessed

The Deep Roads-9:31 Dragon

The expedition was at one of the entrances in the Deep Roads waiting for the scouting party to come back to report, Bartrand was pacing around impatiently. The Deep Roads was once a grand network of enormous underground tunnels that once belonged to the Dwarven Empire, spanning the length and breadth of Thedas. Once they linked the thaigs with one another and to the surface. These subterranean highways were works of unparalleled artisan achievement, with centuries of planning and engineering demonstrated in the geometry of their walls. Statues of the Paragons watched over passing travelers, and channels carried a flow of magma that kept the Deep Roads lit and warm. At the height of the Dwarven Empire, the Deep Roads were busy with constant travelers and merchants, not only from the thaigs, but from the surface.

Then came the First Blight, the dwarves were forced to close the entrances to the Deep Roads, abandoning them to the darkspawn. No one knows how much of the network is still open, or how much of the Deep Roads the darkspawn have corrupted. It has been centuries since the darkspawn invaded the surface, but the fact that it takes the darkspawn some time to break through to the surface and the fact that they have to break through instead of just emerging suggests that most of the official entrances are well-sealed. Entering the Deep Roads is very risky and there are many legends of travelers going missing in the hills near these entrances. This once-proud creation is now the source of much lament for what the dwarves have lost. If a citizen of the Tevinter Imperium at its height were to see the Deep Roads today, they would be shocked at the silence and decay that now reigns within. Today, only three thaigs remain inhabited: Kal-Sharok deep beneath the Hunterhorn Mountains, Orzammar beneath the Frostback Mountains and the recently recovered Kal'Hirol beneath the Arling of Amaranthine.

One of the scouts returned to the rest of the team. "There's been a collapse, the way forward is blocked"

"What?! Is there some way around?" The scout backed away nervously as Bartrand approached angrily.

"Not that we've been able to find, the side passages are too dangerous" the scout said nervously. Bartrand looked like he was in deep thought and then he punched the scout in face, knocking him out.

"Useless! What am I paying you blighters for?" Bartrand asked. "Set camp!" The expedition team soon started camp while Bartrand went to talk to the excavation team about clearing the path. From the looks on his face, he was not happy about the news he received. Varric looked around and already the expedition looked like they were ready to give up. Bartrand was a savvy business man there was no doubt about that but the man had little to no charisma. In fact without Varric, their family would have lost money a long time ago thanks to Bartrand's abrasiveness. The Merchant's Guild was not blind to this either, as they often wanted Varric to take his brother's place as the Deshyr but Varric always refused. The younger dwarf sighed; it was time to save the day…again.

"Problems brother?"

"Sodding Deep Roads! It'll take forever to clear the path!"

"Shall we not try to find a way around, instead? Seems like the logical choice"

"You think I'm an idiot, Varric? The scouts say the side passages are too dangerous!"

"See? Aren't you glad you brought me along, partner?" Ericks asked.

"We'll take a look. If we come running back screaming then you'll know staying put was the right decision"

"Fine, fine! Find a way around, just do it quickly!" Bartrand walked away shaking his head and Ericks looked at Varric, the dwarf just shrugged. As the gang was heading out, another dwarf came to them; he had a look of panic on his face.

"Er…I hate to add to your burdens, my friends, but I fear I must" he said. "It's my boy, Sandal, he's wondered off. He's somewhere in those passages, right now!"

"I beg you; keep an eye out for him. He just…doesn't understand danger like he should"

"One man out there, alone? What are his chances?" Isabela asked.

"Bad, if the darkspawn has anything to say about it" Fenris said.

"My boy is sturdier than you think!" the dwarf said. "If he has one of his enchantments with him, he'll survive. He's burned down the house twice by accident"

"Enchantments? Your son is a mage?" Ericks asked.

"Oh no, he can't do magic, he is a dwarf after all" he said. "But my boy's special and I'm more worried about him getting lost…oh, my poor boy!"

"When's the last time you seen him?"

"Not a half hour ago, turn my back to hand out rations and he was gone!" the dwarf said. "He gets so easily distracted. Ah, I should have been harsher with my warnings!"

"We'll bring him back in one piece…or maybe two. Hard to say, really"

"Poor Sandal, I can't believe he's done this!"

"Let's move quickly then" The gang headed down the side paths to get this expedition started and maybe save a life along the way.

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