Do not own Dragon Age
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7 Molioris 9:31 Dragon, The Denerim Alienage
The companions walk past a human man running out of the Alienage, a few elves driving him away. Darrian is in the lead, although a few of the others were here during their recruitment, he is the expert. Lyna is struck by the condition of the place and is angry for the elves. Darrian heads straight for his father's house. Inside he sees Soris, the two embracing. Soris thanks the group again for freeing him, telling them that he is feeling better, a little weak still, but nothing that time can not mend. Darrian asks where his father is. Soris directs him to Shianni, who is outside near the vhenadahl.
A group of elves are gathered outside a building, four humans guard the entrance. Shianni is lecturing the elves to go home, that there is nothing in the building worth disappearing for. Darrian runs to her, who is shocked to see him, but embraces him tightly. Solona walks up, whispering an inquiry about how she is doing. Shianni releases Darrian and hugs her too, Solona returning the gesture, rubbing her back, a few tears escape Shianni's eyes. She tells Solona that some days are better than others, but the betters ones are becoming more frequent. Solona takes a step back, holding the elven woman on her upper arms. Solona offers a warm smile and tells her to cherish the good days, hold them close, for a ray of sunshine in a storm, is hope on the horizon. Shianni cries hard, understanding her meaning. Solona pulls her in again, letting her cry, rubbing her back as Shianni lets go. Darrian hugs her from the side, the three just hold each other. No one begrudges the time needed to comfort the woman.
Darrian asks what is go on, as Shianni finishes wiping her eyes. Shianni explains the events after Darrian left, the purge by Howe's soldiers, and then the 'plague' that swept through the Alienage in it's wake. Shianni disputes the plague though, saying that yes a few people got sick, but that happens all the time. The men here to 'help' are not from the Chantry, they're from Tevinter, so it is very confusing. Alim, Solona, and Wynne perk up at the Tevinter aspect, there should be no need for Tevinter mages or healers.
Shianni informs them that some of the people that go into the Hospice are never seen again, Uncle Cyrion was taken four days ago. Darrian's eyes go wide, then an anguished look passes over his face. Lyna steps up to him after seeing it, Darrian takes her hand. Shianai, noticing the gesture, raises an eyebrow while looking at her cousin. Darrian introduces Lyna, telling Shianni that Lyna is his vhenan, causing Lyna to smile and blush. Shianni teases him a bit, before welcoming the woman to their family. Lyna tries to say that they are not married, but Darrian adds a 'yet', smirking. Solona chuckles, enjoying the banter.
The companions tell Shianni that they will investigate the area and uncover the truth. Shianni thanks them and wishes them luck, the Tevinter are closed mouthed and suspicious of anyone coming close to the Hospice not in escort by them. Solona nods and tells Shianni to be safe.
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Darrian takes them to a shop in the Alienage, the owner,Alarith, is a friend, he may know something. Alarith exclaims when he sees Darrian enter, the two exchange pleasant greetings, the shopkeeper asks about the pretty elven woman with the group, Darrian tells his friend that she's his betrothed, so off-limits. Alarith congratulates him, then asks what they need. Darrian inquires about the Hospice and the Tevinter. Alarith takes out a piece of paper, writing a note, while telling them that he doesn't know anything about that stuff, not his business. The shopkeeper pushes the note to Darrian on the counter, asking if they want to look around his shop, he's got a good assortment of kitchen equipment, perfect for furnishing an apartment. The note says that the shop is being watched.
Solona smirks and nods her head, the group passes on the offer. She does query if he has any herbs, her stores are getting low and the city doesn't have the plants needed growing in the streets. Alarith explains that he has a fine selection, but some poison plants grow in the back alleys, usually in groups of four or five, so be careful of them. Leliana asks if he sells feathered hair clips, wanting a new one. Alarith points to an area to the right, Leliana says she loves them all, and pays him for the box. A man in the back of the shop bids them good day as the group leaves.
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At the back of the Hospice, a lone elven guard is standing watch. Faren gives him 6 gold to leave his post. The group splits, Elissa, Faren, Leliana, Morrigan, and Shale will stay behind the building, everyone else will go back to the front. Solona approaches one of the men outside, a mage, by his robes. She asks about the plague and what they are doing in the Alienage. The man explains about them have authority from the Arl and that she should get to close, it is a Blight plague. Solona comments that she is immune, being a Grey Warden, also that she is a spirit mage, she may be able to help ease the patients inside. A soldier whispers to another man, who yells out to attack. Solona casts a cone of cold, freezing all four. The party of elves out front scatter, fleeing from the fighting.
Alistair steps up with Sten, the two swinging on the frozen opponents. Three minutes later companions are holstering their weapons. Darrian finds the key to the Hospice, the party coordinates with the group at the back door, before going inside from both doors simultaneously. Four soldiers are inside, they draw their weapons, attacking the party.
Darrian finds a note and a good amount of gold. Elissa opens a side door, there are two cages, three elves inside one. They don't know anything, they had only been in the cage for a day. Returning to Shianni, she suggests the apartments off the back alley. Darrian gives her the gold, to spread around to the elves.
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The apartments are empty, but for a lone elven man, who is scared. A donation from Elissa gets him talking, telling the party about elves passing through to the back alley. The building shows signs of struggle in every room, chairs over turned, dinners still left on tables. A child's toy left behind in a hallway. They hear voices coming from a room off a back hallway, opening the door, there are five soldiers, all heavily armed and armored. Oghren and Sten grin, before charging inside, decimating the enemies, with wide powerful swings of their blades. Leliana and Lyna fire their arrows, supporting the comrades.
A key on one, and a note on another reveal a disturbing picture. Slave Traders from Tevinter. The key unlocks the back door to the apartments, a man standing guard outside questions who they are, Solona just says that they are there to relieve them, before attacking him while his defenses are down. Three archers behind a fence start firing at the companions, the party's archers return fire, with better aim. Two more soldiers come out from a entrance further up the alley.
The side door is unlocked, everyone is prepared for a fight. Inside, a woman demands that the group stand down, they have permission to be there from the Regent to operate unrestricted. Solona disagrees, sending a stone-fist to the woman's face, knocking her over. Darrian, Elissa, and Faren, spot traps to the right, they head there to disarm them. The archers stay back with the mages, the mabari charge the enemy, tearing and shredding. The fight is tough, some of the combatants are stronger and smarter than before.
There are slavers in every room, a couple more traps, and three blood mages. It takes them an hour to wade through the Tevinter forces, a few well timed breaks, allow the companions to recharge and catch their breath, before moving forward.
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Opening the next door, a mage is waiting for them, along with a large group of soldiers.
"If it isn't the Warden I've heard so much about. One can not get a word out from the Regent other than talk of you theses days. My name is Caladrius." the man comments.
"I suppose we should be flattered, to be talked about so venomously by a snake." Solona retorts quickly.
"Your glibness does you no credit." the man remarks, "I have an offer for you?" Caladrius inquires.
"Oh, this should be good." Alim quips, smirking.
"My offer is this; I will leave the documents, signed by Loghain, that show not only his culpability to the selling of the elves, but that he encouraged it. You give me 100 gold sovereigns, I will take the remaining elves here and be on my way." Caladrius proposes, hopeful.
"I have a counter offer." Solona returns, smiling.
"Oh. Interesting. Go ahead?" Caladrius requests, curious.
"You leave everything. I kill you, and free these people." Solona says, smirking.
"Not amusing." Caladrius comments, before casting a blizzard spell.
Wynne barriers the exit door, preventing the slavers escape. Solona casts inferno, to counteract the blizzard. Everyone has scrambled, picking targets and taking them down. Alistair and Solona both take Caladrius, working in tandem. They whittle him down, even as he sacrifices his men to draw more power. Solona rolls out of range, before Alistair drains the man's magic with a Templar ability. The party watches as Alistair and Solona fight the mage, it is a harmony of moves and spells, each building on the others skills. Caladrius asks for a truce, making one last proposal.
"If you let me live, you can have everything, and I will use the remaining slaves here to boost your physical well being." Caladrius pleads.
"No." Solona tells him, a second before Alistair takes his head off.
The companions rush to the cages along the walls, freeing the elves inside. Darrian sees his father, running to him. An older man, walks up to Solona, remembering her from helping Shianni. He reintroduces himself as Valendrian, the Alienages Hahren. Solona greets him in elvish, he is surprised she knows the greeting, the two talk as they lead the elves out of the building, taking them back to the Alienage.
Darrian catches up with his father, Cyrion and introduces him to Lyna, his maybe future daughter-in-law, grinning as he says it. Lyna smirks, asking Cyrion if perhaps he is single, a more mature male is to her liking. Cyrion laughs, then grabs his ribs. Solona stops talking to Valendrian and has the elves gather as close to her as they can. She casts a group heal over everyone, who are both awed and better afterwards. Valendrian, for just a moment saw something as she cast, a golden light, brighter and warmer than any he had ever seen or felt. To name it, would be to call it love, in it's purest form, unselfish, unabashed and ever enduring.
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Shianni hugs Solona again, thanking her for helping everyone and healing there injuries. Darrian tells her that the elves can have some peace right now, Howe is dead. A new Arl won't be named until after the Blight is taken care of. Maybe without shems fucking with them, the elves might actually be able to get ahead for a change. Elissa comments that the whole Alienage isn't right. The one in Highever was nothing like this one. There was no gate between the two communities, in fact, her father was in the middle of dismantling the walls separating the two sections, because he didn't like the elves being seen as separate, he wanted everyone equal. Shianni comments that Elissa's family is strange, but that it's a good thing.
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The companions continue looking around the Alienage, Elissa sees an elven child, who turns out to be the daughter of an elven woman who was visiting Highever. Elissa holds her as she cries, when Elissa tells her of her mothers passing. Elissa also tells her that the man responsible is dead, her mother avenged. Elissa leads the girl to Shianni, who takes the girl to her Uncle's house, they will adopt her and look after her, Shianni telling the child she always wanted a sister, brothers are a headache.
Alim and Solona come across a Templar, who is blind, but felt an evil aura coming from the Alienage, so he wanted to investigate. With the riots and the death toll, he wanted to make sure the veil had not thinned in the area. The others tell him about signs they had seen around a building marked as the Orphanage. The Templar sighs, telling the group it was 'bad'. They interpret want he is saying without him saying it. The companions decide to help him search the orphanage, just to be sure.
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Alistair and the mages all feel it, the further inside they go. The veil is thinned, but if not repaired it could cause trouble. The ghosts that linger are freaking Faren, Oghren, and Sereda out. Sten is concerned, but unaffected. A rage demon attacks them in a common room, along with a couple of shades. But the evil aura is still present. Further in they find more ghosts, and more shades. They eventually come to a door, the presents feels strongest inside. Another Rage demon, this one stronger than the last one, it summons three more, plus a couple shades.
The room is seemingly cleared, when Loki sees a weapon floating in the air. He rushes to the Templar, knocking him over just in time, the weapon whizzes past, almost hitting Zevran. This fight is hot, literally. This Rage demon surrounds the room with an inferno spell. Solona counters with a blizzard spell. Wynne heals as the group destroys the enemies, the Templar is grateful to the hound for saving his life. Once the demon is dead the aura lifts, the veil a little stronger now. The Templar says that he will report the incident, and bring a few more Templars with him, they will help clean up the Orphanage with the elves, just to be safe.
/
Faren gives an amulet to a beggar outside, thinking it's the amulet she was talking about. Her mind clears after putting it on, she thanks the dwarf before moving away. Darrian runs over to Valendrian's house, saying he forgot to do something, he returns a few minutes later, his coin purse missing.
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Entering the Arl's residences in the early evening, the chamberlain informs them the dinner is almost ready, the group rushes off to clean up. Solona reports to Eamon, giving him the documents recovered from the slave traders. Eamon is aghast at reading them. He will call the Landsmeet tomorrow morning, he asks everyone to eat and rest, tomorrow is going to be a long day. Solona quietly slips Eamon the documents found at Ostagar, who skims them, then looks up at Solona, who nods. He locks everything up in a chest, the lock unpickable. He is about to hide the key, when Erlina comes into the study. Instead he hands the key to Solona, who using a move she learned from Faren, slips a different key into her pocket, the real one palmed in her hand. Walking out of the room Erlina bumps into her, but apologizes, claiming clumsiness. Solona smiles reassuringly.
Solona joins the others at dinner, Anora opts out, eating in her room. Solona slips the real key onto Loki's collar, telling the hound that only she is allowed to retrieve it. No one is getting that key. Solona sneaks a small bit of mutton to Loki, telling him he did good today.
Elissa and Solona are sharing a room, both are eager from tomorrow to come and be over. Although, for different reasons. Sleep takes Solona quickly.
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Notes: I wanted to send a special Muchas Gracias to my latest reviewer. There wasn't a name so I couldn't make it more personal. But I am grateful just the same. The next chapter after this has got a lot going on and will be very exciting.
