Note dated 9:39 Dragon: I pulled these together based on scraps and blurbs of notes. Didn't exactly have time to write a full recollection between running to the tower, fighting Uldred's abominations and racing back to Redcliffe.
Fighting corpses in a dungeon. I used to play that with Fergus when I was a girl. Of course their wasn't the smell, the gnashing teeth, the flatling spindly arms, and the stopped dead eyes of what once had been a living breathing child of the maker
We met the Mage responsible for this horror, this Jowan. The poor fellow looked like hell. He confirmed that he poisoned the Arl,under the instruction of Teyrn Logain. In exchange Logain would pardon his sentence of death for Blood Magic. He like so many thought he was doing the patriotic thing by following the Hero of the River Dayne. Makers balls how this man has corrupted us.
Jowan was not responsible for the creatures in the castle though. He couldn't reverse it even under torture, Isolde had tried her hand at that. He had been brought in to tutor Conner to hide his talent. For you see the Arl's quiet child is a Mage. The Arlessa did not want him taken away and told nobody of this, not even the Arl. He would have done the right thing and turned him into the Circle. That infuriated Isolde. My parents would have tired to do right by me not matter what, though I suspect their definition would have meant turning me in and maintaining contact. Still, I cannot help but sympathize with Isolde, even if I abhor her conduct. Were my child a mage, I would have done the same thing. I am not sure if that is weakness or strength.
Morrigan must have felt a strange sort of kinsmen with Jowan, a fellow apostate and all that. She prefers to slay him than imprison him. This is something of a theme with her. Alistair of course wasn't thrilled with the idea of releasing a blood Mage, but Leliana was adamant that even he deserved redemption. Given that I have collaborated with child killers, I see no reason why blood Magic would be any less forgivable a crime and I judged him earnest. So I let the man out.
The demon sent Shades against us on the upper floor. In the Chantry of all places. Alistair said it was sacrilegious. They were a lot like that demon we fought in the wilds. And like that time Morrigan and Alistair both fought well. Leliana coated her daggers with poison. I will ask her to show me how to do that one day.
We found Valena and convinced her to run for safety. Apart for her and the Arl's person and family I don't think their were any other survivors in the castle. Event he Mabari were possessed and believe me I took no pleasure in killing those poor, very lethal, creatures. Screw what the Chantry says, Mabari can rest by the Maker's side. Andraste was a Ferelden after all.
We secured the gate and opened it for Sir Perth and his men and then made our way into the Great Hall. It was their I saw the most horrifying thing of all.
Teagan tumbled for his nephew like a dancing puppet. Isolde stood by his side looking so low. Connor was in front of the burning brazier. The boy in a deep menacing voice he said "so these are our visitors the ones you told me about mother." He complained that I had killed "his" soldiers, prevented him from retaking "his" village.
He wasn't much kinder to his poor mother, telling her that I was "twice as young and pretty." And feigning surprise that she hadn't ordered me executed in a fit of jealousy. Beneath all the demony menace their was still a small boy. Connor himself was still in their, occasionally coming to. To be a child, trapped and forced to watch yourself do these things. Maker. He sold his soul to keep his father alive, the poor naive little boy never expected this. No matter what the demon said it was not a fair trade.
The demon itself behaved like a spoiled brat. Apparently the purpose of ruling is to "send out armies to conquer the world", and boasting about how nobody could tell him what to do. The demon viewed this whole thing as some kind of twisted fun. After he sicked his possessed guards on us the demon ran off like a coward. Though that was for the best, I could never live with myself if I had to hurt a child.
I tried to avoid hurting the Knights too, but my companions and I had to defend ourselves. Teagan was the only one to survive, defeating him somehow gave him back control of his own mind. Mayhaps the demon's control grows overtime, so it had a weaker hold over the Bann than men who had been in the castle since the crisis began.
The Castle is secure but their is one last victim of this demon that needs to be saved, Connor himself. He's locked himself on the upper floor. Isolde will not allow her boy to be harmed and I just can't kill that boy, even if it would be a mercy, even if it's weakness. I'll always remember what they did to Oren.
Jowan offered to help, much to Isolde's chagrin. The demon is not physically in Connor. It approached him in the fade whilst he slept. To have to be constantly on guard like that, I never knew Mages had it so hard. Poor Adelous. It is possible to enter the fade and kill the demon.
But doing so requires a lot of power. There are two sources of power. Lyrium or blood.
Jowan says that he would need somebody's life-force. All of it. Isolde volunteered. Not only is blood magic forbidden, but it is also dangerous. Indeed Jowan seems like the shaky sort not the type I'd trust to do it right, even if I was interested in such blasphemy. Plus I do not look forward to telling the Arl that I stabbed his wife. Especially when there is another way.
The other option,the Circle, is a day's journey across the lake, and Bann Tegan knows a man with fast horses who can get us there quickly. And we do need the Circle's help with the Blight regardless. There is a risk to leaving Conner unsupervised, and the Circle may not even agree to do it. But given the alternatives I see no other option. I've left Sten and Morrigan behind, in spite of what they may claim neither of them would find the task enviable, but if Conner decides to possess another horde of walking corpses, they know what to do. Maker have mercy on them.