Takao-kun
I actually liked Wynn. The games a lot like KOTOR so I see her as kind of like the anti Keria. Plus my group does need a healer.
Meeting the dwarves should be fun as I have an idea involving lyruim powder, balls of silverite and well you might be able to guess the rest.
dragon matt blue & davycrockett100
Thanks guys
Warden Gothic – Redcliffe Castle
As expected Teagan, Bann of Rainesfere had given us the key to the secret passage. That there was a hidden way in and out of the castle didn't surprise me in the least, mostly because it had been in the game but also because there's always a secret way out of a castle. Nobles always have a quick way out of their homes in case the peasants decide that a change of leadership is order and decide to forcefully retire the current leader.
The fact that the passage led to the castle's dungeons was a bit worrying as it could have been used to bring in people here who didn't deserve to be here, say like political enemies but judging by the dust it hadn't been used in a good long while and the Arl didn't seem the type to imprison innocent people in any case.
At the very least I hoped that all the dead bodies hadn't been here before the Arl had fallen ill, if they had been brought down here due to his orders then he wasn't the kind of person I wanted to ally with. Thankfully it seemed to me that the corpses were old, as in they had been dead for decades not mere years. Best guess, they had risen up the graveyards to serve their demon master.
On the subject of rising: more of the undead were getting up to fight.
As was natural Alistair and I charged, me with my two weapons and him with his sword and shield. We hacked, slashed and bashed until the bodies stopped moving, then Morrigan ensured their destruction by burning the bodies with fire that she could control.
That was when we encountered the Blood Mage Jowan.
"Hello. Whose there? Is there anyone alive out there?'
"Hi there" I replied before answering his questions "I am Gothic and this is my team. And yes we are alive".
"Wait you don't look like the arlesser's guards".
Well, dud. We were a band of adventuring misfits not soliders.
"Are you from outside the castle" asked the renegade mage.
"Yes we are" I answered "and who are you?"
I actually knew but I shouldn't know it was a good thing to ask in case I slipped up and called him by his name some point later on.
"My name is Jowan" he told the group "I'm a mage the arless hired to tutor her son. Or at least I was until she threw me into the dungeon".
"So your behind all of this then?" I demanded to know in what I hoped to be a suitable angry tone of voice.
Given that no one in my group had so far caught me in a lie I could only assume that I was a better act that I thought I was. Still it was hard to pretend that I didn't know everything that was going on.
"No I didn't" protested the Blood Mage "I did poison the Arl, but I'm not responsible for all of this. I was already imprisoned when it all started".
I knew that he was telling the truth but I got the sense that the rest of the group didn't share my point of view.
"The Arless came down here with her men and demanded that I reverse what had been done. I thought she meant the poisoning of the Arl. That was the first I heard about the troubles. Her ladyship thought I had summoned a demon to torment her family. She had me tortured. There was nothing I could do or say that would appease her. So they left me to rot".
Poor sod. If he hadn't tried to kill the Arl I'd call him innocent and let him go. But sadly that wasn't option as soon we might need his help.
"Why did you poison the Arl?" Alistair inquired.
Normally he let me do this sort of thing but this place had been his home so it seemed right for him to ask.
"I was instructed to by Loghain" Jowan explained. I was told that Arl Eammon was a threat to Felderan and that if I dealt with him then Loghain would settle matters with the Circle".
Idiot. It was the Circle he needed to worry about. It was the Templars. Including the near Templar standing next to me.
"You see I'm a Blood Mage" confessed Jowan
Morrigan was rather surprised to hear that.
"You a Blood Mage? Truly?". I would never of guessed".
To be fair he didn't look at all dangerous. What with his silly robes and all.
Alistair was less surprised but far less casual about the whole thing.
"A Blood Mage... that's never good".
"Lady Isolde needed a Mage but not one that was part of the Circle, so that I was how I got close to the Arl" said Jowan who clearly wanted to confess.
"Why would she needed a Mage?" Alistair asked to know.
"Her son Conner has shown signs of magic" Jowan informed "The Arless wanted someone to teach him to control his powers, but it couldn't be someone connected to the Circle".
"Why wouldn't she want to contact the Circle" Alistair asked next.
It sounded as if he couldn't imagine a parent not sending their child to the Circle. Personally I could see a number of reasons why someone would want to hide their child's magic.
"The Arless is a very religious person. Having a Mage for a son is an embarrassment".
I guessed that Mages couldn't inherit property or hold titles other than those that only really mattered to other Mages. The Arl only had one child so if Conner could inherit then that was the end of his line. It could also mean that the Arless's family who disown for birthing a Mage.
The magical bigotry in this world would deeply upset me with Conner was a good example as to why people should fear magic. Even if it wasn't really his fault.
Jowan spent a few moments whining about the unfairness of the universe. Then we got things back on track.
"Did the Arl know?" inquired my not quiet a Templar friend.
"No" answered the locked up magic user "his wife was adamant. She knew that he would do the right thing and send Conner to the Circle".
A noble who followed the rules rather than merely enforcing them, that was actually rather promising. It sounded as if he was the same man as in the game and if so then he would make a good ally.
"So if your not behind all this then that means Conner could be" I stated.
I wanted my group to be as prepared as possible for what was lying ahead. Granted no one with even an ounce of humanity would be willing to slay a child... well maybe Morrigan, but we might not have a choice.
"Its possible" supplied the imprisoned Blood Mage "but he's so young and he doesn't know much magic".
There was a pause before he said.
"Still its possible that he somehow tore a whole in the veil"
On my world that statement wouldn't mean much unless it meant that someone had torn some poor woman veil and now it needed sowing back together, but this world it was much the same as if he had said 'he made a gateway to Hell'.
"I have to make it right somehow. I have to".
"Well you could help us fight the zombies" I suggested
Not that we really needed help. Fighting these undead was like fighting Trade Federation Battle Droids, as long you had a decent weapon in your hand, you knew how to use it and a few people around to watch your back then you really had nothing to fear. In fact it with this foe it was smarter to attack than run because the undead had no combat tactics more complex than: Charge and then hit things with your weapon. They never even tried to block blows. Of course they didn't have shields which would of helped a great deal.
As she was always eager to share her option Morrigan decided to speak.
"This boy could be of use to us, and even if not then let him go..."
Alistair then jumped in.
"Let's not forget that he's a Blood Mage. You can't just set a Blood Mage free".
"And let's not forgot the attempted murder thing" I muttered to myself.
"Then better to slay him. To make him pay for his choices. Is that Alistair who speaks or the Templars".
"I'd say its common sense talking" replied the bastard prince "we don't even know the whole story yet, he could be lying".
"He wishes to redeem himself" said the bard/spy "doesn't everyone deserve that chance?"
A naive thing to say, but at least she wasn't trying to tell the whole group what we should do.
"Like yourself, you mean" commented the witch.
I could sense a cat fight in the near future. Maybe I could arrange for their to be mud of some sort. They didn't have the right kinds of food for a proper naked female wrestling but perhaps we could use honey and then I could lick some of it off their bodies.
"Everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves in the Maker's eyes" debated the Orlisan girl "this man no less than any".
"I don't know" said a now conflicted Alistair "he is a Blood Mage, but this an unusual situation".
"Give me a chance, pleased" begged Jowan.
After deciding to end this little debate club meeting I said.
"I think its best if you just stay put for now. At least until we fully understand everything that is going on".
The Blood Mage accepted my decision as it was really for the best. I didn't even know if he could fight and the Arless might not react to us very well if we were in his company.
After that distraction we got moving again. It was a little hard for the entire group to move through the cellars but we managed it by walking in line and we all kept our eyes open.
Soon we were inside the castle and we began to spread out as a small army of undead charged towards us.
Once more they show no regard for their own existence or even each others, they just ran at us and tried to use their numbers to overwhelm my group.
It might of worked if we weren't a team of badass warriors, aided by a skilled rogue and a powerful magic user.
Also Oggy helped.
There was an aura of darkness and fear filling the castle. It hadn't been that noticeable in the dungeons because that's how such places should feel but up here it was a lot more obvious.
Only torches provided light as there was something preventing the energy of the sun from entering the place. The castle's fine decorations and well crafted furniture no doubt would of drawn admiring glances had we not been so distracted by the bodies and the smell. Even I was effected as normally such a place would have me wishing I was wealthy enough to buy it from the owner but I would never want to live here.
The fighting remained easy enough at least until we entered the castle's courtyard and came face to face with a Reverent. I had little idea as to what these creatures were beyond being some form of undead but I soon reminded that they a fearsome foe.
Sten and Oggy charged the monster. Sten screamed a battle cry and my faithful hound barked together they looked as if they took take on anything, but the undead thing used a spell or perhaps something akin to telekinesis to throw the giant right into Alistair who was nearly crushed as he weighed a lot less than the non-human.
Morrigan unleashed a spell a small fireball by the looks of it, but the armoured undead seemed to have an enchanted shield as the spell had no effect when the creature blocked it.
Leliana fired her bow but this time the monster didn't even bother to raise its fancy shield. Instead it simply batted aside the arrow with its sword treating the who attack as if it was more than part of a game of Rounders.
Now it was my term.
I charged and just as the undead being raised its hand to charge an attack I threw my one sided axe. The creature moved its shield to take the blow but that had been part of my plan. There was now nothing the monster could do to stop me from landing a blow with my two handed sword which I had been drawing as soon as the axe left my hand.
My sword met the undead things sword, which had been driven into the ground after it had deflected the bard's arrow. The creature was fast enough to block my blow but I didn't have a large shield so I had more muscle to call upon.
I forced the sword down and the span with enough that the monster was forced to use it already damaged shield to absorb the blow. Which it did but the strike caused the armour plated fiend to fall to its knees.
Victory seemed to be a hand.
Then a sudden reversal.
I found myself flying and I landed in what was thankfully grass which preventing me from breaking anything.
Morrigan fired some lightening and that seemed to hurt the dead thing so much so in fact that it let out an unearthly scream.
I tried to get up and was about half way there when Sten appeared and started bashing the armoured creature while screaming something that would only make sense to another of his race. In fact it took us all to calm him down and what was left of creature could best be described as slag.
Sten had also proven that I was not the strongest in the group even I was better with weapons. This made me realise that perhaps it would be good idea for me to see if Leliana could teach me some sneaky fighting tricks and that I should try to get my hands on some of those grenade type things they had around here as I would need to take the giant out quickly if he ever decided to challenge me.
It took us all a little time to get ready for another fight, none of us had been badly hurt but we didn't have a healer in the group so we had to relay on the magical bandages they used in this world. Healing potions, which they also had, would have been better but we were running low.
Soon enough we entered the castle via the side entrance and found ourselves yet again in combat.
Thankfully it was just more of the undead and in one room a pack of dogs but since I'd expected them I simply locked the door rather than have the group charge in and fight.
Then we had the novel experience of meeting someone who didn't want to kill us.
"Ah please don't hurt me" a servant girl screamed.
"Calm down" I ordered "we're not going to hurt you".
Upon seeing that we were living people the young woman calmed down.
"I'm sorry. I'm just so scared. Those monsters are everywhere".
While most of the creatures hadn't really been much trouble, to an unarmed person with no fighting skills who was also alone they were actually a big threat so I understood why she had hidden in this room.
"Wait your the blacksmith's daughter, aren't you" reasoned Alistair.
There was actually a bit of a family resemblance. They had the same eyes.
"I just want to go back to the village" pleaded the woman "is there are way out of here?"
"Sure there's a passage way in the dungeon" I informed her.
"But the monsters".
Yes that would be a problem. The way we came was clear but what if she took a different route.
"Okay Sten, Alistair take this young lady to the dungeon and then..."
"We can't separate" protested the illegitimate heir to the throne.
Damn it.
"Fine, we've cleared the way so it shouldn't take us long to escort her out of her. Maybe we can raise the gates. That way the people in the village will know that we're okay".
Everyone looked at me a little oddly.
"They have people watching the castle" I reminded "so they will know its us opening the place up".
Amazingly no one grumbled about this being another delay and to be fair it didn't take long away. Before long we hacking our way through more monsters and heading for the main audience chamber.
It didn't take us long to get there, and that was good thing because I was actually starting to get tired. I wasn't sure I could keep hacking and slashing my way through the undead much longer.
Just like in the game Conner was making his Uncle do what was possible the creepiest dance ever seen anywhere outside of a Michael Jackon music video.
"So these are our visitors"
"So these are our visitors"
That echo was a lot scarier in real life. It felt as if the second voice was coming from all around us.
My dog was growling loudly as the group entered the room but thankfully Warhounds are to well trained to attack without an order unless their master is in danger.
"The ones you told me about, Mother"
"The ones you told me about, Mother"
Yep really creepy.
"Yes, Conner" replied the Arless who was clearly to frightened to say anything without her 'son's' permission.
"And this is the one who defeated my soldiers. The ones I sent to reclaim my village".
"And this is the one who defeated my soldiers. The ones I sent to reclaim my village".
I really wished the demon would stop doing that.
"Yes" Conner's mother answered.
"And now its starting at me. What does it want?. What is it I can't see it clearly enough. There's too much light"
"And now its starting at me. What does it want?. What is it I can't see it clearly enough. There's too much light"
The demon could see the light. The spirit must be somehow shielding me.
"This is just man, Conner" answered the lady of the castle "Like your father".
"Oh I am tired of hearing about him. Besides he's nothing like father. He's
breathing and father never glowed like this one".
"Oh I am tired of hearing about him. Besides he's nothing like father. He's breathing and father never glowed like this one".
I also really wished that everyone would ignoring the remarks about light and glowing. Hopefully they would put it down to the demon simply being weird.
"I could change all that"
"I could change all that"
"Conner" begged the Arless "Don't hurt anyone".
It was a bit late for that.
"Mother? What's happening? Where am I?"
The voice was totally different more childlike and without the echo effect. Also Oggy seemed to calm down so I didn't think the demon was faking this part. Conner really was able to gain control at least for a short time.
"Oh thank the Maker" praised the boy's mother "Conner, Conner can you hear me?"
"Get away from me fool woman".
"Get away from me fool woman".
And the demon was back.
"You are beginning to bore me"
"You are beginning to bore me"
"Please Grey Wardens. Do not hurt my son. He is not responsible for what he does".
I could only assume that the Bann had told his sister in law who we were, because she should have no other way of knowing who we were.
"Conner did not mean to do this. It was that Mage the one who poisoned his father. He started all this he summoned this demon. Conner was just trying to help his father".
"And he made a deal with the demon to do so" supplied Morrigan in case anyone wasn't totally caught up in what was going on "foolish child".
"It was a fair deal".
"It was a fair deal".
Clearly the demon didn't agree.
"Father is alive, just as I wanted. Now its my turn to sit on the throne and to spend out armies to conquer the world".
"Father is alive, just as I wanted. Now its my turn to sit on the throne and to spend out armies to conquer the world".
That would happen over my dead body.
Wait did say that out loud? Hope not, it was far to cheesy a line.
"No one will tell me what to do ever again".
"No one will tell me what to do ever again".
"Nobody tells him what to do. Nobody" laughed Conner's mind controlled pet.
"Quiet, Uncle. I told you what I would do if you didn't stop shouting. Didn't I? Yes I did.
"Quiet, Uncle. I told you what I would do if you didn't stop shouting. Didn't I? Yes I did.
The demon then turned to me and said.
"But let's keep things simple. This... glowing man will have the audience he seeks. Tell us: what have you come here for?"
"But let's keep things simple. This... glowing man will have the audience he seeks. Tell us: what have you come here for?"
"I came here to see the Arl" I replied.
Which I supposed was the truth. I hadn't really meant to say it.
"So your a concerned well-wisher. Why didn't you just say so?"
"So your a concerned well-wisher. Why didn't you just say so?"
Before I could even come with an answer for that question the insane demon switched tracks.
"But father is so very ill. We really should disturb him. Isn't that right mother?"
"But father is so very ill. We really should disturb him. Isn't that right mother?".
"I don't think..." started the Arless.
"Of course you don't. Ever since you sent the knights away you do nothing but deprive me of the chance to have fun. Frankly it is getting dull".
"Of course you don't. Ever since you sent the knights away you do nothing but deprive me of the chance to have fun. Frankly it is getting dull".
I started to be able to move. This whole thing was starting to get less scary and I found my hands moving towards my weapons. But I still wasn't ready to kill a child.
"I crave action and excitement, but this man spoilt my fun".
"I crave action and excitement, but this man spoilt my fun".
"Yeah I can't say that I'm sorry about that" I told the demon as I lifted my axe and mace "but your little pets were in my way".
The demon took one look at me and ran away. I couldn't but notice that I'd very softly been glowing.
Oddly no one attacked. The guards looked as if they were waking up from a bad dream and the Bann was starting to come to his senses.
"Teagan" moaned the Arless "are you all right?".
"I am better now. I think" replied the Bann "my mind is my own again".
The two nobles then turned to me and my group.
"Please" pleaded the Arless "Conner is not responsible for this. There must be someway we can save him".
"Clearly the child is an abomination" said Morrigan softly enough to be comforting "There is only one way to stop all of this".
"But Conner is still in there" protested the foreign born noble "sometime he is himself".
Deciding that time was of the essence here I brought up the Mages.
"Can't we ask the Circle for help?" I inquired "Surely they know a way to deal with something like this".
"No more magic" declared the Arless "Mages are what caused all of this in the first place".
"It was you who hired the Mage" reminded the Bann "if the Circle can help us then we must send for them".
"Its either that or we kill him" I added.
No wanted that... well aside for Morrigan but she was practical to the point of being a heartless bitch.
"But what if Conner... I mean the demon tries to escape" pointed out Alistair.
Then Morrigan surprised me.
"I will stay here" she declared "if your willing to use magic to solve this problem then I should be able to contain the demon. But I will need help. Someone who can fight off the demon's minions".
"Sten?" I asked
The giant sighed.
"Very well. Since it seems that we will not be fighting the Darkspawn any time soon I will stay here and guard this place".
"Thank you" I replied.
I turned to the group.
"We'll rest here for a few hours and then help set up some barricades to contain the demon. By morning at the latest most of us will be heading for the Circle".
It was a rough night. We had to burn all of the dead so that the demon would have no bodies to animate. Then Morrigan spent quite a while trying to magical bar the doors with some sort of runes.
Still by morning we were off. It would take us two days to get to the Circle and when we did there would be another hard battle to fight.
My life was really violent these days.