Alienage blues
Débuté par
westiex9
, avril 14 2010 02:07
#101
Posté 11 mai 2010 - 04:51
Gilgamesh1138
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OMG! I laughed so hard at that last line! This is just getting better and better Westie! I am soooo in love with this story. So to the gambling house we go!
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#102
Posté 13 mai 2010 - 09:40
Slim Warden
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This case could actually replace you're Demon Alley case to be my favorite, they just keep getting better.
Modifié par Slim Warden, 13 mai 2010 - 09:41 .
#103
Posté 13 mai 2010 - 01:23
westiex9
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The Grayson scandal part 4
Zauben’s, one way or another I always seem to find myself back here, I’m not sure whether it’s the delightful pipe haze or the sounds of the debt ridden losing appendages but somehow this place always draw's me back. As we approach the infamous gambling house we take a turn into a nearby alley
“Okay you wait here, I’ll bring out Albrecht, when he comes down the alley you knock him out” she says handing me a quarterstaff
“How are you going to convince him to come out here? Or get him to talk?” I asked confused by this whole spot of kidnapping
“Sometimes it’s better just to trust me and not question my methods” she says as she turns to head in
Trust, these wardens are a strange lot something about especially Alvera seems odd, she seems so confident that Albrecht will fall into her trap, and if I had a sovereign for every time a person was hiding something from me, well I’d probably be the teryn of Gwaren by now.
************************************************************************************************
Alvera moves through the Smokey haze of Zauben’s den like a predatory shark in murky waters, the addicts and patrons shy away from her, they know to avoid her type. She spots Albrecht drinking at the bar, no doubt taking a break from a winning streak to indulge. Albrecht does not see her approach him.
“Maker woman do you always creep up on people like this!” he blurts out startled by Alvera’s sudden presence
“Only when I’m trying to be discreet” Alvera responds with a dark smile
“What do you want? If this is about the commander get lost, I’m off duty” he says turning his back and ordering another pint
“I need you to come with me” Alvera says coldly
“I’m not going anywhere, least of all with the commander’s little Antivan ****” he says in an aggressive voice
“I said I needed you to come with, not that I needed you to agree” Alvera says with a smile that chills Albrecht to his bones
Albrecht is about to say something, but then a scent of copper and salt fills the air, Alvera’s eyes flash blood red for a moment and suddenly Albrecht has no desire to argue, he will do anything she asks, his will completely drained.
*******************************************************************************************
I stand holding the quarterstaff in the alley, the wait makes me tense and the thought of one of my fellow guardsmen spotting an elf with a stick looking shifty does not make me any calmer. After what seems like an eternity Alvera finally returns Albrecht in tow. For a moment he seems glassy eyed and distant but then he awakes
“Hey what am I doing here? Where am I! You **** I knew you were a....”Albrecht does not get chance to finish his
sentence, a swift boot from Alvera causes him to double over in pain
“You know for an order that claims vigilance as its defining trait, you guys never see a trap coming” I say, I bring the staff down across Albrecht’s head with a heavy swing, the force of the blow knocks him to the floor
“Out cold” Alvera says with a grin
“What now?” I ask wondering what she intends to do with the battered Ander
“I have a place we can go to” she says “grab Albrecht and follow me” she says leading the way
“And if someone asks why I am carrying an unconscious Ander man?” I say with a raised eyebrow
“Tell them he drank too much and got into a fight, you’d technically be telling the truth” she says with a grin
Well that worked out better than expected but my suspicions have been raised, the way Albrecht walked out of Zauben’s all glassy eyed, that isn’t how sane humans behave. Something is going on here, and I better keep my wits about me, Antivans have a reputation for deviousness after all. Creators just once I’d like to meet a culture that had a reputation for something nice like pie making, but I have more chance of being king of Nevarra then see that.
Zauben’s, one way or another I always seem to find myself back here, I’m not sure whether it’s the delightful pipe haze or the sounds of the debt ridden losing appendages but somehow this place always draw's me back. As we approach the infamous gambling house we take a turn into a nearby alley
“Okay you wait here, I’ll bring out Albrecht, when he comes down the alley you knock him out” she says handing me a quarterstaff
“How are you going to convince him to come out here? Or get him to talk?” I asked confused by this whole spot of kidnapping
“Sometimes it’s better just to trust me and not question my methods” she says as she turns to head in
Trust, these wardens are a strange lot something about especially Alvera seems odd, she seems so confident that Albrecht will fall into her trap, and if I had a sovereign for every time a person was hiding something from me, well I’d probably be the teryn of Gwaren by now.
************************************************************************************************
Alvera moves through the Smokey haze of Zauben’s den like a predatory shark in murky waters, the addicts and patrons shy away from her, they know to avoid her type. She spots Albrecht drinking at the bar, no doubt taking a break from a winning streak to indulge. Albrecht does not see her approach him.
“Maker woman do you always creep up on people like this!” he blurts out startled by Alvera’s sudden presence
“Only when I’m trying to be discreet” Alvera responds with a dark smile
“What do you want? If this is about the commander get lost, I’m off duty” he says turning his back and ordering another pint
“I need you to come with me” Alvera says coldly
“I’m not going anywhere, least of all with the commander’s little Antivan ****” he says in an aggressive voice
“I said I needed you to come with, not that I needed you to agree” Alvera says with a smile that chills Albrecht to his bones
Albrecht is about to say something, but then a scent of copper and salt fills the air, Alvera’s eyes flash blood red for a moment and suddenly Albrecht has no desire to argue, he will do anything she asks, his will completely drained.
*******************************************************************************************
I stand holding the quarterstaff in the alley, the wait makes me tense and the thought of one of my fellow guardsmen spotting an elf with a stick looking shifty does not make me any calmer. After what seems like an eternity Alvera finally returns Albrecht in tow. For a moment he seems glassy eyed and distant but then he awakes
“Hey what am I doing here? Where am I! You **** I knew you were a....”Albrecht does not get chance to finish his
sentence, a swift boot from Alvera causes him to double over in pain
“You know for an order that claims vigilance as its defining trait, you guys never see a trap coming” I say, I bring the staff down across Albrecht’s head with a heavy swing, the force of the blow knocks him to the floor
“Out cold” Alvera says with a grin
“What now?” I ask wondering what she intends to do with the battered Ander
“I have a place we can go to” she says “grab Albrecht and follow me” she says leading the way
“And if someone asks why I am carrying an unconscious Ander man?” I say with a raised eyebrow
“Tell them he drank too much and got into a fight, you’d technically be telling the truth” she says with a grin
Well that worked out better than expected but my suspicions have been raised, the way Albrecht walked out of Zauben’s all glassy eyed, that isn’t how sane humans behave. Something is going on here, and I better keep my wits about me, Antivans have a reputation for deviousness after all. Creators just once I’d like to meet a culture that had a reputation for something nice like pie making, but I have more chance of being king of Nevarra then see that.
Modifié par westiex9, 15 mai 2010 - 04:06 .
#104
Posté 14 mai 2010 - 01:12
Slim Warden
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*puts on fake evil accent* Interesting very interesting, you are growing stronger my friend soon you will take over the WORLD! *cough cough* back to serious Slim now, it was really well written and I shall place this Case in the awesome files.
#105
Posté 14 mai 2010 - 04:39
Gilgamesh1138
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ROFL! I love the one liners our fearless detective throws out make me laugh so hard. LOVE this westie.
On little thing: but somehow this place always drawers me back . Drawers should be draws. : D But I like drawers too, on the floor, if they're Alistair's. Or if they are Zev's, but Zev doesn't wear them we found that out when he climbs the mast rescuing Sir Pounce-A-Lot, yes?
On little thing: but somehow this place always drawers me back . Drawers should be draws. : D But I like drawers too, on the floor, if they're Alistair's. Or if they are Zev's, but Zev doesn't wear them we found that out when he climbs the mast rescuing Sir Pounce-A-Lot, yes?
Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 14 mai 2010 - 04:39 .
#106
Posté 15 mai 2010 - 04:05
westiex9
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Gilgamesh1138 wrote...
ROFL! I love the one liners our fearless detective throws out make me laugh so hard. LOVE this westie.
On little thing: but somehow this place always drawers me back . Drawers should be draws. : D But I like drawers too, on the floor, if they're Alistair's. Or if they are Zev's, but Zev doesn't wear them we found that out when he climbs the mast rescuing Sir Pounce-A-Lot, yes?
ROFL!!! oh man i did write drawers didnt i
Given Our discussions about Zevran maybe i had my mind in other places hehe! Hmmm....im starting to wonder how many cats will be in trees before the end of the month 
#107
Posté 15 mai 2010 - 04:07
Gilgamesh1138
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Oh so many poor poor kitties! LOL!
#108
Posté 15 mai 2010 - 01:54
westiex9
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The Grayson Scandal Part 5
Torture rooms chill me to the marrow; I remember during the civil war, Loghain’s torturers had their own tents where they busied themselves extracting information from the captured bannorn soldiers, I remember those same torturers slept and ate separate from the regular men, we hated them with a passion the weedy little sadists.
Now four years later I’m sat in a chair outside a room in a dilapidated town house that smells of blood and fear, and yet I hear no screams, not even a whimper. Alvera walks out later, her wrist is covered, but I can guess why.
“I got the information I needed from him, his confession revealed the commanders guilt” she says wiping her forehead with a dirty rag
“You’re hiding something” I reply with a blunt voice
“What do you mean?” she says feigning innocence
“ I may just be a grizzled ex-soldier but don’t take me for a fool, the glassy eyed stare he gave, the stink of blood, the fact this is all happening without any signs of struggle, your hiding something” I say irritated
“Your digging in places you shouldn’t Erian, you won’t like what you unearth” she says grimly
“I rarely like the things I discover about people, but I deal with it because I have to, now I want to know what you’re hiding” i say staring at her coldly
“Fine you want to know the truth! I’m a maleficar! A blood mage! And I used that skill to get us the information, you don’t like it go tell the templar’s, I’m sure they’d love to hear how you consorted with one” she says with a sneer
“I guess the rumours about the Wardens weren’t all false after all, you really will take anyone” I say glaring angrily
“Oh trust me it wasn’t my idea to join this death sentence, but when I was facing execution I really wasn’t in the mood to be picky” she says raising her hands exasperated
“That bad huh?” I reply with a hint of sympathy
“Yeah, my father...he was a butcher...spent his life around blood and death in Rialto, taught me how to use the forbidden arts, said they were just a tool not good or evil” she says staring at her hands
“You believe him?” I ask
“Magic doesn’t have morality, it’s just a force, my crime wasn’t using blood magic, my crime was that those fools in the chantry didn’t approv[/i]e” she says angrily
“What happened?” I ask
“Templar’s caught me using it to influence a nobleman, shame too because I was about to earn a whole sovereign... they declared me a maleficar and sentenced me to death” she says sadly
“Yet here you are” I reply
“Argus was in Antiva at the time, on diplomatic business with the queen, he invoked the right of conscription and saved me from the axe, I loved him from that moment on” she says with a slight smile
“Why then? Why turn against him now” I ask confused
“Don’t be foolish he’s the warden commander, Queen won’t offer him to the Orlesian’s she’ll find a scapegoat once she knows its him, and my Argus will be spared, I’m just exposing him early to save the kingdom, Argus would never forgive himself for starting a war” she says her voice turning to admiration at the mention of “her” Argus
“You would an innocent be executed to save your lover? You wardens make me sick, once this is over I’m done with your kind” I say angrily as I leave the room
“Where are you going?” she calls out
“To end this investigation” I reply stepping into the rain outside
So these were the knights of legend that saved us all from the darkspawn, just a shame beneath their shining armour their as rotten as the beasts they hunt. I don’t look back as I walk, as far as I’m concerned anyone willing to let an innocent take the place of the guilty is as reprehensible as a murderer.
****************************
The royal palace seemed to blacken beneath the pall of rain that filled the evening sky, Queen Fiona had called Commander Grayson to the palace, and she wanted to know why a prominent guest of an often hostile neighbour had died on his watch.
The throne seemed uncomfortable and she had to resist the urge to fidget, she suspected Grayson of some sort of foul play, no one would have disobeyed his orders to treat the guests with respect, they loved him too much. But despite this she took no pleasure in her conclusion, Argus Grayson was a war hero and trusted servant, to consider him a murder suspect was a disturbing idea.
A captain of the Marics shield entered and saluted with a fist to her chest
“Your highness, the Commander of the grey has arrived....but” the Captain hesitated to say the next part
“It’s okay Robin, just tell me the news, I’m not going to snap your head off if it’s bad” The queen replied with a sympathetic smile, she may have been the nations co-ruler but that didn’t mean she had forgotten her manners
“In addition to the Commander, Ser Erian and an Antivan woman have entered the palace and seek and audience, they say it’s urgent and regards the Commander” The captain said honestly
Erian Tor, the name had a certain ominous ring to it, Fiona had not forgotten the service the elven investigator had rendered the nation on the night of the demon attack, she just wished they were meeting under better circumstances.
“Very well captain send both parties in, and then dismiss the entire guard and any servants, this will be a delicate matter” Fiona said as the captain saluted and left the halls, Fiona sighed, before the end of this meeting she suspected she would unearth some unpleasant truths.
*************************
Grayson had arrived to find the elf Guardsman and Alvera waiting outside the throne room, he immediately ordered his guards to wait outside; this would be a personal matter.
“Alvera what are you doing here?!” Grayson exclaimed shocked by his lover’s presence
“I’m sorry my love....after the....incident I had to expose this murder, it was the only way to save you!” she said with tears streaming down her face
“You see Argus; even those closest to you are betrayers! Slay her now!! Slay them both, what else have you to lose” [/b]the voice whispered in a vile and suggestive voice
“No!” Argus said under his breath, he blocked the voice from his thoughts and moved towards Alvera, where a
normal man might have ran her through he embraced her
“I know, but this is an end of my own making dearest one, I must be the one to be punished” he said holding her tightly as she wept in his arms
“b-but what will happen to you? Surely the queen will cover this up!” Alvera said looking up at Argus with pleading eyes; Grayson wiped the tears from her face and stared lovingly at her for a moment
“That will be the queen’s decision, now come dear it will not do to keep her waiting” Argus said loosening his hold and walking towards the door
The look on the elf guardsman’s face was hard to read, perhaps he pitied them, perhaps he was disgusted by their crime, Argus could not tell.
****************************
We enter the Hall to see the queen, she stands at the steps of the throne, she wears her usual court attire, a silver circlet, red shirt, blue trousers and riding boots, she does not look happy to see us enter.
Grayson kneels as he reaches the thrones steps and we follow suit, the queen raises a hand bidding us to rise
“Commander, there are many questions I have regarding our esteemed guest General De Valois, and his death whilst in your care” the queen says in sharp tone putting emphasis on the last words
“Your majesty this man is a murderer, he killed De Valois in a drunken rage! And then ordered his bodyguard to dump the body in the harbour! ” I say angrily pointing my finger at Argus
“Hmmm there is precedent for this, after all the man did kill your father, what say you Grayson, is Ser Erian correct in his accusation?” The queen says in a questioning voice
“My queen, Ser Erian speaks the truth, I killed De Valois in a drunken rage, and I ordered the dumping of his body
when I was sober” Grayson says confessing his crime
“No! It’s not true! My queen he lies to protect my person” Alvera blurts out in a shocked voice
“And what say you Alvera De Venez?” The queen asks with a raised eyebrow
“What are you doing this is my crime!” Grayson yells horrified
“Let the woman speak Argus!” Fiona says in a voice that will brook no interference
“I-I killed the general your majesty, and then I dumped the body in the harbour, Argus is innocent of the entire thing” Alvera says, I wonder why she is so willing to give up her own life for his, then I realize she loves him enough to die for him.
“And why would you do this? Why kill a man you know nothing about?” the queen asks
“I love him your majesty, with every part of my being, I saw General De Valois mocking his father and I decided to kill him” she says in a nervous voice
“Hmmmm...sounds plausible enough, very well guards! Arrest this woman and inform the Orlesian delegation their murderer is in our custody” The queen says in a loud voice that echoes across the hall, the guards enter and take Alvera without a struggle
“No!!! Alvera why? NOOOOO!!!!!” Argus roars his face filled with horror, he falls to his knees as they march her from the room
“Grayson my study, we have things to discuss, now!” the queen says in a commanding tone
“And Erian, it seems I have another service to thank you for, await me in the great hall, I shall be with you shortly” the queen says without mirth
Grayson rises to his feet and follows the queen; I can see the look on his face, a broken man walking to his end. I have to ask myself if I did the right thing, I mean did I? Was avenging one Orlesian general’s life worth this much suffering? Then I remember that that man may have had children, grandchildren, people he loved, each of us is a tiny universe unto ourselves and his life meant something to someone too whatever his flaws.
********************************
The queen’s study seems cold and unwelcoming as Argus walks in, his legs weak and his mind reeling from the recent events, the queen stands near her desk staring at him with a look of pure icy disdain, like a judge about the send a rapist to the noose
“Why? Why Alvera? She was innocent...The deed was mine!” Grayson asks in despair
The queen looks at him for a moment “because, I can afford to sacrifice on Antivan blood mage, not a war hero and Commander of the grey” she replies in a dark tone
“Blood mage? How did you know? Those records are sealed!” Argus exclaims horrified and confused
“That power hungry Ander up north may command this order in name, but this I my realm Grayson and you are my subject, I have access to all the warden documents even the ones you tried so well to hide” she says glaring at him angrily
“But why? She is innocent, this isn’t fair!!” He yells
“No Grayson...I will tell you what is not “fair” that the commander of the grey, a man trusted to uphold the order's honour and to defend the realm could break the very oath he swore and then try to cover up his disgrace” the queen said in an admonishing tone
“It was my crime!” Grayson yelled angrily
“And you will pay dearly for it!” Fiona said in a low voice
“This is the consequence of your action, everyday you’re going to have to live with the fact that your abuse of the position I bestowed upon you led to your lover’s execution, now go back to Amaranthine and never show your face in Denerim again!” Fiona said in a harsh voice
Grayson left the study, the hero of Ferelden had been disgraced, his abuse would never be known save by a small few, he had risked the entire nations safety for a personal vendetta, and while Fiona would in an ideal world have had him beheaded, Thedas was not such a place. Grayson would have to accept exile and guilt instead.
The Queen enters the great hall alone, the circlet she wore earlier removed and her red hair flowing freely in the breeze
**********************************
“I’m sorry you had to find out about Grayson, his actions tarnish us all” Fiona says staring at me with a comforting look, strange that the queen of my nation is mothering me now, still stranger things have happened
“It all feels so wrong your majesty, Wardens murdering diplomats, and getting to walk free no less!” I reply
“Oh I doubt Grayson would consider his new situation freedom Erian, he will be shackled by his guilt” she says grimly
“Did we do the right thing my queen?” I ask
“We did the necessary thing” she replies
“And what about justice? We should just hand him over and damn the consequences!” I say angry
“Forget it kid, its Denerim” she says sadly
And outside the rain continues to fall, like tears from the faces of the Creators, oh ancient ones how many of our hidden crimes and masked sins are you the witness to. Did I do the right thing? The answer eludes me.
Authors Note: so there you have it folks, Argus has been banished to Amaranthine in disgrace, though i doubt he will rot their for long, while this case was hard tow write it has been very satisfying to complete,the end decision by Fiona was inspired by one Adama makes on Battlestar galactica(new version) so hope you enjoyed it and expect a new one just as soon as a rough idea pops into my head, which should be soon
Torture rooms chill me to the marrow; I remember during the civil war, Loghain’s torturers had their own tents where they busied themselves extracting information from the captured bannorn soldiers, I remember those same torturers slept and ate separate from the regular men, we hated them with a passion the weedy little sadists.
Now four years later I’m sat in a chair outside a room in a dilapidated town house that smells of blood and fear, and yet I hear no screams, not even a whimper. Alvera walks out later, her wrist is covered, but I can guess why.
“I got the information I needed from him, his confession revealed the commanders guilt” she says wiping her forehead with a dirty rag
“You’re hiding something” I reply with a blunt voice
“What do you mean?” she says feigning innocence
“ I may just be a grizzled ex-soldier but don’t take me for a fool, the glassy eyed stare he gave, the stink of blood, the fact this is all happening without any signs of struggle, your hiding something” I say irritated
“Your digging in places you shouldn’t Erian, you won’t like what you unearth” she says grimly
“I rarely like the things I discover about people, but I deal with it because I have to, now I want to know what you’re hiding” i say staring at her coldly
“Fine you want to know the truth! I’m a maleficar! A blood mage! And I used that skill to get us the information, you don’t like it go tell the templar’s, I’m sure they’d love to hear how you consorted with one” she says with a sneer
“I guess the rumours about the Wardens weren’t all false after all, you really will take anyone” I say glaring angrily
“Oh trust me it wasn’t my idea to join this death sentence, but when I was facing execution I really wasn’t in the mood to be picky” she says raising her hands exasperated
“That bad huh?” I reply with a hint of sympathy
“Yeah, my father...he was a butcher...spent his life around blood and death in Rialto, taught me how to use the forbidden arts, said they were just a tool not good or evil” she says staring at her hands
“You believe him?” I ask
“Magic doesn’t have morality, it’s just a force, my crime wasn’t using blood magic, my crime was that those fools in the chantry didn’t approv[/i]e” she says angrily
“What happened?” I ask
“Templar’s caught me using it to influence a nobleman, shame too because I was about to earn a whole sovereign... they declared me a maleficar and sentenced me to death” she says sadly
“Yet here you are” I reply
“Argus was in Antiva at the time, on diplomatic business with the queen, he invoked the right of conscription and saved me from the axe, I loved him from that moment on” she says with a slight smile
“Why then? Why turn against him now” I ask confused
“Don’t be foolish he’s the warden commander, Queen won’t offer him to the Orlesian’s she’ll find a scapegoat once she knows its him, and my Argus will be spared, I’m just exposing him early to save the kingdom, Argus would never forgive himself for starting a war” she says her voice turning to admiration at the mention of “her” Argus
“You would an innocent be executed to save your lover? You wardens make me sick, once this is over I’m done with your kind” I say angrily as I leave the room
“Where are you going?” she calls out
“To end this investigation” I reply stepping into the rain outside
So these were the knights of legend that saved us all from the darkspawn, just a shame beneath their shining armour their as rotten as the beasts they hunt. I don’t look back as I walk, as far as I’m concerned anyone willing to let an innocent take the place of the guilty is as reprehensible as a murderer.
****************************
The royal palace seemed to blacken beneath the pall of rain that filled the evening sky, Queen Fiona had called Commander Grayson to the palace, and she wanted to know why a prominent guest of an often hostile neighbour had died on his watch.
The throne seemed uncomfortable and she had to resist the urge to fidget, she suspected Grayson of some sort of foul play, no one would have disobeyed his orders to treat the guests with respect, they loved him too much. But despite this she took no pleasure in her conclusion, Argus Grayson was a war hero and trusted servant, to consider him a murder suspect was a disturbing idea.
A captain of the Marics shield entered and saluted with a fist to her chest
“Your highness, the Commander of the grey has arrived....but” the Captain hesitated to say the next part
“It’s okay Robin, just tell me the news, I’m not going to snap your head off if it’s bad” The queen replied with a sympathetic smile, she may have been the nations co-ruler but that didn’t mean she had forgotten her manners
“In addition to the Commander, Ser Erian and an Antivan woman have entered the palace and seek and audience, they say it’s urgent and regards the Commander” The captain said honestly
Erian Tor, the name had a certain ominous ring to it, Fiona had not forgotten the service the elven investigator had rendered the nation on the night of the demon attack, she just wished they were meeting under better circumstances.
“Very well captain send both parties in, and then dismiss the entire guard and any servants, this will be a delicate matter” Fiona said as the captain saluted and left the halls, Fiona sighed, before the end of this meeting she suspected she would unearth some unpleasant truths.
*************************
Grayson had arrived to find the elf Guardsman and Alvera waiting outside the throne room, he immediately ordered his guards to wait outside; this would be a personal matter.
“Alvera what are you doing here?!” Grayson exclaimed shocked by his lover’s presence
“I’m sorry my love....after the....incident I had to expose this murder, it was the only way to save you!” she said with tears streaming down her face
“You see Argus; even those closest to you are betrayers! Slay her now!! Slay them both, what else have you to lose” [/b]the voice whispered in a vile and suggestive voice
“No!” Argus said under his breath, he blocked the voice from his thoughts and moved towards Alvera, where a
normal man might have ran her through he embraced her
“I know, but this is an end of my own making dearest one, I must be the one to be punished” he said holding her tightly as she wept in his arms
“b-but what will happen to you? Surely the queen will cover this up!” Alvera said looking up at Argus with pleading eyes; Grayson wiped the tears from her face and stared lovingly at her for a moment
“That will be the queen’s decision, now come dear it will not do to keep her waiting” Argus said loosening his hold and walking towards the door
The look on the elf guardsman’s face was hard to read, perhaps he pitied them, perhaps he was disgusted by their crime, Argus could not tell.
****************************
We enter the Hall to see the queen, she stands at the steps of the throne, she wears her usual court attire, a silver circlet, red shirt, blue trousers and riding boots, she does not look happy to see us enter.
Grayson kneels as he reaches the thrones steps and we follow suit, the queen raises a hand bidding us to rise
“Commander, there are many questions I have regarding our esteemed guest General De Valois, and his death whilst in your care” the queen says in sharp tone putting emphasis on the last words
“Your majesty this man is a murderer, he killed De Valois in a drunken rage! And then ordered his bodyguard to dump the body in the harbour! ” I say angrily pointing my finger at Argus
“Hmmm there is precedent for this, after all the man did kill your father, what say you Grayson, is Ser Erian correct in his accusation?” The queen says in a questioning voice
“My queen, Ser Erian speaks the truth, I killed De Valois in a drunken rage, and I ordered the dumping of his body
when I was sober” Grayson says confessing his crime
“No! It’s not true! My queen he lies to protect my person” Alvera blurts out in a shocked voice
“And what say you Alvera De Venez?” The queen asks with a raised eyebrow
“What are you doing this is my crime!” Grayson yells horrified
“Let the woman speak Argus!” Fiona says in a voice that will brook no interference
“I-I killed the general your majesty, and then I dumped the body in the harbour, Argus is innocent of the entire thing” Alvera says, I wonder why she is so willing to give up her own life for his, then I realize she loves him enough to die for him.
“And why would you do this? Why kill a man you know nothing about?” the queen asks
“I love him your majesty, with every part of my being, I saw General De Valois mocking his father and I decided to kill him” she says in a nervous voice
“Hmmmm...sounds plausible enough, very well guards! Arrest this woman and inform the Orlesian delegation their murderer is in our custody” The queen says in a loud voice that echoes across the hall, the guards enter and take Alvera without a struggle
“No!!! Alvera why? NOOOOO!!!!!” Argus roars his face filled with horror, he falls to his knees as they march her from the room
“Grayson my study, we have things to discuss, now!” the queen says in a commanding tone
“And Erian, it seems I have another service to thank you for, await me in the great hall, I shall be with you shortly” the queen says without mirth
Grayson rises to his feet and follows the queen; I can see the look on his face, a broken man walking to his end. I have to ask myself if I did the right thing, I mean did I? Was avenging one Orlesian general’s life worth this much suffering? Then I remember that that man may have had children, grandchildren, people he loved, each of us is a tiny universe unto ourselves and his life meant something to someone too whatever his flaws.
********************************
The queen’s study seems cold and unwelcoming as Argus walks in, his legs weak and his mind reeling from the recent events, the queen stands near her desk staring at him with a look of pure icy disdain, like a judge about the send a rapist to the noose
“Why? Why Alvera? She was innocent...The deed was mine!” Grayson asks in despair
The queen looks at him for a moment “because, I can afford to sacrifice on Antivan blood mage, not a war hero and Commander of the grey” she replies in a dark tone
“Blood mage? How did you know? Those records are sealed!” Argus exclaims horrified and confused
“That power hungry Ander up north may command this order in name, but this I my realm Grayson and you are my subject, I have access to all the warden documents even the ones you tried so well to hide” she says glaring at him angrily
“But why? She is innocent, this isn’t fair!!” He yells
“No Grayson...I will tell you what is not “fair” that the commander of the grey, a man trusted to uphold the order's honour and to defend the realm could break the very oath he swore and then try to cover up his disgrace” the queen said in an admonishing tone
“It was my crime!” Grayson yelled angrily
“And you will pay dearly for it!” Fiona said in a low voice
“This is the consequence of your action, everyday you’re going to have to live with the fact that your abuse of the position I bestowed upon you led to your lover’s execution, now go back to Amaranthine and never show your face in Denerim again!” Fiona said in a harsh voice
Grayson left the study, the hero of Ferelden had been disgraced, his abuse would never be known save by a small few, he had risked the entire nations safety for a personal vendetta, and while Fiona would in an ideal world have had him beheaded, Thedas was not such a place. Grayson would have to accept exile and guilt instead.
The Queen enters the great hall alone, the circlet she wore earlier removed and her red hair flowing freely in the breeze
**********************************
“I’m sorry you had to find out about Grayson, his actions tarnish us all” Fiona says staring at me with a comforting look, strange that the queen of my nation is mothering me now, still stranger things have happened
“It all feels so wrong your majesty, Wardens murdering diplomats, and getting to walk free no less!” I reply
“Oh I doubt Grayson would consider his new situation freedom Erian, he will be shackled by his guilt” she says grimly
“Did we do the right thing my queen?” I ask
“We did the necessary thing” she replies
“And what about justice? We should just hand him over and damn the consequences!” I say angry
“Forget it kid, its Denerim” she says sadly
And outside the rain continues to fall, like tears from the faces of the Creators, oh ancient ones how many of our hidden crimes and masked sins are you the witness to. Did I do the right thing? The answer eludes me.
Authors Note: so there you have it folks, Argus has been banished to Amaranthine in disgrace, though i doubt he will rot their for long, while this case was hard tow write it has been very satisfying to complete,the end decision by Fiona was inspired by one Adama makes on Battlestar galactica(new version) so hope you enjoyed it and expect a new one just as soon as a rough idea pops into my head, which should be soon
Modifié par westiex9, 15 mai 2010 - 10:40 .
#109
Posté 15 mai 2010 - 09:42
Gilgamesh1138
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YAY! Does happy dance!
One small correction and I blame Zev and kittens in trees or up masts:
Forget is kid , should be it. : D
This was wonderful! I can't wait for the next case westie! *hugs*
One small correction and I blame Zev and kittens in trees or up masts:
Forget is kid , should be it. : D
This was wonderful! I can't wait for the next case westie! *hugs*
#110
Posté 16 mai 2010 - 10:50
Slim Warden
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A fittingly awesome end, to a awesome case. The only question left to ask is, what will West think of next?
#111
Posté 16 mai 2010 - 02:09
westiex9
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More to come Slim, ill be brainstorming the Next Case soon...might even make a few mini one chapter cases to help keep the thread interesting.
#112
Posté 16 mai 2010 - 06:14
Gilgamesh1138
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Oh please, pretty please! With Zev on top?
#113
Posté 18 mai 2010 - 07:17
westiex9
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Erowyn and Castor (mini-episode)
Young love; it makes fools out of the best of us, when you’re in love it seems like all of Thedas is yours, but when the object of your desire is a distant and unreachable person, the whole world seems cold and grim.
And so when Castor wandered into my office one day late to work and with a look of utter despondency, I knew something was wrong, and it was troubles of the female kind.
“Ok what happened?” I ask knowing I’m about to be bombarded with youthful misery
“It’s Erowyn, the Girl who lives across the way from my house; I’ve been pursuing her all week!” he says in a despairing voice
“That would explain why you’ve been grinning like a Hurlock since the start of the week” I reply pulling out an old case file from my draw
“But here’s the thing, she’s so beautiful....every time I see her blue eyes and dark hair i want to weep Erian!” he says his tone growing more miserable by the moment
“So go talk to her boy! Why waste all this time grovelling to me when you could be driving her nuts!” I reply trying very hard not to sound like me father, who said pretty much the same thing when I was Castor’s age
Castor’s always been a loyal assistant on my cases, I guess I thought he’d come and go when Valendrian sent him to me, but the boy’s stuck with me through thick and thin. Can’t have been easy for him to work with me either, his parents died in the elven revolt, I guess I figure more death would just crush his spirit, but the boy proved me wrong.
I guess that’s why Castor comes to me with problems like his girl trouble, with his folks gone and the nature of our work I’m all he’s got, sad really a twenty something elf asking advice from a divorced ex-soldier turned Investigator, but I do what I can to help him regardless.
“I would, I was going to....but” he pauses for a moment as if he’s just taken a knife to the gut
“But?” I ask knowing the next part will be bad
“She’s....taken....I saw her with her arm around one of the other alienage men” he says fighting to hold back his tears
“Hey easy Castor....she may have all the looks of an Antivan queen but she’s not the only fish in the sea” I say placing a comforting hand on the poor lads shoulder
“I just thought she was...... the one” he says despondent
“ all men think they’ve found the “one” it’s a thing we all do, kinda a way of making our time with women feel, well special, unique...trust me though there’s a million other girls like this Erowyn out there...it’ll be alright kid” I say as Castor wipes his face with a sleeve, losing his battle against his tears
“I-i don’t know what to do, all the things I felt....I’m just supposed to....ditch them and start over.....” he says his mood gloomy
“Well the best medicine for lovesickness is alcohol and people Castor, least that worked for me, come on lets go
to Derrians and forget about love for a night” I say trying to sound cheery
“Well....I guess I’ve got nothing better to do....ok let’s go” he says rising from his chair
Outside its raining heavy, like tears from the Creators, an old elven man plays an even older tune on a string instrument, it’s a song, one of those ancient ones that makes sense to everyone, it’s a slow and pained tune about lost lovers and a river of tears. We walk down the muddy cobbles trying to avoid the lake sized puddles; I think of my own failures with love, the mood turns grim
“Come on kid....that song is giving me the blues” I say as we walk down the long and winding road
The old man begins to sing as the rain increases, his voice is that of a man who’s lived his whole life in hand to mouth hardship, beautiful but at the same time sad, I even recognise some of the old elven lyrics
“Winter’s here, shards of my heart drift on icy breeze, a thousand sorrows grip me, from here to eternity”
I increase my pace, suddenly I feel as lonely and crushed as Castor, time to go to Derrian’s, Creators I need a pint.
Authors note: more mini-episodes to come.
Young love; it makes fools out of the best of us, when you’re in love it seems like all of Thedas is yours, but when the object of your desire is a distant and unreachable person, the whole world seems cold and grim.
And so when Castor wandered into my office one day late to work and with a look of utter despondency, I knew something was wrong, and it was troubles of the female kind.
“Ok what happened?” I ask knowing I’m about to be bombarded with youthful misery
“It’s Erowyn, the Girl who lives across the way from my house; I’ve been pursuing her all week!” he says in a despairing voice
“That would explain why you’ve been grinning like a Hurlock since the start of the week” I reply pulling out an old case file from my draw
“But here’s the thing, she’s so beautiful....every time I see her blue eyes and dark hair i want to weep Erian!” he says his tone growing more miserable by the moment
“So go talk to her boy! Why waste all this time grovelling to me when you could be driving her nuts!” I reply trying very hard not to sound like me father, who said pretty much the same thing when I was Castor’s age
Castor’s always been a loyal assistant on my cases, I guess I thought he’d come and go when Valendrian sent him to me, but the boy’s stuck with me through thick and thin. Can’t have been easy for him to work with me either, his parents died in the elven revolt, I guess I figure more death would just crush his spirit, but the boy proved me wrong.
I guess that’s why Castor comes to me with problems like his girl trouble, with his folks gone and the nature of our work I’m all he’s got, sad really a twenty something elf asking advice from a divorced ex-soldier turned Investigator, but I do what I can to help him regardless.
“I would, I was going to....but” he pauses for a moment as if he’s just taken a knife to the gut
“But?” I ask knowing the next part will be bad
“She’s....taken....I saw her with her arm around one of the other alienage men” he says fighting to hold back his tears
“Hey easy Castor....she may have all the looks of an Antivan queen but she’s not the only fish in the sea” I say placing a comforting hand on the poor lads shoulder
“I just thought she was...... the one” he says despondent
“ all men think they’ve found the “one” it’s a thing we all do, kinda a way of making our time with women feel, well special, unique...trust me though there’s a million other girls like this Erowyn out there...it’ll be alright kid” I say as Castor wipes his face with a sleeve, losing his battle against his tears
“I-i don’t know what to do, all the things I felt....I’m just supposed to....ditch them and start over.....” he says his mood gloomy
“Well the best medicine for lovesickness is alcohol and people Castor, least that worked for me, come on lets go
to Derrians and forget about love for a night” I say trying to sound cheery
“Well....I guess I’ve got nothing better to do....ok let’s go” he says rising from his chair
Outside its raining heavy, like tears from the Creators, an old elven man plays an even older tune on a string instrument, it’s a song, one of those ancient ones that makes sense to everyone, it’s a slow and pained tune about lost lovers and a river of tears. We walk down the muddy cobbles trying to avoid the lake sized puddles; I think of my own failures with love, the mood turns grim
“Come on kid....that song is giving me the blues” I say as we walk down the long and winding road
The old man begins to sing as the rain increases, his voice is that of a man who’s lived his whole life in hand to mouth hardship, beautiful but at the same time sad, I even recognise some of the old elven lyrics
“Winter’s here, shards of my heart drift on icy breeze, a thousand sorrows grip me, from here to eternity”
I increase my pace, suddenly I feel as lonely and crushed as Castor, time to go to Derrian’s, Creators I need a pint.
Authors note: more mini-episodes to come.
#114
Posté 18 mai 2010 - 05:06
Gilgamesh1138
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Aw, love lost. Loved this! As always westie, you do such a great job. Thank you my friend, it is a real treat when you write. *HUGS*
#116
Posté 19 mai 2010 - 01:02
westiex9
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More to come soon
Modifié par westiex9, 20 mai 2010 - 07:10 .
#117
Posté 21 mai 2010 - 11:43
westiex9
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Memories
The attic of my house, a dusty and unexplored realm of forgotten things, how many crystallised and unhappy segments of life and time have been stored in the dark crevices of this loft. It’s raining outside and the sound of rain on the roof is calming as I look through old things left up here. I guess I was curious, I left a lot of things up here when I first bought this house, never bothered to look up here till now. I guess it’s hard to think that four years has passed since the blight ended.
I notice something in the gloomy corners of the room, my old shield, the dragon of Gwaren still emblazoned on the front of the old thing, and the shield is pitted with scars, most of them from men and not Darkspawn. I walk over and pick the shield up blowing a layer of dust off the shields front, I stashed this thing in my old apartment after I returned from the front, but when I moved into the office with the money from my cases I guess I couldn’t leave it behind.
This shield has saved my life more times then I dare count, during the civil war it protected me from the swords of the Bannorn and during the battle of Denerim it guarded me against the foul arms of the darkspawn horde, sad then that it is up here hidden away like some dark secret.
As I stare into its battered face memory seizes me like a hand gripping at my soul, the flashbacks wash over me and I remember all that has come before, and the past like an angry sea raises to envelope me.
Denerim was burning the day of the battle, the smell of taint and fire filled the air with noxious fumes, we all struggled to breath as we fought through the gutted capital city, I remember the initial charge and the fury of our attack as we broke the Darkspawn line and burst through the gates. We followed the queen and her bizarre company of heroes as they cut their way through the blight like water through a sieve.
The battle was terrifying, men died in droves as we fought, my platoon was at the forefront of the fighting and we arrived in the palace district shortly after the queen had reached fort drakon, the Darkspawn were waiting for us, and as I saw the hordes of tainted creatures charging towards us, I had to resist the urge to drop my weapons and flee
“Steady lads! Keep formation” I remember ordering in the most confident voice I could muster, secretly I wanted to soil my britches
The hordes of foul beasts crashed into the hundreds of men gathered at the gates of the palace with a near bone shattering impact, I remember seeing a Hurlock glaring at me with its vile grin and soulless eyes, it wanted to gut me and feast on my flesh, I took the bastards head of with a panicked swing. ill never forget the smell of Darkspawn, The corrupted stench burnt into our nostrils and our lungs with its vileness.
All around me men lay dying, the dead and wounded became so numerous that men and Darkspawn would trip over the broken corpses and drown in the pools of blood and Ichor spilling across the stained cobbles. Somehow we had held the line our forces pushing back the spawn and cutting into their numbers.
We continued to fight our way up the palace steps, taking horrendous casualties along the way; I began to wonder if any of us would survive this battle. A battle is a place of extreme horror and extreme courage, I remember seeing the royal standard change hands no less than eight times as we charged the palace steps, its dying bearers passing the tattered banner to other men with bloodied hands, that flag never touched the tainted ground not once.
I remember the allies too, the dwarves as they marched grim and dour into the heart of the Darkspawn, I have never seen anyone march so calmly towards such horrors, and the Dalish my own kinsfolk made pin cushions of the beasts with their deadly arrows. Without such alliances we would have perished in the first assault.
Eventually something happened that I will never forget a vast light pierced the sky, an inhuman scream filling the air as it did. I did not know then but the arch-demon had met its end, the Darkspawn began to flee or die as the light dissipated, the battle ended not long after that and the blight with it.
The thing I remember most and the thing that will haunt me to my dying day wasn’t the battle, it was the aftermath, So many men died that we had to burn the bodies in massive piles that spread smoke across the city ruins, and the wounded Creators! Their screams, whimpers and moans filled the air; many survived the battle only to die from the taint.
I must have personally given a merciful end to five of my own men, their faces contorted in agony, The blights aftermath reduced our once glorious capital to a burnt our wasteland of death and misery. You will not hear scholars today talk about the refugee camps that spread across the city for months afterward, and you won’t hear them mention in their works the executions for looting or the crime infested ruins that existed for nearly a year after the blight.
The queen and king set about rebuilding almost immediately after the blights end, but martial law became the norm and Soldiers like me found ourselves policing the shattered capital. Most of the important districts were rebuilt in a matter of months, but many places in Denerim existed in a state of ruin and poverty for nearly two years.
Eventually though the city was reborn, King Alistair hired architects and builders from across the length and breadth of Thedas, the city was reborn overnight and the new stone buildings replaced many of the crude wooden hovels that had previously existed. Queen Fiona meanwhile secured the arrival of thousands of new immigrants to Ferelden, piece by piece the city revived.
And so as I stare at the shield, I realize something, this shield is a piece of my history, to place it in a dusty loft corner was a poor choice. The shield may bear teryn loghain’s heraldry but the damn thing represents a part of my life, a part which I should never have ignored
“Castor ! Get me the nails, I’m hanging this old thing in my office where it belongs” I say climbing down the attic ladder with the shield under an arm, this shield is a reminder of the sacrifice so many brave souls made to stem the tide of darkness, so it shall finally stand in my office as it should have to begin with.
The attic of my house, a dusty and unexplored realm of forgotten things, how many crystallised and unhappy segments of life and time have been stored in the dark crevices of this loft. It’s raining outside and the sound of rain on the roof is calming as I look through old things left up here. I guess I was curious, I left a lot of things up here when I first bought this house, never bothered to look up here till now. I guess it’s hard to think that four years has passed since the blight ended.
I notice something in the gloomy corners of the room, my old shield, the dragon of Gwaren still emblazoned on the front of the old thing, and the shield is pitted with scars, most of them from men and not Darkspawn. I walk over and pick the shield up blowing a layer of dust off the shields front, I stashed this thing in my old apartment after I returned from the front, but when I moved into the office with the money from my cases I guess I couldn’t leave it behind.
This shield has saved my life more times then I dare count, during the civil war it protected me from the swords of the Bannorn and during the battle of Denerim it guarded me against the foul arms of the darkspawn horde, sad then that it is up here hidden away like some dark secret.
As I stare into its battered face memory seizes me like a hand gripping at my soul, the flashbacks wash over me and I remember all that has come before, and the past like an angry sea raises to envelope me.
Denerim was burning the day of the battle, the smell of taint and fire filled the air with noxious fumes, we all struggled to breath as we fought through the gutted capital city, I remember the initial charge and the fury of our attack as we broke the Darkspawn line and burst through the gates. We followed the queen and her bizarre company of heroes as they cut their way through the blight like water through a sieve.
The battle was terrifying, men died in droves as we fought, my platoon was at the forefront of the fighting and we arrived in the palace district shortly after the queen had reached fort drakon, the Darkspawn were waiting for us, and as I saw the hordes of tainted creatures charging towards us, I had to resist the urge to drop my weapons and flee
“Steady lads! Keep formation” I remember ordering in the most confident voice I could muster, secretly I wanted to soil my britches
The hordes of foul beasts crashed into the hundreds of men gathered at the gates of the palace with a near bone shattering impact, I remember seeing a Hurlock glaring at me with its vile grin and soulless eyes, it wanted to gut me and feast on my flesh, I took the bastards head of with a panicked swing. ill never forget the smell of Darkspawn, The corrupted stench burnt into our nostrils and our lungs with its vileness.
All around me men lay dying, the dead and wounded became so numerous that men and Darkspawn would trip over the broken corpses and drown in the pools of blood and Ichor spilling across the stained cobbles. Somehow we had held the line our forces pushing back the spawn and cutting into their numbers.
We continued to fight our way up the palace steps, taking horrendous casualties along the way; I began to wonder if any of us would survive this battle. A battle is a place of extreme horror and extreme courage, I remember seeing the royal standard change hands no less than eight times as we charged the palace steps, its dying bearers passing the tattered banner to other men with bloodied hands, that flag never touched the tainted ground not once.
I remember the allies too, the dwarves as they marched grim and dour into the heart of the Darkspawn, I have never seen anyone march so calmly towards such horrors, and the Dalish my own kinsfolk made pin cushions of the beasts with their deadly arrows. Without such alliances we would have perished in the first assault.
Eventually something happened that I will never forget a vast light pierced the sky, an inhuman scream filling the air as it did. I did not know then but the arch-demon had met its end, the Darkspawn began to flee or die as the light dissipated, the battle ended not long after that and the blight with it.
The thing I remember most and the thing that will haunt me to my dying day wasn’t the battle, it was the aftermath, So many men died that we had to burn the bodies in massive piles that spread smoke across the city ruins, and the wounded Creators! Their screams, whimpers and moans filled the air; many survived the battle only to die from the taint.
I must have personally given a merciful end to five of my own men, their faces contorted in agony, The blights aftermath reduced our once glorious capital to a burnt our wasteland of death and misery. You will not hear scholars today talk about the refugee camps that spread across the city for months afterward, and you won’t hear them mention in their works the executions for looting or the crime infested ruins that existed for nearly a year after the blight.
The queen and king set about rebuilding almost immediately after the blights end, but martial law became the norm and Soldiers like me found ourselves policing the shattered capital. Most of the important districts were rebuilt in a matter of months, but many places in Denerim existed in a state of ruin and poverty for nearly two years.
Eventually though the city was reborn, King Alistair hired architects and builders from across the length and breadth of Thedas, the city was reborn overnight and the new stone buildings replaced many of the crude wooden hovels that had previously existed. Queen Fiona meanwhile secured the arrival of thousands of new immigrants to Ferelden, piece by piece the city revived.
And so as I stare at the shield, I realize something, this shield is a piece of my history, to place it in a dusty loft corner was a poor choice. The shield may bear teryn loghain’s heraldry but the damn thing represents a part of my life, a part which I should never have ignored
“Castor ! Get me the nails, I’m hanging this old thing in my office where it belongs” I say climbing down the attic ladder with the shield under an arm, this shield is a reminder of the sacrifice so many brave souls made to stem the tide of darkness, so it shall finally stand in my office as it should have to begin with.
#119
Posté 22 mai 2010 - 10:42
westiex9
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Coming Soon!
Ostagar, The ancient south has been the homeland of Ferelden's Dalish for over 4 years since the conclusion of the blight, however recent incidents along the border are flaring tension between the Dalish and their Human neighbours.
As a sign of Good will Queen Fiona Dispatches Famed Investigator Erian Tor to Ostagar to get to the bottom of the problems in the south, however on Arrival Erian discovers suspicion and intrigue gripping the Dalish homeland, And worse still an uncle he has never met, Until Now
Ghosts of Ostagar Coming Soon
Ostagar, The ancient south has been the homeland of Ferelden's Dalish for over 4 years since the conclusion of the blight, however recent incidents along the border are flaring tension between the Dalish and their Human neighbours.
As a sign of Good will Queen Fiona Dispatches Famed Investigator Erian Tor to Ostagar to get to the bottom of the problems in the south, however on Arrival Erian discovers suspicion and intrigue gripping the Dalish homeland, And worse still an uncle he has never met, Until Now
Ghosts of Ostagar Coming Soon
#120
Posté 22 mai 2010 - 06:12
Gilgamesh1138
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Oh oh! *bounces* For ghosts...
And westie you are an amazing writer! I just enjoy your stories so much!
:wub::wub:
And westie you are an amazing writer! I just enjoy your stories so much!
:wub::wub:
Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 22 mai 2010 - 06:15 .
#121
Posté 27 mai 2010 - 11:21
westiex9
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Ghosts of Ostagar part 1
The scouting party returned to the clearing with pale faces, they had found something that much Varlen could tell just looking at them.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you found the lost Halla and their carer’s lethallan” Varlen said staring at Verren, the young hunter seemed disturbed, whatever they had found it would not be a pleasant sight.
“We found them Master Varlen, in the grove a short walk from here” Verren said pointing towards the darkened path that snaked through the old woods
“Show me” Varlen said shouldering his longbow, the chill night wind bit into Varlen’s scarred arms as they waited in the clearing, a walk would be a nice change.
“Ma Nuvenin Master” Verren said she led the way as they walked into the forest; the old Tevinter Imperium had built these ancient paths long ago, the halla herders occasionally used them when passing from one area to another.
The rain fell from the sky “like the tears of the creators” as Varlen’s sister used to say, the snaking path led into the darkness of the forest, humans found the southern lands an eerie place, but Varlen knew better then to jump at shadows he had walked all his life.
The elves had been granted the lands near Ostagar as a boon from Queen Fiona and King Alistair for their service against the darkspawn, these wild hinterlands were their home, but many Dalish still refused to settle and preferred to wander where the halla willed them to go. Ten days had passed since a large party of herders and their halla went missing in a nearby forest, the Keepers had ordered Varlen to search the area for them, he did not relish the thought of finding them, by now they were surely dead.
Verren shuddered involuntarily as they reached the darkened path where the search party had made its unsettling discovery, the herders had indeed been found, but in a grisly state. Varlen walk towards the mutilated corpses and began to investigate, he lit a torch and began to look for any clues.
“Could it be animals Master?” Verren asked betraying her fear; animal attacks didn’t carry the same consequences as other species after all
“If only Da’len, This deed was committed by no wolf or bear “ Varlen said inspecting the brutal wounds on the herders bodies, slash marks and thrusts, clear signs of bladed weapons not claws or teeth
“What then?” Verren asked Varlen suspected she already knew the answer, but was too afraid to contemplate it being the truth.
Varlen sighed and picked up a torn piece of blue fabric from the ground, two white wings adorned its face “Humans Verren, this is the symbol of the Human Royal house Cousland” he said with a grim face
“What must we do?” Verren asked, the horror had already begun to sink in, humans were trouble, and this scene had dark implications for the dalish
“Come, the keepers must be informed, Creators help us all” Varlen said rising
They buried the slain in the groves of the forest, giving them as much care as was possible under the circumstances, then Varlen led them back to the camp, the keepers needed to know what had transpired, Fen Harel was on the winds and his mischievous laughter filled the world.
The scouting party returned to the clearing with pale faces, they had found something that much Varlen could tell just looking at them.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you found the lost Halla and their carer’s lethallan” Varlen said staring at Verren, the young hunter seemed disturbed, whatever they had found it would not be a pleasant sight.
“We found them Master Varlen, in the grove a short walk from here” Verren said pointing towards the darkened path that snaked through the old woods
“Show me” Varlen said shouldering his longbow, the chill night wind bit into Varlen’s scarred arms as they waited in the clearing, a walk would be a nice change.
“Ma Nuvenin Master” Verren said she led the way as they walked into the forest; the old Tevinter Imperium had built these ancient paths long ago, the halla herders occasionally used them when passing from one area to another.
The rain fell from the sky “like the tears of the creators” as Varlen’s sister used to say, the snaking path led into the darkness of the forest, humans found the southern lands an eerie place, but Varlen knew better then to jump at shadows he had walked all his life.
The elves had been granted the lands near Ostagar as a boon from Queen Fiona and King Alistair for their service against the darkspawn, these wild hinterlands were their home, but many Dalish still refused to settle and preferred to wander where the halla willed them to go. Ten days had passed since a large party of herders and their halla went missing in a nearby forest, the Keepers had ordered Varlen to search the area for them, he did not relish the thought of finding them, by now they were surely dead.
Verren shuddered involuntarily as they reached the darkened path where the search party had made its unsettling discovery, the herders had indeed been found, but in a grisly state. Varlen walk towards the mutilated corpses and began to investigate, he lit a torch and began to look for any clues.
“Could it be animals Master?” Verren asked betraying her fear; animal attacks didn’t carry the same consequences as other species after all
“If only Da’len, This deed was committed by no wolf or bear “ Varlen said inspecting the brutal wounds on the herders bodies, slash marks and thrusts, clear signs of bladed weapons not claws or teeth
“What then?” Verren asked Varlen suspected she already knew the answer, but was too afraid to contemplate it being the truth.
Varlen sighed and picked up a torn piece of blue fabric from the ground, two white wings adorned its face “Humans Verren, this is the symbol of the Human Royal house Cousland” he said with a grim face
“What must we do?” Verren asked, the horror had already begun to sink in, humans were trouble, and this scene had dark implications for the dalish
“Come, the keepers must be informed, Creators help us all” Varlen said rising
They buried the slain in the groves of the forest, giving them as much care as was possible under the circumstances, then Varlen led them back to the camp, the keepers needed to know what had transpired, Fen Harel was on the winds and his mischievous laughter filled the world.
Modifié par westiex9, 27 mai 2010 - 11:35 .
#122
Posté 28 mai 2010 - 05:38
Gilgamesh1138
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Oh, nice westie, as always! OMG! I have shivers! I hope House Cousland is being set up, as I don't see Fiona, or Fegus condoning such actions!
I eagerly await the next installment!
I eagerly await the next installment!
#123
Posté 30 mai 2010 - 08:05
westiex9
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Ghosts of Ostagar Part 2
Lothering, 9:35 Dragon, 1 year after the Grayson scandal
Lothering, I once heard someone tell me there were few places more beautiful in all Ferelden, of course this was years before the fifth blight, the sight in front of me certainly isn’t how it was described to me all those years ago.
Now don’t get me wrong the place is by no means still a tainted wasteland, the passage of five years has allowed the land to heal, but it’s still a scarred place. As my party rides into town those scars are still in plain sight, once fertile ground now crumbles under foot, trees lie desiccated here and there, and the village proper is little better.
Lothering’s once quiet and tranquil structure has seen some rather drastic changes, once the blight ended it was the army who returned first, as a result Lothering became a garrison, palisades and rough stone and wood buildings became the order of the day, any gentle beauty this place once possessed has been replaced by a new aesthetic, that of a nation trying to forcefully re-conquer a scarred and unfamiliar landscape.
“Maker this place is dreary looking! The rumours were true, the darkspawn really do taint the land!” Castor exclaims staring in awestruck horror at the scarred landscape
“it’s only been five years since the blight ended lad, things will recover eventually, look here and there you can see the green returning” I say pointing to a tree with the first hopeful signs of life
“Well it’s still awful to see the place like this; I saw a painting of Lothering once, it was beautiful” Castor says with a nostalgic gleam in his eye
“It will be beautiful again one day lad, but the darkspawn’s taint does not heal easy, count yourself lucky, I hear whole areas of the Anderfels are so blighted nothing can live their” I say remembering the ominous old tale of the far off Ander people
“Ser Erian, I don’t mean to interrupt your musings, but we need to check in with the local commander before we begin our investigation” Captain Robin who until now had been our silent companion says in a gentle but firm tone
It’s funny, id almost forgotten about my reasons for being away from Denerim in the southern lands, lost in our musings on Lothering we had completely forgotten we were here to avert a possible war with the Dalish. It’s funny what the mind lets slip.
The year following my last major case was almost unnaturally peaceful, my financial worries were none existent due to the fortune amassed from high profile cases and my knighthood, I spent the year attending public meetings as part of the New bann Valendrian’s alienage council, I hunted petty crooks in the marketplaces and I trained new elven recruits as part of new Guard hiring schemes. In short I have never been more bored in all my years on the face of Thedas; I almost began to miss being chased by abominations and grey wardens.
My leisurely year came to an abrupt end one month ago, nothing like a platoon from Maric’s shield banging on your door in the small hours of the night to wake you from a deep sleep. I was almost worried I was being arrested till one of them politely (but firmly) told me my presence was requested at court. After that I was led off to Denerim palace, I barely had time to get dressed they were so insistent.
I was escorted through the near silent halls of the royal palace, and led into the study where a very tired looking Queen Fiona of Ferelden offered me a seat
“Sorry to call on you so late Erian, but I had little choice, tell me what have you heard of the Dalish in the south?” she asked me in a curious voice
“Very little your highness, they tend to keep to themselves these days, why do you ask?” I replied wondering why she had asked me about the Dalish of all things, my mother’s people were after all famously independent and reclusive
“A few weeks ago an incident occurred in the forests near the Southern Hinterlands of the Dalish clans, an entire group of elven herders and their Halla were attacked and brutally massacred, their corpses show signs of sword wounds and worse still, a tattered piece of my houses heraldry was found amongst the bodies” Fiona said with a grim look on her face
“But that’s impossible, no soldier would break the treaty it would spark a war” I reply shocked
“One neither side could afford Erian, which is why I suspect foul play, the planting of a human symbol was too deliberate, this was done purposely” she says in an ominous tone, I don’t know what scares me more, the idea that this was done on purpose, or the possible motives of the people who committed the act
“So what would you have me do my queen?” I ask ever the idealistic volunteer; ex-wife always said I had more heart than sense; in this case I’m not sorry she was right
“I need you to lead an investigation in the south, get to the bottom of this crime and expose the guilty party, if we cannot convince the Dalish of our innocence it will mean a war likely to kill thousands on both sides, our nation would be crippled” she says emphasising the last part, the stakes haven’t been this high since, well since the last time they were this high.
“What am I looking for?” I ask trying to ascertain my goals
“Your party will need to search the local area for signs of a conspiracy against the throne, I suspect you will need to work with both the Lothering garrison and the Dalish to find the truth, I have already sent word ahead for both sides to expect you, good luck Erian” she says with a sincere voice
And so here I am leading a band of investigators to the south, our mission, to clear the kingdoms name. The Garrison headquarters are our first stop, Commander Lockemoor may have vital information for us, or a quick pint of ale, i can never tell with these provincial commands.
Lockemoor welcomes us in to his roughly decorated oak office, the animal heads and rustic mementos on the wall mirror the nostalgia my partner Castor felt when he saw the poor situation of this place, I’m guessing Lockemoor is a local of Lothering, or at least was when it was un-tainted.
“So your Ser Erian, have to say wasn’t expecting an elf, then again I wasn’t expecting to return to Lothering and find the place a decaying mess either” he says in a weary voice, he then takes a long swig from a glass bottle of
foul smelling alcohol on the desk
“You lived here before the war?” Captain robin, Queen Fiona’s personal guard captain, asks curiously
“Used to live here back in the day, had two sons and a big extended family, used to fish in the muddy lake outside, all that got taken from me when the bloody Darkspawn passed through” Lockemoor says with a bitter look
“It must be a difficult thing to see it like this” Castor replies with sympathy
“My lad you don’t know the half of it, the dust from the dead soil is poisonous and blinds horses and men alike, and the food supplies are all from Redcliffe, meaning if they don’t arrive men start to starve...or worse eat the local wildlife, which is sparse as it is, boy this place is a long way from recovered” Lockemoor says with a surprisingly business like tone given the grim subject matter
“Commander, you received word from Denerim of the purpose of our visit I trust” Robin asks in a polite voice
“Aye message arrived a few days back telling me to aid you in your investigation, damn shame about the Dalish getting murdered, damn brave sods from what I saw at Denerim” Lockemoor says swigging his bottle
“So have you seen or heard of anything amiss lately” I ask
“Other than the Highever brigade being out in the wild longer than usual?” Lockemoor replies in passing
“Highever brigade?” I ask having never heard of that unit before
“Aye their not all from Highever mind, but their senior rangers are all northern lads, they spend months in the wild to keep poachers and bandits from overrunning the place, Captain Evan’s usually returns to the garrison after a few months, but I haven’t heard a thing in well over two months”
“And you didn’t think the report this?” Robin asks slightly irritated, her normally quiet and polite demeanour vanishing, finally I see some fire in the lass; I was beginning to wonder if this woman truly was Cauthrien’s replacement
“Like I said, we expect Evan’s to be out on his own for long periods, maybe he got caught up in bandit scouring and will be back in a few more days, we don’t know for certain and didn’t want to waste the armies’ time with sketchy reports” Lockemoor says, surprisingly despite being drunk he has absolutely no anger in his reply, guess he just doesn’t have any rage left in him after so long in Lothering
“Where do they usually patrol?” I ask thinking we may be on to something
“varies usually they can patrol as far south as the kocari if they think something is going on, i heard they might have been heading that way this time” Lockemoor says passing me a dusty patrol map
“We better go take a look” I say turning to the others “I think we may have our first lead” robin nods her head, Castor looks at me quizzically
“What about barbarians, you know we don’t want to be their next victims” Castor says in a worried voice
“Relax they haven’t been hostile in years, besides, they won’t attack Ferelden men, we practically ensured their survival in the war” I say with a reassuring smile
Okay so I might have been saying a lot of that to keep Castor from worrying, but it needed to be said anyway, the wilds are a place filled with secrets, perhaps a visit further south would be enlightening, the only other option is to wait around in Lothering and question leads, not an option given the current tensions. Off to the wilds we go.
Lothering, 9:35 Dragon, 1 year after the Grayson scandal
Lothering, I once heard someone tell me there were few places more beautiful in all Ferelden, of course this was years before the fifth blight, the sight in front of me certainly isn’t how it was described to me all those years ago.
Now don’t get me wrong the place is by no means still a tainted wasteland, the passage of five years has allowed the land to heal, but it’s still a scarred place. As my party rides into town those scars are still in plain sight, once fertile ground now crumbles under foot, trees lie desiccated here and there, and the village proper is little better.
Lothering’s once quiet and tranquil structure has seen some rather drastic changes, once the blight ended it was the army who returned first, as a result Lothering became a garrison, palisades and rough stone and wood buildings became the order of the day, any gentle beauty this place once possessed has been replaced by a new aesthetic, that of a nation trying to forcefully re-conquer a scarred and unfamiliar landscape.
“Maker this place is dreary looking! The rumours were true, the darkspawn really do taint the land!” Castor exclaims staring in awestruck horror at the scarred landscape
“it’s only been five years since the blight ended lad, things will recover eventually, look here and there you can see the green returning” I say pointing to a tree with the first hopeful signs of life
“Well it’s still awful to see the place like this; I saw a painting of Lothering once, it was beautiful” Castor says with a nostalgic gleam in his eye
“It will be beautiful again one day lad, but the darkspawn’s taint does not heal easy, count yourself lucky, I hear whole areas of the Anderfels are so blighted nothing can live their” I say remembering the ominous old tale of the far off Ander people
“Ser Erian, I don’t mean to interrupt your musings, but we need to check in with the local commander before we begin our investigation” Captain Robin who until now had been our silent companion says in a gentle but firm tone
It’s funny, id almost forgotten about my reasons for being away from Denerim in the southern lands, lost in our musings on Lothering we had completely forgotten we were here to avert a possible war with the Dalish. It’s funny what the mind lets slip.
The year following my last major case was almost unnaturally peaceful, my financial worries were none existent due to the fortune amassed from high profile cases and my knighthood, I spent the year attending public meetings as part of the New bann Valendrian’s alienage council, I hunted petty crooks in the marketplaces and I trained new elven recruits as part of new Guard hiring schemes. In short I have never been more bored in all my years on the face of Thedas; I almost began to miss being chased by abominations and grey wardens.
My leisurely year came to an abrupt end one month ago, nothing like a platoon from Maric’s shield banging on your door in the small hours of the night to wake you from a deep sleep. I was almost worried I was being arrested till one of them politely (but firmly) told me my presence was requested at court. After that I was led off to Denerim palace, I barely had time to get dressed they were so insistent.
I was escorted through the near silent halls of the royal palace, and led into the study where a very tired looking Queen Fiona of Ferelden offered me a seat
“Sorry to call on you so late Erian, but I had little choice, tell me what have you heard of the Dalish in the south?” she asked me in a curious voice
“Very little your highness, they tend to keep to themselves these days, why do you ask?” I replied wondering why she had asked me about the Dalish of all things, my mother’s people were after all famously independent and reclusive
“A few weeks ago an incident occurred in the forests near the Southern Hinterlands of the Dalish clans, an entire group of elven herders and their Halla were attacked and brutally massacred, their corpses show signs of sword wounds and worse still, a tattered piece of my houses heraldry was found amongst the bodies” Fiona said with a grim look on her face
“But that’s impossible, no soldier would break the treaty it would spark a war” I reply shocked
“One neither side could afford Erian, which is why I suspect foul play, the planting of a human symbol was too deliberate, this was done purposely” she says in an ominous tone, I don’t know what scares me more, the idea that this was done on purpose, or the possible motives of the people who committed the act
“So what would you have me do my queen?” I ask ever the idealistic volunteer; ex-wife always said I had more heart than sense; in this case I’m not sorry she was right
“I need you to lead an investigation in the south, get to the bottom of this crime and expose the guilty party, if we cannot convince the Dalish of our innocence it will mean a war likely to kill thousands on both sides, our nation would be crippled” she says emphasising the last part, the stakes haven’t been this high since, well since the last time they were this high.
“What am I looking for?” I ask trying to ascertain my goals
“Your party will need to search the local area for signs of a conspiracy against the throne, I suspect you will need to work with both the Lothering garrison and the Dalish to find the truth, I have already sent word ahead for both sides to expect you, good luck Erian” she says with a sincere voice
And so here I am leading a band of investigators to the south, our mission, to clear the kingdoms name. The Garrison headquarters are our first stop, Commander Lockemoor may have vital information for us, or a quick pint of ale, i can never tell with these provincial commands.
Lockemoor welcomes us in to his roughly decorated oak office, the animal heads and rustic mementos on the wall mirror the nostalgia my partner Castor felt when he saw the poor situation of this place, I’m guessing Lockemoor is a local of Lothering, or at least was when it was un-tainted.
“So your Ser Erian, have to say wasn’t expecting an elf, then again I wasn’t expecting to return to Lothering and find the place a decaying mess either” he says in a weary voice, he then takes a long swig from a glass bottle of
foul smelling alcohol on the desk
“You lived here before the war?” Captain robin, Queen Fiona’s personal guard captain, asks curiously
“Used to live here back in the day, had two sons and a big extended family, used to fish in the muddy lake outside, all that got taken from me when the bloody Darkspawn passed through” Lockemoor says with a bitter look
“It must be a difficult thing to see it like this” Castor replies with sympathy
“My lad you don’t know the half of it, the dust from the dead soil is poisonous and blinds horses and men alike, and the food supplies are all from Redcliffe, meaning if they don’t arrive men start to starve...or worse eat the local wildlife, which is sparse as it is, boy this place is a long way from recovered” Lockemoor says with a surprisingly business like tone given the grim subject matter
“Commander, you received word from Denerim of the purpose of our visit I trust” Robin asks in a polite voice
“Aye message arrived a few days back telling me to aid you in your investigation, damn shame about the Dalish getting murdered, damn brave sods from what I saw at Denerim” Lockemoor says swigging his bottle
“So have you seen or heard of anything amiss lately” I ask
“Other than the Highever brigade being out in the wild longer than usual?” Lockemoor replies in passing
“Highever brigade?” I ask having never heard of that unit before
“Aye their not all from Highever mind, but their senior rangers are all northern lads, they spend months in the wild to keep poachers and bandits from overrunning the place, Captain Evan’s usually returns to the garrison after a few months, but I haven’t heard a thing in well over two months”
“And you didn’t think the report this?” Robin asks slightly irritated, her normally quiet and polite demeanour vanishing, finally I see some fire in the lass; I was beginning to wonder if this woman truly was Cauthrien’s replacement
“Like I said, we expect Evan’s to be out on his own for long periods, maybe he got caught up in bandit scouring and will be back in a few more days, we don’t know for certain and didn’t want to waste the armies’ time with sketchy reports” Lockemoor says, surprisingly despite being drunk he has absolutely no anger in his reply, guess he just doesn’t have any rage left in him after so long in Lothering
“Where do they usually patrol?” I ask thinking we may be on to something
“varies usually they can patrol as far south as the kocari if they think something is going on, i heard they might have been heading that way this time” Lockemoor says passing me a dusty patrol map
“We better go take a look” I say turning to the others “I think we may have our first lead” robin nods her head, Castor looks at me quizzically
“What about barbarians, you know we don’t want to be their next victims” Castor says in a worried voice
“Relax they haven’t been hostile in years, besides, they won’t attack Ferelden men, we practically ensured their survival in the war” I say with a reassuring smile
Okay so I might have been saying a lot of that to keep Castor from worrying, but it needed to be said anyway, the wilds are a place filled with secrets, perhaps a visit further south would be enlightening, the only other option is to wait around in Lothering and question leads, not an option given the current tensions. Off to the wilds we go.
Modifié par westiex9, 30 mai 2010 - 08:06 .
#124
Posté 30 mai 2010 - 11:58
Slim Warden
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It seems Erian has moved up in the world, he's turning into Fereldan's first FBI agent.......Awesomeness.
Modifié par Slim Warden, 30 mai 2010 - 11:59 .
#125
Posté 30 mai 2010 - 12:17
westiex9
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Slim Warden wrote...
It seems Erian has moved up in the world, he's turning into Fereldan's first FBI agent.......Awesomeness.
Lol it definatley feels like he's come a long way since his begginings as a broke investigator!
