Sarah1281 wrote...
Wait...was Sigrun actually in the carta? I thought the carta was just pressuring/threatening her to steal.
Giggles_Manically wrote...
@Ejoslin.
I thought I just had the mod that fixed bugs in the slides, but I had the one that tweaked them. The "-for a time" part .... yah thats just lame. Unless it means that they BOTH left after a time, which does happen after Awakening anyway.
Also I download your mod, so I did hear that. Props for the mod again!
I want to run through again, but this time I think as a Dalish who goes back to her clan.
Is it just me or is Zevran wearing the Pious armor just a tiny bit ironic?
They're nice if you stay with the gray wardens, until Awakening throws THAT away.
Seperated
Keiran wearily pushed herself off the blood slicked stones on top of Fort Drakon, her knees threatening to give way from the exhaustion as she steadied herself. The blast that had thrown her clear of the dragon was greater and more excruciating than she cared to admit. Cautiously she moved towards the motionless body of the Archdemon, the sword hanging from her hand scraped across the stones as she advanced.
As she came upon the broken and torn body of the dragon, she became vaguely aware of noise starting once again to enter into her consciousness, noise she had not been aware was missing. It came back suddenly with the deafening roar of cheers and disbelief. They had succeeded in destroying the archdemon.
Standing over the now deformed corpse Keiran struggled to contend with a reality that seemed impossible. The past years spent fighting the blight in every corner of Fereldan while gathering allies amidst a nation torn apart with civil war had violently come to an abrupt end. The possibility of a future with Zevran, her love, for the first time rang true in her heart. Torn out of her daze with thoughts of him she frantically scanned the rooftop for signs of her lover.
Dropping the sword with a wet clink to the ground she turned as Alistair and Irving advanced upon her with smiles and greetings that held disbelief. Trapped by the throngs of soldiers advancing upon her position with cries of victory, Keiran searched for escape. Only one thing truly mattered to her now, she would not be kept from him.
Twisting from Irving’s embrace she momentarily toyed with the possibility of crawling over the dragons’ neck to escape the mass of humanity now threatening to overwhelm her. Alistair, seeming to sense her anxiety roughly gathered her into his arms and made his way through the crowd.
The advance was slow and arduous, they had not made it far through the crowd when she slipped from Alistair’s hold due to the blood that covered and drenched them both. Picking her exhausted body back up securing his grip around her waist, he continued to make his way to the ledge of the tower. Setting her down with care, he hugged her once more and quickly moved to divert any well wishers as she made her escape to find Zevran.
Searching amidst the hordes of cheering people Keiran fought the feeling of despair. She had seen Zevran standing near Alistair just before she had rushed the demon and worried that the answer to his absence was one she would be unable to bear. She urged her ears to hear his voice, begged her heart to feel his presence and willed her eyes to find him all to no avail.
Exhausted she slumped against the door leading out of the Fort. Burning tears started to flow freely down her blood soaked face as the uproarious barks from her hound Tanis brought her once again to action. Pushing her way through the groups of Dwarven soldiers, back to where she had landed upon the death of the archdemon, she found Tanis happily running towards her, followed closely behind by Zevran.
The look of panic and anxiety that covered his face was quickly replaced with a broad smile as he ran through the crowd towards her. A muffled cry escaped Keiran as she buried herself in his arms, clutching and grasping at any part of him within reach. They held their embrace as the celebration continued around them.
Zevran, pulling away slightly to look upon Keiran, he smoothed the blood from her face and hair as he beheld his bloodied and bruised warden as if for the first time. Flashing a satisfied grin he pulled her close once again resting his forehead to hers. Their true reunion would have to wait for the darkspawn blood to be washed away, but for now she was content to be in his arms.
Wrapping her own arms tightly around his neck she let herself imagine what came next for the two of them and came to a solitary conclusion. Whatever lay ahead the only thing that truly mattered is that they would face it together.
Homecoming
24 minutes
She lay sprawled indolently on the sand, still waiting for him. It had been... four years? Five? She was as he remembered: beautiful and corrupted, dangerous and welcoming, a fleshy courtesan with a dagger hidden in her bosom. He stood still for a long moment and just watched, waiting to feel anticipation or relief, disgust or longing, anger or gladness.
Nothing.
Even the sight of fair Antiva City, long-absent, her familiar gleaming towers and putrid canals, the orange-scented gardens, the bustling markets and the dingy quays, moved him not at all.
He was not surprised.
He had remained too long at the Denerim court. He had needed to blame someone, and Alistair had needed to be blamed, and so they had circled each other in guilt, anger and grief. And word had reached the Crows that Taliesen's task was left undone, that the traitor still drew breath, and so men had been sent.
The fight had been brief but thrilling. For the first time since Fort Drakon, he felt alive, perhaps because death was so close.
They would send more, and more. There was no need to risk anyone at the court, he told them. He would go, take the battle to them. And that road led here, to the glittering gem on the bay.
Just... don't go back to the Crows, okay?
She'd known.
But she'd left him anyway.
He stepped forward into the city's cold embrace.
beautifully done!Choices
As Zevran made his way toward the Denerim city gates, his thoughts remained in turmoil. He’d made the only choice he could live with when Taliesin had accosted the party. Leaving the Warden to face the Crows without him pinched at his long-dormant conscience, but he had no doubts that she would prevail in the end. So certain was he that Zevran doubted his own ears when he heard a familiar voice calling to him.
Zevran turned, and his eyes confirmed what his ears had already told him. Taliesin jogged up to him and clasped a hand on his shoulder. “You look surprised, Zevran. You should have more faith in me than that.”
“It was no insult to your skills, Taliesin -- I know firsthand how skilled the Warden and her companions are in battle, after all.” The victorious, sly smile on Taliesin’s face was answer enough, but Zevran had to ask anyway. “It is done, then?”
Taliesin smiled even wider, if that were possible. “The contract is complete. I left the others to do the clean up so I could catch you before you returned to her camp.”
A cold feeling settled into Zevran’s stomach, but he forced a smile to his lips. He could keep up appearances with the best of them. “Afraid I would summon assistance?”
“Hardly,” Taliesin scoffed dismissively. “Just didn’t want any further delays to our proper reunion.” A possessive hand skated along Zevran’s shoulder and down his back to the base of his spine. Taliesin’s eyes sparked with amorous intent. “It’s been far too long since I’ve had you in my bed, friend. We should remedy that as soon as possible, don’t you agree?”
At that moment, Zevran realized that by choosing to not fight Taliesin, he’d unknowingly been making another choice. Escape and freedom were no longer available options. His sense of loss was fleeting, and Zevran mentally resigned himself to the path his future now had to take. Regrets would change nothing. He returned Taliesin’s perusal with interest and replied, “Of course. Lead the way.”
A short time later, they entered the room Taliesin had rented at a nearby tavern. Taliesin explained that he’d booked passage back to Antiva for the following day and that the others from the cell would rendezvous with them in the morning. Taliesin had given the other Crows leave to enjoy the night in Denerim at their leisure, once they had dealt with any evidence left behind in the alley.
Taliesin’s hands moved to Zevran’s armor, undoing buckles with nimble fingers as he murmured wicked words in Zevran’s ear. This felt… familiar -- comfortable in a way that Zevran both hated and reveled in as he settled back into Taliesin’s arms. Armor and clothing fell away, and they sank onto the thin, lumpy mattress on the room’s large bed.
Taliesin spoke words of need and lust as he feasted on Zevran’s body, stirring old memories and heat within Zevran’s skin. Zevran fell back into their customary pattern with ease, his mouth taking Taliesin in and drinking from his flesh greedily. Knowing that he’d make a different decision in that alley if given another chance was beside the point and fruitless to consider, now that it was done. As Taliesin sank into him at last, Zevran released his last lingering doubt and let his thoughts float away on a wave of resigned acceptance.
Ferelden had not been at all what Zevran had been expecting, to put it mildly. He had volunteered for the contract on the Grey Warden so that he could see if he could find a way out of the Crow-dominated rut he’d found himself in. Maybe he’d wind up dead, maybe succeeding at a task everyone else had shied away from would give him some validation at last – validation he desperately need ever since Rinna had just stared up at him while….
One outcome that he had never expected because it was so far beyond anything he’d ever experienced was that the Grey Warden would have woken him up, questioned him more or less civilly, and – upon learning that he would not go after Loghain – decide to simply let him go. Sure, Zevran could attempt to kill the Warden again but he thought that that might be pushing his luck and all of his men were dead, anyway. He was just going to have to try to live with his failure…something that would be a lot easier far from Antiva. It would also be a lot easier if the Blight engulfing the land really had been a myth like that man Howe had said.
Still, Zevran would rather face darkspawn than the Crows and he doubted very much that the monsters of legend could make him regret ever having been born as much as the Crows did. Could. He meant could. Since Zevran was going to be hiding in Ferelden for the foreseeable future, he had decided to seek out another group of elves to blend in with. He had never fit in with the Dalish and so he’d come to an Alienage. He had been roughly halfway between the Denerim Alienage and the one in Highever when he’d decided this but he had heard all about the chaos going on in Highever since the new Teyrn had taken over and wanted no part in it.
The Denerim Alienage had been no better. He had been there for only a few short hours and quickly realized that he should get out of there. The elves were rioting and that wouldn’t end well no matter how many people had been abducted for what purpose. Unfortunately, before he had time to leave, that Teyrn from Highever – Howe, it turned out – had claimed the mantle of the Arl of Denerim as well and sent troops into the Alienage. It was…horrible and it was months before the gates to the Alienage had been open again.
He had just learned of his newfound freedom (there didn’t seem to be much of it even here in Ferelden) and started towards the gates before they could change their minds and keep him trapped in here. To his great surprise, Taliesin of all people stood, arms crossed and smirking, framed in the gateway.
Zevran had stood there staring stupidly for a moment before he caught himself. He hadn’t been away from the Crows forthat long. “Taliesin? What are you doing here?”
“I think the better question is what are you doing here in an Alienage,” Taliesin returned.
“I had only just stopped by when the gates were closed and I had no way of getting out for months,” Zevran explained. “The soldiers were too on the look-out for rioters. Now, what brings you to Ferelden?”
“You know that Grey Warden you were hired to assassinate?” Taliesin asked rhetorically. “It turns out that he’s not quite dead yet and professionalism requires him to be so I volunteered to go investigate the matter. Opinion’s pretty divided on whether you died or tried to run away and I really don’t think anyone would have expected this.”
Zevran had been trying to run away but, much like with the Dalish, he actually found life with the Crows preferable than remaining here. “So what are you going to do now that you found me?”
Taliesin eyed him suggestively. Really, Zevran might have known he’d take it that way. “I was thinking that we could just go and assassinate the Warden together and then hurry back to Antiva before the darkspawn kill everyone. I’m not sure how you’ll explain being unreachable for so long – because the truth is really embarrassing – but I’m sure that between the two of us we can think of something.”
Taliesin was always trying to find ways to save Zevran from his own choices. It was rather un-Crow-like and that was why it meant so much to him. “I’m sure we will,” he agreed. “But until we actually kill the Warden then neither of us can go back so there’s little point in thinking of a cover story until the job is actually done.”
“True enough,” Taliesin nodded. “So you’re in luck. The Warden is actually in town right now which is how I was able to find you.”
“He is?” Zevran asked curiously. “That sounds reckless. Is he still an outlaw or did that change while I was…busy?”
“He’s still an outlaw,” Taliesin confirmed. “But another noble has called one of those quaint Ferelden ‘Landsmeets’ to challenge the regent’s right to the throne and aims to put the Warden on it instead.”
“We’ll need to hurry then,” Zevran remarked. “How long do we have?”
“The Landsmeet is to take place two days from today,” Taliesin revealed. “Technically, I suppose we could do this anytime before the coronation which will likely take place after the Blight but I don’t want to stay in a Blighted country any longer than I have to and there’s every chance that the Warden will die in the Blight which I’m not sure we could take credit for.”
“And should he manage to become king then he’ll likely be far harder to kill,” Zevran added.
“I have it on good authority that the Warden is on his way to our client’s Denerim estate right now in order to meet up with the current queen,” Taliesin announced. “We can ambush him there and then we can go home. Both of us.”
This wasn’t exactly the way that Zevran had expected his trip to Ferelden to end or, if he was being honest with himself, the way he wanted it to but it seemed that, once again, the Crows proved to be the only place he belonged.“Let’s go then.”
Zevran slipped out of bed quietly, gently, trying not to disturb his sleeping Warden, and resisting the urge to reach out and caress flesh exposed by the thin sheet thrown back. It had been a difficult few days and would likely be little better in the near future, and his lover's mental state was more than a little worrisome--he'd seen the little vials of blue liquid, and wondered how long Cadryn thought he could hide it.
He left the Warden to a sated sleep, and padded quietly over to the balcony. He'd kept these doors locked for a long time, but it was hardly an issue now, so he left them thrown open to the cool sea air, a concession to his lover's difficulty with the heat. Cassius, already curled up on the balcony, looked up at him sleepily, tail wagging, gave a little huffing sound in welcome. Zevran sat down next to him, scratching the mabari's head. "I missed you too, my smelly little friend."
The mabari whined in annoyance, then scooted forward to lay his head on Zevran's thigh, leaning in for more serious petting and pinning the elf with his impressive weight. Zevran couldn't help a little chuckle, and obliged, Cassius making a satisfied sound at the attention.
"Thank you for looking out for him," Zevran said, voice hushed so as not to wake the man on the other side of the room. "I have no doubt you have done your best, but there are some things even you cannot do, my friend. I will take it from here."
They stayed like that for a good, long while, Zevran idly petting the mabari curled up against him, looking out over the city at night--Antiva was still full of sounds and scents and life, even at such a late hour. Eventually the man on the bed made a little sound of distress, caught in some dream, and both dog and elf looked up, ever watchful. The dog let him up, then, after pressing his wet nose to Zevran's side to urge him away, and curled up to keep his vigil on the balcony.
There were some things, after all, the mabari couldn't do--like heal the wounds to his master's mind and spirit that made him take the potions and do other troublesome things. He could ease the pain, yes, but healing it was something he needed the Painted Elf for.
I've been bouncing from entry to entry and really do love them all.*has cup of tea and thinks some more*Modifié par wildannie, 07 novembre 2010 - 04:25 .
Tellervo wrote...
Oh, thanks! I would've picked one of the others, but I won't judge your judgment. I'll have a prompt up some time tomorrow.
Well I have always killed Caldrius in every game except one.ejoslin wrote...
Zevran is insane damage. I usually use momentum instead of haste, but either works. Mages can destroy him, but he can destroy mages before they have a chance to cast, so it's not that big a deal. Anyone else, forget it.
You know, I think you get that line from Zevran if you don't just turn down Caladrius from the start. I never see it, but I'm all, "Slavers die!" and that's that. Wynne is the one that ticks me off there :/
ejoslin wrote...
Zevran is insane damage. I usually use momentum instead of haste, but either works. Mages can destroy him, but he can destroy mages before they have a chance to cast, so it's not that big a deal. Anyone else, forget it.
You know, I think you get that line from Zevran if you don't just turn down Caladrius from the start. I never see it, but I'm all, "Slavers die!" and that's that. Wynne is the one that ticks me off there :/
I loved to experience this wonderfully written and complex romantic relationship (possibly my favorite in all Bioware games) without being stopped by any nasty surprises that have ruined many a game for other players (at leats, that's what I read on the forums). 
Modifié par Raelis25, 08 novembre 2010 - 05:59 .
It's only annoying and insensitive if you are playing a city elf or a blood mage. She says something along the lines of "Surely you're not going to use blood magic!"Raelis25 wrote...
What does Wynne say when the party meets Caladrius? I never took her there, but I take it it's something aggravating, as usual?
Modifié par Giggles_Manically, 08 novembre 2010 - 08:40 .
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