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[berelinde]

"Maker help me, I don't know," he said, his face grim. "We found Edred and Quint in the cellar. Who was in the other farmhouse?"

[ChachiBobinks]

At the end of the day, Etienne was a man of faith and science. Knowledge and understanding gave him peace. The only thing he wished to do was make sense of it all, solve the puzzle that a simple trip to find a missing man had uncovered. As he continued, verbally noting the area around them, he hadn't even noticed the the newly-found slain family members. 

 

They went on to figure out who had been found and who was still possibly missing, but his attention was hopelessly grabbed by the smaller of the two bodies. "Maker, so... small," he said quietly, and mostly to himself, as he moved to kneel between the two bodies. As he had before, he desperately checked for any vital signs that might show that there was a chance they could be saved.

 

He hadn't seen a baby in almost fifteen years. He had forgotten how tiny they were and was immediately overcome by emotion. His hand covered his mouth as he blinked furiously, then cursed to himself. They couldn't have saved them either. If only they had known sooner. His hands shook as he grabbed two of the nearby sheets. The longest one was draped over the mother and tucked around her small frame. He held his breath as he laid the blanket, a much smaller one that was surely part of the crib bedding, over the baby. 

 

There was nothing more he could do than to pray for their safe and speedy deliverance to the Maker's side. 

[BFace]

"Maker help me, I don't know," he said, his face grim. "We found Edred and Quint in the cellar. Who was in the other farmhouse?"

 

Tessa flashed through the scene in the other house, trying not to grimace, and wishing desperately that she could give names to those folks. Maybe Beldin could.

 

"There were two woman, one older, one younger, and..."her voice broke here and she coughed to try to camouflage it. "...and one child. A boy."

 

She looked at the floor at her feet, and silently said a quick prayer for these people. 

[berelinde]

"There were two woman, one older, one younger, and..."her voice broke here and she coughed to try to camouflage it. "...and one child. A boy."

The air left Beldin''s lungs as if a weight had settled on his shoulders and he could no longer bear it. He didn't know these people. Their deaths should not mean anything to him, but they did. They were as human as he was, and as mortal.

 

"Mirren, Brella, and Borren, then," he said. "Kesla described them while I was eating breakfast. There are only two more, Hann and Drull. Hann is Faleen's husband, and Drull's the other farmhand. Keltin talked about him when we played cards. I think they were close."

 

It was hard to believe that it had only been three days. Three long days of loitering around Vintiver, talking to everyone and trying to find one person who might help another village in need. A few were willing - Keltin (and Drull, Keltin assured him, if Edred could spare them), Matthias, kindly old Gervais who'd loaned him a cloak the night of the first frost - but he couldn't bring farmhands and shopkeepers against Waldric Gorehand even if Vintiver didn't have enough troubles of its own. This group might stand a chance, but one thing at a time. The situation in Logerwold was bad, but no one there lay slaughtered in their beds. It would wait.

 

"The woman," he said at last, looking around until he spied Bartha poking around what looked like a workshop. "The one who isn't a blood mage. Is she alright?"

 

Etienne drew his attention as he knelt beside the baby.

 

"So small," the younger man whispered. Beldin's heart went out to him - to all who still hoped to find survivors - but there was nothing to be done for any of them.

 

He turned back toward Tessa. She was holding up well, he noticed. Of course, she was upset. Everything about this place was upsetting. Standing around would not help.

[Mahumia]

{@Bartha: You find a beautifully illustrated book in the lounge and a silver cloak pin set with amber. Your merchant upbringing suggests that the book might be worth as much as 6 silver and the cloak pin 3 silver.}

Soft voices came from the other room. She couldn't hear the words, but she understood that everyone was dealing with the horror in their own way. Bartha frowned. Although she'd expected to find bad news, she could not have known that it would become this personal. The resemblance of the woman with her older brother's wife was stunning... A similar shaped face, the color of the hair... It was just a bit too much to take right now. The whole family done... she tried to stop her mind from imagining that it could have been her own... She shook her head and took some firm steps around the room.

 

Her eye caught the sight of a book that was laying on the floor, next to a knocked over table. She bent over to grab it and went through some pages. It had lovely illustrations to accompany the text, as it appeared to be a story book. 'They must have bought it for the kids...' The creases revealed that the book has been read multiple times. She could imagine the dad sitting in a chair, with the children around him, and reading the story to them whilst they'd point at the pictures. She sighed and closed the book. She examined it a bit. 'Still worth some coin... might come in handy for their funeral, perhaps.'

When taking a few steps back towards the bedroom, she noticed a small side table. A bit hesitating she opened the drawer, it felt like she was intruding into private area, but there wasn't much in there. Some buttons, a sewing kit... and one nice cloak pin. She picked it up in order to examine it. The black marks on it revealed to her that it was indeed silver. 'Probably only to be used for special occasions...' The stone had a warm honey like color... 'Amber' She looked at the two objects in her hands. 'I'd say the value is about.... 9 silver. Maybe I could get some more out of it. Let's discuss it with the rest when they done....'

[ChachiBobinks]

Once his prayer was complete, Etienne climbed to his feet, rubbed his face with both hands, and then straightened out his doublet. The one person he had hoped to found alive was gone, and his hope was lost. But within that sinking feeling in his stomach, he found resolve. They needed to figure this out before it happened to more families... more women, more children. "We should look around," he suggested quietly. "Make sure we're not missing something. Signs. Clues." 

 

Etienne rushed for one of the interior doors. He didn't know what he was looking for - and likely wouldn't know how to interpret anything he found - but it was worth looking. His gaze then followed the path from the front door in. 

[berelinde]

{Etienne attempts a Perception(Sight) to notice clues, TN13 - hardwood floors and really worn carpeting. The next die roll on your list is a 7, so 7+2=9. You don't notice any clues, but based on the footprints, you're pretty sure that Tessa is secretly a wyvern. }

[BFace]

"The woman," Beldin said. "The one who isn't a blood mage. Is she alright?"

 

Tessa looked back up at Beldin. 'Maker, he's tall,' she thought to herself, then, 'Tessa! You should be ashamed. Now is *not* the time.'  She wrinkled her nose before answering.

 

"Tempest? I...well, she's having a hard time with all..." She made a gesture with her hand, trying to encompass everything. "..all of this.  I get the idea that she's unused to...this sort of thing."

 

Tessa looked down at her feet again and mumbled. "Not that anyone would be, really."

[Lorien19]

The three of them stood guard,which was something convenient for Laurelin considering her desperate need to be outside.

The unique feeling of the breeze in her hair,was exactly what she needed at the moment.It wasn't that much the sight of the bodies that made her skin crawl,rather than the sense of evil and corruption in the air.Her thoughts once more went back to Tempest and blood magic.

It was curious that among the murder of crows she didn't spot Harel,a fact that made her even more suspicious of the whole situation as the bird would stop following her,whenever something was askew. 

For some unexplained reason,whenever she heard about blood magic she'd feel extremely distressed.And the worst thing being that she couldn't even remember why,the only thing she recalled was the Keeper's warnings,and how she should never dabble in it.

​

Lost in her thoughts,she didn't realise that she was starring at Rael,quite indiscreetly too. 

She always wanted to meet one of their City brethren,hearing some of her clan-mates belittling them infuriated her,until one of them decided to renounce her life in the alienage,and join their clan.

However the hostility wasn't always one-sided,Laurelin heard that the former keeper of the Sabrae clan was killed by both humans and city elves,a while back.
Which made her clan-mates initially suspicious of their newest member,but her eagerness to be a part of the clan won everyone over.

 

Despite her efforts to averse her gaze,she caught herself starring at the elvhen woman again,trying to figure her out.
Her outfit was impressively colourful and made from fine-quality fabrics but it were her peacock earrings,that stood out.Laurelin wondered whether she was hiding something...Then again,knowing how to fight was a crucial skill,for a travelling minstrel.
 

[mysteriouspast]

Rael scanned the horizon, trying to be ready for another pack of wolves that she was certain would arrive at any second. Suddenly, she became acutely aware of the Dalish woman's eyes boring into the side of her face.

Laurelin clearly wanted to speak to her, but had yet to do so. Rather than stand there in awkward silence, Rael decided to ask a question that had been in her mind as well. "In the Alienage, Dalish elves are practically a myth--no one is really sure that they even exist. Is the reverse true for you Dalish?"

[Mahumia]

Bartha looked up when Etienne rushed out of the room. His behaviour suggested to her that he was looking for something, so she decided to address him. "Etienne? I found these in here... I was thinking that maybe we could sell those in order to raise some coin and give the family a proper funeral?" She held up the book and cloak pin, so Etienne could see them. 

[ChachiBobinks]

Etienne startled at the sound of Bartha's voice. He was so preoccupied looking for something in, well, absolutely nothing. What he first thought were interesting foot prints in the carpet was likely drag marks from his own feet. With his hand pressed against his chest, he looked at her.

 

"Funeral?" he asked, brow furrowed. "I'm sure that's a very kind notion. I agree - we should do that." 

 

His knowledge of what happened with the dead was very limited. The Chantry dictated that bodies be burned to ash, just as Andraste had been, to ensure cleanliness when they arrive at the Maker's side. They didn't have funerals in the Circle, just the absence of a person and the occasional lingering smell of soot and timber, should the lower windows be open that day. He hadn't a clue what the cost of a funeral would be or, better yet, how one even operated, but... it would be interesting to learn.

 

The book then caught his attention. He motioned to it with the sweep of his hand. "May... may I see?" 

[Mahumia]

Bartha hands over the book to Etienne: "Of course." She bit on her bottom lip and her voice became a lot less steady. "Did.. did you find any clues in there?"

[ChachiBobinks]

"No. Not at all," he replied quietly as he slipped the book out of her hand, then turned it over and over in his, inspecting the cover. "You should hang on to this." 

 

With a definite nod, he handed the book back to her, drew in an unsteady breath, and looked over at Beldin. "Shall we go? There may be more for us to find..."

[Mahumia]

Bartha took the book back from Etienne and looked at it for a moment. "Fair enough..." She said softly, then reached for her backpack to give both items a safe spot for now. "I'll discuss it with the others later, just to be sure."

 

"Shall we go? There may be more for us to find..."

 

"Yes... let's go. It won't be too long before dusk, and I'd rather get this all sorted before that time." She did her best to keep her voice as steady and assured as possible... 'How many more? Ugh... I should have paid more attention when she described the whole household and farmhands...'

[ChachiBobinks]

Etienne shook his head sadly. "I am not sure, messere. I did not listen as well as I should have either. I think Beldin knows, though.." 

 

Trailing off, he motioned for her to go ahead of him and instinctively reached down to make sure the journal was still firmly wedged under his belt. There was sure to be more in there, explanations and answers, surely if they all poured through it together that night, they could figure it out. 

 

"Beldin, Tessa? Shall we be off?" As he spoke, he craned his head to look out of the front door, checking on those they had left behind. 

[berelinde]

"Aye," Beldin said in answer to Etienne's question. "We should probably load the bodies onto the wagon to bring to the chantry, but we shouldn't bring them out until we're ready to go. Seeing the little ones lined up on the ground will be hard. Good thinking with the shrouds."

[BFace]

Tessa nodded at Etienne's question and Beldin's answer. She was more than ready to step out into some fresher air.

 

"Yes. I want to have the worst of it done before dusk.  I am not overeager to be here once darkness falls."

[berelinde]

She knows how to keep her head, Beldin thought. She'll be alright, and she'll be able to keep anyone who goes with her from flying into a panic.

 

He wasn't sure Etienne really knew what he was seeing. The young man was acting as if it were all unreal, as if the people they were finding had never really lived. That worried him. Perhaps he should try to keep the young man close. He'd known recruits to snap when confronted with the unthinkable, and this certainly qualified. If it ever came to that, it might be better to have a friend on hand.

 

A friend? he reflected. But he's a mage! What a mad world this is.

 

"Tessa," he said aloud, "we've got two buildings to search, and there are two of us. Will you take a team to the farmhand quarters while I take a team to the smokehouse? Etienne? Want to find out what a farm's outbuildings are for?"

 

He regretted that the moment he said it. Sheltered as the young man had been, he would probably begin thinking that outbuildings were for slaughtering family members. Which was often true, oddly enough.

[berelinde]

Plot Post

 

Those who enter the farmhands' quarters find the second farmhand, Drull, lying in a pool of his own blood. Like the others, his body is deeply gouged by parallel claw marks.

 

Spoiler

 

Those who enter the smokehouse find Edred's oldest child, Hann, in similar condition, and just as dead.

Spoiler

[ChachiBobinks]

"Outbuildings?" He was distracted by his look outside, but quickly snapped back to Beldin. "What are those? Lavatories?" 

 

His head was in a constant spin as the activity around them sped up, but he was quite sure that he was fine. His hand absently moved to the journal again. "I am good to go whenever you are." 

[berelinde]

"Outbuildings?" He was distracted by his look outside, but quickly snapped back to Beldin. "What are those? Lavatories?" 

 

"Not quite," Beldin found himself smiling despite his grim surroundings. "Some, yes - when you gotta go, you gotta go - but you don't want to do some things on a farm inside a house. Farmers smoke meat, fish, and cheese to put it up for the winter, and the last thing you want is a kitchen full of hickory smoke, so they build little outbuildings for that. There are also chicken coops and latrines and tool sheds and the rest, but we've already seen those, and the Fuldors aren't there."

 

The memories brought a wave of nostalgia. Martin must be laying up hams for the winter... or he would be if he weren't playing at being lord. But Keila wasn't the sort to preserve summer's peaches in any case. The Adley farm was probably falling into ruins with her controlling the larder. And with Samuel dead, Maker knew what would come of the stables. 

 

He sighed. Going back had been a mistake.

[mysteriouspast]

(Laurelin and Rael had a little conversation while the others were investigating the house. Here it is.)

 

Spoiler

Rael probably noticed,that she was staring at her,since she decided to address her,asking her a question that Laurelin found strange.

 

"In the Alienage, Dalish elves are practically a myth--no one is really sure that they even exist. Is the reverse true for you Dalish?"

 

Laurelin raised an eyebrow,myth?There was nothing mythical about the conditions under her people lived.Wandering around without a place to call home,but at least they answered to none.Something that couldn't be said for her City brethren,that lived under the mercy of the humans,a thought that caused Laurelin pain.

 

It was understandable, why the alienage elves considered them a myth and some even romanticized them.

 

"I wouldn't say so."She said in a rather evasive manner,she didn't feel like elaborating of the complexity of the situation,nor adding fuel to the fire"Although I'd say,that some of my people are a little..Er,bitter about our City-brothers abandoning our ways."She shrugged and crossed her arms,"Still,a clan usually accepts city-elves,who wish to join them.In fact,one of my clan-mates grew up in the alienage,until one day she decided for her own reasons to seek out the Dalish...Now she's one of our best hunters."Laurelin's expression changed nostalgia turned to bitterness,It wasn't the right time and place to ponder on the past,she looked back at Rael,and gave her a forced smile."So,is living in the alienage as bad as they say?"She asked curiously.

 

Rael shrugged and said, "Probably," with a chagrined expression. The thought of the Dalish looking at their city-dwelling fellows as somehow traitorous was surprising, Maybe even a little insulting. "Do the Dalish really feel that way about us?" she asked. "After all, we were all born in the city. It's not like we chose it.""Indeed."She nodded "It was a choice made for you by our ancestors,after the fall of the Dales.Same applies for us as well."Laurelin,noticed the disappointment on her face."Not every Dalish is bitter though"she smiled "There are some who are,and others who aren't...I am not."She said "You might find surprising how diverse we are as a group...We rarely agree with each-other in the first place.After all each individual has different views and beliefs"She chuckled "I think the same can be said for every group,you City-folk included,no?"

 

"That does sound familiar," Rael said with a chuckle. The stopped to think for a moment. When elves left the city to find the Dalish, most regarded such a thing as a pipe dream, a last resort. And generally the types of elves who went searching did so by force--either they were on the run, or in such dire straits that they felt they had no other choice. "I'd be curious to know what you think of the individuals you find. It's my understanding that they tend to be... less savory characters."

 

"What can I say,once you're part of the clan,you're part of the clan."She shrugged with a smile "Savory or not.Besides It's not like we don't have our share of them already."Laurelin's expression brightened "Not everyone turns out to be like this though,the one person I know that came to us,turned out to be one of the most capable and finest people I've ever met."

And the only person besides the keeper,to call her by her name,she thought to herself.Was it because she lacked knowledge of the Dalish language,she will never know."She told me some terrible things about living in the alienage,also that the humans won't let you be."She said with a note of sadness in her voice.

 

Rael considered what Laurelin said about the humans leaving the elves alone. Sometimes that was true--they had meddled, or worse--in elven affairs. In other ways, the opposite was true and humans wanted nothing to do with elves. Either way, her people had the bad end of it always.

 

"They tend to badger us or ignore us," Rael replied, letting her cynicism bleed into her words. "Neither option is good. What I heard about the Dalish is that humans attack you on sight. Seems they hate you even more than hey hate us."

"That they do."She replied stoically "Unless,we strike them first of course. It is rare for both sides to negotiate.And if the do it's usually at sword point."Laurelin glanced around the field and sighed. "We Dalish rarely take it too far when we have a choice though.Doing otherwise would certainly attract an angry mob to our camp."

 

"Is it true that in each alienage,you keep a great tree that sserves as a symbol of Arlathan?"Her eyes lit up like fireflies,as soon as she mentioned Arlathan,"this place I love" as someone would translate roughly in the trade tongue.As the keeper's first,Laurelin knew more about the ancient homeland,than the average Dalish elf.

 

Still it was only a fraction of their long lost history and lore.

 

"We do have a vhenadahl in the Denerim Alienage," Rael confirmed, happy to be able to say something positive about her living conditions. "I don't really know the symbolism of it, or what Arlathan is." She smiled apologetically. She also decided to leave out the fact that it was pretty common for some of the drunk male elves to take turns urinating on the giant tree.

 

"Vhenadahl"she said with a smile"It means  the tree of the people."Laurelin stated,she was mildly surprised that Rael never heard of Arlathan at all,so she opted to remedy this."Arlthan,was the capital of the Elvhenan.Back in the ancient times were our people were still immortal and ruled a great empire,that stretched across the entirety of Thedas."She said with a twinkle in her eyes"Before the Tevinter Imperium enslaved us,resulting to the loss of our history and lore."She added making apparent he bitterness in her voice.

 

"Nowdays,the remnants of our lost culture and our language,are preserved by the Dalish,the Keepers in particular...I happen to be one,or trained to be one"She chuckled.

 

"We have a Hahren, the Alienage elder," Rael replied. "Perhaps that's something like a Keeper. How does one become such a thing for the Dalish?"

 

"Magic."Laurelin said and instinctively made a faint light appear in her palm,and then fade again as she clenched her fist."All elves used to have magic back then."

Laurelin hesitated to elaborate,mainly due to Rael not being a mage herself,but also because it was exceptionally uncommon for a keeper or the keeper's first,to discuss with anyone other than a fellow clan member about Dalish magic.

 

"Other than that,I don't think there are many differences between a Hahren and a Keeper."

 

Rael didn't think it was a small difference at all, having magic or not having magic. "Anyone who shows signs of magic does not stay in the Alienage," she replied. "If an elf is determined to have magic ability, the Chantry comes in and sends him to the Circle Magi." She pressed her lips together in a thin line. "The elves that leave are generally not heard from again," she added.

 

"I've heard of the circle."she said disdainful "From what I know,many important historical documents of the people,gather dust on their library shelves."

 

However,it wasn't the only thing Laurelin knew about the circle.

 

"I've also been told,that it exists because humans consider magic to be some kind of curse,hence they lock their mages up." She shook her head in disapproval

 

"In fact, the Templars are one of the reasons  we don't stay in the same place for too long."

 

Rael tapped her finger on her lower lip, considering what the Dalish had said. All she really knew about mages was that they were taken to the circle. She'd never wondered why or thought about what happened to them after. "If the elven mages from the alienage are put in a cage" she mused, "then it is a gilded one. To be free of the poverty of our kind may well be worth it." She turned to Laurelin, as if suddenly remembering she was there. "We are told mages need protection and that it is what the Templars provide. I suppose your very existence proves that assumption at least partially untrue."

 

"I won't lie,I don't know much about the circle,to assure you that life there is better for the mages."She looked down at the ground and then back at Rael "All I know,is that the keeper warned me to stay away from the Templars."She said running her fingers through her hair nervously."Besides,I couldn't stand living in a cage...Gilded or not."

 

"Life in a cage," Rael trailed off, that same far away look in her eyes. She the smiled and fixed Laurelin with a sideways glance. "No, on that we are in agreement."

 

Laurelin smiled back,she approached Rael and placed a hand on her shoulder,while she tore her necklace off with the other.

 

"This, was made by the most skilled craftsman of my clan."She raised and held the amulet firmly,so that the other woman could see the carvings engraved on it.

"It has revas, the Elvhen word for freedom,carved on it. "

 

She then opened the red haired woman's palm,and placed in it a Dalish amulet that was made from wood and ivory.

 

"I want you to have it."Laurelin said calmly"As a reminder,that we were once a proud,thriving people.Hardships,won't bring us down if we remember who we are."she suddenly paused "Or so the Hahren says."

 

Rael gaped at Laurelin, astonished by her generosity. "I... couldn't possibly..." She stared at the amulet in her hands. It was lovely and strange, and she felt oddly unworthy. "Surely this is more dear to you than this... to gift it to a stranger."

 

"It is dear to me,which makes me glad to gift it to one of my people."Laurelin explained.

"I know this understandably seems strange to you.Especially considering that we barely know each other,but it would really mean a lot to me if you accepted it."She smiled warmly.

 

Rael was shocked that Laurelin would consider her part of "her people." The few stories she'd heard mentioned that generally Dalish viewed city elves with contempt, and here one was giving her a gift for no reason except to be generous. It was baffling, but touching at the same time.

 

Rael reached into her belt pouch and took out a very small bag made of light green fabric. She opened it, and dropped three small pebbles back into her pouch. "Please have this in exchange," she said softly, smoothing out the small bag so that Laurelin could see it. "My brother made this for me and look..." she turned the bag over to show an embroidered tree on it. "This is the venadahl." She held it out to the Dalish with a pleased smile. "Take this and know that our people have not forgotten everything."

 

Laurelin,picked the green pouch and marvelled at the embroidery.

"It's beautiful!Maybe one day,I will visit the alienage and see it for myself."She said smiling.

"I really appreciate your gift,and the meaning it bears."Her voice unexpectedly cracked,she nervously cleared her throat to conceal the sudden change in her tone.

"Ma serranas,thank you."

 

Rael smiled shyly, unsure of what to say, and feeling she received the greater gift.

 

 

At that moment, the group who had gone into the house emerged, looking shaken, as expected.

 

"What did you find?" Rael asked to no one in particular, and already half-knowing the answer.

 

[Mahumia]

Bartha looked up when Rael asked the group about their findings. “I’m afraid that both the mum and babe didn’t make it either…”

 

Without really thinking about it, she followed Beldins group to the smokehouse. At first she had a glimmer of hope that they wouldn’t find anything but food stock for the winter… sadly enough that did not turn out to be true. The poor kid had been mauled as well. “At least the whole family is still together… even if that means in death.” Somehow she could handle this one better than the previous findings… perhaps because it was closure, or because he wasn’t as young as his siblings? She didn’t know. She laid a hand on Beldins back, as she couldn’t easily reach his shoulder. “Shall we find out whether the other group also found some victims, to see if everyone has been found? Then we can proceed with your plan of bringing the bodies to the Chantry, I think? Oh, and that Dalish woman.” 

[mysteriouspast]

Rael swallowed hard against the hysterical sob that rose in her throat. None were spared, not even the tiny baby. It was monstrous, and such a damned waste. 

 

She'd seen too much death in her time, too much violence, and too much of it had gone unpunished. "Not this time," she mumbled to herself and made an unspoken oath to this poor family that she would do all she could to bring them justice. There was no reason to think that whatever did this would not simply continue working its way through all of the families in the area. No one else needed to die if they could somehow stop this murdering creature.

 

Rael over heard Beldin inviting Etienne to look at the smokehouse and decided to go where he would not be. "Tessa," she addressed the tall warrior, "there's still the farm hand's house. If you're going there, I'll accompany you."