MAYA AND THE TEMPLE OF MYTHAL - PART 2 - OR - HOW TO MINE STORMHEART FOR FUN AND PROFITWhile battle raged through the Arbor Wilds, all the allies of the Inquisition demanded attention from Josie and Maya. Empress Celene was particularly needy and fretful.
Cullen had assembled a fine set of forces, including a squad of "vat soldiers", created by the Fereldan necromancer Merlyn. Creepy, but effective.
Maya wasn't hating the Arbor Wilds as much as she thought. The bugs were annoying, but there was also a lot of beauty. Waterfalls, too. Maya loved waterfalls.
The flora and fauna were fascinating. Maya saw mushrooms as big as houses and "jungle chickens" that were as gaudy as Dorian at a ball. Solas said the birds were created by elven magic. Thom said, "Is that so? Seems like a lot of trouble for a noisy bird. In the Free Marches, we'd just put a buzzard in a clown suit and call it a day."
When Maya had had enough of coddling her allies, she snuck out of camp with her crew and headed for the fighting. The RT didn't present much of a challenge. Her troops were pumped that they were able to put most of them down without any help.
As they got closer and closer to the elven ruins, Solas seemed distracted. He was never the sort to smile much, but his constant frowning was deepening.
During a pause between battles, Maya asked Solas, "What's on your mind, Solas? You look like there is something you want to tell me."
"Not at all, Inquisitor. Pray, let us continue."
Yeah, right.
In the next battle, elves in weird armor attacked ... but they also attacked the RT?
"Solas?" Maya asked.
"Perhaps we will learn more at the temple itself."
Perhaps, indeed! Maya and her crew heard fighting ahead. A squad of the elven fighters blocked Corypheus and his Venatori from crossing a bridge. This was the first time Maya had seen Corypheus in the flesh since the catastrophe at Haven. She was itching for payback.
Some magical rocks started to glow and lit up Corypheus something awful. The explosion killed all the elves ... and Corypheus!! But the Venatori continued across the bridge as if they didn't care.
"What is going on?" Maya asked.
"Don't look now, but that dead warden is coming back to life!" Dorian said.
"Gross! It's the Darkspawn of Coryphish! Make a run for it!" Maya yelled.
The RT dragon made an appearance and chased Maya and her crew across the bridge. They got the magical elven gates shut just in a nick of time.
No time to rest, the Venatori were blazing a trail through the temple. Solas and Morrigan wanted to waste time reading old elven graffiti, but Maya wasn't having any of it. She jumped down a hole to chase after the Venatori.
After fighting some Venatori, Maya and her crew were confronted by more of the elven guards, calling themselves Sentinels. They seemed a bit put out for being woken up from a long sleep. Their leader, Abelas, told them to turn back, and when they refused, ordered them killed. Morrigan turned into a bird (huh, didn't know she could do that!) and followed, leaving Maya and the rest of the crew to fight the Sentinels.
After all the Sentinels were sent to a more permanent sleep, Solas was livid. "Senseless slaughter! Inquisitor! You blunder ahead without a thought or a care and expect me to follow?"
"No, Solas. I expect you to obey! Unless you are purposely trying to delay us? What is it you are not telling us?? Who are these Sentinels? Why didn't you say anything to that Abelas when I asked you?"
Blackwall stepped forward, greatsword at the ready. "You heard my lady. Answer!"
"Threaten all you want. Just remember that without me, the Deep Roads will be your death."
"Grrr ..." Maya wanted to punch the elven egghead again, but there was no time. They had to chase after the Venatori.
I got so involved in the battle and cutscenes that follow that I forgot to take screenshots. So these are borrowed from the interwebs.After more fights with Venatori and Sentinels, the crew finally arrived at the Well of Sorrows. The Venatori mage, Calpernia, made a speech, but when it came to fighting, she was a lightweight. She chose death over dishonor.
Dorian asked the question that was on everyone's minds. "I'm puzzled. Calpernia just teleported up to those rocks, before falling to her death, yes? Why didn't she just teleport up to the Well of Sorrows directly?"
Maya shrugged, "Who knows? But there goes Abelas. After him!"
Abelas made a brave stand at the Well itself, but before he could flush the waters down the drain, Morrigan gave him an old-fashioned Carta stab in the back treatment.
She waved the bloody knife at Solas and growled, "Will you be next to follow your elven friend into the Fade? You but need to say one word of protest and I will oblige."
After some dickering over who would drink from the Well, Maya told Morrigan to stand down and make way. Drinking from the well was kind of like drinking a bit too much from her Bottles of Thedas collection, but then everything went WHOOSH and she was back with her crew.
Enter Corypheus. Who knew he could fly?
Morrigan activated the Eluvian and shoved everyone through. Coryphish tried to give chase, but someone or something blocked him at the last second.
Back as Skyhold, Maya reached up and grabbed Solas by the roadkill around his neck and growled, "I hope you're satisfied! Did you get what you wanted? A glimpse of some secret elven graffiti? Or was it a reunion with your old elven pals ... wait ... you flinched when I said 'your old elven pals'! Was that it? Are you connected to the Sentinels in some way."
Solas tore loose and turned away. "It is no concern of yours, Inquisitor," Solas said, with pain in his voice.
"Like hell it isn't! You still owe me."
"Of course," Solas said, bitterly. "You will find the artifact you seek in the Frostback Basin, on an island across the lake from an Avvar fishing village. Good day, Inquisitor."
Maya turned to Blackwall, "If he's lying, you know what to do."
Blackwall nodded.
Oh well, no killing Chargers for me in this playthrough. 
Retour en haut
), then headed off to the Shrine of Dumat. It had been ages since I had done this quest (so many In Hushed Whispers, play throughs), so I took my time. Got to "bubble boy", and had a chat. Gave him a merciful death, since Rom is a bit of a giant softie, and then..........Infinite Loadscreen! 
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The last one needed about 10 tries before it could hop up over the edge of the planter and join the others. Reminded me of trying to get that ^$%#^&* shard in dragon territory: jump up, fall down, jump up, fall down, repeat ad nauseum until either your hands get tired or it's time to go to bed. 
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