954 réponses à ce sujet

[DalishRanger]

Well, you certainly got the general dreadfulness about the Broodmother down.

I imagine the group will enjoy several nice, long baths once this whole ordeal is over.



*Looks at the posting time of the latest chapter* .... Holy Hera, did I really read all that in about ten minutes? I didn't think I was THAT fast at reading... O_o

[Sisimka]

DalishRanger wrote...

*Looks at the posting time of the latest chapter* .... Holy Hera, did I really read all that in about ten minutes? I didn't think I was THAT fast at reading... O_o

Heh, we've all played it what, five, six, seven times now?  We know how it goes. 

This story sure isn't going where I expected it to.  Light times and more love, less philosophy ahead!  I think, I hope...

You know, I don't really write this crap... my cats do it and then blame me for it...

[Maximus741000]

That did not leave my heart racing since I first fought the Broodmother in Boownamar, my first decision was to do away with Branka once Caridin came into the picture. I only wish there was dialogue akin to what you've written that appeared after the damned monster was killed. The encounter was a nightmare. What you're written is remarkable.

[Sisimka]

Maximus741000 wrote...

I only wish there was dialogue akin to what you've written that appeared after the damned monster was killed. The encounter was a nightmare. What you're written is remarkable.

Thanks, Maximus.  Yeah, they really need to let us 'decompress' after some of these encounters but no, the companions go blithely onward.  Oh well, that's what fan fiction is for, eh?

[DalishRanger]

Sisimka wrote...
Heh, we've all played it what, five, six, seven times now?  We know how it goes. 

This story sure isn't going where I expected it to.  Light times and more love, less philosophy ahead!  I think, I hope...

You know, I don't really write this crap... my cats do it and then blame me for it...

xD I didn't skim it, I'm just naturally a very, very fast reader. I've been known to read (and fully comprehend) novels in a single day if I'm able to dedicate that time and don't have other work to do. Heck, all of the last three Harry Potter books I finished each within 17-19 hours.

My cats just sit around the house and try to get my attention every time I enter the kitchen. Lazy, slovenly bums...

[Sandtigress]

Ahhh, I'm creeped out again. No matter how many times I see/hear about the broodmother, she still does that to me...

[Freckles04]

The word that comes to mind for this chapter is...grimy. Blech. (In a good way)

[MireliA]

Sandtigress wrote...

Ahhh, I'm creeped out again. No matter how many times I see/hear about the broodmother, she still does that to me...

Yup that thing gives the creeps too. You've caught the awful atmosphere of the Deep roads well too

[Masticetobbacco]

broodmother was hot, it saddened me to put down such a beautiful creature

[DalishRanger]

Masticetobbacco wrote...

broodmother was hot, it saddened me to put down such a beautiful creature

You are a silly fellow.

[Sisimka]

Masticetobbacco wrote...

broodmother was hot, it saddened me to put down such a beautiful creature

I'm SO not surprised you made this comment.

Thanks to everyone else for your comments, yes, it was a rather dirty and broody chapter, but that's pretty much how I usually feel about that point!  I predict many baths in their future!

Modifié par Sisimka, 04 mars 2010 - 12:56 .

[Sisimka]

Used some game dialogue in this one, changed it up a bit here and there and added comments from party members where appropriate.

(Part Five)
 
When they found Branka she didn’t seem to be insane. They had just exited the tunnel, which spilled out into cavern littered with cascades of fallen rock. The boulders appeared to have been piled up to form a wall. There was a loud grating crash behind them. 

Aedan nodded at Zevran and the rogue slipped back toward the tunnel to investigate. 

When he turned back toward the cavern Oghren was exclaiming, “Shave my back and call me en elf! Branka? By the Stone, I barely recognized you!”

Aedan followed the direction of Oghren’s gaze and saw Branka standing atop the piled stone wall. She was regarding them curiously and greeted Oghren with surprising lucidity. She did not appear tainted.

“Oghren. It figures you'd eventually find your way here. Hopefully, you can find your way back more easily,” she said.

Aedan shuddered at the thought of the journey back. Branka addressed him next, “And how shall I address you? Hired sword of the latest lordling to come looking for me? Or just the only one who didn't mind Oghren's ale-breath?”

He heard a sharp intake of breath behind him and turned to see Alistair looking indignant. The warrior opened his mouth, but Oghren beat him to it, “Be respectful, woman! You're talking to a Grey Warden!”

“Ah, so an important errand boy, then. I suppose something serious has happened. Is Endrin Dead? That seems most likely. He was on the old and wheezy side,” Branka responded in a droll tone.

Though Aedan bristled at being called an ‘errand boy’ he knew better than to respond as such. He simply stated their case as clearly as possible, “His heir, Bhelen, seeks your support to become king.”

Their conversation began to spiral away from reason at that point and as Branka raved and ranted about cretins and the nature of politics Aedan took the opportunity to gauge the reaction of his companions. He could see he was not the only one to suspect Branka was not as entirely sane as she had first appeared.

The look on Oghren’s face saddened him greatly, the dwarf looked in turns hurt, confused and exasperated. What had happened to their marriage? Had it been compromised by Branka’s mad ambition? Aedan couldn’t help glancing sideways at Leliana. She was following the exchange between Branka and Oghren, a serious look on her face.

Branka’s raving reached a fever pitch as she described the Anvil of the Void.  Apparently it was very close, but sequestered behind a series of devious traps designed by Caridin himself. Spittle flew from her lips as she exclaimed, “I have given up everything and would sacrifice anything to get the Anvil of the Void!”

Aedan winced in memory of just what this woman had sacrificed and the now familiar nausea roiled in his gut. He heard the gasps and shocked breaths of his companions and knew he was not the only one so affected by Branka’s words. As the dwarf paused for breath, her shoulders heaving back in a self righteous posture, Aedan put in quietly, “Does that include Hespith and the others of your house?”

Branka turned her furious gaze on him and Aedan rocked back at the force of her anger. Her expression seemed to yell, ‘They failed me!’ 

She simply replied, “Enough questions!”

Alistair muttered behind him, “I don’t remember asking any questions…”

Branka continued, “If you wish me to get involved with this imbecilic election, I must first have the Anvil. There is only one way out, Warden. Forward. Through Caridin's maze and out to where the Anvil waits.”

Oghren shook his head sadly, his shoulders stooped with pity, “What has this place done to you? I remember marrying a girl you could talk to for one minute and see her brilliance.”

Branka simply replied, “I am your Paragon.” Then she turned on her heel and strode away from them, across the rocks and out of view.

Alistair blew out a breath. Oghren grumbled. Sten was fiddling with the side of his armour and Wynne was attempting to bat his hands away, murmuring, “Stop fussing.”

Morrigan wore a smirk which she turned upon Aedan and as their eyes met, she raised her brows as if to say, ‘I told you so’ and looked away. Zevran materialized from the shadows and stepped to his side.

“The tunnel is blocked, we will not be returning that way,” he said.

Aedan swallowed over a sinking feeling and nodded toward the spot where Branka had stood only moments before. He sighed softly and said to no one in particular, “On we go…”

Though there was a sense of relief at having actually achieved their goal, finding Branka, Aedan was not cheered. He couldn’t help but feel their hardest tests awaited them. He glanced around at his companions. They were all exhausted, but they had no more time to rest. If they wanted to succeed in this mission and acquire the aid of a paragon, they must follow Branka to the Anvil.

He led the party around the wall, seeking entrance into the cavern and they found another tunnel. It was mercifully short and they found Branka’s camp on the other side. It was strewn with bodies, dwarven and darkspawn alike. There were short gasps of surprise behind him, but Aedan did not take his eyes from the vista before him. The extent of Branka’s madness was now fully apparent. She had sacrificed everything, even her sanity, towards this goal. 

He did not have long for contemplation though as the fine hairs along his arms and neck rose and he sensed the taint. Darkspawn were approaching. Alistair whispered behind him, “I sense darkspawn…” and the sound of weapons being drawn followed.

The darkspawn spewed forth into the camp from a tunnel located on the far side. The companions engaged. They defeated the first wave only to be caught up in the second, and then a third.

Aedan was exhausted, his arms were numb and each swing of his blade grew weaker, less effective. His concentration faltered and an axe caught the side of his helm.  He saw stars and felt the ground shift beneath his feet. Something hit the back of his head with a ringing whack and when his eyes opened again, he saw only the dark ceiling above him. He was lying on his back. 

He rolled to his side and pushed upwards, gaining his knees and finally his feet. The world spun dizzily and he staggered forward, looking for his next target. What he saw instead nearly drove him to his knees again. Leliana was splayed over a crate, her head thrown back and her arms hanging limply. Her bow had dropped to the ground.  Standing upright in chest was an arrow driven in just below her collarbone.

Aedan forgot the battle as he stumbled toward her, his legs moving sluggishly as if he were wading through mud. He reached her side and his blades fell unnoticed from his gauntlets as he reached up and pulled his helm away from his head. He looked over his shoulder, looking for Wynne, or Morrigan, for anyone, but he could only see Alistair and Shale and they were engaged with the final foe, an ogre.

Aedan stared at the ogre and knew he should be there, he should be helping to fell the behemoth, but he was frozen in place. Alistair delivered the final blow and the ogre was down. Aedan slumped with relief and quickly turned back toward Leliana. He removed a gauntlet and felt for a pulse at her neck. It was there, but so faint! He knelt beside her and slipped an arm beneath her head, lifting it slightly. He whispered her name, there was no response.

He looked around for one of the mages again. Alistair and Oghren were sheathing their weapons and picking their way back through the mess of corpses. Alistair stopped and knelt down. He shook something gently and then helped Zevran to his feet. The rogue was unsteady and limped painfully, one hand on Alistair’s shoulder for support.

Aedan felt a movement and he looked down, Leliana’s eyes were open and she said, “Aedan, it hurts…”

“Sh,” He whispered and stroked her cheek. He bit his lip and kept his face calm, hoping to reassure her. He didn’t think the arrow was near her heart…

A hand landed upon his shoulder and he looked up, startled, it was Wynne. She looked like death itself, her skin so pale and translucent he felt sure he might see through it. He hated to ask, but he did, his voice cracking, “Help her, please, Wynne, help her.”

Wynne told him to pull the arrow out slowly and he tried to steady his fingers on the shaft as he drew it out. He could feel it pulling against her flesh and faltered, and then he pulled again. It came free with a wash of bright red blood and he moved to put his hand there and stop it. Wynne restrained him and waved her hand there instead, sealing the small wound. The mage then swayed upon her feet and fell backwards.

Alistair caught Wynne and laid her down gently before moving to Aedan’s side and placing a hand on his shoulder. He said, “The ogre was the last, I’ll check on everyone else.”

Aedan nodded and bundled Leliana up in his arms, pulling her toward his chest and holding her close. He prayed that he would not lose her down here. He didn’t know if the Maker could hear him surrounded by all this filth and corruption. It had been a while since he’d last considered his faith. But he drew upon it now and tried to believe that whatever the outcome of their quest, all would not be for naught. 

There was a whisper of movement behind him and Morrigan was there, crouching over Wynne, passing her hands over the mage and chanting lightly. Wynne opened her eyes and the witch held out a hand, helping the mage to sit up, then sank down beside her, each of them looking as weary as the other. Slowly the rest of the companions limped toward them, weapons hanging limply from hands, armour battered and scratched, their steps heavy with fatigue.

Leliana stirred and Aedan pressed a kiss to her brow. He put her down, somewhat reluctantly, and sank down beside her. They leaned against one another silently. The entire party rested, some closed their eyes and some merely stared sightlessly at the tunnel entrance.

Aedan finally stirred and went to check on Wynne first. She was much recovered and reassured him she would be fine. He checked in with the rest of their party. All were well. They all had small injuries that had not yet healed, but they were whole. Such had become their life in the Deep Roads. They moved on.

The first trap was a room filled with gas. Zevran tried to close the levers while hidden in shadow. Leliana had wanted to help but Aedan pulled at her hand, keeping her back from the noxious green cloud. She gave him an angry glare but acquiesced.   Zevran could not hold stealth against the gas, however, and the trap was tripped before he could locate all the shut off valves. He was thrown to the ground by a wakened golem and Leliana tugged her fingers from Aedan’s grasp as the party rushed into the room, heedless of the fumes, to help him. 

The golems activated one by one, but working together, they cut them down. Despite their fatigue, the worst injuries more bruising and bent armour. They left the room via another tunnel.

The next trap also involved golems, but now they activated in twos. Leliana shot him a defiant glance and took her place beside Zevran. Aedan realized he had to let her go, he had been shaken by her injury, but it had not been the worst the party had seen and they needed every able bodied fighter.  He was tired and his concentration was shot, and he was not the only one. But the companions drew on their training and practice and split into their familiar teams, they trusted their skills and their allies and they overcame their foes. Again, they took no more than a battering and some bruising and all remained on their feet. 

Aedan made a point of stopping at Leliana’s side before they left the room and quickly took her hand. He whispered a quiet apology to her. She squeezed his fingers and gave him a warm smile. He touched her cheek, but knew that now was not the time to talk. Trust, he had to trust her and their team. Leliana had always been competent in battle. He drew on the focus Alistair had taught him and moved forward.

The next trap was more devious and Aedan could not discern the pattern to it. They slashed away at the ghostly spirits, moving around the four-faced carving in the centre. It wasn’t until Oghren sat on one of the four anvils placed about the edge of the raised dais, and subsequently releasing a cloud of black smoke toward one of the stone faces that they figured it out. They worked quickly after that and succeeded in deactivating the stone faced column. A door swung open on the far side of the cavern and they moved toward it.

The corridor was short and opened out into a large cavern. Aedan’s breath was taken away by the sight before them. The cavern was lit to a golden glow by the flow of lava that circled it and behind a collection of golems, at the end of a narrow outcropping of rock, he could see what he suspected was the Anvil of the Void. It was a moment both like and unlike that when they had first seen the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Once again, they had brought a legend to light. 

The centre golem, the largest, stepped forward. The movement closed gaping mouths and refocused thoughts as the companions all drew their weapons again. Then the golem spoke.

“My name is Caridin. Once, longer ago that I care to think, I was a paragon to the dwarves of Orzammar.”

Mouths gaped again and stances faltered.   Not one legend, but two stood before them. Shale was the first to voice thought, “Caridin? The paragon smith? Alive?”

But the surprises were not yet at an end. Caridin responded with, “Ah, there is a voice I recognize. Shayle of the House of Cadash, step forward.”

The companions all moved aside as Shale moved through the group and moved to stand before the paragon. Their conversation was nothing short of astounding. Shale was not only a dwarf, but a woman!  She had volunteered to become what she was now. The rest of the story was hauntingly familiar, a king mad with power possessing the tools of destruction. The Anvil of the Void had been used to seal living souls inside golems. They had created an indestructible army, but not without cost. Then Caridin had defied his king, refusing to sacrifice more lives, and had undergone the blow of the hammer himself and was now forever entombed in a body of metal.

Caridin wanted them to destroy the Anvil.

Before Aedan could respond to the golem’s request a voice screeched from the behind them, “No! The Anvil is mine! No one will take it from me!”

Branka had arrived. Her madness and obsession were now clearly apparent as she railed at them as fools out to steal her glory. Aedan could feel the situation slipping from his grasp. He needed the support of a paragon to break the deadlocked dwarven assembly. But to gain the support of Branka he must preserve a tool akin to blood magic. He knew that even the Grey Wardens had used blood magic when it was deemed necessary, but he couldn’t help the sickening shudder that took his shoulders at the thought he might be responsible for recovering a tool such as the Anvil. There was a fine line between doing whatever was necessary to defeat the Blight and whatever it took to protect humanity. Aedan chose humanity. 

He said, “The Anvil enslaves living souls. It must be destroyed.”

A gravelly voice informed him of Shale’s approval, “So it fights with Caridin? Good. That seems right.”

Aedan glanced around at his companions and he saw that they all agreed with his choice. Morrigan looked thoughtful, but had not spoken out. He was unaccountably relieved. Destroying the Anvil was not going to help make Bhelen king, it was at cross purposes to their current quest, but it was the right thing to do. They would just have to find another way…

Branka threw back her head and howled, and Oghren shivered and quickly turned to Aedan, asking him, “Just give her the blasted thing! She's confused... maybe once she calms down, we can talk to her.”

Aedan shook his head sadly at Oghren and said, quietly, “No. That’s not a risk I am willing to take.” He half expected Oghren to side with Branka then, to abandon their cause, but the dwarf merely nodded as if his answer had been expected and remained at Aedan’s side.

There was shuddering and shaking then as Branka waved a control rod and activated several of the golems. The final battle had started. 

Aedan noticed the absence of Leliana’s arrows as he helped Alistair destroy the second golem, but he did not turn around. His heart was thudding in his chest, but he held his focus, chanting his new mantra of ‘trust, trust, trust’ silently in his head as he moved with Alistair toward their next target, who proved to be Branka herself. She was standing over Oghren, who was flat on his back and she was preparing to swing her weapon down upon him. Alistair rushed her with his shield and though he failed to knock her down, he prevented the killing blow. Aedan helped Oghren to his feet and together they joined the fight. One by one the other companions closed in on Branka, she was the only enemy left. They killed her.

Aedan looked up then, his heart heavy. He glanced around quickly for Leliana and saw her sheathing her sword and dagger. Her arrows had stopped because she had drawn her blades. He felt faint with relief and then was quickly ashamed of his selfish thoughts. They had killed someone dear to Oghren. He turned back toward Oghren and placed a hand on the dwarf’s shoulder.

Caridin spoke into the silence, “Another life lost because of my invention. I wish no mention of it had made it into history.”

Oghren grumbled, “Yeah, you ain't kidding. Stupid woman! Always knew the Anvil would kill her.”

Caridin and Shale spoke about the battle as one by one the companions offered their condolences to Oghren, quiet words and light touches. 

Caridin then addressed them all, “Is there any boon I can grant you for your aid? A final favour before I am freed from my burden?”

Aedan turned to face Oghren and asked the dwarf, “Oghren? You lost Branka to this. What do you want?”

As Oghren made his case, Aedan shivered, though he was neither surprised by his request, nor Caridin’s refusal. The paragon would sacrifice no more lives to the Anvil; Branka would not become a golem. Oghren accepted the decision with good grace and merely asked for Caridin’s support in the election instead, a boon Aedan had not considered himself. The fate of the dwarven assembly had paled behind larger concerns…

Caridin made them a crown. Watching the Paragon set hammer to steel for the final time was something that moved them all. Not a word was spoken and not a sound was heard but for the ring of Caridin’s work. 

As Aedan lifted the hammer to destroy the Anvil as promised he felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. This quest had been full of unexpected twists and turns and had exposed him to unimaginable horrors, the worst of which had been created by those on a similar quest, to stop the darkspawn. He destroyed the Anvil. He didn’t know if he would always see a clear path, or make the correct choice, but he knew this decision was the right one.

Modifié par Sisimka, 04 mars 2010 - 06:31 .

[DalishRanger]

Very nice. I think you depicted the exhaustive effort through Caridin's traps quite well. It was taxing enough going through them in a video game - can't imagine what it must be like for the actual party!

[Freckles04]

Nice chapter! I agree with DR; the exhaustion came through loud and clear.

[Sisimka]

Thanks! Can you imagine if we actually had to 'play' backwards through the deep roads instead of being able to just click on Oghren and magically 'transport' to the map screen? I think a lot of games would end then and there. Hehe. I played through to this point again last night with Aedan to get some dialogue and even skipping all the side quests it took me about 70 minutes to get to Branka.

Thankfully, for the purposes of wrapping up this story, they will be back in Orzammar tomorrow, not next week. We'll just imagine the journey back, shall we?

Modifié par Sisimka, 04 mars 2010 - 08:03 .

[DalishRanger]

I'm all for immersion in games, but yeah... I draw the line at manually walking back through a super long dungeon - unless there's some important event/fight that interrupts the trek or something. It's one reason I have to play Oblivion/Morrowind only under the proper moods. I hate all the backtracking.

I don't think anyone will hold it against you for doing a time skip, Sisi.

[Sisimka]

DalishRanger wrote...

I'm all for immersion in games, but yeah... I draw the line at manually walking back through a super long dungeon - unless there's some important event/fight that interrupts the trek or something. It's one reason I have to play Oblivion/Morrowind only under the proper moods. I hate all the backtracking.

Also part of the reason I gave up on KOTOR, I'd just finished Fallout 3 and was ready for another immersive RPG and still had that one shrink-wrapped on the shelf. But once I found out I had to actually WALK everywhere instead of discovering it and then having a magic teleport, I just got tired of running up and down and up and down.  Plus, I'm really bad at maps in games.  I can do them RL no problems, but in games I always get turned around!  You can imagine what my first trip to the Deep Roads was like...

Modifié par Sisimka, 04 mars 2010 - 08:08 .

[DalishRanger]

Yeah, you do backtrack a lot in KOTOR, but there are plenty of times events interrupt you to make it more interesting or you can go straight back to the Ebon Hawk (if you remember to go to the map screen and do it; the game doesn't really tell you it's an option).

The only time backtracking really bothered me at all was on Tatooine. MY GOD. THE FREAKING DUNE SEA. UGH.
It's the reason why I used a cheat code - turbo. Just to move faster through it. XP

Sisimka wrote...
I can do them RL no problems, but in games I always get turned
around!  You can imagine what my first trip to the Deep Roads was
like...

I have the complete opposite issue. I have no problems with maps in games, and while I can understand how to read real maps... I can't convert that information to what's in front of me. As I mentioned in another thread, I've actually had the talent to get lost with a fully functioning GPS. Twice.

I've also gotten lost on a straight road. Many times.

Modifié par DalishRanger, 04 mars 2010 - 08:16 .

[Sisimka]

DalishRanger wrote...

I've also gotten lost on a straight road. Many times.

This happens to me because I DAYDREAM.  I'll 'come to' and look up and wonder where I am.  Someone really should take my license away...

[DalishRanger]

I daydream a lot too. Thankfully, I've never gotten so lost I couldn't find my way back, or gotten into a car accident because of it. I pay enough attention when driving to not hit anything or anyone. I just might miss turns/destinations/etc. I actually did extremely well on my driver's test and remain pretty cautious. The only accident I've ever been in as a driver totaled my car, but it was another driver's fault. They rear-ended me into a pickup truck. ... And then tried to blame ME for it. <_<

Modifié par DalishRanger, 04 mars 2010 - 08:29 .

[Sisimka]

Never had an accident... but I do live in the middle of nowhere, more likely to hit a deer than another car...

[DalishRanger]

Where I currently live, there's an equal chance of either happening. Both accidents I've been in happened while at college in Savannah, so I was in a city.

And hope you never have an accident - especially one severe enough that your airbags deploy. They HURT. I got burns from the impact.

Modifié par DalishRanger, 04 mars 2010 - 08:36 .

[Sandtigress]

Great chapter, Sisi. :-) I can't wait for the poor companions to get back to Orzammar and REST! lol And get baths. And I'm eager to see Aedan's thought processes with Bhelen at the Assembly, 'cause I know that killed my HNF.

[Sisimka]

Sandtigress wrote...

Great chapter, Sisi. :-) I can't wait for the poor companions to get back to Orzammar and REST! lol And get baths. And I'm eager to see Aedan's thought processes with Bhelen at the Assembly, 'cause I know that killed my HNF.

Thanks Sandi  I was actually working on the Bhelen bit last night, hardest part of the next chapter.  Aedan is gonna get angsty, that's all I can say!

[Masticetobbacco]

lol oghren is at -3 approval now



the game never really did explain why oghren decided to stick around, he just never left the party and didn't say anything about wanting to join