The Orlesian occupation of Ferelden lasted almost a century, marking a dark period in Thedas.
Vigil's Keep was the first fortress to fall. Twenty years after the invasion began there, Orlais finally sacked the city of Denerim, claiming victory and drove the king into hiding. Though routed, the king now known as "Brandel the Defeated" continued to rebel against the Orlesians... but his efforts have proven inefficient, as most nobles believe that Ferelden is truly lost.
August has just ended and the cold and rain are starting to show, on-and-off, in the southern parts of the continent. The northern half is experiencing only minor changes.
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NOV. 24th Happy belated first month anniversary to us! A few things to be noted. We are currently taking nominations for our first ever site spotlights. The nomination period will be over by the 30th, so feel free to take your time as new members and threads roll in. Just don't forget about them. Secondly, the advertising contest is still going strong, but it slated to wrap up at the end of the month. If you want to earn some extra gold and help promote the site, best to get on that now, while the rewards are higher than usual. Thirdly, the site lottery is still going, and the drawing period will be over Friday. Lastly, we should be getting that multiplayer thread soon. Sorry it's been delayed so long--as you can imagine, I've been busy with single player for Inquisition. Once I'm done, I'll put up the threads and we can hopefully get some games going.
OCT. 19th We're kicking off the site's grand opening with quite a few things to do (besides apply and join, of course ;D). We have an advertising contest going on right now, which will earn new members a ton of gold. You even get ten gold just for advertising for us once. Aside from that, our first ever site lottery is underway, with double the traditional jackpot payout. There might even be a few other things that we've forgotten to mention, but we're sure you can figure those out on your own. ;D As a final note, with DAI's release date being less than a month out (in North America), we're strongly considering organizing multiplayer across the various platforms so IWV members can play together. If that sounds like something that might interest you, keep your eyes peeled for the next little while.
Post by Maike Kaufer on Nov 29, 2014 12:37:16 GMT -5
Maike paced in her room, impatiently waiting for Ser Faulkner to come and get her. They were going to Redcliffe, which was admittedly at least a day and half ride out from Kinloch hold, but still. She’d be free from the tower for a couple of days. She had managed to get visiting rights to the town by being her usual self; pestering people with a question. She had started to ask every templar when they were going to the town. She hadn’t been in a while, and she wanted to see what had happened within the town.
More importantly, she wanted to look at the library. Kinloch hold didn’t have the book she was looking for, which was surprising. Then again, there weren’t that many volumes about the Qunari in general. Considering what she had learned about them, she wondered if the tower had held at least some sort of copy of the Qun.
She didn’t think that Redcliffe would have one either, but she could hope. In any case, she might be able to find something useful during her trip there. There might even be someone who had met Qunari in the tavern and maybe she could get them to tell her about what they’d experienced.
There were so many unanswered questions about everyone other than humans, and occasionally elves. Even then, though, they were vague. She needed more in depth volumes.
“Ser Faulker!” Maike said, happy to see the older templar. “Are we ready to go?” The templar nodded. “Horses are saddled and ready. Let’s get going.” He said, as Maike ran off toward the base of the Tower. She was always excited for any trip out of the tower, and who could blame her? Out of all of the mages he generally interacted with, she was the one who always wanted to go places.
They set a leisurely pace toward Redcliffe proper, Maike observing the nature around them and chatting with Ser Faulkner, until he told her to be quiet. She looked confused, but the templar indicated that there were people up ahead, most likely bandits. Maike looked around curiously, wondering if there were more in the trees. She pulled out her staff, just in case.
Ser Faulker had gone off, apparently after a bandit. Ah, that’s why. Maike thought, when in the next instant she was surrounded by the gang. Well this was certainly a predicament. Her horse shuffled about, clearly unhappy.
“Well, now this is surprising. Why would you situate yourselves right here, though? The only place people can from is Kinlock Hold.” Maike said. Maybe she could scare them off with magic.
It didn’t seem to be working. “Jus’ leave yer valuables behind an’ we won’t hurt ya.”
Oh, what to do? Maike supposed she could zap a couple of them. She raised her staff and pointed at one of the advancing men, intent on hitting him with a lightning bolt.
Post by Quinn Vilaro on Nov 29, 2014 22:17:27 GMT -5
Quinn strolled along the path leisurely, taking her sweet time on the way to Redcliffe. The broker had spent the last couple of weeks hanging around the Spoiled Princess, observing the Templars and scarce few mages who moved in and out of Kinloch Hold. It never ceased to amaze Quinn how well funded the Mages’ Collective was, and how they can acquire sponsors in such a magic-phobic country. But Quinn wasn’t one to question good pay, or the bag of coin waiting for her at Redcliffe’s inn in exchange for her information.
She was never one for riding. Well, specifically, Quinn never learned how. Being born to a whore didn’t exact grant you free riding lessons, and her former operations in Antiva City required little long-distance travelling. Ever since she arrived in Ferelden, Quinn simply never quite got around to it. But it didn’t matter; a few days of hiking was refreshing.
But she wasn’t destined to be alone on this journey. A ruckus was heard ahead, and Quinn instinctively veered off the road to hide in the trees. She watched the scene from the shade, a band of highwaymen surrounding a girl. Though she didn’t wear the robes of the Circle, her staff made the girl’s magic abilities pretty obvious. Quinn thought she remembered this one; she had spied her and a Templar riding off sometime before Quinn’s own departure. The Templar, however, wasn’t seen anywhere nearby. Quinn weighed the risk and reward in her mind. It was just a girl, a mere child, from the looks of it. Was the mage really worth the hassle of confronting a bunch of bandits?
Yes she was, actually. Quinn always wanted to meet one of those.
“Are all bandits reduced to robbing sweets from children these days?” She commented, coming out of the tree line and presenting herself for the bandits to see. There was a polite smile on her face, like she was discussing the weather with these ragged highwaymen. “You’d best find another poor sod to rob. A Circle mage is about as wealthy as your local village idiot.”
She knew these sorts of men. They wanted easy coin, not wanton bloodshed. The sight of Quinn’s intimidating arsenal of smoke grenades, knives, and other assorted weaponry should be enough to make them think twice about violence. But then again, her sadly lacking stature was not helping her look like a formidable opponent.
Post by Maike Kaufer on Nov 30, 2014 19:54:23 GMT -5
Maike was certainly surprised at the arrival of another rogue, and so was the bandit group. The leader shifted his attention to Quinn. “She ain’t no circle mage; she don’t even dress like one o’ ‘em.” The leader said, though the staff had made him wary. Maike was taking this opportunity to work a more complex spell as the ruffians conversed with the one who’d interrupted the chat they were having.
“Actually, I have-” Maike started to say in response, before thinking better of it for once. She might not get social cues all the time, but even she knew it was stupid to say that she did have money in front of bandits, no matter how unsuccessful they were going to be.
“Besides, what’s a pipsqueak like ya gon’ do ‘bout it? Stop us?” The leader sneered, before sending some of his men forward toward Quinn, clearly not intimidated by the Antivan. He whipped around when he heard screaming and the sound of cracking earth.
“I would best be moving on, bandits. Or would you like to fight my army?” Maike said, looking quite content as armored skeletons surrounded her and her horse, who was now incredibly nervous, but had enough training to not bolt or try and through her off. The bandit leader decided that she wasn’t worth it, and turned tail and ran. The rest of his group summarily scattered once the skeletons started to advance.
At this point, Ser Faulkner came back at a run. “It was….a ruse…..are you alright?”
“Ser Faulker, I have some combat magic. Don’t fret.” Maike said, waving her hands at the undead denizens, who were beginning to fade away. “Right…..” Ser Faulker said in response. Did this child not fear anything at all. “Who’s the lad?”
“I don’t rightly know. Sir! I must thank you for your assistance. I’m Maike, who are you?” Maike said, hopping down off of her horse…..or rather attempting to. The person who taught her manners for greeting people clearly didn’t explain the ettiqutte of dismounting and shaking some one’s hand.
Post by Quinn Vilaro on Dec 3, 2014 19:16:59 GMT -5
The bandits’ leader was obviously not very bright. Who else could the girl be, that she was travelling on this road? The girl tried to comment, but then thought better of it. Quinn rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to explain that garishly decorated robes did no automatically grant you magical powers.
And then the highwayman made some kind of throwaway insult about Quinn’s height. Her jaw snapped shut, her teeth grinding against each other as she gave the man a dark glare. Quinn muttered the words to herself as she made her way towards the leader. “…Pipsqueak?”
Some of the bandits came her way, but she didn’t even glance at them. Quinn punched one hard on the nose, satisfied by the sound of a sickening crunch. She grabbed the hand of another, twisting it until the bandit dropped his sword and something snapped.
“Pipsqueak?!” Quinn repeated, louder this time. She had been called many things in her time, and Quinn could shrug off every “bitch”, “son of a whore”, and “ugly-ass bronto-fucker” which came her way. But oh no, “Pipsqueak” simply went too far. The man will have to die for that.
Quinn was only halfway to the bandit leader when a tremor shook the ground and halted her march. She frowned in consternation as the sounding of screaming filled the air. “I would best be moving on, bandits. Or would you like to fight my army?”
Amazing. Quinn watched in delight as corpses materialized themselves to protect the girl. She always had a certain envy for mages and their abilities. It’s a shame all that power was locked away inside a glorified holding pen. It didn’t take long for the bandits to bolt at the sight of undead soldiers.
Quinn remembered the bandit’s earlier comment and shouted after their leader. “At least try to be original with the insults next time, you shitsack of a man.” Still unsatisfied, Quinn unslung her crossbow and fired several bolts in his direction. Too bad she had a terrible sense of aim when it came to ranged weaponry. Still, she was rewarded with a smug snicker as one of her bolts managed to land on the leader’s arm before they disappeared into the woods.
She turned back towards the mage, noticing that the Templar has finally returned and was asking about her.
“I don’t rightly know. Sir! I must thank you for your assistance. I’m Maike, who are you?” The mage said as she tried to get off her horse. Maike didn’t do a very good job of it, seeing how she fell into the dirt and all.
She quickly shifted her scowl back into something all friendly-like, returning her crossbow to its rightful place. Quinn wiped the bandit blood off her knuckles with a handkerchief before offering a helping hand to the mage. “Quinn. Quinn Vilaro. And I’m afraid the credit is all yours, dear. Must be convenient to have an army of dead men ready to crawl out of the ground at any time.”
((I wasn't sure, so I kind of assumed that Maike fell off her horse or something when attempting to dismount. Please tell me if that's not right and I'll edit it right away XP))
Post by Maike Kaufer on Dec 14, 2014 0:03:38 GMT -5
The bandits had all but gone by the time Ser Faulkner arrived, thrashed pretty heavily by two women. The rogue shot the fleeing leader in the arm with a crossbow, and Maike made some gestures, the ghastly warriors fading away, back to their resting place. Thank Andraste for that, those things were creepy. She was one step away from being a blood mage, he felt. Still, she was a nice enough girl.
He attempted to help Maike off her horse, but the girl managed to fall off of it by herself quiet nicely. He was certainly glad he’d picked the calmest mare he possibly could for the child. Maike didn’t seem to mind, springing up from the ground once she’d grabbed Quinn’s hand for help. She dusted the dirt and dust from her tunic. “Well, yes. I suppose. It was good that they didn’t have a mage with them, though being so close to Kinloch hold, I would imagine that bandit apostates aren’t a regular occurrence.” Maike said, shaking her head.
Why would you rob anyone coming down this road? They were most likely going to be either a mage, or a templar, or a group of both. “Ah, you see, they don’t come from the ground, really, they come from-”
“Maike. I don’t believe Ser Vilaro wishes to hear about your theories in the magical world.” Ser Faulker said. Maike sighed; no one ever wanted to hear her theories, not even her fellow mages.
“It is Ser, is it not? I apologize if you are indeed to be addressed as something else.” Ser Faulker said, bowing in Quinn’s direction. Maike looked a little confused at the address change, but decided to stick with Ser. No one minded that. “Well, Quinn. It’s very nice to meet you! Oh, and this is Ser Faulkner.” Maike said, indicating the templar.
“Oh! Have you ever met a Qunari, Quinn? Well they’re actually called Kossith, according to a book I-oh, I’m doing it again, aren’t I?” Maike said, catching the stern expression on her templar escort’s face.
“Well, are you headed to Redcliffe? We’re traveling there ourselves. It would be no trouble if you wanted to come along.” Maike said. It wasn’t often she got to have a conversation outside of the tower, and after a decade of living with people there, you got to know them pretty well. Not exactly riveting conversation all the time.
The templar looked a little uncomfortable at this, but supposed that Quinn wasn’t the worst sort, since she had helped Maike out. He nodded his approval.
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