Dragon Age Origins: Ponies United

[Shadowbolt0]

Sire Perth frowns at the pair. If they weren't mercs, who were they? They were armed but weren't carrying any signs of being part of anyones army. Still, two extra warriors for the night wouldn't hurt....

"The undead" he says simply "Every night for the past 3 days, the undead storm at us from the Castle. We've just managed to hold on so far, but each time they come with more. I fear with the Aryl ill and trapped inside, as well as our bann injured....Tonight will be the final night for the civilians unless you help...." The knight had moved away from his men, obviously tryingot keep their moral up "Where is everyone else? Has no one heard of our plight? Where is the kings reinforcements from Ostargar?"

 

 

Cryie frowned at Dancer. What did a blight have to do was anything? She'd heard of them, mostly talked about whenever those dark creatures got involved.

"Blights are like, when the Darkspawn rally elsewhere....I-I remember Beraht mentioning that the Darkspawn were going to be less in the tunnels, meaning they had better chances of reaching the older cities, Taiges, for loot...." she said frowning "What's a blight go to do with anything though? And why is this town....g-gone...?"

[PyroBlaze]

"The undead..." Tehengu said, sighing slightly. "I don't know what happened to any messangers carrying word of your problem, but I did not know about this before I arrived, so either the king has not idea about this, he doesn't care, or their on their way." Tehengu said, watching the knight.

 

"Me help fight." Dolor said, giving a nod to the one in charge. She wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but she did know that these people were in trouble, and she could help them.

 

"As long as we're not moving on, I don't see any reason not to help you out." Tehengu said after a moment of looking at Dolor. He didn't fully trust the knight yet, but he saw no reason to leave them to die if what he said was true, and he had no reason to think it wasn't yet.

[augercorn]

While the cabin was insight dancer flattened her back against a building and approached stealthily while whispering 

"essentially yes. But the blight more than likely has something to do with this. ill explain more when we're clear for now follow my lead as we check out the tavern. 

 

Dancer looked around and and came to the tavern. She fiddled with the door opening it slowly and peering at what was inside

[Shadowbolt0]

Sir Perth seemed almost upset to hear that no one had heard, and indeed he was. He'd sent some of his best knights out for help, to have none of them return meant the situation was indeed most dire. But he perked up hearing both Dolor and Tehengu agree to help defend Redcliff Village.

"Thank you, both of you. The maker must have smiled upon us when he sent you to this village. We have many a things to do before nightfall, and with your help, we might succeed. We're trying to make barricades, force the undead into a type of corridor where their numbers will be less effective, but...we're struggling to make the wood bend and hold in place...You wouldn't have any experience in the regard would you?" he asked.

If Tehengh and Dolor both agree to help, it would take nearly an hour of their time, depending on their skill level.

 

Cryie didn't understand what Dancer was talking about, but the mage didn't like it, and so she silently followed behind her into the tavern.
The Tavern itself was run down, but inside was the bar owner, a server and even several patrons, all armed, although most of the equipment was worse for wear, battered and dented. All eyes moved onto the girls as they entered, and one of the patrons, a large brute of a man, walked up to them, a dark look on his face to match the circles under his eyes.

"Oi, what's two girlies like you doin' ere?....Wait, I don't know you either, where you from girlies?" he asks, a farmers accent thick in his voice.

 

Cryie didn't react well to the brute, grabbing her staff and clutching it with both hands while her kitten starting meowing in a defensive fashion, as if its noise would make the man feel threatening, something the small kitten just couldn't do.

[augercorn]

Dancer was relieved they didn't get attacked.

with a wipe of her hand she took off her make up and said "we're from osamar; We came here in the hopes to survive the blight, but it seems to have reached you all here. We mean no harm." 

 

Dancer made it look like she was scratching her arm but instead primed a dagger to fall out of her sleeve and into her hand if these ponies decided to go crazy on them.

[PyroBlaze]

"The bow doesn't string itself, you know." Tehengu responded, cracking his neck a bit. "Funneling them in would be a good idea, count me in."

 

Dolor simply gave another nod, hefting her large hammer to show her point. 

[Shadowbolt0]

The Knights, helped by Dolor and Tehengu, continue to work on their funnel. After an hour of hard work, they were successful in creating sharp barricades that would force any force passing through into a single file, reducing the effectiveness of numbers.

 

"Orzammer" Cryie corrected, unable to stop herself from fixing the pronunciation of her home city.

"Ozrammer you say? You two non-dogs came from 'ere to redcliff? And what? You gunna help us defend our homes tonig', or you gunna bugger off when the dead show up for our lives?" He asked in his rough accent. Despite his rudeness, his hand was only resting on the hilt of his blade was which tucked up on his belt.

 

"Thank you, both of you" says Sire Perth to the Griffon and Minotaur "Truly the Maker wishes us to live if he sent you two to us...I would advice you go speak to Bann Tegan, if he is awake. Our Bann was injured last night, I believe Mother Teresa of our Chantry is helping calm the townsfokes nerves...Or if you wish to fine your weapons, we have a grinder stone we gladly offer to let you use"

 

 

(I do applogise for the pause in posts, not only did I get myself involved in 2 other rp's and my fanfiction, but additional university has picked up its intensity and I needed this weekend to study)

[PyroBlaze]

"She uses a hammer, and my weapons are plenty sharp. Thanks for the offer though." Tehengu said, rolling his shoulders a bit as he looked over at their handiwork. "Where is your Bann? Talking to him sounds good."

 

Dolor smiled at their hard work, giving a nod of approval. She may not fully understand the thing they had built, but she could see that it would limit how many could get through at one time... Why though?

[augercorn]

"The undead .....  .... The undead ... The undead!" She turned to cryie "just when you thought the maker couldn't hate me anymore!" She snapped her head back to the stallion 

"ok I'll believe the undead is what has been slaughtering your village, not the dark spawn or any other thing that would make sense at the moment! If you believe where from ozammer! 

 

Dancer seemed to calm down after a moment "ok now please can you tell us exactly what happened and any clues to how the undead Are being made?"

[Shadowbolt0]

"The Bann's in the chantry. We haven't got any healers, but the priestess are using their blessings to help him I believe" Sir Perth replies. While he wasn't  entirely sure on the effectiveness of their prays, the Bann hadn't died yet, so what reason was there to doubt it?

Upon arriving at the Chantry and entering its closed doors, they'd find a depressing scene. Civilians weeping and griefing for those who are lost, the priest and priestesses trying to confirm them, and near the centre of the room, Ban Teagan. The Bann was lying on the ground, the mother of the Chantry kneeling next to him and muttering a prayer to the Maker. The Bann's injuries were obvious, a deep cut through his chest and one near his throat. The bleeding had been slowed, but was far from stopped. Kneeling down next to them was Buccanner, seeming chatting with the injured Bann. Noticing his companions entering, he stands up and walks over to them.

"I assume the knights that are meant to be up there told you what has happened these last few days?" he asks, needing to know if they needed to be informed of the dire situation.

 

 

"You got a deal lassie" said the famrer finally to Dancer "Few night backs, the undead just appeared from nowhere, out of the castle! The gates been locked since, Arl Eamon has been ill lately, then the undead swarmed and attacked, more each nigh'"

 

Cryie tapped Daners shoulder, something glittering in her eyes and whispering quietly as to not let the others hear her "...Its magic" she informs her, friend? "I've read books that cover some parts of necromancy, however the costs are, wrong. To perform nercomancey, you must...'Give part of your essnese unto the creature', which means your soul I think...But to create so many...it could be...be a fade breach" she said, assuming Dancer knew and understood about the Fade.

[augercorn]

Dancer nodded to both of them in understanding.

 

Then went over to the bar placed some gold on it and said "strongest stuff for the price please." She sounded very polite and famine. She sat in a stool rubbing her temples thinking intensely. She looked up to the farmer and asked "sir I know thinking about those monster is the last thing you probably want to do right now. But can you please tell me how they fight, and about how many we can expect tonight?"

 

she he gestured to have cryie come over to her side, for both of there own safety and comfort

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu nodded to the knight, leading Dolor off towards the Chantry. They both frowned when they saw the scene inside, and the griffon had to wonder how this city didn't have a healer. Perhaps they died already, that was a possibility. 

 

"Yep, heard all about the undead from them. Get anything from him I should know about?" Tehengu asked, gesturing towards the Bann. Meanwhile, Dolor walked over to the injured Bann and sat cross-legged in front of him, closing her eyes and adding her own silent prayers to her God to hopefully help the healing. 

[Shadowbolt0]

Cryie followed Dancer, almost like a pet animal. She'd been in a few taverns in Orzammer, but here felt...different. Tense, and she didn't have her family to protect her. She looked around while her kitten curled up on the mages shoulder, purring softly which, oddly, calmed the mage down.

 

The barkeeper raises his eyes. What was this girl asking about the dead for? "Fight? They're dead lassie" he says, complying with her order and tucking the gold into his pant pockets "They run and slash and bite. Only a few fliers, mostly just running at ya on the ground" he informed her, uncertain why she was asking this in the first place "Maybe to your armies they aren't much, but we're farmers...and with the Arl's army scattered, we're struggling to hold on..."

 

"....wait..." whispers Cryie to Dancer "W-what about numbers?" she turns to the barkeeper "How many undead?"

"Many, dozens upon dozens at least..No idea where they come from, they're hasn't been that many from the graveyard and the castle combined..." he answeres, frowning at the girls. The jester girl seemed normal enough, the other girl he didn't like. She felt, wrong to him.

 

Cryie's face shifted from a frown into a slight look of horror, before lifting her bag, picking up one of her many books, and starting to flick through it. She knew what she was looking for....she just had to find it!

 

 

Buccanner nodded his head "The Arl was ill, a court advisor, Jowan, arrived, then everything happened. I'm not sure what to believe, but the Bann has given my his ring, it'll get my into the castle through a secret entrance. We've staying and protecting the civilians, then heading into that castle to find out the truth. I need you to try and get the towns blacksmith to reopen his store, apparently he's upset or something and refuses to fix their equipment. Also find out what happened to Dancer and Cryie. They may be allies, but I wouldn't trust that mage yet..."

[augercorn]

A large mug was presented to dancer and she snatched it and brought it to her face like it was the last bit of fresh air on the planet.

 

after a few moments of chugging and she finally brought it out of her face. She set the mug back down and twitched at the nasty after taste of the alcohol. She saw cryie was looking at a book. She kind of rolled her eyes at the idea. But ... She might be on to something. Dancer had her bag over her back which she set down. 

 

With a quick shake and hand movement her costume came off and she was in her underwear. But out of her bag she pulled a leather suite which she stepped into. She pulled it up and slid Into the arms. It was her signature colors of yellow and purple. But it looked pretty solid like it the thick leather could take a few blows. She left it unzipped down to her belly button getting some air in while she could. She then got to work attaching 4 large knives to it. One on each limb, 2 daggers but the ones on her feet were hunting knifes with vicious looking serrations.

"ok ... If we're not back in time and the undead are coming. You can use the weapons here. She said running her fingers thru the many blades in the pack. She pulled out a long rope and coiled it around her back and chest. 

"Anything else you can tell us that can help? Me and the kiddo, here are going to round up our friends, then we'll investigate the castle and hopefully stop this at the source."

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu nodded at the information, looking over at the Bann a couple times as Buccaneer spoke. 

 

"Works for me, we already helped some knights set up a funnel to help them fight." Tehengu said, listening to his instructions and nodding at the end. 

 

"Sure thing, I'll go get that done." He said, walking out and taking to the sky to find the blacksmith and their other two allies. 

 

Meanwhile, Dolor was still sitting in the same position, completely silent aside from her breathing. 

[Shadowbolt0]

Many members of the bar raised an eyebrow at the girl changing right in front of them, although many males didn't complain. The barkeeper eyed the weapons, partly in shock. He hadn't expected them to be useful in a fight, but the former-jester looked like a one women army! He nodded his head, moving the weapons from the floor to the bar-counter to stop anyone from tripping over them.

"I got nothing, talk to Bann Tegan in the Chantry, he's our leader...for now"

 

Cryie had missed her friend changing, as she had sat down and was still going through her book, before putting it on the table and quietly ushering Dancer along. The reasoning she was being so secretive was not because of the magic itself, but out of respect. The townsfoke were plenty frightened already.

"Look" she said pointing at the book which mentioned that rallying an army of undead could be blood magic or the work of an abomination "I've seen these words before, i'd need to look through all my books, but I knew i'd read something on the undead before. ..I-I don't know what an abomination is, but it can't be good. But this, a 'blood mage'. I've seen a few references to blood mages, and from what I can tell, they use themselves or others to cast magic...I think a blood mage is responcible. They're using the blood of others to bring the dead back to life..i-its gotta be"

She wasn't sure if she was correct or not, but she knew she had to at least try and be helpful, and her books were the best source of information she had.

 

 

Buccanner smiled appreicately to Tehengu. While it felt odd, he was in charge and Tehengu's loyalty and willingness to help, he would always appricate it.

"They're up at the tavern last I remember, find them first, then get the blacksmith" he said, before turning and looking at Dolor, resting a hand on her shoulder "Dolor, you ok?"

 

[augercorn]

Dancer felt the alchol, she felt a tad numb and she felt very relaxed. Which is good, it will help her for the upcoming fight. She came over to cryie stretching her legs. 

 

"Blood magic huh" dancer had heard briefly of blood magic. She didn't understand what it was,probably the ponies condemning it didn't either. But cryie explained and it made sense. "Ok; thank you. Anything in there, on an easy way to stop it?" She asked curiously. 

 

Dancer hoped there was a simple solution, but she knew either way this was going to be a fight!

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu flew to the tavern, landing in front of the building and walking in. He looked around before walking up to the two. 

 

"Hey, you almost done here? Buccaneer's at the Chantry." He said simply, watching the two. 

 

------

 

Dolor did not respond at first, looking over after a moment. 

 

"Me help. Me pray too." Dolor responds, smiling for a moment before turning back towards the stallion. 

[Shadowbolt0]

Cryie frowns "As in an easy way to stop a blood magic itself, a mage or the dead summoned by the mage?" she asked not understanding what Dancer was asking. She was used to questions being very directed, so an opened ended question left her with far too many questions. "Now that I think about it, i'd need to check through my books...I-I don't remember reading anything about how to stop a blood mage..."

 

This was right at Tehengu arrived, and the mage quickly shut her book to stop Tehengu from looking in it. She didn't trust him, it wasn't a normal distrust, but she didn't know who he was and the griffon barely interacted with her, and when he did, it felt like an interrogation. She turned her head to Dancer, but didn't answer the griffon.

 

Buccanner was left in an odd spot. As a carreer soldier, he didn't believe in the marker, not to the same extend the others may. So this praying was, in his honest opinion, a waste of time. But that being said, he wouldn't force his opinions on his soldiers. He needed their loyalty, insulting their beliefs was not a step in that trust.

"The chantry priestess will worry about the bann's injuries. In fact Dolor, I think I'll need your help. What do you know about teaching others how to fight?" 

[PyroBlaze]

Dolor blinked a little bit, tilting her head as she thought over what Buccaneer said. Teaching others to fight? Had she done that before?

 

"I teach once..." She said, looking at him. It obviously wasn't very important if all she could remember was having done it to help the soon-to-be warriors for the tribe. 

[augercorn]

dancer  was not in the mood for specifics, the alchol soothed her nerves; but she felt some mild annoyance, when she asked that. She was about to yell about how she would settle for either. if there even was a way to stop them easily. But she controlled her self and then the griffon flew in. 

She smiled it was good to see him, a fellow fighter and a grey warden at that!

"The chantry ... Good. Well gather up then we can strike. Come on cryie, leave everything you don't need here." She walked forward and smiled at thengu "was everything you saw just as grim as it was here?"

[Shadowbolt0]

Buccanner sighed to himself. That was far from ideal. He had wanted Dolor to try and teach the farmers some few basics, but the girl didn't seem confident given how she replied. Part of him wanted to fix her language, after all, her grasp was staggered since she would mis many words. But maybe now was not the time for that. Still...

"Ok, I was just asking, the locals here could use some moral. Their bann dying, no way to really heal him, and these people are farmers, no fighters...Tonight I need you to stand tall, give them hope...You can do that?"

 

 

Cryie missed Dancers annoyance as she flicked through her book, and missed it still after she'd closed it. She frowned. What was a Chantry? Another surfacer word that carried power she didn't understand.

"L-leave what I don't need...? B-but, I need my books..." She clutched onto her bag which contained the sum total of everything she owned tightly "T-they're the whole reason I came to the surface in the first place, I-i'm not leaving them anywhere" she softly protests. She knew what everyone else didn't, something she read last night. One of the books she had was, non-conventional, it was something called a tome, and from the manuscript, was meant to 'enhance or empower that which calls upon it'. She didn't understand how it worked, but it was magical in nature, and something she wanted to protect.

[augercorn]

Dancer looked to tehengu before he could get a word in "just a moment please" none of her silly character was present. She was dead serious 

 

dancer came are up to her and leaned over getting in her face " you want to bring half a library, with you to a fight?" She then pushed her book bag spilling the books on the floor 

 

"that was me not trying to hard, imagine wrestling a gory, bloodthirsty undead, about a million more around you, and now you need to pick up your books ... There safer here ... Besides DOES ANYPONY HERE KNOW HOW TO READ?" She said looking to the civilians, most farmers didn't and she was confident none would.

 

Her face filled with empathy again. A frown  because she knew how awkward and uncomfortable it was to her

"leave them here. It's better this way. We'll pick them up in tact after the fight." 

 

 

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu sighed a bit, watching the two mares as the jester tried to convince her to leave the books behind. 

 

"She's right, kid. A battlefield is no place for books." He said, looking at her. "They're safer here."

 

----

 

"Me can try..." Dolor said, watching him for a moment. "Me stand, yes." She said, giving a determined nod at that. 

[Shadowbolt0]

Cryie wasn't expecting what was coming next, and as her books scattered onto the ground, a hurt look crossed her face as she scrambled to the ground, picking up her books frantically and stuffing them back into her carrier bag. She looked up at the pair of them, crouched down on the floor, still looking hurt.

"B-but...t-they might hold the answer to how to stop a blood ma-mage...how to reverse all of this! I need them! I just nee-need to study some mo,more, before tonight...T-theres a protection spell that could help save someone!" she protests, unaware of the looks the locals started to give the three. A soft mummer of 'mage' and 'maleficarum' started to rise, and none of it was followed by good words.

Jinx, the small kitten, hissed up at Dancerm almost glaring up at the girl.

 

Buccanner smiled, nodding his head in thanks "I do appreciate this Dolor. If you want, go and answer about that Shadowcallers clan, maybe some of the people here know of them" he suggests.