IN DEATH, SACRIFICE.

DEAR CHILD, YOU WERE BORN INTO OBSCURITY, SORROW ETCHED ON YOUR BONES. THE WORLD WILL NOT REMEMBER YOUR SACRIFICE, WARDEN.

[dreadpawn]

DREADPAWN; an independent, private & highly selective portrayal of ROOK from DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD. 18+, by august.

THIS BLOG IS NOT SPOILER FREE.

ABOUT. | RULES. affiliated with: @veilbcund | @timestcpper | @inquisitiion

[wrenchswango]

I love chain lightening what a classic spell. fuck you and you and you and you and you and

[dreadpawn]

if i ever, at any point, give off the impression that i'm the bottom in this relationship just take me out back and put me down

[telltaletypist]

chess pro tip: it's okay to take a moment to cry if you need to

[telltaletypist]

this isn't even a joke really

[dreadpawn]

( every time solas walks into a room ) the fumblerrrr

[dreadpawn]

Actually I already told Neve she’s leader when I die. Followed by Davrin, then Harding…

[dreadpawn]

Maker’s tits, I can’t wait to turn into a pile of rocks. I feel like that’ll be good for me.

[nightmarealm-a]

YEAH, I WANT A INTERDIMENSIONAL PORTAL OUT OF IT, BUT APPARENTLY THAT'D CAUSE THE END OF THE WORLD! BUT TO THAT I HAVE TO SAY WHAT GOOD HAS THE WORLD DONE ANYONE? NOT MUCH! IF ANYTHING, HE SHOULD BE BRINGING ME FLOWERS AND A SORRY - I'M JUST TRYING TO FREE HIM FROM THE CONFINES OF THIS REALITY SO HIS TRUE GENIUS CAN SHINE!

[dreadpawn]

Oh, so you're the Solas in the relationship!

[nightmarealm-a]

OH, I LOVE THE WAY THAT BRAIN OF YOURS WORKS. FLESH HOMUNCULI AND BONE THEFT ARE FAVORITES OF MINE! BUT NO, I ALREADY TRIED THE LIBERATING HIS DIMENSION THING, AND THAT'S WHY HE BROKE UP WITH ME. BUT IT'S FOR HIS OWN GOOD!

[dreadpawn]

Oookay, so he's not that depraved a freak of nature, then, is he? And his morals can't be that dubious, either, because I know several people who are down for dimension-liberating at any cost. Sounds to me like you guys just want very... very different things out of this relationship.

Try flowers and an apology or something.

[nightmarealm-a]

WOW, LOOK AT THAT. A HUMAN WITH TASTE. DON'T WORRY, THE OVERLAP MEANS YOU HAVE ADVANCED TASTE. YOU HAVE CAVIAR COMPARED TO EVERYONE ELSES SLOP. WHAT'S THE ADVICE I'M ALL EARS.

[dreadpawn]

Okay so your options are to build a giant flesh homunculus out of his academic rivals ooooor conquer a city and name it after him and then, I don't know, covertly steal all the bones of its citizens for research? Trying to think of what Hezenkoss would be into.

Your guy's not actually on that level, right?

[nightmarealm-a]

ARE YOU ALSO SEEING A SENIOR CITIZEN WITH MORE SEX APPEAL THEN MOST THIS SIDE OF THE MULTIVERSE WHO'S A COMPLETE AND UTTER DEPRAVED FREAK OF NATURE WITH EXTREMELY DUBIOUS MORALS?

[dreadpawn]

...Okay he's checking, like, two of those boxes, which is a little concerning because I actually didn't want my taste to have any overlap with yours, but never mind.

His ex checked all four boxes. I might actually have some good advice.

[nightmarealm-a]

GOOGLE HOW TO MAKE HIM TAKE ME BACK

[dreadpawn]

I've got strategies but I feel like you and I are seeing very different kinds of people.

[mitchftw]

...Yeah, sure. Magic then. Next you'll tell me something like demons being real, over things you only see in media or as glitches.

Your magic expert sounds like a good place to start to question, if you're betting it's this magic. We figure out what happened, we figure out how to undo it, you can get back to... your 'Mitch', I guess, and whatever it is you and your team is doing in magicland. ...Saying it like that sounds like multiverse theory.

[dreadpawn]

. . . ( she's just gonna keep her mouth shut. honestly she's not sure he's not possessed by a demon and that's the explanation for all the... everything going on here. that's also Emmrich's problem. she often makes Mitch Emmrich's problem. )

Magicland... I should rename it that. Solas would love it.

I'll have Bellara take a look at the Eluvian, see if maybe that had something to do with this. Or maybeee... hm. Not sure how quick I could get a letter out to any of my contacts, but... well, look, we'll figure it out one way or another, I promise. In the meantime, this whole team is made up of experts in their fields. You're in good hands. I can give you the tour later if you end up, uh... sticking around for longer than we planned. But Emmrich's in the main building, up the stairs, first door on your right.

...Oh. And I'm Rook.

[mitchftw]

Bailley, Oregon. Home. Place was at 4242 Venkman street. I imagine mean nothing to you. [The Fade... has he played any games recently that has a place like that... hm. nothing comes to mind.]

It doesn't look...'safe.' [he's glancing about toward the endless void, the floating pieces of land and buildings - it doesn't seem to make him wary, however. he's curious, actually. he's looking away as rook continues] Magic's...not supposed to be real. A realm of magic and all sorts of mysteries, I'd bet. That explains why the interface... [...he'll turn off the pink visor for now, with a push of a button on the side of the metal headgear. the UI on his visor looks too overwhelming, the way it's trying to track a lot of 'somethings' that's not there... one thing at a time]

[dreadpawn]

Uh... yeah, no. Can't say it does. Never heard of an Oregon. Is that in Nevarra? Ferelden? ( he grew up there, right? maybe... this is past-Mitch. except he doesn't look that young, hmm... )

And trust me, I get it. It's a little weird. I'm not super big on heights, so you can imagine how much I was freaking out for the first week or two. But our local expert on these things has assured everyone it's totally harmless. Apparently he's been dropping books off the balcony just to see if they reappear on his desk. And somehow that works? I don't know. Anyway.

I've got no idea you've been for the last few centuries - ( there's some backwater places out there as far as their stance on magic goes, but... not believing it exists? really? ) - but magic has pretty much always existed. There's just more of it, here. A lot more of it, and it's a lot stranger. I'd put real gold on this being related to... that. ( she waves her hands vaguely. they have got their hands in a lot of weird shit lately. ancient Elven magic and artifacts and the Fade and the Veil is coming down which - well that's an entirely different sort of Weird, right? )

[dreadpawn]

@nightmarealm said ; ❛ See, to me, this is a woman with power. ❜

On one hand, the Circle says never communicate with demons, and this is clearly a... something along those lines. ( Admittedly, a possessed triangle is a new one. ) On the other hand, Emmrich would say some crap about spirits responding well to positive intent, or... understanding, or whatever, and frankly Rook likes Emmrich a whole lot more than she liked any of her instructors at the Circle.

So.

"Oh, uh... thank you? I'm kind of just the acting leader - I'm filling in for someone, and it's more of a team effort anyway. We've got a lot of contacts." She can't stop staring at the little stick hands - seriously, what is this thing. "But I try."

[mitchftw]

You-!

...You know my name. [now, granted, it's a common name. but she's correctly identifying him either way. ...okay, okay, he IS getting a bit steamed, just...whew. now. should he play along. could he reasonably play along? he's played all sorts of fantasy rpgs before, but, well. ...this feels less and less like a mapper glitch]

Of course, it's the one time I think it's best if I'm just completely honest, I'm not believed. I mean it. Like, seriously - I don't know you, and...somehow, you know me. I don't know here - I was just leaving a house after debugging another console. So... if getting into your IM's are what's needed, my mic's open, RPG girl. [A pause. If this is anything like D&D -] I mean let's talk, 'kay? Not TTYL - now.

[dreadpawn]

We've been working together for weeks. I'd hope I knew your name by now.

( and she'd also hope, by now, that she could read sincerity - fleeting as it is - coming from Mitch. this... seems like it, which is worrying. how could he not know her? the Lighthouse, the team? she can't chalk every little thing that goes wrong up to the gods, but... maybe? or a demon - sorry, spirit? they have been in and out of the Crossroads a lot. )

Okay, you're losing me with the... R-P-G and the I-M stuff, so if we could maybe dial it back on that one I'd appreciate it. Do you seriously not recognize this place? You just remember... a house where, exactly? Maybe we can work this all out.

For what it's worth, you're in the Fade right now. It's safe, don't worry. Kind of a, uh... protected... you know what, forget the specifics. Not important. Fade magic isn't my strong suit.

[mitchftw]

Sor - [no, he can't even finish that word, he's cringing already] This is some wacky Mapper.

You're not getting it, bloody blueberry! I mean it when I say I don't know you, I don't know any of this actually - and I had no plans on entering some D&D con! I didn't know there was one! I don't even remembering any VG locay's having illegal cheese, that's just dumb... How do you even mistake Mitch Williams for someone else?! I never had a secret twin!!!

[dreadpawn]

Maker's tits, who pissed in your coffee?

Okay, slow down. Seriously, Mitch, I have no idea what you're talking about. ( D-and-D? Is that a euphemism. Is she that behind on the times... ) I mean, a con? Really? We literally - we had a whole meeting about not letting our personal crap get in the way of the mission. If something's wrong, you need to tell me so we can fix it. We're a team.