The Heart of a Renaigse (5420 words) by Space-Trash
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: GreedFall (Video Game)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Constantin d'Orsay/De Sardet
Characters: De Sardet (GreedFall), Constantin d'Orsay, Kurt (GreedFall), SĆora (GreedFall)
Additional Tags: Native!De Sardet, Female De Sardet (GreedFall), Alternate Universe
Summary:
Long ago, the tales say, the people came from across the sea. They brought death and destruction in their wake, blackening the forests and skies with disease and decay, and staining the earth red with the blood of the Yecht FradĆ. Only when the clans gathered together in desperation, and beseeched the island for salvation did En On MĆl Frichtimen send them the NadaĆg, the Guardians. Only then were the invaders beaten back into the sea.
For most of the clans, the tale ends there. For the SĆsaĆg CnĆ”meis, the battle has never ended. Muirin, daughter of Arelwin, knows this better than most ā but she doesnāt know just how much her destiny will change with the arrival of the newest strangers from across the sea.
Tl;dr: AU in which āde Sardetā was raised on Teer Fradee and meets the newly appointed Legate, Constantin dāOrsay
The Heart of a Renaigse (5420 words) by Space-Trash
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: GreedFall (Video Game)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Constantin d'Orsay/De Sardet
Characters: De Sardet (GreedFall), Constantin d'Orsay, Kurt (GreedFall), SĆora (GreedFall)
Additional Tags: Native!De Sardet, Female De Sardet (GreedFall), Alternate Universe
Summary:
Long ago, the tales say, the people came from across the sea. They brought death and destruction in their wake, blackening the forests and skies with disease and decay, and staining the earth red with the blood of the Yecht FradĆ. Only when the clans gathered together in desperation, and beseeched the island for salvation did En On MĆl Frichtimen send them the NadaĆg, the Guardians. Only then were the invaders beaten back into the sea.
For most of the clans, the tale ends there. For the SĆsaĆg CnĆ”meis, the battle has never ended. Muirin, daughter of Arelwin, knows this better than most ā but she doesnāt know just how much her destiny will change with the arrival of the newest strangers from across the sea.
Tl;dr: AU in which āde Sardetā was raised on Teer Fradee and meets the newly appointed Legate, Constantin dāOrsay
I wanted in on the N7 day fun but there's a good chance I'll completely re-write this for the fourth time so I didn't want to put it on Ao3, because I feel guilty retconning published things. Presenting the first chap of my pirate!Shep AU, very much subject to change XD
***
āHey, Captain?ā The voice filtered through the comm device in her ear, gruff and raspy.
Captain Red Shepard help up a hand, signally a pause to her sparring partner and first mate. āWhat is it, Riggs?ā she asked her helmsman.
āThereās somethingā¦well, just get up here.ā
He sounded well and truly rattled, and she frowned. Her helmsman was a curmudgeon, certainly, but he was a highly competent curmudgeon. It took a lot to shake him.
āIāll be right up,ā she said.
He grunted his acknowledgment and closed the link.
āSorry, Ash,ā she said, picking up a towel to dry the sheen of barely-formed sweat from her face. āDuty calls.ā
āTrouble?ā Ashley asked, picking up on her tension.
āNot sure. Whatever it is, itās got Riggs in a tizzy.ā
Ashley laughed. āThat alone is worth checking it out. Should I suit up and meet you at the helm?ā
āPlease,ā Red said, and the younger woman nodded smartly before walking away.
A few minutes later Red was pacing down the bridge, the Singularity purring beneath her feet. Her boots beat out the staccato rhythm of her stride, signaling her approach to her helmsman and mate.
āTook you long enough,ā Riggs groused without turning around. Data flashed across the monitors in front of him. They were in the Exodus system, just one relay jump away from Sol, where they had just completed a very lucrative smuggling operation.
āI grabbed my coat,ā she explained distantly, focused on the information displayed on-screen. Blinking letters informed her that Riggs had intercepted a signal from Eden Prime, the second planet in the Utopia cluster. She knew the name: it was one of the first planets to be colonized when humanity left Earth.
Riggs rolled his eyes. He often griped about her tendency toward theatrics. The elaborate red coat was designed like something an ancient Earth pirate captain would wear, and Red always wore it when she wanted to make an impression. In fact, most of her cramped quarters were taken up by a myriad of clothes, so that she could always look the part.
But then, she was a pirate. She was supposed to have some vices.
āSo, what am I looking at?ā she prompted. āDistress signal?ā
He tapped at the screen, pulling up a video feed. āWatch.ā
Sound filled the cabin. It was chaos, all smoke and gunfire and the screams of dying and injured people. She frowned, trying to make out details. Behind the camera, someone spoke, but their words were garbled and choppy.
āāheavy fireāreinfoāquesting evacāā
Abruptly the voice stopped, and the view lurched as the camera fell to the ground. They could see bloody grass and more smoke before the feed cut out altogether.
āBack up to that last frame,ā Red said tensely, and Riggs swiftly complied.
There, descending to the horizon line, obscured by the smoke. It was like an enormous segmented hand reaching down from the sky, fingers grasping at the soldiers still fighting beyond the cameraās view. Whatever it was, it was huge.
āWhat the hell is that?ā Ashley asked after a moment of horrified silence.
āI donāt know, but I donāt like it,ā Red said.
āIād say leave it to the Alliance to sort out, but there are no readings of any of their ships in the vicinity,ā Riggs said. āWhat do you want to do?ā
Red gnawed on her lower lip, staring at the blurry image on the screen. āWe go in,ā she decided. āQuick and quiet, and be ready to retreat at the first sign of things going south. But I want to know what the hellās going on.ā
~~~
The shuttle dropped them some ways from the colony, then hurried back into orbit to wait for their call for extraction.
Sheād brought Ash, and Wrex, her krogan battlemaster. Heād been with her since she was just a child, and there was no one on her crew she trusted more at her back. He surveyed the landscaping critically before turning to her.
āYeah, I thought you were losing it, stopping for a distress call this far in to Alliance space,ā he said, ābut this is fucked.ā
āCanāt believe you noticed,ā Ash smirked at him. āIsnāt Tuchanka always covered in smoke like this?ā
āDust,ā he corrected with a snort. āAnd even with the fires and death, itās pretty nice here. Thereās actually trees.ā
āAnd whatever the fuck that is,ā Red said, diving into cover as the thing from the vid rose above the treeline.
āJesus, what the hell,ā Ash whispered, voice high as she followed closely on Redās heels. Wrexās only response was an emphatic āfuckā as he too ducked behind a tree.
It was a ship, Red realized now that its entirety was in view, shaped like some sort of bug or maybe a squid, its grasping appendages looking uncannily like god-like fingers. It rose over the planet, hovering eerily for a moment before thrusters somewhere beneath its body engaged, sending it jetting into orbit. She hoped it didnāt notice the Singularity with her stealth systems online.
They watched the empty sky for several tense minutes.
Finally, she activated her comm link with the ship. āRiggs, you still there?ā
āYes, Captain,ā he said immediately. āWhatever it was, it either didnāt notice us or didnāt think we were worth its time.ā
āGood,ā she said. āStay on alert. Weāre going to check out the colony.ā
Even as they approached she could tell it was deserted. The modular buildings they passed on the outskirts were blackened and damaged, and dead Alliance soldiers were scattered everywhere. Several burned bodies wearing the remains of common workerās clothes were impaled on metallic spikes.
āWhatever species was on that ship, theyāre sadistic,ā Ash said in a sick voice. āI havenāt seen any signs of survivors.ā
āNeither have I,ā Red said. āIām not sure weāll learn anything useful here now that ship is gone.ā
A gunshot sounded somewhere ahead of them, sending them ducking for cover instinctively. The retort echoed between the buildings, and Red waited for it to die before she motioned her team forward. They stalked through the ruined town, finally coming to what looked to be some sort of shipping complex.
āUp ahead,ā Wrex growled softly. āI think itās a turian.ā
The body was splayed out on the walkway leading between several warehouses, blood spattering their walls. Ash and Wrex took up watchful positions as she approached the dead turian.
His armor was nice, much nicer than she could ever (legally) afford, and distinctly out of place in this agrarian colony. His white face paint, a stark contrast from his dark carapace, was smeared red with his own blood.
āLooks like it was point blank,ā she said, reaching out to find a pulse out of habit. Her eyes widened when she felt the faint flutter beneath her fingertips. āHoly shit, heās alive! Radio the shuttle.ā
āTough bastard,ā Wrex said, appearing beside her with his med kit already at the ready. As she and Wrex carefully maneuvered the turian so they could apply pressure to his wound while the medigel performed its magic, she could hear Ash speaking quietly into the comms. Soon enough, a low hum signaled the approach of her shuttle.
The three of them carefully lifted the turian as the shuttle touched down, trying to keep him as steady as they could, when suddenly his hand lashed out, latching on to Redās wrist with an iron strength. Wrex swore.
The turianās eyes opened, unfocused, and his breathing came in harsh, ragged gasps. āā¦beaconā¦ā he whispered.
āEasy there,ā Red said, trying to gently extract her arm from his grip. āYouāre alright, weāre getting you to a doctor.ā
His eyes found her face, though they were still unfocused. āYou must recover the beacon,ā he said, words steadier. āOtherā¦platformā¦ā His eyes glazed as he slipped back into unconsciousness, and Red finally withdrew her wrist from his grasp.
Wrex was already surveying the platform beyond the warehouses. āLooks like thereās supposed to be a train to the other one, but itās not at the station. Shuttle can drop us off on its way back to the ship.ā
āSounds good,ā Red said, and they carried the injured turian into the waiting shuttle.
Ash ducked into the cockpit to give directions to Qiana, the Singularityās second mate. āThink heāll make it?ā she asked as she rejoined her captain.
āDunno,ā Red said, eyes focused outside the shuttleās window as it followed the track to the secondary platform. āOlimpia will do her best.ā
āWhat do you suppose this ābeaconā thing is?ā Wrex asked.
āOnly one way to find out.ā
āCaptain, scanners have picked up bombs placed around the station and the platform weāre approaching,ā Qiana called out. āA few life signs on the train, andādamn!ā
The shuttle swerved, sending Ash crashing into Wrex while Red lurched into the wall. The turian, prone on the floor, slid a few inches to the side.
āHostiles firing at us!ā Qiana called. āMechs of some kind, they look like.ā
Wrex disentangled himself from Ash and unholstered his gun. āGet us above them. Iāll take care of it.ā
āWeāll cover you,ā Red said as Qiana maneuvered the shuttle into position. The krogan nodded, then threw the hatch to the side, leaping out and down about twenty feet to land with a biotic burst amid the machines on the platform below. Red and Ash quickly took positions on either side of the door, offering cover fire as Wrex tore through the hostile force with brute strength.
In only a few moments the platform was free of gunfire, and Qiana moved the shuttle in close so both Red and Ashley could hop out to join Wrex.
āOkay, tell me if this is crazy,ā Ash said, nudging one of the downed mechs with her foot, ābut I think these areā¦ā
āGeth,ā Wrex finished for her, scowling. āI think so too.ā
āThe geth havenāt ventured outside the Perseus Veil for what, two centuries? Why would they have come this far from the Tikkun system?ā Red asked.
āBeats me, but these match the description,ā Wrex said. āHey, you think thatās the beacon thing?ā
Red followed his gaze to the edge of the platform. The term ābeaconā conjured images of a light source, some sort of signal fire or the blinking lights of a landing platform, while thisā¦well, she wasnāt sure what sheād call it. It was a metallic spire, maybe three times her heightānot as immense as sheād expect something called āthe beaconā to be. Grooves were etched into the sides of it, and she recognized Prothean artistry. And yet despite its appearance, something about it called to her, so maybe beacon was an appropriate term after all.
āWatch out, Captain!ā
She hadnāt even realized she was walking toward it until Ash yelled, but then it was too late. She jerked back, but it held her close like a magnet, and she felt her feet lift from the ground as she was pulled toward the artifact.
Plain blossomed in her skull, searing and red-hot, and thenā¦images? Sensations? She lost all sense of herself. Terror gripped her, and despair, Fatherās head exploding as the bullet tears through, knowing there is nowhere left to run. Blood and fire, itās her people out there, burning, screaming, she can do nothing but grieve even as she canāt escape the same fate.
And then the terror fades, and she is left with a message, imprinted urgently into her mind. A warning.
They will come again. It is inevitable.
And then, nothing.
~~~
The Council was not going to like this.
Anderson pinched the bridge of his nose as he braced himself over the comm console behind the CIC. Hackett wasnāt going to be pleased either, but he needed to be kept informed, especially regarding a fuck-up of this magnitude. Taking a deep breath, he stood upright, and hit the button to initiate the call.
āCaptain?ā Admiral Hackettās grizzled face appeared in the holo projector. āI didnāt expect to hear from you until your return to the Citadel. What is it?ā
āItās about the mission on Eden Prime, sir,ā Anderson said. āItā¦well, it failed.ā
Hackett was silent for several long moments. āHow so?ā
Anderson inhaled. āTo start with, someone beat us to it. The colony was under attack when we arrived. By the time we made it to the beacon, it had been destroyed. Andā¦we lost Nihlus, plus a member of my team.ā
āNihlus, the Spectre?ā
āYes, sir.ā
āWell,ā Hackett said, and the profanity he wasnāt saying echoed silently between them. āWho were the attackers?ā
āWeāre not positive,ā Anderson said. āThere was another ship in orbit; sensors put its arrival after ours though. Batarian. There was another ship, or something, too. And there were syntheticsāI believe they were geth.ā
āIf the geth have decided to expand through the galaxy, surely weād have heard about it before now,ā Hackett mused. āHow can we confirm this?ā
āWe brought the remains of two on-board, for a specialist to examine. We also have whatās left of the beacon, butā¦I donāt think itāll be much use.ā
āBetter than nothing,ā Hackett sighed. āWhy would the geth attack a human colony? Weāre missing something, thatās for sure.ā
āThere isā¦something else,ā Anderson said, hesitating. āWhen we found Nihlusā body, there was a witness. Said heād been killed by another turian. Said Nihlus called him āSarenā.ā
āShit,ā Hackett said, finally giving the swear life. āDid you see him?ā
āNo, sir. All we have is this manās word for it. And heās not exactly a stand-up witness: the only reason he missed the attack was because he was napping back in the warehouse during his shift.ā
āThat wonāt go far with the Council,ā Hackett said. āIs there any way to put a positive spin on this?ā
Anderson shrugged. āWhomever was there before usāthe geth, or Sarenāset several bombs to detonate around the platform where the beacon was held for transport. We managed to disarm those in time. Unfortunately, there was another at the other transport platform, which we didnāt get to. That part of the colonyāand Nihlusā bodyāwas destroyed.ā
āThatās a very small silver lining, Captain.ā
āI know, sir.ā
āWhat was the status of the colony after the attack?ā
āBad. Seems most of the soldiers and civilians had been taken out in the early stages. That other ship I mentioned? It was like nothing Iāve ever seen before. Iāll have Joker forward you the video feed from our arrival, maybe someone can tell us something. We swept the area for survivors after the blast, but there were only a few, all civilians. I have all of them on the Normandy, and Chakwas is getting what intel she can while she treats them.ā
āGood. Forward that information to me when you have it. For now, head back to the Citadel and make your report.ā
āUnderstood.ā
āThanks for the heads up, old friend. I donāt think I need to tell you to brace yourself for the clap-back when Sarenās name comes up.ā
Anderson grimaced. āNo. Itās going to be bad enough telling them we failed to secure the beacon and lost Nihlus even without implicating Saren, but I canāt in good conscience withhold that information. Besides, itās the only real lead weāve got.ā
āIāll send another team out to Eden Prime, to re-secure the area and see if they can find anything else. Iāll be in touch. Hackett out.ā
Anderson slumped, closing his eyes. Visions of Jenkins, body lurching as he was hit, and Nihlus, cold and still on the ground after an execution-style shot, swam in the darkness behind his lids. He thought of the revolting corpses-turned-mechanized-zombies that had been impaled on giant silver spikes, and the sight of the beacon, smoking and broken, as a shuttle, tiny in the distance, left atmo as the explosion from the one bomb his team missed sent reverberations through his body. He barely suppressed a groan.
No, the Council was not going to like this at all.
I was lucky enough to talk to an actual pathologist and figured Iād put together a list of highlights that may be vaguely interesting or useful for writers (this is particularly relevant for crime writers, but some of this may come up in other genres).Ā
Heads up, while thereās no super gory descriptions if youāre REALLY squeamish it may not be for you:
1. Hyoid Bone
The hyoid bone is located in your neck, sort of hidden under your chin. To give you a sense of how easy it is to damage this bone, it was described to me as being a little bit stronger than a wish bone. As a general rule, manual strangulation WILL fracture the hyoid bone.
This year, I'll be trying SlowMoWriMo as described by @the-wip-project. As I'm coming out of major burnout and a Big Huge case of writer's block, I'm starting November with very very small goals: namely, 15 words minimum per day, and, though it seems painfully small, 75 words maximum.
āHey, Captain?ā Ā The voice spoke through the comm device in her ear, gruff and raspy.
Captain Red Shepard held up a hand, signaling a pause to her sparring partner and first mate. Ā
āWhat is it, Riggs?ā she asked her helmsman.
āWeāre picking up a distress call, from a colony in the Theseus System.ā Ā
āDetails?ā
āUmā¦unclear,ā Riggs answered in confusion. Ā That got Redās attention. Ā Riggs was a curmudgeon, certainly, but he was a highly competent curmudgeon. Ā It took a lot to rattle him.
āAlright. Ā Iāll be up in a minute.ā
He grunted his acknowledgment and closed the link. Ā
āSorry, Ash,ā Red said to her first mate as she picked up a towel to dry her sweaty face. Ā āDistress call from a Theseus colony. Ā Seems it has Riggs a bit confused.ā
Ashley laughed. Ā āThat alone is worth checking it out. Ā Shall I meet you at the helm?ā
āPlease,ā Red said, and the younger woman dashed off without further ado.
A few minutes later Red was pacing down the bridge after her, the Singularity purring beneath her feet. Ā Her boots beat out the staccato rhythm of her stride, signaling her approach to the two people at the helm.
āTook you long enough,ā Riggs groused without turning around. Ā Data flashed across the monitors in front of him.
āI grabbed my coat,ā she explained distantly, focused on the information displayed on-screen. Ā The signal had come from Feros, an Earth Alliance planet that was primarily controlled by a big-name colonial corporation.
Riggs rolled his eyes. He often griped about her tendency toward theatrics. Ā The elaborate red coat was designed like something an ancient Earth pirate captain would wear, and Red always wore it when she wanted to make an impression. In fact, most of her cramped quarters were taken up by a myriad of clothes, so that she could always look the part. Ā
āWhat have we got?ā she asked.
He tapped at the screen, pulling up a transcript of the audio transmission. Ā āThis is the message we received. Ā Itās tagged from an Alliance ship, SSV Normandy, asking for any passing Alliance vessels to be prepared to offer backup if āthe situationā escalates. Ā I assume there was a previous message that we didnāt catch, since nothing seems to suggest what exactly āthe situationā is.ā
āSeems fairly straightforward,ā Red remarked lightly.
āWell, the weird part is next. Someone tried to intercept the outgoing message from the Normandy and recall it.ā Ā He gestured at a matrix of numbers flashing across the screen, but Red opted to take his word for it, rather than puzzle through the techno-babble.
āSo someone doesnāt want this Normandy to get reinforcements,ā Red mused. Ā āCurious. Ā Ash, ready the ground team.ā
Ashley saluted smartly, drawing a smile from Red. Ā The other woman had been raised in an Alliance family, and some habits remained even after they were gone.
Riggs gazed at her shrewdly. āSo weāre going in?ā
She grinned. Ā āTo satisfy my curiosity, if nothing else.ā
~~~
She informed her crew of the facts, such as they were: the Singularity was responding to a distress call regarding unknown but suspicious circumstances, originating from an Alliance ship docked at Zhuās Hope, a colony sponsored by the ExoGeni corporation. Ā The ship would remain in orbit, while Red and a small crew would take the shuttle in to investigate.
They were going in regardless, but courtesy dictated they at least send an offer of aid to the Alliance vessel before approaching. Ā It might prevent them from getting blown out of the sky out of hand, at the very least.
Red situated herself on her throne-like captainās chair while Riggs opened a video comm link with the Normandy. Ā Sheād already thrown on her armor under the coat, so sheād be ready to move as soon as the call was completed.
A very harried looking pilot appeared on the video feed, wearing a baseball cap and sporting a short beard. Ā His eyes widened at the sight of Red, dressed in her antiquated coat and seated on her lavish throne. Ā She smiled slightly. Ā It was the usual reaction, and one of the reasons why she went to such lengths to project an extravagant image.
Besides, why bother with piracy if you werenāt going to at least treat yourself to some fancy clothes?
The Normandyās pilot gaped for a moment more, before regaining his senses. Ā āWhat the hell?ā he said feelingly. Ā āYouāre not Alliance!ā
āNo, Iām certainly not,ā Red replied smoothly, lounging back as if she hadnāt a care in the world. Ā āBut my sensors didnāt pick up any Alliance ships in the area to respond to your distress call, so youāll have to make do with little old me. Ā Iām Captain Shepard. Ā Might I be of assistance?ā
The pilot looked exasperated. Ā āLook, lady, I appreciate the offer, but I donāt think civilian interference is gonna be much help here. Ā Iāve got freaking zombies trying to get into my ship, and my CO and XO are both with the ground team and incommunicado. Ā So thanks, but no thanks.ā
Red grinned, a feral baring of her teeth with just enough elegance to be truly frightening. Ā āUnfortunate,ā she said. Ā āBut youāve piqued my interest, so I think weāll come in anyway.ā
The pilot began to splutter indignantly, but Riggs disconnected the link before he could reply.
āSure you want the shuttle?ā the helmsman asked, casually denying the incoming request for another call with the Normandy.
āYes. Ā Fighters are tempting, but maneuverability is probably limited inside the docking bay. Ā Are Ashley and Wrex ready? Ā And Qiana?ā
āAnd waiting,ā Riggs confirmed.
She joined her ground team in the shuttle, Ash greeting her with another salute. Ā Wrex huffed an evil chuckle when she appeared, slapping her on the back cheerfully. Ā She braced herself against the kroganās strength, long accustomed to this kind of affection from him. Ā Qiana, her asari second mate, sat at the shuttleās helm. Ā
āAccording to her pilot, the Normandy is having some sort of zombie problem,ā Red announced. Ā āLetās go see whatās going on. Ā If itās safe to land, thatās what weāll do, and if notā¦well, then.ā Ā She shrugged. Ā Then they would simply fly around with guns blazing.
āYouāre doing it again,ā Wrex told her with a chuckle.
āDoing what?ā
āGrinning creepily at the thought of battle,ā Ashley interjected dryly. Ā
Wrex protested. Ā āItās not creepy!ā
āOh, sorry, itās just a sign that sheās spent too much time with krogan barbarians,ā Ash fired back.
Red smiled tolerantly through their banter, carefully observing through the shuttleās port window as they slipped into the docking bay. Ā A small, sleek ship sat at the far dock, and sure enough, a horde of angry people were pounding on her hull, trying to gain access.
āBe ready,ā she called to her team as she slid the shuttleās doors open. Ā āWrex, would you get their attention?ā
The krogan replied by firing a burst from his assault rifle over the heads of the gathered mob. Ā They paused in their mindless scrambling and looked up at the shuttle hovering out of reach. Ā
āStand down, people,ā Red called out. Ā āWhatever your issue is with that ship, Iām going to ask you to calm down so we can work through it like adults.ā
The crowd on the ground responded by charging toward the shuttle, clawing and shrieking as they climbed over one another in their attempts to reach the hovering vessel.
āOr not,ā Red muttered, and her team opened fire on the horde.
Some few with strong survival instincts fled out of range, cowering behind crates or scurrying around the walls at the far end of the bay. Ā Most fell, still shrieking and trying to reach the shuttle even as their bodies bled and collapsed.
After the burst of gunfire and screams of the dying, the silence that returned seemed absolute.
āWhat the hell was wrong with them?ā Ash breathed shakily into the quiet.
Red shouldered her shotgun, frowning. Ā āDunno, but āzombiesā seems like a pretty apt description. Ā We can probably land now, but be on your guard.ā
At the last second, SĆora leapt in front of Muirin, arresting her sprint toward the renaigse. Ā
āWait!ā the young doneigad exclaimed, spreading her arms wide. Ā āThey are allies!ā
Muirin stopped before the GaĆs Rad, but kept her blade aimed at the heart of the nearest stranger. Ā āThey are renaigse, SĆora. Ā They cannot be trusted. Ā You see what their kind did here.ā
āNo,ā SĆora argued. Ā āI brought them here, to act as allies and to prevent this conflict between my mĆ”tir and the Lions. Ā Let them go.ā
Lips pinching together, Muirin scowled at the strangers. Ā āDo not try anything, renaigse,ā she instructed, and let her roots slip back into the ground. Ā
The nearest man straightened his coat and brushed himself off. Ā He was tall and slim, with fair skin and burnished hair glowing in the afternoon sun. Ā āI must say, my dear SĆora, your clan has not been very welcoming to us thus far. Ā First your sister, and now this stunning lady. Ā Another relation of yours?ā
āShe is kin, but not of my clan,ā SĆora said. Ā āShe is SĆsaĆg CnĆ”meis, a bone-blower from VĆgnĆ”mrĆ. Ā What are you doing here, Muirin?ā
āWe heard rumors of an impending battle between the Lions and the GaĆs Rad. Ā Ullan seeks an alliance with the renaigse, so he sent me here to observe the conflict between you.ā
āUllan wants to ally with the Lions?ā SĆora exclaimed. Ā āAfter everything theyāve done to our people?ā
āI think it is foolish as well, but it is Ullanās thought that an alliance will benefit our clan. Ā Besides, you have renaigse whom you claim are allies as well,ā Muirin pointed out.
āThese are of the Lugeid Blau. Ā They claim neutrality between the Lions and the Suns. Ā MatĆr thought they would be able to call a stop to the violence long enough for an accord to be reached.ā
āMuirin, is it?ā The lanky man stepped forward, giving her a half-bow. Ā āCharmed, truly. Ā My name is Constantin dāOrsay, Prince and now Legate of the Congregation of Merchants here on Teer Fradee.ā Ā He held his hand out before her, hovering just above waist level. Ā
She eyed the appendage suspiciously and took a small step backward. Ā āWhat is a legate?ā
He looked mildly confused, and put his hand down slowly. Ā āA diplomat, an emissary. Ā It means I have the power to negotiate on behalf of my nation.ā
The Heart of a Renaigse: first meeting between Constantin and Muirin, deleted scene (reworked to be from Constantinās POV)
As I clung spider-like to the side of the mansion, shrouded in darkness, I realized just how much fun Astrid must have had before I became the Listener. Ā
I wore the black rose-embellished armor from Varric, and tight-fitting gloves to hide any chance glow from the mark on my palm. Ā A simple black Orlesian mask with a thick veil served to obscure my eyes and hide my mouth and nose, and a cowl covered my hair, which was braided back away from my face. Ā The only weapon I carried was the dagger Iād traded for a rose petal at the Black Emporium. Ā I should have felt vulnerable, going into a house full of assassins with only one physical weapon, but I felt exhilarated. Ā
I entered through the same third-floor window Iād exited my first time here. Ā The room beyond was deserted, but the glow of candlelight crept beneath the closed door. Ā I listened intently at that door before cautiously opening it and slipping through.
The hall was dimly lit, only a single sconce burning near the stairwell. Ā Carefully, I ascended the steps, ears pricked for any sound, determined not to repeat the mishap of my initial visit. Ā My font of vampiric power was full, and I was ready to embrace invisibility at any time.
All the information Varric dug up agreed on one thing: the Marquis du Borde was most definitely out in the country, and would be for several weeks. Ā But given the activity at his home, we had our doubts. Ā If I could find the man, he would be my next target: there was no better way to convince the Assassinās League that we meant business. Ā And so I crept to the highest level of the manor, searching for the Marquisā chambers. Ā
I missed Wednesday but since Iām trying to be more active...Iāll just post a bit of a WIP now!
Of Gods and Dragons, chapter 45Ā
(probably a deleted scene)
Solas pursed his lips as they eyed the fortress. Ā It was massive, even from their distant vantage hidden amidst the sand. Ā Tiny figures crawled atop the walls: Warden sentinels. Ā
āNothing short of trebuchets will breach those walls,ā the Iron Bull rumbled, shading his eye with his hand. Ā āAnd even those will take time we might not have.ā
āThe only sure point of entry is the gate,ā Blackwall agreed, āand of course thatās where the defense will be the strongest. Ā Iām afraid a lot of our forces will fall to get us entry.ā
āDonāt forget the mages,ā Dorian chided lightly, also shading his eyes. Ā āWe are rather helpful when it comes to deflecting attacks, as well as attacking at range.ā
āAnd donāt you forget that if the Wardens are dabbling in blood magic, there will certainly be abominations among them,ā Solas said. Ā āWe can only hope that their comrades see reason when their mages begin to become possessed.ā
Dorian scowled. Ā āHavenāt you people ever heard of the optimistic view? Ā Still, I suppose we canāt truly know what weāre up against until we get some more information. Ā Though Iām honestly not sure how we can get close enough to learn anything without being seen. Ā The view from those walls must stretch for miles.ā
The Iron Bull grunted, eyes now scanning the dunes surrounding the fortress. Ā āMight not learn anything, but I can try to get closer. Ā Itās probably best if I go alone though. Ā No offense, but you three stand out against all this sand like a sore thumb.ā
Dorian turned sharply. Ā āDonāt be absurd. Ā You stand out twice as much as we do, simply because youāre twice our size.ā
The qunari grinned. Ā āAh, but I have the advantage of being Ben-Hassrath, whereas youāreā¦ā, he gestured broadly at the mage, āā¦just you.ā
Hey Tumblr!Ā Iām back in a place (mentally, physically, time-wise, etc) where Iām hoping to write some more, so Iām rejuvenating this blog! With that in mind, I thought Iād post a list of the stories Iāve been working on in the last year or so.
Of Gods and Dragons (AO3)
Your standard (or not?) Dovahkiin in Thedas crossover!Ā Follow Halldora, end-game level Dohvahkiin, as she mysteriously arrives in Thedas right in time to be blamed for the Breach.Ā Currently with 44 chapters (117k words), which tell Doraās tale as she follows game canon (the first few chaps are heavy on in-game dialogue, ngl. Maybe someday, when the story is complete, Iāll rewrite them, but not while itās unfinished or weāll never reach the end).Ā About mid-way through the current chapters, Dora and the Inquisition part ways, and not amicably.Ā But donāt worry, theyāll join forces again at some point.Ā Probably.Ā Maybe.Ā The only written bits that arenāt currently posted are some disconnected scenes, but I have things planned out for Adamant and up to Halamshiral.Ā The biggest hurdle is getting over this House of Repose arc where I really went off the rails and wrote myself into a corner.Ā But Iāll figure it out.Ā Soon.
**This is my priority, since this story has been ongoing for the longest time.Ā I want to get back to a consistent update schedule, and maybe, just maybe, finish the damn thing before the end of the year.Ā Pray for me.
Broken Faith (Questions of Faith Part 1) (AO3)
This is the story of a non-Warden Surana, named Branwen.Ā Bran was a young apprentice when her dear friend, Lindy Amell, was conscripted into the Grey Wardens.Ā Broken Faith follows Branās trials as her two closest friends leave the Tower in disgrace, as Uldred and his minionās start a blood-magic fueled coup, and as the Blight comes to Ferelden.Ā 3 chapters with a total of 7k words are posted, out of 30k drafted.Ā Those 30k are not necessarily in order or connected, so thereās still quite a lot of transitional events to write, as well as most of the post-Uldred events.Ā Eventually, the plan is to write a whole series around Bran, culminating in her rise to Inquisitor during the events of DA:I.
*Because Iāve already started posting, I would like to establish a schedule for this one as well.Ā But since itās not been out as long as OGAD, it will be less frequently updated.Ā
Lucida (Stelliferous Part 1)
The space pirate! Mass Effect AU no on asked for, exploring what might happen if the Alliance was just a bit slower in responding to the distress call on Mindoir.Ā Red Shepard has made a name for herself throughout the galaxy: not as an upstanding Alliance Commander with N7 training, but as a pirate who escaped from batarian slavers as a child.Ā Red will stumble into Sarenās plans throughout the course of ME1, and be a right thorn in Andersonās side before she accepts her fate as the most unlikely savior of the galaxy.Ā
Not posted yet, and honestly itād be super awesome to finish writing at least Part 1 before I do publish.Ā So far Iāve written nearly 8k.Ā
The Heart of a Renaigse
A Greedfall AU in which the De Sardet we know and love was never taken to the continent, and Constantin never had his beloved cousin to save him from himself.Ā They meet when Constantin is assigned Legate of the Congregation on Teer Fradee, a sort of trial-by-fire before his eventual appointment as Governor.Ā
Also not posted, and I had planned on writing the whole thing before publishing.Ā But since Greedfall 2 was just announced, my enthusiasm has been rekindled, so this may become more of a priority as I go along.Ā So far it has almost 13.5k, almost all of which has been edited and is ready to publish.
(you dun have to do all but I figure I'd give you some choices~)
OH YOU BETTER BELIEVE I'M DOING THEM ALL @pumpkinspice-villaingirl, THANK YOU FOR THE WORDS FRIENDO~
Safe: from the untitled Greedfall fic that hasn't seen the light of day
"They can return her to her family as a sign of good faith, or to extort promises of safe passage from your people, or they can eschew any of that altogether and mount her head on a pike to parade before you as a trophy of their victory!"
Nestle: same as above
Kurt sat a short way up the rise beside their camp, nestled in a nook that provided him with cover while still offering a good vantage over the tents to the forest beyond. He glowered at her suspiciously.
Spark: from Of Gods and Dragons
I grimaced, but complied. The mark sparked and sputtered when it was exposed.
[Morrigan] examined in silence for some moments, then met my eyes. āAnd why, pray tell, is the supposed Herald of Andraste sneaking into my quarters like an assassin in the night?ā
Message: from ye olde Agender!Ochaco fic that also hasn't seen the light of day
[Katsuki] shot them a rare smile as his fingers flew across the screen, replying to Kirishimaās message. āThatās my Ochaco,ā he murmured fondly. āNow eat your breakfast.ā
Inspiration: apparently literally none of my in-progress fics have this word???? how?????? I feel I should rectify this. But the next entry (doubt) has the word 'inspired' so I guess that kinda counts?
Doubt: from Of Gods and Dragons
[Varric] held up a hand to forestall my protests. āRose, I know you havenāt had a chance to make money here in Thedas. Iāve no doubt you could if you wished to, but weāve been a little busy trying to save the world. Consider this an investment toward that goal, and donāt worry about paying me back.ā He grinned suddenly. āBesides, the whole thing has inspired me to write another crime serial, this one taking place in the shadowy world of Orlesian politics.ā
Bond: moar Of Gods and Dragons
āThe Chantry teaches that the Old Gods of Tevinter legend reside deep underground. When the darkspawn come across one of these Old Gods, they corrupt it, creating an Archdemonāa tainted Old God. But an Old God cannot be killed by ordinary means. When its body is slain, its soul travels into the nearest creature with which it has a bond. In the case of the Archdemon, the taint is the source of that bond. When the nearest tainted creature is a darkspawn, a soulless being, the Archdemon takes over the host to rise again. But if it is a Grey Warden who slays the monster, then the soul of the Old God will travel into the Warden, and kill both Warden and Archdemon in the process. Two souls cannot coexist in one body, after all.ā
Groan: and moar OGAD!
āNo!ā Stroud yelled in a strangled voice, and surged forward to hack at the intrusion. The rift pulsed again, and a groan ran through the watching crowd.
Then, out flew a strange mass of armor and flesh, knocking right into Varric and sending him tumbling. The mass resolved into a confused tangle of limbs, and Cassandra kicked Varric in the face as she struggled to extricate herself. Her eyes, wide and desperate, found the rift, now crackling with energy.
+ bonus~
It took Varric a moment to recognize the other body laying atop him. A hand found shaggy hair, groaning as fingers came away bloodied, but finally Hawkeās eyes met his. āLetās never do this again,ā the Champion mumbled.
Our lovely community has come together to celebrate Baldur's Gate 3 with a colouring book. Each artwork is accompanied by a story you can read while you colour them.
Share your coloured pieces with us at https://discord.gg/JnPcvGr and remember to give a shout out to the amazing creators that participated in this.
And a miracle happened yesterday....I actually had both the inspiration and the motivation to write at the same time??? I HAVE THE SKELETON OF TWO NEW SCENES???? Crossing my fingers this is the end of the 2020 writing slump and Dora will be back in action soon...
