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Annie is on her trike on her way to school.
This van labeled HAZARDOUS MATERIALS is also on its way to school.
The van hits a patch of black ice. It goes spinning, it turns over, it slices itself open on a wrought-iron fence with spikes, and it disgorges boxes which smash open on the pavement. Some of them skitter clear into the slush.
Some of them - along with most of the van - land on Annie.
There is a whirl of bewildering pain and confusion -
- and she falls to the ground, injured and in more kinds of discomfort beyond that and moaning.
She slowly starts to heal before the eyes of her sole witness.
six artifact pileup annie in thedas
keep_busy
keep_busy
Annie elects not to disembark from the golem at this time; she doesn't like the look of all those stairs. Well, they're very pretty, but she doesn't fancy trying to climb them.
first-and-final
The guard's prediction was correct: House Ortan, once they learn that Caridin has inexplicably shown up at the gate as a ten-foot-tall steel golem, immediately offer him and his retinue their hospitality. They receive immediate housing in one of the House's lesser properties - still in the Diamond Quarter, but small and near the stairs. Since none of them actually need to sleep except for Annie, she gets her pick of bedrooms: small, small, medium, or gigantic-with-attached-bathroom-and-fancy-plumbing.
Stalas digs up a change of clothes from somewhere and disappears into the Attached Bathroom With Fancy Plumbing, emerging fifteen minutes later with absolutely no darkspawn blood on or near him and immediately climbing back into his golem suit. "Time for me and Caridin to go have a chat with my brother," he says. "Annie, will you be all right here without us?"
Stalas digs up a change of clothes from somewhere and disappears into the Attached Bathroom With Fancy Plumbing, emerging fifteen minutes later with absolutely no darkspawn blood on or near him and immediately climbing back into his golem suit. "Time for me and Caridin to go have a chat with my brother," he says. "Annie, will you be all right here without us?"
keep_busy
"Um, probably? At least I speak the language. ...I would really like some paper and something to write with."
first-and-final
"I'm absolutely positive there's something like that in the house," says Stalas. "And if there isn't, someone can bother House Ortan for you. See you later!"
And off go the steel golems, large and small.
And off go the steel golems, large and small.
Stalas and Caridin are gone for several hours, during which time Hesta reads a book, Pell and Kador play some sort of card game, and Tamek knocks gently on Annie's door to ask if she would like any food or drink.
"I'll be back in just a moment, then."
Tamek goes to the kitchen and fetches Annie a bowl of candied fruit slices. It's slightly unclear what some of the fruits involved actually are, but all of them are sweet and fruitlike.
Tamek goes to the kitchen and fetches Annie a bowl of candied fruit slices. It's slightly unclear what some of the fruits involved actually are, but all of them are sweet and fruitlike.
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And they aren't nug or spider or licorice or mushrooms or honey, so they are perfect and she devours them. "Thank you."
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It's all in Noregrsk and therefore illegible. "Just - notes. It helps me think and I haven't been able to for a while."
And Tamek goes away. And some more time goes by. There are mechanical clocks in the house, somewhat crude but perfectly readable; it's been two hours, three, four...
keep_busy
Well. She has a lot of accumulated feelings to write out. Even if most of them are "aaaaaaaaaah Stalaaaaaas" there is some legitimate complexity in there.
Meanwhile at the palace:
An apologetic servant interrupts Prince Bhelen at his desk to inform him that, item one, the paragon Caridin has emerged from the Deep Roads as a ten-foot-tall steel golem and taken up residence with a small retinue of other golems in that Ortan property by the stairs; and, item two, Caridin and one of his retinue are here in the palace requesting an immediate private meeting.
An apologetic servant interrupts Prince Bhelen at his desk to inform him that, item one, the paragon Caridin has emerged from the Deep Roads as a ten-foot-tall steel golem and taken up residence with a small retinue of other golems in that Ortan property by the stairs; and, item two, Caridin and one of his retinue are here in the palace requesting an immediate private meeting.
It would be an understatement to say that Bhelen is surprised. The paragon Caridin has shown up out of the Deep Roads when he should have been one with the Stone ages ago, and he is a ten-foot-tall steel golem that wants to talk to him right now.
...
Bhelen takes about ten seconds to adjust to this new state of the world where the most brilliant smith the dwarves have ever known is alive.
And also probably not up to date on politics.
He can work with this.
He clears his morning schedule (with apologies, and one extravagant gift for someone that's very touchy about this sort of thing) and arranges a private meeting between himself and Caridin.
...
Bhelen takes about ten seconds to adjust to this new state of the world where the most brilliant smith the dwarves have ever known is alive.
And also probably not up to date on politics.
He can work with this.
He clears his morning schedule (with apologies, and one extravagant gift for someone that's very touchy about this sort of thing) and arranges a private meeting between himself and Caridin.
time-goes-on
The ten-foot-tall steel golem is accompanied by a smaller steel golem, not quite six feet tall and glowing faintly silver-white instead of faintly blue. The herald shows them both into the meeting room.
Caridin gives Bhelen a solemnly respectful nod as the herald leaves. His helmet's expression is perfectly impassive. "Prince Bhelen Aeducan," he says. "When I asked to speak to the king, I was told of a succession dispute. What is the nature of the problem?"
Caridin gives Bhelen a solemnly respectful nod as the herald leaves. His helmet's expression is perfectly impassive. "Prince Bhelen Aeducan," he says. "When I asked to speak to the king, I was told of a succession dispute. What is the nature of the problem?"
Bhelen looks at the smaller golem, decides that Caridin is keeping it as a bodyguard for things that need a smaller golem instead of one that is ten feet tall, and promptly ignores it.
"Paragon Caridin. It's a bit of a - well, mess. How much have you heard so far?"
"Paragon Caridin. It's a bit of a - well, mess. How much have you heard so far?"