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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
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keep_busy
first-and-final
Stalas inhales lyrium fumes.
He glows brighter than usual, and a pure silvery white instead of the usual lyrium blue.
"...I feel slightly weird," he says. "And I'm glowing a different colour than usual. Can I have the healing power in case this is somehow unhealthy?"
He glows brighter than usual, and a pure silvery white instead of the usual lyrium blue.
"...I feel slightly weird," he says. "And I'm glowing a different colour than usual. Can I have the healing power in case this is somehow unhealthy?"
first-and-final
"Yeah, I'm - I actually feel better than usual. Maybe the disintegration power cleared the taint out of my system. Who knows what that will do, but I can't say I'll miss it even if it means I can't sense darkspawn anymore..."
He inspects his hands. Are his veins glowing faintly through his skin? Yes they are. This is actually pretty normal for him after a breath of lyrium, but usually it's most visible in the bruises, and he doesn't have any of those right now.
He inspects his hands. Are his veins glowing faintly through his skin? Yes they are. This is actually pretty normal for him after a breath of lyrium, but usually it's most visible in the bruises, and he doesn't have any of those right now.
keep_busy
She can't see it. "Let me know when you want rid of it and - and I wish you wouldn't test it but I can't really stop you."
first-and-final
"I have no immediate plans to test it but I do want to keep it for a while just in case it helps with the unknown aftereffects of clearing out the darkspawn taint."
first-and-final
"Thanks."
And onward.
The tunnels between Ortan Thaig and Bownammar are not nearly so comfortable as even a thousand-year-old bed. They contain giant spiders, deep stalkers, moderate numbers of darkspawn, plenty of mushrooms, and enough nugs that between those and the mushrooms Annie never has to find out what deep stalker tastes like.
After a week, they arrive at Bownammar. A massive stone bridge crosses a deep chasm; darkspawn wander back and forth across it. On the far side, an outrageously enormous gate stands tall enough to be clearly discernible even at this distance.
And onward.
The tunnels between Ortan Thaig and Bownammar are not nearly so comfortable as even a thousand-year-old bed. They contain giant spiders, deep stalkers, moderate numbers of darkspawn, plenty of mushrooms, and enough nugs that between those and the mushrooms Annie never has to find out what deep stalker tastes like.
After a week, they arrive at Bownammar. A massive stone bridge crosses a deep chasm; darkspawn wander back and forth across it. On the far side, an outrageously enormous gate stands tall enough to be clearly discernible even at this distance.
keep_busy
"Couple dozen on and this side of the bridge, few dozen more including two ogres after that... disintegration on or off?"
first-and-final
"Hmm... off," he decides. "But I'll keep the healing. Let's go kill some darkspawn."
They go. They kill some darkspawn. Stalas is a flawless instrument of death. He gets shot again, but doesn't appear to notice the arrow through his leg until the darkspawn are all dead, at which point he looks down, breaks it, and pulls it out.
They go. They kill some darkspawn. Stalas is a flawless instrument of death. He gets shot again, but doesn't appear to notice the arrow through his leg until the darkspawn are all dead, at which point he looks down, breaks it, and pulls it out.
keep_busy
Annie catches up to him as quickly as she can, mostly so that she can fret from closer range since he already has the best help she can give.
first-and-final
"Good. Now how the fuck am I going to open these doors..."
In the end, they never find out: there's a short tunnel near one side of the enormous front gate that bypasses it completely. In they go.
In the end, they never find out: there's a short tunnel near one side of the enormous front gate that bypasses it completely. In they go.
first-and-final
The interior of Bownammar is full of empty coffins. Sometimes instead of being empty the coffins have had coins or trash stored in them. Very occasionally, there is a skeleton.
Also, there are clear signs of darkspawn occupation, and numerous groups of darkspawn.
Also, that's a ghoul over there, surrounded by partly eaten dwarf corpses.
Also, there are clear signs of darkspawn occupation, and numerous groups of darkspawn.
Also, that's a ghoul over there, surrounded by partly eaten dwarf corpses.
keep_busy
"Ghoul," identifies Annie, less tentatively now that it's the second one she's encountered.
first-and-final
"Let's go say hello," says Stalas.
As they approach, it becomes apparent that the ghoul is reciting a charming poem.
First day, they come and catch everyone.
Second day, they beat us and eat some for meat.
Third day, the men are all gnawed on again.
Fourth day, we wait and fear for our fate.
Fifth day, they return and it's another girl's turn.
Sixth day, her screams we hear in our dreams.
Seventh day, she grew as in her mouth they spew.
Eighth day, we hated as she is violated.
Ninth day, she grins and devours her kin.
Now she does feast, as she's become the beast.
Stalas becomes increasingly unsettled as they draw nearer to the muttering ghoul.
As they approach, it becomes apparent that the ghoul is reciting a charming poem.
First day, they come and catch everyone.
Second day, they beat us and eat some for meat.
Third day, the men are all gnawed on again.
Fourth day, we wait and fear for our fate.
Fifth day, they return and it's another girl's turn.
Sixth day, her screams we hear in our dreams.
Seventh day, she grew as in her mouth they spew.
Eighth day, we hated as she is violated.
Ninth day, she grins and devours her kin.
Now she does feast, as she's become the beast.
Stalas becomes increasingly unsettled as they draw nearer to the muttering ghoul.
keep_busy
"At least she's not humming," murmurs Annie very softly. "Should I de-regen you in case she starts?"
first-and-final
"Hello?" says Stalas.
The ghoul jerks in surprise, stops her muttering, and looks up. "Strangers... who goes?"
"I'm Stalas and this is Annie. I... I think we can help you."
"Help... there is no help for Hespith," she murmurs. "No, no, I am cruel to myself..."
"A week ago, I had the taint," says Stalas.
"Impossible. Nothing in you now. I would feel..."
"Yes," he says, "exactly."
"Can you... could you?" She stares at him intently.
"I believe we can. The magic that drives out the taint makes you feel uncomfortably warm and the magic that heals the damage it left makes it hurt if you hum," he says.
"I am... I..."
"Do you want us to try?"
"...Yes..."
"Annie?"
The ghoul jerks in surprise, stops her muttering, and looks up. "Strangers... who goes?"
"I'm Stalas and this is Annie. I... I think we can help you."
"Help... there is no help for Hespith," she murmurs. "No, no, I am cruel to myself..."
"A week ago, I had the taint," says Stalas.
"Impossible. Nothing in you now. I would feel..."
"Yes," he says, "exactly."
"Can you... could you?" She stares at him intently.
"I believe we can. The magic that drives out the taint makes you feel uncomfortably warm and the magic that heals the damage it left makes it hurt if you hum," he says.
"I am... I..."
"Do you want us to try?"
"...Yes..."
"Annie?"
first-and-final
The ghoul curls up on the ground and weeps quietly, as seems to be the standard for people ceasing to be ghouls.
"Better?" says Stalas cautiously, when she sits up a few minutes later.
She looks up at him. "Yes..."
"Hespith, was it?"
"Yes."
"Another side effect of the magic that drives out the taint is that if a darkspawn touches you, they disintegrate immediately," he says.
A wide wild grin comes to Hespith's face, and she bounds to her feet and runs off.
"...um," says Stalas. "That's not quite what I intended to have happen, but I suppose it's not a bad thing."
"Better?" says Stalas cautiously, when she sits up a few minutes later.
She looks up at him. "Yes..."
"Hespith, was it?"
"Yes."
"Another side effect of the magic that drives out the taint is that if a darkspawn touches you, they disintegrate immediately," he says.
A wide wild grin comes to Hespith's face, and she bounds to her feet and runs off.
"...um," says Stalas. "That's not quite what I intended to have happen, but I suppose it's not a bad thing."
first-and-final
"Can we? I could catch her but I'd have to leave you behind, and I'd really rather not."