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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
keep_busy
"I'm assuming she'll slow down when she runs into some darkspawn."
first-and-final
"Granted, yes. Anyway, she seems to be headed in the same direction we are."
They set off, and begin to catch up just in time for Annie to perceive Hespith near the edge of her range as the ex-ghoul disintegrates an enormous, tentacled, and distinctly female darkspawn-like being.
They set off, and begin to catch up just in time for Annie to perceive Hespith near the edge of her range as the ex-ghoul disintegrates an enormous, tentacled, and distinctly female darkspawn-like being.
keep_busy
"She disintegrated a giant... tentacled... darkspawny... thing... It was so big."
first-and-final
"Tentacled? I wasn't aware darkspawn came in 'tentacled'. I am unnerved."
first-and-final
"I believe you!"
Hespith, meanwhile, is running around disintegrating... baby... darkspawn...? They're not all that much more babylike than normal darkspawn, but they're near the former site of their probable mother and they aren't wearing armour or carrying weapons.
Hespith, meanwhile, is running around disintegrating... baby... darkspawn...? They're not all that much more babylike than normal darkspawn, but they're near the former site of their probable mother and they aren't wearing armour or carrying weapons.
keep_busy
"I think it was giving birth to more darkspawn. She's disintegrating those now."
first-and-final
"...Given that poem she was muttering earlier, I am now having intensely uncomfortable speculation about the life cycle of darkspawn," says Stalas.
keep_busy
"Maybe she knows where the tentacled ones all are and she's going to get them all?"
first-and-final
"I can only hope we're that lucky."
Hespith has disintegrated all available darkspawn and is approaching Annie and Stalas again now.
Hespith has disintegrated all available darkspawn and is approaching Annie and Stalas again now.
first-and-final
"Okay."
Hespith arrives! She isn't grinning anymore; her expression is more reserved now.
"Why do you come here, friends?"
"I'm looking for the lost Paragon," says Stalas.
"I was afraid of that," says Hespith. She gazes at the tunnel floor, away from Annie and Stalas. "You should turn back. There is nothing to find."
"Um," says Stalas.
"Do you understand?" She looks up at him, suddenly, sharply. "She is here but she is not here. The Branka I knew... is not. She betrayed me, betrayed us all, and now, and now..."
"What did she do?"
"She found her prize, but Caridin's traps were too much. She threw us into them - her people, her people! - and the darkspawn, and... the darkspawn... they take, and they make... she gave us to them, to make, so there would be more darkspawn, so she could force them into the traps to die for her."
Over the course of this recitation Stalas goes from uneasy to horrified to deeply, deeply angry.
"Is Branka alive?" he asks quietly.
"Yes..."
Hespith arrives! She isn't grinning anymore; her expression is more reserved now.
"Why do you come here, friends?"
"I'm looking for the lost Paragon," says Stalas.
"I was afraid of that," says Hespith. She gazes at the tunnel floor, away from Annie and Stalas. "You should turn back. There is nothing to find."
"Um," says Stalas.
"Do you understand?" She looks up at him, suddenly, sharply. "She is here but she is not here. The Branka I knew... is not. She betrayed me, betrayed us all, and now, and now..."
"What did she do?"
"She found her prize, but Caridin's traps were too much. She threw us into them - her people, her people! - and the darkspawn, and... the darkspawn... they take, and they make... she gave us to them, to make, so there would be more darkspawn, so she could force them into the traps to die for her."
Over the course of this recitation Stalas goes from uneasy to horrified to deeply, deeply angry.
"Is Branka alive?" he asks quietly.
"Yes..."
first-and-final
"What do you think you'll do now?"
"I... I don't know," murmurs Hespith. "I am not... what I was. Who I was. I am not ready, I think, to see her... I am not ready to go home."
"I'm going to go have words with Branka," says Stalas. "And then, if all goes well, I will be going back to Orzammar with the Anvil of the Void. You have time to decide."
Hespith nods. "Good luck..." she whispers, and turns away. After a few steps, she turns back. "The broodmother... her name was Laryn, before."
"I'll remember," says Stalas.
"Good," says Hespith. She resumes walking away.
Stalas sighs deeply. Then he starts walking in the direction of the empty broodmother chamber and, presumably, of Branka.
"I... I don't know," murmurs Hespith. "I am not... what I was. Who I was. I am not ready, I think, to see her... I am not ready to go home."
"I'm going to go have words with Branka," says Stalas. "And then, if all goes well, I will be going back to Orzammar with the Anvil of the Void. You have time to decide."
Hespith nods. "Good luck..." she whispers, and turns away. After a few steps, she turns back. "The broodmother... her name was Laryn, before."
"I'll remember," says Stalas.
"Good," says Hespith. She resumes walking away.
Stalas sighs deeply. Then he starts walking in the direction of the empty broodmother chamber and, presumably, of Branka.
first-and-final
It's not hard to find the tunnel that leads from the broodmother's chamber to the corridor containing the lost Paragon Branka.
"A child-prince and a half-naked human?" she says, glaring at them. "What use are you?"
"I accepted my first military command a month ago, which you'd know if you hadn't spent the last two years lying in your den like a deep stalker, feeding your own people to darkspawn for profit," says Stalas in quiet, calm tones.
Branka snarls. "I had to! I had to! Don't you see, with the Anvil we could win the war!"
"You made one of your own retinue into a mother of darkspawn, and unless I'm very much mistaken you had your lover on track to the same fate! Which side were you planning on winning the war for?"
"They were mine! Their lives were mine! It wouldn't have been enough - we needed more darkspawn!"
"You know what," says Stalas, "I don't care."
And it is at that point that the tunnel behind them abruptly caves in.
"A child-prince and a half-naked human?" she says, glaring at them. "What use are you?"
"I accepted my first military command a month ago, which you'd know if you hadn't spent the last two years lying in your den like a deep stalker, feeding your own people to darkspawn for profit," says Stalas in quiet, calm tones.
Branka snarls. "I had to! I had to! Don't you see, with the Anvil we could win the war!"
"You made one of your own retinue into a mother of darkspawn, and unless I'm very much mistaken you had your lover on track to the same fate! Which side were you planning on winning the war for?"
"They were mine! Their lives were mine! It wouldn't have been enough - we needed more darkspawn!"
"You know what," says Stalas, "I don't care."
And it is at that point that the tunnel behind them abruptly caves in.
keep_busy
Annie jumps. "That wasn't a random collapse," she says, "something exploded -"
first-and-final
"The lost Paragon is even stupider than I thought," says Stalas.
"Sneer all you want, but you're not getting out of here without bringing me the Anvil," says Branka.
"That may very well be true," says Stalas. "And then I suppose you'll, what, make a new golem on the spot to dig out the tunnel you collapsed?"
"The anvil will win us the war..."
"The last two crazy people I met down here were both ghouls. What's your excuse?"
"Enough!"
"Anyway, if you think we're so useless why'd you trap us in here with you?"
"You killed my broodmother!"
"That was Hespith, actually."
Branka shakes her head angrily.
"Whatever," says Stalas. "The only way out is forward? Story of my life. Come on, Annie, let's kill some darkspawn. Unless you'd rather stay back here and keep Branka company."
"Sneer all you want, but you're not getting out of here without bringing me the Anvil," says Branka.
"That may very well be true," says Stalas. "And then I suppose you'll, what, make a new golem on the spot to dig out the tunnel you collapsed?"
"The anvil will win us the war..."
"The last two crazy people I met down here were both ghouls. What's your excuse?"
"Enough!"
"Anyway, if you think we're so useless why'd you trap us in here with you?"
"You killed my broodmother!"
"That was Hespith, actually."
Branka shakes her head angrily.
"Whatever," says Stalas. "The only way out is forward? Story of my life. Come on, Annie, let's kill some darkspawn. Unless you'd rather stay back here and keep Branka company."
first-and-final
There are some darkspawn ahead. Stalas methodically stabs them.
There are several veins of lyrium. Stalas breathes them in until he glows like a lantern.
There is a huge statue that whirls around and exhales hostile spirit-things. Stalas tears the false spirits apart with his bare hands until the statue stops moving.
There is a room that fills with noxious gas when they enter. Stalas raises his eyebrows and holds his breath. Breathing feels unnecessary anyway. He looks at Annie to make sure she's okay.
There are several veins of lyrium. Stalas breathes them in until he glows like a lantern.
There is a huge statue that whirls around and exhales hostile spirit-things. Stalas tears the false spirits apart with his bare hands until the statue stops moving.
There is a room that fills with noxious gas when they enter. Stalas raises his eyebrows and holds his breath. Breathing feels unnecessary anyway. He looks at Annie to make sure she's okay.
keep_busy
"...Regen might do it or not," she says, and she crosses as fast as she can.
first-and-final
Stalas crosses too. The door on the other side is locked. He picks the lock. The gas begins to dissipate. Onward they go. There are no more darkspawn since the spirit-spitting thing. Plenty more locks to pick, and some rooms where Annie or Stalas have to warn each other not to step on this or that square of floor, but no darkspawn.
And then: a cavernous room, four stone golems standing silent by the entrance, and a fifth, a ten-foot-tall empty suit of metal armour, guarding a huge glowing anvil.
"...shiiiiiiiit," breathes Stalas.
(Behind them, Branka enters Annie's range.)
And then: a cavernous room, four stone golems standing silent by the entrance, and a fifth, a ten-foot-tall empty suit of metal armour, guarding a huge glowing anvil.
"...shiiiiiiiit," breathes Stalas.
(Behind them, Branka enters Annie's range.)