Shadows over Nevarra: The Grand Tourney (In progress)

Collaboration between riverdaleswhiteflash and gervaise21
-----

Issala took a quick look around as he and Ellas left Bann Sighard’s compound and they made their way through the ranks of the tent city.

He couldn’t pick out anyone watching them. He couldn’t tell whether that was because there was nobody to pick out, or because he was more used to scouting in rural areas (or even outright wilderness,) or whether anyone who might be watching them was just that good.

Still…

“I can’t shake the feeling that we’re being watched,” Issala said quietly to Ellas. “Either by the Qunari, or by the people we’re actually looking for. More likely the latter, obviously.”

“We’ve got your antidotes should anything happen but just try and appear casual,” said Ellas. “We must look like we’re just enjoying an evening at the circus.”

They reached the site of the circus where there was already a large audience gathered for the evening performance and took a couple of seats near the entrance where they could leave quickly if they needed to.

“Have you noticed anyone taking a particular interest in us?” asked Ellas, “Or anyone in the crowd who followed us in?”

Issala took another subtle look around, to the best of his ability to look around subtly. “No, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”

As the sun sank below the horizon and the shadows deepened torches were lit around the arena to illuminate the performance.

Issala took another look around to see if anyone was watching them, but everyone’s eyes seemed to be on the stage.

For a second, he locked eyes with an owl that had landed on a nearby caravan belonging to the circus that stood just beyond the seating around the performance area. But only for a second: wild animals aren’t that big on eye contact.

“Oh, the local wildlife wants to watch the show.”

“What’s that?” asked Ellas.

“An owl, perched on one of the nearby wagons. It’s nothing, really, I was just having a laugh.”

Ellas looked around and saw the owl he was referring to. “It’s a pity Gerry isn’t here. He’d probably go and make friends with it. He loved the eagle of Alsgaard when we were travelling together on the ship.”

A pair of elves that looked like twins entered the arena and started performing acrobatics, which captured Ellas’ interest and focussed his attention back on the entertainment.

Issala took one last look around for anyone watching, and then turned back to the stage.

It was an excellent show and Ellas was completely wrapped up in the performance, able to forget the reason they were there for its duration. However, as the crowds started to disperse, he was recalled to their purpose and started looking for Sabina.

“Is she going to approach us?” Issala wondered. “Or, should we look for her?”

collaberation with gervaise21 and phoray

---

 The figure raced away from the quayside and up the stairs they had recently descended with Ellas in close pursuit. He was thankful for the extra physical training he had been engaged in recently in preparation for the joust for whilst it was primarily intended to improve his upper body strength, it had had the effect of overall increasing his fitness. On the whole mages do not bother greatly with physical fitness, knowing they are unlikely to be engaged in prolonged hand to hand or other forms of combat that require a degree of stamina to come out on top. Thus even on that first short run he was gaining on his quarry.

At the top of the steps he paused briefly to catch his breath and check the direction the other had taken. In doing so he caught the sound of steps behind him. He glanced back to see Sabina following, which was a relief as he had been afraid of an accomplice to the mage.

She held up her hand to show she’d caught his gaze and then he set off once more after the fleeing figure.

A flurry of thoughts flitted through his mind as he ran. He was surprised that Sabina had chosen to follow. Most non mages when confronted by the recent carnage would have chosen to run in the opposite direction, so he admired her courage whilst being concerned for her safety. Still, it was helpful in one respect. His oath prevented from using his most powerful spells for his own protection but if Sabina was threatened then he need have no qualms about doing so.

As he closed on the figure, it darted off the main thoroughfare into a narrower side street. As they started to weave their way down the alleyways behind, Ellas was concerned not only that the person might succeed in evading him as they probably were familiar with them where he was not; but also at the deepening shadows away from the street lamps. The only illumination came from the windows of inhabited buildings and the light of the moon. He recalled the words of the Hahren in the alienage when he had asked “What are you afraid of?” The response: “Banal’ras.” That was Shadows. This was a cultist of the Old God of Shadows and Darkness and they favoured the night. Could this cultist be leading them into a coven of his fellow believers?

The figure swerved once more and headed down a longer alley that seemed to be heading straight for the city wall. There was just enough illumination that he could discern a gate at the far end of the alley. It appeared to Ellas that the figure attempted to open this but in his urgency he fumbled over the bolt, realised his error and instead turned back to confront his pursuers.

Ellas heard Sabina approaching from behind. He knew his spell shield was still good and prepared to cast a spell to subdue the mage before they could act should they alter the focus of their attention to Sabina. He was tempted to unleash his full power on them, so outraged was he by what they had done on the dockside.

Just give me the reason, bastard. Thought Ellas. After what you did to them. You deserve to burn with pain.

---

As Sabina turned to follow Ellas and their foe into the alley, she tried to keep her thoughts from straying from the fight at hand to the scene of carnage she’d left behind. Emmerline did not look like she’d make it. She’d offered help to that poor girl, arranged this meeting instead of letting her flee the city.

She shook off the last feeling of dismay as she came to a stop several feet behind Ellas. Their prey had hit a dead end. It was time. Sabina pulled the draw string of her cloak, letting it fall. She drew her rapiers from her sheaths.

An owl hooted. Instead of attempting to cast a spell, the figure reached over their shoulders and produced a pair of short swords and took a fighting stance. Instantly Ellas realised his mistake. The figure was not a mage and had not fumbled with the door whilst trying to open it but must instead have shot home the bolt to prevent their exit that way. His instincts had been right; he had led them into a…..

“Trap”, he yelled and directed a mind blast centered on the warrior, sending them flying backwards to slam against the door and fall to the ground. He turned, intending to lead Sabina back up the alleyway but further figures were gathered in the shadows at the far end, blocking their escape that way.

Sabina had already turned to face those who had snuck up on them, bearing twin weapons of a type Ellas had never seen before. Still he assumed they were not merely decorative and thus she knew how to use them.

“Looks like they want to make a fight of it,” he said grimly.

“Can you take him?”

He jerked his head over his shoulder towards the warrior, whom he knew would shortly be recovering. He noted a brief nod of assent and turned his attention towards the group advancing from the other end.

Sabina swiftly turned back toward the man they’d chased, bearing down on him quickly. Magic was being used, that was clear. Her initial confusion at how he’d flown off his feet was long gone. Obviously Salenia wasn’t the only unsanctioned mage in the South, but this was still the most likely man to have blown Emmerline’s lover to pieces. She would have to disable him quickly, as possibly her only advantage.

Luckily the location meant they could not spread out and flank them which made it easier for him to focus a spell on the entire group, which looked to be four in number, although the shadows made it difficult to be sure. Another tempest spell allowed him to damage the group and also provided him with enough light to confirm their number. He noted they also appeared to be assassins rather than mages. This was disturbing because the mage still needed to be located and could attack whilst he was otherwise engaged but it couldn’t be helped as he needed to concentrate on the immediate danger.

Ellas had only ever had a limited range of spells compared with most mages, preferring to concentrate on specific schools of expertise in addition to actual specialisations. He had mostly focussed on the primal and spirits schools of magic, with only healing from the creation school apart from his ability to shift form. His primal spells were very much linked to the weather, hence the lightning storm, rather than fire or ice, so he was limited in the number of area effect spells that would help against these attackers. Transforming into the snow leopard would give him the necessary physical strength and speed to deal with them but it would prevent him from casting more spells whilst in that form and the hidden threat of the mage meant he needed to be able to do so.

There was also the blood magic of course but of late the source of these spells had been called into question and his oath prohibited him from using them except under specific circumstances. Whilst the conditions could be assumed to be met by the threat these people gave to Sabina, he knew they should only be used as a last resort when all other possibilities had been ruled out.

Flashes of light from behind her made her own shadow grow long over the man’s form as she dashed toward him and levied a kick into his abdomen even as he’d just stood up. The smell of ozone hit her nostrils as his body thudded against the door. Her ankle was now caught in his grasp, unfortunately, and he yanked hard enough that she fell on her back, the air being knocked out of her, her rapiers scattering into the shadows. She felt that he had let go and she rolled blindly to the side, She would, at least not, give him an easy target. She coughed to regain her breath as she came to her knees. She set her sights on her attacker but simultaneously saw she was near neither of her rapiers. Damn- this had devolved to a brawl.

As the group recovered from the lightning attack and continued towards Ellas at a run, he only had seconds in which to make a decision and decided to opt for his last option among the primal spells he knew just to be sure he had exhausted all possibilities outside of the blood magic. With a deft, almost casual motion of his hand he opened up a pit across the entire width of the alleyway in front of the group, into which they all tumbled headlong. He knew it was of sufficient depth that even if not rendered unconscious or otherwise incapacitated by the fall they would have some difficulty climbing out again, so he felt confident to turn his attention back to seeking out the location of the mage and checking on Sabina’s progress.

Sabina ignored the shouts behind her and how they echoed eerily as if they were getting further away. She circled a bit with the warrior, hoping to step closer to one of her rapiers but he caught on quickly and simply strode towards her, the sword in his right hand held high to-- but she didn’t let him. She bent forward at the waist, the air of the miss breezing over the skin of her exposed neck. She stepped forward, grabbing the left wrist holding the second sword, and yanking it forward, directing the sword stab past her. She knew he was far too tall and heavy to attempt tossing her over her shoulder; she instead used her momentum to simply cause him to stumble and turn a few steps to the left.

He simply growled, his teeth gritted.

She then twisted his wrist painfully; he grunted, his grip weakening from the pain. She kicked the heel of her boot into his knee as the same time, yanking his own sword from him and turned back on him.

They both had one sword now. He roared, coming in for a heavy strike. She perried, pushing back; took one step, left foot forward, into a spin, then turned fast enough to swipe down with the sword into his right forearm. It sank in, and the man yowled, dropping his remaining sword. She kicked it into the shadows with her rapiers.

“Yield.” Sabina demanded.

The man said nothing but gave a strange smile that bordered on ecstacy and thrust himself forward onto the sword, grabbing her arm to force it further in.

“Mercy,” Sabina exclaimed, shocked. She dropped her grip on the sword, staggering back.

The man dropped to his knees and fell sideways, dead.

“Damn it,” said Ellas. “We could have done with keeping him alive.” He realised it sounded like a rebuke and altered his tone. “Not your fault though. Are you okay?”

Sabina still had not recovered her usual demeanor. “I..” She waved vaguely at the dead man, then turned her back on him, hugging herself a moment. “I’m fine but…”

She turned to settle her gaze on Ellas. “That man just committed suicide upon my sword. And..” she started, looking beyond him. “Where did the rest of them go?”

“I did a bit of Dalish magic we usually employ for trapping large creatures, like cave bears, when they threaten the clan, so we won’t exit easily that way. They’ve gone awfully quiet though.” He edged closer to the hole, peered down and held out a hand enveloped in lightning to illuminate the pit. He saw more dead bodies, their throats slit, apparently self-inflicted. “Shit, these people are fanatics all right.”

A thought struck him. These people were just mundane pawns that were easily sacrificed. The real danger was still lurking in the shadows and from everything he knew about them, probably a high level necromancer. What were necromancers known for? Raising the dead..

“If I were you, I’d recover my swords now,” he said carefully, not wishing to panic his companion. “I’ve a feeling we’re not out of the woods yet.”

He looked past her to where the corpse was starting to rise back to its feet, yanking the sword from its chest as it did so. That did not bode well.

“Kaffas,” Sabina said plainly before dashing for the shadows seeking a weapon.

It rose to full height, an unearthly glow behind the eyes. Ellas had never encountered one of these before personally, although his father had warned him about revenants and how deadly they were.

This is not the sort of new experience I was hoping for in Nevarra, he thought as he was suddenly jerked forward towards the monster and its sword. He knew it wasn’t worth trying to resist the force pulling on him so he opted to use it instead. Just before he reached the figure he dropped backwards into a slide, so it carried him feet first to slam against its legs causing it to stagger and sway as it sought to keep upright, allowing him to roll out of the way and onto his feet again off to one side. Immediately he shot of bolt of lightning into the revenant. It jerked briefly and then focussed its attention back on him, advancing meanicingly. He countered with a mind blast that halted its progress without throwing the figure backwards as it had when it was a living man, then he started moving again, knowing he would stand no chance against the creature in a toe to toe battle, particularly as he had no weapon. Then again, he didn’t give much to Sabina’s chances with it either. His only hope was to keep it preoccupied whilst Sabina recovered her weapons and then harry it enough that it would remain focused on him rather than her. As he dodged around the limited space available to him, he desperately tried to recall what his father had told him concerning the best means to kill one.

“Not to sound like a coward, Ellas,” Sabina shouted from just out of his line of sight, “But I believe you should create another pit and we should flee.” The end of her sentence brought her to his side.

“I’m going to try something drastic,” he muttered. “It should distract it enough that you can escape through the gate. That should take you inside the walls where you can find some help.” He shoved his badge of office towards her. “This should make them co-operate.”

She stared at him wide eyed, then glanced a split second at the Revenant. She sheathed both rapiers in one smooth motion. She grabbed the badge and ran.

He hit the monster with another mind blast and then sprinted across to the other side of the small courtyard that lay in front of the gate. Then he transformed into the snow leopard. It was something he did instinctively, without having time to disrobe, almost without thinking about it. As a result he successfully completed the transition of his entire form, including clothes and equipment for the first time. Then he sprang into the air at head height straight for the revenant. As he had hoped, his action took the monster by surprise and it was unable to defend itself before he locked his paws around its head and then twisted his body to the side, hauling with all his might. There was an audible crack which he hoped was its neck breaking. Whilst it wouldn’t kill it outright as it would have done a living person, he was pretty sure having an unsupported head would slow it down somewhat. Enough, at least, that Sabina should have been able to get to safety. He trusted she’d remembered to bolt the gate behind her as well.

Being in the form of the snow leopard had another advantage; he could leap much further than he could as an elf. Having confirmed to himself that Sabina had escaped, he let go of the revenant and sprinted in the direction of the pit, hoping the creature hadn’t recovered its wits enough to try another pull before he got to the other side. Reaching the edge he thrust high into the air, sailing across the hole he had gouged in the path and onto solid ground the other side. Without pausing to find out what the revenant was doing in response, he galloped away up the alley, not turning to check until he was a safe distance away at the end, just in time to see the figure with its head on one side topple into the hole. He stopped to catch his breath and gave a sigh of relief.

Then he remembered the enemy mage might still be near but he still could not locate them. It was probably expedient not to try his luck in leaping back over the pit in order to try and catch up with Sabina that way, so he started at a run along another alley in the general direction of the main thoroughfare that led to the city gates. After a few more twists and turns he arrived at his destination and transformed back into his elven form before emerging into the light and crowds. Some people started when they saw him and gave him a wide berth. Glancing down at his clothes he realized they were now filthy with blood and mud.

Burren is going to be furious with me. He gave a faint smile at the thought which helped to relieve the tension he felt. Then ignoring the apprehensive looks from the revellers, he set off at a jog inside the gates to look for Sabina.

---

The guards prepared their spears, pointed at the very door she had escaped through mere minutes before. They were waiting for reinforcements. Sabina paced, rubbing the palm of her hand over the pommel of her rapier. No further sounds of battle had met her ears. The mages back home acted as if the possessed and undead were merely annoying pests; the words of a people laden with magic and inherent protections most elves never benefited from. She’d only heard stories but still- she had no interest in seeing Ellas torn to pieces. She hoped his magic kept him safe.

A clammer of booted feet marked the arrival of reinforcements.

“Now!” Their leader ordered, and the door was opened.

They rushed into the small square leading into the alleyway, weapons drawn. Nothing was immediately visible in the flickering light of ten torches.

“Spread out, pairs only. Call out if you find something!”

Sabina was confused, and concerned. At the moment, the only evidence of her story was the fresh blood spattered against the cobblestone. Shouts rang out from up ahead.

“Here,” A man shouted, and the others flocked to his voice. “Fecking pit, Ajax nearly fell in!”

“Maker!” Another exclaimed, and a murmur wove through the group of men as they looked down into the pit.

Sabina drew no closer, merely gripped the pommels of her rapiers, She was on edge. An inhuman shriek cut through the darkness and made her half draw her rapiers in reaction.

“Bring the oil! Ajax, keep your bow on them now-” The men shuffled, organized themselves. A barrel was brought, the guards paying her no heed as they passed. It was cracked open and dumped over and into the pit. Torches were then pitched into it.

First, it was just a stench filled smoke. Then, the flames rose dramatically, and the inuman shrieking picked up more violently. Sabina fought off the urge to cover her ears. She could feel the heat of the flames even as she stood next to the place where the cultist had initially died. It was his voice, possessed, that wrought the air so. The shrieks abruptly ended.

Ellas wasn’t here. Not unless his body was in the bottom of that pit with the other dead finally put to rest. She dismissed that idea. She knew where to find Ellas, or at least whom he worked for, she realized, patting the pocket that Ellas’ badge of Office was tucked in. Still, she was more concerned for Emmerline and Dune.

As she turned her back on the pyre, she realized that she’d really accomplished nothing at all by following Ellas. Except, perhaps, the death of one man.

---

Ellas was aware of an orange glow beyond the wall, roughly in the direction he imagined the gate in the wall to be that he was seeking. He was staying off the main thoroughfare, partly to avoid the worried stares of the revellers but mostly to conceal his presence from his enemies. They were not the only ones who could employ the shadows to their advantage. He was calling upon his Dalish training now. They were experts at keeping hidden and whilst that usually involved using the undergrowth, the general principles were the same. Trying to behave like civilised humans had availed him nothing and almost got him killed. He would not make that mistake again. It was using his wild alter ego that had saved him and acting on instincts built over long years in the forests of Ferelden. From now on it would be those skills he would rely on.

He arrived at the gate. All seemed quiet but he could still discern a faint glow beyond the wall. Carefully, tentatively, he pushed it open. The glow was coming from the pit. He advanced and stared down to see the remains of the bodies mingled with chard embers, still smouldering.

“Damn it, there goes my evidence,” he muttered.

Still he assumed that Sabina must have found assistance as he had hoped and was therefore safe. With his badge of office in her hand, none would be able to detain her against her will. He thought about where she might have gone next and concluded she would probably have returned to her friends. It seemed expedient to head back to the circus first to check if that was the case and then on to Bann Sighard to report on what had befallen him. There was certainly nothing more to be done within the city that night and he wanted to return to the other side of the river where he could see his enemies coming.

Ellas had been unsettled by the events earlier that evening. It was the first time he had been forced into retreat in a battle. Normally his magic had been able to give him the upper hand. Not that he had ever had to battle the undead before. They were occasionally encountered in elven ruins but the clan’s hunters had usually dealt with them before he had been allowed in. The main lesson to be learned from the encounter was that he shouldn’t go dashing off into unknown territory on the spur of the moment, even he he was eager to capture his prey, particularly when dealing with these cultists. Also, never underestimate the power of a necromancer.

The healing of Emmerline was some comfort to his bruised ego. It was clear he had been absolutely correct about the magic used on the Qunari and that had enabled Issala to provide an effective antidote to its effects. He was also buoyed up by the success of his theories concerning spirits. His parents ideas had never been more than speculation and he hadn’t been as confident of success as he had led Sabina to believe. Nevertheless, he knew it was vital that he didn’t give the appearance of doubt to his listeners. That was another idea that his father had always promoted. Successful magic was about self belief, not putting limits on the possibilities of what you might achieve. That had never been more true than when he killed the Templar who had slain his father. At the age of ten, it shouldn’t have been possible but the thought had never crossed his mind at the time. The Templar was threatening his mother so he did what he had to do to save her.

He assumed that believing in his alter ego was what had allowed him to finally fully transform from elf to leopard, including what he was wearing at the time. Previously he had been overthinking it. Leopards don’t wear clothes so they had to be removed first. However, he knew it was possible to transform the whole because he had seen the Shady Lady do it. He wondered how she would have dealt with the revenant. With that he finally fell asleep.

He dreamt that he was with the Shady Lady again, just as he remembered her, slim, pale skinned, dark hair.

“You have heeded my lessons well.”

Her approval gave him a warm glow but he felt ashamed nonetheless. “If only I had your skill, I could have transformed into something more powerful, a bear perhaps.”

“Have you been studying bears then?”

“No, not exactly.”

He could hear her words distinctly now as she gave him the benefit of her wisdom so many years before.

“My skill as you put it is predicated on my willingness to spend time studying the creature I wish to become. This is necessary so I not only replicate its appearance but can imitate everything from its natural behaviour to its abilities successfully, which is important in order to convince others I am in fact that creature and also to ensure my own safety. That is why it takes so many years of practice to become a bird because to attempt flight without understanding it fully would end in disaster.”

“So you have to be the bird.”

“Exactly. Did you think I was anything other than a large raven when you first saw me?”

Ellas jerked awake. The pale light of dawn on the horizon was just apparent through the tent flap. He quickly lit the lamp by his bedroll and searched for his notebook. Flipping through the pages he found the page he was looking for. He had asked the couple in the adjoining room if they had heard anything unusual. Gabrielle had mentioned an owl. Then he remembered something else he had recovered from the room. He looked in his satchel and found the black feather.

Quickly dressing he left the tent to look for Gerry. The latter was already awake and feeding his ravens.

“Gerry, would you know what sort of bird this feather came from?”

Gerry looked at it. “I’m not familiar with every bird there is but I can say what it isn’t. That doesn’t come from a raven or a crow. It’s the wrong sort of black.”

“Could it be from an owl?”

“I don’t know, I’m not too familiar with owls.” His face brightened. “We could compare it with one that did though. There was an owl hanging around our camp yesterday evening but the ravens mobbed it. They don’t like them you see because of it being a predator bird. It lost a few feathers in the exchange and I kept one for my collection.” He opened the box in which he kept his things for the ravens. “Here it is.” He held them up for comparison. “It looks the same to me.”

“Me too,” Ellas sighed ruefully. “Thanks Gerry, that’s been a great help.”

“Glad to hear it. Does the owl mean something then?”

“It means I owe Issala an apology.”

---
phoray; riverdaleswhiteflash

Collaboration with phoray;
------------------------------

As Ellas and Sabina neared the Sun Dome they heard the sound of hooves approaching behind them and turned to see Bann Sighard mounted on Honey and accompanied by Jasce and Scruffy. He inclined his head with a smile at Sabina as he rode past, halted at the entrance and dismounted, throwing the reins to Jasce, who remained on his horse.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to accompany you, my lord?” said Jasce.

“I think I shall be safe enough within the Sun Dome,” Bann Sighard responded with a wry smile. “Madame de Fer may have a fearsome reputation when it comes to court intrigue but I believe her tongue is the worst I have to fear on this occasion.”

He turned toward Sabina and bowed. “Thank you for complying with our request for your attendance.”

Sabina elegantly returned his bow with a polite bow of her own.

Bann Sighard continued, “ I apologise for not providing you with transport into the city but by the time I reached the circus I was informed you had already left.” He held out his arm. “At least let me provide you with a proper escort within.”

A demure smile crossed her lips as she took his arm. “How very kind of you, ser.” He smelled of fresh linen after time in the sun.

“It is important that your testimony is given due respect by the Grand Enchanter.” He smiled at Ellas “Lead on, if you please.”

The door already stood open with the door warden attending it. Clearly their arrival had been noticed from within and instruction duly given. The tranquil, Muriel, awaited them in the reception hall and said they were expected by the Grand Enchanter, inviting them to follow. As they walked forward, Bann Sighard seemed to lean in slightly towards Sabina and whispered.

“Please excuse me if I seem to walk somewhat close to you. I have to confess that my motives are not entirely gallant. I did not want to show my weakness before the Grand Enchanter and I find it easier to walk without limping if I have someone to lean on.”

She looked up at him through her lashes. “You do me a favor, ser. Nerves may have carried me away, but you are here to ground me.”

Grand Enchanter Vivienne received them in her throne room as she had done before with Ellas.

“Back so soon,” she said with a querulous look at Ellas. “I assume you have something worthwhile to say?”

Bann Sighard gently released Sabina’s arm and stepped forward. “Indeed he has. As I am sure you are aware, Ellas was acting in this matter at my request, Lord Aehrenthal having initially asked me to conduct the enquiry owing to my impartiality in the matter. There have been developments overnight which made Ellas feel we ought to inform you of our findings without delay.”

“I see,” Vivienne gave a condescending smile. “Very well, what revelations do you have for me?”

Bann Sighard nodded to Ellas. “Go ahead.”

“When I inspected the crime scene it was apparent that the cause of death was either blood magic or necromancy. You assumed the former on the basis of the testimony of the Templar at the scene.”

“And my own extensive knowledge, my dear.”

“Really!” Ellas raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I was not aware you were an expert in blood magic.”

“Nor I you,” she responded icily.

“Theoretical, of course,” Ellas countered smoothly. “Which is also true of necromancy. However, I had something more than book learning to back my theory. I took samples of blood from the victims and had them analysed by our own expert. This showed conclusively that their blood had traces of magical poison, which would only be true of the spell ‘walking bomb’. Given the potency of the spell it had to be the version used by an advanced practitioner of necromancy, namely ‘virulent walking bomb’. I trust you are familiar with the spell.”

Sabina listened on with curious interest, hands clasped politely while she waited.

“I am indeed,” said Vivienne and Ellas detected a change in her tone that indicated he had roused her interest.

Ellas gestured to Sabina. “The lady here, Sabina Barbus, whom you may recall from the Opening Ceremony and official reception, had a prior acquaintance with Lord Scribonianus in Tevinter and assures me that he is not an adept in either blood magic or necromancy.” Actually Ellas knew he was assuming the last claim but from Sabina’s description he was fairly confident that his specialism was that of a Force Mage. “I have also collected evidence that suggests the attacker may not have come from the direction of the corridor at all but rather flew in through the window.”

“A Shapeshifter!”

“So you are familiar with the concept?”

The Grand Enchanter sniffed with an air of disgust. “We had such a one serve the Inquisition. I’m surprised she is involved in this.”

“I doubt this is the same woman. In fact, I do not know whether our current attacker is male or female, just that they move around during the evening and at night in the form of a black owl.”

“So the mage has an accomplice.”

“Strange of an accomplice to implicate them in the murder and then try to eliminate the person who was attempting to prove their innocence. Last night, I was attacked, along with Sabina and another potential witness.” He gestured for Sabina to step forward. “Please relate what you know of her involvement and what transpired when I went to meet her.”

Sabina bowed deeply. “Grand Enchanter Vivienne. My misfortune that my second audience with you should be marred by such skull duggery.”

The Grand Enchanter smiled benignly at being shown such deference and cast a sideways glance at Ellas with a lift of an eyebrow to indicate that she considered he should do likewise.

“I will endeavor to be succinct, so as not to waste your precious time. The morning following the Qunari’s delegates' tragic loss of life, a waif bearing much distress took an opportunity to hide among my troupe’s trunks. With much convincing, I kept the stray from making her escape permanent until her countenance could be taken down in detail by the chosen investigator. Leery of her safety, we organized a public meet for which the consultation should occur at a tavern of no importance. Alas, it appears that the true culprits had kept a closer eye on their wayward witness or mayhap it was an ill born coincidence, but that a man, likely the waif’s lover, called out to her. She left her bodyguard behind in a rush to reconnect, only for their very embrace to result in a toxic explosion.”

“I had heard reports of some disturbance at the docks but the accounts were somewhat vague as to its nature.” Vivienne stated airily “Pray continue

“With quick thinking and treatment by Ellas, and his man, Issala, a chance for conference still beats tenuously within her breast. But I get ahead of myself. Ellas took off to make chase after the suspected perpetrator, and I followed, intent to give support.” Sabina glanced down, as the memory came up, still fresh. “One of the men impaled himself upon his own blade, only for his body to transform into an abomination the likes I have only ever heard of. The bodies of others reanimated, and I was pressed to quickly find reinforcements for the situation among those of the Tourney Guard.“

Vivienne nodded her understanding. “More necromancy it would seem. Very well, I stand corrected about the form of magic used against the Qunari for it seems likely the same person was responsible for both.” She addressed herself to Bann Sighard. “Do you now accept my accusation that this affair was the work of a Mortalitasi? Specifically, Viuus Anaxas and thus, as his guest, the Tevinter mage could still have had some part in it. I doubt the murder of the Qunari could have been achieved by one mage.”

“We agree that it would have required more than one mage to have accomplished that feat without their activity being detected or the Qunari sounding the alarm,” Ellas spoke up, refusing to be side-lined. “However, that was always the problem I had with the attacker entering the Qunari’s chambers after they had done so, which would have been the case with Viuus Anaxas. There could have been no element of surprise coming from the corridor in that way. However, if someone was already within the room, it would have been accomplished with the stealth needed to catch them unawares. Something that Sabina forgot to mention is that when speaking with our witness earlier in the evening she admitted that she had unlocked the door to the tower at the request of her boyfriend and also delivered the note to them that took them to the room whilst the reception was still in full swing and thus there was a degree of ambient noise to drown out anything happening in the room. The fact is this was not a spur of the moment act by a man who had only just arrived in the city, as Lord Scribonarius had done, but planned in advance. Nor do I believe that their death was the prime motivation for the act. Rather it was intended as a distraction and cause of dissent between the ruling parties of the city, so they would focus their attention on that and not notice anything else that these people were doing.” He nodded to Bann Sighard to continue.

“It is a tactic that has been witnessed in our own country and this is why we suspect this group is responsible, particularly as the Tevinter mage was sent south specifically to investigate the cult. Have you heard of the Dark Sun?”

“It is not a group with which I am familiar. Have they been in existence long?” The Grand Enchanter asked.

“Over a thousand years or more,” Ellas declared with satisfaction at his superior knowledge. “They are devoted to the Old God, Lusacan.” He held up the amulet taken from Lucius. “This was given to the mage as a way of identifying them.”

Bann Sighard held out a similar amulet. “This was taken from the dead body of an apprentice serving the Magister who caused the trouble in Ferelden.”

“I gather a similar emblem was taken from a group of slavers operating on the east side of the Imperium with connections in Antiva,” said Ellas. “It was making the connection with the group operating in Ferelden, also with the assistance of Antivan Crows, that caused Magister Pavus to start looking into the meaning of the amulet.”

“Magister Dorian Pavus?”

“That is correct. It was he who sent the mage south on his behalf.”

“I wonder he did not send him directly to me.”

Ellas and Bann Sighard exchanged glances. They had already discussed the matter between them. Ellas had promised discretion to Viuus Anaxas but only so long as his hand wasn’t forced. Bann Sighard had agreed that being attacked in the night by a necromancer counted as such a provocation.

“There is a suspicion that there are Mortalitasi who are also members of this cult. Viuus Anaxas was hoping to deal with the matter without a scandal and that is why you were not involved. We feel the time for such secrecy is past. We need your expertise, Madame Vivienne and in particular access to your archives so we can find out as much as we can about this group.”

“We must also ask for you to keep the matter within these walls,” said Bann Sighard. “It is why I haven’t reported to Lord Aehrenthal. We cannot be certain who we can trust within the Ducal Palace but we know we can trust you.” He saw her smile with self satisfaction at his declaration. “We need to keep this cult guessing about what we know and what we plan to do, hopefully before more lives are lost to them.”

“Very well, I agree.”

“One more thing,” said Ellas. “We would appreciate it if you would allow the Tevinter mage to fulfil the task for which he was sent south and let him join in our research.”

“You wish me to free him?” She sounded doubtful.

“A conditional freedom. He must remain in the Sun Dome and not communicate with anyone outside of it. I assume your Templar can ensure he complies with that. Also, he must cooperate with our team and share anything he discovers with us. This will be an indication of good faith on his part and that he is not involved in any way with our enemies.”

“You do not think him wholly innocent?”

Ellas glanced at Sabina before replying. “If there is one thing the Dalish have always believed, it is that you don’t trust any mage from Tevinter. He may not be guilty of the murder of the Qunari but that is as far as I am willing to concede on that one.”

“With one or two exceptions, I am inclined to agree with you.” Vivienne looked smug. “Perhaps you have some sense afterall, my dear. Leave the names and a description of the individuals to whom you wish access granted with Muriel as she will be my representative in the investigation. She has been cataloguing our archives ever since I took up my position of Grand Enchanter four years ago so you will find it quicker to consult her about where to start your search than try to manage on your own.”

“That will be helpful,” agreed Ellas. “What about Lord Scribonianus; should I go tell him the good news?”

“No, I shall summon him here, together with his servant and his jailor, and explain to him personally the terms of his release. I want him to be clear in the understanding that if he fails to cooperate with them he will be answerable to me as custodian of this building.”

“Then we need detain you no longer with our presence,” said Bann Sighard. “I thank you for your assistance in this matter. Good day.”

He gave a dignified bow, turned and recovered Sabina’s arm before heading sedately towards the door.
---

“Well that went better than I expected,” said Bann Sighard as they left the Sun Dome.

“We’ve stroked her ego no end,” said Ellas. “She didn’t mind conceding the point on the blood magic when we gave her such a coup on the Mortalitasi. The Duke will never get the Sun Dome back from her now. Mind you, after my recent experience, I’m inclined to think she was right to have her suspicions about their motives in trying to recover it. I may not like her but I think she is a safe custodian of its treasures.”

Bann Sighard nodded his agreement and then turned to Sabina.

“Thank you for your contribution. Let me offer you a ride back to your friends.” He waved Jasce down from his horse with a grin. “The walk will do Jasce good.”

Before Sabina could answer, they were hailed by a familiar voice and looked over to see Burren running towards them. That alone was enough to indicate something serious was afoot, Burren never usually went faster than a sedate jog, but his breathless account confirmed it.

“Big trouble over in the dwarf quarter,” he puffed and held his side from the exertion. “The Kal-Sharok contingent are accusing the Orzammar lot of foul play. You need to come at once, Ellas.”

“Why me? I don’t know the first thing about dealing with irate dwarves.”

“That Durk fellow seemed to think you could help. Something to do with a set up.”

The Ferelden group exchanged glances with worried frowns and Ellas nodded.

“I asked him to do some digging for me. Maybe he was a bit too successful and our nasty little cultists found a way to get back at him when they couldn’t do so directly. I’d better go.”

“You and Burren can take Jasce’s horse then. You’ll need him to negotiate dwarven etiquette.”

“Me!” Burren looked aghast. “I did my bit delivering the message. There’s no way I want to be the go-between for some angry deshyrs.”

“Ellas, if I may have a word.” He turned his attention to Sabina.

“It appears the investigation has only just begun. I have some experience with traditional dwarven etiquette, so in this fashion I would offer my skills.”

“Thank you, that would be helpful. You also have a connection with Lord Aehrenthal and both groups are only here by his invitation.”

“You should go too, Jasce and take Honey, “said Bann Sighard. “The Orzammar dwarves will know you from the ship and will remember that we represent their ally the King of Ferelden.”

“I’m not happy about leaving you here alone, my lord.”

“Scruffy can stay to look after me whilst Burren finds us alternative transport to take us back to camp. I want to let Issala know the good news so he can spend a few hours in the Sun Dome today. I don’t think we should waste any time in making use of the concession granted us. Lives may depend on it.”

Ellas vaulted aboard the spotted mare that Jasce had ridden and Jasce helped Sabina up behind him before vaulting onto Honey. They rode away from the Sun Dome at a canter that took them quickly past the elegant homes of the nobility in that quarter of the city to arrive at the Dragon’s Den in short order.

It was apparent that the City Guard had also been called to the scene but it was all they could do to prevent the two sides from joining battle in the streets. There was much yelling and posturing between the leaders of the two dwarf factions as they rode up, whilst the massed ranks of their respective teams had formed up ready to enter combat. However, the sound of the horses approaching, something not generally heard in the Dragon’s Den, was enough to give a pause in the shouting as the horses stopped between them. He saw Durk give a brief nod in their direction to acknowledge their arrival.

“What is the trouble here?” demanded Ellas and he slipped down from his horse and held out his arms to help down Sabina.

Sabina slid off the saddle with his assistance.

“It’s no business of yours,” declared Lord Azaharg of Kal-Sharok before he turned back towards the Orzammar deshyrs and resumed yelling. “We demand satisfaction for the death of Legnar.”

“It is nothing to do with Edrick,” shouted Lord Meino. “You are using any excuse to keep our best fighter from the competition.”

“That’s right,” agreed Lord Oerik. “If it isn’t insulting enough to King Bhelen to allow you into the competition at all, now you resort to dirty tricks in an attempt to win it.”

“You stone cursed nug humpers are the ones using dirty tricks. Why else would members of your retinue go wandering off into the city. If it is not the one you call Edrick, then it is your second.” Lord Azaharg pointed to Oerik and then Durk. “He was also outside the dwarven quarter for much of last night.”

“How would you know that if you haven’t been spying on us. It is not for you to say where we may go.”

Hands grasped weapons and the city guards started to back off, deciding that they would be better off quitting the scene and leaving the dwarves to fight it out among themselves. Ellas took out his badge of office, held it up and declared in an authoritative tone.

“By the power vested in me by Duke Sandral Anaxas, I demand you stand down.” Much to his surprise, this had the desired effect of both stopping the conflict from escalating further and the city guards from quitting the scene. There was a brief silence that followed his command before Sabina stepped forward.

“My lords!” Sabina’s strong voice carried across the space. “Surely, the number of dwarves is too low in number to squander! Here, on the surface, you should liken a Grand Tourney to that of a Proving. Seek blood where there is glory to earn for your ancestors! Nothing is truly gained in this field of obscurity.”

“Not to mention that Lord Aehrenthal has declared Kal Repartha outside of the arena,” said Jasce. “If you break it then you may all be banished from the tourney. Then neither side will recover the hammer. Please return to your respective camps and allow my companion here to investigate the matter.”

The Orzammar dwarves were first to concede and returned inside the Diamond Lass with much grumbling and glaring at the Kal-Sharok group as they did so. The latter dwarves took rather longer to comply but in the end Lord Azaharg gave a curt nod in their direction.

“Very well, surfacers, we shall comply for now. You will find us based at the other end of the street in the mansion of the merchant, Kerdrick Dunnharg.”

With that he turned on his heel and walked with his retinue in the direction of the estate.

Ellas exhaled with relief. “Phew, that was a close one. Thank you both for that. Now for the tricky part, particularly the Kal-Sharok contingent, persuading them that I really do have the matter in hand.” He glanced at the half a dozen city guards who were still loitering, unsure what to do next. “You may leave now. If I’m unsuccessful then I doubt you will be able to do much about keeping the dwarves apart.”

The soldiers departed with obvious relief on their faces. Ellas took a deep breath and rotated his shoulders to ease the tension in them.

At his close right, Sabina spoke. “I’m a bit surprised what we said worked. I’m sincerely glad it did, however. What’s next?”

“Right, let’s start with the Orzammar lot.”

As they headed towards the Diamond Lass, Durk appeared at the door and handed Ellas an envelope.

“Here is my report. I had nothing to do with the death of their scout, even if he was following me.”

“I didn’t think you did, nor Edrick either. I know where he goes at night.”

“Very well, then their scout may just have been unlucky in being associated with me in the minds of others. Or maybe he was poking his nose elsewhere where it wasn’t wanted. You’ll see what I mean in my report. I trust you’ll deal with the matter now. I’ve my hands full keeping the deshyrs from doing anything foolish.”

“Thank you, Durk. Send your account to Bann Sighard and he’ll settle it.”

Durk shook his head. “Have that one on me. Keep watching your back, Ellas.”

As Durk departed, Sabina spoke. “You have more connections than I would suspect even with the Bann as your benefactor. But carry on, my curiosity can very well wait.”

They turned away from the inn and Ellas opened the envelope to check the report:

I did the rounds of the watering holes of the seedier parts of this city. Everywhere the result was the same. People were happy to talk until I mentioned the deaths and then they suddenly had business elsewhere. Finally I managed to get a dwarf enough in his cups to get the false courage to speak with me. Most of the deaths were down in the docks area or the slums beyond the walls. No obvious connection between the victims other than that and the mutilation of the bodies. All had the eyes gouged out, the ears sliced off, the tongue cut out. Pretty clear message there. Don’t go looking where you’re not wanted and don’t speak about anything you may have accidentally seen or heard. It first started just after the tourney was announced and people began to arrive in the city to begin the construction for it. When I asked what the city authorities have done about it, he gave a laugh and implied they were mixed up in it. “Listen, friend, if those black robed bastards are up to something, leave them to it. Running to the authorities will only get you killed like the others.” Make of that what you will. I hope this helps. Durk.

Ellas showed the report to his companions.

Sabina’s eyes widened and she shook her head in disgust as she read it. She handed the sheaf back to Ellas.

“Another pointer to Mortalitasi involvement in this,” he said ruefully. “Also, that there is likely a cultist actually in the Ducal palace. I don’t think it is Viuus Anaxas though. I think the idea in killing the Qunari was to discredit him and get him out of the way.” He placed the report in his satchel. “Right, now for the difficult part, dealing with Lord Azaharg.”

As they approached the mansion of the dwarven merchant Ellas mused. “I wonder what connection the Kal-Sharok dwarves have with this merchant?”

“He was looking for assistance from the deshyrs at the reception in preventing raids on his trading caravans,” said Sabina. “If he had no success there, perhaps he thought Kal-Sharok could help.”

“Offering them the hospitality of his estate would seem to indicate as much. Do you suppose dwarven etiquette is the same in Kal-Sharok? I’ve little enough knowledge of Orzammar let alone a thaig that had been thought lost for the best part of 1000 years. I assume Tevinter was equally in ignorance as their southern kin.”

“So far as I am aware, Ellas. From what I have heard they hold to tradition even more than Orzammar does. I have had no dealings with them personally. They have no connection with the Ambassadoria as far as I know. Still, diplomacy shall never be a burden upon those it’s bestowed upon”

Lord Azaharg was awaiting them in the reception hall of the mansion. He looked imperious despite his small statue and had a keen penetrating gaze. He was also alone. Ellas nodded at Sabina to begin.

Her eyes cast about the room and found that they were alone with the lord. A few tense but quiet seconds ticked by, before Sabina simple looked vaguely at the wall to the left of Azaharg. “This group seeks audience with the Lord of this place. We will wait for the appropriate assistance to arrive on this matter.”

The dwarf lord held up his hand to stop her. “We have dispensed with such nonsense in Kal-Sharok. You have leave to speak with me.”

Ellas decided that directness would be the best approach.

“Thank you, Sabina, I’ll take it from here. Lord Azaharg, may I see the body of the victim?”

Azaharg gave a curt nod and gestured for them to follow him. He led them into an adjoining room where a body was laid out and covered with a sheet.

“We will do what we can to preserve him so we can return him to the Stone.”

“I could help with that,” said Ellas. “A simple glyph of preservation would maintain him in his current state for a month, more than enough for your purposes.”

“So you are a mage? Very well, do so.”

Ellas stepped forward and pulled down the sheet. He motioned with his hand and placed the requisite glyph on the body. It was clear how the dwarf had died. There was a gaping wound across his throat. His eyes were also gouged out and from what Ellas could see his ears had also been removed. He assumed the tongue had been similarly mutilated as he guessed Azaharg might object to him investigating closer. Having concealed the body he turned back to Azaharg.

“I can vouch for the two people you accused. He wasn’t killed by any dwarf from Orzammar,” he declared emphatically. “So what was your dwarf really doing last night.?”

“How dare you!”

Sabina shifted on her feet, her hands inching closer to her rapiers at the sudden turn in the tone of the conversation.

“I dare a great deal when murder is involved," Ellas declared. "Your brother dwarf was a victim of cultists currently operating in the city. His body has the same signs on it as other deaths in the months preceding your arrival. Now if they were simply trying to cause trouble between you and Orzammar, his body would have been left untouched. The fact it has been mutilated suggests to me that he must have been poking his nose where it wasn’t wanted. So, what was he doing in the city last night?”

Lord Azaharg looked affronted for a second but then he shrugged. “Legnar was not actually participating in the tourney. He is in the party as our chief scout. When travelling to the city we emerged from the Deep Roads in the mountains to the west and had to travel the last part overland. Cumberland is very old though and like other cities of the Imperium it must once have had a large undercity devoted to the dwarves with connections to the Deep Roads. The merchant here is having trouble with the routes north overland now caught up in the conflict. So we thought we might do business with him and thus it might be worth checking out the Deep Roads leading out of Cumberland. Legnar didn’t want to arouse the curiosity of the Orzammar dwarves by delving around in the dwarven quarter so he thought to try investigating outside of the enclave first. During the day he stayed with us at the arena but after dinner he scouted around the city for signs of people using basements that might link underground.”

“Alone?”

“As you have pointed out, the city is under Kal Repartha, so we had no reason to think him in any danger and the rest of us needed to conserve our energies for the competition. Then this morning the city guard found him, recognised he was one of our group by his armour and brought him to our door.”

Ellas exchanged glances with Sabina and Jasce. “That seems to follow a similar pattern to previous deaths, which started occurring long before the Orzammar dwarves arrived in the city. These people are very dangerous so do not make any further attempt to seek them out for yourselves. Leave it to me and you will have justice for your kin.”

“If it were not for the fact we are in an unfamiliar city, I would still pursue this matter for myself. The dwarves of Kal-Sharok look after our own. However, as your companion noted earlier, our numbers are few so we can ill afford any further deaths if we are to recover our hammer.” Azaharg considered, frowning. “How long does Kal Repartha last?”

“Until the end of the tourney I believe“

The dwarf leader nodded. “Very well, you have until the end of the tourney to bring the perpetrators to justice without our interference.” He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “You may go.”

Outside of the estate once more, Ellas glanced at the others and rolled his eyes.

“Yet more reason to find the murderers before the end of the tourney. Still I don’t want to take on these cultists again without knowing a bit more about them. Let’s hope Issala and Burren can turn up something useful at the Sun Dome. I need a break from this to help me think.” He smiled at Sabina. “I guess that goes for you too. Let’s get you back to the circus.”

Sabina nodded, looking suddenly tired at the prospect.
-------
phoray; riverdaleswhiteflash;

Collaboration with gervaise21

---

Day 3, early afternoon

---

Ellas halted the horse carrying him and Sabina near the Circus and slid to the ground, turning to offer Sabina a hand down. Before letting her leave he said quietly.

“Would you still be interested in helping our investigation?”

"Leaving you in that office after the interview, I thought I was done with it all. It seems fate decided otherwise. I will assist as best I can until the troupe moves on with the end of the Tourney."

“I’d like to know a bit more about the Duke’s son but it is difficult to know who I could approach for information without arousing suspicion. However, Lord Aehrenthal’s daughter, Gabrielle, is currently in a relationship with him and given your connection with her father, she wouldn’t think it odd for you to engage her in conversation. Plus I saw her in the parade at the Opening Ceremony and I think her name was in the lists for the rapier event. As you are rather handy with a weapon yourself, if you offered your services as a sparring partner that would also not seem suspicious. It would have to be when she is at the arena because otherwise Tylus might be with her. He is taking part in the event over at the Mages Meadow, so he won’t be able to attend her early rounds. What do you think?”

Her expression was openly impressed. “It is as if you’d had my involvement planned all along. Very well, Ellas. I will strive to do as I am able on the matter. Will I look for you at the Bann’s to relate any information or wait for you to come round?”

Salenia, red hair sticking up in places from her recent rouse from bed, came up behind Sabina just as she finished her question. Sabina, sensing her presence, turned slightly to acknowledge her arrival.

“Hmm, Bann Sighard will be attending the Tourney either in his box or down with the competitors in the joust. If you discover anything useful, ask him to pass a message saying you wish to see me. Then I’ll discretely drop by later.”

Salenia’s eyes went wide, jumping between the two of them, before settling on Sabina. “Should I latch on the shackles now?” Salenia demanded, anger flaring.

“What?” Sabina reflexively asked in confusion, turning completely toward her friend, Ellas forgotten.

“What do you mean, ‘what?’ This is irrational, ill conceived! The true meaning of untenable could not be more aptly applied!” The fire tumbler’s words only became louder as she continued.

“Salenia-”

“No!” She gritted her teeth to be more quiet. “I didn't even want you getting involved with qunari in the first place.”

“Emmerline-” Sabina began, conciliatory tone.

The attempt to be quiet was abandoned. “And look at what that got her!”

Sabina flinched, but had no time to respond before she continued,

“And now this?!”

Sabina paused, but Salenia was truly waiting for a response this time.

“He gave his life for his son-”

“Yes! his son!-Not yours!” Salenia punctuated each sentence with a stab of her finger in her direction.

“And not your life!”

Sabina had not expected such a strong response from Salenia.

“I…” Sabina trailed off.

“I know that look , Sabby. And I'll tell you right now, in no uncertain terms,” Salenia tone went lower with emotion. “I will NOT help that man hurt you again.”

Salenia took a deep breath to calm herself. "If you do this, you do this without my support."

Silence from Sabina. It was something she felt she had to do.

Salenia’s eyes widened in shock. Her expression slid soon into angry disappointed sadness.

"I hope you fail," she gritted out, her voice sounded as if it came over a lump in her throat. "Don't kill yourself in the process."

And she turned away, went to her cart, and slammed the small door shut.

Sabina set her shoulders, and turned back to Ellas. “If I find out anything, I will seek out the Bann. Good day, for now, Ellas.”

Ellas took the hint that he had been dismissed and so graciously bowed, vaulted back on his horse and rode away, pondering what had been said. Clearly there was more to the exchange than mere annoyance at Sabina continuing to involve herself in his investigation but if she didn’t wish to enlighten him, he would respect her privacy, for the present. He had more immediate concerns. Not only the business he was conducting on Bann Sighard’s behalf but also the qualifying rounds of the joust were taking place that afternoon. He needed to get back to camp and prepare himself and Alban for the contest.

Collaboration between Riverdaleswhiteflash and Gervaise
---
Issala's Research Journal Day 1:

I met with Lord Scribonarius. He was exactly what I was expecting. So I’m not going to enjoy this, but I knew that going in.

I was already mostly up to speed on what he knew. He seemed a little disappointed about that. But he confirmed everything I’ve already been told: the cult is an ancient society devoted to the Old God of Night, Lusacan, and their cultists have a depressing amount of influence in the Imperium, behind closed doors of course. Lord Scribonarius also agrees they’ve likely infiltrated the Mortalitasi, though he fears they may have been part of it from the very start.

I had wondered if that could actually be true, and was on the verge of dismissing it, but Lord Scribonarius mentioned an odd detail about the Sun Dome itself that lends credence to the idea. I have observed that the Sun Dome (ironically enough) has a map of the night sky inside of it. At first, I dismissed it as mere decoration, but Lord Scribonarius pointed out that a specific constellation is given an odd amount of attention: Tenebrium, the constellation associated with Lusacan.

The catch up was quick enough that Lord Scribonarius and I were able to do a little research on the early days of the Mortalitasi, though not very much.
-----

After a busy day, everyone felt in need of a good meal that evening. Afterwards Ellas, Burren and Issala withdrew to his tent where they could discuss privately what he had discovered.

Issala pulled his notes out of his bag. “Okay, I have my notes here from the first day. It’s not much, but… well, we might be on to something.”

Ellas studied them. “That’s interesting about the dome itself. You should definitely investigate that further. From what the dwarven stone mason told me, the building, like much of the original part of the city, probably dates to when the Imperium ruled the area. It was likely constructed specifically as a port serving the southern end of the Imperial Highway. The reason the Duke is trying to regain control of the building is that it was likely the seat of the rulers before it was gifted to the Chantry. That’s why the two buildings are connected.” Ellas was thoughtful. “Although, if Tenebris is so prominent in the dome, it is possible it could even have been the temple to the Old God Lusacan in ancient times.. See if you can find anything about the history of the actual building before it was given to the Chantry.”

“I could focus on that part of the research,” volunteered Burren. “There might be documents from the Shaperate in the archives. I could also look for runes. The dwarf masons tended to leave them in unobtrusive places to make it clear who was responsible for the work but without offending their employer.”

Ellas nodded his approval at the idea. “Good, that will allow you, Issala, to remain focussed on looking for references to the Dark Sun and any other clues that they could be connected with the Mortalitasi.” He gave a glance at the opening entry in the journal and grinned at Issala. “You say Lord Scribonarius is exactly what you expected. I hope he isn’t being too unpleasant. Does he at least seem to be co-operating with your research?"

Issala nodded. “He is. He’s putting everything he has into it, and I haven’t caught him holding any information back. Whatever unpleasant things he might be or might have done, I think he takes his assignment for the Lucerni seriously. And I think he does realize and does care that sharing the information with us might save lives.”

“I look forward to hearing more of what you discover together then.”

Issala nodded. “You’ll know everything the same day I do.” He paused. “Out of curiosity… how much do you know about astronomy? I never learned anything that wasn’t strictly practical, which given how limited my area of operation was, meant that I knew how to find north and that was it. Landon and Burren had to explain the concept of a ‘constellation’ to me. Do… you know why this one might be significant enough to justify the attention the masons paid it?”

“What constellation is that?” Ellas queried and referred back to the journal. “Oh Tenebrium; that Tevinter name means nothing to me. I’m not an expert on the night sky. Like you, I was taught what I needed to know to find may way around using the stars. The Keeper also taught me some of our legends concerning certain constellations. I’m not sure how useful that might be. Why don’t you ask Muriel if they have any books on astronomy in their library at the Sun Dome.”

Issala thought for a second. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s probably a good move. Thanks for the thought.”
---

phoray ; riverdaleswhiteflash ;

Collaboration between riverdaleswhiteflash and gervaise21

---

Day 2:

Lord Scribonarius and I have been going over documents from the very earliest days of the Mortalitasi, reading closely for clues that some of the earlier members may have been Sol Tenebris.

We’re afraid that we may have found proof he was right. We have discovered that there was a particular sect of hardliners within the Mortalitasi at their founding that may have been a stalking horse for Sol Tenebris membership. We haven’t seen any sign of it recently, but we don’t know if that’s because the sect has died out, or because the sect is keeping quiet. If the sect is keeping quiet, we don’t know if that’s to give the illusion that the Mortalitasi are one cohesive whole, or because the sect fears scrutiny from either the outside world or the Mortalitasi themselves.

The sect refers to its members as “The Primus,” meaning “The First.” We cannot find any clue as to what that title refers to.

While we’ve been doing that, Muriel looked into the significance of the constellation Tenebrium. She’s found that there is speculation that it was once considered sacred to the elven god Falon’Din. Muriel and Lord Scribonarius informed me that he is the elven god of the dead, but neither could remember more than that. Maybe you’ll know more, and we can go over that once you read these.
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When Ellas read the entry about Falon’Din in the journal, he was astounded.”Have you any idea what Tenebrium is meant to depict because I know what the constellation to Falon’Din is supposed to be; a giant owl! What do you make of that?”

Issala nodded. “It’s meant to be an owl. Muriel noted that the text had specifically stated that it was strange for a constellation dedicated to an Old God to be anything but a dragon; apparently that’s why people think it was originally dedicated to Falon’Din.”

“So a member of a cult dedicated to Lusacan just happens to shapeshift into an owl; that can’t be mere coincidence, nor the fact that the constellation is the same one dedicated to the elven god of the dead. To my mind there has to be a connection between the two gods and the Mortalitasi. The Dalish have rebuilt much of our culture from what we found in ruins, so what if the early humans used what they found in elven ruins to develop their magical traditions? Regardless, it’s enough of a connection for me between the Dark Sun and the Mortalitasi. It also seems to me the Sun Dome was probably originally dedicated to Lusacan.

“It is certainly very ancient,” agreed Burren. “I found some dwarven runes in the stonework that indicate it pre-dates the formation of the Chantry.”

Ellas frowned. “If rogue elements of the Mortalitasi were behind the attempt to storm the building a few years back, then it is possible they simply wanted possession of a site sacred to them but could there be something else within they wanted to recover? Perhaps there are some sacred texts in the archives that could tell us more about them. I feel certain their presence in the city is due to something more than just the Qunari delegation. That seems even more likely if they are responsible for the strange murders during the preceding months and I’m fairly certain they killed the dwarf from Kal-Sharok too. Why now though and what are they wanting to hide?”

Issala put a hand to his forehead and screwed up his eyes. “It would have to be something big to be worth this much blood… even then, you’d think they’d try to find some other way. With as many victims as they’ve claimed, and especially after the Qunari delegation? The Duke had to find someone to investigate. You’d think a cult that’s stayed secret this long would know that this would backfire, and guarantee that they’d be exposed sooner rather than later… What could be worth that?”

“I dread to think but it makes it even more imperative we try to find out what their motives are.”

Issala nodded slowly. “I agree.”

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phoray  gervaise21

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Day 4, 

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Zucca paid rapt attention to Lucious as he spoke.

“Find her. She won’t have left-” Lucious paused, and rubbed at his temples as if in pain.

Zucca frowned in great sympathy for her Lord. There was no reprieve from his discomfort. Except, during the time he was elsewhere doing the studies he was ordered to perform for the investigation.

“She’s struggling, I can tell, because she didn’t turn me in to that uppity elf. She could have-” a wistful fondness softened his words. “but she didn’t.” He settled his gaze back on Zucca. Her heartbeat picked up.

“I’ll find her, master.” Zucca spoke, voice low with conviction.

Lucious turned away towards his bed, giving her nothing but a dismissive wave in response. Zucca silently padded out, ignoring the Templar standing guard outside who’d been watching.
Within minutes, she was outside of the building on her way to the craftsman district. There, she entered the Hall of Minstrels.

“Hello,” a man crooned from the corner within a deeply cushioned chair, tapping the hand flute he’d been playing before her arrival against the opposite wrist. “Welcome to the Hall of Minstrels.”

Zucca spared no time for pleasantries. “I seek an elven woman.”

The man’s expression took on an exaggerated look of disappointment as he stood up. “We only barter musical talents here, madam.”

Zucca stared him down and his whimsical attitude faltered. “The songstress from the opening ceremony.” She clarified.

He tried to maintain his flippancy, rolling the flute between his finger tips. “That talent doesn’t belong to the guild, unfortunately.”

Slowly, keeping her gaze on the man she drew closer and closer until he backed up uncertainly against the couch. He was a head taller than her and that would not matter. She looked him up and down, and dismissed him as a threat immediately. He picked up on that.

“The songstress from the opening ceremony.” She repeated, her expression exhibiting the expectation of an answer.

He swallowed. “She’s obviously a performer, just not one of ours. None of us knew the little upstart-”

Zucca took another step, and he stumbled back into the cushions with little elegance. He waved the flute.

“Hey hey, serah. She’s not a local, she’s obviously a performer,” his words spilled out of him quickly, “you’re just going to have to ask around at the temporary stalls set up for such west of here, maybe even outside the gates. I don’t know her, nobody else does either, and ruffling up my feathers isn’t going to get anymore out of me!” His voice rose in pitch as he put on a sense of false bravado.

She leaned in, he flinched and closed his eyes as he held up his arms to block the incoming blows- but seconds later, she was back outside. Heading west, her eyes seeking out the eyes underneath every cowl, and the stance of every elven woman she walked by.

Zucca would not fail her Lord, a statement she repeated again and again within her mind as she asked one promising stall and then another if they knew of the songstress. It was not if, it was when.

So there was no sense of surprise when she finally found her target idling by the Tourney Results Board. Only a sense of inner accomplishment and preliminary excitement that she could report back to her Lord with less time spent; less time away from his side.

Zucca was far enough away that she would not easily be seen from her position, slowly walking along with the regular traffic. Close enough to mark the details of her target’s clothing. Good cloak, good leather boots. She briefly considered capture and then immediately discarded it. She had nowhere to put the target, but more importantly, that wasn’t the assignment her Lord had given her. She knew better than her Lord on the matter of the target’s feelings or lack thereof towards her Lord. The first attempted kidnapping had incidentally been forgiven or forgotten, but a second one would not only encourage the prey to fly, but bring more attention to her Lord at a delicate time.

The bird’s head turned toward Zucca’s direction, and she slowed, hiding mostly behind a cart as it worked over a divet in the road.

An older man in fighting leathers came out and called to her. Her prey distracted, Zucca relaxed and watched. This was not Lord Aerenthal, but the man was of obvious means. Problematic that the little bird had made so many allies here in the South. She would follow and-

Zucca tensed as she saw the pair get up in the cart. There was enough traffic she wouldn’t be seen but it seemed they were heading away from the crowds, not back into them, and there was little natural cover as the trees had been culled for the Tourney buildings.

Her mind told her that someone was making a straight approach towards her, and she met their gaze head on whilst taking a relaxed but ready stance. From the clothing, she suspected a servant of some sort.

The young human man made no effort to hide his approach and stopped just 3 feet short of her. “Message for your Lord, miss.” He related with disinterest, handing her a small but luxurious slip of paper. She took it, placing it into her sleeve.

“From?” She asked.

“Lord Tylus, miss.” And with a nod, indicated a man across the road in finery talking to another man nearby.

Zucca nodded, looking back to where the bird had flew as the servant left. The target was here, but not alone. She could give that, and her nest’s location, to her Lord along with the note. She would return for now.

She had not failed. She would never; not when it was for him.

---

Late Afternoon:

"I'll need to inspect this and pat you down." The Templar declared when she arrived before her Lord's cell.

She presented a basket with a few items; a tufted pillow, a scented oil, and some fruit. He eyed the vial of oil with suspicion. 

"I don't know what that is, but I'm confiscating it for now."  He then patted her awkwardly over her light clothing. 

Zucca was indifferent. Outside of the pillow, the rest was there for show. Finally, she was allowed inside.

"Master," She greeted him, before kneeling next to him as he lay upon his cot. The tufted pillow joined the other soft luxuries there. 

"Well?" Lucious inquired.

"As you suspected, she remained nearby with a troupe she works with."

"Pah!" Lucious pouted. "She caught father's eye performing on stage for the elite, sparkled before the Evocatus, and now she warbles for copper among the lowest of Soparati."

Zucca paused to be certain he was done before continuing. "She is likely to stay until the end of the tourney.  Additionally, Master, I received a note from Lord Tylus."

"And destroyed it, as you should."  Zucca nodded. She began to relate the message, word for word, memorized long before she'd returned to him.  She leaned in very closely and murmured just above a whisper.

"There have been rumours of an attack on the elven investigator, yet still no sign of your release even though you cannot possibly be held responsible. I am being confined to the Ducal Palace as well and unable to fulfil my duties in the city, which is intolerable. My brother has made representations to the Grand Enchanter to allow my nephew access to the Sun Dome on my behalf but she is being obdurate and will not permit admittance. Do you wish the Duke to intercede on your behalf? I have been informed that your servant is allowed to walk free, so please send any message via my nephew who will make himself known to her."

Zucca stopped her recitation. "That is all, Master."

Lucious continued to lay, Zucca kneeling beside him, for many minutes. Finally, he broke the silence. "I will think on this more and give you something to relate in the morning."

"Very well, Master." Zucca eased back and returned to her corner. Back to the wall, both Lucious and the Templar outside within her gaze, she watched.

riverdaleswhiteflash , gervaise21

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Day 5 Morning

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And so Zucca stood just behind and left of the nephew of Viuus Anaxas, just underneath an overhang. A strong breeze whipped at Zucca's sleeves.

Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. I am not responsible at all for any of the chaos at the Opening Ceremony Celebration. I don’t relish being the political scapegoat of the incident. I can’t depend on the sort of people who would allow an elf to determine the innocence of a Tevinter Mage to have any intention of releasing me. I will rely on you and the Duke, good man, and sleep better for it.

The recipient of the message stood but one more long moment before pulling their cloak about them and heading out. Zucca meandered into the surrounding crowd, intent on not being seen standing in one spot, but wanting to keep an eye on the return of the messenger so she would have something to bring back to her Master.

Day 3:

Lord Scribonarius and I split our focus today, since you wanted us to investigate both the origins of the Sun Dome and any sacred texts that might tell us what the Mortalitasi’s goals are. Lord Scribonarius agreed to search for any sacred texts, while I looked into the history of the Sun Dome.

It was impossible to find any mention of the Sun Dome’s original purpose. It’s almost as though the Chantry (or the Dark Sun, or even the Mortalitasi in general) would prefer that purpose be forgotten. I was able to confirm that the Chantry took possession of it to house the College Of Magi, rather than constructing it for the purpose, and that it was already an old building when the Chantry did so. Putting all of that together, and combining it with the odd attention given to a constellation sacred to Lusacan, I believe you’re likely right: the building was probably originally a temple to Lusacan. When Andraste’s forces drove out the priesthood, it was stripped of its religious associations, apart from the ceiling as her followers may not have realized the significance. Then later it became the residence of the local ruler and it was one of their descendants who gifted it to the Chantry, moving into the adjoining building that was once a mere annex to the main structure.

Lord Scribonarius found something a bit more concrete when he did more research on the history of astronomy: the Old God of night holds solar eclipses sacred, due to the perception that the moon is turning day into night. Muriel noted that the court astronomers believe one is coming soon. I believe that there is something planned for that day.

Given my previous observations that the Dark Sun are taking actions that they have to know will see them exposed over the long term, whatever they’re planning is probably going to be really big... and really unfortunate for anyone who isn’t them.

Muriel also mentioned something interesting: she said that the Mortalitasi were founded by a Tevinter mage, after the southern Chantry was established. I wouldn’t have expected that, but she brought along several texts from the Sun Dome that backed up what she was saying, so I have no doubt it’s true. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it was founded by a Tevinter, but that a Tevinter would be permitted to found such an organization after the Chantry gained power is kind of a shock.