What did you do today in DA? [Spoilers]

Meanwhile back at Skyhold people are settling in. I decided to check up on things. Cole was still troublesome for Cass and Viv whereas Solas feels an attachment to him.



It doesn’t matter who or what Cole is. He stays. Even so I must get to know him better myself to be sure I’m not making a grave mistake. Cole’s thing seems to be helping people. Out of compassion for them.



Sometimes however it can be ending their life. He admits to being too fast with the knife at times.



If that happens again he wants us to end him.




Cullen is ever busy with fortifications and training. He’s doing a magnificent work and soon he will need to march out.




Blackwall is also putting his expertise in military matters to good use regarding our defenses.




The Iron Bull wanted to show me something special. So, he took me out to meet the troops one night disguised as recruited mercenary.



I let Bull do the talking.



It was interesting to hear the soldiers.




Their devotion to the cause, to the idea of a righteous Inquisition.



It was sobering.




Sutherland was proving useful and expanding his group of irregulars. I will keep supporting the lad.




Sera…yes, I must admit I’m beginning to feel more for her. She seems inclined the same way.



Anyway, she wanted help with a march through a village. A show of force, one thing led to another and we ferreted out rather unpleasant “noble” schnob.



It didn’t end well for him.



In short, he should’ve had treated the commoners better. Killing a defenseless farmer in front of our eyes was not a smart move.



Sera may have gone a little overboard with his face though.




Leliana had a lead on the Venatori.



She had found a merchant in Val Royeaux that traded with them we decided to pay him a visit. We found him dead, killed by the Venatori. It seemed Calpernia didn’t take kindly to him mistreating the slaves he sold her. We killed the Venatori present and found some pieces of a broken crystal in the house. Our archanist Dagna studied the crystals.



One could be used to record activities and through magic send the memory to the other. We had our spies plant the recorder in Calpurnia’s camp and then we waited.
We struck gold.



There was a small crack between Corypheus and Calpurnia. They were preparing her for being “the vessel”. Unclear reference. For unclear reasons Corypheus refused her entrance to the shrine of Dumat. We had to break in there.


The Crestwood mayor had been captured.



He didn’t really resist. His claimed the blight sickness had spread in the village of Old Crestwood. The sick could not be saved and the healthy relatives would not abandon them. If he hadn’t done what he did even more would be doomed.



That may be true but all we have is his word. Still many innocents died when the village flooded.



Despite his defense, he had to die by the axe man.




Josie was working to much so I had to lure her away for a couple of hours. It was great to just spend time together like friends. I had tea with Solas. Funny how dislikes tea just as much as me.



He had a problem he wanted my help with. One of his spirit friends had been summoned to Thedas from the fade. Solas was worried so I promised to consider it.



Later I took a stroll in the garden and came upon Cullen and Dorian playing chess.



After Cullen beat Dorian I accepted the challenge.



We went at it and traded matches. In the end, I won the day but Cullen is no doubt my equal in this game.




A dragon residing close to Redcliffe village was beginning to be a serious problem for the surrounding countryside so we had to go there and put it down. It was me Bull, Sera, and Dorian. The fight was long and fierce but in the end, we were victorious! So back at Skyhold it was drinks!



Bull filled the mugs with some Qunari liquor the burned like dragon fire!



I wasn’t about to back down



and several mugs later I had a marvelous buzzzzzzzzz.




Sutherland is expanding! He is proving useful.




Sera likes pranks. It’s a good way to weld the group so I’m in.




And our stern Seeker…she likes romances. Particularly Varric’s romances.



She is ashamed of it. So, I decide to persuade Varric to write a new chapter for Cass, dedicate it.



Ha. Varric is in on it so long as he can see her face when she gets the book. Deal!
Group building is important. Friendship as well. So, I spent some time with Sera. She baked some cookies. It was great sitting on the roof eating cookies with her, even if the cookies weren’t top notch.



It’s the thought that counts though! I got to meet the chargers more informally. Great gang Bull’s got there.



There is a lot of “me” in the Chargers.



Same goes for Sera’s Jennies I guess.
And I made sure Sutherlands crew got top of the line equipment.




Later I found Cassandra restless in the war room. She had been looking into the Illusive Lord seeker Lucius Corrin. We had found no trace of him at Therinfal. Now she had a lead, Caer Oswin, a castle in Ferelden. No reason to idle about so we went there post haste. At Caer Oswin we met the order of the fiery promise. A crazy cult dogging the seekers for centuries. Lucius had revived them. All the seekers had been sent out there one at a time to be tortured and killed. This had been done because they were resistant to red lyrium. We found Cassandras apprentice Daniel there.



He was on the brink of death, dying in agonizing pain.



Cassandra help him pass on and ended his suffering.




At last we found Lucius.



Mad as a hatter. Even so there was some method there. When he had become lord seeker he had been given a book with all the seeker orders secrets. The secrets of the seekers of truth? He felt Cassandra would understand if she would just read the book. Too late Lucius you die now. We read later. GRAAAGH!




“The big’n’old dusty Tome of the secrets of the Seekers of TRUTH” revealed the truth of the ritual of tranquility as well as the seekers vigil. We did find some papers discussing the reversal of the rite of tranquility out in the Western approach. This book however, describes the method in detail because that I what the seekers have been doing to their apprentices all this time. Turned them tranquil and then reversed it by having them possessed by a spirit of faith at just the right time. A revelation that brought Lucius over the edge. Thank the maker (yeah, I know, weird huh?) Cassandra is made of tougher stone, more like bedrock.
After reading the book Cassandra was ready to just forget about the seekers altogether.



We discussed it thoroughly and in the end, we agreed that the idea of the seekers still was good.



Cassandra would be just the person to make that idea into reality. I would support her.



Thus, she would seek out any survivors and they would read the book as well. Then decide if they would want to continue in the order.




Then finally the Ben-Hassrath made their move. They wanted to do a combined mission against the Venatori on the Storm coast.



An openly cautious agreement on my part.



Still, it will be interesting to see them in action.


Everybody has a problem with something it seems and Josie is not spared.



She needs me to escort her to Val Royeaux for family reasons.



She is trying to get her family back in on the Orlesian trading routes.



However, her agents have all been killed. A nobleman in Val Royeaux may have some information as to why. I’ll escort her as a precaution.




Then Mother Giselle approached me. She had received a letter from a Magister Pavus, Dorians father. The Magister and the Mother wanted me to lure Dorian to a secluded place to meet some retainer. There Dorian would be asked to return to Tevinter. I smell a fish here and it isn’t me. So, naturally I went straight to Dorian and gave him the letter.



It is probably true that The Magister had been trying to contact Dorian for a long time and that Dorian had kept himself out of reach, but still, kidnapping 101, I have read it. Anyway, we decided to make the appointment end the first rule in trap handling is to know about and prepare accordingly. The meeting was at the Gull and Lantern in Redcliffe and when we got there we were greeted by magister Halward Pavus in person. No retainer at all.



They had had a falling out because Dorians refusal to conform with tradition.



Halward had the betrayed his sons trust.



There was still la lot of love there between them,



and instead of pouring salt in the wound I led them on the road of reconciliation.



Dorian would, however, stay with me in the Inquisition.



The House of Pavus would have to wait.



Mother Giselle was still concerned about the gossip surrounding young Pavus and inquisitor Cadash. Baaah. I say let them.




Varric came by to let me know he had just finished the next chapter of “Swords and shields”.



We could not let Cassandra wait.



The look on her face when she got the book in her hands!



Yes, it was worth it.





Life in Skyhold is good! Who would have thunk ten years ago, me? Here? Now?

Hawke and Stroud



And the two ladies