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OOC: OPEN SIGNUPS - Dragon Age: The Sixth Blight OOC
Sign-Ups: CHARACTER INDEX - Dragon Age: The Sixth Blight Sign-Ups
And, as it had happened before, the people of Thedas forgot about the power of the Blight and failed to ignore the warnings of the Grey Wardens as the latter became forgotten.
Now, thirty years have passed.
And so came all those across Thedas who were brave enough to answer the call, to seek the Grey Wardens at Weisshaupt in the Anderfells, but not before leaving to answer the rumors in the south that a living Grey Warden had been seen living amongst the Dalish elves, who had suppossedly joined up with some smaller tribes and kinsmen while rescuing some human villager along the way. If nothing else, they would need the help of these Dalish to combat the darkspawn in the future. But now, as they enter the Brecilian Forest, all is dark and quiet...
"Wake up, Arrahel. The Grey Wardens are needed all over Thedas, and your duty is only just beginning to reveal itself…"
It was to that voice that the elf known as Arrahel the White awoke, having slept for more than three years amidst the chaos of the rising Blight. The elf felt as if all of the life in his surroundings beckoned him to consciousness, their collective will amplified through the matronly voice that had resounded throughout his mind. But that mattered not immediately, as the Dalish healers ran forward to tend to the Grey Warden, ensuring he had suffered no permanent injury during his sleep.
It was during the days that followed that the Dalish clan informed the Grey Warden about everything that occurred in the past three years, including the loss of public faith in Orlais and of some of the northern countries. Furthermore, when Arrahel asked if any of the Dalish clans they had come into contact with had sighted any other Grey Wardens. Due to the extent of the information that the Dalish could provide, Arrahel learned that the previous Warden-Commander had been found dead near Redcliffe.
It was with this news that the elf had to rise and take upon himself the duty and rank of Warden-Commander of Ferelden. The burden felt like great millstones had fallen onto his shoulders from miles above, but he could not forsake it. To forsake this duty when he was the last Grey Warden he knew of would be to condemn Thedas to the darkness of the Blight, a place from which the continent may never rise again. His duty, at least, was clear; to unify the people of Thedas against the Sixth Blight and begin to rebuild the Grey Wardens.
It was a daunting prospect, to say it in the most minimal terms, but it had to be accomplished.
The first step, Arrahel would determine, would be to call upon the obligations written down in the treaties signed with the Grey Wardens. And with the expedition to Weisshaupt the Dalish had informed him of, Arrahel wouldn't have a better opportunity. Somehow he needed to catch up with them before they reached Guerin, which according to hearsay was their initial destination. Hopefully he could convince the Dalish to uphold the ancient treaties before he needed depart for the port city.
It would be soon that the healers allowed the Grey Warden to exit the healing tent after a few days, wherein the elf donned his garb and armor. His garb consisted of a white, long-sleeved tunic- under which he wore his Warden's Oath pendant- and grey traveler's pants and matching socks. His gloves were made of inscribed leather, and his vambraces were of a central layer of red steel that was covered with twin layers of inscribed leather. His cuirass encompassed the pauldrons, chestpiece, and a short tasset that also acted as a codpiece. Arrahel's legwear, however, was simple and only consisted of red steel poleyns (knee-guards) and grey, roughspun adventuring boots that were equipped with red steel greaves.
However, Arrahel's most valuable garment was his cloak. A parting gift from his parents before he left the Circle to join the Grey Wardens, the white, hooded cloak was woven and enchanted to mimic a dragon's scales in the aspects that it could resist and protect the wearer from elemental magics, softening the blow and preventing the destruction of the cloak though not negating attacks completely and scarcely dirtying as a side-effect (this was much to the mother's approval). On the back, the Grey Warden had modified the cloak (after taking upon himself the ways of the Arcane Warrior and learning how to weave the enchantment) to have two holsters. The topmost was for his staff, and the bottom most holder supported the weight of his metal targe (which looked to be more like an improvised sling to some extent), upon which was the heraldry of the Grey Wardens.
Aside from these garments, the elf wore two satchels beneath his cloak. One carried lyrium, ingredients for potions and poultices, the instruments necessary for the aforementioned, and bandages while other carried copies of the Grey Wardens' treaties, his personal accounts, items for correspondence (including sealing wax, the seal to which was a ring he wore on his right ring finger), what little correspondence he received from other Grey Wardens, and the equipment necessary to perform the Joining, save for vials of darkspawn blood.
He did have one more bag, a single-strap rucksack in which he kept clothing and personal effects, along with preserved food and drink. It was well used, but the fabric and rope held taut and firm even after the elf's years-long slumber. With his bags packed equipment holstered, the Grey Warden pulled out his staff- which was carved predominantly from dark sylvanwood- and used it to ensure his legs were fully awake as he walked through the camp and speak to the healer, leaving his mage's satchel and rucksack in his tent as he made his way to the Keeper.
The clan's Keeper, an elderly elf named Thelralan, had the same angular racial features as Arrahel. But while Arrahel's hair was white naturally, Thelralan's hair was white due to age. But soon enough, the Grey Warden's steel-blue eyes met the Keeper's green ones, the former turning to speak on serious business with the latter. The Keeper, resting on his silverite staff, greeted the Warden-Commander as they stood under the shade of the aravel he shared with his family. The voice of the Keeper was a hardened, gruff bass while the Warden-Commander's was a lower, more serious baritone.
"Aneth ara, Arrahel."
"Aneth ara, Theralan. I'm glad to see you're still living after my slumber, falon."
"Mas serannas, falon. Likewise, it is good to see that we did not lose you to the Fade. Did you dream any while you were in your sleep?"
"Sometimes, sometimes. At times I was conscious of the living world, observing the affairs around me, and other times I was pulled in and out of the Fade, speaking with the spirits I passed as I had control over my limbs, despite it only being in dreams."
"I understand, mithradan. But from what I understand, you Grey Wardens have different dreams than the rest of us, that it is your dreams that affirm whether or not Thedas is truly subject to a Blight."
"Unfortunately, that is true, falon. My dreams while in that state have shown me that we are, indeed, subject to the Sixth Blight. Therefore, it is with some sadness that I must ask you to uphold your end of the ancient treaties and begin to prepare, likewise informing the other Dalish clans as to the fact they are to be called upon."
"Mithradan, we cannot yet fulfill our end of the treaty. The People are scattered all across Thedas. We need time to rally the clans- and when that is done, the People will be with the Wardens again."
Then, spotting an unusual figure, the Grey Warden spoke once more.
"Falon, who is that human?"
"He is an Ash Warrior who found us about a month ago, from one of the villages in the south that have already been destroyed by the darkspawn. About three hundred humans from their villages survived and are travelling with us. With them are some Templars and warriors, but not enough to keep the humans safe without our help."
"Then it is true- the Blight truly does scare everyone into harmony and equality."
It would be then that one of the Dalish hunters who guarded the entrance to the camp, the young hunter speaking slightly worriedly to the Keeper.
"Keeper, news from the front watch! There is a group of travelers and another of refugees passing through, but a horde has emerged but is going to assault them!"
"Call the hunters and the warriors! We fight the Blight on this day!"
Gathering what warriors and hunters he could muster, the Grey Warden drank a vial of small vial lyrium (as, unlike Templars, mages do not suffer addicition and withdrawal to the substance) to give himself further strength and to awaken him enough to be of use in the battle. They formed up on the edges of the nearby clearing, where darkspawn began to crawl out of the earth. The elf first took his staff from his back, the gem humming with energy as he raised it to signal the archers to draw their bow. The tactic in question was simple- to ambush the darkspawn before either of the passing groups could be assault. And- with a conscious Warden in tow- getting the attention of the darkspawn would be all tooeasy.
Lowering his staff, Arrahel gritted his teeth and yelled out the command to release a volley of arrows as he cast a barrage of lightningbolt from his staff before putting it aside. Arrahel then cast the magic of the Arcane Warriors, drawing his sword and his shield as he immediately led the charge into the group of darkspawn. With the superhuman strength he derived from the taint and the powerful lightning magic at his disposal, the Grey Warden took his duty upon him as he cut through the horde in search of the leading alpha. For when the horde's alpha was killed, the darkspawn would retreat back to whence they came until a new alpha was bred to lead them by their broodmother. As the horde was rather large, it would be difficult to detect where the alpha was concealing itself. But no matter- Arrahel was doing a rather good job at carving his way through the darkspawn as the severed heads and limbs of genlocks and hurlocks laid at his feet as the battle raged on.
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