In many ways the blight hitting this land was a blessing. The templars and the chantry are so focused on rebuilding they have little time to search for people such as me. Local authorities are next to non existent as well in most lands for the time being. Lots of people are traveling both into and out of Ferelden, mostly refugees who look as poor as I do. The templars are also busy with the new group of uppity mages in the Circle due to the freedoms they enjoyed during the Blight. Reasserting control will take up most of their attention as well.
The lack of authorities is a slight problem as well though. There are quite a few bandits now roaming the area and there are still darkspawn about doing… whatever it is darkspawn do. It has required that I travel with other people. I’ve found some capable companions though. Interesting companions, but very capable. One of those qunari is in the group but he says he is not qunari. Apparently he grew tired of being a qunari and is now something else? I had no idea that such a thing was possible. There’s also this really tall elf. He always is looking around for something like he is being hunted. He doesn’t have any hair so probably a former slave or convict. A dwarf fellow who seems to like picking up things and then there is this Orlesian Noble. I have no idea why that guy is here slumming it with us all. Perhaps some cheap thrills?
So we’ve all been together for a few months now and here we are, coming up to a small village that we were told was going to have a celebration for the planting season/building a new fort against the Chasind. All was well going into the village although the elf split and went north into the hills while the rest of us went to the festivities. There I think the entire village was amazed as the Orlesian sauntered up to the axe competition alongside the not qunari and dwarf and proceeded to win it handily! You wouldn’t think that one of his kind would have those skills. I wandered over to the tent and chatted with the local wise woman as the others found some amusements around the area. We chatted about local herbs and healing while locals got drinks and the dwarf, Tin, and not qunari, Brakor, joined them to chat. The Orlesian had apparently opted to stay outside, something that turned out to work well for us.
After some time the sheriff of the area started to give a speech only to find himself interrupted not once but twice by the baying of dogs. All of a sudden someone came through the tent walls at him. Fortunately his daughter intervened but suffered because of it. Tin, Brakor, and I quickly dealt with the attacker and the other two who joined him. During the fight Brakor and I noticed that their weapons were poisoned, in particular their daggers and Brakor took a blow from the unfortunately. The elf, Zerenor, also took a blow at some point during his heroics outside. Tin, the Orlesian, and I are fine for the moment but it is likely there are more out there.
Several others had been hurt by these attackers and so the Sheriff gathered everyone who was still alive after the bodies had been burned in the town hall to discuss what to do next. The local military commander, one Ser Vilem, argued that those infected should be put to death and was supported by a man named Bogdan, the local blacksmith. Needless to say, as several of my friends are infected I spoke out alongside them with the sheriff, whose daughter is infected and we managed to persuade the others that we would search for a cure that the wise woman I had chatted with earlier told us all about.
Admittedly, the cure might not work but it is better than nothing. I shall not let Brakor or Zerenor die in such a terrible fashion. Whatever this poison is, it clearly addles with the mind and turns one into a being of rage. Perhaps it is a demonic poison of some kind or maybe something left over from the blight? I do not know.
The five of us set out the next day with some supplies given to us by locals. The old woman told us to follow a crow she summoned and we are to burn something to attract these things called firesprites who will lead us to the ingredients that we need. There is also a guardian of some kind. We followed the crow until noon and reached a cliff which we climbed down with the assistance of rope. Crossing the river that was next to the cliff was not possible and so we had to go to the town to the west to get across.
There it became quite apparent that those who had attacked Southmere had come through here and made more of their kind who had followed earlier this morning through tracks I spotted and a conversation with a dying man we found. The situation is bad. We proceeded onwards, the need for a cure even stronger now possibly. Crossing the river was easy despite the missing raft. Zerenor tied a rope for all to use to cross and we proceeded on, as wet as we could possibly be. Fortunately the map shows that there is another village coming up. I shall attempt to get the others to stop for a short while so that we might dry our clothes.
As we neared the Korcari Wilds we came across a trapper and chatted with him about events. He did not know much and so we moved on after he gave us some food only to run into a Chasind ambush. However, it was quickly dealt with as I managed to cast a walking bomb spell on one of the Chasind which Brakor immediately killed. Needless to say, the Chasind exploded and the rest of the ambush is now running away from us. I hope we reach this next village soon. I would rather like to have dry clothes again.
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