WEEK 13 - 01010000 01000001 01011001 00100000 01011001 01001111 01010101 01010010 00100000 01010010

[al2955]

the pygmalion. . . ONLINE CAPTAIN'S LOG: WEEK (13)

saturday (10) survivors Something is different. You can feel it in the air: an ominous presence that weighs down the ship like it's underwater. Try as you might, you can't escape the feeling that you're being watched, the sensation of someone just out of view tailing you. Tensions are high, and paranoia grows with it. You feel it more than see it, and that's what warps your perception of the ship. Is it darker? Are the lights dimming? Who is it that calls out to you? Why is it so cold? Who can you trust? The distinct sensation of not knowing who your back is to wraps around you. There is one thing you can trust in, however; though you feel exposed, you are not alone. Mother is here for you. taken list profiles private conversations setting rulebook ENTER COMMAND_

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[qundercover]

[Bull takes his time, waiting on Addie and Adam('s ghost projection) to follow him so he can make sure he can keep an eye out for them. No man left behind and all that. He takes a peek at the dead bodies, trying to discern anything about how old the corpses might be or what took them out, but it might not be as important as the . . ominous red glow and all.]

You already got a good look at a lot of it, but that red shit that's around is Red Lyrium. Don't touch, don't mess with it. It'll ruin your day pretty quick.

[He still has the axe out, ready for whatever is upstairs.]

Don't know what we're going to run into, but I'm gonna take a wild guess it's something to do with blood magic. If he's there, and you can talk to him - use facts. Demons can tell anyone they're your friend, but only we know the truth. It'll help.

[bloodbiter]

What is it?

[seeing his axe out, she pulls out her sword, glancing up at the ceiling at the noises. she nods at what bull says.]

I will, thank you. I'll be careful.

[antietam]

[ Adam takes nothing out. At least Bull mentions talking and Adam nods. ]

I can go in first, warn you before you go in. [ He seems pretty confident as he walks toward the upstairs anyway. It's the one thing he can do. ]

[tevinteriscoming]

[The corpses, it seems, are long dead, and in various states of red lyrium poisoning. A few have stab wounds as well.

Upstairs, the red glow is coming from inside a door; locked with another magical lock that can be easily broken down. This time, in any event, the lock seems more to keep the door locked from the inside than the outside. Inside the door is one of the better rooms the tavern has to offer; nothing fancy, but decently kept. However, it's clear it's been used as a cell, what with the discarded rations on the ground and the bars on the window.

The man inside this room is Halward Pavus, but he's gaunt, ill, and in what appears to be the late stages of red lyrium poisoning; he's glowing a sickly red, and crystals are growing out of parts of his body.]

[qundercover]

Red Lyrium? Good question. The ordinary stuff is blue - grows in the ground, powers mages, poisons pretty much everyone else. It's why we don't mess with it. The red stuff is an even worse version of that. Poisons everything it touches.

[Because Qunari are smart, unless the rest of the freaks on Thedas who love to do shit like snort it on the regular and straight up eat it to figure out what will happen (bad shit).]

Thanks, Adam.

[He is grateful - he's not normally one to let someone unarmed walk up a dangerous stairway first, but he seems settled with the choice. He still follows close behind, in case there's a door that needs breaking down. Thankfully, Halward is hear to provide a helpful "Exhibit A" as to why you don't mess with Red Lyrium.]

Well. Shit.

[bloodbiter]

Is he... dead?

[yikes. that sure is a sight. she'd been following after the two of them, but she tries to get past just to look. luckily, she's not foolish enough to go close to the man.]

Is there anything we can do for him?

[antietam]

No, I don't think... [ He's not sure, how would someone survive crystals growing out of them? Adam does get closer to him to see what will happen, but he also glances to Bull. ]

Why would he be trapped like this?

[tevinteriscoming]

[He can hear you, guys.

Halward seems too weak to get up, but his eyes narrow at the group that wanders in. He certainly doesn't look like he has much longer, but he's alive.]

You again. Come for my son, have you? [Choking laughter.] I'm afraid you're unlikely to find him here. Whatever you think the circumstances here are, I am his prisoner.

[qundercover]

It . . . grows. Like an infection. I was serious about not touching it.

[Well Halward, this is an RPG quest and it's perfectly within standard RPG writing that all the protags make really insensitive remarks right in front of people who can obviously hear them.

Bull has to resist rolling his eye a bit, but. Okay dying illusion man.]

If we want to discuss specifics of who's creating what mind prison, we can, but don't really have time for that. You wanna tell us where we can find him or should we just head for the most ominous part of the landscape?

[Up to y'all if you wanna be nicer to the dying dude.]

[bloodbiter]

[like an infection, a sickness. something about that tugs at her. she pauses for a moment, glancing towards bull, looking more uncertain than she'd like.]

You're sure there's nothing we can do? He's still alive.

[antietam]

[ Oh. Nah. If Dorian's imprisoning his father more power to him honestly. ]

He's not real. We need to focus on Dorian right now—this is a distraction.

[tevinteriscoming]

[Addie, you're sweet. Anyway, Halward is going to keep on NPCing on irrespective of your dialogue choices.]

You're right to focus on Dorian, and Alexius. They're the reason for all of what you call not real. I have nothing to do with this; I never wanted to hurt Dorian. I only wanted the best for him. But by the time I came to him, it was too late.

If you really want to find him, you need to know the truth. Take this -

[He hands them another key, encased again in a glowing memory orb: ]

The knife cuts deeper, up the arm, across the shoulder, to the chest, carving in the shape of a serpent coiled around his heart. The blood runs thicker and blacker with every cut, until the knife makes its incision into his bare chest, lightly knicking the skin above his heart. Something goes wrong; flesh and bone caves in to the barest touch, like a rotten fruit. Underneath the perfect skin is a festering necrosis, blackened and crawling with maggots, where his heart should be. Dark black seeps out of the wound, spilling rot onto the knife, onto the hands holding him in place, onto the floor.

Dorian wakes up again, this time lucid, struggles free of the hands holding him in the momentary shock. He looks down, covers the wound with a hand, keeping it inside him, expression shaky with horrified fear. But then he casts a look at his father, hurt, betrayed, and, with his hand still clasped to his chest, black liquid oozing out slowly between his fingers, he hardens his expression and his shoulders and storms out.

[qundercover]

[Blood magic sure is a fun and good time.]

Not that he deserves it, but just so you know - this is a mercy, for an illusion. This isn't a clean death.

[Addie might want to look away. Bull's standing back so he doesn't accidentally get hit with any of the red stuff, and taking a swing towards Halward with the axe. He can make it quick.]

This is blood magic you're seeing. Fucked up stuff. [Again, this is why Qunari don't fuck around with mages and thus prove they are the smartest people in Thedas. :)] We're in some sort of . . . vision where he [a gesture at the person formerly known as Halward] got a hold of him with it. Didn't deserve any mercy.

[bloodbiter]

[she gets caught off guard with the memory, frowning. she glances towards bull as he pulls his axe out, catching his meaning immediately. she doesn't stop him, but she doesn't look away. a pause.]

Please don't swear. [#priorities.] Where can we find Dorian?

[antietam]

[ Adam scowls throughout Halward's NPC dialogue, wishing there was a way to get him to die faster. He takes the key, unafraid of the weird red stuff, and lets Bull grant his wish. He gives him a smile, then holds up the key. ]

Through another door?

[tevinteriscoming]

[In fact, the key looks like it will fit in a small chest sitting in the corner of Halward's room.

Inside, you will find a very high quality axe and two excellent swords, a map leading up to the tower, and a scroll depicting some sort of ritual, using four corpses depicted covered in crystal to - well, it isn't clear. Something, at the center of the ritual, is being summoned. You'll also find a letter: ]

Father,

You must be wondering our reasons for luring you here under false pretenses. You'll be treated well, but we cannot risk the truth coming out. I'm sure you understand - it's House Pavus' reputation on the line, after all.

I suppose, after everything, I must thank you. Your actions, as loathe as I was to admit it at the time, showed me a truth I had been blind to for so long. Corruption is at the root of Tevinter, and for the good of Tevinter, that corruption must be excised, no matter the cost to do it. You taught me the lesson well enough, and Gereon showed me the way. A new organization that will restore the Tevinter that once was, that ought to be, under a leader who has the power and the capability to do it.

That you oppose the Venatori comes as a great disappointment, father. I should have thought you of anyone would understand that ugly things must be done in the pursuit of perfection. We wish only to destroy the world so that we may cleanse it; to pave the way for a magister with the power to rebuild this world as he sees fit. I trust Gereon to see through what you refused to consider.

I doubt we will see one another again, but your remaining days will be spent in comfort.

Sincerely yours,

Dorian

[qundercover]

[LOOT CHEST with exposition letter inside. This truly is an accurate to real life dream that is exactly how things in real life happen. Bull is comforted that even in the depths of a terrible blood magic illusion that has Dorian writing some truly classic evil dude letters, there will always be a chest with some good shit inside of it once you reach an important plot point in the story. Bull will pass the letter around if anyone else wants to read it and weep.]

So, like I said. The most ominous part of the landscape seems to be where we're headed. Least we're well armed now.

[bloodbiter]

[she reads over the letter with a frown as bull passes it to her.]

Adam, you should take a sword just in case.

[antietam]

[ Adam reads over Adelina's shoulder, honestly pretty impressed with this evil dude letter. Even evil Dorian probably would have been his mentor.

He gives Adelina a wry smile and reaches into the chest to show that he phases right through the swords. ] I'm pretty sure nothing can touch me and vice versa. I can be the lookout. Let's go.