"Go ahead" You say, and Natalya lines her blade up with Noah's temple.\n\n"You're wrong." Noah coughs. "Y-you did the wrong thing." \n\n"Not for you to decide, kid." The dwarf says. A quick shove is all it takes, and the young man falls still.\n\n"Damn shame." Natalya says. "Boy never should have gotten into this business."\n\n"All right!" Amoria yells. "Everybody grab some food - you've earned it. We're rolling out soon!"\n\n"You're right that I earned it." Your dwarven companion mutters. "Come on, Dirt. And come on, Killer." She nods at Vause. "Let's get moving."\n\nYou turn to trudge back to the residential carriage, and Natalya leans in close to you.\n\n"Do you think we did the right thing?" She asks.\n\n"I think so, Natalya." You say. "It's hard to be sure."\n\nYou stop to grab some lunch at once of the supply carriages, navigating among the crowd of elves. Some of them come up to you to thank you for your bravery during the assault.\n\nDuring the commotion, you lose track of those you were eating with. You board the rearmost carriage as the caravan starts to move and find that your companions are nowhere to be seen. Upon climbing the ladder, you find them standing on top of the caravan, looking out over the hills that it rolls upon. \n\nYou take your place next to Natalya and Vause.\n\n"What do you think will happen next, Dirt?" Natalya asks.\n\n"I don't know." You reply. "But whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

"Me too!" You say as you skirt around the edge of a stationary carriage. "It's time to find out what those dodgers have been hiding."\n\nThe darkness surrounds you, gives you cover, but it also obscures any obstacles in your path; you're stepping slowly as a result. \n\n"I feel it in my stomach, like hunger." Natalya says, keeping her eyes forward. "I always did hate secrets."\n\nThe two of you feel your way along the carriage until you find the latch for the sliding door. \n\n"You ready?" Natalya asks, her fingers positioned to pull the door wide.\n\n"Sure am." You say.\n\n"Good enough." The dwarf hauls the door open, and it squeals in resistance. This makes you wince, but then it's over - and the dark interior awaits you. \n\nNatalya hauls herself in first and begins to strike flint and steel over a torch that she brought.\n\n(If you're a mage, you tap her on the shoulder and simply snap your fingers, igniting the torch with your will. Otherwise, you have to wait.)\n\nYour dwarf companion lifts the torch to illuminate the carriage - and you find it piled high with crates of dried meat and chests of linens, along with a few stacks of raw timber; the supplies that any village is built upon. \n\n"Well that's disappointing." Natalya says, but immediately turns and heads for the door. "Onwards!" \n\n"Didn't we find what we're looking for? They have exactly what they said." You say.\n\n"Dirt, there are five more of these things. I wouldn't hide my suspicious goods in the one the closest to my curious mercenaries if I were them."\n\n"Then why did we check this one at all?!" \n\n"Huh. Good point." Natalya grins and hops out of the carriage, keeping the torch lit but low.\n\n"Natalya..." You start.\n\n[["I really think we should head back."]]\n[["This is fun."]]

"Fenlahn." You say, opening your hands to him. "You told me that Tevinter scares you. That this whole venture scares you. You really believe that a life as a slave is better than life in Mekan's village? We can give your people a new home."\n\nThe elven man pauses at that, then looks to Amoria. \n\n"Don't listen to them." She says. "I know what I'm doing, I promise you that. They will be safe in Tevinter."\n\nFenlahn looks back at you with renewed vigor, raising his blades. \n\n"We are the Iron Leaf. We stand together." He says. \n\n[[Side with Mekan.]]\n[[Side with Amoria.]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Vause privately.) \n[["Vause, help me free the slaves."]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Noah privately.) \n[["Noah, we're professionals."]]

"Well I'm not." You say as you skirt around the edge of a stationary carriage. "I'm just here for you, Natalya."\n\nThe darkness surrounds you, gives you cover, but it also obscures any obstacles in your path; you're stepping slowly as a result. \n\n"Aww, what a sweetheart." Natalya grins, though you can barely see her. "I'm about to shed a tear, really I am."\n\nThe two of you feel your way along the carriage until you find the latch for the sliding door. \n\n"You ready?" Natalya asks, her fingers positioned to pull the door wide.\n\n"Sure am." You say.\n\n"Good enough." The dwarf hauls the door open, and it squeals in resistance. This makes you wince, but then it's over - and the dark interior awaits you. \n\nNatalya hauls herself in first and begins to strike flint and steel over a torch that she brought.\n\n(If you're a mage, you tap her on the shoulder and simply snap your fingers, igniting the torch with your will. Otherwise, you have to wait.)\n\nYour dwarf companion lifts the torch to illuminate the carriage - and you find it piled high with crates of dried meat and chests of linens, along with a few stacks of raw timber; the supplies that any village is built upon. \n\n"Well that's disappointing." Natalya says, but immediately turns and heads for the door. "Onwards!" \n\n"Didn't we find what we're looking for? They have exactly what they said." You say.\n\n"Dirt, there are five more of these things. I wouldn't hide my suspicious goods in the one the closest to my curious mercenaries if I were them."\n\n"Then why did we check this one at all?!" \n\n"Huh. Good point." Natalya grins and hops out of the carriage, keeping the torch lit but low.\n\n"Natalya..." You start.\n\n[["I really think we should head back."]]\n[["This is fun."]]

"About Tevinter..." You start. "I've heard it's a country ruled by mages, almost all of whom practice some kind of blood magic. Why would you want to go there?"\n\n"Even blood mages need food and drink." Fenlahn responds. \n\n"I suppose..." \n\n"But why wouldn't we be coming from closer? Why would we come from this far south, when we could simply trade with one of the larger orlesian states, and have them transmit the goods north to Tevinter and Nevarra? And -- why the unconventional route? There are many questions in this world, my friend - and very few are ever answered for certain. You'll have to settle for ignorance like the rest of us."\n\n"But you know the answers in this case." You say. "This is no grand philosophical question."\n\n"And yet... the results remain the same." He says. \n\n"Fine."\n\n[["Why should I bother asking you questions?"]]\n[["Where do you come from?"]]\n[["What are we hauling?"]]\n[["That's all."]]

She's giving you no choice; you have to win this fight, and she never places any restrictions on it in terms of honour. \n\nAmoria swings what could be a final blow at your head; you duck under, and before she can follow-up you grab a fist-full of sand and throw it at her face. \n\nLeaving her no time to recover, you launch a blow at her belly.\n\n(If you're a mage - this is the perfect time for a blast of force that knocks her back into the caravan behind her.)\n\nAmoria falls to her knees, clutching her belly where you struck her. It didn't bite through her armor, but it's possible that it could have bruised her. You settle your weapon close to her neck. \n\n"Enough." She says, wiping the sand from her eyes. "I appreciate a mercenary that makes no half-measures. If you fight, you fight to win. Welcome aboard."\n\n(Offer her your hand.)\n(Let her pull herself up.)\n\nAmoria gestures to the long carriage behind her. "Go inside - Fenlahn will brief you on the job."\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]\n

Your curiosity takes you through the trees and carts of the oasis, to the sandy outskirts where the fight you saw still rages.\nA crowd is gathered around a long carriage supported by two bronto, a rhino-like creature native to the Deep Roads. More of the hulking beasts are milling about around other similar carriages that form a hitched line for paces in either direction. \n\nOne of those huge qunari, a woman with ashen violet skin and short sanded-off horns, is facing a tall elf with a long sword and ragged leather armor. The qunari only carries a simple but well-made staff and is wearing nothing more than ordinary traveling clothes, but is still holding off the skilled elf woman with proficiency. \n\nThey tangle in melee combat for a moment, trading equal blows, until a sudden burst of energy springs from the qunari's staff, sending the elf woman sliding back and kicking up a small storm of sand. \n\nThrough the shield of dust, the qunari decides to press the assault. She spins, and a twist of fire climbs its way up the staff from her hands; when it reaches the top, it is burning like a star. She releases the burst of flame directly at where you had last seen the elf - and the crowd gasps in shock and fear. \n\nBut the elf is not so easily dispatched. She appears from the sandstorm, her blade glowing slightly from the heat - it seems she deflected the blast. For a moment, it feels like she is going to leap forward and engage the qunari again, but instead she raises a hand to signal the end of the fight. \n\n"Enough." The elf says. "Very good. You are welcome among us, mage. Go inside and speak with Fenlahn; he will negotiate your pay."\n\n"Thank you." The qunari nods and turns towards the nearest carriage. As she disappears inside, the crowd trades panicked murmurs that you move slightly closer to hear. \n\n"A qunari mage? Here? Aren't they all supposed to be leashed and bound back in their own lands?"\n"Maker protect us..."\n"Do you think she's dangerous?"\n"I'm certainly glad she's gone!"\n\nA new voice slides up next to you, slightly high-pitched. \n\n"That was something, wasn't it?" A young human man says. He has long, unkept brown hair and looks like he's recently had his nose broken. Dual daggers rest at his belt, though you're a little dubious that he really knows how to use them. \n\n[["Sure was!"]]\n[["A little dull, actually."]] \n[["I could do better.]]\n

You lay your head down on the tiny bunk and let out a breath. Tt's not the most comfortable bed you've had in the last few months - that award goes to the surprising cuddly cacti that you and Natalya found once - but for the first time in a long time you have a space that's your own. That comforting thought carries you swiftly to sleep. \n\nThe next couple of days are relaxing, as travel goes; you forage for roots and berries, you spend time getting to know your companions, you make small expeditions into the marsh as you slowly circle around it. There's much interesting wildlife to be found, which Noah is more than a little excited about:\n\n"Look, look! A Northeastern Nettle-Belly!" He shouts as you wander through the swamp with hunting bows drawn. "But what is it doing in Orlais? I thought it was native to the Free Marches! What are you doing here, little guy?"\n\n"Perhaps it's not as northeastern as you thought." Vause remarks.\n\nNatalya takes a shot at the bird, and it goes wide. "Maker damn it all!" She shouts. \n\nAs the bird scatters with a shriek, Fenlahn shoots it out of the air from a few feet behind you. You exchange glances - he winks. \n\nThe days roll on and your caravan rolls farther north, around the swamps and along the edge of the Tirashan. The ancient forest is mesmerizing, and you find you don't ever get tired of sitting on top of the carriage and staring into its web of interlocking branches. Its leaves sway with the wind in the most pleasant way...\n\n"Dirt?" Natalya calls after you, her voice filled with worry. It snaps you out of your trance, and you realize how far you've strayed from the hunting pattern. \n\n"Heya." Noah comes up behind you and pokes you with his hunting bow. "What's wrong with you? You craving for the wild all of a sudden? I would've thought you'd had enough of it by now."\n\nNatalya scurries over and takes your arm. "You're scaring me, Dirt. We've got to stop you wandering off like this."\n\nInstead of hunting, then, Natalya takes you out to try and get a peek at the goods that Amoria and Fenlahn are transporting. \n\n"Come on, I'm dying of curiosity here!" She calls after you later that night, when the rest of your companions have turned in. You stayed up to make sure Fenlahn took to his room - but Amoria always sleeps secreted away in the front carriage, so you can't be sure of her state of consciousness. \n\n[["I'm not sure about this..."]]\n[["Me too."]]\n[["Just for you."]]

"I don't take much stock in the spouting of smallfolk, Natalya." You say. \n\n"'Ey, you got a problem with small folk?" She replies, gesturing at her body. \n\n"You know what I meant!" You chuckle. "I've spread a few rumours in my time, I'm sure you have too. These things grow, they take on a life of their own. If I had a coin for every time someone told me a spirit's behind their laundry going missing..."\n\n"What kind of coin?"\n\n"Whichever you like, I'd still be rich!" \n\nYou share a chuckle as warm as the sun you're standing in. Which reminds Natalya:\n\n"Well Dirt, if the town's not cursed, we might as well head on down and see if we can grab some grub, eh? My stummy's rumblin'."\n\n[["Why do you call me that?"]]\n[["Let's."]]

Though her swing is mighty, you have the fortitude to withstand it. You raise your guard and bash her sword aside, then take advantage of the opening with a pommel strike from your own weapon. \n\nThe blow knocks her off-balance, and you follow it up with a kick that sends her sprawling into the sand. \n\n"That looks uncomfortable." You say, pointing your weapon at Amoria's helpless form. "Sorry."\n\n"Don't be." She says. "Your solution wasn't elegant, but it WAS smart - you know your own capabilities and used them to overpower me. Well done."\n\n(Offer her your hand.)\n(Let her pull herself up.)\n\nOnce on her feet, Amoria gestures to the long carriage behind her. "Welcome aboard - Fenlahn will brief you on the job."\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]

"I'll do it." You say, and draw the small knife at your side.\n\n"You're wrong." Noah coughs. "Y-you did the wrong thing." \n\n"I'm sorry, Noah." You say, and line up the blade with his temple. A quick shove is all it takes, and the young man falls still.\n\n"Damn shame." Natalya says. "Boy never should have gotten into this business."\n\n"All right!" Amoria yells. "Everybody grab some food - you've earned it. We're rolling out soon!"\n\n"You're right that I earned it." Your dwarven companion mutters. "Come on, Dirt. And come on, Killer." She nods at Vause. "Let's get moving."\n\nYou turn to trudge back to the residential carriage, and Natalya leans in close to you.\n\n"Do you think we did the right thing?" She asks.\n\n"I think so, Natalya." You say. "It's hard to be sure."\n\nYou stop to grab some lunch at once of the supply carriages, navigating among the crowd of elves. Some of them come up to you to thank you for your bravery during the assault.\n\nDuring the commotion, you lose track of those you were eating with. You board the rearmost carriage as the caravan starts to move and find that your companions are nowhere to be seen. Upon climbing the ladder, you find them standing on top of the caravan, looking out over the hills that it rolls upon. \n\nYou take your place next to Natalya and Vause. \n\n"What do you think will happen next, Dirt?" Natalya asks.\n\n"I don't know." You reply. "But whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

"We'll do it." You say, the picture of confidence.\n\nNatalya pulls you down (or simply leans over, if you're a dwarf) to whisper in your ear. \n\n"You don't think we should ask for more money?" She asks. "Or at least more information?" \n\n"We can handle this, Natalya." You say. "We can handle anything."\n\n"Well hey." Noah beams, turning your attention to the group again. "I'm just as in as they are. Where are we going, anyway? You hadn't gotten into that part."\n\nFenlahn moves to the small desk and rolls out a map of the eastern countries; Orlais in the south, Nevarra, the Anderfels, and the Tevinter Imperium along the northern coast. \n\n"We'll be heading north here, skirting along the edge of the Nahashin marshes."\n\n"Also along the Tirashan." Vause says. "The forest that no one dares venture into, for tales of the dark things that lurk there."\n\n"Indeed." Fenlahn says. "Do you have any more questions?"\n\n"No, no." Vause concedes. "Just making sure we're all on the same page."\n\nYou and Natalya exchange a look. What have you gotten yourselves into?\n\n"What's our destination, though?" Noah asks. \n\n"We will enter Nevarra here." Fenlahn says, pointing. "Through Perendale. Then we will round the Silent Plains to reach Vol Dorma, in Tevinter."\n\n"Tevinter." You breathe. "Okay."\n\n"Won't we experience significant wheel trouble through all this wilderness?" Natalya asks. "Is there a reason we're not using the Imperial Highway? This is kindof what it's there for."\n\n"You may have noticed the unique construction of our caravan and the beasts that pull it." Fenlahn says. "We can handle transport - concern yourself primarily with protection and this will go smoothly. That is our guarantee."\n\n"All right!" Noah says. "If you need me, I'll be bunking. It's so nice and cool in here, compared to outside! I've been in the desert too long."\n\n"Indeed." Fenlahn says. "I believe you'll find that the carriage retains a comfortable temperature quite well. If you have any other questions, I'll be available up top."\n\nWith that, Fenlahn climbs up a ladder fixed to the wall that you were barely aware of and disappears through a hatch in the roof.\n\nNoah moves to the door and opens it to peer out. Vause sets up by the desk, examining the map and a couple of other documents strewn there. \n\n"Well." Natalya says to you. "I'm still in if you are."\n\nAs soon as she finishes speaking, you hear a cry from outside - it sounds like Amoria. The carriage rumbles into motion beneath you. \n\n"I guess I'm in." You say. "Too late to turn back now."\n\n"Okay." Natalya chuckles. "Let's see where life takes us. I'm going to set up my room. See you soon, Dirt."\n\n"See you." You say. Natalya disappears into one of the cloth-separated rooms.\n\nYou look around the cabin of the carriage. You've got a lot of travel time ahead of you - you could try and get to know your new companions, consolidate your friendship with old ones, or simply rest and recharge for the trials ahead. \n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Check in with Natalya.]]\n[[Search the writing desk.]]\n[[Head to your room.]]

You emerge out onto the roof of the carriage and take stock: \n\nThe caravan is covered on one side by a small cliff, one that allows almost a dozen leather-clad figures - bandits, you presume - easy access to the roof. This rock formation has also pushed the caravan close to the Tirashan, and the whispers of the eerie forest press on your senses as you try to examine the field with more detail. \n\nNatalya's already engaged with another combatant farther down the carriage, a lithe woman that wields dual daggers. \n\nNoah and Vause are fighting back-to-back, holding their ground against three of the bandits while the rest of them charge for the front. From here, you cannot see Fenlahn or Amoria. \n\nAs you step from the ladder, Noah's guard crumples against an aggressive shield-bash by one of the bandits, and he's thrown from the roof. Vause thrusts out her staff before he can fall, however, and seizes him in a grip of violet energy. This requires her concentration and leaves her back open. \n\nYou leap into action, kicking one bandit into the cliff and knocking away the blade of the shield-warrior that is threatening Vause's back. The third bandit presses in on you, raising a crude hatchet to bury it in your skull - \n\nBut Natalya ducks between you and Vause, slashing open the axe-wielder's belly and knocking him to the ground with a spinning shield-strike. \n\n"Ki-yah!" Natalya yells. "That's what I'm talking about! We'll earn our pay today, eh folks?" \n\nNoah sets his feet down on the carriage as Vause finishes her spell. \n\n"Thank you." He whispers to her, more out of shock than an attempt at secrecy. "That fall could have killed me if I landed wrong, and I just-"\n\n"Get your head on straight." Vause says as she burns a hole through the chestplate - and chest - of one of the remaining bandits, the one you kicked into the cliff. "There are more."\n\nFrom here, you can see Amoria scuffling on the ground, surrounded by four more of your leather-clad foes. Periodically, she flicks her sword upwards to deflect an incoming arrow; you follow the sightline of those shots to see a young man, dark-skinned, firing from the carriage at the front of the caravan. \n\nYour eyes meet, and his grow hard. He knocks another arrow. \n\n"Rush 'im!" Natalya cries. "I'll cover Amoria!"\n\nShe leaps from the carriage, and Vause is barely fast enough with a spell to keep the dwarf from breaking her shins upon landing. \n\nNoah surges forward, knives in hand. You follow.\n\nSurprisingly, the bow-wielding man meets your charge with his own. You're rushing towards each other at high speed, leaping over the gaps in carriages when they come, and you're about to meet in bloody combat - \n\nWhen the man leaps off the side of the caravan, passing you diagonally. You spin to look at him - and see him grip a heavy lever that hangs off the side of this carriage, one that's three up from the residential carriage. This is the very same that you and Natalya almost discovered last night. \n\nWhen the man lands on the lever and his weight pulls it down, the side of the carriage folds open to reveal a crowd of elves dressed in rags. \n\nThe combat pauses with this revelation, as the bandits gaze from Amoria to the crowd. \n\nThe young dark-skinned man speaks. "Here." He says to his troops. "I told you. She's a slaver!"\n\nAmoria only responds with a snarl, and her blade whips out to catch the throat of the nearest bandit - or perhaps they're not really bandits at all. \n\n"Mercenaries!" She calls as the leather-clad warriors close in on her again. "Do your duty! Protect the caravan!"\n\n"Wait, stop!" Natalya cries out, moving to intercept a strike aimed at Amoria. "We can talk this over!"\n\n"She's really a slaver?" Noah whispers. "And I've been - oh Maker."\n\nVause raises her staff to let off a blast of flame at the young leader of the opposition.\n\n[[Stop Vause.]]\n[[Wait and observe.]]

There are several papers strewn about the writing desk next to Vause, though none of them are addressed to her. Most are simple notices or memos between Amoria and Fenlahn, but one in particular stands out. It is written in peculiar script, at once simple and beautiful:\n\n"Amoria,\n\nYou must proceed north, along the Tirashan. I will be unable to meet you as planned, but there are others that will take my place. Trust them as you would me. \n\nAs I told you, this is not the first time I have organized in this way. Though there are always complications -- twists in the road -- the strength of your conviction will see you through them. Move through the trees if you must."\n\nThe letter is unaddressed. \n\n"Odd, isn't it?" Vause remarks. \n\n"Indeed." You say. \n\nYou examine the desk for any hidden levers or such, but it seems there is nothing more to be learned here. \n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Check in with Natalya.]]\n[[Head to your room.]]

"I really think we should head back." You say. "We're in the middle of nowhere - if Amoria finds us and kicks us off, we'll have to walk for days before we hit any kind of town. And she could do more than kick us off..."\n\n"Which would only mean that she has more to hide." Natalya says, disappearing from view. \n\nYou follow her down the line to the next carriage. \n\n"Since when do you care this much about uncovering the truth? It's not a justice thing, is it?"\n\n"Nope, it is demonstrably not." Natalya grins. "I just really hatelove secrets."\n\n"Hatelove?"\n\n"You know. Like the relationship you share with roasted potato skins." \n\n"Hey, those are a Ferelden delicacy!" You protest. \n\n"They're also ninety-eight percent grease." Natalya pulls up to the next carriage. "Shush, here we are."\n\nShe pulls open the door, and you find that the cargo of this carriage is just as mundane as the last. Plenty of fresh water and simple sundries, little games for children. \n\n"Okay, fine!" Natalya fumes. "Next one." \n\nYou haul the carriage closed and move on - there's a bend in the caravan ahead, so you need to round the corner to get to the next container. \n\nWhen you do, you come face to face with Amoria. \n\nNatalya screams, a little too high and a little too loud. \n\n"Oh." You say. "Hi, Amoria."\n\n"We were just. Uh. Going for patrol." Natalya says. "Like, y'know - mercenaries! So protecty. We're good at that!" \n\n"Mm." The scrappy elf drags her huge sword to her shoulder, giving you the most skeptical look of the age. \n\n[["She's right."]]\n[["We were looking for some privacy."]]\n[["We were snooping."]]

"Good luck." You say as Natalya begins to push her way through the crowd.\n\n"Won't need it!" She calls back. \n\nIn the ring, Natalya draws her sword and shield as Amoria faces her down. \n\n"Aren't you getting tired?" Natalya says, confident and calm. "All these fights in a row."\n\n"You'll not win any fight by underestimating my abilities." Amoria says. \n\n"You're right about that." Natalya says, and charges forward with her shield raised. \n\nAmoria easily sidesteps the dwarven woman and sweeps her sword upwards. This could have easily bisected Natalya - but she deflects the blow with her sword and spins, crashing the hard edge of her shield into Amoria's side. The elf is thrown off-balance, and Natalya presses the attack with a couple of warning slashes. \n\n"Good, good!" Amoria says. "Quick and savvy." \n\nWith the wide blade of her sword, Amoria is able to block these slashes and lash out in a vicious stab, which Natalya has to raise her shield to block - she steps away to regain her ground. \n\nThe two stare each other down. Then Amoria darts in, thrusting bodily at Natalya's center. The dwarf hunkers down behind her shield, which is exactly what Amoria intends; the elf drops her sword but retains her momentum forward. If Natalya had her sword positioned correctly, she could have skewered Amoria; as it is, the elf tears her shield aside and lands a heavy punch on your friend's face. She reels back, falling to the ground.\n\nAs Natalya hits the ground, Amoria offers a hand in the same motion as the punch. \n\n"Lack of discipline - any formal legion would have drilled a shield stance into you that keeps your sword up." Amoria says. "But you have good instincts, ingenuity. Welcome aboard."\n\nNatalya takes her hand, rising to her feet. "Thanks." She says, not without bitterness. \n\nAmoria launches into her speech for newcomers again, and you suppose that the time to make a decision has come. \n\n[[Try out for the caravan job.]]\n[[Walk away and leave Natalya.]]

Natalya is chatting it up with a couple of human mercenaries - one is armed with a couple of long daggers, the other has a crossbow slung across their back. Both speak with Orlesian accents, as many do in this part of the world. \n\nThe first mercenary, we'll call him Knivesman, is speaking.\n"If you ask me, no job is worth that kind of humiliation. Where's the professional respect? I have knives, I'm a mercenary - there's a trust there. You want an escort, you hire an escort, eh? There's a trust there, that's what I'm saying."\n\n"I'm not so sure, Robspierre." The second merceneary says. "The employer has a right to know the strength of their escort, the skill. Perhaps you are bitter simply because you did not win."\n\n"Is better than not trying, no?" Robspierre teases his partner. \n\n"Eh, Dirt!" Natalya calls you over, speaking through a mouth full of soup. "Get a load of this; you know that big caravan at the edge of town?" \n\n"Pfeh." Robspierre spits. \n\n"They're hiring for a trip north across the desert; the long haul. It's the perfect job. Only hitch is, they're not bringing on anyone sight-unseen. They ask anyone looking to join in to fight them!" \nHer grin is wide; its clear that the prospect excites her. \n\n[["Where exactly are they going?"]]\n[["Sounds like fun."]] \n[["Waste of time."]]\n

"I, um." You stutter at first, trying to wrap your head around it. You've never met a person like Natalya before. "Give me a second to process this."\n\n"I understand." Natalya says, but she's clearly a little bit hurt by your hesitation. \n\n"No, no." You say. "I'm not... I'm not losing my mind, it's just... strange, I suppose? But. Okay. This is you."\n\n"This is me." She says, finally looking you in the eye. "I'm still Natalya."\n\n"You're still Natalya." \n\n"That's right. You can ask any questions you want, but if you ask me about my life before this, I will likely get in a kneecap-breaking mood. Actually - can we save the questions altogether?"\n\n"Yeah, that's fine." You say. "All I need to know for now is that you're a woman, hey?"\n\n"That's right."\n\n"Okay." You say. "I can work with that."\n\n"You don't think you'll care?" She asks, nervous.\n\n[["I care about you."]]\n[["Not at all."]]\n[["It'll take some getting used to."]]

"I think it's beautiful up here." You say. "See that scarf? It used to be someone's, might have been special to them. Now its been in the wind so long that it's all tattered. It's wonderful in its own way."\n\n"Yes yes, thank you, my poet friend." Natalya sighs. "Now what do you think of the MYSTERY? A demon? Coincidence? A couple o' punks exaggerating somethin' easily explained?" \n\n"I think it makes things more interesting." You say. \n\n"Well, you're right about that. Whaddya say we head down and rustle up a little grub? Mayhaps not an actual grub - though I've done that before - you know. Food and things."\n\n[["Why do you call me that?"]]\n[["Let's."]]

"I saw you fight earlier." You say. "It was really impressive, the way you -"\n\n"What, is this some kind of come-on?" She says, accusatory. "Most of the people who aren't afraid of me are just interested in ogling the exotic beast-girl from across the sea. They turn me into an object."\n\n"Whoa." You say. "I..."\n\n"I'm sorry." Vause cuts you off, then after a second of awkward silence: "You're right. We should get to know each other." \n\nShe gets up from the candlelit desk for a moment to grab a second chair, one that she plops down in front of you. When you sit, she sets herself up across from you. \n\n"Me first, though." She says. "You and the dwarf -- how long have you been travelling together?"\n\n"A couple months, now." You say. "We met a little bit after she left Orzammar (Dwarf: "we met in Orzammar") - but if you want to talk about that, it's her story, not mine."\n\n"You compliment each other well." Vause says. ("Both front-line fighters, you create this bulwark of steel.") ("She distracts them while you unleash the real damage.") ("She distracts them while you rain fire and keep her safe.")\n\n"But you can also handle yourself." She says. "So tell me: what's your story?"\n\n[["Nothing much to tell."]] \n[["I love traveling."]] \n[["I'm all about the adrenaline."]] \n[["I'm not sure, honestly."]] \n[[(Human) "I used to live in a tiny village..."]] \n[[(Elf) "I was raised in an alienage..."]] \n[[(Dwarf) "I come from Orzammar, but I was curious."]] \n[[(Qunari) "I was Tal-Vashoth, an exile by choice."]]

You and Natalya move through the trees and carts of the oasis to the outskirts of town, where the fight you saw earlier has dispersed. The crowd is still gathered, however, around a long carriage supported by two bronto, a rhino-like creature native to the Deep Roads. More of the hulking beasts are milling about around other similar carriages that form a hitched line for paces in either direction. \n\nA new challenger steps into the ring of the crowd, a young man with long brown hair and a broken nose. He draws two daggers and holds them in reverse-grip, staring down the leader of the caravan. She is a tall elven woman with a long two-handed sword, rugged leather armor, and elaborate 'vallaslin' - facial tattoos given holy significance by Dalish elves. \n\nThe two combatants face off for an uncomfortably long time - each seems to be waiting for the other to attack. Finally the young man darts in with a slash at the woman's knee - it's clear that his intention is to move out of the range of her sword as quick as he can, but he's not quite fast enough. The woman sweeps her sword up to the side, threatening to lop his arm off - but at the last second he throws himself into a backward roll and springs up to his feet a yard away. \n\nThe woman does not let up, however. She closes the attack, striking once, twice, each sweep narrowly deflected by the young man's daggers. Finally, it is over; she kicks him square in the chest and knocks him to the ground, holding the blade to his throat. \n\n"Good." She says. "Go inside and speak to Fenlahn. He will outline your pay."\n\n"Hah!" The young man exclaims, accepting the hand that the woman offers to help him up. "I told you I wouldn't disappoint you."\n\n"That has yet to be seen. But you will accompany us."\n\nThe young man goes to the door of the nearest long carriage and pulls himself inside. The woman turns to the crowd. \n\n"To any new arrivals: My name is Amoria, of the Iron Leaf. We are looking for mercenaries to accompany us north to Tevinter, to protect our cargo and make sure it arrives safely. But we will not accept you on reputation alone, however. Face me, impress me, and you will be compensated well for the journey."\n\nThe crowd responds to her words with a ripple of energy, whispers and excited chatter - they are eagerly awaiting the next fight. \n\n"This is amazing." Natalya says. Then, louder: "I will face you!" She screams. \n\n[["Natalya, wait!"]]\n[["Kick her ass."]]\n[["Good luck."]]

You walk over to Noah, who is silhouetted by the setting sun in the open door of the carriage. The dunes of the Western Approach drift by as the bronto-powered caravan plods across the desert. \n\n"How are we not tipping over?" Noah muses. "The ground is basically as uneven as it can be, but still we remain upright."\n\n"It's a mystery all right." You say. \n\n"Ah, hey there." Noah smiles wide. "How goes?" \n\n[["Nervous about the road ahead."]]\n[["Better than you."]]\n[["Fine."]]

You step into the ring, facing Amoria down. The elf looks at you silently - from this close you can see from her face that she's starting to tire. \n\n("Do you need to rest before you do this again?")\n("Hey, chuckles. You and me.")\n("I'm next.")\n\nAmoria simply steps in front of you and raises her sword. \n\n"Come on. Let's see what you have." \n\nYou draw your weapon. \n\n[[Strike first.]]\n[[Examine your environment.]]

"Would you still ask me to help if you were winning?" You ask, with a pointed look at Mekan. "I'm not so sure I can trust your intentions."\n\nYou and Noah all climb down from the caravan roof to get a better sense of the situation. Vause stays perched on top, scanning the scenery for any more signs of violence. \n\n"By leading the raid on us, he's already hurt at least the band of fighters that came with him." Amoria scowls, striding towards Mekan with sword drawn. "I'm going to finish him before he can do any more harm."\n\n"They were all willing volunteers." Mekan says. "We're freedom fighters, here to free your slaves."\n\n"Convenient that they're not alive to corroborate your story." Amoria says, pausing for a moment. "And they're not my slaves. They are my charges."\n\n"That's not entirely true, Amoria." Fenlahn speaks up, but does not move to intervene. \n\n"What does he mean?" You ask. \n\nAmoria looks at the ground, then turns to Natalya. \n\n"Watch him." She says, pointing at Mekan. Then she gestures at the crowd of elves within the carriage; a couple of them have poked their heads out to see you, but they remain mostly silent. \n\n"These are my people." Amoria says. "From the alienage in Mont-de-Glace. They were living in poverty, starving, freezing. From my travels, I know that slaves in Tevinter are at least provided for. Many of them were working as slaves besides - shackled to serving jobs where their employers could justify any action simply because they were paying a pittance."\n\nThe elf woman spits. "I realized there were better fates. So I packed them up, and I'm taking them north. Yes, they will be slaves. But they will have homes and food at least."\n\nFenlahn simply nods. He seems entirely devoted, perfectly calm. \n\nA series of murmurs ripples through the crowd of elves. Is it doubt, perhaps, or are they words of support for Amoria's plan?\n\n"You can't possibly know that." Noah says. "You can't possibly know what life is like for a slave. I've actually visited Tevinter, and it's - it's not what you think. It's warm, sure, and there's food -"\n\n"That's good enough for me." Amoria says, and part of the crowd backs her up with murmurs of support. \n\n"But some of the masters, they treat their slaves like shit!" Noah protests. "They torture and kill them! The stories I've heard about blood magic, they -"\n\n"I will not sell my people into the hands of blood mages. I will make sure every master is kind." Amoria's voice is solid, immovable. \n\n"So you ARE making a profit." Mekan mutters. "It's easy to preach idealism when it also gets you paid, isn't it Amoria?" \n\n"Shut your shem mouth!" Fenlahn screams, making a move for the young man. Natalya stands in his way.\n\n"Not yet." The dwarven woman says. She also looks pretty immovable.\n\n"I could say the same to you." Amoria sneers. "Killing me to free the slaves is rather convenient when my caravan is also filled with supplies that you could take for free."\n\n"You're not wrong." Mekan says. "The supplies will be evenly distributed in my village - where your people will have a place, by the way. They can live with us as long as they want, free from any bonds."\n\n"Look, stranger." Mekan makes eye contact with you. "You're going to need to pick a side, here. I don't think we're going to be able to settle this."\n\n"Whatever happened to 'peace and justice'?" Vause asks from her perch on the carriage.\n\n"I'm afraid at this point, only one is possible." Mekan withdraws an arrow from his quiver, but keeps it pointed low.\n\n"We have to help him." Noah pleads. "We can't let them sell these people, I don't care how noble their intentions are."\n\n"I don't know, Dirt." Natalya says. "There's no profit in freedom fighting. We don't eat if we don't get paid. Although... Amoria and Fenlahn seem like okay folk, but I'm not sure I like any plan that involves selling people into slavery. Whatever choice you make, I'm with you."\n\n"I was hired to do a job." Vause says, her voice cold. "I don't get paid to have opinions."\n\n[[Side with Mekan.]]\n[[Side with Amoria.]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Vause privately.) [["Vause, help me free the slaves."]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Noah privately.) [["Noah, we're professionals."]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Fenlahn privately.) [["Fenlahn. Don't do this."]]

"Well, not me." You say. \n\n"Indeed. Do you make a habit of refusing to acknowledge fear?"\n\n"Perhaps I'm really not afraid."\n\n"Mm, perhaps." Fenlahn is eerily still. "But be aware: I am more than just the treasurer of our little outfit."\n\nA heavy silence hangs between the two of you. Eventually, you decide to break it:\n\n"Is it just the two of you out here?" \n\n"Now it is." Fenlahn says after a considerable pause.\n\n"Really? Aren't you worried about the deadly mercenaries you've hired pulling a mutiny and stripping your caravan?"\n\n"No." He says simply. "I'm not."\n\n[["Where do you come from?"]]\n[["What are we hauling?"]]\n[["About Tevinter..."]]

"I hate it when you call me Dirt." You scowl. "I HAVE a name."\n\n"Hey, hey, it's all in good fun." Natalya says, raising her hands to placate you. "It's a nickname, my friend. If you got to choose it, it wouldn't be any fun."\n\n"Yes, because this is so much fun." \n\n"I didn't say for you. Besides, I think it suits you quite well."\n\nYou brush your face self-consciously. "We've been travelling a lot." You say, as if to explain. \n\n"I know, Dirt." \n\n"Ugh."\n\n"Ah, you're just grumpy 'cause we haven't stopped for a while. Why don't we head down and get you fed, eh? It's on me."\n\n[["Let's."]]

"If I'm being honest, it'll take some getting used to. You're still you, but... I see you a little differently. I hope that's okay. But you are still absolutely my friend."\n\n"Thank you, Dirt." She breathes her relief. "That's... that's one of the best responses I've ever gotten. Now, uh, if you wouldn't mind... I've got important things to do."\n\nShe gestures to the door. \n\n"Uh-huh, I'm sure." You say, sarcasm dripping. You head for the door, but turn back for a moment.\n\n"Oh, and Natalya..."\n\n[["Thank you."]]\n[[(Flirt) "I've always thought you were beautiful."]]\n

"Y'know, I didn't see much before I met Natalya. Now with her I get to travel, and I discovered that I adore it. I get to experience the world, meet interesting people... I may not always be a fighter, but I think life on the road is the one for me."\n\n"Ah yes, the draw of the unknown." Vause says. "I'm sure there's more to you, but it's a start - thank you. Now: your turn. You can ask me anything you'd like." \n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]

"Why are you here, Vause?" You ask. "What made you leave Seheron?"\n\n"Well that's an easy one." She says with a wry chuckle. "You know what they do to mages up there, don't you? I'm here to work, and that's the long and short of it. I have a particular set of skills that my home culture would torture me for, whereas this one provides me with money and relative freedom. Fuck the Qun."\n\nVause sighs. "I didn't always think that way - idealogical conditioning is difficult to fully break. But I'm glad I made it to this point. Anything else?" \n\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]\n[["That's all, thank you."]]

"Goodnight, Natalya." You grin and enter your room, pulling off your gear piece by piece and stacking it by the entrance curtain. \n\nThe bed has become home, welcoming. You fall into a restful, dreamless sleep.\n\n... And awake to an arrow piercing through the side of the carriage, right next to your head. \n\n"Ah!" You shout, and scramble out of bed to where your weapon is lying on the floor.\n\nVause pulls open the curtain to your room, staff in hand. The golden light of the morning streams in, silhouetting her towering figure. \n\n"You have time to equip yourself, but hurry!" She shouts. "I'll hold them off!" She disappears, running for the ladder to the roof. \n\nAs you gear up, Natalya runs past you. She's fully armed and ready for anything. \n\n"C'mon, Dirt! There's a fight to be had!" She shouts, then leaps to the ladder and rockets up through the hatch.\n\n[[Climb up to the roof.]]

"Amoria, maybe." You say. "But you? You're the clerk - the only thing you're going to be making a dent in is my outstanding debt."\n\n"A quick evaluation, not entirely misjudged. But I would leave room for error, if I were you - few have been hurt by overestimating their enemies."\n\n"Are we going to be enemies sometime soon?"\n\n"You never can know." Fenlahn is eerily still. "I am more than just the treasurer of our little outfit."\n\nA heavy silence hangs between the two of you. Eventually, you decide to break it:\n\n"Is it just the two of you out here?" \n\n"Now it is." Fenlahn says after a considerable pause.\n\n"Really? Aren't you worried about the deadly mercenaries you've hired pulling a mutiny and stripping your caravan?"\n\n"No." He says simply. "I'm not."\n\n[["Where do you come from?"]]\n[["What are we hauling?"]]\n[["About Tevinter..."]]

"Vause!" You call out. "I know you don't believe in torture, in slavery. Isn't that the exact reason you left Seheron? If you don't believe in it for yourself, why would you subject these people to the exact same fate?"\n\nThe quanari pauses, looking down. \n\n"All right." She says, and launches a blast of magefire at Amoria without warning. This scatters the two elves, lining them up perfectly for a follow-up strike. \n\nMekan takes this chance to loose an arrow at Amoria, but she deflects it with a quick swipe of her blade. Noah darts in to engage. \n\nFenlahn launches forward with a quick strike at Natalya, but the dwarf catches the blow on her shield. This leaves the elf open for a counterattack, an opportunity you capitalize on; you lash forward with your weapon, catching him on the throat. He falls backwards. \n\nOnly Amoria is left, going toe-to-toe with Noah. \n\n"Last time was just a test." The woman seethes. "I had been wearing myself out all day; this time I won't hold anything back."\n\n"You won't have to." Noah says as he ducks under her guard and launches a slash at her belly. Amoria cries out in pain, but it's not enough to give her pause as she raises her blade in an overhead strike meant to cut Noah in half. \n\nMekan looses another arrow that buries itself in Amoria's exposed forehead. She stands for another moment, dazed, then falls to the ground. \n\nMekan toes Fenlahn to make sure that he's dead, and decides to fire an arrow through his brain anyway. Then the freedom fighter turns to you. \n\n"Thank you, my friend." He says. "I can promise you that we won't forget that."\n\nThen he turns to Noah. "And you, for your bravery and conviction, I hearby offer you a position in my band of merry men."\n\n"Who, me?" Noah says, dumbfounded. "Thank you, sir. I'll have to think about it... You're bandits, are you not?"\n\n"After a fashion." Mekan says. "But we only target slavers, unless the times are hard enough. And we do it all for the village we call home - which is not too far. I can show you, if you'd like. All of you."\n\n"You killed our protector!" Cries an elf from the crowd in the carriage. Stunned into inaction and only now recovering, some of them are wandering out into the daylight now. "I'm not going with you!"\n\n"That is, of course, your choice." Says Mekan. "You can go anywhere you wish, and I won't stop you. Please take some of the supplies from the rear carts to aid you on your journey. But know that you are all welcome at my village. We'll be heading there shortly."\n\nNatalya leans her head against you, sighing. \n\n"That was something, eh Dirt? It feels wrong to go back on our contract, but... I think we did some good."\n\n"I think so too, Natalya." You say. \n\n"Well, all right. Enough of this - I'm going to go steal some lunch before all these elfy types get to it first."\n\nYour dwarven companion trudges away, and you see Vause standing by herself, leaning up against the carriage. \n\n"Vause." You say. "Thank you for helping us. I know it wasn't easy for you."\n\n"If this ever gets back to anyone, it won't be good for my reputation." The qunari says somberly. "But maybe it's better this way. I haven't had other people to talk to for some time. A traveling companion, perhaps, is better than a reputation." She smiles at you, though it is a restrained thing. \n\n"All right!" Mekan yells out over the crowds. "Grab what you can carry and board the caravan! We're heading out!"\n\n"Can we at least hold a funeral?" A small elf says to Mekan. \n\n"Of course you can." The young man says, walking over to help pick up the bodies. "Of course you can." His voice seems tinged with something - not regret at his actions themselves, perhaps, but regret that they had to be taken.\n\nYou board the rearmost carriage and find that your companions are nowhere to be seen. Upon climbing the ladder, you find them all standing on top of the caravan, looking out over the hills that it rolls upon. \n\nYou take your place next to Natalya, Vause, and Noah. \n\n"What do you think will happen next, Dirt?" Natalya asks.\n\n"I don't know." You reply. "But whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

Amoria brings her blade down just as you're raising your hand to speak. It seems like she figured you were going to guard yourself, and so put her full weight behind this blow. It takes off your hand first, then seperates the head from your neck.\n\nA horrible shiver rolls through the crowd. Someone screams. This is the first death they've seen all day.\n\n"Dirt!" Natalya cries, bursting from the carriage where she's been watching the fight. She streaks into the sand where your body is lying and begins to cry - you were the only company, the only friend, she's had for months of travel. It's only natural that she would get attached. \n\nAmoria stands over her, mournful but not overly affected. \n\n"I'm sorry." She says. \n\nNatalya only answers in sobs.

"That's not all you'll be dying of if Amoria catches us out here." You say as you skirt around the edge of a stationary carriage. The darkness surrounds you, gives you cover, but it also obscures any obstacles in your path; you're stepping slowly as a result. \n\n"Come on, you chickenwuss." Natalya smirks. "She won't catch us. We're stealthy as a snake."\n\n"As long as we don't run into the hawk, I'm fine." You say. \n\nYou and Natalya feel your way along the carriage until you find the latch for the sliding door. \n\n"You ready?" Natalya asks, her fingers positioned to pull the door wide.\n\n"As I'm going to be." You say.\n\n"Good enough." The dwarf hauls the door open, and it squeals in resistance. This makes you wince, but then it's over - and the dark interior awaits you. \n\nNatalya hauls herself in first and begins to strike flint and steel over a torch that she brought.\n\n(If you're a mage, you tap her on the shoulder and simply snap your fingers, igniting the torch with your will. Otherwise, you have to wait.)\n\nYour dwarf companion lifts the torch to illuminate the carriage - and you find it piled high with crates of dried meat and chests of linens, along with a few stacks of raw timber; the supplies that any village is built upon. \n\n"Well that's disappointing." Natalya says, but immediately turns and heads for the door. "Onwards!" \n\n"Didn't we find what we're looking for? They have exactly what they said." You say.\n\n"Dirt, there are five more of these things. I wouldn't hide my suspicious goods in the one the closest to my curious mercenaries if I were them."\n\n"Then why did we check this one at all?!" \n\n"Huh. Good point." Natalya grins and hops out of the carriage, keeping the torch lit but low.\n\n"Natalya..." You start.\n\n[["I really think we should head back."]]\n[["This is fun."]]

Despite the desperate circumstances, you refuse to compromise your morals. There must be something else you can do. \n\nAmoria is bringing a high swing around, and your defenses are down. \n\n[[Retreat.]]\n[[(Warrior) Power through her attack.]]\n[[(Rogue) Roll around her and strike at her back.]]\n[[(Mage) Use a Mind Blast to knock her away.]]\n[[(Human) You've got the perfect angle - Headbutt her.]]\n[[(Elf) Say something incredibly insulting.]] \n[[(Dwarf) Knock out one of her legs.]]\n[[(Qunari) Grab her wrist.]]\n\n\n

Amoria slices your first arrow out of the air with a confident smirk on her face and whips her heavy sword around with the intent to slice off your feet. \n\nWe can't have that, can we? You try a move that you've seen but never attempted yourself; from a slight crouch, you leap backwards and flip in the air, loosing an arrow at the apex of your jump. \n\nYour arrow strikes true, burying itself in the thick armor at Amoria's shoulder. You, however, crash into the sand in a heap. The landing is never as easy as the launch. \n\nAmoria recovers quickly, snapping the end of the arrow off and closing on you with sword raised. You barely have time to scramble to your feet and nock an arrow to the string, but you do it just in time to threaten Amoria before she can get within range. \n\n"Back off." You say. \n\nAmoria raises a hand in concession, lowering her blade. "Good." She says. "Using tactical elements in the environment, and having the courage to use a bow in close range. Welcome aboard - you may go inside and speak to Ferlahn, he will discuss the details of your pay."\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]

You and Natalya trudge down the dune into Dustheart. The town is bustling with folk of all kinds; merchants yelling from the windows of their carts, children scampering a little too close to your path, elves and dwarves and humans all looking for necessity and distraction. As soon as you get into the town proper, Natalya swerves away from you in search of food. \n\nBefore you is the namesake heart, a spring that pours crystal-clear into a little lake at the center of town. You remember how long it's been since you had water that fresh and a renewed thirst creeps its way along your tongue. \n\nTo your left is a kind of tavern, with long blankets stretched over multiple carts to create a shaded area. A couple of folks in boiled leather armor - likely mercenaries - are lounging there and mingling with the locals. Natalya seems to have struck up a conversation with them. \nThe human innkeeper is lounging behind a makeshift bar. He can likely provide you with food or the local gossip, assuming he's friendly. \n\nOn the other side of town, through the trees, you can see a long line of connected carts being loaded up with bags of goods. There's a slight scuffle going on between a scrappy elf and a tall, well-dressed qunari. As you try to get a better look, a circle of bystanders closes around them, blocking your view. It's probably none of your business anyway. \n\n[[Drink from the spring.]]\n[[See what trouble Natalya's getting herself into.]]\n[[Talk to the innkeeper.]]\n[[Investigate the fight by the caravan.]]

You kneel down to take a well-deserved sip from the spring's waters. It feels you with cool confidence and relief - your mind will be sharper now, unfettered by the haze of thirst. \n\nAs you move to rise, you see a small plaque buried in the sand next to you; your thirst may be sated, but your curiosity is not. Brushing off the plaque reveals text in the common tongue, somewhat weathered by age and wind:\n\n"Spirit's Tears"\n\nIt is said that long ago, two powerful mages clashed here. Though particulars of the feud vary by the teller, all agree that their anger was unrelenting and powerful as the sun that beats down on the desert traveler. Their magic split the sky and earth as they fought for three days and nights, stopping only to spit curses unimpeded by the noise of battle. Some say that this conflict wiped out all life for more than a week's ride around, creating the desert itself. \n\nIn fact, their battle was of such magnitude that it awoke a spirit sleeping far below. The spirit, thus enraged by the mages' petty squabble, promptly streamed up from the earth and squashed them both to death. \n\nUpon seeing the destruction that these mages had wrought around them, the spirit began to weep. For the animals, for the green, for the children that would never see what this land had been. Because of the anger of a few (tellers from the Chantry would here emphasize the dangers of magic), the spirit's beautiful home had turned to sand. \n\nOvercome by grief, the spirit sank into the ground. Legend says that it lies here still, mourning its beloved land. \n(Someone seems to have scratched an addendum onto the bottom of the plaque: \n"Mmm, yummy tears!")\n\nYou turn from the spring, ready to explore the rest of town. \n\n[[See what trouble Natalya's getting herself into.]]\n[[Talk to the innkeeper.]]\n[[Investigate the fight by the caravan.]]

"Good talking with you, Noah." You say.\n\n"Sure was!" He replies. "Sorry if I rambled a bit. I'm just excited to share the carriage with company that actually talks."\n\n"I don't blame you." You say. \n\nWith that, you turn away to leave Noah staring out the door. You still have a number of ways that you could spend the rest of your evening:\n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[Check in with Natalya.]]\n[[Search the writing desk.]]\n[[Head to your room.]]

You climb up the ladder and emerge through a hatch out onto the roof of the carriage. \n\nThe elf, Fenlahn, is standing at the edge and staring out over the Western Approach. From here you can see some mountains and rocky outcroppings in the distance, but the caravan is drawing ever northward through the flat dune sea. \n\n"I wondered if one of you was going to come and talk to me." Fenlahn says, not even turning to look at you as you draw up beside him. "Some find us intimidating."\n\n[["You're not wrong."]]\n[["You?"]]\n[["Not me."]]

"You're not walking away from this." You say, your voice dark. "Mekan - kill her."\n\nWithout hesitation, the young man brings his bow up and looses an arrow that buries itself in Vause's eye. The qunari is thrown back from the impact, back off the side of the carriage.\n\n"Done." Mekan says. "I won't cry over ending the life of a contract killer. No ideals."\n\n"You killed our protector!" Cries an elf from the crowd in the carriage. Stunned into inaction and only now recovering, some of them are wandering out into the daylight now. "I'm not going with you!"\n\n"That is, of course, your choice." Says Mekan. "You can go anywhere you wish, and I won't stop you. Please take some of the supplies from the rear carts to aid you on your journey. But know that you are all welcome at my village. We'll be heading there shortly."\n\nNatalya leans her head against you, sighing. \n\n"That was something, eh Dirt? It feels wrong to go back on our contract. And Noah, Vause... I'm so sorry for them. They were good people. Do you think we did the right thing?"\n\n"I think so, Natalya." You say. "It's hard to know for sure."\n\n"Well, all right. Enough of this moping - I'm going to go steal some lunch before all these elfy types get to it first."\n\nYour dwarven companion trudges away, and without anything else to do, you follow.\n\n"All right!" Mekan yells out over the crowds. "Grab what you can carry and board the caravan! We're heading out!"\n\n"Can we at least hold a funeral?" A small elf says to Mekan. \n\n"Of course you can." The young man says as he walks over to help pick up the bodies. "Of course you can." His voice seems tinged with something - not regret at his actions themselves, perhaps, but regret that they had to be taken.\n\nYou board the rearmost carriage and find that your one remaining companion is nowhere to be seen. Upon climbing the ladder, you find her standing on top of the caravan, looking out over the hills that it rolls upon. \n\nYou take your place next to Natalya.\n\n"What do you think will happen next, Dirt?" She asks.\n\n"I don't know." You reply. "But whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

Your room is next to Natalya's, separated by heavy curtains. It's small, with only a tiny bunk and writing desk occupying one end of the space; your body takes up the other end. You won't be practicing your weapon techniques here, then. \n\nIf you're feeling sleepy, now wouldn't be the worst time to turn in; you may want to get to know your companions a bit first, though. \n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Check in with Natalya.]]\n[[Turn in for the night.]]

"I can get behind that." You say. "Different, better than a kick in the pants. Sign me up."\n\n"It is over on ze edge of town." Robspierre says. "Knock yourself out - probably literally."\n\n"Nonsense." The crossbow merc says. "They look tough, they'll be fine."\n\n"Thanks, you two." Natalya says with a smile. Then she turns on a heel and strides out of the tavern. You follow. \n\n"What kind of fighter do you think they'll put us up against?" Natalya wonders aloud as you trudge across the town. "I mean, I can stick a sword in anything. But do you think they have different challenges for different kinds?"\n(If you're a mage or rogue, she says: "I mean, like you - it's not like you'll do very well one-on-one with a big axe-wielding Qunari."\nAnd you reply, voice dripping with sarcasm: "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Natalya.")\n\nEither way, you speak next: "I don't know. We'll just have to see."\n\nAt this point, you could still quench your thirst at the spring, or head straight to the caravan to prove your worth. \n\n[[Stop by the spring.]]\n[[Check out the caravan.]]

"Why should I even bother asking you questions, if all you do is dodge when we get to the heart of the matter?" You ask. \n\n"There are some things I can say and some I cannot." Fenlahn says. "Whether bound by social morays or the steel grip of the law, we are all restricted in the truths we can tell freely. It is not my fault that you ask the questions I cannot answer."\n\n"What CAN you answer?" \n\n"Matters of personal opinion. Feelings." He takes a breath, weighing his options, and then continues: "I can, in fact, tell you this: I am afraid. The journey scares me: I have never traveled so far from my home. Tevinter scares me; they keep slaves more transparently than any other nation, and this is a danger to elves especially. But I have to believe that Amoria is leading us right. We are the Iron Leaf, carried freely on the wind, yet strong and sharp as a razor."\n\n"You are the Iron Leaf? Just you and Amoria?"\n\n"...Yes." Fenlahn answers eventually, though you cannot think of a reason he might pause.\n\n[["Where do you come from?"]]\n[["What are we hauling?"]]\n[["About Tevinter..."]]\n[["That's all."]]\n

Amoria seems to be too much for you to handle head-on; you step backwards out of the range of her swing and take the time to reassess.\n\nShe is fast, and strong. Simply, she is better than you. And you know it. \n\nYou don't have many options. She's bearing down on you again - you'll have to decide quickly. \n\n[[Fight dirty.]]\n[[Give up.]]

"Good day to you too, sunshine." You say. "Aren't we a bundle of joy today?" \n\nVause grimaces at your sarcasm, then sighs as if chastising herself for her hostile behaviour.\n\n"I'm sorry." She says. "I'm used to a certain kind of interaction - most of the people I meet who aren't afraid of me are only interested in ogling the exotic beast-girl from across the sea. They turn me into an object."\n\n"Whoa." You say. "I..."\n\n"You're curious." She says. "I understand. We should get to know each other."\n\nShe gets up from the candlelit desk for a moment to grab a second chair, one that she plops down in front of you. When you sit, she sets herself up across from you. \n\n"Me first, though." She says. "You and the dwarf -- how long have you been travelling together?"\n\n"A couple months, now." You say. "We met a little bit after she left Orzammar (Dwarf: "we met in Orzammar") - but if you want to talk about that, it's her story, not mine."\n\n"You compliment each other well." Vause says. ("Both front-line fighters, you create this bulwark of steel.") ("She distracts them while you unleash the real damage.") ("She distracts them while you rain fire and keep her safe.")\n\n"But you can also handle yourself." She says. "So tell me: what's your story?"\n\n[["Nothing much to tell."]] \n[["I love traveling."]] \n[["I'm all about the adrenaline."]] \n[["I'm not sure, honestly."]] \n[[(Human) "I used to live in a tiny village..."]] \n[[(Elf) "I was raised in an alienage..."]] \n[[(Dwarf) "I come from Orzammar, but I was curious."]] \n[[(Qunari) "I was Tal-Vashoth, an exile by choice."]]

To heck with caution - the best kind of fight is one you don't have to fight yourself. \n\nAmoria's coming in fast, but it's too late; you've already let your spare knife fly.\n\nAmoria pauses, ready to deflect - but the shortblade sails clear over her head and strikes the dozing bronto square in the nose, blunt end first. \n\nImmediately, the hulking beast leaps forward, and Amoria is forced to roll to the side to avoid it. It thrashes, catching her with the tip of its horn. She falls away, clutching her side. \n\nBut the beast continues to surge forward, and the only thing between it and the bystanding crowd is you. \n\n(Face the bronto head-on.)\n(Dodge out of the way.)\n\nIn the moment before the bronto makes contact with its target, however, a sharp whistle rings out and the beast stops dead in its tracks. \n\n"Good boy." Amoria says as she pats the bronto with one hand, the other still clutching her side. \n\nTo you, she says: "Very risky move. Bold, though - shows ingenuity. I do need to know how you fight when no such options are available, however."\n\nWithout warning, she lashes out at you again, and you barely have time to get your guard up. Her attacks are relentless, driving you away from the crowd and back into the center of the battlefield. \n\n[[Use the branch.]]\n[[Take the high ground.]]\n[[Fight fair.]]\n[[Fight dirty.]]\n

"I want that too." You say with a pointed look at your companions. "There's no reason that anyone else has to get hurt."\n\nYou and Noah all climb down from the caravan roof to get a better sense of the situation. Vause stays perched on top, scanning the scenery for any more signs of violence. \n\n"By leading the raid on us, he's already hurt at least the band of fighters that came with him." Amoria scowls, striding towards Mekan with sword drawn. "I'm going to finish him before he can do any more harm."\n\n"They were all willing volunteers." Mekan says. "We're freedom fighters, here to free your slaves."\n\n"Convenient that they're not alive to corroborate your story." Amoria says, pausing for a moment. "And they're not my slaves. They are my charges."\n\n"That's not entirely true, Amoria." Fenlahn speaks up, but does not move to intervene. \n\n"What does he mean?" You ask. \n\nAmoria looks at the ground, then turns to Natalya. \n\n"Watch him." She says, pointing at Mekan. Then she gestures at the crowd of elves within the carriage; a couple of them have poked their heads out to see you, but they remain silent save for nervous murmuring. \n\n"These are my people." Amoria says. "From the alienage in Mont-de-Glace. They were living in poverty, starving, freezing. From my travels, I know that slaves in Tevinter are at least provided for. Many of them were working as slaves besides - shackled to serving jobs where their employers could justify any action simply because they were paying a pittance."\n\nThe elf woman spits. "I knew there were better fates. So I packed them up, and I'm taking them north. Yes, they will be slaves. But they will have homes and food at least."\n\nFenlahn simply nods. He seems entirely devoted, perfectly calm. \n\nA series of whispers ripples through the crowd of elves. Is it doubt, perhaps, or are they words of support for Amoria's plan?\n\n"You can't possibly know that." Noah says. "You can't possibly know what life is like for a slave. I've actually visited Tevinter, and it's - it's not what you think. It's warm, sure, and there's food -"\n\n"That's good enough for me." Amoria says, and part of the crowd backs her up with murmurs of support. \n\n"But some of the masters, they treat their slaves like shit!" Noah protests. "They torture and kill them! The stories I've heard about blood magic, they -"\n\n"I will not sell my people into the hands of blood mages. I will make sure every master is kind." Amoria's voice is solid, immovable. \n\n"So you ARE making a profit." Mekan mutters. "It's easy to preach idealism when it also gets you paid, isn't it?" \n\n"Shut your shem mouth!" Fenlahn screams, making a move for the young man. Natalya stands in his way.\n\n"Not yet." The dwarven woman says. She also looks pretty immovable.\n\n"I could say the same to you." Amoria sneers. "Killing me to free the slaves is rather convenient when my caravan is also filled with supplies that you could take for free."\n\n"You're not wrong." Mekan says. "The supplies will be evenly distributed in my village - where your people will have a place, by the way. They can live with us for as long as they want, free from any bonds."\n\n"Look, stranger." Mekan makes eye contact with you. "You're going to need to pick a side, here. I don't think we're going to be able to settle this."\n\n"Whatever happened to 'peace and justice'?" Vause remarks from her perch on the carriage.\n\n"I'm afraid at this point, only one is possible." Mekan withdraws an arrow from his quiver, but keeps it pointed low.\n\n"We have to help him." Noah pleads. "We can't let them sell these people, I don't care how noble their intentions are."\n\n"I don't know, Dirt." Natalya says. "There's no profit in freedom fighting. We don't eat if we don't get paid. Although... I'm not sure I like any plan that involves selling people into slavery. Whatever choice you make, I'm with you."\n\n"I was hired to do a job." Vause says, her voice cold. "I don't get paid to have opinions."\n\n[[Side with Mekan.]]\n[[Side with Amoria.]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Vause privately.) [["Vause, help me free the slaves."]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Noah privately.) [["Noah, we're professionals."]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Fenlahn privately.) [["Fenlahn. Don't do this."]]

You survey the cramped carriage, the heavy curtains separating tiny rooms. Sparse light from candles and the open door. \n\n"It isn't much of a home." You say.\n\n"Eh, I've had worse." Noah shrugs. "I slept in this dormitory for a while - no privacy at all. The cots were pushed up right up next to each other - on one hand, this gave students the perfect excuse to explore their base impulses and conduct important biological research. On the other hand, it was damn difficult for some people to keep their voices down." \n\n"Conducted some research of your own, did you?" You ask. \n\n"A little." He grins. "Those were the days."\n\n[["You must be a noble's son."]]\n[["About that whole talking thing..."]]\n[["Good talking with you, Noah."]]

You wait outside the room until Natalya invites you in, at which point you slide through the curtain into a warm little living space. \n\nIt's sparse but not bare, with a low bed, a small writing desk, and a lit firelamp hanging from the ceiling that sways with the movement of the carriage. Amoria seems to have taken a sharp turn. \n\nNatalya seems a little out of sorts, her hair mussed, one tie on her leather armor left undone. She's sitting on her bed, staring at the floor. \n\n"Hey, 'talya." You say, amiable. "I'm just swinging by to check on you. Some day we've had, huh?"\n\n"Yeah." She's clearly distracted, so you might as well ask:\n\n"What's with you?" \n\n"What? Oh. Um." She bites her lip for a second, weighing her options. \n\n"Okay." She says, finally. "I was wondering why I was so afraid to let you in just now. I... it shouldn't be that big of a deal, right? We've been traveling for months. You trust me."\n\n"Whatever it is, Natalya, just spit it out."\n\n"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. This is just kindof a big deal to me. I - I am a woman. A lady-type person. This we know. But my body... it doesn't exactly line up with what some other people think that means?" She inflects upwards, making it sound like a question - clearly she's not used to talking about this. \n\nShe starts undoing ties on the back of her armor. \n\n"Um, Natalya..." You start, but she cuts you off.\n\n"I wouldn't normally do it this way. But Maker, I'm not so good with wording. And we've had to take off our clothes around each other a bunch. I just don't usually face you, you know? Respectful lack of eye contact."\n\nThe leather part you've seen come off a few times, that's nothing new. But when she pulls her tunic over her head, you see that her supportive undergarment is filled with masterfully rolled-up cloth rather than living tissue. \n\nShe drops her tunic to the floor. \n\n"I was wondering why I was so afraid." She says, but she's still unable to make eye contact with you. "It's my body. It doesn't make me any more or less a woman."\n\n[["I know that."]]\n[["THIS is what you were nervous about?"]]\n[["Give me a second to process this."]]\n[[(Flirt) "I've always thought you were beautiful."]]

As a joke more than anything, you slide through the curtain into Natalya's warm little living space. You've been on the road together for months - what could she possibly have to hide from you? \n\nThe room is sparse but not bare, with a low bed, a small writing desk, and a lit firelamp hanging from the ceiling that sways with the movement of the carriage. Amoria seems to have taken a sharp turn. \n\n"Hey, 'talya." You say as you enter. "I'm just swinging by to check on y-"\n\nNatalya is out of sorts, her hair mussed, her rolled-up tunic held to cover her chest. She still has straps over her shoulders, so she's not entirely bare, but it's still somewhat of an invasion. \n\n"Oh." You say. "Sorry."\n\n"Yeah, Dirt, I told you to stop." She says, looking at the floor. "So get out."\n\nEven if you have the urge to protest, to say that it was a joke, the look on her face convinces you to turn and leave. But when you do, she stops you.\n\n"Wait." She says. \n\n"What is it?" You ask.\n\n"Um." She bites her lip for a second, weighing her options. \n\n"Okay." She says finally. "I was wondering why I was so afraid to let you in just now. I... it shouldn't be that big of a deal, right? We've been traveling for months. You trust me."\n\n"Whatever it is, Natalya... you can tell me."\n\n"I know. I trust you too. This is just kindof a big deal to me. I - I am a woman. A lady-type person. This we know. But my body... it doesn't exactly line up with what some other people think that means?" She inflects upwards, making it sound like a question - clearly she's not used to talking about this. \n\nShe starts to lower the tunic from her chest. You've seen her undress partially tons of times, but this is new to you.\n\n"Um, Natalya..." You start, but she cuts you off.\n\n"I wouldn't normally do it this way. But Maker, I'm not so good with wording. And we've had to take off our clothes around each other a bunch. I just don't usually face you, you know? Respectful lack of eye contact."\n\nWhen she drops her tunic to the floor, you see that her supportive undergarment is filled with masterfully rolled-up cloth rather than living tissue. \n\n"I was wondering why I was so afraid." She says, but she's still unable to make eye contact with you. "It's my body. It doesn't make me any more or less a woman."\n\n[["I know that."]]\n[["THIS is what you were nervous about?"]]\n[["Give me a second to process this."]]\n[[(Flirt) "I've always thought you were beautiful."]]

"We don't fight if we don't get paid, Natalya." You say sternly. "Why try for a job when we can get one for sure?"\n\n"What, are you scared you won't make it?" Natalya prods you. \n\n(If you're a mage: "Too squishy, afraid you won't be able to stand for yourself without a meatshield?" As she gestures to herself.)\n(If you're a rogue: "Afraid that your little nimbly feet won't getcha anywhere without a distraction?")\n(If you're a warrior: "Afraid that strong arm o' yours wouldn't mean shit without another by your side?")\n\n"I'm not." You say. "I just..."\n\n"You just what? I'm sorry, Dirt, but I'm one half of this team and I'm gonna try for the job whether you like it or not. If you really want, we can split up here. But I am going north."\n\nNatalya smiles and strides out of the tavern with a quick goodbye to her mercenary friends. \n\n"But... I didn't get to eat." You moan. \n\nAt this point, you could still drink from the spring, or head straight to the caravan to prove your worth. \n\n[[Stop by the spring.]]\n[[Check out the caravan.]]\n

You are able to deflect Amoria's blow and use this opportunity to retreat around to the high ground. You leap up to the rock and turn on her. \n\nShe's coming in fast, but you have time to launch a couple of crucial attacks. \n\n[[(Mage)]]\n[[(Archer)]]\n[[Engage her in melee.]]

You deflect Amoria's attempted blow and use this opportunity to get around her, towards the tree branch. She comes in again, but you manage to slip around her blade with tree branch in hand. \n\nYour heavy improvised club is perfect for knocking her legs out from under her - but rather than going down, she takes the hit right on the shins and stays upright. \n\nYou don't have time to make up a new plan - she's coming in again, relentless. \n\n[[Fight fair.]]\n[[Fight dirty.]]

"Natalya." You say, moving a little closer. "I've always thought you were beautiful. This doesn't change anything."\n\n"W-what?" She looks at you, wide-eyed. \n\n"I... we've been traveling together a long time. And I've wondered. About us."\n\n"Us?" She repeats. She seems a little overloaded.\n\n"And maybe this isn't the best time, really - you just told me this thing about you, and you were nervous about it, and I don't want to detract from that. But it felt right. I want you to know that I think you're beautiful."\n\n"You... you mean to say that I'm pretty?"\n\n"I mean to say." You chuckle. Gravity seems to be pulling the two of you together. Closer, closer, until your noses are just about to touch, and then a slight tilt of the mouth...\n\n"Wait." Natalya says, putting a hand on your arm to stop you. "You're... you're sure you felt this way before? You're not... you're not doing this just because you found out? People have done that before y'know, just started being attracted to me when they found out, and that was vastly uncomfortable, and..."\n\n"Natalya." You say. "I promise."\n\nAnd you kiss her.\n\n"Oh. Oh." Natalya whispers when your lips part. "Dir- um, I just need to. Need to process this. Okay? Is that all right?"\n\n"That's absolutely allowed." You say. "So do I, I suppose." You bow a little to her and move for the door - but then turn back for a moment.\n\n"Oh, and Natalya..."\n\n[["Thank you."]]\n[["I'm like you."]]

Her swing is coming in high, aimed at your head - all you need do to avoid it is duck. That gives you the perfect opening. \n\nYou charge forward, pulling one of her legs out from under her by hooking your arm around. She tumbles into the sand, and you whip around to point your weapon at her. \n\n"Ah, dwarves." She scowls. "I hate fighting dwarves."\n\n"Hey now." You say. "No need to get salty. You wouldn't exclude me from the job based on racial discrimination, would you?"\n\n"No, no." Amoria says, picking herself up. "You won, and thus you are a part of my crew. Just try not to weigh down the carriage, will you? Fenlahn will talk to you inside."\n\nYou turn towards the carriage, somewhat perturbed by your new employer's grudge. You won fair and square. \n\nRegardless, you still get to...\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]\n\n\n

"I did, in fact." You say.\n\nNatalya meets your eyes, looks at the bed. \n\n"Oh." She says, and her mouth hangs there. "Okay."\n\nShe steps tentatively into your room, slowly pulling apart the straps on her armor. \n\n"I, um." She says, obviously a little nervous. "I can't promise anything. But I can promise that I want to try."\n\n"All right." You say, entering after her. "We can go as slow as you want. This is pretty new, so tell me if you want to stop."\n\n"I will." She nods. "Before we do anything, there's some information you should have..."\n\nThe night is long and careful. Peaceful, eventually. You fall asleep in each other's arms. \n\nAnd awake to an arrow piercing through the side of the carriage, right next to your head. \n\n"Ah!" Natalya shouts, and scrambles out of bed to where her shortblade is lying on the floor. With the blade, she scoops up your weapon and tosses it to you. You catch it deftly and haul yourself to your feet. \n\nVause pulls open the curtain to your room, staff in hand. The golden light of the morning streams in, silhouetting her towering figure. \n\n"You have time to equip yourselves, but hurry!" She shouts. "I'll hold them off!" Then she disappears, running for the ladder to the roof. \n\nYou and Natalya help each other with your gear and follow. \n\n"I hope it isn't too bad." Natalya mutters. \n\n"Me too." You reply. \n\nNatalya takes a moment to kiss you before leaping onto the ladder and rocketing up through the hatch. \n\n"Wow." You say. \n\n[[Climb up to the roof.]]

With your superior size, you're able to simply reach out and stop her swing in its tracks by seizing her wrist. She frowns, and takes another tactic - launching a kick into your vulnerable groin.\n\nNo matter your sex, this HURTS. It sends shocks through your legs, into your stomach. You try to power through the pain, but all you can muster is a weak push that Amoria uses to aid her retreat.\n\nThe respite is brief; Amoria comes back in with a heavy strike at your face.\n\nWith few other options, you turn your head to catch the blow with your horns. Amoria's blade scrapes against the hard surface, sending a vibrating pain into your skull, but a brief deflection is all you need; you spin and launch a powerful strike at Amoria's back that sends her sprawling to the ground. You stand over her, your weapon pointed at her back. \n\n"Enough." She says, pushing herself to her feet. "You clearly know your capabilities. I'll want to see further demonstration of your skills beyond the attributes of your race... but I'm sure I'll get the chance as we go. Go inside and speak with Fenlahn; he'll give you the details."\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]

Because of Amoria's vallaslin, you can assume that she's of one Dalish clan or another. Though you may not be Dalish yourself, you've picked up a little of their language in your travels.\n\nAnd the first thing that anyone learns of a new language is how to curse.\n\nAmoria pauses in shock as pure elvish filth pours from your mouth, giving you the opening you need - you shove her weapon aside and knock her ass in the sand. \n\n"Know your enemy." Amoria chuckles, the first time you've seen her really smile. "Well done."\n\n(Offer her a hand.)\n(Let her pull herself up.)\n\nOnce she's on her feet, Amoria gestures to the long carriage behind her. "Go inside - Fenlahn will brief you on the job. And, ah - watch your mouth around him. He's not quite as forgiving as I am."\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]

Though her swing is coming in fast, you have time to angle yourself in just the right way to spring forward and connect your forehead with her nose. She's taller than you by the perfect amount - being average has its advantages. \n\nShe stumbles back, bleeding, and you follow-up by getting inside her guard and threatening her jugular with your weapon. \n\n"Stop!" She says, pushing away from you to hold her dripping nose. "Impressive - and brutal. Did you have to have quite such a tough skull?"\n\n"Ha!" Natalya yells from inside the carraige.\n\n"Regardless." Amoria says. "Welcome aboard. Go inside and speak to Fenlahn - he'll lay out the details for the job."\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]

"I'm worried about what's to come." You say. "This job comes with a lot of unanswered questions." \n\n"Eh, don't spoil your face with a frown." Noah beams. "We'll take care of whatever's ahead, I've just got this feeling. Just look at us!" He gestures broadly at the you and himself, but as soon as he spreads his arms wide enough he curls back up in pain. \n\n"Owowowow - that is a whole new sensation that is currently wracking my body and specifically my ribs but I know that this will subside and I will be all right in just a moment and that moment is coming soon and I will be completely divested of all burden and hardship in the fullness of time and now this sensation is passed and I am... fine." \n\n"What was THAT?" You ask. \n\n"Oh, nothing." Noah says. "This scholar once told me that expressing ourselves actually helps us deal with things. When they measure pain and such. You know - swearing, like 'Andraste's tits!', it actually makes the pain feel less bad. So I just like to talk it through when something's happening."\n\n"You sure you're okay?" \n\n"Oh yes. Amoria did kick me pretty hard back there. I don't think anything's broken... but let's just say I miss the healer back home."\n\n"Oh yeah? Where's home?" \n\n"Val Foret." He replies. "Most of the year, anyway. Or - I suppose it was. For now this is home." He gestures to the caravan around you.\n\n[["You must be a noble's son."]]\n[["About that whole talking thing..."]]\n[["This isn't much of a home."]]

"I understand that you're paying us as mercenaries, here." You say. "But ANY resistance? I'm not so keen on becoming the next national criminal - or international criminal."\n\n"Yeah." Natalya agrees. "I'm told a chevalier's blade can be bad for your health."\n\n"We aren't likely to run afoul of the Orlesian military, I can assure you." Fenlahn says. "This is more of a hypothetical loyalty. If we're lucky, we won't even come into any significant opposition. Expect the usual road pirates, and be prepared for more, just in case."\n\n"I don't care who's after you, really." Vause says. "But if you're holding back anything that could help us fight them, we may have a... personal problem."\n\n"I'm confident in your skills." Fenlahn says. "That's rather the point of the whole show out front." He gestures to the door. \n\n"Well hey." Noah beams. "I'm all in for adventure. Where are we going, anyway? You hadn't gotten into that part."\n\nFenlahn moves to the small desk and rolls out a map of the eastern countries; Orlais in the south, Nevarra, the Anderfels, and the Tevinter Imperium along the northern coast. \n\n"We'll be heading north here, skirting along the edge of the Nahashin marshes."\n\n"Also along the Tirashan." Vause says. "The forest that no one dares venture into, for tales of the dark things that lurk there."\n\n"Indeed." Fenlahn says. "Do you have any more questions?"\n\n"No, no." Vause concedes. "Just making sure we're all on the same page."\n\nYou and Natalya exchange a look. What have you gotten yourselves into?\n\n"What's our destination, though?" Noah asks. \n\n"We will enter Nevarra here." Fenlahn says, pointing. "Through Perendale. Then we will round the Silent Plains to reach Vol Dorma, in Tevinter."\n\n"Tevinter." You breathe. "Okay."\n\n"Won't we experience significant wheel trouble through all this wilderness?" Natalya asks. "Is there a reason we're not using the Imperial Highway? This is kindof what it's there for."\n\n"You may have noticed the unique construction of our caravan and the beasts that pull it." Fenlahn says. "We can handle transport - concern yourself primarily with protection and this will go smoothly. That is our guarantee."\n\n"All right!" Noah says. "If you need me, I'll be bunking. It's so nice and cool in here, compared to outside! I've been in the desert too long."\n\n"Indeed." Fenlahn says. "I believe you'll find that the carriage retains a comfortable temperature quite well. If you have any other questions, I'll be available up top."\n\nWith that, Fenlahn climbs up a ladder fixed to the wall that you were barely aware of and disappears through a hatch in the roof.\n\nNoah moves over to the door and opens it, to peer outside. Vause sets up by the desk, examining the map and a couple of other documents strewn there. \n\n"Well." Natalya says to you. "I'm still in if you are."\n\nAs soon as she finishes, you hear a cry from outside - it sounds like Amoria. The carriage rumbles into motion beneath you. \n\n"I guess I'm in." You say. "Too late to turn back now."\n\n"Okay." Natalya chuckles. "Let's see where life takes us. I'm going to set up my room. See you soon, Dirt."\n\n"See you." You say. Natalya disappears into one of the cloth-separated rooms.\n\nYou look around the cabin of the carriage. You've got a lot of travel time ahead of you - you could try and get to know your new companions, consolidate your friendship with old ones, or simply rest and recharge for the trials ahead. \n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Check in with Natalya.]]\n[[Search the writing desk.]]\n[[Head to your room.]]

As you approach the curtain to Natalya's room, you hear her call out:\n\n"Wait, wait!" She says. "Gimme one second to, uh... yeah!"\n\n[[Wait respectfully.]]\n[[Barge in.]]

"We don't have to wait until morning, if you want..." You gesture to your room, small though it may be. \n\nNatalya meets your eyes, looks at the bed. \n\n"Oh." She says, and her mouth hangs there. "Okay."\n\nShe steps tentatively into your room, slowly pulling apart the straps on her armor. \n\n"I, um." She says, obviously a little nervous. "I can't promise anything. But I can promise that I want to try."\n\n"All right." You say, entering after her. "We can go as slow as you want. This is pretty new, so tell me if you want to stop."\n\n"I will." She nods. "Before we do anything, there's some information you should have..."\n\nThe night is long and careful. Peaceful, eventually. You fall asleep in each other's arms. \n\nAnd awake to an arrow piercing through the side of the carriage, right next to your head. \n\n"Ah!" Natalya shouts, and scrambles out of bed to where her shortblade is lying on the floor. With the blade, she scoops up your weapon and tosses it to you. You catch it deftly and haul yourself to your feet. \n\nVause pulls open the curtain to your room, staff in hand. The golden light of the morning streams in, silhouetting her towering figure. \n\n"You have time to equip yourselves, but hurry!" She shouts. "I'll hold them off!" Then she disappears, running for the ladder to the roof. \n\nYou and Natalya help each other with your gear and follow. \n\n"I hope it isn't too bad." Natalya mutters. \n\n"Me too." You reply. \n\nNatalya takes a moment to kiss you before leaping onto the ladder and rocketing up through the hatch. \n\n"Wow." You say. \n\n[[Climb up to the roof.]]

The crowd creates a small sandy arena in front of the caravan, but it is not devoid of useful objects. \n\nClose to Amoria's feet is a broken tree-branch from the oasis. \n\nTo your left is a raised platform of rock that you may be able to use to get the drop on her. \n\nBehind her is a dozing bronto, just on the edge of consciousness. You've heard horror stories of those things can do if they stampede - but it's just one beast. What could go wrong? \n\nAmoria darts in to strike at you while you're taking in the scenary. You'd better choose quickly.\n\n[[Use the branch.]]\n[[Take the high ground.]] \n[[Incite the bronto.]]

"Amoria." You say, filled with conviction. "I'm not going to let you subject these people to a life of pain."\n\n"I was TRYING to save them!" The elven woman shouts. "Vause, fire!" \n\nThe qunari on top of the carriage lets out a deadly blast of flame that scatters your team. \n\n"I'll take care of her!" Noah says as he leaps up to the ladder on the side of the carriage. \n\n"Yes, leave the kid to me." Vause retorts, more than confident. \n\n"That leaves you and me, Dirt." Natalya says. "Versus the two of them."\n\n"It doesn't have to be this way." Fenlahn says as he draws up next to Amoria. You and Natalya face them head-on. \n\n"I've made up my mind." You say. "I don't care how good your intentions are - slavery is wrong, period."\n\nThe elves leap into combat with you - Natalya deflects the first wave, and you dart in to counter-attack. \n\nA sudden spray of blood; you've caught Fenlahn on the neck while he was slashing at Natalya, and he staggers backwards. \n\nAmoria whips her long blade around to decapitate you, and you're just barely able to duck under it. \n\n"Last time was just a test." She seethes. "I had been wearing myself out all day; this time I won't hold anything back."\n\n"Neither will I!" Natalya shouts, slamming her shield forward into Amoria's side. The elf absorbs it with a heavy stance and swings around to slam her pommel into Natalya's helmeted temple. Despite the armor, your dwarven companion goes down hard. \n\n"Natalya!" You have time to shout before Amoria launches herself at you. \n\n[[(Warrior) Use her own momentum against her.]]\n[[(Rogue) Sidestep and strike at her back.]]\n[[(Mage) Summon a wall of stone.]]

"Noah, you can't afford to go back on your employer right now." You say to the young man next to you. "Look at the odds - do you really think the noble boy can take everyone here? You're not a swashbuckler from the stories."\n\n"I... no, I'm not." Noah says. "But it's the right thing to do, I think..."\n\n"No, it's not." Amoria says. "Believe me when I say that whatever Tevinter has to offer, it'll be better than Mont-de-Glace."\n\nNoah shares a conflicted look with Amoria, then draws his daggers and turns to Mekan. \n\n"I'm sorry, man. We have a job to do." He says. \n\n"Not as sorry as you're going to be." Mekan spits. Suddenly, he springs to the side and lets an arrow loose.\n\nNatalya dives in front of Noah, lifting her shield to catch the arrow. That gives you the opening you need.\n\nYou surge forward, Fenlahn at your side. Together, Mekan is no match for you; he blocks a couple of Fenlahn's dagger swipes with his bow and strikes at you with a hidden knife, but you come back with a counter to the chest that knocks him flat. \n\n"No, no, please, think of my vill- " He stammers, but Amoria cuts him off - literally, you know, with her sword.\n\n"Thank you." The elf says as she pulls the blade from Mekan's skull. "I won't forget that. I kept our cargo secret because I feared how you might judge me if you found out; I promise that I am no slaver scum. These people are my family." She gestures to the crowd in the carriage, who are muttering to each other in worried tones. \n\n"Calm, now." She says. "It's over. We'll get back on the road and towards a better day, I promise."\n\n"All right!" Amoria yells. "Everybody grab some food - you've earned it. We're rolling out soon!"\n\n"You're right that I earned it." Your dwarven companion mutters. "Come on, all. Let's get moving."\n\nYou turn to trudge back to the residential carriage, and Noah leans in close to you.\n\n"Do you think we did the right thing?" He asks.\n\n"I think so, Noah." You say. "It's hard to be sure. But at least this way you'll get to see your parents again someday." \n\nNatalya falls back to talk to Noah. "Out here, you have to make this kind of decision all the time. If you can't handle it, kid, I'd recommend going back to the family manor."\n\n"I can handle it." Noah says, resolved. \n\nYou stop to grab some lunch at once of the supply carriages, navigating among the crowd of elves. Some of them come up to you to thank you for your bravery during the assault.\n\nDuring the commotion, you lose track of those you were eating with. You board the rearmost carriage as the caravan starts to move and find that your companions are nowhere to be seen. Upon climbing the ladder, you find them all standing on top of the caravan, looking out over the hills that it rolls upon. \n\nYou take your place next to Natalya, Vause, and Noah. \n\n"What do you think will happen next, Dirt?" Natalya asks.\n\n"I don't know." You reply. "But whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

A Dragon Age Interactive by Eliot Howard\n\nThe town of Dustheart has set itself north of the Gamordan Peaks, acting as a crucial artery for travellers between Mont-de-glace and the Inquisition-held Griffon Wing Keep. \n\nYou crest a towering dune and gaze upon the town in earnest. Though settled near an oasis of verdant green that might allow for more permanent settlement, Dustheart seems to have been constructed primarily from merchants' carts lined up next to each other in disorderly clusters and rows. Once-expensive carpets and sheets are strung between these carts to create makeshift shelter from the wind. The town is always shifting as merchants arrive and others depart, there are some stalwarts that have established their carts close to the central spring. \n\n"Some say that this piece-o'-dung town happened when a whole caravan got stranded here." \nYour traveling partner, Natalya, lopes up to join you at the top of the dune. She is a dwarf, stocky, but taller than you might expect. She carries a heavy round shield on her back with a simple shortsword at her belt, and is armored in heavy boiled leather. She usually wears a helmet to cover the casteless brand on her face, but now she takes it off to reveal blonde sweat-matted hair. You've been walking for quite some time. \n\n"All of 'em, every single one, just threw wheels or cracked struts all in the same spot. Whaddya think of that, Dirt?" \n\n[["The town is gorgeous."]] \n\n[["I think it's bunk."]]\n\n[["Don't call me that."]]

"About that whole talking thing... does that really help?" You ask. \n\n"Well, it depends." Noah leans in conspiratorially. "Do you believe it works? That makes a big difference."\n\n"What are you talking about?" \n\n"Well, the mind of a conscious being - no matter the race - is a powerful thing. We can be motivated to tremendous feats of strength and will if we believe in them hard enough. People in the chantry aren't reporting the influence of the Maker in jest - whether it's because of actual divine intervention or due to the power of their will doesn't matter; both are equally important and miraculous."\n\n"Well aren't you the optimist." You say. "That conveniently sidesteps the issue of whether or not you believe in anything yourself."\n\n"I know - it's great, right?"\n\n[["You must be a noble's son."]]\n[["This isn't much of a home."]]\n[["Good talking with you, Noah."]]

"Where do you and Amoria come from?" You ask. "How did you end up in the Western Approach?"\n\n"Ah, a question that I can answer." Fenlahn smiles. "Both of us come from Mont-de-glace, near the Sundered Sea. We grew up in the alienage there."\n\n"The elven slums." You say. "I'm sorry to hear that." \n\n(If you are an Elf: "I grew up in one too.")\n\n"It is the life of many an elf." He replies. "And it is not such a bad one, on the scale of things. Oftentimes, it is not the conditions themselves that make things hard; it is other elves. Victims of poverty. Scrambling over each other for the slightest edge." \n\n"That sounds awful."\n\n"I cannot even bring myself to blame them." He says. "It is the natural state of things when resources are so slim. I could blame those at the top, who have their soirées with plates piled high - precious food that they throw out afterwards - but even they are operating only on their nature. Self-interest. It rules all of us."\n\nFenlahn turns to face the front of the caravan where you can see Amoria. She is standing on the first carriage, holding the reins of the lead bronto gang and watching the horizon - silhouetted in the light of the setting sun. \n\n"Except for her." Fenlahn says. "When we heard about the Fifth Blight, she ran from the alienage, went straight to the nearest Grey Warden holding. While most were running from the threat, she ran towards it. Though the Orlesian wardens did not make it time to help, it was her bravery that struck me. And even then, though she traveled halfway across the country, she returned to our little alienage after months away. And she decided..."\n\nFenlahn chuckles. "I apologize. I do go on sometimes. Do you have any more questions?"\n\n"You could continue your story..." You say warily.\n\n"I'm afraid I cannot." Fenlahn says. "But I could, perhaps, answer something else."\n\n[["Why should I bother asking you questions?"]]\n[["What are we hauling?"]]\n[["About Tevinter..."]]\n[["That's all."]]

Amoria sprints at you and launches a deadly strike at your head; sadly, this leaves her arms open to grab. \n\nYou deflect the strike, sliding it along your weapon, and get inside her guard. From there it's no hard task to get your powerful arms around hers, to grab her shoulder and grapple her to the ground. \n\nThe elf screams with bestial rage, incapacitated. \n\nMekan comes up beside you and nocks an arrow. \n\n"Thank you, my friend." He says, and looses it directly into Amoria's forehead, silencing her. "We will not forget that."\n\nNatalya stumbles over to you and grabs your arm for balance. \n\n"Dirt..." She says, and points up at the carriage. \n\nVause is standing there, with motes of energy swirling around the end of her staff. Lying at her feet is Noah - or, more accurately, Noah's corpse. \n\n"I'm sorry." The qunari says. "While Amoria was alive I had a duty to protect her. Now that she's dead, I have no quarrel with you."\n\nMekan grimaces. "The kid was idealistic. He seemed like a good man." \n\n"He was." Natalya says somberly. \n\nMekan shoots a look up at Vause. "You monster."\n\nYou're going to have to decide how this plays out.\n\n[["I understand, Vause."]]\n[["Leave. Now.]]\n[["You'll die like he did."]]

"Hey, inkeep." You say as you take a seat at the bar. \n\n"Oh, it's you. Here." The dwarven man pulls out a bowl of stew and sets it down in front of you. "Courtesy of the lady." He gestures to where Natalya is standing and slurping down a bowl of her own soup. She gives you a wave and an amiable smile before returning to her conversation.\n\nAs you dig in yourself, you feel a warmth flowing through you. You get the sense that you'll be a little tougher to bring down with food fortifying your belly. \n\nThe inkeeper asks:\n\n"So what, you another merc?" He eyes your weapon curiously.\n\n(If you're a mage: "Nah, this is just a walking stick." With a wry smile.)\n(Otherwise: "No, this is just my pointy-things collection.")\n\n"Ah, well. In that case, I don't suppose you'd be wanting to hear what I know about jobs in the area." \n\n"Now now, let's not be too hasty." You say in recovery. \n\n"I thought so." The 'keeper grins. "Well, you could take a couple of odd jobs for the merchants around here, but if you want real decent merc-work then your best bet is Amoria's caravan."\n\n"The one at the back of town? I saw a fight happening there." \n\n"That's what it's been like for the last couple of days. She has a kind of - audition, I guess you'd say. You fight for her, see if you're what she needs. I'm told you don't even have to win; you just have to impress her."\n\n("What is she looking for?")\n("Hell of a strange custom. What, was she raised by wolves?")\n("I can do that.")\n\nNatalya appears behind you, evidently finished speaking with her mercenary friends. \n\n"Hey, Dirt, I know where we're going next." She interrupts. \n\n"You've already eaten?" You say.\n\n"Yep, c'mon. Caravan ahoy." She replied, tugging you away from the bar. \n\n"I was about to say the same to you." You say as the two of you head out of the tavern.\n\nNatalya says: \n(If your character is a woman, trans-inclusive: "By the Stone, our cycles ARE lining up.")\n(Otherwise: "Who says men and women can't be on the same page?")\n\nAt this point, you can still stop and have a drink from the spring, or head straight to Amoria's caravan. \n\n[[Stop by the spring.]]\n[[Check out the caravan.]]

"You big goof." You say, laughing. "I thought you were going to lower your shirt and there'd be a big tentacle growing out of there or something. I was honestly worried! Oh wow, it could have been snakes. You could have had nipples that were also snakes."\n\nNatalya laughs, but there's a sob mixed in there for good measure. She is obviously relieved. \n\n"You're a smarmy asshole, you know that?" She says, laughing. Then, abruptly, she tackles you for a hug. It's tight at first, a desperate thing, but then she loosens up and it becomes a comfortable embrace. \n\n"You seriously don't care?" She asks.\n\n[["I care about you."]]\n[["Not at all."]]\n[["It'll take some getting used to."]]\n\n

"I'm fine." You say. "I'm on a carriage with complete strangers heading towards who-knows-what danger, where the best case scenario puts us in a country where all-powerful mages rule over the smallfolk. But yes - I'm fine."\n\n"When you put it that way, it does sound a little crazy, doesn't it? Well don't you worry, my friend, I have faith that we'll get through this togeth-"\n\nNoah moves to put his arm around your shoulder, but he suddenly recoils in pain. \n\n"Owowowow - that is a whole new sensation that is currently wracking my body and specifically my ribs but I know that this will subside and I will be all right in just a moment and that moment is coming soon and I will be completely divested of all burden and hardship in the fullness of time and now this sensation is passed and I am... fine."\n\n"What was THAT?" You ask. \n\n"Oh, nothing." Noah replies. "This scholar once told me that expressing ourselves actually helps us deal with things. When they measure pain and such. You know - swearing, like 'Andraste's tits!', actually makes the pain feel less bad. So I just like to talk it through when something bad is happening."\n\n"You sure you're okay?" \n\n"But yeah, Amoria did kick me pretty hard. I don't think anything's broken... but let's just say I miss the healer back home."\n\n"Oh yeah? Where's home?" \n\n"Val Foret." He replies. "Most of the year, anyway. Or - I suppose it was. For now this is home." He gestures to the caravan around you.\n\n[["You must be a noble's son."]]\n[["About that whole talking thing..."]]\n[["This isn't much of a home."]]

"You said earlier that people sometimes come up to, treat you differently because you're... you. That really happens?"\n\n"It does." Vause sighs. "They think that I'm less worthy of respect, that I'm... abstracted from humanity, I suppose. It's easy for humans to think that way, that I'm fundamentally different from them. I suppose I am." She pauses, and a wry smile creeps across her face. \n\n"I've had people come up to me on the street - men, usually - and the first thing they say to me, they lean in close and whisper: 'I want to take you from behind, grabbing your horns, making you squeal as I drive into you...' I can't really describe the feeling. It makes you hate yourself for having a body, makes you never want to go outside again. That's why I filed them off." She gestures at the small bones protruding from her head.\n\n("Wow.")\n("What, you didn't fry them to a crisp after that?")\n("They did that? Disgusting.")\n\n"I regretted it almost as soon as I did it." Vause continues. "I regretted letting them change me - making me change myself in response to anything they did. They don't deserve the thought. And now I just get comments about how I shouldn't have sanded them off - I definitely prefer the ones that are afraid of me."\n\n"I don't blame you." You say. \n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]\n[["That's all, thank you."]]

"I'm sorry, Natalya." You say. "This was always just proffessional. And it's time to go our seperate ways." \n\nYou turn and walk back into Dustheart, leaving Natalya to sink to her knees and cry. \n\nBut she doesn't stay there for long. After a moment, she makes a face as if chastising herself for letting herself get attached like this. She sniffs, stands, and trudges back towards the caravan. \n\n

"Can you tell me about those scars?" You ask. "They look recent... and painful."\n\n"All right, fine." She says, touching her wounded mouth. "If you really want to know. As soon as I started displaying any kind of magic, my parents turned me into the Tamassaran - my teacher. She sent me to the torturers who sewed my lips together, bound my hands and held my neck by a chain for every hour of the day - unless they wanted someone immolated. But muted and chained - that wasn't the life for me, no matter how hard they worked to instill the sense of a mage's duty in me. It took a while - too long - but a Fereldan local saw me with a unit of warriors - my karataam - and helped me escape. Even helped me choose a name. I was Saarebas - now I am Vause."\n\n"Whoa, I wasn't asking for your whole life story." You tease.\n\n"You sort of were." Vause says. \n\n[["Your parents turned you in?"]]\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["That's all, thank you."]]

"I understand, Vause." You say after a moment of contemplation. "You were just doing your job. You're welcome with us, for the time being."\n\nMekan leans in close to you and whispers: "Are you sure about this?"\n\nNatalya answers for you. "Yeah, we are. Back off, bandit."\n\n"Thank you." Vause says. "It's difficult to express my gratitude. But I'm glad you understand."\n\n"You killed our protector!" Cries an elf from the crowd in the carriage. Stunned into inaction and only now recovering, some of them are wandering out into the daylight now. "I'm not going with you!"\n\n"That is, of course, your choice." Says Mekan. "You can go anywhere you wish, and I won't stop you. Please take some of the supplies from the rear carts to aid you on your journey. But know that you are all welcome at my village. We'll be heading there shortly."\n\nNatalya leans her head against you, sighing. \n\n"That was something, eh Dirt? It feels wrong to go back on our contract, but... I think we did some good."\n\n"I think so too, Natalya." You say. \n\n"Well, all right. Enough of this - I'm going to go steal some lunch before all these elfy types get to it first."\n\nYour dwarven companion trudges away, and without anything else to do, you follow.\n\n"All right!" Mekan yells out over the crowds. "Grab what you can carry and board the caravan! We're heading out!"\n\n"Can we at least hold a funeral?" A small elf says to Mekan. \n\n"Of course you can." The young man says, walking over to help pick up the bodies. "Of course you can." His voice seems tinged with something - not regret at his actions themselves, perhaps, but regret that they had to be taken.\n\nYou board the rearmost carriage and find that your companions are nowhere to be seen. Upon climbing the ladder, you find them standing on top of the caravan, looking out over the hills that it rolls upon. \n\nYou take your place next to Natalya and Vause. \n\n"What do you think will happen next, Dirt?" Natalya asks.\n\n"I don't know." You reply. "But whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

"Nothing much to tell." You say. "I travel around, I take jobs, I try to stay alive."\n\n"A warrior of few words." Vause says. "I don't mind that. I'm sure there's more to you, but it's a start - thank you. Now: your turn. You can ask me anything you'd like." \n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]

Amoria sprints at you and launches a deadly strike at your head; sadly, that momentum makes it all too easy to step around her and dig a knife into her back.\n\nShe collapses to her knees, screaming with bestial rage.\n\nMekan cuts the scream short by loosing an arrow into her forehead. \n\n"No need to prolong her suffering." He says. "Thank you, my friend."\n\nNatalya stumbles over to you and grabs your arm for balance. \n\n"Dirt..." She says, and points up at the carriage. \n\nVause is standing there, with motes of energy swirling around the end of her staff. Lying at her feet is Noah - or, more accurately, Noah's corpse. \n\n"I'm sorry." The qunari says. "While Amoria was alive I had a duty to protect her. Now that she's dead, I have no quarrel with you."\n\nMekan grimaces. "He was idealistic. He seemed like a good man." \n\n"He would have." Natalya says somberly. \n\nMekan shoots a look up at Vause. "You monster."\n\nYou're going to have to decide how this plays out.\n\n[["I understand, Vause."]]\n[["Leave. Now.]]\n[["You'll die like he did."]]

"It's a nickname, my friend. If you got to choose it, it wouldn't be any fun."\n\n"Yes, because this is so much fun."\n\n"I didn't say for you. Besides, I think it suits you quite well."\n\nYou brush your face self-consciously. "We've been travelling a lot." You say.\n\n"I know, Dirt." \n\nYou sigh. \n\n"Come on." She continues. "Maybe I'll spill some stew on me during lunch, you can start calling me Splatter or something. Sure it won't be too long 'till I do something embarrassing you can hold over me for the rest of my life. But if I get a nickname out of it, you're buying."\n\n[["Let's."]]

"Kick her ass, girl." You say as Natalya pushes through the crowd.\n\n"No problem!" She calls back at you. "I'm the resident ass-kicker!"\n\nIn the ring, Natalya draws her sword and shield as Amoria faces her down. \n\n"Aren't you getting tired?" Natalya says, confident and calm. "All these fights in a row."\n\n"You'll not win any fight by underestimating my abilities." Amoria says. \n\n"You're right about that." Natalya says, and charges forward with her shield raised. \n\nAmoria easily sidesteps the dwarven woman and sweeps her sword upwards. This could have easily bisected Natalya - but she deflects the blow with her sword and spins, crashing the hard edge of her shield into Amoria's side. The elf is thrown off-balance, and Natalya presses the attack with a couple of warning slashes. \n\n"Good, good!" Amoria says. "Quick and savvy." \n\nWith the wide blade of her sword, Amoria is able to block these slashes and lash out in a vicious stab, which Natalya has to raise her shield to block - she steps away to regain her ground. \n\nThe two stare each other down. Then Amoria darts in, thrusting bodily at Natalya's center. The dwarf hunkers down behind her shield, which is exactly what Amoria intends; the elf drops her sword but retains her momentum forward. If Natalya had her sword positioned correctly, she could have skewered Amoria; as it is, the elf tears her shield aside and lands a heavy punch on your friend's face. She reels back, falling to the ground.\n\nAs Natalya hits the ground, Amoria offers a hand in the same motion as the punch. \n\n"Lack of discipline - any formal legion would have drilled a shield stance into you that keeps your sword up." Amoria says. "But you have good instincts, ingenuity. Welcome aboard."\n\nNatalya takes her hand, rising to her feet. "Thanks." She says, not without bitterness. \n\nAmoria launches into her speech for newcomers again, and you suppose that the time to make a decision has come. \n\n[[Try out for the caravan job.]]\n[[Walk away and leave Natalya.]]

"I'm sorry, Mekan. But I have a job to do." You draw your weapon. \n\n"You're making the right choice." Amoria says, stepping up next to you as you face Mekan down. "Believe me when I say that whatever Tevinter has to offer, it'll be better than Mont-de-Glace."\n\n"Don't do this, please." Noah says, moving over to group up with the bow-wielding freedom fighter. \n\n"Noah, I'm only going to warn you once." You say. \n\n"I'm not moving." He replies, staring you down. \n\n"Vause, kill them." Amoria says. \n\nVause lets loose a blast of fire that burns Noah down in an instant - he just wasn't quite fast enough. \n\nMekan, on the other hand, springs out of the way and lets an arrow loose. Natalya dives in front of you, lifting her shield to catch the arrow, and that gives you an opening. \n\nYou surge forward, Fenlahn at your side. Together, Mekan is no match for you; he blocks a couple of Fenlahn's dagger swipes with his bow and strikes at you with a hidden knife, but you come back with a counter to the chest that knocks him flat. \n\n"No, no, please, think of my vill- " He stammers, but Amoria cuts him off - literally, you know, with her sword.\n\n"Thank you." The elf says as she pulls the blade from Mekan's skull. "I won't forget that. I kept our cargo secret because I feared how you might judge me if you found out; I promise that I am no slaver scum. These people are my family." She gestures to the crowd in the carriage, who are muttering to each other in worried tones. \n\n"Calm, now." She says to them. "It's over. We'll get back on the road and towards a better day, I promise."\n\n"Dirt." Natalya says. She's calling you over to where Noah lies still conscious, scorched through to the bone.\n\n"I'm sorry." Vause says, coming up behind you. "I meant to kill you quickly."\n\n"With fire?" Noah chokes. "Good Maker this hurts..."\n\n"The shock will kill him soon." Vause says. \n\n"I can end it quickly." Natalya raises her shortblade.\n\n[["I'll do it."]]\n[["Go ahead."]]

"You're not wrong." You say. "Amoria fought people all day to select us and was holding her own even when I got to her. And you... I suspect you're more capable than you appear."\n\n"I'll take that as a compliment." He says. \n\n"It is one." You say. "Mostly."\n\n"It's true." Fenlahn is eerily still. "I am more than just the treasurer of our little outfit."\n\n"Is it just the two of you out here?" \n\n"Now it is." Fenlahn says after a considerable pause.\n\n"Really? Aren't you worried about the deadly mercenaries you've hired pulling a mutiny and stripping your caravan?"\n\n"No." He says simply. "I'm not."\n\n[["Where do you come from?"]]\n[["What are we hauling?"]]\n[["About Tevinter..."]]

"You think that was impressive - you haven't seen me fight yet." You gesture confidently to the weapon at your side. \n\n"Huh. Well, you're confident. I like that! I'm Noah, nice to meet you." The boy's Orlesian accent is slight, but definitely present. "So you're here to try out, eh?" \n\n"Well, I -"\n\n"You'll have to wait, sorry." Noah says, moving gracefully into the crowd with a wink. "Because I'm pretty confident, too."\n\nHe draws two daggers and holds them in reverse-grip as he strides into the ring, staring down the leader of the caravan. You look at her more closely: she is a tall elven woman with a long two-handed sword, rugged leather armor, and elaborate 'vallaslin' - facial tattoos given holy significance by Dalish elves. \n\n"To any new arrivals." The woman speaks. "My name is Amoria, of the Iron Leaf. We are looking for mercenaries to accompany us north to Tevinter, to protect our cargo and make sure it arrives safely. But we will not accept you on reputation alone, however. Face me, impress me, and you will be compensated well for the journey."\n\nThe crowd responds to her words with a ripple of energy, whispers and excited chatter - they are eagerly awaiting the next fight. \n\nNoah smirks. "Give me your best shot."\n\nThe two combatants face off for an uncomfortably long time - each seems to be waiting for the other to attack. Finally Noah darts in with a slash at the woman's knee - it's clear that his intention is to move out of the range of her sword as quick as he can, but he's not quite fast enough. Amoria sweeps her sword up to the side, threatening to lop his arm off - but at the last second he throws himself into a backward roll and springs up to his feet a yard away. \n\nThe woman does not let up, however. She closes the attack, striking once, twice, each sweep narrowly deflected by the young man's daggers. Finally, it is over; she kicks him square in the chest and knocks him to the ground, holding the blade to his throat. \n\n"It's close." She says. "But you avoided blows that could have killed you. Go inside and speak to Fenlahn. He will outline your pay."\n\n"Hah!" The young man exclaims, accepting the hand that the woman offers to help him up. "I told you I wouldn't disappoint you."\n\n"That has yet to be seen. But you will accompany us."\n\nThe young man goes to the door of the nearest long carriage and pulls himself inside. Amoria turns to the crowd. \n\nAs Amoria begins her speech, Natalya comes up behind you and pulls you down to hear her over the noise. \n\n"What's all this, then?" She asks. "You just disappeared."\n\n"Shh, Natalya." You reply. "Listen."\n\n"... Face me, impress me, and you will be compensated well for the journey." Amoria finishes. \n\n"This is amazing." Natalya says, a thought flashing across her face. Then, louder: "I will face you!" She screams over the crowd. \n\n[["Natalya, wait!"]]\n[["Kick her ass."]]\n[["Good luck."]]

"I used to live in this tiny village not too far from Val Royeaux." You say. "It got boring real quick, you know? All the same people caring about the same things - farming, town gossip the weather. I got tired. When I met Natalya, that was my chance to get out - to avoid being trapped the same place my parents were. So I did."\n\n"I respect that." Vause says. "The determination to forge a new path apart from that of your family. I'm sure there's more to you, but it's a start - thank you. Now: your turn. You can ask me anything you'd like." \n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]

"Thanks, Natalya." You say. "For trusting me."\n\n"Thank you for being trustworthy." She replies.\n\nYou leave her room behind and find yourself back in the hall, with a myriad of ways to spend your time before night falls. \n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Search the writing desk.]]\n[[Head to your room.]]

"I know all of that, Natalya." You say. "I'll call you whatever you want to be called - you're the one that defines that, not anybody else."\n\n"Oh, Dirt." Natalya breathes, crying a little. "Thank you for understanding. I'm sorry for being so dramatic about it."\n\n"Don't worry about me, please. Some people would think it's a big deal. But you're just Natalya to me."\n\nAbruptly, she rushes forward and tackles you in a hug. It's tight at first, a desperate thing, but then she loosens up and it becomes a comfortable embrace. \n\n"You seriously don't care?" She asks.\n\n[["I care about you."]]\n[["Not at all."]]\n[["It'll take some getting used to."]]\n

You kneel down to take a well-deserved sip from the spring's waters. It feels you with cool confidence and relief - your mind will be sharper now, unfettered by the haze of thirst. \n\nAs you move to rise, you see a small plaque buried in the sand next to you; your thirst may be sated, but your curiosity is not. Brushing off the plaque reveals text in the common tongue, somewhat weathered by age and wind:\n\n"Spirit's Tears"\n\nIt is said that long ago, two powerful mages clashed here. Though particulars of the feud vary by the teller, all agree that their anger was unrelenting and powerful as the sun that beats down on the desert traveler. Their magic split the sky and earth as they fought for three days and nights, stopping only to spit curses unimpeded by the noise of battle. Some say that this conflict wiped out all life for more than a week's ride around, creating the desert itself. \n\nIn fact, their battle was of such magnitude that it awoke a spirit sleeping far below. The spirit, thus enraged by the mages' petty squabble, promptly streamed up from the earth and squashed them both to death. \n\nUpon seeing the destruction that these mages had wrought around them, the spirit began to weep. For the animals, for the green, for the children that would never see what this land had been. Because of the anger of a few (tellers from the Chantry would here emphasize the dangers of magic), the spirit's beautiful home had turned to sand. \n\nOvercome by grief, the spirit sank into the ground. Legend says that it lies here still, mourning its beloved land. \n(Someone seems to have scratched an addendum onto the bottom of the plaque: \n"Mmm, yummy tears!")\n\nYou turn from the spring, ready to continue on. \n\n[[Check out the caravan.]] \n\n

"Smooth like butter, Natalya." You whisper to your dwarven companion. \n\nTo the angry elf, you say: "She's right. We thought we might be able to impress you if did some patrolling without asking. Show some initiative, you know." \n\n"Well, I'm not impressed." Amoria scowls. "Do this again and I'll cut your pay in half, understand? You're here to follow my orders, not to -"\n\nAmoria's cut off by a small tapping from within the next carriage, followed by what sounds like the scuffling of tiny feet. \n\n"Go. NOW." Amoria spits, pointing back to your resident carriage with the tip of her blade. You and Natalya go dutifully, but the dwarf's face is lit up with curiosity. \n\n"What was THAT?" She whispers to you as you trudge back to your assigned bunks. \n\n"I don't know!" You whisper back. "Sounded like something alive. I can't believe we got away with that."\n\n"Let's talk about it later, okay?" Natalya says. "Meet me in the morning for breakfast."\n\nThe two of you pull yourselves into the residential carriage and are about to go your separate ways when you have an opportunity to say something:\n\n[["Goodnight, Natalya."]]\n\n(Conditional - if you flirted with Natalya previously.)[[(Flirt) "We don't have to wait until morning..."]]

"I don't need to be here." You say. "If you don't want to talk, I won't force you."\n\nAs you turn to leave, Vause speaks.\n\n"Wait." She says. "I'm sorry. I'm used to a certain kind of interaction - most of the people I meet who aren't afraid of me are only interested in ogling the exotic beast-girl from across the sea. They turn me into an object."\n\n"Whoa." You say. "I..."\n\n"You're curious." She says. "I understand. We should get to know each other."\n\nShe gets up from the candlelit desk for a moment to grab a second chair, one that she plops down in front of you. When you sit, she sets herself up across from you. \n\n"Me first, though." She says. "You and the dwarf -- how long have you been travelling together?"\n\n"A couple months, now." You say. "We met a little bit after she left Orzammar (Dwarf: "we met in Orzammar") - but if you want to talk about that, it's her story, not mine."\n\n"You compliment each other well." Vause says. ("Both front-line fighters, you create this bulwark of steel.") ("She distracts them while you unleash the real damage.") ("She distracts them while you rain fire and keep her safe.")\n\n"But you can also handle yourself." She says. "So tell me: what's your story?"\n\n[["Nothing much to tell."]] \n[["I love traveling."]] \n[["I'm all about the adrenaline."]] \n[["I'm not sure, honestly."]] \n[[(Human) "I used to live in a tiny village..."]] \n[[(Elf) "I was raised in an alienage..."]] \n[[(Dwarf) "I come from Orzammar, but I was curious."]] \n[[(Qunari) "I was Tal-Vashoth, an exile by choice."]]

"I didn't mean to bother you." You say. "I was just curious about you. We haven't gotten a chance to talk, and if we're going to be working together for the next few sunrises..."\n\n"Is this some kind of come-on?" She says, accusatory. "Most of the people who aren't afraid of me are just interested in ogling the exotic beast-girl from across the sea. They turn me into an object."\n\n"Whoa." You say. "I..."\n\n"I'm sorry." Vause cuts you off, then after a second: "You're right. We should get to know each other." \n\nShe gets up from the candlelit desk for a moment to grab a second chair, one that she plops down in front of you. When you sit, she sets herself up across from you. \n\n"Me first, though." She says. "You and the dwarf -- how long have you been travelling together?"\n\n"A couple months, now." You say. "We met a little bit after she left Orzammar (Dwarf: "we met in Orzammar") - but if you want to talk about that, it's her story, not mine."\n\n"You compliment each other well." Vause says. ("Both front-line fighters, you create this bulwark of steel.") ("She distracts them while you unleash the real damage.") ("She distracts them while you rain fire and keep her safe.")\n\n"But you can also handle yourself." She says. "So tell me: what's your story?"\n\n[["Nothing much to tell."]] \n[["I love traveling."]] \n[["I'm all about the adrenaline."]] \n[["I'm not sure, honestly."]] \n[[(Human) "I used to live in a tiny village..."]] \n[[(Elf) "I was raised in an alienage..."]] \n[[(Dwarf) "I come from Orzammar, but I was curious."]] \n[[(Qunari) "I was Tal-Vashoth, an exile by choice."]]

"I'm a danger-seeker." You say. "There's nothing quite like the rush, the feeling that it's you or the other guy. One of you is going to go down - maybe even die. It's all on the line, and your body and mind have to work together perfectly to get out of it."\n\n"Hmm." Vause considers this for a moment. "I've met your type before - someone very close to me. My unsolicited advice is this: don't let that craving control you fully. It may motivate you, and we must be thankful for any feeling that gets us through he day. But never let go of your caution."\n\nShe straightens up, realigning her mind and body. "Forgiving for focusing. I'm sure there's more to you, but it's a start - thank you. Now: your turn. You can ask me anything you'd like." \n\n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]

"Production values could be better." You snark. "I could have done with a few more explosions, maybe they could have gotten a bronto dancing, but it was all right." With a grin, you say: "Who're you supposed to be?"\n\n"I'm Noah, nice to meet you." The boy's Orlesian accent is slight, but definitely present. "You here to try out?" \n\n"Well, I -"\n\n"You'll have to wait, sorry." Noah says, moving gracefully into the crowd. "Because I'm next!" \n\nHe draws two daggers and holds them in reverse-grip as he strides into the ring, staring down the leader of the caravan. You look at her more closely: she is a tall elven woman with a long two-handed sword, rugged leather armor, and elaborate 'vallaslin' - facial tattoos given holy significance by Dalish elves. \n\n"To any new arrivals." The woman speaks. "My name is Amoria, of the Iron Leaf. We are looking for mercenaries to accompany us north to Tevinter, to protect our cargo and make sure it arrives safely. But we will not accept you on reputation alone, however. Face me, impress me, and you will be compensated well for the journey."\n\nThe crowd responds to her words with a ripple of energy, whispers and excited chatter - they are eagerly awaiting the next fight. \n\nNoah smirks. "Give me your best shot."\n\nThe two combatants face off for an uncomfortably long time - each seems to be waiting for the other to attack. Finally Noah darts in with a slash at the woman's knee - it's clear that his intention is to move out of the range of her sword as quick as he can, but he's not quite fast enough. Amoria sweeps her sword up to the side, threatening to lop his arm off - but at the last second he throws himself into a backward roll and springs up to his feet a yard away. \n\nThe woman does not let up, however. She closes the attack, striking once, twice, each sweep narrowly deflected by the young man's daggers. Finally, it is over; she kicks him square in the chest and knocks him to the ground, holding the blade to his throat. \n\n"It's close." She says. "But you avoided blows that could have killed you. Go inside and speak to Fenlahn. He will outline your pay."\n\n"Hah!" The young man exclaims, accepting the hand that the woman offers to help him up. "I told you I wouldn't disappoint you."\n\n"That has yet to be seen. But you will accompany us."\n\nThe young man goes to the door of the nearest long carriage and pulls himself inside. Amoria turns to the crowd. \n\nAs Amoria begins her speech, Natalya comes up behind you and pulls you down to hear her over the noise. \n\n"What's all this, then?" She asks. "You just disappeared."\n\n"Shh, Natalya." You reply. "Listen."\n\n"... Face me, impress me, and you will be compensated well for the journey." Amoria finishes. \n\n"This is amazing." Natalya says, a thought flashing across her face. Then, louder: "I will face you!" She screams over the crowd. \n\n[["Natalya, wait!"]]\n[["Kick her ass."]]\n[["Good luck."]]

"I'm the same as you." You say. "My mind was... you know. Different. Then how people saw me. I wanted you to know."\n\nNatalya's eyes widen. "Wow. Um. Wow, Dirt - thank you for telling me. I guess we're even, now. Maybe we can talk more about that, later?"\n\n"I'd love that." You say with a smile, and slip back out through the curtain. \n\nYou leave Natalya's room behind and find yourself back in the hall, with a myriad of ways to spend your time before night falls. \n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Head to your room.]]

"My loyalty costs a little more than a quarter up-front." You say. \n\n"Yeah!" Natalya says. "You can't just expect us to go head-to-head, or sword-to-face, with Maker-knows-what without a little extra compensation."\n\n"Wait, you believe in the Maker?" Fenlahn asks, his eyes bright with curiousity.\n\n"Figure of speech." Natalya grits her teeth.\n\n"Hmm." Fenlahn hums to himself, considering. "For your audacity, we could just drop you from the job altogether and find another couple of capable mercenaries." He gives you a pointed look over the bridge of his nose. "... But I suppose we could increase the overall pay. Two-and-a-half times the going rate for a journey of this kind - but you're still recieving only a quarter up-front. Amicable?" \n\nYou and Natalya exchange a look. \n\n"Amicable." You say. \n\n"You're welcome." Natalya says to the other two mercenaries, Noah and Vause.\n\n"Well hey." Noah beams. "I'm all for more money. Where are we going, anyway? You hadn't gotten into that part."\n\nFenlahn moves to the small desk and rolls out a map of the eastern countries; Orlais in the south, Nevarra, the Anderfels, and the Tevinter Imperium along the northern coast. \n\n"We'll be heading north here, skirting along the edge of the Nahashin marshes."\n\n"And along the Tirashan." Vause says. "The forest that no one dares venture into, for tales of the dark things that lurk there."\n\n"Indeed." Fenlahn says. "Do you have any more questions?"\n\n"No, no." Vause concedes. "Just making sure we're all on the same page."\n\nYou and Natalya exchange another look. What have you gotten yourselves into?\n\n"What's our destination, though?" Noah asks. \n\n"We will enter Nevarra here." Fenlahn says, pointing. "Through Perendale. Then we will round the Silent Plains to reach Vol Dorma, in Tevinter."\n\n"Tevinter." You breathe. "Okay."\n\n"Won't we have heaps of wheel trouble through all this wilderness?" Natalya asks. "Is there a reason we're not using the Imperial Highway? This is kindof what it's there for."\n\n"You may have noticed the unique construction of our caravan and the beasts that pull it." Fenlahn says. "We can handle transport - concern yourself primarily with protection and this will go smoothly. That is our guarantee."\n\n"All right!" Noah says. "If you need me, I'll be bunking. It's so nice and cool in here, compared to outside! I've been in the desert too long."\n\n"Indeed." Fenlahn says. "I believe you'll find that the carriage retains a comfortable temperature quite well. If you have any other questions, I'll be available up top."\n\nWith that, Fenlahn climbs up a ladder fixed to the wall that you had barely noticed before and disappears through a hatch in the roof of the carriage.\n\nNoah moves to the door and opens it to peer outside. Vause sets up by the desk, examining the map and a couple of other documents strewn there. \n\n"Well." Natalya says to you. "I'm still in if you are."\n\nAs soon as she finishes, you hear a cry from outside and up - it sounds like Amoria. The carriage rumbles into motion beneath you. \n\n"I guess I'm in." You say. "Too late to turn back now."\n\n"Okay." Natalya chuckles. "Let's see where life takes us. I'm going to set up my room. See you soon, Dirt."\n\n"See you." You say. Natalya disappears into one of the cloth-separated rooms.\n\nYou look around the cabin of the carriage. You've got a lot of travel time ahead of you - you could try and get to know your new companions, consolidate your friendship with old ones, or simply rest and recharge for the trials ahead. \n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Check in with Natalya.]]\n[[Head to your room.]] \n[[Search the writing desk.]]

You turn away from the crowd, heading back into the Dustheart oasis. You're almost at the treeline when Natalya calls out for you. \n\n"Wait, Dirt!" She says, panting as she runs to catch up to you. "Where are you going?"\n\n"I thought... I thought that I would head back into town." You say. \n\n"But... why?" You can tell that the poor dwarf is on the edge of heartbreak. Tears are welling up in her eyes. \n\nYou haven't known each other very long, but for the past several weeks you are the only friend she's had.\n\n("The job just feels fishy.")\n("I can't really explain it.")\n("I don't care about you.")\n\n"So th-that's it?" She stutters, the first drops beginning to fall. "I have to go, now. It's my best way north, and... I wanted to do this with you. I care about you. Please don't leave."\n\n[[Try out for the caravan job.]]\n[[Leave Natalya.]]

Turns out, sometimes in-danger is exactly where you want to be. \n\nYou decide it's finally time to unleash your magic. Which may not count as 'fair', per se, but at least it isn't throwing dirt in her face. \n\nA wave of force radiates from you with a single, concentrated thought. In mid-swing, Amoria is powerless as her sword is thrown backwards - as soon as the wave hits her, she follows. As she tumbles to the ground, you follow-up with a warning blast of fire at the ground between you. You wouldn't want to scorch her, after all - you're just telling her that you could have. \n\nAmoria ignores the warning, instead rolling over one shoulder and picking up her sword as she goes. She comes in again, too fast for you to avoid. \n\nYou flick your staff out to catch the blade, but the force of Amoria's blow easily knocks you off-balance. She follows it up with a pommel strike right to your nose, and the edges of your consciousness close a little. \n\nThe blade is coming around again. You brace yourself for the end.\n\n... when it doesn't come, you open your eyes to see Amoria holding her sword to your throat. \n\n"I assume that you won't hesitate when your life is on the line." She says. "Or mine."\n\n"I just..." The pommel strike has done a number on your ability to think, but you power through. "I don't get the job if I kill you."\n\n"Indeed." Amoria chuckles. "Go on inside. Fenlahn will discuss your pay with you."\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]\n\n

"I'm not sure I have much to say about my past, really." You say. "I always used to fight 'cause I had to. It's not so different now - I'm just not quite so desperate anymore. I'm not sure there's anything else I could do."\n\n"Hmm." Vause considers. "That's a rather sad statement, don't you think? I'm sure there's more to you, but it's a start - thank you. Now: your turn. You can ask me anything you'd like." \n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]

"That's all, Fenlahn. Thank you for your time." You say, though it may come across as a little sarcastic, considering the helpfulness of his answers.\n\n"My pleasure." He answers with an even smile. "It was good to speak with someone in my employ, even if there is much I cannot say."\n\nYou crawl down through the hatch, back into the warmly-lit carriage below. From here, you are presented with a number of dalliances to spend your evening on: \n\n[[Inquire about Vause.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Check in with Natalya.]]\n[[Search the writing desk.]]\n[[Head to your room.]] \n

"I come from Orzammar, but I was so curious about the world above." You say. "It was hard, to leave all my friends and family. But after... well, let's just say I don't have much to go back to anymore. Natalya convinced me to leave with promises of open sky and riding for days without hitting stone, and she was right. It's... different. But so far... not so bad."\n\n"The draw of the unknown - I understand that, of course." Vause says. "I'm sure there's more to you, but it's a start - thank you. Now: your turn. You can ask me anything you'd like." \n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]

"Of course I care - it's part of you." You say. "Because we're friends, I feel honoured to know this about you. But it doesn't affect how I see you really at all - as a woman, or as a friend." \n\nNatalya chokes out another happy sob. \n\n"You are a cheeseball." She says. "You are a ball of that fancy brie they serve at Orlesian parties. But you're my cheeseball. Now get out of here, I've got important things to do."\n\n"Uh-huh, I'm sure." You say, sarcasm dripping from your lips. You head for the door, but turn for a moment.\n\n"Oh, and Natalya..."\n\n[["Thank you."]]\n[["I'm like you."]]\n[[(Flirt) "I've always thought you were beautiful."]]\n\n

"Look, you're the one that attacked first." You say with a pointed look at Mekan. "Now you say you want a peaceful solution?"\n\nYou and Noah all climb down from the caravan roof to get a better sense of the situation. Vause stays perched on top, scanning the scenery for any more signs of violence. \n\n"By leading the raid on us, he's already hurt at least the band of fighters that came with him." Amoria scowls, striding towards Mekan with sword drawn. "I'm going to finish him before he can do any more harm."\n\n"They were all willing volunteers." Mekan says. "We're freedom fighters, here to free your slaves."\n\n"Convenient that they're not alive to corroborate your story." Amoria says, pausing for a moment. "And they're not my slaves. They are my charges."\n\n"That's not entirely true, Amoria." Fenlahn speaks up, but does not move to intervene. \n\n"What does he mean?" You ask. \n\nAmoria looks at the ground, then turns to Natalya. \n\n"Watch him." She says, pointing at Mekan. Then she gestures at the crowd of elves within the carriage; a couple of them have poked their heads out to see you, but they remain mostly silent. \n\n"These are my people." Amoria says. "From the alienage in Mont-de-Glace. They were living in poverty, starving, freezing. From my travels, I know that slaves in Tevinter are at least provided for. Many of them were working as slaves besides - shackled to serving jobs where their employers could justify any action simply because they were paying a pittance."\n\nThe elf woman spits. "I realized there were better fates. So I packed them up, and I'm taking them north. Yes, they will be slaves. But they will have homes and food at least."\n\nFenlahn simply nods. He seems entirely devoted, perfectly calm. \n\nA series of murmurs ripples through the crowd of elves. Is it doubt, perhaps, or are they words of support for Amoria's plan?\n\n"You can't possibly know that." Noah says. "You can't possibly know what life is like for a slave. I've actually visited Tevinter, and it's - it's not what you think. It's warm, sure, and there's food -"\n\n"That's good enough for me." Amoria says, and part of the crowd backs her up with murmurs of support. \n\n"But some of the masters, they treat their slaves like shit!" Noah protests. "They torture and kill them! The stories I've heard about blood magic, they -"\n\n"I will not sell my people into the hands of blood mages. I will make sure every master is kind." Amoria's voice is solid, immovable. \n\n"So you ARE making a profit." Mekan mutters. "It's easy to preach idealism when it also gets you paid, isn't it Amoria?" \n\n"Shut your shem mouth!" Fenlahn screams, making a move for the young man. Natalya stands in his way.\n\n"Not yet." The dwarven woman says. She also looks pretty immovable.\n\n"I could say the same to you." Amoria sneers. "Killing me to free the slaves is rather convenient when my caravan is also filled with supplies that you could take for free."\n\n"You're not wrong." Mekan says. "The supplies will be evenly distributed in my village - where your people will have a place, by the way. They can live with us as long as they want, free from any bonds."\n\n"Look, stranger." Mekan makes eye contact with you. "You're going to need to pick a side, here. I don't think we're going to be able to settle this."\n\n"Whatever happened to 'peace and justice'?" Vause asks from her perch on the carriage.\n\n"I'm afraid at this point, only one is possible." Mekan withdraws an arrow from his quiver, but keeps it pointed low.\n\n"We have to help him." Noah pleads. "We can't let them sell these people, I don't care how noble their intentions are."\n\n"I don't know, Dirt." Natalya says. "There's no profit in freedom fighting. We don't eat if we don't get paid. Although... Amoria and Fenlahn seem like okay folk, but I'm not sure I like any plan that involves selling people into slavery. Whatever choice you make, I'm with you."\n\n"I was hired to do a job." Vause says, her voice cold. "I don't get paid to have opinions."\n\n[[Side with Mekan.]]\n[[Side with Amoria.]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Vause privately.) [["Vause, help me free the slaves."]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Noah privately.) [["Noah, we're professionals."]]\n(Conditional - if you talked to Fenlahn privately) [["Fenlahn. Don't do this."]]

Standing tall upon the rock, you open with an icy blast conjured from an open palm. This breath of winter clings to Amoria's armor, slowing her down and leaving her open for the twin bolts of fire that next leave your weapon. \n\nThe first one melts the ice and scorches through a layer of her armor - the second one knocks her flat and sets part of her hair on fire, which she quickly extinguishes with a quick roll in the sand. \n\nAmoria rises with blade in hand, and you prepare another spell. For a moment her eyes are filled with rage, and you're sure she's about to attack again - but she regains her composure and puts a hand up to stop you. \n\n"Excellent use of strategic terrain." She says. "And you are clearly an adept spellcaster. I always welcome a mage - nothing like them on the battlefield. Go inside, speak to Ferlahn. He will discuss your pay."\n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]

"Smooth like butter, Natalya." You whisper to your dwarven companion. \n\nTo the angry elf, you say: "Yes, we were snooping. We're sorry." You shrug. \n\nAmoria scowls for a moment, then lets out a little chortle. She continues in a lighthearted tone:\n\n"Well, at least you're honest. Do this again and I kill you, understand? Just get back to your bunks."\n\n"Yes, ma-" Natalya starts, but she's cut off by a small tapping from within the next carriage, followed by what sounds like a scuffling of tiny feet.\n\n"Go. NOW." Amoria spits, pointing back to your resident carriage with the tip of her blade. You and Natalya go dutifully, but the dwarf's face is lit up with curiosity. \n\n"What was THAT?" She whispers to you as you trudge back to your assigned bunks. \n\n"Nothing we can do anything about right now." You say. "You're welcome for saving you there."\n\n"Hey, thanks Dirt. Saving us by telling the truth - who woulda thunk?"\n\nThe two of you pull yourselves into the carriage and are about to go your separate ways when you have an opportunity to say something:\n\n[["Goodnight, Natalya."]]\n\n(Conditional - if you flirted with Natalya previously.) [[(Flirt) "We don't have to wait until morning..."]]

She's fast, but you're faster - and you have the acrobatic skills to make it count. You easily avoid her swing and almost bury a dagger in her back - before you remember that this is a practice match, and killing your employer probably isn't the best way to get a job. \n\nSo instead, you shave a little piece of her already-choppy hair off with your razor-sharp blade, and dance away from her return blow.\n\n"We done?" You ask, holding up the scrap of hair. "I could have done much worse."\n\nAmoria frowns - but soon, a slight smile pulls up the corner of her mouth.\n\n"Why yes, I think we ARE done." She says. "Head on inside; Fenlahn will discuss the details of your pay."\n\n"That's what I like to hear." You say. \n\n[[Enter the carriage, victorious.]]

You walk up to Vause, but she doesn't look up from her papers. Seeing the qunari up close, you notice a series of small dots along her lips; scars, and recent ones at that. \n\n"Something you need?" She asks tersely.\n\n[["No, just curious."]]\n[["Good day to you too, sunshine."]]\n[["Fine, I can go."]]\n[[(Conditional) "I saw you fight earlier."]]

You step into the warm light of the carriage - it's functional and intimate, with several small rooms separated by hanging cloth that connect onto a common area. It's a military dorm on wheels, essentially, with a bit of extra privacy. \n\nAnother elf is standing to one side of the room by a small desk, surrounded by three figures. One of them is Natalya, the other is the human man with daggers you saw before, and the third is that tall, well-dressed qunari with the staff slung on her back. She would have horns, if they weren't sanded almost to her forehead. \n\nYou walk up to them, still smiling a little from your victory. "What'd I miss?" You ask. \n\n"I was just outlining the parameters of your employment. Fenlahn." The elf says and holds out a hand with a smile. He seems a little more expressive than Amoria, and you find yourself doubting that he would actually hire a team to hurt anyone, let alone hurt them himself. \n\n"In case you haven't met them already, that is Noah..." Fenlahn points to the human, who grins at you. "And this is Vause." The qunari bows slightly. \n\n"Well, get on with it!" Natalya prods the elf. "I can fill Dirt in when you're done."\n\n"That's not my name." You make sure to tell the others.\n\n"Is now!" Noah snickers. \n\n"Great." You sigh. \n\n"As I was saying." Fenlahn cuts in. "You'll have more than enough gold to serve you for a good long while, more than twice what I've seen others pay for a long haul job like this."\n\n"And what does that extra money cost us?" Vause asks.\n\n"Ah, good sensibilities this one has!" Fenlahn smiles. "What we're buying is loyalty. We give you a quarter up-front, we expect you to stay on to the very end. Use those skills we know you have, be ready to engage with any resistance we encounter."\n\n[["ANY resistance?"]]\n[["It'll take a little more than that."]]\n[["Whatever you need."]]\n\n

"Natalya, wait! Can't we talk about this first?" You cry, but she's already forced her way through the crowd and stepped into the ring.\n\n"PLEASE don't get yourself killed." You mutter. \n\nIn the ring, Natalya draws her sword and shield as Amoria faces her down. \n\n"Aren't you getting tired?" Natalya says, confident and calm. "All these fights in a row."\n\n"You'll not win any fight by underestimating my abilities." Amoria says. \n\n"You're right about that." Natalya says, and charges forward with her shield raised. \n\nAmoria easily sidesteps the dwarven woman and sweeps her sword upwards. This could have easily bisected Natalya - but she deflects the blow with her sword and spins, crashing the hard edge of her shield into Amoria's side. The elf is thrown off-balance, and Natalya presses the attack with a couple of warning slashes. \n\n"Good, good!" Amoria says. "Quick and savvy." \n\nWith the wide blade of her sword, Amoria is able to block these slashes and lash out in a vicious stab, which Natalya has to raise her shield to block - she steps away to regain her ground. \n\nThe two stare each other down. Then Amoria darts in, thrusting bodily at Natalya's center. The dwarf hunkers down behind her shield, which is exactly what Amoria intends; the elf drops her sword but retains her momentum forward. If Natalya had her sword positioned correctly, she could have skewered Amoria; as it is, the elf tears her shield aside and lands a heavy punch on your friend's face. She reels back, falling to the ground.\n\nAs Natalya hits the ground, Amoria offers a hand in the same motion as the punch. \n\n"Lack of discipline - any formal legion would have drilled a shield stance into you that keeps your sword up." Amoria says. "But you have good instincts, ingenuity. Welcome aboard."\n\nNatalya takes her hand, rising to her feet. "Thanks." She says, not without bitterness. \n\nAmoria launches into her speech for newcomers again, and you suppose that the time to make a decision has come. \n\n[[Try out for the caravan job.]]\n[[Walk away and leave Natalya.]]

"'Most of the year'?" You repeat. "You must be a noble of some kind."\n\n"Yep." He grins. "What gave me away? Was it the air of authority?"\n\n"Scholars, summer homes." You say. "Definitely a noble. I'll bet you like fine wine and well-made clothes, too."\n\nNoah pats down the front of his tunic. "Only because well-made clothes are comfy. Good for traveling! And I actually hate wine - such a sour taste in the mouth, eugh."\n\n[["What made you take up mercenary work?"]]\n[["About that whole talking thing..."]]\n[["This isn't much of a home."]]\n[["Good talking with you, Noah."]]\n\n

"Get out of here." You say. "I don't ever want to see your face again."\n\nVause's face is sad, almost mourning. But then she bows to you, and Natalya next to you. "I am sorry. I hope that your futures treat both of you well."\n\n"You heard 'em." Natalya says, gesturing to the road. "Walk."\n\nAs the qunari climbs down from the carriage and gets on her way, another ruckus arises from the caravan.\n\n"You killed our protector!" Cries an elf from the crowd in the carriage. Stunned into inaction and only now recovering, some of them are wandering out into the daylight now. "I'm not going with you!"\n\n"That is, of course, your choice." Says Mekan. "You can go anywhere you wish, and I won't stop you. Please take some of the supplies from the rear carts to aid you on your journey. But know that you are all welcome at my village. We'll be heading there shortly."\n\nNatalya leans her head against you, sighing. \n\n"That was something, eh Dirt? It feels wrong to go back on our contract, but... I think we did some good."\n\n"I think so too, Natalya." You say. \n\n"Well, all right. Enough of this - I'm going to go steal some lunch before all these elfy types get to it first."\n\nYour dwarven companion trudges away, and without anything else to do, you follow.\n\n"All right!" Mekan yells out over the crowds. "Grab what you can carry and board the caravan! We're heading out!"\n\n"Can we at least hold a funeral?" A small elf says to Mekan. \n\n"Of course you can." The young man says, walking over to help pick up the bodies. "Of course you can." His voice seems tinged with something - not regret at his actions themselves, perhaps, but regret that they had to be taken.\n\nYou board the rearmost carriage and find that your one remaining companion is nowhere to be seen. Upon climbing the ladder, you find her standing on top of the caravan, looking out over the hills that it rolls upon. \n\nYou take your place next to Natalya. \n\n"What do you think will happen next, Dirt?" She asks.\n\n"I don't know." You reply. "But whatever it is, we'll handle it together."

"Better than you, by the looks of it." You say, gesturing at the young man's chest where it pokes through his tunic; his skin is dark with red-purple contusions. \n\n"Says the person that got their nickname from having dirt on their face." Noah sticks his tongue out at you, and you push him lightly in retaliation. \n\nWhen you do, however, he recoils in pain. \n\n"Owowowow - that is a whole new sensation that is currently wracking my body and specifically my ribs but I know that this will subside and I will be all right in just a moment and that moment is coming soon and I will be completely divested of all burden and hardship in the fullness of time and now this sensation is passed and I am... fine." \n\n"Whoa, I am sorry. Ish. Sorry-ish. What was THAT?" You ask. \n\n"Oh, nothing." Noah replies. "This scholar once told me that expressing ourselves actually helps us deal with things. When they measure pain and such. You know - swearing, like 'Andraste's tits!', it actually makes the pain feel less bad. So I just like to talk it through when something's happening."\n\n"You sure you're okay?" \n\n"But yeah, Amoria did kick me pretty hard. I don't think anything's broken... but let's just say I miss the healer back home."\n\n"Oh yeah? Where's home?" \n\n"Val Foret." He replies. "Most of the year, anyway. Or - I suppose it was. For now this is home." He gestures to the caravan around you.\n\n[["You must be a noble's son."]]\n[["About that whole talking thing..."]]\n[["This isn't much of a home."]]\n\n

There are spirits that live deep within the earth; this you know. \n\nYou call out, a silent plea of energy and emotion. \n\nThe earth answers. \n\nA sudden wall of mud and stone shoots up before you, blocking Amoria's path. But it's too late; she's already charging for you, and she slams into the wall at full force. \n\nYou release your hold on the spell, and the wall collapses back into the earth. There Amoria lies, knocked unconscious by the impact. \n\nMekan walks over, nocks an arrow to the string of his bow. Then, without warning, he looses it into Amoria's skull.\n\n"Thank you, my friend." He says to you. "We will not forget that."\n\nNatalya stumbles over to you and grabs your arm for balance. \n\n"Dirt..." She says, and points up at the carriage. \n\nVause is standing there, with motes of energy swirling around the end of her staff. Lying at her feet is Noah - or, more accurately, Noah's corpse. \n\n"I'm sorry." The qunari says. "While Amoria was alive I had a duty to protect her. Now that she's dead, I have no quarrel with you."\n\nMekan grimaces. "He was idealistic. I think he would have made a good addition to the world." \n\n"He would have." Natalya says somberly. \n\nMekan shoots a look up at Vause. "You fucking monster."\n\nYou're going to have to decide how this plays out.\n\n[["I understand, Vause."]]\n[["Leave. Now.]]\n[["You'll die like he did."]]

"It sure was!" You say. "I've never seen anyone fight like that."\n\n"Me neither." The young man says. "That qunari - phew. She can blast me with wind any day, y'know what I'm saying?" \n\nYou blink at him. An awkward moment of silence tenses the air between you. \n\n"Who are you, anyway?" You ask suddenly, perhaps with a bit of a chuckle. \n\n"I'm Noah, nice to meet you." The boy is unfazed - his Orlesian accent is slight, but definitely present. "You here to try out?" \n\n"Well, I -"\n\n"You'll have to wait, sorry." Noah says, moving gracefully into the crowd. "Because I'm next!" \n\nHe draws two daggers and holds them in reverse-grip as he strides into the ring, staring down the leader of the caravan. You look at her more closely: she is a tall elven woman with a long two-handed sword, rugged leather armor, and elaborate 'vallaslin' - facial tattoos given holy significance by Dalish elves. \n\n"To any new arrivals." The woman speaks. "My name is Amoria, of the Iron Leaf. We are looking for mercenaries to accompany us north to Tevinter, to protect our cargo and make sure it arrives safely. But we will not accept you on reputation alone, however. Face me, impress me, and you will be compensated well for the journey."\n\nThe crowd responds to her words with a ripple of energy, whispers and excited chatter - they are eagerly awaiting the next fight. \n\nNoah smirks. "Give me your best shot."\n\nThe two combatants face off for an uncomfortably long time - each seems to be waiting for the other to attack. Finally Noah darts in with a slash at the woman's knee - it's clear that his intention is to move out of the range of her sword as quick as he can, but he's not quite fast enough. Amoria sweeps her sword up to the side, threatening to lop his arm off - but at the last second he throws himself into a backward roll and springs up to his feet a yard away. \n\nThe woman does not let up, however. She closes the attack, striking once, twice, each sweep narrowly deflected by the young man's daggers. Finally, it is over; she kicks him square in the chest and knocks him to the ground, holding the blade to his throat. \n\n"It's close." She says. "But you avoided blows that could have killed you. Go inside and speak to Fenlahn. He will outline your pay."\n\n"Hah!" The young man exclaims, accepting the hand that the woman offers to help him up. "I told you I wouldn't disappoint you."\n\n"That has yet to be seen. But you will accompany us."\n\nThe young man goes to the door of the nearest long carriage and pulls himself inside. Amoria turns to the crowd. \n\nAs Amoria begins her speech, Natalya comes up behind you and pulls you down to hear her over the noise. \n\n"What's all this, then?" She asks. "You just disappeared."\n\n"Shh, Natalya." You reply. "Listen."\n\n"... Face me, impress me, and you will be compensated well for the journey." Amoria finishes. \n\n"This is amazing." Natalya says, a thought flashing across her face. Then, louder: "I will face you!" She screams over the crowd. \n\n[["Natalya, wait!"]]\n[["Kick her ass."]]\n[["Good luck."]]

"So, Fenlahn... what's the cargo?" You ask. \n\n"Some food, some drink. Some trinkets to sell." Fenlahn shrugs.\n\n"That's it? Just... normal merchant stuff?"\n\n"Correct." He says. \n\n"Come on." You prod him. "You wouldn't be taking such a roundabout route to Tevinter if all we had were dried meats and cheese. Unless someone's after you for something unrelated..."\n\n"Excellent deductions." Fenlahn smirks. "But I cannot confirm your suspicions, and indeed, I must warn you not to pursue them further. For your sake."\n\n[["Why should I bother asking you questions?"]]\n[["Where do you come from?"]]\n[["About Tevinter..."]]\n[["That's all."]]

"Where are they headed?" You ask. "Wouldn't want to take a job without knowing where it leads me."\n\n"Says you." Natalya mutters, an aside."Where's your sense of adventure, Dirt?" \n\n"All we know for sure is that they're going north." Says Merc Number Two. "Heard that they were stopping in Nevarra, at least, and continuing on to the Anderfels, maybe."\n\n"Tevinter, more likely." Robspierre spits. "It would suit them."\n\n"Hush now, Robspierre. You can lick your wounds later - perhaps when our new challengers here come back, you can mope together."\n\n"Not really the moping type, thanks." Natalya says, then turns to you: "Well whaddya think, O cautious one?" \n\n("Let's do it!")\n("It's worth a shot.")\n("I'm not sure...")\n\n"That's the spirit, Dirt." Natalya responds, either completely on-board with what you said or entirely sarcastic. Either way, she waves goodbye to your mercenary friends and heads out of the tavern.\n\nAt this point, you could still quench your thirst at the spring, or head straight to the caravan to prove your worth. \n\n[[Stop by the spring.]]\n[[Check out the caravan.]]

"No, I don't." You say. "This doesn't change anything - you're the same Natalya I've always known. Same little ball of hair and anger."\n\n"Who you calling little?" Natalya puts up her fists. "Now get out of here, you smarmasaur. I've got important things to do."\n\n"Uh-huh, I'm sure." You say, sarcasm dripping from your lips. You head for the door, but turn back for a moment.\n\n"Oh, and Natalya..."\n\n[["Thank you."]]\n[["I'm like you."]]\n[[(Flirt) "I've always thought you were beautiful."]]\n\n\n

"Your parents really turned you in?" You ask. "That's awful."\n\n"Nope." Vause says. "That's duty - they did what any good qunari would have done."\n\n"That's how it works?" \n\n"That's how it works."\n\n"Have you seen them lately?" You ask, hoping for a little more information.\n\n"Not since that day. Probably never will." She says. Then she looks at you, signaling that that's all you're gonna get. \n\n"Got any more questions?" She asks. \n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["That's all, thank you."]]

"If you were a noble once, what made you take up this life?" You ask. \n\n"If I'm being honest? Reading too much." Noah grins. "Tales of swashbuckling adventure, of far-off places, looking at paintings of sights both beautiful and terrible that you know exist somewhere? Well. When you pair that with criticisms of the whole Orlesian noble system and how the very existence of the rich is dependent on the exploitation of the poor... It's almost hard NOT to give up the noble life, you know?"\n\n"I don't, actually." You shrug. "I've never even been close to being that rich."\n\n"It's not as great as it sounds, trust me." Noah says. "You just make up problems to replace hunger and fear of the future. Like - oh, what will I wear to Duke Jean-Frie's ball? We all need conflict, and no matter the actual seriousness of the matter, we'll make up reasons to feel catastrophically about them. I prefer this life and dealing with problems that really make a difference in people's lives."\n\n[["About that whole talking thing..."]]\n[["This isn't much of a home."]]\n[["Good talking with you, Noah."]]\n

"Thanks, Vause." You say. "It was good talking with you."\n\n"You too, Dirt." She replies, turning back to her desk. "See you in the morning." \n\n"Oh, good." You mutter to yourself. "It's caught on."\n\nYou find yourself in the middle of the carriage, presented with a number of ways to pass the evening: \n\n[[Go up the ladder and speak with Fenlahn.]]\n[[See what Noah's up to.]]\n[[Check in with Natalya.]]\n[[Search the writing desk.]]\n[[Head to your room.]]

Your hand shoots out to grab the qunari's staff before she can fire. Her eyes meet yours. \n\n"We have a job, Dirt." She scowls. \n\n"Killing freedom fighters wasn't in the contract." You say. \n\n"Actually..." Fenlahn's smooth voice drifts up from below you - he was hidden among the elven crowd below. "It was. I told you to be ready to engage any resistance - these folks here are resistance."\n\nThe well-dressed elf moves like a lightning strike, producing two small blades from his sleeves and entering the fray. \n\nThe young leader is able to avoid Fenlahn's onslaught, but the remaining warriors around Natalya and Amoria are not. They're dead within moments, each crumpling to the ground almost in unison. \n\n"You..." The leader says. "You're going to regret that."\n\n"I'm not sure that I will, friend."\n\n"You!" The leader shouts up at you, his eyes pleading. "My name is Mekan, and I very much appreciate what you just did for me. Please help me end this peacefully - and justly."\n\n[["I want that too."]]\n[["Would you still ask if you were winning?"]]\n[["Peacefully - like you?"]]

You give Amoria no time to get her bearings against you; instead you lash forward with a devastating opening attack. She deflects the blow and counters, slicing down at one of your legs and up. \n\nYou stagger back out of the range her blade, but she presses forward relentlessly. You are only barely able to dodge and deflect her deadly strikes. \n\n[[Fight fair.]]\n[[Fight dirty.]]

"I was Tal-Vashoth, an exile by choice." You say. "I'm sorry if that offends you, but judging by your magic you probably don't have much love for the Qun either. I... I respected it, I suppose - it's hard to do anything else when those ideas are pounded into your head from birth - but it wasn't the life for me. We sailed from Alam, just a few of us. Friends. We made a name for ourselves in the Free Marches as a mercenary company, but... the nature of the life loses you friends. I ran into Natalya soon after the worst of it, and now we travel together."\n\n"I imagine there's a lot more to every part of that story." Vause says. "But it's a start - thank you. Now: your turn. You can ask me anything you'd like." \n\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]

"I was raised in the alienage in Montsimmard, but I always dreamed for something outside the slums." You say. "I saved up some money just working the classic Elf serving-jobs, and as soon as I was ready, I struck out on my own just to wander. Met a Dalish clan that wasn't very kind to me, travelled with a few folks that I eventually had to leave. Natalya's the latest of those."\n\n"There is much of this world to see, indeed." Vause nods. "I would be curious to hear how you went from traveler to warrior-for-hire, but we can save that for another time. Now: your turn. You can ask me anything you'd like." \n\n[["What you said about objectification..."]]\n[["Why are you here?"]]\n[["Can you tell me about those scars?"]]

"Smooth like butter, Natalya." You whisper to your dwarven companion. \n\nTo the angry elf, you say: "Hey, Amoria. Look, I know we're out of bounds, we're sorry. We were just... you know. Looking for a private spot to, you know..." You give Natalya a sidelong glance and reach clumsily for her hand. She plays along, grabbing your arm and pulling herself in close. You have the opportunity to kiss her on the cheek, if you want. \n\n"Oh, yeah! Dirt's my sweetie!" Natalya says. She's the worst liar ever, but Amoria seems to buy it. \n\n"Okay, okay." She says, a chortle cracking her tough veneer. "Just don't do it again, understand?"\n\nYes, ma-" You start, but you're cut off by a small tapping from within the next carriage, followed by what sounds like a scuffling of tiny feet.\n\n"Go. NOW." Amoria spits, pointing back to your resident carriage with the tip of her blade. You and Natalya go dutifully, but the dwarf's face is lit up with curiosity. \n\n"What was THAT?" She whispers to you as you trudge back to your assigned bunks. \n\n"I don't know!" You whisper back. "Sounded like something alive. I can't believe we got away with that."\n\n"Let's talk about it later, okay?" Natalya says. "Meet me in the morning for breakfast."\n\nThe two of you pull yourselves into the residential carriage and are about to go your separate ways when Natalya stops you. \n\n"Actually, I guess we don't have to wait until morning." She says, her voice dropping a little lower. "If you wanted, to, we could... did you mean what you said about wanting some privacy?"\n\n[["Goodnight, Natalya."]]\n[[(Flirt) "I did."]]

"This is really fun." You say. "Reminds me of being a kid. Thanks for dragging me out here."\n\n"Always my pleasure to get you into trouble, Dirt." Natalya grins and disappears from view. \n\nYou follow her down the line to the next carriage. \n\n"So since when do you care this much about uncovering the truth?" You ask as you walk. "It's not a justice thing, is it?"\n\n"Nope, it is demonstrably not." Natalya grins. "I just really hatelove secrets."\n\n"Hatelove?"\n\n"You know. Like the relationship you share with roasted potato skins." \n\n"Hey, those are a Ferelden delicacy!" You protest. \n\n"They're also ninety-eight percent grease." Natalya pulls up to the next carriage. "Shush, here we are."\n\nShe pulls open the door, and you find that the cargo of this carriage is just as mundane as the last. Plenty of fresh water and simple sundries, little games for children. \n\n"Okay, fine!" Natalya fumes. "Next one." \n\nYou haul the carriage closed and move on - there's a bend in the caravan ahead, so you need to round the corner to get to the next container. \n\nWhen you do, you come face to face with Amoria. \n\nNatalya screams, a little too high and a little too loud. \n\n"Oh." You say. "Hi, Amoria."\n\n"We were just. Uh. Going for patrol." Natalya says. "Like, y'know - mercenaries! So protecty. We're good at that!" \n\n"Mm." The scrappy elf drags her huge sword to her shoulder, giving you the most skeptical look of the age. \n\n[["She's right."]]\n[["We were looking for some privacy."]]\n[["We were snooping."]]

Vause shoots a blast of flame at the young man, and he just barely dives out of the way. The flame licks up one side of his body - he cries out in pain. \n\n"Perfect." Fenlahn's smooth voice drifts up from below you - he was hidden among the elven crowd below. "Excellent work, mercenaries - I knew we hired you for a reason."\n\nThe well-dressed elf moves like a lightning strike, producing two small blades from his sleeves and entering the fray. \n\nFenlahn's onslaught bypasses the young leader completely, but the remaining warriors around Natalya and Amoria are not so lucky. They're dead within moments, each crumpling to the ground almost in unison. \n\n"You..." The leader says, gasping from the pain. "You're going to regret that."\n\n"I'm not sure that I will, friend."\n\n"You!" The leader shouts up at you, his eyes pleading. "My name is Mekan, and I know you have no reason to trust me. But please... please help me end this peacefully and justly."\n\n[["I want that too."]]\n[["Would you still ask if you were winning?"]]\n[["Peacefully - like you?"]]

"It's over, Amoria!" You say. "I have the high ground."\n\n"What?" She replies. "Who even says that?" \n\nYou take advantage of her split-second confusion by leaping from the rock and striking at her with the force of gravity behind you.\n\nShe is able to bring up her sword to mitigate the worst of it, but you drive her to the ground. It becomes a messy scuffle there in the sand, fists and dust flying, and Amoria seems a bit more experienced than you. She is quickly gaining the upper hand, even as you return to a proper stance. \n\n[[Use the branch.]]\n[[Fight fair.]]\n[[Fight dirty.]]