Choose your own Dragon Age adventure

[Kipeci]

B

I guess B would be biting it off with our teeth? I'm for that. Otherwise, A

 

[Kz3r0]

A

 

[Crane]

A-okay. This is a long one.

Faced with little other choice, you tentatively reach out for the creature's gnarled hand, hoping with what little hope remains within you that you're making the right decision. As your palms connect, the darkspawn pulls you onto your feet, looks you over, and grunts its approval.

"Well fought," it suddenly says. You're stunned into silence. You didn't know that darkspawn could speak, and if so, that they would do so when confronted by a human.

"Thank you?" you manage, more of a question than a statement.

"You are not like the others," it says tentatively, looking you over. "And yet,"-he taps the side of his head-"we are connected." His gaze moves to your arm, now painted in blacks and greens. "You are too intelligent for a ghoul. I'll admit, this confuses me."

"What are you exactly? Surely if most darkspawn were this reasonable, people wouldn't be as fearful as they are."

The creature nods. "I am not what most would consider ordinary. I have ... " It considers its next words carefully before saying them aloud. ".... been given gifts that our brothers have not. I have seen things, learned things. I am beyond our kin, and until this moment, considered myself alone from others in my ability to consider both myself and others."

"I am no darkspawn," you say, beginning to trust the creature with your truths. After all, he could have killed you more than once by now. "But I have been given your blood."

You turn your tainted arm toward the creature, and it looks closely at your tourniquet. It laughs. "I see. Clever. How did you come to be in the Deep Roads?"

"I was left here to die."

"By whom?"

"An assassin named Ciro."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Find him. Get answers. Kill him."

The creature nods. "Then you'll need a better sword arm. I can see you had some training, but you'll not stand against a trained assassin in your current condition. Come, this is what we do in the darkness of the Roads. I will train you."

You never expected to find so much kindness from such a foul creature. The world has changed much since yesterday.

"What is your name?" you ask. "Do you have a name?"

"F'rrngrn," he replies gutturally.

"Then 'Fern', if you don't mind," you say.

You begin your training.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two weeks pass much faster than you may have imagined, given the solitary effort of your days. Each day, there had been six hours to sleep, followed by a small meal -- generally a rat or some moss-and eighteen hours of training broken up by other small "meals" throughout the day. Most of your time has been spent with Fern, who you learned quite early on to be a capable mage. The discovery has made your constant losses to him in physical combat all the more embarrassing.

The other darkspawn tend to ignore you when not sparring, none clever enough to notice your obvious uniqueness. It makes you uncomfortable to be accepted by them, as if your humanity were somehow already lost. And while that may not yet be the case, these past two weeks of observing your wound darken and spread have shown you that someday, it will be. Even your tourniquet couldn't stop the fate Ciro forced upon you ... only slow it. A day will come, and soon, when you succumb. There is no cure. There is no hope. The only thing you can wish for now is the chance to see those responsible for doing this to you dead or worse before you meet your end. You must survive long enough to have your revenge. It is the only thought left in your mind.

Fern has been watching the progression of your injury as closely as you, and agrees that it's time for you to depart the Deep Roads to begin your quest of vengeance. Before you leave, he asks you to follow him back to where he sleeps-it's the first time he's allowed you to enter. Inside, you're surprised to find a human infant asleep on a small pile of hay.

"What is this?" you ask incredulously. "Who is this baby?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot say," he replies.

"Where did you get her?" you demand.

"It does not matter," he replies. "For two weeks I have helped to train you, and today I will lead you in safety away from this place. All that I ask in return is that you bring me with you to the surface. Me and this child."

You agree, though you're annoyed by Fern's refusal to answer any questions about the baby, or his intentions in regards to it. After all, you have no choice in the matter, truly. He and his baby can do as they like. A powerful mage's presence will do nothing but speed your journey toward finding Ciro, anyway.

Fern wraps himself in rags and a large cloak, too covered to be recognized on the surface for what he is. On his back, he straps the baby comfortably in a long sling. Soon, the three of you leave for the surface. It isn't far, and after two hours, you've breached the ground and walked into the shattered sunlight of the heavily forested outskirts of what looks to be a large Ferelden town. It's time to start looking for the crow.

A) Pretend to be hiring an assassin. Perhaps that will lead you to Ciro.
B) Find a member of the Guard. If anyone knew about where the crows might be holed up, it would be the law. (The previous sentence seems nonsensical to me.)

 

[Elfberserker]

I can see both leading to amusing results.

A totally strange dwarf trying to hire specialized people in totally unknown town to her. Geez, what could go wrong.


Trying to stumble to guard which knows that there are bigshot assasins around, doesn't look too good either.
Worse of All we don't have single bribe to convince guards...

Aah, fuck it A

 

[Crane]

Wow that last update really drove people away, didn't it? A it is.

You head to the nearest tavern, a bar called the "Flagon's Breath Inn," the perfect kind of establishment for getting information in an unfamiliar town. You walk through the door with Fern just behind you, and are disappointed to see it nearly empty. Undaunted, you step in anyway to look around.

> Look at the tables

You look around the various, unmatched tables littering the inn, and catch the gaze of a tall elf in a dark cloak. He draws heavily on a long pipe, before exhaling a large cloud of smoke just in front of him as if to obscure your view.
​

> Check out the bar

The bar is filled by the usual drunken sort, all tended by a single woman currently cleaning out glass mugs with a dirty rag. Her clothes seem more suited for an adventurer than a bartender.​

> Investigate the booths.

The booths are all but empty, currently being cleaned by a small, flustered human in a stained apron. He seems overworked.
​

A) Speak with the shady man in the corner.
B) Begin with the strangely garbled bartender.
C) Press the anxious waiter.

 

[Tigranes]

Oh, I forgot to vote last time. Well, we better get with the hiring. Will it be Aragorn, Patty, or the waiter?

I'm going to say B for now isnce even if she isn't the one, she's in a position to know who knows.

 

[Elfberserker]

B
She might know who is importan and who is not...Even thought the Elf gives strong impression of shady business.
I think most of guys were playing Divinity: orginal sin, since it just came out yesterday.

 

[Azira]

Sure. Why not. B

 

[Kz3r0]

B

 

[ALchymist]

(B)efore she took an arrow to the knee?

 

[Crane]

You approach the bar, and the bartender approaches you.

"Ale dark, ale light, or did you just want to know how to get to The Whale?" she asks angrily.

"The Whale?" you ask.

"Sorry," she replies, calming her tone. "What can I get you and your friend, love?"

"Information, actually," you reply.

The woman rolls her eyes and her voice sounds annoyed once more. "Six of you a day, I swear. Listen, I don't deal in information. Unless you're looking for something to cool your throat, go bother someone else."

You turn to leave, when the woman stops you. "Hey," she says. "Don't bother that elf in the corner, though. That, I will tell you. Now get moving."

(B)efore she took an arrow to the knee?

So it seems.

A) Ignore her advice and approach the man in the back.
B) Try the waiter.

 

[Kipeci]

B

 

[Elfberserker]

I had luzl with bartenders comments

So either the Elf is in with bad crow or he is probably some ranger lunatic...
Lets see what we can intimate from the waiter

B

 

[Indranys]

B bro, the shady elf seems like a dangerous chap indeed.

 

[Azira]

Fuck this, let's engage in elf diplomacy!

A

 

[Tigranes]

You tell an adventurer not to do something...

A.

 

[Kz3r0]

B

 

[Crane]

So B it. Did I already use that one?

You approach the waiter and tap him on the shoulder. He jumps at your touch and grasps at his heart. "D-d-don't s-s-s-s-care me like that!" he exclaims nervously. "You could have been anyone!"

Your brow furrows. You can't imagine this person knowing anything, but you're here now, and have already scared him half to death. "I'm looking for someone to do a job for me," you say furtively.

"If you pay m-m-more than minimum wage, it will be more than I make bussing here," he says excitedly.

"Not a job you can perform," you continue. "I'm looking for more permanent solutions to my needs." He's not getting it. "The crows," you say. "I'm looking for the crows."

"Oh, I can help you there," he says confidently. The easy answer takes you by surprise. "But, uh, I'm looking for someone to do a job for me, too."

"I'm listening."

"There's a bar across the way," he explains, sounding much more normal than he had at the start. "The Sunken Whale. It's been putting us out of business. Taysha, the owner over there, is losing her customers. And we, the staff, are losing our tips. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's the difference between two hot meals a day and one. The Whale has been around for over five years, and never before just three weeks ago has it ever stolen our business. They're not offering discounts, they haven't redecorated, nothing! But for some reason, most people who visit these days never drink anywhere else after. Including us, here. Find out why, get me my tips back, and I'll help you find who you're looking for."

Easy enough, you think. You nod to the man and waste no time leaving the bar for The Sunken Whale. You see it across the way so filled with patrons that they're bordering the front of the building near the street. There are, as with most places, two ways into The Whale.

A) The front door, an open investigation.
B) The back door, a more... quiet investigation.

 

[Kipeci]

A, I think?

 

[ALchymist]

A. No-one will spot a dwarf in a crowd anyway.

 

[Elfberserker]

Wait a minute!

What are our skill set? Are we warrior or rogue type? OR do we even have stealth skills.
Or any skills orther than warrior


Edit: edited for brain damage

 

[Crane]

I don't actually know. We had blade training, but we don't know in what capacity we were fighting. I think I remember hearing something about casteless dwarves being made to fight the darkspawn when they try to come up to dwarven territory or something.

We also know that we're probably good at charming people, what with almost convincing a noble to marry us. Persuasion isn't tied to any class in Dragon Age: Origins, but I doubt this CYOA goes far enough into the game's mechanics for it to make a difference. There's also the fact that if a straight-up investigation goes nowhere, sneaking around is still an option.... if the game allows it.

 

[Kz3r0]

B)

 

[ALchymist]

Closest fit seems to be to a bard, possibly an assassin. Certainly our 'uncle' who trained us is a thief. Of course, if we're still wearing the tourniquet, it's likely to hamper a lot of our skills.

Still prefer the frontal approach initially.

 

[Elfberserker]

B

From what I remember from game lore during the previous blights, the castless were sort a last defence line so others could escape...I don't remember could they even escape.
Orzammaer I think didn't have such history, but there was couple of castless who could risen to rank of paragon.

Then again Dust town seems to be pretty brutal place, so our character might have some very basic combat training combined with actiual fighting experience in life or death situations.
I doubt that our character is good as fighting as warrior caste, but so far she seems to be at least competent.

Then again I wouldn't be surprised, if she learned to stealth as well as pickpocketing as street urchin.