IC: Boar Hunting

[maleborgia]

*Camp's a farm, right? And you know what farms have? Pigs.

The ones in Camp are a little... different from the cute, not-by-the-hair-on-my-chinney-chin-chin ones some of you might be more familiar with, however...

One way or another, it's clearly the time for a boar hunt. Clearly. And somewhere away from the center of Camp are two people on horses looking to do just that.*

Comments

[maleborgia]

Whichever you feel like sharing. I'd welcome the entire story, of course.

[sharpasafawkes]

Not terribly so, but you can look it up easily.

Rabbit?

[fistingthing]

That is a slightly disturbing thought. It is a dangerous substance.

Hawke's Mabari hound. A noble and intelligent breed of dog. Also, quite large. They are warhounds.

[sharpasafawkes]

It's tame compared to what we've got in our world...

Is it a proper bruiser? Or one of the Lanky ones?

[fistingthing]

[If wolves could raise an eyebrow . . . ]

Imagine a dog who stands to the bottom of your ribcage and has more body mass than you and I combined.

[hawkwardmoment]

Well then, how should I begin... I wasn't always a noble. Six years ago, I was just a refugee in the slums of Lowtown, taking any job I can find so that I could fund an expedition that I hoped would help me raise the coin to win back my mother's family estate, and keep the Templars off my back. So when a dwarf named Anso tried to hire me for a sketchy job, I accepted.

[she then goes on about how the job turned out to be a trap by slavers, how it was actually meant for Fenris, how he later appeared to ask for her assistance in killing his former master; a magister from the Tevinter Imperium, and how she was offended about being used but accepted to help anyway because she despised slavers. She then tells him that the target had already left by the time they reached Danarius' home.]

—after that, even though he was offended to learn I was another mage, Fenris decided to stay, and offer his aid to me in order to repay his debt. And that concludes the story of how we met.

[sharpasafawkes]

Right, worse than a Great Dane, good to know.

[fistingthing]

They are intimidating beasts to face in battle, but fierce allies to have by your side. And said to be as intelligent as many humans, though truly, that says little.

[maleborgia]

I see. And his markings are...?

[hawkwardmoment]

The reason Danarius wants him back. They're made of lyrium, and grants Fenris certain unique abilities.

[sharpasafawkes]

[Looks like he's about to start on something, but holds back.]

[fistingthing]

They also originated in Tevinter, the experiments of a magister, the same as myself.

[sharpasafawkes]

They never tried the tattoos on anyone else?

[fistingthing]

There are a very few. Lyrium, as I told you before, is more costly than gold, and even diamonds. And the ritual is not well understood. I understand that Danarius had attempted to create others before; I was merely the only one unfortunate enough to survive. Other magisters have on occasion also successfully created a warrior such as myself, but we remain exceedingly rare. It takes great wealth and power to even attempt it.

[sharpasafawkes]

Couldn't they dilute it with other materials? You'd think if they're such fine, upstanding sorts they'd try to cut a corner or two.

[maleborgia]

A kind of magic? What do they do?

[fistingthing]

It was mixed with ink to create these tattoos, but the amount necessary was still great. You cannot 'cut corners' on magic, not if you hope to have it succeed. Using more ink and less lyrium would result in a less powerful - [and Fenris bares his fangs and snarls the next word] - pet, if the ritual even succeeded at all.

[sharpasafawkes]

Trust me, that's never stopped people from trying idiotic things like that before...

[fistingthing]

[Fenris shrugs as best as a wolf can] And perhaps that is why the others Danarius attempted died.

[sharpasafawkes]

My heart bleeds for the bastard.

[hawkwardmoment]

[laughs]

Lyrium is a mineral more valuable than diamonds because it has many magic-related uses once processed, such as for enchantments, enhancing a mage's spell or replenishing their mana. However, by itself it isn't magic, and neither are Fenris' markings. So unless you want to see him behave like a glowing porcupine, you probably don't want to mistake his markings for magic in front of him.

[fistingthing]

[If wolves could smirk . . .]

His heart bled as well, never fear.

[maleborgia]

*laughing as well*

All right, I will be certain to keep that in mind. If he's that opposed to it, Camp must be highly frustrating to him.

[sharpasafawkes]

[urging his horse to go a little faster at the sign of broken foliage]

So good to know the story has a happy ending.

[hawkwardmoment]

Very. But in contrast, I find it highly refreshing to be in a place that doesn't discriminate against people who have magic.