The Winter's Queen [Magus AU]

[Helene Dakesh]

"Is it?" They sound faintly alarmed. "This one has not noticed a decline in health." 

[Tethras Clan]

"It's a slow, gradual thing," Zevran explains. "And more mental and emotional than physical but that's all related at the base of things, is it not?" He squeezes gently, then lets them go so he can stand.

[Helene Dakesh]

They step back, a relieved smile on their face. "That's alright. This one has never had typical needs, mentally or emotionally."

[Tethras Clan]

"Give it a shot. If nothing else, a mabari can be a stalwart guardian," Zevran suggests. "Speaking of which... summon something to walk you most of the way back?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Good idea," they agree warmly. "Thank you."

[NPCs]

"Thank you and you're welcome," Zevran says back. Then hums softly. "You'd think we'd have a word for that."

[GamesMaster]

The group make their way into the sewers, creeping up on the back entrance to the temple quietly. They run into opposition, of course. Chandra and Rocromm lure away a massive, bleeding minotaur and some of his friends, drawing them back out to the snowy streets in the hopes of taking them out with help from their squad; Zevran, Carver, T, and Dog creep forward, heading through the halls to where they can hear the sounds of movement, of life ahead.

The throne room stills Varric's mind for a moment when they reach it. There are planters instead of pillars, but otherwise it's the spitting image of the inside of Anders' head, the exact layout from before. Only, in place of Anders, the lich that sits the throne wears his daughter's face. And in place of Justice, the figure milling about at her side, giving orders to the various undead, wears his own.

[Tethras Clan]

~Addle minded, pox licking bile stained...~ Varric's flow of words shifts into a flurry of noises, only a handful of which Carver even recognizes, much less understands. The tone is pretty clear though.

Zevran has paled as well but thankfully he does silent and still in his pain and rage. Dog sniffs the air deeply, ears perked as he tries to get a fix on enemy numbers. Beka tries to be the brave guard she knows she should be, but she can't stop herself from pressing lightly against her eldest sibling. Hunter, of course, is near his master, the lucky cur.

[Carver Amell]

Get ahold of yourself. It's just a throne room. Carver peers around the doorframe again, getting an eye for the numbers in the room. Too many. Might have to challenge her and see if she has the honor to answer. That or, Zevran's pretty quiet, maybe he can sneak around the edge of the room.

[Tethras Clan]

Varric pulls himself on topic with an effort. ~Right, right. This is just- it's an echo of a bad memory. Sorry. Right. Yeah, if Zevran can work his way around back... Need more though. Alright, signal everyone to pull back, I have a plan.~

[Carver Amell]

Carver signals for them to fall back, leading the way back through the side hallway into an unused storeroom that they'd passed through on their way. "Varric has a plan," he whispers, trying to keep his mind off the riddle of what memory the throne room could possibly evoke and whether the lich did it on purpose. 

[Tethras Clan]

~Short version is an illusion where Hawke was killed in front of me. Probably not intentional, it felt real to her too, so it's not a great one for her either. Probably just because it's the only throne room she's been in,~ Varric says curtly.

~Anyway. Plan. Zevran is our first hit, hopefully the last. Our opening move, however, is Beka and Silence. The two of them will reveal themselves, try to approach Hawke, then pretend to get spooked and bolt. Sh- It should send its grunts after them. They'll just bolt, head back to the diversion out front. After the grunts leave, you, Hunter and Dog go in hard at the guards. Zevran will hit after you engage. T and Loup are our safety- if you need it, they help you. If Zevran starts to falter, they go after the lich. Try and go after my body if the lich doesn't seem to be invested in your frontal assault.~

[Carver Amell]

Is he going after your corpse or the Lich first? Or -- you're saying I go after you, he goes after her? it?

[Tethras Clan]

~Correct. Zevran will go after the lich. If it drops, this turns into a mop up job. Dropping my body is just... a very good distraction,~ Varric clarifies.

[Carver Amell]

Carver fumbles his way through the plan, kneeling in the dust to draw a quick diagram to keep it all straight. "Any questions?" he asks of T and Zevran. And Dog, really, not that the canine speaks much.