Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Helene Dakesh]

The sylph frowns, deep in thought. "Is this the Id? How could we tell? We have to assume it is, meaning letting it die would be... problematic. But should the Id look like #######? Rather than Liz? If this is merely a persona, a false face, then it would be no problem to-- we may be wasting our time here, rather."

[Isabela]

Isabela shakes her head. "No, but this whole Queen thing sounds familiar. When we found her, she was calling herself the ####### Quee-- oh, is that what that word is? #######? Dee eeh em oh en?"

[Tethras Clan]

"So the name she was given at birth and the monster that ruined her life," Zevran muses. "But is it that she will not allow the words or that she cannot abide them?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one assumes the latter. There was a moment where... it seems as though there was almost a reaction to the unspoken name. And witness how Liz knows nothing of the person of whom Varric spoke. Perhaps... A thought. Notice how similar the story Liz presented is to the story of what happened to #######. Perhaps we need to remind Liz of the truth of what happened? Perhaps this is about lies and masks rather than about the situation presented to us?"

[Varric]

Varric flinches a little, staring at the ground. I should have thought of that... starting to see why this Delving stuff is so hard. If you care enough about the person to risk it/give the effort and can interact, you're too close (failed her) to think clearly. "Yeah. A bit of a risk, shaking her... delusion like that but... yeah. The best reaction we got was when I asked about ##- the elder Hawke sib. Wonder if..." Clearing his throat and focusing, he attempts to say, 'Mary Ann.'

[GamesMaster]

He has to try a few times -- it seems to know what he means. If he thinks of someone else, someone hypothetically named Mary Ann, it works, but when he tries to name her Mary Ann, it comes out garbled. It seems the combination of syllables and attached to her is what triggers it.

[Varric]

Varric frowns a bit, then nods slowly. "I think I should go walk Liz to this Bonfire- and along the way, tell her the story of a lovely young woman named Mary Ann." I'm a storyteller as much as I am a businessman. Mostly it's for me or in the way I act, but this once... I think I can tell a story to just a soul in need of listening (my dau-). "If you three could walk with us and... make sure no-one interrupts? For instance, some Unruly Evil?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Understood." Helene nods, and the three of them fall in as he heads back for Liz, who is already anxious to get moving. 

[Varric]

"I mentioned living in Nyra and living elsewhere, right?" Varric begins as they walk. "Well, the place I lived was based around a mine, which had gone unused because the locales lacked the funds to start a new shaft. Acting on the advice of... a dear friend, I moved away from glorious Nyra and her many comforts to this tiny little town out in the sticks. Gods it was awful. Not a single restaurant, just a tavern, a bakery and an old widow that made some spare coin selling meals to people that got sick or the like and didn't feel up for cooking. No theatres, no songhalls, not even street performers. Books, aside from select holy texts and a scant handful of textbooks for children, had to be special ordered and shipped- which took almost five weeks once ordered. And the smell! So- so green!"

He smiles faintly. "Best damn bit of advice I ever got."

[Marian Hawke]

"That does sound lovely," she sighs. "I sometimes wish there were more books here in Longshore."

[Varric]

Lovely? Did you miss the set-up to the wham line? "Books are good," the storyteller agrees. "I hated it there, at first. I like city-living. And the whole nature thing never grew on me." He winks at her at the bit of wordplay. "Thing is though? That tiny little nothing town had three treasures in it worth more than all the gold in that mine. Three wonderful kids, siblings. Mary Ann, the eldest and a merikos elf like yourself. And two twins, a boy and a girl, Hunter and Silence. Silence was a shy little thing at the time, though she had a lot of passion and drive hidden inside her. As the youngest, she was often called into being the peacemaker between Hunter and Mary Ann. See, Hunter was a good kid, but he had trouble thinking past his first gut reaction when he got emotional.And Mary Ann? Well, their father... wasn't around, I'm afraid. And the less said about the mother, the better. So, as eldest, Mary Ann was given a great deal of the responsibility of raising her siblings."

[Marian Hawke]

"I understand that," she nods. "I love my siblings dearly, but it does grow tiring caring for them and minding the house and cleaning and doing the laundry and the mending..." She sighs. "I had to drop out of school to make time for it all after Mother died."

[Varric]

"I see." All too easily, truth be told. "Well, by shearest chance, the two twins, not yet even ten, found themselves on my doorstep. A bit of play got out of hand and their ball got lost in my house by way of my front window. As you can imagine, there was a bit of a discussion on the matter, with Hunter attempting very bravely to both take all the blame on himself to spare his twin and also proclaim his innocence. Very adorable. And Silence just as earnest in trying to smooth things over and get her brother out of as much trouble as she could. Now I'm not the nicest... bloke in the world, but faced with that, what could I do? So I made a deal with them- some simple chores around the house- mostly cooking and cleaning- I'd pay them some pocket money, minus some for the window, and help them with their schooling."

He smiles faintly, remembering that far simpler time. "Of course, Mary Ann couldn't help but notice all this and soon came to my house herself, near to breathing fire and eyes crackling with a storm. Thankfully we worked things out and set out on a path that would see her becoming my apprentice."

[Marian Hawke]

They can hear the sound of a crowd up ahead as they wind their way through the village -- it seems the faceless people have all gathered in the square where they first appeared, and are making enough of a fuss to be heard from as far away as they are. Liz chuckles. "That must have been a sight -- some little slip of a half-elf, maybe half your size, trying to intimidate you?"

[Varric]

"Half my-" Right, illusion mask form. "Eh, the height difference was less than you might think. I was... shorter then," Varric says vaguely. "But oh she was a wonder. Brightest kid I'd ever met." As you can't really met yourself and Helene is no child. "Damned loyal too, she refused several offers to send her alone to Nyra to attend a university. No, she can't imagine abandoning her siblings. She and Hunter might have argued, even fought, sure, but she loved them dearly. They were both just stubborn and unsure, trying to do their best but not always agreeing on what path is surest, wisest. Of course, not all was good in life. Fate abhors a boring story after all."

Slowing, the storyteller turns his face upwards, eyes half-closed. "You see, those parents I briefly mentioned- which is more than they deserved then, mind you- had a bit of something in their bloodlines. A hint of magic, of wild ice, of winter storm. All three of them had magic to them, though the lad wouldn't discover his for years yet. That sort of thing was hated in the village and they were all terrified of discovery. Of being... hunted. Killed."