Dragon Age: Inquisition — Story Playthrough — Part Thirteen
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After welcoming Morrigan to the Inquisition, Iselia discovered that Leliana and Cassandra were both being considered for the role of Divine. After speaking with them both, she determined that if she was ever asked to help this decision, she would help Leliana vie for the coveted red hat.
Now they were off to the Western Approach to follow up Alistair's lead on the Grey Wardens.
The Western Approach was a dry and desolate place covered in bright sand and encompassed by the burning sun. If it weren't for the rumour of the Wardens, there was no way she'd choose to go to a region like this of her own volition.
She wasn't alone in her thoughts; Varric complained very vocally about the sun boring into him.
On their way to find Alistair and Hawke, they came across a pocket in the area they couldn't access for overwhelming fumes of sulphur. Iselia would need to head back to Skyhold and get some men or mages sorted to help clear this area to make it explorable.
Just off to the side of the impassable sulphur pits lay some ruins. Hawke and Alistair stood at the entrance, awaiting them. They had only been there a couple of hours, but Iselia was already wishing she had some different armour. This stuff was fine in the cold snows of Ferelden, but truly awful here.
It didn't matter. They had Grey Wardens to investigate.
Hawke warned them that the tower reeked of blood magic. They'd best be careful as they approached.
Hawke was right. Just up ahead, there was a Tevinter Magister instructing a small group of Wardens how to summon demons and bind them to their wills. A dead Warden lay at his feet, his blood drained from his body for the ritual.
Alistair walked up to him and guessed that he wasn't a Warden. No, he wasn't, the man said, then glared at Alistair. And there he was, the Warden that had gotten away.
The man didn't hide who or what he was. He was of Tevinter and he worked for Corypheus. The Wardens had heard Corypheus' Calling and they had been so scared — so terrified — that they had even turned to Tevinter for help.
And here he was... helping them, in the name of his Master.
Warden-Commander Clarel thought that if they were all going to die, then they would all go into the deep roads and die fighting, as Wardens should, to wipe out the archdemons before they dared awoke. But they needed his help to bind demons to create an unstoppable army, an army that wouldn't simply perish in the deep roads and could continue fighting for the rest of their days. And then Corypheus would have a demon army too. Cue evil maniac laugh.
The Tevinter tried to hurt Iselia by performing some strange magic on her marked hand that apparently had been taught by Corypheus himself, but she had grown stronger since that encounter with Corypheus and wrenched her hand away from him.
Surprised, and perhaps horrified that she had been able to break free from him that easily, he ordered these few Wardens here to attack and kill them, then fled during the fight.
When the fight was over, Alistair pointed across the desert. The Tevinter had run in that direction... towards an old Grey Warden fortress called "Adamant."
That would be where the rest of the Wardens were... where they might be able to talk some sense into Warden-Commander Clarel and remove Corypheus' threat. Surely once they proved that Corypheus, a darkspawn, was behind this she would see reason.
Hawke said she would scout the fortress and see what was happening while Iselia and Alistair returned to Skyhold and prepared to face the Wardens. If they were under Corypheus' control, then it was more likely they would attack than listen. They needed to prepare their forces.
Back in Haven, and after their hours in the long dry desert heat, Iselia thought she would have some new gear crafted for her. Surprisingly she was able to get some magic embued into the formal attire she had worn at the Empress' ball! Amused at the thought of killing her foes in evening wear, she transformed her dress into armour.
Dagna, the little dwarven enchanter who had joined them, had also experimented with some red lyrium and said that she had made it safe to wield. Iselia was unsure about that, but she trusted the dwarf and would take her creation into battle.
While the Inquisition forces prepared for their possible/probable assault on the Grey Warden fortress, Iselia took a small team out into the wilds and dealt with some issues that she had been long ignoring. So many things had been going on that it was hard to keep track of everything.
There were several rifts still active in some areas that she needed to remove, and there were also some little issues... like a blood mage who had taken up in Fallow Mire, for one.
There was a rift back in Crestwood too, this one under the watchful eye of a dragon.
They did their best to remove the threat without aggravating the dragon too much. Although it would be rather exhilarating fighting a dragon, Iselia didn't particularly want to die today. She had other things to do, and would take up dragon hunting at a later date.
They fulfilled all past promises to the people of Crestwood and the Fallow Mire, then headed back to Skyhold. Iselia was very pleased with how her new armour and weapons had held up. They would be well-suited for taking the fight to Adamant fortress.
Back in Skyhold, Iselia set forth her command from the war table. It was time for the Inquisition to march. It was regrettable, needing to attack the Wardens, but they had no choice. They were under Corypheus' command. It was possible they might be able to reason with the Warden warriors, but the Warden mages would be entirely under control.
And so they marched, and they attacked. It seemed as though the Wardens were ready for them... likely warned by that Tevinter Magister that had been duping them. Warned by Corypheus.
Still, with the fortress having been built centuries ago, it could not withstand their current-day siege equipment and their forces soon burst down the front gates.
Fighting side-by-side with Alistair, they were immediately met by demons. The fortress was covered in them!
They fought through the first group at the entrance to the fortress, then Cullen ran over.
She didn't want him fretting over her so told him just to keep the men safe while she did what she had to. Cullen waved that away. Alistair was going to watch her back. Hawke was on the battlements with the soldiers, helping as best she could. He was well aware that Hawke was a good fighter but even this might be too much for her. If Iselia could assist by clearing the walls so their men could get a better foothold, that'd be grand.
They fought through several more demon waves and slowly climbed the fortress... then came across some Wardens fighting their fellow Wardens. They yelled to their friends that they would not be sacrificed for some insane ritual, then attacked one another.
Iselia and her group hurried to help these sane Wardens. Then when the demons were dead she told them to run. The Inquisition was not there to kill them, but to capture Clarel and make her stop this madness. If they fell back, they would not be harmed.
These sane Wardens agreed and Alistair was thankful that at least some of the Wardens could still see reason.
They reached the battlements and helped Hawke defeat the demons and crazed Wardens that were stopping the Inquisition's men from being able to climb the ladders.
Iselia demanded Hawke ignore her and protect her men instead. Hawke did. And next Iselia spoke to a soldier, he declared that Hawke had saved a lot of lives during this assault. Iselia was grateful.
A few more Wardens surrendered, younger recruits who weren't as crazed as their fellows. Now all they had to do was find Clarel and convince her to stop this madness and stop unwittingly helping Corypheus.
Until next time! 🐲⚔️
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