Sending Crystal

[iceblade]

FORM: Sending Crystal
SENDER: Skadi Iceblade
RECIPIENT: Anyone/everyone
WHAT: Arrival and offering to teach Spirit Warrior stuff
WHEN: Nowish
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: n/a

[A cheerful voice booms over the crystal, one with a rather thick accent. It wouldn't be difficult for some to mistake it for Starkhaven, but those who know better can easily tell her origin even before she announces it.]

Take up with the Inquisition, get a fancy magic crystal? I should've joined sooner, when you lot were in my backyard and not across the damn sea! [She laughs.] Lady, I have terrible timing. I guess you only have to see my glowing hand to know that much.

 

Right, introductions. I'm Skadi Iceblade, of White Wolf Hold and I'm here to serve as long as this shard's a part of me. If you need someone to swing a giant sword at your foes, I'm the woman to do it. I'm also offering to teach my fighting style to any who are suited to it. If you're not a mage, but want a connection with the Land of Dreams to give you an edge in battle, I can help you there. Mages won't get much out of this; you already have a better connection than mine, eh? But I won't stop you from watching, if you like.

Comments

[aceso]

[ Oh, Christine knows Skadi is Avvar from the accent alone. That plus the use of "Lady." ]

Welcome to the Inquisition, Skadi. Would you happen to be familiar with Honey Badger Hold?

[ If yes, hopefully they're on friendly terms. ]

[iceblade]

[That's a question she wasn't prepared to answer, but does easily enough.]

Aye, it's not that far from my own. I've been there a few times, for trade and revels. What's your interest in the hold, then?

[aceso]

Oh, I've been there several times and have friends there.

[ Honestly, it's Gjurd over anyone else, simply because she's spent the most time with him. ]

I do like to know how they are doing and ask after them if I know people are heading to the hold..

[iceblade]

Last I knew, the hold was doing just fine. They're a hardy people, just like my own.

I'm glad they've got a friend among the lowlanders. Most of the time, people dismiss us as barbarians and that's that. [Chuckles.] Not that they're wrong, but still.

[aceso]

[ She exhales a laugh. ]

Certainly only barbarians when you wish to be. Now this training you speak of, it is the Spirit Warrior specialization, yes? I know someone at Honey Badger Hold has become one, but have not had the pleasure of watching her train. Might I watch you?

[justice_is_blond]

Mage here. I'd love to watch what you do, actually, if you're sure you don't mind.

[iceblade]

Not at all! Just listen when I ask to keep a distance. I don't want to hurt anyone by accident.

[justice_is_blond]

I'm fairly fond of not being stabbed, it turns out. I'll stay back. And I can provide healing for those who aren't quite as amenable to suggestions as a thanks.

[iceblade]

Good, good. I know a little first aid, if need be, but that healing magic is so much more effective. You'll not hear me complaining.

[ragweed]

[Why would anyone want to get closer to it, if they weren't born with the predilection for it in the first place?]

How, uh. How does that work, exactly?

[So he can be sure to never do it himself, even by accident.]

[iceblade]

[Whatever his motive for asking, her answer is the same.]

I don't know how you lowlanders do it, if you do at all, but the Avvar are all about our connection to our gods. If we work with them, they can agree to augment our abilities. It works well, in defense of the hold.

[ragweed]

[For certain values of 'lowlander,' being a dwarf from Orzammar is probably an acceptable condition. That's... pretty low, isn't it.]

Huh. Well, we don't have gods in Orzammar; just the Stone.

[iceblade]

Ah, right. I heard about that, when surfacers came to my hold to trade. I wonder if I could teach a dwarf to connect with the Land of Dreams? It'd be quite a challenge, I bet.

[theexile]

I wonder how many students you may get from this.

[She can't help but to be curious honestly.]

[iceblade]

Not many, I expect. Lowlanders can be skittish about the Fade. But if I can get through to at least a few of them, I'll be content.

[theexile]

It is the best any born Avvar can do from what I have seen. But I feel that it is enough for now.

[iceblade]

I hope so. My offer is partly a selfish one; I'd rather not have templars all up in my arse about something that isn't actually magic. Even with what you've said about them, better to be sure.

[conqueredhearts]

What is the Land of Dreams, if I might ask?

[He's not really interacted with the Avvar before so that's a new one for him.]

[iceblade]

Ah--it's the Fade. Sounds more poetic than the lowlander term, doesn't it?

[conqueredhearts]

I like that better actually! The Land of Dreams. I think everyone should call it that!

[iceblade]

[She chuckles.]

If you spread the word, I won't complain. And who are you?

[lyriumcarved]

What do you mean, forming a connection to the Land of Dreams?

[Sorry not sorry but he sounds extremely displeased and wary right now. The very notion of it sounds outright disturbing and dangerous. Mages... always going too far...]

[iceblade]

[She completely ignores his tone, answering it as she would anything else.]

Spirit warriors have abilities which might seem like magic, but we're not mages. Avvar are all about our connection to our gods, you see. If we work with them, they can agree to augment our abilities, give us an extra edge in battle. Not everyone's suited but those of us who are use our abilities in defense of our hold.

[lyriumcarved]

God-inspired augmentation is one thing, but forging a connection to the Fade is something else entirely.

[He pauses a moment. The whole thing is disturbing, he's already concluding, and not in the mind to change that opinion. But, well... he gets fascinated by other cultures. The Avvar are one culture which he's a lot less familiar with.] I've never considered the abilities of spirit warriors much before. With such a close connection... how do you stop yourselves from getting possessed by demons?

[iceblade]

Demons don't really care about us; we're not mages and they know it, and that's where their interest lies. I've never met a Spirit Warrior who became possessed by a demon, but if that ever happened...well, my people don't allow that to continue. We take care of our own, and if that means focusing on the health of the hold as opposed to one person, so be it.