While creeping through the old Amell estate, Lyria and Carver had found their grandfather's will — and it told a far different story from what their uncle had told them.
They immediately set upon racing to Lowtown and handing the will to their mother as soon as possible and getting some answers from their uncle Gamlen.
They barged through the door and found their mother arguing with Gamlen, again. Apparently he wanted them to pay rent for living under his roof. Lyria waved her grandfather's will in the air and proclaimed that Gamlen should be paying them.
Their grandfather had left their mother everything when he died. The estate, all associated revenues, everything. Gamlen was only to be left a stipend, controlled by her.
Their mother was heartbroken. How could Gamlen have done this to her — to them? And now they had absolutely nothing thanks to his greed.
Holding her head high, she declared that she was going to petition the Viscount for an audience to reclaim the estate, and find out if this whole disaster could be made null and void considering the treacherous circumstances.
Proud that she had helped her mother, Lyria rifled through the mailbox and found a couple of letters from Athenril. Despite no longer working for the smuggler, they had departed on good terms and Athenril had found some work that Lyria might want to take on.
She gladly accepted it.
Before she could take on anymore work, however, there was the issue of the caravan ambush that Aveline was anticipating. They waited until dusk then set out for Sundermount where the ambush was supposed to happen.
As they arrived there Lyria suddenly remember the dragon-witch, Flemeth, and that she had promised to deliver a token to the Dalish of this region. She had better do that on the morrow.
For now though, they patrolled the dirt roads and attacked groups of would-be raiders.
Soon they reached the spot Aveline determined to be the ambush point and set upon the waiting band of raiders.
The raiders seemed prepared for their arrival with traps all over the ground, but that could've just been traps for the incoming caravan.
Within minutes the raiders were put down and Aveline congratulated them on a job well done. The Captain would want to know of this thwarted ambush and Aveline said they should meet them at the barracks on the morrow for their just reward.
A reward sounded fantastic! That'd line the ol' pockets.
Heading back home after a job well done and to get some rest before helping Anders in a few hours, they were instead set upon by a bunch of highwaymen who called themselves Sharps. There was also a dwarf nearby, cowering.
After defeating the highwaymen, they spoke to the dwarf. Apparently he had been sent down to these parts by Athenril, in search of Lyria. He needed her help to retrieve his goods from some other smugglers... smugglers who had lied to him! They had stolen his things!
If Lyria could get his goods back — Lyrium, lots of lyrium just for the templars — he would pay handsomely.
They had time; they would do it right now.
Following the dwarf's instructions, they found the smugglers deep within the elven alienage and fought through them until they reached the door to where the goods allegedly were.
After defeating all of the smugglers though, and searching for the dwarf's goods... they found absolutely nothing. It was a waste of time. These smugglers, whoever they were, did not have the lyrium. Not here, anyway.
As they walked out of the building, a group of men surrounded them: Tevinters. They had come to kill anyone who had dared go inside that house, and here was Lyria and her friends.
Surprised by this turn of events, Lyria fought to the death and soon the Tevinters were overcome.
When the Tevinters had fallen, a strange elf came out of hiding.
There had never been any lyrium or stolen merchandise; this elf had asked the dwarf to find some worthy fighters to take on these Tevinter Hunters and Lyria and her friends had been those recommended.
He was an escaped slave. The hunters were searching for him. His old master was in the city and could they please meet with him before dawn rose to take care of him once and for all, so he could finally feel the breath of freedom.
Slavery was one thing Lyria could not stand; she agreed to help after she helped Anders. Speaking of, they needed to meet with him... soon.
As they hurried towards Hightown to where Anders would be waiting, they came across more Sharps Highwaymen. One of them dropped a note that gave away the location of their leader.
Since it was on the way, they barged into the hideout and took out the leader!
And then got thanked by a random woman in the streets. Apparently if Lyria was up for fighting more bandits and highwaymen around the city, there would be rewards awaiting them in The Hanged Man.
That sounded good to Lyria — the more rewards, the merrier!
They finally reached the Chantry just as Anders did. He said that he had seen his friend walk inside but hadn't the chance to call out to him before he entered.
They just needed to go in, grab him, and get out before any templars noticed. It seemed quiet. It should be easy. Were they ready? Lyria nodded and said that they should hurry. She didn't want to linger here any longer than she had to.
When they found Anders' friend, however, something was clearly wrong. He had been made tranquil — and he had lured Anders into this trap! A group of templars surrounded them.
Lyria clenched her magic staff and winced. This was not what she wanted to do today. It was bad enough she was hiding from the templars herself, but now she was helping another mage and lo! The templars were upon them.
Suddenly, Anders exploded in a great blue glow and shouted at the templars. They would never take another mage ever again!
Lyria and her friends leapt into action and fought the templars that had ambushed them.
As long as they all died, it would be fine. No one would see their faces, no one would know who had done this, and she wouldn't be hunted. They just all had to die.
Once the last templar lay dead, Anders' friend reacted more like a man than a tranquil — he seemed to have his personality back.
Apparently Anders was like a great glowing beacon of the Fade and it had restored him to himself, albeit temporarily... he could already feel it wearing off. He begged Anders to kill him. He'd rather die a mage than live like this!
Anders bowed his head, then, just as the man became tranquil once more, Anders stabbed him through the heart. He turned to Lyria and said that he would answer all of her questions once they returned to his hideaway in Darktown.
Back in Darktown, Anders finally answered Lyria's questions. He was not an abomination — he had no demon inside of him. He had a spirit inside of him. Completely different.
Apparently when he was back in Amaranthine, when he had first joined the Wardens, they had come across a spirit of Justice... they had become friends. The spirit had learnt of the mages' plight and had joined with Anders to help free all mages from all Circles and templar control. Only now it wasn't quite a spirit of Justice; more a spirit of Vengeance.
He then mentioned that he would give them the deep roads maps, as promised, and even offered to come with them on the expedition if needed. Perhaps a Grey Warden would be of use down there, even if he didn't really want to be one anymore.
Lyria asked if he could actually leave the Wardens, but he could not. He would be afflicted by their taint and darkspawn dreams forevermore. She also asked if he could control this... Justice... apparently it wasn't quite like that. He came out only when Anders couldn't contain his rage.
So, she guessed that they would do their best to not make him angry.
She gave the maps to Varric, since he was the one who had wanted them in the first place, then all together they set off back to Hightown to help the strange elf they had met earlier.
There was no room in Lyria's city for slavers.
The elf was there waiting for them, outside of a near abandoned-looking estate. He said that Danarius, his former master, was inside and that no one had left the estate. He should still be in there and they could take him by surprise.
They headed inside but found no man; just scores of demons. Most of them Shades.
And then rage demons too! Lyria had not signed up for this. She was here to take down slavers, not demons.
They fought through the entire manor and came across more and more of the vile fade creatures, but there was nothing else. The elf's former master was not here. He had been taken for a fool.
He gave Lyria permission to loot and ransack Danarius's manor however she saw fit, then paid her the gold that the dwarf had initially promised her when he had tricked her into thinking she was rescuing his so-called "stolen goods."
With that done, the elf sighed and said he needed some fresh air, that he would be outside if she wanted to talk to him.
After happily looting whatever she could from the manor — happily, because she needed all the gold she could get — Lyria and her group went back outside and found the elf.
His name was Fenris, he said, and he had escaped the land of foul magic and slavery only to find the same thing here in Kirkwall. And now, here he was, in the company of another mage. He stared pointedly at Lyria.
He was wary of her. He did not like mages. But he appreciated what she had done for him and was willing to put aside his prejudices and see what kind of mage she truly was for himself.
If she needed him, he would gladly help her and she could find him at this abandoned manor. Lyria mentioned that she was trying to fund an expedition into the deep roads if he would like to help, and he agreed.
This night had been incredibly busy — busier than Lyria had initially planned. For now, it was time to head back to their beds in Gamlen's Lowtown dwelling and get some rest.
Until next time! 😊🐲⚔️