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Daniel kept close to the cliff face, his fingers brushing the rough stone for balance. The mark on his hand still throbbed, a constant reminder of the ticking clock hanging over their heads.
The group finally reached a broad stone platform carved into the mountainside, where a rusted iron ladder led upward into the swirling snow. Daniel's fingers burned with cold as he gripped the frozen rungs, the wind howling around them like a living thing. One by one, they climbed - first Cassandra, then Daniel, with Solas and Varric bringing up the rear.
At the top waited another ladder, even more precarious than the first. As they ascended, Cassandra called down, her voice barely audible over the gale: "The tunnel should be up ahead! The path to the temple lies beyond it!"
Solas, curious even in their dire circumstances, asked between labored breaths, "What manner of tunnel is this? Some mine?"
"A section of an old mining complex," Cassandra replied, hauling herself onto the next ledge. "These mountains are riddled with such paths."
They reached another platform where the path wound upward to yet more stairs and another ladder. Varric groaned as he eyed the climb. "And your missing soldiers are in there somewhere?" he asked, patting Bianca. "Along with whatever stopped them from reporting back?"
Cassandra's jaw tightened. "We shall see soon enough."
The final ascent brought them to the highest platform, where a yawning tunnel mouth gaped in the mountainside like a wound. The moment they stepped inside, three demons materialized from the shadows - one golden-armored shade flanked by two wraiths that hovered like malevolent specters.
Daniel reacted instantly. His staff crackled to life as he unleashed Chain Lightning, the blue-white energy arcing between the demons. Before they could recover, he followed with Flashfire, sending a gout of flames roaring toward the wraiths. The confined space amplified the heat until sweat poured down his face, the air thick with the stench of burning demon flesh.
Cassandra moved like a force of nature, her new Griffon Shield deflecting the shade's attacks with ease while her sword found gaps in its golden armor. Solas' ice spells pinned the wraiths in place, their spectral forms frosting over, while Varric's crossbow bolts found their marks with deadly precision.
When the last demon dissolved into smoke, Daniel's interface flickered:
[+25 EXP Gained]
[Shadow Essence Acquired]
The tunnel beyond was surprisingly well-lit, ancient torches flickering in rusted sconces along the walls. Their light revealed a side chamber - what appeared to be an old mining office, with a sturdy table, several chairs, and bookshelves sagging under the weight of moldering tomes.
Daniel activated his Perception skill, his vision sharpening to reveal hidden objects. A leather pouch behind a collapsed shelf yielded [60 Gold Coins], while a careful search of the table turned up [47 Gold Coins] and something more valuable - a beautifully crafted dagger and an ornate shield.
[Griffon Shield Acquired]
[Rank: Common]
[+30% Front Defense]
[+3 Willpower]
[Stiletto Dagger Acquired]
[Rank: Common]
[Damage: 33]
[+6% Flanking Damage Bonus]
"Cassandra," Daniel called, hefting the shield. "This might serve you better."
The Seeker eyed the shield critically. "I don't need-"
"Take it," Daniel insisted. "That golden-armored shade nearly got through your last one."
With a begrudging nod, Cassandra swapped her battered shield for the Griffon model, testing its weight with a few practice swings. The difference was immediate - the new shield moved like an extension of her arm, its surface gleaming faintly in the torchlight.
Moving deeper into the tunnel, Daniel's Perception pinged again near a moldering sack. Inside, he found [2 Iron Ore] and another coin pouch containing [59 Gold Coins]. The discoveries bolstered his spirits - every resource might prove vital in the battles to come.
Another set of stairs led upward, where four more demons barred their path - two shades (one adorned with that telltale golden armor) and two wraiths. This time, the fight was almost routine. Daniel's Chain Lightning arced between the foes, followed by a well-placed Flashfire that sent one wraith shrieking into oblivion. Cassandra's new shield turned aside every attack while her sword found vulnerable spots in the demons' defenses. Solas and Varric provided flawless support, their combined efforts making short work of the remaining foes.
[+25 EXP Gained]
After the battle, Daniel's Perception led him to a small sack near the battlefield's edge. Inside, he discovered:
[51 Gold Coins Acquired]
[Gurn Gallstone Charm Acquired]
Then they found the exit and as they emerging from the tunnel's darkness, they were greeted by a grim sight - the bodies of Inquisition soldiers scattered across the rocky outcropping, their armor scorched and weapons broken. Varric let out a heavy sigh, his usual humor absent. "Well, I guess we found the soldiers."
Cassandra's face hardened as she surveyed the scene. "This can't be all of them."
"So the others could be holed up ahead?" Varric suggested, though his tone lacked conviction.
Solas stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "Our priority must be the Breach. Unless we seal it, no one is safe."
Varric shrugged, gesturing toward Daniel. "Guess that leaves it to our elven friend here with the magic hand."
They pressed onward, descending a narrow path that wound down the mountainside. The air grew thick with the scent of ozone and burnt flesh, the Breach's green light casting eerie shadows across the rocks. As they rounded a bend, they came upon a startling sight - two massive statues flanking an open rift, with the remaining Inquisition soldiers desperately fighting off a swarm of demons.
Without hesitation, the group charged into battle. Daniel's Chain Lightning crackled through the first wave of shades, their forms convulsing as electricity arced between them. Cassandra's new Griffon Shield rang like a bell as she deflected demonic claws, her sword flashing in counterattacks. Between Solas' ice spells and Varric's precise crossbow shots, they made quick work of the initial threat.
[+30 EXP Gained]
A female lieutenant, her face streaked with soot and blood, turned toward them with visible relief. "Lady Cassandra!"
"Lieutenant!" Cassandra called back. "You're alive!"
"Just barely!" the lieutenant gasped, leaning heavily on her sword.
Before more could be said, the rift pulsed violently, disgorging two massive, emerald-green demons - their slender forms towering over the combatants, elongated claws scraping against stone. The battle that followed was brutal. Daniel focused his Flashfire spells on one demon while Cassandra and the soldiers harried the other. Solas' barriers shimmered into existence just in time to prevent fatal strikes, and Varric's bolts found vulnerable spots in the demons' glowing cores.
When the last demon fell, Daniel didn't need prompting - he thrust his marked hand toward the rift, the Anchor's energy lancing out to seal the tear in reality with a thunderous crack.
[+150 EXP Gained for Sealing the Rift]
Solas observed the closed rift with quiet approval. "Sealed, as before. You're becoming quite proficient at this."
Varric wiped sweat from his brow. "Well, I hope it works on the big one."
Cassandra approached the lieutenant, who saluted weakly. "Thank the Maker you arrived, Lady Cassandra. I don't think we could have held out much longer."
"Thank the prisoner, Lieutenant," Cassandra replied, nodding toward Daniel. "He insisted we take this path."
The lieutenant turned to Daniel, her eyes widening slightly. "The prisoner? Then you...?"
Daniel met her gaze steadily. "It was worth the risk."
"You have my sincere gratitude," the lieutenant said solemnly.
Cassandra gestured toward the tunnel they'd come from. "You can return the way we came. The path has been cleared of demons - for the moment. Go while you can."
"At once, my lady!" The lieutenant turned to her surviving soldiers. "Quickly! Let's move!"
As the soldiers retreated, Solas surveyed the path ahead. "The way seems clear of demons as well."
"Let's hurry before that changes," Cassandra said, already moving forward.
Daniel activated his Perception skill one last time before following, discovering a cache near one of the massive statues:
[Hunting Longbow Acquired]
[Rank: Common]
[Damage: 36]
[+11% Flanking Damage Bonus]
[Fire Resistance Cowl Acquired]
[Rank: Rare]
[+14% Fire Resistance]
[Requirement: Level 6]
He tucked the bow away - perhaps useful for Varric later - but the cowl would have to wait until he gained more experience.
The descent continued, bringing them to a series of ladders leading down the mountainside. Cassandra pointed. "Down the ladder! That's the way to the temple."
One by one they climbed down - first the initial ladder, then a second, longer descent that left their arms trembling with exertion. The path beyond wound downward in a series of switchbacks, the air growing hotter with each step.
As they walked, Varric broke the tense silence. "So... holes in the Fade don't just accidentally happen, right?"
Solas answered without turning. "If enough magic is brought to bear, it is possible."
"But there are many easier ways to make things explode," Varric pointed out.
"That's true," Solas conceded.
Cassandra's voice carried an edge of impatience. "We will consider how this happened after the immediate danger has passed."
Finally, they reached the outer ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Massive chunks of stone and debris blocked their view of the interior, forcing them to pick their way through the wreckage. Solas gazed upward at the towering remnants. "The Temple of Sacred Ashes."
Varric snorted. "What's left of it."
Cassandra turned to Daniel, her expression unreadable. "This is where you walked out of the Fade. Where our soldiers found you." She hesitated before adding, "They say a woman was in the rift behind you. But no one knows who she was."
The scene was haunting - charred bodies frozen in their final moments, some kneeling as if in prayer, others caught mid-flight. Daniel's stomach turned at the sight, his grip tightening on his staff.
Near what remained of the temple entrance, a fallen templar caught Daniel's eye. Searching the body yielded:
[Templar Helmet Acquired]
[Rank: Common]
[+3% Melee Defense]
He offered it to Cassandra. "Better than nothing."
This time, the Seeker accepted without argument, replacing her dented headgear with the sturdier helmet. As she adjusted the fit, a deep rumble shook the ground - the Breach above pulsed violently, sending a fresh wave of pain through Daniel's marked hand.
"No more delays," Cassandra said grimly, drawing her sword. "Whatever awaits us in those ruins, we face it now."
As they stepped into the ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes, the devastation took Daniel's breath away. The once-holy site was now a charnel house, with blackened corpses frozen in their final moments of terror. The air itself seemed to vibrate with residual magic, thick with the scent of burnt flesh and ozone.
Above it all loomed the Breach, its swirling green energy connected to the rift below by a twisting column of Fade energy. Varric whistled low. "Well, that's way up there."
Before they could move forward, Leliana and a squad of scouts emerged from the shadows, their bows at the ready. "You made it," Leliana said, relief evident in her voice despite her composed demeanor.
Cassandra nodded sharply. "Spread your team around the rift. We'll need covering fire." As Leliana motioned her scouts into position, Cassandra turned to Daniel, her dark eyes intense. "This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?"
Daniel flexed his marked hand, wincing at the persistent pain. "I'll try, but I don't know how to reach it." He gestured helplessly at the distant Breach.
Solas stepped forward, his staff glowing faintly. "No, this rift is the first - and the key. Seal it, and we may seal the Breach."
"Then let's find a way down," Cassandra said. "And be careful."
As they picked their way through the ruins, a disembodied voice echoed through the shattered temple: "Now is the hour of our victory. Bring forth the sacrifice."
Cassandra's hand went to her sword. "What are we hearing?"
Solas' eyes narrowed. "At a guess? The one who created the Breach."
The path ahead was lined with strange red crystals that pulsed with an eerie inner light, their jagged forms jutting from the ground and walls. Varric stopped dead at the sight. "You know this stuff is red lyrium, Seeker."
"I see it, Varric," Cassandra replied grimly.
"But what's it doing here?" Varric pressed, uncharacteristically serious.
Solas examined one of the glowing formations. "Magic could have drawn on the lyrium beneath the temple... corrupted it."
Varric shuddered. "It's evil. Whatever you do, don't touch it."
The mysterious voice spoke again: "Keep the sacrifice still." This time it was answered by a woman's desperate cry: "Someone, help me!"
Cassandra's breath caught. "That's Divine Justinia's voice!"
They hurried forward, finding a set of stairs leading down toward the rift. The voices continued:
"Someone, help me!"
Then, shockingly, Daniel heard his own voice: "What's going on here?"
Cassandra turned to him, eyes wide. "That's your voice. The Most Holy called out to you, but—"
Suddenly, the air before them shimmered, resolving into a vision: Three figures stood in a strange void—a towering black shadow with a single burning red eye, Divine Justinia bound in glowing chains, and Daniel himself. In the vision, Daniel approached cautiously. "What's going on here?"
The Divine turned her head toward him. "Run while you can! Warn them!"
The shadow creature hissed, "We have an intruder. Kill him now!"
The vision exploded in a burst of wind and light, leaving the group reeling. Cassandra grabbed Daniel's arm, her voice tight with emotion. "You were there! Who attacked? And the Divine—is she...? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?"
Daniel shook his head, genuinely bewildered. "I don't remember."
Solas interjected calmly, "These are echoes of what happened here. The Fade bleeds into this place." He turned his attention to the rift. "The rift isn't sealed, but closed—albeit temporarily. I believe with the mark, the rift can be opened and then sealed properly. However..." He hesitated. "Opening it will attract attention from whatever is on the other side."
Cassandra squared her shoulders. "That means demons. Stand ready!" She signaled to Leliana's archers, who took up positions on the higher ground. The remaining soldiers formed a defensive perimeter around the rift. When everyone was in place, Cassandra gave Daniel a sharp nod.
Daniel raised his marked hand toward the rift, feeling the Anchor's power surge forth. The rift tore open with a sound like reality itself splitting apart—and from it emerged a nightmare.
The demon was massive, its grey, segmented body crackling with electricity. Multiple eyes blinked across its face, each glowing with malevolent intelligence. Before anyone could react, it unleashed a bolt of energy that sent two soldiers flying.
"Now!" Cassandra shouted.
Leliana's archers loosed a volley, but the arrows disintegrated before touching the demon's hide. The ground forces charged, only to be repelled by an invisible barrier that shimmered around the creature.
Cassandra cursed. "We must strip its defenses! Wear it down!"
Daniel focused on the rift, sensing the connection between it and the demon. When he pulsed the Anchor, the rift flared—and the demon's barrier flickered out of existence.
"Attack!" Cassandra roared.
The soldiers surged forward, weapons flashing. The demon retaliated with whip-like tendrils of energy, but Solas threw up barriers just in time. Varric's bolts found their mark, sinking deep into the creature's flesh between barrier pulses.
Just when they seemed to be gaining ground, the rift spat out a fresh wave of shades to aid their monstrous foe. The battle became a deadly dance—Daniel weakening the demon's defenses with well-timed pulses from the Anchor, the others pressing the attack during each vulnerable window.
After what felt like hours but was likely mere minutes, the demon let out a final, ear-splitting shriek and collapsed into dissipating smoke.
"Now!" Cassandra gasped. "Seal the rift!"
Daniel channeled all his will into the Anchor, feeling the mark's energy surge forth in a brilliant beam of green light. The rift convulsed, its edges pulling inward like a closing eye, before vanishing with a thunderclap that echoed across the mountains.
Above them, the Breach shuddered—then stabilized, its expansion halted though it remained in the sky.
The effort proved too much for Daniel. As cheers erupted around him, his vision darkened at the edges, then went black entirely.
Consciousness returned slowly. Daniel found himself lying in a simple bed within a rustic cabin, sunlight filtering through wooden shutters. He tried to sit up, only to groan as every muscle protested.
An elven woman carrying a tray of supplies gasped as she noticed him stirring. The tray slipped from her hands, clattering to the floor. "I didn't know you were awake, I swear!"
Daniel blinked at her. "It's all right, I only—"
Before he could finish, the woman dropped to her knees. "I beg your forgiveness and your blessing, my lord. I'm but a humble servant." She kept her eyes downcast. "You're back in Haven. They say you saved us—the Breach has stopped growing, just like the mark on your hand. It's all anyone's talked of these three days."
Daniel's head spun. "Three days? Then... we're safe?"
The elf shook her head. "The Breach remains in the sky, so they say." She scrambled to her feet. "Lady Cassandra will want to know you've awakened. She said 'at once'!"
Then Daniel ask her "Where is she?"
The elf replied "Lady Cassandra are at the Chantry with Lord Chancellor, 'at once' she said"
Before Daniel could ask anything else, the woman fled the cabin, the door banging shut behind her. Left alone with his thoughts, Daniel examined the mark—still present on his hand, but no longer pulsing with pain. Outside, he could hear the sounds of a bustling camp and more distantly, the sound of the stabilized Breach.
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Name : Daniel Carter
Race: Elf
Level 1 : 671/1000 EXP
Professions: Mage
Gold Coins: 680 Coins
Weapon: Acolyte Fire Staff
Armor: Mercenary Coat and Templar Scribe Scowl
Accessories: Lifeward Amulet
Inventory: Acolyte Ice Staff, Morning Star, Stiletto, Hunting Longbow, and Fire Resistance Cowl
Crafting Materials: 5 Elfroot, 6 Iron, and 2 Blue Vitriol
Valuables: Aquamarine, Silver Bracelet, Figurine of Maferath the Betrayer, 2 Shadow Essence, and Gurn Gallstone Charm
Potions: Lesser Health Potions x8
Skills: Chain Lighting and Flashfire