Entrance

[venhedis]

Another night getting drunk at the Hanged Man tavern, another prowling gang of idiot thugs taught a bloody lesson, another night losing at Diamondback or Wicked Grace with a braggart of a dwarf and a shameless pirate wench...

This is not the Hanged Man.Without a moment's pause, a muted *crack* like far-off thunder makes the stranger's body run

Comments

[acts_of_gord]

A human pokes his head up from the other side of the couch near the fire, blinking through .... well, he's got something on his face, anyway; if spectacles exist somewhere in Tevinter no one's told us.

"Problem?" he finally says. He was pretty soundly asleep a minute ago. Might take him a bit to get his speech back.

[venhedis]

The stranger pivots swiftly and brings his sword to bear on the human.

"What fell magic is this?" he growls in a voice like gravel in a river of caramel.

[acts_of_gord]

Well. That's new. The Combine don't generally point swords at him.

"This is Milliways. It was an accident," Gordon says. "The first time people come here generally is."

He's not going to bother with put that thing down, there's no violence allowed on the premises. It's pretty clear that won't end well.

[venhedis]

The human seems harmless -- pathetically so in fact -- but that's no reason to be caught off guard.

"This place -- Milliways, you call it?" he asks cautiously, trying the word out on his tongue. "It is quite realistic for an accident. Is this magic?" He says it like a curse. "The Fade?"

[seeswitheyes]

"I would put that away, if I were you."

The words come from an unusually pale girl, clad in black, and... knitting. It is a scarf in variegated green and black, and though her needles are... unusually decorated, well. She is knitting.

"The rules of this location prohibit combat or strife of any sort within the confines of the building."

[venhedis]

The stranger's only response is to swing around to face her with his sword between them. "Try me, witch," he growls.

[seeswitheyes]

"Unlike you, I have as yet to experience any desire to break the rules of this place," she replies.

[venhedis]

"And what place is this?" he spits. "You are neither human, dwarf or elf. And so you are witch or demon, and this is the Fade, and I shall not be swayed by your temptations."

...it must be pointed out that at least he is conversing with her rather than hacking first and asking afterward...

[fiss84]

"Excuse me sir," says a completely normal girl in outlandish clothing...well she is floating a few feet off the ground so she can't be that normal, "it's not polite to wave around a sword like that. Someone could get hurt."

[venhedis]

Floating off the ground? He swings to face her, ready to spring.

"Stand your ground, mage, and do not try me!" he calls out. "You are but flesh and blood and sweat when death comes for you!"

[fiss84]

Wait, what?

"Umm, I don't do magic and why are you being so mean?"

[venhedis]

He laughs mirthlessly. "You say that and yet your feet don't touch the ground. You are mage or demon, and if you attack, you will die."

[venhedis]

The moment the stranger hears the crash of the table he pivots to face the threat, swiftly bringing his broadsword to bear.

He doesn't know what the woman is brandishing, but she holds it like a weapon, so he must be prepared. "Come out and face me, coward!"

[venhedis]

"Lower your weapon," Fenris growls, moving not an inch.

[birdofkirkwall]

Hawke has fortunately (perhaps), arrived shortly after Fenris, and, after watching him panic for a moment, she steps up behind him lightly and flicks an ear, ready to duck.

"Relax, Fenris. It's okay."

[venhedis]

Fenris's reactions are lightning quick, but he would also recognize Hawke's voice over anything else in the world. He flinches, yes; his lyrium flares and his sword almost begs to swing at the touch, but Fenris stops himself.

He turns to face Hawke with a muttered Imperium curse, He's still glowing and glowering, but he lowers the sword. "Hawke. If this is your idea of a joke..."

[birdofkirkwall]

Hawke just grins lopsidedly in the face of the glowing, snarling elf and his sword.

"Now Fenris, would I joke about strange taverns that appear out of nowhere?"

[venhedis]

grumblegrumble "The last time we were in a cavern you asked me to ignite my lyrium so you could read a map by its light."

To punctuate his statement, he throws his head back, cries out, and douses the lyrium shield. Then he looks at Hawke as if his point has been made.