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The others fell in behind him as they pressed forward, the sunlight from above made them can see the way as the deeper they went.
The cave's interior proved far more extensive than they'd initially thought. The shafts of sunlight filtering through the ceiling cracks illuminated a labyrinth of tunnels branching off in multiple directions. Daniel motioned for the group to spread out cautiously, his senses alert for any hidden dangers—or treasures.
His perception skills, honed from years of scavenging and surviving, immediately picked up on subtle details the others might have missed. Near a damp crevice, his fingers brushed against three smooth onyx stones wedged between rocks—likely dropped by some previous explorer or smuggler. Further along, a cluster of elfroot grew stubbornly in a patch of dim light, its leaves vibrant despite the cave's gloom.
But the real find was nestled between two jagged stones: a single stem of Crystal Grace, its delicate blue petals shimmering faintly even in the weak light.
[Acquired: 3 Onyx]
[Acquired: 3 Elfroot]
[Acquired: 1 Crystal Grace (Tier 1 Rare Herb)]
Varric whistled as Daniel carefully stored the herb. "Not bad for a creepy cave full of demon wolves."
Solas examined the Crystal Grace with interest. "This strain is unusually potent. It must have drawn nutrients from the mineral deposits in these walls."
Their exploration led them deeper, where the air grew thick with the stench of decay. The tunnel opened into a gruesome chamber—a mass grave of sorts, littered with skeletons and rotting corpses in various states of decomposition. The remains were piled haphazardly, as if dumped without care.
Cassandra's face darkened as she surveyed the scene. "These people were not killed by wolves or demons."
Daniel knelt beside one of the fresher corpses, noting the clean slash across the throat. "Executed. Or murdered."
Amid the carnage, something glinted—a mosaic piece half-buried under a collapsed ribcage. Daniel carefully extracted it, recognizing the same style as the others they'd found scattered across the Hinterlands.
[Acquired: Mosaic Piece of the Fall]
Nearby, a moldering sack yielded a chunk of serpentstone, its surface smooth and cool to the touch, along with a small but heavy pouch of coins.
[Acquired: 1 Serpentstone (Tier 1 Common Metal)]
[Acquired: 102 Gold Coins]
Varric nudged a skull with his boot. "Well, this just keeps getting cheerier."
They pressed on, finding a narrow path leading upward, carved roughly into the cave wall. It wound steeply to a higher chamber where two wooden bridges spanned gaps in the rock, each leading to separate alcoves.
The first bridge creaked ominously under their weight but held. The alcove beyond contained a single lockbox, its metal surface tarnished but intact. Daniel picked the rusted lock with practiced ease, revealing a rolled schematic inside.
[Acquired: Sturdy Defender Coat Schematic (Tier 1 Heavy Armor)]
Cassandra examined the design with approval. "This could be useful for our frontline soldiers."
The second bridge was sturdier, its planks reinforced with iron brackets. The alcove here was larger, housing another lockbox and a weathered crate. The lockbox contained another schematic and an additional stem of Crystal Grace.
[Acquired: Scout Mail Arms Schematic (Tier 1 Medium Armor)]
[Acquired: 1 Crystal Grace]
But it was the crate that drew Daniel's attention. The moment he pried it open, his interface flared to life.
[128 EXP Gained - Discovered Hessle's Secret Project]
[Acquired: Grenade Belt (Common Rank)]
The belt was simple but well-crafted, its pouches designed to hold additional grenades securely.
[Grenade Belt]
[Increases maximum grenade capacity by 1 for all types]
Varric let out an impressed hum. "Now that's handy. More boom for your buck, as it were."
Daniel turned the grenade belt over in his hands, the leather straps creaking slightly. "So Hessle's secret project was just... a belt?" The words came out laced with disbelief. After all the buildup—the corrupted wolves, the hidden cave, the ominous warnings—this felt almost anticlimactic.
Cassandra, standing beside him with her arms crossed, let out a measured breath. "Well, it's a good thing then that it was nothing dangerous. Just another trinket to add to our collection." Her tone carried relief, though her eyes still scanned the cave warily, as if expecting some hidden threat to reveal itself.
Solas, who had been quietly examining the scattered notes and alchemical equipment nearby, finally spoke up. His voice was calm, but there was a weight to his words that made the others pause. "Perhaps the demon came wandering and found its way here, then began controlling the wolves. The corruption we saw in them was real, but it may not have originated from this place." He gestured to the crate. "This belt could have been unrelated—a side project, abandoned when Hessle fled."
Varric scratched his chin, considering Solas's words. "Well, why you said, Chuckles, could be true. If that's the case, then we've already taken care of the immediate problem by killing that Terror demon." He glanced toward the cave entrance, where the sunlight still filtered through in thin beams. "Should we head back to Master Dennet's place and let his wife Elaina know the wolves have been dealt with?"
Daniel hesitated, his fingers absently tracing the grenade belt's stitching. Something still didn't sit right with him. The bodies in the cave, the alchemical equipment, the notes—none of it pointed to just a simple belt. But with the demon dead and no immediate threat left, there wasn't much else to investigate here.
"Let's gather everything we can from this place first," he decided. "Notes, ingredients, anything that might give us more insight into what Hessle was really doing. Then we'll head back and inform Elaina."
Cassandra nodded in agreement. "If there's more to this, Leliana's people can look into it. For now, the farmers deserve to know they can tend their lands without fear of wolf attacks."
With that, they set to work combing through the remnants of Hessle's hideout. Daniel's interface flickered occasionally as he pocketed small caches of herbs, minerals, and the odd coin pouch tucked between rocks. The notes they found were fragmented, filled with alchemical shorthand and half-finished formulas, but one recurring phrase stood out: "Subject reactivity to tainted lyrium shows promise, but stability remains an issue."
Solas's expression darkened as he read the words aloud. "This is more concerning than we thought. If Hessle was experimenting with red lyrium..."
Varric let out a low whistle. "Yeah, that's not something we want spreading. Maybe we should torch this place on our way out."
Daniel considered it. "Not yet. We'll send word to Haven first—let them decide if they want to send researchers or destroy it outright."
Once they were satisfied they'd gathered all they could, they made their way back through the cave's winding passages. The journey out felt shorter, the tension in the air lighter now that the immediate threat was gone.
Emerging from the cave's mouth, the group blinked against the sudden brightness of daylight. The fresh air was a welcome relief after hours spent breathing in the cave's stagnant, metallic-tinged atmosphere. Daniel stretched his shoulders, working out the stiffness from crouching in narrow tunnels, while Varric made a show of dusting off his new Carta Coat with exaggerated care.
"Never thought I'd be so happy to see the sky," Varric remarked, squinting upward. "Even if it is the Hinterlands' usual gloomy mess."
Cassandra rolled her shoulders, her armor clinking softly. "We should make haste back to camp. Those notes about red lyrium need to reach Leliana as soon as possible."
They set off down the dirt path that wound through the ravine, the same route they'd taken earlier. The soldiers fell into formation around them, their vigilance renewed after the cave's horrors. The ravine walls cast long shadows as the afternoon sun began its descent, creating pockets of darkness where threats could easily hide.
They hadn't gone more than fifty yards when the attack came.
An arrow whistled past Daniel's ear, embedding itself in a soldier's shoulder with a wet thunk. The man cried out, stumbling back as a dozen outlaws emerged from hiding spots among the rocks—different from the previous group, but just as desperate-looking.
"Ambush!" Cassandra's sword was already drawn, her shield coming up to deflect another arrow. "Protect the Herald!"
The battle was swift and brutal. These outlaws were better equipped than the last group, their weapons newer, their tactics more refined. One particularly vicious-looking woman with twin daggers lunged at Daniel, her blades flashing. He barely managed to sidestep, feeling the whisper of steel against his robes as he brought his staff around in a sweeping arc. Electricity crackled along its length, sending the woman spasming to the ground.
Cassandra fought like a force of nature, her blade cutting through two outlaws in a single swing. The Inquisition soldiers held their ground, forming a protective circle around Solas as he wove barriers and freezing spells to hinder their attackers.
When the last outlaw fell, Daniel's interface pulsed:
[51 EXP Gained - Slays 3 Outlaws]
Varric kicked one of the corpses onto its back, revealing a crude tattoo of a dagger on the man's neck. "Red Iron mercenaries," he muttered. "What're they doing this far from the Storm Coast?"
Solas knelt beside one of the dead, his fingers brushing the tattoo. "Desperate times make for strange alliances. These men were likely paid to guard this route."
Daniel frowned. "Guarding it from who? And why?"
Cassandra wiped her blade clean. "Questions for later. We should keep moving before more show up."
The rest of the journey through the ravine was tense but uneventful. As they reached the slope near their outpost camp, the ominous rift came into view again, still pulsing malevolently in the distance. It seemed larger now, its green tendrils lashing out like angry serpents.
Solas paused, studying it intently. "The rift has grown stronger since we last passed. The Veil here continues to weaken."
Daniel flexed his marked hand, feeling the Anchor's responding tingle. "I don't think we have enough power to close that one yet. Not without reinforcements."
Varric eyed the rift warily. "So we're just going to leave that thing there? Seems like bad manners."
"Temporary measure," Daniel assured him. "We'll come back when we're better prepared."
They ascended the slope toward camp, the familiar sight of Inquisition banners welcoming them home. Lieutenant Arens spotted their approach and strode forward to meet them, a heavy-looking coin pouch in hand.
"Herald," he greeted, offering the pouch. "Five hundred twenty-eight gold, as promised. Your trinkets fetched a fair price at the Crossroads."
Daniel accepted the pouch, the weight of it satisfying in his palm. "No trouble with the merchants?"
Arens snorted. "Oh, they tried to lowball us at first. Then Seanna—Dennet's girl—stepped in. Turns out she drives a harder bargain than any merchant I've met."
Varric chuckled. "Remind me never to get on that one's bad side."
Daniel tucked the coin pouch securely into his belt, then turned to his companions with a wry smile. "Before we head to see Elaina, let's clean up at the lake. Can't go meeting people looking like we've been wrestling in the mud with demons all day." He plucked at his dirt-streaked robes, which still carried the faint metallic scent of the cave.
Varric sniffed at his sleeve and grimaced. "Ugh, he's right. I smell like a wet druffalo that's been rolling in lyrium dust." He shot a pointed look at Solas. "No offense, Chuckles, but I think even your elven nose would agree we're ripe."
Solas arched an eyebrow but didn't disagree, merely brushing a clump of cave dirt from his tunic. "A brief respite would not be unwelcome."
Cassandra rolled her eyes but began unbuckling her gauntlets. "If we must. Though I fail to see how presentability matters when delivering news of dead wolves."
"It's called common courtesy, Seeker," Varric said as they made their way toward the small lake near the camp's edge. "Something you nobles are supposed to be experts at."
The lake's clear waters shimmered in the afternoon light, its surface broken only by the occasional ripple from darting fish. Daniel knelt at the shore, cupping handfuls of cool water to scrub the grime from his face and neck. The others followed suit—Varric making a production of washing his new coat, Cassandra efficiently cleaning her armor's exposed surfaces, while Solas seemed to simply will the dirt away with a faint magical glow around his hands.
As they worked, the tension of the day's battles slowly eased from their shoulders. The simple act of washing up—of removing the physical remnants of their struggles—felt like shedding invisible weights.
"Right then," Daniel said, adjusting his now-cleaner robes. "Let's go grab some meals before deliver some good news for once."
Then they shared a quick meal of camp rations (Varric complaining loudly about the lack of proper seasoning), they looked and felt markedly more presentable as they prepare themselves to go see Elaina, at Master Dennet farm.
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Name : Daniel Carter
Race: Elf
Level 5 : 1806/2500 EXP
Professions: Mage
Gold Coins: 2289 coins
Weapon: Staff of the Dragon
Armor: Light Armor of the Dragon and Templar Scribe Scowl
Accessories: Token of the Packmaster and Belt of Health
Inventory: Acolyte Ice Staff, Morning Star, Stiletto, Hunting Longbow, Fire Resistance Cowl, Mercenary Coat, Acolyte Fire Staff, Disciple Lighting Staff, Apprentice Armor, Qunari Battleaxe, Raider Hatchet, 2 Disciple Fire Staff, Apprentice Mail, Qunari Buckler, Medium Adventure Armor, Mindleech Staff, Soldier's Nemesis, 2 Recruit's Dirk, Reinforced Dagger, Sledgehammer, Disciple Lighting Staff, Apprentice Armor, Exacting Longbow, Barbarian Lord Maul, Lifeward Amulet, and Grenade Belt
Crafting Materials: 37 Elfroot, 62 Iron, 2 Blue Vitriol, 1 Dawn Lotus, 11 Silk, 17 Lambswool, 3 Royal Elfroot, 10 Ram Leather, 23 Drakestone, 4 Fire Essence, 3 Blue Vitriol, 11 Canine Leather, 4 Plaidewaive, 2 Frost Essence, 1 Fade-Touched Iron, 4 Blood Lotus, 5 Embrium, 10 Spindleweed, 16 Onyx, 3 Ironbarks, 2 Crystal Grace, and 1 Serpenstone
Upgrades: Sigil of the Gamordan Stromrider and Sigil of Deathroot
Valuables: 2 Shadow Essence, 1 Ram Horn, 1 Dreamer Rag, 5 Weapon Fragment, 2 Bowstring, 3 Mysterious Shards, Nevarra Skull, 1 Wisp Essence, and 1 Wolf Fangs
Potions: Lesser Health Potions x8, Lesser Regeneration Potions x5, and x5 Lyrium Potion
Skills: Chain Lighting, Flashfire, Barrier, Winter's Grasp, and Energy Barrage
Armor Schematics: Shokra-taar Schematic, Antaam-saar Schematic, Avvar Armor Schematics Acquired, Stone-Bear Armor Schematics, Vanguard Coat Schematic, Sturdy Defender Coat Schematic, and Scout Mail Arms Schematic
Weapon Schematics: Curved Dagger Schematic and Hunting Bow Schematic
Potion Recipe: Lesser Regeneration Potion recipe and Lyrium Potion Recipe
Bottles of Thedas: Vint-9 Rowan's Rose and Carnal, 8:69 Blessed