by Milton Garby
"Why did you do that to them!?" Ogrhen bellowed.
"Because they sought they Urn!" The merchant pitched.
"Why don't you want us to find the Urn!?" Aedan yelled. He was only answered with more labored panting, so Aedan applied more weight to the injury. "What did you do with Genitivi!? Talk or I swear the pain will just continue!"
"It doesn't matter what you do to me!" The merchant cried out. "Andraste will reward me and all of my brethren for our deeds, we have kept Her safe from you vile, blasphemous lowlanders and She will punish you for…!" Before he could continue his rant Sten shoved his greatsword through the man's skull.
They all looked at the Qunari for a moment. "He wasn't going to say anything useful anyway." Sten answered. Dane barked in agreement.
Aedan decided they had wasted enough time in here and that it was time to regroup with Alistair and the others. When they walked out of that slaughter house they saw that the rest of their companions were already engaged in combat with the rest of the village and amongst their attackers' number were reavers wearing the same armor as the ones who attacked at Lake Calenhad.
With both sides of the company rejoined they made quick work of the ill-armed and unarmored villagers, though reavers were still a challenge. They were savage fighters that fought with unyielding fury and any injury done to them only increased their strength, it was why Aedan became one. They fought using brutal axes, mauls, and maces while utilizing a brutal style that was definitely self-taught; what these men lacked in discipline they quickly made up for in savagery. However, this lack of disciplined training and reliance on their reaver abilities made them sloppy, left openings in their offense, and they completely ignored the rogues and mages to fight the warriors out of a sense of warlike pride; even the most savage reaver can't recover from a well-placed arrow to the heart, dagger to the spine, or even a decapitation. Didn't help against curses and hexes either.
When Aedan decided he was tired of turning the entire community into a mass grave they all made their way over to the chantry. The village chantry was at the top of the highest hill in Haven and judging by the music emanating from it mass was in session.
"We are blessed beyond measure." An elderly man with a long, gray, thick beard preached as they walked in the ancient but extremely sturdy house of worship. Aedan guessed that this was Father Eirik, and he could also tell that he was a mage. For some reason none of these Chantry goers seemed to mind that there was a bunch of outsiders covered in blood from head to toe and armed to their teeth entering these "hallowed" hall.
"We are chosen by the Holy and Beloved to be Her guardians." Eirik continued either not noticing or not caring about the masses new guests. "This sacred duty is given to us alone; rejoice my brethren and prepare your hearts to receive her. Lift up your voices and despair not, for She will raise Her faithful servants to glory when Her…" Before he finished his sermon the mage finally noticed the intruders and gave them an icy glare. "Ah…I had heard we had visitors wander about the village. I trust you have enjoyed you time in Haven so far?"
The fact that this bastard was acting as if nothing was wrong just made Aedan's heart race faster in rage but felt a sadistic grin to reach both of his ears. "Why yes, I've enjoyed butchering you and your kin for what you did to the Knights of Redcliffe."
"Hmph, and this is why we don't acknowledge ourselves to you lowlanders." The old man explained haughtily. "You'd only bring war and destruction to our charges in you ignorance and heresy."
"As you deserve!" Alistair lashed out. He was also angry about the murdered men who tried to save Arl Eamon. "You're murderers!"
"We owe you no explanation for our actions. We have a sacred duty; failure to protect Her would be an even greater sin. All will be forgiven."
"Before you have you forgivness from your dead prophetess…" Aedan hissed. "You're gonna get judgment from me."
And with that threat Eirik unleashed a magic force at Aedan and his comrades that pushed them all away from him. Eirik loosed fire and lightning at them but he hadn't counted on a Templar being amongst the enemy. As Alistair made his way to decapitate the vile Father, members of the mass ran in front of him and blocked his path. Eirik used this opportunity to make a blood sacrifice of his followers to increase his power! Alistair couldn't decide which was more horrifying; the fact that the priest sacrificed members of his flock or that his followers allowed it. Eirik continued to lash at the Wardens and their companions and this time with blood fueled spells and the rest of the villagers joined in to kill the intruders.
"None of you heathens understand!" Eirik called out. "We are empowered by Andraste Herself! She will give us the power to slaughter you and all of those who dare question Her most faithful!"
"So, you're powered by Andraste, huh?" Eirik was startled. How could not sense the tattooed heretic behind him? Suddenly there was searing pain in his chest. He looked down and noticed a long white and blue protrusion sprouting out of his torso: it was the barbarian's sword. "I am not impressed." The heathen stated as he used his blade to lift the Revered Father off the ground while he began to scream in terrible pain!
Morrigan smiled deviously as the self-righteous priest was being impaled atop her lover's sword. Her grin only broadened as she noticed the fanatics turned back into sheep with the loss of their shepherd. As they began to shriek and cry out in terror at seeing Eirik scream and squirm with spurting blood from his mouth, Morrigan conjured a sickly green spell in her hand then threw it at the dying mage. Aedan noticed the spell and knew which one it was, he then heaved Starfang, with Eirik still impaled upon the blade, and tossed him into his followers. When he struck the ground his followers went to assist him, Eirk's grievous wound quickly turned green and sickly dark veins stretched from it. He cried out one last terrified scream as his body bloated and blew up in as mass of gore and blood, killing all that was left of the villagers in the Chantry.
Aedan and company all stared at the dead bodies in this profaned place for a moment. "Parsharra!" Sten called out. "Now, what do we do?" Aedan ordered that they all search the place for anything that can tell them about what happened to Brother Genitivi or tell them of the existence of the Sacred Urn. Aedan went over to the splattered remains of Eirik and something caught his eye; a strange amulet. Interesting, the medallion looked similar to puzzle boxes that Aedan had seen in Orlais. If that mad priest had it on him then it must have been important so Aedan decided to hold on to it.
While the others searched the other rooms of the Chantry, Wynne set to looking through the books hoping that there would be something written down by these cultists about the Urn. Just as she opened the first book she pulled of the shelf she heard a loud groan, was there a villager still alive in this place? She heard it again but couldn't see who was making it. Then she realized it was coming from the wall behind the shelf of books. "Come here! Quickly!" The old mage called to her comrades.
They moved the shelf and Zevran found a switch that revealed the wall was actually a secret door. When the walked in there was someone in there. A man somewhere in his late forties to early fifties and by the looks of it he had been severely tortured. "You…did they send you to finish me?" The old man asked. "No, you're not one of them, who are you?"
Aedan guessed the man could tell they were not from Haven judging by how the dressed and who was in this new company. "Brother Genitivi I presume?"
"Yes! Oh, I can't tell you how glad I am to finally see someone that's not from the god-forsaken place." Genitivi exclaimed.
Wynne set down to healing the Chantry Brother's injuries. "You need to be very still, I've managed to set the bones in your leg back in place but you'd best not put pressure on it."
"I can't be still now, not when I am so close to finding the Urn." Genitivi informed.
"The Urn, are you saying it truly exists?" Aedan asked skeptically.
"Yes, according to my research the Urn is supposedly in a temple nearby at the base of the mountain."
Aedan still couldn't believe it; the Urn of Sacred Ashes wasn't a myth like he had always thought.
Alistair began to look anxious and excited. "We have to find the Urn quickly! Do you know the way, Brother?"
"I do, but why do you seek it?" Genitivi inquired.
Aedan looked down on him, obviously he didn't know about the condition of his employer. "We need them to cure Arl Eamon, he was poisoned by Teryn Loghain."
Genitivi looked disbelieved for a moment and let out an exasperated sigh. "Politics, they never do anyone any good."
Before they went looking for the Urn Aedan had to know who they were dealing with, there could be more of these assholes from Haven guarding the Urn. "What exactly did these people hope to gain by torturing you?"
"I honestly don't know, they wanted to know all there was about me, the names of my family, my research, people that I know."
"They wanted to replace you with an imposter." Aedan informed gravely.
"What? How do you know that?"
"Because there was a fake Weylon at your house in Denerim."
Genitivi began to look mortified again. "What…what happened to the real Weylon."
Leliana decided he would break the news to him. "I am sorry, brother, they murdered him."
"Ah, my poor boy, I'm so sorry." Genitivi mourned. "He kept me believing in my research even after the Chantry declared it blasphemous, even when I started to doubt it."
Alistair still wanted some answers. "What did they have to gain by torturing and murdering the Knights that were searching for you?"
"From what I can guess, sick pleasure." There was a look of mortified anger on the Brother's face as he remembered the awful deeds these people did. "Eirik was so smug about it, like he was being blessed for being a monster."
"Well, he won't be hurting anyone ever again." Zevran promised.
"Why does Haven revered fathers?" Wynne asked.
"Well, as you know when the Chantry was founded it was proclaimed that only women could be priests, but I think that these Disciples of Andraste predate that founding of the Chantry."
"Disciples of Andraste?" Morrigan scoffed. "Why would they call themselves that?"
"I honestly have no idea..." Genetivi continued. "...but there's something very strange about them."
"What? You mean besides the obvious torturing, blood sacrificing and general weirdness?" Oghren pointed out.
"Well…the way they speak of Andraste. They speak of Her as if She's still alive."
That caught everyone of guard. "You think their talking about the Urn?" Aedan asked.
"It's possible." Genitivi confirmed half-heartedly. "But they speak of the Ashes with great disdain."
"Let's not waste any more time." Aedan declared. "Do you know how to get to the temple from here?"
"I do, but the door is locked. The key is an amulet that Eirik wears around his neck.
"This one?" Aedan produced the medallion and handed it to Genitivi.
"Yes, that's it." The Chantry scholar confirmed.
"Are you sure you can make it?" Wynne asked worriedly.
"If you can allow me to lean on someone and I'm sure I will be fine, I will not stay here when I'm so close to finding the Temple of Sacred Ashes."
"Sten, you're carrying him." Aedan ordered. Everyone was beginning to snicker but the giant looked bemused.
"Why me?" Sten asked incredulously.
"Because you're the only one big enough to carry him without his injuries slowing us down, and because I said so." Aedan explained. "Shale can't do it because she might crush him by 'accident'."
"It's true." The golem confirmed.
This time there was no stopping everyone from laughing except for the warrior who had been demoted to nurse maid and the scholar who was to be carted around like laundry by a follower of a religion that challenged his own. As Sten picked up Genitivi like a sack of grain the Chantry brother began to look a bit paler. "So…you're a Qunari."
"Congratulations. You've stated the obvious. Your Chantry would be proud." Sten remarked glumly.
The entry to the temple was at the base of the mountain that Eirik's Chantry was sitting at the base at. Genitivi impressed Aedan with how he knew how to work the intricate key to open the temple's door. As they entered the temple everyone gazed upon it in awe. Despite the fact that it was mostly in disrepair and covered in snow they all couldn't help but marvel at the ingenuity it took to build an entire temple beneath the Frostback Mountains.
"What I would give to see this place in all of its splendor and glory as it deserves!" Genitivi exclaimed.
"Be on your guard, Brother." Aedan warned. "There could be more cultists here."
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Obviosly the Genitivi had gone back into being the scholar he is and was more concerned about looking about this place.
Aedan gave him a wry smile. "I think it's best if you stay here."
"I agree. I couldn't keep with you because of my injuries."
"Thank you for all that you've done." Alistair said.
"Oh, my part was small." Genitivi said modestly. "Perhaps I was meant to lead you hear as you seem meant to find the Urn. Now I just need something to write on."
This temple was infested with the cultists like a maggot-ridden carcass. It wasn't just reavers and blood mages at their disposal but ash wraiths and cleverly hidden traps as well. They moved from the temple and into what seemed like long and extensive caverns beneath the mountain, but what was most surprising was the dragonlings and drakes that had made their home here. What's more, the gargantuan lizards seemed to be helping, even obeying the cultists. This was not natural, or at the very least, not heard of in modern thinking. Dragonkin are not like mabari, griffons, or halla, they cannot be tamed.
Drakes were rare. They hardly ever showed themselves and when they did it was to hunt for food or mate with a winged female. And they were certainly not social creatures. They were territorial and hostile. Yet these drakes not only ran in packs, they were fighting alongside the cultists as if they were companions. They soon came across an enclave of dragon eggs that was guarded by more reavers and blood mages, and several massive drakes.
This was a disturbing discovery. After a dragon laid her eggs a drake would often stay to guard the clutch so his mate could fly off and hunt for prey. And there were a lot of a drakes here, and even more eggs. That meant that somewhere in these caverns were full grown, flying, female dragons and they were some of the fiercest creature in all of Thedas and not too long ago all dragonkin was considered extinct. Aedan recalled from his history lessons of the Tevinter Imperium how they worshipped dragons and how certain dragons had the power to sway the minds of those who worshipped them, and even established symbiotic relations between men and dragons.
They cut a bloody swath through men and dragons until they came into a cavern filled hot springs and awaiting them was yet another group of cultists. Standing apart from the cultists was a man in mid-forties, he had tanned skin and a sharp, pointed beard. He was dressed in high quality dragonscale armor with a cruel battleaxe and had a severe angry look on his face, Aedan guessed he was the leader of these bastards.
"Stop! You…Shall not…Pass!" this new moron bellowed with his voice echoing throughout the cavern while putting the shaft of his axe to the ground with his arms spread out. Aedan stood there for a moment thinking of how this guy looked like a total asshole before laughing his ass off.
His laughter only seemed to make the cultists angrier but they didn't move from their spot. As soon as his laughter died down Aedan decided to address this guy "Oh? Is that right?" He snickered.
"You have no right to mock us!" The same fanatic yelled furiously. "You have desecrated our temple, murdered our faithful, killed our younglings! No more! Tell me, why have you come here!?"
Aedan put his serious face back on. "I have come for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, and if you're smart you'll give it to me."
"You came all this way for a relic?" The cult
ist look was more disbelieving than his question. "Know this, stranger:The Prophet Andraste has overcome death itself and has returned to Her faithful in a form far more radiant than you could imagine! Not even the Tevinter Imperium can hope to slay her now! What right do you have to demand the Urn!?"
"I'm the man who just left an ocean of blood, body parts, and dead lizards in the tunnel back there. Now who are you to deny me?" Aedan informed dangerously as he pointed his thumb back at the tunnel they just came through.
The cultist didn't look at all troubled by the Warden's statement. "My name is Father Kolgrim, leader and guide to the Disciples of Andraste." Kolgrim had that same stupid, smug look that Eirik had. "Kill us and you will face Andraste. She will smell our blood and the blood of her children on you and Her wrath will be great."
"Children?" Oghren remarked, his interest piqued. "You mean the dragons? Is Andraste a dragon?"
"She is so much more!" Kolgrim announced with his voice filling the entire cavern. "She is even more glorious than all of the Old Gods combined!"
"Then what happened to the Ashes?" Leliana asked worriedly.
"They are still within this temple." Kolgrim answered. "But why do we need ashes when we serve the risen Andraste in all her glory?"
"You speak of the Ashes in such disdain." Pointed out Wynne.
"What are they but the remains of a mortal woman?"
"What you are saying is against the Chantry." Wynne continued.
"Be wary." Leliana warned. "This man preaches things that are against the canticles of the Chantry."
"Your Chantry doesn't know the will of the Maker than any other man, woman or child. It only pretends to." Kolgrim said as if scolding an ignorant child.
"The cannot be trusted." Aedan agreed much to everyone's surprise. "It cares only about power and dominion."
"How can you say that?" Leliana asked disheartened. "The Chantry offers aid and salvation to so many."
"Yes." Zevran said sarcastically. "I'd say they aided my kind by giving us plenty of salvation that we didn't ask for."