It was a good thing that they had Levi with them as navigating through the tunnels was extremely difficult. Eventually, they exited the tunnels and found themselves on a peak.
Apr 27, 2020 The Battle of Soldier's Peak saw the Grey Wardens banished from Ferelden for two hundred years and the death of Sophia Dryden, after the Theirins took the throne from the Drydens. I'm having a bit of a hard time deciding on what I should do. Both Avernus and possessed-Sophia are not innocent. As a mage, I don't like making deals with demons, but the one possessing Sopia seems sincere.
Levi looked at them triumphantly. 'And… here we are, Soldier's Peak.'
Soldier's Peak looked like an impenetrable fortress. There were battlements all around, and it had a perfect vantage point from where it stood.
Levi just stared at it in awe. 'Make's breathe, look at the size of her. What a fortress.' He then turned and looked at them. 'I told you the map would get us through the tunnels.'
Hiccup just stared at him in disbelief. 'Andraste's blood, how did you find that path on your own?'
'You wouldn't believe if I told you.'
Hiccup folded his arms. 'After all the stuff I've seen as a Warden nothing would surprise me at this point.'
'It came to me in my dreams. When I was a lad, I tried going through the tunnel myself. Got horribly lost. But every now and again since, I've dreamt of it.'
Ragnar frowned. 'Why didn't you mention this before?'
'I didn't want you to think I was some moon-addled simpleton. I've my wits about me.' He then turned his eyes upon the fortress. 'But enough of that. I'll follow you. From a distance. This place has the stench of death. I expect there's trouble ahead.'
They made their way into the fortress, and the moment they entered, they saw armed men surrounding the fortress being led by a noble in armour.
'Fall back. Fall back, already,' said the noble commanding them.
'Taking the Peak will not be easy, Lord Grimborn,' said a soldier.
'I gave the Wardens one chance to die with honour. Instead, they hole up like cowards. We follow the king's advice, then. Starve them out.'
'But the Peak has months of supplies.'
'Then, we wait. When they are too weak to lift their weapons, we will send them to their final judgement.'
Then suddenly, these men vanished as quickly as they appeared.
'Wh-what was that? I feel bit woozy there,' said Levi. He then looked at Theron. 'I'm not mad, and my? You saw it, too?'
'I've heard an Asgarian ballad about something like this. A beauty trapped in a dream. In the song, Bellisa never woke up,' said Heather.
'Your pretty friend here is making me nervous, Warden,' said Levi.
'The Veil is thin here,' said Speedfist. 'The Circle tower was that way, too.'
Levi blinked. 'The Veil?'
'That's what separates us from the Fade and demons.'
Levi's eyes widened. 'D-demons? Thank Andraste you came, Warden.' He then looked nervously at the fortress. 'After you.'
'And people say chivalry is dead,' said Astrid.
The moment they entered into the courtyard skeletons of Wardens and Arland's men came to life. They had to fight their way through the courtyard just to reach the steps fortunately after the incident in Berk they became quite proficient in battling the undead.
Once they fought through the skeletons, they entered into the fortress and came across more visions this time of a squad of Warden. Leading them was a woman, who looked just as capable as Astrid and Hiccup knew at once this was Sophia Dryden, Levi's ancestor.
She was at the moment talking to an elderly mage. 'The men's morale is low. My spells are no use in this matter, Commander,' said the mage.
'There is more to leading than men than sorcery, Avernus. I will remind them that they're Wardens,' said Sophia. They what she turned to face the other wardens with pride in her eyes. 'Men, I won't lie to you. The situation is grim. Our forces outnumbered. Our bellies empty. And our hearts are sagging. But we are Wardens. Darkspawn flee when they hear our horns. Archdemons die when they taste our blades. So are we to bent knee to a mere human despot? No!'
Her speech seemed to rouse the Wardens spirits, and Hiccup himself felt moved by this speech. 'I, for one, will never give up. I, for one, will never give up. Will never surrender just to dance on Arland's gallows. So I propose here and now, in these hallowed halls where generations of our brethren stood vigil against darkspawn and evil… That we send a message to that fat bastard. In this sacred place, proud men, strong men, stood defiant. And would rather die than submit to a tyranny!'
The Wardens then cheered, and then they vanished without a trace.
Levi made his way over to Hiccup, looking at where Sophia had once stood in awe. 'So brave, even when starving. And my great-great-grandmother stood with them.'
Ragnar looked at him curiously. 'King Arland was a tyrant?'
Levi shrugged. 'Not much is known of King Arland. The war of succession that followed his death, now that was a piece of work. Lasted nearly a decade, and almost burned Aresgan and the Palace to the ground. Loads of history was lost. But maybe there's answers to that inside. But I've dabbed enough. Lead on, my friends.'
More skeletons soon appeared, and they had a fight their way just to reach the second floor, but now they have to contend with demons. They had to cut their way through them, things would have been a lot difficult if it hadn't been for Valka and Speedfist providing backup with some spells.
They soon reached the second floor and once again visions appeared. This time it showed Sophia and her wardens facing against the king's army. They were outnumbered and losing ground fast, and the king's army seemed unending.
'Make them pay for every inch, men!' Sophia cried. They watched her as she deflected the blow of a soldier and then slit his throat. 'Hold the flank!' She then turned to the mage Avernus from earlier. 'Avernus, we need you.'
Avernus then stood tall and faced the army and began muttering some sort of incantation that was totally unknown to Daylen. 'Nelatep obresooth sythan net bekon!'
Then all of a sudden they saw a rage demon appearing out of the ground. It then advanced on a soldier, who just stared at it in fear.
'Andraste's blood! Wh-what?' He was in silence by the demon.
Sophia saw the king's army backing away in fear at the demon. 'More, Avernus—whatever it takes!'
They watched as Avernus conjured up more demons. 'Kaelee ai benfotus victus!'
This time a Shade appeared in the king's army were practically running over each other, trying to get away from them.
'Press them, press them now,' Sophia commanded.
However, the demons then began attacking the Wardens. 'No! I command you, fight the king's men!' Avernus commanded.
The Shade turned and faced him. 'Fool! So much death, suffering, and, oh yes… blood,' said the Shade in a malevolent voice. 'The Veil is torn now. Your soul is mine, Avernus.'
Avernus then turned with apprentices. 'Acolytes… Retreat now. The battle is lost.'
They saw Avernus heading over to the stairs.
'Avernus!' Sophia yelled.
The fight before them vanished as quickly as they appeared.
'What just happened—' Then they saw more skeletons and demons heading towards them. 'Oh no, more fighting!'
Levi went as far as he could away from the skeletons and demons, and they charged them. Hiccup sliced the arm of warden skeleton and then sliced its head off. Ragnar and Heather fired an arrow each which went through to skeletons belonging to the king's men. Wartihog was getting into the swing of things with his battleaxe slicing through anything that came into its path. Valka and Speedfist fired ice spells upon the rage demon freezing them in place before blasting them with an energy blast.
Once the battle was done, Levi made his way over to them. 'The Wardens summoned demons. I can't believe it. And my grandmother… She knew.'
'She was fighting for her life,' said Hiccup.
Levi closed his eyes. 'I believe that my family was better than that. But answers may delay up ahead.'
They soon entered into a library which was fooled of burned books. Fishlegs bent over towards a badly burnt one that laid open, he could make out a few words here and there, but the great majority of it was burnt.
Then suddenly they saw more images this time of two mages, the archivist was writing in the book while his apprentice was barricading the door.
'The door won't hold, archivist,' said the apprentice.
'Almost done… The truth must be told,' said the archivist as he wrote as fast as he could.
'What does it matter? We're dead.'
'Our grand Rebellion… so close… And to die here a stillbirth.'
'We never should've done it,' said the apprentice moving away from the door. 'Wardens aren't supposed to oppose kings and princes.'
'Should we stand idle by while—'
They never heard him finish because the door flung open and then they saw a bright light. They could only hear their screams as the vision faded.
'Another one… Rebellion? What is this about a rebellion?' Levi asked puzzled. 'If only the book wasn't burned.'
'But this goes against everything the Grey Wardens stand for?' said Ragnar.
'But Sophia must've had reasons,' said Levi. 'The Wardens are heroes. Some injustices just cannot be ignored.'
'Taking arms against a king jeopardises our neutrality.'
'But what about you, aren't you fighting against Drago the same way Sophia is?'
'He does have a point,' said Astrid.
'Difference being is that we're in the middle of a Blight and Drago is jeopardising the safety of this country and others. We have no choice, even if we managed to gather an army we cannot attack the darkspawn fearing an attack from the rear.'
Hiccup was starting to wonder if this Rebellion was the cause of the Wardens exile. Arland did appear to be a tyrant, but for the Wardens to break the neutrality seemed a bit unusual clearly there's much more to this than meet the eye.
'Let's just keep moving, maybe we can find answers elsewhere,' said Hiccup.
They soon found themselves in the Commander's Quarters, and what they found was shocking. Sophia was standing in front of them with their back towards them.
'Step no further, Warden. This one would speak with you,' said Sophia as she turned towards them. Their eyes widened because her face was covered in scabs and looked like it was rotting.
Hiccup moved his hand towards his blade. 'Why should I speak with you?'
'Because this Peak is mine,' said Sophia. 'This one is the Dryden. Commander. Sophia. All these things.'
Levi was stunned. 'G-grandmother?'
Sophia ignored him and focused her attentions upon Hiccup. 'You have slain many of the demon ilk to get here. This one would propose a deal.'
Speedfist looked up at Levi. 'Levi, I'm afraid your great-great-grandmother is possessed.'
'That, or she's really let herself go,' he said and turned to look at what remained of Sophia. 'My great-great-grandmother is dead. I don't know what that is.'
Hiccup crossed his arms and looked at Sophia. 'And why should I trust a demon?'
'What is a one-woman child compared to your might? Strike me down if my terms offend. A fool this one would be to betray the Warden.'
Speedfist lean to whisper in Theron's ear. 'She's a pride demon, and it would be inadvisable to trust her.'
Hiccup nodded. 'I've heard enough. Die, demon.'
In rage Sophia through her sword and charge that Hiccup. He blocked her attack but was knocked aside by her shield he looked up just in time to see her raising her sword above him, but then Astrid came out of nowhere and swung her battleaxe slicing her head clean off.
Ragnar then opened the desk and found what appeared to be a journal. 'I think I found Sophia's journal.'
Levi's eyes lit up. 'What does it say?'
'I'm afraid some of the passages are unreadable, but what I can make out it turns out that Sophia was, in fact, Arland's cousin.'
'What?' Levi stared.
'The last king died with no heirs so fell upon either Sophia or her young cousin Arland. Sadly a good majority of the nobles believe that we could control Arland, so they backed him instead of her.'
'I'm guessing things didn't go well,' Astrid assumed.
'Arland proved himself to be a tyrant, he locked Sophia and plan to execute her, but she still had noble supporters who suggested handing her over to the Grey Wardens. Only she climbed up the ranks until she became Commander, at which point Arland's brutality to be too much and so the nobles asked her to replace him as Queen.'
'Guess we now know what caused the rebellion,' said Hiccup.
'So do you think she did all this to take down a tyrant or just to take power?' Astrid asked.
'I get the feeling it was both, but I guess we'll never know the answer,' said Hiccup.
'Regardless we need to find a way to stop these demons from spreading,' said Speedfist.
'Do you have any ideas?' Hiccup asked.
'I advise that we continue on looking around and maybe will be able to find a way to reverse this catastrophe,' said Speedfist.
They made their way over a bridge and Ragnar was able to disarm the traps that laid upon it and had to deal with a few undead Wardens. In no time at all, they soon reach the tower and Speedfist went straight to a pile of books that laid on the ground.
'These were written by that mage Avernus,' he said picking up a book. 'Listen to this: Day 32. The subject is not responding to the stimuli. Testing the pain threshold has uncovered nothing. Only three subjects are left. Day 82. If only I could reproduce last night's extraordinary success. Electricity is only a catalyst. The blood is the key. Day 97. Energy and blood. Repeated applications have duplicated the results. I conjecture the success can be induced out alchemically. But there are no more subjects left. If only I had one more or a dozen. The things I could do.' He then closed the book. 'That's when the entry ends.'
'What did he mean by subjects? Or is as bad as I think it is?' Hiccup asked.
'Apparently he was doing some sort of experiments on the Blight, and they seem to be very unethical,' said Speedfist.
'I think this is the labour of his work,' said Ragnar handing over a vial with a potion that laid on a table.
Hiccup looked at Speedfist. 'You're the mage what do you make of this?'
'Understanding the Blight is a worthwhile idea, but I cannot condone his experiments. We maybe Grey Wardens, but there's always a line. This research will be valuable, but the cost was too high.'
'Well, take whatever you think may be useful. Let's make sure that deaths weren't inveighing,' said Hiccup.
Once they were done checking through Avernus is books they made their way to a door. They still found nothing on how to prepare a Joining, and they soon entered Avernus's lab.
'I hear you…' said a voice. 'Don't disrupt my concentration.'
They all stared, he might have aged greatly, but there was no mistaking his voice; it was an Avernus. It didn't seem possible, but yet there was no mistaking his posture as he approached them from his desk.
'Even now the demon seeks to replenish their numbers. Are you to thank for this welcome but timely imbalance?' he asked.
'The old Warden mage? You're still alive?' Hiccup gasped.
'Only just. I have only a short time left.' Avernus then looked them curiously. 'Why are you here? What is your intent?'
Hiccup his arms and gave him a displeasing look. 'I'm debating whether I should let you live.'
Avernus narrowed his eyes. 'And here I thought you would rescue me. There is a precise mystical balance here. My every breath is dedicated to keep the tear in the Veil from ripping wider. And you would kill me now? You're narrow-minded actions could ensure that this place teems with their kind.'
Daylen narrowed his eyes. 'We've seen your experiments.'
'They were necessary. Any tool, any iota of information that could defeat the failed demons, was justified. As a Warden, you should know that.'
Valka gave Avernus a displeasing look. 'Even Wardens know there are limits. However, you spin your web of rationalisation, consulting with demons is evil.'
Avernus rolled his eyes. 'The Chantry has done such a fine job of indoctrinating you, haven't they?'
'I happened to be an apostate.'
Avernus looked quite taken aback. 'Ah, then I stand corrected.'
Speedfist then stepped forwards. 'How about giving us some answers.'
'To what questions, I wonder?' Avernus asked, looking at the mage curiously. 'Ask.'
'Sophia's great-great-grandson brought us here.' Hiccup looked at Levi. 'Levi, go ahead.'
'Master mage, uh, sir. My family name has been worth less than dirt for over a century. Do you have any proof that Sophia was a hero?' Levi asked, hopefully.
Avernus looked quite surprised. 'The boy who braved the mists. So you heard my call.' He laughed. 'And you are a Dryden? The cosmos has a sense of humour.'
Hiccup stared at him. 'Your call?'
'He was but a boy when he entered the tunnels below the Peak. His heart pure. His character certain. In dreams, I gave him the keys he would need. He would be my deliverance.'
Ragnar rolled his eyes. 'Just ask Levi's question.'
Avernus's eyes were for sympathy as he turned towards Levi. 'Your great-great-grandmother was the best of us. Brave, charismatic, fiery. Utterly devoted to the fight. But still, we lost. We fought the tyrant, you know? So full of vigour, then. So blind to the consequence. But prove? There is none to be had.'
Hiccup looked at Levi with sympathy. 'I'm sorry, Levi.'
Levi looked at his feet. 'I…, I had hoped. But thank you, Warden.'
Speedfist looked Avernus for curiosity. 'How have you survived these many years?'
'The Chantry forbid the use of blood magic—but there are so many secrets to uncover. As my body decayed, I found a way to extend it. But that can only go so far.'
Hiccup was utterly disgusted, but nevertheless, he was amazed that Avernus was able to extend his life away over a century. 'Tell me what happened here.'
'What use would storytelling serve? The tyrant Arland is long dead. As is our noble co-conspirators and the grand Rebellion. Sophia's corpse may walk and talk. But she, too, is no more.'
'How was Arland a tyrant?' Ragnar asked.
'He ruled with fear and poison. His treachery pit noble against Noble in terrible battle. We thought him a monster. We gathered allies to rebel.' He sighed. 'But the toll of years has erased our failure, hasn't it? It seemed so pressing then, but the kingdom lives on.'
'What happened to rebellion?' Hiccup asked.
'Too many mouths to quiet. Even sorcery can only go so far. So we met with Teyrn Haddock. With him on our side, we had a chance of victory. Instead, the king's guards ambushed us. Commander Dryden and I barely escaped.'
'The Haddocks almost rebelled?' Hiccup stared disbelief. 'That's my family.'
Avernus looked generally surprised. 'Is it? You lost many family members that day. I saw the teyrn's head on the meeting table. With an apple in its mouth. Arland's butchers no doubt slaughtered enough Haddocks to make them… pliable.'
Astrid looked at Hiccup. 'Arland must've been a tyrant had it were planning to rebel against the king.'
Speedfist shook his head in disbelief. 'You had to know that something so many demons was foolhardy.'
Avernus nodded. 'Perhaps. But it was survival. Four months, I prepared the summing circles, researched the deepest depths of the Fade. That moment was a triumph of demonic lore. Dozens of demons called by my hand.' He sighed and rubbed his forehead. 'But with so many variables, I suppose calculation errors were inevitable. I was so close.'
Speedfist narrowed his eyes. 'You're to blame for all of this. Some things you just don't do.'
Avernus looked at his feet. 'From a Warden, that means something. So tired, so old. You let me undo my greatest of mistakes. Let me cleanse this place. Then… Then, I will accept whatever justice you feel, I merit.'
Hiccup figure that they got all they needed from Avernus. 'The time the questions is over.'
Avernus nodded. 'So be it. My only request: If justice or vengeance drive you, stay your hand until the demons are dealt with.'
Theron then gave a firm look. 'Until the demons are dead, we are allies.'
Avernus nodded in agreement. 'That'll do for now.' He then headed towards the door, and they followed him. 'We must go to the great hall. There I will repair the damage I course so long ago. There will be peril. The demons will fight us every step of the way. Come.'
They soon crossed the bridge and made their way over to the great hall. Hiccup didn't have to be a mage to realise that they were standing in the epicentre of the tear within the Veil.
Avernus came to a stop and turned to face them. 'We must act quickly. The demons are clawing on the gates. The Veil must be closed.'
'What do we do?' Hiccup asked.
'I will unravel the summoning circles I drew so long ago. Waves of spirits and demons may come through. Dispatch them. He then made his way over to the first circle. 'I will begin. First, I must summon the magical energies. I feel them. They're coming!'
Dragon Age Soldier's Peak Door Locked
Levi got to a safe distance, and everyone got ready as Avernus began to unravel the circles one by one. He was right they had to face tons of demons of all kinds and all they could do was keep them at bay while Avernus began muttering some sort of incantation.
Hiccup saw Speedfist and Valka casting spells at upcoming demons. Heather and Astrid were fighting back to back, slicing their way through the demons with their axes. The twins were more than happy to back them up and the villagers if they were having fun doing it.
Wartihog was slashing any demon that got close to his battleaxe. Ragnar and Eret removing in between the lines outflanking the demons. Sten, Shale and Snotlout were the vanguard bashing their way through with their weapons. Hiccup, Fishlegs and Toothless protected the perimeter around Avernus as he moved from circle to circle.
Finally, Avernus was able to remove the last of the circles he wrote, and after they slew the last remaining demons, he approached them. 'It's over. The Veil is strong now. Stronger, at least.' He then looked at Hiccup. 'I said I'd submit to judgement, and so I shall. Can I be left to experiment in peace?'
Hiccup knew that they couldn't allow the rumours of the experiments committed here to reach the people, it would damage the Warden's reputation even more. 'For your crimes, death is the only verdict.'
Avernus nodded and looked at his feet. 'So be it.'
'It makes you feel any better. I'll continue your research to benefit the Wardens,' said Speedfist. 'Though I will not use unethical experiments to achieve my ends.'
Avernus looked at him. 'At least there is peace in that and that my subject deaths were not in vain.'
He then bent down to his knees, and Hiccup raised his sword. He then struck it down, slicing his head off.
Levi then emerged from his hiding place. 'You've done it, Warden. Soldier's Peak is safe again. A good thing you took care of that Avernus. A blood mage! In the Wardens. Common folk should never hear of that. Some still distrust Wardens, even in a Blight. Crazy bloggers.' He sighed. 'But there was no proof to redeem my family.'
Hiccup placed a hand on her shoulder. 'Your grandmother, I'm not sure about. But you're a good man.'
Levi smiled. 'For so long, I was focused on the past. On answers. But I think I would have been better off had if I'd stayed at home. Enough of that, though. I find myself at a loss.'
Hiccup smiled at him. 'You know, I do need someone to be in charge of this place and get things spruced up a bit.'
Levi stared at him. 'But this is your fortress?'
'Our base of operation is in Berk, it is the perfect location to strike the darkspawn from the south. Was so I can't risk sending any of our forces here so close to the capital, Drago might see it as a hostile move.'
'My cousins have been looking for a safe place to store trade goods. And the Peak will do nicely,' said Levi.
'And it's not a complete loss either,' Ragnar added. 'We can leave out a few bits, but we can say that Arland was a tyrant and it was the nobility that asked the Wardens to intervene.'
'Plus the research that Avernus did on the Blight is quite intriguing,' said Speedfist. 'With it, we might be able to find more information about the Blight, though I'll make sure to use more ethical methods.'
Fishlegs then stepped forward. 'So, I'm still a little confused.'
'About what, everything here is confusing?' said Snotlout.
'What is it, Fishlegs?' Ragnar asked, ignoring Snotlout.
'Well, how could Avernus have lived so long?'
Ragnar nodded. 'It is confusing, we're not completely immune to the taint over a period of 30 years, or so it starts to affect us. Once that happens, we start making our way to the Deep Roads. It's why the dwarves of Orzammar still respect us to this day.'
'And on that happy note, let's make our way back to Berk and report to my father,' said Hiccup.
At Aresgan Tyrell and Viggo wandering through the streets and they can help but notice that everyone was looking grim. Clearly worded the darkspawn advance was spreading quite quickly despite their best efforts of keeping it down.
'Any news on our wayward Prince?' Tyrell asked.
'According to my spies see me making his way towards Soldier's Peak, the former headquarters of the Grey Wardens nearly a century ago?' said Viggo. 'They say that the place is haunted.'
Dragon Age Soldier's Peak
Tyrell merely shrugged. 'I'm not too concerned about young Hiccup, I think he's proven himself to be quite resourceful.'
Viggo knowledge in agreement. 'I agree, not only did he survive the disaster of Ostagar, but he saved an entire city from undead, purged at tower filled with the abominations and has recently ventured into the Deep Roads. If that's not all he's not he's proving himself to be quite a leader, more so than our current Queen maybe frank.'
'I agree, you know she's still trying to pressure the Council to launch an attack on Berk,' said Tyrell. 'Fortunately, the true power lies within my father after some much convincing, he sees the wisdom that this Landsmeet might be the best way to unify Berk.'
'Though I fear the outcome may not be the one he suspects,' said Viggo. 'People are starting to see Hiccup as Midgard's one remaining hope compared to your father. So far your father has started a civil war and ignored the darkspawn threat, even I'm questioning whether to give my support.'
Dragon Age Soldier's Peak Bug
'I agree, the day is coming when we have to pick a side. I just hope that it's the right one.'